Powder n' Pout; New Make Up Brushes You Need To Try!

Powder n' Pout is the brainchild of make up artist extraordinaire, Aisling Cunningham. Aisling hails from Co. Donegal, where she owns a hair and make up salon, and where Powder n' Pout was brought to life! I met Aisling recently where we chatted about the ethos behind the brand. 

I was saying about how back in the day, we used to apply our make up with our fingers (sometimes I still do for some things) or, God forbid, those horrible wedge sponges of doom. 

Realistically, you can spend as much or as little on make up as you want; there are some truly excellent budget brands around nowadays and equally, splashing out every now and then on something a little fancier is cool too. The bottom line though is that you need the right tools to apply it with. Aisling felt there was a big gap in the Irish beauty industry for make up brushes that are high quality but also affordable and so, she created Powder n' Pout.  

I've had The Flawless 5 Makeup Brush Set, the Flat Contour P050 and the Fluffy Blender P310 to play around with for the last while. I couldn't find the Fluffy Blender when I went to take the photos and of course later on I discovered it at the bottom of my make up bag (#WorldsGreatestBeautyBlogger #BloggingGoals) so I apologise that it isn't featured in the photos but I'll tell you what I like about it and link to it on the website so you can have a look there!

The Flawless 5 

The idea behind this set is that each brush is completely versatile- if you bring just these five with you travelling for instance, you should have everything you need to do your make up. The set is currently out of stock due to selling out completely in the sale but ordinarily you can find it HERE for €58 (€50 in the sale)

(From left to right in the photo);

The Angled Brush P120

Recommended use is for powder contouring, which along with blush and highlight, is my go-to contour brush at the minute. The taper of the brush will fit the shape of your face perfectly.

The Angled Liner P410

This can be used for eyeliner, eyebrow powder and lip liner. I've only used it for applying liner and a powder to my brows- I'm not mad into lining my lips. The bristles are really well packed into this so you get a firm hold for applying a straight line with- it's perfect!

The Bullet P325

This is for your smokey eye; it lets you work your shadow to the outer edge of your eye. I particularly love it for applying shadow to my under eye, I like a smokey, grungy look and because of how the brush is tapered upwards, it means you get the shadow just where you want it and not all down around your eye bags, like a panda. It's a must have for me. 

The Duo Tapered Powder P10.

I wish you could feel for yourself how soft this brush is, it's like stroking feathers across your face. This fella is a serious multi-tasker; use it to apply your primer, your liquid foundation, blush/bronzer or setting powder. Not all at once, obviously! I've mostly been using it for powder but I've also tried it for blusher and it blends outwards beautifully. Love it!!

The Duo Crease P245

Alright, so I know I've said you NEED all the others for various things, but you NEED this one for blending out your smokey eye, right into the crease. At the most, you need about three circular movements and hey presto, you're blended! You can also use this one for applying concealer to the delicate under eye skin.

The Flat Contour P050 

If you love your contouring, this is the one for you. 

Unsurprisingly, it's a completely flat, densely packed brush with ultra fine synthetic hair. Because of it's flat shape, it sits nicely underneath your cheekbones, your jawline and around tricky spots like your nose and mouth. Good news is that it can be used with liquids, creams, or pressed/loose bronzing powders. This is a lovely brush to use, really comfortable on the skin but effectively transfers the product to right where you need it. It's €17, HERE. 

The Fluffy Blender P310

Again, this does exactly what is says on the tin. It'll blend and shade out to perfection. This is another brush that's tapered to the perfect size- it makes blending super easy. I love a good fluffy brush. You can find that HERE for only €8!!

And that is that. I wasn't paid for this review, I just love trying really good quality Irish products and I think it's important to share them when I find them!

Have you tried Powder n' Pout?

If you could only use one makeup brush for the rest of your life, which one would it be?! (cruel question, I know) 

To the comments!

XX

Greek Beauty Haul

One of my favourite things about going away somewhere new (apart from eating all the food) is trying out the beauty products unique to that particular country. Before we went to Crete, I had a little look online and as I was already a fan of Korres, I had that firmly on my mind.
We don't get their full range over here, which covers skincare, shower products, shampoo & conditioner, perfumes, oils, sun-care, hair dye, make up, nail polish etc.

Mostly though, I wanted skincare. And so, I specifically was looking for a new oil. Step forward Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil. 

This is for all skin types and is targeted specifically for dull, uneven skin tone, dryness and fine lines and wrinkles. I was looking for this in particular because it has actual wild rose petals floating in the oil and you know I love a pretty product. 

Plus, gimmick. Gimmick is good. 

Apparently there is ultra concentrated Vitamin C oil in here that does some fancy anti-inflammatory and antioxidant work that brightens your skin as well as smoothing lines and overall leaving you looking dewy and glowy, like a baby deer, I'd imagine. As always, I find a lot of brand claims difficult to confirm myself, so I'll tell you what it does for me. 

I use this at night time, after my moisturiser. It has a little glass dropper, which I love anyway, cause it makes me feel like a ye olde apothecary. I only use about two drops at a time and warm it in the palm of my hand. 

It's incredibly silky and light and sinks in remarkably quickly. It smells beautiful- like an old fashioned, gentle perfume and genuinely leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed. I think it's one of the nicer facial oils I've ever used. It's a really enjoyable night time ritual now, that signals the end of the day and a total relaxation to gently massage this in, inhale and sink back into my pillows.

Because my skin is on the dry/dehydrated side, I don't love heavy, clogging products so it's kind of a joy to find an oil that's lightweight and still works. Rejoice! 

Plus, look at the petals!!! Squeee!!

To go with this and because I don't like using oils in the morning because of make-up related issues, I went for a non-oil based serum. This is the Wild Rose Brightening and Line-Smoothing Face and Eye Serum. 

Again, this is for reducing the number and dept of wrinkles (I know it's inevitable but every little helps) and adding a luminosity and a radiance to my skin that I'm always trying to add in. What I love about this is again, how light it is and that it can be used around my eyes so I'm not using an additional eye cream in the mornings. I use this under my moisturiser and it is rather lovely. 

I got 20% off on those so it worked out to be really good value- about €45 in total for both, which is great considering the serum alone is €36 to buy here. The make-up was all full price though and nothing really jumped out at me except for this cream blush and mandarin oil lip balm. Both of which were actually on sale..I know, cheapskate.

This is one of their Cheek Butters; it has shea butter and guava extract in there for moisture and vitamin C for antioxidant benefits. Mad into the vitamin C, so they are. I have the shade Philia Rose, which is a flattering, warm pink. So far I've just use my fingers to blend this in but you could equally use a stippling brush or a blending sponge. I think that shade will suit a lot of skin tones but it comes in two other shades also. This was a fiver, not bad at all. 

The lip balm is another good'un. Having used their little pots previously I wanted to try a stick version and this is as lovely as those. It obviously has mandarin oil in there and there's also shea butter and sunflower wax. This was €2, it's €9.60 on the Feel Unique website.

*does a little victory dance*.

Lastly then, I wanted to try something from Apivita, another Greek brand that focuses a lot on shower products and haircare. 

Again, I got 20% off on these so although I was just going to get the shower gel, I went for the body lotion as well. These smell absolutely stunning- I love fig and cause these are also packed with lavender and geranium essential oils, they have that kind of "expensive hotel shower product" vibes, if that makes sense.  There's also aloe and honey extracts to moisturise. Love them. 

And that is that. Although I did pick up a couple of mini tubes of Korres face masks in the duty Free but I haven't tried those yet, so they're not here.

Did I do good?!

Have you tried any of these?

To the comments!

XX

Too Faced Peach Palette & Its Peachy Friends!

Right. There are A LOT of photos here but for good reason. I am obsessed. When the Too Faced Peach Palette first came out and sold out, I didn't care that much. I didn't think I needed it and thought peach = pastel eyeshadows, which would not suit me. 

Then, a while after that, I read a blog post where the lucky gal with the palette (I can't remember who it was, apologies!) was gushing about how wearable the different shades were and so I took a closer look. And then I wanted it. It was of course, still out of stock. So when it came back in stock, (at last!!), you best be sure I bought one and then also two of its peachy friends, Papa Don't Peach blush and Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss. 

First up, the palette contains 18 shades; mixes of mattes and shimmers in pinks, nudes, corals, a green, bronzes and a couple of darker purples and a sparkly black in there too. The names are also really fun; Talk Derby To Me (a Peach Derby is a cocktail, fact fans), Bellini and Peaches N' Cream. Typically of Too Faced, this one not only has peach appropriate names and a peach decorated case, but it smells like the yummy fruit too! It's a pure novelty, obviously, but one that I quite like.

These are super pigmented. The first time I used them, I really went to town, thinking as some of the shades were light that I'd need to work my brush in there but, nope! They also blend really nicely and again, lots of flattering shades in there! Personally, I only use very small amounts of Candied Peach and Just Peachy as my skin tone is really too pale to pull off a full eyelid of pink but otherwise, all the shadows are getting a good work out!

A moment for the packaging. I mean, it's just ridiculously cute. The glosses, the blush and the highlighting palette (which I don't have) are all peach scented also. I find the smell of the gloss to be a bit overpowering actually, the blush and the eyeshadows are quite pleasantly peachy but for some reason, the gloss is just too much for me, personally.

Also, that Sweet as a Peach case in the background came free with my delivery, as did a mini glitter eyeshadow lid primer. I love both! I use the case for my brushes. It's adorable. 

I started using the blush way before I took photos so the writing is already wearing off but the powder is embossed with Papa Don't Peach (good luck getting that song out of your head now), another great name. I tend to favour a matte blush but using this reminds me of a Benefit blush from years ago that's now discontinued- that was shot through with shimmer and was so nice on. The shimmer in this one isn't super noticeable actually but I LOVE this particular peach shade on my cheeks- it's gorgeous and makes me look wide awake and alive when I really should still be asleep. I tried using another blush recently instead of this one and I had to go get this fella afterwards. I'm properly hooked. 

Lastly then is the Sweet Peach Creamy Peach Oil Lip Gloss. I got this in the shade Peach, Please which again, is just perfectly named. This is unlike any other gloss I've tried. It is really creamy so the colour comes up more pigmented than you'd expect from a gloss. It's not too thick either though. The peach oil makes it softening and moisturising and it sits comfortably on the lips. I really like the colour and I kind of want to get the peachier/orange shades now too.

And here it all is on my face because, you need to see it in action:

I've worn a combination of Charmed, I'm Sure, Bellini, Summer Yum, Luscious and Nectar here. I also have the blush and the lip oil gloss on.

Did you get the Peach Palette or any of its similarly lovely companions?

If you want to buy any of these for yourself, Too Faced is available from Debenhams Ireland (HERE) and the Too Faced US site (HERE), which now delivers to Ireland with no custom charges at your front door!

XX

Kiko Smokey Purples

While I can, I'm going to get away with as much smokey-eyed make up as possible; even though I'm currently using and loving the Too Faced Peach palette, the weather is still basically Winter-tastic out there, so purples it is! 
I picked these up last Autumn in Amsterdam and even though I usually consider purple smokey shades better suited to green-eyed gals, I decided to give them a go. For very important research purposes.
Ahem.

It's important to note that this lipstick (Gossamer Emotion in 128), like most from Kiko, has an unbelievably cool James Bond-esque lid that opens with the click of that little button on the top. I like to pretend that I'm also setting off an ejector seat every time I use it. Anyway, that colour is a rich berry that translates as quite a pigmented, glossy finish. It takes about two proper swipes to get the colour you can see in the photo at the end of the post (unfiltered, obviously). On me I think it looks much more plummy than the almost burgundy bullet in the tube but that might have something to do with the finish. I went for the glossy one instead of it's matte counterpart purely because I have and love Rebel, from Mac and was worried they'd be too similar. Although, this fella is moisturising and adds a nice pop of colour so it's win-win really. 

The eye pencil in the shade 03 (I wish they named their products, it's a pet peeve of mine) is incredibly soft and is easy to apply. I find it perfect for smoking out with shadow on my upper lid but it can leave a fair bit of fall out when I do the same on the lower lid for some strange reason. That's my only issue with it really and I'd be interested to try some other shades in the same pencil.

Isn't that just a beautiful quad though? So aesthetically pleasing!

This is the Colour Fever Palette in the shade 101. I decided to branch out a little and go for purples instead of my usual nudes, taupes, browns and golds and I really do like these on. They apply and blend well, like much more expensive shadows actually and I've decided I can officially pull off purple eyeshadow, even if this is a more muted, wearable variety!

Kiko is annoyingly not available in the Republic of Ireland. They now have a store in Belfast, plenty across the UK and in most European cities that are not Dublin. Do I sound cranky about that?! 

I am.

You can also find them online, HERE.

Are you as big a fan of Italian brand Kiko as I clearly am?

Have you embraced the purple eyeshadow?!

To the comments!

XX

*This post was not paid for or sponsored and all products featured were bought using my own meagre nurses salary (a tiny violin plays)

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick | Review

I spent most of last year avoiding the 90's nude lip that became so popular thanks to the Kardashians. 

I lived through it the first time in the 90's and I wasn't impressed then either but I gradually eased myself in this time. I bought and loved Secret Salma, another lipstick from Charlotte Tilbury which, is still quite pink but certainly got the ball rolling. With that, I paired a nude lip liner from NYX, which I loved. 

Then, Pillow Talk came out. Originally this was just a lip liner and quite a popular lip liner at that. Oddly, I still don't have that because I was quite happy with the one I have from NYX (which I've now lost so I may end up getting the CT lip cheat one anyway. Look, it's a saga, is what I'm saying) but I wanted the lipstick which is from the Matte Revolution range and is described as a 'luminous modern matte lipstick'. 

Charlotte describes this as;

' A gorgeous nude-y pink, it mimics and enhances the natural hue of your lips, so you can CHEAT a perfect pillow-y pout in seconds. Enriched with soothing orchid and Lipstick Tree extracts, lips appear fuller and wider, with a softer, more youthful feel. Finished with an angled square tip, apply straight from the bullet for the best lips of your life!'

I love this shade. On me it's still quite pink but with enough brown in there that it means I can wear a smokey eye and my face ends up being perfectly balanced with this lipstick. It's a very comfortable matte too, I haven't noticed my lips drying out at all. Plus, and I don't want to sound like a total weirdo, but it also makes me look quite classy.

Observe:

There's two photos here, both unfiltered and taken in natural light but the sun had just come out in the photo on the right so I thought it might be handy to see it in a warmer light! 

If you want this fella you can only get it online, HERE but be aware that it's limited edition so it will eventually be gone, although something tells me they'll be making this a permanent part of the matte revolution collection.

What do you think?

Do you already have Pillow Talk?

Should I just go ahead and buy the lip liner too?!

To the comments!

XX

Latest Oil-Based Dry Skin Saviours

So as you know by now, I'm always looking for products that can help my super dry skin, especially at this time of year when it's not quite Spring yet and the wind threatens to nip the top layer off your face at any random moment.  

I'm mostly relying on a double mix of oils and hardcore body moisturisers but I mix them up a lot so that I don't get too bored with any particular fragrance or finish.

"Latest" here obviously means latest to me, these have all been around for a little while.

Here's what I've been using for the last couple of months:

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. 

This is a mini size and I'm already a bit obsessed, with plenty of product left in the pot. This is a cleansing balm similar to the likes of Eve Lom, with Emma Hardie similarly being a firm blogging favourite. It looks like Vaseline in the pot but when you scoop out a small amount and warm it in your fingers, it turns to an oil that you then massage onto your face. 

It effectively melts your make up off. I know. Magic. 

Then I use a muslin cloth that's been soaked in warm water to remove it all and I'm left with very clean, non-tight/dried out skin. Using an oil for your first skincare step means you're not stripping your skin the way you can with some cleansers. Also, it smells absolutely delicious. 

When this is empty I will definitely be buying a full size, available from Marks & Spencers. 

The Oils!

Josh Wood Radiant Shine is a hair treatment oil to be used prior to shampooing. I'm not a big fan of weighing my hair down with oils because my hair is super fine but I only use a little of this on the ends where it's most dry. You can also use it after drying to smooth any wild patches (happens to us all!)

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Oil. I've yet to actually use this fella as it was part of a gift but I'm looking forward to trying it. If 8 Hour Cream is that good for your dry skin patches, what the hell is this gonna do?!

These two from The Body Shop were also minis but I've been loving them for the last couple of months. I'm really onto overnight masks at the minute so it's perfect timing for the Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream, which I apply first, followed by a couple of drops of it's counterpart, the Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil. Together they're both very comforting and if I'm not mistaken, there's a hint of lavender in there to get you off to sleep!

I've been after the Huile Prodigiuse from French skincare brand Nuxe for a while now. This is a dry oil so you get the best of both worlds- it's moisturising but dries quickly once it's on the skin so you're not left all stickily and oily. I mostly use this on my legs where my skin is driest, in alternation with the This Works Oil. 

I love Crabtree & Evelyn and it's fair to say I'm more than a little obsessed with this body butter. The mix of avocado, olive oil and basil makes for the most delicious, summery I-want-to-eat-you-right-now scent of all time. It also helps that it's very soothing on the skin and is the goldilocks of body butters; not too thick, not too thin. Perfect. 

So I used to be the sort of person that suffered from dry, itchy legs. I know what you're thinking, how did this woman remain unmarried for so long?! No body moisturiser worked and I had all but given up on being able to apply tan without extreme patchiness. 

In stepped Sharon from Behind Green Eyes, who sent me a bottle of This Works Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil. This has been a game changer for me. My legs are actually so moisturised now from the last time I used the oil that even directly after a shower they don't feel dry. No mean feat! It's probably not surprising as it does contain 9 different essential oils, but this actually does work!

In combination with this, I've been using the Ultimate Care Body Lotion with Baobab Oil for very dry skin from Burt's Bees. I picked this up in New Orleans last year so every time I smell it I think of that (very good memories!) and it is honestly, just an excellent moisturiser. It's thick enough so it requires a deft hand to work it in but it's worth it.  I've been scraping the last remnants of it out of the bottle but it's pretty much time for me to accept it's gone, so I'll have to hunt down a new one!

Lastly then and not in any way an oil so very much the odd one out, is the Clinique Sweet Pot Lip Scrub & Balm. My amazing friend Eileen bought me one of these to celebrate my graduation last year (I'd been after one for ages) and in the shade I wanted; Candied Cassis. I haven't tried the others but the shade of this comes out a light purpley-pink and is super flattering. 

Before I get to that part though, I use the scrub side first. It's a sugar scrub so if you swallow a bit you're not gonna die and that nicely removes any dead skin cells that are hanging around. With me, they're always hanging around. I could drink two litres of water a day and I'd still have dry lips, so a scrub is a necessity. Handily then, the balm is on the other side so as soon as you've exfoliated, you've got that lovely moisturising, flattering balm. I love it. It comes with me on all holidays, nights away etc. The perfect prep pre-matte lipstick!

And that's the lot!

Have you tried any of these?

What do you use for dry skin?

To the comments!

XX

Spring Wishlist 2017!

It's that time of the year when the shops start to fill up with things other than wool knits, black tights and bobble hats. This is good news for a couple of reasons. 

For one, it means that I can hopefully put away my Icelandic hyper insulated coat and for two, Spring is springing!!

I, of course have my eye on lots of pretty things but this lot are the main bits and pieces on the revolving carousel that is my mental wish list. 

Links are in pink and don't buy everything before I get the chance to!

I'm a bit Flamingo obsessed and this tee from Oasis has the benefit of being casual (comfy grey marl is the best) but it's also pink and sparkly, so win-win all around. 

The second I saw the limited edition Crayola box from Clinique, I had to have it. Unfortunately for me, a reliable little birdy (thanks Andreea!) has told me that they've been out of stock in Ireland and the UK since the start of February (weeps). I'll be keeping an eye out for a last minute restock but I may just end up buying an individual one, although it obviously won't be the same…

I love this vintage-feel black top, also from Oasis. The bird-embroidered collar is adorable and just the right side of kitsch and will look as well paired with jeans as it would tucked into a skirt.

This spot and floral tea dress from Topshop is very pretty- I'm already picturing it with a (fake) tan and a pair of sandals on my holidays..

*goes into daydream mode*

I'm in the market for a new primer and this one from Too Faced has been on my mind for a while. A product to sort out your hungover face? Ah, yes please!

And lastly, the shoe of dreams from Asos. These are marketed as a bridal shoe but they'd look great with absolutely everything in my opinion (see how I'm already justifying the purchase?) It's a moot point anyway as they are currently sold out in every size but 3. 

Again, I have serious plans to stalk their "back in stock" section. 

Any of these on your Wishlist?

XX

Cocoa Brown Kind Shampoo & Conditioner | Review

So I'm starting off the year with a beauty review, but not just any beauty review.
The Kind Shampoo and Conditioner were hotly anticipated last year from well-loved Irish tanning brand, Cocoa Brown. Company creator, Marissa Carter had shown a sneak peek on her snapchat that set the beauty world into a tizzy and so I, amongst others were super excited to try these haircare products, specifically designed for sensitive scalps and hair. 

Firstly, I was keen to know why these are "kind" and what sets them apart from other similar products on the market?

These are Paraben, Alcohol and Formaldehyde free. The part that actually cleans your hair comes from natural sources- coconut oil and fruit sugars. And, because Marissa is always thinking 'tan', the ph level in these won't interfere with your tan, so you'll have a more even fade. 

This all means that they are suitable for anyone with a skin condition on their scalp, coloured hair or hair extensions.
I was able to tick off two on that list last year as I had dyed my hair pink and had hair extensions in for about 6 months (read about that HERE). I used both of these for the majority of that period and my hairdresser told me both my extensions and my hair were in good condition when I went to have them removed.
From my own perspective, I didn't notice any premature colour fading and both my own hair and the extensions felt well looked after- or, as well looked after as they can be when you have extensions, which ravage your hair, regardless of what anyone tells you. 

For me, the bottom line here is that these are a bit of a god-send for anyone with extensions- if you're planning on getting them or you have them in already, pick up these two. They'll look after your hair at a really reasonable price (Penneys have these in store from €3.50), which means you don't need to spend even more on your hair than you'll already have (extensions are great but horribly expensive). 

Have you tried the Kind range?

Thoughts?

To the comments!

XX

Marks & Spencer Beauty Advent Calendar 2016!

It has become tradition now for me to get a beauty advent calendar for the run up to Christmas. Usually Himself gets me one (see HERE for last years L'ancome/YSL/Kiehls one) but this year I spotted this fella from Marks with a special offer I could not pass up. 

I had been at a fashion show where I fell in love with a pair of shoes from M&S, which I promptly bought the following day for €42. Handily, when you spend €40, you can then buy the calendar for another €40. Let me tell you how good a deal this is; unlike some calendars, you get the full 25 days. 

Benefit is 12 days for €46, while Charlotte Tilbury is 12 days for €195 and Asos, €66.67 for 24 days. So, you're getting a bargain, is what I'm saying. This post will be up on the 1st of December so it'll be worth checking M&S to see if they have any left as they may well reduce them in price after the 1st!

So what's in this then you ask? Well, *SPOILER*, obviously but these are what I'm most excited by:

• Alpha H Liquid Gold
• Eyeko liquid liner
• Rodial Super Acids X-Treme Acid Rush Peel (although the word 'acid' used twice there is a little worrying)
• Nails Inc Nail Polish in Picadilly Court
• Burts Bees lip balm with Peppermint & Vitamin E
• Pür Correcting Primer Prep & Perfect
• Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm
• Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream
• Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
• Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream

That's only 10 out of 25 and there's so much more in there that I'm really eager to try.

Sure lookit, I know these are frivolous and no doubt plenty of people think they're a terrible waste of money but I'm still using the excellent skincare and perfume that were in last years one and it means I've been able to try products that would ordinarily be out of my price range in their full size. 

I'll be doing daily reveals over on my snapchat, @ Chloe M (nursefancypants) except for days 2 & 3 where I'll be showing you the Christmas markets of Bruges and Brussels instead (there will be a catch up on day 4 though!).

Have you bought a beauty advent calendar this year? Are you planning to get one at the last minute?!

To the comments!

XX

U.S Drugstore Buys

So we were in the states over Halloween and I of course had to stop at both a Sephora and several pharmacies for make-up. Drugstores over there (CVS, Walgreens etc) are not like our own; they sell everything from painkillers to ice cream with children's toys and random touristy crap in between.

There are also, of course, several make-up brands that we don't have in Ireland and ones that we do but with products we can't get here. 

Hence, a little splurge:

I had plenty of other things on my to-buy list, including the It Cosmetics CC cream, as recommended by the lovely @AinePrendo (on Snapchat) but I couldn't find a nearby Ulta so that was out. I did get plenty of other things however, including this super pretty Milani Rose Powder Blush.

I haven't tried anything from Milani but I knew I had to get a blush- what they're best known for. I had a baked blush in my basket but then I saw this beauty and sure it was too aesthetically pleasing to leave behind. I got the shade Tea Rose and it really is the perfect pink hue. It's ideal for pale Irish skin tones, although I will admit to being tempted by Coral Cove, also lovely but way too bright for me. This was around the $7 mark.

I had originally put a couple of Milani lipsticks into the basket but then I saw this Katy Perry collaboration with CoverGirl and I had to try them out.

While I'm not the biggest Katy fan in the world, I have danced my socks off to plenty of her hits and I enjoyed her movie on Netflix, especially the part where we were introduced to her cat; Kitty Purry. Granted, that is, somewhat egomaniacal but it's also quite cute so obviously I got that shade, which is a mauve and Cat Call, a brighter pop of coral. 

These are matte, which is good news for me as that's my current favourite type of lipstick finish.

These were, strangely also $7 each (I swear I didn't just buy things that were $7. My Sephora receipt will attest to that) but I thought these were great value for the price.

This was also an Áine/snapchat recommendation and although I've yet to try it, I am excited by the concept of a product that contains moisturiser, primer, foundation, SPF, colour correction and pore blurring. I'll be honest, I always thought that last one was pure nonsense but apparently, my pores don't agree with me. I know we have Physicians Formula in Ireland now but to be honest, I can never find a stand and if I do it's been ravaged by youths. 

This was an @SkinnyDoll (again, snapchat!) recommendation and I'm loving it! There were actually three variations in the Maybelline Master Primer range- one for oily skin and a colour corrector I think but I have dry skin and tend to always go for the illuminating primers. This fella also has that blurring property and an SPF 30. This works. My foundation has a healthy glow-from-within look to it with this underneath and it provides a nice base. I'd liken this to Benefit's That Gal except that this is way cheaper, obvs. This was $9.

These Kylie for Sinful Colours polishes were only $1.49 each, so I couldn't leave them behind. The cobalt blue shade, Kosmos (bloody K's everywhere) and the pale blue, Magik Touch are both colours I love and Sinful Colours are generally great quality so I could get over the Kardashian-isation for that alone.

This lot are far less exciting but due to our bags not arriving from JFK to New Orleans with us, we had to pick up a few essentials. I can't shower and not apply moisturiser afterwards so this massive yoke of Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe lotion was a must and worked well in the stifling heat. I couldn't have imagined lashing on a body butter in that humidity so this was ideal. Back in an Irish Winter however, and this loses some of its attraction so I'll be bringing it out again next Summer instead. 

Speaking of heat, SPF was a must and this one from Banana Boat was super handy; it sprays on clear and absorbs practically instantly plus it's factor 50. Perfect!

The Burt's Bees Ultimate Care Body Lotion for Very Dry Skin was purchased towards the end of the holiday. I love this brand and couldn't resist browsing the shelves for them at a slightly reduced price! I'm hoping this particular product is available here cause I am nearly finished and I love it! Containing Baobab Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil and Green Tea extract, this both smells incredible and leaves my super parched skin softer than anything I've used before. Big thumbs up!

As I didn't have any hair products for a couple of days, I had to get the smart girls best friend; dry shampoo. I didn't know much about a lot of the brands they had on this shelf so I went for Pantene; ye olde reliable. Anyway, this works grand. It smells pleasant enough and does the job. Having said that, my scalp felt slightly itchy (not sure if that was down to the glaring sun also) and I think we have better options on this side of the water.

Lastly then is a packet of Burt's Bees Cucumber Face Wipes. 

I know, I know. Face wipes; the devils own beauty spawn but needs must and these worked a treat for the couple of days. After that I ended up using them up for perfecting our Day of the Dead face paint for Halloween. These were surprisingly non-abrasive on my skin.

And that is the lot!

I will go into further detail about my Sephora purchases at a later date but for now, have you tried any of these?

Anything there that you'd like to see a more in-depth review on?

To the comments!

XX

Top Picks: The Body Shop Christmas Gifts 2016!

Here's a beauty backstory for you to start your day off right! 

My eldest sister worked in The Body Shop in London during the 80's and with her staff discount, she often bought us the little animal soaps, shower gel for our bubble baths and of course, strawberry lip balms. And we loved them. I grew up with a fondness for the store and have always considered their body butters to be in my 'holy grail' list of beauty products. In the last few years I feel like The Body Shop has grown up with me though and it's now a highly coveted beauty/skincare destination. 

Every Christmas I eagerly await their new releases because they always bring it. 

This year is no different and so I popped along to their Christmas gifts launch a couple of weeks ago. They've loads of great ideas for men, women and children so everyone is covered but for reasons including time and space, I won't be going through them all!
Instead, these are my top picks:

First up; anything from the Oils of Life range. These are skin-replenshing oils and this particular set (Ultimate Skincare Collection) comes with an Intensely Revitalising Cream, essence lotion, facial oil and sleeping cream (I'm mad into overnight masks these days) and a twin ball massager to get the most out of the facial oil. This is €140 but is particularly good value for all full size products in a great presentation box. 

I'm guilty of buying candles as gifts a lot but they are an ideal present- sure who doesn't like a candle?! These are paraffin-free with an unbleached cotton wick and a blend of essential oils. 

Japanese Camelia or Meditteranean Sea Salt get my vote.

These face masks have been big best sellers for The Body Shop over the last year and you can get two of the most popular ones (Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask and British Rose Fresh Plumping mask) in a beautiful presentation box for only €42.50. Given that these are €25 each on their own, that's a good saving. The idea with that box set is you use the two together- the charcoal on your t-zone and the rose on your cheeks, tapping nicely into the multi-masking trend that's so big at the minute. 

Every year The Body Shop has three fragrance ranges in everything from body scrubs, lotion, body butter, lip balm, hand cream etc. This year we have Frosted berries, Vanilla Chai and Spiced Apple. While all three are lovely, I'd recommend Vanilla Chai; it's surprisingly festive but also mild enough that you won't smell like a walking Christmas tree and you could definitely wear this one well into the new year and beyond. 

Alternatively, you could also just get this set of all three of the body butter, for the perpetually indecisive person! 

Make-up wise there's a whole limited edition collection of vegan/vegetarian friendly cosmetics out for Christmas. I'm gonna need most of this to be honest. On the left are matte liquid lipsticks, again, these have been huge this year and look set to continue as the preferred lipstick finish. These are €13.50 while the matte tube lipsticks on the right are €15.95. The lipsticks are Vegetarian friendly, rather than vegan (the only product in this particular range that isn't vegan also) and are packed with coconut oil so they won't be drying the way matte lipsticks often are. Bonus!

Also in the limited edition range are eyeshadow palettes, you can choose from three different quads at €13.50 each. There's a set of cruelty free brushes at €50 and this larger palette (above).

Lastly from the make-up range are these Eye Colour Sticks, €13.50 each. I had a bit of a play with these on the night and honestly, these do not budge once they're on the skin. I washed my hands with soap and water several times and those swatches were still there the next day. You'll need an oil based make-up remover for these, which is great for those of us who put their make-up on at the crack of dawn before work and pray it'll stay put till the end of the day! I have the palest gold but will be going back for the bronze shade for sure- that's an all round winner for every eye colour and looks like you've gone to a lot more effort than you actually have. 

The piece de resistance however, is as always the advent calendar. This year there's a few different ones depending on your budget, as well as a gift box of the Body Shop's bestsellers from over the last 40 years. That's The Iconic Collection- the full size of €140 for 11 full size products, while The Iconic Collection Mini is €65 for 7 products, all full sizes bar one. I think either of those would be a great introduction to the brand. 

Back to the deluxe advent calendar though! This has 24 days of treats to open, and at €135 you're doing really well price wise considering how much you're getting. These tend to sell out pretty fast so if you're hoping to get one this year, start dropping hints now!
Alternatively, you could also just treat yo'self!

And that's my lot! As I said there's loads more gifts in store so it's worth popping in yourself to check them out.

Anything here catching your eye? 

Is poor auld Santa gonna have the back broken from carrying all of your Body Shop gift sets?!

To the comments!

XX

*This is not a paid or sponsored post and all opinions are my own, as always!