Clarins Hydra Essentiel Eye Mask & Lip Balm | First Impressions

As a long-time haver of dry skin, I'm already a big fan of the Clarins Hydra-Essentiel range, in particular their moisturisers. You can only imagine how happy I was to see that they've added an eye mask and a lip balm, two areas I tend to struggle to keep from drying out completely. 

Moisturising Reviving Eye Mask*

There's a discrepancy in opinions on the benefit of eye creams/gels etc but personally I like a nice light under-eye moisturiser, prone as I am to dark circles and generally looking exhausted at all times (I'm not sure any eye cream can help with dark circles thanks to them usually being caused by genetics and/or dehydration. I do like to help out the dry skin from the outside where I can though). This is a cooling, melting cream that feels like a gel. You can use it in two ways; as a mask that you leave on over night (my preference) or for a quick 10 minute boost (you take the cream off afterwards. I think this is a waste so I leave it on, even when I use it in the morning. And yes, I put my make-up on over it but it's a moisturiser so it all works out well for me). I've been using this pretty religiously twice a day for about two weeks now and I'm loving it. I've noticed a definite plumping to my under eye skin and even better, it's noticeably softer. This is a lovely treatment; it's comforting, cooling, moisturising and sinks in almost immediately. 

Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm*

If like me, you find yourself permanently battling dry lips, you need this fella. My ultimate lip balm, Nuxe Reve de Miel usually sits on my bedside table and I wear it as a lip mask every night. I finished my last pot of that sometime last year however so I've been in need of a new, hard working lip balm and this is the one! What sets it apart is the addition of blue lotus wax to nourish and cocoa extract to stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump the lips. There's also a shot of rosy pink in there for a flattering, natural glow. I've been using this as part of my nighttime skincare routine and occasionally during the day too. It's a really good balm; moisturises, comforts and is non-sticky, non-slippy and almost mattifying, so there's very little chance of your hair getting stuck to your lips. Hurrah! 

Price wise, the eye mask is €33 and the lip balm is €21. I know that sound like a lot, and trust me I balked a bit when I saw the prices first myself but having used them, I cam see why they are the cost they are. They're full of good quality ingredients with all of Clarins' skincare knowledge and innovation packed into each tube. I've noticed a definite change with both and that's often hard to tell with skincare products. Both are available on counter form April the 16th.

Will you be checking these out?

XX

*indicates these products were provided for review. This post was not sponsored or paid for and as always all opinions are my own 

The Top Recommended US Drugstore Beauty Products- Reviewed!

I find shopping in Sephora and US Drug stores confusing, if I'm honest. Even when I've prepared myself and made a list of things I want, I always find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed; there's just too much beauty stuff.
The gap between what we can't get here and what you can only get in the states has definitely narrowed, but there's still the few items that most Irish gals will be on the lookout for when beauty shopping in America. The last time we were over (November 2017), I knew exactly what I wanted from Sephora but hadn't thought a huge amount about budget beauty so I found myself scrolling through "the top ten drugstore beauty products you need" articles online in our hotel room one night and sure enough, I made my way to a CVS the next day.
These were all recommended by various magazines, I haven't tried them all yet but they didn't cost the earth so I thought they'd be worth a go! (there was also many more products recommended, that either didn't suit me, wrong hair or skin type etc or else products that I already have/have tried).

E.L.F Hydrating Face Primer

This is part of a series of face primers from the budget beauty brand E.L.F (Eyes. Lips, Face). I have dry skin so this seemed a no-brainer and every online magazine raved about this one in particular. If memory serves me correctly, it cost less than $6. It has no fragrance to speak of but I do notice a slightly chemically scent that does wear off as you wear it. It's clear and looks a bit like Vaseline when you pump it out. I've only used this once because I just didn't love it. It is somewhat softening and provides a base in the same way a silicone-heavy primer would. On me, it felt a bit greasy and unpleasant. I'll give it another go but for the moment, I'm not a big fan. I would save your $6 and put it towards this one instead.

Aveeno Positively Radiant 60 Second In-Shower Facial

This was hailed as a new miracle product and one that I sense will take me a good long time to finish. This idea with this is you pop it on your wet face while you're in the shower, leave it on for 60 seconds and gently massage in a circular motion, then wash off. I like to do this while my conditioner is doing its thing. It has a little bit of grit in there (gentle grit, there's no plastic beads in here) but it's mostly the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that does the exfoliating. I've used this a few times now and have noticed my skin is nicely smooth afterwards and my make-up applies well after using it. I've since found out that Aveeno test on animals so I won't be buying from them again but for now, I'll use this up. It's good.

Almay Healthy Glow Makeup + Gradual Self Tan

This is a medium coverage foundation that supposedly perfects your skin while you wear it; when you take off your make up, you have a natural glow. This has a pump function and two separate chambers that combines the self tan and the make up together when you press down. I got the shade light, which was the lightest there was. There's also an SPF 20 in there, which is good. I've only tried lip products from Almay, which I liked and again, there was great excitement online over this fella. This is a reasonably good colour match for me, if not slightly darker than my own skin tone. It does have that fake tan scent to it, which is never nice but goes fairly fast once it's absorbed. I also quite like the coverage of this; it's buildable but looks natural. So far, I like!

Carmex Daly Care Moisturising Lip Balm 

I love Carmex and didn't need any encouragement to get this three pack of lip balms. I usually use either the tubes or pots of Carmex but I haven't tried the stick version, plus this was only a few dollars. There's a cherry (my fave), strawberry and wintergreen and they all have an spf15.

Covergirl Outlast All-Day Concealer

This is a concealer with a soft-tip applicator, designed to erase the appearance of dark circles and blemishes. It's oil-free and doesn't clog the pores. I got the shade fair. I think this is Covergirl's version of Maybeline's under eye eraser concealer yoke (that I also love and also featured in every top drugstore beauty product article out there). I wouldn't say this is as good as the Maybelline. It's quite a light formula but feels a bit drying. I also don't think it covers my particular dark circles as well as other concealers do. 

CoverGirl Ink It! All-Day Eye Pencil

This is a twist up pencil that glides on like an ink but with the crease and fade-resistance of a kohl pencil. It's also waterproof. I got the shade Charcoal Ink cause I wanted a liquid eyeliner effect. When I opened it I didn't think I'd like it based on how the top of the pencil was packaged but actually, it applies really nicely. I would say; it's not the blackest of the black liners but I can get over that. It's not a super messy liner but you can smudge it if that's your thing (it is mine). Overall, I like!

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Oil

I love Burt's Bees so of course, I had to get this. These are supposed to be moisturising and comforting on the lips while providing a shot of natural looking colour. I wanted a more nude shade but they were all sold out, so I got Crimson Breeze instead. I LOVE this and I need more shades!! I was surprised by how much I like this shade too, I was worried it would be too dark but it's more of a flattering pink plus it feels so lovely on! The only flaw I can see is that it wears of fast but I find that happens with all oil-based lip products. But I like that it's a light gloss and the oil means that it's softening on the lips. So good!

CoverGirl Melting Pout Gel Liquid Lipstick

Pretty sure these are a rip off of the Too Faced ones but at a fraction of the price. I got this in the shades Don't be Gelly and Evan-Gel-Ical (I can't find that one to take the photo, it's more than likely in the bottom of a bag somewhere). This has a soft tip for application. The formula of these are nice but the quality of the overall shade application varies according to each colour. I like these but having not tried the Too Faced ones, I can't make a proper comparison. 

That's my take on the top recommended drugstore beauty products. Have you tried any of these? 

Thoughts?

XX

(Possible) New Favourite Beauty Products

There's doubt in that title purely cause some of these have only just come into my life and as yet have to be tried out but there's also new beauty bits in here that I can confirm that I'm loving! 

The make-up pouch (Bath & Bodyworks) is somewhat misleading, is what I'm saying, but isn't it pretty?! 

Yes, you can spot seven lip products there. I am a lip balm/lipstick fiend. 

First up; my thing with these creepy sheet masks doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I will try every brand, as long as it suggests hydration as an outcome. I just finished off a box of Farmacy ones that I got in the states that were fab- more from that brand later. For now, here's a Boscia Deep Hydration Mask I also got in America, which I have yet to use. I'm a beauty horder. We are however just coming to the end of a very cold snap here so I'll be popping this on this week! 

The Ariel one is by a company called Made Beauty, I previously got a Chip and Mrs Potts lip balm set from them, which was frankly, adorable. This mask is infused with cucumber to cool, hydrate and moisturise the skin, which sounds ideal but who knows what it'll actually do. I got this on Asos, where you'll find a selection of Disney Princess masks!

I'm a marketing persons dream. I saw the banana range on The Body Shop's Insta, along with their new lip balms (below), so of course, in I popped to get them for myself. I used the banana shampoo and conditioner way back in the day and guess what?! They still smell the exact same!! Hello nostalgia! 

I went for a hair mask this time, purely to add in a little hydration and it's honesty a divine experience. I put it on this morning after shampooing, put a shower cap over it, left it for five minutes then washed off. My hair has been super soft all day and maybe I'm imagining it, but a little more voluminous too! Plus, that smell! Love it!!

And these are the aforementioned The Body Shop lip balms. These are the Lip Juicers; 100% Vegan, moisture-boosting balms with smoothie-inspired combos. They look a little like the top of a giant pencil and aesthetically, remind me of Eos a bit but other than that, these are far superior from a moisturising perspective. My favourite is the Coconut/Carrot/Passion Fruit, which both smells fantastic and gives the lips a nice colour but they were buy one get one half price, so you know what happened next. I also got Strawberry/Pomegranate/Aloe which I like too but the scent isn't doing it for me as much. 

Anyway, there's three more in the range so who knows what'll happen next (we all know).

In between them is the NYX Turnt Up! Lipstick. I have this in the shade French Kiss, which on the website (this was part of a "I've put my back out, I'm feeling sorry for myself" purchase) didn't look quite this pale a pink, which I'm not sure suits me all that much. Anyway, I've mixed it with other shades which seems to make it work better and it's a lovely moisturising formula.

Ive mentioned this here before and on Insta and Facebook cause it's so damn good. I got a sample of this in Sephora, having never tried anything from Buxom before and fell for it big time. It's a cream gloss that plumps the lips, tingles a little, smells like vanilla/mint and makes my lips look INCREDIBLE. Himself has actually said "that lip thing you have on is really nice on you". SO YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD. I have the shade Rose Julep and I got it in Debenhams. Also worth noting that this is the lip gloss I keep going on about cause it reminds me of the long gone gloss from Pout that came in those vacuum packs and were beloved by all. WHY did they leave and never come back?!!

Lookit, I know, it's another lip balm but this one was bought last November and I was waiting 'til I finished my Elizabeth Arden one, which is almost gone so it's time for this fella to shine. I love Fresh products, especially the lip balms, which are really soothing. I normally get the Sugar Rose one but this Sugar Lip Caramel Hydrating Balm was new and I'm also a sucker for new products, so here we are. And yes, it smells unbelievably good.

I was harping on about spending the end of a Brown Thomas gift voucher on a 30ml size of Jo Malone's Peony & Pink Suede Blush, when lo and behold, the loveliest gal by the name of Samantha pm'd me on instagram and told me she had a bottle she wasn't going to use and would I like it?

Of course I said yes and in the end we resurrected the old Beaut. i.e Swap Siopa just for the two of us, which was lovely. Anyway, this is a truly beautiful fragrance. It's delicate but not sweet, powdery and floral and an utter classic. I adore it! Thank you again Samantha!

I got a set of these Darkness eyelashes in Korea town in LA for $4 and I wish I had bought more. They're quite natural on so they don't look overly dramatic but they still add a little sumthin' sumthin' to your eye make up. Plus, and this is very shallow but, I like the packaging rather a lot.

I got a gorgeous Rifle Paper Co. set from L'Occitane, free with a sale order just after Christmas and I'm getting around to using the contents now. There's a Shea shower oil, a micellar water and a few other bits as well as this Light Comforting Cream. This is designed to be a non-greasy and comforting face cream with 5% Shea to moisturise for up to 48 hours. I just started using this a couple of days ago but I think the scent is possibly too strong for use on my face. It's a nice face cream though, so I'll give it another go. 

This was a mini freebie with the points I built up on my Sephora card and is from the previously mentioned Farmacy, known for cultivating their own ingredients, for a "farm-to-face" philosophy. I've liked anything I've tried from them and my sister is a big fan so I was looking forward to trying Honey Potion; a warming antioxidant hydration mask with echinacea greenenvy (their star ingredient) honey. You apply this after cleansing, massage it with your fingers to warm it up and then leave it for ten minutes. This really does warm up, and gets a little tingly. Once you've washed it off it's supposed to restore moisture levels and repair stressed complexions. I've only used this once and I'm still not really sure how I feel about it, or if it made a difference. I'll keep testing! 

These aren't anything new but Himself bought me the full Crayola box set of the Clinique chubby sticks last year (I couldn't get them anywhere and he presented them to me on anniversary. He's kind of a legend) and I've been using these two a little more than the others of late. Red Violet is a plummy shade while Mauvelous is a perfect nude pink for daytime. These are both nicely moisturising with a slick of colour, if you don't like a full-on lipstick, these are perfect for you. 

Have you tried any of these?

Any personal favourites amongst this lot?

XX

The Best of February!

Yes, we may be in the middle of a snow storm right now, but it's nice to look back on the parts of the month that did not result in me being forced to stay indoors, watch the Tom Cruise version of The Mummy and eat the only snack foods that were left in my local petrol station (you can imagine) after Snowmaggedon set in. 

West Cork 

I think the country and its mother listened to this Audible original podcast this month. Based on the ongoing investigation into the mid 90's murder of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork, it's similar to the This American Life podcast Serial but possibly even more interesting as it's so close to home. Chief suspect Ian Bailey is interviewed throughout and although he comes across as a terrible person, it's still hard to know whether he's actually innocent or not. It's a weird one but definitely worth a listen! If you don't have Audible, you can get a free trial and an audiobook of

your choice to try! 

The Dry

I'd had this on my to-read list and my kindle for a while but even though I read lots of good books this month, I'm specifically recommending this thriller set in the Australian countryside where a cop has to return to his oppressive hometown after his childhood best friend and his entire family have been killed. They shared some dark secrets from their teen years about the death of one of their friends that neither of them have ever quite moved on from. It's very atmospheric- well worth picking up, even though I read the entire thing in my head in the voice of several characters from Home & Away. 

Black Panther

We'd been waiting for this one for a while and it didn't disappoint (not completely anyway). The character of the Black Panther and pretty much every woman in this film are just brilliant. The women are all warriors- not something you always find in a Marvel movie, or any film for that matter. Plus the exploration of various African tribal costumes, cultures and traditions were really well depicted. There is a but, however. I felt it was too long. Like, could-have-been-a-half-hour-less-too-long and I would happily watch more scenes with Danai Gurira kicking someone's ass. Extra points for Michael B Jordan though. Swoon. 

Hey Donna

We've been planning to go to this new restaurant in Rathmines for a while now. It's where Jo Burger used to be and is owned by the same people. Since the changeover, it's really bright in there, there's books, plants and light everywhere so it's a nice place to go with friends or for a very pleasant date night! Plus, Lebanese food is always a winner. I would suggest the roast aubergine, the labneh, the roast potatoes and the apricot gin cocktail. Himself recommends the lamb! I also went there for lunch with my sister another day and had an excellent chicken salady wrap thing.

Buxom Lip Cream

I had originally picked up a tiny sample size of this with my Sephora rewards card when I was in Vegas, wore it for the night of our vow renewals and quickly became obsessed with it. It's like the original Pout lip glosses if you remember them? 

Pure cream (No shimmer), a tingly sensation that puffs the lips up a bit, a minty-vanilla scent and a gorgeous flattering pink shine. This is the perfect gloss. I bought a full size and some on-sale Paddywax candles from Debenhams online when I was feeling sorry for myself after putting my back out and I have zero regrets. I love it! (the candles were also a winner). You can find the lip cream HERE, on sale, although the shade I got, Rose Julep is low in stock. 

Halo Hair

I finally got my hair reblonded after leaving it be for the last 4 months. I tend to let my roots grow out as long as possible cause my own hair colour is pretty light but every so often it's fun to go super bright blonde. It felt appropriate coming in to Spring but what wth the snow I guess I'm looking more like an Elsa tribute act now. Anyway, the blonde is courtesy of the wonderful Alison in Halo Hair on Drury st, to book find them online HERE. 

The Start of the Snow

Look, we all got excited there at the start of the last week in February when we found out we were getting some snow. Of course, it's turned out to be so bad that people have lost electricity, some have had holidays cancelled, have had injuries, can't get to work, or worse (in the case of a lot of my colleagues in the health service) have had to sleep in work or nearby hotels. Zero craic. It was beautiful to begin with though. Snow make everything pretty. 

Contributing to Happy Magazine

I was delighted this month to be asked to be a contributor by the lovely Holly, formerly of Sweet Like Cinnamon blog and now editor of Happy Magazine, a site created to provide daily positivity for people going through cancer in Ireland. I'll be sharing my book reviews there and there's some excellent articles to be found on it, so if there's anyone you know who you think would like Happy Magazine, you'll find it HERE!

Beautiful New Shoes

These are from the bridal collection on asos but that did not stop me. I've been practically stalking these shoes and they kept selling out while I weighed up whether or not to get them until they got them back in stock recently and I said feck it and bought them. They are very high and extremely fancy but I am nothing if not a trier so I'll make the extra height work and as you may be aware, I am myself, very fancy so I think I can pull these off...Find them HERE. (I'll show these in more detail on Insta, the photo here is small and they deserve more of a spotlight ;)

And that's the lot for February. 

How was your month? 

Do we have any overlapping favourites?

I'm guessing West Cork could be in there somewhere?!

XX

Charlotte Tilbury Secret Salma & NYX Nude Suede Shoes- the Perfect Combo!

When I blogged about Charlotte Tilbury's beloved lipstick Pillow Talk (HERE), I mentioned that I had first fallen into the nude lipstick loving ways by using this lipliner from NYX, Nude Suede Shoes, in combination with Secret Salma, one of the Hot Lips Lipsticks- created in collaboration with 12 women (this one is Salma Hayek), to raise money for a charity; Women for Women International. 

 When these first came out, I swatched up a feckin storm in Brown Thomas to find the right shade for me. This is a deep-rose plum designed to bring out Salma's "beautiful brown eyes, adding instant sultry Latin sex appeal". Now, I don't have and never will have either brown eyes or sexy Latina sex appeal but somehow, this pink looks very nice on me indeed. In fact, if you head over to the website, you can see how this shade looks on a myriad of skin tones, which is quite cool. 

The nude lip liner will pretty much work with any lipstick shade, including Pillow Talk so it's a good buy. This is actually my second one, after I lost my first one (it will now no doubt show up after I've bought another. It is probably at this very minute in the car, under a seat, next to an empty diet coke can).

This is one of the Matte Revolution formula lipsticks, so expect a matte but with that super softness that CT has become known for- she calls it "cashmere-soft", due to the addition of orchid extract. I loved her Bronze and Glow palette but aside from that, I think lipsticks are what she really does best. If you're looking to treat yourself with something from the Tilbury counter, a lipstick is for sure the way to go. The formula itself is really lovely and super pigmented to boot plus, would you look at that packaging?! Beaut!

As you can see, they aren't a perfect match for each other- there's much more brown in Nude Suede Shoes than there is in Secret Salma but there's also just enough pink and brown in both that they manage to work well together. 

Here they are on my face, more importantly:

What do you think?

Are you a Charlotte Tilbury fan?

I also have Amazing Grace, which deserves a blog outing too but for now, what other CT lippie do I "need"?! 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!

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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?

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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!

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