August Favorites

It's that time of the month again!! Favorites time!! 

This month I have quite a few favorites, so lets get into it! 

First and foremost, I want to gush about my new kitten, Paolo. He's a rescue kitty, not rescued by me, but we have adopted eachother, and he's in his forever home! My cousin found him in an awful state on the road near where we live, and stopped the car to bring him home. I met Paolo two weeks later and fell in love. Not only did I fall in love, but so did my mother, and so it was decided that we would re-home him, since he was causing upset in my cousins house because of their resident Tomcat, Oisin. He's a little ball of fluff, who thinks he's big, and likes to let on that he's a fearless killer, when in fact he loves to sleep between my shoulder and side of my head in my bed. Paolo has his own Instagram account, @paolo_puss - go give him a follow! 

I want to rave about my Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation. I wear this in work, almost every day, and I'm a tiny bit in love! It's got great coverage, it lasts well, doesn't get shiny and doesn't oxidize on the skin. I find it lightweight, easy to buff into the skin, and coupled with a light powder, it's full coverage with no caking! 

I'm in the lightest shade, 010 Light Porcelain. You can pick it up in any Boots for €7.99, so affordable for every day wear!


Next I want to give honorable mentions to my Alcon Pure Moist 30 Day Contact Lenses, which I have been in love with! I am a big fan of weird frames, and yet I find myself wearing lenses absolutely every day, recently! They're super comfortable, promising 16 hours of wear. I know it's bad, but I have, on occasion slept in my lenses and they've still felt good the next morning! You can get these at your local opticians! 

I've been reading Chase Your Shadow: The Trial of Oscar Pistorious, and I feel the need to give this a serious plug! No matter what you think of the man, this book is an unfailing, unbiased look at the trial and eventual conviction of Pistorious for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp. This book is quite dense and heavy, part biography, part journalistic reporting, but it's an incredible read. 10/10 would read again! 

I picked up my copy in Vibes and Scribes, in Cork City for €10.99! 

This month I have been insanely obsessed with Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, particularly Honey, a light, very wearable nude pink shade, and Romantic, a very easy to wear red. I almost always wear Honey in work, as it's very natural and can be applied without a mirror. I wore Romantic to a wake and funeral, and it wasn't too "done" or too "OTT" for the funeral. 

These balm stains are €10.99 in Boots and are currently on offer for 2 for €14. 

Next up, I want to wax lyrical about my trip to Cork! I got to see my oldest friend, spend some time with her, make new friends, and we had a brilliant time! We ate the most amazing chickpea curry with vegan tabbuleh, perused great book stores, made friends with a record store owner and generally just enjoyed everything the city has to offer! I even bumped into an archery friend on our way to lunch one day! Cork is everything I adore, and more. Great food, great people, great record stores and always my happy place. 

I've been listening to a lot of records that I picked up on my trip to Cork, but two I want to mention are No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, and Woven Skull's Lair Of The Glowing Bantling , I am all about Gwen Stefani at the moment, and nothing makes me happier than putting on my makeup for a night out, listening to Spiderwebs (which I've left below for you to wrap your ears around!), Just a Girl and the classic, Don't Speak! I will be giving a full review and telling the story of how I came to possess the first copy of Lair of The Glowing Bantling later on this month, so stick around for that!! 

I've been watching a lot of YouTube lately, but I want to give special mentions to my new favorite Vlogger, Mike Falzone! Mike is a stand up comic, who makes the most amazing videos for YouTube, has a great podcast series, and is generally a pretty cool dude! I'm gonna leave some of my favorite videos here for you to get you started! 

So there you have some of my favorite things this month! 

September promises to be a great month for favorites, with multiple adventures happening - The NPA Ploughing 2015, Dylan Moran in Vicar St, hazelnut picking with the bezzo, and plenty more, as well as plenty of scope for new products to weasel their way into my heart!

Have you been loving anything this month? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Amy 

xo

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Christmas Party Face of The Night

We're like a family. A mad, certifiable family who dance!! 

If you follow me on Twitter, read my blog, or know me at all, you'll know that I adore Zumba. I can't sing the praises of Zumba enough... As our instructor tells us, ZUMBA, ZUMBA, ZUMBA!!! But enough about the Latin inspired Dance Workout, this post is about my Christmas Party Make-Up!

I first exfoliated with Loreal Men Expert Exfoliator (yes, I know!!), ran a little of my Nivea 2 in 1 Cleanser and Toner (review) over my face with a cotton pad to take away any residue and then moisturised with my Garnier Pure Skin moisturiser. Starting on my base, I applied my W7 Prime Magic Anti Redness (review) with my fingers, applying it all over my face. I then took my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation, dotted it all over my face and blended it in using my BCC F20 foundation brush. I took my Seventeen Phwoaar Paint Concealer around my nose and on any blemishes, and I used Maybelline Fit Me Concealer under my eyes in a triangle shape to highlight slightly and blended them both in with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

To set my concealer in place, I took my BCC F15 Tapered Contour Brush and lightly dusted over Catrice Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder, just on the areas where there is concealer, I'll set the rest later as you'll see. To contour I used my Sleek Face Contour Kit in the lightest shade and contoured under my cheekbones, first using my BCC F30, and then buffed it out using my Real Techniques Contour Brush to get rid of any harsh lines.

Once I contoured under my cheekbones I went in with my RT Large Powder Brush and Set the rest of my make-up using Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Cool, making sure to blend my contour even more, to really give a natural yet sculpted look. For blush, I've opted for a rosy matte shade, using MUA Single Blush in Marshmallow and lightly swept that over my cheeks and towards my temples using my RT Blush Brush.

For brows, I've been going bold and using the 17 Brows That Kit and filling them in with my RT Brow Brush, then setting them in place with my W7 Brow Gel. Onto eye make-up- I primed my lids with my beloved Essence I Heart Stage, and whipped out my chosen palettes for the evening, W7's In The Buff Lightly Toasted, and In The Night. I followed a tutorial by The Makeup Chair on Aria Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars.

I took a Revlon Eyeliner in Aubergine, and ran it along my lashes, then using my BCC E23 brush, packed Laura E from ITN onto my lids from the inner corner to about 2/3 of the way over on the lid. Then taking Delilah from Lightly Toasted in the same brush, blended that onto the outer corner. Tp deepen the color. To blend the purple and brown shadows I used my BCC E32 brush. I went back to my ITN palette and used Bologna to smoke out the look. I added Dusty as an inner corner highlight and then added Catrice Liquid Liner to create a wing and Ardell Demi Wispies to complete the look.

To complete the whole look, I used my Essence Lip Liner in Femme Fatale, and Rimmel X Kate Moss in 01, with Revlon Moisture Stain in New York Scene over the top for some gloss.

So there you have it, my Zumba Christmas Party look, step by step!! 

Did you like it? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Amy

xx

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Novermber Favorites

It's December and it's been too long since I did a favourites post... So lets get straight in, no kissing!! 

Dream Dots*. 

I used half a dozen of these in a week and I'm literally obsessed with them. There are not enough good words in the world to describe how well these dots work. They're not just a dream, they're a miracle!! Read my full review HERE. 

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

I shopped my stash this month in a bid to use up some products and make space for the impending Christmas spending spree, and in doing so I found my summer love, Nearly Naked. It's been great because when I'm not tanning, I like a light coverage foundation that just works in a colour correcting capacity, especially after I've eradicated my spots. There's no point in covering up good skin. 

Impress Press On Nails

I'm obsessed with Impress nails. They actually look good, unlike most of those glue-on jobs. I rocked glossy black ones in the week leading up to -and including- Chris's graduation and they looked wonderful. They don't damage your nails, they've flex and shock absorbing properties and they stopped me biting my real nails when I was stressed... I couldn't have asked for better this month! 

Nivea 2 in 1 Cleanser and Toner

This stuff actually gives me life! I can't even begin to describe how good it has been for my skin. The fact that it's a 2 in 1 product was throwing me but it's great. Between this and the Dots, I've not had such well behaved skin!! Read my full review HERE

Johnsons Baby Shampoo 

I bought a bottle of baby shampoo last summer to clean my make-up brushes with, and I've still a quarter of the bottle left. If you want to deep clean your brushes, leave them soft and smelling lovely and you don't fancy springing for the No.7 Brush cleanser or the Blender Cleanser, then this is a great option. For a deep clean on eye and powder brushes once a week and every two days on your foundation, baby shampoo is a cost effective and all round great option. 

Love/Hate

My always lovely friend Kayliegh lent me the first 3 seasons of Love Hate on a shopping trip for her birthday and I'm hooked. I powered through 3 seasons in a week. All because I watched the season five finale. I need to know what's going on!!! Between Darren, Nidge, Fran and Siobhan, I'm up to 90. You'd swear I was in the middle of it! 

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

The last time I watched I'm A Celeb, was the year Kerry Katona won it. That's a long time. Of course I kept vaguely in touch with the contestants and the drama over the years but this is the first year in a long time I'm watching it pro-actively. I love the line up, they're only mildly famous but the entertainment is maximum levels! Bush-Tucker Trials are so funny to watch, and part of me would love to experience it. Am I mad?? 

What have you been loving during the month of November??

Drop me a comment!

Amy 

xx

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*Dream Dots were sent for review early in November, all opinions are my own. 

Red Lips for Every Budget

Red Lips are timeless and classic. They can lift a woman's confidence to dizzying heights, bump up her sex appeal and embolden her to boot!

These days I feel I'm pretty qualified to give my opinion on rocking a red lip for every budget! 

Low Budget: 

I have no shame in saying that I find myself drawn to the low budget brands or "bargain" brands, because not only are you getting value for money, but these days you are getting brilliant quality too. 

Brands like Essence and Catrice have taken the beauty market by storm with their pocket-friendly offerings.

Essence Stay Matte Lip Cream in Silky Red is a fantastic red lip color for very little, retailing for €2.49 a tube. If you feel like treating yourself a little more, for €1.89 you can pick up the lipliner to match in the shade Femme Fatale, meaning for under €5, you can rock a beautiful, cool red lip, which wears beautifully and doesn't dry out your lips.

If Essence doesn't take your fancy, why not try some of the other budget offerings by the likes of Catrice, Collection or Natural Collection? I can verify that the Natural Collection lipstick in Crimson is a beautiful, well made lip product and is only 50c more expensive than Essence.

Mid-Range Budget:


The Mid-Range budget, by my reckoning would include the likes of Revlon and Maybelline.
One offering I particularly like is Revlon ColourStay Ultimate Suede in 095 "Finale".

One thing I will say about this lipstick is that upon first application it looks glossy, but as it dries it locks in, beautifully matte and pigmented.

This product is wonderful, I can attest to that. I wore this to lunch during the height of summer, with my mum and it never budged, and I wasn't using a liner with it. At €10.20, it's reasonable, but may be difficult to justify for some budgets.

Now that's a result!!

Top Tip: For extra opacity with this lipcolour, apply a first coat, blot, and then top up with a second coat before allowing to dry. Hello, Hollywood glamour!!



High-End:

Credit to Miss Penny Dreadful
http://misspennydreadful.blogspot.ie

The only lipstick that I think deserves a place here, is the much beloved, insanely popular MAC Retro Matte lippie, Ruby Woo.

This lipstick doesn't come cheap, at €19 a tube, but it is absolutely unbelievable. I would recommend this to anyone who was out to treat themselves to a lovely red lipstick.

Have you a birthday coming up? Need something for the Christmas wishlist? This is the lippie for you!! It has a gorgeous matte finish, lasts for ages, and smells divine.

If you are passing a MAC store, on Henry St or a MAC counter, treat yourself to this baby, I promise you wont regret it. It truly is the best red lipstick I have tried, and trust me, I have tried a lot.

Top Tip: For the best wear time and appearance, be sure to give your lips a good scrub with a sugar-scrub such as Lush Bubblegum Lip-Scrub, and moisturize with a good quality lip-balm. This will avoid it showing up the imperfections we all invariably have on our lips.


Christmas is the time to rock a festive red lip, no matter your budget, there is a red lip for you.
Will you be rocking a festive lip this season?

Amy
x

#SBBC Filler Post Day 23: It's Finally Autumn!!

Today I wasn't really feeling either topic for the September Beauty Blog challenge, so I decided to use a filler post I had sitting around! Hopefully nobody decides to lynch me for my choice!

How many of you would say your favorite time of year is Spring/Summer? My guess is a lot. I however, fall into that minority of people who love Autumn and Winter. I adore this time of year. While I don't care terribly for Hallowe'en or Christmas, I cant get enough of the weather, the atmosphere in the run up to Christmas, the weather and the wardrobe.

Before I get into this, it's important to mention that bold lip colours look better on smooth lips, so I recommend you invest in a lip scrub, like my Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush (€6/7.99) and a good lip balm, like Carmx or Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner. These will give you the best base possible for your bold Autumn shades!

I have been stocking up on Autumn lip products in the last few weeks, so I'm going to give you a run down of what I will be rocking until at least next January!!



Revlon:

Crush

Revlons Kissable Balm Stains are perfect for Autumn and Winter wear as they are hydrating and have a decent wear time. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to rock an Autumnal lip but would also like the options of going sheer or building up the color intensity.

• Crush 005 has been a faithful companion of mine during the last year, and it's so fall appropriate!
  
  
  It's a beautiful reddish-purple berry color that can be worn sheer, or built up to a more opaque, full coverage.
  

  

  Romantic

• Romantic 045 is a very new purchase, but I bought it because its a sheer red tone that makes your lips look as though you have just bitten them! Again you can build the intensity up to suit your needs, be it for daytime or nighttime wear.
  
  This one will easily be a Festive Favorite come December!
  
• Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet 040. I am in love with this Lip Butter.

  

  Red Velvet

  
  
  It couldn't be more Autumnal but it is also festive so will see me through to Christmas with ease! As with the Kissable Balm Stains, the Colorburst Lip Butters are pigmented and hydrating, providing beautiful color with ultimate comfort.

€11.20 in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Maybelline:

24hr Absolute Plum

• Super Stay 24hr Lip Colors are my "Go To" for when I'm visiting Chris, because they do exactly what they say on the tube. The staying power on these babies is in-credible!! I don't know why I don't have more of these guys knocking about in my lipstick basket, to be quite honest! My Autumn shade is 340 Absolute Plum. It's a gorgeous purple with a red undertone. It pretty much looks like the inside of a ripe plum. Yummy! 

€13.99 (approx) in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Midnight Plum

• Color Sensational in 338 Midnight Plum is a gorgeous shimmering purple shade, that goes on quite sheer. This would be good if you were nervous about rocking an opaque purple lip as you ease yourself into Autumn and Winter. I like!

 €9.99 (approx) in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Catrice:

Love's Di-Wine

• Ultimate Shine Gel Lip Colour in 010 Love's Di-Wine is a beautiful, high gloss lipstick in a sheer red berry shade.
  
   If you were trying to rock a Lily Collins-esque, glam red carpet look, then look no further! Catrice Lipsticks have fabulous staying power and this is no exception! This particular shade is heralded as a dupe for Nars Flamenco, if that tickles your pickle!

• Ultimate Colour in 160 Tell Me A Berry-Tale (discontinued).
  
  I feel like a right tease for including this but I picked this up at the end of spring, before The Great Gatsby was released, and I think its a perfect Autumnal, deep purple berry colour. I can't get over it. It's so bold but somehow muted, suiting a glam, understated night look perfectly. 

• Ultimate Colour in 270 Matt-Erial Girl. I have received so many compliments on this shade that it makes my head spin.
  
  This is probably the brightest of all the lipsticks featured, but its beautiful and fun for the coming season. I've actually fallen so hard for this I've bought extra tubes for when Catrice inevitable discontinue it. 

• Ultimate Colour in 220 Step Red Up. Finally we have a red lip! Finally!!
  This lipstick is a very vampy red, so tread lightly. As with all of the Ultimate Colour range, it's seriously pigmented and opaque, so not for the faint of heart. This would be stunning at a Christmas party with a simple eye look and your classic LBD. 

All Catrice lipsticks are €4.49 in Penneys and Chemists nationwide.

My personal favorites of all of these picks, would have to be the Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet, and the Catrice Ultimate Colour in Matt-Erial Girl. With that said though, I adore the whole list from top to bottom!

What do you think? Have you any recommendations for other brands I've missed out on? Drop me a comment down below! 

xxx Amy

June BBC Day 9: Most Recent Beauty Buy

Today I'm going to interpret this post as anything beauty related, from make-up products and tools, to lotions and potions. As most of you probably know, I'm a big believer in the budget brands, though I will shell out for something when I believe it works. So, on we go!

On a recent trip to Boots I picked up a few little bits, it was not a splurge by any stretch, but still, purchases are purchases.

Collection Lasting Gel Color - Watermelon 6

Ever since I remember, I've harbored a bit of a grá for watermelon. The fruit, the scent, the color, it's an obsession. I picked up this beauty to see if it was what it was cracked up to be. It's currently on my nails (I swap and change between this and Essie Watermelon) and I can say its glossy and fabulous! I haven't even thought of a top coat. Its a beautiful, juicy pink color, needing only two coats for opacity. I will do a full post on wear time and durability but for now? It made a good first impression!

Boots Essentials 3 Minute Clay Mask - Cucumber

Well Mr Boots! You've a lot of hype to live up to. After reading Kaylieghs rave reviews of the cleanser and toner, I spotted this little gem and decided for a little over €2, it would be something to try. It has a beautiful, fresh cucumber scent, which I'm loving. Cucumbers are the best bit of a salad after all!! Om nom nom!!

"Enriched with soothing cucumber and vitamins, this cleansing clay mask works to draw out impurities and excess oils from the pores, leaving skin feeling cleansed and toned"

This will get its own review at some point soon, because I'm dying to see if it's all it's hyped up to be. It's on, Boots!!

Models Own Nail Wraps - Cuboid

Don't you just love the clearance bin in Boots?! I got the most beautiful nail wraps for €2.65, and I cannot wait to try them!! The pattern is Gold, Black and Silver cuboids, which will go perfectly with my gold paisley leggings and corset on a night out. Just need a social life now! ;)

Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick - Finale

Revlon needs no introduction, certainly not from myself, anyways!! I cant seem to shut up about them!! After the fabulous impressions their balm stains and lip-butters, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what the "Ultimate Suede" was made of.

Again, this is another one up for review!! :D

Other things I've picked up on my directionless wanderings:

Essie Watermelon,
Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara,
Face Treats Self Cooling Mask
Goody Color Collection bobby pins (They're tiny, and they work SO much better than regular bobby pins!!)
Tesco Everyday Value Cottonwool Balls (300 balls for €2)

What have you been buying lately? Go on, let me know in the comments and be a bad influence on my already limited willpower!! :P

Le Grá,
Amy
xoxo

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

Today I decided that I would wear my newest lipstick, Revlon's Colorstay Ultimate Suede in the shade Finale out and about to see how it fared.

Top Left: One Swipe (top), Multiple Swipes (bottom),
Middle Left: 095 Finale,
Bottom Left: Immediately after application in Natural Light.

First Impressions. 

As soon as I put it on, I was thinking "Suede means matte, and this isn't matte!!" It goes on glossy. I was confused. After all my raving and cheering and general recommendations of the Colorburst lip-butters, I was pretty deflated. Had Revlon been lying to me?! But I stuck it out and no sooner had I checked in the mirror than I realized it had mattified beautifully.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Left-Wild Watermelon
Right- Candy Apple

As a lover of Revlon's "Just Bitten" Kissable Balm-Stain, I have to admit right now I had high expectations of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters since they started cropping up on every blog I've ever read, though I didn't know what shade to opt for. So, last night on the Twitter chat for Irish Beauty Bloggers, I put forth the question "What Revlon lip butter would you guys recommend?" and Dani, the lovely "Glamour Nazi" answered with "If you love a red lip, go for Candy Apple".

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter
035 - Candy Apple

Armed with a name and some good reviews, I headed for Boots, where the stand had just been restocked. Huzzah!! I swatched Candy Apple, hummed in approval, and decided to go the whole hog and see if the reviews of "Wild Watermelon" were as good as the Internet sad they were... I wasn't disappointed. That had to be mine too.

I must admit I did 3 laps of all the make-up stands, swatching and dabbing, but at €11.20 each, I had maxed myself out for one trip. I suppose the problem is when you're as attached to good quality budget brands like Essence and NYC, €11.20 seems excessive, but no matter.

I've been wearing Candy Apple all day (needing only 2 reapplications because of dinner and a cuppa) and it's immensely comfy. It makes a change from the drying nature of the matte colours I adore so much. The bottom left tile, on the photo illustrating the product shows swatches after one swipe (left swatch) and multiple swipes (right swatch). Its a beautiful buildable colour. A+!

April Favorites...Woo-Hoo!!

The first week of May is almost done, and so it's high time I posted my April Favorites!

So let's not waste time, and get right into it!!

Yes To Carrots Shampoo and Conditioner  

I can't get over how much I love this stuff, and for a few reasons... 

-I've had it almost a month and I haven't made even the smallest dent in the giant bottles... 

-It smells amazing.

-It makes your hair so soft and shiny.

-It's cruelty free, natural and with the use I'm going to get from it, great value for your €€€!

Yes To Carrots... Yes Please!!!