Work Make-Up Routine

Work is one of those times where you want to look polished and put together, but you don't want to get up early to do that. At least, I'd rather not get up at stupid o'clock to put my face on. So, I've cut down the products I've been using and opted for quicker applications. 

I always start with cleanser, no matter what, and then I get straight down to business with Rimmel London 9in1 Radiance BB Cream, and powder lightly with Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25hr Powder Foundation for some extra coverage and a demi matte finish. For blush I like to go with Wet'N'Wild Pearlesent Pink for a radiant, "happy to be here" glow. 

I generally apply a sweep of mascara (Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect or W7 Absolute Lashes) and a dab of lipbalm over my lips before I leave the house and then finish my eyes at my desk. I usually use my Naked2 palette and blend out two shades for a soft day look For my Brows I'm loving tinted brow gel, such as Maybelline Brow Drama. If I'm feeling inclined I'll lightly contour and highlight with my Sleek Contour Kit and finish with a slick of Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. If I want to go for a bold lip, I've been loving my Rimmel Provocalips 16hr in Kiss Me You Fool.

It's just that simple! Honestly, when I'm doing my job it's rare that I'm dealing face to face with customers, but it's nice to look nice in case a client comes in. 

What is your go to work make-up??

Amy 

xx

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Real Techniques Duo Fibre Brushes

They're nice to look at, that's about it...

I've a long standing love affair with this brand, owning almost all of the range... But I'm going to say something really controversial. 

I intensely dislike the Real Techniques Duo Fibre set. Yes, I know, I'm gonna split the crowd here, but it's panto season, so I'll let you all get your choruses of "Oh no you didn't; Ohhhh yes she did!!" out now. 

I really regret this purchase. I've used them as much as I could abide over the past few weeks and I just cannot deal. I understand the premise, they're duo-fibres apply and blend all in one, for light coverage, but to me there's a difference between light coverage, and invisible. I have tried them with all manner of products and... nothing. No love, no like, no barely abiding this trio. 

The bristles are not dense enough, they're too long and floppy, they just do nothing for me. A good make-up brush really turns me on, but these? Nada. 

Even when I was actively trialling them, I was hesitant to reach for them. That says it all really. I never hold back grabbing my RT Blush Brush, or my RT Eye Brushes. 

I'm sorry, beauty lovers, save your dosh here... 

These brushes retail for 29.99 in Boots.

What do you make of these brushes?

We can have a spirited debate in the comments! 

Amy 

xxx

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Halloween 2014 - Make-Up and Costume

This Hallowe'en, I was hell bent on going as a Pirate wench. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a name in the world as The Wench in the Irish Archery scene. I've had this costume in my possession since 2012, and let me tell you, if it wasn't worn this year, there was going to be ructions!!  

Lets start with the make-up and hair, shall we? 

I started with a base of the Rimmel Stay Matte foundation in Classic Beige (to match my tan) and contoured with my Sleek Face Contour Kit, defined my brows with my 17 Brows That kit, and then set everything with my Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Cool. The reason I do my brows before I set everything is because the foundation allows the pigment to stick better. 

After I completed my base I primed my lids and went in with the Urban Decay Naked 3, taking Limit and running it through my crease for a transition colour, then packing Trick on the lids and used Mugshot to define the outer corner, lightly blending it towards the inner corner. To darken the look further, I took Blackheart and slowly add it to the outer corner, blending and building the intensity until I was happy with the final result. A bold winged liner created with the Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner, some Eyelure Cheryl lashes, adding my brow highlight with Natural Collection Single Shadow in Opal, and my eyes were complete. 

For blush, I lightly applied my Catrice Rosewood Forest and highlighted the high points of my face with a golden toned Catrice highlight powder. I took the same highlighter down onto my collar bones and onto my cleavage. 

Finally, a slick of Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer in Celestial, a beautiful pinkish nude and the make up was complete. It sounds so easy now but it took me well over two hours to do my face alone! I wish to God I was joking!! 

I curled my hair away from my face with my Remington Pearl Clipless Curling Wand, and pinned it up in as "piratey" and "medieval" a way as I could manage. 

As for my costume, I picked it up 2 years ago for my 21st birthday shindig but I never got to wear it. Its basically a white petticoat with poofy sleeves, a pleather under-bust corset and pleather boot tops. I added some fishnet tights, my creeper wedges and a blingy collar-style necklace that I found in my drawer in Chris's house!

My costume had a hat but I didn't wear it, instead opting for a sword as my chosen accessory. 

Chris went as the Joker, and we went out with his best friend Aaron (Jack Sparrow), Kayliegh (Tom Cruise in Risky Business), her Boyfriend Sean (chef Randy from South Park) and her cousin and his girlfriend. 



I had a great night playing The Wench in a pirate capacity, and had the best fun in ages. 

Remember though, "Trespaseurs will be hogg tied and told they have a purty mouth!"

I hope you had a fabulous Halloween, 
Amy 
xxx

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The Blogger Made Me Do It - TAG Post

Here I am again with another tag! I'm jumping on the  The Blogger Made Me Do It bandwagon, after finding this on Sarah's blog, Never Fully Dressed!! Read on, lovely people...



1. Who are your most influential bloggers? Who are the ones you really rely on for reviews and swatches?
I suppose first up would have to be Make Up Monster, then Kayliegh from Kayliegh Land, as well as Robyn from Robyns Rants And Raves, Dani from The Glamour Nazi and a few others. 

Vlogger- wise, I have been influenced a lot by Zoella, Dollybowbow, Goss, and Leighann Says. 

Since adding and following nearly 80 more bloggers to my feed I suspect this list will grow exponentially. 

2. Do you buy a product solely as a result of one review from your favourite bloggers, or do you look around for more reviews from others?
Usually I will look around for reviews from bloggers I know first, and then look further afield. I enjoy the banter that comes along with jovially poking fun at someone because "It's your fault I love this!!" I will admit that I will read and read and read up on an expensive product if I'm planning to drop €50 or more on something! 

3. What's your most favourite item you've ever bought as a consequence of blogs?
I really like the Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo shadows, and Naked Basics palette. I love that thing to bits and back. 

4. What's your least favourite item you've ever bought as a consequence of blogs?
I don't think I've ever bought something that I've seen on a blog that I didn't love, but I mean, I swatch and read up and test and trial to the Nth degree so I don't find myself disappointed. The one thing that spirings to mind would have to be Night And Day Tan by Cocoa Brown. I loved 1hr tan, I use it all the time, going through tins and tins of the stuff but I did not like Night And Day at all. I think I got it off the recommendation of Kayliegh... I cant be sure though. 

5. Name five products you've recently bought as a result of blogs:
Recent? I don't know what I've bought recently, but notable things I've bought include;

Hmmm... All of my Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoos, I cant point the finger, I have only 10...
Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara - Leighann Says, you are the reason I have this!!
Archery by Soap and Glory - Thanks so much Style Suzi!!
Boots Essentials Cucumber Mud Mask - Couldn't be without it, it makes my skin feel amazing!
Kate Moss for Rimmel Nail Polishes... love them!!


6. Have you ever given in to blogger hype?  If so, which hype?
Oh my god, whithout a doubt, yes!! I cannot read a blog or watch a YouTube video without making a mental list of things I "need". So far I have broken and bought the RT Blush Brush, the Maybelline Baby Lips, Revlon Lip Butters, you name it!! 

7. Have you ever avoided blogger hype?  If so, which hype?
I try to stay away from Mac (aside from lipsticks) and Benefit where possible, and I stoically ignore any company with pushy sales ladies in Arnotts and Brown Thomas.

8. Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?
God no! I am an impulse buyer to the back bone but I have a rule about anything over €20 needing to be justified. Student life, man. It's hard to part with that kind of cash. 

I hope you enjoyed this tag game and I hope if you decide to play along, you leave me the link to your post in the comments so I can read and comment back! 

Amy
xx

June BBC Day 22: 5 Favorite Beauty Bloggers

Well girls, I just want to state for the record here and now, that this list is in no particular order! I love y'all equally! So long as we have that clear, I'll proceed with my list and I'll even gush a bit cause I can!

Audrey!

Audrey's blog The Nail Affair was the first nail art blog I ever came across when I was starting out on this journey of blogging! I remember seeing her post on the collection of nail polishes she had and thinking "That's....quite a lot of polish!!" and as far as I can see, now that I count her among my blogging peers, that number is ever on the increase!! Good on ya girl! There are worse things to be addicted to, that's for damn sure!! xx

Dani!

I remember first stumbling over Dani's YouTube channel back when it was under the moniker of FizzSedition! I think the "Sedition" bit was what caught my eye, since I'm good mates with a guy who runs a thing called "Sedition Industries" and curiosity got the better of me! It worked out for the best because I quickly found out she was a talented make-up guru and I hit the subscribe button! Her YouTube has since moved to the channel GlamourNazi of which I am a faithful subscriber too! Funny story actually, I may or may not have been that girl who came up to you at FFAF to say I really liked your videos!! *blush*

Girl Friday!

Last month, when I was on the look out for a challenge to partake in, GirlFriday was the challenge creator I was linked to! After 20-odd days of consistently reading her posts, I have decided she is among my favourites for mixing high-end and budget brands together in a way I just find wonderful! She doesn't poo-poo the budget nor is she uppity for the high end! Girl Friday seems to be the nice, all round beauty blogger that I wish I could be! Top marks!!

Kayliegh!

I've known Kayliegh for 2 years or more at this point and I can pretty much state for the record, that she has a brilliant sense of style! She blogs about celebrity style icons like Lauren Conrad and the Kardashians, as well as make-up and other girly things, and quite frankly, her blog is an education for someone like me! I love her blog and I highly recommend that you check her out at Kayliegh Land

Mags!

Another good friend of mine (huzzah for real life friends!!), but also a very talented blogger! She blogs about everyday things, my favourite of which was entitled "Nemisis of Nom" and pertained to her love affair with bread! I have to say, I am right there with her on the bread front...nom nom nom!! You should check her out for more lovely stuff!!

Who are your favourite bloggers? Do you like my choices? Don't forget to check out the 5 very impressive blogs I've linked up yonder! Have you any recommendations??

Amy,
xoxo

Whats in My Bag?

I think its fair to say that this topic is almost strictly a YouTube phenomenon. All you have to do is search for "What's in my Bag" and you will be inundated with results. Yet I've only seen one blog post on the subject and it made me want to try my hand at replicating the topic here, on my beloved blog.

The Bag Itself

 

My bag is a Living Dead Souls studded tote style bag. Its the biggest handbag I own, and it's one of the oldest too. There is a lot of nostalgia attached to this bag, since it was bought during the height of the awkward Emo phase I had between the ages of 16-19. I purchased this bag in a sale in Showco, that fantastic little shop in Georges Street Arcade that sells socks, lingerie, hats, and a lot of random alternative gear! Its a great place if you can get there during a sale. I paid about €20 for it, but it was originally €50 or €60. It's lining is plain black fabric printed all over with the words "Living Dead Souls". It has two short handles, that cannot be unattached, and one long strap with randomly sized, but uniformly placed studs.

June Beauty Blog Challenge

I think its fair to say I'm not exactly consistent in my posting habits. I can post for 3 consecutive days, and then leave you guys sitting for a week or even a fortnight. So I'm going to challenge myself during the month of June, by attempting Girl Friday's June Beauty Blog Challenge! The aim of this is to help bloggers get used to regular posting, and you can even use the hashtag #JuneBBC on Twitter to help other challenge-takers (?) find you and keep up with your progress... It's multi platform and extremely inclusive...

Photo Credit: Girl Fridays Beauty Blog
(link above)

I hope a wee short post every day will help me to do a few things...

• It will hopefully make me cut out on the waffle, I'm a bit long-winded as you guys may or may not know. Its a problem.
• It will get me used to regular posting. 
• It will definitely take me out of my comfort zone and that is something I am very up for trying!

The June Beauty Blog Challenge will cover the following;

1. Favourite eyeliner
2. Favourite brush
3. Favourite hair product
4. What’s in your shower/bath
5. Favourite foundation
6. Disappointing buys
7. Favourite lip product
8. Beauty Wishlist
9. Most recent beauty buy
10. Favourite nail polish
11. A bargain buy you’d recommend
12. An item you have bought because of blogs/vlogs
13. Makeup look you’d love to recreate
14. Favourite mascara
15. Favourite online shop
16. Skincare routine
17. Makeup skill you would love to perfect but struggle with
18. Favourite makeup brand
19. Who is your fashion/style icon
20. Favourite ‘high end’ product
21. Favourite nail look/nail art
22. 5 of your favourite beauty bloggers
23. What’s my face worth
24. Alternative use for an item you have – e.g. lipstick as blusher.
25. Primer – do you use it? Eyes, face etc
26. Best beauty advice you have been given
27. Biggest fashion mistake you have made
28. Favourite cheek product
29. 5 of your favourite beauty vloggers/YouTube videos
30. Recent empties / Reflecting on #JuneBBC

When I add a new post for the June BBC, I'll put the link in the list above, so hopefully by the end I'll have 30 live links! :D

Reading the list now, I can see some of these will be harder than others, what with being unable to pick a favorite nail polish, and all... But the challenge will make it exciting and fun.

Anyways, I hope you all are looking forward to this as much as I am, and I hope you hop on over to Girl Friday's blog and join in with all the fun!! 

Le Grá,

Amy, 

xo