Youngblood Mineral Makeup Gift Set* REVIEW

Hey all! I was sent a lovely gift set of the Youngblood Mineral Makeup and originally I was going to include it in a gift guide post, but I loved it so much I decided to natter on about it for a dedicated post!

I was kindly gifted a gift set in Light, which contained four pots, one of which was a blush, a sample of a translucent powder, and a lovely soft flat top kabuki brush.

The mineral makeup from Youngblood is beautiful. It's finely milled, applies beautifully and lasts well. I quite like to wear it alone on a minimal makeup day, just to color correct my red spots, and even out my skin tone.

The kabuki brush supplied is meant to be used to apply it, but I found it shed fibers quite a bit, so I opted to use a large fluffy Real Techniques Powder Brush for the base, and the Real Techniques Blush Brush for the blush. It also allows you more control over the product density and buildable nature.

As well as wearing it completely alone, I also like to apply it with a light hand to bump up the coverage of a light to medium foundation, and so it usually takes the place of a setting powder, because as well as upping the coverage, it mattifies the skin, leaving just a light glow to the skin. No flat, zombie like bases here, girl!!

I was also kindly gifted a beautiful lipstick from the Intimatte Mineral Lipstick range, and I am pretty much in love. Not only is it a beautiful red, but the matte formula is comfortable to wear, non-drying and doesn't seem to feather. One swipe is all it took to get that fully opaque swatch and the same goes for the lips. I will say that it does catch in dry skin so it's worth exfoliating your lips before you wear this, but that's the thing with red lipstick, it's quite high maintenance!

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics are Cruelty Free and their products are affordable as well as great quality. What's not to love??

Keep an eye out in the next week for a GRWM featuring some of these products! 

Amy 

xo

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These products were kindly gifted for my consideration. All opinions are my own. 

Autumn Essentials

I adore autumn. Layering, scarves, bobble hats, it's probably my favorite season. Today, I'm going to give you the low-down on my current essentials! These are the things I cannot be without, this time of year... Enjoy!

I adore Docs. They're a pain to break in, but they are so comfy when you finally do! I've had my Triumphs for a couple of years and they still look like they're fresh from the box. I recently bought a pair of white 1460's because I had been living for a pair for months, and I snapped up a good deal on ebay! They keep your feet warm, dry and they look great with everything! I couldn't be without them.

Chilly air means dry skin, flaky lips and if like me you've stretched ears, sore earlobes. I'm hugely into creams in this weather. I carry a Body Shop hand cream and a Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner in my handbag at all times. I am pretty obsessed with keeping my ear lobes looking and feeling great, as well... At 1/2", they're not huge by any means, but they need looking after. I have a Beauty Kitchen Chill Me Wonder Balm for my lobes, and I keep them moisturised to keep them safe from the cold. I'm also addicted to the BioDerma Hydra Bio rich creme right now, its keeping my skin protected from the biting wind!

My eye makeup has been pretty seasonal for the last few months, and now is no different. I am obsessed with my Revolution Flawless Ultra Eyeshadow Palette. It's a 32 pan palette with shades from cream to black, with incredible nudes, bronzes, burgundies and chocolate shades. Perfect for the autumn and Christmas seasons. I've plenty of other palettes, but this one is my obsession right now. I picked it up for €10.95 and it was worth every cent! When I'm staying with Himself, I like to downsize my makeup so I have been rediscovering my beloved Naked Basics palette from Urban Decay. Perfect for a neutral eye, from girly to grungy.

So there you have it, my Autumn Essentials! Let me know your picks in the comments! I'd love to know what you consider essential at this time of year! 

Amy 

xx

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GRWM - Current Everyday Face

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how I go from a 4, to a solid 7! Only joking, I'm pretty comfortable with how I look sans slap, but I love makeup, I think it's fun, it's a process I enjoy every time I do it. So today I'm going to show you what I look like before and after, when I do my every day routine.

I'm going from this...

I always start by cleansing, and currently, I'm using the Nivea Essentials Sensitive Cleansing Milk on a cotton round to cleanse my skin of anything icky, and then move onto moisturising with a combo of my BioDerma HydraBio Serum and Nivea Q10 Energising Day Cream before I slap on my... well... slap!

For my base, I'm just roving between my Rimmel Match Perfection and my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundations, they're both great, and I love them both equally, so I just go for whichever one is nearer to me on any given day! Today I went with Covergirl, and I powdered over the top with my PS Matte Transluscent powder. It just sets the liquid without adding any more pigment. Then I contoured with my Revolution Blush Palette in Golden Sugar, taking the matte bronzer on a contour brush and lightly buffing it in under my cheekbones.

For my eyes, which were next, I set my brows with Essence Make Me Brow, just to keep them from going too wild. Then I whipped out my Gwen X Urban Decay eye palette and a fluffy eye brush, and applied Stark all over the lids as a base, then ran Anaheim through the socket as a transition shade. I got a smaller fluffy brush, and took Zone over the lid and blended it in with Anaheim. Then came the fun part. To deepen the look, I took a tiny little brush, and the shade Punk, carefully patting it onto the outer corner, into the crease and down a little to the lower lashline. Then I took a clean blender brush and blended it all out, deepening the colour, and repeating until I was happy. The idea is a semi bruised, grunge-inspired eye. To finish the look off I took Blonde on my finger tip and applied it to the brow bone as a highlight. I lined my eyes with Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner (not my favorite, mind you, but it was within reach). Mascara was an easy pick, Catrice Better Than False Lashes did the job on my upper and lower lashes.

...to this!!! 

I applied my MUA Blush in Marshmallow on my cheeks with a very light hand, and then I highlighted with the creamy shade from the Revolution Blush Palette, because it's the best highlight in the world as far as I'm concerned. That's a fact.

I didn't actually apply any lipstick, I just applied a little of my Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner, and that was me finished! I did bring my MAC Lipstick in Faux with me to apply at some point, though!!

So there you have it, my every day routine. Suffice to say I don't use the same products every day, but the finished look is always pretty much the same as this - a smudgy, grunge-y, lived in eye look. It's easy, it's quick and it looks great to boot. 

What do you think? 

Amy 

xx

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Catrice Glam & Doll Eyeliner Pen

Last week, I found myself stuck, with no felt tip eyeliner and I was pretty mad about it. I love felt tip liners, they're easy to use and they don't make a mess. So when I went to apply liner, and found the marker tip all dried up, leaving me to use actual liquid liner? I had to hotfoot it out to my local pharmacy to get a replacement. Pronto!

I picked up this Catrice Glam & Doll Super Black Liner Pen in an Adrian Dunne pharmacy in Trim. I looked at every stand twice over and swatched every liner I could find, eventually opting for this one. I didn't know at the time of purchase that it was marketed as "super black", but I did notice that it swatched much more black than other liners. Another thing I noticed was the tip, which is a "tulip" shape, with a really fine point.

The tip of this liner is flexible but really precise, and after my first use, it was pretty much love. I was able to create a fine line in the inner corner with the tip, flatten the tip to my lid in order to thicken it towards the outer corner and then create a sharp flick with the tip again - all on my first application. YAS! The liner itself, is super super black, which is incredible. It dries quickly and down to a matte finish, which is all I ever want in a liner, so I was a happy bunny when I discovered this.

Overall, the liner lasts pretty well, it's not waterproof (and I am a crier) but that's okay, it's cheap as chips, and it's easy to use! For €3.49, the quality in unsurpassed and I will be repurchasing!

Catrice can be found in most decent Penneys and chemists nationwide!

Amy xx

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Sleek Event 14th April 2015

Up

 

Last week I was overjoyed to attend the Sleek Make-Up event in The Blue Room at The Dean Hotel on Harcourt St in Dublin City Centre. I linked up with my gorgeous friend Kayliegh and we went together, to save ourselves the awkward side effects of being painfully shy at these things on our own.

When we arrived into the Blue Room it was incredibly decorated with Sleek palettes open on every table, trays of muffins and macaroons, a bar at the far end to keep everyone sipping on either lovely rose wine or fresh fruit punch. There was a Sleek stand close to the bar, and I think it's fair to say that Dani (The Glamour Nazi) hit the nail on the head when she said she would love it to just appear in her bedroom. Wouldn't we all?!

I was so impressed with the i-Divine palettes that I may have to lay hands to them all… Great pigmentation, great selection and at a great price!

There were Sleek MUA's doing incredible looks on volunteers from the room, and the Sleek PR team were mingling with everyone to get feedback and generally just o have the banter. I must have stood chatting for 20 minutes with Emily chatting about inter-parish GAA and old discos of the greater Meath area – so random!!

 

Eventually the time came for Kayliegh and I to head out to catch our respective busses, but not before Emily came bounding over with a huge goodie bag for each of us and a big hug and thank-yous.
I was privileged to be invited and delighted to attend, the pleasure was all mine!!

Sleek is now available nationwide and online at sleekmakeup.com

Xo

Amy

#CorkBlogMeet15 FOTD

Yesterday, I was one of 20 bloggers to attend the #CorkBlogMeet15 hosted by the absolutely gorgeous Zoe Holman of Zoe With Umlauts. Because it was set to be an amazing day, I knew I was going to have to make a big effort with my make-up, so I'm going to recount all of my products for you! 

As always, I cleansed with Nivea Daily Essentials 2 in 1 Cleanser and Toner, and then applied the Nivea Q10 Plus Serum Pearls before moisturising with Nivea Q10 Plus Energizing Day Cream. While that set I drank a cup of tea and laid out my war-paint, as it were!! 

First, I primed with W7 Prime Magic and gave it a moment to set in before I applied my beloved (and sadly almost empty) Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Shell with my BCC F20 brush. Can you say "Holy grail combo"?! Love it!!! For concealer I went in with a touch of Maybelline FIT ME Concealer in the lightest shade under my eyes, around my nose and on my chin and dabbed it in with my ring finger. Then, I lightly contoured my cheeks with the warm bronzer shade of my Look Beauty Cheeky Trio and my BCC Flat Contour F30.  To set my make-up I went in with my Rimmel Lasting Perfection 25 Hour Powder and my RT Powder Brush. 

Time for them brows, girl! For my brow routine now I keep it really simple, by brushing them with a spoolie, and then lightly going through them with the Rimmel Brow Gel in Medium. That's it!!

Next it's time for the eyes. I primed with Urban Decay Primer Potion and used the Naked 2 to create my eye look. First I swept Tease through the crease for a transition shade. Then, I took Half Baked all over the lid, and blended Snakebite into the outer V. To add definition I very lightly took a touch of Busted through the outer V and into the crease. For my lower lash-line, I took Half Baked from the inner corner to halfway and then blended Snakebite from the middle outwards. I haven't been into liner really lately so I just tight-lined with a black pencil liner and added a few healthy sweeps of W7 Absolute Lashes and Maybelline The Rocket to complete the eye look. 

To finish my look I took my blush from my Look Beauty Cheeky Trio and swept it over my cheeks lightly, and then used the highlighter to highlight my cheekbones, brow bone and lightly down my nose. I applied MAC Faux for a neutral lip to balance out my bold eye look and that completed the whole look!! 

What do you think of my look??

Drop me a comment!!

xo

Amy

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Quarterly-ish Favorites Jan-March 2014

I'm not the best for posting monthly favorites posts, and I haven't posted a video in months because truth be told, I don't always remember. I don't always have a lot of favorites to tell you about and I think it would be counter productive to tell you about products I've only been using for a short time.

This leaves me with a dilemma, either no favorites at all or do a less frequent favorites showcasing a bunch of things ranging from beauty to fashion and everything in between. In order to keep things ticking over nicely, I am going to try to post a larger "Quarterly-ish Favorites" every 3 months or so. Now I know it's barely into March, but I have a few things I want to talk about.

Without further ado...

In The Category of Make-Up.

I am absolutely obsessed with my Revlon Nearly Naked foundation again. Thanks to my amazing friend Shauna, I've been having quite a few good skin days. In fact, I've been going bare faced on more than one occasion in the last month or so, even on a night out. Crazy!! The Revlon Nearly Naked foundation (in the shade Ivory) is just enough coverage for my skin when I feel I need that extra help. It's not cakey, and with a light dusting of powder (for NN, I opt for Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Cool), it's matte and stays all day. A clear winner with Spring approaching, ladies!

Speaking of obsession, I don't think I've let a day pass me where I haven't used my 17 Brows That Kit. I feel naked without my eyebrows, and even if I am just wandering around the house I need to have them done, just for the sake of my own happiness. This kit is amazing for anyone who wants the whole kit and caboodle, pencil, brush, wax, eyebrow powder and an under-brow highlight, all tucked into a really sturdy case with a lovely mirror in the lid. I do believe I got it free with a €10 spend on any 17 products, but it's no more than €6 or €7 in any Boots store. I adore it and could not be without it. Honorable mentions to my Real Techniques Brow Brush for making the whole job a breeze! A killer combo, make no mistake!

Finally, I have a brilliant product, multi-use and cheap as chips! Natural Collection single shadows, in Opal. It's a highly pigmented, shimmery pearly white that can be used for a few different areas on this face. Of course, you can use it as a shadow, that much is obvious, but it can be used as a highlighter. Beware though, despite its 2.89 price-tag, this is up there with the Naked Illuminate (without the massive, coarse disco-ball glitter). Use it as a strong under-brow highlight, on the tops of the cheekbones and bridge of the nose for a super sculpted, high-fashion look.




In The Category of Hair:

I need to say this, THE REMINGTON PEARL WAND IS THE GREATEST THING I HAVE EVER BOUGHT!! For my hair, specifically. I have very satiny, hard to curl locks, that usually require half a tin of hairspray to keep any kind of shape. I have to say though, the Pearl Wand has been nothing but the model of a totally miraculous, absolutely undeniably wonderful investment. I have no issues getting a curl to hold, in fact, I am currently writing this with the most wonderful, voluminous second day curls still in place, and only a minimal amount of hair-spray used. Impressed? You should be! Off with you now, and get one!

I couldn't pass an opportunity to give a quick, honourable mention to Batiste Dry Shampoo. This stuff was a love of mine for much of last year, and over Christmas, found itself stuffed into a drawer because I wasn't as pressed for time in the shower in the mornings. I have rekindled my affection for it though and am totally enamored with using it alongside a heat protection spray before I curl my noggin. This stuff makes life so much easier for all you busy chicks out there!


In The Category of Tan: 

I'm sure at this point your sick to death of seeing me wax poetic about the glory that is Cocoa Brown 1 Hour tan, but I am so in love that I just cannot stop harping on about it. And, it's not just the tan, it's the whole range! I cannot get over their Chocolate Whip, it makes me smell like a mini-roll, and I'm totally okay with that, by the way! Tough Stuff is the best thing to hit the Irish market in god knows how long, turning my scaly pins into smooth, soft, lust-worthy legs! 

Combining all three, Tough Stuff, Chocolate Whip and 1 Hour Tan is a recipe for absolutely perfect legs. You cannot go wrong.



In The Category of Lips:

I am convinced at this stage that Revlon use magic to make their lip products because I literally have nothing bad to say about any of their lippies, be they the Matte Balm Stains that I'm infatuated with, the ColorBurst Lip Butters, or their Kissable Balm Stains. They can do absolutely no wrong.

I am also still 100% committed to Catrice Lipsticks, particularly Matt-erial Girl and Holly Rose Wood. They're long-wearing, non-drying and less that €5 a pop! There is no excuse not to love them...

Miscellaneous Favorites:

Maybelline Brow Drama Brow Mascara,
NYC Lipstick - Blue Rose
Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil - Bling Bling
Sleek Make-Up Storm Palette,
Boots Skin Clearing Wipes
Tesco "Free-From" Porridge Oats
My iPod Classic 160gb
Bershka Jeans,
Primark Brogues,
Qwertee T-Shirts,
Paco Rabanne Lady Million Perfume
GiGi Gorgeous, Michelle Phan, Leighann Says and Ophelia Dagger
My Icy Eyewear Ray-Ban Style specs,
Snapchat,
Essence Lipstick - Dare To Wear
Infinity Scarves


What are some of your favourites so far this year?? 
Let me know so I can try them out!!

Amy
xx

June BBC Day 17: A Makeup Skill You Would Love To Perfect, But Struggle With

Well girls, as you know, I'm not the girl who wears a full face every day. I can do it going out, but not regularly. The last night I went out with a full face on was last November. Even on my 21st birthday, I didn't wear a full on face.

Credit: Jeddah Beauty

You see, if I put on a full face, I feel I have to contour. Amy can't contour. I just wind up looking silly. Either I use too much, and look dirty, or I use too little and you can't even see it! It's a nightmare!! I would rather just go out, looking like my usual self, than go out with no contouring, or worse still, God awful contouring!

The other thing I can't seem to nail, is that nose slimming business you see the likes of Michelle Phan at. What's the story there? I must be doing it wrong, cause I can see absolutely no difference when I try. 

Highlighting! There's another one! I can highlight the brow-bone no bother at all, but ask me to highlight a cheek-bone, and you might as well be talking to a man. A dead man, at that. 

Well, I've made myself look sufficiently inept at all things beauty, so that's it from me today! Here's to the home straight, girls!! 2 weeks til its all over... *weeps*

So what is something you are absolutely hopeless at? Is it any of my choices? Have you no idea how to do a smokey eye? Can you not apply lipliner to save your life??

Amy,

xoxo

June BBC Day 13: A Make-Up Look You Would Love to Recreate

I'm the first to admit that I have absolutely no make up talent. I can do a brown smokey eye, and black. I can wing out my eyeliner, glide on some lip colour and then I'm done. That is my ability exhausted!

But if I could, here are some looks I would love to recreate, not from a wearability stand point, but from an admiration point of view.



Warm gold, red and dramatic black!!

This gold, red and black look is so dramatic!! It screams glamour and looks as though it would befit a party in a plush, palatial manor. The shape also reminds me of the eye look worn by Natalie Portman in Black Swan. And just look at the precision of the eyeliner, the blending, the fantastically flawless skin. 

Alternative make-up is so gorgeous to me :)

Alternative Culture has fascinated me since I was young. I've always loved how daring and bold all the various kinds of Goth girls were with their eye make-up. I would love to have the cajones to rock a look like that!

I would love to have either the reason or the nads to wear either of these looks. They are beautiful in different ways, yet similar in the realm of artistic ability. 

Pin Up Sailor Girl

As far as an entire look goes, I would love to try a Pin-Up style look. The whole casual glamour of the 1950's is my idea of perfection! The red lips, the curves, the toughness paired with old style sexiness... fabulous! Someone needs to teach girls who are dieting dangerously, starving themselves, forcing themselves to throw up in a bid to be thin, that to be sexy, all you have to do is believe that you are sexy! 

Which of these looks do you prefer? Are you more of a warm red and gold, or a cool green and black type of girl?? What make-up looks would you recreate if you could? Would you have the courage to wear either of my choices? What do you think of the Pin-Up style? 

Amy,

xoxo