I'm back!

Hey! It's been too long!

I thought I'd start back simple and just give a small overview of my skincare routine at the moment, the products I'm using morning, night time and in between!

Apologies for the hiatus too guys! It's definitely been a while, but hopefully with the different aspects of my life evening out I'll be able to put my heart back into something that I am passionate about ❤ ❤ ❤ 

But now - back to bidness...

I have a fairly simple morning routine..

I start the day with my Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on a cotton disc, to get rid of any oil/residue on my skin before applying my mosturiser and makeup of the day.

I've also started using the Clean & Clear rapid Action Pads all over my face as I have noticed break-outs on my chin area are reappearing recently, and so I'm trying to keep them at bay with this Salicylic Acid based treatment.  

In the evening then, I use the Garnier Two Phase Eye Makeup Remover to remove any waterproof makeup (It's amazeballs!)and my Micellar water again to remove the rest of my makeup. Following this I use the Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser, which leaves a lovely fresh tingly, minty feeling on the skin. I smooth it on after splashing my face with water, and leave it for 2/3 minutes. I have combination/dry skin so I use this to help keep my skin clear on a day to day basis - I'll get into my deep treatments in a moment. 
I usually rinse this off using a facecloth and some warm water to exfoliate as I rinse it off.

If I'm having a bad skin day/week/lifetime I usually load up on Sudocrem as a night treatment, before I do that though, recently I bought the Lush Cosmetic Warrior mask and found it does wonders at calming down big breakouts. Among other awesome ingredients, it also contains Tea Tree Oil and Garlic! It may not sound so hot (or look so hot...) but it really does work wonders. It goes on very smoothly and sets very slightly from the Kaolin (clay) in it. I prefer this to clay heavy masks as I don't find the tightness from the dry clay very comfortable. An added bonus from storing it in the fridge is that it's lovely and cooling on the skin!

Following these I mosturise with the L'Oreal Miracle Perfection Correcting Day Mosturiser. I haven't seen a drastic improvement over the last 2 - 3 months I've been using this, but I do find that it keeps my skin from being too dehydrated. It has a lovely smooth texture that feels slightly gelatinous, and a luxurious scent to it too. It feels slightly tacky on the skin at first but after a few moments it sinks in. 

I follow these steps as much as I can day to day, but if I'm up late and am too tired to wash my face thoroughly I use Johnsons Makeup be Gone Pampering Wipes to remove my makeup and follow with the Clean & Clear pads and L'Oreal moisturiser.

This has been my basic skin care routine for the past month and at the moment I'm quite happy with it. I am nearing the end of my moisturiser, so might look into something different, but other than that I find that, while it's not perfect, my skin is the best it's been for quite a while.

That's all for the moment!
I know it's been a (very) long while since my last post, but I do hope to pop in and out occasionally to rave/rant about new products that I'm encountering (ahem, which is a considerable amount currently!!)

Let me know what your Holy Grail Skin Care product is and why!

Talk to you all soon! xo



*As you know these products work for me, but that does not necessarily mean they will work for everyone, I'm merely trying to give the world my opinions and ideas on certain aspects of them.

Haul time & reviews ft. Urban Decay, Stila, Catrice, NYX & more!

Hey!

Woo! Collective haul time! I got these things over  2 - 3 weeks, from various places online and in stores.

Be forewarned: this is pretty long!

I'll get straight into it and start with the eyeshadows and eye things first..

So here we go!

First Impressions: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain & Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer

Hey guys & girls!

So today I finished my exam for college (yeah only one!), so I treated myself to these little indulgences (along with some more, but that's for another time!).

I've heard many a good thing about the Revlon Kissable Balm Stain, and I think it'd be dead handy to keep in your purse even.

Rimmel Apocalips have been getting a lot of love too, so I thought I'd pick one up in a dark berry shade, a colour I don't really have anything else in.

Packaging:
The Revlon Balm Stain is a pencil like tube, that twists up for more product. It's really smooth and does feel a bit like a lip balm. It feel a bit tacky when you first put it on, but that fades slowly.

The Rimmel Apocalips comes in a tube much like a lipgloss. It comes with a doe-foot applicator that's hollow in the middle, I believe this is so the product is easier to apply without having to dip back in after every swipe.

Colour & Application:
Revlon Balm Stain (Mulligans pharmacy usually 10,95€ I got mine 50% off) 
 The Balm Stain is really easy to apply because of its shape. It's really quick to apply so is really good for on the go, or if you're traveling.
The colour I got was 'Rendezvous', a peachy orange colour. It's quite opaque compared to other tinted lip balms I've tried and gives a slightly glossy sheen to the lips. As far as I can tell there is no shimmer or glittery bits in it.

Revlon Apocalips Lip Laquer (Penneys/Primark 5,95€)
 The Apocalips applies like a lipgloss, but is very opaque. All I needed was one application to get very bold colour. It feels nice on the lips, a bit like a lipgloss, but then dries to an acceptable texture much the same as the Balm Stain by Revlon. I got mine in the colour 'Galaxy', which as I said earlier is a berry pink sort of colour. This one does have a tiny bit of shimmery bits in it, but you don't notice that too much on the lips. I think it just helps to keep it from losing it's shine. Also, one more thing I noticed was the smell of it - like sour watermelon sweets! Well, at least that's what comes to mind to me, it's the same as the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel. I haven't worn this enough properly to decide whether it bothers me or not, but we'll find out!!

 I can't wait to try these out properly! Overall I'm quite happy with my purchases, especially because without the 50% off in Mulligans, I wouldn't have even looked!

I hope you enjoyed my first impressions on these two products! What have you bought lately? Have you tried the Apocalips Lip Laquers in other colours? Have you tried the Revlon Balm stain? Let me know in the comments!!

Come back soon to find out what else I got and as always don't forget to check out my other online profiles such as - Twitter, Instagram & She Said Beauty (all available in the sidebar, along with live feeds!)

Ta-ta for now! xo

Favourites: March/April!

Hey guys, I hope I'm not too late with this post! If you haven't seen my Favourites for January/February post, check it out and see what's changed!

Included here are a few new buys that I picked up on my Holiday in Spain, I hope you enjoy!

Here we go...

March/April Favourites with Catrice, Essence, Lioele

NYX Powder Blush in 'Natural' - I mentioned these blushes in my Wishlist: May! post because I'm lusting over more shades of these. They are so pigmented! I wear this shade regularly and even though the shade is called ' Natural' I feel it gives a more pinky blush to my cheeks. It's super soft and easy to blend out tocreate a subtle flush of colour.

Sephora Contour Blush/Bronze Brush - I picked this up in Spain and it's actually becoming my Holy Grail blush brush (do they even exist??). It's really precise when it comes to applying blush/bronzer to the cheeks and blends highly pigmented blushes out really well.

theBalm Lipstick in 'Ima Goodkisser' - theBalm isn't available in Ireland, but I've seen them online, and the packaging is just too quirky to ignore that I had to pick something up. The shade I got is a light, natural looking pink with a hint of peachiness to it. It's really creamy and glides on a dream. Another thing I noticed about it is that it leaves your lips with a cool minty feeling, it didn't mention anything about it on the box but I don't mind!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 'Addis Ababa' - Ok, this I got for the colour primarily. But it's actually a lovely product. Even though it dries matte, it is in no way drying on your lips. It's very pigmented and you only need a thin layer. It has really good staying power, and is perfect for layering over a lipstick to alter the colour. I've used it several times over my ELF Mineral Lipstick in 'Natural Nymph' for a really soft baby pink look.

No. 7 Extreme Length Mascara - I got this free in boots in a little case with various other No. 7 goodies, I mentioned it in my haul post, but I hadn't used it much then. Now though I can't get enough of it! I only got the travel sized version, but I'm seriously considering buying the full sized version!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 'Beige Clair' - I was in need of a good coverage foundation and saw Hannah from Midnight Violets mention the Healthy Mix Serum So I went to Boots and checked it out. It has really good coverage, but without looking cakey at all.

Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream - After seeing Shaaanxo use this as a base under her foundation I decided to do some research on Asian bb creams, etc., and thought it looked really good. After getting some samples and trying it on its own and under my regular foundation I decided to bite the bullet and go for it! It's really good and I love the smell (is that weird..?) It has really good coverage on its own, which means I don't have to use as much foundation to get the coverage I want, therefore saving product!

Essence Fix & Matte Loose Setting Powder - I got this aages ago but only really started using it recently. It's so finely milled it's amazing. It makes such a difference to the look of your face. And because it's so finely milled it doesn't appear to 'cling' to the tiny hairs on your face. It's translucent as well, so it doesn't make your makeup look 'heavy' or alter the colour/coverage.

And finally...
Catrice Nail Polishes - All of them! They come in such gorgeous colours, it's so hard to resist. The one I got most recently is 'Genius in a Bottle'. It's a copper/forest green iridescent colour that changes depending on the angle. They are pretty opaque - two coats is plenty. They also have one of those flat brushes for application which I really like, as it makes it a lot easier.


Phew! So those are the products I've been loooving these past months. What have been your favourites lately? Have you got a holy grail brush or other product? Let me know in the comments!!
I hope you enjoyed and come back soon!

Don't forget you can find me on Twitter, Instagram & She Said Beauty - to name a few! My Live Twitter/Instagram feed can be found in the sidebar, along with all my other blogging sites.

Ta-ta for now!  xo

Weekend Essentials - Back to Basics!

Hey everybody! How are all of you lovely people?? 

I thought I'd share with you today my "weekend away essentials". These are what I would consider the must haves for a weekend away or even for a holiday. I think these items (give or take one or two) would also suffice as a beginners essentials. So lets get into it! 

My first item is an ingenious one, and it comes from The Collection (formerly collection 2000). 

It's their Cover & Go Foundation and Concealer Duo. It's a lovely medium coverage foundation, available in three shades, and it comes with a little compartment in the lid that has concealer and a small mirror in it. This is great because I think its better to have as many multitasking products as possible! 

My next item is a mascara. I've gone with NYC Big Curl. But of course you can choose whatever one you like! This mascara has a huge want to give maximum volume - and very affordable. 

You could leave it at that if you wanted to be super minimalistic, but I've chosen a couple other optional must haves. 

I always use a setting powder for my foundation, I find it prevents it from rubbing off on clothes etc., and also gives my skin a smooth appearance. At home I use Essence Fix & Matte Loose Setting Powder, but loose powders can be extremely messy so aren't ideal for travelling with. I chose a pressed powder from The Natural Collection. These are the least messy and I really like the formulation of the Natural Collection's powders. 

Another optional that i've chosen is liquid eyeliner - classic cat eye never fails! You could also go for a kohl or pen eyeliner. I don't favour gel or cream liners for travel as they can be a bit fiddly with brushes and that. 

Finally something that I personally love to have with me is a lipstick. Generally a muted, your-lips-but-better shade does the job for me. If you're not a lippy person something that I always have x10 of in my handbag is a tinted lipbalm, perfect for a hint of colour!  

One other thing that is probably only relevant if you want to bring powder is a brush of powder puff. I have one from primark which is perfect size for traveling - and it's amazing for the price! Seriously love it, especially as its pink!

That's it for my weekend away essentials!Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments if you have anything you would add to the list. What is your number one item that you cannot live without no matter where you go? 

Find me all over the web - twitter, instagram & She Said Beauty (these can all be found in the sidebar too!)

Ta-ta for now! xo

My Wishlist: May!

Hey everybody, I hope you're all well!

It's time to do my wishlist again - already? Time's gone so fast!
I have a couple of items scratched off my April Wishlist, and on their way to me, but I've seen so many more things I'm lusting over since then.
I'm also due for a favourites post too, and there's so many new products I've discovered since the last one, exciting!

But enough waffling from me, on with the show!

Wishlist: May! with Wet n Wild, wef, srth

Stila Illuminating Powder Duo in Kitten - I've seen lots of reviews of this product, and after trying Benefit's High Beam highlighter, I think either a cream or powder highlight suits me better. Shaaanxo uses this in nearly all her videos and it gives a beautiful dewy finish, without being too 'in your face'. I have an E.L.F fan brush on it's way, so I'm excited to see how this works out!

NYX Powder Blushes - I have one in 'Natural' which I got in Spain, and I love them. I love the formula of them. They're super soft and perfectly pigmented. I've heard the darker browney shade 'Taupe' can be used as a contouring shade so that is definitely going on my list.

NYX Lipsticks - I have one of these on it's way from Cherry Culture, in 'Narcissus', along with some lip liners too. Their matte lipsticks are supposed to have a great formula that isn't too drying on the lips. And they come in so many shades. I've fallen in love with lipsticks lately so I'm definitely going to get more of them.

Milani Lipgloss - I'm going to admit it right now - I really want these mainly because they're dupes for MAC Lipglasses. I don't wear lipgloss that much but the one I have my eye on is a dupe for Nymphette by MAC, which looks fab on bare lips.

MAC Lipstick in Snob, Girl About Town - I've decided to bite the bullet and go for it, I'm thinking of asking a friend of mine who lives where there's a Brown Thomas, to pick me up a MAC lipstick. I love lipstick so much right now, I feel I should invest in at least one high end one. The two colours I'm deciding between are Snob and Girl About Town. I like the look of Snob moreso than Girl ABout Town as I think I might have a dupe for it lying around somewhere.


Wet 'n Wild Palettes - These are a drugstore holy grail in America, I hear so much about them everywhere. I have to find out a cheap way to get them to me, here in Ireland! 'Walking on eggshells' is the most popular palette as far as I know, but I'd love to try some new, bright colours.

Make-up Academy Matte Perfect Primer - Ever since I saw Hannah from Midnight Violets review this and compare it to Benefit's 'The POREfessional' I've been um-ing and ah-ing over ordering it from the MUA Website. I absolutely adore my Benefit primer but the price is what puts me off a bit. I only have a sample size so it runs out quite quickly too.

And finally..
L'Oreal Top Coat Confetti - Since I've gotten into painting my nails more and more often, and seeing as it's summer soon (yay!) I'd love this so I could do a 'Mini Egg Mani'. I've been collecting a couple more nail polishes recently and I've decided that I'll do a Haul Post of my new ones and also maybe a tutorial post on any interesting manis I do!


That's it for my May Wishlist! Thanks for reading & as always, take a peep at my twitter, instagram & She Said Beauty profiles, they can also be found in the sidebar!
Let me know in the comments what you think of the items on my wishlist! Have you got any of them? Have you invested in a more high-end product, if so, was it what you expected? 

Ta-ta for now! xo

Holiday, life decisions & new feature!

Hey everyone!
Sorry I've been away from the keyboard for a bit but I was on holiday in Spain (have you seen my pics on Instagram?), which was a-mazing!

I got to see some beautiful places and meet some new and awesome people. There was also a load of beauty brands over there that aren't available in Ireland or England, so it was nice to be able to get my paws on some of those things. PLUS I got a few new clothes too which I might post about later! The weather was mixed with the first day being rainy, but then as the week went on everyday was better & better. Overall I had a fantastic time, and it was nice to be able to relax and forget about my worries and college and all the rest!

When we came back it was back to work - no more sangria for me! And back to college too. Which brings me to what I really want to whoever reads my blog know, maybe it's just because I've had a weight on my shoulders for the past few weeks and I've finally been able to make the decisions I need to get it off there, that I'm in the second last week of my first year of my course and I've made the choice not to go back to it in September. I loved it at the start and I value everything I was taught, but it's just not me.

I don't know exactly what I'll do instead but it's definitely something to do with make up or beauty.
I was in a department store on Friday just looking around and decided to get my brows done by the benefit brow expert, I also got some information on what qualifications you need to have to work at one of the beauty counters and it actually sounds really fun! I haven;t discussed my plans with my family yet but I know they will be supportive of my decisions.
I've been looking into beauty schools around Ireland and eyeing up some 'one day makeup' courses, but who knows yet!

Sorry if it's a bit of a rant but I've been busy with sorting all this out for the last few days so that's why I haven't had time to sit down and do the posts I planned for when I was back.

Aside from all that, I have decided that, as I'm finishing up with college and have the opportunity to wear nail polish for more than 24hrs - working with food or in a restaurant doesn't allow nail polish, I am going to do more Nails Of The Day posts, with nail polish hauls & some tutorials too! Let me know if you think this is a good idea in the comments!

Keep an eye on my twitter feed & Instagram feed for news and updates!
You can also find me on She Said Beauty!

What are your 'on holiday must haves'? 
Have you gone in thinking you love something then changed your mind? Or are you loving what your doing in college/uni? 
Would you like to see NOTD, polish hauls & nail tutorials? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading - it's a big confidence boost to know people are reading my little blog, and it helps me show my passion.

Ta-ta for now! xo