Just need somewhere to put these for a minutttte.

Vogue Make-up Challenge!

Vogue did a little experiment, sending out a make-up artist to purchase an entire make-up wardrobe, under $100. She bought an expensive foundation, eye liner, and a three-in-one bronzer/eyeshadow/blush combo thing, cheap clear mascara, and drugstore black mascara and lipstick.

This didn't please me at all. I know it's only $100, but I would be extremely bored if that is all the make-up I had to use. So, I decided to see what I would choose. I was going to do it with €100 but I could find no Euro-prices on the interweb, so I used the Pound Sterling instead, using prices as shown on Boots.com and Superdrug.com. Seeing as the make-up artist did not have to buy any brushes and whatnot, I'm assuming we already have brushes, so I didn't include them either. I shall explain the rest of my choices as I go!

Face:

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation - £4.84 (assuming I'm buying today. Otherwise it would be £6.84.)

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Concealer - £5.86

Benefit Dandelion Blush - £22.50

L'Oreal True Match Powder - £7.82

Face Total: £41.02

I have pretty good skin, and so I don't really need to use an expensive foundation, in my experience. So I chose the one I'm currently using, and the concealor I've been using for like, ever. Although there are fairly good cheaper dupes of Benefit's Dandelion blush, I really do love the original, so I stuck with that. The powder is just a powder - nothing too exciting.

Lips:

Rimmel Sweet Jelly Gloss - £3.91

I really don't pay all that much attention my lips.... These are obviously aiming to be Lancome Juicy Tubes, and while they're not, they'll do.

Eyes:

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara - £8.80

L'Oreal Super Liner - £5.86

GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Liner in Black Ink - £4.89

Barry M Dazzle Dust in 98 (black), 89 (browney-grey), 34 (purple), 80 (Blue), 72 (green), 3 (light pink) annnd 27 (white). - 7 x £4.40 = £30.80

This part was always going to be the most difficult. I adore my eye make-up, and limiting my colour range to 7 colours would almost be painful, but alas, I did what I could. The mascara is an oldy but a goody - love it. The first liner is a liquid liner, and the only liquid liner I can use. The second is just a black kohl pencil. Chose 7 of my favourite dazzle dusts, while ensuring I touched most of the kinds of colours I wear - sigh.

And finally Barry M Nail paint in Navy (292) - £2.89.

Well, I could only afford one, and this one is my favourite-est at the moment!

Meaning I would have spent a grand total of £98.37. It wouldn't be a very extensive collection, and I'd probably be bored stiff with it in 12 seconds, but I think it covers pretty much all the basics. I'd sorely miss my Urban Decay Primer Potion though... Can we throw one in for good measure? :D

Rainbowww!

A couple of week ago, heading out with the girls while avoiding study, I decided to go a bit crazy with the bright make-up, seeing as study doesn’t really allow time for any make-up. I was having withdrawal symptoms :P

While I would usually use at least three colours in any look, if even just for blending, I decided to take a stab at a rainbow. Once again, Barry M was pretty much all I used, having bought three new Dazzle Dusts two days previous – They’re absolutely my weakness. If I buy even one more, I’ll actually have no where to put them. ……….You know I’ll have 3 more before the week is out….

Anyway, I used:

Barry M Dazzle Dusts (in order of use..) in 3, 85, 77, 76, 75, 72, 78, 90, 88, 20, 91, 98
Barry M Glitter Dust in 20, 5.

Revlon Super Liner in Black, with Barry M Dazzle Dust in 98 over it.

On my face:

Maybelline Dream Satin Mousse Foundation in Light Porcelain.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Concealor in 02 Natural

Benefit Dandelion Blusher

Benefit 10 Blusher (as a contour & highlight)

Some kinda gloss... Pink gloss is pink gloss.

Pink and Blue, and Eyelashes.

Just doing a quick post because I've been meaning to post this for ages, but never really got around to it, so it's not so much a FOTD, as here's some pics of my favourite eyelashes ever.

More than a little drag queen like, these eyelashes from Make Up For Ever are amazing. Fiddly, and an absolute bitch to put on, but so pretty! They're huge, and dramatic, and I love them. Not exactly something you'd wear walking down to the shops of a morning, but amazing none the less.

Don't know why it's so dark...

Other than that, I used:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Barry M Dazzle Dust #85
• Barry M Dazzle Dust #20 & #78 mixed together
• I used a blue eyeliner, but I can't remember which one it is
• And Ylure Vivid lashes on my bottom rims.

That's it really.

On another note, Illamasqua launched in Brown Thomas today. Very excited about this :)

Girls Aloud do EYELASHES!

When I first heard about the Girl's Aloud Eyelashes here on Beaut.ie, I was quite excited. Perhaps just another endorsement deal for them, but it really didn't stop me wanting them to be in shops already!

In this post I told you about my love for lashes, and nothing's changed yet!

Looking at the eyelashes, I expected more from Cheryl, given the amount of cool eyelashes she used during her stint on The X Factor. I also thought one of them, at least, would have gone for something a little bit different to just black eyelashes. A splash of colour, or a bit of sparkliness/feathers/some kind of adornement, a bit of anything crazy would have brought this collection way up in my estimation. But no, just slightly different shaped black ones. I'm a little disappointed by that.

Will this stop me buying some, eh no! I think I shall opt for Nicola's ones, as they are the most dramatic of the five. I like Kimberley's aswell.

The girls told Grazia that the idea came from their dressing room habits of cutting up and gluing bits of their favourite lashes... This is what they had to say about their own sets:

Cheryl Cole
"I love the dark glossy look of my lashes. They are a must for a night out, cool and ultra glamorous."

Nicola Roberts
"I designed my lashes to be really full but still demure. I wanted a natural beauty effect with the length and thickness we need."

Kimberly Walsh
"My lashes give great length and texture. I love the boost they give to my eyes."

Nadine Coyle
"My lashes are full and layered with a really natural feel. I could wear this fun, flirty style every day."

Sarah Harding
"I love my lashes and wear them all the time. I chose a full, spiky style that elongates my eyes."

At the moment, they are only availible in Superdrug in Ireland, and will soon be availible on www.asos.com.

Now to locate the nearest Superdrug... :)

Products Right Now!

Tagged by OhMakeMeUp, here's a list of what I'm using at the moment:

Shampoo: Aussie (for Long hair...)
Conditioner: Aussie (for long hair as well)
Styling Products: None
Shower Gel: Green Molton Brown stuff (can't remember the exactly which one)
Body Moisturizer: The Body Shop Coconut body butter
Deodorant: Nivea Pearl or something
Fake Tan: None.
Cleanser: I swap and change. I think I'm just using Nivea Young right now!
Eye makeup remover: Simple face wipes pretty much take off all my makeup
Exfolatior: L'Oreal Exfotonic
Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer with SPF.
Foundation: Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Light Porcelain.
Foundation Brush: MAC 168
Concealer: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse (02 Natural)
Powder: None at the moment
Blusher: Benefit Dandelion
Bronzer: None
Highlighter: Benefit’s High Beam
Eyeshadow base: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeshadows: I love Barry M Dazzle Dusts
Eyeliner: Revlon Super Liner
Eyelash curler: H&M
Eyelash base: None
Mascara: I have millions, so just whatever is at hand.
Lipstick: None
Lipgloss: Just using Carmex strawberry lipbalm at the mo really.
Nail Colour: None

So there you go!
I tag my followers ;)

5 Of My Favourite Products

So, in no particular order, some of my favourite products include:

1. Barry M Dazzle Dusts

I'm building up the entire collection of these little pots of amazingness. Highly pigmented, it's often said they're almost on a par with MAC pigments, good colour range, reasonably priced, and those pots are packed full of eyeshadow - it'll take a long time to empty that jar. The only downside is they're messy if you spill them (which, being clumsy, I do...). Love them.

2. L'Oreal Super Liner

Liquid liner & I just don't get on. Like I said, I'm clumsy, I'm messy, and liquid liner doesn't agree with this. That was until I found this little wonderworker. It has a sponge tip applicator, and just glides on with very little effort from me - which I love. It dries quickly, doesn't smudge and it stays on until you want it off. Can't reccommend it more, especially for people, like me, who are a little afraid of/make messes of normal liquid liners!

3. Benefit Dandelion Blush

I love many Benefit blushes (10, Coralista, for example!) but Dandelion is definitely my favourite. It probably won't do much for those of you with any kind of non-pale face, but on pale skin, it is perfect (well, mine anyway!). It goes on well and gives me a slight colour without looking overly fake. I would use it as a daytime blush normally, and perhaps use a deeper colour at night. Still my favourite ever, ever, ever.

4. Revlon Eye Make-up Corrector Pen

Like I said, I'm messy. I make mistakes, all the time. I used to hate when you'd have everything done perfectly and all it would take would be an untimely blink or an unexpected sneeze or even someone coming into the room suddenly, and bam, your mascara/eyeliner has just gone everywhere, and thus you must start again. This pen allows you to correct the mistake in a spot, and continue as you were. The only problem I have with it is that if you don't wipe of the lsight residue, new make up just will not go on top of it. Other than that - total lifesaver product.

5. Carmex Cherry Lipbalm

If you have ever smelled Cherry Carmex, you will understand perfectly why it should appear in this very list. Sure it makes your lips soft, and smooth and lovely, but really, I love this mainly for the smell. It smells exactly like cherries. It works well, it's easy to use, it smells nice and it's easy to carry - what more could you want?

And so concludes my list of my favourite products right now! :)

What are your favourite products?

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Review!

Okay, so I have a thing about finding the perfect foundation. My skin changes every other minute, so I constantly have to change my routines (Foundation, moisturiser, the whole shebang!) or my skin dissolves into a very dry Saharan style mess. Having heard many rave reviews on the brilliance of this foundation for this particular problem, I had to try it. I was suitably impressed, and I'd definitely buy this again!

The website promises an air-brushed finish - don't they all? See the ad here

I bought this the other day and tried it for the first time today. I don't know about airbrushed finish, but it looked and felt lovely on my skin. It didn't clog up pores or cling to dry patches, and most importantly it stayed on all day, even without a primer underneath. It gives a nice, light, dewy sort of finish, not looking heavy or cakey at all - I couldn't feel it on my face, which is always a good thing in my eyes. It evened me out without covering up freckles and such. Overall I was pretty impressed!

I reckon this might not suit oilier skin types, and I would advise perhaps the Dream Matte Mousse - I used this for a while and I loved it, but found it a little too drying on my skin. Also, the colour range is quite limited - there's probably about 7 colours. I got it in Light Porcelain, the lightest shade, and it's a very good match. However, there seemed to be a very big difference between it and the next shade up, so definitely test before you buy!

I bought it for €7.59 in Boots, on special offer, however I believe the usual RRP is around €10.59 - not astronomical by any means, and even in these times, suitable to most budgets!

Oh wow! Excitement!

Although I'll probably blog about it another time, one of my alltime favourite products ever is Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes palette! I'll definitely do a full post on it's absolute amazingness later - for the moment just believe me, it is an absolute lifesaver, and a make up bag staple of mine!

So! Imagine my excitement when I found out about benefit's new palette! It's called Smokin' Eyes and is on the same line of thought as the Big Beautiful Eyes palette I mentioned above, only for, you guessed it, Smoky Eyes! Now, I don't know about you, but I for one am partial to brown 'smoky' eyes because oftentimes the blacks/greys go very, hidiously wrong for me. However I have complete faith in benefit, and this palette looks like it won't disappoint me!

It contains:
9gm Eye Bright
Pink highlight shadow
Pewter base shadow
Deep charcoal shadow
Smokin' liner
Brow zings wax (shade: light)
Fluff shadow/hard angle brush
You also get a "beauty lesson" leaflet telling you exactly how to apply these products to get the look you're after.

So, not only is it a smoky eyes kit, but there's a little brow kit worked into the mix. What more could you want in a single palette?
It's $36 on the Benefit website, but I haven't seen it in shops yet! I'll definitely be picking myself up one of these asap! :D

Anyone tried it yet?

False Eyelashes!

False Lashes, amazing, difficult, and so much fun.

I have to admit, I have short, blond, practically non existant eyelashes, so the search for the miracle mascara is ongoing, however, in the meantime, I'll stick to false eyelashes (not everyday, obviously, that's waaay more effort than I'm willing to put in!)



So, after watching numerous tutorials on youtube, a couple of months ago, I decided to try them. Silly me, thought strip lashes would be easier. I was wrong. If you have someone else to put them on for you, who you trust not to get glue in your eyes, then fire away, it's much quicker and easier than individuals. You get get some pretty funky coloured ones too, adorned with feathers and jewels and shapes, and anything else you can wish for. I mean, take a look here, and see the range you can get, and that's just Make Up Forever's selection!

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P114418

I love strips, but I haven't got steady hands, making these waaay too fiddly for em to put on, on my own. I'm sure I'll master it someday!



I only discovered individuals recently, deciding they couldn't be much harder than strips anyway. They are amazing! There's not much lining up and fiddiliness at all. It's really just glue and stick them where you want them. Now, I haven't tried one individual eyelashes, because they'd just take forever, so I prefer the clustered individuals. The ones I use usually are by Ylure.
They're so simplet o use, much quicker and easier than strips, and you only have to add them where you want to, allowing for full on drama, or just a slightly flicky look!The only problem is that they're much more difficult to remove than strips, because you might rip out your own eyelashes trying to get them off. A removing liquid stuff is included, but they're still difficult get off :(


I'm off to get practicing on my application of strips, because those feathered MUFE ones are amazing!
Anyone have any tips for applying?

Revlon Beyond Natural

Having read about this in a couple of blogs, I had to try it!

The offical line on the website says:

Weightless foundation that goes on white and self-adjusts to match your exact skin tone. In 5 shades with a flawless finish. SPF 15.

I could only see 3 shades, but the rest, I'm happy to say is true! This is my new favourite product, and as a pale-face, it takes a lot for a foundation to impress me.

I don't usually like liquid foundations, preferring mousse or powders, and the fact that I put this one and it was white, freaked me out a little (I know it adapts, but still, it's white!). However, as you rub it in, it does adapt to your skin tone, perfectly. The coverage is more, tinted moisturiser than full foundation, so it's very sheer, light and dewy. I bought it in Light, however, I did try on the medium (just to see how adaptable it was, I am in no means in the same hemisphere as 'medium') and it looked very orangey to me. I've heard this from a couple of people about the darker shades so definitely try before buying. So far it hasn't clogged up/dried out my very dry skin, which I'm loving! AND it has SPF 15.

The packaging is pretty bland as you can see, but functional. The price is pretty reasonable and Boots have €3 or so off it at the moment!

Anyone else tried it?

Beauty Blog?!

Having not yet got around to actually writing anything, I thought I'd better start something! I originally signed up mainly to follow a couple of other blogs, but I always had the intention to start my own! My problem now is what to write about....

About six months ago I discovered the beauty community on YouTube, and ever since then I have become obsessed with make-up. Constantly watching videos, makes you want to be involved too. However, there's no chance I'm stepping in front of the camera any time soon.

Enter, the Beauty Blog!

So, I've decided to blabber about all things beauty here! Confessions of a Beauty Junkie anyone? :D