My Everyday Essentials

Hey Ladies,

Today I thought I would share with you my everyday stash that I couldn't be without, a little treasure trove that lives on my desk right next to my trusty brushes. I was getting ready for work the other day and I realised that I have never shared with you the products that I use everyday without fail and have repurchased over and over. So it is safe to say they are firm favourites...this is why I haven't done a favourites video yet because all of the products would be the same every single month. I can literally bang out my work face in 10 minutes flat using these products or I could spend hours adding in other bits and bobs, they are the core products to every makeup look that I do.

A little more about my skin if your new around these parts. I have dry skin that is very prone to acne breakouts, my skin tone is very pale so I like to make my everyday face as natural as possible. And once I put my makeup on I want it to last because I hate touching up during the day - primers are an essential. The only thing I haven't included in this post is my eye shadows and brushes but don't worry I have separate posts coming up on them soon! Also please note that my lip colour is the only product that changes in and out regularly because I go through phases of different shades.

So dig into my stash...and let me know do you see any of your favourites? What are your everyday essentials? Want me to do a tutorial on my daily look?

Smashbox X Donald Robertson

Hey Ladies,

It's very rare for me to walk up to a beauty counter, fall in love with a lipstick, pick it up and walk straight to the tills no questions asked (no swatches either). Literally when I seen the new Smashbox X Donald Robertson collection I knew it was love at first sight, especially when it comes to the new matte lipsticks. I just HAD to have at least one of the shades so as soon as it hit counters on Tuesday I picked up Femme Fatale. Doesn't that name just scream girl power, love it.

Its a beautiful deep plum colour and even though we are nearing Summer and more brighter colours, I love this shade all year round. It's a matte lipstick but it's very different to what we formally know as a matte. I found this lipstick was extremely comfortable on the lips (infused with Shea Butter) and didn't leave my lips dry afterwards which is a huge plus as I love MAC matte lipsticks but your lips do be in rag order for days after.

It's a very creamy formulation so when applying it, there is no dragging and just one swipe gives you a good layer of coverage so no need to build it up. I've worn it for a good few hours to test it out and it does last very well on the lips and once it starts to wear off there is a slight stain underneath which means you won't have to re-apply too often.

The Donald Robertson collection is on counters now and at €21 a pop I may buy another one of these lipsticks to add to my ever growing lipstick collection! Until then this little unexpected splurge will be my new baby and will probably be featured on my Instagram in the near future.

Ship Shape Lips For Summer!

Hey,

In case you haven't noticed my last beauty post was lip related as I am on a serious lipstick binge and it seems my bank account can't resist a bright pink. Summer is just around the corner and its time to de-flake our lips from their wintry state and prepare for some sun. Today I am bringing you my top four products that will revive any lip condition!

Bubblegum Lip Scrub by Lush
This will be your saving grace if you suffer from chapped lips and can't seem to get rid of the flakiness. Made from castor sugar and jojoba oil it gently scrubs away dead flaky skin to leave your kissers smooth and read for lip balm or lipstick. Lush carries a couple of flavours of lip scrubs such as popcorn and mint julips but personally bubblegum is my favourite. The best part? This product is edible so you can lick away the excess. The price tag? €6.75 and it will last forever, you can find this product in your local Lush or on Lush.co.uk!

EOS Lipbalm
This sphere shaped lip balm has taken the beauty world by storm, with fans all over the globe from the Kardashian's right down to the bloggers and beauty gurus on YouTube. Also containing jojoba oil and shea butter this nourishes lips with no colour payoff so you can replace your Vaseline for this handy little ball. It also come in a range of fruit flavours so there is something there for everyone. I picked mine up in the US but you can find it right here in Ireland on BeautyEmporium.ie for €6.25!

Baby Lips by Maybelline 
Unfortunately this product is currently unavailable in Ireland but with its huge success in the US I have a feeling it wont be long till it arrives on Irish shores. This products promises to protect the lips for 8 hours with its "exclusive lip renew formula" and does it do that? It surely does. I have the shade Grape Vine that smells just like sweet grapes and has a tiny purple tint to it, but with 6 variations I'm sure it won't be hard to find one to suit you. I have heard a rumour that these will launch in April and retail for around €10 but that could just be a rumour considering that it is now the last day of the month! As soon as I spot them I will update this post.

Lip Butter by Korres
If you want a lip balm with more pigment/colour pay off to it then maybe the much talked about Lip Butter by Korres might be the perfect product for you. Fleur De Force on YouTube is a huge fan of this product so I had to try it out. Made from rice wax and shea butter this product leaves the lips deeply moisturised and it is also paraben free! This product also comes in 6 shades/flavour but my personal favourite is Quince which is a pinky red perfect for during the day when I'm not brave enough to wear a red lip! You can find Korres products on ASOS.com and at €10.50 with free shipping, I think you've got yourself a bargain.


Love,
S

Lipstick Lovin'

Hey Ladies,

I am not one for carrying around a bazillion lip products in my bag because I simply do not use them! I am puzzled when I watch "What's In My Bag?" Youtube videos because every Youtuber has at least five products in there at any one time! There is nothing that annoys me more than stuff rolling around the bottom of my bag it is so disorganinsed, but that is a story for another day. The only time I bring a lipstick with me is when I want to look well polished or it is the key piece to my makeup look that day. I thought I would do a quick post on the lipsticks I go to most often and that end up snuggly warm in one of the assigned side pockets of my bag.

First up is MAC Lustre lipstick in Lovelorn. This is one of my newest lipsticks and it is quickly becoming my favourite so move over Up The Amp! As it is a lustre it is creamy and strongly pigmented so it last for ages and keeps my lips hydrated as I don't have to re-apply every hour! It is a very natural shade but in contrast to my pale skin it looks like a bubble gum pink which gives me a fun lip shade without being too much. I normally pair this with a dark smokey eye to give my eyes all the attention but leave my lips with some colour.

The next product that I regularly use is the Elf Matte Lip Color in Coral. I recently picked this up from the Faces Cosmetics stand in the Pavillions Swords after eye balling it for agggesss! I don't know what it was about this product but I just had to have it. The texture of the lipstick is completely matte so it is quite drying on the lips and the color is something I normally wouldn't go for. Alas, it always seems to be the one lipstick I grab when I am running out the door and I just want a hint of color. I usually use this sparingly as when the color is very opaque it does nothing for my skin tone and washes me out!

 

Last but certainly not least is Revlon Just Bitten LipStain + Balm in Frenzy. This is a nifty little lip product as it is a 2 in 1, apply the stain to clean lips and then apply the balm on top to keep lips soft and ensure the colour stays all day. This is my go to product for when I am wearing a very basic eye/face makeup look, it gives the look more of a polished and put together effect. The color I have chosen is quite dark, especially so in comparison to my pale skin tone so it gives me that "just bitten" colour!

I hope you enjoyed this post! We are back to a regular schedule :)
Love,
S

Blue Crush

Hey Ladies,
Here's a look I did the other day on myself. Since the Bubblegum photo shoot I have been experimenting a bit more with color and products that I never use such as this navy blue eye shadow from Mac. It's something different for me as I like to stick to my neutrals....maybe a bit too much. I will list all of the products used below!

Face
Foundation: MUFE- HD Foundation
Powder: Rimmel- Stay Matte Translucent Powder
Blush: Mac- Peachykeen
Contour: Mac- Harmony


Eyes
Base: Mac- Painterly Paint Pot
Shadows: Mac- Deep Truth, Ground Brown, Carbon
Highlight: Inglot- Matte White
Gel Liner: Mac- BlackTrack
Eyeliner: Urban Decay- 24/7 Liner Zero
Mascara: Maybelline- Falsies

Brows
Shadows: Mac- Ground Brown, Carbon

Lips
Mac- Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink

Love,
S

OCC Lip Tars

Hey Ladies, 

When I was in London last year I stopped by the OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) counter at IMATS. I've always wondered what the kerfuffle was about their Lip Tars. Usually you see people like Queen Of Blending and XSparkage on YouTube using them and saying they're amazing. So, I picked one up and thought I would do a little review. 

I only bought one Lip Tar because I just wanted to try it out, but since then I want them all! The quality of this product is amazing, let's start with the pros's. First of all you only need a tiny amount of product to get a great pay off and to cover your whole lips. Second of all it has like a minty scent, which is good in my opinion as you always have fresh breath.Third, there is an absolute ton of colours to pick from, they also leave a tiny amount of shine so no real need for a lip-gloss. Fourth? the last for absolute ages! 

The only con to this product is that it has such good staying power that it leaves you with a bit of a stain and your lips become slightly dryer. But in my opinion the pros's out weigh the cons so I think this is a great product. The Lip Tar that I have is in the colour Trollop, a fab hot pink. It only cost 6 pound for this which is an absolute steal and I think they had an offer on at that time which was 3 for 15 pounds! So, If you are at IMATS this year keep your eyes peeled and pick some up because you will not regret it. 

Love, 

S

De-Potting Lipsticks

Hey Ladies,
If you are a budding make-up artist student or do freelance artist this tip may be of great help to you. If like me you bring all your make-up to a job/shoot/class it gets very very heavy and you have a bazillion things in your bag. So, to cut down on some of the un-necessary packaging and to create less of a weight I have de-potted my lipsticks. I bought this little plastic palette from Muji and it only cost around 4euro. I keep two of these in my collection, one for MAC lipsticks and one for other lipsticks like Rimmel, Barry M etc.

 To depot your lipsticks you will need either a butter knife or a spatula, that has been disinfected. You will also need your container that has also been disinfected.

  Begin by cutting into the lipstick with the knife/spatula to remove the top. Once it has come away from the tube, drop the bullet into the container as you will need your spatula.

 Then, if you know MAC lipsticks they always have a load of product in the end of the tube that goes to waste if you don't know its there. So taking your spatula, dig the spatula down a side of the tube, then turn the spatula a little bit to the left to scoop out the product, it should just slide out. Then put it in the container with the rest of the bullet and smooth it down with the spatula.

 If there is any more lipstick left in the tube just scoop it out with your spatula.

 Then once that is done, take a label and write the name of the lipstick under neath the container so you know what it is. My sister is going to get me nice labels printed in work so I just use a piece of masking tape for now until the palette is full.

I find this tip really useful because your lipsticks are kept hygienically in a container that is easily transportable and super easy to clean. I am thinking about melting all of the lipsticks down so they don't move around, if I do I'll do a post on it!

Look out for an up coming post on what to do with those empty MAC containers.

Love,
S