I am months and months late to the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer game, but I got there in the end 🙂

 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer has reached the pinnacle of cult status in the beauty world. Hype hits me in strange ways, I either completely and utterly jump on board or I couldn’t be arsed. For this one, I didn’t jump on board at all.

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I went to a blogger event in House of Fraser a few weeks ago and they gave us a voucher to spend, and so spend I did! I finally caved and bought the concealer.

I have been using it consistently since I got it.

I picked up the shade Light Neutral.

urban decay naked skin concealer ireland

In hindsight, this shade is too dark for me personally (I’m NC20 in Mac), I can make it work, but I should have really gotten the first shade in the range. They just didn’t have it in stock and I didn’t want to wait.

So when I am using it, I use a translucent powder to set it, rather than a powder with any colour.

 

 

It has a light consistency, but the product itself is full coverage. You can’t dawdle too much around the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, it will set, so be careful!

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The applicator is a soft round tipped doe foot applicator, which makes applying the product really easy and pretty much fuss free.

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Although I have oily skin, I do get dryness under my eyes. The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer does have a drying formula, as it sets, but it doesn’t interfere with my skin texture. It doesn’t settle or it doesn’t crease, and it lasts really well throughout the day too. I haven’t had any issues with flakiness or extra dryness using it.

Here’s my under eye before application.

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I don’t suffer with a huge amount of darkness, I do have pigmentation and some redness too though.

I apply the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer straight from the applicator. The packaging has good suction, so you don’t get too much excess product on the doefoot.

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The Light Neutral shade does have a peachy tone to it as you can see above.

Day to day I’ll usually just use my foundation brush to blend my under eye concealer in.

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So here is my under eye after one application.

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You can see all any discolouration or pigment is gone. I usually add another small amount then on the inner part of my under eyes, just to be sure 🙂

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It has pretty awesome coverage and it doesn’t cake up if you layer it, which is brilliant too, considering it sets so quickly.

As the Light Neutral shade is a little dark for my complexion I don’t get any brightness from the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer which I do like from my under eye concealer, but that’s due to the colour matching, not the product itself.

I have to admit I can kind of see what the fuss is about with this product. I know the Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer is deemed a ‘dupe’ for the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, and I can get why. However, now having both I think the Naked Skin has a lot more pigment and is more blendable. Obviously I know the price difference is pretty huge though.

You can pick up the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer from House Of Fraser or from Debenhams in store or online here. It will set you back 22 euro.

Would you splurge? Have you already? Let me know 🙂

xxx

 

If you follow me on social media, you’ll know I went traipsing into Debenhams last week to pick up one of the new Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighters.

 

There are three colours to choose from in the new Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighters:irish beauty blogSin, which was the one I ended up getting, Aura which is a cool toned pink and Fireball a cool iridescent orange shade.

I managed to swatch all three on my arm here.

urban decay afterglow highlightersThe Urban Decay counter in Debenhams, Henry Street is always absolutely manic, it can be really hard to get and look properly at the products. I heard that this is one of the busiest Urban Decay counters in the world, I can well believe that 🙂

I really loved all three shades and if money was no issue, all three would have made it out the door with me, but alas I had to be sensible. And I was also sensible with my choice as I went with Sin in my opinion the most wearable of the three.

When you bring a product home, you have more time to inspect it and analyse it under normal lighting conditions and without distraction, so I thought I would do this in the form of a first impressions video.

Here I am swatching the product in my own environment for the first time and also testing it out on my face. I love watching these types of videos myself. Actually as I’m writing this I have the lovely ViviannaDoesMakeup on in as she applies some new beauty products in her collection 🙂

So just click on the play button on my mush to see how I got on with the Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in Sin.

It will set you back €28 and you can buy it from Debenhams here or House of Fraser also have an Urban Decay Counter.

xxx

 

I seem to be talking about Makeup Revolution alot lately. Not intentionally, I assure you, I just happened to pick up some bits from them and have been using them over the last while 🙂

 

This is the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette.

makeup revolution ultra contour palette

Budget brands are finally warming up to the idea of giving up all our contour and highlight needs under one lid. My first experience of powder contour palettes was a few years back when I picked up the Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit from Cult Beauty. I reviewed this so long ago here (the pictures are brutal, I apologise), but it’s still one of my most viewed posts to this day.

Makeup Revolution as a brand, for me can be hit or miss, but I think overall their Ultra Contour Palette, in my humble opinion is a hit! I have been reaching for it pretty much daily over the past couple of months.

In the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette, you get eight shades, and a large mirror which is always handy.

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On top:

You have a beige toned matte.

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A yellow toned matte.

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A sheeny beige highlight shade.

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And then a full on icy shimmery white baked highlight which didn’t take too kindly to me taking pictures of it some reason :p

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On the bottom:

A matte mid toned brown.

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A cool toned contour shade.

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A more warm matte brown.

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And finally a champagne shimmery baked highlight shade.

makeup and beauty blog irelandirish makeup and beauty websiteHere they all are together too.

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All of the powders are pigmented and soft to the touch.

They blend onto the skin easily and I have had no problem with lasting power either. I use the yellow tone under my eyes to help counteract darkness, and the beige toned matte powder over the top to neutralise the colour. This is a great shade for cleaning up your contour too, or just as a general all over setting powder. I use the cool toned brown shade in the middle to contour and then for me, the others brown colours are more for warming up my skin, although I actually tend to use these more on my eyes as eyeshadows. I love using the highlights in the palette as eyeshadows as well as using them for highlighting the face.

Overall, the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette gets a big thumbs up from me. I get so much use from it.

I got mine from Superdrug here in Dublin and it cost me €9.99, but you can also buy it online from the Makeup Revolution website here or from the Superdrug website here.

Now I just need to pick up the Nyx version to compare them 😛

xxx

 

Essence Cosmetics have hit the nail on the head with their launches for this Spring/Summer.

essence cosmetics irelandThey have touched on so many of the makeup trends happening at the minute, and done their own spin on them. And as we know, with Essence Cosmetics, that means for a fraction of the price.

This blog post is just showing you what Essence Cosmetics has to offer for Spring and Summer of this year. I didn’t swatch any of the products which I would normally do and you’ll see why at the end 🙂

First up we have The Velvets eyeshadows, Silky Touch Blush and the Blush Ball.

irish beauty blogirish beauty bloggerThese all come in an array of different shades.

irish beauty websiteirish makeup and beauty blogThe shades I have here are:

irish makeup and beauty bloggertop irish beauty blogThe Velvets eyeshadows cost €2.50

Velvet Touch Blush (not sure)

Blush Ball €3.80

Next up is some new concealing products.

top irish beauty bloggerWe have the All I Need Concealer Palette and the Soft Touch Mousse Concealer.

top irish beauty websiteThe palette costs €4.40

The concealer €3.80.

The Superfine Eyeliner Waterproof Pen.

irish beauty blog siteirish beauty blogger siteThis will set you back €3.50.

Some new lip products.

irishbeautyblogThe Glossy Kiss Lip Balms are €1.30

The Prettifying Lip Oils are €2.50.

I am in love with the Glossy Stick and the Velvet Stick Matt Lip Colour.

top irish beauty blogirish beauty blogger youtubeThese are available in 5 colours a piece and retail for €2.50. This Velvet Stick Matt one in particular took my fancy. It’s in the shade Plum Perfect. I used it in my affordable Get Ready With Me Video here only last week 🙂

Essence have lots of new nail goodies for Spring/Summer 2016 including some nail care products.

top irish beauty bloggersThese range from €2.30-€2.50.

And some new colours and finishes of their I Love Trends nail colours.

The Jellys and Metals cost €2.30

irish beauty youtuberThere are some new colours in the Gel Nail Polish line. I believe these cost under €2.

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There’s a Forbidden Volume Mascara and a Forbidden Volume Top Coat (which I am loving, may I add).

The mascara is priced at €3.80

The top cost is €3.50

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Essence Cosmetics have also added in some 2 in 1 eyeshadow and liner pencils to this collection. They come in a total of 6 shades both shimmery and matte.

makep and beauty websitemakeup and beauty blogThese will set you back 3.50.

 

 

And that’s all the products I have to show you. There’s is other products in the new range like a new eyeshadow base, different liquid liners, eyebrow gel, a contouring palette, fixing powder even a fixing spray. And from what I can see, nothing will cost you more than a fiver!

Onto the fun part. The reason I didn’t swatch the products here is because I wanted too give some away to you.

If you fancy winning these Essence goodies.

essence cosmetics irelandComment below. Let me know what kind of blog posts or Youtube videos are you favourite to read or watch. Also, make sure to be following me on any social media platforms you have.

Good luck 🙂

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First up, how pretty is the rose gold packaging on the new Flormar Triple Action Mascara?

Flormar Triple Action Mascara

I have to be pathetically honest, this would nearly push me to buy it…don’t tell anyone I said that 🙂

I very luckily got given the new Flormar Triple Action Mascara at the Irish Beauty Show this year. The Flormar stand was mobbed but I managed to squeeze myself in 🙂

top irish beauty bloggerThe mascara itself has an adjustable plastic wand, which is an interesting concept. In theory, you get three types of mascara in just one tube. The packaging itself is sturdy and easy to manoeuvre. The wand manipulates without too much persuasion. You just twist the top of the lid for your desired shape. According to Flormar it also contains Argan oil to help condition your lashes.

 

There are three settings.

Lengthening.

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This is the wand in it’s full capacity.

Here are my lashes before application with no curling.

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Then the Triple Action Mascara applied with the lengthening wand.

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The setting for the curling spooley is one twist away.

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You can see the shape of the wand has more of a twitsted centre.

Again, here are my natural (boring) lashes.

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Then the Flormar Triple Action mascara applied with the curling wand.

makeup and beauty blog irelandYou can see there is a slight difference in how the different spooleys deposit the mascara. The left is the lengthening and the right is the curling.

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And the final twist on the top will give you the volume wand. The wand is twisted completely now.

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Here are lashes with no product on them.

 

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And here is the Flormar Triple Action Mascara applied with the voluminous adding wand.

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I am a die hard waterproof mascara junkie. I have straight and not very long lashes.

For me the Flormar Triple Action Mascara is ok. If I curl my lashes it’s good. It has a wet formula, so you can build up the layers and it doesn’t clump too much. It didn’t flake on me either which is another plus. The changeable wand is a novel idea, and does change the way the mascara applies to your lashes. I think my favourite version of the wand is the lengthening, that gave me the most oomph.

Have you tried it? I’d love to know what you think.

The Flormar Triple Action Mascara can be found in all of the Flormar stockists around the country and you. If you head to their website here, it should have a list of stockists. It will set you back €9.95.

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked up the Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder a couple of months back now.

Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder

Catrice, as you probably know if you read Beautynook alot is one of my favourite super affordable brands, so I am always stalking the stands in Penneys and my local chemists for the new releases.

The High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder in 010 Light Infusion is one of them.

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This is one of the prettiest more affordable highlighters I have ever tried.

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It’s a baked powder and Catrice say it is ‘Infused minerals and fine light-reflecting pearls for a luminous look’

To me, it’s a pearl coloured highlighter, but I think it depends on your skin tone how pearl toned it appears. On my pale skin it has more of a coolness to it, kind of similar to theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer which I have a review of here, but just more on the subtle side.

If you look close there is definitely a sparkle to the Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder, but it’s not chunky or unflattering.

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As this is a baked product, the texture is powdery when applied with a brush, but if you apply with your fingers it is soft to the touch, so don’t let the fall out deter you. When I apply it to my cheekbones, I normally use my fingers to press it into the skin.

You can always dampen your brush too or use a sticky base underneath to give the product more opaqueness. Here it is applied with a dampened brush on the left versus to dry on the right.

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For me, I like that it has more of a subtle glow to it, I already have full on highlighters in my collection like Mary-Lou and Becca’s Champagne Pop (review here).

 

Overall, I am a big fan of the Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder. I think it would work on many different skin tones. It’s gorgeous as a standard highlighting on the high points of the face, as an eyeshadow and an inner corner highlight too!

The fact that Catrice gave this one a name ‘Light Infusion’ would lead me to believe there may be more colours released in the future 🙂

You should be able to pick it up from any good Catrice stockist, including Penneys. I can’t find a stockist selling it online, but if you head to Pointy, they will give you in-store sellers around the country.

The Catrice High Glow Mineral Highlighting Powder will set you back €5.50 for 8 grams of product.

xxx