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March Favourites 2014

Spring is finally here, we can all breath a sigh of relief and look forward to longer days with hopefully some sunshine woohoo ! So another month is gone which means it’s monthly favourites time in blog world. My March favourites are all beauty related this month, not on purpose I promise 🙂 So lets delve into the products I have been enjoying continuously through the month of March.

First up is not a very glamorous choice, but I honestly have not being able to get enough of it since getting it:

This is organic coconut oil, say what?! My good oul mammy was doing her usual ramble around the supermarket and she stumbled across this in the food aisle. You can use it for cooking or on your hair, I like to use it on my temperamental skin and I’m officially addicted. This big 500ml pot was about 6 or 7 quid and will last you a lifetime. When you open it the oil itself is solidified:

But when you scoop it out with your hand it instantly starts to melt into oil, that you can slather on and let it work it’s magic. It’s not something that dries instantly it does take a while to soak in but I think it’s worth it for how soft your skin feels after using it. When I have a bath I take a scoop and throw it in now aswell. Much better alternative to baby oil and it’s all natural baby 🙂

I use the coconut oil every second day. On the days I don’t moisture up with that I am using this:

The Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze. I am a pale Irish girl, I do not get a tan I get freckles, it’s depressing, this stuff helps keep the pale at bay though without me looking too weirdly bronzed on a normal day to day basis. It is basically a moisturiser with a hint of tan in it. The cream itself is brown, which I love because alot of the alternative brands are just white in colour and you can miss spots when applying, which does not look great when the tan develops.

It also has the well known Cocoa Brown cocoa smell which we all love, you do not end up smelling like biscuits in the morning which is brilliant. Overall a winner for me. In fairness, Marissa has yet to steer us wrong 🙂

Next up is some makeup loveliness:

This is the neutral Mac pre filled palette. Mac have released two fully filled palettes and I had to scoop up this cool toned one, the other one is more warm toned so is more suited to those with a darker complexion. I have used this practically everyday since I got it. I have always found it hard to justify buying their eyeshadows from a price point of view. I have a few stocked away in a z palette, and another quad but other than that I don’t own many (don’t worry I make up for it in with other brands 😛 ). So when these came out and were 75 euro, this was cheap in Mac world so we had to buy some. I really like this palette, I know its yet another neutral one but I don’t care, you can never have enough of them if your a makeup fiend 🙂 The colours are pigmented, easy to blend, and there’s a great selection for everyday use right up to a dark smoky eye for night time with matte and shimmery shades a-plenty. I think Brun and Black Tied are the only ones I’ve ever heard of before that are in the palette, the rest of the names aren’t familiar to me. Overall it’s a winner for though 🙂

So onto my next favourite of the month:

This is the Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock Gel Eye liner. That’s a bit of a mouthful! This stuff is something I stumbled across rummaging in Boots for new stuff to try out. It’s a gel liner in pen form:

You twist the bottom of the pen and the product comes through the diagonal rubber tip. I’ve never had anything like this before. My favourite black gel eye liner is still No77 from Inglot that I rave about here. I use this in my waterline and top lash line and I know it won’t budge. However, I really fail in the skills of mastering the feline flick, especially with a brush. This eyeliner has helped me alot (I am still no master). It comes out of the nib in a nice thin line and I love that the nib is diagonal as it helps with drawing the flick. You can just place the nib on the corner of your eye and press down and it draws it for you.

This helps me because I don’t add too much product, and it sweeps across the eye in one swift movement, helpful again because I don’t have to go back in and fix it too much, which I am prone to do and that’s where it can all go wrong 🙂 It doesn’t transfer onto the eyelid once dry and lasts all day. Overall a great product and you can buy it in Boots!

Another Boots/pharmacy product. My foundation of the month has definitely been the Rimmel Stay Matte:

This is a mousse/liquid foundation. I use the shade 100 Ivory and it’s a pretty good match for day to day for me. It is a matte finish foundation as the name would suggest and is medium to full coverage.

Buffed into the hand, you can see if evens out my skin colour.

Not more I can say about it. It’s cheap, has good coverage, good colour range and lasts well throughout the day. Thanks Anita for recommending it to me 🙂

I have more face stuff from Boots next, I must have spent the whole month there!

This was a really random purchase. I ran out of my Image skin cleanser and just needed something to keep me going until I got more. I was in Boots and this was on sale for, I think 4 euro. It is the Botanics cleansing foam wash. I am a Clarisonic addict, I use it everyday. My clarisonic is an ugly yellow because I got it on Amazon before you could get them in Ireland so couldn’t pick a pretty colour 🙁 It still does the job though.

It works best with a foaming cleanser so just threw this in my basket as back up. I am so glad I did, it’s soap free and really foams up. It gets rid of all my makeup including mascara and works really well with the Clarisonic. And is has a nice fresh subtle smell. Overall a great (and cheap) cleanser. I will finish the bottle for sure before purchasing another one.

My last favourite of March is ANOTHER face product that can be purchased in Boots! Well Boots in Liffey Valley shopping centre anyways:

This is the Sleek blush trio in Pink Lemonade.

Pink Mint Macaroon Icing Sugar

We love Sleek makeup here at Chatterbox. And I love this blush trio. They are so pigmented and easy to blend. Usually I don’t buy cream blush much because my oily skin drinks it up and it disappears very quickly from my cheeks. However from having this palette I’ve been using the Macaroon shade under the other two and it helps them last all day! I use my fingers to apply it lightly on my cheekbones and then I tend to mix the other shades Icing Sugar and Pink mint together on a blush brush for a nice pink glow. By all means they can be used alone though, that’s just how I like to wear them :). I will be buying more of these trios for sure in the future.

So there you go, my fab faves for the month of March.

Hope you enjoyed having a nose.

Happy Spring 🙂

Gemma

xxx

April 4, 2014/1 Comment/by Gem

Gem’s January Favourites 2014

So it’s a new year a new blogpost and my first of many monthly favourites (I hope) . With it being January a couple of my Christmas presents have made the cut this month along with a few other bits and pieces. So lets get started 🙂

First up is my favourite eyeshadow palette of the month. Why is it my favourite? Well its been pretty much all I’ve been using except when I am testing other products here and there. It’s definitely seen me through a few smoky eye looks when going out through January:

This is the Tom Ford 05 Silvered Topaz eyeshadow quad. I know I know ridiculously luxurious and overpriced (70 euro) in Brown Thomas but isn’t it pretty? And I can justify it since it was a gift….I suppose.

These eyeshadows are a dream to work with they are super blendable and super pigmented too, but in an understated way, the swatches above do not do them justice at all. If your ever in Brown Thomas with time on your hands, go to the Tom Ford counter and have a play, it’s worth it 🙂 The glittery one on the top is literally like putting a glitter pigment or liner on but with no fuss, glue and no fall out. I go medieval and just whack it on over my completed eye look with my finger, can’t fault it. If your a makeup fan I insist you get some Tom Ford in your collection, you won’t be disappointed.

Next on my list is the list is a much more purse friendly find from Wet n Wild. If you haven’t heard of this brand yet. It’ an American brand that have set up shop recently here in Ireland. They can be found in most Dunnes Stores throughout the country and stock some great affordable treats. This in particular has been my go to lippie for work this month to make me look less dead in the mornings, you can see it’s been well loved and I only have it a couple of weeks:

This lipstick cost me (I kid you not) 2.99Euro in Dunnes. It’s a gorgeous pigmented, creamy matte, mauvey pink that is easy to apply and lasts hours on the lips. Even when it fades you still have a hint of colour left over which I love this.

I can’t get enough of this lipstick and will be stocking up on more colours very soon. We are loving this brand at Chatterbox and I see more of their products on our blog in the future. If you are looking for a guilt free makeup shopping trip, check them out.

My skin favourite of the month is the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion:

I love this stuff! It smells like coconut with the hint of the known and loved Soap & Glory fragrance. You use it after showering while you skin is still damp. Kind of like the Nivea In Shower Moisturiser but you don’t rinse it off. I love this because you can still feel the moisturiser on your skin and it still smells intense as you are not washing any of it away.

It’s creamy and luxurious and I can’t get be without it now. I am going through this bottle very quickly indeed, I will be repurchasing for sure. I got this in the big Soap & Glory Bumper pack at Christmas, but you can buy it on it own from Boots for 14euro.

Next on the list is not a beauty product, but it is something you will have seen in many of myself and Anita’s posts in the month of January:

It is an amazing Diptyque candle. This is in the scent Mimosa which my boyfriend kindly bought me for Christmas because I wouldn’t stop rattling on about them. It is nearly like a bloggers right of passage to have them in your photos :). I first smelt this scent when I worked in the amazing Siopaella in Temple Bar. Ella used to have the roomspray with the same scent wafting about the shops. Diptyque is not cheap, this mini candle will set you back 24Euro in Brown Thomas or House of Fraser. The scent is described as “A journey of the senses, it recalls of the French Riviera where mimosas, brimming with the scent of hay and honey”. Can’t say I know much about that, but I know it smells yummy and I wish it came in a perfume. It is for sure a luxury product and we definitely burn them very carefully but even just leaving it on my vanity in my bedroom I can smell it when it is unlit, so it nearly doubles as an air freshener (nearly)!

My next favourite is another smelly item:

Elie Saab perfume. This is my second bottle, I ran out close to Christmas and restocked in the January sales because I couldn’t be without it. This is an unusual perfume and it’s not for everyone. My mother for example thinks its one of the worst things she has ever smelt. It is orangy,with hints of jasmine and honey. It’s quite a sharp smell when you spray it first, but if does die down on the skin. This is more of a musky fragrance so if you prefer a more flowery scent, steer clear of this. You can buy it in Debenhams and prices start from 51 euro for the eau de parfum.

I have a hair thing next on the agenda:

The V05 Plump it up. It is a dry backcomb spray, that helps…well plump it up. I am not the greatest with my hair. I have alot of it and its quite long so find it hard t0 manage. I spend an hour on my makeup going out for the night and then I leave myself 10 minutes to try sort my mane out. I usually just dry it and curl the ends. My hair is soft when first washed so backcombing can be a bit difficult but this stuff helps with that. You spray it in the roots and it gives them a bit more texture so you can backcomb and it lasts rather that just falling flat. It also doesn’t leave behind a greasy residue so I can usually get the next day out of my hair too before having to wash it. I bought this in Boots. On its own it is 4.59Euro, there’s usually some kind of deal on that you can get 3 for 2 or 2 for 7Euro on their stuff though so keep an eye out.

My next favourite is an old and trusted one that I have dipped in and out of using for many years:

The Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. I always have this in my makeup drawer and my hand bag for touch up emergencies. It is lightweight, translucent and gives very little coverage. Sometimes I prefer a no coverage powder if I am using a more full coverage foundation which I have been this month, hence I have been using this powder more or less everyday in January. This stuff is cheap too and easy to come by. Alot of pharmacies and shops stock Rimmel.It will set you back about 6 quid, not bad at all.

Second last on my list is my eyelash curlers. Boring I know, but I really really love my eyelash curlers 🙂 I have short, boring and very straight lashes so without them I would be lost:

I own the Shu uemura gold (and silver) curlers and I will admit that having used these and used cheap ones in the past I will say with investing more money in them you do get a better product that does the job very well and lasts much longer too. Shu uemura are a cult brand when it comes to their eyelash curlers and I can really see why. You can buy them in Brown Thomas at their counter for 20 euro, it’s worth it though I promise 🙂

Last on my list of lovelies is my fashion favourite of the month. This was my “main” pressie from the boyfriend that I knew I was getting and picked out myself and I am very glad I did:

I am the proud owner of the Michael Kors Selma in brown. I’ve had my eye on this bag for a while and I was kindly gifted it for Christmas. It can be bought in Brown Thomas, Harvey Nicholas or the Michael Kors Shop in Dundrum Shopping Centre, although when I was buying this I had to get in in Harvey Nicks, they didn’t have it in the flagship Michael Kors store, weird?!

I paid 390Euro for this, well he did :). It is the perfect sized bag for me. I am a bit of a child when it comes to carrying things, I hate lugging things around. This bag is big enough to fit all my “necessities” in without being overbearing and hard to manage. You can also hold it in the crook of your arm or it has a sturdy enough over the should strap that can be used when your arm needs a rest. I like the classic shape, colour and look to this bag too as I do find some of the Michael Kors stuff can be a bit too busy for my particular taste. It has plenty of storage inside with side pockets that fit your phone nicely and your lipstick,lip gloss,powder. you get the idea. And it does come in a multitude of different colours I just went with the brown to be a grown up.

The pockets mean your lovely bits n bobs don’t go missing in the bottom of your bag with all the lipsticks,lip glosses,powders that you put in last week but aren’t using at the minute 🙂 I love this bag overall, the leather is nice and sturdy and easy to maintain and it’s not too horrific of a price (like a Chanel 2.55…ahhh one day I will own you).

So this sums up my faves of the month of January, hope they have given a little bit of shopping inspiration if you’re that way inclined.

Thanks for reading and I hope that February has loads of lovely things in store for everyone.

Gemma

xxx

January 31, 2014/8 Comments/by Gem

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Polish Review

So let me start out by saying this stuff is not for the girls who like a nice clean, classic type of nail polish. This stuff is for us who like to be a bit more experimental when it comes to our talons. I introduce to you OPI’s offering of the chunky, glittery, almost sand like (hence the name) polishes. I own two shades of these. The blue is “Tiffany Case” and the purple “Can’t let go”.

To use you use you just put your base coat on as usual, then it takes about two layer of this stuff to make it opaque.

The above is a picture of one layer of “Tiffany Case” to the left and then two layers to the right it’s quite chunky in consistency but it’s easy enough to work with and not too gloopy which is good. It is pretty quick to dry so it is less time consuming than standard polish and you don’t need a top coat. The whole point of the polish is the gritty texture and it last pretty well without any help! I personally love the texture and I think it looks like 3D glitter on the nails and who doesn’t love a bit of glitter :).

The blue shade is definitely my favourite of the two, “Can’t let go” is more of a muted, darker colour with less shine to it, but it really is a personal preference

Polishes like this are great for us normal people who are not experts in the nail department but like to try our best to jazz up our fingers, it’s the little things, right? :). I buy my OPI polishes in Sally’s Salon Services.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and any questions or tips are greatly appreciated in the comments section below. We all love learning new things 🙂

Gemma

xxx

January 8, 2014/by Gem