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Nars All Day Luminous Weightless FoundationAm I right in saying the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation has had a bit of a moment since it’s release? Some may say blogging is dead, but I 100% wanted to try this foundation because of all the hype online.

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Now I will say I have seen some not so great things said about it. But sure balance is key in this industry and not everything can work for everyone (generally). We’re all different, looking for different things and different results. It’s one thing I love about this beauty world.beauty blog ireland

I picked up the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation when ASOS were having a 20% off everything sale. I had gone in to buy it a couple of times in Brown Thomas, but they never have my shade. It’s also important to note too, Nars counters never give out samples, which I think is a load of baloney! But sure didn’t I buy it anyways 🙂

So what do Nars say about this foundation? They say it has:

‘Liquid texture.
Luminous finish.
Fade resistant for up to 16 hours.
Available in 33 shades’.

 

I colour matched myself to the shade ‘Mont Blanc’. And it’s a pretty perfect match.

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My thoughts on the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation are kind of contradictory if I’m being completely honest. I love the packaging, it’s very sleek. I love the formula. In my humble opinion it’s has really good coverage, but not oh shit, I’ve just put plaster all over my face, good coverage. Although you can definitely build it up.

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I wouldn’t call it ‘luminous’, although it’s not flat on the skin. There’s definitely a bit of a satin sheen to it. It blends like an absolute dream. And when I first apply it, I could probably say it’s one of my favourite foundations ever. The term ‘weightless’, I can 100% get on board with though!  However, there is a ginormous but! Saying it’s a fade resistant for 16 hours foundation in my very humble opinion is just plain madness. I did google other opinions on it because obviously I would have more oilier skin, and people with combination and even drier skin types were of the same opinion. It just doesn’t last. On me, it starts to break down after probably the second hour. Considering I use two primers, powder and setting spray, its just not cool! Where I’m more combo, it lasts a little better. But still, at the end of a day wearing the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I look super greasy.

Here it is in action in video form:

I want to love this foundation with all of my heart. Dramatic much Gemma? I love the finish, the application and the coverage. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t last the test of time for me, even with all the makeup accoutrements 🙁 In all honesty I probably went for the wrong Nars Foundation. I should have went for the All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. Lesson learned!

Have you tried it yet? I would love to know your thoughts on it.

xxx

mac eyeshadow collectionI have been slowly re-adding to my Mac eyeshadow collection ever since they brought the price of the single pans down to €7. For a long while I had just stopped buying them and even gave a host of them away. As other brands came onto the market like Makeup Geek or even now Penneys that do great single pans, buying exclusively Mac just wasn’t necessary.

mac eyeshadow collection

As the price is a bit more affordable and Mac is a more readily available for us too with Brown Thomas, Arnotts and even ASOS selling it now. Although, ASOS don’t sell just the pans. I’ve been using it as an excuse to buy up some of the colours I’ve always wanted to try buy just never got around to over my makeup loving years. And some old favourites. I’m not really buying basics as in transition shades or anything, just shades that take my fancy, although that may change. Never say never 🙂mas cosmetics eyeshadow

My Mac eyeshadow collection is way smaller than it used to be, but I thought this might be helpful, just in case, like me, there’s certain shades you want to try. I can update it as I pick up more, and be sure to leave me suggestions in the comments below of other cool single pans to pick up.

I feel like I’m starting again with my collection and it feels good, I won’t lie.

Nine pans are all that adorn my new pro palette at the minute, but they’re very nice pans, and I’m happy with them all 🙂

mac cosmetics eyeshadow pans

From left to right we have:

Naked Lunch, a frosted pale, nearly the same colour as my skin tone kinda shade.

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All That Glitters is another pale frost with a bit more of a peach tone.

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 Satin Taupe is exactly what it say on the tin.

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beauty blog ireland
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 Woodwinked is a warm brown metallic shade.

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 Amber Lights is a warm copper with a frosty finish.

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Coppering is a warm copper with a frost finish.

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 Vex is completely new to me, I’ve never owned it before. It’s a pale frost with like a pewter shift to it and I just thought it looked interesting.

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 Club is one of my favourite Mac eyeshadows. It has a duo chrome finish and looks different with how you apply it. It shifts brown and green.

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 Lastly we have Cranberry. It’s a warm frosted cranberry shade.

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mac eyeshadow swatches
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Here’s some of them in action on my eyeballs really simply.

 

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And that’s it for now! I’ll be sure to update the list as I shop 🙂

xxx

What’s seldom is wonderful. I am back with a fashion haul. It’s been a while I know. But I’m brutal at them though ha!

fashion haul

I love clothes, I just don’t love my body. So it’s really hard to put it on show online. That means a fashion haul for me is more just showing clothes to the camera and trying to describe them. Maybe one day I’ll be comfortable enough for the fancy cutaways showing the clothing on. For now, I hope this method is ok.

fashion haul

I chat in abundance about what I bought and why I bought it in the video above or here. And then I will put pics and links down below of everything I can.

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I think everything I bought from ASOS, Zara and River Island altogether cost just over €200. For the amount of things I picked up online, I think that’s a pretty good price!

My Zara fashion haul is first!

Striped giraffe shirt which I’m wearing in the video.

zara haul

zara summer fashion

This is available online here.

Buttoned linen dress.

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Available here.

Paper bag bermuda shorts.

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Available here.

High rise jeggings with taping.

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Available here.

Next up is ASOS. I only picked up two things from them.

First up is these fringed sliders from a brand called Kaltur.

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I actually wore these the other day and I did end up with blisters on the tops of my feet. Just something to note. They are available here.

ASOS own brand ruffle wrap lip top.

asos shopping

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Available online here.

Last but not least in my fashion haul are the bits I picked up from the River Island sale.

Black stipe puff sleeve wrap over blouse. I think my fave item from what I got.

online fashion shopping

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Was still available when I was writing this online here.

Next up is this lemon cut out blouse.

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top irish beauty blog

Available here.

The dud of the haul is probably this pom pom t shirt, just because I sized up and it was already an over sized item.

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beauty blogger ireland

Available here.

And then finally the second pair of shoes I picked up were these backless loafers.

river island

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And that’s it for my birthday money fashion haul. Let me know what you think and I promise I will try with the try on cutaways some time in my blogging future 🙂

xxx

summer fashion shoppingMy fashion wish list for Summer definitely has a theme. I’m still on the bardot bandwagon, I want light materials, bright colours and all the runners going. I’ve never been more happy to be able to wear trainers again and for it to be accepted. And let’s face it bloody cool!

 

I will admit it and say I don’t think my sense of style reflects my age in any way. I am nearly 33 (in June), but I have regressed to dressing like my 15 year old self and I am completely ok with it. I’m curvy with big boobs and big hips. I am also super conscious of my tummy area and I HATE the tops of my arms. These are all factors I take into consideration when I go clothes shopping.

summer fashion shopping

I actually really love fashion and it’s something I’ve always been interested in it, I’ve just never always felt worthy of it. I have gotten a little better in my 30’s though and do try to go out of my comfort zone even if it’s just with accessories. Fashion is there to be played with I think, just like makeup and my goal is to try a little more with it. However at the same time, I’m broke so when it comes to shopping, I try to think about every purchase even if I’m just dropping into Penneys for a look, I want to be able to utilise everything I purchase.

This is definitely an achievable fashion wish list, with a couple of accessories thrown in with hopes of them being added to my birthday list too 🙂

First up I really want a flattering midi bardot dress. ASOS have a plethora to choose from, from ASOS own and other brands too. The style is definitely staying around for Summer 2018. I am loving this little number in particular from River Island.

fashion summer wish list

fashion summer blog post

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I am a casual girl at heart, so t shirts are definitely a staple in my Summer wardrobe. A cool slogan gets me every time. They’re great for throwing on with jeans, shorts and skirts a like.

I am a sucker for all the 90’s throwback ones like this Fila one from Urban Outfitters.

90s fashion blog post

Co-ords are another thing I need more of in life. I am imagining a Pretty Woman moment in a shorts and blazer combo, like this one from ASOS. Love the pastel pink shade.

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I am already a Old Skool Vans wearer. They take some breaking in, but once you do that, they will be the comfiest shoes you’ll ever own. I am all over their sorbet colour offerings, particularly the mint ones. JD have a bucket load of fun ones to choose from.

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These will make it from my fashion wish list to my actual wardrobe somewhere in the very near future.

Sunglasses are a real obsession for me, particularly Ray-Bans. I wear my Clubmasters to death, so I think 2018 may be the year I splurge on a new pair. I have my eye (get it? 🙂 ) on these mirrored ones from ASOS. I don’t know if I’m cool enough to pull them off though.

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A birthday fashion wish list item is this Coach Parker Quilted Bag.

top beauty blogger irelandsummer fashion top picks

This has popped up on my Instagram ads (they obviously work), a few times. I like that it’s multi coloured, I like that the chain is black and I like that it’s a shoulder bag. I am a bit of a brat when it comes to carrying a handbag. At nearly €600 though, I would have to see it in the flesh and hold it before I’d make a decision. A girl can dream 🙂

I could go on, but we’ll be here all day. What’s on your fashion Summer wish list?

xxx

 

irish beauty siteI did my beauty favourites for 2017 in video form here not too long ago, if you fancy a beauty hit. There was non beauty related bits and bobs that I wanted to give a shout out to though aswell. So here I am writing a blogpost all about them 🙂

 

I actually scrolled through my Instagram feed for inspiration for this. I adore the beauty world, but I do have other interests too. I’m not always comfortable talking fashion for all to see. I’m not particularly comfortable within myself. But I love fashion too. Now I don’t mean keeping up with all trends or buying all the latest designer releases, (maybe one day). I mean just putting outfits together, making myself feel a bit better when I look in the mirror. My lovely friend Lorraine of the awesome blog (John It’s Only Makeup) gave me a bit of a boost and told me I should start doing ootd’s (Outfit Of The Day’s) on Instagram. I’ve done a few over the past couple of months.

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These boots are definitely on my non beauty favourite list. Now I will say these are not the best quality over the knee boot out there and won’t last the test of time. But, they fit over my larger calves, have a bit of a heel, are comfortable to walk and stand in and they were a bloody bargain!

irish beauty bloggerI actually picked them up my mistake. Sinéad from The Beautiful Truth was chatting about a similar pair she got from New Look, so I went on to have a look and thought these were them. They aren’t, but they were on sale for €29.99 here, originally €59.99. From a quality point of view, they aren’t worth the original price. But on sale, they are!

Another shoe favourite is from a different spectrum. I picked these up simply because they are sparkly.

non beauty favouritesI got a lot questions about these on social media. They’re from Penneys and they were €7 just before Christmas. I’ve literally worn them everyday since I picked them up and they’re lasting well. They have a rubber sole too which is handy if you need to pop out the bins or something like that. Looking at them makes me smile 🙂

Next up is another Penneys buy. I only picked this sweatshirt up for €10 a few weeks ago, so it’s probably still there.

non beauty favouritesI’ve been just using it for loungewear ( I have it on as I type). It’s so comfy, washes really well and sure it makes you a fully fledged unicorn trainer.

I have been a bit obsessed with buying costume jewellery on eBay. Specifically earrings.

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They take an age to come and there is definitely hits and misses. But when something comes that you actually like and it only cost a couple of euro, you feel pretty damn smug. I always use PayPal and order from reputable sellers. I also never spend a alot.

Another jewellery fave has been this Casio watch John kindly bought me for Christmas.

beauty blogger irelandI did choose it myself from Asos. I like a more masculine watch.

top irish beauty bloggerI also thought the rusty rose gold colouring was a little different to what I’ve had before, so I was just drawn to it. A watch to me is more an accessory than a necessity. And I think this fits my style quite nicely.

My last favourite is wine. Now if you know me, you’ll know this is a very new scenario.

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For a long time, I was a vodka and diet 7up kinda gal. It’s all I drank. Since John has gotten really into the Irish craft beer scene though, I’ve become a little bit more adventurous. I’ve realised I actually like the taste of gin. It has become my tipple of choice. I’ve also acquired a taste for Prosecco. And now I am dipping my toe into wine. Just a little bit and only white or Rosé. My palette isn’t distinguished enough for red. But I find myself trying to do a little research and think more about it and I’m quite enjoying it.

And that’s it! There’s some of my non beauty related favourites of the minute. Let me know what you think.
Gemma
xxx

This is my very first Black Friday Deals blog post, so I am really hoping it ends up being helpful to people 🙂 I did my pick of Advent Calendars here for this year and it went down really well.Black Friday Deals I always declare, but just to be extra transparent, I do use affiliate links. This doesn’t mean you pay anymore as a consumer. It just means if you buy anything through the links I share I make a really small commission. And it all goes back into buying makeup so I can keep writing (and filming) for Beautynook.

So, now that’s out of the way, let us get onto the Black Friday Deals for this year. I’ll list what I can, as early as I can. And then, if I spot anything else worth sharing, I will update this post throughout as things change. Some codes may only work on Friday.

These are places that I have bought from before myself and are tried, tested and generally sell awesome products. In my humble opinion of course 🙂
  • ASOS have 20% off their website with the code WIN20 here.
  • Look Fantastic have 15% off with UNLOCK (exclusions apply) on their website here.
  • Feel Unique have  on their website here.
  • Cult Beauty have 15% off orders over £20 with the code 15BLACK and 20% off ordered over £200 with the code 20BLACK here.
  • Boohoo have 30% off their website with code GOGOGO here.
  • Beauty Bay have 30% off more or less everything on their website here.
  • Debenhams have 10% off all beauty including their gift sets on their website here.
  • Superdrug are doing to half price savings on their website here.
  • Boots are doing up to half price savings on their website here.
  • Missguided have dresses from £8 on their website here.
  • Littlewoods have up to 30% off on their website here.
  • Joanie Clothing have 30% off all full priced items on their website here.
  • River Island have 20% off full priced item (minimum spend £75 on their website here.
  • Pretty Little Thing have 30% off everything with code ITSON on their website here.
  • Cloud10beauty have 20% with BLACK20 on their website here.
  • Glitz n Pieces have 20% off site wide with the code BLACKFRIDAY here.
  • House of Fraser have 10% off all beauty site wide and up to 40% off everything else here.
  • Office have 20% off site wide with the code SHINE here.
  • Arnotts have 20% off ‘almost everything’ here.
  • Brown Thomas also have 20% off ‘almost everything’ here.
  • Nasty Gal are doing a whopping 50% off everything with the code GIMME50 here.
  • Lifestyle Sports have 15% off with the code EARLYBIRD here.
  • Topshop have up to 50% off and free shipping worldwide here.
  • Selfridges have 20% off gifts and 10% off beauty and fragrance with the code SELFCCE here.
  • Public Desire are doing 20% off everything with the code CYBERBAE here.
  • Harvey Nichols have….on their site here.
  • Zoeva Cosmetics have 20% site wide using the code ZFS2017 here.
  • The Body Shop have 30% in store on Friday.
  • The Body Shop (UK site) has 40% off hundreds of items here.
  • TRND Beauty have 20% off site wide from midnight on the 22nd until midnight on Friday the 24th here.
  • Carraig Donn have 20% off site wide all week here.
  • Elf Cosmetics (UK) have 50% off site wide on orders over £30 with the code CELEBRATE here.
  • Nike have 25% off site wide with the code EPIC25 here.
  • Blank Canvas Cosmetics have 20% off everything with BLACK20 here.
  • Schuh have up to 40% in store and online here.
  • Only have 25% off all full priced items in store and online here.
  • Inglot have 25% off their Signature Collection in store and online here.
  • New Look have 25% off everything in store and online here.
  • Stila UK have 20% off site wide with the code FRIDAY17 here.
  • Missoma jewellery have 25% off their entire site with the code BF25 here.
  • Deciem (The Ordinary, Niod skincare etc) are doing skincare bundles that are heavily discounted here.
  • Robes4You have 10% off everything with the code BLKFRIDAY here.
  • Platinum Hair Extensions have 10% off everything with the code BLACKFRIDAY17 site wide here.
  • Pestle & Mortar have 20% off everything in stock online here.
  • Emma Hardie have 25% off everything online with the code BF25 from Friday here.
  • Zara have up to 50% off online here.
  • Sigma Beauty have 30% off site wide and free worldwide shipping here.

black friday dealsLet me live vicariously through you and let me know what you pick up 🙂

Gemma.

xxx