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If you hadn’t seen all over my Instagram at the time, I went to Budapest a few weeks ago with the lovely sisters known online as @itscherrysue and @stonetravel Corrina is the absolute QUEEN of travel and had gotten this awesome weekend in Budapest for €200 including flights, accommodation and transfers. Not bad at all, right? So, you bet your ass, I jumped in on their little getaway and sure I even managed to fit a little travel vlog in while we were there 🙂

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I’ve done a couple of travel vlogs now. There’s one of Brussels here and Malta here. I still find it weird to pull out the camera on people and myself so just be aware of that. There is a lot of musical montage going on 🙂

We stayed in the Burg Hotel. It was pretty old fashioned, but it was clean and super cheap. It was easily accessible too and the view was lovely! As bad hotels go, I would recommend it for sure. We did a city tour bus and got to see a lot of the amazing architecture that way. It also meant we got a free trip on the Danube too, which was absolutely gorgeous and well worth doing.

budapest travel vlog

We ate some super tasty Japanese food the first day we were there. And then we sampled some of the local cuisine before we went home. You can see that in full in the travel vlog. I have to be honest, I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Hungarian cuisine.

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We had a pretty chilled weekend to be fair. Had a drink or two, soaked in the views.

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And finished things off with a trip to the House Of Terror Museum. If you want to know the history of Budapest, it’s a must! The Baths were on the agenda, but as I explain in the vlog, it just wasn’t meant to be. Next time for sure!

travel vlog budapest

Thanks to the girls for letting me tag along on their trip, I appreciate it no end! Let me know what you think of the travel vlog. I’m a beauty blogger at heart, but it’s nice to mix it up every now and again.

Gemma

xxx

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The new L’Oréal Cherry My Cheri landed on my doorstep as a PR gift a couple of weeks ago now. The theme as you would guess from the name is cherry hued shades. On first glance, the colours are so in. And they seem to tick every box from light, neutral, transitional, lid and dark shades. It would be a colour palette you could definitely take with you on a weekend away and have lots of matte, satin and shimmer options.

L'Oréal Cherry My Cheri PaletteL'Oréal Cherry My Cheri Palettebeauty blog ireland

There is 16 shades to choose from in the L’Oréal Cherry My Cherie Eyeshadow Palette. To the touch, they feel soft and pigmented. The shades do have a subtle fruity scent to them. But actually it’s not too intense at all, although it is used as a marketing tool by L’Oréal. If you lift the plastic off the back above, it shows you the shade names and what kind of finish it is.

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Calling it a mega eyeshadow palette is a bit much in my personal opinion, yes the pans are pretty decently sized, but it you can hold it in one hand. I think the packaging looks really similar to the NYX Ultimate Palettes.beauty blogger ireland

Here are all the shades swatched from left to right, from top to bottom. As always I just used my fingers.

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The colours all swatched pretty vibrantly, and there wasn’t too much fall out or mess. Obviously, it’s applying them on the eyes that really counts, so I did do a quick little eyeshadow look too, showing you some of the shadows in action.

My two cents on the L’Oréal Cherry My Cheri Palette? I think its pretty expensive for a ‘drugstore palette’. It comes in at nearly 20 quid in most places, including Boots. Although I did find it on sale from Littlewoods here. Yes, the shades do swatch nicely and you can lay them down on the eyes pretty well. However, when you start to blend, that’s when things go a bit pear shaped. You’ll see in the video I had to reapply the lid colour a couple of times. As I tried to blend out a matte shade in the crease, I completely blended away the lid shade. And the matte shade if I’m being totally honest This, for me is where the problems lie. Also I tried to use the darker shade as liner and the opacity just wasn’t there at all. I needed some setting spray to make it work. It wasn’t needed to just bump up the colour a bit, it was necessary. I just find the palette hard work!

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Have you picked up the L’Oréal Cherry My Cheri Palette? I’d love to know your thoughts on it?

xxx

*********PR SAMPLE***********

Urban Decay released the rest of their Gwen Stefani collaboration goodies last week! The lipsticks,lipliners and the brow kit look beautiful…that packaging though? I only caved slightly and bought the blush palette.

Urban Decay Ireland

I got the eyeshadow palette when it was first released and I am so happy to have it in my Urban Decay collection. Have I ever told you, I kind of sort of collect Urban Decay palettes? 🙂 You can see the eyeshadow palette up close here if you are undecided about picking it up and want to see it in more detail.

I’m talking all things blush in this Urban Decay Gwen Stefani post though. Here she is in all her glory.

Gwen Stefani blush swatches

I am in love with the packaging, it’s sturdy, stylish and compliments the eyeshadow palette, which makes me very happy not going to lie, I love a good theme ha!

You get six shades of blush in the palette. They each contain 2.8 grams of product.

The colour range and finish is varied and as you would expect from Urban Decay they are pigmented and very smooth.

Here they are swatched on my arm for reference:

This is ‘Cherry’

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This is ‘Easy’

irish makeup and beauty blogbeauty blogger irelandThis is ‘Angel’

irish beauty bloggermakeup and beauty blogger irelandThis is ‘Lo-Fi’

irish makeup and beauty bloggerirish beauty blogThis is ‘Hush’

irishbeautyblogtop irish beauty bloggerThis is ‘OC’

beauty blog irelandurban decay irelandOverall, I personally really like the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette. I think I would be more inclined to call it a face palette though. ‘Angel’ for example is more of a highlight shade than a blush. I would probably mix this in with other shades to change the colour or add shimmer to them. Also, ‘Lo-Fi’ to me is more of a warm bronzer shade. I think the other four colours ‘Cherry’,’Easy’ ‘Hush’ and ‘OC’ are really lovely blush shades and I will get plenty of use out of them day to day.

I don’t think this a definite go out and buy it release, but I think if you do pick it up you’ll be happy to have it in your collection. Also, they’ve made it limited edition which always makes us a bit more obsessed, right? Clever marketers 🙂

The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette will set you back €42 and you can buy it from Debenhams in store or online here and House of Fraser.

Let me know your thoughts?

xxx

 

I already delved into all the skincare goodies I’m bringing for our Christmas trip away here I thought it was only natural to show what will make it into my holiday makeup bag. I say a bag, lets be honest I’m bringing a couple of bags I’m not gonna lie 🙂

My makeup bag is definitely overflowing, but as I said in skincare post I like to be prepared!

First up is eye products.

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I’m bringing 3 palettes, excessive I know, don’t judge, one of the zpalettes does contain my Inglot blushes though and a yellow under eye setting powder so it’s kind of ok, right? 🙂

irish beauty blog beautynookI’m bringing the new Urban Decay Gwen Palette which I have swatches of here I bloomin’ love this palette and don’t want to be without. Also some Makeup Geek shadows in a zpalette and then the palette of a few Inglot shadows and some blushes.

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Eye primer is essential in my world so I have a mini Urban Decay Primer Potion being added to my makeup bag. Then, in case I’m feeling posh I’m going to pack the Charlotte Tilbury cream shadow in Bette, I have a full review of this here. Rather than a black gel liner I have been loving using a dark grey one at the minute so I’m bringing my Inglot matte gel liner in 78. Then two kohl pencils. A grey L’Oreal one and a brown one from Rimmel.

beauty blog beautynookThe rest of my eye goodies consist of lashes, my fave individuals from Penneys, a pair of Amazing Shine lashes that I love, you can now buy these in Mr Price which is really handy. Then some Duo glue to apply them, an eyelash curler from Shu Uemura and finally some Catrice Glamour Doll Waterproof mascara, I have a full review of this here I love it 🙂

For the face, of course I am going to bring a few options because I am very fickle, and like to change my mind…alot. Also I think you need day time options and night time options too.

irish makeup and beauty blogThe Botanice Radiance Balm is coming. I have a review of this here The primer I have been using for the last while is the Wet n Wild Coverall. I really like it for my oily skin. I have the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in a shade darker in case I get a little bit of colour, I can mix it with my tried and tested Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude foundation (review here) and a tester of the Makeup For Ever Ultra HD which I really like too. I’m also bringing the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot which is such a weird product. It’s a cream blotting stick and it bloody works!

irish beauty and makeup blogMy concealer choices for the week are my beloved Mac Full Coverage foundation. I love using this as a concealer. Then, my favourite under eye concealers of the moment (again another full review here 🙂 The Flormar Perfect Coverage and the Catrice Liquid Camouflage.

irish beauty blog beautynookirish blog beautynookPowders consist of four faves…yep four I have problems ha! I have Nars Laguna in this really cool palette (it’s called Tahiti) and it comes with a mini Ita brush! Then the Chanel Vitalumiere Powder Foundation, sorry for dropping all of the links but I reviewed this too . the cult classic Champagne Pop from Becca is coming, I have this reviewed too here .The last one on the right then is to bring with me for touch ups, it’s the Mac Studio Fix Powder.

beautyblogbeauty bloggerFor contouring (and cream highlighting) I have a couple of old reliables. The Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium (yep review here 🙂 and the Smashbox contour and highlight sticks (demo here 🙂

irish blogger beautynookBrow products consist of the Soap & Glory Archery Pencil, then three Billion Dollar Brow products, you can buy these from Boots. I have their brow brush, brow powder and brow gel.

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I have a full colour spectrum of lip choices to choose from going into my makeup bag. A red from Tom Ford called Cherry Lush, a Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Ping Pong, Essence liquid lipstick in Show Off (review here) and then one of the Rimmel The Only One Lipsticks in Naughty Nude (I have a load of these swatched here) A couple of lip liners join the crew too. Rimmel Eastend Snob and Mac Whirl.

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To apply all the slap some brushes are essential, right? I have the Nima Brush Girls On Tour travel set, I’m so excited to use these beauties, you can see them up closer here. I have a mini Mac 217, a random mini flat Nars brush and a big Powder n Pout P230 which I have yet to try so the hollier will be a good test. I think these will keep me going for the week, right?

 

That’s all the makeup that will make it into my suitcase. I’m definitely an overpacker I know, a couple of makeup bags will be needed.

If you want to have a nose at what I get up to, be sure to follow me on Snapchat. I love snapping. My username over their is ‘Beautynook’.

As always thank you so so much for reading 🙂

xxx


 How about a long wearing matte cherry red lip choice for under a fiver?

I have here the Penneys (or Primark) red lip liner in number 05.

Penney's PS Love Lip Liner

Penneys do 4 shades in these P.S Love lip liners. I own them all and think they’re really great great for the price. They are pigmented, easy too apply and the won’t drag the bejesus outta your lips. Using a liner under your lipstick means you can even out your lip line, over draw slightly if you want and it will help any lip product you add on top last longer.

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05 is a true red colour, so of course you could easily get away with this on it’s own and it will only set you back €1.50. #bargain 🙂

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I wanted to pink it up a little, so I added ‘Cherry Picking’ by Wet n Wild into the mix.

Wet n Wild Megalast Cherry Pickingirish beauty blog beautynook

I adore these Wet n Wild Megalast matte lippies. I swatched and reviewed a whole slew of them here, including ‘Cherry Picking’. They cost €2.49 a pop, which is really brilliant value. They come in so many colours too, so there’s plenty to choose from. Wet n Wild is really handy to get hold of now in Ireland, with Penneys and so many pharmacies stocking the brand nationwide.

 

‘Cherry Picking’ is a red toned pink. And again this is a gorgeous shade all by itself.

You can see it here swatched beside the lip liner, it’s on the right hand side.

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When these are added together, I think they give the most beautiful pinky red shade, that would flatter so many skin shades.  Cherry Picking although matte like the liner, it has a more comfortable formula. I am loving this combo and I think it will definitely be a go to for me over the Christmas period 🙂

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I love a true red lip, it is so timeless and can dress up any look, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up even a little.

And the best news, both of these lip products together will cost you €3.99. None of us can argue with that can we?

Let me know what you think?

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a really random post, but I just wanted to spread the word in case you haven’t seen them yet. Glamour are giving away Clinique goodies with their December issue. You can get a mascara, a moisturiser or one of two lip colour choices.

I wouldn’t be one to usually buy into this stuff, but I have been eyeing up the Clinique Pop Lip Colours on the Brown Thomas website and was actually going to pick a couple of them up. You lovely ladies of Snapchat let me know they were giving mini samples away with Glamour though and I raced out and bought two copies as there is two shades up for grabs 🙂

I am so happy I did. The lipsticks themselves are a really good size, they won’t be running out after a couple of uses. The packaging itself is the same as the normal Pop lips just in a smaller size too which I really appreciate…it’s the little things 🙂

The two shades you can pick up with the magazine are ‘Nude Pop’.

Clinique Nude PopThis is a really lovely pink nude, with a little shimmer running through it.

irish beauty blogclinique nude pop swatchAnd there is also ‘Cherry Pop’.

Clinique Cherry PopThis is my favourite one out of the two. It is a pinky cherry red colour.

irish beauty bloggerclinique cherry pop swatch The formula of these Pop Lip Colours is really gorgeous too. They’re like a colour intense lip balm and are so comfortable on the lips. When the shine dies down, you are left with a nice stain which I really like.

Even if you don’t read the magazine, it’s worth picking up for these little gems. Here in Ireland Glamour will set you back just under €3.50. Considering the Pop Lip Colours are €19.50 a pop (see what I did there), ’tis not a bad deal!

xxx