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PS Liquid Metal Eyeshadow

The post I did for the Liquid Glitter Eyeshadows from Penneys aka Primark went down really well here on Beautynook. I came across the new new PS Liquid Metal Eyeshadow version a while ago, and thought they would be worthy of a post too. You makeup lovers love your bargain finds, as do I 🙂

Now don’t worry, I know these are a blatant rip off of the Stila offering. Unfortunately this is the norm in the beauty industry. But having said that, a shimmery liquid eyeshadow is a liquid shimmery liquid eyeshadow. And there has been plenty of them over the years.

Like the glitter version, there is four colours of the PS Liquid Metal Eyeshadow to choose from. They’re pretty similar colours too, there’s just no chunky glitter in them. They are in a 4.5ml plastic tubes with a doe foot applicator. And they will set you back €4 a piece. The name of them is pretty self explanatory. They are a shimmery/metal liquid eyeshadow.

The colour choices are not revolutionary, but they are all super wearable. Like the Liquid Glitter Eyeshadows, in my humble opinion, the darker colour choices seem to be a bit more opaque from the get go. I always bring it back to the price point for things like these though. For €4, I think they’re worth it and they work well enough.

The four colours available are:

Frosted, which is a light frosted cool toned pink.

Sub-zero, A frosted taupe.

Iced Mocha, a cool toned bronze.

And finally, Fire & Ice, a shimmery cranberry shade.

Here’s a couple in action on the eyes for you to get an idea.

The wear time on the PS Liquid Metal Eyeshadows, for me, is grand. If you don’t suffer from any oiliness on your lids, I think you’ll be safe enough using them on their own. They do take some time to dry down though. And the more you apply, the more blotchy they can become and the more you can feel them on your lids. So be careful if you’re looking for more opaqueness from them. I’ve had some flaking after applying a thicker layer of them too. In simpler terms, be prepared to work for your shimmer 🙂 I think I am going to enjoy them as cream bases for powder eyeshadow and for inner corner highlighting.

Have you tried any of the shades yet?

xxx

February 1, 2019/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup

Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow

So while I was in picking up the Huda Beauty The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette in Brown Thomas over Christmas. As I was perusing, I happened upon the brand new Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow (s).

I think they were only out a day or so at the time, so all the shades were available in the BT Beauty Lounge. I had a voucher (thanks bro!), so I didn’t mind forking out the 50 quid for two of the shades. They have a pretty hefty price tag at €25 a pop!

There is five Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow colour ways. But they are dual ended so there’s technically two shades within one of them.

So what are they? They are basically liquid eyeshadows, which I guess is an interesting concept. Especially for Huda Beauty considering how successful their liquid lipsticks are. On one end, you get a matte liquid formula with a doe foot applicator. And on the other end, there’s a melted metallic formula in a corresponding shade. I won’t lie, I was kinda intrigued and completely intimidated picking these up. But I’ve actually growing really fond of both shades that I have. There’s five to choose from in total.

I have Hot Sauce and Cherry Soda.

And Private Jet and Shimmering Sunset.

The liquid matte colours in both shades, apply really opaquely, but they give you some play time to blend, and they do blend out! You can add colour as you blend, or just go in full on and in both instances for me, I can blend out the colour relatively easily. I’ve been applying them on one lid at a time, with the doe foot applicator and then blending onto the lid with my finger, but switching to a brush for the crease. I find they last really well on their own which just primer underneath and set to a comfortable matte finish. I did use some brown shadow in the crease here just to add some depth.

Here’s Hot Sauce & Cherry Soda in action:

The melted matte formula, needs to be worked with more quickly as it does have a faster setting time. I’ve been using both, so far as just a glitter accent in the middle of the lid, or as actual metallic eyeliner. They apply fairly opaquely. This formula isn’t as comfortable when it sets, you can feel it on your eyes. It feels a bit tight once dry. Both of the metallics I own have glitter particles in them. The wear time on the metallic end isn’t as long as the matte. It does fade a little, and it can crack a tad, but after a few hours and not super noticeably. I would be wary if you have textured eyelids though.

Here’s Private Jet and Shimmering Sunset in action:

Overall, I have to say I am a fan of the Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow. I think they are fairly pricey and I think I like the matte shades a bit more than the glitters, but I am having fun putting them to use for sure. Have you tried them yet?

January 9, 2019/by Gem

Makeup

It Cosmetics CC Cream Oil Free Matte

Oh I jumped on the It Cosmetics bandwagon, I jumped on it hard 🙂 I just couldn’t bloody resist it. Good coverage and really high SPF! So many people had such awesome things to say about it, and the brand is in Arnotts now. It was a no brainer really.

I bided my time a little until the Oil Free Matte version came to our shores. I am generally oily, particularly in my t-zone. The older I get, the more dehydrated some of my skin is getting, but I still get a super oily nose, so I like oil free products.

So what is the Oil Free It Cosmetics CC Cream you may ask? Well I’ll let the brand do the specific explaining and then I’ll throw my two cents into the equation:

‘Created to improve the look of skin texture, this complexion-perfecting breakthrough provides long-wear coverage and camouflages skin imperfections including dark spots and discolouration without creasing or cracking. It’s also infused with charcoal, tea tree extract, colloidal clay and Moroccan lava clay—plus, oil-absorbing, minimising technology and an advanced anti-aging serum. You’ll see powerful results instantly and more dramatic results over time. Finally, a full-coverage CC cream that airbrushes the look of your pores while providing natural-looking matte complexion perfection that lasts!’

The other versions of the It Cosmetics CC Cream have broad spectrum SPF 50+. The oil free version is SPF 40+ which is still amazing! I love the packaging. It’s a tube with a pump, so you can squeeze every fairly expensive drop out of it.

It Cosmetics do recommend you apply this with a brush. And that’s what I was doing, like I would with a foundation for the first couple of weeks. I liked it at this point, the coverage and pigment was great and the longevity fairly decent, especially for something that has such high protection. However I did find, it clung to dry patches as it is matte, and it was hard to blend into my giant pores. I have the shade Fair Light.

Then, I brought it on holiday with me, and started wearing it as my SPF. One of the days I was just wanting to slap some on and used my fingers to blend it in. This was a bit of a revelation for me. It blended so much easier into my skin, it was easier to get it into all the nooks and crannies. Which makes complete sense I guess, since it is a CC Cream. It just performs like a really decent foundation.

Here it is in action on my skin in video form:

The coverage and staying power of this stuff is pretty overwhelming considering it’s good for your skin to boot. I need to get a sample of the original formula asap to see how that performs on my skin! I do get a bit of shine on my t-zone after a few hours, but I’ve yet to find anything to combat that. And a bit of blotting makes it disappear. The rest of my skin lasts really well though and I’ve found myself using less powder with this and can even skip setting spray if I fancy. Just be wary it is matte and it can cling to dryness. Once you aware of that, it does exactly what it says on the tin!

The It Cosmetics CC Cream Oil Free Matte is available now from Arnotts. It will set you back €39.

Have you tried it yet?

xxx

October 12, 2018/by Gem

Skincare, Youtube Video

Daytime Skincare Routine

I love skincare, but I’m always a bit hesitant to talk about it too in depth. Just because I think it’s such a personal, specific thing. I do review products, but generally it’s because I really really love them or I really really hate them 🙂 I’m definitely no expert either, so that comes into play too. But, I figured I would just go through another updated daytime skincare routine. It’s less committal and just shows you what I am using right now and why.

My daytime skincare routine is quite basic. I like to keep it pretty simple. I have oily skin overall, but the older I get the more dehydration I get too. The two ailments are conflicting completely, luckily nowadays there’s products out there that will help with both skin concerns at the same time.

I am obviously chatting about what I use and why I use it in video form. You can watch above or click here to go directly to my YouTube channel here.

Blogging and having to research products and of course being sent product to trial has for sure helped me on my skincare journey. I have to learn what works for me and why so I can talk about and hopefully point readers in the right skincare direction. What I am using right now is my summer daytime skincare routine, things would vary a bit in the colder weather.

For toner I am using the Pixi Rose Tonic.

It’s gentle, minimises redness and also helps balance the skin’s PH balance.

Eye cream is the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour.

This is a brand I wouldn’t have gotten to try if I didn’t blog, but I really enjoy this eye cream. Exuviance is created by the people at Neostrata. They say it reduces puffiness and smoothes wrinkles. I like it because it’s a thin formula that absorbs quickly, but still leaves my under eyes hydrated and smooth. A lot of eye creams can be too rich for me, this one does the job perfectly.

For moisturiser, I use the Vichy Minéral 89 Serum.

It’s created with mineral water and hyaluronic acid. A lot of people would use just as a serum as it’s more a gel formula. For me it works brilliantly as a daytime moisturiser. It plumps my skin and skins in really quickly without leaving a residue that might interfere with makeup application.

As it is Summer, I am using a hefty SPF. This one is new to me, but it’s literally been love at first application. This is the Eucerin SPF 50+ Oil Control. Yep oil control.

This is the first Summer I think that I’ve been confident enough to use a stand alone SPF on my face. Usually the formula is oily and would have me a shiny mess within the hour. Not this though, and it actually feels really nice going on too. I apply this in the morning and then I’ll use a spray something like the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Mist over my makeup if I’m outdoors throughout the day.

Last but not least I always apply a lip balm before I do my makeup. What one it is does vary, but as the weather is so darn nice I’m using one with a high SPF at the minute. I am really liking the Shiseido UV Lip Color Splash with SPF 30.

The tinted ones are nice too, but I use the clear one on most days. It’s not sticky and lip colour applies nicely over top of it.

And there you have my current daytime skincare routine. Have you tried any of the products?

xxx

*PR SAMPLES INCLUDED****

July 1, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup

Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses

The Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses launched into the Urban Decay boutique here in Dublin last week. I was lucky enough, (I feel like I always say that, but I always do feel super lucky). To head in and see them in action, and also take some home to play with.

There is twenty Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses to choose from in the collection. There’s bright shades, neutrals and four different finishes. They are metallic, holographic, cream and sheer cream. The glosses contain Vitamin E and peppermint oil for a slightly (not stingy), plumping effect. And then the flavour throughout them all is vanilla but with a hint of mint.

I brought home five of the twenty shades and have been playing around with them for the last few days. I never really wore gloss, I always just found it a bit too messy. But brands have really upped their game formula wise and the sticky mess they once were seem to be a thing of the past. Ever since I got my hands on their Fenty Gloss Bomb, I have been rocking a glossy lip more and more regularly. This release, for me has come at a bloody good time. The formula of the Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses, in my humble opinion are super comfortable and easy to apply. The scent/flavour although strong, isn’t sickening. Also, they don’t burn the bejaysus lips off you!

I have some of the more tame colours, these are just the ones I happened to get, so sorry if they look kind of similar in picture form on the lips, I promise they each look a little different in real life.

First up we have ‘Midnight Cowgirl’. This is a peachy gloss with a sheer cream finish.

Second is, ‘Fuel’. It’s a coral-brown gloss with a cream finish.

The third one I have is Fireball. This is a holographic finish thats peachy with a pink shift.

Fourth is SPL. This is pink with a holographic finish.

Then lastly I have Naked. A pinky nude with a sheer cream finish.

Here they all are swatched side by side for reference:

All of the Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses are available in the Urban Decay boutique in Dublin now. They are also on the UD UK website here. And, will available in and on Debenhams from the end of April. The RRP is €18. What do we think?

(Yes, I clearly lost my mind after the swatching fest, sure look 🙂 )

xxx

*CONTAINS PR SAMPLES

April 11, 2018/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Affordable Makeup Spring Favourites

I’ve harped on about some of these products online too much now. I thought I needed to do a dedicated post showing you them a bit more in depth. So here are my current affordable makeup Spring faves 🙂

I apologise in advance if you’re sick of me talking about the PS Bronze Shade & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette. I did a whole post here dedicated to this Penneys Collection. I believe it’s in stores pretty much as we speak.

I didn’t swatch the palette though and I really think it deserves it now. I have honestly reached for this so much since I was given it. And not because I felt I had to if that makes sense? Being a beauty blogger, I do have to make a point to try products again and again. For €6, you get nine warm eyeshadow shades. They’re a mixture of mattes and shimmers and all compliment each other. Are they the softest, most pigmented shadows I’ve ever used? No, but for the price point they are pretty bloody awesome!

Continuing on from the palette, another affordable makeup Spring fave from Penneys, are their cream eyeshadow pots. And a disclaimer, I am only calling them makeup Spring faves because it’s Spring now. These are fine all year round ha.

I picked up two of these while I was in Edinburgh a while back from the PS Nudes Collection.

A matte and a metallic one just to try. I went to the launch of this collection and they were one of the things I was most intrigued about. Also at €2.50 each I thought they were worth the financial risk 🙂

I did however take the bloody stickers off them absentmindedly and they had the names on them, so I don’t know what they’re called. But they’re creamy and pigmented so I’ll forgive them not putting the names on the containers.

I’ve another two from the Bronze Collection too.

They’re super easy to work with and pack a real punch as a cream eyeshadow base. They’re a little slippy in texture so I don’t know how well they would fare on their own, without powder on top. I find the pots a bit of a pain. Fingers do not fit very comfortably inside them, but a synthetic brush works grand. That’s what I used to swatch them above.

The eyeshadow base I have been using for last couple of months is the Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix.

Don’t let the word matte deter you. It has more of a velvet finish in my humble opinion.

I just think it’s a damn good eyeshadow primer. I have super oily lids so I’m generally a decent judge of what’s good and what isn’t in this department. A little goes a long way, it doesn’t interfere with whatever you put on top and it helps fill in fine lines too. €8.95 is a decent price for it.

The Madison M5 brush has been another firm favourite of mine over the past few weeks.

This comes as part of a 12 piece brush set available here for €39.95.It’s a super soft synthetic brush. I have been loving it for setting under my eyes. I’m enjoying quite a few of the brushes from the set, this one in-particular stands out though as I reach for it pretty much everyday.

My last affordable makeup Spring fave is a new in lippie from Essence.

This kind of shade is a no brainer for me really. I am a mauve lipstick whore. It’s called 10 Rosey Glitz.

When I’m not reaching for a matte finish day to day this is a great sheer, you don’t really have to think about applying it colour. It’s super flattering and feels really nice on the lips. I also think it retails for about 3 quid. Bargain!

And there you have my affordable makeup Spring faves 🙂

xxx

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED

March 26, 2018/by Gem

Posts

Have you tried any of the shades yet?

xxx

I have Hot Sauce and Cherry Soda.

And Private Jet and Shimmering Sunset.

Overall, I have to say I am a fan of the Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow. I think they are fairly pricey and I think I like the matte shades a bit more than the glitters, but I am having fun putting them to use for sure. Have you tried them yet?

The It Cosmetics CC Cream Oil Free Matte is available now from Arnotts. It will set you back €39.

Have you tried it yet?

xxx

For toner I am using the Pixi Rose Tonic.

Eye cream is the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour.

And there you have my current daytime skincare routine. Have you tried any of the products?

xxx

*********PR SAMPLES INCLUDED************

All of the Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lipglosses are available in the Urban Decay boutique in Dublin now. They are also on the UD UK website here. And, will available in and on Debenhams from the end of April. The RRP is €18. What do we think?

xxx

*********CONTAINS PR SAMPLES********

I apologise in advance if you’re sick of me talking about the PS Bronze Shade & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette. I did a whole post here dedicated to this Penneys Collection. I believe it’s in stores pretty much as we speak.

Continuing on from the palette, another affordable makeup Spring fave from Penneys, are their cream eyeshadow pots. And a disclaimer, I am only calling them makeup Spring faves because it’s Spring now. These are fine all year round ha.

I’ve another two from the Bronze Collection too.

The eyeshadow base I have been using for last couple of months is the Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix.

My last affordable makeup Spring fave is a new in lippie from Essence.

And there you have my affordable makeup Spring faves 🙂

xxx

*******PR SAMPLES INCLUDED*******

*PR SAMPLES INCLUDED****

*CONTAINS PR SAMPLES

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED