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Boyfriend Does My Makeup

I roped John in to do the Boyfriend Does My Makeup challenge! It took a bit of persuading, he was a bit skeptical about being in front of the camera.

After a few beers though, we set up the camera and we jumped in. And I think you’ll agree with me after watching it. He took to it like a duck to water 🙂 I never particularly pride myself on being great in front of the camera, I just do it because I enjoy it. He’s so bloody quick and funny, he puts me to shame really 🙂

It took us an age to begin though because he couldn’t get used to the ring light at all. So if you hear him complaining about the light, that’s what he is on about!

If you’re not an avid YouTube watcher like myself. The Boyfriend Does My Makeup challenge is basically an umbrella term for your partner chancing their arm with your makeup. Myself and John are together over thirteen years, so calling him my ‘boyfriend’ is a bit strange. He’s just John to me now ha!

He tries to think he knows a thing or two about makeup. And to give him credit, he does listen to me harp on. (Notice the Anastasia Subculture reference he makes). I don’t think he realised just how hard it is to apply it all, and how much time and effort goes into it all. I reckon he won’t badger me so much now when I’m running late for a night out 🙂

I won’t name the products he uses, sure none of them went on right ha. But if you want to see me put the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette to proper use, I have a post on it here.

If you want to watch the video, just click on it above, or you watch it directly on YouTube here. Big shout out to John for being a great sport. My sides were sore from laughing. I hope you get a laugh from it too 🙂

xxx

August 14, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara

I am a big fan of ‘drugstore’ more affordable mascaras. As you know if you’ve been around these parts before, I am a waterproof mascara junkie. It’s been a while since I had tried a high end one so I traipsed into Brown Thomas a few weeks ago, had a look around, asked you lovely people on Snapchat what I should get and left with the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof mascara.

May I add the girl on the counter was super lovely and friendly which made the experience so much nicer. I love going to Boots and picking up bargains, but I do also love splurging every now and again on more luxurious items. As Tom Haverford and Donna from Parks and Recreation would say “Treat yo’self’ and that I did with the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara 🙂

I have to be honest I kind of hoped I wasn’t going to really like it, because it means if it runs out I am going to want to buy one again. Alas, it was love at first use, damn you YSL!

The packaging alone is pretty glorious, right? They definitely get brownie points for that.

The formula of the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof is wet but still very build-able without clumping together on your lashes. It has quite a thin tapered bristled wand that is great for really getting into the roots of your lashes.

The reason I always go for waterproof is because I have really straight lashes and waterproof formulas seem to hold a curl better throughout the day for me. I also have oily eye lids and normal formulas can sometimes transfer and make a mess.Since getting this mascara I have always used a eyelash curler before application, just to give my lashes an extra bit of oomph, for the purpose of this post I didn’t though and I was actually quite happy with how my lashes turned out regardless. For me and my crap eyelashes, there’s volume, there’s length and there’s a bit of curl too!

Here’s my lashes before application.

Then here is my upper lashes on one eye with a couple of coats of the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils.

I even use this mascara on my bottom lashes too, as the wand it not too big and the formula doesn’t flake or transfer. This means I don’t have to necessarily buy a separate tubing mascara from my bottom lashes which I normally do. That’s penny pinching right there 🙂

Here’s the before and after on each of my eyes.

And then here’s the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils applied to both eyes.

I do still prefer giving my eyelashes a quick curl with the eyelash curlers because I want maximum lash.

But if I forgot to do it or didn’t bring an eyelash curlers away with me, I wouldn’t be in panic mode as I have been in the past 🙂

I bloomin’ love this mascara, it’s pricey for sure, but it really ticks all the boxes for me. I may not use it exclusively forever because I do like to try new products, (it’s what I do ha), but if I HAD too, I wouldn’t be too unhappy about it at all.

You can pick up the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof mascara from Boots instore or online here and from Brown Thomas instore. It costs 32.50.

What do you think, would you splurge? Let me know what you’re favourite mascara is?

xxx

April 22, 2016/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Benefit Porefessional License to Blot

I’ve had the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot for a long time now.

It’s something I actually pick up quite a lot and just forgot to ever talk about it. It an unusual little product.

Its looks a bit like a pritt stick for your face 🙂 When it comes to comes to marketing and packaging the Benefit team are some of the best in the business, they really are and the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot is a really innovative little product.

According to Benefit: ‘This instant oil-blotting stick with tiny invisible blotting spheres mattifies shine for up to six hours after application. The specially designed triangular tip targets shiny zones: the sides of your nose, forehead and chin. Oil has finally met its matte!

The Benefit Porefessional License To Blot is pretty much designed to throw into your handbag for blotting on the go. It comes in a retractable tube and the product itself is in a triangular shape so it can get around the contours of your face.

The product itself has like a balm texture to it, it’s colourless, so would work on any skin tone. It does have a scent to it, but it’s really very slight.

So does it work?

It definitely blots off any excess oil you might have creeping through your foundation. It also softens the look of any pores that might come through aswell. You should really use a light hand with it and pat it onto the skin as Benefit encourage you to, as it can leave a silicone like film over the top of your makeup. It doesn’t however promote caking like adding powder might do. The fact that you’re applying the product from the tube can get a little grubby as you’re left with makeup marks on it after use, so you have to be sure to clean as you go. I can’t say that it keeps the skin matte for six extra hours, not on my skin anyways, but I would say at least half that time for sure.

I sometimes use the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot in a way it’s not intended too also. Because it works for minimising the look of pores and it is good for blotting, I’ll use it in conjunction with whatever primer I have on the go in my real problem areas on my T-zone before applying foundation (and even sometimes after foundation, if my skin is really acting up).

Overall I really like the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot. It has its flaws but overall does what its supposed to do and may I add at €21.50, it’s cheaper that the primer, but kind of does the same job 🙂 You can pick it up from Debenhams here

xxx

April 15, 2016/2 Comments/by Gem

Posts

I roped John in to do the Boyfriend Does My Makeup challenge! It took a bit of persuading, he was a bit skeptical about being in front of the camera.

If you want to watch the video, just click on it above, or you watch it directly on YouTube here. Big shout out to John for being a great sport. My sides were sore from laughing. I hope you get a laugh from it too 🙂

I’ve had the Benefit Porefessional License To Blot for a long time now.