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High End Makeup – My Five Most Expensive Products

I have a lot of nice makeup that’s worth a few quid. These five products though, would be my most high end makeup products in my collection.

All five, funnily enough are only from two brands. And none of them I bought myself. They were all gifts from either John, or family and friends. Thanks guys 🙂

I chose these as my most high end makeup, simply on the price of them per product. It’s crazy money and you don’t need to spend it at all. I just thought it would be fun to delve into them a little in blog post form. I do love a good makeup rummage 🙂

I will go by brand and start with Tom Ford. I have three different products from the brand. All picked out by John and by John alone. He prides himself, when he buys me makeup, on getting as little help from the sales assistants as possible. First up, is his latest Tom Ford purchase. He had made a mental note of me saying if he was ever stuck to buy me something, a fancy lip balm would always be appreciated. So for my birthday this year I received the Tom Ford Lip Balm in L’Odissea. You can see it on the Brown Thomas website here. They cost €35!

Now, I do believe he didn’t know you could get these in slightly different hues. This wouldn’t have been by first colour choice. Also, it is tiny, I am more than halfway through the bullet already. It is something I would never have bought myself though, and I do feel very fancy using it and popping it into my handbag.

I do own one Tom Ford lipstick as well. For the past few years John has gotten me a red lipstick for Christmas. He did it one year, I liked it, so made him continue it on 🙂 One year it was Tom Ford’s Cherry Lush. €48 from the Brown Thomas website here.

Crazy money for a lippie I know, but as a makeup whore, it was so lovely to open at Christmas. And it is a beautiful lipstick too. Probably a bit old to use now, but I will still keep a hold of it.

The last Tom Ford product I own, came with the lipstick. They were a package deal from Mr John. This is the Eye Color Quad in 05 Silvered Topaz.

This is €74 from Brown Thomas here.

I was very much a cool toned eyeshadow gal for many a year, until I discovered I can make warm shadows work for me. This was the perfect and fanciest addition to my makeup collection at that point. The shadows are lovely. Super pigmented and blendable (thank god). The packaging is also very fancy….and magnetic. There’s a dark purple matte, two silvery shimmery tones, and a silver glitter shade for a pop of sparkle. I got so much use out of this palette. Don’t reach for it as much anymore, but it has still been known to make it into an eye look every now and again. Oul Tom makes a lovely eyeshadow, I must admit :).

My final two fancy high end makeup products are both from Chanel. The first one was a very generous gift from a family member It is one of the Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses in 17 Suprème. They don’t seem to have this one on the Brown Thomas website anymore. But there is similar colours available here, and they retail for €33. The packaging on this is so damn fancy. You click down the top and the applicator pops up. The click is so satisfying.

It’s a really lovely magenta pink gloss, a little sticky on the lips but lasts really well as a result. I don’t always reach for a gloss, but when I do it is something like this. So, it’s always nice to have an extra fancy one to choose.

The only other Chanel makeup product I own right now was a very lovely gift from my friend Ella.

She picked this up for me in the airport really recently, I believe it’s from last Autumn’s collection. It’s a Les 4 Ombres eyeshadow quad in 268 Candeur Et Expèrience.

These are the only Chanel eyeshadows I have ever owned. And I am sorry to say they are pretty gorgeous. Their quads retail for €51 on the Boots website here. I can’t find this exact one because the collection is from last year.

High End Makeup My Five Most Expensive Products_1692

High End Makeup My Five Most Expensive Products_1693

They are such gorgeous matte earthy tones. After picking up the Urban Decay Heat Palette (review here), this is completely my jam at the moment. I am getting lots of use out of it. Unfortunately though, it just makes me want more of their shadows…I better start saving 🙂

And there you have the five most high end makeup products in my collection. Now come on and tell me yours so I can make a wish list 🙂

xxx

September 4, 2017/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup, Product Comparison

YSL Touche Eclat Vs W7 Concealer

I’ve seen this comparison being made a few times online, so I had to investigate it myself! Today I am comparing (and contrasting) the cult beauty product that is the YSL Touche Eclat to the purse friendly W7 Light Diffusing Concealer.

I will say, when it comes to the word ‘dupe’, I am very reluctant to ever use it, and in this comparison it will not be muttered again, because in my humble opinion, these products are not the same!

Just in case, you haven’t encountered either of these products throughout your makeup journey yet, I’ll give you a quick synopsis of both.

We’ll start by talking about the YSL Touche Eclat. It comes in encased it the well known sleek metal plated gold packaging.

Mine says ‘no need to sleep’ on it. They brought out some slogan collectors edition ones not too long ago. They’ve also since released colour correction variations of the YSL Touche Eclat. What I have here is just the original highlighter in number 1.

You click the top to release the product into the brush.

The YSL Touche Eclat is a skin highlighter. It’s not a concealer, although I know alot of people use it for this purpose, as it does have some coverage to it. It does have a salmon hue to it aswell so can work to help brighten under the eyes. It has a creamy really blend-able texture. For me and my skin tone, it doesn’t do much highlighting unfortunately, I can get away with it a little under my eyes. Overall, it’s a really unnecessary purchase (that I’ve made about 5 times in my lifetime) because everyone loves it so much, I want to aswell 🙂

On to the W7 Light Diffusing Concealer.

This product does claim to be a concealer.It comes is a similar looking to the YSL Touche Eclat (from afar) plastic pen.

You twist the top of the pen to get the product out onto the brush, again similar to the YSL.

For me, this is where the comparison ends. The product itself,to me, is just crap. It doesn’t have any major coverage, doesn’t really conceal and can come out of the pen in little hardened balls which makes it hard to blend into the skin.

Here’s both pens swatched side by side. The YSL Touche Eclat is on the left and the W7 Light Diffusing Concealer is on the right. The YSL is more peachy toned and the W7 pen is definitely a more suited colour for highlighting for lighter skinned people like myself.

Here’s both products in action.

My eyes with nothing underneath

I buffed both of them in with the same Real Techniques Brush

The W7 concealer is here on my right eye

Close up, I can’t seen any major difference between either eye, except there is a build up of product on the side of nose where I applied the concealer.

Onto the YSL Touche Eclat.

I applied it in the same way

The W7 Concealer is on my right and the YSL Touche Eclat on my left.

I personally think the YSL Touche Eclat does a better job at concealing even though it’s not actually formulated as a concealer. The W7 Light Diffusing Concealer just doesn’t nothing really.

There is a pretty huge price difference between both of these products. The YSL Touche Eclat will set you back €35, you can get it from Debenhams online here And the the W7 Light Diffusing Concealer will set you back around 5/6 euro depending on where you pick it up. I can’t find a direct Irish stockist link to it, but here it is on the W7 website.

What do you think, would you pick up either? Are you a YSL Touche Eclat advocate?

xxx

July 6, 2016/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup

L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

Cushion foundation and products have been getting alot of press of late. They are definitely not a new phenomenon, originating in Korea, but now they are making their way slowly to our shores. In Asia, cushion foundations would be deemed a fusion of makeup and skincare in one, so kind of like a bb or cc cream but in compact form. This obviously makes them easier for travel too. The cushion is supposed to make the formula of the foundation lighter and offers you a lighter application of the product inside. So there’s a quick synopsis on cushion foundation (in case you ever wondered), now let’s get into my thoughts on the new L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation 🙂

Within the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation compact, you get an applicator sponge in the top layer.

You then have an air tight lid to help prevent bacteria getting into the actual cushion and the foundation within it and obviously to prevent the liquid spilling out.

The L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation is made in the same vein as the original Korean cushion foundations (and it’s also made in Korea too), so it has a light weight, water infused formula which contains SPF 29. It has a sheer coverage, but you can build it up to a more medium coverage if you want. That’s how I personally wear it.

It is said you get the best application from a cushion foundation using the sponge that comes with it. I have tested it with it and it does work, but I just find it a longer process and a bit of a pain. So, like a rebel, I use my foundation brush to apply it. Using the brush allows me to buff the foundation into the skin more too and fill in any deeper pores on my face (which I have plenty of).

I have shade number 1 which is porcelain and this is a good match for my Mac NC20 skin. If your skin is lighter than mine though, there’s really not an option for you which is a bit annoying.

There is 7 shades in total. I would recommend swatching in store before making a choice though.

Here’s the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation in action.

I just dab my brush super lightly onto the sponge.

And then apply it just as I would my normal foundation.

Before Application

The finish to me, is more satin than dewy and the formula feels really lightweight and comfortable on the skin. It knocks back redness and evens out the skin tone but in a natural way.

It obviously doesn’t last as well on me throughout the day like my ride or die L’Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation (there’s a full review of that here if you’re curious), but considering it’s a lightweight, satin finish, water based foundation with SPF 29, it lasts pretty well on my oily skin with primer and powder on top. I start to get some shine on my t zone after maybe the third hour, but if doesn’t oxidise or look unsightly, so I would probably wait until the fourth or fifth hour of wear before powdering.

Overall, I personally really like the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation. I am finding it a great addition to my Summer makeup and getting alot of use out of it. At €21.99 it is very much at the higher price end for ‘drugstore’ foundation, so it really just depends on whether you buy into the whole cushion foundation thing and if would work for your skin needs, so I hope I’ve given you a bit of insight into it anyway 🙂

You can buy the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation from Boots instore or online here.

I would love to know your thoughts on it and if you’ve tried any other cushion foundations. Keep me in the loop! 🙂

I have a separate post coming on the Glam Bronze Cushion De Soleil. I just thought this post would be way too long talking about both of them, so keep an eye out for that!

xxx

June 17, 2016/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Budget Eyeshadow Palettes-Neutrals

I think neutral eyeshadows rock everyone’s boat. Whether you’re a hardcore makeup lover or someone who just likes to do the bare minimum, we all have at least one (if not more) neutral palette in our makeup stash. Here are 5 eyeshadow palettes picked ripe from my stash. All neutral, all packing a punch and all really affordable.

Budget beauty brands have really stepped up their eyeshadow palettes game of late and thankfully so many of them are doing a good job of it. If you don’t have the money or frankly just don’t want to fork out the money on Mac and the likes, you don’t have to. And you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out on anything either.

First up in one of my very favourites the Sleek Au Natural Palette. This palette will get you through any nude emergency matte or shimmery 🙂 I actually did a look with this not too long ago here, if you fancy seeing it in action on the eyes. Sleek iDivine palettes will set you back 10-11 euro depending on where you buy.

Next up is the Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Palette. This is a great little find. The packaging is cardboard but surprisingly sturdy. It contains 6 neutral shades going from a light shimmery vanilla shade to a dark charcoal brown. It will set you back €5.49.

My third neutral eyeshadow palette pick is an oldie but a goodie. The Wet n Wild trio in ‘Walking On Eggshells’. This is a bit of a cult buy. It contains 3 perfect neutral shadow shades. It will cost you €4.49.

A Flormar nude choice is next, their eyeshadow palette in Nude Dudes specifically. All the shadows in this palette are matte, and it costs €9.95. SimplyFoxy sell Flormar online here

The last one I think is the most budget friendly of them all considering how many shadows you get for €4.99. My last nude choice from my stash is the Essence All About Nudes Eyeshadow Palette.I think the name of the palette really speaks for itself, right? 🙂

There you have it. Five budget friendly, but also practical and decent neutral eyeshadow palettes. These are all in my makeup stash and all of them get used day to day.

Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading 🙂

xxx

February 15, 2016/2 Comments/by Gem

Haul, Makeup

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

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.

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.

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’

This is ‘Easy’

This is ‘Angel’

This is ‘Lo-Fi’

This is ‘Hush’

This is ‘OC’

Overall, 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

February 1, 2016/4 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation Review

I have been using the Clarins Ever Matte Foundation since the Summer time and I keep forgetting to review it. It just became part of my foundation rotation 🙂

Clarins foundations all have the same distinctive smell. It’s kind of sweet, kind of flowery and I love it. if you are affected by smells though, I suggest going to a counter and having a whiff before you go buying just in case.

As you would assume the Clarins Ever Matte foundation is…well a matte foundation (shock, I know 🙂 ).

It’s an opaque liquid foundation with a thin consistency.

As you blend it dries quite quickly so it needs to be worked with fast or with a damp sponge or brush. Once blended it feels really lightweight on the skin.

Here’s my skin before application:

Here’s my skin after a light layer of the Clarins Ever Matte buffed in with a buffing brush.

And after another layer applied.

I am in the shade 105 Nude and I think it’s a pretty good match for Mac NC20 skin. I think it has a medium but very build able coverage, which is what I look for in a foundation 🙂

Now onto the science bit…I am an oily skinned gal, so the Clarins Matte is ticks alot of skin boxes for me. It’s oily-free so it lasts really well on me (although I always powder my foundation regardless). It has a matte finish so doesn’t leave any residue behind once it’s set. It’s non-comedogenic so it doesn’t sit in pores and add more blackheads into the mix! It’s covers redness really well and it has an SPF of 15 which is handy too.

Overall, I really like this foundation and I reach for it alot day to day. If you’re oily skinned or even combination, get a sample and give it a go. Clarins is an understated brand and I think sometimes, we forget they know and do makeup well.

It’s not the cheapest of the bunch, the Clarins Ever Matte will set you back €33 and you can pick it up from Boots here

xxx

January 29, 2016/1 Comment/by Gem