expensive Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Posts

Simple Makeup For When You’re Ill

I have a full blown cold, like most of the people in Ireland at the minute, right? Lovely start to the year 🙂 Life goes on though and we have to suffer through. This is my go to simple makeup for when I’m feeling a little under the weather. Let me blow my nose one last time and we’ll begin…

I have oily skin so I wouldn’t be adding radiance to my face on a regular basis, but when I am under the weather my skin does tend to dry up a little more so I can weirdly take advantage.

I added a good amount of the Botanics Radiance Balm onto cleansed skin (I have a full review of this stuff here, we all need it in our lives).

For some lip hydration I applied some of the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, literally can’t be without this. I apply it every night before bed, and when I have a cold it goes under my nose too helping with the extra dryness.

I still have to prime, so I did and then it’s foundation time, thank god! I used a damp Beauty Blender to apply a thin layer to my skin.

I think the sponge feels more kinder to your skin when you’re feeling a little rough.

I used it for concealer too.

I applied some waterproof concealer around my nose, just a light layer, it’s going to diminish pretty quickly with all the nose blowing, but if you set it with powder you’ll get a little time out of it 🙂

For the actual makeup look, I think the softer the better.

I filled in my eyebrows.

I used a skin colour eyeshadow primer to conceal any redness on my lids.

To brighten up the eyes I applied a light gold cream shadow stick all over the eyelid.

Over the top I applied a similar coloured shimmery shadow.

To add a little definition, I added a matte taupe shadow lightly into my crease.

I applied a a light shimmery shade to the brow bone.

Lastly, I added a really small amount of the taupe shade on the lower lash line too.

I needed a touch more concealer under the eyes then…those bags ain’t Chanel 🙂

To brighten up the eyes more I applied some skin coloured eye liner to the waterline. This is a great step to tackle any redness and make you look more awake.

Curl the bejesus out of your eyelashes. I know it’s simple makeup, but I never neglect the lashes.

Then, lots of mascara on the top lashes. I opt out of mascara on the bottom ones because lots of watery eye shenanigans happen and of course the compulsory sneezing…it’s not worth it even the waterproof kind.

Bronzer is a nice addition, to warm up the complexion a smidgen. There’ll be no contouring today though 🙂

I added some peachy blush rather than pink, as I already have enough pinky flush going on.

I applied some light setting powder all over the face, nothing to heavy. There’ll be alot of face touching throughout the day, no point caking it on. You can always re apply.

I couldn’t resist a little highlighter, but it’s not necessary whatsoever. A little in the inner corner of the eye always helps I think though 🙂

To finish off this simple makeup look I just applied some glossy balm to the lips.

And we’re done!

I didn’t go into depth with the products I used, because I think they’re all stuff you already have lying around or that you use everyday. This is definitely not a glam face of makeup, it’s more of a I want to look human and survive the day makeup!

If you’ve been hit with the January plague like myself, feel better soon 🙂

xxx

January 6, 2016/4 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Nude Lip Lip Liners-Top 5

I’ve had an off and on relationship with the nude lip throughout my makeup wearing life. When I first plonked makeup on my face, nude lips were the only thing I would pretty much do because I had bad teeth and didn’t want to draw attention to them. I use to pale my lips out completely which in retrospect brought more attention to my wonky teeth. Then, I got invisalign and bought so many coloured lipsticks it was ridiculous, and just thought nude lips didn’t suit me then. I’ve come full circle with it now and have realised just how many variations there is on the so called nude lip out there. When it comes to nude lip liners, they are so handy to have in your makeup collection. You can add them under similar colour lipsticks for staying power, under darker or lighter lipsticks (or glosses) to change the colour slightly, or of course use them to even out your lip line, and dare I say it…even over draw! 🙂 Here’s probably my 5 most used nude shade lip liners. They are not completely nude and they fall into different colour categories, but they could be all used to create a nude lip 🙂

First up is a I’ve spoken about in detail here before. It’s Rimmel’s ‘Eastend Snob’.

I bloomin’ love this stuff. It’s the perfect nude pink shade. Rimmel do great lip liners and Exaggerate ones are great because they are retractable, no sharpening! I wear this under so many different lip colours, and it’s gorgeous on it’s own too. I will never be without this in my makeup collection. Rimmel if you’re reading this never discontinue it ‘kay? 🙂

The next one says it all really with the name. This is the Urban Decay Glide On lip pencil in the shade ‘1993’.

And it pretty much sums up that era of lip colour perfectly, right? The Urban Decay lip liners are amazing so pigmented and easy to apply. This shade is great for warming up lip colours.

Next up is the cheapest of the bunch, but I love it just as much. The PS Love Lip Liner Pencil from Penneys in 06.

If you want to give a brown lip liner a go to see if you like it this is the place to start. For €1.50 you get to try on the 90’s lip trend and then if you like it, you have a great pigmented lip liner in your collection. It’s win win really 🙂

My fourth choice is NYX lip liner in ‘Mauve’.

Not the nudest of the collection but still kind of a subtle colour, so I think it qualifies? You can see from the size of the pencil, I get a lot of use out of this bad boy. I even have a the Nyx lipstick in the exact same shade. I think mauve is a great way to go if you’re not a huge fan of the nude lip trend, but still want to give something a go.

And lastly but definitely not least, I had to add Mac’s Whirl into the list, it has a life of it’s own at this stage.

Whirl is the full on epitome of the 90’s brown lip like the Urban Decay 1993, but I think it’s a little bit cooler in tone. I wear this so much just on it’s own. Another bonus is this makes your teeth look whiter! This is probably as nude as I get…on my lips :p

So there you have it my top 5 most used nude lip liners. I think it’s safe to say I’m more of a brown lips girl rather than full on nude, but hopefully this might help if you’re in the market. Let me know and thanks for reading as always.

xxx

November 29, 2015/1 Comment/by Gem

Haul, Makeup

Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette

The Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette has been on my lust list for a long ass time. I finally bit the bullet and went in to Brown Thomas to part with the dosh. Ms Dolce Vita looks a bit like this.

On the back Charlotte gives a guide. The lightest shade is the prime, the coppery is the enhance, the darker brown is the smoke shade and then the glitter is the pop. Of course you can use them any way you want, ’tis up to you 😉

They are all shimmery shades. They are buttery and full of pigment too. If you are like me and like a bit more of a matte shade in the crease though, you will obviously have to bring some other shadows into the mix, but we can live with that, right?

The eyeshadow quads feel lovely and luxurious, as does most of the Charlotte Tilbury range. Thank god because the products ain’t cheap!

I did a really quick eye look with Dolce Vita so you can see it in action.

I primed my lids and added a skin colour powder as normal to get rid of any tackiness.

I added a taupe brown shade lightly in my crease too just to give the shimmery colours something to blend into.

I took some of the coppery shade.

And applied this all over my lid. Be sure to tap off your brush, there will be fallout.

Then took a fluffy brush and blended into the light crease colour.

I then took the darkest ‘Smoke’ shade.

I used a tapered brush and added the colour on the tip of the brush.

I applied it onto the outer corner of my eye, and blended it into the crease.

I lined my upper lid with the brown Rimmel Waterproof Eye Definer.

I curled and added a load of mascara to my top lashes as you do. Then took the lightest shade of the Dolce Vita Palette.

I applied this to my brow bone and used it to highlight the inner corner of my eyes.

I of course had to use the pop shade, so I just applied a light layer of it on my eyelid with my finger. I think it applies best with your fingers.

To define the lower lash line a little bit, I just applied some of the coppery shade and blended it out.

To finish the look, I added some mascara on my lower lashes and used the Rimmel pencil in my waterline. Dunzo 🙂

I think the shades in the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette are really universal and will work for every eye colour. It looks particularly gorge on blue eyes though. It’s really a lovely palette, but with a €50 price tag (here), it’s definitely a treat. Maybe something to put on the Christmas list?

xxx

November 17, 2015/3 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Top 5 Blushes Of The Moment

I am not a blush monogamist by any stretch of the imagination. I flutter from one to the other depending on my mood and of course what colour or finish I want on that day. Lately I’ve noticed my hand has been reaching for the same 5 blushes in my makeup drawer though. 5 is still probably alot in a normal case scenario I know, but for a makeup fiend this is a pretty respectable number 🙂 So I thought I would share them with you today as they are actually quite varied (as blushers go anyway).

First up is one of the first Mac products I ever had in my collection. Don’t worry I’ve gone throught a few of them since then, but you can still see this is well loved.

This is Mac’s Sheertone blush in ‘Pink Swoon’. At one point this was the only blush I had in my possession.

I like the Sheertone blushes because you can build them up to your own preference. I think Pink Swoon is the perfect matte pink cheek tone. It suits my skin tone well and I can wear it day or night. Pink Swoon is available for €24 from Brown Thomas here.

My second choice is another Mac Sheertone blush, but in the shimmer formula.

This is ‘Springsheen’ which I think is a bit of a Mac cult classic. You can buy this from Brown Thomas for €24 here.

It’s light peachy shade with a gold sparkle running through it. Probably more suited to the warmer months, but I love Springhsheen if you gone to town on your eye makeup or your lippie and just want a subtle pop of colour to your cheeks. It’s a good staple to have in your collection.

The third choice I have been grabbing for of late is a blush I actually spoke about in My Everyday Makeup Routine here.

This is the Catrice Illuminating Blush in 030 ‘Kiss Me Ken’.

This is a more mauvey toned blush I think, with just a little sparkle running through it.

I tend to grab for this when I’m going for a mauve toned lip, which I have been loving at the minute. I think the similar tone of colour on the cheeks and lips go well together.3

Number 4 is the priciest of the bunch. It’s £32 from Spacenk here.

This is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in ‘Diffused Heat’.

It looks pretty scary in the pan, right? But as you can see when it swatched on my arm, it’s a lovely peachy pink shade. You have a swirl of intense colour, but then you are kind of diluting it by mixing it with the lighting powder running through it. This is such a pretty shade and the formulation of these blushes are really lovely and so blendable too. I use this blush alot when I’m going for more of a fresh face approach to my makeup, if that makes sense? :p

I left this blush until last, because it’s really the one I reach for the most.

This is the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in 15 ‘Seductive Pink’.

The beauty community went nuts when Max Factor first released these blushes, as they are such a lovely and affordable alternative to the Hourglass offerings that I talked about a minute ago. I think Seductive Pink is a blush everyone should have in their collection if I’m being honest. It’s just a great all rounder, and ticks all the boxes for me. It’s pink, but has a rosey tone to it aswell, it’s not completely matte, but it doesn’t interfere with your makeup at all, it will work on so many skin tones, it works with all types of makeup looks and the formula of Creme Puff blushes is so lovely as well. They’re soft, pigmented and easy to blend. Can you tell I love it? 🙂 You can pick it up from Boots here

Do you have a favourite blush or blushes that you reach for constantly? Do you even rate blush?

Let me know 🙂

xxx

October 14, 2015/6 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector-Champagne Pop

I already harped on about my go to highlighter, the Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer not too long ago here. And then I get my greedy little mitts on this.

The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in the Shade ‘Champagne Pop’.

‘Champagne Pop’ is in collaboration with American YouTuber Jaclyn Hill. If you are a YouTube makeup tutorial fan, you already know who Jaclyn Hill is, but if not, she is a Florida based makeup artist turned YouTube makeup guru with millions of people subscribed and watching her makeup tutorials here, including little old me 🙂

We have Becca here in Ireland. Spacenk sell it as well as Mise Beauty. It’s a gorgeous makeup brand that originated in Australia. They already have some beautiful skin perfectors in their collection i.e highlighters, but ‘Champagne Pop’ is the newest one on the block. Unfortunately for us it is a Sephora exclusive, so all us Irish fans had to beg steal and borrow to be the proud owners 🙂

‘Champagne Pop’ is a powder highlight with a peach/champagne tone to it.

I’ve never owned a Becca Skin Perfector, and now after owning this, I want them all. It glides onto the skin beautifully and is pigmented from the first swipe.

But obviously you can build it up to whatever intensity you desire.

It’s gives such a pretty glow to the skin. It shines rather than sparkles if that makes sense? And I love it for this. The peachy shade works on Mac NC20 pale skin, and I have seen others using it with lighter and darker skin tones online and it works just as well.

I apply it with something like this little duo fibre brush from Nima

I dip it in lightly.

Then apply a couple of light layers to the tops of my cheeks. I’m not going to call them cheekbones because my cheeks are way to chubby for that 🙂

It leaves you with a lovely champagne shine to your skin as you can see.

Like Mary-Lou, as well as being an absolutely beautiful highlight on the face, Champagne Pop applies just as lovely on the eyes either on the lids as a peachy pop or in the inner tear ducts to open up the eyes. I use a Nima concealer brush for this or a pencil brush.

I like to apply a little on my cupids bow too if I’m feeling really fancy 🙂

My skin has a tendency to ‘eat up makeup’. It just soaks in and begins to disappear after a while. I find that ‘Champagne Pop’ does stay put well on me. And even at the end of the day when the oils are after coming through on my skin (shine in the wrong places) I can still see highlighter on my cheeks. For me, this is rare. Mary-Lou Manizer and Champagne Pop have been the only highlighter I have ever owned to stand the test of time on my oily skin.

I can’t really say anything bad about this product except I wish it was easier to get hold of. There has been talk online though about Champagne Pop coming to Europe though, so if it does, run out and buy it, you won’t be disappointed 🙂

I got Champagne Pop direct from Sephora and it cost $38. It is now part of the Becca permanent line and you can buy in Spacenk and on their website.

xxx

September 15, 2015/3 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Nars Dual Intensity Blush In Adoration

Nars have been doing the rounds with their Dual Intensity collections for a while now. I have the Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette which I reviewed here a while back and love. They also have individual shadows which are pretty gorgeous too.

The whole point of calling them dual intensity is that you can use them wet or dry, but they look fab either way, just much more in your face when dampened.

I really wanted to try the blush duos when they came out because I loved the shadows so much. So, I grabbed just one of the Nars Dual Instensity Blush Duos, (they’re expensive), and that was in the shade ‘Adoration’.

As you can see this is a pretty pink pairing. In the usual Nars sleek rubber packaging.

There is obviously a much pinker powder on the right of the palette which of course is your blush. But you also get a much lighter pink highlight shade too.

The shades in the Nars Dual Intensity Blush duos are super pigmented.

They’re also really easy to blend.

The blush shade is a what I would describe as a hot pink shade, and the highlight is lovely and shiny without being too glittery.

As I mentioned you can use the powders as is or you can also use them wet so here they are swatched.

Dry:

Swatched Wet:

You can see there’s definitely more intensity from dampening the product. I don’t know if you would want your blush this crazy though, or maybe you would? 🙂

As lovely as the ‘Adoration’ shades are, I don’t see myself grabbing for the duo alot. I think the blush is so super pigmented, that it doesn’t lend itself to everyday makeup wearing, for me anyway. Of course, they can be blended out, but if I’m in a hurry to get out the door in the morning I tend to choose something a bit more wearable.

The Nars Dual Intensity Blush duos come in an array of different colours, six to be exact.

You can pick them up from Brown Thomas and they cost €39.

August 20, 2015/5 Comments/by Gem