finish Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Brow Routine Updated

I sound dramatic when I say I get a lot of questions about my brow routine. But, it’s actually probably my most asked beauty question.

My eyebrows have come such a long way in the past couple of years. I was definitely one of the ‘tadpole’ brow crew. We started in our teens and we just continued on plucking and plucking and never looking back 🙂 With the help of YouTube videos and the awesome brow gals at Benefit though, I finally gotten a handle on filling them in.

Unfortunately my natural eyebrows are left in a bit of a wreck from over plucking. I did get a stem cell treatment done last year that definitely helped them fill out a bit, but as you can see, a decent brow routine is completely necessary for me.

As I say in the video, I am no expert and my brows are not perfect, nor are they twins. But I’ve come to terms with that and just do them to the best of my ability. I’ve gotten better over the years, so maybe this time next year I’ll be even more accomplished 🙂

My brow routine is probably the longest part of my makeup application and I’m completely ok with that. I think they’re the most important part for me, and I kind of build everything else around them. I do use and excessive amount of products I know.

However, I get super oily in that area of my face throughout the day, so pencil alone just doesn’t cut it for me! And I use two brow gels to add texture, and to set everything too.

I’m not listing products here, because I feel this video is more about how rather than what I use. But if you want to know about anything specific, just ask 🙂

Let me know what you think and as always thanks for clicking.

Gemma

xxx

**PR SAMPLES INCLUDED*

July 18, 2018/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation

The LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation landed here in Ireland before you could even get your hands on it anywhere else in Europe. I was lucky enough to go to the launch of it here in Dublin, so I got to bring a bottle of it home to try out.

According to the brand, the LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation gives a ‘suede like finish to the skin’. ‘Has buildable coverage for both day and night’. And is a ‘paraben free formula’.

I have the shade Natural.

Looking at the shades at the event, Ivory was too light and the other shades after that were a bit too yellow for my skin. Natural is a bit too dark, but it was the most suited out of the lighter colours. We have 14 shades to choose from here in Ireland.

It comes in a glass bottle and have a pump, that alone impresses me, I won’t lie 🙂

On me, the LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation definitely has a more medium to full coverage. It’s not super thick though like some more full coverage foundations can be. The formula definitely does dry down to a suede like finish as the brand suggests. So although it’s more matte, it’s not gonna crack if you smile matte 🙂

I have oily skin. I know I say it constantly, but especially for foundation reviews it’s really important to note. Generally, I use a more silicone heavy primer, as I find they are the ones that work best for my skin type. I actually used the LA Girl one here which I really like.

I use a synthetic kabuki brush to apply it and again that works well for me too. The formula is pretty pigmented so you really have to work it into the skin, so a more dense brush makes things easier. I find the formula can cling to more drier skinned areas so that is something to note. That’s why I think the more silicone heavy primers work better with it. It gives it a bit more of a slippy base. Once I use one though it glides over enlarged pores and doesn’t sit in fine lines either. I don’t apply foundation on or around my eyes.

On me, the coverage is medium, but I can amp it up to more full where I want it. It covers redness and slight pigmentation. My darker freckles come through but I am completely ok with that. I love that the finish, although matte, has a satin feel and look to it. It’s not just completely flat. I think it photographs really well too. It lasts well on my skin once I prime and lightly powder. I can get 6-8 hours out of it, with minimal shine or breakdown. It honestly competes with my very favourite L’Oréal Infallible 24 HR Matte in that department!

Overall, I am a big fan of the LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation. It has made it’s way into my everyday foundation rotation. Yes I have one of those 🙂 You can find it now in store from LA Girl stockists. Online from TRNDbeauty, and Beauty Bay. Have you picked it up yet?

xxx

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March 23, 2018/by Gem

Makeup

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer

I have been using the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer on and off for a few months now. It’s high time I tell you my thoughts on it 🙂

Off the bat I will say if you are looking for a light, breathable foundation, stop reading now. The Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer is not for you I’m afraid. If you like a more high coverage foundation, or perhaps you need something for a special occasion, then keep reading.

First up, I have to say I am not particularly a fan of the packaging of the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer. I like the glass bottle, yes. But, it comes with a doe foot applicator attached to the lid. (Like the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation I talked about here). I am just not really a fan. I don’t tend to complain when there’s one on concealer but I like to decant my foundation onto my hand myself and apply.

My relationship with it is a bit mixed. It’s quite thick, (not as thick as the Estée Lauder Double Wear for example though). You can have it at medium or full on coverage.

I have the shade Alabaster. It goes on a little darker than my skin tone initially, but does blend in and match quite well after a few minutes. It has a more emollient texture, which for me, with more oily skin can be quite problematic as it can be hard to blend. If you have drier skin, the texture might work in your favour though. As you can probably see from the swatch here, it does gather in fine lines, so you do have to be careful and make sure to blend really well. I would definitely recommend using a primer before application as it will help with the settling. Once you work it into the skin it though, I don’t find it too heavy or uncomfortable.

If you have redness, slight rosacea or acne scarring, it will cover well and you can build it up on the areas you want more coverage. I don’t tend to bring it up to the eye area too much though, as it does settle. But if you don’t have that problem, it will work well for under eye concealing. The emollient texture means it’s not too drying. The staying power is decent too. I do always use primer and powder with it.

For me, I found I like this foundation mixed with something else. So I will add it to another foundation to bump up the coverage. I don’t like the finish on my skin by itself. That’s obviously just personal preference though. If you are looking for something with high coverage and you don’t mind having to work with it a bit, the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer could be for you.

You can find it online here, or in store from Brown Thomas, Arnotts and even Boots. Have you tried it?

xxx

December 18, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation

One of my favourite, more affordable foundations for a long time, before I believe it was discontinued. (Damn them!), was the Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude. It was the one with the white top not the red one. I liked it the best because it wasn’t as thick, but it still gave decent coverage and lasted well on my oily skin. Their newest member of the range is the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation.

First up, I got this pretty early on, I hadn’t seen much media hype about it. It took me a long time to figure out how to open the bottle. Yes, it took me longer than necessary to realise you have to twist the cap, not pull it. It has a doe foot applicator, not a pump like it’s predecessors. Not my favourite choice of application, but each to their own. You can dispense it onto your hand or a palette and use it that way if you prefer.

According to Rimmel, the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation: ‘Perfects your skin with light to medium buildable coverage. It is enriched with breathable skin technology and moisturises for up to 25h. Up to SPF 20.’

If you’re familiar with Rimmel foundations, you will be familiar with the scent. The flowery aroma is something to be weary of, it can be quite overwhelming at first, although it does die down as the product settles.

For me, this foundation definitely has a light but buildable coverage. It dries down more matte in finish than I expected it to. I’ve read other reviews and they said it gave a satin finish on their skin. Obviously all of this beauty talk is subjective. On me, it definitely has more of a semi-matte finish. I have the shade 101 Classic Ivory which matches my skin tone pretty well. It’s a little more warmer than my bare skin. I prefer this, as it makes me look less pink 🙂

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation_2946

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation_2949

It covers redness and slight imperfections, not so great with deep pores or wrinkles. The wear time on me is pretty good, although if you have more dry skin it’ll be even better. Overall, I rate is as a grand foundation. I don’t really get the breathable aspect of it though? It’s not super heavy on the skin, but you definitely know it’s there. Also, if you have a drier skin type, and are looking for a more radiant finish, this definitely won’t work either. I’ll for sure get wear out of it as a day time foundation. But, I’m not head over heels in love with it.

You can find the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation available in store from Boots and online here now. And I found it for the cheapest price online from a reputable retailer from Feel Unique here.

Have you tried it?

xxx

November 29, 2017/by Gem

Makeup, Youtube Video

Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipstick

Myself and the Rouge Edition Velvets go way back! They’re one of my favourite liquid lip formulas. However, as much as I love liquid lipstick for it’s longevity, it’s not always the most comfortable formula to wear. This is where the new Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipstick comes in.

I wasn’t in the market for more lipstick, I have to be honest. I have ALOT. And most of the time when new collections come out, they are in the same standard colour ways to all of the other lipstick collections. This makes it hard for me to splurge and buy more than one for review purposes. But so many people have been saying such good things about the Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipstick formula. I couldn’t resist. I was also lucky to pick up fives shades from my awesome friends in Siopaella. They often have deadly beauty deals in their Cecilia street store.

Not to sound dramatic or anything, but I am pretty blown away by the formula of these lipsticks. They are so soft and buttery and so bloody pigmented from the first swipe. Pictures are all well and good most of the time, but I wanted to capture the formula at work in video form too. So have a click here to see them in action on the lips.

I have quick arm swatches here too and close ups of the colours so all angles are covered 🙂

The bullet of the lipsticks is a tear shape which (in theory), makes it easier to hug the lips. Although you’ll see in the video, I have a tough time keeping the lipstick within my lip line. They’re just so darn pigmented!

We have 02 Flamingo’rose.

03 Hyppink chic.

05 Brique-à-brac.

08 Rubi’s cute.

10 Magni-fig.

The Bourjois Rouge Velvet The Lipsticks are retailing for €12.99 from Boots at the moment. I’ve spotted them online for cheaper on Feel Unique here.

Have you tried them?

xxx

November 21, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Estèe Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation

First thing to get out of the way. Estèe Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation is like the original Double Wear in packaging only!

I’m actually not too crazy about the packaging. The glass bottle is fine, but you don’t get a pump with it. You can buy one separately now, bit I think that’s a bit of a farce to be honest. Having to pay another 6 quid just so you can pump the product! I tend to just use my fingers. I find I waste less product if I just decant it on my finger rather than the top of my hand or a surface.

The Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation comes in a 30ml bottle and has a light fluid texture. This makes complete sense as it is deemed a ‘water fresh makeup’. The coverage in my humble opinion is light-medium. You can definitely build it up to a good medium though. It contains SPF 30, anti oxidants and protects against environmental damage.

If you are looking for hardcore coverage like the original, you definitely won’t like this offering. To be honest, nowadays the original would be too much for me. It’s just too thick. I do enjoy the Light version though and have picked that up a few times over the past couple of years.

After speaking to some fellow makeup lovers about the Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude. I can definitely say there is mixed opinions about it. Some love it and some just can’t get it to work for them at all. So, I can only give you my thoughts on it and how it works for me. I have oilier skin, but as I get older, I have definitely noticed more dehydration creeping its way in too. Generally, I use primer, setting powder and then setting spray. I would use them everyday I wear makeup. With my usual product concoction, the Double Wear Nude works really for me as an everyday foundation. It has a really nice light weight feel to it, and blends out really nicely.

I find it evens out my skin tone really well. I use the shade 1N2 Ecru. The finish on my skin would be semi-matte.

It lasts really well on me. I can go out all day safe in the knowledge that’ll it stay put, more or less. It doesn’t settle in lines or oxidise. I know I really like it because I haven’t been afraid to use instead of my holy grail foundation the L’Oréal Infallible 24HR Matte (review here).

Overall, I am a big fan of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude. It works really well for me. I picked mine up in Duty Free. You would have seen that haul video here. The cheapest I can find it online at the minute is from Debenhams here. At the moment it is €36. It is usually €40 in most places though.

Have you tried it?

xxx

November 1, 2017/1 Comment/by Gem

Posts

I sound dramatic when I say I get a lot of questions about my brow routine. But, it’s actually probably my most asked beauty question.

Let me know what you think and as always thanks for clicking.

Gemma

xxx

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

Overall, I am a big fan of the LA Girl Pro Matte Foundation. It has made it’s way into my everyday foundation rotation. Yes I have one of those 🙂 You can find it now in store from LA Girl stockists. Online from TRNDbeauty, and Beauty Bay. Have you picked it up yet?

xxx

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

Off the bat I will say if you are looking for a light, breathable foundation, stop reading now. The Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer is not for you I’m afraid. If you like a more high coverage foundation, or perhaps you need something for a special occasion, then keep reading.

You can find it online here, or in store from Brown Thomas, Arnotts and even Boots. Have you tried it?

xxx

Have you tried it?

xxx

First thing to get out of the way. Estèe Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation is like the original Double Wear in packaging only!

Have you tried it?

xxx

**PR SAMPLES INCLUDED*

PR SAMPLE