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I definitely need more Makeup Geek products in my life! But, I am really happy with everything I have bought so far. The quality in my humble opinion is really great, as is the price point. Although, shipping from America is a pain for us Irish. Beauty Bay now stock the brand (albeit a bit more expensively). But sure look, I won’t get into that now 🙂

makeup geek favourites

I thought I would do a post of my most used eye products from the Makeup Geek brand. I love everything I have but these are five (yep for some reason five is my go to number for things like this :)) that I reach for a lot :).

I managed to whittle it down to two eyeshadow pigments and 3 single eyeshadows.

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The first pigment is ‘Enchanted’.
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This is just the most beautiful shimmery pinky purple colour. What a description I know! But it looks more pink or more purple depending on the light and if you use a base underneath it. I feel like this shade brings out the green in my hazel eyes which I really like. It packs a punch but isn’t too in your face or dramatic.

The second pigment is ‘Insomnia’.
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This for me is like Mac ‘Club’ eyeshadow taken to the next level. This does actually come in eyeshadow form in the Manny Palette from Makeup Geek. It is the coolest green brown duo chrome pigment. You can just use this on your eyes and be good to go. Depending on how you blend it or what base you use, Insomnia looks either more green or more brown with an iridescent shine to it. It’s probably one of my all time favourite eye products…ever!

makeup geek eyeshadow

My three eyeshadow favourites came from my neutral Makeup Geek eyeshadow stash! I went with:

‘Peach Smoothie’ which is a matte light peach colour.
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I think of this as like my eyeshadow eraser. I use it before I blend any colour in to the crease so they have something to blend into. I also use it after to diffuse the colour and make it more gradient.

‘Cocoa Bear’ is a warm rich matte, medium brown shade.

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I use this shadow for everything. All over the lid, in the crease if I want to add some warmth. But, I particularly like adding some blown out under the lash line to add a bit of interest to a simple (or, not so simple look).

My last choice is the foiled eyeshadow ‘In The Spotlight’.

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When I don’t know what I want to do with my eye makeup but I know I want to make an effort, this is my go to shade.

Foiled shadows are like a mixture between a cream and a powder and they have a metallic finish. ‘In The Spotlight’ is a shiny peachy coral-ly shade. Another great description Gemma 🙂 This is just the prettiest all over the lid shade, or it works great as an inner corner highlight. Depending on how much shine you want you can use this with a wet or a dry brush. Or you can be super lazy and just use your finger to pat it on. It works great like that too.

makeup geek eyeshadows ireland

So there you have it. My five most used Makeup Geek eye products. Honestly, I love them 🙂

What’s your favourite? I need an excuse to go shopping 🙂

xxx

 

  I said I would make these lists every so often when affordable brands make things that really float my boat. This post is going to run through five budget brown eyeliners that I have been reaching for of late for different reason.

Budget Brown eyeliners

I am going through a bit of a brown liner phase. Black has eluded me. I will go back to it I am sure, but for now I am enjoying the less intense look that brown eyeliner gives to the eyes.

I chose five budget brown eyeliners that I have been legit reaching for daily for different reasons.

budget brown eyeliners

Number one is the Maybelline Color Show Kohl in 410.

maybelline ireland
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I talk more about these here. I like using this to smoke out the lash line. It’s really soft and doesn’t really set very quickly, so you get alot of play time with it. I think a dark brown kohl liner is always handy to have in your makeup stash.

My next two budget brown eyeliner picks are both from Essence.

Their Extreme Lasting Eye Pencil in 05 ‘Rockin’ Taupe’ is a newer favourite. This is part of the Essence Autumn Winter Collection. I did a whole blog post about the collection not too long ago here.

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This is more grey toned shimmery taupe colour. Again, this works well in the waterline if you want to darken things up a little more , but still want the look to remain soft. I love using it all over the lid too as an eyeshadow base. It blends really nicely but sets too. So it helps your shadows last longer and adds a little something more to the look.

The is the Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in 19 ‘Hot Scorch’. I love these retractable liners. I talk more about them here.

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This particular one is a nice warm bronze shimmery shade that lasts particularly well in the waterline. I love this when I just want to add a bit of something there without looking too ‘done’ or dark. It looks fab swept on the top or bottom lash line too. And it is super cheap!

My last two picks are of the darker brown variety.

The first one is actually from one of the trio of Shimmer Strips from Physicians Formula. I think this one is from the Warm Nudes Trio. You can buy them from Dolledup.ie here.

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At €16.90 these are definitely the priciest of the bunch, but you do get three liners for that. This is like a blackened brown colour, so probably the darkest of the bunch aswell. This is such an easy kajal liner to use. The thick conical shape of it makes it super handy to get into the lash line. I wouldn’t be using this for a thin defined line. This is more of I want to do a brown smoky eye look. I would use this as a shadow base or on top to darken things up and on the waterline too.

My last pick is a gel liner that is another new edition to my makeup collection.

This is the Flormar Gel Eyeliner in ‘Bole Brown’. This comes with a brush in the lid too which isn’t half bad at all.

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beauty blog ireland
flormar ireland

It’s a nice chocolatey brown that you can build up the opacity with. I find gel liners a bit scary sometimes, so I like that this can be layered and if I do mess it up (which I do…alot). I can fix it before things get too full on in the liner department 🙂 It sets and works really well in the water line too. You can get it on SimplyFoxy here or any Flormar stockists for €7.95.

Here they all are swatched in order left to right, just so you can get an idea of the difference in texture and colour.

brown eyeliner

And we’re done. Five Budget Brown Eyeliners to hopefully suit every need and taste 🙂

xxx

I have begun to do monthly favourites again on Beautynook a while ago now and am really enjoying it. It makes me extra conscious of products I continually pick up.

 

So, I thought I would start doing just general favourites too. Monthly ones can be for makeup, skincare and anything in between. These posts will be a little more theme driven. Hope that’s ok 🙂
So here’s five budget makeup products that have really been floating my beauty boat at the moment.

Budget Makeup Favourites

  1. The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Excuse the appearance of mine, unfortunately the writing on the tube doesn’t withstand much…touching really :p

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I used this years ago when it was all the rage and then just forgot to ever repurchase it, once I became a full on makeup fiend. Why, I don’t know, because it’s a bloomin’ good!

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I have the shade ‘Fair 1’ which brightens up my pale complexion really well.

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I do use this on it’s own and it works well. It has good coverage. But, most of the time I like to layer it over my Urban Decay Naked Concealer (I’ve a full review of this here). The Naked Concealer I have is too dark for me, so layering them on top of each other gives me hardcore under eye coverage and some brightness too. The consistency of the Lasting Perfection is really easy to blend so it’s works really well for layering. It’s a gem of a product. You can buy it from Boots here and it’ll set you back €5.79, not bad at all, right?

2. My second budget makeup favourite is what I use to apply the concealer with. It’s the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Again, mine has seen better days. But it means I do actually use it…alot!

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I’ve had a Beauty Blender in my stash since we were first able to get our hands on them here in Ireland and I do really love it. In in my humble opinion though, the Miracle Complexion Sponge is just as good! It melts both cream and powder products into the skin so you’re never left with cake face. And as an oily skinned gal who loves her powders for longevity, this is awesome for me.

I also love that it has a flat end and a more pointed end because it caters to all contours of the face.

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I’ve also jumped onto the ‘baking’ bangwagon of late, so this is perfect for applying powder under the eyes too. In fact, other than blush and of course whatever I apply on my eyes, I can pretty much do my whole face with this. My poor brushes don’t know what to do with themselves. I’ve just been having a real moment with my sponges 🙂 The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is €7.99 here from Boots. They also come in a double pack here too for €14.99.

3. This is another product I picked up first years ago, loved and then forgot about. This is the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer.

maybelline baby skin primer

This is very much the stereotypical silicone primer so it’s definitely a love hate thing. For me and my skin it work really well.

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I have large pores, so I need a primer that will glide over them and make them less visible. It has a matte finish too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a miracle worker or anything like that. But it does the job of holding onto my makeup for longer and gives a smoother base to work on top of. It’s something I’ve repurchased many times over the years and have never regretted it. It’s €11.49 again from Boots here.

4. Number 4 on my budget makeup list is the H&M ‘Sheer Tan’ Solar Flair Bronzing Powder.

h&M Sheer Tan BronzerH&M beauty

When I was in Oslo at the start of the year, I picked up lots of products from the H&M beauty line. Some just didn’t cut the mustard for me at all. This bronzer however, has remained in my everyday makeup stash and I reach for it alot.

H&M makeup

As the name would suggest it gives a sheer pop of colour.

budget makeup favourites

It’s has kind of a satin finish to it, but no shimmer or shine. it is really finely milled, so blends really smoothly and naturally onto the skin. Their bronzers come in 6 shades so there’s one to suit all and they cost €7.99. We can actually shop online from H&M now so here’s a link if you fancy a nose too 🙂

5. My last favourite is a new one to me, and the first product I’ve ever used from the Freedom brand. This is their Duo Brow Powder’.

freedom duo brow powder

They look really similar to the Anastasia Brow Duos, right?

freedom brow duo soft brown

I bought this on a whim from the Superdrug website. I did a quick google for colour swatches and thank god for fellow bloggers out there because it worked out really well for me. This is in the shade ‘Soft Brown’.

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I use the lighter shade to fill in my brows either on it’s own or over pencil, depending on the day. Then, the darker shade it great for adding dimension or filling in any gaps.

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The powders aren’t super opaque in colour when you swatch them, which would have put me off buying one in store.

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This is weirdly why I am enjoying them so much though. It actually means I don’t go over the top filling in my brows so they end up looking somewhat natural 🙂 You can buy them from Superdrug online here and they cost £3.

There you have it! Five Budget Makeup Favourites from me. These are products that I am using pretty much everyday right now and loving.
Let me know if you have any budget makeup favourites 🙂
xxx


 How about a long wearing matte cherry red lip choice for under a fiver?

I have here the Penneys (or Primark) red lip liner in number 05.

Penney's PS Love Lip Liner

Penneys do 4 shades in these P.S Love lip liners. I own them all and think they’re really great great for the price. They are pigmented, easy too apply and the won’t drag the bejesus outta your lips. Using a liner under your lipstick means you can even out your lip line, over draw slightly if you want and it will help any lip product you add on top last longer.

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05 is a true red colour, so of course you could easily get away with this on it’s own and it will only set you back €1.50. #bargain 🙂

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I wanted to pink it up a little, so I added ‘Cherry Picking’ by Wet n Wild into the mix.

Wet n Wild Megalast Cherry Pickingirish beauty blog beautynook

I adore these Wet n Wild Megalast matte lippies. I swatched and reviewed a whole slew of them here, including ‘Cherry Picking’. They cost €2.49 a pop, which is really brilliant value. They come in so many colours too, so there’s plenty to choose from. Wet n Wild is really handy to get hold of now in Ireland, with Penneys and so many pharmacies stocking the brand nationwide.

 

‘Cherry Picking’ is a red toned pink. And again this is a gorgeous shade all by itself.

You can see it here swatched beside the lip liner, it’s on the right hand side.

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When these are added together, I think they give the most beautiful pinky red shade, that would flatter so many skin shades.  Cherry Picking although matte like the liner, it has a more comfortable formula. I am loving this combo and I think it will definitely be a go to for me over the Christmas period 🙂

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I love a true red lip, it is so timeless and can dress up any look, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up even a little.

And the best news, both of these lip products together will cost you €3.99. None of us can argue with that can we?

Let me know what you think?

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Mac Pink Swoon

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

irish beauty blogPink Swoon Swatch

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.

Mac Springsheen blush

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

irish makeup and beauty blogSpringsheen swatch

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.

catrice blush kiss me ken

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

beauty blogkiss me ken swatch

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.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Diffused Heat

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

irish beauty blog beautynookDiffused Heat Swatch

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.

Max Factor Seductive Pink

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

beauty blog beautynookSeductive Pink Swatch

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

I popped up a post about the top five eyeshadow brushes to have in your collection last week here and it went down really well. So I thought I would add onto this and talk about my top five foundation brushes. Now I’m not saying you need five foundation brushes in your life, that’s just for beauty junkies like myself who just can’t stop buying them. I just thought I would list five different types of foundation brush that are on the market and explain a bit about them and you can just pick your favourite from the bunch…or all of them… it’s you prerogative really 🙂

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First up I have, the kabuki style brush.

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These come from all brands in all shapes and sizes.

kabuki brushes

They are a basically a tightly packed, (hopefully soft) synthetic foundation brush. They can apply alot of product and do it quickly and can be used to really buff foundation into the skin. These are probably my favourite type of foundation brush, as I have large pores and I find I can get the foundation into the pores really well with a kabuki brush and fill them in.

 

Next up is the old school flat foundation brush.

flat foundation brush

I only have one of these in my brush collection, because for me personally it’s not my favourite application tool.

real techniques

However alot of people love using this type of brush for applying foundation and then even using something like a beauty blender to work it into the skin more. For me, I feel a flat brush leaves the foundation sitting on your skin more, it tends to apply like a paint brush. I have oily skin, so for me especially this doesn’t bode to well throughout the day. Again, it’s just personal preference really 🙂

Here we have the stippling brush.

blank canvas cosmetics

The stippling brush is a duo fibred brush. This means it two different types of fibre within the same brush. It has denser (usually darker) bristles at the base of the brush, with lighter looser packed bristles at the top, which are again synthetic hairs. Synthetic bristles are much better for creams as the the product doesn’t soak into them and disappear as much as it would real hair.

zoeva stippling brush

A stippling brush as you would assume is softer on the top, so you can really massage your mug with it in whichever way you prefer depending on the pressure you use. You can kind of have the best of both worlds with it.

Buffing brushes are next in my top five.

buffing brushes

These are like a less densely packed kabuki brush.

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So they splay out more as you use them to work your foundation in. Because of this they give a less concentrated coverage, so a lighter coverage of product ensues 🙂

Ok the last brush I’m going to talk about is not a brush at all. But I wanted the title of the blog post to be the same as the eyeshadow one so apologies (I’m sad I know).

beauty blender

So makeup sponges!

Sponges have been used since the dawn of time to apply makeup so there’s nothing new here really.

You can buy packs of them in the euro shops for next to nothing. I personally would say dampen the sponge before you use it, it makes for a smoother application and it doesn’t suck up all your foundation. Sponges like the Beauty Blender and Real Techniques ones I have here market themselves to be dampened, but the cheaper one wouldn’t always tell you so tis’ a handy little tip. Sponges are a great tool for using after your foundation brush aswell, to just roll on your skin, and take up any excess product and just make sure your work is blended as much as it can be 🙂

 

So there you have a little synopses of  some of the foundation brushes on the market :p

Of course there is a million and one ways of doing it, this is just a break down of a few I have tried and tested.

Cheers for reading as always.

xxx