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If you follow me on social media, you’ll know instead of giving big gifts this year myself and my family went to Spain for the week of Christmas. We had a really great time. The weather was so good to us and we spent most of Christmas day in the ocean, so I ain’t complaining 🙂 I did by myself some goodies  throughout the week though so I thought I would compile them into a holiday haul if you fancy a rummage.

Time ran away with me in the airport and I was gutted I didn’t get to shop in the Loop, I’ll just have to be sure I make up for it next time I fly.

We went to Lanzarote which is a tax free Canary Island. There’s not a whole load to be buying there, it’s a very holiday orientated town, so lots of tourist shops and the likes. Perfume is a good chunk cheaper there though, so I made sure to stock up on a few.

Don’t laugh, but I bought Britney Spears Fantasy.

irish beauty blogBritney Spears FantasyThis is the only celebrity perfume that I’ve ever really bothered with throughout the years. It smells like sweets, I was feeling nostalgic and it was only €15 🙂

My brother and John (the other half) know I love Lady Million from Paco Rabanne, so I got a couple of bottles to keep me going ha!

lady million paco rabanneI bought another nostalgic perfume for myself. I use to wear this so much when I was younger. It’s Gucci Rush.

irishbeautybloggucci rush 2Luckily it was cheap, because I think I’ve grown out of the scent now…typical.

My fanciest pressie to myself was a bottle of Tom Ford Velvet Orchid. Well in Dublin this would be the fanciest, this set me back less than 40 euro over there which I don’t think is bad at all.

irish beauty blogtom ford velvet orchidThis is a cologne. And it would be classed as a unisex fragrance. John has Black Orchid, and I adore it, Velvet Orchid would be a ever so slightly sweeter version in my opinion, but still a very musky night time fragrance.

Of course there’s a big Zara where we were, it’s a Spanish company, so I had to have a look. I ended up only picking up two things. A dark green faux leather over the shoulder handbag, with gold hardware. Very Chloe-esque I thought?

zara green bagAnd a long sleeved wool jumper of all things! I couldn’t leave this behind though 🙂

zara jumper #instamood From one of the little boutique shops on the strip, I bought this really cute delicate rose gold plated bracelet.

christmas holidau haul

If you’ve been to Lanzarote, you will know they have a stand alone Flormar store there, which is pretty cool. The brand has just been reintroduced here in Ireland, so I had to take a look and pick up a few bits. On a side note, they had different more seasonal products within the store, but the price point was the same as Ireland.

flormar irelandI got their Matte Velvet Mattifying Foundation. This is in Vanilla, but it’s a good bit darker than my skin tone (my fault), so I’ll have to keep it for when I have tan on.

irish makeup and beauty blogI got one of their nail polishes, this colour is just unusual and caught my eye. it has a duochrome effect.

irish makeup and beauty bloggerflormar irish beauty blogI get searches everyday here on beautynook for the Flormar Lip Primer, so I had to pick one up and give it a try.

flormar lip primerI bought one of their eye primers too.

makeup and beauty blog irelandflormar eye primerI liked this one because it has a concealing effect on the eyelid, so it will cover imperfections.

beauty blogger irelandThis eyeshadow stick was from their Christmas collection and I just thought the colour was so pretty. The formula is really nice too.

beauty blog irelandtop irish beauty blogirish beauty blog

This twist up lipstick in the colour raspberry and I have 20 lippies in the same colour but I couldn’t resist. Love the packaging too.

top irish beauty blogbeauty blog irelandbeauty blogger irelandThe last thing I bought was a baked eyeshadow which they call a Diamonds Terracotta Eyeshadow.

beauty blogmakeup and beauty blog

Upon swatching it, I see it as more of glitter to apply over other shadows to add a bit of sparkle. I’d like to mix it with a bit of Inglot’s Duraline too and see what happens (I have a review of Duraline here 🙂

makeup haul ireland

I bought a couple of random things on the strip too which we can get here easily, but sure I was on a spending roll so I just kept going 🙂

catrice makeup irelandI had just run out of primer so I thought I would give the Catrice Prime and Fine one a trial.

catrice irish beauty blogI also got a Catrice Beautyifying Lip Smoother. This is really similar to the Clarins Lip Perfector and a quarter of the price. There’s a few shades to choose from too.

Catrice Beautifying Lip Smoother

catrice makeup irelandThe one I picked up is in the shade Coffee To Go.

makeup blog ireland

I got a couple of Essence Longlasting Lipliners in the same place. The formula of these is actually pretty great!

essence makeup ireland lip linersThe pink shade is called Sweetheart and the peachy one is called Peach Beauty.

irish blog beautynook

The last thing I got is from a brand I’ve never used before. This is the Palladio Crushed Metallic Eyeshadow.

palladio crushed metal eyeshadow irelandirish makep blogmakeup blog irelandI swatched all the colours of these and I really regret now not picking up more, but I settled on this burnt bronze colour in Eclipse.

palaThere you have it, my holiday haul. All of the goodies I crammed into my suitcase and brought home to Ireland 🙂

Hope you had a brilliant Christmas (and new year). Hope 2016 is the most exciting year yet 🙂

xxx

 

 

Beautynook Top 5 Mac Lipsticks

I could probably make a list like this at least once a year. I know Mac lippies are a bit expensive and other more afforable brands do brilliant alternatives that I have and love, but Mac lipsticks were the first ‘higher end’ makeup I ever owned. I love going into Mac full stop, but coming home with a sleek black bullet full of colour just gets me so excited and less face it they do great lipsticks. You can pick them up in Brown Thomas or in some BT2 and they are priced at 19.50 euro.

So I wanted to compile my top 5 for you. I thought 5 was a manageable number and I could get a good range of colours and finishes into the list, in case you are a Mac newbie or you are just looking for a new one to add to your collection 🙂 I will disclaim and say I am not really a nude lip gal. I have a couple of more nude options in my Mac collection like ‘Lovelorn’ and ‘Myth’ but they don’t really get a whole load of love. I wanted to be honest with my picks, so if you only wear nude lippies…I’m sorry 🙁

First up, I have probably the most wearable out of my 5 picks.

Mac Plumful

This is ‘Plumful’. This is a lustre finish lipstick. You can see from the bullet this is well loved by me.

Mac Plumful

It is a modest berry colour, that I think would suit a multitude of people. It has a lovely sheen to it with it being a lustre, so gloss does not have to be added if you like a glossy finish. It goes with any kind of makeup look and is so easy to wear, you can slap this on on the way out the door and you don’t need to worry about it. It last reasonably well too and will leave a hint of a stain behind when it starts to wear.

Next up I have Plumful’s more intense cousin 🙂

Mac Rebel

This is Rebel and this is a Satin finish lipstick.

mac Rebel

I have blabbed about Rebel a good bit since I have added it to my collection. It’s a medium to dark berry toned shade depending on how intensely you apply it and is cool toned. With it being a Satin finish, it is not completely matte, it has a subtle shine to it which makes it comfortable to wear. I love Rebel for a dramatic night out with minimal makeup, it really makes a statement. If you like a dark lip Rebel is a good option to have in my opinion, I get alot of wear out of it. Again, it lasts really well and is easy to touch up throughout the night or day as the Satin formula doesn’t cling too much to the lips.

‘Girl About Town’ is one of my favourite lipsticks ever ever ever.

Mac Girl About Town

Growing up, I had crap teeth, so in my teens and early 20’s I didn’t experiment with lipstick alot because I didn’t want to bring attention to them. A few years ago I got Invisalign (best thing I ever did). After a few months my teeth were straight and my lipsticks stash started to grow and grow. Girl About Town was one of the first intense colours I ever bought and will always hold a special place in my heart.

It is an Amplified finish.

Mac Girl About Town

This means it packs a bold punch, a little goes a long way. It is a fuschia pink with blue undertones, hello whiter teeth! Although it is nearly a matte formula when on, it’s a creamy lipstick and glides onto the lips really well. I love this shade, it makes you look brighter whatever your skin tone. If you don’t have it, swatch it the next time you are in Mac, it is really worth the look.

 

The last two on this Mac lipstick journey are matte formula lipsticks.

First up is ‘Lady Danger’.

Mac Lady Danger

Lady Danger is one of the coolest lipsticks I own ever, full stop!

Mac Lady Danger

It is bold, it is rich, it is orangey red and it has warm undertones, so not for the faint hearted. I think it is alot more orange than red, but I suppose it depends on who is wearing it that determines that. On me (Mac NC20) it is more orange. Lady Danger lasts a really long time on the lips. Although it’s matte its not the most drying lipstick I have ever used, it doesn’t cling too badly if your lips are not in tip top condition. Not for everyone I know, but I just love it 🙂

 

My last choice is a no brainer. Mac do red lipsticks and they do them well, so one had to creep it’s way into my top 5.

Mac Riri Woo

This is their Retro-Matte lipstick in ‘Riri Woo’.

Mac Riri Woo

This is the red that they collaborated with Rihanna on, but ‘Ruby Woo’ from the permanent collection is pretty much the same when applied, the packaging just pulled me in on this one.

Riri Woo is the perfect cool toned matte red lipstick. It is pigmented beyond belief but it is one of the most drying lipsicks you will ever use. You need to be prepared for that. It lasts for ages too and will stain the lips as it wears but if your lips begin to dry or flake you will feel it and notice it and it won’t be pretty, so you do have to keep an eye on your lips throughout the day or night. It is best applied with a lip brush for precise application as it can drag the lips a bit.

I sound a bit negative saying all of that, but it is so worth it for the lip colour you get in return, just prepare in advance for it!

There you have it. My top 5 Mac lipsticks. I am always in the market for more favourites, so be sure to tell me yours.

xxx

 

 

 

 

Orange Lip Products

I have already listed some favourite red lipsticks here, pink lipsticks here and even some bolder darker choices here. So I thought the natural progression would be…some oranges. I pick up an orange number more than you would think on a day to day basis, it can really brighten up a look, and make it fresh and interesting. Like any lippies you can go wild and full on or you can do it under stately. It all depends on your preference, or what mood you are in that day 🙂

I picked 5 from my collection that should cover all bases when it comes to finish, pigment, glossy and matte.

First up is an offering from Shiseido.

Shisedo OR418

This is in the Shade OR418

Shiseido

Shiseido OR418

This is a glossy but pigmented lippie. I actually got this in one of my Chic Treat Club boxes and I have gotten so much use out of it. It’s a lovely true orange shade, that’s moisturising on the lips and is really easy to wear. Really need to try more Shiseido, it’s so readily available in Irish pharmacies.

Next up is more of a sheer orange gloss in the form of Revlon’s Colorstay Moisture Stain.

Revlon Moisture Stain 025 Cannes Crush

This is in the shade 025 Cannes Crush

revlon cannes crushRevlon ColorStay Moisture Stain 025 Cannes CrushThis is a more subdued peachy orange for those of you who just want a hint of a tint. The great thing about the Revlon Moisture Stains is that when the non sticky gloss wears off they still leave you with a bit of colour on your lips. They are so easy to wear too and the doe foot applicator is small and nifty so the product is really easy to apply.

I picked a peachy shade for my next choice. I know everyone doesn’t want bright shiny or orangey lips.

This is one of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 04 Peach Club

This is in the shade 04 Peach Club

04 peach clubBourjois Rouge Edition Velvet 04 Peach Club

The camera makes these come up shiny but I promise they’re matte 🙂 I’ve waffled on about these Rouge Edition Velvet’s before so I won’t bore you with the details. This colour is so wearable for all skin types. It really brightens up a look without looking like you tried too hard, and believe me these last all day too.

I choose probably one of the most infamous shades to talk about next. You cannot talk about orange lip products without having this involved.

Mac Lipstick Lady Danger

This is of course Mac’s Lady Danger

Lady DangerMac Lady Danger

When you want to make a statement you wear this…simple. It is a vibrant red toned orange lipstick of loveliness. If you like a bold lip, and don’t have Lady Danger, add it to your shopping list, you won’t be disappointed. Just looking at it in the bullet gets me all a flutter 🙂

My last choice here in orange heaven is of the pink toned variety for again the girls who don’t want to go full on orange.

Sleel Matte Me 434 Party Pink

This is one of the Sleek Matte Me Lip Creams in 434 Party Pink

434 Party PinkSleek Matte Me 434 Party Pink

When they say these are matte, they really really mean it. I had left this one until last to swatch and my lips just shrivelled up, so apologies. You can still see the colour though. It’s a gorge pinky orange shade, that would be perfect for the warmer weather. Some tinted moisturiser, mascara and Party Pink would be the perfect pool party combo. It’s such a fun colour. Just be sure to exfoliate and moisturise the lips before applying 🙂

I picked 5, but I really could have picked 10. You would have been here all night reading about orange lipsticks though and I am sure you don’t want that.

Some food for thought anyway and all of these are readily available in Boots, Brown Thomas (for Mac of course) and pharmacies nationwide.

Cheers,

Gemma

xxx