lash Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Essence Lash Princess Mascara Waterproof

Well hello there, it’s been a minute or two since I put fingers to keys and wrote a blogpost! Life, lack of creativity and well the lack of people tuning into them all contributed to it in all honesty. But sure no harm in letting my creative juices out every so often, I like writing 🙂 I picked up the new Essence Lash Princess Mascara, the waterproof version, pretty much upon its release. I always use waterproof mascara and people had such good things to say about the other formulas. And it was less than a fiver! I got mine in Penneys.

From the get go, the Essence Lash Princess Mascara (waterproof), was for me. I don’t use waterproof mascara, because I think I can dunk my head in water and be ok, although some formulas are reasonably good for that. I use it to hold a curl in my straight, boring lashes.

This mascara is quite a thick consistency and it has a bristle spoolie, which usually my lashes don’t like as much. In this instance they do though.

You get volume from the first application of this mascara. A lot of product goes on to your lashes. I don’t find that it weighs mine down in anyway, but it can clump. That is something to be wary of.

It provides volume and length really quickly and holds a curl, so it ticks all the lash boxes for me.

It can flake a little after a few hours of wear, but I don’t find that it transfers too much. I don’t use it on my bottom lashes, I find the wand to cumbersome for that. I stick to my trusted Mac Extended Play for that.

The Essence Lash Princess Mascara waterproof is a damn good mascara though. It gives maximum impact with very little effort. I curl my lashes and apply a couple of coats and I’m done. I don’t feel the need to layer too much more for a long, (well as long as my lashes can go) lashed look 🙂

Have you tried it yet? Are you a fan of the original? Let me know.

xxx

July 16, 2019/by Gem

Treatment

Getting a lash lift. My Experience

I just got my third lash lift and shared some of the experience on my Instagram, as I always do. There was lots of questions so I thought it might be worth doing a blogpost about my thoughts on it here.

I had my first one at the beginning of 2017 in the Vanity Rooms in Stepaside. They invited me out to try out their LVL lash lift. I was so excited because I have super straight lashes. It’s something I always moan about. If I want a curl to last, I have to use a decent lash curlers and then go in strong with the waterproof mascara to maintain it. I toyed with the idea of lash extensions. But I am too much of a picker, and I love eye makeup too much 🙂

Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)

So what is a lash lift? It’s basically a perm for your eyelashes. In my experience, it’s a three step process. I have had both LVL (a brand name of Nouveu lashes I believe), and then I was invited to try Yumi lashes too in Elysian Brows, it seems to work the same way for them all.

You’re prepped and your eyes are protected. A plastic shield is put on above the top lashes and then the lifting solution is applied in upwards motions moulding your lashes around the shield. Very gently and precisely I might add. That’s left to do it’s work, then removed. A setting solution is then applied and you let that do it’s thing. After that in most places, A tint is applied to make your lashes look darker and more defined.

A lash lift is not particularly a comfortable treatment. Your eyes are closed throughout and they are being prodded at, so going to a professional in my humble opinion is a must! It’s uncomfortable for sure, but it’s not painful, nor should it be.

It’s also way less maintenance than eyelash extensions. It’s just your own lashes curled, so you don’t have to maintain them necessarily, although it’s good to brush them through regularly and try not sleep on your face if you can 🙂 Some single lashes can go astray, so combing them through helps keep them on the curl and narrow ha! They say you don’t need mascara after getting it done, I use mascara to make them look more full and I get the six-ish weeks out of my treatment. Just don’t do anything crazy for the first 24 hours! You can of course purchase specific serums and mascaras in the salon that may help prolong the effects, I don’t do that myself.

A lash lift lasts as long as your natural lash cycle really, so it can be up to eight weeks. You’ll see the curl disappear, and you’ll want another one 🙂

My latest lash lift was in the Brow Boutique in Jervis Street shopping centre. At €55, it was the cheapest place I could find in the city with decent reviews and a reputable name. They did a great job and I’m super happy with the outcome. I would recommend all three salons.

If I can fork out the cash every six-eight weeks, it’s something I would definitely keep up! Have you had a lash lift? What has been your experience?

xxx

December 14, 2018/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup, Skincare

Beauty Shopping Current Lust List

I am back again with another beauty shopping lust list!! I can’t help myself, when the new products come rolling out, there’s always a few that take my extra fancy 🙂

Now unfortunately my ‘beauty budget’ doesn’t stretch really far, so I have to be selective on what I pick up. But I find curating a list of the new releases and explaining why I want them helps me to make a decision. And sure it might help you too! My last one was here if you fancy checking that out and I picked up a good few items from that.

First on my list is the new Urban Decay Born To Run Palette.

If you’ve been around these parts before you know I’m a huge UD fan. Not to say that everything they release I want, but this collection is very pretty. The palette and the eyeliners in particular are on my radar.

I love the concept of the packaging. All of the photos are holiday snaps from various Urban Decay employees. It’s meant to be the perfect palette to take with you on your travels. You can create a nude look and have options of pops of colour too. It just looks really my speed.

Next up is completely because of the colour. Beauty Blender have just released a sapphire blue blender!

I’ve been toying with getting an original Beauty Blender again for ages. I use to buy them all the time when they first came out. But, obviously they’re pricey and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is awesome and under half the price. I’d really like to compare them myself though.

My next beauty lust is a whole collection!

This lusting is completely based on aesthetics. It’s the Lancôme X Proenza Schouler collaboration. I saw this and shared it on Instagram weeks ago now and just haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.

This palette in particular looks right up my street!

Would be a complete beauty treat, but I’ll defo be going in to BT for an oul swatch asap 🙂

If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of the Pixi Glow Tonic, I did a post on it yonks ago here and I’m constantly replenishing it in my skincare stash. Well now they’ve only gone and released the Pixi Retinol Tonic.

Retinol as we know, helps the production of new skin cells. It’s basically vitamin A in topical form. It can help with fine lines, discolouration and even acne scars depending on the dosage.

My last beauty lusting is from a brand that is a tad controversial at the moment. But I have been waiting for this to launch forever, so I had to add it in. It’s the Kat Von D Lash Liner.

It’s such a cool, unique concept. A liquid liner for your waterline!! I know I’m a bit of a beauty geek, but this blows my mind and I think I just have to try it. I’ve read mixed reviews online, so I’m super curious to see if it actually lasts, or if it bleeds or makes loads of black gunk in the corners of your eyes 🙂

Oh, I’ll stop the beauty lusting there. Have you your eye on anything in-particular?

xxx

August 8, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Monthly Favourites, Youtube Video

April Favourites 2018

As I am writing this, the sun is shining and it’s May. Which means it’s officially Spring, which means no constant rain and being miserable…just some of the time :). A new month also means a look back over the previous month. So, here is a run down of some of my April Favourites for 2018.

How was your April? Mine wasn’t too bad all in all. I had some good times and made some good memories.

My April Favourites consist of mostly skincare actually with a snippet of makeup, fashion and dare I say some political views as well. Definitely not something I talk about a lot. If I do it’s mostly on Twitter. I don’t shy away, don’t get me wrong, there’s just people out there doing a way better job at it than I ever could. But I think May, for me, for us as woman of Ireland is so very important. Please make sure you are registered to vote, do your research and make an informed decision.

Ok, let’s talk about some silly stuff now 🙂

My April Favourites definitely reflect the changes in the seasons, I think. As always I talk much more in depth in the video above or here. But I’ll give you a quick run down and link to everything I can.

Human + Kind Miracle Makeup Remover. (A Micro fiber face cloth).
The Clarins Hydra Essentiel Moisturising Reviving Eye Mask. This is actually on sale at the moment from Debenhams here.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. Definitely a mouthful of a name. It’s an exfoliating peel which treats the top layer of the skin.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Face Mist SPF 50. This is actually way cheaper than I initially thought and has been working a treat for me.

I’ve reviewed the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara here if you want to see it in action.

Earring are from Betty & Biddy.

Then finally my bag was a gift from my friend Ella of Siopaella. She sourced them in Morocco and sells them in store too.

And that is it for another instalment of April Favourites. Let me know if you like these types of posts, it’s always good to get constructive feedback.

Thanks for clicking as always.

Gemma

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED**

May 4, 2018/by Gem

Makeup

theBalm Mad Lash Mascara

You know I love me some waterproof mascara. If I’m talking non waterproof it’s generally because it’s really bad or really good. For me, theBalm Mad Lash Mascara is really good!

I used it for the first time in a video here using all theBalm products. You can see there that I was impressed from the get-go!

I don’t talk too much about mascara here, because I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to them. Which is not very good when you class yourself as a beauty blogger I know. But I just have crap lashes generally. They’re straight and a bit lack lustre. So when I find something I like I tend to stick to it on a day to day basis. But, I do try lots, I just don’t talk about them because they don’t work for me. However theBalm Mad Lash Mascara does!

Reviews are obviously up for interpretation and subject to what you look for. For me, a plastic spoolie generally works better. Not all of the time, but, alot of the time.

I like when the bristles are small-ish and there’s plenty of them. It means you get a good amount of product on the lashes, but it doesn’t get too goopy and out of control.

As I have naturally straight lashes, I always curl them, unless I have a lash lift. If I have a lash lift, other formulas can work for me too, as they don’t necessarily hold a curl. theBalm Mad Lash has a tubing formula, I believe. So it forms a tube of mascara around each lash. It means it will hold the shape and also tends to be easier to remove than waterproof at the end of the day too.

On my lashes, this mascara ticks all the boxes. It elongates them, gives me volume with a smidge of clumping (I kind of dig that look), and above all holds a curl, this is the thing I want most.

The formula doesn’t smudge when I use it on my top lashes. I can get a bit of smudging on the lower ones, but I’m actually a bit of a mascara brat and tend to use a separate formula on my bottom lashes. (I love the Mac Extended Play, review here).

Overall, I am a fan of theBalm Mad Lash. If you like a bit of clump with your volume and curl, I think you would be too. It is available now from Debenhams in store or online here. What do you think?

xxx

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

January 1, 2018/by Gem

Makeup Tutorial, Youtube Video

theBalm Cosmetics Full Face Makeup Look

The theme is definitely in the title. This is a full face of makeup using one brand, theBalm Cosmetics.

I did a post a little while ago about their newest releases here. It’s only fair that these make an appearance in the video, as well as some well known products too.

This is my first time really delving into theBalm Cosmetics like this. I am definitely only a dabbler in the brand. All that I had tried though I did enjoy. Especially Mary-Lou and their ‘Put A Lid on It’ eyeshadow primer. (I reviewed this here ages ago too).

I was lucky enough to get sent these products from theBalm Cosmetics to test out, so most of them are new to me, so you will be getting my first impressions on them too. As always I’ll list everything below, with a link to where you can get them:

Timebalm Primer. Available from Debenhams here. theBalm PR told me this has really similar ingredients to their eyeshadow primer so I used this on my lids too.
Even Steven Foundation in light. Available here.
Brow Pow in light and dark brown. Available here.
Foiled Again Eyeshadow Palette. (Only available in store from Debenhams at the minute).
Schwing Liquid Liner. Available here.
Mad Lash Mascara. Available here.
Sexy Mama Translucent Powder. Available here.
Bahama Mama Bronzing Powder. Available here.
Girls’ getaway Trio. Available here.
Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter. Available here.
Bonnie-Lou Manizer. (Only available in store from Debenhams right now).

The look I ended up creating was similar to a look I shared on social media a couple of weeks ago that went down quite well. So I thought I would recreate it using all theBalm Cosmetics products. (I had just used the Foiled Again Palette initially).

I am really happy overall with how all the products performed. On first impressions, I will definitely use all of them again. I’ll keep you posted about how I get on.

You can watch the full video above or go directly to my YouTube channel here. Be sure to let me know what you think 🙂

xxx

******CONTAINS PR SAMPLES******

November 10, 2017/by Gem

Posts

Have you tried it yet? Are you a fan of the original? Let me know.

xxx

******Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)******

So what is a lash lift? It’s basically a perm for your eyelashes. In my experience, it’s a three step process. I have had both LVL (a brand name of Nouveu lashes I believe), and then I was invited to try Yumi lashes too in Elysian Brows, it seems to work the same way for them all.

If I can fork out the cash every six-eight weeks, it’s something I would definitely keep up! Have you had a lash lift? What has been your experience?

xxx

Oh, I’ll stop the beauty lusting there. Have you your eye on anything in-particular?

xxx

As I am writing this, the sun is shining and it’s May. Which means it’s officially Spring, which means no constant rain and being miserable…just some of the time :). A new month also means a look back over the previous month. So, here is a run down of some of my April Favourites for 2018.

Thanks for clicking as always.

Gemma

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

You know I love me some waterproof mascara. If I’m talking non waterproof it’s generally because it’s really bad or really good. For me, theBalm Mad Lash Mascara is really good!

Overall, I am a fan of theBalm Mad Lash. If you like a bit of clump with your volume and curl, I think you would be too. It is available now from Debenhams in store or online here. What do you think?

xxx

The theme is definitely in the title. This is a full face of makeup using one brand, theBalm Cosmetics.

Timebalm Primer. Available from Debenhams here. theBalm PR told me this has really similar ingredients to their eyeshadow primer so I used this on my lids too.

Even Steven Foundation in light. Available here.

Brow Pow in light and dark brown. Available here.

Foiled Again Eyeshadow Palette. (Only available in store from Debenhams at the minute).

Schwing Liquid Liner. Available here.

Mad Lash Mascara. Available here.

Sexy Mama Translucent Powder. Available here.

Bahama Mama Bronzing Powder. Available here.

Girls’ getaway Trio. Available here.

Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter. Available here.

Bonnie-Lou Manizer. (Only available in store from Debenhams right now).

You can watch the full video above or go directly to my YouTube channel here. Be sure to let me know what you think 🙂

Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED**