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catrice cosmetics irelandWhen it comes to mascara I am definitely no brand snob! Generally speaking (although of course there are some exceptions), more affordable brands are where it’s at! If you’ve been around these parts before, you know I tend to favour a waterproof formula. No hate on non waterproof, just for what my lashes need the waterproof variety seems to cut the mustard more. I have straight lashes, that need to be curled and given some help with length and volume. Yes, my lashes are super boring. Catrice Cosmetics, do some of my favourite formulas. Their Glam & Doll WP is always in my makeup drawer. I did a post on it so many years ago here if you fancy checking it out and cringing all at the same time 🙂 With their new Spring/Summer releases for this year came a new mascara formula. Say hello to the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara.Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara

This comes in waterproof and non waterproof so you’re covered whatever your poison. I of course have been trialling the WP version so that’s the one I am going to show you in action. I gave my mam the standard formula one to road test though and she loves it. She’s already bought a back up!beauty blog ireland

The Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara comes with quite a large bristled spoolie. This applicator has quashed my logic that a plastic more narrow spoolie just works better for my lashes. I thought that for the longest time. The larger wand did take a bit of getting used to, but now I really like it and don’t poke myself in the eye….anymore 🙂irish beauty blogirish beauty blogger

The formula is on the money for me. It holds a curl (after I use a eyelash curlers, because I have too). It gives decent length and a decent amount of volume too. I like a mascara to clump a little, especially on the tips of my lashes, to give the illusion of more. The Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara does that for me without looking spidery. It has yet to flake or transfer on me either, although I don’t use it on my bottom lashes, the eye poking would be just too major.

Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara

For me, the formula works great and stays put, but as a result it is a bit of a pain to remove. More so than the Glam & Doll. I always double cleanse in the evening. I use an oil based cleanser first and then go in with a normal cleanser. There’s still mascara residue from it in the morning! If that’s something that would bother you, maybe opt for the normal formula!
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 Overall though, the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara gets a huge thumbs up for me! It ticks all my lash boxes and I will 100% repurchase it myself once this tube runs dry. Both formulas are available now in Penneys and pharmacy stockists around the country. They will set you back a very reasonable €5.50.

xxx

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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!

Estèe Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

 

 

 

 

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink

It is not often I get lip products through the door and want to put on every shade straight away. I received the new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lip Colours last week.

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink

I want to try them all out so I thought I would do it in blogpost form. This is definitely not a review. Although I have been wearing the mauve shade (surprise, surprise), from the bunch the last few days and have been really enjoying it.

It feels weird because my last post here was from the same brand. Not on purpose I promise I just really wanted to swatch these 🙂

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink

My first impressions of the Maybelline Superstay Matte Lip Colours are, they are super easy to apply, really pigmented and I like the tear drop applicator. The tapered end makes applying them really easy. They dry down matte, which of course isn’t the most comfortable of lip formulas. But saying that this doesn’t seem to be the worst. And from wearing the shade ‘Lover’ over the past few days, I didn’t get any balling or patchiness. The formula does feel tacky on the lips though, even when it dries. Upon swatching all the colours for this blogpost, I can say they are a bitch to get off too. They require a decent amount of vigor and makeup remover. From a liquid lipstick perspective, in my book, that’s a good thing 🙂 I used an oil based eye makeup remover to remove the swatches, it worked really well. They smell of sweet vanilla so that is something to be mindful of, but once the formula is dry on the lips, it seems to dissipate.

The come in 10 shades. You can find them on the Boots website here for €14.99 a piece.

I have five of the most wearable shades to swatch here. Nothing ground breaking colour wise here. They do have some purples and nudes in the collection as well.

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First up, there’s 15 Lover. This is the shade I gravitated towards first. My everyday go to lip colour is mauve. And I am loving this!
Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink liquid lipstick
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Next up we have 30 Romantic. A hot pink.
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25 Heroine is a bright orange.
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Then I have 20 Pioneer a cherry red.

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And then finally, 50 Voyager, a burgundy red.

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After swatching all five of the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lip Colours I have. I can honestly say I will hand on heart wear all five of them in everyday life. Not just for Instagram 🙂

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks
The formula although matte goes on really smoothly and easily. It doesn’t catch onto any dryness you might have. Although, I would always say be liberal with the lip balm before applying any matte formula.
What do you think? Do any of them take your fancy?

xxx

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I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with blue eyeliner, but as of late, it has gotten a bit out of control 🙂 I am perfectly OK with my obsession. It is a bit of fun, and adds a bit of interest to a simple makeup look.

top irish beauty bloggerThe 80’s called and said, ‘Well done you’re doing a better job with it than we did!’ 🙂

Aqua or turquoise tend to be my blue eyeliner shades of choice, but I do dabble in other hues.

My most recent favourite and probably the one that gets the most questions, is the Inglot AMC Gel Liner in 70.

Blue Eyeliner

This is more of a matte sky blue.

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Inglot gel liners are some of the best I’ve ever used. They last so well and come in a plethora of colours. I use this mostly in my waterline for a fun pop of colour. But a slick of it on the top lash line and lashings of mascara, looks awesome too!

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TOP TIP: If your gel liner is starting to dry out, use something like Inglot Duraline. (Review here). Or Paese Drop & Fix to bring it back to life.

The shade that sparked my turquoise obsession was the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in ‘Electric’. beauty blog irelandThis is just the perfect vivid turquoise shade with a bit of sparkle I have ‘Gonzo’ too which is similar, but matte.

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The Urban Decay Pencils are super creamy and last really well. A lot of more affordable brands do their own awesome version of this shade.

 

I have two here from Essence and Note Cosmetics that I love aswell.

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I use this shade the same as I would the sky blue. On the top lash line and in the waterline. I love to smudge it out on the lower lash line too, even with some matching shadow on top to intensify it.

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Now I can’t talk about blue eyeliner and not throw navy into the mix. It’s such a great alternative to black or brown.

I did have a liquid one, but I seem to have misplaced it (duh). I love a navy winged line, I think it looks great on all eye colours. It adds a hint of something different without being over the top dramatic. It works beautifully in the water line, and on the lower lash line too though. These ones are from Barry M and another one of the Essence Longlasting Eye Pencils.

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I would like to thank my lovely blogging pal Sinéad from The Beautiful Truth for inspiring this post. She has been killing the blue liner at the mo. And the lovely Yav aka Makeup Monster. I had put a pic of all of the blue in my collection up on my Instagram a little while ago. It was her that told me I need to write a post. Thanks gals 🙂

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The only question left to ask is….would you rock blue eyeliner?

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re talking mauve lip combos today! I reckon I could write a thesis on mauve lip products. It’s probably my most worn shade, at the minute at least.

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I have tonnes of different of ones in my makeup collection and as with anything, I tend to dip in an out of different ones. At the moment, my most worn mauve lip is a combination of two products.

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Now let’s be real. Two products are not really necessary, I know. And I like both of these products equally on their own. I just find combining the lip liner with the liquid lipstick, I get a crisper lip line, my top lip definitely needs a bit of help in the plumpness department which I find easier to do with a pencil. Also layering both of them gives the colour more staying power!

My mauve lip liner love is Mac Cosmetics ‘Soar’.

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I am way late to the ‘Soar’ party, but I am very glad I finally got there. I am a huge fan of Mac Lip Liners, and this colour is just the perfect mauve shade. Not the cheapest at €17.50 a pop, but the formula is lovely, they don’t drag on the lips, the pencil sharpens to a really good point if you like to overdraw and they are really pigmented.

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Mac Soar Lip Liner
Mac ‘Soar’ is available from Brown Thomas here. The liners come in an abundance of shades though.

My second mauve lip love is from Paese Cosmetics. I haven’t tried much from the brand as of yet. It’s been Ireland a few years now though. I was sent some of their lip products a while back and literally fell head over heels in love with the Silky Matt Liquid Lipstick in 707.

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This is such a lovely, richly pigmented product. Although it does dry down matte, it dies down to more of a velvet finish on the lips. Moves around a little more but it doesn’t crack or ball up.

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mauve lip combo
Paese Silky Matt 707

This is much more of a comfortable formula than what we’ve come accustomed to in a matte liquid lip. They remind me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams with more colour density and more longevity on the lips. And of course the shade, for me, is the perfect mauve tone. You can buy Paese from their Irish website here. The Silky Matt lipsticks retail for €13. They also have a kiosk in the Ilac Centre here in Dublin. Matte liquid lippies always photograph with the flash more shiny, but I promise this has a velvet finish (you can see it in more true to finish and colour here without the flash:

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And there you have my favourite mauve lip combination of the moment.

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mauve lip

It just goes with everything 🙂

xxx

I wouldn’t be Irish and the occasion would not be marked if I didn’t at least attempt a St Patrick’s Day Makeup Look.

St Patrick's Day Makeup

I am a big fan of green eyeshadow, so for me this is something I would wear anytime honestly. But we will call it St Patrick’s Day makeup because it fits the bill too 🙂 As always I am not a makeup artist, so this is just something really simple and easy to achieve, but hopefully fun at the same time too!

Green eyeshadow makeup look

I did a St Patrick’s Day makeup look last year, when I first set up my YouTube channel here. This is full on green. I thought this year, I would make it a little more subtle, but still festive at the same time. Think of it like your own makeup, that you are comfortable with, just with a hint of Paddy thrown in 🙂

St Patrick's Day Makeup

As always, you can watch the video by clicking on it above, or directly on my Youtube channel here.

I used a mixture of the Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics palette which I have all the details on here. I used some Makeup Geek shadows, which you can buy online here. And, of course some Mac shadows that you can buy from Brown Thomas online here. The Kiko cream eyeshadow stick is directly from Kiko here.

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Of course I use and name an abundance of other products. If you have any questions about any of them, just let me know in the comments below. You know I love to talk makeup any time 🙂

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As always, thanks for taking the time to click in. Have a brilliant St Patrick’s Day whatever you get up too. I think my own this year will be pretty low key, but I am very much looking forward to it. There is always such a lovely atmosphere 🙂

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Gemma

xxx