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Penneys PS Bronze CollectionI was very lucky enough to attend the launch of the new Penneys PS Bronze Collection. This collection includes a full range of tanning products. It covers prepping the skin, the tanning itself and the removal and application. They’ve literally thought of every product. I just have a few of them here to show you, including a pre tan exfoliator, pre tan primer, mousse, instant tan gel and a tan eraser. Everything is under a fiver!Penneys Tan

The Penneys PS Bronze Collection also comes with a bucket load of new makeup products too.Penneys PS Bronze Collection

You know I am ALL about the makeup, so I am going to give you a good oul look at the products I was lucky enough to take home from the event. The prices range from €1.50 up to €8.00. Penneys Beauty

First up we have the PS Bronze Shimmer Glow Powder Highlight in Golden Sands.

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There is a matte bronzer called Bronze Queen. I have the shade Sunrise.

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We have Instant Radiance Drops in Goddess.

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I have two shades of the Bronze Loose Highlighter Powder.

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Vacation and Island Life.

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I just opened the lighter one so I can keep the darker more bronzed shade to give away to someone more suited to it.

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There is Gloss Metals within the Penneys PS Bronze Range too.top beauty blogger ireland

There’s two here, Malibu and Tahiti.

One of the products I was super excited to see was the Metallic Cream Eyeshadows.

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I bought two of these from the Nudes range and really like them. These are in the shades Heatwave and Bronzed.

This collection comes with what they are calling a Dewy Glow Highlighting Face & Body Butter.

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We have a Contour & Shape Contour Stick. This is the shade, Shape, ironically 🙂

Penneys PS Bronze Collection

The cheapest products I have from the collection are actually two of my most used since I got them. These are the Nourishing Lip Oil Balms.

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I have two shades, Cannes and Cuba. Cannes is nude, Cuba has a red tint.

There is three palettes in this collection.

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First up we have the Vacay Vibes Complete Face Palette.

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It contains a peachy blush, two highlighters, a matte bronzer, four eyeshadows and four matte lipsticks.

The Bronze Me Up Highlight & Contour Face Palette contains a matte cream contour and highlight.

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Matte powder contour and yellow toned highlight. And then two shimmery powder highlighters.

Then finally, probably my favourite thing from the whole collection.

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This is the Shade & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette. Mine got a little damaged in transit, apologies for the dent 🙂

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It contains 9 eyeshadows. Four shimmers and five mattes and smells like coconut. For €6, I am super impressed with this palette. Out of all the products, this is what I think I personally will get the most use out of.

The Penneys PS Bronze tanning products are in stores now. The makeup starts rolling in from the end of March.

Any of it tickle your fancy?

xxx

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I haven’t done a round up like this in a while. So, here is five of my current budget friendly makeup favourites.

Current Budget Friendly Makeup Favourites

I am not a makeup snob by any means. If a product is good, it’s good, regardless of the price 🙂

Current Budget Friendly Makeup Favourites

My first budget friendly makeup pick of the minute is the very talked about Coverage Foundation from The Ordinary.

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I harped on about this here in a dedicated blogpost, so I won’t go into too much detail. But, I am a big fan. I always judge a foundation on whether I would pick it up to wear for a night out or going out all day. This is definitely one I reach for alot. I love the coverage, the finish and the longevity. Oh and may I add, the price point too!

My second choice will come as no surprise either (sorry ha!). The Maybelline Eraser Eye in the shade ‘Brightener’.

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I like both of the colour correcting shades (details on both of them here). I think I just reach for the Brightener more. I feel like I can get away with it just on it’s own. Whereas the ‘Neutralizer’ leaves a bit of a yellow hue to the skin. I am delighted these shades are available in Ireland now, because for me, the ‘Light’ concealer version, just wasn’t light enough. These work so much better.

My third budget friendly makeup favourite is another Maybelline Product. This is their Master Fix Setting & Perfecting Loose Powder.

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This is actually Maybelline’s first loose setting powder. It is super finely milled and applies really lightly and smoothly onto the skin.

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It’s really mattifying, so I usually apply a liberal layer of it and then use a setting spray over top to lift the skin a bit. It absorbs oils really well though and definitely helps with the longevity of your makeup. It is a more pricey ‘affordable product’ at €13.79 from Boots here.

Number four is the Catrice Metallic Liquid Liner in 010 ‘Bronze Lee’. I bloody love that name 🙂

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You can see it in action is a previous blogpost here. These Metallic liners come in a couple of different shades, I believe. I need to find the others to add to my collection. I really like the formula and the finish. The shade is less intimidating than black or even dark brown. And I can generally create a flick with the applicator. When I can say that you know a liquid liner is half good. Feline flicks are not my forte at all.

Last on my budget friendly makeup roundup is the Maybelline Brow Artist Plumper.

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I am way late to the party with this one. I don’t know why I never tried it up until now. I have the shade Medium/Dark. I like that the spooley isn’t very tightly bound.

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It means it doesn’t hold onto alot of product. I can find with some coloured brow gels, it can end up all over your skin. This doesn’t leave your eyebrows feeling crispy either. It just adds a bit of a tint with some added fibers for fluffiness. It’s a really decent tinted brow gel. It costs €8.49 from Boots here.

And that’s my five current picks! Things that are actually in rotation on my makeup desk at the moment, that hopefully won’t break the bank 🙂

xxx

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More Maybelline chat 🙂 I reviewed the new colours of the Eraser Eye Concealers here. Now, I am chatting and applying some of the new products out for Summer 2017!

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Maybelline, as a brand for me can be very much hit or miss. I am not always a fan of the releases, so some of the products end up in bags for friends or for charity. Obviously, if I hate something enough I will tell you why and if I love it I will shout it from the rooftops too! But if something is just ‘meh’, it doesn’t always get a second look.

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I have some of the new Maybelline Summer releases and I thought I would put them altogether and do a makeup look with the goodies I own. Some are PR samples, some I bought myself. Nothing majorly fancy or groundbreaking. But, it just means you get to see some of them in action on my chubby little face , and I get to give initial impressions 🙂

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I will list everything I used below, in case anything particular takes your fancy and you want to investigate it further:

  • I have already linked the new Eraser Eyes in Neutralizer and Brightener above.
  • Master Blush Color & Highlight Kit. Available on the Boots website here.
  • Master Ink Waterproof Liquid Liner. Available here.
  • The Colossal Big Shot Mascara. Available here.
  • Great Lash Waterproof. On the Boots website here.
  • Master Fix Setting & Perfecting Loose Powder. Boots online have it here.
  • Vivid Hot Lacquers. Available here.

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I did use some other Maybelline and non Maybelline products just because I had them and I didn’t have a whole face of newness in my stash. As always, you can click the video above to watch and go directly to my YouTube channel here to check it out.

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I think my stand out favourites are the loose powder and the concealers. The Colossal mascara is pretty damn good too though!

xxx

I’ve been talking alot about Kat Von D of late, Since they’ve parked their bums in Debenhams, I want to try everything! I did a post on the Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette here too if you are interested. This post is all about the under eyes though. I am giving my thoughts on the Kat Von D Lock It Concealer and the Brightening Powder.

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I picked up both products together a few weeks ago and have been using the pretty much consistently since.

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There is a whole array of products in the Kat Von D Lock it line, ranging from face primer, to setting spray.
I’ll start out talking about the Lock It Concealer.

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Off the bat, I love the packaging, specifically the doe foot applicator. It has a tear drop shape, so it works really nicely around the eye contours. I also love that it comes in an abundance of shade ranges, and they differentiate by tone too! So, you can get warm, neutral and cool.

I went with L5 Neutral, which is a really good match for me:

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It has quite a thick consistency on the skin, but blends like a dream. It covers really nicely and brightens up the under eye area too. On me, it has yet to crease, flake or settle in any fine lines once I set it. I usually go in with a light (ish) layer, blend it in and then apply another dot to the darkest area of my under eyes.

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Overall, I am a big fan of the Kat Von D Lock It Concealer. It gives me very similar vibes to the Clarins Instant Light which I am a huge fan of too! It costs €26 from Debenhams in store or online here.

Next up we have the Kat Von D Lock It Brightening Powder.

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I bought this specifically to use over the concealer. I am sure if you wanted just a little brightens under the eyes without using a concealer, this could work too.

It comes in three shades, I picked up the lightest one ‘Petal’. It is a really finely milled loose powder with a peachy undertone.

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With it being a loose powder and in a smaller container, it can get messy to use, I won’t lie. Saying that, it does a really lovely job at setting my concealer and really does help smooth out under the eyes, as well as adding extra brightness.

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It feels like velvet on the skin and a little goes a really long way. It doesn’t leave your under eyes feeling tight or dry when you apply it. Again, this is another Kat Von D purchase I am glad I made. The Brightening Powder costs €24.50. You can buy from Debenhams in store or online here.

Now, I just need to get my hands on the Kat Von D Lock It primer, foundation and setting spray and I’ll be good to go :). Have you tried anything from the range?

xxx

I know so many wonderful bloggers have done their version of beauty favourites already so apologies if you’ve been inundated. I think it’s a really great idea though and I haven’t done monthly faves this year, so I thought I would do a yearly round of my beauty favourites 2015!

First up is an easy one. I know the Urban Decay Gwen Palette came out late in the year, but it has become one of my most reached for eyeshadow palettes.

urban decay gwen stefani paletteurban decay irelandI am completely head over heels for it. There is neutrals galore, transitional shades, fun sparkly shades and even a couple of cray cray shades to keep things interesting. Gwen, I bow down to you and can’t wait to see the new releases you and Urban Decay have up your sleeves for 2016 🙂 Full swatches of the palette can be seen here and I even did a makeup look with it here if you fancy a nose.

Next up is the very coveted Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop.

becca champagne popNo joke I have used this pretty much everyday since I got it. When I first got my grubby little mitts on this in mid 2015 it was only available in America. Now the lovely people of Spacenk are stocking it here, so everyone can bask in the Champagne Glow. Another one of my 2015 finds was the brush I use to apply the Pop 🙂

irish beauty blogThis awesome F28 brush from Blank Canvas Cosmetics. The lovely Ashling from Total Makeup Addict introduced me to this beauty and I will forever be in her debt for it. It’s the perfect cheek bone highlighting tool.

My favourite setting powder of 2015 would have to be the Chanel Vitalumiere Powder Foundation.

beauty favouritesI have pretty much used this exclusively for the past year.

chanel vitalumiere powder foundationI have a whole review if here. It’s a foundation so there is coverage with it, which I personally like. You can build it up or thin it out depending on application or what brush you use so it’s really versatile. Pricey but versatile 🙂

My next beauty faves are a little more pocket friendly.

irishbeautyblogAgain I have a review of these here, but they are two of the All About palettes from Essence. Essence have a few different colour choices in these really handy eyeshadow palettes and they cost less than a fiver, bargain! Oh and they’re damn pigmented too!

2015 was definitely the year of budget friendly favourite for me. Another one is the Catrice Glamour Doll Waterproof mascara.

irish makeup and beauty blogirish makeup and beauty bloggerFor the latter half of the year this is the only mascara I was (and still am now) using. And what do you know, I have a full review of it here 🙂

My favourite under eye concealer duo have been the Catrice Liquid Camouflage and the Flormar Perfect Coverage.

best of beauty beautynookflormar concealerCheap as chips and together for me are a dynamic duo. You can see them in action here.

My favourite blush of the year has to be the Max Factor Creme Blush in ‘Seductive Pink’.

max factor creme puffmax factor seductive pinkirishbeautyblogThis is just the easiest blush colour to wear. It goes with everything. I love the formula of these too. They blend so nicely. You can see it swatched here if you fancy a nose 🙂

My lip liner find of 2015 probably has to be Whirl by Mac.

mac whirl lip pencilmakeup and beauty blogThis lip liner got a life of it’s own in 2015. It’s a great all round colour though that you can use on it’s own, under nudes and even under darker and brighter shades of lippie. It’s great for evening out the lip line too. I have it swatched here if you want a closer look.

The Only Lipsticks from Rimmel are another makeup find of 2015 that I am very happy with.

irish beauty blogirish beauty bloggerThey came at the end of the year I know, but I’ve been obsessed with them so I had to include them. These two lighter shades have been the ones I grab for most but I own six of them and I wear all the shades alot. I love the finish, the pigmentation and the price point. (yep, I have them all swatched here 🙂

I have two facial skin care faves for 2015 that I wanted to add in aswell.

Serozinc from La Roche Posay.

la roche posay serozincI think I’ve gone through about 4 of these so far and I will repurchase! There’s a full review of it here, but I use Serozinc as a toner, to freshen up my makeup and as a finishing spray when I am finished my makeup. It’s a great all rounder.

My last fave is from the Oils Of Life range from The Body Shop.

the body shop oils of lifeirishbbloggerThis is their Intensely Revitalising Gel Cream. I use this as a night cream. I have oily skin, so heavy creams can sometimes clog my pores. This stuff feels so light on my skin and soaks in really quickly but still leaves behind nice soft hydrated skin. May I add it smells incredible too!

That’s my Beauty Favourites for 2015 done and dusted. Seriously, where did that year go?

Should I do below the neck beauty favourites too, as in more body orientated stuff ha. Let me know.

xxx

 

Chanel Vitalumiere Loose Powder Foundation

As you may have read in my post about what I got for Christmas here, I picked up the Chanel Vitalumiere Loose Powder Foundation in Brown Thomas with a voucher I got off my brother (thanks bro)!

With a price tag of €65.00 I did not want to like this product, but alas I fell in love from the get go, I apologise in advance 🙂

First off I will quickly mention the mini kabuki brush the foundation comes with.

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Chanel Mini Kabuki Brush

This is the softest little synthetic brush I have ever come across, oh my god, it’s like rubbing a kitten on your face. Dramatic maybe, but it does a fab job at applying the product. It is the perfect density for it and it is very pretty, so a lovely addition to my makeup brushes. I have never owned a Chanel brush before and I feel very fancy indeed using and owning this one 🙂

The sifter on the pot is made of a textile/mesh material rather than plastic which is rather refreshing as you can just bounce the brush of it to get the product onto it. You do have to be careful, the brush can pick up alot, so be sure to tap before you dab onto your face.

Chanel Vitalumiere Powder Foundation

Onto the main event, the foundation. I have used a few different powdered foundations in the past, and have always ended up just using them as setting powders as I never really got my desired coverage out of them.

This stuff has changed my mind. I feel comfortable wearing this as just my foundation with some concealer underneath (I have crap skin!), hallelujah!

The Vitalumiere Powder Foundation has an SPF of 15. It is finely milled and blends in very well. It does a good job at covering light imperfections, veins and redness and gives a lovely velvety finish to the skin. You definitely need something more heavy duty underneath for proper breakouts or under eye circles.

I have oily skin so for me this is the perfect kind of product for me. I think if you have dry skin or dry patches this foundation might cling and enhance them, so air on the side of caution and test it out at the counter.

I find this powder lasts really well on me, and looks natural and satin like. It does not oxidise which is brilliant too.

Overall, for such a lightweight powder it ticks so many positive boxes for me. I am nearly sad at this because lets face it, 65 quid is a pretty hefty amount of money to splurge. I suppose it is nice for a treat now and then though. When I enjoy a product like this I add it to my present list, so when family members are thinking of something to buy me, there is always a few reliable things on the list that I will be delighted with. How thoughtful am I? :p

Tell me, have you any favourite mineral foundations?

As always, thanks for reading.

Gemma

xxx