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September Favourites 2017

Yep, we can all panic. It’s September favourites time. How did that even happen?

I am in disbelief that it’s October! The C word is just creeping up on us…..fast!

My September favourites are much like any other month. They are a mixed bag of things that I feel I have been reaching for alot over the past four weeks. This month definitely had a bit of a skincare theme. It’s probably the change in the seasons that has me more conscious, unconsciously 🙂

Of course there is some makeup in there too, that can’t not happen. Makeup stages are my thing. I will wear something religiously for weeks and then completely forget about it. Yes, I am fickle. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love something. It just means my obsession changes focus because I have a short attention span 🙂

My September favourites include:

The Bioderma Micellar Water limited edition pump bottle €16 from Cloud10beauty here.
A couple of products from Shiseido’s new Waso range . I can only find the full range online from Harvey Nichols here. It is a more affordable range from the brand. You can see the synopsis and ingredients of all the products on the Shiseido website here.
Pure Potions Skin Salvation Bath And Body Oil. This range is available in store from Holland and Barrett. I found the oil directly on the brands website here too.
Mac Syrup Lipstick. I did a post on this a little while ago here.
Stila Magnificent Metal in Rose Gold Retro. I used this in my go to rose gold makeup look here.
The Elf Shimmer Highlighting Powder. You can see this swatched here.
And the finally my gold mini Casio watch. John bought me this years ago from Asos. They don’t have it anymore. I found it for the cheapest price in Ireland here from Argos if you want to check it out.

And that’s September summed in product from 🙂 Hope you had a lovely month. You can watch the video where I waffle about the products by clicking above, or click here to watch it directly on YouTube.

Thanks, as always.

Gemma xxx

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED*

October 6, 2017/by Gem

Skincare, Youtube Video

Elf Magnetic Mask & Night Time Routine

The Elf Magnetic Mask is one of the coolest products I have ever tried. Does it work? I’m not sure yet I’ve only used it twice so far. I couldn’t resist putting in a video though to show you how you use it.

This concept of the Elf Magnetic Mask isn’t new to the market necessarily. There has been a few out before it. But, this is hands down the most affordable one at the moment. Unfortunately it hasn’t made it to our shores yet.

I was lucky enough to get one as a press sample. It is on their website here though and they do international shipping, if you fancy taking the plunge. For some reason the euro price is much more expensive. Hopefully if it does come over here, it won’t be as bad.

I can say my skin felt really nice both times I’ve used it. And I do feel like it drew some clogged pores to the surface. I definitely had a bit of a breakout after the first time. But in a good way, if that makes sense? 🙂

So in the video I give you a demo of the Elf Magnetic Mask. It’s so much fun to use. You apply the mask and then use the magnetized applicator to literally pull it off your skin. Sounds scary, but you can hardly feel it. There’s iron in it so that’s what makes it magnetic.

I’ve never been happier using a face mask…look at me like!

Within the video, I also gave a quick rundown on what I’ve been using to cleanse and then my bedtime moisturising concoction too.

I used:

Bioderma to take my eye makeup off. It’s in a limited edition pump bottle. If you can get your hands on it. Do! It’s on the Cloud10Beauty website here.
Nia Cleansing Balm. It’s on their website here.
Clarins Double Serum. (Review here).
Clarins Total V Contouring Serum.
Neostrata Bionic Eye Cream Plus. I found it on the Meaghers Pharmacy website here.
The Ordinary Retinoid 2%. More info on this here.
Botanics Facial Oil. It’s on the Boots website here.
Catrice Volumizing Lip Balm.

This is my current night time routine although I do alternate serums and I don’t always use an oil. I have oily skin, so it really just depends on whether I feel I need it or not.

As always you can click on the video above to watch the magic happen or you can go directly to my YouTube channel here. 🙂

Let me know what you think.

Gemma

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

September 22, 2017/by Gem

Skincare

Clarins Double Serum 2017

Let me start by saying, I’ve never used the Clarins Double Serum up until this year. It was created in 1985 and has be reformulated a fair few times over the years. I believe it has won many awards too and many people think of it as their holy grail. I am no skincare guru, but I know people like the awesome Caroline Hirons haven’t been too complimentary about the previous formulas. They contained mineral oil.

Fast forward to 2017 and another reformulation of the Clarins Double Serum. They took heed, and it now doesn’t contain mineral oil.

So a quick synopsis of what it is as of today. The 2017 Clarins Double Serum is as the name would suggest, two serums in separate chambers within one bottle. This means that they only come into contact when you are applying them to your skin. Clarins say this helps the effectiveness and means they can have more good ingredients, technically within one bottle. It contains 20 plant extracts with one extra ingredient, turmeric. Turmeric is noted for it’s anti ageing properties. It’s meant to work for all skin types, including sensitive skin. And according to Clarins, meant to ‘address all signs of ageing’.

Obviously, I can only tell you my experience with it. I have been using it religiously for over a month now. I went to the launch and very generously received a sample. First off after doing my research, I have realised I am using way too much of it! And this stuff ain’t cheap! You only need one pump, and pat it into cleansed skin. I have been using two, the shame! Although saying that, you can twist the nozzle for a small application or a larger one.

As you know if you’ve been around these parts before, I have oily skin. But I am also getting older (boohoo). I still get oily, but the dehydration in my skin is becoming more apparent. This has been a great go between for both of these instances. I’ve been using it most mornings on it’s own with just eye cream, and then in the night. Sometimes on it’s own, or with an oil over top for added hydration. It soaks into the skin super fast and doesn’t leave behind any residue. This is great for makeup application particularly. I personally love the fragrance, It’s quite clean and fresh. But if fragranced skincare isn’t your thing, I suggest giving it a sniff before purchase.

What I have found since using Double Serum is that my skin looks brighter and more alive. Even the mammy has commented on it, which isn’t a usual occurrence 🙂 It feels more supple too which is brilliant!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect miracles from skincare, or from any beauty products really. Most hype is just hype a lot of the time. But, I can hand on heart say I’ve noticed a difference in my skin since using it. Anti-ageing? I guess only time will tell, and I think you have to continuously use products to reap those benefits. Skin plumping and tightening are generally (in my humble opinion), temporary.

Overall though, I am bloody loving this facet of the Clarins Double Serum. It is pricey at around €90 a pop for 50ml. But, if you don’t over use it, like me, you should get a good amount of time out of a bottle. You can buy it from Brown Thomas here.

Have you tried Double Serum?

xxx

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

August 30, 2017/by Gem

Skincare

Night Time Skin Care Routine Currently

I already spoke about my current day time routine here. It’s only fair that I throw my night time skin care routine into the mix too 🙂

I am very proud of being someone who removes their makeup every night before sleep. No matter how tired (or typsy) I might be. For me, it’s like brushing your teeth, it just has to be done! I am not really one for makeup wipes. If I am feeling really lazy, I’ll use eye makeup remover and micellar water and call it a day. But for the most part, I like to actually wash my face.

This for me, is my current night time skin care routine. I do change up products every now and then. It’s of course part of what I do. I don’t have majorly sensitive skin either so it usually doesn’t affect my skin too radically.

I do like to extra exfoliate a couple of times each week. I’ll usually use the Waxperts Wonder Pads (which I reviewed ages ago here), or the Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer Pads. These contain AHA’s so I stick to using them at night.

If I have a breakout I use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, which I have a review of here. It’s a bit gimmicky, but it seems to do the job. And it dries down on the skin, so you don’t get it all over your pillow which is a bonus in my book 🙂

I wear waterproof mascara on the daily, so before I wash my face I usually remove my eye makeup with an oil based cleanser.

I have been using the Botanics All Bright one for literally years. It does a great job at getting even gel liner off without too much rubbing. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and it’s as cheap as chips. You can buy it from Boots here.

For cleansing, at the moment. I have two in my bathroom. The Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1.

This can be used as a face wash, to exfoliate or a mask. I usually use this in the shower. I can wash my face with it and then pop some on as a mask while I go about my business. It is kaolin based so it dries on the skin like a clay mask. It’s been working really well for my oily skin.

If I am just washing my face and not showering I have been using the Yonka Cleansing Gel. This feels really gentle on my skin.

It is also like a spa in a plastic bottle, it smells bloody amazing.

For toner, it’s generally just the La Roche Posay Serozinc which I speak more about here. I always have a bottle of it in my skincare stash.

I use the same eye cream both day and night. My go to one over the past year or so is the La Roche Posay Ultra Toleriane Ultra Eye Contour.

I really like this stuff and it’s not super expensive either. I have a full review of it here.

Because I cannot get too heavy with moisturiser during the day because I am so oily. I usually make up for it in my night time skincare routine.

At the moment I am using (and really enjoying) the Hylamide Low Molecular HA Booster.

It’s basically a serum that contains hyaluronic acid. It helps hydrate without weighing down the skin. It’s an extra step in my routine but my skin is reacting well from it. My skin is feeling a little plumper and more hydrated without my pores being clogged up. You can buy it directly from the Deciem website here.

After that settles in, I apply a light layer of the Image Vital C Hydrating Facial Oil.

It just feels so nice. I pat a dropper amount into my face and neck. Although I am oily, I do have areas of dehydration so I use the serum and the oil in the evening to help with that. The Vital C is formulated for dull, tired skin but also suitable for acne prone skin that is healing. Image skincare is stocked in salons throughout the country including Millie’s here.

The final step in my night time skin care routine then is just lip balm. I usually just use some Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.

I have a full review of this here.

And then my night time skin care routine is completed and I am ready for bed 🙂

xxx

March 27, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying Base Review

I have been using the L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying Base for a good chunk of time now.

Actually probably more time than I would usually before I would review a product. I am like a broken record when I say I am big fan of L’Oréal base products generally. My latest review of their Total Cover foundation here wasn’t particularly glowing though, I know. I have been holding out talking about the L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying Base because, if I am being honest I couldn’t make my mind up about it.

There are two ingredients in this primer. Both are derivatives of silicone. I was fully aware of this when I bought it. For my oily skin and large pores, silicone seems to work well as a base. I always moisturise before applying it, so I like to think there’s a barrier between my skin and the makeup anyways.

The L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying primer is what you would expect from a silicone primer. It has a clear, gel like consistency.

It makes textured skin a smoother surface to apply makeup on top of. A little goes a long way with it. It spreads really easily and does glide over any pores or fine lines you might have.

For me, the part I find weird, is that it doesn’t seem to set. Usually, when I apply a base, I pat it in and then wait for it to settle a little before applying foundation. This just doesn’t seem to settle. It is slippery to the touch. I can still feel it on my skin minutes later. Saying all of this, makeup applies grand over top. Just for me, I find the texture a bit off putting. I feel like it is just mixing into the foundation then, rather than being a layer of product on it’s own.

The L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying Base is just ok in my book. I have used better primers in the past that have less silicone and are more beneficial to my oily skin. I will finish the tube for sure and use it knowing it will keep my makeup in tact ok. I don’t think I will be repurchasing it though. I’ll just stick to the foundation and the the fixing mist. Hey, two out of three ain’t bad at all 🙂

You can purchase it from Boots in store or online here for €11.99. Have you tried it?

xxx

March 10, 2017/by Gem

Makeup, Monthly Favourites, Youtube Video

January Favourites

Yep it’s happening, it’s January Favourites time!

I am panicking a bit, not going to lie. We are properly into the second month of 2017, eeeekk! But in blog/vlog world that gives us an excuse to recap and look over the month and pick out some of our most used bits and bobs. I do this in video form now, but I do like to still do a blog post too.

My January Favourites for 2017 consist of a couple of fashion bits, a skincare item and of course my one true love, some makeup as well.

I have a bit of disclaimer, I filmed this feeling a little bit under the weather. I have the cold that so many people have at the minute that just won’t go away. So it’s a bit of rambley video, hope that’s OK ha. I am a bit zonked on cold medication 🙂

The products mentioned are:

A Zara bag pack, that is gone from the website now, I apologise if you liked the look of it.
Coverse Hi Top runners. You can get these in so many places, but I’ll put a link to them on the Schuh website here if you want a closer look.
Asos watch: I can’t find a to the exact one, but they have lots of similar (and actually some nicer ones) here.
Cailyn Dissolv’It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm. I got given this at an event, but it retails for €25 from their website here.
Isa Dora Matt Fixing Powder. I got this as a press sample. But, I found it on the Feel Unique website here for €17.86.
Zoeva Blanc Fusion Palette. I have a review and info on all of the palettes within the Plaisir Box here.
Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liners. You can pick these up in Boots in store or online here. They are €5.49
And then finally Mac Extended Play Mascara. I have a whole blog post about this here.

And that is all of my January Favourites. You can watch the video by clicking on it above or going to my YouTube channel here. Have you any stand out products from the month?

xxx

February 8, 2017/by Gem

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