Posts

I love skincare, but I’m always a bit hesitant to talk about it too in depth. Just because I think it’s such a personal, specific thing. I do review products, but generally it’s because I really really love them or I really really hate them 🙂 I’m definitely no expert either, so that comes into play too. But, I figured I would just go through another updated daytime skincare routine. It’s less committal and just shows you what I am using right now and why.

My daytime skincare routine is quite basic. I like to keep it pretty simple. I have oily skin overall, but the older I get the more dehydration I get too. The two ailments are conflicting completely, luckily nowadays there’s products out there that will help with both skin concerns at the same time.irish beauty blog

I am obviously chatting about what I use and why I use it in video form. You can watch above or click here to go directly to my YouTube channel here.Daytime Skincare Routine

Blogging and having to research products and of course being sent product to trial has for sure helped me on my skincare journey. I have to learn what works for me and why so I can talk about and hopefully point readers in the right skincare direction. What I am using right now is my summer daytime skincare routine, things would vary a bit in the colder weather.

For toner I am using the Pixi Rose Tonic.

It’s gentle, minimises redness and also helps balance the skin’s PH balance.

Eye cream is the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour.

top irish beauty blog

This is a brand I wouldn’t have gotten to try if I didn’t blog, but I really enjoy this eye cream. Exuviance is created by the people at Neostrata. They say it reduces puffiness and smoothes wrinkles. I like it because it’s a thin formula that absorbs quickly, but still leaves my under eyes hydrated and smooth. A lot of eye creams can be too rich for me, this one does the job perfectly.

For moisturiser, I use the Vichy Minéral 89 Serum.top irish beauty blogger

It’s created with mineral water and hyaluronic acid. A lot of people would use just as a serum as it’s more a gel formula. For me it works brilliantly as a daytime moisturiser. It plumps my skin and skins in really quickly without leaving a residue that might interfere with makeup application.

As it is Summer, I am using a hefty SPF. This one is new to me, but it’s literally been love at first application. This is the Eucerin SPF 50+ Oil Control. Yep oil control.beauty blog ireland

This is the first Summer I think that I’ve been confident enough to use a stand alone SPF on my face. Usually the formula is oily and would have me a shiny mess within the hour. Not this though, and it actually feels really nice going on too. I apply this in the morning and then I’ll use a spray something like the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Mist over my makeup if I’m outdoors throughout the day.

Last but not least I always apply a lip balm before I do my makeup. What one it is does vary, but as the weather is so darn nice I’m using one with a high SPF at the minute. I am really liking the Shiseido UV Lip Color Splash with SPF 30.beauty blogger ireland

The tinted ones are nice too, but I use the clear one on most days. It’s not sticky and lip colour applies nicely over top of it.

And there you have my current daytime skincare routine. Have you tried any of the products?

xxx

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

 

 

 

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.

april favourites

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

april favourites

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 🙂

irish beauty blogger

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.

top irish beauty blog

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

top irish beauty blog

beauty blog ireland

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

beauty blog ireland

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.

irish beauty blog

Thanks for clicking as always.

Gemma

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

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.

top beauty blog ireland

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.

irish beauty blogger

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.

irish beauty blog
beauty blogger ireland
beauty blog ireland
top irish beauty blog

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.

top irish beauty blogger
beauty blog
beauty blogger
dublin beauty blog

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.

top irish beauty bloggerdublin beauty blog

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

 

 

 

 

beauty blogger ireland

Myself and Effaclar Duo have a very close bond. It is one of the only face creams that doesn’t interfere with my makeup and create extra oil throughout the day. I did a blog post last year here about the OG one and about their Unifiant (tinted) version. This post is dedication to the latest release, the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30

As someone with oily skin, SPF, generally does not do very well on my mush! SPF on it’s own is a no go. It tends to be thick and doesn’t absorb enough into the skin. When it’s within skincare, it can still be like this and I just find myself getting shiny pretty much instantaneously.

Because of this, I have to guiltily admit, sometimes I go without SPF on my face completely, or I use a foundation with some protection in it. I can say hand on heart that the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30 has been a bit of a revelation for me.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30

It comes in the same 40ml tube as the original and smells the same. It has the same gel like formula but it’s definitely a little thicker in consistency.

top irish beauty site
top irish beauty blogger
top irish beauty blog
beauty blog ireland

But, if you give it a couple of minutes, it does sink into the skin without feeling tacky or leaving a white mask on the skin.

It of course has SPF 30 and protects against UVA and UVB rays. It’s also kind to imperfections too. Now as it’s a moisturiser rather than full on sunscreen, it does mean that it doesn’t protect for as long and we generally apply it in a thinner layer. And it’s not water resistant. So it’s great for general day to day wear. But, if you’re heading to the beach or spending a lot of time directly in the sun, proper sunscreen is still the way to go.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30The important part for me though that it doesn’t make my makeup slide off completely. I do get more shiner than I would if I use the original version, but nothing like I would if I was wearing full blown SPF.

Overall, I am a fan of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30. It’s a great middle ground for me. It means I have some sort of decent protection on my face day to day, while out and about. I don’t feel as exposed.

It’s available now in pharmacies nationwide. The general price is around €19 or so. I found it on Feel Unique online here for the best price.

Have you tried it yet?

Shout out to Rosie for all the help as always 🙂

irish beauty blog
dublin beauty blog
irish beauty blogger
irish beauty website

xxx

 

****PR SAMPLE****

If you follow me on social media, you know I have not shut up about The Ordinary over the past few weeks. It is a really affordable but effective skincare brand created by Deciem. They have now released two foundations. I managed to get my hands on both! So, I thought I would break it down into two blogposts, in case one takes your fancy more than the other. This post is dedicated to The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation.

the ordinary colours serum foundation

Now I knew ordering this foundation, that it probably wouldn’t be compatible with my oily skin, but I wanted to try it regardless. The hype about this brand is just too much, and it’s super affordable to boot 🙂

the ordinary colours serum foundation

The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation comes in a 30ml plastic bottle with a rubberized plastic pump.

The packaging works really well and is very sleek for the price. My only gripe with it is that because the pump is matte, it tends to get really grubby with foundation. You can order a glass pipette for it separately if you’d rather apply it with that.

the ordinary deciem

The foundation comes in an abundance of shades from super light to super dark. 21 shades in total! It also comes in tones aswell which is even more awesome! So you can choose from pink, red and neutral undertones. There are 3 shades with S and G as the undertone, which stands for silver and gold. These have added highlight in them. Deciem say they will eventually create separate enhancers and highlighter so we can customise. I ain’t mad at that!

I totally guessed my shade and did a pretty good job I think. I went with 1.1N (neutral).

irish beauty blog

The formula is light and nearly runny when you pump it out. It is a serum foundation, so that’s completely what you would expect. They use high saturated pigment, so a little goes a long way.

The Ordinary skincare
top irish beauty blog
irish beauty blogger
beauty blog ireland

To me, this is a light but build-able to medium foundation. It blends in to the skin really nicely and definitely covers up and even out any discolouration. A little goes a fairly long way. It doesn’t settle into lines and is really light weight on the skin too.

Here in Europe it is deemed SPF 15 (there is different regulations in different countries). The finish for me is more on the dewy side which again is what I expected. But, it’s not greasy on the skin. I’ve been wearing The Ordinary Silicone Primer with it and they work well together.

Before:

beauty blogger ireland
top beauty blog ireland

I usually just pump some directly onto my face.

top beauty blogger ireland

After:

beauty blog
beauty blogger

Obviously you can see it in action on my skin in the pics above, but I used it in a recent video here too, so you can see it kinda sorta in ‘real life’! When I first apply it, it has gives a velvet like finish to the skin. There’s definitely more of a glow to it after it settles though. I personally wouldn’t get more than a couple of hours wear out of before the oiliness wins the war. But if I use a good primer and powder (alot), I can get a bit longer.Having said though, if you have more dry, combo skin, this will work a treat for you. It is a gorgeous everyday foundation.

beauty blogger ireland
beauty blog
The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation is currently out of stock on the Deciem website (sorry), but you can sign up here to be notified when it’s back in. It costs a ridiculously reasonable €6.70. Deciem also offer free shipping over €25.

Are you intrigued? Have you tried it yourself? Let me know 🙂

xxx

 

 

Since the sun is shining, don’t say that too loud, we might spook it! But, since it is, I thought I would put together some of my summer makeup essentials. This isn’t so much about the products, just dive into your collection and see what you have already to play with.

summer makeup essentials

These are products I have in my stash right now. I love shopping my stash, especially when a new season begins.

summer makeup essentials

Summer makeup for me, is about a light base and having fun with everything else.

My skin tends to behave itself a little bit more in the summer months so I can spend less time on my base. It still needs help though!

My Summer makeup will always consist of primers. I have oily skin.

irish beauty blog

I just find adding a few dabs of it to the t zone and blending it out over my whole face, really helps with the longevity of anything I put on top of it. Eyeshadow primer is another must for me. All year round, but particularly in the warmer months. Oily lids are no joke! I am really enjoying The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer (you can buy it here) and Benefit Porefessional has always been a holy grail for me.

irish beauty blogger

Because I use a more mattifying primer, I find I can go a little bit more dewy and light with the foundation.

beauty blog ireland

If I know I am going to be out in the sun for a long period of time, I will of course use sun protection on my face. However, it does tend to melt my makeup. So, if I am going somewhere that is more shaded, I’ll use a foundation with SPF.

beauty blogger ireland

One very important Summer makeup essential for me, is coloured eye liners.

beauty blog

Whether it be liquid, gel, waterproof pencil, or pencil with eyeshadow over top, this is something I cannot get enough of in Summer. It is just such a fun way to add something to your makeup without trying too hard. I love applying a slick of it across the lash line. If I am feeling extra daring, I’ll even attempt to wing it out. Adding a pop of colour to your water line too is a lovely way to incorporate a hint of colour to a makeup look aswell. I used the Nyx Vivid Brights Liner here in a makeup look last Summer.

top irish beauty website

Without waterproof mascara, I am a basic lash person.

top irish beauty blog

My lashes are straight and need waterproof mascara to hold a curl. It is imperative in the Summer time too though. It is a bitch to get off, but a decent waterproof mascara means you don’t have to worry about panda eyes behind your sunglasses. Or if you suffer with watery eyes, you are less inclined to have black marks down your cheeks. I talk about two of my favourites pictured here and here.

top irish beauty blogger

My last Summer makeup essential is a glossy lip. I never thought I would say those words, but glossy lip products have come such a long way.

irish beauty website

They don’t have to be sticky and they can be super long wearing and colourful too. Products like the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors are great. They add shine with a hint of colour as well as nourish the lips. So handy to throw in your bag for top ups throughout the day.

top beauty blog

Shout out to Rosie for helping me take the photos!

irish beauty blog beautynook

And, I will stop rambling 🙂 Have you any Summer makeup essentials?

xxx