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I’m probably going to say this everytime I put up a post on Beautynook now. It’s been a while blog friends. I’m definitely not as dedicated to blogging as I once was. But sure I’m not gone completely. I still waffle about makeup over on Instagram on the daily 🙂 This video was filmed on my phone, completely off the cuff the other day. I was about to dig into my only Marc Jacobs eyeshadow, that I had never used before, so wanted to document it. The lighting isn’t the best, but sure hopefully the banter is 🙂 This is my really easy burgundy eye look.

easy burgundy eye look

This super simple burgundy eye look could essentially be done with one eyeshadow, some liner and mascara. I probably over complicated it to begin with, just because I was winging it and didn’t know how the fancy eyeshadow would perform. The Marc Jacobs O! Mercy O!Mega Eyeshadowmarc jacobs eyeshadow

I bought it on a whim for myself as a birthday present, along with an eyeliner of a similar colour which I use briefly too. The shadow is absolutely huge, it could probably double as a blush. The pay off is really great and it blended well too. I will say by the end of the evening though it was definitely patchy on my oily lids. I’ll reserve judgement though and try it with different bases before making a final decision on it.easy burgundy eye look

The Huda Beauty New Nude Palette was cracked out for this burgundy eye look too. I really don’t reach for this much in all honesty, but it is pretty to look at 🙂top irish beauty blogger

The lip combo is from Essence, cheap cheerful and effective, I think. Nude by pinky nude. I’m too pale for full on nude lips.

I didn’t film my base routine, but it’s essentially the same as shown here, so you can check that out if you fancy some more content.

So there you have my easy burgundy eye look. Let me know what you think.

Gemma

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Try saying cranberry & copper makeup tutorial three times fast. It’s pretty impossible, but now that I have your attention, here is my rendition 🙂

cranberry & Copper Makeup Tutorial

Without even realising or trying, I used mostly affordable products to create this look. The Obsession X Belle Jordan Palette is the main component.

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All the shadows are from that with one of the Essence Melted Chrome eyeliners.

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I also tried out the €2 eyeliner stamp I picked up from Penneys before filming. Not a new concept by any means, but I’ve never tried one so I was kinda excited.

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So be sure to click on the video above or here, if you want to see the cranberry and copper makeup tutorial in action, but also see me attempt to use the stamp 🙂

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I was pretty happy with how this look turned out. The liner wasn’t my best work, but I was experimenting so hopefully you forgive me.

Cranberry & Copper Makeup Tutorial

If you want to see what I used for my base, all the products were under investigation here. I filmed a first impressions video before the tutorial.

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All affordable products were used in that too!

I am uploading this on New Years Eve, I thought it would make a nice alternative to the typical red lip or gold eye makeup looks we usually gravitate towards. It’s not exclusive to NYE, so you may read this at a later date. But, I just want to say Happy 2019 to you all. Thanks for clicking and commenting and following me on social media. I really appreciate all the interaction. 2018 was a weird year, for a lot of people, me included. Let’s hope 2019 is a upgrade 🙂

Roll on all the new beauty releases for 2019 too. Jaysis, I better start saving now 🙂

Gemma

xxx

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I am very hesitant to call this a hair curling tutorial. I’m forever hesitant to use that word anywhere on Beautynook to be honest. But, it’s what people search for, so I’m just jumping on the bandwagon. Don’t think any less of me 🙂

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Myself and hair styling would not be the best of friends. I’m lucky in that my hair isn’t too unruly so I can get away with doing the bare minimum with it most of the time. There is really only two facets to my ability. Straightening, which I use the L’Oréal Steampod for. (Review here). Or, I can curl it, which I’m doing a lot of lately.

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At first when I was asked a few times by you lovely lot on Snapchat and Instagram how I curl my hair, I kind of got embarrassed. I just think of myself as so shit at hair. I decided to give a ‘hair curling tutorial’ a go anyways though and as I got into it, I realised, maybe I do have a couple of tips that people might learn from. We all do these things differently, right?

hair curling tutorial

I generally curl my hair when it’s freshly clean. I know most people don’t do that, but I have oily roots and if I did it on second or third day hair, it just wouldn’t be worth my while. I’ll use heat protection spray before drying and then just blast dry it. I used the fancy Dyson hairdryer in this video because we’re house sitting. Sad to say, I definitely don’t have one of these at home 🙁

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I’ll link the vent brush here too that I use in case you like the look of it 🙂 I let my hair cool and let my really old but favourite Babyliss curling wand heat up. I like less uniformed waves rather than full on curls. That’s of course personal preference though.

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I do one side of my head at a time, taking approximately one inch sections. I like the tousled look, so I don’t think too much about it, once all the hair has a bit of a wave I’m happy. Click on the video above or directly here to see the whole Hair Curling Tutorial in action. You’ll get a better sense at how crap I am at hair and of the finished result 🙂

hair curling tutorial

Let me know what you think.

Thanks, as always.

Gemma

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I sound dramatic when I say I get a lot of questions about my brow routine. But, it’s actually probably my most asked beauty question.

brow routine

My eyebrows have come such a long way in the past couple of years. I was definitely one of the ‘tadpole’ brow crew. We started in our teens and we just continued on plucking and plucking and never looking back 🙂 With the help of YouTube videos and the awesome brow gals at Benefit though, I finally gotten a handle on filling them in.

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Unfortunately my natural eyebrows are left in a bit of a wreck from over plucking. I did get a stem cell treatment done last year that definitely helped them fill out a bit, but as you can see, a decent brow routine is completely necessary for me.

As I say in the video, I am no expert and my brows are not perfect, nor are they twins. But I’ve come to terms with that and just do them to the best of my ability. I’ve gotten better over the years, so maybe this time next year I’ll be even more accomplished 🙂

My brow routine is probably the longest part of my makeup application and I’m completely ok with that. I think they’re the most important part for me, and I kind of build everything else around them. I do use and excessive amount of products I know.

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However, I get super oily in that area of my face throughout the day, so pencil alone just doesn’t cut it for me! And I use two brow gels to add texture, and to set everything too.

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I’m not listing products here, because I feel this video is more about how rather than what I use. But if you want to know about anything specific, just ask 🙂

Let me know what you think and as always thanks for clicking.

Gemma

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This is my honest everyday Summer Makeup look! I tried to keep it as real as possible and just edited out my ‘ums’ and any long winded techniques. My brows take forever 🙂

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It’s nothing fancy or ground breaking, but this is generally what I do on a daily basis if I’m wearing makeup. The eye look might change a bit if I’m feeling fancier or lazier. The lip colour might change if I’m feeling a bold or bright lip, but the base tends to not really. I’ve found what works for my skin in the heat, so I don’t want to jinx it too much if I’m going out and about. If I know I’m staying close to home, then I can experiment and trial new products 🙂

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It all depends on what you feel most comfortable with. For me, brows and a bit of eyeshadow definition is a must. Eyeliner is not necessary so it’s not something I do day to day. Once I have a wash of colour on my lids I am happy enough. The main components of my everyday Summer makeup look, I’ve spoken about a lot before. I think this is an important aspect of this video though. You know I like these products and above all, you know I trust them.irish beauty blogger

I won’t get into everything, but some of the main products I used are in my June Favourites here. I have a review the Urban Decay Primer here, and of both the foundations I used here and here. Mac Springsheen blush has been a favourite for literally years and the highlighter from Pixi is a new, but very loved favourite.top irish beauty blog

And that is my ‘errand running’ everyday Summer makeup. If you watched the video, you’ll get the joke 🙂

Thanks for tuning it. Tell me, what are some of your Summer makeup essentials?

xxx

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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.

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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

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