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The day I filmed this video I was heading to the Irish Beauty Blog Awards where I was casually up for an award…no biggie like 🙂 Unfortunately I came home empty handed, but we had a good night regardless 🙂

 

I love handbags, but I am a lazy git and don’t always carry one. However, for a night out a bag is a completely necessary addition to my outfit. Us girls bring an arsenal of ‘just in case’ items in our handbags. We just make it a little smaller when we hit the town so we don’t have to lug around the big everyday bag. I think this makes what we bring that more important and it’s stuff we actually use and love 🙂

what's in my handbag

So tonight Matthew I bring you ‘What’s in My Handbag’ the night out edition. Just a bit of fun. I love having a nosey into other people’s handbags so I though it was fitting that I let you have a nose into mine. Click on the video about to watch me waffle up a storm and then I’ll have everything I talk about listed below and anything that I can link linked 🙂

So…what’s in my handbag?….

Too Faced Kabuki brush. I can’t find the exact one. This is a similar one from Too faced here.

Mac Studio Fix Powder, you can buy from Brown Thomas here

Catrice Prime & Fine Contour Palette can be found in Penneys nationwide and independent stockists. I have swatches of it here.

Benefit Porefessional License To Blot , You can pick it up from Debenhams online here and I have a full review here too.

You can buy the Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliners in store or from Boots online here.

You can get the Exaggerate Lipliners like the eyeliners in store or from Boots online here. I also have swatches of it here if you’re interested 🙂

Rimmel The Only One Lipstick in Naughty Nude- I have swatches here and you can buy from Boots online here.

I bought the Chanel card holder from Brown Thomas. Very fancy purchase, but I do get alot of use out of it 🙂

 

And I think that’s it, if I missed anything out be sure to let me know.

Thanks for checking out what’s in my handbag 🙂

xxx

 

I already have makeup looks with all the Urban Decay Naked palettes here on Beautynook.You can check out Naked 1 look here, Naked 2 here, Naked 3 here and Naked Smoky here. I did a look with the Naked 2 the other day and put a couple of selfies up on my Facebook page and some of you seem to like it and asked me to film a tutorial, thank you by the way 🙂

irish beauty blogger urban decay naked 2irish beauty blogSo, I did it, well attempted to anyways 🙂 I am really new to this Youtube thing, but I gave it my best go and managed to recreate this really easy Urban Decay Naked 2 makeup look. I am not a makeup artist so I am going to call them makeup looks rather than tutorials, hope you don’t mind.

If you like this video, it would make my day if you went over to my youtube channel and subscribed. I am going to try my best to be consistent with it.

Thanks, as always for stopping by.

Let me know what you think.

Gemma

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

 

I am not a blush monogamist by any stretch of the imagination. I flutter from one to the other depending on my mood and of course what colour or finish I want on that day. Lately I’ve noticed my hand has been reaching for the same 5 blushes in my makeup drawer though. 5 is still probably alot in a normal case scenario I know, but for a makeup fiend this is a pretty respectable number 🙂 So I thought I would share them with you today as they are actually quite varied (as blushers go anyway).

First up is one of the first Mac products I ever had in my collection. Don’t worry I’ve gone throught a few of them since then, but you can still see this is well loved.

Mac Pink Swoon

This is Mac’s Sheertone blush in ‘Pink Swoon’. At one point this was the only blush I had in my possession.

irish beauty blogPink Swoon Swatch

I like the Sheertone blushes because you can build them up to your own preference. I think Pink Swoon is the perfect matte pink cheek tone. It suits my skin tone well and I can wear it day or night. Pink Swoon is available for €24 from Brown Thomas here.

My second choice is another Mac Sheertone blush, but in the shimmer formula.

Mac Springsheen blush

This is ‘Springsheen’ which I think is a bit of a Mac cult classic. You can buy this from Brown Thomas for €24 here.

irish makeup and beauty blogSpringsheen swatch

It’s light peachy shade with a gold sparkle running through it. Probably more suited to the warmer months, but I love Springhsheen if you gone to town on your eye makeup or your lippie and just want a subtle pop of colour to your cheeks. It’s a good staple to have in your collection.

The third choice I have been grabbing for of late is a blush I actually spoke about in My Everyday Makeup Routine here.

catrice blush kiss me ken

This is the Catrice Illuminating Blush in 030 ‘Kiss Me Ken’.

beauty blogkiss me ken swatch

This is a more mauvey toned blush I think, with just a little sparkle running through it.

 

I tend to grab for this when I’m going for a mauve toned lip, which I have been loving at the minute. I think the similar tone of colour on the cheeks and lips go well together.3

 

Number 4 is the priciest of the bunch. It’s £32 from Spacenk here.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Diffused Heat

This is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in ‘Diffused Heat’.

irish beauty blog beautynookDiffused Heat Swatch

It looks pretty scary in the pan, right? But as you can see when it swatched on my arm, it’s a lovely peachy pink shade. You have a swirl of intense colour, but then you are kind of diluting it by mixing it with the lighting powder running through it. This is such a pretty shade and the formulation of these blushes are really lovely and so blendable too. I use this blush alot when I’m going for more of a fresh face approach to my makeup, if that makes sense? :p

 

I left this blush until last, because it’s really the one I reach for the most.

Max Factor Seductive Pink

This is the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in 15 ‘Seductive Pink’.

beauty blog beautynookSeductive Pink Swatch

The beauty community went nuts when Max Factor first released these blushes, as they are such a lovely and affordable alternative to the Hourglass offerings that I talked about a minute ago. I think Seductive Pink is a blush everyone should have in their collection if I’m being honest. It’s just a great all rounder, and ticks all the boxes for me. It’s pink, but has a rosey tone to it aswell, it’s not completely matte, but it doesn’t interfere with your makeup at all, it will work on so many skin tones, it works with all types of makeup looks and the formula of Creme Puff blushes is so lovely as well. They’re soft, pigmented and easy to blend. Can you tell I love it? 🙂 You can pick it up from Boots here

Do you have a favourite blush or blushes that you reach for constantly? Do you even rate blush?

Let me know 🙂

xxx