We were so fortunate to be invited to the very swanky Merrion Hotel for a breakfast preview of the Liz Earle Christmas launch, but also the unveiling of the Liz Earle Rose Pelargonium Necklace created by Boodles.
I have been a fan for a long time now. I think I have gone through all of the skincare products in the brand over the years, and although we switch and change we still come back to Liz Earle one way or another.
So firstly, in the beautiful surroundings of The Merrion Hotel we got to see what Liz Earle has in store for Christmas 2014. The room was filled with flowers and white rose petals adorned the tables presenting their Christmas treats.
The theme this Christmas is “Botanicals In The Snow”, very fitting indeed.
Every year they bring out a slightly different formulated version of their Cleanse and Polish.
This year it is infused with Sweet Orange and Mint (it smells amazing) and how beautiful is the packaging? This is priced at 23.50euro.
They also do the normal Cleanse & Polish in a gorgeous drum so if you are buying it for a loved one…it is already presented perfectly for gifting 🙂 This 50 ml is 10.75euro.
They have these really cute “Christmas Star Beauty Treats”, one contains a nail polish (9.00euro)
And the other a signature Lip Colour (priced at 16.75euro)
Really cute stocking fillers in really pretty packaging 🙂
On a side note, the room smelled amazing when we walked in the Merrion and it was all thanks to their candle in Eucalyptus and Rosemary, I think this will be on both of our Christmas lists this year, the scent is just so warm and welcoming.
They also have gift sets to suit everyone and all budgets too. You can get Liz Earle in Boots, Liffey Valley and in Wilde and Green in Milltown.
This event as already mentioned was also to unveil the “Liz Earle Rose Pelargonium Necklace by Boodles”. Boodles is a fine jewellery brand. The Director Jody Wainwright,
collaborated with the gorgeous Liz Earle herself,
for the charity “Shining Faces” an orphanage in India. It is a cause close to both of their hearts. This necklace will be released in Boodles and Liz Earle stores on the 17th of November with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity.
When your purchase the necklace, the Liz Earle beauty company also gift you with a beautiful botanical hamper full of goodies.
The necklace is priced at 1,950euro. It is definitely a splurge item, made of ethically sourced sapphires, rose and white gold. If you are in the market for an investment piece of jewellery, be sure to check it out though. It is for such a lovely cause.
We had a really lovely time at the event and got a little star struck at meeting Liz herself 🙂
https://i0.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/boodles2-2-620x711.jpg?fit=620%2C711&ssl=1711620Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2014-10-13 18:54:302015-02-18 13:34:26Breakfast with Liz Earle And Boodles
This week I went on a little mid week break to Belfast.I really enjoyed getting away from it all for a minute, and it was long overdue. Of course shopping ensued.
I thought I haul some of the bits and pieces I bought before the trip and during to get your shopping juices flowing for the weekend. Also, don’t know about you but I am a nosey sod and love looking in other people’s shopping baskets 🙂
I bought a couple of bits in the Boohoo sale before I left.
These coral and black beauties were only 12 Euro in the sale! Couldn’t resist, these will come in so handy with jeans and dresses alike.
These heels were again 12 Euro in the sale. Little bit more “out there” than the black and coral ones I know, but I fell in love with the copper metallic colour of them. I think these will be great for Autumn.
I got a cute pair of earrings from Boohoo as well. They are multi coloured and sparkley…what more can I say 😛
And lastly I got some gold little bracelets. I love to layer bracelets so I will add these to some others I have lying around to give a plain outfit a bit of interest.
I also bought something from Dunnes Stores online before I left and picked them up from the store the day before we left.
These Valentino rip offs are so pretty I promise you. They are 40 Euro which is a bit steep for Dunnes I know, but in the flesh these are well made. Get them quick before they’re all gone!
En route to Belfast, we made a pitstop to Dundalk, so I could go to Mise Beauty I’ve bought from them online in the past but have never saw the shop in the flesh as I live in Dublin, so to go there was a real treat. I picked up a couple of bits and pieces but will definitely be going back in the future.
I had to pick up the Pixi Glow Tonic . I’ve heard so many things about this in the blogosphere so “needed” to see what all the fuss was about. This is an exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid, Aloe Vera and Ginseng in it to remove dead skin cells, soothe and nourish the skin. Can’t argue with that!
I grabbed some Zpalettes while I was there. I love nothing more than depotting my shadows and blushes into these beauties. I’ve also made some cheeky purchases from Makeupgeek that will need new homes, so these will come in very handy. You do not come across Zpalettes very often on shop shelves in Ireland so I admit I was very excited seeing this being stocked in Mise Beauty.
My last buy from the makeup lovers dream Mise Beauty was a Sleek Matte Lip Cream in “Party Pink”. I love these lip creams. They are matte but not too drying on the lips and last all day. This colour is a gorge red, coraly shade. I think I will get alot of use out of this in the coming Autumnal months.
I reckon I was quite reserved in Mise considering the brands they have an offer there, don’t you? 🙂
I bought a couple of bits while roaming around Belfast’s city centre. I first hit Spacenk I couldn’t resist having a look.
I got one of the Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadows. These are exclusive to Spacenk and are stupid money I must admit (21 pound!!!) These shadows are designed specifically to use wet and dry. I picked up the shade “Phoebe” which is a beautiful metallic purple colour.
Nars Phoebe Swatched Dry
Nars Phoebe Swatched Wet
Lastly I have a couple of random buys.
I needed some dry shampoo whilst there so picked up this one that I hadn’t seen before. This is Herbal Essences offering to the dry shampoo world. It smells exactly like old school Herbal Essence which I love! And after using it a couple of times I can say it’s not bad at its job at all. The smell does it for me though I’d buy it again for that alone 🙂
I got one of Rimmel’s version of the Maybelline Baby Lips. I actually really like this and it was cheaper than the Baby Lips. Maybelline is stupidly overpriced in Europe compared to the States. This one gives you a lovely purple tinge to your lips while hydrating them. This will be kept in the handbag forever more.
Finally, is something that is maybe a late 20’s crisis purchase.
I bought a snap back! I have visions of being really cool and trendy and wearing this backwards and I want to so much. I am digging the 90’s revival….let’s just see if I have the bottle 🙂
I am back in Dublin now and have to go back to work on Monday and am sooooo not looking forward to it 🙁 Belfast is a lovely town steeped in culture, we had a lovely time there.
Hope you enjoyed my random purchases, if you like looking in my shopping bags be sure to let me know and I can do more of this.
Just because you have oily skin does not mean you do not need to moisturise. Your skin still needs to be looked after and nourished. Here are some of the products I have been reaching for and enjoying of late to moisturise my face.
For daily use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo has been my go to cream. I got this after reading many blogposts and reviews about it. It’s a paraben free facial moisturiser that aids with unclogging pores and helps with imperfections, specifically formulated for oily, spot prone skin.
It also claims to help control oil. I cannot say it does that but if definitely does not add more to your skin, so for me that’s a plus. It’s nice and light aswell, so I don’t feel like I am putting layers of product onto my skin and if you have oily skin you know that’s a good thing.
I would use an eye cream with this too as this would not be suitable for around the eye area.
In the evening time is when I really think about moisturising and replenishing my skin.
After cleansing, I will use a serum. The two I have been loving at the minute are the Image Skincare Iluma Intense Lightening Serum and the Neostrata Illuminating Serum. Both of these products are full of lovely ingredients to help lighten discolouration and to help cool and calm as well as protect from any more discolouration. I use these serums around my eyes also.
If my skin is particularly acting up I will just add some of the Nimue Purifier on any breakouts I might have. This helps ease spots, helps with infection and help prevent spreading a breakout…awesome. But it also does not dry out your skin like other spot treatments can. I love it!
Sometimes, I want to treat my skin and use a hydrating luxurious cream. I use the night time for this as no one has to look at my shiny, scary makeup less face 🙂 I have been loving the very posh Chantecaille Flower Harmonising Cream for this.
This is a lovely heavy cream full of essential oils. It is 87% botanicals including a base of rosewater (so it smells of roses). This feels lovely on the skin and is meant to boost collagen too which I’m all for…I’m nearly 30 after all 🙂
The revered Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a must for everyone. It works simple as that.
This stuff gets slathered onto my lips, lashes and eyebrows at night. It’s not the most appealing product in the world but my god does it work! It’s leaves your lips lovely and soft aswell as anywhere else you need extra moisture.
I am fickle and I change my skincare (and makeup) like the weather, but I think there’s a couple of lovelies in here that I will keep for a long time to come.
Thanks loads for letting me offload my thoughts on you. If you use any particular products that are great for oily, spot prone skin, be sure to let me know.
I love Lush, there I said it! I cannot walk past the shop without going in and sniffing treats until I feel faint. I see the bath-bombs as an necessity to get through the working week, even at their ridiculous prices. On my last trip to Lush I picked up the Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner.
Lush tells you to use this product just as you would hair conditioner. You put it on wet, already cleansed skin, massage it in and then rinse off. It has a similar consistency to hair conditioner and similar ingredients so I suppose the comparison make sense.
Ro’s Argan was apparently invented by Rowena the creator of Lush because she wanted to have the same soft feeling on her skin as she got from using conditioner on her hair.
If you dislike the scent of Rose, you will probably not want to use this product as it smells strongly of the scent. It’s not my favourite of smells but I overcome it because I love the stuff so much and it doesn’t linger for too long on the skin afterwards once you’re finished throwing on deodorant, body spray and perfume 😛
This body conditioner is filled with lots of lovely, natural (as Lush products always are) ingredients that are great and feel lovely. Cocoa butter, cupuacu butter, almond oil and Argan oil are among the list.
I have gone through different brands that have similar in shower moisturisers, which were lovely, and I enjoyed using them, but this is the only one so far that I can honestly say leaves my skin soft and hydrated until I shower next and I don’t need to top it up with a normal moisturiser if I don’t want too.
You are left with an oily residue after using this product so again if this is something you dislike, steer clear 🙂
Ro’s Argan does not come cheap, this 225g pot will set you back 19.95, I think your skin is worth it though, and you can always just keep it for those lazy days when you don’t want to get out of the shower and THEN moisturise!
If you are in the market for a new way to keep your skin supple and soft, you don’t mind the smell of roses and you are ok with the slight oily residue it leaves behind, then I truly recommend this product.
Lush are a natural, vegan brand and are against animal testing which helps too!
Have any of you used Ro’s Argan or anything similiar? Be sure to let me know.
Spring is finally here, we can all breath a sigh of relief and look forward to longer days with hopefully some sunshine woohoo ! So another month is gone which means it’s monthly favourites time in blog world. My March favourites are all beauty related this month, not on purpose I promise 🙂 So lets delve into the products I have been enjoying continuously through the month of March.
First up is not a very glamorous choice, but I honestly have not being able to get enough of it since getting it:
This is organic coconut oil, say what?! My good oul mammy was doing her usual ramble around the supermarket and she stumbled across this in the food aisle. You can use it for cooking or on your hair, I like to use it on my temperamental skin and I’m officially addicted. This big 500ml pot was about 6 or 7 quid and will last you a lifetime. When you open it the oil itself is solidified:
But when you scoop it out with your hand it instantly starts to melt into oil, that you can slather on and let it work it’s magic. It’s not something that dries instantly it does take a while to soak in but I think it’s worth it for how soft your skin feels after using it. When I have a bath I take a scoop and throw it in now aswell. Much better alternative to baby oil and it’s all natural baby 🙂
I use the coconut oil every second day. On the days I don’t moisture up with that I am using this:
The Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze. I am a pale Irish girl, I do not get a tan I get freckles, it’s depressing, this stuff helps keep the pale at bay though without me looking too weirdly bronzed on a normal day to day basis. It is basically a moisturiser with a hint of tan in it. The cream itself is brown, which I love because alot of the alternative brands are just white in colour and you can miss spots when applying, which does not look great when the tan develops.
It also has the well known Cocoa Brown cocoa smell which we all love, you do not end up smelling like biscuits in the morning which is brilliant. Overall a winner for me. In fairness, Marissa has yet to steer us wrong 🙂
Next up is some makeup loveliness:
This is the neutral Mac pre filled palette. Mac have released two fully filled palettes and I had to scoop up this cool toned one, the other one is more warm toned so is more suited to those with a darker complexion. I have used this practically everyday since I got it. I have always found it hard to justify buying their eyeshadows from a price point of view. I have a few stocked away in a z palette, and another quad but other than that I don’t own many (don’t worry I make up for it in with other brands 😛 ). So when these came out and were 75 euro, this was cheap in Mac world so we had to buy some. I really like this palette, I know its yet another neutral one but I don’t care, you can never have enough of them if your a makeup fiend 🙂 The colours are pigmented, easy to blend, and there’s a great selection for everyday use right up to a dark smoky eye for night time with matte and shimmery shades a-plenty. I think Brun and Black Tied are the only ones I’ve ever heard of before that are in the palette, the rest of the names aren’t familiar to me. Overall it’s a winner for though 🙂
So onto my next favourite of the month:
This is the Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock Gel Eye liner. That’s a bit of a mouthful! This stuff is something I stumbled across rummaging in Boots for new stuff to try out. It’s a gel liner in pen form:
You twist the bottom of the pen and the product comes through the diagonal rubber tip. I’ve never had anything like this before. My favourite black gel eye liner is still No77 from Inglot that I rave about here. I use this in my waterline and top lash line and I know it won’t budge. However, I really fail in the skills of mastering the feline flick, especially with a brush. This eyeliner has helped me alot (I am still no master). It comes out of the nib in a nice thin line and I love that the nib is diagonal as it helps with drawing the flick. You can just place the nib on the corner of your eye and press down and it draws it for you.
This helps me because I don’t add too much product, and it sweeps across the eye in one swift movement, helpful again because I don’t have to go back in and fix it too much, which I am prone to do and that’s where it can all go wrong 🙂 It doesn’t transfer onto the eyelid once dry and lasts all day. Overall a great product and you can buy it in Boots!
Another Boots/pharmacy product. My foundation of the month has definitely been the Rimmel Stay Matte:
This is a mousse/liquid foundation. I use the shade 100 Ivory and it’s a pretty good match for day to day for me. It is a matte finish foundation as the name would suggest and is medium to full coverage.
Buffed into the hand, you can see if evens out my skin colour.
Not more I can say about it. It’s cheap, has good coverage, good colour range and lasts well throughout the day. Thanks Anita for recommending it to me 🙂
I have more face stuff from Boots next, I must have spent the whole month there!
This was a really random purchase. I ran out of my Image skin cleanser and just needed something to keep me going until I got more. I was in Boots and this was on sale for, I think 4 euro. It is the Botanics cleansing foam wash. I am a Clarisonic addict, I use it everyday. My clarisonic is an ugly yellow because I got it on Amazon before you could get them in Ireland so couldn’t pick a pretty colour 🙁 It still does the job though.
It works best with a foaming cleanser so just threw this in my basket as back up. I am so glad I did, it’s soap free and really foams up. It gets rid of all my makeup including mascara and works really well with the Clarisonic. And is has a nice fresh subtle smell. Overall a great (and cheap) cleanser. I will finish the bottle for sure before purchasing another one.
My last favourite of March is ANOTHER face product that can be purchased in Boots! Well Boots in Liffey Valley shopping centre anyways:
This is the Sleek blush trio in Pink Lemonade.
Pink Mint Macaroon Icing Sugar
We love Sleek makeup here at Chatterbox. And I love this blush trio. They are so pigmented and easy to blend. Usually I don’t buy cream blush much because my oily skin drinks it up and it disappears very quickly from my cheeks. However from having this palette I’ve been using the Macaroon shade under the other two and it helps them last all day! I use my fingers to apply it lightly on my cheekbones and then I tend to mix the other shades Icing Sugar and Pink mint together on a blush brush for a nice pink glow. By all means they can be used alone though, that’s just how I like to wear them :). I will be buying more of these trios for sure in the future.
So there you go, my fab faves for the month of March.
I am coming at you today with a few of my favourite liquid foundations of the moment. I tend to have a lot on the go at any one time testing them out and seeing how they fair. I have not got the best skin. It is overall very oily with some random dry patches and I tend to get breakouts quite alot, so for me foundation is pretty important and I use it everyday to even out my skin which has pink undertones . I would be an NC20 in MAC.
The first of the foundations I want to talk about is the purse friendly Revlon Colorstay which you can pick up in nearly all Boots and on their website for close to 18 euro.
Revlon Colorstay Foundation Oily/Combination Skin
Sigma Flat Top Kabuki Brush
This foundation comes in two formulas oily/combination and dry. Of course I use the oily/combination version. It’s thick in consistency so you don’t need a whole lot and it dries to a matt finish. It’s medium to full coverage depending on how much you build it, so if you want a light layering maybe for work or just for daytime, I suggest adding a little moisturiser to it to loosen it a bit. I don’t feel doing this adds any more oil (to my skin anyway). My favourite way to apply this foundation is with a flat dense kabuki brush or with my fingers, for a lighter layer. Working it into the skin with a dense brush tends to make the product work better for you and cover any large pores so less concealer is needed. I really like the Revlon Colorstay and feel it wears pretty well on me throughout the day and is good for nights out as it only has an SPF of 6 so doesn’t have much or any flashback in photos 😉 I think it will always be in my arsenal of foundations.
The next foundation I want to chat about it a pretty new one to my collection and it is the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint. I picket this up on Cult Beauty for 30 pound so it would definitely be classed as a “higher end foundation”.
Jouer Moisture Tint
Real Techniques Buffing Brush
As the name implies this is a mattifying foundation but has all the benefits of a moisturising foundation. I would class this as a heavy duty tinted moisturiser with light but build-able coverage. It is oil free and fragrance free so good for any of you sensitive oily ladies out there! The texture of this foundation is like nothing I have ever used before, it is nearly like a gel which makes it very easy to blend. I tend to use my fingers if I am in hurry with this or a Real Techniques Buffing Brush as its not very dense and distributes the product nicely. I really like The Jouer Matte Moisture Tint, it wears well, however it is not great over blemishes, it can cake around them so you have to be careful of that when blending it. This had an SPF 15, so it is suited better for day wear. I wear the shade Linen.
Next on my list is the MakeUpForever Mat Velvet +. You can buy this from the MakeUpForever shop in Clarendon street in Dublin which I am lucky to live quite close to or on their website for 35 euro (again another high end foundation).
MakeupForever Mat Velvet +
Sigma Round Top Kabuki Brush
The bottle in the picture above is empty, so I guess that’s a sign I like this foundation :). This is my” I’m late for work” product. Squeezable bottle, medium coverage and lovely to blend, so doesn’t need much attention. It is oil free and water resistant so lasts pretty well on the skin throughout the day with a light layer of powder on top. It doesn’t tend to oxidise on my skin which is brilliant. It does not have an SPF so if you want to protect yourself layer it up underneath. I apply this with fingers in a hurry or a dense kabuki foundation brush. I find the brush really helps gets the product into the skin. I may have to repurchase this, I’ve talked myself into it 🙂 I wear the shade 30.
My final choice of the minute (although I could ramble on for hours) is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light. You can buy this in Debenhams or any other place that has an Estée Lauder counter. It retails for 36.50 Euro. Another pricey one I know sorry, I must be going through a phase .
Esteé Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Real Techniques Expert face Brush
This is my heading out on the town foundation. I also own the original Double Wear in the glass bottle which I love but it is much harder to work and I am lazy so the light one is better for me. Don’t be fooled the word “light” in my opinion does not mean a lighter coverage foundation, this is a full coverage foundation and is hardcore stuff so needs to be used carefully. I apply it in light layers, letting each one dry as I go with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It is a wet foundation and applies shiny to the skin, but sets quick and stays really well throughout the night. Honestly, only if I am in a really hot place or out til’ all hours of the morning do I really feel the need to touch up. This foundation covers like a dream, and is great in pictures even with an SPF of 10. I wear the shade 2.0 Intensity. This is not my colour match its probably about 2 shades darker, as I would have false tan on wearing it.
These are just a few of the liquid foundations I am using at the moment. I tend to vary my foundations depending on where I am going, if I am wearing tan and how much coverage I want that day. I will never be the girl who just has one foundation and sticks to it. However I think Revlon Colorstay and Estée Lauder Double Wear Light will be in my collection for a long time to come, as well as Mac Face and Body which I always keep a hold of for the summer time as it can be used on the face and any other body parts that might need an extra bit of coverage.
As I have oily skin I always prep my skin with primer and set with powder, my next blog post will go into more detail about this so keep an eye out for that 🙂
Let me know if you have any foundation suggestions for oily skin, I am always on the look out and have a shopping problem so would love to know.
https://i2.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/irish-beauty-blog-2.jpg?fit=1600%2C1200&ssl=112001600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2014-01-22 21:00:582018-02-19 21:18:01Gem’s Favourite Liquid Foundations of the Moment (For Oily Skin).
I had to pick up the Pixi Glow Tonic . I’ve heard so many things about this in the blogosphere so “needed” to see what all the fuss was about. This is an exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid, Aloe Vera and Ginseng in it to remove dead skin cells, soothe and nourish the skin. Can’t argue with that!
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