solstice Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Highlighters My Current Favourites

What did we do before highlighters? Actually I remember what I did, wore too much blush 🙂

My oily skin doesn’t really let me enjoy cream highlighters to their full capacity. They just don’t last on me and I have to powder pretty much my whole face so the premise is lost. Powder highlight is my jam though. For the sake of longevity I mattify everywhere. But, then I can go in with a powder highlight and bring some much needed dimension to everything.

Here, I have five highlighters from my collection that I’ve been reaching for alot over the past while. I’ve done posts in the past on all of them so I’ll link them as I go. I just thought it would be good to dedicate one post so some of my very faves.

First up, we have the cheapest of the group.

This is the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette. I am only adding one shade within it into my most used. The other three don’t really get much use. I have full swatches of the palette here. ‘Equinox’ is my shade of choice. It is a baked peachy champagne colour.

This is just a great all round colour. It is the most powdery formula of the bunch, but for the price point, it’s bloody lovely. Sleek,if you’re reading this, you should totally bring ‘Equinox’ out on it’s own!

My second choice in Mary-Lou Manizer by theBalm. This really is an infamous highlighter.

I have an old post on this here. I’ve had Mary-Lou for nearly two years now and she is still going strong.

It’s a light champagne colour that works for so many skin types and blends really nicely into the skin. At just over 20 quid it’s not quite budget or high end, but she’s worth every penny 🙂

My third choice is the Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in ‘Sin’.

When these first came out last year, I ran to Debenhams and picked one up. I am a bit of an Urban Decay fan girl! ‘Sin’ is like Mary Lou’s lighter sister.

The formula of these is so long lasting on my skin. This is nearly what makes me reach for it so much! I did a first impressions video on ‘Sin’ here when I first bought it. Not the best quality, but you can see me ramble out it more 🙂

My fourth and fifth choices are both by Becca Cosmetics. Becca know how to formulate a good highlighter. The consistency is always super creamy and a dream to blend.

‘Champagne Pop’ doesn’t really need much introduction. If you are a makeup fan you will know all about it and probably own one yourself.

This was their first collaboration with Jaclyn Hill. It’s a gorgeous peach champagne colour. More deep in colour than ‘Equinox’.

If I am being honest with myself it’s too deep for my skin tone, but I love it so much I wear it anyways. I just have to bronze up a little more. I have a really old blog showcasing it here. Excuse my eyebrows in it. They are awful ha!

My last fave is ‘Pearl’ from Becca. This is the newest highlighter in my collection but I think it’s the most complimentary out of all of them on my skin.

As the name would suggest is a white pearl colour. It swatches quite icy.

But it does blend into a really lovely wearable shine. It’s honestly one of the best highlighters I have found for lighter skin tones. You can see it applied to the face here.

Here they are all swatched together for colour reference.

What do you look for in a highlighter? Do you use one in your day to day makeup? Let me know 🙂

xxx

February 13, 2017/by Gem

Makeup, Youtube Video

Makeup Favourites 2016

My first official video of 2017 comes in the form of my Makeup Favourites for the year gone by.

I thought rather than just show you my makeup favourites, I would show you them in action too. I picked my most used products and created a really simple ‘me’ look that I usually end up doing when I don’t know what to do. Some of the products were new in 2016, some were new to me for the year and then some are just favourites that I always gravitate towards because I know they work.

I’ve written blogposts for a hell of alot of these, so I’ll try list as many as I can in case you want to know more about a specific product.

Hylamide HA Blur Primer. Review here.
L’Oréal Infallible 24HR Matte Foundation. Review here.
Nyx Micro Brow Pencil. Review here.
theBalm Put A Lid On It Eyeshadow Primer. Review here.theBalm Put A Lid On It Eyelid Primer
Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette. Post here.
Sleek Diamond In The Rough Palette. Blog post about it here.
Catrice Glam & Doll Waterproof Mascara. Review here.
Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. I have a review here.
Wet n Wild Dual Ended Contour Stick. First impression video is here.
Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in ‘Nude Mauve’. I have a comparison post here.
Nyx Highlight and Contour Palette. First impressions and swatches here.
Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium. I have a really old review of it here.
L’Oréal Infallible Fixing Mist. Review here.

Phew, I think that’s everything 🙂

In the video here, you’ll see me using everything, but the finished look, looks a bit like this. I think it definitely sums up my go to makeup favourites for 2016. And, I do love a good before and after picture!

I say it in video form too, but just to write it down too. Thank you so much for everything over the year. Beautynook (and myself) grew up alot over 2016. I am excited to see what 2017 has in store. Thanks for sticking around.

Gemma

xxx

January 6, 2017/by Gem

Makeup, Youtube Video

Party Makeup Affordable Products

It’s Christmas, time to pull out the glitter and throw all the makeup on your face 🙂 Here is my version of a party makeup look using all affordable products. Even most of the tools are affordable too.

I went simple with a gold and brown eye with some gold glitter and lashes. I wanted to create a party makeup that I would actually wear myself. As I say in the video though, 2017 will hopefully be the year, I get out of my comfort zone a bit video wise and be a little braver with my makeup.

I mention all the products I use in the video as I go along, but to recap:

Primer: Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser.

Foundation: Catrice HD Liquid Coverage (review here). Mixed with L’Oréal True Match. Full review here.

I used the Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge to apply them and have my full thoughts on that here.

Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind and the Collection Instant Perfection.

Brows: Nyx Micro Brow Pencil and the Freedom Duo Brow Powder. My full brow routine using both of these is here.

Primer: Flormar Eye Perfection Primer in Bright Illuminator.

Eyes: Sleek Strobing Soufflé in Smoky Quartz and the Diamonds In The Rough Rockstars Palette. I have swatches of both of these here. Makeup Revolution Fortune Favours The Brave Palette. There is a full review of this here.

Glitter liner is from Catrice. Mascara is the Catrice Glam & Doll Waterproof mascara which I have a review of here. The liner I use to tighlight is the Maybelline Master Precise Skinny Liner. I actually only reviewed it here this week.

Lashes are Kiss in the style ‘Ritzy’.

Cream contour was Colourpop Sculpting Stix in ‘Dove’.

I used the Nyx Highlight & Contour Pro Palette. I have up close swatches of this here.

Blush: Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette in ‘Sugar & Spice.

Highlight: Sleek Solstice Palette. I have swatches of this here.

Bronzer: Note Bronzing Powder in 10.

Powder: Paese Rice Powder.

Lips: Penneys PS Love Lipliner in number 6 with Rimmel’s The Only One Matte Lipstick in 200 ‘Salute. I have lots of these swatched in a blogpost here.

Party makeup done 🙂

Sometimes it takes a village, I am happy with how it turned out though. I do love a bit of sparkle.

You can watch the video by clicking above or directly on my YouTube channel here.

I’ll stop rambling now, Merry Christmas!!

xxx

December 16, 2016/by Gem

Makeup, Makeup Tutorial, Youtube Video

Casual Makeup Get Ready With Me

As you probably know from the title, this is just a casual Makeup Get Ready With Me Video. Myself and John went to a screening of Rocky in the Tivoli for the Jameson Cult Club and I had to slap a bit of…slap on, so I thought I would turn the camera on and film it 🙂

We actually had loads of fun at the Rocky screening, they had scenes out of the movie set up in the Tivoli, and throughout the film, actors came in and reenacted some of the most memorable parts.

So onto the makeup, I went with a really simple, typical me eye look, using theBalm Meet Matte Nudes palette (full review here) and the Essence Shape & Shadows palette (full review here). I had a bit of trouble blending out one of the matte shades in the crease as you’ll see in the video, but sure none of us are perfect and I got there in the end 🙂

All the products are listed in the video, I managed to edit the names in as I went along! Go me, that means my editing skills are progressing ha!

This is really just me doing my casual makeup, no funny business, I didn’t speed any of it up either, so if you don’t like seeing alot of blending, this video might not be for you 🙂

Any questions on any of the products, as always just holler, I have posts on alot of them here, so if you see something you like, search for it in the search bar on the top right hand corner, and there might be already a full explanation with pictures to boot!

If you liked the video, you can always subscribe to my Youtube channel here so any other videos I upload will go into your subscription box.

As always thanks for taking the time out of your day to click 🙂

xxx

July 10, 2016/by Gem

Monthly Favourites, Youtube Video

June Favourites 2016

It’s monthly favourites time again here on Beautynook. It’s crazy, I spent so long not doing them and now my month doesn’t feel complete without rounding up some of the things that I’ve been using either freshly for the month or some old favourites that I’ve found a love for once again. So just click on the video above to see the things that made it into my June Favourites video 🙂

And like always, I’ll link anything I can here too, in case something takes your fancy and you want to know more. I know monthly favourites are more rambly videos so less info is given generally while I’m in waffle mode 🙂

First up we have the pom pom sandals from River Island. These will definitely divide opinions I know. Unfortunately these were limited edition and don’t seem to be on the website anymore. Asos have similar styles here though if you want to check them out.

The Kind Shower Gel from Cocoa Brown. I have a full a post all about the new Kind range here, if you want to check it out.

I’ve never done a blogpost on the Lorac Pro Palette for some weird reason! I had to buy it from Amazon, but that was a couple of years ago now.

Mac Whirl Lip liner can be bought from Brown Thomas in store or online here

The Rimmel Kate lipstick in number 45 is here on the Boots website.

I have a full post on the Sleek Solstice Palette here and you can pick it up from Boots (hopefully) in store or online here

The L’Occitane Verveine Cooling Hand Cream Gel is on their website here. I actually thought it was more expensive. €10.50 is ok for a 30ml tube, right?

And….we’re done 🙂

As always thanks for taking the time to click and watch. If you liked the video, you can keep tabs on when I upload by subscribing to my Youtube channel here 🙂

Have you any particular June Favourites? Let me know.

xxx

July 1, 2016/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

Ok, I finally gave into the hype and picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette!

There has been so much talk about this over the last few months about the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette after people like Jeffree Star have gotten their hands on it and have been loving it.For some reason, even though it’s been so readily available here in Ireland I just never picked it up. But with so many people talking about it and loving it. I had to give it a whirl for myself. So here are my first impressions :).

The description on Boots.ie about it is ‘Sleek MakeUP’s Solstice Highlighting Palette instantly enhances the complexion with a radiant glow.This versatile face and body highlighting palette suits all skin tones and includes two baked powders, one luxurious cream formula and one silky shimmer powder. The highly pigmented metallic finishes add a radiant glow and a luminous sheen to the skin.Packaged in a stunning rose gold compact with a mirror and a mini powder brush, Solstice can be used on cheekbones, the cupids bow, inner corners of the eyes, bridge of the nose and can be swept across the décolletage to create a lit-from-within glow.’

The packaging of the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette is really pretty and a little different for Sleek considering most of their products are encased in sleek (get it? 🙂 ) matte black. It has a magnetic closing too which I always appreciate, less stress on our perfectly manicured talons! It has a large mirror on the lid as well.

You do get a little brush inside, which isn’t the worst brush ever to come free with a palette, but I personally won’t get any use out of it.

The 4 shades have names which I always really like, it just helps us distinguish between them.

The first one is ‘Ecliptic’.

This is a rose gold shimmering cream highlight.

‘Hemisphere’.

This is a baked dusky rose powder.

‘Subsolar’.

A pale yellow gold powder. Probably the most subtle shimmer of the bunch.

And then finally, ‘Equinox’.

A baked peachy champagne shimmery powder.

First impressions are good! The cream and all three powders apply really nicely to the skin without too much effort. Ecliptic is probably a little too dark for me to wear as a cream highlighter or base, so I would probably use this on the eyes, but if you have a deeper skin tone than me, it will work really nicely. The colours are a bit frosty in my opinion so be wary of that if that doesn’t float your boat.

All Four Swatched Together

Blended Out On The Skin

They do apply better more opaquely with your fingers. I had a quick play with them on my mug (without any other makeup on may I add) and with a highlighting brush and they applied more wearable I think, and gave more of a shine to the skin than a frost.

I think I am really going to enjoy playing with this palette. I am sure I will be talking more about it on Snapchat and the likes, so be sure to be following me on there if you want to keep updated 🙂

I picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette in store from Boots, Henry Street, Dublin. It seems to be sold out at alot of stands, but they were fully stocked. Boots have stock online too here, the Sleek website here is sold out. Cloud10beauty is another place that’s great for buying Sleek here although they are sold out at the minute too. So keep an eye if you’re in the market! I paid €14.49 for the palette, it does vary in price by a couple of euro depending on where you get it.

So tell me, what do you think? Do you think it’s worth the hype? Have you bought it already? Let me know 🙂

xxx

June 14, 2016/3 Comments/by Gem

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