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Gem's November Faves Thumbnail

It is officially the countdown to Christmas, we can be excited and buy presents and sing Christmas songs and it is completely tolerated. Yay! Soooo… it’s the start of December, November has been and gone so quick may I add?!

This means November faves time on Chatterbox. Keep reading to see my instalment 🙂

First up I have a double lip product fave.

Nars Joyeus Red Mac Lip Liner Whirl

A lip liner and lipstick combo to be exact. Whirl lip liner by Mac made infamous by one Kylie Jenner and Nars Lipstick in Joyous Red, that is not red, it’s more of an orange brown colour. I think it looks like Autumn in a lipstick pretty much.

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I have been wearing these two lovelies together a whole lot in the month of November. I love the 90’s brown lip shade revival so this is my nod to it.

 

I have a hat love next for this month.

River Island Bobble Hat

This was bought for me by my kind boyfriend on a whim in River Island in the men’s section. I like to try on all of the hats in all of the shops (it can get annoying). I tried this on while we were waiting in the queue to buy himself some shoes, and it just became mine 🙂 I love all of the different colours going through it and it is lovely and soft and snuggly, perfect for this time of year. It was €17.50 not the cheapest of bobble hats I know!

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The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel has been my face wash obsession in November.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing GelOskia

As beauty bloggers we are very fortunate to get alot of products for consideration. We received this product in a goody bag and had heard alot of good things about it so I literally used it the day I got it. It’s a gel wash that you apply to the face firstly on it’s own, then you add some water to make it more foamy, rub it in and then rinse it off. It gets all of your makeup off, waterproof included, without having to scrub your face and your eyes. It’s full of lovely natural ingredients including pumpkin enzyme that is meant to dissolve dead skin cells and really clean your pores. My other face cleansers have been gathering dust in the month of November, this has been all I have used.

More skincare for me this month. I got this in the October Chic Treat Club Box.

YonkaYonka Invigorating Mist

It is the Yonka Invigorating Mist, Dry Skin Toner. It is a lovely spray facial toner that smells divine, herbally and flowery all at the same time. I love using it in the evening time, it’s feels lovely on the skin, dries in really quickly and feels nice and hydrating. The smell is also really relaxing. The aerosol spray makes it so handy too, no wasting of the product.

This is a sample size, it doesn’t come this small promise 🙂

smashboxPore Minimizing PrimerSmashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer

The Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing primer has definitely been my primer of the month. I’ve used nothing else, this sample has lasted me well hasn’t it? This, for me is so similar to Benefit’s Porefessional which I love. As you can see it is nearly skin coloured but blends in, so you cannot see it. It has a velvet texture, that makes your skin feel lovely and soft as well as blurring out your pores, which for me is so important in a primer. It’s not drying but it does help keep the shine at bay throughout the day. It will kill me to pay €35 for it when my mini runs out but I think I will invest as it is such a lovely product.

My last favourite is something I’ve had for ages and just stopped using.

We have here the  HD Brow Kit.

Hd Brow KitHD Brow Kit PowdersBrows

I went to Preen in Dame Street in November and got my brows overhauled by the lovely Siobhan in there, she’s literally a brow wizard :). When it came to filling them in myself then I needed something to fill in the new shape of my brows where the hairs are still growing in. I have been using and loving Soap & Glory’s Brow Archery Pencil, but I needed some powder too for some extra help. So I reclaimed this palette from the back of a makeup drawer and the rest is history. I only really use the bottom two colours, “Warm Brown” to the left and “Ash Brown” to the right. I find combing them makes a good shade for me as I have red tones in my hair, but am not a fully fledged red head. However the other two shades on the top of the palette “Nude” and “Carbon” come in handy as do the other two shades I use on my brows, when you are in a pinch as they make great eye shadows. So it’s a multi functional palette. Happy days 🙂

 

There we have it, November faves done and dusted. I’m sure our December faves will be a flurry of new things we are dying to share with you. Have you had any stand out favourites this month? Be sure to let me know

As always, thanks for reading.

Gemma

xxx

Kevyn Aucoin

I have spoken before in passing about my beloved Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium, but I really think it deserves it own blog post!

I have not been blessed with anything angular on my face (or anywhere for that matter). I know contouring is not a necessity in everyday life, it is a complete choice, and for me it’s a choice I make everyday. I have tried many different products for the “chiselling” process and to date the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder has been the best one I have personally used. Now, I will say I only use this in the cheek bone department, I tend to use bronzer around the perimeter of my face, this is just what I feel comfortable doing. If I am dolling up for a night out, then I may put some under the double chin region to help it look less…well double chin like but that would only be if I’m really packing on the face!

The Sculpting Powder really is a luxury item, this set me back just under 42.00 euro from Mise Beauty, madness I know as it’s nearly the size of an eyeshadow, 3.10grams to be exact.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder

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However, I have had this for maybe 6 months, have used it everyday and there is just barely a dint in it.

This powder, unlike alot of bronzers on the market has no red tones to it at all, it has a grey undertone. This makes it perfect for contouring, particularly I think for pale gals like myself. The purpose of contouring is to create a shadow like appearance wherever you add it to the face tricking the eye and making your features appear slimmer or more angular, as highlighting is used to enhance features you want to draw more attention too.

This little box is magic, it contains the softest and most pigmented powder ever, you need such a light hand with it. It blends so beautifully and can be built upon depending on how much cheek bone you are going for 🙂

Kevyn Aucoin Scultpting Powder Swatch

I tend to use a a dense small brush with it. It is not for warming up the face, use your bronzer for that. I have been enjoying using the Nima Brush called “Blaithin” from their Artistic Collection to apply it of late, as it is tapered at the end, dense but still soft enough to blend the product in. And less face it, it’s pretty too 🙂

I do the well known “fishy face” in the mirror to myself and that shows me where my “cheekbones” are, then I add a little of the product directly under the bone concentrating most of at my ear and bringing the brush out, not too far though, I stop just around where my nostril is. Then I blend, the cardinal rule of makeup. The Sculpting Powder doesn’t disappear from blending it just gets more faint and natural looking. Add as much as you want, I usually just add a little for day to day.

Gem Chatterbox Contouring

Gem Contouring

 

And I can safely say that it lasts the whole day, it’s not something I would every bring with me in my handbag unless I was going to redo my whole makeup.

Before Contouring

Before Contouring

After Light Contouring

After Light Contouring

It’s an investment I know, but I think after buying it and using it for a long time, it was worth it.

What do use for contouring, be sure to let me know, there could be lots of hidden gems out there 🙂

Thanks,

Gemma

xxx

 

 

 

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.

Boohoo shoes

Coral and black heel

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.

Rose gold heels

Boohoo metallic heels

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.

Bohoo multicolour earrings

I got a cute pair of earrings from Boohoo as well. They are multi coloured and sparkley…what more can I say 😛

Bohoo braceletes

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.

Dunnes Stores Studded Court Heel

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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.

Pixi Glow TonicI 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!

zpalette

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.

Sleek Matte Me

Sleek Party Pink

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.

Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow

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

Nars Phoebe

 

Nars Phoebe Swatched Dry

Nars Phoebe Swatched Dry

Nars Phoebe Swatched Wet

Nars Phoebe Swatched Wet

Lastly I have a couple of random buys.

Herbel Essence Dry Shampoo

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 🙂

Rimmel Lip Balm

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.

Snap back

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.

Thanks,

Gemma

xxx