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Beauty Shopping Current Lust List

I am back again with another beauty shopping lust list!! I can’t help myself, when the new products come rolling out, there’s always a few that take my extra fancy 🙂

Now unfortunately my ‘beauty budget’ doesn’t stretch really far, so I have to be selective on what I pick up. But I find curating a list of the new releases and explaining why I want them helps me to make a decision. And sure it might help you too! My last one was here if you fancy checking that out and I picked up a good few items from that.

First on my list is the new Urban Decay Born To Run Palette.

If you’ve been around these parts before you know I’m a huge UD fan. Not to say that everything they release I want, but this collection is very pretty. The palette and the eyeliners in particular are on my radar.

I love the concept of the packaging. All of the photos are holiday snaps from various Urban Decay employees. It’s meant to be the perfect palette to take with you on your travels. You can create a nude look and have options of pops of colour too. It just looks really my speed.

Next up is completely because of the colour. Beauty Blender have just released a sapphire blue blender!

I’ve been toying with getting an original Beauty Blender again for ages. I use to buy them all the time when they first came out. But, obviously they’re pricey and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is awesome and under half the price. I’d really like to compare them myself though.

My next beauty lust is a whole collection!

This lusting is completely based on aesthetics. It’s the Lancôme X Proenza Schouler collaboration. I saw this and shared it on Instagram weeks ago now and just haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.

This palette in particular looks right up my street!

Would be a complete beauty treat, but I’ll defo be going in to BT for an oul swatch asap 🙂

If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of the Pixi Glow Tonic, I did a post on it yonks ago here and I’m constantly replenishing it in my skincare stash. Well now they’ve only gone and released the Pixi Retinol Tonic.

Retinol as we know, helps the production of new skin cells. It’s basically vitamin A in topical form. It can help with fine lines, discolouration and even acne scars depending on the dosage.

My last beauty lusting is from a brand that is a tad controversial at the moment. But I have been waiting for this to launch forever, so I had to add it in. It’s the Kat Von D Lash Liner.

It’s such a cool, unique concept. A liquid liner for your waterline!! I know I’m a bit of a beauty geek, but this blows my mind and I think I just have to try it. I’ve read mixed reviews online, so I’m super curious to see if it actually lasts, or if it bleeds or makes loads of black gunk in the corners of your eyes 🙂

Oh, I’ll stop the beauty lusting there. Have you your eye on anything in-particular?

xxx

August 8, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Fragrance, Haul, Makeup

Beauty Shopping Lust List

Do you know what I like to do when I’m broke? Put potential beauty items in my basket online. It somehow makes be feel like I’m beauty shopping. Do I sound deranged? Probably, but it makes me feel like I’m kind of, sort of shopping Pander to me people 🙂

If money was no object right at this moment in time and I was beauty shopping online, these products would be in my baskets all across the internet. And I could actually put in payment details to proceed with order!!

Two things from Anastasia Beverly Hills are currently in my Cult Beauty basket. The first is the Soft Glam Palette. (£43 from Cult Beauty).

To think I actually call myself a beauty addict and I’ve never owned an eyeshadow palette from Anastasia. It’s embarrassing really. This one just speaks to me. I feel like it has everything you would want. Transition colours, lid crease and liner colours. It’s pretty simple, but I think that’s what gets me with it. I think it’s going to be a great palette for makeup lovers but also artists too. It would make the perfect wedding day palette.

The other thing is probably on everyone’s beauty shopping lust list at the moment. The Amrezy Highlighter, again from Anastasia. (£29 from Cult Beauty).

They’ve either just marketed this impeccably or it’s the shiniest highlighter out there at the moment. Every time I see the promo videos or pictures, drool comes out of the side of my mouth.

Ok, there’s another two eyeshadow palettes on my list currently. I have a weakness for them if you didn’t know already.

First up is the Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat. (Will be available in limited supply from the UD flag shop in Grafton street. Available everywhere else from the end of April. RRP is €32).

This is the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette‘s little sister. Do I need it? No? Do I already own the original full sized one? Yes. There’s something about UD palettes that has me hooked though. I have a bajillion of them and still can’t get enough. This would make for a great travel companion. There, that’s my justification 🙂

My other palette want is, surprise surprise the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk. (€65 from Cult Beauty).

Anyone who has this palette just says you need it in your life. And if EVERYONE says it, sure it must be true. After trialling the brand with the Mauve Obsessions and the Smokey Obsessions, I seriously need to try more.

There’s another highlighter on my lust list, but hear me out. This is the limited edition Estée Lauder Golden Goddess Illuminating Powder.

They release this every year as part of their Summer Golden Goddess Collection. Every year I want it and every time I decide to bite the bullet and get it…..it’s sold out! The packaging alone has me wanting this and I see so many YouTubers using it and the want grows. I can’t find it to shop for from here currently though, I will keep hunting!

I had a voucher and nearly bought the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation (€42 from Feel Unique).

I couldn’t get a sample though, so that put me off. I’ve seen so much hype about this foundation online though, so it’s made it back onto my want list. It’s meant to be long wearing with full coverage but still have a radiance to it. When I have cash money to blow, this is going to checkout!

The Ordinary Glycolic acid 7% Toning Solution is not exactly a financial stretch. (€8.70 from Cult Beauty).

The reason this is still in my basket is because it’s an enigma, it is never in stock. This is like the Pixi Glow Tonic I love so much. I have a really old blogpost on it here. The Pixi one is 5% Glycolic, this one is 7% and nearly half the price. My oily, giant pored skin needs to try this.

Last on my beauty shopping lust list is the newest member of the Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb family (€71 for 30ml from Debenhams).

This is Flowerbomb Nectar. Now I’ve yet to sniff this, but I adore Flowerbomb. I know it can be a bit heady and overpowering for some. I love how deep but still sweet it is though. I always have a bottle in my collection. This release intrigues me immensely though. You have the flowery bergamot goodness from traditional Flowerbomb but with a Orange Flower and Osmanthus twist. They had me at nectar to be fair 🙂

And there you have my beauty shopping musings. What’s in your online shopping basket?

xxx

March 7, 2018/by Gem

Skincare

Current Day Time Skin Care Routine

When is comes to my day time skin care routine. I keep things fairly simple.

I am not a morning person at all, so I usually do my showering and deep clean my face the night before, if I am up and out early in the day. I have oily skin, with places of dehydration. I am prone to breakouts and blessed with lovely (not so lovely) large pores, that like to get blocked. As a result, I don’t like to layer too many products onto my skin. Because of this, my day time skin care routine is pretty simple.

I start out with cleansing my skin. For me, micellar water works well. I know not everyone gets along with them. Right now, I am using the Garnier Pure Active that is for oily skin prone to imperfections.

I just apply some to a cotton pad and swipe all over my skin to refresh everything and get rid of any oil build up. It is available on the Boots website here.

These large oval cotton pads from Penneys are my favourite. They are quite thin, so the product soaks both sides, but they don’t break up or become ‘fluffy’ :). I always just pick these up when I’m on the queue in Penneys. I love that they leave them beside the till 🙂

For eye cream, I have been using the La Roche Posay Toleriane Ultra for probably more than a year now.

Although I have oily skin, I tend to get some dryness under my eyes. This does a brilliant job of keeping the under eye nourished without being to heavy. I have a full review of it here, if you want to know more about it.

I don’t tend to use a toner generally during the day, but if I do it’s usually either the La Roche Posay Serozinc which I have a full review of here.

Or I do love the Pixi Glow Tonic, which again I have spoken about in more detail here. I think I need this is my life again very soon.

For moisturiser, I tend to go with something light weight that won’t disrupt my makeup. I have a couple of holy grail moisturisers that I always recommend to people with more oilier skin. The La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, I have a full review of it here. Or the Vichy Normaderm Anti Blemish Care which I’ve reviewed in the past here. At the moment I am switching between the Dermalogica Active Moist.

And the Garnier Pure Active Sensitive Anti Blemish Soothing Moisturiser.

I have to say both of them are working really nicely for my skin. They do a good job of hydrating, but sinking in quickly with no residue.

I always use some sort of lip balm in the morning too and let it do it’s thing while I do my makeup. At the minute I have three in my everyday skincare drawer.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. I always have a tube of this on the go. I have a full blogpost on it here.

Then I have a Nivea Lip Butter.

I use this going to bed too. I love the scent 🙂

And then if I want to use a lip balm that doubles up as a lip product to leave the house in, I will reach for the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector.

I just have a mini of 01 here, which has a peachy tint to it. I love how this feels and looks on the lips.

And there you have my current day time skin care routine. I like to think it’s pretty simple, but effective. At the moment, there is no SPF included. I haven’t found one that doesn’t interfere with my makeup as of yet. I usually use a foundation with SPF in it or mix one in with the foundation I’m using.

Have you any skin care products you couldn’t live without?

xxx

March 15, 2017/1 Comment/by Gem

Skincare

Pixi Glow Tonic Review

As you can see from the amount left in the bottle I have been using the Pixi Glow Tonic for a long time now. It has reached cult status and I can understand why.

Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner. So as well as toning your skin and prepping it for moisturiser, it will gently remove dead skin cells, which in turn will help keep your skin smoother. It contains ingredients like Witch Hazel and glycolic acid (5%) to help with exfoliating along with aloe vera to help sooth the skin so it’s not too harsh. Just be sure to use SPF if you use the Glow Tonic in your morning routine as glycolic can sensitise your skin to sunlight, we should be wearing it anyway 🙂

You use Glow Tonic as you would any other toner. Wet a cotton pad with it and apply to your skin. I use it down my neck and on my chest too. You can use it both day and night after cleansing whatever you choose or whatever works best for your skin.

I feel like the Pixi Glow Tonic does pretty much what it says it does for me. It helps keep any dry patches at bay, it helps keep my pores as clear as they can be rather than me using harsh scrubs or exfoliants in my cleansing routine. My skin doesn’t feel tight after using it, it does feel softer though.

Since picking up the La Roche Posay Serozinc, which I reviewed here I love using both this and the Pixi Glow Tonic together.

I feel the Pixi Glow Tonic clears my skin of any impurities or as many as it can do and then the Serozinc keeps them at bay and helps keep the oil away for longer. Neither contain alcohol which is good in my book.

Overall, I really love this Pixi Glow Tonic. I was never really a toner user before, I would try one for a bit and then just get bored or found it wasn’t enhancing my skincare in any way. As someone with oily skin I find the Pixi Glow Tonic fits perfectly into my skincare routine and it actually helping rather than just being a step I am being told to do. Its targeted towards all skin types though. It has a strong scent so be wary of that if you have a sensitive nose.

I get my Pixi Glow Tonic from Mise Beauty They are based in Dundalk which is a bit of a trek for me from Dublin, but it’s instant gratification and they sell so many other cool products too, it’s always worth it 🙂

xxx

May 19, 2015/5 Comments/by Gem

Skincare

La Roche Posay Serozinc Review

La Roche Posay Serozinc has finally hit Irish shores! Thank the lord! I have been waiting very patiently to get my mitts on this stuff. When I saw McCabes pharmacy say they had stock in their store in Swords, I trekked out and got it no questions asked 🙂 I’m a southsider!!! 🙂

Serozinc is a zinc sulphate solution for oily, blemish prone skin. Its also suitable for acne prone skin too. You use it just like you would a toner. Spray it onto your skin after you cleanse, leave it to soak in and you can pat any excess off, then moisturise as normal. These are the directions La Roche Posay give you.

I suffer with my skin. It goes into hormonal breakout every month and I already have oily skin to begin with. I find alot of products you can get for oily blemish prone skin can be great but really dry your skin out at the same time, which means you have to be careful with using them. I don’t find this with the Serozinc at all. I’ve been using it twice a day since I bought it and it has never dried my skin out. It has however calmed my spots and brought down their inflammation. I feel it has also helped with the texture of my skin. I have really seen a difference in the amount of comedones I suffer with i.e. whiteheads and blackheads…another lovely aspect of oily skin. I personally use it after I use the Pixi Glow Tonic in the evening which is an exfoliating toner, I adore this stuff too. I think the Serozinc adds a little moisture to my skin after using the more abrasive toner and they work really well together.

The spray itself applies really easily, it has a nice steady flow that you can control when you spray, it doesn’t scare you in the morning when you apply it…that has happened me with some similarly packaged products :p

In conclusion, I love the La Roche Posay Serozinc. It’s not going to save you from breakouts completely, but it will make them alot easier to handle. La Roche Posay really make fantastic skin care products. And the good news too is Serozinc will only set you back a tenner here in Ireland! It’s so worth it!!

Have you tried it? What do you use with it? I would love to know?

xxx

April 27, 2015/9 Comments/by Gem

Monthly Favourites

Gem’s November Faves

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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 🙂

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.

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

December 2, 2014/by Gem