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irish beauty blog beautynookI just got my third lash lift and shared some of the experience on my Instagram, as I always do. There was lots of questions so I thought it might be worth doing a blogpost about my thoughts on it here.

 

I had my first one at the beginning of 2017 in the Vanity Rooms in Stepaside. They invited me out to try out their LVL lash lift. I was so excited because I have super straight lashes. It’s  something I always moan about. If I want a curl to last, I have to use a decent lash curlers and then go in strong with the waterproof mascara to maintain it. I toyed with the idea of lash extensions. But I am too much of a picker, and I love eye makeup too much 🙂

******Disclaimer, excuse the brows from these throwback pictures, I’ve come along way :)******

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So what is a lash lift? It’s basically a perm for your eyelashes. In my experience, it’s a three step process. I have had both LVL (a brand name of Nouveu lashes I believe), and then I was invited to try Yumi lashes too in Elysian Brows, it seems to work the same way for them all.

lash lift Vanity Rooms
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lvl lash lift vanity rooms

You’re prepped and your eyes are protected. A plastic shield is put on above the top lashes and then the lifting solution is applied in upwards motions moulding your lashes around the shield. Very gently and precisely I might add. That’s left to do it’s work, then removed.  A setting solution is then applied and you let that do it’s thing. After that in most places, A tint is applied to make your lashes look darker and more defined.irish beauty blog

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A lash lift is not particularly a comfortable treatment. Your eyes are closed throughout and they are being prodded at, so going to a professional in my humble opinion is a must! It’s uncomfortable for sure, but it’s not painful, nor should it be.

lash lift elysian brows
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It’s also way less maintenance than eyelash extensions. It’s just your own lashes curled, so you don’t have to maintain them necessarily, although it’s good to brush them through regularly and try not sleep on your face if you can 🙂 Some single lashes can go astray, so combing them through helps keep them on the curl and narrow ha! They say you don’t need mascara after getting it done, I use mascara to make them look more full and I get the six-ish weeks out of my treatment. Just don’t do anything crazy for the first 24 hours! You can of course purchase specific serums and mascaras in the salon that may help prolong the effects, I don’t do that myself.

A lash lift lasts as long as your natural lash cycle really, so it can be up to eight weeks. You’ll see the curl disappear, and you’ll want another one 🙂irish beauty blog beautynook

 

My latest lash lift was in the Brow Boutique in Jervis Street shopping centre. At €55, it was the cheapest place I could find in the city with decent reviews and a reputable name. They did a great job and I’m super happy with the outcome. I would recommend all three salons.

If I can fork out the cash every six-eight weeks, it’s something I would definitely keep up! Have you had a lash lift? What has been your experience?

xxx

I’m always amazed at the difference when I see my before and after makeup shots. It’s not that I hate myself without makeup, I’ve somewhat come to terms with my lot. It will just never not be cool, the things you can achieve with makeup 🙂 I was going out for my brother’s birthday on Saturday. (If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen). I turned the camera on and created this easy as always, gold smokey eye look.

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I’ll try to list the most important products I used for this. Usually I take a photograph of them all for reference. But I was just kind of in the moment for this, so I didn’t take it too seriously, hope you don’t mind.

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I spent the entirety of the video listening to my time capsule on Spotify. It’s mainly 90’s and 00’s hip hop and R n’ B That’s why there’s music over most of it 🙂 All I knew is, I wanted to create a gold smokey eye with a bit of glitter. I think I achieved that.

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I used all Makeup Geek eyeshadows. They were just what I gravitated towards on the day. Tikki Hut and Gold Digger were the main components and I used the Penney PS Glitter Eyeshadow over top.

Revolution Conceal & Define foundation with Tarte Shape Tape were the more full coverage liquid base of choice.

gold smokey eye makeup tutorial

Blush was theBalm Balm Beach with the Pixi Glow-y Glossamar Duo in Subtle Sunrise. Two of my very faves. Lips are Mac Soar Lip Liner with Syrup lippie over top.

 

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My brows never really go to plan when I film. I think it’s because day to day I stand at the mirror doing my makeup. When I film I sit down 🙂 But sure they were grand, just nothing to write home about.

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And that is pretty much it for my gold smokey eye look and an obnoxious amount of pictures of myself ha. Click the video above or here to see the whole thing in action. And let me know what you think.

Gemma

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BPerfect Sub Zero Highlight CollectionSo this is definitely more of a show and tell than a review, just as a disclosure. I received the new BPerfect Sub Zero Highlight Collection in collaboration with MMMMitchell last week in PR and I wanted to show it off a bit 🙂

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I have the other BPerfect collaboration palettes in my possession too, but I feel like I got my hands on them too late to dedicate a full post.  You can check out the Carnival Palette here in action though if you’re curious.top irish beauty blog

Right, I have to completely come clean. Although I love Instagram and watch a lot of YouTube in my spare time, MMMMitchell was not on my radar. I’m more of an Instagram granny I think, and my makeup style is more wearable and everyday. He is the typical Instagram makeup king!beauty blog irelandbeauty blogger ireland

And he is known for his glow hence this BPerfect Sub Zero Highlight Collection collaboration.

This is a seven shade highlighting palette. With six pressed powder highlighters and one that they call a ‘topper’ that you’re meant to be able to use over all six shades to help them pop.top beauty blog ireland

From left to right we have:

  • MMMM A Pearly white shimmer.
  • Made It  A Champagne shimmer.
  • Lifestyle  A  Golden shimmer.
  • OTT  A Bronzed gold topper.
  • In Blankets A  Soft beige shimmer.
  • Baebly A Rose gold shimmer.
  • Bodi-Odi-Odi  A Bronze shimmer.

Like their other two collaborative palettes the BPerfect Sub Zero Highlight Collection is super pigmented and the powder are soft and easy to blend. Ok, there’s my mini review 🙂top irish beauty bloggerBPerfect Sub Zero Highlight Collection

Are all shades going to work for everybody? I don’t really think so, but that’s what you get with a highlighting palette. However I will say, the shades that might not work as highlighter for your skin tone will make for lovely eyeshadows. That’s how I’ve been trying out the darker shades. On me, I feel like the shade ‘Baebly’ works best as a highlighter with ‘Made It’ a close second.

The BPerfect Sub Zero Highlight Collection Palette is available from stockists now and retails for €37. Have you tried it yet? Do you have your eye on it? Let me know.

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Mac Whirl Lipstick and Lip LinerI’ve had Mac Whirl lipstick for a while now. And I’ve had the liner forever, literally. And I never thought to do a blogpost on them. Silly me! Well I am rectifying this now for the archives and just in case any of you want to see them in action 🙂

Mac Whirl Lipstick and lipliner

There was a lot of hype around Mac Whirl lipstick launching after the success of the liner. I get so much use out of the lip liner. It’s great on it’s own, under similar shade lippies, not so similar shades and even gloss. It just works. It’s that typical 90’s flat brown shade.irish beauty blogger

I feel like it has a hint of blue in it because like any more blue toned red, it definitely makes your teeth look more white and bright, score!Mac Cosmetics Ireland

The Mac Whirl lipstick itself is a matte formula. Mac Cosmetics do a great creamy matte formula, they apply smoothly and last well. But generally with any matte lippie, your lips need to be in tip top condition before application and it can cause dryness as you wear it throughout the day and night.irish beauty blogbeauty blog ireland

It’s weird because I don’t find the lip liner shade intimidating, but the lipstick is of course more opaque, so I do find it’s a bit of a statement to wear. Of course, this thought process is in the eye of the beholder, and the person wearing the lipstick.

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Overall I am a fan of both Mac Whirl lipstick and the lip liner, but I do find myself reaching for the lip liner more day to day. Now Mac , if you’re reading this, if you could make a Soar lipstick too, that would be great. I love a brown lip but I am also partial to a mauve lip too 🙂

What’s your favourite Mac lipstick?

xxx

irish beauty bloggerIt’s that time of the year again. Time for black Friday deals, and Cyber Monday to boot. I’m more of a Cyber Monday gal myself. I don’t tend to bother with the crowds 🙂irish beauty blog

 

As a disclaimer, I will just say. You are under no obligation to buy any black Friday deals. I am doing this just because as a blogger I get sent a lot of the codes, so it’s easy enough to put them in one place. And also to be completely transparent, some of the links I will share are affiliate links. You pay no more using an affiliate link. All it means is that if you click on my link and choose to buy something, I make a minuscule commission.black friday deals

Anyway, let’s get onto the black Friday deals. I’ll insert the ones I have already and then update this post as often as I can with more codes/links and cyber Monday deals too.

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I’ll update as I source more or things change. Happy and safe shopping 🙂 And if this was helpful, please do share. Thanks.

Gemma

xxx

J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket EyeshadowThe J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket Eyeshadow made it into my latest monthly favourites, along with some other lovely products. I didn’t properly swatch it in that though. I’ve been getting so much use of out of this little palette and gravitating towards it a lot. So, I thought it deserved some extra swatching attention 🙂

J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket Eyeshadow

This is a brand I knew feck all about in all honesty. I had a voucher to spend on the new Irish beauty website, Beaut Essential and they stock it. I wanted to get a couple of things from brands I had not tried before. The J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket Eyeshadow Palettes are a mouthful and a half to say. But, they’ll only set you back €9.95, which I thought was pretty good!beauty blogger ireland

There’s three colour ways to choose from on Beaut Essential. I went with the one called Walk Of Stardom.irish beauty bloggertop irish beauty blog

It’s a fairly small palette, it fits in my hand, but it holds 12 fairly decent sized eyeshadows. There is 6 mattes and 6 shimmers. All more on the warm spectrum, although there is a couple of more plum/cranberry shades that in my opinion could shift things more neutral or cool.beauty blog ireland

Visually, the J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket Eyeshadow in Walk Of Stardom is so up my alley, but in all honesty I wasn’t expecting much for a tenner. It has proved me wrong no end. The colour pay off on these shadows, both matte and shimmers is really bloody good.

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They all, for the most part,  apply and blend really well. Something to note, the gold shade (swatched fifth, is more of a gold shimmer topper, rather than an actual eyeshadow shade.) And the second matte plum shade isn’t great. I don’t gravitate towards it too much, so it doesn’t affect me overall.irish beauty blog

I’ve been reaching for this palette so much on the daily and love that you can create a full eye look with just it on it’s own. There’s transition shades, lid shades and even a highlight shade.

Overall, I am a big fan of the J.Cat Xtreme Access Pocket Pocket Eyeshadow in Walk Of Stardom and now I need the other two colour ways on offer to compare 🙂

Have you tried anything from J.Cat? Any recommendations? Let me know.

xxx

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