top Archives - Page 65 of 65 - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Posts

Hair Care.

I have a love hate relationship with my hair. I have been blessed with lots of it, that in fairness I can just wash and dry and be out the door on a normal basis, happy days. However, I am not blessed with the bodily or mental functions to do much with it. I can spend hours on my makeup for a night out and then my hair is curled in a tong tangled frizzy before running out the door. Thank god nowadays we have lots of hair care lotions and potions to help with hair styling that makes it easier for novices like me to look half decent 🙂

I’ve been loving vo5’s new offerings of late (you might have noticed that from the photo above). They were also on 3 for 2 in Boots which makes them even more tempting to try 🙂

This is the Plump It Up Dry Backcombing Spray from them. This spray has collagen in it so helps you get the back combed effect without using too much combing or a brushing to achieve it. You spray it in the roots of your hair and rub it in and it boosts your hair without damaging it. I like using this for a night out, its not too sticky and it last the duration.

Next up from is also from the V05 range and is called Plump It Up, this is an amplifying blow dry lotion. It claims to give volume and thickness with natural bounce and is a heat defence. I can concur that this gem of a product does speed up your time under the hair dryer which is great, as it means less frizz and damage, I can’t say it really offers volume and bounce. It doesn’t weigh my hair down though, which alot of heat defences can so for me was worth buying.

I know there is a texturising spray in the V05 range that I have, but I prefer this one so wanted to add this in.

This is the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray. I like this over the Vo5 texturising spray as it is lighter and not as sticky, it is still sticky though be warned! This has been to compared to the very coveted and expensive Orbe Dry Texturising Spray. I like using this in the ends of my hair to give my hair a bit of movement and bounce without using heat on it and I think it works well. It also smells amazing. You can use this for backcombing too, but as I have an oily scalp so I only use this in the lengths of my hair. I picked this up in Boots too not too long ago. I think its a good find.

My next hair care love is the Fudge Urban Styling Mousse. I have straight hair naturally and I always thought mousse was just for straight hair, but this stuff smells amazing (iced raspberry and vanilla they say is the scent), it’s a heat protectant but also its great for frizz. If I use alot of heat on my hair frizz is inevitable, especially on my roots, this mousse does a great job of keeping this to a minimum. I picked this up in Superdrug, it’s my first delve into this brand, I would like to try more.

I try to give my hair a break from using heat on it as much as possible, so when I have time or nowhere to go I use the L’Oreal Elvive Full Restore Conditioning Repairing Spray. This is a leave in conditioning, it’s not too heavy and doesn’t leave your hair feeling greasy which I love because my hair is prone to feeling yucky after using conditioning or any products really. Again, I love the smell which is a bonus as your left with that smell until the next time you wash your hair. I just comb some of this through the lengths of my hair and let it dry naturally, and it makes my hair nice and soft without too much bother.

I know alot of these hair care products do some of the same things, but depending on your mood or how you want to style your hair it’s good to have a range of things to choose from. All of these brands are readily available and are at a very reasonable price point, so you can have a choice without breaking the bank.

As always thanks for taking the time to read and any hair tips are greatly appreciated 😛

Gemma

xxx

June 7, 2014/by Gem

Nails

Top Spring Nail Polish Colours

I am a nailpolishaholic. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you will know I like to post obnoxious pictures of my painted nails on a regular basis…I do apologise 🙂

So I trifled through my collection to talk about the nail polish colours that represent Spring in a nail polish bottle for me. By all means you can switch and change brands and shades, these are just what I own.I am a firm believer that if you have and use a good base coat and top coat, you can use any brand of coloured polish and it should last pretty well on your talons!

I have very recently downsized my collection in order to fit them onto my new acrylic wall rack. So I threw out all the polishes I was hoarding in boxes and only kept the ones I know I would actually use:

So onto my picks for Spring:

Firstly I had to pick a hot pink. A hot pink is essential in Spring for me, it looks fab on your fingernails and your toenails and goes with everything, and helps accentuate a tan whether it be natural or from a bottle 🙂

I chose a BarryM colour. These polishes are so readily available in Boots and Superdrug, they are cheap and they have such a wide range of colours. I love them.

Barry M in Limited Edition 029

Next up I chose Peach. Peach is a colour that screams warmer weather to me. It’s the colour of icepops and sweets 🙂 It’s a good colour to have for those, who do not want to go crazy with their nail colour as it can look quite subtle and clean on the nails. I chose another Barry M polish, shock horror, this was a cult buy for last summer within the blogosphere!

Barry M Peach Melba 318

Next I chose… another Barry M pastel tone! I’m sorry but they’re lovely 🙂 I have a good cross section of brands in my collection but Barry M are really good and the pastels are lovely and creamy. Two coats and you’re good to go! So I chose a pastel lilac tone.

I love this colour and lilac is very on trend at the minute. Again, if you are afraid of colour, even use something like this on your accent nail for a touch of something different.

Barry M 308 Barry I/C

I have a sky blue shade chosen for my next spring nail polish. I think this sort of shade looks great on all skin tones and looks really interesting on long and short nails alike. It can really jazz up a look without going too over board.

This is an Essie shade, I love Essie polish from the point of view that their colour selection is amazing and the polishes themselves are easy to apply and do not need much working with. However, I will say they don’t last aswell as some other brands of polishes and they cost a small fortune here in Ireland, if other brands do the same shade for cheaper I say get it!

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Lastly, I chose a shade that is not for the faint hearted. This shade of nearly apple green sums up Spring in a colour to me. If you’re someone like me who loves bright colours on their nails, rock the hell out of it, if not this would be a great accent colour on the ring finger or whichever finger you choose to be brave with:

This particular polish is a Revlon polish. Revlon do a great formula of polishes, I have a few of them and they are some of my firm favourites. I can’t wait to give their new perfumed range a go 🙂

Revlon 510 Sassy

So there you have it, my spring nail wardrobe. I am rarely without nail polish, I don’t feel put together without it. Whether it is to compliment your look with a similar hue to your clothes or makeup or for it to contrast it, it all looks good in my book 🙂

Thanks letting me ramble on,

Gemma

xxx

April 21, 2014/by Gem

Top 5 Red Lipsticks

I love a red lip and I thought this was an appropriate time of the year to talk about my top 5, with Valentine’s Day only around the corner. I am not a romantic soul, but any excuse to wear a red lipstick and I am all over it, so keep reading to see what are my favourite red lipsticks are from my stash 🙂

First up is Lime Crime’s Velvetine. This is a bizarrely wonderful product. It is so opaque and creamy in texture. The colour is nearly over whelming when you first use it as it has so much colour pay off in lipgloss form, but once you get used to it it’s a fab product. It is a beautiful rich red with the blue undertone we want so our teeth look whiter:

The finish of it is in the name it definitely. It has a matte velvet look once it dries and once it dries it is not budging. It is on your lips to stay, so you can kiss all you want (bleh) :). I’ll admit, I bought this because of the hype around it and have to say I’m glad I did, it is a welcome product to my ever expanding make up collection.

My next red love is Mac’s Ririwoo.

This is basically Rubywoo in rose gold packaging for an extra 4 euro, but I just couldn’t resist, I am drawn to shiny things. Ririoo has a “retro matte” finish according to Mac. I construe this as being a matte lipstick but not so matte your lips crack from the dryness so it is easy to wear as it doesn’t have a complete matte finsh:

This is a very similar red to the Velvetine, rich and pigmented with a blue undertone that I think would be suitable for all skin tones. With this lipstick however, you have the choice of how deep you want the colour in accordance to how much you add, if you use a lip liner underneath and if you if you diffuse it with your finger or a brush for a lighter day appropriate application. Mac really do make fab lipsticks and this is probably one of their most popular ones and with owning it I can see why.

Third up on my list is a red for the people who aren’t really a fan of the traditional bright red. This is Nars’ Joyous Red.

This is a hybrid of colours, which I know does not look very appealing in the tube, although it does have the lovely smooth black packaging to compensate :). This is an unusual lipstick, it is semi-matte with a satin/glossy finish. The colour reminds me of Autumn, it borders on brown and red which I think is a great option for a day time lip. Again can be worn full on:

Or muted down with a just s few dabs added and using your finger to work the colour into the lips. I think this is a lipstick that looks fab on pale skin and older ladies who still want to rock a bold lip with out going full on Marilyn with it. I wear this lippie quite alot to brighten up my makeup without having to put too much effort in and the formulation is beautiful, it fades away really nicely so is great for wearing to work. Not a traditional choice I know, but I thought not everyone likes bold red so why not mix it up a bit.

Next on the list is my very loved Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple. I was obsessed with these when they first came out and have quite a few.

I love the packaging as much as I love the product inside (I am a sucker I know). These are like a lip gloss, lipstick and lip balm in one:

They are so nourishing and easy to apply but are quite pigmented and long lasting to boot. Candy Apple is a lovely,youthful, vibrant glossy red that is not too over the top. I think this would be great for anyone really, particularly anyone who is scared of red lipstick but really wants to experiment. The lip butters in general and their colour range are a great place to start incorporating colour into your makeup routine as they are easy to maintain on the go, can be worn sheer or full on and are very mistake forgiving. I would recommend them to anyone.

Last on my voyage of reds is a bit of a special one, but I could not talk about my collection without adding this one in for good measure 🙂

This was actually a Christmas pressie from the boyfriend along with the gorgeous eyeshadow quad mentioned here This is Tom Ford’s lip colour in “Cherry Lush”. The name say it all, this is a opaque, not too glossy cherry red colour but again with a slight blue undertone, that will lasts a long time and fades beautifully throughout the day (or night):

The packaging is so luxurious too. Black, gold and sleek that feels heavy in your hand. Can that justify paying 46Euro for a lipstick? Absolutely not. But will I do it again? Probably! I adore this lipstick, I love the colour, I think anyone could wear it and I think for a treat or present (hint hint Valentine’s Day present), this is a fab lipstick that really is pretty amazing. Well done Tom!

To maintain your lovely red pout, make sure to always give your lips a good ex foliate and add a slick of lip balm while doing the rest of your makeup. Line the lips with a similar colour of lipliner, this gets your lip line just right and you can even it out if it’s a bit wonky like mine, although I didn’t use one for the pics as I did not want to compromise the colours. Also do the blot, repeat step. Use a lip brush to fill in your lips with the lipstick, use one layer of a tissue, put it up yo your mouth and with a brush and some translucent powder blot lightly over the lips with the tissue on top, taking up the excess product. Then, apply another layer of lipstick out of the bullet and you’ll be good to go.

So there you have it, some red goodies to get you in the festive mood for this coming February the 14th whether you are celebrating with your other half, your friends or family, why not rock a red lip and get into the spirit of things. It is a Friday after all, I think Friday is worth celebrating even if Valentine’s Day isn’t 😛

Thanks for reading

Gemma

xxx

February 12, 2014/1 Comment/by Gem

Gem’s Favourite Liquid Foundations of the Moment (For Oily Skin).

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.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Gemma xxx

January 22, 2014/4 Comments/by Gem