up Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara

I don’t know how new the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara is. But, I hadn’t heard a dickie bird about it online. I just pottered into Mac in Brown Thomas for a visual makeup refresh. As I do. I like to keep updated on the new releases if I can. And there it was in all of it’s mascara glory!

It’s not really a spoiler if I say I bought the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara there and then really is it? Considering this is a review and I am holding it in all of the pictures 🙂 I am such a fan of the normal Extended Play mascara. Specifically for my bottom lashes, which I explain here.

The original has a dinkier brush, but the formula is the same. It doesn’t budge or flake, and its super separating. It’s also not too much of a bitch to get off! For some, it works on their top lashes top, but not on my boring straight ones.

However the new one does.

The spoolie is bigger, fluffier and curved. It works really well coating and elongating the lashes. It gives a fair amount of volume too. But the big thing for me? It holds a curl. All day long.

I do curl my lashes just because on their own they’re straight, so they need a little help. I’ve gotten lash lifts sporadically over the past couple of years. There’s more talk about that here. However, my last one didn’t end well. Nothing to do with the treatment itself, just my lashes went a bit haywire at the end. They took a while to go back to normal. So, I am back on the eyelash curler and mascara bandwagon.

I did a super short video of the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara in action which you can see at the top of this post and here. And here are some stills as well.

Here it is on both top and bottom lashes too, just to be thorough 🙂

Unfortunately for me personally, the brush doesn’t work as good as the original on my bottom lashes. The formula does, but I just can’t get the definition with the bigger fluffier brush. Kind of gutted. I thought I was on to a money saving winner. However I think I’m still destined to keep buying the original too. It’s good to note, that the OG is 5.7 grams. Whereas the new one comes with 8 grams of product for a pretty identical price point.

Overall though, I am a big fan of the new Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara. I am delighted I picked it up. Are you an Extended Play fan?

xxx

March 29, 2019/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup, Youtube Video

theBalm Balm Jour Creamy Lip Stain Swatches

This post on the new theBalm Balm Jour Creamy Lip Stain (s) is ridiculously overdue. I’ve been threatening to do this for like two weeks now. I even gave away the whole collection over on my Instagram last week. The PR were super cool and sent over two sets, how deadly of them 🙂

I have been using these pretty much every day since I’ve had them in my possession. They’re just a really easy lip product to throw on. The colours are really wearable, the formula is pigmented and easy to apply, as you’ll see in the video here or above.

Are the eight shades available in the new theBalm Balm Jour Creamy Lip Stain collection ground breaking? Absolutely not, but they did a really good job at covering all bases I think, so there’s a shade in here for everyone.

It’s good to note too, that the formula isn’t sticky either. Also, you get the best of both worlds with them. Gloss and high impact colour that leaves a hint of a stain behind when the shine wears off. I’m a big fan overall, as you can probably tell. If you’re a fan of their Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks, but are over the dryness of a matte liquid lip, these are definitely worth checking out in my very humble opinion.

I swatch all eight in the video, with just one dip into the tube, just to show you the colour pay off and how they perform. Here are all eight, as I call it, ‘arm swatched’ too, just so you can see the shades close up.

From left to right we have:

Hola, Namaste, Salut, Konnichiwa, Aloha, Hello, Ciao, Ni Hao.

theBalm Balm Jour Creamy Lip Stain (s) are available now from theBalm website. (You can use the code ‘beautynookie’ for 15% off), and they are also available from Cloud10beauty here.

Have you tried them?

xxx

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August 26, 2018/by Gem

Makeup

NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set

Nyx have added four new colours to their City Set range. Toronto, New York, Santiago. And my city namesake, the NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set.

These sets contain four eyeshadows, an illuminator and a blush. The colours are all supposed to compliment the city named Soft Matte Lip Cream within.

The NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set contains very wearable shades throughout. There’s a lime green in there for good Irish measure though too.

Each eyeshadow is 1.9 grams, the highlight and blush are 3.5 grams and then the Dublin Soft Matte Lip Cream is standard size at 8mls.

The packaging is fairly bulky on the City Sets. It’s a magnetized cardboard palette with a generous mirror within.

All the shadows are powder and have a shimmery finish to them. Here they are swatched in the sequence they appear in the palette. All of shades are soft and pigmented.

The highlighter and blush are also both shimmery powders. The highlight is a really pale gold shade with an iridescent shimmer. The blush is a pale peach with gold sparkles.

The Dublin Soft Matte Lip Cream is definitely my favourite part of the NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set. It’s a pinky mauve shade, which is right up my lipstick alley.

I am a big fan of the Soft Matte Lip Creams in general from NYX so having one named after the city I’m from feels (cringe worthily) cool to me 🙂

In my opinion, all the shades in the palette are nice, but I would definitely have to add in other colours if I was doing a full on look using it. I think the colour scheme is very much suited to paler skin. Even for me, the blush might be a little too pale. I generally wear blush to warm up my complexion. The palette size is a little bit cumbersome in my humble opinion aswell, for the amount of products you get in it. I think it would be a nice gift though, just probably not something I would go out and buy for myself.

You can find the NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set now in Boots in store or online, from Debenhams here. Or, I found it on Look Fantastic here for what I believe is the cheapest price from a reputable retailer.

Have you tried it yet?

xxx

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November 27, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Handbag Makeup Essentials

Ok, handbag makeup essentials is a bit of a broad statement. And very much up to the individual who owns said bag and makeup 🙂

These are my interpretation of handbag makeup essentials. For your everyday ‘throw everything into’ bag. I know the evening out bag generally consists of just powder and lippie. These are the products that you carry around, just in case. In case you get stuck at work late and have to go out after. Or you’re just out, and then decide you want to go out out. Or, you just want to refresh your makeup and maybe add some more definition.

I have oily skin, so for me blotting sheets are a must. Although I’m constantly running out. I generally pick up the Catrice or Essence ones. Super affordable and do the job perfectly. Even if you’re not super oily, these are just great to have. I have been known to use tissue too though. If you split 2 ply tissues apart, the one layer does a darn good job at blotting! I have another alternative here too if you want to check it out.

Once your base is ready to receive another layer of makeup, don’t go too crazy. Less is more. If you pile it on, it’ll probably just move around. A light concealer will work if you have blemishes or under eyes that really need more covering, or your foundation has rubbed off anywhere. I generally like having a more liquid formula of concealer on hand, it’s easier to blend over anything that’s already there.

Depending on your preference, a powder is nice to have around, whether it be a translucent or something with a little more coverage. It’s good to powder your nose, but it’s also nice to have if you need to set your lids to jazz them up a little. I prefer to use a brush to set with, just because it adds less product to the skin. Just preference though and another thing to carry 🙂

This brings me on to another handbag makeup essential, an eyeliner! Whether it’s just a flesh coloured one for a more natural look or a black or brown for more intensity. A slick of liner across the lash line, or blended out all over the lid, can really help define a simple makeup look. Kohl is great if you want to create a really quick smoky eye, as it works on the lid and in the water line too.

By no means is bronzer a handbag makeup essential, but it is great for adding more colour to the skin and adding some definition to the eyes too. I carry one because I have a mini. Mini products are a handbag’s best friend 🙂

If I’m being completely honest I have all of these plus mascara, eyebrow powder, highlighter… I could go on, don’t judge me, I like to be prepared. I was a scout growing up.

I’ll add two more things into my essentials kit though. A brighter (or darker) lip shade. A slick of fresh statement lippie and a bit of powder and you can be good to go for the night.

Lastly, I’ll add in a setting spray or even just a facial mist. Again, I have a mini one that I just refill. Something that you can refresh with. But also set with and to take away the powdered look which really helps when touching up. Urban Decay do travel versions of their setting sprays here.

And there you have my handbag makeup essentials. Too much? Probably 🙂 What’s the one makeup product you always bring with you? (Handbag featured was part of recent haul video here, if you’re curious).

xxx

October 18, 2017/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits

The metallic lip trend has hit the beauty world with a bang. I won’t lie, I think I may be too old and uncool to pull it off. But that does not stop me from trying whatsoever 🙂 I picked up the new Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits while browsing the new makeup in Boots.

I had points burning a hole in my Boots card and wanted to buy something fun. The colours are quite wearable, so I thought I would have some fun swatching and writing about them. And then hopefully even attempt to wear one of them outside the comfort of my own home 🙂

I had picked up a couple of the original Barry M Lip Kits when they first came out and did a post on them here. I, overall liked them. The consistency was inconsistent though and I feel like the metallic version are the same. Although using both the lip liner and the liquid lipstick together makes all the colours opaque and vibrant. And they are of course sold as a pair.

The Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits come in three shades.

Being a lip kit, they come with a lip liner.

And, matching liquid lipstick.

I’ve swatched all three on my arm and on the lips to show you them in action.

First up we have ’24 Carat’.

Next up is ‘Allure’. This is probably my favourite because in my opinion, it’s the most wearable shade. Although the liner is a little harder to work with than the other two shades. It’s not as soft and opaque in colour.

The third shade in the Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits is ‘Prestige’.

This is the darkest of the three colours.

They all dry down to a matte, non transferable finish with obviously a metallic look.

Like with most matte liquid lipsticks on the market, they do feel somewhat tight when they dry down. That is something to be weary of.

You can buy the Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits in Boots in store or online here. I got the three on offer as the brand are on 3 for 2 right now. They cost €8.99 each.

Would you wear any of the shades?

xxx

July 10, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kits

I’m doing a post on these kind of begrudgingly because there are three shades of the Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kits. But I, like a bad blogger only have two. They were all sold out in the Boots stores I went too, please forgive me 🙂

The shade Runway (that I don’t have) is on the Boots website here. It’s seems to be a coral red shade.

I bought the Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kits, if I am being honest, just to see what they were like. My love affair with liquid lipsticks is slowly diminishing. Don’t get me wrong, I have a couple of faves that I still use. But, the dry lip scenario usually gets the better of me and I end up reaching for a lipstick instead. I always have a plethora of lip choices on the go with me. I am fickle 🙂

Obviously these are quite similar to the Kylie Jenner lip kits. I am sure there is no coincidence there. So onto the swatching. I have the shades Pose and Go To. They come boxed up. There is a liquid lipstick and lip liner in each box.

First up we have the shade Pose.

I have them swatched on my arm:

And then here they are on my lips. The lip liner on it’s own and the topped with the liquid lipstick:

The next shade is Go To.

I actually thought from the box packaging on this that it was going to be much lighter than Pose. Turns out Pose is definitely the lighter colour of the two nude shades.

I could take a photo of the actual liquid lipstick opened next to the pencil. It is really liquid-y, so it kept spilling out!

Here is the pencil swatched on my arm:

And then the liquid lipstick next to it:

Finally, the two products in action on the lips:

The formula of the lip liners is really nice. They are soft and apply easily and opaquely. The liquid lipsticks are the same. Of course if you don’t like the dry texture of liquid lippies, you will not enjoy these!

For me, personally I like the pencil in the Pose kit, the colour of the lipstick is not flattering on me whatsoever though. Go To is more up my alley. I am in love with the pencil as well as the shade of the liquid lipstick. Even though the formula is a little more loose, it applied the same to the lips. They both dried really quickly and one layer applied an even, opaque coat of colour.

All three of the Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kits are priced at €9. You can get them from Boots and Superdrug and I believe they are limited edition. You can buy Pose online from Boots here and Go To here.

What do you think?

xxx

March 18, 2017/by Gem

Posts

I did a super short video of the Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara in action which you can see at the top of this post and here. And here are some stills as well.

Here it is on both top and bottom lashes too, just to be thorough 🙂

Overall though, I am a big fan of the new Mac Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara. I am delighted I picked it up. Are you an Extended Play fan?

xxx

theBalm Balm Jour Creamy Lip Stain (s) are available now from theBalm website. (You can use the code ‘beautynookie’ for 15% off), and they are also available from Cloud10beauty here.

Have you tried them?

xxx

**********PR SAMPLE**********

You can find the NYX Wanderlust Dublin City Set now in Boots in store or online, from Debenhams here. Or, I found it on Look Fantastic here for what I believe is the cheapest price from a reputable retailer.

Have you tried it yet?

xxx

*******PR SAMPLE********

Ok, handbag makeup essentials is a bit of a broad statement. And very much up to the individual who owns said bag and makeup 🙂

If I’m being completely honest I have all of these plus mascara, eyebrow powder, highlighter… I could go on, don’t judge me, I like to be prepared. I was a scout growing up.

And there you have my handbag makeup essentials. Too much? Probably 🙂 What’s the one makeup product you always bring with you? (Handbag featured was part of recent haul video here, if you’re curious).

xxx

The metallic lip trend has hit the beauty world with a bang. I won’t lie, I think I may be too old and uncool to pull it off. But that does not stop me from trying whatsoever 🙂 I picked up the new Barry M Matte Me Up Metallic Lip Kits while browsing the new makeup in Boots.

I’m doing a post on these kind of begrudgingly because there are three shades of the Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kits. But I, like a bad blogger only have two. They were all sold out in the Boots stores I went too, please forgive me 🙂

PR SAMPLE

*PR SAMPLE**