zoeva Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Eyeshadow Palettes I Don’t Reach For

This is not a dig at any of the brands that created these eyeshadow palettes. In fact I don’t really think overall, it’s really a dig at the eyeshadow palettes themselves. It’s just me explaining why I don’t reach for them, and why they don’t seem to work for me.

I might get a bitchy in between, but that tends to happen when you’re on a roll, right? 🙂 I have a bucket load of eyeshadow palettes. Makeup is my favourite pass time. There’s always going to be times I spend my money, or get something in a pr package that just doesn’t float my boat though.

There’s times also where you think you’re going to love a product, and then it just doesn’t get utilised. And that’s fine, it’s the look of the draw. Beauty products are being released constantly, it’s so easy to get caught up in the new shiny things on offer.

I’ve mentioned, I think all of these eyeshadow palettes in one form or another here on Beautynook or on my Instagram page. Some of them I loved initially, some I wanted because of the hype and some were bought on a whim. There is no reason to my thought process. And by the end of the video, I talked myself into trying to use at least one of them again, just because I don’t think it got a fair trial.

There is five palettes in total:

All the brands listed I enjoy and use a lot! I don’t think you can love everything a brand brings out. As I say in the video too though this is just my opinions and thoughts. We are all different. When it comes to reading reviews on products, never just read one. It’s always good to get different views and thought processes. Do you have and love any of these? Let me know.

xxx

*********INCLUDES PR SAMPLES*************

May 10, 2019/by Gem

Makeup

Beauty Stocking Fillers

I did this a couple of years ago in a different format. It went down pretty well. So I thought I would do it again. This year we’re definitely dialling it back for Christmas. Well as much as we can, I love buying presents. So whether you’re on a budget, want to pick up a token gift, or even something for yourself. Here is my list of beauty stocking fillers for 2018.

I picked from websites that are easy for us to order from in Ireland and that generally have decent discounts and sales on product too. I know everyone has different budgets as well, so I tried to cater to all, and to the skincare and makeup lovers in your life.

I’ll go in shop order to make things hopefully a little cohesive. Let’s start with beauty stocking fillers from Cloud 10 Beauty.

First up is this Best Of Bright Travel Kit from Pixi Beauty for €23.

I am such a fan of the brand, and this is a really lovely affordable introduction into their skincare.

Cloud 10 Beauty have some awesome Stila gift sets too.

I thought this Shimmering Heights one for €31.95 would make a lovely beauty stocking filler. It’s three of their Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows.

Lastly from Cloud 10 we have this Alpha H Petite Holiday Collection for €25.

Minis of some essentials, including their Liquid Gold, which I have yet to try so I have my eye on this in particular 🙂

Ok, over to Look Fantastic now.

This Caudalie Hand Cream Trio would make a great beauty stocking filler in my very humble beauty obsessed opinion. It will set you back €11.45.

I don’t think you can go wrong with hand cream as a gift idea.

Another super affordable suggestion is this Garnier Hydrating Sheet Mask Selection for €14.95.

Five Moisture Bomb Sheet masks for different concerns.

Beauty Bay is next on my beauty stocking filler hit list.

This Holiday Facial Spray Trio from Mario Badescu is €14!

Facial Sprays are a nice treat within your skincare routine, and it’s a great way to sample all three versions the brand have on offer.

If someone in your life is a fan of sleep sprays the This Works Sleep Tight bauble is awesome and is only €15.

You get two teeny pillow sprays and a stress check roller ball.

I got carried away on Cult Beauty, I must admit, so bare with me 🙂

This Peter Thomas Roth Meet You Mask Set looks awesome and it’s only £20.50. Sorry Cult Beauty don’t covert to euro, this is good for our exchange rate though!

I’ve never tried this brand and have always wanted too. It’s not the most affordable so I thought this would be a great way to dip a toe or two in and give it a go.

Nest up is one of my personal faves. This is the Becca Cosmetics Golden Trio and it costs £35.

It’s mini versions of Champagne Pop, Opal and Moonstone highlighters.

I’m fairly obsessed with this 🙂

This Sweet Indulgence Set from Beauty Blender would have us sorted for makeup sponges for all of 2019. It costs £52.

It contains 4 Beauty Blenders and 4 solid cleansers to keep them clean.

I got the original Zoeva Plaisir Box a couple of years back from John and I bloody love it. This is a mini eyeshadow palette version and it retails for £31 so thought it was good beauty stocking filler material.

It contains three small but mighty eyeshadow palettes, and the display box is gorge too.

Last stop on this journey is Debenhams.

I actually nearly pulled the trigger on this Urban Decay Starfire Heavy Metal Trio in store yesterday. The only thing that stopped me is that it contains the infamous Midnight Cowboy liner and I already own it.

These retail for 20 quid a piece. To buy them as a set is €46.

Last but not least on this beauty journey, let me introduce the Kat Von D Limited Edition Best Of Nudes Mini Studded Lipstick Set.

This is currently on sale for €32.01 which I thought was a great deal for 6 mini lippies. It would make any nude lipstick lover happy.

And there you have my beauty stocking fillers for this year. No pressure, just sharing my research 🙂

xxx

December 5, 2018/by Gem

Makeup, Makeup Tutorial, Youtube Video

Everyday Summer Makeup Tutorial

This is my honest everyday Summer Makeup look! I tried to keep it as real as possible and just edited out my ‘ums’ and any long winded techniques. My brows take forever 🙂

It’s nothing fancy or ground breaking, but this is generally what I do on a daily basis if I’m wearing makeup. The eye look might change a bit if I’m feeling fancier or lazier. The lip colour might change if I’m feeling a bold or bright lip, but the base tends to not really. I’ve found what works for my skin in the heat, so I don’t want to jinx it too much if I’m going out and about. If I know I’m staying close to home, then I can experiment and trial new products 🙂

It all depends on what you feel most comfortable with. For me, brows and a bit of eyeshadow definition is a must. Eyeliner is not necessary so it’s not something I do day to day. Once I have a wash of colour on my lids I am happy enough. The main components of my everyday Summer makeup look, I’ve spoken about a lot before. I think this is an important aspect of this video though. You know I like these products and above all, you know I trust them.

I won’t get into everything, but some of the main products I used are in my June Favourites here. I have a review the Urban Decay Primer here, and of both the foundations I used here and here. Mac Springsheen blush has been a favourite for literally years and the highlighter from Pixi is a new, but very loved favourite.

And that is my ‘errand running’ everyday Summer makeup. If you watched the video, you’ll get the joke 🙂

Thanks for tuning it. Tell me, what are some of your Summer makeup essentials?

xxx

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED*

July 11, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Makeup

Disappointing Makeup Products

I have been in a bit of a creative rut this week. I asked on Instagram stories what kind of content you like. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to message me and fill my head with awesome ideas. I appreciate it so much. A big shout out to my lovely friend Sinéad aka The Beautiful Truth for giving me the Disappointing Makeup Products idea.

I generally talk about products I really disliked on social media. When I review products I try to be as logical as possible. I like to give the pros and the cons. I rarely dedicate a post to things I have and just generally don’t get on with. But it’s fun to change things up 🙂 Now this won’t be scathing. Everything is up for interpretation and just because I dislike something doesn’t mean everyone does. This is just my opinion.

First up of my six disappointing makeup products, is the Kiko Smart Cult Eyeshadow Palette in Matte Revolution. I did a post swatching this when I first got it here.

I bought this in Brussels after seen it plastered all over social media. The colours looked so cool and generally I am a big fan of Kiko.

This just doesn’t do it for me though. On first swatch some of the colours are grand, but trying to blend them on the eyes is way too much of a chore. They blend away to nothing. Yes, I can make it work if I need to, but this palette has just ended up lying in a drawer not being used. It wasn’t expensive, but still, it was definitely a waste of my money.

My second choice is controversial. So many people would declare this their holy grail. This is the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer.

For me, this foundation is too thick. I don’t like the doe-foot applicator, and I just find it hard to blend.

I don’t mind a thicker foundation, but I would put this in the same category as Esteè Lauder Double Wear. Although I do say in my review it isn’t as thick, but it nearly is 🙂 It’s just too much for me. At least Double Wear stands the test of time on my oily skin, this only does an ok job. I find it grand, but I haven’t reached for it much at all since buying it.

Third up, is the LA Girl Pro Primer Eyeshadow Primer.

This just doesn’t keep my eyeshadow in check. I have relatively oily lids so I am generally a good judge of eyeshadow primer. This is in the shade Nude. I think it’s more yellow toned, so unless I am covering it completely on the lids, the tone will poke through a bit.

It just doesn’t cut the mustard. I like that it’s in stick form, it’s easy to use and super affordable, but not for me 🙁

The Zoeva Strobe Gel was completely bought on a whim because the jelly like texture intrigued me.

I have the shade Halo.

If you like a more subtle highlight, this might work for you. For me, it just looks like nothing on my skin, especially when applied with a brush. Applying it with your fingers is tricky though, as the formula just doesn’t allow itself to be picked up with your fingertips too well. I tried to incorporate it into my makeup and to make it work, but I just end up reaching for something else. It’s a cool concept, but gets a thumbs down from me.

My next two disappointing makeup products will again, be controversial.

I only have a travel size of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I got it within a PR pack.

Waterproof mascara is more my jam, most of the time. But I do try lots of non waterproof formulas and do review the ones that meet my extremely high mascara standards 🙂

So many people adore this mascara. I don’t! I deem it grand. It coats the lashes, helps a little with volume and on me, flakes like a bitch. If a mascara flakes after a long ass, productive day, I can live with that. But this does it a couple of hours into wear on me. For that reason, it’s made the list 🙂

Ok, my last disappointing makeup product is the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk.

Now hear me out because this is definitely a more personal disappointment. I am just not wowed by it. The texture is a bit drying, especially for the price. It’s also super super similar to my lip colour, so it tends to look more brown on me than pink.

I have the lipstick too . (I have a blogpost about it here). You can see both of them swatched in that. I reach for the lipstick way more, although I am not a huge fan of the fragrance, but I can get over that. I have the lip liner literally years, and it’s still very much in tact as you can see. Give me Rimmel’s Eastend Snob liner over it any day!

Do any of my disappointing makeup choices shock you? Are some of your holy grails in here? This is what I love about makeup, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure 🙂

xxx

April 5, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Affordable Makeup Spring Favourites

I’ve harped on about some of these products online too much now. I thought I needed to do a dedicated post showing you them a bit more in depth. So here are my current affordable makeup Spring faves 🙂

I apologise in advance if you’re sick of me talking about the PS Bronze Shade & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette. I did a whole post here dedicated to this Penneys Collection. I believe it’s in stores pretty much as we speak.

I didn’t swatch the palette though and I really think it deserves it now. I have honestly reached for this so much since I was given it. And not because I felt I had to if that makes sense? Being a beauty blogger, I do have to make a point to try products again and again. For €6, you get nine warm eyeshadow shades. They’re a mixture of mattes and shimmers and all compliment each other. Are they the softest, most pigmented shadows I’ve ever used? No, but for the price point they are pretty bloody awesome!

Continuing on from the palette, another affordable makeup Spring fave from Penneys, are their cream eyeshadow pots. And a disclaimer, I am only calling them makeup Spring faves because it’s Spring now. These are fine all year round ha.

I picked up two of these while I was in Edinburgh a while back from the PS Nudes Collection.

A matte and a metallic one just to try. I went to the launch of this collection and they were one of the things I was most intrigued about. Also at €2.50 each I thought they were worth the financial risk 🙂

I did however take the bloody stickers off them absentmindedly and they had the names on them, so I don’t know what they’re called. But they’re creamy and pigmented so I’ll forgive them not putting the names on the containers.

I’ve another two from the Bronze Collection too.

They’re super easy to work with and pack a real punch as a cream eyeshadow base. They’re a little slippy in texture so I don’t know how well they would fare on their own, without powder on top. I find the pots a bit of a pain. Fingers do not fit very comfortably inside them, but a synthetic brush works grand. That’s what I used to swatch them above.

The eyeshadow base I have been using for last couple of months is the Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix.

Don’t let the word matte deter you. It has more of a velvet finish in my humble opinion.

I just think it’s a damn good eyeshadow primer. I have super oily lids so I’m generally a decent judge of what’s good and what isn’t in this department. A little goes a long way, it doesn’t interfere with whatever you put on top and it helps fill in fine lines too. €8.95 is a decent price for it.

The Madison M5 brush has been another firm favourite of mine over the past few weeks.

This comes as part of a 12 piece brush set available here for €39.95.It’s a super soft synthetic brush. I have been loving it for setting under my eyes. I’m enjoying quite a few of the brushes from the set, this one in-particular stands out though as I reach for it pretty much everyday.

My last affordable makeup Spring fave is a new in lippie from Essence.

This kind of shade is a no brainer for me really. I am a mauve lipstick whore. It’s called 10 Rosey Glitz.

When I’m not reaching for a matte finish day to day this is a great sheer, you don’t really have to think about applying it colour. It’s super flattering and feels really nice on the lips. I also think it retails for about 3 quid. Bargain!

And there you have my affordable makeup Spring faves 🙂

xxx

PR SAMPLES INCLUDED

March 26, 2018/by Gem

Makeup Tutorial, Youtube Video

Job Interview Makeup Look GRWM

This was a pretty off the cuff video idea. I say that a lot, I know 🙂 Currently I am on a job hunt and I was about to get ready for an interview. I thought I would pop the camera on and create a video on my job interview makeup look.

Just a side note, this was not for a corporate position, so I didn’t have to be too formal. I would describe my job interview makeup look as my everyday makeup look, just a bit more polished. I kept everything pretty simple and neutral. A bit of shimmer on the eyes and a glossy mauve lip.

I used eyeshadow for liner to give everything a softer look and used a neutral eye pencil in the water line to make me look more awake. Of course, typical timing, I have a cold at the minute so I tried to disguise that a bit too.

I used some reliable products, but I did throw in some new ones too. As always, I will list everything, as I do go through them quite quickly 🙂

Fenty Beauty Instant Retouch Primer.

Benefit The Porefessional Primer.

La Girl Pro Matte Foundation.

Zoeva Graphic Brows Pencil in Cinereous.

Freedom Brow Duo in Soft Brown.

Benefit Gimme Brow.

Benefit Ready, Set, Brow.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Concealer.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Fix.

Penneys PS Bronze Shade & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette, their Metallic cream eyeshadow in Heatwave and bronzer. There’s more info on these here.

theBalm Mr Write nude liner.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer.

Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro Mascara.

Mac Extended Play Mascara.

Nyx Contour Palette.

Milani Luminoso Blush.

Isa Dora Blotting Powder.

Wet n Wild Megaglo highlighter.

Mac Whirl Lip Liner.

Essence Colour Up Shine On Lipstick in 10 Rosey Glitz.

LOV Fix Spray.

A lot of product I know, but I kept it pretty simple I think? Let me know sure 🙂 If you want to see my Job Interview get ready with me video in full, just click on it above, or here.

xxx

PR SAMPLES USED

March 18, 2018/4 Comments/by Gem

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