My First | MAC Palette

I'm not entirely sure how I've done it, but I've somehow managed to get through life to date without owning a MAC palette. Yes I own a few single pots, but not even that many to be honest. While rooting through the MAC website recently, this dawned on me. So of course, with me being me, I needed to sort that out promptly. So the very next day I went to the BT2 MAC store on Henry street to rectify this injustice! Firstly I did a little research online to decide which shades I wanted specifically, using the MAC site and some of my favourite bloggers for reference.

I was very excited to get home and put it all together. I went for a quad to start with, I though a full pro palette (which holds 15 shades) would look a little depressing with 11 empty pots. I think I am going to attempt to de-pot the four single pots I already have also. That would go a long way to filling up the pro palette. Ok so to get onto the shades I decided to go for...

So the four shades I chose are Espresso, Cranberry, All That Glitters and Woodwinked. I decided to start out practical and pick shades I know I would regularly use. My thought process being that Espresso could work in the crease of my eye as well as an eyebrow shade, Cranberry and Woodwinked could both work as crease colours or in the outter corners, depending on the look I was creating and All That Glitters would be perfect for all over the lid. So this one quad could provide all the basic colours I need to create a couple of different neutral eye looks. I know Cranberry wouldn't be everyone's pick for a neutral look, but I quite like using Toasted and Hustle from the NAKED 1 palette, so this type of shade does not scare me.

So there you have it, my very first MAC palette. Do you own a MAC palette and have any shade recommendations? I do intend to grow my collection over the coming years. Ultimately my intention will be to own the 15 shades pro palette and keep the quad for travelling, but I know I'm while off that just yet.

This first purchase was quite an investment and it certainly wasn't cheap, it came to €58.50 in total, but I knew the initial cost would be high and then I'll slowly build them up over time. It's €8.50 for the quad palette and then €12.50 for each shadow. However if you do intend to buy a few, it's cheaper than buying individual pots and also much neater for transporting and storing.

I hope you liked this post and definitely get commenting on what your favourite shades are, I love getting recommendations! That's it from me, hope you're having a great Sunday afternoon whatever you're up to!

Wish List | Spring Make Up Essentials

Okay okay, so they might not be "essentials" per se, but I've managed to pick out some of my favourite items that are out at the moment or being released for Spring/Summer 2014. We've managed to make it through dreary January (almost) and it's time to look forward! What better way to pick yourself up than creating your very own Spring 2014 wishlist. Essentially I am looking for justification for these purchases and if I put them "out there", no one can be surprised or shocked when I come home, bags full. You've been warned!

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick         NARS Guy Bourd Cinematic Lip (Full Frontal)

            WetnWild - Trio - Cool as a Cucumber               MAC Veluxe Brow Liner

Urban Decay - Naked 3 Palette

       

Barry M NP318 - Bourjois Violet Couture - NARS Wind Dancer

Have you already got any of these products, what do you think of them?

What is on your Wishlist for Spring 2014?

Blogtober #12 | Autumnal/Wintery Eye MakeUp

Welcome one and all to day 12 of Blogtober. This is a very simple little post on what colours I'm currently enjoying wearing on my eyes for this time of year. It's probably not very surprising, but I am of course utilising my NAKED 1 palette from Urban Decay. It's nothing ground breaking, but since there are so many shades in this palette, I try make the most of it using it as a shadow, liner and brow filler.

I have listed the specific shades used below:

Brows: Naked
Lids: Sidecar
Crease/Under Eye: Darkhorse
Inner Corner: Virgin
Mascara: Maybelline The Rocket Volume (Waterproof)


What are some of your favourites shades and products for Autumn/Winter?

Blogtober #3 | Review: Maybelline Cream Gel Eye Shadow

On to day 3 of #Blogtober already, this post is a review of Maybelline's Colour Tattoo 24hr Creme Gel Eyeshadows.

On and on Bronze, Pink Gold, Permanent Taupe

Immortal Charcoal, Timeless Black

There are some brighter shades available in this range, however I chose the most neutral, wearable colours available. Spoiler alert: these shadows are amazing! I would recommend them to anyone and everyone. They rival MAC's paint pots or Make Up For Ever's Aqua Shadows. They go on quite wet, you can buff them in with a fluffy brush (I recommend a MAC 217 brush) and hey presto they dry quite fast. You are then set for the day as they don't budge.

The best part is you can wear them as your eye shadow or you can wear them as a base for any of your other shadows. I especially think you can really buff the On and on Bronze or Pink Gold in and they are the perfect base for any colour shadow on top.

You can pick these up in any Drugstore/Pharmacy, they retail at approximately €7.50 each. Which is an absolute bargain when you consider how much the MAC/Make Up For Ever equivalent go for.

Have you tried any of these Colour Tattoo Eye Shadows from Maybelline?
What are your favourite cream eye shadows?

Summer Series | Holiday Essentials

Okay apologies are in order. There has been a massive delay between my last post and this one. July seemed to pass me by in a flash. Granted it's now August, but until schools are back, it always still feels like summer, so I have the final post in my Summer Series, you can find post one here and post two here.

So the reason my July was so jam-packed was mostly due to holidays. This year I decided to do a series of small trips and as a result my make-up bag needed to stay light. So I'm going to share with you what made the cut.

Since I spent some time travelling around Ireland as well as the UK, airport security was also a factor. Keeping it basic was key (full details of products below).

I made sure to keep it really minimal, I left out things like primer, eye lash curlers, extra brushes, brought no more than one of each type of product.I brought the two essential brushes (and the NAKED palette comes with one), I figured anything else could be blended with fingers. I guess my main piece of advice, even if you think you need everything, there's surely a couple more things you can cut out. I know personally when I'm away on holidays, I just want to spend the minimal amount of time on getting ready as there is so much to go out and enjoy and experience. I even know some days I won't want to wear make up. So I really factor this into my final choices. Essentially a good rule of thumb is: no more than one of anything. I find the biggest thing that will weigh you down is have three different mascaras and five types of lip gloss. Choose the bare essentials and your back will thank you for it, when you don't have to lug it all around from city to city.

I teamed my make up collection with the a couple of nail varnishes (again look for cheats like using the same polish for your base coat and top coat). I kept it bright, summery and simple.

So the running theme is basic and minimal. What are you holiday essentials that you can't live without? Do you pack light or do you pack everything, including the kitchen sink?

Face
Make Up For Ever Face & Body Liquid Make Up (#20)
NARS Creamy Concealer (Custard)
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (Pale Yellow)
Bourjois Blush (48 Ashes of Roses)

Brushes
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Real Techniques Powder Brush

Eyes
NAKED Palette (No. 1)
Essence Eye Liner Pen (Black)
Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara (Waterproof - Black)

Lips
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer (Big Bang)
Make Up For Ever Rough Artist Natural Lipstick (N22 Pink Peach)

Nails
Essie Top Coat (No Chips Ahead)
Rimmel Salon Pro - Kate Collection (Purple Rain)
Models Own Splash Collection (Pink Paradise)

May Favourites

That month seemed to fly by, hard to believe the June bank holiday is now over. So below I have included some of my favourite products from the month of May.

I have only recently discovered essie nail varnish, but I am already in love. With a base coat and top coat, it lasted 5 days entirely chip free and it is a great summer pastel shade. While I know Apocalips lip lacquer's abilities have been well documented, I am really loving the shade Celestial this month. Unlike my Big Bang and Apocaliptic shades, I can wear this as an everyday colour. It brings some colour to my face for the somewhat sunnier weather we've been experiencing. Which brings to my other face favourite this month, the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer. I use this product in conjunction with my Real Techniques Detailer brush. I find a little really goes a long way and the detailer brush is perfect for allowing me complete control over how much product I use and allows me to blend beautifully. I have never owned a detailer brush, before now I always used my finger. However if you are someone who suffers from blemishes like myself, I would definitely recommend the investment.

In terms of eye shadow I am really enjoying my Inglot pallete which I received as a gift from a friend for my birthday. I am particularly liking the first two shades, gold and brown, for two toned eyes (you can tell by the packaging it is well loved).

Then moving on from make up, my favourite hair care product this month is Aussie 3 minute miracle, the frizz remedy. I don't use this product every day (as it is quite pricey for its size), rather I use it as a treat for my hair at weekends. I do I feel it has helped soften my hair, especially since it is blonde, I may try the Reconstructor variety next.

The last product to feature in my May favourites, is a skincare product from Clarins. I also received this a gift, but have only recently begun using it regularly. It is there Silky-Smooth body cream. Just as the name suggests it leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. I love how it glides onto the skin and doesn't leave an oily/sticky feel afterwards. It is especially great for dry spots around the elbows and knees!

This month's star product? essie nail lacquer


Do you use any of these products, how are you finding them?
What have been your favourite products from May 2013?


Products in this blog:
- essie nail lacquer (Spring 2013 collection) - bond with whomever
- Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer - Celestial
- Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - 51 eclat clair
- Real Techniques Detailer Brush
- Inglot Eyeshadow - AMC Shine 34 (gold)
- Inglot Eyeshadow - 457 (brown)
- Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment - Frizz Remedy
- Clarins Eau Ressourçante Silky-Smooth Body Cream

Review: Benefit peek-a-bright eyes

I am a really big fan of using different shades on my eyes to accentuate them. I like it when eyes are made to be the main feature of your face! As far as I'm concerned, they're built for it, who doesn't want all the focus on them?

So while I know this product isn't brand new, it's relatively new to my collection, so I thought I would review it. I thought it would be a perfect addition, as it has all the shadows I need to create a full look for my eyes!

As you can see I have made quite the dent and have used it quite a number of times, to really get a feel for the product. The set contains:

- eye bright (for the corner of your eyes)
- base shadow
- contour shadow (for the crease of your eyes and to use as a liner)
- highlight shadow (for the main colour of the eye)
- concealer brush (for the eye bright)
- contour brush/liner brush

In theory, this set is great, gives you all the basics you need and to be honest, while I prefer a gold/brown colour combo for this type of look, I was really drawn to the convenience of having everything (including brushes) in one place! Unfortunately however that is where my fascination ended. It goes on okay and is very easy to use and the brushes are fine for what you are doing. However the big problem is, it does not last. I am not even talking for the day, it does not last past a few hours.

The colours are very neutral and for a day time subtle look, that is perfect. You do not however want something that becomes too subtle, in that it fades over (such a short) time. I also found that the pigmentation of the shadows was not great. Overall I was very underwhelmed with this product from Benefit.

Pros: Convenient set, attractive packaging
Cons: It does not last, pigmentation is poor

In summary, would I re-purchase this product? Definitely not. It is not worth the money at all. I know plenty of lower end brands that last significantly longer than this and will revert to them in future.

Have you tried the peek-a-bright eyes set? Let me know know what you thought.

Have you any suggestions for an all-in-one eye set?