JASON Apricot Scrubble

I was on the hunt for a new exfoliator and decided to try out the JASON Brightening Apricot Scrubble Pure Natural Facial Wash & Scrub. I picked mine up from FeelUnique (link here) when I was ordering some other things. JASON seems to be a pretty affordable line in general. This scrub costs about €7 though I ordered mine when it was on sale. 

In terms of the actual product, it is made with natural apricot oil and walnut powder. It is quite a physically exfoliating scrub so you have to be gentle while using it. However, provided you aren't too harsh using it, I think it's a really nice product and would recommend it if you are looking a decently priced facial scrub.

Do you have any good exfoliator recommendations?

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Nars Orgasm Blush

The Nars blush in Orgasm is somewhat of a cult beauty product in the beauty world. I would say it is probably the most raved about blush on the market and it's status was definitely a contributing factor when I bought it. Orgasm comes in the standard Nars blush packaging and will set you back around €29. I bought mine from Asos.com (link here). Nars also sell the shade Orgasm in a lipgloss, illuminator and multiple.

Orgasm is probably Nars's most famous shade, in part because of the controversial name. In terms of colour, Orgasm is described as a peachy pink with shimmer. As you can see from the photos, there is quite a lot of gold shimmer running through the product. However, as it is quite finely milled, there are no issues with fallout and you don't end up big chunky bits of glitter across your cheek. The shimmer just helps to give your face a bit more of a glow. Part of Orgasm's cult status is due to universal nature of the shade. I have pale skin and enjoy wearing it and think it would look beautiful on more medium skintones as well. I think Orgasm is a lovely choice for summer months as it compliments a tan beautifully. 

While I do like Orgasm, I find myself reaching for the Nars blush in Deep Throat (previously blogged about here) more.

Have you tried any Nars blushes?

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Nail of the Day: OPI Jade is the New Black

Today's NOTD features Jade is the New Black from OPI. Jade is the New Black is a beautiful dark green shade, that looks stunning on the nails. Green is a bit of an unexpected colour on the nails, which I love. As it isn't too bright, however, it prevents the shade from being too in-your-face and it can still be fairly subtle on the nail. The Pantone colour of the year is Emerald making Jade is the New Black a nice option for on trend nails. The shade was part of the Hong Kong collection released several years ago, however, you can still find it online on sites such as Beautybay for €13 (link here). In terms of finish, Jade is the New Black is a glossy creme which is opaque with 2 coats. OPI polishes come with a wide brush, which makes painting the nails quick and easy. OPI nail polishes also tend to wear relatively well on the nails as well. 

Do you have any favourite green nail polishes?

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MAC Painterly Paintpot

I have already posted about my favourite eye primer (here) and today I thought I would talk about the MAC Paintpot in Painterly. I typically pair a cream eyeshadow with an eye primer before appling eyeshadow to enhance staying power and make the colours more vibrant. I wear an eye base most days I wear makeup, whether to under eyeshadows or on it's own, to even out the eyelid. I bought Painterly Paintpot mainly because of the huge hype behind it in the beauty community. 

Swatched heavily and not blended 

Painterly is a nude, pinky-beige colour with no shimmer in it. While it looks far darker than my skin tone in the photo, once blended out the colour isn't that noticeable on my skin. Because it does match my skin colour, it means I can pair any colour eyeshadow with it and I can wear it on its own without any worries. In terms of staying power, paired with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it will last most of the day and prevent my eyeshadow from creasing. On especially long days, I do have some issues with creasing, though I have particular trouble with creasing. 

MAC Paintpots retail for €19 and are available from MAC counters. If you live in Ireland, you can also buy Paintpots online from House of Fraser (link here) 

Have you tried any Paintpots?

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Charles Worthington Intense Rescue Melting Balm

Hair treatments are an essential part of trying to keep your hair in tip-top condition. I have dry hair, which is regularly subject to heated stylers, meaning I like to pay particular attention to its condition to ensure that it doesn't turn into straw. This is where the Intense Rescue Melting Balm by Charles Worthington steps in.

The Intense Rescue Melting Balm is a pre-shampoo treatment, that you leave on for about 20 minutes. As the name would suggest, it has a solid oil formula which melts with the heat from your hands. You simply scoop out a little bit, melt it between your fingers and then apply it to your hair, concentrating it on the ends. Once you have left it in your hair the recommended time, simply wash it out with shampoo and follow up with conditioner.

I really like this product. My hair feels lovely after I use it. My main issue is that I seem to take forever when applying it. As the balm has to melt in your hands, I find you have to use a little bit at a time. I have quite a lot of hair meaning this can be a fairly time consuming process, especially when compared to traditional hair masks which take seconds to slap on in the shower. Maybe I'm not using the best method to apply it or something like that. Saying that I don't find this to be that major of an issue. I tend to wash my hair in the evening anyway and just watch some telly while applying it.

It's not the cheapest hair treatment on the market. I can't remember what the price was in euro but it seems to be about £16.99. I bought mine from Boots when it has just come out so it was on an introductory offer. I think it's a really nice treatment and it makes a nice change from the traditional hair masks that are applied like conditioner.

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MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

After my post about MAC's Angel lipstick (post here) seemed to go down well, I thought I would share some of my other MAC lipsticks, starting with the shade Creme Cup. MAC describe Creme Cup as a light blue pink, which I think is pretty accurate. I think it's a pretty choice for everyday or evening if you are going for dramatic eyes and want to tone the lips down. Creme Cup is understated and neutral, making it a nice alternative to nude shades if you prefer pinks. Compared to Angel, it is a little bit lighter and more blue-based. 

In terms of formulation, Creme Cup is part of MAC's Cremesheen line. As the name would suggest, they quite creamy in texture, provides a decent amount of colour pay off, without drying out the lips. They have quite a glossy finish as well, which I like as I don't tend to wear lipgloss. Because they are so creamy and glossy, they don't have the best staying power. I also heard that they have a tendency to melt quite easily in heat, which might be worth bearing in mind. 

Creme Cup is available from MAC counters or from House of Fraser online (link here). MAC lipsticks cost €17.50 and Creme Cup is part of the permanent line. 

Have you tried Creme Cup? 

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Nails of the Day: Essie Bahama Mama

Today's NOTD post features yet another Essie polish, Bahama Mama. I had seen quite a few blog posts about this shade last autumn and decided to pick it up when I found it in Boots. It's such a beautiful colour for this time of year. I would describe it as a raspberry colour, as it has both red and purple tones in it. I don't think the photos truly capture how nice this colour is. I also think shades in the dark red/purple family look so polished on the nails and this fails into this category. It doesn't have the glossiest finish though a good topcoat would help that. Overall, if you like dark nails I would definitely recommend taking a look at Bahama Mama. As I already mentioned, I picked mine up from the diffusion line in Boots for €12.99. It is also available online from Beautybay (link here) where it is slightly cheaper. 

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Video: Feel Unique Sales Haul

A few of the things mentioned

Feel Unique is one of my favourite places to windowshop and once they had their Christmas sale, it didn't see right not order a few things. I love watching haul videos so I thought I would film a haul video of the things I picked up. I had been eying up most of the items for a while so needless to say I'm excited to try them out. Look out for some of these featuring in future blog posts and videos.

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Soap and Glory Hand Food

Hand cream was always one of those things I was incredibly lazy about. This winter I decided to be much more diligent about protecting my hands for the harsh winter weather. This newfound commitment meant a trip to Boots was in order where I picked up, my now essential, Soap and Glory's Hand Food. 

Soap and Glory seems to be quite a popular brand in the beauty community and Hand Food seemed to be a particularly raved about product. I can understand why it is such a loved brand, adorable packaging, smells divine, affordable, accessible and most importantly does a good job. The small tube on the right cost me about €3.50, which I think is very reasonable. You get a good bit of product and it's the perfect size for throwing in your bag. I picked up the larger bottle in the Boots sale in a set with a matching hand wash. In the sale, it worked out cheaper buying the set than just the hand cream on its own. The bottle on its own retails for around €9, again very reasonable for the amount of product. 

I hate greasy, heavy hand creams that takes ages to absorb into the skin, which is not a problem here at all. Hand Food is fairly light in texture and absorbs into the quite quickly. I have found it has keep my hands moisturised and soft whenever I have used it. Hand Food also has the added advantage of smelling lovely. It has the signature Soap and Glory scent, which I have heard likened to the Miss Dior Cherie perfume. 

I will continue to repurchase Hand Food for the foreseeable future and definitely recommend it if you are looking for a good hand cream. 

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Nars Albatross Highlighter

Considering my love of both Nars blushes and highlighting products in general, it should come as no surprise that Albatross is one of my favourite makeup products in my collection. 

Albatross is made up of a sheer white base with golden shimmer through it. The powder is finely milled so you don't have to fear ending up with big chunks of glitter on your face. As the product is so finely milled, I have never had an issue with fallout when using it. When blended it, Albatross produces a wonderful sheen on the skin. Most of Nars blushes have a golden shimmer running through them and I find Albatross dusted along the tops of the cheekbones, compliments the blushes beautifully. 

Swatched lightly

Swatched heavily 

Albatross is part of the permanent line and comes in the classic Nars packaging that the blushes and eyeshadow duos also come in. As the packaging has a rubberised finish, it does have the tendency to attract dirt. Mine has quite a bit of golden shimmer all over it. In terms of prices, Albatross will set you back about €29 euro and is available from House of Fraser (link here), ASOS (link here) or from Nars counters. As you need very little product to achieve results, I expect it to last for ages. If you are looking for a nice highlighter, I definitely recommend taking a look at Albatross. 

Have you tried Albatross or do you have any highlighter recommendations? I would love to know your thoughts below. 

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Too Faced Shadow Insurance

 

I love wearing eyeshadow but not matter what brand I use, all shadows tend to crease like crazy on my eyelids. A decent eye primer is, therefore, a necessity. Shadow Insurance by Too Faced is my favourite so far.

You only need a tiny bit of product, meaning one tube lasts forever. I've had been for several months, consistently using it and still have a lot of product left. I find the amount shown above is plenty for both eyelids. Once blended out on the lid, the Shadow Insurance has virtually no colour. I tend to pair it with another base, typically as Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow or a MAC Paintpot. Paired with another base, my eyeshadow lasts all day and is still crease-free hours later when I remove my makeup. Eye primers also have the added benefit of making eyeshadows much more vibrant on the lid.

Too Faced can be a little bit tricky to find in Ireland, however, I have found it in larger Boots stores. I purchased mine online though I can't remember from where. It was either from Asos (link here) or from Beautybay (link here). It costs around €22 euro for the tube shown, however, I really do think it is good value for money as you get so much product. Once mine runs out (which I can't see happening anytime soon), I will definitely be repurchasing it straight away.

What is your favourite eye primer?

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MAC Cork Eyeshadow

After talking about my favourite champagne, all over the lid shade last week (post here), today I thought I would talk about my most used crease colour, MAC's Cork eyeshadow.



























Cork is described on the MAC website as being a muted golden brown. I would personally describe it as a medium warm matte brown shade. As I said I tend to primarily use cork in the crease. I typically use shimmery shades all over the lid and think a matte colour in the crease creates a nice contrast. Cork was one of the first MAC shadows I bought (along with Woodwinked, Shroom and All That Glitters) and as remained one of my most-used crease colours. While I have a cool-toned complexion, I have blue eyes so I like wearing warm-tones on my eyes.

MAC eyeshadows are available in individual pots (€15) or in pan form (€11.50). I personally buy most of mine in pan form and keep them in MAC palettes, which are available for purchase separately. MAC eyeshadows are available in Ireland from Brown Thomas or BT2, or from House of Fraser online (link here).

Do you have any favourite MAC eyeshadows?

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Nail of the Day: Essie Mint Candy Apple and Fiji

Today's Nail of the Day post features two recent Essie purchases, Mint Candy Apple and Fiji. Both polishes are beautiful pastel shades, probably considered more 'spring-appropriate' but I often tend to sport colours on my nails that don't correspond with the time of year. What can I say I live life on the edge!

Mint Candy Apple is a gorgeous minty-green colour as the name would suggest. I only needed two coats to achieve a nice opaque finish. It dries to a nice glossy finish. Not the glossiest finish I own but a coat of a good topcoat would change that.

Fiji isn't a colour I would normally go for. I tend to like colour on my nails and shy away from neutral colours. Fiji is a very pale, milky pink. I don't think it will become one of my most worn shades, however, I do think it is a nice addition to my collection. I think it looks quite understated and polished on the nails and will definitely be making appearances when a certain look is required. I needed to apply 3 coats to get a good opaque colour. It dries to the same finish as Mint Candy Apple.

Both polishes are from the Essie diffusion line found in Boots. They come with a wider brush, which I definitely prefer as it makes application so much quicker and easier.

 Have you tried either of these polishes? What are your favourite Essie polishes?

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Video: My 2012 Beauty Favourites

OPI I don't give a Rotterdam, MAC Well Dressed blush, Clinique Chubby Stick in Roomiest Rose, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, MAC Cork eyeshadow, Nars Laguna bronzer, Chloé perfume, Benefit They're Real mascara, Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Nars Alhambra eyeshadow duo, NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm, Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in light, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC 217 brush, Moroccanoil. 

Welcome to my very first Youtube video! To mark the end of 2012, I decided to film my 2012 Beauty Favourites. I love watching favourite videos in general and I think annual favourites are a great way of seeing what products people really love. It was my first time filming and editing so there are a few mistakes.

If you have any ideas for future videos, I would love to hear them. 

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MAC Angel Lipstick

Angel was my first lipstick from MAC and has remained my most used, despite having acquired several more. Angel is described on the MAC website as a 'soft pink', which I think is an accurate description. As you can see from the photos, it looks a little bit darker in the bullet than how it applies.

I love the formula of MAC lipsticks in general, Angel is no exception. They smell lovely, a kind of vanilla fragrance that isn't overpowering or artificial smelling. Angel isn't drying on the lips, which is a major plus. The formula is creamy on the lips and it has reasonable staying power.

I think Angel makes a lovely everyday colour. I tend to choose soft pinks on my lips instead of more nude shades for everyday. Angel is a such a beautiful soft pink, it's understated enough on the lips to be  worn in the day time, even by more apprehensive wearers.

MAC lipsticks are available MAC counters in Brown Thomas or BT2 in Ireland. House of Fraser also deliver MAC products in Ireland (link here). The lipsticks retail for around €17.50. Obviously it's not the cheapest lipstick, however, I personally think it is worth it. Drugstore/high-street  brands such as Revlon tend to be quite expensive here anyway so you end up only paying a few euro more for a high-end lipstick. MAC lipsticks are also cheaper than more high-end ones such as offerings from YSL etc. I personally prefer the quality of MAC lipsticks as well.

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?

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Nars Deep Throat Blush

Before I start I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope you all had a lovely holiday period and have a wonderful 2013!

New Year's wishes aside, today's post concerns my favourite Nars blush, Deep Throat. Nars is known for the provocative names, with Orgasm being one of their most famous. I am a huge fan of Nars as a brand and their blushes are no exception. They have a good colour range and I find Deep Throat to be a lovely choice for the daytime. 

Deep Throat is a beautiful peachy, pink with gold shimmer running through it. While it certainly isn't a matte finish and it does have shimmer, however, the effect is subtle. It leaves you with a nice glow, rather than glittery like a disco ball. It is sheer enough to be suitable for everyday. As it is sheer and a light pink shade, it is suitable for pale complexions. Nars blushes can be built up so a medium skin tone could also wear it. 

I quite like the packaging of the Nars blushes, however, I can understand why some people are not huge fans of it. It does seem to attract quite easily, meaning that sleek rubberised black casing quickly becomes filthy. I talk more about my thoughts on the Nars packaging in my review of one of their eyeshadow duos (post here). 

I would definitely recommend the Nars blush in Deep Throat. I think it is a beautiful colour, that would make a lovely everyday colour for most people. Nars blushes aren't the cheapest and I think Deep Throat is a good colour to consider if you are looking to buy your first Nars blush. Nars blushes retail for around €29 (available here).

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