New Years Resolutions

We all have some bad habits that we'd rather not have and there is no better time than a new year to finally ditch those habits. I thought I would share some of my New Year's Resolutions that I will trying to adhere to in the coming months. 

• To finally stop biting my nails. I've pretty much always bitten my nails and want to that to change this year. My nails are pretty weak and tend to break once they get to a certain length and I'm convinced giving up biting them will help their strength. Given my obsession with nail polish, it's amazing I didn't stop years ago. 
• To stick consistently to a skincare routine. Whenever I do get into a good skincare routine, my skin always reaps the benefits. I'm 19 and I want to properly establish a good skincare routine now as it will hopefully be beneficial as I get older. Prevention is the best cure and stuff like that. 
• To establish a healthy diet and exercise routine. Similar to skincare, whenever I get into a good routine of healthy eating and regular exercise, I always feel a million times better, both mentally and physically. 

That's pretty much all I want to try focus on for now. I feel if you try and do to much at once, it can be overwhelming and counter-productive. It supposedly takes three weeks of consistently doing something for it to become a habit, so for January I am going to try and form some new habits and break the old ones. 

Do you have any New Years Resolutions or any tips for keeping them? If so, I would love to hear them  and let me know in the comments below. 

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Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base

Primers are a step many forgo in their makeup routine. Despite this, they are an important step and can perform a number of functions depending on the primer chosen. I have several primers that I use depending on my particular needs that day, a primer wardrobe if you will. As mentioned in a previous post (here), facial redness is a particular concern that I have. To try and combat my naturally overly rosy cheeks, I have been using the Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base.

The Redness Solutions line by Clinique is designed as the name would suggest, to help with redness issues. The Daily Protective Base is designed for use on its own or under makeup. It has SPF 15, which is an added benefit as it means that you have some sun protection added in to your daily routine. 

The base is light green in colour as green-toned products are normally used to help cancel out the red tones in the skin. When talking to a friend who also is concerned with facial redness, she remarked that she tended to steer away from green concealers etc. for fear that she would be felt with a green tinge on her face. However, I have never had any such problem with this product. It blends away every easily leaving you with a nice base for makeup. In terms of covering redness, I do think it makes a difference. 

The Daily Protective Base retails for around the €19 mark (available here). I think it is definitely worth a look if you are concerned by facial redness. While it does not magically mask all facial redness, I think it definitely helps counteract my redness. 

Do you have any redness concealing products that you recommend? If so, I would love to hear about it in the comment below. 

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Nars Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

My everyday eye normally consists of a champagne coloured eyeshadow across the lid, a light matte brown in the crease and some eye liner on the lash line if I have the time. While it may be fairly simple, I think it is quite subtle and perfect for when you're in a hurry and still want to look put together. I own plenty of shimmery champagne shades, but today I am sharing my favourite, the Nars Alhambra eyeshadow duo (available here).

The Alhambra duo comes in the typical Nars packaging. The eyeshadow duos have identical packaging to the Nars blushes, which can be a little confusing so it is best to store them separately. In terms of the pros and cons of the packaging, it is the same as all of the Nars packaging. Ascetically pleasing, not overly bulky, decent sized mirror. The major issue is always that the rubberised finish has a tendency to attract any dirt that may be lurking in your makeup bag. Given that, I am still rather found of the Nars packaging.

The Alhambra eyeshadow duo comes with a pinky champagne shade (left) and a golden shade (right). As I am quite pale, a lot of champagne shades had a tendency to appear quite orange on my skin, All That Glitters by MAC is one such shade. However, the pinker shade in this duo produces a lovely champagne shade on my skin. It is a colour I find myself reaching for most mornings when applying my makeup. The golden shade is also stunning, swatching as a true gold. While the gold does not get worn as much as the pinker colour, it is still a beautiful colour that I enjoy wearing.

In terms of the eyeshadow itself, I find the texture to be beautiful. I am a massive fan of Nars eyeshadows in general, with this duo being no exception. The shadows are wonderfully smooth and buttery, blending with ease on the lid.

Nars eyeshadow duos are not the cheapest eyeshadows on the market, retailing for around the €30 mark. However, I think this eyeshadow duo is definitely worth it. It is easily my most worn eyeshadows and the quality is supreme. I think if you are a fan of neutral and champagne shades, it is definitely worth a look.

Have you tried any Nars eyeshadows before? Do you have any other neutral eyeshadow recommendations?

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Nail of the Day: Essie Butler Please

Essie is one of my favourite nail polish brands and when I went to Boots recently, I happily added Butler Please to my growing collection. Butler Please is a bright cobalt blue from the 2012 holiday collection. I only needed to coats to achieve an opaque finish. It has an interesting semi-matte finish, though I would normally just add a topcoat over it to achieve a more glossy finish. Since I bought this in Boots and its part of the diffusion line, it comes with a flatter brush than the regular Essie brushes. I personally prefer the brushes from the diffusion line as application is much quicker and easier. Overall, I think it is a truly stunning, eye-catching colour and I would definitely recommend picking one up while you still can.

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NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

I have the unfortunate tendency of getting quite dry lips in colder weather, meaning I have numerous lip balms floating about my bedroom. However, ever since I've started using the NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing lip balm, the others have been sidelined. I picked this up when I was in Paris in September as it was cheaper to buy there. It is also available to purchase here.

It has quite a thick, yet smooth texture. It leaves a matte finish, which I think is quite unique. I have heard others describe the scent as being similar to Terry's Chocolate Orange and I agree. The smell doesn't linger too long on the lips, which is good in case you didn't particularly like the smell. However, I personally think it is quite a pleasant smell. I also love the beautiful packaging. The lip balm comes in a lovely little frosted glass jar, making it an adorable addition to any dressing table.

The lip balm is labelled as being ultra-nourishing and marketed towards people who suffer from dry or chapped lips. I think this is pretty accurate as it has definitely helped preventing my lips from becoming chapped this winter. I apply a bit of it while I am doing my makeup and find it to be a lovely base for lipsticks etc.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the Reve de Miel lip balm. While it could be considered slightly pricey for a lip balm, I think it is definitely worth it. You don't need every much product, so one little post would last forever. It smells divine, feels luxury and most importantly keeps lips hydrated, a definite must-have. 

What's your favourite lip balm? 

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Origins Mega-Mushroom Face Cream

I have normal/dry skin so having a decent moisturiser is an essential for me. Today I thought I would talk about my current moisturiser, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Smoothing Face Cream. Further information is available from the Origins website.

After running out of the Kiehl's moisturiser I had been using, I decided to try something different. I had first heard of this product as Tanya Burr used to often mention it. As already mentioned, I have normal/dry skin so I needed a product that would prevent my skin for drying out, particularly important during winter. My other skin concern tends to be redness, especially on my cheeks, so I was pleased to discover that the Dr. Andrew Weil Mega-Mushroom range is targeted specifically for redness and sensitivity.

In terms of texture, the cream is quite light and doesn't overload the skin. I'm not sure how a very oily skin type would cope with the cream, though I think a combination skin type would get on well with it.  Also as the cream is not too heavy or greasy, I have had no problem applied makeup over it, though I primarily use it in the evening. 

It does have a scent, which I do not find particularly pleasant. However, I don't like mushrooms in general and the scent does not linger on the skin once applied. I can't imagine the scent causing issues for facial sensitivity either as the range is targeted at a sensitive skin type. 

In terms of packaging, it comes in a dark green glass tub, which I thinks looks quite nice. Probably not the most travel-friendly packaging on the market, however, I do not think it is overly bulky or heavy either. I like the Origins packaging in general, as it tends to be quite simple and chic. 

Overall, I have found that the Mega-Mushroom cream has kept my skin moisturised and I haven't had any issues with dry patches. In terms of redness reduction, I haven't noticed a monumental improvement in my facial redness. Saying that, the redness certainly hasn't gotten any worse and I can see some positive changes.  

The cream is pricey, coming in at slightly at €50-60 mark for 50ml. However, I do think that the one pot will last me at least several months. I have already been using it for several weeks and I still have plenty of product left. Overall, I do recommend the Mega-Mushroom face cream. I bought mine from House of Fraser, which is linked here. 

Do you have any face moisturiser recommendations? Have you tried the Mega-Mushroom face cream? 

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Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow in Iced Gold

I am a bit of magpie as I tend to be attracted to anything that sparkles and this obsession extends to one of my favourite makeup products, highlighters. I'd thought I would share one of my favourite highlighters, the Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme, with you today. 

I have it in the shade Iced Gold, which is perfect for my fair skin. Darker skin tones should try the shade Rose Gold, which looks stunning. I find Iced Gold to be a beautiful champagne colour, adding a lovely sheen when applied to the tops of the cheekbones. I tend to stick to fingers when applying this so the effect is quite suitable. However, if you wanted something more noticeable, the product is buildable.  

In terms of packaging, it is quite sturdy and light, perfect for travel. It has a slightly rubberised finish, similar to that of the Nars packaging, which can be prone to attracting dirt. It also comes with a lovely big mirror, which I personally find very useful. 

Unfortunately, the Jemma Kidd makeup line has been discontinued, which I think is such a pity. However, you may be able to still find it around before all of the products disappear. If you come across it, I definitely recommend picking it up while you still can as it is a beautiful product. 

Have you tried the Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow or have any highlighter recommendations? If so, I would love for you to let me know in the comments down below. 

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Hello There

I just thought I'd write a quick welcome post to start of my blog. This is just a place for me to ramble on about all things beauty and anything else that takes my fancy.
Hope you enjoy.
Niamh.