Nailed it | Essie Fifth Avenue

Essie Fifth Avenue

Everybody loves a good red nail polish and Essie's Fifth Avenue is a great bright, tomato red colour. A great choice for summer, Fifth Avenue has quite strong orange undertones and would look lovely on warmer skintones. The formula is fantastic and is opaque after just one coat. In the photos, I applied two coats just to ensure the colour was even, but it probably wasn't necessary. Essie nail polishes can vary in price so I recommend shopping around. I bought mine from Beautybay.com, where Essie is around €9.50 (link here). 

Do you have any favourite red nail polishes? 

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L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil 

A while ago, I posted about the L'Occitane Delightful Almond Gift Set (post here) and decided it was about time I did a follow-up post on the Almond Shower Oil. If you would like follow-up posts on the rest of the set, let me know. 

As I mentioned in the original post, the shower oil was the primary reason that I picked up the set as I had great things about it and was desperate to try it out for myself. I have been using the shower oil for about two months and I have to say it definitely lives up to the hype it receives in the beauty community. 

The Almond Shower Oil creates a light lathering foam when mixed with water and washes away easily. I have found exfoliating gloves the best thing to use with it (such as these), as the oil is not nearly as effective when used with a regular shower poof. Using gloves also helps reduce product wastage, which is important as the shower oil is not the cheapest. 

I have quite dry skin and find that the shower oil helps add some moisture back into my skin without feeling greasy or too heavy. I tend to still apply body lotion afterwards but if your skin isn't as dry as mine, you could probably get away with just using the shower oil. The shower oil also works fantastically as a shaving cream. 

Finally the scent of the shower oil is divine. It has a flowery, almond scent that is subtle and feminine. The scent lingers on the skin, but is not overpowering and won't interfere with your perfume. 

Overall I recommend the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil and will definitely repurchase when I run out (which won't be for a while as a little goes a long way). The Almond Shower Oil is quite pricey at about €22 for 250ml (available here), however, I have no regrets about buying it. 

Have you tried the Almond Shower Oil? Do you think it was worth the money? 

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MAC See Sheer Lipstick

MAC Lipstick in See Sheer

Today I thought I would share a new favourite lipstick with you today, MAC See Sheer. See Sheer is described on the MAC website as a 'grapefruit pink', however, I think it lends a little bit more red than pink. I probably would describe it as a sheer coral-red shade. As I have quite a pale complexion coral shades can sometimes look slightly off, however, the amount of red in See Sheer makes it the perfect coral for my skintone. See Sheer is part of the lustre range so it has quite a glossy finish, which I like as I rarely bother wearing lipgloss. It isn't drying on the lips, which is a major bonus. 

Swatched

If you are looking for a good lipstick for the warmer months, I definitely recommend taking a look at See Sheer. I know it will be gracing my lips almost daily this summer. MAC lipsticks retail for €17.50  (link here). 

Have you any favourite coral lipsticks?

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Clarins Summer Bronzing Compact

Clarins Summer Bronzing Compact 

I have already shared the Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms from the Clarins Splendours Summer Collection (post here), however, the real star of the collection has to be the Summer Bronzing Compact. 

I am sucker for pretty packaging and you really can't find packaging much better than this. The Aztec inspired patterns are simply stunning. The compact feels pretty sturdy and has a huge mirror making it a great choice for travel. The huge compact means you can use a big powder brush for application, which I particularly like to do with bronzers (I use the Real Techniques Powder Brush). Furthermore, with 20g of product, you definitely feel like you are getting value for money as it will last forever. 

The bronzing compact is quite pigmented so it would be easy to go over the top. The colour also lends a little bit on the warmer side. However, so long as you aren't too heavy-handed when applying the bronzer, it shouldn't be a problem. In the centre of the compact, there is a lighter, shimmery colour. The rest of the bronzer is matte, which is a plus as sometimes shimmer in bronzer can be a bit much. 

Swatched 

Overall, I am really impressed by the Clarins Summer Bronzing Compact and expect it to a firm favourite during the summer months. The Bronzing Compact is limited edition as part of the Summer collection and retails for €35 (link here and here). 

Have you tried the bronzing compact or do you have any bronzers that you would recommend? If so, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. 

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Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm

Clarins have released some great collections in recent years and when I saw their Summer Collection, I knew I wouldn't come away empty-handed. Lately I have been obsessed with lip products and the Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms immediately caught my attention. They look slight crazy in the packaging, but are actually wearable tinted lip balms. The lipstick pigment is in the centre and is surrounded by the balm, which applies clear. Their consistency is definitely more comparable to a lip balm to a lipstick. They aren't drying on the lips either, making them a great option to have in your handbag if you want a bit of colour. I love the packaging of the lip balms. It is sleek and simple in a luxurious way. I also love the way the colour is on the bottom so you can easily tell what colour it is. 

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in Crystal Rose

There are four colours in the Summer Collection, two of which I picked up. The first one I chose is Crystal Rose. I love pink lip shades and this is a beautiful rose shade (surprising I know). I think this is a great colour choice year-round and can see myself getting a lot of wear from it. 

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in Crystal Berry

The second shade I bought was Crystal Berry. It looks kind of wacky in the bullet but the blue applies clear. I have really grown to like berry shades recently and Crystal Berry is definitely at the purple side of the berry spectrum. Bit of an odd choice for a summer collection, I think I will get more wear from this shade in the colder months, saying that summer in Ireland is normally pretty cold. 

Swatched 

These shades of the Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms are limited edition and retail for €21. I picked mine up from House of Fraser (link here). They are also available from Debenhams (link here and here).

Have you tried the Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms?

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NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

"This lightweight primer creates a seamless canvas that keeps cream and powder colour looking brilliant, fresh and just-applied all day. No smudging, no creasing, no caking, no looking back. Ophthalmologist tested. Dermatologist tested."

Despite loving the Too Faced Shadow Insurance (post here), I recently decided to try the NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I have enjoyed everything I have tried from NARS and after hearing good reviews about this, I decided it was worth a shot. I picked mine up from House of Fraser (link here). 

The primer is whitish in colour, though it blends out easily and isn't noticeable. It has a bit of a thicker texture than the Too Faced Shadow Insurance or the Urban Decay Primer Potion. In terms of staying power, I have been really happy with its performance, helping eyeshadow stay creasefree and vibrant for hours. I tend to pair it with a Paintpot (post here) to increase longevity.

The one negative I have with the primer is the packaging. It has a doe-foot applicator and I prefer a tube that you squeeze the product out of. I feel its more hygienic and means you can use up every last bit of product here, which could be a problem here. Saying that the packaging isn't awful and it wouldn't put me off the product. 

So far I have been really enjoying the NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and would recommend it if you are looking for a good eyeshadow primer. 

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MAC Brick-O-La Lipstick

MAC Brick-O-La Lipstick

I picked up MAC Brick-O-La lipstick a little while ago after seeing Essie Button raving about it (post here). I'm not really one for nude lip shades and love vibrant colours so this was right up my alley. Brick-O-La is a bit of a unique red shade, almost a mix of a red and a berry shade. 

Brick-O-La swatched 

Brick-O-La has an Amplified Creme formula, which delivers pigmented colour without been drying on lips. It leaves a nice creamy sheen on the lips. It's not particularly long lasting, though I don't mind topping up every few hours and layering with a lip liner can help improve longevity. 

MAC lipsticks retail for €17.50 and I picked Brick-O-La up from House of Fraser (link here).

Have you tried Brick-O-La or do you have any other favourite red lipsticks?

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MAC Blot Powder

MAC Blot Powder in Medium 

While I don't have oily skin, my skin can get a little bit shiny over the course of the day. Also I find using a good powder over my makeup helps ensure it lasts as long as possible. Enter the MAC Blot Powder.

This is actually my second Blot Powder as I lost my first one on a night out. I have the shade Medium, which as you can see in the photo, is not too dark or orange. The powder itself is fined milled and doesn't look cakey on the skin, which can be an issue for dry skins. I tend to use the powder poof which accompanies it, simply pressing the powder to the areas I need to set my makeup. It really helps my makeup last all day, which is something I can struggle with. The Blot Powder doesn't leave a really matte a finish either, getting rid of excess shine but still allowing skin to look natural.

While the packaging is not particularly luxurious, I still like it. Its pretty simple, not overly bulky and sturdy, which is a plus as I tend to have this in my handbag everyday and don't have to worry about it smashing. It also comes with a decent mirror, which is great for on-the-go touchups. 

Overall I am pretty happy with the Blot Powder. Its perfect for touchups and keeps my makeup looking fresh all day. Blot Powder retails for around €26, not the cheapest but it does a great job and you don't need a lot of product. I got mine from House of Fraser (link here). 

Do you have any face powder recommendations? 

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MAC Pro Longwear Paintpot in Vintage Selection

MAC Pro Longwear Paintpot in Vintage Selection

Paintpots are pretty popular eye bases from MAC and they recently launched a new line Pro Longwear line of paintpots (see The Sunday Girl's post here). I currently have Painterly Paintpot and use it on almost a daily basis and decided to pick up another, settling for the shade Vintage Selection. 

Swatched

Vintage Selection is described as a "frosted dirty peach" and is a gorgeous champagne shade. It reminds me of Benefit's RSVP (post here), however, Vintage Selection has more gold and peach in it. I love wearing champagne shades on a daily basis and this works perfectly paired with other eyeshadows. I really enjoy the texture of Vintage Selection. It's nicely pigmented, creamy and blends effortlessly.  It also lasts really well during the day and helps keep eyeshadow creasing at bay. 

MAC Pro Longwear Painpots cost the same as the regular Paintpots, retailing for €19. They are available at MAC Counters or at House of Fraser online (link here).

Do you have tried any Paintpot or have any recommendations? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.

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NARS Douceur Blush

Nars Douceur 

I love Nars blushes and have blog posts up already featuring some of my favourites (Deep Throat and Orgasm) so it's surprising that I hadn't picked up Douceur sooner. Douceur is described as a soft pink brown and it has a matte finish, resulting in a nice sculpting effect. Douceur works well with my skin tone, it isn't too dark and blends well. Probably not the best choice for darker skin tones, however, as it might not be pigmented enough. 

Douceur comes in the standard Nars packaging and costs around €29 (available here or here). Douceur has quickly become one of my most reached for blushes. It blends beautifully and the colour is a perfect choice for everyday as it suits pretty much all makeup looks and gives a sculpted and healthy look. Definitely glad I finally picked up Douceur and my only regret is not buying it sooner. 

  

Swatched

Have you tried Douceur or do you have similar blushes you would recommend? 

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Cold Weather Lip Saviours

Left to right: Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Crem, NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm,
Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub, Clinique Chubby Stick and Clinique Chubby Stick Intense. 

It is has been freezing in Dublin this week and my lips have been suffering. In response to this cold snap, I have been reaching for my favourite cold weather lip saviours, which I thought I would share with you in this post.

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub

First up is the Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub (link here). While not the most glamorous product, a good lip scrub is essential. Lush lip scrubs are made with sugar and jojoba oil and come in several different flavours. It makes removing dead skin cells and flakiness really quick and easy. A little goes a long way and you definitely get value for money. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

My next lip essential is a decent lip balm. My top two picks are the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (link here) and the NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm (link here). Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a much raved about cult beauty product and truly deserves the hype. While I primarily use it for chapped lips, it is a multi-purpose product that can be applied to soothe irritated, chapped or dry skin. It has quite a particular scent that is not especially pleasant, though if the scent bothers you, there is a non-scented version available. It is not the cheapest lip balm available at around €30, though a little goes along way and there is a reason why it is a cult classic. Another favourite lip balm of mine is the NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm, which I have previously reviewed here so I won't go into too much detail. It is cheaper than the Eight Hour Cream at about €12 and will again last forever. There is very little wrong with this little pot in my eyes and I would definitely recommend it.

Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Plushest Punch

Last but certainly not least I have the Clinique Chubby Sticks (link here and here). I love wearing colour on my lips and the Chubby Sticks offer a great way of doing so without having to worry about drying your lips out. In the above photo I just have a two of my favourite shades, Chunky Cherry and Plushest Punch, which is from the intense line. They have quickly become my favourite lip product for the daytime as they make it so easy to slick on some colour. 

So there you have some of my favourite lip saviours for cold weather. Have you tried any of the products mentioned or do you have any recommendations of products I should try? If so, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. 

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Eye Bases

I wear eyeshadow pretty much everyday, even if its just a wash of colour across the lid. Even if I don't wear eyeshadow, I will always put on an eyeshadow base. Eyeshadow bases help even out the eyelid, make eyeshadows appear more vibrant, make eyeshadow last much longer and prevent eyeshadow creasing. I already have a post (link here) on the eye primer that I use, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, so I don't dwell on it now as the main focus of the post is the eyeshadow bases I use with the primer. 

I have three eyeshadow bases which I use on a regular basis, two Benefit Creasless Cream Shadows and a MAC Paintpot. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows are available in a number of shades, although they appear to be mainly shimmery from what I have seen, and retail for around €16 (link here). MAC Paintpots are incredibly popular in the beauty industry. They have a number of shades available with a good mix of matte and shimmer and cost around €19 (link here). I have heard that paintpots can have a tenancy to dry out and storing them upside down can help with that. I have reaching for Painterly the most recently as it is a simple matte nude colour that suits any eyeshadow combination.

Do you have any eyeshadow base recommendations?

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MAC Mocha Blush

Mocha was the first MAC blush I bought. I went in planning to try shades such as Well Dressed and Melba, however, I was completely distracted by Mocha and it's dusty plum-pink colour. I didn't leave empty-handed. 

Mocha is described by MAC as a soft plum-pink, which I regard as being fairly accurate. I think it is such a pretty shade on paler skintones. Given its plum undertones, I do tend to keep this for colder months. Mocha is a matte shade, which I think suits the subtle nature of the blush. 

Mocha comes in the standard MAC blush packaging. While there is nothing particularly fancy about it, it is functional and compact, making it ideal for travel. MAC blushes cost €21.50 and are available from MAC counters or online (here or here). 

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Face Primers

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base,
 Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

I am a pretty big fan of primers and rarely skip them in my daily routine. I have something of a 'primer wardrobe', choosing various ones depending on my particular skin needs that day. Today I thought I would talk about my three most used primers. 

First up is the Clinique Redness Solution Daily Protective Base. I won't dwell on this one too much as I already have a post up about it (post here). I have quite a lot of facial redness and tend to apply this pretty much everyday to try and combat the redness. The fact that it has SPF 15 is an added bonus. The Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base is available here.

Next is the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. While I just have the standard, original primer, there are several variations of this primer, including oil-free and radiance boosting versions. This has a silky texture and makes foundation application smooth and flawless. At the moment, I am using the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation and really like the combination. You only need a tiny amount of this primer so one bottle will last a good while. The Foundation Primer is available here.

Finally, I have the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm which is often raved about in the beauty world. I don't use this as often as the other two mentioned above, however, I turn to this when I feel my face needs to be brightened up. It gives the skin a beautiful healthy glow, which is particularly nice in winter when skin tends to be a bit drier, I have also heard positive things about this being used on more mature skins. Beauty Flash Balm is available here.

Do you have any favourite primers?

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Nars Miss Liberty Highlighter

I have previously talked about Nars Albatross highlighter (post here) and today I thought share another Nars highlighter, Miss Liberty. Described as a soft, shimmering peach, it is pretty different from Albatross. The base is quite peachy with some silver shimmer which has quite a subtle, pretty result. I think its quite a universal colour that anyone would enjoy wearing. 

Miss Liberty comes in the standard Nars rubberised packaging and as you can see from the photos, my one has become quite grubby looking over time. Miss Liberty costs about €29 and you can pick one up from Nars counters or House of Fraser online (link here). 

Do you have any highlighter favourites? If so, I'd love to hear about them. 

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Nars Lipgloss

Admittedly I am not a huge lipgloss person, I don't often bother wearing them. However, on the occasion that I do, my favourite lipglosses are from Nars. The biggest plus about these glosses is that they aren't sticky. I tend to wear my hair down a lot and absolutely hate getting my hair stuck in lip gloss, which isn't a problem with these. They have a really pretty colour range and the three I have are  called Turkish Delight, Orgasm and Ophelia. I also quite like the packaging of the lipglosses which is just really simple and sleek. The glosses come with a doe foot wand applicator, which I prefer over brush applicators. My main issue with these glosses is the smell. They have quite a potent, plastic smell, which I really dislike. However, if you can get past the smell, they are a really good range of lipglosses. I bought mine from ASOS (link here) and they cost around €24. 

Turkish Delight, Orgasm, Ophelia

Turkish Delight

First up is the shade Turkish Delight, which is described as a pink sherbet. I had heard some good reviews about this shade and decided to try it out. It's quite a milky, light pink which is noticeable on the lips. I have quite pale skin so I like light pinks on my lips on occasion, though I would recommend swatching the shade in person if you have a darker skintone to ensure it suits. 

Orgasm

Next is the infamous Nars shade Orgasm, which is also available in other products (Orgasm blush reviewed here). Orgasm is described as peachy pink with shimmer, which I think is pretty accurate. The golden shimmer is noticeable on the lips, though I don't particularly mind this. I think this is a great pick for summer as it would look great with a tan. 

Ophelia

Lastly, I have Ophelia, which is described as a strawberry nectar. I will admit I was drawn in part to this shade because of the name as I was studying Shakespeare's Hamlet at the time. Out of the shades I have Ophelia is probably my favourite as it's a pretty natural colour. It is a little bit sheerer than the other two shades as you can from the photo of the swatches above. 

Have you tried any Nars lipglosses or do you have any lipgloss recommendations? 

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Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

After owning the Urban Decay Naked palette and lusting for the Naked 2 for some time, I decided to take the plunge and buy the Naked 2 palette. While the original Naked palette featured plenty of warm-toned neutral shades, the Naked 2 is much more on the cooler side, featuring some really pretty taupe, silver and purple shades. I haven't had this that long but already I can tell I am going to get so much wear out of these shades. The mix of light and dark, shimmer and matte make it such a versatile palette, add to that the sturdy, sleek packaging makes it perfect for travel. I definitely prefer the packaging of this palette over the original palette. It looks far sleeker, doesn't get as dirty and I feel like its more sturdy. You also get a nice big mirror and a double-ended eyeshadow brush, again both handy additions for travel. 

I'm drawn to the shade selection of the Naked 2 more than the original. They are good quality shadows and if you are careful, fallout is minimal. Vivanna does makeup provides a good run through of the individual shades if you want to find out more (post here). My personal favourites include YDK, Suspect and Chopper, though all of them will see their fair share of wear. Swatches of all the shades are provided below. 

The Naked 2 palette costs around €42, which considered you get 12 full-sized eyeshadow and a brush is pretty good value. I bought mine from House of Fraser (link here) and it is available at any Urban Decay counter. If you are just getting into makeup or a complete fanatic, I think this palette appeals to everyone and definitely recommend it. 

If you like to see any looks with this palette or a similar review of the original Naked palette, let me know in the comments below. Have you tried the Naked 2 palette? I would love to know your thoughts below.

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