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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