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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