My Top 5 Blushers

Blusher is something that terrified me for years and I've not been brave enough to use it for the longest time. Only recently in the past 6-8 months have I properly started to use it daily and try to conquer it. Hell, it still does its best most days to make me want to run screaming. There are so many colours, brushes and different types. It makes my head spin - and thats even before you go to apply it. How the hell do people manage to look effortless putting on just the right amount of the stuff? I'm sat in the corner after getting a look at my reflection and realising I have clown cheeks. That, or I'm severely embarrassed looking and why wouldn't I be! Those of you out there who have mastered it, I take my hat off to the lot of you.

In my never ending quest to find not only the perfect blush, but also the perfect tools and the perfect amount to apply, I've gained a substantial amount of products. Some are fancy, some are less then a fiver, but none the less, they are all occasionally speaking my language, so we get on quite well. My top 5 may not even come close to your radar, but for me, these are the bees knees. (For now!)

The first is a short and sweet one from one of my favourite brands, Seventeen. When these stamp blushers came out in the summer I thought they would be just the thing to sort my woes of looking like a clown. A lovely light pink shade thats neutral called blushing and is one of five colours to choose from. This works perfectly and goes on really easy too. The stamp part didn't work out as well as I had first imagined, as you do need a brush to buff it out a little (silly novice me!) With it being €6.29 I think its perfect for those who, like myself, are new to the game and maybe want to test out different shades with different looks. You can see more photos and a full review of it over here.

Sue Devitt silky blush is the next on the list. This one is in the shade malay reef and is slightly more pricey at roughly €14.50. I got this one in a special edition Glossy Box last Christmas and if I'm honest I knew nothing about the brand before getting it. This cream to powder finish is slightly more tricky to work with, so I wouldn't recommend running out the door 2 seconds after you slap this one on. Also the smallest amount goes a long way. I've had a look around the interwebs and theres a lot of this brand on sale from lookfantastic.com at the moment. Maybe you can pick up something you've wanted to try for a bargain!

A shimmer that is perfect for the Christmas season is this Benefit one. I got it last year in a Christmas set (groovy kind-a love) and it has two blushes in it that I mix every time I use it. The light pink side is Dandelion pink perk me up and the darker shimmer side is Gimme Fever. Both of these separately cost over €30 so I am on the look out for a dupe, but if your into your blushers and want to fork out, I'd especially recommend the second one. I'm clearly mad about my shimmer as you'll soon see below! This is the one thats currently got a special place in my make up bag at the minute. Ugh all the love! (I know, total sell out to more expensive make up brands then what I normally preach about, but if it makes it less of a sin - it was a present!)

A much more budget friendly blush is my w7 The Honey Queen which is the biggest Benefit dupe there is out there! w7 are well known for their amazing dupes (eh hello Naked palettes alert!) and this is no differnet. Along this could look a little daunting with all those colours, but when you give it a swish round with your brush, it makes the perfect dark pinky shade. Not only does it look pretty in the box, it works wonders on the aul mug! This has a tiny - barely noticeable shimmer running through it, so its ok if you go to town with this one. You wont look like you made out with a box of glitter at the end of it. For less then a fiver you can get it from The Cosmetic Outlet where they have a full range of the w7 products. You can read my full review of it here with lots of photos and more information.

 And last but not least is my NYR mineral blush in peony. This is a deeper almost brownie shade and my god its one of the best and equally worst of the lot of them. If you haven't got blusher down just yet, attempting a mineral one is a feckin' minefield of hassle. It will go all over the place, you'll end up with it all over your boobs and top and in the end you could quite possibly be ready to run away to the circus. But on the other hand you could dip your brush in a tiny bit, tap the shit outta' it and then brush it lightly over your cheeks and be gorgeous. Or so I've seen others do.  But then again, isn't the 'overheating and simultaneously freezing my face off' look really in around this time of year? Perfect. This will set you back €21 but this one is only for the brave. (Or the gobshites like me who sneeze and ruin the entire thing. Note: Don't sneeze.)

Am I the only one with the dreaded problem of how to use/find the perfect blusher?

Benefit Dupe? The Honey Queen

W7 can be a little hit and miss at times, but if you've ever used one of their eyeliners or one of their eye shadow palettes then you'll know there are some total gems. I've blogged and Instagramed like a loon about some of their things in the past and today is no different. When I was in the Cosmetic Outlet the other week picking up a new w7 palette I happened to see this as I was having a goo. The honey queen honeycomb blusher. Is it just me or does it give off the vibe of a softer Benefit Sugar Bomb blusher? Similar shades, the same type of packaging and a small brush that is just like the Benefit one. I think its safe to say its a dupe, but for more then half the price. 

A mixture of shimming rose, peach and slightly dark plumy shades. This is a really gorgeous blush that is a total bargain for €5. Its a little hard to carry around as its a bulky, but very sturdy box. However, if your setting your make up well, then this is the perfect thing to use. Its also got  handy little brush that fits perfectly into the box, just in case you need it on the go. This gives the most lovely hint of a peachy blush on the skin with a little shimmer. Perfect for the upcoming season of all the glitter and shimmers you can possibly fit onto yourself in one go! 

I'll be honest and say this isn't the best photos of how it looks on my skin as the light was so bright it kind of made everything look extra white and washed out. But fear not I will put up a swatch of it on my fingers later to Instagram which you can follow to see that update later, over here. But for someone like myself who is a little terrified of having blusher or contour thats too OTT, this is really perfect when your looking for a little colour but nothing overly in your face. 

As a blush novice, I'd love to know what you think about this! 

Brand Spotlight: Oriflame 'The One'

Last month I was delighted to attend the launch of Oriflame's new collection 'The One' that is aimed at a younger audience - post here. I was given some of the range to try out and I have to admit, I went from not even knowing this brand existed to pleading for some of the products for my birthday next month. I'm genuinely converted to this brand and can't understand why I don't see it more on the blogosphere. Everything in this post has been gifted to me (see my disclaimer here) and you can order online here.

First up is the gorgeous colour impact cream eye shadow in the shimmer colours rose gold and golden brown. Theres 8 colours in this collection and the wonderful thing that I noticed is that they all compliment each other. You could literally buy any of them and create a look, this is perfect for beginners or maybe someone who isn't quite sure about a little present! I really love the little plastic pots that they come in, they look high end and something to display on your beauty draw or in your room. The two here are easy to use, no fussing over make up brushes or any need to overly blend. Stick your finger in the pot, swipe over your lids and your good to go. Personally I like to use a base of a regular eye shadow in a similar shade before applying the cream shadows for a base - the creams will stay longer and they wont crease.

 Initially I thought the price of €12.95 was crazy for a tiny pot until I used them for a few days, seeing how well they looked, blended and stayed put all day, not to mention after a month of daily use there is hardly a dent in the product. Right now they are on sale for €9.45, so I may just indulge.. 

Keeping with the the theme I want to talk about the volume blast mascara in black. I'm not a big mascara buff, I either like it or I don't, simple as. For me this was an ok one, I liked the length of the wand and the plastic bristles are small so its easy to get up close to the base of the lashes, but the formula didn't blow me away. For €12.45 I think you could get a cheaper and possibly better mascara from Seventeen or another brand. It also only comes in black or blue, which I think is odd that they don't have a more sought after shade like brown. Maybe they might add to the line and more colours will appear.   

However the real gem that I have been bursting at the seams to tell anyone that will listen is the eye liner stylo in black. I wasn't going to even try this when I first saw it, liquid liner and pencil are the only things I use, not even gel makes the cut. I had used these felt tip pen-like liners before and had a dreadful time of it. But seeing as I wanted to be able to write a decent review for the aul blog, I decided to take the pen to my eye balls. And lads, I'm so feckin' glad I did, you've no idea. I have actually swapped everything I normally use for this felt tip liner, its got me all a-flutter with its stupidly easy to use ways, its unbelievably staying power and its tiny tip that makes wings utterly perfect. I'm wearing it in the photo above and there are swatches in the photos below too. When this runs out I will be getting it again, theres just no other way to say it. At €11.45 I would normally think its a crazy ass price, but you can't put a price on love. 

Next its all about them under eye dark circles, oh bane of my life. I'm all about the concealers and colour correcting make up, if I don't have a good base my foundation and the rest of my make up is just going to go flop. This is the illuskin concealer in the shade fair light, one of only three lighter skined shades you can ger. I'm always a little annoyed when brands don't cater for a wider range of skin tones and this is one of those times. But that rant is for another day. This little tube is easy to use and the product is creamy and easy to apply, not drying out too quick so yo have time to blend and set it. The photo above in the bottom left hand corner is a swatch slightly blended into the skin, you can barely see it as it matches my skin tone so well. I'm impressed with this and it says put all day once its set with powder, but I'm not sure if I would pay €9.95 for it as I use other concealers that I have loved for a long time that are cheaper.

I'm not going to say too much about the long wear nail polish in the shade cappuccino as I want to do a separate review on it soon, with proper swatches and a big natter on what I think of it. But overall, I like the range of 15 shades that come in this line. Cappuccino isn't my normal go-to colour or something that I would ever pick out, but when I used it I was surprised at how much I liked it. I think this would be a good one for winter. At €9.45 its not really breaking the bank, 

Next is another big love from this collection, colour unlimited lipstick in the shade fuchsia excess. I don't know if I should start with how much I love the sturdy but cute packaging, the easy to use tube and product, the staying power or the excitement I felt when I saw the range of colours. Its just one of those products, you pick it up for the nice packaging and go back to buy 1 more after you see how gorgeous it really is. This isn't overly moisturising but its incredibly pigmented. It has a crazy lasting power after a few drinks, some food and a sneaky kiss it was definitely faded but not in the 'oh my god are they my lips?! Jesus someone pass me the lippie to fix this catastrophe!' way, more in the, ah I'll fix it when I'm off to the loo next, way. And eh bonus points, this colour matches my hair! We all know I love a good hair and lip match, yes sir. This comes in 10 different colours and I want at least 6 more. For €13.75 I do think its a little dear, but if you were treating yourself to some hair/shoe/jumper matching lipsticks, I think these ones should be on the list.

 Lastly is the illuskin blush in pink glow. I'm not much for the blushes, I have to admit. I thought this was a little too pink toned for my complexion, but none if I had a little tan I think this would have been gorgeous. Curse looking naturally like a milk bottle. The lighter side is more of a higher and has a shimmer to it compared to the matte pink blush. A handy two in one product that also has a little mirror. This comes in 2 other shades and I personally love the more peach toned compact. Its normally €12.45 but its currently marked down to €9.45. 

Is there anything that caught your eye here? Have you heard of Oriflame before?

*I did not pay for these items, they were  PR gifts.  Please see my disclaimer here

W7 Make Up Review - Picture Heavy

Theres a bit of a difference in what I look like before and after I shhhllapp on a bit of make up, right?! As always, I'm putting my bare mug up for all to see in the name of W7 make up. *I was kindly given all of W7 products to try out - minus the In The Buff palette.  I was very excited to try everything out as this is a brand thats new to me and is quite hard to come by here in Ireland, so I was in for a real treat! Below I have a step by step of my before and after photos with the products that I have used. All are unedited and totally untouched, just the lower set have the flash on the camera to make sure you can see all the make up as clearly as I can show it! I am in no way a make up artist and just like to feck around with goo on my face. 

w7 makeup I used:
In The Buff palette - €10
Camouflage kit concealer - €4.99
Powder blush in baby pink - €4.99
Catwalk complexion powder foundation in beige - €4.99
Liquid eyeliner in black - €2.99
The bronzer - €4.99

Other makeup used that is my own:
Stay pout lipstick by Seventeen in Its a kiss off
Match perfect foundation by Rimmel in ivory

I used all my Madison Brushes to complete this look. 

I got uber excited about all this new makeup and did a step by step of me putting it all on. Would you look at me go! I didn't end up using the Catwalk foundation for this because it was far too dark for my complexion. However I did try it out on my face just for the lols and noticed how easy it was to apply, how light it felt on my skin and how long lasting it was (yes, I kept it on for ages, I'm sexy like that). I'm going to go and buy one that is more suited to my skin tone as I really like this foundation and think it could be a keeper. Even if I only reach for it occasionally, it's only €4.99 and wont be breaking the bank!

The Concealer has an impressive 5 shades so it caters for a good few skin tones. I used mainly 2 colours, one more warm pinky shade under my eyes and a lighter one on my many blemishes. I liked this concealer kit but I felt it didn't have an amazing coverage and if I was having a really bad skin day it would be useless to use. I don't think this is something I would pick up for myself as I prefer heavy duty concealer palettes like Catrice or Wet'n'Wilds ones.

The Bronzer makes up for any loss I felt with the concealer though. I think I have finally mastered how to use this right without looking like I fell face fist into the palette! I was at my wits end when I tanned my entire body (thats a whole other post) and my face was left looking less then alive. I used this bronzer and was so impressed. I reached for it daily to help give me a bit of life back to my face and really like using it now that I'm back to pasty pale to give a tiny sun kissed look.

Next was the Blusher and I'm still unsure about it. It does give a lovely pinky colour as you can see above, but I'm not sure if it suited my skin tone all that well. Theres not a lot of fall out with this which is a bonus.

But the two things that really stole the show were the Eyeliner and the In The Buff Eyeshadow Palette. I was a bit ifie with the eyeliner, expecting it to be less then amazing but I was wrong. The little wand is stiff and gives amazing and precise application, I didn't need to clean up parts or try again with this. The black liquid itself is thick, glides on well and theres no need to go over it a second time. I am so impressed  with this total gem and at €2.99 I will recommend this to everyone with eyelids. 

As for the eyeshadow, well I have raved about this in a monthly favourites and in many more posts. I just can't get enough of the gorgeous shades, how pigmented they are and of course the fact that its meant to be a dupe for the Naked 2 but more then half the price helps too. This wasn't given to me to try, I just wanted to include it as its something everyone should own considering how cheap it is, the fab pay off and the variety of colours and looks you can create with it.

I also really like all the w7 packaging. It looks quite cheap but then again it is! What I like most is that most of the products have little mirrors  (the foundation, concealer and blush) or small brushes to use which I wasn't expecting such a cheap product to have. I also like how hard wearing the packaging itself is. All of these have been getting carted around in my handbag at different times and nothing has broken or shattered. The same can't be said for a lot of my makeup that I regularly use. Big thumbs up from me.

Bit of a mixed review on this overall, but I had a great time trying out everything and making the makeup photos above. If you buy nothing else get the eyeshadow, or if thats breaking the bank a little the €2.99 eyeliner would be perfect for you! Once I get my hands on a lighter foundation I will make sure and post up some photos to Instagram!

You can get all these w7 products and more from Paul in the Cosmetic Outlet. See their Facebook page for more details. They post nation wide too, yay!

*I did not pay for these items, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

Seventeen Cheek Stamp

A  few weeks ago when Boots was having one of their 3 for 2 on all make up (don't lie, everyone and their cats went mad for those 2 weeks.) I picked up this little blush along with a few other things. It caught my eye because one its Seventeen and they are so on the ball with all their products, to me they hardly ever do wrong. Secondly it was a new thing just out that was.. Stationary but make up? Some of my favorite things in life combined! I had to pick it up, it was for the good of my health. Cough.

I'm not one for using blush normally as I try to stay clear of anything that will help me to achieve a clown/did my make up in the dark look. But people I have been getting brave in the past few months! Trying fake tan, contouring and now look where I am! I think this is the perfect blush for an utter novice like myself. The little stamp part itself gives the perfect amount of product in one 'stamp' onto your cheeks and when its blended out looks gorgeous and very natural. The one I have is in 'blushing' and I love that theres no slimmer to this and that theres no fall out which I was expecting considering it looked like it could be an awkward thing to use. Its the kind of thing you can slap onto your face and go if you only have minus 5 minutes to do your make up in the morning and still look perfect leaving. 

 This blush is a little bulky in my make up bag but it has a really handy mirror in the top of it and I'm safe in the knowledge that this wont open and destroy the interior of my bag as its a screw shut packaging. For €6.29 I don't think its going to break the bank if you fancy giving it a go. This comes in 5 different shades that are a lovely range of colours, I'm well impressed.

December And Limited Edition Christmas Glossy Boxes

I know, I'm so far behind I'm posting about December Glossy boxes. Oh god, please don't hate me! But I thought why the hell not show and tell you all about them, after all I quite enjoyed receiving them and I like sharing little bits of happiness with you all. Especially when they come in gorgeous pretty boxes that just make you melt a little. No, just me? Oh, ok then..

First off we have the regular December Glossy Box and its all pimped out for Christmas, surprise surprise! But I have to say, I really loved that even down to the cute red and green theme, it was well thought out. Would you take a gander at the tree shaped beauty things?! Ugh, so much love! 

I have to admit, this box was by far the worst one I have gotten. My favourite thing has to have been a tie between the gorgeous Beautiful Movements Cosmetics nude lip gloss that is £12 for a full size. I have used this from the word go, its so handy and you can use it with any look for a little extra shine. Then the other, the oh-so-nom Bee Nature bee nature soap that just smells amazing and has a cute little print of a bee on it too. For a 100g its only €5.50.

The next thing was Rituals miracle balm which I was undecided about. I liked that I received a good full sized product and I loved the pinky purple packaging but the cream itself hasn't really made any difference to my hands.. Its £10 for a 75ml tube.

Lastly, the two things that I was really unimpressed about was the Maybelline new york volum' express colossal smokey eyes mascara thats £7.99. Not only is it a mouth full, but its something I have tried before and really hated. The brush is too big and awkward to use and it leaves clumps of mascara all over your lashes.. And cheeks! Nope, this was off loaded to the sister to see if she had better luck.

 And lastly, Yin Yang Skincare rich skin food thats £19.50 for 50ml. Not only was I not too excited about little samples but on closer exception I noticed they were expired. Later Glossy Box emailed customers to ensure that they were not responsible and forwarded on an email from Yin Yang Skincare, in which they apologized for what happened and said that the samples were fine to use, but if customers wanted to email them they would be happy to send in date ones. My thoughts? Not even slightly impressed. Glossy Box is meant to be a luxurious service that, lets be honest here, is pricey enough and I wouldn't like to think of anyone forking out their hard earned dosh for less then amazing things. Much less out of date things. Been hearing more and more negative talk about Glossy Box on the tweets and blogosphere lately and I'm starting to agree. Maybe its time to look at other beauty boxes?

Next is the Limited Edition Glossy Box that I was very surprised to find my postman handing over (Stephen is a total plonker, but I love him very much!) This one is a fancy as can be box - its gold and black, like come on! I've no problem admitting I drooled a little over how pretty it is, like all of the box presentations generally are. It also came perfectly in tacked and none of the products looked like they were given a good shake mid travel, so An Post must have invested in a football since my last box! This has six products in it, unlike the normal five you tend to receive in most boxes. I was much happier with this box in comparison to the last disaster, so well done Glossy Box for covering your arse! If only every box could be this amazing! 

First we have Etre Belle Cosmetics waterproof lash sensation mascara. This one gets the thumbs up, no need to pass onto the waiting hands of the sister this time! This is €17.20 for a 9ml tube.

EnPhidra conditioning lipstick is just so gorgeous. You'll be seeing me smearing it all over my general face area for the next age, it smells as good as it looks. Added bonus of an SPF10. It's €13.90 for a 4.5ml tube.

Glossy Box seems to really favour the aul hand cream, because since subscribing to it I've had to clear a drawer just for the ever growing collections. This one however I wouldn't mind having another drawer full of, the Figs And Rouge coco rose hand cream. I'm not a lover of rose scent in the least, it makes me feel really sick, but this I can about handle for how soft it makes your hands. €4.80 for a 20ml tube.

Next is the Philip B african shea butter gentle and conditioning shampoo. I'm really excited to try this, shampoo isn't something you normally receive and this one smells good from the sniff I gave it when I first opened the box. I hope it works wonders! €12 for a 60ml bottle.

So Susan Cosmetics water based pure luminizer was something I picked out of the box and let out a 'oohhh' noise while reading the side of it. The packaging is so eye catching and the fact that its a luminizer was even better! I can't wait to try this one out, I've never had anything like it before. This one is €25 for a 15g tube.

Lastly is the Sue Devitt silky blush which is a lovely shade that I can see myself using now that I've been given a few blushers for Christmas, I'm getting more adventurous! It's €14.50 for a 3g palette.