How To Guide To Makeup with NYX

 Makeup can be pretty daunting when you are just starting out. I remember been 13 and my mam finally allowed me to purchase foundation and mascara and eyeliner. I knew nothing about how to apply, blend or the correct tools I needed. It has taken many years of studying, practising and finding what suits me to be at the point where I am content in my makeup application.

Here are some tips all about makeup and application;

1. Good Skincare is a must! 

I constantly see younger girls on social media asking what is a good foundation with full coverage, I then see girls suggesting €40 foundations and then a couple of weeks later they are asking same question again because the expensive foundation suggested did not work. Some foundations are better suited to certain skin types but alot of the time foundations can really work better when the skin is been looked after properly. Finding out what type of skin type you have is key to what products you should use. Cleansing the face morning and night is mandatory, I personally favour a double cleanse, to make sure makeup is completely removed and I am getting the benefits from cleanser. I use Garnier Micellar Water for my first cleanse (currently on offer at Hickeys Pharmacy) and then a cleanser suited to my skin type as my second cleanse. I follow by toning, eye cream and moisturiser, again suited to my skin. I also use exfoliator, masque and serum once or twice a week depending on what my skin needs.

 

2. Using the correct tools

This can be the correct brushes, cotton buds, spoolies etc. I wrote about makeup brushes that are needed for makeup application back in 2011, you can read here. I still stand by this that you need few but good brushes to achieve good application and over the last few years even more high quality but low price tag brushes can be bought such as Real Techniques (also available at Hickeys Pharmacy). Having cotton buds at your makeup desk/makeup bag can really help with cleaning up little mistakes i.e smudged mascara/ drawing outside the lip line.

Other tools I suggest keeping about are spoolies, eyelash curler, tweezers and sharpener.

3. Fill in them brows!

This may sound hilarious and pretty basic knowledge, but I wish somebody had told me to fill in my brows when I first started. Honest truth I was 21 when I started to fill in my brows, my face would be covered in all other makeup and my brows would be non-existent. By filling in them brows you are not only giving them color and shape but you are framing the face. Giving it a defined shape and it can accentuate all of your features.

Attending a good brow artist can really help define the shape your brow and show you what suits your facial features. For when you are doing your makeup then I highly recommend NYX Tame & Frame, this brow pomade has been reviewed highly all over the blogasphere and has been linked to the famous Anastasia brow pomade. At a fraction of the price at €7.75 and available on Irish Shores I know what one I choose.

4. Blend and Blend and Blend some more!

Going back to tools invest in some good blending brushes and have spares. Blending can make or break an eye look, yes it can be tedious but the finished look can be amazing with good blending. The trick to blending, blend with a clean brush and keep practising. In blending using a clean brush will guarantee a perfect blend and that you are not putting extra work on yourself by adding more product with a dirty brush, by adding more product you are creating more time on yourself blending. Also especially on a smokey eye always use a transition color for blending, this will help the stronger colors blend more easily. I really like NYX 05 Brown Single Eyeshadow as a transition color in blending.

5. Have Fun!

I think some times we forget that makeup is an art, it is there to be played with, to think outside the box with and most of all have fun with. We get caught up sometimes on the "rules" we lose sight of the excitement in makeup. Playing with colors, trying new eye looks, lip shapes, different ways to contour is all part of the fun in makeup.

So next time you sit down to apply makeup choose different colors, colors you necessarily you would not apply, you never know you may surprise yourself and find a makeup look you really love!

 Nyx Products on the Face 

 Eyes: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Strawberry Milk

NYX Single Eyeshadow in 05 Brown

Eyebrows:NYX Tame & Frame in 04 Espresso

Lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Prague

All Products are available at NYX stands across Ireland. I purchased mine at Hickey's Pharmacy on Henry Street.

 Hickeys are currently celebrating their 20th birthday and have some amazing offers in store at the moment . #Hickeys20

Find your nearest store here

Penneys Beauty Haul- P.S Love Collection

 Ah Penneys, could you make us love you even more! I remember when Penneys makeup smelt like playdoh and was good as the stuff you would buy in the pound shop as a child. In the last year that has all changed, they have upped their game completely and are now producing makeup that competes with other budget brands on the market.

After reading lots of posts on P.S.Love and seeing it all over Instagram I knew I had to pick some bits up for myself to see what all the hype was.

 I picked up one of the new P.S Matt Long Last Lipstick in Ladies Day.

 I was expecting more a deeper shade by the packaging, so I was quiet surprised when the lipstick was more pink then plum. I was hoping to pair it with the number 04 lip pencil I picked up also but alas the pencil is much darker. I might try an ombre lip with the two colors in the near future. As it is a matte shade, good lip care is essential or you will find it will not sit well on the lips and highlight any dryness or cracks. The lipstick lasted well I got a few hours wear with no top ups and it was pretty smudge proof. I am pretty impressed and for €2 it is a total bargain.

These two P.S Love.. Lip Liner Pencils are only €1.50 each.

If you have not heard about the 06 Penneys lip liner then you have been living under a rock. Viva Adonis raves about it and Lisa over on Contour and Cuddles wears it every day. Influenced completely by other bloggers I knew I had to have it. It did not disappoint, it is a beautiful deep nude without been too brown (we are not going for 90s look here), it has amazing staying power and compliments most makeup looks. I either wear it all over the lip either on its own or with a slick of gloss, or pair it with many of the nude lipsticks in my collection.

The other liner I picked up is 04 plum, perfect for autumn months I can see myself get alot of wear out of it. I had originally picked it up to go with the lipstick but as previously mentioned it is more deeper in shade not to worry as the 06 before it this can be worn on its own or with some other plum lipsticks in my collection.

More makeup shopping will have to be done in the near future in Penneys, as I can not fault the quality or the price of these few pieces. I hope to see Penneys actually get a stand for their makeup, as at the moment some stores have the pieces all together and other stores have the collection scattered all over the place.

Have you picked up any of the P.S collection? If so what did you think of it?

Naked Smoky Available the 6th of August

Over the years the Naked Palettes have become a staple in nearly every Irish girls makeup bag. With the release of Naked Smoky next Thursday the 6th of August, the Naked Palette Hype is in no sight of ending soon.

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the preview of Naked Smoky yesterday,  where the lovely Roisin gave us all the details on the launch and how well it is doing worldwide. We also got to feel, swatch, play to our hearts content with the new palette.

I have already decided it is my favourite palette from all the Naked range, why you ask?

1. The packaging is by far the best, its sturdy, the only thing that rattles is the brush it comes with, it has a magnetic closure that stops any mishaps. Also the feel of it its smooth and sleek (its not velvet!!)
2. You get a good selection of mattes, shimmers and satins, out of the 12 shades 9 are brand new and 3 are exclusive to the palette.
3. The palette can easily bring you from day to night. Using just the golds and browns during the day and then amping it up on the night by adding some dagger or smolder.
4. I love the two ended brush, the pointed end is a great pencil brush for getting under the lower lashes or highlighting the inner corners of the eye. The blending brush is also great and with the blendability of these shadows the application is just effortless.

 The Launch

With waiting lists reaching over 9000 yesterday, getting your hands on this palette is going to be tough. Urban Decay is only available in Ireland in Debenhams and House of Fraser Dundrum. So if you want to get on the list ring or visit your local store.

Debenhams will be opening their doors at 8am( an hour early) on 6th of August to accommodate the Launch, it will also be available online on debenhams.ie  but how many will be available online we do not know, so best to head to the store.

This palette has already sold out twice in the USA so believe me when I say it will sell out in Ireland.

BEAUTiFi.com - Beauty needs at a click of a button

I have been waiting for something like this to come along for a long time now. There has been similar but nothing that not only has salon but also freelancers that you can book with a click of button.

A few weeks ago I was invited along to a Bloggers Brunch, BEAUTiFi.com teamed up with Wet N Wild to showcase the new website. Demonstrations on the day included  always fabulous Lisa Molloy who showed us some quick and easy hairstyles, even teaching us a thick on how to get curly blowdry in less then 5 minutes. Life Changed Forever!

Also Sarah Jane Lanagan was on hand to show us all the latest autumn trend with the use of Wet N Wild Cosmetics. From textured eyes to plum lips she gave us the ins and outs of things autumnal.

Both of these ladies can be booked through BEUTiFi.com website.

So back to BEUTiFi.com, the website offer everything from makeup to hair and nails to waxing, all at a click of a button. The website offers both salon and call out therapists/ hairstylists and nail technicians. 

At the moment it covers most of Dublin and is expanding into other counties with more and more salons and freelancers been added every week. You can book your hair appointment in your favorite salon, get a talented nail technician call out to your house and even book your wedding day makeup application for you and all your bridesmaids.

Each professional service on the website includes a biog on their services including a price list and any awards they may have obtained. There is also a gallery to view their previous work before you book.

In a few weeks BEUTiFi.com will also launch a special offers section showcasing weekly and monthly special offers/discounts offered by salons/freelancers that we all can avail of.

Sound amazing so far well I have saved the best for last. How does a gift card that can be used all over Ireland in any salon or freelancer that takes them sound. Well that is exactly what BEUTiFi.com have made for us. On the website you can order prepaid MasterCard gift cards that can used in any of the businesses that advertise the BEUTiFi gift card logo. So weather your buying it as a present to yourself or a loved one these make the perfect gift for ladies of any age.

So ladies check out BEUTiFi.com for all your beauty needs.

A Little Bit Of Lush

I fall easily to the power of enablers that are beauty bloggers and youtubers. After watching Zoella's huge Lush haul I knew I needed some Lush in my life. 

Lush have just launched their Halloween and Christmas collections, I passed by the Halloween stuff and went straight to the Christmas collection. There is so much to choose from bath melts to bath bombs, cleansers to body lotions, shimmer bars to bubble bars, not forgetting the cult favourite shower gel Snow fairy.

I decided not too overindulge, as I like to keep my Lush supplies fresh and buy as I need then stocking up as their all handmade.

I went for too bath melts as I have been noticing my skin is on the little dry side and these melts can be extremely moisturising.

Snow Angel

This heavenly moisturising melt is every girls sparkly dream. With its heavenly Christmas scent and great moisturising qualities and not forgetting the gold shimmer I am saving this for my next date night.

Melting Snowman

We might not be able to build snowmans outside but you can melt one in your bath. After popping this guy in my bath this morning my skin is softest its been in a long time, I smell deliciously like Christmas.

New Charity Pot

At the till the lovely Lush assistant asked if I would like to buy the trial size tin of New Charity Pot, at only €1 and everything minus vat going towards Grassroots Charity's (environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights) . New charity pot is sold in a variety of sizes and has rave reviews online. In 2013 in U.K and Irealnd nearly €600,000 for charity in the sale of New Charity Pot. I have yet to use mine but I am going to pop this in the handbag and carry it around as my handcream. I also will be picking up more when I head back to stock up on more Lush products. 

So here is my mini Lush Haul with some festive treats.

Let me know what you are loving in Lush at the moment in the comments below.

Hello Mouthwash and Breath Spray

Last week I had the pleasure of of attending Hello product launch at the Trinity City Hotel hosted by National Beauty Distribution and Publicity Loft. It was a very hush hush event, myself and my fellow bloggers not knowing what sort of event we were heading to, just that it was a "Word of Mouth Party". If it was not for Aisling great detective skills (female Sherlock) and figured it might have something to do with oral hygiene, we would have all been in dark till the party.

So who is Hello?

Well you will be surprised as I was to find out that Hello was only created by known other then Mr. Craig Dubitsky, the creator of the infamous EOS lip balms. I probably should have known from quirky packaging. Confused by the "mumbo jumbo" that the Oral Hygiene industry goes on about, Craig wanted to introduce some friendliness to the industry.

About the products

At the launch we were introduced to the Mouthwash and Breath Spray. Both come in three flavors,

Supermint- a fresh minty burst of freshness

Pink Grapefruit Mint- a citrus mint

Mojito Mint- the name says it all you like mojitos you will like this!

Not your everyday peppermint mouthwash is it? Well these products not only have different names and quirky packaging, they also contain none of these nasty products

No Alcohol

No Artificial Sweeteners

No Colors

and my favourite

No Ouch

None of their products are tested on animals either.

How did I get on.

Myself and himself  honestly have been really enjoying using the products. I take the spray everywhere in my handbag and to college so I can have an instant burst of freshness after lunch. The girls in college have even commented on how cute it is. The mouthwash now lives on our new bathroom shelf and used morning and night. I can honestly vouch for the no Ouch aspect, as I was a bit eager last week ate some food before it was cooled and scorched my palette ending up with a pretty sore mouth. Even using the mouthwash I have no pain nor Ouch as Hello would put it.

Hello is available in McCabes, Sam McCauleys and Boots Pharmacy.

The mouthwash is available at €7.50

and the mouth spray at €4.50

Also Boots have a special offer on at the moment with 2 for €10.

Turn Your Man Into A Sapien Man- A Mini Review from Daddy

A while back I introduced you Surya Brasil in my mini series of Things that did not work for me, I had tried the henna powder but with my bleached hair they did not go hand in hand. Henna powder is not the only thing Surya Brasil has to offer and today I am introducing you to their Sapien Men Range.

Sapien Men Range is Surya Brasil first Men's cosmetic line and has Ecocert Organic Certification. 

It has:

• No synthetic fragrance
• No sulfates or phthalates
• No petroleum by products
• No silicone
• No gluten

It specially formulated products for a man’s tougher skin. With citrus, spice and woody notes scents, all derived from pure essentials oil and ethically harvested plants and fruits from the Amazon.

A while back I kindly received the Sapien Men Shave Cream in a goody bag, with the other half not keen on shaving and always hosting a five o'clock shadow or a manly beard I passed it on to my father to give it a test.

Here is what Daddy had to say;

"I have used Sapien Shave Cream for my last 3 shaves. Each time I have had a very close shave using less strokes then I would normally use with my old shaving cream . My skin feels smoother and refresh after each shave. It really does give a closer shave as the I fine I have to shave less often because of the closer shave it gives. I also love the fragrance it leaves."

RRP:  €19.55/£17.00

I recently also received the Sapien Men Facial Scrub which will be up on the blog in a few weeks so keep an eye out.


Sapien Men is available from  www.yourtonic.com

Thanks to RDC Commucications for the photos and samples.
www.rdcommunications.ie

Catrice Has Valentines Red Lips Covered

There is no other color that says Valentines then red. From roses to chocolates to hearts to that sexy little number you might have planned for later. ("Wink, Wink")

A red lip always look great on Valentines and can make any outfit look classic and sexy. 

Catrice has you covered with what ever you want to wear on your lips from lipstick to glosses to their new lip polish.

CATRICE Ultimate Colour Lip Colour €4.49 in 310 Red My

Lips

These highly pigmented lipsticks provide long lasting, high coverage and ultra smooth finish. This fiery red color will definitely heat things up!

 

CATRICE Ultimate Shine Lip Colour €4.49 in 260 Berry Delicious 

A slightly deeper wine shade then the lipstick above, this lipstick also provides intense moisture and leaves creamy texture with medium coverage. 

CATRICE Infinite Shine Lip Gloss €3.49 in 160 Walk The Coraline.

For the not so brave hearted these infinite shine lip glosses provides you with a wash of coral red color without the nasty sticking sensation. The moisturising formula also leaves the lips with a pampered feeling.

NEW CATRICE Made To Stay Smoothing Lip Polish €5.49 in 050 Megan Fuchsia.

For those who just say no to red or do not have time for top up this new lip polish is made for you. With up to 8 hours staying power and all the benefits of a lipstick, gloss of a lip gloss and durability of a lip stain. The powerful pink color will last through any kissing session.

CATRICE Longlasting Lip Pencil €2.29 in 50 Red Lip District   

For creating the perfect lip shape and giving your lipstick durability.This waterproof pencil provides a smooth finish and prevents your lipstick from streaking and maintains its color.

Catrice is available in pharmacies nationwide as well as Pennys

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/catricemakeupireland 

Thanks to Rave Communications for the pictures.