My Top Five Autumn/Winter Lipsticks.

From Left to Right: MAC - Pink Plaid // MAC - All Fired Up // Topshop - The Damned // Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss - 04 // Chanel Rouge Allure - Pirate

If there are any seasons that makes me want to break out my lipsticks, its Autumn and Winter. I cannot help myself when it comes to this time of year, I just want to wear all the berry toned lipsticks. Call me crazy, but you know I'm right. 

So this year is no different. Here are my top five lipsticks that I will be rocking right into january no doubt. 

MAC - Pink Plaid: This is the nudey one of the bunch. Everyone has to have a go to Autumn nude and this one is mine. It is quite a pinky nude which is exactly what I like especially in the colder months as it does not make me look as ill. Always a plus! It is a matte lipstick, which yes can be a little drying in Autumn but a good lip balm underneath and its fine. This kind of colour is great if you want to go a little more dramatic on the eyes. 

MAC - All Fired Up: Possible the brightest of the bunch, MAC's All Fired Up is one of those perfect bright Barbie pinks that I am so very drawn to. This is a 'Retro Matte" shade from MAC (any idea what that means?) I quite like matte lipsticks actually, especially in Winter when your hair is flying everywhere and a sticky gloss just wont cut it. 

Topshop - The Damned: First up, how cute is the Topshop packaging on their makeup? Too cute. This is quite new to my collection actually. I purchased this when I was in Dublin recently, if you follow me on Instagram you can keep up to date :). I already had four Topshop lipsticks in my collection so I knew they were great quality (you can read my other review here) This guy is quite sheer in comparison to the other colours I show, but the colour is gorgeous. This is a true "I've just eaten a handful of blackberries" colour and I love it. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss - 04: This lipstick is one of my favourites in the group. I am obsessed with this super dark plum shade. This one is a satin type finish I would say. Its comfortable to wear on the lips but isn't overly glossy which I am not a fan of. I love paring this lip colour with a strong winged liner. I think it just looks amazing on anyone and any skin tone. 

Chanel Rouge Allure - Pirate: I had to include this red shade from Chanel. I know myself that sometimes a little glamour is all you need and I think this lipstick definitely encompasses that. This is a great lipstick for all those christmas parties you no doubt will be attending. Nothing is more festive than a red lipstick and although its almost a pinky red I still think its a perfect Autumn/Winter shade. 

What are your favourite Autumn/Winter lipstick shades?

♥

My Go to Autumn Makeup Look

I would consider myself to be a Summer person. I love the sun, ice creams and just the general happy vibes around the place. This year its a little different. I find myself wanting it to get colder so I can break out the hot chocolate and cuddle up on the couch watching movies. Ahh bliss.. 

Here I am going to show you the products I used to create this look. Its super simple eyes with a berry coloured lip. My favourite. 

From Left to right: MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW10 // Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Light // Me Me Me Flawless Concealer in 04 Porcelain // MAC Painterly Paint Pot // E.L.F High Definition Undereye Setting powder // Eyeshadow quad two bottom darker colours used, both Inglot no.378 and 360 both matte // Sleek Contour kit in Light // Rimmel Wonderfull mascara // Urban Decay Primer potion, // Loreal Super Liner // Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent powder // NYX Soft Matte lip Cream in Prague

What are your favourite Autumn lip products?

♥

Are you Vegucated?

Image courtesy of Google.

Lets talk about vegans. Last night I watched a documentary on Netflix called Vegucated. It was a brilliant documentary about a woman who grew up eating meat, learned how meat is produced and opted to become vegan. She then sets three New Yorkers the challenge of being vegan for six weeks. It follows their journey and then it lets us know if the will stay vegan or go back to eating meat. 

During this the three vegan newbies learn about the meat industry. Now, this is the part I had to partially close my eyes for. if you are sensitive to animals and animals in pain, then please be forewarned, it is not nice to watch some of these clips. It basically showed what happens to animals, be it chickens, cows or pigs, in slaughter houses and also in milk farms and egg farms. Now, this is based in America, so I am not 100% aware if this is the case globally, but I can make an educated guess and say that it is. The scenes that followed are probably going to stick in my head forever. I have seen some footage before on shows like Oprah where cows get huge bolts shot into their heads to kill them, but this was awful. 

The worst for me was the chickens. I wont go into a huge amount of detail but as a lover of all animals, baby chicks especially, this was the most painful part to watch. Egg producers only really need female chickens, obviously, so has anyone ever thought "well what happens to the male chicks?" I'll tell you. The (adorable) baby chicks come in on a huge conveyor belt, the male ones are thrown out and the females go on to produce eggs. The male chickens however, have one of two fates, get put into massive plastic bags and left to die, or get ground up alive. Which would you pick? 

The females aren't going on to great lives either, they will be put in tiny cages, have their beaks seared off and forced to produce eggs constantly. Fun right?

This documentary has helped me to open my eyes to not only the way these poor animals are treated (which is in-humane and sick in my opinion) but also that we really do need to eat less meat, fish and poultry. Our bodies do not need meat to survive and protein can be gathered from many sources such as nuts, grains and legumes. The fact that we do not need meat means that these animals are dying for no good reason. If everyone opted to try and eat less meat for eg. Meat Free Mondays, it would actually greatly improve not just our health and the lives of these animals but our environment. The production of meat emits more co2 emissions than all the vehicles on earth. Hello? We only have one planet to live on!

So if we all opted for the meat free version of something be it on occasion (Meat free Mondays) or choosing to become vegetarian at the least (this is great by the way :D ) then as cliche and cringey as it sounds, the world will be a better place. Remember, vegans save an average of 95 lives a year just by not eating meat, so keep that in mind. 

I am however aware of how difficult it can be to change your diet and lifestyle, be it a cultural thing, religious or whatever it might be, but if we don't all try well there might not be any more fish in our oceans or trees in our forests. I myself will now be opting for a less meat filled diet and I hope some of you do too. 

Nowadays there is so much available to those with different dietary needs, that with a little effort and the want to go meat free, it can be done. Have you ever even tried a veggie burger? Aldi have amazing ones that don't taste like eating cardboard. Almond milk is also a great alternative to dairy in my opinion, and i think it might even taste better too! There are so many vegetarian and vegan restaurants popping up that eating out can also be a little easier. 

I would eventually love to go fully vegan, and I hope that more people will too, or at the very least watch the documentary and open your eyes to the world you actually live in. 

♥ 

Things that make me happy.

Yeah so its been one of those days today. You know the ones where you have a melt down and panic attacks at half eight in the morning? No? Just me so. Well today was one of those days, so work took a back seat and I spent the day trying to get my brain to relax. What better way to do that than write a post about a few of the things that make me happy. 

Lets start with a fellow blogger who's posts brighten up my day. Hannah Gale is one of those people who I wish I could just meet because I know we would be besties instantly. I love the way she writes and I love the things she posts. A recent favourite of mine, and a post that helped me greatly today was her post labelled "11 Things That Instantly Help Ease The Pain Of Depression In Your Twenties". My god this post was amazing. It made me feel like everything was going to be ok, and it will. Hannah I love you, lets be friends. (Too forward..?)

Next on the list is baths. I LOVE baths, its like having your own mini swimming pool! Nothing is more relaxing than running a hot bath with loads of bubbles, lighting a few candles and reading a good book. Ahh bliss. As its been a rough day today, a bath will most certainly be had. 

Another favourite, and one that can be read in said bath, is Stellar magazine. This is an Irish magazine and its the only magazine I have ever subscribed too. I am somewhat of a magazine addict and I will buy and read anything, but Stellar remains my absolute favourite. It has the usual makeup and fashion bits you would expect to find, but its also filled with great articles like the "Be Awesome Everyday" one in this months issue. Seriously, could you get anymore empowering? Thank you Stellar!

One name sums up my next favourite, Travis Fimmel. Seriously just google him. Let the endorphins flow. Who is he you ask? Well Google should have told you but if not, he is the main star of an amazing (and Irish) show called Vikings. If you haven' seen it yet then we can't be friends. I'm sorry. This show blows every other show out of the water. I can't even explain it you just need to watch it. 

Lastly is tea. I love tea. I am Irish. Tea has its own section on our food pyramid. Not really but it should. As much as I do love a steaming cup of Lyons gold blend (gold blend only) I have also fallen in love with herbal teas. My most recent favourite being Pomegranate and White Tea. So yummy! Nothing soothes the soul like a good cup of tea. 

♥

NYX Lipstick Swatches.

Ok so I am really far behind on this post.. The joys of full time employment eh? Anyways lets move on from my obvious lack of blogging skills and delve into the wonderful world of makeup, lipsticks to be exact. I promised you guys a lip swatch post of my previous NYX purchase but again my camera skills are awful and the pictures looked crap. So now you can see them all swatched on my lovely pale hand. :D 

I will start with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. These are by far my favourite product from NYX so far. These lip creams are smooth and creamy and not drying at all. I recently wore the colour Prague on a trip to Dublin and the colour lasted from 10 am until 5pm when I ate some dinner. After dinner it had faded slightly on the inner rim of my mouth. Nothing a little touch up couldn't fix. I have five shades altogether now, I already had the colour Tokyo so I swatched it along with my newer ones for you to see. 

L-R Tokyo, San Paulo, Prague, Copenhagen, Transylvania

Next is the Butter Glosses which are probably the most talked about thing in the last year or so. i personally love them and think they are a great gloss. A little sticky I wont lie but that does help them to last a good bit longer so WIN?

L-R Red Velvet, Creme Brulee, Eclair, Apple Strudel, Vanilla Cream Pie, Peaches and Cream, Raspberry Tart

Following on from the Butter Glosses are the Butter Lipsticks. Equally as amazing in my opinion. Super creamy and pigmented with a great shade range, whats not to love? 

L-R Hubba Bubba, Fun Size, Cotton Candy, Candy Buttons, Lollies

L-R Big Cherry, Taffy, Little Susie, Fireball, Razzle, Sweet Tart, JuJu

Last but not least are the Matte Lipsticks. I love matte lipsticks especially for darker colours as they just look so much nicer to me. Out of the two NYX ones the Perfect Red one was the best. The paler shade called Hippie Chic looked awful on me and just did not sit great on the lips. What are your thoughts on matte colours? Do you love or loathe them?

L-R Hippie Chic, Perfect Red

Have you tried any of these lip colours before? 

♥

Lets Talk Lipsticks.

NYX Butter Lipsticks

NYX Butter Glosses

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

NYX Matte Lipsticks

I recently made a small purchase off of CherryCulture. Small meaning I bought 22 lipsticks.. *slaps wrist. I have been trying forever to get my hands on the NYX butter lipsticks and I finally spotted them on CherryCulture. I picked up 12 of them and I must say they are amazing. The texture is so smooth and creamy. I will admit, however, that the lighter shades seem to sit in the lines of your lips, on me anyways. There is a great range of colours also, 22 to be exact. A great mix of nudes, pinks and reds. I also picked up four more shades of Butter glosses, I already have three of the shades. These are lovely on there own or on top of a lipstick. They are the slightest bit tacky but still super smooth on the lips. 

I already own one of the Soft Matte Lip creams in Tokyo but when I spotted the darker shades I knew I had to have them. I am a sucker for a vampy lip. NYX must have changed the formula of these because I found they were much easier to apply and a little creamier too, not totally matte. I did however find that the darkest shade I picked up, Transylvania, was a little harder to get looking nice on the lips, but with a little work it ends up looking really pretty. 

Last but not least are the Matte Lipsticks. I only picked up two of these and I do like them, although I do find the paler shade looks a little gross on my lips. My lips are forever dried and flaky. I will be doing a seperate post showing all of these swatched on my lips, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested in any of these products.

Have you tried any of these lip products? What is your favourite NYX makeup product?

 ♥

My Top Beauty Picks.

Oh Hi! Wow I have been seriously lacking in the blogging department. Lets blame that on having a full time job, moving house and general laziness shall we? I am back writing again and this time I want to keep at it. Think of it as a (very) late new years resolution. So anyways, the topic of todays blogpost is a round up of my favourite beauty products of the last while, shall we say. Clearly I have not kept up with monthly favourites *slaps wrist. 

1. Soap and Glory - Smoothie Star "The Breakfast Scrub"

This stuff is no joke when it comes to ridding your body of any rough skin. It contains a mixture of bananas, oats, shea, almond and honey extract and "cupuacu bio scrubs" which I have googled and still do not know what it means. I do know, however, that its brilliant for helping to get rid of those awful bumps on the back of your arms, and any where else you might be suffering from dry skin. I use this once or twice a week in the shower and I have really seen the difference in my skin. Its not too harsh either which is always a winner. It also smells like maple syrup in a tub. Mmmm...

2. Indeed Laboratories Facial Powdered Exfoliator

Sticking with the exfoliator theme, this next one has been doing the rounds of beauty blogs for the past few months. When a product gets so much hype built up around it, I am always a little sceptical as to whether or not it actually works. I should not have worried though as when I eventually did find it I was not let down. This is a new type of exfoliator, for me anyways. Its basically a powder that you apply to the palm of your hand (two shakes is recommended) and you then mix it with a little water. It turns into this white foam that you then apply to your face in circular motions, rinse and your done. It contains ingredients like rice bran powder, pineapple enzymes, hyaluronic acid and many more wonderful things to slough off dead skin cells. YAY.

3. Boots Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream

I will admit that before purchasing this product, I had stopped using eye creams. I had previously been using the Vitamin E one from The Body Shop, but I found that it used to make my eyes sting and I stopped using it. I hadn't really spotted any I wanted to try until this one. I love the Boots Botanics range anyways and I have mention a few items from them before, so when i spotted this eye cream I said "Feck it", I'll give it a go. This product is 80% organic (which is great). It also contains Rosehip which the seeds contain Omega oils which we all know are great for your skin. This cream is great day or night, its not too heavy for under makeup and sinks in great, leaving my eye area softer and fine line free *thumbs up.

4. Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip balm

Here we have a product that, again, has made its way through beauty blogs and Youtube videos alike. It would seem that this is where I find new products to try out, more than anywhere else. Who could blame me? Now lip balms would probably be my favourite kind of "skincare" product to try. I forever have dry lips whether its Winter or Summer. I have always been a Carmex girl until I spotted this in my local pharmacy and decided to give it a go. Wow. its filled with honey and oils and my god is it a great product. I use it day and night and everything in between. Its just fab. 

5. Lee Stafford Treatment to Repair, Build and fix hair

This is a relatively new product in my beauty drawer as I have had it just over a week, but even in that short amount of time, I can tell its amazing. Its basically a deep conditioner that you apply to damp hair all over (yes even roots). Once you rinse it out you can really feel the difference to your hair. My hair is a hot mess after washing. Its dry, its tangly and generally just not great. This stuff has changed that for me. I can actually brush my hair after washing (Hooray!) and my hair just feels so much healthier. It doesn't leave your hair greasy at all and its just one of those products I can see myself using for a very long time. 

6. Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream Plus SPF 50

Its a mouthful, I know. I picked this little gem up on FeelUnique.com as it was coming into summer and I needed a good SPF for my face. If you don't know already I am white as a ghost and need to wear SPF or I will burn. This product is quite light but yet moisturising which is nice to see. It looks nice under foundation and although I can't physically see if its protecting my skin, I still recommend you wear SPF, especially if you have fair Irish skin like myself. Skin Cancer is not a joke. 

7. XO Beauty Brushes

Ever since I bought these brushes (about two months ago) I have used them everyday. I will link my previous blogpost on these brushes below. I have even used them in my kit and I always get comments on how soft they are. Thank you Shannon for taking the time to make amazing affordable brushes. I now need them all in my life. My favourite of the ones I purchased has to be the little Kabuki brush. Its too cute! It applies my powder so lightly and buffs everything in nicely. Winner. 


8. The Body Shop Mango Body Sorbet

The reason I love this is simple, its light, its moisturising and it smells like mangoes. Lets just keep it real here. 

Ooh La Lou x

Previous XO Beauty Post:

http://oohlaloux.blogspot.ie/2014/05/xobeauty-makeup-brushes.html

xoBeauty Makeup Brushes

Any beauty guru/makeup artist worth their salt, knows the value of having great brushes at their disposal. Makeup applies better and looks better when you have the proper tools to hand. These  xoBeauty brushes are no exception. These brushes are made by my all time favourite YouTube beauty guru, Shannon Harris (shaaanxo on YouTube) and in my opinion surpass even Sigma brushes for me (sorry Sigma..) 

I purchased five brushes all together, the 4 piece synthetic face brush set and the cutest little kabuki brush! I purchased the set of face brushes as I was looking to add some new ones to my kit and these have definitely made the cut. It includes a flat/round/tapered/angled top brush. I used them on three clients going to a wedding, and the foundation just applied like a dream! My favourite is the angled one, it leaves foundation looking flawless and beautifully applied.

The little kabuki is no exception either. This little guy applies powder in a nice thin layer and would be great for those who love powder foundations. None of these brushes have shed at all which is fab as that is a huge pet peeve of mine! Another plus is the price! The face brush set is $80 NZ which is roughly about €50, and the little kabuki is only about €14. Shipping is a flat $10 internationally (€6). Considering this is a relatively small company, the prices are amazing! A complete 10/10 Shannon! I cannot wait to buy more of these fab brushes! I also need to check out the lashes too. ;)

My Top Picks for Spring - Lipcolours

Spring is here! And so is my love for all things pink. This time its showing up in my lip products. 

L-R NYX Peaches and cream, Lime Crime Geradium and Centrifuchsia, YSL Lingerie Pink, L'oreal Caress in 01, Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet

Having a paler skin tone means that most pink colours will work for me, with the exception of the very pale pinks which make me look sick. My favourite pink is a hot pink as I feel it gives my skin the most life. A hot pink lip to me, is like a red lip to others. Although I am partial to a red lip on occasion. My most recent hot pink lip purchase is from Lime Crime and it is called Centrifuschia. This colour is not for the faint hearted. It is a glossy and gorgeous bright pink and goes on like a dream. 

I also picked up a second Lime Crime lipstick, and it too has made the cut this spring. This time it is a coral pink, perfect for spring and summer. Again the formula is the same as Centrifuschia, a gorgeous glossy finish. Both colours work on pale skins but would also look amazing on someone with a tan. Next up is a more affordable product, from NYX. In the past few months I have become a huge fan of NYX products, picking up a few new bits whenever I am shopping online. One of those purchases was one of their butter glosses. These glosses are fab! Pigmented and they have a great colour selection. My favourite of the three I picked up is Peaches and Cream, and yes it is as yummy as it sounds.

The next lipstick speaks for itself. How gorgeous is the packaging?! This is one of those colours that is verging on the very pale pink for me, but it works. The formula is creamy and the colour range is also to die for! Yay for us, not so much for our bank balances..  Next is the sheerest one in the bunch but a favourite none the less. This lipstick/balm is one of those products you can just chuck in your bag and throw on without any fuss. Its a lovely light sheer pink that leaves your lips feeling moisturised and lovely. Whats not to love? 

Lastly is probably my favourite, especially for those days when you want to look a little more glam and put together. Its Lime Crimes Velvetine gloss in Red Velvet. Its a gorgeous true red colour and would work great on many skin tones. These glosses go on shiny but dry to a matte/velvety finish, as the name would suggest. They are super long wearing and do tend to stain but that's a minor issue when you see how amazing they are!

So there you have it, my top picks for Spring 2014. :) I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks guys :)

What are your top lip products this spring?

Triple Threat.

I am definitely one of those people that is completely drawn in by colour, it doesn't matter what it is, if its bright I will buy it. Hence my purchase of the Sigma Creme De Couture Palette. When will I ever be able to pull off yellow eye shadow? Never I'm sure! But I had to get my hands on it nonetheless. The same goes for these gorgeous Sleek blush by 3 palettes. The colour's are so gorgeous that I had to buy four of them! What can I say? I cant help myself! 

These palettes are rich in pigment and have colour's to rival any top beauty brand. Whats not to love about that? The first one I picked up was from the Candy Collection aptly named Sweet Cheeks and is perhaps my most favourite of all four palettes. It consist of one cream blush and two powder blushes as do most of the palettes apart from 

Sweet Cheeks: L-R Cupcake, Dollymix, CandyFloss

Lace: L-R Chantilly, Guipure, Crochet

Pink Lemonade: L-R Pink Mint, Macaroon, Icing Sugar

Californ.I.A: L-R OC, The Surf, Newport Peach

As you can see from the swatches above the pigmentation in these blushers are amazing! For such an affordable product, this is great to see! I purchased my palettes off of the Sleek website where they are currently priced at €12.99 with 8 shades available. Eh hello? Why are you still reading this? Get buying!