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?

♥

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!

My Winter Beauty Essentials | Sunday Blues

Grab yourself a cuppa, this is going to be a long one!

Winter is fast approaching and that means a change in the weather, which means wrapping up in warm scarves, cozy jumpers and breaking out the fluffy socks. I love it! Winter is one of my favourite months (nothing to do with christmas I swear...) I love when it snows, which is rare here, it tends to be sunny on Christmas Day oddly enough. I love when the fires are starting to be lit and you can just cozy up with a nice movie and a cup of tea. Along with all of that is my most favourite part. Winter beauty.

Skin care:

I will start first, by talking about winter skincare. Taking care of your skin in winter is hugely important. The colder weather means dryer skin and with people blasting the central heating you can be sure it will take a toll on your skin. To be perfectly honest not much changes in my winter skincare routine other than I like to moisturize like a crazy person. As I have combination skin I don't like to use heavy products in the summer as I would just be an oily mess, so I save them for winter when my skin can take it more. I have changed up my cleanser this year to The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and I love it. This is quite an oily product but it literally melts makeup off your face, reducing the amount of time you spend cleansing. I also try to use face masks that are brightening and moisturising. I love the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Face-mask which smells if oranges and really makes your skin glow. Always a winner in my book.

Another product that I highly recommend using in winter is and exfoliator, especially if you have dry skin as it takes away all the dead skin cells that can make your skin look dull. Exfoliating also helps your moisturiser and any other products you apply to your skin, sink in better as it doesn't have to fight through dead skin and makes them work better. I have three I am currently using. My everyday one (which I don't use everyday but it is gentle enough if you want to use it daily) is the Boots Botanics All Bright Purifying Face Scrub and two REN exfoliator's the REN Micro Polish Cleanser and the REN Jojoba Microbead Purifying Facial Polish. These products are amazing at making my skin feel soft and smooth and I love them. I also think that treatments are very important for your skin in winter as the cold weather can really dry it out. I have been thinking recently in investing in the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum as it is meant to be the the bees knees and the spiders ankles (I hope people understood that...) It retails for about €80 - €100 making it pretty pricey, although very much worth it from the reviews I have read.

Body care:

As for winter body care, I will start by saying, do not have a super hot shower. This will dry out your skin. I know, I know, hot showers feel amazing when your freezing cold but do your skin a favour and just have a nice warm one instead. You can thank me later. As I have mentioned, central heating is your skins worst enemy come winter time, it completely dries it out. Make sure you are moisturizing well after each shower to keep your skin soft and looking fab. Body brushing is also your best friend this time of the year and you can read up on that in my most recent post here.

Make Up:

Next up lets talk about makeup. My favourite look in winter is neutral eyes and a deep berry plum colour on my lips. My favourite this year is the Rimmel London Kate Moss lipstick in 107 which is proving very popular this year from the likes of Suzanne Jackson of sosueme.ie and Zoella both rocking this colour. Another big trend this winter is orange lips which has been seen on the catwalk and in magazines. I think orange lips are a great change from the usual dark colour's but still keeps it in the winter colour palette. I still love a good smoky eye and a nude lip, Satin Taupe shadow from MAC being an all time favorite. Foundation wise, depending on your skin type, something more dewy/moisturizing would be appropriate for winter. Having combination skin myself, this is not always an option. So as I have mentioned before I like to apply a good moisturizer and then once that has sank in I will apply my primer to keep the never ending supply of oil at bay. I am currently using the 17 Miracle Matte Primer which is amazing for a Boots brand. It is affordable and works great, what more could you want? I will then apply my favorite foundation of the moment (right now its the Revlon Color Stay foundation) and Bobs your uncle.

Bronzer is another life changing product in winter. Who wants dull pasty looking skin? I don't that's for sure. I love bronzing up my face in both winter and summer, it makes you look more tan in summer and less dead in winter! YAY! :) I love love LOVE the Sleek Contour Kit in Light, yes its for contouring but the shade is so perfect it makes my skin look glowy and amazing. The highlighter shade is also a dream, not so shimmery that you become a disco ball, but just right so you have gorgeous glowing skin, just in time for all those Winter parties ;)

                                         A swatch of the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick 107
                                           

                                       A close up of Satin Taupe from MAC

Hair care:

Right, we all know what winter means for our hair.. it turns it into a dry and frizzy mess. Lovely. How do we combat this? Hair masks and lots of them. Pile them on people just pile them on. Your hair will love you I promise. Now what hair masks do I use I hear you ask? There are tonnes of them out there. I personally love pure coconut oil as it works well and is relatively cheap and easy to come by ( I am pretty sure Tesco's or a health food store would have this, you can use this for cooking too.) I warm it up in the microwave and apply to the ends of my hair, leave it for a half an hour, rinse and you are good to go. I am currently testing out the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil hair mask and I will be posting my review once I have tested it thoroughly. Hair serums and oils such as the ever popular Moroccan Oil (which, surprisingly, I do not own but have used) are also brilliant at keeping frizz at bay but keeping moisture in your hair. One big tip I have for combating frizz is to make sure your hair is completely dry before stepping outside. Any bit of moisture in your hair when the wind blows and POOF you look like Monica from Friends. Yes, I have been their.

Phew! Whoever manages to read this until the end give yourself a huge pat on the back, you are a trooper. I hope you enjoyed this post guys and I do hope it helps you in some way with any winter beauty problems you may have. If you have any more questions feel free to leave a comment down below or on my Twitter or Facebook pages, links are on my profile. :) Thanks for reading guys and a Happy Halloween! :D

Favorites | Beauty and random!

Hey guys! Long time no see! (Or write(?) in this case!) For the past few weeks I have lost my blogging mojo and have seriously lacked in ideas for new posts. I decided that the best thing to do would be to round up all of my favorites from the last month to show you guys! I have included beauty products and a few random bits and bobs as well! I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to give me a follow or leave me a comment down below telling me what you would like to see on here next! :) P.S This is going to be a long one so grab a cuppa!

First up are the beauty products. Some of these products you may have seen before as I have featured them on my blog. I'll get started by talking about two products that I have not mentioned but have adored. As you may or may not know, I despise doing my nails. I will either let them grow really long or hack them down to the skin (gross). Now I have heard of O.P.I Nail Envy before but had never picked it up, until I was in Myer in Australia and noticed they had an offer on for the Nail Envy and the Avoplex Cuticle Oil. These products are amazing! Especially together! I have never really been into talking care of my nails, but these products make a huge difference. My nails would always break and snag but after using this nail strengthener it really has helped! The cuticle oil is also great for softening your cuticles making it easier to push them back, it also hydrates the skin around your nails leaving them looking amazing! I usually like to file my nails into shape, apply two coats of the Nail Envy, once they are dry I will them rub a little of the oil over my nail and around the edges. Bomb.com! 

Next up is the Toni and Guy Cleanse Shampoo which I have previously done a post on so click here. I only use this shampoo if my hair is in real need of a good clean. It leaves my hair feeling soft and super duper clean! I feel that it actually gives my hair more volume too as it removes all product build up from the hair! Who doesn't want that?? As for skincare I have discovered two new products and one oldie but a goodie! First we have something I purchased at the start of the week to try out, the REN Radiance Perfection Serum. I have been hearing great things about REN skincare and really wanted to try out their products and seeing as garden.co.uk (they sell Bioderma!) had an offer on a bag of REN products to try out, I jumped at the chance! (I will have more on the other products later) This is basically like any other serum, you apply it under your moisturizer morning and night, but this is not heavy at all and it does not feel like silicone, it smells like oranges too! Yum! And it leaves my skin looking and feeling great! It works well under makeup too! I will most certainly be purchasing the full size of this!

Next up is the Botanics All Bright Purifying Face Scrub. I love a good scrub and this one is no different! The scrubbing particles are not too gritty so they don't irritate your face and you could most certainly use this on a daily basis. I keep mine in the shower and it really cleans your skin after a long nights sleep. It does not have a strong smell which I think people with sensitive skin would enjoy as well as it being gentle on their skin. Next is the Witch Naturally clear Blemish Stick. I love this stuff and I used to use it when I was a teenager. You can find it in most Boots pharmacies, and I would really recommend this to anyone suffering from blemishes, this stuff will completely clear them up. I use this on my "I hate my skin days" which I am sure everyone gets from time to time. Its kind of strange feeling in that its cold and it "melts" onto your face (trust me it works) Overall a great product!

I have always loved L'Oreal and clearly they make good eye makeup as I have two products in my favourites this month! First is the L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara which I have reviewed here. I love thin wand mascaras as I feel I have more control over them and I can also get to the root of my lashes much better than with a huge wand! This makes your lashes super lengthened and separated, a big thumbs up in my book! I am also a huge fan of winged liner and wear it on my eyes almost everyday, so I am always on the lookout for a great liquid liner. I have tried gels but I cant get them to last on me. The L'Oreal Super Liner is my go to liner for the perfect cat eye. The applicator is perfectly shaped, and thin enough to get an amazing wing, the only thing I will say is that I should get the waterproof one (I think they have one..) as my eyes water a lot and this tends to wash away. :/ 

So I personally love a great contour, something that makes your cheekbones standout and really adds to a look, and that's where the Sleek Contour Kit comes in. I love this! It has replaced my Mac Harmony blush which was my go to contour colour for years! Yes, it is that good. I bought it in light as obviously, I am paler than Morticia Adams. This colour is perfect for me and i can use it to bronze up my face a bit as it is not too orange in colour. The highlighter shade in this is beautiful, I have never really been a fan of highlighters as I have combination skin but this one is just too nice not to use! A blush favourite of mine, something I also never used to wear is the Essence Silky Touch Blush in number 10 Adorable. I love this colour! I am a huge fan of peachy pink tones and this is no exception. It apply's amazingly and really is a silky touch blush. It has the tiniest amount of shimmer in it which would usually irritate me but you really cant see it once applied to the skin. And lastly we have my favourite lip product of the month, my Burts Bees Replenishing Lipbalm with pomegranate oil. Just buy it, honestly it needs no review. Its great at keeping my lips hydrated throughout the day and keeping them from chapping. Woohoo!

Now for the random favourites! Who doesn't love Autumn? Personally it is my favorite season (after summer, but Ireland doesn't get those so..) I love how things start to get chillier, you have to light a fire in the evenings and of course the autumnal candle scents. :) In walks Yankee Candle in Blissful Autumn. Boy does this smell good! I love lighting this in my room at night and it makes it so warm and cosy. I hate spicy scents so thankfully this just smells of autumn fruits and clean air. Love it! As for food, I have been eating peanut butter by the bucket load! I love it with jam on brown bread or on crackers or on a spoon.... Don't judge. It has to be crunchy peanut butter though as I cannot stand smooth! Too sticky!

So those are my favourites for the past month! I hope you enjoyed reading this guys :) I enjoyed writing it! I will try and have another post up soon. If you have any requests don't be shy and leave a comment down below! I would also like to know if you have tried any of these products or if I have enticed you to buy anything? Thanks for reading guys :) 

Sleek and Chic!

When these three products came through my letter box I did a little jump for joy! For months I had been wanting to pick up some new Sleek products as they are one of my all time favourite brands. I purchased these directly from the Sleek website and they arrived about three days later! Amazing! It didn't take me too long to pick out what I wanted as I had already decided months ago.

First up is the Blush by Three,  Limited Edition Candy Collection. When this product launched along with a pout paint and an eyeshadow palette I was already drooling. I knew I had to have something. Although I immediately wanted the eyeshadow palette, I knew it was just a tad unwearable, for me anyways. So instead, I opted for the blush palette. Wow. First of all the packaging. I am in love with the cupcake design. Super cute! Although it is not on the actual palette I still love it.

As you can see from the picture above, this is a bright palette. Do not be put off though, these colors can easily be toned down with a light hand and a lot of blending. My personal favourite is Dolly Mix. It is a blue toned pink, almost lilac looking and I adore it. I think it would look great on most skintones. Cupcake is the only cream blusher in the palette and it is a gorgeous bright pink, this again can be toned down. Candy Floss is described as a shimmery blush but I personally think it is more of a satin blush with a slight sheen. It is definitely not glittery in anyway. Its again, a bright pink but with more of a coral undertone to it. I cant stop looking at this palette! Such Eye Candy!

Next up is a product, that is talked about constantly. If you follow any other beauty blog then I am sure you have heard of this product. It is the Sleek Face Contour kit. DUH! I am constantly hearing good things about this product and I really have no idea why I didn't pick it up sooner?

I bought this is the light shade as I am super fair and it is the perfect color for me. Its not too orange, its not too dark but it still contours my face beautifully and I can actually use it to slightly bronze my face, and get a little color back into it. All I do to contour is take an angled brush, lightly tap it in the powder, suck in my cheeks and apply it directly to the hollow, the I blend like a mad woman! The highlighter shade in this is gorgeous. I am not a huge fan of super shimmery, make-your-face-look-like-a-disco-ball kind of highlighters and thankfully this is not one of those. It leaves a gorgeous, subtle highlight on top of your cheekbones, brow bone and your cupids bow. Love it!

Last but not least is an eyeshadow palette. I have already tried Sleeks Au Naturel Palette so I had a fair idea of the quality of their shadows, and I must say this one does not disappoint. I decided to pick up the Showstoppers Palette. Of course there are a few dud shades that are not as highly pigmented as the others such as Paraguaya and Oh So Special, but over all I think it is a great palette and wearable too.

L-R: Top Row - Paraguaya, Sunset, Me myself and eye, Bad Girl, Noir, Ultramattes V2
        Bottom Row - Oh So Special, Bohemian, Storm, Sparkle, Au Natural, Graphite.

This palette contains matte shades, shimmery shades and glitter shades. The overall tone of the palette is pretty neutral with a few purple, navy and corals thrown into the mix. My favorite shade from the palette is Sparkle. Its such a gorgeous shimmery peachy shade that looks amazing all over the lid or just in the inner corner. And is it just me, or are these shadows named after other palettes? Hmm.. interesting.

 L-R: Paraguaya, Sunset, Oh So Special, Bohemian

L-R: Me Myself and eye, Badgirl, Storm, Sparkle

L-R: Noir, Ultramattes V2, Au Natural, Graphite

Both the Blush by 3 Candy Collection and the Showstoppers I-divine palettes are Limited Edition so get your hands on them fast before they are gone!

Have you tried any Sleek products before? What are your thoughts on the brand?

My Top Five Favourite Lipsticks!

L-R: L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 01 Fashionista Pink, YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 07 Lingerie Pink, M.A.C Lipstick in Rebel, Topshops Secret Admirer, Sleek's Pout Paint in Port

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Fashionista Pink: This is what I wear pretty much everyday and especially on days when I am not wearing too much makeup. Its not really a lipstick per say more of a lightly tinted balm. I am not usually one for glossy lips but I quite like the glossy-ness of this product, maybe its because its in no way sticky and won't cause your hair to be stuck to your face for the day. God I hate that.. Never the less this shade will suit any skin-tone, its a light pink colour that just makes the lips look plump, glossy and moisturised. Nothing wrong with that!

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Lingerie Pink: I recently mentioned this lipstick in my favourites video (June Favourites). Its a pretty popular colour amongst beauty bloggers and I first hear of it through Elle or AllThatGlitters21 on YouTube. This lipstick is insanely pigmented and as I said in my video you have to apply it lightly or it can look cakey. Also if you have medium to dark skin it could look a little concealer like. Not always a good look, if ever. But to each their own. :)

M.A.Cs Rebel: This is probably my favourite MAC lipstick, I love to wear this on nights out as its a really pretty, berry red colour,and in my opinion it suits my pale complexion. It has a sheeny finish to it and is very comfortable on the lips. It stains slightly but as its lasts a pretty long time I don't think of this as a bad thing.

Topshop's Secret Admirer: I have recently spoken about this lipstick in one of my previous posts (Review: Topshop Lipsticks) and it remains one of my favourites. Its a peachy colour that is slightly glossy and is comfortable to wear on the lips.

Sleek's Pout Paint in Port: This is not exactly a lipstick, but seeing as it's super pigmented and I love it, I'm adding it in. A little goes a long way with this product so don't over do it! Its a great colour for every skin tone and lasts ages on you lips. I urge everyone to check out these pout paints as you won't be disappointed. They come in a range of different colours that can be mixed to create your own unique shade. What's not to love?

What are your favourite lipsticks? Do you own any of the ones I have mentioned?