Monday 27 April 2015

Beauty - Kendall Jenner make-up look

I don't watch the TV show that they are in - Keeping Up With the Kardashians - but I love keeping up to date with Kendall and Kylie Jenner on Instagram as they always get it right in the make-up (and fashion!) stakes. I'm not going to even comment on how they look so much prettier than me and they're younger than me!

I loved this make-up look Kendall posted a while ago to her Instagram account so wanted to create it.

The idea behind it is so simple - red lipstick with a cat-like eyeliner and simple eyeliner flick - but when it's on it looks really impressive.

I tried to re-create the look as best I could, but I guess I'm the poorer, paler version of Kendall!

First off, I cleansed my face with Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel foaming wash. I patted my face dry and applied Nivea primer.

The foundation I used is actually Penneys' own beauty brand! Penneys are playing a blinder with their beauty products recently - so far, I'm finding that many of them are exceptional for the little price paid, so when I saw they introduced a foundation to the range I was really excited to try it out. I've already reviewed this foundation HERE.

I applied Kubiss concealer around my eyes and around any blemishes I have and set it with my Catrice All Matt Plus powder as Kendall doesn't seem to have too much of a glow about her here. I applied a tiny bit of Catrice defining blush to the apples of my cheeks but skipped bronzer. I used Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit to add a slight contour to my face. I've already reviewed this product on my blog -  in the '10 Items under €10' post (see HERE).

You can see in the photo of Kendall above that she has a very subtle eyeshadow on. I applied Catrice Prime and Fine eyeshadow base before, using the Catrice Absolute Nude eyeshadow using the second eyeshadow from the left all over my lid and up to my browbone and and using the first shadow from the left as a highlighter shade in the corner of my eyes. I've reviewed the Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow HERE.


Kendall also has eyeliner on, obviously. As I have issues in drawing on eyeliner thanks to my shaky, clumsy hands, I carefully applied Catrice Eyeliner Pen (right) to my eyeline. This is a felt tip with a very precise line. As Kendall has a very thin eyeliner flick, I used Essence Liquid Ink Eyeliner (below) to create that thin eyeline flick. I know I mentioned in previous blog posts I don't really like Essence products, but I have to say that this liquid eyeliner is all kinds of amazing for creating a thin, subtle eyeliner flick.





Kendall also seems to have some white eyeliner applied in her waterline, so that is what I also did using Essence Kajal Pencil. Then I added NYC Big Volume by the Lash Mascara to my upper and lower eyelashes. Kendall has quite well defined brows, so I kept that in mind while applying Penneys Beauty browkit to my eyebrows.




For lips, Kendall is wearing a red lipstick. I moisturised my lips using Nivea essential care lipbalm before lining my lips with Catrice Longlasting Lip pencil. I applied Boots Seventeen Stay Pout lipstick to my lips then. I really like this lipstick, it's matte and stays on all night.  I then highlighted using Essence Cinderella highlighter powder. This i are part of Essence's new limited edition range to coincide with the Cinderella movie release and I will be writing a blog post on all the Cinderella range very soon, but so far I have to say I am liking this highlighter!



The photo of me on the right below is with a flash, the photo on the right is without the camera flash.








                                                          







    





                                                                  Products used:

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Wash, E4.79.
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, E6.49, Penneys.
Penneys P.S. Love.... Liquid Foundation, E3.
Kubiss London Light Reflecting Concealer, E2, Local chemist.
Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder in '010' Transparent, E3.49, Penneys.
Catrice Defining Blush in '080 Sunrose Avenue', E4.49, Penneys.
Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit, E7.59, Boots.
Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base, E4.20, Penneys.
Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow, Palette, E5.49, Penneys.
Catrice Eyeliner Pen, E3.09, Penneys.
Essence Liquid Ink Liquid Eyeliner, E2.89, Penneys.
Essence Kohl Kajal Eyeliner pencil in '04 White', E2.20.
NYC Big Bold Volume by the Lash Mascara, E3.49, Penneys.
Penneys P.S. Love... Browkit, E1.50, Penneys.
Nivea Essential Care Lipbalm, E2.09, Penneys.
Catrice Longlasting Lip Pencil in '050 Red Light District', E2.20, Penneys.
Boots Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick, E5.69, Boots.
Essence Cinderella Highlighter Powder, E3.39, Penneys.













Tuesday 21 April 2015

Beauty & Fashion - Easter Sunday Outfit Of the Day


This outfit I had actually worn Easter Sunday, but never got round to finishing writing a blog post about it it up thanks to other stuff getting in the way!

The orange top is Penneys. I bought it a week before Easter. I was looking through the reduced items rack (always on the hunt for a bargain!) and at first, I didn't think it looked that great - the pattern is usually not something I'd pick out as I usually go for soft, more muted colours. But I figured it would be nice with blue or white jeans and it was reduced from €9 to €3 so I took a chance and bought it.

I have the jeans for about five years now. I bought them in my local town, and I remember they were quite expensive at the time (about €70). But they were a great investment! I wore them a lot throughout my years at college and they go with a lot of outfits. The only thing is, they're insanely skin tight skinny and it's such an effort to get them on, I have to literally jump around my bedroom (girls, you know the way it is!). I really felt like they went with this top and balanced it out though.

The black heels are Penneys. I bought them for my college graduation. They were about €15 but they're the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn! I think they suit this look though as they are quite basic and don't distract from the outfit.

The hat is from Aliexpress.com, I've worn it in previous blog posts, it cost €6.

Make-up wise, I was going for quite a dewy, glowing look. So after cleansing my face with my Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel foaming wash, I applied Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration primer before applying Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation using my Primark beauty blender. This foundation is very nice for achieving a natural look. I applied Kubiss London concealer as needed and set them both using Catrice All Matt Plus shine control powder. I used Catrice Prime and Fine eyeshadow base on my eyelids before creating a subtle smoky eye using the Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow palette and the eyeliner I used was NYC Liquid Eyeliner before adding loads of NYC Big Bold Volume by the Lash Mascara. I filled in my eyebrows using Penneys P.S Love Beauty eyebrow kit. I added Catrice Defining Blush to the apples of my cheeks and moisturised my lips using Nivea lipbalm before applying Catrice Infinite Shine lipgloss.




As for my hair, I washed it that morning and applied Vo5 Heat Protect spray before blowdrying it straight.

Again, this post is featuring my dog Sam again, but he was a bit camera shy this time!

                                                           Products Used:

Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Wash, €4.79.
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, €6.49, Penneys.
Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in 100 Ivory, €9.99, Penneys.
Kubiss London Concealer in No.2 Medium, €2, local chemist. 
Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder in 010 Transparent, €3.49, Penneys.
Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base, €4.20, Penneys.
Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, Penneys.
NYC (New York Color) Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40, Penneys.
NYC Big Bold Volume by the Lash Mascara, €3.49, Penneys.
PS Love.... Beauty by Primark Beauty blender, €2.
PS Love.... Beauty by Primark eyebrow kit, €1.50.
Catrice Defining Blush in 080 Sunrose Avenue, €4.49, Penneys.
Nivea Essential Care lipbalm, €2.09, Penneys.
Catrice Infinite Shine Lipgloss, €3.49, Penneys.


Friday 17 April 2015

20 Random Facts About Me

Welcome back to my blog!


I wanted to do something different from my usual stuff on my blog.

I have been tagged to do 20 Facts about Me by other beauty accounts on Instagram, so that's what I'm doing in this blog post (if anyone's interested in my life!).


1. I'm from Ireland (the west coast, County Mayo to be specific - highlighted in green on the map!).


2. I have three sisters (no brothers, although I would have loved one), and I'm the youngest in the family.

3. I have two adorable nephews Marc and Thomas and one beautiful niece, baby Hannah.


4. My guilty pleasure is listening to cheesy 90s music (N'sync, Backstreet boys, Peter Andre).










5. I love animals (every time I see a dog I have to go over and pat it like the dude in the pic there!), and have two dogs of my own - Sam and Belle.









6. I love Nutella chocolate spread and will eat it straight out of the jar!









7. I have a big fear of flying (it just feels so un-natural to be up that high). Even a short 30 minute flight to the UK terrifies me! Though it won't stop me travelling...







8.  Although I wouldn't call myself a sporty-mad person, I do love to go for runs in the evening (with the dog Sam of course!).


9. My favourite food is my mammy's Sunday roast dinners (obviously). They are to die for.


10. My desert island make-up product would have to be a good mascara.




11. The best concert I was ever at was Ed Sheeran in Belfast in October 2014. He just got really into the performance and the crowd were singing along to the songs all the way through too. He definitely lives up to his reputation as an amazing live performer.






12. Although you might not think it now, I was a tomboy when I was younger and hated girly stuff. Even now I wouldn't call myself the girliest girl there is.






13. I love drinking tea and usually drink about five or six cups in the day - even when it's sunny weather outside! I'm very particular about it though - needs to have a specific amount of milk in it and lots of sugar. As for the whole Lyons-Barry's Tea debate: I'm definitely a Lyons tea fan! The box of 120 tea-bags goes so fast in my house!







14. My favourite holiday destination has been Paris in summer 2014. The weather was amazingly hot, I loved the laid-back lifestyle, the street style, the vintage clothes shops and all the tourist sightseeing, like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc De Triomph and Notre Dame and of course the Lourve to see a certain Mona Lisa.











15. The place I would most like to travel in the world to is New York. Hopefully I will do some day.










16. I enjoy reading books and try to start a new one every 2 weeks. The book I'm currently reading is The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I've only just started it, but I think it's quite good already.


17. I wear glasses and have done since I was 12 (usually only wear them around the house and on days I just can't be bothered to put in contact lenses!).


18. I'm very much a hoarder and
find it very difficult to part with my clothes or pretty much anything.




19. I'm more than a bit of a hypochondriac and think every slight pain or ache is a sign of something more serious, so I always Google my symptoms - which obviously doesn't work out too well!


20. I'm quite a sensitive person and over-think everything.







Tuesday 14 April 2015

Beauty - My Dipdye and Haircare Routine!




I've got a few compliments about my hair and a few requests to do a hair-care blog post so I figured to blend the both together!




So obviously, as you can see, my hair is dip-dyed at the moment. It may come as a surprise to tell you I did it myself! I was really bored of my natural black hair colour and needed a change, and as it was coming up to my birthday in September I decided to go for it. I have had bad experiences with dye at a hairdresser before (didn't last too long considering the amount of money I spent) and hadn't really the funds to get it done so I decided to do it myself. So I bought a box of L'Oréal  Wild Ombrés Préférence brush on dip-dye in Ombré No.1  from a local chemist for €7 and tried it out. There's three different kinds of this dip dye, each formulated differently for different coloured hair. I got No.1 because my natural hair (as you can see from my roots) is extremely black. No.2 would be for someone with light brown hair and No.3 is for someone with dark blonde hair. Because my hair was so dark, just two weeks after the initial application the dye turned slightly ashy coloured. By the time it came to my graduation in October the dye had well and truly caused my hair to go really ashy coloured. I re-done it again just before Christmas. It stayed good for about another 5 weeks, and looked really well. But I wanted a really platinum edge to the ends, and as my hair was already dark blonde at that stage, I said I'd give the No.3 a go.

If you're considering doing something like this to your own hair, I'd really recommend these DIY dye kits by L'Oréal. The kit comes with all the ingredients needed to dye your hair and also comes with a conditioning shampoo that makes your hair unbelievably soft and smooth after appplication. The brush that comes with it to essentially brush on the dye onto your hair is created by experts to make the job of DIY dip-dye a doddle. I will warn you though that this dye is really really strong so try not to go near your eye area or you will know about it! But like I've mentioned, it has taken me from September until April to get to that shade I have in the photos of me above, so please try to be patient if your hair is as naturally as dark as mine - you will get there eventually!

I haven't got my hair re-done in eight weeks. I bought a box of dye two weeks ago but haven't felt like it really needs to be re-done again at the moment, I kind of like the undone 'growing-out' feel to it.

Because the bleach really damages my hair, I'm conscious of keeping it in shape as best I can, so every 6 weeks, whether I dye it or not, it's to the hairdresser to get the split ends cut off. I have a severe addiction to using my GHD straightener which obviously ain't hair-friendly, but I've tried to limit myself to using it only on nights out and trying to embrace my natural curly hair a bit more. It's easier said than done though, as I like the sleek look that comes with straightened hair.



I'm more observant of caring for my hair way more now than I ever did when I had darker hair.

I make sure I use a conditioner frequently. I use a leave-in conditioner to save me the hassle.
Even though I obviously don't have long hair (wish I did!), I use Aussie Miracle Recharge Luscious Long lightweight conditioning spray (€4.49 in Boots) all through my hair. It smells so nice (like all Aussie haircare products do!), and as it's lightweight, won't make my hair super greasy. If I leave it to dry naturally, I'm left with these beautiful natural waves. I usually do end up straightening it the next morning though - the addition to the GHD is super super strong!



If I'm rushing and need to blowdry and straighten it straight away, I use a heat protectant. The one I've been using for the past three years is VO5 Heat Protect Styling Spray. It smells absolutely gorgeous and the price is right (€5 in Boots), so I've just kept re-buying it! It not only protects your hair against further styling damage up to 230 degrees but it also contains a heat activated complex which makes styling easier - your straightener will just glide through it - great when you're in a hurry!




If I'm going to straighten my hair before a night out, I like to use something that will give it some shine as with the ombré I find that my hair often lacks shine. YouTubers and hair-care experts on Instagram often rave about their love of Argan oil, so I had to try it out. Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the Argan tree which is native to Morocco. I got a small 30ml Intensive Hydrating Treatment. It's a leave-in treatment, so you don't have to wash it out.  It smells so nice. Obviously, because it's an oil, within a few days, or if you use too much of it on the day/night of using, it will make most hair types look horrifically greasy so try to just use only one tiny pea size amount and just concentrate it on the ends of your hair. (Your scalp usually makes enough oil naturally). I find it works best for me when I apply it to damp hair, let it naturally dry about half-way, and then blow dry it. It does leave your hair with lots of shine and feeling super soft. You can get this Argan oil intensive hydrating treatment in pretty much every chemist nowadays or in Penneys - they're so widely available and they only cost €2-3 - bargain! Argan oil extract is also so widely available and comes in masks and shampoos and conditioners, most at reasonable prices too, so you can find something that suits you.

Regarding hair-masks, I have reviewed the one I use most frequently in a previous blog post (The Lovea Nature Mask), but I like to try out others an odd time. One other hair mask I have a strong love for is the Macadamia Oil Extract hair mask. This stuff smells absolutely gorgeous! It has been specially formulated to improve texture and manageability. It's enriched with keratin which is actually the very substance your hair (and nails!) is made up of. Macadamia nut oil is the oil from a nut that originated and is still found in rain forests in southeastern and northeastern Australia as well as other places like Hawaii. Macadamia nut oil is non greasy so it's easily absorbed into the hair shaft. The oil mimics the sebum, which is naturally produced oil on the scalp which protect it from damage. After shampooing, I towel dry my hair and apply a generous amount of this from root to tip, particularly concentrating on the ends of my hair. The instructions say leave in for 7-10 minutes but I leave it in for an hour to reap maximum benefits, then wash it out. It makes my hair feel super soft and the gorgeous smell stays in my hair until I wash it again. It cost €2.

I realise that some people do prefer a natural alternative, without any chemicals on both their hair and skin, so I will be doing a blogpost in a few weeks reviewing some natural haircare and skin care alternatives, using ingredients from your kitchen cupboard!


Beauty - Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water


I've heard amazing things about this Garnier Micellar Cleansing water. It promises to act as a make-up remover, cleanser and toner (hydrates and soothes) all in one without the added effort of rinsing. I bought this one for sensitive skin thinking this was the only one avaliable, however I discovered three days later that there's actually one for sensitive and combination skin, which probably would have suited me better. However as I had bought this one, I decided to do a review on it.

Micellar is a fancy new technology that the experts behind the skincare products at Garnier have derived. The label on the back explains this as: "Like a magnet, the cleansing agents capture and lift away dirt from the skin easily without a need for rubbing".
Garnier also use naturally-derived ingredients wherever possible so it won't hurt sensitive skin.

I applied a few drops onto a make-up pad (make-up pads are 75c for a pack of 100 in Penneys), and applied it to my skin to remove my make-up. It doesn't have any smell and has no colour. It removed my foundation quickly and without rubbing like any regular make-up remover should. So far so good.

The eye area I was keen to find out about as I have found that many eye make-up removers sting that area, even the Garnier Express Eye Make-up Remover that I use frequently stings ever so slightly (I've reviewed this in my skincare blog post, see HERE).
To my surprise, this Garnier Micellar Cleansing water removed my waterproof liquid eyeliner and eyeshadow up in one easy sweep - again without rubbing. It didn't sting at all around the sensitive eye area or around my sensitive skin, which I was delighted with.

It doesn't feel greasy at all and the feeling after usage was similar to the feeling I experience after I remove make-up and use toner. My skin didn't even feel dry or tight like it usually does after just removing my make-up. It was amazing!

So is it worth the hype?

Absolutely! It comes in a large bottle (400ml), and claims to allow cleansing for 200 make-up pads. It cuts down on time spent removing make-up, cleansing and toning as well as products used (usually I have to use a make-up remover for skin/makeup wipes, an eye make-up remover and a toner), so does indeed save you money in the long run (instead of using 3 products for the job, you only use one!).

The only thing I don't like about this product is the massive size of it - it's not exactly handbag friendly and definitely won't get past security at the airport! But I suppose it lasts a long time, which does save you money the long run - this obviously ain't an item you would buy every month!

But I really like this, so definitely should be on your beauty shopping list. It's avaliable in most pharmacies, Penneys and Boots for €4.50. On Boots.ie it costs €4.19 (was €6.29), and you can buy it HERE.


My Rating: 4.5/5.

Saturday 11 April 2015

Beauty - Penneys Beauty Range Review

Over the past year, Penneys have introduced a beauty and makeup range called P.S. Love...Beauty. They are introducing new makeup products all the time to their range, and I have been trying them out bit by bit.
I will be doing another blogpost on this topic when I try out more and more of their range.

1. P.S. Love.... Eyebrow kit, €1.50.
This was actually the first thing I tried out in the Penneys Beauty range. I thought I had to buy a mega expensive kit like one of Benefit's kits to get my eyebrows on fleek (on point/whatever's on these days), but when I was getting my eyebrows done, the beautician recommended these Penneys beauty eyebrow kits - as if I needed another reason to go to Penneys! The packaging is not as fancy as the Benefit one (actually quite basic as you can see), but don't let that deter you!
As you can see, this small but powerful eyebrow kit contains an eyebrow wax and two eyebrow powders as well as a tweezers and a double sided brush for easy application. I don't use the wax and the eyebrow powder in the middle is a little too light for my naturally dark eyebrow colour, so I've always used the eyebrow powder on the right. I'm so impressed with this eyebrow kit. It is so easy to apply. This one is super buildable so makes the task even easier and if you mess up, a wipe with your finger is usually all it takes to get rid of the error.  It lasts all day and all night too, amazingly. The fact that it comes with a tweezers too is a great added bonus as well. Such a great find!




2. P.S. Love.... Liquid Foundation, €3.
Like I mentioned, there's new additions to this range all the time, and their latest product is foundation. To be honest, I hadn't high hopes about this - not because of the cheap price - but because I struggle to find a foundation that suits my sensitive skin and combination skintone. However, I was very impressed with this foundation. It has a beautiful smell. It glides on very smoothly, so you can apply it with your fingers or a foundation brush or a beauty blender - whatever you prefer. Once on, it gives a lovely matte appearance even without applying some powder. I tried it out for a night out to really determine it's staying power. To my surprise, it stayed on for the whole night and didn't make my skin look oily, dry or cakey, so I really couldn't recommend this enough. For that price, it's definitely worth giving a go. My shade is in Light, and it matches my complexion exactly.








3. P.S. Love.... Liquid Eyeliner, €1.50.
After the success of the eyebrow kit, I tried out the liquid eyeliner. It has a really thin brush for precise application. It smells very disinfectant like, almost like TCP Liquid. But when I tried to apply it, it stung my eyelid so had to remove it! I haven't used it since January, and even though the expiry date is six months from purchase, it has already started to go very gloopy. Definitely not impressed with this one! It does give a very subtle, precise line so if you don't have sensitive skin, give it a go, but for me personally it didn't work.









4. P.S. Love.... Volumising Ultra Black Mascara, €2.
Penneys have a number of mascaras in the range and I will be trying them out in due course. The first one I tried (randomly) was their volumising ultra black mascara. This comes in purple packaging like you can see. The brush is big to allow for easy application. My eyelashes are quite small and thin but even after one coat I noticed a massive difference - my eyelashes looked longer, thicker and fuller. I think it's definitely worth picking up.








5. P.S. Love.... Gel Eyeliner, €2.50.
After my misfortune with the liquid eyeliner from this range, I bought the gel eyeliner to see was that any better. it comes with a flat brush for easy application. You screw off the top and that is essentially the brush. I find it is quite watery and doesn't really have a strong pigment, and clumpy and difficult to apply. I think I only used this once - ever!






Wednesday 8 April 2015

Beauty & Fashion - Easter Sunday Look of the Night






I went for a night out on Easter Sunday night (5th April) and posted a picture of the outfit I was wearing on Instagram (https://instagram.com/kissandmakeupnow_blog/).

It got me a lot of compliments and likes, and as I really liked the whole look myself  (I thought it was really fun, bright and really nice for the spring), decided to a blogpost about it!

I was in Liverpool seven weeks ago and had a look around the Primark (the UK's version of Penneys) while I was there.  It is hugeeeee (3 stories), and I noticed that many of the clothes, shoes and accessories they have there just aren't available in Ireland (boo!). Of course, being the bargain hunter I am, I went straight for the sales rack and this luminous yellow skirt jumped out at me (was hard not to miss it infairness!). It was reduced from £6 to £3 so I couldn't leave it after me! I really like it. The length and the fit are really great.

The black crop top is Missguided. I prefer to shop locally, to support the local shops and to try on before I buy, but I couldn't find any nice crop tops around town so I had to resort to buying this online. It cost €7 and delivery to Ireland to arrive in 48 hours was €4. I've had my issues with Missguided in the past - they have dresses and other clothes that look absolutely amazing online but when you receive them, you often find that they are made of really cheap material. This top was kind of the same, but like I said, I don't buy from them that much.

The black high heels are Penneys, they cost €15 and I bought them for my college graduation last year. I don't really wear them that often, as to be honest they are probably the most awkward-to-wear shoes I have ever worn in my life! But I felt like they really went with this outfit as they are plain enough and don't distract from the skirt, which is obviously a statement piece.

My make up was quite similar to what I have done before. I cleansed my face with Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel foaming wash before applying Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer to my face and Nivea Essential care lip-balm to my lips before working on my eyes first. I used the Catrice Absolute Nude eyeshadow palette to create a subtle smoky eye before applying Penneys Beauty Sultry false eyelashes. I applied NYC Liquid Eyeliner to hide the eyelash band. I applied Max Factor Skin Luminiser foundation to my face and Kubiss concealer to hide any blemishes or dark circles before setting both using Catrice All Matt Plus powder. I applied Catrice Defining Blush to the apples of my cheeks.

For lips, I lined my lips using Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil before applying Boots Seventeen Stay Pout lipstick in Red. I really like using this lipstick. I bought it a few months back but never really used it, but I've recently started to like it again as it's quite matte and stays on all night. And the price is good too (see below!).

As for my hair: I had washed it that morning and used VO5 Heat Defence Spray on it before blowdrying it straight. I straightened it using my GHD before I went out that night but felt it was nicer pinned up, which I randomly did.






                                                                 Products Used:


Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Wash, €4.79. 
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, €6.49, Penneys.
Nivea Essential Care Lipbalm, €2.09, Penneys.
Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, Penneys.
Penneys Beauty False Eyelashes in 'Sultry', €1.50.
NYC Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40, Penneys.
Max Factor Skin Luminiser Foundation in Ivory, €15.99, Boots.
Kubiss Concealer, €2, local chemist. 
Catrice All Matt Plus Powder in '010 Transparent', €3.49, Penneys.
Catrice Defining Blush in '080 Sunrose Avenue', €4.49, Penneys.
Catrice Long lasting Lip Pencil in '050 Red Light District', €2.20, Penneys.
Boots Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick, €5.69, Boots.




.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Fashion & Beauty - Spring time Outfit Of The Day

About two weeks ago, there was two days of sunny days in Ireland, and I decided to take advantage of it and do outfits on both of them days, one being the navy polka dot dress with red lips that was my last blogpost and the other being this cute springtime look!

The outfit is all Penneys. The floral dress is so so nice. I got it when I first started college in autumn 2011, so I cannot for the life of me remember the cost of it at the time, I think it was around €15 though. The black leather jacket is my absolute favourite item ever. I think every girl should have one of them - they go with absolutely every outfit I own and I wear it way too much - days and nights out. I bought this one in Penneys in Sligo last year and have got so many compliments about it and me and my sisters have had many an argument over it! It has really nice gold buttons on it which I think are a nice touch. I can't remember the exact price of it, I think it was around €25 though. The tights were basic ones from Penneys, they're about €3. The brown ankle boots were €15 and I bought them in Penneys just before Christmas.

I got the black hat from the same Chinese wholesale website I bought the concealer palette from called aliexpress.com. It cost €6. Everything on that website is so cheap and they sell everything from dresses to jewellery to shoes. For most items, it the shipping is free too. Bear in mind that it does take a whole five weeks to arrive to Ireland, so if you want something in a hurry - don't buy off this website! I love this hat so much, I got it two weeks ago and have worn it every time I leave the house since!

As for the bangles, three of the bracelets are Alex and Ani - I got the lotus one, the pawprint one (cos I love animals so much), and a sapphire one because that's my birthstone (September). The Alex and Ani bangles range around the €20-25 mark, I think they're really cute to collect. Two of the bracelets are cheap imitations from Penneys, they're a gold heart design and a pearl - I think they were around €3 for the two of them - and the other bangle is the Penneys ISPCC (Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children) Anti-Bullying Shield Bangle that I bought earlier in the month. All proceeds go to the ISPCC charity and it was only €2.50 so definitely worth buying!

For the hair, I didn't do anything drastic - straightened it last night after washing and conditioning it, was about to re-straighten it for this look but it looked nice and wavy as it was so this is essentially bed hair! 

Moving onto makeup - it's very similar to the routine I've done before in other blog posts. I cleansed my skin with Boots Tea Tree and Witch hazel foaming wash. I primed my skin using Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration primer. As I was going for quite a natural look, I applied Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation (I reviewed this product in a previous post) using my Penneys Beauty blender. I used to always apply foundation using my fingers, but since discovering this beauty blender about two weeks ago I am that hooked I will never go back to using my fingers to apply my makeup! It gives a really airbrushed, natural finish, and is small to hold as well, making application even easier. I used Kubiss Light Reflecting Concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes and blended that in using the beauty blender. I set the foundation and concealer using Kubiss powder. I contoured my cheekbones using Benefit Hoola and also added that to my forehead and side of my face too (in the picture without flash you would never think I had bronzer on, but I have!). The blusher I used was Catrice Defining Blush but I just applied a tiny amount of this for a very natural look. I added a tiny amount of Catrice Highlighting Powder on my cheeks as well as well as my eyebrows. I created a smoky eye look using Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow using the two colours from the right and the shimmery champagne eyeshadow to highlight the inner corner of my eye. I mess up liquid eyeliner quite a bit, so to give me a light guide on where to apply and make the line super thin, I use Catrice Calligraph Ultra slim Eyeliner pen first before going over it with NYC Liquid Eyeliner. I added lots of Benefit They're Real! mascara to my top and bottom eyelashes. I filled in my brows using Penneys Beauty browkit and highlighted my eyebrows using the Catrice highlighting powder again. I used Nivea essential care lipbalm over my lips and because the dress was quite girly I decided to go for a dark pink lipstick on my lips. The colour I used was Catrice Ultimate Colour in 140 'Pinker-bell'. It's quite drying so that's why the step I mentioned previously with the lipbalm is essential!

I am still on the hunt for a cheaper alternative to both Benefit Hoola and Benefit They're Real!.

The dog in the photo is my pet Sam. I was trying to get a photo in the garden, but Sam is just mad for cuddles and kept jumping in the photos so I decided to embrace it and give him his moment in the spotlight!


Products Used

Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Wash, €4.79, Boots.
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, €6.49, Penneys.
Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in 100 Ivory, €9.99, Penneys.
Kubiss Light Reflecting Concealer in No.2 'Medium', €2, local chemist (I got 3 items for €4 that day though)
Primark Beauty Blender, €1.50, Penneys.
Kubiss London powder in No.2 'Candle', €2, local chemist.
Benefit Hoola, €34, Boots.
Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting Powder, €4, Penneys.
Catrice Defining Blush in 080 'Sunrose Avenue', €4.49, Penneys.
Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, Penneys.
Catrice Calligraph Ultra Slim Eyeliner Pen, €3.49, Penneys.
NYC Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40, Penneys.
Benefit They're Real! Mascara, €26, Boots.
Primark Beauty Browkit, €1.50, Penneys.
Nivea Essential Care Lipbalm, €2.09, Penneys.
Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 140 'Pinker-bell', €4.49, Penneys.