Mastering Your Makeup: January 2017

My Top 30 at 30 Part3!!

Hello Lovelies,

So yes you read right at the title, I am going to bring you my top 30 products I love now that I am turning 30! (I have actually turned 30 now as my plan to have these all published on the 16th didn't work out!) For anyone that doesn’t know me personally, I am birthday obsessed, I love my birthday! I love other people’s birthday’s too but of course my own is the greatest ever. I think it’s such a nice thing to celebrate the day you became you and Monday the 16^th of January I will be me 30 years. I’m excited for this year my 30^th year, I will be in full wedding planning mode, it’s the year of me so I’m hoping the blog will grow in 2017 just like I plan to as a person.

Anyway… rather than bombard you for 30 products in one post I am going to divide this into 3 so 10 products per post. These products will be a mixture of blogger mail I have received and fallen for (honestly of course) others will be gifts I have gotten and others will be products I have purchased myself and loved. I’m excited to bring these posts because I really do have a lot of products I really like. Just to note, the products won’t be in a preferential order that would be way too difficult and there will be a mix between makeup, hair and skin. Hope you like it!

1. WetnWild Megalast Lipstick: As you can see from the pictures above, these lipsticks are not something new to me. I have over 15 different WetnWild Megalast lipsticks in my collection, I am on my second and thirds of some of the shades, the reason being: they are €2.99 and they are amazing!! Honestly (which is the whole point of this post) they can do no wrong. Well....actually is you have the driest of lips you might want to be careful with using these, just add a little lip balm to your lips first and then use them. What I love most about the megalast lipsticks is how similar they have made the colours to expensive brands like MAC. So basically, when I go on a night out I never bring my expensive makeup. To be honest, I actually rarely bring makeup. I'm too busy posing with my friends and dancing to even worry how the makeup is looking but when you see your snapchats from the end of the night, if your lipstick is gone especially if it's a darker colour, it really doesn't look great. So each time I go out I bring with me a megalast lipstick. Even if it's not the exact colour I'm wearing you can bet it's really similar so during the night I can top up my lips and if I happen to lose the lipstick it's only €3 and not the €20 you may have paid for other brands. They are so long wearing you might only need two top ups in a whole night and I just love them. They are available in Dunnes, Penneys and some pharmacies in Ireland.

2. Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics Palette: I have reviewed this bad boy already so if you want to read it in full be sure to head over to the blog and search urban decay. It is a brand I am so mad about, yearly launches and purchases are part of my happy place in blogging. This brand has been in my life ever since it arrived to Debenhams in Waterford. Each Christmas a new product came out and my mum would dutifully join the masses to get the latest palette or lipstick or foundation. The Naked Ultimate Basics was a palette created after the masses spoke back to Urban Decay. People would buy each Naked palette and wish there were just a few more matte shades in the palette so here we have it. An almost full matte palette with only one shimmer shade for highlight which of course we all appreciate. I have used this palette so much I will deffo hit pan on some of the shades now which is so unlike me but it really is so versatile I think if you are not an urban decay lover already then this is a great starter palette or if you just have a divine love for mattes then again, this is great palette. It always helps that you get a brush with your palette! You can find this on all Urban Decay stands in Debenhams.

3. Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice Mask: Firstly I love this picture, I spent ages finally get them into a decent light to take the picture and only after posting it on all my blog social media accounts I realised I had two of the products wrong! Anyway...these three masks were gifted to me a few months back and I started my multi-masking during my pamper evenings. I absolutely love the Ginseng & Rice mask. It's very like the GlamGlow mask in consistency, I don't know if the effect is the exact same as to be fair I haven't used them side by side but for me I love this mask. I like the 'clean' feeling the mask gives. I like how it's grainy it is and how it 'sets' on the face. I'm one of those weird people who really enjoys scrubbing off a mask and letting my skin breathe afterwards. Now don't get me wrong the other two masks are great but if I was to pick one out of the three that I have then the Chinese Ginseng & Rice mask is my absolute fave. This is the clearing masks so considering I still get breakouts it gets an extra bonus point.

4. Sleek Highlighting Palettes: Sleek Makeup....It is everywhere! There are so many products in my Sleek collection as you can see from the picture above. I think if I was to pick one product that I feel everyone should own then it would have to be one of the highlighting palettes. It's very hard to pick between the Solstice, The Cleopatra's Kiss or the Precious Metals palette so really you need them all but.. that might be a bit far fetched if you've never tried the brand before. The three palettes come with four shades of highlighter, both creams and powders. You can literally 'glow' if you use enough product but let's face it, that's not for everyone. I love the Solstice palette myself. Although I don't tend to use the purple shade by itself as usual, you can dip into a few of the colours and create a stunning sheen to the cheekbones. Sleek makeup is great value and these highlighting palette retail around €12 so they're a total bargain. I could literally talk about Sleek Makeup for days but if you go through the search bar on the blog and type in Sleek Makeup then you're sure to learn a lot more about the brand and my love for it. Between the eyeshadow palettes retailing at €11 and the Matte Me lipsticks around €6.50 you're sure to find something you love!

5. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant: Ahhh Dermalogica... the skin lover of my life and not my bank balance. The facials I've had, the products I've used is there anything this brand can't do (apart from slashing prices) but you have to pay for quality and this product is quality!! The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is included in my routine no matter what other products are in it. I have had the professional sized pot, sample pots and I'm back to the regular retail size pots at the moment. It's a light powder that you mix with a small amount of water to form a paste that you spread over your face and rinse off. I use the microfoliant after my cleanser and before my toner. It's almost like a second cleanse but to be fair if I am wearing a good deal of makeup that day then I will have already used the precleanse from Dermalogica. This product again is a godsend but that's for another day! The daily microfoliant is perfect for my combination skin type and I really feel it's a must for me. To gently exfoliate the skin is so important to keep it at it's best. I am no skin expert by any means so this is just my humble opinion on one of my very favourite skin products.

6. Bellamianta Dark Mousse: Once in a while a tan will come along and knock other tans out of the water. Bellamianta became the tan of 2016, everyone and their mother was wearing the tan so I followed suit (of course it’s a blogger’s prerogative) I mean I’m more than happy to ‘buy into’ hype because it can be difficult these days to always believe the scripted word of some people so I am always happy to try things myself and get honest about it. I first tried the lotion and gave that a rave review. I stand by that review 100% the olive tone actually sat on my skin quite well, the left over colour after the shower is stunning and if you want it really dark then the second layer will have you night time ready in an act. When the dark mousse came out, I wanted it so bad! The mousse for me is easier to use, I find that even though the lotion was super quick trying it’s a little more risky than the mousse. I think I have a mental block to lotions at times because if I apply tan before bed, I get really warm when I sleep so lotion and heat never go! The Bellamianta Dark mousse is the perfect night out tan. It’s a mid-price range tan but so worth the money. I have also gone the whole hog and booked a spray tan of Bellamianta in June for a wedding. Unfortunately the therapist didn’t spray my hands at all so it was a bit of a disaster but the actual colour was stunning on my skin. Tan can be a tricky business but Bellamianta is right up there as one of the best!

7. Fuschia Mineral Foundation: Fawn is a colour that is perfect for a night out top up. I first came across Fuschia Mineral Makeup following SoSueMe a couple of years ago. She used it as her powder for a night out. At first I thought this might mean you would be very caked in makeup but then I thought her skin always looked so beautiful and glowing on nights out that I decided to purchase it for myself. I bought my first Fawn at one of the beauty shows in a little started kit and used it almost every time I had tan on going out (which is all the time). I didn’t get a chance to pick it up again at the show so one fine day I drove the 50mins to Swords to pick it up in the Fuschia store. I wasn’t there just for that I actually went in and bought some of the pro shadows in a Fuschia style Z palette. I was watching Lauren Cleare (creator of Rebeluna Lashes) using them on a daily basis so I’ve started with three so far. They are beautiful shades so I may have to get more soon. Anyway…. Back to Fawn! As I say it’s a perfect mineral makeup in a tan shade, I have used it over many different foundations but the one I love most is over Mac Studio Fix NC30. I apply it with the infamous Blank Canvas F20 brush so ensure it gives me the coverage I am looking for. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted if you don’t like full coverage but for me it’s perfect so it’s made the Top 30!

8. Note Cosmetics: Bronzer: Note Cosmetics is a new brand to me, new to me since just after Christmas when I was sent a lovely bundle of newbies which you can see in the big above. My favourite product has to be bronzer, it's massive! Now it does come with a price tag of around €16 but for the size of it, it will last you ages. I started to use this as my tan was wearing off so I used it all over and then as I added more tan the following week, I used the bronzer as my contour powder and it was lovely. I have researched this product as it was so new to me so I was delighted to see that it contains an SPF of 15. I haven't noticed before that a bronzing powder contains an SPF so this was a cool discovery. Note Cosmetics is available in Sam McCauley's so be sure to check them out. The bronzer is available in three different shades so you can hopefully find one suited to your skin colour.

9. Amazing Shine Lashes: Amazing shine lashes are cheap cheerful and awesome! The #43’s are my favourite style as they are so similar to the Red Cherry lashes so similar I think they are cousins or maybe even sisters. Anyway… Amazing shine lashes are believe it or not available in Mr Price stores which I am lucky enough to have one close to where I work and also at home in Waterford. The lashes cost only €2.50 or €2.99 depending where you go (they are also available in Pharmacies nationwide) and they are so good for such little money. To be fair you can probably get three to four wears out of them before they might need to get rid but with good care for €2.50 that’s really good going. They have a massive range of styles so if you like short, medium or long lashes, full or natural looking then Amazing Shine lashes have a style for you.

10. Kardashian Beauty: When Christmas comes around so too do the gift sets, there are makeup, skincare, tanning and even hair gift sets and one set I got to review before Christmas was the Kardashain Beauty Hair Gift Set. It's a fabulous black square patent bag, gold zip around and it contains a roll brush, two of the sample bottle of the black seed dry oil, the volume foam and the blow dry cream! My favourite of all the products has to be the Kardashian Beauty Smooth Styler Blow Dry Cream. It's so lovely! I use this on my damp hair on the days I try my best to style my hair properly. I usually dry my hair upside down and blast it until I can throw it back up on my head into a top knot. Anyway... this product on it's own will cost you about €13 from Cloud 10 Beauty in Ireland and I feel it really helps keep my hair smooth when I use the round brush and try make my hair straight. I have straight hair as it is but since adding colour to my hair it has of course dried out a little so there's more frizz in it now than there was with my natural hair colour. It's just joys of messing with my hair too much but to be fair since changing to using Olaplex in my colouring and styling as well as this blow dry cream, my hair can be silky smooth in no time. The Kardashian Beauty hair range was new to me but something i would really consider buying myself when I run out.

I can't believe we have come to the end but there we have it in the last three posts published to this blog, I have taken you through my top 30 products at the moment. This has been a really good post to write and I'm hoping some of you have treated yourselves to some newbie products from this list. Of course as always let me know if you have shopped. I'm always floating around my snapchat @emmajcs so that's where you see all my purchases :) By the way.... turning 30 is amazing, I have had a ball!!

17:11:00
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My Top 30 at 30 part 2!

Hello Lovelies,

So yes you read right at the title, I am going to bring you my top 30 products I love now that I am turning 30! For anyone that doesn’t know me personally, I am birthday obsessed, I love my birthday! I love other people’s birthday’s too but of course my own is the greatest ever. I think it’s such a nice thing to celebrate the day you became you and next Monday the 16^th of January I will be me 30 years. I’m excited for this year my 30^th year, I will be in full wedding planning mode, it’s the year of me so I’m hoping the blog will grow in 2017 just like I plan to as a person.

1. Nima Brush ‘Build it Up’ set: 1. Nima Brush ‘Build it Up’ set: I’m not even sure where to start with Nima. This brush brand has grown and grown so much since I started using it, right after my first ever blogger meet up. I watched Niamh demo her brushes back in 2014 and she had such passion about developing really good quality tools for professionals and for retail. Being a make up artist herself, she always understood why quality was important, how cost will impact what a person will buy but ultimately, what tools people needed to create beautiful makeup looks. I was always drawn to nima but once Niamh launched the Artistic collection, that was it for me I was hooked. Between the two beauty shows each year, masterclasses that Niamh would be a guest at and her online offers, I began to build up my own Nima collection. Buying two to three brushes each time I’d see her meant my collection grew nice and steady and then the repeat buys started to happen. I have written and snapped so many times about Nima again if you search the name on the blog it’s everywhere. It was no surprise then when Niamh launched the ‘build it up’ set I had to have it. Niamh was showcasing the set at a Matte to Metallic workshop with an introductory price, I was all over that!

What’s extremely special is of course the names, each brush in the Artisitc collection having meaning to Niamh and seeing as I’m such a sentimental sack, this just makes these brushes even more appealing. There is absolutely no denying the quality of these brushes and this set is specific to eyes. It’s so handy for travelling, the brushes are also placed in a way that you can follow how to use them and I really enjoy creating looks just using this set. Everyone needs some Nima in their life so if you don’t have some…get them! You can find them on www.nimabrush.com this set will cost you €65 that’s only €5.20 a brush…bargain!!

2. Lush Bath Bombs: Ah lads, the lush bath bombs, possibly the only reason you will see me having one if not two baths a week. I usually have one for the ould tan scrub. I find that a good hot bath and loads of scrubbing really helps to get off that stubborn tan so you can apply a fresh layer the next day but these bath bombs are stunning. My only dislike is that not all of them create many bubbles, you get this beautiful coloured bath but sometimes ya just want bubbles so you need to make sure to buy a bubble bar (I’ve learned that the hard way) anyway I stock up on these at the sales, the after Christmas sale is a particular fave of mine and then throughout the year when in town I’ll treat myself to a couple more so I always have something in my stash. I don’t even use the full thing sometimes. If I know I’m having a few baths, I’ll just halve them and get two baths out of them so again making them even better value. The can range in price but I think the most expensive I’ve bought is around €5. Lush is a massive fave of mine so pamper treats and if you’re lucky enough to be on the same street as a Lush store you’ll always smell it before you see it, it’s amazing like that!

3. Paese Sun of Egipt Powder: Paese is a brand that’s on the up in Ireland throughout 2016. I have been a fan for a while and although there’s loads of products I have loved (again search Paese on the blog) one of my faves during 2016 was the Sun of Egipt powder. Highlighting is the key for most girls when doing night out makeup. I currently own two of the Inglot sparkle dusts and they are very finely milled but this powder is just that big finer again, not so much a glitter as a pigmented powder and it’s amazing. It’s a stunning golden shade, I use it everywhere! I actually really liked using this during the summer dusted down my shin when I was heading out for lunch or out and about with shorts or dresses during our brief hot weather. It was lovely and as always value is key so for the amount you need to use to literally highlight your entire face, this pot could potentially last you years. This really is a little goes a long way kinda product and my fave from Paese in 2016.

4. Lancome Energie De Vie Sleep Mask: So this one is a little different as I have only just finished a sample pot in the last few months but I have to tell you, this is a little pot of goodness when you are going asleep. I was invited to the launch on the Energie De Vie range from Lancome in 2016 and tried their moisturiser. It's really light almost a liquid and was robbed, not by a beauty burglar but by himself. Loved the texture of it so much so now it's gone to a better face. I did really want the sleeping mask so when I got a sample pot in one of the Lancome's brilliant Christmas offerings then I went through it like a shortcut. It was wonderful and a product I can see myself investing in. It is on the expensive side but then again beauty comes at a cost sometimes but you always know with Lancome it is worth the money. Lancome always offer amazing products and are a brand so on trend and leading the way in beauty.

5. Makeup Revolution Radiance Palette: Another brand that just ‘took off’ in 2016 was of course Make Up Revolution. It helps to no end that the brand ambassadors for Ireland are the brilliant duo Matte to Metallics (Jen & Ciara) the Dublin duo are slowly but surely building up an empire! You can now buy Makeup Revolution, Freedom Makeup and I heart makeup on their site www.mattetometallic.com I have a good collection of makeup from Revolution at this point, picking up bits and pieces at the beauty show, out in Castle Pharmacy Waterford and of course superdrug. I actually got my sisters the bargain of Christmas with the 12 days of Christmas boxset from Makeup Revolution on sale on Superdrug there in December. I really wanted one myself but alas nobody took the hint (as if I need anymore) I decided to pull one product from my collection and that is the Radiance palette. This is a three shade highlighter palette and it’s beautiful. You can use each shade on its own, you can also mix them together which seems to be the thing I use most. I wouldn’t be sure where to put the purple shade on it’s on so I like to mix that with one or two of the others and it’s stunning. Makeup Revolution is a total budget friendly brand so it’s easy to keep buying more and more products. If you haven't started a collection from this brand then for €11 I would 100% buy this palette and get your glow on!

6. Lauren’s Way Tan: This tanning brand is my current love. I have so many of the products as you can see. Lots not opened but I have decided this is going to to be the only tanning brand I am going to use until all of this is gone. I recently went looking for a tan in my stash and noticed it was gone green, six bottles thrown out later, I am not buying tan again until I need it. My only rage at the moment is there is no salon near me in Dublin that uses Lauren’s way. Louise in LuluBelleBeauty at home in Waterford uses it so I am deffo getting it the next time I need a spray at home to try it out. My bestie Elaine uses it all the time and it’s fab on her. I have no affiliation to TOWIE or anything like that, I can 100% say I’ve never watched an episode but I first got this tan in LuluBelle as a gift set and from then went onto buy a load of it at one of the beauty shows last year so really hoping in March the distributor will be there again (I should need more by then) I have tried three of the colours in this range, medium, dark and darker than dark. Because I’m so pale I don’t see a whole lot of difference in the shades so I use mostly darker than dark and will do it over two days to get it where I like it. People with sallow skin and not ghostly white like me wouldn’t need to do this at all. I know that you can get Lauren’s way as I say in LuluBelleBeauty, in Superdrug (online too) and on TRND beauty. I will have it on for my bday weekend away so I will be sure to snap the colour.

7. Olaplex: This is for the hair changing lovers, it’s an amazing product Lisa in Zinc has been using on my hair from the moment she got it into salon. It makes colouring your hair safer than ever before and they also have a home care version no.3 that I own and love. Basically Olaplex was designed to help your hair in three different ways (now let’s not forget I am not a hairdresser, this is my basic understanding of what it does) so… When Lisa puts in a colour in my hair she uses Olaplex to protect my hair from the colour (let’s think of blondes, the risk of breaking and snapping the hair using bleach) and then when we are at the basin she uses Olaplex no.2 again to protect the hair after it has been coloured so like a conditioning treatment. The Olaplex no.3 then I use once a week as a treatment to keep my hair in as good a condition as I can until I return back to Lisa. I’m not 100% sure but I’m going to say that 2&3 are quite possibly the same ish product just 3 is designed for retail so clients can use it at home. Anyway…after all that jazz, this is the only reason with all the colours I’ve tried to put in my hair over the last couple of years that’s it’s still in good condition.

I would just like to say though it’s the same as owning expensive makeup, if you don’t know how to put it on it's completely wasted product. Lisa is a true professional, she knows my hair inside and out and understands the limits my hair can go to. We have worked really hard to always protect the hair so if you are someone who likes to change their hair or mess around with colours, please see a professional. There is nothing worse than an absolute hair disaster (I’ve had enough of them over the years) so now Lisa is my go to lady and the only one I would trust to really know what’s best for me.

8. Inglot HD Primer Yellow: This is quite new to my collection, I got my mum to pick it up for me in Poland when she was over there early December. I just wanted to flag it on my list of things and I find primers really hard to get right. I get the gist of a primer is to protect your skin and help your makeup sit better but when you are oily, you usually hate everything on your face after a few hours. I've spent quite a bit of time going to Inglot for my makeup over the last few months, I'm not sure was it a total lack of confidence or just wanting to blow money but anyway I've been twice to Tallaght and twice to DunDrum in the last 6 months (that's a lot for me) Every time the girls have suggested using this primer as opposed to their actual mattifying one and I loved it. I did feel my makeup lasted long (shine wise) so it was a happily made purchase when my parents went away. For any other savvy shoppers, the reason I got it in Poland was, Inglot is actually a Polish brand and retails at half the price over there. I think it's to do with taxes and stuff it's so expensive over here but if you ever have someone going for a weekend, ask nicely and who knows you could literally get double want you want for the same money as here. I love it, especially when I want to try out new products I'm unsure of!! To be fair to Inglot here your €30 is fully redeemable again products so you never walk away empty handed from an application which is deadly!!

9. Artdeco Most Wanted Contouring Palette: Artdeco, I feel this brand is so known when you go to college to become a Make Up Artist. So many of the students in Waterford for sure use Artdeco in their college kit. It's a brand I have know of since I started getting my brows waxed (that's how long). The first product I ever got from Artdeco and continued to purchase all the time was the camouflage cream. It was at the time when I worked in the city and I would always get my brows done on a break from work which of course meant I had to go back to work afterwards. I'd use this cream and to be fair it was always amazing, got rid of my redness so I didn't look awful for the afternoon shift. Anyway.... this contour palette is amazing!!! We were gifted this palette at the #Deisebloggers event in Waterford (obvs) in the summer, we actually got it even before the release date which was amazing!! Anyway I got the palette in the 'Warm' tone and it's one I've been using so often since the summer. The strobing powder in this palette will literally have your face seen from Space. The contour powders are not muddy by any means, they are really easy to blend out and then if you want a really contoured look, you can use two shades. The blush shade in the warm palette is perfectly suited to my skin as I love a good peach blush and to complete this amazing palette, the highlight is a lovely undereye setting powder. So there ya go, if you're convinced, go buy it now! It's available in Debenhams.

10. Wet Brush Detangle: This may seem like an odd one to include and seeing as they retail around €15 each for a hair brush you might think I'm totally mental but I assure you I am NOT!! If you have thick hair or long hair, you know all about the absolute annoyance of having to brush your hair once you're out of the shower. Seeing as I am back to having lighter parts in my hair, there's no escaping the awful feeling you get in your hair when you clean it with shampoo, it's like the lighter parts of your hair which has been bleached just matt together and make for an awful mess. This exact annoyance is why you need the wet brush in your life. I have two as you can see one is thicker than the other and I especially love my paddle brush so I can get through my hair in no time when it's wet and get on with the other mammoth task of drying to dry my thick head of hair. I would 100% recommend the wet brush, at this stage I wouldn't touch my wet hair with anything else.

So there we have it folks, part two of my top 30 is now complete. I'd love to hear if any of you have these products and love them too or even if you have them and are not a fan at all. Part 3 coming real soon :) x

12:57:00
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My Top 30 at 30!!

Hello Lovelies,

1. Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation: This foundation came into my life before I went to New York and I decided to seriously test it in the Sunshine. It was claimed that even with my oily skin, I would be able to wear this foundation without powder and you know what? I could!! This foundation is a little pricey up around the €50 but I have to say when there’s a foundation that doesn’t make me like a disco ball and still gives coverage it is well worth the money so it’s one I will never be without going forward!

2. Vichy Dermablend Powder: A little pot of loveliness this is and a thing of beauty also. This powder is only €20 and a must for anyone who does have oily skin. It’s so light so I can wear it with darker tan without looking like a ghost face! Vichy have such good ranges for all skin types that this powder was very welcomed in my collection.

3. Blank Canvas Cosmetics Solid Brush and Sponge Cleaning Soap: I know I know, I literally only used this for the first time last week but I am telling you, since that first use I have been washing all of my brushes with this bar. I also went online and bought two more of them for my sisters who have a total aversion to washing their brushes so now they really have no excuse. There is a nice scent off the soap, it cleans the brushes in seconds and I mean super cleans them not a trace of product left on them and its super cheap.

I am of course a massive blank canvas cosmetics fan, anyone that follows the blog knows I fully support Una and her BCC team. I have so many brushes and have modelled and worked with them on the beauty shows so it’s safe to say you can never go wrong with any product from Blank Canvas. If you head over to the blog www.masteringyourmakeup.blogspot.ie and search ‘blank canvas’ you’ll see loads of posts I have written so deffo check them out! If you are in need of some brushes there was a fantastic clip of the new #dimensionseries brush sets online.…Yay!!!

4. SOSU Premium Lashes in ‘GiGi’: Lashes are one of the greatest loves of my life. Lashes and me are the best of mates most times, let’s face it I wouldn’t go out without a pair (I honestly would feel so naked) These SOSU lashes in GiGi are that real fluttery look and for just under €6 again amazing value. I have picked up a pair of the Penneys exclusive lashes by SOSU in Holly, haven’t worn them yet but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say they’ll be fab on my lash line!!

The first 5 shades I bought are my favourite!

5. Inglot What a Spice Collection Eyeshadow: I decided to include the what a spice collection shadows as I now have 7 of them. To be fair the first 5 I bought I really wanted and then next two I ‘needed’ you know how it is. One of the greatest products Inglot do is their freedom system shadows. I currently have two 10 pan filled palettes and then I also own 3 flexi palettes. Not all full yet of course but I’m working it! The what a spice collection shadows are €6 each and with my pro discount come in at €4.20 (I love my 20% off) Also when my parents recently went to Poland a few weeks back they came back with a stunning haul for me. I’m thinking in 2017, I need to get myself to Poland even if it is for a makeup haul with ‘some’ sightseeing.

6. Dermalogica Daily Shampoo & Conditioner: Dermalogica is a brand that is in my heart, and on my face! When the shampoo and conditioner were launched, it was something I was really happy to review. I did have high hopes but a few concerns as the products are so good on the skin, I really didn’t want the hair products to be ‘too good’ on my hair and strip the colour out. But after finishing the whole bottle of both products, my colour was intact, my hair was silky smooth and super shiny so it is well worth the 20 odd euro you pay for these products. I think these hair products make a stunning gift for a hair lover or in fact someone who’s hair needs a little help.

7. The Balm Nude Dude Vol2 palette: This was gifted to me at an event towards the end of the year. The Balm as a brand exploded throughout Ireland in 2016, I’m assuming mostly due to the big influencers showcasing the products on their social media accounts especially Snapchat. The Balm as a brand wasn’t overly available in Ireland so when I had the opportunity to attend an event I was delighted. I began purchasing from The Balm in Castle Pharmacy in Waterford and when I saw this palette I really wanted it. I’m like that you see, I just want things but funds don’t always allow for all the ‘I wants’. These palette is super sexy, you can create so many beautiful looks with it and it’s a regular in my makeup applications. I think this palette is around the €35 mark (€35 in Debenhams) so a little pricey but worth it!

One of my best presents...this mascara from 'Big Blonde Girl Cat!

8. TooFaced Better Than Sex Mascara: Now that’s a massive bloody claim to be put on a mascara but I will say this, I LOVE this mascara! It is unreal, it gives me so much length and fullness that I’m needing a new one so soon (note to self: pick up the new mascara) and actually this will be a birthday treat to myself but this is the mascara that I never want to be without. I’m not sure if it beats my Urban Decay combo but its 2^nd and almost tipping it…almost!

9. Beauty Blender: I had to buy this in New York. I was so on the fence about the original beauty blender because let’s face it, €20 for a sponge seems mental. I picked mine up in Ricky’s and it was $25. I did buy the one with the soap with it and now that I think of it, I haven’t actually taken the soap out of the packet yet. I’m rambling but anyway…the beauty blender, the real one is very different to most other blenders. To be honest the only one that even relatively compares is the real techniques (the orange one) Cheaper beauty blenders are grand but if it’s the same texture and bounce back you want then the original is brilliant and really works the product into the skin.

10. Cocoa Brown Rose Golden Goddess Oil: Let’s just be clear as stated in the top of this post, these products are not ranked in order because this oil, the rose gold shade, has attended every single night out with me since I got it. I love the colouring of the rose gold. I started being subtle with my use of this product but then I just started lashing it on all over my legs when I’m heading out. I use it on my collarbone, the tips of my shoulders, as a highlighter on my cheek, tip of my lip anywhere that needs to glow I put this on. I haven’t yet tried to the ‘ice’ shade but the more I am seeing people using it as a highlight, I am starting to question if I need it too. Let me know if you do have it. At the moment, I have the rose gold packed into my suitcase for my birthday surprise weekend (I don’t know many details but I’m being brought away and need going out clothes) so it’s sitting there waiting to be lashed on again. Such a brilliant product from Marissa Carter!!

Ok so there we have the first 10. Apologies the post seemed to go on but I am so passionate about all of these products that it’s actually hard to stop typing! Stayed tuned for the next 10 in my top 30 at 30!!

10:47:00
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Johnnys Chop Shop Review- A male perspective on the blog!

Hello Lovelies,

Today’s post is a little different from me as it is in fact a guest like post from none other than my future hubby! It’s amazing that now we’re into 2017, I can say I am getting married next year! Well one thing J is quite fond of is his hair. He often complains that he has been wearing his hair the same way for years. Lately he has actually taken to getting it cut differently and over Christmas he has grown a beard. I’m still totally on the fence about this beard type thing but his hair looks great!

It’s rare that within the female beauty world, we are offered the chance to review male products. I have only asked J to try out some skincare before but when I got the press release email about this new brand of hair care products, I thought it would be something he would be really interested in. So let’s take a look at the brand first and what he tried…

“Johnny’s Chop Shop is a men’s barbers. It is also a cutting edge men’s grooming collection and lifestyle brand. Referencing vintage Americana imagery the brand ID is a fusion of 1950s and 1960s retro style and modern day trend. The JCS brand will give young fashion conscious men the sharpest looks and the right products to create them. It will also provide tutorial support online to guide consumers on the journey to cool. It is about crafting honest, slick styles for guys who want to be well-groomed combining traditional methods with directional techniques for remarkably uncommon results.” (Press release)

There was a bit of a calamity with our package when it arrived, J had actually received 4 products but one burst open in transit but we were able to save three of them so here’s what he tried and how much they cost. You’ll see from the prices they are 100% reasonable and perfect for the pharmacy market.

• JOHNNY’S FIX Hairspray Johnny’s quick fix style setter puts hair right in its place. End of. 200ml RRP €6.99

• JOHNNY SHEEN Hair Pomade Slick shine and uncompromising hold for authentic vintage rockabilly style. 75g RRP €9.50

• GLIDE EM HIGH Grooming Cream Quick and easy grooming cream for a laid-back look with a touch of polish. 100ml RRP €6.99

To be fair to J, he said he would happily tell me about how he feels about the product but he wasn’t going to write the blog post (I was chancing my arm assuming he’d do all this hard bit) but anyway… J has loved all of the products. He first used the Glide Em High cream going to work every day. He said it was really easy to use and he didn’t get that ‘wet look’ with the product. J’s hair is fluffy (its so soft it literally stands on end) so he likes it to still look like his hair after he’s applied product. When this was all gone he did say he would like to have it in his drawer as a constant as he found the product the nicest out of the three he got to use. For €6.99 I promised to keep him in supply of this. He has to be fair tried so many hair products, we even purchased bed head products at one point spending ridiculous amount of cash on hair gel in New York and he hated it so this one, the Glide Em High got a rave review from the man himself.

The next two products I found hilarious to watch him use, first off he didn’t know what hairspray was for, he told me he only ever sees me lashing it on the top if my head when it’s curly but low and behold he was there spritzing the ends/tips of his hair after he had placed where he wanted it to sit in the mornings. I think it’s really good when a man wants to look after his look, I think nowadays it’s good to see more products becoming available for guys and not that J would be a sucker for packaging like me but he did say that he liked the style of this brand and it is something he could see men of his age going for. In this ‘hipster’ era we still have floating around it fits really well with the new ‘groomed men’ we have walking on our streets.

All in all, J was delighted with these products, his feedback was really positive and I didn’t tell him anything about the stockists or the pricing while he was using these. It was only when I went back to him for feedback in order to write this post, we talked about how much each product was and where we could find it. Thanks to all of the messages back on Snapchat about it being in Boots.

The verdict is in Johnny’s Chop Shop products get a massive thumbs up from Mastering Your Makeup and he will deffo stay using them in the future!