Beauty - Shaaanxo Inspired Look: Collaboration No.2

So I mentioned in my last blogpost I am now doing collaborations with other bloggers I interact with on Instagram (@kissandmakeupnow_blog if you haven't already followed me!). I thought it would be a great way to gain new ideas and keep my blog fresh. If you haven't checked out my first collaboration, I'd appreciate it if you did HERE please.

This collaboration is with @arcoirisnumbatom  and is a look inspired by the New Zealand YouTuber Shaaanxo. If you don't know who she is, you need to climb out of whatever rock you've been hiding under and check her out! She is amazing, my very first blogpost was on an inspired look of hers, and I have a few more of her looks planned to do soon as well. Her Facebook page is HERE and subscribe to her YouTube HERE too.

This collaboration was supposed to go up on Monday, but between trying to sort things for university and my mum's birthday, it completely skipped my mind! But sure better late than never as they say!

@arcoirisnumbatom decided on a Shaaanxo purple eyes and nude lips, she put it up on Monday obviously. Please give her a follow and check her out!

For me personally I decided to do a look based on modern pin up look. I thought the ombre eyeliner looked so cool as you can see in the pictures of both that you can see below. I just took inspiration from Shaaanxo, I didn't copy her look completely.

So first off I moisturised using Simple Kind to Skin Light hydrating moisturiser (€5). When that was absorbed into my skin I used my Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation in 100 Ivory (€9.99) as a base, concealed with Kubiss London concealer and set both with Catrice All Matt Plus setting powder in 010 Transparent (€3.49).

Shaaanxo used all eye pencils for the look and so did I. I obviously didn't use the expensive brands she used though. I used Essence Kajal Pencil in White (€2.20) from the start of the eye to two thirds in; used Essence Long Lasting Pencil in 'Tu Tu Turquoise' for the bright blue and used Essence Long Lasting Pencil in 'Deep Sea' for the navy. These eye pencils are both €2.20 in Penneys. The gel eyeliner I used was Rimmel Scandaleyes gel eyeliner (€7.20). I used New York Color Big Bold Volume Mascara (€3.20) to my upper eyelashes. For the rest of the skin, I used Technic blush (got it as part of a make-up set so don't know the individual price) to the apples of my cheeks - this is a light, very natural blusher. For lips, you could use any colour, but I decided to use New York Color Expert Last Lip Lacquer in Fidi Fuschia (€3.70), which also featured in my previous blog post.

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.

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!

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.




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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.

Fashion & Beauty - Spring time girly outfit

So as the sun was shining for two days in a row (very rare in Ireland!), I took the opportunity to do an outfit look in the sunshine - never know when we might see Mr Sun again!

The navy polka dot dress is AX Paris. I'm not sure what was the original cost as I actually bought it in a charity shop two years ago in Dublin for €5! The nude heels are Penneys and I bought them last year. I don't wear them that often as I find they make me look much taller, and as I am already 5ft 10 in height I don't need help in that department!

As for my hair, I washed it that morning and used a tiny bit of Argan oil hair treatment at the ends where it was dry before blowdrying it straight and then used my GHD. I personally prefer messy hair though, so I curled it randomly in big sections using my Remington curler wand. I will be doing a blog post soon on hair care.

Makeup wise, it's very similar to what I have done before. I cleansed my skin with Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel foaming wash before priming my skin with Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration primer. I used the green concealer in my palette to hide any redness on my skin. I applied Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation (I've already done a review of this foundation on my blog) using my Penneys Beauty blender. I used to always apply foundation using my fingers, but since trying out this beauty blender two weeks ago for the purposes of the blog, I am hooked and will never return to using my fingers to apply foundation! The beauty blender gives a much more airbrushed, natural effect. I applied Kubiss light reflecting concealer under my eyes to hide dark circles, and set the foundation and concealer using my Kubiss powder. I contoured my cheekbones very slightly using Benefit Hoola bronzer and applied only a slight amount of Catrice defining blush to the apples of my cheeks. I used Catrice Calligraph Ultra Slim Eyeliner pen to draw an eye line and went back over the line with NYC Liquid Eyeliner. If you have problems like me with applying eyeliner, I would advise you to get an eyeliner felt tip pen, it leaves less of a mess on your face than if you mess up liquid eyeliner! This Catrice one has a very fine applicator for a precise slim eye line, and isn't too expensive, so worth checking out. I applied Benefit They're Real! mascara to my eyelashes and filled in my eyebrows using Penneys Beauty browkit. I highlighted my cheekbones and my eyebrow bone using my Catrice highlighting powder. I applied some Nivea Essential Care lipbalm to my lips and then applied MAC Russian Red lipstick to my lips for a very retro effect. I really like this lipstick, it has a blue-ish tone to it so if you're scared of wearing red lipstick as you think it looks too 'out there', I'd really recommend this one. It's matte, so quite drying, so the step I mentioned previously with the lipbalm is essential. But once on, it stays on all night and is smooch-proof too. As with all expensive products, I am looking for a less expensive alternative to this as well as alternatives to the Benefit bronzer and mascara.

I know I often wear fake tan but I felt like this look is much nicer with the pale Irish skin (red lipstick looks more striking with pale skin as well I feel). And I definitely like to embrace my porcelain skintone (even though it often irritates me from the viewpoint of finding a foundation to match!).

Product Details

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Wash, €4.79.

Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, €6.49.

Concealer palette, €10, Chinese wholesale website

Primark Beauty Blender, €1.50, Penneys.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude Foundation in '100 Ivory', €9.99, Penneys.

Kubiss Light Reflecting Concealer in 'No.2 Medium', €2, local chemist.

Kubiss Powder in 'No.2 Candle', €2, local chemist.

Benefit Hoola, €34, Boots.

Catrice Defining Blush in '080 Sunrose Avenue', €4.49, 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.

Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting powder, €4, Penneys.

Nivea Essential Care Lipbalm, €2.09, Penneys.

MAC Matte Lipstick in 'Russian Red', £15.50 (around €21), maccosmetics.co.uk.

Beauty - Ten Products Under €10

I've been using a lot of cheap beauty products recently on both the looks I've tried out for the blog and in daily life, but I am aware some of you may doubt the quality of these products because they are so cheap. To be honest, I would have thought the same before I tried and tested these products out! Granted, there are some that are not great, but many of them are great quality products that I will continue buying, and that is not just me being frugal - if a product is good quality but expensive I will buy it too. I've decided to do a quick review of ten products I have in my make-up bag that are under €10, from first impressions to staying power. I hope to do another ten products under €10 over the coming weeks, this is just to get started. These are in no particular ranking either.


1. Boots Seventeen Define and Conquer Kit, €7.59.

All the talk about Kim Kardashian's chiseled cheekbones created by contouring, as well as every beauty YouTuber I ever laid eyes on being on about it, led me to seeking out a contouring palette.
The price was obviously the first thing that appealed to me about this kit. The kit is made up of a dark bronzing powder on one side and a highlighter powder on the other, making the job of contouring easy. It comes with a mirror too, a nice added bonus. The kit even comes with instructions on where you should apply both powders. I first tried this out for a night out over the Christmas season. It looked fairly obvious where I had applied the contour when it was put on my face first. But within two hours, the contour had faded. I've hardly noticed it on the first blog post that I used it in. I used a flash on my camera on a photo I obviously didn't put up on the blog and couldn't even see where the contour was. The highlighting powder was virtually non existant on my face, even from the initial application. I think this contour kit is best for someone that just wants a slight, extremely subtle contour (and that's perfectly fine!), maybe a beginner, as it does seem to be targeted that way, especially with the handy instruction sheet. You definitely won't get Kim K's obvious contour with this one! I like the contour to look slightly more obvious, so for that reason, personally I didn't like this. I haven't used this kit since and contour my face using a matte bronzer and a highlighting powder. The matte bronzer I use at the moment is Benefit Hoola (looking for a cheaper alternative though) and the highlighter powder I use is Catrice Highlighting Powder.

2. Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49 (Penneys).
I had read reviews about this eyeshadow palette online that raved it was a good quality affordable dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palettes. And as I'd rather pay a fiver than thirty euro, I said I'd give it a go!
This palette contains six different eyeshadow shades, ranging from a light shimmery champagne tone to a dark brown. The lighter shadows (on the left of the palette), are shimmery while the shadows on the right are more matte. The back of the palette contains the simplest of instructions that even a child could follow to create a perfect smoky eye. The palette comes with a double sided brush for easier application.
What I love about this palette is that the eyeshadows are super easy to apply and even easier to blend out. I've used them both for a day time look and a night time look, using both the shadows to the right and the left. It claims to be long lasting, and they really are! They last the whole day and night for me. Well worth a try.


3. Essence Quattro Eyeshadow in 09 'Denim 4.0', €3.49 ( Penneys).
I did a blog post using this very eyeshadow palette a few weeks ago. Like I mentioned in the post, I bought it a few months ago (don't panic about expiry dates, the expiry date is actually very long on this - 36 months! - I don't know if it is the same with other products in this brand, to be honest, this isn't a brand I use very much nowadays). As I also said in the post, I just thought blue smoky eyes were best left in the 90s or early 2000's but then I thought, maybe I just didn't know how to use it properly. So after watching a couple of YouTube videos (I'm not an expert by any means, nor have I said I was!), I took it out of it's hibernation and used it.
First impressions when I was using the silver eyeshadow was that it wasn't great quality - I felt like you had to use loads of product to get even a hint of colour on the eyelid, but as I used the bright blue eyeshadow, I felt it improved - much better quality. The dark navy shadow I placed on the outer V of my eye was also very strong pigmented. The glitter really dark navy eyeshadow scattered down my cheeks and all over my face when I applied it, which was why I was thankful I hadn't done my foundation then - it would have been ruined!
I find this eyeshadow palette is quite bland on it's own - for a night time look it needs to be helped along and jazzed up by the liquid and kohl eyeliners which I did do. Regarding staying power, it does last a few hours but it starts to fade quite quickly (you would need to re-do it if going for a day to night look).
It's worth trying out for the price as it doesn't break the bank but I wouldn't buy this product regulary. I  think this brand in general is quite cheap and ineffective makeup.

4. Nivea Essential Care Lipbalm, €2.09 (Penneys).

As this was a good and trusted brand, I obviously had high expectations for this cheap but cheerful lipbalm. And it did not disappoint! As my lips have been cracked and slightly dry (from the horrible Irish cold weather, not from any action :P), I have been using this before applying lipstick or lipgloss. It softens the lips within minutes so you will notice a difference if you apply this about 10 minutes before applying lipgloss. The smell and taste is super nice on your lips. A great buy for protecting your lips from this cold weather.

5. Catrice Defining Blush in 080 'Sunrose Avenue', €4.49 (Penneys).
The price was the first thing that attracted me to trying out this product. It's super small, so it will fit in even the smallest of handbags. It is super soft to apply. You only need a tiny bit of it to be nice on your skin, so be warned - I messed up this a few times initially by applying too much, so I looked like I had been running for miles - you want a look that makes you look subtly fresh faced. Therefore, this blusher will last a long time (doesn't reach it's expiry date until 12 months from purchase). It's dermatologically tested too, so it won't irritate sensitive skin peeps like myself, and there's no strong smell off it either. It's oil free too, so great for combination or oily skin. Give it a try!

6. Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer, €6.49 (Penneys).
I recently decided to give a primer a go after hearing so much about the importance of primers in applying your makeup. I chose this Nivea one as it was affordable and from a reputable brand. It smells absolutely gorgeous, and as the name suggests, it does soak into your skin super quickly, leaving absolutely no oil residue. It did help my foundation stay put all night, but to be honest, I didn't find it that better than my Simple moisturiser I always use. I didn't like the fact that it came in a pot too, so you do need to stick your fingers in it - slightly unhygenic! Personally myself (and I know many people feel the same way), I would just prefer a moisturiser with a  cap on it just to prevent any dirt going into it and therefore transferring to your face.

7.  Catrice Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Pencil in 010 'Ultra Black', €2.29 (Penneys).
This has been a favourite of mine for the past year. After buying (and hating) Benefit Bad Gal kohl pencil (it is a huge pencil, making application difficult, and kept wiping off my waterline within minutes - not impressed!), and not really feeling any of Rimmel's, and being a bit too broke for all the others (blame college life!), I decided to give this one a try, the price being the main reason I picked it up - at just over €2 I figured I hadn't much to lose. It has a super easy, smooth application. It's easy to smudge, so it's perfect for adding some dramatics to a smoky eye look. I've used this both for day time looks and for night time looks over the past year, so I can definitely say that it's been well tried and tested (and even slept in the odd time!) and it honestly does last for hours. Give it a try!

8.  NYC Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40 (Penneys).

I never had much faith in the NYC brand, because past experience with their foundation was not so good - I couldn't find a shade to match my pale skin tone exactly, it left my skin super patchy and dry and also caused breakouts. However, when the Irish fashion and beauty blogger Suzanne Jackson (So Sue Me) reviewed her top 5 eyeliners on her blog and this was one of them, I had to give it a try - sure for €2.40 I had to! I'm really glad I did. I really really really love this eyeliner. It has a bigger brush than most liquid eyeliners do for nicer and smoother application, and doesn't sting my eyelid like many others have done, so it's great for somebody with sensitive skin. Best of all, it stays on all night - I have evidence of drunken selfies on my phone taken at 4am and the eyeliner is still looking as good then as it did when I applied it at 6pm (those selfies will not see the light of day on the internet though - a bit cringe!). A great buy, one of my favourite makeup products at the moment.

9. Kubiss London powder in No.2 'Candle', €2. (local chemist).
The price attracted me to this matte powder, I decided for that price it was worth a shot. First impressions - it smells old fashioned, reminds me of a perfume my granny used to wear or talcum powder, and it's quite strongly scented like this too, so if you're not into strong scents on a powder or just feel wary of them because of sensitive skin, stay well clear - although I have sensitive skin and this powder didn't affect my skin whatsoever. I find that this powder is really good for initial setting down of foundation, but for nights out or even a day time look, it does need to be re-applied, as it does lose it's magic after 2 hours or even less. But I didn't mind that (sometimes!). I also feel like you need to apply lots to your skin to get it to work, but then it makes your base look off colour.  This is a nice affordable powder if you don't mind the frequent added touch ups. Kubiss is a relatively unknown brand from the UK, I bought it in my local chemist in Mayo because they had an offer on on the brand there - three makeup products for €4 - so being the bargain-hunter I am, I just had to give it a go. I also spotted it in a chemist in Sligo too a few months back. I recently bought their light reflecting concealer and matte foundation that I will be reviewing on the next Ten Products Under €10. You can browse their products on their website - www.kubiss.co.uk.

10. Catrice Infinite Shine Lipgloss, €3.49 (Penneys).
The price again was the thing that attracted me to this product. I have alot of Catrice products, it probably sounds like I'm a rep for them at times, but  I really like their products, so was eager to try out their lipgloss. I first tried it out a few weeks ago. It smells and tastes absolutely gorgeous - like marshmallows - so that was a major plus for me as I hate lipsticks and lipglosses that taste so gross on my lips. It's non sticky, so it won't get stuck in your hair while you brave the windy weather (it has been tried and tested numerous times!). It doesn't have amazing lasting power so you will need to re-apply it a few times during the day and a night out - for a night out from 8pm-4am I'd typically have to reapply this about 4 times, which still isn't that bad. It keeps your lips super moisturised and soft as well. I often use it over a nude lipstick like I did in the blogpost with the smoky eye look to give it added shine. It's definitely worth trying out.


That's all for now lovelies,
until next time,

Michelle xoxox

Beauty & Fashion - Valentines' Night Look

Decided to do a blog post about some of the outfits combined with makeup looks I have worn the past year.

One of my favourite looks on myself over the past year has been my Valentines' night outfit - I love wearing red lipstick so much. Better still - besides from the dress - every product used costs €10 or less - bargain! :)

The dress - if anyone is wondering - is from Swamp. I remember seeing it when it was in store first, but when I saw the price tag - €65 - it became less appealing! Just by chance I happened to be in the shop when they were having their after Christmas sales and I snapped it up for €20! Best.Bargain.Ever! I love this dress as it has a very classic neckline  and it also has a nice knee-length to it. It also has a tie belt so you can adjust it around the waist, to draw attention to your waist. I had worn it out New Year's Eve but decided to wear it Valentines' Night as it seemed appropriate to wear red that weekend!

Like most girls, when I go on a night out I like to wear a little bit (I emphasise the little bit!) of fake tan. I use Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff Body Scrub in the shower to exfoliate tough areas of skin like the hands, feet, elbows and knees, to avoid that manky orange tell-tale sign. I love this exfoliator as it smells really nice and is super effective too. I did this the night before I was going out, and moisturised my skin using the Supreme Cream Body Butter by Dirty works - it contains shea butter and sweet almond oil and as well as making even the roughest of skin super soft, it smells pretty good too, as well as being  super affordable! I forget what was the price of this was when I bought it six months ago, and after all my research,  I have been only able to find it online from a retailer in the UK (www.mysupermarket.co.uk), that sells it for a very purse-friendly £4 (€5.55). I applied a light layer of Cocoa Brown Day & Night Tan Mousse then. I like this tan as it doesn't have the horrible biscuit-tin smell that most have. I haven't used it too much though, so I'm going to do a blog post in the future reviewing both Tough Stuff and Day & Night tan in full.

For the makeup look, I thought that the red lipstick would suit the look and kind of tie it in together. With that in mind, I decided to keep the rest of my makeup super simple and matte. So after cleansing my face with my Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash to get rid of any dirt or oil that might have built up on my face throughout the day (I will be doing a blogpost about affordable skin care products soon), I primed my skin using my trusty Simple Kind to Skin Hydraing Light Moisturiser.  For my makeup base, I decided to mix two foundations together - apart from the godsend gem Max Factor Skin Luminizer foundation I have recently used - I really struggle to find a foundation that is light enough to match my Casper the ghost-esque skintone. I had been using Catrice All Matt Plus which is a great foundation for a while, but I made the mistake of buying it in a shade slightly too dark for my skin tone (Nude Beige) so when I bought Catrice Nude Illusion in a slightly lighter shade (Rose Vanilla) I stopped using All Matt Plus, but I have noticed that Nude Illusion tends to wipe off within a really short space of time and as I wanted my make up to be matte and stay put all night, I needed some input from All Matt Plus as well. I found these both together did the job pretty well! Of course, I was just using what I had handy at the time, but you can obviously just use a mattifying, long-lasting foundation in a shade that suits your skin tone. I set my foundation using Kubiss London powder. For blusher, I used Catrice Defining Blush. I filled in my eyebrows using Penneys PS Beauty Browkit. For eyes, I used Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette and the three shades on the left side to create a subtle smoky eye. I applied the second shade from the left all over my eye right up to my browbone. I then added the third shade from the left in the eye crease and created an outer V at the outer eye corner. I then blended these both together. I then used the champagne toned colour (the first on the left) on the inner corner of the eye to highlight and brighten the look up. For added drama, I added a pair of false eyelashes from Penneys. They were a bit long for my small eyes so I had to cut a little off at the ends. To hide the band, I applied some NYC Liquid Eyeliner over the top, and added lots of NYC Big Bold Volume By the Lash Mascara to blend the false eyelashes in with my real ones. I used Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting powder over the cheeks, on my chin and on my browbone. For red lipstick, I used a favourite of mine - Catrice Ultimate Shine Lipstick in 130 'Ketch-me-up'.  It's super glossy, easy to apply, an affordable price and makes my teeth look really white, and I use it every week if I can (hence the mess of the label on my photo
below!). Plus how eye-catching is that pretty silver packaging? Definitely makes this lipstick easy to find in my makeup bag in between the black packaging of the Mac and Rimmel ones! The only thing I dislike about this lipstick is that it fades away within two hours so if you're going for a night out, make sure you stick it in your handbag so you can touch it up as the night goes on. so the colour stays super glossy like it does from first application.

Product Details

Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff 3-in-1 Body Scrub, €7.99, Penneys.

Cocoa Brown Day & Night Tan Mousse, €9.99, Penneys.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash, €4.79, Boots.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser, €4.99, Boots.

Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Makeup in 'Nude Beige', €6.99, Penneys.

Catrice Nude Illusion Makeup in 'Rose Vanilla', €8.49, Penneys.

Kubiss London powder in No.2 'Candle', €2, local chemist.

PS Beauty Browkit, €1.50, Penneys.

NYC Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40, Penneys. 

Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, Penneys.

Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting Powder, €4, Penneys.

Catrice Defining Blush in 080 'Sunrose Avenue', €4.49, Penneys.

NYC Big Bold Volume by the Lash Mascara, €3.49, Penneys.

PS Beauty False Eyelashes in 'Sultry', €1.50, Penneys.

Catrice Ultimate Shine Lipstick in 130 'Ketch-me-up', €5.49, Penneys.

Beauty - Dramatic Eyeliner and Pink Lips Makeup Inspired by Shaaanxo

Kind of a quirky look I went for today!

I had just bought the Rimmel London foundation Lasting Finish in 100 'Ivory' so wanted really to try that out (full review on this product is to come!)

Firstly, I used Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer to prime my skin. I've been using this primer for a few weeks and to be honest I'm a little disappointed! It's not that much better than my ordinary Simple moisturiser I had been using in the past, but I like the smell of this and it's very gentle on my skin.

I used the green in my concealer palette to hide any redness caused by the horrible cold Irish weather around my nose and on my cheeks, and used the light pink concealer under my eyes to get rid of any dark circles.

I used the Rimmel London foundation then - first impressions were that it matched my skintone exactly and was a buildable coverage. I used the concealer in the palette to conceal any spots then. I set my foundation using the Kubiss London powder in No.2 'Candle'.

I used Boots Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit primarily the contour - the highlighter side of this kit is a bit too light for my fair Irish skin - and applied that on my cheekbones, over my forehead, sides of my nose and chin. 

For blush I used the Catrice Defining Blush in 080 'Sunrose Avenue'.

For the eyes I was kind of trying to copy a makeup look I see on an New Zealand blogger Shaaanxo - I was obsessed with it! It involved using a gel eyeliner (I used Mac) and smudging it out along the outer corner. I'm not sure I really did it like her, but I made an attempt at it anyways! I used the Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette just to brighten the look up. I used Benefit They're Real! Mascara on my upper and lower eyelashes. I then used Mac's Pink Noveau as a lipstick. I then used Catrice Prime and Fine highlighting powder to add highlight to my face. I used Penneys PS Beauty Brow Kit to fill in my brows.

As my blog is aimed towards the budget conscious, I was aware that some of the products used don't exactly match the criteria. Benefit They're Real! Mascara being one of them. This was a product I wanted to try out for ages, and I wasn't disappointed with it - makes your eyelashes look like they're false (no messing around with glue and false eyelashes, yes to that!) and the top of the brush is super small to coat even the smallest of eyelashes. I am in the process of reviewing a product that's a little cheaper than this baby though.

The MAC lipsticks I wanted to try out for a long time. I ordered the classics like Russian Red, but I randomly picked Pink Noveau. I have tried it out a few times on myself and I absolutely adore the colour and the staying power - it will literally stay put the whole night. The horrendously bad lighting in the photo of me makes it look slightly darker on me than it actually is as you can see from the picture of it taken from the Mac website. I am in the process of looking for cheaper alternatives at the moment though, as the Mac products are expensive.

As for the MAC gel eyeliner, this was actually my first time using gel eyeliner. Most of the time, I use liquid eyeliner  but was wanting to choose a gel eyeliner as this look involved smudging it (you can't really smudge liquid eyeliner any bit to be honest - ends up everywhere!) and this one seemed to get quite good reviews online. I love it myself as it glides on super easy and lasts all day, but I'm currently in the process of looking for a cheaper gel eyeliner alternative and will update the blog when I do.










Product Details:


Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in '100 Ivory'. €9.99, Penneys.
Concealer Palette. €10, Chinese wholesale website.
Boots Seventeen Define and Contour Contouring Kit. €7.59, Boots.
Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer. €6.49, Penneys.
MAC Lipstick in 'Pink Noveau'. £15.50 (around €21), maccosmetics.co.uk
Benefit They're Real! Mascara. €26.00, Boots.
Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting Powder, €4, Penneys.
Kubiss London Powder in No.2 'Candle'. €2, local chemist.
Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, Penneys.
PS Beauty Brow Kit, €1.50, Penneys.
Catrice Defining Blush in 080 'Sunrose Avenue'. €4.49, Penneys.
MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner, £15.50, (around €21), maccosmetics.co.uk