Spring has finally sprung and as the weather begins to brighten up I tend to do the same with my makeup. I like to keep my makeup fresh and natural looking and these have been my go to products over the last month. Bourjois Bronzing Primer I have spoke about this products LOTS over the past 3 years. This velvety cream blends effortlessly onto the skin to give a beautifully bronze glow. I use it instead of a regular powder bronzer to contour slightly and blend over the high points of my face so I look sunkissed. It lasts for ages and its very good dupe for the Chanel Tan de Soleil. Available from Pharmacies nationwide RRP €12.99 Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector - Apricot Shimmer Again a product I have spoken about lots. I have about 4 of these in different shades and will admit that they are one of my all time favourite makeup products. I love the soft squeezy tube which manages to dispense just the right amount of product so there is no waste, the formula which is a hybrid between a balm, gel and gloss but is non sticky and lastly how is makes my lips look smooth & plump with a beautiful sheer wash of colour. The Lip Perfectors also contain shea butter which leaves your lips nourished and soft. Available from pharmacies nationwide RRP €20 Youngblood Creme Blush in Champagne Life This is the perfect creme highlight (well that's what I use it for anyway). It is a beautiful warm golden shade that blends really well and gives the perfect hint of shimmer to the tops of your cheek bones, brow bone and bridge of your nose. Available from Youngblood stockists nationwide RRP €27 or direct from www.youngbloodirldirect.ie Clarins Rouge Eclat Age Defying Lipstick in Pink Blossom Another Clarins product!!! I saw this in my local pharmacy and toyed with buying it for a few weeks!!! But I'm only human and eventually gave into temptation. Pink Blossom is the perfect rose shade and the formula of these lipsticks are amazing. They apply like a balm so glide on without any dryness and leave you with glossy hydrated lips. I love the colour and think it's the perfect spring shade that will look great with a tan in summer also. Available in Clarins stockist nationwide RRP €24 Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink At this stage I think you are beginning to notice a trend. I love fresh dewy skin and lips for Spring/Summer and this blush gives the perfect pop of colour. It blends easily onto the skin to add a radiant healthy flush. Brilliant if you have dry or older skin but suitable for any skin type. And cream blush is pretty much foolproof to apply...simply warm the product with your finger, pat off any excess on to a tissue (or the back of your hand) and then just smile. Apply the blush to the apples of the cheeks and blend the colour backwards. If you feel you have applied too much color, use a sponge or stipple brush to pat over the top and remove some of the colour until you get your desired result. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!! Available in pharmacies nationwide RRP €10 What products are you loving for Spring/Summer 16? Let me know in the comments below.
I hope you enjoyed reading this!!!! Until next time...Be Happy Susie xxx
2 Comments
My regular readers will know how much I love mascara and I just adore the Lancome range since my days working at the Lancome counter in my first pharmacy job many many moons ago. They are such good quality and I don't mind paying a little extra for them. I picked up their latest offering at Christmas as part of gift set. It came with the mascara (obviously), a travel size Bi Facils (Lancome's amazing eye makeup remover) and a Black Kohl pencil (you can never have too many black kohl pencils) all for €30. Bargain!!! What makes this mascara so different to others is the new "Swan Neck" shaped brush. Lancome claim that "this new application technique will effortlessly create open full and even lashes because the high precision brush can grab lashes close to the root and perfectly fan them out, corner to corner". So what did I think? This mascara grabs EVERY little lash including the annoying inner corner ones so if you have short lashes this is perfect for you. My first few attempts were a little bit fiddly but take your time and get used to the brush. It's easy to coat each lash from root to tip and this formula delivers on its promise of super lifted, fanned out lashes. And after a full day of wear there were no smudging or flaking!! My only critique would be that once you apply a second coat things can get a little messy. My lashes tended to clump a little but nothing a lash comb didn't sort out. Would I repurchase? Yes! I know it's a little bit expensive but in my defense some days my makeup can just consist of concealer and mascara. So when I find a mascara that makes my lashes look long, separated and fanned out I'm going to stick with it. But don't take my word for it....Check out your local Lancome counter and ask the very nice people there to either give you a sample or try it on so you can see for yourself!!! It is available nationwide for €33. So I hope you enjoyed this quick review...If there is anything else you would like me to try out just let me know in the comments below.
Until next time...Be Happy!!! Susie xxx I have never done one of these "rambly" type of blogs before but I just wanted to give you an update on...well 'me' I suppose. I haven't been writing as much on my blog and my social media has been quiet also but life is just very busy at the moment!!!. So here is a run down on how my new healthy lifestyle is going and the new makeup and skincare products I have been trying out in 2016. Health & Fitness As with most January's I decided I really needed to lose weight but more so I needed to get fit (well fitter than I was anyway). My brother James is getting married at the end of February so that was a great intensive for me to make a start and an obvious first goal. Lucky for me I have a friend who is a qualified personal trainer and she was up for the challenge (I still don't think she has realised how tough it will be!!!!) and so on January 5th I hit up Dunnes and bought some fitness gear, joined the gym and started to eat "clean". I have done every "diet" ever known to human kind over the years including Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Lipotrim, 7 Day Juice Diet & Cambridge however as soon as I fall off the wagon I put back on whatever weight I had lost.... plus some!!! So not wanting to cut out any food group or deprive myself I am doing my own thing from a combination of what I have learnt from my friend Denise (who is a nutritionist - you can find her at www.irishpaleogirl.ie), my new favourite nutrition coach Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach (http://www.thebodycoach.co.uk/) and four brilliant bloggers/snapchatters - Ursula @momfitnessdiary, Tara Farrell @tara_makeup (Tara Farrell Makeup), Rosemary @rosemarymaccabe & Sharon @sharonleavy (Behind Green Eyes). These 4 ladies post healthy homecook recipes & fitness inspiration on their snapchat, Instagram & blogs so check them out. Preparation is key - It's all about being prepared - have your ingredients bought and stored at home, prep your meals in advance and give yourself some "you time" to plan & cook your meals. Breakfast tends to be a smoothie, overnight oats or eggs, lunch is homemade soup or leftovers and dinner will be whatever I fancy!!! I love meatballs, stews, bacon & cabbage, Shepard's pie, chicken...I honestly don't think I have ever cooked as much and surprisingly have been really enjoying it. I try not to use anything from a packet, jar or tin, I read the labels on all my food and am making a huge effort to eliminate added sugar from my diet (which is so frickin hard). And I try (but don't always succeed) to have protein, a healthy fat and loads of greens with my meals and after a workout throw in some form of healthy carb. Now I didn't weigh myself at the start of all this because I become OBSESSED with the scales - Joe Wicks calls it the sad step and I agree with him. I would start to weigh myself every day and if I didn't see a loss or god forbid I had an increase I would get upset and end up eating my body weight in chocolate (I am an emotional eater!!). So I can't tell you how much I have lost but I am down a dress size and all my clothes are fitting much better - I can even pull down my jeans and work trousers without opening the buttons :)....However my obsession with the scales hasn't gone away - I do know what I weighed before Christmas and I am going to weigh myself at the end of this month so hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised. So I'm a full month in and things are going really well on my health kick. I try and do some form of exercise at least five days a week and usually do a mix of walking/jogging, cardio, circuits & weights. The eating is going well too - I plan ahead and have my meals sorted and as for the demon drink - well I pretty much has a dry January except for one cheat - I had a friends 30th on the last day of Jan so we had an India and drinks but I'm having a quiet few weeks before the wedding so that's all a huge help. And as I type this my bestest sister-in-law just text to say she got me Roz Purcell's Natural Born Feeder cookbook!!!! EEEKKKK I'm so excited. Skincare & Makeup I haven't bought a huge amount this month even though I was in Dublin last week but what I did buy cost me a fortune!!!! I'm not going to do a full review on these products yet as I haven't been using them long enough but I just wanted to give you an overview. If you are a regular reader then you will know I'm into my skincare products and research as much as I can before buying something. So the first product wasn't an impulse purchase and trust me I thought long and hard before handing over my hard earned cash. Its the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. This costs a whopping €105 for 30mls but it's supposed to be the bomb!!!. It is a Retinol product which promises to "reduce pore size, improve appearance of damaged skin and helps fight wrinkles". It would want to work for that price!!!! Next up is the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial (€38 for 75mls). I have read so many good things about this mask over the past few months so had to include it on my never ending shopping list. This mask contains water activated Vitamin C and claims to "instantly revitalize and visibly rejuvenate the skin leaving it looking firm, toned and smooth while reducing the signs of fatigue, photo ageing and skin imperfections". And lastly from my skincare haul is the No7 Beautiful Skin Hydrating Mask (€17.50 for 100mls). I got this at the start of January for my poor winter battered skin. This gives skin an intense moisture boost and with the way my skin drinks it up its badly needed. Keep an eye out for a full review shortly. I haven't bought a huge amount of makeup mainly because I've wore feck all in January. No point when you are just going to sweat it off in the gym!. But I couldn't leave Brown Thomas without nothing :). First up is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (€45 for 30mls). Again this has been on my shopping list for a long time. I actually tried the Nars All Day Luminous Foundation first but it was far too drying on my skin. Now the lovely girl that was applying it did tell me they recommended it more for oily/combination skin so it was a definite no from me. I moved on to the next one on my list which happened to be the Armani Luminous Silk. Now the counter assistant wasn't the friendliest of ladies but she did colour match me to shade 4.5 which is actually pretty good. I have been wearing this for the past week at work and been loving it so far. Next up is the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Sandglow (€30). I love cream eyeshadows but alot of them then to crease quite quickly so after reading rave reviews about these one I picked up this beautiful bronze shade. It has a lovely gold shimmer through it and lasts for hours. And lastly I picked up two MAC items during the month - MAC Hot Gossip Cremesheen Lipstick €20 and MAC Cork Eyeshadow €10. Hot Gossip is a beautiful Pinky Plum colour and one I think will be perfect for alot of my brides who want a little more colour for their wedding day. And Cork eyeshadow is a muted golden brown and a perfect transition shade for blending out darker colours. Two lovely additions to my kit. So I think that's all I have to tell you. I hope you liked my little rambly blog and please keep your fingers crossed I stayed on the "health buzz" wagon.
Thanks for reading. Susie xxx These are amazing!!!! I have started to follow Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach on social media and spotted this video on his Facebook page. He doesn't really give measurements/quantities so I had to wing it a little but thankfully they turned out great. For the Meatballs - To make 12 (big meatballs) Ingredients 2lbs (900g) Lean mince 1 small red onion (chopped) 1 clove of garlic (crushed) 1 egg 1 courgette (grated, optional) Salt & Pepper Method I always add some form of greens to my homemade burgers or meatballs so I grated a courgette into the mince, added the chopped red onion, minced garlic, salt & pepper to taste then crack in one whole egg to help bind the mixture together. Get your hands into the bowl and and mix everything really well. This also helps to make the meatballs nice and tender. Shape into balls and chill in the fridge for about an hour. For the Sauce Ingredients 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1 Red Onion Crushed garlic (1 or 2 cloves) Italian Herbs (1 tablespoon) Tomato Puree (4 tablespoons) Red Cabbage (about half a head, chopped) Worcestershire Sauce ( 2 tablespoons) 1 tin of chopped tomatoes Salt & Pepper (to taste) Optional - Cheddar/Parmesan/Feta Method Heat the coconut oil in a large pan at a med/high heat. Add the onion and cook for approx 2 mins. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the Italian herbs, tomato puree and the meatballs. Brown the meatballs lightly. Add the red cabbage, Worcestershire sauce and the tin of chopped tomatoes then season with salt & pepper to taste. Turn down the heat to medium and let simmer for 15-20mins. Sprinkle with cheese if you so wish and serve. And that's it...They are so simply to make and taste even better the 2nd day. FYI For Paleo people don't add the cheese and I think it's pretty much 100% Paleo. Serve with a salad or fresh vegetables. For Slimming World people you might have to switch out the coconut oil for olive oil. You can add pasta or a little Garlic Bread. I hope you enjoyed this type of blog. Let me know if you would like to see more "clean" recipes.
Thank you for reading. Susie xxx So it's back to normality this week after a brilliant Christmas...Oh God the FEAR..I don't think I slept for more than an hour at a time on Monday night!!!!! Work was nuts but flew by so it really wasn't too bad. And I have yet to make any New Year's resolutions but because I very rarely stick to them I'm not too bothered!!!! Anyway on to my Christmas Saviour. My skin usually plays hell after a few late nights, crap food and general lack of sleep but this year I had a secret weapon up my sleeve and I actually think it helped hugely. I have been using the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque since summer as my skin was very dehydrated and a little irritated after holidays - the sun, sea and pool play havoc with my pale Irish skin. The Hydraphase Masque is a hydrating facemask that leaves skin calmed and beautifully soft - the perfect product for when the saltwater, chlorine & alcohol have stripped all the moisture from your skin or your skin is looking a little dull or dehydrated. But for the party season I decided to use it a little differently:
The mask itself has a beautiful cooling gel-cream formula that feels instantly soothing on the skin and as with all products from the Hydraphase range it's aim is to pump moisture into your skin. It contains Shea Butter, Hyaluronic acid and of course the famous soothing La Roche-Posay Thermal Spa Water. All these ingredients left my skin feeling fresh and hydrated. Oh and a little tip I picked up recently was to use a flat foundation style brush to apply face masks to the skin (If you don't have one lying around you will pick one up cheap enough in a pharmacy) . This way you get more control, even coverage and less waste of product. It works a treat!!!! As with all La Roche-Posay products this is paraben free, non-comedogenic, contains minimal ingredients and fragrance and is tested on the most sensitive of skins (I think I am correct in saying that). One word of warning though: it does contain mineral oil so if this is a problem ingredient for you or you have acne prone skin would stay clear. It is available in pharmacies nationwide for about €22. What are your favourite facemasks? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!!!
Susie xxx Hey guys Happy New Year to you. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Today's blog is going to be my 2015 Makeup Favourites. Some are new products for me and some are old favourites that I keep going back to time & time again. But they are all ones that I have used and loved the most. Primer has pretty much stayed the same since I discovered this product. It's the Laura Mercier Radiance Primer and I use it both on myself and in my professional kit. It is a lightweight creamy gel that leaves skin with a beautiful radiant appearance. Lovely to use on its own for "no makeup" days or perfect under your foundation to help it last longer. There are two foundations which have really stood out for me this year and the first one is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation. This has firmly become my everyday go to base. It evens out my complexion and hide any redness around my nose whilst lasting brilliantly throughout the day. Amazing budget foundation. For something with a little more coverage I have been loving the Clarins Everlasting Foundation. I am a loyal Estee Lauder Double Wear user however this has definitely taken over from it. It feels really light on your skin but still has great high coverage with a beautiful finish. No caking in sight!!!! I know I have raved about this concealer on loads of occasions but it really is my favourite go to. It's the Maybelline The Eraser Eye and is my most used and most loved concealer. It doesn't crease or sit in my fine lines and manages to cover most of my dark circles...Sure what else could you want!!!! The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer wasn't an instant WOW product for me but after seeing so many people rave about it I decided to give it a 2nd chance. And boy am I glad I did. It is now a firm favourite in my makeup bag. I use it on days I need extra coverage for dark circles or for any blemishes I may have.This stuff doesn't budge...brilliant concealer. So to hold my foundations in place and prevent shine I still go back to the Rimmel Lasting Perfection Powder. It adds a little extra coverage and stays in place for the day. My favourite bronzer is an old favourite. It's the Soap and Glory Solar Powder. This has two shades...the darker shade is a matte bronze and the lighter shade has a lovely golden shimmer. I love using this with a big fluffy brush to warm up my complexion. It adds a lovely glow without being too shimmery.... Outstanding blush has to be the Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes...I have about four of these and am a massive fan. They apply beautifully to the skin, the pigmentation is great and it blends really well. To contour I love the Sleek Face Form palette. This contour colour is the perfect shade for me and is totally matte. I also love the blush and highlight that comes with this. It's just a great all rounder palette. Highlighter will be no surprise as it has taken the world by storm this year. It's The Balm Mary Loumanizer. This is the perfect glowy champagne colour. I always use an eye primer and this is another product that hasn't changed over the past twelve months. I apply a thin layer of the MAC Painterly Paint Pot all over my lid to even any discolouration and to hold my shadow in place all day. This year I have been loving cream eyeshadows and my favourite has been the Max Factor Colour Excess in Bronze. It 's super simple to use, adds a lovely wash of colour all over the eye and is perfect for a quick makeup look. It lasts all day and can be used on it's own or as a base for powder shadows. A new discovery for me this year has been the Makeup Geek eyeshadows. I have about 6 shades but now that they are more easily available on Beautybay.com I will definitely be adding more to my collection.They blend really well, have great pigment with very little fall out. My favourite shade is this beautiful rich cranberry called Burlesque. My 2015 favourite eyeshadow palette will be no surprise to my regular readers...It's the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita palette. This is basically my go to perfect palette. I love the colours, the shadows are buttery soft and blend like a dream and even the packaging is gorgeous. If I was stuck on a desert island and could only have one makeup product it would definitely be mascara. And I am totally in love with these two. First up is the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara. This gives great volume and curl without looking clumpy. The perfect everyday mascara. And for a more dramatic look I love the Lancome Grandiose. It gives great volume, separation and a fab long lasting curl without any of that nasty flakiness... Another cult favourite which has been massive this year is the Inglot No. 77 Gel liner. This glides on easily and once it sets it will NOT budge!!! My go to pencil eyeliner has to be MAC Teddy. This is a silky smooth bronze that glides on easily. It's not as harsh as black so great for day wear. Eyebrows are still "big" this season and my favourite product has to be the Eylure Brow Palette. It comes in 3 shades Blonde, Medium Brown & Dark Brown and each palette contains a powder colour, gel colour & a matte brow highlight shade. Its super easy to apply and very long lasting. Basically fool proof!!! I have fallen in love with lip pencils this year and often use them on their own with just a bit of gloss for colour. It was hard to choose just one favourite but when I actually thought about it the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk is the one I reach for the most. This is the perfect nude pencil and is great for adding shape & definition to your lips. Honorable mention has to go to the Essence & Catrice lip pencils. I must own every shade of the NYX Butter Glosses. These are just brilliant. They are well pigmented, creamy and so comfortable to wear on the lips. Brilliant budget buy. MAC Creme Cup has to be my favourite nude lipstick both personally and for professional use. This is a beautiful light pink with a blue undertone (so it makes your teeth look whiter!!!). And as with most MAC lipsticks its very comfortable to wear. My go to darker lip colour has to be the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine. This applies nice and creamy and then dries to a comfortable matte finish. The pigmentation is incredible and it wears really well without going patchy. I love makeup brushes and sponges so of course had to give a mention to my favourite tools. First up is the Cailyn O WOW Foundation Brush. This looks strange and takes a bit of getting used to but it makes applying your foundation really easy. Next up is the Blank Canvas F15. This is the most versatile brush I own. I use it to set my concealer and for contour because it has a great tapered head and for blush & highlight because it is super soft and blends the products so easily. I have about four of them for my professional kit. Amazing brush. And lastly...it's the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. This makes applying foundation & concealer super simple and gives a beautiful airbrush effect to the skin. So that's it...My 2015 favourites!!!!
What have your been loving over the past 12 months? Let me know in the comments below or pop over and say hi on Facebook/Instagram or Snapchat (you will find me at makeupbyrubysue) Thanks for reading guys!!! Susie xxx If you have followed me for a while you will know I buy tons and tons of beauty products every month. Most of the time I'm happy with my purchases, sometimes pleasantly surprised but every now and again i get a dud!!! Here are the products that have disappointed me this year. CoLab Dry Shampoo - I had read so many rave reviews about this but was left disappointed. I bought the Paris scent and the London one but neither of them worked. If I use this in the morning my hair is oily again by lunch time and I have absolutely no volume... basically it just didn't do anything for my hair. I thought it was just me but my sister came in as I was photographing these products and she agreed with my review!!! So it a big no from us!!! St. Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan - I can honestly say this was the worst €20 I have ever spent. So how this works is after washing yourself you turn off the water and put this on... you then have to wait in the cold for 3 minutes before rinsing it off. You can't rinse your hands for them three minutes so there is a risk they will turn brown, the water dripping from your hair leaves streaks and its just weird and very cold standing in your shower for what feels like an hour!!!! Don't waste your money, wait until you get out of the shower into a nice warm room and use your favourite tan. L'Oreal Elvive Extraordiary Oil in Cream Nourishing Leave in Cream - This was just blah!!!! I could never find a happy medium between either using too much and ending up with greasy hair or not using enough and having no effect at all. It was only €6 from Boots so no real harm done but I won't be buying it again. Botanics All Bright Eye Makeup Remover - I used to love this stuff but this one was very oily leaving a residue around my eyes and I ended up having to use at least double the amount to remove my eye makeup. I am addicted to mascara and buy one nearly every week. So out of the 52 I buy every year there are bound to be disappointing ones. Thankfully I have been pretty lucky but I wasn't a major fan of the NYC Big Curl (it was very wet and took ages to dry), Essence I Love Extreme (this was too dry and flaky), Rimmel Scandaleyes Extreme (didn't do anything for my lashes), No.7 Dramatic Lift mascara (ah ya there was no lift in this one and it cost €18.50!!!!) and Catrice Glam & Doll Volume (didn't get the hype around this one). These will all be going to my nieces/goddaugher.... Cailyn BB Fluid Touch Compact - There was huge hype around the release of these products so I finally gave in and bought the BB cream and the O Wow foundation brush. I LOVE the brush however the BB cream didn't knock my socks off. My main problem is that the lightest shade available (in Ireland) is Sandstone and for most of us pale Irish girls this is still too dark. Plus I found it to oxidise on my skin so it got at least one shade darker after application. So please Cailyn Ireland if you are reading this can you get the Porcelain shade over here asap!!!! SoSu Nail Polishes - These were a huge release for Ireland's No. 1 Blogger Suzanne Jackson earlier this year. However I am not a lover of them...Don't get me wrong the colour range is amazing however they all chipped on me within 2 or 3 days. I used a good top & base coat on all shades but to no avail!!!! Sorry Sue!!!! I proobably will buy more colours though because the pigment/colours are great but I won't be expecting it to last 7 days!!!! So that's it!!! What products have your been disappointed with in 2015? I will be doing a 2015 favourites soon so keep your eyes peeled for that!!!! Thank you all for reading and all your lovely messages throughout the year. Wishing you all the most magical of Christmases (is Christmases a word???) Talk Soon Susie xxx Instant Tan is a must have for me and I will admit it's always Sally Hansen Airbrush legs I reach for when I'm in a mad panic and need to get rid of the pasty white look. I bought the Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs when it was first launched thinking it would be a good match for my beloved Sally but was left disappointed with both the colour (which was a horrid shade of orange) and texture (which was very powdery/heavy). So it was thrown into the bottom of my tanning drawer never to be seen again.... That is until now!!!! I had seen on social media that Ms Carter had relaunched the Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Spray with a new improved colour so whilst in Galway one day I picked up a bottle. How do you know the difference I hear you ask....Well the new improved formula has a sticker on the lid telling you so!!! So I dug out my old bottle to compare it with the new! And as you can see there is a dramatic difference. The new colour is a gorgeous golden brown shade and applies evenly all over the skin. The formula itself is much more fluid like and blends well onto the skin. You can easily build it up to a shade that suits and then at the end of the night it washes off easily in the shower. I have been loving this new formula and it is now my go to instant tan. Well done to Marissa & the Cocoa Brown Team for seeing the fault and fixing it. The Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Spray can be bought in Penny's & pharmacies nationwide for €7.99 or Cloud 10 Beauty (http://www.cloud10beauty.com/cocoa-brown-lovely-legs.html). Now I'm off to get myself ready for a Halloween parade. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend.
Until next time....Stay Happy!!!! Susie xxx So it was my birthday last month and I got lots of vouchers!!!! I never used to like vouchers....Always thought they were kind of a "lazy" present however of late I have been loving them. Letting a few build up, making a shopping list and then hitting off for the day!!!!! Oh the excitement..... So this is what I got last weekend in Galway...Apart from 2 pairs of tights, a portable phone charger and a pair of slipper socks everything else was skincare or makeup.... Oh and this is goin' to be a very picture heavy post :) Brown Thomas: YSL Luxurious Mascara for Instant False Lash Effect €32.50. This came as a gift set with a mini Top Secret Eye Makeup Remover and Instant Moisture Glow (no extra cost). MAC 217 Blending Brush €26 (My all time favourite blending brush) MAC Brush Cleaner €15.50 MAC Lipsticks in Brave & Diva II €20 each MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer NW20 €23 MAC Eyeshadow (pans) Sketch, Handwritten, Trax, Quarry, Jest, Embark €10 each Then I popped into Cara Pharmacy Cara Pharmacy: Cocoa Brown Deluxe Double Sided Pink Velvet Tanning Mitt €5.95 Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs €7.99 Ardell Natural Demi Wispies €4.95 And finally a mix of Penny's, Boots & McSharry's Pharmacy. Penny's, Boots & McSharry's Pharmacy Slipper Socks €3.95 Tights €3.00 each Mega Power Bank €9.00 Lip Pencils €1.50 each Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara Waterproof €3.49 Essence Make Me Brow €3.00 (I think!!!!) Indeed Hydraluron Moisture Booster €21.99 I'm off to the Professional Beauty Show in Dublin's RDS this Sunday. I was lucky enough to be invited to a champagne reception by TanOrganic and I hope to catch up with a few of my blogger peeps - Erin from Chasing Ruby Chats (http://chasingrubieschasingpearl.blogspot.ie/), Jen from Too Dolly (http://toodollymakeup.blogspot.ie/) and Charlene from Charlene Flanagan Makeup (http://www.charleneflanaganmakeup.com/)
I will be snapping as much as I can so make sure to follow me @makeupbyrubysue to see what I get up too. Hope you enjoy this... Until next time....Be Happy! Susie xxx Christ that month flew!!!! I know we are a week into October already but I just wanted to show you a few of the products that I have been using non stop for the past month or so. If you follow me on Snapchat (I'm @makeupbyrubysue...come say hi!) then you will have pretty much seen me use this foundation everyday over the past month. It's the new reformulated Rimmel Match Perfection. Being a lover of the old formula I was weary that they may have f**ked it up but no!!! they (as in Rimmel) have actually made it better. The colour is an exact match for my skin-tone (I use shade 100 Ivory), one pump is plenty to even out my complexion and hide any redness around my nose and it wears brilliantly with little or no breakdown throughout the day. I do have to add a little powder to my T-zone to help it stay put and beat the shine but that's the same with all my foundations. This is a fantastic budget foundation and one that I will be definitely be repurchasing. Available in pharmacies nationwide for about a tenner. This is a sample size of the Clinique High Impact mascara which I found when I was cleaning out my spare room. And boy am I happy that I did!!!! It's the perfect all rounder mascara adding length and volume without clumping or flaking. The brush is a lovely size making it easy to evenly coat each lash including your bottom ones. It's easy to apply and easy to remove. I will defo be buying a full size one. Available in Clinique stockists nationwide for €22.50. Once summer is over I seem to start neglecting my poor auld skin but after discovering these two I will hopefully remain as soft as a baby's bottom for the winter. First up is the TanOrganic Tan Erase exfoliating glove. I picked this up completely by chance in Care Pharmacy, Salthill....it was reduced from €14.99 to €4.99 so I though BARGAIN!!!! I have been using this more as a general exfoliator rather than a tan eraser on dry skin about 3 times a week by gently buffing all over my body. You can see all the yucky white powder (all the dead skin cells) on the glove after use which is pretty gross but at least you know it's working. Then the Johnson's Bedtime Baby Oil was another random purchase from my local supermarket. I loved the smell of it and at only €3.50 sure why not. I literally lather this all over before putting on my PJ's and jumping into bed. The combination of the glove and this has my skin feeling amazing. And maybe it's just a coincidence but I actually think I sleep better when I have the baby oil on!!!!
Another old favourite this month is the Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Pink Bronze. I had dug this out during the summer but never got back into using it properly until the past few weeks. It is a great dupe for the Bobbi Brown Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick which costs about €40 - you can pick this up in Boots for only €7. I use a large fluffy brush and lightly dust this over my cheek bones and across the top of my forehead. It leaves my skin look glowy and healthy without being too shimmery - Sure what else would you want! And that's it...
I am currently using a new blush, concealer and lippy so lets see will they make it into next months favourites. Until next time...As always....Be Happy! Susie xxx |
AuthorLover of all things beauty, Makeup Artist, Blogger & Wife . I am always on the look out for the perfect makeup or the best beauty product so keep reading to follow my never ending quest! Categories
All
Archives
April 2016
|