#OOTD

Gold Jumper w/ sequin sleeves: Penneys Limited Edition (Previous Season)

High Waisted Shorts: Penneys (Previous Season)

Black boots w/ gold heel plate: (New Look €44.99)

Rimmel BB Cream (Boots, €8.95)
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (Boots, €5.99)
L'Oréal Superliner Brow Artist (Boots, €8.49)
Sin, Virgin and Buck from Urban Decay Naked Palette (Debenhams, €44)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara (Boots, €5.65)
Benefit Watts Up (Boots, €35)
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 03 (Boots, €6.99)

All Time MakeUp Favourites

These are what I consider to be the best of the best of my makeup collection. Compiling this list was no easy feat. Do you know how much makeup it is possible to love?  In my case rather a lot. I've done the best I can to whittle it down to one or two from every category. So here goes.

Lipstick

Daywear
Winner: MaxFactor Colour Perfection in Ultrasuede (Discontinued)
Runner Up: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 03 (Boots, €6.99)

For daywear I have used MaxFactor Colour Perfection in Ultrasuede for a long time but this line of lipsticks have been discontinued and I can't quite seem to find something the same.

When this runs out I will probably use my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 03 but it's not the same.

On the top is the Rimmel 03 and and on the bottom is Ultrasuede.

Nightwear
Winner: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 01 (Boots, €6.99)
Runner Up: No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry (Boots, €11.75)

These are really great affordable lipsticks, but I do usually need a lipiner under this deep red colour to stop it from moving. I use my No.7 Precision Lips Pencil in Fire.

This lipliner also works with my MAC Russian Red and Miss Sporty Perfect Colour in Dream.

On the top is a swatch of the Rimmel in 01 and on the bottom you can see the colour of the liner.

Close behind but not quite there is my No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry. This does not quite have the depth in colour that I would need it to if it were to be my favourite. You  can see more information on this product in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Eyeliner

Winner: Mac Dupe Eye/Lip liner with aloe vera & vitamin E
Runner Up:Maybelline New York EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black (Boots, €11.99)

My favourite eyeliner of the moment is a MAC dupe which I acquired some time back. I'm not sure where exactly I got it from but I am aware that it is not a genuine MAC eyeliner.

Although I am aware that it is a fake, that doesn't stop it being a quality eye pencil. It lasts and doesn't move if I wear it all day, and it doesn't irritate my eyes like a lot of other liners do. 

I have had Maybelline New York EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black since it first came out in 2010 and I'm still not even close to running out. 

I realise that makeup goes off but I haven't had any problems yet and I can't afford to be throwing out makeup willy nilly. 

This liner is much darker and thicker than a pencil and I only really use it for going out at night. I think it would be too much for daywear. I don't rate the brush that comes with it and prefer to use my Louise Walsh Angled Eye Brush to apply the gel. 

Mascara

Winner: Estée Lauder Magnascopic Maximum Volume Mascara (Debenhams, €25)

Runner Up: Mac Zoomlash (Brown Thomas, €18)

I don't own either of my favourite mascaras at the moment as I love trying out new brands and I have lots of other mascaras at the moment to use but none of them measure up to these. 

Estée Lauder Magnascopic Maximum Volume Mascara is the best mascara I have ever used. It creates full voluminous lashes without causing spider legs. I cannot rate this highly enough and I can't wait to repurchase it. 

Mascara is one of the places in my makeup bag that I won't hesitate to spend money because where I'm concerned you get what you pay for. The only problem with MAC Zoomlash for me is that, at the beginning of the bottle before you use it for a while, too much comes out on the brush and it is so easy to end up with spider legs. Once you use it a bit, it evens out and it is much easier to use. 

Blush

Winner: Nars in Orgasm (www.brownthomas.ie, €29)

Runner Up: Sephora Dupe (Not Available in Ireland)

My favourite blush is Nars in Orgasm 

but as this is not readily available to me in Ireland, when I ran out I never repurchased it. While on holiday in France two years ago I found a gem in a Sephora store. 

This set comes as six shelves, each with 4 shadows, 2 lipglosses and a blush and each shelf has a colour scheme, green, brown, blue, pink, purple and black. These shelves all slot into a drawer unit which also comes with a hollow compact to slot your favourite shelf into when you are on the go.
In the green shelf there is a blush which is very similar to the Nars blush I love so much.

As you can see it is almost gone and then I will be on the hunt for a new blush. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below.

Bronzer

Winner: Strictly Come Dancing Bronzing Set (Discontinued) 

Runner Up: Benefit Hoola (Boots, €34)

Last year after Christmas I picked up a Strictly Come Dancing Bronzing Set in the Boots sale for less than €15 and little did I know what a gem I had acquired. 

The bronzer has three shades in it, a shimmery white, a shimmery beige and a darker brown colour. I used the white alone as a highlighter, with the beige for a daytime bronzer and mixed all three together for a night bronzer. Unfortunately mine has broken and I can't find anywhere to repurchase this. 

I like Benefit Hoola but I find Benefit's products to be very overpriced and it kills me to repurchase them. Recently a friend of mine gave me the Sleek Face Contour Kit in light. 

The bronzer in this is quite similar to Hoola and much more reasonably priced. I will definitely repurchase this. 

Brows

Winner: Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel (Boots, €4.75)

 I like the Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel because it works just fine and is as cheap as chips. 10/10 in my book. Will definitely repurchase. 

Concealer

Winner: Benefit Boiing in 02 (Boots, €24.00)
Runner Up: No.7 Match Made Concealer in Cool Ivory (Boots, €9.75)

This is one of the few Benefit products that I rate at all. The concealer is brilliant!  It really is industrial strength. Usually I will use it only at night but on the odd occasion if I am having a particularly bad skin day I will pop it on with my regular daytime foundation and it does the job. I am on my second tub of this and I will definitely repurchase. 

At the moment I am down to the last bit of my No.7 Stay Perfect Blemish Cover in Medium. I have already repurchased but what I didn't realise when I was in the store is that they have rearranged the line and now No.7 Match Made Concealer comes in the same shades as the No.7 Stay Perfect Foundation. This suits me perfectly as I now own the matching concealer and foundation in the shade Cool Ivory. The reason this concealer is not my winner is that it just doesn't have the same coverage as the Boiing but on a normal day it does just fine. 

Powder

Winner: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent (Boots, €5.99)

Runner Up: No.7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Light (Boots, €14.95)

I don't really have a problem with oily skin so I don't have a huge grá for powder. I use it most of the time to be safe but the only time I really need it is in the Summer when I'm away in a hot climate. I find Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Translucent does the trick for me at home. I've never taken it away with me to comment on it but if I'm still using it in the summer I will find out then. I have used this before and recently repurchased it. I have also turned other people onto it and they've been happy with the results. 

I also really like the No.7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in light. 

It does the same job for me as its Rimmel counterpart and I just don't really feel like paying the difference. 

Bases

Winner: MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation in NC25 (Discontinued)
Runner Up: Rimmel London BB Cream 9in1 (Boots, €8.95)

My favourite foundation is MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation in NC25. It gives a lovely even coverage with a nice glow. I am almost out of it at the moment but it makes me want to cry that it has been discontinued. 

Recently while trawling through Boots in Limerick's Crescent Shopping Center I came across what I think is a real gem, Rimmel London BB Cream. I wrote more about this in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Palettes

Winner: Urban Decay Naked Palette (Debenhams, €44)

There is only one real winner where I am concerned when it comes to Palettes and there standing above the crowd is the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Admittedly it is expensive but in my opinion, worth every penny. I have used every colour in it some stage, some more than others, and I love it. Recently I have been forcing myself to use other products when I am doing my eye makeup. 

Tools

Winner: No.7 Eyeshadow Blend and Contour Brush (Boots, €9.50)

Runner Up: Real Techniques Buffing Brush (Available in Core Collections set €28.99)

I absolutely adore this brush. I bought it with a voucher as an impulse buy in Boots so it cost around €5, which is an absolute bargain. I don't use it to apply my contour eyeshadow as I use an angled eyeshadow brush for that but I always use it to blend my shadows after I put them on. As far as I am concerned EVERYONE needs this brush.  

I bought this brush in Boots and fell instantly in love with it. I wrote more about this brush in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Highlighter

Winner: Benefit Watts Up (Boots, €35)
Runner Up: Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light (www.sleekmakeup.com €7.99)

I really like the pearly dewy look this highlighter gives. I usually apply it on the cheekbones, down the center of the nose, on the brow bone and on the cupid's bow. It is a tad pricey so I try to save it for night time and use my Sleek Face Contour Kit for daywear. 

So those are my makeup favourites. Do you have any that I've missed or maybe we have some of the same favourites. Please let me know in the comments below. My next post will be addressing the makeup trends for spring which emerged at LFW. 

#OOTD

 Tartan Dress: TK Maxx: €16.99
 Blazer: New Look: €34.99
 Black Gold Heeled Boots:
New Look: €44.99

Rimmel London BB Cream: Boots: €8.95
 Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder: Boots: €5.99
 Sleek Contour Palette: SleekMakeup.com: €7.99
 L'oréal Superliner Brow Artist: Boots: €8.49
 Buck from Naked 1: Urban Decay: €44
 Bourjois Shimmering Shine Liquid Eyeshadow in Molecule d'Or: Discontinued
 Sephora Colourful Mono Eyeshadow in Glittering Sand: Sephora.fr : €11.95 + p&p
 Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara: Boots: €5.65
 Rimmel London Lasting Finish By Kate Lipstick in 03: Boots: €6.99

Make Up Haul

Between Christmas and treating myself at every available opportunity, I have amassed a large collection of additions to my already sizeable cosmetics collection.

Over the last few weeks I've tried and tested most of these products and have already found some firm favourites which I will definitely be repurchasing. I have left out the products which I repurchased as they will feature in a later favourites blog post.

I'll do my best to review all of these and I hope some of you will be as tempted as I was.

Hair Products

L'oréal Paris Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

This spray retails in boots at €4.79 and in my opinion it is worth every penny of its not too hefty price tag. In fact I would say it is one of the biggest bargains I have ever come across. I was turned onto this spray by well known British blogger Zoella in her youtube video: November favourites.

I took some pictures to demonstrate how good this product is. My hair went from this after blowdrying and straightening,

to this in minutes

I will definitely 100% be repurchasing this.

L'oréal Paris Studio Line #TXT Wave Creating Spray

I bought this spray on the merit of the volume spray which is part of the same line, but I haven't got around to testing it yet but I will review it as soon as I do. I expect great things from this now.

Face

Rimmel London BB Cream in Light

I've been wanting to try a BB Cream for a while now and I had planned on trying the L'oréal Nude Magique BB Cream. When I went to boots to try it I found that the lightest colour turned a funny shade of orange on the back of my hand. Retailing at €15.49 at boots I was glad I hadn't jumped straight in at the deep end and bought it. The Rimmel alternative that I purchased retails at a much more respectable €8.95 and is a much better match for my skin tone. The BB Cream has a nine point promise attatched: 

1. Minimises the appearance of pores

I'm not too sure about this one as I've never really noticed any giant pores on my face but no doubt now that I'm thinking about them I will every time I look in the mirror. 

2. Evens Skin Tone

The cream definitely does a good job of this. I usually use a tinted moisturiser on days when I don't want the coverage of a foundation but I still want the security of having some makeup on. Up until now my go-to product had been the Benefit You Rebel in Lite, but retailing at a hefty €35.00, I think this BB Cream will do just fine as a replacement. 

3. Mattifies

Again my skin is not particularly oily so I don't really have a huge use for mattifying makeup but I would always throw on a bit of powder just to be safe during the day. I can't stand when makeup slides off or when by the end of a lecture I have more makeup on my hand than on my face. Looking at noone in particular except you Benefit again with your overpriced tat. 

4. Controls Shine All Day

I don't have a huge problem with this again but I haven't noticed any problems with the staying powder of this product and my face hasn't been shiny at all having worn it all day with just a small dusting of powder. 

5. Smoothes

I don't know about this one to be honest. Smoothes what? Again I haven't noticed my skin being lumpy. So I can't comment on this one. 

6. Soothes

This is a getting a bit far fetched here I'd say. If my skin needed soothing I don't think I'd be applying makeup to it, rather a simple moisturiser. So again, I can't comment on this. 

7. Conceals Dark Circles

I don't know about this one. My dark circles have really been irritating me lately and I can't find a product to cover them up. I have to say this one isn't it either. 

8. Helps Prevent Blemishes

Well this one I would presume is because it is lighter than a foundation and therefore better for your skin. I can't swear to this one but I haven't gotten a spot since I've started using it. I'm definitely going to now though that I've jinxed it. 

9. Gives All Day Coverage

I think I've already addressed this point. It seems to last fairly well for me when I wear it all day. 

I took some pictures to show you the difference it makes to my skin. 

Before

After

I can really see a difference in my face after just applying the BB Cream but by the time I finished my makeup it looked just as good as any foundation. 

Philosophy Divine Blushing Bronzer in Deep

I bought this bronzer/blusher in TK Maxx just after Christmas. I think it retailed at about €12.99 which is a steal for such a beautiful product. For daywear sometimes I like to just apply the dusty pink colour as a blush but for night time, with a darker foundation I like to swirl an angled bronzer brush around the palette and apply it like you would any other bronzer.

Philosophy Divine Satin-Finish Illuminating Powder in Medium

I got this as a Christmas gift, again from TK Maxx. It is a nice powder for night time but it is very glittery, which is not clear from the picture and it can just appear that my face is very shiny if I wear it during the day. I have never used the brush that came with it because I have a very good powder brush but the bristles on it are very soft and I'm sure it would be fine for applying the powder with. 

Eyes

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara

(As seen on Made in Chelsea)

I am not usually one to be caught out by advertising but I absolutely adore Made in Chelsea and this mascara would not have even entered my field of vision if it had not been for the show. I love the shape of the brush and I feel like it really curls and elongates my lashes. It doesn't give quite the volume I would like for a night time mascara but with false lashes I'm sure it would be fine. My old day time mascara, Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara retails at €25 at Brown Thomas and while this may not cost as much at just €5.65,it certainly does a comparable job. I would stick to MAC Zoomlash for night time though. 

L'oréal Paris Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde

This brow pencil was an impulse buy after seeing it featured in a Glamour magazine on my break from work. I still have a little bit of my Rimmel Professional Eyebrow pencil and I don't really notice any difference between the two. The new l'oréal one's niche is that it has a second pencil on the back, "finish and fix wax". I don't really know why this enticed me because I don't think my eyebrows have every moved on my face and half of the time I forget to use it. Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with this pencil, but with the l'oréal version retailing at €8.49 and the Rimmel at €4.65, I think that next time I'll keep my €4 and go with the cheaper version. 

Lips

No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry

This lip crayon or chubbstick as I like to call them, (don't ask me where I got that from), is really nice. I was inspired to go for the berry lip after Autumnal Hair and Makeup - Zoella blog post. Unfortunately I can't really afford YSL lipsticks and went looking for something a little more affordable. This is a little bit like a coloured lip gloss and it doesn't have the depth of colour I'm looking for. I usually apply it over my MAC Russian Red lipstick which is another new item I got for Christmas from a very good friend of mine. 

This is what the crayon looks like without the red base. 

 And this is what it looks like with the Red Lipstick base.

It still wasn't as purple as I wanted it to be so I bought Collection Gothic Glam in Scorned 2. 

This lipstick is more along the lines of what I was looking for. 

This picture doesn't quite show how dark it is because I layered Barry M Lip Laquer Crayon in no.2 Cherry Red over it. 

 I love the glitter effect this crayon gives to the darker lipstick. When I bought it I intended to use it as a lipliner under lipsticks but I wouldn't recommend it for this as it led to the lipstick over it bleeding all around my mouth. 

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer

I was again tempted to buy these by Made in Chelsea. I bought these at a small independent chemist and I can't remember exactly how much I paid for them but I think they were around €6 each. They retail in boots for €7.95. I bought two of these: 501-Stellar which is a reddy pink colour and 400-Big Bang which is a deep red colour. They are sort of similar. I really like the stain they give to the lip so that if you're on a night out and your gloss starts to wear off you still have the colour of the stain underneath. 

On the left is Stellar and On the right is Big Bang. 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipsticks

I own three of these lipsticks but the one I bought most recently was no.3. It's a really nice colour for everyday use and a cheap and cheerful dupe for MAC Creme d'Nude at just €6.99. 

Face Brushes

Real Techniques Core Collection

This set was my first purchase from the Real Techniques collection and it certainly won't be my last. I wanted a brush to apply liquid foundation as I don't like the heavy, streaky way my Urbanista Lay the Foundation Brush applies my foundation. I had heard great things about the Expert Face Brush but I didn't want just one brush to try so I decided to purchase this set. It retails at €28.99. While this may sound a little expensive, it is a great price for some fab brushes. The buffing brush I use for pretty much everything, from applying liquid foundation to buffing foundation after it's applied with my regular foundation brush to buffing on powder to blending in my concealer. The Lip brush does what it says on the tin. I'm not sure what there is to say about it. The foundation brush has too small a head in my opinion to apply foundation, and too big to apply concealer so I have no use for it really. The contouring brush I love for applying highlighter to my cheekbones from my Sleek Contouring Palette. 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

This brush didn't look much in the packet so I asked the girl in the Crescent Shopping Center in Limerick to take it out of the box for me so I could see it. The buffing brush's bristles weren't quite what I wanted and the Expert Face Brush seemed to be along the same lines. They are both great brushes, although not what I wanted for applying my foundation. The stippling brush provides a light, even finish with my BB Cream and it gives a nice even effect with my Night foundation MAC Studiofinish. 

No.7 Eye Colour Brush

This brush I bought on the merit of another no.7 brush, possibly my favourite eye brush, the Contour and Blending brush. 

With both retailing at €9.50, they are relatively cheap brushes, especially as No.7 regularly give out vouchers at the till in Boots. The Blending and Contouring brush I would highly recommend. The Eye Colour brush i would only recommend if you need a new plain eye brush which i didn't. There is nothing exceptional about it. 

So now with enough makeup to open a beauticians, my next post will be a favourites blog. Thanks for reading and I hope you found something you like.

By the way Boots are currently offering 3 for 2 on selected cosmetics and haircare.