Smouldering Purple Eye

As of late I've found myself trying to move away from my comfort zone of browns, golds and neutrals and attempting to infuse a little bit of colour into my makeup routine. A good way I've found of doing this is to pick a colour that's not so out there, purple in my case and introduce it as an element of your look rather than the main event.

For this look I decided to base my look on rose-golds and accent the look with purples. This is a little bit different for me but still not completely out of my comfort zone. I'd love to have the courage to go for something crazy like this. 

For those of you that don't know, this is Jaclyn Hill. She is so gorgeous and talented. Her videos are fun to watch and at the same time really easy to follow and learn from. Go watch her right now if you haven't already. You can thank me later. 

For now this is a bit much for me and quite frankly I don't have the skills/product to create it so I'll be working up to it. 

  

So for this look I began by priming my eyes with Urban Decay Primer Potion. I then covered my lid in Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold.

This gives a really nice colour on it's own and it also works fab as a base for other shadows. I use this colour all the time. the formula of the colour tattoo shadows is fantastic. They are just as good as MAC Paintpots and literally half the price. Using my MAC 217 I fanned Makeup Geek Unexpected

into the crease as a transition shade, deepening the colour and blending out the cream shadow from earlier. Be careful not to take this colour too high as it can be a little difficult to blend. I then wet a flat, dense shader brush with MAC Fix+ and patted the shade trick from my Urban Decay Naked 3

palette along the bottom of my lid. This shadow is full of really chunky glitter and it's the most divine gold! Using it wet really foils the shadow on the lid and keeps it shimmering and catching the light all day long. This was where I had actually planned to stop but I really wasn't happy with the way unexpected was sitting in and above my crease so I decided to add a little more definition to the look. On my Real Techniques Silicone Liner brush I took Factory, again from the Naked 3 palette and placed it in the outer corner of the eye running it in to about half way through the crease.

If your brushes are a little bigger and you find it hard to get that really precise placement of shadows around the eye and especially into the crease, this is a really great way to achieve that. I then used the Inglot 10s brush to blend that using windshield wiper motions as I really wanted to concentrate this colour right into the crease rather than spreading it around above the crease. I also wanted to graduate the colour into the inner half of the crease in a sort of ombre effect. 

As usual I then left my eyes and moved on to the face. I didn't have a huge amount of fallout from the shadows but I really wanted to keep the shadows in a slight wing shape at the outer corner so I folded a cotton pad in half and using Garnier Micellar Water I cleaned off the shadow that didn't fit the bill. 

At the moment I'm running out of my Smashbox Liquid Halo Foundation, which I love, but rather than take the easy road and repurchase this, I'm trying to find something bigger and better. Currently I'm trying out Dior Starskin but the shade I've got my tester in which is 010 I think, is a little light for my skin at the moment. For this look I mixed in a small amount of my MAC StudioFix Foundation in NC25 to darken it up a tad and I also added in a tiny amount of Nars Illuminator in Orgasm. I find the pinky orange shade of this highlight really works well with more tanned skin than if I'm using a lighter foundation in the winter months. I find it to be too warm toned for paler days. I then applied all this with my trusty friend, my Sephora Sculpting Sponge. My sponge has seen better days at this point, having been using it for the best part of 3 months. It's so fantastic though I'll keep using it until I have the opportunity to invest in another, (or it quits on grounds of overwork). My skins been a bit odd lately and has decided to erupt on my chin area. I've one or two really stubborn under the skin spots and the makeup refuses to conceal them. Even the industrial strength warpaint, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer can't do it. But on the plus side my skins been less oily, which means I need less powder, which means I get to be more glowy and dewy which has been a welcome development in my book. 

Because I'm not using as much powder I'm bronzing with a powder right away. If I had chosen to go in with my Maybelline Fit Me Stick today my face would have been considerably oilier. Although the colour pay off in those is absolutely brilliant they're quite greasy and in work it can get quite hot so I like to keep those for cooler days. Needless to say mine won't be coming on holidays this year. I really don't feel they would hold up in the heat and humidity. Using a Fluffy Flat Eye Brush, I scuplted out the cheekbone with my Benefit Hoola. I also brought it down the sides of the nose, along the top of the forehead, into the temples and under the bottom lip. Using a fan brush I dusted MAC Soft and Gentle along the tops of the cheekbones, down the centre of the nose and out in a fan at the top and into the cupids bow. I blended all of this out again with the damp sponge. 

I then lined my upper lashline using my Maybelline Master Graphic Liner and also lined my upper waterline with a black pencil liner. I brought both unexpected and trick, two of the shades I used earlier under my eye. You could bring any of the colours you've used on your eye underneath but I chose to stick with the lighter colours as this look was for daywear. I coated my lashes in Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara and applied Eye Candy Lashes in 001.

I picked mine up from TK Maxx for €3.99. These are a steal at that price! I've used mine 3 times now and they're still perfect! I outlined and filled in my brows using my Rimmel brow pencil in Hazel and L'oreal Brow Artist Brow Plumper. I'll be posting a full post on brows soon. 

I finished the look by applying MAC Supreme Sheen Lipstick in Pleasurefruit. 

I love this look and the eyes lasted without budging all day. 

If you'd like to see a mini review on the different foundations I've been trying out let me know on the facebook page and I'll be delighted.
As always if you recreate this look tag me on twitter, facebook and now instagram @kate_mray

#OOTD

Yesterday I had college and I also had an informal interview. I wouldn't have time to change between the two so it was important to keep my outfit simple for college but yet appropriate for an interview. 

The red tartan dress I wore is from TK Maxx. I bought it there just after Christmas. I think it cost around €16.99. I bought the navy coat with the black fur detail on the collar in H&M in the Crescent Shopping centre in Limerick just two weeks ago. It was in the Sale and it cost just €20. It's really stylish and warm at the same time. Although we are coming into the Spring/Summer Season it will most likely be cold in Ireland for another few months so it's not too late to invest in a coat. 

My snood is from Penneys, although they may be out of stock by now. I bought it before christmas and it cost around €5. I love mustard and I think it's really flattering on every skin tone. 

My black boots I have already featured in an #OOTD post. They are from New Look and cost €44.99. I really love them because they are so pretty. They are a lot higher than they look though and can be super hard to walk in. They are also a little uncomfortable, not enough to stop me wearing them though. No pain no gain right? 

Yesterday my look was quite Wintery so I wanted to stick with it and wear a berry lip. In order to pull that off I needed to keep the rest of my face simple. I used Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation in 1 as a base and used Smashbox High Definition Concealer in Fair/Light to hide my dark circles. I'm having a slight breakout on my chin at the moment so I used No.7 Stay Perfect Blemish Cover in Medium to cover that up. To set my base I used my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Peach Glow, because I was leaving the house at 8am and not coming back until close to 7pm, and I don't really like fixing my makeup in college. On my eyes I used the highlighter from my Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light  up as far as my brow bone. I then layered Sin from Urban Decay's Naked Palette all over my eyelid. I used Buck from the same palette to contour along the crease. I highlighted my tear duct and the very outer corner of my eye with Virgin from the same palette to open my eye. I just used Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves mascara on my lashes and filled in my brows using L'Oréal Superliner Brow Artist in Blonde. I used a dusting of the bronzer from my Sleek Face Contour Kit to contour my cheekbones and Bourjois Blush in 95 Jasper Rose to add a little bit of colour to my cheeks. I lined my lips with my No.7 Precision Lips Pencil in fire and then filled them in using Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in 2 Scorned. To make the colour last I covered that in Barry M Lip Laquer Crayon in 2. 

#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.