Smooth Legs

For the past year and a half I have been toying with the idea of getting Laser Hair Removal. My mother and my sister are both in the process of saving up to have it done as they have both had enough of waxing and shaving. Yes, it is a big investment, but when you take into account all of the time, money and effort it takes to maintain smooth and soft legs all year round, it really starts to add up.

I had my legs waxed for the first time when I was about 15 and I swore I would never do it again, it was so painful. Since then I've tried hair removal cream, but for the most part, I've shaved them. I spend a lot of money on shave gel, razors, exfoliators and scrubs as well as oils and moisturisers for after-care because my skin is so sensitive. Not only do I spend a lot of money on hair removal but I also spend a lot of time, shaving twice a week year round and spending time exfoliating in the shower and moisturising my skin afterwards, it all adds up. The thought of never having to deal with all that again delights me to no end.

Sk:n Clinic have a price list on their site and they let you know all of the types of hair removal you can have done including, eyebrows, upper lip, toes, arms, armpits, hands, bikini line, literally anywhere you have hair, they can remove it. The things us women do! The more I think about it the more I want to join my mother and sister on their quest for pain free smooth legs.

What are your thoughts on Laser Hair Removal? Have you had it done or would you like to?

Emma x

Reverse Lipliner

What do you get for the beauty obsessed girl who has everything? A reverse lip liner, of course! I really can't remember how I came across this Duwop Reverse Lip Liner, but when I read about it, it sounded like the answer to my lipstick feathering woes!  

To be completely honest, I rarely wear lip liner, I find it annoying to apply and I just don't see the point unless I was going to a wedding or all day event where I want my lipstick to really stay put. However those days are few and far between so I usually just apply my lipstick straight from the bullet and it does the job. However there are a  few lipsticks I have that have a tendency to bleed and I didn't want to have to buy a separate lip liner for each shade so when I found this reverse lip liner I couldn't believe someone had actually invented such a convenient product.

As it says on the box, this is a matte and colourless lip pencil that you apply to the skin just outside the lips to prevent the colour of your lipstick and lip gloss from bleeding. It's such a simple yet effective idea and has totally streamlined my make up bag considering what a lip product junkie I am, having to have a different liner for each colour would have me penniless. It also comes with a sharpener which I thought was such a great little addition to the product.

I bought mine from Cult Beauty for just £15.

What beauty products help to make your daily routine easier?

Emma x

Amande Défilé

I first saw Bourjois Amande Défilé on Emma's blog back in March and I knew I had to get it. I had avoided the mint green nail polish trend up until now but I thought this was such a pretty pastel shade, almost Ladurée green. It is part of the relatively new So Laque Glossy range and the formula is enriched with vinyl and resins to give a shiny finish and to prevent chipping. 

These really do have a beautiful glossy finish, they almost look like a Shellac manicure. Although, they definitely don't last the 10 days they claim to on the bottle (on me anyway), but I wouldn't have expected that nor do I ever really wear a colour for that long anyway. This range of polishes has the thicker brush that I like and the colour is opaque after two coats. The bottle is compact and sturdy and I love that the top is the same colour as the polish, it makes the bottles look really pretty. 

This is most definitely a Spring/Summer shade and I can imagine it would also look great with a top coat like Essie's Shine of the Times. I'll be repainting my nails with this all Summer! These can be found in Boots and other pharmacies for approximately €8.29.

What are you wearing on your nails at the moment?

Emma x

Summer Wishlist

Who doesn't love a bit of online "window" shopping. I've been bookmarking some beauty items and accessories recently and thought I would share them with you as I always love to see what's on other people's wishlists. 

Olivia Burton Watch, Essie Cute As A Button and Ladylike, Shop Dixi Adrana and Midi Rings, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Suspense, WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, Clarks Originals Frida Sun Sandals, Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent, Clarks Milli Rosa Bag

I've been looking for a new watch recently to replace my grubby looking Casio. I thought it would be good to invest in a nice classic watch and this Olivia Burton one from ASOS fits the bill perfectly with it's tan leather band and big gold face. 

I've wanted these two Essie shades for a long time. Cute As A Button is the perfect summer shade and Ladylike is a year round classic nail colour. 

I've been wearing more silver jewellery lately, in particular rings, after picking up two gorgeous vintage ones a few weeks ago. I've been eyeing up a few on Shop Dixi recently which is a great accessories site. I love wearing a mix and match of big rings with thin midi rings. 

I've wanted this lipstick ever since I found out it was the one Sigrid Agren is wearing in this Chanel ad. I don't know how anyone can watch that ad and not want the lipstick.

I'm planning on signing up to the WEN hair care club this month, I'll let you know how it goes but so far I've read nothing but good things about this range of cleansing conditioners. 

I adore the Clarks Originals range and in particular these sandals, my feet are so bad that finding comfort and style combined can be difficult but Clarks are a footwear brand I can always count on to find something I like, I don't have a pair of black sandals so these are at the top of my shopping list.

I had read a lot about the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess range when it was first released at the beginning of the Summer and I was eager to try out the Bronze Goddess Skinscent hoping to not like it as it's a Limited Edition fragrance. Unfortunately I fell in love and now I have to get it before they are all sold out. I urge you to try this next time you're near an Estée Lauder counter, it's Summer in a bottle.

Lastly is this really cute and classic bag I spotted in Clarks last week when I was shopping with my mam, we both thought it was gorgeous. It's one of those items that really makes you feel like a lady.

Do any of these items interest you? What's on your current wishlist?

Emma x

Five Songs...

...I've been listening to recently

I first heard this song because Childish Gambino used it in his song New Prince. It's also used in the trailer for Sofia Coppola's new film The Bling Ring which I'm so excited to see. This won't be to everyone's taste but I love listening to it when I want to hear something really loud.   

I've been trying to get into French music and I discovered this after reading up about the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. One of the songs on that soundtrack is Chick Habit by April March which is an English language version of Serge Gainsbourg's song Laisse Tomber Les Filles. April March recorded the French version too but I love this one which was originally recorded by France Gall in 1964. 

There seems to be a film theme going on here as this New Order song opens the film American Psycho. It's a great used of music in film and I was fortunate enough to get to see New Order perform this live last year. 

Yet another film song, I'm Deranged is on David Bowie's album, Outside from 1995. It was also used in the opening and closing credits of David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway, which if you haven't seen is definitely worth watching (although if you don't like David Lynch, you probably won't like it). This is such an eerie song, perfect for a Lynch film. 

I've been listening to Beck again quite a bit recently. I loved Guero when it was first released and it's always great to go back and rediscover an album you once loved. This is actually a bonus track on a Limited Edition release of the album, but it is one of my favourites. 

What have you been listening to recently, all suggestions welcome, I love finding new music!

Emma x

Rouge Buzz

If you're in any way into reading beauty blogs, you've probably already heard of the Bourjois Rouge Edition range of lipsticks. I was curious about them mainly because the only Bourjois lip products I've tried in the past are their Effet 3D lip glosses which I really love because they are so silky to wear and smell incredible. I haven't been buying make up for the past couple of months but I had accrued a lot of Boots Advantage Card points and decided to treat myself to shade 10 Rouge Buzz as I don't have any orange red shades in my collection.

Products Used:

Estée Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 1
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair
Dainty Doll Cream Blush  in Paper Roses
Benefit They're Real Mascara
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighting Powder
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
No7 Eye Shadow in Innocence
Revlon Matte Eye Shadow in Rich Sable
Natural Collection Lash Care Mascara in Clear
No7 Perfect Light Loose Powder in Translucent


I wasn't that pushed to try these out until I saw this colour and I thought it would be worth adding to my collection. The colour range is great, with 18 shades in total, including some gorgeous pinks and corals. The closest shade I can compare this to is MAC's Lady Danger which I don't have but have wanted to try out for a while now. It's a much more orange based red than the likes of my Russian Red.

The formula of these lipsticks is creamy and smooth, comparable to that of my beloved Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks. They are also enriched with Orchid Blossom Extract which after some research, seems to be used for it's anti-ageing, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are supposed to leave the lips smooth, hydrated and protected for up to 10 hours. I definitely don't need my lipstick to last 10 hours but I do find this lasts quite well, not as good as my matte finish ones but still good for a creamy textured lipstick and without lip liner.

Overall I'm very impressed these lipsticks, they are priced at €10.99, so a little less than Revlon but a bit more than Rimmel. The packaged isn't anything amazing but it's sturdy and practical and I do like how there is a little block of colour on the end. Bourjois are also releasing a Shine Edition collection next month with a more sheer formula of lipstick.


What do you think? Have you bought any great lipsticks recently?

Emma x

PS. My little absence and added freckles can both be explained by the glorious weather we've had in Ireland  over the past week. It's raining now though so I can finally get some blogging done and not feel like I'm missing out!

Mary-Lou Manizer

After being a High Beam only user for many years I decided it was time to invest in a powder highlighter. I got a gorgeous Laura Mercier one for my birthday last year (which I hope to review soon) but it's quite intense and more suited to an evening look, so when I saw the Mary-Lou Manizer by theBalm, it looked like just the product for me.

Products Used:

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Ivory

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair

Natural Collection Clear Mascara

NARS Blush in Sin

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Sin

Revlon Rich Sable Matte Eye Shadow

Revlon Smoked Peach Lipstick

Essence Liquid Ink Waterproof Eye Liner

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara

I got this back in November and have used it a lot since then and it still looks barely touched so I think it will last me a long time. As you can see above it's quite pigmented, but used with a light touch it gives your face a gorgeous, subtle glow. The packaging is very cute (reminiscent of Benefit/Soap and Glory) and durable (I've dropped mine a few times and it hasn't smashed).

I still like High Beam for when I want a really natural glow, but this just gives your face a great shape, I really don't like using bronzer as way of contouring my face as I'm just too fair for it, but I think highlighter can do just as good a job of shaping your cheekbones. I hope the photos above demonstrate that. The powder has a smooth velvety texture similar to that of Urban Decay eyeshadows which makes it easy to apply.

For €18.75, it's a more affordable version of the Dior and Laura Mercier highlighters and I think it's just as good.

Emma x