Glossier Boy Brow

If you read last week's post about Glossier, you'll know I've been trying out some of their products over the past few weeks. The first product I tried from my stash and the one at the top of my shopping list was Boy Brow. It's the product I had probably heard most things about since Glossier launched in 2014. The reviews that I've read were unanimously positive with people claiming it's their must-have Glossier product. 

At first glance it seems like your average brow gel, but this is something completely different from any brow product I've tried before and it's all to do with the formula. Boy Brow is described as having a creamy wax formula that is inspired by hair pomade which gives the brows a soft flexible hold without becoming too stiff or flaking. 

The key ingredients include Beeswax and Carnauba wax to hold the hairs in place, Atelocollagen, a derivative of collagen that helps to condition and strengthen the hairs, Oleic Acid which is an emollient derived from Olive Oil that nourishes the hair and Lecithin which is a natural fatty substance that gives a smooth texture and a subtle sheen to the hair. 

The first thing I noticed when I used it for the first time is the texture of the formula. It's thicker than most other brow gels and mascaras I've tried which is why I love it so much. It adds volume, colour and texture to my brows and keeps them in place. It comes in four shades, Black, Brown, Blonde and Clear. I got the Brown shade which is the perfect colour match for my brows. 

Bare brows

Just Boy Brow

The small, slightly tapered brush is another element of the design that I love. It means that you can brush through the ends of your brows without getting product all over your skin. You can also build up the product in more sparse areas to add volume by brushing it through with the tip of the brush that has more product on it. The packaging, like all other Glossier products is sleek and minimal. It's fragrance and cruelty free as well as hypoallergenic, ophthamologist and dermatologist tested. 

Obviously I have quite full natural brows so a product like this is going to work for me completely differently to how it would work for someone who has more sparse brows and likes to fill them in and shape them a bit more. I'm lucky that I can just brush this through my brows and go and I don't need to think about it too much but I still think even if you use a pencil r crayon first, this would be great for creating more volume and texture if you don't have much brow hair to start off with. It's seriously been amazing for getting ready for work in the mornings and especially in the hotter weather because it holds my brows in place all day. I love the natural look you get from a product like this, it's the perfect Summer brow product. 

I wrote about my favourite brow products just last month and mentioned that the Lancôme Sourcils Styler is one of the best brow products I've used. In comparison to the Lancôme one, Boy Brow is less expensive at $16 (approx. €14) compared to €25.50, however it's also more difficult to get hold of (for the moment). They are similar in the result that they give, however I do think Boy Brow wins for volume. 

I really wish I'd bought another one (or two!), at $16 it's completely worth the money and I can see why it's quickly become a cult product for Glossier. 

Have you tried Boy Brow yet or would you like to? What are your favourite brow products?

Emma x

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks

This is my first review of the products I bought in Sephora when I was in New York. I didn't actually buy a lot in Sephora, after my splurge in the Glossier Showroom (read about my experience here) I just went with a select few products that I had wanted to try for a long time and aren't available to buy in Ireland. 

Bite Beauty is a Toronto based company founded in 2011 by Susanne Langmuir that solely creates lip products. The products are cruelty free, all natural, made with food grade ingredients and are apparently edible (although I haven't nibbled on either of my lipsticks just yet).

I had heard about Bite Beauty throughout the years from various bloggers and Youtubers and it caught my interest being a brand that focus on just creating lip products. The Bite products include lipsticks, liners, a primer, glosses, scrubs, a mask and lip wipes. I had originally wanted to go to the Bite Beauty Lip Lab in Soho to create my own lipstick shade, I even went in when we were on our way to get lunch to ask about it but they had no spaces that day so I researched it a bit more that evening. I read a lot of reviews and they were so mixed that it put me off. I didn't want to risk spending the money on something that didn't have glowing reviews so I opted to check out the collection in Sephora instead. 

When I visited Sephora I knew I wanted to buy something from Bite, I browsed the miniatures section at the checkout first and spotted The Perfect Pair Amuse Bouche Lipstick Sets both of which included two shades of mini lipsticks for $15. One of the sets had the shades Rhubarb and Thistle, the other which is the one I ended up getting contains Fig and Meringue. I went for that set because I wasn't mad about the shade Thistle in the other set. I wanted to buy the Agave Lip Scrub and maybe a full size lipstick but I thought it would be better to go for some miniatures because it's a good way to try out a brand without spending too much money. The 2 mini lipsticks are 1.55g of product each, the full size Amuse Bouche lipsticks are 4.35g for $26, so it's good value and I played it safe with shades I knew I would wear a lot. 

Fig


L-R Fig, Meringue

Meringue

There are 34 shades in the Amuse Bouche collection. They're made from 12 edible oils to keep your lips hydrated and nourished and triple milled pigments with added nutrients, vitamins and omega oils in a citrus scent from fresh pressed fruit. Fig is a rose toned nude and Meringue is a peach toned nude, both of which are very wearable and flattering shades.

When I first tried them I was so impressed with the pigmentation and texture, they're so easy to apply and feel creamy and hydrating. I actually really like the scent, it's citrusy but not overpowering at all. Despite the formula being "edible" I wouldn't be licking it off my lips, but it's good to know I'm putting quality ingredients on my lips that actually give nourishment as well as excellent colour payoff. I'd love to try one of the brighter shades to see what the pigmentation is like. I also love the packaging which is a bit different than the usual lipstick packaging. It has a matte finish in a charcoal grey and the little bite taken out of the lid is a cute detail.

Part of me wishes I'd gone to the Lip Lab, it seems like such a unique experience, you get to choose your custom shade, finish and scent which is a lipstick lovers dream. It's $150 for 2 lipsticks of your signature shade or $55 if you just want to choose from the Bite shade library and then choose your finish and scent.

Bite Beauty is exclusively available at Sephora which means it's difficult for us Europeans to get hold of, but I was informed by fellow Irish blogger Siobhan from BeautyLymin of a service called My Mall Box that allows you to shop online with US websites, consolidate your orders and they have them shipped over to Ireland. I feel like I'll definitely be using the service in the near future after discovering so many great brands in New York.

Has anyone else tried Bite Beauty? What do you think about the Lip Lab experience, would you try it?

Emma x

Glossier

Emily Weiss began her blog Into the Gloss in 2010, the same year I started Ol' Green Eyes. In the years that followed she managed to turn her blog into a fully fledged website that as of last year boasts an impressive 1.5 million unique views per month. Into the Gloss is famous for its Top Shelf series of interviews that delves into the bathroom cabinets and make up bags of musicians, actresses, artists, hairstylists, makeup artists, photographers, chefs, models, writers, designers and many other people as they talk through their favourite products. 

There are so many women (and men) that have shared their favourite products (here's a list of the 25 most featured from 2016) on the site from Kim Kardashian to Grace Coddington to Emma Watson, Catherine Deneuve and Bobbi Brown. After getting a glimpse into so many varied Top Shelves and reading thousands of reader comments on her website, Emily Weiss felt like the beauty industry was missing something, and so Glossier was born. 

Over the years I had heard of Into the Gloss and I may have visited the site, I honestly can't remember. When Glossier launched in 2014 with just four products, the Priming Moisturizer, the Perfecting Skin Tint, the Balm DotCom and the Soothing Face Mist. I remember reading about it  at the time and making a mental note to look into the brand more once the initial launch hype had died down. It seems that the hype has grown steadily over the years however and Glossier have popped up on my radar more and more over the past three years of its existence. At first, the only way to buy Glossier was from the website, which currently only ships to the US and Puerto Rico but is apparently going to be shipping to the UK later in the year and they are working on international shipping too. Last December, the Glossier Showroom opened permanently on Lafayette St in New York. 

Because of the limited access to the brand from Europe, I hadn't seen too many people that I follow talk about the products but that seems to be changing as more people are visiting the showroom. In fact in the past few weeks three British bloggers and YouTubers I follow have posted videos about Glossier products, Alix from I Covet Thee, Anna from The Anna Edit and just today, Fleur from Fleur deForce. Other ladies who I follow who have mentioned their love of Glossier products are Tara from Tarmarz, Jess Clements, Irish blogger and freelance journalist Rosemary MacCabe and makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes who I've seen use a lot of their products in live demos in Instagram. It was the launch of the Cloud Paints earlier this year that really peaked my interest and I was impatiently awaiting our trip to New York so that I could visit the showroom myself and finally see all of the products in person. 

I thought it would be interesting and possibly helpful to some people to write about my experience visiting the showroom because it's such a unique experience. The Glossier showroom is the only place that you can test out the products before buying them which gives it a certain amount of exclusivity that I'm not sure if I like or not. Until December, this brand had been almost completely based online. They apparently have a very low returns rate so something is obviously working. However, I'm not crazy about the idea of not being able to try any of the products myself before buying them. I have done it in the past after after extensive research and review reading but in general if I'm going to be parting with my hard earned money, I want to at least be able to try something in person first. This wouldn't have mattered much in my case anyway as Glossier don't ship to Ireland so apart from visiting New York or placing an order and having it sent to one of my relatives in the US to send on to me (which I did consider doing) there's no way for anyone outside of the US (or Puerto Rico) to get their hands on Glossier. I feel like for a lot of people, admittedly myself included, this exclusivity has added to the hype. Its inaccessibility makes it all the more coveted. 

I went to the showroom twice, the first time was on a Monday at around lunch time. We were going to walk through Soho and Greenwich Village towards Chelsea market and the High Line so we got off at the Canal St subway station and went to Glossier first. As we entered the building, there was a member of staff there to direct us to the lift that takes you up to the penthouse. We got out of the lift and immediately I was impressed with how bright and spacious the showroom was. It was quite quiet, there were maybe three other customers there and four members of staff. I glanced around the room for about a minute and then one of the Glossier 'Editors', which is what the staff are called, approached me dressed in a pale pink jumpsuit and white runners (which is the best uniform ever) and asked if it was my first time there and then explained that I was free to look around and then if I wanted to buy anything I could go back to her and she would make a list of my order for me. 

My patient boyfriend waited with his book (they have a seating area for just that reason I'm sure!) while I spent about 15 minutes having a good look around, taking photos which you can see below and swatching anything I wasn't sure about. I had made my list of three things I definitely wanted to try: Boy Brow, Milky Jelly Cleanser and one of the Cloud Paints, but I knew I'd inevitably buy a lot more. I ended up getting those three products (I went for the Cloud Paint in the shade Puff in the end)  and the Skin Tint in light, as well as the Stretch Concealer, Boy Brow and Cloud Paint in puff for my sister too. I went back to the woman who had originally approached me and gave her my list. She informed me that because I was buying the Boy Brow and Stretch Concealer I could get a Generation G lipstick for an extra $2 as part of their Phase 2 set. The lipsticks actually hadn't really interested me at all which is unheard of for me as its usually the product I'd gravitate towards first when trying any new to me brand. It was too good of an offer to pass up so I went over to have a good look at all of the shades and swatched them on my hand. Instead of going for the obvious red, I ended up choosing Crush which is a raspberry pink shade. 

There was no queue so I was served straight away. The girl who served me was very friendly and we chatted about it being my first time in New York and I told her I was getting some bits for my sister too so she gave me extra stickers for her which made me feel like a kid again! I gave my email address to be emailed my receipt and she packaged up my order in the pink bubble wrap packaging and that was the end of my first Glossier showroom trip. 

Cake, Like, Crush, Jam, Leo, Zip

Like, Cake, Crush, Zip, Jam

When I went home later that night I started looking though the products I bought and looking up reviews for other products and I knew immediately that I wanted to pay a second visit to the showroom. A few days later, I went back to Glossier after our subway ended up not stopping where we thought it would and we had to get off at Canal street again (I was devastated as you can imagine!). This time I had my sights set on the Stretch Concealer and one of the Haloscopes (which I didn't end up getting and now very much regret). Instead I also bought the Super Glow serum, the Lip Gloss and the Balm Dotcom in Rose as well as a few more things for my sister. 

The second trip was on a Thursday if I remember correctly. It was a little bit later in the day and a lot busier. There were only two staff members, one at the cash desk and one on the floor. I already knew the drill so I made my list in my head and then approached the one staff member who it seems was being annoyed by two girls who were asking questions while laughing and filming each other. She kindly made my list for me and I joined the queue which consisted of four men who were obviously very obliging husbands and boyfriends. I felt sorry for the cashier because I know what it's like to be short staffed and have a huge queue which kept building. She was calm, friendly and genuine none and the less and asked how my day was going and didn't rush me at all which I appreciated. I'm glad that I got to look around in peace the first time because it was a lot harder when it was busier. 

All in all my experience was very positive. I knew what I wanted which helped, especially if you go on a day when it's busy. The staff were all genuine and friendly and everything I wanted was in stock which I was a bit worried about after hearing about waiting lists and products being sold out. 

You can see below all the products I bought. I didn't expect to get as many things as I did but I figured it's a brand I really wanted to try and I have no idea if or when they'll be shipping to Ireland so I figured while I was there I should make the most of it. I think the prices are quite reasonable. It's a mid range brand comparable to the prices of MAC. I have tried everything, some more than others and so far my stand out favourite is Boy Brow which seems to be the case with everyone. I've used the cleanser a few times and I love it so far. The Perfecting Skin Tint is exactly that, a tint. It's the lightest coverage and all it really doesn't is even out your skin tone so if you're in any way self conscious about your skin, this will not be for you. I however really liked it, although I've only used it once when my skin was quite good with no breakouts so I'll be testing it out more before I give my full opinion. The Cloud Paint is such a gorgeous bubblegum pink shade and I can see myself wearing it lots over the Summer. The lipstick is something I didn't think I'd like but I actually really do, it's a sheer matte formula so it's almost like you've been wearing a berry lipstick and it's left a stain behind when you take it off. I looks great with the Lip Gloss on top too. I haven't really tried the Balm Dotcom, Stretch Concealer or Super Glow enough to have formed any kind of opinion yet. 

I'll definitely be revisiting these products in a blog post once I've properly put them to the test. The only thing I really regret not buying is the Haloscope in Quartz because I've since seen several people using it and it looks so beautiful and natural on. They released their Invisible Shield sunscreen the week after we left New York and I was so annoyed I missed it by a week because I would definitely have bought that too as I'm a sunscreen fanatic. 

So far I'm really impressed with Glossier. I adore the minimal, clean packaging and the millennial #glossierpink colour. The whole ethos of the brand appeals to me, which it won't to everyone but that's fine, there's plenty of room for all different kinds of brands. Emily Weiss has said it herself Glossier is about glowing, dewy skin. It's skin first, makeup second. I whole heartedly agree with this message. In a world of contouring and baking and "Instagram brows" and lip liner and lip fillers and Kylie Jenner lip kits, for me, a brand like Glossier is a breath of fresh air. They promote a more natural look and using good skincare and fool proof minimal makeup which is something I think has been lacking in the beauty industry over the past few years. I am by no means criticising a persons choice to wear lots of make up. I have done and still do it myself sometimes, when I have breakouts, using a heavier foundation to cover them makes me feel more confident. Do whatever makes you feel happy and confident. I tend to prefer a more natural aesthetic, but that's just me. The great thing about makeup is you can do whatever you want with it and create completely different looks depending on how you feel or what you're wearing or where you're going or how confident you're feeling about your skin.

Say what you will about Glossier, to go from being a part time blogger to creating and developing your own skincare and makeup brand is a huge achievement. I have such admiration for women who work so hard and are so passionate about their brands because its not an easy thing to do. To think that Emily Weiss is only a couple of years older than me and has been doing what she's done with Into the Gloss and Glossier in the same time I've had my blog is very inspiring. I've watched and read interviews with her and she comes across as someone who is genuinely just so excited and passionate about what she does. I'm excited to see what happens next for Glossier.

If you've tried any Glossier products? Is this a brand that you want to try or that appeals to you or do you think they're trying to hard to be different? Let me know what you think?

Emma x

You can read the letter Emily Weiss wrote about the launch here which will give you more insight into her thoughts when she created Glossier.

What I've Been Loving Recently #2

I'm back with my second instalment of What I've Been Loving Recently. After writing the first one last month I was really excited to put together a second one and hopefully next month I'll have even more to write about.

It's been a month since my last post of TV, Film, Music and Podcast suggestions and I wasn't expecting to have as many to write about so soon because we were away in New York for a good chunk of the month but here we are with lots more things I've been loving and I've even had to cut my list down so as not to make this post too long which I'm sure it will be anyway. I've tried to not give away too much about anything, so you can read without getting any spoilers.  

Let's begin with the TV shows I've been loving. First up is The Last Man on Earth which has just finished its fourth season on FOX. It's a comedy created by and starring Will Forte (who I've adored since watching him on Saturday Night Live). **SPOILER ALERT** (she types after just saying she won't spoil anything) he's not exactly the last man on earth, but you learn that pretty quickly so it's not really a spoiler is it? I won't go too much into it just in case anyone reading wants to start watching it, which you should because it's hilarious. This will be a love or hate show, because it does have a specific type of humour and if you love what Will Forte has done in the past, you'll definitely love this. It's so friggin good!

You might be looking at the picture above wondering why a grown woman is watching a cartoon. Well I'll have you know I love cartoons (Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, Bob's Burgers are all amazing!) These are obviously "grown up" cartoons and Archer is one of the funniest shows on Tv at the moment, animated or not. Archer was created by Adam Reed who also created Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo (neither of which I've watched yet). It centres around the employees of an international spy agency in New York with Sterling Archer as the show's egotistical but highly skilled protagonist. 

I started watching it when it first began in 2009 and stopped watching somewhere during the fourth season, not because I disliked it but I think I had missed a few and then never caught up so I just waited to rewatch it from the beginning again which is what we did recently. We're now on season six and it's just as good as when it first started. Obviously you can do so much more with the story of an animated television show and the last season Archer Vice was probably my favourite yet because of how hilariously crazy it was. There's another two seasons and I'm looking forward to getting completely caught up. The writing and the voice actors make this show. It stars Jon Benjamin (Bob from Bob's Burgers among many other amazing roles), Chris Parnell (from 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live), Judy Greer and Jessica Walter (both from Arrested Development) and Aisha Tyler (from Criminal Minds and Friends). This is another show you'll either love or hate, it's currently on Netflix so you can binge watch 8 seasons, so why not give it a go if you're looking for something funny and light-hearted to watch that's a bit different from your normal comedy.

This is one of the shows I'm most excited to talk about. Ive been looking forward to the second season of the Netflix series Master of None for what feels like years now, in a way it has been because the first season aired in 2015. At the moment there's no news as to whether there will be a third season or not so if there is, I'll be waiting a long time again. This second season was so good that I almost wouldn't mind if there wasn't another season because I'd be worried that nothing could live up to how good this one was.

For anyone who hasn't heard anything about it, Master of None was created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, both of whom are probably best known for working on Parks and Recreation. I adore Parks and Rec, but Master of None is a completely different show, even though they're both very funny. 

The show centres around Dev Shah, played by Aziz Ansari who is an actor living in New York. It deals with the struggles of being a minority working, dating and living in a big city. I love everything about this show. The soundtrack really stands out, the cinematography is so beautiful for a television show and in general really (bravo Mark Schwartzbard), I especially loved the many cinematic references in the second season. The supporting cast are all excellent including Aziz Ansari's own parents (his father is particularly hilarious). 

I loved the first season, but the second really blew me away. The first episode is set in the Italian town of Modena where Dev has spent some time learning to make pasta (he's a tiny bit obsessed with food) and is filmed in black and white in homage to the Vittorio de Sica film Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves). It's in Modena, that Dev meets Francesca (I double dare you not to fall in love with her!) who's grandmother is teaching him how to make pasta. Their friendship is one of the main storylines of the season, as is the development of Dev's career and his continued efforts to date in modern society. One episode is solely Dev going on numerous first dates that he has arranged as a result of using a Tinder style app. 

There is a few central storylines throughout the season with the addition of stand alone episodes centering on some of the other characters, such as the Thanksgiving episode that tells the story of Dev's friend Denise coming out to her mother. It was based on the real life story of how Lena Waithe, who plays Denise, actually came out to her mother which makes it feel like such an authentic piece of storytelling. 

As you can see I have lots of thoughts but I don't want to go into it too much for anyone who is reading this and hasn't seen the show yet. All I can say is that it won't be to everyone's taste, if you're in your twenties/thirties I fell like so much of the show will be relatable. It's on Netflix and is only twenty episodes over two seasons so it's worth giving it a go. 

I had heard about Margaret Atwood's book The Handmaid's Tale for years and even though I have never actually read it (which I am definitely going to now), I vaguely knew the plot, so when I heard that it was being made into a television series starring Elisabeth Moss I was incredibly excited to see it. There were advertisements for it all over New York when we were there. There was even an installation in the High Line that had free copies of the book for passers by, but all the books were gone when we were there. 

When we returned from New York, the post holiday blues inevitably set in but then I remembered there were a few episodes of The Handmaid's Tale to watch. I didn't know the full plot, just a few details, which I think is the best way to watch this if you haven't already read the book. All I really knew was that it was set in a near future dystopian society where most women have become infertile. I don't want to tell you anything else just in case you don't know anything about it yet. I was completely hooked after the first episode which blew me away. Elisabeth Moss is one of my favourite actors and I was so excited to see her in this role because her performances are always phenomenal and this is no exception. 

I don't even know where to begin with it. I have so many thoughts about it, the performances, the cinematography, the art direction, the soundtrack which is so perfect (how good was Don't You Forget About Me in the second episode), the storylines, everything! I'm completely in awe of this incredible, disturbing story that feels almost too real. It's difficult to watch some scenes, especially because of the amazing performances. The flashbacks and the inner monologue of the main character Offred are the most upsetting because of how realistic they are. Theres a quote from one of the first episodes (and also from the book) that really stuck with me, "Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew it". The idea is that governments don't get overthrown overnight. Big changes take time and can happen slowly before our very eyes without us realising it and that's the scary part.

If you were to take any of my suggestions from this post, I'd urge it to be The Handmaid's Tale. If anyone else has seen it or read it let me know what you think, I'm dying to talk more about it. Don't let the bastards grind you down!

Something a little bit lighter now (although I did actually cry during this so not entirely light-hearted).  Anyone who saw and loved Guardians of the Galaxy knew a sequel was inevitable and although I'm not usually the biggest fan of sequels, in the Marvel universe, sequels are fine by me. I was quite excited to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 because I adored the first one. First of all, I'd watch anything with Chris Pratt because he is the cutest! I've loved him since I first saw him in Everwood (anyone else remember that show) and then my ultimate favourite Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation where he was incredibly funny and charming. The entire cast is excellent (you can't not love baby Groot) it's entertaining and hilarious and there's Kurt Russell and Kirk from Gilmore Girls and there's a heart there too, which I can't help but love even though in films like these it's not 100% necessary. The soundtrack is also amazingly curated. 

This month I have another podcast suggestion, My Favorite Murder, which was recommended to me on Instagram by Sinead who you should definitely follow if you enjoy lovely photos and food and skincare/makeup. I was looking for something to fill the S Town void and I can't think of anything better than a podcast by two hilarious women about their favourite true murder cases. As it stands there are 69 episodes (I've listened to the first 16 in the past week!) and I'm so excited that I have this huge backlog of episodes to catch up on. You probably don't know this about me but I'm big into true murder, especially film and documentaries. It kind of runs in my family because my granny and aunt are the exact same. They even used to buy all of those true crime magazines. Making a Murderer, The Jinx, The Staircase, you name it, I'll watch it. The Zodiac is probably one of my favourites and I actually have the book based on that case which I have yet to read.

The thing I love about My Favorite Murder is the two hosts Georgia and Karen and how they deal with the subject of horrific murders and yet somehow manage to keep it from getting too intense (most of the time). I also love how passionate they both are about this topic (yay, I don't feel like a total weirdo for being obsessed with true murder) and how excited they get when one of them mentions a case the other hasn't heard of yet. Be warned though, sometimes it can get gory and horrifying so if you're scared easily this probably isn't going to be for you but I absolutely love it and can't stop listening to episode after episode. They also recommend some great tv shows and movies too. I have a feeling this will keep me going for a while but if you have any podcast suggestions please let me know because it's such a vast world that I don't even know where to start.

Finally is this month's music suggestion which is the new album from Mac DeMarco called This Old Dog. I started listening to him when his last album Salad Days came out in 2014 and became obsessed. This is his third album and at just 27 years old, it feels like he is so much older than his years. He's admitted that some of the lyrics are about his father with whom he has a fairly estranged relationship but there's also a lot more in it. I'm going to be seeing him play live for the first time in November and I'm so excited, especially after recently watching his set at Coachella. He's such a unique person with an incredible voice and musical talent, but he's definitely got a love or hate style. You either get him and love him or you don't. That being said, I'd definitely give this new album a listen. It's a bit more relaxed than the last album but the lyrics are beautiful and so relatable at times. I listened to this a lot on the subway when we were in New York so I think it'll always have a special place in my heart.

So that's a selection of what I've been loving recently, apologies that it was such a long post, but it's sometimes difficult to know how much to write because I want to encourage people to check out my suggestions without giving too much away but I also have so much to say about each one that it's hard to just give a quick synopsis. I hope you enjoyed this post and please do leave a comment if you have suggestions of films and tv shows you think I'd like or books, podcasts or music. I mostly find new things I love through other peoples suggestions so hopefully some of you will find something new to love after reading this.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

Emma x

XL Lashes

It's been a while since I've written about a mascara, I think my last one was Lancôme Grandiôse Extrême which was almost a year ago. I finally ran out of the stash of mascaras I had built up and was on the look out for something new to try. I came across the new L'Oréal Miss Baby Roll Mascara (that name is ridiculous!) in Boots after seeing a few other bloggers mention being interested in trying it, so on a whim I decided to just buy it and give it a whirl myself. 

I went with the waterproof version because I bought it just before going to New York and I wanted to bring a mascara with me that I knew would last throughout the day and I find that in general waterproof mascaras tend to last better on me than the standard formula. The first time I used it I loved it. It did exactly what I want a mascara to do for my lashes. It gave them volume, length and definition and the formula is easily buildable. 

Just Miss Baby Roll Mascara

As you can see the wand is quite unusual. It has a plastic brush which I'm not usually a fan of, I tend to prefer mascara wands with a bristle brush but I think because of the size and shape of this one and the way in which the bristles are twisted it just works really well on my lashes and isn't too big for my eye shape.

The formula lasts all day without smudging or flaking and holds a curl which is a must for me. As I mentioned already it's waterproof so you'll need an oil based make up remover, but it also comes in a non waterproof formula as well as in lilac, teal and indigo which all looked like they'd be really pretty for the Summer. The colourful shade range combined with the packaging and name make me think that this mascara is being marketed towards a younger consumer, but don't let that put you off, it's an excellent mascara and for the price point of €10.49 is definitely worth trying out the next time you're in the market for a new mascara. 

Top-bottom- bare lashes, Miss Baby Roll, Lancôme Cils Booster XL under Miss Baby Roll

The next lash product I wanted to tell you about is the Lancôme Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base. I had heard a few people mention this recently and I never looked into it or paid it much attention until I saw a photo on Instagram of the makeup look Fiona Stiles created on Lily Collins for the Met Gala. Her eyelashes looked incredible and I waited impatiently for her to list the products she used to create the look. As soon as I saw that she had used the Cils Booster XL to prime Lily's eyelashes I made a mental list to try it out as soon as possible. So when I was in Sephora in New York, I was browsing the miniatures aisle and to my absolute joy I saw that they had a mini version of the Cils Booster XL for $13 and without a further thought it went straight into my basket.

Cils Booster XL with Miss Baby Roll on top (just one coat of each)

I had used a lash primer once before, it was a double ended mascara with a primer on one end and a black mascara on the other, I can't remember the brand but I wasn't overly impressed. Not enough to continue to add that extra step into my daily makeup routine. However this had me hooked straight away. As you can see in the photos above my natural lashes aren't amazing, but they do tend to look quite good once I apply mascara. When I use Cils Booster XL, they are on another level. I obviously don't layer it up as much as Fiona Stiles did on Lily Collins but I'm sure you could if you wanted even more dramatic lashes. The formula is thin enough that you could definitely apply two coats with ease. I love that it doesn't make your lashes clump but instead it just enhances everything- volume, definition and in particular length.

The formula contains micro-fibers that are supposed to both protect and volumise your lashes and the white colour means that any shade of mascara applied over it is intensified. Yes, it's pricey for a product that you don't necessarily "need" at approximately €26, but you can use a less expensive drugstore mascara with it like I've done and it seriously improves how your lashes look (even with an already great mascara like Miss Baby Roll). If you have short, thin lashes I feel like this will change your life. I'm aware that I'm making quite a big statement there, but I honestly don't think anyone could not think this is an incredible product. I don't have super long lashes but they aren't the worst and I am blown away by the difference every time I use this. I'm trying to save it for weekends but I'm so obsessed with how my lashes look with this on now that I can't help wanting to use it every day. It's also suitable for sensitive eyes which is an added bonus. I'll definitely be buying the full size once I've used up my mini one.

Cils Booster XL is available in Brown Thomas and Boots, or at any Lancôme counter.

What mascara are you using at the moment? Have you ever tried a lash primer?

Emma x

Turn On The Bright Lights

We wandered down to Astoria Park on one of our last evenings in New York to catch the sunset over the East River. We went to the area of the park under the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which was formerly known as the Triborough Bride as it connects Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. From there you also get an amazing view of the Hell Gate Bridge which just turned 100 years old back in March and connects Astoria to Randalls and Wards Islands. According to this New York Times article, it got its name from the Dutch word "hellegat" which translates to "hell channel", because of how treacherous that stretch of river could be with the tides and rocks. 

I thought it would be the perfect spot to get some more outfit photos as the light was beautiful as was the view of the bridges and the river. We were kind of annoyed with ourselves for not going down there earlier in our trip because the park has amazing amenities, the views are beautiful and it was packed with people doing outdoor classes and playing sports. However we were lucky with how nice of an evening it was and that the sun came out from behind the clouds just in time for us to watch it disappear behind the buildings. 

Dress- H&M
Jacket- New Look
Scarf- ASOS
Boots- Clarks (similar here and here)
Sunglasses- eBay
Necklace- Stella and Dot Bespoke Disc Necklace
Lipstick- Bourjois Rouge Buzz

I bought this dress the week before we went away on sale in H&M for only €15. I had seen it on Amy from The Little Magpie back in March and loved it but didn't buy it at the time. I wasn't sure it would suit me with the high neck and ruffles (which is a trend I haven't really gotten into). But when I saw it on sale in my size, I bought it on a whim and it even ended up being €5 cheaper when I got to the till (don't you just love it when that happens). I actually really loved it when I tried it on at home and brought it with me to New York to wear out for dinner which I did a couple of the nights. I can see myself wearing it lots of different ways, with a leather jacket or heeled boots or runners for a more casual look. I love a good midi dress and I'm glad I took a chance on this one. For €15 you can't go too far wrong!

I'm aware that this is the second post in a row that I've worn this neck scarf but I just thought it was really nice paired with the dress, it's still available on ASOS if anyone is interested. I usually hate wearing my hair up when I'm not at home but it was very necessary with the heat in New York. We had spent the day walking around Prospect Park in Brooklyn and I needed to cool down.

I'm currently working through the hundreds of photos I took on the trip with the goal of writing a blog post about our New York experience. It'll be more personal than a travel guide, mostly because it was my first time there so I'm by no means qualified to be giving out advice. However I read lots of blog posts from other people as the trip approached and I found it helpful so hopefully I can do the same thing.

How much research do you like to do before you visit somewhere? Do you find reading about other peoples experiences helpful or do you prefer to do your own thing and not plan too much?

If you haven't seen it already, check out my first style post from New York here!

Emma x