Truffle Shuffle

Last weekend I was sitting down to do my makeup and I couldn't decide what to do. I knew I wanted to wear these statement earrings I got in Mango a couple of months ago and I was inspired by the colour combination to try to match my makeup to the earrings. This look is definitely not going to be for everyone but I love how fun it is and I think keeping everything else pared back makes it a bit more "wearable", not that that's ever stopped me before!

I went back to my trusty BPerfect Cosmetics Carnival Palette and thought the shade Shuffle would work well as a match for the warm yellow/orange shade of the earrings. I've worn this eyeshadow a couple of times before and it's such an eye-catching, vibrant shade. I decided to try it with liner which I haven't done before and I think the contrast between the black liner and the bright yellow works really well. 

I wanted to leave the main focus on my eyes so I wore the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow on my lips. I love this gloss so much I recently bought one of the other shades, Fu$$y, which is more pink toned. Between this and the clear Glossier Lip Gloss, I've been completely converted back to glosses over the past couple of years, I especially love them paired with matte eyeshadows to add some dimension to my face. 

I've been playing around with the Soapbrows kit for the past week and a half and trying different combinations. I'm not crazy about how my brows turned out here, but I've since gotten the hang of using Soapbrows with a brow pencil. I just bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and I love how it looks so I'll take some photos of that for the blog soon. 

I've been doing the double highlighter technique a lot over the past few weeks and this time I tried it with the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter and Glossier Play Niteshine in Platinum Rose on top. I think you can see in the photos they give my skin a beautiful sheen. I used the Real Techniques Setting Brush to apply both, it's small and fluffy so it gives a soft, diffused look instead of  it being to concentrated, I find this works particularly well with the Niteshine as it's quite pigmented, but this way it's not as intense. I think this would be a great look for the Summer, I never thought I'd be so into bright eyeshadow but I've really been loving wearing colourful shades over the past year or so. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (2 Fair Neutral)
Soapbrows Kit
Soap and Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush (Dark Chocolate)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
*BPerfect Cosmetics Stacey Marie Carnival Palette (Truffle)
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
*Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Storm and Beam)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (Fair 1)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
*L'Oréal Paris Infaillible Magic Loose Powder
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (Fenty Glow)

*Press Sample

Would you wear yellow eyeshadow? Have you tried any of these products?

Emma x

Firewalk With Me

Through the darkness of future past

The magician longs to see

One chants out between two worlds

Fire walk with me

On Friday afternoon I was scrolling through Instagram as you do and I saw this look that makeup artist Grace Ahn created for Lizzo. I'm a huge fan of a dramatic feline shaped liner so I thought I'd try to recreate the look. It also gave me an excuse to play with my new Glossier Play Glitter Gelée in the shade Firewalk, which I thought looked similar to the glitter Lizzo is wearing. Photos really don't do this glitter justice, I've tried it alone and over eyeshadow and I personally prefer it over a similar toned rose gold eyeshadow. I had been wearing the basic face makeup all day and then added the eye and lip makeup after work. As you can see it lasted well considering it had been on for about ten hours. I'll chat more about the new L'Oréal products later in the week. You can see the rest of the products I used below. 



*L'Oréal Infaillible 24H Fresh Wear Foundation Shade 15 Porcelain
*L'Oréal Infaillible More Than Concealer Shade 322 Ivory
*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil
Glossier Boy Brow in Brown (Review here)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging 
*Soap and Glory Damsel and Copper Eyeshadows (limited edition Perfect Ten palette)
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner in Black
Sephora Collection 12hr Colorful Contour Eyeliner in 02 Clubbing Stilettos
Glossier Play Glitter Gelée in Firewalk 
Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler 
Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Bronzer Stick (Review here)
*Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm 
Glossier Haloscope in Moonstone
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Loose Setting and Mattifying Powder in Translucent
NYX Professional Makeup Matte Finish Setting Spray
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Raquel 


*Press Sample


What do you think? Would you wear this look?

Emma x

Brows Brows Brows

I've been asked about my eyebrows quite a bit and considering they're one of my favourite features,  surprisingly I've never dedicated an entire blog post to them. I thought it could be helpful for me to talk about what products I use and what I do to maintain them. With MicroBlading and "Instagram brows", there are so many brow trends and techniques and more brow products than ever on the market. It's hard to know where to begin.

First though, I should tell you about my brow history (I'm sure you'll be riveted) but I do think it's interesting to know the evolution of a person's brows, because let's be honest, most of my peers grew up in the nineties and experienced one of the darkest eras for eyebrows.

I can't remember exactly what age I was, but at some stage of my teenage years I began plucking my eyebrows and I like most nineties girls, I didn't know when to stop. I completely over plucked them to the point that there was the thinest line left on my face. My mother went through me for a shortcut as she'd say and if I remember correctly I stupidly kept up the plucking for a while until I eventually just left them alone and let them grow back fully. I'm very lucky that they actually did grow back because I know a lot of people who did the same thing as me and weren't as lucky.

I got to a stage where I allowed myself to give them a bit of a shape again. I didn't want to do much, so since then I've just been doing a little bit of maintenance because I like the look of more full eyebrows and I think it suits my face. I've never once had someone else thread or wax or pluck my brows, I've always done them myself. I've had so many people ask me if I've had HD Brows done and to be honest I don't really know what that is (I just looked it up as I was writing this). However I do have a HD Brows tweezers which I got in a Glossybox years ago (so maybe that counts?) and is the best tweezers I've ever tried.

So onto how I do my eyebrows. I never used to do much to them at all, I just used clear brow gel and then one day around the time I started this blog, I started to fill them in using a now discontinued matte brown Benefit eyeshadow. I used that for about two years until it ran out and at the point I was heartbroken because I couldn't replace it and had been using it for so long I had no idea what to use next.

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe

I've since dabbled in almost every type of brow product out there. Powders, pencils, waxes, crayons, felt tip pens, gels, everything! Having tried so much I definitely have my favourites that I know work best for me. I tend to prefer powders, tinted gels/mascaras and smaller crayons. All of which you can see pictured. These are the types of products I find take the least amount of time and give me varied results depending on the look I'm going for. I do love the supermodel, natural brow look and I've been trying to go lighter on my brows recently.

Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil

I tend to use a powder when I'm going for a more full, nighttime look. The one I've been using for the past year or so is the Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe which you can also get in a set with the Brow Brush called 60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows. Their Universal Brow Pencil is also amazing, it's a bit thicker than the Soap and Glory Archery so it was great for when I wanted to do my brows really quickly.

Soap and Glory Archery in Hot Chocolate

The crayon is what I use daily as it's quick and easy and not too much when I'm wearing minimal makeup. My favourite and most repurchased brow product ever is Soap and Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush. I've used both the shades Hot Chocolate which is darker and Brownie Points which is lighter and slightly warmer toned. I find the small crayon great for getting more precision when you want it but also for just filling in the areas where you need it without it being too much.

Lancôme Sourcils Styler in Châtain

Finally I love a good tinted brow gel. My favourites are the Bourjois Brow Design which I can't seem to find anywhere anymore but gave a really good colour pay off and the Lancôme Sourcils Styler which I've mentioned numerous times on the blog already and is definitely the best brow mascara I've ever tried. During the Summer or when I'm on holiday I tend to favour a brow mascara. It's the quickest and easiest way to do my brows, it still gives them shape, hold and a hint of colour with minimal effort which is exactly what you want in hot weather.

Bourjois Brow Design in Brun

I'm fully aware how fortunate I am that my eyebrows grew back and I'm sure there are some people reading this who weren't as lucky and have to put a lot more effort into doing their brows everyday. The only advice I can really give is if you haven't ever plucked your eyebrows, don't do it! Go to a professional who can shape your brows to suit your face. If you do have thinner brows, there are so many amazing options out there nowadays. I've seen some amazing results from MicroBlading and emBrowdery and if you're not quite there yet, there are so many brow products available that can help you achieve the look you want. 

Were you a fellow victim of the nineties brow? What are your favourite brow products?

Emma x


*Press samples include, Billion Dollar Brows products, Lancôme Sourcils Styler and Bourjois Brow Design. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

La Dolce Vita

Every time I have an occasion and I can't decide how to do my makeup or I don't have a lot of time to get ready, this look tends to be my go-to. I think everyone has their failsafe party makeup look that you know will look good and that you can almost do with your eyes closed. These are the products that I know will last for hours, that I've used countless times and I can rely on to make me look ready for any special occasion. 

I usually begin by prepping my skin with a face mask like the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, I love this one because it makes a huge difference to my skin in such a short time- one minute to be exact. It gives your skin a hit of Vitamin C and makes it instantly appear more bright and smooth. 

Then I apply a hydrating serum and moisturiser making sure to let each one sink in fully before I begin my makeup, this way I know my skin will be hydrated properly and my foundation won't sit on my skin. 

My absolute favourite foundation for a special occasion is Estée Lauder Double Wear Light. If you have combination/oily skin this foundation is perfect for controlling oil and lasting throughout the entire day and night. My sister and I both wore this on her wedding day and it's one of those foundations that still looks perfect even after you've been wearing it all day. However because it's so long lasting I find that sometimes I need an extra hit of hydration beforehand which is where the YSL  Instant Moisture Glow comes in. I've written about it before, but if you have dry/dehydrated skin, this honestly does wonders for the appearance of your foundation. It gives a your skin instant hydration and a beautiful texture to work with. I'm down to my last few drops of this and I'll definitely be repurchasing it once it's run out. 

Once my foundation is done I always move onto my brows. I feel like they anchor my whole face and I don't feel right until they're finished. I always use my trusted Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil in the shade Hot Chocolate because I know how to get my brows exactly how I like them using this. I've gone through countless amounts of these pencils, it's probably one of my most repurchased makeup items. I finished off my brows with the Lancôme Sourcils Styler Brow Mascara in Châtain. I've been using it for about six months now and it's still going strong. It's without a doubt the best brow mascara I've ever used, you can read my full review here. 

Next up is the most fun part- the eyes! I always begin any eye look by using Urban Decay Primer Potion. I've been using it for about ten years now and it's never let me down. You can get a 5ml travel size for €11 which is so handy, especially for a product like this that takes me ages to get through. 

The pièce de résistance of this entire look is the incomparable Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita palette. I can't believe I've had this for two and a half years and I've never once mentioned it here. My mam got it for me for my birthday and it's once of my most prized makeup products. I was hesitant to even write this post because the photos just do not do this palette justice. I found a photo of Beyoncé wearing the Dolce Vita Palette to Michelle Obama's 50th birthday party and it's probably the best photo of the gold glitter 'Pop' shade that I've seen. This is one that you need to experience in person to see how truly gorgeous it is. 

There's a video on Charlotte's Youtube channel of her using the palette that I followed when I first got it and I've pretty much used it in the same way ever since. The palette it so easy to use with it's guide on the back, the four shades are Prime, Enhance, Smoke and Pop. Once you follow those steps you end up with a gorgeous glittery warm smoky eye. It might look scary at first with the glitter and dark brown but the quality of the shadows means that they blend together seamlessly and allow just about anyone to achieve a party eye look easily. 

Anyone I know who has this palette adores it. For me it's without a doubt the must-have palette from her makeup range, I really can't see anyone being disappointed with it. I've worn the eyeshadows alone too and each one is a gorgeous shade in its own right. 

I finished off my eyes with some dark brown liner, this one is the Lancôme Grandiôse Liner. In the photos below I used my current favourite black liquid liner, Bourjois Liner Pinceau, which is the closest I've found to the now discontinued Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner. My favourite mascara for giving my lashes lots of volume for a party look is Bourjois Volume Clubbing. It allows me to apply a few coats and it means I don't need to bother with false lashes. 

I'm not a huge fan of contouring but I absolutely love the NARS Contour Blush in Olympia. As you can see I'm quickly running out of it after having it for over two years. This is another product I swear by for giving fair skin a little bit of definition. It also makes a gorgeous neutral blush for those days where you only want a hint of blush. It's a totally underrated product. 

The overall look is very strong so I only added a touch of my Urban Decay Afterglow Blush in Score just to give my cheeks a hint of colour and a little glow. As you can see this is another product that is very well loved. I've been wearing this shade almost every day for more than a year. It's that perfect blush shade that goes with almost any makeup look. I love the formula of the Afterglow blush range, they blend into the skin so easily and last all day. 

I finished the cheeks with a touch of highlighter. This Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Starlet Mosiac is another product I've been using for years. You only need the smallest amount of this to get a beautiful sheen on your cheekbones. 

To finish off my skin I used some Clarins Instant Light Concealer under my eyes to brighten my dark circles and then powdered using Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot. Both of these are firm favourites of mine. I've been using the Clarins concealer for so long and there's still some left in the tube. I've repurchased the Soap and Glory powder a few times, it's great for keeping in your handbag to touch up if you're starting to look oily. I always try to blot my skin first with blotting paper or a single ply of tissue to get rid of any oil before powdering as it make it last longer. 

The first two shades above are Charlotte Tilbury Red Carpet Red and Bitch Perfect. Red Carpet Red is from the Matte Revolution collection whereas Bitch Perfect is from Charlotte's original K.I.S.S.I.N.G. collection which has a more cream finish. I adore both of these shades and wear them all of the time. As you can see each lipstick completely transforms the look. I'm obviously more partial to a red and this is how I usually wear this look. Dolce Vita paired with Red Carpet Red is for me, the perfect combination for party makeup. 

The shade above is Clinique Nude Pop, this is actually a sample size I got free in a magazine but I actually love the shade. It's a great nude shade for fair skin and the formula feels hydrating and comfortable to wear all day. I love the shade of this lipstick paired with the Dolce Vita palette, it's much more understated than the red lip allowing the eyes to be the focus.

I've been wanting to share this look for a long time and there's no better time than now during the holiday season. I hope this will give you some inspiration for any parties you're attending over Christmas and New Year's.

I'd love to know what your go-to party make up look is and what products you swear by for making you look and feel great for a special occasion.

Emma x

Soft Hands and A Giveaway

I love hand creams, especially when you find one that really works, smells amazing and doesn't feel greasy. I've amassed quite a collection of various brands and sizes of hand creams since over the past year, as gifts or ones I've repurchased again and again. Read on for my thoughts on the five pictured below!

Burt's Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey and Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream, 75ml, £9.99 

It contains jojoba, cupuacu and macadamia butters, antioxidant-rich grape seed and sunflower oils. (I looked up Cupuacu, which is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao). I'm always interested in what ingredients are used for certain products (eg. exfoliators, facial cleansers etc.) There seems to be a pattern with certain ingredients. I got this as part of a set because I wanted to try out some more Burt's Bees products because in general I love their stuff. I'm not a huge fan of the scent of this, I love honey scented products so I'm blaming it on the Grapeseed oil (I looked this up too, it's a carrier oil which means it is used to dilute other oils and is used in cosmetics for the control of skin moisturisation. Grape seeds themselves contain anti-oxidants). The formulation is a bit too rich for me, it can be greasy, although I put it on at night so that the greasiness doesn't affect me. I wouldn't put it on during the day. That being said it definitely makes a difference to my hands, it's very moisturising and makes my hands very soft the next morning. 

Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache  Hand Creme, 50ml, €19

This also contains Grape oil as well as Olive Oil, soy proteins which are rich in amino acids and help in the repair process. The Crème de Pistache fragrance captures the essence of creamy pistachio nuts, almond, praline and hazelnut with freshly whipped cream. This scent is my absolute favourite. I can't get enough of it. Having said that I know it is probably not for everyone. At €19 for 50mls it is the most expensive of the five, but it makes a great present (my family know it's one of my favourites) or if you feel like treating yourself. This also comes in a body wash, scrub, lotion and eau de toilette (which I am dying to get!) You really get what you pay for here, I love the formula of this, it's not greasy, it sinks into the skin easliy and really moisturises your hands.

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, 100ml, €19

Clarins has been a long time favourite brand of mine. It started with me "borrowing" my mother's Clarins products. She has been a fan for years and uses their cleanser, toner and serums as often as she can. They are one of those brands that just make the most quality products and at prices that are not completely extortionate. I've had this hand cream at different stages over the years, this particular tube was given to me as a gift for my birthday last year so it really does last a long time and I think €19 for 100mls is pretty good for one of the best hand creams on the market. This seems to be a bit of a secret in that it's been around for ages but never really gets talked about, well that I've seen anyway. It contains sesame oil and Japanese mulberry which are supposed to form a protective "glove" around the hands to shield from the elements, it also reduces the signs of aging AND strengthens nails and conditions cuticles. What more could you ask for? It's just a damn good hand cream! Oh and it smells really natural and Clarinsy (if you've ever used Beauty Flash balm you'll know what I mean). 

L'Occitane Cooling Hand Cream Gel, 75ml, €19.95

L'Occitane products are a recent enough discovery for me. I got a free hand cream in a magazine and ever since I've been hooked. I love their Honey hand cream, the Lavender and the plain ole Shea Butter. This cooling hand cream gel with Organic Verbena extract (what the heck is that you might ask?!) It comes from a flowering plant in Corsica apparently. All I know is it smells citrusy and I love that! It's supposed to refresh hands by leaving a powdery finish on them and reduces feelings of moisture and swelling. Personally I don't find this moisturising enough for me but I suppose that's the point. I'd imagine it would feel very refreshing for someone who works intricately with their hands or perhaps suffers from joint pain or arthritis. I highly rate L'Occitane hand creams in general, but this isn't for my particular hand needs.

Soap and Glory Hand Food, 50ml €3

This is by far the best "drugstore" hand cream. At €3 for 50ml it's six times less expensive than the Laura Mercier one and to be honest is just as good. I absolutely love how this smells, it has that Soap and Glory 'Original Pink' scent which according to them has orange leaf, lemon, peach, sweet strawberries, summer rose, gardenia blooms and jasmine. Wow! It contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow. Yes, marshmallow! It comes in a 125ml tube too, but I like the 50ml because it's the perfect handbag size. 

So there you have it! My opinions on some of my favourite hand creams. Click the links above to find out more on the brands websites. 

What hand cream are you using at the moment? Do you have any suggestions for me to try?

Now for the fun bit, I'm going to giveaway two of the 50ml Soap and Glory hand creams! So there will be two winners who will receive one tube each. To enter just leave me a comment and tell me what your favourite scent is ( I'm so nosey about these things) and an email address ( if you don't have a blogger profile/blog) for me to contact you if you win!

The giveaway will close at 12am GMT on Tuesday the 17th.  *** Open Internationally too!***

Hope you're all having a great week so far!

Emma x