Voluptuous Nude

The Emmy Awards were on last weekend and as usual I was more interested in the style and makeup than who won what (although I was very happy that both Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Bill Hader won awards). I follow a lot of celebrity and editorial makeup artists on Instagram including Jenn Streicher who often does makeup for Mandy Moore, including on Sunday night. She looked stunning in a red and pink dress but I was especially enamoured by her hair and makeup which was classic, glamorous and understated, the perfect accompaniment to such a colourful dress. From a distance it seemed like a typical brown smokey eye and nude lipstick, but the glitter was an unexpected addition that gave the look some extra dimension.

I immediately wanted to recreate the look as it was so beautiful on Mandy Moore and it's been a while since I've done something smoky like this. Jenn used Lorac products for the look so I decided to break out my Lorac Pro Palette that's been sadly underused over the past couple of years. I used the shades Cream, Taupe, Mauve, Sable and Pewter to create a rounded but slightly winged out shape with a deepened crease, lighter lid, some bronze liner along my waterline and topped it off with some bronze glitter from the Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad.

I used Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk on my cheeks as the overall look is quite warm and tonal so I wanted my blush to be a neutral shade. The lipstick Jenn used is quite a light nude so I brought out the palest nude I own, Voluptuous Nude by Givenchy which is now sadly discontinued but it's a gorgeous shade and paired with the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat from Charlotte Tilbury it turned out a bit darker and warmer than usual. Obviously you could recreate this look with any colour palette or tones to suit your skin. It's quite a simple look overall but it's so effective and the perfect red carpet look with a slight sparkly twist. I love seeing red carpet makeup that has something different to it.

*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Mighty Mocha)
KIKO Glamorous Eye Pencil (401 Golden Hazelnut) (Discontinued, similar here)
LORAC PRO Palette
Pixi Beauty Glitter-y Eye Quad (RoseBronze)
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat (1)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
**Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Beam)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk)
Givenchy Rouge Interdit Lipstick (Voluptuous Nude) (Discontinued, similar here)

*Press Sample
**I bought Dusk, Beam is a press sample

What do you think of this look?

Emma x

Hardcore Velvet

I placed a Glossier order before I went on holiday which included a new set called The Ready Set which includes a Milky Jelly Cleanser, Boy Brow and a Balm Dot Com all of which I needed to repurchase. I also bought the Colorslide Eye Pencil in Hardcore Velvet which is a deep teal shade that I thought would be great to wear for Autumn and Winter. In the airport in Nice I bought a Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême Lipstick in the shade Rouge Obscur from the new Noir et Blanc collection, it's a beautiful rich berry/burgundy shade in a matte finish. I wanted to pair the two products together as they both have a velvet finish and I thought it would be a good contrast against my holiday skin with all my freckles. 

I used Double Wear Light Foundation so that you can still see my skin, I also used the Clarins cream bronzer for a sun kissed look which I thought would add to the contrast with the dark matte lips and teal liner. I applied YSL Touche Éclat and double highlighter to bring extra glow and light to my face and the L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara I bought in Duty Free too as it gives lots of volume and length which is exactly what you need with a liner like this. I used the tiniest amount of powder just under my eyes as I wanted my skin to be as luminous as possible. I really love how this look turned out. It's so simple but I think the colours work well together especially against my fresh and freckly post-holiday skin. The liner is such a unique shade I can't wait to try other ways of wearing it. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation (1N2 Ecru)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Duo (02 Golden Peach)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Soapbrows Kit
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
YSL Beauté Touche Éclat (1)
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
Glossier Play Colorslide Technogel Eye Pencil (Hardcore Velvet)
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara
**Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Storm)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
Chanel Beauty Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême Lipstick (130 Rouge Obscur)

*Press Sample
**Storm is a press sample, I bought Dusk myself

Is anyone else excited for Autumnal makeup? What do you think of this shade of liner?

Emma x

Purple Rain

A couple of weeks ago I did a sixties inspired liner look but I wasn't crazy about how the liner turned out so I did what I always do when I want to salvage my makeup- added glitter!

I bought this Pixi Beauty Glitter-y Eye Quad a while ago and haven't played with it much so I tried out the purple glitter shade in a winged shape over my existing liner and I really loved the finished look. The glitters are a cream formula which makes them so easy to work with. I used a flat brush to apply it in a winged out graphic shape and barely had to tidy it up at all as the glitter adheres to your lids straight away. I have the BluePearl quad too, which you may have seen me use here and here. These quads are great for anyone who wants to try out glitter but doesn't want to faff around with loose glitter pigments, glitter glue and fallout. With these products you get a lot of impact with very little skill or effort.

I'm still testing out the new No7 Foundation since my last post and so far I'm really loving it, I might do a full post on it and compare it to the IT Cosmetics CC Cream which I find is quite similar.

The two lip glosses I used are both inexpensive and beautiful on. I lined my lips first with my trusty No7 Precision Lips Pencil that I've used for years and although it's not pictured, I actually very slightly lined the very outside of my lips with the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown as I was going for the 60s Sharon Tate look and apparently that's a trick she used on her lips. I applied the e.l.f. Lip Plumping Gloss all over in a light layer and then the Catrice one on top in the centre of my lips as it's lighter and more pink toned. I'll try the sixties look again as people seemed to really love it when I tried it first and posted it on Instagram. 

No7 Protect and Perfect Advanced All in One Foundation (Porcelain)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer (10NN)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Soapbrows Kit
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging 
Sephora Mixology Palette (Sweet & Warm)
Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner
Pixi Beauty Glitter-y Eye Quad (RoseBronze)
Hourglass Caution Mascara
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk and Beam)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
No7 Precision Lips Pencil (Nude)
e.l.f. Lip Plumping Gloss (Mocha Twist)
Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster

*Press Sample
**I bought Dusk, Beam is a press sample

Are you a glitter fan?

Emma x

Total Eclipse of the Rose

I'm currently sitting in our apartment in a very rainy South of France and since there's not much to do except swim in the rain which I've already done, I thought I'd finish this blog post. I haven't been wearing much makeup at all on holiday, as much as I love makeup, going to the beach barefaced is the only option as far as I'm concerned. But I took photos of this look from last weekend and I wanted to share them. 

I posted a look similar to this a couple of months ago on my Instagram and I really liked how it turned out so I wanted to recreate it for the blog. I liked the combination of different shades of pink in different finishes. I started with the rosy matte shade Backtalk from the Urban Decay palette of the same name that I've mentioned here several times before, then added the Bodyography glitter pigment in the shade Eclipse on top which is more of a cool toned pink that adds dimension and an almost wet-look. I applied the Hourglass Caution Mascara because it gives quite a bit of volume which I think is needed with a look like this. 

For my base I've been trying out the latest foundation offering from No7 that I bought when it came out recently. Anyone who has been following me for a while knows I love No7 foundations and I was extra excited to see that this new one not only has Protect and Perfect Serum skincare technology to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles but it also has a broad spectrum SPF 50 in it which protects against UVA and UVB rays. I've only tried it a few times so far but it does remind me of the IT Cosmetics CC Cream in the texture, finish and the fact that it has SPF 50 and skincare ingredients. It's definitely one to look into if you want more from your foundation than just coverage. 

I've been mixing the Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer and the bareMinerals Complete Coverage Serum Concealer and I love the combination of the two which gives me coverage, lasting power and a brightening effect.  

I've also been loving using my Soapbrows kit and Brow Flick for my eyebrows. I love the feathery look I get from using the soap and how well it holds my brows in place. I've seen some flack online from people saying its ridiculous to spend money on Soapbrows when you can buy clear soap for much cheaper, pop it into a container and just use water or whatever fixing spray you have and a spoolie. That's very true of course and it's been a makeup artist technique for years that I only discovered within the past year. However I really like the way Soapbrows comes with everything you need and it's all done for you, if you want to go and buy a clear soap from Boots, that's completely up to you. Most of the beauty industry is spending your money on things that are overpriced and do the same thing as less expensive products but it's up to the individual how they choose to spend their money and it's not up to me or anyone else to judge another person for what they buy. 

I finished the look with the gorgeous Skyscraper Rose from Lisa Eldridge, you could of course wear a more neutral lip colour with this eye, or even red would look great with it but I loved all the contrasting shades of pink. 

No7 Protect and Perfect Advanced All in One Foundation (Porcelain)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer (10NN)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
Soapbrows Kit
Glossier Brow Flick
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
*Urban Decay Backtalk Palette (Backtalk)
Bodyography Glitter Pigment (Eclipse)
Hourglass Caution Mascara
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
**Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Haze)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infaillible Magic Loose Powder
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Lisa Eldridge Insanely Saturated Lip Colour Skyscraper Rose 

*Press Sample
** I bought Dusk, Haze is a press sample

Would you try this tonal pink look? Have you tried any of these products?

Emma x

Mixology

A couple of weeks ago I was in Berlin for my birthday and of course I made it my business to visit the Sephora in Alexanderplatz. I bought a few things that aren't available here in Ireland, a couple of the Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliners, a Tarte Cosmetics eye set with a mini Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara and Double Take Eyeliner, Lanolips Lip Water and a Sephora Collection Colorful Metal Effect Eyeshadow in the shade Pinkalicious. When I was paying the sales assistant put a Sephora palette in my bag and said it was a free gift. I have no idea why, but after using it a few times now I'm delighted with it. 

It's the Sephora Mixology palette which comes in two colourways- Sweet & Warm (which is what I was given) and Hot & Spicy. It was apparently released a couple of years ago and contains 18 shades of 6 colour combinations, 9 are matte and 9 are shimmer so an overall great mix of shades and finishes. Honestly I wasn't expecting much from this palette, despite being a big fan of the Sephora Collection products. I guess because it was a free gift I figured it must not be great. Then I tried it and I had to eat my words. It's not life changing and the colours are fairly neutral and basic but the eyeshadows are easy to blend and pigmented and I love how the palette is laid out so you know which colours work well together. I've actually worn the bottom left trio several times now as well as some of the other shades and it's gotten me back into wearing more than one eyeshadow at a time which has been fun! The double ended brush it comes with is surprisingly good too. I've been loving wearing cool tones recently and especially sixties inspired looks so I hope you like the look below which I've been wearing a lot over the past couple of weeks. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
No7 HydraLuminous Moisturising Foundation (Porcelain)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Soapbrows Kit
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Sephora Mixology Palette (Sweet &Warm)
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
**Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Beam)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (Pillow Talk)

*Press Sample
**I bought Dusk, Beam was a press sample

I recently repurchased the No7 HydraLuminous Foundation which is probably the first foundation I've used up and repurchased in a long time. I used it with this look because I wanted my skin to be luminous rather than matte so I didn't look too overdone. I paired the cool eyes with warm blush and pink/nude lips in the form of Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk which is still one of my favourite neutral lipsticks.

What do you think of cool tones? Has anyone tried this palette?


Emma x

Low Key

A few weeks ago I went to the launch of the new Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation and got shade matched to shade 10NN in both the foundation and concealer. When I first saw this product was launching I was immediately interested after reading that it was a breathable, longwear foundation with medium, buildable coverage and a real-skin matte finish. It's also vegan, cruelty-free, comes in 50 shades with various master and undertones and is supposed to last for 24hrs (although I wouldn't be testing out that claim). I also loved the campaign images featuring a variety of different people including Lizzo and Ezra Miller. It's good to see the beauty industry slowly moving in the right direction trying to be more inclusive. 

I've been trying the products out over the past couple of weeks and have a few initial thoughts, however I do want to try it some more before I write a proper review. The shade is a perfect match for me, the concealer is actually a little lighter than the foundation which is great for anyone who wants that brightening effect, I tend to prefer a concealer to be the same shade as my foundation but I actually think it looks quite nice in the photos below. I definitely think these products are more for combination/oily skin. I don't know how they'd fare on people with dry skin so I'd definitely recommend trying to get a sample if you have dry skin and you're interested in trying it. I find I don't need to powder, I just set it with All-Nighter setting spray. This is my first time trying an Urban Decay foundation and so far I'm very impressed. I'll write a more in depth review with before and after photos and comparison swatches with other foundations for anyone that is interested as I know shade matching yourself can be difficult sometimes. 

I decided to do a bit of an Urban Decay face so I used the Backtalk palette (one of my favourite UD palettes) on my eyes. I actually used a couple of the blush shades and the highlighter to create a warm, winged out look. I then added the Bodyography Stellar pigment in the centre of my eyelids for some added dimension. I kept things tonal with some warm cheeks using my favourite combination of Glossier Puff and Dusk Cloud Paints and then the new Urban Decay Lip Chemistry in the shade Low Key. They are high gloss lip tints that adjust to the pH of your skin and give your lips a custom shade that's unique to you. When I first saw the shade I thought it would be far too light on me, but they really do adjust to your skin tone as you can see below, it turned into a warm rosy shade that toned in so well with the shades I used on my eyes. If you've read my blog before you'll know I'm a big gloss fan and I really love the texture and finish of this. I was surprised by how much I liked this compared to my first impressions of it. I'd be interested to see what the darker shades are like on. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
Pixi Beauty Glow Mist
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation (10NN)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer (10NN)
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown) ( Save €5 with the Boy Brow and Brow Flick Duo)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
*Urban Decay Backtalk Palette (Double Take, Low Key and Party Foul)
Bodyography Glitter Pigment (Stellar)
Hourglass Caution Mascara
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Puff)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (01)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Vice Lip Chemistry (Low Key)
Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray

*Press Sample

There have been a lot of foundation and lip product launches recently and honestly, it can feel a bit overwhelming to be constantly bombarded with new products. I was very close to ordering the new Charlotte Tilbury foundation when it launched this week (without even getting shade matched) but I quickly copped on to myself and thought I don't need another foundation at the moment and I don't even like full coverage, so I'm better off getting a sample when it launches in store. The hype almost got me. I'm trying to use what I have and really enjoy playing with makeup, like using the blushes from the Backtalk palette as eyeshadows. I don't really wear powder blush anymore so I'm happy I found a use for the blush shades that haven't gotten much use thus far. It's hard when you want to try the latest releases but that's why I'm making a conscious effort to try use what I have which is why getting back into blogging and being more creative with makeup has been so good for me (and my bank account).

Let me know what you think, have you bought any of the latest launches what have been your favourite recent purchases?


Emma x

I Can See Your Halo

A couple of weeks ago I saw this look by makeup artist Isabel Y Rosado and straight away saved it knowing I wanted to try recreate it. I loved the simplicity, yet it's still quite a statement. I also love the combination of a pale silver shimmer with a peachy nude lip colour, there's something a little bit retro about it to me. 

After applying the Clarins Skin Illusion foundation, I used the bronzer end of the Clarins Duo Stick to give a bit more of a Summer glow. The main component of this look is the Bodyography Glitter Pigment in the shade Halo. I find these pigments work best applied with your fingers as it gives the most colour impact. Sometimes I use a more dense synthetic brush just to blend the edges a little. I then applied lots of the Hourglass Caution mascara which is my new favourite mascara, however I don't know that I'd repurchase it for €30, I've tried mascaras that are just as good for half that price. 

I used my new favourite brow technique which is taking either Glossier Boy Brow or Soapbrows and brushing up my brows and then adding in some extra faux hairs with Glossier Brow Flick only where needed. That way they look natural and full but not too done which is my preferred brow look. 

I wanted my cheeks and lips to match as much as possible so I mixed a little of Puff Cloud Paint in with Dusk just to keep the shade neutral with a hint of pink. I did the same kind of thing on my lips mixing Bite Beauty Meringue in with Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect, I didn't want the colour to be too opaque so I applied a little of each over well moisturised lips and patted it in. 

I wanted the highlighter to mirror the rest of the look so I used Moonstone Haloscope which is a more cool toned shade and then a little Platinum Rose Niteshine over the top just to get that hint of warmth in there too. 

I really love how this whole look turned out, I definitely could have done more of the pigment on my lids but this is a more pared back version of Isabels look which also had a bit of a gloss finish on the lips too. I think this eye look would look amazing with liner and with a darker lip colour too. I'm looking forward to playing around with it some more. 

SkinCeuticals Mineral Radiance UV Defense SPF 50 (Universal Tint)

Pixi Beauty Glow Mist

*Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (101 Linen)

bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (01 Fair)

*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Duo Stick (Golden Peach 02)

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)

Soapbrows

Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)

Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)

Bodyography Glitter Pigment (Halo)

Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler

Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara

Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Puff and Dusk)

Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)

*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)

*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick (Meringue)

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick (Bitch Perfect)

*Press Sample

What do you think? Do you like cool toned eye looks?

Emma x