Review: Essence Lashes Go Wild mascara

Hi guys!

 

Today I have a review of a new product for you.



I needed a new mascara the other week and only had a bit of money in my purse so i went for a cheaper option and visited an Essence stand, I have used the 'get big lashes' mascara from Essence and love it so i decided to try a different one from them. When I saw the packaging of this one I was intrigued...

 

 

The tooth-paste-tube-like bottle is really smart and means you use up ALL of the product so you dont have to scrape the sides to get the last out of it when you suddenly realise your mascara is running low.

 



The wand is a nice size for me - not too thick so you can get right to the lash line but still thick enough. There are random groves in the wand also which don't really seem to do anything. My lashes looked so good when I used this- so i supppose whatever way the wand works it does the job very well !

Fairly normal wand but has groves in it which I presume are supposed to add volume.

 



It lenghtens AND volumises, even though it's only specifically for volume. I use a lenghtening mascara before i apply this one, however i wouldnt need to and i would still get a great result.
It doesnt flake throughout the day- on me anyway!  

The mascara doesn't give a natural look so i dont use it on days when i dont want it to look like I'm wearing much makeup. But other than that I like the look it gives and personally I don't go for super natural lashes anyway!

The best thing about this mascara is my far the price - for under €5 you really can't go wrong with this little gem! I've been loving it so far and I can tell it's going to stay in my makeup routine for a long time.

I hope this post has been useful,
Talk soon,

Leona
x

FOTD 05/11/13

Hey everyone,
Just a short 'Face of the Day' post for you today. I used mostly drugstore products to achieve this look and I was so happy with how it looked. A flawless base with simple eyes with winged liner and a gorgeous lip colour. Read on to see what products I used. 

On my face: Maybeline dream satin liquid foundation 010 Ivory, Bourjois chocolate bronzer, Sleek face form (blush and highlight), Sleek brow kit on my eyebrows.

 

Eyes: soft eye makeup using the UD Naked basics palette and bold gel liner. I used my new Essence mascara on my lashes which I'm loving!

 

I used this amazing gel liner by Catrice.

 

And on my lips I just used this lip liner by Essence. I love it, it's not drying at all and such a unique colour so I often just wear it on its own. The colour is 'satin mauve'

 

 

And finally... Here's a little look at my hair. I love adding a French plait at the front to get it out of my face, I've been doing it loads lately since I recently taught myself how to do a French plait!

 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post,

Talk soon,

Leona

x

Product review : Sleek makeup

Hey everyone!

Today I have a Sleek product review post for you all. Sleek isn’t exactly readily available in Ireland and I don’t know anywhere near me that stocks a good range of their products  so I ordered off the Sleek website. Their service is really fast and the delivery charge is quite reasonable. (It was only about €3 for what I got). I've had this stuff for almost 4 months so I think I can give good feedback about the products. With all that said, let's get into the review.

The first product I got is the Sleek 'Brow Kit'. I got the shade ‘light’. It comes in a very nice compact case with a mirror.

 

As you can see on the left there’s a brown wax side. I use that when I want very bold and defined brows, like on a night out. There’s also an angled brush to apply the wax. On the right there’s a lighter shadow which I use on a daily basis with its corresponding brush. It gives a very natural look on its own and is great applied over the wax to set it. Finally, you get a little tweezers which is very handy.

 

 

The second Sleek product I got was their 'Face Form'. I was going to get the contour kit but this was only a few euro more so I decided to go for it as I'd heard their blushes are amazing. I love how this product is so compact and easy to travel with.

 

 

The pigmentation of all 3 of these is really really good.

 

 

One bit of negativity I have is that the wax in the brow kit is quite gingery. I would  personally rather something more ashy. However, I can just about get away with it and still use it.

 

Price-wise, you can't go wrong with Sleek. The Brow Kit is only €9.99 and the Face Form is €12.99. For what you get, trust me these are worth their prices. If you've never tried Sleek before I definitely recommend them.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post guys,

 

Talk soon,

Leona

x



 

 

 

My 'Dead Dorothy' Halloween costume

Hi!

 

I hope you all had a great Halloween, today I'm going to be showing you my costume and makeup for this year :). It was the first year in a while that I made a big effort with my whole costume and I was so happy with how it turned out.

 

 

I dressed up as 'Dead Dorothy'. I used lash glue to create the cuts/scars on my face and neck. It was a cheap and extremely effective way of creating realistic cuts. For the rest of the makeup, I just used mostly eyeshadows (to make my eyes look dead and to create bruises on various parts of my body). They looked very real!

 

 

Me and some of my fabulous friends! I bought my dress from thecostumeshop.ie and it's reversible. On the other side it's little red riding hood!

 

 

 

 

I used the black false nails from Pennys for a bit of a spooky look. They're so good and for €1.50 you really can't go wrong !

 

 

I had a really great night and got a lot of complements on my costume.

 

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I post regularly there so come and talk to me :)

 

Talk soon guys,

Leona

x 

Last minute Halloween make-up look !

Hey everyone,

I hope you're all enjoying the new Autumn season and are getting excited for the upcoming festivities of Halloween and then.... CHRISTMAS ! Wheather we like it or not it's getting close guys.. Start writing your santa lists and buying presents! Look forward to plenty of Christmas-themed posts from me cause it's my favourite time of year.

Anyway, as it's only 2 days till Halloween, today I have a quick and easy yet effecitve make up look for anyone who decides to dress up last minute.

So here it is...

 

A mexican sugar skull (day of the dead) make up look! This year I've seen a lot of different variations of this make up and it's definatley something you can put your own twist on.

Method:

1. Use a light foundation or white face paint as a base. Make sure to blend the make up (and concealer if needed) over your eyebrows to hide them. Also cover your lips with the make up. Powder (with talcum powder) for a dead look.

2. Create the outline using pencil, gel or liquid liner. Alternitavely you could use black face paint. Draw circles around the eyes and then add the petals, an upside-down tear drop shape on your nose and 2 lines extending from the outer corners of your mouth with vertical lines going right the way along those lines including the mouth. Then for added detail draw some type of decroative symbols on your chin and forehead (mine didn't turn out great).

3. Add colour. This is where you can let your imagination take hold. You can chose to go with a colour scheme, add glitter or body jewels, false lashes or even contact lenses to make the look as scary as you want.

Products I used:

 

 

These are just what I had at home in my make up collection, which means this look is also great if you're on a budget. Obviously you can just use whatever make up you have, and the products I used are just a guideline.

Whatever you're dressing as this Halloween; use your imagination, think outside the box and most of all have fun!

Talk soon,

Leona
x 

 

My current favourite perfumes

Hey guys!

 

Right let's just not talk about how long I've been away.. I've been really busy and haven't had time for ANYTHING! Sorry!

 

Anyway, Today I'm going to be telling you my current favourite 6 perfumes (that I own)

I'm not going to try and explain what they smell like, I'm just going to list them from 1-6, 1 being my number one favourite and 6 being my 6th favourite. I do love all of these but I've managed to put them in order.

1 . Victoria's Secret sexy little things fragrance mist (also have the mini)

2. DVB (David and Victoria beckham) 'Intimately Beckham 'eau de toilette

3. Mac 'Turquatic'

4. Sex in the city 'Orange Dream eau de parfum

5. Ysl 'Elle' eau de parfum

6. Benefit 'Laugh with me Lee Lee' eau de toilette

I hope you enjoyed today's short post guys, I can't promise that I'll be blogging once a week again, cause I have a Summer job and other things I've been getting up to. 

Talk soon,

Leona

x

Summer Outfit Ideas

Hi guys,

 

Today's post I'm showing you 5 of my Summer outfits/ Outfit ideas for warm weather.



 

 

 

Outfit 1 

 

This outfit was super comfy, and I just lay out in the sun all day. My Lady and the tramp crop top is from Pennys, my shorts are from New Look and my flipflops (which you can actually see) are from Roxy - they're just black ones. My mam gave me the sunglasses so I'm not exactly sure where they're from, but they weren't expensive.

 

 

 Outfit 2

This is an outfit I wore out to Bray with my boyfriend one day. The weather wasn't as hot as other days but it was still lovely. We climbed Bray head which is why I'm wearing my Vans. I'm also wearing a peplum style top from New Look which is lower at the back. My shirt is also from New Look, my leggings are from River Island and my bag is from Pennys.

 

 

Outfit 3





This was the day I went to the Zoo with my friend. (Love the way the bird is flying around in the background hehe). My patterned top which you cant see too well is from New Look and its a muscle tee, its lovely. My jacket is also from New Look and so are my shoes - as you can see I love New Look !

 

 

Outfit 4

It was roasting again on this day and I just went to town and into the park afterwards for some icecream. I'm wearing a vest top from New Look (I have these in like every colour). The shorts are from Boohoo.com, they're so nice they have butterflies all over them. My sandals are from New Look and my bag is from Pennys.

 

 

 Outfit 5

 

Lastly, I went on a walk to Clontarf on a walk, and my dress (which you can't really see) is from Boohoo.com. It's just a simple grey dress with a t-shirt type top on it. I'm wearing the same shoes and shirt from New Look.

 

 

So that's it from me for today. I hope you have got some ideas for outfits to wear during Summer.

 

Thanks guys,

 

Slán,

Leona x







Review: NYCs Blushable Créme Stick

Hey guys,

Apologies for the late post, we’ve had problems with our broadband recently but fingers crossed it’s sorted now.
Anyway today’s post is a review on the NYC blushable crème stick.

I got this cream blush a few months ago and ever since I’ve loved it, so I thought I better blog about it, as it’s not talked about that much and it should be. I THINK it was under €5, and it’s definitely not much more than that, which is a great price for how good it is.

Mine is number 644U Plaza Pink, it’s a lovely light pink. I’m not sure how good the colour range is, because when I got mine there was only 2 or 3 shades which looked pretty similar, but my NYC stand could have just ran out of some other colours.

 

This product is really great. The colour payoff is excellent and it’s so easy to blend. I use a Stippling brush, mine is by Real Techniques. I also have used my finders to blend it, and I’ve found my Real Techniques ‘expert face brush’ works well too.

The packaging is pretty basic but good and very sturdy considering the price.

Overall, I definitely recommend these NYC crème blushes if you have a NYC stand near you.

Thanks guys, talk soon.

Leona

x

 

Summer 2013 - Plans

Hey guys,

Today I’m going to be planning!              

Making plans is one of my favourite things to do, because it makes me feel organised and I feel like I always know where I’m supposed to be when I have a plan or to-do list to follow (I know, it’s a little bit OCD!)

Anyway, since I just finished my exams, and June is coming up (which means SUMMER for a lot of people) I decided to do a post about the things I plan/want to do this Summer.

(Image courtesy of 1ms.net)

 

1)      Have fun. This will be the most important thing for me to do. I had a pretty stressful first year in college so I just want to enjoy my time off and do lots of fun things throughout the Summer.

2)      Work hard for my show. Every year my dance school has a showcase in the Summer and this year it’s on the 22^nd June. I obviously want to do my best as always and practice lots at home aswell.

3)      After the show, keep dancing. Usually after the show dancing breaks up for the Summer, but this year I’ve decided I want to keep up some sort of dancing class, cause I love it and it’s something different to do with my friends when we’re not in college.

4)      Soak up the sun. Hopefully we get some sunny days in Ireland, but I’m going away with my younger brother to Portugal to visit my Auntie and Uncle for a week in June so that will be a great adventure and so much fun.

5)       Earn money! I’m so excited because I recently got offered a full time job in a local uniform shop for their busy months: July and August. I start on the 1^st of July and I’m so excited!

6)      Relax and treat myself. While I’m working I obviously won’t have much time off so I plan on just relaxing at home, going on walks and treating myself on my days off. Since I’ll have a lot more money than I’m used to, I also want to treat myself to some nice make up stuff or some new clothes. 

And that’s about it. I obviously don’t want to stress myself out with loads and loads of plans and restrictions but overall I just want to be positive and enjoy my time off. If you’re doing exams and don’t finish until mid or late June, just remember to keep calm, do your best and look forward to the holiday you will have afterwards.

Thanks guys, I hope it's been interesting to read what I plan on doing this Summer.

Talk soon,
Leona
x

Face and Nails of the day

Hey guys,

 

Todays short post is just a FOTD (Face of the day) and NOTD (Nails of the day)

On my lips:

I just had an exam today but I decided to go for a red lip cause my clothes were black and grey so I wanted a pop of colour. On my lips is a Rimmel lipstick in 110 (from the Kate Moss collection) and a L'Oreal Caresse lipgloss in 200 'Princess'.

 

On my eyes:

I used ‘bootycall’ on the lid and browbone and ‘chopper’ in the outer corner and on the lower lash line (both are from the Naked 2 pallette). To blend the colours to make them look seamless I used the shadow ‘milk chocolate’ from the Boots natural collection. I finished off with a thin line of black liquid eyeliner at the outer corner, black pencil liner on the water lines and on the outer part of my lower lash line. Finally, a few layers of Benefits ‘They’re real’ mascara and then I was ready!

 



On my face: Rimmel ‘Wake me up foundation’  in 100 Ivory, Benefit ‘Erase paste’ in 02 medium, Benefit’ Boi-ing’ in 01, Rimmel ‘Stay matte’ powder on my t-zone in 001 Transparent, my MAC bronzer and an orangey blush from a brilliant palette I got off ebay as recommended by Louise from 'Sprinkle of glitter'. You should check out her blog if you haven't already!

 

On my nails:

 

I love this nail varnish. It’ s a lovely turquoise colour from topshop, called 'gone fishing'. I have had this for about 2 years and I sort of forgot about it but I’m happy to say it hasn’t become gloopy over time and it applies really well. I have 2 coats of this on today with a base and top coat also!

 

 

Thanks for reading this short post guys, I hope this has given you an idea for a makeup look you could try.

Talk soon,

Leona

x

 

 

Review: Benefit's Confessions of a Concealaholic

Hey everyone,

 

Today's (late) post is going to be a review of the 'Confessions of a Concealaholic' kit from Benefit Cosmetics (€39.50). I got this for Christmas last year so I think 5 months is long enough of a test for the product! I love these sets from Benefit as I think they're a great way to try out some of their products without paying the full price for something, or to make sure you will like it - as we all know Benefit is bloody expensive!

 



As you can see, the packaging (as with all Benefit packaging) is GORGEOUS. A definite 5/5.

 

 

In total, you get to try 5 products in this kit. ('that gal' primer, 'erase paste', 'boi-ing' concealer, 'eye bright' and 'lemon aid'). You also get 2 double-ended brushes with the kit that have the names for what they are supposed to be used for on them.

1)    'That gal' primer (€31) is supposed to be a brightening primer that you can wear under foundation or on its own. As a primer, it's good for smoothing the skin so the foundation glides on, but I don't see much of a brightening effect to be honest. I would like to try their 'Porefessional' primer instead and I won't be purchasing the full size 'that gal' primer.

2)   ‘Erase paste’ (€27.50) is a pink toned concealer that is used to correct under-eye circles. At first I tried applying it with my fingers and the allocated brush and I thought this was very hard to work with, as it’s quite thick and sticky. However, it blends really well with a wet makeup sponge/beauty blender or a duo fibre brush. Now, I love this, it’s only downfall is the price. 4/5

3)   ‘Boi-ing’ concealer (€24) is Benefits’ ‘industrial strength’ concealer, and in the kit it comes in the shades 01 and 02. I think that’s a great touch as it means people can mix the colours to fit their skin tone. The shade 01 is perfect for me and I love it, but I sometimes mix some of the shade 02 with it just so I’m not wasting the darker shade. Easily 5/5 even though it's quite expensive, as I think it’s ok to spend more money on something that will hide red patches and spots really well.

4)   'Eye bright’ (€21.50) comes as a pencil in its’ full size. It’s a pinkey milk coloured brightener that can be used to brighten the inner corner of the eye, under the brow or anywhere around the eye really. I personally couldn’t find any use for it, and when I did try it, I thought it was very hard to work with and it didn’t make much difference. It could be a personal thing, but I’m giving it 1/5

5)   ‘Lemon aid’ (€24) was a surprise for me. It’s a yellow corrector that I think looks good all over the lids when I haven’t got much makeup on or if I don’t want to bother with eyeshadow. It looks great and stays on well. However, I wouldn’t pay €24 for it, as I could find cheaper alternatives that do the same thing. 3.5/5



  

This is what the kit looks like when it's opened up.

 



That’s it for my review, as I’ve said, this product is great. I think the kits are a brilliant idea so people can try out the Benefit products without committing to paying the full price.

Thanks guys, talk soon.

Slán,

Leona

x

 

Beauty birthday presents

 

Hello!

Today I'm going to show you the make up products I received for my 19th birthday which was last Sunday the 5th. My mams friend went to America and got me some stuff (pictured below) for a hell of a lot cheaper than we would have paid over here for the same stuff. For now I'll give a first impressions review and maybe in the future I'll do a more in depth review on some stuff.

 

I got almost all of the real techniques brush collection and 2 mac products

 

I'll start with the mac stuff. As you can see below I got a Mineralised Skin Finish (MSF as they're commonly known) in 'soft and gentle' and a Paint Pot in 'painterly'. The MSF is gorgeous, I knew I would love it because of the reviews it has gotten and so far it has definately lived up to my expectations. Its so glowey on the skin and just a gorgeous highlight. The Paint Pot is actually better than I thought it would be. The colour 'painterly' is so nice as a base for eyeshadow and the eyeshadow litterally doesn't budge with this underneath. It's also gorgeous just on its own with lots of mascara on a day where you don't want to be too dolled up. I was worried when I saw lots of reviews of the Paint Pot from girls with all different skin types, but I think It's one of those universal type shades that looks good on everyone - definately try it out if you can !

 

 

The MSF 'soft and gentle' on the left and the Paint Pot 'painterly' on the right

 

I'll talk about the make up brushes I got next. I got a whole load of the Real Techniques brushes, Samantha Chapmans brand. I almost got all of the collection, but as I said they were much cheaper, and the brushes are such good value for money even if you pay the price asked for them in boots or anywhere else that sells them here.

 

The brushes are so well made and really worth the money, as brushes are definitely an investment that will last you a very long time. Btw, I also got this cute make up bag for my birthday.. it's from Pennys :)

 

So there's way too many to talk about all of them right now but I'll just mention the ones that have stood out to me since I got them. Firstly, from the starter set I love the duluxe contour brush for applying concealer, it's absolutely amazing. I also love the base shadow brush and I've been using that to apply the paint pot (or my fingers are good too).

 

 Left to right: Duluxe crease brush, Base shadow brush, Brow brush, Pixel-point eyeliner brush and Accent brush

 

From the core collection I'm loving the buffing brush for applying my liquid foundations, it's great. I'm also using the contour brush to apply the MSF I got, it's a perfect size for highlighting above the cheek bones and I love it.

 Left to right: Detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, Contour brush and Buffing brush

 

Finally I got 4 of the brushes that come on their own. My favourite of those is the powder brush. It's a great size and is brilliant for applying powder to set my foundation. However, I quickly found uses for all 4, especially the stippling brush which I've used for cream and powder blushes, and it's supposed to be a great brush for applying liquid foundations.

 



Left to right: Stippling brush, blush brush, powder brush and the one at the front is the shading brush
 

That's all I'm going to say about the Real Techniques brushes and mac products I got for my birthday.

 

As I said, I'll do more in depth reviews on the products in the future if I need to, but for now I hope you have seen what I like about the stuff I got and I have helped you make a decision about buying something.

Thanks guys, talk soon.

Slán,
Leona
x

Review : Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette

Hello lovely people!

I’m back today with a very exciting review of a product that I have so much good things to say about.

It’s the infamous Urban Decay Naked basics eye shadow palette! Putting the two original Naked palettes aside, I believe that on its own, this little baby is a godsent! A little miracle and something I have sworn by since I picked mine up in February.

As you can see, it's quite small. Perfect for your makup bag in my opinion!

At just €26, this little palette is so handy to have in your makeup bag, perfect for any neutral eye look and an absolute gem in terms of value for money. If you ask me they could charge a hell of a lot more for this product, although I’m glad they don’t!

So, let’s say something about the colours. The palette (as I’m sure you all know) comes with 6 shades (pictured below) ranging from a shimmery highlight shade to a matte black, so you can keep your look very simple and natural, or you have the option to really darken it up and add more drama and definition.

Ahhh they're so beautiful !

 

The colours are so versatile, and often I find myself using them for more than one thing. For example, I use ‘naked’ and ‘faint’ in the crease, but I also use both of those for filling in my brows. I go with ‘naked’ if I want a subtle brow and ‘faint’ if I want a strong brow, like for a night out. In the same way, I use ‘venus’ in the inner corner to brighten up my eye, and I also love the way it looks on the brow bone if I want a shimmery highlight shade there. The list of possibilities is endless with this palette, and I’m sure you’ll find your own new ways of using the colours if you pick one up.

I did have one slight issue, but it’s a personal thing. The colour ‘foxy’ just isn’t for me. This is a real shame because I have another foxy shadow in my Naked 2 palette and neither of them get much love from me unfortunately. I think it’s the tone that foxy is, it’s too yellow for my skin tone. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t like foxy, and that being said… I have to say I still ADORE this palette and I wouldn’t care if there was only the other 5 shades, I still think it would be enough to make me repurchase it if I ever ran out!

Ok, one more thing – the packaging. I just have to mention it quickly because oh my god, it’s gorgeous. It’s a perfect size, it’s very sleek and it feels amazing to hold. It also is very sturdy and it would never do anything crazy in your handbag like open on its own or anything. It’s just great!

'Buy meeeee!'

So I think I’ve ranted and raved about this product quite enough for one day, and without further ado, I urge you to BUY IT!!!

Let me know if you want to try/have tried the Naked basics palette. What would/do you use each shade for?  Do you find any of them have more than one use like me?
Thanks guys, Talk soon.

Slán,

Leona
x

Outfit of the Day

Hi guys!

I'm so sorry that I havn't posted in sooooo long! I've been pretty busy with college and some personal stuff. BUT I'm finished now for the Summer (apart from my exams which start in 2 weeks). I promise the posts will be a lot more regular, once a week for definite and hopefully more frequent again after my exams.

Anyway, lets get into todays topic. This week I went out for dinner with my parents, my brother and my auntie Jeanne (I mentioned her in my Bourjois nail polish review, it's the one who lives in Portugal). So since it's my birthday in a week and a half and Jeanne was visiting this week, we decided to go for an early birthday meal.

And here's my outfit. I hope you like it.

I'm wearing a white sheer shirt from Pennys with a plain black tank top from New Look underneath. My leggings are from River Island and my boots are from Bershka.

It was cold and raining that night so I wore this cardigan from New Look (the 9/15 section) and took my brolly with me!

Here's the make up look I wore that night. It's hard to see my lip colour becasue of the filter, but it's just a simple pale pink colour. On my eyes I just have 'lemon aid' from Benefit all over the lid with a nude shade on top - that's definately a go-to for me when I don't have time to do much on my eyes.

 

I'm thinking of doing a post on my everyday make-up routine in the future. I think it's interesting to see what other people wear so I can try some of the products out.

 

Anyway, that's it from me for now. Talk soon.

 

Leona,

Slán

x