Tag: cosmeticsjunkiee

What’s In My Make Up Bag?

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I’ll be the first to admit that I have far too much make up than I even need for freelancing never mind just for myself but, just like everyone else I like to keep my daily makeup bag simple.  A few products that will change your make up from day to night, from office drab to party glam in a matter of minutes.  These products I have in my make up bag are products that I can use without a bigger mirror, making them great for easy and quick application!

Foundation

I always carry a sample of my current foundation with me as it’s smaller than carrying the full product and more convenient.  The next time you are in a store buying your foundation, ask nicely for a sample alongside your purchase for handiness.  Not all counters sample as is their policy, so pop into Boots or Superdrug and buy a small jar, normally located in the Holiday Travel area and fill it up from your own just in case.  This can come in so handy, drinks after work with the girls?  Surprise date night from a loved one?  More realistically I use it when I spill sauce down my face from eating something.  Either way, makes for quick and easy touch ups!  My go to foundation at the minute is Yves Saint Laurent All Hours £33.50, beautiful foundation and you need very little so will last you ages.

SHOP HERE

https://www.yslbeauty.co.uk/makeup/complexion/foundation/all-hours-liquid-foundation/WW-21201YSL.html

Powder

I am a lover of face powder but have yet to find the perfect one to suit me.  I am currently bouncing around a few powders but in my makeup bag to bring around with me I tend to bring more afforadable powders.  I have a habit of dropping them, so when I drop one that’s more affordable then it doesn’t hurt my soul as much.  I once dropped my Estee Lauder Doublewear Powder £35 down the stairs and I swear, the sound I made only dogs could have heard.  My favourite drug store powder is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder £3.99 and is never far from my makeup bag.  There is no makeup look that can’t be solved by a puff of powder and a lick of lipstick!  Plus, powder you can throw on without even looking so there’s not even any need to run to the loos.

SHOP HERE

http://www.boots.com/rimmel-stay-matte-pressed-powder-10097901

Multi Use Palette

Whether you are more of a blush person or a bronzer person, pick the palette that’s right for you and small enough that you can keep in your make up bag.  My personal favourite is the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette, £49.  When I feel in the mood to spend a little on myself and treat myself to make up, Charlotte Tilbury is my first stop, pretty much because of the packaging.  If highlight and bronzer isn’t your thing then try the Filmstar Bronze and Blush, £60 instead.  Both palettes will give you the ability to sharpen any make up look no matter the occasion.

SHOP HERE

http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/filmstar-bronze-and-glow.html

http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/filmstar-bronze-and-blush.html 

Brow Gel

Normally I would have said just a brow pencil or powder however, as of recent I prefer a bushier brow and I love the way a brow gel through the hairs look.  After work or before I go out somewhere this is always the last thing I do as it lifts a look and brings it to life.  I use the Mac Pro Longwear Brow Gel, £14.50 and so easy and quick to use so a perfect addition to your makeup bag.

SHOP HERE

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123443187599_-1

Eyeliner

Even if I don’t take a make up bag with me I always take an eyeliner.  You just never know when the situation calls for a cat eye or a smoky eye.  For that reason, I carry both a liquid and a kohl, Mac Eye Kohl Ebony, £14.50 and Kat Von D Tattoo Liner £16.  The pencil is best for a quick smoky eye and blend out with your finger, or if you can be bothered then bring a little blending brush in your bag too.  Failing that, whip out that Tattoo Liner and cat eye your eyes for an elegant look.

SHOP HERE

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123443932599_-1

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123016001499_-1

LIPS

Whatever lip combo you feel your most sexy in, you have got to have that in your make up bag.  Not going to lie, I have a ‘natural’ colour and a more out there colour for days where I don’t know what mood i’ll be in.  For me I find it best to have a nude and either a red or a deep brown/plum colour to really amp up a look.  As Elizabeth Hurley once said ‘Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together.’

SHOP HERE

https://www.rimmellondon.com/en_gb/products/lips/lasting-finish-by-kate-moss

SERUM

I never leave the house without my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum and I always have a little travel size in my make up bag.  Pressing a little of this serum over my make up makes me feel like I can conquer the world.  It rejuvenates and re hydrates my skin leaving me with a beautiful glow from within that no amount of highlighter can give you making it a perfect item to add before you head out somewhere.

SHOP HERE

https://www.esteelauder.co.uk/product/681/26959/product-catalog/skincare/advanced-night-repair/synchronized-recovery-complex-ii

FRAGRANCE

I’m a perfume lover, I am always spritzing myself with my favourites scents and love picking up sample sizes to keep in my make up bag.  Currently I have Chloe and a Marc Jacobs fragrance in my bag.  Beautiful sweet, fresh smelling to lift your spirits for a last minute night on the town!

And so concludes what’s in my make up bag, I would love to hear from you what you put in your make up bag, and if there’s anything I am missing out on carrying around!

New Year, Same Me

cosmeticsjunkiee

Aloha all you beautiful people!

I am sitting here happy as a clam all toasty and wrapped up in an extra layer of fat that I put on over Christmas and just thinking about the coming year and everything that it’s going to have in store.  With 2018 just around the corner it got me thinking about all of those New Year Resolutions that we make and then worry ourselves over to inevitably not stick to and feel horrible about ourselves which is why

my new years resolution this year is to not make a resolution

I am positively giddy about the fact that I am not going to starve myself for a week in order to attempt losing weight.  I am over the moon that I am not going to beat myself up that I haven’t learned a new skill or taken up a hobby.  I am on cloud nine that I am going to continue to drink just a little too much at the weekends therefore ruining my Sundays.  I am ecstatic that I am going to have the first take out of 2018 and not feel a pick of guilt because I said I would cut down.

For years now I have busted my balls trying to become a ‘better person’ in trying to stick to these ridiculous goals and then spending the following 10 months hating myself that I never completed or stuck to them.  Well, enough is enough!  No longer will I waste my time on these stupid resolutions in order for me to feel down on myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I plan on accomplishing some things this coming year but none that I will write down and beat myself up about if I don’t change.  For example, I really ought to start driving, clear out the pile of clothes I am in denial about, eat a little healthier and maybe put away some money in a savings account.  To me those are like – life changes for a better state of mind, not a resolution that I need to force myself to change.  I find resolutions very unhealthy and a lot of emphasis gets placed on them, especially at this time of year.  It’s basically like saying to yourself ‘you weren’t good enough this year, let’s try again for next year.’  Of course there are some bad habits that we all would like to shake but again, I am not going to get myself down in the dumps about it.

If you are someone that loves making resolutions as a way of trying to ‘improve’ yourself then go for it – Godspeed – however, I am not one of those people.  I can’t wait to wake up on New Year’s Day hungover, crawl out of bed and straight for the Diet Coke and take away menu because I am not placing myself on some strange diet that requires I eat a cube of cheese three times a day.

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I am looking forward to maturing slightly next year.  I feel like the year I turn 27 I really need to get my ducks in a row.  That being said, 2017 I moved in with Joel in our cute little rented house in Belfast (my stuff takes up 95% of it, his 5%) and I have accomplished a lot this year.  Can’t wait to see what 2018 has to offer and I can’t wait to not have to force it with New Years Resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Amy xo

Me, Myself & I

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Hello Earthlings,

This blog post flies at you from my sofa where I am sitting cross legged with a large glass of wine on one side and a bag of salted popcorn on the other.  I felt the need to post about something and I am not lying to you when I say I look absolutely ghastly.  So, for fear of destroying my camera with my current state I have taken to writing another post.  Seeing as I have nothing planned regarding a post I think I’ll have a post about me.  Because, why not?  In fact, let’s get some questions and I’ll answer them… because I am drunk and lazy.

  1.  Tell me the 3 best things about you.  I knew this was a bad idea.  I guess I am creative, I am fuuun and I make really good roast potatoes.
  2. Are you single/in a relationship?  In a relationship, just had our 2 year anniversary
  3. On a scale of 1-10, how strict are/were your parents? Like a 6?  They weren’t relaxed but strict when they had to be, yano?
  4. Who was your worst teacher? Why? Miss Sloan, P1.  She terrified me and made my mum take me to the hospital for tests because she thought I wasn’t growing fast enough and was accused of malnutrition.  I was like, really small.
  5. Who was your favorite teacher? Why? Miss Lavery, P5.  She had a guitar and made times tables exciting.
  6. Which would you pick: being world-class attractive, a genius or famous for doing something great? I feel like I would be a genius, as a genius I can go on to do something great and become famous.  So two out of three ain’t bad.
  7. Who are the 3 greatest living musicians? Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Madonna
  8. Childhood crush? All of McFly.  I wrote to them… still waiting on my reply DOUGIE
  9. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Not a thing.
  10. What was your favorite toy growing up? I didn’t really play with toys, but the thing I always carted about with me was a case of art stuff.  I was always drawing.
  11. Name 3 celebrities you most admire. Julia Roberts, JK Rowling, Kate Winslet
  12. Name a celebrity you think is lame. Justin Bieber
  13. Which of your friends are you proudest of and why? My friend Jenna has conquered her fear of velvet.
  14. What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been? I haven’t been many places but I think Ibiza is amazing.  There’s far more to the island than meets the eye.
  15. What are your 3 favorite movies? Goodfellas, Frozen and Dirty Dancing.
  16. What’s the right age to get married? Any age, so long as you are with the right one.
  17. Tell me 3 things you remember about primary school. We did Pop Idol in school and me and my friends did Steps 5678 and it was amazing.  There were gypsys that stayed in the field beside our school and we were told to stay away from the bushes. A wasp landed on my floral headband and that was one of the scariest moments of my life.
  18. What would you do if you were invisible for a day? I’d fuck with Trump and freak him out.
  19. If you could time travel, where would you go? I’d go see dinosaurs for sure.
  20. If you could live in any TV home, what would it be? Does the White House count?  I’d probably still pick Monica’s Apartment, Friends.
  21. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate!
  22. Would you rather live for a week in the past or the future? The past, but the week chosen would have to be surprised.
  23. What’s your best childhood memory? Walking around the lane with my Granda.
  24. What’s your favorite holiday? I went down to Ballybofey with my family including my Granny and Granda.  I don’t remember a lot about that holiday but I remember I had a great time.
  25. If you could eat only 3 foods for the rest of your life, what would they be? Pizza, Pancakes and a jar of Nutella.
  26. If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be? Johnny Cash.
  27. What’s your favorite childhood book? Alice in Wonderland ORR Harry Potter
  28. Who would play you in a movie of your life? Ooh, Clemence Posey
  29. If you could be an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete? Eating.
  30. Tell the person to your right your favorite thing about them. My wine appreciates the love I have for it.
  31. Do you ever talk to yourself? When and what do you say? ALL the time.  I couldn’t even sum it up in a sentence I say so many things.
  32. What’s your favorite smell in the whole world? Joel.
  33. What’s your favorite time of day? Around 9.30, I don’t know why but I feel a sense of calm wash over me at that time every day.  Maybe it’s because I know I can go to bed soon.
  34. What’s your favorite season? End of Summer
  35. What’s the one food you could never bring yourself to eat? Fucking brussel sprouts.
  36. What is the sound you love the most? David Attenborough’s voice
  37. What 3 famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? David Bowie, Morgan Freeman and Joanna Lumley
  38. If you could ask the President one question, what would it be? Why won’t you delete your Twitter account?
  39. If you could pick a new first name, what would it be? Lara
  40. What’s your pet peeve(s)? People walking slow – I know I am not alone on this one.  I hate the word ‘moist’ and the feeling of a toenail catching on a duvet is enough to make me actually vom.
  41. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? When I was younger I did… I was curious how many steps it used to take me to get to places.
  42. What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? For me, you kinda can’t beat a ham and cheese sarnie?  But I love a Tayto Cheese & Onion crisp sandwich.
  43. What’s your dream job? Lady who lunches
  44. Cake or pie? CAKE
  45. What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen? I can’t remember the name of it and refuse to google, but I watched it with my friend and fucking shit my self it just freaked me.  I think it was called Sinister?
  46. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? South Africa
  47. Who’s your celebrity crush? Any Marvel character (Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth I am looking at you boys)
  48. What fictional character do you wish you could meet? Dumbledore
  49. If you could be great at one sport which would you choose? Ultimate Frisbee
  50. What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a trip? Collapse on my bed
  51. Would you rather spend five days exploring Disney or New York City? DISNEY
  52. Whose parents do/did you wish you had? What a horrid question… my own!
  53. If you could shop for free at one store, which one would you choose? SEPHORA OBV
  54. What personal trait has gotten you in the most trouble? Being a sassy hoe
  55. Which celebrity chef would you most like to fix you a meal? Gordon Ramsey, then I would judge him
  56. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? Love yourself, no matter what
  57. What do you like to do on a rainy day? Paint or do make up
  58. What is your favorite thing about the beach? The smell.  I wish I could bottle it and sell it.
  59. What is your favorite Disney movie? Nope, too hard.  Frozen I guess because I watched it pretty much every day sometimes twice a day for two years or so.  
  60. Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you? Dopey 😦
  61. If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction? A comedy because I am hilarious
  62. Name a product or service you love so much that you’d happily be that company’s spokesperson. Mr Kipling…
  63. If you were guaranteed to be successful in a different profession, what would you want to do? Oh guaranteed success?  I would cure cancer, then do their makeup
  64. As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? I wanted to be in the FBI and I remember telling my Granny that I wanted to be a sausage roll.

Okay… there were so many more questions but I am at the bottom of the bottle and I just don’t think I can go on anymore answering questions otherwise I’ll start getting too honest.  I need snacks… I might go put on lil pigs in blanket now.  IT IS CHRISTMAS.

If you enjoyed this then please do let me know and I can do more posts like this, instead of JUST make up.

Peace out xo

Face Mask Magic

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I am sitting here on my day off resting up before a crazy week ahead for a Black Friday week in retail.  In anticipation of the rush ahead and the effect it will have on my skin, I have a day planned of extreme skin focus using my favourite face masks.  If my skin doesn’t feel like a baby’s backside by the end of the day I will be extremely disappointed.

It took me a long time to realise that face masks were an essential part of my skincare regime but I am so glad I did.  It’s easy to overlook a face mask as you leave them on for 10 minutes, wash it off and forget about it but they have long lasting benefits that can really give your skin a boost.  Have you ever just felt so run down and exhausted?  I am telling you a glass of hot water and lemon wine and a face mask will do the trick to help.

With so many kinds of face masks you are sure to be overwhelmed so let me break it down for you.

For dry, dull and dehydrated skin like mine a mask that gently peels off is best as it will buff off the dead skin and dullness leaving your skin feeling seriously smooth and glowin’ without being too harsh like an exfoliator.  On dry skin there is nothing worse than scrubbing ferociously on your skin and this can lead to more damage.  The Origins GinZing Peel Off Mask (£25) is perfect for this as it helps to lift away those stubborn dead skin cells and contains coffee beans extract which helps to waken the skin.

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Sheet masks are something I have been crazy obsessed with.  No joke, I have about 10 upstairs just waiting to be used and I like them all for different reasons.  Some are for when my skin just needs that boost, some are for when I am having a spotty patch and some are just because I want to use a god damn sheet mask.  The Koreans back in 2015 or so definitely spearheaded the trend of this ever so slight Phantom of the Opera look of a sheet mask craze.  Not only where they the hottest skin trend but they actually made an amazing difference to the skin!  Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Powerfoil Mask (£16-£60) are up there with my absolute favourite mask of all time – not JUST because I want to look like Victoria Beckham while wearing them…

VictoriaBeckham

Packed full of Hyaluronic Acid this mask delivers an intense surge of revitalisation and hydration in just one mask.  The fact that this sheet mask has a layer of foil over it just helps to seal and lock in all of that hydration – think of yourself like chicken in the oven.  You want to trap all of the moisture so it doesn’t escape, and your skin is the same.

Another favourite is the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask (£18).  I became obsessed with this mask as, even though I love face masks they can be a little on the sloppy side whereas this mask is dry.  DRY.

 

236827126It is infused with product containing vitamins, floral extract, peptides, oils and butters – I know right?  The effects of this mask last for up to 8 hours which is incredible!  Meaning I can put it on at night before bed, go to sleep and wake up with pristine skin.  Plus, I love the way Charlotte says ‘Darlings’, so there’s that.

 

Hopping on the face mask trend came the eye mask trend.  This one, I haven’t became just as obsessed with (yet), I think it’s just because my face would be more of a concern to me than my eyes would be.  That being said I have used The Body Shop Cooling Gel Eye Mask (£6) for years before knowing it would actually do anything.  If I am being honest, I kept it in the fridge and put it on my face when I was hungover.  So it helped that way?  So now that I know they have a purpose I am currently using the Rodial Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks (£39, 8 pairs) which aim to de-puff under the eyes and hydrate and tone.  Similar to the Estee Lauder Face Mask they contain Hyaluronic Acid which binds water to create hydration.  They are an intense burst of amazingness for the eye and I would highly recommend them, even if you only use them every so often.

Away from sheet masks for awhile let’s get back to a good old jar of cream.  For those of you on the oilier side of things why not take a look at some great clay or charcoal masks like the Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque (£23.50).  This mask clears out Rare_Earth_Masque_alt2blackheads like you wouldn’t believe!  Even though I have dryer skin I do get the occasional oily breakout and with that comes blackheads.   This cleansing mask is the bomb diggity for drawing out dirt, oil and toxins which is what normally clog pores and is formulated with the amazing Amazonian White Clay.  Aloe Vera is added into the mask to help to calm and smooth the skin also, leaving skin beaming.

 

Acne prone skin can cause a lot of stress to the person and to the skin so a good skincare regime can become great with the addition of a mask to suit.  When finding a mask to suit this skin type you want to make sure you

41W-dAAZWRL._SY355_are getting one that contains Salicylic Acid.  Salicylic Acid in layman’s terms is an absolute pimple buster.  This may not be sound advice but when I get a pimple or a spot and I later the area with my masks, by morning it has dried up and I can start moving on.  The acid loosens what holds cells together so that they can be cleared away with ease.  I have used a variety of these kinds of masks/treatment in my time however, always revert back to Super Facialist Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Clay Mask (£9.99).  It’s one of the more affordable masks that I have come across and really does the trick.  Something like this really can be used once or twice a week however, now that I kind of have my skin under control I only reach for it when I have a spot screaming at me.

I hope you found this list of face masks interesting and if you have tried anything I have mentioned or have anything you think I should try then please let me know as I love trying new products.

Here is a link to my latest blog post with https://cosmeticsjunkiee.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/current-skincare-regime/

Enjoy!

Amy xo

 

Current Skincare Regime

cosmeticsjunkiee1 Comment

Hello beauty babes!

I hope you are all well and are having a great start to the week.  This post is just going to be a little list of my current skincare regime.  My go tos and my favourite things to use on my skin.  My skin is having a little mental breakdown at the minute and I blame it on having a cold and not being very well recently.  All the more reason to remind myself of how important a good skincare regime is.

A lot of people can be discouraged by having a skincare regime because some things are too expensive but something you need to remember is there is always a cheaper, purse friendly option of something so there really is something to suit everyones budget.  I can’t stress the importance of going in and having a consultation at your favourite counter or getting some samples to make sure that what you are spending your hard earned cash on is worth it.  A lot of counters actually will set aside time and book you in for an appointment for a facial, etc so definitely do your research before heading to Debenhams, House of Fraser, Boots, etc to treat yo self.

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So my morning regime and night time regime are fairly similar, there are just some things I don’t use in the mornings eg. make up remover because… obvy I have no make up on.

Now, my skin falls under the dehydrated/normal category with a chance of breakouts at any given moment so what works for me, may certainly not work for you.  As I said, definitely carve out an hour of your week to go to a counter or skin specialist to figure out what it is you would like your skin products to do for you.  For years I thought I was oily until I went to someone and they were like ‘No dear, you dry.’  On the whole, I am pretty lucky with my skin and I do think a lot of it comes down to genetics, my mum has amazing skin and so does my granny.  I really don’t think it’s down to the glass of wine I am currently chugging.

Anyway, firstly at night I always remove my eye makeup.  You don’t neccessarily need an eye makeup remover specifically for the eyes however, your eye area is so delicate that face products could be too heavy for the eyes and lead to problems in the future.  I use an eye makeup remover because due to working with make up and wearing a fair bit I need something a little more heavy duty than your average 2 in 1 style product to remove everything.  At the minute I am using Lancome Bi-ficil Eye Make Up Remover (£21.50) as it removes even the darkest of smokey eyes on one pad.  I really love the Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover (£3.89) also – I find this is a great dupe for the Lancome one.  Perfect for those on a budget!  I find I need to use a lot more product with Nivea and so do go through it very quickly whereas my Lancome one lasts AGES!

Now that my eye makeup is off and my eyes look like pee holes in the snow, I have to remove the rest of my makeup.  Up there with peeling off eyelashes this is one of the more satisfying parts of my day!  I use my all time favourite Estee Lauder Take It Away Make Up Remover Lotion (£23.50) as it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean!  As I have dry skin I try to avoid water on my face at all costs but for those of you that love the fresh feeling of using water of course I am going to recommend Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (£16).  My mum swears by this stuff!  If I am wearing a lot of makeup that day, like more than normal I tend to use the Garnier Miscellar Cleanser Water (£3.29ish) roughly all over my face and then go in with the Estee Lauder.  Unneccessary step? Maybe.  Again, you could just use the Miscellar Water just on it’s own and it still gets the job done for a fraction of the price.

Now that your skin is squeaky clean… you’re ready for the actually skincare products now.  Le sigh.  So many products.  So, for cleanser I love love love my The Body Shop Aloe Vera Cream Cleanser (£7.50).  It leaves me skin feeling seriously silky and smooth and there is genuinely always an offer on when I go in so I am stocked up for life with this!  They have a whole range of skincare items that suits a variety of skin types and I used to use the entire Aloe Vera range – it was perfect for me when I was in school!  When I am feeling like I want to treat myself (errday) I always revert back to my Kiehl’s Centella Skin-Calming Facial Cleanser (£28).  It’s so lightweight and leaves my skin feeling so soft that I want to run around and get people to stroke my face.  It contains Aloe, much like The Body Shop cleanser so is amazing for sensitive skins.  I feel that Kiehl’s moisturises my face more than the Aloe Vera cleanser but for the price of The Body Shop you can’t complain!

Toner – do you need it or don’t you?  Up to you.  When I worked for Estee Lauder a common complaint was that toner stung the skin or made the skin feel tight or uncomfortable.  For me, I am a little obsessed with toners because I am gross and like to look at the cotton pads to see just how much dirt is coming off.  It’s disgusting.  We all do it.  Toners are great because they buff off dead skin cells so that our serums and moisturisers go onto a newer layer of skin allowing your products to work more effectively.  Again, keep yourself right and go have a chat to figure out what’s best for you.  I have only tried maybe 3 or 4 toners in my life but at the minute I am using Kiehls Ultra Facial Toner (£17).  I can’t say much about it other than the fact that it leaves my skin feeling really hydrated and supple.  It’s a non alcohol formula which works great on my skin as I am so sensitive!

Ultra_Facial_Toner_3605970024574_8.4fl.oz.

I have two night time serums – no one judge me ok – I use the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (£52) and the Kiehls (Sorry I am obsessed…) Midnight Recovery Concentrate (£38).  I’m not a loser, I can use one without the other I just don’t want to.  Advanced Night Repair is like liquid gold on the face.  It helps with every single key sign of aging and acts like a moisture magnet so that when you apply your moisturiser it sucks it all in so it works harder, better, faster and stronger.  It is the number one for absolutely everyone, no matter the skin type!  Midnight Recovery Concentrate on the other hand is like taking a little trip to a spa in the comfort of your own home with the beautiful natural scent and make your skin look seriously radiant.  A few drops of this honestly will give you younger looking skin by morning – I stole that.  They say that.

For moisturiser I used to use Estee Lauder’s Re Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Energy Creme (£265).  The reason I no longer use it is honestly just the price.  I ‘d rather pay my rent.  Now, if I could afford it I would buy two!  The cream itself it B-E-A-U-tiful!  I’m not going to go into why it’s on the more expensive side but basically the Re Nutriv range contains 24 Carat gold…

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It feels absolutely effing fantastic on my skin, it has never looked fresher, more awake and been more hydrated.  The moisturiser itself lasts absolutely ages because you need so little of it to push into the skin.  A 50ml jar lasted me around 4 and a half months!  So if you are looking something extremely lavish and amazing then look no further than this!  I am struggling to find a moisturiser that I love at the minute but I do really like Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Fortifying Hydrator (£34).  It does exactly what it says on the tin so if you are after a moisturiser that will seriously hydrate then that’s the one!  Based on the rest of my regime then I’ll probably go out and try a Kiehls moisturiser!

Eye cream is something that I don’t mind paying a little extra on because it’s always the problem area people talk about when they get older that they wish they had focused on when they were younger.  I use the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum  (£47) because I love what the face serum does so I want the same results for my eyes.  Plus, the beauty of this is because it’s a serum  much like the face, you can put another eye cream over the top.  You don’t have to, but sometimes I do!  The eye serum hydrates immediately and feels seriously cooling on the eyes.  I keep mine in the fridge and it feels unreal!  When I put an eye cream over top I use the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream (£15).  As it is enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and has an Aloe Vera base it will intensely hydrate and revitalise tired eyes.  I always use the excess on my lips for extra hydration before bed!

That’s it for my night time regime, the only other thing I use on my skin is the Skinkissed Vitamin C Serum (£39.95) during the day before my Clinique moisturiser.  I have already written a post about this serum so I won’t go into much detail but you can read the post here – https://cosmeticsjunkiee.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/skinkissed-la-meor-vitamin-c-serum/

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SO I really think that this might be enough skincare chat for one day…

I hope you enjoy this little insight into what I use on my face on the daily!  If anyone has any recommendations of skincare products that they like or think there is something I should try then please comment and let me know! I love trying new products!

Thanks for reading!

Amy xo

So Sue Me Lash Collection Review

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Hello makeup lovers!

I hope that by now those of you who are eyelash wearers have taken advantage of the amazing So Sue Me Lashes available online and from Primark (Pennys to the lovely Southerners).  As I sit here peeling the amazing band off my eyelashes I can’t help but gush with love for these eyelashes – finally there is an expensive looking pair of eyelashes at an extremely afforable price.

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If you have been living under a rock the past few years and you don’t know who or what So Sue Me is then definitely give her a quick Google.

You will find that she is an extremely well known Irish blogger and a writer by the name of Suzanne Jackson.  Her blog is award winning and thrilling to read!  Not only that but I think I stalked every second of her engagement and wedding – STUNNING!

Anyway, enough about how fabulous she is, this is about her sexy ass, fluffy ass lashes.

There is an amazing variety of styles so there is something to suit everyone.  With several collections of lashes under her belt she is quickly becoming the go to for lashes to pick up.  I have traded in my trusty House of Lashes ‘Iconic’ lashes (£14) and my Lilly Lashes ‘Mykonos’ (£30) for these beautiful bands of hair.  With several styles of 100% Human Hair, Luxury 3D Silk Lashes, 3D Fibre Lashes and the ultimate Wedding Lash created for her wedding (obsessed) there really is something for everyone.

The 100% Human Hair Lashes consist of premium lashes have been designed to give your eyes a more striking effect.  They are more on the natural side however, striking enough to still make a difference.  When I have used these lashes – not that they advertise this -but I have gotten up to around 10 wears, so long as they are properly taken care off after usage.

The Luxury 3D Silk Lashes offers a fuller, fluffier look and you can get up to 20 wears with them! Click the YouTube link to SoSue’s Look Book video she created to showcase the styles from these two ranges – https://youtu.be/eIVyL2ywdJ8

NAI, due to the success of these lashes almost a year to the date So Sue introduced a collaboration with Primark where she designed lashes exclusively with them.  These. Are. My. Favourite.  I am in love!  I nabbed this ph

oto from the Lash Queen’s instagram to show you how BEAUTIFUL these lashes are.  I honestly cannot believe they are only £5!

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I have been wearing these lashes for awhile now and I used to be so in love with Eyelure but these really take the cake!  My favourites are the style ‘Dubai‘ – I am on my 8th wear and they look nearly brand new.  They are the perfect amount of fluffiness and fullness that you expect from a lash.  They aren’t too full that you look like you have a black eye but full enough that your eyes look bitchinnn’ no matter what.  Dubai are my go to ‘I’m running late’ lash as they hide any horrible attempt at eyeshadow.

 

I have to admit, So Sue has me spending all the £5 notes I have been trying to save as every time I go in I stock up.

I highly recommend these lashes as not only are they seriously affordable but they are so easily applied.  The band on them is thick enough that they look full but are still nice and light on the eyes therefore the band sticks to the lash easily.  They don’t come with eyelash glue however, lash glue can be easily bought separately.  I use Duo Glue because it’s the tits however, So Sue also has her own lash glue (Duh, of course she does…).

To sum up, there are so many styles to choose from and they last ages so such a great investment – unless you are like me and rip them off after one too many glasses bottles of wine.  I once had a glass of water beside my bed for the hangover dry mouth and accidentally put the lashes I ripped off into the glass and drank it the next morning.  On that note… So Sue Me lashes are amazing.  Buy em.  Let me know if you buy them, what styles you got and what you think of them!

As always, thanks for reading!

Amy xo

Maybelline Tattoo Brow Review

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Hello all my gorgeous readers!

I hope you are all having the time of your lives sniveling your red noses and wiping weeping eyes in this piss poor freezing weather?  Sames.  So in order to cheer myself up I went and had a little spree around the shops to get some lovely new products to try.

First up on the list is the Maybelline Tattoo Brow which is available from the likes of Superdrug or Boots or even online.  Before you read any further I have also made a YouTube video on this product which was a First Impressions so if you would prefer to watch instead of reading then please feel free to watch it instead! https://youtu.be/QIUCJnGiZpM

This product is the first of it’s kind from a drugstore brand which I think is amazing and really innovative.  SO, I was so excited to find out how it worked and the end result but before I get into my thoughts let me give you the run down on what it’s supposed to do.

Advertised as a light tint this product retails at £12.99 and comes in just three shades – Light Brown, Medium Brown and Dark Brown.  I chose the shade Medium Brown to try because I am a kind of in the middle colour with my hair.  The Light Brown shade to look at seemed like it could end up a little gingery so I opted for Medium.  If this products continues to sell well I would love to see them introduce more colours for more hair colours.  The Dark Brown is in no way dark enough for black hair and there isn’t anything available for those with really fair eyebrows that want to keep them really light.  That being said, the colour Medium Brown is fairly versatile and would cover a majority of hair colours.

At first thought £12.99 seemed expensive for something drugstore however, after first use I realised just how little you need to use so it will last for ages.  As you can tell if you watch my video, I struggled understanding the instructions on the box and reeeally should have done my research before playing about with a tint.  That is only because I can be a little bit silly sometimes, I am sure normal people can understand quite clearly that for a tint you leave it on for 20 minutes and if you want it to last the 3 days that it claims then you leave it on for 2 hours.  Whatever way it was written on the box I honestly just couldn’t believe a tint would have to be left on for that length of time.

HOW TO

  1. The brush itself scared me because my brows are really thin so I scraped a little off with an angled brush and applied it that way.  You can of course just apply it straight from the applicator but I like the way an angled brush worked as I could do little brush strokes.  As I was putting on I was absolutely shitting myself thinking about how it was going to come off as it is advertised as a peel off.  
  2. I have to say once the product was on it felt shamazinggg.  It felt like I had an eyebrow mask on, so cooling and felt really fresh.  This isn’t advertised as a benefit but it’s an added bonus!  It was very easy to apply and really is quite dummy proof.
  3. I left it on for 20 minutes and before I knew it my alarm was going off to tell me the time was near to peel the product off.  I was genuinely terrified that it was going to take the 5 eyebrow hairs I have off with it but I was SO pleasantly surprised at how EASY it rolled off the skin and brow hairs.  The first time I used it I used a spoolie brush to lift the product which worked perfectly.  The second time I just used my fingers to peel it off and worked much the same just a little more on the fiddly side.
  4. I can’t explain how satisfying it is peeling this off.  Like, buy it just for the pure satisfaction of peeling it off.  In saying that, I was one of those children that dipped their whole hand into PVA glue just so it could dry and I could pick it off… just me?  Surely I am not the only one.  Anyway, once I peeled it off I could definitely see a colour underneath and it looked amazing!  Even though the packaging said that for it to last 3 days you have to leave it on for 2 hours my tint lasted 2-3 days.  If you are going to use this product I would suggest the first time you use it to leave it on for 20 minutes first to see how strong the colour lasts then up to the 2 hours the second time.

THOUGHTS

I can see why this product is good to have and I am really glad that I bought it however, I pay around £11 for a thread and tint in Superdrug which lasts me nearly 3 weeks so I find it hard justifying paying more for something that lasts only 3 days and that I have to do myself.  I probably wouldn’t repurchase it but as I say it looks like the product itself is going to last for ages.

All in all it’s a very easy to use product and it definitely delivers – it won’t go down as a gimmicky product that doesn’t work that’s for sure.  It does do exactly what it says on the tin and would come in handy if you miss your brow appointment or have the fear of anyone other than yourself touching your sacred brows.

I am glad I used it and my brows, even though they needed waxed at the time still looked great afterwards – I was pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out especially considering they looked bleached beforehand they were so pale!

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Anyway, that’s quite enough about my brows and lack of reading skills when it comes to instructions.  I hope you enjoyed reading/watching the YouTube video and if you have also tried this product then please comment or send me a message somewhere in social media land to let me know your thoughts.

Cheerio xo

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