Already Sleepless Nights for Lily?

Lily Allen, now four months pregnant kept it really simple on the makeup front for her wedding on Saturday 11^th June to Sam Cooper, but I think she looked tired and those bags under her eyes would suggest that she is perhaps retaining fluid, probably related to her new pregnancy (poor Lily, I’m sure we all wish her the best for this pregnancy).  But I’m not sure that even Clarins Beauty Flash Balm or YSL Touche Eclat could have helped her here!

I use to think that all you needed to wake up looking fresh was a good nights sleep, limit the salt intake and drink lots of water, bit of eye cream etc. but apparently that’s only part of it.  Aside from the obvious reasons for eye bags like; age, medical conditions, genetic pre-disposition etc. how we lie when we sleep plays a part too.

Lying on your back can encourage fluid to collect and accumulate beneath the eyes and veins dilate making the lower lids look quite dark and puffy.  Then sleeping on your side must be better?  Well yes and no.

 

Mwah Mwah

Rosie Huntington Whiteley

I’m absolutely wild verging on becoming obsessed about the berry red lipstick that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley had on at the Spike TV Guys Choice Awards in LA on 4^th June 2011.  It’s so beautiful, I’d love, no change that to need to know what it is?

In my nosing around the internet to see if anyone knew what lippie Rosie was sporting, I happened across Clinique colour surge butter shine lipstick.  Is that what Rosie was wearing?  Well – No!  But I was fascinated by these lipsticks as they are part of a range of lipsticks from Clinique that are supposed to make your teeth look whiter – nice!  Take a look at the video on the Clinique website, it’s a really interesting concept and you know it’s got to be far better for your teeth than using teeth whitening products.  Cliniques colour surge lipsticks retail in Ireland for €19. I will have to get me some, was thinking Berry Blush might be a close match to Rosies?

Any suggestions or ideas on what lippie the lovely Rosie was wearing??

 

Rimmel London Waterproof Eyeliner Review

Liquid or gel eyeliners can be a bit difficult to master and can be a little intimidating if you have not used them before but Rimmel’s Exaggerate waterproof eye definer makes defining your eyes really easy.  It’s perfect if you are a bit wobbly or unsteady applying eyeliners as it’s a lot easier to control than a liquid or gel.

It comes in a twist up pen style with a smudger for achieving the perfect smokey eye look and a sharpener at one end so you always have it at hand.  And it’s available in a limited range of colours.

 

New Maybelline Gel Eyeliner Review

From the outset I have to say that I was really impressed with this product.  I usually use Clinique’s gel eyeliner and I found that Maybelline’s gel eyeliner compares very well to it.  In fact I’d say it’s a tiny bit better!  (opps can’t believe I just said that!!)

Aisling from beaut.ie on TV3’s Xposé compared it to Bobbi Brown’s gel eyeliner and was impressed by this product, so that’s gotta be a good thing!

In my opinion Maybelline’s gel eyeliner is a great little product at a great price of €11.99 and comes with a really nice little brush that is full sized (unlike Clinique that give you a dolly sized brush!)  So how does it compare to my usual fav Clinique? 

 

Maybelline XXL Pro Mascara Review – An Oldie But A Goodie!

I was contemplating buying Model Co. Fiber Lash, but having looked at some of the mixed reviews, I came to the conclusion that I just couldn’t warrant paying €30 for it.   On top of that, given the fact that mascara should be discarded after 3 – 6 months, I find it very difficult to pay big bucks for the stuff!  So I’m always looking for a good reasonably priced mascara that won’t have me in tears when I have to chuck it!

In my hunt for something more sensibly priced, I came across a product I haven’t used in years and was surprised but delighted to see that it still exists; Maybelline XXL Pro Volume & Length Microfibre mascara.  This stuff is great!  It really does lengthen lashes but I don’t think it really thickens my lashes. 

 

L’Oreal Lash Architect 4D False Lash Effect Mascara Review

I really dislike false lashes, but love the effect of thicker longer lashes, so when I saw that L’Oreal were offering me 4D effect lashes with their Lash Architect4D False lash effect in 4 dimensions, I had to give it a go.

L’Oreal Say: Lashes look longer and thicker from every angle thanks to the ‘3D effect’ formula, while the patented spiral brush gives volume and separation from root to tip.  The exclusive spiral brush gives the appearance of magnified volume, spectacular length and redefined curl to your lashes. The Result: Dramatic false lash effect: an appearance of magnified volume, redefined curl and spectacular length

I was so ready to hate this product – but I love it!  It really works!

What surprised me most was that my eyelashes looked like I had used an eyelash curler (which I hadn’t) I

 

Bridal Makeup Looks

If you are looking for some inspiration for bridal makeup looks I would recommend you visit Estee Lauder’s website that shows 4 beautiful looks for your special day; natural, classic, dramatic, and romantic.

I have a real and genuine love of Estee Lauder when it comes to bridal makeup.  For my own wedding, instead of hiring a makeup artist I decided to do my own, like a lot of people do.  So I visited a few makeup counters and booked some makeovers, letting the SA know that if I was happy with the look and advice I was going to buy all my wedding makeup from them.  I settled on Estee Lauder, I think it was DoubleWear that sealed the deal for me at the time!  Enjoy trying out the Estee Lauder bridal looks!

You might also be interested in:

• Bridal Makeup Essentials

 

Summer Foundations Pt 4: Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturiser

Okay so technically not a foundation but tinted moisturizers always seem like the kind of product we think we should be wearing during the summer months. I was given a sample of Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturiser by my sister in-law, who’s a Clarins junkie, and although the colour was completely wrong for me (03 Peach) I think it is a lovely product.  I’m not personally the biggest fan of tinted moisturizers in place of foundation (I need the coverage – and how!!) but I could totally see myself buying this for wearing on holidays.  Although pale faces like me will still need to use a high spf product.  The SPF in this product is only 6, which I find a bit disappointing. 

 

1970’s Makeup Inspiration

Farrah Fawcett

Well it seems that the 1970’s glamour isn’t going to be leaving us any time soon, so if you’re diggin’ the 70’s vibe (sorry couldn’t help myself) then don’t forget about your makeup.  How about taking some inspiration from the beauty icons of the day namely; Farrah Fawcett, Alli McGraw, and Jerry Hall.

Okay so maybe forget about some of the hairdo’s!

How to get the look:

To really relive the 70’s look ala Farrah Fawcett a peachy coral based lipstick and blush colour are essential, all of which are very on trend at the moment.  For blush, I like MAC Tenderling, and ELF Mineral Blush powder ‘Bliss’, layered on top of each other.  For lippy, well I’m in a bit of a thrifty mood so I’m liking Superdrugs MUA shade 7 and 11 mixed together.  I really don’t like shade 7 on it’s own it just too peachy for my complexion but would be lovely on someone who had darker skin.

 

Stop Lying To Me!! 95% of Women Agree*

Sorry Gals I’m on a rant!!  If you love being sold a vague pseudo scientific promise then look away, or if you love Vichy I’m sorry this blog will just annoy you, and I don’t want to do that my pretties!!  But I get so frustrated by vague advertising claims made by cosmetic companies that try to convince us, with veiled statements and pseudo science, that their product is the next best thing to the fountain of youth, a time machine, a fairy godmothers wand or anything else that can turn back time or grant wishes.

As someone who loves makeup and who has spent a very large portion of my professional career in Marketing, with a B.Sc. mgmt from Trinity College Dublin, I tend to over analyse adverts, particularly ones that are trying to sell me a product that hints at the fact that it might make me look younger!  Lets face it there’s a lot of non committal statements made in some cosmetic adverts and I think we owe it to ourselves to read the fine print and purchase a product when in command of all the facts.

I know we all so desperately want to look young, turn back the clock to a time when all it took to look radiant was a quick brush of blush and a slick of lip gloss, that now we are so eager to 100% believe the adverts we are bombarded with.   You know the adverts that say over 80% of women agreed that XYZ product made their skin feel and look better. 

 

Hey There Doll Face!

I don’t mind a bit of air brushing in a photograph if someone is trying to sell me perfume, a watch, a handbag or an album or whatever, I get it, people look better when airbrushed (even the most beautiful women in the world need airbrushing – apparantly!!) but, when it comes to promoting skin care products it really annoys me.  There I was curled up on the sofa with the June copy of Marie Claire on my lap and cup of tea in one hand, all settled in for a good old read, when  about 30 pages in I was struck by the images of a flawless plastized face looking back at me, telling me ‘I too can look like them if only I had their product’.  Creams and serums that promise reversal of the ageing process; as they put, their product ‘reawakens skin to reveal radiant looking skin, smoother feeling skin and younger looking skin.  That’s right YOUNGER looking skin!  Now to my mind if that were true, even half true, then cosmetic plastic surgery for beauty sake would be defunct.   No one would need plastic surgery nor would they put their bodies through the trauma of surgery if all it took to look younger was some cream slapped on twice daily, give me a break! 

 

Someone Tell January It’s Not Halloween Until October!

January Jones: X-Men First Class Premiere

The usually gorgeous and heavily pregnant January Jones of Ad-Men fame turned up at the X-Men Premier with radiant skin, and glowing cheeks, pregnancy is obviously suiting her, I thought the choice of both blush and lipstick were perfect for her colouring.  But the eyeshadow – oh my me – it’s not Halloween January!  Don’t get me wrong I like the colour combination very ‘surfer’ and on-trend, mixing aquatic colours, blue and green, and January has a nice shade of grey blue eyes that carry these colours well but what was she thinking putting that much dark shadow on the inner corners of her eyes?  I don’t get it, she’s so beautiful and has good proportions to her face, why would you want to make your eyes look closer together??  I just couldn’t help myself, I decided to photoshop her eye makeup.