MAC Glamourdaze and Innocence Lipsticks

I’ve spaced out from most of the MAC collections since summer because if I didn’t I would want way too much from all of them! However, I sneaked a peek at their Holiday collections, the Glamourdaze one in particular. After checking numerous swatches online I decided to get two of the lipsticks – Glamourdaze and Innocence, when I was in Dublin last week. I was in a rush so I didn’t even get a chance to scout out the rest of the collection, I just asked for the what I had planned to get - this was probably the better option for my wallet as well hah!

Glamourdaze and Innocence swatches

Innocence Lipstick

Innocence Lip Swatch

I had fallen in love with Innocence from online swatches and when I saw it in the tube, in person, I had fleeting doubts. Once swatched and applied though, I knew I made the right decision. It’s so much more than just a nude lipstick. It’s a light peach with gold shimmer and it looks amazing on the lips. 

If you find it diffult to wear a nude lip, Innocence just night work for you instead.

Glamourdaze Lipstcik

Glamourdaze Lip Swatch

The second lipstick I got was Glamourdaze, which is a mauve pink and essentially another ‘my lips but better shade’ which quite frankly, I don’t think you can ever have enough of.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks?

A Little Lush Haul

I mentioned in my What's In My Shower post that I was going to pick up some new body stuff from Lush. I got 2 of the Limited Edition Christmas shower gels, a shower jelly and an exfoliator.

First up are the two shower gels. I got what I consider a 'morning' and a 'night' shower gel.

Ponche is definitely the morning one. Lush say "With orange juice and a shot of tequila. Inspired by traditional Mexican Christmas punch, this shower gel is bright,boozy, fruity and uplifting". I love the smell of this and to me it smells fruity. I don't really get any alcohol smell off it, so don't worry about your boss thinking you've been out on the lash if you shower with this before work!

The night one is Twilight, "A lavender and malt notes shower gel to calm, relax and comfort as it helps you transition from day to night". This certainly smells of pure comfort and is heavily laced with lavender.

The last body wash item I got was Whoosh shower jelly. Whoosh is the first shower jelly I've bought so I'm looking forward to seeing how it works. Whoosh is going to be another morning shower product based on the zingy, fresh smell. It's made with lemon, limes and rosemary - very citrusy.

Finally from Lush I got Rub Rub Rub which is a shower scrub. It's an ocean salt scrub but it is blossom scented and it smells incredible. Can't wait to try it!

Now although I didn't get this last product from Lush I thought I would add it in here as it seems the best place for it. It is Cinnamon Buns from Philosophy. It smells so cozy and warm and it is the perfect body wash for cold, winter nights. And the bottle is huge! I'll be using this next winter as well I think!

Did you buy anything from the Lush Christmas collections? or Philosophy?

Purple Haze E.O.T.D.

I do love wearing a purple eye, so here's a look I've sported a few times recently.

To get this look I used the following products

• I primed with UDPP in Eden.
• I applied NYX Jumbo Pencil in Purple all over the lid.
• (All shadows are MAC) I packed Satellite Dreams all over the lid.
• Placed Blackberry on the outer lid and used Fig.1 in the crease and lower lash line.
• I also ran a little bit of Universal Appeal MES through the crease.
• Trax was packed on inner part of the lid.
• Vanilla was used on both the inner tear duct and brow area.
• Then Shroom was applied in the arch of the brow and Phloof! in the tear duct area.
• Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Zero was used to tightline and on the lower lash line.
• Essence liquid eyeliner was applied to the upper lash line.
• Finally I applied both Maybelline's Illegal Lengths mascara and Benefit's They're Real.

Do you like to wear purple eyeshadow?

My Winter Nail Polish Picks 2012

It's time for another seasonal nail polish pick post, yay! And what better way to start Christmas month than with a nail polish post:)

Essie Berry Hard, Chanel Rouge Noir, Essie Bahama Mama.

My first favourite colour theme to wear in this winter  are plummy-purple-reds. The 3 that I know I will be wearing frequently are Essie Berry Hard, Chanel Rouge Noir and Essie Bahama Mama.

Essie Stylenomics, Revlon Rainforest.

I love greens anytime of year but the 2 above are super pretty for winter. Essie Stylenomics is a very dark, blackened green. Revlon Rainforest is a shimmer forest green.

Revlon Royal, Chanel Blue Satin, Dior Glacier.

Next up is some blues. Revlon Royal is my current favourite blue of that shade. I have a number of bright, rich blues in my collection but this is the current favourite. Chanel Blue satin is the ultimate, deep, nearly liquid navy blue. And of course the blues wouldn't be complete without an icy blue for winter. Dior Glacier is the perfect icy blue.

Chanel Noir Ceramic, Chanel Vendetta.

The final 2 polishes I've chosen are Chanel Noir Ceramic, which is a lightened black with subtle shimmer. Chanel Vendetta is a beautiful deep jewel-toned purple.

What polishes will be adorning your nails this winter?

What's In My Shower!

I've seen a few of these videos floating around YouTube and while I initially thought it was a bit odd, it does make sense in the beauty community!

I've mentioned before that I change around my shampoos a lot and I do the same with shower gels etc. The other morning I changed out my shampoo and I realised how all the bottles were in the same colour sprectrum. Perfect time for a photo!

On the top half of the shower rack I keep Kérastase Cristalliste shampoo and conditioner, L'oreal Nutri-Gloss Sparkling Shimmer shampoo, a cheap Tesco conditioner that I use instead of shaving gel, Soap and Glory The Scrub of Your Life exfolaitor, Philosophy Tinsel Town body wash and Bath and Body Works Dark Kiss body wash.

On the bottom little shelf I have two tubs of intensive hair conditioner. A Herbal Essence Beautiful Ends one and Umberto Gianni Indulgent Beauty Moisture Mask. I alternate these two every time and usually use them 1-2 times a week (I wash my hair 3-4 times a week). I keep a wide-toothed comb here as well to brush through my conditioner. I also currently have a pink loofah, pretty.

On the shower thing I have a razor and a Lush tin which currently houses Aqua Mirabillis. I really like this and I think I prefer it to Buffy. I prefer the smell and it's not as greasy feeling.

And that's it for what's currently in my shower. Although I have a couple more bottles of shampoo/conditioner that I'm rotating I'm nearly out of all of body wash and exfolaitor. I'm going to be in Dublin tomorrow so I think I'll have to call into Lush and pick up some of their Christmas products!

MAC MSF in Superb and Immortal Flower Blush

MAC MSF in Superb and MAC Immortal Flower Blush

This blush and highlighter duo have been a favourite peachy cheek look of mine for a while.   While both items were limited edition products from MAC this year (Immortal Flower from Tres Cheek and Superb from Extra Dimension) Superb is currently been repromoted with the Glamourdaze Holiday collection.

Superb is a strongly pigmented, rose-gold type shade with plenty of peach undertones. A little goes a long way but it gives the most incredible sheen to cheeks, especially layered over a matte peach blush like Immortal Flower.

If you missed out on Superb earlier this year, now is the time to get it!

Superb layered over Immortal Flower

Speaking of the Holiday collections has anybody gotten anything yet? I have my eye on a few lipsticks from Glamourdaze, so many pretty ones! And the lip bag sets are so cute!

Skincare Routine: November 2012

Behind the scenes

I've been meaning to do a post on my skincare routine for quite a while now (the photos were take on a sunny day in September!) I've been building my current skincare routine since early 2012. I have gradually introduced new products into the routine and continue using products that worked for me and gotten rid of those that don't. As a result, I now have a fairly solid skincare routine that I have been using since mid-summer. I am extremely happy with it and will continue using most of the products for quite a long time to come. That doesn't mean I'm not going to try anything new ever again but for my main items - cleansers, moisturisers and make-up removers - I am content not to be on the lookout for new alternatives. Items like scrubs and masks, I'm not quite as loyal to but still extremely happy with my current choices. 

Firstly a quick skin bio. I have had dry skin all my life. Just about a year and half ago I started to get more and more breakouts and about this time last year my skin was in a very bad state. My whole face was throbbing with the amount of active breakouts on the lower half of my face, I couldn't even sleep on my side it was so bad. This was certainly a shock to my system having gone through my entire teens with about two spots a year. I went to the doctor and got a prescription which was the main thing that helped to clear up my acne and get it out of my system. It took from November 2011 to February 2012 to clear up to any kind of normality but once the active stuff was over with, I was still left with a visual mess of angry, red, scarring and discoloration. That's when my skincare routine sprang into action.

All the products

It does seem like I use an insane amount of products but I have tried using barely anything to using even more than this as well as using extremely expensive products and extremely cheap products. What I have now is my happy medium and it has been working extremely well for me.  

Morning Routine

(1)Using a facial wash in the morning just dries out my skin so I just cleanse instead. I use the La Roche Posay Toleriane cleanser and I find it both gentle and effective.

(2)When I feel the need to, I follow that up with the Kiehls Cucumber Toner which is the gentlest toner I have ever used. 

(3)Most mornings, unless I have used the Kiehls toner, I will spritz my face with the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I find it very refreshing although the smell does take a while to get used to. 

(4)While I wait for this to sink in I apply the Origins Gin Zing eye cream to the eye area. I've been using this for most of the year and I must say, the longer I use it the more I like it.

(5)Finally I apply my moisturiser, which is another La Roche Posay product, the Toleriane moisturiser. This is a fantastic moisturiser for dry skin, it's thick yet still sinks in quickly enough to make it suitable for a daytime moisturiser.

And that's it for the morning!

Night Routine

(1)The first thing I do is remove my make-up with Bioderma. Bioderma has been extremely hyped up in the beauty world this year and I have to say that it is definitely worth the hype. It removes all my make-up  and is suitable for both face and eyes. It does't sting my eyes which is something that usually happens me with make-up removers, so this is a real bonus for me obviously!

(2)After I've removed my make-up I cleanse with Purity by Philosophy cleanser and I use this in conjunction with my Clarisonic Mia. This is a  fantastic combination for deep cleaning your skin. It definitely had an effect on the overall apperance of my skin (acne scarring, pigmentation etc.)

(3)I then tone with the Kiehels cucumber toner.  

(4)Next if needed, I apply the Origins Super Spot Treatment to any spots or pre-spot areas. Sometimes I use tree tea oil, if the area is very sore or red. I mainly use the tea tree oil to clean any extra make - up from around my nose piercing. 

(5)About twice a week I use the Bio-oil on acne scarring to help it fade. I used to use it more, but the scarring is quite well faded at this stage. 

(6)Finally, the last two steps are the same as the morning routine - I apply Origins eye cream and La Roche Posay moisturiser.

Extras

The extras are items such as exfoliators and masks that I use once to twice a week.

My two favourite scrubs are Kiehls Pineapple and Papaya Facial Scrub and MAC's Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. The Kiehls one is very gentle on the skin so I use that more often as it is less abrasive. When my skin needs it I use the MAC exfoliator as it is slightly harsher. It leaves my skin feeling very clean and refreshed.

The La Roche Posay Eau Thermale spray is a refreshing spray that I spray liberally after using one of the exfoilaters. I also sometimes use it instead of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. 

Finally I have 2 masks that I like to use. The Bosica Black Mask is a proper mask that you leave on for about 15 minutes before peeling off. It is a product that I have instantly seen glowing results with. 

The Origins Drink Up Intensive mask is an overnight mask. It is basically like a thick moisturiser. it smells beautiful and works extremely well in rehydrating my skin.

Well done if you've made it to the end of the post! 

What's your ultimate skincare item?