'Bright Idea' Nails

Hope everyone had a nice relaxing Easter Sunday today! I had a lovely dinner at my mum and dads, which is where I found the mother's day present I got my mum this year - a mini O.P.I brights set, 'Bright Idea'. Is it bad that I opened it?? It contains a bright orange, pink, shimmery blue and a top coat. I'm not keen on sheer, shimmery nails so I used Atomic Orange and That's Hot! Pink, one on each hand for uber brightness.

I applied two coats on each hand with no top coat - I'm lazy like that. I love the vibrancy of the orange most and even though I may be a bit pale for these kinds of colours, really who cares cause they're so fun and bright!

Are you guys rocking brights on nails this spring/summer?

- Siobhan :)

Topshop Makeup – Highlighter in 'Sunbeam'

I’ve been looking for a nice, non-expensive highlighter for a while now. I stumbled across this one in Topshop for £9, for which you get a huge amount of product. I was impressed after swatching it in store and as you can see below it’s the loveliest golden colour, almost like a glowy light which is exactly what I was looking for.

It’s the first thing I’ve tried from Topshop’s range and I do like what I’m seeing, so more products to play with may be on the cards. I really like the look of the cream blushes... but back to the highlighter. This was the lighter shade of two available, the other being a more bronzed colour. It’s nicely pigmented which I’ve found is hard to get in a high-street highlighter. As I mentioned, you do get a lot of product for your money, 6.5g to be exact. The packaging is quite cool and different, not too bulky and not cheap looking. One thing that would be a great addition is a mirror inside, but that doesn’t bother me too much.

In the pan it looks quite yellow toned, but as you can see from the swatch it’s a lot more golden. Although the colour is beautiful, I do think it might be a little warm for my pale skin tone. In the summer though, when I’m a bit less ghostly, I’m sure it will work fine. Lightly dusted on cheekbones is where it looks best I think. All in all an affordable, pigmented, nicely coloured highlighter - great for the summery weather we've been having!

- Siobhan

Sephora Liner Electro - Choc Electro 09

Firstly, it may shock some of you that my first visit to a Sephora store was just three months ago when I was in Rome. Then again, there are no stores in the UK or Ireland so maybe not so shocking. Anyway, what I want to mention is my Sephora ‘Liner Electro’ in Choc Electro 09. I found this on the floor of my car a year or two ago when it must have fallen out of my friend’s makeup bag, but as it was blunt it lay on my dressing table until about a month ago when I bothered my arse to sharpen it. But boy am I glad I did! This pencil is so creamy and nicely metallic, not that yucky in-your-face glitteryness you get sometimes. But best of all, it’s so easy to use which is great for clumsy people like me, and it looks great smudged. If I’m in a rush in the morning and don’t have time to bother with the precision that my Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner needs, then this is my saviour. Plus, it looks great on blue eyes.

This pencil has slowly became a product I’ve been using pretty much every week day as when I’m running late for uni I can just stick it in my makeup bag and smudge it on before getting out of the car and going to class. I asked my fellow beautifyBelfast blogger Heather to get me another shade when she was on one of her regular American travels for work, Metal Electro 02. This one isn’t quite as creamy for some reason and the shimmer isn’t as fine, which is a shame.

Metal Electro 02, Choc Electro 09

As for wear, these didn’t quite hold up to the ‘shower test’ (that’s getting a shower with the swatches still on…) but then I don’t really mind as the softness makes application so easy. As for those with quite oily lids, I would suggest using a primer before application as they don’t seem to set firmly in place, although they do still last all day on my normal lids.

So, until Sephora starts shipping across the water, ask anyone you know going to the US, Rome, France etc to bring you this back. It’s currently $8 on sephora.com. Though of course, if it drops out of your mate’s makeup bag (thanks Louise), then it’s free!

Current Love-Clinique Moisture Surge

My skin is ridiculously dry. Always has been. I'm always on the hunt for a moisturiser thats not greasy,not wild expensive and brings a bit of life back into my face. Introducing Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief!

I'd been hearing good things about this pot of goodness and couldn't wait to try it. Last months Glamour magazines free gift,was a selection of Clinique treats. I managed to get my hands on Moisture Surge and the 'All About Eyes' eye cream.

I literally got so excited about this moisturiser (sad I know) having just came off a flight, I immediatley slapped it on my face. After about 5 mins of the product sinking in I could immediatey feel and see a difference. Not only was my skin super soft and smooth, the dehydration lines on my forehead were significantly reduced. I was in love!

The little leaflet that comes with it says you can use it as a hydrating mask. To be honest though I don't see the point in putting on a thicker layer,leaving it and wiping off agin when you can just whack it on and rub it in and get the same results!

I used up the sample tube which lasted me a good 3 weeks. It didnt cause any blemishes or irritation.I liked it so much I decided to purchase the full size pot. Luckily enough for me we had a travel set in duty free that came with an eye gel and moistrising facial spray for less than what a full price pot of cream would have cost. I love a good bargain!

I use it morning and night after my Clarisonic,along side the 'All About Eyes'cream which is equally as lovely.  My skin is no longer crying out for hydration. Its bright, fresh and dewy. I wish I had have found this little gem earlier!

Whats your favourite moisturiser?

Heather xx

Mother's Day FOTD

Here’s how I wore my makeup for my second mother’s day as an actual mother!

Face

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Alabaster

Clinique Airbrush Concealer in Fair

Cheeks

Bobbi Brown Blush in Desert Rose

Eyes

Mac Paint Pot in Painterly

Bobbi Brown  Eye shadow in Ivory (all over), and Flint (lid) – from the Day to Night Cool Eyes palette

Brows

Filled in softly with the matte dark brown shadow from the Sleek Storm palette

Lips

Mac Crème D’Nude

As you can see, I like the natural look and yes, I do love Bobbi Brown a little too much. I find myself reaching for neutral colours a little too often and maybe I could benefit from a bit of a colour surge here and there. Though it can be hard to find brights that suit my pale, cool-toned skin, I hereby accept the challenge!

Anyone else feel they should venture out a bit more when it comes to makeup?

- Siobhan :) 

Spring Block Colour Trend with GOSH

Anyone else loving the new ‘block colour’ trend for spring? I was tempted by a bright orange Illamasqua eye pencil after seeing it in a magazine last week, but I was passing by the chemist in my student’s union the other day and saw a bargain bin full of GOSH products so I thought I may as well have a look. I ended up getting 3 ‘velvet touch’ eyeliners and a nail polish in some bright springy colours, all for about £10, less than the one Illamasqua pencil would’ve cost.

Here are the colours:

(top to bottom) Rising Sun, Girl Power, Ice Blue

(top to bottom) Ice Blue, Rising Sun, Girl Power

The orange Illamasqua pencil was a touch more neon than Girl Power, but I think it would still work well with minimal makeup and black mascara. The Ice Blue colour is a pale but vivid baby blue which would look great in the summer as well. Rising Sun is a deep warm gold which ok, isn’t very ‘springy’, but still looks great and wears well. In fact, I kept the swatches on while I had a shower and they were still totally intact after which is pretty impressive, and they came off easily with eye makeup remover.

The nail polish shade is Sweet Rose, which is a slightly pastel pink with a little bit of purple thrown in. In the bottle it seemed really ‘spring’ to me.  The lighting doesn’t really show the proper colour once applied; the purple tones did come out a bit more. The consistency I wasn’t too keen on, a bit watery and after two coats wasn’t as opaque as I’d like, but overall it’s not too bad.

All in all, I’m glad I went for GOSH to try out the trend instead of splashing out. The Velvet Touch eyeliners are great and I’m going to see what other colours they have on offer to brighten my makeup up a bit for springtime.

What makeup trends are you trying out at the minute?