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Thursday 30 July 2015

My Top 5 Foundations-High End


Happy Tuesday everyone!! I hope you've all had an amazing weekend!

We all know a good foundation is a must have, but there are so many to choose from-it can be so daunting! You'd think people would be more interested in Pharmacy foundations but most of the time, people tell me they want to splurge on a fancy foundation. I've picked a few high end options that I love and that I think you guys will really like too. I'm fussy when it comes to foundation, so I'm certain you'll like at least one of them hehe! I'll start from... I wont say worst to last 'cause they're all amazing but you get the idea! I'm doing a top 5 pharmacy foundations after this too so stay tuned for that!

At number 5 it's:

Mac Face And Body Foundation






This is a liquid foundation that seems to be a staple in every makeup artist's kit. I've never used anything like it before! It's sheer but still has the most impressive coverage, and leaves skin looking flawless with a dewy finish. People with oily skin might not like this as much as those with dry skin, but it's a favourite of mine and a cult classic for a reason.


4.NARS Sheer Glow 

Oo, I love me some NARS foundation! It gives amazing coverage and a flawless look without that caked on effect. This is probably one of the most widely known foundations out there and I can see why-it's fantastic. This seems like it was made to be applied with a stippling brush, and it's quickly become one of the best foundations I've used. If I had to compare it to any pharmacy foundation it would definitely be Bourjois Healthy Mix.



3. Dior Airflash 








I'm telling you guys, this is incredible. Shame about the price though! If you want look airbrushed without an airbrush, this make-up is your new best friend. The best way to apply this is to spray it on the brush or whatever you're using to apply your makeup, and then buff it into the skin.


2. Estee Lauder Double Wear 




I love Double Wear. I can't exactly explain the finish, I wouldn't exactly call it a matte finish like it's considered to be, but I wouldn't call it full coverage either. All I know is that it's lovely and covers imperfections to leave your skin looking flawless, and lasts all night too.

*DRUM ROLL* So here we have it-my most favourite high end foundation ever!! And it's called:


Make Up Forever HD Foundation




Makeup Forever HD-what can I say about this foundation? It really is the best I've used. It's so light when applied but gives the most flawless finish and an incredible airbrushed complexion. It can be built up to give a more full coverage look and is perfect for days when you know you'll need to be doing a lot of posing in front of the camera (hint hint, brides!) It lasts all day too which makes it an amazing choice for special events. 



Hope this helped a little for those of you who want to go high end foundation shopping! 
Have fun everyone!
Soph :)

You May Also Like: Ben Nye Banana Powder Dupe 
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Best Skincare products under 20 squid

We all know I love makeup, but skincare is so important too, and we often forget about it. I have sensitive skin (just what a beauty blogger wants!) and I've been through nearly every brand in the chemist, trying to find products that agree with my skin 100%. Obviously I've found lots of amazing stuff on my travels so I'm going to try to keep it to one product per category..maybe 2. 

(Also, apologies for the lack of continuity in the photo backgrounds-I've been adding and taking from this post for a while now!)
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What can I say? I'm in love with this product. It's hands down one of the best face products I've ever ever used. 

Why I love it?

It cleanses and removes every inch of makeup (you'd be surprised how much can remain on your skin even after you've cleaned it) while leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated. You don't need to rinse it off, and your skin will feel fresh as a daisy after using it. 

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This is an old favourite of mine that I always repurchase. Neutrogena are brilliant and this is such a nice, simple product that I loooove using.
Why I love it?
This works so quickly to leave your face feeling soft and rejuvenated. It smells really nice and your face really does feel fresh and squeaky clean after using it. This is about 5.50 most places, which is such a bargain since it lasts for ages too! 

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I had heard a lot about this spray on the interweb so I was really excited to get my hands on it. I definitely wasn't disappointed with it, and now it's an absolute staple in my skincare routine. 

What is it?

This lovely spray is refreshing and moisturising, and soothing too. It smells like roses which I love, and makes an excellent setting spray. It makes an excellent toner too, and on days when my skin is a little dry, it's absolutely perfect. I got this online right here, since I couldn't find it anywhere (boo).

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I randomly bought this product because I needed a new moisturiser, and it won me over straight away. This is such a clever product that hydrates your skin, while also absorbing any excess oil. It hasn't irritated my skin once and makes for the perfect base for the rest of my makeup. It helps to fight breakouts and I couldn't believe how soft my skin was after the first use. I got mine for 10.99 in Boots which I know is a little more than some moisturisers, but this is so good, it's really worth it. 

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Siiiiigh! This one breaks my heart because as far as I know, it's still not available in Ireland (please correct me if I'm wrong!) Let me tell you though, it lives up to the hype because it's fan-bloody-tastic. 
Why I love it:
This pretty much targets any of the unwelcome visitors on you skin, so wave goodbye to blemishes, red patches and oiliness. Actually, if you have oily skin that you can't seem to keep under control, this could be your new best friend. I have some food allergies and on the rare occasion that they cause me to have breakouts, this is an absolute savior in fighting the battle in no time. It can also be used to treat other annoying things like cuts and grazes too. My only con with this product is that it doesn't last too long, although that could be because of how much I use it. 
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This is one of my old favourites and I had to include it. I've been using this for years, and I've never had a bad word to say about it. This pure formula moisturiser is guaranteed to leave you feeling fresh faced, without all the fuss of chemicals and fancy fragrances a lot of other moisturisers have. It really is as Simple as that. Lol, I'm too funny. It's around 4 euro most places, and lasts a very long time too. 
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If your skin has particularly bad days like mine does, and it wont let you use any shower gel or bath product without freaking out, then this could be your new best pal. There are no over the top ingredients or fragrances in this. It's just a lovely soothing body wash that does exactly what it says on the tin. This is just under 10 euro which I know is a little more than most body washes are, but it's so worth it if you have eczema, or other skin conditions. 

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I've been hearing so much about these Botanics products from Boots and at first glance they all look fab. I've tried the brightening balm and haven't been as enamored with it as everyone else seems to be, but I love this product. If you have any fine lines or wrinkles, this will really help to aid in reducing them, while soothing any sore under eye problems you might have. It gives the skin such a nice glow and you only need a little to help keep your skin all nice and healthy looking. This costs about 6 euro and it's worth every penny. 


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I've been thinking about my favourite product on the list while I've been writing it, and I think this is it. 

What is it?

This ingenious clay mask will unclog your pores, restore your skins natural balance, and even your skin tone. It has loads of ingredients that your skin will love. To be honest, it's like a detox facial. It smells absolutely lovely, and it hasn't irritated my skin at all. This is so perfect for those of us who really need some hydration, especially in this strange mixed weather we've been having. 


I could stay here all day adding products to this list, but hopefully I've covered enough to help anyone looking for specific items to add to their beauty regime.

Have a fantastic day! 

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Wednesday 29 July 2015

My Top 5 Foundations-Pharmacy

*Wipes brow* This was a really difficult list to put together. I already did a post on my fave high end foundations (which you can look at right here if you're interested!) so I thought I'd do a post on my fave pharmacy foundations too. You might be surprised by some of the foundations on this list because it just so happens that there's not many out there that really suit my skin (sadface). Hopefully though, I've narrowed it down to the cream of the crop.

5. L'Oreal True Match Lumi


I was going to go with the original True Match, but I've been using True Match Lumi more lately and I love it. It's similar to the original True Match of course, so it has the same lovely medium-full buildable coverage, while still looking natural. The main difference with this foundation is that it gives the nicest luminous, dewy glow to the skin, and I'm a self confessed dewy skin addict. 



4. Maybelline Fit Me 




This is such a nice light foundation that seems to have taken the world by storm recently. It has light-medium coverage and the finish is just flawless! The finish is slightly different to any foundation I've used before, but I still love it. Its cousin the Fit Me concealer has become something of a legend in blogger world too-and with good reason!



3. L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte 





This is a really nice foundation that honestly does last quite a long time. This has been making its rounds on the internet for a while now-beauty bloggers have been exploding over it! It's suited more to oily skin because it's fairly matte, so I don't think I'd recommend it to people with really dry skin. It has medium to full coverage, and still allows natural skin to shine through. It doesn't look too cakey, and so far I'm really impressed with it.

2. Avon Ideal Flawless



I. love. this. foundation. I can't get over the quality for the price, and I use it every single day. It has great coverage while not being cakey at all. It hides imperfections and balances my skin tone, while being moisturising too. It has a dewy/silk finish which I love, and the packaging is super pretty too. This is such a gem for me and one of my holy grail foundations, without a doubt. 


1. Bourjois Healthy Mix 


This is by far one of the best foundations I've ever used. I love everything about it. It's medium to full coverage without being cakey and gives such a beautiful healthy glow to the skin-what more could you want? It's similar to Rimmel Wake Me Up in the way that it sort of lifts and gives it a boost. It's not the cheapest foundation in the pharmacy but when it's good as it is, you really can't complain. 


Foundations that didn't quite make the cut: Revlon Nearly Naked, Revlon Colorstay, Rimmel Match Perfection, Covergirl Outlast

I think I'm gonna get some sleep now and I'll probably dream about foundation haha! Happy shopping and have an amazing week! Soph :)

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Sunday 26 July 2015

Nude Tude The Balm-Swatches-First Impression

I'd been hearing a lot of hype about this palette, so of course I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I like to use more neutral shadows since my liquid eyeliner is so dramatic, but the Naked palettes just don't cut it for me (don't kill me if you love them!) I wanted a neutral palette that wasn't boring, and didn't lack luster like the Naked palette does (sorry again). 
  So is it worth the hype?

Just as I expected, this a very lovely palette. The shadows are so buttery and blendable and I love the colour range! This palette would be perfect for any eye colour since there are cool and warm tones in it. 
Kinda risque with the perdy ladies, but I think it looks very cool. You could create so many different looks with this palette too, whether you want a subtle day look or full on black smokey eye, I can't see myself getting bored of this any time soon. I've found some of the shades to be even better highlighters than actual highlighters too. 
As you can see here ladies, the shadows are so pigmented it's crazy! I got mine online right here-gotta love Cloud 10 Beauty! 

    The Verdict: 

If you like pigmented, neutral palettes with shimmers and mattes, I think you should definitely go for this. 
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Thursday 23 July 2015

Wet N' Wild Color Icon Bronzer-I'm hooked

I know contouring has gone out the window in beauty culture lately, but you best believe I'll always carry some form of bronzer in my handbag. I love bronzer because it's perfect for option for adding a little colour and depth to your complexion, and let's be honest we're not the most tanned creatures here on the Emerald Isle! Everyone's favourite bronzer is Hoola by Benefit which, to be fair, is amazing. I found a lovely little gem while I was out window shopping the other day, and the two have turned out to be really similar. I wouldn't be as mad as to utter the word dupe here, but it's fantastic for the price and does a very similar job.

4.57
This is the shade Bikini Contest (there are 4 to choose from) and I love it! The sunkissed tone is so flattering and the finish is somewhere between matte and satin. There's not much shimmer in this bronzer which I love, but it still manages to give the skin a nice glow (perfect for days when my skin wants to look zombie-like.) It's very pigmented too and I reckon it would suit every skin tone. You can use it as a blush too since there are really pretty coral tones throughout-it all depends on how you apply it. Also, let's just talk about the quality and amount of product for the price-it's fantastic. 
The final verdict:

This bronzer wont break the bank, will last you ages, and gives the much loved Hoola a run for its money too. 
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