2016 Beauty Launches: What to add to your wishlist

Every new year brings hundreds of new product launches in the beauty world so I'm here to highlight my top picks for the year to come.

Firs up we have Clinique Sweet pots sugar scrub and lip balm. These super cute little pots, designed to look like macaroons, are one half lip scrub and one half tinted lip balm. Use the scrub to smooth your lips and the balm to keep them moisturised and conditioned with a little hint of colour. Available at clinique counters now, with 6 shades to choose from just think how cute these will be in your handbag and of course your next instagram!

Staying with lips next up we have the Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks. I love maybelline lip products and I'm so excited to get my hands on some of these gorgeous matte colours. I've seen them popping up all over instagram in the last few days and already have a list of what shades I want. You can't go wrong with a matte lip and whether you want a nice nude shade or pop of colour there's something for everyone.

Moving onto foundations there are two new launches I'm dying to get my hands on. The Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous foundation, phew that's a mouthful! I absolutely adore the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser so I can't wait to try out this foundation. Designed to mimic the reflective glow of candlight this lightweight formula has tiny pearl mica embedded in it, to give your skin a fabulous radiant glow.  With a blend of oils, purified water and vitamins C and E it also promises hydration and antioxidant protection, sounds right up my street. Look out for it launching this spring.

Staying with the theme of radiant skin we have the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation. Again it's a lightweight formula that aims to give a healthy glow, without any unwanted shine while also covering imperfections and giving that gorgeous flawless look we all want so much. And to top it all off it has SPF 25, get this on the top your wishlist. 

Finally onto nails and to celebrate it's 35th anniversary, Essie is bringing back 6 of it's most iconic shades that have been discontinued over the years. You can never have enough nail polish in my opinion and this collection has everything, a lovely nude, a bright red and even a glittery bronze one. It's a limited edition collection so don't miss out!

10 Reasons to get yourself to M&S Beauty Hall

Marks and Spencer have seriously upped their game in the beauty department over the past year, so listen up ladies I've picked the top 10 must haves from their gorgeous beauty hall. They have a great range of brands from high end to high street, some of them exclusive to M&S so here's my top picks for all you beauty lovers out there.

1. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
A liquid eyeliner is a must in every girls make up bag and this is most definitley one of my favourites. Now I'm no expert at winged liner unfortunately, but if you're going to try it out this will certainly make it easier. It has a fine marker like tip that makes it glide on really smoothly and is perfect for doing a thin precise line. As the name suggests it really does stay on all day, literally does not budge so once you've perfected the look it's there to stay!




2. Roger&Gallet Fleur d'Osmanthus Perfume
This scent is just so nice I can't even begin to describe it, even if you don't buy it please just go in a smell it-so gorgeous! Roger&Gallet have a really great range of scents and some fabulous bodycare products but without a doubt this is my top pick of theirs. It's a floral, citrus scent that is so fresh and not at all overpowering, yet it lasts so well. I'm telling you if you wear this you're going to get a lot of people wondering what that glorious scent is.



  3.Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute

Nuxe is a beautiful french skincare brand with so many wonderful products to choose from. I love a good face mask and this is one is designed to provide 24 hour hydration to dry dehydrated skin and that's exactly what it does. I keep mine in the fridge so it feels extra cooling and soothing on application. Let the goodness sink in for about 10 minutes and enjoy the feeling of fabulously refreshed skin.






4. Pixi Glow Tonic
At the moment in Ireland M&S is the only store stocking Pixi products and they are very popular. So much so that I have yet to actually get my hands on this product, it is always sold out!! But get it on your list, it has a cult following among those in the beauty blogging world. It's an exfoliating toner that promises to brighten, tone and firm the skin, sounds good to me!


5.Glamglow
I couldn't pick just one product from this range because basically I want them all!! If you're into beauty at all you'll know how popular these masks are. I have tried the Thirstymud hydrating one and the  Youthmud Tinglexfoliate one and I can confirm they are fab! M&S have the whole range and I think the next one I'm going to have to try is the Flashmud Brightening mask. Good news is they have the
small 15ml pots so you can give them a go before forking out for the full size.

6.Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo
A haircare brand co-owned by Jennifer Aniston, that's already enough to make buy it to be honest! Thank god they live up to their name and this stuff goes a long way in creating a perfect hair day. This particular formula smoothes out your hair, helps with detangling and overall gives your hair that shiny healthy look we all want. You can check out the whole range for all different hair types in M&S.


7.Amazing Cosmetics Concealer
We all need a bit of concealer now and then and this is a super popular one with a big following in the beauty industry. A little goes a long way and it covers everything from dark circles to blemishes. If you've tried every concealer going and still haven't found "the one" this could be it!






8.Butter London Nail Polishes
Nail polish is something you can never have enough of, in my opinion anyway! Butter London have a gorgeous range of colours and I particularly love the greyish blue shade called Ta-Ta and the pretty pink Teddy Girl. Even if you just go in for a browse it's worth it and you can check out some of their new shades for 2016.




9. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
Containing a trio of gentle exfoliating acids, the salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids work together to combat dullness and improve skin cell turnover. It's the perfect gentle exfoliator that I use about twice a week and it definitely helps brighten and plump up my skin.


10. Rituals Bodycare
Rituals products are luxurious but super affordable, perfect for a little bit of pampering.
I particularly love their body scrubs and shower gels. The sweet orange and cedar scrub is fab to get rid of any of that dull dry skin and as for the yogi flow foaming shower gel, just divine! Check out the full range of beautiful in store.

Super Skincare

I am probably slightly more obsessed with skincare than make up, I find it almost impossible to go into any kind of pharmacy, supermarket or department store without buying some kind of skincare product. I always manage to convince myself whatever I'm buying is absolutely necessary, I'm sure we can all relate to this, I mean you can never have too many cleansers can you?Over the past few months there's been a few standout skincare products I've added to my regime and I really wonder how I managed without them before so I thought why not share my discoveries!

First up we have the No.7 Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum. I've been using this for I'd say almost a year now and I love it. I never really had a serum that I would use regularly before this, I guess I hadn't found one that I liked enough. This particular one is aimed at targeting the first signs of ageing, keeping skin looking radiant and younger for longer. Now let's be honest who doesn't want to look younger for longer?

It has a beautiful light texture, that absorbs into the skin straight away leaving it feeling super soft and smooth. I have often found other serums too rich and almost heavy on the skin but not this one. I have been using it morning and evening and I think it really has done a lot to improve the tone and texture of my skin. My skin tone has evened out a lot, and I also feel it has helped combat some of the more oily zones on my face. My skin just generally feels healthier and I really think adding this to my routine has been a big factor. 

You might think it's a bit pricey for a pharmacy brand but honestly a little goes a long way and any time I get the No.7 vouchers I use them to stock up. So if you have one lying around in your purse now's the time to use it people and hop on the serum bandwagon!

Next up it's the Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing balm.  Intending to buy a clinique lipstick I came home with two of them and this rather lovely jar of cleansing balm. As the name suggests it literally takes all your make off, yes even waterproof mascara. It almost transforms into an oil when you rub it in, but doesn't leave any kind of greasy film on the skin. It's a perfect everyday cleanser, it does exactly what it says on the tin and leaves your skin totally clean and beautifully soft. A little goes a long way so this 125ml tub will last a long time, believe me.

The last facial skincare product I'll talk about here is the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil. I had wanted to get a facial oil for a long time and I knew these clarins oils have a cult following and a great reputation. I don't routinely use a night cream and I decided I'd go for this oil instead. I use it every night you only need 2-3 drops for the whole face. This particular lotus one is for combination skin, now you might think oily skin doesn't need more oil but honestly it has really helped to balance my skin. My pores are much less visible, and oily and dry areas are much improved. I have really noticed a difference in my skin and I could not be without this oil now. Maybe my favourite thing about it though has to be the smell, oh it's just divine and now it reminds me of going to bed which always makes me happy!

Now lastly onto some body care. The L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. Beauty bloggers have been raving about this for as long as I've been reading blogs and I finally got my hands on a small bottle from sephora just to try it out and see what all hype was about. I have since purchased a full size bottle so that'll tell you how I feel about. It transforms into a lovely foam and I can't tell you how soft it makes your skin. It has a lovely luxurious scent and honestly no product has ever made my skin so soft. Try get yourself a sample before you invest and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Latest Loves

Hello all :)So here I am again with a little post that I've been prepping for a while. Rather than doing monthly favourites over the last couple of months I decided to save up and talk about some products that I totally love and have been using for a while now. It's a mix of drugstore bits and a couple slightly more high end products so hopefully there's something for everyone and I hope you all enjoy reading my long ramble :)

I'll start off with skincare and I have a couple of products that are getting a special mention here. First up it's the famous Eve Lom Cleanser. Now you may have seen me mention this when I first got it back in November in my very first Look Fantastic beauty box. Understandably I was very excited and couldn't wait to try it and let me tell you I was not disappointed. I can confirm I am now a true Eve Lom convert, I now understand why it has the cult following it does. This was actually the first balm cleanser I had every tried and I was a bit worried at the thought of rubbing a somewhat oily balm all over my face, but I found it very easy to use and actually really good on my combination skin. I use it only for removing make up at the end of the day and it does a super job. There's few things I love more than washing my face at the end of the day(yes I did just say that) and using this my face feels amazingly clean yet my skin still feels soft,not in any way tight and is just perfectly ready for my night time skincare routine. Also a little goes a long way, I have only just finished this 30ml sample size and I've been using it for a good 3 months. This will make me feel better about investing in a full size tub!

Next up we have another cleanser ( I may have a slight obsession!) This one comes from Una Brennan and it's her Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. I have a thing for oils these days and this particular one is a brilliant drugstore find. Simply massage onto your skin and remove with a damp facecloth and tah dah your skin is make up free, feels soft, hydrated and there's no oily residue left behind. This lasts a seriously long time too, as you can see from the picture it's nearly gone but I've had it for about 3 months now and I use it almost every day. A great value for money cleansing oil, highly recommended from me!!

Now for my current facemask of choice. I got this Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute 24 hour hydrating fresh mask in a Look fantastic beauty box a couple of months back. I put it in my box of samples and minis and kind of forgot about it for a while. Then my skin went through a stage where it was quite dry and just needed a kick of moisture and I decided to give this a go. I generally get on well with Nuxe products and this is no exception. It's a nice light creamy texture, easy to apply and left on for about 10 minutes your skin just drinks it up and is totally re-hydrated. I found it really made a difference to my skin and even the next day my skin felt much smoother and fresher, it did exactly what I needed it to!

The final skincare product that has taken up residence in my bathroom recently comes from the one and only Soap and Glory.

It's their Whipped Clean Luxe Cream Wash Shower Butter (bit of a long name!). Soap and Glory products are so popular but I've only really started getting into them properly recently and this is now one of my favourite shower products. It has the texture of a body butter but then it lathers up into a gorgeous soft shower gel that does actually moisturise the skin. This is probably thanks to the shea butter and different oils that are combined in it. So nice to have a shower gel that doesn't leave the skin feeling dry or flaky and for some people it may even mean you can skip the post shower moisturising if you're having a lazy day!

Onto make up and first up we have lipstick. I feel that a girl can never have too many lipsticks and nothing makes me happier than buying a shiny new one! This particular Yves Saint Laurent one was a treat to myself using my boots advantage card points and I just adore it!! It's one of their Rouge Volupte Shine range in the shade number 5 Fushcia in Excess. It glides on so easily, the colour pay off is amazing, it has a beautiful shine, it lasts for a good 8 hours and it's even moisturising!! Can you tell I like it ha!! The colour comes across better in person but the picture below gives you an idea of the dreamy pink colour. Go use your Boots points wisely people!


Another Soap and Glory product has made it into my latest loves and it's their much loved Solar Powder Bronzer. I had wanted to get my hands on this for ages and it was always out of stock in my local boots but i finally managed to get it a couple of months ago and now I know why it was always sold out. Basically it's your perfect everyday bronzer. No shimmer, just a lovely two tone compact, a lighter peachy shade on one side and a darker bronze shade on the other. Swirled together they give your face the perfect sun kissed touch, adding a gorgeous natural looking glow that's perfect even for paler skins.

Last but not least is possibly the best addition to my beauty routine over the past few months and it's the amazing Wet Brush. This is also thanks to Look fantastic because I got this super cute mini one from their beauty box. I had been meaning to buy one for so long, I have mentioned my ridiculously knotty hair on here before and I really never thought anything could tackle it. But it's true the Wet Brush is life changing-yes I said life changing. Seriously, my knotty haired friends with understand what a chore it is to brush your hair but this makes it so easy! It glides through the hair detangling without snagging or pulling, I can't even describe in words how good it is, just wait until you try it!! 
P.S. Follow me on instagram to check out my new hair do :)

My 5 Minute Work Face

Woohoo my first post of the New Year!!

I hope year has got off to a good start for everyone and here's to a great 2015 :)

So when I'm working I'm not one of these people who gets up super early and has loads of time to have breakfast and get ready and watch a bit of morning TV. I love my bed and the longer I can stay in it the better so I literally get up and dressed and ready for work all in about 20 minutes. My make-up look has to be quick and easy so I've got my 5 minute face pretty fine tuned now.

I don't wear much make-up to work.I'm a nurse and my day is 13 hours long so really I try to just have some kind of coverage that will last for a good chunk of the day. As you can see from the picture,nothing caked on, all very minimal just something so that I'm not completely bare faced. So here are my go to products for my super fast and easy work face.

First of all I pop on a bit of concealer. I always, always use the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Rewind Concealer. This is much needed after rolling out of bed. I use it under my eyes and around my nose, it's so quick to blend in with your fingers and gives great coverage of those pesky dark circles.

For my base I have a couple of different foundations that I go between, just depending how my skin is at the time. First my L'Oreal True Match foundation. This is an old reliable and is perfect for the long days in work. It blends in so easily, gives a medium coverage and does not feel heavy on the skin. It looks natural and really just have good staying power. The next one I use is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. I've mentioned this before in my foundation favourites and I still love it. It's a lighter coverage than the true match so I usually use this on particularly good skin days.It has a lovely light texture that blends very easily and leaves a nice fresh finish. Once set with some powder it lasts pretty well and is perfect for the fresh natural look I like for work. 

To set my base in place I use my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Powder. It sets foundation perfectly without making you look cakey or dry. It smoothes over imperfections, gives the perfect natural look and lasts really well.

Next up is the brows. For this important step I reply on the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Precision Pencil. I have tried so many different eyebrow products and this is always the one I come back to, in fact I only recently repurchased after completely using up my last one. The pencil end is more crayon than pencil really which is why I like it, it's perfect for filling in gaps without looking like you've drawn anything on. I have the colour Love is blonde and it's the perfect shade,so natural looking which is very rare for brow products I think as so often the shades offered are too dark. I use the crayon end for this daytime work look as it gives the most natural effect, I tend to use the tint end when I'm doing a more full on make-up look.

I add a little bit of bronzer just to warm up the look and make me look more alive. My go to bronzer is the L'Oreal Glam Bronze Bronzer and Highlighter Compact. I swirl the two colours together and sweep it across my face and it completes the look by just brightening up my face without looking in any way orange.

All that's left now is the eyes and lips. So the mascara I usually use for work is the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara. I like this for the minimal look as it separates the lashes nicely, opening up the eyes and gives just the right amount of volume. It lasts perfectly, doesn't flake off throughout the day and doesn't clump together either. Last but not least is my lips. Lipstick is a no go for work really, a gloss or balm is the best option. My lips can get very dry and as I said the day is very long so you don't want something wearing off terribly half way through the day. The No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm is just what I need. The shade I have is blush coral. It nourishes the lips, giving just a nice hint of sheer colour. It lasts pretty well and even when it does start to wear off, because it's more of a balm it's not dry or flaky and is so easy to reapply on the go with no need for a mirror.  

So that's it my 5 minute work face. Super quick and easy and gives the perfect natural look to last a long busy day in work.

Let me know what you reach for in the morning as your quick fix for the day :)

Look Fantastic November Box

So if you follow me on Instagram you would have seen that I got my first look fantastic box during the week. I have tried a couple of these beauty box subscription services before but I've never been particularly impressed by any of them, but let me tell you this look fantastic one is a whole other level. I decided to try this one out after my friend Orla recommended it to me. Now Orla is just as obsessed with all things beauty as I am (if not more) so I knew when she recommended this it had to be a winner! She had got it the previous month and said it was the best beauty box she had ever gotten( now this is a serious claim if you knew how many of these Orla has tried). And let me tell you she is not wrong, I am SO happy with it!!

Look fantastic is a great website that has a brilliant range of hair, make up and skincare products and they have only recently become a player in the world of beauty boxes. So far so good for them as their boxes almost always sell out every month. 

The November box contains 6 products, all of which I will definitely be using, which is saying something as any time I have got beauty box before I can't say I have really made good use of any of the products. The reason I think this one is so impressive is because it contains some really high end, cult products which is exactly what you need from a beauty box. We all want be buy these cult products that claim to work miracles but often the price can be off putting. When you can't be sure if they're going to work for you it's hard to justify spending half your wages on yet another cleanser or serum or whatever it may be. So the opportunity to test them out is just what you need, and then you can console yourself with the fact that it's definitely worth the money :) 

First up is the world renowned Eve Lom cleanser. Famously described by Vogue magazine as "probably the best cleanser in the world". It's a balm and unlike any other cleanser I've used before. It claims to give a unique cleansing experience, removing make up whilst also toning and exfoliating the skin. The tub is a perfect 30ml size and quite generous considering it's such a high end brand. I am so looking forward to trying to this out and shall report back and let you know if I become addicted to this cult favourite.


Next up we have another favourite among celebs,models and make up artists the world over. The GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment. Honestly this is the one product I'm most excited about. I have yet to see a bad review of this mask, it claims to be a "10 minute facial in a jar", I mean who wouldn't want to try it? 


Onto the final brand which I am familiar with from the box which is Nuxe. The Nuxellence Jeunesse Youth and Radiance Revealing Fluid. I love Nuxe products and this is actually one that I hadn't heard of. It's basically a moisturiser that is designed to recharge the skin,boost radiance and give your complexion a clearer more youthful look. Sounds good to me, here's hoping!

The last skincare product is the Monu Recovery Balm. This is a brand that's new to me so I'm intrigued to see what it's like. Designed for sensitive or stressed skin, it will definitely come in handy when I'm having a breakout or my skin is feeling tired after a few days in work. The top tip in the little look fantastic book suggests using it as an overnight mask so I will certainly give that a go and report back.

The one and only make up product is the New Cid Cosmetics Lip and Cheek Tint. I have a slight addiction to lip crayons so this is already a hit with me. The shade I got is Rose tint, a nice warm pink colour so hopefully the formula is nice and I'll get good use out of it.

Lastly we have the Hand Chemistry Intense Youth Complex Hand Cream. I have seen this brand in pharmacies but have yet to try anything from the range so this is the perfect opportunity. Hand cream is something I use a lot of in my work as a nurse so I was delighted to see this in the box. I'm going to bring it to work over the next few weeks and really put it to the test!

I think you'll agree it's a great mix of products and I can't wait to get stuck in and try them all!! If you like what you see and want to get your hands on the December box head over and get your order in now because it's sure to sell out fast.

http://www.lookfantastic.com/beauty-box/lookfantastic-beauty-box-december-2014/11028458.html

October Favourites!

It may be a few days late but it's here my October faves! 
I have been MIA for the last couple of months just because I have been pretty busy with work and I had a holiday thrown in too, so apologies but I'm back on the blogging buzz now so here goes :)

NYX Shine Killer

I had been hearing good things about this for a while and I finally got my hands on it last month. I've been slowly building up my collection of NYX products and so far there's been nothing I haven't liked. And this little beauty has been no different- I love it! My skin is more oily than dry these days so I've had to change around some of my skincare and make-up products and this has been a great addition to my daily routine. It has a lovely light texture and feels velvety soft. It absorbs straight away gives an instant matte effect to the skin, while softening the appearance of pores. It's the perfect base to keep your face matte and fresh all day.I apply it underneath my foundation and it really combats my shiny T-zone. It's particularly good for when I'm working because my days are quite long and the environment is very warm and really not great for my skin. It makes my foundation last longer and really does stop oily patches popping up. A definite recommendation from me!

Johnson's Baby Spray Conditioner

Now you may think this is a strange one but trust me here. My hair gets ridiculously knotty when I wash it, as in it all gets matted together and is seriously hard to manage. I don't know why, maybe it's just because I have so much hair but whatever the reason it's pretty annoying. I condition my hair and use a mask once a week and it really doesn't make much difference. I have tried a couple of detangling products before too and they've never been of much use either so I decided to go for something different. I was in boots wandering through the aisles overwhelmed by all the hair care products when I decided to take myself to the baby section. Babies and toddlers often have tangled hair due to the fact that it's growing pretty fast and so that's exactly what the No Tangles range is for. So finally I've found the answer to all my hair woes ( well one of them at least). It's a spray on conditioner that can be used on wet or dry hair. I spray it on straight after I wash my hair and then brush with my tangle teaser and my God does it make things easy. I can just brush my hair like a normal person without almost tearing my hair out. This is an absolute win for me and one of the best discoveries I've made.

L'oreal Super Liner Mat-matic 

Over the last few months I've gone off liquid eyeliner I don't really know why probably just out of laziness but anyways this is what I've been using instead. It's a gel formula in a pen which makes it so easy to apply. I have the shade deep violet, also just because I was a little sick of black all the time. I have to say I love the colour it's a very subtle change from black but I think it's great for a daytime look. Especially this time of year with some warmer toned eye shadows. It has a great colour pay off and lasts all day, another great little gem from l'oreal!

Revlon Colourstay Longwear Nail Enamel                                            
So I almost always feature nail polish in my posts simply because I am obsessed with it and a girl can never have too many nail polishes right? I actually bought these polishes in duty free on my way back from my holiday at the end of September. The box had 3 different pink shades and then the top coat. So basically the idea of this polish is that it gives you the high-shine look of a gel manicure and lasts just as long but you can do it yourself at home. The formula is great and goes on so easy one coat is enough in all the shades I have. The top coat is what seals it all in and keeps your nails looking perfect for at least 7 days. It stays glossy and the colour stays bright and honestly it does look like a professional gel manicure, but without the hassle of having to get it taken off and ruining your nails. I love love love these polishes but I haven't been able to find them in any pharmacies here in Ireland so if anybody knows where I could get some more I would be delighted to know. I knew I should have stocked up in duty free! So if you can get your hands on these you are in for a treat and you will be addicted. I have the shades passionate pink, pale cashmere and vintage rose which are all beautiful colours.


No 7 High Shine Intense Lip Crayon

Well it wouldn't be a post without a lip product and the October shout out goes to this lovely glossy crayon from No7 in the shade Romantic Soul. I have a few regular no7 lip crayons but this was the first of the high shine ones that I bought. It's a thinner pencil which is good for precision application and is that lovely creamy not sticky glossy formula. I think this shade is just perfect for autumn/winter. It almost looks like a deep purple but when it's applied it's a beautiful kind of warm berry colour and I love it! Not too dark for daytime and the light glossy formula makes it easy to wear. This one has made it's home firmly in my handbag and that's where it'll be staying for the next couple of months!

Special mention goes out to my sister Karen who has been getting all crafty and made the lovely tray and letter C that you can see in the pictures. How cute are they? Thanks sis keep em coming they were great for all my picture taking, so pretty :)