Ample Pink

Two lip products that have been in my collection a long time that I have never really payed attention to have become my staple lip combo. I have ventured away from the dark tones of winter in favour of  neutral pink.  As you can see from the picture above Nyx Thalia (top) and Mac Ample Pink Plushglass (bottom) are nearly identical in tone. I have never been a lipgloss fan in fact Id go as far to say I hate it but a slick of Ample Pink over the top of this lipstick makes it a bit more wearable without the stickyness of many lipglosses I have tried in the past. Perhaps Ill be converted to Mac Plushglasses!

With Flash

Without Flash

I cant get enough of  this combo, in the day with neutral makeup and on a night out with a smokey eye. It simply works. I never thought Id be a lipgloss lover!!

What lip products are you loving?

Have you tried Mac Plushglasses?

March Empties

Its a 10 miracle leave-in product, Kryolan Brush Cleaner, Percy and Reid Colour Shine Shampoo (100 ml size free with glamour), La Roche Posay Phyiological Soothing Toner, La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat, Schwarzkopf Conditioner Shot, Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in Soft Honey and random product of the month Gillette Satin Care Pure and Delicate Shave Gel!!

As it has been snowing on and off in Ireland its hard to believe we are in April :-(  I didn't get through too many products this month. My favourite of the bunch has to be the La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat which I've mentioned before so I will simply say it is the best moisturiser I've found so far for combination skin. I want to try the infamous Effaclar Duo next as Ive been experiencing slight hormonal breakouts recently. A close second  is the its a 10 miracle leave in treatment which definitely improves the manageability and softness of my hair although I dont know if I will repurchase as I have been dying to try the Kerastace Cement Thermique for years.

As for the rest of the products listed, I couldn't say any of them are particularly groundbreaking or definite repurchases but I am happy to have used them up as they've been in my collection for quite a while. They are nice products but not alot can be said about them. The Kryolan Brush Cleaner is extremely effective yet headache enducing due to the potency of it. Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer is the only make-up product I managed to work through this month, this stick provides excellent coverage but can look quite obvious and cakey. Hopefully I'll go through more make-up items this month :-)

Lets hope April is a better month weather wise !!

Have you used any of the products mentioned?? What products have you gone through recently??

Bioderma - the magic micellaire?

I mentioned I purchased Bioderma in a recent haul  and as my bottle  reaches half way point I feel I have used it enough to give my opinion on this much talked about micellaire solution. This is a product that continuously creeps up in the online beauty community, it seems like the hype never dies down. After using up a tonne of products and selling some items on Ebay, I decided to finally take the plunge and make an order. The reviews I have seen seem to glorify the product and I couldn't wait to try it out. I was expecting my entire face makeup to dissolve with a gentle sweep of this magic water.

Do I think it is as magical as others have made out? No. I think it is an effective makeup remover for face products but when it comes to mascara this simply does not measure up, Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover is needed for that. To me this product acts like a kinder solution to the skin than baby wipes and having oily skin I like the water texture. I would recommend and repurchase this product but if you're a mascara lover like me just don't throw out your eye make-up remover!!

What are your thoughts on Bioderma??

Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Erratic Glamour, thanks so much for the nomination!!

The Rules

1. State 11 random facts about yourself.

2. Answer 11 questions (made by the person that nominated you).
3. Nominate 11 new blogs (with under 200 followers) and ask them 11 questions.

My experience with blogging so far
My experience with blogging so far has been very positive. I don't have many followers and my blog needs a lot of work but I really enjoy writing my small contributions to the online beauty community.

My Facts 

1. I am addicted to diet coke, I literally drink it like water :-/ I'm trying to cut down !!

2. Im drawn to all purple tones and even want to try getting my hair purple on my next visit to the hairdressers!!

3. I believe in faith, that things happen for a reason and people come into your life for a reason

4. I want to get my first tattoo this year, I'm thinking of getting a quote on my foot but haven't decided on one yet

5. I m really interested in fortune tellers, angel cards and mediums and have had my cards done and been to quite a few fortune tellers in the past few years.

6. I am terrible at finishing things, Ive started many courses without finishing them as I get too lazy, this is a habit id love to break

7. I have very weird taste in men according to alot of people. Max Branning from Eastenders is one of my crushes!

8. I'm very shy at first with people I dont know but once I'm comfortable with you I'm one of the loudest weirdest people alive!

9. My favourite holiday I've ever been on was New York, Id love to go back there soon, Vegas is also a dream destination of mine

10. My favourite film is Girl Interrupted

11. Im obsessed with trashy reality TV, Geordie Shore is my new love but when I was younger I was obsessed with Big Brother and even watched the live footage. I planned to audition until I realised everyone would see me on the toilet!! 

1. Why do you blog?

I have had an interest in beauty from a very early age. I stumbled upon a panacea81 tutorial on Youtube, a Duffy Mercy look and from there I realised there were hundreds of girls making videos about beauty. I then watched a Lollipop 26 whats in my bag video and  I was hooked.I recommended the Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara to her and when she thanked me in a video I felt like a celebrity!!  I was too shy to get on camera myself so I started writing reviews and putting up looks on makeupalley with positive feedback so I decided to write a blog, I need to put a lot more effort in and would love to think of a more original name. 

2. If you could have anyone wardrobe, who would it be?

I dont really have a fashion icon at the moment, I just pick things that I like. I wish i was a bit braver with my style.

3. Favourite book?

I dont really read anymore unfortunately I was an avid reader as a child and loved anything by Jacqueline Wilson. As an adult the only books I've really read have been the first Twilight book and the infamous Fifty Shades series ( which I thought were awful !!) 

4. Favourite blogger?

My favourite blogger would probably be Vivianna does makeup, I literally anticipate her videos every week

5. Favourite High Street store?

Probably River Island, I'm obsessed with midi dresses at the moment

6. Favourite designer?

Im not really a follower of the catwalk.My current wish list item is a black Celine bag.

7. Favourite nail polish colour?

Plummy by Revlon

8. Who is your Fashion icon?

Don't really have one, I admire a few peoples style such as Holly from the Saturdays 

9. Favourite thing you've bought?

Probably my phone, I'm glued to it!

10. Worst fashion/beauty trend you've followed?

Those awful huge baggy combats years ago with strings hanging out of them... cringe

11. Favourite beauty product?

A good coverage foundation and an intense mascara 

Looking at my reading list I dont see anyone with under 200 followers so if anyone reading this would like to answer these questions your more than welcome :-) 

1. What is your greatest achievement?

2. Where did you get your passion for beauty from? 

3. What is your most lusted after product?

4. If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?

5. What is your favourite brand and why?

6. Who is your role model?

7. What do you aspire to be in the future?

8. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

9. What is your favourite beauty product?

10. What is your favourite thing to watch on TV?

11. What has been your greatest lesson in life so far?

Please let me know if you answer these questions as I love discovering new blogs 

they're Real

They're my own just a little enhanced ;-) 

The difference between using this mascara on the left eye and my natural lashes on the right

 Possibly the most talked about mascara of the year and the biggest seller in the UK and Ireland, I had to give Benefits they're Real! a go. When I purchased it from Debenhams costing €25, I couldn't wait to try it out. Based on the reviews and marketing schpeel I expected alot from this little tube.

The packaging makes some very bold claims :

• 94% saw dramatic length and volume
• 90% saw base-to-tip curl
• 94% saw dramatic lift
• 100% saw long lasting results

Benefit wouldn't be my favourite brand, I like a few of their products but I feel their brand is more concerned with pretty packaging rather than quality products. I have been trying this mascara out for a few weeks now. 

The brush is a plastic wand, typically i favour a natural bristle wand but this mascara did perform well. I would definitely agree with the claim of long lasting results as i find the mascara quite hard to remove, Bioderma is no match for this mascara, you need something like the Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover to remove it fully without tugging the delicate eye area. It definitely performs well but not worthy of throwing your false eyelashes away. I like DRAMATIC eyelashes, the bigger the better and although I enjoyed using this mascara I would not say it was the best I've ever used. That title still belongs to Ysl shocking volume. theyre Real would probably make it into my top 5 along with Maybelline Falsies, Estee Lauder Turbolash and Maxfactor 2000 calorie. Close but no cigar. 

Have you tried this mascara? what are your thoughts? 

February Empties

February literally flew by this year I cant believe its March already?! Hopefully temperatures will rise in the coming weeks :-) 

The products I used up last month are : Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo, Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Perfume, Loreal Preference High Shine Conditioner x2, Schwarzkopf Conditioner, Vichy Dermablend Foundation in Nude, Gosh Foundation Primer Cream, The Body Shop Blush Trio in Cool Dusk, Benefit Erase Paste in 2 and random essentials Demaq Duo and a random deodorant!! 

The Demaq Duo is the only item I would be sure to repurchase as I rely on cotton pads daily although i enjoyed using the blush, foundation and concealer. The little jar of Benefit Erase Paste has lasted me well over a year, brightens eyes like a dream but is too pink toned to be a versatile concealer for the rest of the face. The Body Shop Blush Trio provides a super pink icy highlight which i love but i have too many similar items in my collection to warrant a repurchase, I have spoken about the Vichy Dermablend before ; excellent coverage although it fails to last on the skin despite what the label claims. 

Have you tried any of the products mentioned?

What have you used up this month? 

Revlon Valentine

Yesterday  was  the day that singletons dread and Facebook is filled with posts about their other half. I decided to get festive and paint my nails in Revlons Valentine ; a colour I favour on any other day! 

Rumoured to be a favourite of singer  Adele, Valentine is a gorgeous deep red shade a joint favourite with another Revlon shade Plummy pictured below.

   




Although I have many nail polishes in out there shades, I find myself regularly wearing either of these. I really like the Revlon Enamels they provide rich colour in two coats and stay chip free for days, the shades Vixen and Cherries in the Snow are also on my 'to buy list'.


I leave you with a picture of flowers from my other half. We just stayed in and had a few drinks :-)

Have you tried the Revlon Nail Enamels?

Did you have a nice Valentines Day?

An Irregular Occurance

Its not very often you see a haul post on allthatglitt3rs but as i sold a few items on Ebay , I treated myself to a few bits I've been wanting to try for a while.

Products include Seche Vite Restore, Benefit they're real mascara, Nyc Sunny Bronzer, He-Shi Express Liquid Tan, Real Techniques Core Collection and the infamous Bioderma Sensibo H20.

I am very excited to try these items out as they've been on my wishlist for quite some time now. Reviews to follow when I've given them a proper test run :-) Check out my Ebay as Im constantly adding items at a bargainous price!

What have you purchased lately? 

Have you tried any of these products?

January Empties

February is finally here and the January blues are over. Here are my empties for the least liked month of the year!!

I used up quite a bit of make-up last month, probably in an effort to cover the toll the party season has taken on me!

Products include: VO5 High Volume Hairspray, Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner, Clarins Moisture- Rich Body Lotion, Clarins HydraQuench Cooling Cream-Gel, Garnier Olia Silk and Shine Conditioner, Demaq Up Duo, Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover, Burts Bees Lipbalm, Clarins Instant Definition Mascara, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, Essence Bronzer in 02, YSL Rouge Volupte in 19, Mac  Studio Fix Foundation, Mac Hue and Mac Lazy Day. 

Although there were products that I liked such as Burts Bees Lipbalm and Mac Studio Fix Fluid there are two products Id rush out to repurchase. Seche Vite ; which I already repurchased and Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover which is the only eye make-up remover I have ever gotten on well with. It doesnt irritate my extremely sensitive eyes yet is extremely effective. 

.

What Products have you used up this month?

Have you used any of the products mentioned? 

Neutral Funk

Taupe and black aren't the most out there shades, but layered over each other these two neutral hues create quite a funky effect. The taupe in question is Macs Cool Reserve; a limited edition shade that i find myself applying quite regularly. Today i decided to layer a black shattered effect polish over it. This one is from Primark costing a mere €2!! 

Sandwiched between the two are OPI Nail Envy and Seche Vite dry fast top coat the best base and top coat in my opinion. 

Are you a fan of the shatter effect?

What nailpolish have you been wearing lately? 

Empty Addiction #2

No this is not a picture of the contents of my rubbish bin. As I mentioned in my previous post, this year i was determined to use up as much products i had lying around as possible, this was my effort for the latter part of the year.

Can you spot any of your favourites??

I am determined to reclaim space and get my collection down to a reasonable size so i can purchase the odd beauty treat without guilt. Hopefully through continuing to use up items and selling on ebay, i can achieve this. 

The best of the bunch from this rather sizeable pile were:

Clarins Bust Beauty Ultra Lift Gel: This product really made a difference to the appearance to the bust area. The area seemed smoother, firmer and lifted. This is one of those products that in years to come youll be glad you used  as the skin around the bust area can get quite 'creppy' with age. Other products i enjoy in this range include the Instant Eye Make Up Remover, Tanning milk for the Face and Decollete, Instant Light Lip Perfectors, Body Shaping Cream and the infamous Beauty Flash Balm.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Matte: Renamed and repackaged, formally known as Effaclar M, I actually prefer the previous pump bottle packaging. Having combination skin, I find alot of products either too heavy on the skin or in terms of products focused towards oilier skin not hydrating enough. This moisturiser is a lovely gel like consistency that is light on the skin and provides an excellent canvas for foundation making it the perfect daytime moisturiser. This whole range is targeted towards sensitive skin and is recommended by many dermatologists. I am half way through my third tube. I am also tempted by the Effaclar Duo that seems to be doing the rounds at the moment. 

Vichy Dermablend Foundation: I do not wear  tinted moisturiser , i am a fan of full coverage. This foundation provides flawless coverage with the smallest amount of product although i do find the need to powder as the lasting power is not the best despite a 16 hour wear promise on the tube. If you enjoy the coverage of Mac Studio Fix Fluid and Estee Lauder Double Wear which i will mention in a moment, you will enjoy this. The tube pictured here is in the shade sand,  I am currently making my way through a second tube this time in nude but i prefer the Sand shade. 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer: A bit of a cult classic, this is a lovely matte brown shade. This is my second box and i will probably repurchase.

Estee Lauder Double Wear: Another full coverage foundation similar to Mac Studio Fix Fluid. I find the best way to apply this is with the fingers to warm up the product . A good layer of moisturiser must be used and not to be used in photographs as the white cast is quite dramatic. 

Ysl Shocking Mascara: Probably the best mascara i have ever used. Endless volume and length is achieved with a few swipes of the natural bristle brush. The only con is that it dries up within weeks.

Creightons Bronze Me Mousse: A terrific tan for the price, a lovely golden brown colour. I prefer this to the likes of other tans in the same price range such as St. Moritz.

Urban Decay Primer Potion: This is the best eye primer around, eye shadow literally stays perfect all day and I actually have to work harder to remove my eye makeup when using this. A mini one pictured but i have gone through many of these in full size. A definite repurchase.

Almay Bare it All Legs: Very similar product to Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs providing colour and a stocking like effect on the legs covering any imperfections. Purchased on a trip to Galway this cost only €4.99 but I have yet to find it in Dublin :-(

Nuxe Firming Body Cream : Not quite as good as the Clarins Body Shaping Cream but applies really nicely and has a lovely vanilla scent. 

Revlon Colourbomb: This is one of the stand out products of the year for me. It revives faded colour in minutes without damaging the hair,  particularly good for those with bright hair colour such as red. Another definite repurchase.

Loreal Sulphate Free Range: I like the entire range of these sulphate free shampoo and conditioners and have repurchased these several times throughout the year but I am keen to try Pureology as I have heard many good things about the line. 

Have you let your collection get out of control? 

Any thoughts on the products mentioned?

Darina x