What I Wore: Race Day!

Hello there guys and gals :)

Hope ye're all having a great week, and enjoying the lovely weather as much as I am! Today, I'm going to share with you a little 'OOTD/OOTN' that I wore recently to the Spin SouthWest Student Raceday in Limerick's racecourse! So, if you're interested in seeing what I wore and how I styled it for race day, then read on...

This dress is from Lipsy, and I bought it online on the Lipsy website in March for 70 GBP! This is from the Hedonia collection from Lipsy and this particular dress is called 'Gabby', and is still available on the website here if you're interested in picking this dress up for an event that you have coming up! I styled this with minimal jewelery, just these earrings that I've shown you guys before from Riverisland, as I think the dress spoke for itself and didn't need much more dressing up!

For my makeup, I tried to keep it minimal enough, as we would be spending most of the afternoon outside and wouldn't have the advantage of hiding any dodgy makeup in the darkness of a nightclub! We were also blessed with fab weather on the day, so I was happy enough to keep my makeup low-key... (well, as low key as I can go with my makeup! ha).

 Product List: 
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in 'Radiance'
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in 'Punjab'
MAC Pro-Longwear concealer in NW20
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Stereo Rose'
Mary-Lou Manizer
Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Medium Plus'
HD Brows eyebrow palette in Vamp.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade in 'Dark Brown'.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Clear Brow Gel.
Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara.
NYX Lip liner in 'Mauve' 
Inglot Kohl Pencil in '01'. 
MAC lipstick in 'Myth'. 
Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio 
Eylure 'Volume 107 petite' eyelashes 
Urban Decay 'All Nighter' Setting Spray (ESSENTIAL!)

**On second thought, maybe it wasn't so minimalist.... 

For my hair, I just used my 'Sleep-In Velcro Rollers'... This is a blatant lie, you will not sleep in these, but your hair will look fab! Hope this gives anyone out there thinking about going to the races or a similar event an idea what to wear and how to do your makeup :) As always, thanks for reading darlings! Stay tuned, as I have some really nice blog posts in the pipe-line! 

Love, 
Becca. 
xxx

Product Review: Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara!

Hey there ladies,

Today, I will be reviewing the much-hyped Too Faced 'Better than Sex' mascara, which I picked up in Sephora a few weeks ago... If you're interested in how I got on with one of the most talked about products of late, then read on!

What it promises:

• Cruelty free products!
• Film-forming Polymer for smudge-proof, all day wear
• Tree Extract to nourish, thicken and lock curl in place
• Unique Peptides for the deepest, intense black possible
• 1,944% more volume 
• 100% saw longer lashes (in a clinical study)
• 100% saw dramatic volume (in a clinical study)
• 93% saw base-to-tip curl (in a clinical study)
• To be so good, it's 'Better than Sex!'. 

The verdict: 

Can I just start by saying... This is the holy grail of mascaras. After trying what feels like every mascara on the market, I have finally found the mascara (can I get a hallelujah?!). While, I was hesitant spending 23 euro on a mascara, I can honestly say I am over-the-moon with the decision to buy this product. So, first of all I love the pale pink packaging, as it's really cute and feminine.

Though my eyelashes are naturally black, this is the blackest mascara I've ever used.., The only downside is that the formulation of it is quite wet, and it takes a little longer to set in-between coats than other mascaras I've used, but this product is well worth the extra time and patience in exchange for doll-like lashes!

I definitely noticed such an increase in curl, volume and length when using this mascara than was unlike any other mascara I've ever used. The hourglass shape of the wand (modeled on the iconic 'Blonde Bombshell' figure) is to thank for that! While one coat is enough for everyday wear, I usually opt for three when going on a night out! For the first coat, I run the wand from base to tip to get the length and volume that I want... Then, I apply another coat using a rolling motion from base to tip to really emphasize the curl of my eyelashes... I finish off by applying the mascara again to the underneath and on-top of my eyelashes to really give it that 'false eyelash' effect that every girl lusts after <3

(side note: I look like a mole without mascara which you will be privy to seeing below!) (additional side note: it was a really dull day when I took these photos, that's why I'm grey/ like something out of Twilight).

Product List: 
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in 'Radiance'
Estée Lauder Double-Wear Foundation in '2C3 - Fresco 01'.
MAC Pro-longwear concealer in NW20.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Stereo Rose'.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle'.
MAC Powder Blush in 'Harmony matte'.
HD Brows eyebrow palette in Vamp.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade in 'Dark Brown'.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Clear Brow Gel.
Rimmel 'Exaggerate' lipliner in 'Red Diva'. 
Wet N Wild Lipstick in 'Cora-line'. 
Inglot Kohl Pencil in '01'. 
Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara.  

Warning! The following pictures of close-up's of my eyes are both creepy and necessary in equal measure. In the top picture, I have 'Better than Sex' on both eyes, and in the bottom one, just on the right eye, so you can see the difference it makes! 

As usual, thanks for reading this post! If you are interested in buying this mascara, you can do so here! Leave a comment and let me know of any other Too Faced products that you'd like me to do a review of! <3 And stay tuned for a post on What I Wore to the Races! Aaaand, a post on the 10 best beauty buys for under 10 euro also coming up on Beauty and the Blog!

Love,
Becca.
xxx

Product Review: NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation!

Hey there gals,

Today, I'll be sharing with you my review on the new NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, which I picked up when I was in Copenhagen a few weeks ago (which you can read all about here!). So, if you want to see how I got on, then read on!

What it promises: 

• Full, natural-looking coverage with 16-hour wear.
• Highly pigmented and perfectly balanced, this breakthrough formula builds and blends effortlessly with just one drop—the result of exclusive innovation uniquely designed to deliver long-wearing full coverage, weightlessly. 
• Even Tone Technology is designed to instantly neutralize redness and dullness, while working long-term to reduce the appearance of discoloration for more even, uniform skin.
• Gold and green pigments in a perfect 4-to1 ratio optically manipulate how light reflects off skin's surface, evening the complexion for instant luminosity. Green pigments negate redness on contact, while gold combats dullness.
• This foundation also promises to be oil, paraben, alcohol, fragrance and SPF-free, so it's perfect for those with sensitive skin! 
• Eloquently put...this foundation promises to be the dog's b*llocks! 

Shade range: 

This foundation comes in 20 shades, so you're guaranteed to find one that suits you! From 'Siberia' which is light with a neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones to 'Khartoum' which is dark with espresso undertones. I bought 'medium one - Punjab' which is described as medium with golden and peachy undertones, which is a perfect match for Irish skin in my opinion!

The Verdict: 

Firstly, I love the packaging of NARS products, and this one is no different with the classic black and white packaging, which is just super glamorous and definitely has a high-end feel to it! Next, this is the first NARS foundation that comes with a pump, and THANK GOD for that, as this foundation is quite fluid, and I find myself making a mess with a pump, so without one you'd definitely end up with more foundation on your clothes than on your face, which would be quite an expensive mess! So the addition of a pump in this foundation, definitely warrants a thumbs-up from me!

Secondly, this leaves you with a beautiful semi-matte finish, which leaves your skin feeling like it can breath! But this is a double-edged sword as the addition of the adjective 'luminous' in the title of this product made me think of Laura Mercier's 'radiance' primer or the beautifully dewy face of any Kardashian.. But, I don't think this foundation delivered on that, this is probably in part due to the semi-matte finish of this foundation, which still had me reaching for either MAC's 'Soft and Gentle' highligher or my Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter to really give me the desired level of radiance.. On the other hand, you don't need to reach for any powder!

According to the advertising, a single drop from a single bottle is enough to cover your entire face, however that wasn't entirely my experience. The packaging suggests that you use your fingers to blend this foundation, however I opted for a 'hybrid' approach, using my fingers to apply the foundation to my face and a beauty blender to blend it out. I needed to use 3 pumps of this foundation to cover my face, and then needed to turn to my trusty MAC pro-longwear concealer for under my eyes, as this foundation just doesn't cut it for under the eyes!

This is advertised as a 'full' coverage foundation, but is definitely more of a medium coverage, which can be built up to a full coverage with a natural enough finish, it definitely doesn't offer the same amount of coverage as Esteé Lauder's 'double wear' or Vichy's 'dermablend' and that's why I would argue that it is a full coverage foundation. This was a problem for me, as I love a full-coverage foundation, however for those of you on the hunt for the perfect medium coverage foundation that will leave you looking radiant and natural all day long than this is the foundation for you (if you can stomach the price tag!).

All in all, if you have sensitive skin, and are looking to treat yourself to a new foundation, that will leave you with a medium, semi-matte finish that will last all day then this is the foundation for you! Think your skin, but only much, much better! This foundation is available to buy online here on the Brown Thomas website for 43 euro, however I would DEFINITELY recommend trying this foundation out before buying it as the number of shades makes it difficult to pick one online..

Here's a needless picture of me wearing NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation, and countless other make-up products! (featuring wrinkly shirt!). 

Product List: 
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Punjab (built up to a full-coverage).
MAC Pro-longwear concealer in 'NW20'
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer 'Radiance'.
HD Brows eyebrow palette in Vamp.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade in 'Dark Brown'.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Clear Brow Gel,
Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 52.
Mary-Lou Manizer.
MAC mineralize skinfinish blusher in 'Stereo Rose'.
Seventeen High Drama Intense Liquid Eyeliner in 'Blackest Black'.
Inglot Kohl Pencil in '01'.
Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara.
NYX Lipliner in 'Pale Pink'.
NYX Butter Gloss in 'Tiramisu'.

I just bought these NYX products and I already love them, I'll be testing them out for another week or two before I write a review, but so far... LOVE!

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this post, I'll be posting another review later on this week on the much talked about Too Faced 'Better than Sex' mascara! So, stay tuned!

Love,
Becca.
xxx

Where's the nearest shopaholics anonymous? Penney's/Primark and Dunnes Stores Homeware Mini Haul!

Afternoon ladies!

Lately, I've become obsessed with home-ware. And luckily (or unluckily, depending on what way you look at it...haha), Penney's and Dunnes Stores have super cute and cheap little bits in store lately... So, on a recent trip into town I couldn't help but pick up these few bits to decorate my room :)

Penney's/Primark; 

Firstly in Penney's/Primark I picked up these adorable pineapple shaped cousins... I just thought these were really cute, and a fun cushion to help get me into the 'summer' mood! And these were 4 euro each, bargain! I picked up two as my OCD started tingling... haha.

The other item I picked up in Penney's were these three yellow canvases, which were FIVE EURO for the three of them... Yes, you read that right. Five.Euro.

Dunnes Stores;

Again, I picked up two little bits in Dunnes... First was these deep white photo frames, which were three euro each. Again, I bought two of these. I'm starting to sense a theme in my slight OCD.

Finally, I picked up these two turquoise candles, with a nice design on the glass which were three euro each too!

And, there you have it, my mini homeware haul! Hope you guys enjoyed it, is there any shops that you guys have been loving lately for home-ware? Please comment and help fuel my obsession :-)

As always, thank you so much for reading this post <3 Keep an eye out for reviews of NARS and Too Faced products that I bought recently, and a  post on the 10 best beauty products for under 10 euro! Have a happy Easter! 

Love, 

Becca. 

xxx

I have a shopping problem... Sephora Mini Haul!

Evening ladies!

Today, I'm going to be sharing with you the few bits I picked up in Sephora on my recent trip to Copenhagen (which you can read all about here!). Much to my boyfriends embarrassment, I actually squealed (loudly!) when I saw Sephora on Stroget street, seeing as there's none in Ireland, it was quite a treat to get to walk around Sephora, instead of browsing online! And boy! There was so much beautiful things there, I really had to reign myself in! Especially since I'm going to America in a few weeks, and hope to do a MASSIVE makeup haul then... Anyways, here's a peek at what I did cave in and buy on the day!


Firstly, I stopped at Too Faced, and picked up the holy grail of all mascaras according to my YouTube crush Zoella, 'Better than Sex', which promises to lengthen, give volume and curl your lashes for roughly 22 euro. Again, I'll be reviewing this product here next week, but to be honest - I'm already in love! <3






















Next, I made a stop at the NARS counter, and was seriously in between the much-raved about Sheer Glow and their new All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation... If you follow my blog regularly, you'll know that I'm a sucker for any product with the words 'luminous' or 'radiant' in it, so I went with the latter in the shade 'Medium 1; Punjab' which is described as 'medium with golden, peachy undertones'. I'll currently testing this out, and I'll be posting a review early next week, when I've given it a fair run! This foundation was fairly pricey at 48 euros, so stay tuned to see if it was worth the hype (and the price!).

Then, I took a stop in Clinique to stock up on my dramatically different moisturizing lotion for very dry to dry combination skin! This is my all time favourite moisteriser, and one that I keep going back to again and again, and I think it works wonders for my face! I picked this up for 20 euro :-)

Lastly, I picked up two Sephora face masks, for 5 euro a pop... I love relaxing with a nice face mask every now and again, and travelling on planes always dries out my face, so I thought it'd be nice to relax when I got home with a new face mask! I got one with pearl extract that promises to perfect and brighten your face - what girl wouldn't want that?! And I got another one with lotus extract which says it'll soothe and moisturize while refreshing dry skin and reducing the signs of fatigue and strain - which as final year college student writing her thesis I am experiencing a lot of! I'll be posting a review of these shortly too :-)

So, that's the few little bits I picked up in Sephora, hope ye liked this little post! Stay tuned over the next few days to see how I got on with NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation and the Too Faced 'Better than Sex' mascara... And another cheeky little haul post! As always, thanks for reading guys and gals <3

Love,
Becca
xxx

P.s. Apologies for the horrendous quality of the photos! I had left my Nikon in college. </3