Sleek Week!!

Hello girlies,

This week I am going to make it SLEEK WEEK!! Sleek Cosmetics has just come to Boots here in Ireland (well the one near me anyway) so in order to celebrate I  thought why not make each blog post I create this week about a make-up look I created using SLEEK make-up. A few months ago I discovered that a pharmacy near my family actually carried the Sleek Cosmetic line, so since then i have purchased a few of their products. However since they are becoming more widely available I thought I would dedicate this week to them. So for this post Im just going to show you the items I have in my collection & I will upload my first make-up look for you guys tommorrow.  

I currently own 2 eye shadow palates – Au Naturel 601 & Storm 578. 

Au Naturel Palate

Storm Palate

I’m hoping to pick up the new ultra mattes V 1 Bright Palate so hopefully I will be able to pick it up and do a look before the week is out. 

I also own 2 blushes – Rose Gold & Swede. 

I have 2 of the true colour lipsticks – Liqueur & Stiletto. 

Finally I also have the   contour kit in light. 

I thought I could incorporate all these products and come with a few different looks for different occasions. 

Have you tried Sleek Cosmetics??

What did you think??

Thank you for reading

xox     

Review – Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil

Hey hey,

So today I thought I would review for you guys the Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil.  I have to say I am very impressed with garnier skin care lately and honestly this product was no exception.

I bought this a couple of months ago, kind of on a whim. I really liked the look and the idea of it.

On the front of the packaging it claims to illuminate, nourish and perfect. It contains Argan, Macadamia, Almond and Rose. It reads weightless and non-transfer. It contains 150ml of product and will cost you between 6 & 10 Euro.

I applied this instead of my body moisturiser after the shower. Alternatively when I was tanning I applied my Vaseline spray & go and applied this when that had completely set in to my skin.

Positives

I do find this product really moisturising. I find when I wake up the next day my skin is really soft. I do actually think my skin does look better aswell. I also like the smell of this product too.

Negatives

I completely disagree with the claim that it is non-transfer and non-greasy. Your skin does tend to feel quite slick (for want of a better word) after it which is why I tend to apply this product at night. Then by the morning it has all sunk into my skin. I have mentioned in a previous blog post that my biggest issue with body product is the feeling of stickiness on your skin but as this was an oily feeling I was actually ok with it. If you are planning on purchasing this product just be aware of it.    

In conclusion I actually would recommend this product and think I would re-purchase it as I feel like the benefits outweigh the negatives. I would also recommend applying this product at night only after a shower or bath just because of the greasiness and how long it takes to sink into the skin.  

Have you tried this product??

What did you think??

Thank you for reading

xox

Review – St Moritz Tanning Range

Hello Everyone,

So in keeping with the self-tanners, I have another review of a self-tanning range.  In a haul a little while back I bought the St Moritz Tanning mousse in the colour medium. I wanted to try a tanning product that developed over a few hours and could be showered off before going out on the town or to bed so there’s none of that sleeping in stickiness. A couple of days later I spotted the rest of the range so I purchased the spray Tan and the lotion. I purchased all of these products for €4 each.  I decided I could try them all out and give you a proper review on the range and maybe recommend which formula I think is the best.

Originally I was going to go through each item individually under the list of headings but after using all three of the products I realised that they are so similar and have a similar result under each heading.

St Moritz Tannning Mousse, Lotion & Spray

Original Colour – They are all coloured for application. This is something I like in a self-tanning product. I like to be able to see where I am applying the product to my body. It looks green/brown on application. It can look a bit muddy but what I have found about the product is that I does not really matter what it looks like when it is applied. Don’t worry too much about streaks just make sure that all your skin is covered. It will all even itself out in the shower.

Ease of application – they truly are some of the easiest self-tanners I have ever applied, mainly because as ive already said you don’t have to pay too much attention to steaks.

Time to dry – I would leave it at least 10 mins but preferably closer to 20mins just to make sure it is completely dry before putting clothing back on.  

Smell – This was actually what I was most worried about but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have a problem with it or find it in anyway over-powering. In all honesty I didn’t really notice it at all. I think the lotion and the spray smelled the strongest but like I said it wasn’t over-powering.

Time to develop – 4-6hours is instructed on the bottle. The first time I left the mousse on 4 hours before I washed it off and went to bed. I found that it continued to develop slightly over night. But It wasn’t anything really dramatic. The second time I left it for 6 hours and the tan was stronger. I much preferred it that way as it still looked natural…. Like a healthy glow. I then left the spray and the lotion on for 6 hours as well in order to get a good comparison.

Colour Payoff – I was very impressed with all of them. It looked very natural, not orange at all. It is a tan you could wear every day. I don’t think it would be dark enough for me for a night out but for an everyday natural tan it was perfect! I think the spray was marginally the lightest but overall they gave similar colour.

Which one would I re-purchase first

Honestly I think they all work similarly and giving similar colour payoff so which ever one you would choose you cant really go wrong. I think if I was re-purchase one again I personally would go for the mousse im not sure why but it is the one I would be drawn to first. I think it is just because I prefer mousse texure.

My recommendation

If you what a natural looking tan on a budget I highly recommend you give the St Moritz tanning range a go.

I was very impressed with this range. St Mortiz has completely opened up my opened up my mind. I will no longer be judging a self-tanner by its price tag. Just because its cheap does not mean it cant be an excellent self-tanner.

Have you tried this range??

What did you think??

Thank you for reading

xox

Boots Haul!!

Hey girlies,

So today I headed in to boots (Irish Drugstore) with the sole intention of only picking up the Maybelline forever strong super stay 7 days gel nail colour (such a long name) in Pink in the Park. I spotted it on the nails of a few bloggers and thought it looked like the perfect pink shade. 

However, of course Boots were having an offer of 3 for 2 on all Maybelline so I just had to avail of the offer (It would be rude not to… haha) . Then I noticed they had just put up a Sleek Cosmetics stand and then with a bit more browsing I ended up purchasing from the brand Seventeen also. 

I didn’t actually purchase the essence lipstick in Boots that was in a new pharmacy that opened up in my home town. Could not resist… I did try to purchase this lipstick before but they were all opened and used on the stand so I was excited when I found it today.  

If you want to know more just keep reading - 

Maybelline forever strong super stay 7 days gel nail colour

So this is the item I planned on purchasing today and im so glad I did! It is the perfect baby pink colour!! Very opac and perfect with 2 coats.  I am actually seriously considering buying a back up just incase because I am after falling in love with it already!! Check out my instagram for pics of the nails! This polish would have cost me €6.79 but as I used 3 for 2 it was free. However I would gladly pay double the retail price for this colour!

Maybelline 24 hr Colour tatoos in the shades – 65 – Pink Gold & 35 – On and on Bronze 

I know im late to the party with these, everyone and their mother has these. I honestly don’t know why its taken me so long to get them. I swatched them and they were beautiful.  I really cant wait to play with them and see if the hype that surrounds them is really worth it. I picked up these for €7.49 each.

Sleek Cosmetics Blush – 926 Rose Gold

When I saw this blush I just could not pass it up! I am loving rose gold at the moment and this was just so beautiful. When I swatched it there was actually a lot of gold in their so it might be good as a highlight as well so I will just have to see and report back to you guys. This product was €5.49

Seventeen – Instant Glow Cream Bronzer  

Lately I have been on the hunt for a cream bronzer just because I have never tried one and wanted to experiment. I might be able to get a more natural glow as I have been on a serious fake tanning kick at the moment. I don’t know what it is, I see the sun (even in pictures) and I want to be tanned!! I have no doubt I am not alone. Anyway I thought this product might help me in my quest to be glowing and tanned. I will keep you updated! I paid €6.29

Essence – Longlasting Lipstick – 10 Cotton Candy

And last but certainly not least this beautiful tube of pinkness!! Love it! Very vibrant and the perfect shade for July!! It is very pigmented and these lipsticks are longlasting, I don’t find them too drying and for €2.89 what more could you ask for!

So there you have it!! All the items I bought when I was only supposed to be getting ONE nail varnish!! Haha oh well I cant say im too upset. The offer with Maybelline is still on in Boots if you want run in and grab these or any other products for yourself. I'm not sure for how long the offer is running but they are always having offers every time I visit, on different brands.

Thank you for reading

xox

Getting Duped! Naked 2 & Naked 3

Hey there beauties,

Today I have a very exciting post. So for a while now ive been hearing W7 cosmetics but could now seem to find them anywhere! Then I randomly walked into a pharmacy…not looking for anything in particular and I spot these babys on the shelf!! I just had to purchase them on the spot. These were the only cosmetics from the brand in the store. So Excited!!

As soon as I could I open them and compared them to the urban decay palette’s and they were so similar

Naked 2 & W7 In The Buff

Swatches

I decided to really put them to test and do a look using both palettes in order to get a true comparison

On my right eye - Suspect, Verve, Foxy and YDK

On my left eye -  Earth, Silk, Buff  and Wave

Naked 3 & In The Nude

Swatches

On my right eye -  Nooner, Darkside, Black Heart, Dust, Strange

On my left eye –  Alice, Tokyo, Fashionista, Angel, Latte

Colours

Pretty much all the colours are exact dupes. The only one I think is not a dupe is Liar in the Naked 3 & Bad Manners from the in the buff Palette.

Pigmentation

I think the pigmentation is very good. The Urban Decay palettes are more pigmented but I guess that’s what you are paying 40 euro more for. However the shades are buildable to reach the desired intensity. There was also minimal fall-out which I was very impressed with.

Packaging

Like the Naked 2 & 3 these palettes are in tin packaging. I love palettes to be packaged like this. However you do feel a real difference in the weigh and texture when holding these at the same time. Just by holding them you would know which one is cheaper.

Price difference

Naked palettes – Between 40 and 50 euro

W7 Palettes – Between 5 – 10 euro

I think these definitely are dupes for one another. You will be able to achieve all your desired Naked looks using these palettes.  if you are on a budget or starting out with make-up and do not want to spend that much money on make-up yet I definitely recommend you give these a go. However I personally love Urban Decay shadows and think if you can fit them into your budget go for the real thing. Honestly you need a Naked Palette in your life!! Maybe get the Naked Original and then the dupes for 2 & 3.   Or another idea is have them as back ups. So on a day to day basis you cud wear W7 and save your Urban Decay for special occasions or nights out saving you from hitting pan for a lot longer.

Have you tried these Palettes yet??

What did you think??

Thank you for reading

xox

Review- Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Range

Hey Hey,

Today I’m going to give my personal thoughts and share my experience of using the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Range Spray & Lotion.

The spray version is the original version. I remember when I first discovered this a few years ago and I remember feeling like yes! My prayers have been answered!! I was instantly in love. However over the years I have made new discoveries and opinion of the product has grown.

The tan is geared towards your legs but personally I use this all over my body, wherever it is needed.

Colour

This range is an instant tan range. So on application it will be the colour it is going to stay. It does not develop over time. There are four colours in the range which are light glow, medium glow, tan glow and deep glow.

Ease of Application

I find both the spray and the lotion extremely easy to blend. It is quite thick in consistency (the lotion is slightly thicker than the spray) but super blendable. Also a really cool thing about this tan is that I have found is that, like make-up, it can be sheered down or built up. So you can decide how heavy/dark you want the tan to be. I use a tanning mitt to apply the tan. It will wash off your hands if you choose to apply with your hands only but I just can not be bothered with all that faffing about.

Time to dry

It can take a while to dry or it will transfer. This is the biggest issue I have with the range. Once dried it will take a bit of scrubbing to get off but it can take up to a half an hour to dry (well for me anyway) and I have been using these products for years. I have ruined outfits and had to choose new ones because I didn’t leave it try properly and the colour transferred onto the clothing.

Colour Payoff

I do love the colour. I use medium glow and like I said you can build it up and sheer it down so for day-time and work I use it with a light hand and for nights out I build it up for a dark tan.

Lasting Power

I know they have brought out a water proof version recently enough but it is fairly water resistant as it is. I find that you have to scrub in the shower in order to get all of the product off my skin.

*Tip* if you have a drink spilled on you while you are wearing the tan DO NOT RUB OR WIPE. Let it dry naturally or pat softly with a cloth and your tan will not be disturbed.

Spray OR Lotion???

Personally I would choose the lotion and heres why –

·         Application is less messy than with the spray (I have destroyed many a bathroom with the spray)

·         If you don’t use the tan for a while the spray version can tend to go green… you do not want to realise this just before application, before you are heading out… nightmare!

·         The lotion is more expensive but you get more product.

·         I find the lotion slightly more blendable and easier to work with to get your desired shade light-dark.

Rating out of 10

8/10 this is only because it does take a bit of time to dry otherwise it will transfer, other than that I love this product!

Conclusion

I think this is an excellent range and I really do think that Sally Hansen were ahead of their time when it comes to modern day tanning. They have created a range that gives us as consumers what we want. A tan that we don’t need to develop, that has really good coverage for veins and scars, that isn’t orange, water resistant but yet washed off in the shower. what more could you ask for? It really is make-up for your body. Honestly I don’t think there is ever a long period of time where I actually don’t have a bottle on hand. So if any of you are looking to try out a new tan you haven’t already tried this I’m recommending you give this a shot.

If you give it a go let me know what you think

Thank you for reading

xox

My Self – Tanning Routine (Pre – Post Tanning Body Care)

Hello Everyone,

So as is it the season for tanning I thought I would share with you how I prepare my body for self-tanning and how I take care of the tan once it has been applied.

Days leading up to the tanning application

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate –

It is very important to have smooth skin when applying self - tanner. This means removing all dead skin. I usually exfoliate at least once a week anyway but I make sure to use a tougher one like a sea salt scrub when I know I’m self-tanning. The one I have been currently using is the Avon, Planet Spa South Pacific Sea Salt Body Polisher. It’s very gritty and perfect for leaving you with smooth soft skin. The only thing i find with this product is that it will leave an oily residue so it should not be used right before tan application as it will create a barrier.

Deep Condition/Moisturise the skin –

Tanning can be quite dehydrating for your skin so when preparing for self-tan application I always apply either a rich body butter or moisturiser. I have been using either Macadamia Oil Extract Body Butter or a combo of Vaseline Spray & Go – Cocoa Radiant and Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil (I Have a review coming up of this). First I apply the Vaseline Body Moisturiser and when that is completely dry I apply the Garnier Beauty Oil. 

Remember these steps are most important the night before tanning application. Also any shaving or waxing should be done the night before as well.  

Day of Tan Application

I usually apply the tan during the day, leaving it to develop over the course of the day and showering off before going out that night or going to bed.

In the morning I will shower and exfoliate only using shower gel and a body brush or exfoliating gloves. This means there will be no oil residue from exfoliating products to cause a barrier for the tan. 

I don’t always apply a moisturiser afterwards but if I do it will be an oil free one. This depends on time constraints. The one I have been using has been the Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip (I will also be post a review of this product soon too) I then apply a regular moisturiser to the tough areas of my body – elbow, ankles, knees, knuckles.  

I make sure all this has set in before I apply my Tan.

After I Tan I make sure not to shower or moisturise or do anything which will cause me to sweat until the tan has fully developed. After the tan has developed I will rinse off the excess in the shower and not apply anymore lotions or potions.

The next day

Shower lightly. This means no loofahs, body brushes, exfoliating gloves, nothing rough or abrasive. Lightly exfoliate with a soft exfoliator on areas where the tan has gathered if needed – knees, elbows, ankles, knuckles. The one I have been using is the Avon Be Bronze Self Tan Corrector Scrub.

Apply Oil Free Moisturiser to keep the tan from drying out your skin.

*Repeat this process over the course of the tan for even fading and smooth appearance.

Do you have any tips or hints for me? Im always striving for the perfect self-tan.

Let me know if you have tried any of the products I have mentioned and let me Know what you thought of them.

Thank you for reading

xox