Oo yes! Another Primer for me to try.
I love a good primer and this one from Rimmel really works. I'm not a fan of silicone based primers AT ALL. They make my skin feel rubbery and yes, pores a
re softened, but at the cost of my make up in a few hours I don't really see how they can be classed as Primers at all.
Anyway, rant over, this Stay Matte Primer from Rimmel is lovely. It goes on very much like a moisturiser and settles into the skin fast. It leaves your skin shine free and ready for your application of make up.
I've been using this for a week now and I'm really pleased that I picked it up. It's definitely going to be a staple in my daily beauty routine, that is until another handsome looking primer catches my eye.
Recently I've been needing a beauty binge and when I saw that Xtras were having a 25% off 5 products offer the other week I literally could not help myself.
I invested in a number of different items including this beautiful W7 Go West lipstick in Pink Tease.
It's described as having a matte finish and this is true after a bit of layering power. It didn't last incredibly long but because the colour is quite pigmented compared to similarly priced lipsticks, I think I can forgive it.
I'll definitely be buying a few more of these lip colours in the future. A girl can never have too many lipsticks.
I couldn't even bring myself to post one of these last week. Who needs a dose of guilt when they're tucking into their Easter eggs? Nobody!
So this week we're back on track; no more hot cross buns, Easter egg chocolate or pizza... which is pretty much what I lived on for Easter weekend. It was a 4 day weekend, how else was I meant to celebrate?
Here's some inspiration for a post-binge week!
Recently I've been feeling quite tired and I think my skin is starting to show the strain. Dull skin, bags and and oily complexion does not a beauty blogger make. So I had to do something about it.
The L'Oreal CC Creams have been integral within my make up bag since Christmas and it continues with the Anti-Fatigue version. Rather than the purple and green formula I'm used to, this one features a peachy orange shade that combats the pigmentation that appears on tired skin.
However, compared to the other two, I was really disappointed with this one. Rather than blending well with my skin, this one leaves my skin a horrible orange shade. I definitely won't be buying this one again and will be sticking to the Anti Redness and Anti Dullness shades from now on.
I did one of these types of posts when I first started blogging last year and my make up bag has changed a lot since then. So I thought I'd walk you through the products that get me out the door and ready for the day.
Base
Nivea Rich Moisturising Day Cream, Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
I love to keep my skin moisturized especially with putting make up on daily, but it's quite hard to find one that doesn't sit heavy on the skin and leave it oily. I picked this Nivea one up from Boots the other day and I really liked it. I've always liked Nivea and this addition to my daily routine is great as it's light and non-greasy.
I'm obsessed with Primers, I have tried loads but I find the ones with silicone in to make my make up look blotchy within a few hours. This is why I like the Stay Matte Primer from Rimmel so much. It's smooth and doesn't feel like a layer too many before my make up application.
Face
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, L'Oreal CC Cream Anti-Fatigue, Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent Powder, TOPSHOP Kabuki Brush, Benefit Boi-ing Concealer, Miss Sporty So Clear Concealer
Too many products to probably talk about in this part so I'll just highlight a few of my favourites.
I've tried the Anti-Dullness and Anti-Redness CC Creams from L'Oreal so I thought I'd switch it up and try the entire collection by picking up the Anti-Fatigue version from Boots. It gives me the right coverage without feeling too heavy and brightens my every growing bags under my eyes.
I've moved away from full on face powders but I've always stuck my Rimmel when I want to banish the shine. So this Transparent powder is great as it's not too heavy for my skin and also rids my skin of shine.
Colour
Bellapierre Mineral Bronzer, Barry M Blusher, Primark Face Brush, (I have no idea what the other bronzer is, I just know it's fab)
Oo, I love this BellaPierre Mineral Bronzer! It's something I like to get out when I'm going for a night out or cocktails with the girls. It adds a little highlight onto my cheeks with it's subtle golden shine. This Barry M blusher is lovely too, the pigment is really strong so I only have to use a little bit to get the colour I want.
Eyes
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, MUA E1, E2 & E3 Make Up Brushes
I've been using my Basics palette on a daily basis recently. I use the shimmer in the inner corner of my eyes, apply a base and contour for a subtle smokey eye.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara, Helen E Brown Eyeliner, Barry M Liquid Liner
Brows
Maybelline Brow Drama Mascara, Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil
It's all about the brows and recently I've been trying to make my eyebrows as naturally bushy as possible. I use these two combined to firstly add shape with the Rimmel Pencil, followed by the brow mascara to almost make my eyebrows a little bit more 3D.
So that's it, everything I use to get myself ready. If you have any make up bag posts, leave them below. I'm looking for some good make up to add to this collection.
If you've read my blogs before you'll see a little guy called Tigger pop up every now and then when I'm up at Elliot's. He's a handsome but very greedy bichon frise that I have grown to love over the last year. But we all think that he gets a little but lonely...
Introducing Molly...the cutest little 6 month old puppy who's full of energy and loves a good snuggle.
So that's how I spent my Easter, playing with these two white fluff balls. Isn't she beautiful?
I can say that we all love Molly to bits already, what a fun Easter!
Our second day in Dublin saw us taking a short walk from the hotel to Dublin Zoo. Somewhere I have wanted to go for years now and I think Elliot was just as excited as me.
We entered the zoo and were greet by these lively little guys.
The zoo had so many different species from all over the world, it took us a good 3 hours to get around it all. We could get so close to the animals too, one of the penguins was literally an arms length away! We both really enjoyed walking around and taking photos, with the odd comparison to the monkeys being thrown around!
After the zoo we were feeling really peckish. So we headed in to the city centre and got sat down in the Trinity Bar for some food. Then it was time for some serious business...
Queen of Tarts was one of the places I was really excited to visit. Having been recommended it from my Auntie and Trip Advisor, there was no way I was leaving Dublin without visiting this sweet treat.
Queen of Tarts is a tiny, quaint cake shop that's painted the brightest red from the outside. It's so cute inside with a lovely kitsch feel to it. We sat down and made the hard decision to order, it was really hard to choose just one of these cakes.
Elliot went for the Chocolate Fudge Cake, which by the way, was the best chocolate cake ever! It was served warm with cream and literally melted in your mouth.
I went for the blackberry and apple crumble. Never have I ever had such a good crumble! The blackberry was tangy, the apples were soft and spiced with cinnamon and the crumble was so crunchy and tasty. All served with thick whipped cream, this will be hard to beat.
For our last night in Dublin, we headed in to Temple Bar and went for an Indian at Monty's of Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I was too busy enjoying the food and forgot to get my camera out. I can assure you it was lovely though.
When we got home, we had another taste of heaven to enjoy. When we had visited Queen of Tarts earlier, we got 2 cakes to go for our hotel. I know, so naughty! But when in Rome Dublin...
Victoria Sponge cake
Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
We had such a lovely time in this Irish city and it's safe to say our first experience of Ireland was an amazing one. I hope Elliot had a lovely time because I certainly did.
