Party season makeup - The beauty deli.

The festive season is well & truely apon us.

It is time too spend time wth friends and family, Which means lots of partys and celebrations.

In this blog post I am going to give you some christmas makeup insperation. I'm going to create three different looks using the shimmer pallet from the beauty deli:

A subtle look/day look.

Christmas day look.

 New years.

I hope you enjoy, & have a very merry christmas.

1) Subtle look.

This look is prefect for day time glam. If like me your christmas day is a little bit more relaxed with the family then this would actually be a lovely stripped down christmas makeup look. It is nice & natural but as they pallet is full of gorgeous shimmer & glittery eyeshadows it would be wrong not to add a bit of sparkle in there & it is the season after all.

2) Christmas day look.

This look is full on christmas glam. What is more glam than a red lip and smoked out winged liner.
With this look I paired some lashes too intesify the glam factor even more.

This would also be a great work christmas party look too.

For this look I used all the matte shades. I used (1) all over the lid to set the primer & intensify the eyeshadows. I then used (2) as the transition, (3) to deepen up the crease. I applied gel liner for the wing and then slightly smoked it out using (4).

To finish the look of I used Mac cherry lip liner & Ruby woo lipstick.

3) New years eve look.

I feel there is no limit to New years eve glam. What better way to bring in the New year then a good smokey eye.

My friend niamh created this smokey eye on me using the shimmer pallet. She used the shades (1) (2)(3)(4).

To finish off this look I used Mac Stripdown lipliner, I think a nude lip is essentail too balance this dark smokey eye.

These are just three looks which I created with the pallet, however there would be lots of other options which you could have fun with creating yourselfs!

I used the two sets of lashes sets of lashes in each look, I have worn the lashes myself a good few times & they are still in prefect condition.

PRICES:

Vegas lashes: €6.00

London lashes: €6.00

The pallet: €18.00

My favourite concealers. (high end & drugstore)

Concealer is a must for me in the last few months, I feel it just brings a gorgeous brightness to the skin without even having to do much. I wouldn't have dark under eyes luckily so I usualy go for more yellow toned concealers just to highlight my skin with. A pink undertone concealer however is amazing to brighten up undereye darkness. 

 Mac pro longwear.

I love this concealer. It is very full coverage so a little goes along way. I use the shade NC20 for everyday or in the summer when im more tan, I used NC15 when I want a really bright under eye highlight.  It comes with a built in pump which I love because its so hygenic that way espeically when using on clients it makes life much easier when decanting. One pump is enough to do your whole face because of its full coverage. My favorite way to use this is too apply it with my ring finger & blend it out using a damp real techniques miracle complexion sponge (beauty blender bascially) as it makes sure your not to heavy handed with this concealer as if you use too much it can tend to be slightly dry/cakey looking. I will always set my concealers with a powder & this method ensures this doesn't crease. 

The reason why I just adore this concealer is the fact that it doubles as a primer for your eye shadows it is the best eyeshadow primer I've used. I wouldn't usually have to much trouble with my shadows faded but this concealer ensures your eye shadows wont crease and is just a great base for shadows. I would highlight recommend this concealer for its eye shadows priming abilities alone. The only bad thing is that it can tend to be a little drying at times & for day time it might be slightly to much coverage for most people. I tend to mix this concealer with the light boost one for day time but for night time its a dream on its own because it doesn't budge!

PRICE:  €21.50

NYX - HD concealer

The formula of this concealer reminds me of the Mac prolong wear but for half the price. The colours are completely different however. The NYX is definitely more of a pink based concealer so its great for dark under eyes. I bought this concealer for practising in college rather than using my prolong wear concealer as I was going through bottles of it. The applicator is nice and easy when using it on yourself. Once set with a powder this concealer wont crease and has great lasting power & looks great in photos. I use the lightest shade which is CW 01 which suits most skin tones.

PRICE:  €7.75

Maybeline: Instant anti age -The eraser. 

This is a prefect everyday concealer. Its very light weight it doesn't even feel like you have anything on your skin. It is very brightening too. I reach for this concealer alot as I love how it feels on the skin leaving your skin looking fresh and in no way cakey. I liked to use my ring finger to blend this out, I use the shade 'Light' it doesn't crease as its so light weight and leaves your under eye just wake and natural. If you do have dark under eye circles I don't feel there would be enough coverage. It is just a really natural looking finish while still brightening up the face. Again this is a yellow based concealer.

The applicator makes the application very easy however I don't feel its the most hygienic applicator as the product does stay logged in the sponge and I'm constantly cleaning the cap. (if you haven't realised already I'm a bit of OCD). 

I would recommend this concealer to anyone looking for an everday sheer coverage concealer. 

PRICE: €11.00

 Mac : Prep & prime- light boost 

I find that this concealer is similar in conistancy and colour to the Maybeline one. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a dupe, But they are very similar both light weight and brightening. 

If anything I do reach for the maybeline one because its cheaper so I dont mind wasting it on everyday use. 

This product would be more highlighting then concealing. This was the first concealer I've ever bought and I still love it. I really does give a gorgeous light to the face. Great for highlighting a contouring. It gives a nice natural finish with a light to medium coverage. This is a yellow toned concealer but it does come in a pink base too. It reminds me of the YSL touche eclat even the applicator is similar expect you twist this one.

PRICE:€31

Your beauty bible for MAC cosmetics lipsticks!

Picking out a MAC lipstick can be a daunting task for many people, there are just so many colours & so many finishes. 

Think of this post as your MAC lipstick bible! In this post I want to clarify the differences between all the different finishes MAC offer & my favourite finishes. So next time when you enter into a MAC store you'll have no bother knowing the exact lipstick you need!

Okay so lets start with the classics.. 

The most iconic & well known MAC lipsticks has to be their signature black with sliver detailing.  

This is the lipstick you will receive free, if you bring back any six empty mac products. Within these classic lipsticks are 9 different finishes. 

(1) Matte:

Definitely the most long wearing of all of the classic MAC lipsticks. These colours last all day & are completely matte with full colour impact. The only downside is because they are so matte they can tend to go a bit choppy/flaky during the day so I always recommend using them on perfectly polished pouts, just make sure to prep the lips by exfoliating & moisturising before hand. 

The are highly pigmented & have a fab range of colours which makes up for the dryness which they can leave on the lips. Also for a matte lipstick they aren't to hard to apply to the lips most matte lipsticks do tend to drag onto the lips just because of how dry they are but these are great.
Examples: So chaud, Diva & Candy yum yum.

(2)Retro matte:

Ruby woo lipstick.

So similar to the regular matte texture, but this formula feels even more matte on the lips I find. It is slightly more drying the just the regular matte lipsticks, & a little but harder to apply. I love love love my ruby woo shade in this texture however. It doesn't budge! Again so important to prep the lips. There is also less shades in the Retro matte finish only around 8-9 I think which are very beautiful, bright & vibrant. With any matte lipsticks your going to get dryness so I cant be mad at MAC.

Examples: Dangerous, Ruby woo & All fired up.

(3)Cremesheen:

These lipsticks are so creamy & feel amazing on the lips. The colour is buildable but more on the sheer side. I love this texture in nude shades themed with a lip liner. Most of the shades in this texture tend to be a nude or a pink making them really wearable for everyday.  They give a beautiful shine to the lips without any stickiness. The only wear for 2-3 so definitely one to keep in your hand bag for tops ups. So beautiful all the same, one of my favourite formulas. 

Examples: Peach blossom, Nude beige & Creme D'nude. 

(4)Amplified/ Amplified creme:

These lipsticks textures are both very similar but I find the amplified creme just slightly creamier than the regular amplified lipsticks. Both are highly pigmented with a slight shine. They are very opaque giving just as much colour as the matte ones with less of that drying finish. The formula of the amplified lipsticks are just brilliant. There are only like 26 shades with this texture.

Examples: Half 'N half, Blankety & Dark Side.

(5)Glaze:
This lipstick is very sheer, it just gives the lips a wash of colour with lots of shine. Great for no makeup days or for a very natural look. I don't own any of this type personally. There are very fewer shades in this formula type than the other formulas.

Examples: Hue, Frou & Pervette.

(6)Lustre:

These lipsticks have a more buildable colour than the glaze ones. Like the glaze you get gorgeous shine from these. Still a gorgeous one for no makeup looks but gives the lips some nice pigment & lots of hydration.

Examples: Syrup, Pretty please & Fresh brew.

(7)Frost:

These lipsticks are very shimmery & quite sheer. Again these lipsticks would be one you are more incline to top up during the day. I own none of this texture to be honest I never seen any of this type which stood out to me, maybe someday though! 

Examples: Angel, Bronze shimmer & meltdown.

(8)Satin:

Peachstock lipstick 

Are very opaque similar colour pay off & long wearing like the matte formula but doesn't dry the lips out. There is a very very subtle shine to this lipstick formula. This formula is definitely the most popular of all the finishes MAC offer. 

Examples: Brave, Twig & Peachstock. 

Viva Glam Lipsticks

Then there is the Viva Glam range, which looks similar to the classics but the colour of the packaging is different as shown below.

With these lipsticks every cent of the €20 euro you spend goes to the MAC aids fund. These lipsticks where launched in 1994 with the first and original Viva glam which was a rich red colour. Since then they have added five more to the range. Many celebs collaborate with MAC & create limited edition Viva glam shades. Celebs such as Nicki Minaj , Lady Gaga & Miley Cyrus. 

Mineralize rich lipstick

Another range of MAC lipsticks are their Mineralize rich ones. 

I actually don't have any of these lipsticks. But I do know that they are nourishing on the lips having tested them out in the past. The colour is buildable depending on what way you like to wear it, with a medium shine. MAC have 20 different shades in these lipsticks.

Examples: Lady at play, Style surge & Everyday diva.

I hope you found this post informative. 

Happy shopping & lots of love, Jessica x

Nima Brush: five piece detail eye set!

Nima brush is hands down my favorite Irish brush brand. On a global level Nima brush & Sigma brushes have to absolute favorites. I can't sing Nima brushes praise enough. I adore the brush brand and everything about it! The price point, the quality, the packaging & style is all spot on in my opinion! What makes it even better is the lovely niamh who is the creator of nima brush. I met her recently at the beauty show in the RDS and she is such a lovely and down to earth girl.

My first purchase from the Nima range was there four piece kabuki contour face brush set which I have a blog post on too. Ever since then its been love. I have got all my friends and family loving the brand too. 

 Nima brush really gets what people need from the brush sets. Rather than just putting one good brush in a set and trowing together the rest, I can tell they take the time and actually think about what their putting into their sets and in turn what people can achieve from them.

 So I just had to venture out and try their eye brushes. So I picked up their five piece detail eye set. 

The pointed liner brush:

 Hands down this is my favorite brush out of the set. I always struggled with my winged liner. I loved the Inglot 77 liner to do my wing but I found it hard to consistantly do my liner prefect when using a angled liner brush. My tutor in Vanity x makeup accademy told me to try out a pointed liner brush as she found it helped her. 

So when I seen Nima brush had one I had to get it, and I was shocked. It is the best thing I have ever done. It makes winged liner so easy everytime! Everything about this brush is prefect! The angle of it brush is bent allowing you to get right into the inner corner and ease. The brush is thin and desnse enough to get a prefect point on the wing but still fluffy and soft enough to help you gilled across you lids. Amazing! I would give 30 euro for this brush alone never mind get four other amazing brushes with it. I wouldn't feel confident doing my winged liner on myself or anyone else without it! 

It is a must have if you want prefect wigned liner!

Small Shader brush:

This brush is so mulitpurpose for me. It is the right amount of fluffy and dense. It is prefect to pack on colour on the lid, Highlight the brow bone or smoke out a lower lash liner.

Angled brush:

Can you ever have too many angled brushes? There are so many used for an angled brush, plus this one is synthetic which means you can use it for creams/gels or powders. I liked to use this brush to fill in my brows. I also love using it with concealer to highlight and conceal any mistake made under my browbone after filling in my brows. It is also a great way of applying shadows to the lower lash liner before smoking them out with a fluffier brush.

Crease blender brush:

This brush is the many reason I felt I needed to buy this brush set. I had never seen a fluffy blender brush which tapered to such a prefect point. I love the shape of this brush! It really does all the blending for you. It doesn't make the shadow choppy it just blends out the product prefectly. The pointed tip makes it prefect for the crease. Its one of my favorite eye blender brushes that I own.

 Larger shader brush:

This brush is brillant. It is simillar to the small shader brush but much bigger covering more space. I like to apply a primer or eyeshadow base on the lid then use this brush with a bone or white colour shadow to set this primer give you shadow a much smoother application. This brush is just a handy one to have in your collection.

Who is this brush set for?

I think this brush set would be ideal for everyone and anyone wether you just want to have the prefect eye brush set for yourself or starting out in makeup like me. It is full of all the essentials you need to create so many different eye looks. I think this set is for anyone from a beginner standard right up to professional. I think this would make an amazing christmas gift espeically with their beautiful duck egg blue hard case which comes with it. I have found the case such a life saver for my kit. It keeps all your brushes safe and clean, prefect for storage and when I'm doing clients makeup. I like to keep one side for my clean brushes and the other for my dirty so I know which ones I have to spot clean for the next client.

Prices:

The brush set is €30.00 

It is €45.00 with the cylinder.

Shop the set here: http://www.nimabrush.com/product/5-piece-eye-detail-set/

FAVORTIES- September 2015.

This is my first every favourites blog post that I have done which is exciting. In each post I will simply just talk about everything I have been loving each month. I hope you enjoy!

Victor & Rolf-Flower Bomb.

This perfume has been my obsession this month. I am in love, its such a gorgeous warm flowery girlie perfume. It lasts all day long, I constantly get asked about it when I have it on. Its so hard to explain a scent to you guys over a blog post, But do yourself a favour & go smell it.

The balm cosmetics- Mary lou manizer.

I have been loving this highlighter for the last three months! I havent used any other highlighter since I picked this up! This is a cult favorite product from The Balm and I can totaly see why. This product is worth every bit of the hype & more. I am in love. 

Usually when a product has so much hype around it, I always feel it doesn't live up to its expections. Howeber this product for me execeded its expections. 

For me personally this goes prefectly on my skin tone and lots of clients I have used it on too. This product gives you the most intense highlight! You literally just need the tiniest amount for that highlight to be on fleeekkk. It is such a beautiful champagne colour. This is a must have for any makeup artist starting up their kit because you could use it on so many different clients and it will last you agess because you only need a tiny bit for an amazing glow. This isn't just prefect for makeup artists though.. any make-up junkie is going to swoon over this product.

..don't give yourself any excuses you need this in your life go buy it, thank me later.

Warning: It does have quite a yellow undertone to it so it is for a more warm skin tone. I feel very fair skins may not really be sold on it for that reason, but if thats the case I would reccomend the Cindy lou version which has a more similar pink undertone to it like MAC soft and gentle.

Lush Cosmetics- Intergalactic Bath bomb.

I think the picture speaks for itself..this is such a beautiful bath bomb. It smells soooo amazing, its so fresh & minty. The colours are just unreal blues, pinks, greens & lots of glitters. Its a bath made for an alien princess! But seriously though go into Lush & pick yourself up this one you will never want to get out of the bath. A prefect one if you have a cold because the mint is decongesting on your nose without smelling overpowering or like medicine. 

Lush cosmetics- Skin Drink moisturiser.

I have finally found my holy grail moisturiser. If you have normal or dry skin like me then you need to at least go into Lush & get a sample of this moisturiser. I can't sing its praises enough. Its all the best ingredients your skin needs in one nice little tub. 

I have been using this product now for six months now. A little goes away with this moisturiser I have been using this day & night so I couldn't believe it lasted me this long I have only gone through two tubs in that space of time.  This is everything your skin needs it is packed full of amazing ingredients which will prevent the skin from ageing not in a chemically tightening way but by giving the skin exactly what it needs to be healthy. You skin feels so hyrdated after using it. Without leaving a thick or oil barrier on the skin it just skins in leaving the skin fresh and plump.

It contains neroli oil which is used for scaring on the body so you can imagine how repair on the skin it is. It has sesame oil which is packed full of vitamin E and Aloe vera. This is the prefect after sun or night time moisturiser for everyone whether they are oily, combination or dry.  I love it as a day time moisturiser as I have normal to dry skin, if you where on the oily side you wouldn't be a fan.  

Pop into lush on henry street to get a free sample of it or any moisturiser that would best suit you.

Gerard cosmetics- Liquid lipstick 'Serenity'  

I have been wearing this lip colour nonnnnn stop this month since I bought it. It is a gorgeous peachy pinky nude. It is so lovely I actually adore the colour it kind of reminds me of MAC cosmetics lip liner 'boldly bare'. There are good & bad aspects to this liquid lipstick.. 

It is not to drying on the lips which is great, but it doesn't last as long as some other liquid lipsticks that I have tried out. It does last long don't get me wrong but compared to others I will fade throughout the day. You also only need like one coat of this which is great because usually with nude liquid lipsticks you need two coats.

Nima Brush- Angled kabuki brush.

I have had this brush for a while now & as much as I adore my Nima brushes, I kind of neglected this one for some reason. Just because I have alot of angled brushes but I was so wrong! This is the best brush ever for powders, It is like ridiculously soft! I have been using this brush everyday this month for my bronzer, contour & blusher! it is amazing it gives just the right amount of product each time. Just when I think I can't love Nima brush anymore. I really recommend their face brushes. This and a good foundation brush & your sorted. Definitely an essential brush for me.