Environ Hydrating Oil Capsules

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Over the last year and a half I have really upped my skincare game. I've always been quite vigilant with my skincare, the 'cleanse, tone, moisture' routine was drummed into me at the age of 13 or 14. Although at times my skin doesn't reflect my efforts (*sigh* acne struggles) I've almost reached my mid twenties and I'm still suffering from breakouts. I honestly thought be the time I reached my twenties that spots would be long gone but alas that's not the case. I did have a good run where I was blemish free for a few years, I might get the odd spot now and then but nothing major, nothing to fret about. Over the last couple of years though I've basically gone back to square one. I've developed a more in depth skincare regime on top of going for regular facials in a bid to get a handle on it. One product that I tried for the first time recently was a facial oil and that's what I'm here to chat to you about today!

At the end of October I was sent out a lovely little package from Environ and their 'Hydrating Oil Capsules' were one of the products inside. I've heard lots of fantastic things about the brand, I'm currently using their eye gel and I'm very impressed with that so I had high hopes for the capsules. 

Environ's Hydrating Oil Capsules include ingredients such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C which are known for there antioxidant properties. The capsules are suitable for all skin types but will be beneficial particularly to those out there with dry or dehydrated skin due to the formulation of the product.

The capsules look like little skittles and you just crack off the top to release the oil. I had looked the capsules up online prior to using them and I was little unsure about them due to the fact that a jar containing 30 capsules is priced at €59.95. I thought this was quite expensive because it looked like there was a small amount of product per capsule but when I actually opened a capsule for myself I realised that wasn't the case, thankfully! I was quite surprised with the amount of product inside. I could do my face, neck and I still had a little oil leftover so I used this on my hands as I tend to suffer from dry, cracked skin there as well.

I had never used a facial oil before so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect in terms of results but I do know though that I figured there would be an oily/greasy residue on my skin but I was wrong. The oil absorbed quite quickly which I was delighted about because then I could carry on with the rest of my skincare routine knowing that I wouldn't be just sliding the oil around my skin when applying the next steps.

I had been using the capsules once a week for the first two weeks as my skin is very sensitive and I wanted to see how it would react to the product. There's no fragrance to the oil so that was a big plus for me and I was thrilled to see that after a couple of uses it seemed to be working well with my skin. Now that it's a bit colder here my skin is more dry than usual so I decided to use the capsules more frequently. I've started using them twice a week now instead and my skin is noticeably softer and any flaky patches that were on my skin have cleared up. 

The key ingredient is Vitamin A which hydrates the skin but apparently it's also a good ingredient on the anti-aging front too, bonus! I can tell you that it's definitely a hydrating product and works effectively and efficiently to treat the skin but due to the price tag I think it's one that I'm going to save for when my skin really needs some TLC. I know now that if I'm suffering from really dry/flaky skin that I just have to put my hand on this product and it'll sort it out.

Environ is available from selected beauty salons and skincare therapists nationwide plus selected Harvey Nichols stores. For more information head over to www.iiaa.eu :)

Chat soon,

Eimear x

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette | Review, Swatches and Tutorials

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

At the beginning of this year I bought my very first Too Faced eyeshadow palette. The original Chocolate Bar had been on my wish list for the longest time and I'm so thrilled that I bit the bullet and picked it up last January, it's now one of my all time favourite palettes! You can imagine how excited I was then to receive another eyeshadow palette in the series of chocolate inspired palettes by the brand. I had very high hopes for the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette due to how much I loved the original so let's see how I got on!

The Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette is the third eyeshadow palette of a series of chocolate inspired palettes by the brand. This palette follows the Chocolate Bar Palette as I have mentioned and the Semi Sweet Chocolate Palette which I am yet to try. This palette is similar to the original in the sense that there's a selection of neutral shades with pops of colour scattered throughout the palette along with the fact that the eyeshadows are infused with cocoa powder, hence the reasoning behind the name.

Unlike the other two palettes in the collection these eyeshadows are housed within a pink tin with a magnetic closure and there's a heart design on the front. Being that the shadows are enclosed within a tin you can be sure that the eyeshadows are well protected. The palette is very durable and ideal for travelling in my opinion. So now let's take a closer look at the shades!

Almond Truffle - Mauve toned eyeshadow with a matte finish

Satin Sheets - Pink toned highlight shade with a golden shimmer

Sprinkles - Light pink with gold shimmer, almost appears rose gold

Molasses Chip - Metallic copper/bronze shadow

Malted - Deep brown with red flecks, appears mostly matte on the skin

Cashew Chew - Light beige toned pink with a satin finish

Cotton Candy - Bubble gum pink with a frosty finish

Cafe au Lait - Golden taupe with a shimmer finish

Bordeaux - Matte red toned brown eyeshadow

Mocha - Warm toned medium brown

Blackcurrant - Deep plum/purple shade with pink and gold flecks. (A little on the chunky side but a nice shadow all the same)

Dark Truffle - Dark chocolate brown with shimmer finish

Pecan Praline - Matte light grey shade

Totally Fetch - Hot pink with shimmer finish

Earl Grey - Deep teal with shimmer. 

Divinity - Matte ivory eyeshadow

Swatches

L - R

(Almond Truffle, Satin Sheets, Sprinkles, Molasses Chip, Malted)

L - R

(Cashew Chew, Cotton Candy, Cafe au Lait, Bordeaux, Mocha, Blackcurrant)

L - R

(Dark Truffle, Pecan Praline, Totally Fetch, Earl Grey, Divinity)

There are sixteen eyeshadows included in this palette two of which are larger than the rest. Satin Sheets and Divinity work great as highlight shades and I love to use Divinity as a base all over my lid to give me a nice blank canvas to start out on. There's a nice range of colours to be found, the palette consists of a mix of cool and warm tones along with a variety of textures too, mattes, shimmers, and metallics all can be found in the palette. The eyeshadows are soft and buttery to the touch and they are very easy to blend. I really feel like Too Faced knock it out of the park when it comes to their eyeshadows, they are some of the best on the market.

I'm very pleased with this palette as a whole although I did note a couple of things about two eyeshadows in particular. Cashew Chew required a little more work than the other eyeshadows, the pigmentation just isn't great unless you apply layer upon layer. Earl Grey looks like a beautiful deep teal shade in the pan but it's a disappointing shadow for me because when applied to the lid it's more of a deep grey. Other than that though I've no issues with this palette, I think it's fantastic. I do prefer the original Chocolate Bar palette in terms of shade range but that's just personal preference :) 

I've linked two tutorials using the palette down below so feel free to check those out if you want to see the palette in action!

Tutorials

In terms of price and where to purchase, the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eyeshadow Palette retails at €47 and is available from Debenhams :)

Chat soon,

Eimear x

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm no stranger to Elemis my Mam was a massive fan and I'm not going to lie, I was partial to robbing a pump or two of her Elemis lotions and potions every now and then (sorry Mam). This however was the first "makeup item" that I had gotten the chance to try out from the brand. Last October I attended a Debenhams beauty event with some other lovely Irish Bloggers/YouTubers and this was one of the products that was in the goodie bag. Up until then I had never used or even heard of a flash balm before. I had a fair idea of what the product was used for but I had a little peek at the directions anyway. 

According to Elemis this is a multi-use product. 

"Directions: Use as a light daily moisturiser. Can also be used as a radiance booster, or makeup primer over your regular moisturiser."

I definitely find that the product illuminates the skin but I don't find it overly moisturising. Personally I wouldn't use it in place of a moisturiser more so in combination with one as also suggested.

I like to wear this as an illuminating primer. Majority of the time I sport a very matte base, I like the option of then adding in the glow where I see fit. Sometimes though I like a change. I apply the balm to my skin, add my foundation and then I apply a very light dusting of powder over the top to set everything in place. It doesn't give a very dewy appearance to skin it lives up to its name and gives a slight radiance which I love.

The balm has a strong scent to it which I adore. I'm terrible at describing scents but the balm contains ingredients such as bitter orange, neroli, bergamot and lemon. The fact that the product is quite heavily scented is something to be weary of if you have sensitive skin. Despite having very sensitive skin myself, I haven't had a problem with this product or any from the Elemis range to date *touches wood*. In terms of consistency the product is thick, quite gel like but this doesn't affect how the product applies. The balm blends into the skin with ease, it's not very heavy and doesn't make the skin look or feel greasy. I find it leaves a slightly tacky feel to the skin which is why I love to use this product as a primer. I find it really grabs hold to the products which follow after, foundation, concealer, etc.

It's not a cheap product by any means but definitely worth every cent. It's available from Debenhams and will set you back €54.60 for a 50ml tube. It broke my heart to see the price tag but it is a product I will part with my cash for, it's fantastic and I'd highly recommend!

If you're interested in checking out the balm you can do so by clicking here.

I hope you enjoyed the review and i'll see you all again soon, I'm really enjoying  getting back into the swing of things!

Ciao for now :)

Eimear x

Sleek Lip VIP Lipstick Review and Swatches

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

You may have noticed that I went on a little long blogging break recently and there are a couple of reasons as to why. Firstly, I've been up to my eyeballs planning and filming videos for my channel. Honestly it's unbelievable how much time my YouTube channel takes up especially now that I'm incorporating new content in the form of travel vlogs. The second reason is that honestly I just lost my mojo. I've been putting lots and lots of different products through their paces over the last little while though so I've plenty of reviews due to go live on the blog and I'm starting with something cheap and cheerful, Sleek Makeup's VIP Lipstick range!

Before we go any further I should probably state that this post will be picture heavy. I really missed that part of blogging in particular I absolutely love photographing products for the blog. Anyway, recently I was invited along to a blogger brunch in the Stone Leaf courtesy of Sleek MakeUP and at the event we got a sneak peek at the company's limited edition Autumn/Winter collection. During the event there was an exclusive demo from one of the brands UK makeup artists and afterwards we got a lovely goodie bag to go home with filled with products from their new range. I'm a huge lipstick lover and as a result they were the first products that I gravitated towards so let's have a closer look.

Private Booth 

Backstage

Show Off

Walk of Fame

Attitude

There are 12 shades in the range 5 of which I own but I can tell you now, I'll be adding more colours to my collection. All of the lipsticks glide onto the lips with ease due to their creamy nature. They leave a semi matte finish so great for those out there that have dry lips like myself but still want to wear a highly pigmented lip colour. I quite liked the sheen the lipsticks gave to my lips it made them look a little more plump which was a nice bonus! They are very comfortable to wear which is down to the nourishing ingredients the products are jam packed with, vitamin E, shea butter and coconut oil to name a few. I didn't have a problem with bleeding or smudging which sometimes can be an issue with lipsticks of a creamy nature but thankfully it wasn't the case this time. The only downside I noted was that if you have flaky lips like myself the lighter colours aren't very forgiving. It's not really an issue for me because the lighter colours wouldn't be ones that I would sport often, if at all so it's more so just something to note!

Packaging wise it's simplistic just how I like it. The lipsticks have a clear bottom meaning you can see the shade of the lip colour inside. If you have a drawer full of lipsticks like myself you'll appreciate this feature because it means you can easily locate a specific shade.

Overall I highly rate the VIP lipstick range. Sleek is available from pharmacies nationwide. Boots is the go-to spot for me and these lipsticks will set you back €7.49 a pop there! Steal or what :)

Chat soon,

Eimear x

Lancôme Hydra Zen Masque Anti Stress Moisturizing Serum-in-Mask | Review with Before & After!

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

It has been three years since I last posted about a skincare product for the face and that is purely down to the fact that I stick to what I know. My skin is very problematic and for that reason I don't like trialling new skincare items. I have highly sensitive skin and understandably I never want to run the risk of a reaction, which unfortunately can be the case a lot of the time when testing out a new product. Recently though despite sticking to my regular trusty skincare routine, my skin has been acting the ham. My acne has made a return, my eczema flares up quite frequently and I'm suffering from very dry flaky skin. All a bit of a nightmare really! So when this Lancôme mask arrived in my post box a couple of months ago I figured sure look, i'll give it a go. Things couldn't really get that much worse could they? 

This product is labelled as a mask but it also doubles as a night cream. I mainly use it as a night cream because I find thats how it works best with my skin. I apply a thin layer at night after I have cleansed my skin and then I follow up with my regular eye cream routine. I find that leaving it on while I sleep really allows the cream to fully nourish and hydrate my skin.

If you would prefer to use this as a face mask you just apply a thicker layer of the product, leave for 5-10 minutes and then wipe away the excess cream with a cloth. The aim of the Hydra Zen Masque is to offer the user immediate and all-night hydration. Lancôme claim that with use:

"Skin feels nourished, softer, supplier. Skin looks healthier, revitalised, more beautiful - like after a good night's sleep."

Consistency wise it's gel like but it isn't extremely thick. It feels very lightweight on the skin and what I like the most is that it doesn't sit on top of the skin. I've been using this cream for a couple of months now and I've barely made a dent in the tub, honestly it looks brand new. You only need the smallest amount of this product to cover your entire face, a little really does go a long way.

Before I started using this product my skin was very dry and irritated, I had some dry flakey patches of skin on my cheeks in particular. To try and combat that I used this product 3-4 times a week for 2 weeks and the results were as follows.

After using this product for a couple of weeks I noticed a massive difference in the appearance of my skin. My dry patches cleared up, my skin looked a lot less red and irritated and overall my skin had a nice glow to it.

I'm so delighted that I tried this product out because I'd be lost without it in my skincare routine now. The Lancôme Hydra Zen Masque is priced at €55 and is available from Debenhams. Honestly, it's worth every cent! If it ever runs out i'll be straight to Debenhams to pick up a pot. If you're interested in trying it out go in and ask for a sample, you won't regret it!

Until next time,

Eimear x 

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks 'Chivalrous', 'Devoted', and 'Committed' | Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

It's not often that I get requests for reviews on the blog but recently I was asked by a lovely lady called Sharon if I could review some more of the Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks from theBalm. A couple of months ago I reviewed one of the shades that I bought, 'Adoring' and if you want to check out that post you can do so by clicking here. Since then theBalm has sent me out three other shades from the collection to try out so that's what I'm bringing to you today!

In the last review I talked about the packaging, the lasting power, the scent of the product, etc all in depth. When I tested out the three other shades that I was sent out I noticed that the formula was pretty consistent throughout the range. For that reason I won't be going into as much detail in this post because I feel it would be a repeat of my other review. I will be outlining the slight differences I've spotted and other additional information that I may have left out in my original post. 

Chivalrous - Bubble Gum Pink

Devoted - Classic Vibrant Red

Committed - Medium Peachy Brown Toned Nude

One thing I forgot to mention in my review of the shade 'Adoring' was that when you take the applicator out of the tube it doesn't look squeaky clean like in the picture below.

Three out of the four liquid lipsticks applicators looked like this and I didn't think it was a big deal. There was a minor amount of product on the applicator after it was removed from the tube.

However, the shade 'Devoted' had a serious amount of product on the applicator. The stick was filled with product and I had to remove some of the lipstick so that I could apply the product evenly to my lips using the doe foot applicator. With this particular shade it was just extremely messy and I found myself wasting a lot of product each time I wanted to wear this colour. I don't know if it is down to the tube being over filled with product or what the issue is but it slightly put me off picking up this shade, which is a pity because it's a gorgeous colour.

Swatches L-R

(Chivalrous, Devoted, and Committed)

Chivalrous

Devoted

Committed

As I mentioned above the formula is quite consistent throughout the various different shades. As a whole I didn't find these liquid lipsticks to be drying, they were quite comfortable to wear on the lips. The only shade that was slightly drying was the pink shade 'Chivalrous'. Wear time wise each of the shades wore well up until the 4-5 hour mark and it was around then that I felt the need to reapply. The shade 'Devoted' bled a little out of the corners of my lips after a couple of hours, a problem which I didn't have with any other shade so that is worth noting.

I'm very happy once again with the quality of these products and I will repurchase once these run out. The only colour I probably wouldn't buy is 'Devoted' just because of the issue with the build up of product on the applicator, and then the wastage, the bleeding etc. Other than that though I'm pleased with the colours that I have tried from the range:)

theBalm can be purchased from Debenhams online or in store and their products can also be found on Cloud10Beauty.com.

Until next time,

Eimear x

Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss 'Merlot Vinyl' | Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Another day another lip product review..my favourite! Recently I was shopping in TK Maxx (how predictable am I?) and I spotted this stunning lip shade from Stila. I was under the impression this was a liquid lipstick up until I tried it despite the box saying otherwise. I think the excitement just got the better of me. I mean seeing a Stila product in TK Maxx in one of your favourite colours and for only €6 (RRP €24), who wouldn't be excited about that? I snapped the product up as quickly as I could and made a beeline for the checkout.

I will admit I was feeling a little deflated when I realised it was a gloss and not in fact a liquid lipstick. I'm not the biggest fan of lip glosses the texture and lasting power just doesn't really appeal to me, despite this I figured I wouldn't knock it just yet. In a way I'm glad I didn't!

I purchased the lip gloss in the shade 'Merlot Vinyl' which is a lovely berry wine colour. Being that it is a gloss I was surprised to see such a bold colour pay off in just a couple of swipes. The doe foot applicator makes applying the product easy enough to do but I find in general it's not the easiest product to apply evenly to the lips. Perhaps it's because it is one of the darker shades, I'm not sure but I found that I had to take great care when applying so that I didn't end up with a streaky finish to my lips.

Once applied the lips feel sticky and this sensation doesn't really wear off throughout the day. There was always a slight tackiness to the lips even after the majority of the gloss had worn away.

To me this is more of a glossy liquid lipstick than just a regular old lip gloss. The product is so highly pigmented and is unlike any other lip glosses that I have tried before. One thing I really enjoyed about this product was the fact that despite it being a long lasting lip product it wasn't drying at all, I feel that's down to the glossy element! Below I've added a few pictures showing you how the product wears throughout the day but for a lip gloss it wears extremely well. Once that glossy shine wears off the lips are left looking as if just a lip stain was applied. Either way I actually liked how it looked at the beginning of the day as well as how it looked by the end of the day!

Just applied - 12pm

After 4 hours wear

After 6 hours wear 

By around the 4 hour mark all the gloss had worn off the lips and I was left with a berry coloured stain. I actually thought the product looked good after the gloss had worn off after eating and drinking. The only thing I would have done to touch up was blended in those edges so that I didn't have a noticeable line of product around the lips. It looks similar to if I used a lip liner and didn't fill the lips in. I wore no lip liner underneath the gloss the lined appearance around the lips is just due to how the product fades! If I had of blended the edges with a lip brush then I would have been good to go, it would have looked like I was just wearing a lip stain. At the 6 hour mark, again I still thought the lip product looked good. That line around my lips had faded significantly but I would have blended the edges of the top lip so that there was a nice even pop of colour.

Strangely enough I prefer how the product looks after 6 hours of wear compared to when it has been freshly applied. Now I wear this gloss as a stain instead. I just apply the gloss to my lips as normal, I blot away the shine and then I'm ready to go!

I don't think its a bad product it's just not really my cup of tea. I like it for the stain it leaves behind after the gloss has worn away not for the glossy shine it gives to the lips when it's first applied. For that reason I won't be purchasing more from the range, however I will look into picking up some of their liquid lipsticks. I've heard fantastic things :)

Until next time,

Eimear x