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

Nía Intensive Luxury Creamy Shower Mousse Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm a big believer in buying and supporting Irish. I'm always on the look out for home-grown makeup and beauty companies in particular, and Nía is a relatively new one to me! Nía was founded by Celia O'Grady, a skin care expert with over 30 years experience in the field. Nía products are hand made in Limerick using Irish ingredients where possible and all products used are 100% natural.

I received their intensive luxury shower cream mousse in my goodie bag at the IBY meet up back in August. I hadn't heard of the brand prior to that day so I was delighted to be introduced to a new Irish skincare company.

I don't recall ever using a shower mousse before so I was excited to see what was in store! I had pretty much fallen in love with the product before I had even used it just based on the scent alone. Honestly, the fragrance is simply divine. This creamy mousse is infused with ingredients such as:

• Aloe Vera
• Coconut Oil
• Honey
• Vitamin C and
• Orange Oil

In the pot the product has a thick balm like consistency but once it comes into contact with water it becomes much more creamy in texture. A little goes a long way with this product, I find that you only need a small scoop because the mousse forms a nice foamy lather when worked into the skin.

My eczema has been quite bad over the last 6 months, the worst it has been in years and I'm finding it hard to come across in shower products that don't further irritate my skin. It's been a bit of a trial and error process over the last little while but I'm delighted to report that this is one of the products that suits! The mousse leaves my skin feeling rather soft and I love how the fresh scent lingers on the skin after the shower. 

A little pricey at €14.95 but as I said a little goes a long way. For me, for something that actually helps soothe my skin it's worth every penny. I'm almost at the bottom of my tub so it won't be long before I order another!

If you are interested in checking out this product or others from the range you can do so by clicking here.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday!

Chat soon,

Eimear x

YSL Volupté Sheer Candy | 13 Griotte Mocha Swatches and Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

At the end of August I finally delved into the wonderful world of YSL. I've been wanting to try out some products from their makeup line for the longest time but I always end up talking myself out of purchasing a product. A lot of the time, I like to spend my money on drugstore makeup which is very affordable. If I end up not liking a product for one reason or another, hey, its no big deal. The product wouldn't have cost me a whole lot of money whereas with higher end makeup, its a riskier business. I'm someone who just doesn't like wasting money so when a product is a little more expensive I'm always a little more reluctant to hand over my hard €€€. I mean...

What if the product is no good? 

What if it doesn't suit my skin type?

What if I just don't like it?

Usually I go through the rounds of asking myself the above questions and more before finally asking myself the deal breaker: 

Do I really need this? 

I could be pondering over whether to buy a product for weeks, even months. If you are a long time follower of my blog you know I adore my budget buys and if I'm going to spend my money on a luxurious product i'll have researched it to the ends of the earth and back. If I do end up taking the plunge, you can assure that I must have high hopes for the product! With all that being said, when I found this product in the bottom of a goodie bag a few months ago I was ecstatic. I was finally able to get a taster for YSL without the worry!

One of the reasons I've always been drawn to YSL products is because of their packaging, it screams luxury. This particular product is contained within a reflective silver tube. Lovely to look at but a nightmare to photograph, I'm sure other bloggers are familiar with my pain. The reflective packaging is really nice but it dirties easily so keep that in mind. Prepare for the tube to be covered from top to bottom in fingerprints! There is a coloured band wrapped around the centre of the tube that signifies the colour of the lipstick inside and the YSL logo is embossed over the top of this band. The metal casing has a weight to it, its heavier than other lip products in my collection which again adds to that feeling of pure luxury.

When I first got this product I was that excited that I didn't even look at the packaging I just opened it as quickly as I could. I'm such a fan of darker colours especially brown tones so I was delighted with the shade. When I swatched it though I was a bit dumbfounded, the colour of the bullet was such a strong shade of brown yet it swatched so sheerly on my hand. Initially I was hugely disappointed, in search for some sort of explanation I checked the box and quickly realised what the problem was. It wasn't a lipstick at all, it is actually a sheer lip balm. Silly me! With that blip out of the way I could get on with enjoying the product for what it is!

As the name suggests this isn't a strongly pigmented product, it applies sheerly however the colour is buildable. The YSL Volupté Sheer Candy gives a subtle slick of colour but it also adds a layer of moisture to the lips. It glides effortlessly across the lips and is such a joy to wear. For any of you ladies and gents out there that are not keen on scented products keep in mind that this packs a fruity punch. I love the scent, the smell of mango isn't over powering and the scent does disappear a couple of minutes after the product is applied to the lips. Even if you don't like scented products I do think this is one you could get past because the scent doesn't linger for long like I said.

The lasting power of this product isn't great but to be honest, when I realised it was a balm and not a lipstick I wasn't expecting it to last all day on the lips. YSL claim this product "leaves lips feeling soft and hydrated for up to eight hours."

I find that by the 2 hour mark the lip colour has completely faded but a glossy sheen remains on the lips for maybe an hour more. It definitely doesn't live up to the eight hour claim by the company, not by a long shot.

I've been wearing this lip balm non stop over the last couple of months, I always pop it in my handbag so its with me when I'm on the go. My lips are cracked and dry all year round but even more so around this time of year. A product like this then is perfect for me, it doesn't emphasise the cracks or flakiness and it feels nicer to wear than just regular old carmex or vaseline.

I like to wear the balm on its own like in the above photo or I like to layer it on top of other products like in this photo below. I've paired it on top of a lipstick called Orion from NYX Cosmetics which is a latte coloured lipstick just to give it some shine.

Possibly one of the most important factors now, price. I love everything about the product from the packaging to the formulation but unfortunately my purse doesn't share this same love. A YSL Volupté Sheer Candy lip colour is going to set you back a cool €31.50. Crazy? I know. Want to know something even more crazy? I'd happily purchase once this tube runs out. Aside from the lasting power which I'm not even really disappointed with, I can't say enough good things about this product. It's just so easy and comfortable to wear, it's hassle free you don't even need a mirror to apply it!

YSL products are available from Debenhams and if you would like to check out the full range, you can do so by clicking here. 

What is your favourite piece of high end makeup? Let me know, I'm curious!

Until next time,

Eimear x

Giorgio Armani Ecstacy Lip Lacquer Shade 502 Boudoir Review

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

Yesterday marked the launch of the Ecstacy Lip Lacquer range from Giorgio Armani. I received this product prior to the release date and have been putting it through its paces over the last week or there about. First off the press imagery that accompanied the product, simply stunning. I've tucked it away in a drawer that contains my makeup books and other clippings that I have collected over the years. If I am ever feeling stuck in a rut or uninspired its the first drawer I reach for. That aside, lets get on to the actual product itself!

For me, the packaging alone gets a solid 10/10. I like how subtle the design is, the brand name isn't largely printed on the packaging instead the Armani logo is situated at the opening of the tube. I love the sleekness of the tube also. Each tube is black but the black fades gradually into the colour of the product that is contained inside. 

There are an impressive eighteen shades in the collection in total. Ten intense lacquered/varnish shades and eight shades that have a metallic finish to them. I own shade '502 Boudoir' which is one of the metallic shades in the line. I'm not a huge fan of lip products that contain tonnes of shimmer or that have the wet look finish to them so I wasn't sure if this was going to be my cup of tea.

I swatched it on my hand before I applied it to my lips and I was blown away by the pigmentation alone. This pink/rose toned shade is so vibrant and gives off such a lovely sheen.

As I'm tilting my hand towards the light now, you can see the glittery particles a little better. I don't think my photos do the product justice, the shine is extreme and there are lots of different tones running throughout the glitter, mainly gold though.

After I had taken my product shots for this blog post I went to remove the lip lacquer off of my hand. I used a makeup wipe and the above photo was the end result, it didn't budge. The lip lacquer is a gloss-stain hybrid, as a result to remove the product you will need an oil based makeup remover. After I had swatched it on my hand I felt this product could be promising so I tested it on my lips next!

This product is buildable due to its formula, most of the times that I wore this lip lacquer I just applied two layers and that was enough for me. If you apply one layer it will give you a light stain, the more layers you apply the more glossy the lips will appear. The doe foot applicator has a slight curve to it making the product a little easier to apply which is always a good thing. Even though its a glossy product its not really sticky, it just has an ever so slight tacky texture but it isn't uncomfortable. In fact quite the opposite really, its very comfortable on the lips and isn't drying in the slightest. Another thing I noted was that it doesn't have a scent, which will be a big plus for some of you out there.

I'm not keen on the metallic finish. I find the particles separate and clump together on the lips. If you click on the above photo and enlarge it you might be able to see where the lacquer has clumped on the top lip. The particles stick together and I just find that this gives the lips a bit of a patchy appearance. I do love the formula though, the lip lacquer is extremely long lasting and it doesn't suck the moisture out of your lips. The lips stay nice and glossy throughout the day lasting a solid 7 hours with eating and drinking. 

As this is a Giorgio Armani product it does come at a price, the Ecstacy Lip Lacquers retail at €31.50 each. Really the only thing I don't like about this product is the fact that its a metallic finish, I'm just not keen on the glitter particles in the lacquer. I'd absolutely love if this came in a matte finish because the formulation of the product is fantastic, even the varnish/lacquer shades sound a bit more promising! But unfortunately, I'm not a fan of their metallic range.

The Ecstacy Lip Lacquer range is exclusively available from Brown Thomas Dublin, Cork or Limerick or from www.brownthomas.com, which you can find a direct link to here.

Chat soon!

Eimear x