Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Todays review is the first of its kind on the blog, I have never reviewed a concealer before and that is mainly due to the fact that I don't wear concealer. Well, I didn't up until recently!

While the old domain name may be gone, I am still a bargain hunter at heart so naturally I picked up one from a budget brand. I am probably the very last person on the planet to jump on the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer bandwagon, this product has been hyped up for as long as I can remember. I can't scroll through feeds on my social networking sites without seeing someone rave about this product, as you can imagine my expectations were quite high.

Sometime around the start of last year I bit the bullet and ventured out to Boots to finally purchase the concealer to see what all the fuss was about.

The Lasting Perfection Concealer is stocked in four shades:

Fair, Cool Medium, Warm Medium and Dark.

There isn't a huge variety in terms of shades however I was pleasantly surprised with how pale the lightest shade '1 Fair' was. It matches my skin tone almost perfectly. When I realised the product only came in 4 shades I had assumed that the lightest shade would be too dark as that is usually always the case for myself, but not this time thankfully!

With regard to the packaging its plain and simple, just the way I like it! 

The concealer comes in a clear tube with a black lid and text printed on the body. As you can see from the pictures above the top tube with the writing on it is a newly purchased concealer while the one beneath is one I picked up a couple of months ago. As the writing is imprinted on the tube and not engraved the text does wear off after a some time. I don't mind this at all because once my makeup is on, its on for the day. I don't carry around a makeup bag to do touch ups so nobody is going to see my worn tube of concealer anyway!

After twisting off the lid you will be greeted by a doe foot applicator. I dislike sponge applicators when it comes to concealer as they easily collect bacteria and also soak up some of the product. I would suggest dotting the product onto a palette or the back of your hand and then applying it to the face as this will limit bacteria build up. 

Initially when I tried this product I detested it, absolutely detested it. When applied to the under eye area I found it aged me by about 80 years, lines I never knew existed suddenly appeared. I was so let down because there was so much hype surrounding the product. When I would see a YouTuber applying mountains of the product to their under eye area I would wince. I personally find the consistency of the concealer far too thick to be worn underneath the eye. After much disappointed the product was tossed aside up until recently. As you may know I do makeup tutorials over on YouTube and I'm also an avid viewer too. Time and time again I kept seeing YouTubers raving about this product and I simply couldn't understand it. In a bid to, I decided to root it out and give it another go. I was determined to make this work and after much use I finally found a way for me!

I loved the coverage of the product, the shade, and the price. Unfortunately it was only the application side of things I was unhappy with. I found the product caked and creased underneath the eye and also around blemishes. Naturally using the concealer for these purposes was a big no no! I decided then to use the concealer to highlight certain areas of my face and it worked like a dream. I use the concealer on the top of my cheek bone and underneath the hollows of my cheeks. From the photo above you can see that the unblended concealer is almost a perfect match to the foundation I am wearing. I apply the concealer, blend it and then I set the area with powder. Once I have set the skin I can then apply my contour powder. When thats in place I sweep a little more powder underneath the hollow of my cheek to make that contour shade really stand out. Using the product in this way allows me to effectively sculpt my cheek bones and I'm quite satisfied with the end result.

The concealer is extremely long lasting, I find it looks the same in the evening as it did when I applied it at the crack of dawn that morning. This product will set you back a mere €5.49 in Boots so it is extremely affordable.

Although I don't use the product for the purpose intended of concealing imperfections/blemishes, I still thoroughly enjoy the concealer and will continue to repurchase.

What do you think of the Lasting Perfection Concealer? Is it your holy grail concealer? Let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Chat soon!

Eimear x

4 Easy Eye Makeup Looks Using Colour

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I pretty much have 4 tutorials in one video for you today.

I think almost everyone that knows me will know at this stage that I am a massive fan of colour. Colour when it comes to makeup only that is, clothing wise my wardrobe pretty much consists of black and white. Its handy when it comes to washing clothes though…its fool proof! Black wash…white wash. Sorted! 

I love the more colourful/theatrical makeup looks and yes I will wear them on a daily basis. A lot of people will enjoy their neutrals, nope no sir not me…I need something vibrant! Recently though I haven't been rocking the 'I just got vomitted on by a pack of Crayola look' which pains me ha. I now record my tutorials at night time so I tend to not wear makeup during the day, if I do its eyebrows and some foundation. It pains me, but it pains me even more to have to put on..take off…put on and take off my makeup whenever I wanted to film a tutorial ha but thats just me!

Anyway, enough of the auld ramble. Here is a look at the 4 makeup looks that I have created. As I have said in the tutorial you don't need to wear a neon shade of colour to wear colour, select a shade and tone that you are comfortable wearing :)

Look No: 1

Products Used

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner '863 Turquoise'

Wet n Wild Mega Volume Mascara

Hard Candy Lash Call Lengthening Mascara '235 Limelight'

Look No: 2

Products Used

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner '861 Black'

Gosh Extreme Art Eyeliner '11'

Wet n Wild Mega Volume Mascara

Look No: 3

Products Used

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette (review here)

Sleek MakeUP Acid Palette (review here)

Wet n Wild Mega Volume Mascara

Look No: 4

Products Used

Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette

Gosh Velvet Touch Eyeliner 'Blue Lagoon' (review here)

If you would like to see how I created each of these makeup looks then just click on the play button below :)

Thanks for tuning in!

Eimear x

Beauty on a Budget: e.l.f. cosmetics

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I have another beauty on a budget video for you all. I think it has been around a year since my last one! If you have any brand requests please let me know, to date I have done: Catrice, Avon, NYC, Essence and now e.l.f.

I also have a Wet n Wild cosmetics one planned too :)

It cost me a mere €27.93 to complete this entire makeup look. Yes, really!

From foundation to lashes to eyeshadow!

Products Used:

Eyes

e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit 'Medium'

e.l.f. Eyelid Primer 'Sheer'

e.l.f Large Get The Look Set 'Smoky'

e.l.f. Precision Liquid Eyeliner

Face

e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation 'Porcelain'

e.l.f Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter 'Glow/Light'

e.l.f. High Definition Powder 'Translucent'

e.l.f Bronzers 'Cool'

Lips

e.l.f Long Wear Lipliner 'Mauve Luxe'

e.l.f Mineral Lipstick 'Natural Nymph'

If you would like to see how I created this look then just click on the play button below! If you are interested in checking out some of the products from e.l.f head over to the site linked here.

Thanks a million for tuning in!

Talk soon :)

Eimear x

MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well and enjoying the fine weather :)

Highlighters are the one makeup product I hoard…well, thats a bit of a lie actually I hoard a lot of products but in particular highlighters. I'm very fussy and unfortunately I am yet to find one that blows me away.

The problem is I usually find that some highlighters are too pink toned, some are too golden toned, some are too shimmery, some are non existent on the skin and the list goes on. I'm not fussy at all am I? haha! So lets see how todays bargain buy shapes up :)

A few months ago while on my stay down in Wexford, I was out and about in the town and came across a Superdrug. I didn't actually know there was a Superdrug in Wexford so you can imagine my delight. The closest one to myself is up in Tallaght so its a little bit of a journey and for that reason I've only been once. The excitement quickly faded once I realized this particular Superdrug didn't stock Sleek MakeUP but I still had an MUA stand, not too disastrous overall. Both times that I have been in Superdrug the MUA stand has been quite poorly stocked but I managed to pick up a few cheeky purchases all the same. One of which is this gorgeous little highlighter here!

The MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter is a gorgeous champagne highlighter that gives a pinky pearlescent shimmer to the skin. The product is housed within a white plastic container with a clear lid, very simple nothing flashy. With the addition of the clear lid and the beautiful embossed design of the highlighter this will be one product you'll be proud to whip out of your handbag for touch ups. I adore it however I am quite the sucker for packaging. I wasn't expecting much durability wise (klutz alert) but I have dropped this product several times and its still in one piece…pheeew!

With regard to the product itself I'm very impressed with the finish it gives on the skin especially for the price! In the picture above I swiped my finger over the product once and transferred it onto the back of my hand. It gives a beautiful subtle glow to the skin, perfect for every day use! However this product can be layered, when it is built up the pink particles are much more apparent which I think some people would prefer to wear as part of a night out makeup look.

The product lasts extremely well on the skin, between 7 and 8 hours for myself. This bargain buy set me back €2.20 as it was on offer at the time. It currently retails at just £3.00 over on the MUA site which you can find here.

Have I found my holy grail highlighter? No, unfortunately I am still on the search but I can't fault this product its definitely one of best in my collection. If you are looking for a budget friendly highlighter I'd highly recommend giving this guy a go, you won't be disappointed!

Bargain Hunter Byrne strikes again :D

What are your favourite highlighters? Let me know!

Eimear x

Catrice Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti Shine Base

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm not sure how or why it happens, but I always find that my expensive skincare and makeup items….run out at the same time. I mean it happens every time. Recently I came to the end of my Mally Beauty Mascara, along with my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, Smashbox face primer AND my Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. As a broke little student I simply cannot afford to replace them all at once, I have to buy….books, you know? Actually if I did replace them all in the one day I'd dread to think what the cost would be. An amount I would probably lose sleep over anyway *sigh*

Instead of repurchasing my €31.50 Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, I decided to raid the chemist to see what was on offer in there. Bargain buys are my favourite buys! I ended up stumbling across this Catrice Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti Shine Base Face Primer….an utter mouthful to say the least but I thought that'll do pig that'll do. It set me back a mere €4.49 so I knew I wouldn't be too disappointed if I wasn't happy with it. In the case a product doesn't work for me I always just give it to someone I know who would enjoy it, like my aunty or my friend Laura. That way its not a waste of money :)

I was a little surprised when I first squeezed some product out of the tube, to me it looked more like a moisturizer than a face primer. I squeezed out a pea sized amount and began to dot it around my face. Next I noticed the texture, it didn't have that nice silky silicone feel like my beloved Smashbox primer had. I found I had to use quite a bit of product to cover my face and I also had to work quite quickly before the primer set in place. First impressions…meh. I'm not overly fussed. I wasn't happy with the texture of a product, but did it shape up as an effective face primer?

As the title of the product suggest, it aims to minimise pores and provide an anti shine base. Ick the topic of pores, the only place that my pores are quite visible would be on my nose. It hadn't really been a problem until I started using pore strips, I think they were the worst thing to ever happen to my skin. As you can imagine I was hoping this primer would solve my problem. My pores weren't noticeably less visible, if at all. That was the first disappointment. With regard to anti shine, yes I would say my skin had a slightly more mattified appearance with the use of the primer..nothing major though. 

The biggest disappointment for me though was that it resulted in my skin breaking out. Unfortunately the formula just didn't suit my sensitive skin.

Overall I didn't really notice any beneficial difference to my skin when using this primer opposed to using none at all. Unfortunately Catrice but this is a thumbs down from me!

Have you tried out this face primer, or any others from the 'Prime and Fine' range? How did you get on? :)

Eimear x

Avon Eyeshadow Primer 'Light Beige'

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Avon is a company I have adored for the last couple of years. 

It was like Christmas every couple of weeks when the Avon lady called to my door, I think I loved getting a new catalogue just as much as new cosmetics. The brilliant thing I found with Avon was that they sold such a range of products at really affordable prices, not to mention they were delivered directly to your door free of charge! 

I was just getting into a nice routine of getting a few new items every month or so when it hit. Back in April Avon decided to cease trading here in Ireland, to say I was devastated was an understatement. 

The last item I purchased was the new addition to Avon's range,

The Avon Eyeshadow Primer 'Light Beige'

At the time I purchased the eyeshadow primer, Avon were selling it for €5.00 as an introductory offer. As a makeup hoarder, I hopped off the offer.

A couple of weeks later I received my last Avon bag of treats, as usual it wasn't a disappointment! The Avon Eyeshadow is a cream based product which is quite a good match to my skin tone. As this is the case, the eyeshadow primer can be used on its own to help to even out the skin tone. 

If I don't have time in the morning to do a full face of makeup I will apply my foundation, powder etc. When it comes to the eyes I will use this primer to even out the skin tone and then I will set it with a similar shade of eyeshadow. As the primer is a cream product this is an essential step to ensure the primer doesn't crease and settle in areas around the eye.

This product is best applied prior to eyeshadow application. The main function of the primer is to prep the eye area so that the eyeshadow lasts all day long and appears as vibrantly as possible on the eye.

This is my favourite eyeshadow primer ever to date.

In my opinion it surpasses the Urban Decay Primer Potion and is just a fraction of the price! My eyeshadows last all day long, there is no creasing and I simply cannot fault this product.

I am just gutted it is not readily available to me like it used to be!

I have been using it non stop since April and I have just hit pan so you really get value for your money with this product.

If its available in your area definitely pick it up, you won't be disappointed :)

Bargain Hunter Byrne strikes again! :)

Talk soon guys,

Eimear x

Human+Kind All-in-one Wash-off Cleanser Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I am back with another skincare review..I suppose when I put it like that it sounds like I wrote a skincare post recently, quite the opposite!
My first and last skincare review was almost this time last year and funnily enough it was a Human+Kind one too! I reviewed the 'All in one Night+Day Cream' which you can read here.

If you have read my last skin care post you will know that I am not a fan of trying out different skin care ranges. During my teenage years I suffered from terribly bad acne, in order to treat this problem I was advised to  

develop a skin care regime. I picked up a cleanser, toner, moisturiser and an exfoliator which I used once a week. I used these products religiously hoping that my prayers would be answered and my skin would clear up. 

However to my horror I began to notice my skin was actually getting much worse, not better. The first ever skin care range I used was supposedly suitable for sensitive skin, but by god it didn't suit me! After using these products for not even a week I had breakouts much worse than before, my skin was raw red and I also had very dry flaky patches on my face. All as a result of a skin care range not agreeing with my skin.

And this ladies and gentlemen..is generally the story of my life.

The only skin care ranges that have ever did my poor skin justice are the Liz Earle and Human+Kind ranges. As I had previously used a product from the Human+Kind skin care range and it worked wonders for my skin, I was intrigued about picking up another product from the range. I can solemnly say I had every confidence in this product suiting my highly sensitive skin.

I went ahead onto the website humanandkind.com and ordered my cleanser. I  received a prompt email from the Human&Kind team thanking me for my purchasing and notifying me that my item would be shipped today. I really appreciate a good customer service, my item was sent out in an efficient manner and was in my grasp within a couple of days. When I opened the package that my cleanser was enclosed in there was a little hand written note inside thanking me again for ordering their products. I adore personal touches like this. Not only are the products a dream to work with the company is a pleasure to deal with!

The cleanser itself is cased within a lovely polygon shaped cardboard box. 

A++ where the packaging is concerned, its so unique and eye catching..I simply love it! However, its always whats on the inside that counts..so lets take a look!

As you can see from the above photo the cleanser is wrapped in this gorgeous Human+Kind stamped cloth..which came absolutely free might I add!

The cloth is probably the softest thing I have ever felt in my whole entire life. The trick to this cleanser is wetting your face prior to application, once the cleanser is applied to damp skin you then buff the cloth over the face.

This cleanses the skin beautifully removing all traces of makeup, I find it even helps to exfoliate the skin. I have been using this cleanser religiously every evening since I bought it, which was July 1st.

I can safely say I have suffered no skin irritation from this cleanser it definitely helped sooth my sensitive skin. I have noticed that my skin is much more even, any redness has been reduced if not has completely diminished in certain areas of my face and my skin is as soft as a babies bottom! Within the first few days of using the cleanser I noticed I began to break out, if this happens don't be alarmed it is just the impurities deep down in your skin coming to the surface. After a couple of more days they were completely gone leaving my skin looking more radiant than before. The cloth seems to be holding up well too, I've washed it a fair few times in the washing machine since I bought it. Its still as it was when I received it, still soft still does a brilliant job!

The cleanser retails at €14.95 with a free wash cloth and free shipping!

I'm absolutely delighted once again with my purchase from Human+Kind, I'm definitely going to work my way through their range to see what other brilliant buys I come across :)

For more information head over to the Human+Kind website which I'll link here.

Thanks for tuning in guys!

See you in my next post :)

Eimear x

Lush Mr Bumble Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I have been a busy bee lately so I popped into Lush to pick up some much needed bath goodies and I ended up picking up this little guy...

very appropriate don't you think!

As you can see from the little tag above, Mr Bumble contains one 

Honey Bee Bath Ballistic and a 75g bar of Honey I Washed the Kids Soap.

Amazing value for money at €10.95 and a perfect gift!

Once I carefully untied Mr Bumble the first thing that I noticed was the size of the bath bomb, to my surprise it was huge! After some more careful inspection I realised the bath bomb had the same stripy design that bumble bee's have on their bodies, another cute touch. There is nothing I love more than attention to detail, and this is spot on :)

I was buzzing with excitement, I could not wait to try out this bath bomb purely because of how big it was. 

I just knew it was going to nicely fill the bath, and boy was I right!

I put the stopper in the bath and allowed it to fill up with water, once I had the temperature just right I popped in the bath bomb.

Instantly it started to fizz around the bath dissolving as it went, leaving the water tinted a bright yellow. 

It wasn't long before the bath bomb had completely dissolved and in I hopped!

I'm not fond of the taste or smell of honey but to my pleasant surprise I enjoyed the sweet smell of this bath bomb. It wasn't too overpowering at all and I found that it lasted a lot longer than any other bath bomb I've ever used.

I'm not sure if this was because it was a substantially larger bath bomb compared to others I have used or if it was just down to the ingredients.

Either way I was over the moon with this find, fingers crossed I will be able to pick up this bath bomb singularly!

If you have read my Lush Secret Santa review you will know that I have tried the Honey I Washed the Kids Soap before. I actually still have my star shaped one that I got in my Secret Santa set for Christmas, its lasting a lot longer than I expected it too...and I'm not complaining! :)

It leaves my hands and skin feeling incredibly soft and smelling great too!

I'm delighted now that I have a soap to pop beside my sink and one to go in the shower now as I have gotten into a routine of using it as a body wash as well as a hand soap.

Overall I'm delighted with this little find.

Such a clever and creative little piece at only €10.95!

This little fellow would make the perfect gift for anyone born in the Spring/Summer months :)

I could not praise it enough!

Thanks for dropping by as always :*

Eimear x

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Ultra Mattes Palette Brights v1

Over the summer I recently discovered an Irish website called Beauty Emporium which stocks Sleek Products among many other brands such as EOS, NYX Cosmetics and Eyeko, to name but a few. 

Back in June/July the website was offering free shipping, so I decided now would be the perfect time to order my very first batch of Sleek goodies.

From my experience with ordering products from the website to date, I am very impressed. 

The customer service is outstanding, extremely helpful and the products are shipped efficiently. 

Now, not only this but at the time of my order Boardsdeals were offering a €10 voucher worth €20 to spend on Beauty Emporium so I picked up two of those and used them on my order. 

So I got €40 worth of makeup for €20 with free shipping? I don't know about you but to me that sounds like an amazing deal! Bargain Hunter Byrne strikes again, now on with the review!

As I said this was my first ever Sleek purchase, after hearing so many people rave about the range its safe to say I was excited. The first product I was immediately drawn to was the 

"Sleek Makeup i-Divine Ultra Mattes Palette Brights v1". Many of you may have guessed that because I am absolutely obsessed with bright, vibrant eyeshadows. The palettes on the website retail at €9.99, a very reasonable price alone, not including the offer that I got on them.

The palettes themselves are very sleek, as the name brand suggests. They are small and compact, they fit nicely into my makeup kit and also look very professional when set out on the table when I am doing makeup on a client. Along with picking up the brights palette I purchased the darks palette too. Unfortunately while I was sitting down the palette slipped off my knee and onto the floor. A couple of eyeshadows cracked and the hinge broke on the left hand side of the palette so now it does not open and close with ease. The palettes are not durable which is the only downside to the packaging.

Top Row (left to right)

Chilli, Pout, Sugarlite, Dragonfly, Pucker, Bamm!

Bottom Row (left to right)

Cricket, Bolt, Strike, Floss, Crete, Pow!

The eyeshadows themselves are very pigmented, with the exception of "Floss" (light pink) "Crete" (grey) and "Pow!" (white). In saying that, these colours are buildable and also would work nicely for a neutral everyday makeup look. There is little to no fallout from these eyeshadows with the use of an eyeshadow primer/base. However it is essential I use either or primer or a base underneath these eyeshadows as they do tend to crease. If you do not own an eyeshadow primer you can always go old school and use a bit of foundation on the lids followed by a light layer of powder, works like a charm!

I'm very impressed with the lasting power of these eyeshadows they literally lasted all day. Usually the problem I have is the eyeshadow that I smoke along my lower lashline tends to smear and fade. 

I can happily say that this did not happen with this Sleek palette, big thumbs up there!

With the colours in this palette, I decided they would be perfect for a Starburst inspired makeup tutorial.

Firstly here is a swatch of all the colours on the back of my hand using no primer or base. I also just swiped the eyeshadow once.

Now here is a couple of pictures of the finished makeup look using a base underneath the eyeshadows, along with a tutorial if your interested :)

Eyeshadows Used:
Sugarlite 
Pout
Pow!
Pucker
Floss
Cricket
Bamm!
Dragonfly
Strike

Face:
Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation "Ivory"
Sleek Blush 'Pomegranate"
Avon Nude Perfection Lipstick



Follow my step by step instructions and create the look for yourself:

Overall:

Pro's

• Affordable
• Eyeshadows are highly pigmented
• Long Lasting
• Professional Looking Packaging
• Blend Easily

Con's

• Packaging is not durable

Hope you found the review helpful! :)
Eimear x