theBalm Nude 'Tude Palette Review, Swatches and Tutorial

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Last Summer my Auntie went to Portugal and she told me that she had picked up an eyeshadow palette on the way home from the inflight catalogue on the plane. She had mentioned that she had never heard of the brand before and had just picked it up because she liked the shade range. I asked her to bring it down to show me, I wasn't really sure what to expect but to be honest, I hadn't really high hopes for what she had bought. She came back into the room and as she produced the eyeshadow palette she began "I'm not sure if it's any use but..". I cut her off mid sentence. I squealed with excitement at the sight of theBalm Nude'Tude, not knowing what all the fuss was about she continued "So it's alright then?". Oh if only she really knew! 

Initially, the highlighter Mary-Lou Manzier took the Blogging and YouTube world by storm. When the hype surrounding that product finally calmed down, then a new frenzy started and it was all about the Nude'Tude palette. Naturally enough as more and more Bloggers and YouTubers starting featuring the palette in blog posts and videos, the more requests I started getting from my viewers to create a look using the palette. There was just one thing though, I didn't own the palette, but I knew someone who did :) 

My trusty Auntie Edna came to the rescue and allowed me to borrow her palette for the video, heck she even told me I could keep it but I couldn't do that, I knew how much she loved it. I enjoyed the palette that much I figured I had to pick it up for myself but then theBalm launched their Nude'Dude palette and I was torn between the two. Recently, I attended the Debenhams winter event and sitting at the top of my very generous goodie bag was the Nude'Tude palette. I couldn't believe it. Now I just need to pick up the Nude'Dude palette and I'm golden. Very long intro aside, let's get on with the review!

This particular Nude'Tude palette is part of a limited edition set. The only difference between buying this set and the palette on its own is that there is a mini 'Put a Lid on It' eyeshadow primer included in this set.

The palette is very well packaged. It comes in a box with one end revealing the mini primer and the other end opening up to reveal the eyeshadow palette. There is then a removable sleeve containing the palette that matches the design on the palette itself. I really like when products come with a sleeve, it just adds a layer of protection and stops your palette getting dirty. In relation to the packaging design, I adore the vintage vibe the palette has.

Within the palette you get 12 eyeshadows that range in textures and finishes. I feel based on the shade range the palette has something for everybody. Also included is a double ended shadow liner brush. I haven't used this brush yet and to be honest based on how the brush feels, I more than likely won't bother with it. The palette opens up to also reveal a large mirror making it handy for when you're on the move.

Let's take a closer look at the eyeshadows.

Sassy: This is a frosted white eyeshadow with good pigmentation. 

Stubborn: A light to medium pinky peach shade that also has a frosted finish.

Selfish: Is a frosted taupe brown shade with grey undertones.

Snobby: Shimmery light gold shade. I'd almost say its more of a yellow.

Stand-Offish: In the pan this looks like a light pink but when applied it is more of a light golden brown shade that has a sort of metallic finish.

Sultry: Matte warm brown. Another highly pigmented shade and very easy to blend.

Sophisticated: Warm dark brown shade with shimmer running throughout.

Sexy: Matte warm cranberry/burgandy shade. One of my favourites in the palette, really pigmented and very easy to work with.

Serious: Matte black, its not the most pigmented matte black I have come across. You do need to layer it to get an intense colour payoff.

Seductive: Warm toned golden brown shade with a satin finish.

Silly: Dark brown with red and golden flecks running throughout the shadow. This is another firm favourite of mine!

Sleek: A very dark matte brown shade that is almost black. Pigmentation is fantastic and its nice and buttery so very easy to work with.

Swatches Top Row (L-R)

Sassy, Stubborn, Selfish, Sophisticated, Sexy, and Serious.

Swatches Bottom Row (L-R)

Snobby, Stand-Offish, Sultry, Seductive, Silly, and Sleek.

As I've said there is something for everyone in this palette. You can create neutral smokey eyes with this palette or really intense dark smokey eyes either. I love deep smokey eyes so I was immediately drawn to the cluster of darker shades along the right hand side of the palette.

To create this grunge inspired makeup look I used the shades:

• Sleek
• Sexy
• Silly
• Serious
• Sassy

I've a full tutorial on my channel showing you how to create this look. If you are interested in finding out how, then just click on the play button below!

I am very pleased with how this palette performs. The quality of the shadows is outstanding, they are highly pigmented and are buttery smooth to the touch so they make the blending process very easy to do. The only shade I found that needed a little extra work was the matte black in the palette 'Serious'. It isn't as pigmented as the other shadows in the palette, you need to layer it to get a nice intense payoff. My least favourite shade in the palette is the yellow/golden eyeshadow 'Snobby' and that is just purely because of its colour. The only thing that I feel the palette is missing is a matte highlight shade. If 'Snobby' was replaced with a matte highlight colour I think the palette would be absolutely perfect.

Overall though I'm delighted with the palette and I'd highly recommend. It will set you €35 which I think is quite affordable for what you are getting in terms of quality. Thankfully theBalm products are becoming a lot easier to find here in Ireland. theBalm can be purchased online and in store from Debenhams. For a direct link to the palette on the site you can click here.

Have you tried any products from theBalm yet? If you have, 

let me know your favourite!

Until next time,

Eimear x

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Not too long ago I decided to delve into the world of Benefit again. I only own a handful of their products and that is sorely down to the price. As a student with little disposable income I find it very hard to justify for example, spending €30+ on a blusher. If you have been reading my blog for a long time or even from the name of the blog, you will know I post about bargain buys. Sometimes I do purchase products from high end brands but for the most part I stick to the drugstore. I think we now have fantastic quality products in the supermarkets and pharmacies that are just as good as the high end brands but at a fraction of the price!

 But anyway thats just me I guess. A product has to be really special for me to fork out an arm and a leg. Back in August I attended Leeds Festival, there were a couple of makeup items that caught my eye in the inflight magazine on the way over so I decided if I had money left on the way home I would pick something up. To my surprise I didn't actually spend as much as I thought I would…well minus the fact I had to buy a new tent and blankets which I didn't foresee hahaha. If anything after some disasters I decided regardless I deserved some new makeup'y goodness :)

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the Benefit set that was on offer, and even when I did know the name I wasn't able to find it online.

The Benefit pouch consisted of a range of different products from the company. Off the top of my head I remember it included the full size Bella Bamba you see here, a sample version of High Beam, a full size version of the Eye Bright pencil and a full sized Stay Don't Stray primer for around €30.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. 

Considering one of these full sized products alone is around that price I couldn't let this go. I tried to flag down the flight attendant as quickly as I could. While placing my order the lady next to me wanted a set too, and then my worst nightmare happened. 

"I'm afraid we only have one left." uttered the flight attendant. 

Holy Jesus my nerves, I thought it was going to be a fight to the death but the lady was going to be back on a flight next week for business so she let me have the set instead (God bless you)

Now that you know the background of how this product came into my possession….lets get on with the review! :)

 It comes as no surprise that the packaging is extremely cute, colourful and very pretty…very Benefit! The lid of this blush folds open opposed to coming clean off like other Benefit products before? Correct me if I'm wrong.

This 'new' packaging has its pro's and con's. The pro's are that its great for travel, for one it has a mirror and two you don't have to worry about the lid falling off and making a mess in your handbag. The con is that the lid is quite awkward and doesn't stay open without you having to hold it. When I was taking the product shot I had to take it upside down because the lid was casting a shadow over the blush…. #bloggerproblems

A brush is contained inside the little box too, again making it useful for on the go. I prefer this style of brush for applying my contour into the hollows of my cheeks. I'm not even joking it has become my holy grail brush for doing just that! However for my blush I want a brush that is rounded or slightly angled.

Bella Bamba is a beautiful peachy pink shade of blush with shimmery gold undertones. Its a perfect shade for daily wear and I can imagine will be universally flattering across all skin tones. The quality of this blush is outstanding, it is so highly pigmented. The first time I applied the blush I went a little over board not realising just how pigmented it was. Even though I had applied quite a lot of product by accident the problem was easily fixed with a little extra blending. After some blending I had a nice flush of colour to my cheeks, its definitely a blush you can build on! 

As I mentioned, this watermelon blush is very pigmented. In the above picture the product was only swatched once, which was then transferred onto the back of my hand. So you can see for yourself the colour pay off is excellent. I couldn't see myself running out of this product any time soon, not matter how often I used it!

This is by no means a new blush on the market, I'm just late to hop on the band wagon as always! Classic Eimear.

When I had a little look online I couldn't find an exact price…

I would say its around €30-34 mark. Is it worth that much you ask? I'm torn. It is such a beautiful shade, beautifully packaged and applies like a dream. But unfortunately I just don't think its worth forking over that much money for. Especially for someone like myself who isn't an avid blush fan. Once I run out I more than likely won't repurchase, i'll just end up finding a drugstore alternative but thats just the bargain hunter in me!

What are your thoughts? Is it worth €€€

Eimear x

The Body Shop Color Crush Lipstick '101 Red Siren'

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Before Christmas I popped into The Body Shop to treat myself to some much needed goodies. I hadn't intended on purchasing any makeup but this gorgeous red lipstick caught my eye and I couldn't leave the shop without it. I figured it would go perfectly with the eyeshadow palette I hadn't intended on purchasing either. Seriously, I know by now you must be shaking your head. I simply have no will power when it comes to makeup. But just look how lovely it is :)

Not only is the lipstick to die for, the packaging is too. I love how sleek and glossy the lipstick tube is, it makes it look extremely fancy. Another thing I really liked is the fact the colour of the top of the package matches the lipstick inside. For anyone who is obsessed with makeup storage knowing this will be music to your ears. If you are like me and have 14138932 lipsticks, it can be quite hard to sift through them all and pick out the one you want. When products are packaged like so, its a breeze!

There are 24 shades in the Colour Crush lipstick range from pink's, red's to nude's. There is something in the range for everyone!

'101 Red Siren' is a fire engine red that sets to a matte finish. Normally I try steer clear of matte lipstick shades as my lips are so dry but despite being a matte, this lipstick is quite moisturising. The lipstick glides across the lips with ease and has a nice buttery texture, meaning all you need is one quick slick of colour and your good to go! Its definitely one of the best lipsticks I have used with regard to staying power. When I swatched the lipstick in the shop, the swatch remained on my hand until I showered. Even then there was still a faded mark on my hand where I had swatched the lipstick.

I'm actually wearing the lipstick in the photo of myself along the right hand side of my blog :) If you want to see the lipstick in action just click on the play button below!

This lipstick gets a big thumbs up from me! Its cruelty free, highly pigmented and is long wearing. Its only €12.95 too! :)

What are your favourite makeup purchases from The Body Shop?

Let me know!

Eimear x

Wet 'n' Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

If you haven't heard that Wet 'n' Wild is now stocked in all Dunnes Stores in Ireland….you clearly have been living under a rock. I couldn't believe it when a picture was posted on Twitter of the stand in the Dunnes in Stephens Green Shopping Centre. I hadn't heard that it was coming to Ireland, the picture circulated twitter like wild fire and before long I think every blogger in the country was out raiding their local Dunnes Stores!

I know that was the first thing that I did, except to my disappointment the stand in my local Dunnes hadn't been fitted yet. Looking back on it now I really feel sorry for the poor store manager in my Dunnes Stores. I think I badgered him about the where abouts of the stand every couple of days for a week solid!

Eventually, it arrived in my town so I could browse and swatch to my hearts content! Prior to this, I had been trying to pick up anything and everything I could in the Stephens Green Dunnes before I missed my bus home from college haha!

Over the last while I've been having a ball with all my lovely new products.

As you might have guessed from the picture above, today I have a review of just one of the gorgeous eyeshadow palettes I picked up.

This palette is called 'Comfort Zone' and contains 8 different earthy toned eyeshadows. I picked this one up to do a tutorial on as I figured this would have been the palette my subscribers would get the most use out of, y'all love your neutrals!

I like the packaging, as always for the reason that it is just plain and simple nothing over the top! On the back of the palette there is a guide showing you how to use the shadows in the palette. Regardless of it I use the guide or not I always appreciate it when companies do this, extremely helpful for beginners!

On the helpful point, you can clearly see that there is text imprinted into the eyeshadows. Further helping beginners, each eyeshadow is labelled as to where it is to be placed. From the way the palette is laid out you can create two different eyeshadow looks, or if you are creative you can create so many more! The combination of colours are endless :)

Love at first swatch *.*

Each and every one of the eyeshadows in this palette are highly pigmented, I cannot fault one. Did I mention I swiped my finger in the eyeshadows just once? Yep…thats right, once!

The texture of the eyeshadow is gorgeous, very easy to work with and they blend out with ease. I found there was little to no fallout either with the use of an eyeshadow base, thats always a plus if you apply your foundation before your eyeshadow.

The palette retails at €6.49…em bargain alert!

If you haven't picked anything up from the range I would highly recommend it, I can't pick a flaw with any of the products I have used to date *touches wood*

Seeing as I have created various neutral looks lately by request, I decided to use the darker shades in the palette to create a green smokey eye.

Just to mix things up a little!

If you would like to see the palette in action just click on the play button!

I hope you enjoy the tutorial, thanks for tuning in :)

Eimear x

Essence Vintage District 01 Its Popul-Art Blush

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I was recently in my local chemist picking up my prescription, while I was waiting I decided to browse the makeup counters.

I noticed Essence had released a new collection 'Vintage District' to be exact.

Out of the selection that was on display I was immediately drawn to this blush.

01 Its Popul-Art

I seldom wear blush, I usually tend to wear bronzer or blusher only, very rarely the two of them together. My face can look a bit too over done as I tend to go quite dramatic with my eyes.

I must admit I am guilty of purchasing this purely because of how pretty it looks. Thankfully, it looks as lovely on the skin as it does in the pan!

01 Its Popul-Art is the most gorgeous peachy/coral shade of blush with a beautiful pressed floral design. I love the fact that this blush is multi purpose.

You have the option of using the matte peachy/coral shade as a flush across the cheeks, the golden floral pattern works wonders to add a golden sheen to the tops of the cheeks (perfect for the Spring/Summer months!) or you can swirl the two shades together for a gorgeous golden glow!

In the pictures I swirled my brush around the pan so that I had a combination of the two shades. The blush is highly pigmented, I tapped off any excess product so that I would not have too much on my cheeks giving a clown effect! Don't worry if you do apply too much blush though its an easy mistake, just go back in with your foundation brush and blend it out.

I was very happy with how easily the blush applied to my cheeks.

Its quite soft but not chalky and its really easy to blend.

I applied this before I went out to work and it lasted the entire day, there was very little fading of colour and it didn't go patchy on my skin. 

I'm extremely impressed for such a cheaply priced product.

The only downside to this product is that it is limited edition.

If you can still get your hands on it take full advantage, its such a beautiful product and very reasonably priced at approximately €4.25.

Another brilliant bargain buy from Essence :)

Did you get a chance to pick up any products from the range?

Let me know!

Eimear x

Sleek iDivine Acid Palette Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

As you all know by now I am a huge fan of colour.

So it may surprise you that I only purchased the acid palette recently....

shame on me!

My first Sleek purchase was the brights palette, I have reviewed that too you can check that out here. Because I bought this I didn't want to pick up the acid palette although I heard lots about it, purely because I found the palettes to be quite similiar colour wise. I only bought the brights palette first because it was a new palette, I always had planned on purchasing the acid palette too :)

Like the other Sleek palettes I own they come in this compact form. The design is plain and simply, very classy. You may notice the Sleek logo on this palette differs to the logo on the brights palette. Personally I prefer this design but hey its whats on the inside that counts so lets take a look!

As you can see from the snap above the colours are extremely vibrant, oh they are just divine! I can safely say that the colours are as pigmented on the eyes as they are in the pan. There is nothing worse than buying an eyeshadow to find it has little to no colour pay off, even with the use of bases and primers!

Thankfully this hasn't been the case with any of the sleek eyeshadows I've used..pheeew!

You can go for a really colourful smokey eye or you can opt for the traditional black smokey eye with this palette, I bet you all know what I went for.

Thats right, colourful!

I tried to squash as many colours on my eyelids as possible and I am really happy with the end result!

I used a white base underneath the shadows so that they would show up as vibrantly as possible and last all day long too.

I like the consistency of the eyeshadows they are a little chalky however with the use of a base they was little to no fall out down my cheeks.

I purchased this palette from Irish Online Beauty Retailer Beauty Emporium.

This palette set me back €9.99 and can be found here.

Sleek palettes are super affordable, extremely high quality, compact and convenient for travel. 

As usual I'm very pleased with my purchase from Sleek, I would highly recommend this palette to anyone who would like to experiment with colour!

If you would like to see how I created the look above you can click on the play button below :)

Thanks for tuning in guys!

I want to know have you tried any Sleek products, if so what are your favs!

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

Haul: e.l.f, Catrice, Inglot and more!

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today's blog post is going to be a haul as you could probably have guessed from the title.

Now I have always said to myself that I would never do a haul video, purely because I don't want to sound as if I'm boasting. Sometimes I feel haul videos can come across that way for example I spent "X" amount of money on this and "X" amount of money on that. That's just my own view on them I realise that may not be the intention but there you go...(digging yourself a hole Eimear haha)

Anyway, I decided it might be better to write it down in a blog post so I could show you all what beauty bargains I picked up, and good quality pictures of the products :)

So the first item I picked up was this e.l.f 32 piece palette. This is my first e.l.f purchase so naturally I'm very excited! I have been reading reviews about e.l.f products for a long time on Nina's blog. She is another Irish blogger/vlogger who is a fellow bargain hunter! 

I'll leave a link to her blog here, so you can check her out. 

When I saw this beauty in Tk Maxx for only €6.99 I had to pick it up! 

The next set of products I picked up are all from Catrice. My mam rang me to say that the pharmacy down the road from where we live had a sale on cosmetics. Selected products from Essence and Catrice were reduced to half price! This was around the 20th of August I think so I'm not sure if the offer is still on in the selected pharmacies. The first few products I picked up were eyeshadows. You have to excuse the packaging, they were riddled with sellotape and half price stickers haha!

Absolute Eye Colour

280 Heidi Plum

 Absolute Eye Colour

130 Sitting On A Volcano

                              

Absolute Eye Colour

Grey's Philosophy

Absolute Eye Colour

390 Top Of The Cops

Absolute Eye Colour

030 OMG! I Want That

                                  

I love the cute little names these eyeshadows have! I think eventually when I make myself a magnetic palette I will depot these eyeshadows and put them into that, just to save space.I misplaced my receipt but I'm almost certain these eyeshadows were €1.40 each, they were half price anyway, absolute bargain! I can't exactly remember how much the quad was either as soon as I find out I'll stick in the price!

I'm not a huge fan of blusher I usually like to play up my eyes with some colour and then add some bronzer to my cheeks. I like the main focus to be on my eyes :) So my next purchase is for my kit! I picked up these two gorgeous blushes. The coral shade will be lovely for summer, oh if I had of spotted it sooner! These blushes were half price too I think I could have paid €1.40 for these aswel! If not they were definitely under €2 anyway.

Defining Duo Blush

030 Pink Grapefruit Shake

Defining Duo Blush 

020 Peach Sorbet

So back to Tk Maxx with my next purchase. I actually bought these the same day as the e.l.f 32 piece palette. I've never heard of this brand before but when I saw the price I figured it was worth giving them a shot! I had seen these lashes sold separately in Tk Maxx before €5.99 each but when I was in there recently I saw they had a pack of four for €12.99. Absolute no brainer there so I picked them up! On the price tag it said they retail at €59.50, shocking! I haven't tried the lashes yet but they look like they are good quality lashes, cant wait to use them on my next night out!

i - lash

Black

2703

i - lash

Black

2701

i - lash

Black

2702

i - lash

Black

2704

Last Sunday I went up to Dundrum Shopping Centre with my friend Laura so she could get a few bits and pieces for college. Of course I couldn't go to Dundrum without visiting Inglot, and that's where I picked up my next few pieces :)
I got three eyeshadows in refill form. Soon they wont be selling the eyeshadows in the circle pans anymore so they are having a sale on the last few. I already have a 20 circle palette and that is why I picked up the eyeshadows in refill form just so I could pop the eyeshadows in there when my other ones ran out. As I said Inglot are scrapping the circle pan palette system so these eyeshadows were on sale at €2.50 each!

AMC Shine 05

D.S 504

Pearl 426

Inglot Duraline

The last item I had been meaning to pick up in Inglot for a long time and that is Duraline. This basically will turn any powder to a liquid so any eyeshadow you have now can be transformed to a liner. I also own the Inglot Gel Eyeliner, the duraline will be perfect to make that more fluid as it can dry out easily. This set me back €8, I used my Inglot MUA card.

And that brings my haul to an end! I hope this was helpful and maybe you got a few ideas :)
I'll do reviews on the products after I have had a good run through of them too! So far I am very very impressed with the e.l.f 32 piece palette to say the least!
Hope you all had a lovely day and I'll chat to you again soon :)

Eimear x