Make-up Essentials

Travelling light, existing light is kind of a thing I've aimed for of late. I hate dragging bags around - though this happens more often than not. On Christmas Eve, as I headed home with plenty of presents in tow, I realised I had very little room for anything else...even if Daddy eventually ended up picking me up.

When you're packing light, you have to prioritise. My whole make-up bag couldn't come home so here's what did make the cut. Here's what I consider necessities.

The essentials are:

Lulu Guinness make-up bag (similar here)

Eyeko Eyelash Curler

Eco Tools Starter Brush set

W7 In the Nude palette

Nars Blush in Deep Throat

Benefit They're Real Eyeliner

Billion Dollar Brows Hint of Tint Brow Gel in Taupe*

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair

Chanel Coco Rouge Shine in Bohéme

Tan Organic Bronzer*

Eve Lom Lip Balm

Real Techniques Beauty Sponge

Jessica Nails polish in Velvet and Pearls*

No 7 Lip Crayon in Statement

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eyeshadow Primer

Benefit The Porefessional Primer

Dermalogica Sheer Tint in Light

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Agree? Any favourites among mine?

(As per, an asterisk indicates an item has been gifted to me for review but all preferences and views here are my own)

Fanny Crown - get your Debs look!

...sounds a wee bit like an adult entertainer's name...(soz, I couldn't help myself) but is actually a great site where you can get Debs, prom, wedding, cocktail and many other kinds of occasion dresses at pretty reasonable prices. There's a crazy-wide range of dresses in all sorts of colours, silhouettes, lengths and styles. So, there's really something for everyone. I was personally taken in by the more intricate, extravagant dresses that I would never have enough occasions to validate purchasing them all...but a gal can dream, right?

But, how, pray tell did I come to hear about them? And why am I talking about the brand now?

Good questions, me.

Well, they actually contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in entering their blogger contest by showing how I would style and where I would wear one of their dresses. And while I was flattered to be asked, the real deal-clincher for me was that I could do my annual Debs-themed post while offering you, my fair readers, a chance to potentially find your dream dress at a discount. Yeah, you heard right. There's a WEAB discount of 15% for all my readers if you use the code WIDEEYEDNBLIND14 at the checkout from now until the 14th of September 2014! Pretty rad, right? So, I hope with Debs season beginning in some parts of Ireland for Irish readers and potential international advance-planners for other similar events in our midst, some of you might luck out. Definitely contact me and let me know if this happens! Tweet me or let me know on Instagram. I'd come over all proud momma if you did!

Annnyyyyyhoooo, moving on from that major digression to the dress, the events and the styling.

So, the dress I chose was this nude lingerie inspired full-length gown. Underwear as outerwear is a trend I always get behind when it comes around again and again - if it's done right. This piece is an example of it being done well, there is a certain level of sex appeal in the visible corsetry but the demure colour and length with the sweet lace detailing tames it. There's an innocence to it but a bit of bite, a sense of humour. I also think that it could go from very formal to more casual easily with the right styling.

Which is why I've chosen it for two rather different events - both are balls but on different ends of the spectrum. My mother and I are discussing spending hallowe'en at this Masquerade ball we heard about last year and I think this would be great for that. The barely there, thin-strapped Saint Laurent heels would keep the look light and airy while the Charlotte Olympia clutch adds a sense of playfulness and a nod to the lingerie/bedroom vibes of the dress. It's tongue-in-cheek and a great ice-breaker. Accessories should compliment your outfit but they're also a chance to have fun and try new things. It doesn't have to be uber-serious. The gilt Topshop earrings keep with the gold tones introduced by the bag and reference the lace and elegance in the dress balancing the fun and the pretty in the outfit. And, instead of a traditional mask, this Maison Michel headpiece obscures the face while being both cute and fun. 

I was also thinking of hitting up a Trinity Ball this year for old times sake. As this is basically a festival at night in formal wear, it requires different styling. Instead of strappy sandals, I'm going with chunky but cute Alexander Wang boots for warmth, comfort and protection amongst the crush of bodies in the tents. They're also better for traversing the cobbles. Damn cobblestones. For this take on the same dress, I'm upping the fun factor, so a bag like this Moschino one and earrings like these by Marc by Marc Jacobs are perfect. The bag is also a good idea as it's cross-body so you can keep your stuff safe and not have to worry about lugging anything around. A leather biker would be a final touch for later on in the night when it starts to get chilly.

And there you have it - the same dress, two ways!

But what for hair and makeup?

I'd actually do the same look for both events. The dress and accessories are kind of a knock-out so I would want to keep things minimal, natural and pretty. Hair would be in natural waves emphasised by Sea Salt spray from Lush. For the Masquerade ball some may be pinned back a little and for Trinity Ball, I would  definitely bring a hair-tie for sweaty moments in the pit - ain't nobody got time for all my hair. 

The base should be light and dewy with Maybelline's Dream Pure BB and then Rimmel's Match Perfection translucent powder. A bronzer like this one by Too Faced could be used to contour the jaw and cheek bones while Topshop's Glow is perfect for on the brow bone, centre and tip of nose, cupid's bow and cheek bones. Benefit's Browzings for a defined and neat brow and their They're Real Push Up Liner for the only drama on the face - a defined cateye. Nude smokeyness via Naked 3 and natural-looking but oomph-given lashes via Clinique's High Impact mascara. And to finish off, a coat of Eve Lom's Kiss mix topped by a peachy shade like this one from YSL.

So, there you have it! That's how I'd go about things. What do you think?

A new BB cream + giveaway.

As I mentioned briefly in a previous post, I'm not a fan of high-end BB creams. I've tried a bunch, some by Benefit, Mac, Stila amongst others, but none have stood up to their price-bracket or my loyalties to drugstore versions. I'm under no illusions that they don't all pale in comparison to Korean versions but I've yet to find the right shade to confirm or refute this. For now, I can merely state that my first was Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector which I continue to love. Then I tried Maybelline's Dream Pure BB which has Salicylic Acid and is, therefore, great for breakout riddled skin.

The latest I've begun to use is Rimmel's BB Cream which has the highest SPF at SPF 25. This is one of it's best selling-points for me, as is the smooth formula. However, I find that it has slightly more coverage than I want when I'm reaching for a BB cream - to me, a BB cream is for a no makeup look. For those who do want that extra coverage, it's probably the best drugstore BB cream out there for that. So, here's how I apply it and what I put with it.

1. As this has higher coverage and it's Summer, I use Aloe Vera as my primer. This is an excellent natural alternative for a primer with anti-bacterial properties that are great for blemish-prone skin. Using it instead of a regular primer extends the wear of the makeup without feeling caked in product.

2. I take a relatively small amount of the cream on the back of my hand and use my fingers to apply it. The heat in my fingertips helps blend it very naturally and evenly into my skin. I start at the middle of my face and move outwards in arching movements with the natural line of my bone structure.

3. I fill in my brows with powder from Benefit's Brows A-go-go, keeping the look fairly minimal and the brows relatively small. Then I add a little of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish Give Me Sun into the hollows of my cheeks and along my jawline for definition and finish with Maxfactor's Creme Puff Pressed Powder on top. 

4. Using the Naked 3 palette I brush a little of Strange onto my brow bone and inner eye as a highlight. Then I cover two thirds of my eyelid in Dust before working Buzz into my crease and outer corner.

5. I now curl my eyelashes with Eyeko's curler and brush a couple coats of Seventeen's Superlash to the outer edges of my upper lashes to give a natural yet feline flick to my eyes.

Et voilà!

Like the look of the Rimmel BB Cream? Well, I've three to give away! Sadly, I only have them in the shade Light but I promise to get more varied shades next time! 

So, how do you win? Comment below telling me your go-to base (BB or otherwise) and make sure you're following me on at least one of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin (or all of  'em if you're feeling super-generous). Mention in the comment which one applies to you and your handle on that site so I can track you down if you win! This giveaway is open internationally to anyone (those under 16 need to get a guardian's permission to send me their address) and will close 11th of August at 00:00 GMT + 1:00.

Good luck x

EDIT: As some peeps were having difficulty commenting here I've opened up entry via comments on facebook/twitter etc as well.

Worth the Hype - Current Makeup Favourites

Being home has meant little overheads and much accumulation. Said accumulation has produced some new makeup favourites and some serious revelations. Makeup is as seasonal as clothes amd  I'll post on my Summer cosmetics routine soon as the weather recently has been so unbelievably warm and face-melty that it's entirely relevant. But, for now, I just wanna talk about new things for Summer that I've been trying and loving. 

(And just so y'all know - anything marked like so * has been sent to me - this is something I'll be more conscious of doing from now on)

Scent.

Chupa Chups Love Trap - Mam randomly picked this up for me as it reminds her of perfumes I wore as a teen. It's quite like Anna Sui perfumes or Touch of Pink by Lacoste. Sweet, floral, girly, light. Really a perfect summer day smell and, surprisingly, a nice slightly more mature version of those higher end scents.

Skin.

Maxfactor Facefinity Primer * - I'd been rotating between using the Porefessional and Aloe Vera as my go-to primers up until now. The Porefessional is lovely to apply but doesn't extend the wear of my makeup overly and the Aloe Vera really suits breakout days and minimal makeup days better. But this is the perfect everyday, longwear primer. It applies smoothly and the formula is quite soothing to the skin. I love that it has a pump to make application ultra-easy and the SPF is always a bonus for me.

Dermalogica Sheer Tint - As a general rule, I only wear BB creams. I just don't want too much coverage or to feel or look as though I'm caked in makeup. I find that even tinted moisturisers look too thickly applied to my eye on my skin. Another general rule for me is that higher end bases are too heavy and I rely entirely on drugstore brands generally. This, however, is a large exception to those rules. The colour match is great and it gives me enough coverage to even out my skin tone without feeling uncomfortable on the skin or covering my freckles.

Shiseido The Makeup Concealer - I'd been searching for a new concealer for a while. In summer, if I'm wearing makeup at all, I tend to just apply a little BB cream as a concealer instead. Then I fell for Mam's Clarins concealer and what it did for my under-eye area. After coveting that for some time, she handed this to me. I love Shiseido as a brand - the sleek, slightly dodgy packaging and all. This concealer is exactly enough coverage. If I feel I need to wear at least a little makeup to something - a little of this, brows and mascara and I'm ready to go. It's great for both blemishes and under-eye and doesn't crease or flake as it's super-moisturising.

Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Face Powder - All that needs to be said here is that this needs no topping up and looks as though you're wearing no powder at all - it competes easily with much more expensive, finely milled powders.

Eyes.

Clinique High Impact Mascara - For me, I rarely use dramatic, clumpy mascaras. I just want to give my natural lashes a boost but look as though I've barely touched them. This is great for that and it doesn't run all over the place despite watery, hayfever-prone eyes.

Sleek i-Divine Bad Girl Palette - These colours are so great. There's a neutral end for light Summer day looks and the purple, blues and greens are awesome for colourful night looks. The rich lighter green is a dupe for a Chanel shade in a quad they had out for this Summer except better. Yeah, you heard me. Better. It's more pigmented and applies the way you wish the Chanel would. The applicator that comes with it is utter shite, however, so bring a brush along if you plan on using the palette.

Benefit They're Real! Push-up Liner - I was wary of this product. Wary it couldn't be that good. But it's easy to use, dries slow enough to fix if mistakes are made and stays in place enough when dry not to do that annoying transferal to crease of the eyelid thing. Thank God. Note: In extreme heat as the other day, it moves a little but melted less than the rest of my face.

Brows.

Billion Dollar Brows Hint of Tint Gel and Brow Gel * - I'll definitely be writing on raising your brow game soon but for now, note that these guys rock. I use the hint of tint alone for minimal makeup days or to finish more dramatic already filled-in, bushy brow looks and the clear gel for looks somewhere in the middle. Neither do that horrible crispy thing and the mascara-like applicators are great for precision. Much love.

Lips.

Eve Lom Kiss Mix - Very expensive? Yes. Worth it? Totes. At €20, it's about four times the amount of lip balms I normally buy but it works so well and it's so sleek and luxurious looking. And I LOVE how it feels. Handbag staple.

Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips - The cutest thing ever? Hells YEAH! The nicest nude-pink shade? Definitely. But mostly...SO CUTE. I just look at it sometimes.

So, have you guys tried any of the above? Do you want to?

What's in my makeup bag?

So, until rather recently, I didn't carry a makeup bag around with me. I don't really tend to do touch-ups during the day as I always feel weird doing my makeup if it's either in front of others or in a public restroom or both. I just don't really want to spend more time than necessary in most bathrooms. I also have been dying to pee in a queue for the loos enough times to find it morally objectionable to add to the traffic in a bathroom. (What do women do in restrooms? Why are the lines always so long?)

*end mini rant*

But, as anyone who carries bags on the reg knows, it's always a pain to swap things to a new bag. It's also annoying to be unable to find anything you need in your bag. I normally only need my lip balm, perfume, blotting paper, compact mirror and sun cream during the day and decided to put them into a pouch to make them easier to find. Then I added in my other major essentials so I'm good to go if I end up crashing somewhere, some disaster befalls the makeup on my face and I feel the need to redo it all instead of just washing it off for some reason and to simply keep the stuff I use most together.

These essentials include my Dream Pure BB and Baby Lips in Peach Kiss from Maybelline,  17's Superlash mascara and eyeliner, Primark's Volume Boost mascara, Benefit's The Porefessional primer, TONYMOLY's Bunny Gloss Bar in Cherry, Topshop's Gloss Lipgloss in Long Time No See, Clinique's Eyeliner in Brown Sugar, a sample of Chloe (because it's easier than carrying the bottle), Dr Bronner Organic Lip Balm in Peppermint, L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom solid perfume, Catrice's Blotting paper, my compact which is from the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork with an image from Harry Clarke's Eve of St Agnes and my Nivea Sun Kids Pocket Size sunscreen SPF 50. The bag is from Lulu Guinness and I use it as a makeup bag and clutch intermittently. I do think it's too gorgeous to be forever given the supporting role of makeup bag, non?

What's key in your makeup bag? Anyone interested in me doing a post on my daily makeup routine, comment below!

(Everything I've talked about has been linked where possible and something similar in some cases)

Favourite Things - April 2014.

Here be a post of the things I've been enjoying this month!

Dad brought this necklace home to me from Singapore. I was convinced it wouldn't fit because it looks SO TINY. But it actually does fit and rests in the hollow of my neck in a lovely way. Kinda obsessed - it looks so cool on.

The dress this is sitting on is from Next and should feature in posts soooon. I love it!

No real explanation necessary here. So delicious! But dangerous. I could easily polish off the whole thing in one sitting...Eep!

I don't like putting my hair through too much and while this is not entirely natural, it's slightly better! Leaves my hair feeling lovely, doesn't weigh it down and lathers brilliantly in spite of not being a chock-full of chemicals.

I'm loving anything from the Sapien Women line from Surya Brasil but the body moisturiser is a particular favourite. It smells SO GOOD. Seriously. I love it. My mam loves it. My brother loves it. It's coconut and mango...connect the dots right there. Good enough to eat (though I wouldn't recommend that).

So multi-purpose and so effective!

I've been late more often since I started using this as I spend waaayyy more time on my brows. Still, worth it. Obsessed.

L'Oreal Elvive always smells amazing and, bonus: this has GLITTER in it. I can't say I've noticed it after washing my hair but, hey, I'm a sucker for a gimmick.

Re-reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Because, I mean, who needs sleep? Yeah, I felt empty and hollow after I finished it last time and had to sleep in my mam's bed that night but it's a damn good book.

I'm loving Wuthering Heights everything and anything at the moment. Major obsession coming on. 

Not Teletubbies - but the sun! How I've missed thee! It's nice to get some Vitamin D into the system.

So, those are my faves du moment. What are you guys loving? I'd love to know...ahahah...I'm going now.

Drawing on ma face.

Boredom in classes led to my drawing on my arms a lot as a kid. This urge to not only doodle but to doodle on yourself when less than stimulated followed me into adulthood. And the result of major internet usage over the past few years is that I cannot merely do one thing at a time. The insane range of things we can access at any moment in time and my lack of self-restraint has combined to make me gorge on the daily. I watch a movie while reading a manga or I watch tv while internet window-shopping and drawing on my face etc etc etc.

Drawing on your face? What ARE you talking about? - You may be thinking loudly at me through your computer screen.

I, of course, mean putting makeup on. 

I've not been drawing on my face with pens...much...

Putting on makeup is the female (generally - boo, repressed, strict gender roles), adult equivalent of drawing on your arms. Which is funny because on a daily basis I wear very little makeup. Not only because I'm lazy and don't care enough to get up earlier but because I have this weird thing where I only consider myself as attractive as I can be with minimal intervention. By this I mean that I feel hideous if I don't look passable sans hairstyle and makeup. Totally makes sense....And isn't a cycle of self-blame and disgust. Heh. I'm fine, seriously...But, basically, my wearing makeup generally means I was bored or procrastinating or both. If you meet me dolled up you can assume this to be the case.

The other day I caught myself unable to watch an entire episode of Dark Angel (despite the gorgeousness of early 2000s Jessica Alba and my loving the show) without needing to do something else at the same time. So, I started putting on makeup. Mostly I was playing around with eyeshadow which I normally never wear.

The following is the result of that evening. The above was just me being self-indulgent. Enjoy.

Smokey neutral eye + natural lip and flushed cheeks.

Products:

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Maybelline Dream Pure BB in Light

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Oriflame Translucent Pressed Powder

Estee Lauder All-Over Face Powder Quad - Used as a blush (it's a light pink)

Mac 168 Blusher Brush

Philosophy Divine Illumination Love at First Light Skin Luminizer in Honey Gold 02

Clinique Eye Pencil in Brown Sugar 104 - Used to fill in brows and line eyes

IsaDora Triple Eyeshadow in Sandy Sky 06

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara in Black

Ecotools Eyeshadow Brush

Smokey coloured eye + gothy burgundy lips

Products:

All are the same except:

Rimmel Colour Rush Mono Eyeshadow in Iris 350

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Pencil in Jet Black 061

Catrice Baroque Glamour Lipstick in Purple Silk C04

Graphic cateye + peachy lips

Products:

Same once again except:

IsaDora eyeshadow repeated with only the white shadow used

Seventeen Superlash! liner in Black

Topshop Lip Bullet in Joyride

Heh, I totes know about makeup and shit...

Back home.

Back from visiting my roomie in Cavan today. It's always weird saying goodbye over the summer because we see each other every day during the college year, so it was great to spend time with her. Now she's off to get her Lara Croft on for a bit! I'm physically sore from how much we all laughed but a great time was had by all. This is the reason the outfit posts have been so...well, non-existent but I've taken pictures so they'll be up!

The following outfit is comfy for journeying home and then trekking around shops in Dublin with Sarah D for hours with luggage. It doesn't really conform to any style or look...There's some hippy in there with the headband, there's the Aztec prints I'm so fond of, there's polka-dot tights, a preppy denim dress and gothy runners. I'm such a mess of a human being!

Dress - Zara - Jumper - Forever 21 - Tights - Dunnes - Runners - Office - Headband - Topshop

Messing with hue settings

Benefit's new mascara. Allowed a woman to do my whole face and then didn't buy any of the make-up because I don't really care about it...