Merry Kitchmas! Christmas/New Years Makeup Tutorial.

Merry Christmas Everyone & Happy Almost-New Year!!!

Here's my final makeup look for 2012 which is, I think, perfect for any party or, of course, ringing in the New Year as well!

Beauty Basics; Contouring, applying blush & highlighting the face

Part 1 Cleansing here..... 

Parts 2 & 3 Moisturising & Priming here.....

Parts 4 & 5 Applying Foundation & Concealer here.....

Part 6 Setting your base with powder here.....

Kristen Stewart inspired Party Makeup.

I recently came across this beautiful picture of Kristen Stewart from one of her recent film premieres (Not one of the Twilight ones) in which she was wearing a beautiful Berry Red lip colour and softly smoked eyes that looks really simple yet effective....

Urban Decay "The Vice Palette" Review & Swatches.

Oh Urban Decay, How I Love Thy Shadows!!!

Problem is that my closest Urban Decay counter is in Limerick (same Inglot problem) and I don't get to get my grubby little paws on their products to play with and buy very often.

Christmas Look using Urban Decay "The Vice Palette"

Products used;

Bourjois 'Healthy Mix' Foundation #51

Maybelline 'Fit Me' Concealer #15

MAC Sheer Loose Powder NC15

Vichy DermaBlend Concealer #15 Opal

Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder #55 Dark Beige

Catrice 'Toffee Fairy' Blusher

MAC 'pearl' Cream Colour Base

Beauty Basics; Setting your base with powder.

Part 1, Cleansing, here....

Parts 2 & 3, Moisturising & Priming, here.....

Parts 4 & 5 Applying Foundation & Concealer.....

Beauty Basics; Setting Powder

The series will return next week.

xx

Beauty Basics; Applying Foundation & Concealer

Parts 4 & 5 of my Beauty Basics Series.....

Part 1, Cleansing, here....

Parts 2 & 3, Moisturising & Priming, here.....

Beauty Basics; Applying Foundation.

Beauty Basics; Concealing.

Beauty Basics; Moisturising & Priming the Face

Parts 2 & 3 from my Beauty Basics Series.

See Part 1 here....

Moisturising your face in the morning....

Priming the face....

Beauty Basics; Morning Cleansing

Starting off your morning with clean, refreshed skin is an absolutely essential part of anyones beauty routine, and will prepare your skin for any lotions and makeup that you're going to be applying to your face later on.
First of all you need to know your skin-type in order to determine your own personal skin needs, so here is a video I made a while ago to help people know theirs. (I'm blonde in it!!)

  

"Festive Sparkle" Christmas Party Makeup Tutorial

Now that the halloween madness is all but a distant memory, it's time to start the Christmas inspired makeup looks for the 2012 festive season!

New! Bourjois Eye Products.

Bourjois have just released some goodies for the peepers, and just in time for the Christmas party season too. ^_^ 

From their "Queen Attitude" range is Kohl Kajal, inspired by the traditional oriental kohl. 

(Think Cleopatra and beautiful Arabic eye makeup!)

Best Black EyeLiners.

Eyeliners Mentioned;

TAG; Confessions of a Beauty Guru

  The Questions:

Depotting Catrice EyeShadows.

What you need to depot.

NOTD; Max Factor 'Fantasy Fire' Mini Nail Polish

I've never been much of a nail polish nut (despite the drawer full of bottles in my makeup room!) but every now and again a certain shade will take my fancy. At the moment that shade is #45 'Fantasy Fire' by Max Factor from the Max Effect range of mini polishes. 

It's a beautiful multi dimensional purple based shade with deep blue accents & delicate golden/pink sparkle throughout. Gives off a fantastic galaxy-like effect.

I previously blogged about the mini polish range here....

They retail for approx €4.99 from Boots Pharmacies & all other Max Factor stockists.

This shade is my favourite of the 8 or so different colours I own. 

Max Factor 'Max Effect Dip-in Eye Shadow'

From left to right;
 Bronzed Glow 02, Ibiza Sunrise 01, Party Lime 06, Vibrant Turquoise 07, Moody Blue 08, Ultra Violet 05.
€7.99 each available from Boots etc.  

Time for some more Max Factor products and these guys are just lovely.

Wilkinson Sword 'Intuition' Revitalising Care

I know many of you won't be as excited by a razor as I am, but I'm sure you dark haired ladies out there will understand where I'm coming from on this one....

Catrice Cosmetics; Show & Tell.

Products used/mentioned;

La Roche-Posay 'Respectissime Ultra Doux' Natural Defining Mascara for Sensitive Eyes

According to a 2007 Ipsos study, 50% of all women have sensitive eyes.

So, La Roche-Posay have now come along with a mascara, whose formula claims to be 94% natural, to help make life easier on those stressed-out peepers.

Max Factor 'Eye Brightening Tonal Black Volumising Mascara'

If  Max Factor do one thing right, it's definitely their mascaras....

(Though saying that, I do love a lot of their products)

My holy-grail mascaras include the Masterpiece and False Lash Effect offerings from the brand.

Their newest collection of mascaras are these coloured or 'gem-toned' products that contain light reflecting particles in tonal black formulas to "Add a subtle brightening effect to enhance the natural colour of your eyes" while also volumising the lashes.

Get Ready With Me; Music Gig Makeup.

Hey Guys :)

Sorry for the delay in posts this week but decided to take a wee break for myself after the Halloween madness. Was a tad zonked afterwards!

As part of my break for the internet, I went down to Limerick for a night to attend an all-day indoor music festival that a load of my buddies were going to, and this is what I wore, hair & makeup-wise, to it!

Siobhán.

xx

Masquerade Mask Makeup Tutorial.

Products used;

Water-soluble glue stick

Ben Nye Setting Powder

Vichy 'Idealia' Smoothing & Illuminating Cream Moisturiser

Vichy have recently added this gem to their already stellar range of skincare products, and oh how I have been enjoying it!

SkinCare Routine; October 2012

PRODUCTS MENTIONED;

Snake through your face 0_o ..... Halloween 2012

Make your own homemade blood....
http://youtu.be/HRS5DwBUbUo

Soap & Glory "Smooch Operator" Lip Butter Balm

I was sent this 9g lip butter balm by Soap & Glory over a month ago now at least & it honestly couldn't have come at a better time!!

Personal MicroDerm; At-home MicroDermabrasion System Review.

Quick & Easy, Perfect EYELINER Tutorial.

Weight Watchers PRO Unique Success Event in aid of Enable Ireland

Small(ish) Boots Haul.....

Story of my life... Made a 'quick' trip to Boots to pick up TWO things I needed for my kit, and 45minutes later, left the place with what you see above. >_<

Thankfully the 3 for 2 offer is running at the minute or it would have been even more disastrous, ha ha!

This is exactly the reason why my visits to Boots have become so less frequent, I only allow myself to pop in about once a month, at most twice... it's a dangerous place for my poor wallet!

Anyhu.... moving on, here's what I picked up & why :)

Maybelline 24HR Colour Tattoo in '35- On & on Bronze'

€7.49

I already have the purple & taupe shades of this product and absolutely love them, so naturally I want them all!! I have heard a lot of people going on about how much they love this particular shade and as I'm so easily influenced, I just had to snap it up. Plus the colour is very much a staple colour of mine.

Fairy / Pixie Halloween Makeup Tutorial.

WHAT??? A pretty/cute Halloween makeup tutorial from me??

Yeah, I know this isn't what people will be used to seeing come from me at this time of the year, but I have been churning out so much gore & grimness, that I decided to do a 'pretty' Halloween look in an attempt to keep everyone happy!

Olay "7-in-1 Anti-Ageing" Total Effects Masks

Even though I'm only 30 & have pretty good skin for my age, I still hop at the chance to try the latest anti-aging products brought out by the various companies. 

And after all, prevention is better than cure, right!?

Realistic, Homemade BLOOD for Halloween..... that sets!!

To make your own blood you'll need;

Day to Night Makeup.

Part 1 'Day Occasion Makeup'

Hey Guys:)

Gross & Gory 'Chelsea smile' Halloween Tutorial

My entire Halloween video collection to date!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL085E1691CA48FBB3

Ok, so this one is super gross but really simple to do!

You just need nose & scar wax, liquid latex, a hairdryer, makeup & blood. Preferably runny blood as well as gel blood.

Product Focus; La Roche-Posay 'Hydreane' BB Creme

Ahh BB Creams, how had I gone so long living without them!?

I know many of ye are sick to the teeth of hearing about BB creams at this stage, but for me, they are a relatively new thing. 

End of Summer Favourites..Part 2; Makeup

Products Mentioned;

La Roche-Posay Hydreane BB Creme

RRP €18.00

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8 in 1 BB Cream

End of Summer Favourites..Part 1; SkinCare

Products Mentioned;

Elimis Sp@home Tranquil Touch Body Cream

Elemis Pro-Collegan Advanced Eye Treatment

Elemis Products;

Wicked Witch; Halloween Makeup Tutorial.

Soooo....... Believe it or not, this was my very first time actually doing a full look using latex! I have always just used gelatin in the past as it's easier to get hold of (everything from the grocery) and not as unpleasant to remove! So this was very much trial & error, which is my favourite thing really. I love experimenting with new things!

La Roche-Posay 'Effaclar' Range.... *LOVE*

Continuing on with my skin-care obsession, I bring you the La Roche Posay 'Effaclar' Range.

Or well a portion of it anyhow.....

I have been using the Effaclar A.I (Anti-Imperfection), the Effaclar Duo & the Effaclar Mat creams for a whileen now after seeing (reading) both Dee & Sinéad of VivaAdonis  rave about the range for absolutely ages, and repeatedly I may add, which only strengthened my desire to jump on the band-wagon and have a go at it myself.

My skin can go through sporadic bouts of clarity but unfortunately, & more-often-than-not, it is home to clusters of spots/mild acne, blocked pores, uneven texture and just plain crappiness. 

I do put about 60% of the blame for this on to the vast number of new products that I am constantly trying out for my blog/youtube channel/makeup kit, and the subsequent clogging up of my skin, but am I going to stop this anytime soon?? I think not! So I need to deal with my skin issues as best as I can while accepting that it'll probably continue to fight against my efforts while I am bombarding it with product after product, ingredient after ingredient. 

Bullet in yo' Head; Halloween Tutorial (2 methods!)

First method begins at; 01:25

Second method begins at; 09:43

The first bullet hole is what I did for halloween on myself & my sister a couple of years ago mainly because I was working & just didn't have the time to do anything more elaborate!

These kind of 'special effects' makeups are generally simple enough to do yet still quite effective!

Definitely practice a few times before the day though. I had almost forgotten how I did this back in 2010 and I don't think it came out quite as good as then but it will still give give ye the general idea how it's done.

Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see pictures of my sister & myself back in 2010.

New Products; Makeup (First Impressions & Demo)... Part 2.

Products Mentioned;

New Products; Skincare & Makeup (First Impressions & Demo) ..... Part 1.

Products Mentioned;

Scary/Creepy Skull Makeup Tutorial; Halloween '12

It's nearly that time of year again...... EEEEEEEEK!!!

Makeup Storage, Organisation & Set-up! Aug '12

JeanFrancoisCD's Video.....
http://youtu.be/GsvxSjQYDew

Tutorial for the look I'm wearing in this video....

http://youtu.be/DzWIjZ1lPc4

Product Focus; Clinique 'All about eyes' Eye Gel

Another day, another skincare post.....

 BUT this is a firm favourite of mine and for a good while now!

I'd say I must have tried about 50 different eye cream formulas in my time & I'm very particular about what I like. Especially since I've noticed the skin around the under-eye area starting to show the first signs of *gasp* aging!!! EEK! Not fun >_<

Easy Back 2 School/College Makeup; Plus tips & product suggestions!

Elemis Goodies; Part 1... Sp@home 'Body Exotics' Range

Oh how I love my skin care!

It's definitely one of my guilty pleasures in life... Guilty because I usually spend way too much of my hard earned cash on it!

So you can imagine my elation when the good people at Elemis sent me a few bits to try out... There may have been a few 'Oohs & Aahs' out of me when I opened my package ^_^

Anyhow..... A few of the bits I got are from their 'Sp@home' Body Exotics line which is what it sounds like, products designed to be used in the home but of Spa or salon grade. 

 I received the 'Tranquil touch' Body Polish, 'Frangipani monoi' Body Oil & the 'Tranquil touch' Body Cream.

Rich, Orange Autumnal Eyes; Makeup Tutorial.

Product Focus; Vichy '3 in 1 Purete Thermale' Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution

Bit of a mouthful but boy what a fab product!! 

I've been using this cleansing solution for a few months now and am totally hooked. All other cleansers pale in comparison. 

Not sure which of the above is the most current packaging
but each has the exact same wording.

Most Worn Things Tag! LetzMakeup Aug '12

TarMars Channel.....

http://www.youtube.com/user/TarMarTales

Top 5 (ish) Foundation brushes.

So many Goodies, so little time!

One of the best perks of blogging and running a makeup website is definitely the makeup products we get to try out and play with, to review etc. Some I pay for myself, some I get as gifts and some are sent (& received very happily) for free for consideration!

Below are some of the bits & pieces I have accrued over the past couple of months. I have tried some of them but just haven't had the time to get through them all yet!

Max Factor lovlies ^_^

Clean/Sanitise your Makeup Brushes.

Hey Guys!

I get asked absolutely LOADS about how to clean makeup brushes properly or what products I use, and how often etc.

 Hopefully this video will go a little way in explaining all that!

Deluxe Makeup Trolley -V- Zuca Bag -V- Inglot Train Case

*Watch the video for my show & tell / full review on the 3 bags. (Compare & Contrast)

Dramatic/Artistic Eyeliner Makeup Tutorial.

New Makeup Case & Mini Beauty Supply Haul.

Top 10 Drugstore/Pharmacy Makeup & Beauty Products.

Products Mentioned;

MAC MatchMaster Foundation SPF15.

MAC A/W'12 Trend; Roam-Antique

This look is a re-creation of a design by Makeup Artist Kabuki which was created for the A/W '12 'The Blondes' Runway Show at Fashion Weeks.

LetzMakeup Loves; Re-Purchased Makeup & Beauty Products.

Vintage Bride; Makeup Lesson / Tutorial.

Hey Everyone:)

Product Focus; Real Techniques 'Stippling Brush'

Note; What I used to call "Product of the week/month" will now be referred to as "Product Focus" as I can't honestly commit to weekly/monthly updates of the series, so they will be sporadic and will happen most likely when I'm seriously crushing on a product, new or vintage ^_^

 

Available online here....

Golden Browns Makeup Look.

Olay Serums.

Time for another Skin-Care type post me thinks, and at the moment I am happily slapping a couple of serums by Olay onto my face, both of which I am loving!

The first one I got, which I bought in Dunnes Stores for about €12 is the 'Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum'

Max Factor 'Ageless Elixir' 2 in 1 Foundation & Serum.

To start off what will be an ongoing and sporadic foundation "show & tell" series,

I bring you this beauty in the shape of 

Max Factor "Ageless Elixir" 2 in 1 Foundation & Serum SPF 15.

New Additions to Sigma's 'Sigmax' Brush Collection!!!!

http://www.sigmabeauty.com/

Hey Guys!

I opened up my e-mails this morning as usual to see what's going on and was delighted to see that Sigma have added 2 new brushes to their Sigmax Collection making the entire line up a 10 piece brush collection!

Sanitising Makeup.

Watch the video to learn how working makeup artists sanitise their makeup products for the safe use on multiple people/clients!!

The main thing to remember is that the alcohol content needs to be 70% minimum to be effective!

Xx

Sedona Lace Midnight Lace & 12pc Synthetic Brush Set Review.

The MidNight Lace Brush Set 

Sultry Smokey Makeup Look.