Tuesday 27 June 2017

Kiss Summer Party

You may have heard of Kiss, a global beauty brand specialising in nail and lash products (check out their website here!). I was lucky enough to be invited to the Kiss Summer Party which was held on the roof top garden of The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, and it didn't disappoint.

This was the first blogger event I'd attended so I was a little apprehensive and unsure of what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. 


SnazzyYazi and I arrived at the party together, trying to quash each others nerves. We needn't have worried though as I'm sure many other girls were feeling the same, and the welcoming atmosphere that greeted us ensured any anxious thoughts were long forgotten.


On arrival we were treated to a cocktail and given free reign to check out the tables stacked high with fabulous Kiss products,  the variety of nail shapes, shades, and lash styles was extensive! Not only this, but there were also free manicures and lash applications available, as well as the added bonus of having a quick chat with renowned make up artist, Paddy McGurgan, who was so charismatic and even complimented my make up (squeals!). 


Not only was it a great evening of learning more about the Kiss brand and trying their products, it was a brilliant way to meet other bloggers and share tips and stories. There were so many lovely girls who I'd never met before but had of course read their blogs, and I found it so helpful putting blog names to faces.

Of course one of the highlights of the evening was the free goodie bag we all received, with an extremely generous stash of Kiss products. I was so pleased as I'd actually never tried any of their lashes or nails before, so it was greatly appreciated. Keep an eye out for a review on these in the near future!

As the evening drew to a close, SnazzyYazi and I said our goodbyes and left on a high, not only feeling proud of ourselves for going, but also greatly encouraged by the positivity and friendliness of our fellow bloggers. I do hope our paths cross again in the near future, and I hope there are many more opportunities to attend such exciting events.


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Sunday 18 June 2017

First Impressions: 'The Ordinary' Coverage Foundation

I don't usually do a first impressions review, but there's a reason behind this one. I ordered a shade of The Ordinary's Coverage Foundation, and when it eventually arrived, I found it a bit too light to wear alone. Not wanting to have it sitting collecting dust, I am currently mixing it with another brand while waiting for the darker shade to make an appearance through my letterbox.

As there is so much hype currently surrounding the launch of this foundation, not to mention a waiting list of 25,000, I thought I'd do a quick post about my first impression of the product and whether I think it's worth the buzz.


The shade I purchased was 2.0 YG in the coverage version, a light-medium shade with yellow and golden undertones. The tone of the foundation is spot on for me, no pink in sight, hooray! However, the shade is a tad too light especially since I wear tan on a daily basis.

The foundation comes in a plastic bottle, and includes a handy pump. It's quite minimalistic, but it fulfills its purpose and is great for travelling as you can deactivate the pump to stop it leaking. This foundation also contains SPF 15, which is a great added bonus and ideal for everyday wear.

On the day I received my bottle, I did apply it with a flat top buffer brush and it provided more of a medium coverage with one layer. I do have a couple of little red marks from previous blemishes that needed extra coverage but I find that with any foundation I use. The finish was more of a natural one, and it didn't feel too greasy which can be the case with sunscreen containing foundation.

One pump of 2.0YG
The bottle describes the product as a 'high coverage foundation formula' and I do agree with this, although in order to achieve this you would need to apply two layers and probably use a brush as opposed to a sponge which can tend to sheer out any foundation.

I usually mix two shades of Too Faced Born This Way (Warm Beige & Light Beige), so I have been using this foundation mixed with the darker of the two. I cannot comment on the wearing time of this foundation alone just yet, as mixing it with my Too Faced is not a fair test, however, I will do a follow up when my darker shade arrives. Generally, this wore well when mixed with my other foundation, and it definitely blended well the first time I applied it alone. I'm very pleased that The Ordinary have made such a wide array of not only shades, but undertones. It's hard to find a brand that is affordable and doesn't assume everyone who is fair has a pink undertone.

At first I thought the shade labelling was a bit too confusing, but they've created a shade chart (available here!) that helps you decide on your own shade, and whether you would like a pink, neutral, or yellow undertone. And if you can't whittle it down to just one, at £5.90 per bottle they are cheap enough to buy two.

Available here! I must add, there is also a serum foundation that can be purchased on The Ordinary website. As it suggests, it's lighter coverage and probably best suited to those of you with a slightly dry complexion.
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Nail Polish That Actually Lasts?

Nail polish formulas can be hit and miss, and I know a lot of people opt for a gel manicure instead of dealing with the hassle of normal, high street brands.

I, however, have never had a gel manciure as I have quite long nails that are easy to paint, although I do struggle to find high quality nail polishes that don't chip easily. I love the range of colours that the likes of Barry M, and Nails Inc have to offer, but I've never been blown away by their ability to last.

On the rare occassion that I happened to dander into Urban Outfitters a few months ago, I clocked eyes on a selection of nail polish that were all 15ml, slightly larger than a bottle of Nails Inc! At the time I think it was two for £10 (or £6 each), so I picked up two shades I don't own in my already vast collection. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for the polish, but oh how wrong I was.

The two shades I purchased were 'Anorak', a rather unique shade of purple, and an iridescent top coat called 'Twilight Sparkle'.


The first time I applied 'Anorak' I immediately fell in love. The shade is not only unusual but extremely eye catching, and I receive so many compliments when I wear it. It looks especially gorgeous with a tan. Before going on holiday for a week, I was trying to pick a nail shade that I knew would look great in the sun but also be able to last for as long as possible, because there is nothing more hateful than having to repaint your nails in 30 degree heat.


In the end I chose 'Anorak' as I thought it had lasted so well many times before, although I did bring the bottle along with me too, just in case. From a Thursday right through to the Friday I got home, my nail polish did not budge. Between packing, zipping and unzipping, lifting my heavy suitcase, going through a theme park, going on rollercoasters, and general sunbathing, this nail colour did not falter. I did expect it to be somewhat less vibrant by the time the holiday was over as the sun tends to fade things, but it still looked great.

In fact, the only reason I took 'Anorak' off when I got home was because my nails had grown, leaving bare nail at the top beside my cuticle. Impressive.

So there you go, I feel Urban Outfitters are on to a winning nail polish formula. This beats any of my Barry M bottles as they tend to chip quite easily on me, and my small collection of Nails Inc shades don't even last this long. I just wish I'd bought more shades!

Buy here!
I am nearly sure the shade described as 'Purple Multi' is Anorak.
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Saturday 17 June 2017

Resting Beach Face Essentials

If, like me, you struggle to narrow down your make up bag to take on holiday, I feel ya. I was going on holiday for a week, and as a girl with an extensive make up collection and a 15kg bag allowance, the heat was on. I know a lot of people say they don't bother with make up on holiday, but I wanted to look half human in my holiday snaps, plus I didn't want to scare the Spaniards.

I managed to do a quick smash and grab through my make up collection and whittled my beauty bag down to a minimum, so I thought I'd share a couple of the chosen ones with you. (All shade names and links to each product are listed at the end!)



First off, eyebrows. Now I work for Benefit Cosmetics, and eyebrows are kind of a big deal. There was no way I'd be going au naturel in that department, so I brought my trusty KaBrow of course, but also brought along a Gimme Brow, Precisely My Brow and the Ready, Set, Brow gel. I used the Kabrow twice on my whole holiday which surprised me, as I found using the Precisely My Brow pencil and some clear setting gel was more soft and flattering especially when I didn't have much eye make up on. Gimme Brow isn't usually a product I'd reach for on a daily basis, but I did find myself using it in the evening over the brow pencil to add a bit more definition.



People will probably think I'm vain, but there is no way I can sunbathe without some coverage on my face, whether it be a light foundation or a swish of bronzer. I just can't do it. Also, before I went on holiday I put two layers of my trusty BBold tan on so there was no way I was lying by the pool with a mahogany body and a corpse coloured face. I wanted something light that had added SPF and didn't look too heavy but gave reasonable coverage and a bit of a glow. Urban Decay's Naked Skin One and Done was the answer to my corpse face prayers. This stuff really impressed me, because not only does it contain SPF20, it also delivers good coverage, doesn't feel sticky, and dries to a satiny matte finish. It also didn't cause any blemishes, and lasted in the heat. I wore it before I went on holiday too and couldn't fault it, so I know I'll use the rest of the tube at home.



For evening time, I decided I wanted to bring some eye shadows but my collection is ridiculous and like many of you, I only use certain shades from particular palettes and rarely use single shadows. That's why I'm thankful I came across these small, 'Eye Lux' palettes by LA Girl. They each contain four shadow shades, ranging from matte to satin and shimmer, and are great pigment for the price. The two I brought with me each had a crease colour, an all over lid colour, a brow bone highlight and a darker shade to add depth on the outer lid. So handy, and easy to fling in your bag. It saved me any hassle as both had the precise shades for two different eye looks. I also think LA Girl made these in a wide array of shades, so if you're looking for something cheap and handy, definitely give these a Google.



I won't waffle on too much about my favourite blusher in the land, but I did take it with me and now the summery smell of it reminds me of cocktails and Despacito. Galifornia is the most gorgeous blush for holidays and gives skin a glowy flush of colour. As for mascara, I only recently discovered this one and I really enjoy using it. Maybelline Colossal Big Shot is super black, and a light formula that holds a curl and makes my lashes look a lot better than they are. I struggle to find mascara that doesn't weigh my lashes down and this does such a good job. It looked so good I didn't want to take it off at night, and it is waterproof so no smudges here.



Since I knew I probably wasn't going to bother with eyeshadow every night, I took some bright lip products that would brighten up my face and add to the holiday vibes. I brought a bright fushia lip liner, an orangey peach shade, and I also bought this Barry M Matte Me Up liquid lipstick in the airport, which is pink with hints of coral and red. They added a pop of colour to my otherwise neutral face.



Finally, I only found this amazing L'Oreal powder when I was out there, but I thought I'd include it here because it's such a good product. It's described as a 'healthy glow powder', and you could probably use this as a setting powder if you wanted to darken your foundation, however I just used it as a bronzer, and was really impressed with the tone. (I did try and find a UK link for this, but it must be unavailable here for now.)

I've also included this wonderful little spray here for one reason, it's fab. It's basically thermal spring water in a can, that when spritzed around your face and neck gives a refreshing light mist that helps to take the edge off the heat. I loved it for when I ever felt flustered or uncomfortable. I wish I had a massive one so I could have done my whole body because this stuff is a gift from the post-sun angels.

Shop this post:
Benefit Gimme Brow (Shade 3)
Benefit Ready, Set, Brow!
Urban Decay Naked One & Done (Shade Medium)
L.A Girl Eye Lux (Harmonize & Sensualize)
Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara
Benefit Galifornia
NYX Suede Lip Liner (Pink Lust)
Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner (Peachy-Beachy)
Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Paint (Pop-Up)
Avene Eau Thermale
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