Clarins Everlasting Compact | Foundation Review

This is a brand new release for Clarins; a long wearing, matte powder foundation in a compact to take with you on the go. This is also a new one for me! 

I'm not sure I've ever actually used a powder foundation. Feel free to gasp in horror at this stage of the proceedings but bear in mind that I have dry skin so I've pretty much always been about the dewier liquid foundations, a powder feels counter-intuitive for dry skin. Add to that, I've always wondered how well a powder foundation can actually apply. Does it cover what you want to cover?

Well, Clarins describe this as an "a timeless compact powder foundation to achieve an ultra matte complexion that goes anywhere with you and minimises dark spots, imperfections and redness, as well as signs of stress". 

Clarins also suggest it provides 15 hours of matte coverage with no need for touch ups and that it won't create a "mask" effect. This is all good news for me, I don't like a very heavy foundation look but I guess the repeated use of the word "matte" did ring some alarm bells for my dry skin! 

I haven't tried the 15 hours of coverage as I pretty much never have make up on my face for that length of time, but I can say it stayed on well for 8 hours. It's a super soft and finely milled powder and it applies like a dream. Having said that, I don't have dry patches but I would worry it might catch on them if you did, in spite of how lovely it is to apply. It is still a powder, after all.

Packaging wise, it's beautifully sleek and lightweight with a mirror and an application sponge that makes it supremely handy for travel, or indeed touch ups, if you found you needed to do so. Other good news is that it has an SPF of 9, not so bad for Winter time and it comes in 13 shades. The shade I have, 108 Sand, is slightly too dark for me normally but works well when I have tan on. 

So, on to the application itself. I prepped for this foundation as I do all of them; cleanse, serum, moisturiser, primer. I used the given sponge for some of my face and a powder foundation brush for the rest and it applied very well with both. 

It definitely has a matte finish and I have to say, it felt weird to me the first time I wore it- I'm just so not used to that sensation! The more I've used it since though, I've found it to actually sit quite comfortably on my skin and furthermore, I absolutely love that you can only apply a small amount and still feel like you've put on your make up. Liquid foundations can be tedious to apply and can take time you might not necessarily have but this is really easy. If I'm doing something or going out for the evening, I'll put on a bit more (see photo below) and build it up. Yesterday though I was just popping out for breakfast in a local cafe and couldn't be bothered with much so I just applied a light layer of this and it gave me a nice glow, without looking overdone. 

If you're still not sure, take a look at the before and after!

I promise that even though they look completely different, neither photo is filtered! Both photos were taken in natural daylight, at the same time of day. No filter, no photoshop. Look how healthy I look in the second one! In the first photo, I'm wearing eye make up and have filled in my brows only, in the second I've added Clarins Everlasting foundation, concealer, bronzer on my neck to even things out and Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Pillow Talk.

This for me, goes to show that it's always worth breaking out of your comfort zone. With blogging, I've certainly done that but even at my old age blogger status (five years and counting) I can do with mixing things up a bit and trying new formulas, new shades and new ideas, basically! 

If you haven't tried powder foundation but are keen to give it a go, I think this is an ideal option. It's so convenient- pop it in your bag and top it up later in the day if needed, no mess, no fuss. 

If you have dry skin and are worried about powder, bear in mind that you will need to prep your skin properly beforehand and if you suffer from dry patches, you may want to avoid. 

Have you a fan of powder foundations?

Which is your favourite?

To the comments!

XX

U.S Drugstore Buys

So we were in the states over Halloween and I of course had to stop at both a Sephora and several pharmacies for make-up. Drugstores over there (CVS, Walgreens etc) are not like our own; they sell everything from painkillers to ice cream with children's toys and random touristy crap in between.

There are also, of course, several make-up brands that we don't have in Ireland and ones that we do but with products we can't get here. 

Hence, a little splurge:

I had plenty of other things on my to-buy list, including the It Cosmetics CC cream, as recommended by the lovely @AinePrendo (on Snapchat) but I couldn't find a nearby Ulta so that was out. I did get plenty of other things however, including this super pretty Milani Rose Powder Blush.

I haven't tried anything from Milani but I knew I had to get a blush- what they're best known for. I had a baked blush in my basket but then I saw this beauty and sure it was too aesthetically pleasing to leave behind. I got the shade Tea Rose and it really is the perfect pink hue. It's ideal for pale Irish skin tones, although I will admit to being tempted by Coral Cove, also lovely but way too bright for me. This was around the $7 mark.

I had originally put a couple of Milani lipsticks into the basket but then I saw this Katy Perry collaboration with CoverGirl and I had to try them out.

While I'm not the biggest Katy fan in the world, I have danced my socks off to plenty of her hits and I enjoyed her movie on Netflix, especially the part where we were introduced to her cat; Kitty Purry. Granted, that is, somewhat egomaniacal but it's also quite cute so obviously I got that shade, which is a mauve and Cat Call, a brighter pop of coral. 

These are matte, which is good news for me as that's my current favourite type of lipstick finish.

These were, strangely also $7 each (I swear I didn't just buy things that were $7. My Sephora receipt will attest to that) but I thought these were great value for the price.

This was also an Áine/snapchat recommendation and although I've yet to try it, I am excited by the concept of a product that contains moisturiser, primer, foundation, SPF, colour correction and pore blurring. I'll be honest, I always thought that last one was pure nonsense but apparently, my pores don't agree with me. I know we have Physicians Formula in Ireland now but to be honest, I can never find a stand and if I do it's been ravaged by youths. 

This was an @SkinnyDoll (again, snapchat!) recommendation and I'm loving it! There were actually three variations in the Maybelline Master Primer range- one for oily skin and a colour corrector I think but I have dry skin and tend to always go for the illuminating primers. This fella also has that blurring property and an SPF 30. This works. My foundation has a healthy glow-from-within look to it with this underneath and it provides a nice base. I'd liken this to Benefit's That Gal except that this is way cheaper, obvs. This was $9.

These Kylie for Sinful Colours polishes were only $1.49 each, so I couldn't leave them behind. The cobalt blue shade, Kosmos (bloody K's everywhere) and the pale blue, Magik Touch are both colours I love and Sinful Colours are generally great quality so I could get over the Kardashian-isation for that alone.

This lot are far less exciting but due to our bags not arriving from JFK to New Orleans with us, we had to pick up a few essentials. I can't shower and not apply moisturiser afterwards so this massive yoke of Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe lotion was a must and worked well in the stifling heat. I couldn't have imagined lashing on a body butter in that humidity so this was ideal. Back in an Irish Winter however, and this loses some of its attraction so I'll be bringing it out again next Summer instead. 

Speaking of heat, SPF was a must and this one from Banana Boat was super handy; it sprays on clear and absorbs practically instantly plus it's factor 50. Perfect!

The Burt's Bees Ultimate Care Body Lotion for Very Dry Skin was purchased towards the end of the holiday. I love this brand and couldn't resist browsing the shelves for them at a slightly reduced price! I'm hoping this particular product is available here cause I am nearly finished and I love it! Containing Baobab Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil and Green Tea extract, this both smells incredible and leaves my super parched skin softer than anything I've used before. Big thumbs up!

As I didn't have any hair products for a couple of days, I had to get the smart girls best friend; dry shampoo. I didn't know much about a lot of the brands they had on this shelf so I went for Pantene; ye olde reliable. Anyway, this works grand. It smells pleasant enough and does the job. Having said that, my scalp felt slightly itchy (not sure if that was down to the glaring sun also) and I think we have better options on this side of the water.

Lastly then is a packet of Burt's Bees Cucumber Face Wipes. 

I know, I know. Face wipes; the devils own beauty spawn but needs must and these worked a treat for the couple of days. After that I ended up using them up for perfecting our Day of the Dead face paint for Halloween. These were surprisingly non-abrasive on my skin.

And that is the lot!

I will go into further detail about my Sephora purchases at a later date but for now, have you tried any of these?

Anything there that you'd like to see a more in-depth review on?

To the comments!

XX

Korean Beauty; Tony Moly & Skin79

A while back I showed you some bits from Korean beauty brand, Tony Moly that I picked up while in New York. When we were in Barcelona, I managed to find a Sephora (it's a unique honing ability that I have. That and using the internet) and found to my delight that there was a Tony Moly section there too!

I had been looking for the Bunny Bars for aaaaaages and was unwilling to part with cold hard cash over the internet for fear of being duped and sent nothing in return (I fear eBay). This is a Petit Bunny Gloss Bar in the shade Juicy Cherry. I particularly love the disdainful expression on his face. He hates you and he's letting you know all about it. If I can find more of these in the New Orleans Sephora, you'd best believe I'll be stocking up. It's just far too kitsch for me to not spend all my money on (and to be fair, they're not actually pricey).

Speaking of kitsch, is this Mini Green Apple lip balm. I already have the cherry and peach versions of these and at the time when I wrote the blog post about them, I said they weren't the best lip balms for moisturising, and granted that is still true but I grew to become practically dependant on the peach one when I was last an inpatient in hospital, in spite of several people pointing out to me that it looked like a nipple (Lads, I'm a midwife, that doesn't bother me in the slightest). This one smells more like a perfumed apple…like what I imagine those DKNY apple shaped perfume bottles smell like. It's not overly glossy but has a nice smack to it and seems to settle in quickly and moisturise. I like.

Lastly, from Skin79 this time, is an Intensive Moisturiser Animal Mask for Dry Monkey Skin. Apparently there was not a mistake in the translation.
I have dry skin so I thought this was a great idea and as you know, I love a sheet mask for it's serial killer-style aesthetics. The description of "Hilarious Monkey Mask containing Hyaluronic Acid makes your skin moisturised" also appealed to me and Skin79 are renowned for their good quality skincare. I bought one of these for my friend's birthday too so hopefully she wasn't too horrified by it…

I just had a shower so my hair was wet, in case you were wondering.

Yeah. It's really more "creepy clown" than monkey mask but sure look, if you can't rock a terrifying face mask coming up to Halloween, when can you, am I right?

That aside, it smells lovely and my skin felt great afterwards, plus my make-up went on nicely the next day.

Have you tried anything from Tony Moly or Skin79 before?

XX

Benefit Do The Hoola!

Don't you just love receiving an unexpected gift of make-up? It happens so rarely but when it does my eyes do that light-up thing, like the heart-eyed emoji.
Recently my in-laws were away and they brought me this fella back. If I were going to treat myself, make-up wise, I probably wouldn't reach for Benefit, purely because it's a bit pricey for a splurge- it's Boots all the way and a stop at a Rimmel or a Bourjois stand for me and my nurses salary.
Benefit, though, lends itself well to gifting purposes; it's all so goddamn fancy. These style of sets are so fun too; I love all the mini sizes and compartments in the book look-a-like box.

Do The Hoola is the Beyond Bronze kit for complexion, lips and eyes and is perfect for Summer.

Inside the lid there's a mirror and a tips and tricks booklet showing you how to get the most out of the set, which is always handy.

The products themselves correspond with the booklet, numbering 1-4 for the order in which you use them.

Number one is a brand new product and one I've been super eager to try. Dew the Hoola is a sheer, soft-matte, liquid face bronzer. You get 7mls in a pump-action bottle with a faintly floral scent. I feel like this is slightly too dark for my skin tone when I'm going au natural. If I have tan on, then it works well. Although it claims to have a sheer formula, I find it to be quite pigmented and it also mattifies pretty fast. Because of this it needs to be quickly blended nut seems to add more of a natural glow than a powder bronzer does.

Number two is a benefit best-seller; Hoola bronzer. I've previously only ever had a mini of this but I love it. It's a super soft, finely-milled, flattering powder that can be built up from glowing to bronzed in a matter of seconds. Would you just look at that dinky little brush too! Squee!

Number three is They're Real, this is the best selling mascara in the UK and it's easy to see why. I previously had a full size of this and the only thing that stopped me from repurchasing was how stubborn it was to take off. I have a pretty decent eye make-up remover on the go at the minute though so I'm hoping for good things.

Number three is Bene balm, a rose tinted, hydrating lip balm. I love the Benetint balms and this one is particularly flattering, plus mini size!!! Cuteness!!

Lastly, there's Hoola extra plush lip gloss. This smells like Summer; kind of like a Pina Colada. It feels super comforting on the lips; there's a good slip there and it's not sticky- more like a glossy balm than anything. It goes on clear but there's a peachy/golden shimmer in there that adds a subtle and flattering extra dimension to the gloss. This is one you need to try for yourself, cause I know if I heard of a peach/gold shimmered gloss, I'd run a mile. Not with this though, it's very nice indeed. The combination of this and the Bene Tint underneath is lovely too.

Have you tried the new liquid bronzer from Benefit? 

XX

An "It's Almost Summer" Haul

There was a strong hint of Summer there one of the days recently and as I sweltered in my Winter coat and sunglasses (cause you can never be too well-prepared in Ireland), I was lured into a Boots by an offer of buy-one-get-one-half-price on every make-up brand and sure you can imagine what happened next. 

(I bought all of this stuff, is what happened next.)

First up is this very pretty bronzer/blusher from Maybelline in 09, Sun Tropics. Dream Sun features two matte products in one to provide your skin with a nice warm glow. So far I'm really loving the bronzing part- it's subtle enough that you won't look like you've been tangoed but can be built up for extra contouring. I love that it's shimmer-free cause I do prefer a more natural looking glow. That pinky/coral is a very pretty design but the colour pay-off isn't fantastic. You definitely need to really work your brush in there to get a good result but either way, I quite like this one and I do think it's handy for travel etc. 

Bourjois recently brought out City Radiance; a foundation with SPF30, radiance boosting pigments and an anti-polution screen. This is actually my second tube! I haven't even finished the first one but I love it so much I said I'd get it, plus it worked out nicely with the offer that was on (the concealer, below!). I'll do a proper review on this soon cause I need more space to rave about it but for now, if you have somewhat dry skin, need a light daytime foundation that makes you look really well, then, look no further!

The offer on Barry M could only for me, be used on their nail polishes, which I love and tend to stock up on every Summer, thanks to their fab range of pastels, neons and nudes, all of which look great with a tan! 

So, these two are both new; Coconut infusion contains a blend of Coconut water and oils to hydrate and nourish nails, as well as leave a glossy finish. I got the shade Flamingo, because I couldn't not get a shade that tropical with that name! I've so far only worn this on my toe nails and it's holding up well there. The colour is a lovely smooth, creamy pastel and is indeed nicely shiny. 

Mani Mask is a major favourite though. I've again, only worn this once but it held up well on my fingernails and leaves such a gorgeous finish; semi-matte that takes care of your nails and makes them look super healthy and classy too! Two of my friends that saw my nails immediately wanted to buy a bottle for themselves! I got the shade Birthday Suit, which is a nude but there's also Bashful; a baby pink that I may need to pick up too...

I was actually originally just looking for this newbie from Bourjois; Radiance Reveal Concealer and then of course, I bought ALL the things. This is really good. It's designed to correct, illuminate and provide 24hour hydration so from that you can decipher that it's ideal for under the eye. It's a similar product to the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer except that this is much lighter. If you liked the Nars but felt it settled in fine lines, this may be a good alternative for you. You may find yourself compromising slightly on coverage (I think nothing really beats the Nars) but this is a very good alternative and well worth trying- I really like it so far.

The Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Eye is a repurchase. I'm just finished one of these bad boys and would recommend buying the light one whenever you see it as they tend to sell out pretty quickly! I will do a proper review on this one too because it's really excellent for concealing under-eye dark circles. 

Have you tried any of these? 

Anything catching your eye?

XX

Tony Moly: Mini Brand Focus

Tony Moly is a Korean beauty brand, known for their ridiculously cute packaging and fun colours. I've lusted after the adorable products for a really long time now cause if there's anything I love it's a bit of kitsch.

These were all picked up in that very dangerous mini's aisle of Sephora near the till. I'm a terror for mini sizes of anything, they're immediately more desirable purely because of their size and sure lip balms in the shape of fruit are practically necessities anyway. Ahem.

The Cherry Balm smells a bit like sweets (ideal for a Haribo addict, such as myself) while the Peach Balm is like a Bellini in moisturising form (also ideal for a Bellini lover, such as myself) and are lovely on the lips (they're designed to soften and plump). The Cherry Balm has a tint but it's quite light, definitely not an alternative to a lip stain or lipstick while the peach translates as clear/pink on. My lips did feel nicely soft after using them both- these are very nice balms indeed.

Where these really shine is on the packaging front however, from that shiny cherry with its pliable stalk to that smooth peach groove; these are make-up-bag eye candy, let's be fair. 

Both were 10 dollars each and if I could get the whole range of fruit shaped products, I probably would!

What was actually not worth my hard earned shekels at all was the Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base, $12. This is an eye serum base in stick form with brightening peptides to illuminate the skin around the eyes. It smells lovely and makes a nice smooth base once it's blended but I can't say I've noticed a huge difference from using it compared to not using it.

In conclusion (thanks, Leaving Cert English), these are very cute products and are nice to use but probably not worth going out of your way to get, unless you're as mad into a novelty as I am!

Have you tried anything from Tony Moly?

XX

American Drugstore Haul!

Last week I went through what I bought in Sephora and Ulta (HERE) and today I'm looking at the slightly more affordable bits and pieces I picked up whilst Stateside!

I love a bit of Revlon and their lipsticks in particular; this Super Lustrous Shine in Plum Velour is gonna be an Autumn/Winter winner I think! I really like this Photoready Eye Art Duo also; one end is a cream metallic shade and the other is a glitter liner. Festive party season, here we come! Speaking of perfect Autumn/Winter lipsticks is this Smart Shade Butter Kiss from Almay. They all looked gorgeous but I got the shade Berry.

Burt's Bees is a lot cheaper over there so I got a Wild Cherry Lip balm for about $2 and this Lip Crayon in Napa Vineyard for about $8 ( I think). I love their balms- they're super moisturising, perfect for Winter. The Lip Crayon is surprisingly pigmented but a bit drying, so I'll be combining it with the aforementioned balm! I also picked up a set of four of the balms in lovely flavours and a couple of EOS sphere balms, all to give as gifts, so I won't show them to ye here. I'm mentioning them just to point out how much better value they are over there; the EOS balms were two for $7, far less than what we pay here.

I can however show you this EOS Hand Lotion which was again only a few dollars. This is Berry Blossom; it smells divine and feels super moisturising.

I also wanted to try a drugstore foundation and CoverGirl seemed like an obvious choice. This is a hydrating foundation, perfect for dry skin. This is actually really nice on but you need to add a bit of glow yourself as the foundation is a bit on the flat side. Still, very good quality for $6.

Ulta had a massive NYX stand and being honest, I've never actually found a properly stocked stand at home. It was a struggle just to decide on the two things but I plumped for a High Definition Blush in Taupe (which is always out of stock in Dublin) and a Gel Pencil Liner in Brown, because I'm obsessed with smudgy brown liners at the minute.

Speaking of brown liners, I really liked the look of this brand, Flower in Walmart. It turns out that it's actually Drew Barrymore's company and having bought this Kohl Liner in Espresso and Blush/Bronze Duo in Gloriously Golden, I kind of wish I'd bought more!

I had this Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles and struggled to find it over there. I have the regular concealer of this- this one is a brightener/illuminator and only available in America.

I hadn't seen these L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes over here so I said I may as well try one. I got it in Soft Peach. 

I really like this Essie Autumn/Winter collection so I went for a beautiful dark plum shade, In The Lobby.

I found a full ELF stand but there was nothing I really wanted other than a few brushes, so I picked up a fan brush, an eyeshadow brush and a Blending Eye Brush. They were all 1-2 dollars each.

Lastly, is this ridiculously cute mini pot of Vaseline Rosy Lips, which, if I'm honest, I only bought because of how dotey it is. Squeeee!!!

Let me know if there's any of these that you'd like to see reviewed in more detail!

XX

Sephora & Ulta Haul!

So, here it is at last! I know, I'm desperate. I haven't been feeling the best lately and that combined with jet lag and being run down have left me a bit slow on the blogging uptake. I'm getting there though, I promise! 

Anyway, you may recall I had written a whole post on what I planned on buying while in the states (HERE) and overall I did pretty well! I didn't get everything on it but I also got things that weren't on it in the first place so, that kind of works out even I guess?!

Make-up

Sephora Favourites: Give Me Some Lip. A great way to try different brands, I love this set of six lip products from Tarte, Marc Jacobs, Make Up For Ever, Kat Von D, Sugar and Sephora.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light to Medium. I have yet to use this but I'll get on it and report back!
I was determined to try some bits from Tony Moly, I never have and they're just so cute. So, I got; Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base, Mini Cherry Lip Balm and Mini Peach Lip Balm (I got totally suckered by the shelves of tiny cute things at the counter).
These Lip Pencils from Nars were my free birthday gift (thanks, Sephora!), I'm thrilled as I really wanted to try classic red, Cruella and Rikugien looks like a great everyday shade.
I had a few bits from Becca on my list that I wanted to try (I swatched the Jacyln Hill highlighter but it just wasn't me) and found this great set from Ulta. I had to throw out the box to make room but that aside it contained; Under Eye Brightening Corrector, Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlights in Opal, Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal and Beach Tint Lip Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry Opal. I'm going to try these out properly and get back to ye!
Sephora Rouge Infusion Lip Ink in Peony and Cherry Nectar. Peony is actually one of the mini sizes in the give me some lip set & I loved it so much I had to get it in full and try another shade!
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Black and Lock-It Concealer; it's actually a miracle that I didn't buy more from Kat Von D. I was tempted by the contouring palette and the foundation but decided against both on swatching. I LOVE both of these though.

Skincare

I had the Kate Somerville Goat's Milk Cream on my list before I went and had the Fresh Black Tea Overnight Mask on my Pinterest list (I should explain this; I created a list of Sephora things I wanted in my "likes" section, which I was then able to refer to whilst shopping. Handy!)
Both were pretty pricey but I'm loving them so it's been well worth it so far!
I wanted to try some Boscia and a sheet mask so I combined the two with this Tsubaki Oil Deep Hydration Hydrogen Mask. I also really wanted to try the Sephora Eye Masks and so I went for this Green Tea one.
Ole Henriksen was on my list but I didn't want to splash out on any full size without trying them first. I love Sephora for these mini sets, you actually get a lot with three different small products for the price of one. It's ideal for someone like me who likes to mix up their skincare a good bit! Included in the set is Truth Serum Collagen Booster, Sheer Transformation and Invigorating Night Treatment. 
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light. This was a free gift with purchase in Sephora. I've only briefly tried this but I love it- super comforting!

Miscellaneous!

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5 in 1 Treatment. I had this on my list and it was a good purchase; I've been using it since buying it and I'm really liking it. I'll have a full post soon.
Caviar CC Cream 10 in 1 Complete Correction Leave In Hair Perfector. Another gift with purchase; make sure and get yourself a Sephora card, you collect points super fast!
Blow Pro Faux Dry Shampoo & Conditioner. These were a free gift with purchase in Ulta. Haven't tried a dry conditioner before so that's quite intriguing!
Perfect Formula Nail Essentials Duo; includes a protein rich Gel Coat and a Pink Gel Coat. Both seal, strengthen and protect nails. I bought this thinking it'd be a good alternative to my Dior Pink polish but with the added benefit of a nail strengthener.
Lancome La Vie Est Belle Rollerball Eau de Parfum. I wanted to pick up another rollerball after losing my Flowerbomb one somewhere (gah) & I love this perfume. They have a good range of rollerballs in Sephora actually. I also picked up this set of Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rollerballs. I've written about all three of these scents in more detail HERE.

I haven't gone into too much detail here because I will be writing individual reviews. Let me know if there's anything you'd particularly like to see reviewed though!
XX

A Look At Fabulous Flormar!

Greetings! If you follow me on any social media platform you'll have spotted I attended the recent Flormar Ireland launch!

We've been really lucky in Ireland over the last couple of years for getting access to pretty cool international cosmetics brands. Added to the list of Wet n' Wild, Physicians Formula and Bioderma, we now have Flormar; an affordable, fun brand packed with colour and lots of choice (seriously, the nail polishes comes in 1,000 shades!!)

The price range is €2.95 to €12.95. I KNOW, right?!

I have renowned make-up artist Leonard Daly's top picks from the brand to show you:

Illuminating Primer

Primers are the brand's hero products and I was particularly delighted to see the word 'illuminating' on there as I tend to gravitate towards a dewier look. This is designed to 'smooth out fine lines and create a mattifying canvas to ensure make up stays put for hours'. There's also green tea and acacia in there to soothe and nourish the skin, so no fear of it drying out on you. This is €9.95.

Bronzing Powder

Would you look at the size of that compact?! Good lord. This is a soft, highly pigmented, ultra-sheer bronzer, making it buildable and flattering for Summer skin and will work well on the very pale amongst us. This is the shade Gorgeous Bronze and it's €9.95.

Colour Palette Eye Shadow

I have this in 07, which is called Nude Dude. It contains five matte nude shades ranging from a cream base shade to brown for the crease. Lookit, I don't want to be a typical blogger and say these are "buttery soft", but…these are buttery soft (you can slap me the next time you see me) and although there is a little bit of fallout, they are overall lovely to use. It does come with one of those awful 80's double ended sponge applicators but sure that's off to the city tip so no worries there. I will say that for me, this is missing a darker shade to add stronger definition but as it is it works very well for a daytime look and at €9.95, you can't go too far wrong.

Wearing the illuminating primer (underneath foundation), Bronzing Powder, Colour Palette Eye Shadow and the Revolution lipstick. I wanted to show you this look with glasses because I think a bold lip and slightly smoky eye work really well for glasses wearers!

Revolution Lipstick

These are a "new generation of lip loving formulations and colours..that deliver softly textured colour that glides seamlessly on the lips to create mega impact and shine". I have this in the shade Provocative Orange, and it certainly is that. You might need to be brave for this one but there's no better time- orange lips are really in at the minute with everything from lip stains, gel glosses and full on mattes available in summery tangerine shades. A word of warning- make sure your lips are in good condition cause this lipstick will show up every crack and dry spot!
The good news is you won't feel too anxious about spending money on a trend product like this as they are only €6.95. There are other shades too by the way…you don't have to get orange. You should though.

Long Wearing Lip Gloss

This is a new gel technology, packed with vitamins C and E to protect and moisturise your lips while still providing a sheer shot of glossy colour. I have the shade Backstage, which is a stunning fuchsia gel with flecks of glitter. I can't get over this colour- it's not what I'd normally go for but I love it! What a fab shade! These are €5.95.

Wearing the illuminating primer (underneath foundation), Bronzing Powder, Colour Palette Eye Shadow and the Long Lasting Gloss. 

Jelly Look Nail Enamel

Like I mentioned earlier, there are actually 1,000 shades in the range with various different formulas including matte, quick dry, neon and of course, jelly. 

I have the shade turquoise green which is the perfect Summer colour. These are only €4.50 each. I haven't had a chance to use this yet but I'll get back to you!

Are you looking forward to picking up some Flormar for yourself? Good news- it'll be in pharmacies nationwide very soon (and at some stage a stand alone store)!! 

Anything here catching your eye?

XX

*This post contains press samples and as aways, my own opinions!