Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup - Review

Where has this Photoshop in a bottle been all my life?  Where?

I'd read some reviews on this on the Debenhams website but you know, I've learned, as have many of you I'm sure, that high expectations often lead to disappointment due to the fact that everyone's skin and preferences vary so much!  Well, in this case, I was not disappointed!!  

I literally only got this yesterday, and I just had to write about it!  It can't wait!

First of all, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how aesthetically pleasing the packaging is!?

Seriously?  And, even though it looks like a heavy glass bottle, it's not, it's super lightweight and has a pump dispenser.  

Now, there's quite a bit to cover about the foundation itself!

I got mine in the shade 0.5 which, according to the lady at the counter, is the lightest pink undertoned shade.  I wasn't sure if it would be a perfect match because it looked that much lighter than the shade 1.0, but once again I just didn't realise how pale I really am (not that I'm complaining, because if bleaching beds were a thing, I would be all up in that!) and it turned out to be a perfect match!  It blends into my neck seamlessly.  I think I may have hyperventilated when I first put it on!  Ha, ha!!

The formula itself is just so fluid and lightweight that you can literally apply this whatever way you like.  I still used a stippling brush as they're my favourite, and it applied absolutely beautifully.

I look for a couple of things in a foundation, and this passed all the tests with flying colours!

1. It didn't make the pores on my nose look demonic (a common problem), in fact, they were GONE.

2. This foundation is so fluid that I brought it up around my eyes instead of using a concealer, and it didn't settle into any fine lines at all throughout the day!

3. It covered all my freckles and any small blemishes without any issues.

4. I like full coverage foundation, and while I would classify this as medium coverage,  it is definitely buildable. 1 1/2 - 2 pumps is what I used and I was more than ecstatic with the result.

I applied mine over moisturiser only because, as I said in my previous post, I'm not the biggest fan of primers, I don't feel like they do much, and I wanted to see how well this foundation fared throughout the day with no extra "help" anyway, and it truly did not disappoint. 

 I felt like I was walking around with a Photoshop filter in front of my face all day!

I know the lighting isn't great, but in Ireland it's dark by like 5pm now, so all I had to work with was artificial light.  But this is what my foundation looked like after a good 8 hours of wear having endured a  hot, stuffy house party and then a cold evening breeze.

I took the photo at this angle so you can see how matte my nose, cheek and forehead still look.  For someone who would normally be shining bright like a diamond at that point, this is amazing. 

A couple of things to note are:

I definitely recommend you apply a good moisturiser underneath this if you're on the drier side because, it can and will cling to dry patches, but not in a horrendous "mouse formula foundation" kind of way.

If you're on the oilier side, I think this is still a good foundation for you.  I set my T-zone (which always becomes infuriatingly shiny throughout the day!) with a very light dusting of my No7 Perfect Light Loose Powder, and it lasted all day without any touchups and it didn't slide off and I didn't blind any cars with the reflection of my nose in their headlights on the way home!

Also, this is a water-based foundation, so silicone based primers mightn't be the greatest idea, as it will more than likely just encourage the foundation to slip and slide all over the place as the day goes on.

Now that I've tried this and seen just how amazing it is, I'm really thinking about snatching up the Naked Skin Concealer.  Have any of you tried it?  Is it amazing?  And most importantly, does it crease around the eyes??  Let me know!  

If you want to see some eye looks I've been wearing, stuff I've been buying, other random stuff or check in tomorrow to see this foundation freshly applied (in natural daylight this time), follow me on Instagram by clicking here!

If you've any other questions about the foundation, let me know!

Chat to ye all soon!

Shiv xx

Dermacol Seduction Lipstick

For those of you who aren't familiar with this brand (as I wasn't until a couple of months ago when I stumbled upon a Dermacol saleswoman in a car-boot sale!), here's a little info:

Dermacol started up in Prague, Czech Republic, back in the 60's, one of their bestselling items is 'Dermacol Makeup Cover', an extremely high coverage foundation widely used for face and body and for covering acne, rosacea and other skin conditions - this is actually my favourite Dermacol item to date (you can read more about it on their official website by clicking here, and I will be doing a post about the best ways to apply it very soon!).

They also claim that their products are not tested on animals, which is a huge plus for me!

I picked up this lipstick (among some other Dermacol goodies that I'll tell you about soon) in the Dermacol store in the Palladium shopping centre in Prague.

The only reason I actually bought it, was because I was suckered in by the super cute packaging.  >.< I got mine in the shade "07" because I like this kind of nude shade (they have some lovely nudes) and I thought this one in particular was quite unique as it has purplish/brownish undertones.

I love the shape of the bullet itself, and the detail of the little Dermacol logo pressed onto it.  

The website claims that this range is high coverage and has a creamy texture.  I agree with half of that statement.  It is extremely creamy, it doesn't tug at the lips, your lips feel very moisturised and it's extremely comfortable to wear.  However, I wouldn't call this a 'high coverage' lipstick.  It's not sheer, but it's got just the right amount of colour and is fairly buildable.  

For an intense lip colour though, you would definitely want to wear a lipliner with it.    

Here's a link if you'd like to have a look at the rest of the range:  Dermacol Seduction Lipstick. 

As far as I'm aware there are currently no Dermacol stores in Ireland, and even their website doesn't indicate how you can order their products.  The good news is that even if you're not planning on visiting a country that has Dermacol, you can buy many of their products online via the likes of eBay.

Thanks for reading, I hope this was of some interest or at least somewhat helpful!

Chat again soon.  Bye!

Shiv x

My (short) trip to Prague 2015

First of all, I have to get this out there…

 What is the deal with the airport in Prague!?  It was the strangest setup we’d ever seen (and I’ve been in many an airport myself), particularly on the way back to Ireland.

You show your passport and boarding pass, and then you wind up in exactly the same place that you were when you arrived to the airport on your way into the country.  And THEN you do all your duty-free shopping and whatnot BEFORE going through security, and each gate seemed to have its own security check, rather than just going through security, doing your shopping and then finding your gate…  We found it pretty confusing to say the least.

But anyway!  Prague was an experience and a half for an endless list of reasons, but for the sake of this post, I’m just going to talk about the trip itself and my own experience.

When we arrived in Prague airport, we went to the information desk to find out how to get to our hotel from there.  Turns out we had to get a bus to the metro, and from there we had to get on the red line, then the green line (or maybe it was the opposite way around?) and then our hotel would be 500 metres away… 

We got lost.

Looong story short, long before we eventually found our hotel, we ended up running down the middle of a dual carriageway, with our suitcases, at minus one degree, at 8:30 in the evening, laughing like lunatics as panic began to set in.  I can only imagine the drivers telling their families about us when they got home.  #Gobshites

Laura and myself 

Snug as a bug in a rug...  It was -1 the whole time!

Day two of the trip, was amazing!  We woke up to a beautiful snowy morning (even though sadly it didn't stick), and having picked up a few tourist information leaflets from the hotel, we decided to make our way over to the Palladium - Best shopping centre I've ever been to!

Over 200 shops, including some of my old favourites like Lush and The Body Shop, and some new favourites like Dermacol and Sephora!

The city itself was beautiful.  The buildings and streets are so different to anything else I've ever seen.  Some buildings you look at and assume they're something important based on the intricacy of the architecture and design alone, and then you get up close and see that it's actually just a shop or a restaurant!

Nike shop in Prague

I'm not the most adventurous of creatures, so I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't dare to try any of the real local cuisine, more than anything because I had heard that the diet is very meaty, and as a person that doesn't eat pork/beef/chicken/anything, I decided to just steer clear of anything that I was unfamiliar with! Ha ha!  I wound up eating pizza (To. Die. For.), and sushi... 

Sushi... proper sushi... so, raw fish.

I love sushi, I'll even dare to say that I'm half decent at making my own...  But I had never tried sushi with raw salmon on it.  It wasn't bad, it was just a shock to the tastebuds since I was expecting smoked salmon.  I could've gotten over the difference in the taste if it hadn't have been for the texture.  I couldn't deal with that texture!!  Eventually I just ditched all the fish, but apart from that it was good. XD

Apart from the food issues, getting lost and our dual carriageway incident the only other issue I had was with the currency.  I'd say I looked well at the tills, examining every single coin! 

All in all it was a great trip, I loved the city, I have every intention of going back (for a longer stay) and I highly recommend anyone that gets the opportunity to visit the country to take it with both hands!  

I will be doing a separate post about the little shopping I did and then separate reviews on the products, so if you'd be interested in reading those, feel free to come back or to follow.

Thanks for reading!  

Shiv xx

P.S Love...Lip Liner Pencils

Up until pretty recently, lip products were one of my least favourite makeup items to buy.  I don't like lipgloss, I'm not a fan of lip tints, and I really hate glossy, frosty or sheer finishes.

My go-to lip products were always a plain old matte (or liquid to matte) lipstick in a true red, a nude or a black.  

I decided to pick up these lip liners from penneys simply because of the price - €1.50!  

      

I have to say, I really didn't have high hopes for these, having been disappointed by more expensive ones in the past, but these things are freakin AMAZING!  

Their staying power is extraordinary!  They literally stay on for hours on end without needing touch ups or fading away.  And if you pair these with MAC Prep and Prime Lip and your go-to lipstick on top, you are sorted and good to go for the whole day, no joke!  

(From right to left:  06, 05, 04)

       

They only have a small selection of colours, (one or two pinks apart from the three colours pictured) but considering the price and the fact that they're penneys finest, that's hardly a tragedy.  

Quality over quantity all the way! 

Now, I have chronically dry lips, and it doesn't matter what balms or creams I put on them, they are always dry, and as gross as it is, many lipsticks and lip liners will actually make my lips begin to peel within a half hour.  

Not so with these guys!!  They're not ridiculously creamy, which is something I appreciate because I associate creaminess with feathering, but by no means are they hard, nor do they tug on the lips.  They're just the perfect consistency and so opaque!  

(The colour 06 is a gorgeous nude shade)

   

I think, even with the limited colour selection, there's bound to be one for you because all the the shades are just so different.  And sure for €1.50 I promise you, you can't go wrong!  I can guarantee you, I won't be buying another MAC lip liner in a shade similar to these, because there's just no reason to anymore!  

If you have a penneys near you, and you have lips, you need these!  

Shiv X :)

Tarte Maracuja Cheek Tint Review

Hey guys!!  

I am SUPER DUPER excited over this because, I had wanted to try a Tarte product (ANY Tarte product!) for ages and ages but, living in Ireland where you can pretty much only buy it online, I never did.  (I hate buying makeup online, I want the FULL experience!  Discovery - Excitement - Swatching - Desire - Purchase!)

So when I went into TK Maxx and caught this little box out of the side of my eye, I'm embarrassed to say, I did squeal, and very nearly peed myself with excitement (Not really...).

Tarte Maracuja Cheek Tint - Deep Berry

Granted, people of my pale and pasty complexion mightn't usually wear this particular colour but, quite frankly, I probably would still have bought it if it had've been a neon yellow lipgloss, as long as it was by Tarte! (I'm sad, I know)

So, here is a picture of the way it comes out of the pump.  It's a gel formula, not at all runny or difficult to control.  I strongly recommend starting off with the teeny tinniest amount of product and layering more if you need it.

 You do have to work pretty fast to get even coverage, because taking your time can result in patchiness, and that's hardly the look you're going for.  Also, in the 'instructions' on the box it says to 'pump a small, drop-sized amount onto fingertips' and apply to cheeks.  If you do use your fingers, you definitely need an oil based makeup remover to clean it off your hand, because it stains like no other!  

What I love love love about Tarte is that they are Cruelty Free, and this particular product is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate or synthetic fragrance! ^_^

How I've Used This Product:

Being so pale myself I found that, considering I picked up the only shade that they had and it's quite a vibrant colour, I apply this over my moisturiser/primer and under my foundation so that, even if I went a bit crazy with it, the foundation tones it all down and just makes it look like you're glowing from within!  But I'm guessing this colour looks STUNNING on all the darker skinned gals!  :)

I hope that someone found this post helpful or at least somewhat informative!  

Let me know if you've tried it, how you apply it, what colour you use;  Everything!  I'm dying to hear!!

Chat to yiz all again!

Shiv X

P.S.
I realise now that I probably should've put a picture up of it on my actual mug, but I didn't think of taking one. *FAIL* - I promise I'll work on actually thinking before I post in the future :D

A bit about myself!

Hey guys, how're ye keeping!?

I just realised I should probably tell ye all a bit about myself so ye can kind of put a face (or, personality, rather) to the blog, I think it'll just make things a bit more personal and not look like I'm trying to be something that I'm not!

(I'll put the fancy American words for the un-fancy language I use, in brackets, ha, ha!)

So, first thing's first, I am NOT a professional blogger/writer or anything like that, I'm just a 22 year old Irish girl that needed a bit of inspiration, or excitement, and so decided to start a sort of online diary (blog), if you will.  I'll probably just be giving my thoughts on products (reviews), or showing ye what I buy when I go on a mad one (hauls) and other little bits like that for the moment, until I get into the swing of things!

I'm actually doing a make-up artistry course at the moment and I really love it.  I still don't know if I want to go down the 'make me look pretty for my wedding' route, or the 'make me look pretty ugly for this photo shoot' route though.  Coming from an alternative background, I'm still way more drawn to the Special FX and almost theatre-like aspect of makeup (and those kinds of people), than the 'people pleasing' side of wearing makeup, if that makes any sense?  

Moving on, I'm going to Prague with a good friend for a short mid-week break on the 24th of this month.  This is both exciting and anxiety inducing for me because, A) I have never been to a country in which I couldn't speak the language, B) I have never been to a country where the currency is like: 1 euro = 27 koruna, and C) I feel like we need an adult!  'But you're both adults, Siobhan!' But, NO!  I need like, a 40 year old adult!  (You'd never guess I'm a married woman...I know!  Ha, ha, ha!).

ANYWAY!  The only thing that is keeping me going and forcing me not to chicken out and pull a sickie, is... Sephora. 

*oooh! - aaah!*  

There are no Sephoras in Ireland :'(  and I hear soooo many vloggers go on about it, and I see so many Sephora hauls, and, it's just not fair!  It's just not right lads.  

SO, when I get back from my travels, I will be doing a post about all the stuff I buy (haul), with lots of photos and all that jazz!  

Anyway, have you been to Prague?  Is it nice?  Are the shop assistants really as scary as everyone is saying they are?  I heard there's a couple of Sephora stores there, is there one in particular I should make an effort to visit?  Let me know!

If you made it this far, thank you, please stop by again, and I'll chat to ye all soon!

  Bye!  Shiv X

Urban Decay - Naked skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation-Fair/Neutral

Hey guys!

So, I know I'm probably the last person on the face of the earth to write about this foundation but, I wanted to take my time and use it up before I gave a final opinion because I really wanted to love this stuff but, I can't say that I do.  I don't hate it but, I think it has equal amount of pros and cons.

(Just as a point of reference for anyone who might be reading this, I can wear either NC15 or NW13 in MAC shades, depending on the foundation.)

I have fairly neutral undertones, so I got mine in fair/neutral, but I think this shade still leans more towards pinky/peachy than neutral or yellow.

It still matched fairly well during the summer, but I don't think that I could wear this during the Winter months without bringing it down onto my neck.

Now, I've read many reviews about this foundation and many people seem to say that its 'non-drying'... This was not true for me.  Any tiny bit of dryness on your face will stand out tenfold unless you apply it with serious caution, so I certainly don't recommend this for people with even slightly dry skin.  I have a slightly oily T-zone, but the rest of my face is neither dry nor oily, except in winter when I sometimes get some dryness around my nose. 

This foundation, no matter how applied, made my face feel quite tight and uncomfortable for at least the first 45 minutes of wear, regardless of what primer I used or the amount of moisturiser I applied beforehand.  That being said, during the Summer months, after a few hours of wear it became quite patchy on my nose.  

When I tried it wet, I couldn't even bring myself to wear it outside of the house because it became at least two shades darker than my actual skin tone and oxidised HORRIBLY within  an hour.  

The 'pros' are that it does work nicely as a setting powder, and because of the smart little packaging, it's a nice powder to carry around in your bag for touchups during the day.  Also, if you have the patience to work with it and mess around with different primers and that, it really does make your skin look relatively flawless with a soft focus effect.

I think that that more or less sums up my thoughts on this foundation.  I won't be repurchasing because, I feel that, for the price point (around 35 quid) there are plenty of more comfortable and easier to work with foundations available.  However, if you'd like to read their claims for yourself, or are curious about the shade selection, here's a link to the Debenhams website so you can have a nose for yourself:  Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation - Debenhams.

Thanks for stopping by, chat to ye soon!
Shiv ^^