Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation

When I heard that MAC where bringing out a new version of their Pro Longwear foundation I was so excited. I love the original Pro Longwear foundation it’s brilliant on my oily skin and lasts all day. Unfortunately the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” springs to mind when I think about their new Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation.

When I tried it first I thought it was just my skin that was the problem, but having an oily T-zone and dry cheeks I feel like it should have at least looked better in some parts than others but sadly no. The first thing I noticed is that it really dry’s into the skin which I’m not used to with my usual foundations. I also noticed that when the skin is powdered it clings the powder to the skin showing up all the little hairs on your face and making it look super obvious that you have makeup on.

Now the big seller with this foundation is the fact that it’s waterproof, which when it comes to a foundation is a pretty big statement so I knew I had to test the theory out. Now I don’t usually wear foundation when I workout but when the Mini Marathon was on last month I thought that there was no better time to test it out. Along with being a sweaty mess it was also raining (a lot) that day. By the end of the 10km I looked like an absolute mess, the foundation had melted into patches around my face and when I touched my skin the foundation was caked onto my fingers. As it was raining on and off throughout the run I would touch my face lightly and each time there was transfer onto my fingers. So my little test was a big fail, but not everyone will be running 10km in the rain wearing this makeup so I’ve noticed other little discrepancies with this foundation on a normal everyday basis too.

With it being so hot recently I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been a sweaty mess and it also doesn’t help If you’re like me when you’re doing your makeup and you have Spotify on in the background and you just can’t help having a wee dance. Those two things combined, plus this foundation it not a good match. A little TMI but my top lip can have some sparking perspiration on it sometimes after all the heat and dancing, now I’m not dripping it’s noting gross it’s just a glisten, a little tap from my finger or a powder brush and it’s usually sorted. However when I have done that whilst wearing the Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation it immediately transfers and basically takes the whole layer of foundation off. So that got me thinking that when they say waterproof do they just mean a spritz of rain on the skin instead of sweatproof, but still I’ve never seen this happen with any other makeup I’ve ever tried whether it be waterproof, sweatproof or just your every day run of the mill no frills foundation.

I’ve mentioned at the top of this post how after powdering your skin the powder clings to all the tiny hairs and makes it look very noticeable, so to rectify this situation I get my trusty friend MAC Fix+ out and spritz it all over. Now with it being a waterproof foundation a little spritz from a setting spray shouldn’t bother it at all but what do you know there was no waterproofness here. I did my little spritz and it waited the few seconds for it to dry, I noticed it did take longer for it to dry into the skin then any of my other normal foundations. Usually if there was a bit of spray on the skin that hasn’t soaked in yet I’ll do a little pat just to take any excess dampness away and doing that with this foundation just resulted in movement and transfer of the foundation. I tried to blend it back into place but that just made it worse.

As far as comparing it to the regular Pro Longwear foundation there basically is no comparison, it’s nothing like the original. Firstly the colouring is different so it’s better to do a colour match in store. I bought mine online, I’m usually an NW15 and what I got was so pale (basically white) it doesn’t match any of my other NW15 foundations. You also don’t get as much product, its €36.50 for 25ml which isn’t a lot when most MAC foundations are 30-35ml. It also claims to have 16hr wear but after 8-10 hours I was dying to get it off my skin, it wore off around my nose, chin, cheeks and forehead, basically my entire face. It’s safe to say I just didn’t like this foundation at all.

If your still thinking about getting it I’d recommend going into your local MAC store and getting samples to test at home, I’m raging I’ve spent that much on an awful foundation.

I’m really not sure who this foundation is aimed for, it’s definitely not your oily or dry skinned girl. Maybe if you have perfectly nourished skin then this is for you but this definitely isn’t for me!

I’m raging I didn’t like this, I had such high hopes with this foundation, I’m just so disappointed and I hate doing bad reviews but this is just awful.

If you have tried it and had success let me know below, I’d love to see if it worked on anyone else. I’ve read loads of reviews since buying the foundation and none have them have been good so I’m happy it’s not just myself thinking I’m over exaggerating.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

June 2015 Favourites

I haven’t done a monthly favourites post in a while but thought I’d do one this month as I’ve switched things up and have been using a lot of things that I wouldn’t normally use but have fallen in love with in the last few weeks.

My June favourites really reflect the summer mood I’m in, a lot of it is about getting that glow and about hydration.

Back in May I went a lot blonder so to keep my hair from discolouring I bought the Bleach London Silver Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ve tried different purple shampoos in the past to keep the brassiness at bay that haven’t worked but the Bleach London shampoo and conditioner combo are really working for me and my hair hasn’t gone brassy at all.

I used to only use my MAC Fix+ to spray on my brushes to intensify my eyeshadows more but in the last few months I’ve been using it to set my makeup after application. It’s helped get rid of that overly powered look and just helps your makeup settle and on these hot summer days it’s just nice to spritz it on your face to cool down.

I’ve fallen back in love with tanning, I spent the whole winter with not a drop on my skin but once the sun started coming back out I knew I had to put some life back into my skin. I have been loving the Tan Organic Self Tanning Oil. I’ve gotten so many compliments when I wear this and is possibly the most natural looking tan that I’ve used. It really makes you looks like you’ve spent a week on a beach in Spain, it’s gorgeous. I was a bit confused about it when I tried it first, it is an oil so it doesn’t really dry into the skin like a normal tan would so I was a bit scared to put my clothes back on afterwards but it was fine and I didn’t have one streak or build up anywhere.

I got the La Roche Posay Serozinc spray late in June so I’m still trying to figure out if it’s making a difference to my skin but I am loving using it. I spritz it on after I cleanse my face, it’s just so refreshing and leaves your skin matte without it feeling tight or dry. I have oily skin so this is perfect for my skin, I love a matte look.

I am in love with facial oils at the moment. I’ve heard people say that you should use facial oils if you have oily skin but it hasn’t made my skin worse in fact it’s made it a lot better. I apply the Josie Maran Argan oil onto my skin every night and when I wake up my skin is so moisturised, especially around my cheeks and jaw line where I can get very dry.

I’ve neglected my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle but in the last few weeks I’ve fallen back in love with it. I’ve been using the MAC 188 Duo Fibre brush to apply it, it packs on the product a lot more than any other brush I’ve used. I’m blaming Jaclyn Hill on my obsession with highlighters a mirror.

For a glow over my body I’ve been lovely the Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil in No.2 Golden Honey. Firstly the smell is amazing, I can’t put my finger on what it smells like but it lasts all day and smells glorious. With the shimmering flecks of gold in the oil it is more suited to night time but on these sunny days I have popped a bit on my arms and décolletage just to get a bit of that Victoria Secret model glow.

Finally I’ve been loving the Rimmel Get the Glow Highlighter in Notting Hill. It’s a silvery/pinkish cream highlight that I’ve been using three ways. The first way is to apply it lightly all over my face before my foundation, or I’ve been mixing it in with my foundation. Both ways result in an all over healthy summer glow without looking like a lightbulb. The Third way is to apply it before I’ve set my foundation onto the tops on my cheekbones to highlight them, I sometimes go in after with a powder highlight just to give that extra bit of pop.

As you can see my summer loves have all been about having healthy glowing skin, I’m trying to stay away from looking too matte so looking so glowy takes some getting used to without thinking I’m looking oily but it’s working.

What have your June Favourites been? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

MAC Wash and Dry Collection

Wash and Dry is the latest collection to come from MAC. Released 2 weeks ago it is one of the most colourful collections I’ve seen from them in a while.

I bought the highlighter and one of the lipsticks on the Brown Thomas website the day it came out. I hadn’t tested any of it but I read all the reviews on the Temptalia website so I had an idea which pieces would be better than the others.

The packaging is what really sold me; it’s so colourful and bright that I knew it would be a great addition to my makeup collection.

I love highlighters and with it being summer I really want to look bright and fresh so highlighters are the way to go. The Freshen Up highlighter comes with a gold coating but with one swipe it’s gone. After the gold is gone I can’t find much in the way of a highlighter, if anything it’s a glorified blush, as blushes go though it’s absolutely gorgeous. It comes off peachy which is such a break from my mauve and pinks that I usually wear.

I bought the lipstick in Tumble Dry, it’s light peach lustre. This is my first lustre lipstick from MAC, I usually go for the Amplified, Satin or the Matte finish. I have to say I don’t love this lipstick, I think it’s too light for my lips. I love nude lipstick but I think this is too sheer and my lips are so naturally red that it doesn’t come off as good as it should on paler lips. I’ll have to play around with it more maybe use it over a nude lip pencil but at the moment I’m slightly regretting this purchase.

Being completely honest if I tested the products in person I probably wouldn’t have made a purchase or maybe I would have only purchased the highlighter. The pieces I did buy are limited edition in the collection which made me choose them over the repackaged pieces.

If you’re thinking of picking up any pieces from the Wash and Dry collection I’d be quick, it’s already out 2 weeks so all the good stuff might be gone.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

My Most Used Shadow Palettes

If there is one thing a girl loves it’s eyeshadow. I can swoon over shades sometimes, literally scream with pure joy when I swatch a new shade on the back of my hand, it might sound OTT to some but I know some of you can relate.

I have so many palettes in my collection that I even have some that I haven’t even used yet, but I do have some in my collection that I get constant use out of.

I’ve picked 5 palettes out of my collection that I use on a regular basis to show you all.

First up is my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I go through phases of using this one but the pink tones can really change up a smoky eye. Most of my palettes and single shadows are brown or grey toned so it’s nice to mix it up a little. You can do so many looks with this palette from a light girly pink day time look to a dark purple smoky eye. These shadows have great staying power, really pigmented and have hardly any fall out on application, which are all thumbs up for me. I got this palette as a Christmas present but you can get it for €46 in Debenhams, do shop around though because I’m sure I’ve seen it cheaper. If you don’t want to spend that kind of money on a palette Makeup Revolution and Crown Brush do really good dupes for a fraction of the price.

Next up is my MAC palette, my friends sister works for MAC and was over in their Pro Store in London so I gave her an idea of the colours I wanted and this is what I got. I use the browns and the reds mostly on a daily basis as well as the Shroom as a highlight and the black shadow Carbon for when I’m adding a bit of smoke to a look. The other colours I use for going out looks. I’ve had this palette for a good 2-3 years now and I haven’t really made too much of a dent in it even though I use it nearly every week. The colours are so pigmented that I don’t need to dig my brushes in like I would with other shadows. I need to make up another palette soon though as there are loads of other shades that I want to get my hands on.

My YSL Couture Variation Eye Palette Nude palette was a total splurge but when I swatched the colours on my hand I was in pigmentation heaven and knew I had to have it. The palette costs €58. When I got it I knew I couldn’t just let it sit in my drawer so I’ve made sure I use it regularly and have used it for work on many occasions. Even though it’s on the pricier side I don’t mind throwing it into my bad. It’s so petite and handbag friendly that I can pop it into my makeup bag without it taking up any space at all. There are some great matte and shimmer shades in this palette and what I really loved about it was the brush that came with it. I never use the brushes that come with palettes but they put just as much effort into the brush as they did with the shadows.

Onto more affordable palettes now and this one is finally on shelves in Boots. The Maybelline The Nudes palette is a really great affordable palette that you all need to go get your hands on. I bought mine last September in the states for $9.99, with the exchange rate at the time I think it worked out at 6 or 7 euro. It’s slightly pricier in Boots at €14.99 but I really think it’s worth it. The palette comes with 12 shadows and the ability to give a brown, bronze or black smoky eye. There are so many looks you can do with this palette. The colours are really good, some you have to work a little more than others but the staying power of them is excellent. I love this as an on the go palette, there has been more than a handful of times that I have just thrown this into my bag to do my makeup on the go.

Finally we have the Sleek I-Divine palettes. I have a few of these but I get most use out of the Au Natural palette. I brought this on holidays last September as I didn’t want to bring one of my more expensive palettes in case they got damaged or lost so I went with a cheaper option and was really surprised at how good it was. It has a great mix of mattes and metallics so I could get a lot of different looks out of it. You can get a bit of fall out with this palette so I usually do my eyes first with this one and then apply my foundation. The mattes can take some blending but the metallic colours are the reason I really love this palette, especially the bronze colour (hence the big dent in it). I think these used to be under €10.00 but Boots are selling them for €10.49.

What do you guys think of my favourites? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Florida Outlet Bargains

Fingers crossed these haul posts aren’t starting to look like I’m bragging, I love to look at what other people have bought especially when it comes to makeup and things like that so I’m doing it for all of you who love them like me!

This is only a short little post. I spent a lot of time in various Outlets in Florida and in pretty much all the outlets I went to they had a store called The Cosmetics Company as well as having other beauty stores. The Cosmetic Company sell makeup such as MAC, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox and more at a cheaper rate, mostly because these are pieces from collections from a year or two ago.

I saw this Smashbox Ombre Eyes box that included a full sized Full Exposure mascara, full sized lip gloss and an Eyeshadow palette with 5 colours. The box was only $14, I was in shock when I saw the price and the only reason it was so cheap was that it was from a special offer where you got to pick which eyeliner you want to be included in the box. Needless to say at $14 I bought two.

I also bought these pigments from MAC, they were from the Nocturnal Collection that was out for Christmas last year. I haven’t had a chance to try these yet but they are just so pretty to look at and I’m dying to use the frosted colours. They were $24 and originally $32.50 so I like to think I got them at a bargain. They had other colours but I thought I would use the golds a bit more.

 

Another MAC item was the Studio Fix powder. I don’t think this is really for my skin type but it was in my colour so I bought it and only $19 when it’s usually $27.

The last piece I bought from The Cosmetics Company was the Clinique palette. I gave this to my mother so I don’t have proper pictures but the picture below is what it looks like on the inside.

 

Finally there was a Clarins store in one of the outlets where I picked up this lovely palette. Not that I need any more nude coloured palettes but they are very buttery and only $24.

 

I had been to The Cosmetic Company store in Woodbury Common in New York but it wasn’t half as good as any of the stores that I had been to while in Florida so I was very pleased to be able to pick up a few bargains.

I will definitely be back for more next time I go to Florida.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Toying Around with MAC

Now that summer is in full swing I’m loving all the bright and bold colours I’m seeing it really cheers you up. Last month I popped into MAC and found a gorgeous lippy that screamed summer to me.

It’s called Toying Around and it’s one of their Amplified colours. I love my Mattes and this is very similar to the MAC mattes but they’re a little less drying.

 

I’m loving this colour as it’s a lovely pinkie, peachy coral and perfect for the summer. It goes great with a tan and has been in my handbag since I bought it.

It’s a far cry from my usual dark plums and reds but as its summer you have to change things up a bit!

Do you have a go to summer lippy??

Love Sarah xoxo

PS. Sorry for the lack of post, it’s been a hectic week but I’m back now!

Dupe Tuesday | MAC Vs Wet N Wild

Welcome back to Dupe Tuesday, if you don’t know by now every Tuesday I will bring a drugstore product that gives the exact same result as a high-end one.

This week it’s the battle of the lipsticks.

I have two favourite lip brands – MAC and Wet N Wild. I have only discovered the Wet N Wild lipsticks in the last few months as they have only arrived in Ireland since the start of the year and I have bought a good few on their Megalast lipsticks which are my favourite out of all their lipsticks.

I don’t love a high shine lip as I think they make my lips look even bigger than they already are so I tend to go for a more matte lippy which the Megalast ones are. The good thing about these is that they stay on for longer and even after it’s warn off they still leave a bit of a tint.

With the MAC lipsticks they can go from real creamy to matte so there’s a good chance I’ll find a lipstick that will be what I’m looking for.

I also love a dark lipstick, even though I’m blonde and probably should be wearing lighter pinkier colours I live for dark plums and reds.

Now when I discovered Rebel by MAC I thought that it was the most perfect colour, a deep plum and it lasted forever on the lips. I thought I had found my Holy Grail lipstick, but at €19.00 a pop those lipsticks don’t come cheap.

But why spend €19.00 when you can spend €2.99 on the Wet N Wild Megalast in Sugar Plum Fairy. It is literally the exact same colour as Rebel and stays on for just as long if not better! I had to really think about which colour was which when I had swiped them on my arm as they are so alike.

Rebel on the Left, Sugar Plum Fairy on the Right

I’ve rambled on a bit here but you just have to look at the swatches to see that these are pretty much the exact same colours.

That’s it for this week’s Dupe Tuesday tune in for next week’s where I will have a dupe of the Naked 3 palette for a 10^th of the price!

Have a great sunny week.

Love Sarah xoxo

Beauty Travel Tips

Beauty Travel Tips

I love to travel, I have the constant urge to get away all the time. When I do travel like most people its short journeys around Europe on budget airlines, which means a lot of the not checking in bags.

The hardest part of packing for me is trying to fit everything into that little plastic bag! What product do you sacrifice so you can fit everything in is one of the toughest decisions, but I think I have found at least one way to lighten the load.

A few months ago I was in MAC getting some foundation testers as my skin colour had gotten paler. I got two little pots and they came with loads of product in them. When I was done with them I just put them away but when I was tidying up a few weeks ago I had a Eureka moment. 

I’m going away to London at the end of the month and I know that bag will be bursting with makeup so I washed out the little MAC pots and when it comes to packing for London I’ll be putting my foundation into them.

Hopefully it will give me a bit more space than I usually would have by putting a bottle of makeup in the bag.

What beauty travel tips do you have??

Love Sarah xoxo

May Favourites

Hello my loveys!

 I can't believe May is over already, how fast did this month go by!

Here are my favourite products I have been using this May, starting off I have the Nivea Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream. A few months ago I got a facial and the girl told me I needed to start using night cream and once you turn 25 everyone should be using it. It took me a while to figure out which one to buy and I finally ended up with the Nivea night cream.

I love it, it's thick and cooling and stays on the skin for the whole night. My skin is so smooth and plump the next morning, I don't know why I wasn’t using it before.

I've been going on crazy online spending sprees the last 2 months and these Whitening Lightening Color Your Smile have been a result of that. I have used these pretty much every day for the last month. They have a mirror on the side and when opened it lights up. They are blue toned which helps your teeth look whiter. These are so pigmented the colours are really amazing and whether it’s intentional or not they make my lips so soft!

I’m a serious MAC junkie and I love my Pro Longwear concealer. I misplaced mine in April and found it again in May. Being without it for a month really made me fall back in love with it when I found it. It covers so well, and last for pretty much the whole day. Luckily my skin doesn’t need too much concealer but I do use it on my under eyes to help with highlighting.

My hair has been a mess lately and has been getting greasy so quickly so I remember about 2 years ago buying a Toni & Guy Shampoo that got rid of all my build up and left my hair feeling fresh and squeaky clean. I went to Boots and tracked it down, it’s from their Cleanse range and it’s the Shampoo for Advanced Detox. You only need to use it 2 or 3 times a month so it lasts for ages and is a god send for my hair!

No your eyes don’t deceive you I have put a toothpaste into my monthly favourites. I've been using whatever my parents have bought for toothpaste and it really wasn’t doing anything for me so when I was on my shopping trip to Boots I spotted the Colgate Max White One and I think what sealed the deal for me buying this was that you got a free Nails Inc. polish with it. I haven’t tried the polish yet but I love the toothpaste, it's left my mouth feeling so fresh and so clean. It whitens your teeth after every brushing but it's only temporary, but I think over a time your teeth will whiten.

And finally we have Pog Fro Yo, I love this place. They opened up a few months ago on Bachelors Walk serving salads, juices and fro yo. I love the salads, you fill in a slip and choose everything that you want in your salad and they chop it up for you, they are so fresh and the size of the boxes they really fill you. The frozen yogurt is just awesome, you can go super healthy with nuts and fruit on top or if you’re like me you go for the biscuits and chocolate. 

So these are my favourites from the last month! My June favourites might be a bit on the light side as I’m on a spending ban till the end of the month. 

Thanks for reading!

Love Sarah xoxo