November Favourites!

Hey everybody!

Can you believe that it's almost CHRISTMAS?! I'm so excited for it! It's my favourite time of the year!

So, November was a mixed month for me! The highlight of my month was seeing my oldest brother getting married. :) It was a beautiful day for my family. We all had such an amazing day!

The low of the month for me was a family friend passing away aged just 22 years old. It was such a shock to the close knit community that I live in. His passing definitely put things into perspective. Life is short to be anything other than happy. Live each day to the fullest.

So with that being said, let's get down to business!

My favourites this month are a bit of a mixed bag!

First up is Schwarzkopf Got2B Glued Blasting Freeze Spray. This is my favourite hair spray ever! This is gooood stuff! I bought this after Nikki Tutorials recommended it in one of her videos recently! LOVE!

Next up is a cheap as chips dupe! It's Suddenly Madame Glamour perfumme. You can get it in Lidl for €3.99 and I'm not joking when I say this is a dupe for Chanel Mademoiselle. This stuff lasts all day. I love Chanel Mademoiselle but I can't afford to get a new bottle so this is definitely a great alternative!

I love my 'drugstore' foundations and I think that there are so many amazing ones out there. You don't necessarily need to spend a shed load of money on expensive ones when you can get the same benefits from a less expensive one from the 'drugstore'! With that being said, my favourite foundation this month is from L'Oréal and it's the True Match foundation. I always stray away and try other foundations but ultimately, I always come back to this!

So, on a recent shopping trip to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, I accidently picked up Urban Decay Naked Skin BB Cream instead of their primer. I am so impressed by this! I use it as a primer and so far it's been amazing! I've a review to come soon!

Next up is my trusty Urban Decay Primer Potion. This is my favourite eyeshadow primer. Enough said really!

My favourite nail product of the month is Catrice Quick Dry and Shine Top Coat. I don't tend to spend a lot of money on nail products and this is definitely great quality at a low price! In general, Catrice is one of my favourite makeup brands. They do some amazing products, so if you haven't checked their products out yet, and they're available to you, I definitely recommend you give their products a try! :)

And lastly is something a little different. It's Cosmetic buds from Penneys Love This beauty brand. They're double ended, obviously. One end is a q tip and the other side is flat. Both are perfect for makeup application and clean up. It's available for €1. Bargain!

So, that's my favourites for this month! I am super excited for Christmas!

What makeup products are on your Christmas wishlist?

Linda, x

REVIEW: EcoTools Fresh & Flawless Five Piece Complexion Set

Hey there!

Last month, I picked up these babies for €16.95 in Boots and they haven't disappointed me so far!

In it you get a flat concealer brush, buffing concealer brush, precision foundation brush, complexion blending brush and full powder brush.

The bristles are cruelty free and the ferrules are made from recycled aluminum. That's always very welcome here at My Make-Up Vanity!

The flat concealer, precision foundation and the full powder brushes are really good and are great to have in your brush collection. They are great quality brushes and do their supposed job brilliantly but, the brushes from this set that I tend to reach for the most are the buffing concealer brush and the complexion blending brush and those are the ones that I'm going to talk about today.

The buffing concealer brush is perfect to use for blending the concealer to the under eye area. It gives an airbrushed look, just how I like it! Before I found this brush, I used to find that no matter what concealer that I applied to this area, they always tended to look cakey. Since I've started using this, it has made such a big difference to how it settles to the fine lines in this area. I use this brush to apply the powder to set the concealer under the eye too. It's perfect for buffing the edges of concealer applied to blemishes also! It's definitely my most loved brush in the set!

And lastly, is the complexion blending brush. This is the perfect brush for giving a natural, airbrushed finish to the skin. Whether it's cream, liquid or mineral foundation, this brush helps the foundation to apply beautifully to the skin. Although the bristles are quite compact, they're still flexible enough to leave your skin looking flawless!

I'm very eager to try more of the makeup brushes from EcoTools. Have you tried any of their products? Have you any recommendations?

Linda, xo

Products I Regret Buying!

Hey there!

Over the past few months, I've bought some things that I had high hopes for but I was let down by. 

There aren't many so let's get down to business! :)

After seeing some hype online about the Garnier Moisture Match Ultra Hydrating Rich Cream, I gave into the hype and bought this. I had high hopes for it but it completely let me down. I found it to be very greasy on my skin and after about an hour of applying it, I could feel a massive spot ready to attack. Not sure if it was something else causing these mysterious breakouts, I decided to give it a shot anyway. Worst mistake ever! This does not agree or like my skin in anyway! I think maybe that the strong (but beautiful) scent had something to do with this. Sad days.

The next product is something that I read a lot about but I didn't get the hype surrounding this at all. It's the L'Oréal True Match Foundation. I don't like the finish of this foundation and the fact that it made my pores look bigger than they usually do. It just didn't do anything for me! I do love the L'Oréal Nude Magique Eau de Teint though! :) That is hands down, my favourite L'Oréal foundation! 

Like I've mentioned before on previous blog posts, I'm constantly on a mission to find a face primer from the drugstore that is comparable to a higher end one. After reading some reviews online about the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, I decided to continue my mission! This is the most disappointing purchase of them all. It just seems like a pointless product. It did nothing to help to improve my pores which was hugely disappointing considering one of the claims that comes with this is that it's an 'instant pore eraser'. I didn't find that it helped to keep the oily parts of my skin matte either. From consistency to longevity, this is definitely one of the most disappointing products that I've tried in awhile. 

Ok, enough ranting! Onto the last item.

It's the Collection No Clumps Definition Mascara. Well, it definitely clumps the lashes together. I think the wand is too flimsy and that because of that it's hard to control it. Too much of the product comes out on the wand and the formula is way too thick for me! I tried but I just couldn't get the best from this one!

So there we have it, the products that I regret buying over the past couple of months. What products do you regret buying?

Linda, xo

NOTD: Glitter Heaven!

Hi there!

So, like I mentioned in my Makeup Haul blogpost, recently I bought the NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in 105 Lights-Camera- Glitter and Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer in 107 Genius In The Bottle.

I was very eager to try both of them out together. In the bottle, the Catrice Nail Lacquer looks like an iridescent colour with blue, green and gold tones in it. I thought that it would be an interesting colour on the nails but when I tried it out, it just applies as a gold colour. I'm disappointed that none of the other colours made it out of the bottle! It is a pretty colour on it's own but it's just not what I had expected it to be.

So, with that on my nails, I paired it with the NYC Glitter polish. I'm really liking this! The polish itself looks clear but when applied to the nails, it comes off as a silver colour. There are small particles of glitter that are pink and blue. There are bigger particles of blue and pink glitter too. I would only use this as a top coat. When it's paired with a colour underneath and after two coats of it to the nail, it looks so pretty!

One of the claims with this polish is that it makes your nails 50% stronger within 7 days. It also claims that the polish lasts up to 7 days but that's a bit presumptuous though! 

And here's what they look like on the nails!

What's are your favourite nail polish at the moment?

Linda, XO

November Favourites!

I am so happy that we are FINALLY into December! I can finally openly enjoy Christmas without people giving out to me that it's too early to be talking about Christmas! :P

My favourites for the month are just hair care and a few makeup products! So, let's get started!

Like I've said in previous blog posts, right now, I have ombré hair. The only thing that I don't like about ombré hair is that the bleach leaves the ends of my hair very dry. I try to keep it has hydrated as possible. I use the John Frieda Highlight Activating Moisturising Conditioner to help with this! I try to keep the blonde part of my hair as bright as possible without it being brassy and this is great for doing just that! Another favourite for brightening up my hair is the John Frieda Lightening Spray. This has lightened my hair considerably! At €10.87 per bottle, it had better be good, eh?! :)

The next item is a little gem I've just recently found. It's the Schwarzkopf Got2B Power'ful Volumising Styling Powder. When I wash my hair, I lose all volume. Why, I hear you ask? Well, through sheer laziness and how crap I am at drying my hair, I can never add volume back to my hair using hair tools. That's why I LOVE this product! This adds instant volume. Whether it's a simple or glamorous hairstyle, this product is my new holy grail product!

Now, on to the last of my favourites for this month!

After reading reviews online about the L'Oréal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation, I had to try it for myself! This is the perfect everyday foundation for me. It gives enough coverage to even out my skin tone but, it still leaves my skin looking natural. I will be following this up with a review very soon!

Next is the L'Oréal True Match foundation. I accidentally picked this up before I bought the L'Oréal Magique Eau De Teint Foundation, meaning to buy the latter. I was pleasantly surprised by it though! It is a little too pale for me and the Magique is a little too yellow so, I like to mix both foundations together, especially on those days when I need a little more coverage from my foundation! Perfect! :)

This month, I got new glasses. I need to wear glasses all of the time. Wearing glasses all of the time has made me more aware of the dark circles under my eyes. Because of the shadow that the frames cast, sometimes it can make that area look even darker. So I decided I needed a decent drugstore concealer that brightens that area up pronto! I really liked the Maybelline Fit Me concealer but I find when it oxidises on my skin, it makes that area look grey and makes my dark circles appear even darker over a short period. With that in mind, and after hearing some good reviews, I decided to give the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. It does exactly what it says on the tube! I'm loving it at the moment! :)

So, that's my favourites for this month! I'm keeping it short and sweet! :)
What's been your stand out product over the past month?

Linda, x

Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse Foundation REVIEW!

When I saw the newly formulated Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse foundation, I could hardly contain myself! I picked this up for €6.99.

I wasn't a fan of the original Stay Matte foundation so I had high hopes for this newly formulated one! The original texture of this foundation was a liquid but they've changed the texture to a mousse. Not a massive fan of mousse foundations but I was willing to give this baby a go!

There are six shades. The shade that I chose was 100 Ivory. Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is available in Boots, Superdrug and pharmacies nationwide.

Right...let's get down and dirty! The claims that come with this foundation...

"A Feather-light, liquid mousse that blends flawlessly for natural-looking and an all day shine control
Silky smooth formula for a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish.
Lightweight texture won’t feel heavy or greasy.
Minimises the appearance of pores."

So let's tackle these claims! When blended into the skin, it definitely is feather weight! It does blend beautifully on the skin, leaving the face looking natural but beautifully flawless. Regarding the all day shine control, I disagree. After a short time after applying this, shine began showing through. It definitely doesn't feel heavy or greasy but the more foundation that I applied to the skin, it began to feel a little tacky on the skin. On first application, it definitely minimised my pores but I needed to apply a primer beforehand though because without it, the foundation settled into my pores.

So on to the review! On first application, I was impressed. Initially, I applied this with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush and then gave a little extra blending using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. However, I preferred using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. It gave an airbrushed finish to the skin. This evened out my skin tone beautifully and covered up redness around my chin and my nose very well. An added bonus too, I needed to use less concealer with this!

So before I go on, I should say that I have combination skin but it tends to be more oilier than dry. It's not extremely oily but I can't get away with not applying powder to those parts of my face so this foundation was formulated for people with my skin type.

Back to business! I have used this foundation everyday for a month and I can honestly say, I'm disappointed. When initially applied to the skin, it leaves the skin looking flawless and beautiful but that's where my love affair with this ends. It didn't leave my skin completely matte which, was disappointing. Obviously, if you apply a face powder to those parts of the face, you will mattify that area but as the foundation claims to be a matte foundation, I definitely expected it.

After an hour, I noticed that my face was beginning to get oily. By the second hour my face was considerably more oilier and the foundation had started to fade from those areas of my face. Plus, it had settled into my pores and the drier areas of my face. Let me tell you, this wasn't a pretty sight! By the fourth hour, it had completely worn off of my face. So disappointing!

With that being said, when I applied face powder to my face, the foundation lasts a little bit longer but not a lot longer. I only wear this foundation during the day, when I don't need to be anywhere important because there's too much touching up to be done with it.

So there you go! But, hey, that's just my opinion. What doesn't work for me, may be your holy grail product!

What tried and tested products are you disappointed with?

Linda, x

PS: I apologise for the quality of the lighting in these pictures. I'm still getting used to all of this! :)


Picture of Product Credit: http://ie.rimmellondon.com/

The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge REVIEW! 💖

I have heard so much about the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. So, when this little beauty caught my eye in Boots, I couldn't resist!

I picked this up for €5.89. Absolute bargain! 

The sponge is super soft and quite different to other sponges like the Beauty Blender in how it's shaped. It's egg shaped. At the top of the sponge, it has a tip but it's flat at the bottom is flat. At the opposite end, it's rounded. Unlike the Beauty Blender, you don't need to wet it but you still achieve the same result. You can use it damp but you achieve the same results, regardless.

So how do I use it? I pop some foundation, as usual, on the back of my hand. I pat a small amount it on to the flat side of the sponge. As usual, I start with the centre of my face. I stipple my foundation on with the flat part of the sponge. Like every other method when applying your base, less is always more. You can always apply more in the places where you need more coverage. 

Anyway, back to business! To ensure that the foundation I've already applied is blended, I turn the sponge around to the round part and again, in a stippling motion, I continue to blend it in. It blends it into the skin beautifully! It leaves you with a flawless finish.

One of my favourite things that about the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, is that it minimises the appearance of my pores. It gives a flawless finish to my foundation without the foundation feeling heavy on my skin. This really is the perfect tool to use for your natural or daytime foundation!

I love this for blending in my concealer! I use the tip of the sponge in a stippling motion to blend it in. Concealer tends to crease and cake up under my eyes but I've found that, that happens less when I use the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I also use this to apply my primer before I apply my foundation. I have found that my primer settles better into my pores because of using this sponge.

Here's a before and after, using the Real Texhniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

Overall, I would award the real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge:

Packaging: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-purchase?: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Real Techniques are fast becoming my favourite brand for makeup brushes. Their products are so easily accessible, affordable and very effective. 

If you see this baby lying around, I'd definitely recommend getting it! Believe me. You'll thank me for it! 👍

What makeup tool can you not live without? 

Love, Linda x