Surprise Treat

Lately, I have been testing the products from the Sheer Cover range which is a mineral makeup range from the states. It's available online only and has a QVC type vibe which scared me a little initially; it comes with a dvd to coach you on how to use the products and it's all very happy, back-slappingly American for my my reserved Irish taste in marketing ( I tend to prefer a more subtle approach!)

Anyway, I will report back on the entire system next week as I want to wear it for a while longer to really assess it. But I do want to tell you about their little mascara gem that I found...

I have to be honest and admit that I almost didn't try it. It is part of the Sheer Cover kit which contains mini sizes of mascara, eye shadow and lip gloss. I usually disregard these 'sample' products and prefer to get to the main event - the mineral powders, brushes etc.

But guess what? I tried it and I loved it. It has a great little brush that is wider at the end and skinnier in the middle so therefore gives great lift at the edge of the lashline. It was very lengthening and building so did exactly what it said it would do.

It was a genuine surprise to get such a good mascara in the kit that I thought would be focussed solely on the powders and I'll be using it till it's gone!

*Pssst....it can be ordered from here with a 20% discount*

A Fabulous French Wedding

I just fell in love with the romance of this gorgeous wedding. They are a Swedish couple who got married near Nice in France. These look like shots from a magazine but they really are this fabulous and stylish. Isn't her dress divine! She designed it herself and got a seamstress she knows to make it....

Sweet shot...

Bunting and rough stone walls...heaven.

Can you feel the love!

( look at the cute fabric flowers in her hair... so sweet!)

(pics from here )

Good Look

I just love this hair cut. And the lipstick. And the glimpse of interesting coat...

( from the wonderful sartorialist )

Liner Love

Meet my new friend; the Max Factor lip pencil. It's smooth, deep, long lasting.... all the best properties one could look for in a friend, and a lip liner as it happens!

I've been using the Cognac shade over the weekend and I love it. It's like a silkier and less orange MAC Spice liner. The texture is so smooth and deeply pigmented that it is almost like a lipstick, so fill in your entire lip with it, add a tiny amount of gloss or balm for added moisture and you're good to go.

I'm sure we'll be friends for some time...

Long Weekend

Hello my dears, forgive me for the lack of posting so far this week. We had a bank holiday weekend therefore no work on Monday and I extended my long weekend by an extra day yesterday! I had a great few days with a dear friends birthday party on Saturday night followed by long forest walks and winter-y roast dinners.

Hope you had a good one too...

*the winner of the Friday Freebie is Joy*

The Friday Freebie

This is Tempting Teal by Revlon. It's one of their fabulous matte shadows that have the unusual and welcome feature of being easy to blend. For years, people have shied away from matte shadows as they tend to stick and grab onto the skin, not these little beauts...

I use all their dark smoky tones in my kit and love how they glide on to the skin.

You know what to do....comment below.

Happy Weekend Darlings!

EmersonMade

Some of you may remember that I posted about the marvellous EmersonMade from the US some months ago. They have expanded their products from mainly accessories into a full on clothing line, and guess what? I'm loving it!

I think it's their take on the classics that I like so much; me being a bit of a classic French girl wannabe...

This is their Eggplant shift dress, I love how they have accessorised with the tan belt and clutch...

This navy jacket with heavy gold buttons is really rocking my world today...

...as is this shot. I've developed quite the style crush on EmersonMade!

Waiting for Lanvin

I'm so excited and can hardly bear it. Lanvin and H&M are the most eagerly awaited fashion collaboration of the year. If not the decade. With so much secrecy around the collection and the clothes themselves edited from the promotional video with Alber Elbaz, there was a collective squeek of giddiness from bloggers and fashion eds alike when this shot was leaked.

It looks so exciting and Lanvin-esque. Perfect black, great silhouettes and lot's of leg.

It hits here on November 23rd.

Only 32 more sleeps!

A Posh Powder

This is my current powder craze. It's the Phyto Poudre compact by Sisley. Now, firstly I must warn you - it's not cheap. In fact it's very expensive for a powder. Secondly however, it is gorgeous.

It contains lot's of luxe ingredients that other powders don't such as camellia oil and extracts of mallow and linden. It also has silicone for that easy glide on feel. My skin looks really smooth and perfected after I use it and it has a slight, slight sheen too which I love as totally matte powders are cakey, awful and dull-making in my opinion (are you listening MAC studio fix fans?!)

I'm also a sucker for the packaging, which I'm not normally but I feel very on-trend this season when I whip it out!

I don't advocate spending this much money on powder in general; there are fantastic powders out there at a more accessible price point such as those by L'Oreal or MAC so go where your budget allows....

But it is nice to have something luxurious from time to time isn't it!

Due to it's enormous price (€75!) it's one for the Santa list methinks...

Treasure Trove

I went to explore the new INGLOT store in the Dundrum centre yesterday and was lost in makeup for quite some time. I have used some of this Polish brands products before and indeed nominated their freedom system palette for the Prudence Beauty Awards this year too. But previously I hadn't really spent any time at a counter to get the true vibe of the brand.

It's a lot to take in at once; there is a kaleidescope of wonderful colours in a great range of textures. It's the expanse of colour that takes you over initially, I didn't spend half enough time playing with the base products as I was so taken in by the dizzying array of shades.

The lipsticks come in varying textures; matte, sheer, shimmer, gel and in every shade you can imagine. I loved 264 - nude, 165 - slightly frosted natural tone, 136 - gorgeous shimmery russet, 401 - cool matte coral ( v Cheryl Cole!)

Their lip paints come in little pots exactly like the NARS ones. Shades 51 and 52 are basic naturals that should be in everyones makeup collection.

I was very interested in the cream blushers. I am extremely critical in this category as I think most brands cant get enough pigment to make a difference or enough creaminess to give a glow yet not end up in an oily mess. INGLOT get it right; the blushers are very similar to my desert island product - the Convertible Colours by Stila - and I am delighted to find a stand in for them.

The eyeshadows are superb, the textures divine. I took away three shades that I know will be used to death in my kit! They are shades 402, 402 and 435. All three have a slight sheen but not too much and they are in the mushroom-y brown family that I'm loving this season with a brick red lip.

There is so much to talk about in this brand but I think the very best element is their prices! The most expensive product is €25! Now, that's what I call beautiful!

If I were you, I'd be sharpening your elbows and storming the counter this Saturday! I for one will be a regular there and you'll see more of it here that's for sure...

Hats Off

I feel a new threat to Phillip Treacy's crown as Irish milliner extraordinaire has presented himself. Micheal Leong is one of the country's most respected hair dressers. His fashion work is greatly respected as is his beautiful hair designs for many of the country's most discerning brides. I have worked with him several times and he is a true artist, so when I saw his new hat collection called LBH (Little Bespoke Hats), I was suitably impressed but not surprised at all by how wonderful they are. True talent can transfer from medium to medium so he'll probably be designing frocks any day now too!

The entire collection is in black and the workmanship is divine...

I love the shapes he has created...

So striking...

Well done Micheal.

Pearly Queen

You may have seen this shot by now of Keira Knightley at her premiere last week but in case you missed it, here it is again. The Chanel dress is covered in pearls and I love it. I'm not a massive fan of hers ( a bit too skinny) but she has a beautiful face and her pairing with Chanel creates some nice visuals so she's off the hook for now.

The Coat

This Peacoat is as close to perfect as can possibly be.... I want!

From J Crew.

(image from escapade )

Autumn Walks

It's been a lovely Autumn so far... full of the most gorgeous golden landscapes. Not too cold, not too wet; it's all good.

I had some good rambles over the weekend. Lu loves kicking the leaves and running into piles and collapsing down in heaps on the red ground!

Great walks in the countryside must always be followed by some strong Irish coffees. Heavy on the whiskey for added glow to the cheeks!

*The winner of the Friday Freebie is Tracy*

(image from here )

Words For The Weekend

The Friday Freebie

Anything that promises that it will 'wake up tired looking skin' has to be tried in my opinion. I have never understood the term 'tired looking skin' as much as I do now. Before wonderful motherhood, I had wonderful skin...there was an exchange somewhere along the line! Not one I'd reverse of course, but any help in the exhausted complexion department is most welcome.

I've broken out of my usual Jan Marini skincare regime this week to test Olay's latest offering and I'm suitably impressed. Now, everyone knows that Olay champion their 7 anti-aging steps in every cream; they serve to minimise lines, hydrate, firm, fight dullness, exfoliate, reduce appearance of pores and contain plenty of antioxidants. Sounds good to me.

This new one has the addition of mint extract which provides the 'wake up' element and it does feel minty and fresh when you smooth it over your skin.

Obviously, I have to test for longer to really see how it performs, but my view so far is that it is a very nice moisturiser with a good feel. It is a good makeup base and it's a decent price point.

I have one to give away today in The Friday Freebie, so leave me a comment below and check back on Monday to see if you've won.

Happy Weekend my darlings...

Magpie Session

There was nothing on TV last night but doom and gloom about the economy etc etc. So I left that viewing pleasure to Ivan and went to look at some pretty jewellery. I get solace from the tighter times by picking out things for my imaginary wish list. I call these my Magpie Sessions!

I love these rings from Janish Jewels, a great little shop on Etsy. They use rough and dark diamonds as well as precious stones on hammered silver, yellow and rose gold bands. Their prices are really reasonable for the quality of the materials , so perhaps some of these may actually make it off the wish list and into reality!

Love this rose cut diamond, so unusual...

These emeralds are from another little etsy shop called One Stone New York...

This bib necklace would be great to dress up a t-shirt or peeking out from under a worn denim shirt. It's from here...

My inner magpie was really squawking at me when I saw this Swarovski crystal wrap bracelet. The crystals are sown into silk cord and it ties with a cute button. It's also from Red. Lovely.

Old Reliable

I can set my watch by it; one week after turning on my central heating for the winter, the skin on my body becomes snake-like! Yes, that's a bit dramatic I suppose but I really can feel it becoming more taut and dry. It' s a horrible feeling, so I know it's time to bring out my faithful Creme de Corps by Kiehls. I first started using this amazing body cream when I worked for Space NK in London many years ago and I have been loyal to it ever since. Back then it was the best seller in the range and it probably still is. I used to come home for visits laden down with bottles for my mum and all of my friends who would get a bit frantic if I dared forget. Thankfully, they opened a gorgeous stand alone store in Dublin in the past year, so goodbye to the days of suitcases filled with the stuff!

It's key ingredients are Beta Carotene, Cocoa Butter and Sesame Oil, all of which merge together to give the silkiest skin I've ever had. The best thing though, is that it feels deeply nourished, and not just the top layer, which I find with some other body creams - it's as though they can't penetrate properly and jut sit on the surface like a layer of grease.

I do think that other Cocoa Butter creams such as Palmers are a worthwhile budget option. They don't have the superior cocktail of quality ingredients that Creme de Corps has, but if funds are as tight as your skin, then they are the way to go.

Today I will be making my annual pilgrimage to Kiehls to stock up on my old reliable. Isn't it great to have something that really works?

It's a body cream that doubles as a security blanket!

DIY Chanel

This just made me laugh. Can't afford a 2.55?

Make it yourself!

If the mountain won't come to Mohammed...

(image from here )

Pink Flush

My mum told me I was looking pale yesterday and she is right; a few late nights and busy days tend to wash me out and make me look like one of the undead. So today I'm loading on LadyBlush by MAC to battle the palour! MAC describe it as a 'demure cool pink flush' which pretty much describes it. I love the texture of these products as they add a slight sheen too so skin looks much better.

Let's hope it works. Let's also hope that I win the lotto on Saturday so I can go on a sun holiday... now, that would be a much better result eh? Failing that, it's blusher all the way....

I Love Lucy

This is Lucy Laucht. I peek at her blog from time to time to steal some styling ideas...I love the way she puts her outfits together. Granted, her climate is a little warmer than mine currently but she has a mean sense of accessorising that can straddle the Summer/Winter divide!

Great skirt and jacket pairing. Check out the pretty brooch...

love the belt and necklace...

Good shoes...

A Winter Perfume

I'm moving into my Winter fragrance now. As it gets colder I always seem to want to darken my lipstick with red and berry tones and wear a stronger perfume. The lighter, flowery, girly fragrances don't cut it anymore; I want to be darker, more intense and womanly (or maybe that's just my mood today!) Anyway this is the one I always return to... For Her by Narcisco Rodriguez. It's full of Egyptian musk, vanilla, amber, orange blossom and vetiver and it's really unusual. I hate, hate, hate the notion of smelling like everyone else and I'm pretty set in my perfume ways; I frequently try new smells but always come back to my old faithfuls.

What about you? Any winter perfume preferences?

Wrap Me In Raspberry

I've been thinking it's time to wrap up in some scarves and I came across this beauty on Etsy. I was searching for some raspberry tones to add to my wardrobe to liven up my stone coloured trench, so I'm happy to have found this. It's called The Wanderer and it's by a cool little company called Scout and Catalogue.

I love their photography and they make some really good bags too...

Check them out here...

It's Pretty at Chloe

It's funny; I first looked at the Chloe show on Style.com and thought it was nice, but not amazing. Then I saw these shots over on Cherry Blossom Girl and loved it ! I think it's because the clothes look more fluid and the shots are more atmospheric instead of the slightly clinical straight-on runway shots...

I just love this chiffon skirt, body suit and pops of scarlet...

Gorgeous colour and a perfect bun...

Love the ballerinas they all wore...

So pretty and flowy...

I love the clean lines of this...

Pretty details...

(images from here )