I Got A Super Shock!

I like to think I'm not a makeup snob. I love to champion the cheaper brands but I gotta be honest, for some reason I have always had a bit of a 'thing' about Avon. FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. Perhaps it was because I had never really given it a proper go.
 I've read quite a lot about this gel eye liner pencil so I finally got my hands on some and did I get a shock? I got a Super Shock (sorry! couldn't help that!)
It's a deeply dark, inky black. It's smooth and smoulder-y. It glides on to the skin as well, if not better, than it's more expensive peers.
It's fantastically good to line eyes with precision or create a smudgy, smoky look by blending it out with finger tips. The new collection has a beautiful shade called Blackberry that is a gorgeous Spring alternative to deep black. At €8 it's a steal and more fool me for doubting...
To get yours, call up your local Avon lady (yes, there are lots around) or go here. Just make sure you do...you won't regret it!

A Bird Called Iris

She is rather like an exotic bird herself. In all her bejewelled and befeathered glory, Iris Apfel is the latest fashion celebrity to collaborate with MAC. The 90 year old (yes, 90!) business woman, interior designer and fashion icon is certainly one to celebrate with her unmistakable flamboyance and joi de vivre.
The natural look ain't her, so that makes her perfect to co-design a range with MAC, themselves not the most natural of brands!
The line consists of deep pigments in strong, brave, vibrant tones. Lipsticks in hot pinks, obvious oranges and red reds, eyeshadows in peacock hues and nail polishes to be seen from space!
It looks like a great colour collection and with the items named after exotic birds it's a great representation of the old bird herself!

Check out this great interview with Iris on Into The Gloss where she shares her thoughts on beauty...

Making Up

Happy Monday my dears! I thought I would show you some shots of recent work I did. These are from a series of test shots that I did in the past few weeks. We were playing around with some new looks for this lovely model, Aisling.  I love the one above, I saw Cindy Crawford in Duran Duran's new video for Girl Panic - she still looks so sexy so this look was my homage to her! I used a cream shadow from Essence on her eyes with my fingers for a slightly messy look and patted a Stila shadow in Pewter on top for added sheen. I contoured the cheeks with the Tom Ford Contour in shade 01 (essential for sexy smouldering!) and on her lips I used one of Ken Boylan's lip glosses from his Makeup/Play range in Nearly Naked which I think is a perfect nude pink - not too blank, just pretty!

This was our Elvis look. How cool is her quiff designed by Michelle O'Halloran! For her eyes I used a Smashbox nude shimmer on her lid and shaded into the crease with a blusher from Kohl in Sea Shell (blushers are not restricted to cheeks!) Last of all I patted a tiny bit of Ken Boylan's loose shimmer shadows in Luster just over the eye ball area of the lid. I wanted it to look sheeny and unstructured with no liner and minimal mascara. I made the brows quite strong with the Essence brow kit, shimmered up the cheeks with Benefit Coralista over Smashbox Pose blush and the vibrant lips are painted with Fuchsia by Revlon ColorBurst.

Love these lashes! They are the Rock Star Chic lashes by Ja'Maal Buster. They have a really strong vinyl sheen and jagged tips that work so well with an edgy look. On the lids I used the Catrice long wear cream shadow in shade 40 - one of my current to die for products that I'm wearing myself nearly every day.  The sockets are shaded with Rain from Stila and the lashline is lined with Blacktrack gel liner by MAC. The cheeks are defined with Blushbaby from MAC and the red lip is Dubonnet also from MAC.

Classic and quite Christmassy!

The same as the first look but with added fringe...I love how much hair changes a face. False hair pieces are not for the fainthearted or for the wobbly of hand but when done well they are fantastic...

What do you think? Like 'em?

Photos by Ailbhe O'Donnell

Model Aisling Finnegan (Assets Agency)

Healthy Pretty

This is one 'official' graphic from a cosmetics company that I actually like. In fact, I like it a lot. Oftentimes, they are too OTT, too airbrushed, too unattainable. But Bourjois have done themselves proud with this pretty image that is more Spring-like than Wintery, but a lovely healthy look nonetheless. It's a real 'me' look actually, and very similar to one I will be creating on a shoot this coming Sunday (my absolute last day of work before baby comes in three weeks!) I love the warm red lips and nude eyes - so wearable and gorgeous...
Now, is the product any good I hear you cry! In fact, it is. Very good indeed. It's another of these hybrid foundations that contain serum as well as makeup. They say it contains 'vitamin rich fruit therapy' which helps to even out the skin. I'm not too sure about that claim as I'm always dubious as to how much a foundation, that is designed to merely sit on the surface of the skin, can actually do for the state of your skin. But if you judge this merely as the makeup it is, you will be happy.

It has a nice smooth consistancy, medium coverage and a semi-matte finish that retains a slight glow. As with all of the Bourjois line, they offer good quality products at great price points so it's definitely one to check out. Keep in mind though, that if you can't find your shade, move on! Just because it's nice and cheap, you shouldn't sacrifice finding your exact shade.

Sweet Satisfaction

This shadow is one of MAC's latest Pro Longwear collection which began with foundations and concealers and then branched out into all areas of colour. I was sent a few bits to try out and I am most impressed indeed. Particularly with this shade called Sweet Satisfaction. It is a wheat-y, gold-y, champagne colour with the barest hint of flesh undertone. The up upshot of that means that it looks great on cooler skin tones who don't normally do so well with these type of shades. It's a superstar as a base shade with some deeper colours blended into the socket and outer corner of the eye but it is also fantastic on it's own as a veil of shimmer all over the lid. And does it last longer as the name suggests? I hear you cry... Well actually, yes it does. Provided that you prep your eye lid with powder first (as you always should) it lasts very well indeed and this shade is one for every makeup bag.

(pic via Firework Girl)

Max Factor Ageless Elixir

Lately I have been sent a few products to try out that are all aimed at the more senior of skins. Trying hard not to take offence I have put them through their paces nonetheless! The latest product to impress me is the Ageless Elixir from Max Factor. It's one of the latest hybrid foundations that encompasses skincare benefits. So the idea is that this is your serum and makeup in one. It has a slightly gel-like consistency that you think wouldn't blend into the skin too well; but it does. It actually feels quite like the silicone texture of the Smashbox primer. This element helps to smooth out the skin and it also contains SPF15 (like most things these days, but still worth mentioning) Overall it does indeed give a good look to the skin - fine lines do look a little more diffused. They claim that it will help with the skin's overall texture after time - I haven't worn it long enough to know that yet but it does have a nice feel and a medium coverage (they say it's full coverage - it isn't, but that's ok) Be aware that it does have an initial 'smell' when you pump it out. Quite floral and skincare-y but it fades on application.

Get Gorgeous To Go

This week, those Beaut.ie sisters have launched their second book entitled Gorgeous To Go. Penned by Aisling, it contains a wealth of worthy tips on how on how to shop for makeup and how to avoid falling for those sneaky marketing ploys used by so many of the brands. It has reviews, tips and their renowned beaut.ienomics section which guides you towards becoming a more savvy beauty shopper (something very close to my heart!) Written with their usual wit and refreshing honesty it's a real treat and it's a great size - designed to fit into a handbag of the medium to large size so it's your perfect shopping companion, as well as your best mate that is!

It's €12.99 and you can buy it here (do I need to mention that it's perfect pressie material?!)

New Lip Balm Love

I'm not sure I agree with the old lip balm addiction myth but I do use one every day and this Moisture Plus by Carmex is my new favourite. I've always been a fan of Carmex. I like the slightly medicinal smell and it's moisturising qualities are really good. Now the old classic has been upgraded somewhat, they have launched new stick balms with colour tints as well as a clear one. They contain an SPF of 15 as well as vitamin E and Aloe. This results in them feeling very smooth and slick on the lips. I have the peach one which doesn't add much colour but a hint of a tint. It still has the reassuring tingly feeling after application and I really like it. I'm using it daily in fact! At only €5.99, I think they are well worth it and a great lip protector for the colder months.

Highlight at Chanel

This pretty compact is part of Chanel's Christmas lineup. Yes, that is the first mention of the C word on Ellie Loves but I can't hold back any longer - there are so many lovely things arriving in my letter box to try, so I have to share with you!( I'm going to tag the really lovely things in a 'gift guide' link so perhaps as the time draws nearer you can direct your significant others to that section on the blog and tell them to take their pick!)
Anyway, back to this sublime powder. It is a highlighting powder - you've seen many before now but this really stands out firstly for it's sheer gorgeousness; I almost didn't want to touch it for fear of ruining the design. But touch it I did. And was I glad! It imparts a very subtle highlight to the skin. The shade is perfectly judged - not too sheeny, not at all glittery, just right. The accompanying brush is fine to use; it has real hair so therefore picks up the powder properly and distributes it evenly and lightly over the skin.
In the day, just add a small bit to the top of the cheekbones for a subtle glow but at night, you can go hell for leather; add it to the bridge of the nose, the cupids bow, under the eyebrows. You can even dust it lightly all over the entire face for luminous loveliness.

{Makeup Monday} Smashbox Studio Skin

I've tested the Studio Skin foundation from Smashbox out over the past few weeks and I like it a lot. I am normally so wary of the 'longlasting' category of foundations as they can look so artificial on the skin. So it was with a degree of trepidation that I applied this to my own skin, figuring that I would have to actually wear it myself to test it's claims... and it was fine! It was more than fine - it was good in fact!
It has a much dewier finish and feel than MAC's Studio Finish Fluid which I would see as this product's main competitor. It has a medium to full coverage and manages to retain the soft dewy finish for hours and although I don't think I actually wore it for the entire 15 hours, I can vouch for it's good staying power. It's a winner for normal to dry or combination skins. I wouldn't use it on a very dry skin as it may look a bit heavy. They do a good range of shades too. I wear the palest 1.1 and it is suitably pale with no yellowy hue. It's €39 and I think it's worth it.

Freckles Are Beautiful...

...and most people who have them, hate them.

To me they are so cute...

...and should never be covered (it always looks bad when they are concealed)

They are part of your face and part of your prettiness. 

Freckles are beautiful, so don't ever think otherwise...

Bourjois 10 Sleep Effect - Really?

I have to admit to laughing at myself because I made an audible 'Oooh' when I spotted this bottle of foundation on the Bourjois stand! I generally like to think of myself as someone who doesn't fall for a marketing 'line' especially when it comes to makeup. But the '10 hour sleep effect' got me. Hook, line and sinker. Seeing as I haven't had anything close to ten hours of sleep in two and a half years and after December I will get decidedly less as I'll up for night feeds again, I though I'd give this little peach bottle a whirl...
I am a genuine fan of Bourjois. I think their products are real performers in the budget beauty category so I had a certain amount of confidence in this before I started with it. But I do know that my skin provides quite the challenge due to the tiredness of pregnancy mixed with running after a toddler as well as working. To say I'm a Mum on the run is an understatement! What I mean by that is that I was quite willing to let it off the hook if it didn't perk my skin up...I would test it on others as well, before I judged it completely.
No need!! It's absolutely great! I am honestly so impressed with it and I really think my skin looks better. I dare say it looks even better than it does in my usual MAC Face & Body (which I will never talk down as it is wonderful) but this is so good for such a good price (€13.99)
I find the coverage to be light to medium - don't expect heavy coverage. You can layer within reason without it caking and although it doesn't seem to contain pearly bits - it seriously brightens my skin. They say this is down to it's content of vitamins E, F and B5. It's oil free too which is great for combination skins. I bought shade 71 which is the palest and it is good for me. Being a budget brand, they don't have a huge shade extension but if you slot into one of their shades, you should be happy with this product. Best applied with fingers for perfect blending, this is one product I will continue to use both for myself and on my clients and makeup courses.

So long Tired Face (for now!)

{Makeup Monday} MAC Paint Pot

I thought I'd wax lyrical about one of my favourite products today. This is the MAC paint pot in Groundwork and it is a right little treasure! It is a cream-to-powder eye shadow with fantastic staying power on the skin. I use it alone and also as a base for other, more strongly pigmented shadows. It is what I call a 'skin toned shadow' - a champagne/taupe tone that suits everyone so therefore is worthy of constant makeup bag usage. (see swatches here )They last really well without creasing which is one of the main issues for the cream category of shadows. I apply it over the eye using my ring finger and then blend out the edges with a 217 brush, also from MAC and also in my list of can't-live-without tools. This brush is firm enough to move creams and deeply pigmented colours whilst being soft enough to create a beautifully diffused edge to shadows. 

{Monday Makeup Review} Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara

It's a bit of a mouthful, but it's worth it (to borrow a phrase from their competitor!). I've been wearing this mascara for the past few days after I was sent it for review. Named Fusion as it mixes their volumising brush with their lengthening formula - a good idea for those of us looking for the best of both worlds! I don't usually gravitate towards these hedgehog brushes as I find they can leave the lashes looking a little sparse. Happily though, this one is packed with bristles that loads the mascara on to each and every lash and serves to spread them out nicely too. So no spikes, just lush looking lashes. Max Factor have long been considered tops in the mascara category and their latest offering in Fusion is well worth considering for your next purchase.

Today's Loves...

 This red lip...

This ensemble for me...

and this one for Lulu...

This Anthropologie necklace....

This Micheal Kors bag...

This Elie Saab dress...

 This Micheal Kors watch and all the bracelets!

This ring...

Stacked with these...

This table and gallery wall...

A Time For Glamour

So, it's finally here. Tom Ford Beauty in landing at Brown Thomas, Dublin on September 3rd so you'd better get ready for a glamour explosion!

Tom is undoubtedly the king of all that is groomed, polished and poised but his collection contains more than a strong nod to the Seventies;  more an absolute homage to the decade. Wasn't it called The Decade That Taste Forgot? Do we really want to be there again?

Just a thought...

Now, to give him his due, Tom Ford Beauty is a very beautiful collection of fairly classical makeup concepts. Nude and beige reign supreme although they are paired with some stunning smokey tones along with greens, purples and bronze palettes that will form a key (but expensive) role in any makeup kit. The eyeshadow palettes also come with two good real hair brushes which can actually be used as opposed to being thrown away as per my habit with tiny tools! The packaging is very luxe as you can see, deep mahogany brown and golds...so far, so Seventies.
One of the standout products for me is The Traceless foundation (€75) It is a creamy, silky liquid foundation that is beautiful to wear. I have been loving mine daily since I was very kindly given some a few weeks back. Tom has also made a stick foundation which usually makes me shudder in fear, but no - he has managed to create a silkier, more sheer version of this old school makeup staple. Similar enough to the Becca sticks but a little better.

Tom does lips and nails to perfection. Deep, deep pigments in gorgeous rich tones are well worth the investment. Even for the 'hey look at me, I'm wearing Tom Ford' factor when touching up on the train! Other great products are the Shade & Illuminate contouring kits which are creamy and silky rather than powdery and the Brow Sculptor - a fantastically clever brow pencil with a slanted tip and inbuilt sharpener.

His range of brushes are outstanding. Definitely the most luxurious hair I have ever felt in a makeup brush. All natural hair (badger & goat), they will be superb at distributing his colours on to the skin and you will be in raptures with the softness of them. Simply divine!
Price-wise, as you can imagine this line is at the top of the pyramid. It may be the most expensive makeup you will ever buy and I can see it on a lot of Christmas lists this year. But Tom is in the business of selling glamour...that is his forte and who am I to argue! It has been well documented that a bit of glamour keeps the spirits up in hard times. There is a thing called the Lipstick Index where it has been proven that beauty sales  increase in recessionary times and I'm sure you can all relate...can't afford to wear Tom Ford? His beautiful eyeshadows represent a portion of the glamorous life he is peddling via his own presence in all of his ad campaigns.
And don't worry, if you're not feeling his Seventies vibe, you can still create some stunning contemporary looks with the line. He said that Tom Ford Beauty is his interpretation of his memories from watching his mother get dressed and made up to go out...so he is perpetuating that theory of gay men perceiving their mothers to be the most glamorous creatures they have ever seen!

No harm, we are the benefactors at the end of the day with this gem of a range to tantalise us.

A little glamour goes a long way...

Making Up Gracie

Here's a sneaky peek at a shoot I did yesterday (snapped with my phone - the real pics will be much better!) The model is the sweet Gracie from 1st Option...isn't she beautiful.

She has only been modelling for two months but the girl has got it. Such beautiful, subtle expressions cross her face...

I posted this picture on Twitter yesterday and lots of people wanted to know what I used so here goes...

Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation in 02

Becca Illuminator in Pearl

Smashbox Eyeshadow in Fizz

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner in Blacklight

MAC False Lash Mascara

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Chestnut

Smashbox Blush Rush in Pose

Revlon matte lipstick in Pink About It

And here I am touching up Gracie's eyeshadow!

I can't wait to see the real shots, I will share them as soon as I can.

Chanel Pro Lumiere - Tried & Tested

Like most ladies I am a sucker for the intertwined C's, but I must admit to only getting into their makeup line relatively recently. My gateway products were the nail polishes and lipsticks and when I tried the superb Vitalumiere Aqua earlier this year I was pretty much hooked on this classic brand's beauty offerings. Having makeup artist Peter Phillips at the helm got me really interested too as I love his style of makeup.
So of late I have been using the rather marvellous Pro Lumiere on lots of my clients and it is a really lovely foundation. I have been using the Luminous Silk foundation by Armani since it launched for occasions such as weddings for it's great staying power and soft finish but it never really sits that well on a more dehydrated skin and that's where Pro Lumiere comes in. It has a wonderful texture that feels almost nourishing but not too oily/greasy. Not at all. It glides on to the skin when applied with a foundation brush and has a medium coverage that lasts for the entire day. The key is to use less of it than you may think as a little goes a very long way. If you overload this product on to the skin, you won't like it. Pump out a blob the size of your little finger nail (provided your nail is regular length!) and that should be enough. It sits very well over primers and with a slight dusting of a sheer powder (not full coverage) it looks beautiful. Bear in mind that as with a lot of the French brands their pale shades are not as pale as some Celtic Skins so try the colour on your skin and leave it to settle before you buy it.

Making Eyes at Chanel

I have five important words for you...Chanel Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow. Take note my lovelies because these are truly great products that are well worth a try. They are a cream powder shadow but they are more than the sum of their parts;  Not just creamy, not just powdery - they feel springy and almost spongey, light as a feather and easy to work with. They can be applied in a film as sheer or as dense as you like...you're in control of how intense the look can be. They come with one of the best applicators I've seen with a product (a little slanted brush, like a brow brush) but I prefer to smooth them over the lid with a finger and then blend out the edges using the brush only to apply it under the lower lashes. You need to work quickly with your blending as they do begin to set. They can be layered for added colour or blended out a lot for a sheer, slightly glittery veil. I have two shades, this one is Illusoire...a soft mauvey, plum with grey and silver undertones. It is superb on green and blue eyes.

This is my favourite shade of the bunch, Epatant. As you can see it is a metallic, greyish pewter tone with underlying silver. I've been wearing this daily for the past week in a thin film and I love it's subtle sparkle.
 One of the real beauties of this product is that they do last. Now, I have to say that they fade slightly over an entire day when applied thinly but when put in place with a heavier hand for more drama they don't budge. And they don't dry. They don't crack. They don't irritate sensitive eyes. They perform!

So my verdict on these new jewels for the eyes is that although a bit pricey, they will make a great investment into your Autumn/Winter makeup kit. There are six shades and they will retail at €28. Available from mid-August.

Low Key Lip

Today I am rocking my latest and greatest lip shade... The Joli Rouge in Grenadine by Clarins. It's a very moisturising soft, natural lip toned pink and I find it perfect for low-key makeup days, which this is! In fact, I am wearing no other makeup whatsoever but felt a little dead without some colour on my lips. It claims to be 'long-wearing' as so many do these days; it must be the makeup world's most overused buzz word, but in truth it lasts as long as any moisturising lippie... looks great until you eat and then you have to re-apply. Simples!