Lipstick... A Brilliant Way To Glam Up Every Look

As many of my friends will know lipstick is absolutely my favourite part of make up. Many people could not live without Mascara or Eye Liner but me.. I'm all about my lips.

I have been told in MAC that I have a smashing cupids bow, I had to laugh but she is the expert so I'll believe her :) If you want to have statement make up look, using a bold colour such as a deep red, bright pink or berry purple can really make you stand out. My favourite MAC colours are; Russian Red, Heroine, Candy Yum-Yum and Rebel.

I buy a lot of MAC colours because so far they have had the best staying power for me. If I can afford to get one each couple  of months I always do, trying to build up a rainbow of lip colours. I think the key with MAC is you have to be comfortable wearing a matte colour and sometimes they can be quite drying. 

I recently purchased the lip conditioner by MAC and it's really helping me. It cost €14.50 and you apply it onto your face when you apply your moisturiser. It needs that amount of time to really soak into your lips and then the matte lip colours sit much better and longer on your lips. 

Choosing a matte or high shine lipstick can be difficult so sometimes it is better to have a make up look in mind and ask a beauty consultant which they would recommend. Lipgloss is not my most favourite possession as I just feel it always sticks in my hair when I'm out. I do sometimes use a gloss over my lipstick which is a cheap and cheerful way of creating a third colour so buy your lipstick and gloss in slightly different colours.

Lining your lip is really important and it can also help the lip colour stay on longer. I have two lip liners from MAC but they are quite expensive so I now buy Catrice Lip Liners, Collection 2000 and Essence. I am hoping to try out some sleek liners soon I think the colours are fantastic. To line your lips correctly, always use a sharp liner pencil, blunt pencils will just create a thick messy line. Start from the outside and work your way in towards your cupid bow. Be sure to give yourself a striking triangle and if you don't have the boldest of lips, line them slightly higher than your actual lip and when you apply the lipstick it will create a fuller lip.

Applying lipstick using a small lip brush is the best option. When you use a bullet (that's what they call the lipstick itself so I've heard) it can sometimes appear messy. Applying with a small brush working from the outside in again can create a flawless lip and make sure to go right into the outer edges of the lips. You don't want to smile and begin to speak and have missing lippy ladies.

Some other brands which I love for lipsticks are once again Catrice. So far I have three colours, a pink (Frozen Rose), a nude (Be Natural) and a red (My Red Card) and I love them all. They are high shine, moisturising and great value at only 5.99.

Another fantastic range is Sleek. I have a beautiful berry red colour (Vamp)  and two bright pout paints. Now pout paints are not for the faint hearted, you have to be ready for people to comment because these babies are bright! The colours I have are purple (Mauve Over) and orange (Lava).   

 

Lips can be your defining feature in a make up look with just lashes and liner so go get brave ladies try some new colours soon and let me know how you get on.

Stay Beautiful,

Emma x

Follow me on Twitter: @emmajcsheehan

Instagram: Emma Sheehan emmalvsapose

Email: emmajosephinesheehan@gmail.com

Finding Foundation.... Nightmare at times!!

Ladies....

Have you ever seen an add for a new foundation and thought 'yeah that will absolutely suit me?' Well I do that each and every time, save like a good thing and then purchase the latest must have!

Sounds great I know... the only problem is... I'm discovering lately thanks to some expert advice that not all foundations are going to suit me, that in fact the wrong shade or wrong consistency can actually look worse than not wearing make up at all!

This is my current foundation collection.....

Huge amount of products as you can see and unfortunately it takes, setting powder on hand to keep some of them looking well on me all day. I have combination skin, I'm not sure if I didn't notice as much before or if my skin is changing in the last year or two but I am starting to look closer at my foundation than ever before.

I would love to be able to suggest to each of you a splash out product and a cheaper version that I can guarantee a feel good face all day but I can only speak from my own experience and hope that some of you match my complexion.

For a night out, full coverage look I always feel you cannot 
go wrong with MAC Studio Fix foundation. I currently have studio fix in 3 different shades due to tanning and it never lets me down. It is an absolute full coverage make up that will last night whole night. Now as stated before, I do have an oily t-zone so I would keep an eye on my complexion during the night and bring out a translucent powder to keep away the shine. These powders do not at all have to be expensive, I really like the Catrice pressed powder.

I am currently on the hunt for a day time makeup mattes itself, I tested the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation at the weekend and I really think it will be added to my Christmas list, I loved how it felt all day and I didn't see it move which I love!

Back to what I have now as opposed to what I want haha :) Estee Lauder Double Wear has been my go to foundation for years. It's quite expensive so I cannot buy it all the time but thankfully another product I feel gives the same coverage is the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Foundation. I recently purchased a bottle of the Collection 2000 foundation for only €5.99 in Boots. I am not sure how long this offer is on for but if you need a go to bottle get down to Boots as soon as you can :)

Lasting Perfection is a great coverage foundation but again my oily t-zone gives me awful trouble with this foundation. Again a pressed powder keeps me on top of the oil situation but as with many women these days, we do not have the €35 for each bottle of foundation we want so invest in a pressed powder such as Catrice of possibly even MAC pressed powder for around €20 and then you can work away using a less expensive foundation and you get more value for money.


Lighter liquid foundations are not something I have thought about before trying the Urban Decay Naked Foundation and the MAC Face and Body Foundation. I began to panic a little the first time using both of these foundations because I felt the coverage was shocking. I applied both of these with a stippling brush, which I then found didn't work for me at all. I took to my trusted Real Techniques expert face brush and I was much happier with the application. For these lighter foundations, I tended to apply a double layer, one brushing on the product and then going back in with a dabbing motion to ensure a fuller coverage. Naked foundation is one of my most popular day time picks.



Mineral Foundations; here you can see my Glo Minerals and Bare Minerals powder foundations. I actually first purchased my Glo Minerals Foundation to apply over the Naked Foundation to wear as a night time look. The Bare Minerals Starter Kit was then purchased in Debenhams in Waterford and I love the product. I have already given the kit a full blog post so feel free to return to that to discover if the brand is for you. I have started trying the mineral foundations on their own now and I like the coverage for nipping out of the house, not a full face application. It hides my blemishes and dark circles (which I am not impressed at finding) but still light enough to just give a healthy glow.

This has been a whirlwind of products on tonight's blog but I feel foundation is quite like a pair of jeans, so hard to find the perfect one but when you do, you will never give it up. If you ever want to try out a foundation please do approach the girls on the counters, they are so helpful and recently a great example of a good sales woman told me straight that her brand of foundation would not help my skin, this sounds crazy but instead she showed me a wonderful primer I am certainly hoping to get on my next payday which she said will help any foundation I wear, matte and last longer on my face. Now after seeing the amount of foundation I actually own at the minute, it'll be a great investment for me and keep me away from buying foundation for a while yet :)

If you have any questions relating to anything on tonight's blog please email me @ emmajosephinesheehan@gmail.com
Don't forget to follow me on twitter; @emmajcsheehan
Instagram: Emma Sheehan emmalvsapose
And also don't forget to follow the blog on Bloglovin (the link is along side the page here)

Stay Beautiful,

Emma x

Brushes.... Tools of the Trade

Morning Ladies,

On this dull Friday morning, I think it's time we go back to basics and get to know our brushes!!

Brushes are the key to creating good make up looks. It's extremely difficult to to apply make up well if you are not using the right kind of brushes.

My own collection is growing slowly and as always it's important for me to clarify I am not an expert, what's working for me and my skin may not work for you and if you are in the make up business you may not agree but that's OK I'm always happy to spend more of my hard earned money on make up toys :)

Money is another huge factor as to what is available to you and ladies, I am right up there with you when it comes to brushes, I never invested hugely in my brushes because I didn't understand just how important they are.

A great brand and price point which I have sworn by the last few months are the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. I first came across these on Cloud 10 Beauty. I love this website!! They have a fantastic points reward system and when you sign up as a customer they are forever sending you discount codes which helps you to keep buying.

Now that Christmas is on the way it's time to get thinking about what we would like or what we would like to buy friends and family. The Real Techniques Core Collection is a perfect gift. It retails around €25 and Real Techniques are also available in Boots so if you do not like shopping online hopefully there is a Boots near you. 

Another kit which again retails around €25 is the starter kit. I bought this with the intention of helping me create better eye make up and it is amazing. The brushes, I find, do not have overly long handles so you can get a good grip on them and really concentrate on what you are doing. It's extremely hard to learn a smokey eye look or to perfect liner when you have no tools so again treat yourself or someone else to this great kit sooner rather than later.

Foundation brushes... depending on what foundation you are using, a brush can either enhance the foundation or have you looking washy. Both the expert face brush and stippling brush from Real Techniques are an excellent choice. The expert face brush works so well with the Urban Decay Naked Foundation, MAC Face and Body Foundation, any foundation which is slightly lighter in consistency, this brush applies is flawlessly onto your skin. It costs €11.99 and is it always my go to brush. The stippling brush for me works best with my Estee Lauder Double Wear and MAC Studio Fix, retailing at €13.50 I love how you can create a flawless face with your full coverage foundation. 

Other Real Techniques brushes I have invested in have been the blush brush at €11.99 and the powder brush €13.50. These are huge fluffy brushes and fantastic for blending out your contour lines and applying a light glowing blush.

That's a serious tribute to Real Techniques brushes but I genuinely feel they do not break the bank and with good care these brushes are going to last you ages.


If you were keeping an eye on the blog Facebook page last week " Emma Sheehan Blog" you would have seen me post about a brush sale in Fuschia Make Up. They had a 75% sale on their individual brushes so I invested in a few for me and some for my mum. I purchased two lip brushes, two blending brushes, a flat foundation brush and a small liner brush. You will not believe that for all 6 brushes it cost me €20!!! Postage was €6 and I am so happy they arrived. It's been a busy week in work for me but yesterday I managed to have a little play and I love them! The crease brush is fantastic, really suits my eye shape (gets right in there into the crease to help blending) They actually call their crease brush their blending brush so don't get too confused :) Fuschia make up have moved factory so they had a serious sale, please like them on Facebook "Fuschia Makeup" and keep an eye out over the weekend, they have said there will be amazing deals over the weekend so keep an eye out! 

I actually called them yesterday looking for more brushes and the Swords store explained they will have brushes back in next Thursday so hopefully the will still be on sale :) 75% is a huge discount so I couldn't pass it up. You can do make up courses in both the Drogheda and Swords store Level 1 and 2, both during the week and weekends for €50. At the moment, they have an offer on in which you receive a brush kit at the course included in your price. I really want to go so hoping once I move to Dublin I'll duck over and do the courses. 

My Bare Minerals brushes are naturally the best tool for my mineral make up. I bought the starter kit in Debenhams for €56. This kit includes 3 brushes which I have blogged about before but I love the full face brush for any of my powders or mineral foundations. I have recently been watching YouTube tutorials from people like Loz Curtis, I think she is fantastic! She made a great tutorial recently about what she feels is the right and wrong way to apply makeup. I had been putting mineral foundation over liquid medium coverage foundation but I'm starting to think that this is not working for me.

The smaller concealer brush from the Bare Minerals foundation is a lovely tool to make sure that areas such as your nose, chin and under the eyes get covered with the mineral make up.

I recently visited Emma at the Eyrebrushed Makeup Studio in Kilkenny. Emma has launched her own Eyrebrushed brush range. Emma very kindly gave me a brow/liner brush and it is fantastic!! When I get the opportunity to go back for a one day course I will be investing in more eye brushes from the range. The quality is fantastic and with all Emma's knowledge in the make up world, you know you're going to have this brush for years.

Any of the brushes mentioned in today's blog, I have only purchased within the last year. I completely understand that people these days do not have the money to purchase expensive brushes so if I can source brushes which work on all types of skin I will blog about them as I find them.

If I was loaded, of course I would like to own the MAC range of brushes but there are so many brands which can match MAC's quality these days. The lovely Paul from the Cosmetics Outlet in Dublin is launching his own range of brushes in November and I will absolutely be trying them! Madison is the brand and with Paul's knowledge of the make up world, I just know they will be unreal. Keep an eye out and like the "The Cosmetic Outlet Dublin 8" on Facebook to see the amazing offers he has in store and online.

I do have one MAC brush which I have now had for almost 4 years and I still love it. I have the Duo Fibre Large Stippling Brush and with good care, I still love to use this brush for my nights out with my full coverage foundation. Don't be silly like me ladies, about 3 years ago, I took the notion to buy a 'MAC' Brush Set on Ebay.... It cost me only €30 and I somehow believed it might have been real. Now please don't get me wrong my fake brushes are fantastic! I think I got an excellent set and it was really only in the last year and a half of getting into make up that I even realised they may not be real. The eye brushes I find really good but the face brushes are a little too rough for my skin.

Oh and just as I finished writing this the postman arrived with my bursh belt I had ordered online.... Delighted!!

If you have any questions on brushes please feel free to mail me at emmajosephinesheehan@gmail.com. Like my facebook blog page 'Emma Sheehan Blog' and follow me on Twitter @emmajcsheehan and instagram EMMALVSAPOSE.

Stay Beautiful,

Emma x

A Lesson With Emma at Eyrebrushed Makeup Studio Kilkenny

Friday morning was wet and horrible but I was so excited to hit the road to visit a make up studio I had been dying to visit for ages. I have missed two one day courses already so I contacted Emma a couple of weeks ago to enquire about a one to one lesson. The lessons usually cost €60 for an hour and twenty mins but there was a special offer on and it was now only €35, I took it as a sign and booked myself in finally!

Arriving at the studio, I was so excited! Too excited really as I had forgotten to bring my make up brushes with me :( The key to these lessons are you bring your own make up with you, and Emma works with you to show you how to do it correctly, change some of the mistakes you may be making and also suggest some products which may suit your skin or your likes.

Very Sleepy!

Emma is so pretty, truly a beautiful woman and so friendly. I look for that a lot when I go for lessons now, it can be quite daunting to arrive in to meet someone you know is a professional and they are about to watch you do your own make up, feeling comfortable is key to making that work and Emma is professional to a tee. She was lovely and welcoming and we got to work straight away but at no time did I feel silly or under pressure, I was there to learn and delighted to be there.

We started by talking skincare. I explained to Emma I was currently using the Clinique range for blemished skin. Its the mint green system and I have been using it since July. Unfortunately for me, I don't know is it my love of junk food or lack of drinking water but my poor skin is just not getting clear. I am hoping this will change but as well as learning all my new make up skills, I plan to eat more healthy and drink loads and loads of water. Emma suggested I try the Kielhs Ultra Skin range. She has promoted this brand for brides and MUA's as she feels it suits all skin types and really works at creating good clear skin. Of course this has now gone on my list of purchases! I am going to finish out the Clinique range and then start on Kielhs.

So my skin; I have combination skin... not overly dry on my cheeks but a fairly oily t-zone so I try to be careful with what foundation I choose. As I have previously mentioned, when I go out I like to look really 'made up' but Emma made a great point to me on Friday which got me thinking about make up application. "Would you rather someone tell you, you are wearing lots of make up or would you rather someone tell you, you look fantastic?" I think this is becoming more important to me as I am starting a new job soon which will mean meeting people a lot during the day so I want a flawless make up look suitable for day time but as always makes me look healthy, clear and pretty (I don't ask for much do I? ;) )

I brought with me my Urban Decay Naked foundation and Emma agreed the liquid consistency is good for me as would MAC Face and Body foundation which I happen to have. This foundations are not very heavy on the skin and as I had forgetten my brush, Emma showed me a great application technique. These foundations are quite light and watery so if you place the foundation on the palm of your hand, rub your hands together until the foundation becomes 'tacky' and then apply it like a moisturiser and then blend it out with your ring finger.

*Emma told me that using your ring finger is the most gentle touch you can put on your face, your index finger can sometimes be quite hard for blending.* 

Powder: I brought with me my glo minerals powder and showed Emma I use the Bare Minerals 'swirl, tap and buff' technique on my face as this is what I had experienced at the Bare Minerals counter. Again this is the right way to apply the powder but if like me you have an oily t-zone, I have to really press my powder onto that area rather than buff. Still using my same full face brush, I can buff on my dryer areas like my cheeks but I use the brush to lightly press the powder onto my t-zone. I asked Emma for other suggested powders and for me she chose MAC Prep and Prime Pressed Translucent Powder or the MAC Skin Mineralise Powder in a lighter shade.

Contour/Highlight/Blush: As I visit more and more people, I am learning there are so many ways to line your face. I did like how Emma's application was light and yet still got the desired effect without being drastic with the product itself. To contour, you lightly dust the brush over the area you want to conceal from the light, the hollow of your cheek is a good example of this. Highlighting on Friday we used my YSL Touche Eclat. Using the YSL stick itslf, brush under your eye making sure to get right into the bridge of your nose. I have started to notice I am getting quite dark under my eyes so I need to keep concealing. 
The key to concealing is:
Pink hides darkness
Yellow is for blemishes

Blusher: I hear quite conflicting reports on where you should apply blush but I have always thought it was on the apple of your cheeks. You should create a warmth on your cheeks not a harsh colour line. You put some blush on your brush, tap off the excess and begin to move your brush up and down quickly before the brush even touches your face, this will gently put some colour on your cheeks and not leave product sitting on your face.

Brows: As posted recently I used my new HD Palette, the key to good brows is to start with the bottom of the brow and only fill in where you have gaps first. Do the same on the top of the brow and only then add colour to to your existing the hair. You are creating the illusion of hair where there isn't any so you don't need to colour your existing hair too much as then the colour will always be darker and the gaps will remain more noticeable. 

Eyeliner; Oh ladies I was hopeless. I had told Emma I really like the vintage look and that I like to play with my eye liner so she asked me to do one eye to show her what my technique was like.... Needless to say I was totally wrong in how I did it and it looked ridiculous when I had eventually finished!! :( The proper way to do your eye liner is to work from 3/4 of the way out of your lash line into a 1/4 in with gel eye liner, then work back out to the outside and that is how you create a flick, dot into the inside of your eye and that inside line should be much skinnier than the outside.

Mascara; To do your bottom lashes you look slightly up and turn your wand lengthways, you apply it to the bottom lashed individually. Do your bottom lashes first. For the top lashes, you look down and you zig zag the brush from the root out. This is how you create volume but be sure to zig ziag the brush to really create length. I had actually thought I was putting my mascara on wrong but it turns out I have quite long lashes and I wouldn't let them dry properly so they would hit my eye lid and leave marks.

Lips: I brought with me my fave lip colour MAC Russian Red, my one ability has been my lips lately and Emma was happy with my application. I was buzzing but I do love my lippy so I expect nothing less from myself ;)

Feeling so pretty!

Ladies I would absolutely recommend going to meet Emma and her team in Eyrebrushed Makeup Studios in Kilkenny. She will be hosting her next one day make up course on November 10th. Check her out on Facebook. It's the weekend of my big move so unfortunately I cannot attend.

https://www.facebook.com/EyrebrushedProMakeUp?fref=ts

Eyrebrushed also do their own range of brushes which are fantastic! Emma was very kind to give me a present of a brush which can be used for both brows and liner. I had never invested in a proper liner brush before so this has been a great addition to my growing brush collection.  I have been practising loads with my new tool and will deffo be purchasing more of the Eyrebrushed brushes. These can be purchased through the studio on the day of the courses.

I walked away Friday morning with a flawless face of make up and having met one of my favourite MUA's so far. I thoroughly enjoyed the lesson and will hopefully make it back some day to the studio for one of the many courses. For a business opened only seven months in Kilkenny, Emma has years of experience as an MUA, she has worked with some of the biggest companies in Ireland and she is an outstanding teacher. 

Apologies for the long post but all the detail was completely necessary to show the true extent of all I learned.

Stay Beautiful,

Emma x

Nominated for being a Newbie- Liebster Award

                         

So what is a Liebster award you may ask?! Well... it's an award that a blogger presents to other bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It's a really nice way to encourage others and to expand the blogging community. I was thrilled to bits when last night I was nominated for this new award by the fab Aine from thisisaine.com please give her a follow ladies!! She's on 
twitter @ThisIs_Aine :)

So here's how it all works ("The Rules" so to speak) :

Thank your nominator and link their blog.  

Give us 11 facts about yourself. 

Answer the 11 questions that your nominator asks you & also write 11 questions that you want to ask the people that you nominate.

Tag 5 or 11 other blogs for the award, they must have less than 200 followers. Make sure that you inform them that you've tagged them and send them a link to your blog post so that they can see what they have to do etc. 

So here are 11 facts about me;

1. I love to dance and have been teaching since I was 16 years old.

2. I would never go on a night out without my camera, I am snap happy.

3. Even after going to over 5 MUA's I still haven't mastered how to contour.

4. I studied Social Care in WIT

5. I am moving to Dublin in 3 weeks time.

6. Tinkerbell is my favourite Disney character.

7. I cant function in the morning without a cup of tea.

8. I recently got the back of my neck pierced.

9. I have four tattoos and planning number 5.

10. I've never been to New York and I really want to go.

11. Harry Potter is the first book series I ever fully read.

Now my 11 questions from Aine;

1. What is your favorite lipstick of all time (Brand, name/number, and shade description)?

My fave lippy has to be MAC's Russian Red. I have been wearing it for the last three years. It's a vibrant matte red lippy from my fave company and it's a must have to create a fun vintage look.

2. When and why did you start blogging?

I'm blogging about a month and a half, my friends suggested I start as all I do is talk about my latest visit to a MUA so put finger to keys and decided to share all my learning with girls just like me looking for new skills.

3. Do you prefer drugstore or high end make up?

When I can afford MAC and Urban Decay I will always buy them but some of the brands I buy a lot ar Catrice and Barry M so it just depends on money with me :)

4. Who is you favorite fashion or beauty blogger or YouTuber? & why?

I really like Joanne Larby, The Make Up Fairy Pro. I have followed her from day one, her tutorials are easy to follow and I'm getting a lesson off her in two weeks and I cannot wait!!

5. What is your number 1 dream career?

I would love to open a dance school in a disadvantaged area and provide an outlet for young people through the medium of dance.

6. What's your favorite hair product or tool?

My GHD. Ever since my hair grew longer, it's gotten so frizzy so my GHD helps keep it nice and sleek.

7. What's the coolest thing that's happened to you (in relation to your blog)?

Being nominated for this award clearly! I have so much to learn about blogging but I am just so happy to have been thought of.

8. Top fashion or beauty tip to always remember?

Beauty tip; When applying mascara, make sure to wiggle your brush and stay as close to the root as possible, this gives you volume and curl.

9. Number one essential item for your airplane hand luggage?

My iPod, I need music to help me travel and to try fall asleep.

10. Favorite clothing brand and make up brand (high end or high street)?

Clothing you cannot beat Penneys (Primark) for great fashion that never breaks the bank. My make up brand has to be MAC.

11. Your favourite season and why?

I hope this is a weather question... I love winter! Tea, roaring fire, hats and scarves and Christmas... its a wonderful time of year!!

My Questions:

1. Who is your fave disney character?

2. Where is the best place you have been?

3. Shoes or Bags?

4. Favourite drink?

5. Have you won any other blog awards?

6. How often do you blog?

7. The one make up product you never forget to put on?

8. Any tattoos?

9. If you were an animal what would you be?

10. Would losing your phone devastate you?

11. What's the first thing you'd do if you won the lotto?

Aine Beirne thank you so much for the nomination it means the world!

So far I am nominating three lovely blogs...

Stephaine from Miss Beauty Blogger   http://beautymissblogger.blogspot.ie/

Stephaine Barry from @polishednprimed (twitter)

 Ebony J from   http://www.ebonyjaybeautymyway.com/

Stay beautiful,

Emma x

Bloglovin

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11086783/?claim=z2py5uc4nrz">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Followers.... Let's be having ya!

Hey everyone,

So as you all know, I have really dedicated time and effort into creating this blog so I'd like to get it out into the world as much as possible.....

Thank you so much to everyone who has started with 'liking' my facebook page "Emma Sheehan Blog". I would like to start generating some followers now on the Blogger site 2. It's powered through Google and each time you click onto read one of my blogs you are already on the site so all I need you to do is click 'follow'

I am also a huge Instagram fan, everything make up ends up on my account so please add me;
Emma Sheehan emmalvsapose

My twitter account is @emmajcsheehan

Thanks again for all the support and long may it continue.

Stay Beautiful,

Emma x

It's all a load of brows!

You cannot go anywhere these days without seeing beautiful brows....
They are everywhere!!

I began thinking about fixing my brows a while ago unsure whether the HD was for me or not, well after Wednesday I am HD all the way!! The only way to really explain the effect these HD's have had on me is these before and after pics...

Before: It took me a good solid 6 weeks of no fun to get these bad boys, aren't these beauties?? :) I suffered a lot I wont lie ladies after the first two weeks, I could barely use my brow kits anymore but I prevailed on a night out to conceal as much of the extra hair as I could and really define my usual brow but hold your horses check out my after...

Yep here I am Wednesday after leaving the master Louise in Lulu Belle with amazing brows. I cannot recommend enough that you go to Lulu Belle, meet Louise and the team and get your brows did!!

HD brows are a 7 step procedure and your appointment lasts at least 30 minutes. You are tinted, waxed, threaded, plucked, trimmed.... cannot remember the other two but you are made lovely! :)

I have tried a few things on my brows before starting the HD look but there's no way I'm going back now.. I know in these recession times its really hard to afford things but for me brows can absolutely set off a look and there's no point investing loads of cash on products for your eyes when they're overshadowed by unkempt brows.

I feel that brows are quite an individual thing, some people like them thin and arched, others natural and just tidied and why I don't know, but there's some people who like to look like they have permanent marker on their faces (clearly not one of my fave looks)

Before my HD brows, I had gotten the Billion Dollar Brow treatment three times. I loved them, they were creating a great shape and just like the HD, it was a step by step process and after getting over the initial shock of needing to let my own grow out over 6 weeks, they were fantastic.

I purchased the Benefit Brows a GoGo set and it helped keep the look of the BDB. I did find that for me the wax in the kit was just a little too shiny and when I put that on and then placed the shadow over it, my brows sometimes still appeared shiny and quite clumpy. It could easily have been my application but I think I needed a stiffer matte wax on my own brows because they're so dark already.

It was out of pure nosiness that I moved onto the HD but for me, I prefer the HD now. I would advise if you are unsure of the HD look for yourself maybe do what I did, start with the BDB, it's a slightly more natural looking brow and then when you feel ready move onto the HD.

Whatever shape you have your brows in, you can always define and enhance them using a range of palettes and products. As you can see from my pic I'm the owner of a few! I think as with most makeup you need to try things out on yourself so if it's your first time using brow pencils or kits start off cheap... Catrice do a fantastic brow kit, I think selling at around €6 and you get the two shadows and a little brush so you can get practicing with this. If you go to a salon to get your brows done, ask the experts, they will always know better than me and they can guide you in the right direction especially when it comes to colour. Its OK at times to have diff brows to hair especially for blondes but if your a brown haired girl like me, matching them up can be really good with your makeup.

Another great kit which I was using up until Wednesday is the sleek brow kit. €9.99 comes in a range of colours but the consistency of the wax and the shadow were fantastic on my brows. Really define and shape your brow and set off any vintage look or autumn look you are creating.

Brow pencils, I have tried but I found I just couldn't get the shape I wanted, it always appeared as a harsh line and I was never sure how to blend it out. 

Just to clarify every kit will come with a slanted brush and a flat brust; use the flat brush to firstly fill in any gaps you may have in your brow. Working from the outside in and using flicking motion create the extra 'hair' which you may be missing if like me you have gotten HD brows done for the first time, I still have some filling in to do.

Work along the bottom of the brow, defining the shape and then onto the top. You don't need to add much product at all to the hair you already have because it will just go very dark and the lighter bits you have just filled in will then remain lighter, so take your time as I said in flicking motions and you can square off in between your eyes, similar to the HD look even if you don't have them ;)

Louise from Lulu Belle is a master at the HD brows, so if you want somewhere in Waterford with the assurance you'll come out feeling amazing book yourself in today! Try them out and I promise you, you will not go back. The treatment costs €30 but you will only need to get them done every 6-8 weeks. Lulu Belle also do a loyalty card system so after so many HD treatments you get one for free so that really helps break down the cost. The HD kit is €25 and of course I'm in love. Louise was so kind to give me the kit and I have used it every day. You may not need to invest in this straight away but anywhere you go these days to get your make up done or even most brow treatments, your brows are filled in so if you're not a user of any products start with a cheaper pencil or kit and see how much of a difference it can make to your look.

Have a fantastic weekend,

Stay beautiful,

Emma x

Beauty on a budget

Hey ladies,

Unfortunately I fear this wont be as long a blog as I had initially planned... I am literally up to my eyes with work at the moment so just taking a little break to post to you some of the products I use which do not break the bank :)

Apologies in advance for the pics, it seems my phone does not want to take a good shot of me today and my appalling eyebrows will be fixed come Wednesday!! I'm finally getting the HD Brows done in Lulu Belle and cannot wait to see how they suit me.

So onto today's post... I understand that makeup can be a very expensive hobby at the best of times but these days so many brands are bringing out amazing products there are plenty to choose from which wont cost you an arm and a leg!

Catrice is my fave low cost range at the minute, available in Penneys and some other chemists it's a fantastic range full of bang on trend colours and pigments in their eye shadows is similar to Urban Decay. I really like their lipsticks which wont cost you more than €6!!

Essence is a brand I actually used to avoid purely based on pricing. I can be picky sometimes in relation to foundation and what I like sitting on my skin but in the last year or so I've tried many of their products and I really like them. Particularly their mascaras have amazing wands and I feel they give great definition.

As you can see from my pics there are a couple of Sleek products. I advise you all to start buying from this range it is amazing! Although only available in one chemist in the south east, you can buy online for a low shipping cost. The brow kit at €9.99 is my best investment in a long long time!!

I did a very rough half and half on my face today using a range of products which not one item cost more than €9.99. As you can see in the pick (make up not overly well applied) I have gone for a night look of black liner from Catrice and also red lippy from Catrice. I love this liner as I feel it never moves once applied. I made the mistake today of not letting my foundation set before applying the liner hence the little smudges. I see the vintage look for going out a lot more lately and if you can master a flick or cat eye, throw on some lashes you have a seriously glammed look.

On the other side I kept it very light and minimal more of a day time look. The gold eye shadow pot I got from NYC and I really like the colour as it brightens my blue eyes. I went for a brown liner but could not find my brown mascara so it doesn't really stand out. Sometimes I find it you want to create a natural look, use brown products instead of black.

The highligher is from catrice also and I love this product. It sits on my skin quite well and I really feels works its magic. I used a rimmel bronzer to lightly contour my face. This powder is quite dark so I'm still trying to blend blend blend when it comes to my contouring.

When shopping for a cheaper product, do try out the testers on the stands.... with lipticks, try it on the back of your thumb to see how the colour actually comes out. With foundation, apply it near your wrist and see how well it blends (remember to match your skin tone you shouldnt see the foundation on your hand) that's the key really ;) 

I don't feel you can go wrong with either Catrice or Essence for a cheaper buy with great products.

*A new product I have fell in love with is the Collection 2000 foundation available in Boots. I really like how the product sits on my skin, it's very similar to Estee Lauder Double Wear, my only criticism is for combination skin, be sure to bring powder with you throughout the day as it can become a little shiny. It's a steal at only €5.99 at the minute in Boots.

I will absolutely blog again with more purchases of cheaper make up. I understand it's a tough time for everyone to be splashing out a fortune to keep up with the seasons trends so fear not, I will blog an entire night time look some weekend soon and save you all a fortune!!

                            

Stay beautiful,

Emma x