Summer Series | Holiday Essentials

Okay apologies are in order. There has been a massive delay between my last post and this one. July seemed to pass me by in a flash. Granted it's now August, but until schools are back, it always still feels like summer, so I have the final post in my Summer Series, you can find post one here and post two here.

So the reason my July was so jam-packed was mostly due to holidays. This year I decided to do a series of small trips and as a result my make-up bag needed to stay light. So I'm going to share with you what made the cut.

Since I spent some time travelling around Ireland as well as the UK, airport security was also a factor. Keeping it basic was key (full details of products below).

I made sure to keep it really minimal, I left out things like primer, eye lash curlers, extra brushes, brought no more than one of each type of product.I brought the two essential brushes (and the NAKED palette comes with one), I figured anything else could be blended with fingers. I guess my main piece of advice, even if you think you need everything, there's surely a couple more things you can cut out. I know personally when I'm away on holidays, I just want to spend the minimal amount of time on getting ready as there is so much to go out and enjoy and experience. I even know some days I won't want to wear make up. So I really factor this into my final choices. Essentially a good rule of thumb is: no more than one of anything. I find the biggest thing that will weigh you down is have three different mascaras and five types of lip gloss. Choose the bare essentials and your back will thank you for it, when you don't have to lug it all around from city to city.

I teamed my make up collection with the a couple of nail varnishes (again look for cheats like using the same polish for your base coat and top coat). I kept it bright, summery and simple.

So the running theme is basic and minimal. What are you holiday essentials that you can't live without? Do you pack light or do you pack everything, including the kitchen sink?

Face
Make Up For Ever Face & Body Liquid Make Up (#20)
NARS Creamy Concealer (Custard)
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (Pale Yellow)
Bourjois Blush (48 Ashes of Roses)

Brushes
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Real Techniques Powder Brush

Eyes
NAKED Palette (No. 1)
Essence Eye Liner Pen (Black)
Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara (Waterproof - Black)

Lips
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer (Big Bang)
Make Up For Ever Rough Artist Natural Lipstick (N22 Pink Peach)

Nails
Essie Top Coat (No Chips Ahead)
Rimmel Salon Pro - Kate Collection (Purple Rain)
Models Own Splash Collection (Pink Paradise)

Summer Series | Nails

So this is post number two in the Summer Series, you can find the first one here. This time I'm looking at nails. Summer is always the perfect time for bright colours of course, but Summer 2013 seems to be all about really bright neon colours. So I think this bright orange is a perfect addition to any summer collection.

This is Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in the colour Mango. The finish of this nail varnish is great and the colour is so bold. It reminds of Shellac nails in the finish actually. So you get expensive looking nails, without the expensive price tag. I picked this one up on ASOS for €5.29. So it is a really affordable polish. However with the reduced price tag, does come reduction in quality. I find it applies quite streaky and sticky initially and it starts drying quite quickly, so if you're trying to fix an error, you can make a mess of your nails.

However as it is drying, it does tend to smooth itself out. So my nails above are on my first attempt. As I was applying it, I didn't imagine it would turn out so well. So just be patient with it. Of course since this is such a bright colour, be certain to apply a base coat (if this something you would normally skip) since it would be very likely stain your nail. Finally in my experience, it didn't chip until the third day, which for the price, is very good going.

Overall I was impressed with this polish and I think it's a perfect shade for Summer 2013!


Pros: great finish, beautiful colour, bargain price
Cons: need to be patient applying it



Have you tried the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints?
What are some of your favourite shades for summer?

Summer Series | Scent

Okay so the day I decide to start the Summer Series, the day the sun goes missing, but we'll trudge on nonetheless. Over the next few weeks I will be (amongst regular blog posts) releasing the Summer Series posts. Each one will focus on something summery, whether a make-up look, hair style or accessory, they will all be (in my humble opinion) complimentary to Summer!

So to begin with is this fragrance from Paul Smith, Extreme (for women). This is a 30ml bottle and the average retail price is approximately €28, however it is constantly on sale on numerous websites and you can often get it for as a low as €20.

First off the packaging is so colourful and fun, it's a perfect addition to your shelf to bring the summer to life. But what I love most about this fragrance is how light it is. While it is floral, it is quite a subtle scent and definitely not overpowering in the slightest. It is perfectly refreshing for this time of year (maybe even more so with the return of the poor weather, when we need to create our own Summer-time).

Paul Smith describes it as "amber and musk mix with sandalwood and cedar for sensual but feminine undertones". While I don't claim to have that refined a sense of smell, I would definitely find this fragrance to be gentle and feminine. I would definitely recommend it as an everyday perfume for Summer 2013.

Have you tried any of the Paul Smith range before, what do you think?

What are your favourite summer scents?

Light Summer Foundation

Now that we're really getting some great sunshine out there, I thought I would talk about my go-to summertime foundation. It's perfect for summer days whether out on the beach (those couple of days a year when they're packed) or on a shopping trip with the girls. The foundation I am referring to is Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum.

Ok so while it is summer-time , I am still Irish and I am still rather pale. So I use the lighest colour available "51 - Vanille Clair". Which, when you are very pale, it's great they have such light shades as the last thing you want to do is have your face a few shades darker than the rest of you!

This product is available is available in a few places in Ireland, most notably Boots Pharmacy and is approximately €16 to buy. The reason this foundation is a great edition to your summer make-up collection is the finish. A fair warning, it is a low coverage foundation, however the liquid glides on your face and quickly blends in, leaving a soft, natural finish. I know for some higher coverage is important, but I think a low coverage is great for the summer months. It just evens out your skin tone and reduces redness, while leaving you looking very natural. If you pop on some of your favourite mascara, it's very minimal work for a great, fresh summer look.

While it is great for summer time, it is important to be aware there is no SPF in this foundation, so you will need to ensure to have SPF in your moisturiser/primer.

For those of you, like myself, who may suffer from blemishes, you can always make use of one of my May Favourites, Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer. The concealer can just be used in any area you need a little extra attention (including under your eyes).

I have dry skin and I think it is great to fine a foundation that does not dry my skin out. I also find I do not necessarily need powder to set, however for someone with oilier skin, a translucent powder would still offer you the fresh "bare-faced" look.

There is however the disadvantage of this light airy foundation in that you won't get a full day and night out of one application. I find when I have had this product on for approx 8 or 9 hours and I am heading out that evening, I would need to top up as it doesn't have the strong lasting power of some it's higher end counterparts.

Pros for Summer: Natural, lighweight, low coverage, not too expensive, pale shades
Cons for Summer: No SPF, no longevity


Have you tried any Bourjois foundations, what do you think of them?
What are your favourite summer foundations?

Review: Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure

With pastel shades reappearing now that the summer is here, I decided to try Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Jaded.

The first time I tried it I wasn't overly impressed, I am rather used to one layer nail varnishes that you pop on and go. With this particular polish, that does not work however. Once you paint onto your nail for the first time and you go over the nail again (to ensure you covered all areas) I find the second layer sweeps up the first layer. In addition to this if you try to overcome this by using a slightly thicker first layer, the polish slides to the side of your nail and dries in a lump around the side of your nail or on your finger.

However on my second attempt with a bit more time, I put on two thin layers and was suitably impressed. I like the colour, the finish and the general appearance of the polish. You would however definitely need to allow it extra time to really dry in. I would not recommend doing anything too manual for quite some time afterwards, since even after it appears dry, due to the nature of the product it's liable to get imprints/indentations.

Sally Hansen claim for this particular brand that it has "7 Benefits of a Salon Manicure in 1 Bottle". It does appear thick and sturdy on the nail, giving it a salon looking finish that is sometimes missing with other brands of nail polish. All in all I would definitely recommend this nail polish.

The shade is also great as it can go with almost any colour whether you're choosing to wear pastel shades or dark colours. Neon and pastel mixing is also a popular trend which is emerging this summer. For the more daring polish wearers, you could really embrace this and accent your ring finger perhaps with a neon shade (this polish is also available in "Back to Fuchsia").

What do you think? What are your favourite shades for Summer 2013?