Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent

Hello my beauties I hope you are all well 

Today's review is on the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent 

I have been looking for a transparent powder for a while now and of course its hard to find a good one.  Why Transparent I hear you ask?!  Well I think everyone should have a transparent powder in their kit especially you beauty lovers who have alot of makeup.  

We all tend to go for powders that match out foundations (which can be a pain as it is hard to find) or even powders that are lighter or darker than or foundations but sometimes or most of the time the only reason we need a powder is to set out makeup or to touch up out oily t-zones.  

That is where a transparent Powder comes in.  It adds no colour only sets our makeup and gets rid of that dreaded shine we tend to get.  It doesn't add that texture we end up getting especially when using powders after a few hours.  Or it doesn't give you that cakey look that some powders can end up giving you.  Also when we powder after a few hours we tend to notice after powdering that it has soaked into our fine lines and enlarged pores.  Not a pretty sight at all eh? 

Well with Summer in and The weather getting warmer (well not here but maybe where you are Typical Irish weather huh)  this is the time we need our compacts more as we tend to get very oily and shiny in heated weather 

I had to go for Rimmel Stay Matte as I've heard it is pretty good, in fact i have heard no bad reviews so far about it 

So let me begin by telling you what skin type I am.  I have combination to dry skin and I thought at first that this little beauty might me a no no for me because its Called Stay Matte but it is depending on what foundation I use I do get oily on my t-zone and sometimes on my cheeks as I suffer with enlarged pores.  My enlarged pores are more noticeable when the weather is warm and I hate it.  So basically I got this for that reason 
The packaging is very lightweight.  The lid is twist able but be careful when carrying this around in your bag as it can break if your bag is stood on or thrown.  Apart from that the packaging is no that important as its to be expected with such an affordable price.  

The Powder will well compacted and has the rimmel design printed on it.  Rimmel Claim that this powder will giving up to 5 hours natural shine control and helps minimise the appearance of pores.  As this shade is Transparent some people have said that there is a tint of colour to it.  I find its more on the white side than colour side

Do not worry though as this white shade will not lighten your foundation it blends out into a transparent finish.  
Overall i have had a great experience with this powder I have used it to set my makeup and noticed my foundation has stayed matte throughout the day.  I have also used this powder to set my concealer under my eyes and its perfect and does not settle into my fine lines.  As for minimising my pore it surely does that :)  I found this powder is not chalky and while using a large powder brush it picks us just the right amount of product to do my face.  Which mean no wastage of product.  My face does not feel dry after using it which is also a bonus as I hate that dry feeling you do get from some powders.  I have put this to the test by wearing a BB cream which has a dewy finish on a day that I knew I was going to be cooking alot :)  

So picture this:  A full face of Makeup,  Cooking in a medium side kitchen, all kitchen windows and doors shut cooking for 2 hours straight, lots of steam, and of course the range fire lit.  Yes you can imagine my face after that if I did not set my makeup.  Well Surprisingly My face stayed matte I was shocked and happy all at the same time :)  Delighted with this product and highly recommend this to anyone who has oily problems :) 
This picture was taken 2 hours after that engorged heat in the kitchen as you can see I am a little shiny under the eyes but nothing cray cray apart from that I stayed shine free LOVE IT !!!!!

 Anyone with dry skin will not benefit from this of course :) as it is a mattifying product.  I did find this powder did me throughout the day even after 10 hours of wear but if you are extra oily you will probably need to touch up after about 7 hours wear .  I even used this powder on my younger sister as she is oily and acne prone and as I applied a BB Cream on her she needed something to set that into place to last her for the night as BB creams can be quite shiny especially on oily skin.  I also had to use this to set her concealer for her blemishes and it did not cake up once.  here is her finished look as you can see she is naturally shine in the first photo and with wearing a BB cream made her look extra shiny but thanks to the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent it made her look more natural and shine free without the heaviness of foundation and coloured powders.  Just to show you how matte and natural this powder is I used the flash of my camera to take the 2nd photo

I hope you enjoyed this review and let me know if you have tried this out yet :) 
Until next time 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 1 vs The Naked Palette

Hey my beauties How are you all 

Today I have a new brand to review and be warned you are going to see alot of reviews of this brand.  Now If you do not know what Makeup Revolution is they are a new company starting up and already are very popular in the blogging world.  They are yet another very affordable brand.  They are not linked with any other company including MUA which they state on their facebook page but they are just as affordable.  Well of course me been a beauty guru and up for finding amazing value I just had to just to the chance of trying this brand out and to be honest I went a little cray cray adding stuff into my basket.  Well the fact that it is super affordable I felt i was allowed Right?!.  This is why i am warning you about future reviews lol 

Well now here comes the next part as you all know The Urban Decay Naked Palettes 1,2 & 3 are a huge hit everywhere in fact most beauty bloggers if not all has at least one of these palettes or have them on their wishlist.  Also alot of makeup artist Well the ones I know here in Ireland reach for their Naked palettes for eye makeup looks on their clients especially brides as the eyeshadows are super pigmented and last all day plus look amazing on camera.  Of course alot of brands are now trying their best to create dupes of the palettes and in all honesty I must have about 3 dupe palettes of the Naked Palette 1 by now and any I have tried so far have been pretty impressive.  We are all looking for the dupes because in all fairness the price tag on these Naked Palettes are crazy.  

Makeup Revolution is the first company who have come up with dupe palettes for every one of the Naked Palettes and I just had to get them as I have been wishing since the first day I heard that the Naked 3 palette was out to get it I needed it in my life :) 

Anyways today I am going to review the Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette 1 for you as I have been using it quite alot and to be honest I wanted to do a comparision to the MUA Undress palette which is also a dupe.  Alot of people of course will be wondering is there any difference as alot of people will have by now purchased the MUA Undressed Palette and to be honest if this palette is near the same well there is really no point in buying it once you have MUA eh?

Ok So Here Goes :) 

Ok Here you have it the Iconic Number 1 aka Dupe of Naked Palette 1.  As mentioned before I did a Review on the MUA Undressed Palette and compared it to the Naked Palette also.  At the end of this post I shall be comparing all 3 of these palettes via swatches to show you all how close each palette is to the real thing but first let me talk about this palette.  

As you can see the packaging is pretty straight forward and has a good sturdy lid to it.  You are getting 14g of eyeshadows and there are 12 eyeshadows in total.  What I love about this is that its designed the exact same way as the Naked palette and the colours go in the same order 

Unbelieveable right?? They look the exact same in the pan :) 

In the Redemption Palette you are getting a double ended sponge applicator which in fact I used to throw away but now keep them as they are good to pack on colour. 

The shades as you can see are warmed neutrals and perfect for everyday and night time looks Exactly like the Urban Decay Palette 

As you can see there are 2 matte shades.  I have found the shade slightly sheer but of course they are more like skin colours and of course perfect for blending out harsh lines.  The rest of the shades are shimmery and satin.  They feel smooth soft and buttery.  They also blend out beautifully :) 

With a primer these eyeshadow last all day long with any fading which is amazing quality for a £4.  Amazing quality for sure 

Here are my swatches to prove it without primer underneath 

To be honest If you do not have this palette I tell you go get it you will not be disappointed :)  Now for the ultimate question for all of you out there who have the MUA Undressed palette.  Is there any difference between the MUA Undressed Palette and the Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette?  

The answer is not really They both have the same pigmentation.  The Formula of the shadows between the two is somewhat different.   Makeup Revolution have a couple of shade that match exactly to Urban decay Naked Palette compared to MUA's Copy.  Also I noticed in a few shades Makeup Revolutions palette is a little more powdery than the ones on the MUA palette :)  So in all if you have the MUA palette stick with it and leave it at that but if you dont I recommend the Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 as I do find I like the formula of the shadows a little better 

I Have a little treat for you all I have swatches all 3 palettes against each other to show you the comparison so you can make your own minds up I hope its helpful :) :) 

First up is the dupes of Virgin (keep in mind I swatched these without primer)

 The dupes of Sin 

The Dupes of Naked 

 The Dupe of Side Car 

The Dupe of Buck 

The Dupe of  Half Baked 

The Dupe of Smog 

 The Dupe of Dark Horse 

 The Dupe of Toasted 

The Dupe of Hustle 

The Dupe of Creep 

 The Dupe of Gunmetal 

Apologies for the low lighting it was horrible weather actually flood type weather when I took these photos but you get the idea :) :)  Absolutely amazing how close they are right?  In fact as you can see by the Iconic Palette some of the shades are the exact match to Urban Decay :) :)  
Here is a look I created with the Makeup Revolution Palette using: 
1st Shade in the inner corner 
2nd Shade all over the lid 
9th shade on the outer corner of the lid blending it inwards and into the crease
I took a little of the 8th Shade into the crease to define the crease 
lastly I applied the 1st 2nd and 8th shade to my lower lash line.  For blending I used the 3rd shade :) 

So What do you think Which Palette would you go for first :) 

Until next time 

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Simple Beauty & Makeup Tips for Teens with Acne

Hello my beauties :) 

I thought I would do a different type of blog post today :) 

This is all based around teens or anyone who suffers with acne :) 

I have a tween who is going through the whole breaking out phase and I see how hard it is for her to cope with breakouts I also see my 16 year old sister and the fact she breaks out alot more due to stress especially lately as she is doing her exams and its hard on her.  I was never really one who suffered acne on my face but I did infact suffer with terrible acne on my chest shoulders and back and I know how embarrassed and humiliating it was especially when exposing it.  I could cover it up with clothing but when suffering it on your face its nots so easy.  I would like to thank my daughter and sister for inspiring me to do this post as I feel their pain and also everyone elses.  

You do not have to go through the pain of embarassment or covering up as people who know you and love you will accept you for who you are not what you look like and to be honest acne is only on the skin for a short time dont let it stop you from been who you are or enjoying you teens.  

Today I am going to share with you a few tips on how take care of your skin and help you reduce breakouts.  Its not going to completely make them disappear or stop breakouts from happening.  

The one question I know teens ask all the time is why?  My is my face like this?  Why am i having break outs etc  To be honest there is not one set reason why anyone breaks out.  It could be genetic, it could be hormonal, it could be something your using,  it could be something that happens and sometime we just cant control it but we can prevent it from getting worse and we can even reduce it and that's where I step in:  Here is some useful tips on how to prevent your acne from getting worse:  

1. Your diet is always part of the reason you breakout,  be it too much greasy foods, too much chocolate not enough fruit and veg.  I know what its like been a teenager I didn't care what went into my mouth and it was mostly foods that were not good for me.  Try to get a well balanced diet into plan it doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love just reduce it 
2. Keep you face clean:  Yes teens can be lazy I was one of those too especially when it comes to washing my face twice a day every day even after wearing makeup.  You have to wash everyday its absolutely crazy how dirty your face gets even without wearing makeup.  The natural oils on your face will cling onto every day dirty that flies through the air by the end of the day your face is dirty even if you do not see it.  If your skin is acne prone try to stay away from face washes that have perfume or any other harsh chemicals as they will irritate your spots making them feel even more sore.  Picking out face washes cans be hard especially on a budget and especially because there is so many brands out there So here is some home-made Face washes for you to try and will not cost too much to make  The best thing about these is that they are natural and chemical free ;) 

• Raw honey !!! yes its actually very popular in organic cleansers and washes as it has a natural antibacterial property in it which is brilliant for spots.  Simply use a half teaspoon of honey and rub it onto your dampened face massaging it in for about a minute before rinsing off.  The honey also removes excess oils from your face leaving you with smooth skin.  Manuka Honey has the extra properties that helps heal very bad break outs it acts a a healer to to the skin 

If you want a gentle exfoliate for your face Try

 2 Tablespoons of Oatmeal aka (ready brek or cheap brand like that) 

2- 3 Tablespoons of bio yogurt 

1 teaspoon of honey 

The Oatmeal is a gentle & effective natural cleanser......absorbs & removes dirt and impurities....Gently ex foliates the skin cells to reveal soft, smother looking skin.  The Bio Yogurt Softens skin.....it refines pores and acts as an antibacterial which will treat your skin.  The Honey helps skin absorb and retain moisture and also treat acne

There are so many Homemade cleanser recipes out there to try and the best thing about it its so affordable.  If you are one who is not into the whole homemaking cleansers try using products that are suitable for sensitive skin and that do not contain Lanolin, oil, Fragrance etc  You could also invest in a cleansing mitt such as the Nima mitt which i have reviewed here This is perfect for anyone who is acne prone as all you need to use is warm water and it literally cleans your face spotless its even amazing to use to take off your makeup :) :)   The cheaper alternative to the Nima Mitt is the Cleanse off Mitt which only costs €5 and will last up to 6 months if looked after properly 

3.  Try to stop touching your face so much as we all carry germs on our hands and touching our faces is only transferring dirt to your face. 

4.  Make sure to always always take your makeup off even if you feel too tired to do so please do.  Once you are warm and cosy in your bed you are automatically heating up which means your pores open up if you do not remove your makeup that makeup soaks into your pores at night which creates spots automatically  Try to get into a routine to cleanse tone and moisturise your face before bed 

5.  Always use an oil free moisturiser as your face is oily enough but make sure to always apply moisturiser even after cleansing morning and night its so so important 

6.  Do not pick at you acne This will cause your acne to spread and of course can lead to acne scarring which you will regret in the future.  I know it will be hard but it will be worth it in the end.  

7.  If you use makeup brush ALWAYS ALWAYS clean them Its a must!!!!! Brush carry bacteria which causes acne if you do not keep them clean.  I spot clean my brushes after ever use and deep clean them every 2 weeks depending how often I use them.  

8.  If you are having a breakout stay away from anything that contains alcohol as it will drive you crazy and dry out your skin in fact if possible stay clear of products that contain alcohol full time as it will benefit your skin in the long run 

Now that we have looking after you skin over with lets talk makeup because of course at a young age especially when we do get spots the first thing we think of is covering it up with makeup and to be honest we all tend to reach for the wrong makeup which leave our acne 10 times worse than when it was before.  Its very hard to get it right but with the tips I have for you today hopefully it will help you along the way.  First of all 

1. When applying makeup you must apply a moisturiser as it creates a barrier between you skin and the makeup you are about to apply.  Before you even apply moisture please make sure your face is clean and that you hands are clean if you are using hands to apply.  It is so important to do these steps before your touch any makeup.  
2. Try you best to choose an oil free foundation as oils can clog up pores.  There are lots of oil free foundations in the market such as  Revlon Colour Stay ,  Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation (one of my favourites) ,  Rimmels Renew and Relift.  Its depending on your skin type too if you are oily acne prone you are better off going with an oil free mattifying foundation if you are dry skinned make sure to go with water based foundation.   You can also go for BB Creams if you are not too back with acne and need just a slight cover up.  My 16 year old sister has dry acne prone skin which has flared up alot lately due to her doing exams,  I used MUA's BB Cream on her skin along with a full coverage concealer on her more obvious blemishes as you can see she looks flawless afterwards 

Do not over do your makeup as that can be just as bad as not wearing any at all.  Use very little to start off with and cover up what you need to, let that settle and see if you need more.  We often make the mistake of over applying and then the products ends up looking cakey especially over blemishes.  When applying your foundation or bb cream make sure not to using stroking motions as that can irritate your skin more try stippling your foundation or patting it on.  Stippling your foundation will also give you more coverage and better use out of your product.   If need set you makeup with a translucent powder only in the areas you are more likely to become oily.  If you are dry skinned leave it out.  Apply concealer with a pencil like brush onto the blemishes that are still showing dab it on and blend out around the area when finished set the concealer with a light dusting of translucent powder.  

If you are looking for some good concealers to purchase I love the Catrice Camoflage Concealer which is in a pot this is full coverage and lasts all day.  There is also e.l.f Maximum Coverage concealer which is oil free.  Another Favourite of mine is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Amazing.  

 Mineral Makeup is also great for acne prone skin as its natural ingredients are gentle on the skin.  Mineral Makeup can be expensive but there are some companies out there who do mineral makeup and is reasonable priced for example e.l.f they have a mineral line also 

Physcians Formula are organic and reasonably priced 

Always makeup sure you take your makeup off and allow yourself some makeup free days as you skin needs to breath.  Oily makeup removers can be harsh on the skin and place if you can stay away from face wipes they are too hard on acne prone skin and can cause your skin to stink and feel worse.  There are plenty of makeup removers out there that can do the same job as oily ones for example Garnier Miscellar Cleansing Water  (AMAZING)  This is such great value and is so so gentle on the skin even a baby could use this :) :)   It literally takes off all your makeup its amazing.  To remove Waterproof mascara and liner try baby oil (Sineady Cadys tip)  Its perfect and gentle on the skin.  As mentioned about cleansing mitts are also perfect for taking off your makeup :) 

I found this great when I suffered a bad case of hormonal acne in which I just all of a sudden broke out with and could not get rid of for at least 8 months I found it so hard to deal with as I never suffered with acne on my face before but following these tips I soon got used to dealing with them and also covering up.  i do in fact have some acne scarring from it but my break outs have stopped and I only suffer an odd one or two when its the time of the month.  I really hope you found this helpful as I do not want to go on and on with this post or I will make you all fall asleep haha 

There are so many tips and tricks out there now especially from women who have been battling with acne all their lives only youtuber in particular is Sineady Cady from The Makeup Chair she has some brilliant videos on how to cover up and how to deal with acne.  Cassandra From Diamonds and Heals is amazing she has videos on how to cover up acne and acne scarring as she is a long time sufferer of that and you will be amazed 

No matter what you do always remember you are beautiful inside and out and never ever get down about your acne.  There is plenty of ways to fight it, deal with it and even cover it up.  Enjoy your teenage life and do not let a few spots get in the way I love you all xxxxx
Also if you have any tips to share please feel free to as every little helps :) :)  If you would like me to put up some more homemade facial washes even masks let me know 

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

NYX Powder Blush in Mauve, Pinched & Bourgeois Pig

Hey my beauties I hope you are all well :) 

Todays review is a long time coming and to be honest I have been kicking myself that I havent yet reviewed these beauties for you.  Honestly I am sure there is enough reviews on these for you to check out as they are one of the best known products sold by NYX.  

I got my blushes from varies places my first one I got from the Non Pariel site.  The second I got from a very reliable ebay seller and of course the 3rd I got from Cherry Culture. 

They cost $5 each and well worth the price as you are getting 4g of product.  There are about 30 shade YES you are reading right 30 shades to choose from I love it :) I have 3 so far :) :) Usually when you look for a drugstore blush you will only get a very tiny amount of shades to choose from normally only around 4 -8 shades but having 30 shades to choose from is brilliant I love the fact that everyone of every skin tone will find their shade or even more than one shade to suit them 

I am sure you can tell this is going to be a positive review as I have more than one of these blushes and bought at different times ;)  You would be crazy to pass them if you did pass them because these blushes are to die for.  The packaging is cute, small and sturdy I absolutely love how they can fit in your purse :) :) 
Now that we have the packaging over with let start with the shades and first up is 

Mauve:  When choosing this blush I wanted to choose something I could use on an everyday basis something that was going to give me a beautiful natural look on my cheek without making it obvious I was wearing blush.  This certainly is the blush for that :)  If you are fair to medium skintone this blush will suit you down to the ground.  If you are medium to dark I am afraid this will be too light to show up on your skin 
I really do not know why this is called Mauve because its more like a soft baby pink shade to me.  It is sheer at first but it builds up to a nice natural pinky shade.  As its matte it is a little chalky but nothing to give out about ;) 

Next up is 

Pinched:  One of my favourites out of the two :)  I am in love with this little beauty.  Pinched has been compared to Nars Orgasm blush so you can just imagine how popular this shade is.  The best thing about this blush is that it is suitable for every skin tone meaning its hugely pigmented and hugely flattering.  This blush contains shimmer but the shimmers make you cheeks look more glowing than like a disco ball.  Pinched is a stunning shimmery more vibrant pink with a peach undertone.  I absolutely love this and recommend it to everyone :) :) Be warned this blush is very pigmented one swipe of a brush could be more than enough especially used with a light hand xxx

And lastly we have 

Bourgeois Pig:  One of their newest shades to the collection :)  The perfect shade for Summer !!!! Actually the perfect shade for all year round especially Winter.  This blush is another matte :) :) To be honest it looks alot like Pinched in the package but its alot more Pinker.  There is no peach undertone just you very pigmented perfect pink shade.  If I had to pick an undertone it would have a slight red undertone.  Wow this looks amazing and gives a beautiful healthy pink flush to the cheeks.  I am think the blushing bride on her wedding day wearing this on her cheeks :)  This is also a perfect shade for every skin tone as its buildable.  Warning to all you pale skinned gals out there, use with a light hand as you may end up looking a little more ready for the circus lol 

And now for the wonderful swatches :) 

Thought you would like them :) :)  Well I love these blushes they are amazing and even more amazing because of the price tag.  The pigmentation is out of this world.  Mauve looks to be less pigmented but that is only because is a more natural blush compared to the two other shades.  I love each and every one of them the same for their performances but I just can not resist "Pinched" more.  I just love how it gives a stunning healthy glow.  I applied just a light swatch of Pinched on my cheeks and it literally looks like ive been lightly pinched on the cheeks :) :) 

I highly recommend these to you all to try if you haven't already I promise you will not be disappointed.  Make sure to google swatches before buying the shade so you can be sure the shade is exactly what you want.  I will surely be back with a part two of these blushes as I plan to purchase more shades :) 
I really hope you enjoyed this review and until next time 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Blank Canvas Cosmetics New G20 Flat Buffer Brush

Hello my beauties I hope you are all well :) xxxxx

Todays review of course is on one of the newest editions to the Blank Canvas Cosmetics Site and its actually part of a new series ....... The Glossy Series :) 

As you may have well noticed this looks very similar to the F20 by Blank Canvas Cosmetics and you are right :) 

The difference is this is the stand up version of it.  

The G20 is the New Flat Buffer Brush and it costs €13.99 from the Blank Canvas Cosmetics site 

As mentioned above this brush literally does exactly what the F20.  This brush is made up of short, dense synthetic fibres ideal for liquid, cream or powder products but i mainly use this for my liquid foundation.  Its also perfect for blending out cream blushes which is perfect for me as I can sometimes got a little OTT when it comes to cream blushes as alot of them I own are super pigmented.  I love a flawless my makeup looks when I use this brush and alot of you notice how flawless I look especially when I put up before and after photos.  Well you are looking at one of the reasons why This brush is one of the reasons :) 

As I siad there is not a huge difference between the F20 and the G20 only that:

The handle of the G20 is alot skinnier which actually can make a difference as some people prefer skinny handles than broad handles.  You have a little more control and it feels a little lighter 

Also this brush Stands up which looks very professional if you are a makeup artist.  It helps keep the brush even cleaner instead of resting on your work top and to your customers eyes that will be even more impressive.  I have 2 of the glossy series brushes stand up on my dresser and two people of the family have already commented that it was a great idea :) 

I love having this brush in my collection now and will certainly be keeping it in my kit :) :) It performs the very same way as the F20 which is an excellent brush What more can I say.  

Which one would you go for The F20 or the G20 Which one catches your eye more :) 

Have you tried the new glossy series by Blank Canvas Cosmetics yet?  

Did you know Blank Canvas Cosmetics is currently having a 30% off Summer Sale on Selected items Check it out here :) 

If you are thinking of purchasing from Blank Canvas Cosmetics other items  Enter "NINA" at the end for a little discount* for all my lovely readers.   I Hope you enjoy 
Until next time 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 

* Discount counts for orders of €15 and over :) :) Enjoy



I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx