Makeup Monday: Gerard Cosmetics Vintage Rose Lipstick Review

I purchased my first Gerard Cosmetics lippy recently and wore it for a whole 12 hours on Saturday so that I could give you guys a proper review :-P 

The shade I got was Vintage Rose, it's literally a vintage rose colour; a gorgeous pink colour with brown undertones! It's also a matte lipstick so it is supposed to be somewhat long lasting :-P 

I ordered it directly off the Gerard Cosmetics website and used a really good coupon code to get it for only $13. Lots of YouTubers have affiliate discount codes with Gerard Cosmetics, like Manny Mua, and Jacyln Hill, if you are interested in getting some money off ;-) 

The Packaging

It looks so pretty and sleek in its gold bullet tube, however, it's made from quite average plastic which doesn't feel too sturdy. The plastic tube is way thinner than the Mac tubes just for reference :-) 

So it probably wouldn't be a great lipstick for travel but it sure looks good :-) 

The Colour

It's such a gorge pink matte nude shade. It definitely pulls more pink on my lips as my lips are very pigmented to start with. 

The Formula

It's quite drying on the lips. Not like uncomfortably drying but after a couple of hours it starts to dry out my lips and sticks into the lines on my lips. It's smooth to apply and has no smell on the lips :-) 

The Longevity

So matte lipsticks are known to be quite long lasting on the lips. This one really is long lasting! It stayed on through 12 hours of talking, drinking, and eating. I only reapplied it once after I had eaten just to fix the dreaded inner rim that it had formed on my bottom lip! 

Please excuse the awful-ness of this picture, bad lighting and terrible pout ;-) i never thought to take a picture before I reapplied it so this will have to do! It's an extremely close up cropped pic from a selfie I had taken just after I ate. It's not great quality but you can kind of see the inner ring on my bottom lip that I'm talking about...

Apart from that I was quite impressed with the lipstick, although it's not completely trasfer proof as it does leave a small bit of colour on your hand if you try the kiss test ;-) 

Over all I was really pleased with the colour and the longevity of the lipstick, but I was seriously disappointed in the cheap thin plastic of the tube and if I had paid full price for this bad boy I would not be happy :-P 

But I didn't so I guess I can live with that :-P 

Have you guys tried any of the Gerard Cosmetics Lipsticks? Let me know what you think of them down below 👇🏼 :-) 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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Skincare Sunday: Primark Skincare Review

Over the last few months I have been trying out some products from the Primark beauty range. I've been using them long enough to give you guys an honest review and give you my verdict ;-)

First off, these are the 3 products I decided to try; the Eye Cream (€1.50), the Hydrating Moisturiser (€2.50), and the Cleanser (€2). I also got a facial brush from the range for €2.50 :-)

For those wondering, I literally have everything skin. I have an oily T-zone with dry patches on my chin and cheeks, as well as normal skin in parts. I'm also acne prone so you can probably tell how hard it is to find skincare products that work well for my whole face!! 

The Cleanser

This is a thick white liquid that smells gorgeous. It's not harsh on my skin at all and it doesn't irritate around my eyes when I use it! 

I use a dab of this with a cotton round to dissolve my makeup at the end of the night. It works really well and removes all of my face makeup, as well as all of my eye makeup! 

The Facial Brush

I literally love this little guy. It's like a smaller, manual version of the clarisonic/ soniclear. It's great for the price, it exfoliates my skin and removes makeup from deep in my skin. Trust me, if you think a makeup wipe removes all your foundation you better think again :-P 

It also comes with a cap for the bristles to keep it all sanitary ;-) 

My skin has cleared up so well since I've started to use this, and I've repurchased it twice already! You need to get a new one every month or so as bacteria can build up in the bristles and ain't nobody got time for that ;-) 

The Eye Cream

This has a really thin consistency but feels so moisturising on the eye area! Plus it doesn't sting if you were to accidentally get it in your eye, which is always a bonus for clumsy people like me ;-) 

I've tried a couple of eye creams in my life time, and they all end up smearing my mascara all over my under eye area within hours. However, this is legit the only eye cream that I have tried so far that actually never smudges my eye makeup!!! And that just makes me love it even more :-P 

The Moisturiser 

This is similar to the cleanser in that it's white in colour and has a thick consistency, plus they smell the same! It's not an overpowering smell but you can still smell it for a few minutes when it's on your face. I don't mind that at all though because it smells sooo good :-) 

I find this really moisturising and great for my normal and dry patches. Not so good for the oily patches though as my T-zone does tend to get oily throughout the day as it normally would, but I don't mind that as it makes my skin look so smooth and hydrated under my makeup! 

So I wouldn't recommend this moisturiser to anyone with really oily skin, but it's perfect for dry and normal skin :-) 

Overall I'm really impressed with the range so far, the products are fab and work really well for the price. I'm definitely going to be getting some more from the range soon! 

Have you guys tried anything from the Primark range? Feel free to leave me any recommendations down below! 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo

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Makeup Monday: Essence Lipstick Review & Swatches

Essence lipsticks are really good quality and pigmentation for such an affordable price! I get my Essence cosmetics as my local Penneys/Primark :-) So far I have 3 Essence lipsticks and I reach for them an awful lot over everything else I own!

 

1⃣ 03 Come Naturally

I've spoken about this lippy a lot already on my blog but it's just such a gorge colour! It was in my Kylie Jenner Drugstore Dupes.

It's a purple based nude lipstick with super shine and it lasts a good few hours on the lips before having to top up :-) 

2⃣ 13 Love Me 

This is a peach toned pink that is very natural looking on my lips. It is a shiny colour and it does last a couple hours before you have to reapply. 

3⃣ 12 Blush My Lips 

This is a plum-pink shade also with shine and a couple hours wear. I tend to wear this a lot during Autunm/Winter :-) Plus, the blue undertones in this lippy make my teeth look extra white, can't beat that ;-) 

Here are the arm swatches side by side...

Hope you guys enjoyed this post, let me know what your favourite Essence lipsticks are in the comments below :-) 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo  

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My Catrice Lipstick Collection- Swatches & Review

Catrice is such a great brand, you get good quality makeup for a really affordable price! My favourite things from Catrice are the lipsticks for sure!! 

These are the 4 I own so far...

Since I absolutely love the Catrice lippies that I own I thought I would do a swatch and review of my small collection for you guys :-) For anyone wondering, I get Catrice at my local Penneys :-) 

1⃣ 130 Frozen Rose 

This a a soft baby pink rose colour with mega shine to it! It's very moisturising but doesn't last too long on the lips without top ups. It smells so good though, like florally sweets! You don't smell it on your lips at all though. 

2⃣ 250 Matte About Pink

This is a matte pink colour that is quite luminous. It's a great colour but the formula is quite tough to apply and drying on the lips. It also smells quite chemically, it's defo my least favourite that I own!

3⃣ 210 Pinkadilly Circus

I have worn this colour so much, it's such a gorgeous red-pink shade. It's a really shiny colour and again you will need to top it up throughout the day if you are eating or drinking (or kissing ;-) .) This one smells pretty too but it's not as strong as the Frozen Rose one. 

4⃣ 080 Russian Violette 

This is a beautiful pink toned violet colour, very similar to Mac's Herione at a fraction of the cost :-) It is also a shiny lippy that will need top ups throughout the day, but it's just so affordable that I don't mind having to reapply during the day :-) 

Here are the 4 shades swatched on my arm so you can see them side by side :-)

So they are the 4 Catrice lipsticks that I currently own, do you have a favourite Catrice colour? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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Summer Makeup Essentials!

Most people want to look natural in the summer with lots of highlighter to look sunkissed and healthy, while still getting their strobe on  ;-) 

Here are my top picks for looking naturally sunkissed and healthy during the hotter months :-) 

1⃣ Loreal Nude Magique BB/ CC Cream

These are my all time favourite for giving my skin a more natural, non-cake-face look in the summer. Go for a BB cream if you have relatively good skin, however, if you need the extra coverage opt for the CC cream instead. 

I got the BB cream for medium skin tones and it matches my tan perfectly, but I know for sure it will be way too dark for my natural skin tone!! 

The CC cream has anti redness as well as more coverage than the BB cream, although this one doesn't have a shade it is just as dark as the BB.  

2⃣ W7 The Fixer Setting Spray

For a more dewy finish I use a setting spray as opposed to a powder to set my makeup with. This W7 one is super cheap and it keeps my face oil free while still looking naturally dewy. 

3⃣ Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

For a glowy highlight on my face I like to use the highlight colour from the Urban  Decay Naked Basic 2 palette. It's a super glowy highlight and I just love how it looks on my cheekbones. Plus the lighter of the dark shadows makes for a lovely subtle crease colour! :-)  

4⃣ Catrice Eye Brightening Pencil

I use this to line my water line and high light my inner corners. It makes the eyes look bigger and healthier and it has some serious staying power :-) 

5⃣ Rimmel Brow This Way

For more natural looking brows I like to use this product to just give my brows an extra tint of colour. It has a nice small applicator and it lasts all day :-) 

6⃣ Essence Get Big Lashes Waterproof Mascara

This is my all time favourite mascara ever ever everrr! It gives my lashes crazy length, volume, and separation and its waterproof so it sweat-proof and sea-proof! 

7⃣ Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry

This is my holy grail lip product at the minute. It moisturises and leaves a nice non sticky shine to your lips. Perfect for beach days and summer outings :-) 

What are your favourite makeup products for the summer? :-) 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and have a fabulous week! 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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D.I.Y: From Scarf to Kimono

I made this gorge kimono for my hols recently using 2 thin scarves that I got in Penneys. I got so many compliments on it that I decided to show you guys how you can make your own DIY kimono :-) 

Ps. Sorry the pic is so blurry, I'm still having issues with my camera! I'm getting it fixed tomorrow though :-) 

 

I'm just going to mention here that I am so not an expert when it comes to this, I never measured anything properly and used fabric glue until it ran out and I had to start sewing things :-P 

But if you guys are cool with that and would like to know how I made this kimono then just keep reading ;-) 

This is the material I used, it's a very thin floral pattern with cute poms on the ends. 

You Will Need;

- Material/fabric/ 2 scarves

- Scissors 

- Fabric glue/ Needle and thread

- Measuring tape or ruler 

1⃣ I first cut the poms off the edges but kept them so that I could stick them on again later ;-) 

2⃣ I then measured the material against myself by placing it on my back and holding my arms out for sleeve length reference. I cut off the access material that was longer than my elbow area as I wanted elbow length sleeves for my kimono. 

My material here is folded in half to fit into the picture but it is still quite large :-) 

3⃣ I then used a ruler to measure out the general area I wanted my sleeves to be and cut like so;

I did this to both sleeves until I ended up with a general kimono shape that I was happy with. 

4⃣ Repeat these steps for the second scarf so that you have 2 identical pieces of material. Pin the 2 pieces of material on top of each other to make sure they are both the same sizes. 

5⃣ I cut the top layer of material from the bottom all the way to the top in a straight line. To make a curved neck line at the top, I cut diagonally into the fabric as you can see from the image below; 

6⃣ I began glueing the edges back using my fabric glue. Since the edges were cut and messy looking with threads coming out everywhere, I folded each edge a small bit and glued it down. 

I repeated this on all the edges of both the front and back pieces of material so that everything looked smooth and tidy :-)

7⃣ I decided to glue the poms back onto the bottom of the kimono and the bottoms of the sleeves. I really love the way this turned out :-) 

8⃣ Let the glue dry over night, or however long it suggests on your particular fabric glue. If you sewed the whole thing instead of glueing it then well done, you don't have to wait to wear it!!! My fabric glue ran out at this stage so I had to sew the rest of the kimono together myself :-P 

I sewed the kimono together, remembering not to sew the sleeves or the body parts shut :-P This is the last step and it is so simple to do if you know how to sew :-) Or if, unlike me, you have fabric glue left at this stage then by all means keep using it :-) 

9⃣ I hand wash my kimono with warm water and soap as it is very thin material and I don't want it to tear in the washing machine!! It only takes a couple of hours to dry as it is so thin :-) 

I hope you guys enjoyed this little DIY, I wore this kimono all the time on my holiday as it is such a nice cool cover up  for hot days :-) You can always try make one from a thicker material and have an Autunm/Winter kimono too ;-) 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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Beach Bag Essentials!

As some of you may already know, I've been on my holidays for the last two weeks :-) So I thought that some summer holiday themed posts would be quite fitting ;-) 

If any of you guys have holidays coming up or any road trips or beach days then keep reading for my beach bag essentials :-) 

Obviously first things first (I'm the realist...;-) ) your gonna need a beach bag! Make sure it's easy to carry, is big enough for all your things, has zips so your things are safe and secure, but also make sure that the material of the bag is suitable for the beach; will it be easy to wipe sand off it? Will wet items inside the bag soak through the material?

Keep these things in mind when shopping for a beach bag so that you chose a bag that is suitable as well as stylish ;-)

The one I chose is a leather-look bag pack from penneys that cost €10. It has zips on the inside and the outside and sand wipes straight off the leather-look exterior. 

1⃣ A Towel & Cute Swimwear

I got a new towel this year from Penneys for €8 that is super cool and ombré ;-) It says "Rules Are Made To Be Broken" and it is so soft! 

You might want to think about having 2 towels if you will be getting into the sea- one to sun bathe and sit on and another to dry off with.

Swimwear is an obvious one whether your swimming or just sun bathing :-) I got this pair from Penneys in the underwear section but I used it as a bikini to sunbathe in because it's too cute not to! So sshh guys don't tell anyone my secret 😉😋 

2⃣ Sunglasses

Sunnies are a must to protect your eyes from the sun, and Penneys have some really cheap stylish ones in it at the moment! I got these for €1.50 and I wear them all the time! 

3⃣ IPod & Protective Cases

Bring your iPod and headphones for some tunes while your sunning yourself ;-) (make sure it's charged up :-P) But it's also worth investing in a protective case for your iPod as well as your phone. I got a clear protective case for my iPod on eBay for €2! And my phone case is from Penneys, it completely covers my phone from all the sand and it also has a space for money and cards so that's an added bonus ;-) 

My phone case...

4⃣ A Book (and a drink ;-) )

Even if your not into reading, it's always nice to chill with a book on the beach while your sipping on a cute drink like this one I got in Penneys for €2 :-) Stay hydrated you guys ;-) 

Cutest sippy cup!!!

5⃣ SPF

Whether you call it sun screen or sun block, it is vital that you bring it!!! It's is so important to protect your skin against the Suns harmful UV rays. And keep reapplying that shish every few hours, even if it's water resistant! 

But as well as protecting your skin you need to protect your lips! Burning your lips is not pretty, trust me! Invest in a lip balm with SPF in it and keep applying it to keep your lips moisturised and healthy :-) 

This is the lip balm I brought with me, it doesn't have SPF but it keeps my lips soft and hydrated :-) 

It's also worth mentioning that you shouldn't apply hair oils like Argan and Coconut oil into your hair before you head out into the sun as your hair can literally cook and it will be like your walking around with your GHD hair straightener stuck to your hair- hair damage that is so unnecessary!! 

6⃣ Deo for the B.O!

I like to bring a small roll on Deodrant for top ups during the day if needed. I also bring a body spray like this Pink one from Tesco that is only 69cent guys like for real, and it smells so floral and gorge!

Hope you guys enjoyed this post, let me know what your Beach Bag Essentials are in the comments below, and also let me know if your heading on any holidays this year :-) 

Love & Hugs, Lora xo 

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