Soap & Glory lipstick in pom pom

I bought this lipstick off a blog sale and I just love it! It is amazing! I'm glad that I had bought it at cheap price as I couldnt really find any reviews on the Soap & Glory make up line and personally I am not fond of their mascara or super mother pucker lipgloss.

This comes beautifully packaged and looks and feel expensive. It's a matte lipstick with a beautiful velvey satin finish and isnt drying at all on the lips. Two coats blotted in between will last the whole day. It does come of with drinking and eating but it doesnt flake or look like its fading on the lips. Pom Pom is a gorgeous berry purple shade and is a colour that I feel is appropiate for all seasons so it is a very versatile shade to wear and would suit all skin tones.

Excuse the dodgy photos as I have to rely on my phone camera which is only 2mp and has no flash so doesnt really do it much justice. I am most definetly going to invest in more Soap & Glory lipsticks but I really should put myself on a lipstick ban.

Niamh xx

Review of illamasqua pure pigment in Alluvium

I bought this in the cracken illamasqua sale for only £5 along with a few other bits and bobs. This is brilliant! I was attracted to this because I wanted to try a regal blue eyeshadow without looking like a throwback from the eighties. What caught my eye is that you could use this wet and dry that changes the intensity of the colour. In the pictures on my hand, the swatch on the left is the pure pigment wet and the swatch to the right is dry.

I think this is a beautiful shade of blue with flecks of gold that change and glimmer in the light. I have used this as a liner and it really makes the whites of my eyes appear brighter. It is also a welcome change from black liner and doesnt clash with a bold lipstick.

Has anybody else tried any illamasqua pure pigment?

Niamh xx

Revlon Colourburst lip butter

Now, I know that Revlon lip butters have been a holy grail for many a bloggers make up bag. However, even though Revlon is a well established brand and loved by many I have never actually used their products or am a loyal returning customer to the brand.

in this photo I am wearing seventeen BB cream in shade medium, L'oreal infalliable powder, Revlon colourburst lip butter and Rimmel mascara.

However this all changed once I picked up this lip butter in boots as they were offering a buy one get one half price promotion. Oh my sweet baby jesus, why did I wait so long?! Never again my blogging buddies, will I ever ignore your judgement on a miracle product!

I am in love! It goes on like a dream, is so soft and moisturising but with great colour pigmentation and a lovely glossy sheen. Usually with some lippies I have to apply lip balm before hand but not with this little beauty! And the colour lasts forever and doesn't fade so you are left with what looks like dodgy lip liner. This is in shade Red Velvet. At first I was a tad apprehensive as it seemed too dark for summer but it is a perfect shade, and seeing how I have a tan from my holiday in Portugal it compliments my skin tone perfectly. I think it will be a great shade for the A/W season and will fit with that whole Heidi Slimane grunge look for YSL.

A wonder product that I would recommend to everybody, and I seriously need to invest in more shades.

Any recommendations for what shade I should try next? Or anything else from the Revlon brand that I might be swayed to try?

Niamh xx

Seventeen mulled wine lasting fix lipstick

Hello lovelies!

I picked up this wee beauty the other week in boots as it was on offer. Instead of going for my usual red shade I thought I would try a new colour at a cheap price to see if I like it. Now usually I do like quite a strong colour, pale shades just are not me, if I want to soften the look usually I would just apply to one lip, rub it with my ring finger with some lip balm to create a light stain/gloss effect.

So with this in mind I was looking for a pink shade. But not your bright Barbie pink or a fuschia, something quite muted yet strong. Seventeen lasting fix lipstick in mulled wine is exactly what im looking for! Dont let the name throw you off (or my bad photography skills) it is a pink colour with blue undertones so it is a very cool shade. To be honest I cannot pick up on any red hints or shades in this lipstick so I dont know why it looks quite red in the images. The picture of the lipstick swatch on my hand is the true to shade image. Ive tried so many shots with and without flash but it doesnt seem to pick up the actual colour which is a cool pink.

I love it! Its great for day time with light make up to give some colour. It is very moisturising, applies like a dream and does stay throughout the day. As the day goes on the colour lasts on your lips almost like a stain but I personally find that it can feel a tad dry so some Vaseline applied on top and that sorts the problem. Ive been wearing this since this morning and I have just topped it up there now. I do love the finish of this, like I said  its moisturising and has a slight hint of shine which I like but turns matte as the day goes on.

Overall I love this lipstick and I am very impressed with Seventeen as a brand. It's cheap as chips and is pretty fantastic!

Has anybody else tried from this range?

Niamh xx

Versace couture look

It is Couture season! And Versace kicked it off with the one and only Naomi Campbell both opening and closing the show, the lady got class. What I loved about the show compared to last years comeback to couture for Versace, was that it was more muted in its colours. Last years comeback was bright, acid colours and the make up reflected that. But this years was more laid back, all the drama was on the clothes and rightly so as every single piece had me yearning in envy.

Beautiful, bright and clear dewy skin was essential. There was barely a hint of contouring or blush even on the skin, the eyes was minimal but lined and thick, dramatic lashes. Lips looked hydrated, plump with a bitten ripeness to it, I love it! It's equally dramatic and a classic look, yet it's quite natural that you could easily wear it on a daily basis.

I think im going have to try this look out for myself and post a tutorial.

Any suggestions or tips on what products I should use?

What do you think of the Versace look?

Niamh xx

Benefit counter-Debenhams Belfast

Today I had to lovely encounter to get my make up applied free of charge by Benefit in Debenhams Belfast by the lovely Megan. I was browsing the aisles whilst waiting for my mother to hurry up when the lovely Megan approached me. After a friendly conversation and with me inquiring about some products she offered to do my whole make up and to give me some handy tips for skincare and make up application.


She asked me what type my skin is and what products I usually use, and gave an in depth consultation about what I should be using as I am only 20 and to make sure I'm using a mosituriser that will give benefits. All pretty mandatory but in light of what she has said, maybe my usual moisturiser is too rich and heavy.


For the prep she used the triple performing facial emulsion moisturiser which I adored! Very lightly scented, felt so creamy and light on the skin and give a beautiful sheen to the skin with light reflecting particles. Megan gave me the mirror to look at after applying this and I couldn't believe the difference in my skin with just moisturiser alone, I need to buy this at the end of the month! Even better that it had SPF and PA + + (to protect from UV rays) which she told me no other brand except Dior have in their products as they are all part of the LVMH brand.


Next, she applied the Porefessional primer which I am very impressed by. It definitely created a smoother base to my skin and didn't feel heavy on my skin, I'm always conscious of applying too much cosmetics and blocking my pores. She matched the 'Hello Flawless' foundation to the shade of 'Ivory believe' (or 'i'm pure lighter' if I wanted to go down a shade' and mixed the foundation with highlighter to give extra radiance. Megan applied the foundation with a normal blusher brush to buff into the skin and this was to avoid any tell tale brush strokes usually with foundation brushes. Skeptical at first, the finishing look was flawless! A final dusting of Ivory Hello Flawless powder and Hervana blusher and I was good to go :)


Amazing wee surprising treat for me as I had to go shop to shop with the ma, and that is a punishment I wouldn't wish on anyone! Megan was so lovely to talk too, highly informative and was really aiming to please to create a look that I would usually go for. There was no sales pitches being shoved down my throat, which I was originally intimidated by when she offered to do my make up, so it was an amazing experience!


Here is just a snap of the products used and I will go back at the end of the month to buy the moisturiser and perhaps the foundation. (I don't need anymore foundation but you can never have enough!)

Thanks for looking!

Niamh x

Style inspiration Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner is a truly inspiring woman!

I became intrigued with her after watching her biography on E! And immediately was captured with her beauty, her ability as an actress and her fiery personality. As a fashion icon she was like no other of her time, with a stunning hour glass figure, creamy skin and thick wavy hair she truly was a natural beauty. She contributed her flawless complexion to her Irish and Scottish heritage and always took care to cover up in the sun. Her beauty captured Hollywood and the worlds leading men such as mickey Rooney (husband #1) and frank Sinatra (hubby #3) who was her true love. There was always whispers towards her close relationship with the aviator Howard Hughes but she always denied this, despite his many proposals and said that he always stank of BO. So being a multi-millionaire can't buy personal hygiene?

After reading her autobiography I became even more in love with her as she led such an interesting life, and for quite a conservative society of the 1940's/1950's she broke out of the societal norms and was a true hell raiser with her drinking, smoking, swearing, the men and generally not given a damn about what anybody thought of her. Living in Spain with the one and only Ernest Hemingway led to her love for the bull fights, dancing and matadors who she had many affairs with.

She was never the 'darling' of Hollywood as she refused to live up to the squeaky clean persona that was expected of her and her contract of MGM, in fact once that contract was over she felt that was the only time she could truly flourish as an actress instead of playing the traditional femme fatal role. This period in her life she lived the way she wanted without rules and people watching her, and famously turned down the part to play Mrs. Robinson in the legendary film 'The Graduate' that would have cemented her place in cinematic history, but its a decision she never regretted.

A long time friend of Grace Kelly she was present at her wedding to the Prince of Monaco and these two women were defining the most stylish of her time. Her Spanish influence definitely shows throughout her fashion choices, although she was never too fussed on her appearance choosing not to wear make up or shoes whenever she could. Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel all the leading couture fashion houses loved to dress her for her fabulous figure. In her hometown of North Carolina there is an Ava Gardner musuem dedicated to her with some of her iconic outfits on show, this is something I need to see in my lifetime!

She is immortalised however, the famous song written by Frank Sinatra 'Im a fool to love you' was written for her to explain their passionate and tumultuous marriage, that ended in heartbreak.

Personally, I dont like to mimic stars for the simple fact that I like to have my own personal style but her classic glamour, jewels, wavey hair and make up has inspired stars after her such as Lana Del Rey today (another fashion love) and her personality has been likened to the infamous Samantha Jones due to being an independent woman who never depended on anybody but herself to get where she wanted in live. These are the type of women that I adore and look up to, they may not be traditional role models but they are the most realistic in the sense that they make mistakes and learn from them but never allow them to hold them back, it helps shapes them and this is what I find truly inspiring. Young stars today are awashed with publicity staff, PR people who have their conversations carefully planned out and in a world that is too concious of being politically correct, these sort of women are truly inspiring.

What do you think?

Niamh x

My look for today :)

Hi everybody :)

I thought that I would share with you all the products I used for today's look. I love looking at all the other bloggers posts on their daily make up routine and the products they used, so I thought I would give it a whirl!
Today I don't have uni but this is a typical look that I would usually wear to it anyway, quite plain and natural, not too OTT as I like to go all out when im going out.


Now it just occurred to me that all of the products I used today were from 17 - or should I say seventeen seeing how they are re-branding  Well anyway, I do like their products and would usually leave my more high end cosmetics to special events or nights out such as estee lauder's double wear camouflage that I have in shades 05 creamy tan (tad too dark so would mix with 17 BB cream light) and 11 very light, which is too light for my skin tone but again I would usually mix this with the 05 for a fuller coverage, or for a more natural look with 17's BB cream in medium.


Today however I have just opted for the BB all in one make up in light as I'm not planning to venture out much as the weather is horrible! This does give good coverage however, I'm currently having a breakout :( so have to dab some extra product on those problem areas followed by 17 miracle matte pressed powder in natural fair to keep any shine at bay and set the look.


I have this palette that I got free in a promotion about a year ago and I adore it! I''m afraid that I cant tell you what colours they are as there is no information on the back of the palette disclosing it, but I'm sure, especially the eye shadows, you would be able to find in solo pots. The brown eye-shadow is brilliant at contouring and adding depth to the eye when applied to the socket and really compliments my green eyes! Also there is a pink eye-shadow  that I've never really seen the appeal for but would mix the two together during the day, and a creamy highlighter that doubles as a blush and a lovely, creamy lip gloss with a sheer tint.


I also used an older version of a 17 bronzer highlighter which I just love and hope they never discontinue! It truly is value for money as mine hasn't even made a dent, is not heavy or give an awful heavy chalky feel that powders too, it's actually very creamy and doubles perfectly for shimmering bronze eyeshadows! Love it!
I've also used the Falsifeye mascara in blackest black that I reviewed earlier and it really packs a punch! I'm not wearing any eyeliner but I still feel that my eyes are defined and lashes really stand out which is always a bonus!


I've also used their hide and chic eye brightening concealer in light beige, which is their equivalent to the YSL touché eclat. Now I am a slave to touché eclat and cannot live without it, but being a wee skint student I cant afford to use it everyday so this is a pretty good equivalent. Not as thick and quite runny, but it does the job in brightening the eye area and illuminating. The brush however is my only main concern, its rubbish, the products usually spills out of it and is not the best at blending so I usually just apply it to my ring finger and dab it on, including the lid as it acts as a great primer and under the brows to highlight and give definition.
So all in all, 17 - or seventeen - products are absolutely brilliant for a day to day basis and with some cracking offers on anytime in boots, it really is value for money and they always last a good length of time.

What do you think?

Niamh x

17 Falsifeye mascara

I love this mascara ! I orginally had it in brown/black and I loved how it gave some drama to everyday lashes but would not wear it on a night out. Now however, I picked it up in their blackest black and it really does deliver on the length and volume!


What 17 say:

"Falsifeye your lashes from root to tip for a false lash look that lasts all day. Now available in blackest black for even darker oh faux fabulous lashes!"


On the pictures I have given below it is on a dry eye with no eyeliner etc just the mascara to try and show the full effect, so once I have eyeshadow and eyeliner on for a night out the effect is going to be dramatic!
The first two pictures is with only one coat of mascara on and there is some great lengthening and darker pigmentation to the lashes which I always look for.


The pictures that follow (after the image of the mascara and wand) show two coats of mascara and you can see they are so much thicker and darker and does give the effect of fuller, almost false look lashes.
I absolutely loathe fake eyelashes, I just don't like them at all so I'm always out on the hunt for a dramatic mascara and I'm so impresses with 17 as I would usually tend to turn to max factor for big lashes. I did however, loved 17's Photo flawless mascara (here) with the pigmentation that is meant to brighten the colour of green eyes, although I never noticed that my eye colour seemed brighter I loved the mascara and especially the wand as you really had to curve and wiggle the brush to get the most amazing effect ever, reminded me of old Hollywood siren lashes.


I bought this mascara in boots when there was an offer on for any two 17 products for £6.00 which was brilliant as I also picked up their BB cream in light (here) which I love to mix with my estee lauder double wear foundation for a lighter, every day look. It doesn't give the right coverage for me to use on my own as I have quite problematic skin.


For the link to the mascara click here


Overall, I am very impressed with this mascara that does have great lasting power throughout the day and I've never noticed any smudging. I think I will only repurchase the blackest black again as it seems to be my new favourite mascara for going out now!


Let me know what you think :)

Niamh x

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Look of the day

Ok, so this isnt me! But I was trailing through some street style photos for inspiration and I absolutely adored this, everything about it is just so fashionable yet simple! It just goes to show what a classic and good quality coat can do for your look. I love how its versatile  perfect  for day wear without looking to dressy, the ripped boyfriend jeans (I need to find a pair of these!!) and buttoned up shirt ensure its casual and the amazing structured coat, heels and bag and even some jewellery gives that added feminine edge to, in my opinion a quite androgynous look. It may not be showing off tits and legs to prove that theres a woman underneath all of the layers, but its cleverly structured to highlight the length and shape of the legs and the simple wavy hair and light make up completes the look.

I seriously need to find me a pair of these jeans. And maybe I should try buttoning up shirts but I always find that because I have quite a large-ish bust I feel suffocated buttoned around the neck and some buttons not being able to close. I also just think I look daft, but im deffo going to have to try something similar to this look.

Im also wondering, and I've heard other people say this too, do people actually walk about in the heels or just wait to get snapped then change into something more comfortable? I am a lover of heels as the next person, in fact I've more heels than I do flat everyday shoes and basically live in my converse, but I couldnt wear them everyday and even then I have to be drunk so I dont feel the pain of my feet - but to be fair it's usually just a pair of cheap heels that give me some bother but I never learn!

Niamh x