Lovely Girlie Bits - Irish Beauty Blog

International giveaway! Ciate sequins manicure kit!

2013-05-17T07:30:00.000+01:00

I love keeping track of numbers in terms of the blog, be it unique views a month, blog followers, those subscribed by email and page views. Each time I hit a benchmark, I'm a happy blogger. On January 1st this year, we hit a million views and four and a half months later, we hit another half a million. We're bloody delighted and proud of ourselves and thankful for every reader, follower and commenter that we have.

So as a little token of our appreciation, we have a Ciate Sequined Manicure set up for grabs! So if you want to have glittery, sequined nails, then enter the giveaway quick smart.

The giveaway is open internationally and closes on June 3rd at the end of our bank holiday weekend. Enter your details in the widget below and good luck! The only stipulation is that you're a GFC follower of the blog so if you're not, get over to the Follower section on the right of the blog and sign up!

Thank you for your continued support!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Fresh Shower Gels from Roger & Gallet

2013-05-16T07:30:00.000+01:00

As a beauty junkie, I always have lots of products on the go. My bathroom is full of half used shampoos, conditioners and hair treatments and that's the way I like it. I genuinely don't remember the last time I had one shower gel on the go. I mean, doesn't one need a morning time scent, an evening time scent and one for special occasions? No? Just me? Well, at this very moment, I've three shower products on the go. One is the Fleur de Figuier shower cream that I talked about here. The other two are just as special and also from Roger & Gallet.

Say hi to the newly reformulated and repackaged family of shower gels!

Paraben and sulfate free, these creams and gels have glycerine to soften the skin along with aloe vera and shea butters to moisturise, leaving you with pampered skin that smells amazing. Also, I love the new packaging so much! It's sleek, chic and other words that rhyme with that. I have them standing proudly on the side of my bath and they look very posh against my white tiles.

You know I am obsessed with the Ginger range right? Ob. Sessed. I brought the old shower gel and body lotion with us to New York and now when I smell them, I feel like I'm back there. Well, a couple of months ago, a little birdie called P-Dawg sent me a sneak peek of the new Ginger shower gel and that day was a good day my friends. I put a little bit on the back of my hand driving home from the post office and was that weirdo you see smelling her hand in the car. On her own. Probably with her eyes closed at the traffic lights. The new Ginger shower gel smells warmer than the original, which was super soapy and clean and works even better with the accompanying Ginger spray. I've been using them together a lot since getting the gel.

This week I was sent a new scent. It was instant love. Instant! Now, in fairness, it took me ages to figure out what it was called. Was it called Vivifiant? Reviving? No, it took reading the press release to see it's called Jean Marie-Farina. Never heard of it but I think me and Jean Marie-Farina are going to be pals for a long time. I mean, he's already seen me in my nudies.

This is a fresh, uplifting scent that has notes of citrus thanks to lemon and my favourites, bergamot and neroli. It's a scent that's meant to make you feel like you're in an Italian garden and I used it for the first time after cutting the grass out the back, so I pretended I'd just come in from my beautiful Italian garden and believe this will help make that chore a bit easier to carry out.

The shower gels are €9 and if you want something that makes your skin soft and smell amazing while looking good on the side of your bath, then you need to check these out. They're a great way of starting off with Roger & Gallet if you're new to the brand and I'm sorry but you're going to develop a love affair with it. But you'll smell gorgeous so it's totally worth it!

Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm review

2013-05-15T07:30:00.000+01:00

Dear Neal's Yard Remedies,
Thanks for coming to Ireland.
I think we're going to be friends for a very long time.
All my love,
Karen

Yes, Neal's Yard Remedies has been around since 1981 and has finally come to Ireland. Famous for it's blue packaging which gives a ye olde worlde apothecary feel, they pride themselves on being less synthetic and more natural While there are only a few stockists here in Ireland at the moment, get ready for an influx of new consultants that you can buy from. For the past couple of weeks I've been playing around with some products I was given at the launch and when I say playing around with, I mean falling in love with.

Let me tell you about the Wild Rose Beauty Balm.

You know I love a multifunctional product and this one can be used as a cleanser, an exfoliant or as a nourishing balm. The main ingredient is rose hip seed oil which being an antioxidant, helps repair, firm and smooth the skin. I need all of those things to happen to my face thanks very much.

The Wild Rose Beauty Balm smells gorgeous. Very herbal and you know it's packed full of organic ingredients to help make your skin look and feel fabulous. If I'm using it as a cleanser, I apply a small amount of the balm to my face and watch it soften into an oil. You know I love my oils! It breaks down my make up and is gentle enough to use on my eyes. I rinse off the muslin cloth and get busy removing my makeup and am left with clean, soft skin. It feels like my skin takes up some of the product because I don't feel it necessary to apply moisturiser afterwards, that's how gorgeous my skin feels after cleansing with it.

Now, if I feel I need a little somethin' somethin' on my skin or want to treat myself, I apply the smallest amount to my face right before bed. My skin soaks it up immediately and becomes even more soft, plumped and positively nourished. In the words of Nicole Scherzinger, it is sha-mazing. I'm obsessed with it. Over the weekends I don't wear make up unless I'm heading out, so I've taken to applying it over my serum in the morning and honestly, it's one of the best skincare products I've ever tried.

It'll set you back €48.40, but here comes the justification process. If you're someone who's into organic skincare, you can't get much more organic than this. If you like multifunctional products, this is fantastic. A little goes a long way, so it'll last you ages. And finally, your skin will thank you for using this. I'll definitely be purchasing this myself when I run out and have a list as long as my arm of things I need to try next.

Sha-maz-ing.

You can find a list of stockists here or find a consultant here.

Vintage Bourjois blush offer!

2013-05-14T07:30:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend, I went into Boots on official bloggy business (to look for stuff for an upcoming series of posts) and found myself at the Bourjois stand which is a very common occurrence as they're one of my favourite brands ever. I've pretty much tried everything they have to offer and yet I still feel the need to visit the stand regularly. And this time my weird stalking worked!

Bourjois had emailed me last week with an offer that wasn't supposed to be in Boots stores until next month but there it was in all it's glory on Saturday. If you spend €15 in Bourjois products, you get a free limited edition vintage blush worth €9.99. I was intrigued and had a look at the testers. One swatch of Shade 34, Rose d'Or and I was smitten.

How cute is the packaging! This great offer is to celebrate Bourjois' 150th birthday month and the blush is available in three shades. Rose d'Or is a gorgeous pink blush with gold shimmer running through it and has summer written all over it. I'll be using it in an upcoming post, so keep your eyes open for that.

Now, to get this, I needed to spend €15 and to be honest, I had the Healthy Mix concealer on my list, so snapped that up at €9.99. But what else did I need? And then it hit me. I'd never tried the famous Bronzing Powder, so thought it was high time I did and that was €8.99, I think. You know the score by now, receipt thrown out.

But the best part of the whole thing was I was able to use up my Boots points, so it cost me nada! That totally doesn't count as spending, right?

The offer is while stocks last, so get thee to thine local Bourjois counter, help them celebrate their birthday and happy shopping!

Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot - bye bye spots!

2013-05-13T12:00:00.000+01:00

I work in a hospital and am always aware of the number of cooties floating around. I go through lots of cleansing foams on my hands trying to keep whatever happens to be rife in the hospital away. If patients ask to use my phone, I've a supply of alcohol wipes to clean it after them, but still, I bet if I ran one of those CSI UV lights over my desk, I'd collapse at the amount of germs and bacteria lurking everywhere! I won't go into numbers, but when you go into work tomorrow, clean your phone and your keyboard. And when you've finished reading this post, give your mobile an aul clean while you're at it.

Now, I'm very lucky in regards to my skin and blemishes. Since I've stopped using make up wipes, my skin has transformed and is pretty much clear most of the time. I still get the odd blemish around that time of the month, but on the whole, things are ok in the spot-ular department. Thank God, because when I do get a spot, I can't leave it alone. I keep at it and at it until it becomes more red and inflamed and I've been left with scarring because of this bad habit.

Vichy have brought out a new product to help us sort out our spots quick smart, as in within two hours of application. Normaderm Hyaluspot contains Salicylic Acid 1.5% and LHA 0.5% which dries out and purifies the blemish from within. What makes this spot treatment different is that it contains Hyaluronic Acid 1% which helps keep moisture in that area while the spot is being dried out and disappearing.

Packaging wise, it's nice and hygienic with a metal applicator which helps cool down the blemish. The treatment itself is light in consistency and disappears into the skin, allowing you to apply your make up if need be.

Clinical tests reveal that after 2 hours, the spot stops developing and the bacteria that caused the dreaded pimple is gone. This is good. Nobody wants to be growing a second head on their chin. After 24 hours, there's a visible reduction in the inflammation of the skin and after 48 hours, the spot is gone leaving no marks or scars.

Now, as Bonnie Tyler said "I need a hero", and I would like to introduce you to my very own hero. Yes, he's talking to me, but I'm going to share him with you all because I'm very good like that. I don't know his name but I see a very long future with him... He is a grand man. He knows my name and speaks French and is available whenever I get a pimple.... Get in!

I'm going to make you a promise folks. Next time I get a pimple, I'll do a day by day test of this. But if you've tried it yourself, let me know how you got on!

Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot is available in shops now at a very bargainous €10

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots range - Shooting Stars, photos, review

2013-05-13T07:30:00.000+01:00

It's the oh so familiar story. Girl goes into Boots "for a look". Girl gazes absentmindedly over the nail polishes before stopping in her tracks. Girl sees a stunning shade of the Maybelline Color Show polishes that she's never seen before. It's called Shooting Stars. Girl doesn't even need to try to justify this purchase. Girl is in instant love with it. Girl buys other things that girl will show later this week in the blog. Girl doesn't need to spend a penny as she uses up her Boots points, rendering the purchase a win in every aspect!

Now, I need to find out more about this Polka Dot range from Maybelline but had to show you this gorgeous polish that I think will be the star of the show (ahem) in terms of the four shades that are available. Shooting Stars spoke to me instantly. It's one of those polishes that you'll spend ages looking at, turning the bottle, inspecting your nails to see exactly what's in it.

Shooting Stars has a jelly navy blue base and is packed full of differently sized hexagonal glitters. Some are white and some are dark, either black or navy and the beauty of this polish is in the layering.

Because it's stuffed with so many hexagonal glittery bits, application is a doddle. I've used three coats here to make sure the jelly base would look opaque enough in photos. As you apply layers, the white glitters in the layer below get covered with the base and take on different hues of blue, leaving the top layer displaying the white glittery bits, if that makes sense. This adds depth and dimension to a polish that makes me happy and not able to stop looking at.

This was around the €4.65 mark, so totally worth it. I had a wee gander online and because it instantly made me think of Deborah Lippmann polishes, I had to have a look to see if it was a dupe for anything and the closest is Lady Sings The Blues. It's not a perfect dupe from the photos I've seen online but it's close.

Shooting Stars. I'd totally recommend to a friend!

The pit of my week and the peak of my week - week 18

2013-05-12T14:00:00.000+01:00

This week flew by in a flash didn't it? I know it was a short work week, but the last time we'd a short week after a bank holiday, it was the slowest week in the history of life.

The pit of my week. My boss is on annual leave for two weeks, so I'm covering for her which means filling in for her and trying to get my own work done. She stays until 5pm, so my coworker and I have been staying late on alternate days to get everything done and make sure that someone is there to answer the phone at 4.50 when someone will invariably ring with a ridiculous query! I've been exhausted this week trying to get everything done and this was the easier week of the two, so who knows what state I'll be in next week as it's going to be hectic! Bed early tonight (after I go see Star Trek of course).

The peak of my week. My brother turns 30 next week which means that I feel mucho oldo. I was grand when I turned the big 3-0 but having the baby of the fambly hit this milestone makes me feel like a proper bridie! But I'll get over it and sure with all the anti-ageing cream I'm using, I'm determined to look young, even if I'm not! Anyways, yesterday we had a lovely lunch in the Port House in town. We all absolutely love that place and ordered lots of delicious tapas to feed us up. Of course, it wouldn't be a Constantine meal without the solitary vegetable dish in a sea of carbs and protein! They were lovely in there as always and brought him out a slice of cake and the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday to him, good times!

How was your week? Do tell as I love to know what's going on with one and all!

My Favourite Five posts of the week from my fellow bloggers - Week 18

2013-05-12T12:17:00.003+01:00

Ok so after a wee break, my Favourite Five is back! For those of you who are new to the blog, I started this series months ago where I listed five posts by my fellow bloggers that made me make audible noises like "Oooh, ahhhh", say phrases like "Me likey, me needy", make me laugh and inspire me. So here goes.

This post from British Beauty Blogger Jane made me sit up and take notice of the brand Kiko. It's not available in Ireland but you can buy online and after seeing Jane's swatches of the stunning Colour Shock Eyeshadows, I'm definitely going to be checking them out. Hello bright summery colours that needs to be on my eyes!

As a beauty lover, there's nothing sadder than when your favourite products die a death and go to the big make up storage unit in the sky. This happened to poor Emma of Fluff and Fripperies recently and I felt her pain.... And loved her little memorial to those products. RIP lovely products, RIP...

I love glowy skin and this Fire Lust Skin Illuminator from Tom Ford is absolutely stunning.... Temptalia strikes again! I'm totally adding this to my wish list and if I win the Lotto, I'll definitely pick this up....

What I've learned this week from ArtDonatella's Andreea is seek and you shall find. And that's exactly how she found this gorgeous Pure Color Illuminating Gelee Blush in Tease from Estee Lauder's Spring 2013 collection. Oh the want is strong with this one... Totally need it in my life and on my face...

I've saved the best for last. I've devoured this post again and again since BBB Jane posted about her trip to *deep breath* Coco Chanel's apartment.... I know.... Talk about an experience to remember! Take note Jane, the next time we meet, we'll be talking about this!

This post on the Sally Hansen Exotica collection was the most read post on Lovely Girlie Bits this week, so if you haven't read it already, go forth and have a look!

What was your favourite post you read this week? Leave a link below and I'll be sure to check it out!

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier review!

2013-05-10T07:30:00.000+01:00

The new fragrance range from Roger & Gallet, Fleur de Figuier doesn't smell like fig rolls. Phew and aww. I like fig rolls. But I like Fleur de Figuier so much more... And ooh it's a good one! If you're on the market for a new fragrance for summer, then you need to do as I say.

1. Read the rest of this post.
2. Admire how the packaging seems to go with my curtains.
3. Go to your local chemist who stocks Roger & Gallet.
4. Smell Fleur de Figuier.
5. Buy it.
6. Come back to this post and leave a lovely comment saying how much you love it, because you will.

Starting with the brightly coloured packaging of the body lotion and shower gel, combined with the pale rose tinted fragrant water, we know were going to have something punchy and delicate all at the same time and Fleur de Figuier really does pack a punch in the schnozzular department.

When I spray this first, I'm hit with a fruity wave of loveliness and nostalgia and am instantly transported to a beach on an early summer's day. I'm eating a 99 ice cream and have gotten a flake and the raspberry sauce drizzled over the top because it's my imaginary scenario and in this scenario, the ice cream is calorie free. Yussss. There's a distinct hit of grapefruit that wakes me up and every single time I spray it (liberally), I stop and take a little moment to inhale, smile and carry on my merry way. I really feel that all is well in the world when I wear Fleur de Figuier.

When the citrus notes and sweetness dissipates a bit, it becomes more mellow and I can't smell it on myself so obviously, but everyone else around me can and that's a bonus. Everyone likes to told that they smell lovely and asked what they're wearing! The musk, cedar and fig leaves add the perfect woody note that stays around for hours after you've applied it and even longer if you've layered it with the shower cream and body lotion, which is what I do if I'm going to be out and about for the whole day and don't want to carry the fragrance around with me.

As it was instant love at first sniff, I brought Fleur de Figuier with me to work to keep at my desk as I'm there more than I'm home. Well, it's been a massive hit with the girls at work who regularly come to visit me at my desk, but not for chats anymore. No, it's to get their next hit of Fleur de Figuier.

There's a whole collection of products in the Fleur de Figuier starting from €6.75. The shower cream, fragrant water and body lotion all retail at €9.90, €39.50 and €14.75 respectively.

Now I'm raging I left it at work! I'll be picking up the travel sized scent for carrying around with me so I can smell gorgeous allllll the time!

NOTD - Model's Own Beach Party!

2013-05-09T07:30:00.000+01:00

On grey days, there's nothing I like better than slapping on a bright nail polish. And this one folks, is give-you-retina-damage bright. After my absolute love affair last year with Model's Own Hedonist, which I named as my favourite polish of 2012, I'm delving more and more into Model's Own and this is my latest purchase, Beach Party. Part of the Hed Kandi collection from summer 2012, you can still get this on the Model's Own stands and since buying Hedonist, I wondered did I need Beach Party in my life and on my nails and the answer is yes. Yes I big fat do. And I'm raging I didn't pick it up last year!

This neon orange polish calls out for sandy beaches and blue skies but that ain't gonna happen any time soon. Will that stop me from wearing and loving it? Not at all! The formulation on it is thicker than most polishes I've tried but it means that I get this opaque finish in two coats, not my usual three. It takes a while to dry though and I don't have the patience or bladder control to wait for that (hands up who feels the need for a widdle as soon as they've applied polish?), so I applied a coat of Seche Vite here.

I had to take a photo with the flash on and of course, nearly blinded myself in the process with how bright Beach Party looks.

Oh lads, this is a pretty fantastic polish. I'm nearly blue I'm that pale right now, but Beach Party gives my hands and arms a bit of warmth and I'm telling you, this is going to look killer with some fake tan!

It'll set you back €7.99, but come on, look at it with your eyeballs if I haven't damaged them on you. You shall see me with this on my nails a lot a lot over the summer my friends!

Clarins Splendours Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Gel - Crystal Pink, photos, review

2013-05-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

I've tormented you with photos of the stunning eyeshadow palette from the Clarins Splendours collection and today we're talking about one of the two Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Gels from the collection. Crystal Pink should really be called Crystal Red but we won't hold that against it.

Ok, so the first thing I thought of when I applied some to the back of my hand was that it totally reminded me of the syrup you get drizzled over your 99 ice cream. Now I want one. Mmm 99s are the best. Anyway, I digress, back to the product. This sheer lip gloss is gorgeous and I've been wearing it a lot since it was sent to me. One layer of it gives a touch of colour to the lips but I love applying a second layer so that my lips look extra juicy and wet. It's not sticky when you press your lips together, but you know that any bit of wind and your hair will stick to that quick smart, but those are the perils of lip glosses. Will it stop me wearing them? Not on your nelly. Crystal Pink has a lovely fruity scent to it and feels really comfortable on the lips.

€20 is the damage and the stunning Splendours collection is on Clarins counters this month. Seriously, it's the most gorgeous collection I've seen in ages and I'm totally buying the bronzer next....

Lancome Blush Subtil palette in Nectar Lace - photos, swatches, review

2013-05-08T07:30:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite beauty related purchases from my trip to New York last year was a Blush Subtil palette from Lancome. It was love at first sight and I was raging I didn't buy more of them as I wear it so much. Sadly, it isn't available in Ireland which is why I never blogged about it, but I recently found out there are two Blush Subtil palettes that are available on Lancome counters now and I was sent one to play with. And fall in love with. And use it every single day since getting it. Nectar Lace is the face palette in question and it's gorgeous...

This all in one palette contours, highlights and adds colour to your cheeks. You can be subtle or daring with it and if ever there was a palette to have in your make up bag this summer, this is it. You might be fooled into thinking that the blush shade looks like Nars Orgasm, but you'd be incorrect. This shade is so much more pigmented and knocks Orgasm out of the park in terms of colour, shimmer and beauty.

You can see the contour shade has no shimmer in it at all, making it perfect for sculpting your cheekbones. Although the swatch of the blush above looks like it's packed full of shimmer, it's much less obvious on the cheeks, allowing the peachy coral shade to give colour to your visage without you looking like a disco ball. The golden highlight shade adds luminescence to the cheekbones and can be used on the browbone and inner corners of your eyes, to bring light to the face. All three shades work beautifully together, allowing for a sculpted, highlighted, sunkissed glow to the face.

1. Nekkid face. 2. Contour applied to hollows of cheeks. 3. Blush applied to cheeks. 4. Highlight applied to cheekbones and browbone.

The first time I used the palette, I went to town with it on my face, as in I used too much, not actually traveled into the city. A little goes a long way in terms of the blush and all three shades can be applied as a wash of colour, or layered on for a more dramatic cheek. I'm very into putting more colour on my cheeks and just wearing mascara these days. The sheen in the blush and highlight give me a dewy glow to my cheeks and we like having dewy cheeks. It stays put for the whole work day and that's enough for moi.

One of the things I love most about the palette is the finish. Not the dewy finish that I keep harping on about, but it looks like the finish of a cream blush. It looks like it's my skin, not that I've piled a load of powder on it. This makes me so happy because since I'm all about embracing my skin and not trying to hide it, the Blush Subtil Palette is the perfect addition to my make up bag.

As I mentioned above, there are two Blush Subtil palettes available here in Ireland, Nectar Lace and Rose Flush. They're €48, so on the spendy side, but oh so beautiful. And if we start doing Girlie Maths, it's €48 for three products; a contour, blush and highlight. And it's all in the one compact. Perfect for travelling. And summer's coming up. Summer holidays means travelling. And when you go and swatch it at Lancome counters, you'll see what I mean and fall in love.

Free DuWop Try Me Kit with DuWop purchase on Cloud 10 Beauty!

2013-05-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

We like free gifts when we make a purchase don't we? Starting on 8th of May, Cloud 10 Beauty are offering this free DuWop Try Me Kit worth €45 when you purchase any DuWop product!

Inside the kit you'll get DuWop Prime Venom, DuWop Venom Gloss Lantana, DuWop Venom Gloss Wisteria, DuWop Private Red Lipstick, DuWop Lip Venom Original and DuWop Lip Venom Pink Shimmer.

I've already played around with the lip glosses and they're gorgeous, giving a touch of colour along with that DuWop tingle! Joanne and I picked up the Lip Venom a couple of years ago in NY and had to apply it right after we bought it just to see if it worked. Cut to us walking around Macys asking each other if they could see if our lips were more plump because they were tingling like mad!

And a little look on the Cloud 10 Beauty website told me that DuWop do more than just lip products. I'd no idea! Click here to have a browse, pick something up and get this free gift!

Bright lips with Maybelline! Color Sensational Vivid Shocking Coral & Color Sensational Coral Tonic - photos, swatches, review

2013-05-07T07:30:00.000+01:00

I don't know, it must have been the sunshine or something, because I went to Boots and came out with two really really really bright lipsticks.... But I couldn't resist, they were gorgeous and I was feeling brave, so into my basket went Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid in Shocking Coral and the Color Sensational in Coral Tonic. One is labelled vivid but they both should be because they are ba-right!

And yes, they both have "coral" in the name which makes the whole thing sweeter as I am the self proclaimed coral queen.

Shocking Coral is one of the new Color Sensational Vivid shades that I first saw over on DollyRouge and knew it would be mine. It's even more bright and vivid in person so get swatching and you'll see what I mean! Because Boots had a deal on at the time, buy one get 50% off, I searched for a second lippie, wondering if I should go wild and get the orange vivid shade. I don't really wear plum shades so ended up going outside of the Vivid range and back to Maybelline's regular Color Sensational range before finding Coral Tonic. This, my friends, is what it's all about. And when I say "it", I mean life. Beauty life. Coral Tonic is the perfect balance of coral and orange with the barest hint of pinky undertones, this is going to be perfect for summer time!

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Shocking Coral (left), Color Sensational Coral Tonic (right)

Both shades are creamy, opaque and feel really comfortable on the lips. Shocking Coral definitely looks more pink than coral on me, but nonetheless is a stunning shade that will look gorgeous with a slick of black liner and tonnes of mascara. Coral Tonic warms up my complexion and suits my skin tone perfectly and is going to look even better when I have a bit of a (fake) tan!

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Shocking Coral (top), Color Sensational Coral Tonic (bottom)

Both shades last about 3-4 hours on me if I'm not eating or drinking and leave a light stain on the lips than can be topped up with more lippie or lip balm.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Shocking Coral

Maybelline Color Sensational Coral Tonic

Both of these lipsticks are available now at €10.49 and are worth every penny. If you're looking for bright shades this summer, then they're definitely worth checking out. Is it bad that now I'm regretting not getting the Electric Orange shade?!

Have you tried either of these colours yet?

10.49

May wishlist!

2013-05-02T12:00:00.000+01:00

I love doing these wishlist posts because a) it's nice to dream and b) sometimes wishes come true as you'll see in a post next week! It's May and that means hopefully warmer weather and we're full steam ahead with summer make up and gorgeous products. So here's my wishlist for this month of May. Some attainable, some not... Boo hoo

Babyliss Pro Perfect Curl || Robert Downey Junior || Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Frisky || Clarisonic || Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder || Rebecca Minkoff Periwinkle Mini Mac Bag || Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye & Cheek Palette || Chanel Le Vernis Taboo

I wish so much for Robert Downey Junior but alas, it's probably not going to happen... Le sigh... So for the next month I'll gaze longingly over this wishlist and ponder what could have been. I'll get over it and besides, next month has the release of Superman with my beloved Henry Cavill and hello True Blood will be back....

Anyway, do you see anything on my wishlist that tickles your pickle?

Clarins Splendours eyeshadow palette - summer 3013 - photos, swatches, tutorial!

2013-05-02T07:30:00.000+01:00

Well I did it. After much will I won't I, I finally delved into the most gorgeous eyeshadow palette ever. The Splendours eyeshadow palette with in built eyeliner makes me smile every single time I look at it. Smile and want to invest in an Indiana Jones-esque whip so I can make that wha-tish noise that whips make and go off searching for relics and the like.

Anyway, I showed you lots of photos of it in my little preview post and today I'm showing you just one of the looks you can achieve with it. I'm no make up artist, so if I can do this, so can you. I sound like one of those home shopping network people don't I?

Anyway, behold the photo that brings the palette to life thanks to the sun!

Inside are four soft, blendable and very wearable eyeshadows and a brown eyeliner to add a bit more drama to your eyes. Like all Clarins palettes, it comes with two sponge tip applicators, one of which has an angled brush at the end to use with the liner. The four shades work so well together, being gold, champagne, rose and brown shade. You can use them all or just one for a wash of colour and in the look below, I've used three and the liner.

Let's get to it shall we?

1. Apply the gold shade all over the lid and bring it slightly into the crease.

2. Apply the brown shade into outer corner of the eyes and into the crease, blending it with the gold.

3. Apply the champagne shade under the browbone and in the inner corner of the eye to bring more light to the eyes.

4. Take the gold shadow under the lower lashes, blending it downwards and watch how your eyes change colour.

5. Using the angled brush, take the brown eyeshadow and take it right under the lower lashes, allowing the gold to show.

6. Using the angled brush, take the liner along the upper lashes, winging it out slightly at the outer corner.

7. Add your mascara and you're ready to go!

The Splendours palette is €39 and available on Clarins counters this month. It's an absolute stunner folks and totally worth checking out. I dare you not to fall in love with it!

April favourites!

2013-05-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

April, you sucked big time on the weather front. You were also the month where I had to shell out hundreds to get my car fixed and the month where my washing line broke. I know I said you sucked regarding the weather, but there was great drying in that wind. But in saying that April, you were a great month in terms of finding things that I love!

I find when I do monthly favourites posts, I end up repeating myself as I blog about what I love and am obsessed with every day. So I'm going to try and keep this to products that I love and that I haven't dedicated a whole post to, but still love equally and see how we go.

Herbal Essences Dazzling Shine Light Reflecting Intensive Mask

I wrote about my love affair with the Fresh Balance collection by Herbal Essences here and on the day I bought them, I also bought this hair mask. If I'm being honest, I bought this mask thinking it was from the same range because it was green. I didn't even read the packaging. Still, it worked out well because I'm all about having dazzling shiny hair and this fruity smelling hair mask gives me just that. I've been using it with the Fresh Balance shampoo and they work perfectly together, giving me soft, swishy, shiny hair. Totally worth the approximate €5 mark.

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm Peach Sheer Tint

I've never owned a Carmex anything before, so picked this one up recently for a go. It said peach on the packaging which was an instant incentive and lads, it's fantastic. It gives a decent amount of colour, has a slight tingly feeling and has worked wonders on my dry lips over the past month, thanks to the Vitamin E and Aloe. I'll totally be repurchasing it and it was around the €4-€5 mark.

Optrex Eyedew Dazzling Eye Drops

Recently I carried out my most loathed chore in the history of life and that, my friends, is cutting the grass. So last weekend I decided that it had to be done as Bailey was running the risk of getting lost out the back garden in the jungle.

Out I went and did it, grumbling the whole time like you do. I was proud of myself and relieved that it was done. So I sat down with a glass of Diet Coke to savor in the joy/pain that it was a job done when my right eye started getting a bit itchy. I didn't think anything of it and had a grand rub, best feeling ever. Then the other eye started itching. I was perplexed. I don't have allergies and started to become concerned/excited that I could possibly be allergic to cutting the grass. I imagined the conversations I'd have with myself. Oh I really should cut the grass. Wish I could, am totally allergic.

I remembered that I'd been sent eyedrops recently, so stumbled up the stairs, opened the new bottle and got busy plopping the drops in my eyes. I looked in the mirror and saw that my tears were green and had a mini stroke. What was happening?! I had a look at the eyedrop bottle and put some on to the back of my hand. Ah, the solution was blue. I wasn't developing grotty eyeballs. I tell you, within two minutes, my red eyeballs were completely white and stopped itching. I was delighted but also secretly raging that my big plan for not cutting the grass was foiled. This is €5.67 and works wonders.

Make up storage

You can read my post on it here, but having everything organised properly in my new make up storage contraption has cleared my mind and inspired me all over again to delve into all of my products. I'd stuff everywhere and having it all in one place is good for my soul!

Iron Man 3

Image Source

Oh Robert Downey Junior, I could watch you sitting and doing nothing for two hours easily. He is a grand man and the latest Iron Man film is brilliant. Easily the best one of the three. Action packed, funny and did I mention Robert is a ride? I'm totally going to see it again soon and not just so I can have popcorn for dinner.

My scarf

I know I've a lot of scarves. That's the understatement, but I wear one every day so have no qualms about the sheer volume in my collection. When I was in Spain in March, I picked up the best scarf in the history of life. It's me in scarf-y form. It's got animal print and I love that lots as it is. I also love bright colours, so slap some neon pink love hearts all over it and what do you get? This amazing scarf! Oh I love it so much. So much that it's too nice to wear to work, aka the place where I spill everything. I think it's going to take a lot to top this as "My Favourite Scarf Of 2013 Even Though It's Only April And We Still Have A Ways To Go Yet."

Sunglasses

The fact that I can wear my sunnies going to and from work makes me happy. These are huge and were under a tenner in a little shop in Spain. Wrinkles be gone while I swan around in my massive shades looking all swish.

My lips cushion!

As you may know, I'm turning the box room into a beauty room. It's a weeny little room but I've got the make up in there and a chair bed which I can use for photos and videos. I saw this cushion a couple of weeks ago in Penneys and what would a beauty room be without a big pair of lips eh? €6 was the damage and I love it lots!

What were your favourite bits and bobs in April?

Vichy Idealia BB Cream - First look! Before & after photos

2013-05-01T07:30:00.000+01:00

Ooh ladies, this is a good one, I can feel it in my waters! The new Idealia BB Cream from Vichy arrived at Girlie Towers yesterday and I couldn't wait to try it out, especially since I'm huge fan of the Ideal Smoothing Cream and use it all the time.

I'll just let you know that this isn't a review, just a little preview really. I like to try out skincare products for more than a day before giving my opinion! But I had to show you a couple of before and after photos to whet your appetite.

After surveying women worldwide, Vichy discovered that women want their skin to be free of "dull, tired, grey tones". I'd totally agree with that and it's weird, when I started the blog a couple of years ago, I wore medium-full coverage foundations at a minimum. Powder would go on top of that and it was all because I was trying to hide how blah my skin looked. If you'd have told me back then I'd be wearing BB Creams and light coverage foundations, I would have arched my eyebrow at you before giving you a sidelong glance, wondering if you actually knew me at all.

Now, I'm all about enhancing my skin. Making it look brighter and more radiant, but not looking like I'm wearing anything on my face. I am essentially aiming to trick everyone into thinking "Isn't yer wan's skin gorgeous and she's not wearing a bit of makeup"... I want ideal skin so let's see if Vichy's Idealia BB Cream will help me get it.

It has 6 in 1 skin perfecting actions, promising to illuminate instantly, hydrate over 24 hours, smooth wrinkles, refine complexion, reduce dark spots and protect from UVA/UVB with SPF25 and PPD16. It comes in two shades, light and medium, so darker skinned ladies are left out here. I was sent the light shade and got busy with it and my face.

Em hello! This is what I want my skin to look like thank you very much! You can see it definitely delivers on the illumination promise and evens out my complexion effortlessly. It feels nice and light on my skin and has the familiar scent of Kombucha which is present in the rest of the Idealia range.

First impressions are great folks and I'll be trialing it over the next while to see how long it lasts and if it makes any difference to my visage. But for now, it gets full marks for making me look like I've naturally radiant skin without looking like I'm wearing anything on my face.

The Idealia BB Cream is €23.50 and is available from the usual stockists in May. I'm rubbing my hands together ladies because I think we're on to something good!

Revlon Juicy Papaya Lip Butter - photos, swatches, review!

2013-04-30T07:30:00.000+01:00

I've found The One. The perfect every day lip colour for me. This is huge folks. Ha-uge. You know me, I'm starting to get into more colour, especially as we head towards summer, but as I spend millions of hours a day at work, I want something easy to apply without a mirror and that looks purty.

Enter Revlon's Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya. One of their summer releases, Juicy Papaya is one of those shades that looks different in the bullet than on the lip, but either way, I knew I was going to love it as I am the queen of all things peach and coral.

Now, the photos don't do Juicy Papaya justice. Neither does a swatch on the back of the hand. On my hand it looks almost orange and I loved it and couldn't wait to get it on my face. However, on my lips, it becomes pinky, corally, peachy and just gorgeous. I took a million photos trying to get the peach nuances to show up, but alas, you'll have to trust me when I say it's amazing. It's very creamy in texture, feels moisturising and gives a grand glossy finish. Like most lip butters, I get a couple of hours out of each application.

This was €7.45 I think (I totally threw the receipt out, you know me, if I don't see the receipt, it didn't happen). It's completely worth it for me and I'm going to buy a couple of back ups this weekend. That's how much I love it and if you buy it and don't love it, send it my way! But I know you're going to love it.

Lip perfection for moi.

Irish Country Magazine giveaway!

2013-04-29T12:00:00.000+01:00

I'll hold my hands up and say I totally judge a book by it's cover. Or in this case, a magazine by it's title! I thought, sure I'm a grand city slicker, what would be in Irish Country Magazine for me? A lot as it turns out!

I was sent the current issue for a read and devoured it from start to finish over a cup of tea and a KitKat, followed by a Tangle Twister ice pop. They've got fashion, food, features and of course, beauty! This months has a feature on Irish brand Voya's journey to become the powerhouse brand it is today.

And one of the beauty features, Working It, gives us the low down on how to take inspiration from the catwalk and make it work for us mere mortals!

The April/May issue is on stands now at €2.99, but I've got ten copies up for grabs! To be in with a chance of winning a copy, send moi an aul email with your name and address to competitions@lovelygirliebits.com with Irish Country Magazine in the subject title. You must be a resident of Ireland and the giveaway ends on Friday May 10th at midnight. Good luck!

You can find out more about Irish Country Magazine on their Facebook page or if you're on Twitter, and you should be, follow them here!

My new make up storage!

2013-04-29T07:30:00.000+01:00

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you'll know that I've been working on turning the box room into my beauty room/office. It's getting there and when I've all the little accessories bought, I'll do a little post showing it to you. Right now I want to get some pictures up and maybe a mirror, but the main focus over the past couple of weeks has been getting a new make up storage system working.

Well, it's finally done! Kind of. When I was taking photos of each drawer in my new make up storage system, I started thinking about a couple of changes and tweaks I might make. I know, very annoying already, but here it is in all it's glory!

Sunflowers courtesy of Ms. CherrySue and reed diffuser from Rituals

This is actually two units stacked on top of each other. I bought two of the Alex Drawer unit on castors from Ikea after seeing Makeup by Tiffany D's makeup storage video on YouTube and knew they'd be perfect. I'd originally been using this Malm unit from Ikea but over the past two years, found that the larger drawers were too deep and I ended up having to stack products on top of each other. Then I couldn't see everything and it annoyed me lots. We don't like to be annoyed around the make up.

So I took it upon myself to head to Ikea to see the Alex drawer units in person and once laying eyeballs on them, decided to bite the make up storage bullet. At €100 each, they're not cheap, but they're perfect for moi. I wanted something where everything was hidden, drawers were shallow and it looked sleek. Each unit has six drawers, all the same depth, but the front of three drawers are smaller than the other three. They took about an hour each to assemble and are bloody heavy, but despite that, I still had to stick a bit of blue tac between them to stop the top unit from moving.

After putting a few photos of the unit up on Instagram and on Twitter, I'd lots of requests to show how I have everything organised and for a little nose at my stash! I'll be doing a video showing everything in more detail soon so stay tuned for that.

Drawer 1

Drawer 1 contains my primers, concealers and brow products. I keep that empty plastic container handy so I can pick out what products I'm using that day and bring it downstairs where I do my make up. I might put my brushes in this drawer at some point so I don't have to have them on display.

Drawer 2

Drawer 2 houses all of my foundations, BB creams and face powders. Laying them all out like that gave me heart failure, but in all honesty, I could throw out a good few of them because I've had them for years, so by the time the video comes around, this will probably be a bit lighter on the foundation front! Having them all laid out flat like this is so handy and the same goes for the powders.

Drawer 3

I keep all of my high end eyeshadows in Drawer 3. I'm hopefully going to depot my MAC shadows soon and that'll free up more space. As we can see, I love me some Chanel! And I love the mini sized pigments from MAC and have been collecting them over the years.

Drawer 4

I love blush a lot. So Drawer 4 has my blush collection with my bronzers on the little plastic container on the right. I think I'm going to move the bronzers to the drawer below and dedicate this entire drawer to my cheeks!

Drawer 5

I keep my mascaras, eyeliners and highlighter products in Drawer 5. I only have so many mascaras because a lot are sent to me. Usually I'd only have a couple on the go but it's been a busy couple of months on the mascara front!

Drawer 6

Drawer 6 is the lip drawer! On the left I have all of my glosses and liquid lipsticks and love having them laid all flat like that. It's much easier to see what I'm looking for. In the middle I have my lipsticks stacked upside down so I can see the shades easily. I have my high end lippies in a container of their own and then have lip liners and my NYC lippies on the far right. This drawer makes me happy.

Drawer 7

I keep my higher end palettes in Drawer 7 and spent ages trying to get them to fit around each other so they'd be easy to see! I have my beloved Stila palettes on one side and on the other have Urban Decay, Inglot, Smashbox, MAC etc. Again, this is much better for my brain than having them all stacked on their side and not being able see what I want.

Drawer 8

I have my more affordable palettes in Drawer 8. If you see the palette in the top right corner of the drawer, that's the first palette I ever stole from my mam years and years ago, which started my obsession with make up! I don't use it as I'd like to keep my eyes in tact thanks very much, but I will never ever throw it out. I'm strangely sentimental like that and as you can see from my stash, I'm a collector. Ahem...

Drawer 9

I keep my more affordable single eyeshadows in Drawer 9. All of my MUA shadows are in the long container on the left and the rest are a mix of everything and anything. Hmm... This drawer looks a little empty wouldn't you say? Any excuse to go shopping!

Drawer 10

I just have the sets I bought in New York in Drawer 10. I could take the products out of the packaging, but I don't need to right now and they remind me of a great trip!

Drawer 11

Drawer 11 is very uninteresting altogether, having just make up bags and the bottom of a gift box in case I need it to organise something.

Drawer 12

Drawer 12 is the tanning drawer. I didn't realise I'd so many tanning products and have made it my mission to try and review them all over the coming months. Where to begin!

I got the majority of my acrylic organisers in Homestore and more. They've four sizes and prices are €2.50, €2.99, €4.99 and €6.99. They're brilliant and have little rubber feet on the bottom so they won't move around in the drawers or scratch the bottom.

I'm over the moon with my new storage system and have found myself being inspired again to try different looks and have been rediscovering some products I forgot I had! For example. Remember a couple of weeks ago when I did my post on the Bobbi Brown Calypso Coral Pot Rouge? I told you this was the first one I bought? Not true. I totally found one I forgot I bought in the CCO in Belfast last year and hadn't even swatched?! So I'll be shopping my stash a lot and wearing all the make up. All of it. I'll set the make up gun to drag queen!

I hope you enjoyed this wee post and if you've any make up storage tips, please let me know!

Body care with Vichy Essentielles Body Cream Milk, Roger & Gallet Lait Des Bienfaits & Pixy Glowing Body Butter

2013-04-25T07:30:00.000+01:00

I know that the weather's getting milder because now I'm now able to sit with the window open at work and not be given out to. Fresh air is good for the soul but not at the risk of freezing your coworkers.

I also know it's milder because I can now apply body lotion every day without that feeling of dread. I don't have to wonder if I'll catch my death in an attempt to have smooth, moisturised skin and won't miss the feeling of being one big goosepimple as I wait for my body cream to be absorbed.

Like all aspects of my beauty life, I love trying lots of products, usually at the same time and these are the body products I'm currently using. Wanna see?

Roger & Gallet's Eau Des Bienfaits is one of my favourite summery scents and being the very generous person that I am, have brought it into work to keep in what we now call "Karen's Drawers". If a scent stays in my drawers then we know we're on to a good thing because there are a load of us to please. Eau Des Bienfaits is a winner and now they've only gone and released an accompanying body lotion, Lait des bienfaits... This light body lotion is a bright, morning time lotion and puts me in great form right away. It absorbs quickly which is handy as I'm always running late in the morning and it's five antioxidant fruits does good things to your skin. If smooth, soft skin that smells like you're walking through an Italian garden on your way to a table that's set up with lots of delicious food and a lovely glass of prosecco, then this is the lotion for you. Layering it with the body mist makes the scent linger even longer and for €14.95, you'll smell like summer all day.

Next up is the Vichy Essentielles body cream-milk. Is it a body cream? Is it a milk? Yes is the answer. This subtly rose scented lotion can be used on even the most sensitive skin and despite being light in texture, packs a punch in the moisturising department thanks to the shea butter, which also soothes and nourishes the skin. This is so purse friendly that when I read it was €7 for the big 200ml tube, had to double check just to make sure I wasn't missing a 1 before the 7. I'm loving applying this at night before bed to my arms and legs in an attempt to coax some moisture into them and it's working a treat. Of course, it has the Vichy Thermal Spa Water, so I know I'm on to a good thing here. Again, this absorbs quickly so no standing beside the bed fanning my arms and legs waiting for it to dry so I can get under the covers. And it has the Bailey seal of approval. It's the only lotion he tries to lick off me. I wonder if it's the thermal water!

Finally is the newest addition to the body cream family. The Glowing Body Butter from Pixy arrived this week and like always, I try not to let myself read the description of scents for products like this to see if I can recognize anything. Well, one whiff and I sank back into the sofa in pure happiness. I could smell jasmine instantly and that's one of my all time favourite scents. If you've tried the Godiva shampoo bar from Lush, it smells like that and the fact that I can apply this all over me and smell gorgeous for ages, makes me supremely happy and I carried it around with me for the rest of that first night just inhaling it.

Despite containing cocoa and shea butters to soften the skin, apricot, coconut and vitamin E oils to condition the skin and beeswax to seal in the moisture, you'd think this body butter would be thick and heavy. Not in the slightest. The tin feels light as a feather and you only need a small amount on your skin to get to work. Now, the intoxicating jasmine scent along with the mica which gives the glow makes me want to keep this for nights when I'm going out and want a bit of a sheen along my decolletage and arms. In terms of moisturising my skin, I'd give it a 7 out of 10 and feel it makes a much better scented body product than it does a moisturising body product if that makes sense. Like I'd be applying it before going out at night to smell absolutely gorgeous, not to help my dry skin. All I want now is a really sunny evening, a beer garden and this on me and I'd be happy out. You seriously need to smell this stuff in person. Or meet me in the beer garden and you can smell me! This is €12.99 and will be a summer staple in the Lovely Girlie Bits household.

What are you using on your body this weather folks?

St Ives Warming Scrub and Invigorating Apricot Scrub!

2013-04-24T07:30:00.000+01:00

Years ago, my favourite face scrub was the apricot one from St Ives, in the peachy tube. Oh I loved it so and would repurchase it over and over. It was perfect. It smelled divine and had the perfect scrubby texture. We were very happy together. Then, for no reason and without consulting me, they changed the formula... And not for the better... I tried to love it but feigning enthusiasm wasn't enough, especially since my face just wasn't as scrubbed and radiant as before. So for the past seven years or so, I've walked by the St Ives stands in the chemist and looked sadly at the scrubs, remembering what was.

On a recent trip to Boots where I went in just for a look and came out €50 poorer, I came across these guys! New packaging, I was intrigued. I picked up the Invigorating Apricot Scrub and opened the cap, breathing in the oh so familiar scent. Ok. I was going to try it again for old time's sake. And I picked up a warming scrub, just because.

Let's start with the Warming Scrub shall we? First of all, sweet Jesus the stuff is thick. I thought they'd left the plastic protective layer on it because nothing was happening for ages. But squeezing with two hands did the trick and out came this gelatinous looking scrub with little red micro beads, ready to do business. With key ingredients like sunflower, sugar, silica and jojoba, this exfoliates the skin while retaining moisture and it heats up on contact with water and forms a lather, cleansing one's pores and exfoliating one's visage. This really does leave my skin feeling soft and radiant and is worth the possible injury trying to squeeze it out.

The Invigorating Apricot Scrub is back in business for me! When they changed the formula, they took out lots of the exfoliating seeds and so no matter how long I was working away at my face, it never felt scrubbed enough. Thankfully, the lashings of corn kernel meal and ground walnut promotes skin cell turnover and gets rid of every bit of rough skin sitting on my face, waiting to cake my foundation. The apricot cleanses, hydrates and nourishes the skin and smells lovely altogether.

Will I be buying these again? Absolutely. Although I expect it'll take me a while to get through the warming one due to ultimate thickness. I don't have exact prices as I threw away the receipt in an attempt to ignore how much I spent but they were around the €5-€6 mark each, so definitely budget friendly.

Have you tried any of the scrubs from St Ives? Now, who wants to come feel my face?

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint - Satsuma - photos galore!

2013-04-23T07:30:00.000+01:00

Give me a bright orange-y corally shade and I'm happy out. Especially in the sun! There's something that screams holiday time when I have bright shades on my nails and on a recent visit to Boots, I picked up the shade Satsuma from Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine range. They're one of my favourite nail polish discoveries of this year so far and I know as long as they keep making new shades, I'll keep buying them.

Satsuma is a bright shade, if you have eyeballs you can see that. But it's not quite on the neon spectrum, so if you're a bit scared of blinding yourself and the rest of humankind with neons, then Satsuma is a step down from that. You'll just give everyone slight retina damage, but you'll be grand.

I can't tell you if this is the colour of a satsuma itself and that's mainly because I can't tell a satsuma from a mandarin from a tangerine. No lie. But what I can tell you is that this colour is amazing. Again, the formula of the Gelly polishes is second to none. I only needed two coats for these photos and I'm not wearing any top coat. So you can see how shiny the finish is. Beeee-youtiful!

If you're looking for a spot of intense, vivid, bright, satsuma/mandarin/tangerine colour on your nails, then look no further. I think my tootsies are going to look fabulous with this shade over the summer. Get your €5.99 out and hand it over, safe in the knowledge that you're going to love this shade!

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick - Rose, photos, swatches

2013-04-22T07:30:00.000+01:00

Liquid lipsticks are big in the beauty world right now aren't they? It takes something special to stand out from the crowd and Hourglass' Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick does something that none of the other liquid lipsticks or lip lacquers do and that's give a matte finish. Ooh-er!

I was given the shade Rose to play with and for something that promises 14 hours of continuous wear, I was happy that this was a totally wearable shade. The thin wand allows for precise application which is handy as this stuff stays put! The formula has skin conditioning emollients, antioxidant fruit extracts, cili fruit, goji berry along with vitamins A, C and E to help protect your lips all day.

It's vital that there's nothing on your lips at all when applying this, not even lip balm. This means that the formula will set good and proper. Pigmentation wise, Rose packs a punch and I can only begin to imagine what the much loved shade Icon, a blue based red, will look like on the lips. I only needed one coat of Rose for the photos so although the tube itself might look small for what you're paying, you really don't use much of it at all.

The smooth formula sets in about a minute and then you're good to go. I'm not used to wearing matte lips and as I have dry lips at the best of times, it felt weird, but not uncomfortable. I can get a good five to six hours out of Rose before wanting to apply lip balm on my lips. It's worth noting that if you apply a balm or gloss over the liquid lipstick right away, you'll get less wear time, but you'll have gorgeous glossy lips if that's what you prefer.

Perfect for a night out where you won't have to worry about bringing it out with you to reapply! I feel very grown up altogether with a matte lip and really like it!

Hourglass is available in Space NK in Harvey Nichols Dundrum and will set you back €25.92.