The Lo Down - MAC Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact

Hey Guys and Dolls,

MAC is one of those brands I've been using for years. I own alot of their lipsticks I'm quite a bit fan, Velvet Teddy is my favourite. Last Christmas my boyfriend Daragh picked me up one of their limited edition Festive palettes. The collection was based on the Nutcracker and everything was so pretty but of I was in love with the eyeshadow palettes. MAC eyeshadows are really good, their so pigmented. I have one of their custom palettes and I find myself reaching for it all the time.

The palette Daragh bought me is called the Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact and it's so pretty. This palette contains 9 neutral shades, there is a yellowy shade that I was a bit afraid of using but it looks nice on the eyes so I had nothing to be scared of.

I've been using this palette alot and love it, it retails for in and around €38 o for what you get it's not too bad. I actually have my eye on another eyeshadow palette from MAC so I'll let you know if I pick it up.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I've owned lots of MAC lipsticks over the years as I'm quite a big fan, I sold nearly all them in a blog sale a while ago when I was doing a bit of a clear out of my makeup collection. My favourite lipstick of theres by far is Velvet Teddy. It' a beautiful neutral shade that actually goes with every makeup look, just what I need.

I have mine quite a while now which you can see in the picture above. My parents bought it for me in the Airport when they were going on holidays a while back. Daragh is going to Manchester soon so I'm going to get him to pick me up another one as I'm literally nearly finished this one.

I'm wearing this lipstick in the picture below and it definitely completes my makeup look for sure, I love it. MAC lipsticks can be expensive, I do believe they are in and around €20 which is pricey but I will be repurchasing this gem as I don't know what I'd do without it.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - My MAC Eyeshadow Collection

Hey Guys and Dolls,

MAC is one of those brand I've been using for years from paints pots to lipstick, there's so much to choose from from this brand. I adore their eyeshadows, they such an amazing selection of shades.

Last Summer I bought one of their empty palettes that fit 30 eyeshadows, sure you can never have too many MAC eyeshadows. Well I can't anyway. I've already filled up a half of the palette already so if you have any recommendations for the other half definitely let me know.

Top Row - Cork, Expensive Pink, All That Glitters, Nylon, Brule
Middle Row - Brown Script, Rule, Antiqued, Coppering, Texture
Bottom Row - Amber Lights, Shadowy Lady, Tempting, Sketch, Embark

The newest shade to my palette is Shadowy Lady and it's a very dark purple shades that would be great in the crease and in the outer corner I think. As you can see all the shadows I have are on the neutral side of things. I prefer to go with a natural eye as opposed to a vibrant look. I'd be too scared if it all went wrong to be honest.

My favorite eyeshadows are Coppering, Sketch and Embark. Coppering is a gorgeous all over the lid shade and the other two look perfect in the crease blended out. I really like all these eyeshadows though they are extremely pigmented and really pretty.

I use this palette alot and I like how you can choose the shades you like. I'm probably going to get a few more neutral shadows considering they are only €7 a pop which is such good value.

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows?

Laura<3

Blog Sale!

Hi Guys,

I've been cleaning out my room the past few days and I've decided to do my first ever blog sale. Considering I've been blogging over two years I'm surprised I haven't done one before now. I have quite a few bits and bobs put together for this Sale so I'm sure you'll find something that catches your eye. I don't use this stuff anymore and I'm sure one of you guys out there will get way more use out of it then I will.

 Sleek Blush By 3 palette in Lace - €9- unused

Sleek Ultra Matte V2 Eyeshadow palette €8

Selection of China Glaze polishes- €12 for all five or €3.50 each

Angel Wings

Glitter All The Way

Swanky Silk

Champagne Kisses

Techno

Topshop Louise Gray Pinch Punch Nailpolish - €5

All 4 Essie mini polishes - €6

Topshop Louise Gray lipstick in Legend - €6 - unused

Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 17 Rose Millesime - €6

Topshop Cream Blush in Flush - €5 (used only a couple of times)

Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heals -€5 (used only a couple of times)

No7  Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in Beachshine - €5

Yves Saint Laurent Pink Celebration Highlighting Powder - €15 - swatched a couple of times.

MAC Mineralise Eyeshadow in Rare Find - €15 (swatched once or twice)

MAC Mineralise Eyeshadow in Smoked Ruby - €15 (swatched once or twice)

MAC Cream Colour Base in Seaside - €10 (just swatched)

MAC Cream Colour Base in Take Root - €10- (just swatched)

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus - €16 (used once)  SOLD

Essence Breaking Dawn Highlight Powder - €4 (used once)

Essence Breaking Dawn Blush - €3 (used once)

MAC Metal X Cream Eyeshadow in Palladium - €10 (used a couple of times)

MAC Metal X Cream Eyeshadow in Gold Carbon - €10 (unused)

Nars Blush Bronzer Trio  includes Orgasm, Albatross and Laguna - €25

MAC's My Paradise Cheek Powder - €15 (gold overspray still intact)

Urban Decay The Vice Palette - €25 (used only a handful of times)

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Natural Beige - only used twice - €25

2 Laura Mercier Body Cremes in Fresh Fig , Creme de Pistache & Almond Coconut 100g- never used - €30 for all three or €12 each.

 Jean Paul Gaultier & Diet Coke Limited Edition Collectors Box - €18 (bottles unopened)

Karl Lagerfield & Diet Coke Limited Edition Collectors Box - €16  (bottles unopened)

Blog Sale Terms & Conditions

Opened Internationally

Prices above do not include postage & packaging

First come first serve

If your interested in purchasing anything from my Blog Sale leave a comment below telling me what product you'd like to purchase and your email address so I can contact you regarding payment. I'm sending my first batch of products that I sold through my Instagram Sale tomorrow, if your quick I'll be able to include your purchases too.

Laura<3

28 Days of Kisses - Day 24= MAC Betty Bright Lipstick from the new Archie's Girls collection

Another day in the 28 Day, another MAC lipstick to show you guys. I actually just bought this lipstick on Friday in Dundrum. I had no idea that the Archie's Girls collection had been launched. I thought it was the first Thursday of every month so I was surprised to see the decals in the window when I walked by BT2. I couldn't not pick something up from this collection, just look at the packaging. It's so cute and quirky plus I just love comic book prints. Before this range of products came out, not going to lie I never heard of Archie's Girls. After googling a bit about my comic books, I realised fast that they were released way before my time. I find the whole story behind the comics to be really interesting though, love the illustrations.

The lipstick I picked from the collection was Betty Bright, this seemed like the most wearable shade for me. After I seen it over on Milkteef I knew I had to have it. It's a lovely peachy shade which I think will be just perfect for Spring and Summer. I did think it was quite in your face when I first applied it but after a while it grew on me and I love it. I may pick up some more bits from this collection as I do think it's going to sellout really fast.The new Pearlmatte powders look gorgeous, I'm scared to see how much they convert to in Euro. We get seriously robbed over here, I have a sneaky suspicion that they could be €26 or more. I really want to get one though the packaging is so nice and I think it's the nicest collection they've come out with for a while. I don't want to go to wild though cause I want to be good and save this month.

What product have you picked up from this collection? Any recommendations?

Laura<3

28 Days of Kisses - Day 22 = MAC's Syrup lipstick

Out of all the MAC lipstick I own Syrup is the one that I reach for the most, it's pretty much my go-to everyday shade. This one would definitely take you from dawn til dusk, it's so wearable. It's a gorgeous sheer pink colour with a hint of plum. I love it! I think this shade would pretty much suit anyone. It's a must in my collection and I always have it with me in my makeup bag. I'm almost done with this one so you may see this in a haul post very soon.

Ugh I wish I hung around in Dundrum after work today. One of my favourite authors Nicholas Sparks was in  town today with Hollywood heartthrob Josh Duhamel (swoon) and Julianne Hough. They were over here for a special screening of their new movie Safe Haven. All three were also in Easons in Dundrum today signing the book which I'm raging I missed. Josh Duhamel is such a hottie so it would of been amazing to get a picture with him. I've read the book already and needless to say it's amazing. I'll definitely be dragging Paddy along to the cinema to see it when its released here on the 1st of March. I headed back down to Dundrum and walking by Easons I seen they had signed copies of the book for sale. Of course I couldn't not buy one, it's signed by the author and the two stars. This will definitely take pride of place on my bookshelf. I hope Nicholas Sparks brings out a new book soon it's been too long since is last one.

Have you tried this lipstick? What do you think of Syrup?

Laura<3

28 Days of Kisses - Day 18 = MAC Pink Pearl Pop

This is just going to be a quick post before I rush off to college. I can't believe my exams start in less than two months, this year has definitely flow by. I have a couple of assignments left to do so once I get them out of the way I'll have a big weight off my shoulders. After I have my exams and assignments handed in I'm going to start planning my next trip abroad. I'm hoping to go to London for IMATS so we'll see how that pans out. I would love to go as I've never been to this city before and I heard it's beautiful. I'm more than surprised that I haven't been as I just live across the pond in Dublin. Considering I've been to Manchester three time already, I think it's about time I visited London. I have a feeling it could be extremely bad for my bank balance.

I brought into 6 empties to MAC yesterday and picked up Pink Pearl Pop. I wore it to work today and I quite like it. It's one of their new Cremesheen shades that was launched towards the end of last year. I first seen it on Sian's blog not too long ago and it was the first lipstick I swatched when I was at the MAC counter. Of course the rest was history and I left with this lippie to add to my collection. I have a ridiculous amount of MAC lipsticks, I need to start using some up. I'm forever mixing up my shade selection so I never wear the same lipstick for long. I think that's the key reason why I have so many in my collection. As you can see he shade itself is a gorgeous pink and isn't too much on the lips. I'm not the bigger wearer of bright shades so this worked perfectly for me. It's extremely buildable for those who want a stronger pop of colour. I'm glad I picked up this shade, I can see myself using it a lot over the coming months, seeing as the weather is getting that little bit brighter out. I know I've already mentioned that I have too many MAC lipsticks in my collection but there is one more I want, the new limited edition Betty Bright lipstick I spotted over on Milkteef, It's such a lovely shade and just look at the packaging it's so darling. Some of MAC's limited edition collections can be a bit hit and miss but this seriously looks like a winner. Don't be surprised if you see that lipstick floating around a lipstick collection post in the future.

What's your favourite MAC lipstick?

Laura<3

28 Days of Kisses Tag - Day 2= MAC Glamourdaze

This is my second post in the 28 Kisses lipstick, so only another 26 days to go! I'm really enjoying doing the posts so far and I'm sure I'll discover alot of  my old favourite lippies during the month of February. I'm hoping to do another tag in the next couple of days. The 50 Random Facts About Me, I guess you've all seen it on so many blogs already. I think it sounds really interesting, it may be hard to come up with all the facts though cause fifty is a big number.

I didn't have an eventful day at all today. I pretty much spent the majority of it reorganising my room. I also went on a big walk around Marley Park with one of my friends which was actually really nice. I was surprised at how packed the place was, I guess that's what happens when the first rays of sun break out from behind the clouds. I kept my makeup quite simple with the usual neutral eye look, courtesy of Wet n Wild's Walking On Eggshells palette. This is such a nice little eyeshadow trio to chuck in your makeup bag and the pigmentation is great too. Of course it was only going to be time before I featured a MAC lipstick in one of these posts. The shade I'm wearing above is Glamourdaze which isn't a shade I'd typically go for. As I said in my January Favourites post, if I was looking for something different over the past month this is the lip colour that I've been levitating towards. It's a really nice reddy plum shade that I fell in love with when I first seen it on counter. Maybe it could be a future repromote for the brand, who knows! You more than likely won't be able to get this now as it was a part of their limited collection. Lastly I do find a lot of MAC lipsticks drying on the lips, I've heard that the cremesheen formula is different but that didn't stop me loading my lips with lip balm before I applied this.

I've seen the new upcoming MAC collection, Archie's Girl online and the packaging alone has tempted me to pick up a lipstick or two. After seeing the amount of MAC lipsticks already own, I may pass. Don't be completely surprised if you see one of them on this blog though as I always tend to cave when it comes to pretty packaging.

Laura<3

Little bits from MAC's Hey Sailor & Reel Sexy Collections

Yesterday I popped into BT2 to have a look at the new MAC collections, Hey Sailor and Reel Sexy on counter. When I was viewing Hey Sailor online, so many products caught my eye, but instore only two appealed to me in person. I can be put off by some limited edition packaging but I like this one alot. The navy and white nautical stripes definitely works for the sailor themed collection. I decided on two lip products which may not surprise people as that's what my makeup bag mostly consists of.

Red Racer is my first red lipstick ever. It's always been a colour that I didn't think I'd be able to pull off. I wore it on my lips all day yesterday and I absolutely love it. It will definitely glam up any look over the Summer that's for sure. The Suntint in Au Rose also caught my eye. I know I'll use this alot and it will be handy to have in my makeup bag. Like MAC's lip conditioner, the suntints are very moisturising. I may go back and treat myself to Abalone as you can't ever have too much lip balms over the Summer.

 I didn't know that the Reel Sexy collection was being released on the same day so I hadn't seen any of the products prior. The mineralize skinfinish, Lightscapade is a relaunch which I'm in two minds about getting, have any of you tried it?

I picked up yet another lip product from this range. Pink Popcorn is more toned down than Red Racer. It is described as a lavender shade on MAC's website but it swatches pink as you can see.  I can see it being one of those lipsticks that some will call purple and some pink. I wore this on my lips today and I loved it, gorgeous everyday shade.

Here's a picture of Red Racer in action, if your contemplating getting it yourself. It's definitely one of the more wearable reds I've tried. I know some in the past have not suited me too well at all.

What do you think of the new MAC collections?? Did anything catch your eye??

Laura<3

MAC & Chanel Haul

After Easter I had a bit of money to spend so I treated myself to a few new beauty products. During the week I saw them online and decided that I must have them.

First of all, I went to MAC where I picked up two products from their latest collections. Extra Dimension Skinfinishes seem to be taking over the blogosphere as of late. After swatching all three, I decided Superb was the one for me. I like the design on this product as it's very pretty. Another plus for me is that you can use it as an eyeshadow too. There is actually a shadow in this collection that looks identical to Superb so with €8 in the difference I'd definitely buy a skinfinish instead.

I don't usually have much interest in MAC limited edition collections, some products they bring out don't appeal to me. I was surprised when I fell in love with two products from seperate collections this month. I spotted this blush from the Tres Cheek in store, it's a gorgeous everyday shade. The other blushes in the collection are beautiful, so I was spoiled for choice. I went for the shade, Pink Tea as it's the one I could see myself using all the time and I've been using it everyday since I bought it. I only wish MAC's limited edition blushes came in pan form, I'm useless at depotting eyeshadows and blushes.

I'm a big fan of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua liquid foundation, so when I saw it was being released I popped it on my wish list. With €10 on my Debenhams beauty card I decided to splurge out and treat myself. The foundation was applied instore, I love the coverage and finish it gave to my skin. That €10 reward was much needed as it turned out the compact was €48.50, a whopping €10 more than the liquid foundation. I haven't used this since I bought it, as I'm trying to use up my foundations but I'll certainly let you know my thoughts soon.

Would you like to see a review for any of these products?


Laura<3

Little Gifts from my Mom's Trip to Belfast

My Mom headed to Belfast over the weekend with work. While there she picked me up two MAC products I was lusting after for a while now. I find makeup in general pretty expensive so when my Mom was heading to Belfast I asked her to pick  me up these two things in particular. At the end of the day I think making a small saving is good. Both the product choices on my part were influenced by some amazing blog posts I read lately.

I've heard so much lovely things about this eyeshadow. Ricepaper apparently looks really nice with another MAC shadow called Soba but unfortunately my Mom said they didn't have any left in stock. I've heard such good things about Ricepaper so hopefully it looks nice on me. I purchased this in pan form to put in my palette, which is filling up really quickly! I have only five spaces left in it. What eyeshadows should I get next?

I've read tonnes about the Mineralize Skinfinish, Soft and Gentle on so many blogs so it was certainly something I wanted to try. This product is used alot as a highlighter but I guess you could use it as a eyeshadow too. The only thing that stops me from buying more Mineralize Skinfinishes in the future is the fact they are so horribly expensive. One of these cost like €26.50, which is ridiculous so I'll be definitely making this one last that's for sure

Once I've used both of these products for a while I'm going to do a review and possibly a face of the day post. I really don't think I do enough of the latter to be honest. The issue preventing me from doing these posts is the dreadful light in my room, I think it may be one of the darkest rooms in my whole house.

Are FOTDs something you'd like to see more of?

Laura<3

A Shopaholic's Journey #11 - Collective Haul

It been a while since I've done A Shopaholic's Journey post. Not that I haven't been buying anything at all in the past few weeks, the stuff I bought just didn't warrant a big blog post. I received alot of gift cards for my birthday back in mid February and I only got around to spending them now.

In Boots, I picked up one of the Stella McCartney Print Collection Eau de Parfum. I know they've been on the scene for quite a while now, but from what I remember they were quite expensive. When I saw they were on sale for €23 I snapped one up. Out of the three prints to choose from, this was my favourite. While in Boots, I also bought some makeup products. I bought three of the Loreal Caresse Sheer Lipsticks (01, 103, 501). These lipsticks have been mentioned on a few blogs already. I don't think I would of noticed them otherwise, there just pushed in with all the other lipsticks, you wouldn't think there new. As you would guess I got a few No7 Vouchers when I bought this stuff. I tend to only buy their makeup wipes with these, but I heard so much talk about the Vital Enlightening Highlighter powder. I'm glad I picked one up. Isn't it so pretty??

This is probably my biggest splurge, it came to around €75 with a gift card my grandparents gave me. I don't think my Nanna was too happy I bought it, she hates when I straighten my hair. After much thought, I decided on the Maxi Styler from the Gold Series. I have frizzy hair which takes forever too straighten, so I thought this would work best for me. I always straighten my hair before work using the Classic Styler and halfway through the day it's frizzy again so I thought it was time for a change. I shall let you know how I get on with it. While I was in Peter Marks, I saw that there was 20% off Redken promotion. I heard one of my favourite bloggers Essie (Essie Button) talk about their All Soft shampoo and conditioner in one of her videos, so I decided to give it a go. I've used it once so far and I really like it.

Last but not least, I went to House of Fraser and Brown Thomas. At the latter, I bought one of the tendertones from MAC's latest collection, Cook MAC, Tread Gently is the shade I picked up. Tendertones have the nicest fruity scent, I love it. Whilst wandering around House of Fraser, I spotted a Laura Mercier stand which I never saw before. On it was a selection of products from their body and bath range. Among them I spotted this Souffle Body Creme Sampler which was €30. I thought this was great value as you get four generous size tubes. I think there usually only available around Christmas time, as I remember thinking how luxurious they looked when I saw them. So far I've used Creme Brulee and Wow it smells heavenly.

This feels like quite a long post. I doubt I'll be buying any beauty products for a while now, so expect plenty of reviews soon!

Laura<3