Daily Make Up Looks / Many #FOTD / #1

Hi guys,

I decided to create a series called 'daily make up looks' where I will be posting the make up looks that I've been wearing lately, I will be doing these posts every few weeks, let me know what you think about it ?! 

If you want to be up to date with my daily make up looks though, check out my Beauty Facebook page where I am updating those daily ! Make sure to like: My beauty page <3

#1 Simple Neutral Eyes & Red Lips

This is one of my go-to looks that I end up doing when I'm in a rush, super simple two colour eye with winged liner and bright lip ! This eye look works with any lip colour, easy & quick look that leaves you looking fresh & polished <3 

Shadows & liner(77) are Inglot Make Up Ireland. Lipstick is RiriWoo (limited edition) from MAC Cosmetics. 

 #2 - Purple lips 

This look is again, a neutral eye ( very similar to the one above ) but this time I have paired it up with a purple lip !
The lipstick I am wearing is one of my faves recently, it's Heroine by MAC.
Definitely one of the colours I am going to wear a lot this summer !

#3 - Duo Chrome Smokey Eyes & Nude lip

This look was one of my recent faves too. It's gotted plenty of compliments and I ended up wearing this look 2-3 times in a row !

It was based around this duo chrome eyeshadow I have purchased from Catrice- "c'mon chameleon"

The eyeshadow is a brown/green colour and is super easy to use and you can get multiple different looks, just by using different techniques, such as dipping the brush in a setting spray ( such as MAC Fix+)  or simply some eyedrops and then dip the brush in the eyeshadow. Depending on the method you apply the shadow (dry/wet) you get completely different finish.

Though the make up looks like a lot of work, I have literally used one shadow to achieve this super smokey, sexy look ! 

I finished it off with a winged liner and some half lashes ( my faves are Ardell Accent Lashes #318 ) and a nude/brown lip- I used Rimmel London lip liner in Tiramisu.

Catrice eyeshadow "c'mon Chameleon" - image sourse: google

#4 - Golden Eyes & Orangey-Red Lips

This look was done by using my Urban Decay Naked Palette-the original one.

The Shadows I used were: Half baked (all over the lid) and Naked and Buck to smoke it up and add more definition. I also added a winged liner and some false lashes ( Ardell #Wispies ). On my lips I used: Lady Danger by Mac.

#5 - Summer Pinks 

This look I've done using my  28 Neutral Palette by Crown Brush.
I really loved the pink shades in it and I decided to create this soft pink spring look.
All of the eyeshadows I used are from this palette, the liner I used is by Inglot #77, on my cheeks I am wearing Royal Sunset ( Limited edition )  blusher by MAC and on my lips I am wearing "Angel" lipstick by MAC.

I've got a 10% off discount code for my readers on all Crownbrush orders, enter: FINGC2014 at checkout. Code expires at the end of April 2014 !

#6 - Expensive Pink

This was definitely my favourite look recently !
For this look I have used MAC's Expensive pink  eyeshadow (check out my review and a previous look I've posted using this shadow: here ) & other shades from Inglot. I have also added a very thin winged liner: Inglot #77 & Ardell #Wispies lashes.
I wanted to keep all the attention on the eyes so I finished the look off with a nude lip: Kate Moss for Rimmel #26.
This one was definitely a more dramatic look but I loved it ! & I think it's a perfect look for the summer !

#7 - Brown Smokey eye

As you can tell I've been mad about the Smokey eye lately !

This one was another super easy and simple.

For this look I've used MAC eyeshadows: Sketch ( All over the lid ) & Kid ( to blend out the edges).

Eyeliner is by Inglot #77 & Lashes are Ardell Accent Lashes #318.

On my lips I added a dusky pink lipstick "Angel" by MAC.

That is it for this #dailymakeuplooks post !
Hope you guys enjoyed it,
if you wanna keep up with my make up looks more regularly,
like my Fb page: https://www.facebook.com/Makeupbyadrianna129
and my Instagram: @adriannadry

A. x

Blank Canvas Cosmetics Make Up Brushes - Review & How To Use

Hi guys !

I've got my hands on some Blank Canvas Cosmetics  while I was at the Irish Beauty Show Last  ( They had 30 % off on all the brushes ! ) month  and I thought I'd share my opinion with you !

I've ended up getting 5 brushes, three face brushes ( F23, f15 & F28 ) and two eye brushes ( E42 & E26 ),

you can see those down below:

All of the brushes are super quality and great price ( the prices range is €6.99-€17.99 For the individual brushes). 

Most of the brushes come with the basic Black Handle and silver ferrule (metal part) and the Blank Canvas Cosmetics embossed on the handle & also the brush number. There are also some brushes available with coloured handles ( Royal blue, Aquamarine green, purple & hot pink ).

All of the brushes I have purchased, though, have black handles.

The hairs in each one of the brushes are super soft and very densely packed. 

I do recommend using some brush guards  when washing and drying the brushes, for brushes such as the E26, E42 or F15, to keep their original shape.

There are few different types of hairs available too: Synthetic, natural pony hair and natural goat hair.

I haven't noticed any hair shedding, except for the first wash, which is kind of natural thing to happen.

Now I'm gonna go in a bit more detail on each one of the brushes I have purchased:

The first one I want to talk about is the F23: HD Pointed Tip Face Brush.

This brush is made out of Synthetic Hairs and it has a pointed shape, it is designed to be used for applying concealer or foundations. I definitely love this brush for concealer ! Its perfect pointed shape really allows you to apply the concealer very close to the lash line underneath your eye. Synthetic hairs don't allow the brush to absorb too much of the product you're applying and it gives a beautiful, flawless finish !

Next brush is the F15: Small Contour/Highlight brush.

This brush is made out of the natural goat hairs and it has black bristles.

It has a perfect, tapered shape, which  allows to apply highlighting or contouring powder products with precision. I use this brush every single day with either my Topshop Sunbeam highlighter or my Sleek Make Up Contour Kit & I absolutely love it !

And the last face brush I have purchased is this F28:Fluffy Powder/contour brush.

This brush is made out of natural pony hair and has a tapered shape.

I love this for when I am going for a dramatic contouring, when I want very precise and strong contour underneath my cheekbones.I definitely recommend this brush if you love contouring as much as I do!

Next two brushes I am going to talk about are the eye brushes.

The first one is the E26: Blending Brush.

This brush is made out of natural goat hair. In my opinion it is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's 217 brush.

And to be honest, I pick this brush over my MAC one ! It has super soft bristles and blends the eyeshadows perfectly. I sometimes use this to apply the shadow all over the lid or just to blend different shades together. You could honestly use this one brush to do your whole eye make up look. Definitely a must have from Blank Canvas Cosmetics ! The only thing I find quite annoying about is that it is hard to keep its original shape. You definitely need the brush guards if you want the brush to remain in its original shape.

Here I also have a picture comparing the two ( MAC 217 on the left and BCC E26 on the right ) brushes together. 

The E26 is a bit more fluffy but also it hasn't been dried in the brush guard as the 217 was, so they do differ in shape a little bit, but I think that the E26 definitely does the job better than the 217 does !

And the last brush I got is this E32: Tapered Crease Blending brush.

Again, the brush is made out of the natural pony hair ( super soft ! ).

It is a small, tapered blending brush, which is ideal for blending the shadows, especially around the socket area. It is definitely a must have for a cut-crease or a smokey eye look. Its small tapered shape allows to really get into that crease area and the super soft bristles blend out the shadows seamlessly.

It is a similar shape to the MAC 224 tapered blending brush but is a smaller size.

And here you can see how the E32(On the right) compares to the MAC224(on the left).

They are both tapered but are of a different size. The MAC224 is better for blending out the shadows from the crease towards the brow bone area, but the E32 brush is amazing for really concentrating the colour in the crease. 

Conclusion: All of the brushes I have purchased from The BCC are of the highest quality.

All of the brushes I have purchased have not shed (which is a dream, as you don't want your brushes to loose hairs, and some of the higher priced brushes I've tried in the past, have shed  !) 

They are all great prices for what you get: most of the eye brushes are €6.99 and face brushes are €9.99-€17.99, which is amazing comparing to MAC brushes ( €20-€27 for eye brushes and up to €50 for face brushes), making it great brushes for beginners or people who are only starting to built their personal or professional make up kit. 

I am absolutely in love with all of the brushes I have purchased so far and I cannot wait to get my hands on more of them ! 

I definitely recommend trying out the Blank Canvas Cosmetics brushes <3

A. x

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer: Review & Swatches

Hi guys !

In this post I wanted to give you a brief review of these MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Laquers.

I've purchased those few weeks ago and have been loving them, but never got around to do a blog post about them.

MUA  Luxe Velvet Lip Laquers are long lasting, waterproof lip colours. They glide on your lips very easily and dry in seconds giving your lips a beautiful matte, velvety finish.

They come in a lip gloss, clear frosted glass packaging ( which is nice as you get to see the actual product ) and a black lid with "MUA Luxe" writing embossed in golden font. 

There is 5 different, richly pigmented, vampy shades: Kooky, Atomic, Reckless, Criminal and Funk.

Each Velvet Lip Laquer costs €3.66 or £3.00. Super cheap, right ?! 

& They make a great alternative to the Lime Crime Velvetines (which are around €13 dearer) !

I wanted to order the whole set of 5 colours but the purple shade "Kooky" was unavailable at the time of my order ! :(

The first shade is "Criminal". It is a bright pink/fushia shade.

Reminds me of MAC- Girl About Town  or Kate Moss for Rimmel in shade 20.

Next colour I got is "Funk", which is another pink shade. 

Funk is a deeper, berry shade.

Next on is "Atomic", which is definitely my favourite one of the lot I got !
Atomic is a super bright orangey-red shade, a lot like Lady Danger from Mac.

And the last shade I got is "Reckless".

Reckless is a very deep, vampy red. 

I wish I could have gotten the 5th shade 

"Kooky" which is a gorgeous, vampy, purple shade as all of the colours I got are fab !

And guys, a little tip... Apply the laquers on quickly as this stuff dries in seconds ! :)

X

New in - Heroine & Sketch #MAC

Heeey !

The other day I went to do a little shopping and I dropped into MAC and picked up two items.

I got a lipstick & an eyeshadow pan for my '15 pro palette'. 

I don't know, if many of you guys have heard about the "back to mac" program ?

Well, if you haven't then... 

Basically, MAC has a program where you can bring back any 6 empty packaging items (obv. after MAC products) , glass or plastic. May it be packaging after foundation, empty eyeshadow pot or lipstick bullet

(They even accept the empty packaging after brush cleansers and make up wipes !) and you exchange those for a lipstick or an eyeshadow. 

It was my second time doing the "back to mac" and again, I've got a lipstick -"Heroine" ( before I've got "Creme d'nude").

Heroine is a beautiful bright purple with a matte finish.

I've been obsessed with purple lip colours lately and Heroine was on my wishlist for a long, long time so I was delighted to finally get my hands on it !

A swatch on my hand (no flash, just daylight)

Picture of "Heroine" with and without a flash.

And me, wearing "Heroine" today.

The other product I got was an eyeshadow pan for my neutral '15 pro palette'.

The last gap in my palette was finally filled in with "Sketch" !

"Sketch" is described as a burgundy with red shimmer.

To me it is just a very warm, red toned, dark brown. It does have shimmer but it is very unnoticable, it is a very neutral brown shade and it is a lovely crease shade or it would make a lovely colour for a brown smokey eye.

I am actually wearing Sketch in my crease in the photo above.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my little purchase from MAC ( I never leave that place unhappy haha ! ) and I will probably be wearing those two products lots in the next while ! 

I fell like "Heroine" & I are going to become best friends ;) haha

Have you got Heroine or Sketch in your collection?

A. x

MAC "Expensive Pink" / Review & Make Up Look

Hi hguys !

"Expensive Pink" by MAC is one of my favourite MAC shades of all times.

 It is described as "pink with duochrome".

 To me though, it is more of a peachy/salmon shade with gold very fine shimmer and it has a metallic finish.

As I mentioned above, it is one of my favourite eyeshadows by MAC and the other day I realised I do not wear it enough, so I decided to wear it.

It is one of the most beautiful shades for Spring and Summer. "Expensive pink" is one of those shades that looks great on all skin tones and because it's a duochrome it can look like a completely different shade everytime you use a different way to apply and blend it out. It can look more pinky or more peachy or just gold and that's all depending on the way you blend it out and the brush you use to apply it with. In my opinion it is a "must have" MAC eyeshadow as you can really create million looks with it and it will look amazing everytime you wear it. 

This is the look I ended up wearing:

I applied a matte creamy shade as a highlight then I applied "expensive pink" onto the lid and a little bit in the crease of my eye, applied some black eyeshadow into the crease to add some definition and blended out the crease with a tiny amount of red eyeshadow, finished off with a winged eyeliner and accent lashes.

I also applied a red blusher and a nude lipstick.

I think this look was quite dramatic but still really wearable.

Have you got "Expensive pink" shade in you make up collection? If so, what's your favourite way of wearing it? 

A. X

Nars cosmetics / Beauty wishlist #1 + review

Hi guys !

I have been a massive fan of the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (Mine is in colour Ceylan) for ages now. I have gone through a few bottles of it already and I am not going to give up this foundation.... Ever !

It is a foundation that gives your skin a glowing, natural radiant finish and it has a sheer, buildable coverage ( to me it is a medium to full coverage to be honest ) and it has a super light formula that does not feel sticky or heavy on your skin making it really comfortable to wear !

 I love this foundation for its finish, formula for how flawless it makes my skin look everytime I use it. 

I have gotten multiple compliments whenever I had this foundation on ! I have even written a review about this foundation in the past, which you can read here . 

Since I've fallen in love with this products I have been dying to try out a few more of Nars products lately and wanted to share it with you. 

1.  Nars Highlighting Blush in Albatross 

I am a big fan of highlighters. I just think they add a beautiful healthy glow and this particular highlighter I've heard sooo much good about. It looks really plain and kind of funny in the compact as it looks quite white. When you apply it to your skin though, it adds a light golden sheen. 

2. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla

This little guy I've been dying to try out since I first tried my Sheer Glow Foundation, but unfortunately the "Vanilla" shade has been SOLD OUT like everywhere in the past year or so !

It is supposed to be a perfect match to go with the Sheer Glow foundation. It is said to have "medium to high coverage, lightweight formula, to be long wearing and crease-proof" which sounds like a winner to me ! 

I have also been looking for an alternative to my Mac Prolongwear Concealer as I get quite bored of using the same products all the time haha !

3. The Multiple in Copacabana

Another highlighting product on my wishlist, this one has a creamy formula !

I want to try the Copacabana shade as it looks the most neautral to me, from swatches it doesn't look pink or yellow toned. It is kind of in between. I this the stick highlighters are just so easy to use, you just apply a little bit of it straight from the bullet and blend it out with your fingers. These multiple's are also great as they are suitable to be used all over your body, not just your face ! So great multi-use product !

4. The Ita Kabuki Brush

This bad guy just gets so much love all over the internet !

It is described as "Super black goat hair in a small, flat and angular design ideal for blending and contouring." - Since I'm quite mad about contouring my face I am DYING to try this brush out (I'm also a make up brush hoarder so any brush that can be added into my collection sounds good haha )

5. Bronzing Powder in Laguna

I love trying out different bronzers for contouring and adding warmth to the face. I think a good bronzer is a basic and a must have product to have in any make up kit, may it be personal make up bag or a professional kit ! This one also gets great reviews online and I have been wishing to try this for ages! 

Let me know what are your favourite products or what you would like to try out from NARS ?!

A. x

How to correctly apply a lipstick and get it perfect- Everytime !

Hi guys ! 

Today I wanted to make a quick post about how to apply your lipstick properly and get it perfect ...EVERYTIME ! 

Bold lipstick is a staple in my make up routine, you'd rarely see me wearing a nude lip or a clear gloss. 

I usually opt for bright and bold colours for my lips and I can NOT stand a lipstick applied unevenly.
I want to share with you a few tips that always work for me when it comes to applying lipstick and also making it last all day.

- Pick your favourite lipstick & a matching liner. If you don't have a matching lip liner, you can use a lip brush.

- Apply a lipbalm before applying your foundation and do the rest of your  make up as youy usually would, so  by the time you want to apply the lipstick your lips are primed and moisturised.

- Then  apply a tiny bit of foundation or concealer onto your lips. This evens out the colour of your lips, acts as a base and gives your lipstick something to stick to.

-Now apply a a highlighter to your cupid's bow (This is the small "V" area above your top lip.) This will highlight the shape of your top lip and make it easier for you to determine where to apply the lip liner/lipstick, kind of like a stencil.

-Now it's time to line your lips. If you want your lipstick to last longer first line your lips with one of these clear lip liners 1 or 2( These colourless lip liners have the setting agents that keep the lip colour from feathering and keeps the colour on for longer, the smooth moisturising formula also helps to smooth out the lip line and allows for easy and smooth application) .

-If you've done or skipped the previous step, pick the lip liner of your choice and line your lips with it. Also as I mentioned before, if you do not have a matching liner for your lipstick, use a small lip brush (a thin eyeliner brush will also do).

Take a little bit of your lipstick on your lip brush/ or use your lip liner, and start of with the top lip. ( I usually start off on my cupid's bow and then line the rest of my top lip and line my bottom lip. Then fill in your lips with the liner, if you want a super long-lasting effect.

If you have small lips, go over your natural lip line a little bit to add a bit off volume to your lips.

Lining your lips before applying lipstick is one of the most important steps as it prevents your lipstick from feathering and smudging throughout the day.

- Now apply the lipstick of your choice over the area you've filled in with your liner.

-Use a cream concealer and a small synthetic concealer brush and apply it to the edges of your lips. This is an optional step. Concealer can be used to clean up the edges of your lips and also act as an addition to prevent your lip colour from bleeding.

And now you're done ! Go and rock those bold and bright lips with confidence :)

Hope you guys found this quick post helpful and enjoyed some of my tips.
Let me know in the comments what you think and let me know what your favourite lipsticks are? Mine is Ruby Woo from MAC. The prefect Red :)

Much love, A x