Winter to Spring Transitional Lip Shades

Hey guys!

With the cold snap right now it’s hard to imagine we are transitioning into spring but once I see daffodils, I can’t help wearing brighter cloths and lighter lipstick.

I won’t be going straight for the pale pinks and light nudes but I use some gorgeous transitional shades that range from dark winter hues to light spring pinks.

Most of the lipsticks are wear are matte liquid lipsticks because I love the formula and they are long-lasting but I have some new additions to my favourite transitional shades as well!

L’Oréal ‘I Explore’ Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lipstick

I love the applicator for this lipstick so much. It’s big enough to glide over your lip easily and the pointed tip allows for precision as well.

The formula is light so I would recommend two coats of this but if you exfoliate and moisturise your lips before application, it will last for hours after blotting as well!

‘I Explore’ is a gorgeous medium nude shade perfect for transitioning from darker nudes to lighter nudes over the next few weeks.

You can never go wrong with a good nude!

The packaging is also a huge plus for me, it’s sleek and matte. I just love the look and feel of it!

‘I Explore’ is available from Boots for €13.99 and is currently in their 3 for 2 offer!

Sleek ‘Vamp’ True Colour Lipstick

Vamp is not your classic transitional shade as it is a deep berry colour but I feel like you have to have at least one berry shade left in your collection for the frosty weeks between January and February.

Vamp is not my favourite formula because it can be quite drying, especially if your lips show any sign of dryness before application but I am a sucker for maroon and berry shades, this lipstick is my kryptonite!

It is by no means transfer proof so be aware of that when using it but if you blot your lips after application, any transfer should be minimal and your look will last a few hours.

A good berry shade is perfect for beige or plain outfits if you need a pop of colour to complete the look!

Vamp is available from Boots for €6.49 and is currently in their buy one get one half price offer! 

Colourpop ‘Times Sqaure’ Ultra Matte Lip

I am a sucker for all things Colourpop! The brand is fantastic and the price point of the products for the quality you are getting is just amazing!

The pigmentation of all of their Ultra Matte Lips is great and this is my second tube of Times Square. The first was a mini from a set but it went so quickly that I had to buy another one when I was in New York!

Times Square is a fabulous transition shade because it is a gorgeous nude with pink undertones! It is one of my favourite neutral shades and you can pretty much wear it with everything which is fabulous.

Times Square is available on Colourpop for $7.

Maybelline 'Stay Exceptional' Superstay Matte Ink Crayon Lipstick

I have a lot to say about this lipstick because I love it. 

First off, the product concept is fantastic. I usually go for liquid lipsticks but this lip crayon is really good! It comes sharpened which is so handy for precise application but the base of the crayon is also a sharpener so you can use it on the go as well!

Stay Exceptional is a lovely rosy pink this is a perfect everyday shade and I am close to buying a second one at this point.

The formula is creamy but dries matte and let me tell you, it lasts! I wore this for my birthday night out. Plenty of drinks were had, as well as the customary chicken nuggets on the way home. When I got home I was taking off my makeup and my lipstick was still perfect!

The lasting power of the Superstay Matte Ink Crayons is something I rarely come across and I am so happy that it works for me. The formula is also quite thin but the pigmentation does not suffer as a result. I would 100% chose this over a cream lipstick any day.

If you are looking for a new matte lipstick, look no further! The Superstay range from Maybelline is all you need.

Even better, the range is currently on offer in Boots, retailing for €14.99 each, they are currently on offer. You can get two for €16 in Boots at the moment!

Colourpop 'Fresh Cut' Ultra Matte Lip

So Fresh Cut has actually been discontinued by Colourpop which is quite sad because it is a lovely warm toned medium-dark pink lipstick perfect for spring!

Like Times Square, the formula is creamy and the pigmentation is great. 

Relay Race is similar shade and is available on Colourpop for $7.

I swatched all of the lipsticks on my arm so you can really see what the shades are like! Each lipstick has been swatched once.

From left to right: I Explore, Vamp, Times Square, Stay Exceptional, Fresh Cut.

What are you favourite transitional shades?

Are any of ours the same?

Do you have any suggestions for me?

Let me know in the comments below! 

Ciara

  xoxo.

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Some of the products in this post were gifted by all of the opinions are my own.

Colourpop Mini Haul

                                  

Hey guys!

So Colourpop had free international shipping during their birthday weekend and I mean how could I resist?

On top of the free international shipping (You had to spend over $35 but I didn't have an issue filling my basket) when you spent over $10 you got their limited edition Birthday Cake eyeshadow for free!

Mile High Eyeshadow Set

(Top to bottom: Truth, So Quiche, Nillionare, LaLa, Cricket, Mittens and Birthday Cake)

I had my eyes on Mile High for a while because I already own a few of their super shock shadows and this set has some of their bestsellers! I love the kit because the shadows range from beige and copper to maroon  and olive. 

The shadows are long lasting and the pigment is insane! It took me three tries to get the swatches off properly!

Mile High is available from Colourpop's website and retails for roughly €17.80 which is fab for six eyeshadows!

Birthday Cake is no longer available as it was a limited edition product but it is a warm copper shadow with a gorgeous glitter finish and it is right up my alley when it comes to shadows!

Out and About Lip Bundle

(Top to bottom: Viper, Baracuda, Times Square)

Colourpop's liquid lips are some of my favourite out there and I had been lusting over Viper for ages! When I saw this bundle I couldn't say no because I already have a mini Times Square and it's almost gone because I'm always reaching for a rosy beige lip and it being matte is a bonus!

I do like Viper although it is described as a dusty rose on the site, I expected it to be lighter than it is and would even say it's borderline maroon or a very deep brownish pink colour. I will wear it but I was hoping it would be more of a daily lipstick!

I love Colourpop but have never tried one of their lipsticks with a satin finish before so I'm excited to see how longlasting it is! I'm not expecting it to be kiss-proof but I love the shade! Baracuda is a deep rose shade which I love for darker summer looks and I cannot wait to try it out!

Out and About is available from Colourpop's website for roughly €13.35.

Have you ever ordered from Colourpop?

What did you order?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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Top 5 Autumn Lip Shades

Hey guys!

I love summer as much as anyone but there's something about sweater weather, knee high socks and dark, autumnal lips. I'm no stranger to a dark lip and will always have one in my bag during the colder months. 

I own a fair few dark lipsticks but my these shades will always be my top picks! 

(Swatches from T-B: Seduction, Perrie, Vamp. 293, Stone)

Collection Gothic Glam - Seduction

I bought all of Collections Gothic Glam lipsticks last year and Seduction is definitely my favourite shade by far. I would definitely recommend using a lip brush and lining your lips with the lipstick before going in for full coverage. If you don't do this, the colour will seep past your lip line! 

Other than that, Seduction is one of my favourite lipsticks to wear during the colder months. It lasts most of the day and for €3.99 the quality is pretty good!

Collection Little Mix  - Perrie

Unfortunately this lipstick is no longer available as it was a limited edition and I had to wait ages to get my hands on it - it was always sold out!

Perrie's lipstick is a warm toned purple, perfect all year round but it looks fabulous with a thick knitted jumper and scarf. 

Sleek - Vamp

Sleek's Vamp is the perfect lipstick for a matte, vampy lip. The formula glides on well provided you exfoliate your lips beforehand!

It's a deep red shade and looks absolutely gorgeous with winged eyeliner and an everyday makeup look. 

Vamp is available from Boots for €6.99.

Inglot Lipstick - Shade 293

Okay so I am an absolute Inglot addict. I love their AMC foundation, lipsticks, lip liners and eyeshadow. Basically the whole store....

I got this lipstick almost two years ago now and it's nearly gone, I'll definitely be repurchasing it as soon as I run out! It's a deep purple shade and it glides on very well if you exfoliate beforehand. This long-lasting lipstick is perfect for the autumn and winter months and I will never get bored of the colour.

Shade 293 is available from Inglot store nationwide and online for €15.

MAC - Stone

MAC's Stone is a gorgeous neutral taupe matte lipstick. It took me a few months to get my hands on it as it was always sold out but I love it so much! The wait was definitely worth it!

Stone goes perfectly with a brown smokey eye and I cannot wait to use it over the next few months. 

MAC's Stone is available from Brown Thomas for €20.

I have so many lipsticks that I absolutely love wearing during the autumn and winter months, the list is endless!

What are some of your favourites?

Do you have any suggestions for me?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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August Favourites

I cannot believe I'm doing my August favourites already! The year has flown by but it's almost autumn. I love autumn, it's my favourite season. I love how the tress change colour and the leaves slowly start to fall. It is such a beautiful season!

I found this bronzer in my room before I went to London so I can't tell you how much it was but I can tell you that I am totally in love. When I first opened it, I thought it was a shimmer bronzer and I only wear matte bronzers but I was so glad to discover it was only a sheen on the top layer! If you find yourself near a NEXT store or browsing their site, I would definitely buy this bronzer. It is so pigmented and stays on all day!

After I got a bit of a tan, I didn't really want to wear a full face of makeup at night. Healthy Mix concealer gave me full coverage where I wanted it and it lasted all night. If you're looking for a full coverage concealer, look no further than Bourjois' Healthy Mix concealer!

Hands up if an eye makeup remover has ever made you cry. Literally every single eye makeup remover I have ever used has made me cry. That is why I love this L'Oréal Gentle Make-up Remover. It removes all of my eye makeup and doesn't sting at all! It doesn't leave any residue either which is great because I no longer wake up with panda eyes. I cannot recommend any eye makeup remover better than this one!

Shamelessly binge watched this show on Netflix this month. I don't know if it's available on the Irish version of Netflix but I use the American one on my tv.  This show centres around Danny (Avan Jogia), who returns to his hometown after serving five years in juvenile detention. It is definitely worth checking out and you should definitely try to find a link online!

I bought a maroon wallet. No surprises there..... my obsession with the colour has reached a new high! I bought this wallet in Duty Free when I was flying home but you can buy it online for €25.90 on the Accessorize website. I have so many cards in my current wallet that I needed to buy one with more space and I absolutely love this one. Although it is called a chunky wallet, it's actually quite slimline and does not take up that much space in my bag.

I'm a sucker for nude lipsticks. I was so excited when Rimmel brought out their Kate Moss Nude collection. Shade 42 is definitely my favourite one. I have so many nude lipsticks so a lot of them are similar but Shade 42 has a pink undertone. I usually don't go for nudes with a pink undertone but I love this one! 

It's no secret that I love Harry Potter. I was so excited when I saw the pyjama collection in Penneys and I bought the Marauder's Map bottoms and they are so comfortable. When I was in Primark in London, I noticed that the collection was different in the UK. I saw this nightshirt and I just had to buy it! I absolutely adore nightshirts because they are the perfect thing to lounge around in. I bought the Harry Potter nightshirt in large because I wanted something big to lounge around in and I am in love with it! I would definitely pick it up if you're near a Primark store soon!

What is your favourite season?

Have you tried any of this month's favourites before?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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MAC x Giambattista Valli Review

MAC launched their new collection with Giambattista Valli two weeks ago in Ireland. The collection consisted of five lipsticks and a crystal glaze gloss.

I was working the day the collection was released and I knew it would sell out quickly so I sent my sister into town to pick it up for me! The MAC counter in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street was the only store carrying it in the country, there was also a limited supply available on their website.

I got Tats, a vibrant hot pink shade. I'm not one for corals, the reviews I read about the light pink shade were not great, the only red lipstick I will ever wear is Ruby Woo and I own way too many berry colours so I went for Tats.

The lipstick cost €21.50.

I am so in love with the packaging because it's the same colour as the lipstick, a first for MAC. 

Tats is such a pretty colour and it's perfect for the spring and summer months! The lipstick itself is a matte lipstick but it is not drying on my lips at all! As with any matte lipstick, you should moisturize beforehand.

I swatched the lipstick on my arm so you could see the colour. It is a completely buildable colour although I found one swatch was perfect for the look I was going for. 

I love MAC and this collection was no different.

Did you buy anything from this collection?

Do you have any suggestions as to what I should try next?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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Gerard Cosmetics Review

I ordered five Gerard Cosmetics lipsticks about three weeks ago and they arrived a few days ago! After all the hype from beauty bloggers and youtubers alike, I caved and bought some when I saw a 50% off code online!

I paid €42 for the five, €8.40 each. The lipsticks are usually €16.66 each, close enough to what a MAC lipstick costs. 

After I ordered the lipsticks, I noticed that they had slightly overcharged me and it took four different employees to finally figure out that the mistake was on their end and they refunded me the money. They were fairly prompt with sorting out the issue but I do not find calling something 'Love' or 'Beautiful' is professional at all.

My first impression of the lipsticks was pretty good, I liked the packaging because it is just like the  MAC packaging but on closer inspection, it is made from really cheap plastic, something you wouldn't expect from the price! The lipsticks also smell like crayons, there is no scent to them. For €16.66, that's really bad. Even drugstore lipsticks have a scent to them so it's obvious Gerard Cosmetics are trying to cut corners!

The five shades I got are 1995, Nude, Lilac Moon, Rodeo Drive and Underground.

1995 is a matte, nude brown lipstick. The formula for this lipstick is pretty good, I didn't find it too drying but the longevity of this lipstick is a different story. I haven't worn it out yet but I did put it on purely to see how long it would last. The lipstick lasted about two hours before I had to reapply it and I only had a drink during that period, I didn't do anything that would make the lipstick wear off.

I bought Nude for my sister so there isn't much I can say about this shade. I did swatch it and it's a really nice creamy matte lipstick!

Lilac Moon is the perfect pastel colour with a creamy finish. Again, I put this lipstick on to see how long it would last and I was so sad to discover it lasted less than an hour! I love pastel colours though so I will definitely be wearing this during the summer!

Rodeo Drive is a medium shade with mauve undertones. This lipstick also has a creamy matte finish and it does not dry out your lips! If you're unsure of which Gerard Cosmetics lipstick to buy, Rodeo Drive suits most skin tones so you cannot go wrong with this shade!

Underground is another lipstick I bought for my sister. The only thing I can say about this lipstick is it is a very close dupe to Limecrime's Cashmere! I cannot wait for you guys to see the look my sister creates with this lipstick for the 1989 World Tour on June 29th!

Do you own any Gerard Cosmetics products?

Did you have a similar mishap to mine?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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March Favourites

I cannot believe March is almost over, there's only two months left in school until summer!

Seen as the month is almost over, here's a little roundup of my favourite things from this month.

10. Moooh's Blue Crystal Necklace

 If you read my post about Moooh! a few weeks ago, you'll know that they sent me this necklace along with the matching earrings. I love this necklace so much! I've been wearing it ever since it arrived and I am so grateful that Moooh! were kind enough to send it to me.

The necklace is available from  www.moooh.net/crystalnecklace for €13.35.

9. Grease 

I have been listening to the Grease album all month and have watched the movie a couple of times as well. I am fairly sure I'm loving Grease again because it has been a year since my TY musical and we did Grease! It was so fun and the songs are so catchy.Definitely one of my favourite movies of all time!

8. Barry M - 129 Palest Lavender

Pastels come back every spring and summer. This year, I have decided to wear some pastel colours on my lips! I absolutely love Barry M's lipsticks because they are not drying and they last for hours without fading. Palest Lavender is the perfect shade for spring and summer!

Barry M's lipsticks are available from Boots for €6.49

7. Mr.Selfridge

I literally binge-watched Mr.Selfridge on Netflix this month and am now up-to-date with series 3 of the show. If you don't know what Mr.Selfridge is, it is a period drama about Harry Gordon Selfridge and his department store, Selfridges on Oxford street. I feel in love with the series after the first few episodes and I think we can all admit that Greg Austin is hot.

Mr.Selfridge is on UTV Ireland/ITV every Sunday at 9pm.

6. Carmex

Carmex is my saviour. I have one in my school bag, one in my handbag and one beside my bed. I do not know what I would do without it! Carmex is such a moisturising lip balm and my lips never dry out!  It is fabulous.

Carmex is available from Boots for €3.79.

5. Red

92 DAYS UNTIL THE 1989 TOUR IN DUBLIN! I am so exciting for Taylor to come back to Ireland and for the past few weeks I have been listening to Red. My current favourite songs off the album are 'All Too Well' and 'Treacherous'. I literally love this album and Taylor so much it's unreal.

Red is available from www.hmv.ie/red for €12.99

4. Benefit They're Real

I have been trying different mascaras all month and Benefit's They're Real has to be one of my favourites. The mascara curls, lenghtens, volumises and separates lashes like no other! What I love about the mascara is that it is completely buildable. If you want a daytime, lenghtened lash look, one coat is perfect but if you want a dramatic, night out look, two to three coats will do the job!

They're Real is available from Benefit bars nationwide for €26.

3. Makeup Revolution's Iconic 3 Palette

 For those of you that don't know, Makeup Revolution is a pharmacy makeup brand that launched one year ago today! So Happy Birthday Makeup Revolution! I own and adore all of their iconic palettes and this month I have been using iconic 3 the most. A dupe of Naked 3, this palette is packed full of shimmering pinks and warm neutrals. Makeup Revolution is such a high-quality brand at such an affordable price and I cannot wait to buy more!

The iconic 3 palette is available from www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/iconic3 for €5.64.

2. Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift

Wonderstruck is my favourite perfume, I wear it every day. The perfume is full of vibrant fruit scents, subtle floral scents and a hint of vanilla, it is heavenly! The packaging is so nice as well, the charm around the top is so pretty and the box is adorable!

Wonderstruck is available from the Perfume Shop for roughly €27.30 (100ml).

1. Lush Grease Lightning

Grease Lightning has to be my favourite product of the month! It is the most-effective spot treatment I have used and it works wonders! It targets developing spots and treats them, reducing the whole cycle by about one or two days. The tea tree infusion soothes the skin and gives the gel a lovely scent. 

Grease Lightning is available from Lush for roughy €8.70.

There you have it, everything I've been loving this month!

What have you been loving?

Let me know in the comments below!

Also, if anyone is interested in detox, stress relief or pre-workout teas, check out www.amazetea.com! They have given me an exclusive code for my followers to get 10% off, just enter ciara in the check out and you can enjoy their teas for a fraction of the price!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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