Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara - With Pics!

Charlotte Tilbury's latest release, Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes mascara is here! Granted there have been many releases of late but check out the before and after below. If you're looking for instant volume, length and lift, usually only achievable with strip lashes then you'll find it HERE*. Check out the dramatic results after the jump.

Kat Von D 24-Hour Super Brow Long-Wear Pomade Aubergine - First Look!

Hi, my name is Sue and I took more selfies in the hour following using Kat Von D's new Super Brow Pomade in Aubergine than I have in the past five years combined, because LOOK AT IT!

These 24 hour richly coloured pomades are just one of the three brow products set for release on May 7th in Ireland (before the UK)(ahem). Delighted with a sneak preview with the Kat Von D Team, and an avid fan of an eggplant/aubergine liner (and an egglplant emoji, let's be honest) I was only too happy to try the Aubergine Pomade. Even happier when I saw just how bloody flattering it is! 

New Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation & Concealer in One!

I'm all for cutting a minute or twenty off my morning routine, more so when that routine is done in the office loos just to eek out as many precious zeds of a morning as I can. As soon as I laid eyes on Clinique's upcoming Beyond Perfecting Foundation & Concealer in One before the Christmas break, I knew it, I and my snooze button would get on very well indeed. 

There's 21  shades incoming with one of the lightest feeling full coverage formulations I've used to date. Aimed at the over 30 lady with a tendency toward oiliness, I've found it's worked a boon on my normal 30ish skin this past several months. 

Just one large doe foot of product is enough to do your entire fizzog. I know, I was doubtful too when makeup artist Florrie White gave me the lo-down but she is entirely right. The formulation feels dry on application but blends in nicely and is buildable as and where needed. Despite initial Saharan worries, I found it felt hydrating during its 12 hour wear time. Full comfortable coverage with very little product so that it never feels 'masky', that's a feat in itself but Clinique have pulled it off. 

Less than half a buidéal left - that's good going!

I've been so impressed with this double duty formulation that even when trialling other bases I've been reaching for Beyond Perfection as my concealer of choice. Now that's unheard of for me. I find the consistency ideal for my under eye area with enough slick so that it never creases or dries into fine lines. That's a sure fire sign of a product I'm loving, when I'm reaching for it unbeknownst to myself. 

Clinique Beyond Perfection Foundation & Concealer in One hits counters on February 6th and might just be the answer to many a busy woman's prayers. 

What say we? Will we be giving it a looksee when it drops? 

Clarins Garden Escape - First Look at the Spring 2015 Collection with Swatches!

We may only be a couple of days into the new year but my yearning to shake off the drama of winter beauty and embrace lighter, brighter spring time colours is real. Handy then that Clarins have light and bright down with their upcoming collection, Garden Escape. 

The focus is firmly on pastel shades, with the colour influence taken directly from the spring floral canvas, as the name might suggest. The packaging is second to none, which we've come to expect with the high end brand, with weighty golden palettes that feel like luxury before you ever pop the lid. Let's take a closer look, shall we? 

New Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils - Swatches & Review!

Boy oh boy do I love a good lippie, you know what I love even more though? A good lippie that dupes a high end lippie more than 3 times its price. Watch your house, Nars Lip Pencils, Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils are coming up behind you fast & furious. 

These pigment loaded pencils are impressive at first glance but even more so once applied. I'm a huge fan of the pencil design, especially when it comes to brights such as these as you really can't go wrong when lining your lips. And the cack handed crowd go wild - YAAAAY. 

The intense colours might seem a little daunting to those more used to a muted lip shade but the semi-matte finish make the lighter of the shades day time friendly and the more daring ideal for a night tripping the light fandango. 

As you can see, each shade saturates the lip in intense colour, while keeping the soft shine needed to make it comfortable on the lips. For wear time we're talking a good two hours before reapplication is needed to bring Velvet Pencils back to their initial intensity. 

On the bright side, the stain fades evenly and can be topped up with balm should you want a more muted look as the day goes on. Truthfully though? Chuck that handy dandy peann luaidhe in your mála and slick it on as needed.  

We're getting 10 of the 22 shades available Stateside and for just €6.79 a pop and I can tell you right now that these will fly off the shelves with ease. Maybelline  Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils are available from this month. I'd hugely appreciate if you could shout out as and when you spot 'em as I'll be stocking up too. 

What say we? Are you a Nars Lip Pencil fan? Reckon these could topple them?

New Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms - Swatched

Let me count the ways I love thee, oversized Crayola style make up products. Let me count the ways and never stop counting. Pioneers of crayon style beauty, Clinique are back with Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms and you want to see them. You do. 

This is the second time this year that Clinique have knocked it out of the park when it comes to flattering cheek colours. The first being some of the prettiest blushes ever released, the Cheek Pops reviewed here. The formulation of the Chubby Sticks for Cheeks, however, is more a cream balm than the sheer powder offering of the Pops. 

This #nofilter shot is all four Chubby additions swatched, not too gently, to show their true colours, Cyndi Lauper style. Just one swish of each, however, will result in a much lighter, more natural colour payoff. As you can see, they're buildable. 

These Chubby Stick Cheek Balms (I type that and say Chubby Cheeks)( Every.Time) are more robust than your average Chubby Stick and that makes application child's play. Simply apply straight to the apples of the cheeks and buff in with your brush of choice or blend in with your fingers., building to the colour intensity desired. Zero shimmer but all of the oil free sheen makes these colours flattering on most every skin tone. 

While the heat we've been enjoying of late has meant that I have had to set Plumped Up Peony here for all day longevity, that hasn't been an issue as I'm still using Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Powder daily. I have been making a conscious effort to pare back on makeup products during the summer months and these handy dandy sticks fit right in with those efforts. Bloody marvellous for chucking in your mála too to brighten cheeks AND lips on the move. 

Available on Clinique counters now, priced €24, the Chubby Cheeks Stick Cheek Balms are well worth a swatch. 

New Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara - Review & Pics

When it comes to mascaras my numbers are many. When it comes to mascaras that actually do what they say on they do on the tube, those numbers dwindle significantly. I was thrilled to get the chance to meet with Clinique at a recent Dublin stopover to see what the brand had in store for summer 2014. One of those things was Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara - you'll be delighted to hear that it passes the 'truthful tube' test with flying colours. 

Designed to stand up to the humidity in Asian climates (we should be so lucky), Lash Power Feathering Mascara is waterproof (tick), sweat proof (double tick) and tear proof (ALL of the ticks after watching Eastenders last night whilst hungry, hormonal & dog tired). 

Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara: €23 in BTs exclusively now & Nationwide April 25th

Lash Power Feathering Mascara is not one I'd automatically reach for were I hoping for tons of volume or for say, a night on the tiles when MOAR is more. It's more subtle than that. The small wand and brush are easily manageable to get right into the smallest of lashes and the wet, almost tacky formulation works a treat as it grabs every lash root to tip and coats them evenly. 

As buildable a mascara as you're likely to try, each coat dries quickly and allows you to add another and another to layer up to your desired eye look in no time at all. I expected clumps, they didn't appear. I expected my lashes to feel weighed down with product but again, nope. Feathery soft with a natural fuller lash look and zero fallout after a 10 hour day. We like this stuff. We like it a lot. 

Aside from the mascara mojo Lash Power offers through the day, there's another reason I'm impressed. I was dubious to say the least about instructions of removing this 10 hour strong formula with just warm water on a cotton pad (They're Real removal struggles, anyone?) but believe it or not it works. 

I've been using and loving Ren's Hot Cloth Cleanser  and only using a separate cleanser to remove my mascara, with this little pocket rocket, I don't need to do that. One gentle wipe on each eye of the rinsed out hot cloth and I'm baldy eyed again. Impressive stuff. 

We're not talking false lash effect with this mascara by any stretch of the imagination but for a wearable, flattering day time look that lasts and for genuine ease of removal, Clinique's Lash Power Feathering Mascara is a cracker. If you're looking for something to pop in your holiday bag or for natural, smudge free lashes for your work outs. Look no further. 

What think we? Are we a fan of the feathered look? 

Essie Spring 2014 - 'Hide & Go Seek' Collection - First Look with Swatches

Oh Essie Spring 2014, why are you so pretty? Why must you draw my mother to my nails like a moth to a flame that results in me only managing to keep one third of your collection for myself. Why? 

With subtle spring pastels and exceptional bright staples there's not a nail in the known universe that couldn't be bettered with one of these brand new colours. From soft pistachio hues to red hot raspberry, I'm fairly certain there'll be something in the 'Hide & Go Chic' collection to catch your eye. 

All the following swatches are done with basecoat only to show the true colour and consistency of each polish. That high shine finish is all natural, yo!

First look at nail newness. 

You won't often see nail wheels for my swatches but then it's not often I open a press pack and have to see the colours in action immediately. Essie has that effect on me you see and I'm sure I'm not alone. How about some closer shots? 

Fashion Playground is a light pistachio green with very subtle shimmer throughout. The formulation is one of the lightest of the lot so you're going to need 3 thin coats for full opacity. I'd highly recommend letting each one dry for a moment first for best effect. Mint nails will be huge this season (as they were last) fresh, clean and incredibly easy to wear, regardless of your skin tone. 

Spin the Bottle, a semi-sheer nude is a much thicker consistency and glides on easily. While one coat won't cut it, I'd advise you work with little polish on the brush to achieve the perfect even look. It gives me what I like to call 'Barbie Nails', the unpainted kind. While this one won't suit every skin tone it works beautifully with my pasty sausages. We're going to have a long and happy life together, Spin the Bottle and I. 

Romper Room is as pale as pale pinks come. We're looking at a sheer veil of colour that needs at least two coats for even coverage but isn't it pretty? So very pretty. 

Truth or Flare is listed as a 'vintage blue denim' but this soft blue grey creme is so much more than that. Possibly the most unassuming of the lot but the one that will appeal to most fingers, this polish is opaque in two thin coats and has garnered the most attention on my nails so far. I don't own another polish like it in my VAST hoard  collection and that really is saying something. 

Now Hide & Go Chic, the namesake of the collection (Stateside anyway) is what I'd call a denim blue. This rich creme was the most difficult for me to work with but I got there. Each of these swatches are without top coat so they show the polish in its unaltered state but the brush stroke issues I had with Hide & Go Chic (as you can see) are only a coat of Seche Vite away from perfection. 

Again, this colour is an easy to wear dip of your toe (or finger) into the blue trend that is everywhere this Spring/Summer in fashion and beauty. 

Lastly, the jewel in the Essie Spring 2014 already encrusted crown, Style Hunter. This red hot crimson creme is quite possibly the most perfect raspberry I've ever tried and is unequivocally my favourite of the entire collection (if not my favourite polish of the year thus far). 

Bright enough to bring life to any look in just two thin, high shine coats, were you to buy only one polish from this entire line up, I'd make it this one. Isn't it be-a-YOOT-iful?

So what happens when I can't decide which of the lot to wear for a day of events? This happens. WEAR ALL THE ESSIE! It's hard to tell but there's a little bit of every colour right there on my pingies. Don't they play well together? 

Essie Spring 2014 is on stands from this month for €9.99 each. Have any caught your eye? 

Urban Decay Electric Palette - First Look with Swatches

The beauty world is one again a tizzy and once again, Urban Decay are the source of all the chatter. The new Electric Palette is as far from the Naked collection as one could possibly get and I'm about to show you why. I was thrilled to be one of the first to be sent this riot of colour before its release on April 1st and in the name of transparency, there's not a single filter on the following pics. 

Shade Up!

When the first pictures of Electric leaked several weeks ago there were cries of 'Sleek Ultra Matte' and, to be fair, on initial inspection of press pics, the palettes are similar. See Sleek here. It's not until you crack open the lid of this eye-wideningly bright offering that you see just how different they are. Ready for some swatches? 

One touch - ONE

& Again ONE TOUCH

The pigmentation of these colours is genuinely like nothing I've seen before. You know I'll wax lyrical about buttery UD formulas and yammer on about pigmentation but we were talking about taupe - THIS is a rainbow!

Top row: 

Revolt: A densely packed, high shine silver. Soft to the touch but Tin Man, show stopping silver metallic. 

Gonzo: Again soft but high octane, electric blue with a bajillion silver/blue mocro glitter particles - do NOT expect to wash this puppy off with just one swish. 

Slowburn: Drier to the touch but no less pigmented, Ai Chi Wah Wah orange with silver microglitter. 

Savage: Dry, almost chalk formulation but the matte hot neon pink is a beaut on the skin. Again, this won't go without some serious scrubbage - Brilliant news for editorial and digital MUA work. 

Fringe: Stunningly bright metallic teal that's buttery soft to the touch. This is on my eyeballs as you read this, I guarantee it. Can see it being a liner staple for Summer months. 

Bottom Row: 

Chaos: Deep Royal Blue with silver microglitter. These bright blues always remind me of holidays, Chaos will we a liner of choice too. 

Jilted: Perhaps my favourite of the palette, Jilted is a radiant orchid (HELLO, Pantone 2014) with a blue duochrome finish. Crushed velvet soft and second take, stunning on the skin, I can see myself using this as a lip tint over Cicaplast balm and as a flush of blush in the hotter months. 

Urban: Satin finish metallic purple, possibly the most wearable for everyday looks after Fringe. Urban will turn heads as a purple smokey eye. 

Freak: Metallic pale lime green, this is high sheen and would make a beautiful wash of colour for Spring looks. Almost the most tame of the lot, that's saying something for a LIME GREEN. 

Thrash: This chartreuse yellow/green was one of my favourite colours for clothes in 2013. The microglitter in this high shine shadow will make for a bright liner that will bring life to any subtle eye look. 

As well as the sturdy, metallic closing case, the Electric palette gives us the perfect double ended brush for laying these colours onto the skin as that's what you'll need to do. The softer of the shades will blend easily I'd imagine, with the brighter pops needing a little assistance from a neutral shade. 

Bonus Kitteh Helper pic - Look how tiny her pupils are - THAT'S how bright Electric is. 

The thing to remember with this UD offering is that it's not just an eyeshadow palette, the shades are multi functional and designed to be used on the skin as well as the eyelids so have fun with it. I think that's what might endear me to this palette, the reminder that make up is about having fun, dressing up and feeling good about it. 

With Summer festivals being announced left right and centre, my advice is to get thee to a UD counter and swatch this palette like there's no tomorrow once it hits on April 1st for €45, be warned though, bring some wipes as these shades have SERIOUS staying power. 

Will you be dashing out come April 1st? To the comments!

New Clinique Cheek Pop Blusher - Plum Pop - Guest Post from Lorrrrrrrrraine!

All the R's (so titled, by me, because of her Twitter handle @lorrrrrrrrraine) (that's NINE) is not only one of the fanciest faces I know but she's one of the most effortlessly hilarious writers to grace this here Interweb. She's popped by (see what I did there?) to give us the 411 on one of my most lusted after beauty products in quite a while - The Clinique Cheek Pops:

Ah, sure look - this was always going to be a positive review. I've been mooning over Clinique Cheek pops, €20, since the first promo pix hit the internet, with a deep-seated certainty that they were just my kind of blusher.

And yep, they are. A gorgeous floral design on the product itself is matched up in ooh-that's-grand by sturdy but simple packaging that clicks shut with a satisfying clunk. No handbag disasters anticipated!

Plum Pop is a cool pink that, depending on how heavy-handed you are, looks like anything from a sheen of baby pink to a block of fuchsia. I've got a light swipe on the picture, but this stands up to layering very well. It allows the texture of your skin to show through, no matter how close to Boy George territory you get.

What looks like sparkle in the pot translates to a subtle radiance when applied - a huge bonus for folks like me with mammoth pores to conceal. General pink nicery aside, the texture of this blush is seriously good, creating a veil of colour and glow without any drawbacks. 

I see these selling out fast, so get your rear in gear if you fancy a gander! I'll bet my best hat you won't be disappointed. 

As of this morning, Clinique Cheek Pops STILL aren't available online but Imma hunt some down IRL (in real life) TODAY!

Please be sure to drop by Lorraine's blog, John, It's Only Makeup and show her some love - if you don't already. You won't regret it - trust meh!

BooHoo.com Launch Plus Size Clothing

When UK retailer BooHoo.com launched into the Irish market with the catchiest/most headwrecking jingle in the history of jingles (apart from Euro JAYSUS Cycles) the girls of Ireland rejoiced. Keenly priced and trend led led fashion was ours for the taking. Well some of ours. 

You see when it comes to fashion brands geared toward a younger audience or simply available online, I'm usually confined to the jewellery, scarves and shoes because, quite frankly, sizing is woejus for those of us with a little more to give, so to speak. 

Far too often, those of us over a size 14 are confined to drab, ill fitting versions of the size 6 offering and are charged twice the price for the insult but BooHoo Plus have quite pleasantly surprised me with this new line up - there's not a Homer moomoo or flat cap in sight. 

Wearable, flattering and, dare I say it 'On trend', this new Plus collection is definitely worth checking out. 

I have my eye on several pieces from the new additions but if these pique your interest you're going to have to be quick. Although the range only launched in the past week, some sizes have sold out altogether and you'll be facing a wait for restock. I've already been pipped to the post for the Victoria Woven Fronted Top (pictured below). That's a great indicator of initial reaction to a launch if ever I saw one. 

All I Want is Nothing More... Victoria Woven Fronted Top: €24

Now, as I've said, prices are very reasonable, which is unfortunately not always the case with plus size fashion - just a note though - when checking through the site, check both the UK & the Euro pricings as there seems to be a fair amount of disparity but not always. 

This top for example is £16 but converts to €24, yet others are £15/€18. I'll never understand internal conversion rates. NEVER. If you find your selections are cheaper in the Queen's Sterling then I'd Parcel Motel those suckers. 

The bottom line is this, there are genuinely some gorgeous pieces to be had from BooHoo Plus, my advice is to check 'em out sooner rather than later - link here. 

Tell us, are you chuffed with BooHoo's new move? Will you be ordering? 

Wet n Wild in Ireland - A Closer Look at What's What

If you go down to your Dunnes today

You're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down to your Dunnes today

Your purse better go in disguise!

For every girl that ever there was

Will gather there for certain because,

today's the day that

Wet n Wild launch their maaaaake - up!

You'll have heard rumblings over the past couple of days, then seen Instagrams trickle through and even ALL CAPS TWEETS exclaiming that budget beauty giant Wet n Wild have landed on our shores and arrived with little or no fanfare into local Dunnes Stores' everywhere. 

Since learning of their arrival this week I quickly learned that there is to be a national launch at the hands of one of our favourite PR companies (WHO WILL ALSO BE BRINGING NYX - ARRGGHH). I'll be popping along to the launch so will be sure to take lots of behind the scenes snaps but for now, snaps of the products as they stand will whet your appetite just enough. 

Ready? 

Mega Rocks: €3.99, Megalast: €2.99 & FastDry: €2.99

As of now I've only sampled the Megalast in I Need a Refresh-Mint and you can see the results of that here on my Instagram feed. The pro brush is short, wide and applies the formulation beautifully. I'll 100% have more in-depth reviews coming up.

Mascaras (various) €5.49, Color Icon Palettes €5.49, Color Icon Shadow Collections €6.49, Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios €4.49, Eyeshadow Singles & Glitter Singles €1.99, Lip Liner €1.99, Brow Liner €1.99 & Idol Eyes Creme Shadow €2.99

Again I have swatched the majority of these in store and been very impressed overall. You can see up close swatches of the Comfort Zone palette here but I will continue to add good quality swatches as & when I have them. 

Mega Slick Balm Stains (Crayons) €3.99, Megalast Lip Color €2.99, Lip Gel €2.99, Lip Balm €4.49, Lip Gloss €2.99, Liquid Lip Color €4.69 & Silk Finish Lipstick €1.99

H20 Proof Liquid Eyeliner €3.99, Mega Eyes Defining Marker €4.49, Megaliner Liquid Liner €2.99, Cover All Concealer Palettes €4.49, Mega Glo Illuminators €4.49, Color Icon Blushers €4.49, Brow Kit €3.99, Cover All Cream Foundation €4.49, Liquid Concealer Wand €3.49, Cover Stick €2.99, Cover All Pressed Powders €3.99 & Bronzers €4.99

Pheweee! As I say, once I have decent swatches available I'll have them on my Instagram (you really should follow that, there's bonus kitteh & Rottie pics) but also here in more detailed posts. 

Just thought I'd give you a quick glance at what everyone else is seeing on stands as of this week and a better idea of price points. Overall, I'm very, very impressed - as with every brand there are standouts and there are some you can skip over happily - I'll be letting you know which is which ASAP. 

First impressions?