The worst month of the year is over! January is always a bit of a downer after Christmas, but luckily my January was broken slightly due to my holiday earlier in the month. Anyway, today I'll be sharing the products I have been using most frequently over the last month or so. I'm also trying to make it my goal to do these favourites posts each month, as they were incredibly scarce last year!

What I Got For Christmas 2014!

 For today's post I'm going to be sharing with you all the goodies I received for Christmas this year! I did one of these for my 18th birthday back in October and it was received very well, so I was asked to do a Christmas edition. As I always say here on my blog, I'm incredibly blessed to have two amazing parents, and I'm so grateful for all the gorgeous gifts I received (and also all the food I ate!). I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and wish you all the best for 2015! So let's dive in:

I'll start with the gifts I received from one of my best friends Leah. She got me some gorgeous beauty products - she knows me so well! She got me two Soap And Glory products - the Butter Yourself body butter and the Pulp Fiction body scrub. I love the Righteous Butter, so I was so excited to try some more of their body butters. I've tried both of these out and they're incredible! I'd definitely recommend checking them out! She also got me a little baby Bath And Body Works Country Chic body lotion, which smells absolutely divine! Leah knows I love my lip products, so she got me a pack of two little lip balms and two lip duos from Model Co. I didn't realise we even had Model Co here (apparently I'm the only one!) so I can't wait to share these in some posts in the future. Finally, my favourite gift - an Olaf keyring! You'll see a pattern developing from here on in - I'm a huge Frozen fan and Olaf is my favourite character! 

My little sister is tormented by my constant renditions of 'Let It Go', so naturally when she saw this t-shirt she thought of me! She got me this adorable Olaf t-shirt that has 'Warm Hugs' written across it. I can't wait to wear it!

My brother got me this amazing Montagne Jeunesse pamper pack, as Mum guided him towards my love for face masks! I'm sure you'll already know if you read my blog that I'm obsessed with the Montagne Jeunesse face masks, so this set is ideal for me. It comes with 8 face masks, a body smoothie, a body scrub, a pompom and two bath bombs. I can't wait to delve into all the goodies!

My parents always get us something small to put under the Christmas tree, so this year Mum chose two Frozen goodies for me. The first is this adorable Olaf water bottle, as I go through water bottles like there's no tomorrow! This will be so handy for during my workouts or even just for on the go. They also got me an Olaf phone case! My sister got the iPhone 6 for Christmas, so she gave me her old iPhone 5S, so Mum thought the best way to break it in is by adding an Olaf case to it! 

My brother's girlfriend got me some beautiful gifts this year, as usual! She got me a selection box - an incredibly important item for Christmas! She got me the cutest water bottle that has a pocket with a little teddy lion in it - how adorable is it?! Inside the pocket she also put an Inglot eyeshadow palette in! I absolutely love it, the colours she chose are perfect and I can't wait to wear them! 

Now onto my Santa presents. This year I only asked for one specific item, because I was in New York last month and I got absolutely everything I could have asked for, so there wasn't much left to buy!

I've really wanted the famous Ikea Alex drawers for the longest time, so I asked for them for Christmas. I chose the Alex 6-Drawer as my dad and I resolved that they would be the best fit for my bedroom. I'm so in love with them! I spent Christmas day organising them and I couldn't be happier with them. My make-up collection post will be coming in January, so keep an eye out for it! 

The next thing I unwrapped was the One Direction Where We Are Live From San Siro Stadium tour DVD. I had hinted to Mum that I really wanted it, so I'm so glad she got it for me! As you all know, I'm a massive One Direction fan and Dad actually surprised me with tickets for their first night in Croke Park about three hours before the show began - it was amazing! It also came with a One Direction festival-style wristband, which I was so happy with as I wanted one at the tour but the queue was far too long when we went to the merchandise stand! I watched the DVD on Christmas night and absolutely loved it - it was a lovely reminder of the night I saw them!

My next gift actually came straight from New York! While in New York, Mum and I went into CVS and I saw the One Direction Our Moment perfume gift set, and I had been considering buying the perfume for a while but I decided against it. Mum sent my brother and dad back to the shop after we left to get it for me, and the box got a bit squashed in transit! It comes with the shower gel, atomiser and body lotion, so I'll be smelling like the ultimate 1D fan! 

The final 1D gift I received was this One Direction make-up mirror. I had wanted a make-up mirror with lights on it for ages, so naturally the best option was to get me the One Direction one! The lights are so bright I'm actually using them to help me take pictures for my blog! I absolutely love it, and it also has a little tray to store make-up in. 

This was one of my favourite gifts as Dad chose it specifically for me, which was really nice as normally Mum does the Christmas shopping! My brother has one of these Abercrombie and Fitch sleeveless jackets, and I steal it all the time because it's just so cosy! So Dad thought it was about time they got me one of my own! I was so surprised as I hadn't asked for it, but I absolutely adore it! I love going for walks, so I'm delighted to have this to keep me warm on my journeys! 

I got these foam dumb-bells from Pineapple for my workouts. I love doing kettlebells but I've wanted to try some different exercises with different weights, so Mum got me these pink ones! I can't wait to try them out.

As you'd expect, Mum also picked me up some Frozen goodies! This is most definitely my favourite - it's an Olaf pillow! It's quite funny because I saw this on Instagram about two weeks ago and showed it to her, but she told me she hadn't seen them, however she informed me on Christmas Day that she'd bought this for me back in October! He's so cute on my bed and actually suits my bed perfectly. 

She also got me this adorable Frozen jumper! It's just a simple grey jumper with Olaf on it, which is super cosy and actually looks really nice on! I'm sure I'll get plenty of wear out of this!

I got this really cute Frozen make-up bag that has Anna and Elsa on it, and inside Mum had put some beauty items for me. The first is a Frozen shower gel! It smells like bubblegum, so it'll make me smell delicious! I also got a Frozen hand wash, which has the same scent. There were two lip products inside too. I got the Rimmel lip liner in East End Snob, which Amelia Liana recommended as a fantastic dupe for Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. I wore it on Christmas Day and I love it! There was also a lip lacquer from Soap And Glory in the colour 'Charm Offensive', which is a stunning mauve. I've never tried Soap And Glory make-up so I'll be sure to report back! 

Make-up wise, I didn't really get much as I have so much already! I did get this make-up kit from Model Co, which I love. It's the Peach Bellini colour collection that contains a beautiful blush, a nude lipstick and a peach gloss. The blush is identical to Orgasm by NARS, so expect some comparison posts soon! 

Mum also got me a new MAC Pro-Longwear Concealer in NC15, which is my absolute favourite concealer. I've even been using it as an eyeshadow primer recently! 

The final present I received is by far my favourite. For years I have coveted a Tom Ford lipstick, but I could never justify the price. I was so shocked when I unwrapped this beautiful black box on Christmas morning! My parents bought me a Tom Ford lipstick in the shade Spanish Pink! I was speechless when I unwrapped it - it's perfect! I wore it on Christmas Day with my Rimmel lip pencil and it looked beautiful. There will be a full in-depth review on my new baby very soon!!

So that is everything I received for Christmas this year! I had a lovely day with my family and I'm so grateful for everything. I hope you also had a great day, and be sure to let me know what you got in the comments!

Zara :-) x

Think Pink: My Top Pink Make-Up Products For Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Today's post is a quick but important one! As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would share my top 3 nail polishes, blushes and lipsticks to show your support through wearing pink. At the end of the blog post I have some links and resources you can use to spread awareness further than your nails, but every bit helps! 

• MAC Mineralise Blush - 'Dainty'
• NARS Blush - 'Gaiety'
• Beauty UK Baked Blush - 'Popsicle Pink' 

• Wet'N'Wild - 'Think Pink'
• YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - 'Pink In Paris'
• Rimmel x Kate - '101'

• Champneys - 'Pink'
• OPI - 'Elephantastic Pink'
• Barry M - 'Strawberry Ice-Cream'

Here are some links to some great organisations that will provide you with the resources and information you need to spread awareness this October! 

• http://www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/action-breast-cancer#sthash.W4hFgV7P.dpbs
• http://www.mariekeating.ie/look-after-your-girls-.asp
• http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month

Let me know what your favourite pink products are, and how you plan on raising awareness this October!

Zara :-) x

My Favourite Transitional Lip Colours For Autumn!

It's weird to think it's officially autumn, considering the weather has been so warm recently. I personally love autumn/winter time - I particularly love the make-up looks for this time of year.
Considering it's not quite the time to whip the Ugg boots out again, I'm going to share my favourite transitional lip colours that are autumnal, but not your standard deep purples that are so popular for the autumn/winter time. These lip colours are more along the lines of berries and mauves, which I absolutely love. I don't suit reds and dark purples very well so I tend to stick with the types of colours I'm showing you here. So let's jump in!

YSL Rouge Volupte #9, €33

In my opinion, no brand does lipsticks quite like YSL do. In terms of packaging, quality, colour selection - I really think the price you pay for them is justified. This particular shade is the perfect transitional colour, it's a beautiful muted raspberry pink. I would say it's a very versatile colour that will suit many skin tones, as it shows up differently on everyone. On me, it looks like more of a berry pink, but other bloggers have photographed themselves wearing it and it looks like a darker bubblegum pink.
The quality of these lipsticks are indescribable - they're so soft and buttery, they just glide on your lips in one opaque swipe. What I love most about this lipstick for Autumn, is that it can be worn with a dramatic eye look or played down make-up. It's a perfect choice for however you like to wear your make-up. And just look at that packaging! Swatches of all the lippies are at the end of the post!

Essence 'Wear Berries' Long Lasting Lipstick, €2.79

This little number has made an appearance on my blog several times, I just love it so much! Essence actually discontinued a few lipsticks from the Long Lasting range, but thankfully my beloved Wear Berries is still available! It's a muted berry shade with a satin finish. It's a great colour to have in your collection because it is appropriate for both day and night looks as it's not an overbearing purple. You can see this on in my Janoskians Make-Up Of The Night post and a more in-depth review of it in my Essence Guide.



Rimmel London 1000 Kisses 'Wine' Lip Pencil, €4.65

I love good quality lip liners that are creamy enough to use all over the lips, as sometimes I prefer the colour of lip pencils to actual lipsticks! This 1000 Kisses lip pencil from Rimmel is one of my favourite autumn/winter shades as it's so versatile and compliments pretty much every eye look. Sometimes I wear this on its own with a brown lipgloss over it, or I recently found out it looks beautiful underneath the YSL Glossy Stain which I will be showing you next! The best thing about using a lip pencil is that even when you eat or drink it'll have better staying power than a lipstick. I would definitely recommend checking out the Rimmel lip liners even if this shade is not for you, they have a fantastic colour selection!

YSL Glossy Stain #4, €33

And my love affair with YSL continues! This glossy stain is no stranger to my blog, I have featured it in several posts, including my Dirty Dancing Make-Up Of The Night. This lip stain is probably one of my all-time favourite lip colours - it's not something that I would usually go for but I love it so much! The only way I could describe this colour is a red-purple-wine shade. It's quite difficult to describe as it's such a unique colour. I love this for autumn/winter as it's one of those lip products that you have complete control over - you can choose whether the colour is nice and sheer or bold and bright. With these glossy stains, you just keep layering until you get the colour you desire. I know this shade will be my absolute go-to colour for this autumn/winter!

Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Tints, €8.99

Royal Plum

 Last but not least are these lip tints from Max Factor. I love lip tints as they're so hassle-free and allow you to go about your day without worrying about having lipstick on your teeth or having to touch-up throughout the day.
I absolutely love the Max Factor lip tints for autumn/winter as the colours are just so gorgeous but they're not too overpowering. These are my two favourites, but their names are completely wrong - when you look at the swatches below you'll know what I mean! The names don't match the colours at all.

Pink Princess

Names aside, the lip product itself is just magnificent. They apply so smoothly across the lips, and can be built up to whatever intensity you like. I also love how they're in a felt tip pen, as it allows you to double them up as a lip liner too.
My favourite lip tint is Royal Plum, as it really suits my complexion and makes your teeth look super white! Although the colour is called Royal Plum, as I said earlier, the name is totally off. To me, this is more of a cherry colour. But still beautiful none the less! Just don't be fooled by the name!
I have been reading other bloggers' reviews of this product and I've seen many girls express their concerns over how quickly their lip tint dried out. I have had my two for about a year or so now and I still find that they perform the same! Perhaps it's something to do with storage? Anyway, I would totally recommend checking these out the next time you're at a Max Factor stand!

Let me know your favourite autumn/winter shades so I can add them to my wishlist!
Zara :-) x

Best Of The Brand #3: Rimmel London!

The third instalment of my Best Of The Brand series will be a spotlight on Rimmel London!
Rimmel has always been my favourite drugstore brand, as I just think they do some great products at brilliant prices. I'm going to show you my top 5 items from them - it was so hard to narrow it down as I love pretty much everything I've ever tried from them! So let's get started:

5. Rimmel London Stay Matte and Clear Complexion Powders, €5.99

I think it's fair to say that Rimmel are most well known for their Stay Matte powder - it's a lot of people's staple powder that has won numerous awards. When I went to buy it they only had the coloured powders so I got Silky Beige, and I love it! It gives a little extra coverage without looking cakey, and it's handy if you're wearing a light coverage base that you want a little boost on. It keeps your make-up looking flawless and matte for the whole day, with very little need to touch up. It reminds me of my holy grail powder, MAC's Mineralise Skin Finish Natural - just at a fraction of the price!
I also love the Clear Complexion Powder. It's a transparent powder which is marketed as a clarifying, anti-shine powder with 'Pureskin Complex'. Admittedly, I haven't noticed a difference in my skin from using this powder, but I do love the staying power of it and how it sits on my skin. It controls shine and mattifies the skin, it's also enriched with natural minerals.

4. Rimmel London Stay Glossy Lip Glosses, €7.79

Top - Stay My Rose Bottom - Non Stop Glamour

These are my all-time favourite glosses! I've tried several of Rimmel's lip gloss ranges before and was never overly impressed with any of them until they launched these! They claim to stay glossy on the lips for up to six hours, which is quite a claim for a lip gloss. I can confirm that they do actually stay glossy for hours! They're not overly sticky or heavy on the lips. They're very moisturising, and they don't separate on the lips, which is something I have had problems with in the past with cheaper glosses. They're not chunky or overly glittery either, again this is something that most people complain about with regards to drugstore lip glosses.                               The shades I have here are Non Stop Glamour and Stay My Rose. My favourite is Non Stop Glamour - it's a beautiful light nude shade, that reminds me of the gloss that the Victoria's Secret models are known for wearing. I love to pair it with MAC's Creme Cup lipstick.

3. Rimmel London Eyeliners
Rimmel do the best drugstore liners in my opinion - I can't fault them! As I've mentioned before, I'm useless with liquid liner but I love the Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner, €7.19. It has a long, slim, tapered brush that offers precise control when applying the liner. It dries to a matte black finish and it doesn't flake when you reapply over what you've already done. It doesn't smudge or transfer either. It's one of the easiest liquid liners I've ever tried, and it's so inexpensive too! I couldn't recommend it enough.
Rimmel are also well known for their pencil liners, €4.67,  with many comparing them to the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencils, and they also come in a variety of colours like the Urban Decay ones.

Like the liquid liner, the pencil swatches and applies a deep matte black, and doesn't smudge or transfer during the day. I would compare the Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner pencil to my beloved Chanel Intense Eye Pencil - just at a much cheaper price! I've gone through about three of these pencils, I just can't fault them. These work a treat for those with watery eyes, as they set on the waterline straight away and won't move for the night!





2. Rimmel London Fix And Perfect Pro Primer, €8.85

This is my third bottle of Fix and Perfect, and there's only a few drops left in it! As someone with oily skin, a good primer is essential and most of the time you have to pay a fortune to get a primer that lasts all day. Not any more! The Fix and Perfect Pro primer has a moisturiser-style consistency and texture. It does have quite a strong smell so that may be something for those of you with sensitive skin to bear in mind. It doesn't feel like a primer, as I said it's definitely more like a moisturiser as it lacks the stickiness that some primers tend to have. One small pump is enough to do your face and to keep your make-up looking flawless all day - I can't recommend this little guy enough - it's a life saver!

1. Rimmel x Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick, €6.99

These are my absolute holy grail lipsticks! I have 7, so you can probably tell that I really love them! These lipsticks launched about three years ago, and have been a huge success and were also followed up with a matte collection. I prefer the colour selection of the original ones, but I do have a matte one - it is in the red packaging - which is probably one of my most used lipsticks! They are by far the best lipsticks on offer at the drugstore in my opinion - they're long lasting, they smell lovely and they're creamy without being too buttery that they sit into the cracks of the lips. I also think the packaging makes them look much more expensive than they are. The colour range is absolutely fantastic, there is a shade to suit everyone! You can see swatches below, so let me know which is your favourite! I have pictured 7 but only 6 are swatched as I own two 05 lipsticks - that's my favourite colour!

From top to bottom - 101(from matte collection), 19, 08, 05, 03, 01

 So there are my top 5 products from Rimmel! Let me know what yours are and what Best Of The Brand you'd like to see next!
Zara :-) x

The Battle Of The BBs: My Top Drugstore BB Creams!

Over the last year or so, BB creams have taken the beauty world by storm. BB creams are marketed as an all-in-one balm that primes, moisturises, conceals and protects the skin, and usually are seen as a lighter alternative to foundation. In my opinion, BB creams are the perfect product for those who don't want a heavy coverage from a foundation, but want a little more coverage than what a tinted moisturiser offers.
With that in mind, I decided to share my top 3 BB creams that are all available from Boots or pharmacies.
It can be difficult to choose the right BB cream when every brand under the sun has brought out their own offering, however today I am going to review some of my favourite BB creams from the high-street, from Maybelline, Rimmel and Garnier. So let's go!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (€11.99)
Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream claims to be an 8-in-1 product - promising to:

1. Create a natural glow
2. Compliment skin-tone
3. Provide SPF30 UV Protection
4. Hydrate all day
5. Blur Imperfections
6. Non-greasy and oil free
7. Feel fresh
8. Look visibly smooth                                                                                                                                                 Of these 8 promises, I would agree with all but number 5. I didn't feel like it covered blemishes or minimised the appearance of pores. Of the three BB creams featured in this post, Maybelline's offering is definitely the lightest coverage so if you are looking for a BB cream with relatively good coverage for blemishes or redness I would give this one a miss. I would recommend this if you're seeking a BB cream to simply even out your skin tone or to provide a dewy glow. 

This is a good option for school or work if you want a minimal base as it is very natural looking and blends into your skin effortlessly. 

I apply this by squeezing about two drops onto the back of my hand and dotting it all over my face, focusing the product on my problem areas. Then I just blend it in with my fingers. It's quick and easy to apply which is a huge bonus if you're strapped for time when doing your makeup! It's perfect for this time of year as it's light and provides an SPF of 30.

As I said, this may not be ideal for someone looking to cover up blemishes or a lot of redness, however you may consider this if you want a light base on the good areas of your face and just focus a little concealer over the areas you're conscious about - this is what I tend to do! 

 I wear the shade medium and I find that it suits my skin tone perfectly. (For reference, I'm an NC20 in MAC!) As I have oily skin I also appreciate the lack of oil in this BB cream as well, however I still apply a light dusting of powder to set it in place. I use MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium, which is great as it adds a tiny bit of extra coverage!

Rimmel BB Cream 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup (€8.95)
Rimmel's BB Cream is a 9-in-1 product that promises to:

1. Moisturise
2. Minimise Pores
3. Conceal
4. Cover                                                      
   
5. Smooth
6. Mattifies
7. Brightens
8. Protect
9. Prime

When I applied this for the first time, I applied it without moisturising or priming and I expected it to be difficult to blend because of this, however it glided on like a dream! One mistake I made the first time I used this was that I applied two big drops to the back of my hand - a little bit goes a long way with this cream! A small drop is more than enough to cover your face. 

I agree with every claim this BB Cream makes - it minimises pores, it provides a nice matte coverage without looking one dimensional, it brightens and it has an SPF of 25. 

It does provide a light to medium coverage but as someone with acne-prone skin, I find this product enough to cover my blemishes without the need for concealer or extra product. 

Like with the Maybelline BB Cream, I tend to add some MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural all over my face just to ensure that it stays in place all day. 

I would definitely recommend this BB cream for an everyday base product that is natural-looking while still providing great coverage.

I wear the shade light in this cream as I generally find Rimmel products to run slightly darker than they claim, and this one is a perfect match for me. Rimmel is my favourite high-street brand, I can think of only one product of theirs that has disappointed me, and this here is another thumbs up! 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One BB Cream (€13.99)

Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector was the first BB Cream I ever tried about a year ago and I have since repurchased it twice! 

This BB Cream claims to perfect skin by evening out the skin tone, adding a glow, blurring imperfections and smoothing fine lines. It also has an SPF of 15.

This BB Cream provides the most coverage of the three,  and can be built up nicely to the coverage you desire. I usually apply one drop and then if I feel I need extra coverage on certain areas, I will either take another pea sized amount of the BB cream and apply that or I'll just use a concealer. 

The only minor issue I find with this product is that it takes some time for it to set on the skin. It can have a bit of a sticky feel to it for the first few minutes after applying, even when you put a generous amount of MAC MSF Powder over it. I find the Rimmel Stay Matte powder good with this, but even at that this product tends to transfer onto your jacket or whatever touches your face/neck within the first 10 minutes or so after application.

However this is minor for me, it's incredibly difficult to find a product with absolutely no faults!
Of the three BB creams featured here, this is my absolute holy grail BB cream and my go-to base product for minimal makeup days or the summer in general.

I hope this post has come in handy if you were considering picking up a BB cream for the summer. For me, they are a makeup bag staple for this time of year as you still get coverage without worrying that it'll melt off!
Let me know if I have mentioned any of your favourite BB creams, or leave a suggestion if BB creams you think I should try next!

Zara :) x