I wouldn't say I'm a fussy person when it comes to makeup. I like to experiment and branch out. Usually in the comfort of my own bedroom, but perhaps one day my orange eyeshadows will see the light of day...
However, one thing I am particularly fussy about is red lipstick. I mentioned this recently in a blog post, but I thought it would be apt to expand on it further and show you my ultimate red lipsticks.
I like my red lipsticks how I like the bottom of my shoes - Louboutin red!

I'm sure you all know from reading my blog that I'm a huge fan of Christian Louboutin shoes - I've got two pairs and I exclusively refer to them as my babies. I just love the shade of red that Mr Louboutin is famous for, so I love finding a good red lipstick that will match them happily.
Let's take a further look at my top picks, shall we?

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer Review

I'm slowly getting around to reviewing all the beauty items I bought in America, so today we're going to be talking concealer. More specifically, the famous Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer. This was top of my Sephora wishlist as it promises to be the most full coverage concealer you'll ever find, so much so that you can cover your tattoos with it! It sounds very promising, so how did it fare out?

New York Beauty Haul Part 1: Sephora and MAC!

I came home from New York on Monday, and I've been so looking forward to sharing all the beauty items I bought while I was there! I went a little bit crazy, so I'm dividing the haul into two parts - this will be the high-end make-up from Sephora and MAC, and the following part will be drugstore, Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret items.

If you want more in-depth reviews on any of the products mentioned, be sure to let me know! I can guarantee you'll be seeing a lot more of these goodies on my blog in the next few weeks anyway! So let's get started:

Sephora Favourites Give Me More Lip Set

This set is apart of this year's Christmas collection, and it was the only one of the sets that interested me. As a self-confessed lipstick junkie, nothing excited me more than the opportunity to trial 17 different lip products! It's organised according to colour, and includes glosses, lipsticks and balms. The brands included in the set are Too Faced, Benefit, Bite Beauty, Laura Mercier, Kat Von D, Stila, Makeup Forever, OCC, Sugar Fresh, Sephora, Hourglass, Tarte, Buxom and Bare Minerals. I love the fact that 16 of these products are mini sized, as I never get through a full lipstick anyway. It also gives you the chance to try a variety of finishes and brands that you may not have been exposed to prior to this. For me, I loved the fact that it contains so many brands that aren't available here in Ireland. If you'd like a full in depth review and swatches, let me know!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette 

I've been coveting this palette for a very long time, but I made myself wait until I got to New York as it was remarkably cheaper than it would have been to buy here. I have more neutral palettes than you can imagine, but there's just something so unique about the colour selection in this palette. The colours also have really cute names like Haute Chocolate, Triple Fudge and Strawberry Bon Bon! The palette itself is packaged as a chocolate bar, and the shadows are made with 100% natural cocoa powder. Eyeshadow scented with chocolate - what's not to love?! I'll be doing plenty of Makeup Of The Day looks with this palette so stay tuned for those.

Too Faced Melted Kisses Lipstick Set

One thing I noticed about the Sephoras I visited in New York, is that they are incredibly cleverly laid out. When you are queuing to pay, the whole queue is lined with new goodies and little gift sets. For someone with no self-control like me, this is bad news! I ended up buying more standing in the queue than I did walking around the shops! I saw this while I was waiting and I thought it was too cute to resist. I've always wanted to try the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks, but we have limited availability of Too Faced here in Ireland so I thought a mini set consisting of the four best selling shades was a good way to go. You get Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Fuschia and Melted Berry. I adore the look of Melted Berry!

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super Charged Foundation

Marc Jacobs' beauty line has not yet reached Irish shores, so this foundation was top of my list to pick up in America. I've heard countless fantastic reviews of it, particularly for oily skinned girls like myself. The lady in Sephora helped me choose shade 14 Ivory Medium, and it's a perfect match. Like all of the products, I haven't played with this yet but I'll be sure to do a full in-depth review letting you know how I get on with it. I have incredibly high hopes for it, so I'll keep you updated!




Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer

Kat Von D is another brand that has never made its way to Irish seas - as far as I'm aware, it's exclusive to American Sephoras as I've never seen it in the many European ones I've visited.
I was debating whether to try the concealer or her famous Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, however I found the foundation was just too thick for my liking. I concluded that I would buy the Marc Jacobs foundation for light to medium coverage, and then use the Lock-It Tattoo Concealer to cover anything that the foundation didn't. I actually tried this on in the shop and I absolutely love it! The coverage is like nothing I've ever seen before! I got it in the shade 16 - Light.

Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush Palette

The Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes are some of the most raved about blushes on the market. Again, they're incredibly difficult to get a hold of if you don't live in the US. This is a limited edition Christmas palette that contains five brand new shades. From left to right they are: Breathless, Embraced, Whimsy, Bashful and Irreplaceable. The colour selection is beautiful, and you get two mattes and three shimmers. My current favourite is Embraced, which is the second on the left! This palette was $42, making each blush just $8.40, which I thought was exceptional value considering one full sized blush will set you back $26.


Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Rollerball

Elizabeth and James is the luxury brand created by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and they recently released two perfumes called Nirvana Black and Nirvana White. Beauty bloggers raved tremendously about the fragrances, so I made a second trip to Sephora on Times Square to check them out. From reading the notes of the fragrance and various reviews, I thought I would prefer Nirvana White, but when I tried the two of them in the shop I hated the smell of Nirvana White! I can't quite explain it, but it just didn't appeal to me in the slightest. Nirvana Black reminds me ever-so-slightly of Chanel's Allure perfume - it has notes of violet, sandalwood and vanilla.

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette

This was another purchase that I made standing in line to pay for my already too full basket! I'm a huge fan of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes - I own all three, but I took a pass on the original Naked Basics. I considered it for quite some time but I concluded that my collection of warm, basic neutral colours was too big and I didn't need any more. However, while I was in full-on shopping spree mode in Sephora, I reasoned with myself that my cool-toned collection was severely lacking a good basics palette. I love cool-toned colours with my eyes and my skin tone, so I thought it was only right to treat myself to yet another palette! I think this palette will be a fantastic every day staple as the matte colours are perfect for quick, on the go looks.

NARS Blush and Bronzer Duo
My final purchase was another one that drew me in as I stood with my bulging bag in the queue. NARS Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer are arguably two of the biggest cult beauty products in the world, and I have never tried either. So when this little guy popped out at me in the line, I didn't think it was fair to leave him behind. The two shades are absolutely stunning, and I can definitely see why they are so sought after. I also love the fact that I have them both contained in one little compact so I can take them on the go with me. This was excellent value for a NARS product too - it was $24, which is a steal for NARS, as you all well know!

That concludes the shopping I did in Sephora. However when I went to pay, the lovely ladies at Sephora gave me this gorgeous VIB tote bag to carry my items in. As I had a Beauty Insider card, I was able to avail of both the birthday gift and my 100 point perks (I had two!). I opted to use up the points on my first night as I didn't expect I would get another chance to use them, so I got two Formula X nail polishes in A+. I was a little disappointed that they were both the same colour but I'll definitely be giving one to my friend - they're so cute! I also received two of the Makeup Forever birthday gifts, I'm not quite sure why I got two, but I'm not complaining!

I love the little tote bag they gave me - it was so handy for carrying my makeup around with me until I got it back to the hotel - it's still in this bag as I haven't gotten the chance to organise my makeup drawers since I got back!

After I shopped up a storm in Sephora, I made a quick pit stop into MAC in Macy's. I knew exactly what I wanted so it was a short and sweet visit! MAC is so much cheaper in America that I wanted everything, but I limited myself to three items!



MAC Lipstick in Brave

Brave by MAC is one of the most popular shades used to achieve the famous Kylie Jenner lip look, however my local MAC counter is always sold out! I'm so glad it was in stock in Macy's, as I think it's going to become my absolute go-to lip colour. I think it looks best paired with Soar lip pencil - it's the perfect subtle pinky-brown colour that goes effortlessly with any makeup look. It's also a satin finish, which is my favourite finish from MAC. This was $16, which converts over to about €12, which is a much nicer price to pay for a MAC lipstick than €19.50!



MAC Lipstick in Pervette 

The second lipstick I chose from MAC is Pervette. Again, this always seems to be sold out when I go to buy it, so it was another priority to pick up whilst I was in Macy's. Pervette is a difficult colour to explain - it's a sheer, lilac-but-pink shade. I got my makeup done in MAC once and the makeup artist used this on me, paired with Viva Glam Nicki 2 lip gloss and I absolutely loved them together! Unfortunately Viva Glam Nicki 2 was limited edition, so if anyone knows any good dupes to the lilac lip gloss please let me know!



MAC Blush in Melba

This blush has also been on my wishlist for quite a while, as it's a cult favourite of MAC lovers. The reason I decided to get this one of all the colours on my wishlist is that I felt my blush collection was seriously lacking a colour like this with no shimmer, just a good basic blush that would match any lip or eye look. I love getting new makeup items that aren't like anything I already own, so I can't wait to start playing with this!





So that is it for my high-end beauty haul! Let me know if there's anything you'd like any more information on, or anything you'd like reviewed. I will definitely be doing plenty of posts on the products I love, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. Also check back here next week for part 2 where I'll show you all of the drugstore goodies I picked up!

Zara :-) x

Updated Sephora Wishlist!

Back in August, I posted my Sephora Wishlist for my trip to New York in November. Now that my trip to New York is just under three weeks away (eek!), I thought it would be the perfect time to share my updated lust-list for the beauty paradise that is Sephora.
I will also do a drugstore and MAC wishlist before I go, so look out for that!

• Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette, $42
• Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set, $39
• NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette, $65
• Sephora Favourites Superstars, $75
• Sephora Favourites Give Me More Lip, $59
• Elizabeth And James Nirvana White Rollerball, $22
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, $18
• Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball Trio, $44
• Urban Decay Vice 3, $60

As I said in my last wishlist post, I obviously won't be buying everything that I've put on my lists, but they'll just be a handy guideline to have when I get into Sephora to remind me of what I've been coveting. 

I've been told that visiting Sephora on Times Square is quite an overwhelming experience, even for the seasoned Sephora shopper, so I'm incredibly excited to take a peek in it! 

I definitely am gravitating towards the fabulous Christmas gift sets that Sephora are releasing this year, but there are still a few things from my previous wish list that I'm desperately coveting (hello, Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation and Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette!)

If you have any more recommendations to add onto my list, by all means leave them in a comment below! 

Zara :-) 

x

Make-Up Of The Night: Janoskians Edition!

Today's post is another make-up of the night post! Last night my friends and I went to see the Janoskians and I wanted to share the make-up look I wore! It's a little bit more autumnal, as I personally prefer winter make-up with darker colours! We didn't have much time to get ready for the show so I chose to keep my make-up relatively simple - I just used my new MAC eyeshadow and did a quick winged liner look with a matte black eyeshadow!

                                                     FACE
                                           - Benefit The Porefessional Face Primer
                                           - Bourjois Bronzing Primer
                                           - Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Foundation in 30 Sand
                                           - MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
                                           - MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Medium
                                           - Milani Sunset Duo Bronzer in Sunset Breeze
                                           - MAC Sheertone Blush in Blushbaby
                                           - MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Centre Of Attention

                                 

                              EYES
      - Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
      - MAC Eyeshadow in Antiqued
      - Sephora Matte Black Eyeshadow
         - MAC Gigablack Lash Mascara
                                         
                               LIPS
             - Essence Wear Berries Lipstick
                                                                 





I realise my make-up was very MAC heavy - I've definitely been on a bit of a MAC hype recently! I will have a Best Of The Brand featuring MAC coming soon for my fellow MAC lovers.
Anyway, I hope you liked the make-up look!

Are you going to the Janoskians Got Cake tour? Let me know!
Zara :-)

Make-Up Of The Night - Dirty Dancing Edition!

I recently went to see Dirty Dancing - The Musical with my cousins and I wanted to share with you the make-up look I wore! The show was incredible - I couldn't recommend it enough! Unfortunately my make-up pictures aren't great because I couldn't get my camera working to take some pictures before I left! However these are the pictures I do have! I only used the Naked Palette 1 by Urban Decay to do a neutral smoky eye.
Here is the look I wore and the products I used:


                                                             FACE:
                        - Benefit The Porefessional Primer
     - Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Foundation in Sand
      - MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
       - Chanel Eclat Lumiere Highlighter Pen in 20 Beige Clair
              - MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium
                                      - MAC Mineralise Blush in Dainty
                                      - Benefit High Beam Highlighter

                           
                                                          EYEBROWS:
                                      - Kiko Cosmetics Eyebrow Expert Styling Kit in 01
                                      - Benefit Gimme Brow Eyebrow Gel in Medium/Deep

                                                           EYES:
                                      - MAC Painterly Paint Pot
                                      - Urban Decay Naked Palette - Buck, Darkhorse, Smog, Half Baked and Virgin
                                      - Chanel Intense Eye Pencil in Noir (tightline)
                                      - Sephora Eye Pencil in Chocolate (waterline)
                                      - Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Black
                                      - Dior It Addict Mascara in It Black

                                                     





     LIPS:
                                       - YSL Glossy Stain in #4 Mauve Pigmente.