Before I got my beloved Tom Ford lipstick last Christmas, I was a YSL lipstick girl through and through. The packaging, the formula, the smell - they were the only high-end lipsticks I was constantly buying!

YSL do several different lipstick ranges, but their most popular seems to be the Rouge Volupte range. About two years ago, YSL introduced the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine collection, which claimed to have multiple ingredients to make wearing the lipsticks incredibly comfortable.

Today I'm going to be showing you my favourite lipstick from each Rouge Volupte range and telling you which I prefer, as I know many people are unsure of which Volupte they want to splash out on. I'll be comparing and contrasting the two so it can hopefully help you pick which one you'd like - or maybe you want both...sure why not?!

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

My Top High-End Mascaras!

Generally speaking, I don't tend to buy many high-end mascaras. The main reason I don't is because I think that drugstore brands such as Rimmel and Maybelline do such a good job of releasing amazing mascaras that I never feel the need to splash out on high-end ones. Having said that, I have a few high-end favourites that I've gotten as gifts or just as little treats for myself. I'm going to show you my top picks today, so maybe this will come in handy if you're thinking of treating yourself!

YSL Faux Cils Mascara, €31

Like with all YSL products, the packaging of this mascara is absolutely stunning! I love the all-gold tube with the YSL logo just at the opening of the mascara. (Random side note - it actually smells like rose petals!)
My favourite types of mascaras are the long, thin wands that separate your lashes, like this one.  The design of the wand allows you to fan out your lashes without making them look spidery. I would say this mascara is more for length than volume - it does give a nice volumized look to your lashes without looking clumpy though! For me, it gives more of a false lash effect more than anything else. The formula of it is incredible - it holds a curl if you like to curl your lashes before mascara, and it doesn't smudge throughout the day. I absolutely love YSL mascaras as they have such a fantastic formula. If you can't get your hands on this one, I would totally recommend trying the Babydoll Mascara - no words! I love it!

Dior Addict It-Lash Mascara, €32.50

It was my mum who introduced me to this mascara - she had a tube of it and I tried it once and fell in love with it! I kept stealing hers so she treated me to my own! (Thanks mum!) This is Dior's newest mascara launch, I believe it came out around Spring time this year. I really love the wand on this mascara - it's soft and supple and coats all your lashes to give incredible volume. The spiky tip of the brush is super handy for getting all those pesky tiny lashes on the inner corners of your eyes too! It gives a gorgeous doe-eyed effect to your lashes - it really opens up your eyes. It's the most smudge-proof mascara I've ever tried - it really doesn't go anywhere! Having said that, it's still easy to remove. The cool thing about Dior Addict It-Lash is that it comes in a multitude of colours including pink, blue and purple! I stayed with the traditional black one but it's a nice option to have if you're a fan of coloured lashes!

MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara, €18.50
I got this mascara for my birthday last year, which is why it has the gorgeous rose gold RiRi Hearts MAC packaging! The mascara itself is not limited edition thankfully - the normal packaging is blue. I fell in love with this mascara instantly - it has a lovely small brush which makes coating both your top and bottom lashes a breeze. It separates and thickens my lashes without making them spidery or clumpy. It doesn't flake throughout the day, and it holds a curl really well. Even better news, it's much cheaper than the other mascaras featured in this post! I couldn't recommend this mascara enough, I think it's great for natural make-up days as it gives long, full lashes without looking too false. I also adore the rose gold packaging from the Rihanna collection!

Dior Diorshow New Look Mascara, €34

How cute is this teeny brush?! I personally love small mascara wands as I feel like they're much better for coating your top and bottom lashes. This mascara is great for multiplying your lashes and giving you really volumized, full lashes. It gives nice length but I use this more so for fuller looking lashes. The formula is quite wet so I find it works great for layering different mascaras if you want to.
It's a great day time mascara because, like the MAC one, it gives a nice defined look to the lashes without being too over the top or false-looking.


Estee Lauder Turbolash Mascara, €39

This is hands-down the coolest make-up product I have ever tried! It's a mascara with a built in eyelash curler, which means that once you open it, it begins to spin! As you can imagine, this made it very difficult to photograph, so I had to Blu-Tac it down! It's the world's first ever turbo mascara with a vibrating brush. It helps you create the ideal lash length with maximum length, volume and curl. It vibrates very gently, allowing the bristles to softly coat and separate the lashes with gel formula. This is probably my favourite mascara ever, purely because it makes applying mascara so much fun. It gives you complete control over your lashes - you can have long and dramatic or volumized yet subtle - the choice is yours! It's definitely on the pricer side but I think it would make a great gift if you have a birthday coming up!

Stila Major Lash Mascara, €18

This mascara has a unique consistency - it's almost gel-like. It's not too dry, but it's not wet either. It gives beautiful, glossy-black dramatic lashes with two coats. If you prefer the natural look, one coat will suffice for you. I love the thin wand, it really grabs onto your lashes so you can get the most out of the product. Like the Diorshow, you can layer it with other mascaras, which I think is a good thing for those who like really thick, full lashes. It's a good price for what you get too, in my opinion. If you live in Ireland you may have some difficulty locating a Stila counter, as where I live they are few and far between! Your best bet is to purchase it online - I like to buy Stila products from beautybay.com.

So there you have it - my top luxury mascara picks!
Let me know if you have tried any of these or if there are any others you'd recommend.
Zara :-) x

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.

New Beauty Buys!

A few days ago I was shopping with my mum and picked up a few beauty bits that I thought I'd share with you today! I haven't been buying make-up at all recently, but I had these products on my wishlist for quite a while so decided to treat myself!

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Foundation  (€13.49)

One beauty product that I have never been mad about buying is foundation. My beauty weakness is definitely eyeshadow, but for some reason I never find myself wanting to buy foundations. I have quite a modest (ahem...) collection of about 8 foundations, ranging from high-end to high street that I change up regularly. However I'm at that point in the year where I have about two drops left in all of my foundations! So I decided to pick up this one as I've always been a big fan of Maybelline foundations. This new release claims to give you better skin in three weeks. I'm currently testing this claim so I will be back with a review in about three weeks time!
I've used this three times since I bought it and so far I am loving it! I'm a big fan of drugstore foundations so I'm delighted to find another winner!




Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette 'Vintage Romance' (€9.99)
I own three Sleek eyeshadow palettes that I picked up in Spain last year, as up until recently Sleek wasn't available here in Ireland. Around January, it launched in a larger Boots that wasn't close to me unfortunately, and then about a week ago I was in another Boots that had just launched a stand but this palette was sold out! Then yesterday I was over the moon to find a shiny new Sleek stand at my local Boots! I finally was able to get the Vintage Romance palette, which is absolutely stunning! At €9.99, you really can't go wrong with these palettes - the colours are beautiful and the pigmentation rivals that of top eyeshadow brands, in my opinion. My favourite palette is the Snapshots palette, but this one is certainly coming close! Here are some swatches of the palette, but I will definitely be featuring this in a make-up of the day post very soon!

Wet 'N' Wild Eyeshadow Palette 'Petal Pusher' (€6.49)
I am a huge fan of the Wet 'N' Wild 8 pan eyeshadow palettes, they are incredible quality for the price - this is my third! Wet 'N' Wild launched in Ireland about three months ago, but the stands are relatively small so there are only three of the 8 pan eyeshadows available - better than nothing I suppose!
Anyway, this gorgeous palette consists of sparkly purple tones, which I love on dark eyes like mine. What I love about these palettes is that they actually tell you where to put each colour so if you're unsure of what look you want it's a huge help. Today on my eyes I used the right side of the palette with the browbone shade on my lids, the eyelid shade in my crease and the crease colour on the outer corner. The pigment of this palette is really nice, but as you can see from the swatches some are definitely stronger than others. Do bear in mind that there is no base under the eyeshadows in the picture - I would recommend putting an eyeshadow base under them to get the full effect. I also think that the eyelid colour on the right is a great dupe for Trax by MAC - I have both and they're pretty much identical!

                                                                    

YSL Glossy Stain '#4 Mauve Pigmente' (€33.00)
This gorgeous lip stain was actually a present from my parents, but I thought I'd still show it to you here because I'm in love with it! I adore the YSL lipsticks, especially the Rouge Voulpte Shine formula, but I'd never tried these glossy stains, which are a huge hit with bloggers and Youtubers alike. This shade is called Mauve Pigmente, and it's a brownish-purple shade. It has quite a watery consistency, and stains your lips instantly. What I like about this is that you can build up the colour and keep layering it up until you get the shade you desire. I will also be showing you this in a make-up of the day post soon, as I've been wearing it ever since I got it!

 That's all for now, but keep an eye out for these products in up-coming posts!

Zara :-) x