Peach Shnapps

You may have noticed that my face has been absent from posts recently. Intentional. I got a bit bored of seeing my face everytime I signed into Blogger - as I'm sure you did too. But now its back.

Since finding out about this little blog, loads of my friends have asked the same question; 'So..You just upload photos of your face..?' Erm, yes. But its so much more than that. 

My name's Julie and I'm a blogger. 

♥

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Chanel Pro Lumiere

MAC Hamony and Springsheen Blush

Urban Decay Sin e/s (as highlight)

Laura Mercier Brow Definer in Fair

Inglot 361 and 368 e/s (on lid)

MAC Smut and Satin Taupe (in crease)

Maybelle Gel Liner

Seka Lipgloss in Nude #2

She's Got Her Lipstick On..

As disastrously boring as the MAC lipstick packaging is (I mean, really, I could have come up with it), I can't help but get a little flutter of excitement when I buy a new one. It has to be said, MAC lipsticks are the most well-known, and for those of us unable to afford such luxuries as Tom Ford and YSL; they are a great alternative, costing half the price. 

The pigment is good, the quality is good and most last a few hours on the lips. Hurrah! Here I have placed favourite ones, both that I use on myself and for my kit. And I haven't stopped collecting at all - most of the lipsticks were received using the Back To MAC scheme, where you bring back six empty MAC containers and can pick any lipstick of your choice. I tend to stick to the creamsheen consistencies, as they are long-lasting and usually amazingly bright colours. I don't think there's much point in describing each colour as seeing them is pretty self-explanatory. But close ups are necessary.

Which are your favourite MAC lipsticks? Do you think they are worth the cost? 

 L-R - Chatterbox, Lady Danger, Impassioned, Hue

 L-R - Creme Cup, Angel, A very worn Creme D'Nude

L-R - Shy Girl, I Like It Like That, Vegas Volt

L-R - Angel, Vegas Volt, I Like It Like That, Shy Girl, Lady Danger, Impassioned, Hue, CremeCup, Chatterbox, Creme D'Nude

Photoshoot Five

A few weeks ago, I went back to my make up college to do an extra photoshoot for the portfolio. I had intended to do something a bit avant garde, a bit crazy; but the night before I completely changed my mind. As amazing as it is looking at intricate make up, the fact that its so unwearable means that people overlook it in a portfolio and it would have to be bloomin' perfect. And in the few hours I had before my shoot, I couldn't think of anything that would blow me away - so went for something a bit safe, but quite beautiful. 

When I have more experience, I will definitely do something a bit quirky - but I just felt that as I'm starting off people will want to see something a bit more wearable. So, voilá. My two lovely models were Saoirse and Maria, whose the most stylish person I know. Ever. And who stupidly deleted her wonderful blog, help me force her to get back to it. On Saoirse, I decide to go for a slightly high fashion dark smokey eye and nude lips- and she's so stunning that it looked amazing on her. For Maria, I decide to do something a bit nineties - autumnal coloured brown eye, thick brows and bright pink lips (which we had taken off when the above photos were taken).

I've done this little series of photoshoot photos for a while, but it was only a few days ago that I realised I had never added the finished photographers versions that I use for my portfolio. So, I've added them below. I could do this forever. Someone give me a job on a counter plzz, kay thanks bye. 

Happy Sunday!

Top Five Essential Brushes

(L-R AOFM Large Application brush, Inglot Stippling Brush, MAC 168, Inglot 6SS and MAC 217)

One of the most asked questions I get is what brushes I use and would recommend for peoples everyday make up bag. Because lets face it, make up brushes are bloomin' expensive, and while there are some brushes of great quality for mere pennies, with most brushes you get what you pay for - meaning investing somewhat.

Being a recently qualified make up artist (find it so strange saying that..), I've had to invest a lot of money into both products and brushes; and while its devastating buying make up for other people, buying brushes is something I always look forward to. But its so easy to go wrong and get flustered by the charms of make up counter staff, who will happily sell their granny for commission. So I've decided to make a list of the top five brushes everyone should have; because with so many available its a task that proves quite daunting for so many of us.

Face:

First of all, you need a foundation brush and while flat foundation brushes do the job, the best way to create a flawless base is with a stippling brush. The Inglot 27TG (the black and white circular brush above) is a mixture of real and synthetic hairs, and it gently buffs the product into the skin - leaving no streaks and a flawless face and can be used with liquid, cream and powder products (you can use this for cream blush too, saving on having to buy a blush brush). It has shed slightly, but after using the MAC 187 I've come to the conclusion that they all shed a bit. At €30 as opposed to MAC's €48, I would say its a great price and good quality for the money you pay.

Next essential brush is an angled contour brush - I have the MAC 168, which is possibly my favourite brush. Ever. Not only is it impossibly soft, but it creates the most beautiful cheekbones on any face. At about €35, its a tad on the expensive side but is definitely worth it and can be used for blush and highlighter too.

Eyes:

The other three essential brushes on this list are for the eyes - because of all the parts of our face, our eyes are the ones we concentrate on most. The first is an application brush, to be honest, its really not important which one you get - whether it be MAC, Inglot or Elf. Anywhere really. But it is essential that it is flat for packing on colour, highlighting under the brow and creating an all-over wash of colour. I have the AOFM Large Application brush, which has lasted me years, but any will do. The next is a small blender brush - like the MAC 217 as I have above. If you invest in any brush for the eyes, I would recommend this one - it blends eyeshadows from the socket, can be used in the inner corner and can place product quickly in the crease. No7 do a good dupe of the MAC 217, but because if its soft hairs and easy blendability, I find myself always going back to my MAC one. Make up snob, obvzz. And lastly is a large blending brush. To er, blend. The brush I have is the Inglot 6SS which is a dupe of the MAC 224 (have them both but find the Inglot one better) - it blends away any harsh lines and is essential for a smokey eye.

So there you have it, the top five brushes I would recommend getting. Obviously, you could go for cheaper alternatives, but if you want brushes to last you a lifetime I would be prepared to invest!

Happy Monday!

Seka Cosmetics

I was lucky enough to receive a few of the products from the Seka Cosmetics new collection from the lovely girls over there. Seka Cosmetics is an Irish company started in 2008 by Susan Kilcoyne, which focuses on bringing great value products to us Irish girls, as well as abroad. They are strictly against testing on animals, which I love; and all products are created and made in Ireland. Whoop!

The packaging is so cute, with little white bows wrapped around all the products; which is a lovely touch. Seka also have a service whereby if your favourite make up product is discontinued, they will create a perfect match for you; meaning you don't have to find an alternative. This is a brilliant idea, because its devastating when a product you rely so heavily on ceases to exist. 

I received five products to try out, and decided to do a little breakdown of what I thought about them:

Lipgloss in the colour Nude #2 (€12) : This product is a great alternative to a more expensive gloss from the likes of MAC or Bobbi Brown. Its long-lasting, non-sticky and created a beautiful sheen to the lips. Its exactly the kind of nude I like, which is completely nude with zero pink in it and I've pretty much been using it everyday since getting it. I'm not a massive fan of the packaging, one you have to screw up for the product to come out, as I used it for a shoot - so I just placed it on a palette to avoid lips touching the applicator. If you buy this just for yourself, its perfect though, and it small enough to fit in a small bag for a night out. 

Dark Bronzer (€14) : I'm not much of a bronzer fan, but I quite liked this product. It is loose powder, which may be scary to some people, but is just as easy to use. It has a slight shimmer, which looks lovely on top of the cheekbones, but I also used it as contour, as it dark enough to create great cheekbones. Dark bronzer is the darkest available, which may not be suitable for more sallow skins, but I know the company is expanding so hopefully they'll add a few darker colours into the mix.

Translucent Powder Sample (€20) : Again, this is a great product. There's not much to say on translucent powder, except that it worked really well and was silky soft. I also love that it came in a sample size pot for me, perfect for travel!

Luck in a Bucket Loose Pigment (€14) : This is a beautiful black pigment with multi-coloured shimmer, and I found it was great for a night out. Again, its loose powder which may put people off, but its a really intense colour and because of its consistency, you only need to use a tiny amount, meaning the pot will last ages.

Crock of Gold (€16) : This was without a doubt my favourite product from Seka, a beautiful pure gold colour with unreal sparkle. I'm not usually one for sparkling eyes, but this pigment is so stunning. I wore it on a recent night out, pictures of which are in this post, and I loved it. Not only did it stay on all night (which is amazing in itself) but it stayed the true gold colour it is in the pot and didn't fade. Absolutely love it and think its perfect for the Christmas period! If I were to recommend any product from the website, I would definitely say this.

Have you tried any Seka products? What did you think of them?

Gratuitous

Recently this little blog has become somewhat one where my face is sprawled in every post. Gratuitous. Apologies for causing offence. With college starting back, I've had less time to do anything and have been given a few more hours in work to buy things for my kit. Not a big fan of buying make up for other people, but it fills me with happiness when I see the old collection getting a little bigger. Next post will be without my face, promise.

Being the little recluse that I am, this was my first night out of the college year. Shock. Not really my scene, but hey ho, I enjoyed it. And I wore a dress, which is unheard of. Featured is my friend, Leanne. Who will no doubt text me when this goes up, HAI.

Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation

MAC Harmony and Melba blush

Laura Mercier Brow Definer in Fair

Seka Crock of Gold Eyeshadow

MAC Smut and Typographic Eyeshadows

Urban Decay Sin as highlight

MAC Smoulder Eyeliner

Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

NYX Black Long and Luscious Mascara

Listening to: Star Sailor

Reading: The Beauty Bandit