So fresh so clean

La Roche Posay is one of my favourite skin care brands. They have a load of different ranges depending on your skin type; spot prone, sensitive, problems with redness etc. I really like their products, my favourite being the La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel. Its so gentle and simple I can't imagine it not suiting anyone. 

   I usually pre-cleanse with a Micellar Water or an Oil Cleanser first; I'll talk about this in another post. This gets rid of my makeup so I can't really say whether the LRP cleanser gets off makeup or not but I do feel that after I use it my skin feels extra clean but nourished and not dried out. It has a lovely fresh and unoffensive scent which makes for a lovely morning cleanse. I usually use one pump on my dry face and massage it in, even around my eyes. Its alcohol free, soap-free, paraben and colourant free and with all LRP products it contains LRP Thermal Spring water adding  lovely moisturising and soothing goodness.

   If you're looking for a nice, easy to use cleanser then you should pick this up. You can pick up La Roche Posay in most Chemists and Boots and costs €14.99.
  

My favourite full coverage foundations from both ends of the spectrum.

In the Summer I love a lighter makeup base but tbh my skin isn't the best and I need that extra coverage, especially in the colder and transitional months. This is where Nars Sheer Glow and L'Oréal True Match foundations came to play, becoming my two faves.

I Picked up the Nars Sheer Glow foundation just before Christmas and it has become, without a doubt, my new favourite foundation. Its so dreamy to apply; think serum like in texture, and so easy to build. The colour match is spot on and it lasts on my face for the whole day with a primer underneath (more on that in another post!). Sadly, you can only pick up Nars in Brown Thomas and a bottle costs €40- *insert crying emoji face.*  And I know I'm getting through my current bottle, I'm afraid I'll run out... So, on a recent Boots ramble I picked up a cheaper alternative....

L'Oréal True Match foundation is without a doubt the best cheap foundation I've tried. I really liked the Bourjois Healthy Mix last Summer but this L'Oréal offering comes out on top due to a brilliant buildable and long wearing formula. Now the only thing is, I did find it hard to pick a shade and picked one far too dark but gave it to Viv. I picked up another which looked as close to my Nars one as possible and its like a dream. It'll definitely keep me going until I get up to BTs. Its a great cheap foundation and easy to get your hands on. Mine cost €15 and its currently 3 for 2 in Boots!

Any good foundations you can recommend?

Claire xo

The only nail polish you should buy.....

It's no secret that I am a nail polish fiend. I always have my nails painted; I can't leave my house without nail varnish. A bit mad because I don't mind skipping knickers or makeup but hey, thats how I roll. Once I actually compared not wearing nail varnish on a night out being the same as not wearing lipstick; Áine was not convinced...
   I thought it would be a good idea to pick out the top brands that I always buy as it can be trail and error with some polishes and temptation in Boots is a terrible thing.
   Another thing I should point out is that the quality of your actual nails is a personal thing; mine are quite flakey but depending on the weather and how much shit I've eaten it can change. For this post, I've picked out the brands which came out on top for me for a number of reasons.
   
   For me my initial attraction to a polish is colour, however after a while I've realised that for me, the brush is everything. I think that with the right brush you can work with any formula, even the awkward ones. And lets face it, like I said nail varnish is personal; like mascara. What may last on my nails if they're in alright condition might not last on you if you've been using loads of bleach. 

These four are the ones I find best for;

• Range of Colours
• Ease of use thanks to the deelish little rounded brush
• Price and availability
• Longevity and colour payoff
• Full on colour with two coats

Lets start with my favourite nail polish brand ever ever; Essie. (available in boots or some random chemists, for about €9.99) I flippin' love this brand. It was Essie which really made me realise how beneficial a good brush is; with its slightly curved brush it fits neatly on the nail, completely covering in one swipe. The range of colours is amazing and most of them are so unique that you can totally justify always picking one up from Boots- the kinda "I have no creamy grey I just have grey" shit I pull is totally acceptable whenever I creep on the Essie counter. The range also has basecoats (one of which I'm currently trying so maybe more on that later!), top coats (which I haven't tried but heard good things), cuticle oil (LOVE), and more recently, hand cream and nail polish remover which I would like to try. They usually bring out new shades for different seasons and they are always dreamy. They also have incredible GLITTAH topcoats and cute gift sets which I'm sure I've given to at least 2 of you as a birthday present. Handy.
   A more recent discovery (were talking last week)is the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes. I don't know why I never gave these a go before but on a recent Tesco trip with Viv- which was painful, I picked one up and I may have picked up another once on saturday. I applied it on Saturday; the application is dreamy and the brush is a beaut. This aside its Tuesday and no chips as of yet! Next time you're doing a boring Tesco shop pick one up as a treat. They're about €9 and the bottle is hefty.
  Two cheaper options are the Rimmel Salon Pro nail polishes, €6.50 and Barry M Hi Shine Gel Effect nail polish €5.99. Firstly, the Rimmel ones are lovely; nice array of colours and they have that precise round brush. They are also easy to get your mitts on. The Barry M ones on the other hand don't have the brush BUT for the price (and they're usually on offer; at the moment they're 2 for €12 in Boots!) , these are class. Barry M have an amazing colour range in general but I find the formula of the hi shine ones better. Every time I see a Barry M stand it seems there is always more and more new colours from the hi shine range, woo!

Claire xo 

Lip Liner Lovin'

   Lipliner is my new favourite thing, obviously this is down to Kylie Jenner and her incredible overdrawing skillz but for me, I really enjoy the novelty of using a pencil.....(I'm easily amused.) I love to use them not just liners, but to shade in my whole lip. Thanks to their slightly more matte texture they prove more pigmented and long-lasting than lipstick. So here are the top 5 slightly nude-y Lip Liners I've been lovin' lately; a bit of a mixed bag with a deadly budget friendly option....

Gosh "Nougat Crisp" comes in at about €8 and available at Chemists which stock Gosh. It's a lovely creamy formula and the more browny nude of the bunch which might not suit everyone, but I reckon it would look cool on paler skins. A really nice purse friendly one with great staying power.

Next up is Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in "East End Snob" ; shite name , class liner. Comes up very pink when on; think a cheaper version of MACs Please Me lippy. This is a lovely every day colour to throw in the handbag. It's also a handy one for the lazy girlo as its wind up and doesn't need a pencil sharpener. 

My next favourite is MAC Lipliner in "Boldly Bare" €16.50 available from BT and BT2. I picked this one when I was looking for Whirl; a KJ favourite which is impossible to get your mitts on. It's a lot nuder than Whirl looks but a really nice one to use with the likes of MAC Patisserie (my fave everyday lipstick) or on its own for a slightly pumped up Twiggy-type nude. As with all MAC lipliners, the longevity and pigmentation is pretty good and I don't find I need to sharpen it as much as the cheaper ones. 

Essence Lipliner in "06 Satin Mauve" €1.35; This is absolutely incredible. If you're in search for an affordable KJ-esque 90s deepish browny-mauve then get this. At under two quid its brilliant and probably my fave of the bunch after Soar... (more on that in a minute). I picked it up on a whim on a recent Penneys ramble with my sister. Once I swatched this creamy, mauve-y beauty I knew it would be love and Oh God was I right. Pigmented, Long lasting and an amazing price tag; you need this in your life. Imma pick another one up next time I'm in Penneys. 

MAC Lipliner in "Soar" €16.50 (available from BT and BT2) is my favourite favourite FAVOURITE ever. I just love this lip liner. The colour is like a grown up pink; think a more sophisticated than East End Snob but just as wearable. Now the shit thing is that this is impossible to get a hold of atm. Apparently its selling out everywhere- I couldn't even get it in Dublin Airport for my sister. I'm not surprised; its an absolute beauty worn on its own or under another lipstick. This is one you should definitely try grab when it becomes available again as the colour is so unique and apparently its the one KJ herself uses! -hence its soaring (see what I did there?  cringe) popularity. As I mentioned; the MAC lip liners come up quite matte and more drying than the others; this makes them last longer but can dry your lips so make sure you pop something hydrating on first and blot the access off. 

So theres my current lip liner favourites. Next on my list is MAC Whirl and Spice. Oh! and after swatching Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk in Sorchas, I NEED IT IN MY LIFE. Have you hopped on the lip liner bandwagon yet? 

Claire xo

Basic Shit

So I decided my first post would consist of the basics. And by basics I mean the most basic shit you need; Cotton Buds, Face Cloths and Cotton Pads. 

These should be your staple "bits"

Cotton buds are the biz. I LOVE them, so many uses and so flippin' cheap! Apart from the obvious one; the weirdly satisfying ear cleaning, they are class for any eye make up mishaps. Recently I decided to step into the world of liquid eyeliner and gawd is it tough. SO tough...Thankfully ear buds have helped to tidy things up a bit after a bad eyeliner attempt. I usually spray a some of that canned water stuff on one and wipe away a bad flick. 
   I also love them for a midday makeup check. I keep some in my handbag and use them to wipe away any sneaky bottom lash mascara that has smudged under my eyes. They're amazing for tidying up any nail varnish mishaps (not that I have that problem ;)). Or if you are having a bad skin buzz you can use a cotton pad to dab some concealer on rotten spots without spreading spotty bacteria. Deelishhh.
   Finally, Ive been loving them for my KJ moments. By KJ moments I mean when I go overboard with MAC Soar and think I'm starting to look like Kylie Jenner but actually I look like Ive eaten loads of weird coloured jam. Cotton Buds are just the right shape for clearing things up. They're also pretty nifty and tidying up a bold lip.
   The beauty of these little sticks of handiness is that they are so cheap. Next time you're passing a Deals pop in and buy a tub. I recently picked up Kev a box (for V-day LOL- he always robs mine!) in Tescos for 45c. Like CMON. 

Cotton Pads are a necessity, however up until recently I found it so hard to find the perfect ones. 
   I really didn't think much of the boots own brand ones, but I really liked the Botanics Range. However, at something silly like three quid for about 50 pads it really wasn't worth it because i was using them constantly. 
  On a whim, I picked up Penneys version and oh. my. god. these are amazing! At €2 for a pack of 100 they are just brilliant. They have the right amount of softness but they don't crumple apart at the first sight of liquid. Go and get some NOW. 

Face Cloths may seem pretty old school in these times of face wipes, *shudder.* But girl, you need to get yo ass down to Penneys and pick some up. Again, about two quid for a pack and they come in lovely colours. Go! before you read any further...


Claire xo

For my bitches...

Kay. So.

Basically I've decided to bite the bullet and put some nervous energy into posting my "wisdom" online. I don't get to see everyone regularly enough to enable you in person so I'm going to try it through the internet. 

This isn't going to be a public "blog" at all, its just for all my bitches and hoes who ask about nail polish and cleanser and what I hope to do is talk about just the shit you NEED. Of course, with a side helping of shit you don't but which I like a lot. Im going to also try and include some shitty things so you don't go wasting your money. 

I'm up for people reading it but this is just a little sideline project and a means to avoid practicing violin. Share privately to friends who want a nosey but I have it all set pretty private. 

As you all know I'm not an expert at all; I just love Boots and hate makeup wipes... so...here goes!

I would also love for this to be a place where we can all swap advice... Sorcha Imma looking at you! -Through comments etc.

So here goes!

Claire XO