Friday 27 July 2018

My Summer Edit - Some New Make Up Products

Hi everyone - I hope you are all having a great week so far! 

'My Summer Edition' will be a series of blog posts over the next while which will include chats about make - up, skincare, hair products, tan & of course fashion, that I have been using or wearing this Summer 😉

I aim to post a Summer Edit post every Wednesday evening for the moment - sorry this first one is a little late! I will let you guys know on all of my social channels when a new post goes live. I hope you are all looking forward to lots of summer content coming your way! If there is anything you have been loving this Summer please let me know as I might just to need to try that out too!!😁 LOL 

Ok, so for the first post in the series I wanted to mention a few new beauty products that I have been using lately. Yeah I know I really don't need any new make - up but I can't help it!! 

I love Sleek products & I have been using their Solstice highlighting palette for over a year now! So when they brought out the new 'Copperplate' palette I just had to pick it up! This is another gorgeous highlighting palette & it is in the most beautiful rose gold packaging - I will post a pic below so you can see. It cost €13.49 from Boots but it looks so much more expensive with this luxury feel palette! It contains four really fab powder shades, each one with really good pigmentation - the #glow is real! 




The shades are described by the brand as rich coppers & duo-toned golds - created to give a really good glow across different skin tones. 


You can use this highlighter in a subtle way or apply more dramatically for a glow that might well be seen from space - #getyourglowon with this beautiful budget friendly highlighting palette that looks & feels a lot more expensive. 

If you are like me & you are obsessed with highlighters - you need this one in your life! 😁



I picked mine up in Boots so you could get it there or in many pharmacies that stock Sleek products nationwide! I had a little browse online today & I see the www.lookfantastic.com have this palette for 11.95! They also have a free gift when you buy 2 or more Sleek products at the mo.!

To see me using this product check out my snapchat @styleflamingos or over on instagram @thestyleflamingos - I am using it A LOT since I bought it!!

The second product that I have using & loving is the L'oreal 'Paradise Extatic' mascara. I first found out about this product when I heard Blogger/Vlogger Kaelin Fox chatting about how amazing it was. I do love eye products, particularly mascara so I decided to try it for myself. Now I have only been using it for a couple of weeks but so far I am loving it! It has an ultra soft brush which contains Ricinus oil which actually nourishes the lashes! This was such a plus for me as I had always been using mascaras that wrecked my lashes, leaving them dried out & clumpy! This one doesn't do that at all & is really easily removed with a cleanser at the end of the day. 

I again love the packaging on this - it's like a gold & a rose gold - its really pretty! 



The brush is so lovely & thick on this mascara & the overall impact is intense volume - can't argue with that, who doesn't want voluminous lashes - how fab! Also you can purchase this in the waterproof version, just to note if you are off on hols or anything but still want your lashes just so! 


If you want to see me using this pop over to my snaps or insta - I will be wearing this one lots! I bought my 'Paradise' in Boots for approx. 16 euro, so its not the cheapest mascara but it is so worth it! Over the years of being a make - up lover I have tried so many mascaras & L'oreal have always been the winner for me - they just make their mascaras so well. 'L'oreal ...because you're worth it!' 


Another product I have using lately & really liking is the Maybelline 'Fit me' concealer. I  have seen lots of Bloggers raving about this concealer & even labelling it a possible dupe for adored Nars Radiant creamy concealer! I can't comment on whether this is a good dupe as I haven't used the Nars one yet - I say 'yet' as I probably will try it soon. If I do use Nars most hyped concealer I will def. do a review & comparison for the Maybelline one.

As for the 'Fit me' concealer I picked mine up in the second lightest shade - shade 10! I like a concealer to give me a bright under eye look but I really don't like it too white as it can often appear grey or enhance the lines that I have there!! Really don't want that!! 😎

So shade 10 seems a good colour for me & next to my general foundation colour it sits well! The texture is light unlike some concealers that are so thick that they can very often sit into any creases under your eye or worse look perfect when applied & slowly move into the lines during the day making you look haggered & tired! The 'Fit me' really just sits lightly in the areas when its applied - its prob the first product that I have used under my eyes where after a few hours I am not black under there. I would suffer bad 'panda eyes' quite often & lots of make up artists have said to me the key is to use a good concealer & keep that well powdered so that mascara won't fall or melt during the day! So far this one stopped this from happening to me which was my highlight of the product.



The second amazing thing about this one is the price, you can pick this up for under a tenner - I got mine from Boots as at that price I thought it def. worth purchasing & giving it a go!

Again I will be using loads & will post on snaps & insta stories when I do. Let me know if you try this one & if you like as much as I do! 

I will aim to pick up the Nars concealer really soon & I will def. do a comparison! 

Stay tuned for this & next Wednesday's post will include more Summer essentials, so pop back over for a read.

Thanks for all your support so far! 

Love 

Arlene 

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Sunday 22 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #day 6 & 7

#Day6 - MAC & Charlotte Tilbury

Happy Sunday everyone - I am so sorry that I didn't get a chance to post my #day6 on day 6 😉Anyway better late than never I guess!

So yesterday my lip combo was MAC liner in 'Spice' which I wore already this week & is the beautiful brown pink nude & I just lined the lips with this. Then I applied another beautiful pink nude lippie from Charlotte Tilbury in shade 'Bitch Perfect'. I adore the luxurious packaging on Charlotte Tilbury products too - its this beautiful gold colour - I just love it! 


Now I have already mentioned that this brand does sit at a little higher price point & this one is approx. 32 euro from Brown Thomas. If this doesn't suit your budget check out my bargain buy suggestion from #day3 - its a fab nude & a fab price too! 




#Day7 - Rimmel & Luna by Lisa Jordan

Today my #LCOTD was a Rimmel liner & a Luna by Lisa Jordan lip gloss.



The liner was Rimmel Exaggerate in 'Eastend Snob' - this one is a really girly pink nude. I lined all of my lips as usual before applying my lippie of choice! You can pick up Rimmel in most pharmacies nationwide & its such an affordable brand!

Then my lipstick of choice today was one of my Luna by Lisa glosses in shade 'Sapphire' which dries almost to a matte lipstick finish. This is one from the four glosses in the Luna by Lisa 'Blush edition' glosses. The pack of 4 glosses is 30 euro & you can buy this in certain pharmacies stocking Luna products & online at www.lunabylisa.ie. 

I love 'Sapphire' as its a gorgeous pink nude - its so pretty! These glosses are fairly long lasting for the price, feel lovely & smooth on the lips & they smell amazing!! I absolutely love beauty products that smell fab! - it makes me love them more 💋😃 Also the packaging is really high end & the rose gold lid & writing is just so fab! 




Anyway that was #day6 & #day7 LCOTD!! 

As you can see from the week of #nudelip suggestions I am committed to my make up addiction!! 😭I particularly love nude lips so I have lots more lipsticks, liners & glosses in my make up bag!! I just wanted to share my top ultimate favs.

As this included A LOT of products I wanted to round up my go to nude lipstick, liner & gloss for you all! So drum roll.....😮😁....my go to nude lippie is a fav. of mine for years & it has to be MAC 'Velvet Teddy' - I just adore this one & reach for it most days. My go to lip liner is also from MAC & it is in shade 'Spice' - this goes with lots of different nude lips & changes up some of my lighter lippies - I am obsessed with this & I am almost out of my current one & will def. re purchase it! 

Now I dont' wear a gloss everyday but when I do I would mostly reach for 'Sapphire' from Luna by Lisa - the shade is just the most perfect pink nude & I love how it looks with lots of different liners!

So there you have it guys, 7 days of nude lippies, liners & glosses & of course my all time number one products!!

I hope you enjoyed this week of LCOTD suggestions & if you use any of these or pick up any of my recommendations I would love to hear how you get on using them. 

Hope you all have a fabulous week! x

I will catch up with you on all in my next blog post on Wednesday eve. - tune in for some new beauty products incl. a beautiful highlighter suggestion.

#new week #positivevibes 

Love 

Arlene 

x


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Friday 20 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #Day5

Day 5 - MAC

OK now I can't even believe how many nude lipsticks I actually have!! 😆 I am definitely committed to the obsession!! LOL .....


To start today I used my MAC lip Prep & Prime which helps to prime the lips & it also makes the lippie last a little longer. This product is really great especially if you are wearing a stronger lip colour, for e.g, a red! One of my fav. red's is MAC Ruby Woo - as this is a matte finish it can leave lips feeling a little dry so the Prep & Prime is great to create a soft base! You can get this from the MAC counter in Brown Thomas or online at www.brownthomas.com - its about 17 euro. 


Friday's lip combo is a MAC lip liner in shade 'Spice' - this is pink nude with a definite brown undertone so it has a lovely deep pigment. With the combo today I just lined & filled in the side of the lips leaving just the centre natural before applying my lipstick! 

My lipstick is MAC 'Creme Cup' - this one is a really light pink nude which I like to warm up by wearing the deeper liner. I leave the centre of the lips with just the lippie to give that ombre effect! 



This lippie is a cremesheen finish so it leaves a lovely shine on the lips which looks so soft!

Such a beautiful day time nude - another MAC favourite!

Let me know if you pick any of these products up - I would love to hear how you get on! 

Happy Friday lovelies - hope you all have a fab weekend & here's hoping the sun shines again!! 😃 

Love 

Arlene 

x


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Thursday 19 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #Day4

Day 4 - MAC Cosmetics


Happy Thursday girls! 😘 x

For #day4 of #7daysofnudes I am sharing my wedding lip combo of choice - its a pink nude! I wanted something soft & natural but yet something that looked a little glam! So I chose a Mac lip liner in shade 'Soar' which is a classic pink nude tone. I always line & fill in the lips with the liner before applying the lipstick so it gives a deeper colour pay off.


As you can see I use this a lot!! 

You can pick this liner up in store or online at Brown Thomas - www.brownthomas.com.

My lipstick was MAC in shade 'Faux' - this one is the satin finish so it leaves a lovely sheen on the lips! Again this is a beautiful pink nude - it's so girly & pretty! 

Here is my Wedding Make up Artist Derrick Carberry applying my lippie on my big day!

 
Check Derrick out on insta @Derrick_Carberry - he is an incredible MUA
 
On my wedding day I added a MAC gloss in shade 'Ample Pink' just to add an extra shine to give glam & to complete the look I wanted!

 I have inserted two pictures below of just my lips LOL today - its just I had a no make up day so I look a little strange with a glossy nude lip & nothing else!! 😛
 
Lip combo with no lip gloss x
 
Lip combo with gloss x
 
I just wanted to insert both pics as some girls don't like gloss so Id like you to see it both ways! Also keep in mind that in certain lights the shade can look a little more pink & when you are wearing foundation it looks even nicer. I just love love this lip combo - it is the classic pink nude!
 
As you can see in my first pic this one is almost gone I use it so much & its a special one for me as I wore it on my wedding day!
 
 
Hope you like this lip combo suggestion & hope you are all enjoying my nude lipstick recommendations! There is lots more to come! 😏
 
Chat you all tomorrow - yeaahhh for Friday!
 
Love
 
Arlene
 
x
 
 






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Wednesday 18 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #Day3

Day 3 - Wet & Wild & Flormar

So we have all made it to mid week 😚 ...on the home stretch now to the weekend!! Woo hoo!!

Happy Wednesday! 😤

Today I am delighted to share a great budget buy nude lip combo! 


My liner is from Wet & Wild & it is in the shade 'Brandy Wine'! This liner is, as the name suggests, a beautiful wine colour & it lasts pretty well for its' price tag! You can pick this one up in Penneys for around 4 euro!! You might also get it in pharmacies that stock Wet & Wild. This product is so versatile & can be used with lighter & darker lippies. It is def. a good one to have in your make up bag & why not at this price!!

So I have as usual lined & filled in my lips with the liner to give a deeper base. 


Then I have applied my budget friendly lippie from Flormar - it is the Flormar Deluxe Cashmere in shade 'Absolute Nude' - I will pop a few pics below of the product so you can pick up the right one if you like it! 😉




The shade is a beautiful pinky nude & looks so soft & natural on! Its a fab day time nude look & used with liners & glosses makes it look so chic.  It is really smooth & it feels nice & moisturising on the lips. It wears well but like after eating & drinking or after a certain length of wear you might have to top up but I don't mind this at all! Most times we will have to top up during the day at least once or twice! 

This lipstick really is a steal for the quality & look of the product! It is also highly pigmented considering the price too! 

You can buy Flormar in most pharmacies & I see online that Meaghers pharmacy stocks some Flormar products - see their website here - www.meagherspharmacy.ie or buy it directly from Flormar online - www.flormar.com. 


The best part is you are getting a great product for a great price - it is only 5.95 😁

I love this lip combo & I first came across the suggestion on fellow Blogger Michelle Ross' blog 'Needs not wants'! Love it!! 

It is def. a winner! 💋

#LCOTD

Hope you like it!

Love 

Arlene 






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Tuesday 17 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #Day2

Day 2 - Charlotte Tilbury & Huda Beauty



Hope everyone is having a lovely Tuesday! 😉

So today my lip combo is a mix of a Huda Beauty lip liner & a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick. My liner is the Huda Beauty lip contour liner in 'Trendsetter'. This is a fab long - lasting brown nude liner which gives a fuller contoured effect to the lips! The colour is highly pigmented so if you fill in your whole lips, as I did today, you could actually wear it alone, like a lipstick or maybe just add a little gloss to add more texture! 

You can purchase Huda Beauty products from Brown Thomas & Cult Beauty - I actually purchased mine from Cult Beauty - www.cultbeauty.co.uk/Huda-beauty 



My lipstick is Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips lipstick in shade 'Kim K. W'. This shade is inspired by Kim Kardashian's signature nude lip. Charlotte Tilbury describes this shade as a light pinky beige nude & the perfect vintage - inspired colour reminiscent of 1960's screen sirens!

The CT Hot lips lipsticks are described on the brand website as having light - diffusing pigments which help to give your lips a luminous effect. As a result of the blend of waxes used the lipstick just glides on giving a seamless finish. 



When I bought this first I wasn't too sure as it is quite light in colour on its own. However I started playing around with it & using different lip liners & now it has become one of my many go to nude lippies! It is very versatile as you can make the shade different by simply using different liners or a gloss over the top!  

The creamy texture gives a lovely finish & it feels lovely on the lips! It is quite long - lasting but I have to say I would expect this from the Charlotte Tilbury brand & for the price tag - as it is 32 euro it is def. a higher price point!!


I have inserted a pic below of the Kim K. W. lipstick with Charlotte Tilbury 'Pillow Talk' lip liner. I just wanted to show you the same lipstick with a different liner. The 'Pillow Talk' liner is another lovely barely there nude liner that can be themed with lots of other lippies too! This one is 22 euro & you can purchase from Brown Thomas - www.brownthomas.com/brands/charlotte-tilbury/lips/lip-cheat-lip-liner



Hope you all like today's lip combo suggestions! I know that some of you may think there is no difference in one nude lip & the next but I think there really is so many different shades to love & enjoy. At the end of the week I will reveal a top nude lipstick & a top nude liner for anyone only wanting to pick one of each. I totally understand my obsession is a little crazy!! I want them all!!  😂

#nudelips #charlottetilbury #hudabeauty

Love 

Arlene 

x



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Monday 16 July 2018

7 days of Nudes - #Day1

Day 1 - Mac & Luna by Lisa Jordan



Happy Monday everyone! As you all know I'm just a little bit make - up obsessed - that's even an understatement!! I really do love all things make up & in particular I love to find a good lipstick especially a good nude lip. This week I will share my lip combo of the day every day until Sunday - so stay tuned if you are in the market for a good nude lipstick, liner or gloss 💋 as I will be sharing all of my current favourites!



Today I am wearing one of my favourite nude lip liners in shade 'Soar' from MAC Cosmetics. I actually wore this liner on my wedding day! It is a beautiful pink nude & a perfect liner for many MAC lipsticks! I love to apply this one by lining my lips & then shading in the whole lip before applying the lipstick! This liner is long lasting & feels really comfortable on the lips! You can get this one from MAC Cosmetics & in store & online from Brown Thomas 😍 
https://www.brownthomas.com/beauty/make-up/lips/lip-liner/lip-pencil/123088444.html



Over the liner my lipstick of choice today is MAC 'Velvet Teddy' - an all time favourite of mine & a very popular lippie from this cosmetic brand. This is a beautiful matte finish but its such a gorgeous matte - it does not feel dry on the lips at all! This nude is a pink nude with a slight brown undertone so it is a very understated way to wear nude - just such a fab every day lippie. I can't recommend this shade enough - I wear it most days'. Another reason why I love it so much is because it feels lovely on the lips & it is so long - lasting even when eating & drinking! This one is prob my number one favourite of all the nudes!

You can buy it at MAC & in store & online from Brown Thomas. 

https://www.brownthomas.com/beauty/make-up/lips/lipstick/lipstick/77x1832xm300.html?dwvar_77x1832xm300_color=Velvet_Teddy



Then over the top of the lipstick & only in the centre of my lips I applied Luna by Lisa lip gloss in shade 'Peach Opal'. This gloss was one of four glosses in the 'blush edition' of the Luna by Lisa lip collection. The shade 'Peach Opal' is a fab peachy nude gloss which dries to give a more matte finish. I apply this peachy nude in the centre of my lips to give an ombre effect to my lips. The purpose of this is to give the illusion of bigger, fuller lips! The Kylie Jenner lip effect! 💋 You can buy the Luna glosses in some pharmacies nationwide but you can also purchase them online from https://lunabylisa.ie/products/lip-gloss-collection-blush-edition.




I took some pics of when I applied the lip combo firstly so this is where you will see the more glossy finish. After some time the gloss dries as a matte lip so you will see this in some of the pics above. A matte lip can look very chic & sophisticated! The MAC 'Velvet Teddy' lipstick is the perfect way to achieve this without leaving a dry finish as some mattes do! 

So this was my Monday lip combo #LCOTD💋 


Let me know if any of these are your favourites!

Love 

Arlene x 

Stay tuned for more of my nude favourites during the week 💋

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Tuesday 10 July 2018

A Coast Polka Dot dress for a Summer Wedding

Last weekend we attended our friends' wedding in the sunny South East! The wedding venue was the breathtakingly beautiful Dunbrody Country House Hotel in Arthurstown, Co. Wexford.

It was such a beautiful wedding & of course the addition of the amazing sunshine really made the day sheer perfection!

Here we are sipping our champers whilst basking in the summer sun in the beautiful Dunbrody House gardens - we really felt like we were at a wedding abroad! It was just heaven!



I love polka dots & as they are so on trend at the moment I decided to wear just that for Emma & Eoghan's big day! I chose this classic monochrome midi length polka dot dress from Coast.





I love the simplicity of the monochrome polka dot & the length & style of this dress is really classic. I wanted to add the on trend v - shape pointy toe white stilettos to complete the look that I had in mind & I ordered these beautiful white heels from Office! 



However, anyone following me on social media knows that unfortunately my order did not arrive on time 😌 I was not a happy girl but my sister Laura came to the rescue & lent me her beautiful black pointy toe heels from Office. Looking at the pictures now I think the black work well too! Although the white shoes have arrived this week & I'm so in love - I am def. keeping them! 😛 #Happyendings!

Recently you may have seen the fabulous Holly Willoughby wearing a similar Coast dress but with the small white polka dots & you will see Holly themes hers with a black barely there sandal, so there really are lots of options when it comes to styling it.



Also you will see that Holly styled her dress with the bardot strap under her arm making the dress appear strappy with a ruffle detail. 

I wore mine showing the bardot neckline but I do love that you can wear it both ways & make the dress look different - next time I might try it Holly's way!  Also the Nadine polka dot dress worn by Holly is currently sold out in Coast - anything Holly wears sells out - she looks incredible here!

I paired the dress with a little white patent clutch from Penneys - although it is really tiny & it didn't even fit my phone but I thought it looked cute for pics!! 



Later in the evening I just used a bigger black bag to hold the phone & my lippie! 😚

I think this dress would be really pretty with an up-style too but it was a nice chilled wedding so I decided to go for my usual relaxed wavy curl & my hairdresser Kat gave me exactly what I asked for, as always! - find Kat here - www.instagram.com/Kathleenr.hair

Sunnies are from Penneys!

A Summer wedding is always very beautiful but an Irish Summer wedding when the sun shines like it did is so incredible! Someone obviously put out the Child of Prague!!

The Bride, Emma absolutely stunned in her beautiful flowing wedding gown - she really looked so effortlessly chic & elegant. 




There was a lot of fun had & many many memories made at Emma & Eoghan's wedding! 

We ended the day dancing under the stars in the beautiful Dunbrody gardens, to the sound of the amazingly talented Ben & Ian Cully! 

It really was such a perfect day!

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. O' Flaherty!

Love 

Arlene 
x



Link to my wedding guest outfit of choice is here - https://www.coast-stores.com/p/cheryl-spot-midi-dress 
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