What I Got For Christmas 2013!

Merry Christmas everyone! Well actually, I suppose I should be saying Happy St.Stephen's Day, as Christmas is now over... Anyway I hope you've all had a lovely holiday and ate lots of lovely food and spent time with the ones you love. I had a lovely day. Now, of course Christmas is not about the gifts but who doesn't like seeing what everyone else received? I know I do, and if you're a tad nosey like me, hopefully you'll enjoy this post. Before I start, I guess I'll have to include the mandatory disclaimer that I am of course not showing off and this is simply a fun little post! If you don't enjoy these sorts of posts, feel free to exit right now. It goes without saying that I am genuinely extremely grateful for everything I received and for all the amazing people in my life. Here are most of the gifts I received this year...

Above, I have all of my Santa pressies. I honestly received alot more than I could have ever imagined. My main gift was a gorgeous embellished parka from Free People that I didn't include in the above photo, but if you fancy seeing a pic click here. The biggest surprise I received was the beats pill speakers. It is a tiny wireless bluetooth speaker and I love it! The sound is great and it's perfect for blasting music everywhere and anywhere! My stocking stuffers (which are my favourite bit!) included some MAC makeup, chocolates, Real Techniques brush sets, a Paris Street Style book and a fabulous vintage-style eiffel tower mirror. I also got a Babyliss curling wand- I can't wait to try and recreate some Kardashian waves!

Below, is a bracelet I also received in my stocking. It was a total surprise and I absolutely love it! It's from Ti Siento and it's a simple and delicate silver chained bracelet with a diamond in the middle. I love dainty jewellery such as this and I haven't taken it off since I opened it! On the right are a few gifts I received from my family members. I mostly received money this year but I also got a Benefit makeup kit, short grey Uggs and a Wildfox jumper.

Well there are my gifts this year, let me know what you received in the comments! I've had a lovely Christmas, relaxed and hanging out with family. Just how it should be. 

Nars Laguna Bronzer | Review & Swatch + Bronzer Recommendations and Tips (#TheSoProject)

Phew, these past few weeks have been pretty manic in my world and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon. Unfortunately, due to that blogging has been taking a bit of a back seat. I am making my best efforts, but I do wish I could post more often. At the moment- twice a week is about the maximum I can manage. Anyway, today I am bringing you a review of my current favourite bronzer which is none other than the infamous Laguna bronzer by Nars (€33.83). This is also my fourth instalment of the The Starting Off Project (click here to find out more).

This bronzer comes neatly packaged in a sleek, matte, black compact. It is the typical, non-exciting Nars packaging here. I think it looks classy and expensive but by golly do these get grubby looking quickly. It is near impossible to not have your fingerprints all over this due to the finish of the packaging. There is a great sized mirror housed inside the compact, which makes it perfect for on the go application

Finish wise, this is an almost-matte (there is a teeny tiny bit of shimmer that isn't noticeable on but is faint in pan) brown that should suit most light-medium skin tones. It is not very dark so if you are on the darker side of the skin tone spectrum, this may not show up on you very well. It is very easy to build up and is a perfect contour and all-round bronzer. It's very natural looking which I love and lasts the entire day.

Overall I love this bronzer and it has become apart of my daily makeup routine during the past few weeks. I finally know what all of the fuss is about! However, if Nars is a bit out of your budget there are plenty of other great bronzers on the market. 'Bourjois Delice de Poudre' (€8.99) is a great highstreet alternative. It also smells faintly of chocolate which is always a bonus in my books! Another favourite of mine is Hoola by Benefit (€34). Definitely not exactly pocket friendly but it's a great one to try if you're on the hunt for a new bronzer. 

The Bronzing Basics

If you're new to the bronzing world, here are a few tips to get you on your way. If you're like me, you'll never look back!

• Bronzer can be used for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason would be to bronze your face, and make you look more tanned. Another major reason is to contour your face. This means that you would use the product to accentuate certain features or hide others. The best place to use bronzer is under your cheekbones. Make a fishy face and apply product from the edge of your face until you reach the outside of your eye in a downwards motion. You can also apply the product along your temples and down the sides of your nose (this creates the illusion of a smaller nose). 
• Make sure to blend! Nobody wants a VCL (that's visible contour line, don't you know!). Harsh lines are a no no.
• Don't apply bronzer onto your inner cheeks, this will just make your makeup look patchy and muddy. Never a desired look.
• Use a contour brush to apply bronzer. This makes contouring a lot easier than using a big powder brush.
• If you're afraid of using bronzer- don't be! It's the perfect product to create a natural, sun-kissed look and really helps highlight your best features.

They're my tips and recommendations for bronzers. I hope you enjoyed this and let me know of any tricks or product recommendations in the comments! 

Review + Swatches | Benefit Go Tropicoral Lip & Cheek Kit

I hope you're all doing well and getting all set for Summer! One thing that's fun about Summer is the excuse to wear brighter makeup and experiment a little. One of my favourite colours to wear on my lips and cheeks is coral as it's bright, but not too bright. Benefit have come up with the perfect kit to create a gorgeous coral look and it comes in the form of their "Go Tropicoral" lip & cheek kit. 

This kit is one of three kits in Benefit's lip & cheek kit range. The other two being "Feelin' Dandy" and "Sugarlicious". This kit is based around their infamous blush, "Coralista". The kit comes with a mini (3g) version of blush, along with their signature blush brush. It also comes with a mini (4ml) high beam and Cha Cha Tint. I have pictured their mini "bene tint" as my sister and I swapped but it did originally contain a Cha Cha Tint. The final beauty product in this set is a mini (6.5ml) Coralista lip gloss. The kit is complete with a small handbook of tips and tricks which instructs you on how to use the kit.

This kit is perfect for travel as all the products are miniature and it contains everything you need to brighten up your makeup. The tint can be used on your lips or cheeks as a long-lasting stain. One of my personal favourite Benefit products is their "HighBeam" highlighter. It provides a gorgeous sheen to your face. I love to apply it to my cheekbones or my brow-bone as it gives a gorgeous glow that looks especially great in the Summer time.

The final two products are the corresponding "Coralista" blush and lip gloss. The blush is one of Benefits bestsellers and is always raved about, and for good reason too. It is a shimmery coral that isn't too bright and adds a gorgeous, natural flush to the face. The gloss is a great size to pop in your handbag and sheers out to give a pretty pop of colour to the lips. It's not as bright as the swatch below once applied- don't worry! It also smells yummy and fruity which is always a bonus!

Swatches from top-bottom: Coralista lip gloss// Coralista blush//Benetint//High Beam

Overall, this is a great kit and perfect for the Summer time. All the products are great quality and none of them disappoint. If you want to try out a few products from Benefit, this is a great and more affordable way of doing so rather than purchasing each product individually. 

Benefit Go Tropicoral Lip & Cheek Kit: €35 available from Brown Thomas & Debenhams as well as Benefit counters nation wide.