Influencers That Actually Influence Me

I'm not a big fan of the term influencers and I don't think I'm the only one! I personally don't like it because I think it cheapens what bloggers actually do and represent. We're not (most of us) walking advertisements that try to trick or pressure or 'influence' people into buying things. I really do wish there was another name but for the moment bloggers and the like are being called influencers so I guess I'll have to get over that. I've been following bloggers, YouTubers and digital media peeps for the guts of five years now. I've said before on here, that I follow an insane amount of people across all my social media and following a crazy amount of people results in a crazy amount of recommendations. Here's a little list of influencers that ACTUALLY influence me...

Jen aka TooDollyMakeup : I've known Jen for years now at this point and she's such a lovely genuine person. She's inspired me so much, every time she snapchats at 2am saying she's just finished filming and then she's up bright and early for work, I'm in awe. Her determination and dedication is outstanding. In terms of influencing, seeing her work so damn hard and seeing it all pay off for her actually has made me work that little bit harder and made me believe in myself that little bit more.


Karen aka Lovely Girlie Bits : Karen was actually one of the first Irish bloggers I ever came across online. Immediately I warmed to her bubbly personality and humour and I was only delighted to find out when I eventually met her that she's so freaking nice too!! I love that Karen shares a mixture of high end and affordable makeup on her blog, perfect for my student budget. Her photography skills are on another level! Her work ethic is also very inspiring! When I go onto Karen's blog I know that I'm going to get complete honesty as well as a few laughs (I just loves the way her mind works sometimes). I've actually gone out and spent money many times based on what she's recommended. I've also not purchased things thanks to her recommendations and saved myself a few bob.


Sinead aka The Beautiful Truth : I am such a big fan of Sinead's blog, have been since the minute I clicked on her website ! I've met her in person a few times now and she's always been so lovely to me.  I admire Sinead so much, of all bloggers and influencers she's the one I trust the most! I love that there's just no bullshit with her and whenever I see a disappointing products video pop up in my subscription box, I always watch it immediately. I've bought so many things on her recommendation and if I'm unsure of a product, I'll usually check her blog to see if she's reviewed it, before I buy it!


Aisling aka Dramatic Mac : I look up to Aisling so much! I've seen her YouTube channel grow so much over the last few years and honestly it's just amazing to watch! I love seeing the hard work that goes into growing her channel. Not a lot of influencers show that side, but I'm glad she does because it makes me up my own YouTube game. I'm no where near her success but watching her succeed makes me feel like if I keep working hard, one day it'll all pay off! I've yet to actually meet Aisling, but I'm certain it will happen at some stage and I can't wait to actually meet her.

There's a quick list of people who influence me in one way or another on a regular basis. There's so many more people I could mention and maybe I will do a follow up post, but for now there's four 'influencers' that ACTUALLY influence me! Tell me, who influences you? 

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The Balm Batter Up Eye Shadow Sticks Review

I've never really been a fan of eyeshadow sticks. I usually just find them a little gimmicky. I much preferred using eyeshadows. That was until these babies came into my life, The Balm Batter Up eyeshadows sticks!

I find them to be very pigmented, which I wasn't really expecting. As you can see from the swatches above, even the lightest shades show up really well. They all have a slight sheen to them too. They come in eight beautiful shades. Honestly they're all very wearable.

• Slugger - which is a plum shade
• Outfield -  a gorgeous olive green
• Shutout - A shimmery bronze
• Night Game - A shimmery black
• Pinch Hitter - A lavendar shade
• Dugout - A chocolate brown
• Moonshot - A champagne/highlighter shade
• Curveball - A copper shade

They glide onto the eye very nicely and blend out really well.They're not patchy at all and so easy to apply. They are also super long lasting. I usually apply one of the colours, then set it with a very similiar shade of eye shadow on top. Otherwise I find it would just be a little sticky and oily. They are quite practical too, you simply have to twist them when you wear it down, so no need to sharpen (is it just me who can never seem to find my sharpener when I need it).

They can be used as either a creamy eyeshadow or as an eyeliner. I actually use 'Night Game' as my everyday waterline eyeliner and I love it. It lasts really long and doesn't actually appear shimmery. They are available online on Debenhams and also on Meaghers Pharmacy !

Have you used eyeshadow sticks? What are your thoughts? 

Erin X

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Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation Review

This has pretty much been the only foundation I've worn all month since filming THIS video. So I feel like enough time has passed and I have a tried it enough times to give a full review on the Catrice HD Liquid Coverage foundation. I picked mine up for €7.90 in my local pharmacy, O' Mearas Pharmacy.

Catrice claim that this foundation will give you a HD effect, give a mattifying finish and act like second skin effect. For once I actually agree with the claims a brand makes. This foundation photographs really well and comes across great on camera when I'm filming, it definitely has a mattifying finish and depending on how much you build it up, it can act like a second skin effect.

The consistency of the foundation is very thin and runny. You don't need a lot of product to cover your face and even when building up the coverage, I really don't need a lot. It feels quite light on the skin which is great because most fuller coverage foundations can feel very suffocating on the skin. It also doesn't break me out which is just brilliant.

In terms of coverage, I'd say it's a medium coverage foundation but definitely build-able and you can achieve quite high coverage without applying a ton of layers. I think if you're looking for a more natural looking base, apply one layer with a damp beauty blender. If you're looking for a more full coverage look, then apply two layers with a brush. It is a very long lasting foundation, it claims to give 24 hours worth of coverage, I haven't tested that myself, but it certainly does a great job up until the 9 - 12 hour mark.

Who does it suit? I think it's aimed at people who have oily to normal skin. I have a very oily T Zone but the outer parts of my face are quite dry/dehydrated. I don't find the foundation clings to any dry patches I have and I do feel like it keeps my oils at bay for quite a considerable amount of time on my T Zone. If you have VERY dry skin maybe give this one a pass but for anyone else, I'd definitely say try it!

A few things I don't like about it, I have to wear a silicone based primer otherwise I find the foundation sits into my pores. I use the NYX shine killer and Pore Filler. The foundation shade range is very small. There's only four different shades and the lightest one, 010 'Lightest beige' is still far too dark for my pale Irish skin. Hopefully they'll bring out more shades.The foundation has a dropper rather than a pump. I can't say I can see why, I think all foundations should have a pump. For me because the shade is too dark and I have to mix it with lightening drops, the dropper actually does suit me, but I'd still prefer a pump.

Overall I really really like this foundation. It lived up to the hype which is a hard thing to do in the beauty world. I'd love to know what you think and if you've tried it, or have you tried out any of the other Catrice foundations? Let me know in the comments! 

Erin X

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My January Favourites!

This month feels like it's lasted a lifetime!! I had a very mixed month, which you can see when I upload my monthly vlog next week. One thing I do quickly want to mention before I jump into the few things that I've been loving this month, I hit 600 subscribers on YouTube!!! I still can't believe it, thank you so much if you have subscribed, if you haven't, I'd love it if you did! Now on with my monthly favourites...

The first thing, which will be obvious to anyone who follows my social media as I haven't stopped raving about it, is the Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation. I'll have a full blog post up on it this week, but very quickly, it's an amazing foundation, perfect for everyday use. It's so affordable at €7.90. It is quite mattifying so if you're super dry, I'd maybe give this a miss. I on the other hand have normal skin with quite an oily t zone. This foundation keeps my oils at bay without making me look like I'm caked in makeup and it doesn't feel very heavy. Did I mention it has fantastic coverage? I need to build it up from medium to full coverage but when I do, it's so great. 

Next up is the Blank Canvas master series palette. I had heard so much hype about this palette and on black Friday when there was 40% off, I finally gave it and bought it! I actually didn't use it until just after Christmas though, I'd put of using it so that I could take photos (blogger problems). I was genuinely so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the eyeshadows! I've pretty much only used this palette since I first opened it and I have to admit, it's fast becoming one of my absolute favourites!

Next up is a makeup mixing plate. I bought mine in Pennies for €4 and I'm obsessed. I am very very pale and most brands don't make a foundation light enough for my skin so I always use my Body Shop lightening drops to take the foundation down a shade or two. The mixing palette has come in so so handy for this exact reason and I don't even know what life was before it.

I'm not usually big into the January sales but one that did catch my eye thanks to Joanne from Lipstick n Leopard Print, was the No7 cleansing brush. I've honestly had my eye on it for about a year, usually it's €34 and because I have my Aldi one,which is really good, I never picked up the No7 one. However it was down to €11.50 so I couldn't leave it behind and I'm so glad I didn't I really really love it and will hopefully do a full blog post on it soon. 

Next up is a product that I wasn't really sure of when I started using it and that's the Dr.Paw Paw lip balm. Again, I'd heard a lot of hype. Do I think it's the best lip balm in the world? No. But I do think it's a pretty good one. I was sick for two weeks this month and my lips were dryer than the Sahara desert, I thought if there was time to test out the lip balm, it would be then. And I have to say it really helped my lips, it's not scented, doesn't make my drier which some lip balms do and I actually find myself reaching for it every night now. Big thumbs up! 

The last favourite is quite random but it's a Batiste dry shampoo. I really like the smell of it, it doesn't make my hair feel gross and it doesn't leave white marks because it brushes out really well. I'm not going to go on about dry shampoo, I'm sure most of you will have tried either this one or something similar but if you haven't this one from Batiste is really quite good. 

Thanks so much for reading. If you wanna hear my thought in a little bit more detail then you can watch the video below! 

Erin X

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Tea Tree Witch Hazel Night Treatment Gel Review

Anyone else suffer with blemishes and spots? I have suffered with acne since I was about twelve! It's a lot better now but still no where near clear. The smallest thing can cause a breakout.  About two years ago I introduced something new to my skincare routine and that is this baby, the Tea Tree With Hazel Night Treatment Gel. I picked it up because there was a 3 for 2 sale and I was just curious. Ever since, it has been a constant item in my skincare routine! I think I'm on my fourth tube/bottle.

I'm not a huge fan of toners, I never really feel like the do anything so I've actually subbed in this tea tree gel instead and find that it works wonders. You only need a pea sized amount to cover your entire face. Sometimes if I have active spots, I layer it up a little. It dries in super fast so I can go on with my serum almost immediately. I tend to only really use it at night as it is a night treatment, but if my skin is acting up, I do add a bit in the morning too!

Pros
It isn't greasy
It doesn't leave my skin feeling tight
It dries out my spot but not my skin
It helps reduce and clear active spots
It dries really quickly so I don't have to wait before applying a serum.
It's cheap as chips
You get 75mls in the tube, which lasts me about 6 months!

Cons
To be completely honest, I have not one thing negative to say about this product. It does exactly what it claims to do and it does so excellently.

I think this product would be ideal for anyone suffering from the odd blemish, to having full on acne. Also a major plus, when I had my skin consultation a while back, I was told that this product is perfect to use on my skin which is fantastic because sometimes cheaper skincare can filled with stuff that doesn't actually help your skin. So there you have it! You can purchase this is any Boots store nationwide for only €3.99! What an absolute bargain!

Have you tried the tea tree witch hazel night treatment gel? What did you think?

Erin X

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Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Water Review

Has anyone else been getting a little sick of micellar waters recently? I definitely had. I got the hype, bought loads of different Micellar water and compared them all HERE. then one day I ran out and I actually didn't repurchase one. I'm not really sure why to be honest. They're very handy for after a night out or for travelling. I think I just got a bit sick of the hype.

Then Garnier come out with their oil infused micellar water and a while new wave of hype came along. I resisted it for along time but eventually gave in. I was really interested to see how the micellar water would work with the oil. I am obsessed with cleansing oils and they're basically all I use to remove makeup. So I gave in bought it and here's what I thought...

 

As you can see from the picture above, the oil sits on top of the water so before you use it you have to shake it, so that it mixes with the water. Once you've done that just add a little to a cotton pad and start to remove your makeup. I would only ever use this or any other micellar water as either a way to remove makeup, I always double cleanser with a proper cleanser afterwards.

It feels kind of silky. It's very soft, leaves your skin feeling very soft which is nice because so micellar waters can leave your skin very dry. The bottle says it's not greasy, I'm not so sure about that, I'd definitely notice a bit of residue left afterwards. However it removes makeup very well. Even my toughest most waterproof gel liner & mascara. It removes it very gently and quickly. It doesn't leave my sensitive eyes cloudy or foggy. It doesn't irritate them at all. There is a perfumed smell from it but that hasn't irritated my skin.

Overall, I'm very pleasantly surprised and impressed. I hadn't high hopes but I do find myself reaching for it more and more. I especially love it for my eyes. You can find the Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Water in Boots, Superdrug, pharmacies nationwide and in Pennys! It costs €5.53 from Boots which is the cheapest I've seen it!

Have you tried it? What are your thought on Micellar waters in general?

Erin X

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Sleek Colour Correcting Palette Review

If you've read THIS post then you'll know I'm a little bit obsessed with colour correctors! I'm determined to try them all and report back on which ones actually do the job! I've had the sleek colour correcting palette for close to three months now so my opinion on it is fairly solid at this stage!

So what is a colour corrector and why are they so good? Basically a colour corrector neutralizes a particular colour in your skin to give you a blank canvas before applying the rest of your makeup. For example, I had acne for years which has left me with lots of red scars on my chin and jawline. I usually use the green corrector to cancel out the redness in my skin. It essentially conceals it. So when I go to apply my foundation, the redness is already concealed and I have a blank canvas to do my makeup.

This palette is broken up into six different shades (all cream, as most colour correcting palettes). Here's the purpose of all six shades...

Green -  neutralizes redness, great for covering any scars.
Lilac - neutralizes yellowness of the skin ie. brightens dull skin.
Blue - neutralizes orange, this is good if you want to cover any freckles.
Rose - really brightens the skin, I apply it to the high points of my face to act as a highlighter.
Yellow - neutralizes purples & reds, good for covering dark circles & red cheeks.
Orange - neutralizes blue, ie. under eye circles.

The main colours I use are the green (on my chin and jawline), the yellow ( on my cheeks) and the rose (on the high points of my face, ie. cheekbones, cupids bow etc). I don't really need to use the other shades but they're handy to have. The palette itself is a lovely size, it's quite sturdy, easy to open and has a handy mirror on the inside lid. It's ideal for travelling with as it's thin, light and doesn't take up much room.

Is it any good? Yes it's brilliant, I really do love it. I've already hit pan on the yellow. It's very creamy which means it's easy to blend. I usually apply it with a small stippling brush or with my fingers, then use Blank Canvas F20 to blend it out. After blending it out, it almost melts into your skin and that's when the magic happens!  It's not too oily or too stiff, it really is wonderful. I think it would be best suited to people with normal to dry skin types as it is a cream product. I also find that whatever foundation I wear over it always seems to last that little bit longer too. I also think it's worth mentioning that I have about 6 colour correcting palettes from different brands and since I got this one, I haven't even thought of picking up the others.

This nifty little palette is only €8.99 and available on DolledUp.ie as well as Boots.ie! Have you ever tried a colour corrector? What did you think? 

Erin X 

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Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil Review

Over the last two years my love for cleansing oils have grown and grown. I now pretty much only using cleansing oils to remove my makeup. Micellar water is grand and all but I just never find it as good as a cleansing oil. Over the last year, there's pretty much only been one oil that I've been using and that is the Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil.

How do you use it? Pump 1 or 2 drops onto your hands, warm it up slightly and apply it directly do your face. I usually use about 3 pumps as my eye makeup can be really heavy! I then message it onto my face for a minute or so and then wash it off with a hot face cloth. Make sure it is quite hot as I find if you use cold water or lukewarm water the oil almost sets or turns into a solid balm. You get a much better cleanse when the water is slightly hotter!

The oil is completely free of preservatives as it only contains plant oil extracts. The ingredients include, Sunflower oil, Sesame Oil,Watermelon oil, Thistle Oil, Rosemary Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Cedar Wood Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and some essential oils too.  As you can see it's all organic.

I'm a big fan of the packaging too. The bottle contains 100ml of product. The bottle itself is a really hard plastic so there's no worrying about breaking it. It has a very handy pump and you can turn it left and right to open and close the pump, which means it's super easy to travel with.

Why do I like it? It is really good at removing makeup. It takes off my Inglot gel liner in no time and saves me scrubbing my face as it melts away the makeup. It also takes off all my mascara easily and best yet it doesn't leave my eyes feeling cloudy, which is a problem I've had with lots of oils. My face always feels clean and soft afterwards. It never feels dry or tight! To be honest, it's just a pure joy to use!

I'm now almost finished my second bottle and will 100% be picking up a third bottle. I haven't tried any other product from Kinvara but I am eager to try the rest of the range after having such a great result with this. The Absolute Cleansing Oil is €22.95 and can be bought HERE on their own website or in pharmacies nationwide.I picked mine up in a local pharmacy as they have a student discount!

Have you tried anything from Kinvara? Have you ever used a cleansing oil? 

Erin X

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