Blank canvas Cosmetics Master Series Palette Review

This palette has gotten so much hype that I was very skeptical about buying it. I always feel that products that receive as much hype as this palette did, are actually quite often a bit disappointing. However I was very pleasantly surprised by this palette and I'm really quite impressed.

This palette costs €34.99 but I bought mine on Black Friday and used an additional code so it cost me somewhere around the €20 mark (what a bargain). The palette consist of 12 eye shadows, 11 mattes and one shimmer. There is a mix of both warm and cool toned eyeshadows, however the warm and cool tones actually work together really well. In terms of pigmentation, all shadows bar one cannot be faulted. The colour payoff is phenomenal, all except 'GODDESS' unfortunately. It's a pity too because it's the one shimmer shade and if it was more pigmented, this palette would be perfect in my opinion.

I find the shadows really easy to blend and they all compliment each other so well. I've created quite a few looks over on my Instagram (@chasingrubychat) with this palette and since opening it, I've honestly used at most days I wear makeup. It's just perfect for everyday and so easily built up for a night time look. My favourite shades are 'Carmin' 'Cocoa' 'Hickory' and 'Corruption'.

The palette also comes with a double ended brush. As Blank Canvas Cosmetics are mainly a makeup brush brand, you can be sure that the brush included with the palette isn't a flimsy one. In fact it's really rather brilliant. On one end is the E40 and on the other end is E41, both can be both separately too.  The E40 is a flat ended brush, perfect for putting the eyshadow in place.The E41is a fluffy blending brush, ideal for blending the eyeshadows together in the crease. I think this was a brilliant brush to compliment the palette. The packaging itself is really good too, not only does it look pretty, it has a decent sized mirror in it and while it's made of cardboard, the palette feels very sturdy.

Overall I really REALLY love this palette, it's become my everyday palette and one of my all time favourites. I really can't say enough good things about it! Have you tried this palette? What did you think?

Erin X 

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Bee-utiful Highlighter Review

I'm back with another beauty post and today I'm looking at a highlighter created by two ladies in transition year from Tipperary. They've created Bee-utiful as a mini company. I love this and wish my school allowed us to do mini companies. Anyway onto the review...

Let's start with packaging, I really like it. It's cute, it's light and the perfect size in my opinion. Who needs a massive big pan of highlighter? You'll never get through it especially if like me you've loads of highlighters. It also has a small mirror on the inside of the lid. So I was really happy with the size, it's also a really handy size for travelling too. And how cute are the little gems!

Onto the actual product. It's a cream highlighter that appears quite silvery on the skin. It has a distinct scent that's absolutely gorgeous, not overwhelming, just the perfect amount. I find the best way to apply it is with a small brush, that way you get more of a 'pop' with it. In saying that though, it's extremely pigmented, if you're going for that 'I wanna be seen from outer space' look and let's be real who isn't when they're applying highlighter.

I prefer the look of it when it's only slightly blended, otherwise it looses a little pigment and can appear a little glittery. So I tend to only slightly blend it and allow it to melt into my skin. Once it's applied, it feels very comfortable on the skin. As it's a cream product, I usually set it with a little translucent powder so that it's not sticky and doesn't run.

One thing that really intrigues me with this product is that it's kind to the skin. Some of the ingredients include Beeswax, coconut oil, castor oil, silver mica powder, zinc oxide and lavender oil. With so many products on the market, it's lovely to have a homemade highlighter that I know is good to my skin.

The highlighter costs €5 and only €3.50 for students! You cna contact the girls on their Instagram which is @Bee-utiful. All in all,I'm a big fan and I'm so proud of the girls from Bee-utiful. I can see big things in their future and wish them all the best! 

Erin X 

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Feeling Lost

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've done a personal post here. Recently I've been feeling very lost, overwhelmed, inadequate and all over the place. If you watched THIS video you'll see that I've been struggling a lot with college this semester. I have one module in particular that kicking my ass, no matter how hard I try or how many hours I put in. Recently I was told by a someone who previously did my course and now teaches it, that this is by far the worst semester and that fourth year isn't as difficult. Which was nice to hear in one way as I know it can't get much worse than this but still just proves the difficulty of this semester.

I have also had a few family members fallen ill since the start of the year which was quite a shock and put a lot of things in perspective for me. I've been trying my best to get good grades, have a social life, see my family, spend time with my boyfriend, visit my friends, eat well, try and incorporate fitness back into my life, blog, make videos, keep my social media updated daily, run Tipperary Hour, try to find a summer job and so much more.

All in all, I'm exhausted and overwhelmed which has led me to feel really inadequate about everything. I just feel like no matter how hard I try, nothing is ever good enough. I'm always one step behind. In reality I know I've a lot on my plate and just need to put it all in perspective and stop being so hard on myself. But I can't help it. I pride myself on always being organised and lately I just feel all over the place. Now you're probably thinking, I could just give the blog and my YouTube channel a break until things calm down with college. But I love blogging and making videos, they keep me somewhat sane and I like the routine of them.

All of this had led me to really evaluate my life and made me focus on what I want out of life, where I want to be in 10 years time, what I'll do when I finish college and have to go out into the big bad world and be an actual grown up. The problem is I've asked myself questions and I have no answers. I have no clue what I want to do when I finish college. I've no clue what I want to focus on. I love blogging and doing YouTube and as much as I'd love to make that a career, I don't think that's realistic. I think to actually make it as a blogger/YouTuber is so so difficult these days and it's only getting tougher. Also I'm not quite sure I'd like to be my own boss anymore. I always thought I would want to be self employed but after working for my mother for nine months and seeing the real side to being self employed and having a company, I can see very clearly that it's not all it's cracked up to be.

So with blogging/YouTube crossed off my list, I've no idea where that leaves me. I'm not particularly great at anything. I'm a jack of all trades but master of none as they say. I'm not afraid of hard work and if I found something that I was super passionate about I'd go after it 100% and give it my all. I just don't know what my 'thing' is. I don't even know how to go about finding what my 'thing' is. I feel like all my friends have their shit together and are on a path to a real career and while I'm so genuinely delighted that things are working out for them, I can't help but feel really left behind.

I feel like I'm having my quarter life crisis a few years early. I don't really know where to go from here, I don't know how to progress or how to stop feeling so lost in life. I'm sure everything will work out in the end and I'll end up wherever I'm meant to be but at this very moment in time...I'm lost.

Erin X 

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The Best Eye Cream In The World??? Thalgo Collagen Eye Roll On Review!

Ok I haven't tried all the eye creams in the world to make such a big claim but I would bet anything that it's up there with the best of them. I've been using this eye roll on from Thalgo for about a year and half and I just can't get enough of it! Here's why...

First off, I'm only 22 so wrinkles are not exactly something I'm trying to reduce or even think about however I'm a firm believer that prevention is better than cure. So I always use some sort of an eye cream. This one from Thalgo is my go to and I've converted so many people into loving it too so I know, it's not just me! Even though I don't have any wrinkles, I do suffer with dehydration in my skin and this can result in small creases under my eyes and dry patches and that is what I love this product for.

It's technically a clear gel, rather than a cream but I call it an eye cream out of habit. It had three little roller balls that help cool your skin and spread the product. You simply squeeze the tube a little to push out the product and the three roller balls disperse the product. I love that you can very easily control how much product you use. Because it's so easy to control and you honestly only need the smallest amount of product, it's lasted me so long.

As I said it's almost like a gel and it feels so cooling and soothing on the skin. It isn't oily but yet it's very moisturizing and hydrating. It dries in quite quickly and doesn't leave any sticky residue! It claims to be anti puffiness and anti dark circles and my god do I notice a difference! Not so much with dark circles as I don't suffer with dark circles but definitely with the puffiness!

I really cannot explain to you how much I love this product. I've tried lots of other eye creams/gels some affordable and some high end and nothing has ever come close to this one. It is a little pricey at €33 but worth every penny in my opinion. I'll definitely be repurchasing when I run out! It can be bought here on Thalgo.ie ! 

Have you ever used this? What is your favourite eye cream?

Erin X 

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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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My 2017 Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I just love a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate! Time for new goals and new beginnings! Today I wanted to share some of those goals with you, mainly because once it's out there, I'll feel accountable and then I'll HAVE to do them! With that being said, grab yourself a cuppa and let's jump in...

I want to make loads of memories and document them! I feel like I document so much here, on my Youtube channel, but most of it is material things, I want to start documenting more personal things. That's why I'm starting a new YouTube series called 'The Monthly Vlog' where I'll basically vlog the month. But I don't want it to be a situation where I feel I have to do fun things in order to have content for the vlog. This series is very much for me and what I mean by that is, usually the videos I make, I try to have it as a win win situation, where I like what I create and my audience like to watch it! With this vlog, I of course hope that my audience like it but if not that's ok I'm doing it for me. SO some videos might be 10 minutes while other might be 35, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I want to document my last full year in college and see how much things really do change in a year. This was completely inspired by Hazel Hayes, an Irish Youtuber who is phenomenal. I'll leave her series linked here, warning you may cry!

On a very similar note, I want to see people more! Unfortunately this year I had a few people pass away. It made me realise that we've no clue when the last time we see someone will actually be, so we need to make the most of it and clear some room in our schedules that always seem to be busy. I want to see my friends more and my family and do fun things, go on adventures and make the best memories possible.

I want to save money! I've spent both 2015 and 2016 completely broke! It's time that changed. I want to start saving, like properly saving. I always try my best, save some money and then BAM it's black Friday and I feel the need to buy ALL OF THE THINGS or something similar comes along. However I really wanna buy a new laptop/desktop, I wanna go on a holiday and save for my graduation holiday. I'm planning on going to Disneyland Orlando and seeing all of Disney, Universal and Harry Potter world, all that jazz! But obviously to afford all of these big expensive things, I need to save. I need to be smarter with my money and stop being such an impulse buyer!

Routine. I need one, I'm one of those people who needs to have a routine otherwise I'm a mess. I'm actually a really organised person in certain aspects of my life. I just need to concentrate on being as organised as possible in all aspects on my life. Somehow I find myself getting into bizarre routines and having really unproductive weeks which doesn't do my mental health any good.

In term of the blog, I actually have lots of little goals like finally going .com and adding a search function to the home page, I'd also like to set up a monthly newsletter. I'd like to do more micro blogging and by that I mean doing smaller reviews or first impressions on my social media as opposed to on the blog. My reason for this is I use so so so many products but don't review them all, sometimes because I try them once or twice, don't really like them so just move on. Some I like but don't think it warrants it's own full blog post so I'd like to increase my micro blogging. I want to join the Irish Blogger Agency, run by Sinead Carroll. I'd like to work with some brands and companies and start doing a little bit of sponsored posts. I've worked on my blog for two and a half years now and eventually would love to be a full time blogger. But you have to start somewhere so working with a few brands and seeing how we get on.

The last thing in relation to blogging is that I want my blog to be slightly more niche than it has been. I want my blog to be mainly a budget beauty blog.  As I'm sure you're all well aware, I'm a student which means I'm constantly broke. The majority of the products I buy are from affordable brands so I think I'll mainly be reviewing them from now on with maybe a roundup post every month or 6 weeks of higher end makeup if you're wanting to treat yourself. It won't be a major change or anything but I like the idea of being more niche and structured!

In terms of YouTube I want to up my editing game. I've just bought a new camera and I already have artificial lights so all I need now is to perfect my editing. I want to learn how to use Adobe After Effects and start doing some cool edits! And of course I'd love to reach more people with my videos, maybe finally hit that 1,000 subscribers mark! But baby steps!

In terms of career or work, I'll be back in college for the majority of the year but I do want to increase my freelance work. I had so much fun doing my workshops and doing private consultations this year. I'd love to have more clients as I really enjoy that type of work.

And last but by no means least... my weight! I really need to cop on to myself and get a handle on it. Since coming to college I'd say I've easily put on 3 stone which is ridiculous. I started slimming world this time last year as I'd a wedding to go to in Feb, and I lost half a stone, after that I got lazy and kinda gave up. However one of my family members did it last year and lost an unbelievable amount of weight and looks amazing! So I'm going to sit down and make a plan with her so that I can get back to my normal wight! I know lots of people have issues with slimming world, for me when I did it last year, it made me eat lots more fruit & veg, make my meals from scratch and still allowed me to have treats so I didn't feel like I was depriving myself or on a 'diet' I also know it works for me so I'm going to give it a go!

So they are my goals! I'm going to do everything in my power to make them all happen! Let me know in the comments what your goals for this year are...

Erin X

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