April Guest Posts

Two blogs for the price of one yesterday in April's blog swap!

The ever-lovely Charlotte from the wonderful Makeup By Candlelight blog wrote a guest post on Make Up For Dolls, a piece on her April favourites, including a serum I've been dying to try out myself.  I've been following Charlotte's posts for a long time now and and I'm delighted she agreed to swap posts this month!  Find Charlotte's post here.

My guest post on Makeup By Candlelight is a snapshot look at just some of what's coming up in May;  Ireland (mainly Dublin-specific) news in the makeup and beauty world.  You'll find my post on Charlotte's blog, here.

I urge you to go check Charlotte's blog out if you are not already a follower!

Thanks so much to Charlotte for April's blog swap, and as always, thanks to all for reading.

s :-) xX

Guest Post (Makeup By Candlelight) - April Favourites

First of all I'm so happy to have the chance to do this post swap with the lovely Siobhán - it's a nice and fun way to work with other bloggers, so thank you so much Siobhán for the opportunity!  Siobhán's post is over on my blog (look here if you're interested).

One of the regular posts that I do on my own blog is about my monthly favorites, which can be products that I've both used the most that month or products that I have loved the most, so let's have a look at what I've reached for most often in April...

Clarins Summer 2014 Campaign: Colours of Brazil - preview

Clarins Summer 2014 Colours of Brazil - Campaign Visual

I love this visual - it's super-simple but drenched in Summer influences.  This collection sees super-saturated brown-red packaging and sparks of cobalt blue (arguably my favourite colour, ever), combined with golds and natural beige-influenced shades, along with a wide range of lip shades, one for "everyone in the audience", as the man said.

Lip Products and I: Conscious Uncoupling

Lip product storage

The time has come.  It can't be avoided it any longer.  I've had to bite the bullet.  Accept the inevitable.  Bow to the pressure.  I've got to stop buying lip products for a while.  Quite simply I'm rapidly running out of storage space for them! 

Trish McEvoy High Volume Mascara - review

I'm really just a regular jane when it comes to things like fashion and beauty.  I am utterly clueless with regards to what's new, what's being launched by whom and when.  Like I mentioned in my very first post for Make Up for Dolls, I'm no expert.  Far from it.  I just share my findings.  Most of the products I try are based on recommendations and if I love them then... hurrah!

Dermablend New Innovations Launch - preview

Dermablend Innovations - new products for 2014

Ooooooooh you should all be superduper excited about this one.  If you don't already know, Dermablend is a product range from Vichy which has been one of the simplest to use, most pigmented, most useful across different skin-types and concerns, most suited to pretty much everyone, most available in most pharmacies and most of all, really mostly not expensive at all at all.  It's one of those quiet, unassuming, no mess no fuss, no bells and whistles but really really good foundations.  Makeup junkies, makeup artists, bloggers, celebrities have been recommending this for years.  This is is the number one recommended "skincare" foundation by dermatologists in the US and the number one overall bestselling correcting/camouflage foundation in the USA, if I have my stats right.  Quietly impressive and impressing those in the know since 1981.

Around since 1981, this range has had a re-boot and sees the launch of a new compact (cream-based) foundation, concealer and body foundation, joining the (relatively new - a few years old I think?) fluid foundation and setting powder (apparently a miracle product in its own right - must try it out).

Babylis Pro Perfect Curl v Babylis Curl Secret

L -> R: Babylis Pro Perfect Curl, Babylis Curl Secret

I recently purchased the Babylis Pro Perfect Curl and I've been using it away for a couple of months.  I have to say, I absolutely love it.  I used it on my mother and she loved it so much I promised her I'd get one for her for her upcoming birthday.  Unfortunately, all the salon services / trade stores that I searched were fresh out of the Pro version, so I did some research into it and decided that, for her use, the consumer version, called the Babylis Curl Secret, and available in Boots and a few other places, would do the trick just as well.

To prove this to myself, and because I'm a product geek (!), I went ahead and purchased the Curl Secret and gave it a whirl to test its efficacy.  For natural curls, it is every bit as good.  I'll get to the geeks stuff shortly (difference between temperature and timer settings), and some how-tos for creating different looks with these tools - but first up, let's do a quick review of these products.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - review

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

So this is like, totally, The Best Primer.  Ever.  In the world.  End of*.

*well, more or less.  More on the "less" in a bit.  First a bit, well, a lot, on the More :-)

Crème de la Mer: The Tonic - review

CDLM The Tonic (sample size)

My next Mondays with MontyC post is being published on a Thursday :-)  I know.  But we're facing into a looooooong Easter weekend and we here at Make Up For Dolls don't do Bank Holiday Mondays...

I love getting post.  It's a lovely feeling to see a package arrive with your name on it.  Even more so if it's got some goodies in it.  Contained in a recent one was a 30ml sample size the product I'm reviewing today - Crème de la Mer's The Tonic.  I did a little happy dance when I saw this product in my little package.  Who wouldn't like a little CDLM in their lives for a while!

And as per the Muppet Show theme tune, it's time to put on makeup, it's time to dress up right, it's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight (aka: get down to business)...

Roger & Gallet's latest fragrance Gingembre Rouge - preview, review & giveaway all in one!

Roger & Gallet, them of the lovely soaps and the gorgeous shower gels, have released a brand new fragrance, just in time for summer.  Supposedly inspired by ultramarine skies, the warmth of the sun, dust trails and the sea surrounding Zanzibar... Gingembre Rouge Eau Fraiche has ginger, ginger, and more ginger top middle and bottom notes...

Konjac Sponges - do or dont?

Oh so serious "do"...

I picked one of these up at a Harvey Nichols' event a while back and I've been using it for a few weeks now.   I mentioned before (here) that I had found a product that would replace the need for a dedicated cleanser and separate makeup remover, and This. Is. It.

My Hero: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

Mad about the Boy...

We all have our makeup favourites, don't we.  The products that you love, that you know won't let you down, that will look the business every time you wear them, the ones that cheers you up when you're feeling miserable.  We all have them, our Hero Products.  I'd like to introduce you to one of mine, Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine in #54 Boy

Molton Brown Cloudberry Shampoo & Conditioner - review

The Cloudberry Shampoo and Conditioner are designed with colour-treated hair in mind.  As a colour enthusiast who has not laid eyes on her own naturally mousy mane in almost twenty years I reckon I fit the bill as guinea pig here.

What the frick is a cloudberry I hear you ask (or was that just me?).  If you'll permit a brief nature lesson, it's a berry native to the Arctic circle.  Also referred to as "Norwegian gold", it is much sought after, not commercially grown and is a moisturising deity in the beauty world (isn't Google great?)

Inglot Summer Essentials Mini-Collection launching today

If you're a fan of Inglot, their Summer Essentials Launch is happening today, all day, from 9am to 9pm, at all Inglot stores nationwide.  If you're interested, read on to see what will be featured in this bijoux collection.

Creme de la Mer The Cleansing Gel - review

Creme de la Mer have a number of different cleansers, none of which I found so far are particularly amazing for makeup removal however*.

The lotion-based cleanser (The Cleansing Lotion), unfortunately didn't do it for me – it contains fennel, and as I may have said before, I’m a bit hit-and-miss with fennel, sometimes I love it, sometimes it makes me gag.  The smell of fennel in this product gave me a niggling headache, so back out the door it went, donated to a friend of mine who I believe liked it.

The Cleansing Foam I use every second morning (alternating between that one day, and Natura Bissé AHA Cleanser the next) in the shower, and I love it – it’s a gentle foaming cleanser, a smidge of it works wonders at cleansing and freshening up my face, although to-date it hasn't been a great makeup remover, it works fine for lighter makeup alright.  I will post more on this one, because I have found a device that turns this cleanser into a passable makeup removing cleanser (more on that to come in another post later).

So onto the point of this post, The Cleansing Gel...

Chanel versus Lancome: Battle of the Eye Makeup Removers

Today sees a review of something I've meant to write about for a while - Chanel Démaquillant Yeux Intense Gentle Bi-phase Eye Makeup Remover, or Gentle BiPhase Eye Makeup Remover, if you go with the English version.  My new hero product.

This is a bi-phase makeup remover product.  This means that it contains two different types of ingredients which don't normally mix (in this case, oil-in-water), and which need to be shaken up to emulsify slightly before use (look here for more information on makeup remover types).

So how to use it, is it any good, and what about my previous, heretofore recommended product, Lancome Bi-Facil?

Beautiful Burberry - review

Mondays with MontyC - Beautiful Burberry

L -> R: Burberry Rosewood and Burberry Midnight Brown

What to write about next... I've done a lot of skincare posts recently so how about something makeup related this time.  So say hello to my two beloved Burberry single sheer eye shadows - #9/Rosewood and #21/Midnight Brown.

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask & Eye Contour Mask - review

Today's post is my last post in a whole week of posting for Make Up For Dolls, and I'm talking first impressions of some Sisley products I've wanted to trial.

I finally got my act together and went to talk to the lovely counter manager at Sisley in Brown Thomas Cork.  I particularly wanted to try one of their cult products - their Black Rose Cream Mask, but as it turns out, I left with a sample of their Eye Contour Mask as well...

Popping my Tom Ford Cherry - review

Tom Ford Lipstick in Summer Fling

It's confession time.  I have news.  I've lost my Tom Ford virginity.  Yep, the most gorgeous man in makeup (let's face it, he's just gorgeous full stop) has finally persuaded me to buy some of his.  Well not just me, but my two sisters also.

The big reason behind this was my recent 40th birthday. My beautiful sisters took me to our local Tom Ford counter and asked me to pick out what I would like (Editor: Squeeeeeel!  I wish I had sisters!).  I chose the eye shadow quad in #01/Golden Mink and a limited edition lipstick called Summer Fling.  I also bought two more products myself and they were the huge bronzer in #01/Gold Dust and a lipstick from the permanent line called Casablanca (the very lovely girl who looked after us was wearing it and I thought it was beautiful).

Changes to Make Up For Dolls Twitter!

Important announcement!

From here on in, MontyC has agreed to also post all things Make Up For Dolls -related under the @MakeUpForDolls twitter account!  As an absolutely avid (and brilliant) tweeter (as opposed to me, I'm just a twit!), I'm confident that Make Up For Dolls will have a much better presence and representation on Twitter than ever before.

MontyC will be posting thus:  <Twitter Text> via @MontyC

Whereas I (Siobhán) will be posting thus:  <Twitter Text>
or
<Twitter Text>  via @MakeUpForDolls

So please contact either MontyC or Siobhán from here on in at the same twitter username, by tweeting @MakeUpForDolls directly.  Any questions or comments, please holler!  In the meantime, welcome @MontyC's gradual takeover of the blog... gulp :-)

Dior Capture Totale Foundation - review

Dior Capture Totale Foundation

To buy or not to buy, that is the question... Shakespeare and makeup, who'd have thought it :-)

Today I'm going to talk about/ a foundation that I've been trying out for well over six weeks now.  It's the Capture Totale foundation by Dior.  I got two very generous samples of the foundation to try and now that I've nearly used them up, it's time to share my thoughts on this product.

So, what's it like? 

My First Charlotte Tilbury Purchases - review

Charlotte Tilbury is a phenomenon.  A walking, talking, force of nature.  Not only is she one of the most sought after makeup artists on the planet, she is also unbelievably passionate about makeup and the power of it.  Charlotte does glamour like no-one else.  With her makeup line (which only launched in September 2013) she's brought her backstage know-how, passion and red-headed glamazon fabulousness to the masses.  She believes that makeup is for everyone and not just for those who may know how to use it.  Her products have been made with everyone in mind, from fellow makeup artists to the person who may not know one end of a makeup brush from the other. 

To start off with, I chose three products from her makeup line (believe me, it was really tough to only choose three!) - a lip lustre called Seduction, a lipstick called Bitch Perfect (I know!) and Cheek to Chic blusher called First Love.  So, let's crack on and take a look at them in more detail.