Boots Haul + New Video

Hello there :)

So I was thinking of what I could film next and I really wanted to do a haul.. So of course that meant that I had to go shopping!! I haven't bought much makeup recently and I wanted to see what was new so I decided on Boots :) Also, everything I bought was on 3 for 2.. So I justified it :D 

Obviously, my first move was straight to the makeup stands! There was 3 for 2 across all makeup and beauty accessories so I took advantage and bought some of the new products that I came across :) 

Next I decided to check out the hair care products! I'm not usually someone that buys hair products but my hair has been in really bad condition for ages so hopefully I can do something to help it without spending loads :)

I also uploaded a haul video to go along with this so make sure to check that out by clicking >>> here! Thanks a million for reading & watching :)

Love Shannon x

Swatch My Stash : Highlighters

Hi guys :)

I was reorganising my collection yesterday and I got the idea to do like a swatching series of different products I have! I thought I'd start with highlighters.. So here we go :)

I have three MAC products that I use to highlight my face :
- RiRi Hearts MAC Cream Colour Base (Diamonds)
- Cream Colour Base (Pearl)
- Pigment (Vanilla)

L-R : Pearl, Diamonds, Vanilla

The other three products are all from different brands :
- Benefit Watt's Up
- No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter
- ELF Baked Blush (Pinktastic)

L-R : No7, Watt's Up, Pinktastic

As you can probably tell, I definitely prefer gold and pearl tones! My most used is probably my Watt's Up.. It's very gold so you only need a teeny bit :) I hope you enjoyed this quick post.. Thank you so much for reading!

Love Shannon x

Benefit Brow Zings Review

Hi guys :)

I thought I'd stick up a quick review on this Benefit product. I've had it for about a year and I've used it quite a lot. The set comes with a mini tweezers, a mini angled brush and mini shader brush.. And of course the wax and brow powder! I have the shade medium. 

I used to use this every single day for about two months and I loved it! However.. I was browsing the ELF website one day and I saw that their brow kit is almost exactly the same!! Obviously the brushes that come with the ELF set are not good at all but I wasn't using the ones that come with the Brow Zings set, I was using my MAC 266 and 208. 

Price - This retails for €34 here in Ireland. The ELF one is literally 1/10th of the price! 

Texture - I really like that you can mix the wax and the powder and still get a really good consistency. It would literally last 24 hours if you didn't take it off!

Positives - It lasts all day, the brushes and tweezer that comes with it are good and it's really easy to use! It glides on perfectly and creates a really nice defined look.

Negatives - This is far too expensive for what it is. If it was the only one of it's kind, I could understand but not when you can get so many dupes!

Buy it or Bin in? - This is really hard because I think it's a great product.. I just don't want to recommend it when I know there are cheaper alternatives! If you love trying new products and have the money to spend then buy it and I guarantee you love it :) If you prefer beauty on a budget and you want something you can use everyday without feeling guilty then bin this and have a look around!

Rating - Based on just the product itself and not factoring in price then I would give it 8/10.
Based on everything combined then I would give it 5/10!


I hope you enjoyed this and it helped even a small bit! Thank you so much for reading guys :)

Love Shannon x

NYX Buttergloss Review

Hi guys :)


I was sorting out my lipgloss collection and these caught my eye so I thought I'd write up a quick review! I only have three shades from the collection.. I did have more but I have no idea where they went :( I've noticed that NYX have come out with (or are coming out with) some gorgeous new shades and I can't wait to get my hands on them! Anyway.. Enjoy :)

L-R : Apple Strudel, Eclair, Maple Blondie

Price - These glosses retail for €6 each. I think that's fairly reasonable!

Texture - As the name would suggest, they have the most buttery, smooth and creamy texture. They are not sticky on the lips at all!

Positives - They are so pigmented you don't need a lipstick.. Just a liner and a few coats of this would be perfect! They last for a decent amount of time on the lips and they smell amazing :)

Negatives - Some colours are more pigmented than others. I buy all of my NYX online and the swatches that are on their website are nothing like the actual colour of the product.

Buy it or Bin it? - Buy it! Just look up some swatches so you know what colour you're getting!

Rating - 9/10


I hope this was helpful! Thank you so much for reading :)

Love Shannon x

Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette Review

Hi guys :)

So this is my last instalment in my "Naked" series until I get my hands on the Naked 3! This is one of my favourite products from Urban Decay. I love it because it's all matte shades except for one.. And the shimmery highlight shade is just immense :) Enjoy!

Here it is swatched...

Price - This retails for €29 here in Ireland which works out as just under €5 per eyeshadow. When you break it down the value for money is actually really decent! 

Texture - Every shade in this palette is so buttery and pigmented. 'Crave' is so dark it can be used as an eyeliner with an angled brush! They are all easy to blend and you only need a tiny amount of product.

Positives -  It has every shade you could ever need to create looks that range from oh so natural to seductively smoky. 'Venus' is my favourite highlight shade EVER! 'Faint' is a gorgeous matte brown and you can even fill in your eyebrows using this palette.

Negatives - My only wish is that there could have been one more shimmery shade in the palette that you could put all over the lid.. Maybe instead of 'W.O.S' (just because I don't like pink tones as much).

Buy it or Bin it - Buy it! I'd especially recommend it to beginners :)

Rating - 7.5/10


I can't wait to get the Naked 3 and create some tutorials! Thank you so much for reading :)

Love Shannon x

Valentine's Day Soft & Simple Make-Up Tutorial

Hi guys :)


So yesterday, one of my lovely followers on Instagram asked if I would upload a look inspired by Valentine's Day! I always get questions about what products I use in my Instagram pictures so I thought I would include a quick tutorial to go along with my look :) I hope you enjoy!


STAGE ONE -

The first thing I always do is apply a primer (I used Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden). I then applied a matte 'bone' colour all over the lid as a base. I took a MAC 224 brush and buffed a matte light pink shadow ('Innocent' from the Sigma Warm Neutrals Palette) into and above the crease. I added a pearl highlight to the inner corner of the eye (I used MAC Shroom eyeshadow).


STAGE TWO -

Using a MAC 239 I patted a light gold shimmery eyeshadow all over the lid. I used MAC Retrospeck!


STAGE THREE - 

I took a Sigma E45 brush and a dark plum eyeshadow (Russet from the Sigma Warm Neutrals Palette) and blended this shade into the crease and the outer 'v'. I wasn't too precise with my application as I intended to clean up the edge :)


STAGE FOUR -

I cleaned up the edge of the eye. I added some more of the dark plum colour to the outer 'v' for more definition. I also added more highlight to the inner corner of the eye and a light bronzey peach colour all over the lid to intensify the look (I used MAC Mythology eyeshadow).


STAGE FIVE -

I added a flesh coloured eyeliner to the waterline (NYX Wonder Pencil in light). Using a MAC 219 brush, I then defined the lower lashline using MAC Cranberry eyeshadow.


STAGE SIX -

I was going to add some black liquid liner but to keep the look soft and romantic I decided not too! Instead, I added a few coats of mascara to the top and bottom eyelashes. I used my favourite mascara at the moment - Lancome Hypnose Star :)


STAGE SEVEN -

This step is completely optional but as a final touch I added some MAC #48 fake eyelashes! It's always good to have some extra eyelashes to bat - just don't glue your eye shut :)


STAGE EIGHT - 

I don't usually include the lips with my blog tutorials but I thought for this look that I would! I lined my lips using Rimmel Eastend Snob lip pencil. I added MAC lipstick in 'Angel' over the top with a coat of MAC Flusterose Lustreglass to finish it off!


I hope you enjoyed this post :) You can substitute the products I used for ones that you already have in your collection! If you recreate this I'd love to see your looks so make sure you tag me in them on Instagram :) Thank you so much for reading!

Love Shannon x

My Favourite Drugstore Lipsticks (The Nudes)

Hi guys :)

I was sorting through my collection and I thought I'd share my favourite nude lipsticks from the high street. There's a mixture of all different brands, finishes and tones so hopefully there will be something for everyone! The prices range from €1.25 to about €11. Almost all of the names of the products are clickable links that will bring you directly to a page where you can purchase them :) Enjoy!

Here they are all lined up...

From left to right -

• Maybelline Baby Lips (Peach Kiss) 
• Seventeen Stay Pout (Just A Fling)
• Maybelline Color Sensational (Tantalizing Taupe)
• Rimmel Kate Moss (03) 
• L'oreal Color Riche Collection Privé (Cheryl's Nude)
• Seventeen Stay Pout (Going Steady)
• Catrice Ultimate Colour (240 Hey Nude)
• MUA Matte Lipstick (Totally Nude)
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick (Nude Delight)
• MUA Lipstick (Bare - Shade 14)

I also swatched each lipstick! 

L-R : Peach Kiss, Just A Fling, Tantalizing Taupe, 003, Cheryl's Nude

L-R : Going Steady, Hey Nude, Totally Nude, Nude Delight, Bare

I'm hoping to do a mini series including the best reds, berry colours and pinks! Would you be interested in that? Thank you so much for reading :)

Love Shannon x

Small Drugstore Haul

Hi guys :) 

I recently went to Derry to go shopping so of course I had to take a trip to Superdrug! I also bought some things from Boots and a few bits from H&M and Primark but I'll feature them in a clothing haul instead :) Enjoy! 

MUA Matte Lipstick (Totally Nude) :

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain (Shameless) : 

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Face Mask : 

Maybelline Lipstick (Tantalizing Taupe) : 

I love the colour of the Revlon balm.. I was so excited when I saw that they had come over here! I also couldn't believe that we have the Maybelline Nude Lipstick collection!! So excited to try these out properly :) Thank you so much for reading! 

Love Shannon x

Wet 'n' Wild Mini Haul & Review

Hi guys :) 

I FOUND WET N WILD IN IRELAND!!! I heard the rumors so while I was in Galway during the week I thought I'd check every Dunnes Stores in the hopes of finding a stand :) Luckily I succeeded after two shops! I was slightly disappointed with the selection (I definitely got over excited and built it up too much in my head) but everything was well stocked so I was pleased :) 

I was most excited about the MegaLast lipsticks.. Only €2.99 and apparently they last on the lips all day! I picked up three colours and I'm really happy with all of them. They have lots of muted nudes which I loveeee so I was very happy :) 

JUST PEACHY

PINK SUGAR

THINK PINK

The only other thing I picked up was a 5 pan eyeshadow palette. I have heard so many good things about their eyeshadows so I couldn't leave without picking up something to try! I got the palette called "The Naked Truth". There were other gorgeous colours there but I thought I'd go with neutrals so I'll be able to use them more. 

Now for the verdict... 

Eyeshadow Palette : 

Price - This retails for €5.49 and with 5 eyeshadows you create so many different looks. A price that if definitely be willing to pay over and over again! 

Texture - The shadows weren't too powdery and I had absolutely no fall out when I used them. They're really creamy and pigmented and so easy to blend. 

Positives - I love that the palette has a mixture of mattes and shimmers! Each eyeshadow is beautiful and I love the consistency. (I always seem to find that at least one eyeshadow in a palette is not as pigmented or easy to blend) 

Buy it or Bin it - Buy it! Even if it's only for the 'define' shade :)

Negatives - I actually have no bad points! 

Rating - 10/10 

MegaLast Lipstick : 

Price - Only €2.99 for a lipstick! That's six of these lipsticks for the price of one MAC lipsticks :O 

Texture - Each of these gives a really smooth application. They're not drying at all! Even after a few hours when it's mostly the stain that's left I can still rub my lips together without difficultly!

Positives - They last all day, have great pigmentation, are a great price, have a great colour selection, suit all skintones and so much more!!

Negatives - The packaging isn't great but it's a very small complaint! 

Buy it or Bin it - Buy it.. NOW!

Rating - 10/10 or more if possible!

I'm so happy with my purchases! I can't wait to try more Wet 'n' Wild products.. Hopefully when I go to America in May I can find a better selection :) Thank you so much for reading! 

Love Shannon x

Maybelline Baby Skin Review

Hi guys :)

This post was requested on Instagram so I thought I'd try and get it up as soon as possible! I'm going to make this quick and simple because there's not an awful lot you can say about a primer.. Enjoy :)

Price - This usually retails for €11.49 but I paid €8.99 because I got it when it was first released so it was on special offer!

Texture - It definitely has more of a gel texture compared to any other primer I own. It almost feels a bit greasy at first but it sets to a lovely satin finish.

Positives - It's quite reasonably priced and you get a lot of product for your money. You only need a small amount and it leaves a lovely smooth base for underneath make-up! It actually makes my make-up last longer (than without a primer) and it also blurs out pores really well :)

Negatives - If you apply too much it can have a really horrible effect and go too greasy on your face. I generally prefer pore minimising products that fill in pores rather than blur them out.

Buy it or Bin it - Buy it! Just be careful how much you apply.. Other than that it's mainly positives!

Rating - 8/10


Thanks so much for reading :) Let me know if you prefer these shorter posts or if you want me to stick to the longer, more detailed posts!

Love Shannon x

My Perfume Collection

Hi guys :)

I asked on Instagram to choose some posts for me to do and a perfume collection was one of them! I can't really describe smells but almost all of my perfumes are very sweet so I'll just leave it at that. I don't have a massive collection but I'm getting there! Also, excuse the Paco Robanne aftershave.. I couldn't help myself it smells AMAZING!! Enjoy :)

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy :

My favourite perfume of life!! This is my third bottle of this perfume. I love it in summer and in winter and it lasts on the skin really well :)

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir :

Keeping with the Viva La Juicy theme.. This smells exactly the same as the original perfume but with a more intense scent. I've actually showered with this on and still been able to smell it after the shower :) I'm definitely impressed! Plus it lasts for ages because you only need half the amount!

One Direction Our Moment :

I'm not ashamed that I own this.. I actually asked for it for Christmas :) It's very sweet but I love that! It doesn't last very long but it's quite cheap so you can afford to top it up throughout the day :)

Prada Candy :

Ahhh I love this perfume so much but it's just so expensive! It's quite strong when it's first sprayed but it does start to fade out to nothing after about 6 to 7 hours. I just wish it was a teeny bit more affordable so I wouldn't feel so guilty every time I spray too much :)

Nicki Minaj :

I saw this on sale with a free rollerball for €15 and I couldn't resist! It actually smells really nice.. I don't know why but I expected it to have a cheap scent. The bottle isn't really my favourite but it's not a deal-breaker so I'm happy :)

Giorgio Armani - Armani Code :

This is an old favourite of mine.. I used to wear it about 5 years ago and I only rekindled my love with it a few months ago! It's VERY strong at first which I don't really like because it makes me sneeze.. Buttt it does calm down almost right away and it leaves a beautiful, more sophisticated scent!

Paco Robanne One Million (For Men) :

I know this is aftershave however I just think it smells so amazing! I don't go out with this on on a daily basis but I have worn it probably a few too many times :) Definitely recommend it for men though!!

For now that's my full collection but hopefully I'll be able to add to it over time :) I would love to add Giorgio Armani Si soon! What are your favourite perfumes? Thanks so much for reading!

Love Shannon x

January Favourites + My First Video

Hi guys :)

So I thought I'd have my favourites as my first post of 2014! There are just a few products as I have been busy working so I haven't had much time to test out new products.. Which can only mean one thing.. I need to go shopping :) I also decided that 2014 is the year I start making YouTube videos! I recently got my hands on a lovely camera so I thought I'd film my first video yesterday and give it a test run. I filmed a January Favourites video so I thought I'd include it in this post so I can get some suggestions on what you'd like to see from my YouTube videos and some tips on how I could improve! Go easy on me please.. This is my first time ever recording myself :) Anywayyy.. Let's get into the post! Enjoy :)

MAC Prolongwear Concealer (NC15) :

ELF Eyebrow Kit :

Natural Collection Eyeshadow (Milk Chocolate) : 

Sigma Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette :

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara :

Sigma Lipgloss (Hint) :

Anddddd here's the video (sorry about the angry face :P).....

Thank you so much for reading guys :) Please leave any suggestions and tips you have below!

Love Shannon x