Stila After Glow Lip Colour in Festive Fuschia

It's not usual that I get a product, put it on & instantly want to review it. But there's a first for everything. Thursday night, I arrived home to my prize from Sarah of Rara Giggles' give away - A Stila After glow Lip Colour!

Two things I want from lip products are a decent colour, and good wear time. Everything else tends to be a bonus. So, the nice sleek packaging - All good. I like lip products in a crayon form, because I think the bullet wears down evenly (Is this a thing? Some of my lipsticks seem to end up being really pointy!) & It's pretty handy just to throw in your bag. The black with pink writing is different to the norm, so I approve! It twists up too, which I prefer to a sharpener.

But, no good having a pretty product if you don't like it. first up - I adore the colour. Pinks are my thing. Particularly a well-pigmented deep or bright pink. And this delivers! Sarah couldn't have sent me a more perfect colour. Even though it is quite bright, I have no problem wearing even neon pinks during the day, so this is definitely going to become my go-to lip product! Plus - the niche of these is that under UV lights,they GLOW IN THE DARK. I have not yet tested this out but I most definitely will. For the craic.

Other than the colour, it definitely lasts well. It is glossy, but (like most lip crayons) stains the lips. However, I've found that the glossiness & top layer of product actually hang around for quite a long time! Obviously eating/ drinking reduces the shine, but you don't have to worry about it disappearing quickly. Because it's glossy, it's also fairly moisturising & won't highlight any small lip problems.

Have I sold it? I actually may possibly be in love. For around €16 on Asos, I am most definitely willing to pay the price for one of the nicest colours I've seen in lip crayons.

What's your favourite lip crayon?
Chloe x

5 Things #7

5 Songs

James Arthur - Wrecking Ball
Kodaline - Brand New Day
Paramore - Still Into You
Lorde - Royals
Neon Trees - Everybody Talks


5 To Look At

1. I like food. How amazing do Rolo cookies sound?
2. I love my make up brushes & love showing my sisters how to use them - Thinking of picking up this set for a Christmas present after reading Emma's review!
3. I love the look of this cardigan & it's reduced! Very, very tempting.
4. If you're looking for a decent (Irish) film, this is a great starting point!
5. Feeling down? The 30 Happiest Facts Of All Time are bound to cheer you up!

5 Reasons I Smiled

1. I'M HOME! I had a wee accident & came home for a fix, but either way, a weekend in Ireland!
2. I managed to fit in a little bit of shopping while I was here. New trousers & make up!
3. I started college this week properly & okay, it's hard, but I'm hopeful!
4. I came home to a Stila After Glow Lip Colour courtesy of Sarah  & La Roche Posay Cicaplast Hands from Lovely Girlie Bits!
5. I love my family. :)

Do you have any songs/ reasons to smile?

Let me know!

Chloe x

Wishlist - Skincare, Body & Make Up - Irish Edition

So anyone who has flown Ryanair will know how hard it is to squeeze all your stuff into a suitcase.. Especially when you can't bring too much in your hand luggage either. Therefore, being very clever, I decided I'd just replace most of my beauty products over here. BIG MISTAKE. I underestimated the cost of moving & currently cannot justify loads of money on cleanser, or a hair mask. (Give me another 2 weeks!) I also underestimated the availability of certain things. No joke, every exfoliator I have picked up seems way too gentle. Plus.. I have to admit, I don't even know what half this stuff is. There is a chance that the make up remover I've been using is actually mouthwash. (That's a joke. Mouthwash has a picture of teeth on it.)

So, I decided to put together some of the products I REALLY miss & will hopefully order online, or buy over here when money comes through! Because my skin is in bits. I've had a massive chin/ jaw break out, which goes from big spots to flakiness. Even my body is covered in hives & a rash!

Clinique Moisture Surge Relief, €44 on Debenhams.ie

For something that I got as a sample, I really started to love this moisturiser. Even though my skin is combination, it is mostly dry & quite dehydrated, but I don't recall any flakiness or tightness when using this!

Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff, £4.50 for two, Feelunique

I still have not found a proper exfoliator here, and a good scrub with gloves or a shower puff just does not give the same result as this pink wonder. Also missing Cocoa Brown Tan like crazy, but Marissa Carter just announced it will soon be available in Germany!

Loreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, €10.79, Boots

I really like oily cleansers. I've been using a cleansing water here & I feel like my face is stripped (though pores look smaller.) I can't say I feel any particular affiliation with this cleansing oil but I was using it at home & I like wiping it off with a hot facecloth! Any cleanser recommendations welcome though.

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque, €16

As I said, my skin feels stripped & dehydrated. While I'm horsing water into me, sometimes you just need a quick fix which will plump up your face stat.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light, €26.50.

Long story short, I bought this powder, loved it, lost it, thought it HAD to turn up so just bought a replacement cheaper one. It has not turned up & I feel cakey with the replacement. While I have been going powder-less quite a bit, I miss it.

REN Gkycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, €35, Cloud10 Beauty

I really, really need masks right now, okay? I had a sample of this & loved how it brightened my face & helped get rid of old acne spots & marks - My face could do with a bright of radiance & replenishing!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation, €17.80, Boots

This is my go-to foundation in winter. I haven't used it in months because it is so heavy coverage & also very pale, but my current foundation don't seem to last as long as I need (As in, college til 8PM. Longlasting is my aim.) I haven't seen Revlon here so will need to get some, soon!

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub, €5.69, Boots

While I love chemical exfoliants, I also like giving my face a nice scrub once a week to make me feel like I'm getting rid of the dirt & dead skin. I haven't found a better exfoliator than this - It is quite gritty, but I like that!

So there we have it. basically, the products I took for granted til I couldn't get them. However if anyone has any alternative suggestions - Feel free to leave a comment!

Chloe x

Life on Erasmus #1

Catchy title, eh? But hey, it is what it says on the tin! It doesn't feel like I've only been here just over two weeks (Not sure if that's a good or bad thing!) But, from the start.

Arriving in my new town after a flight & train journey

Strangely, I had no problem leaving home. After my crying the night before, I was okay. It felt weird to be the one comforting my parents, but I took it well. Til I got on the plane, & a few tears escaped. Since then, yep, I have cried a little. The first time I Skyped my little sisters, I sobbed afterwards! But it's all good now.

View from the train station

I really like the city. It's small enough to feel comfortable here & know the place, but big enough to be interesting & there are lots of places nearby to travel to. Some of the buildings are beautiful & the scenery pretty much is breath taking. The view out my window is lovely! (Which is good, because I have no curtains.) But my room is massive, so I can deal with it.

The River Saale in the local park

Yeah, it's not all sunshine & lollipops. When we arrived, I couldn't move into my apartment for another week, so I spent a week sleeping uncomfortably. We had no internet, & wifi just doesn't seem to be a thing here. I was waiting for my phone to be unlocked to use a German sim card, & when it was unlocked, I had to wait to get internet to actually complete the process, so I was spending massive amounts of credit! We were supposed to do a language course, which was cancelled. So basically.. We probably arrived a week too early.

View from the tower

But Monday, we start college, which I'm looking forward to. We have (finally) met other students, who seem really nice so hopefully I do actually make friends! And I think this year might really change me as a person. I'll have to wait & see :)

Me & my new home!

Chloe x

Essence Longlasting Lipstick in 03 Dare To Wear

Hey!

So out of all the lovely new make up brands over here... I chose to go with something I recognised. I've never tried an Essence lipstick before, but after swatching it, I liked the colour & it was only €2.49 - Where could I go wrong?

The packaging looks better than Essence's usual offerings, a matte black plastic tube with a stripe across the middle to show the colour. The lid clicks on well, so it feels pretty sturdy! I also like the 'e' embossed on the bullet.

When swatched, I thought this was a deep pinky red (similar to a Rimmel lipstick I left at home!) and because I love any pink lipstick, I threw it in my bag. Or basket. Because I did actually pay for it. Either way, after applying it, I realised it's not really pinky toned. There is a hint there, but it's predominantly  a mid-deep red.

Pigmentation is good, & it applies well. I suppose it's a satin finish - Not quite matte, but not glossy either. I had lipbalm underneath, hence the shine! But above all - Essence say it's long lasting. Which it is. If you're sitting at home twiddling your thumbs. Yes, it lasts if you're just running around, & it fades evenly. But kissing & eating mean it'll pretty much smudge around your mouth - Could be solved by lipliner, but I don't have one with me!

That said, I probably will wear it during the day, just not on a date night or anything like that. And it hasn't stopped me from wanting to try some of the pink shades!

Have you tried Essence lipsticks? Does it annoy you when swatches are different to the actual colour?

Chloe x

5 Things #6

Have lost track of days. I have some blog photos taken but seeing as it's Friday & I have time to kill, I thought I'd write out a Friday 5 Things!

5 Songs
The Saturdays - What About Us
One Direction - I Would
Avicii v Nicky Romero - I Could Be The One
Iggy Azalea - Bounce
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know

5 To Look At

1. Forget that I'm living in a colder climate now, I am loving this playsuit.
2. I'm well able to fend for myself, but new cooking ideas, especially on the cheap with basic items are always appreciated!
3. Amy Poehler is FABULOUS. Watching videos of her is a one way ticket to laughter.
4. I've just managed to catch up on some of my TV shows & am loving that someone put Great Irish Bake Off on Youtube!
5. I had to look for winter boots for the snow, but found myself gazing at gorgeous cut out boots instead..

5 Reasons I Smiled

1. I finally got internet! I have never faced so much hassle getting things sorted.
2. Two of my besties are visiting this weekend. Arriving in less than 3 hours :)
3. It was actually a few weeks ago that I represented my rowing club in Dancers & Chancers (Think Strictly Come Dancing, but Irish dancing) & am still hearing good things about it!
4. I'm probably big headed, but getting random texts from friends/ family saying "I miss you" etc, are sad, but it also makes me smile that they're thinking of me.
5. I finally got my tattoo & I am utterly delighted everytime I see it.