Yves Saint Laurent Couture | Beauty

beauty

Yves Saint Laurent Couture 


Hey everyone,

Last week I received an invitation to attend a master class with my favourite Make Up Artist and Yves Saint Laurent's very own Fred Letailleur. Fred is on Twitter! 
Fred has created timeless looks on the faces of many beautiful stars like Cara Delevigne and more recently little old me!
The class was to celebrate YSL's False Lash Mascara's 15th anniversary and to launch the brand new Couture Variation Palette and eye primers that everyone has been talking about. Shhh... The mascara has been remastered and refreshed for the day that's in it you know!


I jumped at the chance to allow Fred to recreate Cara's look on me. I couldn't get over how simple it was to recreate the look and how well it suited me!! I've an inner rock chick hidden in there somewhere!! You will get to meet her soon as I want to take some pictures of the recreated look once I get around to it.. :)

Now for the part you were actually waiting for!

YSL Couture Variation 10- Colour Eye Palette

10 Shades ranging from Light to Dark. There are 7 frost colours and 3 matte. The palette has been made to such a high standard. In my opinion the quality of the pigments would match or better the Urban Decay palettes. Retails at €58 and worth every cent! 

Before I forget, the brush that comes with the palette is a keeper! Fred used the brush from the palette to blend out the crease and wow.... Just remember I told you so!

Also exclusively at Debenhans you can pick up the Colour Variation Tuxedo Palette 2! Click here for more information.


Couture Eye Primers


The primers come in two shades- 1 Fair and 2 Medium. 
Fred used shade 1and 2 to contour the eye socket and act as a base to eye shadow. These primers are so versatile, you can even use it as a cream highlight!

I took home the second shade and have used it along with the palette to create some beautiful long lasting looks! Yes it really does help the shadow stay in place and NO there is no creasing!
(I am proud to say after 15 hours wearing today's make up!) Primer retails at €28.



YSL False Lash Mascara

This mascara as you know is the big 1-5! YSL reformulated the mascara to give it a little lift. I love seeing new life and love put into old products. It really shows a brands commitment to a product! More power to them! 
I love this mascara. Some mascaras are just not worth the hype. I am happy to say that this one is and then some. It gave my lashes a beautiful thick coating and even my bottom lashes got to see some action. Mascara retails at €32.50.




Will you be investing in a palette?

Volumpte Tint - In - Oil

Since the event I have gone back to YSL to pick up their new TINT IN OIL gloss NO:4 which is the same one used on Cara at the shoot. I am not normally a fan of glosses but Jesus this is amazing.
It is not drying on the lips, is packed with colour and it is moisturising too! There are 8 shades altogether and smell like juicy mangoes! Devine! The Tint In Oil glosses retail at €27.

FYI - The pictures below show:The pay off on the lips after 2-3 coats, Second picture shows me putting on the gloss..(No wands were harmed/eaten during the photoshoot! :D) and the third shows the gloss with one coat. No filters or photo shop, just great lighting for the most part!  I aint a model let me tell ya!!!!



See you next time,

Love Louise xxxx

New me New February | Life

beauty
Hey everyone

I have fancied up my blog. :D I will be back more regularly with posts over the next few weeks.
I want to update you on what's been happening at home and my plans for the future.

Regarding my plans for the blog (soo excited about this!!)

BRAND NEW 

Regular time 12 pm posts on Mondays and Wednesdays (May change depending on what I want to blog about)


There will a couple of new series' coming soon including:


- Planning a wedding in under 5 days
- A relaunch of a skin care range I can't wait to talk about
- Make up Mondays where I talk about anything beauty related
- Lifestyle Wednesdays where I talk about anything life related

I want to make 2015 a good year for Strawberry Topics as the blog has been and always will be a passion of mine.

So stay a while and have a look at some old posts while your here..

Love Louise xxxxx

Autumn/ winter for Catrice Cosmetics

catrice
Hey everyone!

It's coming to the time of year where we change up our make up routines. I prefer to go with a matte look for Autumn/ Winter but still keep my skin hydrated. God knows my skin gets very dry so it is just a personal preference that I like to keep it simple during the day with the foundation.

Catrice is like the hidden gem when it comes to drug store make up. Not every store stocks Catrice - Where I live Catrice is only available in Pennys so for me it took some time to come around to the brand. I should have tried it sooner! It started with a single shadow! Then I tried one of their matte foundations and I loved it. The consistency is great and it lasts all day. I think the foundations would suit a dry to combination skin.

This Autumn Catrice has launched a matte range. I have not used any yet but thought it would be something you would be interested in! Also everything costs under €7!

Catrice Prime and Fine Illuminating Base €5.49



This primer is oil free and silicone based. The silicone fills in large or open pores and also smooths out the skin and fills out wrinkles. The Primer also acts as a base so you can get a really good application with the foundation. 




Catrice All Matt Plus - Shine Control Make Up €6.99



This foundation claims to give you a flawless finish and acts like a second skin. This make up is oil free and long lasting so perfect for Oily to combination skin. It should give a decent coverage and there are light reflecting pigments to ensure a matte finish and a fresh look!
Not bad for €6.99!














Catrice All Matt Plus - Shine Control Powder €3.99

                




This Powder keeps your foundation under control. It is long lasting and the powder is ultra fine. This is definitely something I want to try out. It keeps your skin matte and oil free!











Catrice is stocked nationwide in pharmacies and most Pennys stores.

Let me know what you think of Catrice!!

Louise xxx

















Professional beauty Dublin 2013

dublin
Hey everyone!

Last Sunday I attended the Professional Beauty Show at the RDS in Dublin!
I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest of Waxperts. They are an Irish owned company that specialize in waxing as the name suggests but with a twist! Go check them out!

I brought Gemma (sissy) as my guest and we drove in for the craic! Parking cost €6 for the day. 

The event started at 10am and we got there for about 12pm and the place was packed. This was my second time at Pro Beauty and I was impressed at how well laid out and managed the event was. Sort of an organised chaos! The bigger brands had larger areas and stands. 

The likes of Make up forever and Crown brushes had a constant stream of customers. CND Shellac had a perma queue so I decided to hone in on the baby stands and came away with a fabulous set of brushes from Nima Brush. Another Irish owned company that I am in love with! 
I cannot wait to review these! I picked up a stipling brush, round head brush and angled brush from the Kabuki collection! The cylinder brush store is the best part as it opens up for dual storage! 

We were able to relax in a special area for VIPS that had a champagne reception don't ya know! 
I was itching to get back out for a browse though so in total we spent about two hours at the show! As mentioned earlier I was invited by Waxperts. I am so afraid of wax. The eyebrows are about the only body part I would wax but we seen the lovely Ellen give a demonstration and Gemma could not resist a test. They use a purple wax that goes on like a wax, hardens and then you peel away leaving hair free skin! 

We left just after the demo and had lunch up the road at Beshoffs for some fish and chips. After our bellies were filled we headed to the Blogger event organised by Aisling at Total Make up Addict.... 

That event was so special it needs it's own stage!

Did you go to Professional Beauty? What was your favourite purchase?

Louise xxx
Nima Brushes
























Armani Rouge Ecstacy

2013
Hey everyone!

When I think of Armani I immediately think luxury, exclusivity, beauty, Expensive!  I live for reviews of these types of brands but sometimes I am afraid to trust the hype and invest in something I don't end up liking. I am one to sit on the fence though so I have been wanting to purchase even just one high end item and covet it from afar.. I just did not know where to start!

I had the opportunity to meet National face designer for Armani UK and Ireland Thoa Tran in the beautiful Dylan Hotel, Dublin 4 and there she gave a few of us an intimate showing of Armani Fall collection all launching within the next 6 weeks.

I was greeted in the main room by a sea of beautiful Lipsticks. 36 shades in total. There are neutrals, corals and pinks and also the most amazing reds you will find. My favourite was a dark red, berry shade called Scarlito. The lipsticks are fabulous quality. They have shea butter to moisturise but colour has not been compromised and the pay off is fabulous.

The packaging of such a powerful product is equally amazing. The outer shell is a stand out Brick Red. There is no name to signify the brand but there is the logo on the front shell making you aware that the product is indeed Armani. The lid is magnetic so you don't have to worry about ruining the lipstick if it is at the end of your bag and there is a beautiful indentation of the Armani logo on the actual product.

I am a total convert. There is such a beautiful shine from the lipstick and the colour lasts for hours. It is my new favourite product and will live with me forever!!


I had such an amazing time getting make up tips from Thoa and meeting some fellow bloggers but most of all I got my chance to experience the luxury of a high end brand and am raging I never took that step before!





I discovered some more amazing products at the event and will introduce them in my next blog post so keep your eyes peeled!!!

Love Louise xxx



Armani Lipsticks Rouge Ecstacy Range Available exclusively in Brown Thomas from late September priced €28.



Lessons of love with Mac

concealer
Hey everyone!

I decided to book myself into a personal lesson with Linda (MAC BT2, Blanchardstown).
She went through step by step guide on a day look that can be jazzed up to an evening look in seconds! Sounds great right! I will warn you before I carry on, this may be a long post.. It is sooooo worth it though! Promise!!! I'm already editing as we speak... So lets get cracking! I have linked as many products as I could to MAC website for reference... !!!

Products used

  • Prep & Prime Natural Radiance Skin Base
  • Mineralize Powders to set concealer and eye base and contour
  • Prolong Wear Concealer in NW25
  • Two Eyeshadows. Base was Amber Lights, Crease was Folie
  • Fluidline in Dipdown
  • Brow Pencil in Lingering
  • Extended Play Lash Mascara
  • Highlighter in Pearl
  • Lip Liner in Boldly Bare
  • Cremesheen Glass
Brushes Used


  • Flat Foundation Brush
  • 239 Flat Shader Brush
  • 266 Angle liner Brush
  • 168 Contour Brush

Step 1 - The Skin Base

Left side of my face has just primer. Look how amazing that is
















I have dehydrated skin that needs lots of moisture but very few blemishes so we decided to go for a natural flawless look. Firstly a gift  from God was applied to my face. 
 is a hydrating gel that is applied to face as a primer but also evens out skin tone immediately and the colour disappears on application so suitable for all skin tones. 
It Contains lots of lovely vitamins to protect your skin but also has some pearl powder that brightens skin!  It costs roughly €38 but you get a 50ml bottle for that and it will last you ages!!! I am obsessed with this now and cannot wait to get paid to buy myself a bottle!!!

Step 2 - The Eyes

Using the 239 Shader Brush, Linda applied a sweep of Mineralize Powder all over my lid and up to brow bone. This acts as a base and stops creasing. Then to add some definition before applying colour she added an orange tone powder to my crease winging the shadow out to the edge of my eye. This is not noticeable but is used to act as a 'canvas'! 

Amber Lights (Frost) was pressed onto my lid and lightly softened at crease. Then using the same 239 brush and having me look straight ahead Linda applied Folie (Satin) to my crease, going heavy at outer corner and allowing the colour to lighten the further inwards she went. 

Next using her 266 Angle Brush she added the Dipdown liner and brought as close to lash line as possible and gave me a small flick at edges. Lashings of mascara was added after and a quick liner of both folie and amber lights were applied beneath my lower lash line for the lolz...

Here's a tip.. When applying gel or fluid liners make sure you use a liner brush as opposed to a fine liner brush and allow the brush to do the work. Imagine connecting the dots... So follow the line of your eye and start from outer corner and end at inner corner of eye. Add flick as needed after!

I remember from my college work that the best way to see what colours suit and eye colour you can use a colour wheel and what ever is on opposite side will suit the colour. Eg I have blue/ green eyes so I Know browns, oranges, golds will make my eyes pop! Try it out for yourself!

 Step 3 - The Skin Finish

I was slightly embarrassed at myself by this stage as I was seriously in love with myself and nothing had been applied yet to my skin! My eyes looked like I had contact lenses and Linda did such an amazing job! She likes to leave the skin until last so as not to have any fall down to clean up after eyeshadow application..
Using her flat foundation brush and starting from my nose out Linda used tiny amounts of Prolongwear Concealer in NW 25 to cover my face. Took two minutes!

Using her 168 Contour Brush and the same Mineralize powder as earlier she went to work contouring the life out of me! She applied to cheekbones, along the jawline and down my neck, to the temples and across the forehead.. Basically everywhere! Damn round face! 

Then came my favourite part of the routine... Highlighter in Pearl was lovingly applied to my nose, just above the between my brows.. (speak English? lol sorry) under brow bone and upper lip.

Step 4 - The Finale  or Lips....

Lastly (or finally says you and Linda's back) we got the smackers doing some work.. 
Linda applied some Lip Liner in Boldly Bare and then some Cremesheen Glass Lipgloss in a nude colour that worked a treat!

To bring me from day to night we applied some more Dipdown into my water line...

So It has taken me a few days to get this post up but for good reason. I had such fun with my lesson. I purchased three items on the day. The concealer, eye liner and i wanted to pick up amber lights but they were sold out. I picked up another shade though in Sable which does the job.

I spent €48 in total and as you can see from this post received a wealth of knowledge! Seriously I don't think i have ever received such good customer service not just from Linda but all the girls and guys working in MAC, Blanchardstown. If you are like me and want to update your skills or are a complete novice then spending and hour with a qualified artist is well worth the money and you get to take it all home with you!!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I am looking forward to going back again soon for more advice!

Louise xxxx
Recreated look on myself and Gemma.. Sweaty bettys

The finished look



Cloud 10 Beauty Haul

beauty
Hey everyone!

The other day I received an email that changed my life... Not really It was an offer for free shipping but it encouraged me to purchase some items that I have been obsessing over for a loooooong time!

I set up an account with Cloud 10 beauty a while back as I had heard some great things about the site. They have access to different brands that are otherwise hard to get hold of in Southern Ireland such as Sleek Cosmetics. They also have a huge range of cosmetic brands including Ciate, Khroma, Face Atelier and Sigma! This weekend was the first time I ordered products and I was delighted I did it! I spent €37 altogether and delivery took Two whole days! Amazing service!


 Sleek Cosmetics  Face Form in Light  €13

I jumped at the chance to purchase this as the last few times I have tried to find this particular colour palette it has been sold out! I bought the medium shade there a while back and it is too dark for me! 

I swatched the blusher first and couldn't get over how pretty it is! The name Rose Gold really suits the colour. I love how the blush has a gold shimmer running though the pink. These blushes are highly pigmented and cannot wait to go around looking highlighted oura me face! :-) lol

The contour colour is great for my skin tone. I am finding it hard to get a decent swatch so will use the contour and highlight during my usual make up routine and put up some pictures! 

I am so excited about this product and Gemma has already asked me to hook a sister up and buy her the same palette! 


Real Techniques Starter Set  Eye shadow set €24.99


Samantha Chapman is one half of You tube sensation Pixi Woo. a beauty and make up blog/ channel. Samantha launched her own range of cosmetic brushes and I think it is safe to say that there are few beauty bloggers at  this stage that do not own at least one of her brushes.
I bought the core collection ages ago and have been dying to get the eye shadow brushes since. I couldn't face the €28.99 price tag in Boots. The prices went up as they became more popular.. :( However Cloud 10 have the brushes at least €4 cheaper and at €24.99 how could I refuse!?!

All Brushes are synthetic and cruelty free:
  • Base Shadow Brush - Used to apply base colour but I have seen some people use this to apply concealer
  • Deluxe crease brush - Over sized contouring brush for the crease
  • Accent Brush - Precision brush for detailing, concealing, highlighting and smudging
  • Pixel-point eye liner brush -  has a tapered cut so you can use for dense or fine liner
  • Brow Brush - Used for distinctive brow shaping










I cannot wait to start using my new brushes and face palette. 
What do you think of my buys?? 

Louise xxxx