Tuesday 27 November 2012

Review: Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Hello! It's such a good feeling to have my own laptop and to be able to post again whenever I like! : )
So this post is overdue, back in October I posted a haul post here, which had lots of lovely things I've been dying to post about, so here is the first of them - Benefit's They're Real! Mascara.

They're Real!

They're Real! Has had so many amazing reviews, saying that it's amazing and one of the best mascaras out there, I however, have a completely different opinion to everyone else on this mascara it seems. The only thing I really like about this mascara is the tube, it's so pretty, I love the silver mirror like tube, it looks great but thats as good as it gets for me. 

They're Real! Wand



The wand on the mascara is pretty cool, and in theory I think it sounds great and like it would do a lot. It claims to catch lashes to curl, lengthen, volumise, lift and separate lashes, and also says it is a long wear smudge proof formula. This basically doesn't curl, volumise or lift my lashes. While it does lengthen and separate them, it takes the curl from my lashes after I have curled them with a curler and it also weighs them down rather than lifts them and I don't put a whole ton of mascara on, ever, so that isn't the reason. Yes the lengthening is great if you're looking for a lengthening mascara, but my lashes are quite long already what I was looking for was the curl, lift and volumising effects, and I couldn't see a hint of any of them anywhere! 

They're Real! Really is long wearing and smudge proof though, this stuff just doesn't want to come off when you try - you will still probably have traces of this on your lashes after removing it. It also doesn't seem to budge if you happen to cry when you're wearing it, unless you start rubbing your eyes like crazy if you've been crying it wont go anywhere. These are the only reasons why I'm continuing to use it, and also because I don't want to waste something so expensive.

Benefit's products are always a bit hit and miss, and for me, sadly They're Real! Is a huge miss, it's so sad because I really wanted to love this mascara, but I honestly get better results from Maybelline's One by One mascara that is half the price of They're Real! Which sells for around €25. I won't be repurchasing this again.

Would love to hear if any of you have had this mascara and found that it didnt do half of what it claimed to do, and also if you discovered a way to make it work better for you! : )

Until next time!

X o X






Monday 26 November 2012

Get To Know Me Tag: 21 Questions

Hi! 

Today im going to do another quick tag, because honestly im so bored and want to post something because - wait for it! - I have my own laptop again! So expect to see more regular posts from me from now on! I was going to post a review, but its late and the light is crappy for photos so I will be posting that tomorrow, so look out for that! 

So i've seen this tag on a few blogs and it looks like a bit of harmless fun so here it goes : )

1. Are you named after anyone? 
I've never been told I have, but my name is Mairead, (Molly is a nickname) which translated out of Irish is Maragret, which is my mother's name and her mother's name, so even though it's never been said that I am I think I was - if that makes any sense at all!?

2. When was the last time you cried? 
I cry a lot, haha. I cry when im happy, sad and angry. So I suppose the last time I cried was probably early on today when I got mad at someone. I cant help crying when im angry, its so strange, I must seem very strange to people when im angry! lol

3. Do you have children?
Nope, I dont have any children but would definatley want some in the future.

4. If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself?
That's a hard one! But I think I would be, I like to try and be as good a friend to everyone as I can be dont know if i achieve it or not but I do go out of my way to look after people, I'd lilke to be friends with someone like that so yes I suppose.

5. Do you use sarcasm alot?
Haha, yes I really do. Id say its pretty annoying that I use it so often actually.

6. Would you ever bungee jump?
No 'effin way! I HATE heights, I feel ill thinking about it!

7. What is your favourite cereal?
Coco pops! Easy! : )

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?
Well, the expression on someones face is the first thing I notice, before I notice how someone looks I usually notice if they look happy or sad funnily enough. Then if its a girl I look at her make up, and specifically to see if shes wearing fake eyelashes or not - I like trying to guess! God I sound so odd! 

9. What is your eye colour?
An odd mix of blue and green, they're neither one nor the other they always look a different colour - my boyfriend of 5 years cant even describe what colour my eyes actually are!

10. Scary films or happy endings?
Happy endings definatley! Im a big scaredy cat, and also a big soppy weirdo so anything happy and lovey dovey is my thing.

11. Favourite smells?
Oooh! perfect question for me! I love smelling things! Nothing weird people! I just mean if I see a candle or something I HAVE to pick it up and smell it! Ok, favourites would be: my boyfriend, he just always smells amazing, then Vera Wang's Princess perfume and Marc Jacob's Daisy Eau So Fresh and also a few strange ones - petrol, fire lighters and fire wood.

12. Summer or winter?
Winter. Because i dont like heat, not that we get any in Ireland anyway! but I just prefer winter because I love snuggly nights infront of the fire with tea and DVDs and spending more time with the people I love. I said i was soppy didnt i? lol

13. Computer or Tv?
Computer. Not a big Tv watcher. My computer has all my music on it which is constantly on, so id have to choose my computer.

14. What was the furthest away you have been from home?
Italy. Went there with school when I was 16, its such a beautiful place! Really want to go back again one day.

15. Do you have any special talents?
Nothing that jumps out thats special. Suppose its not exactly a talent, but people say I have an amazing imagination - mainly the imagination of a child lol I used to write stories a lot and was told that if I had carried on with it I probably could have been quite successful with them, but I never believed it and never pursued it.

16. Where were you born?
I was born in Manchester, England and moved to Ireland when I was nine. 

17. What are your hobbies?
Blogger, obviously! Make up, reading, music, films, cooking, taking photos - which is something I really want to get into more but I have a crappy camera. Just general stuff really!

18. Do you have any pets?
Yes! Four doggies, springer spaniels called Minnie, Napolean, Rufus and Dotty. Love them so much! They're like babies <3

19. What is your favourite film?
Such a difficult one! All i really do is watch films and listen to music. I have loads of favourites i can narrow it down to three that i cant choose between, Dirty dancing, sixteen candles and pretty in pink, its just impossible to choose between them I love these three all the same!

20: Do you have any siblings?
Yes! I have two older sisters and a younger brother. They're all amazing : )

21: What do you want to be when you grow up?
I think 23 is grown up - but im nowhere near where I want to be. I had great ideas of where I would be by now and none of it has happened. Though I am hoping to go to college again soon and train to be a make up artist, and hopefully one day have my own beauty salon or something to that effect! Big dreams, I know! lol

That was fun! I now tag all of you who are reading this, would love to see all of your answers!

I will be getting back into the buisness of regular blogging tomorrow, so until then take care of yourselves!

: ) 






Friday 9 November 2012

Monthly Favourites: The Best Of October

The Best Of October

Hello! Hope you are all doing well! So I have never done a monthly favorites post before. I have always had it in my head to start doing them but for some reason I never have. Also, before anyone tries to tell me that November 9th is too late for me to post an October favorites post - you're wrong! : )

Face Products

L-R: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer, Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Bush, Benefit Cha cha Tint, MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder


This month I've been trying to use up foundations because I have a drawer full of them. I have been making myself use the ones I don't like too, but in doing this I have actually grown to like one of the ones I didn't like before. I know everyone raves about Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, but for some reason when I first got it I really didn't like it, it made my skin look bloody awful and didn't last any amount of time on my face at all, though now I think that was because my skin was in awful condition when I first got it and now its improved drastically. So needless to say it was thrown in the back of my foundation drawer and that was that. Until I pulled it out again a few weeks ago and decided to give it another chance, and i'm pleased to say that I am now in love with the stuff! It makes my skin feel and appear so much smoother, even and brightened up and pair it with the matching Healthy Mix Concealer and my skin has pretty much been looking flawless, amazeballs!

For setting my foundation I usually use MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Natural, but I had my cousin's wedding last week and wanted something with a little more coverage. So I bought MAC's Select Sheer Pressed Powder and I'm really liking this. It's great for those days where I want a bit more coverage without looking plastered in make-up. That being said, I think this may be the cause of some breakouts lately. 

Blush wise, I found a lovely one a while ago in Essence's Cherry Blossom Girl Collection. I picked it up when I bought one of their double ended eyeliner pens, reviewed not so long ago here. I hadn't really used this until the last few weeks, but this is a lovely peachy/coral blush that goes on lightly for a lovely subtle flush. Its a great multi purpose product due to the two shades in the compact, I swirl them both together for blush and then use the lighter shade as a highlight which works really well.

I've been pairing the Essence blush with Benefit's Cha Cha Tint underneath if I want to add a bit more oomph to the blush. The two look really pretty together and it's been my favourite way to add colour to my face recently.

Eye Products

L-R: UD Feminine Palette (Old Version), Eyelure Katy Perry Lashes, Benefit They're Real! Mascara, UD 24/7 Liner in Perversion, Revlon Precision Lash Glue


I know the version of Urban Decay's feminine palette that I have is the old version, but honestly I prefer the colours in the one I have to the new one, hence why I won't be buying the newer one. I've been reaching for this most days, it has the perfect shades of shadow in there for putting together a quick and easy eye look that still makes you look put together.

Inside UD Feminine Palette


I wont say too much about my next favourite, as I will be posting about it in the next few days, but I've been really liking Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. It's pretty amazeballs!

When I bought my UD Smoked Palette, it came with a full sized 24/7 Perversion liner. Holy cow! It's amazing! It's the blackest black pencil liner I have ever seen and the lasting power with this is amazing, it lasts most of the day before I have to go near it to re-apply, it's really something else and I think everyone needs this liner in their life!

Now i'm not a big false lash wearer, but for my cousin's wedding I picked up a pair of Eyelure's Katy Perry lashes and they blew me away. I got the most natural pair called Sweetie Pie. They're so beautiful, they really opened up my eyes and I got tons of compliments when I had them on. Will be doing a post on them soon as I was so impressed I think they deserve their own post!

With the Katy Perry Lashes I used Revlon Precision Lash glue, as I hate the stupid little useless tubes of glue that come with eyelashes. The Revlon lash glue is in a league of it's own when it comes to lash glue, its so easy to work with and I had no problems with lashes falling off, it's fantastic!

Lip Products

Top: Strawberry Carmex, L-R: Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, 17 Lipstick in Barely Blush


I love Revlon's Lip Products, my favourites being their Lip Butters, which I posted about here. Lately I've been wearing Sweet Tart non-stop, you can see swatches in the link posted above.

When I want something a bit calmer than the bright pink of Sweet Tart, i've been using 17's Barely Blush Lipstick. I really love this lipstick, it's been a consistent favourite of mine for a while now, I always get compliments when I wear it so that could be why!

Also now that it is winter, I've been breaking out the lip balms more than usual and my main pick every time is my Strawberry flavoured Carmex. My lips are pretty chapped at the moment and this is doing wonders for them.

Other Favourites

L-R: Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion, Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush


I absolutely love the smell of Nivea's Happy Time Shower Gel, to me it's pretty much the best smell in the world, so I was so happy to see that they do a body lotion now! It's the same delicious orange blossom smell, and it leaves my skin unbelievably soft all day long, its brilliant!

Another long time favourite item is my Sigma F80 brush. It's a flat top synthetic kabuki brush that is used to apply liquid or cream foundations. I got this last year from Cloud 10 Beauty and it's been a firm favourite ever since. It flawlessly buffs foundation into the skin, leaving a smooth, streak free, airbrushed finish. Apologies for the dirtiness of the brush in the photo, it's in need of a clean! 

So that's it for my favourites for October, i'm already looking forward to posting November's favourites!

X o X






Tuesday 6 November 2012

Little Haul: Lush And A Non-Beauty Related Item


Just a quick post on some things I bought in Dublin today. I didn't buy much - actually technically I didn't buy any of this my boyfriend did! - but I'm excited about all of it!

I wanted to go into lush to buy some of their bubblegum lip scrub, because this stuff is a necessity for me in winter as my lips get so dry an flaky. It's a really great scrub, I usually make my own but I really wanted to get this one again because a homemade one is only good for a week before you have to throw it out and make more so this was handy. This is all I went into lush for but my boyfriend saw me smelling the snow fairy shower gel and going weak at the knees when I smelt how amazing it is so he sneakily paid for my lip scrub and snow fairy while I wasn't looking! So excited about the snow fairy shower gel, I've always wanted to try it it smells like sweets so it's going to be hard for me to try not to eat it! :-)
Next I went to boots and got some Carmex lip balm... Nothing exciting there really except I paid for it with my points so I didn't really pay! Teehee!
An lastly is another sneaky behind my back purchase from my boyfriend, he got me seasons one to four of outnumbered. I've recently only discovered how great it is and am obsessed with it! If anyone reading this hasn't seen it yet you have to get on to it straight away! It's hilarious!

That's it for now, I'm hoping to get a review up tomorrow of something I love at the minute, so see you tomorrow!

X o X

Monday 5 November 2012

Beauty Blogger Tag

Hi! So I thought id do a fun post today, as I figure anyone reading this dosen't really know much about me. I know this is a beauty blog, but I want you all to know a bit about who is actually writing the posts, so - here we go!



1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

My hair is somewhere between the two! Not quite straight not quite curly, suppose it's wavy.

2. What is your natural hair colour?
It's a light brownish blonde colour, very hard to describe! Used to hate the colour and always used to dye it but after being told by everyone that they pay a fortune to try get hair my clolour i've embraced it!


3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
I haven't dyed it in about two years, but always did it myself.

4. How often do you wash your hair?
It used to be everyday, but now i've scaled it back to every two days, but its so hard!

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?
I tend to wear my hair a few ways, usually straight and down, in a high bun or in a fish tail plait, the fish tail is my most common style.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
Ive only ever had a manicure in a salon once and that was only recently for my sisters wedding, I always just do it myself because I enjoy doing it!

7. How often to you change your nail polish?
I don't wear it all the time because I have dry, brittle nails and dont want to make them worse, but when I do, as soon as it chips or starts looking like its growing out i'll take it off.

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?
I always have my toes painted! They look odd not painted!

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?
It depends really, for a normal day maybe 10 minutes, but if im going out or making an effort, i could spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour on it!


10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?
My face! I probably shouldnt because just today I was told I had glitter all over it so I should probably do it first.

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
Hmmm, everyone else would say I collect it but I do a bit of both. Not exactly collecting it because I use everything I buy.




12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Not too often, just for special occasions or nights out.

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?
Not every day, I like a full face of make up, but dont mind leaving the house with little or no make up either!

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?
Mostly no, but some days I just want to feel nice when i'm at home so I will wear it then.

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?
Yes, I do a lot. It takes me a while to wake up and sometimes I just can't be bothered!

16. How many high end products do you have?
I have a good few, i'd say there's probably a 50/50 split between high end and drugstore make up.


17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?
Bah! I'm going to sound gross now when I say maybe once a week/every other week! Thats so bad I know but I have so many brushes it takes ages to clean them!

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?
I just decide when im getting dressed - unless its for something important then thats different.


19. How often do you change your handbag?
I use the same one for everyday use, but if im going out I have a few that I switch between.

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?
I'm an early riser, usually awake between 7 and 8, go to bed at maybe 11 or 12.

21. How often & when do you workout?
Again, this sounds gross, but... never! lol

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?
Right handed.

23. How tall are you?
5 foot 3 inches... im too small! : (

24. Do you speak a foreign language?
Yes! I speak Irish and French.

25. How many pets do you have?
I have 4 doggies : )

26. How often are you on Blogger?
At the minute, I dont have my own laptop because it broke, so not as often as I want to be. Im on blogger as soon as I can get my hands on a laptop.

27. Do you read the comments posted blogs?
Yes I do! I dont get very many but I love to read them!

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
Yes and no. If theres something I want to try I look at a few posts and if theyre good I want to try it even more, but if people are raving about something I wont try it unless I'm interested in it.

29. How did you come up with your blog name?
It was difficult! I've had maybe two or three different names that just didnt feel right, but I think I have one that I want to stick with now : )

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?
I go between a sony cybershot camera and the camera on my iphone.

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)
Every day. I like things to be in their place!

32. What is your favorite color?
Purple! Everything I own is pretty much purple! lol

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?
I dont really buy a lot of magazines, unless theres free stuff! lol! Honestly I do all my fashion and beauty reading on blogs. Its pretty much my favourite thing to do : )

34. Do you swear?
Sometimes, only when im really angry though.

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Well its 4:15pm now, so just going to make dinner and relax with the boyfriend, nothing too crazy! : )
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