Oscars makeup!

Sorry to those of you who are hanging on for RTE coverage tonight but here's a quick peek at what was happening makeup wise at the Oscars. Tends to be a dull event makeup wise, lots of super safe natural looks but a brave few embraced a slightly more exciting look!

Biggest trend of the night was the red lip... some paired with a smokey eye, some with a simple eyeline flick and some with the dodgiest false lashes I've ever seen (Hayden!)

Next up, the neutral posse....(I think there's a neutral look under Nicoles fringe!)

And then the brave few who rocked a smokey eye...

And finally...a couple who looked uniquely themselves...love both these looks...

Bit slow off the mark....

...I am when it comes to the whole mineral makeup revolution. One experience a few years ago which left me with a talc covered face and flakey dry patches was enough to put me off for life. Until, back in Chanel (again, I know, more on that later) I had to pay at the Bare Minerals counter and while waiting for my card to shout at me about over expenditure on makeup, I started browsing. My eye fell on their eye makeup range, lovely natural shades, perfect for weddings and natural looks. So I chanced my card even further and one week in I have to say I'm a convert. At around €15 each, they are middle of the road cost wise and they mix really well, blend nicely and last a long time. The earthy tones really pick up eye shades beautifully and all in all would have to say I recommend!

In love with Chanel's Lift Lumiere Foundation!

Having a wander in BT's last Sunday I hovered at the Chanel counter with a view towards having a look at their newest offering Vitalumiere Aqua - another foundation promising ultra light coverage while still being skin perfecting. And well it might be, if you haven't a thing to cover. I know its the current trend in all the colour houses, to produce a nearly not there foundation, but I already have my fav's when it comes to tinted moisturiser (Clinque and Stila if you can find it)

Instead I went with the Lift Lumiere - and its fantastic. Coverage is excellent so you don't need much, skin looks flawless but not cakey and it lasts! Its very moisturising, perfect for drier skins, but doesnt look shiney.

A week in and I can only say good things about this one - its going in the kit!

Not cheap, at €50, but a good investment purchase, especially if you are on the hunt for a really good foundation and are fed up of making expensive mistakes.

Five out of five!

Best budget buy so far!

I loved the Organix Self Heating Coconut hair oil treatment - LOVED IT! I often find that hair treatments just don't live up to the promises they make and I struggle to spend €30+ on the likes of Kerastase so I was delighted to find a product, under a tenner, that really makes a difference.

The directions tell you to rub a little of the product between your hands and then apply to your hair about five minutes before your shower. Instead, I applied it at night before bed, leaving it overnight and washing it out the next morning. It smells beautiful and if you take the time to massage into your scalp before spreading it out through your hair, you'll really feel it getting to work.

Next morning after washing, my hair was much softer than usual and behaving its half-curly, half-straight self a lot more than usual!

Five out of five for this one and going straight into my favourites! Also recommending it for those of you on the wedding countdown...

Foundation Review: Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation

I've been using the new Max Factor foundation for two weeks now and its a decidedly lacklustre response I'm afraid. Its very much a tinted moisturiser rather than a foundation (hence the weightless I guess, but I have to say I have yet to come across a foundation that actually was noticeably heavy - to me, its more about a natural v a caked look!) It is natural but it doesn't last as long as I would like. I really needed to use concealor every day to cover the usual (bags, sags, lines, lumps) as the coverage just wasn't what I would like.

But my biggest bug bear would have to be the one I constantly come across when using so called cheaper foundations - after about a week the odd blackhead and blocked pore starts to appear - and I don't usually get spots at all.

Final rating for Max Factors Xperience Foundation - two out of five!