Clare Hogan Makeup Artist

The Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette has been on sale for a while but I only got around to buying it today and I love it already. All the colours are gorgeous, ranging from nude to golds to browns and grey (the picture doesn’t really show the true colours, the last shade is actually grey but looks blue in the pic). There are 12 shades, both matt and shimmery and the pigments are really good. As an added bonus you get an eye primer which is one of the best on the market and a brush which is pretty good too. At 40Euro it’s not cheap but I do think it’s a pretty good buy, especially when you compare it to some of the other palettes yon the market for the same price where you only get 3 or 4 colours and dare I say it, being only the 23rd of October, it would be a fab Christmas present for the make-up lover in your life!

Clare xox

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as a woman in my 30’s, having seen first hand the impact this disease can have, I think it’s so important to highlight it and encourage women to check their breasts regularly. So, to get everyone in the pink mood I decided to share a few of my favourite pink make-up items…

First up in this gorgeous Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Pink Pearl. Gorgeous all over your lid for a pretty daytime look or for a night time smokey look use it as a highlighter in the inner corner of your eye.

MAC do fabulous pink lipsticks ranging from soft & girlie to dark & bold. There’s a pink to suit your every mood and I think every girl should have a gorgeous pink lipstick in their make-up bag!

I adore NARS blushers, they have a great range of colours and this gorgeous pink is called Desire. LOVE it!

I couldn’t live without my Tweezerman and this limited edition, white tweezers with pink crystals has been created especially for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It not only looks gorgeous but part of the sales will go towards cancer research.

Two of my favourite brands of nail polish, Essie and Rimmel have lots of fabulous pinks to choose from and these two, Angora Cardi (Essie) and Portobello Pink (Rimmel) are perfect for adding a pop of pink to your look. A lot of people only wear pink in the summer but I love it all your round.

Back to MAC again and this is my favourite lip gloss called Ample Pink. I carry this everywhere with me, perfect when I need a quick pop of colour to my make-up during the day. I also love using it on my brides because it suits everyone and smells fab too.

Lastly, these make-up brush sets from Sigma are the perfect way to inject that extra bit of colour into your make-up bag. I love the case and not only do they look good but the brushes are great quality, just as good and a fraction of the price of the more expensive brands.

So, that’s it… think pink ladies 🙂 and look after yourselves and each other!

Clare xox

I started using YonKa products a few years ago when I was introduced to them in Powerscourt Springs Day Spa in Wicklow. They’re made from plant and fruit extracts and smell divine so I fell in love with them straight away. They’re also said to be the secret behind Angelina Jolie’s amazing complexion so if it’s good enough for Angelina!

They are a little pricey so they were only ever a treat, however on my last two visits to my local spa, White Pebble Day Spa in the Stillorgan Park Hotel, I decided to treat myself and bought the Masque No.1 and Gommage 303 (pictured below). The Masque No.1 is great for dry, dehydrated skin. You can use it as a mask that you leave on for 20/30 mins or you can leave it on over night for a more intense treatment. It’s a life saver during the winter months when your skin is suffering from exposure to heat and cold and I really noticed a difference. The second, Gommage 303 is an exfoliant. You apply it like a mask in a nice thin layer but when it dries you rub it off in a soft circular motion and it will remove the dead skin cells with it. It smells amazing and really works. If you have very sensitive skin the Gommage 303 might be a little strong but YonKa have a wide rang of products for all skin types so there’s something for everyone.

You don’t need to use a lot of either of these products so they should last you quite a while and the good news, White Pebble Day Spa are having a YonKa Sale at the moment so I know where I’ll be going this weekend 🙂

Clare xox