Essence Haul!

While walking through Penneys on Mary Street the other day, I came across an amazing discovery. A FULL SIZED ESSENCE STAND! As you can probably tell by my excitement this is no ordinary Essence stand. This stand is like the magical one I heard so much about in Galway's Penneys. It's double the usual size and stocks the full nail polish range. Including magnetic polish, colour changing, false nails, nail savers, nail stamps the list is endless! Here is what I picked up on my first trip.

Nail art magnet - That creates a star effect

Stampy polish- This is for a stamping set I bought previously. Essence also have this set for much cheaper. It's a cheap version of the Konad nail stamps.

Volumizing lash powder -  A powder that gives a false eyelash effect. I saw this on beaut.ie months ago. I have been dying to get my hands on it as it is a dupe for Model Co Fibre Lash that is €39! Essence version is less than €4!

Cherry Blossom Highlighter - I love a highlighter, bought to see if it is as good as High Beam.

So that's my haul! If you would like to see reviews of any of the products let me know.

Laura x

Essence Cherry Blossom Girl!

It's time for a new limited edition from Essence. The new edition is called 'Cherry Blossom Girl' inspired by Japanese beauty. I'm really excited about this one as it looks gorgeous! There are so many products I would love to get my paws on. It is due to hit shelves this September.

First up is an eye shadow quattro in the colour '01 dreaming under a cherry tree'. It has four colours that can be used together to make a number of different eye looks. They are nice colours but I already have a million eye shadows so I don't think I will buy this item.

The next product is a great idea. It is a 2 in 1 eyeliner. This lets you create 'beautiful, accurate lines – from fine to broad'. They come in two colours, classic black or natural dark brown. (01 big in japan and 02 my little kimono.) I definitely think they will find their way into my basket!

Next up we have paper lashes, they are not really your everyday lashes. They are very dainty looking. I'm not sure if I could find somewhere to wear them to however. They are available in 01 hidden in sakura garden.

A product I'm very excited about is the lipstick pencils,. Essence a few years ago used to do lipstick pencils that I loved. Unfortunately they were discontinued. I'm hoping these new pencils will help me get over the loss of the old ones. They come in two gorgeous colours 1 cherry cherry girl and 02 it’s peach not cherry. 

The highlighter pen in this collection has really caught my eye. I can't wait to see if it is a dupe for Benefit's High Beam. The highlighter pen comes with a twist mechanism for easy application and comes in the colour 01 konnichiwa girls!

The blusher in the limited edition is also very pretty. It is a 'multi-color blush creates 'a fresh and rosy complexion'. The colour looks lovely. It will be available in 01 asian sensation.

As always in limited editions there are nail polish. The polish are very warm colours inspired by Tokyo in Summer. They are available in 01 fortune cookie, 02 my little kimono, 03 cherry cherry girl and 04 it’s peach not cherry.

Finally we have a shimmering body powder.This is a 'subtly fragrant body powder with a decorative powder puff offers your face, neck and décolleté a fine shimmer for a radiant look' available in 01 hello glitty. I love the packaging of this product but not sure if I would use it so I'm not sure if I would by it.

So what do you think of this limited edition? I love the look of it so far and adore the Japanese inspired names for the products. So far I have my eye on the blush, the lipsticks, the eyeliners and the high lighter pen. I can't wait to get my paws on them!

Laura x

July Empties!

I really can't believe it is nearly August! This year is going so fast. Here is my July empties.

Catrice Infinite Matt Foundation in 010 Light Beige.

I bought this foundation back in February. Back then it was slightly too dark for my skin tone. Since I have come back from a holiday in Spain it finally matched my skin. It is one of my favourite cheaper foundations. I only wish it came in a lighter shade as my skin is slowly going back to its super pale self. I was glad I got to use this foundation up though while my skin tone was slightly darker. I'm going to keep the bottle for my next bottle of Revlon Colorstay as it doesn't have a pump and I always use far too much. For a full review click HERE!

Revlon Colorstay in 110 Ivory

If you have pale skin then this is the foundation for you! I love it. I have gone through about seven bottles already this year. (As mentioned above I do seem to waste a good bit by pouring too much out as there is no pump!) Don't let this put you off as it is a great foundation for milk bottle pale girls. There is a shop in The Ilac centre just beside Argos that sells it for €10. They do other foundations also very cheap. If you are on the hunt for a new foundation check out that shop. 

Clinique Moisture Surge

I was quite excited when I saw this moisturiser free in a magazine. I have very dry skin so I love to try out different products to try and sort it out. I was actually very disappointed with this. It didn't do much for my skin at all! I really thought it was going to make a huge difference considering how expensive it is to buy. I would definitely not buy again. (I'm currently loving The Body Shops beautifying oil. It is now my holy grail for dry skin)

Catrice Prime and Fine Primer

I love this Primer. It is smooth and leaves my skin very silky. It provides a great base for foundation. I would definitely buy again. It is my favourite primer I have tried. For a full review click HERE!

Essence Ballerina Blush Souffle

This is from Essence's Limited Edition Ballerina Collection. It is a lovely cream blush that gives the cheeks a nice natural looking glow. Unfortunately you can't buy it anymore but there is now a similar product in Essence's main product line. Would I buy it again? I did like it and think I would buy it again come September when I'm back working (Hopefully!) in a school and need very natural makeup.

So that is my July Empties. I love empties posts so please leave a comment below with a link if you have one too!

Laura x

Win Snow White by Essence Nail Toppers!

Just to let everyone know you can win some Snow White by Essence nail toppers over on my Twitter. All you have to do is follow my twitter and RT my status about the competition. Open internationally and ends 22nd of July. Good Luck!

My twitter twitter.com/whatlarryloves.


Laura x

Monthly Empties: June

Another month gone, another empties post!

Product - Garnier Bodytonic

Price - €7.45 but I got it in Tesco for €3.70

What did I think? - I love this moisturiser. It totally transformed my skin. I used to have really dry itchy skin. I used to be covered in cuts from scratching all the time. However, since I have been using this my skin has totally transformed and I'm no longer covered in cuts and scratches.

Would I buy again? - Yes I already have!

Product - La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water

Price - This was the smaller version so it was €4.95

What did I think? - I really like this spray. It is so refreshing during hotter weather. It can cool you down, refresh make up, act as an after sun, and a makeup setter. It has so many uses it's amazing!

Would I buy again? - Yes this was my second bottle and I would definitely buy another.

Product - Essence Nail Varnish Remover

Price - €1.49 (Although my new bottle was only 99c)

What did I think? - Unlike many nail polish removers, this product actually smelled really nice. It has a strawberry scent that really takes away from the usual really strong nail varnish remover smell. It removed my nail polish well. It also doesn't contain any acetone.

Would I buy again? - I would buy it again. Unfortunately the chemist where I usually buy it did not have the strawberry version so I had to buy the coconut version which isn't as nice.

Until next month!

Larry x

Essence: Snow White Limited Edition

How AMAZING is this new collection from Essence? Essences have collaborated with Disney to create this fab Snow White Limited Edition. Unfortunately there are only nail products. I would have loved maybe a Snow White blush or lipstick but I will definitely be happy enough with the nail polish!

The basic nail polish are in gorgeous summer colours with ’Snow White’ printed on them. There is one red one that is randomly bigger than the others, a bit strange! They all have great names 01 snow white (The random big red one!), 02 grumpy, 03 doc, 04 happy, 05 sneezy, 06 sleepy, 07 bashful and 08 dopey.

I absolutely LOVE the nail toppers in this range. They are designed to bring ‘a fairy tale to your finger tips!’ They are available in 01 evil queen, 02 the huntsman and 03 prince charming. They are very similar to Catrice’s Million Style range which was supposed to hit Irish shelves in April but I still haven’t seen them yet.

The nail stickers are pretty cute. I don’t think I would wear them but I’m sure they will sell out quick! I do like the nail file though so I might buy that! I really hope Essence do more collaborations with Disney. I would love some Beauty and the Beast or Pocahontas items!

Unfortunately you will have to wait till July before you can get your paws on them. What do you think? Does anything catch your eye?

Larry x

Essence Limited Edition 'Fruity'

When it comes to Essence and Catrice I adore their Limited Edition products. The new Essence Limited Edition to hit Ireland has just been announced! Ireland get ready to get Fruity! 

First up in this new Limited Edition is an eyeshadow sorbet. It is a sorbet mousse in brilliant spring colours. Sorbet for your eyelids! Available in 1.one kiwi a day 2. banana joe and 3.peach beauty. 

Also in this range is five new nail polish. Perfect for spring these nail polishes are designed to bring spring to your nails! They will be available in  01 banana joe, 02 peach beauty, 03 very cherry, 04 one kiwi a day… and 05 mashed berries.

Fruity also comes with a blush sorbet and nail fruit designs for your nails. Blush Sorbet looks very like the blush that was in the Ballerina Collection. It is an intense pink-red shade that is designed to give a natural flush. It will be available in one colour 01 smoothie operator. Nail Fruits are fruit designs for your nails. They can create eye catching nails in seconds and come with a handy nail glue. Available in one colour 01 fruit punch to go.

Along with the nail polishes are two top coats. The first 'fruity scented top coat' is a strawberry scented top coat for your nails. It gives your nails a 'seductive fresh strawberry scent'!!??? (Strange!) It will be available in 01 smells like strawberry... The second top coat is 'nail art sealing top coat' apply to nails after nail art for long-lasting results. Available in 01 stay fruity.

Finally the last two items of this Limited Edition are Fruity lip balms. They will be available in two fruity colours 01 peach beauty and 02 very cherry. They look quite nice and are supposed to 'pamper your lips with the delicious taste of spring'. I quite like these!

So will you be buying anything from Fruity? I want the lip balm. I'm hoping they will be a cheaper version of Revlon's Lip Butters! Time will tell when I get my hands on them!

Larry xx

Essence 24h Hand Protection Balm

Over the last few weeks my hands and nails have been in bits. I don't know if it's the mental Irish weather, warm one minute and back to FREEZING the next. My hands were in some serious need of TLC. While searching for some hand cream I came across a bottle of Essence hand cream I bought ages ago and had forgotten about. This hand cream was only €1.49 so I wasn't expecting much to be honest.

Essence do a range of hand creams. This bottle in particular is designed to repair. Exactly what I needed. It's designed to give intensive care to dry stressed hands. The repair formula is a combination of Shea butter and coconut oil with no oily residue.

I have been using it for a few days now and there is a big difference in my hands! My cuticles and nails are much more moisturised and no longer dry and sore. At night I have been using a lot of this cream on my hands just before I go to sleep and then I also use it a few times throughout the day. The bottle is very handy to throw into your handbag as it's only 75ml. For €1.49 I found this product to be brilliant! 

Larry xx

Essence Marble Mania!

Essence Ireland announced on Facebook today their next limited edition trend. I LOVE the limited editions so was very excited by this! The last edition, the circus range came out just before Christmas. I only bought one nail varnish from this range as the rest didn't really jump out at me. (Click here for a look at my review on the circus range.) However, this new edition Marble Mania is really catching my eye!

First up we have three baked eyeshadows. These eyeshadows look amazing! They all have triple marbling and can be applied wet or dry. They are very similar to the Catrice shadows in the Nymphelia range. (The Essence version is also over a euro cheaper at €3.29) I think these shadows look amazing and can't wait to try them! They come in the following colours: 01 seriously mixed up, 02 let's get twisted and 03 swirl it, baby!

This blush is one of my favourite items from the Marble Mania range. It just look gorgeous! It is a mix of four rosé shades blended together into a stunning marble blush. I will definitely be buying this! It only comes in one colour sadly 01 swirlpool. I wish there was more as I'm loving the look of it! Price is €3.99.

There are four nail polishes included in the Marble Mania range. They are designed to create marble designs with the Marble Mania nail art kit. Each polish is €2.29 and are available in the colours 01 raspberry swirl, 02 who is mr. brown, 03 silver twister and 04 peaches.

There will be two marble lip glosses in this range. The marble effect merges into one colour when applied to lips. These will be available in 01 coral whirl and 02 peach and mix. Price is €2.29.

The Marble Mania mascara is rather strange looking! It is ultra black marbled with sliver. The tube is transparent so you can see the marbled effect inside! (I think this is pretty cool) Price is €3.29.

Finally in Marble Mania is the nail art kit. I'm very excited about this one! I can't wait for the Essence nail stamps to arrive in Ireland but this will keep me amused till then! The kit contains a professional brush, two professional sponges and two wooden sticks. The brush is perfect for helping create lines and dots on your nails as it has an ultra fine tip. The sponges can be used to create an airbrush effect or marbled nails. I think I will get a lot of use out of this kit so it will be well worth the price of €2.79!

Unfortunately this range won't hit Irish shores till March or April. Will you be buying anything form this range?

Larry xx

Valentines Presents for YOURSELF all under €5!

I really don't believe in the whole Valentines Day present giving. I think it is a holiday made up by Hallmark to earn a bit of cash! There should not just be ONE day a year when you give a gift or flowers to your loved one. However, who is to say you can't treat yourself to a little present! (Any excuse to shop!) So here is some recession friendly treats, all under €5 each! Turn a little pink/red for a day!

Essence Nail Varnish

Essence is a perfect way to get the Valentines day look! Each polish is only €1.29 so it's the perfect way to get a little pink/red. It's so cheap you can get a pink, red, purple , yellow, blue ..... 

Barry M Nail Paint

I love Barry M Nail polishes! They are always really pigmented and have a thick formula. The shade 'shocking Pink 272' is perfect for Valentines. It's fantastic quality for €4.50

Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick

Catrice have very cheap lipsticks. I LOVE the colour 140 Pinker-bell. It is a Hot pink lipstick. Also a lovely Valentines lipstick is 080 My Red Card! Go on put on a bit of colour! (€4.99 each)

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry Nail Polish
Collection 2000 also have super cheap nail polish. They are only £1.79 (about €2.20) so it won't break the bank!

Lush Leap Frog

This lovely green frog with his bright red lips is a lovely little Valentines friend! For the extremely brave girls out there this little green frog is a reminder of what happens this year. 2012 is a leap year where girls get to propose! (I could NEVER do this!) 

So will you be treating yourself this year?

Larry xx

Essence Eyeliners

Essence is one of my favourite make up brands. Not only is it cheap and cheerful but it's amazing quality! I have been using this brand for years now and have so much love for it! In particular I love Essence eyeliners.

Long Lasting Eye Pencil

This is a fantastic eye pencil. It's pigmented, strong and long lasting. It's very creamy and doesn't scratch. Best of all you don't need a sharpener as it just twists up. For only €1.99 this is amazing value. Essence describe it as 'the star product among the eye pencils: due to the innovative rotary mechanism the long lasting eye pencil can be applied especially precisely and guarantees a long-lasting result. matching the season two new trend colours provide the eye make-up with extra depth and sensuality.'

Essence Eyeliner Pen

This is a great product for those who are new to liquid eyeliner. Essence describe it as 'original Japanese mascara gives this eyeliner precise definition. ideal for on the go.' As it's in the shape of a felt tip pen it provides more control for those not used to liquid eyeliner. I find this eyeliner easiest for a 'winged' look as the top of the pen is a point (so I can control the thickness of the line better than other liquid eye liners.) Again it's long lasting and is highly pigmented.

Liquid Eyeliner

This eyeliner is almost a cult product. So many beauty bloggers list this as one of there top products and claim it's better than many of the high end liquid eye-liners. I was devastated to learn that they had changed the formula and the packaging. This resulted in the loss of an amazing product as the new eyeliner is not impressing bloggers!  I have not purchased this new bottle as I have been so put off by bad reviews. It was with great relief I read on Viva Adonis's blog click here! that Essence have realised there mistake and the original liquid eyeliner is coming back in March!  

This eyeliner is true black which I love. It's really long lasting and the size is perfect for application. If you see the old version I'd advise you to snap it up!

If you have not tried Essence eyeliners yet I would definitely recommend you try them out! 


Larry xx

Essence Circus!

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas Nails Essence Limited Edition 'Circus Circus' might be exactly what you are looking for. It's the perfect Christmas red with one side and a gorgeous red glitter on the other. This is perfect as you can make up to three colours from the one nail polish. 1. Red. 2. Glitter. 3. Red Glitter.

This nail polish also comes in purple with purple glitter and black with gold glitter. The Circus nail polish are €3.99 each. If the black and gold takes your fancy you would probably better off buying the small individual nail polishes in black and gold glitter which are €1.29 each. (This will save you more than a euro!) Unfortunately you can't get the red or purple glitter in the small individual nail polishes so you will have to buy from the circus range!

The Red side

Red side with the glitter side on top

There is also a lip topper which I'm also very keen to try. It's described as adding glamour to any lipstick! I will have to buy this! What are your thoughts on the new Essence range?

Larry xx