Things I'm Trialling ft Charlotte Tilbury, Clarins, CND, Essie, Garnier, L'Occitane & Urban Decay

1. Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray: €25.40 Here

For the longest time the only setting spray I'd ever use was Thermal Spring Water and even then that was a rarity. You see if I've a full day or evening ahead, I'll use a primer (another rarity) and think no more about it. This All Nighter setting spray from Urban Decay has changed my mind about that entirely. 

The fine mist contains Temperature Control Technology, so not only does it hold my full face in place but I manage to avoid the unavoidable sweats in this hoomid indian summer. I don't use it every day but when I do, it does exactly what it says on the buidéal. 

2. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow: €65 Here

Can we just take a minute? Just. One. Minute. I know we're reaching peak saturation on Charlotte Tilbury blog posts but if I were to tell you that this Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette has actually overtaken my obsesh with the Hourglass Ambient Light would you allow it? 

Forget Lion King scary contour lines and Kim K attempts at shading warpaint, this, THIS is what will give you that effortless contoured look with just a couple of sweeps. The matte Sculpt shade is my perfect shading colour and the champagne Highlight is the buildable highlighter of my dreams. Truly, I've worn BB cream, this and mascara and been told I've never looked better twice this week alone. It. Is. Love. 

3. L'Occitane Whipped Body Cream: €22 Launches Oct

This whipped shea body cream reminds me of exactly that, whipped cream. Whipped cream with a comforting scent of some seriously spendy Sudocrem. Don't for an instant think I mean that as a bad thing, this sumptuous whipped shea butter melts into the skin like no other butter I've used but the scent is unmistakably Sudo.  

For 25 years, L'Occitane have used shea butter from the women's co-operatives of Burkina Faso. The inspiration for this mousse like body cream came from the ladies themselves in their production of the butter. Deceptively rich, despite its light weight appearance, this has been playing a blinder in cocooning my skin before bed this week. A luxurious delight. 

4. CND Vinylux: Open Road Collection: €11.95 Each from Selected Salons 

One of the original gel effect polishes, without the need for lamps, CND have captured transitional autumnal shades beautifully with their Open Road collection. Always my choice of polish when it comes to holidays, because even I don't want to be fickle when sunning myself, it's a long lasting beaut. 

CND promise 7 days chip free once you skip the basecoat and use the topcoat correctly but truth be told I can never get more than 5 from my mani. Then again I am notoriously hard on my nails. Of Open Road, Clay Canyon HERE and Sage Scarf are by far the standouts to me. There just aren't polish shades like them in the nail varnish world right now. Love. 

5. Essie Fall '14: €9.99 Selected Irish Pharmacies

We know I love my Essie, right? It takes a serious collection to make me leave Summer shades behind without a backward glance and Essie Fall '14 is exactly that to me. 

These rich cream shades are pretty unassuming when you line them up but once you get them on the nail KABLAMMO instant autumnal fabulousness. Expect to see a hell of a lot more nail shots in the coming weeks. That's a promise. 

6. Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette: €41 Here

Clarins Ladylike collection for AW '14 is exactly that, subtle, effortlessly chic and ladylike. I had already fallen head over heels with the dewy True Radiance foundation, this mineral palette has just reinforced my love for the back to basics look for this season. 

All colours can be worn wet or dry, I find I prefer dry for the day time, as each shade is soft and blendable regardless. Of an evening though, with a dampened shadow brush, you can kick the intensity right up with these shadows. I'll have a full low down but do please stop by the Clarins counter and swatch these babies for yourself. Stunners. 

7. Garnier BB+Blur: £8.66 Here

When asked for my BB recommendations I will invariably go back to the original Garnier BB cream. No muss, no fuss, just a genuinely decent BB that gives a soft, semi sheer finish. Fast forward 2 years and past the introduction of Garniers show stopping 5 Second Perfect Blur primer and you have a hybrid many will want to rush out and buy. 

This BB iteration is everything the original was and then some, a big some, a Perfect Blur some. The addition of the blurring product sends this BB right to the top of my recommendation list. Even skin tone and blurred out fine lines for the entire day, without ever feeling heavy or mask like on the skin make Garnier BB+Blur a stonking great hit for me. 

8. Clarins Rouge Eclat in Pink Magnolia: €23 Here

Another winner from the Ladylike collection is the Rouge Eclat lippies. 5 new flattering shades provide soft, shiny colour with hydration not seen in other lipsticks that last quite this long. 

From delicate peaches right through to a rich red, there's something in this collection for everyone. Formulated with 100% plant waxes, such as jojoba and sunflower, you'll feel the hydration on your lips, without the need to reapply every hour. I'm a firm believer that everyone should own a Clarins lippie, just to see what €23 really should buy you when it comes to quality. This seems like the perfect collection to test your toe if you haven't yet. 

9. Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon: Bronzed Garnet - Colour Morphing Eye Shadow Pencil: €25 Here

We finish up with another Charlotte Tilbury product, the Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to receive this, I mean the swatch had me drooling for dayyyz. I love the idea of shadow sticks, the notion that one swipe and 30 seconds later you're out the door with multi faceted lids makes me very giddy indeed. You can imagine then the sadsies when Bronzed Garnet just didn't work for me as a shadow in that way. 

I don't have particularly greasy lids, in fact it's a rarity that I ever use lid primer, unless I'm looking to change a shadows depth or spend a night on the tiles but Bronzed Garnet just refused to stay put on its own. When used over primer I had better luck but, to me, using this as a base for the shadow palettes is where this stick comes into its own. 

The multi dimensional look I can achieve with this as a base for Golden Goddess had me double taking at myself! All that and this kicks actual ass as a liner, think Smashbox Shadow Liner level awesomeness and you're about right. I am bereft that Bronzed Garnet wasn't what I expected but given its deft at other uses, I'll definitely be picking up a shade or two more. 


Tell us, have you tried any of these products? Agree? Disagree? Wanna hear more?