My Top 5 Foundations

Good morning, and here's to a 4 day week!

I get lots of questions about my favourite foundations, and I have tried lots of drugstore and high end brands over the last few months. 

I have compiled a list of my top 5 foundations, and what I love about them.

| Stila Stay All Day Foundation and Concealer | 

Having recently renewed my love for Stila, this foundation is fast becoming my got to for nights out, or days when I have lots on, and no time to retouch my base.

This is a high coverage, high definition foundation, that glides on to the skin with ease. It is oil free, but doesn't leave the skin looking dry or cakey. It also comes with a creamy concealer hidden in the lid, with a handy mirror too, for all the busy women out there. 

I use the AYU Buffer Brush to apply this, and find it blends in to the skin perfectly with this brush.

A little goes a long way with this product, so it lasts a long time in your make up bag.

Price - €33

Available from Harvey Nichols Dundrum, Sam McCauley's Tralee, Wexford and Carlow, Marks and Spencers Mary St Dublin and Cara Pharmacy in Sligo.

| L'Oreal True Match Foundation |

This is, hands down, the best drugstore foundation I have ever used. Regardless of the price (€14.99) it is such a high quality base, meaning that even if your budget does not stretch to a high end brand, you can still achieve a super finish from your foundation. It feels light on the skin, with a medium coverage, so is perfect for day wear. This has been my daily foundation for the past few months and I cannot fault it. I have picked up a few of the shades for my kit too. I use the AYU Buffer Brush with this one too.

This is available from Boots.ie and most pharmacies nationwide. 

| Inglot HD Perfect Cover Up Foundation | 

Ladies with sensitive skin, this is your new best friend. This hypoallergenic foundation is perfect for sensitive skin types, all while providing flawless coverage to the skin, and controlling excess oil in the process. I find that I never need a concealer when wearing this base, and only use concealer to highlight my face. As this is HD foundation, it is also perfect for professionals who need a picture perfect base when working with cameras. A must have in your make up collection. I tend to use this for nights out, as the coverage is second to none, and I know that I won't need to powder throughout the night. 

This retails at €33 and can be bought on www.Inglot.ie 

| Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation | 

Looking for a super light, soft and nourishing foundation for day wear? Chanel has the answer. This ultra fine fluid texture foundation can be applied with your fingers, and just glides on effortlessly. 

It gives a very light coverage, but still manages to create an even base without the heavy feeling of foundation. Perfect for holidays, as it will not weigh the skin down, and allows your pores to breathe.

This retails at €40 and can also be picked up from www.Boots.ie 

| Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse | 

Anyone that has followed my blog for a while will know that this has always been one of my hero products in my make up collection. It has a great name for a reason, and can be impossible to get your hands on. I always seem to get it in Boots, Jervis St Shopping Centre!! 

It is a light as air mousse make up, that feels just as lovely on the skin as you can imagine, all while giving a great medium coverage and even look. I apply this again with my AYU Buffer Brush (addicted!!!) and find just one pump is enough to cover the whole face. It retails at a great price of €19.29 and can be picked up from www.Boots.ie  

So there you have it, my top 5 foundations that are always in my kit. I hope this has helped you to choose your next beauty purchase with ease..

Happy Tuesday,

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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Product List - Gold Glossy Eyes

Long time no see gorgeous ladies! 

I am back with a make up post, on the look I wore on Saturday night.

Myself and Paul have not been out on a proper date night in over a year so, as you can imagine, it was well overdue. We have been out with friends but hadn't had a night out for just the two of us since I was pregnant last year, so we were so excited to switch off and spend some quality time together.

I wore a stunning Jovani dress from Caris Closet, Malahide, and I decided to match my eye make up to the dress. I didn't manage to film this look for my YouTube channel as I was stuck for time, but if that is something you would like to see, please comment below.

| Product List |

| Base |

Stila One Step Correct Primer

Still Stay All Day Foundation in No.7

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC 15

Inglot HD Pressed Powder 404

MAC Harmony blush for Contour 

MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralise Skinfinish to highlight

MAC Peaches blush

bareMinerals Well Rested Concealer 

| Eyes |

MAC Uninterrupted 

Inglot AMC Pure Pigment in 115

Inglot Gel Liner in 77

Individual Lashes by Fabulosity 

| Brows |

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Blonde 

| Lips |

MAC Stripdown Liner

NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Nude

NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie 

| Setting |

Urban Decay Setting Spray

So that's it, all the products used to create this look. The hero product in this look is the stunning pigment from Ingot.. one of my new favourites. 

Have a lovely evening..

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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What I Wore : Beauty Masterclass

Good morning beautiful ladies, and happy Friday!!! 

I woke up feeling super happy today after a hugely successful night last night. 

I hosted my first ever beauty masterclass in Harvey Nichols, Dundrum. 

To see so many of you come out to meet me, and looking so super glamorous, made me the proudest lady on the planet. I am so at home when I'm face to face talking to you all, so hopefully I will be doing a lot more events like this, and will get to meet as many of my followers as I can! 

Last nights outfit details are below : 

Top : Miss Selfridge 

Culottes : Penneys 

Lace Up Shoes : Public Desire (Publicdesire.co.uk) 

Watch : Michael Kors 

Bracelets : Alex and Ani 

Ring : Swarovski 

I hope you all have a super weekend, and keep an eye out for my next event... :-) 

Lots of love, 

Rosie

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Cream Contour Video - Product List💄

Hi ladies, 

I hope you enjoyed my new YouTube video on the Stila Shape and Shade contour duo. Link - http://youtu.be/UNu0fRQh3dk 

It is my new favourite product to contour with, as the consistency is so easy to work with, and super blendable. 

A full list of the look I wore is below - 

Face : 

MAC strobe cream 

L'oreal True Match foundation in W3 

Stila contour duo in Medium 

MAC Pro Longwear concealer NC15 

Inglot pressed powder 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish soft and gentle 

Eyes : 

BUFF make up eye shadow in Ochre

MAC coffee eye liner 

NYX Vinyl liquid liner in black 

Lashes by Fabulosity Dame Street 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Blonde 

Lips : 

MAX Stripdown liner 

NYX matte lipstick in Nude 

NYX Butter gloss in Maple Blondie 

Brushes : 

To contour - Stila shape and shade custom contour brush 

Concealer - NIMA small duo fibre brush www.nimabrush.com 

Blending sponge - Stila 

All Stila products can be purchased from Harvey Nichols Dundrum, Sam McCauleys Tralee, Wexford and Carlow, Marks and Spencer's Mary Street Dublin, and Cara pharmacy in Sligo. 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if you give it a try, please send a picture my way! 

Lots of love, 

Rosie 

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My Tanning Routine

Hi ladies, 

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! 

I get asked about my tanning routine a lot, from what tanning I do (sunbeds or false tan) to what my favorite products are and how often I apply them. Hopefully this post covers everything for you! 

 

I am not a fan of sunbeds at all. I will admit, I used to use them a few years back, but after a close family member battled cancer recently, my attitude towards them has completely changed. They are just not for me, so I have turned to finding the perfect tan in a bottle, and that's where Cocoa Brown comes in. 

I am in no way sponsored by Cocoa Brown, but can honestly say this is the best false tan I have ever used (and I've tried them all!!) I use the Cocoa Brown One Hour Mousse religiously, and have never found another product to even come close to the finish it gives. 

Preperation : 

I wear false tan every single day, so making sure my skin is prepared before I apply it is so important for longevity. I will run myself a nice hot bubble bath, and soak in that for 20 minutes before jumping into the shower. It's then that I use Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells from my body, concentrating on dry areas such as the knees, elbows and ankles. This exfoliator is gentle enough for sensitive skin and doesn't leave the skin feeling raw or sore, all while still giving the skin a good scrub. Make sure to dry yourself off and do not apply any body creams or sprays, as this will effect how the tan takes to your skin. 

Application : 

I use the Cocoa Brown tanning mit to apply my false tan, or you can pick up any tanning mit from Penneys or your local pharmacy. Shake the bottle well, and then squeeze out a generous amount of the tan, remembering that it is a mousse so will expand once expelled from the can. I start at my feet and work my way up, making sure to blend the tan in fully before moving on to the next area. Pay close attention to your knees and elbows as these areas are naturally drier and will cause the tan to stick to them so be light handed in these areas. Cocoa brown gives you an instant colour, so you will be able to see exactly where you have applied product, perfect for tanning newbies! When I have applied to my whole body, I start on my hands and face. I will use a moisturiser on my hand and face before I apply the tan, so that it is slightly lighter than the rest of my body. This helps to avoid the dreaded orange hands we all fell victim to at some stage! Cocoa Brown mousse dries very quickly, leaving virtually no tacky residue, so after about ten minutes I find I am safe to get dressed.

Maintenance : 

I usually reapply my tan every 4-5 days, depending on what I have on that week. Some people recommend moisturinhos every day to prolong the life of your tan but I don't feel I need to, as this tan doesn't dry out my skin. It is super low maintenance, and wears off gradually, not giving you the awful snake effect of most tans. 

The best thing about this tan is how quickly it comes up. I tend to apply mine in the morning time, as it is developed by the time I'm ready to the leave the house. Perfect for busy mums who havnt the time to allow it to develop! 

You can now pick up Cocoa Brown in most supermarkets and pharmacies nationwide. 

If you have any other questions about tanning please leave them below or contact me on Instagram (@rosieconxxx) or Facebook.com/HeartsHeelsAndHandbags 

Happy tanning ladies, 

Rosie 

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Review : L'Oreal True Match Foundation

Hi Ladies, 

Welcome back to my blog :-) 

This morning I posted a picture of the L'Oreal True Match foundation that got a lot of attention. 

I have heard so many great things about this foundation, and decided to give it a go today, and see if it lived up to the hype. 

I have always been someone who sticks to one foundation, but as I am running a beauty blog, I felt it was only right to start trying out alternatives and providing you with some reviews and my thoughts on some drugstore brands too.

I applied the True Match foundation in shade W3, which was perfect for my usual NC25/30 shade skin. I used my Medium Duo Fibre brush from Nima Brushes to apply it (Pic below) I am wearing Cocoa Brown 1 Hour tanning mousse, and this shade matches it perfectly. 

It feels very light on the skin when applying it, and gives a medium coverage. It is very buildable so if you prefer a heavier coverage, just apply a second layer. 

I have normal to oily skin and this sat lovely on my skin all day. It may also have something to do with what I wore under, and over my foundation, so I have a full product list below - 

1. MAC strobe cream

2. True Match W3 mixed with one pump of Buff Sheer Glo in Movie Star.

3. MAC Studio Finish concealer

4. Inglot HD pressed powder in 404

5. Buff Make Up contour pallet (No.5)

6.NARS Deep Throat Blusher

7. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Soft and Gentle

Applied with the medium duo fibre brush drom Nima Brushes -

Here is the before picture of the foundation when it was applied this morning at 8am.

The after pictures below were taken at 5.30pm today, in natural light. I have not touched up my face at all, except to reapply my lipstick after lunch.

As you can see, this has pretty amazing staying power, and still looks just as good nearly 10 hours later. I was also out for a walk today in the sun, and it didn't change the finish of my foundation.

I will definitely be using this as my daily foundation from now on.

It is available to purchase in Boots and in most pharmacies for just €14.99 - Bargain!!! 

Happy shopping ladies. 

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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Harry's Routine : 11 weeks old

Good morning gorgeous Mama's, 

I get lots of questions about Harry's routine, and I know when I was pregnant, I was eager to know what other mothers found helpful when it comes to a feeding and sleeping routine. 

Up until about 3 weeks ago, Harry did not have a routine as such. He was fed when he was hungry, and slept when he was tired. I didn't try to get him into any routine, as I just let him decide what he needed. He has naturally gotten himself into a routine now. 

From when he was born, he has always been a big feeder, and has been feeding every 2 hours since day one. This was quite exhausting during the night, as it sometimes took an hour to get him fed and back to sleep, leaving just an hours sleep before he was awake again. We tried giving him more milk but his little belly could only take so much. 

He has been on Aptamil milk since he was born, but has been on the "hungry baby" Aptamil since he was 3 weeks old... As I said, he's a hungry little man!!! 

He was originally using the Tomee Tippee bottles, but when he began having trouble getting his wind up we changed to the Dr.Browns bottles and he has been on them since. They really made his feeding easier and helped with any trapped wind. I also found that adding an extra ounce of water to the hungry baby milk helped too. The hungry milk can be a bit thicker so Harry feeds better with one extra ounce of water ie. 5 scoops of  milk to 6 oz of water. 

Below is an outline of Harry's "average" day : 

6/7am wakes for bottle 6oz

7-9am playtime on his playmat or his bouncy chair 

9am bottle 6oz

9.30am 1 hour nap in his cot 

11am bottle 6oz

11.30-1pm playtime/tummy time 

1/2pm bottle 6oz

I may head out at this stage of the day, and he generally sleeps when we are out and about. 

5pm bottle 6oz

5-7pm playtime with daddy

7pm bathtime 

7.30pm bottle 6oz

8pm into is cot with his mobile on 

He usually takes about 10 minutes to not off. 

11pm dream feed 4oz bottle 

He will then sleep through the night until 6/7am 

 

Please bare in mind that this is just an average day. Each and every day is different, and some nights he will wake at 3am for another bottle. Or for example, last night he fell asleep after a 6pm bottle and slept right through to 6am with no dream feed. 

Dream feeding is the process of lifting your baby while they're asleep and feeding them, usually between 10-11pm. It doesn't work for every baby, but seems to be working for Harry and stops him waking from hunger at 3/4am. I find leaving the light off, and not speaking to him or stimulating him is the best way to keep him asleep. Because his body is so relaxed, he barely has any wind, so the feed takes less time than usual. 

My only advice I could give to any new mums, would be to just listen to your little baby, and let them lead you. I know it's different if you have other children, and you may need them to follow a set routine to make your life more manageable, but I found letting Harry lead the way worked for us. I don't allow him to get worked up from hunger. If he is hungry, I feed him. When he's tired, he sleeps. He has been a very relaxed and chilled out baby so we have been so blessed. 

Harry is in his cotbed in our bedroom, and I have no intentions of that changing anytime soon. He has his own nursery right beside our bedroom, and I know he would be fine in another room, but I am not quite ready for that yet... (clingy mama!!!) 

All babies are different, and I know Harry's routine could go out the widow tomorrow and he could be completely different, but for now, we are following this routine. 

If you have any questions about feeding, sleeping or any other baby related queries, please get in touch with me via Facebook, Instagram or email (rosieconnollyblog@gmail.com) 

Lots of love, 

Rosie

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