The Ultimate Powder Contour Duo?*

Being a self confessed queen of contouring, I love my Crown Brush concealer palette. It's perfect for a dramatic night time look but I wanted something more subtle for during the day. I was using the sleek contour palette and although I love the highlight powder, the contour was verging on the muddy side. 

While on the hunt for my 'go-to' day time contour, I was kindly gifted some bits from W7 to trial. It really couldn't have come at a better time and to say they've blown me away is an understatement. The quality of these products for the price is mind blowing. 

The Matte Bronzer Compact has taken up full time residence on my face since receiving it. It is completely matte, it isn't orange and it doesn't cake on top of my foundation. It feels silky to the touch and while it is perfect for during the day, it's very buildable. Ideal for anyone who is new to contouring or someone who isn't ready to embrace a cream contour. 

I was also sent some brushes to try out. Being a bit of a brush snob, Sigma are my brushes of choice. I've been be left out of pocket on more than one occasion after "investing" in high end brushes so when I find one that works for me, I rarely change it up. That being said, I was completely blown away with the brushes I was sent. The Face Blending brush has completely changed my opinion on branded brushes, it so soft and such a unique shape. The angle of the brush and the fact that the bristles are curved mean it fits under my "cheekbones" perfectly. Chiseling them in one quick sweep. It's narrow enough to use down the sides of your nose too and perfect for disguising a high forehead like mine if you want to rock a slicked back ponytail.

What surprised me most about the brush was the complete lack of fall out where the bristles are concerned, even after washing the brush. I haven't seen one loose hair - Success! It just goes to show that price doesn't always indicate quality in the beauty industry.

This pair combined is a match made in makeup heaven. The W7 brushes start at €1.49 and the Bronzer compact is a mere €1.99. You can pick W7 online from Cara Pharmacy where these products are regularly on SALE. They're practically giving the products away at full price. 

I may have a few W7 Designer Dupes of Cult Beauty products up my sleeves so be sure to keep an eye out for those in the coming weeks.

'Suddenly Diamonds' by Lidl | Review

Let me just start off by saying I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to perfume, so much so I would say that in the entiretyof my perfume wearing years I've owned a grand total of two Celebrity scents (both were gifted to me). Now thats not to say that there is anything wrong with the scents because there isn't. The issue I have with celebrity endorsed perfumes is.. " Do I really want to smell like Amy Childs hunni?" - Eh NO!

Anyway back to the point at hand. Around this time every year I treat myself to a bottle of Dolce & Gabbana 'Light Blue'. It was my first ever perfume and to this day it holds a special place in my heart, sort of a coming of age type thing. It's also a great Spring/Summer scent - crisp and clean!

I wasn't 5 sprays into my latest repurchase when it smashed in my handbag, destroying the bag and ruining my day. I must say it was a first for me (thankfully) and one that I didn't want to experience again. I just couldn't cope with the loss, it's so expensive after all! Around the time of the catastrophe I had been hearing a lot of hype surrounding this "Suddenly Madame Glamour" a fragrance release from none other than Lidl.It was labelled a designer dupe for 'Coco Mademoiselle' by Chanel. To be honest I kind of forgot about it again until I happened to be in Lidl. Low and behold it was SOLD OUT!

In its place was an uninspiring rectangular bottle 'Suddenly Diamonds', presumably a dupe for Armani 'Diamonds' right? Wrong! It was an identical dupe for none other than 'Boss Orange' by Hugo Boss, another great Spring/Summer scent.

Now I'm no expert but I'd like to think I know a thing or two about fragrance, I do kind of collect them! 

Top Notes - What you immediately perceive to be the perfumes scent. The initial and undoubtedly the mos important as this is the scent that dictates whether or not you buy it. A sales tactic.

I'm going to say in this instance that the Top Notes are Mandarin or more likely Orange Blossom as the scent is slightly more floral than citrusy and Bergamot. 

Base Notes - What is left behind when the perfume has settled and the top notes have evaporated. These tend to be deeper, richer scents and hold the key to the longevity of of the scent. Depending on whether you opt for an Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette these scents can be detected up to 24 hours after the initial application - Muskier scents if you will.

What is the difference between EDP and EDT you ask?

Eau de Parfum is more concentrated, it contains a higher percentage of essential oils, making it stronger and longer lasting while Eau de Toilette has a highter water content, making it a lighter and slightly cheaper alternative. 

The Base Notes in this particular fragrance are quite creamy. Consisting in my opinion of Vanilla and Sandalwood to cut through it so it isn't sickly sweet.

In plain English it is a Fruity/Floral scent. Light, fresh and clean. Perfect for day-to-day wear.

It is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. Grab it while you can ladies, it is available in Lidl stores Nationwide for a limited time only and priced at €3.99 for 50mls EDP - it is a STEAL! (compared to its designer counterpart priced at €64 in boots for 50mls EDP currently) 

Where should I apply it?

Give a Posy #BeautyHack - I like to spritz a little onto my hairbrush and run it through my hair so that each time I give a little hair flick it releases a waft of scent *sniffs the air*