I cannot believe that it’s August 2018 already. It feels like it was five minutes ago that I was celebrating my 21st birthday and now I’m hurtling towards 30.. THIRTY! Jesus, the thought is giving me anxiety. If you had asked me four years ago where I would be right now, I reckon my delusional younger self would have been a bit too optimistic.
So without further ado, I’m going to focus on something a bit less frightening. Every year, I spend the month of August treating myself – I’m a big believer in the “Birthday Month”. I obviously spend weeks compiling a wish list and studying online reviews before I decided what to spend my (very) limited hard earned cash on. I asked if Rouge Writing Hood’s readers would be interested in reading a post about what I’ve classed as my “must haves” this year and 92% said that they would be. Majority rules so here we go..
Huda Beauty’s “Desert Dusk Palette” – €65:
I had every intention of leaving this palette on the shop shelves forever. No way was I spending €65 of my moola on an eyeshadow palette – not a hope! And then, Sinead from The Beautiful Truth posted about it here and I knew I had to have it. So the “Desert Dusk” palette is at the top of my wish list now. The shade selection is right up my alley so I’m absolutely dying to try the formulas.
“Desert Dusk” is available here, from Arnotts.
Replica “By the Fireplace” – €105:
Replica’s “By the Fireplace” is my signature scent. I absolutely adore it and obviously, this one will be a re-purchase. I got a bottle of this last Christmas and I still have about 3/4 left so while it’s pricey, a little goes a long way and the bottle lasts ages. The fragrance is very much a cosy winter scent with seductive woody notes.
“By the Fireplace” is available here, from Brown Thomas.
Hourglass “Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick” – €50:
Hourglass launched in Arnotts last week so I popped into the store for a nose and I have to say, I sort of regret doing so because now I want EVERYTHING. First and foremost, I need to get my hands on this stick foundation because I tried it on and it’s nothing short of divine. I was matched with the shade “Porcelain” and it blended in with my natural skin colour perfectly. Even though it’s a stick formula (which you would expect to feel heavy), it feels soft and lightweight on the skin.
The Hourglass “Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick” is available here, from Arnotts.
Hourglass “Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow” – €30:
I suppose that when you consider the fact that this single eyeshadow costs €30, the Huda palette doesn’t seem like bad value. Normally, I would say that this is CRAZY money for a single eyeshadow – especially because I always reach for palettes over my single shades but, I swatched this in store when I was trying the stick foundation and I fell in love. This is definitely the most “buttery” pigment I’ve ever come across in a glitter eyeshadow the gold shade was really vibrant. I can’t wait to add this to my collection.
You can find the “Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow” here, from Arnotts.
Charlotte Tilbury “Rock n Kohl: Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil” – €25:
Alright, so I know I’m late to this party but I never use nude eyeliner to brighten up my eyes. My Mum recently purchased this Charlotte Tilbury one, in the shade “Eye Cheat” and definitely influenced me. It doesn’t seem to budge at all throughout the day and the nude shade is very pigmented so it’s easy to apply.
The “Eye Cheat” liner is available here, from Arnotts.
Tom Ford “Lip Colour” – €48:
This is starting to feel like it’s going to be a very spend-y month altogether but I mean, have you seen this shade? It’s called “After Dark” and I think it will be so perfect for autumn and winter. I love deep red shades but I have nothing like this. I also love Tom Ford lipsticks. They’re mad expensive but they really are superior quality. The pigments tend to be very strong and I’ve been impressed with the lasting power of any shade that I’ve tried to date.
You can find “After Dark” here, from Brown Thomas.
And there you have it, a list of all the beauty bits that I am determined to treat myself to this month. Let me know if you have any more suggestions, as I’m always open to a few add-ons.
Rouge x
Rouge Writing Hood 