Event: Giorgio Armani International Face Designer, Thoa Tran, to visit Brown Thomas

To celebrate the Brown Thomas Autumn Beauty Event this bank holiday weekend world famous makeup artist and Giorgio Armani International Face Desginer Thoa Tran is visiting the store this Saturday and Sunday for one on one master classes.

If you love makeup and are looking for something a bit special to do this bank holiday weekend getting advice from a world renowned makeup artist who regularly works backstage in Milan at Armani fashion shows as well as having 15 years experience working as a professional makeup artist for film, TV, film and theatre and fashion with clients including BBC, the Royal Opera House, Sky TV amd 19 Management.

Smoky and the Palette: Urban Decay's Naked Smoky Palette

If you are a girl, or boy, that wears makeup the chances are the announcement of the launch of this, Urban Decay's Naked Palette number four, the Naked Smoky Palette, caused you at least a little to a great deal of excitement. And you were not the only one...

These palettes are the makeup version of Beatlesmania - Nakedmania! People go just wilder and wilder for these with every release. This time Debenhams in Ireland had and 8000-strong waiting list a week before the release and were opening their doors extra early on the morning of the launch to accommodate the huge demand. So, here's a look at what all the fuss is about.

YSL's Saharienne Sun-Kissed Summer Collection

Yves Saint Laurent really know how to nail their seasonal makeup collections matching the latest high fashion catwalk trends with the perfect summer palette and this latest Saharienne range, fronted yet again by Cara Delevinge, helps you at least look like you've been summering in the Sahara without ever leaving this never-ending rainy summer.

The very first impression you get from YSL's latest Saharienne summer collection is of a palette of colours designed to give you the perfect sun-kissed glow. Inspired by the sunnier climes of Marakech, the range of golden sandy shades and warmer tones illuminate the complexion suiting those with pale to sun-kissed complexions.

An Armani Eyefull - Armani Eye Tints

One of Armani's latest launches, Eye Tints, features pure luxury eye shadows in the most dazzling and delicious range of colours. 

When it comes to makeup of the highest quality and most innovative formulas I have learned over the past couple of years that luxury brands like Armani and YSL etc really are a step above the rest and this new release from Armani featuring a rainbow range of eye tints is no exception. Featuring twelve gorgeous shades from a light coppery nude to a dark charcoal this eye tint line makes eyeshadow application quick and easy with a wet application that dries and stays put all day.

Age of Innocence: Lancôme's French Innocence Collection

From the moment the details of Lancôme's latest collection crossed my path I got struck with such a flutter of the feeling of Paris in the Springtime. The French Innocence Collection is full of gorgeous  youthful pastel shades that mix light and breezy daytime with striking but bright night time looks. And the most delectable eyeshadow palette to suit all seasons! 

Lancôme's recently launched French Innocence Collection is such a breath of fresh air and a burst of light and colour to break through the glum January blues and glib winter days. I love the youthful shades throughout the eye shadows, lip glosses and nails shades of this collection, I want it all!

A Luxury Christmas Gift List with YSL, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani & Kiehl's

If you have a special someone in your life that you'd like to really pamper, here is a selection of the more luxurious, a tad more expensive but every so fancy, presents for you to peruse from YSl, Giorgio Armani, Kiehl's and Lancôme. I want it all Santa...

Christmas is a time for gift giving for the people you love so, if you have anyone in your life your want to give an extra fancy surprise to this Christmas, or you're looking for a luxury treat for yourself to use your Christmas bonus for something usually out of your price range, I've compiled a list of the biggest cosmetic treats around from YSL, Lancôme, Kiehl's and Giorgio Armani. If you're reading Santa, that Wild Edition Palette by YSL is something else!

Penelope's Bed's Definitive Christmas Beauty Gift List

I put together a list of the best beauty gifts from some of my favourite products over the past year featuring Kiehl's, L'Occitane, YSL, Lancôme,, Urban Decay, Benefit and Caudalíe.

I decided to compile a piece on the best beauty products I've found this year which are all go-tos for me for Christmas presents so I thought I'd share my ideas. All of these products have been tried and tested by me and either reviewed here on Penelope's Bed or are about to be reviewed. I vouch for all of them so, welcome to Penelope's Bed's Definitive Christmas Beauty Gift List!

Sleek and Chic to Make the Boys Weak!

Sleek MakeUP has finally arrived in Ireland, to much joy from makeup fans everywhere. This high quality, very decently priced brand is one to look out for from now on! I tried out a range of products from the brand to see what all the fuss was about.

I'm going to be honest here. When I opened the super sleek boxes of these Sleek MakeUP palettes for the first time I was sitting on my own and, before I knew it, I had gasped and said "oohh" out loud to myself. That's the affect these little boxes of lovely from Sleek MakeUP have on those who have a bit of a love for impressive makeup! I was so impressed from the off that I couldn't help myself, I tried on everything straight away and was covered in makeup by the time I'd calmed myself!

Merry Urban Decaymas! Urban Decay's Black Magic & Shadow Box Christmas Gift Sets

If you're looking for a gift for any makeup lover in your life, you can't go wrong with Urban Decay and, whether it's for a Christmas present or a treat for yourself, these limited edition sets, Shadow Box and Black Magic, are wonderful collections in themselves but also a great way to try out the brand or find your favourite Urban Decay shadows and eyeliners all at once.

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay here on Penelope's Bed and Christmas came early for me when these two limited edition Christmas gift sets came through my door. In fact, the first time I ever got the opportunity to try out the brand was after getting one of their palettes for Christmas years ago. The best thing about these palettes is that there are so many types available to suit every taste; from the nude and natural selection in the world famous Naked Palettes which are at the top of my wish list along side the extremely different Electro Palette that was released earlier this year.

Get Real! Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner

A little late to the party here I know but I had been dying to try Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner since its mega launch this summer after reading the endless rave reviews about the product and, I'm delighted to say, it was worth the wait. Here's what I found out about the most lusted after makeup product of the year and its kick ass - and very handy - companion, They're Real Remover.

A lot of expectation lay before San Francisco super-brand Benefit on the eve of the release of They're Real Push Up Liner and, after the huge and extremely well deserved success of the original They're Real Mascara, it was quite exciting to see exactly where the brand was going with this new product which promised to be a liner with a difference. And they certainly kept their word. I've never seen anything like it and it certainly does all it says it will which I was very impressed by since finding the perfect liner is a constant search for me. I just love a good cat eye.

Just Browsing: Benefit's Gimme Brow

Thanks in many ways to the world's most popular model right now, Cara Delevingne, brows made a big come back in the past few years - emphasis on big. And it was about time. After years of girls plucking their eyebrows into obscurity, the shapely brow is finally hopefully here to stay. Given how much structure your brows give your face they are so important and Benefit's Gimme Brow - Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel is the perfect tool to give you the brows you want as naturally as possible.

There are very few ladies that didn't go a little tweezer-happy in their lifetime. When I was a teen, having very dark hair, when my eyebrows started to take shape boy did they expand. They were huge! And this was not any kind of look back then so, of course, I discovered the tweezers, read every teen mag I could find to instruct me what to do with these beasts and then I went a pluckin'.

A Major Blush Crush: Benefit's Majorette Boost Blush

The wonderful folks at Benefit have yet again presented us with a product that looks as good as it works. And this is saying a lot if you take a peek at the images below. Let me introduce the delicious Majorette Boost Blush!

The minute our eyes met it was love. Benefit just cannot help making the most beautiful packaging to house their wonderful products and this little beauty is no exception; rather the perfect example of why the brand has been going from strength to strength for so long. They reel you in with the most beautiful looking makeup no other brand has ever been able to match.

Everything is Illuminated

There is nothing like an illuminating cream to turn a very bad skin day around and give you a healthy glow on the outside even if you're not feeling too hot on the inside. It's a makeup must-have for me and these three illuminators by Benefit, Urban Decay and Yves Saint Laurent are at the top of my illuminating list and are also some of my favourite beauty products ever.

YSL, Benefit and Urban Decay all have a habit of creating products that are a little bit special and unique to themselves but they also make such superior versions of everything from eyeliner to concealers and these three brightening products are no exception.

Formula for Perfection: Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips

American brand Physician's Formula has been around a long time and is known for the innovation and effectiveness of its products but it is only now arriving on Irish shores to much excitement in the beauty world! I tried the brands Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio to see what all the fuss was about!

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio come in three ranges of to enhance every eye colour so they are available in different sets for brown, green and blue eyes. Matching eyeliner and eye shadows to complement your eye colour is an important lesson to learn and you could be surprised with what colours enhance your eyes. I have both green and brown eyes so some colours make the green pop while others make my eyes look simply brown. The collection I'm reviewing here is made for brown eyes so contains brown itself, black and purple (which is actually a surprisingly good shade for both brown and green eyes).

Urban Decay's Pulp Fiction Collection

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release Quentin Tarantino's cult classic Pulp Fiction, a very appropriate collaboration was formed with Urban Decay with a line of makeup designed in homage to the iconic look of Uma Thurman's extremely memorable character in the movie Mrs. Mia Wallace.

Urban Decay's Pulp Fiction Collection is all about blood red nails and lips and sultry smoky eyes to replicate the look that inspired a thousand bobs and sold a thousand lipsticks. The style has been emulated so many times over the years but this line by Urban Decay couldn't be more perfect in terms of timing and the brand itself is so Pulp Fiction in so many ways.

YSL's Fall Fetish

This latest collection from Yves Saint Laurent, fronted by darling of the fashion world Cara Delevingne, mixes autumn's hottest shades with the season's new beauty favourite: texture.

The Black Fetish Collection by YSL was inspired by leather - the most fetish inspiring materials - and contains a range of colours and textures that not only go perfectly with this theme but are also spot on trend for this autumn/winter. The palette for the range as a whole is extremely autumn-y, containing gorgeous navy blues, rich raspberry reds and earthy browns and golds.

La Vie en Rose - YSL Rose Glow Collection

I am going to be perfectly honest here and admit that when I first saw the three items I'm reviewing here from Yves Saint Laurent's Rose Glow Collection I just squealed with such girlish excitement and put all of them on together immediately... It wasn't my finest moment! I can safely say it's the most beautiful makeup collection I have ever come across. It's just so wonderfully feminine before you even start using it but the best bit is that when you put it on it's a million times better. Prepare to glow!

Let me just say from the outset that the traditional Touche Éclat is a classic and is on every single beauty must have list for so many years for a very good reason. It livens up the dullest parts of the dullest complexion and just works wonders on its own or with other makeup. I absolutely love it and haven't always been able to afford it once I get through another tube of it so when this collection came with a rose gold version of the traditional Touche Éclat I was intrigued and excited. And for good cause! It might even be better than the original and just leaves you with this lovely, subtly rosy illuminated glow.

The Velveteen Eyeliner - Urban Decay

The first thing that drew me to Urban Decay from the get go was their eye products. Their eye shadows are the best in the business but the clincher for me was their 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion. It was the blackest eyeliner I'd ever come across and I could not believe how long it stayed in place for and, since black eyeliner is number one in my makeup essentials, the brand won me over big time. When I came by this gorgeous collection of eyeliner-come-eye shadows with the loveliest velvet texture I couldn't wait to give them a try and 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencils did not disappoint. Like most of Urban Decay's products, they really make putting on makeup fun and creative.

The 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencils come in a selection of colours to suit every shade and I've actually been using a couple of them at once. The pencils are really soft so the texture allows you to use them as an eye shadow while the shape and the nature of the pencil itself gives you the control to lines your eyes with them too so it looks like you're using a lot more makeup tools than just one pencil.

What an Eye Opener: Urban Decay Perversion/Subversion

Urban Decay is a brand that really reels you in so once you start using the products you keep coming back for more and, never one to sit on its laurels, the brand release one innovative product after another on an impressively constant basis and this mascara and primer combo Perversion and Subversion shows the brand at its strongest; producing striking products that just work brilliantly and do exactly what they promise.

Some of the highlights for me of these two complementary products are the size of the brush heads which are built to get right in to your lashes to make them voluminous and very striking and the fact that you the mascara is made as such that it can be reapplied and layered up from day into night so you can add the drama as the day goes on without ending up with clumpy lashes. Both contain some lash-friendly ingredients; Perversion contains Hairdensyl, a complex blend of proteins and amino acids known to stimulate growth. The mascara also contains honey extract to provide deep nourishment. Subversion primer contains panthenol and Vitamin E to nourish the lashes and is also free of parabens.

The Grandiose Tour

This may sound like an overstatement but, after only having Lancôme's Grandiôse Mascara in my possession for a couple of hours, what came to mind was what a makeup game-changer this product is. The design of the brush is so clever it actually makes mascara application so easy, thorough and fun and the density of the colour leaves you with the most striking lashes you could imagine.

Since then, this mascara has felt like the coolest makeup toy I've ever used. Having been lucky enough to attend Lancôme's Grandiôse event in Brown Thomas, a member of Lancôme's elite team, Marc Sinclair, not only showed us how to use this product to its best advantage but the best way of applying any mascara and how black is the only shade up you should use up to a certain age.