BeckyDazzler Beauty

Getting balayage/ombre done at The Style Club Dublin

2012-03-10T02:54:00.000-08:00

I got my hair done at the Style Club in Dublin a month ago and completely forgot to mention it to you guys!! So, without further ado, my (subtle balayaged hair!)

I asked for a very subtle addition of blonde to the ends. Nothing too brassy or bright (might add in some highlights in summer), I really liked the result and the cut.

My favourite Lush... Massage Bars!

2012-03-09T05:19:00.001-08:00

1st place: Each Peach

2nd place: Peace

3rd place: Tiny Hands (this is sold as a solid hand cream..)

*Fave Disconed- Sexy Boy massage bar Christmas time 2009*

Click below for pics and full reviews!

The clear winner for me is the Each Peach Massage bar. This is an elixir in a bar. Vibrantly scented with citrus it encapsulates hot summer days. It cant fail to put a smile on your face. I do avoid this at winter time purely as I want to keep it for Spring and Summer time when I start craving lemony freshness...On that note it's high time for a new bar!

Peace is a new(ish) massage bar to the Lush family. This is such an unusual scent. Quite green and fresh, almost unisex smelling. Again a spring scent, really interesting but I can imagine alot of people misunderstanding this one. I Love it!

Tiny hands is a bar for the hands. It is shaped like a little hand which is so cute and definitely adds to its appeal. The scent is green and herbally. Bit meh in that respect but it does soften up rough mitts really nicely and it is nice to give yourself a hand massage now and again! edit-apparently there is talc in this so that your palms arnt greasy after use. I have to say that doesnt work initially. Your hands will be greasy. But when it soaks in they do have a matte softness to them!

My favourite disconned massage bar was Sexy Boy. This was an amazing scent of light chocolate mixed with the sharpest and juiciest hit of lime. SO YUMMY-bring it back Lush!!

Benefit Cha Cha Tint Review and swatches

2012-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Cha Cha tint...For long time readers you will already know my love of this stuff. I am ADDICTED! For tanned, medium or sallow skins this is the best tint out there. The hot coral colour is so flattering (I know it looks scary in the pot...) and it blends in really well. It works perfectly on the lips too. I have no problem in recommending this fully. My favourite Benefit tint! (ps.another great coral tint is Lush Chilli Tingle from Christmas-limited edition though, but really fantastic!)

6/5 :)

GIVEAWAY! Win Meadham Kirchhoff Nail Rock Nail Wraps!

2012-03-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have a packet of Meadham Kirchhoff nail wraps to giveaway this month! These nail stickers are the cutest things ever (maybe bar the dodgy one haha) To win all you have to do is leave a comment below on this post telling me which of the following you do; follow me on Twitter or fan me on Facebook. Please leave your email address too so I can contact you if you win! Please leave only one comment

Please Note: This giveaway is open worldwide. Entry is open until 1st April 2012 12pm UK time. The winner will be chosen at random from the comments entered. Please have permission from your parents if you enter this and your under 18-you will have to give me your address if you win. If the prize is lost/damaged in transit I cannot be held responsible or supply an alternative prize.

Benefit Benetint-review and swatches

2012-03-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Benetint is the original tint. A bright rosey colour and with a strong scent of roses this is a bit of a cult product. The formula is unique to the Benefit tint family. More liquidy and clear. The tint has very good colour payoff, one coat will give you flushed looking cheeks and lips. I find the colour great for darker skins and traditional English roses. I find I am a tad sallow for the colour (cha cha tint all the way), but that is me being very very picky! I really love this tint and think it makes a great addition to the makeup kit.

5/5

Bracelet-BeckyDazzler shop here

Benefit Posietint-review and swatches

2012-03-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Posietint is the lightest of the three tints that I'm reviewing. It came out a few years back as a softer, more girlier alternative to Benetint. Unlike Benetint it has a more gel like consistency which has been reused in all the new Benefit tints since. The formula is fantastic and very easy to blend even if you have dry skin. Dont let it sit on your skin too long though-this is a tint after all!! The colour payoff is pretty light but definitely buildable. For pale skintones this is a very good choice-especially in winter. My favourite use for this tint is on my lips. It gives the nicest flush of pretty colour and stays put too.

Rating 4.5/5

Spring Nail Colours-Favourite Nail Polishes PART 1

2012-02-29T02:34:00.000-08:00

Finally it's feeling a little more appropriate to put away the vampy reds and dark cherry polishes and turn to something a little more light hearted and Spring like. I have a three part nail polish series to share with you showcasing my favourite polishes for early summer. First up this selection of nudes, peaches and metallics...

From left to right;
Catrice-In the Bronx. A dark antiquey gold. Fine shimmers. Perfect for that winter/spring transition and nice for evenings out.

Nails Inc-Little Miss Chatterbox. A solid neutral. The perfect mushroomy shade and so chic. A favourite.

American Apparel-Butter. Another fave. This is solid baby yellow that looks great with a tan. Perfect when the suns start to shine again.

American Apparel-Palm Springs. A solid peach shade that looks nice and smart but still a little trendy too.

Review-Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser.

2012-02-27T02:22:00.000-08:00

Long-time readers will already know all about my love for Lush's Ultrabland cleaner. For dry skin there is nothing as effective than a cream based cleanser to both cleanse and nourish. Lush's Ultrabland is perfect for winter time with it's thick consistency and amazing ingredients but when I stumbled across the Soap & Glory version I just had to give it a go (anyone else get caught up by those 3 for 2 offers?!).

The Fab Pore cleanser comes in a silver tube, you get 100ml of product and a muslin cloth too. The cleanser contains Panthenol (no idea what that is), sweet almond oil and lavender oil amongst others. The instructions tell you to massage it all over your face for 1 min, leave for 1 min then wash off using the muslin cloth and warm water. The results are fantastic. Whilst not as good shifting waterproof mascara as Lush's Ultrabland, Soap & Glory's Fab Pore cleanser is lighter in consistency and feels lovely on the skin. Not too over perfumed it is really pleasant to use and my skin was so soft afterwards. Highly recommended!

Review-The Handmade Soap Co. Moisturising Cream

2012-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

I hadn't heard much about The Handmade Soap Co. before I received some press releases about them. After a quick scout around their website I was pretty intrigued. With some amazing old fashioned packaging and 100% natural products there is a real genuine handmade feel about the whole company. I was lucky to try out their Moisturising Cream for oily/como skin types.

Retailing at €24.95 for a generous 180g, the cream comes in a heavy screw top jar. The cream itself is lightly scented, thick and very nice. Initially I was pretty "meh" when I received this as I have dry skin and always find it frustrating if I'm given the wrong type of product for my skin as I cannot review it properly, however it worked out to my advantage this time round as this formula felt very rich and hydrating. It plumped out my post-ski parched skin wonderfully and didn't cause any irritation whats-so ever. How it would respond to oily skin I'm not sure but I think you'd be safe using this as a night cream at least. Overall I'm very excited to try out more from this company. Lovely, simple, natural products that are packaged beautifully.

www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie/

Benefit Tints-Aren't they pretty?!

2012-02-20T03:15:00.000-08:00

Benefit's lip and cheek tint are cult products in the beauty world. I have three of them to show you this week. I will be starting with the classic and oldest of the tint family Benetint, then Posietint and lastly the more recent addition Cha Cha tint. Keep your eyes peeled for my trio of posts! x

Review-The Body Shop Chocomania Range

2012-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

I talked a few weeks ago about The Body Shop Chocomania range, a special Valentines range inspired by delicious chocolate. Yum! Since, I have tried out the lotion and the shower gel. Both of which are lovely. I'm going to pop into the store and pick up the lip balm and maybe another shower gel too...It's such a gorgeous range. Stock up before it goes!

The lotion is perfect for when you want supple skin quickly and a pretty fragrance. It sinks in really quickly too!

More Sally Hansen Salon Effect Polish Strips

2012-02-17T03:28:00.000-08:00

This time in gold glitter and seriously cute. Maybe my favourites so far!

Natural Collection Lipsticks-More Colour Swatches!

2012-02-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

A look at the three prettiest Moisture Shine Lipsticks from The Natural Collection. These are super cheap (under €3 I believe) and such great quality. Swatches below.

From L to R; Pink Mallow, Rose Petal and Rose Bud.

Pink Mallow and Rose Petal.

Me wearing Rose Petal.

AMAZING NUDE LIPPY!!! Rimmel Kate Lipstick-no.03 Swatches!!!

2012-02-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

My new favourite lipstick, the Rimmel Kate lipstick in no.03. It has a glossy finish, and a beautiful flattering colour. Swatches below!

Swatch Time! Lush Valentines!!!

2012-02-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Lush A Million Kisses Lip Tint

Lush A Million Kisses Lip Tint- An amazing vampy dark red tint/lip colour. Use sparingly! Smells gorgeous (turkish delight)!

Leap Frog Bath Ballistic-Has a soft, powdery, floral scent. Excited to try this out!

Lush Love Potion massage-smells of Love perfume, kinda appley and pretty unusual (in a good way).

MAC Naturally Collection Mineralize Eyeshadow-Summer Haze and Daylight Swatches...

2012-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

more swatches after the cut...

Health Shot-Pukka Breakfast Time Tea

2012-02-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

My new favourite herbal tea is Pukka's Morning Time. It is a Rooibos, honeybush and red gingseng mix. It has quite a smokey taste and is definitely an acquired taste but I love it! It gives a nice kick too so perfect for the morning.

Even better teamed with a healthy Breakfast Bar! How to video below!

Blush Professional Limited Edition 22 piece Makeup Brush Set

2012-02-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

One of the things that really gets my heart beating faster is brushes. They have an amazing transformation on how your makeup looks and a good brush can become an indispensable tool in your kit. Now MAC is renowned for having some seriously lust-worthy varieties on offer but the price is just as famous as the quality meaning that for most of us they are out of our league. This is where Blush Professional Brush set steps in. As you can see by the picture above the larger set contains a great variety of both face and eye brushes. The bristles are mostly natural and very soft. So far so good.
Retails at £49.99
Click below for details on my favourites...

Mini duo-fiber

I love this for around my nose, under my eyes and general harder to reach places where the larger duo fiber brush might miss out. Gives a gorgeous airbrushed finish.

Red Powder Brush

Thick, soft and deep red.GORGEOUS!

Fat Fantail

Fantail brushes are usual super thin so you can put on the lightest touch of powder product but this version is meaty. Tons of soft bristles that make powder application and blending out contouring easy and quick. Love this and most importantly unusual! A fun addition.

Tapered Eye Brush.

This tapered brush is small and perfect for adding highlight in the inner corner.

The downside...Too many similar flat eye shadow brushes!

Valentines at Voya- perfect for him or her...

2012-02-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

Treatment Gift Set-€99 includes the My Little Hero face serum and Bright eyes cream.

Original Candle €44-scented with Voya's signature unisex citrus, clove and patchouli perfume.

Body Gift Set-€40 includes a Squeaky Clean Body Wash and a Softly Does It body cream.

Beauty Icon of the Week-Kiera Knightly

2012-02-05T01:30:00.000-08:00

Love, love, LOVE this makeup! Tutorial on the way! x

Love Kiera!

Valentines at Elemis-Ultimate Luxury!

2012-02-03T02:01:00.000-08:00

Elemis Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir, 300ml £19.00/€26.00 contains exotic patchouli, cedarwood and vetivert aromatics help get you in the mood for love. Take time to run a romantic bath for two with let this luxuriously rich, soothing and sensual bath elixir kick start a night to remember.

Elemis Tranquil Touch Body Polish, 150ml, £20.00/€28.00. For luxuriously soft, glowing and radiant skin, the combination of exfoliating rice, cupuacu butter and essential oils of patchouli, mandarin and ginger. Skin becomes irresistible to touch.

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, 100ml, £29.70/€48 is the ultimate nourishing body oil that leaves skin silky smooth with a beautiful sheen. The sweet and romantic aroma of the Frangipani flower has the power to intoxicate the senses and is perfect oil can be used for a spontaneous at-home massage.

MAC Naturally Collection Spring 2012-My Picks

2012-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

I always find the natural collections the most exciting from MAC, nude shades are the ones I reach for the most so the Naturally collection seems like a good one to spend on. Below are my favourites...

Mineralize eyeshadow Cloudy Afternoon

Mineralize Eyeshadow Summer Haze

Mineralize Eyeshadow in Daylight

And thats it! The mineralize eyeshadows are the only products that caught my attention this time round, but you never know on closer inspection!

myface cosmetics-mymix foundation review

2012-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes its easy to get distracted by glitzy launches and pretty packaging and forget that the product inside is more important than anything. Myface cosmetics has the most boring packaging. Sleek yes but simple definitely.

Their mymix foundation comes in a simple plastic tube. You get 35ml and the tube is decorated with a no nonsense description, and this is where the product gets interesting. "Professionally mixed and matched by experts according to skin tone." "Delivers a modern, untouched finish". And finally, "Instant image upgrade". Sounds pretty good right?

Lets deal with that first statement, "Professionally mixed and matched by experts according to skin tone." Here is where Myface cosmetics gets my interest peaked. They have a really unique way of getting your foundation colour right. Head over to their website (go on, its worth the extra few minutes), pick your basic shade, Fair, Medium, Med/Dark. Now you have a selection within that; 1, 2 or 3. Depending on whether you have pink, sallow, or olive undertones you select the correct number. Now you have the perfect foundation. No more tale-tell foundation lines!

Right, so, onto the second statement, "Delivers a modern, untouched finish". On their website, myface claim that their foundations give an invisible finish, a seamless result. Simply put, this is true! The foundation glides on smoothly and leaves the skin with colour but no cakeyness. You can still see the skin underneath but it just looks better. (Hard to describe, try for yourself!) In fact it is so good you forget about it completely, there were moments during the day where I was convinced I had forgotten to put foundation on! It has a weightlessness that is hard to find in affordable foundations.

Which leads me to an additional point-this is only £12.99 and available in Boots.

Finally the last statement from mymix foundation, "Instant image upgrade", mmm I dont know about that but I can say that their clever colour matching does impart a healthy kick to the skin. And after using their powders, concealers, eyeshadows etc. I'm pretty sure you could expect a terrific result and maybe even an image upgrade...

Overall- a fantastic foundation perfect for those who love glowing, natural skin with a light to medium coverage from their base. Completely happy to recommend this to you all!

10/10

Ps. Expect to see this in a few videos soon!

Disclaimer-I was sent the mymix foundation in shade fair 03 to review. The above review is completely my own opinion and 100% honest.

Blush Professional 88 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Hot Earth

2012-01-31T04:20:00.000-08:00

88 eyeshadow palettes seem to be all the rage at the moment. I have a few Coastal Scents ones which are really good but was excited to try Blush Professionals Hot Earth one. The colours are AMAZING. A fantastic selection and perfect for anyone who loves to wear warm neutrals. There is also a fair few greeny/mossy tones too which I'm excited to try out. The pigmentation is very good and the quality lovely. And with a price tag of only £8.99 you cant go wrong. Click below for more pics!

NOTD-Essence Colour & Go in Dress for a Moment

2012-01-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

My idea of the perfect early Spring nail colour-a pale pale lilac. Two coats and quick to dry!

New Release-Benefit Hervana Blush!

2012-01-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

€33.50 and launching on the 28th January-exciting :)

Valentines at Lush

2012-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

A Million Kisses Lip Tint-€6.25

Despite bringing us a ton of exciting Xmas products only a few weeks ago Lush are back again with more new bathing treats for Valentines Day! Breakdown on each product after the link...

Do Knot Disturb Gift-€23.50

Everything you need for a romantic night away! Sex Bomb Bath Ballistic, Soft Coeur Massage Bar, Dirty Toothy Tabs and Lust Soap.

Leap Frog Bath Ballistic €3.50

Made with the sultry scent of jasmine, sandalwood, ylang ylang, rose and neroli with a limited few containing a message!

Lots of Love Hat Box Gift-€29.95

A beautiful hat box with beautiful products!

Contents: Sex Bomb bath ballistic, Leap Frog bath ballistic, Magic

Mushroom bubble bar, Sweetheart soap (100g mini heart shape), Ro’s

Argan Body Conditioner (45g), Sweet Lips lip scrub.

Love Potion-€7.50

This sweet massage bar contains the apple-ly fragrance of Love perfume; an infusion of apple

blossom, orange root, lemongrass, cinnamon and a hint of carnation.

This blend is reminiscent of forbidden fruit and sweet, flirty notes to

remind you of everything nice about the exhilaration of romance.

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar €3.00

Back from last year, this has a combined fragrance of Vanillary and the scent of summery strawberries.

I Love You Gift-€23.50

Again how cute is this wrapping?! Contains; ilky Underwear dusting powder, Sweetheart soap

(100g mini heart shape), It’s Raining Men shower gel (100g), Soft

Coeur massage bar.

Sweet Heart Soap-€3.75

Scented with vanilla, jasmine, ylang ylang...This is one seductive soap!

Valentines at The Body Shop-Chocomania Range!!

2012-01-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

If you like chocolate prepare to get very excited....The Body Shop has some AMAZING products out for Valentines and they are all inspired by delicious chocolate! Chocomania has a whole range of gorgeous products to treat you skin making it Valentines ready. The perfect gift for yourself ;) Inside every pot is an exclusive formula of 12 Community Fair Trade Ingredients from around the world making this range ethical as well as pampering.

Click below for a rundown and prices of the collection!

The rundown;

Chocomania Body Butter €18.95-A thick buttery cream that provides 48hours of moisturisation and the ideal product to use for a pampering at home spa session.

Chocomania Body Scrub-€18.95 a sugar based scrub full of moisturizing oils. An essential pre-date step for the most softest skin!

Chocomania Shower Cream €8.95- Full of cocoa butter and honey this a seriously indulgent shower gel. One to stock up on for a chocolate hit without the calories.

Chocomania Body Lotion €13.50-a lighter cream, perfect before a date for super soft, velvety skin that smells good enough to eat.

Chocomania Soap €3.95- A heart shaped soap that cleans and softens in one step. Perfect for gifting!

Chocomania Lip Butter €7.50- Chocolate scented lips. Need I say more?!?!

http://www.facebook.com/TheBodyShopIreland

2011 Lush Favourites

2012-01-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I’ve done a 2011 beauty favourites, but what about my 2011 LUSH favourites?! I’m a complete Lushie so here are my 2011 must-haves, the things I wont be without and wont hesitate to repurchase..I wonder what 2012 will bring?

Dream Cream-An oldie but a goodie. Soothing, scented beautifully with lavender-a skins dream.

Peace Massage bar- This is a new product from Lush and has quickly become my favourite massage bar. The scent is very complex-green and unisex. Full review "here"

Ultra Bland-I use this everynight and has been on my wash stand for around four years. It takes everything off and kindly too. A dry skin must-have.

Sex Bomb Bath Ballistic-Jasmine and soya milk treat. Pricey but super lux.

Twinkle Bath Ballistic-A sleepy-time bomb with glitter-full review here.

Figs and Leaves soap-Again I have been using this for years. A grown up and heavnily scent. Need to treat myself to another piece soon.

Happy Hippy- A bright, cheery citrus shower gel. Not your average shower gel-theres something special about this one.

Revlon PhotoReady-Review and Swatches

2012-01-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

I thought I had already reviewed this but when I came to add the link to my 2011 Favourites list I realised I hadn't! After a rummage through my albums I found the swatch pics so here we go...

I think its really clear in the swatch pic above that Revlon Photoready gives a beautiful gleamy shine to the skin. It is particular good for dry skin. I put my on with a duo-fiber brush or my fingers. Both work well. The coverage is medium-it will cover any redness but blemishes will need concealer too. I like that it has spf20 in it although I wonder if that effects the photoready-ness of it?? It stays put well on my dry skin without powder. I have repurchased this twice and will always have this to hand. A great foundation for dry skinned gals.

Sally Hansen Cupid Colour Collection - Sneak Peak

2012-01-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

A little look at the pretty shades Sally Hansen has for us this Valentines. The collection is small but perfectly formed with four shades of pinks and reds. My favourite is I Pink I Can above but click below for the full line up! The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicures contain base coat, top coat and nail growth treatment as well as beautiful colour and are €8.95 each.

More colours after the click...

Right Said Red

Back to the Fushia

Red Zin

BeckyDazzler 2011 Beauty Favourites

2012-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Origins ZitaZing moisturizer-Gives a hint of tan and has spf 15-love this as a base. Read review here
Revlon Photoready-My current favourite for glowing skin.
Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner-hasn't failed me yet!
St.Tropez Everyday-so good. Beats all others easily.
Kerastase Nectar Thermique-for soft shiny hair. Love this stuff.
Barry M Lip Gloss in Toffee-best lipgloss I've ever used. Not too sticky and smells gorg. Swatched here.
Benefit Cha Cha Tint-all day glowing coral blusher and lip tint. Review here!

Twinkle Bath Ballistic-new staple!

2012-01-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

My new bath time staple-Lush Twinkle! This relatively newish bath ballistic is specially formulated for bedtimes with soothing lavender and softening soya milk. The scent is just strong enough (a problem I have with some Lush bath bombs is lack of scent in the tub) and the most beautiful purply GLITTERY water, just like a night sky. This is a new staple for me and almost beats Sex Bomb to the top spot as my alltime favourite bathtime treat.

an easy 10/10

New Year Beauty Resolutions!

2012-01-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

1. Grow my nails.
My nails are the most flakey, thin little things. Always short, they make my hands look completely inelegant and exhausted (if hands can encompass such an emotion!) To top this off, four years of fashion design (aka ironing and sewing) has made my hands dry and victim to little iron burns...Painting a hot picture right? So, yup my foremost beauty resolution is to combat all the above and get soft hands and strong long nails!

2. Get Active.
Although Im not totally out of shape, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to exercise. Since we are heading into bikini season I want to be ready for any shoots and also feeling better by getting toned up. My plan includes following the Tone it Up January 2012 plan and doing some gym classes.

3. Brows.
I love having dark brows, however I'm blessed with blondish brows so I am going to learn to dye them myself. I have the eyelure Dylash brow kit so I will be posting a review soon!

What's your beauty resolutions for 2012?

Lily Aldridge-Hair inspiration

2011-12-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

Lily Aldridge-Victoria Secret model and complete hottie-has gorgeous hair. Not only is the condition perfect, but the darker ombre is bang on trend. I even love the gentle waves she seems to favour. I am planning on doing a few tutorials using her hair as inspiration and a makeup tutorial too!

Lush Abombinaball-er minty...

2011-12-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Funnily enough this one of most anticipated baths. Vanilla and mint sounded so good to me but alas this isnt one for me :( I did love the softening water and beautiful blue shade. The peppermint just smelt a little toothpastey to me. Think I will stick to Cinders for now! Sorry Abombinaball!

Stock Up Now-Lush Cinders Bath Ballistic

2011-12-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that Cinders made a reappearance this Christmas time. I loved this last year and am glad to have the opportunity to stock up again. Cinders is the perfect cold weather remedy (so good for all year round in Ireland then ;)) This ballistic is a spicy one scented with cinnamon. It has popping candy on top too that it sounds like a warming crackling fire when placed in a bath. LOVE! <3

Offer and Prizes at Kildare Village This Christmas!

2011-12-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, save yourself from the hustle and bustle of a busy and cold Grafton street and get down to Kildare Village for some amazing offers that pretty much takes care of your Christmas list. My personal favourites include their massive reductions on Molton Brown which is the perfect gift for mums (The Rose granati aircandela is only €45 usually €69 in stores! And the luscious pink makeup bags from Ted Baker - only €25!!) I personally love getting a bit of a bargain so if you're similar this could be the answer! When the shopping is complete treat yourself at Starbucks with some mince pies and a gingerbread latte! Yum!

To top off an amazing shopping experience Kildare Village have some treats in store for us too with their Festive Secrets offer (we deserve a few presents too ;))

There are sackfuls of luxury prizes that can won on their website. Explore the site and you might be lucky to find a golden reindeer, which gives you the chance to enter a draw for two shopping weekends away for two people (I found one in the offers area!) If you “Like” the Kildare Facebook page then you can find a bronze reindeer and again enter a prize draw. Finally, recommend a friend to find a silver reindeer and the opportunity to win MORE prizes! I was so impressed with this offer and found all three reindeer so fingers crossed I’m lucky and win something! I recommend that you all pop by the website and enter yourselves pronto! Has anyone been to Kildare Village this Christmas yet? Share your experience here!

Sponsored Post

Love your Hands-Bliss

2011-12-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

The other day I was recommended Bliss hand-cream and so I stopped by their website today to check out their products. The thing I am now seriously lusting after is the Glamour Gloves. My hands have been so dehydrated this winter and I think that the only product to really fix them would be something like the gloves. Might indulge in them after Christmas! Has anyone tried these or have any hand saviours for me to try?

Festive Nails-Sally Hansen Salon Manicure

2011-12-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure is fantastic nail polish I've mentioned before. This colour is called All Fired Up and is a wonderful true red. Perfect for the festive season! x

Peace Massage bar-Review

2011-12-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is the second new massage bar Lush has recently released. I immediately liked this simple bar...

Devoid of any decoration except for a simple "Peace" slogan on top, this bar was created as a reaction to the London riots earlier this year. The ingredients list organic cocoa butter, shea butter and olive oil (all amazing for the skin) but doesn't give any more away. To me this smells quite unisex, a little green and herbal. I can definitely smell the chocolately cocoa butter smell but the other scent could certainly be a combination between lavender and celery seed oil (a pure guess there!) It certainly is a very interesting and grown up scent that is Spring like and not to cloying. Also works wonders on dry, winter battered skin.

Price- €8.90

Festive Makeup-Update your kit!

2011-12-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Just a little peak at what I'm adding to my makeup bag now that it is well into the festive season. Strong lipcolours, fake lashes, glitter and champagne shadows are all my favourites. I tend to tone down the eye looks as I get ridiculously pale in winter and look a bit silly with a full on smokey eye so prefer a shimmery wash of gold, some glitter and a flick of eyeliner, lashes and then a gorgeous strong lipstick. What's your festive fall-backs?

Spotlight on Lush Limited edition Scentenary soap!

2011-12-06T03:52:00.000-08:00

To celebrate their 100th shop Lush have created this Limited Edition ROSE JAM scented soap. Rose Jam is a new Bubbleroon which is pretty much the most beautiful rose scented thing I've ever laid hands on. This soap is one to stock up on! €6.45 per 100g.

Chanel Coco Rouge-Rouge Noir swatch and mini review

2011-12-04T15:30:00.000-08:00

Finally I have some images to share of my much loved Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Rouge Noir. The colour is pretty much famous at this rate and very chic in my opinion. The scent of the lipstick is amazing too, fresh roses (Chanel I LOVE you!) and the pigmentation, etc. is spot on as you expect with a high-end, high-price product. Click below for swatch!

Ciate-Heritage Collection

2011-12-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

I am a massive, massive fan of Ciate. The polishes not only have a perfect formula but the brand gets it's colours SO right. The current collection Heritage is perhaps one of my all time favourites. There are four colours in total; Tweed and Tails, Cream Tea, Fit for a Queen and Regatta. Even the names are cute :) They retail for £9 and you can check them out properly and order them on the Ciate website.

Also worth noting are the very lux gift sets they have...£40 and a perfect present (hint hint!!)

Click below for a run through of the colours and more images!

Regatta- Such an interesting colour, a beautiful strong blue flecked with fine gold glitter £9

Cream Tea (love the name) a taupe with very fine shimmer £9

Fit for a Queen- a proper sparkling metallic. £9

Tweed and Tails- a khaki green, slightly olive and the one I have been wearing constantly. Unusual and perfect for winter!

Gift Set-£40

Stocking Stuffers!

2011-12-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

These work great and are really fun to apply! They retail for €8.95

For just under €3 Lush has some awesome xmas bath ballistics-this one is Lil Lush Pud.

The Kate Moss for Rimmel lippies are great quality and come in fun colours, they are around the €7 mark.

Last but not least is a Christmas Eve Yankee candle, I love the scent of this and you can get a variety of sizes to suit your budget from € 2 - €27.

MAC Glitter and Ice- Pleasure Principal Dazzleglass review and swatch!

2011-11-30T16:45:00.001-08:00

Today I checked out the MAC Glitter and Ice collection in Brown Thomas. I was pleasantly surprised and was so tempted by many bits but settled (for now) on the Dazzleglass in Pleasure Principal. Its a really fun, super glittery gloss that is perfect for Christmas. Love!

MAC Glitter and Ice Collection-My Picks!

2011-11-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

It is getting closer to Christmas which means that the beauty counters will be heaving under the weight of brand spanking new Christmas collections! Yay! MAC always get tons of attention, one of their collections is called Glitter and Ice and I think that is probably my fave from the rest of them (Dazzlerspheres, Ice Parade and Viva Glam). Overall it isn't the most amazing collection. The white packaging is a bit cheap and tacky in my opinion but I spent the last few hours reading up on the collection and this is what I will be picking up...

DazzleGlass in Love Nectar (Sheer raspberry pink gloss with pink glitter)

DazzlerGlass in Pleasure Principal (Sheer un-coloured gloss with muti coloured glitter)

Lipstick-Such Flare (a gorgeous deep dark festive red berry)

Nail Lacquer in Unconditionally Fabulous (clear polish with multi-coloured glitters)

Technakohl in Going for Gold (old antique gold)

Paint Pot in Morning Frost (shimmery taupe)

FOTN-Using Just Lashes and Natural Collection...

2011-11-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

My face of the day using the Sold Out Show lashes by Just Lashes (reviewed here) Natural Collection lippy in Rose Bud and some black kohl pencil by Bourjois! Bitta Collection 2000 glitter liner along the bottom lashes!

Glitter Liner-It's getting Christmassy!!

2011-11-23T05:11:00.000-08:00

Glitter=Christmas, and since its coming to December it is definitely time to inject a bit of sparkle into your makeup bag. I picked up this Collection 2000 liner the other day in Boots since it was cheap and I liked the festive gold. For a review and different ways to wear this glitter liner click below!

Winged liner with gold gel glitter layered on top. This makes the eyes look wide awake and fresh so good for a Christmas party after work.

Gold liner pushed under the lashes.This is perfect teamed with a smokey eye and nice for going out to add some sexy shimmer to your look.

The liner itself was around the €4 mark. There is plenty of glitter in there which is fab and the applicator is perfect for lining and detailed work. The gel itself doesn't have the best sticking power so don't expect this to last for hours. Perfect as a cheap festive makeup addition to add a bit of fun to Christmas makeup.

Amazing Lashes!!! Just Lashes by Ja'Maal Buster-WHOLE RANGE REVIEW!

2011-11-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Finding good false eyelashes that look natural but still are worth the effort of putting on are difficult to come by. When I was sent these lashes by guru Ja'Maal Buster my immediate reaction was thinking they'd do well on Strictly Come Dancing. I take this back. These are amazing. Okay, so some are for the more daring but three in particular are BEAUTIFUL!! So onto the good bit, the pics! (note. these come with glue which I didn't try, I used my Duo glue) Retail for €6.95 and should be arriving in pharmacies and major retailers soon! (these are already available and popular in the US).

For close ups of me wearing each set of lashes and my thoughts click below!!

Lashes-Bold & Beautiful

Tag Line- These Striking lashes act as the perfect accessory to dramatic eye make-up.

I say: yup, keep these for nights out. Love the feathery ends.

Lashes- Looking for Love

Tag Line- Fluttering will come naturally...with these graduated wing lashes

I Say-these are a bit shorter and gorgeous for day. Pretty and subtle LOVE

Lashes- Rock Star Chic

Tag Line- wear the same lashes as some of the biggest Stars in the world...

I Say- So unusual and amazing at creating cat like eyes. Real unique find. BUY!!

Lashes- Sold Out Show

Tag Line-...finest fanned out hairs for a truly sensational effect.

I Say- creates thick looking lashes, perfect for day...my FAVE

Lashes-Whisper

Tagline- Perfect for everyday use

I Say- No, not good for the day if you like subtlety but great in the evening for creating a Kim Kardashian effect (Ja'Maal has apparently worked with Kim so these could be something very similar to what she wears!)

October Beauty Favourites!

2011-11-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

I havent posted a video here in ages! Here I have a October favourites video where I discuss everything from beauty to fashion to books! I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed filming it!

My Favourite Eyeliner-Bourjois Khol & Contour 16hour Ultra Black and ways to use it!

2011-11-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

I LOVE kohl eyeliner. It is one of the most useful products and great if you like to create smokey eye looks when you go out or to add some oomph to your daytime look. My pick of the bunch is the Bourjois Kohl & Contour liner...

It is affordable, really pigmented and super soft. This one claims to stay put for 16 hours which it doesn't. Especially in the waterline but on the lid it will last a day especially if fixed with some powder. At the end of the day kohl pencils are creamy so you will always get some movement... It's kinda part of the package.

Some of my favourite ways to use kohl pencil;

♥I draw a line along the top lash, smudge it with a pencil brush and then apply liquid liner.
♥To apply on my water line
♥To tightline
♥As a base for a smokey eye all over the lid

Beauty Icon of the Week-Lisa Eldridge

2011-11-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Okay so I usually pick celebs for this regular blog slot but recently I have been getting progressively obsessed with makeup artist Lisa Eldridge. She creates beautiful looks and is hugely talented. She also is gorgeous and really elegant. She kinda reminds me of Audrey Hepburn actually! Anyway, gushing over I picked out some of my favourite videos to share with you! Enjoy! x

EXCITED!!

2011-11-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you will already know, Lush does perfume. Karma is perhaps their most popular one but years back in their London sister store B Never, they had a whole range of exciting and inventive scents. I remember popping in when I was about 15 and getting so excited over B scent, Love and Cocktail. Whilst these scents, renamed Gorilla Perfumes, are now available online I have some even better news!! Lush shops are going to be stocking this little sampler kit!! It comes with eight 2ml samples in the following fragrances; Love, 1000 Kisses, Ladyboy, Cocktail, The Smell of Weather Turning, Ginger, Super World Unknown and B Scent. The price is €24 which I think is amazing! I cannot wait to try this out!

Lush Lip Tint-Snow Fairy Review!

2011-11-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been having a bit of a Lush Lip tint extravaganza at the moment, so far I have reviewed the Double Choc and the Chilli Tingle (which I LOVE). Now it is onto the Snow Fairy! This is another Christmas Limited Edition. It is a bright pretty pink and scented just like the classic shower gel...

The tint is surprising soft and very easy to work with. The colour is perfect for winter pale skin. To top it off it is sweet due to the icing sugar in the tint!

Overall this is a 5/5 rating! STOCK UP!!

The Body Shop-Christmas Collection

2011-11-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

The Sparkler in Enchanting Gold- €19.95

4-Step Smokey Eyes Palette in Golden Brown- €23.95

For the rest of the collection and more details click below!

Mini Hi-Shine x4-€17.50

A selection of four mini versions of the popular Hi Shine lip glosses with an extra dash of sparkle. Features a subtle passion-fruit fragrance and highly moisturising base formulation of Marula Oil, Lanolin Oil and Avocado Oil. Perfect as a cute stocking filler!

The Sparkler in Boudoir Pink-€19.95

parkler is a gorgeous boudoir-style bottle full of iridescent sparkle-dust. Its elegant atomizer ingeniously delivers a completely even veil of sparkle to the skin, whilst the clever combination of different sized pearls and glitters creates a sophisticated multi-dimensional shimmer.

The 4-Step Smokey Eyes Palette in Silver Black-€23.95

A beautiful palette of creamy eyeshadows that easily create a Christmas party appropriate smokey eye.

NOTD Revlon Facets of Fuchsia

2011-11-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Revlons Facets of Fuchsia nail polish has been gettings tons of press, both online and in the magazines. Jumping on the Deborah Lippmann bandwagon this sheer black polish is full of multi sized glitter. For full review and more pics click below!

I purchased this ages ago but was hesitant to blog about it mainly because it failed to win me over completely. Sure it was the perfect Halloweeny polish and I will be wearing it into winter but this takes work. One coat is sheer and a bit disapointing. Three coats give a much better effect but has a textured surface that I find annoying to look at. I guess this is just the way it goes with glitter polishes...Let me know your experience!

One coat

FOTD-Winged Eyeliner and Lush Chilli Tingle Lip tint!

2011-10-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Face Of The Day using winged eyeliner and a coral liptint.

LIPS-Lush Chilli Tingle Lip tint

FACE-Revlon Photoready

Cheeks-Natural Collection Peach Melba Blusher

EYES- No.7 eyeshadow in wheatsheaf

Liner- Rimmel Exaggerate Liner

LASHES- NYC City Curls

Lush Lip Tint Double Choc-Review and Swatches!

2011-10-27T04:02:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks I have been trialing the Lush Lip Tints. They come in little tins and a variety of colours, red, coral(le), pale pink( le), pink (le), latte and bronze. The bronzey colour is the one I'm reviewing today. For more pics and the review click below. *le=Limited Edition

Swatch on left=Double Choc

Swatch on Right=Snow Fairy

The Double Choc lip tint is the darkest in the Lush lip tint family and probably as a result best suited to those with a darker complexion. It is also the most solid of the tints with a harder to melt texture that has a tendency to streak a little on application. Personally I feel the easiest way to work with this is to use a lip brush. This prevents you from going over the lines and getting a messy, chocolate over my face look. Again, I feel the darker your skin the easier this would be to use. So maybe in summer this will wprk better for me. The scent is earthy dark chocolate and there is a little subtle shimmer in the tint too.

Rating;

Ease of use; 2/5

Texture; 2/5

Scent; 3/5

Results;4/5

Conclusion- I like the look of this on but a bit hard to work with.

The Double Choc tint on!

FOTD-Using The Body Shop Christmas Palette in Golden Brown!

2011-10-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

A FOTD using The Body Shop Eyeshdow Palette in Golden Brown, a Christmas limited edition, on the eyes. This palette looks great on and the shades work fantastically when they catch the light! More pics and how I achieved this look below.

I took the cream highlighter and placed that all over the lid, used the brown eye definer pencil and drew a line along the upper lashes (not bringing it all the way in to the inner corner though) and blended it out. I took the lightest shade and concentrated that in the inner corner. I then took the medium brown and using a 217 from MAC I blended that in the outer corner and ever so slightly into the crease. Blend!! Using the darkest brown I went over the liner with a thin brush. Blended that line out. Added a little more shimmery pale shadow into the inner corner. Done! Lips are Barry M lipgloss in toffee. Cheeks; The Natural Collection blusher in peach melba!

The Body Shop Christmas 2011!

2011-10-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to The Body Shop's Christmas launch for ages. It is a brand that most people grew up with (remember the shaped animal soaps and bath pearls?) and retains a bit of a nostalgic factor for me. The press event last night was a great evening and it was brilliant to watch Karim work his magic once more! Click below for more pics and a breakdown of what's in the collection!

This year The Body Shop continues to develop its progressively great makeup collection. There are two eye palettes, one a black based smokey and one a brown based palette. The popular Sparklers are back this time with a gold addition. It goes without saying that they are plenty of cranberry/Christmas scented body and skincare items in the collection too! I will be putting up a detailed post really soon with all the products in the range. I also have lots of reviews for you as well as a FOTD using the the 4-step Smokey eyes in Golden Brown!

Snow Fairy is Back! Review

2011-10-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Yay its almost Christmas!! Long time Lushies will be hot footing it to their local Lush shop to get their paws on the well loved cult Snow Fairy Shower Gel which only comes out in the festive season. I'm pretty sure most of you will have tried this but for those who haven't here is a bite sized review (click link below to read)!

This shower gel is a milky medium pink in the bottle with blueish glitter that seems to settle at the bottom. There isnt alot of gitter so dont expect to see it in the gel when its out of the bottle.

The scent of Snow Fairy is practically famous at this point! It is hard to define what exactly it smells like ( this is a real Lush scent, haven't smelt it anywhere else!) but I personally think it has a scent of those foamy pink shrimp sweets you can get in pick and mix- basically yummy candy with a edge!

This gel works great in the shower. It has a great texture-not to runny, not too thick- so it is easy to work with and lathers very well. A little goes a long way.

The scent also sticks to you skin for hours!

That is it guys! Im going to break down my rating a bit so;

Texture-5/5
Ease if use-5/5
Results-5/5
Scent-3/5 (personal taste here!)

Nails are Sally Hansen Salon Effects Strips (see review directly below this post!)

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips- Review!

2011-10-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm just back from The Body Shop Christmas Launch! It was really exciting and so nice to see and talk with Karim again, he is so lovely! Anyway more of that later this week. For now I have a review of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. More pics, in depth review and all that good stuff below, just click the link!

These are pretty much fun patterns that come in a packet of 16 little flat plasticky nail shapes. These shapes can be adjusted easily to fit any nail but they do come in a good array of sizes.

They are moderately easy to apply, and actually a really fun way of spending an hour! Once on my nails these strips lasted far far better than I originally thought they would. You'd have to be pretty careful to get the 10 days they claim on the box but even on my short, flaky nails these lasted through hot showers, manual work, hand washing and general battering very well for 3 days then little chips appeared. With better nails and more care I'd give 5 days then they may get a bit tatty around the edges.

I also got so many compliments! Overall I really recommend these for presents and especially for Christmas stockings, they'd be fantastic for teens +

They come in a cute flowery pattern, fishnet, houndstooth, zebra, leopard and solid colours too.

Rating;

Ease of use- 4/5
Longevity/Wear- 4/5
Variety-5/5

Origins VitaZing Moisturizer Review and Swatches

2011-10-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Origins is a brand that I link with natural, pricey and covetable. The GingZing eye cream, Mega Mushroom range and Modern Friction are all products that I've been wishing for but honestly are just that little bit out of my price range. A long stint in Duty Free however was enough to waver my frugality and now I'm the owner of this, VitaZing!

For in depth review and tons of pics click below!

A new product to the Origins family, The VitaZing moisturizer is a "energy boosting Moisturizer with Mangosteen". I have not a clue what Mangosteen is but whatever it is I'm liking it!

This tube of semi tinted, SPF, glow giving cream is something I'm keeping close forever more. Good for dry skin, this imparts moisture, a very sheer tanned looking tint and a glowy fine shimmer. The lotion comes out white and the little tint balls burst when it is rubbed into skin giving this product a little bit of a gimmicky feel ( although honestly I was a little excited trying this at first). Luckily when the novelty wears off your still left with a fantastic product that gives skin luminosity, colour and protection. I love wearing this before makeup or for those days when you'd rather go without the works.

Rating-5/5

Follow this blog with BlogLovin!!

2011-10-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

I love Bloglovin! Its such a fantastic way to keep up to date with the many blogs I read regualrly. If you use Bloglovin too then click on the link below!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Lush Christmas and my picks so far!

2011-10-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Christmas at Lush is one of the most anticipated beauty events on my calender. So I was over the moon when I got a few products to try out. Expect in depth reviews of all the above products soon. In the meantime I am very happy to see that the Snow Fairy tint, Snowcake soap and Angel's Delight all have made a return and will be stocking up on those asap. As usual Lush has gone bonkers with creating and have a load of new Christmassy delights to cheer us up with. I particularly like the sound of...

Celebrate Lip Tint- I've been re-trialing some of the Lush lip tints and very much enjoying them so I think this would make a nice addition to my collection.

Cinders Bath Ballistic- I've actually tried this before. It is HEAVENLY!!

Three Gold Rings- A vanilla, myrrh and sweet orange oil bubble bar..Sounds amazing!

Buche de Noel- I missed this last year but heard tons of positive comments about it. I will be picking this up this year!

Check out my review of the Gingerbread House BBS here!

FOTD featuring The Body Shop Eye Definer Pencil in Carbon Blue

2011-10-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

Details and more pics? Click below!

Apologies for massive face pictures, I'm sick and my skin is playing up so thats the reason it is not looking its best. Anyway I thought it would be fun to do a face of the day post now and again. It is so much easier than filming a tutorial and also a good way to force me to do more that the usual semi smokey brown eye! This look is VERY easy. I used my Revlon Photo Ready all over a primed skin and then added some Clinique blush in Bashful just under the cheekbone and blended that a little with a foundation blush. For eyes I drew a line of The Body Shop Eye Definer in Carbon Blue along the top lash line and blended that out a bit. I placed some antique gold eyeshadow in the inner corner and then used Rimmel's Accelerator lash (one coat) on the top lash and Maybelline Great Lash on the bottom lashes.

Lips had a touch of Lush lip tint in Snow Angel.

What do you think??

Lush Gingerbread House Bubble Bar Review

2011-10-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

With cinnamon, ginger, lemon and buchu this Xmas bubble bar has a subtle spicy scent and probably is one of the most festive looking products from Lush. In the bath this smelt softly spicy with a vanillary, sweet undertone that left the skin smelling of gingerbread/cookies. The bath water was a strong orange colour and the bubbles abundant. I used this after a long day running around London and it really soothed my muscles and refreshed me!

Definitely a repurchase product!!

Health Series #3- Lunch

2011-10-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are onto the third part of the Health Series and Im hoping your enjoying reading it as much as I am thinking and writing it! If you have any feedback and healthy suggestions please do leave a comment, I am by no means a health expert so any recommendations would be eagerly read!

Lunch. For those who work or are rushing about it is one of the most difficult meals to get right. I always dream about creating meals that are high in protein, low in fat and look something like the image above. Wishful thinking. I find myself more often than not wolfing down the best M&S has to offer on my lunchbreak. And that does include a cookie (can anyone resist them??!) However, this isn't meant to be my guilty confessional, more motivational than anything so onto the meals that I do eat that are more healthy...

Protein! Okay I mentioned that before and again I have to stress how important it is. Tuna, chicken, chickpeas and quinoa are all high protein lunchtime favourites of mine and they are simple to prepare or find in a restaurant/cafe/shop. I tend to avoid plain white bread. Wraps are fine and I often eat those, but big chunky slices of white bread are considered a treat in my mind and not a lunchtime staple.

Soup! I love soup and this is my go-to when I am not working out and about and can get away with a lighter meal. Finding a healthy, low salt, low fat soup is a bit of a challenge but the best you can do here is check the info on the label and try to go for fresher soups over high preservative canned types. I also team my soup with two slices of wholemeal brown soda bread lightly toasted with a little butter.

Salad! Beans, couscous, feta, tomatoes, chicken, tofu, wild rice...These are just some of the things I love in a salad. My favourite place to go is Blazing Salads. So tasty!! I also like the M&S salads that have giant couscous and beans. Salads are also good teamed with a little whole grain bread if you are having a long long day and need the sustenance (no white stuff though!)

Next time I will be talking about Dinner!

Part 1 of the Health Series

Part 2 of the Heath Series

Golden Silk Oil Review

2011-10-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

I love oils! Pai, and Kiehls are two of my all time favourites so I was really excited to try out this one. It is a scent free oil from the camellia flower which has been used for centuries as a multi purpose beauty oil. It contains lots of skin beneficial vitamins and so forth that add elasticity, deeply soften and apparently balances sebum too! Impressive! To boot this oil is pretty affordable at £11.50 for 30ml! I've been trying this out on my hair, my hands and my body all with satisfactory effects. I particularly liked it on the dryer ends of my hair as it gave a little bit of separation and gloss. You can also use this on your face which I'm going to do whenever my skin decides to behave itself again (my skin hates Autumn!!!)

Another perk of this oil is the bottle which comes with a hygienic push top so you don't have any nasty spills!

Overall a nice, decently priced oil in great packaging that can be used in lots of ways.

Rating: 4/5

Update-Benefit Cha Cha Tint

2011-10-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

A few months back I reviewed the new Benefit lip and cheek stain, Cha Cha Tint. Check out that here. I decided to do this update post as it is so easy to forget about products and get distracted by new and thus more exciting purchases. The Benefit Cha Cha tint deserves a second shout out because it is amazing!! Seriously, I used it all summer, then it got forgotten for a month when my tan started to fade and I convinced myself it wouldn't look as good on pale skin but then I picked it back up recently and it looks just as lovely with a wintery complexion! I use it on my lips and cheeks for an all day colour which lasts and looks pretty. A definite makeup must!

Garnier Hand Repair Cream Review

2011-10-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

I think I picked up this hand cream in Boots due to a deal they had going on. It was a generous size tube (100ml) and the price was very decent. Also, it claimed to be suitable for very dry skin, which I have. So far so good! Honestly I had no hopes for this. High glycerin hand creams are a pet peeve of mine as in the long term they do nothing and this cream was definitely a high glycerin cream. But I have been converted!! I dont know whether it is the maple sap in this which is hydrating my skin but my hands are so much softer! Now this might be a good time to say that the Neutrogena Norwegian formula doesn't work as well as this one so I'm thinking the glycerin has little to do with the good results I'm getting. Other great things about this hand cream are the smell which is sweet and mapley, the size which is is generous, it sinks in very quickly meaning it is great on the go and the packaging which is simple, light and easy to carry with you. Overall I think this is a lovely drugstore hand cream and one I will buy again! Very recommended!

Rating; 5/5

Do you have any hand cream recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!

Health Series #2-Snacks

2011-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

image-weheartit

Hey everyone! Here is the second installment of my Health Series! This time I will be moving onto snacks!

I LOVE to snack, but also it can be the downfall of eating healthily so you have to be really careful. My all time favourite snack is quartered up apples with a bit of peanut butter in each piece. Sounds a bit weird but really tasty and what I reach for when I want something filling. Other snacks I love are Weetabix minis (as a biscuit substitute) trail mix, raisins and Green and Blacks dark chocolate (the cherry one is lovely) as a treat. Also Ryvita and oat cakes are great. Another not to be underestimated snack are health food bars. These are wonderful for chucking into your bag and eating as a healthy alternative to chocolate bars or crisps. My faves are Naked bars in Coco Loco, Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie and Pecan Pie...Yum! Now, I feel like I should also mention that I love to bake, and thus I do eat bad stuff too; cookies, biscuits, cakes and so on, but I personally feel that life is too short to deprive myself of tasty things! So what healthy and not so healthy snacks do you love?

Check out part one of the series here where I discuss breakfast!

Get The Look-Cheryl Cole Tutorial

2011-10-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here is my video tutorial on getting the Cheryl Cole look! This is one of my fave looks!

Lush-Halloween 2011

2011-10-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Lush has reissued it's Mexican Day of the Dead inspired goodies for Halloween again this year. I'm going to pop in this week and pick up all three and give you a better overview but they all seem to be uplighting, citrussy and fun. Here what's available...

€3.45-Skullduggery Bath Ballistic

This is my favourite. It looks pretty damn cute for a skull and is scented with neroli, frankincense and lime...YUM!

€3.70-Calacas Shower Jelly

Scented with lime and infused with soothing aloe vera this is an uplifting jelly in the shape of a skull.

€3.70- Lady Catrina Soap

In the shape of a fruit laden hat, this soap has a super fruity, zesty scent and Mexican agave nectar to soften the skin.

Health Series #1-Breakfast

2011-10-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

This month I am going to be dealing with health and talking about everything from what to eat for breakfast down to how to introduce exercise into your daily routine. Im mainly doing this series to motivate myself! I have got a bit lazy so this will be my way of getting back on track and also sharing a few of my healthy tips etc! I hope you enjoy and just bare in mind that this is what I personally like to eat and do so if in doubt ask a professional!

One of the easiest and quickest ways of getting healthy and maybe even slimmer is to eat better. This time of year is one of the hardest when it comes to limiting oneself and with all the Halloween and Christmas goodies at the supermarket it becomes a constant battle.

One of the best ways to get on track with what you eat is to start with breakfast. Now, I love eating so the thought of going without the first meal of the day just isnt going to happen! Also, leaving out meals is just a BAD idea! Your body will not thank you for going without nutrients and you will be seriously hungry.

For brekkie I love porridge. Its easy to make, healthy and most importantly fills you up and releases energy slowly throughout the morning keeping you going. I make my porridge with water as it is the healthiest but you could also use milk for a more tastier option. You can add so many great extras to porridge. Banana and honey or raisin and honey are my two options that I swap and change from and both are delicious.

So for breakfast put down the toast or sugary cereal and start introducing porridge for a better start to the day and to your healthy eating plan.

Next time Im going to be talking about snacks so stay tuned!!

Avon for Breast Cancer Awareness!

2011-10-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

It is Breast Cancer Awareness month! Most shops and brands have offers where you can purchase a certain item and a percentage of the proceeds go to breast cancer awareness. Avon have a whole collection of pink goodies this year. I really hope you can all go out and support these charities and bag yourself something cute at the same time!

Pin-€2.50

Compact Mirror-€6

Elemis Think Pink!

2011-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Luxury brand Elemis has come up with a lovely beauty kit in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness. It contains Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment all in a sweet little pink cube beauty case. The case is available from now until the end of October and it retails for €41.

Pai Skincare- Rosehip Oil Review

2011-09-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Pai is an organic skincare range that I only heard of recently. I immediately got excited browsing their website and was pretty much over the moon when I got to try the Rosehip BioRegenerate Fruit and Seed Oil Blend. Rosehip is renowned for its ability to improve elasticity, reverse sun damage, help heal scars and helps out fine lines too. I'm a bit of a facial oil preacher anyway but this is very lovely. You can immediately feel it hydrating the skin on application. The smell of fresh rosehip is strong and pretty much proves just how potent this oil is! The ingredients are all organic and even has the Soil Association's Certified Organic stamp of approval! To make this oil even more perfect it comes in a decent 30ml bottle for £20 which is very reasonable indeed. I defy you to not fall in love with Pai!!

Avon Little Dot

2011-09-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Avon has come up with a really adorable set of fragrances to celebrate their 125th birthday. The perfumes are recreations from their first perfume line. Little Dot has a selection of three scents; Violet (my fave), Hyacinth and Rose that come in tiny little glass bottles. The set is so lovely and only €19.50! Snap it up now!

Catrice Nail Polish-In The Bronx Review and Swatches

2011-09-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

My new favourite autumn nail polish! The colour is a golden bronze metallic and has great colour pay-off. One coat gives great colour although in the pics above I used two coats.

Natural Collection Lipstick-Pink Mallow Review and Swatches

2011-09-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

Natural Collection is getting alot more attention for their cosmetics at the moment thanks to vloggers such as The Persian Babe. The blushers are pretty nice and I blogged about them a few posts back. I also picked up a lipstick. Now this lipstick is not bad. It has a decent colour payoff, has a sheeny finish but the down side is that it wears off quickly. I dont think I'd depend on this lipstick. It is no where the same quality as MAC lipsticks but it is very cheap.

Rating 3/5-

New Offer from The Body Shop and The Wild Rose Collection!!

2011-09-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Body Shop always seems to have excellent offers in-store and online and the newest one is when you purchase any hand care product you get a second product half price. Considering The Body Shop do some lovely hand care products (the almond hand cream is lovely) this is an offer I'm very tempted to take up! The Wild Rose Collection (in the image above) is a new collection that contains a Targeted Hand Oil, a Hand Cream with SPF 15 (love that it has spf!!!!), a Caring Hand Wash and a Nourishing Hand Butter. Im very impressed and will be stocking up on the spf hand-cream and the butter.

Kiehls Creme De Corp Substitute-Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisteuriser REVIEW!

2011-09-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

You all know I love, love, LOVE Kiehls Creme De Corp and that it is one of the most effective lotions I've come across that really quenches my dry skin. Since the price tag is cerazy and I'm trying to save (emphasis on trying) I needed to find a cheap alternative. Firstly I tried Jergens Ultra Moisturizing lotion which was very disappointing, no where near hydrating enough for me. Then I picked up the Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturizer. This one was just right :) Thick and seriously hydrating this is perfect to lash on before bed as a super treat for my skin. The smell is "un-fragranced" aka has a lotiony scent which is alright but pretty meh. Its not the same as Kiehls, nor is it a real substitute but it definitely is a contender

Rating 4/5

Natural Collection Blusher-Swatches

2011-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

L-R; Peach Melba and Pink Cloud

peach melba

pink cloud

L-R; peach melba and pink cloud

Nails Inc and Little Miss!!

2011-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Nails-Nails Inc Little Miss Chatterbox

Ring finger-Jack Wills Gold

To honour 40 years of Little Miss and Mr. Men books Nails Inc (one of my fave nail brands) has created a cute collection of four colours. I received Little Miss Chatterbox, a pretty mushroomy taupe thats perfect for autumn. Two coats give a strong colour that should last a few days without chipping. Which one do you love?

Short Nails Tutorial-Dotty Nails

2011-08-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

Having short nails I cant do some of the more awesome nail art on my nails but this super easy nail tutorial is a fun way of adding some colour and interest to short nails. What makes this look modern is having a nude base coat underneath. I used Rimmels Pro in Oyster Pink. Then using 3 cute colours and a dotting tool or back of a brush dab little dots all over the nail using one colour at a time. Then top it off with a clear top coat! Done!

Bourjois Bronzing Powder Review and Swatches

2011-08-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

Okay ignore the slightly grubby pics above, this bronzer is well loved! The hype over the Bourjois "chocolate" bronzers is pretty crazy. The bronzer which comes in two shades, is loved by most beauty buffs. I've had this pan all summer and worn it every day and its still going strong. The shade is dark and lovely and looks very similar to MAC's texture. In fact I wear this in my crease alot, especially with a tan. It also looks gorgeous as a blusher, a contour powder, all over bronzer. A real multi-purpose product...

Rating - 5/5 *holy grail product*

My Favourite Mascaras-Drugstore Edition

2011-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today I have a little video for you. It is my current favourite mascaras. Hope you enjoy! x

Balayage/Ombre hair and Dublin Salons who do it!

2011-08-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Lily Aldridge's subtle caramel balayage <3

Gisele's Blonde Balayage

Rachel Bilsons Ombre Balayage

My "autumn leaves" Ombre hair

My hair

Balayage is the brunettes answer to beachy californian hair. There is so much hype over balayaged hair at the moment and it is one of the most asked questions on my blog, "How did you do your hair??" the answer is unfortunately boring, I did it myself! However I am heading to the hairdressers next week to give my slightly tired locks a makeover! I have decided to go for a Lily Aldridge type of balayage, more subtle and a bit more sleek (see pic no. one), although I do love Rachel Bilson's hair too. I am heading to the Style Club which has a great reputation for doing a brill job on balayage. I will be reporting back here with results!!

Dublin's Style Club- www.styleclub.ie

NYC Liquid Eyeliner-Megan Fox's Favourite liner?!!

2011-08-19T02:42:00.000-07:00

I had heard great things about the NYC liquid eyeliner such as it was Megan Foxs go to liner so when I saw it for sale I snapped it up! Unfortunately I picked up the pearlized black instead of the plain variety. None the less I have been enjoying using this liner. Its not as fantastic as my beloved Rimmel Exaggerate liner but the brush is ALOT easier to manage and the formula goes on a dream without any clumpy bits. If I ever get the opportunity to try out the plain black I definitely will pick it up.

Rating-3/5

PROS-A good drugstore/cheap liner with a great applicator. Thin formula thats spreads easily.

CONS- flakes ever so slightly. Pearlized version a tad grey, would like more depth of colour.

Nails of the Day-Multi-coloured Autumn

2011-08-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Multi-coloured nails were something I last wore on my nails when I initially discovered nail varnish in the 90s. Now its become a hot trend for fall! Caggie Dunlops donned crayola nails in Made in Chelsea and since I have seen many people wearing it too. It looks particularly good with sombre outfits as it adds a bit of fun and lightheartedness to it. My version is autumny inspired with shades of taupe, nude, navy, burgundy and purple.

Image above from Made in Chelsea

The Body Shop Eye Shimmer Cubes in Blue Moon and Definer Pencils REVIEW and SWATCHES!!

2011-08-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

Swatches of the shimmer cubes and the Carbon Blue eye definer pencil

I talked about The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes a few posts back and here I have the Blue Moon set and the Carbon blue Eye Definer pencil to show you in more detail! I was soooo excited to try these out and before I even had a chance to photograph them I had given them a go! The colours are nicely pigmented and very shimmery. The Blue Moon set has two silver colours, one is more darker and the other a more champagne light silver. Then there is a dark grey gunmetal and a deep bluey black. The Eye Definer pencil is availble to purchase separately to the shimmer sets but I do recommend it. It is a dark dark blacky blue colour thats great for wearing under the shimmer colours to add a base and depth to the shades. Im going to be posting a video tutorial using these products soon so keep an eye out for that!

Jigsaw Organics Bath Milk and Handcream Review

2011-08-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

Jigsaw is not a brand I associate with luxury skin care, until now. Recently they have launched a range of Organic bath and body products with an emphasis on beautiful packaging and olfactory scents. The Bath Milk I tried was in no. 01 which was a scent based on cologne. Slightly unisex and heavy on essential oils this was lovely in the bath and the packaging was an added bonus. The hand creams were also in the same scent family and provided light and immediate moisture and were perfect for tossing into my handbag (the image above is of sample size hand creams). Overall I was really impressed with Jigsaws new range and think the bath milk in particular would make a perfect present.

Bath Milk £25

Hand Cream £16 (and comes in large glass bottle)

Link to Jigsaw Organics Range

Jigsaws Facebook

Elemis Fresh Skin Peachy Perfect Skin Wash and Tired Eyes Review!!

2011-08-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Tired Eyes gel has had mixed reviews over the internet. I however think that this is an appropriate eye treatment for younger skin that doesn't need to be weighed done. The gel is soothing and cooling and has aloe vera and witches broom in it. For de-puffing and as a nice added bonus to ones skin routine I think this does the job! A rating of 3 stars!

The Peachy Perfect Gentle Face Wash by Elemis (the Fresh Skin Range) is one of the best products they released as part of this affordable, high quality range. The wash cleans skin gently and leaves it soft. It smells light and not at all obnoxious. It also states that it is good for all skin types so thats a bonus! Overall I give this a 5 star rating!

Nails of the Day-Simple French Manicure

2011-08-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Using Bourjois French Manicure Set...

Beauty Icon of the Week- Cheryl Cole

2011-08-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

Cheryls beauty must-dos; big hair, lined eyes, fake fluttery eyelashes, deep tan and a fantastic smile!

Whether you love her or hate her, Cheryl Cole has become one of the most watched and known stars (esp in Ireland and the UK) her doll like appearance and tiny frame make her the closest thing I've ever seen to a human barbie but her makeup is something really achievable and different. Cheryl definitely likes to wear a full face of makeup and she often experiments with strong lip colours. I'm going to be attempting the last image with the strong pink lips and big eyes! Make sure you stop by my youtube to watch the tutorial next week!

The Body Shop Eye Shimmer Cubes in new colours and Definer Pencils!

2011-08-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

BLUE MOON <3-€24.50

Bunch of Violets-€24.50

Green Light-€24.50

Eye Definer in Carbon Blue-€12.50

The Body Shop is really gaining a reputation for it's makeup line. The Honey Bronze range that was launched this summer was simply divine and the mineral eye shadows are also worth a look. The Shimmer Cubes have been around for yonks and are one of those cult products that has become very popular over the years. This August The Body Shop are releasing some new shades (eek excited!!). There is a very pretty plum/purple set called A Bunch of Violets which I personally would think would look gorgeous on Asian skin, a green set called Green Light that would be very nice on tanned or dark skin and a blue set called Blue Moon which I'm most eager for. There is also some more Eye Definer pencils being released in Carbon Blue and Carbon brown. Im going to be trying out the Blue Moon Eye Shimmer Cubes and the Carbon Blue Eye Definer pencil so expect a detailed swatch post and a tutorial soon!!

Lately Loving-Rae Morris Makeup Manual

2011-08-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

Makeup is fun. Attempting a new eye look or playing with shades of lipstick is one of the simple pleasures of life and is one of the reasons I love Rae Morris's book The Makeup Manual. I've had this for a good while now and it still offers so much. I've attempted a few of the looks all successfully and I found the instructions very easy to follow. She doesn't state the brand of products she uses which I find a bit annoying but thats the only qualm I have with this. Today I tried out the Intense eye look, a combo of mahogany and copper shadows and its really lovely. I think I might film a little tutorial on it if your interested as it is a great day to night look and fab on brunettes. The book is available at most book sellers and is around €20 .