December Favourites 2018

A happy belated New Year to ye all. I am going to make this intro very short and sweet, today I am going to be discussing the products I have been loving in the month just gone.

First up is the Super Facialist Vitamin C Cleansing Oil. For the last month or two I have really been into double cleansing. I am loving using this cleansing oil for my first cleanse. It feels so lovely on the skin and OMG that smell. It has an amazing citrus smell. It has Vitamin C in it.. (Duh) which is great for brightening up your complexion. When I use it I just pour some onto my hands and massage into my dry face. Then I get my damp face cloth to remove it. I got mine in Tk Maxx for €5.99 but if you can't find it there you can get it in Boots for €15. I would definitely recommend for those who love a good double cleanse.

Sticking on the theme of face, my second favourite product this month is the Lacura Clearing Mud Mask from Aldi. I have mentioned this loads over on my instagram but it deserves every bit of it! This is a charcoal purifying mask that helps clear up breakouts as well as exfoliates the skin. It has  physical and chemical exfoliating properties. The chemical exfoliants in it are glycolic and lactic acid which is great for shedding the top dead layer of skin. This is said to be a dupe for the GlamGlow supermud which usually costs €40 euro where as this mask from Aldi cost a little over €6. Bargains! Seriously though, check out Aldi's skincare range because you are sure to find some gems.

Another skincare item I am loving is The Ordinary's Salicylic Acid 2% Solution. My diet around the christmas is always so horrible so in turn my skin freaks out and I end up with a pizza face. The salicylic acid solution is perfect for those of us with oily skin. It gets deep into the pore and treats the spot. I dab it on a spot at night time and then the next day the spot had dried up. I got mine in New York but there are various websites you can get yours from such as Meaghers Pharmacy. Total saviour this month.

Another saviour and will be a favourite ever month is the Lush Cosmetics Soak and Float shampoo bar. This has transformed my horribly sore scalp. Before using this I had a dry, itchy and cracked scalp and now it is totally back to normal. It has cade oil in it which is used to treat psoriasis and eczema. I also love how these shampoo bars are packaging free and last up to 100 washes. I got mine from the Lush store in Grafton Street, Dublin for about €10. I will definitely be repurchasing this!

My final favourite this month is the Phyto Paris Phytokeratine Thermal Protectant Spray. I got send this from the lovely folks over at Cosmetics Online Ireland. Normally after blow drying my hair it feels brittle and straw like but when I use this my hair feels so soft and shiny and it just sits well. Also my hair looks thicker since using it. I normally dont use heat protectants (bad I know) but I am converted now. This is another product I am going to repurchase. You can get it from CosmeticsIreland and check to see if they have any special offer codes going, because normally they do. 

If anyone has any questions about any of the products mentioned please don't hesitate to ask. Here is  to a new year of happiness and health.

Byeeeeeeeee :) 

November 2018 Favourites

Hello everyone! I really wanted to write a blog for you guys today but my creative juices are flowing as well as I would like them to do lately. With that I decided to a monthly favourites post, these are  not the most creative posts but I enjoy reading writing them as well as reading them. I have a good aul mixture to discuss today, from perfume to skincare to bodycare. I'll stop rambling now and just get on with it. Enjoy!

The first of my favourites this month is the Dermalogica Special Cleansing gel. I got this in New York whilst I was over there. I wanted to try this cleanser every since doing my beauty therapy course where we learned about the different Dermalogica products. This cleanser would be more suited to Oily/Combination skin types. It's a soap free foaming cleanser that leaves your skin feeling clean without that awful squeaky tight feeling. It smells mildly minty and a little goes a long way. You can buy it in the majority of beauty therapy salons or online. Currently www.beautyskincare.ie have it on sale for €32.99 for 250ml. I would highly recommend for anyone with oily/combination skin to try it

Keeping with skincare my next favourite is from the french brand Uriage. It's their water serum. I have seen this brand everywhere so I decided to give this serum a try. It's a hyaluronic acid serum made with thermal spring water to hydrate and brighten dehydrated skin. I am obsessed with this stuff! It feels so light putting is on so I know its going to reach the deeper layers of the skin and my skin has been looking more hydrated since using it. Its normally €25 but I got mine on sale in Bergins Pharmacy Newbridge for €12.50. If you are in the Newbridge area check them out as the water serum is always half price there.

Next up is a hair product. I got a little Kerastase travel set off my partner and brought it with me to New York. It's the mask from their Discipline range that I have been loving. This is designed for anti-frizz and is full of keratin. My hair isn't frizzy it just has a mind of it's own, so when I use that I feel that my hair is more relaxed and manageable. You can get a bigger 200ml pot from Feelunique for €26.50 on sale from €38. I know this is pricey but like skincare you pay for what you get and what you get is fab hair.

On to the body now. Ok so I know it is probably pointless showing you this as it was limited edition but I am loving it loads so... Its The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin shower gel. This scent is heavenly, it's a mixture if sweet vanilla and spicy pumpkin. A small bit lathers up your whole body and its such a creamy moisturising lather. You might be able to get it online still at thebodyshop.com. If not they have their christmas range out and that looks fab too.

Lastly for my November favourites is a perfume from the Brand Jenny Glow. This is an Irish brand inspired by the fragrances of Jo Malone. The fragrances Jenny Glow have out smell exactly like Jo Malone just without the extortionate price tag. I have been wanted to try the Myrrh and Bean fragrance for weeks before it's release and I finally got my hands on it. I loved Jo Malone's Myrrh and Tonka but could never justify the price, so I would only dowse myself in it at the airport or BT's . The myrrh and bean from Jenny Glow smells identical! I got my 80ml for €14.99 in my local pharmacy and Brown Thomas are selling the Jo Malone version for €90 for 50ml.. I mean come on.. You can get them online in sam mccauleys. Give their other fragrances a look too as you might see other well loved Jo Malone dupes there too.

So that was my November favs, I hope you enjoyed reading them. If ye have any questions about the products mentioned drop me a message. Also let me know what you have been loving this month. 

Byeeeeeeeeee :)

New York Skincare Essentials.

Narrowing down what beauty bits to bring on your holidays is the hardest thing I’m the world! (First world probs I know..) It like going on holidays and only choosing your favourite child to come with you.. (no? just me?). I am going to New York City for a week and I have picked a few of my essentials skincare bits to come along with me. Yes I will be bringing other toiletries with me I am not smelly I swear but ye are all here for skincare, not for what deodorant I’m currently using! So here are some travel friendly things I’m bringing.

I am bringing 2 cleansers with me on my trip. I am going to double cleanse with these everyday. My first cleanse will be the Dermalogica ultracalming Cleanser. If you have seen my instagram lately you’ll know that I’m having the biggest face meltdown of my life. I’m literally a pizza face.. My skin has had a big flare up and I am sensitive AF. This Cleanser is so soft and calms down any redness on my face. I’m so tempted to splurge on the big bottle.

For my second Cleanser I’m using the Omorovicza foaming Cleanser. This is a gentle foaming Cleanser perfect for my oily skin. I feel so boujie using this as it’s so expensive for a big bottle. But if you know me I’m the furthest from boujie that’s why I’ll admit I didn’t buy this, a friend gave it to me. I’m a champagne lifestyle on a bulmers budget! Both of these cleansers are safe to travel with as they’re not liquids and under 50mls.

A serum I’m bringing is the Essano clear probiotic serum. I recently started using this to help clear up my face. The scent isn’t the best and the colour is a brown shade but I think it’s doing something. I am not selling this well. You’ll have to come back to me on this one. So what I’m really saying is I had no other serum left to bring and I had to bring a serum! 

                                             

For a mask I’m bringing the rituals cosmetics intensive moisture mask. This is amazing for a post flight pamper. It has hyaluronic acid and helps your skin after all that recycled air. 7 hours of sharing air with strangers is what I’m most scared of, not the flying!

For moisturizers I will bring a day time and a night time. For day I’m going to use the Neutrogena hydro boost city shield with spf 25. This will protect me from the sun, all the city pollutants and keep me hydrated. This stuff is great as you don’t get the Casper the ghost effect from this.

My night time moisturizer is the simple skin quench sleeping cream. This is like a glass of water for your face. It’s so light but you wake up with softest of skin! Simple really upped their game with that one.

I’m also bringing a spot treatment from boots own brand. This is to banish my pizza face. In all honesty I’m so embarrassed of my face at the moment and I know we will take a lot of pics there so I’m hoping over the few days this treatment will bring it down. I don’t want to look back and see my join the dots face.. the product itself has salicylic acid which is great for blemishes, my skin loves a bit of sally!

That’s my few bits for my face that I am bringing. I kept away from liquids as I would end up like Ross from friends when the toiletries exploded in his bag! So no toners or oils. I hope ye enjoyed that some bit. I am enjoying writing again, so as long as I am enjoying it I will continue to post on here.

Byeeeeeeee :)

My "no makeup" make up look

Hey guys! So as some of you may know I am now working back with makeup. I am so happy as it's my passion, I mean who wouldn't be happy when they get to play with makeup everyday. I wear a full face of makeup everyday on the counter and I'm starting to not like my skin without any. So on my days off I go for my "no makeup" look. Its just a makeup look that evens out my skin tone and hides any blemishes without looking like I have any makeup on. This look would be perfect for someone wanting a more natural look or for any guy wanting to wear makeup but afraid to go whole hog. I'm actually going to have a blog post out soon about men and makeup and how we still are afraid to admit we wear makeup, especially on rural Ireland. So for this blog I'll have a step by step with pics on what I do. I did try to film little clips instead of pics but me nerves are shot from trying to deal with technology. Enough with the ranting!!

Before

Step 1: Prep and Prime.

So firstly my skin is cleansed and moisturised. Moisturised skin makes the foundation look less caked and it sits well on the skin. For primer I used the Benefit Porefessional. I love this primer as it fills in my pores lovely and gives my skin a nice silky base to put my foundation on. It retails for €34 but all I use is a pea size amount. I focus it on my nose and t-zone as they're most oily. You can get cheaper alternatives but you pay for what you get when it comes to makeup.

Step 2: Conceal.

Concealer is everyones best friend! I used it for my under eye dark circles and to cover any blemishes. A lot of people conceal after foundation but I do it before on this makeup look because sometimes if you conceal after foundation every where you put it is highlighted from the rest of your face and we ain't trying to highlight anything here. I used the Collection lasting perfection concealer. This is so cheap at €5.79 in boots. I buff this into the skin with a damp beauty sponge.

Step 3: Foundation.

Now this is the most important part. You need to find a foundation that suits your skin type that is light to medium coverage. I'm loving the Rimmel match perfection foundation as it's medium coverage and it's the perfect shade for me. It retails for €10.49 in boots. On days where I'm going for this look I sheer it out by only using 1 pump for my whole face and buffing it in with my damp beauty sponge. The damp sponge helps spread the product more evenly.

Step 4: Set it in place.

Use a powder to lock the foundation into place and to keep you matte. Using a translucent powder would be perfect as it adds no extra colour to your face. I use my bourjois healthy balance powder as it's the exact same colour as my foundation and it's perfect for keeping my skin oil free. I lightly pat it onto my skin with a fluffy powder brush. This ensures I'm not moving the foundation about.

Step 5 Brows (optional).

Men can get away without doing this step if they want. I always do my brows no matter what. Instead of craving out my brows like I normally do, for this look I'm using a brow gel for a more natural look. I'm using Benefits Gimme Brow. I love this as unlike most other brow gel it distributes the right amount of product on my brows. It retails for €26 but essence do a cheap one for a couple of Euro. I get a clean spoolie and brush my brow hairs in the way I want them to go, then I get my gimme brow and apply the product focusing on the middle to end part of my brow. When I feel like I have only a small bit of product left I do the front of my brow. You don't want the front of your brows to be too blocky, it ruins the no makeup illusion!! And just like that we are done!!

After

So that is how I do my no makeup look. I know most if you know how to do this but this is for anyone starting out with makeup or my fellow fellas out there who need a helping hand. Hope you enjoy and I'll be back soon!

Byeeeeeeee :)

Empties 2017 pt. 2

Hey guys. I hope everyone is well and hasn't melted in this heatwave we are having. Today's post is my second empties of the year. I try to do one every 3 months and with the year half way over we are due another post. As usual I will give ye a little description on the products as well as my thoughts and if I would purchase or not. Enjoy!

Hair care

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Serum

I have mentioned this product in my April favs (link)) If ye have read that you will know I loved that product so much. I'm devo that I ran out, I would buy more but I'm on a spending ban (for now). This lasts me about 3 months and I put 2/3 drops in damp hair after my shower and massage it into my scalp. No joke baby hairs started sprouting around my hairline. I have thick hair but this made the thickness go to another level. I got the boyf into it too and he loves it.

Repurchase: YYYAAASSSSSSSSSS

Lush Cosmetics Sea Spray

This is a sea salt spray from Lush that is supposed to give you textured hair. You can spray it into wet or dry hair and scrunch for wavy hair. I took me well over a year to get through that. I worked for lush for a few years and I have used it on and off. I dislike this product so much. I kept giving it second chances but for €15 a bottle I'm giving up. It made my hair hard and crunchy but without even putting waves into it. Also on a few bottles I bought the sea salt clogs up the nozzle and the spray just squirts out, not fun. I recently bought the Penneys texturising spray and I love it. Also it's €2.50, I mean come on..

Repurchase: hell to the naaahhhh

Skincare

Benefits It's Potent Eye Cream

A lot of people don't know that Benefit Cosmetics have a skincare range. It was only when I worked for Benefit that I came across this eye cream. Retailing for a whopping €32.50 it's pricey. I bought this mini in boots for €6 and it has last me about 6 weeks. Hands down this is the best eye cream I've used. It improved my dark circles so much I looked more rested than sleeping beauty herself. I would recommend getting the mini first to try but you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Repurchase: Yes! And if anyone wants to buy me the full size one I won't stop ya!

Balance Me Restore and Replenish Cream Cleanser.

This is a Cream cleanser suitable for all skin types promoting collagen in the skin and leaving you feeling soft and not stripped. I bought this in Tk Maxx for €9.99 but it retails normally for €25 and you can get it in M&S. In typical Tk Maxx fashion I haven't seen another bottle since the one I bought. It last me about three months and I loved every bit of it. It improved my skin so much and I had such soft and clear skin from it. Apparently Emma Watson uses it and if it's good for Emma it's good for me.

Repurchase: Yes!

Evoluderm Hyaluronic Anti Age Toner

Another Tk Maxx purchase. I recently have been interested in anything that is anti aging so when I saw this I thought I'd give it a go. It's a toner in an aerosol form. It was so handy to use. I love toners that spray out rather than the liquids you have to put onto cotton pads. It made my skin feel nice but nothing spectacular. I didn't see any anti aging happening after using it but I know these things take weeks to show improvements and I only had it for a few weeks.

Repurchase: yes but probably for convenience more than anything.

Penneys PS Love To Glow mask.

This is going to be brief as I have a blog post about this (link). I finished it a few days after my last empties post so I kept the packaging till now (blogger problems). We all know I love this and it's comparable to the L'Oréal glow mask. Cheap as chips but effective AF.

Repurchase: duh..

Body Care

Lush Cosmetics Snow Fairy Shower gel

Such a cult classic for Lush. Every Christmas it comes out. When I worked for lush I hated it with a passion but since I left I love it and it brings back happy memories. It's vibrant pink and smells like bubblegum, every 10 year old girls (and mine) dreams. The boyf bought it for me for Christmas and it has lasted me since then. I should have got more to last me the year.

Repurchase: it will be on my list to santa.

So that has been my empties for the 2nd quarter of 2017. I'm already finishing up a good few products as we speak so the empties might be back sooner than you think.

Thank you so much for reading!

Byeeeeeee :)

Product Review: L'Oreal Hydra Genius Moisturiser.

Hey guys! In today's blog post i'll be reviewing the new moisturiser from L'Oreal, The Hydra Genius Aloe water. I got mine for normal to combination skin. I have a tonne of skincare, like seriously in a few years to come you will see me on an episode of Hoarders no doubt, but what I needed badly was a new moisturiser. I saw L'Oreal promoting it for a few weeks before it became available in Ireland and I was dying to try it. I have been using it for a month straight now so I feel I have enough to go on to give ye all a proper reivew.

About the Moisturiser.

First of all, can we have a round of applause for L'oreal who in the past few years have stepped their packaging game up. The Hydra Genius' packaging is no exception to that. It is sleek, sophisticated and looks high-end. It come in a glass bottle with a blue/green metallic pump. The glass is see through so you no how much product is left. It claims to lock in Moisture for  up to 72hrs, but I'm always skeptical about that because who doesn't wash their face for 3 days, ya nasty.. This moisturiser is packed with Aloe Water & Hyaluronic Acid according to its website. I'm very much all about the hyaluronic acid lately. For those who don't know what it is, it's an ingredient that holds moisture into the skin. The moisturiser comes in three different types; Normal to combination (my pick), dry and sensitive skin. It costs €12.99 for 70ml normally, but as I'm writing this Boots are having  a One Third of L'Oreal products sale making it €8.66.

My thoughts?

Guys... This moisturiser totally lived up to my expectations. I think I have finally found my permanent moisturiser! It suits my combo skin so much, it doesn't feel heavy but I feel like it keeps me hydrated throughout the day.  L'Oreal say "The Liquid Care; Fresh as water hydrating as a cream" and I whole-heartedly agree. Believe it or not but I got a bit sizzled in the sun the other, and when I got home I put some of this on it felt amazing. The aloe in it is great to calm down the skin. I'm 100% going to repurchasing this moisturiser again, but just maybe wait until the sale comes around again.

If ye have any more questions on this product please don't hesitate to ask and if ye have any other products ye want me to review leave a comment below! Thank you!

Byeeeeeeee :)

Empties.

Hey guys! Today's post is all about my empties for the year so far. If you don't know what an empties post is about, it's where I go through all my used up or "empty" products and give mini reviews on them. So these are my empties from January to March. Enjoy!

Hair

First we have Lush R&B. Ye are probably sick of seeing this on my blog but its amazing stuff and it still doesn't get enough credit. I takes me a year to finish a 100g pot of this so when I finish it I feel like it's a great accomplishment. I'm not going to bore you with the details, if you want to see a review of this just go to a previous hair care post it's definitely there.

Repurchase = YES

Next is another Lush product called Retread. This is Lush's heaviest conditioner. I bought a small pot when making an order online but I only think it comes in 250g pots in store (correct me if i'm wrong). I use to love it when I worked for the company as it suited my thick hair but the packaging makes it hard to use. You have to pour the pot onto your hand in the shower and it's hard to control how much product comes out. Also if you get water in it you're screwed. It's expensive too, which makes me mad if I accidentally spill some out of the pot, it's like money going down the drain, literally.

Repurchase = NO (unless it will start coming in a bottle).

Last hair care item we have is the Aussie Miracle Dry Shmapoo. It took me ages to finish this up but I persevered. It did the job but it wasn't anything spectacular. I loved the smell at the start but after a few weeks it made me feel nauseous. It's a bubblegum candy smell like they have in a few of there products. 

Repurchase = NO.

Skin Care

First skin care item I have is the NIP+FAB Glycolic Cleansing Fix. I love it! I'm already halfway through a second bottle. It has 2% glycolic acid which helps to brighten the face. It left my skin tone looking so even and brightened. I wouldn't use this everyday because it would be a bit stripping but every second day is fine. It smells so lemony fresh too. An all round good cleanser.

Repurchase = YES.

Sticking with the NIP+FAB theme we have the Glycolic Fix Serum. This has 4% glycolic acid in it. I'm not going to lie I saw no difference after using this product. I was very disappointed because I used it religiously until I finished it and saw no change in my skin. I really wanted to love this because I love the brands other products.Who knows maybe it might work for others.

Repurchase = NO.

Next up is the No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion. I bought the beautiful skin mini set in the christmas sale and instantly fell in love with this so much so i went and bought the full size. I have raved about this on another post, however since then I'm not such a fan. I think when I bought this my skin was a little drier but not i'm oily AF again. It does nothing for my skin at all. I don't feel cleansed, I just feel like my skin is weighed down after using it.

Repurchase = NO.

Another mini from that set I finished is the Beautiful Skin Radiance Exfoliator. It was a good little exfoliator, it did the job and wasn't stripping on my sensitive skin. I've used better but I have also used worse.

Repurchase = YES (only if it was on sale).

Last from No7 is the No7 Men Anti-Shine Lotion SPF 15. I bought this last year for my holiday to Gran Canaria. I needed an SPF but I hate putting sunscreen on my face. A lovely lady in boots recommended it to me and it really worked. I didn't burn and I got a nice tan. Even for day to day use here it was brilliant, it mattified my oiliness and kept it at bay.

Repurchase = YES

The Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser is another product I finished up lately. I have used this multiple times and I like it. It keeps me hydrated and mattified. If thats what you want from a moisturiser then this is the one for you, its simple but effective. I'm looking for something more now, I feel my skin needs a bit extra. All good moisturiser recommendations appreciated!

Repurchase = YES 

Last empty is the Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Optimizing Skin Serum. I love love love Elizabeth Arden skin care products they just suit my skin so well. I got this mini in a set last year and I have been saving this serum for special occasions. It makes my skin look plump, hydrated and looking fresh. It's a lightweight serum so it suits my oily face. It smells divine. I'm going to start saving for a full size.

Repurchase = YES

So there you have it! Those for were my empties so far this year. I don't hold back at all, if I think something isn't worth the money i'm not going to recommend it. Hope you enjoyed and I'll have another one ready in a few more months when I get through my every growing product stash.

Byeeeeeeee :)

March Favourites

Hey guys! Today I'm going to write about my March favourites. I haven't done a monthly favourites in so long. This is just a post about what I've been loving throughout the month of March, whether it be beauty or clothes etc

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First up is the Sensitive Scalp conditioner from the Brand Human + Kind. I reviewed this on a previous post (link here) so I'll keep it short and sweet. I've been using this all month and it has helped my scalp so much. As ye may know I went silver from root to tip this month and It hurt my poor sensitive scalp. This conditioner with its aloe vera calmed it down instantly and helped improve the condition of my scalp as well as my hair. Hidden gem there guys.

Another hair care favourite this month is the Provoke Touch of Silver shampoo. Anytime I go blonde or silver this is my go to shampoo. In my opinion it's the best purple shampoo around. It keeps my silver hair from going brassy between toner applications. A major plus is price, it's one of the cheaper priced purple shampoos in the drugstores. I'm just finished a big bottle and have a little sample bottle from Dealz. This is a perfect size for people to try out but and are afraid to commit to buying the full size.

My next favourite is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +. I have this months now and I've only started using it religiously in the last 3 weeks. I was almost going to through it out because I saw no difference after using it in the past. This isn't an instant fix, you have to take your time with it. Now my skin is horrendous at the  moment as it's purging after the use of retinol products but this helps so much. It reduces the redness of any spots that appear. I pop a bit all over my face after my toner and before my moisturiser. One drawback is that it's expensive but a little goes a long way, well worth it.

Another skincare favourite this month has to be the P.S. Love To Glow face mask by Primark/Penneys. I have a review of this beauty on my blog (link here). This is one of the best dupes I have found in a while. Gorgeous glowy skin on a budget, what more could you ask for.

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Next is a body care product. I'm not one for spending time putting lotions on my body, I'm so lazy it's unbelievable but The Body Shop Black Musk body lotion is an exception. I'm obsessed! Any opportunity I have to put it on I will. I got the little travel sets in Tk maxx reduced to €1!!! Paul the bargain hunter strikes again guys!  So naturally enough I bought five sets. The smell is divine. It's earthy but still floral. They scent definitely lingers. I need to go to the Body Shop and get the full size ASAP!.

So that's what I have been loving in the month of March. I have picked up somethings in the last week or so that I'm trailing out and I know they will feature in my April favourites already so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much for reading.

Byeeeeeeeee :)