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 :)

My New York Haul

Where to begin.. New York was amazing! My time over there was a unreal from start to finish. First of all I got engaged, am hello when did I become a full blown adult? We did some amazing activities while there so I might do a blog post on what to do in NY if ye want. Of course I couldn't go to times square and not do some shopping. I went to Sephora (obvs), Deciem/The ordinary shop in Soho, Blue Mercury a lovely cosmetics shop off Times Square and Target. So here are all of the beauty bits I got on my trip.

Sephora

I saw so many "Instagram" brands in Sephora and as much as I wanted to buy the lot, I couldn't justify spending $50 dollars on a face wash. So I bought some Sephora own brand products which were reasonably priced. The first item I got was the Sephora Rose Lip Balm. Look at that packaging.. I mean how cute is that. They had them in loads of flavours like, coconut, kiwi and honey, but I am a granny at heart and I love me aul rose scents. It cost $6.

The second Sephora product I bought was the Skin Detox Bubble Mask. They had a few types but after all the pigging out I did in NY I need a detox. I have never had a bubble mask before but I have seen so many people use them and they look gas. I will post pics to see if they bubble much. This also cost $6

Deciem

If you haven't seen or heard of Deciem or The Ordinary where have you been? The brand has literally blown up over the past 2 years. They're known for their cheap cosmetics, skimping on the fancy packaging to give you fine ingredients at a lower price. I knew going over that I wanted to visit their store, so after visitng Carrie Bradshaws apartment we went to Soho to give it a look. My first purchase from there was the Salicylic Acid 2% solution. A lot of people with blemish prone skin rave about this and since I’m still a pizza face currently I need buckets of this. This cost about $5.

The next thing I got was the vitamin c suspension 23% + HA spheres 2%... basically a vitamin c cream. I wanted to have vitamin c in my routine as it’s great for pigmentation and anti aging, and I’m not getting any younger! I paid around $6 for it. I forgot my receipts so everything is in or around the price. (I’m such a bad blogger!)

The last thing I bought In Deciem was the AHA/BHA Peeling Solution. This is a Chemical peel for the face. It’s for exfoliation. Again I bought this because of Instagram, I’m such a sheep following the herd I know! You put it on your face for 10 mins and wash off. With all these products I bought you need to hydrate your skin and apply SPF the next day as they are acids and can compromise your skin. I think this was about $10. I will review each product on my Instagram after a few weeks use.

Blue Mercury

I’ve never heard of this shop before but I’m glad I found it as it was a cute little Cosmetics shop that was very cheap. Think of a shop like Sephora but not as expensive. My main reason for going there was for Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel. So after doing my college course and working with Dermalogica I wanted to convert most of my skincare to the brand. I chose this Cleanser as it’s suitable for oily skin. It cost $38 for 250ml. It’s the cheapest I found for Dermalogica products.

I also bought Mario Badescu facial spray. I heard great things from this brand but never bought anything because I couldn’t be arsed ordering online, like I hate ordering things online. It’s the waiting I hate the most! This spray was only $7 and it smells like rose! It’s great to freshen up your face!

Target

I think I went to Target everyday while I was in NY. Think TK Maxx and a supermarket mixed together and thats Target. While I was there I ran out of my trusty foundation so I had to purchase a new one over there. I couldn't find my Rimmel one so I went for the ELF Cosmetics Acne Fighting Foundation. I have used it already and have a first impressions on my instagram if you want to see what I thought of it. It cost $7.

So this isn't skincare I know but I always said if I go to America I am buying Crest Whitening Toothpaste. American's are known for their white teeth and a lot of them recommend Crest. I bought a single tube and loved it so I came back for a double pack which cost $6. I wanted to buy the whitening strips but they were $60.. maybe next time.

I hope you enjoyed my haul as much as I enjoyed shopping it. Stay tuned for reviews of all these products and if you have any questions about any products just drop me a message!

Byeeeeeeeee :)

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 :)

Switching Things Up

Hello friends! Happy new year and all the rest. Yes, I know I go missing for a few months then I reappear but the fact of the matter is that’s life and some times life gets ya down. I’m not going to lie to you my new year started off crappy, I’ve had constant wisdom tooth problems and my mental health hasn’t been the best, but that’s ok because my “new year new me” attitude has just kicked in and I am switching things up In my life. I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m not a “do-er”, I will put things off and analyse things to the point where I’ll find a flaw and not do it and then complain that life is passing me by. Well I went out of my comfort zone and did something that will make the old me shook! I am going back to education!

As ye all know from reading this blog I am obsessed with skincare. It’s my passion and the majority of my jobs have been in the Beauty sector. I’m going to college to become a skincare specialist. I will be attending the Bronwyn Conroy beauty school in Blackrock doing their course called Advanced skincare specialist. As more beauty therapists are specialising in different areas they thought why not devote a course specially to skin. I was toying with the idea of becoming a beauty therapist but the thoughts of having to wax the nether regions of someone really put me off. This course will allow me to work in salons providing skincare analysis and facial treatments. It’s a 16 week course, one day a week so it works perfectly around my full time work schedule. Since I found out I can do this course I feel like a new me, like I have a purpose. This is just the start of my new career and already it has given me much joy.

I’m going to document as much as I can on here and my Instagram so you all can see my journey. If anyone is going through that same “funk” I’ve been going through, don’t second guess yourselves. Take chances you’re future self will thank you. So go out there and switch things up and live your life.

                                           

Byeeeeeeeeeeee :)

Updated Haircare Routine

Hey guys! So it's been a while since I've did a hair care blog post and over the past few months my routine has changed quite a bit. I still get my hair bleached quite often so my main concern is still dryness and damage. Even after switching up my routine I still get lots of compliments about the condition and thickness of my hair. It must mean it's working!

I shampoo my hair 2/3 times a week. I alternate between a moisturising shampoo and a purple shampoo. For my moisturising shampoo I use the garnier ultimate blends. I just finshed the coconut one which I loved but I needed something thicker so I got the honey treasures one. I'm actually so impressed with the ultimate blends range. It moisturises without weighing down my hair and it's perfect for my very sensitive scalp. If a shampoo can pass my scalp test then we are on to a winner.

For purple shampoo I'm still with my one love, the provoke touch of silver. I mentioned this on my blog a few times. It is the only purple shampoo I've used that I can see a difference with only one use. I leave it in my hair for 10 mins while I'm in the shower and then rinse. If you didn't want to commit to a big bottle straight away, Dealz do little bottles for €1.50. They're so handy.

As I mentioned in my last haircare post I don't use conditioner. Instead I use masks and I use them every time I wash my hair. I'm using the honey treasures mask from garnier. I still love the Toni and guy reconstructer mask but if you're on a budget this will do just fine. The smell off the honey treasure range is gorgeous and it leaves my hair super soft.

I'm still obsessed with leave in moisturiser and sprays. The one I'm loving at the moment is the protein spray by Label.m. This product has been raved about by my partner who is a hairdresser. After hearing so much about it I had to try it. Lads, it's amazing! It's gives my hair shine, softness, and gets rid of that bleach blonde porous feeling. When I get out of the showers I lash this into my hair scalp to tip and leave it dry. I got mine from Studio20 in Naas, Kildare but you can get it online too. It's my new fav thing.

So those are the new items added into my hair care routine to keep the aul mop happy. I'm still using and loving the lee Stafford hair growth serum, I just didn't want to bore ye all with that again!!

Anyways thanks for reading and if anyone has any questions please ask!!

Byeeeeeeeeee

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 :)