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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

Review: Human + Kind Family Remedy Cream

Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of posts in the last 2 weeks, I've been really busy with work and other stuff. Also this is my second time writing this as the first one never saved and it got deleted! Anyways I'm back again with another review from the brand Human + Kind. This time I'm reviewing their Family Remedy Cream. Again this product was given to me to review.

The product.

Family Remedy Cream is a multi purpose cream that can be used anywhere on the body. The brand says it is 8 in 1 and can soothe many concerns such as eczema, razor burn, scars, stretch marks and spots. It is 99.2% natural with ingredients which is great for someone who wants to go down the natural road to help their eczema. It contains lovely ingredients such  as; organic coconut oil, avocado oil, tea tree leaf oil and aloe vera. It comes in a 100ml tube and it retails for €19.95 .

My verdict.

I'm honestly torn with this product. It is very effective on my eczema, soothing it and clearing it up. I put it on my body and any red blotchy patches I have go away almost immediately. It tingles a bit but you get used it. What I'm not a fan of is the smell. It's very strong smelly of tea tree. It smells exactly like the Boots tea tree skincare range. When I use cream I like them to smell of a soft fragrance or have no scent at all. Now just because I'm not a fan doesn't mean you will be. If you love tea tree and have sensitive skin then you are going to love this. I will use the rest of this product up but honestly I can't see myself repurchasing it as  €19.95 it's too expensive for my budget.

Thank you all for reading. If you have any questions on this or anything just leave me a comment below.

Byeeeee!!!!

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 :)

Product Review: L'Oréal Pure Clay Glow Scrub

Hey guys! First off I just want to apologise for the lack of activity on my blog with the last 2 weeks. As a lot of you may know, we got a little puppy. Little Ellie is settling in perfectly but has taken up all my spare time! I'm writing this post while she sleeps. I'm not used to motherhood at all. With that being said I have a product review for ye today. It's from L'Oréal's new cleanser/scrub clay range. 

Previously L'Oréal came out with their clay masks that are very popular and affordable, now they have a range or cleansers, exfoliaters and wipes. I picked up the glow scrub as I used the mask version and I loved the results and I was also In the market for a new exfoliater. I got mine I'm boots for €7.99 for 150ml.

You use it like any normal cleanser/exfoliater, if you need instructions then shame on you! It's a red terracotta colour and creamy texture with an exfoliant added in. It's made up of 3 different clays to help absorb oils and brighten the skin. It smells just like the mask which is a pleasent light fragrance that didn't irritate my skin. There is 150ml of product In each tube which is great value for money as I feel a tube will last me ages.

Results?.. I love it! I bought it 3 weeks ago, used it religiously and I love how my skin looked and felt after each use but I can also see the long term effects. My skins pigmentation is more even, especially in my cheek area where I'd have blemishes left over from old spots. In my opinion it's not the most scrubiest exfoliater in the world but it does the job all the same and since it's not too harsh of a scrub it's perfect for those sensitive souls out there. One bit of advice I'd give when using it is make sure you use dark coloured towels when drying your face. I had a lovely white towel covered in reminants of red glow scrub and a very annoyed partner after the first time I used it. All jokes aside i would reccomend this scrub highly.

As this post goes up I have a facebook competition going on and this L'Oréal glow scrub is in my giveaway. The link is here to enter. (competition ends 17/02/2017)

Feel free to drop me a message if you'd like me to review a certain beauty item or if you want me to cover a topic of interest. Thank you.

Byeeeeeeeeeee :)