The Best Of Beauty Blog Challenge #BOBBlogChallenge Week 3: Makeup Must Haves

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! Week 3 already! The time is flying and i'm enjoying doing these posts! Ok so week 3 is makeup must haves... but wait, i'm a guy surely I don't makeup and to an extent, no I don't, but its 2014 and what guy isn't a metrosexual using creams and lotions to cover up the wears and tears of life.  So with that i'm going to tell you my metro manly makeup must haves ;)

First up I have my favorite man tan from L'Oreal /men Expert called the Hydra Energetic with flash bronzer.
I did a review of this before on my blog if you want a more in depth look at the product. I love this stuff!! If you're worried about being pale and don't want sunbeds or to use bottle tan, the hydra energetic with flash bronzer is for you. Two pumps of the lotion onto your hands and rub it on your face will give you a healthy sun kissed glow instantly! A further two more pumps can give your skin a darker tone. At the end of the day simply wash your face and its gone! It has a nice fragrance that most of the men expert range has so it will blend in with your after shave. The bottle is made from hard plastic so its durable and with an open/close lock there is no mess.  It's a must have for men especially if they're from Ireland.

Next up I have another product from L'Oreal Men Expert, it's their Gradual tan moisturiser. Now you might be thinking why bother with this when the flash bronzer does this already, but it doesn't really. The gradual tan moisturiser for one actually moisturises your face, and with it being a gradual tanner the effects won't been seen straight away but they will last much longer. You use it every other day instead of your regular one and when you get to the colour you're happy with you stop. I'm still trial testing this but I'm seeing nice results at the moment. My skin likes it so i'll say no more.

Last but certainly not least is Garnier's BB cream. Oh God where have you been all my life? Lads don't be afraid to buy this! It's in the skin care section in most stores so it's technically not makeup. If you are too scared to get it make your partner or sister etc get it for you. It moisturises my skin perfectly, it mattifies your skin so there is no oily shinyness. What I love most about it is that it evens my skin tone! No more blemished red sore skin! I got it in a light shade because I'm a typically pasty Irish man but it comes in darker shades too. Seriously though guys, it might be a saviour for ye too, so give it a chance.

So that's it... My "makeup" favorites! Hope you liked them and as usual if you have any questions just ask!

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :)

The Best of Beauty Blog Challenge #BOBBlogChallenge Week 2: "Hair Heroes"

Hello ladies and gentlemen! It's week 2 of the beauty blog challenge #BOBBlogChallenge. I'm sorry I'm a few days late but with the weather and college work it just wasn't possible. Better late then never eh ;)
So hair.. I did a blog post about my hair care routine a few weeks ago so it's going to be fairly similar to that I'm afraid. With that let's get started.

Shampoos/Conditioner

The shampoo and conditioner I use is the Dove Damage Therapy. It has keratin in it so it's going to help dry damaged hair like mine. I am a student so this means I'm poor so these are a bargain.
The shampoo is very clarifying, which is good as I use a good bit of product in my hair. Usually with shampoos I find they leave my hair immensely dry until I put a conditioner in. Doves intensive repair shampoo did not do this. It left it quiet soft that I could even run my fingers through it.
As I have short hair I only used a tiny amount of the conditioner, and really that is all I needed. It has a nice silky milk-like texture that left my hair feeling fab! These are a must for those damaged tresses on a budget. They are still on offer in tescos I think.

Leave-in conditioner

Without fail I use Lush Cosmetics R&B hair moisturiser. Made with oils and butters such as avocado butter and olive oil, it is very nourishing for the hair. It was invented for curly afro hair as it tends to be dry but anyone can use it! It has a sexy jasmine smell that allures everything in it's path. All you need is a pea sized amount into damp hair and run it through with your fingers. It's a godsend.

Hairspray

Without a doubt, Elnett from L'Oreal. It has a good firm hold, a great smell and disappears at the stroke of a brush if you change your mind on hairstyles.

Apologies again people for the small post but my internet is shocking! next weeks one will be a more in depth one i promise

Any questions just ask
byeeeeeeeeeeeee

The Best of Beauty Blog Challenge #BOBBlogChallenge Week 1: "Skin Care Saviours"

Hello there Ladies and Gentlemen I hope ye are all keeping beautiful. Yesterday whilst having my daily creep through the land of Twitter I came across the hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge. Wondering what it was about I trapsed through all the tweets involved. It so happens it's a weekly blog challenge set up by the lovely Sam from All_That_Buzz, a popular fashion and beauty blogger from Dublin. Each week bloggers are given a different beauty aspect to blog about. To find out more or if you want to join in check out her website linked previously. So seeing that there was no male input into the challenge and beauty/grooming is my favourite thing to blog about I said HELLS YES to joining!.

Week one in this challenge is our skin care saviours, products that helped us immensely and without them we simply couldn't live! Even though I'm a 22 year old, I still have the troublesome skin of a teen, with many breakouts and a combination type that's as tempermental as I am ;). To keep my skin in check I use the Following;

Angles on Bare Skin
My saviour and not just cause I work there, is the ever so wonderful daily cleanser from Lush Cosemtics, Angels on Bare skin. Made from natural ingredients such as, lavender and ground almonds, this is the perfect daily cleanser for people with combination skin such as myself.

 It's packed full of lavender which is balancing for the skin, meaning it will help treat both your dry and oily patches making them, well... normal. The ground almonds give a light exfoliation making it suitable for people with sensitive skin. I love it as my skin tends to flare up if I use anything with vasts amounts of alcohol in it. (I'm a sensitive soul at heart). It is gentle enough that it can be used day and night, everyday. To use it you take a small handful of the product, mix it with a bit of water to make a paste, then you apply the paste to your face and massage gently, removing with warm water. Simples. I recommend it to anyone who is trying a more natural approach to beauty products.




Good things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Toner
Keeping on the theme of au natural products, my next favourite is a cleanser/toner combo from the company Good Things.

Fig and wild strawberry give it, it's heavenly scent. As i said previously I can't use anything with a high alcohol content, so this is perfect for me as it doesnt strip away the natural oils from my skin. It does get rid of any excess oil and I found it unclogs my pores which I find most toners don't do. Also the super fruits which is inside helps to give you more of a radiant glow, something of which I myself lack. To use, like any other toner, apply to a cotton pad and rub onto your face. It's also veggie and vegan so that's nice too



L'Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Facial Moisturiser with Flash Bronzer
So here's where I get into more manly products (well slightly). I'm a typical Irish person, I am as pale as the rest but this product fixes that. This is a moisturiser that has a hint of tan in it. It gives more of a healthy look rather than a tan which is perfect for men experiementing with beauty products. It's a great alternative from those nasty sunbeds too Flash Bronzer Review. Well worth buying if you're a man or for your partner if you're a lovely lady ;)

I simply put it on after I cleanse and tone my face. Two pumps of the product gives a healthy glow and if you want a more sun kissed look, follow up with another application. In my experience, one bit of advice is to apply the product to your neck too as it will be a noticeable colour different and that ain't cute. Here is a link to a review I did of it over a year ago



Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask
Another Lush product I know but it is AMAZINGGGGG!!! It's Lush Cosmetics fresh face mask for troublesome, sore and blemished skin. This is my ultimate favourite! Without this my skin would be nothing. Lush's face masks are 100% preservative free meaning no chemicals. This means they have to be kept in the fridge. Catastrophe Cosmetic is full of antioxidant blueberries rich in vitamin A and C which promotes skin growth getting rid of those nasty blemishes. It also contains calamine power to help soothe redness and sore skin. Can we just talk about the smell of it for 2 secs... It is amazing!!

It's a fresh mix of blueberries and floral notes that lasts on the skin after using it! To use, apply to a dry cleansed face for 5 to 10 minutes and remove with a hot damp face cloth. Trust me if you buy this, you'll never look back.

So these are my skin care saviours, what are yours? Any questions on any of the products mentioned just ask, you know the drill and keep your eyes peels for next weeks blog challenge it will

 be hair..I mean here next Thursday!

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :)

Product Review: Quick Fix Facials Anti-Blemish Mud Mask

Hey guys! So today i'm going to do another product review for ye. This review is looking at Quick Fix Facial's Anti-Blemish Mud mask for oily and spot prone skin. I went to boots the other week and when i saw the face mask, I said that perfect for me as I do have oily spot prone skin with a blemish problem. It takes literally weeks for any blemishes on my face to go away, which is bad when you sell cosmetics for a living.

I've used this product 3 times now and to be honest I wasn't completely blown away by it. For a name such as Quick Fix i'm still waiting to see great improvements. Granted it has my pores looking less visible and was wonderful to draw out any impurities that my pores stored but it didn't do anything for my breakouts.

Yes....I'm wearing a hair clip... This mask was easy to apply with it being in a squirty tube. First cleanse your face to get off any surface dirty or impurities. Then apply the face mask to your dry cleansed face and leave it on for 10 minutes. When removing the face mask do so with a hot damp face cloth as this opens your pores and makes the removal process easier to do. Follow up with a toner and moisturiser.

In conclusion I'd give this product a 6.5/10, losing marks for not actually seeing results when it came to my persistent blemishes. In saying that, I would buy this product again as it was relatively cheap costing €5.75 in Boots and as it did give my pores a deep clean.

Any questions on this or anything else on my blog don't hesitate to ask 

byeeeeeeeeeeee :)

My January Favourites :)

Before anyone says anything to me about these photos looking bright and weirdly coloured, I've edited the complete frick out of them! Reason being I have a shocking camera and partially because iI found this fun editing app and I couldn't help myself!

This post if you couldn't already tell is going to be about a few things I'm loving this month. Hope you enjoy :)

Lush Stuff

As many of ye may know I work in Lush Cosmetics. It's a wonderful all natural cosmetics shop with really great products. All products I mention on my blog are ones I've used and liked, I would never recommend something I didn't like, which I'm not gone on some products as they don't suit me. This month i'm loving lip scrubs. More precisely, Santa's Lip Scrub. 

A lip scrub is an exfoliater and moisturiser for the lips. It gets rid chapped dead skin to give you smooth kissable lips. Made with organic caster sugar, it gives the right amount of scrub. Also in there you have coconut oil to give moisture to the lips. It's flavor is amazing, it's cola! It's the aniseed, cherries and dates in this product that gives it it's lovely cola taste. It's a simple product to use, simply like your lips, take a pinch of the lip scrub, rub it along your lips and lick away the excess as it's totally edible. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued but go into a Lush shop and check out their similar lip scrubs such as Bubblegum, Popcorn and Mint Julips.

Another product I am loving from Lush is their Grease Lightning spot treatment. This thing has become my saviour over the last while. My skin of late resembles that of a child's connect the dot book. I blame christmas (it's January it's totally acceptable to everything on christmas). 

This product helps dry up any troublesome spots and pesky blemishes. Its ingredients include witch hazel and tea tree to help dry up the spot and also prevent further breakout. It dries up the spot without drying out the skin. It has aloe vera so it's suitable for even the sensitive souls!. You pump out a piece of the product onto a clean finger, dab it onto the spot and leave it be. I found that when i used Grease Lightning by spots and blemishes were gone or had faded considerably the next day!. It's Jesus in a bottle. 

Aftershaves.

Paco Rabanne 1 Million.... enough said! 

Seriously though it has been and probably will be my favourite aftershave for a very long time. Yes it is expensive but you're paying for quality. I am bad with smells but it smells how a hot business man should smell like. The scent stays on all day and doesn't wear away. Also that gold bottle screams luxury.

Hair

I am loving L'oreal Elnett hairspray so so much this month.

 It is perfect for me as i tend to have OCD when it comes to my hair so i can easily brush the hairspray out and start again if i hate how my hair looks. Most other brands leave your hair sticky and hard which means washing the product out. It smells gorgeous like a perfumed talc, unlike like others. I got the big 700ml bottle because i know it will be used!

Candles

\Yup, I said it... Candles! I'm out of the candle loving closet. There's nothing more relaxing then lighting a candle and writing a blog. A candle in particular I love is by Yankee Candles. It's one from their christmas range called Christmas Eve.

At first when i smelled this candle in the shop i have no particular feelings towards it but my housemate got it and after a few times of smelling it whilst it was lit I really like the smell. Its not a typical christmas scent as you would imagine it would be. It's more sweet without that spicy christmas smell. It's perfect for those who want to keep christmas going that little bit longer. I wouldn't normally buy Yankee candles as I couldn't possibly afford an addiction like that, but i got this half price as most stores have sales on the leftover christmas range. So buy it while you still can!

Games

Like most of the entire world I am a Candy Crush addict. I have a love/hate relationship with this games but I'm constantly playing it. I JUST CAN'T STOP!!!!

It's a good game to kill time if you're waiting for a bus or you're in a crappy lecture. This game consumes you, play with caution. P.S. please send me lives...

That is it for my January favourites. Hope you enjoyed!
Any questions on anything mentioned just ask and if you want to be so kind as to share this post please do :)

byeeeeeeeeeeeee:)

Oh hair there ;)

Hiiiiiiiii remember me???

I know, I know, I said i'd never leave and I did *hangs head in shame*. I am in fact back for the foreseeable future. All grovelling aside lets get on with le blog post :)

So over the last year or so i have been pretty mean to my poor locks. I have been nearly every hair colour known to man. (self discovery.. don't ask). As a result, my hair started to resemble hay. Dry, brittle, course, hay! I'm happy to say I am on the road to hair recovery! In this post I will show you my tips on how to fight the frizz and defeat that damage. I may sound like a sassy hair advert, but it works. *Disclaimer* this photograph is actually not me...surprisingly

Shampoo/Conditioner.

When getting shampoos and conditioners I look for ones with added Keratin in them. Keratin is a protein that helps strengthen the hair which one needs when one dyes ones hair to an inch of its life. As I am a student and poor with spending my money on books (alcohol) I always look for a bargain. I found that Dove did a range of  intensive repair shampoos with added keratin. I mean, it's Dove, it has to be moisturising! When looking at the price i picked it up without hesitation.
The shampoo was very clarifying, which is good as i use a good bit of product in my hair. Usually with shampoos i find they leave my hair immensely dry until i put a conditioner in. Doves intensive repair shampoo did not do this. It left it quiet soft that i could even run my fingers through it.
As I have short hair i only used a tiny amount of the conditioner, and really that is all i needed. It has a nice silky milk-like texture that left my hair feeling fab! These are a must for those damaged tresses on a budget.

Shampoo 250 - €1.90
Conditioner 250g - €1.90

Hair Treatments.

Hair treatments for the average person are a treat, something to have once in a while. For those who have hair like a Sahara tumbleweed like myself, hair treatments are a MUST!!
I switch between a pre-treatment and in shower treatment.
My pre-treatment is one by the all-natural company, Lush Cosmetics. Named H'Suan Wen Hua after the chinese god for hair, this treatment is literally a god send! With fresh organic bananas, free range eggs, bay leaf, organic avocado and olive oil to name a few ingredients, it is actually food for your hair. As it's a pre-treatment you put it into dry hair for 20mins before shampoo and conditioning it out. After just one use my hair felt like i never even dyed or damaged it EVER!

When i don't have time for a pre-treatment, i use a normal hair mask. The one i use is the L'Oreal Sulfate Free Everstrong deep replenishing hair masque. I chose the sulfate free kind because if we want our hair to improve its condition, we don't need those damaging sulfates. Once a week is a perfect amount to use this product. In special circumstances such as your hair is  a frazzled mess, a tip would be to use a deep conditioning mask instead of your regular hair conditioner.

H'Suan Wen hua - €11.50
L'Oreal Everstrong - €7.00

Heat Protecting.

I recently only got into using heat protecting sprays (im a lazy sod) as i thought what use would they do. I was surprisingly surprised. I use the TRESemme keratin smooth heat protecting spray. Yes, keratin again! Keratin is key. I spray it into damp hair just before blow drying and again just before straightening. It leaves my hair softer and healthy looking even after a vast amount of heat. I honestly cannot remember the price but it is probably around the five euro mark.

So that's my hair care routine for damaged hair and i can honestly say it works! After continuously bleaching and submitting my hair to heat for months my hair was snapping off but with this routine, after 3/4 weeks i saw a vast improvement! Just put time and effort into your hair and you'll see the results!

Any questions just ask :)

byeeeeeeeeeeeeee

December Favourites!

The following are products which were my favorites in December  There are a mixture of products had i have been using for a long time and can't live without, and also products which I've newly discovered and needed to rave about!

*Hair*

I have a new favorite product for December and i can see it becoming a product that i wont be able to live without. This is the American Cream hair conditioner from Lush Cosmetics.

I cannot stop raving about this product to anyone who will listen. It smells like strawberries and cream! As its a Lush product it contains little preservatives, meaning it is good for your hair. It contains fresh strawberries, organic oranges and vanilla pod infusion. You can still smell the lovely scent of the conditioner two days after washing your hair. I got the 250g bottle for around €10.95 and it is lasting me ages. I will definitely repurchase this product again, and again

*Skin*

For skin care i have 3 favorites. First is Angels on Bare Skin cleanser from Lush Cosmetics. I have been using Angels on Bare Skin for almost 2 months now and i don't see myself using another cleanser, unless i get bored which happens a lot. It is perfect for my skin. I have combination skin so its hard to find a cleanser to work for both oily and dry skin, but Angels is made for that purpose. It suits all skin types which makes it Lush Cosmetics number 1 bestseller in cleansers.  

It has ground almonds for a light exfoliation, and lavender oil which helps to balance out redness in the skin. With this product you take a pinch and mix it hot water to create a paste. At €7.95 it is so worth it! You definitely get your moneys worth.

Next up and keeping with the Lush theme, is their Toner called Tea Tree Water. Now i have had bad experiences with toners before which really put me off buying them. I found them to be too harsh on my skin causing my skin to burn and flake, even with heavy moisturising afterwards. So for years i just put ice cold water on my skin to try and close up pores. Since working in Lush i was told about their toners and how they didn't contain any alcohol. I decided to try the Tea Tree Water. It is not just a December favorite, its an all year round favorite!! 

It comes in this bottle with a handy spray pump. You can either spritz the toner onto your face or onto a cotton pad. I prefer spraying it onto my face then wiping off with a cotton pad. It contains grapefruit water which cuts through any remaining oil, and tea tree itself, which is a great antiseptic the help prevent spots.

The final skin care favorite i chose is yet another reoccurring fav and that's the L'oreal Men Expert hydra energetic moisturiser with flash bronzer. It have a review of this product already on my blog so i'm not going to go into much detail about it now. I chose this as a December favorite is because we don't get much sun here in December and nobody likes to look pasty. I use this before i'm going for a night out or if i go somewhere important. It gives you a healthy glow rather than looking completely tangoed.

*Fragrance*

So i decided to put an aftershave into my favorites since i recently bought one and 3 weeks later its almost used up. It is the David Beckham "pour homme" aftershave. I know it isn't a new fragrance but im not very experimental with aftershaves so this is something new to me. Its a nice warm but sweet smell, very manly. Like some perfumes nowadays are unisex, you would completely know its a mans aftershave. I got it in Boots for half price for €20. What a bargain! I'm hoping it is still on sale so i can buy more.

*Shaving*

So from a recent post you might guess what i'm going to say as my December favorite. It's the Dermalogica shaving kit. Definitely a new favorite of my mine. I also wont go into too much detail with this because i have a recent post up of this. It has everything in it you need for a shave. Top Christmas gift too.

*December Necessity* 

For my December necessity i kept it simple. Since December is cold and wintery, my lips are getting chapped, cracked and sore. To prevent this from happening i bought the Vaseline Lip Therapy lip balm. For a small lip balm it really worked. I chose the cocoa butter one. Cocoa Butter is very moisturising for the skin so it prevents any cracks forming in the lips

So that was my December Favorites, i hoped you liked it and found it helpful. Any questions just leave a comment, email me or tweet me @Paul_Bray . Thanks