The Royal Wedding :)

What a lovely wedding yesterday.  I was glued to the TV coverage of it! I thoroughly enjoyed it!  At times it was a little too official but I guess that's what they are used to!  Was in the shop this morning and that kiss is all over the papers!

They looked so happy and very much in love! Best of luck to them!

I also read that Catherine did her own make-up but however she did get make up lessons so she was probably well equipped to do so!  Apparently the nail varnish she used was Bourjois No. 28 Rose Lounge - Which I also use!  I'm not that mad about it but I fished it out this morning when I found out!

 It a lovely natural nail ....... and if it good enough for Princess Kate its good enough for me!!

What did you all thing of the Royal Wedding!!!!!

Sorry for the late post .........

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the late post - Busy day here!

Managed to get for a five mile cycle this morning, very motivated this weather! Don't know how I'm only turning my laptop on now!

http://ericas.se/illu/illus/croco-head.html

Looking forward to watching the Royal Wedding tomorrow - have the day off so I'm going to Sky+ it all and watch it! Now I know that alot of people are arguing over whether we Irish should be watching it or not but I don't care, I'm going to have a good look at it! I like William and Kate and I love a good public wedding! 

It will also be lovely to see what all the celebs are wearing:)





Cleaning my make up brushes

I thought that I would do a little post on cleaning my make up brushes so here it is. 

I actually take very good care of my brushes and always have done.  I have a great mix of brushes expensive and inexpensive - As I have said before I don't just buy products because of the brand name - I buy them because they are good products. 

Firstly - I wash my foundation brushes after every single use.  I wash the rest of my brushes after every few uses - Although I do try to keep a certain brush for dark eyeshadow and a different one for light eyeshadow etc - that helps to prevent a mix of colours.
 

I mainly use this MAC Brush Cleanser - Its about €15 or so and it lasts a good while.  It cleans the brushes so well and leaves them nice and shiny.  However every now and then I use a make up remover to clean them - a change is as good as a rest. 

I recently bought this ELF Brush Shampoo from the ELF website -It was only €4 so its good value.  I used it today for the first time and I must admit I was very impressed!  I will be using this one for good when the MAC one runs out. 

Here are the brushes that need cleaning - I have all different makes of brushes as you can see.  In order to clean then I lay them out on a piece of kitchen roll.  Then one brush at a time I dampen the bristles only with lukewarm water.  I am very careful to only wet the bristles as if water gets into the handle of the brush it can damage the glue that holds it all together and then you end up loosing the hairs :( which is not a good look.

I then work a little of the ELF shampoo into the brush head using my hand - I then rinse it until the water runs clear. 

I then dry the brushes with a piece of kitchen roll and leave them on the window sill to dry in the beaming sun. 

Make sure to reshape the brushes and hey presto - Lovely and clean, ready to be used again :)

I like, I want...

http://www.sigmabeauty.com/searchresults.asp?cat=22

I have heard so much about Sigma Make Up Brushes, saw this nice little set on their website and I like!!  Its only $54 so wont break the bank.  Do any of you have these brushes?  Are they nice and soft?  There is nothing worse than putting make up on with a rough brush!!  I simply wont use them again if they are hard!!

http://www.doo-lally.com/category/maisy-store

 Also loving this dress from Doo-Lally.com - its fab - the picture is of the back of the dress but you get the idea!  It reasonable to.  Ill add it to the wish list :)

http://www.asos.com/Asos/Asos-Gathered-Waistband-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1189536&cid=5235&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Pink

I also spotted this dress on the ASOS website for only, €11.81 :)  How cute and how cheap!

Image Beauty Awards 2011

I sat down last Saturday night, in my comfy pj's, with a nice cup of tea and my new copy of IMAGE magazine and flicked over to the Beauty Awards 2011.  I had read about them being out on other blogs, I had never bought the magazine before so I thought it was as good a time as any to have a nose at a new mag. 

I really wasn't that impressed with the products in it to be honest, there were only two things that I really liked.  One was the Lancóme Teint Miracle Foundation-I have read all about this before and would love to try it.  Have any of you tried it??

The other product that I really like was the L'Occitane Gel Mask Conditioner - and as I am not into Sun Holidays I only noticed this because I have it and haven't tried it yet! It also won the Prudence Beauty Awards 2010 - so it must be good.

I prefer the Prudence Best Beauty Buy Awards 2010 - I still have my little book and I have bought so many things from it.  I much prefer it to the Image ones.

However I COULD be a little biased as I actually won all these hair care products last year from Prudence :)  It was a nice surprise as I didnt find out until the pruducts arrived by post :)

Must do a post on some of them!

What do you lot think of Beauty Awards? Are they really impartial??

I wonder!

Make Up Storage

I know I said I wouldn't be back blogging until Tuesday but I had a half hour to spare so here it goes -

Firstly a bit of background - I am a "fan" of the Kardashians and love watching their reality shows on E!  Although I do believe that alot of it is staged now but I still like them!

I recently noticed the clear acrylic boxes that they store their make up in and I just fell in love with them.  After alot of research online I found out that Kris got theirs specially made from this website http://www.theclearcube.com/.  They are made to order and cost over $300 -

However if I were to add postage - this would be way out of my league!!!

So the search began for a dupe - a slightly more purse friendly one and I came across a website in Australia that made them too however they would also be too costly by the time I added in postage.  

http://www.themakeupboxshop.com/Products

And then .... after I had given up all hope - I came across just what I wanted in Dublin's Fair City :)

Here's a picture of my actual make up storage.  I love it!! It has 7 acrylic drawers that slide out and the top one has a lid that lifts up.  It keeps everything lovely and clean and it makes it so easy to see everything. 

I used to have everything pretty well organised - it was all in separate baskets in a drawer and it worked well - but nothing compares to this :)

It is deffo the best buy of 2010.

How do your store your make up??

Happy Easter Everyone!

Happy Easter Everyone!
Hope you all enjoy your Easter Eggs (...the diet starts Monday :))
Ill be busy eating my Mini Eggs Easter Egg (or whats left of it) ha ha.
Will be back blogging Tuesday - until then eat lots and enjoy
x

Nude Nails

Got lovely new nude (kinda sparkly) nail varnish by my favourite brand CATRICE!  Its from their new range and is about €3.  Its hard to see from the pictures but there is a lovely sparkle/shimmer in it!

This is a lovely natural colour - but its not too light.  The shimmer is hard to see on the photo but in real life it is nice and sparkly! 

The Royal Wedding :)

Spotted this on YouTube yesterday - Its very welll done!
Have a peep - I even hear that some people were fooled into thinking this was the real thing!!!

Skincare routine - part one

My skin is something that I have spent alot of money, time and effort on over the last few years - the skin on my body is perfect, it never gave me bother however the skin on my face always caused bother - that is up until last year! 

I took a course of Roaccutane (very strong acne tablets) which I will post about shortly and that cleared it all up.  Since last year I have been using La Roche Posay products.  I began using them while I was on the tablets - my skin dried out soooo much that no moisturiser worked.  However I discovered a moisturiser that La Roche Posay do specifically for people who are taking Roaccutane.  Its not on the shelf and you have to ask for it as the Pharmacist will have to give it to you.  Anyway that product made me fall in love with their range -

I use their facewash - it is brilliant - I think it was about €15 or so and it lasts forever.  A small amount will go a long long way! I would highly recommend it. 

I also use one of their moisturisers the Hydraphase Light - its lovely and light and non-comedogenic.  Its also lovely under makeup.  I think it is about €18.  There is a heavier version which is similar but it is a bit stronger its also called Hydraphase something (not light obviously)

Then I just spritz on a little of the Rosewater which I previously posted about and I'm good to go :)

A first ..........

I had written a post all about my first ever visit to a Social Welfare Office - how it felt, how I was treated etc but then I decided to delete it for some reason.

I suppose it is safe to say that I found it very difficult and very impersonal.  I wonder do the staff there realise how difficult it is for people to set foot in that building, I wonder do they realise how their attitude affects people - they really are not "people persons" (I am not tarnishing all with this brush but the ones I have met)

 I was glad it was over!!  Hope I dont have to go in again for a long long time!

Similar to most people in the Country we are in a situation not caused by us but caused by the "big guns". 

However one should not dwell on this as it is important to stay positive and look to the future - Onwards and Upwards.

Batiste............my morning saviour!!!

One of the few products that I buy, use it all, buy it again and use it all again is Batiste Dry Shampoo!  It is an absolute saviour in the mornings.  A little of this sprayed on the roots will give your hair a nice fresh smell and a little extra bounce where you need it!!!!

Its only about €3 and it is well worth it!  There was a time when I used to wash my hair every single morning, I then used to blow dry it and fully straighten it and most of the time simply tie it up afterwards - what a waste.  This went on for years and eventually about 6 GHD years later my hair being to thin out and used to break at the ends and had lost all its vitality - as they say :)

So i decided that I would wash my hair every second day, cut out the straighter and cut down on the blow drying and then I discovered Batiste and it saved the day.  Two years on, I never straighten it and it is straighter than ever.  It has also thicken up so much and is now longer than ever. 

Do you agree?  What are your morning saviours? :)

Rosewater

I have recently been using a toner - I have never used one before this.  I never really understood the point of one.  I used to just clean my face and moisturise it but from time to time it would be dry and may flake a little.   Someone suggested that my skin might be dehydrated so in order to re-hydrate it I bought a little bottle of Rosewater in the Chemist for about €3 (I know that the pic above is Glycerine and Rosewater but its pure Rosewater that I used) I also bought a little spritz bottle in boots for about €2 and i decanted some of the Rosewater into - as in the pic below. 

After I cleanse my face I just spritz a little of this on and let it soak in, then I put on my moisturiser.  I really notice the difference! I love products that are natural, widely available and in everyones price range. 

I am not someone who thinks that you always have to pay big money for products!  A product does not need to have a big, brand name on it for me to buy it! It just has to do what it is supposed to do!

I bought the Glycerine and Rosewater one for my Granny - to spritz on her dry legs - I am sure it is fine for use on the face too however but we'l stick to the legs with that one for the time being! :)

A horrible end to nice enough Monday!!

Monday is over and I am glad that it is.

I was reversing out of my parking spot this evening to come home and .... whack.... hit a trailer behind that was attached to a jeep parked on double yellow lines!!!! It was so low I never saw it - it was impossible to see it.  :(

Wont go into the nitty gritty of it - but my car is damaged, the trailer is not!!

I love my car, its not the newest car but I love it, I own it outright and it gets me from A to B.  I have parked it in so many car parks and come back to find little scrapes and scratches and dents on from where other people have hit it and left without saying a word....now that really drives me mad but to put a dent in it myself, its even worse! However he shouldn't have been parked there anyway!!!

By the time i got home i felt like this -

However i have cheered up now - could have been worse - Anyway rant over - now ill write about something more interesting!

I love lists

Check out this lovely notebook I got, my new TO DO LIST.  I love notebooks, lists and organising.

I must admit - I like writing this blog but I kinda dont know what to write about now.  I am starting to wonder who will actually read it! I wonder this because I dont actually know anyone who blogs.  I have been reading blogs for a long time.  

So if anyone is reading this! Thank you!

Maybe I need to write a list of things to blog about ...........

Wishlist

DKNY

Ah how lovely is this?!  I love the mix of colours and seems a good size for everyday use ... the only problem is .... the price :(

Urban Outfitters €16

Now how cute is this - a little more in my price range perhaps! :)

This is something else I am hoping to get my hands on, it seems like its good for blocked pores etc! Will keep you posted :)

A brilliant make up brush

I recently came across a  brilliant website ELF (eyes lips face) Cosmetics - after a good look at their website, I felt that the products were quite cheap and I wondered about the quality of same - however I love to try something new, and with such reasonable prices I decided to get a few bits and see what the quality was like, this lead me to their brushes - One product I bought was a Stipple Brush, I think this is similar to a MAC brush.  It was only ,€4 so there is a significant price difference. 



http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~227.htm

 I love putting foundation on with this brush, it goes on nice and light, you simply apply it in circular movements.  It can be used wet or dry and for powder or fluids!

Here is what the lovely people at ELF say "This new antibacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more ansorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. Studio brush!

The layered bristles create a soft airbrushed look that's perfect for applying foundation or adding colour definition to cheekbones or highlighting with soft layers. Use this brush with any liquid or powder face product such as foundation, blush or bronzer to build your coverage from sheer to heavy".

I have used this over the last few weeks and I have washed it and dried it many times - not one hair shed from it, so I would highly recommend it!!

Money well spent!

I like - I WANT!!!

Seeing as I am not in a position to spend as much money as I would like (due to the lovely recession) I have to spend more and more time window shopping.....but I guess if I see something I like and if I still like it after a few weeks I could justify a purchase!! :)

http://www.riverisland.com/Online/women/bags--purses/cross-body-/blue-stripe-dog-clip-cross-body-bag-602089

Love this bag from River Island, i think it is so versatile, I could imagine using this bag day in day out! A trip to River Island is in order! :)

http://www.warehouse.co.uk/ruffle-peplum-dress/Dresses/warehouse/fcp-product/303372

Another love is this blue dress from Warehouse - gosh i just love the colour, it would be lovely with my pale pale skin!! for €84 I think I could find a few events to wear this to!!



http://www.topshop.com


 I think this bag would go perfect with the dress above!! This window shopping is kinda fun!

"From Dawn Till Dusk" Nails.

A favourite company of mine CATRICE have excellent nail varnishes for under €3.  One of my favourite colours is From Dawn Till Dusk which is number 200. 

It is a lovely natural colour on my nails and what's more, it lasts and lasts and lasts.

Catrice is a brand that I will be doing a lot of blogging about!!

Coconut Oil - Cheap,Natural and Effective.

One of my all time favourite products is ....Coconut Oil. 

I started using it last year, when, after years of using a GHD (on hair that really did not need straightening) my hair was dry, fragile and breaking!  I tried many expensive hair moisturisers and masks and I found that for the price they were not as effective as they should have been.

So after much trial and error I heard about Coconut Oil.  You can buy this in your local chemist for about €4.  At room temperature it is solid - as below

If your hair needs a little(or a lot) of conditioning, spoon a little of this onto your hand, the heat of your hands rubbing together will turn it in to an oily paste and you can then work it in to your scalp and hair. 

I normally put it in to my hair before going to bed (don't use your finest pillowcases however) and wash it out well the next morning, my hair is lovely and soft and conditioned afterwards!

Give it a go! At €4 you can't go wrong

x

My First Post - Welcome :)

Well here it goes - my very first post on my brand new blog!

I have spent years reading other blogs and websites and commenting on them but now the time has come to give it a go myself.   I have been thinking about it for a long time but up until recently I did not have the spare time to dedicate.  However due to the wonderful recession my hours at work have been cut so I have found myself with spare time that I never had before - so I am going to put it to good use!

So here it goes - I will be writing about beauty and whatever life throws at me!

Please read and comment - any hints or advice are greatly appreciated!

x