Shopping Haul

 

Hello Ladies,

I hope you all had a great weekend! We'll not talk about my escapades! ;) However on Friday I did have a great day shopping! I got some lovely vouchers for Boots and Benefit for Valentines day and I couldn't have been happier skipping off to the shops, there have been so many lovely new products released recently that I couldn't wait to get my hands on, I even got one of the items on my wishlist!! :D

I hit Benefit first and I was like a child in a sweet shop, all those pretty colours and the shiny packaging, but I knew exactly what I wanted so I put the blinkers on and headed straight for it! There it was in all its glory, Benefit Fine One One. For any of you who don't know about it (which I'm sure isn't many) it's a gorgeous blusher, lipstick and highligher in one. Its a sheer, cream product and gives a really natural, dewy finsh. Ohh its sooo beautiful!! One swatch and it was love! It's quite pricey at a staggering €34 but seeing as I had a voucher I got it guilt free!! As there was still money left over on the voucher I had to spend it so I also picked up Benefit Eye Bright. Its a light pink pencil with a really creamy texture for brightening the inner corners of the eyes. I havn't used it yet but I have high hopes for it!

Next stop was boots! There were a few thing's on my boot's list already and another few impulse buys! The first thing I ran for was Rimmel Apocolips, I'd be hearing so many people ranting and raving about them and I just had to see for myself. I picked up Nude Eclipse and Celestial. I am so impressed with these! The pigmentation is amazing, One swipe gives full coverage and it's got a lovely texture too, no stickiness!! As Boot's had a 3 for 2 offer on Rimmel I also picked up a Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Tint in Perpetual Plum. I'm yet to try this but I'll let you know how it goes! Bourjois also happened to have an offer on, Buy 1 get 1 half price so I picked up a Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in Fraise Remix (unfortunately I already left it in a friend's house so it's not pictured) and I got a  Blush Pot in Rose Ambre half price.

I already thought I was doing pretty damn good when I noticed that Soap & Glory also had an offer on 3 for 2! I've only ever used Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker and Scrub Your Nose in it before and I really liked them so now was my chance to grab a few new products. I picked up Hand Food and I literally havn't put it down since, it smells AMAZING but then again all of their products do! I also got Flake Away and Righteous Butter, I havn't tried them yet but I'm really looking forward to putting them to the test!

If you read my Wishlist post you'll know that I was keeping an eye out for Burt's Bees Bath Oil, unfortunately I still havn't managed to get my mitts on it however when I was in Boot's I came across Aveeno Bath and Shower Oil. I bought it on a whim and I'm sooo glad I did! I've only used it once in the bath so far and I honestly felt like I was in a Spa! It turned the water a milky white colour and it smells fab! Its not an over powering scent, it's quite mild and smells slightly sweet but the best bit was how soft it left my skin, I couldn't get over it and I'd definitely recommend it. I will most certainly be repurchasing this! I urge you to try it!! Another product I bought on a whim is Boot's Botanicals Instantly Hydrating Conditioner. I havn't tried it yet so can't say much about it other then that it smells great!

The next stand to be hit was the Maybelline stand. I really wanted to try out The Rocket Volum Express so that was lovingly placed into the basket along with Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24H and the Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. I havn't tried the gel liner or the concealer yet but the mascara is in a league of it's own!! After 2 coat's my lashes were practically touching my eyebrows! I've been wearing this everyday since I got it and don't plan to stop! I can tell you now you won't regret buying this!

Last but not least I was drawn it by the products they have sitting on the counters beside the tills, I really have absolutely no will power at all!! Haha! They had a deal on that you could pick up both the No.7 Stay Precise Felt Tip Eyeliner and the Extreme Length Extend Fibre Enriched Formula Mascara for €11.50! It would have been rude not to! I've really wanted to pick up a felt tip eyeliner anyway and boy am I glad I did!! It's just so handy! It glides on so easily and you don't have to be constantly dipping brushes into liquids or gels, it's pretty much fool proof! I havn't tried the mascara yet because I'm so impressed with the Maybelline one that I just keep grabbing that one. Also I felt that a Nivea Lip Butter wouldn't hurt so I threw one of them in too for good measure! It smells so good that I've been pretty tempted to eat it, really.. It's lush though, its really moisturising and has a lovely texture, It doesn't feel greasy or sticky at all, it's now a new handbag staple!

Well that was my massive haul and I have to say that I'm thrilled with all I got! I can't wait to get to know all the products a bit better and once I do there will be reviews to come! Have you tried out any of these products? If so, what do you think of them?

Zara
xx

 

Essence Peel Off Base Coat & Better Then Gel Nails Top Coat

 

Happy Valentines Day Pretty Ladies!

 

Recently I've been trying out Essence Nail Art Peel Off Base Coat and Essence Studio Nails Better Than Gel Nails Top Sealer High Gloss. I wanted to share them with you as they've really impressed me! I love Essence polishes and as a cheaper brand I find that they're pretty good quality considering how purse-friendly they are. I won't forgive them for discontinuing my favourite Make it Golden glitter polish though!

 

Anyway, Enough blabbering, I'll get down to business! When I first saw the peel off base coat perching on the essence stand I had to stifle a shriek of joy, I love my glitter polishes but HATE taking them off! It always takes me ages and you can be guarenteed I'll end up picking most of it off out of sheer frustration anyway! Had I found the answer to my problems? Yes and No. It wasn't till I got home that I actually read the bottle, 10 MINUTES drying time!! :O I decieded I'd take one for the team and suffer through the 10 minutes so I could tell you all about it.

 

To be honest at first I thought that it was just bottled PVA glue and I was'nt impressed at all, however, I'd started it so I was going to finish it. I waited the 10 minutes, walking around like a zombie and when the base coat had turned from white to clear I applied my polish. I really wanted to put this to the test so I applied 2 coats of Sally Hansen Thinking of Blue and a coat of Essence Nail Art Topper in Mrs and Mr Glitter (which has lots of huge pieces of glitter) followed by  Essence Studio Nails Better Than Gel Nails Top Sealer High Gloss.

 

Today, after 4 good days of wear was the moment of truth! First off, I have to say that the top coat is AMAZING! I usually never get 4 days out of a manicure, I'm constantly cleaning and washing my hands and rooting around toy boxes etc so my nails would usually show some wear after a day or 2 regardless of what polish I use. I only had very slight wear just at the tips of some of my nails today which really does say a lot for this top coat! The shine off the top coat is dazzling and really does rival the shine of the gel nail. I can't recommend the top coat enough!

 

When it came to the 'peel off' part I was praying that it would work and it did!! Just like that my glitter polish was gone! No picking, No buffing, No swearing at my nails! :D If your a glitter polish junkie like myself then I would recommend you to try this out for yourself. It literally took me no more then 2 minutes to remove all the nail varnish and there was no residue what so ever left behind on my nails. It was well worth the 10 minutes drying time and I'll be using it under my glitter polishes from now on. I probably would'nt use it unless I was using a glitter polish though as the drying time is a bit extreme.

Have you tried either of these products out?

Zara

xx

Wishlist

Hello Girlies,

Since I've entered the beauty blogging world my wish list has significantly increased! I'm lusting after so much stuff that I'd need to win the lottery to even put a dent in it! Everytime I fire up the laptop I'm greeted by fabulous pictures and reviews of glorious products, my purse is quaking in it's boots! So, it's inspired me to make a wish list, I'm making this now with the intent of owning all these awe-inspiring products in 3 months and then reviewing them all to see just how worthy of my wish list they really were! If my boyfriends reading this, a few surprises off this list would REALLY put a smile on my face ;) Anyhow, lets get on with it!!

 

1. First up would have to be Benefit Fine One One! Its a blusher, a high-lighter and a lippy all in one, not to mention that the packaging is so beautiful it nearly brings a tear to the eye! Honestly, what's not to love?! I've been hearing such great things about this product and I absolutely can't wait to try it out for myself!! This will be sitting on my dressing table ASAP.

 

 

 

2. It was love at first sight (excuse the pun) with the Love Me Range from Smashbox, I was sold by the packaging alone! One piece that really caught my eye *ahem* was the Admire Me eyeshadow pallete. It's got such lovely wearable neutrals and nudes and I promise I will do exactly as it say's and I will love it!

 

3. Ok so this is probably going to be the hardest spend for me, I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to spend £29.50 on a cleanser but if what I've heard is true then it'll be worth every penny! It's Shu Uemura Brightening Cleansing Oil. I've read so many reviews of this and the more I read the more I want it! Have you tried it? Do you think its worth the extortionate price?

 

4. Next up has to be Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette. I adore the colour of the blusher and a neat little palette that contains a bronzer, highligher and blusher all in one along with a lovely big mirror can't possibly be a bad thing! The swatches I've seen of the high-lighter look especially beautiful! I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay and they just keep getting better and better!

 

5. When it comes to skincare I like to try and use products that are as natural as possible, I love Burt's Bees as the products are always good quality and reasonably priced. I've been keeping an eye out for Burt's Bees Lemon & Vitamin E Bath & Body Oil but havn't been able to find it so looks like I'll have to do a spot of online shopping! :D I'm a big lover of long, relaxing pamper baths and I think this could be a nice new bathside buddie!

6. Even more Urban Decay (suprise, suprise), I'm not a fan of BB creams in general, I'm yet to find one that I actually like, so when I heard about Urban Decays All in One BB cream I got excited! They havn't let me down yet so I have high hopes for this BB cream, the sooner I get my mitts on it the better!

 

 

7. This is not a product, more should I say an experience? I really want to try a doctor fish pedicure! It's gross I know, The idea of them tiny fish noshing at the skin on my feet.. well the more thought I give it the more revolted I become, but oh am I intrigued!! Have you ever had one?

 

 

So that's my wishlist, I'll be very pleased with myself indeed if I get all these in the next 3 months! If you have any of them let me know what you think :)

 

Zara

xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D.I.Y Beauty Products

All natural D.I.Y beauty products? Yes pleease!! I'm definitely one for rading the kitchen cupboards in search of a hair mask or a lip scrub or exfoliator! I've made quite a few in my time and am nearly always impressed with the results, however I will admit that they don't always smell that great! I'll share a few of my favourites with you and you can let me know what you think!

Yummy Lip Scrub:

This lip scrub is so easy to make, its great for exfoliating away dry skin and leaving your lips feeling soft and nourished. It doesn't hurt that it tastes great too ;)

I use about 2 tablespoons of Biona Organic Coconut Oil, About 1 tablespoon of Caster Sugar and 2 drops of Vanilla Extract. Mix it all together into a paste, try not to eat it and transfer it into an old lip balm or vaseline tub. It keeps for ages!

Just use your finger to massage the scrub into your lips and rinse off, Wallah!

Nourishing, Shine Enhancing, Frizz Taming Hair Mask:

Ok ill be honest, this does not smell good at all, Its one of those things that your better off doing when there's no one around to witness it! But i think the results are worth it! It leaves my hair so soft and shiney.

I only make enough of this for one application as I dread to think what it would be like after a few days! I use 1 raw egg, I tablespoon of natural yoghurt, I tablespoon of honey, 1 table spoon of lemon juice and I tablespoon of Mayonaisse. Mix all the ingredients together, apply to dry hair and leave it on for as long as you can stick the smell for! I usually put it on, cover with a shower cap and leave it for an hour.

When you've had enough of smelling like a dodgy salad sandwich rinse it out, shampoo and condition!

Calming Face Mask:

I have really sensitive skin and find that it gets irritated really easily, after trying many different combinations of ingredients I find that this helps to calm my skin down everytime. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and nurtured.

I use a quarter of an avocado, about a 2 inch piece of cucumber, a tablespoon of manuka honey (manuka honey has anti-bacterial properties but regular honey will do fine too), a tablespoon of oats and half a tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Put all the ingredients into a belnder and blend until smooth. If you need to add more liquid just add water. Apply to your face and neck, Hide away from the world for 15 minutes and rinse off.

If you have sensitive skin I'd really recommend trying this because it completely natural and won't aggrivate your skin any more.

If you have other DIY beauty products of your own please do share! If you try out any of mine let me know what you think :) Happy Friday Everyone!

xx

W7 Photo Shoot, Budge (t) Proof Foundation

 

Happy Thursday! Only one more day to go til the weekend!

I've recently discovered this foundation and as its such an amazing bargain buy I felt compelled to share it with you!

I picked this up in my local pharmacy the other day on a whim. As everyone knows W7 is one of the cheaper brands but I've actually been impressed by a few of their products! I love the packaging, for such a purse friendly brand I always find the packaging to be sturdy and as for the products themselves there are several of the products I've tried and I just can't fault them. I was actually amazed by this foundation! It claims to be 'budge proof for up to 16 hours' and I can tell you that it is! The coverage and lasting power that this foundation provides is astounding considering it only cost €2.99!

The foundation comes in a frosted glass bottle with a matt black lid, it definitely doesn't look like it comes from a budget brand. The only flaw I can find with the sleek packaging is that there is no pump, thats all well and good now but it wont be long before I'm hammering the bottle off the back of my hand!

The foundation itself is really creamy and blends so easily into my skin. Its got fantastic coverage and gives a flawless finish just as it promises! And if that wasn't enough to send you running to the chemist its smells really nice too! Its got a very subtle scent to it which I like.

I'm confident that I'll use up this foundation and I will definitely repurchase it again and again! It makes a great day to day foundation. For the price I would highly reccomend trying it, you only have €2.99 to loose!

Let me know if you have tried this foundation and what you think of it :)

 



25 Random Facts About Me

Hello,
I've decieded to do a 25 facts about me post so you can all get to know me a bit better! I've been reading quite a few of them and think its a great idea as it makes the blog so much more personal. So, here it goes!

1. The first thing you should probably know about me is that I have the most beautiful 18 month old daughter, She's my world and comes first to me no matter what, that also means that I might'nt be able to post as often as I'd like to at times.

2. I'm a qualified Make up Artist and studied at Portobello Institute. I'm really into special effects make up and love having fun with it! This is a 'zipper face' look I did on myself for halloween, I scared the bejesus out of the trick or treaters! Haha

 

 

3. I love cooking and I'm currently writing a cook book with my mum. I love spicy food, the spicier the better and I love making desserts.

 

4. I own precisely 94 nail polishes, Yup i just counted! I think I have a problem!

 

5 .I've taught myself how to do gel nails and nail art and hope one day to be qualified, my dream is to own my own make up/ nail salon.

 

6. I've been with my boyfriend for just over a year and love him to bits, we have our ups and downs but I cant imagine being without him!

 

7. My bestfriend keeps me going and can always put a smile on my face, I'm so grateful for her.

 

8. My favourite perfume is Armani Code. I adore the smell of it and all the memories that smell brings back.

 

9. I've always wanted really long hair and I've being growing it for what feels like forever but it just won't go past a certain length :(

 

10. I'm really close with my family, We all have a really open relationship and I can tell them anything.

 

11. My favourite colour is teal.

 

12. I've broken 3 bones in my entire life, the same arm twice and one of my toes, my toes now crooked! :( (tmi?)

 

13. My favourite way to relax is a long hot bubble bath with a cheeky glass of wine.

 

14. If I'm sick or sad doing my make up always makes me feel waaay better. Is that just me?

 

15. I used to be a bit of a sun bed junkie and secretly I can't wait until they open up again so I can get my tan back.

 

16. I'm a total ebay addict!

 

17. I can't pass M&S without going in for cookies *drool*

 

18. I have a tattoo on my hip.

 

19. I just asked my boyfriend if he could think of any facts about me and he told me to put down moody! Haha Cheeky Fecker!!

 

20. I like to make jewellery although it's something I havn't done in ages.

 

21. I'm pretty lazy, I do absolutely no exercise, I even get a taxi to the shop! The shame... it's only a 10 minute walk!!

 

22. I hate spiders. I wouldn't kill them (mainly because I wouldn't get close enough) but I'm terrified of them!

 

23. I love squeezing other peoples blackheads... Disgusting I know..

 

24. I'm hoping to learn to drive this year.

 

25.  I'm a hoarder, I have an attic full of stuff I don't use but refuse to get rid of.

 

Well thats my 25 facts, they were a lot harder to come up with then I expected! If anyone has anything else they'd like to know, ask away! Hope your all having a good week!

 

xx

 



Contouring For Every Face Shape

Contouring is something that I do religiously every day. When done correctly it makes a huge difference to how your face appears. You can change how the shape of your face appears, Make your face look slimmer, help disguise a double chin, heighten cheek and brow bones and even help correct ‘bumpy’ noses. Contouring is done by using dark matt tones to shade (this causes the area to look receded, as if less light is hitting it) and white tones to highlight ( to make the area look more prominent, as if more light is hitting it).

Depending on the shape of your face there are various different ways to contour and different areas that need to be shaded/highlighted. I’ll go through all that now, but first I want to say that when you shading you only need a small amount of product on the brush and to apply it very lightly and blend very well as you don’t want to be left with big dark brown patches.

You can get 2 types of contouring products. You can get creams which are applied over the foundation before powder is applied and you can get powder which is applied after your setting powder. Personally I use powder because I don’t like to apply too many creamy products to my skin because I feel like I’m caked but cream contours’ are good and each to their own!

With contouring there is the 2 shade rule, highlighters should be at least 2 shades lighter then the natural skin colour and shaders should be at least 2 shades darker.

Highlighting:The most common places highlighter is used is on brow bones, cheek bones and collar bones.

• To make brow bones look more prominent apply a highlighter sparingly to the brow bone under the eyebrow.

To make cheek bones stand out more highlighter should be applied to the top of the cheekbones and swept upwards toward the temple

Highlighter can also be applied along the upper lip line to make lips look plumper.

If the bridge of your nose is flat highlighting along the bridge and up towards the centre of you forehead will make it look more proiminent.

Highlighting the centre of your eyelid will give your eye the appearance of standing out more, this is good for people with sunken eyes.

Highlighting the inner corners of your eyes will give you the appearance of being more awake.

Highlighting the tip of the chin is good for receding chins as it gives the appearance of bringing it forward.

Shading:Shader is most commonly used in the hollows just below the cheekbone, under the chin and on the temples.

To give the appearance of killer cheekbones shader should be applied to the hollows under your cheekbones. Dont bring the shader any further towards the centre of your face then the outer edge of the iris of your eye and blend it upwards towards the top of your ear. This should be used in conjunction with highlighting the cheekbones for full impact.

Shading underneath the chin can help draw attention away from double chins and make the skin there look firmer and tighter. It can also make long faces look shorter.

Shading the top of the forehead just at the hair line can help reduce the appearance of a high forehead and can also make long faces look shorter.

Shading the temples and the jaw line can help a wider face appear slimmer.

For a wide nose, using shader down each side of the bridge will give the appearance of narrowing the nose, highlighter should be applied down the centre of the bridge of the nose.

A long nose can be corrected by shading the tip and highlighting the bridge.

Contouring is also great for 'sculpting' boobs! Applying a shader to your cleavage and highlighter to the tops of your boobs will make them appear bigger!

Well I hope you learned something new or got some useful tips. I really would recommend contouring to everyone because it does make such a diffence. Just remember the rule that less is more! Start off with very little and build it up if you need to, contouring is meant to look natural and blend seamlessly.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask me and I'll get back to you ASAP :)

x

The Foundations of Foundation.

Hello!
As my first post I've decided that I'm going to start with the very basics and we'll move on from there!

ALWAYS use a foundation that matches your skin tone. The best way to test a foundation is to visit the make-up counters bare-faced (terrifying, I know!). The best place to test a foundation is on your jawline. Your neck doesn’t tend to get a lot of sunlight and is generally lighter than the skin on your hand (where most people test foundation) this is why so many people end up with ‘tide-lines’ because they haven’t correctly matched their foundation to their neck. This is vital!

It greatly depends of your skin type what kind of foundation that will best suit you. If you have naturally clear skin and just want to even out your skin tone you can opt for a light coverage or gel based foundation. It won’t cover blemishes but can easily be teamed up with concealer if necessary. If you have quite problematic skin and are prone to break outs then I would recommend a full coverage foundation.

People with dry skin should steer clear of mousse foundations and go for cream based foundations. People with oily skin should look out for ‘oil-free’ foundations and matt finish foundations.

Now as for foundation undertones, this can get a bit confusing, foundations either have a pink undertone or a yellow undertone. Pink undertones compliment paler skin tones and yellow undertones compliment more sallow skin tones. However, if you have pink pigmentation in your skin that you don’t like, a foundation with a yellow undertone will help conceal it and vice versa.

Before applying your foundation you should always use a primer. This will increase the longevity of your make-up as well as give your skin a smoother appearance and help prevent oiliness coming through your foundation.

I apply my foundation before I apply concealer as I find a lot of the time that once my foundation is on I don’t actually need a concealer. This saves time and product!

Invest in a good brush!

Don’t use sponges or fingers simply because they’re not very hygienic and can spread bacteria which in turn can cause break outs (nasty!). I personally find stipple brushes the best choice, they give a more natural look and don’t leave lines like standard foundation brushes can.

Always apply your foundation in the same direction as hairgrowth, this helps prevent the foundation clinging to tiny hairs and looking patchy (we REALLY don’t want tide lines!!)

Don’t apply foundation up to your hair line and down you neck, if your foundation matches your skin tone you should be able to blend it seamlessly into your skin. If you bring it the whole way up to your hairline you risk it getting caught in tiny hairs and being left with a big line. If you match your foundation to your neck then there is no need to put foundation there, this will simply help you use less of the product and make it last longer.

Your foundation is the blank canvas you create to apply your make up on so it needs to be even and well applied in order for the rest of your make-up to look good.

Last but not least set it! You can use a powder in the same shade as your foundation or else use a translucent powder (which will suit most foundation shades). As I said already I’m not a fan of sponges or puffs as they’re the perfect breeding ground for bacteria so I’d recommend using a powder brush to gently press the powder onto your skin, pay particular attention to oily zones such as your t-zone, nose and chin.

Well that’s my tips for applying foundation. I hope you found it useful. Remember that the key to good foundation is good skin, so take care of it, you only have one face!

Coming up next is a post on contouring. If anybody has any requests feel free to ask me

x