Irish Beauty Bloggers Secret Santa Reveal

As this is my first year as a beauty blogger I was super excited to get involved in the Irish Beauty Bloggers Secret Santa. The wonderful Aisling from Total Makeup Addict organised it and wow did she do a great job! From the research into it and actually managing it... hats off, big time!

I love shopping and buying gifts for people and as this was for beauty bloggers it made it even better, you can see what I got Girl_Friday from Girlfridays Beauty Blog on her reveal post.

When my package arrived from the lovely Lauren Marie from Makeup by Lauren Marie I was so excited! I received the Essie Winter 2013 Collection and the Barry M Natural Glow Pallet

Winter Essentials #3 - Dry Hands?

Dry winds, cold water, exposed to the elements - your hands often bear the brunt of the cold weather. Dry hands are especially common in winter and even more so if you're prone to symptoms of sensitive skin like inflammation or eczema.

 

Winter Essentials #2 - Chapped Lips

Lets face it we can all think of way nicer things than having chapped lips. They feel nasty, sore, sometimes bleed and what gets me most is that your lipstick looks just awful when applied over chapped lips.

With their really thin layers of skin they are much more likely than the rest of the face to dry out, especially with the winter elements mixed in.

So here's how to fight the freeze this winter...

Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide

Here is my stocking stuffer gift guide! All of the gifts are under €15 and most of them are from Boots 3 for 2. Hope you like it!

Other places you can find me....

Winter Essentials # 1 - Dry & Dehydrated Skin

Welcome to part one of my Winter Essentials series! Winter isn't really a skin-friendly time. It doesn't matter if your indoors or outside, just like in summer, winter can bring its own wealth of problems for your skin.

Over the next week I will be sharing 5 posts about what you can be doing to make sure your skin looks and feels as healthy and glowing as possible this winter.

Why does your skin feel more dry and dehydrated in winter?

Christmas Gift Guide For Her €55 - €445

Following on from my Christmas Gift Guide for Her under €50 here is my more luxurious gift ideas over €50. I am lusting after a few of these myself!

Boots Star Buy - Sanctuary Spa Ultimate Glow Pamper Tin

Boots just announced their new Star Buy and its gorge...

A great gift for any woman who likes pampering herself! I personally love some quality time for myself and try to make a bubble bath a weekly thing....try to. This is a really fab gift and normally it is €52 but from now until 28th November its just €25! If you want to see more of whats in it they have all info and a video on their site here.

Ashley 

Other places you can find me....

Christmas Gift Guide for Him from €35 - €399

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This for me tends to be the million dollar question...what do I buy him for Christmas! Weather its my boyfriend, my Dad, my Granddad, whoever it is, when its a man I find it sooo tricky!

For this one I called in the help of my boyfriend John. Between us we came up with 10 gifts ranging from €35 - €399 that we think will be a great hit with your 'him' this Christmas.

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan - Review

I know I am a little late to jump on the bandwagon with this one but never the less it does deserves a full post review by itself and its long overdue

 

One word to describe this tan.... wow! On so many levels, the colour, the development time, the smell, the price...the list just goes on.

October Beauty Favourites 2013

Here are all the products I loved in October! Links to each of the products are underneath the video on YouTube.

 

Make sure to give the video a thumbs up if you liked it and remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

 

 

Ashley :)

Christmas Gift Ideas for Her - Under €50

The lights are shining on Grafton Street, the chaos is starting to begin and its safe to say the Christmas lists are on our mind. For me Christmas is something that fuels my shopping addiction and as a result its mid-November and I have most of mine done!

Here are my gift ideas under €50, for whoever the woman in your life may be.

Sleeping in Your Makeup Could Age Your Skin by 10 Years

I know its annoying, I know we forget or sometimes it seems like there just are not enough hours in the day and for some people that extra 2 minutes may seem better spent in bed than washing their makeup off , I promise you if you care in anyway about how you look and how hygienic you are, it really isn't

Its important to cleanse your face before bed not only to remove your make-up but also to remove all the dirt and dust your skin has been exposed to throughout the day.

Here is what happens when you don't

Beauty Product Shopping Haul

I love a good unplanned splurge every now and again.. here's what beauty products I have picked up so far this October.

Why it's called 'Beauty Sleep' and why we need more of it...

An hour before mid-night is worth 3 afterwards - or so the age old saying goes but why is that? Does it really matter THAT much? Well here's few eye openers from a handful of the top dermatologists that are sure to make you reconsider the 'early night' that everyone wants to get but there just isn't enough hours in the day.

RiRi ♥ M∙A∙C - New Product Launch

As autumn is a great time for experimenting with new rich colours and snapping up some fun seasonal makeup pallets, this should go down a treat...

Feast your eyes on the much anticipated RiRi Heart MAC collection that launched this week! This range of daring yet classically gorgeous shades, finishes and tools all encased in the metallic warmth of rose gold packaging. (I LOVE the rose gold packaging)

Benefit Makeup Products - Review

A little insight to the benefit makeup products I have been trying out at the moment! 

Other places you can find me....

YouTube August Beauty Giveaway - Winner Announced

The winner is.......

Pennys/Primark Fashion Haul - Autumn 2013 Favourites

So I may have done a little bit of shopping....

Look out your window and you will see our amazing summer (amazing for an Irish summer) is well and truly gone. I was on the look out for some cardigans and deeper colours for my daytime wardrobe and I just fell in love with some of Penny's new pieces and had to share them with you.

Beige Shoulder Detail Cardigan

 

Bourjois Bronzing Primer - Product Review

I was totally intrigued by the concept of a cream bronzer that you wear under your foundation. If you are familiar with Chanel Universal Bronze, this is more or less the same idea and gives an almost identical result for a third of the price!

Wedding Bells - Outfit Of The Day

The sun was out and the bubbly was flowing at the beautiful wedding I attended last Thursday!

Here is a quick outfit of the day for you.

From top to bottom :)

Sunglasses - Free Gift from Bourjois!!

Necklace - Pennys

Dress - FCUK

Ring - Vintage Piece, 24ct Gold & Dark Brown Diamond

Nail Varnish - Barry M Gelly in Lychee

Clutch - Michael Kors

Shoes -Faith

Other places you can find me....

DIY - How to make your own body scrub

Watch me show you how you can make your own body scrub that will leave your skin feeling like you have just been to the spa!

All you will need is Epsom salts, Almond Oil (or any other essential oil but Almond is the best for leaving your skin silky smooth) and an air tight jar!

Remember to give the video a thumbs up if you like it and subscribe to my channel for more videos like this one :)

MAC Techniques Class - Review

MAC run a techniques class every couple of months where a small group of about 14 people get to learn tips, tricks and new techniques by MAC makeup artists. It lasts two and a half hours and costs €60 which is redeemable off products... sounds brilliant doesn't it! However, and it really does pain me to say this, we were a little disappointed. It was nothing to do with the quality of the workshop or the makeup artists, it was down to the organization of it. They didn't have us booked in despite me calling them to confirm the previous day, also they took the group to the workshop and left us in the store while they started the tutorial before we had even been colour matched.

Bourjois Cream Blush Review (My new blush obsession)

This is a big time product rave from me! I have always put cream blush under the 'not going to work for me' heading as I thought the staying power and dewiness wouldn't mix well with my medium coverage foundation. Also, I never really thought the pigment was that great on any of the ones I had tried. That all changed for me last week when I indulged in a Boots 3 for 2 on Bourjois products and picked up the new Cream Blush in shade 02 Healthy Glow. I LOVE IT!

First of all Im really liking the packaging, the 4 different shades come in small posts that are colored the same as the shade and have a little mirror inside which is always handy for the makeup bag. 

The quality and pigment of this blush is amazing and the constancy is what I think I love most about it. When your applying it to your cheeks with your finger straight from the pot it feels very creamy but once blended it gives a powered finish to your cheeks. 

Another thing I love about this is how build-able it is, you can use it for a light flush look during the day and then apply more to get a stronger shade for at night. Here is a picture of swatches with one coat, 2 coats and 3 coats of the blush to show you how well it builds. 

I found this to have really good staying power both during the day and out at night, it lasts brilliantly. They are €10.49 each which I think is amazing value for the quality of the product. 

Let me know what your favorite blush is...I'm having a bit of a blush phase this month! 

Ashley :)

Pennys/Primark Shopping Haul

My new YouTube video is live guys. Check it out to see my recent shopping haul from Pennys & a few other beauty related purchases! 

If you  like it don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe! :)

Thanks for watching

Ashley :) 

No7 Free Gift - Product Reviews

No7 are giving a free gift in Boots at the moment and if you buy any two No7 products you get it. (While stocks last)

The free gift is this really cute makeup bag with 5 products inside. There is nothing like a free gift to push me into buying something! I am not usually a big No7 fan and sometimes find the products overpriced for what you get however, I did really like the lip stains they have at the moment and I was buying one so I bought two instead just to get my hands on the below! I have gone through all 5 products in this post to let you know if there was any fab finds!

July Monthly Favourites - First Ever YouTube Video!

Here are all the products that I have been using and loving in July!

Hope you like it... if you do give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel.

Thanks for watching!

Ashley :)

My Summer Essential Number 4 - Soap & Glory Righteous Butter (Review)

This is my go-to summer body butter, well its my all year around body butter really but I use it twice as much in the summer and on holiday.I love this product and have yet to find a body butter that is on a par with this when it comes to leaving your skin feeling super moisturised and smelling amazing!

Review - Barry M Gelly Nail Polish

I am loving Barry M's new Gelly polish! When I say 'new' I mean new to me, they have been around for about 3 months or so. These two colours caught my eye (Lychee & Greenberry) and I am so happy I tried them!

The gloss is high-shine with a thick consistency, they are more sheer than the creme gloss that Barry M does (which is also fab) and they give a very shellac-like look on your nails.

Holly Willoughby & Her Budget Beauty Secrets

Ok so I didn't meet Holly Willoughby myself :( My dad has though and he say's she is just as lovely in person as on the TV! I read an article about her where she revels all her beauty secrets and I thought I would summarize for you!

While Holly can afford all the lavish products on the market you will be pleased to know that some of her most favorite you can pick up down in your local boots!

The Chunky Watch Ain't Dying

It's been on trend for the last 3 years or so and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon but I'm not complaining! I may like the dainty rings and necklaces at the moment but you just cant beat a good chunky watch to lift up an outfit!

Rachel Zoe, fashion stylist and major icon was asked if she could only wear one piece of jewelry for the rest of her life, besides her engagement ring, what would it be...can you guess what she said?
"Honestly, a watch, a really chunky watch."


Here are some of my personal favorite chunky watches, theres a mixture of both high street and brand names here.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Gold Link Watch

This has to be at the top of the list as its at the top of my lust list at the moment. I just love the simpleness of the strap links and the branded round face. The coloured stone detail in the face is just fab! For whatever reason the photo is making the gold in this look really tacky but I don't think it's quite as yellow when you see it. This is available to buy in House of Fraser in Dundrum or you can get it here on ASOS for €242.55

My Summer Essentials - Number 3 Kérastase Solei (Review)

So the sun has taken his hat off and has had enough playing for one summer or so it looks like for us in Ireland anyway. There is still a good month or so left of "the summer" so some of you lucky ducks might have a sun holiday or two planned. If you do Kérastase Soliel is defiantly an essential for your suitcase. I have used this both this year and last and managed to get through almost a full bottle each summer!

My Summer Essentials - Number 2 Emoji Micro - Pedi (Review)

The sun is out and the toes are on show - who wants dry, hard, flaky feet?...Nobody!!

I bought the Micro-Pedi by Emjoi last summer after reading great things about it in magazines. It is an at-home solution for rough, dry skin on the bottom of your feet. If you want a quick and easy problem solver to a dry skin situation, you will achieve very similar results to a salon pedicure with this product.

My Summer Essentials - Number 1 Clarins HydraQuench Cream

The sun has inspired this post! On the very rare occasion that we get sun in Ireland we bring out all the stops... BBQ's, Garden parties, Hitting the beach, Sun bathing the works! Whether your going abroad on holiday or just out and about enjoying the sun in your homeland you need to make sure you have all the things you need to ensure your beautiful self doesn't get damaged.

Admittedly I use a lot of products during the summer months so I am going to write 5 reviews over the next week of all the products I consider my summer essentials!

First up is my skins new best friend! Before now I have been true my fair share of pharmacy branded creams and also high end ones and although the high end ones do feel more luxurious when your using them and can smell more expensive I never really noticed a major difference in my skin.... until now!

Clarins HydraQuench Cream SPF 15

Review - Nimue Adult Spot Treatment

My skin has been pretty much blemish-less for the last 3 months or so and then last week out of nowhere I got a spot on my cheek. (I know I'm very lucky to just have one spot in the last 3 months so I am definitely not complaining)

I remembered that the lovely Daria from The Beauty Salon at the Camden Court Hotel had given me the Nimue Adult Spot Treatment about a year ago when my skin wasn't so great, I was reluctant to use it at the time as I was in a routine that was slowly working and I didn't want to rock the boat! I thought it would be a good exercise to use it on this one blemish and see what the results are like and I am very impressed!