See You Later 2013

2013 has been a year that has gone really fast. I could sit here and tell you it was a great year for me personally but I can't. Don't get me wrong it was great to get a holiday this year, spend time with friends and family and fellow blogger. I even launched my own nail polish line. All brilliant things.

2013 has been a tough year though, a few days into the year we got news that would change our lives forever. I never mentioned it on here but a few close people knew what happened. My husband lost a sister,I lost a friend and my beautiful baby boy lost his auntie and godmother. 

There have been times I have just wanted to hide in a corner and ball my eyes out but keeping focused on the little man and on the good times got me out of those tough times. If it wasn't for a few people I really don't think I would still be blogging and I definitely would have had a much harder time (if that is even possible) To those people I want to say a massive thank you, you don't know how much it meant to me.

I also want to thank all my readers for continuing the read the blog, I know things have been relatively quiet lately. This is thanks to technology for letting me down but also recently I have been finding it really tough. As the year is coming up, I find myself really sad.

Life has changed but I am looking at 2014 with a positive outlook and focusing on happy memories.

Men's Gift Guide

Anyone else struggle with what to get the men in their life? Each one in mine like different things and I find it tricky to decide  what to get them but this year I think I have it perfected. I have spent hours browsing the internet and ordering gifts for them. Here are just some gifts I came across 

 

• Novelty Mug €7 Dunnes Stores
• Jam Bluetooth Speaker €29.99 Tesco
• The Body Shop Maca Root Trio €30
• DOlce and Gabbana The One €83 Boots

* Apologies things have been a bit quiet on here, my laptop decided to break so I am back to blogging in my folks when I get a chance between work. I'll be taking a short break over Christmas and hope regular blogging will resume in the new year *

New Beauty App - ManhaTan

A little while ago, I was approached by four transition year students who were developing a beauty app for their mini business project. I was of course happy to help in anyway I could. 

I'm a girl who likes a beauty app and have several on my tablet and phone including What Salon so I was intrigued by the premise of this app. 

The app called ManhaTan has being created as a false tan guide. On it you will find information on leading false tan brands including Cocoa Brown, Sally Hansen and Wow Brown Tan. You will also find false tan tips for the perfect application. Both contributed by yours truly :) Finally, you can search selected beauty salons in Dublin where you can get a professional tan applied.

 

The app became available last week and is currently only available on the apple market for I Phone/ I Pad for free. This app is sure to be a success and grow to cover salons nationwide. While in the early stages, the potential is endless and I was delighted to take part in such a creative transition year project.I can't wait for it to be available on android so I can have it on my phone.

Do you like a beauty app? Will you be downlading ManhaTan?

Stocking Fillers

I love putting together a stocking or a bag full of small gifts for the two men in my life. The little man usually gets toys, books and some clothes. While the hubby would get shower gel, aftershave and some techie things. I also love receiving small gifts in a stocking or bag. This year there is loads to choose from but I have picked products that I would love to find Christmas morning.

 

EOS Smooth Sphere Summer Fruits Lipbalm (€6.95 on Cloud10Beauty)

 

Cocoa Brown Tan (€7.99 available nationwide)

Chocomania Cupcake Giftset (€9.95 in The Body Shop stores nationwide)

 

 

Roger and Gallet Fleur De Figuier 30ml (€17.00 in selected pharmacies)

What are you hoping for in your stocking?

 

 

 

Coco FOr Coconut Oil

I'm always open to trying new beauty items. I  like products that multitask and if they are cheap and cheerful, all the better. One product I really like lately is coconut oil. Its about €6 in your local chemist. I am not a fan of coconut, I really dislike the smell and the taste and I thought Coconut oil would smell yuk but thankfully there is no traditional coconut smell.

I bought coconut oil in work to try for moisturising both my dry skin and the little man's dry skin but then after a quick google, I discovered some other beauty uses.

• An alternative to shaving creams, coconut oil makes shaving easier and moisturises at the same time. 
• A deep conditioner for hair. I have frizzy naturally wavy hair that can be dry so I was thrilled to hear how it can be used as a deep conditioning hair mask to rehydrate hair. For best results you can leave it in over night with the help of a shower cap.
• Eye Makeup Remover?? I thought surely not! But I can confirm it removed my makeup including heavy eye makeup perfectly. All I did was use a little on a cotton wool pad for my eyes and my eye makeup was gone.

There is lots of other ways you can use coconut oil. It's definitely worth trying the above with it.

Would you or have you ever used coconut oil?

 

Have An Irish Christmas

This Christmas,  I've decided to buy as much Irish gifts as possible.

Facebook and Twitter were a great help to me especially Facebook, There are 100s of small businesses flying the Irish flag, here are just two businesses I am loving lately .

Charming Gifts By Leanne have a great range of jewellery aswell as other crafts. I've ordered something special off her for my little man to give his granny but here is an example of what she does.

Pixi Pots design indoor plant pots. I think they are a great storage idea for Makeup Brushes. I'm ordering one for myself so will share it with you when it arrives

These are just some small businesses rocking it. If you're on the hunt for Irish made gifts check out Hike Those Likes Ireland on Facebook where there's some great businesses and on twitter search using #irishbiz and #irishbizparty.

Will you be buying Irish this year?

N.O.T.D Jessica Nails Velvet and Pearls

Its no secret that Im a bit of a nail polish fan especially with the launch of my own indie line. 

I love trying new nail polish brands and Jessica Nails is definitely new to me so I was thrilled to receive two of their polishes.First up is Velvet and Pearls, a gorgeous rich black polish. I've had varying experiences with black polish ranging from wishy washy blacks to super pigmented blacks. Going by this scale, Velvet and Pearls is super pigmented. 

 

Wear time was four days before chipping,  I think I could have helped wear time with a more decent top coat, My Essence one isn't great so if you have a recommendation,  please share it with me.

Have you ever tried Jessica Nails? 

Christmas Wishlist

The questions from family have started coming in on what I would like for Christmas. To be honest there is only a tiny amount I would like.

 

 

 

 

First up is a new camera, my beloved camera kind of broke while I was on holidays in May. Nothing major but the shutter is broke. I would love a proper camera like the ones photographers use or the new Samsung android one where you can take pictures and upload them straight away to the likes of Facebook and Twitter. It's not exactly cheap at €430 but a girl can dream.

 

 

Being a massive Cocoa Brown Fan, I can ever have enough in the house. I am loving this Cocoa Brown giftset that retails at €19.99 and has Tough Stuff, Chocolate Whip, One Hour Tan and Tanning Mitt plus it's pink and pretty!

 

 

 

I'm getting more and more into Paese cosmetics, already a big fan of their Matte Makeup Base, I would love to try a few more of their products. Everything in the range is under €15 and available from Cloud10Beauty

 

 

 

 

My makeup brushes are in an awful state, completely my own fault but I am feeling like binning them. That's a sure sign I want newbies and the Elite Collection (€105) from Nima Brush would be perfect in a purple cylinder

 

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

 

 

 

 



Christmas With Pixy Natural

This weeks Christmas With is another lovely Irish brand Pixy Natural. I've been a fan of their products for some time now and was delighted to hear all their gifts for this year are under €20!

 

There are three lovely sets to choose from

 

 

Pixy Tempting €14.95 contains a scented, heart-shaped, gentle soap  two skin nourishing mini bath bombs and a creamy lip balm.

 

 

 

Pixy Indulge €19.95 contains a moisturising Lavender Bath Bomb, Honeysuckle Soap that smells just gorgeous.

 

 

Pixy Enjoy €19.95  contains one moisturising Bath Bombs,Honeysuckle Soap along with Muscle Soothing Bath Salts. Sounds heavenly!

 

All of these gorgeous sets come with the incredible Lime Body Scrubs, that are ideal for removing fake tan and getting rid of dead skin cells. All of these are available on Pixy's Website along with some very cute bath bombs gifts

 

What do you think on Pixy's offerings?

 

 



Christmas With Cloud10Beauty

Cloud10Beauty has remained a firm fav of mine over the last few years. What I love about the site is the variety, good prices and fast shipping. I couldn't leave them out of my Christmas series now, could I?

As usual, there is lots to choose from, but here are my top five that would be sure to make any girl happy on Christmas morning.

A Bit Of Burt's Bees Mango €7.95 contains a a mango lipbalm and lemon cuticle cream. Definitely an ideal stocking filler or if you want a great value gift.

Anatomicals Another Fine Stress We've Gotten You Out Of Relaxing Bath Kit €11.95 contains Rose Bath Salts, Thermal Anti Stress Face Mask, Barmy Bath Pillow and Unwind Candle. A great little gift for the bath  lovers you know.

Real Techniques Sam's Picks Limited Edition Brush Set €34.99 is a limited edition makeup brush set that features Samanthat Chapman's favourite brushes. As soon as I saw this, I wanted it. It's available on pre-order but pick this up quick,there are only so many sets available

Ciate Mini Mani Month €55 features 19 minis of Ciate's best sellers along with 2 caviar blends, 2 glitters and 1 full size polish. Defintiely ideal for nail polish lovers like myself

 Any of these calling to you? For these and lots more gift ideas pop over to Cloud10Beauty and check out their offerings

Christmas With Bia Beauty

I'm trying really hard this year to buy as many gifts from Irish businesses as possible. One company, I will definitely be buying from is Bia Beauty. I'm a massive fan of their goodies so want to spread the love and let family members try some of the products. 

Bia Beauty have a great range for Chritmas ranging from €9.95 upwards. Here are three giftsets that take my fancy.

Bitesize Set contains 10ml of Mellow Mandarin moisturiser, 10ml of Orange & Grapefruit Exfoliant & Cleanser, 10ml of Skin's Superfood and 1ml of Stop the Clock Eye Gel. €9.95

Scrub Your Skin Giftset contains the award winning Detox Body Scrub 250ml with a hero product Orange & Grapefruit Facial Exfoliant & Cleanser 60ml €35

This gift set contains everything you need for a full Bia Beauty facial! Mellow Mandarin Moisturier 60ml, Orange & Grapefruit Facial Exfoliant and Cleanser 60ml, Stop the Clock Eye Gel 15ml and Lime Pie Lip Balm 7ml €50

Of course you could always pick up an individual product to gift someone, my personal faves would be the Lemon Myrtle Handwash €12.95 and Detox Body Scrub €19.95

** All images used are from BiaBeauty.com **

Anything grab your fancy from these lovelies?

Christmas Is Coming!

Hi lovelies, as I'm sure you are aware. Christmas is literally just around the corner.

I can't believe how fast it has come around this year. I've started writing lists of who I need to buy for and have begun picking up a few bits. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing Christmas collections from some of my favourite brands as well as one or two other christmas themed posts.

I hope you like looking at them 

Cead Mile Failte Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics

As a lover of all things beauty, I get really excited when I hear of brands hitting our shores. Especially American ones that I have lusted after for so many years. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics is no exception. I can't tell you how many times when I was stocking my makeup kit, I prayed to find some way to buy them. After years, my wish has finally been answered. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics is now available here. Iwon't lie, I did a happy dance when I found this out. 

Whats so great about the brand I hear you say? Firstly they don't test on animals, so that is a major attraction for me. No parabens in the products ticks another box and it' ideal for those of us with sensitive skin. The creator Paula Youngblood started the line after her contact with patients who had traumatised skin from different skin conditions and treatments. 

Only the purest, premium grade mineral are used in all products and the majority of packaging is made from recycled materials. The brand has a massive following from many well know celebs including Jennifer Aniston, Gywneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba.

Youngblood Ireland were very kind and sent me out a few products to try, expect reviews on them over the coming weeks but for now how about a sneaky look?

Mineral Rice Setting Powder €24

Natural Loose Mineral Foundation €35

Pressed Individual Eyeshadow €18

Mineral Primer €32

Mineral Lash Prime €29

Liquid Mineral Foundation €35

The full range is available exclusively at

• Briarhill Pharmacy Galway
• Matt O Flahertys Pharmacy Galway
• O' Regans Pharmacy Oldbawn Shopping Centre, Tallaght
• Mc Cartans Pharmacy Sutton Co.Dublin
• Kelly Pharmacy, Enniscorthy Co.Wexford
• Goods Dept Store, Kilkenny City
• Mallow Late Night Pharmacy, Mallow Co.Cork

I'm sure over the next while there will be more stockists added.

You can follow @Youngblood_Irl on twitter for updates

Have you ever heard of the brand? Would you be willing to give them a try? 

Touch Dry Nails In A Flash

I'm a girl who likes to paint her nails but I am also a very impatient girl who hates having to wait for polish to dry. I can't tell you how many times I've lovingly painted my nails only to smudge them seconds later.

I've tried some quick dry top coats and found them pretty good but when we got a nail dry spray in work, I decided to give it a go. For €2.99, I couldn't really not pick it up. 

Beauty Formulas Nail Dry claims to make your nails tough dry in a minute with dulling the colour and also moisture your nails.

I was a little bit sceptical that this would work to be honest. It's super easy to use, all you do is spray this onto your freshly painted nails and voila 60 seconds later your nails are touch dry. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? 

I found it did make my nails touch dry within the 60 seconds although it does leave a bit of a smell for a few minutes after use. 

€2.99 is a grat price for 100mls. I paint my nails maybe twice a week and this has lasted me five weeks. I recently repurchased it but typically while in Dealz today I saw another nail dry spray which was €1.49 for 200mls!! So I think next time round I will buy that to compare.

Have you ever used a nail dry spray or top coat before? What are your thoughts on them?

Green Angel Sunrise Body Smoother

I love a good body scrub. For me it has to do several things - exfoliate well, not feel to greasy on the skin, smell nice and look pretty. Yes, I am one of those girls who like things to look and smell pretty while doing a good job.

Bearing these in mind, let me introduce you to Green Angel Sunrise Body Smoother*. This isn't my first dance with this lovely, but I was recently reintroduced to it and I can't believe I had forgotten how lovely it is.

This body smoother features lots of good things for your skin including natural salts, seaweed extract and argan oil. This baby will not only exfoliate your skin but it will also nourish your skin. It's recommended for all skin types and is a go to for many people looking to remove fake tan remnants.The smell is a heavenly citrus base that is really uplifting. You can even smell it the day after using it.

It's on the dearer side for body exfoliators, retailing at €29.95 but for that price you are getting 500ml of product and the guarantee that there are no nasties hiding in the ingredients list. From having this previously, I would say you will get six months easily out of it. Possibly more. 

If you are in the market for a luxurious body exfoliator, you won't go far wrong with this. 

Green Angel also do a lovely facial and hand products. I've already picked up a few in work to give as Chritmas gifts. They can be found in selected pharmacies, a list can be found here

Have you ever tried Green Angel?