Blank Canvas Cosmetics F20 Brush

Lately, I have a love affair with Kabuki Brushes. First was the Sigma F80 Brush which is a lovely little brush but over the last few weeks with the Blank Canvas Cosmetics F20 Brush. The F20 is a multi- functional brush Blank Canvas has created the Flat Top Kabuki brush for cream, powder and liquid products.

The brush is less dense then the Sigma F80 and the short dense sythetic fibres makes the brush incredibly soft and I found it buffed my foundation much nicer than the Sigma.

BCC have a huge range of brushes available at really reasonable prices. The F20 retailsa t €14.00 and can be found here Ialready have my eyes on a few more of the brushes

Lovely Advertisers: Dress My Legs

I’d like to gice a warm welcome to my newest lovely advertiser – Dress My Legs.

DressMyLegs.ie was founded in November 2010 by Daria,who felt there was a real gap in the Irish market for good quality hosiery at affordable prices. Originally from Russia, she first came to Ireland back in 2001 as part of her work experience programme in Translation Studies but ended up staying here for longer than initially intended, after meeting her husband Wojciech, who is originally from Poland.

Over time she realised that the only thing she kept bringing back to Ireland from holidays in Russia was hosiery, and loads of it: sheer nude knee-highs, black opaque leggings and, of course, her personal favourites – patterned and printed tights! Living among the beautiful and breathtaking landscapes of Ireland’s ‘lake county’ Cavan has only one disadvantage, but an important one if you are a big hosiery fan like Daria: the only places where you can get at least some kind of tights were supermarkets which are far away and offer very little in terms of choice. In addition, their budget packs of tights were all very poor quality and lasted no more than one wear.

This dilemma led to her own online hosiery store and give you an opportunity to buy good quality tights at the right price without going anywhere near a shop. There is no need to queue and you can browse all our products in the comfort of your own home at the time that suits you. New items are being added to the website regularly to ensure they continue to satisfy the needs of all our customers, irrespective of their size, shape or sense of style. You won’t find most of their hosiery even in the best department stores, so it’s a great way to create a unique look without having to spend a fortune on a whole new wardrobe.

Here are some of my favourite styles:

Pop over to Daria on Facebook and say hi. There is also a sale on over on the website at moment,that you can’t miss out on.

With the dreary and cold weather not far ahead, now is the perfect time to update your look with the new season’s key trends, and fashion tights are one of the fastest and most affordable ways to do so! At DressMyLegs.ie you will find a great selection of hosiery to suit your personality and sense of style: whether it’s classic sheer and opaque tights that are back on trend thanks to style icon Kate Middleton, or patterned and printed fashion tights that are regularly spotted on celebrities and all over the catwalks and can turn any basic outfit into romantic, funky, sophisticated or bold, depending on your combinations. Fashion tights are also a great way to reinvent your favourite summer outfits with a winter-appropriate look.

With the numerous styles, prints and colours available, the possibilities are truly endless. Coloured opaque tights are very popular right now: they never fail to make a statement of their own and are perfect to brighten up a LBD or create funky colour-blocking effects. Show your wild side in a pair of daring animal print tights or go for some mock suspender and hold-up tights that have been spotted on so many celebrities this season, we’ve lost the count! If your style is more vintage, feminine and sophisticated, choose from one of the styles in our lace and fishnet tights section – one of them is sure to strike your fancy.

Whatever the style, personality or occasion, you are sure to find a perfect pair here at DressMyLegs.ie.

Price range – from €3.25 to €18.95

A-Derma Exomega Emollient Cream

My little man suffers from ezcema. Nothing too severe most of the time but over the last few months he did get quite a bad outbreak on his belly that looked really sore. It didn’t seem to bother him thankfully but it looked awful. As luck would have it, I received a sample of A-Derma Exomega Emollient Cream to try out. I’d never heard of A-Derma before so did a bit of research on the brand.

Turns out the brand is the first dermo-cosmetic brand with a natural plant-based active ingredient, Rhealba® oat, that takes care and protects fragile and delicate skin.Looking on their website,there is a huge amount of profducts from facial care to body care.I’ve already seen a few products that might be worth a purchase but for now let’s talk about the Exomega Emmolient Cream.

This emollient cream is designed for those with very dry or atopic skin and is suitable for adults,children and infants. The cream itself isn’t too thick and when applied to the skin is very cooling and sinks in quickly. A-Derma reccomend you use the cream twice a day after washing an dit can also be used on your face. This lovely contains:

• Rhealba^®Oat Plantlets Extract → Calms irritations and soothes the skin
• “Filaxérine^®, a unique combination of an inducing substance of filaggrin and omega-6 essential fatty acids → Helps restore the cutaneous barrier”
• Vitamin B3 → Action on intercorneocyte cement
• Glycerin → Hydrates

So how did I get on with it? One word – Wow! After only two days of applying this on the little mans skin, the rash on his belly cleared up and his skin in general felt much softer. For purely research purposes, I decided to try it out on my own skin as although I don’t have ezcema,my skin can be quite dry and I need to get it prepped for my cousins wedding in a few weeks. How did it work on my skin? I loved it,within a few days my skin felt much softer and I loved the cooling effect.

There is also a Emollient Balm, Cleansing Oil,Soothing Bath, Emollient Lotion, Foaming Gel, Shampoo and Skin Foam in the Exomega Range. On researching where to buy it, I discovered you can buy it on Amazon and on Escentuals

xxx Have you ever tried anything from the A-Derma range? xxx

MUA Undressed Eyeshaodw Palette

If there was one thing, I knew I definitely wanted to pick up while I was in the UK,it was this MUA eyeshadow palette. Undressed is the perfect dupe for Urban Decay Naked Palette. I don’t own a Naked Palette, as I couldn’t justify spending that much money so Undressed is the perfect palette for me. I paid £4 for this little beauty,which in euro works out around €5. I could have ordered it from the MUA website but I thought why pay for delivery when I can pick it up in Superdrug.

Here’s some pics of the lovely

I really like this palette, the pigmentation on the whole is quite good apart from the gold on the top row,which took a far amount of application onto my eyes before I got the look I wanted.Still the palette is a handy thing to have around especially for when I’m heading away.

xxx What do you think of Undressed? xxx

Get Yourself Some Happy Feet

Have you ever been on a night out or at a special occassion and wish you hadnt worn that pair of sky high heels? I know I have. I’m not one for heels, I love pretty shoes, don’t get me wrong. I just can’t wear them for longer than an hour without being in agony and without painful blisters. I’d heard about roll up shoes that you could buy and change into on your way home from a night out but had never tried them. The skeptic in me didn’t think they would be that good.

How wrong was I? The lovely people at Happy Feet sent me a pair of their roll up shoes to try out. Just in time for my cousins wedding in two weeks and all. Happy Feet shoes are little knights in shining armour designed to relieve the pain of those killer heels. They are compact enough to be carried in your handbag and each pair come with a matching carry bag for your heels. I choose a black pair but they also come in Stunning Silver, Pretty Pink and Glittery Gold. Each pair cost £7.99 (approx €10) and shipping costs another £5 (approx €6.90).

I couldn’t help but try them on as soon as they arrived in the door, and fell in love. They are incredible comfortable and look quite stylish.If I hadn’t of been heading out to an event, they would have stayed on my feet.

Pop over to Happy Feet and say hi on their website, facebook or twitter

xxx Have you ever tried roll up shoes to help with the pain of high heels? xxx

A Spot of Lingerie Shopping

It’s on a very rare occassion, I talk about fashion on the blog but when I got invited to an exclusive preview of what gorgeous lingerie Debenham are going to have on offer over the next few months, I wanted to share it with you. I love looking a pretty lingerie and the selection Debenhams have is exceptional.

Bra Fitting

Everyone who attended the event was treated to a bra fitting. While waiting my turn, I got talking to one of Debenhams highly trained fitting staff and she told me, everyone should get measured every six months and buy a new bra every six months. I hung my head in shame because the last time I was fitted for a bra was when I was seven months pregnant.

Think Pink

For the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness month), Debenhams will be thinking pink and donating 50c from every bra sold. Something I also discovered was Debenhams do Mascetomy bras at extremely reasonable prices and completely VAT Free.

xxx I am already planning a trip into Debenhams Henry Street to treat myself to something pretty. Anything from the pictures call to you and have you expereinced their professional bra fitting service? xxx

Christmas With The Body shop

Christmas is less than 3 months away! Can you believe it? I feel like this year is going way too fast. One thing I love about it getting close to Christmas is all the lovelies that will be hitting the shops. To kick off my “Christmas With” series it’s the gorgeous goodies The Body Shop will have for 2012.

Special Edition Bath and Body goodies for Christmas features fruity cranberry joy, indulgent vanilla bliss and zingy ginger sparkle. Out of the three, I loved the scent of ginger sparkle. The range features lip domes (€8.50), soap (€3.95/€6.50, home fragrance oil (€6.95), hand wash (€9.95), shimmer lotion (€13.50), body polish (€14.95), hand lotion (€13.50) and bath crystals (€22)

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without gorgeous giftsets.

Rock some sparkle with your Christmas makeup. My favourites from the range isThe Sparkler (€23.95) which is the ultimate in boudoir chic with an atomiser to release a fine irridescent sparkle. I can’t put into words, how excited I got when I tried it.

At the event I was able to get my eyebrows threaded aswell as having a go and spinning a prize wheel. Not expecting to win much I spun the wheel and wouldn’t you know, it landed on a €25 voucher for The Body Shop. I dragged Donna from Not Just On The Inside into the store and made some purchases. Stay tuned for reviews on them

xxx Anything your liking from The Body Shop Christmas Collection? xxx

Human + Kind Arrives at Cloud10Beauty

Human + Kind All Natural Skincare range has arrived at Cloud10Beauty.

 

 

 

 

Human + Kind is a breakthrough in skincare which will change your life as much as it will change your skin. Created for women everywhere, who are tired of wasting time and money on unnecessary products, Irish beauty brand Human + Kind is a new ethos in skincare for today’s time pressed woman – simple, natural and dependable beauty products that multi-task as much as they do. Human+Kind blends all natural with scientific advances, eliminating the need for multiple skincare products to achieve beautiful and healthy skin. Human+Kind provide a new pared down approach to skin care with a capsule collection of highly effective, multi-functional products that are as versatile as they are essential.

 

 

To celebrate the launch Cloud10Beauty are offering a FREE Human and Kind All In One Body Oil worth €14.95/£12.95 with a purchase of any two Human and Kind Products.

 

*This post contains an affiliate link*

La Roche Posay Hydreane BB Cream

After discovering a new love of BB Cream, (thanks to Maybelline’s offering) I was delighted to try out La Roche Posays offering to the BB cream market. Hydreane BB cream promises to moisturises, soothes and protects, whilst also unifying and illuminating even the most sensitive skin.

Hydreane BB Cream features the legendary Thermal Spring water which is hydrating, anti-oxidant, anti-irritant and softening, along with an SPF20. Even though its winter,we should all still be wearing an SPF to keep free radicals at bay. This BB cream has five missions.

1. Hydrates for 12 Hours: HYDREANE BB CREAM embodies all the thermal hydration and comfort of the HYDREANE range for sensitive skin types. La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water is combined with glycerine, sodium hyluronate, vegetal oils (passion flower, apricot, maize, brand, rice) and Shea Butter for long lasting comfort and hydration.
2. Smooths: Upon application of HYDREANE BB CREAM, skin breathes a sigh of relief, regaining its freshness and calm thanks to the naturally soothing effects of La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water. Skin sensitivity is reduced in just 2 weeks of use.
3. Stregthens: HYDREANE BB CREAM is not just another BB. First and foremost it is a dermatological skincare product, developed for the most sensitive of skin. The naturally high selenium content of La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water aids skin’s defense mechanisms against the free radicals that can cause skin irritations.
4. Protects: HYDREANE BB CREAM contains sun filters to protect sensitive skin from the harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays and prevents pigmentation reactions (age spots). Its SPF20 UV protection is empowered by the same filter as the ANTHELIOS range.
5. Unifies and Illuminates:HYDREANE BB CREAM contains a unique combination of pigments to suit all skin tones; correcting imperfections and unifying the complexion. The rich, creamy texture melts into the skin without ever caking.
6. 

I really liked La Roche Posays offering to the BB Cream market. The texture is like a light foundation and applies evenly on the skin. On application my skin looked even and any imperfections were covered up. I was sent Medium to try, which although is too dark for my pale skin, it is perfect for my tan. There is alos a light shade available, one which I will definitely be investing in once my Maybelline is empty. It is available at your local La Roche Posay stockist now and retails at €18

 

 

Clarins Odyssey Collection

Clarins always have gorgeous makeup collections to make my heart skip a beat and this Christmas is no different with the release of the Odyssey Collection. The collection includes a stunning Face Palette (€55) and gorgeous Eyeshadow Palette (€40). The packaging on both is a stunning heavy gold compact .

Face Palette

The face palette is a light peach/nude shade suitable for all skin types and skin tones. The emblem design on the powder is highlighted by a gold shimmer. Needless to say I fell in love and fought with myself to dip my powder brush into it. I eventually worked up the courage and loved the powder. It is very lightweight and spread evenly giving pretty good coverage. This beauty is well worth the €55 investment,m ine has taken up home in my everyday beauty bag.

Eyeshadow Palette

The eyeshadow palette features two lighter base shades and a darker shade perfect for contouring and eye lining, and a gold highlighter
made out of pure crushed pigments. Guess what my favourite shade was? I’m a sucker for a brown eyeshadow paletter, having loads of everyday ones but with the addition of the gold highlighter,this palette makes it suitable for night wear or party season too. I wore this the night before the wedding and fewll in love. The eyeshadows are easy to blend and give a gorgeous smokey eye.

xxx Both these lovelies are on a Clarins counter near you now xxx

Dita Von Teese For ARTDECO

I’ve always had a bit of a girl crush on Dita Von Teese, the porcelain skin ,the red lips, the clothes. She is a style icon, no question about it. When I first heard that she was collaborating with ARTDECO, my heart skipped a beat with the excitement. This excitement grew and grew and finally reached breaking point when some lovelies arrived on my doorstep from her fall favourites collection.

Illuminationg Baked Powder €42.30

This luxurious highlighter is perfect for illuminating cheeks and under eyebrows. It’s marbled powder texture ensure a soft , natural shimmer. The powder features different pastel colors so no matter what your skintone, this is bound to be a perfect match. As soon as I swatched this lovely, I fell in love. It’s a very subtle highlighter, perfectly enhancing my cheekbones without giving to strong a glow.

Blusher €10.85

Blusher adds a touch of frshness to your complexion and the shade I was sent No.26 definitely does that. When I first saw it, I thought it might be a bit too strong for me, but on applying to my cheekbones, I found it gave a lovely hint of colour and instantly woke my complexion up. It also stay put for the entire day.

Eyebrow Gel €14.05

I firmly believe everygirl needs an eyebrow gel in her makeup stash. My eyebrows are quite a light colour so the mink shade I was sent is the perfect compliment. The gel gave a subtle lift of colour to my eyebrows while holding them in place for hours.

Ultra Volume Mascara €16.70

We all know by now, I’m somewhat of a fussy Betty when it comes to mascara, if it doesn’t lift my lashes and give them some Va Va Voom, I’m not a happy girl. So how did this lovely stand up to my standards? Va Va Voom established! The thick brush lifted my lashes and added an incredible amount of volume. I wore this into work the other day and received lots of compliments. Some even asking which false eyelashes I had on.

Art Couture Lipstick Velvet No 634 €19.25

“Classic red lips are always the height of glamour, and the most chic beauty statement a woman can make!” – Dita Von Teese

She is definitely onto something there. While I’m usually not brave enough to wear a bold red lip, I appreciate how sophisticated it can look when applied correctly. The shade I was sent is a bold red and is gorgeous. The texture is very soft and glides onto lips adding a huge pop of colour.

Ceramic Nail Lacquer No 26 €11.05

Now that Autumn is here, I have packed away most of my colourful polishes and exchanged them for darker shades. This baby makes a great addition to my darker shades. Again it is a deep red shade and looks gorgeous on. Oh and the ceramic in the lacquer should make it more resistant aginst chipping.

xxx I would definitely give the collection a look next time you find yourself at an ARTDECO counter. Anything from the collection calling to you? xxx

Winter Skin Care Tips

Winter is well and truly on the way. As the days get colder it's really inmportant to look after your skin. I always suffer from dry skin coming into the winter. It can be really frustrating! Last week I turned to skin care guru Mariga Sheedy from Skin Essentials By Mariga for tips on looking after your skin during the winter months.

Heres what advice she has for you:

One of the biggest problems for skin in the winter is the loss of water through the epidermis due to cold air and heated rooms. This breaks down the defence layer of your skin, allowing water to evaporate too quickly, leading to dryness, flaking and irritation. Underlying problems such as acne and rosacea will become worse.

Tips to combat moisture loss:

-Use a night cream or oil even if you have oily skin to keep moisture sealed in.

-Leave-on moisturising masks are great to use once or twice a week at night if you have dry skin.

-You still need an SPF during the day but add a couple of drops of Rosehip Seed Oil underneath if you have normal skin, Nourishing Oil if you have dry skin.

-If suitable for you take a supplement of Omega 3,6,9 to strengthen skin from the inside.

-Reduce exfoliation to decrease stress on the skin's defence layer.

-Don't scrub, ever! Use an enzyme based exfoliant.

-If you find it hard to drink water in the winter try green or white tea to hydrate without making you cold!

-The ingredients to look for in your skincare are essential fatty acids, hyaluronic acid and natural (non-fragrant) oils such as rose hip, jojoba, avocado seed.

-If you work/live in a very dry environment consider investing in a humidifier or place a bowl of water near the radiator.

-For dry skin on your body add a few drops of rosehip seed oil to your bath water, but be careful not to slip :)

Mariga's skincare range is fantastic, I'm a huge fan of the nourishing oil but here are some other lovelies from her range ideal for Winter:

 

L-R Rosehip Oil €20/30ml,Nourishing Oil €15/15ml,

Lipid Repair Concentrate (for dry, damaged skin) €55/30ml

You should also use the

SPF30 day cream €30/30ml and

Skin Comfort Cleanser €22/30ml

There is loads of choice on the market for Winter Skincare, my personal favourites are the Vichy Aqualia
Thermal Serum, Mask & Mineral Balm. These lovelies are like a drink of water for your skin. I especially love applying the Mineral Balm as a super hydrating mask, pop a good layer on and lie back for 5-10 minutes. You will love it.

 

I'm always on the lookout for a decent day cream and had heard of Lancomes Genefique Nutric Nourishing Youth Activating Cream.So the other day I tried a bit. This is a rich luxurious cream that claims to change the behaviour patterns of dry skin, maybe even banishing dry skin to your past. Sounds like a miracle to me so come pay day, I'll be buying the 30ml (€35)to try out.