Liz Earle, Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

This has got to be one of THE most popular cleansers on the market. I have been using it for the past 3 years now, and it's my mammy i have to thank for introducing me to it. I received it as a gift in my Christmas stocking, and I have been a fan ever since. Already a big fan of the Eve Lom cleanser, I was so impressed by this Cleanse and Polish from Liz Earle. On the plus side its also a shocking £58.05 cheaper than the Eve Lom Hot cloth cleanser, and to be honest i did not find a difference between the two at all. They are both just as good as the other. What I love about the Liz Earle skincare is that high quality, safe and naturally active ingredients are their priority. It removes every bit of stubborn make-up, even the most stubborn waterproof mascara. The main ingredients in this cleanser are the naturally active ingredients of Eucalyptus and Cocoa Butter which lead to clearer and smoother skin. I really do love how soft my skin feels after using this, it never irritates my skin and always leaves my skin feeling soooo clean. This is one product in my skincare routine that i will NEVER change. I cant recommend it high enough, it suits every skin type and gives visible results. I usually get about 6 months out of a 200ml tube, and it retails at £21.95, and is available from LizEarle.com. Next up from the Liz Earle range i will be reviewing the Deep Cleansing Mask......

Lucozade "YES" Advert 2011

OK so i know this is not really on subject of beauty..... BUT I had to post about the new Lucozade "YES" Advert 2011, and mainly because it has an amazing Irish athlete in it called Katie Taylor. I don't know if many of you have heard of her before, but she really is an inspirational young woman.

At just 24 she has such an impressive career, she first made Irish boxing history at 15 by fighting in the first officially sanctioned womens bout ever held in Ireland, she made Irish boxing history again at 18 by becoming the first Irish woman to win a Gold medal at the Senior European Championships, she has claimed Three world titles and Five European titles as an amateur, and in November of 2010, Taylor won her second International Boxing Association (AIBA) World Female Boxer of the year award. This girl also plays International Soccer for the Republic Of Ireland female team, WOW. Ireland will be represented by Taylor in womens boxing at the London Olympics 2012, this is the first time that womens boxing will be in the Olympics. Taylor campaigned hard to get Womens boxing to the Olympics, and is now seen on the Lucozade Add as the face of female boxing. I think this is an amazing achievement for such a talented young female Irish athlete. We know Katie will do our country proud and bring home the Gold medal from the olympics. Katie is also a natural beauty, a very pretty down to earth girl, so she does belong on this blog. The add also features British rapper Tinie Tempah (im a big fan) and American sensation Travis Barker (im an even bigger fan).

Check it out and let me know what you think of it, and what you think of the controversial subject of womens boxing???!!

Giorgio Armani Summer 2011

Summer is all about achieving a subtle and sexy bronzed look. This is the look Armani have gone for this summer, with the stunning Megan Fox as the face of the look, and lets face it, she absolutely nails it. The collection is all about earth tones, from eyes to face and finally lips.

First up in the collection is, Palette Eyes Quartet in "Bronze Heat". This palette contains colours suitable for every skin tone, and can enhance any colour eyes. As you already know I am a big fan of browns and soft goldy hues for the summer, so naturally this would be my cup of tea, but not something I will be purchasing as I have way too many palettes of these combining colours. I do love the neat packaging, its so sleek. Also a really handy compact to carry around and top up throughout the day if needed.

Next up to help you achieve a nice glowing complexion, is the Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric. This is a cheek stain, that applies like a second skin for a natural look and feel. It comes in a handy tube and is available in two fabulous shades, Sienna and Desert Rose. I personally love the look of Sienna, and i am very interested in trying this new creation from Armani, I love a nice liquid blush for summer.

The final piece in this collection, is Giorgio Armani Lipstick. Four Fab shades, all contained in a beautiful python inspired case. Easy to carry around, with a compact mirror inside, which means you can easily change your lippy colour as many times in the day as you want, handy when you have that unplanned trip to the beer garden after work on a nice summer evening. There are four gorgeous shades in both Neutral and Bright shades, Rouge Sienne, Sable Rouge, Corail Brulé, and Beige Dune. 

This collection didn't exactly get me as excited as previous Armani collections, or as other summer collections available this year. The only purchase i may make from this collection is the Blushing Fabric, and thats cause i love a lightweight natural blush for summer. 

So what do you think of the collection? Is there anything here that would tickle your fancy for summer??

My Favourite shampoo at the mo

Something that we women especially and even some men, are constantly changing, is our shampoo. I am one of the worst for it, always looking for something that will give me healthy looking hair and will also give volume, without giving too much volume as it will make my hair greasy easily, something that gives a good clean, without stripping my colour, and so on. I used to work in a beauty emporium in Dublin and the brand Philip B was exclusively sold there. The range was beautiful, a little pricey but worth it. The collection has a range of products and the best part is they are all botanical!! Philip B himself is a celebrity hairdresser based in LA, he began to grow very concerned about clients who came to him with their hair fried and over processed, that would not respond to regular conditioning treatments, and so he began to make his own. The ingredients for the range are meticulously chosen to make sure that they treat your hair with a lot of care. His range is also at the forefront of hair and scalp science. I did purchase some gorgeous bits from his range while i was working there, the discount helped a lot lol. The products i especially loved was the Lovin' leave in conditioner and the African Shea Butter shampoo. Unfortunately, when I left that job and moved to Galway, my love affair with Philip B ended there.

Until recently, I was in TK Maxx browsing the shelves and I came across *gasp* a 32oz bottle of his famous Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing and Clarifying shampoo, for €26.99 it usually retails at $90 for this size. BARGAIN, this shampoo is fab, it gives your hair a really deep cleanse, you can feel how invigorating the peppermint is on the scalp and it smells so refreshing. Added bonus, its safe for colour treated hair. The main thing i noticed after washing my hair with this shampoo was how shiny my hair looked and the natural volume it had added. I have never got so many compliments on my hair EVER!!! I was so impressed with the fact that I was able to wear my hair down for 3 days in a row, usually my hair starts to get limp and in need of a wash after 2 days!! Philip B is available to buy online and this shampoo starts at €25.99 for 250 mls on most websites...

My New Brow Love

The one thing that I always find completes my make-up, and completes any make-up I am doing, is BROWS. I am a total believer in that your brows frame your face, and if you have never tried it before, let me tell you that you will be pleasantly surprised as to how much your eye brows really give definition to your face. I love a strong brow to give definition, but unfortunately I naturally have quite thin brows and they are also quite fair, so i need something that gives me strong colour, good definition and obviously long lasting. I came across this Eye Brow Kit on ELF, it's part of their studio line. It contains a pigmented wax and a coloured powder. The wax is used first, to shape and define your brows, and the coloured powder is then used to perfect the arch and set the brows. Its also available in three shades, and soon will be available in four. This is the colour I got, its called medium.

What can I say, I am so impressed with this product, and believe me, I have used so many brow products in the past and at times spent at least up to €40 on these little kits. I love the colour that i got (medium), it matches my colouring perfectly, and gives me the thick definition I look for. I also love the neat packaging, it contains a compact mirror and a little brush for application, although i do still love to use my own lining brush when im using it. Its a steal at £3.50. What more can I say, if you love to define your brows, or are a brow defining virgin... You NEED to have this product!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be keeping this in my make-up bag, and will be purchasing in all the different colours for my kit!!

Stargazer Eye Dust

While out browsing the shops the other day, I went into a local clothes and accessories store, and while there I came across two baskets on the ground full of these Stargazer Eye Dust pots, they had all been reduced from €6.99 to €2.99, because they were waiting on a new stand to arrive in the shop to display them on. First thought was, ooooh i love a bargain, so i decided to dive in for a look. Let me tell you, balancing is hard for me at the moment when i stand on two legs, never mind getting down on the ground to have a rummage through these, so the lovely lady in the shop seeing my situation (and probably a sale coming her way lol) offered to pop them on the counter so I could have a good look through them. 

In the past, I have bought Stargazer pressed eye shadows, and i was not impressed at all. The pigment in them was very weak (even in the brightest and darkest colours), and now matter how much i built them up, they just didn't produce the colour that was in the pot. I love eye dusts and im a massive fan of MAC pigment pots, so i decided i would leave my earlier experience with Stargazer in the past, and try these out. My favourite colours for summer, are always Gold Hues, Bronzes and I do like to add the odd bright colour in there. So I picked four colours (sure why not, they were a bargain at that price), a beautiful light rose gold no.32, a golden brown no.11, a nice dark bronze with a slight rose tint no.12, and a bright orange no.39.

This is the swatch test i did with them, and I am happy to report that the pigment is nice and strong in three of them, no.12, no.11, and no.32, and the colour is exactly the colour i expected from the way they looked in the pots. I was a little unimpressed with the light gold no.32, I expected it to be on the same lines as MAC's naked pigment, but it didnt have as much pigment as naked does. All in all though, I am absolutely in love with the golden brown and the bronze, they are perfect colours for the summer and my green eyes, and the orange is definitely something I will also use. They are so easy to blend, and I don't find their is much fall from them on application.

So, im happy to report that i have now changed my opinion on Stargazer, and I will definitely invest in more of their Eye dust pots in the future......

Philosophy 'hope in a jar'

Hope in a  jar, what a name to live up to !! Hope is exactly what my skin needed over the past 9 months !! Finding a moisturiser that didn't break my skin out, was becoming next to impossible. I tried oil free, water based lotions, matifying potions, you name it i tried it, from pharmacy to high end, nothing had worked for me. Then I received this as a gift from my lovely mammy, she knew about my skin woe's, and picked this up in Sephora in Boston while she was there. At first i must admit that i was very wary to try it, because it was a cream, and if you read my previous post on skincare, you will know that my skin was oily, spotty and dry all at the same time, so i was terrified of getting a breakout!!!

So a couple of months ago, i had grown fed up of not using a moisturiser, and decided, to hell with it ill try this 'hope in a jar', it had better live up to its name. When i opened it and had a look inside, it looked fab, really illuminating and such a light whipped texture. It felt even better on my skin, fabulous light weight consistency, my skin just soaked it all in instantly, so no residue left on my skin and it has a lovely light smell. Also a nice light base before makeup. And let me tell you, a little goes a long long way. I didn't have to use much at all to cover my face and neck. This is how much i use to give me the coverage for my face and neck.

I used it the first day in the morning and then again that night before bed. The next morning on inspection my skin had a really lovely glow off it, and felt really smooth. After using it twice a day for about a week, i am happy to report that i had no breakouts and my skin felt and looked brilliant. I have been using it now since the end of January, and i cannot believe how much i am getting out of a 2oz tub. I have not even got half way through the jar, and thats including the 3 or 4 times himself has knicked it and taken man size portions out of the jar.

I would most definitely recommend this product, its something that i will definitely be sticking with, and has me now wanting to try some more of their products. Philosophy is available to buy online at their own website, it comes in different size tubs, this 2oz tub is $38, and is also available on Amazon.co.uk for £22.40..... I LOVE IT

Oh How I Wish for this

While nosing around tonight on the web for bright shiny new things, i came across this. I have obviously been living under a rock for the past few months to not have seen, or heard of this. Dior Mitzah Bricard Limited Edition Collection. What can I say, Dior always amaze me with their Limited edition makeup collections like the Love Dior palette, Tailleur Bar palette, and now the Mitzah Bricard palette, the palettes in themselves are a work of art. Unfortunately they are only ever released in very limited numbers, and usually only available in Gallery La Fayette in Paris, Selfridges in London and top stores in Japan. So unfortuantely for me here in Ireland all i can do is drool over the pictures. The latest collection is inspired my Moinseur Dior's muse Mitzah Bricard, she had such a strong influence on his career, and inspired many of his finest collections. The collection is drawn from Mitzah's love of animal print.

First up in the collection is an eyeshadow palette, the soft cream can be used for highlighting, with the browns being used for contouring and lining, or if preferred all colours can be mixed together with your brush and applied that way. I actually think I would feel guilty using it, it would have to be one for my collectors box.

There is also two Limited Edition Nail polishes in the collection, Camel and Ebony. I am really loving the look of Camel, it looks perfect for a clean fresh summer look. 

So what do you think of this collection?? Is it something you would rush out to buy, or is it to pretty to use??

The Collection is released in May in the UK, and is currently available in Gallery La Fayette in Paris, the eye palette retails at €90 and the nail polishes individually at €23...

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Bourjois Smoky Effect Ultra Black Eye Pencil

There is one product that i always have more than a few of on the go at ALL times, a black eye pencil is something i have had as a staple in my makeup bag since I was about thirteen lol. I have spent a fortune over the years trying to find THE blackest pencil, thats long lasting, strong colour and most importantly suitable for sensitive eyes (which i suffer from). Till now, the best black pencil I have ever come across was a black Kajal pencil from Lancome, it was a limited edition from summer 2008. It was the blackest pencil I have ever come across, gave fantastic dark definition and was so easy to blend. 

Since then i have spent a small fortune trying to find a pencil as good as it, but failed. Until, I read about this pencil on http://www.simonelovesmakeup.com/, she had done a review on the new Bourjois Ballerina collection, and i read about this in it. My thoughts were hmmmm this sounds very interesting, but will this just be another failed attempt to find my perfect eyeliner. So, yesterday, off I went to my local pharmacy to make my purchase. The collection is absolutely beautiful, gorgeous soft greys and pinks, a really pretty collection that I will be making more purchases from.  I instantly picked up the pencil and brought it to the counter, and for those of you thinking of buying, there is currently €1.50 off every item in the whole Ballerina collection. My eyeliner was a bargain at €6.49. 

Once home, i had to do a swatch test and compare it to the Lancome ltd edition Kajal Pencil. 

(Excuse the swollen pregnancy hands lol) 

As you can see from the picture, the Bourjois pencil is darker and a lot softer looking compared to the Lancome. The Bourjois pencil glides on so easily and has such a strong colour definition to it. I am so impressed with this pencil, it also has a really good blending brush on the end of it. The brush is a nice strongly tapered brush (but the hair is nice and soft), perfect for blending pencil. I wore the pencil today on my upper and lower waterline, and blended below my lower lashes, and I was really impressed with the lasting ability of it, only had to top up my lower waterline at about 1pm (it had been on since 9am).

Really recommend this to anyone who is on the search for a nice dark black pencil, that will give the perfect dark definition for any look you want to achieve!!!!!

Dior Summer Collection 2011, Electric Tropics

So it really does feel as if Summer is on the way, with the nice warm weather we've been having, and that long stretch in the evenings. I have to admit, it has me already planning my Summer parties in my "new backyard" (the one himself has promised to landscape for me), but more importantly it has me planning my make-up wardrobe for summer. This is my favourite time of year , not just because of the nicer weather, but because I love to see the fabulous bright collections that each cosmetic house launches. My perfect make-up partner for summer is Radiance Enhancing primers, Illuminating powders, Soft eye palettes, and always bright bold colours for the lips and nails.

Everything I want in a summer collection, is in the Dior Summer Collection 2011, Electric Tropics. This collection has stolen my make-up beating heart, and will more than likely  leave a dent in my wallet. Now I am a big fan of Dior, their products are at the higher end of the market and so I know they are a little bit pricey, but what I love about them is that their products are very high quality, and thats something I always look for when i am buying products, especially when I am using them in my kit. This collection, in my opinion, is definitely Dior's nicest summer collection to date. This collection also seems to have more variety than previous collections. Dior seem to be really "upping" their game in this competitive market. The collection is bang on trend for this season with its perfect balance between Electric vibrant tones and Earthy neutral tones (top marks to Dior creative director Tyen on that one). So lets take a peek at this fabulous collection.

We start off with Diorskin Nude Healthy Glow. These are three Radiance Enhancing Fluids, the first is a Complexion Enhancer (which has a slight resemblance to their Capture Totale Radiance Enhancer, although obviously on a cheaper scale). I presume this, like the Nude Glow from last summers collection, can be either used under makeup as an enhancing primer, or on its own to give a gorgeous healthy glow to the skin. The other two are Healthy Glow Summer Fluids, a lighter alternative to foundation for the summer and are available in two colours. These will retail at around €44.

Next up, which I absolutely love the look of, is the Diorskin Nude Healthy Glow Pressed Powders. I am an absolute sucker for powders, I can never ever seem to have enough of them. These are beautiful, the benefits are of course the fact that they are mineral based powder, which are of course a lot more comfortable to wear on your skin in the sticky summer weather. They feature a unique woven design, which has been created to allow your cheeks to benefit from the perfect mix of colour. These powders have been designed to give your skin a beautiful natural healthy glow, and to enhance your fabulous sun kissed tan. They are available in two colours, Aurora and Sunset. Hmmm its hard to know which one I want more, i dont think i can justify buying them both *sobs*. Im guessing these will retail at around €42.

For the eyes, they have brought out two beautiful palettes in their famous  5 Colour Eye Shadow. These palettes look beautiful, I love Dior eye palettes, they have such strong pigmented colour, they have great lasting power, even without a primer, and are also extremely easy to blend for the pro and the non-pro. The colours in these palettes are colours to suit any eye colour, with beautiful golds, soft pinks, nudes, and defining dark browns. Two palettes to choose from, Rosy Nude no.534 or Rosy Tan no.754, these will retail at approx €54.

Lips are always something I love to go all out with for the summer. Dior have created four beautiful shades in Crystal Nude Ultra Gloss. There is a colour there for everyone to choose from, whether you are into your bold brights or your natural nudes. Volumizing and hydrating they are the perfect gloss for summer to give you that perfect pout, while also keeping your lips nice and moisturised. Have your pick from Luminescent Peach, Sweet Peach, Luminescent Rose, and Sweet Rose. These glosses will retail at approximately €26.

Last but not least is something I will definitely be investing in, Dior Vernis Electric Tropics Nail Duo. I absolutely love nail polishes, I have my certain colours i use for the different times of year. For the summer, i always go with bright feel good colours, and to be honest they dont come looking more feel good than the two colours from this collection. Paradise Pink and Aloha, are set to be THE cult nail polishes for this season. Perfect to brighten up your hands or feet for the summer, which colour will you be choosing?! These Nail Polishes will retail at approx €22.

There is also supposed to be a limited edition lippie being launched in the form of the new Addict lipcolor, its called Fire, but as of yet no details or images have been released from Dior. If i  do get any info on it, i will let you know straight away!!!

So, what do you think of the new Dior Electric Tropics collection? Does it give you that summer feel?????

Revlon Scented Nail Varnish "Scratch 'n' Sniff"??!!

This sounds like something I would have loved when i was a child, a bright shiny nail polish that also has a sweet smell, so not only do my nails look nice, they also smell delicious. I first heard about this fascinating nail polish on vogue.com at least 6 months ago. Revlon have been launching a limited edition scented nail varnish range in the states for the past few summers, and have now decided to launch it in Europe. 

I have not yet got the chance to pop into boots and pick one up to try, but i am already a fan of Revlon polishes for their fantastic long lasting ability. So this is something i am very interested in trying. 

Ok, so i know that its a bit gimmicky, but hey, i think we all need a bit of an uplift after such a long and dreary winter, and what better way than having beautiful coloured nails that also smell beautiful. This polish is available in 8 fabulous bright colours, perfect for brightening up your hands and feet just in time for summer. The above colour is called bubble gum, but the colour that will be my first purchase is a beautiful bright yellow (which looks like it could be a perfect copy of Chanels summer 2011 colour "Mimosa"), called Beach. Whats your opinion on this fascinating new take on nail polishes from Revlon, will you be trying it, or will you be just walking on by?! 

Will keep you posted on when i make my purchase, my opinion on it and I'll post swatches to show you the fab colour!!!!

Review: Elizabeth Arden Intervene Skin Tone Perfecting Capsules

This is my first blog post, and I am going to kick off with something i feel very passionate about, its something i am always chopping and changing in order to find the 'perfect' partner in, Skincare. I firmly believe that the key to achieving a good complexion is to make your skincare your number one priority, I am always on the lookout for new products to try and test on my skin, which lately seems to be on a roller-coaster of hormones (a lot to do with the fact I am pregnant). So, I was usually a Combination T-zone, dehydrated cheeks, spots at the usual time of month kind of girl. Daily use of serum, moisturiser and eye cream to keep me balanced, and I was happy out. 

THEN i became pregnant, and my skin became someone i know longer knew, drastic changes had to be made as i now had a mild case of acne. The spots were especially bad around my chin, jawline and forehead, and were now leaving little red markings of inflammation under my skin, which i could not get rid of no matter what I tried. So one day while talking to a friend she recommended I try Elizabeth Arden Intervene Skin Tone Perfecting Capsules. Now i have never used much Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics, apart from the Flawless Finish Compact Foundation, which i think we all tried at some stage as a teenager.

So here's how Elizabeth Arden describe this product.

Each Vitamin C packed, preservative free nighttime capsule works way past your bedtime, targeting signs of stress and sun damage while you catch up on your beauty sleep. Age spots, discoloration, even the dark traces left by acne scars seem to do a fast fade. By morning a luminous, more even-toned, energized, retexturized look and feel get your skin glowing strong.
INTERVENE Skin Tone Perfecting Capsules help achieve radiant-looking skin while you catch up on your beauty sleep:

- Vitamin C packed preservative-free capsules work all night long.

- Help reverse the visible effects of stress and sun damage.

- Oil-free. Suitable for all skin types

Ok so, sounds amazing right, I should be waking up and saying WOW my skin looks brand new. They recommend using one capsule three nights a week, as it is essentially a treatment for your skin. I decided i had to give it a go, i had become tired of searching for a solution. I was a bit bold and used it 4 nights in a row the first week. On inspection after the first night of using it, i didn't actually see any difference in brightness and radiance like they said i would, but I could feel a drastic change in my skin, my skin felt so soft and any dehydration patches appeared to be gone. 

So I continued using it 3 nights a week, and it lasted me about 13 weeks (there's about 38 capsules per jar). By the time i had finished using it I could really see a difference in my skin. The inflammation under my skin was drastically reduced, I had to look very closely in the mirror to still see it. The texture in my skin was so soft and felt so enriched from all the vitamin C. The one thing i was really impressed with though, was the overall change in my skin tone, it was a lot brighter and my complexion was very clear. This had a massive effect on helping get my skin back to normal, and it had done what i originally bought it for, which was to reduce the inflammation left under my skin by the acne spots. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is searching for a treatment that will give their skin real and visible benefits of radiance enhancement and noticeable reduction in discolouration of the skin!!!

I'm happy to say that this product has become a staple in my skincare box, and something that will remain there for years to come. This product is sold at Elizabeth Arden counters worldwide and retails at about €45, which I think is very reasonable for a treatment that lasts 13 weeks.....