🎁What I got for Christmas! 🎁

This isn't a post to brag, it's just a post to show you what Santa brought me! 

I got some mac make up, urban decay make up, ciate and nails inc polishes, books such as i heart christmas, lovely bones, dracula, orange is the new black, a five year journal, some dvds, socks (of course!) pug pocture, a cardigan, jumper, chocolate, yabkee candle in the most amazing scent ever, coffee machine ( my main present) and one of the best stocking fillers ever.. A grow your own Christmas tree! 

Hope you had a great day :) Bring on the new year! 

⛄️ Festive nail art! ⛄️

I just booked my first ever acrylic nail appointment for Tuesday and i'm so excited to get some Christmas nail art done! Here are some ideas i've found that i'd like to share with you guys :) 

   

    

Which is your favourite? I think I have a thing for snowflakes!

Have a great weekend!

💋 Lush lip care! 💋

As we all know, winter is tough on the skin. I'm going to be doing a care series on how to properly hydrate those certain areas that are mainly effected.

Starting with my personal enemy. The lips. Now I'm not your average person when it comes to the lips. I have chapped lips basically every second week, all year round! It can be so annoying especially when you want to wear a lipstick that can be drying and that's a recipe for disaster but, if you read this post, you'll avoid chapped lips as much as possible :)

Step 1. Purchase a lip scrub (you can make your own but it's messy and I have to be in the mood for mess!) This is Santa's Lip scrub and it's cola flavoured!  

 

Step 2. Stop eating the lip scrub. I know it's hard but it's got a better purpose, I assure you! Rub it over your lips, lick off left over sugar. I like to do this twice because you get off more dead skin :)

Step 3. Apply your favourite lip balm. I am loving this multipurpose balm from Lush called Ultrabalm. You can use it on any dry skin such as your lips, elbows, knees, also use it to tame stray hairs on your head or even your eyebrows! I really love ultrabalm, it softens my lips straight away. When I did these steps, my lips were back to normal the next day!
Remember not to use too much lip balm because your lips can get used to it and then it won't work when you need it too!

Lip tips:
1. Don't lick your lips! Even if they're dry and you think it's adding moisture, it really isn't!
2. Apply a lip balm before you go to bed and sparingly throughout the day if needed.
3. Try to get natural lip balms and unscented ones because you'll just end up licking it off and the circle repeats itself. 
4. If your lips are really chapped, try not to pull the skin off and make them bleed, just wait till you can use your scrub.

Product list and prices:
Lush - Santa Lip Scrub - €7.50(approx) Vegetarian and Cruelty free!
Lush - Ultrabalm  €11.50 (approx) Vegan and Cruelty free!

Hope you guys have enjoyed this post, keep your lips chapped free this holiday season as the mistletoe is fast approaching! Have a great day :)

✧ Bioderma dupe! ✧

Everyone knows there is a worldwide love for Bioderma. But because it's French it's actually a really hand product to buy unless you're in a french pharmacy. You can buy it through websites like ebay.com but the price will be double for what you would actually pay in France.

So to all you beauty addicts that love Bioderma but hate the price tag, I have found a great drugstore dupe for you! 

This is the new skin perfecting micellar solution. It's consistency is just like Bioderma, it's unscented and actually melts tough make up in seconds! It cost me €6 roughly and I paid around €15 for my last bottle of Bioderma. 

Overall this product wins for me! Bye guys :)

✩ Glowing skin ✩

Do you love a dewey finish but don't want to look oily for the summer? Well i have a review on the perfect products for you. They are the Rimmel "Wake Me Up" range. I heard a lot about these products on blogs and from youtubers so I got the foundation a while back in a shade darker in preparation for the summer and I actually started using it from the end of spring since that's when our weather really picked up. 

I have the foundation in the shade 103 True Ivory and the concealer in Soft Beige. I decided to get the concealer in a shade lighter than the foundation since it was mostly for highlighting areas and my under eye circles. They Anti- Fatigue and Radiant Glow products so they have a bit of shimmer in but not too much which is great.

I apply the foundation with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I find it the best way apply because your hands are left a bit shimmery! It gives you a prefect glow and really works well with a tan. Also I just use my finger to dab the concealer on :)

I really would recommend this duo to anyone who is looking for a nice drugstore foundation and concealer this is the one you should try :)

Thanks for reading guys and I hope you enjoyed that post :) have a great weekend!

❁ Bourjois Bronzing Powder ❁

Hey guys. Just thought I'd give you a quick review on this bronzer I have fallen in LOVE with. I've had it in my collection for a while now and as my skin has gotten more tanned, my face has needed it to bring it together with the rest of my body. This has been the product I've been using. It's the Bourjois Bronzing Powder.

It's not too muddy or sparkly so it's just great for bronzing the skin and giving you that summer glow we all desire. It costs about €10 and is seriously worth it. 

It looks like a chocolate bar and smells super good! Not that that's necessary but it's better than it stinking!

Basically, if you're looking for a nice drugstore bronzer that won't make you look tacky and orange, this is the product for you. I'm terrible at bronzer application and this works so well for me. It's nice and subtle yet it works like a dream.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and found it helpful. Next I'm going to be doing some more reviews on some Urban Decay new products that were recently launched so look out for that. Have a great weekend! 

☀ Happy Monday! ☀

Hey guys, it's nearly 30 degrees outside. Just a quick post to say please stay safe in the sun! It's so important.

I'm relaxing in my boyfriends garden for the day and having a bbq later. Hope you're all doing well!

I'm currently enjoying an ice cream!

☀Stay safe in the sun!☀

We all know its nice to get a tan but did you know that skin cancer is the form of cancer that hits ireland the most? I didn't thats for sure.

We have been blessed with some awesome weather lately and July and August are supposed to be pretty good too in the long run.

Please wear a factor guys. With UVA and preferably UVB in. You can achieve a tan with factor on! Anyone who tells you otherwise is silly!

I like to use a factor 20 when the sun first starts coming out and as my body gets used to sun again I drop to 8 but no lower. On my face i use a cream lotion not oil spray as oil lead to spots and on my face i start at 30 and go no lower than 15 but this will be changing because you're supposed to use higher.

I wear dun screen on my face every day, without fail. Stop being unsafe and put some on!

Also get one that says it can go under make up or your face could fall off in the day ;)

Bye guys!! xox

🌟 Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat 🌟

I've been searching and searching for a good top coat. I've tried and tested loads. I've read the reviews and I have finally done it. Revlon is my savior.

I like to do (try) nail art so you need a good top coat to keep stickers on and just keep that mani that has taken you the last two hours, in tip top shape!

I think it cost about €8 which wasn't bad. Cheaper than Essie and Sally Hansen but more expensive than Rimmel. I tried it straight away when I got home and I love it. It made my nails super glossy and they didn't chip till day 6! No bubbles, shrinking or smudging. So I am a very happy girl :)

Hope you've enjoyed this review, Thanks!

❤ Bioderma! ❤

Hey guys! First proper review to come now on the greatly loved Bioderma. I bought this 250ml bottle on Ebay.ie for approx. €15.

Bioderma is a range of ever expanding French products that are for the treatment of skin and promotion of good healthy skin. The liquid make up remover has been adopted by make up artists around the world and now us, the every day consumer. 

It's a water based make up remover that literally looks like it came out of a tap! It's very soft on the skin and feels refreshing. I place mine on a cotton pad and put it on my eyes for ten to fifteen seconds and voilà! ;) It removes everything. I mean everything.

Bioderma is a great LUXURY product. Yes i'd prefer to buy it than say the MAC make up remover or any other designer brand because it is cheaper but is it better than anything we could find in the drug store? Price wise, no but quality wise? Well I think Bioderma wins hands down. My only problem with it is.. It kinda smells weird. But I'll get over that.

So what's my verdict you ask? Well, will I be repurchasing? yes :D

Hope you've enjoyed reading this and I'll see you next time! :)

Sorry for not posting!

Hey guys, I've been super busy lately and haven't had a chance to post. I do try and post regularly and I have had a few ideas but haven't had the chance. 

Later on I'm going to post about Bioderma and a fitness tips. So keep an eye out for them and next week I have time off work so I'll post loads :D

Also my May Glossybox just arrived so that will be live next week too!

Bye xo

💗 April Product Empties! 💗

This month I have only a few product empties to share with you. 

Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencil in Zero

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Clinique Take The Day Off make up remover

Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray

Dove Go Fresh deoderant

I'll start with a small review from left to right :)

Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencil in Zero is a blacker than black eyeliner. It's super soft and glides onto your water line or tight line. This really is my no1 eyeliner. I've been using this eyeliner for about 5 years and I have multiple colours and I'll never use anything else. It is fairly costly coming in at €16 approx but as I said, it really is worth it. I have found a cheaper dupe which is as good but the staying power isn't as good as the Urban Decay liner. The dupe is Essence black eyeliner. I think it's about €3.50 but still not the same. 

If you're looking for a good, long lasting, smooth, no smudging eyeliner, this is the one for you!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion is a must have in the beauty world. Other companies have tried and failed to come up with an  eye primer like this. It suits everyone as it stops eyeshadow fading over time, stops creasing and makes the colour really pop as it gives your eyelid a neutral base and blocks the discolouration from your eyelid come through. Nothing compares to this product. It really is a holy grail product. I will of course be repurchasing a full size! (for €18)

Clinique Take The Day Off make up remover is an oil based make up remover. This is a small size from the freebies you get. I really like this product but do I think it's worth it for the full price? No I don't think so. It doesn't possess anything that any other oil based make up remover has. It still leaves me with panda eyes in the morning and that's what I look for in a make up remover. Full size is €14 - €16.

Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray is another holy grail product for me. I feel it really does do something to protect my hair. It also smells good which is a great plus considering it's going on your hair! I use this every time I use heat on my hair and my split ends are okay considering I haven't had a hair cut in nearly 5 months. This has been a great help. The full size is about €6 and this smaller size was about €2 - €3 and actually lasted me from December to last week! Pretty good :)

Dove Go Fresh deodorant. Now this deodorant smells nice, makes you feel good and also does keep you fresh. They have also brought out a compressed size which I think is a great idea. I really like Dove products they really do seem to work. I won't be using this in the summer though, as I feel it wont stop me sweating in the hotter weather but for winter to spring, it's been a must have for me.

Thanks for reading guys and hope you've found this helpful. Will be back tomorrow with my Glossybox review!

 

☀ Spring nails ☀

It's finally getting a bit warmer here in Ireland, even though we're still having freaky weather sum days but that wont stop me!

I'm a nail polish addict with a growing collection and these are the colours I just can't stop wearing.

Cupcake queen Ciate -  €11.95

 Headliner Ciate - €11.95

  

Vintage blue by Avon - €4.95

 Marshmallow heaven by Rimmel - €5.95

Rose Libertine by Rimmel - €5.95

  

Penny talk by Essie - €11.99

The Ciate polishes are amazing quality and you really only need one coat. I call them my two second polishes because if I want a pop of colour, I grab one of these because I dont need to fuff around waiting to apply the second coat. Which is great. 

The Rimmel polishes are lovely but the one thing I will say is they dont dry in 60 seconds. I have other 60second polishes from Rimmel and they're great but the "Rose Libertine" is the worst for drying. Patience is needed with them. As well as a good top coat ;).

Avons Vintage Blue is such a nice pastel blue and it's really pale, which I like. A little bit runny but it applies nicely and is pretty cheap so I won't complain :) I've found it hard to find a colour like it too, for that price anyway.

And last but not least, Essie Penny Talk. It shows up gold but it's a beautiful rose gold colour. I'm absolutely loving this polish because it's so on trend. Also another two second coat polish which dries super fast. But a little bit on the expensive side.

I love these colours, that's why they're in this blog post! But they just remind me of spring and the fact that Summer is coming! In my opinion, you can't go wrong with these shades this Spring/Summer.

I hope you've enjoyed this post! See you in a few days guys :D

❣ It's nearly here! ❣

I received my email saying that the April Glossybox has been dispatched.  Of course I'm dying to know what people in the UK have gotten since they will have gotten them before me here in the Rep of Ireland. But that's okay, I'll be nosy and try and find what's in the box, via Instagram! 

Well guys, it looks like it's going to be a good month! I've seen people with boxes that contained products from Essie (nail polish eeek!) to Sleek (mazing make up) and even to Illamasqua (more amazing make up!) with other products like face masks, perfume and a variety of face products. I'm super excited to receive my box and I have a feeling it will arrive on my day off tomorrow :)

I will have a post of the things I got in my box (cross your fingers and toes I get an Essie polish because that's what I'd love.

I'd advise you guys to go to www.glossybox.co.uk and subscribe even to the monthly order because this month is a cracker!

Thanks for reading and I'll be putting up a spring/summer nail polish post for you guys tomorrow ;)

Happy days!

☼ Scrub that face ☼

I had an itchy nose and felt that my nose was... well, a little bit scummy! we all know every now and then we need to exfoliate because our moisturiser isn't going to get that old, dead skin off. 
But what's nice? 
What works?

I was asking myself these questions when I felt the problem. I did absolutely no research and just went to my local chemist that day to see what I could find. Let's keep in mind I live in a small town and I had about four different scrubs to choose from. Cucumber scrubs, apricot scrubs, creamy scrubs and then the most interesting out of all, the charcoal scrub. I opened the lid, as you do and shoved my nose right in... not literally but you get what I mean. It smelt intriguing and I thought why not try something new. So I picked it up and away we went.

As you can see it's a Garnier product. I like their stuff and have never had any problems with their skin care. When I brought it home my mum was also interested in the product and then she made a worrying comment 
"It smells like what a boy would use..".
Great. Just what I needed.
But I looked it up online and although she's right it does smell like a mans product, I couldn't find anywhere that told me it was for men. So I used it and I fell in love with it.

After I cleansed and toned my face I used this and instantly I felt a difference. My skin felt smoother and the dead skin building up around my nose (ew I know) felt a lot better. I love the smell and it doesn't linger so that's good. The charcoal bits look weird and you think how is this good for my skin? But you can feel it working. Which is impressive. Over all this product works for me and I'll be using this in my routine!

I think I need to use this twice a week until my skin is back to normal and then I will use it once a week. I then finished off with my Clarins moisturiser and away I went to dream land!

Garnier PureActive Charcoal Face Scrub - €5.10 (In my local store)

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! 

☆ Compressed or not compressed? That is this question, this is my answer! ☆

A few brands are bringing out condensed deodorants such as the one I'm reviewing here by Dove. They claim that the small bottle of 75ml has the same amount of product that a 150ml bottle has. It's a convenient size as it's perfect for handbags to keep you fresh through out the day.
It's the pomegranate version which is my favourite. It's light on the skin, doesn't leave white marks even on dark clothing and works for a very long time.

Here you can see the difference in size in the exact same brand and fragrance ;) 

Do you trust it? I've had the big bottle for a good while and I've just purchased the compressed version and I'm starting it tomorrow. It's hard to believe that the same amount of product can be in both but I guess what they have done is reduced the amount of gas that is in the can which forces the deodorant out.

I'm hoping it will be just as good because it'll be reducing the amount of waste packaging which in return will be helpful for the environment and as long as you're getting your moneys worth, I'm sure everyone will be happy with this! 

Overall I enjoy everything about it. The smell, texture on the skin, anti white markings and all that jazz. I think this will be my new deodorant for the spring! You guys should check it out because it is a great product and think of reducing your carbon footprint :)

I hope you enjoyed this semi review and I'll have something new for you guys tomorrow :)

Night all! 

❁ Update on lip blush from Glossybox ❁

So in my last post I reviewed my March Glossybox and said i'd get back to you in a week or so. Well I used the Lip Blush by Jelly Pong Pong and I absolutely love it.
It's moisturising like a lip balm and tinted like a stain. The nice thing about this product is, one you take it off you're not left with the stain all over your lips!
Also, it twists so there's no need for a sharpener. The packaging is cute too :) 

Here's a swatch to show you the colour on skin. It's the colour Cranberry and it's a lovely fuchsia pink but a very subtle one. I think this would be great on any skin tone. 

I popped it in my bag and off we went. it'll remain there till I finish it and I will be repurchasing :)

That's my mini update for now, goodnight! 

♡ Glossybox March Review ♡

Hey guys!

I just received my Glossybox in the mail this morning and was super excited to open it but of course had to take lots of pics to show you! I got the March box because the April box isn't out yet. There will be a review of that when I get it, so keep posted!.

Glossybox is a beauty subscription where you get five sample size products a month to try. I personally love this idea because who wants to go out and buy the full size for a lot of money and then end up hating it? Not me :).

I've been looking for a company that shipped to Ireland because a lot of them don't but I was very happy when I saw that Glossybox did. I checked out the products for this month and past boxes and signed up for a three month subscription straight away. Before I start rambling, lets check out what I got :)

 So this is the box it comes in, super chic!

 Unwrapping all the goodies :D

And here is what was in the box! 

- Pearlys Weekly Teeth Whitening Powder

- Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

- REN Flash Relax Mask

- Jolly Pong Pong Lip Blush

- L'Occitane En Provence Brightening Hand Care SPF15

So far I have tried the lip blush and the Eight hour cream, briefly. I will be doing a follow up review of these products in about two weeks to give you guys my two cents on them. But for now I will say I am happy with what I got and will use them all.

I will be keeping up my subscription with Glossybox because as I said I like the idea and the products seem to be really good and worth it. 

I hope you've enjoyed this first review post on my blog, remember I'm only a beginner and I am trying my best! 

♡ Thanks guys ♡

Welcome to my new blog!
I shall be mainly posting reviews on things I buy.. and I buy a lot! I went shopping yesterday so later I shall show you what I got and give reviews of the products I can review.

Hope you enjoy what's to come.

Becka x