Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Green Tea Toner

Hi all,

I have never really used a toner but I recently read an article saying that green tea makes a excellent toner.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and when used as a toner helps to tighten pores and clear the skin. It also fights sun damage and ageing. Green tea toner is suitable for all skin types. It is so simple to make green tea toner. I just make a cup green tea as normal, let it cool down and then refrigerate it. After cleansing my face in the morning and evening I dap the tea on a little cotton wool and wipe my face and eyes with it. I find it very refreshing. Each cup will keep in the fridge for 2/3 days.
Thanks for reading and I would love to hear if you have any DIY beauty tips?
xx

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Little Haul

Hi all,

I was shopping today and bought a little dress in the attic at a-wear


and the comforter bubble bar in Lush


xx

Monday, March 22, 2010

Trends for Spring

Hi there,
Today I was reading through some magazines and looking at the fashion trends for spring. There are some trends I like (two tone, nudes, ruffles, florals) and some that I am not so find of (prints, underwear as outerwear and utility chic)

Two Tone
I absoutley love this trend. It is so simple and sophisticated. I think anybody can pull it off and look really chic.

Asos Spotty Collar Frill Top

Karen Millen Beautiful Lace Bag
Topshop diagonal stripe dress

Pied a Terre Gormley Stud Bow Shoe
Nudes
I think this look is also very sophisticated and elegant. However I am not sure that nudes really suit my colouring so I may just stick to the nude accessories.

Asos One Shoulder Chiffon Top

Reiss Picton Weave Drawstring Bag
Mango Lazos Bow Front Flat Shoe
Ruffles
I am loving ruffles. I think they add a little bit of fun and feminity to an outfit. However I am not mad about them if they are a bit OTT.Here are a few examples of ruffles I like:

Warehouse Ruffle Lace Cardi

Superdry Polkadot Ruffle Skirt


Asos Mesh Overlay Ruffle Corset

Florals
I was really happy when this trend came out as I have always had a bit of a soft spot for floral prints. However now that I see so many florals in all they shops they have started giving me a bit of a headache. I think I prefer the smaller more subtle floral designs such as the dress below from warehouse and the skirt from asos. However I am not keen on the floral print in the tube skirt from oasis.

Warehouse Nirvana Ditsy Dress


Asos Darling Pocket Floral Skirt

Oasis Floral Tube Skirt

Prints
I think this trend is really personal because you can either like a print or not. Personally I am not keen on the animal print top or the Vivienne Westwood bag below. However I do quite like the Orla Kiely print lap top skin.

Asos Animal Print Top


Vivienne Westwood New Harlequin Large Shoulder Bag
Orla Kiely Scribble Stem Print Lap Top Skin
Underwear as Outerwear
I think this trend can look okay but I do not think I would ever have the confidence to wear it.



Utility Chic
This is my absoulute least favourite trend. I think it is very unflattering on the majority of people and something I would never purchase.
Oasis Peg Leg Combat Trousers

Oasis Pocket Utility Jacket


Thanks for reading my blog post and I would love to hear what your favourite trends are for spring 2010.


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Boots Botanics Oil Free Moisturiser

Hi there,

My skin is combination/sensitive and I find it very hard to get a good moisturiser. Often they are too rich for me or they irritate my skin. I was in boots recently and I saw the 'botanics oil free moisturiser' which stated on the bottle that it is suitable for sensitive skin.


Here is the blurb from the boots website:
'Botanics Sensitive Oil Free Moisturiser Leaves skin clear, healthy and shine free. As this Botanics Moisturiser is Oil Free it does not block pores leaving your skin feeling fresh. With Sweet Gale which is an antibacterial essential oil to purify the skin and fight bacteria associated with spots and blemishes you can feel cofident all day. Plant extracts at levels that really work, combined and formulated for unbeatable product performance. Naturally.'


I have been using this moisturiser every morning for a few weeks now and I am very impressed. Here is my list of good points:

1.It feels really fresh when applied to the skin (perfect for mornings)
2.It absorbs quickly.
3.It is an excellent base for makeup(foundation does not slip off).
4.It does not irriate my skin at all
5.It is inexpensive
6.It has a pump dispenser which is very easy to use and very hygenic

I do have 2 small concerns about the product:


1.It does not contain any SPF
2.I am not very keen on the scent but I can live with this.

I would highly recommend this moisturiser if you have oily or combination skin and are looking for something gentle.
Thanks for reading & I would love to hear what moisturisers you like.
xx

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Irish Goodies

Hello,

Happy St. Patricks day everyone. In honour of St. Patrick, today I want to talk about some great Irish goodies.

Nadur organics (http://www.nadurorganics.ie/)supply luxurious bath and body products. All products are pure and natural and contain essential oils. I think I will be adding the following products to my wish list:

Pamper bath box



Revive bath and massage oil.

Another great Irish company is Seavite(http://www.seavite.ie/). Seavite are Ireland's original organic seaweed skincare range. It is based on the therapeutic benefits of organic seaweed which helps to enhance people's health and wellbeing. They supply cleansers, mositurisers, bath & shower gels and body lotions. They even have seaweed shampoo and conditioner. I have used the 'revitalising organic seaweed bath and shower gel' in the past and I really loved it. It is great if your skin is feeling particularly sensitive.


The Burren Perfumery (http://www.burrenperfumery.com/) supplies soaps, creams, candles, oils and perfumes. The company has been likened to the Jo Malone of Ireland and all products are inspired by the landscape and environment of the Burren. I am really looking forward to trying their products and the next time I am in the burren I will definately drop in to see the herb gardens, visit the tea rooms and purchase some soaps.


So this was just a short review of some Irish companies that interest me. There are many more wonderful Irish companies out there and I think its very important that we remember to support our local ecomomy.

Thanks for reading and please let me know if there are any Irish products you really like.




Sunday, March 14, 2010

Bath Times

Hi there,

I hope you are all having a nice enjoyable weekend. One of my favourite ways to relax at the weekend is to have a nice long soak in the bath. Baths can help to relieve stress,anxiety, insomnia, muscle aches,menstrual pains,tension headaches and can leave you feeling blissed out and happy with the world.


I am a big fan of Lush baths but I also love the Radox sleep easy bath therapy bubble bath. It contains jasmine and chamomile and I find the scent very relaxing and calming.You can get so many baths from one 500ml bottle and it creates great bubbles. At just €2.00 a bottle I think this is excellent value.



When I take a bath I like to light some candles and read a book.I have damaged so many books by getting them wet in the bath!Here are two books I have enjoyed reading recently:

Little Black everything by Alex Coleman

The Disengagement Ring by Clodagh Murphy

Both are light and fluffy and perfect for relaxing bath time reading.

Thanks for reading and I would love to hear about your favourite bath products. xx

Monday, March 8, 2010

Oscar Dresses

Hi there, happy monday.
There was a little sunshine today & we had oscar dresses to look at so overall not too bad a far as mondays go!
Here are a few of my favourite looks from the Oscars 2010:
Anna Kendrick

Sandra Bullock

Cameron Diaz

Whose look did you like?

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral Foundation


I bought this foundation in Boots around Christmas time so I have been using it on and off for a few months now. I bought the shade ivory and I think it is a perfect match for my skin tone. Often I find that foundations are slightly too pale or slightly too dark so I was really happy with the shade. Also I am really impressed that it contains SPF15 which is better protection than most foundations offer.

My skin is combination and sometimes this foundation does not offer great coverage or stay on my skin very long. It can make my nose look very oily and I always have to wear powder over it just to hide this. However some days when my skin is less oily it can go on well and look really nice and natural. On those days I adore this foundation.

I want to point out that that this is marketed as a mineral foundation so I thought it might be paraben free but I was disappointed to see that it contains all the usual nasties.

If have dry or normal skin and are looking for a nice natural foundation I would recommend giving this one a try.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Blue Skies Bubble Bar Slice

I was passing by the lush store today and I could not stop myself from going in. I think I have become a bit of a Lush addict of late. Anyway I did not linger long because I knew exactly what I wanted. I had spotted the blue skies bubble bar slice on the website and I knew it had to be mine. So today I handed over the €5.10 and it was mine.


The bubble bar is really pretty with blue and white swirls. When I got home I kept taking it out of the bag to give it a little sniff. It contains a wonderful concoction of scents including patchouli and cinnamon bark. I could not resist the temptation very long and before I knew it I was running the water, crumbling the bubble bar and hopping into the bath.

The bath was relaxing and enjoyable. The water turned blue and there were lots of lovely white bubbles. I can understand exactly how this bubble bar got its name. When I got out of the bath my skin was soft and smelled lovely. The scent does linger on the skin and I can still smell it now a few hours later.

Overall I am very happy with this product. I used less than a third of the bar slice for my bath today so this is much better value for money than any of the bath ballistics. Also it has something I like which none of the bath ballistics have – BUBBLES!