Saturday 29 June 2013

Barry M vs. Sugar Dolls

Hello!!
I'm going to be killing two birds with one stone with this post. I'm a sucker for a good nail polish and especially a pretty pink. I've been on the look out for a neon pink for years now after buying a fantastic shade in America 5 years ago!
So I first came across the Barry M limited edition shade in a pink, which looked like it could be a nice dark neon-ish shade. The second shade I came across was Sugar Dolls #54 (available in A|Wear on Grafton Street). Both fell into completely different price brackets and both gave different results. 
Barry M (Left) and Sugar Dolls (Right)
Barry M Limited Edition Nail Polish
I'll start with the Barry M nail polish. At this stage everyone knows how much I love Barry M, and because this shade was limited edition I just had to purchase it. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed. It was so watery, looked quite similar to other shades Barry M have realised and chipped way too quick. The only thing that was good, was their bottle design to be honest. I was severely annoyed with this and would recommend any of you not to waste your time!
Sugar Dolls #54 Nail Polish
Ok so secondly, I purchased Sugar Dolls in shade #54. I've never used this brand before or even heard of this shade, but I'm so glad I did. I just happened to be in A|Wear on Grafton Street, and spotted this shade. It was a bit pricey at €10 each, HOWEVER, they had a promotion running meaning that these were 2 for €10. So technically one bottle worked out to be the same price as Barry M. SCORE!! I love love love this shade. It's bright, applies with easy, one coat will do, doesn't fade and after a few days I noticed very few chips! I was delighted! The only issue I had was that the shade was a little flat meaning you need a top coat to make it look glossy. Other than that it was perfect!

What do you girls think?! Have you tried either of these shades?!

Friday 28 June 2013

Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover

Hey girls, 
So just a quick post today about my new eye make up remover! I posted awhile ago about "Johnsons gentle eye make up remover" and mentioned how fantastic it was. So over the past few weeks I've noticed it's running dangerously low and have been looking everywhere for it. On Wednesday night, I was literally trying to get the last drip out and realised I had to opt for a substitute (reluctantly). Thursday came around and I was having lunch with Ash and Meghan in Dundrum. After, myself and Ash went shopping and of course ended up in Penneys/ Primark. Whilst here I noticed they stocked Rimmel eye make up remover (it was only €5.53 and I was getting desperate). 

So, last night I used it for the first time and I was very pleased. The tiniest bit goes the longest way! It took all my eye make up off within about 5 swipes (I didn't even have to rub hard). Now this product is labelled GENTLE eye make up remover and it sort of stung my eyes a little. This could be because I have super sensitive eyes, but I didn't necessarily think it was gentle. 
Other than the slight stinging it done the job perfectly and I would recommend it. However, if I come across any of the Johnsons eye make up remover I'll be stocking up. 
Have you ever tried Rimmels Gentle Eye Make Up Remover?! What did you think?!

Tuesday 18 June 2013

The BIG move to BlogLovin'

Hi all,
Just a quick post about Google reader shutting down. I've read a lot of post over the past while about Google having a wee "spring clean" and completely getting rid of Google reader. So this means I'll lose all my fabulous followers. I've been using BlogLovin' for the past few months and to be honest I love it. I get emails everyday with new updates and I also have the app on my phone so I can read posts on the go! It's, of course, free to download and easy to use. 
I got an email last night from Bloglovin' reminding me to import all the blogs I follow on Google reader. This was easy to do as I literally had to click a link, and badabing-badaboom it was done. If your not a blogger and just like following blogs you can do this too!

Click here to do so yourself. 




I also read a fantastic BLOG about this whole change over which helper a lot. You should really read these at it help to clarify the whole situation.

Don't forget in the mean time you can check my blog out via Bloglovin' or follow me on Twitter for any blog updates :)

                                                     Bloglovin Twitter Facebook

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Yes to Carrots Hand and Elbow Moisturiser

Good morning lovelies!! 
A few months ago I ordered a few bits from Fragrance Direct after seeing how ridiculously cheap they were!! I filled up my cart with about 8 items of brand name products and they all added up to around £20. Add to this the delivery cost and the total was near enough £25!! The postage and packaging is bit steep for my liking but to be honest I'd spend that money on petrol getting to a good Boots store (i.e. Liffey Valley, as Nutgrove has a poor selection, and after recent events in Dundrum, I prefer to venture further afield!). I bought lots of stuff that's overly priced in Irish stores, for less than half of the price. Essie nail polish was £1.99 and Dainty Doll was around the same price mark!! 
One of the products I bought was 'Yes to Carrots' hand and elbow cream. I've been moisturising my hands for around 6 years now and to be honest it's not because I have dry hand or anything, it's because my mam has always been fond of hand moisturisers and I guess it was a natural progression I made! I bought this had cream for £1.99 and it is fantastic. It smells amazing, leaves my hands moisturised, isn't greasy at all and it came in a HUGE bottle. Amazing really!! This sits at my bedside and I use it morning, noon and night. I really wish I had stocked up on it now though! 
The only issue with this is that it's not available in stores as it's discontinued stock, which also means if Fragrance Direct run out, it'll be even more difficult to track down. 
Have you girls ever tried any Yes to Carrots products? What hand moisturisers would you recommend?

Monday 10 June 2013

Cocoa Brown Night and Day Tan

Hi girls!
So I've been meaning to post this review for a few weeks now but I literally haven't found the time at all. So, anyone that knows me, knows how much I love Cocoa Brown tan (you can find my review of the 1hour tan here). I recently got the Night and Day tan, which is as the name suggests, dark by night and light by day. This is a revolutionary new tanning approach, so after all of the hype (and my love for their 1hour tan) I couldn't wait to try this one. 
On nights out I love having a dark tan, without being orange, and it's so difficult to find the right mix. With summer being upon us, it's no longer acceptable to be as "white as a sheet" and being a natural red head with ridiculously fair skin I burn in the sun, so a sunless tan is my best friend at this time of year. 
You can see the difference between my natural colour (right) and the night and day shade (left). The picture actually makes me look darker than I am, so the difference is huge. Like their previous tan, it doesn't smell, is easy to apply, leaves a fantastic colour and dries within seconds (meaning last minute nights out are no longer an issue). 
The one issue with this tan that I had was that it clumps to dry skin, so moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!! I wore this last Wednesday when I was heading out with college and it went really dark on one knee due to a graze I had (I'm extremely clumsy and fell, more than once, 2 weeks previous). However, this would have happened with ANY tan so it's not a huge problem! It's available in most pharmacies for only €7.99, so for the price you really can't go wrong. And, if its anything like the 1hour tan it will last forever! I would highly recommend this to everyone and it's now a staple to my tanning kit!
What do you girls think about Cocoa Brown products? Have you tried the Night and Day tan?

Wednesday 5 June 2013

NYC Foil Explosion Nail Polishes

Hello lovely ladies,
Just a quick post today to inform you all about recent events! Today is the day I hand my thesis up. It has finally come to an end and I finished on time. So needless to say, I'm delighted. 
On Saturday I attended a blogger meet up by organised by Katie Healy from What Katie Healy did. It was so much fun to meet loads of different bloggers from all across Ireland. We got loads of free goodies including NYC's Foil Explosion nail polishes. 
I think at this stage everyone knows I can't resist a good nail polish and we were lucky enough to receive all 5 shades. From my first impression I wasn't too sure how I felt about these shades within the bottles but I had to try them regardless. This is where the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" comes in, not only do these apply really well,(one coat was sufficient) but they're also quick drying and super inexpensive (they retail at about €1.99). 
The shades are really pretty, with my favourite being #012 Enchanting Fire. It's a kind of pink shade and I think it's really pretty. The one down fall is that they chip quite easily, but to be honest for the price and how quick it dries it doesn't really bother me. 
I'd recommend these shades to any nail polish lover and these will be perfect for any summer beach party, especially the bronze shade #010 Pure Air. 
Have any of you girls tried these new shades? What do you think?