Mastering Your Makeup

SkinLogic Spa Naas- A Grand Re-Opening

16:27:00
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The Battle of the Night Creams

Happy Friday folks!

Night creams…Do we need them? I remember a couple of years ago I’d never wear a night cream, now don’t get me wrong my makeup was always taken off and I might lash on a bit of moisturiser but I was never very good at keeping a skincare routine. It’s the same at the moment I am in a bit of a routine but I know for sure it could be so much better. It’s not that I don’t care about my skin, of course I do but there’s just not enough time in the day to do all the beauty things I want and still either be on time for work or get to bed at a reasonable hour.

I must however state the hours I spend on social media really eat into my beauty time, do you ever find that you sit down for ‘a minute’ and next thing nearly an hour has passed because you were too busy checking snapchat, creeping on Facebook and druelling over pictures on Instagram…No? Just me then!

One thing I have been doing religiously over the last few months though is using a night cream, three actually so today I want to talk about them and let you know my thoughts on what I’ve been using.
So the three in question for today are The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleep Mask, Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep and Ren Wake Wonderful Night Time Facial.

Here is some of the info on all three products:

Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleep Mask:

“Discover our new Drops of Youth™ Bouncy Sleeping Mask, enriched with Edelweiss stem cells. Designed to be left on overnight, it leaves skin looking bouncier and feeling replenished
• Youth-enhancing formula for bouncier-looking skin
• Unique bouncy, memory shape texture
• With Edelweiss stem cells”

A 90ml tub costs around €25

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep:

“In response to an ever increasing problem, VICHY has created IDEALIA SKIN SLEEP, the ﬁrst night product clinically proven to stimulate all the skin’s deep sleep mechanisms, to ensure no matter how many hours sleep you have the skins nightly functions will remain at their optimum.
All these actives combine in a comforting gel-balm texture providing the richness of a balm with the freshness of a gel, offering a highly sensorial experience, even for those with sensitive skin. IDEALIA SKIN SLEEP is the perfect choice for those looking for their ﬁrst anti-ageing night cream to ensure they awake with ideal skin, those who suffer from poor sleep patterns, work late shifts or who travel frequently crossing worldwide time-zones. IDEALIA SKIN SLEEP also has a proven relaxing effect promoting deep sleep due to the unique green tea and jasmine fragrance. After 4 weeks 73% of women felt more relaxed before going to sleep.”

A 50ml tub of this costs €28

Ren Wake Wonderful Night Time Facial:

“Dreaming of renewed and radiant skin? REN Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial delivers a full-on facial while you sleep, working overnight to leave skin visibly brighter, more luminous, refined and even-toned by morning.
Just smooth it on before bedtime and let the transforming serum begin its three-phase treatment while you drift off to sleep. First step, just like a salon facial, is exfoliation. Tropical fruit acids gently encourage natural exfoliation to leave the skin feeling smoother and looking brighter.
When exfoliation is complete, a complex of minerals and sugars helps energise the skin; just like the massage step of a facial, while omega oils boost the skin’s natural healing process to repair and soothe.
Finally, before you wake, an extract of yeast fermentation works to raise the skin’s pH back to its optimum level, drawing in moisture to leave the skin hydrated and plumped.”

A 40ml tube of this costs €40

So now onto what I liked and didn't like so let's start with money...easily the winner in the value for money section has to be The Body Shop product for sheer volume of a 90ml tub for only €25. I had been using this for weeks and still you cannot tell that I have taken anything out of the tub, it's like magic it's a really jelly like consistency so it kind of blobs out onto your fingers, it's weird absolutely but literally isn't disappearing on me at all so that totally wins the value prize.

The next point has to be the smell, I am not funny about smells on my face as sometimes the more natural the product the not so nice the smell but in comparing these three quite high in products, I have to say Vichy Skin Sleep wins this one. I can't help but love the skin sleep because it's pink but I am being critical here and the scent in the Vichy is a little nicer than The Body Shop but a hell of a lot nicer than the Ren Wake Wonderful Facial, that scent just isn't that nice in my opinion at all.

I am struggling a little with the Ren product I have to say and that's not really like me, I have used the REN Beauty Shot to death and absolutely love it, I also have a Moroccan Body Oil which is nearly all gone but I can't seem to love this night cream as much as those other products. I will however give the REN Wake Wonderful Facial the prize for the best travel friendly product. I know I am thrilled with the tub of The Body Shop cream for value sake but it's very hard to bring anywhere, a 90ml of anything is quite hard to bring anywhere so I do like that the REN bottle is a pump bottle so it's less messy to use as with The Body Shop, the Vichy Skin Sleep is a pot so you have to stick your fingers into it and it does have a little weight to it so REN wins out on the handiness factor here.

In my opinion, all three of these products were nice when put on, a little sticky and a little tight feeling but all three really showed to be working on the skin. Sleeping wasn't an issue but with all three I do feel you need to be up just a little while longer to let the product start to sink into the skin as all will have you sticking to your pillow if you jump straight in. In the mornings I was left with a clean fresh feeling from all products so I believe in this instance none of the products are bad or get the thumbs down from me but I feel from a repurchase point of view I would happily buy the Vichy Skin Sleep again and probably The Body Shop bouncy mask if I ever manage to run out of it that is.

If you have any questions on these products I'd love to hear from you or if you have tried any of the above Night Creams then how did you get on?

15:58:00
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Catrice Cosmetics Shine Appeal Fluid Lipstick

16:39:00
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My Makeover with Glamour Puss Makeup Waterford

21:31:00
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An Evening with Lush Cosmetics

21:27:00
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An Open Letter to the Blogger Bashing Keyboard Warriors

Good evening folks...

Whether you are a follower of Boards.ie or not you may have seen some well known bloggers taking to their social media accounts and somehow explain this situation....Blogger bashing going on in relation to Snapchat. A discussion took place (which was rightly so.. CLOSED) and it went from people expressing opinions on the use of snapchat to blatant insults directed at named people.

Well I don’t use snapchat really, when I think of it I do, I never create videos and I barely remember to do it weekly let alone daily but...My thoughts on that discussion are F*CK that!!

I blog because I LOVE makeup and beauty products so excuse me if a company post something to me and I happen to like it. By loving makeup and beauty products it is extremely rare I won’t like something, it’s like green sweets I always like them, whether they are lime flavoured or apple I will always pick out the green one but it doesn’t matter if it’s a skittle, a jellybean or a wine gum I will like it!! So if you’re looking for me to slate something then chances are you won’t see it on my blog. If I break out in a horrible rash or my nails fall off from a polish then fair enough I’ll say stay away and protect your life but Jesus Christ I (like many other bloggers but I will only speak here for myself) am a huge fan so I like lots of things. I won’t bash a brand..you’ll never hear ‘that’s absolute muck lads stay away’ I am not that kinda blogger, I treat my blog although a hobby for me like a professional piece I work on, I don’t slate, bash or beat down on products, brands or people!

I am not one to rant, well not about blogging, don’t get me started on the bitching I do about life to my mother...usually I don’t give enough of a shit to care but f*ck me I’m a 28 year old woman who believe it or not would absolutely curl up in a ball and cry if someone took to an online form and slated something such as my accent or how I look, I am not a dart board target for you to fire your dart insults are...bollix to that!

If you don’t like my blog (Mastering Your Makeup...it’s epic follow me) then don’t come near it, if you think I’m full of shit, then avoid my page, if you think I haven’t a clue what I’m talking about..grand...as my little sisters would say, JOG ON!! I am very lucky to have a small, supportive audience, I had one negative experience to date in the almost two years I am blogging where my eyebrows became a target and for an hour I was sad, I told my mum and she snapped me into reality and that was it done. I didn’t put it up on my blog but I was hurt and then..I moved on. That’s easy for me to do, she didn’t think I needed as much brow product (hardly a f*ckin insult) but she didn’t slate my accent or say I was too self important or that I was boring, that shit would have crushed me!

Who gives anyone the right to make shit of others (you’ll notice my *’s are gone because I’m rightly pissed) Bloggers are people, people with feelings, thoughts, dreams and bloody insecurities. They’re not machines so give it a rest!

I support every blogger no matter what category they fall into, beauty, parenting, travel, food, fitness and all the rest. I work full time in a career nothing to do with beauty so I fit blogging in when I can, I am not 100% committed to my blog like others, I will be completely honest...I cannot keep up. I am forever buying makeup and beauty treats, I also do receive some beautiful products from companies and sometimes am so overwhelmed by it all it can takes weeks for me to write a review. A review I post will always be honest, I will try give you as much detail as possible, most importantly to me, my opinion. I have never once been paid to write a review and that’s why you will never see such a statement on my blog. To this date I have never charged for a blogpost, I have never sent a directive to companies saying I am now a charging blogger, I am not at that point and I don’t know if I ever will be. I pay to get my hair done, I pay to get my nails done, I buy a lot of my makeup myself but I do feel obliged to get the posts up about the products sent to me sometimes before my own purchases as I feel I will always have them.
By the way..blogging isn’t bloody easy!! You don’t just have your blog post to write, you have to share it to facebook, to twitter, pics to instagram, pics to snapchat, answer emails, interact with your followers, share press releases, build positive relationships with companies...and all this outside a full time career...give us a bloody break!

My blog is my passion, learning is my passion, if and this is a big IF I was loaded (winning the euro millions) and my life could be spent forever training in makeup and beauty courses I would be one very happy lady, but that’s not realistic for me. I have bills, I also have a boyfriend who’s a bit anti-social media to be honest and a family I’d never dare put on my blog. My blog is about my learning into makeup and beauty, my discovery of new products, my love of the good oldies and the lucky opportunities I have to attend events or meet makeup artists and other bloggers. For me, I do not choose to live my daily life on my blog, I keep my personal life personal and that is my choice but I am not ok, not a single bit ok with people slagging of bloggers who choose differently from me.

Some people charge...Some don’t.
Some people blog full time (it’s their job)...Some don’t.
Some people make videos on snapchat...Some don’t.
Some post about beauty..Some don’t.
Some post about fitness...Some don’t.
Some post about travel...Some don’t.
Some post about their other halves and children..Some don’t.

Everyone single one of them have...a heart, feelings, emotions, good days and bad day.
You...Do not have the right to hurt them...or me!!

Take what you will from this post....I am so sick of bloggers being attacked online by these keyboard warriors, as I said before, if you don’t like people for one reason or another...unfollow them don’t be hurtful, unkind, rude or just pure nasty!!

I am a blogger and I support all other bloggers, I will share their pages, like their posts, retweet their goings on, comment on their instagram and sometimes I’ll even snap them (if I remember to go onto that bloody app) I am a blogger lover and if there’s anyone out there who’s been hurt by that vicious forum then I am sending you huge hugs and love virtually!!!!!

Have Courage and Be Kind xxx

22:58:00
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AYU Make UP- Introduction to AYU and Review

www.facebook.com/ayu.dublin

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all well today, I am bringing you a look into an Irish makeup brand today AYU. AYU Makeup are not new to me but they may be new to some of you so I am going to attach a new press release on the company and also link in some of the pieces I have written on them before.

I can hand on heart say I really like this brand, I first came across it when I started blogging, Suzie and Laura have been extremely good to me as a blogger even helping me with donating brushes to a youth group I work with this year so I am delighted to be supporting them with their big spread throughout Ireland.

They have brought out more brushes since I first started using them, changed some of the brushes and revamped some of the pricing to match the fab quality but these are such budget friendly brushes! My favourite two AYU brushes which I feel are a total must have are the fluffy blender for only €5 and the angled liner brush for €4.50. The angled liner brush has finally helped me conquer the dreaded gel liner so I am thrilled with it and the fluffy blender is perfect for any makeup lover. Check out the press release and then get yourself over to www.ayumakeup.ie and snag yourself some brushes!

Past Posts:

AYU Concealer Palette & Foundation Brush: HERE

AYU 5 Brushes: HERE now AYU do a 4 piece All About Eyes set for only €18.50

INTRODUCING IRELANDS NEW MAKE UP BRUSH BRAND, AYU MAKE UP

*Press Release*: Beauty lovers rejoice! Let us introduce you to AYU Make Up Brushes. AYU, a name derived from the Indonesian word meaning ‘Beautiful’, is an Irish based Irish owned Make Up Brush Company set up by renowned makeup artist Suzanne O’Neill and her sister Laura Maher.

Suzanne has worked in the beauty industry for over ten years in roles varying from beautician to makeup artist to product trainer, over the years she answered many of the same questions from her clients when it came to makeup, ‘where did you get your makeup brushes?’ While recommending the usual mainstream brands, she knew that the price of the majority of them would deter some of her clients from purchasing the most essential tools in their makeup kit. It was then, when the brand AYU was born. The idea was to develop her own brand of brushes that would deliver the same quality and ease of use as the top brands but at a more affordable cost. Laura has worked in marketing and distribution for ten years and brought wealth of experience to AYU by sourcing and distributing products in the most cost effective way.

AYU hero products include the AYU Buffer Brush (€12.50), this multifunctional brush is ideal for creating a full coverage make up application with cream, liquid and power products. For those who are looking to expand their eye make-up brush collection, the AYU All About The Eyes 4pc (€18.50) is the brush set for you, the set includes the AYU Pro Blender, AYU Blender, AYU Angled Liner, and AYU Crease Brush. The AYU Angled Liner brush is a firm favourite among Irish ladies, this synthetic hair brush has a razor sharp angle for precision work and is suitable for working with gel, cream or powder on either the eye line or eyebrow.

Speaking of AYU, owner Suzanne O’Neill said, “We spent months working with our vendors to make sure that the quality of our product was as strong as that of the best on the market. We just always found it difficult to comprehend why the most simple of products needed to cost so much. We opted to sell mainly online in order to pass on these savings to our customers but as demand was so high we are now rolling out in pharmacies nationwide while still keeping prices affordable”.

AYU Make-Up brushes can be purchased online at www.ayumakeup.ie
Twitter: @Ayudublin

Facebook.com/ayu.dublin.com