Mastering Your Makeup: 2019

A Review Of: b.tan I want the darkest tan possible

Hey Lovelies,

Look at this back with another review just like that! I'm finding this new way of writing much easier and if you ever have anymore questions following on from my blogpost, you can always reach me through my Instagram Mastering Your Makeup. So let's see what we have in store today...

Product Name: b.tan I want the darkest tan possible...

Cost: €12.50 (bought by me)

Where can I get it? Roches Chemist

How do I use it? Using the b.tan I don't want tan on my hands mit (gifted to me) or any other tan mitt you have. Working from the feet us, apply the mousse onto clean, dry skin. If you need to shave, do this the day before and make sure to also exfoliate the skin. A lot of the time people assume a tan is bad but it can be that the skin wasn't prepped properly so it won't sit on your skin as flawless as you would like it. For me, if I know I want to wear tan on the weekend, I will be prepping from the Monday. I'll make sure to have at least one bath to really scrub all the dregs of the last tan off and then in the shower everyday exfoliation gently and moisturize myself fully.

Highlights: First off the price of this tan is very good. It's at the lower end of the tanning budget which is always a bonus. It's also quite quick drying, you're not walking around sticky for too long. I apply tan in the evening, a good bit before bed. I tend to get really hot when I sleep so I need the tan to have soaked in before I get into bed. In the morning, quick body rinse and lash on more moisutiser to lock in the tan. I would find that for a tan called I want the darkest tan possible, on me being so pale it takes a least two layers to be really dark. Maybe a third on my legs.

Lowlights: The guide colour is desperate!!! It's grey! It's so scary! There's actually no other way to put it, it's not the most pleasant thing at all to put on your skin but please do not panic. It's not wrong, it's not a faulty bottle it's just the tone of the guide colour. Also for me being so pale, I can't say it's the best for giving me dark tan but I do really love how natural I look after the first layer shower.

Would I recommend it? Yes I would! I think if you like a natural tan when really pale like me and you don't want to pay through the nose for a tan, this is a great option. If you can also get over the panic of the guide colour, I think you'll really enjoy it!

Have you tired any of the b.tan products? Is there a colour you think would suit me better, let me know!

13:22:00
19 Comments

My current daytime foundation- Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation

Beauty

Hello Lovelies,

Long time no read. Without further adieu here is my first post n a long time and why not start off with a favourite, my favourite daytime foundation is the Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation.

I have blogged about this foundation before, I have been using it for over three years and more importantly I have repurchased it in three different shades more than twice each! It's an absolute godsend for my skin. I really like the finish on my skin, I love the shades for when I have no tan, a daytime tan, and a night out kinda tan. I love the price tag of less than €7 (€6.95 I believe and I also love how easily available it is on my weekly visits to Penneys!

How I use it changes on the regular. Sometimes I'll blend onto my face using a beauty blender, other times a flat brush or a domed brush kabuki brush with complete ease. A little will go a long way and as the coverage is so good, One full dropper is more than you need to create a full coverage look. You can also layer it up on your skin if you are having a little breakout without it looking cakey on the skin. I will add just a small drop more onto areas such as my chin if its the time of the month and I'm having a flare up!

The shades are use are 010 for when I have no tan, I do need to blend this down onto my neck as it is slightly darker than my pure paleness but not so much that I can't get away with it. 030 has to be my favourite shade, it's stunning for a lick of tan on the skin to really give you a healthy glow. 040 is for those Friday's in work when tanning Thursday has been a total success and I'm a bronzed goddness walking around.

I have used this for night's out but I like to spoil my skin when I'm going out. I save all my high end products for the glam night's out. It's just a personal preference of mine but I wouldn't hesitate to use this for an event. The quality is excellent.

I think this has to be my favourite product from Catrice Cosmetics at the moment which means it has passed out my former favourite the camouflage concealer. I was really lucky in December while I was at home for Christmas to pick up all three shades in our Sam Mcauley chemist which unfortunately closed down. It now means in my current stash I have all three shades and a spare bottle. Perhaps because I'm looking at the bottles so often it made me want this to be my first blog post back in action.

Have you tried the HD Foundation from Catrice, what are your thoughts?

09:53:00
23 Comments

Electrolysis- Is it really as bad as you think?

Blogger

Hello Lovelies,

A hair removal post... I can see what you're thinking already... really Emma? Well as a strong independent women I'm not afraid to talk about unwanted hair because I can tell you now, chin hair is completely unwanted by me!!

During the infamous (at this stage) wedding preparation, I had been regularly waxing my chin. I'd get the usual 1-2 weeks out of it and then one morning, I'd be standing in front of the mirror in the room and BAM I'd look like a yetti. No joke I'd be absolutely disgusted that these little hairs have just appeared and I'd always be wondering where the hell they came back from?

While discussing this one day getting my nails done in Elaine's Beauty, she ask had I heard of Electrolysis? I said yes but wasn't 100% sure what it meant. Elaine explained the process to me and offered to take a look at my chin hair and try out the eletroylsis and I agreed to write a post on it.

On Elaine's Website HERE I have taken all the information on the process for you to take a look at......

What is it??

Electrolysis is the method of removing individual hairs from the face or body. Most areas can be treated, most common is the lip, chin, neck and sides of the face. Eyebrows, abdomen, breasts, toes can also be treated.

There is slight reddening of the skin after the treatment, this should disappear within a couple of hours after treatment.

Why causes hair growth?

Hair growth is a result of heredity or hormone levels. Also some drugs and illness can stimulate growth.

How many Treatments will you need?

Many factors influence hair growth, so you will need to return for several electroylsis visits. The total number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from a particular are will vary from person to person. Most clients retutn once a week or every other week for best quicker results. Each treatment ususally lasts 15mins.

Is it painful?

It is hard to destroy the hair growth without some sensation. The sensation will vary for each individual, and adjustments will be made to make the treatment as comfortable as possible for you. Stress and increased hormone levels can make you more sensitive to hair removal.

What does it cost?

Minimum Charge €15

15mins €20

6 x 15mins sessions €100 - Saving €20

30mins €30

6 x 30mins sessions €160 - Saving €20

So there you go all the info on what the process is so now let me tell you how I got on. As always I plan to be completely honest so I am going to start off with a positive, the hair growth rate reduced from the first time having the electrolysis and now that I have had it twice, I did see a slow down in the return of the hair. That's really good news, also paying €20 every 3-4 weeks for the chin removal works out for me similar to what I would be paying for keeping up with the waxing so again that was a strong positive in favour of getting electrolysis.

I do however have some negatives but I have to say that this is a complete personal opinion and while I am comfortable to talk about my own experience, I can only judge my own face and my own hair strength. I found some of it so sore!! I am currently attending a laser hair removal clinic in Dublin City centre, I started last Jan 2018 and have had 6 full sessions and one since the honeymoon. I will have a post coming about that in the next while as I'm still undecided on whether or not I would recommend it to others. In comparison to the little money I'd be spending on my chin getting electrolysis, I'm paying a whopping €180 per session for the laser.

I haven't gone off topic there just highlighting the comparison because I actually thought that going through that sort of pain the chin would be no problem to me. I was wrong. Some hairs I didn't feel as much as others. The way I would describe it would be a sting, heat and then relief. If you were to count 10 seconds per hair it'd be too much so that is how quick it is.

I went in very brave, I was calm and we were chatting and then one hair really hurt me and all of a sudden I went into a little panic, I was completely overthinking the process and it was reminding me of the laser sessions. I wanted to stop but I knew it would be over soon. Elaine is super at recognisng when you're not OK, she asked me so many times was I alright to continue and offered to stop. My own stubbornness took over and I just wanted it done and dusted. That was my experience on the first session. One the hair has been removed, you feel nothing, so when Elaine said to me we were all done, I didn't feel a thing on my skin, sure it was slightly red but from waxing I'm well used to that!

I went into the second session much braver, I knew what was about to happen so I prepared myself mentally just telling myself to count through it and I really didn't find it as bad again. Sure it was still sore but nothing like the first time. I do that so often, I build up a little panic in myself and then when I'm getting something done it's never as bad the second time.

As I said at the start I haven't had it done again since the honeymoon but that's purely a time thing. It's something I will consider as a new way to permanently remove the hair on my chin. As I am still working on the laser appointments and the costing of €180 every 6 weeks for the foreseeable future, the electrolysis may be something I come back to very soon.

If you have any more questions or would like any information from Elaine on Electrolysis or any of her other treatments she has in the salon, please do get in touch through her social media, she is an absolute world of knowledge and always happy to help.

09:55:00
12 Comments

Foundation Review- Armani Luminous Silk

Beauty

Hello Lovelies,

God it really feels like an eternity since I posted a one product review like this. Of course I'll blame the wedding but we are know there's way more to that like time management in our general lives, you certainly don't need the excuse of a wedding as a blogger, not to have the time to do something.

I actually had every intention of posting this long before the wedding as I was considering this to be one of my wedding foundations. I had heard so many good things about it that I went to Brown Thomas' one very busy Saturday and got skin matched to a light tan to get the correct shade I thought I'd need.

On the big day itself, I didn't end up wearing this foundation but... I brought it on honeymoon instead. 3 weeks in Thailand was deffo going to be a test for this foundation!

So how did it get on? I loved it!! Honestly I was so chuffed with this foundation in the heat and with all the sun factor products I was also wearing. How I started with the Armani Luminous Silk foundation was researching popular bridal foundations online followed by a quick stop at the Armani Counter in Brown Thomas'. There I was skin matched by a lovely MUA who of course at this stage I've forgotten her name. I explained it was my wedding coming up and that I was looking for a healthy glowing look without being shiny on the wedding day.

I was matched to a shade 5 which wasn't too dark but deffo not my pale tan. This actually proved a little funny towards the end of the honeymoon as I decided to skip reapplying the tan and just go with the pale. Trying to dry fake tan in a humid Thailand was not my best plan, even with air conditioning.

So back to the foundation here's some of the claims from the brand itself...

Keywords:
Luminous - Lightweight - Comfortable

Benefits:
Lightweight, buildable, medium coverage foundation

Type:
Fluid Foundation

Reveal your inner light. Inspired by charmeuse silk, "The Fabric of Emperors," this luminous foundation glides on weightlessly for a flawless lit-from-within glow. 30ml format. Using exclusive Micro–fil™ technology to sculpt and brighten, this buildable, medium coverage foundation improves texture and blurs imperfections. Comes in 24 shades to match every unique skin tone.

How to apply:
Use the blender brush for a radiant, air-brushed finish.

We're Honored: InStyle Best Beauty Buy award-winner for "Best Liquid Foundation" for the 13th Year in a Row!

I have to agree with the brand on a few of their points here.. I would completely agree it is a medium coverage foundation but does have the capacity to build once applied again in a new layer. I also think it's lightweight as I really wouldn't have manged a heavier foundation in that heat. So it was both easy to apply and easy to remove with an oil based cleanser (I love my Dermalogica precleanse oil so I'm never without it)

I can completely see why so many brides love this foundation and it may just be on my wish list again once this one runs out, I think in a darker shade this time so I can use it for nights out kinda tan ;)