Beauty News and Reviews: The name is Lush (Part 3)

Happy Monday! Yes, I am way too excited for a Monday evening but I am approaching this week with nothing but a positive attitude.

Well as I am sure you've guessed by now, this is the last of my trilogy beauty post. If you've read the other ones then you'd know I was up in Dublin a couple of weeks ago for a casual trip and accidentally came back with more than I had planned on buying...... it happens to the best of us. 

For my final post on the trip I (in my opinion) have saved the best until last. LUSH. What can I say, I've known you for two weeks and you have completely changed my life. My skin has done a 180 degree turn from dry, dull and in need of some care to radiant, clear and under complete control. I'm prone to react to many face products because of all my allergies so now that I've turned to Lush, I'm never turning back.

Here are the products that I've gone for...

1. Love Lettuce (face mask): This is ranked No.1 because it truly is No.1. This tiny jar of magic is the product that has given my skin a huge makeover. It is literally like it sucks out all the dirt from your face during the 5-10 minutes that you have it on. And, it retails at only €6.95!

 2. Mask of Magnaminty (face mask): Again, another fantastic product from Lush. It does even more wonders for your skin but has the scent of peppermint instead. This was also €6.95 and it is recommended that you leave it on for 5-10 minutes. 

Tip: To all of you with fussy noses, be sure to give the masks a good whiff before you buy them. If you don't like the smell then there's no good in having them on your face now is there? :P

3. Shoot for the stars bath bomb along with another bath bomb (that I have forgotten the name of because my dad threw out the packaging.......): But anyway, these are both equally as fantastic as each other and it was an added bonus that I got them on sale (both were just €2). I originally saw them being reviewed by Zoe from Zoella and Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter months ago and really loved the sound of them. Shoot for the stars releases moisturising oils and even adds a bit of sparkle to your bath. The other unknown bath bomb releases more skin perfecting oils and completely re hydrates your skin. They're girly, fun and super relaxing. 

Zoe

Louise

An added bonus of using Lush Cosmetics is that all the products are organic and free of any sort of chemicals. They also support the cause against animal testing! They really are a people's product. Why not help the environment and your skin by visiting a Lush store near you or order online at www.lush.co.uk.

Much Love and Happy Pampering,

Shannon.

xoxo

Beauty News and Reviews: Benefit, Urban Decay and The Body Shop (Part 2)

Welcome back to yet another post about more beauty products! You may or may not have seen my last post about the new "Primping With The Stars" kit but it was among the purchases from Dublin last week.

So to begin. I've recently been given an Urban Decay palette as a gift and it is so gorgeous but the colours I need for everyday wear are just not in it. I use it every time without fail if I'm going out but the colours are too vibrant and exciting for work :P I didn't want to go buying a full sized naked palette because I already have so many palettes and I wanted something that would fit nicely into my makeup bag. So I got the Naked Basics palette which retails at €26. I adore the Urban Decay eye shadows so I had no problem with the price. They last all day and blend in so nicely together. You can't go wrong having this baby in your everyday makeup routine!

Colours: Venus//Foxy//W.O.S//Naked2//Faint//Crave

I then proceeded to toddle into The Body Shop. I wanted to have a peak at what they had on offer and I am oh so pleased with what I was able to get. This face illuminator is just fantastic. It gives your face such a healthy and dewy glow even with just a smidge. Apply in selected ares before applying your foundation. This product retails at €8.35 but hurry, it's on sale!

And lastly. The mother of all purchases. The benefit "Watts Up" champagne highlighter. This is the product that I have been set on getting for way too long. It truly is absolutely amazing. This retails at €35 and it is so worth the price! It gives your cheek bones such a luscious and silky appearance and lasts the entire day. It is without a doubt my favourite purchase from the trip.

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Beauty News and Reviews: Benefit "Primping with the Stars" Kit (Part 1)

Welcome all to my first beauty news and reviews post of 2014! You may have seen in my Sales Haul post HERE that I was up in Dublin this time last week and may have made some sneaky purchases. Let's just say that House of Fraser was hit hard by me! Let's get started shall we?

So to begin here is the new "Primping with the Stars" kit from benefit. This retails at €36. I know it's a bit pricey but it is benefit after all. I think that these kits are amazing for benefit beginners and to those who are interested in trying small samples before committing to a full sized product. They're a great way to test things out and get a good feel for them. And as usual, the packaging is just divine!

1. "Stay Don't Stray" primer for concealers and eyeshadows. This is a great primer and really does do what it says on the tin. It keeps everything in tact and does not allow it to wander all over your face.

2. "Pore-fessional" pro balm primer. This is to minimize the appearance of pores as well as a primer. This is something I know I'll be buying the full size version of. It's one of the best sellers as well!

3. "Some kind-a gorgeous" cream foundation. This leaves my skin looking silky and evens out my complexion. It's a lightweight foundation that leaves my skin feeling like it's barely got anything on while still giving amazing coverage.

4. "Bene-tint" lip and cheek stain. This is a see through colour stain that is used on the lips and cheeks. It lasts for hours and makes your cheeks look radiant. 

5. "Girl Meets Pearl" liquid pearl luminizer. This features light reflecting pigments that makes your complexion look simply radiant. This was the first ever benefit product that was given to me as a gift when I was 14. I've been using it ever since. It's a quick way to give your skin a freshened up look even after having make up on the whole day.

6. "They're Real!" mascara. Well, this is benefit's best selling mascara and now I know why. It spreads out your lashes and gives them a flawless look. Some people might not even believe they're your own! A must buy!

I'll really be focusing on beauty over the next few posts as there are quite a lot of things to cover. I didn't want to put all of it in at once as it would have been quite a long read and who wants that!?! Let me know what you think of these posts!

Stay tuned to see three other products that I bought from Urban Decay, benefit and The Body Shop.

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

  

Sales Haul

Well I'm sure you can tell from the title that this is yet another haul. Some of you know that I work in Next and I had the joy of working on St. Stephens day at 6am. Dare I say that it actually wasn't as bad as I had prepared myself for. yes it was early, I was tired and recovering from extreme food consumption. But I survived. One of the perks of working in retail is that you get to see all the sale stock first and choose what you want to put aside. They had it in River Island last year but I was just about able to afford the bus home let alone a new wardrobe. 

I also made a trip to Dublin last Friday with my family. The initial reason for going up was so my brother could spend his birthday money and we all just went along to make a day of it. Well, I definitely made a day of it..... Most of it was skincare and makeup that I will feature in my next "Beauty news and Reviews" post which should go up on Friday :) But for now, here's what I got.

Perfume €3.50 Next

Chandelier Fairy Lights €18 Next

Green Leopard Print baggy pants €13 Next

Black velvet crop top €15 Bershka

Faux Fur Hood Cloak €18 Next

Faux Fur Leopard Print neck warmer €7.50 Next 

Shoes €9 New Look

Candles €4 from Next

 Bunny Slippers €7.50 Next

I really do love all the bits and bobs I got. Most of them were for everyday use. I also bought a jumper and a onesie but both are currently in the wash :P Stay tuned for a look at what I got beauty wise along with a review!

I also had some fun today in graphics class and used photo shop to create this. I was rather pleased :P

Before

 

After

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Galway Designers and Bloggers Showcase: February Edition

Hello my little rosebuds! Happy New Year! I hope you are all starting the year with some well deserved shopping. Well have I got a tasty treat in store for you today.

You may have seen on my blog facebook page that I have been talking about a fashion event that I'll be speaking at in February. It's an opportunity for all upcoming bloggers and designers to get to know each other, mingle and talk about what it is that we do. Well this event will be featuring the designs of the lovely Sorcha, from Sorcha Style's, and the designs of Anna Kurylik. The two were classmates while studying fashion design Level 5 in GTI. Not only is Sorcha a designer, she's also a stylist, milliner and event coordinator who happens to be the woman behind this entire operation! She set up her brand last November and also studied Fashion Design Level 6. I have had the privilege of seeing Sorcha work first hand as well as being one of her current classmates. She's an incredibly hard worker who oozes talent.

All the proceeds from this wonderful event will go to COPE which is an organisation that helps the elderly, women and children experiencing domestic violence and the homeless. It's an amazing cause so don't be afraid to pop in! I've also been asked to give a small talk on dressing for your body shape and I'll be open to answer any questions throughout the night.

The event will take place in The Stock Exchange in Galway on February the 2nd 2014. It's an amazing venue that has hosted some killer fashion events since it's opening last year.

Photographer - Patrick Lennon
MUA - Taylor Foyle
Hair - Sharon Dmake
Models - Olga Devigant and Caoimhe Mullin

Bloggers At The Event

Shannon Barry - The Edge of Glamour

Sinead Reilly - Sans Reason

Rebecca Casserly - Bec Boop Fashionista World

Michelle McDonagh - Intrigued and Infatuated

Shannen Van Ravestijn - All Things Fashion
Saskia Pechova - Keepin' It Real

Designers and Milliner

Sorcha Browne of Sorcha Style's 

Anna Kurylik

Ceri Staunton
Louise Ni Criochnil

Much Love,
Shannon.
xoxo