My current makeup and tools

I wanted to do a post about what I'm currently using for my everyday makeup and what tools I like to use to do it. I recently changed the makeup I was using and think it suites me much better. I was a little nervous to post a before picture as my skin hasn't been great lately but then I thought why not after seeing other bloggers and vloggers showing off their no makeup faces and it is how I look after all. I do have to say that my skin here is so much better then it was a few weeks ago as I've started to use face masks and other products to help with my acne and eczema and scaring from it. 

Tools

Real techniques multi task brush (blusher)

Real techniques contour brush (bronze contour)

Real techniques setting brush (highlight)

Powder Brush (eBay)

Sponge (foundation)

Face

Boots Botanic All bright radiance balm.

Maybelline super stay better skin flawless finish foundation (005 Light Beige)

Rimmel Wake me up concealer (010 Ivory)

Rimmel Match perfection silky loose face powder (001 Transparent)

L'oreal Glam bronze and highlight (101 Blonde Harmony)

Blusher from blush palette (top right coral shade)

Eyes

W7 absolute lashes mascara (Blackest Black)

Eyebrows

Catrice eye brow pencil (040 Don't let me brown)

Lips

Burt's bees lip gloss (257 Ruby Moon)

Setting Spray

Models Prefer Finale make-up setting mist

Thanks for reading 

Neads xx

Doll white teeth whitening strips.

I received a 14 day pack of teeth whitening strips from Doll White recently which is so nice of them to send me and was so excited. These strips are mint flavoured and contain NO peroxide. I have noticed my teeth which have always been naturally white not so much lately. I drink a lot of tea and other things that don't exactly help so this was something that was on my mind to try out but with so many whitening products I couldn't figure out which to try so them sending me these was the perfect solution at just the right time. I thought the best way to do a review of these would be to keep a little diary sort of thing of my progress. So anyway here is my progress of my 14 day journey of whitening my teeth. 

Day one

After reading the instructions I decided to give them a go so I brushed my teeth dried them a bit, which feels weird then applied the strips to the top and bottom of my teeth. It's actually very simple I didn't have to move them around or adjust them or anything. They feel a little strange on and kept thinking they would fall off but it's ok they don't move even a little. I left them for 30 minutes and by that time I hardly knew they where there really. I peeled them off and cleaned any gel that was left off. That was it so simple I even noticed a slight difference not a huge one but a slight one. I have 13 more days to go so will keep a track of how I'm doing through the 14 days. The only thing I have against these so far is that I'm not a huge mint fan but that is just me and since they are not hugely minty I suppose I'll be grand maybe even get used to it lol.

Day six

Definitely seeing changes in my teeth. They are getting whiter every time I use the strips and I'm getting a bit better with the mint flavour (I'm really terrible you should see me around lemon flavoured things Yuck). I have used them everyday except for one as I wasn't feeling to well but apart from that it's going great so far. I usually put the strips on at night before bed because my teeth feel so nice and clean after that I don't want to eat anything lol.

Day 14

It been 14 days of using the teeth whitening strips and I've gotten so used to putting them on in the evenings that I think I'm going to miss them. Ok so after 14 days I can easily say that they made a huge difference, not only did I notice but I have had other people asking me if I was using something new like toothpaste or something. These strips are great and handy to use which is why I'm going to be buying a pack of these so I can keep going and get my teeth as white as possible. I have never used anything like this before or anything to whiten my teeth except for toothpaste so I was very intrigued by the strips.

You can check out their website Here which had tones of information on it and also has their shop where you can buy the strips. The 14 day pack is £19.99 which works out as less then £1.50 a day and they also come in packs of 28, 42 and 56.

Thanks for reading.

Neads xx

New Make Up

What started out as a trip to Tesco to get some baking bits with my sister turned into all this. I don't know how I ended up in the make-up aisle or who let me but I did and found some nice little bits. All of this lovely stuff cost me €41.27 and I even had a Tesco card on me woop.

First of all I got this it's Maybelline's new SuperStay Better Skin flawless finish foundation which cost €13.79. I got the shade 005 Light Beige which is also SPF20 which is great as I don't tend to buy foundations without SPF in them for daytime wear. It does say for normal skin which I don't have, I have oily, dry skin but it's impossible to find anything to suit me anyway so I do just go for normal foundations and prep my skin well. I noticed on the bottle in small writing it says "Even skin tone instantly better looking skin in 3 weeks". I'll be paying attention so. 

It's actually a nice shade on and not dry once I used it with a damp sponge to apply it. I have to say it's a great match for my skin which is typical when I spent all of 2 second picking it out compared to 10 or 20 minutes on others that looked crap lol. It's not as full coverage as I would like it though I could still see some red patches through it and had to put on a bit more in those areas other then that it was grand. 

Next I got this little pot of powder which is Rimmel Match Perfection silky loose face powder 001 transparent for €9.99. I think I was going with a blue theme here. It's nice and light and I kept thinking why don't I ever use loose powder any more then I remembered when I made a mess of what I was doing. I should stick to pressed powder for this reason. But the powder itself is nice and gives a nice finish. If your as pale as myself you know how hard it can be getting a nice powder then putting it on to finish your make-up to look orange.

Not to exaggerate but this may be my 1 millionth Rimmel wake me up concealer. This is in 010 Ivory. I always re buy this it's fantastic under my eyes and all for only €5.99. I used to use the foundation aswell but find it a bit drying right now. I don't think its great anywhere else but the eyes but that fine I need a ticker one for spots anyway. 

I have not seen this before now so I had to get it and give it a try. It's L'Oreal Glam Bronze in shade 101 and it was only €10. It's a duo of bronzer and highlighter which seems to be a popular choice to put together right now. I't nice and compact and the bronzer has a nice shimmer to it but not too much and works well for contouring. The highlighter is my favourite though I think I like it better then any of the others I have right now. It's just a good match to my skin. It give a nice shimmer highlight but not too in your face if that makes sense. Basically its a nice subtle shade and there's nothing I don't like about it.

It even has a little brush and mirror underneath how cute is the little brush and the mirror is really handy for topping up when your out. 

Neadsxx

Bray Air show

Every year for the past few years I have gone to the bray air show with my little cousins and usually my sisters and Mam as well. This year we took the youngest too as he is only two but completely obsessed with trains and planes. The fact that we had to go on  a train sold it for him. 

I was so busy watching and pointing out the planes to the kids that I didn't even take many photos. It's a perfect spot for the air show though standing on the beach watching the planes in the sky over the water. Aerlingus, City jet and Ryanair all had planes at it as well. Other country's planes made an appearance on the day as well and although I missed this bit there was even a proposal using a banner from a plane. How exciting must that have been. 

After a while the kids got hungry so we walked up the beach towards where all the food vans where and there was a nice piece of grass beside them where we sat and had a picnic while having a great view of the planes. We had sambos with crisps and cookies I made the night before. We watched for a bit then headed up a bit further as the kids wanted to go on a few of the kids rides after the show. The queues for these where so long but they had a great time when they finally got to the top and even got a treat afterwards with a slushy (full of sugar but needed to keep them awake on the train home).

They had a ball and so did we its really a great day out and they make it very family friendly. A lot of people even brought there dogs alone which had the kids fascinated they kept pointing out the dogs they liked and which they thing my dad should get. I think we all agreed that the older brown Labrador was the nicest and the little dog in the hand knitted cardigan was just adorable. I read that there where about 90,000 people at it which sounds crazy but I would believe it sure we went to get some ice cream and they had none left which is how we ended up with slushy, it was all they had really.

If you live near bray I completely recommend you go next year just make sure you get a train early as the trains get so packed that no one can fit on past town sometimes. They had the trains organised a bit better for going home but getting there was crazy packed and as I get on really close to the other end we all got seats but even they where gone by the next few stops. 

Neads xx

Six Things ... I've crossed of my bucket list

I love bucket lists and I'm constantly adding things to mine but I misplaced the original list I made years ago but now I have found it. Turns out it was in a notebook in the attic and when I read threw it I realised that without knowing it I've crossed off a good bit. There are some pretty random and funny things on there but here's Six things that I have done most recently that where on my list.

One  

So far I have been there twice first in 2013 with my sister Ais and then 2014 to live, work and travel and seen a good chunk of the east coast and NSW.

Two

2014 Sydney to Cairns - Cairns to Sydney.

Three

2014 I got a tattoo on my foot and then got another.

Four

I missed my Mams birthday when I went away so I sent flowers that day.

Five

2013 and 2014 I volunteered refurbishing and repairing laptops for a charity in Dublin called Camara.

Six

I lived in Australia for a while last year and hope to be adding to this list of country's in the future.

I have loads more to cross off and have crossed off loads already and will post updates of it all as I go from now on. Anyone got any more ideas to add to the list? leave me a comment if you do or if you have bucket list posts too, I love seeing what others have on theirs. 

Thanks for reading.

Neadsxx

Victoria's Secret Haul

I couldn't wait to get my hands on all of this. It all started when I was running low on my Bombshells in bloom body mist and mentioned it to my mam and sister that where heading over to Scotland. They offered to pick me up some more in the airport but as they where taking hand luggage only they couldn't bring back more then 100ml. Thats when I remembered the click and collect option from the loop. I may have gotten carried a way with this and spent about €120 altogether but I think I did ok I could have done a lot worse lol. 

This is what I got. I just love all the pink and the bags.

I wanted the Strawberries and Champagne body mist but then I saw that this range was 3 for €28 and thought well why not get the body wash and body lotion too while I'm at it. I just can't help myself. The smell is gorgeous, so fruity and sweet and something I don't think I will ever get sick of. I sprayed the body mist on myself as soon as I opened it and the scent lasted so long.

Bombshells in Bloom EDP 100ml for €68 and to go with it I also got the 250ml body mist which is my favourite and actually featured in my June favourites post and was €25. I love the Floral scents and how it really suits the weather right now. I can see myself going through this pretty fast as I wear it everyday right now. I wish there where more of these shops around or maybe not I'd be broke, I'd smell lovely but be broke.

Neads xx

Summer and Sinus problems and what helps

It's always nice to see the summer but for me and so many others come hay fever and sinus problems. Just the other day I woke up in the middle of the night with a pain down the left side of my face. When I got up and walked past the mirror I saw that my nose, eye and cheek where all one big swollen mess. I looked like I had been punched in the face .. hard and felt like it. This came out of nowhere as usually I'm on top of it so that I don't end up with an infection. I haven't had one in over a year now.

So today I thought I'd share a few little tips I picked up alone the way to help and stop it getting worse. These work for me so I can't guarantee they will for everyone as I'm not a doctor.

1. Invest in a face streamer.
I bought one a few years ago when a doctor recommended steaming to help clear my head. I tried using hot water in a bowl with a towel over my head before hand which was fine and also works but I just find the steamer a bit better for me it even came with a nose part. You only have to do it for 5 to 10 minutes and it also helps my skin look better.

2. Cold face cloth.
I know most people use a warm cloth to do this but I always find the cold one better. When my head feels like it's going to burst from the pressure I just soak a face cloth in cold water ring it out then fold it and place it over my eyes and nose and have a little rest. After 10 or so minutes I feel a little better and not so much pressure. Also what I used to have was an eye mask that you put in the fridge and it was great but it went missing one day I think someone might have had a hangover and "borrowed" it lol.

3.Don't lie down.
Always prop yourself up a bit the same when you have a cold otherwise it will all get clogged up and then cause problems.

4. olbus oil.
I put this in a bowl of steaming water and place in my room at night. Be careful though don't put it anywhere you might knock it over in the dark.

4. Eat something spicy.
Sounds strange but it always clears my head and helps get my taste back. Just don't make it too spicy or it may burn your mouth too.

If your really having problem that just wont go away always go talk to your pharmacist who can suggest over the counter sprays or tablets or see your doctor in case it may be a sinus infection. Those wont go away on their own. Hope this helps.

Thanks for reading
Neadsxx

Fuschia Dramatise Eyeshadow Palette

I got this eye-shadow palette in a goody bag when I attended the Irish bloggers conference over  month ago. I haven't tried much Fuschia products before except for a cream highlighter that I got at the Irish beauty show a little while ago. I really loved the highlighter and my younger sister uses a lot of their products and always has nice thing to say about them.

Over the last couple of weeks I have tried out the eye shadows and trying out different looks with them. I really love the shades in this, they are perfect match for me and what I would go to first. The packaging is also great not big bulky anything just nice and sleek and a mirror inside. Fantastic.

They are so soft and almost creamy feeling even though there powder. When I first got this and my sister (another one lol) got one too we start testing them on our hand and were amazed by the quality as we didn't know much about the brand. They blend so well and there isn't any fallout from them which is great as there is nothing worse since I leave my eyeshadow till last. I'm always cautious of new eye shadows as I suffer from eczema and it doesn't take much to cause a flare up around my eyes. This however caused no fair up of any sort. I'm really impressed with the quality of this palette and have already looked through their website and made a list of other products I want. I also see myself being very broke lol.

Thanks for reading
Neads xx

June Favourites

Glam Glow Supermud

I love this mud and I love what it's doing to my skin. My skin has been terrible the past few months and I was dying to try this so when I saw it last month I jumped at the chance of buying it. I use it weekly now and my skin is looking brighter, less clogged up and my pores are finally looking more like I want them to. I thought I would only get a few masks out of it because the jar is so small but it's not like that at all. For one you only need a thin layer and then there's the fact that it spreads really easy so you don't have to use chunks of it at a time. For a product that the price kept putting me off of I'm actually fine with the price now because I'm getting so much out of it. I have done a review of this at the start of June which you can have a read of here.

Fuschia Dramatise Eyeshadow Palette

This palette is great. The shadows are soft and blend really well together. They don't effect my skin at all which is usually why I don't wear eye shadows daily. The packaging is nice a neat with a mirror inside which I love. I have a review of this coming soon so keep an eye out for it.

Victoria's Secret Bombshells in Bloom Body mist

I've had this spray since November and loved wearing it on hot sunny days in Australia but when I came home it was cold and didn't feel the same. It's such a floral smell with notes of pink freesia, red apple and water lily. But now the weathers has got better I've started to love it all over again and going through it like crazy. Seriously I'm actually counting down the days until my Mam and Sister head over to Scotland this month so they can get me some more in the Airport. Iv'e mad them promise and making a list for them too, I want everything with this smell lol.

Botanics Radiance Balm All Bright

I bought this in Boots a couple of weeks ago now. The first time I used it I love it. It leaves my skin almost glowing and even after putting foundation on it still has a lovely brightness to it. It really lasts under foundation all day and just gives me this nice glow that I think makes my skin look healthy and less dull. I love it and it was under €5 for a 50ml tube which I think might last forever so were can you go wrong. I really recommend this to anyone who wants to brighten up their everyday makeup. 

Thanks for reading.
Neads xx