June BBC Day 30: Recent Empties, and Reflecting... (Final Challenge Post)

Well, girls. It's been fun. I can't believe this challenge is over. I admit that I am glad to have made it through, even when I thought my posting would be majorly up-heaved by family circumstances. I made it through. 30 posts, sometimes even two a day, making up the June Beauty Blog Challenge (click that link for a complete list of my June BBC posts), and my own blogging endeavors alongside it.

I want to thank GirlFriday for creating this challenge, and for the re-tweets, favorites and generally just for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this project!

So. Empties.

I am not very hard on my make-up/beauty products, I must admit. It takes me a long time to hit pan, or kill a tube.

Things I have used up:

Not one, but two packs of my Skin Wisdom Youth Protect facial wipes!

 Since this picture was taken, I have killed my Natural Collection Pressed Powder!

I really enjoyed the June BBC but I think I will be taking a break between challenges since this was so intense!!

Did you enjoy the June BBC? Tell me your thoughts!! 

Amy,

xo

June BBC Day 29: Top 5 Beauty Vloggers/ Youtube Videos

This is gonna be SO easy!! I am a fiend for watching YouTube beauty gurus!

Bunny! 

By far, my favorite Vlogger or Beauty Guru is Bunny!!

You can find her on the YouTube channel Grav3yardgirl.

I love her, she's a crazy Texan, she loves her red lipstick, and is just all around enjoyable to watch! Another point in her favour is that she is a thrifter, which I adore about her because I love to thrift too! She has problems with anxiety and stuff too so I find her easy to relate to, and her crazy nature brightens my days no matter how crappy I'm feeling!

Next up, I'm gonna talk about Leigh-Ann. 

Leigh-Ann

 Leighannsays is another crazy Texan, and I love her. She is a bit odd too, but that's something I find enjoyable so for me its not a problem. 

She reviews a lot of products, as well as hauls and does tutorials. She's a big fan of drugstore products and seems to review products honestly but not bluntly or disparagingly. Her empties videos are also hugely enjoyable and as she usually puts it, "More trash to review for you!!"

Bethany

The next one, I feel I may have to defend. 

Bethany, of Macbarbie07! She may be considerably younger than me, but I have to admit she is vastly more knowledgeable than I at the ol' beauty business! 

I find her tutorials really helpful and easy to follow, and her favorites videos never fail to make me laugh. 

I don't care that she's only what, 18? She makes me smile!

"Girl on Fire" nails by CutePolish inspired by Katniss Everdeen

What kind of a polish addict would I be if I let my favourite nail art Youtuber out?? Step on up CutePolish!! 

You may never see her face, but with the video tutorials she puts up, why would you want to?! Its all part of the charm, the mystique. She has videos of the best nail art I've ever seen, ranging from the simplest accent nails, to the most bizarre, fuzzy Cheshire Cat nails! 

 

Finally, a recent addition to my beauty guru subscriptions, Kandee Johnson! 

Kandee has to be the happiest girl on the planet! She just radiates this relaxed happiness that instantly brightens even the cloudiest of days!

Her short hair inspired to me to make a change I was so desperately craving and I haven't looked back. I doubt she will ever see this, but thanks, Kandee, you inspired me, and now it takes me no time to get ready in the mornings!

So, those are my Top 5 Beauty Vloggers! Do you like my choices? Who do you rate in your top 5?  

Drop me a comment down below!!

Amy

xo

June BBC Day 28: Favourite Cheek Product...

I'm not a big hoarder of blush, or bronzers, I don't compulsively purchase them like I do nail-polish or lipsticks. 

I own one bronzer, one blush and I'm ashamed to say I wouldn't even know where to buy a highlighter. Unless it's a pink stationary item, that is!! 

So, for all intents and purposes, my favourite cheek product is my Natural Collection blush in the shade "Peach Melba". I fully admit that I bought it for its name. I adore peaches and peach-flavoured or scented anything. However, I digress. 

The blush is on the left, with my pressed powder to give a better idea of size. Despite having this particular blush in my life for well over a year, I have yet to hit pan! 

This blush just gives a sweet hint of colour which would be my preference over a full on pop of a bright pink shade! For this reason, I classify it as buildable and extremely blendable. A steal, when its only €3.09 a pop in Boots!! 

What's your favourite cheek product? Do you favour bronzer over blush? Highlighter? What do you think of my choice? Have you ever tried it? 

Drop me a comment, 

Amy,

xo

June BBC Day 27: Biggest Fashion Mistake You Have Made

Emo phase, anyone?!

I saved this off my old Tagged account before I deleted it!

I remember seeing pictures of Emo and Scene girls back in the day, and I thought that they were the coolest people who ever walked! I wanted to be one of them! Of course, when you want to fit in, you don't!

I remember wearing black EVERYTHING!!! Jeans, tops, hoodies, even my hair was black, and my glasses frames! I thought I was the dogs you-know-whats... but in reality, I was just a (pardon my language) fucking oddball!

I mean, just look at the pose on me in that picture!!! I'm glad I escaped that phase with even just a shred of dignity!!

I only showed up to this shoot to say hi! I ended up
holding the DSLR!!

Then there's the Canterbury-Hoody-combo!

This is what I wear on the days when I'm just not bothered with looking good! This is the only documented case where I have been out and among people I know while badly dressed in this combo!

I love Canterbury rugby bottoms though so ain't nobody gon' diss my mad taste in bottoms!! Ya diiiig?


Finally... I give you... GOD AWFUL GINGER ROOTS!!!

I think they speak for themselves!

I miss shooting... :(

Girl Crushes!

Ladies, I put it to you: The "Girl-Crush" is a part of you, whether you admit it or not!

I have absolutely no problem admitting that I find women attractive, in the aesthetic sense. There have been countless times where I have been included in a conversation with one of my male friends to the tune of; "What do you think of (insert name here)'s arse/rack/face?". In these situations I just seem to take on a male perspective and roll with it. It's nothing new to me.

As a result, I find myself having more than one girl crush! So lets get a list going, shall we?


Carey Mulligan.

There's just something about this woman that I cannot get my head around. She's flawless, in my eyes. Her acting is amazing and she just brings something to every role she takes that I doubt anyne else could. When I first saw her, it was in the movie Never Let Me Go, based on the acclaimed novel by Kazuo  Ishiguro. That novel... wow. I actually had to put it down multiple times because it made me so upset. The movie, in a similar manner, left me feeling numb. I loved it. Movies that can do that to me are instantly added to my collection. Her narration and acting were superb. So when I found out that she was taking the role of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's cinematic masterpiece (I didn't know that it was a masterpiece at the time, but we'll overlook that) portrayal of F Scott Fitzgerald's modern classic "The Great Gatsby", I knew I would have to see it. Take it from me, she is everything you want, and so much more.

 Bonnie Wright.

Let me just show my Ginger Love right now. You probably know Bonnie Wright better for her role in the Harry Potter movie franchise, as Ginny Weasley. But look at her! She's stunning! A definite point in the favour of red-headed folk everywhere!

Bonnie is an accomplished actress, model, a screenwriter and even a director! This girl has her fingers in all kinds of pies, eh?! The woman is a fox, and if there are any guys reading this, it's my pleasure to tell you that she is a single pringle!

Kiera Knightley. 

Can I just make this joke and get it out of the way?? More like Kiera Twice-Knightley!!!

Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system... Just look at her. She's a complete stunner. Remember her in Bend it Like Beckham? Yup, me too! I was hooked from the first time I saw her. She just seems to be able to do ANYTHING! And I know, she's known for her Period Roles in movies like "The Dutchess" and "Pride and Prejudice" but she was in Braveheart, Pirates of The Caribbean, and stacks of others. I would not dare to typecast her, not ever! She's too versatile for that kind of crap! And she has to be praised for never bowing to pressure about her figure. She rocks her A-cup and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that's a brilliant stance to have. She proves to flat-chested girls everywhere that you don't have to be busty to be beautiful! In fact, sometimes I wish my chest was smaller so I could look as delicate as she does!

Have you any girl-crushes? Which of my picks is your favorite?

Amy,
xoxo

June BBC Day 26: Best Beauty Advice You've Been Given

I've been given plenty of beauty advice in my day, often by well meaning friends and family. When I was only a little nipper, my Gran told me "Too much lipstick makes you look like a tart!!", which was hardly constructive, but definitely memorable!

As I got older, and got into secondary school, we were told by a teacher "Tinted moisturizer is more beneficial than foundation, so we will let the girls away with that if you want to have a little coverage...". Now, while I was in school, I wore absolutely NO makeup, bar maybe a little eyeliner, so that didn't apply to me!

As you guys know (since I never shut up about it) I wear very little makeup, on a day to day basis. That's because the best advice I was given was to let my skin breathe. Don't constantly clog your pores with heavy make-up, don't put on a full face for cleaning the house, and don't for the love of god, please don't go to bed with makeup on!!

The best advice I could give somebody is to remember that nothing is more beautiful than a confident smile. Even if you have to fake it, you will find yourself less bothered by how people see you, if you can even pretend to see yourself in a "I am ... and I am a beautiful princess!!" kind of light!!

You are beautiful (even if you don't believe me, I wont lie to you!)

Amy
xoxo

June BBC Day 25: Primer

Primer is one of those products some people swear by, but others avoid at all costs! I admit, I'm not taken by face primers, however, I love eye-shadow primers. Maybe its because I'm not a "Daily Face" kind of girl, maybe I just missed the boat on the whole foundation primer thing...

Eye-shadow primer is great. I have been a big fan of the No.7 Eye-shadow Primer since I was about 17, but recently, I've been loving both NYC colour's offering as well as Essence's! I will happily state that I think Essence stands up to the quality of No.7, no problem!!

Essence I<3 Stage- €3.59

As far as face-primer goes... The only one I ever tried was Rimmel and I HATED it! It made my skin feel weird and tingly, and not in the good way! It works for some of you, and that's great, its affordable and readily available, but I cant abide the stuff. If you can recommend a decent one, at a decent price, by all means, be my guest!

What is your opinion on primers? Have you any favorites? Would you try any of the ones I've mentioned?? 

Let me know!!

xoxo

Amy

June BBC Day 24: Alternative Uses for Items

Essence I <3 Stage - €3.59

Usually when I buy a product, its bought because I need it to do its intended job!

With that said, I do have one use for a product that isn't exactly what it's meant for!

Primer! More specifically, eyeshadow primer. You may be wondering what the hell I use primer for, if not to prime my lids for shadow! Well the answer is very simple. I put it under my concealer on days where I know that concealer alone wont do the job.

A dab of this on my ring finger, on to my spots and imperfections, and I'm reassured that my concealer (usually set with a wee bit of powder) will stay put!

What other uses do you have for your make-up products? Do you use lipstick as a blusher, in a pinch?

Drop me a line below in the comments!!

xoxo
Amy

June BBC Day 23: Whats My Face Worth?

Most of you have learned over the course of this challenge that I'm not a big fan of putting on a full face of make-up everyday. The way I see it, how will people notice a difference if you go out everyday, moseying about your business in full drag?! I fully believe its better to look like your normal self on a day to day basis, and then hike up the Glam Levels when you're going out!

On a normal day I just do my brows, eyeliner, mascara, and lips. Sometimes I will use concealer, powder and maybe a wee bit of blush but its quite rare I would add those extra steps!

Yesterday, I went around the shops to take precise note of all the prices of the products I use, so I could be as accurate as possible!

I'll start from the bottom, this time around, with lips!

I'm sure you are all fully sick of me going on about these products at this point, but they are everyday essentials for me!

My Essence Lip-liner is in the shade "Femme Fatale" and my Natural Collection lipstick is Crimson. I love the combo of these two lip products together, and I have to admit that by some happy coincidence, they match perfectly!!

Essence Lipliner is €1.29 in any Penneys/Primark and local pharmacies nationwide!

Natural Collection lipstick is €3.09 in every Boots in the country!!

Next up, we'll tackle the eyes!

I am a huge convert to the Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara!! It's just my holy grail mascara at this point! I wouldn't ever be unfaithful to it... God, I sound like a crazy person!

The wand is magical, and the formula doesn't burn my eyes, even when I have lenses in!

The picture of my eye really doesn't do it the justice it deserves, really, which is a shame...


You can find this amazing mascara at any Maybelline stand, in any decent chemists, and in Boots for €11.99

Eyeliner is the one thing I've yet to nail my colours to the mast about! for pencil eyeliner, I'm pretty much a Bourjois Kohl pencil girl, but for liquid, I vary between Loréal Superliner and the Essence Eyeliner Pen.

Bourjois Kohn Pencil is €8.19
Loréal Superliner is €15.29
Essence is €3.49

Finally, my brows.

Now while I stand by my "I hate Rimmel" opinion, I must admit defeat in regards to their eyebrow pencil in 002 Hazel, because its the only pencil I've found that doesn't make my poor ginger brows look like they're brown! €4.99-ish (I forgot to look for this when I was in Boots!)

For my everyday face, that's a grand total of €48.33... Wow. I'm actually stunned!!!

I shudder to think what my full face would be for a night out!!

What is your face worth? Are you shocked by how much my face is worth?? Drop me a line in the comments below!!

xoxoxo
Amy

Short and Sexy...



Before...

You know you're doing something pretty drastic when the stylist who was assigned to cut your hair for you refuses!

That's what happened to me, anyways!



Kandee Johnson, rockin her short locks!!

Last Tuesday, after a week of sitting on the idea that I was going to get my hair cut, into a similar style as rocked by the beautiful Kandee Johnson, I booked myself in. Lucky for my broke ass, it was Half Price Tuesday, so I was going to get value out of my €25!!

I wake pretty early, so I rang at 9.15 and they told me they would have a spot for me at 2.30!! Deadly! So up I got, had a shower, got ready to go out and do my errands that needed doing in the morning, and before I knew it, it was 1.15 and time to walk into the village to get my hair cut. I was beyond early, so I wandered around the two chemists in Enfield and tried to kill some time!

When I did eventually make it into the hairdressers chair, my noggin all dripping and smelling of Salon Shampoo, I showed the girl the pictures I had on my phone so she could see what it was I was after! I showed her the pictures you see to the left and below, right.

She took one look at them, and told me I was nuts. I pretty much laughed flat out in her face. Hair grows!! And anyhow, I'm a paying customer, I expect to get what I ask for!

She excused herself and got a fellow stylist to come out and have a look at me, and my pictures too. This new stylist was far more into what I wanted! I was delighted when she said she'd do it. The last thing I want is to be made second guess myself when I am excited for a big change. Frankly, change usually scares the bejesus out of me, and when I'm as pumped for it as I was on Tuesday, I really don't need to be judged and questioned.

She combed my hair out, checked and rechecked the pictures and thoroughly explained what she would be doing to make sure it suited me perfectly, and then as she clipped up my hair, combed out a section at the back, and looked at me dead in the eye (through the mirror), she asked me, her tone utterly serious, "Are you sure this is what you want??"...

I had the biggest smile on my face as I replied to her with an unerringly clear "Yes!", and she got right down to it!

Snip, snip, chop, chop.

An hour later, the floor around my chair was completely ginger! I must have weighed at least a pound lighter and I was thrilled!

My lovely stylist was delighted at how happy I was and I think she knew in her heart that I really did need the change! She blow-dried my newly cropped hair, all the while saying "Gosh its so different, you look brilliant" etc, etc.


She put some product in my hair, and this really is the only bit I had an issue with. She told me it was matte. It was the shiniest gel on the face of this planet, actually!

When I was paying at the counter, I made a point of asking the girl who was originally meant to be my stylist what she thought. She conceded that I looked good, but I was still mental. Well, I am mental, but that's not for a stranger to point out to me!

So when I got home I jumped straight in the shower to wash the gel out, and wash all the stray hairs off my back!!

When I hopped out of my shower, dried my hair again, and pouffed it up the way I wanted it (with actual matte Fructis styling clay) I was somehow even more thrilled! Like a complete loser I went looking for my hot pink bandana so I could tie it in my hair a la Kandee!

T
To all the girls out there who want to change their hair, I want you to go out and do it! Even if you only like it for a week and then decided it was the worst choice ever, HAIR GROWS!!!

I for one absolutely love my new look, I have never felt sexier or more confident in my life, and I am glad to say that my amazing boyfriend still finds me sexy and attractive too! People have been complimenting me all week, including one woman telling me I looked "sexy as hell", and another saying "Jesus I didn't know who it was for the minute!!"

Feeling confident in my own skin, and under my new hair has helped me to ooze sex-appeal like I never knew I could! Who says you have to have long hair to be gorgeous? Kandee Johnson certainly doesn't, and neither do I!

Go for it, gorgeous, make that change, whether its dying your hair a crazy colour, going blonde, getting the chop or whatever! I know you can rock it!!


What do you think? Is it your tastes? Would you ever go for a drastic change like I did?? What do you think of Kandee Johnsons hair?

xoxo
Amy

June BBC Day 22: 5 Favorite Beauty Bloggers

Well girls, I just want to state for the record here and now, that this list is in no particular order! I love y'all equally! So long as we have that clear, I'll proceed with my list and I'll even gush a bit cause I can!

Audrey!

Audrey's blog The Nail Affair was the first nail art blog I ever came across when I was starting out on this journey of blogging! I remember seeing her post on the collection of nail polishes she had and thinking "That's....quite a lot of polish!!" and as far as I can see, now that I count her among my blogging peers, that number is ever on the increase!! Good on ya girl! There are worse things to be addicted to, that's for damn sure!! xx

Dani!

I remember first stumbling over Dani's YouTube channel back when it was under the moniker of FizzSedition! I think the "Sedition" bit was what caught my eye, since I'm good mates with a guy who runs a thing called "Sedition Industries" and curiosity got the better of me! It worked out for the best because I quickly found out she was a talented make-up guru and I hit the subscribe button! Her YouTube has since moved to the channel GlamourNazi of which I am a faithful subscriber too! Funny story actually, I may or may not have been that girl who came up to you at FFAF to say I really liked your videos!! *blush*

Girl Friday!

Last month, when I was on the look out for a challenge to partake in, GirlFriday was the challenge creator I was linked to! After 20-odd days of consistently reading her posts, I have decided she is among my favourites for mixing high-end and budget brands together in a way I just find wonderful! She doesn't poo-poo the budget nor is she uppity for the high end! Girl Friday seems to be the nice, all round beauty blogger that I wish I could be! Top marks!!

Kayliegh!

I've known Kayliegh for 2 years or more at this point and I can pretty much state for the record, that she has a brilliant sense of style! She blogs about celebrity style icons like Lauren Conrad and the Kardashians, as well as make-up and other girly things, and quite frankly, her blog is an education for someone like me! I love her blog and I highly recommend that you check her out at Kayliegh Land

Mags!

Another good friend of mine (huzzah for real life friends!!), but also a very talented blogger! She blogs about everyday things, my favourite of which was entitled "Nemisis of Nom" and pertained to her love affair with bread! I have to say, I am right there with her on the bread front...nom nom nom!! You should check her out for more lovely stuff!!

Who are your favourite bloggers? Do you like my choices? Don't forget to check out the 5 very impressive blogs I've linked up yonder! Have you any recommendations??

Amy,
xoxo

June BBC Day 20: Favorite "High End" Product

My favourite perfume... Prada Candy!!

"High End" is not a phrase in my beauty vocabulary, really. I mean, I like the odd splurge here and there, but I'm unemployed and that means splurging is pretty rare for me! Looking at my make-up collection, my highest priced lipsticks are L'Oreal and Revlon. That speaks for itself, methinks!

My most "high end" face cream is my YSL Flash Radiance Skincare Brush that my friend Anna gave me. I'm not into labels really, except when it comes to glasses and perfume.

My favorite high end products are my YSL skincare brush and my Prada Candy perfume!

YSL Skincare Brush... love it!!

Prada Candy is the sweetest most girly scent I can imagine, without being overpowering and sickly! It comes in a decadent bottle made of heavy glass, with pink, gold and black details. The liquid inside is a beautiful gold liquid too. This perfume is absolutely worth the €100 price tag!!

My YSL Skincare Brush was a gift so I don't know the price, but I do know that you disperse a tiny amount out through the brush top and apply it to your face. When its all applied I like to rub it further in with clean hands and then wait 5 minutes before putting anything over it! It makes my skin tingle, and I love that, it makes me feel like its working!!

I'm really not a high end kinda chick, but when I go for something with a designer label, its because I know that I will get the wear out of it!! Normally my only designer purchases will be my specs and my scent!

What are your favorite high-end products? Do you stick with labels exclusively, or are you more of a budget girl, like myself? What do you think of my choices for today?

Amy,
xoxoxo

June BBC Day 21: Favourite Nail Look/Nail Art

Ever since I stopped biting my nails, I have been a nail art addict. I have been known to do a manicure 5 times a week, but when I love a nail polish I will wear it to death, too! Lucky for me, today I get to yammer on about my favorites overall today!! :D

When I was still a newbie to nails, I was all about building a good polish collection! My NYC Mint Green colour remains one of my favorites to this day! So pretty!!

 Let me explain the picture above! I'm an archer and the handle of my bow is orange glitter and white tribal detailing. Its a thing of beauty!! I had been out with an injury (and some mental blocks) for a few months and when I was making my comeback, as it were, I decided to do it in style!! It looked lovely, but that Rimmel Shirley Temple polish was a bastard to get off!

Nail Foils are a big thing right now! I picked up some Models Own in a Boots clearance bin for less than €3 and decided to rock them. They reminded me of Gatsby...How sad am I?? The packet contains loads of sizes, and that's probably so you can make your fingers and toes all matchy-matchy, but I prefer to keep the spares and then re-use them later!

Yesterday I decided to ditch the foil/polish combo and go for a bright colour an glitter! I have to admit, it took me more than one attempt to get these looking so good! The polish gods tested me to breaking point!! The combo is Essence That's What I Mint and Cool Breeze special effects topper! 

What are your favourites of my choices? Do you have any combos that you wish you had discovered sooner? What do you thing of my Essence combo?

Amy,

Xo

June BBC Day 19: Fashion/Style Icon

Let me just state this for the record. I have little to no fashion sense when it comes to what to wear on a day-to-day basis. Normally I gravitate towards a rocker look, because its comfy not just clothes-wise, but its comfy to me in a nostalgic, warm memory kind of way.

For years, and years I have been a huge fan of the Finnish Love-Metal band HIM. Their lead singer, Ville Valo seems to have made a fine art of "dressy-causal-grunge-sexy". And yes, I'm aware that he's a dude, and I'm aware that he's in the rock scene a lot more legitimately than I, but I really don't care. I adore his style and I try to emulate it where I can.

Beaten up Converse, ripped up jeans, skinny scarves, smudged eyeliner... It's just like catnip to me! Oh, and lets not get me started on the jewelry and tattoos! Yum!

You may not like it, but you can't deny, Valo's got style!!

Next up, a more girly style icon! Lucy Hale.

I love Lucy Hale, she's what beautiful would look like if the dictionary could have pictures! She's got this kind of, dark but quirky and fun style that I find really appealing! I love the way she always looks done, but not too overdone! That's a balance I find hard to get right! I love the way she manages to look effortlessly chic in what I consider to be daring outfits!

I certainly don't think I could pull off shorts, a bright colour AND an animal print all in one look, but Lucy does it!

So, ladies, who are your style icons? Were you shocked by my choices? Have you any unusual choices when it comes to emulating someones fashion sense?

Let me know!!

xoxo,
Amy

June BBC Day 18: Favorite Make-Up Brand

Well, Girl Friday, you certainly set a toughie in this topic. I don't honestly know if I can choose one overall, and because I only really ever focus on my lips and eyes, I think I'll go for 2 different areas of the face! Is that cheating? It is? Ah well, I'm a rebel!

My 3 lipcreams and their matching liners!

Lips

For lipstick, I have raved time and time again about Essence Stay Matte lip-creams. I adore them. I have three of the four matte shades. They work for any occasion, and they're cheap as chips. Essence, in my experience make great quality products and though they may look like they're marketed to a younger demographic, they're used in some aspect by every beauty blogger at some point.

€2.49 for the lip color, and another €1.49 for the lipliner that exactly matches? Yes please, Essence, even some higher-up brands don't exactly match their lipsticks to the liners. Bravo!

Eyes

I can't say enough good things about my new favorite eye palette from NYC Cosmetics. Its a palette marketed towards those with brown eyes, but I adore it for a neutral brown/taupe look. It even comes with a primer and a highlighter! How good is that, for €4.99?!

The pigmentation and the consistency is amaze-beans for just shy of a fiver! You can find NYC in Penneys, and I urge you to get it, because despite what it says about being for brown eyes, it can be rocked by anybody!


What are your favorite brands? If you could recommend one product to me for each of my categories, what would it be? Do you believe in budget brand makeup? 

Amy,
xoxo

June BBC Day 17: A Makeup Skill You Would Love To Perfect, But Struggle With

Well girls, as you know, I'm not the girl who wears a full face every day. I can do it going out, but not regularly. The last night I went out with a full face on was last November. Even on my 21st birthday, I didn't wear a full on face.

Credit: Jeddah Beauty

You see, if I put on a full face, I feel I have to contour. Amy can't contour. I just wind up looking silly. Either I use too much, and look dirty, or I use too little and you can't even see it! It's a nightmare!! I would rather just go out, looking like my usual self, than go out with no contouring, or worse still, God awful contouring!

The other thing I can't seem to nail, is that nose slimming business you see the likes of Michelle Phan at. What's the story there? I must be doing it wrong, cause I can see absolutely no difference when I try. 

Highlighting! There's another one! I can highlight the brow-bone no bother at all, but ask me to highlight a cheek-bone, and you might as well be talking to a man. A dead man, at that. 

Well, I've made myself look sufficiently inept at all things beauty, so that's it from me today! Here's to the home straight, girls!! 2 weeks til its all over... *weeps*

So what is something you are absolutely hopeless at? Is it any of my choices? Have you no idea how to do a smokey eye? Can you not apply lipliner to save your life??

Amy,

xoxo

Colours of The Rainbow TAG!! Blog Edition

It's no secret that I love watching make-up guru's on YouTube. I love watching tutorials I know I'll never use, hauls of things I know I can't get here at home, and vlogs of lives that are far removed from my own!

Lately there's been a tag going around, and I wanna participate, but I wanna do so in blog form, because I'm far too much of a chicken to video myself and edit. I don't know the first thing about it. Maybe someday, in the future though, who knows?!

Not a crock of gold to be seen...What a sham!!

So anyway, this tag is called "Colors of The Rainbow" wherein you choose a product to correlate with each of the colors in the rainbow. As a kid I learned the colors as Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. I was never taught the "Roy G Biv" thing that all the American vloggers like Grav3yardGirl and BeautyBaby44 use!

Violet

Lets open with something I hate! I seem to always love the things I buy, but I despise this and I only used it once! Its a Rimmel London Quad palette in "01 State of Grace". I have no words, because this palette actually puts me in bad humor. Its so prone to fallout, you wouldn't believe!! Stay well away from this, I'm doing you a favor, I promise you!!

Indigo

I picked Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express as my Indigo product. This mascara has been the model of what I want a mascara to do. I'm not out for super long lashes, I'm out for a bit of lift, curl and volume. This gives me everything I want and more besides!! I already spoke about it in a June BBC post, but I will keep going on about it! It's true love Maybelline, let's go steady!! ;) I think this set me back €8.99, but I'm not sure! Less than a tenner, anyhow!


Blue

 I swore I was keeping this a secret. I wasn't going to tell anyone about this. But guilt forced me into it. This is L'Oreal Derma Genesis Pore-Minimizing Serum. I've been using this for about 3 days now and I'm obsessed! I use it over my nose and T-zone twice a day followed by my moisturiser. I found it on a clearance shelf in Tesco for a fiver last week... a FIVER!!

Green

This is my Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Spot Wand. The clear gel is for daytime use, and the thicker, more creamy looking gel is for night time. I love this stuff to bits and back again. Many spots have been stopped in their tracks by this product! Not bad for green goo, eh?! This beauty set me back €4.50 about 6 months ago and I haven't even made a small dent in it. There's value for money, if ever there was any!!

Yellow

Carmex. This yellow tube of lip healing goodness needs absolutely no introduction. It's been the saving grace of plenty in its time. I use this before bed to keep my lips hydrated overnight. In fact, many nights have been rudely interrupted when I wake to find my very beaten up tube, having forgot to apply it before I turned in for the night. I couldn't go anywhere without this, it's a staple in my life at this point! 

Orange

Before I discovered Maybelline, as shown above, I used to swear by this mascara. It's Essence Maximum Definition Volume Mascara. Now, while its half the price of Maybelline, it's still every bit as good. The wand is thin and tapered at one end, reminiscent of the Lancome Doll Eyes mascara wand, only made of rubber with short rubber bristles similar to the Maybelline wands. It's a great mascara for those on a budget, and definitely one I would return to using is The Rocket is ever discontinued! €3.49 in any good pharmacy or Penneys nationwide

Red

One day, I will stop plugging these products, (spot the LoTR fan!!) but is not this day!! Natural Collection lipstick in Crimson retails for about €3.09 in Boots, and has the most wonderful, creamy consistency!! I would easily shell out double that for something of its quality anywhere else! In fact, I find myself reaching for this over my Revlon Ultimate Suede or my Essence Stay Matte Lip Cream. Crazy, huh? I always use my Essence Lipliner in Femme Fatale, as it seems to match all my red lipsticks in some amazing stroke of fate! It retails for €1.29 and you can find it in Penneys nationwide!

Time for tagging. I'm only gonna tag 5 people, because that seems like a reasonable number. Lets hope this takes off!!

Audrey over at The Nail Affair
Lauren over at Makeup By Lauren Marie
Kayliegh over at Kayliegh Land
Suzy over at Glamour & Go
Dani over at The Glamour Nazi

I hope you enjoyed this and sure, we'll see where this goes!!

Big Smiles,
Amy
xoxo

June BBC Day 16: Skincare Routine

I've always been about minding my skin. I've never suffered from acne, and most of the time, my skin is pretty well behaved aside from one or two small spots here and there! I don't believe, and have never believe in wearing a full face of make-up everyday. It's expensive and tough on your skin. I fully advocate going without. And I have to say, I've never bothered much with make-up and I still get told I'm attractive, beautiful (and if you're from the sticks, you'll know what it means to be called "a fine lookin' young-wan" by your elders). Going Au Natural has never stopped me meeting people, never stopped me getting male attention. While I fully understand why girls go out everyday with their face all made up, that's just not for me. I stick with my skincare routine, and that's enough for me!


When I'm in the shower I use Loréal Men Expert Pure and Matte facial scrub. It's designed to fight impurities and mattify the surface of your skin. I use two small blobs every time I get into the shower, the first to get rid of the oil on my skin, the second to get down into the pores. It never fails me!

After I finish with that, I gently run my Body Shop Facial Brush over to help increase blood-flow slightly. The bristles are soft and it just makes my skin lovely and tingly before I hop out of the shower.

After that, I run a Skin Wisdom Youth Protect wipe over my face to remove any residue that might be on my face, because the water isn't always great here at home! Then I take a little of my Elemis Softly Softly moisturiser and rub it til its all sunk in...

For my body, I've recently started using exfoliating gloves in the shower with my shower-gel, and then moisturizing with either Lush's Charity Pot, or if I need to look glowy for something, I will use my Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tanning Lotion. It's brilliant and not streaky at all. It also smells like apricots, but when you get into the shower it takes on that horrible burnt biscuit scent that we all loathe. Oh well, you can't win every round!

If I'm feeling like a treat, I'll pop this mask from the Boots Essentials range on for 3-5 minutes while I'm slathering myself in some lotion or another from the shoulders down! It's enriched with cucumber and I personally find it extremely softening and deep cleansing! It's somewhere in the €2.50/€3.00 price range, so its easy on the pocket. Also its good for using solely around the nose area if that's what you would rather. It comes in a bigger version too, so if you fall as hopelessly in love with it as I have, then you will be dying to repurchase the bigger tube, which is only a euro or so more expensive!

After I use the cucumber mask, and I've rinsed it off with barely warm water, I like to run a cotton ball with a little toner on it. Now, I'm not terribly fancy with my toner, and only that I already had the toner I have now, I'd have invested in the toner from the Boot Essentials like too. I use the Tesco Cucumber Toner to remove any leftovers from the Clay Mask, and then top it off with the Elemis moisturiser. I only use the mask 2 or 3 times a week, so this extra couple of steps just slot in pretty seamlessly to my normal regime.

So that's my very lengthy explanation of my skincare routine! Sorry if its a bit waffley or possibly a bit preachy, I got a bit caught up!

What is your skincare routine like? Do you get as involved in yours as I do in mine? What's your favorite product? Can you recommend any other masks for me to try? I would love to read your comments and suggestions down below!

Amy
xoxo

June BBC Day 15: Favorite Online Shop

So far, during this challenge, I've had an answer for everything. Today, however, I really don't. I don't buy much online really, because I have fluctuated between a size 6 and 10 for the last year or more, and I also have to be able to test beauty products. I'm old school!!

I love to browse around on Forever21 and River Island, but I really rather the physical experience of shopping and trying on.

Sorry girls, I'm pretty much a boring old sod on this one, but maybe you can recommend some good online stores for me to browse around, and maybe try out?

Whats your favorite online store? Have you a favorite item that you've bought from an online retailer recently?

Amy,
xoxo

June BBC Day 14: Favorite Mascara

Wooooo!! This challenge has been going for two weeks now! It's been so fun, I really don't want it to end!

Anyways, today we're gonna be looking at my favourite mascara. I used to be a stoic lover of the Falsies by Maybelline, undeterred and steadfast in the face of lesser brands, but now I've turned away from it in favour of their new "The Rocket Volume" mascara. 

From day one, I have loved this. The wand is huge, with closely packed rubber bristles that evenly lift and coat your lashes. I have a feeling, should the choice ever have to be made, I'd choose this over Benefit! The tube I own is the original formula, rather than the waterproof one, not for any reason other than my hand reached for the original tube first.

What's your favourite mascara? Why do you love it? Would you try this mascara based off what I've written?

Amy

Xoxo

Mental Health Mondays!

Let me just introduce the idea here. There are 4 Mondays in a month. There are 4 bloggers in this Co-Op. We're gonna take one of the Mondays each. And then we're gonna post about something related to Mental Health that takes our fancy. It could be a personal experience, or it could be an opinion.

Participating in this Co-Op are Myself the odd time, Kayliegh, Siobhan, Natasha and Hannah.

We don't know each other at all except for being bloggers from Ireland, (with exception to Kayliegh who I know pretty damn well :D ) with an interest in removing the stigma from mental health issues, because to be totally honest, Ireland is an awful place to have any kind of MH problem. Waiting lists, waiting rooms and not enough focus on the person with the issue. Enough is enough. If we want to get people talking, we must lead by example, and just talk.

Hopefully the running order will look something like this, with the idea being that every girl has her week, and that will allow her 3 weeks to think of a topic, write it and then post it.

Last Monday of June

1. Amy 

July

1. Hannah, (topic)
2. Kayliegh, (topic)
3. Natasha (topic)
4. Siobhan, (topic)

August

1. Hannah, (topic)
2. Kayliegh, (topic)
3. Natasha (topic)
4. Siobhan, (topic)

I will personally be retweeting everyone links and adding them to a master list (which will go like the examples above, but with the topic beside it too) so we can keep a data-base going of our works! :D There will also be a twitter hash-tags #MentalHealthMonday and #MHM so if you tweet your links, we will be able to be found. Twitter's a jungle most of the time! I'm gonna start this on the last Monday of June, just so you get the idea of what we're doing here. And girls, if you're heading off or need to swap, don't hesitate. I'll fill the gaps myself, and the rest of the time, I'll just comment (probably really long comments cause I find myself rambling off more often than not!) and publicize you guys as much as I can!

I really just want MHM to be an outlet by which we can speak up about the social stigma attached to conditions like Depression, BiPolar, PTSD, etc, and to struggles like Self Harm and Eating Disorders. Maybe we can be the group that makes people realize there is no shame in asking for help, there is no shame in being weak or broken, and the is help out there for everyone.

Some useful links for you if you do need to reach out:
Pieta House
Headstrong
Grow
Aware
Mental Health Ireland

I hope you guys are ready to make a difference!
See y'all the first Monday of July!!

All of the love,
Amy
xoxoxo

June BBC Day 13: A Make-Up Look You Would Love to Recreate

I'm the first to admit that I have absolutely no make up talent. I can do a brown smokey eye, and black. I can wing out my eyeliner, glide on some lip colour and then I'm done. That is my ability exhausted!

But if I could, here are some looks I would love to recreate, not from a wearability stand point, but from an admiration point of view.



Warm gold, red and dramatic black!!

This gold, red and black look is so dramatic!! It screams glamour and looks as though it would befit a party in a plush, palatial manor. The shape also reminds me of the eye look worn by Natalie Portman in Black Swan. And just look at the precision of the eyeliner, the blending, the fantastically flawless skin. 

Alternative make-up is so gorgeous to me :)

Alternative Culture has fascinated me since I was young. I've always loved how daring and bold all the various kinds of Goth girls were with their eye make-up. I would love to have the cajones to rock a look like that!

I would love to have either the reason or the nads to wear either of these looks. They are beautiful in different ways, yet similar in the realm of artistic ability. 

Pin Up Sailor Girl

As far as an entire look goes, I would love to try a Pin-Up style look. The whole casual glamour of the 1950's is my idea of perfection! The red lips, the curves, the toughness paired with old style sexiness... fabulous! Someone needs to teach girls who are dieting dangerously, starving themselves, forcing themselves to throw up in a bid to be thin, that to be sexy, all you have to do is believe that you are sexy! 

Which of these looks do you prefer? Are you more of a warm red and gold, or a cool green and black type of girl?? What make-up looks would you recreate if you could? Would you have the courage to wear either of my choices? What do you think of the Pin-Up style? 

Amy,

xoxo