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30 April 2014

Review | Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

I hope everyone has been enjoying this love weather we're having, especially since it's probably going to be our summer! Today I bring you a review of a product I have recently fallen in love with. It's certainly by no means new to the market and I've heard plenty of bloggers talk about it for the last year (I have been meaning to pick it up for ages). It's the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot.


What can I say, it was love at first sight. As always with Soap & Glory, the packaging is very chic. But more important is the content. Initially I was a little apprehensive since it describes itself as a mattifying powder as someone who suffers with dehydrated and sometimes dry skin, I usually avoid matt products. However I was pleasantly surprised. I find it sets my makeup nicely but without leaving that caked-on-powder look. At a glance you would not necessarily see I was wearing any powder, it is incredibly natural looking. Which is a major factor for me. My go to pressed powder before this was Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (€35), yet I find this one much better and the price tag is certainly more suitable coming in at €15.


This product also comes with a mirror which is added bonus. I know most compacts do, but it's definitely a pain when they don't (Rimmel pressed powders for instance, do not). So despite having sometimes dry skin I do find (especially in the summer months) I can get a little shiny on my t-zone, so I find this product really helps combat that and helps my foundation stay in place.

 

I have been using this product for weeks now and you can still make out the word powder in the product, it seems it is going to last me quite a while. As the name suggests, I blot it onto the face, which I think leads to using less powder at a time. So I should really get my money's worth with this product.


Have you tried One Heck of a Blot before?
What's your favourite powder?

28 April 2014

Lets Talk Blog Challenge | Day in the Life

Welcome to week 1 of the Lets Talk Blog Challenge, set up by the beautiful Sarah from At the Beauty Desk. You can keep up each week with all the bloggers taking part through the hashtag #LetsTalkBlogChallenge

So the first post is any kind of "a day in the life" post you like, so I've chosen to go with a typical weekend day. Since that's my favourite part of the week, I figured why not? 


Some photos from the last couple of weekends

So many would describe me as a bit of a social butterfly, I much prefer to be in the company of others than on my own, so I like to be out and about and often have my weekends booked up. That's not to sound braggy or anything, I actively make plans with different friends to ensure I utilise my weekends to their full potential.


Enjoying a game of a cards with friends

Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin & Nelson's Monument, Edinburgh

I like to head out for drinks, lunch, walks, days out, drives, etc. It doesn't take much to keep me happy, once I'm out and about and ideally getting some fresh air, I'm in my element!


Food is also an important feature of any good weekend

I certainly wouldn't be the most adventurous when it comes to food, but I do certainly like a variety. Above is home made goats cheese and carmelised red onion tarts, a selection of cheese, meats & crackers along with my favourite summer pastime, barbeques. This was the weekend just past, beer chicken (yes you heard me right), along with pork steaks, sausages and burgers. Yum, yum!

Selection of drinks I've recently been enjoying

While I'm not necessarily a big drinking and I certainly don't drink every weekend, I am certainly more adventurous in this department. I love trying new beers, especially when I travel to different countries. Next in line is of course cocktails. Especially when you're in a speciality cocktail bar, there always such interesting combinations you would never think of yourself! The fish bowl above is from last weekend, a home made punch/cocktail made by my good friend Claire when we were staying with her in Edinburgh. It was all kinds of delicious.


So there you go, an average Saturday for me involves meeting friends, eating and drinking! My idea of heaven. How about you? What does your average Saturday look like?

14 April 2014

First Impressions | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Why hello there. Apologies for the delay in getting my next post up. I've had somewhat of a blogging break. I thought nothing better to get back in the swing of things than skin care, back to basics.

Without further ado, I present the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This is Garnier's answer to the cult beauty cleansing water from Bioderma. However lucky for those of us in Ireland, the Garnier alternative is much easier to get your hands on (and much cheaper).


Firstly lets look at the product itself, it is a little over €6 to buy a 400ml bottle (although at the moment it's one-third off in Boots). It is an all over cleanser, so you can also use it to remove eye make up too. It is suitable for sensitive skin and is fragrance free. It states you get 200 uses from 1 bottle, I think that is definitely overstating, the price is excellent for the amount of product!

Now onto my impressions. I have used this for a few days now, so I mean I don't think my view is going to change all that much. I absolutely love this cleanser. It doesn't feel as drying as some cleansers while also not leaving that oily residue behind either. I find it easily takes off all my makeup. Of course as I'm sure you can imagine, if I'm wearing waterproof mascara, I will need to give it an extra bit of attention. But I find that this product does not irritate my skin or my eyes, which is of course very important.

I have now added this to my skincare routine as the first step before I cleanse my skin with my favourite cleansing balm. I don't see it ever leaving my routine, unless something revolutionary comes along in the meantime. While this cleanser may not re-invent the wheel, it is a winner for me. It's a speedy way to remove my makeup, does not irritate and I do not need to use a separate eye make up remover. What more could a gal ask for?

How about you, have you tried this water?
What's your first impression?