Christmas Time

Happy Christmas! I hope everyone had a fantastic day spent with family and friends. I know this year may have been tough for many families, but trust me it gets better. I had such a quiet day spent with my family and dogs. As we've all grown older, Christmas sort of becomes another day, with an amazing dinner. This year was no different, we went to Mass, then onto the grave and then back home for way too much food. Have you ever eaten so much you feel drunk....from the food? Well, that's what happened to me! I literally spent the day in my onsie (it's a Minnie Mouse one by the way), watching TV and eating a tin of heroes. I also napped a good bit during the day.

On Stephens Day, myself and the girls had planned to go to the races in Lepordstown, but did anyone else see that weather? It was disgusting. We ended up leaving it and went for lunch, had wine and played board games all day instead. Now this is where my rant begins, we went for lunch in a local pub and all that was being serving was pizzas and toasties. This was fine because obviously it was Stephens Day whats the point in bringing in a chef for a few hours? So we ordered a pizza each.... €10... TEN EURO for a Dr Oetker pizza... You know the ones they sell frozen in Tesco for €2.50? Yes those ones. The boy that served us was also extremely rude. Needless to say I was severely unimpressed! It didn't ruin my day though. I had a fantastic day with the girls and we exchanged our Christmas presents. I was off work on the Saturday and back in Sunday morning, so I took it fairly easy. It was so nice to have a few days off and spend it with the people that I love, as cheesy as that sounds! 

Did you have a nice Christmas? What's everyone's plans for the New Year?

Dawn 

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Mondss Underarm Wear Review

A few weeks ago a bronze envelope arrived through my post box. I knew exactly what it was and I was so excited to use my new product. Mondss Underarm Wear is a breakthrough product helping you to wear the clothes you love without sweating all over them (basically). The product itself is the strangest looking thing ever and when I first heard about it I was extremely skeptical. All I can say is this product reminded me of a sanitary towel, and the girls and I had a good giggle about attaching a sanitary towel to my arm pit. 

I waited for the perfect day to try these out... One that I knew I would be a sweaty mess. My day off from work arrived and I had planned on washing my hair, changing my bed sheets, cleaning my car and scrubbing my room. All things I hate doing because I get to hot doing them. The application seemed pretty easy but my left pit took a bit longer than expected and I had to use 3 different pieces before getting it perfect.  After doing all my tasks though, I didn't have any sweat patches which I was happy with and I didn't smell which is alway a positive. I met the girls for lunch and they were so inquisitive as to what I was wearing on my arm pit. The fact I wore these out of my house shows how discrete this product actually is. 

Unfortunately the removal part is a lot harder than expected. I was left with "plaster" marks on my arm pit... I used everything recommended to remove the adhesive residue but nothing has worked. Even now, almost 3 weeks after using Mondss I'm still left with a slight residue. 

Overall, Mondds is a completly different product, one that I would never have considered before. Unfortunately you can only wear Mondss for 4-6 hours, so if you're out and about all day you'll need to bring a change. You also need to wait a few hours after shaving before use, and you must be shaved to use, so if you're in a rush not very ideal. These cost €9.99 for a pack of 10 so probably not ideal for everyday use, but they're  more so designed for special occasions, job interviews, if you're wearing something you don't want to be ruined by aerosols or a horrible yellow sweat patch. Unfortunately the adhesive residue was a huge turn off for me so I probably wouldn't rush back to using them. 

Have you heard of Mondss underarm wear?! What is your opinion of them?!

Dawn 

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Boots Time Delay Toning Water

So, I'm really into my skin care regime at the moment... and when I say I'm into my skin care regime I mean I cleanse, tone and moisturise every night. So, yeah I'm really into my skincare regime! I recently bought a Boots own brand brightening toning water, mainly because it was half price... I do love a bargain! This was also a time delay product, so I of course had to buy it, I don't want to get old. It was only €3.34 so I didn't mind paying for it, but if it was €6.68, full price, then there would be no chance.

The product itself doesn't smell really harsh, which is good, but then again it doesn't really smell like anything. It just pores out as apposed to most liquid skin care products which squeeze out, so the majority of this ended up on my bedroom floor. On the back of the bottle it states that it contains antioxidants that help protect the skin against signs of aging, it evens skin tone and even tightens pore leaving "skin looking healthy". So the tightening pores part; it didn't tighten my pores and more so blocked them. After about a week of using this product every night I realised how spotty my skin had become. I wanted to reduce the signs of aging, not go back in time and become a 14 year old. I thought maybe this was the products way of getting the bad stuff out of my skin... wishful thinking right? But I continued to use it, until my skin became really itchy all the time and the spots never cleared. This was a clear sign that it didn't suit me and I had to stop using it.

One thing that sort of freaked me out at first was that on the back of the bottle it says that it contains alpha hydroxy acid or AHA which can increase your skins sensitivity in the sun and that if you are using this product be sure to limit sun exposure. Now it was mid-March when I bought it so I thought nothing of it, Ireland only gets sun one week a year and I'm indoors the majority of the time anyway. This AHA thing might not freak other people out but it does freak me out. Being very fair anyway the slightest bit of sun and I become some sort of lobster creature so I like to keep my skin protected. That and the fact my mam recently had to get a sun damaged spot on her chest removed by laser, also freaks me out. The fact that Boots have a product that can increase damage to your skin from the sun irritates me. Especially a product which would be aimed towards older ladies. I may be taking this the complete wrong way but it still annoys me!

Overall the spots and the possibility of sun damage didn't really suit me, but that was just my opinion. I realistically won't be buying any more products from the Boots "Time Delay" range... sorry Boots.

Have you used any Time Delay products? What was your opinion?

Dawn 

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Vaseline "Spray and Go"

Years ago if you would have said to me that I'd be using a body lotion everyday, I'd say you're crazy. I have... or had fairly good skin back in my day. It's like I hit 22 and my skin became dried out, itchy and flaky, especially on my upper arms. I'm a huge Vaseline lover...like HUGE! I use it on my lips everyday to prevent them getting chapped, I put it on my fingernails and around my hairline when applying tan and I've even use it to help get piercings back in! It's so cheap you really can't go wrong. Vaseline, as a brand, have really made an impact on the beauty market. Think back to your childhood... Vaseline... what do you think? Me? I think of that huge tub that was found in the bathroom, but I never really knew what it was for, and I always presumed it was sort of like sudocream. How wrong I was! When Vaseline released their "Spray and Go" moisturiser I knew I needed it. At this point I already had a pot of Vaseline in every handbag I owned, was using a Vaseline deodorant and had tried their moisturiser. I'm one of these people that the more convenient it is the better. I tend to run late when meeting friends so I needed something like this product, but the price kept putting me off. But one day I bit the bullet and purchased my first can... And I haven't looked back since!

A spray and go.... how perfect! I was so excited to use this, so excited that I basically jumped in the shower when I got home to test it out! As I sprayed I realised it wasn't really a spray and go product. You need to rub it in, as it can disperse a bit too much moisturiser. I was disappointed with this, but when I realised that once you rub it in you can literally get dressed my opinion changed. It doesn't make you feel slimy for the next 24 hours, but you know you have moisturised. I love the smell of cocoa butter too, I always think it's so refreshing and this scent is no different. It's a continuous spray too which means your not trying to squeeze it out of bottle with slippy hands. Honestly, since using this my skin feels so much smoother and my time-keeping has seriously improved! I'm on to my third bottle since my first purchase in May... which is pretty good considering it's 190ml and I'm using it everyday. For just over €6 it's well worth a purchase.

It comes containing three different main ingredients; aloe, cocoa and oat extract. Perfect for everyone out there.

Have you used any of the Vaseline lotion range? What was your opinion?

Dawn 

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Hello Summer Tan...

I'm Back!

I've been really busy lately with work and other commitments but I'm back now, and I've really missed blogging!

During summer months I hate being pale... I hate being pale any time of the year. I haven't put tan on in over three weeks so I'm ridiculously pale, well at least I was up until yesterday! A few months ago I purchased St Tropez gradual tan, it was on special offer so I'm pretty sure it only cost around €8.00. I love using gradual tans during the summer because it feels like its a natural tan build up, as opposed to looking like Casper the friendly ghost one day and then Nicole Scherzinger the next day. I applied this tan last night before I went to bed and it seemed so easy to apply and dries in really quickly. It's not really a tan you would sleep in and more so one that you would apply during the day and it develops as you work away! It doesn't smell overwhelming so no one would even know your wearing tan. As its an aerosol a few sweeps and your done basically, well that's what I thought anyway. I sprayed this over my chest and arms last night and thought that I got everywhere, but obviously not. I woke up this morning with patches all over my arms. For a gradual tan I thought it would appear more even. It's a bit dark for a gradual tan to be honest, which sometimes isn't a bad thing! It was easy to fix my mistakes this morning with a few more sweeps over the parts that I missed and a bit of blending.

After one application and some careful blending

Overall, as a gradual tan it's up there with one of the best that I've used. Compared to using body lotion with a gradual tan in them this seemed to suit me better. It contains aloe which helps to keep your skin smooth and it has a refreshing smell, as refreshing as a self tanner can be! From now on when I'm using it I'll be using a mitt to ensure its well blended, that way I can avoid looking like a brown zebra. I'm going to keep using this during the week for a natural looking tan... Goodbye Casper the Friendly Ghost!

Have you ever used any St Tropez products? What did you think of them?

Dawn 

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Good Things Total Wipeout Cleansing Wipes

Apologies for disappearing off the face of the earth. I've been really busy over the past few weeks and I'm not going to lie but I just haven't had the energy to blog. But I'm back now. 

Today's post is about Good Things Total Wipeout Cleansing wipes. I love Good Things products, as you can see from my previous posts (here and here). I love how refreshing they are and how well they work. Unfortunately they're stocked on the bottom shelf in Boots, so I tend to not notice their products or can't find them when I actually am looking for a specific product. However a few weeks ago, when I was shopping with my mam in Liffey Valley, I spotted that Boots were running a promotion on all skincare products. Anything with a shelf talker automatically gets me. I'm sold. I needed make-up wipes and I usually choose Boots own brand ones, which I would never, ever diss. Instead of my usual choice, I picked up 2 packets of the Good Things Total Wipeout makeup wipes. I was so excited to use these. 

So, that night I used them for the first time. The scent when I opened the package smelt so fresh and fruity, the usual Good Things scent. The wipe itself is actually a lot thicker than others, which sort of makes it's harder to use. The wipe tends to roll easier, which is really annoying. I found they also don't remove nearly enough of my makeup. Complete disappointment to be honest. I've had such great experiences with this brand before, that I felt really let down. I saved a third on these so it wasn't as bad as paying full price (which is €2.23 in Boots), but I won't be picking them up again. The one good thing about these wipes, apart from the scent, is that they're biodegradable, which most makeup wipes aren't. That means they won't end up in some landfill destroying the earth! Overall I would not recommend these and won't be purchasing these again. 

Have you ever used any Good Thimgs skincare products? What makeup wipes would you recommend? 

Dawn 

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Who Run The World?!

(Source: missmillmag.com)

Recently I have been thinking more and more about my future, and a huge part of this is what will I be doing in the future? As most people know I graduated in November with a 2.1 in Retail and Service Management. Last year was honestly the hardest year within my time in education, and I have to thank my wonderful family, fantastic friends and work colleagues (especially  Richie) for supporting me through this time. I personally feel that I am extremely hard-working and have always (well most of the time) tried my hardest in both college and work. Time-management has always been such a huge thing for me, trying to juggle friends, family, work and college is really tough. So girls, trust me if I can do it, you can too! It's going to be hard but keep at it, and make sure you take breaks, plenty and plenty of tea and chocolate breaks.

So with this, I still have no real clue where I want to be in 10 years time (maybe a W.A.G?). When I was younger, there was always this idea in my mind that men earn money, and women stay at home watching the kids, cooking the dinner, cleaning the house (and trust me, I know that this is a job in itself). This whole idea came from the fact that my mam was a stay at home wife, she was always there for me and I was really lucky in that sense. She did however end up going back to work, but I had always considered my dads wage, our main source of income (I now know that this is not true). As a kid I had the most ridiculous career aspirations; I wanted to be a hairdresser, a dancer, a singer, a cashier (retail has stuck with me somewhat), a waitress and at one point all I wanted to be was a cleaner. Now I'm not saying that these aren't real careers, they are, but I never once considered being something more.

Men ruled the world basically, and girls were basically baby makers. Obviously now my opinions have changed. And the main reason for this, is the increasing amount of women within business. This has been such an inspiration for me, as it has made me realise that I can be more. That I can have dreams and achieve them. 

Within the past few years there have been a few women that have made me realise this. One is obviously the amazing Marissa Carter. To come from a salon based in Blackrock, to creating a product which has become a household name. This week Marissa was at the Oscars, yes the OSCARS, giving celebrities a sun-kissed glow. Like I'm sorry but what?! Marissa was of course mentioned in The Irish Independents most inspirational women list for 2013. In just over a year the brand has released four products with another three being launched later in the year. Marissa, Sarah, Ashling and Stephaniehave made this happen through hard-work and determination. Four women. Not a man in sight. Basically what I'm saying is... Who rule the world? GIRLS! This is not a mans world.

I hope that things have changed for young girls now, and that they don't just want to marry someone when there older. And I really hope that teenagers can now see how far women can go, and have bigger dreams and aspirations. 

So, I know that this post is completely out of the ordinary for me, but I really feel that is important to acknowledge people that have made an impact on your life. What do you think? Do girls rule the world? Or is it still a mans world? (Buts lets be honest it would be nothing, without a woman or a girl....oh the cheese).

Dawn 

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The Vintage Cosmetics Company Tweezers

About two weeks ago I bit the bullet and ordered my first Glossy Box. I've heard such mixed reviews that I decided I had to try it myself. One of the products that came in my Glossy Box was a tweezers from The Vintage Cosmetic Company. Now I'm not going to lie, I've never ever bought a tweezers myself, I usually just rob mams till she buys a new one for herself (sorry mam)! So I've never had a brand spanking new tweezers. I used this for the first time last Friday and my god they're sharp. I was actually shocked. 

It has a slanted edge for thicker hairs that are easy to get, which is smooth to run along your brow bone. When you flip it the opposite way there's a pointed tip, which is fantastic for those fine hairs that can be a nightmare to pluck. 

These tweezers also came in a protective pouch which means it will be well protected if it gets thrown around your make up bag. 

Now onto the best part?! The design! It's so girly and cute. The perfect pattern for your typical girl. Much better than the usual silver steel appearance. 

I don't know if these tweezers were so good because they're brand spanking new, but I definitely thought my brows looked a lot better than usual, due to the sharpness of the product. 

The Vintage Cosmetic Company tweezers are available in most Boots stores for €10.50 and they're also available online. 

Have you tried any products from the vintage cosmetics company? What did you think?

Dawn 

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Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish range

As a nail polish hoarder I tend to purchase loads of different polishes and after a day forget that I own them. However, Rimmels Salon Pro are hard to forget to be honest. I'm a bit late to posting about these, but I've been meaning to write a post since last August! Better late than never right?!

My best friend, Niamh, first introduced me to these as she gave me two for my birthday last year. The shades she gave me are really summer shades, but I've worn them throughout Autumn and Winter.... YOLO right?! No but in all seriousness I love bright shades as much as I love dark shades, and these two shades have come out of my nail polish box more than once during these cold months. I recently picked up another shade which I originally thought was black, and was quite disappointed when I lashed it on my nails. It's a dark blue, not black. After a day or two the shade started growing on me, and I realised it was my own fault for not reading the name on the bottle.

So back to the nail polishes. BEST NAIL POLISH EVER! Ok so that may seem like a bit much, but seriously they've won me over. Not only are they super cheap (about €5 each), but they're also fast drying and they last much longer than any other polish (working with cash means by nails are destroyed by the end of the day). Another great thing about these is the brush, it's a lot wider than any other polish meaning you don't have to do multiple layers to paint one nail. Saying that you do need multiple layers to get the opacity you may want.

So, would I buy these again?! Hell yes! Simple as. My one issue is that I can't find a black anywhere, which really does disappoint me!

Have you tried Rimmels Salon Pro nail polishes?! What do you think?!

Dawn 

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Cocoa Browns Chocolate Whip Moisturiser

Being a beauty blogger you'd think I'd be all into my exfoliating and moisturising... I'm not. I just don't have the time for it. I usually work earlies,  meaning I've to be awake by about half 5 and leaving my house by about 10 past 6. When I get home from work and shower I'm usually either too tired to do all that, or I have made plans and I'm literally rushing out the door. Saying that once or twice a week (usually the days I'm off) I'll be sure to at least moisturise after a shower. When I received my Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip moisturiser I wanted to see if the brand would change my ways... And it's quite possible they did. As everyone knows, I'm ridiculously loyal to Cocoa Brown, so I already had high hopes for this product (let alone the amount of reviews I had already read). 

The packaging is cute as always, maintaining their trademark pink (even if it is in a white tube). The fact it comes in a tube is fantastic, I hate tubs and bottles are just awkward (especially with wet hands). I decided I would start using this after applying a layer of tan, so on a dull Sunday morning (with a dreadful hangover) I layered myself with some Chocolate Whip. I was actually shocked to see it was brown... And NOT pink! I sort of expected it to smell overwhelmingly like chocolate, but it doesn't... It's even nicer AND my mam even complemented my smell (if it can cover up last nights double vodkas and red bulls it gets extra brownie points). 

After about five days of using it straight I noticed my tan faded more naturally, while lasting longer, and applying tan midweek went on smoother.

Silly me I forgot to take a picture of day 3

The best part about this is that it's not just for tanning, it's a fantastic day to day moisturiser. It's oil free so it doesn't clog pores either, thumbs up for Cocoa Brown thinking about our delicate Irish skin. 

Overall, it's officially in my bathroom cabinet and is being used everyday, and not just by me (yeah that's right mam, I know you use it too). I love the smell and it doesn't take too long to soak in either. The one flaw is that if you don't rub it in fully it can sort of cling to dry patches, leaving a brown tint with it.

Another great product by Marissa and her team... Fair play ladies! Defo worth a purchase and it's pretty much available everywhere (including online at Cloud10 Beauty), and as usual is as cheap as chips!!

Have you tried Cocoa Browns Chocolate Whip? What's your opinion?

Dawn

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A Classic Beauty Staple

So life at the moment has become pretty hectic, 2014 really has started with a bang. I'm working full-time now and the shifts are so long which means when I get home I just want to pass out, but at the end of the day I'm loving what I am doing! That and the cold weather making me ill, has sort of prevented me from having the energy to write up blog posts.

But hey back to this blog post. About a month ago, a friend suggested using baby lotion as eye make up remover. At first I was like, you have to be crazy, I'm not putting that stuff near my eyes. Then I though to myself, I don't recognise any of the chemicals in eye make up remover, so really what's the difference?!

I'm so cheap I even resorted to buying an own
brand bottle, as opposed to a brand name!

So I put it to the test. My god... I am never buying another bottle of eye makeup remover ever again... Like EVER.  Been using this every night and I haven't woken up and thought, Janey my eyes look a bit rough. I always found with actual eye makeup remover, it never removed all my eyeliner and mascara. Baby oil, on the other hand, does. It also makes under my eyes super soft. AND it doesn't sting my eyes, like other big brand names. And best yet? It's super cheap, lasts forever and can be used for lots of different things. 

After I give my make up brushes a clean I'll wipe some baby oil through the ends to keep them soft (sort of like conditioning them, I suppose). After a shower I'll use it to lock in the moisture (which also locks in body heat during the day, perfect for colder months). Usually after I shave my legs I lash some on, to prevent dryness and that burning sensation. And tonight, I'm going to try it as a foot moisturiser (I have awfully cracked heels) and I'll let you all know in my next blog post how it went!

My one issue is how oily and messy it is. Everyday I'll end up spilling loads all over my table and/ or legs. And it does make my eyes go a bit oily, but I usually just wipe this off with a cotton pad. However, this is the only flaw, so I seriously recommend any of you makeup lovers to give this a try. Well worth it!

Have you ever tried baby oil? Any unique uses of baby oil

Dawn

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ManhaTan - A mini business with HUGE potential

A few weeks ago I was informed by Anita, of Anita's Beauty Spot, about an app created by four transition year students for their mini business. Yep, you heard that right; TRANSITION year students. I couldn't even think of an app like this now let alone at 15/ 16/ 17, so fair play to all of the girls.

 The app has three different options; information and prices on leading tanning brands, tanning salons based around Dublin, and hints and tips on applying your tan.

 The first section, which contains information on different tanning brands, is extremely useful and shows a huge variety of brands; from your cheap as chips St Moriz tan, to the higher end Vita Liberta PHenomenal Tan, and everything in between. Perfect for tanning newbies. Each product has information regarding ingredients, application, development times, prices and stockists. 

The second option allows you to see tanning salons throughout Dublin, which are near to you. By clicking on the red pins you can see information about the salons including their website and contact information, another helpful section especially if you're not up for tanning at home!

The final section, which is my favourite part, has loads of hints and tips, from choosing the brand with the right ingredients for you, to removing tan stains from clothing and bedding. Some of these tips I didn't even know, and I've been tanning since I was 14. 

I'm still literally shocked about this app. I have no clue how these girls have done it and made it look so professional... At their age I was worried about boy, not business ideas (needless to say my mini company idea was a last minute sweet shop where we sold sweets from the Euro shop!). You can clearly see how much research these girls have put in, and I really hope they are successful. The app is currently only available on iTunes and the salon section only contains information about Dublin salons, but it is designed to a very high quality and is very easy to use!

Have you heard about the ManhaTan app?! What do you think of the idea?!

Dawn

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Hello 2014...

Again I must apologise for disappearing off the blogosphere for awhile. Christmas has been extremely hectic and it's just about begining to calm down. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and Santa spoiled you all... He definitely spoiled me (and so did my fantastic boyfriend!). 

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know I'm still around and that I'll be up and blogging again very soon! I also wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year. As for resolutions, i have a few. One of these is definitely to focus more on my blog... So I'll be trying to stick by this as much as I can. Another one, is to get healthier (not lose weight or anything) but just in general be healthier. I've noticed in the past year certain tasks I could have done two years ago now drain me of energy. I eat terribly and exercise is nonexistent. I won't be joining a gym or start some fad diet but I will try eat more fruit and veg, drink more water and instead of driving to the shop (that's literally around the corner) I'm going to walk. 

Again I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and a brilliant New Year. Have any of you made any New Years resolutions?!  

Dawn

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