11 Questions Tag

I have been tagged by my lovely friend Lauren Marie to do the 11 Questions tag, so here we go. Hold onto your seats!

This is how its going to go:

There are five rules:

Post these rules. 

Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.

Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

This photo always tickles me! I can be serious sometimes but not most of the time! 

11 Random facts about me.

I actually found this really hard to do because I have always been very open on here, twitter and everywhere else. I'v also done random fact posts before on here so it was a challenge to come up with things you might not already know. 

1. I only read books during the summer months or on holidays.

2. I sleep in the foetal position on my right side.

3. I curse a lot, mostly the F word.

4. I want to move to America.

5. I have three tattoos and want more.

6. I started smoking at the age of 15, got caught and stopped until I was 18 and didn't give up till I was 24.

7. I love those strawberry jelly sweets you can get in the cinema pick n' mix.

8. Growing up I always thought that I would be married by now because my parents got married at 19.

9. I have four pairs of glasses and can never find one when running out the door!

10. I have no where near an interest in shoes than I do in make up. I have less than 10 pairs.

11. I talk in my sleep, during my teens it was a scenario of me being at secondary school and talking about my locker and now in my twenties i'm at work telling all the kids "good job". Shane thinks its hilarious! 

Now I will answer the questions from Lauren

1. Who is someone who you secretly have a crush on (celebrity)?
   Paul Rudd
2. What song do you want your ‘’first dance’’ at your wedding to be?
   I actually can't think of one, it would have to be decided by myself and my future husband! 
3. Favourite childhood memory?
   Playing with my brothers getting up to all sorts of mischief! We use to get out wellies on and  go walking in nearby lakes, build dames thinking we could stop the water! Once we moved a whole load of hay bails and made a huge fortress in the field behind out house. The owner went spare! Ah country living!
4. Biggest regret in life?
   Not respecting myself enough when I was in my teens and dating a whole load of arseholes!
5. If you could be any animal what would it be?
   I actually can't answer this, I don't like the idea of not being free or in danger.
6. If your life was a soap opera would would it be and why?
   Greys Anatomy, drama follows me wherever I go!
7. What would you do for 1 million euro/pounds/dollars
   I would shave off all my hair and cycle to all 32 counties in Ireland.
8. What is one beauty secret you have never told anyone?
   I drink at least one glass of milk a day which helps to keep my nails nice and strong.
9. What is your biggest fear in life?
   Losing a family member or shane.
10. Who would you hate to be stuck in a lift with?
    A negative nancy, noting bothers me more than a person who constantly moans about everything. I actually got caught in a lift once and couldn't stop myself from laughing with the other people inside!
11. If you were stuck on a desert Island what item would you have to have with you?
    A razor.

Here are the question for the people I am tagging in this here blog! 

1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
2. Are you more like your mam or your dad?
3. If you only had €10 left and it was a week to pay day what would you spend it on?
4. What would you NOT wear on a first date.
5. Kinder Surprise OR a box of random chocolates?
6. What would you say to the person you hate most in this world if you had a chance?
7. Did you read all the Harry Potter books?
8. Would you ever consider internet dating?
9. Tell us one thing you cannot stand for.
10. Are you neat freak or a I'll clean it tomorrow kinda gal?
11. What would you do if someone offended/insulted you in public, over a microphone on front of all your family and friends?

I tag

The Sunday Girl

Christine World

PinkGlitter10

Love Lust & Fairy Dust

Martina Moylan x

A Pretty Obsession

I haz a beauty blog

Rosie Rouge

I hope you enjoyed reading this tag and getting to know me a little bit better. Till next time, be good! 

L'OREAL - Insolent Magenta

I've been meaning to post this since last weekend, if you haven't noticed from my tweets I am super excited about it. I was in the local pharmacy last weekend, went in for mouthwash and came out with the Rimmel London wake me up foundation. I thought to myself I'm buying this foundation why not buy another treat...you know how it goes! I ended up spotting this nail polish from L'oreal. I didn't recognise the packaging at all and the colours on the stand looked stunning. I was drawn to a beautiful coral and then to this fuchsia and had to make the decision WHICH ONE TO GET?! I am so glad I didn't talk myself out of this purchase. I got home and tried it on at once. With just one coat I got the following results. High pigmentation, gorgeous gloss and an instant hand make-over! It had been a few weeks, maybe even two months since I had worn any polish.

The bottle contains 5ml of product which I like, I don't like having bottles of never ending polish because as soon as you know it your four years down the line and have a nasty bottle of polish sitting on the shelf. I think I will hopefully enjoy this one and use it all up by the end of the year. It cost just under €8 but for me it was worth it and I will be going back to get the coral I had my eyes on. 

Stop and check out the L'oreal stand the next time you see one, the colours are lovely.

Love,

Sarah

xxx

M.A.C Lipstick Collection

My collection consist of five lipsticks. This might be a laughable collection to some but for me its very sizeable! Especially when each lipstick costs €17.50. My boyfriend nearly died when he heard the sales assistant call out my total amount when I bought my first one, Ruby woo. I recall him shouting out "Is it made from crushed whales" or something along those lines! I hope it isn't but I can understand his reason for questioning such a high price for something not deemed a necessity. I also understand that the boyfriend shouldn't be around to witness such transactions in the future! 

I present to you my babies!

Swatches in the same order as above.

The ladies in action!

Fleshpot  -  Ruby Woo  -  Up The Amp

I LOVE these lipsticks. I love the vanilla smell that fills my nostrils when I open the sleek bullet form packaging. I love the pigmentation, quality and staying power. I love the feeling of naughtiness that comes over me when I approach the tills. I love how I convince myself I deserve another M.A.C lipstick. I don't feel like this about any other brand of lipstick. Sure, I talked myself out of buying a Revlon Color burst lippy the other day and that was just over ten Euro. How did I not need that lippy but I happily parted with €17.50 today for M.A.C's Girl about Town? I think I am addicted girls. 

St Tropez Press Event

Recently I was fortunate enough to attend an event in Dublin. The event was for new beauty launches from St Tropez, Sanctuary, Yes To Carrots and O.P.I. I was really excited about this event because it was the first event for me to attend since I began my blog over a year ago. I was also on twitter the day before and found out that I would also get the opportunity to meet some Irish beauty bloggers that I follow. Excitement overload!

The event took place at Beauty Bootcamp  studios, a short walk from St Stephens green. Here I had the pleasure of meeting Laura, Karen, Sue and half of Viva Adonis Dee.

St Tropez

The main highlight of the event was getting to meet Nicola Joss, skin finishing expert from St Tropez. Nicola is well known for her work at London fashion week and at The Oscars tanning celebrities and models. Myself and the girls got to sit down with Nicola as she talked about new improved products coming out from St Tropez this year. She wowed us with talk of an instant tan that won't ruin our frocks and a tan that won't have you smelling like the pound shops finest mothers day perfume gift set. I wasn't sure to believe her or not until she tested out the Self tan dark, bronzing lotion on my arm with a tanning mitt. It dried instantly and I didn't get an obvious whiff of fake tan! I was also surprised that the self tan dark blended out to a lovely finish on my pale white Irish arms, noting too scary at all. Phew. 

Nicola also showed us a product I have never heard of before, dun dun dun Skin Illuminator. It comes in three shades, rose, violet and gold. She swatched rose on her arm and the effects where amaze-balls. I wanted to snatch it out of her hand and lather myself in it! It can be used on the face as a highlighter, like Benefits high beam I would say. It can also be used on the body to give the appearance of  lovely polished skin. Used over the self tan I'm sure I would be transformed into a complete and utter goddess! That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

O.P.I

At the event we also had the opportunity to get our nails done. Unfortunately due to work the next day I could not get mine painted but I did take up the offer of a file and hand massage. The lady (who's name has escaped me but she was lovely!) Showed me all the gorgeous O.P.I shades from the Nicole by O.P.I the Justin Beiber One less lonely girl collection. I spotted the Mint green 'My Lifesaver' almost instantly. It really brought back memories of last summer for me, mint green seemed to be all the rage last year. While I could not avail of the stunning polishes the other girls did.

Karen got this lovely Fuchsia colour (I'm sure she will mention it on her blog here at some stage!) Laura and Dee both went for 'My Life Saver' and I liked Laura's style putting 'Make U Smile' glitter polish on top. You can check out Laura's nails here.

Sanctuary 

Sanctuary is a brand I have always associated with Boots but now its branching out to other pharmacy's and stores around Ireland. They had lots of lovely products on show at the event but the two main products that caught my eye was their Skin perfecting B.B cream and their Therapists Secret facial Oil. I swatched both of these on my hands and I really liked them. 

Yes To Carrots

A brand I have often seen in my local Pharmacy but have never been enticed to buy is Yes To Carrots. I was told about the new packaging which I really liked. Some of the products have been changed to a pump action from twist cap tubs. I for one love pump action products. I hate when you have to open a product, put it on your hands and the try twist the cap closed without making a mess. Is that just me?I'm probably being a fool of a donkey! I was drawn to the cleanser, it seemed like something I would like and on-line its €7.99 which isn't bad for 170g of product. Yes to carrots mission according to their website is "to make affordable, kick ass products that work and make people feel good"

Beauty Treats

As I left I received a lovely bag of beauty treats! I was thinking throughout the evening how I would love to try certain products out at home, properly and now I actually can! 

I know this sounds a bit out there! Right...bare with me! It has been over five years since I have worn a swimsuit and nine years since I have tried a St Tropez product so this weekend I think I'm going to give it a lash! If I see out of this world amazing results I might...MIGHT post a picture or two! 

Also! I was in the pharmacy this evening to buy a self tanning mitt....FECKIN €4.99! Whats all that about? I was on my way to the till when I seen this.

A self tan applicator mitt for the same price but proceeds go to support breast cancer research. Keep an eye out for this next time your out buying yours ladies! 

Love,

Sarah

400 follower Goodie Box Giveaway

Well Girls I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have reached over 400 followers on my blog. I am flabbergasted! I just want to say a big thank you to you all. With every comment, like, tweet and follow you have increased my confidence like you wouldn't believe. I LOVE my blog and I have all of you to thank for that. To show my appreciation I have put together a few little things to say thank you. I hope you all enter because you deserve it.

In the goodie box you will find:

Just Lashes by Ja'maal Buster "Bold & Beautiful".

Mini Bourjois Paris perfect harmony, shadow & contour in 11 Miss Spirit.

Eden Aromatics "Love" Bath cake.

NYC Individual eyes, Bryant Park.

E.L.F Liquid Eyeliner in Plum.

Wet n Wild coloricon eyeliner in Deep Blue.

Vanilla Cupcake candle. Review HERE

Best of luck to everyone entering.

Oil me up...

Here I have different types of oil's from three different brands for three different uses. Three is the magic number! I recently replaced my lotions and potions for oil products to see what all the hype is about.

First off I have the Hask, Argan Oil from Morocco. Well actually it's from Penneys and it cost me €2.50! I have spend the last few months trying to persuade myself to shell out over €30 on Moroccan oil but to no avail my good side was having none of it. I brought my bad self into Penneys and seen this product sitting on the counter. €2.50 I thought to myself, why not. I checked the ingredients on-line when I got home and compared to Moroccan oil both products are nearly the same. The oil is orange in colour and smells lovely. I have been putting it in may hair just before blow drying and sometimes in the evening if my scalp feels dry I have been putting some on before I go to bed. It left my hair feeling softer than it has in a long time and the girls at work commented on its lovely shine. If I see this again, which I doubt I will because its become very popular through word of mouth I will buy it again.

Next up we have an all in one body oil by human + kind, skincare with a conscience. I have been using this all over the gaff and by that I mean my legs, bum, back, belly, boobs, arms and neck. After getting out of the shower every morning I put this oil on and it feels lovely. I feel like my skin is locking in all that moisture. As well as making my skin feel gorgeous and soft its also full of lovely natural ingredients which increase skin elasticity preventing stretch marks. Its yellow in colour and has a lovely sweet smell to it. As you can see the bottle is half empty and I have been using this every day for two weeks. The only negative I have is at €14.95 I feel the bottle could be a little bigger with more product especially at the rate I'm going through it! It is worth mentioning that Human + kind is an Irish company who like to develop products that benefit all skin types and have multi-functioning purposes. 

Lastly I have Shu Uemura cleansing oil and I received this in my goodie bag at the Beaut.ie event in Brown Thomas months back. I have only used it a few times. It is a cleansing oil and from what I can gather...remember I'm not an expert on any of this stuff.. its for face/removing make-up.??? There was no instructions on the packaging and I always associate cleansing with yo face! I tried it to remove make-up one evening and it left my face..well, very oily! I didn't like it. The sensation made me want to throw my head into a sink of water and scrub scrub scrub! Brands such as this usually intimidate me anyway, with their bare packaging and lack of instructions. This was only a sample size, 150ml cost over €35

In conclusion I have really enjoyed trying out oil based products and will definitely be replacing my body lotions and potions with more products like these. I was really impressed with the Argan oil from Penneys not only because of its price but I never expected one easy step before blowing drying my hair to have such immediate effects. I will continue to use the all in one body oil by human + kind but may have too look into buying something with more product that will last longer. As for using oil on my face I haven't fallen in love with the idea of that just yet.

Pretty Edgy - ESSIE

The new addition to my nail polish collection, just in time for paddies weekend! I bought this at the Irish Beauty show which was held in Dublin last weekend. It cost me less than €4 but I can't remember the exact price. I love it and will be over-using it this spring/summer.

Love,

Sarah xxx

100% Human Hair clip in Extensions

I went to the RDS Beauty show today not knowing what to expect. One thing I did know for sure was that I would be leaving with a Konad nail set but after that I just brought some extra spending money encase I seen something I HAD TO HAVE!. I surprised myself and my friends by buying Hair Extensions!! They cost me €45 and its the first time I have even tried extensions let alone owned my own ones. Online my ones cost £44.99 so that works out roughly as €55.

Here are some photos of me at the Universal stall getting my extensions put into my hair.

It is such a strange feeling going from short hair to instant long hair within the space of five minutes! It will probably take me half an hour to apply these extensions myself. I'm very happy with them. They feel so soft and look exactly like my own hair colour. The stylist was very good at picking out shades to suit people. There was girls asking her non-stop while she was doing my hair and she just kept firing extensions at them and they bought them straight away. I have honestly never heard of this brand. I will get back to you after I have washed, dried and styled them and lets see if the quality will still be as good! 

Nails for the RDS Beauty Show - Gold & Purple Crackle

I am going to the Beauty show in the RDS today. Most ladies going will be worrying about what to wear or what make-up to wear. Most I said! Some women find leaving the house easier than others. Anyway, I was looking at my nails. It dawned on me that its been about two months since iv'e painted them. How bad is that?! I was lost for inspiration until I popped online today and seeN Cherry Sue's blog on Croc nail effects. Shes used gold as a base and then Barry M's croc crackle polish. It turned out really cool, it gave me the encouragement I needed to paint my own nails!

As a base I used Barry M's 320 foil effects in gold. This polish is what I imagine melted gold to be like! It glides on nicely and dries quickly.

For the crackle effect I used Angelica in Purple, you can purchase this from Penneys. I am not sure if they sell it in the UK in primark. I am not too happy with this crackle but it is still fun all the same. 

Last step I used 17 double gloss top coat.

There we go ladies I am ready for the beauty show today! Really looking forward to it. I am planing on hitting Konad, Greath Lengths and the HD Brow bar first. 

Love,

Sarah

xxx

Guest post: Improving skin for Spring.

Today's guest post is by Bella. Bella is a beauty blogger for Cosmetic Surgery Guru, addicted to fashion and beauty. You can contact her on twitter at @Cosmetic_Bella.
                                                                                                                                  Bella says "Winter can leave behind chapped lips, dry elbows and a pale complexion, but there are ways to combat dull skin!" Here Bella suggests things you can do to revamp your complexion:

 

Exfoliate

 

If your skin’s looking a little worn out, try exfoliating on a weekly basis. Squeeze a little exfoliating gel into a pair of exfoliating gloves and start massaging your body in small circles. The rough surface of the gloves and the small abrasives in the cream will remove dead skin cells and should open your pores. If your skin needs a little extra TLC, book a IPL Laser course of skin rejuvenation at a professional clinic. There are many different treatments available, but a highly-trained skin specialist will use something appropriate for your skin type.

 

Moisturise

 

Applying a quality moisturiser that compliments your skin type can make a big difference to your complexion. Simply get a dermatologist or a beauty therapist to examine your skin and ask them to recommend a suitable product. Apply as instructed and leave to soak in before putting on clothes or doing the washing up. If you have time, rub the moisturiser into your hands and feet and pull a pair of socks and gloves on to allow the cream to absorb properly.

 

Drink water

 

The average human body is thought to be around 60-70 per cent water, so it’s important to stay well hydrated. Try to drink around eight cups of water a day and avoid caffeinated or fizzy drinks – as these can actually dehydrate you. Drink plenty of water after a gym session and make sure you have something to sip throughout the night. Fluids will help flush toxins from your body and should keep your skin clean and clear.

 

Apply a facemask

If icy temperatures and central heated rooms have caused your skin to dry up – Make a home made facemask to revitalise your complexion. Mash up two ripe avocados and spread the mixture all over your face, leaving it to soak in for around half an hour. Once the time is up, wash the concoction off with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Avocados are full of antioxidants that are believed to repair sun damage and are a great facemask. Botox can help with lines and wrinkles, but why not give these age-busting fruits a go too?

 

A few changes to your daily routine could improve your complexion – so what you waiting for?. Pamper, preen and shed your winter skin in style!

 

Review: HD Brows - Carter Beauty Blackrock

Last week I mentioned that I had booked myself into Carter Beauty to get my eyebrows done. It was not going to be a quick wax and tweeze type of affair for I had booked myself in for HD Brows.. ooh la la!

I preformed the patch test 24 hours beforehand and I was delighted my arm didn't fall off. I was greeted with a friendly hello when I entered the salon in Blackrock where I was then seated to fill out a few details about my past brow history. The lovely brow artist and beauty therapist doing my brows was @katie and she brought me into the room  where I was getting my treatment done. 

Lets get down to busines shall we, photo time! 

Before: Yuk, look at the state of them brows ladies. Sometimes I use the excuse "I work with children, I don't really have to make an effort with my appearance" or "my man loves me just the way I am" but there is no excuse for this. I let them go far too long. 

After Katie assessed my face which I didn't even notice because I was waffling on about god only knows what she applied a tint to both my brows. Bringing sexy back here! I have quite dark hairs so she used a brown and a small bit of black to darken the tint up. The tint is an amazing process because it catches all the fine hairs that you wouldn't usually see making your brows appear fuller.

Next using a pencil and string Katie designed a shape that would suit me. The string is pressed against the skin  to give the straightest possible line which is then drawn in with pencil. My brows were then trimmed and everything outside the lines was then Waxed, threaded and tweezed.

THE RESULTS

I know right, AMAZING! 

My brows appear fuller and longer. I have always wanted longer brows and have been the culprit of using too much brow pencil for many years ending up looking like a mad woman I am sure. The treatment cost me €50 and I am glad I had it done. I was in the salon for just over an hour but It wouldn't have been that long if Katie didn't take the photos for me. Thank you Katie! 

Well worth it and I will be going back to Carter Beauty. It is recommended to go back every 4 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows back. Every subsequent HD brow treatment will only cost €35. If you are in a rush and haven't had much regrowth you could always book in for a Brow shape/tidy (€12) and tint (€12) which would take less time. That is just my suggestion I wasn't told this during my visit. If you still have your shape I think that would work. 

Brows in Action!

I really enjoyed my visit, the staff were so friendly and meeting the owner Marissa was fun. The lovely Grecian decor and soft music playing in the background made the experience a very relaxing one too. I can't wait to go back. I wonder what I'll have done next! Check out the treatments they offer Here

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Be good, love 

Sarah 

xxx

Inglot Giveaway

Watch for more details.

To celebrate making my 100th video on YouTube I wanted to give back so I headed to INGLOT and picked up some gorgeous shadows and lipsticks.

To enter check out the video above. If your not a fan of making video responses but have a youtube account you can enter to win the lipstick palette by

1.Subscribing HERE

2. Commenting (on the video)

3.tweeting  "@adoreabubbles is having an INGLOT giveaway on her channel to celebrate making her 100th videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FtRSuen2qY "

4.and finally emailing me the link to your tweet (adoreabubbles@hotmail.com)

Good Luck 

xxx