Dupe Tuesday | Urban Decay Naked 3 Dupe

I’ve been so excited to write this post for you guys! I’ve never seen a more amazing dupe than this before!

Tonight I’m bringing you a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, coming from a new UK company Makeup Revolution the Iconic 3 palette will only set you back £4.00.

I have only discovered Makeup Revolution in the last 2 months, they are a new company that launched back in March and have been bringing out amazing makeup since. I ordered a few things from their site last month and among them was their Iconic 3 palette. When I got it I was so surprised that it was exactly like my Naked 3 palette.

Just look at these pictures, you can see how similar they are. Even though they aren’t named like the Naked palette the colours are positioned the same.  The payoff is really good for such an affordable product, with some of the colours working out even better than in the Naked palette. There is some fall out but you get the exact same with the urban decay shadows.

Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette

The palette is slim and small enough that you can bring it travelling with you and for £4.00 if you smash it or lose it while away I don’t think I would be crying too much like I would if I did the same with one of my more expensive palettes and would be back on their site ordering another within days.

Urban Decay Naked 3

I put the left eye in all Makeup Revolution and the Right eye in Naked 3 and used strange, limit, trick, nooner, factory and mugshot to create the look below. Some of the colours weren’t as dark as naked palette so had to build them up to match the naked eye, but blending was very easy and the colours weren’t chalky at all which you would usually find in affordable makeup.

Iconic 3 (Left), Naked 3 (Right)

The Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette retails for £4.00 versus the Naked 3 palette which will set you back €44.00 (varys around the country) that’s a whopper saving on €40.00, just think about all the other makeup you could buy on the Makeup Revolution website with that!

As far as I’m aware you can only buy Makeup Revolution products on their website here, but as their only a new brand I’m sure we’ll start seeing them more widely available.

Thanks for reading this week’s Dupe Tuesday!

Love Sarah xoxo

Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

Morning all!

I haven’t done a proper review in a while so I thought it was about time I did one.

I love looking after my skin and love a product that can clean off my makeup as quick as possible (the sooner the better I can get into bed the better).

I never usually shop in Body Shop, the most I think I’ve ever come out of the place with is a lip balm or a spray but I had heard a few people mention their new Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil so I decided to buy it and try it.

My typical routine involves my Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean cleanser and my Nimue Cleansing Gel at night and just the Nimue Gel in the morning (I need the extra cleanser to make sure every bit of makeup is taken off before I go to bed). Since I bought the oil I’ve used it every night since and Peaches and Clean has since been retired to the back of the shelf in the bathroom.

I’ve never used a cleansing oil before so it was completely new to me when I first used it. I just use one pump in my palm and rub it into my hands and then massage it into my face. It’s so relaxing just before going to bed to massage it in and the smell is so calming it really chills you out. Apart from relaxing you it really strips the makeup off your face. After massaging I add a bit of water and it turns into more of a creamy consistency, once I’m done I just wipe it all off and my face is spotless. I use my Nimue Cleansing Gel after just to make sure every last bit is gone.

Before - Full face of makeup 

During

After - All my makeup is gone :)

All in all I really like the oil, it’s so different and relaxing and really takes my makeup off really well. Even though it’s an oil it doesn’t affect my skin in any way, I’ve oily skin so don’t worry if you do to as it’s for all skin types and won’t make you any greasier.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your day

Love Sarah xoxo

Weigh In Wednesday | Week 2

Week 2 of Weigh In Wednesday and this week was a doozie!

It was pretty depressing! Last Saturday was my friends 21^st and the mission was to look amazing and find the perfect dress.

Last Wednesday I got my nails done and a spray tan, firstly a tan us always good to make you look that bit better, I’m not sure if it makes you look slimmer or anything but it’s always better to have that healthy glow than to look pasty.

I had also bought a gorgeous dress that week, but silly me didn’t try it on when I bought, I presumed as it was my size that it would be all good. When I decided to try it on it fitted everywhere but my ass, it didn’t look too bad but it meant the dress was made a lot shorter so I made the decision to head out and look for a new dress.

I thought I just had to go into River Island or New Look and pick up a dress and be done with it but instead I had the most emotional day of shopping I ever had!

I tried on numerous dresses in my size (12) and when they didn’t fit I went and tried them on in a size 14. When the size 14’s weren’t fitting I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack. Again some of the dresses didn’t fit because my Kim K ass was getting in the way and then the fact that I have pretty much no chest meant that it would be hanging at the top and tight as anything at the bottom. I really don’t know what the story is my proportions are all over the place.

I ended up getting a lose dress from River Island which I liked (not loved) and was all set to get ready. Unfortunately even before I could get to the party and I had to go home sick! Seriously it was just getting worse.

Luckily because I hadn’t been well the last few days it meant I haven’t been eating much, unfortunately I’ve ended up getting it back and then some!

So this week I know will be better, with the good weather I always eat better, I find I never have as much of an appetite when it’s hot outside and the food is always so much fresher and lighter, so I have high hopes for a good healthy week.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sarah xoxo

Dupe Tuesday | MAC Vs Wet N Wild

Welcome back to Dupe Tuesday, if you don’t know by now every Tuesday I will bring a drugstore product that gives the exact same result as a high-end one.

This week it’s the battle of the lipsticks.

I have two favourite lip brands – MAC and Wet N Wild. I have only discovered the Wet N Wild lipsticks in the last few months as they have only arrived in Ireland since the start of the year and I have bought a good few on their Megalast lipsticks which are my favourite out of all their lipsticks.

I don’t love a high shine lip as I think they make my lips look even bigger than they already are so I tend to go for a more matte lippy which the Megalast ones are. The good thing about these is that they stay on for longer and even after it’s warn off they still leave a bit of a tint.

With the MAC lipsticks they can go from real creamy to matte so there’s a good chance I’ll find a lipstick that will be what I’m looking for.

I also love a dark lipstick, even though I’m blonde and probably should be wearing lighter pinkier colours I live for dark plums and reds.

Now when I discovered Rebel by MAC I thought that it was the most perfect colour, a deep plum and it lasted forever on the lips. I thought I had found my Holy Grail lipstick, but at €19.00 a pop those lipsticks don’t come cheap.

But why spend €19.00 when you can spend €2.99 on the Wet N Wild Megalast in Sugar Plum Fairy. It is literally the exact same colour as Rebel and stays on for just as long if not better! I had to really think about which colour was which when I had swiped them on my arm as they are so alike.

Rebel on the Left, Sugar Plum Fairy on the Right

I’ve rambled on a bit here but you just have to look at the swatches to see that these are pretty much the exact same colours.

That’s it for this week’s Dupe Tuesday tune in for next week’s where I will have a dupe of the Naked 3 palette for a 10^th of the price!

Have a great sunny week.

Love Sarah xoxo

Weigh in Wednesday Week 1

It’s been a week since I started watching my weight. It hasn’t been the best of weeks but I have been doing well.

I’ve decided not to weigh myself during this process, in the past when I’ve weighed myself I became very obsessive about it and would weigh myself every day and sometimes twice a day, so this time I’m just going to judge it by how well my clothes fit, I feel that will be the healthiest option for both my body and my mind.

Typical amount of steps before starting Weigh In Wednesday

I’ve been using my Fitbit to check how much I’ve been moving around and I’m doing a lot better than I have been doing, I’m putting this down to walking my brothers dog and because I’ve been getting the tram into work it means I’ve to do a little extra bit of walking to and from work!

Since watching my weight I've been getting over 10,000 steps daily

I’ll be back home this weekend after house sitting for my brother so I’ll be back in the gym from Sunday! My membership doesn’t run out till September so I might as well make the most of it till then!

I’ve decided to cut out starchy carbs such as bread, wraps and chips, this could be tough seeing as I make a wrap every day for my lunch. I’m also going to have to stop going near the biscuits in work, we have a tea club and every day there’s always the nicest cookies floating around and by 3 o’clock you need that sugar fix to get you through that last stretch in the day. I think I’ll just have to bring a better variety of fruit into work, I already bring 2-3 apples and 1-2 bananas that I eat more my little break and for lunch so maybe some melon or mango for the afternoon will give me that sugar hit I need.

Thanks for reading and for the positive comments I received from last week’s Weigh in Wednesday post and if you have any tips let me know!

Love Sarah xoxo

Dupe Tuesday | Moroccan Oil Vs Aldi Miracle Oil

Welcome back to Dupe Tuesday!

This week I’m looking at a hair product that I recently discovered in Aldi! I’m never in Aldi but I’m house sitting for my brother and his local store is an Aldi. I was pottering around one if the days and spotted their Miracle Oil, firstly I thought I had seen a bottle of Moroccan Oil so that’s what peaked my interest. At closer inspection I found it to be very similar looking, it’s a hair oil that promises to “Strengthen, smooth and seal in shine”.

I had never bought a proper bottle of any of the Moroccan or Argan oils but at a beauty show a couple of years ago I was given a good few sample bottles of the Moroccan Oil. I’ve used it on and off when my hair has been looking a bit frizzy or dry and its worked wonders. I never thought I’d buy a proper full bottle of the stuff seeing as its €40 for a bottle, so when I saw this little bottle for only €3.99 I figured it was worth it even if it wasn’t going to work out for me it’s not as if I had just wasted a tonne.

My hair had been drab and dry the last couple of months, I get my hair dyed blonde so the dye does nothing to keep it healthy looking. I’ve used this nearly every time I’ve washed my hair the last 2 weeks, I pop only about 3-4 drops into my palm and rub it all over into the ends of my hair and anything left over I pop all over. I dry my hair normally and the result is the softest hair I think I’ve ever had! It’s so good I haven’t stopped touching my hair and telling others to do so to, and you know it works when your boyfriend even notices!

The great thing about this stuff is that its multifunctional, you can use it as a leave in conditioner if you want a treatment, as a finishing product and as an overnight treatment so you get even more bang for your buck!

I know there’s plenty of oils you can get in the likes of Penny’s/Primark for probably the same price, if not a little cheaper but I definably recommend this stuff. You can’t go wrong with an oil that will give you the same results as the top brand stuff and costing a tenth of the price.

Head down to Aldi today and get the Carino Professional Miracle Oil with argan oil.

Thanks for reading :)

Love Sarah xoxo

Beauty Travel Tips

Beauty Travel Tips

I love to travel, I have the constant urge to get away all the time. When I do travel like most people its short journeys around Europe on budget airlines, which means a lot of the not checking in bags.

The hardest part of packing for me is trying to fit everything into that little plastic bag! What product do you sacrifice so you can fit everything in is one of the toughest decisions, but I think I have found at least one way to lighten the load.

A few months ago I was in MAC getting some foundation testers as my skin colour had gotten paler. I got two little pots and they came with loads of product in them. When I was done with them I just put them away but when I was tidying up a few weeks ago I had a Eureka moment. 

I’m going away to London at the end of the month and I know that bag will be bursting with makeup so I washed out the little MAC pots and when it comes to packing for London I’ll be putting my foundation into them.

Hopefully it will give me a bit more space than I usually would have by putting a bottle of makeup in the bag.

What beauty travel tips do you have??

Love Sarah xoxo

Weigh in Wednesday

Fat, flabby, chubby, large, round, I could go on, but on a daily basis when I look in the mirror these are the words that pop into my head.

Like many of you I’ve struggled with my wait for the best part of my life, I've gone from size 8 to size 16. I've gotten larger over the years and reached a massive 13st 5lbs two years ago but thanks to Weight Watchers (my 2nd attempt) I managed to drop to just under 10st. What spurred me on was my boyfriend going to Australia, he went for the year and I really want to look like a new woman for when he returned. But since he came back I’ve slowly put the weight back on. I had put about a stone back on and had managed to keep it steady for a good while, in the last 3 months though I have seriously ballooned up and I am ready to lose it again, so each Wednesday I will be talking about how much weight I have lost (hopefully), what I do at the gym and what I’ve been eating.

Once I get into losing weight I do become very motivate and really into it so I’m excited for that.

I think I have gained a lot of weight in the last few months because I have been moved to a different location in my job. I have a Fitbit Flex which counts my steps and working in the city every day and running around the office meant I was getting 10000 steps each day (the recommend amount we should all be doing a day) and now I've been moved out of the city and I’m getting the bus straight to and from the door of the office and I’m sitting at my desk from the time I get in to the time I leave. I'm also very lazy and once I’m home its soap central, from 7 till 9 I'm watching soaps, I love that trash.

The reason I want to lose weight is because I’ve put so much weight on none of my clothes are fitting me now and I don't want to buy anymore when I’ve a wardrobe full of really nice clothes. It's also almost summer and I'm going to loads of outdoor concerts and I want to wear my shorts and dresses, and finally my birthday is in a month and I really want to look pretty and really it all boils down to looking pretty!

So keep an eye out for my post every Wednesday to see how I’m getting on.

Thanks for reading!

Sarah xoxo

Dupe Tueday | Benefit High Beam Vs MeMeMe Beat the Blues

Hi Girls, I hope you're all recovered from the bank holiday weekend, I feel like I need another day especially after doing the Mini Marathon yesterday.

Anyway this is Dupe Tuesday where each Tuesday I will be showing you cheaper options of high end, more expensive brands. 

Today I have a dupe for Benefits High Beam which retails for €27.50 (£19.50 - the mark up for Euro's is crazy).  If you don't know already High Beam is highlighter for the face and I suppose you can use it on the body too. I bought my High Beam at the start of the year and and I use it on my cheek bones, a bit on my brow bone and anywhere really that the light hits my face just to give me that glow in the dull Irish weather and sometimes I mix it in with my foundation if I really want to look dewy and glowing.

I've been loving my high beam until a month or two ago when I received the MeMeMe Beat The Blues in Pearl Pink in one of my monthly Glossybox's. It is literally the exact same, if not better than the High Beam. It blends in really well leaving your skin glowing and retailing at just €6.99 (£5.99) it is well within everyone's budget.

MeMeMe is sold only in pharmacies in Ireland, the list of stockists can be found on their Facebook Page.

High Beam (Right) Beat the Blues (Left)

With a price difference of €20.51 why would you bother buying the Benefit High Beam.

Thanks for reading guys!

Sarah xoxo

May Favourites

Hello my loveys!

 I can't believe May is over already, how fast did this month go by!

Here are my favourite products I have been using this May, starting off I have the Nivea Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream. A few months ago I got a facial and the girl told me I needed to start using night cream and once you turn 25 everyone should be using it. It took me a while to figure out which one to buy and I finally ended up with the Nivea night cream.

I love it, it's thick and cooling and stays on the skin for the whole night. My skin is so smooth and plump the next morning, I don't know why I wasn’t using it before.

I've been going on crazy online spending sprees the last 2 months and these Whitening Lightening Color Your Smile have been a result of that. I have used these pretty much every day for the last month. They have a mirror on the side and when opened it lights up. They are blue toned which helps your teeth look whiter. These are so pigmented the colours are really amazing and whether it’s intentional or not they make my lips so soft!

I’m a serious MAC junkie and I love my Pro Longwear concealer. I misplaced mine in April and found it again in May. Being without it for a month really made me fall back in love with it when I found it. It covers so well, and last for pretty much the whole day. Luckily my skin doesn’t need too much concealer but I do use it on my under eyes to help with highlighting.

My hair has been a mess lately and has been getting greasy so quickly so I remember about 2 years ago buying a Toni & Guy Shampoo that got rid of all my build up and left my hair feeling fresh and squeaky clean. I went to Boots and tracked it down, it’s from their Cleanse range and it’s the Shampoo for Advanced Detox. You only need to use it 2 or 3 times a month so it lasts for ages and is a god send for my hair!

No your eyes don’t deceive you I have put a toothpaste into my monthly favourites. I've been using whatever my parents have bought for toothpaste and it really wasn’t doing anything for me so when I was on my shopping trip to Boots I spotted the Colgate Max White One and I think what sealed the deal for me buying this was that you got a free Nails Inc. polish with it. I haven’t tried the polish yet but I love the toothpaste, it's left my mouth feeling so fresh and so clean. It whitens your teeth after every brushing but it's only temporary, but I think over a time your teeth will whiten.

And finally we have Pog Fro Yo, I love this place. They opened up a few months ago on Bachelors Walk serving salads, juices and fro yo. I love the salads, you fill in a slip and choose everything that you want in your salad and they chop it up for you, they are so fresh and the size of the boxes they really fill you. The frozen yogurt is just awesome, you can go super healthy with nuts and fruit on top or if you’re like me you go for the biscuits and chocolate. 

So these are my favourites from the last month! My June favourites might be a bit on the light side as I’m on a spending ban till the end of the month. 

Thanks for reading!

Love Sarah xoxo