Edvard & Pink Moroccan Rose Oil Luxury Champagne Pedicure Review

Every now and then us girls just need to get away and forget about life’s worries and stresses. For me I love to head to a spa, whether it’s for a full day or just for one treatment, it really helps to clear my mind and get me back to square one.

Yesterday I headed to Edvard and Pink, a hide away situated on the top 3 floors of Dundrum Town Centre. For years I’ve been wanting to go there but never got around to it but after getting a tour of the salon a few months back during an event I knew I had to go back ASAP for a treatment.

I booked myself and my friend in for a girly morning choosing the Moroccan Rose Oil Luxury Champagne Pedicure, a 70 minute treatment that had us nearly in a coma by the end of it.

We arrived on to the 5^th floor salon and where brought to the awaiting bubbling foot spas. During the pedicure you are seated on one of the most relaxing massage chairs I’ve sat on, given plenty of magazines and a choice of tea, coffee or water. The area is so spacious and bright with floor to ceiling views of the Dublin Mountains.

The treatment starts off with your feet soaking in bubbling jets, and then the therapist attends to your tootsies. Your feet are prepped, filed and buffed to perfection. Once that is done your calves and feet are polished with a sugar scrub. Then the magical coma inducing massage happens, for a good 10 minutes your calves and feet are massaged and let me tell you it is absolutely glorious. When the massage is completed your nails are polished with a colour of your choice, I opted for Essie Plumberry. All treatments use the Aromatherapy Associates products that are so indulgent and the aromas from them are so soothing.

The treatment cost €75, a little pricy but I would definitely go back for another one, the staff in the salon are so lovely and the experience was so enjoyable. I also love that my friend and I had the treatment done at the same time. It really annoys us when we book into get our nails done or any other treatments and we are either separated or seen at different times, so being seen at the same time and sitting side by side got a bit thumbs up from us.

Edvard and Pink offer a range of treatments on 3 floors, the Beauty Salon on Level 4, the Spa and Mani-Pedi lounge on Level 5 and the Gents and Cosmetic Clinic on Level 6.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Top Ten Budget Friendly Beauty Under €10

Today’s post is all about my top ten beauty products under €10. This was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be and made me realise that a lot of my makeup in my collection costs over €10. The ten I did choose however are pieces that I use quite regularly. A lot of the times when I’m in a rush for work and need to throw something into my makeup bag these are usually the items that get thrown in.

Starting with the base we have the Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer. This is a creamy, slightly iridescent primer that really glues the foundation onto the skin. As I have oily/combination skin this is perfect for it. It leaves the skin silky smooth, as well as helping it stay matte for the rest of the day. This primer comes in at €8.85 and it goes perfectly with the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation.

This foundation is an oily girls dream. This has the quality of a higher end foundation and one that I regularly reach for. It’s a full coverage foundation that goes on evenly and last the whole day. Not only does it have great staying power it is also very mattifying, I very rarely have to powder my nose when I wear this foundation. Coming in at €8.99, it is definitely the best foundation under €10 that I have tried.

There were a few concealers to choose from such as the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer but I chose the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer as I’m loving it at the moment. It gives me the coverage that I need without being too heavy it also has brightening properties to help give you that bright eyed and bushy tailed look. The Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer is €5.49.

I have such a love for Makeup Revolution; they sell amazing products at extremely affordable prices. I chose this blush for the price and the quality. The blushes are so pigmented, one tap is all you need and it gives you so much colour on your cheek. I have only one of these blushes in the shade Sugar but the next time I’m on the Makeup Rev. website I’ll be ordering a few more. They are £1.00 each which I think works out at around €1.40.

The Sleek Face Contour Kit is a firm favourite with a lot of beauty lovers. I have the kit in Light which is perfect for our Irish skin. The kit comes with a bronzer and a highlighter. I get so much use out of this palette. The bronzer is a perfect brown, not too orange or ashy it’s just perfect. With this bronzer I like to build the colour, it’s very pigmented so start I start off small and build it up to my desired colour. The highlighter is really good as well; again a little goes a long way. Sweep this on and you’ll be glowing all day. This is one that all girls should have in their collection, €8.49 each and available in 3 shades.

Another Makeup Revolution favourite is their Dual Ultra Brow Arch and Shape pens. They have two ends, one with a waxy crayon and the other a felt pen. I don’t usually use the felt end but the waxy crayon end is my go to. All I have to do is comb my brows through and then shape them with the crayon. As it’s a coloured wax it keeps any stray hair down as well as filling them in. It literally only takes a few seconds to fill my brows in with this pen, I love it and it’s price at £3.50 which is about €4.90.

When it comes to eye shadows there are many under €10 but a lot of the time they are singles and very rarely palettes. I love the Sleek Palettes which I was going to include on my list but when I went to price them they were over €10, I’m pretty sure the last time I bought them they were €9.99. I then spotted the Collection Eyes Uncovered palette for only €3.99. I had bought it a while back and never tried it but was pleasantly surprised when I did. There are 3 palettes to choose from; I got the Nude Grey palette which is perfect for a smoky eye. There are 2 mattes and 4 metallic, with a mix of bronze, silver and plums. I love this little palette and I’m going to have to get my hands on the other 2, they are really pigmented, easy to blend and last all day.

Going through my collection I found that I only have one eyeliner under €10 and that’s the Maybelline Master Kajal, everything else from gels to liquids where all over €10. You can’t really go wrong with this Kajal; it’s perfect for blending out for that smoked out effect.  I know there are cheaper pencils and other liners but I have none in my collection that I could find, this one is around €8.

Again with mascara I found it hard to find one that I liked and one that was under €10, luckily though the Seventeen Falsifeye HD mascara was there to save the day. I love this mascara for slapping on my eyes when I’m not really doing anything but I still want to look like I’ve made a little effort. The mascara, lifts, separates and holds all day to give you that wide eyed look. At €8.89 it is one of my go to mascaras especially on my “No Makeup” makeup kind of days.

Finally we have lipstick, this was really hard to choose but I really like the Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks. There are so many to choose from whether you want vivid pinks or 90’s nudes’ there’s so many to choose from. They are really pigmented and not too drying. I’ve a good few in my collection and I’m really hoping they bring their Matte collection over here, I bought some in America last year and they are some of the best matte lipsticks I’ve ever tried. They come in just under €10 at €9.99 a pop.

Added all up this makeup bag comes to €69, I wouldn’t like to think what my usual makeup bag costs or even my whole collection, I think I’d need a good lie down if I did. If you’re on a budget or have a makeup emergency then these would be my top picks for you.

All prices are from Boots or Makeup Revolution websites.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Mio Boob Tube +

The sad fact of life is that none of us girls are get any younger but luckily every day in labs all over the world there are products being created out there helping us to banish any signs of aging.

There are copious amount of products out there to firm and smooth our skin. The beauty industry isn’t just helping you rid yourself of wrinkles on your face but the rest of your body too.

A month or so ago Khloe Kardashian had an interview with Into The Gloss Magazinewhere she revealed the secret to her firm décolletage was Mama Mio Pregnancy Boob Tube. I’ve seen a lot of rumours online saying that Khloe has had a boob job so if the rumours aren’t true and she’s just been using this cream then I knew I needed to try this stuff out.

When I got the opportunity to test out the Mio Boob Tube + I was all for it, especially if it gets me one step closer to becoming a Kardashian.

While it might not be the Mama Mio Pregnancy Boob Tube that Khloe uses it pretty much does the same job. Use it daily on your neck and chest and your skin will start to feel and look firmer within days.

It took me about a week to notice any difference and while it was only a small difference you still notice it working. Now I’m still in my 20’s, small chested and kid free so gravity is still on my side, I can’t say if your older, larger or have had a rake of kids that it will do anything for you, so do bear that in mind.

It’s a thick feeling cream that soaks into the skin and dries really quickly so it’s easy to throw on in the mornings before I get dressed. I always think thicker creams worker better than thinner, stickier ones. The only problem I have with the cream is that it doesn’t have the best fragrance but if it keeps me looking younger than I can overlook the smell.

What makes this stuff work is the Omega 3, 6 and 9, CQ10, as well as my favourite skin care ingredient Hyaluronic Acid. If you’re looking for skin care that will make you look younger make sure it has Hyaluronic Acid in the top list of ingredients, this is the stuff that will smooth and plump out your wrinkles. 

It’s also a little pricey at €37 but your body will be thanking you in years to come when you’re picking up this bottle instead of your surgeon picking up his scalpel to make you look like Pam Anderson.

Now usually I take before and after picture or picture with the product on but there’s absolutely no way in hell that I’ll be getting the girls out so you’re just going to have to trust me when I say that the Mio Boob Tube + does what it says on the bottle.

You can pick up the Mio Boob Tube + in Arnotts, Clerys and Debenhams as well as well-known pharmacies.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

MAC Wash and Dry Collection

Wash and Dry is the latest collection to come from MAC. Released 2 weeks ago it is one of the most colourful collections I’ve seen from them in a while.

I bought the highlighter and one of the lipsticks on the Brown Thomas website the day it came out. I hadn’t tested any of it but I read all the reviews on the Temptalia website so I had an idea which pieces would be better than the others.

The packaging is what really sold me; it’s so colourful and bright that I knew it would be a great addition to my makeup collection.

I love highlighters and with it being summer I really want to look bright and fresh so highlighters are the way to go. The Freshen Up highlighter comes with a gold coating but with one swipe it’s gone. After the gold is gone I can’t find much in the way of a highlighter, if anything it’s a glorified blush, as blushes go though it’s absolutely gorgeous. It comes off peachy which is such a break from my mauve and pinks that I usually wear.

I bought the lipstick in Tumble Dry, it’s light peach lustre. This is my first lustre lipstick from MAC, I usually go for the Amplified, Satin or the Matte finish. I have to say I don’t love this lipstick, I think it’s too light for my lips. I love nude lipstick but I think this is too sheer and my lips are so naturally red that it doesn’t come off as good as it should on paler lips. I’ll have to play around with it more maybe use it over a nude lip pencil but at the moment I’m slightly regretting this purchase.

Being completely honest if I tested the products in person I probably wouldn’t have made a purchase or maybe I would have only purchased the highlighter. The pieces I did buy are limited edition in the collection which made me choose them over the repackaged pieces.

If you’re thinking of picking up any pieces from the Wash and Dry collection I’d be quick, it’s already out 2 weeks so all the good stuff might be gone.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

My Most Used Shadow Palettes

If there is one thing a girl loves it’s eyeshadow. I can swoon over shades sometimes, literally scream with pure joy when I swatch a new shade on the back of my hand, it might sound OTT to some but I know some of you can relate.

I have so many palettes in my collection that I even have some that I haven’t even used yet, but I do have some in my collection that I get constant use out of.

I’ve picked 5 palettes out of my collection that I use on a regular basis to show you all.

First up is my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I go through phases of using this one but the pink tones can really change up a smoky eye. Most of my palettes and single shadows are brown or grey toned so it’s nice to mix it up a little. You can do so many looks with this palette from a light girly pink day time look to a dark purple smoky eye. These shadows have great staying power, really pigmented and have hardly any fall out on application, which are all thumbs up for me. I got this palette as a Christmas present but you can get it for €46 in Debenhams, do shop around though because I’m sure I’ve seen it cheaper. If you don’t want to spend that kind of money on a palette Makeup Revolution and Crown Brush do really good dupes for a fraction of the price.

Next up is my MAC palette, my friends sister works for MAC and was over in their Pro Store in London so I gave her an idea of the colours I wanted and this is what I got. I use the browns and the reds mostly on a daily basis as well as the Shroom as a highlight and the black shadow Carbon for when I’m adding a bit of smoke to a look. The other colours I use for going out looks. I’ve had this palette for a good 2-3 years now and I haven’t really made too much of a dent in it even though I use it nearly every week. The colours are so pigmented that I don’t need to dig my brushes in like I would with other shadows. I need to make up another palette soon though as there are loads of other shades that I want to get my hands on.

My YSL Couture Variation Eye Palette Nude palette was a total splurge but when I swatched the colours on my hand I was in pigmentation heaven and knew I had to have it. The palette costs €58. When I got it I knew I couldn’t just let it sit in my drawer so I’ve made sure I use it regularly and have used it for work on many occasions. Even though it’s on the pricier side I don’t mind throwing it into my bad. It’s so petite and handbag friendly that I can pop it into my makeup bag without it taking up any space at all. There are some great matte and shimmer shades in this palette and what I really loved about it was the brush that came with it. I never use the brushes that come with palettes but they put just as much effort into the brush as they did with the shadows.

Onto more affordable palettes now and this one is finally on shelves in Boots. The Maybelline The Nudes palette is a really great affordable palette that you all need to go get your hands on. I bought mine last September in the states for $9.99, with the exchange rate at the time I think it worked out at 6 or 7 euro. It’s slightly pricier in Boots at €14.99 but I really think it’s worth it. The palette comes with 12 shadows and the ability to give a brown, bronze or black smoky eye. There are so many looks you can do with this palette. The colours are really good, some you have to work a little more than others but the staying power of them is excellent. I love this as an on the go palette, there has been more than a handful of times that I have just thrown this into my bag to do my makeup on the go.

Finally we have the Sleek I-Divine palettes. I have a few of these but I get most use out of the Au Natural palette. I brought this on holidays last September as I didn’t want to bring one of my more expensive palettes in case they got damaged or lost so I went with a cheaper option and was really surprised at how good it was. It has a great mix of mattes and metallics so I could get a lot of different looks out of it. You can get a bit of fall out with this palette so I usually do my eyes first with this one and then apply my foundation. The mattes can take some blending but the metallic colours are the reason I really love this palette, especially the bronze colour (hence the big dent in it). I think these used to be under €10.00 but Boots are selling them for €10.49.

What do you guys think of my favourites? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Summer Accessories with H&M

I am ready for summer with my new H&M purchases that I picked up the other day.

I needed some accessories to go with my outfit for the Irish Beauty Blog Awards so on a panicked hunt a few hours before I had to get ready for the awards I ran into H&M and found the most perfect clutch and ring.

There was a vibrant lime colour in my dress and thought these would suit my outfit really well.

The clutch comes in gold and powder blue as well and costs €9.99. If you’re heading on your holidays this would be the perfect bag to have on your night out.

The ring just screams summer and the tropics. The sizes are weird though so they might not fit everyone. They’re only available in xs/s or m/l, I’ve teeny tiny fingers so I went for the smaller fit as the other size didn’t fit any off my fingers. The ring will set you back €6.99 so it won’t break the bank.

If you’re thinking off brightening up your summer wardrobe head to H&M they have some gorge outfits and accessories.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo 

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Polish

When it comes to gel effect polishes I have a very high standard for what it takes for me to really love the product.

1)      If you’re going to sell me a gel polish it has to be as good as a Shellac or Vinylux.

2)      Has to last at least 5-7 days without chipping

3)      Stay glossy for the time being on my nails

4)      Can’t take long to dry – that goes for all polishes with me though

I bought a load of Vinylux polishes when I was at the Irish Beauty show a few months ago and they have set a really high bar for what I think of other polishes. I have however found it hard to source some, I know you can buy them online but I’m trying to cut back on my online spending.

This is a good thing though as I found a new love in the polish world that I think could possible trump my Vinylux ones.

The Colour Stay Gel Envy polishes from Revlon are possibly the best drugstore polishes I have ever tried. They tick all the boxes for me in what I look for in a gel polish.

They last all week, the shine never dulls, they are highly pigmented and when it does chip it’s usually by the end of the week and they are so tiny that unless my hands are right in your face you won’t notice them.

The price point is very similar to the Vinylux polishes. They retail for €9.29 in Boots and have an amazing colour range with 30 colours to choose from plus a top coat.

You will need to buy the top coat when getting the polish, its key that you do as this is what keeps your nails in tip top chip free condition and makes your nails super shiny.

The colours are highly pigmented, at least the ones I’ve tried so far have been. You could get away with one coat but I still pop two on. With two layers of colour and one top coat you would think it would take forever to dry but it is quite quick a drying formula so you can be back to business in no time at all.

If you love long wear nail polishes as much as I do then give the Revlon Colour Stay Gel Envy polishes a go. Anyone of my friends and family that I have recommended the polish to have loved it, so get out there and get some. Oh and Boots have a 3for2 offer on at the moment so no excuses.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo