Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
My Favourite Things
I did some drawing this week so should have a few posts of sketches some time soon. But for now I decided to do a little post about some things I am using a lot recently including some things I have been obsessed with for years. Most of them are reasonably priced, easy to get and FABULOUS.
1. Glow by Topshop, a moussey alternative to Benefit's high beam
2. Swiss O Par Eyebrow Dye in Brown - Love this stuff, works instantly just like in the salon, lasts a long time and costs around €10 in all good chemists!
3. So words really can't describe the wonderfulness of Stila Convertible Colour. I have had it for about 5 years in two colors Gerbera and Gladiola and only now am at a stage where I need to buy more. It's so pigmented that you need a tiny amount and it gives the nicest blush I've ever seen. That's saying something because I am obsessed with blusher. Unfortunately they no longer stock Stila ANYWHERE!! Online they only ship to US and Japan so your best best is a website like Beauty Bay .
4. St Tropez Tanning Mousse - worth waiting to purchase because they tend to do big discounts every now and then in the independent pharmacies and smaller chains. I have been using this for years, just like the color and fool proof application.
5. Maybelline Gel Liner - this product is SOOOO good, its so much easier to use that most liquid eyeliners so you can get that perfect flick. It's also quite long lasting. The secret is in the brush so try not to lose it as I have!
6. Mac Concealer - I have been using these little pots of concealer since I was about 15 and they are so good for a whole array of uses from spots and blemishes to stubborn redness to under-eye circles etc. Mix with your foundation for extra coverage or dab on imperfections without foundation for a more natural look.
7. Labello Lip Balm - A classic! Love the texture, smell, everything! It actually does work on really chapped lips which so many similar and more pricey products don't.
8. This has been a revelation of 2011 for me! Its a divine-smelling sticky, waxy product that I use in wet hair to create the most lovely waves and curls. My hair has a natural wave but no product - mousse, Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray etc - has ever made my hair look this good. I had so many compliments after I started using it. It's super cheap (around €3 and often on special offer in super markets like Tesco), easy to find and you only use a tiny bit at a time because it can make your hair hard so it lasts for ages!
9. Barry M Nail Polishes - Have them in lots of colors, solid and the cracking 'Nail Effects' variety. They're an excellent reasonably priced option and come in all the trendy colors.
10. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation - PRICEY but sooo good. I am naturally super pale and this is the only foundation I have found that has ever truly been pale enough for me, including Mac NC15 products! Has a wonderful formulation as well, medium but buildable coverage so with a few layers it has FULL coverage but somehow the natural look of the skin shines through and it never looks caked. LOVE IT. Also lasts long because you don't need to use much of the product at a time.
1. Glow by Topshop, a moussey alternative to Benefit's high beam
2. Swiss O Par Eyebrow Dye in Brown - Love this stuff, works instantly just like in the salon, lasts a long time and costs around €10 in all good chemists!
3. So words really can't describe the wonderfulness of Stila Convertible Colour. I have had it for about 5 years in two colors Gerbera and Gladiola and only now am at a stage where I need to buy more. It's so pigmented that you need a tiny amount and it gives the nicest blush I've ever seen. That's saying something because I am obsessed with blusher. Unfortunately they no longer stock Stila ANYWHERE!! Online they only ship to US and Japan so your best best is a website like Beauty Bay .
4. St Tropez Tanning Mousse - worth waiting to purchase because they tend to do big discounts every now and then in the independent pharmacies and smaller chains. I have been using this for years, just like the color and fool proof application.
5. Maybelline Gel Liner - this product is SOOOO good, its so much easier to use that most liquid eyeliners so you can get that perfect flick. It's also quite long lasting. The secret is in the brush so try not to lose it as I have!
6. Mac Concealer - I have been using these little pots of concealer since I was about 15 and they are so good for a whole array of uses from spots and blemishes to stubborn redness to under-eye circles etc. Mix with your foundation for extra coverage or dab on imperfections without foundation for a more natural look.
7. Labello Lip Balm - A classic! Love the texture, smell, everything! It actually does work on really chapped lips which so many similar and more pricey products don't.
8. This has been a revelation of 2011 for me! Its a divine-smelling sticky, waxy product that I use in wet hair to create the most lovely waves and curls. My hair has a natural wave but no product - mousse, Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray etc - has ever made my hair look this good. I had so many compliments after I started using it. It's super cheap (around €3 and often on special offer in super markets like Tesco), easy to find and you only use a tiny bit at a time because it can make your hair hard so it lasts for ages!
9. Barry M Nail Polishes - Have them in lots of colors, solid and the cracking 'Nail Effects' variety. They're an excellent reasonably priced option and come in all the trendy colors.
10. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation - PRICEY but sooo good. I am naturally super pale and this is the only foundation I have found that has ever truly been pale enough for me, including Mac NC15 products! Has a wonderful formulation as well, medium but buildable coverage so with a few layers it has FULL coverage but somehow the natural look of the skin shines through and it never looks caked. LOVE IT. Also lasts long because you don't need to use much of the product at a time.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Balayage
So I have been meaning to write about this for a while. I know it's a common enough topic of discussion the the blogging world but I thought I would give my point of view as an avid supporter of balayage for about 3 years now! At the time I was looking to go a bit blonder (i'm naturally a sort of strawberry blonde but missed the platinum blonde hair I had as a child) but I really was terrified I'd end up with stripy or fake looking hair so I took to the interweb to find a solution. I heard about this balayage technique and decided it would be the one for me.
The color is applied freely with a brush with a section of your hair pulled tight on a paddle. Once the color is applied, the hair is let loose to hang free and dry, no foils or anything. The color is not applied from the root but slightly below and in a roughly V shape so that when that section is dry and falls naturally, you can't see a block of highlight. More sections are taken from the front and these sections are smaller, this is why the effect is so sun kissed because it follows the pattern of natural highlights one would get in the sun.
American Tailoring or Ombre seem to be the terms applied to the more dramatic balayage effect which is more like a dip dye - see Drew Barrymore. This seems to work best with darker natural hair colors for a more dramatic contrast.
At first the technique is very subtle but once you have it done maybe 3 times, hair is significantly lighter but still looks so natural. They recommend that you wait 3 - 6 months at least between sessions. It's not designed to make you blonde in one go and should be quite subtle so if you're looking for a total hair color change, it's probably not for you. It is quite addictive though so beware!!
The one BUT is that it is EXPENSIVE. Well I'm not really sure about normal highlights but I know that any methods that have been around for a file can be done fairly cheaply. Balayage will set you back between €100 - €150 depending on the length of your hair and where you get it done. I always got mine done in Peter Mark's in Dundrum Shopping Centre and then I heard about the Style Club Balayage classes. These are the only way to go as far as I'm concerned! Basically a hair styling student does the color while being supervised fairly closely. It takes a bit longer but you get a full head of color with a cut and blow-dry for €70! Pretty good value! For non Dublin dwellers, I know that Peter Mark in Limerick does it and I'm sure some others around the country do, just call your local salon to enquire!
They style club classes take place on Mondays usually and you just ring up and ask when the next one is on and they'll fit you in! It's cash only and I suppose one should leave tip to be nice because they do such a good job!
The color is applied freely with a brush with a section of your hair pulled tight on a paddle. Once the color is applied, the hair is let loose to hang free and dry, no foils or anything. The color is not applied from the root but slightly below and in a roughly V shape so that when that section is dry and falls naturally, you can't see a block of highlight. More sections are taken from the front and these sections are smaller, this is why the effect is so sun kissed because it follows the pattern of natural highlights one would get in the sun.
American Tailoring or Ombre seem to be the terms applied to the more dramatic balayage effect which is more like a dip dye - see Drew Barrymore. This seems to work best with darker natural hair colors for a more dramatic contrast.
At first the technique is very subtle but once you have it done maybe 3 times, hair is significantly lighter but still looks so natural. They recommend that you wait 3 - 6 months at least between sessions. It's not designed to make you blonde in one go and should be quite subtle so if you're looking for a total hair color change, it's probably not for you. It is quite addictive though so beware!!
The one BUT is that it is EXPENSIVE. Well I'm not really sure about normal highlights but I know that any methods that have been around for a file can be done fairly cheaply. Balayage will set you back between €100 - €150 depending on the length of your hair and where you get it done. I always got mine done in Peter Mark's in Dundrum Shopping Centre and then I heard about the Style Club Balayage classes. These are the only way to go as far as I'm concerned! Basically a hair styling student does the color while being supervised fairly closely. It takes a bit longer but you get a full head of color with a cut and blow-dry for €70! Pretty good value! For non Dublin dwellers, I know that Peter Mark in Limerick does it and I'm sure some others around the country do, just call your local salon to enquire!
They style club classes take place on Mondays usually and you just ring up and ask when the next one is on and they'll fit you in! It's cash only and I suppose one should leave tip to be nice because they do such a good job!
Thank You Man Repeller!
So this is my first post in QUUUUIITE a while. I don't know what happened. I got back from Africa, saw the THE MAN REPELLER had posted one of my drawings on her page and I think just freaked out a little bit and then forgot I had a blog!
I know most of the commenters preferred the other sketch but I wasn't bothered!! I didn't even mean for it to look like her, it was just supposed to be someone wearing all the classic repelling items including the shoes I was trying to win in a competition she was doing at the time! I'm sure I could better capture her likeness in future! The other girl who drew her is clearly like uber talented when it comes to sketching and really has a style so I can't really compete with that!
So I thought as a big THANK YOU to the MR, I would make a big post of some of my favorite looks of hers of all time. So here they are (all images taken from Man Repeller).
I know most of the commenters preferred the other sketch but I wasn't bothered!! I didn't even mean for it to look like her, it was just supposed to be someone wearing all the classic repelling items including the shoes I was trying to win in a competition she was doing at the time! I'm sure I could better capture her likeness in future! The other girl who drew her is clearly like uber talented when it comes to sketching and really has a style so I can't really compete with that!
So I thought as a big THANK YOU to the MR, I would make a big post of some of my favorite looks of hers of all time. So here they are (all images taken from Man Repeller).
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