*Nina's Bargain Beauty*: February 2013

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

#28 Days of Kisses *Day 25, 26 & 27 Lipstick Tag

Hello my gorgeous readers :) I hope you are all well

I bet you thought I forgot about the lipstick tag in which is coming close to the end actually tomorrow is the last day of it :) I didnt forget about it I have left it purposely because I have been wearing the same brand lip product only in different shades including today to try and test them out :) So you can say this is also a review aswell as lips of the day :)

The weather has changed quite a bit in the past week or so as it got very very cold all of a sudden and we even had spells of snow so my lips has been through warm heat in the house out to freezing cold temperatures outside so lipstick has been out of the question the past few days as I have had to keep my lips moisturised and what better way by doing that is either wearing balm or gloss so I opted for gloss :)

The brand I choose was BH Cosmetics Lip Gloss :)

I am sure you all know at this stage I am a fan of BH Cosmetics :) I have purchased quite alot from the site now and to be honest the shipping is very reasonable more reasonable than some sites who sell near enough the same type of products and not only that I never (touching wood) had any faults breakages late postages missing items or anything from them)

When these glosses were released last year it took me some time to purchase them because in all fairness I have alot of glosses in my collection and really didnt need to buy more but then months later I broke and bought 3 shades I just had to try them and for the price it hardly broke the bank

There are 10 shades to choose from some are matte and some have shimmer and the price varies depending on the offers at the time as BH Cosmetics are always doing great deals but at the moment there is 33% off these glosses. Their original price is $5.95 at the moment they are $4.00 which is only around 3 euro each :)

The packaging of these lip glosses is quite nice nothing exciting but the lid is sturdy and will not leak out any product. The brush is very small and very handy especially if you have forgotten your compact mirror and need to top up ;)

The scent of the glosses well to be honest is non existent which is great for those of you who had any type of scented lip products

The consistency of these are actually quite nice they are thick yet not gloopy or sticky which I love but I also like to feel my glosses on my lips and know that they will last more than 5 minutes on my lips :)

So let me go ahead and show you the shades i wore and am wearing today :)

Copper Crush I wore on Monday which was Day 25 I picked this in particular because I was having one of those lazy days and didnt really want to go crazy with my eye makeup so I chose to go plain eye noticeable lips :)

This surely made my lips noticeable I tell you I was actually quite surprised by the pigmentation :)

This shade definitely lives to its name its a stunning red with copper and gold sparkles its the most pigmented out of the bunch and I love it only thing is that when it wears off the sparkle stays put which can look odd if you do not top up :)

on day 25 I decided bright lips was out of the question I was just in the mood for a little pick me up shade so I went with

Plain Jane well this is actually one of the popular shades even though its a more sheerer shade I think maybe it is because its simple plus matte. This is a perfect nude brown shade and a perfect pick me up gloss for your nude lipsticks or simply perfect on its own :) Obviously this shade will not last as long as the first shade as its alot lighter but its perfect for those days you just want a little pick me up for your lips

and lastly on my lips today aka Day 27

I went with a little brighter option to brighten up yet another dull drab day :)

Studious is yet another matte gloss which in all fairness i prefer especially for everyday wear. Even though it looks darker in the tube its not as dark swatched. It turns out to be a lovely bright bubblegum pink shade and if you have pigmented lips you might find this a little sheer but still noticeable.

And here are the swatches on my lips :)

Overal If you are ever shopping on the BH Cosmetics site I do think it would be worth your while trying out at least one of these glosses. The darker they are the more pigmented and longer lasting they are. Top be honest they havent exactly wowed me into buying more shades as I do have better glosses but I also have worse glosses They are affordable and nice to wear on their own or over your lipstick.

Well thats it for the day Tomorrow is the last day of the lipstick tag awwwwwww

until tomorrow :)

Keep safe and happy and healthy and enjoy the day no matter what you are doing for the day and night

Check out the ladies who have also taken part in #28Kisses posts you might see something you want to try out for yourself :)

Nykki-talks-beauty

Emily Nailed It

Kaka Beauty Blog

Face Value Blog

FashionCHICsta

NykkeyB

Aglaia Beauty

Maria Sparkle

Pixie Dust and Fairytales

Pretty, Posh, Oh My Gosh!

Confessions of a Make-up Addict

The Glamourous life of a French House Wife

Beauti by Jinjer

Beauty Passionista

All Made up 21

Nina's Bargain Beauty

Epiphannie A

Lacey Smiles 84

Until next Time

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter

I love love love hearing from you all :) I make it my duty to read each and every one of you comments and every time i get a comment from you it highlights my day thanks so so much to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Human & Kind All In one Hand, Elbow and Foot Cream

Hey my beauties how are you all doing this fine but cold day :)

Today I bring to you yet another Irish brand Irish made product this time From Human + Kind in which i am not a stranger too. I am still to this day loving their All in one Body oil and use it 90% of the time or when I feel my body is parched and is super dry. I have the body oil about 8 months now and I have only used about 1/3 of the bottle which means i still have the majority of the product left and thats says alot :)

Human & Kinds Newest release is their Hand Elbow and foot cream which was released at the start of the year and I have had it in my possession since it was released so I have put it to good use.

The Human & Kind All in One Hand, Elbow and Foot Cream is 50ml of product and costs 7.95 euro which in my eyes is well worth it for an all natural product :)

Aww the Packaging was the first thing i noticed about this and loved the look of. Its a cute little tube with purple and cerise colours around it a real girlie packaging :)

This is so handy to have in your handbag and its a staple in mine. I carry it everywhere with me. I even found it so so handy to have when i went to the outdoor activities centre last weekend where it was snowing and so so cold we were using our hands for the majority of the activities .

Ok so Human and Kind Promises that this cream will repairs and protect your hands, elbows and feet while softening up even the driest patches you have . This is even said to be good for anyone who suffers with eczema and psoriasis. I used to suffer with psoriasis years ago and it went away for a very long time there is an odd time especially if I am stressed that it will come back but I will only ever get a couple of spots of it here and there and it just so happened in the last 2 months those few spots of it was about on my skin so I was able to even test it on that :)

Plus I am a sufferer of dry hand more dermatitis so much so that my hands either crack and bleed or look like 60 year old womans hand its absolutely horrible. I do have a HG Cream that seems to work for me but its nice to test out others to see just in case your HG ever stops selling or something :)

This little tube of joy is JAMMED WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS SUCH AS

Avacodo Oil: This helps healing scars, locks in moisture and softens skin
Cocoa Seed Butter: Is great for treating dry skin or skin conditions such a eczema
Shea Butter: Has amazing skin benefits it Is an intensive moisturiser ideal for dry cracking skin
Centella: known for reducing fine lines and for healing and caring of wounds
Rosemary Oil: Is another healer for the skin
Calendula: Benefits Dry and Damaged skin
Vitamin E: Acts as an antioxidant for the skin
Aloe Vera: Is also a great skin healer

So does it do exactly what it says on the tin or tube???

Well I have used this on:

My elbows and I have to say yes it has 100% made my elbows much softer

My knee's even though it doesnt say its for knees (let me tell you been a mum of 5 and washing floors by hand on my knees I dont have the most softest knees ever) It has made my knees extremely soft its amazing :)

My feet is also an area where i suffer very hard rough skin and to be honest i didnt find this to work well on my feet but has made a slight change

My hands this has certainly made my hands softer and keeps them moisturised but when my hands a rough and cracked I didn't find this healed my cracks all to well but I love how soft it leaves my hands when they are dry. Plus the cream makes my hands look glowing which is a bonus. If you want your wants to heal of the cracks quickly this cream is not the one for you but if you want constant moisture your will surely get that from this cream :)

What I love most about this cream is the scent awwwww it smells beautiful it kind of reminds me of T-3 oil but not overly strong :) Its smells like its really doing nothing but goodness to your skin which it is :)

Now on my psoriasis spots it definitely help heal them the way it worked was really good it dried it out completely like a wound and then when i went for my shower it fell off (sorry for the details but thats what blogging is all about ;)

This is definitely one to try out I love it :) I have it on my hands at the moment and the smell and feel of it is amazing

Have you tried this yet?

Wow I have just looked through this and realised its a super long post I hope you dont mind but when I like a product I cant help but go into detail about it haha

Until next time

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter

Monday, 25 February 2013

#28 Days of Kisses *Day 23 & 24 Lipstick Tag

Hey My beauties how are you doing today :)

Oh wow I had one busy crazy but brilliant weekend at my friends Hen Party. It was my first ever hen party I went to and it was such great craic :)

As I told you all I would post up what i wore on my lips for Day 23 and 24 today I will post them all on this post to make it easier and do a separate post on todays lips later :)

Well for Saturday we went to an outdoor activity place which involved alot of climbing, heights and scary decision for some of us which was fun but the weather played against us that day by snowing and been so cold we couldnt feel our toes and it literally took us all evening and night to defrost but that didnt stop us we had so much fun

So because of the cold I decided lipsticks and lipglosses were out of the question and I relied on one of my go to lip balms to save my dry lips in the hard weather and it didnt let me down :) This balm is forever in my hangbag and I have been loving how it keeps my lips moisturised and protected from the cold its amazing and lasts quite sometime on the lips if your were out and about :)

I love this lip balm and already have this reviewed if you want to check it out click here they are amazing and do a great job I relied on this Saturday all day and Sunday all day due the cold.
Saturday night I went out with lots of girlies on a Hen Party and Went with a Dark brown smokey eye look and to go with that I just went with a Neutral Lip
This lipstick is one of the more pricier lipstick I own and I actually won it in a competition a while back. Its one of my first Mac Lipsticks I ever got :)

I have mixed feeling about this lipstick to be honest I do like it dont get me wrong. Its a stunning shade to wear with a smokey eye especially. This is also a perfect shade for a bride on her wedding day. This is also a great shade for anyone with very fair skin and of course fair to medium skin :)
Because this lipstick is a "Lustre" which means it has a glossy finish. So any of you matte lipstick lovers out there might not like this particular shade. I am one who likes matte lipsticks but also love applying gloss over lipstick sometimes for the extra va va voom :) So this lipstick is perfect for me as it has the colour and also the glossy finish :)

High shine is a beautiful nude pink with a pearl like finish. Now I have fairly pigmented lips and to be honest the finish can be a tad different so if you want the benefit of this shade try dusting the lips with your compact powder or simply rubbing your foundation brush over you lips to cancel out any colouring. I love the scent of this lipstick and its a dream to apply its so soft and cream each time I apply.
I find this lipstick a little sheer and in the need of a little building up but went built up looks fab :) Is it worth the money if you were buying it ??? No I wouldnt pay it to be honest There is bound to be dupes of this around but as I have it in my collection I will continue to love using it until it is gone :)
I tried getting a photo taken with it on my lips when i was out Saturday night but it was a complete fail as the lighting was bad as you can imagine
but here is an idea of how it looks

After all of the activities on Saturday day and night my lips felt so so parched so i relied on the Handmade Companys Balm again and it was my saviour :)
What did you wear on your lips at the weekend :)

Keep safe and happy and healthy and enjoy the day no matter what you are doing for the day and night

Check out the ladies who have also taken part in #28Kisses posts you might see something you want to try out for yourself :)

Nykki-talks-beauty

Emily Nailed It

Kaka Beauty Blog

Face Value Blog

FashionCHICsta

NykkeyB

Aglaia Beauty

Maria Sparkle

Pixie Dust and Fairytales

Pretty, Posh, Oh My Gosh!

Confessions of a Make-up Addict

The Glamourous life of a French House Wife

Beauti by Jinjer

Beauty Passionista

All Made up 21

Nina's Bargain Beauty

Epiphannie A

Lacey Smiles 84

Until next Time

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter

My Interview With Make-up Artist and Creator of Blank Canvas Cosmetics aka BCC's Una Tynan

Hello Everyone How are you all doing today :)

As you can see by the Title of this Blog Post I have a different sort of post for you all :)

I have to say in the past 3 years I have noticed a big change in the Beauty Industry in Ireland

I noticed Ireland is not exactly popular when it comes to beauty related products and most of us Irish were using more International products such as Rimmel, Revlon, Maybelline Mac etc. Up until I started blogging about products I noticed most of my reviews non Irish branded. That sort of bothered me in a way because even though we are a small country WE DO HAVE POTENTIAL :)

So about 8 months ago or in an around I decided every month I would buy, try test and blog about Irish made products I will make it my business to do so as it might help broaden us as much as International brands. Since doing this I have been pleasantly surprised by really how good some of our local brands/sites are. I am even surprised that I have never heard of these brands/sites or tried them out

One of my most Favourite Irish Sites are Blank Canvas Cosmetics aka BCC I am sure you all know at this stage as I have reviewed quite a few items from their site. Not only are they amazing quality products but they are super affordable and said to be even better than some of the high-end brands out there plus they ship internationally without the extra charges.

So i felt now that this is one of my favourite on-line stores to shop at I thought it would be pretty amazing if I could get an Interview with the person who started up Blank Canvas Cosmetics and maybe get a little more insight into The products and site :) and of course herself :)

I hope you enjoy :)

Una let me take this opportunity to thank you for take the time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for me I am sure some of these questions has popped into the minds of alot of your customers I know been a fan of BCC I have been looking forward to getting to know a little more about you and I am delighted you agreed to do this interview so lets get started :)

1. How long have you been a makeup artist?

It’s now almost 11 years ago since I first trained in fashion, film, theatre and photographic make up. Since then, I’ve taken lots more specialist courses.

2. What age were you when you first showed signs of interest in makeup?

Technically, I was more drawn to make up in an art form at first and didn’t actually wear make up until I was about 20 aside from some clear mascara, Vaseline and powder. It was in 3rd year at university that a friend suggested I wear kohl eyeliner and from then I was hooked. I loved how make up can enhance. I love how make up can be used as an expression of personality and individuality and just like art, everyone has their own idea of what’s beautiful.

3. If you have any advice for someone who wants to study or expand their knowledge in makeup what advice would you give them

You have to have passion/the fire in your belly for makeup. I don’t necessarily follow trends, but rather I just get inspired by what looks good. I’d advise getting to know our own face first. It sounds obvious but try applying your make up without a mirror to discover the contours of your face, eyes and lips. Develop your own looks, and get as much practice at applying makeup on a variety of different faces, skintypes and age groups. Build your kit wisely. You don’t need to spend thousands to have a great kit. Experiment with high end and high street products.

There are so many learning opportunities through courses, blogs and Youtube. Avail of all of them and keep within your budget. No amount of money spent on a course will make you a great artist unless you work on your own craft.

4. What is the one makeup rule you always stick to?

For me, the great thing about makeup is there are no rules in makeup but instead there are techniques. The only one rule I think is fundamental to the way your make up will turn out is how you care for your skin. This creates the “canvas” for your make up to look flawless.

5. Celebrity wise who is your inspiration for makeup looks?

There are so many; Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Cheryl Cole, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, J.Lo, Adele. I could go on forever.

6. You now have an amazing online store call Blank Canvas Cosmetics. How did you decide on the name Blank Canvas?

I wanted a name that meant something to me and I’ve always seen the face as a blank canvas so it was the most obvious choice.

7. What inspired you to start up Blank Canvas Cosmetics?

The easy answer is that I love the makeup world and am a product junkie but there were a few more decisive factors to it. I’ve always been a creative and entrepreneur-minded type person and became more ambitious as I got older. I had been teaching since 2000 and was then an academic director in a college for 5 years Whilst I loved what I did, I felt like the time was right for me to do what I’d always wanted to do and start my own company. I love the challenge that came with the process of setting up Blank Canvas in spite of the high level of commitment, hours of dedication and huge financial investment it took to get it to launch point.

8. I absolutely love love love your brushes and have a big love the the 6 pan palette which are all your best sellers BTW ;) I am so proud that we as a country are starting to build itself up in the beauty industry So I can imagine how you feel been one of the companies. Where do you see BCC going in the future?

I’m so proud to be Irish and to have a company in Ireland. It’s not easy to have a business in the current economic climate.

We have customers worldwide but there really is nothing like the Irish seal of approval. Customer service is paramount to us. Blank Canvas is growing rapidly and everyday we’re so grateful to have such loyal customers, not to mention the amazing bloggers and Youtubers who remind us everyday how lucky we are to have their support and product love. In Ireland, we now have stockists located in pharmacies and salons. We’ve several projects lined up over the next few years so it’s a really exciting time.

9. Of course this question will always be on everyone's tongue so I have to ask even though I already know the answer. Are you products Cruelty Free?

I would never support testing or harming animals. When I first started planning the company, I knew I wanted to create high end quality and cruelty free ranges and offer a combination of entirely vegan or specifically goat/pony hair where natural hairs are used, as no harm comes to the said animals during the hair

removal process. We use faux leather for our brush pouches and holders. Our product line plans for the future follow the same ethos too.

10. Finally have you any secret plans like new brushes or products you would like to share with us crazy beauty fanatics or is it all top secret :) :)

I’m bursting to tell you what we’ve planned for 2013 but all I can say is keep an close eye on Blank Canvas as we’ve some exciting products coming this year.

Thanks so much Nina for asking me to interview x

Well I really enjoyed do this post and its something different and informative. I cant wait to see What BCC Cosmetics has to offer in the future :)

Seeing as this is my first ever interview on my blog I would love some feedback from you lovely readers.

Did you enjoy it?

Would you like me to make it a regular thing?

Check out some of my blog posts on Some of the products I own from BCC

Until Next Time

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter

Friday, 22 February 2013

#28 Days of Kisses *Day 22 Lipstick Tag

Hey My beauties how are you doing today :)

Wow the weather has dramatically changed again the icy cold breeze outside it horrible :)

I just wanted to let you all know that tomorrow I will be away all day so I will unfortunately not be able to post Day 23 until Sunday or Monday but it will be better late than never eh? :)

Well today's lips is a brand new lipstick for me :)

I bought this about a week and a half ago and I love it already :)

Its the one and only

Loreals Color Riche Made for Me Naturals Lipstick in 235 Nude

Color Riche Made for Me is enriched with a combination of Omega-3 oils and Vitamin E and helps to protect your lips from drying. It has a soft and creamy texture and it leaves lips feeling moisturised, smooth with a stunning finish. by Loreal
I am not a stranger to Loreal Lipsticks as this would be the 3rd lippy I own from their range
I have my most favourite nude lipstick so far "Fairest Nude" & the one I got at Christmas which I also Love "Feeric Fuschia 325"
I find these lipstick amazingly soft, creamy and moisturising. The lasting power is great and to be honest I have to include the packaging in this :) even though normally the packaging isnt a big deal to me I love the fake gold tube on this lipstick as it looks more expensive than what they really cost :)

So This is the first of the Made for Me Naturals I have tried :) and to be honest even though i like it i found it to be sheerer than it looks in the tube. In fact when applied the first coat it was as sheer as a tinted balm. When layered it looks beautiful but still sheer for a layered lipstick. This is light pinky nude with a little shimmer but before you think oh no I dont like the sound of shimmer this shimmer is not too noticable and wears away with the lipstick the shimmer actually makes your lips look plump and kissable :)

I Still love wearing this lipstick for everyday wear and it looks stunning with a smokey eye but it doesn't beat my fav "Fairest Nude"
This is what it looks like lightly applied on the lips

This is what it looks like with about 3 layers on and with flash of a camera :)

If you are looking for a light everyday nude shade this is for you.
Have you tried Loreals Color Riche Made for Me Naturals Lipsticks yet?

Keep safe and happy and healthy and enjoy the day no matter what you are doing for the day and night

Check out the ladies who have also taken part in #28Kisses posts you might see something you want to try out for yourself :)

Nykki-talks-beauty

Emily Nailed It

Kaka Beauty Blog

Face Value Blog

FashionCHICsta

NykkeyB

Aglaia Beauty

Maria Sparkle

Pixie Dust and Fairytales

Pretty, Posh, Oh My Gosh!

Confessions of a Make-up Addict

The Glamourous life of a French House Wife

Beauti by Jinjer

Beauty Passionista

All Made up 21

Nina's Bargain Beauty

Epiphannie A

Lacey Smiles 84

Until next Time

Lots of Love Luck and Laughter

Thursday, 21 February 2013

#28 Days of Kisses *Day 20 & 21 Lipstick Tag

Hey my beautifuls how are you all doing today :)

I decided todays post would be 2 days instead of one as I am wearing the same brand lip product but 2 different shades :)

I am last with yesterdays post due to been crazy busy all day I am sure all of you had days like that where you plan to do one thing but then a load of other things get in the way :)

So today I am going to do part review part lips for 2 days :)

I am actually very surprised with myself that I havent reviewed these lip products before now as they have been in my makeup collection for quite some time and I always end up reaching for them as they are actually quite nice and quite good for the price I paid for them :)

The price I paid for them will make your jaw drop and surely want to go out there and buy at least one to try out.

So the lip products I am talking about is............

Please excuse the additional one but I just couldnt leave it out as I only have these 3 to my collection :)

They are the Essence Lipliners in Shades

01 Soft Rose

09 Nude Coral

11 In the Nude

Now Essence state that these lip-liners are both smudge-proof and long-lasting. I can safely say they are long-lasting especially when applied all over the lips but I cant say they a smudge-proof as they are transferable

I purchased these Lipliners for half price at 79c yes 79c an amazing price!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favourite shades out of the 3 are Soft Rose and In the Nude they are amazing shades and I like to wear these all over the lips with a little balm over them as they are 100% matte.

Soft Rose: Its a beautiful light nude rose shade This is beautiful with a smokey eye

This is a perfect everyday shade :) :) I am wearing this shade today :)

Nude Coral: This is a lovely bright summery shade. This is true to its name it is a stunning nude coral shade :) nice and bright :)

In the Nude: This the shade i wear the most I absolutely love how it goes with every look I wore this yesterday and was asked a few times by different people what lipstick I was wearing :) This is a stunning rosy brown shade I love this :)

These lip-liners are so creamy its a dream to apply onto the lips. They are all matte which means you have the option of a matte lip or simply apply a gloss or balm on over it for a glossy lip colour. They last about 3 to 4 hours on the lips before any fading occurs but the fact that these are a liner takes up no room whatsoever in your bag. You can also layer them on which means you can have a light tint of colour or a full blown lip colour depending on your mood. I am amazed at the price of these especially for the quality.

These are all taken with a balm applied over them and with the flash of a camera. Todays lips aka Day 21 is The first shade "Soft Rose" and This is what my favourite out of the 2 which was Day 20 lips "In the Nude" looks like in normal light :)