MyChelle Dermaceuticals Deep Repair Cream & Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser | Review

New to House of Fraser Ireland is the MyChelle Dermaceuticals counter where you can have a free skin analysis to decide exactly what your skin type is and what you should be using specifically for you. I love this idea, so many people are unsure of what skin type they have and this takes the guess work out of it. MyChelle have been around since the year 2000 and are cruelty free, vegan friendly and NOP certified organic so I had high hopes for their products when I was offered the chance to try them for myself. 

I didn't have my skin type assessed as I was restricted by a bad back at the time and couldn't make it to HoF but at the ancient age that I am, I've figured out through years of trial and error that I have dry/sensitive skin. I don't suffer from dry patches but my skin can feel tight, stretched and dried out if I don't use the right products for it. 

I've been trying out the Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser; a purifying, moisturising, hydrating and vitamin-rich creamy moisturiser to keep your skin ultra-soft and clean. Suggested use is a small amount massaged into the skin with warm water, rinsing completely and then moving on to serums, moisturisers etc. For me, a cleanser is no good to me unless it can take off my make-up so I put it to the test with a full face of slap, including loads of eye make-up. I removed it with cotton wool and it worked really, really well. I had no make up left upon checking afterwards with a toner soaked cotton pad and my face didn't have that tell-tale tight feeling that you get with some cleansers. I think that may well be due to the ingredients; free from parabens, phthalates, ureas, petroleum-based chemicals and artificial colours, which all sounds rather good. What it does have is vitamins and exfoliating enzymes, pumpkin fruit and honey to hydrate and refine the skin's surface, blue green algae which is rich in minerals and antioxidants to fortify the skin and help soothe any redness or irritation. I really like this cleanser. The smell is actually good enough to eat; I get a hit of ginger, honey and lemon with a bit of coconut. It feels really comforting on and I would definitely recommend this fella for those of you with dry skin.

I've also been using the Deep Repair Cream for dry skin, designed to revive youthful radiance, improve firmness, strengthen the skin's barrier function and support cellular renewal. This guy contains Kombuchka Black Tea to improve the smoothness of the skin, algae derived Venuceane to protect collagen and prevent moisture loss and shea butter for extra nourishment. This has a light, inoffensive herbal-scent and reminds me a bit of Dr Hauschka products. It has a light weight almost gel-cream texture but needs to be well massaged to be absorbed by the skin. At first I struggled a bit with this one; I wasn't sure whether it was thick enough for my dry skin but I think that may well be just that I'm not used to a lighter formula. I've found that when I spend extra time massaging it in it either absorbs well and leaves my skin feeling softer or else it creates a ehm..balling situation (I hope you have some idea of what I mean there, no other way of describing it unfortunately) on my skin, regardless of how well I've cleansed beforehand. I'm not sure why it only does that occasionally but I'm assuming it's an issue with my particular skin as there's no reason for it to only do this every now and then- I'm wondering is it leftover cleanser and I'm just not washing that off properly before moisturising. Other than that I do like this, I just need to figure out that one issue! I do think it would work for the most sensitive of skins as well. 

Have you spotted the MyChelle counter in House of Fraser? Would you try out their skin analysis?

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Irrational Hatred of the Hairdressers

Today I posted the below photo on twitter of me looking very sad after getting my hair cut, to which I got a huge response of "ah you look great!" (thanks everyone, yisser all legends) but also a lot of "I hate it when you don't get what you asked for". I'm assuming then that I'm not alone in vehemently hating a trip to the hairdressers. I generally will avoid it for as long as possible and although I'm pretty good at dyeing my own hair I have yet to master any vague sort of cutting skills so that is one thing I just can't skip.
I explained that I was trying to keep the length so I just wanted a small amount taken off and to freshen up my side fringe, no layers. Instead I got layers, an arseways version of 'The Rachel' circa 1996 and I'm also somehow now the proud owner of a long bob. Overall, this is not too dissimilar to the time my sister decided to give me a bowl hair cut mere days before my first Holy Communion, thus giving our mother a conniption at the same time.

This all came about because I was engrossed in a Dawn O' Porter article in Glamour at the time and honestly, she had the whole thing finished by the time I'd read those two pages. When I looked up (what felt like five minutes later) there seemed to be a lot gone but I thought once it was dried it'd be better. Well I was wrong yet again because she then proceeded to give me an insane Stepford Wives style blow dry. I know what you're thinking- you should have complained, but honestly, the blow dry was fixable myself (straighteners and curlers at the ready) and the cut was fine- it was just more off than I expected. Really, what can you do about that? It's not like she could glue it back. The manager spoke poor English and I just couldn't face attempting pidgin Italian and making a complete fool of myself. Instead I left quickly, repeating "hair grows back, hair grows back, hair grows back" on repeat in my mind, like Jack Nicholson but less axe murder-y. 

Then I got to thinking of all the times I've gone to the hairdresser and left in a foul mood because I didn't get what I asked for. Of course I've had some good experiences too with excellent hair stylists, it just feels like the bad outweighs the good. I honestly don't know whether this is in a similar vein to how I hate getting my make up done or not. In that circumstance I avoid it because it's never done how I like it and I really can always do a better job myself. But with my hair, even if I show them a picture of my own hair from a previous time and say "that's what I want", it still somehow rarely works out. 

Am I alone in this too or do you have a less irrational (some would say normal) attitude to getting your hair done? 

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Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Palette & Lipstick | Review

This is one collection I've been waiting for with much anticipation and as it's limited edition I didn't take  a huge amount of time to mull over whether I needed it or not. Plus I only own one of the Urban Decay naked palettes so I kind of owed it to myself. Ahem. Anyway, this collection was brought out for the 20th anniversary of the release of cult classic Pulp Fiction, possibly one of the coolest films of all time with possibly one of the coolest female characters ever, Mrs Mia Wallace, the ever beautiful Uma Thurman.

I picked up the eyeshadow palette and the lipstick and as with all UD products, the quality is superb with these. The packaging is also pretty incredible. 

Observe:

The palette is furnished with the iconic Pulp Fiction font and a quote from Jules Winnfield. Excellent. Inside there's a large mirror, a double ended brush (which is actually pretty decent. No horror-inducing sponges here, that's for sure) and five eyeshadows, three of which are brand new. Designed to create a smoky eye, you also get a super easy step-by-step guide with a helpful drawing of Mrs Wallace there in case you'd forgotten what you're going for:

Righteous is a matte cream shade and although it doesn't show up in the swatch, it works really well as a base shade on the eye. Tyranny again is a matte and is a pure chocolate-y brown while Vengeance is a dark brown satin. These two blend beautifully together and compliment my blue eyes perfectly. Furious is a matte black powder liner and Anger is a pearl frost shade for the inner eye and highlighting the brow bone. Again, Anger doesn't show up hugely well in the swatch photo but it's actually a really good highlighter when on the eye. 

Left to right; Anger, Furious, Vengeance, Tyranny, Righteous. 

Using all four, as per the guide.

The palette gets a huge thumbs up for me, you could easily wear this in a daytime friendly way and then for night time; smoke it up even more, adding liquid liner as well for added oomph. The shadows are really pigmented, so easy to blend and all work very well together. I can see this taking over as my eyeshadow palette of choice.

The lipstick, in the shade Mrs Mia Wallace (best name for a lipstick ever) is housed in a gunmetal case and twists up to reveal a truly stunning deep red. This, ladies and gents is my kind of colour. 

I kind of wish I'd also bought the accompanying lip liner with this as it's a tricky one to apply. I used a nude lip liner as I had it to hand but I also needed a lip brush cause it really needs extra care in applying it- it's seriously pigmented and runs the risk of going all over the shop. It's worth it though because this is just a beautiful rich ruby red with a lovely sheen and is my ideal red for Autumn/Winter. 

Longevity is surprisingly good with this too, I needed a top-up after eating but otherwise it didn't budge and even at that there was still a good amount left on my lips after lunch. It's not a drying formula either as it's more of a satin so it'll be good for the upcoming colder months too.

There's also a glitter eyeliner, a nail polish and as I said, a lip liner in the collection. If you're interested I'd get them now as they're limited edition and selling fast. 

Have you bought anything from the collection? 

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Dublin Culture Night 2014- What's On?!

I love Culture Night in Dublin and have attended almost every year that I've lived here so far. Unfortunately this year I won't be able to but I've compiled a mini itinerary for you if you are out and about and are wondering what's on. 

Firstly a bit about it; culture night runs throughout Ireland annually to celebrate culture, creativity and the arts. Hundreds of cultural institutions open their doors for free and extend opening hours so you can go for a nice meal or a drink after work and then pop along and see something beautiful free of charge in your own city that you've always meant to check out but never got around to. While it is on throughout the country, as I said, for this post I'm just focusing on Dublin, although I'd imagine Limerick will have plenty to offer too, being city of culture this year. 

Unfortunately, a lot of the events in Dublin are already booked out but there's still time to get in on this lot:

Glasnevin, Casino Marino, Christ Church and performers from Dublin's writer's forum.Photos via Culture Night website.

• Glasnevin Cemetery. We went to this a while back and loved it. While it sounds grim, the history of the place is absolutely fascinating. The museum is open from 5-9pm but sadly the cemetery tours are now booked up for the night. The museum itself is really interesting though and you can still walk around the graveyard and play "spot the 1916 rebels" if you're so inclined. Or, you know, go back another time and do the full tour cause it really is excellent. Also, make use of the cafe. They make a mean lemon drizzle cake. You'll need sugar and warm tea after the graveyard as it can be quite emotional.
• Casino Marino. This is actually one on our list that we've never been to so we'd definitely be going now if we could! This is described as an "architectural gem…cleverly disguising an interior of lavishly decorated plasterwork and richly patterned marquetry floors, hidden inside a neo-classical temple, bathed in a kaleidoscope of colour changing lights!" Wowzers! Open from 5-9pm.
• Christ Church Cathedral. We did this a couple of culture nights ago and it was really cool. Christchurch is obviously one of the more stunning historical Dublin buildings and at night time there's something extra special about it. Open from 6-10pm there'll be music, storytelling for children, a silent film screening and the opportunity to explore the church and it's surroundings. Be prepared to queue for this one as it can be very popular.
• The Workman's Club are hosting the Dublin Writer's forum for a spoken word and open mic poetry event from 5-11pm with a musical interpretation of Ulysses kicking off at 9.30pm.

The long room, Little museum of Dublin, BFG cake!!, Merrion square. Photos via Culture Night website.

• The Old Library & Book of Kells. I don't really need to give a reason for why you need to go to this, do I? Open from 5-10pm, you don't need to book for this but again, prepare to queue.
• The Little Museum of Dublin. Again, we spent a Sunday afternoon here recently and loved it. I actually can't recommend it enough. This is the people's museum of Dublin in the 20th Century, with exhibitions over three floors. There'll be free guided tours on the night along with special performances and a "few surprises" apparently. Open 5-9.30pm.
• Roald Dahl Cake Exhibition. In case you missed this last weekend in Temple Bar, you can head to Waterways Ireland visitor centre to celebrate the life and work of Dahl in the best way possible- through cake! There'll also be workshops on cupcake design, cake decorating and french truffles. Open from 7-9pm.
• "Downstairs Dublin", Merrion Square. I love the buildings in Merrion square and they're all coming alive for one night! Featuring a series of "talks, installations, projections and pop up events in the outside basement spaces", you have to look down to discover "mini-stages, surprises, live debates, music, food, art, drama, dance from leading artists, writers and thinkers". I love the idea of wandering from each house to the next and discovering something completely different in each outdoor basement! How exciting! This would be top of my to-do list to be sure! From 5-10pm.

As always, there's loads more you can do, including; walking tours, art exhibitions, visiting Dublin's landmark buildings and galleries and if I were you, I'd fit in as much as possible. It's such a wonderful night and celebration of our culture and heritage, I'm actually jealous of everyone who's going! You can find out more from the Culture night site HERE. Let me know in the comments if you're planning to visit anywhere or what your own past experiences of culture night have been! 

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Charlotte Tilbury FilmStar Bronze & Glow Face Sculpt & Highlighter | Review

I'm back! I feel like I've been away from my own little corner of the internet for far too long and so I'm returning with a bang! Maybe not quite a bang, I'm still hobbling a bit from my broken back but I'm hobbling with a nicely bronzed visage thanks to this stunner. The whole beauty blogging world has gone a bit mad of late over all things Charlotte Tilbury. In Ireland, we recently had a full launch of her beauty range in Brown Thomas Dublin and having tried her Magic cream (Review HERE), I was eager to see what else I needed (not wanted, this is definitely a case of "need"). Having decided beforehand that I was really interested in this fella and one of the colour chameleons (expect a review at a later date), I had to practically fight off the make up artist at the counter to avoid being talked into spending the bones of €400 on everything else she tried to convince me to buy- I'll go into that in more detail at the end of the post.

For now, let's talk about this beauty. Here's what Charlotte has to say about this product: 

"It's amazing what clever shading and highlighting tricks can do to contour your facial framework. You can slim, sculpt and illuminate- it's an illusion I use all the time for my clients. Enhance your natural assets with filmstar bronze and glow!"

I'm actually really into contouring at the moment, not in a terrifying Kim Kardashian way but I know when I make the effort and apply bronzer and highlighter carefully, my face looks slimmer and my cheekbones look like they're there for a reason, other than holding my face up, obviously. There's lots of excellent contouring palettes on the market and for a lot cheaper than this; Sleek and Inglot to name just two but what really sets this apart is firstly, the packaging:

Angels sing..

Is that too much ogling? Possibly but I actually can't stop looking at it. And now for the glorious inside:

There she is in all her art deco beauty. SWOON. 

Not only does this look stunning in the palette but it is a dream to apply; there's absolutely no fear that you can tango yourself here, while the bronzer is pigmented, it's also designed to be built up- it's not orange and will suit most pale skin tones. 

This means that you can apply it in layers and it in turn gives you a gentle, natural glow. I actually almost didn't buy it because it appeared to have a shimmer running through it and I prefer a matte bronzer. However, the make up artist assured me that it's a matte bronzer and someone had just swirled a brush in the highlighter and transferred the shimmer to the bronzer. Well, it turns out on closer inspect that that was a lie as it very much has shimmer in it. It is incredibly subtle though and you won't look like you're off to a teenage disco. In fact, once it's on my face I can't see any shimmer at all but it does add to an overall glow. 

The highlighter is a very understated golden champagne that provides a stunning soft focus to the skin. Together, those are a winning couple. I tried this out a day after surgery in hospital but told no one I was wearing it and had several people exclaim how well I looked and that I must've slept well the night before (I hadn't, I was in a four-bedded ward) but I took that as confirmation of the almighty powers of the bronze and glow. 

If you were looking for anything to get from the range I can heartily recommend this, having tried most of her other products. This came up trumps and is possibly the best contouring palette on the market, in my humble opinion. 

Pre nap, poorly taken photo on my phone but don't I look all glowy and healthy?! (not taken in hospital fyi).

And now, on to my gripe. While the CT sales assistants/make up artists seem excellent at their jobs, they really do go for the hard sell. Every product I already use was dismissed as not being as good as the CT version, if I wanted the bronzer well then I had to get a brush to go with it, if I wanted the colour chameleon then I had to also buy the pencil sharpener. Except that I didn't. I have a pencil sharpener and plenty of excellent brushes and I don't appreciate feeling pressured into spending money on things I don't need. Even as I was paying "are you sure you don't want a lipstick?" I had expressed no interest in buying a lipstick (UNUSUAL, I KNOW). Just let me pay!! For me, I can happily say "no thanks, I don't need or want that" but it doesn't add to an overall pleasant shopping experience and so this is more of a word of warning if you're going in for a snoop. Be prepared for the ultimate hard sell!

That aside, there are plenty of other gorgeous looking CT items I have my eye on! Have you tried anything yet?

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