Tuesday 30 September 2014

YouTuber Celebrity Status: What Are We Letting Them Promote?


We all know I'm not one to sit down and be quiet. Most of the time thats why people come here and read my reviews - if I don't like something I'm not going to beat around the bush. And again, if you come here often enough then I'm sure you'll have read my post about rape culture (if not don't worry. Heres a link) Some facts, if I may;

  • I do not tolerate the support of rape culture or substance abuse
  • I will stand up for what I believe in and speak my mind - everyone has the right to free speech
  • I am a huge anti-drugs person
  • Celebrity statue means nothing to me

Now, let me get onto the reason for the above. On Sunday night I went to a gig in the Academy to see a YouTuber called Watsky. (I went along with a friend, it wasn't my choice of music). It was a no alcohol 14+ night so there were naturally a lot of young underage children at this event. Watsky is from the US and has a huge following with his rap and poetry videos. All is well and good here, I don't belittle the fact that this fella has some real talent and for some part at least, is informative and speaks about positive things within his music. I'll be honest and say I wasn't too familiar with him or his content - social media interactions, lyrics of videos, thoughts on controversial topics. The same goes for the acts that were supporting him. But as I stood at the back of the venue watching and listening to the antics of the night, I soon began to not only be disgusted, horrified and offended, but downright saddened to see this type of behavior in 2014.

Look, I'm not going off on a mad rant here (I swear I am containing myself) but this is what I saw. Young people, some I suspect under the age of 14, waiting in excitement for this man who they know from the internet, a celebrity of sorts, someone they look up to, think is really cool and respect. The opening act had one song in particular that I nearly keeled over listening to. It was called 'Drugs' by Anderson Paak. Some of the lyrics are like such; 

''all we do is sex and leave
No there's no love
She don't even like me
But if we have drugs
She can be my wifey''

Next up, was some Welsh band who cursed their way through every single sentence. Talking about politics, Ireland and things along the lines of 'fuck the English/Queen' and so on. These comments were cheered on and I couldn't help but look around at the really young people who clearly didn't have a clue what they were taking about. - I'm not saying these young people were uneducated or ignorant, they were just too young to know what the topics were properly about, how it would offend an older crowd. Some did genuinely look confused. I can't say much about their songs as they were one of those loud bass and mummbly kinds of artists. But none the less, they left their (lack of) political impressions.


And then onto the final act. After listening to songs and speeches of drugs, politics, sexual violence and drinking, it was Watsky himself. I was actually looking forward to hearing this guy, he can rap quite fast. But he left me disappointed. Stripping in front of a young crowd, promoting the topics of his supporting acts and then the final straw. Between one of his songs he stopped to tell the audience - let me remind you these are young impressionable people listening to what could be their idol, telling them that drugs are great. You don't have to do them, but you should. Why? Because they are fucking great... Aannnd the (children) crowd goes wild at his wise words. 

To top it all off this no alcohol event for minors had all the performers clearly seen drinking. I naturally tweeted throughout the event voicing my outrage and when the event ended, I got a lovely reply from Watsky himself. I'll admit, a little part of me is delighted to know that I got under his skin enough by calling him out that he replied to me. (Hey, girls got claws too.) Sure enough his fans soon started tweeting me general abuse (lions and tigers and ... Children, oh my!) but all of these fans were teenagers. Some of the things they said were saddening, about raping me, abusing me and threats. Thankfully this didn't bother me in the 'I'm scared' sense, but rather in the 'I'm sad for this generation' sense. ''fuck her right in the pussy''. (Un)fortunately for this teen, rape culture is been kept alive and well. Oh what am I saying, it would still be thriving even if this comment wasn't made.

Watsky is an adult who, fair play, has made himself a popular guy and is making a living doing what he loves. But why then, with such a young fan base, promote these topics of drugs, sexual violence and worse to them? This isn't a question directed to just him, but of course to all who have a following, a celebrity statue. I'm aware its half just shock tactics, 'to be cool', to 'not be one of the crowd'. But good god, at least keep your clothes on and tell the minors who have paid to see you that drugs aren't ok to do. 

Of course this isn't new. This is just one of many. Those who are internet sensations who are just getting worse and worse (que generic comment about Sam Pepper). And yes, there were certainly some older fans present at that gig. Hell, have a go at me, I promote sex toys and safe consensual sex to whoever might read my blog. There is so much to argue here, so much to talk about. But at the end of the day, this is just one opinion. However for those that agreed with me and voiced their opinions, I'm really grateful for the support, thank you. I'll leave you with a Watsky quote. I hope he practices what he preaches:

''There's 7 billion 46 million people on the planet and most of us have the audacity to think we matter''.

Sunday 28 September 2014

Hello: Mouth Wash Just Got Sexy


You all might think I've lost the run of myself blogging about mouth wash, but lads you've got to hear me out. I originally wasn't going to, but it makes for a fun little change in the program, wont you agree? A load of beauty bloggers were invited to a 'secret bloggers event' and everyone was excited for it, myself included. The last thing a group of make up lovers were expecting was a mouth wash party, but there you go. Its all glitter and high living for us gals. Despite the very cheeky PR bending the truth, the night was great. I talked the hind legs off a load of blogger friends and the suits behind Hello mouth was too. They themed the evening well though, with even the drinks list (below) being the same colours as the products.

If I'm honest I had to have a little google to refresh the memory of this. On the night I got to talk to the creator of Hello, Craig Dubitsky - hes a really funny and warm fella. We talked more about sex and Bulmers then the product itself, but I did stick my straw in one of the mouth washes and had a good half a bottle. I promise the only let down in the Mojito one is the lack of actual alcohol. These come in three flavours and three mini mouth sprays. I tried them all (drank them all) out and the Mojito is my far my favourite of the lot. Although the pink grapefruit packs a punch too. I'm not taken with the blue spearmint , but thats just my taste. I'm not sure if it really does much for my teeth and gums, but it does leave my mouth tasting fresh, if slightly mojito..y.

They are a little different from whats on the shelves at the moment (yes, even mouth wash can be different from others on the market, who knew!) as they don't test on animals, are alcohol free, sweetener free and artificial colours free. They have no dyes in them and the entire packaging can be recycled. I'll admit, I'm not well informed enough on mouth washes to know what brands test on animals or have all these 'bad' ingredients in them, but I know from going to the dentist recently that its hard to get a mouthwash on the Irish market that doesn't contain alcohol. Its meant to be bad for your teeth and gums, but don't try telling me that on a Saturday night. 


So enough of what it does, lets get beauty blogger on this and talk packaging. This is one of the sexiest mouth washes I've seen - something I never thought I'd utter. First time for everything as they say! The mouth wash and the spray come in colourful, eye catching shades and they both look different from similar products on the market. And lets face it, they kind of look like sex toys if you were to just glance at them and not inspect further. I'm not the only one with this opinion either, there was much talk about it with the other bloggers at the event night. The one thing I really don't like about the bottle is that the lid isn't secure. I might just have a dud but I have to make sure that it stays standing up or it will leak. *looks over at wet patch on the couch*.


Hello is quite the cult product, or so thats what they say. Theres a list of famous celebrities who supposedly use it and love it, if you follow that sort of thing. After having a look at a lot of the online shops that stock it, there are lots of mixed reviews from the public. I think like anything, some will love it and some will hate it. There is also toothpaste from this line which you can only seem to get in the US. They are now available in Ireland from McCabes and Sam McCaluleys chemists, with the mouth wash retailing at €7.50 and the sprays at €4.75. I can only find two beauty blogs that have reviews of Hello, and one is from an Irish blogger who was also at the event. It will be interesting to see if this product actually takes off in Ireland or if everyone will think it a bit gimmicky. 

Would I have bought it? No, I'm not a big mouth wash kinda gal. I like my tooth paste and lots of it. And the price is a little bit mad. But I know a staggering number of people who would buy this, for the packaging alone. I'm going to keep an eye out for the mojito flavoured spray as it will be handy for my handbag and a little sneaky taste of one of my favourite drinks, minus the not being able to drive after a glass!

Do you think you'd buy Hello?

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

Saturday 27 September 2014

Crazy Bargains At The Cosmetic Outlet


I've been down this road before and I know all too well that you can't go into the Cosmetic Outlet on Meath St in Dublin for 'just one thing'. But thats what I told myself after seeing their new w7 palettes in stock. Honest to god, I only went in for a look... And then suddenly I came away with a light purse and several heavy bags. Thats just how it goes. If you fancy a look at my first major savings haul from this shop, you can have a read here. Be warned, not only is the shop coming down with bargains, but they have new stock in almost weekly, so you'll always find something new you want every time you go in!

I bought the first w7 palette in the Cosmetic Outlet and use it all the time. The range of shades, the pigmentation, the long lasting wear, the fact that its a dupe for the Naked 2 palette! Theres nothing I don't love about it. So naturally when they came out with a dupe for the Naked 3, I couldn't pass it by. You can get it for €10, which is a fraction of any of the Naked palettes. 

I also picked up w7 angel eyes in their dark natural palette. Its small, easy to pop in your bag and has a lot of colours to choose from. Its also got a really handy mirror and I can't wait to have a play around with everything. This was €5 so I thought it would be rude not to pick it up considering the history of amazing quality w7 shadows.


While I was at the w7 stand I couldn't help notice the Honey Queen blush that looked gorgeous and not unlike the Benefit blushes. Seeing as it might be a dupe I had to get it and it was only €5 too. Once I get stuck into all these and use them I'll do some reviews and tell everyone how I got on!

I also went a bit wild and picked up two Rimmel lipsticks and a Maybelline one. I've passed these by more times then I can count when I'm in Boots and always say I must pick some up, but they are near €8 so I always pass them by. Then the craving for a loads of them comes back when I'm reading about them on some of my favourite blogs. Its just not fair if you ask me! (someone play me the worlds smallest violin, thanks.) But these were only €5 each and I'm genuinely sad that there weren't more shades to choose from. There were lots of Kate Moss for Rimmel lip sticks, but I have a lot of those already. I will be scouting out the shop for more Maybelline ones especially as they are gorgeous. I've not even swatched any yet and I know I need more, the Maybelline ones smell sweet and I'm half tempted to have a taste. Its also not the normal colour I would go for but at 5 quid I decided to try it out. The Rimmel ones look really pigmented and I can't wait to start using them, I got a deep blue toned red and a lighter pink toned red. All of the lip stick noms. (I sound like I'm having them for dinner. Honestly I don't eat them!)  


I'm forever buying Impluse. One goes in my handbag, another in my room, the bathroom and then the ones that grow legs and wonder off. So I couldn't help get 3 for €5 while I saw them there. They will be used in no time and already my mother has her eye on them. (Actually when I showed her all these bits shes asked me to go back in and pick up some things for her. Mammy stamp of approval right there!) 

Brows are something I've stayed cleat of for years and am only beginning to start filling them in. Paul gave me this w7 Brow Bar to try out and I'll admit, I laughed when I saw that they come with stencils. I'm someone who has a dreadful habit of plucking my brows to nothing or having the odd alcoholic accident where I wake up with them shaved off (Its happened more then once) so they may come in seriously useful if (and when) something happens again. This is €5 too, do you see the trend here!


Lastly two of my most exciting things that I got in the shop. Paul very kindly gave me an orange skull detailed clutch bag and a statement flower chain necklace. I knew when I saw the bag I had to get it as it matches my orange pumps perfectly. You can see them here. It comes with a chain that you can clip of and off the bag which is a great extra. I love that theres a pocket inside to put your phone too. This is going to get really good use on nights out or even just if I'm popping to the shops and not brings loads with me. This is €10 and comes in loads of different colours. I'm keeping an eye out for a black one next!

Lastly is the statement flower necklace that I've not taken off since getting it (mainly because my mother has tried to rob it a few times!) Its sparkly, weighty and perfect for someone like me who wears basic darks and needs something to brighten up an outfit and give it that wow factor. This is €15 and there are so many more to choose from. I have gotten necklaces from the Cosmetic Outlet before for myself and as presents and they wear so well. I always get compliments when I have them on and theres far too many I'd love to get! They are all between €10 to €15.


If your not close to Dublin but plan on making a visit nearer to Christmas I'd really suggest you head over to the shop. Paul let me in on a few secrets and I'm really excited. I want to be first through the doors when the new stock hits the shelves and his new brushes(!) come out. Oh god, the excitement is nearly all too much.

And if you need one more push out the door to make the trek up Meath St, then I have just the thing. The shop right next to the Cosmetic Outlet is a lovely clothes and shoes shop. It stocks loads of gorgeous things that are for next to nothing. I got a really nice floral kimono in it for only €7 after paying €13 for a plain black one in Penneys. I'm such an enabler, I know! 

Friday 26 September 2014

The (Better) Cheap Dream Dots Dupe!


Back in July I was sent a box of new Dream Dots to try out, Review Here! Everyone and their mother has been sent a box of these thanks to some seriously good PR people and non stop social media updates. Everyone on Twitter and in the beauty world now know about them. But I thought that they were a little gimmicky sounding product, and retailing at €15 for a packet is day light robbery in my opinion. They work ok, but they are no miracle product. However theres now a little bit of a following for them from Twitter, from being shown on tv and constantly poping up on blogs. I just can't understand why, apart from wanting to support an Irish business - and we all know I'm first on the love Irish businesses band wagon. But only if they deserve the hype and are a genuinely great product. Which brings me to the reason for this post. A crazy Dealz find, Dotz.

  Dotz is the image of Dream Dots in every way possible. The same idea and the same product, but packaged differently and for €1.49 instead of the mad €15. It has 24 dots as the Dream Dots has, but the difference with these is there are three different sizes to choose from. I kind of love the fact that there are different sizes, even if its just the child in me getting to play sticker book on my face. They are also in a handier packet that involves only one piece of plastic that has all the dots stuck to them instead of several small, hard to use sheets. 

They are more rubbery and thick then the Dream Dots but they are easier to apply and lets face it, who is going to go out with these all over their face like Dream Dots suggests you can do with their Dots. I wouldn't be seen dead even in Tesco with bits of plastic stuck to my face. Not for milk, not even for a bar of Cadburys! So its safe to say that these are just as ugly to use as there more expensive sisters. 


However the one defining feature of these dots is that they get overnight results. Unlike the Dream Dots I used, I needed two or three nights to get rid of my spots. Sometimes I would need more, but I was sick and tired of the product by then and didn't bother. In the morning you peel them off and they have (sorry about this) a kind of puss left on the dot and the spot is no longer yellow and has significantly reduced. This was never the case for Dream Dots. They also stay on your skin all night and I never found any had come off when I woke up. They are a little sore to peel off, which was the same with the other dots, making me think that this is an unavoidable flaw.

I just can't get over how well these worked with just one nights use in comparison to two and three nights use of a Dream Dot. Below is after one nights use of the dots. (Go on, click on them and have a close up look. Ugh the face uglies I put on the internet is insane!) As you can see they are bulky on the skin and easily seen, but I was off to bed, not a night out! For all the hype of a really expensive product that doesn't work, I wonder how long people will still fork out for it when these Dotz are less then €2 and widely available in the pound shops. I could easily use a pack of these a night with all the spots I have, so the price and the result suit my pocket much better!


What do you think - 
Are Dream Dots too over hyped when theres better dupes out there?

Thursday 25 September 2014

New: Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer



My prayers were answered when all this was handed over by the post man a few weeks ago, as I've gone on a mad nail varnish buying rampage lately. I'll admit, if I knew what was in the parcel at the time I may have jumped postie himself. The stud. *Max Factor have an entire new collection of gel shine lacquer nail varnishes out and they are really something to drool over. There are nine shades in the 'Modern Glamour Collection' and they are all inspired around the 50's to 90's fashion styles. 

Autumn colours are always a little ifie for me, I'm more a lover of bights as I wear lots of blacks and peep purples so my nails always brighten me up. Naturally I am in love with the brighter colours in this collection and for some reason they seem to need less coats to be totally opaque then the darker ones. I've also noticed that the reds in this all look very samey - I know there will be massive nail varnish lovers out there screaming at me for that comment! But for me, they just didn't wow. Honestly bias opinion there. (Heh, contracting words that actually make sense. Love it!) The swatches below are all only one coat, just to show the difference that I'm going to talk individually about now.


Unfortunately when I recieved this lovely surprise there had been a little mix up and I had two of the same shades. I'm missing out on the brightest orange shade here, Vivid Vermillion. But no matter, the show must go on! 50s inspired my favourite true pin up red here, the brightest Patent Poppy. This is one I know I'll use a lot and two coats are needed for it. Its just so classy!
Next is the 70s Blues, Lacquered Violet and Glazed Cobalt that are inspired by the punk movement. When I first saw the shades side by side in the bottles I thought they were really similar and was disappointed until I tried them on. I'll admit, I'm a bigger fan of Glazed Cobalt as its a more.. Primary dark shade if you get me? I'm actually wearing it right now and it makes an outfit stand out, which I like. The Lacquered Violet has hues of purple in it and isn't as clear, you have to really look at it a second before you can decide what shade it is. Not one I think I'll reach for often, but both shades only need one coat. But sometimes I'll throw on two just to be on the safe side.

Moving on to the 80s Brights (woo!) with Twinkling Pink, Gleaming Teal and Vivid Vermillion. As I said earlier I haven't got Vivid Vermillion to show and tell, but the other two are up for much discussion. Twinkling Pink is a really lovely deep dusty pink that has just the startings of deeper tones in it, one I have used a lot over the past while along with an accent nail of Gleaming Teal or Glazed Cobalt. Speaking of, Gleaming Teal is a really lovely dark evergreen tree shade and its not normally a colour I would ever pick up. But this has converted me and I noticed myself looking at the darker greens in Boots now, bold girl that I am buying things! These colours are a little tricky and sometimes need two or three coats to get them totally opaque.

Lastly is the 90s Shades of Burgundy that are my least favourite shades. Sparkling Berry and Sheen Merlot honestly just look the same to me, I must be mad! Even when I try them on side by side I can barely tell the difference. I think I'll leave those two to more well trained eyes. They both need at least three coats before they are totally flawless. Despite being dark, I'm not kicking Radiant Ruby out of the bed for eating biscuits. It reminds me of a darker, but just as classy Patent Poppy pin up colour. Its not one I would wear often, but now that I'm trying out braver dark lip stick shades, I think this colour would go lovely and be handy to have on stand by, just in case! This one only needs two coats, but occasionally three if your being a bit fussy. 

Overall I think that this is a nice collection, I personally wouldn't buy every shade but not all are to my taste. I think the colour pay off is great but some are annoying as more coats are needed then others. I'm not too sure where they are going with their 'gel shine lacquer' as they look like bog standard varnish on my nails, but that wouldn't put me off getting them. Also the gold topped bottles are eye catching and scream pretty to me, which means I'm going to go off and buy the last orange shade. I think it needs a home with me. You can get these in Boots for €8.99 or buy one get one half price. It would only be right to have a goo at them next time your passing a Max Factor stand!


Do you think you'd pick up any of these?

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

Thursday 18 September 2014

Ziaja Cocoa Butter Body Scrub


Its well known by my family and friends that if I really like something, I'll utter the words 'Ah no, I'll have it. You wouldn't like it' all of the time. And that was the first thing that came into my little pea brain when I opened this in the shower and tired it. Honestly, you really wouldn't like it. If you've bought some recently, then I'm sorry. You could send it to me and I'll dispose of it in the best possible way. By using it in the shower every single day. Muahahaha.

Ahem. Well, now that the moment of pure crazy is over, let me tell you about Ziaja. This brand is feckin hard to get your hands on if your like me and only pop into Boots the odd time to stock up. Since going on a mad hunt one day in town I did find a chemist on Talbot St that does a good lot of the range. I'm seriously impressed with the amount of products that Ziaja do, take a look yourself at the full range here. They cater for all skin types as well as for babies, a hair care line and lines for specific ingredients. And if you think thats a little bit great, then you'll be delighted to know that their products are all cheap and cheerful. Man I love it! I'm really surprised that I've only recently heard of the Polish brand, considering they are a family owned company that have been around since 1989.

I'm going to be banging on about this brand a lot in the next while, let me just tell you that now! But today its all about the cocoa butter body scrub that I was delighted to get in a goodie bag from a blogger meet up I attended recently. If you want to have a nosy at what went on then have a read of Robyn's blog post (from Robyn Rants And Raves) all about it over here! I was excited to try this body scrub out as its more then half the price of some of my most loved Soap&Glory scrubs and I wanted to see if I had found a new favourite. 


I have to admit, this scrub is really giving the Soap&Glory range a run for its money. It smells sweet and has a lovely thick texture to it. Once you wet it, it foams up slightly so its easy to rub across your skin and theres no clumps of it falling off like some scrubs I've used. There are tiny little bits in it that I can only describe as sand-like, with out it actually being sand just to say! It does a great job of exfoliating all the horrible bits of dead skin away without being too harsh either. Its perfect for using every day as it doesn't strip your skin at all. 

The packaging is plain, plastic and to be honest it just does the job. Theres nothing needlessly fancy or over the top and there doesn't need to be to draw people in. It works so well and the brand is fast becoming well known for their amazing products that don't cost the earth. I'm happy to stock up the entire bathroom with this brand over a high end one any day of the week. (and may be starting to do just that as I type!) You can get this body scrub for roughly €4.99 in a lot of chemists around the country. 

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Wet'n'Wild Comfort Zone Eye Shadow Palette

 Wet'n'Wild has been in Ireland now for nearly a year and the craze for getting your hands on it is over. But for me, I'm still last to the party as always. I have a few of the trio eye shadow palettes, some foundations, concealers, other eye and lip products. But what I have lusted over for a really long time was this Colour Icon Comfort Zone palette. I told myself lots of times I didn't need it, I had loads of make up already. But the other day I couldn't hold out any longer and got it. After all W'n'W is a budget brand so this was less then €8, a steal.

This has 8 gorgeous highly pigmented colours that are so easy to build up. You can follow the guidelines on the back to create different looks or choose your own mixing and matching. I really like that all the W'n'W palettes have what colour can go where printed into the shadows themselves for those of us that might not be too sure about that sort of thing. I've been wearing make up for years and still have to idea what I'm doing most of the time. 


If there was a palette made just for me, this one has to be it. Theres a really lovely mixture of lights and darks here. I especially love the browns on the left side, they would be my go-to shades most days. All of the shadows have a slight shimmer to them as well, which happens to be right up my street! Give me all of the glitter, thank you please. I've yet to use the green side as I have green eyes and think it could be a little much. I'll no doubt update everyone on Twitter or Instagram when I've finally had a play with them, even if I come out looking a fright! One particular shade that I am in love with is the definer in the green side of the palette. I'd have bought the entire thing just for that one colour. It isn't showing up well on the swatches below, but in real life its the most unusual shade I've ever seen and I think it will be like having a mermaid on my eyeballs once I use it. 

The packaging itself isn't the strongest, but then again when the product is quite cheap that sort of thing can easily be overlooked. I've already managed to crack the front of it after putting it in my make up bag for the day. This also comes with a little double sided sponge and brush applicator, although I doubt I'd use it as I like using my own brushes for that. (I'm getting posh in my old age. I remember a time when they were the only things I used!) Overall I have found a new love with this and think it only right that everyone in Ireland (and everywhere else for that matter) go out and buy one in the near future. Go on, you need it. Really!



Tuesday 16 September 2014

Happy Birthday From The Body Shop


Back in July I got myself a loyalty card from the Body Shop. One of the perks of having a card is being able to pick out anything you like from the shop to the value of €10 for free in your birthday month. At the time I didn't think too much of it but last week I remembered and ran in waving the card around like a loon. Initially I was going to get myself their clay mask, but I had mixed up the prices and it was €20. You can add on the amount left to pay after the free €10, but I wasn't willing to fork over an extra tenner. Partly because I think I hyped myself up too much about getting it and then the let down of confusing the price left me deflated. (Seriously, you'd think I was talking about something really important with the way I was carrying on. But you can't joke around with me and beauty products, especially not the Body Shop!) So instead, I picked up a cleansing butter.

When this first came out I remember reading about it on A Model Recommends and thinking it sounded so nice, but the price tag was far too high for my liking. But when I had a little poke at the tester and a sniff, I didn't mind €14.95 too much and was happy to pay the difference, then be on my merry way. The lovely girl in the shop (- the one in Liffey Valley. I think we all know how I feel about the scary security in the shops in the city center) was so helpful, answered never ending silly questions and even wished me a happy birthday before I left. Ah, good positive customer service. You just can't beat it!


Anyway, on to the lovely new shiny thing that is the 'Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter'. This stuff smells fresh, clean and all round gorgeous. You can use to to remove make up form your entire face and it melts away any trace. Your meant to rub it all over your face and then rinse it off with water and be done. Thats all fine and dandy but to be honest I am 1: Difficult and 2: Lazy As Sin. The tin is harder to get the product out of then you would think and I didn't want to dig my nails and fingers into it to get the product out, as thats ruining the butter and plain nasty. I would guess you could wipe your fingers over it and then apply it to your face, but if you had to go back for more and had make up all over your fingers? Again, no no no. So what I like to do is wipe a cotton pad over the top and then have a good go with it on my face. I maybe use about 5 cotton pads and then use a cleansing water after. Boom, no need for mess, wreaking the product or even going into the bathroom to wash it off. Genius you say? Oh please, you are too kind!

Apart from being lazy and difficult, the cleansing butter is gorgeous to use. It melts easily onto the skin, gets off all the make up under the sun - even mascara, and leaves your skin feeling very clean, but also soft and moisturised. The only thing I would mention is not to go too wild with the amount of product used on and around the eye area. I got a little overzealous with it one night and it stung the eyeballs out of my head. But since then its been perfectly fine to use on my eyes again, so don't let that put you off. From using it for the past week I can see that it will actually last a long time despite my first impressions of it being a thin tin and a small amount of cleansing butter.

Apart from really liking how well this takes away my make up, I love the tin that it comes in and even the little stuck on label. As always everything from The Body Shop screams fancy and luxury. If your in the market for a new make up remover that you don't mind forking out for a little, or even just something to clean your skin with, I'd recommend this.

Monday 15 September 2014

Lush Brazened Honey


 

We all know I'm a great lover of everything Lush and one of my favourite feelings is knowing that I've used up 5 black pots and the next time I pop into Lush with them, I'll get a free face mask! I've not bought a single thing from Lush (wellll, 4 or 5 things doesn't count, right?) for the last few months. I put myself on a ban considering I should own more then a few shares in the company by now.  It was time to start using up everything Lush in my house and even now that the ban has ended, I still have a fair few things hiding in my drawers. However I am nearly all out of bath bombs and when the festive season fast approaching, I can't wait to start stocking up my stash again!

Brazened Honey is one of the few fresh face masks that I haven't tired before, so in the name of Science I decided to get it when I brought my empty pots into the shop. I tend to gravitate towards the Chocolate Cupcake thats aimed at blemish prone skin but sometimes can smell a little overpowering if your not feeling in top form. This mask however is aimed at tired skin that needs a little lovin'. It smells good enough to eat with an oaty and honey scent. It has herbs, spices, honey and ground almonds to name a few ingredients from the list. Its meant to be 'exfoliating, stimulating and nourishing' and although I didn't really think it was any of that, it was still lovely to use. For some reason I feel it might be best for a little more mature skin then mine. The type of skin thats not as oily, prone to break outs and as full of blemishes as mine. 

For me, this is the type of mask thats nice to pop on the odd occasion when all you want is a little bit of luxury and papering for your skin, without expecting amazing things to happen with just one or two uses. All Lush fresh face masks are €8.95 and last for about 2 weeks once there kept in the fridge.



Sunday 14 September 2014

Book Review: The Monster's Wife


To be perfectly honest I love myself an adaptation of a classic. Purely to scoff at and call bullshit to the lot of it, then read the original declaring that nothing, nothing! is better then a classic and there is no need to go fecking about with perfection. However I was actually pleasantly surprised by what I found in this book and I can't fault it for the fact that its taken the story of Frankenstein as its base to work from. In fact I really liked the character of the doctor in this one. And I never say that about the classics. Honestly, ask me about Pride and Prejudice and Vampires or the likes. Its a pleasurable pass time of mine to rip it to bits over a nice empty cuppa - I'm all about the crazy hand gestures and outbursts of rage when I get going. No hot drinks recommend!

Thats not to say however, that I don't have a few bones to pick with this book. (When doesn't she I hear you saying!) I would say I was roughly 75% through this before it became to hold my interest at all. I picked this story up twice before, starting it and not being able to get into it at all. On the third attempt I was determined to see if it got better, so I stuck with it. Apart from the poor (read: absolutely horrific) use of old language been thrown into the odd sentence to give it that 'feel' and the fact that you could have easily slashed half the story but still come out with a lovely piece of writing, it wasn't that bad. Needlessly long and drawn out, but alright.

Oona is the main character that we follow on her tiny Scottish island that isn't home to more then 30 people. Its set in the way back when times but theres no proper introduction to dates or years so I can only guess from the no electricity and petticoats that it wasn't any time recently. Oona lives with her granny, hens and dog - I was quite taken by the little details about her cock (rooster, you dirty, dirty minded people!) who was her favourite and even slept on her pillow. Oona is a sick girl who 'takes fits' and everyone knows that shes not going to live long, like her mother before her. May her best friend who is like a sister to her, they work together and spend all their spare time joined at the hip.

When Dr Frankenstein comes to the island May starts working at the doctors big house, cooking cleaning and doing all sorts for him. Oona soon follows and works along side her, but on the day of Mays wedding, Oona sits in the church with everyone waiting. May never comes and isn't seen or hear of again. Despite the intense search by all the islanders, no one can find her and people start to suspect Oona knows far more then she will admit. It rattles on for a long time until Oona finally discovers what happened to her best friend and what she has become.

Slight spoiler/trigger warning: I have to spoil one scene when saying that there should be a trigger warning with this book. I have searched many reviews and thoughts on this book and have yet to come across someone warning that there is a disturbing and violent rape at the later half of the book. I personally hate reading books with no warnings or triggers. I know it can spoil a story but I find the books that do state it, I'm happier to go ahead and read. Occasionally if I feel a book could be violent I'll do a quick search, but I'm a little annoyed theres nothing that I've found so far online about it. (I just went off on a rant there, sorry!)

I'll hold my hands up here and say this was a hard one for me to follow. I didn't read the blurb before I started reading and I'm glad I didn't - it just gave far too much away! But then I wonder if I had read it would I have been less confused. Here is a perfect example of why I included 'blonde' in my blog title. Right now, I'm having one of those blonde moments. Leaving the headache inducing confusion aside, would I recommend this book? No. No I wouldn't. If your a lover of Frankenstein then perhaps, as it does portray a wonderful character of the doctor, but for the rest of us? I'd leave it up to individual taste.

What have you been reading lately? Could you recommend me something?

Thursday 11 September 2014

Fifty Shades Of Grey: No Peaking


When I sat down to write this I wasn't sure if it should be a short and sweet little review, or if I should go off on one of my rants. If your a fan of rooting through my blog for the 'dirty' posts then no doubt you have seen my last Fifty Shades review over here. But if not, let me briefly repeat some of my first thoughts about Mr Grey and his sad excuse of BDSM, kinky and lets face it - sex in general.

I can't abide the thought of people reading these books and thinking that this is the way 'kinky' sex works. How in the name of god could anyone find a girl who barely has a personality attractive? Personally I look for someone who pushes me to the max, whose mentally stimulating and is full of life, questions and fun. Basically the opposite of that little girl portrayed in those books. Not to mention the scary and just a tad rapey Mr Grey. This is not the textbook for people to learn kink and BDSM in any way. If anything people should read it so they know not what to do. But it seems that many people decided the best and most sexy sex toys are those with Fifty Shades stamped all over them. Not stop to question what materials are used to make them, what kind of quality they are or even if they are from a trusted brand within the sex toy community. No, thats just mad talk... But lads, if theres one thing you should listen to me about, its those types of questions. Look it up, ask the websites that sell the product your not sure about. Hell even contact the companies directly who make and distribute the toys! Knowledge is power, don't you know.



The *No Peaking soft twin blindfold set is, I'll admit, one of the less scary products that are sold to novices of the sex toy world. At least this wont break off inside you, or burn the clit right off of you. These blindfolds come in shiny black and a gawdy looking sliver with really annoying Fifty Shades tags sewn into the sides. I'm not sure about you lot, but the thought of sharp corners of material possibly poking me in the eye does not do much for me. However the one redeeming feature of these blindfolds, is the softish material on the inside so its comfortable against your skin and eyes. The long and short of these two? They in no way are made to fit the contours of a persons face and therefore are relatively useless. Its nothing but frustrating trying to have some fun sensual sexy time with someone and in the silence they comment 'ehhmm. Babe? I can see everything thats going on. They aren't covering my eyes properly'. All of the grring and foot stomping, because I am a Mature Adult. Like every product from the line, it has a quote from the book on the box. This one is;

''He reaches down, lifts my chin, and plants a soft kiss on my lips before slipping the blindfold over my eyes. I can see nothing. Oh my, I'm so aroused.. Already. I am ready, eager to feel his touch''. 

I think Grey and Steele bought their blindfold from a different company, clearly. Apart from adding a little sensory deprivation for sexy time - or the lack of, you can't even use these blindfolds to sleep with. They let in far too much light and don't cover your eyes properly. But for the sake of testing it out properly I got a few friends to do the honours and they all came away with the same complaints. You could see out the corners and it wouldn't sit on anyones face right. This product has one purpose, to make the wearer essentially blind, but it can't even do that. Why is this being sold?


It annoys and saddens me that for many, Fifty Shades toys and accessorises are a household name and therefore assumed to be the best. And again, for many its all that they know when they look it up online or quickly buy it in a shop. I noticed this very brand plastered all over the window of a sex toy shop in Dublin the other day and it bothered me greatly. There are so many safe and amazing brands out there, why show this crap off? (Le sigh)

Like the other Fifty Shades review, my thoughts on the packaging haven't changed. I still think it looks cheap, tacky and flimsy. Theres nothing intriguing, sexy or classy about the boxes which many sex toy brands get spot on. I'm not preaching all toys are classy, not tacky or poorly named, but this entire company does nothing for me, but have me continuously tutting at them. Now for the shocker, I mean are you sitting down and ready for this? These two badly thought out, malfunctioning blindfolds cost roughly €17. Personally I didn't know if I should bend over in pain laughing or cry for the poor souls who forked out real money for them. I have seen them come down in price on many sex toy sites, but if you decide to buy them in person on your way home from work, then be prepared to pay the big bucks.

As the young ladies say: I can't even.


What do you think of the Fifty Shades toys, would you buy them?

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

Wednesday 10 September 2014

August Favourites


So I'm a little late with this, but sure feck it. September is my birthday month so anything that goes wrong or I'm too lazy to do I'm blaming old age on. August seemed to come and go, but for the life of me I can't think of anything exciting to report back about. It was the month of much driving to Tesco for olives and car picnics. Being left alone for a week and everyone being shocked when they got home - the house was still standing. Games of D&D. And of course, much sex. (On that note, look out for all the reviews!) 

First off I've been using Niveas micellar water. I went off on a rampage of buying eye make up removers and micellar waters like they were going out of fashion, just to see what all the fuss was about. I was certain that one would stand out and all the rest would be obsolete if I tested them all. But I've come to the conclusion that they are all mostly the same, with only the prices and packaging being what would make me fork out for a bottle again. I like micellar waters, they are the lazy persons dream, but I'm not loyal or excited by just one brand. Ever get a product like that? This particular one was on offer in Boots and is a handy size to throw into an overnight bag.However the value for money seems to be Garniers version, with 400mls for 3 quid something - depending on where you buy it from. 

A new love of mine is Penneys own brand P.S blender sponge. Real Techniques has their own version and people went wild for it. Theres a lot of other big American make up brands that I've seen bring out similar things too. But for the likes of a Real Techniques one, its going to set you back almost €6 which is a little mad for a piece of sponge. But Penneys has a cute little pink one for only €1.50, more my kinda thing! Since picking up my first one at the beginning of the month I have gone back for 3 more. They blend foundation in perfectly, any concealer works into the tiny hard to reach places on your face like a dream. One end is big and flatter for all over coverage, with the other end being smaller and more pointed for the smaller corners. Puurrrfff.  


August has been the month of all the nail varnishes. I couldn't walk out of the house without coming home with at least one little pot. I'm not sure why, as nail varnish isn't normally my weakness, but there you go. When I was passing by the stand in Boots, I coulsn't help but pick up Collection's work the colour in scorched copper. I've worn it loads and its the perfect autumn shade, its not too dark and the burnt orange has a slight shimmer in it too. All for €2, you can't go wrong.

And with nail varnish comes the tedious job of getting the stuff off. I've had Bourjois 1 seconds nail varnish remover for a while now and have never mentioned it on the blog. For whatever reason I have no clue as its the bees knees. Dip your finger in, give it a twist and nearly all your varnish will have come off. It smells horrible when the remover is wet on your finger, but once it drys it smells sweet. Always a plus of not almost choking on the fumes. 


A shop I don't normally venture into often is the Body Shop but last month I popped in for the craic and came away with a few bits. One of them was this tea tree oil facial wash mini that was €2 at the till - they always get you there! I couldn't say no to it and I've been using it in the shower most days along with a few others I swap around. I really like this one, it smells lovely, wakes you up and theres always the plus that tea tree oil helps with spots and blemishes. I'm not in love with the gel like consistency but I get over that quick enough once the water hits it and it foams up a little. Surprisingly enough for the amount I've used this its lasting a really long time considering how small the bottle is. You need a pea size for your entire face and I always feel fancy faced after using it. (Its totally a thing. Honest.)

Lastly these lovely orange pumps that my bestest friend bought for me one day in Penneys after I limented my sad story of hunting high and low for The Prefect Orange Pumps. For many years I had a pair and they were only fit for the bin, but now I have these shiny new ones with lovely gold buckle and bow detailing. Oh by still my beating heart! They are still on the shelves for €8 if anyone fancys them. They are in a few more colours too, but I can trust everyone will find orange the best ones, cos' everyone knows orange is the best footwear colour ever. 


What do you think of monthly favourite posts?

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Bleach London Fail Again: Reincarnation Mask



After having a very disappointing go of the Bleach London hair dye, I decided to have a try of their other products. Something that they surely can't feck up. Who can feck up an aul conditioner after all? Well I'll not hold you in suspense for long, apparently the people at Bleach London can feck it up all too well. What are these lads playing at? You can have a look at my less-then-happy review of one of their hairs dyes over here.

Now don't get me wrong, the mask isn't actually that bad as far as they go. But for €7.99 I have had way better hair masks for half that price. I just can't buy into the whole cult following of Bleach London that seems to be so big. For every new product I try, I come away disappointed and feel almost cheated out of my money. They have the talk, but they just can't walk the walk. 

''Resurrect and hydrate thirsty, bleached or coloured hair and improve elasticity with this repairing and moisturising hair mask. Enriched with sunflower seed extract and micro wheat proteins to give great shine, strengthen colour vibrancy and help reduce colour fade.''

I can say nothing but a big, fat LOL to the colour vibrancy and colour fade promises. I can only assume you would be best to use Bleach London hair dye with this product, so I redyed my hair purple that morning and went about the day. That evening I threw in a decent amount of the mask and sat for the recommended 20 minutes. When I washed the conditioner out I was left with blue hair. The mask that they sell and formulated for their own products, strips your hair of the original dyed colour... 


To say that I was a little confused and lets face it, really annoyed at my new hair colour being ruined was an understatement. For anyone who dyes their hair regularly like myself, will know the pain of having to evenly apply, wait around timing it perfectly (so your hair isn't going to fall off your head!) wash it out and then deal with the dye all over the bathroom. Having all the hard work wiped clean in 20 minutes is not my idea of fun. I honestly have no clue what Bleach London are playing at here. They are selling products that don't cut it and shouldn't be on the shelves to begin with. 

It just bothers me to a whole new level when the brand is so hyped, the packaging is eye catching and really funky and even the actual product looks promising. If this was a good and well working mask I would forgive the crazy €7.99 for 200ml. I'd even buy it again. But this is just maddening. Needless to say I wont be using this again, as I'm afraid it will strip other dyes that I plan on using - not any of the Bleach London ones either, just to be clear!


Have you tried any Bleach London products?

Tuesday 2 September 2014

I Only Went In For Hair Dye! Haul Post


I genuinely only went into Boots the other day for hair dye. I've decided to try go all the way back to my natural blonde colour and instead of having 12 shades of different roots, I picked up a colour closer to my own. Normally Boots has a massive range of dyes, brands and offers so I got the John Frieda moose. Partly because it was on offer from €13.99 down to €6.99, partly because I had never tried it before and partly because its a fancy pants brand! Oh and the most important thing of it matching my natural hair colour the closest. Nearly forget that bit. 

But once hair was thought about, I noticed that the John Frieda intense after colour conditioner was only €3.49 down from €6.99 and it would have been truly rude not to pick it up. The same went for the big bottle of Herbal Essences that was only €2.74 down from €5.49. But in my defense, I was running low on the shampoo..


After the hair care incidents I was on my way to the check out when I spotted that it was 3 for 2 on all the Simple range. I've been after the eye roller for mad bin bag under your eye balls (the technical advertising terms, of course) for ages since seeing Sprinkle of Glitter get it in a haul. It was €6.99 but then I did get the face mask free once I picked up the face scrub.. Both were €4.99 each. And I had to get them. Cos', cos' of the offer!!


After that total fail I said fuck it and headed to the make up. Collection had all their nail varnishes for only €2 each and I had about 12 in my basket, but decided against crying when I had to hand over all my money at the till. So instead I just picked up the one. Isn't it just gorgeous? I've tried it since getting home and its a perfect Autumn shade. 

I have been on the hunt for a particular eye shadow from Seventeen for myself and the sister, but its the hardest one to come by! Its always sold out everywhere. So to console myself after not finding it yet again I picked up these two lovely shades from Collection for €2.99 each. 

Well, I tried. But I did get the hair dye I went in for.
Damn bargains!