Exciting News :)

So since the last blog post was published and told you all about why I was not blogging for so long. I’ve some good news to share with you all!!!!

Back when I was meeting specialist and discussing my surgery and options regarding fertility we where told that they where worried about my fertility so much so that one of the specialists didn’t want to do the surgery and sent me on to someone more suitable for severe Endometriosis.

When they said they where worried about my fertility that having Endometriosis for so long and all the surgeries and it being so bad we where told we didn’t have much time left if we wanted to have a child.
I was told after having the surgery it would be our best time to get pregnant because all Endometriosis would be removed and it would be the best chance to ever have a baby.

After the surgery I had the follow up appointment to tell me how things went and what my chances where to ever have a baby. So if I wanted to have a baby it was now or never.
We both really wanted kids and couldn’t imagine not ever having any so without and hestitation we knew if it was to be now or never then that’s what we would do!!

I had to go for lots of blood tests to check hormone levels on certain days of my cycle and if things were not good we would be sent of for fertility treatment.

So as time passed it started to get very stressful I was convinced I could t get pregnant. Your mind really does play havoc with you and when your stressed you can’t get pregnant, and it’s a lot harder than you think to just get pregnant. Some women are very lucky and get pregnant so easily but with having Endometriosis and surgeries and medication over years and years it’s a lot harder than you would think.

As time passed I got a good result on one of the blood tests and said ok I’m not going to stress anymore that if there is problems I’ll eventually get to the route of it and if I need medication I’ll take it and one day we will have a baby.... that month I totally relaxed. I wasn’t tracking my cycle for ovulation or anything.

There was loads happening that month and I was starting to recover so much better so I was doing more and totally distracted from everything.
 I knew I was due my period soon so went and checked my calendar and realised I was due my period any day. After two days there was no sign of a period...(I’m like clock work I know when their coming because the pain and symptoms do be bad from the week before). so we went and got some pregnancy tests.

Even after buying them I still wasn’t in a rush to do a test and eventually done one that evening.....

Normally you wait 3 minutes and then you check the test but after I had done it still as cool as a cucumber not expecting it to be positive I hadn’t even put it down long enough to let it settle and wait the 3 minutes... the whole thing was glowing blue and it was a POSITIVE test. I was like WTF??!!

I moved quicker than I’ve ever moved since before the surgery in
months and went a told the bf!!!
We were so in shock and over the moon it’s was all so crazy!!!

I didn’t sleep at all that night I think I just lay their on disbelief and shock and I know around 4am I was thinking what if I got a false positive test... so I jumped up out of bed and took another test!!! Again it was glowing blue and positive within seconds :)

We waited a little while before telling anyone and then eventually shared the news with both families.


So now it’s time to share the news over on here...... IM PREGANT!!!

We couldn’t be more happier :)

Everything is great and the baby is doing great.
Me on the other hand I’m sick all the time and tired but that’s ok once the baby is ok that’s all that matters!!

So for anyone out there that has Endometriosis or any fertility issues and think they won’t or can’t get pregnant don’t worry. It will happen when it’s ment to happen.

I remember even being told at 17 that I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant and I think anyone who has been told they can’t have kids or has Endometriosis they always think they can’t get pregnant or it plays on their mind.

If it has happened for me with all my problems with Endometriosis and how bad it’s been it will happen for so many of you all :)

We’re having our own little miracle baby!!  It’s still hard to believe at times.



I will keep you all updated on how I’m getting on throughout my pregnancy so there will be plenty of pregnancy posts :)




Rebecca xxxx

NYX Christmas Gift Guide

I love NYX Cosmetics I have done for years now so I was delighted to be informed of this years Christmas Gift ideas!!!

First of all can we just take a minute to look and talk about the NYX Professional Makeup Lippie Countdown advent calendar set wait until you see it.........

 

 

 

This bad boy is €65 !!! Like seriously I NEED IT!! Imagine waking up to a new lippie everyday from 1st to 24th December......YES PLEASE!!
In the calendar it has the Lip Lingerie, Liquid Suede, Cream Lipsticks, Soft Matte Lip Creams :) and its Limited Addition !!
I WANT IT.


Then for gift wise here's the latest...

NYX Professional Makeup Lip Lingerie Vault set €85

So in this amazing vault there is 24 shades plus 6 NEW shades that are limited edition. Now I would love to wake up Christmas morning to this under the tree.. could you imagine!! HINT HINT NUDGE NUDGE :)


NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream City Dublin set €20

So this is an all NEW lip colour called Dublin. To go with the new shade you get 4 velvety eyeshadows, 1 blush, 1 illuminator, and then the NEW Dublin soft matte lip cream.
Now how stunning is this gift set and all for only €20... This would make a perfect stocking filler or Christmas gift :)
There will be all NEW city sets from L.A to London and Dublin is one of the new ones.


NYX Professional Makeup Mattes Vs Metals Vault €39

In this vault there are 6 velvety Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks and then 6 lustrous Cosmetic Metal shades. This would be a very on trend Christmas gift set to get any makeup or lip lover out there. I know personally I'd struggle to pick a shade to wear each time doing my makeup they are all fab shades.


NYX Professional Makeup Beyond Basic Look set €26

Isn't this set just so handy??!! In it you get 6 pigmented eyeshadows, 1 bold matte liquid liner, and 1 velvety matte liquid lipstick... This is a great little set to get someone who loves makeup but your not sure what to get them.. it basically has it all.. its great!!



NYX Professional Makeup Go-To Goodies Set €20

This is another great set for when your not sure what to get someone just like the one above only this one is slightly cheaper by €6 and it contains 4 highly pigmented eyeshadows, 1 creamy matte lipstick and 1 lip liner. This is another great set!!

I'm so blown away by the NYX Professional Makeup sets this Christmas, they're so fab!! If you love the brand I hope you get one of these gifts this year under the tree :)

NYX Professional Makeup is available from Boots, McCabes Pharmacy and selected pharmacies nationwide.


Make sure you let me know if you will be picking one of these up for gifts this year or if any of them are on your Christmas list :) :)





Rebecca xxxx

Note Cosmetics

Note Cosmetics.....have you tried any of the range??

I had heard so much about the Note Cosmetics range on Snapchat and across the internet so I said I'd go pick up some the range to see what I thought of it!!
From what I had seen online I was thinking it all sounded too good to be true and only way was to find out for myself.

Here's what I picked up....

I'll start off with prices....

Detox & Protect Spf 15 Foundation in shade 03 Medium Beige €13.95

Full Coverage Liquid Concealer in shade 01 Ivory  €4.95

Terracotta Powder in shade 02 Warm Honey €8.95

Long Wearing Lip Gloss in shade 05 cream Cup €7.95

Silk Compact Powder in shade 04 Sand €9.95


From the prices above you can see that whey are a very affordable brand. I paid €45 for 5 products from the range which is great!


My Thoughts.....

Ok so I'll be honest I didn't think I was going to like the products giving the price range and all the hype about them. They look like a high end affordable brand with the packaging and a lot like another brand that many makeup artists use and makeup lovers out there but are a hell of a lot cheaper as you can see from the prices... so I was thinking Nah these are not going to be good!!
              Well wasn't I pleasantly surprised!! :) I LOVE them !!! The quality is UNREAL !!
The foundation itself lasts all day and is so lovely to work with. It blends so easily onto the skin and sets and sits lovely on the skin. Its a medium to full coverage foundation and with the medium coverage which is one layer it covers any redness or blemishes on my skin for me. Most foundations need two layers for full coverage or a good medium coverage to cover the redness without a doubt. I patted and buffed the foundation into the skin and it looked flawless, I was blown away by how good it looked.

The concealer is nice to work with it blends lovely too and isn't too heavy on the skin. It also doesn't crease I tested it lots of times with setting with and without powder and it sit perfect with no creasing. The only thing I will say about the concealer is... it says its full coverage but personally I find you need 2 - 3 layers of it to be full coverage. There's nothing wrong with that at all as its quite a light product but if I'm looking for a flaw that's all I can find with it!

The lip gloss is amazing I'd not worn a lip gloss is soooo long because I'm all about that liquid lipstick life....well not anymore. My love for lip gloss is back. It stays in place and holds its colour and shine really well. Obviously with a gloss it will wear away much quicker but it does last a good few hours. It's not real tacky and sticky on the lips which is nice to because tacky, sticky glosses drive me up the wall!!

The Terracotta Powder..... can we just take a minute to appreciate this product.... its amazing seriously!!! It's one of the nicest high lighters I've used in a long time. Its a dream to work with and it sits on the skin so lovely. It's so finely milled that there's very little blending needed with it. It builds lovely on the skin too so if you want a really vibrant and noticeable highlight it doesn't look too powdery when building it up which I love. I'll be picking up more of the shades.

The Compact Powder... I'll be honest I've not even needed to use it yet!! I get shine on the nose area after a few hours and I've still not needed to powder yet so that just goes to show you how good the foundation is! I will get to use the powder at some point (I hope) if not it will be going into my kit. When swathing it, it felt lovely not really drying on the skin which is good for anyone who is dry/dehydrated skin.


Now as you all know I'm super sensitive when it comes to anything going on my face and I get irritated so easily and I've not had one problem with this range at all!! With it being cheaper in price I was kind of thinking I would have a reaction but I didn't!! So if you suffer with sensitive skin don't worry at all its suitable for sensitive skin. Most the products have a property in them to help and trea skin such as Macadamia oil, Argan oil, Almond Oil, and Vitamin E just to name a few which is great.

Would I buy more of the range......... YES!!!!! In fact I plan on picking up more of the range.. I'm dying to try out the BB cream from them I've heard so many good things about them.

So even though the range is very affordable that doesn't mean to say its not durable or worth buying. A lot of people think if its cheap its not as good as other brands out there, even I thought the same about NOTE but I was very wrong! I would highly recommend the range to everyone and I would also have the range in my kit and use on clients its just as good as the rest in my kit and makeup collection.

So if you haven't picked up or tried any of the range make sure you get out and pick some up!!!

I picked up the Note Cosmetics from Mc Cabes pharmacy at City West Shopping Centre and are available from selected pharmacies natiowide.

I done a full face of makeup using all of the products I picked up....

 

 

 

Let me know what you think of the range and your thoughts on it!!




Rebecca xxxx

Youngblood Ultimate Concealer

Youngblood Ultimate Concealer €27

This Concealer has a sheer coverage and used by some of the top makeup artists. 

It gives you a flawless completion while hiding dark circles and blemished from its light reflecting formula. 

With it containing vitamins it also soothes and brightens the delicate eye area. 

It contains Jojoba seed oil, honey suckle, while also being paraben free so it's suitable on sensitive skins, anyone prone to rosacea, psoriasis and acne prone skin. 

I've never used any of the Youngblood Cosmetics products before so was dying to get my hands on some of the products! 

When using concealers I like them to be nice and soft and a creamy texture without creasing while also having a long durability..... I'm not half fussy am I?! 

This concealer has a lovely consistency to it and nice and creamy without it being too thick. It's so easy to work with the blending on it is amazing. Very little work is put into using this product! 

It sits lovely on the skin too I had no crease at all. Always make sure you set your under eye concealer straight after applying to prevent any creasing anyway but as time goes on it can sometimes crease... this doesn't!! 

I use it to highlight as well. I got the Medium shade and when wearing tan it's fab as a highlighter shade. 

 

I'm wearing it this pic both under eyes, for highlighter on the nose, Cupid's bow and forehead and as a primer on the lid. I also carved out the brows with it in this makeup look. 

It's lovely as an eye primer as I'm super sensitive and can find some irritate my eyes. 

My makeup does last all day when wearing it both on the eyes and face so the durability is great. 

I'll definitely be picking up more of the 

Youngblood products. I've heard so much about their contour and highlight palette I reckon that will be next on the list! 

They are available from selected pharmacys nationwide or from the link above. 

Rebecca xxx 

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The Body Shop Fresh Nude Cushion Foundation

I love a good full coverage foundation but recently I've been on the hunt for a nice light to build able foundation that isn't completely matte..... the not real 'foundation or makeup look' and I think I've found it. 

The Body Shop new Fresh New Cushion Foundation €25.50

It's in a compact style but is a liquid foundation... this is the perfect product for on the go in your hand bag. 

As you can see it has a sponge like applicator so theirs no pump you literally press on the cushion and the foundation comes to the top of the sponge. This is great because theirs no mess or spill like some liquid foundations.

So let's get down to it....

It's a semi-matte foundation meaning it's not quite matte but not too sheer or glowing. It's a lovely natural looking foundation when applied and is very buildable to a medium coverage. This is ideal for me for daily foundations as I like full coverage and find BB creams just don't cut it for daily use. 

It comes with a compact sponge which is perfectly fine to use just make sure you pat it onto the skin rather than drag the sponge across the face. Your just pulling on the product. I use a flat foundation brush or a larger stippling brush and pat and bounce onto and into the skin. This gives a flawless finish to the skin. 

The shade I have is 03 Malawi Beach. It would be lovely for a paler skin with a light tan on if that makes sense? 

The foundation itself is vegan friendly, moisturising from Marula Oil. It also contains Rose water which is great on sensitive skin and Aloe Vera. Its a mineral product so designed to last 24 hours and with powder over it there's no reason for it not to last that long. It also is non-comodegenic which means it won't clog your mores... now who doesn't love that! 

It comes in 5 shades so it will suit a variety of skin tones. 

This foundation would be ideal for younger skin too so great for anyone out their looking to find products for their daughters to wear. 

Overall it's a lovely light foundation that gives the skin a nice glow. I'll be keeping it in my makeup bag for day to day wearing or if going on holidays :) 

Have you tried this foundation? 

To keep up to date on my favourite makeup products, tutorials and how to use this product along with many others pop over to my Snapchat - lipstickglitz

Rebecca xxx 

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Life with Endometriosis part 2

Hi everyone, 

As promised I would keep you all up to date on how things have been getting on since the healthy eating and cutting out gluten, refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol and dairy products. 

I spoke in the previous blog post about how cutting out these products helps with Endometriosis and can help improve daily life. 

I think when you have literally had enough of how you're feeling daily and have tried every route with medication you will try anything and if you look your food just like me you become quitesceptical because deep down you don't want to accept or believe you have to give up certain foods :( 

So I've been on this "lifestyle change" for over 6 weeks now. I started off gradually reducing all these foods from my diet so as it wouldn't be too drastic and find myself clawing at press cupboards crying. 

Being quite honest it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be! 

Now I'm not saying I've not had any slips along the way because I have and I don't think I would be human if I didn't. 

So let's get down to it .... 

 

At the beginning I found myself wondering what to eat each day. 

For breakfast I have poached eggs, mushrooms and fruit afterwards. I would normally have toast or bread with it so I just stopped having bread each morning. It was touch for the first 2/3 mornings. 

Lunch I'll make a salad, baked potato with beans or have a soup. 

Dinner always consists of a meat and plenty of veg. 

Within the first week I noticed a massive massive difference on my tummy area I'd very little bloating and none of that horrible stuffed feeling like you've eating too much. 

Snacks wise I'll eat fruit or gluten free rice cakes. 

I've done slimming world before so I always have that mentality when cooking or eating too so I try to stick to that as much as possible. 

I was kindly gifted and amazing hamper for the gorgeous Nikki from 

Whole Foods I was literally blown away by what was delivered to the door and if you are on Snapchat you would have seen it. 

 

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how amazing this is and how kind Nikki and Whole Foods are. 

The hamper contained all gluten free products that you would use on a daily basis. 

The bars are now perfect for extra snacks on the go or when I don't feel like fruit or rice cakes. They are high in sugar so I always try to not go over my RDA of sugar. 

In fact you would be suprised at the amount of sugar that is in foods!! 

 

This pasta and sauce was literally the nicest I've ever tasted. Like Oh My God I'd actually love off it.... no joke!!!! 

These where both also in the hamper. 

If you are on Snapchat - lipstickglitz is where I show my meals and what I'm eating (when I can remember) so you will and have seen a lot of what was in the hamper, along with foods I'm picking up when at the shops. 

Has there been a difference with Endometriosis in the last two months???? ....

     I have noticed a big difference already and they say it takes 3 months or so for your body to really feel or see a difference when removing gluten from your diet. 

I would kind of be an "emotional eater" when my Endo would be bad or having a flair up and I would crave lots of foods. 

I'm a sucker for a chipper or a burger when I'd be bad. My cravings have massively subsided and I've actually turned down a number of choppers since I've made the switch. 

My moods.... well they have been a little easier but I won't lie and say everything is all gravy when it's not. I've still had my bad bouts of feeling low or down and angry. With not being on any medication now I've nothing to help control it. As much as people say or think as she's just moody or cranky or the worst... hormonal (please don't call a hormonal woman horemonal... not if you value your life!) 

People don't understand how hard it is when your having these days and you don't choose to feel or act in these ways. 

They have got a little easier thank God. I keep meaning to take Evening Primrose Oil they help with "moods" 

The pain.... now this is the good bit! Seriously my pain has been a lot easier already. This months period was much easier than last months at most I've taking maybe 3-4 prescription pain killers. That's massive for me as I would normally take that a day! 

Now I'm not totally pain free daily or at that time or the month but it's much more barable and the swelling or bloating isn't as big looking. I can't wear jeans or anything that would be a hard material at that time of the month because I'm so sensitive swollen and sore but I've managed to get back into jeans for the rest of the month. 

At one point I have gone years without being able to put jeans on. So that's a big noticeable difference. 

It's always the little things you notice more. 

I will definitely be continuing with the diet or lifestyle change that's for sure. 

I'm also going down the fertility route at the moment on tests and things so if you would like to know more about that in another post just let me know. 

As always please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or need to talk about your own experiences. I love hearing from everyone. It's lovely to know their are others out there and not on my own. 

Make sure you pop over to Whole Foods and check out their page and have a look at what they do. 

Thanks for reading my part 2 of Life with Endometriosis 

Rebecca xxx 

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My life with Endometriosis

Ok so its after taking me the guts of a week to sit and write this since I spoke about Endometriosis on Snapchat.

 
Have you heard of Endometriosis before?

Well I'm about to tell you what it is, why and my life with it....

Endometriosis is often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus - the endometrium - grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes and tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond pelvic organs. ( this is what google says)

So basically every time you get a period this is what happens. In some cases it can happen at any stage throughout the month.
The reason I'm doing this today is to raise awareness on Endometriosis and to know the signs if you have it.

Endometriosis (endo for short) is a non visable disease that's sadly their is no cure for as of yet and can affect your fertility if left un treated.
If you find every month when you get your period that you are in horrible pain and the over the counter pain killers aren't taking away the pain. If you find yourself reaching for prescription pain killers to make it through the day then that's not normal period behaviour.

If you find that each month they become more and more painful, stuck in bed, not being able to go to work or school, feeling pain in your stomach or back, bleeding is heavier or they are becoming irregular then you need to see your GP.

There are treatments available to help with Endo and surgery available just make sure you persist with your GP and make sure they listen.
The reason I'm saying this is because here's my story and why I want everyone to be aware and not go down the road I did.....

I first got my period when I was 9 (this is also another sign of endo) and they where fairly normal ish until I was 11. Things became worse, my periods where so bad with pain I wouldn't be able to go to school. I was always sick. I used to and still do catch anything that's going.
I was brought to my GP and told to just take prescribed pain killers that it was just "bad periods".
     As time went on I wouldn't be able to go to school or go to friends parties because the pain would be so bad even with the pain killers.
From the age of maybe 14 or so things got really bad I was always sick. Always in agony with pain and absolutely dreaded getting my period. I never done a full week of school and when I would get my period I rarely made one day of that week. I would vomit, pass out because the pain would be so intense and bad. Trips to A&E that would be pointless. I would gain weight. I'd have constipation and extreme diarrhoea. When I did make it to school I would pass out in school and would have to be sent home.

 
As this was on going the doctor would always say the same its just "bad periods" nobody would listen. This isn't normal I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad period!
     I reached 17 and at this point I was in pain everyday both my stomach and back and my stomach was always bloated, swolling and hard to the touch. I had bad pain down my right leg and was very painful to walk. Trips to A&E always happened throughout the years but became more frequent around that age... I don't know how many times they where going to remove my appendix! Once I was filled with pain killers I would always be sent on my merry way.
I was then put on the pill as a trial to see if that would help  at all and it didn't tired taking it each month and then taking the weeks break and straight back onto it. That didn't work so then they tried taking it continuesly without the weeks break and still no improvement.

A specialist then done a laprascopy which is when they put a camera in through your belly button ( this is the only way you can tell if you have endo ) and they found endo. I was then put on a hormone tablet which left me with very bad depression and sent to see another specialist for treatment.
They made me walk across a room and said I had pulled a muscle in my leg to just go swimming and how many times a day would I be happy... No joke that's what I was asked. I was then told to continue taking the medication for another 6 months and to come back and see them. Even though the medication was making me feel so down and depressed. 

My parents then decided they would take me to see a doctor in New York. I was in college at the time studying to become a Beauty Therapist and Makeup Artist. I'd always wanted to do it so I was trying my best to her through it even though it was really tough. 

I went to see the doctor on a mid term break and we spent four hours in his office with him. He asked had I pain down my leg and finding it hard to walk that that was a sign of endo (in some cases). 

That day we decided on a treatment plan to get me though the rest of college and help treat the endo until I returned for surgery. 

He put me into a medically induced menopause along with other medication on top. This would shut everything down preventing the endo for spreading even more and shrink it a little. 

I was never skinny as a kid or teenager but never over weight... That changed when I was put on the medication. I gained a lot of weight and I was in a full blown menopause... Mood swings, hot flashes, cravings, crying, was just a few. I was still in a lot of pain but I knew it wouldn't spread anymore. 

I returned to NewYork 9 months layer mad had surgery. What should have been an hour max turned into 4 hours of surgery to remove the endo. To remove it they can go in by lapraoscapy through the belly button and small incisions around the belly. They then lazer off the endo and burn it off. I had more or less every where on my womb etc. 

It was a tough recovery but the doctor was amazing. I was put on the pill continuesely without a break. If I had a period it would grow again more. 

Even though I stayed on the pill all the time it did grow back and I had it removed another 2 times since then. 

I tried every pill, medication, hormone, you and isn't I've tried it! 

I still suffer to this day with it but I know now what I'm capable of doing and what I can and can't do. 

My weight does fluctuate a lot and it can be hard to shift weight at times. 

I've now decided and started on a gluten, dairy, caffeine and refined sugar free diet to help manage and hopefully improve things. As these food can trigger symptoms or make them worse if you are suffering at that time. 

I'm taking a step in going down the alternative route and holistic treatments. 

I've tried everything else I may as well give this a try!! 

That's basically my story and this is why I want everyone to be endo aware. If you know someone who suffers with any of these symptoms please get them to speak to their GP and if they don't feel like they are being listened to persist and make sure someone listens. We all know our own bodies and we know when something is wrong. Don't let anyone fob you off. 

It took 7 years for someone to listen to me and help me don't let that be you. 

I don't want anyone to go through what I've gone through and if by me telling my story and what symptoms I have or had help someone I'll be happy. 

If anyone has any questions or has Endometriosis and want to tell me what they do to help them feel free to message me. The more we know the better!! 

Thanks for reading this and please feel free to share it if you found helpful or helpful to someone else. 

I'll pop up a part two to this soon regarding the diet and lifestyle change and what products o use if anyone would like to know more. 

Rebecca xxx 

3 Ingredients gluten free cookies

I think it was late last week that I seen the 3 ingredient cookies being made on Tv3's Ireland Am. 

I thought wow their super quick and easy to make and would make a healthy snack. 

I changed one of the ingredients to gluten free porraige oats instead of regular and here's how they turned out 

The ingredients: 

2 bananas

125g gluten free porridge oats 

         ( you can use regular if you want ) 

50g of desiccated coconut 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees 

Mash bananas until becomes a paste. 

Add the rest of ingredients into the bowl and mix all together. 

 

Place spoonful onto grease proof paper on baking tray and press down until becomes flat. 

Make sure to leave space between each cookie. 

 

Cook for 10 mins until golden brown in colour. 

Eat while warm or store in and air tight container. 

I added some mixed nuts on top to add a bit more flavour 

 

This is a personal preference. Some fruits or chocolate chips added to the mix before cooking would also be nice. 

Surya Brasil Henna Cream

So I got the Surya Brasil Henna Cream Semi - Permanent hair colour in the shade Reddish Dark Blonde €13.80 

 

I'd never tried a henna hair colour before but was very intrigued to try one. This Surya Brasil range doesn't contain Ammonia, Gluten, Hydrogen Peroxide, Parabens, Sodium  Chloride, Mineral Oil. 

Which means it's great on your hair and conditions at the same time because it contains 

Vitamin A, B, C, E, Aloe Vera, Arnica, Brasil Nut, Hazelnut, Malva. 

It's a safer more natural way to colour your hair, cover greys and change your hair colour. 

It comes in 15 shades - black, dark brown, golden brown, light brown, burgundy, mahogany, red, reddish dark blonde, copper, ash blonde, golden blonde, Swedish blonde, light blonde, silver fox. 

Priced at €13.80 

Now my own hair is quite dry and damaged from bleaching it to make it lighter. It's a copper shade so I chose the reddish dark blonde to give my own hair more of a vibrant colour. I wanted a deep conditioning colour so this was definitely the one. 

In the box you get the henna cream, gloves, plastic cap, clean up shampoo, reviving conditioner. 

So the henna cream cones in a bottle like this 

 

This bottle is great because you can re use the product unlike most you have to bin what's left.

So what you do is : 

Wash your hair first with the Clean - up shampoo 

 

Then you towel dry your hair leaving it damp (I brushed my hair through so as their was no knots) 

Then I applied the henna to my hair from the roots to the mid sections. 

I sectioned my hair making sure it was all covered. You can use a brush for applicator or your fingers... I found using my hands fairly easy. Then I basically massaged it into my hair I didn't brush it because this would pull the cream away from the hair. 

For my hair colour the chart said to leave for 60 mins so I did. The plastic cap is ment to go on over the colour and left until ready to rinse. 

I rinsed it off without using shampoo basically letting the water run clear. 

Then using the conditioner 

 

And left it in for about 5 minutes. 

Once it was washed my hair smelled lovely but not too over powering. 

It brushed it very easily some times it can be hard to brush after colouring. 

When dried it was lovely and had a lovely shine to it making it look and feel super healthy. 

The colour itself was more of a copped red which fab but I'm thinking that was because of my hair being copped to start with. It was so vibrant. 

It did was out and fade a little quicker than other hair colours but that's to be expected giving their is no chemicals or peroxide in it. 

The only other thing is it contains nuts products so if you have an allergy make sure you can use it first before applying to your hair. 

Over all I really liked it and I will definitely be picking up another box. It covered my roots and greys. I might try the Copper colour next to see what that's like over my copper colour. 

The Health Store stock it both online and in selected stores. Liffey Valley stocks the Surya Brasil range. 

Let me know if you have tried it or plan on trying it :)

Rebecca xxx 

Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation

I was recently sent the Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation from the lovely Fiona from TheWorksPR

 

If you have been following my blog, Snapchat and Facebook you will know I've been loving the Shiseido Range, so much so that I will be adding it to my makeup kit! 

So let's talk about this foundation that everyone has been raving about across all social media. 

The foundation itself is suitable for ALL skin types... Yeah all skin types. Now when I hear that I think... Ah this isn't going to work great or last because certain skin types need to have certain ingredients and some skins need less of  said ingredients for a product to really last. So I will be honest I was very sceptical about it. 

The foundation improves kind complexion and is a buildable coverage. 

Now I tried and tested this foundation almost every day since I got it in many different ways.... Which you would have seen on my Snapchat - lipstickglitz 

I tried it without any skin prep, primer, or powder to set and it lasted all day with very little shine to the face which I was very suprised by. It was a warm humid day and I honestly thought it would melt off my face and it didn't!! 

I tried the foundation with skin prep ie. Cleanse, toning and moistursing and no primer just set it with powder and it worked great.. Again very little shine on the face. 

I then tried the foundation with my normal routine of makeup. Prep, primer and set and there was a big difference it was literally fresh looking all day long, again no shine. 

Finally I tried it for a night out which would really test its durability. I applied the makeup earlier in the day doing the same routine as previous and it glided onto the skin and was flawless looking. I built it up a bit more in areas that needed a bit more coverage and didn't apply and concealer to cover areas only to highlight. 

Here's a pic of the makeup on the day/night 

 

Here you can see it's like a second skin. It's not thick or 'cakey' looking and sits lovely on the skin. 

Now this foundation held up great all trough the evening right up to 6am the following morning when I went to remove it. 

There is no orange tone off the foundation which is great because some can oxidise as time goes on and colour can change. 

Again there was no shine or oil on the skin. 

Over all I really loved it and will continue to use it and stock it for my kit. 

This would be a perfect foundation for a Bridal Party, Bride or anyone looking for their makeup to last all day/night long for a function. 

The only thing I would suggest is applying a primer before putting it on. It will just make the application easier and blend and look better on the skin. 

The foundation is €48 and available from Arnotts, Harvey Nichols Dundrum and good pharmacys Nationwide. 

Let me know if you have tried it or plan on picking it up :)

Rebecca xxx 

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BBold Flawless Legs Medium Tan

Now as you all know I'm a tan aholic so I love a good tan and one thing I never talk about much is instant tans. 

So bBold Flawless Legs in Medium €6.99 from Dolledup.ie plus many pharmacys nationwide 

 

I've used this tan a few times and have been loving it. I apply it over tan on my legs because like most tans they don't always take as dark on my legs. It evens out the skin tone so it hides brushes and veins that we don't like to expose when wearing skirts, or shorts. 

I apply mine with a Glove Your Body Tanning Mitt and it literally glides onto the legs and dries in nice and quick so you're not waiting long to pop clothes on. It won't rub off onto your clothes either which is great and come off in the rain!!! 

 

Warm soapy water, shower or bath removes it so don't worry spiller drink on a night out isn't as much of a worry as you think when wearing the Flawless Legs. 

You don't have to just apply to the legs it's great on your arms or chest to which is handy for fixing up any tan lines. 

If you want a dark tan on the legs though I'd go for the darker version if you don't have any other tan on before applying. 

If you have tried it what did you think? 

Rebecca xxx 

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Shiseido Meet-Up Event

On Wednesday evening I was kindly invited to a Shiseido Meet-up event to show some bloggers about the range of products and the brand itself.  

When I got there I arrived to a lovely training room layed out really lovely and greeted with such a warm welcome. The lovely Fiona couldn't have been any nicer and organised such a great event. 

There where canapés on arrival along with prosecco. What a spread it was!! 

 

 

 

 

Shiseido is over 145 years old and was founded in 1872 in Japan. 

They are in Ireland since 1992, I have heard of the brand and to be quite honest I never really knew too much about them so I was intrigued to hear more about them. 

They are a skincare, makeup and fragrance company and own many other well know brands such as Nars and Issey Miyake plus many more. 

The event itself was amazing and very informative which is safe to say I NEED SHISEIDO in my life!! 

They where the first to bring out a 24 hr moisturiser which is sold ever 15 seconds. They are also the first brand to bring out Bio-hyalauronic acid which plumps the skin along with moistursing the skin and leave it looking radiant. 

My favourite of all is the Ultimune product which is a serum that treat any imperfection or blemishes on the skin along with leaving it look radiant!! These are the most awarded cosmetic on the market with over 54 global awards. 

 

 

Everyone was shown a couple of clips about the brand, where it came from and the founder along with a couple of videos showing the powder of makeup and your take on things about cosmetics along with a brief over view of the brand. 

I found it all very informative. 

We where then shown a makeup demo from the lovely Danielle Mahon who is a brand ambassador for Shiseido. Here's the link to her site Danielle Mahon

Danielle talked us through the brand and some of her favourite products. 

It's always great to see other MUA's in action :) 

I went mad about the new foundation and I am only dying to get my hands on it. 

 

It's Synchro Skin €48 

The foundation is suitable for all skin types because it adapts you your skin when you apply it. It's abuildable coverage and inhances the skins natural vitality and complection. 

I tested it out on the back of my hand and it dried in so nice. I left it on my hand for a good few hours and it didn't transfer onto my clothes. I rubbed it quite a few times and it didn't budge. Now if you are like me and want a foundation that doesn't look cakey, improves skin and doesn't rub off easy this seems to be the one. I love the fact that it suits every skin type and tone so there's no worrying what type or under tone is needed it suits everyone! 

I will definitely be stocking up on this for myself as well as my kit. 

The evening itself was great I met some lovely new bloggers that I'd never met before and caught up with some I'd not seen in awhile. All in all it was a great evening.  

When leaving we were all giving an amazing goody bag to take home 

 

Containing all these goodys and it's safe to say I've tried the cleanser and loving it. I'll have all info and reviews on the products we received up very soon. 

In the mean time if you have Snapchat follow mine lipstickglitz and you will see all info about the products when I use them. 

Thanks again to the lovely and fab Fiona from  

The Works PR for inviting me and everyone at Shiseido Ireland. 

Rebecca xxx 

The Body Shop - Oils Of Life

A little while ago I picked up The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil at the Elite Munster Blogger event in Limerick. 

One of the lovely ladies from The Body Shop talked me through the range and was so informative on the products so I just knew I had to have the facial oil. 

 

I'm a big fan of oils for my skin as I'm super dry and dehydrated at the best of times so the oils really work their way into the skin. 

This oil is so natural and had three natural ingredients which work wonders on the skin. Black Cumin Oil from Egypt, Rosehip Oil from Chile, and Camella Oil from China. 

These three ingredients are antioxidants, omega 3 and 6, oleic acid which all leave the skin looking revitalised and reduce signs of aging along with leaving the skin looking smoother and radiant and deeply nourished. 

You apply 1-2 drops onto the face and becky and gently massage into the skin morning and night before applying your cream. 

I've been doing this for quite awhile now to really test out the product and I have noticed a massive difference on my face. 

It's much more radiant and healthy looking along with reducing the dryness on my skin. In fact if I don't use it for a day or two the difference in dryness is crazy. 

The oil itself smells lovely and when you apply it it literally absorbs into the skin without leaving your skin tacky or oily. 

With this product being so good I decided to apply it to my hands which do be really dry and to my elbows and any other parts of my body that are really dry. They have all gradually improved and are not as dry. 

By apply the oil to my hands it will also reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The first sign of aging is on your hands so make sure you start treating your hands along with your face and neck :) you won't regret it.... Trust me!!! 

A 30ML bottle is €48 from the It's quite expensive but a very little goes a long way so you will get ages out of this bottle. 

The Body Shop

Have you got this or plan on picking it up? 

Rebecca xxx 

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L.A Girl Pro. Concealer

L.A Girl Pro. Conceal HD Concealer. 

I picked these up quite awhile ago and in my kit along with my own makeup collection. 

These babies are a must have in anyone's makeup stash!!! 

So L.A Girl is an American brand that have been around for quite awhile but are super cheap and great products. 

The Pro. conceal HD Concealer is a great little product. 

They give a natural finish to the skin but are also light weight so you're not left with a cakey look on the face. They hide inperfections, fine lines and wrinkles. 

 

As you can see they are a pen like shape. The top of the concealer has a brush so it's super easy to apply and saves any waste when using them. 

These are they shades I use the most 

Top - Bottom Porcelain, Classic Ivory, Warm Honey. 

The Porcelain is the shade I use to highlight when contouring and highlighting. 

Classic Ivory is perfect for when concealing over or under foundation because of the under tone is hides any dark circles. 

The Warm Honey is the shade I use to Contour  also. 

When using these I either blend them out with a makeup brush ( kabuki ) or a beauty blender. They blend so easily because the product is so light. Then I set with powder products or a setting spray depending on the look I'm going for, and they literally DO NOT BUDGE from my face ALL day. No creasing, separating or changing in colour which is great for contouring and highlighting. 

They come in lots of different shades and you can even colour correct with the shades available. 

Sadly pharmacys and the likes don't actually stock L.A Girl so they are more of an online purchase.... But don't worry I have prices and a link if anyone wants to pick some up. 

TRNDbeauty stock them for €6.80 along with all the shades. So there is a colour to suit every shade and use on TRNDbeauty :) 

If you are lucky enough to be heading to the states you will find them in most cosmetic stores and a little cheaper so stock up!! 

Have you tried or picked any of these up? If so let me know what you thought of them :) 

Rebecca xxx 

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Joico Moisture Co+Wash

This is  Joico Moisture Co+ Wash which is just under €24 and available from salons nationwide. 

 The packaging itself is nice and pretty and very eye catching. 

I received this product to give it a try and see what I thought of it. 

Now as you all know I say what I think about products and how I get on with them. 

At first I was a total sceptic about this product... So Moisture Co+Wash is designed to wash and condition your hair in one simple step. Now to me that just seems like back in the day of the shampoo and conditioner in one bottle that would leave your hair looking manky!! 

I myself have dry hair and scalp but my hair can become greasy in the front from touching it so much. So I was thinking this isn't going to work for me. 

What you do is you squirt some product into your hand which is like foam (shaving foam) and apply to your wet hair and leave for 5 minutes and rinse. 

This is super handy if you're in a rush or on the go. 

I left it in my roots and hair for the 5 minutes and then massaged a little then rinsed it out. 

My hair felt nice and soft while in the shower which was a good start. 

I don't know if any of you had seen on my Snapchat when I had used it at first (lipstickglitz) I done a first impressions with pictures. 

My hair was clean and shiny and very easy to brush when wet and drying. 

It stayed nice and clean for 2-3 days which is what I normally get out of washing my hair. 

Now this product is designed to moisturise the hair, help with frizz and clean and condition in one go. 

The few times that I used it, it did just that and it's safe to say I will be picking up another bottle very soon. 

There are a couple of other types with this product but I received the Moisture Co+Wash. 

Has anyone tried this product or planning on picking it up? 

Let me know!! 

Rebecca xxx 

Bondi Sands Dark Foam

When I was at the Elite Munster Blogger event recently we where all gifted with a box of goodys from Meaghers Pharmacy

 

I'd heard of the Bondi Sands tan but have never tried it. I was delighted to give it a try. 

To apply the tan I used my 

Glove Your Body tanning mitt. It's the holy gray of tanning mitts.

 

So this tan is a dark shade and can be used as a 1hr tan or a 6 hr tan. 

I tried it out for both the 1 hr and 6 hr to see how dark it would be on my skin. 

 

The tan itself has a great colour guide so you can see where you are applying it and it dries nicely and very quickly. 

Before: 

 

After 1 layer of tan:

After the first layer there was a nice shade of tan. You can apply another layer after 30mins to give the colour a boost so I gave that a try 

This gave me a much darker tan and I let it settle for a good hour before rinsing it off. 

It then went on to darken throughout the day even though it was rinsed off. 

There was no horrible tan like smell and it didn't wear off onto my clothes and developed really nicely. 

I was very pleased with it! 

Throughout the week the tan lasted really well and wore off nice and even. 

Once I exfoliated twice in the week all the tan was removed which was great because some times it can be very hard to remove. 

This tan is €22.95 and can be bought online from Meaghers Pharmacy. 

The only thing I would say is about the tan was I found it to dry out my skin a little in areas that I can get dry patches in. I have very dry/dehydrated skin so this is common with me so it might not happen to anyone else. I'm also very sensitive to products and this was fine for sensitivity which is great :) 

If you are planning on picking up this tan or already have let me know what you think of it :) 

                             Rebecca xxx 

Simple Eye Makeup Look

Hi everyone, 

I created this eye makeup look that's quick, simple and easy to create in a hurry and only using three shades of eye shadows. 

This look is great for Blue and Green eyes because these shades really make your eyes pop! 

Here is the eye look 

 

To create this look I used these three 

Inglot shades from the Freedom system all priced at €6 each. 

 

L-R 335, 326 Bottom shade 450

The brushes used 

 

L-R 

Nima Nichola, Inglot 6SS and Blank Canvas Cosmetics E26

Step by step on how to achieve the look:

* Using the Inglot 6SS brush and the shade 355 blend it just above the crease in a backward and forwards motion (wind shield wipers). Building it up but by bit to create a nice colour intensity. 

Blend into lower lash line too.

* Take the Blank Canvas Cosmetics E26 brush  and the shade 326 blend the shade right into the crease in the same motion. Build it up as dark as you like create intensity and dept. 

Blend into lower lash line also. 

* With the Nima Nichola brush take the shade 450 and blend into crease and up into the 335 shade and lower lash line. This will add colour and warm up the eye look. You can build this up as much as you like depending on person preference. 

* Taking the shade 326 and Blank Canvas Cosmetics E26 brush blend the darker shade into the outer corners to darker the outer corners. 

* Finish off look with mascara. 

** You can add lashes if you wear lashes on a daily basis and build up the colours to a dark and strong as you like, or use as little as you like depending on what you prefair ** 

                          Rebecca xxx