Viva Adonis - Irish Beauty Blog: March 2011

Thursday, 31 March 2011

A¦Wear/Rimmel Event

This week I was lucky enough to win two tickets to a Make-up Masterclass which was held in A¦Wear in association with Rimmel. Of course I brought my partner in crime Sinead as my +1!

TAG: 11 Most Reached For Products

Dee posted this tag yesterday and it looks like a good one so I thought I would give it a go!

NOTD: OPI Cuckoo For This Colour

My sister bought this forest green OPI in London and I've been meaning to try it out for awhile. It's a beautiful shade with blue duochrome which, with the green, reminds me of a peacock's feathers!

Blue duochrome in natural light

Love,

S x

TAG: 11 Most Reached-For Products

I've seen this tag floating around YouTube over the last week and decided to do a blog version!

In no particular order...

After consulting with my Twitter buddies Claire and Karen, we decided that it was close enough to the end of the month to start posting some monthly favourites! This was my birthday month so I have a few new bits that I'm loving as well as some random favourites!

If you missed my February Favourites, you can check them out here!

It is no secret that both Dee and I adore tacky, glitter-infested nails. There is no rhyme or reason to our obsession it just is what it is. I, personally, find it impossible to pass by a glitter nail polish without purchasing it and, I have come to learn that what looks amazing in the bottle, doesn't always look great on the nail. Similarly, price has very little to do with how good or bad a glitter nail polish is. Here is a run-down of glitter polishes by four different brands and at four different price points.

Giveaway! [NOW CLOSED]

CLOSED!!

To celebrate us reaching 50 followers (even though it's more than that now!) we decided to have a little giveaway just to say thank you for all your support over the last 4 months!

We put together a few of our very favourite beauty bits so one of you can try them out too! As you know, we're both nail polish mad so we included a Collection 2000 Hot Looks polish in Button Moon and, the much coveted, GOSH Holographic. Dee's favourite Essence liquid eyeliner was a must as was the famous super-exfoliator by Soap & Glory, Flake Away. Finally, since a lot of you don't have access to LUSH, we wanted to throw in a chunk of one of their most popular and famous products, Honey I Washed the Kids soap.

To Enter:

Be a follower of the blog (we'll be checking!). If you don't have a Google Account you can follow via your Twitter account by just clicking "Follow" and following the prompts.

Leave a comment on this post so we know you want to be entered. Leave your email address and/or Twitter username so we can notify your if you are the winner.

For a second entry and thus a second chance of winning, follow us on Twitter (@VivaAdonis). Be sure to leave your Twitter username in the comment so we can check that you're following.

The contest is open internationally. If you are under 18, please get your parent or guardian's permission to enter as we will need your address to send you the prize.

The contest will close on Thursday 31st March at 12pm and the winner will be chosen and notified by email and by Twitter if username is given.

Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to the next 50 followers!

Love,

D&S

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Catrice Gel Eyeliner: A Review

There's been quite a lot of fuss online recently over the launch of a few 'drugstore' gel eyeliners, namely by No. 7, Maybelline and Catrice. I've heard good things about them all and decided to try the cheapest one on a recent trip to Penneys.

I don't think we've ever done a post like this before but, I'm actually so excited about this that I wanted to give it a bit of promo! If you've been reading the blog for awhile, you might remember my sisters and I took a post-Christmas shopping trip to London.

I had booked us in with the personal shoppers in Topshop in Oxford Street which turned out to be one of the best decisions I had ever made!

NOTD: Rimmel French Rose and GOSH Magic Star

It's beginning to look a lot like summer! And, with that in mind, I wanted to have really clean and fresh looking nails. I went with French Rose as a base which is one of Rimmel's French Manicure colours. Three coats will get you the relatively opaque look in the first picture. This alone is lovely and it kind of makes your nails look longer in the same way that nude heels make your legs look longer! But, to add a subtle hint of colour, I used GOSH Magic Star on top which is a very fine pastel-coloured glitter suspended in a clear polish.

Rimmel French Rose

Rimmel French Rose and GOSH Magic Star

Love,

S x

P.S. Anyone have any tips for getting glitter to show up well in photos?

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Review: Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream

I feel like this is one beauty product that has withstood the test of time and still reigns victorious over all others. While I never used it before, I was long aware of its popularity having seen it on dressing tables of my aunts, cousins and friends. I had never needed to use it and, mind you, because of the price tag, I couldn't afford to. However, over recent weeks I have had call to nab a bit of my mother's (with her permission, of course) and it has, quite literally, saved my skin.

Ombré Nails Tutorial

Been promising this post for a while now...a small warning, if you're not into ridiculously tacky nails then this will not interest you!

This look was inspired by a tutorial uploaded some time ago on YouTube by MissGlamorazzi which you can watch here. Basically what I do is the same, except I don't use a sponge.

Cake #2: Chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge
filling

I posted on Saturday about Part 1 of my 21st birthday celebrations i.e. what I did, wore and bought so, I thought I would continue and post the remainder of my weekend! A forewarning, the OOTD pics aren't brilliant as there was no one around to help me take them but, hopefully you'll still get the gist! If anyone has any recommendations for taking OOTD pics of yourself, please let us know!

Birthday Part 1: A Trip to MAC, FOTD and OOTDs!

Birthday Cake #1: A Chocolate Rice Krispie Cake!

So, Day 1 of my 21st birthday weekend was yesterday which was my actual birthday! I had a lovely day with a browse around Brown Thomas with my mam, a makeover in MAC, a little bit of shopping in MAC, lunch with my nana, cocktails in the Westbury Hotel and dinner out in an amazing Thai/Vietnamese restaurant called Saba. If you're in Dublin and like Asian food, you have to try this restaurant on Clarendon Street.

I just wanted to say a huge thanks for all the birthday tweets and Follow Friday's that I got yesterday. Really meant so much to come home to them after a great day!

Paddy's Day FOTD & NOTD!

Happy Paddy's Day! I'm not really doing much today, just relaxing until I go out later so I did some playing around with my make-up and nails.

Today's post has taught me that green is ridiculously hard to photograph! My friend Niamh and I both got this nail polish last week especially for Paddy's day. I actually really like it even though it is a bit of a mental shade.

Barry M Spring Green

Subtle St. Patrick's Day Eye Look

Part 2 of this little Paddy's Day themed series (Part 1) is a lot more wearable and soft while still embracing the green, white, gold (and orange!). You could actually use this look any time of the year by just changing up the green line for another colour.

Dramatic St. Patrick's Day Eye Look

I don't really buy into St. Patrick's Day for a number of reasons, one being that my birthday is the day after and another being that I'm not at all patriotic! However, I love a good excuse for some crazy or themed make-up so, I decided to put together a couple of looks incorporating the green, white and gold! This one is the more dramatic, not-for-everyone look that is very bright and obnoxious while the next one I post will be more subtle and wearable!

NOTD: Star Gazer #105

I usually hate blue nail polish, at least on me, but, I saw this one in my "make-up I don't use but don't want to throw away" box and was interested to see what it was like on! And, I actually really like it. It's dark enough to almost be verging on navy but there is a really bright electric blue undertone to it that makes it really unique.

I don't know how readily available Star Gazer is but, it is a really cheap brand that does really bright and outrageous polishes, eyelashes and eye liners. I know that a chemist on Talbot Street stocks it so, it's worth a look-see I think!

UPDATE: Dee just informed me Star Gazer is available in New Look!

Love,

S x

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Concentrated Cream: I ♥ It

I've been meaning to blog about this stuff for I don't know how long. This is a product that really ticks all of my boxes - it is inexpensive (€2.99), effective and multi-purpose. I first bought this completely on a whim one day in Penneys, but it has become a staple product since then as I am currently on my third tube!

NOTD: Simple Glitter Tips (Barry M Grey and Models Own Juicy Jules)

Not being quite as talented (or patient) as my co-editor Dee when it comes to nails and nail art, I like to find the easiest possible way of doing things to create interesting and unique nails.

Quite simply, for this glitter tips manicure, you paint your nails with the colour of your choice, allow it to dry until tacky, choose a complimentary glitter and, with the head of the brush and starting in the middle of the nail, stipple in a line across the top of your nail, building until desired glittery-ness is reached. Simple yet effective!

Barry M Grey (L) Models Own Juicy Jules (R)

Love,

S x

Sunday, 13 March 2011

Viva Health: Tips for Dining Out

I've been slacking on the Viva Health posts for awhile now, sorry! I've been up to my eyes with various things so I was only able focus on make-up related beauty blogging! Thankfully things have calmed down now so I'm back on it! With my birthday coming up on Friday, I have a whole weekend of various meals out to look forward to. Eating out is definitely one of my favourite things to do but, it can be a daunting and perplexing task when you're trying to watch your food intake. But, fear not, I have a few easy peasy tips and tricks to make dining out as healthy as possible without making it any less enjoyable!

FOTD: Kim Kardashian Inspired

I know, there's no need to tell me, Kim K and I look nothing whatsoever alike etc etc :) I wish though... Anyways, this look is purely inspired by the beautiful Mizz Kardashian. I saw a make-up tutorial where she used MAC Contrast eyeshadow and MAC Naked pigment. I don't have Naked but, I do have Contrast which I have never used and felt really encouraged to have a play around with it! Apologies for the wet hair/ballerina bun!

Whenever someone asks me how much something in MAC costs I have one answer, "Expensive." Only recently have they started putting price lists on their counters but, there is still no MAC ROI price list online so, if you want to plan what you're getting and keep to a budget, it is very difficult to do without knowing what costs what.

Over the last number of years, I have been saving my receipts from all my MAC purchases so that, when I want to buy something, I can check the price at home and (a) make sure I have enough money and (b) not bring too much money that I end up impulse buying. Of course, being the dope I am, I lost all but three of the receipts and only found them today so, after receiving good feedback on Twitter, I thought I would compile a price list for us all to work off of!

I don't have prices for everything, obviously, but, over time I will try to get them and add to this list and, if any of you know of a price for sure, leave a comment and I will add it in! Similarly, if you have any updated prices/corrections, let me know and I will edit them. For reference, I have rounded many of the prices up as, there were some discrepancies between various receipts as to the price of some items so, I figured it was better to be a couple of cents over than under!

TAG: Products I've Hit Pan On!

I love doing tag posts but, there haven't really been many around as of late that have been worth my while. However, I saw that MissJenFABULOUS on YouTube had done this one and it was such an interesting video to see what she had used to the point of hitting pan that I decided I really wanted to do it!

I don't have as many products as she did, as I tend to change what I use every single day but, there are a few that I consistently come back to and that are on their last legs!

Review: Wow! Brown DIY Tan

You may or may not have heard of this brand. I was in the dark about it but, when we received a bottle of it in our goody bags from the Beaut.ie screening, everyone else seemed to know about it. They also seemed very excited which, in turn got me excited even though I really am not a fake tan junkie at all!

A bit of research informed me that Wow! Brown is an Irish tan brand that was developed by former beauticians Fran and Don specifically with Irish skin tones in mind (Sinéad's translation: pasty and pale!). Apparently it has a big celebrity following which is always nice!

FOTD: Russian Red

Bit of a primary colours theme going on with today's FOTD. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, let me know what you think!

Face: MAC Studio Fix Concealer, YSL Touche Éclat, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, Benefit Bella Bamba Blush, GOSH Mattifying Powder.

5 of the Best Spring Nail Polishes

I decided to make these "5 of the Best..." posts a little series as I really enjoyed doing the last one on spring lipsticks. Keeping with the springtime theme (even though there is rumours of snow this weekend!), I'm going to show you my top picks for the best spring nail colours. As with the lipsticks, all of the colours are very bright and happy, in an attempt to dredge myself out of the dark and dreary colours I sported all winter long!

I picked this polish up as part of some kind of special offer last year and although it is apparently 'limited edition', I've spotted it again recently enough in Boots in the Jervis Centre in Dublin, so get it quick! It's a great springtime shade of mauvey purple with an excellent, shiny formula.

Love,

D x

NOTD: Chanel Orange Fizz

Yet another spring-y coloured nail polish and this time from Chanel. I brought this bright orange back to my sister from holidays last year even though I was tempted to keep it for myself! It's such a bright, happy colour!

Love,

S x

P.S. I mentioned in my last NOTD that I would be continuing on my "5 of the Best..." series with spring nail colours so, with any luck, that should be up tonight!

Affordable Brushes

From top: MUFE 1N, Winsor & Newton #0, Hairspray 32 and 31.

As much as I adore make-up, I can't always justify spending ridiculous amounts of money on it. My collection of brushes is exemplary of this - as much as I would love a full range of MAC brushes I could never afford them, so the only one I own is the 187. The price point of MAC brushes also drives me insane as they must be making a fortune on them if Sigma can afford to make brushes of equal quality and sell them for less!

Dalmatian Nails: WTF?!

If you're a regular reader you will know that I am mad for nail art. I love crazy nails, but this is one trend that I just don't really 'get'.

NOTD: NuBar Lavender

I feel like this colour is so appropriate for Springtime. I love the opacity and the cool blue undertones of the lavender and, most of all, the perfect creamy finish! Keep an eye out for my "5 Best Spring Nail Colours" coming soon!

Love,

S x

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Metallic Amber Eye Look

I thought I would show you all a close-up of the eye look that I wore to the Beaut.ie screening of The Adjustment Bureau on Friday night and how I achieved it. I wanted it to be a look that could take me from shopping during the day in town to the screening at night without being too heavy or too light for either event. Sorry that the quality of the pictures is so bad, you can't really see the depth of the crease colour or the blending too well but, hopefully you get the gist!

Dee's February Favourites

A bit late I know, but I've only just recovered from a mental weekend away in Barcelona! Also, apologies for my poor photography skills in this post!

When you are as much of a make-up obsessive as I am, you like to save money wherever you can- provided quality isn't compromised. Make-up wipes are a necessary first step of my skincare routine BUT they are so ridiculously expensive.

My mam goes up to Belfast quite regularly and, when she does, she stocks up on Sainsbury's own-brand wipes for myself and my two younger sisters. It works out much so cheaper and the quality is on par with that of Simple, Nivea or, even, Olay. However, the last time she went up she was in Superdrug and picked up some of their own Superdrug Essential Facial Wipes.

Review: Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment

Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment (Phew, that's a mouthful!) does exactly what it says on the tin. You get a spot, you pop a bit of this on and it, for lack of a better term, sucks the life right out of it, drying it up and shrinking it down within a couple of hours.

This product is so straightforward and so true to its claims that there is very little about it to actually review. The treatment does have quite a strong smell which I can't actually place but, definitely don't like! However, this does evaporate after a few minutes so if you close your nose, you should be fine!

It is also important to note that this product does contain Salicylic Acid 1.0% as its active ingredient which, I know, some people can be wary about using. However, I have quite sensitive skin and have experienced no adverse reaction to the product.

NOTD: OPI Heart Throb

A nice basic NOTD for a change! This shade is a lovely soft pink that I use a lot. You need a few coats to get the full effect of the colour of the bottle but it is well worth the effort.

Love,

D x

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Monday, 28 March 2011

Sunday, 27 March 2011

Saturday, 26 March 2011

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Monday, 21 March 2011

Saturday, 19 March 2011

Thursday, 17 March 2011

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Monday, 14 March 2011

Sunday, 13 March 2011

Friday, 11 March 2011

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Monday, 7 March 2011

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Saturday, 5 March 2011

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

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