Uni Project

Hey guys

So I've been seriously busy since my last post way back in January; gone back to uni, been house hunting and found a yummy house and I've FINALLY done all my exams and thought it's about bloody time I attempt another post on my blog. So here's a sneak peak what I've been up to ...

So you're probably thinking 'Why on earth has Helen covered a random girl in way too much blue pigment, made he look like some kind of spacewoman and taken a random photo?!?'. Well it was part of my course to take a photo portraying an emotion and we were told to stray away from using people but if we were going to then the had to be really different and bizarre. So I chose to portray cold-heartedness along with a frosty personality and came up with this bad boy. It was really good fun making-up my very willing and lovely flat mate Laura as I got to use so many lost and forgotten shadow palettes I wouldn't ordinarily use, I honestly didn't realise I had so many shades of blue! In the process I've dug out some old treasures which I'll look forward to using in the future, there's a certain 'Chili Pepper' palette I completely forgot I had and it's so rich and pigmented. Word of warning though, if anyone is thinking of sticking rhinestones to their eyebrows with Duo adhesive I'd change my mind quick. The gems looked brilliant but poor Laura's eyebrows were very sore afterwards, perhaps a bit of vaseline beforehand would've done the trick. All I've got to do now is wait for the class verdict on Friday morning and see what they make of it . . . fingers crossed!!!


I've also purchased a new set of make-up brushes which I'm absolutely IN LOVE WITH! And there's been a couple of other make-up and beauty buys along the way. Also I've begun to follow a few more blogs and here's some I think are a worthwhile read ... 


http://ashley-ringmybell.blogspot.com/  
Ashley Madekwe played Bambi on Secret Diary of a Call Girl and she's now starring in a new tv series on Sky called Bedlam. All of the clothes she wears on her blog are to die for and she photographs so well so it's definitely worth taking a peak!


http://fleurdeforce.blogspot.com/
ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER TO BITS! Her Youtube channel is brilliant and she has a Vlog as well which is hilarious, and she's ALWAYS up-to-date and posts all the time. Fully recommending Fleurdeforce (and woof - you'll have to watch some of her videos to meet her pooch)!


http://pixiwoo.blogspot.com/
So I finally found them! The ethereal Pixiwoo! I always hear people talking about them in their blogs and youtube videos but never got round to looking the twosome up and I've been hooked on their tutorials and blog posts ever since. Their tutorials are BY FAR some of the best out there, so-much-so that channel 4 (UK) enlisted them to produced a collection of videos for the channel 4 beauty section of their website (advertised on TV with Gok Wan frolicking around with lots of moany naked women ... hmph not impressed). But yes, I completely understand why they're so popular and they're just two absolutely gorgeous women who love are brilliant at making so many different looks.


Anyway guys, I'll put up some posts about my new purchases with some mini reviews, show you what I'm lusting  after in the shops and let you know how I get on on Friday. Much love!

Helen Xx

makeupandbeauty.ie AKA amy

One of favourite bloggers to follow is the lovely Amy from Dublin (see link below). She always posting something useful and talks about low-end cosmetics as well as high-end giving a real mix of opinions which is always helpful as we can't all afford high-end make-up which half the time can have the same properties as a simple thing from barry m or elf cosmetics.
http://www.makeupandbeauty.ie/about/


At the moment she's running a give-away on her website of two Murad giftsets. I suggest you go have a look to get your hands on one of these gems! (link below)

http://www.makeupandbeauty.ie/giveawaymurad-giftsets/

Helen Xx

Into the new year ...

Hiya guys

Well I haven't exactly been the most active blogger around but with Christmas and a skiing holiday I've been just a tad too busy to make it to the computer. Having said that I did manage to make it to the shops this morning to pick up a bargain or two; one of which I HAVE to share with you because a) It was such a find (last one in the shop and ta-da ... MY SIZE) and b) They are simply GORGEOUS!

Found in River Island in the january sale these sparkly wonders had been reduced from £69.99 to £40.00 then even further to £20!!! I'd spotted them a few months back on RI's subscription email or in their shop window and thought they were amazing but I wasn't willing to pay the hefty price as I know River Island clothes can sometimes be quite poorly made and didn't want to risk these badboys falling apart. However, having survived the sale rail I'm thinking they'll last! I love the peacock palette used in the embellishment, it's one of my favourite combinations of colours - not too feminine and an alternative to naturals or black. Can't wait to team them with some killer heels and a floaty shirt for a night out with the girls!

Another recent purchase has been the Yves Saint Laurent "All For Eyes" kit from their travel selection containing the Touch Eclat highlighter and dark circle corrector in shade No 1 (slightly pink tone), the Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils for false eyelash effect in shade No 1 (Black) and finally the Haute Performance eye make-up remover. So yes, I've jumped on the Touch Eclat band wagon and have high hopes for this baby! Picked up at the duty-free in Lyon Airport, France, I couldn't wait to try it all out, so-much-so that I was dabbing and testing whilst flying above the clouds - I wouldn't recommend it, air stewards don't seem to be a fan of people applying mascara mid-flight. I only got back on Saturday night so I haven't really used it enough to make a fair judgement of the products but I can say straight away that there's been a vast improvement to my normal tired-eyes look!

This was a gift from my boyfriend's Mum and I have to admit - she has great taste! Naughty Alice is Vivienne Westwood's latest fragrance and it's pure luxury in a bottle. The main notes are violet, rose and musk; it's a very floral and powdery scent. It sounds a lot like what scents people often associate with their grandma's fragrance but believe me when I say it's very youthful and sexy, think of it as a rejuvenated and playful Chanel No 5. The ester content must be very high as with good quality fragrances the scent lasts for hours, I can still faintly smell it in the evening after being up all day. It also comes with a bracelet in the same gold and light turquoise colours of the packaging with the iconic orb on the pendant, top marks Viv!

In case you were wondering my Mum loved her goodie box, I never got round to taking a photo in the end sadly, I think I was just a bit caught up in the excitement of Christmas!

Skiing was great and it was lovely to spend time with the family and our friends but I'm hit a bit of a problem. I've been using my trusty piz buin mountain sun cream and lip salve all week and it's made me break out and the cold air has made my skin all dry. I've tried exfoliating more than often to get rid of the excess skin cells (gross) and then using my trusty aloe moisturising gel and Estee Lauder refinisher to moisturise my skin but nothing seems to be changing ... HELP! Can someone recommend any products that will clear me up quickly and keep my skin nice and soft???

Anyway, lets not end on a low note ... hoping everyone had a lovely time celebrating the new year and getting dressed up, I thought I'd share a photo of how I spent New Years Day on the slopes ... 

Helen Xx