REVIEW: WaterWipes + 12 Month Supply Giveaway!

A close friend was staying over a few months ago after the birthday party of another one of our friends and when we got back to my house, she asked if I had a make-up wipe. I passed one to her and we sat in silence on my bed as we removed mascara and eyeliner, eyeshadow and blush, lipstick and base.

"What are these things?!"

I looked around with a smug smile, "WaterWipes."

"They're amazing - they don't sting or anything."

"I know," I nodded sagely.

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WaterWipes are kind of everywhere these days. I mean, if you haven't heard of them, where have you been?

But if you haven't heard of them before, let me introduce you, as I did that friend. WaterWipes are an Irish-made cleansing wipe which can be used on very sensitive skin. As the name might suggest, water is the main ingredient, accounting for 99.9% of the product. The other 0.1% is grapefruit seed extract which is a natural antimircobial agent and has skin conditioning and moisturising benefits. Therefore, all the ingredients are natural and gentle and very kind to the skin.

I only have experience of it as a facial cleansing wipe, though it can used as a baby wipe as well, and it is the only wipe I would ever recommend. You're still gonna need to go in for a deeper cleanse afterwards (no wipe is that good!) on a day-to-day basis but these are perfect for getting off the first, visible layer of make-up. For festivals, they would be a dream, and won't absolutely wreck your skin when you're forced to rely on them for a couple days unlike pretty much every other wipe out there.

There's no stingy, tingling feeling after you use them, no tightness and no chemical residue left over after use and you genuinely feel refreshed - rather than like your skin has been stripped away.

As a step in your skincare routine, I can't recommend them highly enough - though I would never suggest relying on them alone.

But here's the best part of all this, I have a 12 month supply to give away! Enter through Rafflecopter below! You have until next week, the 5th of August 2015 at 12:00AM. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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15 Years of Armani Beauty + AW15 Launches

Last week I got to spend time going through the Armani Beauty AW15 launches and having them applied on my face by Thoa Tran, one of their head MUAs and all-around lovely person. These products are particularly special this time around as it is also the 15 year celebration of the brand!

Based on the solar eclipse, the Eclipse collection for AW15 is inspired by sun, shadows, darkness and light. This can be seen literally reflected in the Eclipse palette which is champagne with bronze pearls. In addition, the collection has 3 nail colours, 4 liners, 4 eyeshadows (in liquid form), 2 brow shades and a navy mascara.

All of the colours are rich, deep, warm and complex but still remain a little adventurous and playful. The liners, in particular, with a gold shade that will be perfect for Christmas parties and festivals alike and a gorgeous midnight blue that has my name written all over it. The eye tint shadows, as well, are stunning. In fact, they need to be swatched as their appearance as seen in the packaging doesn't even hint at how gorgeous they are! Rarely are my swatches so distinct, pigmented or pretty. Check them out below and you'll be dying for them! The orange is surprisingly wearable and Thoa mixed it with the gold to wonderful effect on my lids.

It's also 15 years of the Luminous Silk foundation which was the first product launched by the brand. The formula remains a tightly-guarded secret which other companies try, and fail, to replicate constantly. It also remains a best-seller, fifteen years on, which says a lot.

If you're looking for make-up with colour in a very adult, sophisticated way that manages to stay fun for AW, keep an eye out for the collection! Also, keep an eye out for the series of 15 Armani Artistry videos on Youtube, celebrating the brand's birthday and giving you insider make-up tips and hacks!

(Thanks to Thoa for helping me focus my camera, doing my make-up, the pep talk and staying late to fit me in!)

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Relaunch of Flormar in Ireland!

A professional make-up brand at highstreet prices - sounds way too good to be true, right?

And yet, it's a reality! Flormar is an Italian make-up brand that used to be for sale in Ireland and which is now being relaunched into the Irish market. Prices range from €2.95 to €12.95 so it's some seriously affordable quality.

By the end of September, it will be stocked in pharmacies all over the country and there will be a dedicated standalone store established at a location in Dublin which has yet to be decided. So, basically, it's going to be rather widely available all around Ireland.

At the launch, we were given a demonstration of the products by MUA, Leonard Daly, showcasing some of his favourites. He notes the bronzer, baked blushes (a dupe for a very popular, more expensive professional brand), BB cream and lipsticks as standout stars from the brand.

We were also given some things to take away and try out so I'll report back on anything I dig later. If you're interested in any particular product and want to know more, comment below and I'll be sure to mention it!





























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Little Gem: Indigo & Cloth

Continuing my series on places to shop in Dublin that you might not be aware of but which are awesome, here's another one for the mens*. Indigo & Cloth is located on 9 Essex Street in Temple Bar, right next to The Clarence Hotel, and they also have a store in the lobby of The Dean Hotel, Harcourt Street. The Temple Bar store not only stocks menswear, accessories, magazines, homewares and skincare but also houses a fantastic café where you can get some seriously good tea (always a challenge), what I'm sure is great coffee (I don't drink it so this is an educated guess) and little bites to eat.

I'd been meaning to pop in for AGES as I pass the shop each day but only got around to it yesterday and I was super-impressed. There was plenty of stuff I wanted for myself and the brands which are stocked tend to have clean, simple and timeless designs that would endear them to any stylish person.

Things that I was particularly attracted to were the selection of rad, sturdy-looking backpacks and accessories, the cute prints, the items by Irish brands such as Dyflin, the skincare and the range of magazines I had never even heard of before. Other brands stocked include Rains, Sunspel, Oliver Spencer, Sandqvist and Spektre so there's plenty of labels that you can't find readily elsewhere in the city.

The price range is somewhat higher end but you're paying for quality and design that won't age rapidly. This is the place to update your wardrobe, make it more grown-up and chic and to buy gifts. Plus, there's that café to refuel if you're one of those weirdos that finds shopping harrowing rather than exhilarating (I kid, I kid) or to dump any whiners that might be in your party.

Plus, it just looks so damn cool.











































(* or anyone who likes to wear clothing which was designed originally for men)
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REVIEW: REN Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil

I was given a press sample of the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Shower Gel last month and remembered how much I loved the scent. I was also in the market for a glowy dry oil for the summer. And then the REN Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil (RRP €28.00) came into my life.

It's basically everything I wanted in a single product. Another one of those things that when I wear it, people grab a limb and demand to know what the smell is, it's luxurious and comforting. The packaging is gorgeous and, again, luxurious, in a glass bottle with gold accents on the label and cap. However, I'd be careful of throwing it in a suitcase as I imagine there is a certain amount of leaking over time.

The oil feels lovely on the skin, leaving you feeling refreshed, and makes your skin look glowy and lovely and better. A little goes a long way, as most oils do, so it's pretty good value for money.

I really can't recommend this one highly enough, it's really a must-have for me for summer. Admittedly, it's totally an indulgent extra and probably not a necessity but it's good to pamper your skin in summer and a little luxury is never a bad thing, right?







(This product has been sent to me as a press sample, however, all opinions are my own)
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ID2015: CREATE 2015 at Brown Thomas

Over the course of the weekend, if you're looking for something to do as you wander around Dublin, why not pop into Brown Thomas? A great experience in general, it's going to be all the richer due to CREATE which is running currently for its fifth year.

CREATE is an installation in which Brown Thomas promote and celebrate the best of Irish design. There will be 65 Irish designers and brands represented in total, across a spectrum of craft and design, with particular favourites of mine among them such as NATALIEBCOLEMAN.

Each floor will have items by different Irish designers participating in CREATE and its a great opportunity to discover or refamiliarise yourself with some amazing home-grown talent - especially as it's the Year of Irish Design. The installation launched on the 7th of July and is open until the 16th of August so there's plenty of time to check it out and, if you're visiting Ireland this summer and are interested in Irish design, it's perfect!

There will also be pop-ups in Brown Thomas Cork and Limerick from the 21st of August to the 21st of September if you're based further south and don't feel like travelling.

Now, I just have to find time to have a gander for myself!

Aisling Ahern

Blaithin Ennis

Richard Malone

Vivien Walsh

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Newsflash: NAKED Smoky Sneak Peek

Hey! I wanted to do a quick post with some images of the new Naked Smoky palette that I was just sent as I'm sure lots of you are dying to get your peepers and hands on it. With mattes, satins, shimmers and glitter shades in tones of bronze, grey, taupe, brown and black and nine new shades alongside three exclusives, it's a lot of bang for your buck. And kind of mouth-watering if we're being real. Tutorials will be included in the packaging but the palette is so versatile that you really won't be limited to the smokiness that lends its name to the product. In fact, the shimmery shades alone or mixed could make very pretty, soft eye looks as well!

It'll be available from August 6th from Debenhams and House of Fraser in Ireland (RRP €46.00) and anywhere that stocks Urban Decay elsewhere. There are waiting lists if you're worried about being at the front of the queue so just pop into your local stockist and have them take your name.

You guys as excited as I am?

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