That's A Wrap - Early Christmas Stocking Fillers

I hate to mention the "C" word when Halloween hasn't even arrived yet (I blame the shops - have you seen the amount of "festive" confectionery and decorations that's out already?!) but I just came across some really good value beauty sets and stocking fillers that were too good not to share and best of all, most of them are under a tenner! And after the latest Budget 2014, who isn't on the hunt for some beauty bargains?

Frontcover Cosmetics - NEW Party Queen Edition

Frontcover Cosmetics have quite the selection of new A/W 2013 releases to choose from at the minute and I have the New Party Queen set to show you all today, which dare I say it, looks like it's going to be a fab set to get a lot of use in the run up to Christmas parties.

Grow Baby, Grow Grow - F.A.S.T Shampoo & Conditioner Review

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair!" - said no-one to me, ever. Whilst I'm not doing too bad in the hair length department, like most girls I dream of having longer hair. Sure I've dabbled around with extensions the odd-time (clip in not micro-rings or anything like that, I keep hearing horror stories of the state they leave your hair in afterwards, so eh, no thanks) and I've gone the old school way of waiting patiently for my hair to magically grow, but sometime shortly, say oh, I dunno, 4 weeks in I get bored and off I go to get the chop and see all my hard work end up on the hair salon floor. This and the fact that I'm paranoid about split ends, so any signs of straggliness and it's chop-chop time, so all in all growing your hair out can be a long, boring and fraught process altogether which is no fun at all.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some magical potion you could wash your hair with and start seeing results straight away?

Revlon Nail Polishes

I've always been a fan of Revlon nail polishes but felt that my stash was lacking, so I recently picked up 4 new pretties to add to my collection:

Latest Penneys A/W '13 Haul

Ah good ol' Penneys. They've done it again and struck gold with their A/W 2013 offerings as far as I'm concerned. I've been lusting after most of their Limited Edition pieces since eyeing the promo images. Lots of edgy pieces with attitude. Black and gold, spikes and studs - this collection had my name all over it!

Chain detail, studs, spikes, metal plating and heavy embellishment are heavily featured throughout the collection. Jewellery is overstated, big, loud and in your face. This is not for the faint of heart. 

So of course, I had to go out and make a few purchases. Ok, more than a few. But it's Penneys so it doesn't count. Plus I was celebrating my Birthday week (Is that even a thing? Well, it should be) and did I mention it's all from Penneys so everything was very affordable. Thanks, Penneys!

Clockwise from Top;

Spike Clutch Bag - €15
Metal Plated Boots - €22
Trio of Rings - €5
Chain Clutch - €15
Necklace - €10
Spike Heels - €22

There's still a few bits and pieces I'm lusting after and struggling to find, this tote in particular

So if anyone has seen this in the Galway stores, please let me know and I shall love you forever! :D

Are you liking the A/W '13 collection from Penneys?
Have you spied any of the Limited Edition pieces in your local store? Have any of you splashed out on some new accessories? Please let me know in the comments below as I'd love to hear your thoughts and see what you all bought! :)

Thanks,

Betrousse Competition Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered my Betrousse Competition, I really appreciate you all taking the time to enter :) Sadly, as much and all as I would love to be able to say "there's one for everyone in the audience" I'm not Gaybo thanks to the technological wonders of Random.org however, I do have one winner.

Sandra G.

Entry #213

The winner has now been notified by email. If on the off-chance I do not hear from her within 10-working days (It's happened before where I had someone win and to this day they've never gotten back to me :sadface: ) I'll draw another name out of the imaginary virtual hat.

Congrats Sandra, I really hope you enjoy your prize! :)

Salt A-Peel Medical Microdermabrasion at Renaissance Laser & Skin Clinic

It was something of a milestone birthday for me last week and with another year notched up, I felt that my skin could do with a bit of TLC - it was in dire need of some rejuvenation as it was a bit dull and lacklustre of late. So it was with perfect timing that Renaissance Laser & Skin Clinic in Howth recently launched their Salt A-Peel Medical Microdermabrasion treatment. Led by medical director Dr. Michele Caraher, Renaissance Laser and Skin Clinic is a state of the art clinic dedicated to providing the very best in skincare.

Microdermabrasion is a deep exfoliating treatment that rejuvenates the skin by removing dull, lifeless, sun-damaged skin, and stimulates the production of new skin cells and collagen. This treatment gives your complexion a smoother appearance, improves lines and wrinkles, skin texture and colour by polishing the topmost layer and then vacuuming away the dead skin cells in a safe, controlled manner.

The procedure is non-surgical and non-chemical meaning that you can even pop in on your lunch and have that healthy, radiant glow in no time at all. Unlike most conventional treatments, the Salt A-Peel Microdermabrasion is a deep exfoliation treatment that is gentle enough for all skin types, which sounded perfect for my as I do have sensitive skin so Microdermabrasions in the past have been a no-go area for me.

Friday Fragrance: Elizabeth Arden Untold & GWP

After Makeup, my second passion is most definitely perfume. I spend far too much on the stuff and have too many bottles that I'll probably never end up finishing up, so I really shouldn't have splashed out on yet another fragrance but I couldn't possibly resist when a lovely sales assistant aroused my olfactory senses with a splash of the latest launch by Elizabeth Arden, Untold.

Lash Mania: Bourjois & Paperself Lashes

Bourjois recently collaborated with Paperself to bring us a unique pair of Couture Lace paper lashes. I love the look of Paperself lashes and had been lusting after them for quite some time. An affordable dupe released by Essence from their Cherry Blossom Girl helped to fill the gap, however I still wanted a pair of Paperself lashes to try out, so when I spied them in my local Boots along with the Glamorous Corner Lash set, I just had to pick them up. As you do!

Inglot Master Classes with Jon Hennessey

Hi guys, as you may or may not already know, I'm a HUGE Inglot fan - I love, love, LOVE their freedom system, seriously, no other eyeshadow (Yup, even you MAC - you've been replaced!) can compete with Inglot's offerings when it comes to shade selection, pigmentation and longevity, IMHO anyhow! :)

Anyways, I just thought I'd let you know that Inglot are hosting Makeup Master Classes in their brand new Pro Store on 1 South Anne St in Dublin City Centre. Celebrity Makeup Artist and Inglot Ambassador, Jon Hennessey will be hosting the event.

Master Classes are €50 for a 2 hour session with Jon followed by a question and answer session! 

I also recently received an email stating that Inglot Pro card holders get 50% off this price - sweet!

Regarded as one of the beauty and fashion industry’s best make-up artists, Jon Hennesseys minimalist skin-focused approach has been seen on red carpets from The Cannes Film Festival to The Academy Awards, in music videos and TV appearances, as well as on the pages of Elle, In Style, Marie Claire, and countless other fashion and beauty bibles.

Unfortunately I won't be able to make these Master classes, which I'm raging about, so if any of you go, please take lots of photos and fill me in on all the details afterwards, I'd love to hear all about how it went! :)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2nd 11am- 1pm

"This demo focuses on the fundamentals of make-up in terms of Contour, Colour and Texture. Jon will educate clients on the potential of INGLOT’s extensive shade and texture range."

THURSDAY OCTOBER 3rd 6pm – 9pm

"Thursday’s Demo looks at emerging trends in make-up how to utilize a variety of different resources to identify what’s next in fashion and incorporating these ideas into both directional and consumer friendly looks."

To book call 01 6799253/ 087 3973434 or email southannest@inglotireland.com

Haircare: Surya Brasil Neutral Henna Powder

Henna has been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years and as you all know, is an extremely popular form of natural hair dye and temporary tattooing techniques however, I must have been the only girl in Ireland not to have dabbled in Henna during their teenage years. That all recently changed however when I was kindly sent a box of Surya Brasil Neutral Henna Powder to try out.

Competition: Win a Betrousse Glitz & Glamour Beauty Kit

I haven't done a competition in a while, and what with it being my Birthday next week I thought now would be a great time to host a lil giveaway and give something back to you guys :)

Fancy getting your paws on a Betrousse Beauty Kit filled with the following goodies? Yes? Then keep reading for more info on the prize and how to enter :)

What's Included:

Enter to win :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jasper Jewellery: Swarovski Crystal Baroque Gold Necklace

Jasper Jewellery are a new start-up Irish business located in Drogheda which was recently founded by Peter McCloskey and Ann Branigan who both have a flair and passion for jewellery, so when they contacted me to see if I would be interested in sharing their brand with you guys I jumped at the chance.

I was sent a beautiful piece to review and share, but first off, I have to show you all the lovely presentation and beautiful gift wrapping the item came in. It also came with a  cute little pack of Love Hearts - gemstones AND sweeties, all finished off with a pretty purple bow, my, my we were off to a good start. What girl could resist jewellery and candy? Well, not me anyhow!

Mini-Haul: Wallis Jewellery

I picked up a few sparkly new jewellery bits over the weekend - I'm such a magpie! - from Wallis and thought I'd share my finds with you all :)

First up is my favourite;

I thought this was really unusual, and well, I love a bit of monochrome so I just had to have it!

Price: €26

Next up, a bit of bling! I fell in love with this glitzy, over-sized statement ring. It's a large silver ring in the shape of a flower encrusted with diamantes on a wrist-watch style, flexible and adjustable band.

This was €14.50

And last but not least, a quirky lil cuff-style bracelet which was €14

That's all folks! :)

You can find these at Wallis or anywhere there's a Wallis concession stand such as at Shaws or Debenhams

Have any of you picked up any nice jewellery bits lately? If so, please let me know. I'm in the mood to scout out new jewellery and update my collection :D

Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes - SH-AMAZING!

OK, I admit it, I have a bit of a girl crush on Katy Perry - she just seems like she'd be so much fun to hang out with and have a bit of a good ol' girly chat with. I also love lashes. I mean, REALLY love lashes, so it was of course inevitable that I would end up with some Katy Perry lashes in my possession some day.

Mini Haul: Estee Lauder Modern Muse & GWP

Whilst makeup is and always will be my first love, a close second is my fondness (well, obsession more like, but let's not get into that just now or we could be here all day...) for perfume.

So of course when I heard that Modern Muse was going to be Estee Lauders biggest fragrance release in 10 years since Beyond Paradise, well I just had to go and pick up a bottle. It would be rude not to. Right?

NOTD: Fatal Golden Birdie Reloaded in Vegas

Hi guys! 

Here's a quick NOTD today - nothing too fancy-pants - unfortunately I can't lay claim to the superb artistic skills of the lovely Behind Green Eyes or Cuti-Clue-Les but here's a quick offering :)

Betrousse - The Glitz & Glamour Edition

Hi, I'm Belle and I'm a Beauty Box addict.

Yeah, you'll probably have gathered by now that I'm just a bit of a fan of the ol' beauty box malarkey. It's just so enticing, paying a nominal fee - £10 in this case and receive a big ol' box full of beauty booty normally worth multiples of the price you pay. What's not to like? Oh, well there is the case of sometimes ending up with a box of products not suited to your tastes or skin type. Or worse still, feeling like you've gotten a raw deal when you end up with a lacklustre box and you see others with their boxes jam packed with a treasure trove of highly sought after products. Yeah it sucks and we've all been there before.

Betrousse are a bit of a game changer in this respect - first off, there's no monthly commitment - you buy the boxes on a one off basis - secondly all of the "samples" you receive are actually full size products. Yes, you read that right - FULL SIZE products - kiss goodbye to those measly perfume vials and skincare sachets that always leave you with a sour taste in your mouth knowing that you could have picked these up for free from the friendly sales assistant at your local beauty counter. Also, and here's the biggie - you get to see what you're going to get before you commit to buy - no more ending up with a box of products you won't use and each and every box is identical so you can be assured you're not going to get the "crappy" box whilst everyone's seems to be handpicked by the Gods and sent from Manna. Praise be! :D

Best of the High Street Foundations for Paler Skins - Revlon, Maybelline & Rimmel

I have fairly typical Irish skin and I'm definitely on the whiter shade of pale end of the colour spectrum, so foundation shopping can be a bit of a chore to say the least. Higher end brands like MAC and Illamasqua have a great selection of shades on offer all the way from ivory to ebony, but for the times you don't want to splash the cash and just want to pick up a low-mid priced new base from your local pharmacy the choice can, unfortunately be a lot more limited, with shades often leaning towards Oompa Loompa territory.

So after a quick raid in Boots I've snapped up some samples of the lightest shades of some of the most popular drugstore foundations currently found on stands. I know personally when choosing a new foundation, I find online swatches a godsend when trying to narrow down options and hopefully make up my mind before I hit the shops. Onwards with the swatching!

Rituals Touch of Happiness Body Cream

Rituals recently launched their Laughing Buddha Collection.  Inspired by the philosophy of a famous monk, Rituals brings a Touch of Happiness in to your bathroom. The scent of Sweet Orange and Cedar Wood infuses happiness, optimism and a dash of luck into your life.

If we all walked around with a smile on our face and a nice word for everyone we met, the world would be a much happier place. Rituals are aiming to do their bit for the good of all mankind with their Sweet Orange and Cedar Wood fragranced products :)