What was on my face you ask?

My make up details.

Hello ladies,

This post will be short and sweet, I will just be showing you guys what products I used to create this look the other night which you all went crazy for on my Snapchat. 

I had planned on putting this in with yesterday's post but it would have made it far too long!

Without further adue here you go!

Base 

I cleansed my skin and used the PS Pro Lip Scrub.

Make up Revolution Pro Prime Aqua Spritz

Inglot SPF 20 under make up base & buffed it into the skin

Inglot YSM Foundation - Shade 49. Set with Inglot Loose Powder - No.11

Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer - Shade 010 Porcelain. Set with White Blank Canvas Powder. 

Hoola Bronzer by Benefit, using a large fluffy brush to warm up the face

Blank Canvas powder to sculpt/contour, darker shade than Hoola. 

Natural Collection Blush 'Rosey Glow' & Benefit's 'Rock' Blush mixed. 

MAC Highlighter Soft & Gentle

Essence Eye Base - Set with any cream eyeshadow (fantastic budget eye shadow base)

Eyes

Crown Brush Matte Eye Shadow Palette. Mixture of pinks and burnt oranges into the crease and continue that under the eye.

From a sleek palette which the name has rubbed off, I used a sparkly dark brown shadow and pat it all across the lid and blended it close to the bottom lashline.

Artdeco waterproof eyeliner along waterline - no.10. Smoked out with black eyeshadow from Crown Brush Palette, keep the black as close to lashline as possible for the best look.

Lashes - Buff & Blend 'Side of Sassy'. These are life!!

Brows : Inglot brow gel no.21. - Set with a dark brown shadow to match.

Lips : Flormar Lip Liner no.205

I only wore the lip liner, nothing else and it did not budge all night! The colour payoff and longevity was amazing! Top marks from me. 

Hair: Remington Curl Revolution Styler, L'Oreal Pro Volume Hairspray. Toss it up and finito! 

And that is it! It only took me two hours of listening to music and getting ready lol.

 Any questions at all just ask, you will get me on any of my social media accounts.

Lots of love, 

Aoife

Taking tanning to a whole new level at Callan & Co!

Experience the luxurious new James Read Tanning Studio exclusive to Callan & Co.

You won't be disappointed! 

Welcome back to my happy space guys.

So during the week you may have seen from across my social media platforms that I was kindly invited to the launch of the first James Read Tanning Studio in Ireland. It is exclusive to Callan & Co.'s fabulous new premium salon in Ballsbridge. Check them out here.

Just incase you hadn't heard of the brand before, James Read Tan was created by the man himself Mr. James Read. He is the UK's leading self-tanning expert who is topping tanning trends worldwide. He has worked with A-listers like Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Mariah Carey, Rita Ora, Lady Gaga to name a few. The idea of his brand is to combine skincare rich in superfoods with tanning techniques and formulas to bring us unique self tanning products we will love and have never heard of before. 

I love this little piece I found in the product booklet I got so I said I'd share it with you ladies..... ''TAN-OVATION'' James has been named the brainiest in the business when it comes to thinking up the quirkiest tan innovations that you didn't even know you needed until they existed... Who can relate? Yes! I hear you! 

On arrival we were warmly welcomed in and presented with Prosecco and Sparkling Water, unfortunately I was driving so it was only non alcoholic bubbles for me! I chatted with some lovely women who were all just as passionate about the beauty world as I am! Isn't it great when you find people like that and you just click?! It's so much fun, especially at exciting events like this.

Paula Callan, owner of Callan & Co. graced the floor to introduce the man behind the tan, as if he needed much of an introduction!  Can I just say this guys personality is amazing! He is so upbeat, passionate and such a funny, cheeky chap cracking out jokes from the minute he stood up! Along with a wealth of knowledge, tanning tips and do's and don'ts don't you know. 

I feel like I have wrote an essay already and I still have so much more to say. There is so much to tell you all, I'll do my best not to ramble. Stick with me, it'll be worth the read! 

What I am going to do is share with you a few of my favourite products from his range. I choose these ones in particular because I feel they are perfect for this time of year. Plus they totally grabbed my attention!

First up : James Read Overnight Tan, Sleep Mask - Face.

**You need this in your life**

This beautiful potion came in a goodie bag we received the other night. I was chuffed because it's one of the main products I was waiting to try! Can you see why? An overnight tanning facemask?! Genious!

It's the world's' first of it's kind. Combined skincare and tanning containing Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid and Algae Extract to nourish your skin and leave it hydrated and moisturized.

• Super fast drying formula
• Colourless/Fragrance free = protects clothes and bedsheets!
• Use daily for a gorgeous healthy glow
• Suitable for all skin types

2. James Read - H2O Gradual Tanning Mist.

This product instantly grabbed my attention. A tanning mist? How is it possible you ask? Just you wait and see!

Infused with Pure Rose Water this mist will gradually build up your tan after each application. Now wait for it.....

• Can be used as a make up primer or setting spray. Yes, that's after your make-up too!
• Can be used as a cooling mist. Hello holidays, pop it into the fridge and let it work it's magic while cooling you down!
• Again colourless to protect your bedsheets!
• Infused with skin beautifying minerals.
• Spray in quick sweep motions down your face and watch yourself glow.

3. James Read Enhance Tan Accelerator. 

The tan accelerator literally speeds up the natural tanning process. As James explained to us when you apply it, it stimulates your skin's natural melanin production to accelerate tanning and extend any other tan. It only contains a small amount of self tan and it's colourless. 

Inside is Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid and Monk's Pepper. Again, key ingredients to keep the skin hydrated and bursting with moisture.

Top Tip: To maximise results - Apply at least 7 days before your holidays, during and after your holidays. 

I think this sounds amazing don't you?!

4. James Read Self Tan Bronzing Mousse.

And of course, a tanning mousse.

Before we go any further, before any self tan skin preparation is key! It is the difference between a flawless streak free tan and a patchy tan which fades off terribly.  Exfoliate from tip to toe and moisturise prior to application. Focusing on the normal disaster areas of knees, ankles, feet and hands. 

Application: Mitt is essential as always. Focus on one area at a time. I normally work from my legs up. For a darker colour, wait 30 minutes and apply another layer. 

Top Tip: Leave hands and feet until last and apply the tan with a foundation/fluffy makeup brush to get a perfect finish. I do this with my face to!

• The tan has a super drying formula
• 60 second drying time
• Very easy to apply - beginners,for you too!
• Along with Aloe Vera. Hyaluronic Acid there is also Coenzyme q10 inside which is a natural antioxidant produced in the body. 

There you have it! A run down of some of my favourite new James Read Tanning products! Of course there are many more in the range, too many to list in this post. You can find more and purchase yours by clicking here. Also if you would like to see more about what Callan & Co offer or maybe book in for a famous James Read spray tan click here to check out their website.

That is all from me today, I really hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new about this brand! I think the products are just genius and worth the investment.

So thrilled I got to experience such a wonderful event and meet James.

Until next time, Lots of love

Aoife

Find out what's new to Nima!

The Art of Nima Workshop - June 2016

Hey dolls,

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Nima Brush Workshop in The Citywest Hotel. I was invited along to see the launch of four brand new brushes. Which let me tell you did not disappoint!  

Lets jump straight in as I'm so excited to tell you all about them. First up is my favourite newbie which is named after Niamh's 6 month old daughter, have you guessed it? 

Yep you're right, below is The 'Harley'! This brush is super versatile, made from goat hair and is unbelievably soft!! So soft I kept on feeling and touching the sample one our table haha, I literally couldn't get over it. It has a number of uses which were demoed today, powder application, contouring, bronzer, highlighting and blush. It does everything bar foundation, so practically two brushes and your face is covered! What more could you want. 

€19

Next we have The 'Terrie'. This brush is named after Nima's famous brand Ambassador, the model, nurse and travel blogger as we all know her Ms.Terrie McEvoy, and if you don't know her where have you been hiding?! Check her out ladies! 

This brush is one I have been wanting for a long time, a small head kabuki type brush. Small enough for the under eye area, under brow highlighting, cream contouring, blending and so much more. You can work on the side of the brush for precision or flat on top for liquid/cream application. It has non porous fibres which ensure minimal waste of product and can also be used for powder products as was created using Taklon Synthetic fibres.

Here it is! Fab isn't it, I bought it today I just had to have it. Especially for under eye concealer and highlighting, this type of brush is my favourite to buff product in flawlessly.

 €16

They are the two new face brushes and following that are two eye brushes! 

We have The 'Fuzz' up first! This is a large shader brush made with super soft Sable hair perfect for setting your eyeshadow base by applying shadow all over the lid, or using the tip of the brush to apply colour into the crease and softly smoking out colour on and under the eye. Very similar to the shader brush in the Elite Collection.

€12

Last but by no means least, is The 'Donna'. Named after one of Niamh's gorgeous Nima team.  If you're familiar with the fantastic 'Jennie' brush, then you will love this! It is a larger version of the Jennie, The 'Donna' is a beautifully tapered blending brush made from goat's hair. 

Are you a fan of the smokey eye? the simple eye? everyday eye? seamlessly blended eye?... Yes? Well aren't we all. This is your tool girls! Applies and blends out colour into the socket/crease of the eye quickly and effectively. 

So there they are! Four beauties. All available online here along with all of the other Nima brushes and accessories. I would recommend them all 100%, I have about 32 Nima Brushes in total as well as the brush tube, Nima face mitt and the brush egg. So I think I have tried the brand enough to truly recommend it! 

Huge well done to Niamh and the Nima team, you ladies put on an amazing workshop today filled with knowledge and fantastic tips and tricks, not to mention a fabulous goodie bag. Which you can check out on my Snapchat for the next few hours - aoifemcdonnelll 

I also won a goodie bag for best Instagram / Facebook / Twitter content and posts throughout the afternoon! I left delighted with myself after a really great day.

Until next time, thank you for reading and lots of love xx

Aoife

My First Impressions - W7 Electric Face Cleanser

Does the Clarsonic Break your Budget? 

Finally ladies I am back. Back with something a little different than normal and something I have never done before - a first impressions blog post. If you don't know what that means, it just entails me using something new and giving my first opinion on it there and then! No 6 week testing out time period is needed for this as essentially, it's just my first impressions of a product. 

It's the new (to me anyway) 'w7 Clean Face Electric Cleanser'. An electric cleansing brush which rotates at 360 degrees on two speed settings to exfoliate away dead skin cells and promote new glowing, healthy skin!

So this is it, it comes with a stand and the brush head is detachable to make cleaning it easier. The bristles I found so so soft, yet when they were rotating on your skin, they gave a really good exfoliation! 

Step 1: Wet the bristles under warm water.

Step 2: Pour some of your face wash/cleanser around the bristles (I followed the dark circle). Make sure you are using a cleanser/wash that will foam up on your skin.

Step 3:Turn it on using the pink button and choose your speed setting.

Step 4: The box recommends using it for 30 seconds across your forehead and 10 seconds per cheek and another 10 for your chin.

Step 5: Move it in circular motions while it rotates on your skin.

Step 6: Rinse your face and bristles clean with warm water. Pop the cleansing brush back in the stand to air dry, pat dry your face and moisturize. 

                                                                          My current favorite 

                        Soap & Glory. Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash. It is SO good!  

                     

 

For my first time using this yesterday evening I wasn't expecting much of a result but by god my face was squeeky clean after it! Do you know when your skin is just acting up and needs a really good clean? - well this done exactly that for me today! Very happy I bought it. 

Mine was €15.95 in Ryan's Pharmacy, Edenderry, Co.Offaly.

BUT you can get it online for €13 right here online from Cara Pharmacy.

Little hidden gem, my only concern is whether or not you can purchase a new brush head for it, as it is detachable. I'll look into that more for sure! 

That's it for today's post my lovelies, thanks for coming over to have a little read! Snap me if you pick it up! Snapchat - aoifemcdonnelll

fresh faced after giving myself a mini facial with the 'W7 Clean Face Electric Cleanser'

Aoife 

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Snapchat - Who to follow!

Hello everyone!

I hope you all have settled back into normality, whatever normality is. Thankfully I am at the end of my college exams which seem to have dragged on through the whole of January!

Anyway, today I am back to tell you all who I think is killing the Snapchat game! Snapchat is rapidly becoming a place where celebrities, businesses, brands and bosses can interact with their fans and customers on a daily basis which I think is brilliant and of course lots of fun. I chose the people who's stories I am excited to watch everyday and just can't get enough of.

Let's jump in! In no particular order here are my favourite people to follow on Snapchat.

1) Ashy Bines 

Ashy Bines is a Transformation Specialist, business woman, a wife, mummy, foodie and over all really fun and down to earth bubbly beauty. She shares everything from health, good food, clean eating, exercise, her tips and tricks, mummy duties, cute baby snaps of her son Taj and so much more. Basically the daily life of an Australian girl boss. Ashy has her own transformation programs which are hugely successful and popular, check them out here. I LOVE watching her stories, I think you guys will to. 

Food ideas and updates which always look delish! 

You will see lots of this little face too! Baby Taj.

Username - ashybines1

  2) From Matte to Metallic 

Jennifer Donohoe and Ciara Clinton are 'thee' power couple when it comes to work and beauty. These two ladies share a business, blog and make up studio together, aka "From Matte to Metallic". With over 20k followers across their social media platforms 2014 was the year their dream became a reality when along came their make up studio. On Snapchat you will see Jenny talking about all things make up - brands, products, dupes and of course the weekly chats. Then Ciara comes along and together they take you into their studio for live demonstrations on different make up looks, skills and techniques. 

You are sure to learn so much from them, they are incredibly talented Muas and have years of valuable knowledge to share.  Most importantly, they are the most down to earth ladies you will meet very hardworking and overall the dream team. You may even spot a famous face here and there ;) ...cough cough Amber Dean...  You need to follow! 

Add caption

On the left - @ciciclinton Right - @jennydonohoe283

A massive congratulations to Jenny, who welcomed her baby girl Charlotte into the world this week! Sending lots of love.

3) Marissa Carter 

Cocoa Brown Tan CEO, Marissa Carter is definitely a popular favorite on Snapchat! The busy mum of two and business guru lets you in on her top beauty tricks, fashion, yummy recipes (Disney pancakes were my fav) , skincare regime, make up must haves, make up demos, how to 'Tontour', her latest products and so much more. You will get sneak peaks of upcoming products and may even get to see backstage hair and make up action on Xpose! 

Marissa often opens up her snaps to followers for Q & A sessions, which always go down a treat. She is the Queen of Snapchat and the ultimate #GirlBoss.  

You will know what I mean when you go check her out!

4) Pippa O'Connor Ormond

The woman of the moment, Ireland's best known model. Pippa is a busy mum to her son Ollie and with baby no.2 on the way things are going to get a whole lot busier! She's a TV Personality, Model, Creator of Pippa.ie which is an amazing fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog and has also created the make up must have with Blank Canvas - The Pippa Palette! Check it out here.

Pippa's Snapchat is literally like a live stream of her website, it's fantastic! She will cover fashion, styling, backstage at photo shoots, sneak peaks of new projects, beauty products, Pippa Palette demos and typical family life. She shares her life whether it is from across Ireland at her famous workshops or from the couch at home on a Sunday with hubbie Brian and son Ollie. 

Add away! 

Ok guys, that's all I have time to get through today, it's back to study I must go! If you want to check out more Snapchatters I have left a long list below with the rest of my favoutite people to watch! I have linked their Instagram page to their name so you can check them out too.

 Celebs, famous MUAs, Irish girl bosses, Beauty gurus, Top Bloggers, popular brands, models, foodies, you name it!

 Well worth adding a few of these to your friends list! 

@aideenkatemua

@facesbygrace23

@ajfitzsimons

@itsamberdean

@aoibhedev89

@blaaamurphy

@spraklingbitch

@charlenefmakeup

@chloebouch

@glendagilson

@glitznpieces

@hollycarpenter

@inglotireland

@jaclynrhill

@janeinglot

@justjordanblog

@katekelly1

@katrinak2hair

@makeupbylisa

@momsfitnessdiary

@georgiapenna

@paulasbeauty1

@rosiedavison5

@rozannapurcell

@rosieconxxx

@ruthiebritt
@sosueme_ie

@stephanieoq

@thelwhitmore

@themakeupfairy

@tmcevoy
@toodollymakeup

@voguewilliams

Happy Snapping! 

Catch you all soon, 

Aoife 

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*2015 Comes to a Close*

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Years with your nearest and dearest. Mine was so relaxing! We spent Christmas by ourselves as a family and then I headed out to party on New Years Eve with Sean and my friends. 

I am back today with my first post of 2016, but in it I will be rounding up all aspects of 2015. Not the most original blog post at this time of year, all bloggers do the likes, but it's always nice to reflect back on the past year. 

2015 was the year I turned 18, got my first car, began driving, started my second year in college, created my blog 'Aoife's Antics', had my first two family holidays with Sean and so much more! So really quite a lot happened and I am just going to do a few throwbacks and look back on it all.

Of course, I also discovered some amazing beauty brands and products so in no particular order I will highlight my Top 3 below.

1) The Nimabrush Elite Collection.

My Nima brushes were money seriously well spent. Niamh Martin created her very own brand of very high quality, stylish yet affordable brushes. I have tried multiple brands of make up brushes but time and time again Nima always come out on top for me! My set is from the 'Elite Collection', it consists of 13 rose gold & white brushes which cater for the whole face and a brush tube of your choice, mine is white with black straps.  It was in and around the €100 mark, that is only approx €7 per item and I can tell you they are 100% worth every penny!! I use mine every time I apply make up and have recommended them over and over again.
Check them out here.

A repost of my collage from Nimabrush on Instagram.
 Proudly laid out my new brushes and brush tube.

My growing collection of Nima brushes.

 Fortunately, a few weeks after I purchased my Nima brushes I was invited to the launch event for the new additions to the 'Artistic Collection'. I was absolutely thrilled, I met Niamh, all of the Nima team and so many lovely blogger ladys. I even won a prize that night! Talk about feeling lucky!
These brushes are super pretty they are gold with a gorgeous duck egg coloured handle and again, fantastic quality. Each brush is named after someone special to Niamh which I think is so nice. Also they are an IRISH brand so keeping it local. 

I am dying to get my hands on some of the Artistic Collection! 

You can find them here.

Go check out us girls on Snapchat!
Orla - @theorlacle
Me - @aoifemcdonnelll
Jennifer - @toodollymakeup
AJ -  @ajfitzsimons


2) Cocoa Brown

Cocoa Brown is a brand I have a lot of love for. Owned by the ULTIMATE Irish Lady Boss, Marissa Carter, is a super successful tanning range. It consists of a Day to Night Tan, 1 Hour Tan Mousse / Dark, Chocolate Whip Oil Free Body Moisturizer, Tough Stuff body scrub, Gentle Bronze gradual tanning lotion, Lovely Legs spray tan, Shimmer & Matte Instant Bronzing Gel, Golden Goddess Dry Shimmering Body Oil and a Pink Velvet Double Sided tanning mitt!

Every product is a winner for me, they are all so so good. The body scrub will give you the scrub of your life and prepare your skin for tan application, Chocolate Whip body moisturizer is like a hydration mask for the body and makes Cocoa Brown tan glide on, Gentle Bronze lotion is perfect for a subtle tan all year round while keeping the skin nourished and the 1 Hour Dark Tan mousse in my eyes is the perfect tan! No orange shade, no bad tan smell, no streaky application,... you get the hint!! I'm obsessed!

Below you will see my drawer full of pink, the best part is the products won't burn a hole in your pocket. You can purchase them from Penneys stores nationwide and here  from Cloud 10 Beauty.

Most recent products of 2015!!

To top off my love for Cocoa Brown, I got to attend the #PassionPersistancePink Event in The Gibson Hotel earlier this year. This is where the two new products - Shimmer & Matte Bronzing Gels -  were unveiled for the first time following afternoon tea, a make up demo from X-Factor's Julia Carta, make up tips from bloggers AJ Fitzsimons, Rosie Connolly, Tara Makeup and so much more. I really had the best time, learnt so much and look forward to more events like this! 

Marissa Carter, Julia Carta and I.

You can follow the Cocoa Brown team on Snapchat too!
Marissa - @cartermarissa
Kate - @katekelly1
Stephanie - @stephanieoq

3) Inglot Cosmetics

Inglot is a make up brand which seriously impressed me this year. When I was younger I was always fascinated by the amount of make up and all of the colours on show in all of the Inglot stores. I wanted it all then and nothing has changed since, I still do! I can't walk by Inglot without popping in to see what else I can add to my forever growing collection.

The range of Inglot products is endless hence the reason I spend so long looking at everything in the shop, it's make up heaven!! Plus the girls in the store are so nice and very helpful, another reason why I love going in there! They really know their stuff, I am one for the questions when I'm interested in something and they are always on the ball and have great tips, advice and answers for me.

I have tried lots of Inglot products and I am still to find something which dissapoints me, which quite frankly I think is impossible. I love everything I have tried from their AMC Brow Gel, Gel Liner, Foundations, Pigments, Eye Shadows, Blushers, Highlighting powders, Setting powders, Loose powders, you name it.  More recently after I done a masterclass with the amazing Fiona Hogan I began buying Inglot Brushes as they looked so good and from what I have tried so far, they are definitely that! I have the 4SS fluffy brush, the 10S detail brush and the 31T liner brush.

 Hopefully I will get the 6SS brush soon, it's always sold out! Here is a little look at some of my most loved products.

You can read my review on the HD & YSM Inglot Foundations and 4SS brush here and all products are available from Inglot stores and online. 

Top Tip : Inglot HD Foundation in shade 82 is the perfect match foundation when wearing Cocoa Brown Tan!

Snapchatters here we go again, take note!

Inglot - @inglotireland

Jane - @janeinglot