Author: brightandbeautyfull

♥Day: If I Was Your Pal, I Would Be Quite Happy to Receive This Gift Set

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Okay, so The Handmade Soap Co.‘s Valentine’s Offering is labelled ‘A Box of Sensual Delights’, so you could argue that this is skewed to a partner-type creature, but I like the idea that my friends think:

A} That I would have use for a box of sensual delights

B} That, you know, they think I’m pretty or whatever.

Don’t we want our friends to think and want the best for us? This gift is a total vote of confidence! And it’ll get you sorted entirely as it contains Body Butter, Body Oil {for massaging or putting in the bath — or for putting in the bath and then also using for a massage}, Grapefruit scented soap and a candle, which is made of Soya and all-natural.

Bonus! The company is guaranteed Irish. Apparently, the hand cream is a cult object, but I haven’t come across any so far…

€29.99

See www.thehandmadesoapcompany.iefor more info, and to enjoy their fab site.

Bois, Oh Bois…

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Do I love this kind of thing or what! The levels that the following products appeal upon are many, and alliterative! and summed up in the following: France, Fragrance, Flask.

When I lived in Paris*, I was mightily taken with Roger & Gallet. As a former graphic designer, I am a sucker for a lovely package {TWSS}, and everything about the historic brand speaks to elegance and style. My favourite thing was the soaps that come in the little plastic holder? Perfect for travel! And useful when the soap is done, for containing, uh, paperclips and elastics — elegantly.

Nothing like an elegantly contained paperclip.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand, three limited edition fragrance flasks have been created, the design of which was inspired by Napolean Bonaparte’s bespoke {ohh, another excellent word!} Eau de Cologne bottle. You can’t tell from the photo, but the back of the container is flat, which had been designed like that so that NP could slide the bottle into his boot. His horseriding boots, I am sure!

The celebratory line of fragrances has been named Voyage of the Senses, and No. 1 in the  line-up, Eau de Cologne Jean Maire Farina, is the eau that was favoured by the man himself.  I absolutely love that this is available to us today. Oh, and just to keep things interesting, this has another name, Italian Freshness, which appears on the bottle. Pictured in close up is Eau Fraîche Parfumée Bois d’Orange, or, The Magic of Alhambra, and the third and last, No. 3, is the Eau Fraîche Parfumée Fleur D’Osmanthus, aka A Ceremony of Happiness. Whew! I’m too worn out now to list all the ingredients, but there are plenty in each, all blended in that mysteriously alchemical way that parfumiers have of creating a cohesive whole out of disparate parts.

Each of the three comprise a category into which one can fit oneself. They’re all sort of outdoorsy and natural, but No. 1 seems to be lush and exotic, No. 2 obviously citrus-y, and the last… well, it’s green, so it’s perfect for those who like pastoral scents. Seriously, I’ve just spritzed myself with No. 3, and I’ve come over all meadow-y and sunlit. And No. 2 smells orange, but not so orange-y that you’ll feel like a walking fruit bowl. I like it, and I didn’t think I would.

In the memoirs of Mme de Rémusat {circa 1802-1808, love it!} she notes that the Emperor used up to sixty flasks a month. Yeah, well, I can see why: if you’re going for all-day staying power, these are not the fragrances for you. But being able to slip this into your boot means that you can top up as necessary.

Now, I’m not so big on history, and sadly, anything I know about the Napoleanic wars, I’ve learned from romance novels set in the Regency era, the reading of which is the guiltiest pleasure ever. So, clearly not an expert or anything, but nevertheless I had this thing where I was like, ooh, you know, Frenchman lays waste to Europe in the nineteenth century — but let’s just frame this as a testament to the man’s good taste in Eau de cologne, and as celebration of the staying power of a diverse brand.

Me, I’m pleased by the fresh fragrances, the Frenchness, and the flaskiness. And I don’t know why I like the word ‘flask’ so much, I just do.

€41/£34

*For a very short time, many years ago…

Happy Saint Brigid’s Day

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It occurred to me that a post on candles would suit an acknowledgement of Brigid’s Day, and lo and behold! I got some press from Voya, the Strandhill crowd who make this, which I love beyond all reason.

I have a wee travel candle made by the Irish-based, seaweed cornerstoned, beauty product company, and as it turns out, it is the same exact thing as The Original, as pictured here. Well! I can tell you that the scent is an interesting mixture of sexy and zesty, kind of dark-ish and yet invigorating at the same time. The former would be the patchouli; the latter, mandarin.

An interesting mix, indeed, very much akin to the representations we have of Brigid, who is called both goddess and saint. As the former, she has the gifts of poetry, healing, and smithcraft, and is the guardian of fertility and fire, so by extension, of life, death and rebirth. She is an embodiment of the Divine Feminine in Ireland, and such was her importance that she became assimilated as a saint when the Christian religion took precedence on this island.

As Saint, she is still associated with fire, the keeper of the flame that lights the dark corners and brings solace. At her home in Kildare, the light of Brigid is kept burning by the Brigandine Sisters in Solas Bhride, and the annual Féile Bríde, a week-long celebration that kicks off on the eve of Bridget’s Day, is a terrific way to ring in the Spring. I’ve done the pilgrimage to St Brigid’s Well, and it is ancient, moving, and fun!

Her feast day of Imbolc/Candlemas marks the return of Spring, the return of life and light to the world. And frankly, it sheds a little light {sorry} on the whole Valentine’s thing. Funny how ♥Day falls in February, at the time of year things are starting to warm up and, ahem, seeds are about to be planted… and sure enough, our old friends the Romans celebrated Lupercalia, a fertility festival, around this time every year.

So despite the consumerism, there is at least a symbolic and historical meaning to all this Valentine’s carry on. So whether you’d like to honour Brigid or that little cupid dude, then I am happy to suggest Voya’s candle as a little celebratory fire; your fertility is entirely your own concern.

Voya The Original Candle, €44 voya.ie

For more info on the celebrations in Kildare Town, see here.

And here’s a link to an informed, in-depth look at Brigid, goddess and saint.

♥Day: Bliss Fabulips

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Here we go! First in the series! File this under: Grooming.

Remember that picture of all those shampoos? Yeah, well, I won’t even dare to photograph all the lip balms, scrubs, and other treatments I’ve got all over the house, in my handbags, and in the pockets of my coats. It’s a Thing, and that’s all I’ve got to say on the subject.

If you want to get your lips in top-notch snogging condition for the ♥Day, or for any day, I wholeheartedly {oops, didn’t mean to do that, but feck it, it stays} direct you to bliss’ fabulips treatment kit. As it clearly states, the kit is completely fabu for your lips.

There are four components:
1>Foaming Lip Cleanser
2>Sugar Lip Scrub
3>Instant Lip Plumper
4>Softening Lip Balm

1>Foaming Lip Cleanser Once, I got a thing, it was like a lip cleanser or something, and it was the consistency of cold cream. Yuck! It was gross. This is a cleanser, too, and not that gross. Talk about damning with faint praise! This has the same scent and tingle as does bliss’ triple oxygen mask, which is interesting. It foams up, just a tiny bit, after you’ve applied the tiniest, tiny bit, and it feels pretty good. I’m not into heavy, dark lippy these days, but I am sure that this would clean off even the stubbornest long-wearing lip colour.

2>Sugar Lip Scrub Once, I also got another thing that was a lip scrub, and using it was like smooching a sugar bowl. Even as I cut back and cut back back the dosage, I always felt like I was wasting product. Not so with this little tub ‘o’ scrub: the merest swipe of a finger dispenses the perfect amount of product, which in turn does a terrific job of exfoliating your lips. Nut allergy people, beware! This contains walnut.

3>Instant Lip Plumper This is nice and minty. I don’t know, not a fan of lip plumpers, but at least this one doesn’t sting like you’ve just tried to snog a nest of wasps. I know the stinging is the thing that does the plumping, but sorry: ouch. Gotta love the flexible plastic applicator, though. I may use it, just for love of that.

4>Softening Lip Balm Oh, God, not another balm for me to fall for! This one is as soft as it says, and it smells coconutty. Since I am keen to keep the integrity of the kit, this most likely won’t find itself into a bag or a pocket. Probably…

€46/£39/$45

Okay, So, Here’s the Thing About Valentine’s Day

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Yeah, it’s a totally manufactured ‘holiday’.

Yeah, it’s completely mercenary.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, price gouging, blah, unrealistic expectations, blah blah, heteronormative, blah, blah, blah.

Actually, maybe I should say: okay, so, here’s the thing about Valentine’s Day and me. I totally get all of the above, but I frickin’ love it anyway.

I mean, I am in love with love, and therefore, this day gets a pass from me.

Now, it is annoying when one is single, as I am myself, to feel bombarded by all the literal hearts and flowers rubbish going around. It’s hard to not be sad/mad/just-go-grab-a-lad when the auld <3 day comes around again. I was going to try to sell yees a whole ‘Take Back Heart Day’ thing, Like, Show Your Pals How Much You Love Them, and Hey! Your Family Might Like a Nice Prezzie… it may still work out that way, but yeah, it’s a hard sell. It’s not like, ooh, Everyday Can Be Valentine’s Day, because: no.

Basically, it’s almost impossible to be a beauty blogger and fail to chip in with ideas for the The Big Day.

Well, you know what? For many, it is not A Big Day. Or: it is as Big A Day as you make it. So if you are interested in treats and deals that are available in the run up to the 14th of next month, then you will find such information here.

If you want to buy yourself stuff, and it just so happens to be in the shape of a heart, and may be coloured red, and you happen to like it, then you might come across something cute. There will be posts on grooming, gifting, and eating/drinking, and I have to say, I’ve got some sweet stuff in the bag.

If you hate the whole idea of the whole thing, read along anyway, I’ll try to keep things amusing.

Live Blog*: The Receipt of a Package

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This was sitting on the floor beneath my post box. Excitement! Confusion: Cake from England?!?

Once upstairs, I clearly do not intend to mess about. Let us investigate.

Ooh, Dermalogica, yay! Much excite — picture is out of focus as a result.

OMG IT IS TOTALLY CAKE.

And also an opportunity for me to talk about how great the Daily Microfoliant® is. See how that works? Brilliance in public relating combined with, if I do say so myself, an entertaining dessimation of said PR.

But forealz: I love this product and am delighted to join in marking its 10th birthday. So gentle, so delicate, yet so thorough. This is the best exfoliator of the facial area for those of you who require gentility and delicacy. Seriously. And as you use so little to do so much — about half a teaspoon does the job — it is excellent value.

All that from a wee package! Who knew? ;)

€46/£38/$50

*Yeah, not really.

Vitamin See: Jan Marini C-ESTA® Rejuvenating Eye Treatment

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Oh, the world of punny, eye-related headlines is vast, but this one is a natural, as is the treatment itself.

There is nothing, if you’re me, and maybe if you’re you as well! like walking into a spa. Everything about a good spa is designed and organising to the n-th degree of relaxation and rejuvenation: muted, clean colours, the burning of aromatherapy candles, the mellow yet friendly demeanour of the staff, the light chatter of women who are taking some time out for their self-care.

Based in Baggot Street, essentials Beauty & Skincare have all that in spades. They’ve also got several floors of an elegantly appointed building and unlike many days spas in which I have been treated, they saw to the soundproofing and be extension, to the comfort of their clients. Seriously, there is nothing more annoying then one’s mellow harshed by continually closing doors, chatter in the hallways, and one time, the sound of a fellow bliss-seeker taking a shower. There was no singing involved, but still.

Anyway! None of that nonsense at essentials. Additionally, the introduced me to a product line that I’d yet to come across, that of Jan Marini. Loads of celebs use her products — Cher, who I adore, is a big fan — and so I reckoned that the products hail from the West Coast. I was right! I love being right. When I was offered the chance to review the C-ESTA® Rejuvenating Eye Treatment, I happily accepted, keen to learn about a whole new bunch of products. When I was told it was only 30 minutes, I thought, ‘Feh, what’s the use of that?’

In this case, I am more than happy to be wrong.

The C-ESTA® line takes vitamin C as its main ingredient. Also involved is DMAE, which is short for Dimethylethanolamine,’a potent anti-oxidant, cellular mediator and product penetration enhancer.’ To parse: anti-oxidants wipe out free radicals, which inspire chemical reactions that are not beneficial, in this case, to the skin; cellular mediator, OMG, don’t even go down that WIki rabbit hole {scarred for life}, but let’s logic it and say that it gets the product to the cells that need, and doesn’t it waste its time with those that don’t?; and the last, well, this makes sure the product really gets down under the surface of the skin.

I said I was going to make more of an effort with this science-y stuff, so there you go.

The pleasure upon entering the warm, lowly-lit, and utterly relaxing treatment room needs not be parsed. Yay, for the warm towels; yay, for the terry-cloth boob-tubey thing I wore beneath the towels; yay, for the pleasant, lute-y music that played.

And yay hurray for the treatment itself, which, as delivered by Martha, was comprehensive, soothing, and did all the rejuvenating as promised. My skin was cleansed with C-ESTA® Cleansing Gel, followed by a ten minute micro mask for the eyes. While the mask did its thing, I got a massage to aid lymphatic drainage with C-ESTA® Cream; this was follwoed by applications of Eye Repair Concentrate and Intervention Eye Cream, respectively. Lastly, Antioxidant Face Protectant was swept on, and the interlude was at an end.

At some stage, there was a shoulder and upper back massage. Sigh.

Now, when I was in the States for the holidays, I saw endless commercials for this product that makes your eyes bigger? It’s like tape that you put on your eyelids? Whoa. As someone who has a very thin lid, I could understand the motivation behind this product, but: tape on your eyelids?!?! After this treatment, I looked like I had had an eye lift, the same sort of look the eyelid tape was producing. That is pretty amazing.

I will say that I felt some serious tingling during part of the process, and if you have sensitive skin, I would make sure that I got a patch test or something. The thing is, my skin can take just about anything, and if I felt an intense tingle, than those of you with more delicate complexions might like to ask a few questions first.

I was dewy and bright-eyed for days. I also felt like my skin didn’t need anything else doing to it for at least three of those days, so that is pretty impressive.

If you’d like to brighten your outlook on life, I recommend this, and the whole essentials day spa experience.

The Jan Marini CESTA Rejuvenating Eye Treatment is priced at €45 for one 30 min treatment with a recommended package of six treatments to be carried out over 6 weeks, usually priced at €270 but on special offer at €225

For further information on Jan Marini treatment and products, please contact essentials Beauty & Skincare Clinic, 7 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4, (01) 6683036 / info@essentials.ie

Day Cream & Night Cream: What’s the Point?

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It’s churlish for me to give out about having too many objects of a beauty-full nature cluttering up the place, but as I was moving things around the other day, I had to wonder, in true SATC talking-to-myself style: Is there really a difference between day cream and night creams?

I don’t usually have my logic-hat on when I’m thinking about beauty products. I don’t even think about beauty products, if you know what I mean: I simply accept them for what they are and am grateful that they are in my life. But now and then, I do wonder if my self-care routine could be made more simple, and the first thing I consider taking out of the rotation, if not outright chucking in the bin, is night cream.

Are those screams I hear? I got scolded roundly when I told a friend and fellow beauty colleague that I didn’t bother with eye cream, and I imagine that those in the know will start the finger-wagging any second now.

I’m on a bit of a campaign, however, to really understand what’s up with the why. Like, you can tell me, ‘Oh, anti-oxidants blah blah free radicals blah,’ but what’s it mean? And can I understand and believe it, without having gained a science degree.

Explanations are abundant, and okay, so they make sense: you need different things during the day as opposed to the night. During the day, you need to moisturise and protect, and during the night, moisturise and replenish. Okay, I get that. Also, here’s a cool thing, via allaboutyou.com:

During the day the skin’s energies are directed at protecting itself and you from stress, be it environmental or psychological. At night however cells focus on repairing themselves and damage sustained during the day. It follows that using different products for night and day supports the natural functions of the skin.

Okay! I totally get that, mainly because I think it’s cool that there’s a psychological aspect to skin care. As if I didn’t suspect that already!

I’ve got three day/night cream duos that I’m testing at the moment:

>Ziaja Rose Butter Anti-aging Moisturiser and Night Cream
>Renovage (for Aldi) Protective Day Cream and Rejuvenating Night Cream
>Clarins Extra-Firming Day and Extra-Firming Night

I will, of course, let you know how I get on…

Sweet Sixteen: Karaja Super Longwear Semi-Permanent Soft Eyeliner

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Aw! All done: here’s the last entry in the brightandbeautyfull.com Sweet Sixteen Sweepstakes. The sixteenth and final product was only slightly influenced by the discovery that I had very little make up in the running.

I went and got a makeover at a counter in a fancy department store — Dior in Brown Thomas — before heading the launch party for my first novel*, and among the many cool things the make up lady did was to line my upper inner lid in black.

Now, I am capable enough to just about poke my own eye out putting on shades, so the notion of going anywhere near my eyeball with a pencil-shaped object made me extremely nervous. I got the hang of it, though, because it looked so good, and on days when I can’t be arsed to do the whole mascara-and-eyeshadow thing, a little bit of a line in the inside of my upper lids is all I need to feel like a slightly vampy all-natural girl.

My first favourite was Origins Automagically ™ Eye Lining Pencil, but I ran out and then couldn’t buy it in Ireland anymore. {This is true, right?} Then, it didn’t matter anymore because I got Karaja’s Super Longwear Semi-Permanent Soft Eyeliner, and haven’t looked back since.

Oh, wow, didn’t even see what I did there. <– And there! Okay, enough with the cleverness. I love this liner, and I am using it down to the nub. I’ve consulted my archives, and am stunned to discover that I have only been using this for little over a year. Stunned! This is such a big part of my regime, that it feels as though I have been using this forever, if not two years at least.

I will admit to being a bit freaked out by the semi-permanent aspect of this. It does have amazing staying power, but it also does require at least one touch-up in the day. On the other hand, it is a bit of a bitch to remove. I have gone through more than my normal allotment of cotton pads. But then, on the other other hand, even when I blink like a … a bunny? Do bunnies blink really fast? Even when I blink really fast when applying, it never ends up on my bottom inner lid, never mind the rest of my face.

It’s also sort of been my gateway product as far as The Smoky Eye is concerned. I have always been afraid of TSE, which is silly, because it is totally hot, and using the Karaja pencil eased me into the whole look gently, easily, and unsmearingly.

Next long-from feature: Desert Island Sponge Bag {or Wash Bag, or Toiletries Bag, depending upon from whence ye hail.}

€10/£9.99/$13-ish, plus P&H via euro-products.co.uk

*which is also available on Kindle.