FACE

Eyelash Extensions, Week One: Wishes and Tweeeeeeezers

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BEFORE N AFTERLest we forgot, here’s that photo again.

So, a couple of things:
> I have lost four lashes in a week. That leaves fifty-six. I think I have, happily, lost two one each eye! That’s four wishes I’ve got on the go, now I know how to do that properly. {Well, I thought I did, by I just checked and there’s all sorts of rules; I’m going to stick with the one that says to blow it off the tip of your finger as you make your wish.}

> The first one that fell out was an epic experience: I felt it come loose, and I didn’t catch it time, and it went into my WHERE IT GOT STUCKeye? You know the way? And this is worse, because it is plastic or whatever.

So I kept staring, to try to get enough water into my eye to wash it away {you know the what I mean.} All my nails were too short to tease it out, and then it shifted around and got stuck right in the curve of my eyeball, where it meets that part right at the corner? I have highlighted it at left. I couldn’t get it to move at all, so I — I had to use tweezers.

Tweeeezerrrrrs in my eyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!

> Obviously, now I am totally self-conscious about these things falling out. I worry about my hair catching on them. Will they get all smashed up in my sleep? I am concerned when I open the oven — will I met them off my face?

> I am finding them to be annoying in the shower. My face gets wet, I go to wipe it — mind the lashes!

> I am not entirely convinced I am getting all the eye makeup of, because: see above!

> My left eyelashes are way more tangly than my right! Is this a brain thing again?

In a nutshell: not too sure. So far, I am spending way too much time thinking/fretting/tending these yokes.

But/however/in fairness: they are soooo flicky. The ones at the outside alone are so long and so come-hither…

Let’s see how week two unfolds, shall we?

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I got my eyelashes extended at Venus Medical in Dundrum. See venusmedical.ie for more info.

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It’s Just a Twist to the Left! NUXE Nuxellence Jeunesse

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Rocky Horror Picture Show? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I don’t know if I am excessively klutzy or not, but my heart sang at the sight of the design of Nuxe‘s imminent {February} launch of their new skincare product, Nuxellence Jeunesse. I may just be a packaging nerd. Probs a bit of both?

Look!

JEUNESSE LIDIt’s so clever and handy! There’s no cap to slip through your fingers and bounce onto the floor! It is great! Except there is some gap in the neural network in my brain that retains ‘which way to turn the top to open this’, or whatever, so now I will sing that song in my head all day, because it has become my mnemonic.

Speaking of Time Warps!

This is Youth and Radiance Revealing Fluid, and is designed to counteract the damage done by UV and pollution. It works by giving your mitochondria the will to live — or at least rejuvenate them for as long as mitochondria live. I mean, cells, they come and go, right? Can you tell I spend all my time drawing pretty pictures of the epidermis in biology, and no time a’tall actually listening?NUXELLENCE B&B

Anyway: all the natural ingredients that Nuxe have gathered together — passion flower, anchusa and poppy, hyaluronic acid, maca root and olive leaves — combine to repair 43% of damaged cells.

As always with Nuxe: the fragrance is spot on: fresh, clean, natural, healthy, and not overpowering.

I am using this like a serum, in that I top up with moisturiser after I let it sink in. It may just be my skin in this crap, crap weather, but my face felt really tight after application.  This is a good sign of youth, the tightness, but it wasn’t comfortable. But hey: any excuse to use lashings of the Crème Fraîche de Beauté collection, also from Nuxe.

How’s that earworm working for ya?

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Nuxellence Jeunesse retails for €49.

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But it’s the pelvic thru-u-u-st/That really drives you insay-ay-ay-ay-yayne…

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Update! Venus Lash Extensions

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The prices are actually €120 for full extension; infill will run between €50-60.

Just so we’re all on the same page!

And just for the craic, because, seriously:

BEFORE N AFTER***

Venus Lash is available at Venus Medical, Dundrum. 

Ring 01-2962747 for more info, or see venusmedical.ie.

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How’s Yer Face? Garnier Moisture Match

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Mine feels chapped, and tingly, and dry. Since it never feels this way, I am convinced it’s an accumulation of all the cold, cold weather we’ve been experiencing over the past three years.

I realise that this probably makes no sense at all, but I’ve never been so conscious of wanting to slather moisturiser/zer all over my face, all the time.

Is this more aging shizz? Dammit.

Anyway, how delighted was I when these two wee gems from Garnier fell through the letterbox?

GARNIER moisture matchVery muchly delighted. On your left, in the pink, is Goodbye Dry…, a lotion for dry to very dry skin; on your left, in the yellow, is Protect & Glow, an illuminating cream for exposed and delicate skin.

I feel exposed and delicate! I went for the Protect & Glow straightaway, and lashed on loads. The fragrance is somewhat strong for a face lotion; the texture is mediumweight, and absorbs rapidly. The illumination comes from light reflecting pearls, and I can honestly report a degree of reflection: not so much that you feel like everyone is a deer and you are the headlights, but rather a very light {ha, ha} level of glow.

Well, look, seriously: it’s shine. How do you feel about shiny face? I am not so bad with it, now that I’m aging. Light-reflecting materials = youthiness, so it’s all good with me.

And then I thought: I feel so very, very dry, and applied some of the Goodbye Dry… This is heavyweight, and it takes that much longer to absorb. Which is grand, I would definitely turn to this one when I’m going barefaced into the world, or even just to my desk. Again, strong fragrance, not crazy about that.

I’m pleased with both. The 50ml tubes will travel well, I reckon, and after having stranded myself in the US without a decent moisturiser/zer {About which I have yet to write!} I’ll deffo make sure their passports are in good order.

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€9.29; available wherever Garnier is sold.

2013: I Don’t Even Know Where to Start. Oh Look, Oscar Noms!

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See? Oscar noms! Let’s look! Even though I haven’t notion what half of them are?220px-Amour-poster-french

I did see Lincoln, which = amazeballs, or however Tony Kushner would write that in 19th century American. The balls that do amaze indeed, sir. >?

DDL FTW; also Tommy Lee Jones, whom I adore, in the Best Supporting Actor category, and all other categories.

Also: TLJ as Best Supporting Actor Supporting a Wig.

I started crying just looking at the Amour poster. Anyone seen this movie? Can you be nommed as Best Pic and Best Foreign Film? Apparently you can! BMcC just informed me via Facebook that this is about Alzheimers? Uh, no, thanks but I need my eyes, I can’t risk crying them out.

Also: do not want to ruin the great look I get from Maybelline’s new launch {LOL > wait for it} Volum’ Express: The Rocket, featuring the new, exclusive Elastomer brush, aka the Jet-Glide.rocket Final

The applicator is one of the spikey sort, but the bristles are flexible. Many that fall into this class of wand are not in the least bit flexible, and I must say it makes a difference. It felt like I was combing on the mascara, rather than pasting it on.

JET GLIDE ACTIONIt didn’t prevent the dreaded splotch-on-the-eyelid, which I cop to as operator error, but honestly, I had my head tipped allll the way back.

I had given a lukewarm review to the Colorsport 30 Day Eyelash & Brow Dye Kit. I didn’t get to Sephora when I was in NYC —  I know, I know, it’s a like a priest skipping an audience with the Pope. I had planned to get some super-amazing American brand of eyebrow dye, but having given the Colorsport another chance,  I’ll revise that initial impression a little.

With a caveat: because I completely disregarded the instructions, i.e., I forgot I had it on, and took a phone call and got distracted and started working on something and then WHOOPS — many, many more minutes than directed went by.

They look good! There has been no intervention by a cosmetic enhancement.

But I’m not telling you exactly how longI had it on — what if you do it and don’t like and get all up in my grill? DIY!

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Maybelline New York Volum’ Express The Rocket and Colorsport 30 Day Eyelash & Brow Dye Kit are both available at Boots. The Rocket comes in a waterproof version if you decide to watch that film. Bonne chance!

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There is Nothing like a Scrub: My Four Faves

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Well… hmmm. Nope: nothing like a scrub from head to toe, upon return to to my Haven of Beauty after two weeks away.

I have been giving myself a good going over since I’ve been back, from my literal head to my literal toes.

Here is what we’ve got on the go at the mo:

THE LINEUP 2013That’s enough to keep me in posts for another week and half!

I have cut four products out of the herd, and have been happily exfoliating every day since Thursday. This may not be advisable! But I don’t care, I am intent upon sloughing off The Lag, straight down the drain.

FOUR FAVE SCRUBS

From left-ish:

>Lycon Pomegranate Sugar Scrub, from I don’t know where. It is spa-quality, and for a sugar scrub — which normally rolls right off your body, no matter how you try to prevent it — this is tops. The jelly-like base holds the scrub in perfect suspension, and it smooths over the skin with nary a grain lost.

>Oh, Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1, how happy I was to see you! Next time, I swear, I am bringing you along. There is nothing that you cannot do. To celebrate my return, I went hard-core and employed your masque-y qualities, and indulged in a thorough scrub once under the spray of the shower.

> This was a hard sell, initially, but now I am completely on the Redken Nature’s Rescue Refining Sea Polish. I use it before I shampoo, which may or may not be as directed — it still works a treat, and my hair is all the shinier for it.

>The classic for a reason: Dermalogica Microfoliant gently exfoliates, foams up into a cleanser-like consistency, and lasts forever and ever, amen.

Did reading this make you feel itchy? I feel all itchy now.

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Prices vary depending upon what your googling reaps. If anyone knows where that Lycon stuff came from, do let me know.

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HNY on the 46A with Burberry Lip Velvet

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HNY on the 46AYesssssss it is good to be back, if only to be ensconced once more in my personal photo studio.

The shades are via French Connection — stylish, and with great UV protection. I’ve experienced couture designer shades in the past, and I gotta tell ya, I am much happier and more impressed with the sunnies you can pick up on the High Street. Although I suspect that the name brands are solely for wear in airports.

For wear anywhere: Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red. It is the perfect matte blue-toned red lippy, that lasts and lasts as long as you don’t eat — also designed, I suppose with your A-listed Size Zero in mind, I suppose.

Nevertheless, us real woman can get a lot of joy out of this. I am still off kilter from The Lag, and find I’m not hungry for dinner until 11.30 pm. Not helpful from a metabolic point-of-view, but great for making the makeup last.

It retails for €27, and if anyone has stockist info, plz advise; the phone lady at BT was all like, I’ve never heard of it, and you know that the phone lady at BT knows everything. < Not bein’ snarky. She totally does.

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Happy New Year!

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Top Twelve of 2012: The Future is Now, Via My Face and We Love Laser

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This is the final installment of posts about my twelve new fave products and services of last year. They do all add up, even though they weren’t in twelve posts, and even though, uh, there were actually thirteen? You come for the reviews, you stay for the LOLz…

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Do We Love Laser? Yes, we do. Not only because it is in my locality, but also because the vibe of the place is as youthful as the services it provides.

Do I want to recapture my youth? Hmmm, not so much — but I am happy to look as well as I can for as long as I can. I feel like the Photo Facial has tidied up some fines lines, zapped some excess hair, and in general refurbed the canvas of my face. I also feel like the potions and lotions I use for all that anti-aging biz will actually have a chance to work.

The first time I lasered? That was something of a learning curve, for sure. The second time? I thought I was blasé, but there was still a touch of The Fear. The third time? I was all over it, an old hand, and really delighted by the progress my pigmentation was making — meaning, it was progressing away, away, away, and off of my face.

Pictures are worth a thousand: the top two are from the first session, and the bottom from the most recent.

FIRST LASER

THIRD LASER 2I didn’t intervene with the Photoshop, so the colour temperature of the images is different, which makes it look like I intervened to make the third one look better, but I didn’t. I am entirely satisfied with the work, and I’m deffo going to go for more.

Two things that I’ve found that work wonderfully well on the new, improved surface:

FACE IT

I still stand by my post about Human+Kind’s Anti-Ageing Cream. This is another product I’ve used down to its last pump. And whilst I didn’t blog specially about Sisley’s Black Rose Masque — OMG, Sisley’s Black Rose Masque! I had gone to get a facial at the Brown Thomas Beauty Room, and the aesthetician had recommended this, as had the Sisley PR. I am designating this as my US to IE jet lag cure. Even if it doesn’t zap the lag, at least I’ll look stunningly dewy and fresh-faced.

It does cost a bomb — €106/£81/$158 — but it is a little miracle in a tube. I expect to get ten masques out of this, as the usual dictum of ‘a little of an expensive product goes a long way’ applies, so that’s really only €10.60 per masque!

I got your world class rationalisation right here!

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We Love Laser Medical Aesthetic Clinic is located at 82 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire. Visit www.welovelaserireland.com for the full menu of treatments.

Top Twelve of 2012: The One About The HD Brows

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The one? How about the million? Of the many excellent things that I experienced in 2012, HD Brows have turned out to be revolutionary for my overall look. My go-to salon is Carter Beauty in Blackrock, and I leave happy — nay, delighted — every single time.

They are particularly great when I don’t feel like putting on a lot of makeup. Like today. Here I am with my lovely dad, and my lovely brows:

POPSTARI have intervened only slightly with the colour and shape, and my favourite brow-shaping-cosmetic thingie has been AVON Glimmerstick Brow Definer. I try and test so many things in the course of a year, much less a week, that when I use something up entirely, it is highly significant.

I used this up entirely. Will use again. And again.

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This is the account of my first session of HD Brows; click the HD Brows category for allllll the posts.

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