Christmas Fun Run!

Hey all, long time no talk!

I haven't mentioned it on my blog and not really on my twitter but basically I have returned to the land of poor student and started my degree in Montessori Education!
I'm loving it so far but the course is very demanding so that's where I've been for the most part.

The other day we all took part in a Christmas fun run in aid of the Red Cross who are doing great work for the people affected by the typhoon in the Philippines. It was more of a walk but either way we all got dressed in our christmas jumpers and walked the streets singing carol's and shaking buckets.

I would encourage you all to donate what you can in what is the time of giving!(Donate here)

I can't wait to write more blog posts as I've missed it but you can imagine how hectic everything is right now so be patient with me!

All my love,

Alice May xo

As Told Through Instagram

I wanted to write a bit of an update post about whats been going on in my life but as they say a picture is worth a thousand words I thought I'd use my old friend instagram(follow me here) to help.

 First, this is my new tattoo! I know you can't see it very well but that is how it's going to stay for a while, I might post a better a picture at some stage but I have to keep a little mystery right? It means something dear to me and that's all that matters!

I went to Galway! This was just a little 2 night break with the girls and we met up with friends we had made on holiday this summer so was definitely a fun 2 days!

My friends have literally been my life recently, I feel i have a group of friends I can trust and rely on which is such a great feeling! These are ma two beauts Sinead and Seana. 

 This is my sister and Amelia, who is not shown for the most part as Sinead has decided not to have her face on the Internet. I had to include her as I spend so much time with this gorgeous girl, she is such a good baby and spends all her time smiling away!

 For the last 2 months I was working away in a beauty salon. I have actually stopped working and have moved to a new exciting adventure which I want to do a whole blog post on so hold tight! I am already missing the girls from the salon though, absolute gems they where.

I have to include it in my updates, I have a boyfriend! We've been together 6 and 1/2 weeks if you want to get all technical so it's still quite new but seriously happy with Sean

I've been missing my sissy big time as she moved to Galway for a month(I'm half Galwegian did you know?)She's back this weekend but will probably be off travelling the globe soon so trying to mentally prepare myself! 

 

 

I couldn't have instagram pictures without a saturated image of food could I? Basically I'm a master chef. I mean just look at that. NOM.

So that is my update of life as told through instagram! I want to start blogging more but with this new adventure I'm going on I just hope I have the time!

All the best, love and hugs,

Alice May

xx

Review: The best BB cream EVER!

I am so excited right now to reviewing this product it's crazy!
I bought this BB cream a little over a month ago with the idea of wearing it on holidays in mind. I actually hardly wore it in the end but have been using it everyday at home in place of my foundation(Makeup Forever's HD foundation or Revlon Color Stay foundation).

I was very apprehensive about trying the BB cream for a few reasons.
1. I haven't been able to find a BB cream pale enough for me (although as you will see in the photos it is a little pale for me since returning home from Teneriefe with a bit of a 'glow')
2. 17 isn't known for being the best as it it is quite... affordable
3. I hadn't been reeled into the BB cream craze.

I was very pleasantly surprised  

The staying power of this BB cream is amazing, it lasts all day without any touch-ups. When I wear it to work it wears off a little after hours of running about but I still don't feel the need to add any more.
The coverage is excellent. I like a medium to high coverage; although I have pretty good skin- spot wise I have quite high pigmentation where I get quite red and patchy so having a good coverage is something I value, this BB cream doesn't let me down in this area.
A huge bonus to this BB cream is that it contains an SPF of 25 which is the reason I wanted it for holidays to wear during the day(but like I said I didn't use it, simply because I went bare face every day). But as you all know we should be waring SPF everyday rain or shine(something I'm guilty of not doing!) so even for at home I feel I'm being kind to my skin.
The BB cream says it actually enhances your skin and reduces blemishes which is always welcome in my books.
Being a 17 product you know it's nice on your wallet so you won't be forking out a fortune, I can't remember how much it was but I do remember not minding handing over the money either. 
Overall I would highly recommend trying out the 17 BB cream when you get a chance, I promise you won't be disappointed.

 Before(eyemakeup and eyebrows done)

 (after; with powder and contouring)

Until next time,

Love and Hugs,

Alice May xx

Cocoa Brown Night & Day Tan Review

Hello Lovelies!

This review has been long overdue but alas here it is!
I have tried the Cocoa Brown Night & Day tan a few times now and am very impressed.

The thing with this new tan in the Cocoa Bro
wn range is that it is an instant tan that gives you a nice dark colour within minutes then in the morning when you have your shower it reveals a light natural tan underneath.

In my review of the one hour tan(which can be read here) I inserted pictures of before and after unfortunately I don't have any to show you this time as just like the product is intended I used the tan last minute with no time to spare!
I love love love this as an instant tan, I really like being quite dark on nights out and when applied generously that is exactly what I was, lovely and tan! On this particular occasion I was off to Kerry the next day for a few days and had a lovely glow to sport for the few days, it looked natural and was just what you would want for during the day.

The main reason I enjoy the product so much is that it is true to what is says it will do. There is nothing more annoying then when a product doesn't do what it's supposed to do and this just has not been the case with my experiences with cocoa brown products. It is not orange like most fake tans are, it doesn't smell, it's natural, if looked after correctly it lasts the 5 days and fades really well. I'm excited to see what cocoa brown has planned next!

My top tips when using Night & Day Tan:
-Have a shower before applying to remove any deoderant, perfumes, lotions & potions or you will be green
-Moisturise twice daily after applying to make the tan last but also fade into nothing
-Start exfoliating on day 3 to again help the tan fade into nothing so it's not blotchy and obvious
-Get out your short shorts and rock the tan!

Until Next Time,

Alice May xxx

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I got a job!

Hello my lovelies!

I know it's been what seems like forever but I hate when boggers/youtubers apologise for their absense so that is not what I'm doing.

I have a few reasons but honesly one of the is that I haven't felt that inspired to write about anything beauty related. Which is why I hope you don't mind but I think I'm going to start posting more 'lifestyle' type posts with a few reviews, ootd's and that sort of thing thrown in here and there.

For my first post 'lifestyle' post I want to share something that has happened that is huge to me.

I got a job!
I have never had a 'real' job before would you believe? I have been babysitting and child minding since I was probably a child myself but I've never had a job that is official so it's all very grown up of me!
I finished college in May and was kinda freaking out, what next? was all I could ask myself.
I decided I would give myself till after my holidays to start looking for a job or to decide what I wanted to do. Well the week before I went away I had a surge of enthusiasm and started applying for jobs. I went around Dundrum handing in CV's and applied to about a gazillion online(more like 20 ish) I had two interviews before my holiday and one after. I was offered one on the spot but the work was really casual and they were hinting that I should cancel my holiday that I was going on in 3 days time(not a chance!).
Well with 4 trial days under my belt I was offered a job in the most amazing salon, the girls who I work with are so unbelievably nice and are helping me so much adjust into the way the salon works and teaching my loads so I am so grateful for that.
I'm always tired after work but I'm always looking forward to going in so I think it balances out in the end.

That's all I really wanted to share for today but I have review coming up and will try and do one on my holiday if I can get anything together as it was a crazy mash of fun!

Until next time,
Alice May xxx

The Product That SAVED My Skin

Yes you read right, the product that saved my skin. The product I'm talking about is Mudd Original Deep Cleansing Clay Mask.
But before I start this review let me give you a background on my skin.

I have actually been very fortunate for the most part when it comes to my skin, I very rarely would get spots and my skin was never overly dry or oily so I had it pretty good! I had people tell me how 'great' my skin was and for the longest time I thought they were having a laugh as I was embarrassed by that 'one spot' on my chin.
Well recently this all changed. My skin would be classified as 'combination skin'(an oily T-zone and dry cheeks in my case) and sensitive but all of a sudden my face was getting dry patches everywhere being extremely dehydrated, I was getting loads of spots more so of those horrible ones under your skin that make the surface of your face all bumpy and uneven. My skin was lifeless with no colour in it at all. It was awful my makeup wasn't sitting right and it was only when I was editing my recent haul video that I saw the extent of how crap my skin was, granted I had had my makeup on all day but it was just awful.

In that haul video I said how I had bought this clay Mudd mask in boots on a whim because my sister and I decided we would do a face mask that evening as a treat it cost €7.89 in Boots. The mask is 100% made of pure clays, contains 'special minerals' to help absorb excess oil, deeply embedded makeup & dirt. It helps to control blackheads as it tones and tightens the skin, it won't clog your pors as It's non-comedogenic and it doesn't contain lanolin

When I first put it on my face not going to lie it stung a little and I was very close to taking it off because as I said I have sensitive skin but I said I'd leave it on for a minute and if it still stung I'd take it off, needless to say it calmed down and I was set with my 15 minute alarm on my phone. While I waited I sent 'snap chat' photo's to my Friends and tried to move my mouth while the clay dried, it was all very grown up of me.

The alarm sounded so I proceeded to take the mask off with a damp face cloth. Straight away my skin felt as smooth as a babies bottom. I applied some moisturiser and decided not to make a verdict right away as a lot of the time these things have amazing results right away but after a few hours your skin is back to where it was.

The next day however my skin still felt wonderful, my makeup went on with ease and for the first time in ages my skin actually looked good with my rosie cheeks back and without all the dry patches and bumps, I was delighted!

My skin feels super soft and the colour has returned!

I have no makeup on in these 2 picture's

As I sit here and type I've had my makeup on all day and my skin still feels wonderful so the verdict is for sure that this is a new holy grail product! I'm going to try use it every week to keep the results up but will definitely use it if my skin acts up again for sure.

I encourage you all to try this right now and let me know how you get on,

A very happy blogger signing off,

Love & Hugs,

Alice May xx

Be Right Back- Tanning!

I'm on my Holidays but alas I will be back in 10 days! Miss you all and hope you're all loving summer! 

xx

Alice May 

My Thoughts on the Micro Pedi

I may be a little late to jump on this waggon however I've been wanted to hop on for a while! When the MicroPedi hit the shelves a while back there were reviews left, right and centre. I knew I wanted to try it but the price tag was a little much for me to invest in just in case it wasn't for me. 

It's kind of gross to talk about but I had quite a lot of hard skin built up on in particular the heels of my feet, it was the source of embarrassment during summer when the flip flops and gladiators made an appearance but also when I was simply bare foot lounging around the house watching movies with friends. I would tuck my feet under my bum in an attempt to hide what most people probably wouldn't notice but I did! 

I have tried pumice stones and foot scrubs before but none of it worked so when I saw those disgusting ads on the telly I was in awe, a weird 2 things to be said in 1 sentence but honestly there wasn't a product I was more excited to try. 

When I received the MicroPedi I literally ran upstairs to try it for myself. The pink roller is for coarse skin and the blue for extra coarse so can you guess which one I went for?
You simply roll the roller back and forth(while it's on of course) to remove the dead skin and you'll be left with 'beautiful soft, smooth feet'.  

From the reviews I was reading I honestly thought my feet were going to be the most amazing looking things in the world. Don't get me wrong there was a definite improvement right away and after a week of using it my feet were 10 times better  then before however I'm not 100% convinced it's the miracle product everyone says it is. I will continue to use  the MicroPedi and will definitely purchase new rollers when I need them but (please don't shoot me!) I am sort of glad I didn't pay the €40 price tag when I was oogling it a few months back. Don't think I hate this product, I am much happier with my feet now but just not completely convinced. 

Have you tried the MicroPedi or do you want to? Are there any miracle creams, tricks etc.. that you swear by for coarse skinned feet like mine?

Until next time,
Love & Kisses,

Alice May x

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Bump's day out!

Today I had such a lovely time all thanks to my good friend Sinead filled with laughs and sugary goodness it was a great day all round.
The first thing that bonded us when I met Sinead at the start of this college year was our mutual love for YouTube(she's the only person I've ever outwardly told about my blog/youtube). She now drives me in and out of college which is so handy! Well a few weeks ago Sinead told me she was pregnant and not just a little- a lot! She had hidden it from us all for ages but now it's out in the open it's excitement all round!

Today was our day.

We started it off with 2 exams in college which went fine for the both of us but who likes doing exams right? We went back to my house where we filmed a video all about the beauty essentials for labour/delivery which will be up on my YouTube channel as soon possible.

We then had some lovely beans on toast for our lunch.

The main reason for this day was that as soon as I leaned of the pregnancy I thought 'Sinead totally has to come to the pool with me!' I have a membership in the local hotel so we went up for over an hour of floating bringing lots of pampering products for after to make us feel extra refreshed.

We then decided we wanted to bake so we proceeded to make cupcakes and cookies, we didn't want to be greedy we're bringing them into college tomorrow(hopefully they'll go down a treat!)

To make us even more like domestic goddesses we made a really scrumptious vegetable stir fry with rice and garlic bread. Have to say it tasted divine!

 After we let our bellies digest our food a little and after we did a little college work we iced our cupcakes with pretty colours while catching up on some YouTube vlogs. They tasted better then I thought!(I'm not a huge sugar icing fan)

Tired but only from fun antics I gave baby bump and Sinead a kiss goodbye before she headed home.

Make sure you keep an eye out for the new video and let me know below if you have had any fun days with your best friend recently, what did you get up to?

Until next time,

Love & Hugs,

Alice May, Sinead and Bump

Innocent Smoothies ‘little greenies’

Well today we finally got a glimpse of the sun and I didn't freeze without a coat- success! 

Inoccent smoothie is always doing good with the likes of the big knit and now they have their 'little greenies; 'a group of young gardeners who want to get kids their age sowing & growing all around Ireland.'
The aim of this is to educate children around Ireland about sowing and growing their own vegetables and get them to do it themselves! The target is 25,000 kids in on the project so let's get cracking!

'Dalkey Garden School' will be commencing it's children's course on the 2nd of May for 4 weeks every Thursday from 4-5.30 pm. The children will not only be part of the Innocent Smoothie campaign but will learn lot's of fun and interesting things about the garden; getting hands on experience. The block of classes cost €60 and are suitable for ages 4-12 years. 
For more information on the school go to DalkeyGardenSchool.com, 'Like' their Facebook and 'Follow' them on their new Twitter. 

Be sure to pass on this post to someone you think might have some eager kids to get their hands dirty and learn some fun stuff! 

For now check out this video that was made when some children were quizzed on their fruit & veg knowledge, it's pretty cute!

Love & Hugs,

Alice May

^Adult classes are also available in Dalkey Garden School^

Haul: Louboutins, Skater Skirts & Eye Shadow

I haven't done a haul in quite some time but I got myself a few bits as I felt I deserved a wee treat!

Firstly are my very first pair of Christian Louboutins. You would expect to see sky high stilettos with the signature red sole. Although these beauties have the red sole they are anything but high!
I'm sure you're all familiar with Siopa Ella the 'swap boutique and consignment store'.  They stock a lot of designer gear and I always keep my eye on Siopa Ella's Facebook for anything extra special; which is exactly what happened when these Brown Christian Louboutin leather Chelsea boots showcased themselves. Before I knew it I was in the shop trying them and handing over my card.
They set me back €195 but considering they where hardly worn and worth a lot more I didn't get too upset! I've been looking for a nice pair of Chelsea boots for ages so actually I'm extremely happy!

The next thing was another thing I spied in my daily LivingSocial(discount coupan website) email. I usually hate these emails and always try to remember to unsubscribe myself from the annoying at least 5 a day subscription servive. But I saw that they had a deal on a 120 eye shadow palatte for €15 when normally it's about €60 from KwikStore. I've wanted a palette like this for my kit for ages so was delighted at the cheap price! I've used a few colours and so far so good!

 The last 2 things are from BooHoo.com. I love the skater skirt trend as their super flattering and really easy to wear. You don't have to worry about being bloated with  them either so this makes it all the better!

The first one is called the 'Jessie Scuba Skater Skirt' in sugar-coral and the second is the 'Jess Skater Skirt' in berry(no longer available) both where €15. I amn't 100% happy with the material of either of the skirts and if you're thinking of getting the sugar-coral get it in your size if not one size bigger but definitely not any smaller! 

So there you have it! My few purchases over the last while. If you'd like a more in dept post on any of the items I got just let me know!
I also bought my flights and put down a deposit on accomadation for my holiday with my friends this summer! I won't be spending any money for a while cause I'm officially broke again! ha ha

Until next time,

Love ya!

Alice May x

Hydrate and Conceal with Benefit's Fakeup!

retails at €26.50

Why hello there my lovelies!

On Friday evening last I was invited to a Benefit event to show us bloggers their newest product 'Fakeup'. Before I talk about this amazing new product I just want to take a minute to show you the kindness of Benefit who always throw the most amazing parties. Bubbles for everyone[not me- driving :-(] and oodles of yummy food including the cute as a button picnic style fish and chips. 

Now- back to the main post!

What is this 'Fakeup' I'm on about you are thinking? Well it's essentially an under eye concealer that has a ring of vitamin E and Apple Seed extract... huh? Basically this means that not only will you be hiding away your dark circles but you'll be doing your skin wonders. It won't crease and will last all day. 

We were all colour matched by the amazing Mark I of course am the palest of the pale(I don't look it at times but trust me-I am!) 

They come in 3 shades; Light, Medium and Deep. I was very lucky to receive all 3 the other night and boy did I have a field day when I was getting my self dolled up to go out last night. 

I used the light shade under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose and a little on my forehead I then contoured with the deep shade. I love contouring with cream products and this is a gem, easy to blend and a beautiful dewy finish too. You can see the results on me below. I can honestly tell you that throughout the night my makeup stayed on without the need for touch ups(well bar my lippy!) which was great so I could spend more time dancing the night away!

 We also got the Hello Flawless powder in honour of it's Birthday which I will review at a later date when I've used it a little. 

I hope you guys get a chance to check out this new concealer and if you do let me know your thoughts bur for now I hope you are all enjoying your paddies day while I nurse an incredibly large hangover..

All the best,

Always,

Alice May xx

ps last night I was asked for not my number but my twitter... weird. (commence twitter censor!)

Photo robbed from the Benefit facebook page!

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