Lancome - Hypnose Star Mascara

Hey Ladies,

Hope you are all well! Today's post kind of brings me back to an obsession that began in my childhood and has lasted right into my adult years, Betty Boop. When I heard that Lancôme had signed my beloved Betty Boop I knew from the off, I'd be jumping on that bandwagon!

One thing that always stood out to me about Betty Boop were her eye's and those lashes. Just stunning! This mascara was inspired by the hallmark 1930's movies. So we're talking yesterday's vintage glamour meets the glamour of today.

The packaging of this mascara is amazing, it's sparkling, sequined, and dazzling, it most definitely has a 'star' quality. The packaging actually reminds me of a dress that Betty herself wore in an old video I had as a child where she wore a long, sequined, sparkling dress. Betty was always a charming character, she was also the first ever cartoon heroine, even to this day she is seen as an established symbol of glamour

So, what makes this mascara special? Well according to Lancôme, this mascara has the combination of an innovative brush and and the 'black diamond' effect fluid formula, which enables you to sculpt the lashes precisely. Hypnôse Star plays on the balance between two types of wax, comprising of two formula's, for a feather light texture which promises to give incredible glamorous volume and voluptuous curl.

So, what are my opinions on this mascara? Well, I'm afraid nothing is going to knock YSL's Faux Cills Shocking mascara off my top spot, but I really like this mascara, It does what it promises and it's a great mascara. It gives length, volume and curl, and the staying power is great. Who doesn't love a bit of Betty inspired glamour?!

So that's it ladies.

What do you think?

Will you be trying Lancôme's Hypnôse Star?

What mascara's are you loving right now?

Let me know!

xoxo

Aundrea

My Haircare Routine

Hey Ladies.

My post this evening is about my haircare routine. The past few months have been a very rocky road with both my skin and hair care routine. I'm not going to bore you with the details but basically I have arthritis and I started a new drug called Methotrexate which is a very strong medication with is actually used in chemotherapy. So, with this new drug come an entire string of issues to contend with. My hair is actually falling out as a result. Nothing majorly serious, but it was a little scary the first time it happened, I'm hoping that once my body adjusts, things will start to regulate with my hair and skin. So, enough of the boring stuff and on to how I try to manage and pamper my hair.

Now, like every other women on the planet, I have tried my fair share of shampoo and conditioner. I am talking high end to drug store/chemist (or whatever the Irish equivalent of drugstore is) Now some high end ones were fine, but they weren't exactly life changing and for €30 plus for a bottle of shampoo it would want to be more than just fine.

So, on my journey to find my top shampoo and conditioner I came across Aussie, now obviously I had heard of Aussie before, but the thing that put me off, was they were kind of expensive for such a small bottle. When I discovered they had re sized to a bigger bottle for the same price, I was there! What I am using at the moment is the Miracle Moist shampoo and conditioner. I find that these have worked wonders. I shampoo twice and leave the shampoo in for 2 minutes at a time. Next I pop the conditioner in. I use a generous amount of conditioner and comb through with a wide tooth comb, leave it fr 4-5 minutes and then rinse.

Next on the list is the 3 Minute Miracle 'Colour' Deep Treatment, this is such a fantastic product, not my first bottle of the 3 Minute Miracle, but it is my first 'Colour' 3 Minute Miracle. Unfortunately, I have been cursed with the grey gene. I have to dye my roots at least once every 3 weeks. I have my mother to thank for that. This is an incredibly thick balm that I apply to my hair once a week just to try and repair some of the damage done by the colouring process and of course by styling tools. Now, again I have tried my fair share of masks/treatments and honestly this is so much better than my Moroccan Oil mask which cost €35! This does exactly the same job, if not better for a fraction of the price.

Let's start with the Moroccan Oil, this bad boy will set you back €40 for a 100ml bottle. What are the benefits? Well, I purchased this when the hair oil craze started and this was THE product to have. Yes, it's fine it does what it says on the tin but is it worth the money? No, I don't think so. It's not a bad product by any means but I just think that there are better products out there for less money. Just like the one I am about to show you.

This is Macadamia Oil. It costs about €28.00 and it's 150ml. What I prefer about this product, aside form the fact it's cheaper and you get an extra 50ml is that it's not as heavy as the Moroccan Oil. It's very difficult to overload your hair with this product. This is a healing hair oil and I have found with the combined use of all the above products and this my hair is in much better condition, Less split ends, it's silky smooth, less frizzy and my hair is so much easier to manage.

Before I finish up I have a little tip for you! The Aussie shampoo? It is the PERFECT thing to deep cleanse your makeup brushes with! It works wonders with them, it removes all the dirt and build up of makeup and leaves the brushes so, so soft. It's much better than any actual brush cleanser I have tried including the MAC brush cleanser! Give it a try, I guarantee you'll be impressed!

That's it for now ladies.

I hope you enjoyed!

What are you haircare products of the moment?

Have you tried any of the above?

Let me know!

xoxo

Aundrea

YvesSaintLaurent - Haul & Review

Hello Ladies,

Hope you are all well! So, I've decided to do something a little different for today's post... a haul. If you follow me on Twitter, you will know I tweeted recently about an incident that may or may not have happened at the YSL counter in Debenhams, the incident in question was me spending WAY too much money. I will try and defend my actions by saying that it was really sunny that day and the way the light hit the products and brought out my inner magpie.

I don't mind admitting that I have a slight obsession with all things YSL. It's an incredible brand, and every item I have in my collection is a little piece of luxury. The packaging is amazing and the quality of the products are fantastic. I have yet to buy a product from YSL that has not lived up to my expectations.

Let's start with the Rouge Volupte in Fetish Pink, just a stunning colour, it's an almost barbie pink, but not too much.

I have to say I am just in love with these. The packaging is so luxurious with the gold tube and the intricately designed ring that overlays the lipsticks shade. A quirky little feature. These lipsticks knock any other I have ever tried out of the park. They are so creamy and pigmented and you are left with the most stunning gloss finish.

This is Lingerie Pink, it's just beautiful, It's a very pale pink and I just adore it. Even as I type I am distracted by the amazing packaging. It's just incredible. Want to hear the best part?! Of course you do! On the top of the lid is a mirror to help with touch up's! How great is that?!

This is the Volupte Sheer Candy in Iced Plum, these are basically the same as the Rouge Volupte but with a sheer twist, it is of course more of a balm than a lipstick, but I adore it. It gives a perfect tint and its beautifully moisturising.

Next up are the Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stains. This shade is Encre Rose is a really pretty lilac purple.

This shade is Violet Edition, a plum purple. There is a knack to how you apply these. You paint the first coat and let it sit for about 30 seconds. The second coat gives you more gloss, more coverage and the colour will deepen. The product applies sticky, and then it turns into something else, and what you're left with is the most beautiful non sticky gloss effect.

I've saved the best until last. This is Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Shocking. Now, the wand on this mascara is a little different to that of the original. This one is twisted with longer bristles that twists in a helter skeltor kind of effect (worst terminology ever). This is the most dramatic mascara I have ever used and to be quite honest, the effect it gave really shocked me (no pun intended) It's just incredible. It gives the length, the volume, the curl and the drama, it's the perfect way to frame the eyes. On a final note about this mascara, it smells... divine! I'm not used to having a mascara that smells so good, like most YvesSaintLaurent products it's ever so subtly scented with a hint of mango. If you are going to try one high end mascara this year, this should be it. It's perfection in a gold tube!

So, that's it for now ladies.

I hope you enjoyed my little haul,

Is there anything here you would consider trying?

Let me know what you've been buying!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

Max Factor - Flipsticks & False Lash Effect 24

Hey Ladies,

Hope this weekend is treating you well! So, my post today is a review on MaxFactor's new delights the Colour Effect Flipsticks and the new False Lash Effect 24 mascara. Back in the day MaxFactor was my go to cosmetics brand for mascara. They are unbeatable for high street/drugstore quality. It's hard to believe that MF have been around for over 100 years. After all, Mr Max Factor was the creator of the very first high tech mascara brush!

I'm going to start with the Flipsticks. First of all, how adorable and fun are these?! I cannot tell you how much fun I have had experimenting with them! These are multi coloured lipstick duo's that allow you to get a little inventive and create your own look. There are 6 shades, so 12 lipstick's in total. Let me show you the colours...

Bloomy Pink

Folky Pink

Salsa Red

Gypsy Red

Swingy Brown

Boreal Pink

All in all I think these are fabulous little products, they are so much fun to experiment with. You can create so many different looks either individually or when you mix and match all 12 colours. These are definitely worth a look if you feel like indulging in your creativity.

Now, the mascara. I have always been a fan of the False Lash effect, I have tried every version that MaxFactor have released. I even rushed out to buy the limited edition purple version of the original when it was released 3 years ago (don't judge, I'm a purple fanatic!) Then we had the False Lash Effect Fusion, and now False Lash Effect 24, which is amazing, because lets face it a gal can never have too many versions of a fantastic mascara!

So. the first thing I noticed when applying the mascara was how it felt like you were applying nothing at all (in a good way!) The wand is so incredibly soft that it feels like you are combing through each individual lash with the softest almost, baby like brush, all the while applying the most amazingly formulated mascara to give you length, separation, volume and curl. Now I have put this mascara to the test on quite a few occasions, through rain, hail, and shine (quite literally). This is pretty amazing, it doesn't budge under any circumstances, it lasts me throughout the day and when it comes to removing it, I had no difficulty at all. Top marks for this little wonder!

So that's it ladies!

Will you be trying these little beauties?

What are your favourite MaxFactor products?

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea