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Posted on February 2, 2014

Avocado ice cream

Uncategorized

avocado icecream

I’ve been eating pretty clean lately and only recently I found myself craving some sugar, It’s funny because only a few weeks back I was bragging about how unaffected I was by sweets and junk food – guess I was on a different boat this week!

Anyways since there’s always a few avocados lying around the house, I thought I’d make up a ‘healthy recipe’ to beat my sugar craving. I know it’s a bit odd to have ice-cream in this weather, but what can I say, I’m a bit of an odd ball myself so what can I say!

I know there’s a good few recipes for avocado ice cream , but some contain dairy or sugar – two things I’m trying to avoid… so here’s a dairy-free alternative:

2 ripe avocados
240 ml soya milk
130 ml soya cream
75 g  honey
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
a pinch of salt

Peel and pit the avocados before you put it in the blender.

Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

You should get about 1 litre from this.

Put it in a freeze-proof container and freeze for at least 6 hours.

If you like your ice cream a bit soft then you don’t have to wait long before scooping it up.

I know it’s no Ben & Jerry’s, but it’s definitely much healthier!

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avic

Posted on January 29, 2014

Úr Makeup sponge and mascara wands

product review

The lovely Nichola Graham, from Ur Makeup was very kind to send me a few samples of her re-usable mascara wands as well as a cute makeup sponge (it’s near enough to the beauty blender sponge if I say so myself).

Being a fan of big eyes, I couldn’t wait to use the mascara wands, especially since I had so many to choose from….

ur make up

As you can see,  all the wands take on a different shape. Of the seven sent to me, I quite liked the  sphere-shaped ones (2 and 3). Because of the round shape, these wands makes for easy application around the corner of your lashes – perfect way to get the inner part of your eye to stand out.

The wand with the curve was another one of my favorites (number 1), simply because I adore anything that gives my lashes an extra curl.

Ur makeup

To be honest, I can be very picky about how I apply my foundation, so when I saw this sponge, I wasn’t quite sure about how things would play out….

To my surprise, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be . It’s all about nailing the technique!

Here’s how to use it:

  • Soak the sponge into  warm water. This is to ensure that the foundation doesn’t absorb into it and that you get the most out of your foundation.
  • Ring it out so the sponge is damp and not soaked.
  • Dip into foundation and apply on your face.
  • When using this, avoid applying your makeup in strokes. Instead, slightly pat it on your face until you have the coverage you’re looking for.

What I liked:

Unlike foundation brushes, the Ur makeup sponge doesn’t leave any strokes on your face
It leaves you with a clean and natural finish
I love how the pointy part can be used for those hard-to-reach areas
There’s a place specially designed for your fingers so you can get a good grip

The best part about these products is they’re Irish made and easily available! Check out the Facebook page here if you want to get your hands on either of these bad boys.

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Posted on January 27, 2014

Lush Cosmetics Tea Tree Toner Water

product review

lush tea tree toning water - beauty- smEven though I’m a huge fan of natural products, Lush Cosmetics have never really gone down well for me in the past. But, once I finally decided to give their Tea Tree Toner Water a bash, there was little room for any doubts I had before.

Targeted at oily and acne-prone skin, this product is a life-saver, I mean it, it really does save lives….

If you know anything about having oily skin, you’d know that half way through your day, your glands decide to pull a David on you and out of sheer betrayal, they start acting up and make you look rather greasy- never a pretty ‘dewy’ look.

So here’s how I use my toner

  1. I cleanse my face using my usual Simple product
  2.  Pat it dry
  3. Get a clean cotton pads
  4. Give it a few spritz
  5.  Gently pat it over my face

For an extra glow, I like to add lemon juice to the cotton pad and since lemon have natural lightening properties, I can’t really complain about that!

The 250ml bottle usually costs just under €10 and for 100ml you’ll be looking at about €7. I have a 250ml bottle which I use in the morning and the evenings. It lasts me about three months so you’re really get your money’s worth.

If you’re a fan of Lush Cosmetics, feel free to leave a comment below!

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Posted on January 7, 2014

D.I.Y almond face masks

D.I.Y

home-made almond milk

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to use natural products to make face masks. For starters, it’s can work out a lot cheaper and on top of that, you have full control over what you use, so you don’t have to be fooled into thinking you’re getting something else (believe me, it happens!)

As I mentioned before, almonds are packed with vitamin E which are very good for the skin, it has anti-aging properties and can help promote glowing skin. When used topically, it gently exfoliates the skin as well as keeping it hydrated.

So here are a few masks you could use for to tackle different skin problems:

Dull skin/Sensitive skin: Use an almond and honey mask

This will give your skin a special glow making it look more alive. Mix two spoonfuls of almond powder with one spoon of honey. Apply to face after cleansing and leave for no more than 20 minutes before rinsing out- watch your skin glow.

Dry skin: Use an almond, oats and lemon mask

Oats will soothe dry and itchy skin, while the lemon makes for a great skin toner.  Take one tablespoon of almond powder and oats and then mix with two tablespoons of lemon. Make a paste and apply on the skin after cleansing.

Oily skin: Use an almond, honey and lemon mask

As in the other masks, the almond will gently exfoliate your skin , while the honey and lemon will help tighten and brighten your skin. Mix 1 tablespoon of  each and apply to the skin after cleansing. Leave on for about 20 minutes before cleaning face.

There you have it, a few different ways you can use almonds in a face mask! If you know any other variations of these masks, feel free to throw them my way!

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Posted on December 27, 2013

How to use coconut oil in your beauty routine

Natural beauty

how to use coconut oil in your beauty routine

I’ve recently incorporated coconut oil into my beauty routine as a way to grow my hair. A few weeks back, I popped into Holland & Barretts in a quest to find a natural hair treatment that I could use on a daily basis, and of course – like olive oil– I quickly discovered that coconut oil is yet another beauty multi-tasker.

It’s one of the very few oils that can be fully absorbed in the hair shaft, rather than just sitting on it’s surface. Besides applying this oil to the roots of your hair, here are five other ways you can use it as a beauty product.

Shaving cream: Coconut oil is a great shaving cream substitute,especially for those with sensitive skin. Since it’s a natural oil, it’s a good option for people that might have an allergic reaction to normal shaving creams – unless of course they’re allergic to coconuts! Other than that, it also gives a smooth base for your razor, leaving you with glamorous supermodel legs.

Body moisturiser: For a nice glowing finish, use a bit of coconut oil on your body right after the shower. It will give your body a silky sheen before a big date or a regular night out.

coconut oil in beauty

Makeup remover: Another gentle way to remove makeup, just apply a bit of coconut oil to the eye area and use a cotton pad to remove it. You’ll be very surprised by the results and to put the cherry on top, it will hydrate the skin around your eyes – the more its hydrated the more you avoid getting crows feet!

Hair mask: If your hair is particularly coarse then you will definitely feel a difference after this mask. Warm a chunk of coconut oil between your hands and massage thoroughly through hair. Once evenly distributed, wrap hair for 30 minutes and rinse out before following your normal shampoo and conditioner routine. (Some people like to leave it over night, but I’m pretty sure your hair will stop absorbing  the coconut oil well before you wake up….)

Body scrub: Why buy a body scrub (or any scrub for that matter), if you can make one at home? Just mix a bit of sugar with coconut oil and scrub scrub scrub! Since coconut oil has anti-fungal properties, it makes for a good foot scrub as well.

If you’re not sure about investing into a tub of coconut oil right away,you could probably get a small bottle of the liquid in a pharmacy (It certainly isn’t as off putting as the jar of lard that I have!) All jokes aside, this natural oil is definitely worth trying, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed shaving so much!

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Posted on December 23, 2013

Home-made almond milk and it’s beauty benefits

recipes

home-made almond milk

A non-dairy alternative to milk is something that a lot of people look for- let’s face it, with obesity at it’s high, and many “unfortunate” enough to be lactose intolerant , everyone is on the look out for healthier alternatives when it comes to food.

Of course with the New Year only days away, I’m nearly certain that the majority will be “turning over a new leaf”  (myself included), so to get ahead start, you can use this quick recipe as a replacement for regular milk – a food that can cause weight gain and trigger acne 

What you need:

1 cup of almonds
4 cups of water
honey to sweeten (optional)
1 drop vanilla essence (optional)

Steps:

home-made almond milk

1.Blend the almonds and water until it gets frothy
2.Filter the mixture into a glass (or jar) using a sieve
3.Put what ever is left in the sieve back into the blender with some water and repeat 
4.Refrigerate for a couple of days

5 beauty benefits to drinking almond milk:

Helps in weight loss. A serving of almond milk milk has nearly half as many calories as a serving of regular milk, so this is a guilt free milk (in moderation of course)

Helps build muscle. It contains vitamin D, calcium, and many chemical properties such as iron which is responsible for muscle repair. So if you’re not a fan of protein shakes, a glass of almond milk should do the trick!

Antioxidant. Almond milk is enriched in vitamin E, a well known antioxidant which protects the skin from damage caused by the environment. Replacing almond milk with regular milk will help promote glowing skin.

Oil regulation in the skin. It contains essential fatty acids that help control how much oil is released by sebaceous glands. This can reduce how much oil is trapped and clogged in the pores.

Hydrates the skin. It can be used as a topical solution for dry and flaky skin. Properly moisturised skin can prevent premature aging.

Note: Almonds, like many other nuts are high in Omega 6 (too much of it can cause high blood pressure) so remember everything in moderation!

I know Alpro do a nice almond milk, but making it yourself works out a lot cheaper…..so now that you know how to make almond milk at home, there’s no reason why you should go back to drinking that fat injecting regular milk right?  it’s your call!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Enhance What’s Yours 

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home-made almond milk

Posted on December 22, 2013

Christmas party makeup

tutorials

2013-12-22 19.01.40 (1)

 Only three more sleeps until Christmas day, but four more until Stephen’s night…..

We all know how busy the nightclubs can get on the 26th so of course you’d want to look your best.  I’ll admit I’ve never been out on St.Stephen’s night (I know shame on me…. but I’m all about New Years!)

But for you party animals out there who want to look glam for the nights to come, here’s a simple look I’ve recreated with only three products:

Calvin Klein Tempting Glitter 21308 Sage Shimmer
Gold and black eye shadow by Fuschia
Black gel liner by Maybelline

christmas party makeup christmas party makeup

Steps:

  • After prepping the eyes, start by putting bronze eye shadow on your lids and slightly over your crease (not too high, we don’t want it ruining the eyebrows now do we…..)
  • Apply black gel liner on the lid ONLY – this will set a good base for the eye shadow and make it more prominent, (especially if your black eye shadow isn’t great)
  • Apply black eye shadow over the lid and blend  inside your crease
  • Use the gold eye shadow on your lower lash line – going three quarters of the way only- and then use the black on the outer lash line
  • Apply gel liner (or eye liner of your choice) on the water line

christmas party makeup

And there you are, five simple steps to achieve this glamorous look! I’m not a fan of false lashes, but when you wear black eye shadow, your real lashes will more than likely disappear,so a pair of falsies would be a perfect way of completing this look!

Don’t be scared to give it a try and let me know how you get on! For more easy tutorials, click here

Don’t forget to subscribe to Enhance What’s Yours 

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Posted on December 12, 2013

Home-made protein bars

recipes

homemade protein bars

I’m excited to finally have my first recipe up! I know, it’s long overdue, but I guess I’ve just been a bit distracted by all the pretty makeup – you can’t exactly fault me for that, now can you? 🙂

Initially, I planned to have an avocado smoothie recipe up for my first food post, but since there aren’t a lot of avocado fans out there, I’d have to make some alterations to that recipe before sharing it! So for now, you’re getting the next best thing….home-made protein bars!

Last night I uploaded a picture of my protein bars in the making and got a lovely comment saying the mixture looked like poop – nice!

I’ll have you know that it does NOT look like poop, and more importantly, it doesn’t taste like it either! If I’m honest, it’s a lot better than your average protein bar (or chocolate bar for that matter)  especially since you control what you put in it so it’s a lot safer as well.

 homemade protein bars

What you need:

  1. 250g cup of peanut butter
  2.  85g of oats
  3.  300g of honey
  4. 70g cup dried fruit/chocolate chips
  5.  50g chopped hazelnuts (optional)
  6.  2 scoops protein powder

Note: You can throw in your favourite seeds and nuts into this mixture, it all comes down to personal preference!

Get started:

1.Mix the honey and peanut better in a saucepan over a low heat.

2. Add the oats  and mix through.

3. Throw in your dried fruit/chocolate chips with nuts and then keep mixing.

4. Add the protein powder (a lot of mixing I know)

5. Flatten the mixture into a greased tin.

6. Cut through and refrigerate overnight.

Tip: Wrap each bar in tin foil and keep them in the fridge – great way to pack them up and bring to work/college

I used to have one of these after the gym, but now I think it makes for a tasty snack- could even work for breakfast as well.

I’m not trying to get ahead of myself here, but my father, (who absolutely ADORES Snickers) told me my protein bars taste like Snickers – I know right!  I think this recipe will give Snickers a run for their money – in the health world anyways!

Do have a go at it and let me know what you think, but so far, I’ve had nothing but positive feedback on these 🙂

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Posted on December 10, 2013

Product review: Nimue rejuvenating mask and lip cream

product review

Nimue products

Hope you’re all well, I decided to give you a quick lunch time read on two Nimue products I received in a goodie bag a while back. At this stage, I think I’ve used the mask enough times to have an opinion on it (and the lip cream is completely gone, I have nothing left at all!)

So first things first, what does the face mask claim to do?

The Nimue rejuvenating mask supposedly

Eliminates the damaging effects of free radicals to produce a brighter, smoother, radiant and clearer complexion

it also claims to

Reduce the signs of premature skin ageing

and

Has a hydrating benefit

Honestly, It would be great if the the instructions on the pack came with a time frame as well (it would give us something to hold on to), as I’m not sure I’m getting all the benefits from this product. That could be because I found it very blotchy and hard to remove, (once there’s a struggle to remove a mask it goes into the bad books!)

face mask

Cons:

–  Blotchy and hard to remove

–  Requires you to use a lot of product

– Not easy to find (only available in selected beauty stores)

– No prices available online

-It doesn’t actually harden on the face (not a bad thing for everyone, but when a mask is clay-based, I expect it to feel like cement after 10 minutes)

Pros: I love the scent!!

Verdit: Pretty obvious here isn’t it? Think I’d give this mask a pass…..

On a brighter note, the Nimue lip cream is something I brought with me everywhere (no wonder it didn’t last me very long!)

lip cream

Pros:

– The lip cream is so glossy it would pass for a lip gloss

– It smells amazing

– Extremely moisturizng

– Looks like lipstick  (too cute)

– Has an SPF 20

Cons:

–  5g didn’t last me very long

–  Difficult to find (again)

– Have to contact Nimue Skin Technology Ireland to find a stockist

All in all, I must say, I preferred the lip cream over the face mask, it glides right on and looks like a lip gloss. It I love how it contains an SPF of 20 (always a bonus)

It’s just a shame I can’t get it just anywhere close by, in this case, I think Carmex lip balm will have to do!

My give away ends soon, don’t forget to enter below !

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Posted on December 1, 2013

Bloggers Meet Up

Events

 thank u

As you know, the event was supposed to take place  at 4pm in Dakota on South William Street,Dublin. However, when I arrived with event planner Christelle Matonto, the manager told us that he knew nothing about our event at all (words can’t explain how I felt when I heard that) apparently the person dealing with Sales & Marketing didn’t communicate anything to him at all so we were basically sitting there with all our load, ready for an event  and no venue at all (it was horrific!) 

He said the closest time he could give us to set the place up was 3:45 but even then he couldn’t guarantee us the area we had left a deposit for 5 weeks prior to the date – disgraceful

The place was packed so we couldn’t really have the event anywhere there.

I left Dakota thinking it would be a nightmare trying to look for a venue as I didn’t know who was going to take us in at such short notice…..

Luckily for us, the staff in Lost Society were kind enough to take us in with all our load so we had time to set the place up before everyone arrived. They actually saved us , I really can’t thank them enough.

They had a great little place for us and everything, it was perfect! (much better than Dakota)

Moving on to the fun stuff……

Despite our little hiccup with the venue I think the evening turned out quite well. The place was decorated with coconut water (I felt like we had a years supply of that) and aloe vera water as well(absolutely hooked on that stuff now!)  I’m so grateful Mark from Koh Coconut was able to provide us with everything.

coco22

There were 17 of us, which meant that everyone was able to get a goodie bag provided by Cloud 10 beauty. Each bag had four beauty products, a mini mirror and a  €5 voucher to use on www.cloud10beauty.com.

They also had a mud mask from Anatomicals, a voucher for a free mini facial in the Buff Day Spa, a sign up from Boots and one free raffle strip.

Giovanna from Cloud 10 Beauty was the first guest speaker. She shared with us some fabulous beauty products from their site,one of which was a real techniques brush set available only from Cloud 10 beauty. They even offered us a set to use as a spot prize (too kind!)

bellefbeauty bloggers meet up

Next up was Aoibhe Devlin from The Secret Obsession. All I can say is –  WOW. Her talk blew everyone away. Aoibhe didn’t hold back on anything at all: she was honest, funny and really well spoken. Her advice yesterday was just invaluable to me, delighted she was there. Thanks again chick!

Through out the evening, everyone had lovely cheesecake bites provided by Cheesecake Dublin on South William Street. We had vanilla flavor and nutella as well, they were both amazing and staff in Cheesecake Dublin are just so kind!

eat22

Raffle winners!!

Elisha from Always Time for Tea won the Real Techniques brush set – lucky her! and Marlene from Everything Coco Chanel won the voucher for an hour session on any treatment in Buff Day Spa (very kind offer!)

All in all, I thought everything  turned out well in the end, I mean who knew it was possible to find a venue at such short notice!

all22

Thanks again to Lost Society and all of our sponsors so make sure you like each of their Facebook pages and give them a follow on Twitter:

Lost Society – they saved the day!

Holly Shortall – savage illustrator! Facebook/Twitter

Koh Coconut Water – they kept up well hydrated! Facebook/Twitter

Cloud 10 beauty – goodie bags (we actually got one in the end!) and a lovely spot prize Facebook/Twitter

Buff Day Spa – vouchers for everyone and a lovely spot prize (we should plan a girls day over there!)  Facebook/Twitter

Cheescake Dublin–  need I say more? Facebook/Twitter

Anatomicals–  cute little facials, I actually wrote a post on one of there a while back, check it out here. Facebook

more22

Thanks to everyone who came, it really did mean a lot to me and I hope you all had fun:

Aoibhe Devlin from The Secret Obsession

Zita Kelly from zee-railed

Marlene from Everything Coco Chanel

Nirina from Killer Fashion

AlwaysTimeForTea

The Sequin Cinderella

Flawless Magazine

LiaDesta12

MakeupartistaKassi

Town Mouse Country Mouse

Emmajcsheenan

ElephantOwl

ConstanceDoyle (photographer)

Sorry if I left anyone out, you can leave your link below! Thanks again ladies, so Dakota anyone? hahaha

sweet dreams xx

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway !

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Posted on November 29, 2013

Belle F Beauty Bloggers meetup

Events

belle f beauty bloggers meetup

Hello dolls! I’m happy to finally say there’s just one more sleep left until my first bloggers meetup. Over the past couple of weeks, myself and a friend have put a lot of effort into planning the perfect way to end the year.

Unfortunately some of the bloggers I’ve met since I started blogging will not be able to make it , but for those of you who will be coming, here is what tomorrow will bring:

First things things first, the address is Dakota, South William Street, Dublin 1

If you get stuck feel free to send me a tweet as I will be at my phone the whole day…

It will start at 4 pm and the first 20 to arrive will get a goody bag! So make sure you get there on time! On arrival, you will get the chance to catch up with other bloggers and meet with new ones.

After that we will have three guest speakers (with breaks in between of course!)

Of the three, the fabulous Aoibhe Devlin will speak to us about her experience in the world of blogging, and how she The Secret Obsession Blog became as popular as it is now.

belle f beauty bloggers meet up

Cloud 10 Beauty, who have also sponsored the goody bags for the event, will be in to speak about their Christmas box set and last but not least, Fiona Bourke will be telling us all about her fashion journey and how what started as a hobby is turning into a successful business.

There will be a raffle in the evening and we have some lovely spot prizes from Buff Day Spa and Cloud 10 Beauty so remember to get your tickets throughout the day.

To keep everyone energized (we will need it believe me), KOH Coconut have provided us with a GENEROUS amount of coconut water (I have half a litre every day and I still can’t get enough of it!)

belle f beauty

Non coconut lovers can have Aloe Vera Drink instead, and finally (yes there’s more!)  they have also given us a few beauti shots which is new to the market- Can’t wait to get my hands on those…….

I’m not a complete health freak so it won’t be a complete health feast! The nibbles and munchies will assure you of that! I’d rather not announce the dessert now as I’m very excited to try it myself, it’s probably one of my favorite desserts in the world – to say the least.

I think I pretty much covered everything! If you have any questions let me know! Also I finally found my outfit after roaming around the street of Dublin for 3 hours yesterday (it was worth it!)

Look forward to seeing you all and I hope you all like the illustration of me by Holly, I think it looks amazing  don’t you?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway below!

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Posted on November 18, 2013

Yes to Cucumbers Daily Gel Cleanser

product review/ Skincare

yes to cucumbers

Hello there! Hope I’ve given you all enough time to enter my giveaway, I have 2 mini Aveeno hampers and some goodies from Make Up For Ever up for grabs! Check out the details here.

Before I hit the cot, I’m going to give you my feedback on Yes to Cucumbers Daily Gel Cleanser (yet another product I received at Samantha’s bloggers meet up!)

This product was kindly given to us by Paul from The Cosmetic Outlet (he has amazing bargains on well-known beauty brands), it was one of the products I used almost immediately after going through my goodie bag at home.

My initial thoughts on the Yes to Cucumbers cleanser was that it smelled great and it’s extremely gentle on the skin.

However, the question is, what were my thoughts after I used it a couple of times?

Well to answer your question, nothing changed! I quite like this product to be honest with you, here are my pros and cons:

Pros:
1. Affordable (less than €10)
2. Soft scent
3. Didn’t irritate my skin
4. No oily residue
5. Paraben-free

Cons:
1. It doesn’t foam up (not quite sure if that’s a bad thing, but I like foam!)
2. No travel-size option for this product (if you’re anything like me, this will be a problem!)

Other than that, I think it’s worth trying out! Generally Yes to Cucumbers is for normal to sensitive skin, Yes to Carrots is for normal to dry skin and Yes to Tomatoes is for oily to combination skin (all the details are on www.yestocarrots.com)

Those subscribe to Enhance What’s Yours are in for a treat!

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