How to Pack Smart for a Trip

How to Pack Smart for a Trip

Small (Bra/Undies)

     

Keep everything natural nude so it will work under all clothes, 

Even if you have a white top it's always best to wear a nude bra as it's less likely to be seen. 

           Multiway bras are always super handy to pack!

Clothes

Pick a colour scheme and stick to it.

Pick items that all match so you can vary your outfit without over packing,

I stick to these rules:

Black                or           Brown

Red               or           Pink

I never pick a brown top if I pack black shoe, or a red top with a pink jacket

My colour scheme is usually 

Blacks, 

Greys, 

and a pop of colour usually Pink or Red.

But hey that's just me!

Make-up

Primer 

Foundation

Concealer

Powder

Blush

Bronzer

Brow Pencil 

Brow Gel

Eyeshadow Palette

Mascara

Eye Liner

Lipstick

Lipgloss

Brushes/Tools

Foundation Brush or Sponge

Blush Brush

Powder/Bronzer Brush 

(Don't want to mix a blush brush with a powder/bronzer as it can give your face a pink tint) 

Flat Eye-shadow 

Blending brush

Brow Brush

Eye lash Curler

Tweezers

Skin Care

Cleanser

Toner 

Moisturiser

Lip balm 

Hair Care

Shampoo/Conditioner

Leave in Conditioner/heat defence 

Hair Brush

Hair gel or spray or creme

(Depending on hair type)

Kev's Rainbow Eye

Here is video #2 for me and Kevin. I know it took forEVER for us to get it uploaded but my computer would NOT process it for the life of me. The first video is where he had to take all my product and do my makeup blindly. Then we had readers send in a bunch of photos for Kevin to try next time. The one that he chose was a rainbow eye sent in by Stacey. 

Here he is using the picture and trying to match it. At the end there is a Q&A where he asks how to fix common mistakes. I think he did a great job! =) What do you think???

I have podophobia

Micro-Pedi

Not something I like to admit but....*whisper* I have horrible feet.

I have podophobia: A fear of feet!

I hate feet, even the word Feet or Foot turns my stomach, I think this is because ever since I can remember I have had dry horrid feet. 
I even remember going to the doctor about it as a kid!

I have tried everything to get smooth feet,

scrubs, lotions, potions, files everything!! 

(If you want a review on products that I have tired before, let me know)

So I had to review this because in my option this is AWESOME!

Best thing I have EVER tried hands down (or should I say feets up) 
I finally have smooth feet with very little effort at all!! 

  
Pop two AA batteries in 

(not included by the way)

Press the button so it starts to rotate....

Run it over the foot Never hold for more then 2 seconds in the same spot

You'll see the flakes fall away...
Do it over a bin or towel, its gross lol





AND DONE SMOOTH FEET!!

It is pretty expensive at around €50 but I have spent more on stuff that hasn't worked so taking that into account it's not bad and at least it really works. 

I have been going around showing everyone my feet and with my podophobia that's HUGE for me!

All in all I love it!

I just don't know!!

Vichy Normaderm 

Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care

This is gonna be a very mixed review, 

I dunno where to start with it one....

I guess I will start with WHY I bought this. Vichy claim this moisturiser is for "imperfection-prone skin, to help with redness, shine, scarring and uneven texture." All issues I have. My skin is prone to breaking out but I have to be careful what I use on it, as it can become very dry if I use the typical "Acne" type products. 

This product includes Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid and LHA. This combination creates a peeling action penetrating the deep layers of the skin. "Treating from within"

So that's what it claims but what does it actually do...

Pros 

• It does seem to treat blemishes on the face, I feel a tingling feeling for a few second on the areas that I have blemishes and acne scars. 

• It hasn't affected my dry skin patches. Keeping them comfortably moisturised.

Cons  

• Doesn't seem to sink into the skin, it sits on top of my skin making it feel greasy.  

• I didn't notice my pores on my nose and cheeks were any smaller.

• The packaging makes you think you have lots left, so its hard to judge when you need more.

• Its expensive!!

• Does NOT work as a makeup base! Unless you like it melting off in a few minutes!

I honestly cannot decide what to do about this! 

Should I get it again...What do you think??

Love, a very confused Sinead :/

Best Mascara Ever! NO MORE!

I love this MASCARA! 

If you follow my videos and my Friday favourites videos then you will know that I love Maybelline one by one "waterproof" mascara!

but for those of you who don't here is the reasons why this is...

THE BEST MASCARA EVER!

Lets break it down into points!

1. The wand grabs hold of each lash and as it combs through, each one gets a generous amount of product.
2. It creates length and volume without the clumps!
3. Its build-able and each layer brings you closer and closer to that fake lash effect! 
4. The black shade is a true black, no grey here!
5. Its waterproof!
6. Once you apply it to curled lashes and lashes STAY curled all day! Prefect for that doll eyed look!

The down side! :(

Its becoming harder and harder to find which leads me to believe that it IS being discontinued after months of speculation!! 

However on a brighter note Maybelline have launch the new

Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

With very similar claims and packaging...

here's hoping its just as good!! 

I am off to Boots to give one ago and I will post my thoughts on my blog soon!!

Much love Sinead xx

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Make-up-Chair-Sineadycady/160851560621523

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/SineadyCady

Instagram.

User name: Sineadycady

Review: mark. Juice Gems (an old favorite)

 I don't talk about mark much and I'm not really sure why. I think it's partly because I'm a Rep and I don't want to seem like a self-promoter (even though that's the whole point of being a Rep... lol). I got started with mark back in 2008 when I was just getting really into makeup, and actually mark had a lot to do with me becoming a makeup and beauty blogger. I bought a ton of mark makeup that first year but have since moved on to explore and try new brands and products.

However, there are some favorite mark gems (no pun intended) that have stayed with me through the years, and one of those is Juice Gems gloss:

These are my glosses; the second tube from the right has some gum on it from keeping it in my purse so much. Two things I always have in my purse, gloss and gum! ;)

One of the things I'm not as fond of about mark is that they are always introducing new products and discontinuing old ones, which means something you fall in love with may not be available next month. (This always happens to me!)

Thankfully though, these glosses seem to be part of the permanent line since I first tried them in 2008 and they're still available today, though I only saw 3 out of 4 of these shades on the site. I've owned and used more than these 4 you see pictured but these are my favorite ones.

With flash, left to right: Raspberry, Cherry Pop, Pomegranate, and Snow Peach.

No flash.

The flash picture is more accurate color-wise but neither is completely true-to-life. There's no sun today to get a perfect picture but these give a good enough idea. 

Product info:

Color:

-Raspberry: Dark raspberry shade, more berry-toned than seen in the pictures. (On my lips it doesn't look this red, not sure why it shows red in the pictures.) I especially love this color for Fall/Winter since it gives a beautiful berry lip.

-Cherry Pop: Bright red-orange with copper sparkles, very pretty alone or over another lipcolor.

-Pomegranate: Bright coral pink, my #1 favorite go-to gloss for Spring/Summer!

-Snow Peach has a barely noticeable peachy tone.

-Honeydew (not pictured): A very pale, slightly pinkish gloss with tiny sparkles.

-Fig (not pictured): A sheer shimmery tan color that was mostly shimmer/sparkles, I think.

-Papaya (not pictured): A sheer pale lilac pink.

Opacity - They are all sheer to semi-sheer glosses:

-Raspberry is probably the most pigmented here, it does give a very nice berry hue to the lips.

-Pomegranate is probably second most pigmented; I use it when I want a bright pop of color that looks fresh and natural.

-Cherry Pop isn't very pigmented, it just gives a slight reddish orange tint to the lips, but the sparkles really stand out. (They can get a little gritty if you reapply this gloss many times throughout the day but it's not horrible.)

-Snow Peach isn't very strong on my pigmented lips, it just looks mostly clear; if you have very light lips naturally, it might give the slightest hint of peachy color.

Smell - Each has a smell corresponding to the shade/name/fruit:

-Raspberry smells and tastes like raspberry. I really love this scent/flavor, one of my favorites of all the Juice Gems.

-Cherry Pop: I love the way this gloss smells, like cherry, but not the cough syrup kind of cherry scent that some glosses have. (NYX glosses, for example, which I personally love but some people say it smells like cough syrup and hate it.) This gloss smells like cherry jam or cherry pie, slightly tart and yummy.

-Pomegranate: Also one of my favorite scents but hard to describe.. I guess it smells fruity and sweet, like a fruity candy maybe? Delicious...

-Snow Peach: It smells like peaches; if you've ever had this drink refreshing peach water, it smells exactly like that!

-Honeydew: I think I squealed when i first smelled this one; it smells obviously like melon, but more heavenly. Heavenly melon, lol♥

-Fig: I don't remember what Fig smelled like. Sorry!

-Papaya: I forget what this one smelled like also, I just remember I didn't care for it because I thought it smelled a bit perfumey.

(They do have a bit of a taste but I find it pleasant and it does fade after a little while.)

Feel/Texture:

These glosses are a little thick and a little sticky; I've never tried MAC lip glass but I'd imagine it might be sort of similar. I know people either love or hate the stickiness of MAC glosses. For me, the stickiness of these Juice Gems helps to seal in the moisture and keep it on my lips. These glosses last a long time, even through eating and drinking. I like them in Winter when my lips have trouble staying supple, and I even use these overnight sometimes when my lips are really dry; I just rub on some chapstick or coconut oil and then layer on a little of this gloss, and it doesn't wear off by morning. Stickiness also means my lips stay shiny even after the gloss part has worn off, making my lips look full and pretty longer than a regular gloss.

Price:

-$7.50 for .05 FL OZ from a mark. Rep or mark.'s website. Feel free to use my Rep link if you order: http://epenn.mymarkstore.com/

(They also often give these out as GWP or do deals like buy two Juice Gems and get one free.)

Final thoughts:

-I love these glosses because they give that super shiny, wet "juicy lips" effect with just a hint of color. They look great on their own or amazing over a lipcolor.  They also smell and taste amazing and supposedly have real fruit extracts to condition your lips. A tube is .05 FL OZ which is I think about the size of any standard lipgloss tube these days. They last a long time since you don't need to use much on your lips. I've repurchased before and I'll repurchase again since these have been a longtime favorite of mine for the last 5 years. I love them♥

Thanks for reading!

*Products purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Review: NYX "Citrine" Black Label Lipstick

 Hey there! In this post I bring you one of my new favorite lip products...

 NYX Black Label Lipstick in Citrine♥

I have been really into bright orange and coral lip products lately. (Gearing up for Spring, I guess!) I got this beauty in a recent Cherry Culture haul and I love it! 

Left to right: Wet N' Wild MegaLast "Stoplight Red", NYX BLL "Citrine", Wet N' Wild MegaLast "Purty Persimmon".

 I wanted to swatch this lippie alongside other colors to show the difference since it can be hard to tell the shade from a single swatch. Here I have Citrine beside a red and another orange; you can see how much more warm and orange it is beside Stoplight Red. Citrine actually looks pretty similar to Purty Persimmon, but Citrine is more of a true orange whereas Purty Persimmon is slightly more red/coral.

Me wearing Citrine alone. The color is very saturated on camera; it may look slightly less red in person.

Me wearing Citrine with mark Juice Gems gloss in Cherry Pop over top.

I wanted to see what this lipstick would look like with a sparkly gloss over it, so I dabbed on a reddish-orange gloss (mark Juice Gems gloss in Cherry Pop) and spread it out with my pinky. It created a super wet and juicy finish and the copper sparkles added dimension. I love this combination!♥

This lippie is the perfect balance of red and orange, and it's bright and bold. I think it looks great with my fair skin and makes me dream of Summer days.

The formula is nice, it applies well and has that lovely grape scent common with the Black Labels. I love that smell :)

I also got NYX Orange lip pencil (which I will save for another post) and I think the two would look perfect together, however you don't absolutely need a lip pencil with this lipstick. I'm not wearing pencil in the photos and it looks fine, right? ;)

So how about you? Any favorite orange lip products?

*Product purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

  *Some or all images were lightly adjusted using Aperture and/or Photoshop; for details, please read the photo editing disclosure widget at the bottom of my right-side bar.

Sigma's Best Products of 2012

How much do I love Sigma? Kind of a lot since they offer quality brushes at a great price! This was a post I though a lot of you might be interested in...I know I was!!! Here are Sigma's...

Best NEW products of 2012!

sigma.com

Earlier this week we revealed the overall most popular Sigma products based on customer purchases in 2012 and briefly talked about why they each made it to the top 10 list. Today we’re taking it one step further and unveiling the best-selling new products from the past year. Check it out:

1. Defining Eyes Palette by TiffanyD {limited edition!} – Recently launched in late November, this palette has been a top-seller ever since due to its versatility to create both every day, neutral looks as well as sultry, dramatic ones. The Defining Eyes Palette is essentially an all-in-one kit for the best eye enhancing tricks and looks. No wonder it’s so popular!
2. Performance Eyes Kit – A kit unlike any other, this one was designed specifically for advanced and detailed makeup artistry. Thanks to each of the eight brushes’ specific use for producing the most intricate of eye designs, you can add depth to your crease or create a perfect cat eye, and everything in-between. Talk about pristine performance!
3. Paris Makeup Palette {limited edition!} – An exclusive palette that boasts several unique and vibrant shades – all of which were created from inspiration taken by some of YouTube’s top beauty gurus amongst the most famous monuments in Paris. Discover this City of Lights-inspired palette while you still can!
4. F88 & P88 brushes – These latest additions to the Sigmax collection have surely made a name for themselves on the best-sellers list. The distinct angle of the brush allows for the most precise application of foundation and concealer in hard-to-reach areas of the face. Essential tools to achieving that flawless finish!
5. Beauty Expert - Brow Design Kit – Our exclusive and convenient brow kit contains all of the arching, shaping and grooming tools you need to achieve beautiful and defined brows. Just the thing to make perfect brows an essential (and easy) part of your every day beauty ritual!

What was your favorite new Sigma product from 2012?

BFTE Sample Sale swatches

 I know I just posted a BFTE Cosmetics swatch post recently but I just received these today and couldn't wait to share them. xD

This is my order from their sample sale last weekend; I hadn't actually officially ordered since last March (gasp!) so I definitely had to take advantage of this sale! I also took the opportunity to redeem the prizes I won from posting looks to their page for their 365 contest. (RIP 365.. I guess there won't be a contest this year. You were fun while you lasted.♥)

On to the swatches! Please click to view in full detail!

Full size jars I got free from the 365 contest! (Sample bags were also swatched for comparison.)

Flash, left to right: Princess, Unleashed, Cool Mist, Splash, Glimpse, Rogue, Poison Ivy, Kiss The Frog.

No flash: Poolside (for comparison), Princess, Unleashed, Cool Mist, Splash, Glimpse, Rogue, Poison Ivy, Kiss The Frog, Secret Garden, Sassafras (added for comparison).

 Descriptions:

-Princess: Light frosty pink with a tiny hint of peachiness to it.

-Unleashed: Pale frosty seafoam, more green than Poolside.

-Cool Mist: Light frosty grey-green with a hint of sparkle. Reminds me a little of Journey but much less metallic and sparkly.

-Splash: Light blue with light green sheen. (This was a limited color from a few months ago, it's not on the site anymore.)

-Glimpse: A metallic antique gold. (Sorry, my color description skills don't extend past that simple description lol. It's really pretty though!)

-Rogue: A shimmery rusty-copper with blue sparkles! (Another limited color that's not on the site.)

-Poison Ivy: An olivey green with gold shimmer, so gorgeous! (Another limited color that's not on the site.)

-Kiss The Frog: A matte greenish-brown, a very nice earthy tone. Makes me think of forests from some epic story like LOTR or something. (Random, I know lol.)

-Secret Garden: A metallic greenish goldish brownish color, similar to Sassafras but slightly more brown.

Closeup of Secret Garden and Sassafras; pretty close but SG is more brown and Sassafras is more green.

Samples #1, yellows and browns..

With flash: Clara, Spirit, Myan, Long Way Down, 9 to 5, Golden Age, Pumped.

No flash.

 Descriptions:

-Clara: A light yellow-gold with shimmery sparkles. I want to swatch it with Guipure to see how it compares but I think Clara might be brighter and a tad less glittery. I love this color ♥

-Spirit: Saw this on the site a while ago and was intrigued; it's a lightly frosty yellow-tan with pale aqua sparkles. Pretty unique shade.

-Myan: Oh my gosh. Why oh why didn't I get this color sooner? It's the most gorgeous bright metallic yellow-gold you can imagine. I should have gotten a full jar. I shall get a full jar. It's so gorgeous. ♥♥

-Long Way Down: BFTE's site calls it a "camel brown" and I guess that's accurate. Kind of caramel-y; applied a bit darker to my arm but that might be because of the lotion I rub on my skin. Really nice matte neutral, would look amazing on blue eyes!

-9 to 5: BFTE's site says "Dark nude brown with pink undertones and slight sheen", which is pretty accurate, although I guess the combination of brown and pink makes this color appear quite red to me. Really nice unique color. The words "slight sheen" are music to my ears :)

-Golden Age: A sparkly antique gold that pulls more orangey brown than green. To me it even seems to have a tinge of pink to it. Super pretty, one of my favorites in this whole batch.

-Pumped: To me this color seems like a metallic coppery brown that leans a little cooler, like taupey, but still manages to stay on the warm side. (Not sure if that makes sense, I'm making this up as I go lol.)

No flash, closeup of Long Way Down, 9 to 5, Golden Age and Pumped.

Samples #2, blues and a random green...

With flash: Tinker, Breeze, Faded, Blue Pacific, Blue Bayou, Message in a Bottle.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Tinker: A light matte periwinkle blue.

-Breeze: Pale frosted baby blue, looks almost metallic.

-Faded: From the Denim and Lace collection, this color is like faded blue jeans. A midtone bluish grey with a slight sheen. Very smooth and silky.

-Blue Pacific: A super sparkly, sheer bright blue.

-Blue Bayou: A midtone aqua blue with low shimmer.

-Message in a Bottle: A matte, deep green. Really does remind one of antique dark green glass bottles. 

Samples #3: Peaches and pinks...

With flash: Meow, Peachy, Single Girl, Chenille, Dusty Rose, Aruba.

No flash.

 Descriptions:

-Meow: BRIGHT light peachy orange color. The camera didn't even capture how bright this color looks.

-Peachy: Frosty pinky-peachy color.

-Single Girl: Midtone matte melon, pretty!

-Chenille: Beautiful light shiny delicate pink.

-Dusty Rose: Rosey neutral, shimmery but not glittery. Really pretty.

-Aruba: Pink-toned brown, like brown clay. Matte. More brown than Single Girl.

Samples #4: Purple and pink..

With flash: Thistle, Simply Me, Royalty, Lollipop Kid, Hope Lives.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Thistle: Warm-toned pale frosty lavender.

-Simply Me: Light violet with visible blue sheen.

-Royalty: Dark blue-toned purple with some silver sparkles.

-Lollipop Kid: Shimmery magenta purple.

-Hope Lives: Midtone candy pink, almost matte with some slight sheen and pink sparkle. Very silky and pigmented.

And finally, the rest of my 365 prize full jars. These are colors I already had samples of but loved the color and needed full jars.♥

After I took the sticker seals off and tapped a little into the lids to swatch. (I didn't have enough brushes clean for all these colors so I just used my fingers.)

With flash: Grape, Spank Me, Melon, Envy, Cornflower.

No flash.

Descriptions:

-Grape: Perfect midtone purple.

-Spank Me: Dark burgundy with slight metallic sheen.

-Melon: Bright melon, almost matte with slight hot pink sheen.

-Envy: Medium bright shimmery green with some sparkle. Nice shade, not too warm or too cool.

-Cornflower: Perfect lightly frosty baby blue.♥

Yay for giant hauls! Haha. I seriously have so much eyeshadow, I don't know if I'll ever use it all but I'm going to try. Part of the fun for me is doing these swatches and compiling a library for people to use as a reference when shopping for that perfect color.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these swatches! You can also find them on my Facebook page, plus many more swatches from BFTE Cosmetics and other brands too.

Thanks for reading!