I’M A BOMBER GIRL

I had been thinking about buying a bomber for ages now. I know I don’t need one but I wanted one. The question was how much should I spend because I have a leather bomber from a few years ago that got worn less than a handful of times. And yes bombers are back on trend now but not leather ones, oh no, it’s silky, polyester or nylon type material now, leather bombers are so five years ago. Another question was, did I want a solid colour or one with a print, embroidery or other detail. A plain black one would make the most sense as you can wear it with everything but since when does what makes sense matter when it comes to buying clothes, if that makes sense.

I saw this one on the Zara web site ages ago, I loved it, added it to my basket, hummed and hawed for a while and then closed out of the site without buying it. Let’s face it, this is something that I do a lot and by some of the memes on my social media I’m not alone. You know it’s someone’s job to look at the click-through-to-purchase stats and figure out why the sale wasn’t completed. I wonder if they have a “because women are crazy” option, to explain why so many web site sales go uncompleted.

Next thing I know both Pippa and Amy Huberman post pictures of themselves wearing this very bomber. Now usually if one of them posts about something it sells out straight away so when they both posted about this bomber I figured it was definitely gone forever and best to forget it and move on.
Eventually I settled on one on the New Look web site, it was black with an orange floral print, but just before checking out I decided to have a quick look at the Zara site again to make sure that they didn’t have any new bombers that I liked better. Low and behold this one was on the site and available in my size so I actually bought it this time.

 I’ve worn it loads so far and even though it has a floral embroidery detail I think it goes with pretty much everything so I don’t really need to worry about matching, but I particularly like the way it looks with my khaki River Island biker jeans.
So did you cave and buy a bomber? What kind did you buy? Or how many have you left un-purchased in virtual baskets across the internet?

Life Style Sports Opening of Newly Refurbished Store

I know I haven’t been blogging much lately but last week I was invited along to the reopening of Life Style Sport’s refurbished store on the Headford Road in Galway and I enjoyed it so much that I thought I would do a post to tell you a bit about it. (I do some bite size posts on Twitter and Instagram if you want to see what I’m up to in between proper blog posts.)

Now I know that I have more active wear than I know what to do with and I am slowly but surely amassing a trainer collection to rival King Nidge, but I won’t let that stop me. Not that the signs are on me but I do go to the gym four evenings a week and in the summer, when it’s all bright and sunny (and only when it’s bright and sunny) I like to get out on a Saturday morning for a hike or a cycle. I have been known to take part in the occasional adventure race or 10k fun run. The thing is though, it doesn’t take much to stop me. Some days when I am running, I feel good, my mind wanders and the run is over before I realise it, but that’s not always the case; on those days I feel heavy and tight, everything seems to be aching, I keep telling myself that this or that is hurting and I can’t breathe and I want to slow down to a walk. As I said, it doesn’t take much to stop me so it’s important that my clothing is comfortable. I don’t want to be aware of my top twisting and turning, my bottoms falling down, or tags, seams or zips digging into my skin. So I buy a lot of active wear because I want to be comfortable but I also want it to look good as well. Huffy, puffy, red and sweaty is not a good look so I like to think cute active wear in bright colours and fun prints distracts from how bad I look as people only really see the clothes instead of my grossness. Hence my excitement at being invited to the reopening where I could shop alongside some of the stars of the Connacht Rugby team.

The newly refurbished Life Style store is broken down into four zones, of which the Women’s Studio was what I was most interested in; there is an extensive range of fashionable and functional sportswear and runners.

Trainer Central has all the latest trainers for men, women and kids. Trainers, runners, sneakers, whatever you like to call them are very fashionable for every day wear at the moment and there was a great choice on display weather you want them for running and training or just casual wear, I think I need another pair of Nike Theas.

The Run Club has just about everything you could need for any distance and they can also analyse your gait to make sure you get the proper running shoes.

The Boot Room upstairs is “what it says on the tin” and more. It has an astro turf caged testing zone to test out the boots before you buy them. It also has loads of football, GAA and Rugby jerseys.

A few Connacht players with a lucky competition winner!

I thoroughly enjoyed the event, browsing through all the new clothes and runners, while spotting the talent local sporting heroes. There was a Q & A with some of the Connacht Rugby players, a D.J. and loads of yummy food and beverages. There was loads more but this post is probably too long already. I was very restrained and only bought one pair of leggings to add to my collection but I have my eye on a few more items. Anything take your fancy there?

KARORA ULTRA DARK BRONZING MOUSSE: REVIEW

Is it just me that thinks this summer is absolutely flying by? It feels like I only just received this tan to try a few days ago but the reality is I’ve had it for a good few weeks now. With the weather being so blah, I’ve mostly just been using light gradual tans to add a bit of warmth to my skin and saving the darker tans for special occasions and big nights out. I like to use a tan a few times before I post a review of it so that is another reason it’s taken me so long to get to do this post. Sometimes the results you get from using the same tan at different times can vary due to the state your skin is in before application and the amount of time you have when applying it.

I’ve used the Karora Ultra Dark Bronzing Mousse (€29.99) a few times now and have found that each time it has developed evenly with no streaks or patches. It also fades evenly over the following week with gently exfoliation, leaving a clean slate for the next weekend. By gently exfoliation, I mean that I use a puff in the shower to gently buff my skin with a moisturising shower wash and I would use a good body moisturiser all over the day before the next application. It is labelled as extra dark, which might sound scary to some but I found that it developed into a natural looking tan. Considering how pale I am naturally, I do have to be careful with dark tans. Surprisingly I can carry off a dark tan but only if the result is just the right shade for me, it can’t be orange but it can’t be too olive either or I end up looking dirty. I think the Karora Ultra Dark Bronzing Mousse is the perfect match for me.

The mitt that I was sent along with this tan may be part of the reason application is so easy and the result is so even. I normally buy the cheapest of the cheapest mitts and bin them after a few goes but this mitt is velour, like a “Juicy” tracksuit velour. It feels so nice and its machine washable. I find that mitts often absorb / waste a lot of product so my tip is to pop on some rubber gloves, apply the tan in sections (i.e. from knee down to feet, then from knee up to top of leg, lower back, upper back and so on) with the rubber gloves and then put the mitt on over the gloves and buff that section gently with the mitt before you move on to the next section, so you don’t end up with streaks from the rubber gloves. It really doesn’t take that much longer, you get a better finish and you don’t waste as much product.

I really like this tan, I always find mousses a lot easier to work with, the guide colour helps me see if I’ve missed any bits, the developed colour is perfect for me, and it develops and fades evenly. I also have to say that I don’t think I will ever use a cheap mitt again. So while I was sent this for free, I would repurchase it and I will definitely try out some of Karora’s other tans.

KÉRASTASE RÉSISTANCE THÉRAPISTE BAIN AND MASQUE: REVIEW

Sorry it’s taken so long to get this review up but it’s been a hectic few weeks and at least that means I’ve given them a thorough testing. These gorgeous Kérastase Bain Therapiste (a balm-in-shampoo) and Masque Therapiste were sent to me to try and I have to say I was only delighted when I opened the package to see Kérastase products peeking out at me. I’ve been a big fan of the brand for years because it’s what they use at my hair salon. I am a bit of an easy sell when it comes to beauty products and I can be convinced to buy almost anything, especially when my hairdresser or beauty therapist are waxing lyrical about how brilliant a product is. However, I can usually resist expensive hair care because; well I use so much shampoo and conditioner that it would cost a fortune to use an expensive brand every day. Not to mention, I know the reason my hair looks great leaving a salon is as much down to having a professional hairdresser brow dry my hair as it is down to the products used. Kérastase Elixir Ultime is my weakness though, I love it.

Kérastase Résistance Therapiste range is for very damaged and over processed hair. Now, mine isn’t too bad considering I have my hair coloured regularly and I am also a fan of my curling wand and have been known to do the odd bit of back combing. I have fairly fine and silky hair. You will see in the picture below on the left that you can clearly see damaged hair with breakage sticking straight up. So, while my hair isn’t too damaged it’s easy to see any damage that is there because my hair is so fine. The shampoo and masque are both thick and creamy. The shampoo lathers up to a lovely lush lather. Because the masque is so thick I start applying it to the ends and work my way up towards the roots. They smell so good! I can only describe the scent as glamorous. I imagine it smells like the hair of women in TV programs like Dynasty and Revenge.

After using these two for a few weeks now, I can say that my hair is definitely smoother. In the picture below on the right the breakage is a lot less noticeable. My hair is now so much smoother so there is not as much sticking straight up. My hair feels so soft and silky. It’s not weighed down at all considering how rich and creamy both products are. In fact it’s quite bouncy and swishy. I usually shower in the evenings after the gym and since I started using these I find that the next morning my hair is still shiny and feels light and bouncy rather than the usual flat and lacklustre bed head. It also still smells good.

Yes they are pricey, the shampoo is €19.50 and the masque is €36 but I still have more than half of the masque left so it will last through two bottles of the shampoo, which I have already repurchased. So while they cost way more than the likes of L’Oreal Elvive, I think they are worth it. I don’t think twice about snubbing cheaper but really great foundations in pharmacies for higher end foundations so I don’t know why I’ve resisted using luxury products on my hair. However, I will use them in rotation with more affordable shampoos and conditioners to make them and my money last longer. Do you use luxury or budget products on your hair? Have your tried any Kérastase products?

GIORGIO ARMANI MAESTRO LIQUID SUMMER: REVIEW AND PICTURES

It just figures that the minute I get my grubby little hands on a product like this that the weather turns. All the sunshine had me lusting after all the summer makeup launches and then I was sent the Giorgio Armani Maestro Liquid Summer from the summer 2015 collection to try and winter comes back, hail stones and all. Anyways I’m keeping the faith, the sunshine will be back and I will be prepared with my go to summer look.

Hail stones or not, I’ve been playing with Maestro Liquid Summer since I got it and I have to say I really like it. This is the first time I have used a liquid bronzer, being an oily skinned gal, I tend to favour powder products but makeup has moved on so much that you don’t need to be caked in powder to keep shine at bay anymore. I’ve mostly been wearing a sheer layer under my normal foundation (MAC Pro Longwear at the moment).

I find this adds a subtle warmth to my complexion without looking darker than my bare neck. The formula of Maestro Liquid Summer is a bit dry and needs to be blended quickly, I tend to do my face in sections and find one drop is enough for each area. My foundation sits nicely on top and I don’t need as much setting powder, I probably don’t need any but it’s a habit.

(L-R: Maestro Sun as contour before foundation, and two after foundation pictures)

I’ve also used it under my foundation to contour like Kim K, as you can see in the pictures above its perfect for this.

Here are the (top) before and (bottom) after pictures of Maestro Sun on its own.

Funnily enough, chatting all things makeup with my hairdresser, I hadn’t mentioned that I had this, when she was saying that recently she prefers the way her skin looks with just some bronzer and concealer and NO foundation. I wasn’t feeling it, I don’t even like BB creams because I prefer more coverage. But while testing this for the blog I figured I should use it as a base since that’s the way it’s supposed to be used. The coverage is sheer and yet it really does make my skin look great. The skin perfecting claims are real. It makes my skin look even and radiant. In the look below, I have no foundation on. I may be converted.

I love how natural this look is and it feels so good to cut back on the amount of products I usually use. It feels light and fresh for summer. I used Maestro Liquid Summer all over and then went back with a bit more to contour. I am wearing Clarins Instant concealer, which I forgot to put in the photo. I used the Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in Lovely Pink and the highlighter from the Isadora Palette. I filled in my brows with MAC Omega and lined my eyes with Rimmel Scandaleyes in Taupe. Then finished it all off with Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara and Max Factor Colour Elixir Gloss in Enchanting Coral. I purposely didn’t blend it down my neck so you could see it compared to my neck and see that it adds warmth without being too dark or orange. It would be perfect with a gradual tan like Dove Summer Glow or the new Sally Hansen gradual tan. I think a light or gradual tan and Maestro Liquid Summer is going to be my go to look for summer.

Maestro Liquid Summer comes in three shades and I have the lightest one, N90. The price is €48 but a little goes a long way and I think I will get a lot of use out of it because I can also add it to my normal foundation to darken it when I am wearing fake tan. There are also three Fluid Sheers in the range that can be used as blushers or highlighters and I imagine the two together would equal summer goddess.

Have you tried Maestro Liquid Summer yet? What will be your go to summer look?

FACE OF THE DAY: #FOTD

Today’s post is just a quick face of the day post but before I get on to that I just want to let you all know that I am cutting back on blogging for the summer. I have been blogging for about two and a half years now and I really enjoy it but it is time consuming. What I enjoy most is the interaction with like minded people on my blog as well as on twitter and through reading and commenting on other blogs. I really enjoy the comments and replies and getting and giving feedback. It’s nice to know that I’m not nuts and that there are loads of other people out there who are as mad about all thing beauty and fashion as me. Unfortunately there are so many things I want to do with my evenings and weekends that I am finding it hard to keep up with regular posts. But since I love it so much I plan on doing simpler outfit of the day, face of the day kind of picture posts on twitter (@Ahsuretislovely) and Instagram (@ahsuretislovely). I haven’t been using Instagram before now but that will all change now as I think it will perfect for posting pics with the list of products or clothes. If I come across a product that needs a proper review then I will indeed do a full post and it’s more than likely that when the summer is over and the evenings are long and dark, I will be back blogging regularly.
So here is today’s face of the day:

Products Used:
MAC Prolongwear Foundation
Clarins Instant Concealer
MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural
Isadora Face Sculptor Palette
MAC Omega Eye shadow: Brows
Max Factor Excess Shimmer in Bronze as a base
MAC Mineralise Eye shadow Summer Haze
Maybelline Big Eyes Palette in Brown
Clarins Gold Eye Pencil: waterline
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara
MAC Soar Lip Liner
MAC Brave Lipstick

Why does it always looks like such a long list when you think you have done a basic and simple look?

FRIDAY STYLE: BABY PINK WATERFALL BLAZER

Well it’s been another beautiful week of sunshine and warm temperatures and it looks set to continue next week too; woohoo! Spring is finally here so it’s time to break out the softer colours and lighter layers.

This beautiful baby pink waterfall blazer is from the brand Pala D’oro from Carraig Donn. This blazer has a lovely loose and flowy shape as well as a soft crepe texture. Its light enough that I won’t be sweltering if I wear it on summer nights out but it’s warm enough for now as well. The colour is a perfect pastel for this time of year; it really gives a spring time feel. Baby pink is a colour that I’m not that bothered about myself, but I always get loads of compliments on how the colour suits me when I wear it.

The top is old and it’s from H & M. There are loads of similar style tops in the shops now; there was even a very similar one with long sleeves in Carraig Donn. The high neck and lace details makes this top really pretty, especially paired with this jacket. But this top could also have a festival or boho vibe if it was worn with denim cut off shorts or a floral maxi skirt or anything with fringing.

The jeans are the Erin Jeggings from River Island. I recently sang their praises in this post so I won’t bang on about them again here, except to say that I still love them.

The nude shoes are Kate Appleby for Knightsbridge.

The necklace is also from Carraig Donn. I live in a small town with a large Carraig Donn; I love going for a little wander around in there. I very rarely leave empty handed.
Are you wearing paler colours yet? What’s your favourite pastel?

MAX FACTOR CREME PUFF BLUSHES LOVELY PINK AND SEDUCTIVE PINK: REVIEW AND PICTURES

You may have noticed just about everyone has gone mad for Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes. Occasionally I get sent some products from Max Factor to try but these were handed out to bloggers at the launch, which I didn’t go to and of course sods law meant that these beauties were not sent to me. I had to endure all the hype while searching every local Max Factor retailer searching for the shades I liked the most when looking at all the other bloggers’ swatches (sad face). There are six shades in the range and while agonising over which ones I wanted I finally purchased these two. I had actually wanted Lavish Mauve and Nude Mauve but there was no sign of them around and I couldn’t wait to try them any longer so I bought Lovely Pink and Seductive Pink (Alluring Rose and Gorgeous Berries are the other two in the range and they retail at about €11.50).
I won’t go on too much about them because there have been so many blog posts about them already but I just want to give a quick run-down of what makes them so special before we get to the photos. They are like a finely milled highlighter and blush in one. There is no sparkle or shimmer but when you apply these on the skin, you are left with a radian lit from within look. It’s a “yes I am naturally radiant and fabulous with perfect skin” look. They don’t look powdery on, they glide on leaving the skin looking flawless and airbrushed. You can see the glow in the swatches below, the left is a heavy swatch and right is very light so you can go as heavy or sheer as you like. You can keep it really sheer to create a “I’m not wearing makeup, I’m  just naturally radiant” look.

Lovely Pink is a bright peachy pink that really lifts my complexion. This shade looks really great with a bit of tan. I think my summer look will involve Lovely Pink and peachy lips like Dior Addict lipstick in Jet Set.

Seductive Pink is slightly warmer and more toned down in comparison. It has a slight rose gold hue to it and I quite like this with MAC Brave lipstick. (Too bad I only though about the lipsticks when writing this post instead of when I was taking the pictures.)
Have you tried any of the Creme Puff Blushes yet? Which is your favourite?

FRIDAY STYLE: VERY PRETTY FLORAL SHIRT DRESS

Sunshine, glorious sunshine!!! With my vitamin D levels fully topped up I am in high spirits. It’s been a gorgeous week so on to today’s gorgeous dress. Many of us develop a staple look or uniform of sorts; a style of outfit that we feel comfortable in and think we look good in, so we recreate it over and over in varying shades. How many of us wear a blazer of some colour with skinny jeans more or less every day? For me, as much as I love a blazer and skinnys, it’s either a knit dress in winter or a shirt dress in summer. I do love a shirt dress.

Today’s shirt dress is probably the prettiest one I have ever seen. The print is just so gorgeous; I love the watercolour style floral and all the pretty colours. The shape, length and cut of this shirt dress are all just perfect for me and I feel a million bucks in this dress. It’s from River Island. River Island, if you are reading this, you are killing it lately, keep up the good work.

With such a pretty print, I decided to keep the accessories simple. The necklace and bracelet are both from Thomas Sabo. I love that I can swap the charms back and forth between the bracelet and the necklace to suit what I am wearing or my mood.

The shoes are my nude courts from Kate Appleby for Knightsbridge. They are so comfortable.
What’s your go to outfit?

MAC LIPSTICK BRAVE AND LIP LINER SOAR: REVIEW AND PICTURES

Apparently this lip combo is very popular thanks to Kylie Jenner but that’s not why I purchased these two, I bought them because of the Pippa affect. When I saw a picture of Pippa O’Connor on Instagram wearing MAC Brave I fell in love with the colour of the lipstick. In the comments she said she had wanted the lip liner Soar but had to get Edge to Edge because Soar was sold out thanks to Kylie Jenner. However when I went to buy Edge to Edge it was sold out probably because of that picture of Pippa so I got Soar.

Brave is a Satin lipstick, described on the MAC website as “Pink-beige with White Pearl”, if I had read that without seeing a picture of it, I probably wouldn’t have bought it. White pearl sounds like 80s frost to me but luckily its nothing like that; the white pearl gives more of a slight pearlescent shine to it. I would also say the colour is more of a medium mauve toned pink, making it a lovely option for day or night for me. Ironically I’m not very brave with my lipstick colour choices, so this colour is right up my street. Brave is a typical MAC lipstick, I get about three-ish hours of wear if I’m not eating or drinking. It’s comfortable enough, maybe slightly drying like the other MAC satin lipsticks I have tried, but its fine with a balm underneath. Let’s face it, MAC lipsticks aren’t the best lipsticks ever, but we love them all the same. Why, I have no idea, probably just because they are MAC.

The only other lip liner from MAC that I have tried is Subculture; in comparison Soar is softer and creamier. The colour is richly pigmented and glides on easily. It lasts fairly well; on a night out I didn’t feel like I needed to keep reapplying the liner, reapplying the lipstick was enough. Described on the MAC website as a “Mid-tone Pinkish Brown”, it’s a good neutral shade that would work with most “nude” lipstick shades and is perfect with Brave.
So here are the pictures (top left – before)

Have you tried Brave or Soar? What is your favourite lipstick and liner combination?