It has to be said ladies, the ultimate cherry on the cake for your make up has to be the false eyelashes.  Whether it’s for a party, wedding, girls night out or your debs, the false eyelashes will top off your gorgeous look and will make you stand out from the crowd, unless everyone has the same idea, in that case, you will all look ab fab!

If you are surviving on a budget, then I would recommend the Girls Aloud Lashes at €5.99 from your local chemist.  There are five to choose from so there will most certainly be one to suit your style.  I would advise that you get a good friend to help you apply the lashes, as they can be quite tricky to do on your own and you will often be left looking like you have one lazy eye!

If you find you have an extra bit of cash, then why don’t you pop down to your local beauty salon or lash bar for a more professional look.  Try to find somewhere that uses the individual lashes as they can be tailored to suit your eyes and often look more natural.  Prices will vary from about €15 – €30 so be sure to shop around for the best value.  Before you head in for your appointment make sure to have no mascara on as you want the false lashes to stick to your lashes, and not to the mascara.  This way they will last longer.  You can apply mascara afterwards when the glue has dried, but if you want your lashes to last longer, then do not apply mascara, as the oils in it break down the lash glue quicker.  When you are getting your lashes done, your eyes might water a little as the professional glue used in salons is much stronger than the latex glue you get in over the counter products.

Removing False Lashes:

You should expect these lashes to last about one week.  Don’t use oil based eye make-up remover on the lashes as that will dissolve the glue, unless you are trying to take them off.  Using a cotton bud to cleanse eye make-up off without going near the lashes will extend their life span.  If you are having trouble removing the last few lashes, try working a bit of Vaseline into the roots for a few minutes, or indeed leave a light layer of Vaseline on over night and they should slide of quite easily the next morning.  Home kits usually have small capsules with removal liquid in the packet.  Now go get that camel eyed look for your big night out!

For more read our Ask the Expert: Individual over Strip lashes post.

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This one is for all you ladies who like to have perfectly manicured talons at all times and would rather be caught dead than with a chip in your polish.  It’s a new craze to hit the world of beauty, 2 week manicures!  The brand I am aware of are called Gelish but there are many more available.  It applies like a nail polish, wears like a gel nail, but without the damage to your natural nail plate.

They are cured under a lamp like gel nails, and they last without chipping for 2-3 weeks on the hands and 4-5 weeks on the toes.  This brand have a great choice with 48 colours to chose from, some other brands have less so worth checking that out before you book in!  A great option if you are jetting off on holidays as it cuts down on the need for you to bring nail varnish remover, cotton wool and nail varnish for any touch ups.  God knows the hubby will be delighted that you are travelling lighter for a change!

Shop around for the best value.  Prices range from €15 if added on to a manicure to €30 – €65 if you opt just for the ‘Gelish’ treatment.

Off you go ladies and colour yourselves beautiful!

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Metallics and colour are big as is chunky.  Chunky jewellery is the way to go this Autumn/Winter and a great way to update different looks in your wardrobe without over spending.  Accessorize is a great place to pick up a couple of bits and bobs that can change a whole look from bib necklaces to cuff bracelets which we will bring you more of over the coming weeks.  For now we thought we’d focus on their ring collection which is quite extensive!  Mix matte and shiny finishes for a more luxurious look.

Black is in so if you are wearing block dark colours add a sneaky pop of colour wearing a chunky bright ring or two and don’t worry if they don’t exactly match, remember, the peasant look is in!  Don’t be afraid to ring stack, the more you can fit on those fingers the better, more is more this A/W for rings.  Good bye skull rings and hello 70′s.  Lovers of vintage will have fun indulging this trend.

Prices listed below along with expected arrival dates…

Image 1

This collection is due in store next month, September.

(Pyramid from top to bottom from left to right)

Deepi Deco Statement ring €18.90

Crystal Kitty Cat ring €18.90

Boudoir Eclectic Cluster Ring €18.90

Bali Flower ring €14.90

Antique Treasure Ring €18.90

Filigree Claw Set Cocktail Ring €21.50

Vintage Heart Ring Watch €18.90

Metal Pansy ring €7.90

Gypset Ethnic Statement Ring €18.90

Twighlight Perspex Flower ring €18.90

Image 2

We’ll have to wait until November to get our paws on this range.

(From Flower ring on spread out hand)

Parisien Glamour Flower ring €18.90

Pearly Portofino Ring €18.90

Metal Pansy ring €7.90

Mini Flower Stacking Ring €12.50

Curly Crystal Bow ring €12.50

Vintage Heart Ring Watch €18.90

Carved Flower Ring €12.50

Venetian Glamour Pearl Ring €18.90

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Maybelline New York have sent us their Autumn Winter 2010 make-up trends which should help keep us up to date without breaking the bank…

After a month-long merry-go-round of catwalk shows, the Autumn/Winter 2010 collections are over!  Autumn’s brand new beauty trends are blissfully straight-forward and universally flattering.  Not everyone can afford fashions newest It items but a slick of lipstick in the right shade offers an instantly wearable way for women to get a so-this-season style update.  Add a nude eyeshadow, a luscious flick of liquid liner and a pretty pastel manicure and you’re ready for your close-up.  Here, Maybelline New York’s Celebrity Make-Up Artist Fiona Jolly, explains the key looks for Autumn/Winter 2010.

Go Nudist

Product must-have: Maybelline New York EyeStudio Mono in Silken Taupe (rrp €5.97)

We’re not recommending you throw away your clothes – just strip back your make-up!  At the shows, chic shades of caramel, camel and beige were accentuated with rose lips for a look reminiscent of Calvin Klein’s early Nineties minimalism.  But for 2010, Fiona Jolly notes that “This time around the nude trend has a 21st century twist, using modern shimmer and shine, as seen at Balmain and Preen.”

There was also beautifully bare make-up at Carlos Miele where nude skin and NEW Lash Stiletto Voluptuous mascara [rrp €11.94] created an innocent look.  Maybelline New York’s Spanish Make-up Artist, Gato, was inspired by “sophisticated women” and blended nude and sand shades on the cheeks, using Pure.Cover Liquid Mineral concealer [rrp €8.99] as a highlighter.  That’s multitasking!  Just dot it over your cheekbones and then blend. Although Gato warns that, “this is not a look for little girls,” going nude is one of the most wearable trends this season.  Fiona Jolly advises that, “concentrating on your makeup’s texture – and eradicating colour – will create the ultimate elegant finish for the Go Nudist look.”

According to Fiona, “the chicest way to go nude is by smoothing on Dream Creamy moisturizing foundation [rrp €12.34].  Groom your brows!  The easiest way is to use a clean mascara wand and brush them upwards to give your face an athletic edge.”  Sweep dark grey or chocolate shadow into the outer sockets of your eyes and smudge a neutral taupe across the whole eyelid.  If you’re doing night-time nude, smear soft shimmer over the lid (Fiona swears by EyeStudio Mono in Taupe and Chocolate Chic [rrp €5.97].)  “Using a creamy pencil inside your inner eyelid will make the whites of your eyes appear brighter,” says Fiona, who also suggests a slick of natural gloss on the lips citing that, “neutral lip gloss is a girl’s best friend!  Just make sure you choose a shade that works with your natural skin tone.” To finish off this look, use the NEW Colour Sensational Pearls in Cashmere Rose [rrp €10.45] over the lips.

All very affordable prices and a great way to buy in to the seasons trends if budgets don’t allow new wardrobes!

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As always we can rely on Topshop to offer us all the trends at budget friendly prices, or fast fashion as we like to call it.  The theme for their Autumn Winter collection incorporates a mix of peasant chic with prairie style skirts and dresses, switching to the opposite end of the scale hinting towards old English country gentry (super or oversized in this case!).  Expect to find: faux fur, lace (even in footwear!), animal print, metallics, tweeds and crochets.  They have covered every angle on the trends this season with something to suit all.

The peasant theme crosses over to their footwear collection with lace up boots from sheepskin to suede in mossy autumnal colours and animal prints.  Slouchy ankle boots teamed with prairie dresses are the way forward for Winter ladies while thigh highs and skinny jeans are back – not a look for the faint hearted!

Across the board are shades of Autumn and this includes their Core make-up range.  Tip – if you go to their make-up section you can view video tutorials on creating various looks for day or night.  All round we’re excited about this collection, be warned it’s a time tunnel once you hit their site to view the collections hours or even days could pass you by!

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What a fab Summer we are having, it’s a much welcome change to the torrential rain soaked days of the last few years.  So obviously there is a lot more skin on show and if we are showing off more skin we have to have it beautifully tanned, fake of course!  And to go with our beautiful tans is the gorgeous colour, coral.  It looks fab with tanned or sallow skins and if you find that you are not quite brave enough to wear a coral piece of clothing, you can just add a splash of the colour by using nail polish or a lip colour.  Three of my fave pieces in this colour are:

Jessica Coral nail polish, €14.99 from all good salons.

Avon lip plumping lipstick in Crystallised Coral, €7 from your local Avon representative.

Essence return to Paradise lipgloss, €2.29 (bargain!) from your local Essence stockist.

So ladies, now you have absolutely no excuse to trail behind on this fresh Summer colour trend.

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Ok, so we don’t actually want to you get the glum look but check out Chezza’s nails.  Love it, sophisticated evening time to party look that can’t be that hard to recreate at home minus the room full of pamper people!  The nail varnish Ms. Tweedy wears here is actually from Nubar and is from their Autumn Winter collection.  They are predicting blue as the new hue!  As this is an eco friendly varnish it’s a hit with the celebs already and apparently Lily Allen is also a fan of this brand.

Anyway, this varnish will cost you €9.50 and if you prefer something a little brighter than Cheryl’s Navy blue they also have the Mali blue.  Use a wooden orange wood stick dipped in nail varnish remover to clean any mishaps from around the edges.  Don’t forget your base coat as this WILL stain your nails a nasty yellow and throw on a lick of top coat to give it an extra shine.

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As we all know, lace is very bang on trend this season.  It is very pretty, feminine and a key staple to your wardrobe this year.  Lace looks especially cool teamed with something harder looking; try a pair of skinny jeans, knee high black leather boots and a gorgeous brown leather jacket.  So ladies, if you are looking to keep your clothes collection right up to date with the catwalks and celebs, head down to cheap and cheerful Penneys!

I was in Penneys in the Dundrum Centre last week and picked up a gorgeous cream lace vest.  It is not for the faint hearted though as it is quite see through, but your modesty will be saved as it has a very cute large black bow attached to the front to cover your boobs!  And it was such a steal at only €11!  You can also get the fab brown leather jacket mentioned above for only €18.  I’m sure all you ladies still possess the skinny jeans as they have been around for the last few seasons and look set to stay for another while anyway.  So off you head to Penneys girlies and shop till you drop!  The cream lace Bolero is priced at €21 and will be in stores at the end of this month.  You’ll have to wait until the beginning of October for the skinnies which will cost you an amazing €19!!

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It is hard to find the perfect hat to wear during Summer time, especially while holidaying. The two basic options of peaked cap or wide brimmed hat don’t give us much opportunity to stand out from the crowd or accessorise in the best way possible. There is, however, another option that will leave your head sheltered from the sun while making you the most fashionable diva at the pool! I’m talking about Head Scarves. These cheap and space saving accessories are available in so many colours and styles that you won’t have any trouble finding one to go with whatever outfit you choose.

Now of course I have been inspired in my discovery by the latest Sex and the City Movie. In one scene SJP wears a beautiful turban with her peach Halston Kaftan Dress. Now I’m not brave enough to wear a turban but I found that the right headscarf, tied the right way, can be just as effective and less likely to get you asked if you’ve just flown in from Abu Dhabi!

So where to start, well first you need to locate a nice scarf. The problem is that many scarfs that are widely available are long rectangular scarfs (like the one seen below from Monsoon), but in order to achieve the right affect you really need a square scarf that is folded diagonally to produce a triangle. Not to worry, if you buy a long rectangular scarf, you can double it over and then fold over a piece at the end to produce a square, then fold diagonally to make a triangle from this. Then simply wrap the longest part of the triangle around your forehead, bring the edges of the triangle around to the back tightly and tie.

You can leave your hair flowing down underneath and add a few soft curls with a curling tongs for a nice affect ala SJP or you can tie the scarf under a pony tail and then wrap what is left of the scarf around the hair.

To finish off the look you can add a nice brooch to the scarf close to one of your ears. But if you wear one of these don’t expect to get much relaxation by the pool. You will be constantly bothered by admiring girlies asking where you got yours.

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Following on from last season’s obsession with lace, crocheting is shaping up to be one of this summer’s hottest trends. Though lace is still being spotted, the real fashion-forward ladies out there have swapped the look for chunky, knitted styles – most frequently seen in white or off-white. The good thing about this trend is it can either be worn as a cool summer day-look, or it can be dressed up as classy evening-wear.

A classy take on crocheting requires a delicate balance: too much flesh on display isn’t classy, but too much coverage and you wind up looking frumpy! So try on a few styles and be sure to get a second opinion from a friend. On their Spring/Summer 2010 catwalks, Marc by Marc Jacobs opted for a high neckline, long sleeves and a knee-length skirt to try and counter the almost see-through nature of their heavily crocheted dress. However a more easily worn (not to mention affordable) take on the look comes from Mango. By keeping the crochet detailing to the neckline and sleeves, their crochet dress will protect your modesty whilst the flirty ruffled skirt adds a youthful flair.

But despite it’s granny connotations, crocheting doesn’t always have to be worn conservatively. The trend has also been picked up on by party-girls and rock chicks world wide. Kate Bosworth went for a cool crochet mini paired with on-trend ankle boots for the hippest music festival of the year, Coachella. Kate keeps her dress daytime-friendly by layering it over a long white vest whilst her aviator sunglasses and slouchy bag complete her laid-back festival look. The best thing about this dress is you can snap it up for about €50 from Topshop – celeb fashion on a budget!

Meanwhile, Lois Winstone has been spotted in an even more cutting edge take on the trend. At the recent opening of Topshop’s Knightsbridge branch (glamorously situated opposite Harrods), the wild child of London’s fashion pack turned up arm-in-arm with Daisy Lowe wearing a white crochet mini over visible black underwear. With red wine lipstick and a shock of bleached blonde hair to top it off, Lois clearly knows how to create an attention-grabbing look!

Whilst I wouldn’t recommend recreating Lois’s outfit (you might be getting attention for the wrong reasons), there are other ways of bringing crocheting bang up to date. For example, try going for a crocheted romper instead of the more traditional dress – making it two trends in one. Free People make a great white romper with crochet detailing on the back which will cost you €79.88. Though it borders on pricey, the romper is a great all-rounder as it would look just as good at the beach, the barbie, the bar or the fields of Punchestown for Oxegen.

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