The Me Time Tag

Dia daoibh!

So this is my final post of 2014. I've been quite off track when it came to my blog this year.  Between blogging platform problems, hacking and just life in general it just hasn't gone as smoothly as I would have liked! Hopefully 2015 will bring me more luck!

INGLOT HD Perfect CoverUp Foundation Review - First Impressions

Dia daoibh!

This week, Inglot released their newest foundation. INGLOT HD Perfect CoverUp Foundation is priced at €33 for 35mls & is available in 8 shades (7 on the Irish website) starting at the lightest shade 71 (which I purchased).  

Michelle Phan Book Review - Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty, Style, and Success-Online and Off

Dia daoibh!

Well hello there strangers! I haven't popped in here in a while! I hope you're all keeping well.  I've been sick recently and am still recovering from tonsillitis. I also just got the flu injection today and am currently typing this with a swollen sore arm! Boo :( I did however manage to edit my latest video which I have popped below for you to take a look at.

You Organic Orange & Ylang-Ylang Night Balm Review

Dia daoibh!

Here's a new little product to my stash.  One like I've never tried before.  Introducing  the You Organic Orange & Ylang-Ylang Night Balm. It's priced at €29.99 and is available from You Organic >HERE<

This super rich nourishing and rejuvenating night balm is packed with anti-oxidents, a blend of protecting and skin softening ingredients which will leaves your skin smooth and radiant. Can be also used as a treatment balm for dry patches on the body. Men can use this as a soothing aftershave balm.

Ziaja Cashmere Hand Cream & Creamy Shower Soap Review

Dia daoibh!

Today I'm writing about two products from a (new to me) polish brand called Ziaja.  They use traditional components, such as herbal extracts and vitamins with modern technology with the outcome of an array of skincare products for men, women and kids. They have a huge variety of products for various needs. The two products I've tried out just last night were a hand cream and a body wash.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser Review

Wednesday Weigh In #8 - Nupo Journey

Dia daoibh!

If you'd like to catch up on my previous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Week 1 - Down 7lbs
Week 2 - Down 4lbs
Week 3 - Down 3lbs
Week 4 - Down 5lbs

Week 5 - down 4lbs

Week 6 - down 3lbs

Week 7 - below....

Dia daoibh!

So this week I took a little break from my weight loss diet.... at least for the weekend! I headed to Killarney, Co. Kerry for a girlie spa weekend. I knew this was coming up so was very strict and stuck to my shakes, soup and salads during the week knowing that I was going to allow myself to enjoy in "real" food and alcohol at the weekend. When I say "real" food I really mean it, there was no holding back; I allowed myself to have anything I wanted. I had a fry each morning, dinners with meat, potatoes, vegetables and beautiful sauces, a Chinese meal and lots and lots of alcohol (and with that goes nibbles!!) Needless to say I was expecting and prepared to be up in weight this week and I was right. Here are my results:

So I'm up 2lbs after my weekend off . I thought it might even be a bit more so I'm quite glad. I'm finding this week a little hard in getting back into this after my weekend of indulging so next weeks result..... I will be nervous about!!

For a list of Nupo products available in Ireland click >HERE<

For the shakes I drink click >HERE<

If you'd prefer to buy in-store, check your nearest stockist >HERE<

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

Wednesday Weigh In #7 - Nupo Journey with pictures!

Dia daoibh!

If you'd like to catch up on my previous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Week 1 - Down 7lbs
Week 2 - Down 4lbs
Week 3 - Down 3lbs
Week 4 - Down 5lbs

Week 5 - down 4lbs

Week 6 - below....

So today marks 6 weeks on Nupo. This week I have included some before and after pictures as I think that's what most people look for when it comes to weight loss! I'll leave the best 'til last though!! For now, here are this weeks results.

So there you go. I've gone from 13st 8lbs to 11st 10lbs in 6 weeks - just 2lbs shy of 2 stone. As you can imagine I am thrilled with my results (so far!) This week I have lost 3 lbs. I had my weekly treat also - this time not a chinese but a McDonalds believe it or not (very naughty I know, but I'm only human!

So on we go to the pictures!

As you can see I have clearly lost weight in the middle part of my body. I was particularly shocked myself at the the side profile pictures and it has given me such a boost to continue on with my weight loss journey with the huge help of Nupo.

This week I've been doing the same as last week, shakes and food. I still have a bit to go so fingers crossed for next weeks Wednesday Weigh In!

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

Wednesday Weigh In #6 - Nupo Journey

If you'd like to catch up on my previous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Week 1 - Down 7lbs
Week 2 - Down 4lbs
Week 3 - Down 3lbs
Week 4 - Down 5lbs

Week 4.......below!

Dia daoibh!

So, I'm 5 weeks in now and it's weigh in time again! I was back on more solids last week after my mouth began healing after my wisdom tooth extraction. I had a little shopping trip with my mother which lead to a Chinese meal! I went for the Spring Rolls for starter (couldn't resist!) and the Chicken Chow Mein for my main which I think it one of the better options for Chinese food! At the weekend I also had Apple Tart...... with cream, so needless to say I was nervous about this weeks weigh in! Here we go!!

Bam!!! I'm down 4lbs! I was absolutely thrilled with the result. Although I had the Chinese and dessert I did eat very well for the rest of the week; lots of shakes, soup, vegetables and water water water! I was very unsure as to what the outcome would be but I was so relieved to see that I am continuing to lose weight.

So far I am down 1Stone 9lbs! I can really feel it myself and have also noticed some clothes are baggier on me! A few people have mentioned it to me that they can see that I have lost weight also. All of this is a great boost and I'm feeling confident about continuing my weight loss journey! I will be putting together a video shortly, so keep an eye out for that! :)

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

Wednesday Weigh In #5 - Nupo Journey

If you'd like to catch up on my previous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<
Week 1 - Down 7lbs
Week 2 - Down 4lbs
Week 3 - Down 3lbs
Week 4.......below!

Dia daoibh!

So I'm back with this weeks weigh in. As I mentioned last week, I had a wisdom tooth extracted so this week I was back on just shakes seeing as though I could not eat. A blessing in disguise you might say! I was hoping for a good result... and I got one.

I was delighted to see I had lost 5lbs this week!! Now, I do have a little naughty secret. I didn't get my full allocation of shakes this week. I spent most of it asleep due to pain killers and..... well, pain!  My sleeping and eating schedule was a bit all over the place so I therefore ended up missing out on some shakes -  two on a couple of days, 1 on others. I did take a multivitamin every day and continued to drink a lot of water.

This week I will mostly stick to shakes. I might also incorporate some soup  but regardless I hope this week will be more manageable seeing as though my mouth is doing a but better! For more information and prices visit the Nupo website >HERE<

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

Suddenly Madame Glamour Candle

Dia Daoibh! 

 I bring you today's post.... from my sick bed :( Well technically my sick couch as I've managed to actually get up today! Some of you may know from my #WhiteWhine's on Facebook/Twitter, that I had a wisdom tooth extracted on Monday and it was pretty extreme! Fear not,  I won't go into the gorey details here!

This morning I received a very welcomed package from Lidl. Brand new to stores especially for their Valentines collection, is the Suddenly Madame Glamour Candle. I'm a huge candle fan and this couldn't have come at a better time considering I had a power cut last night due to the storm.

The candle has a subtle perfumed scent of Suddenly Madame Glamour. The packaging is quite simple and chic and is burning away as the snow falls outside my window.

The candle is available in store now and is priced at €3.99.

Slán!

Wednesday Weigh In #4 - Nupo Journey

If you'd like to catch up on my previous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Dia daoibh!

So I'm back with another weekly weigh in. This week I had to weigh myself on Monday as that afternoon I had my wisdom tooth extracted and presumed that I would be unable to weigh myself for a Wednesday Weigh in. So this week I am a little early but hoped that I had still lost some weight, so here we go....

This weeks weight loss was 3lbs making my total loss an even 1 stone in 3 weeks!! I was really hoping to see at least a 3lb loss this week as 1 stone is a great milestone for my Nupo Journey.

Again this week I combined my Nupo shakes with food. Like >last week< I stuck on a mainly meat and veg diet. I also tried heating up my favourite Cocoa shake for a change. It was nice for a change but I still prefer my shakes ice-cold. I've continued to have my morning and afternoon coffee with sweetener and fat free milk. I didn't exercise properly this week at all so the 3lb weight loss was diet alone,

This week I'm aiming to do another week of just shakes. As I mentioned I have had my wisdom tooth extracted so it's actually quite a convenient time to go on the meal replacement diet seeing as though I'm unable to chew at the moment!

For more information and prices visit the Nupo website >HERE<

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

New Beauty Brands to Ireland

Dia daoibh!

So today I'm here to talk beauty brands, non Irish brands that is. A lot of people want what they can't have and this is no exception when it comes to makeup! There were (and still are!) lots of fantastic brands mainly in Canada an the US that were not available here in the Ireland or the UK...  until now. Over the past year this has changed and we're now beginning to see some foreign brands creep into the European market.
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Many of you know Wet n Wild is one of those brands. It has gradually been introduced into Dunnes Stores across Ireland this month. I shrieked with delight when I first came across it, and like many other beauty bloggers, "had to" pick up a few bits. Below is what I picked up so just let me know if you would like a closer look in the form of a review. Wet n Wild is a very affordable cosmetic brand with an array of nail polishes, eyeshadows, face and lip products. When I say affordable I'm talking prices ranging from just €1.99 for liners, lipsticks and eyeshadows to €6.69 for the larger eyeshadow palettes

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Tarte Cosmetics is another brand that will shortly be hitting the UK online market via QVC in March 2014 (which means it will also be available to us Irish folk!) I was thrilled to hear of this news through EssieButton's video >HERE< Tarte are renowned especially for their blush products and Essie herself constantly raves about their selection of award winning Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush range. This is one brand I am exceptionally excited about! If you happen to be reading this from the US, PR or Canada you can avail of 20% off your first online order when you sign up to their >Newsletter<  GO!!
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NYX is a brand that entered the European market a while back, but again is hugely hyped. Like Wet n Wild, NYX Cosmetics have an array of products starting at very affordable prices. They are quite well known for their Jumbo Eye Pencils along with their variety of Powder Blushes and Mega Shine Lip Glosses. They have begun to release more pricey products such as their HD Studio Powders and matching HD Studio Photogenic Foundation. NYX is currently available in-store from Urban Outfitters and River Island. There's a great selection online from Littlewoods Ireland. 

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So for now those are the brands I am lusting over and happily adding some products to my wishlist now that they are available to me! What brands are you currently lusting over or would you like to have in Ireland that are currently unattainable!?

Slán!

Wednesday Weigh In #3 - Nupo Journey

If you'd like to catch up on my prevous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Dia daoibh!

Here we go again. Let's get straight into the results shall we!!?

Week 1 (shakes) -7lbs

Week 2 (Food & shakes) -4lbs

So I've lost a further 4lbs and my BMI is decreasing! Again, I am very happy with this result. This week I incorporated some foods into my Nupo diet guided by the >Brick System<. Now I have to say, although I did read through the booklet I didn't completely stick to it. (I even had a Chinese at the weekend! EEeeek! But I picked one of the healthier options by going for a Chicken Chow Mein. )

I more so done my own thing this week to experiment a little and see what my outcome would be. I tried to keep carbs such as breads, pasta, potatoes to a minimum.

I did replace some meals with my shakes, some days I would replace 1 or two meals, other days I would replace 3 or 4. I found the end of the first week quite tough and was really excited to have solid food back in my diet - healthy food.

I've been loving carrots for some reason; they're cheap, healthy and give a good crunch while having a lazy day on the couch! Other foods I've been loving are mixed vegetables, quorn sausages, grilled chicken.

 I have to give a special mention to the Nupo Snack bar I discovered this week. It's... gorg. I really like the cranberry flavour which has oats blended with cranberrys with a white chocolate coating on the bottom. I would buy these even when I'm not trying to lose weight they're so tasty, but the plus side is that they contain just 99 calories. Downside.. they're €1.69 for 29gs!

So all in all I'm a happy girl. I've shed 11lbs in two weeks and I can certainly feel it in my clothes which is uh-maaazing! If you've any questions about the Nupo system the website is >HERE< or feel free to shoot me a message on >Twitter< or >Facebook<

Slán!

Most Nupo products mentioned were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products

Wednesday Weigh In #2 - Nupo Journey

If you'd like to catch up on my prevous Nupo Posts including my initial weigh in, just click >HERE<

Dia daoibh!

So I'm one week down on the Nupo plan. Let's get the important stuff out of the way and reveal my current weight after a week of just shakes!

Yay!!! I'm down 7lbs or another way of saying it is half a stone! I'm thrilled with my first week of results. Now obviously this will be the most extravagant of all my weekly weigh ins but nonetheless, a brilliant result if I do say so myself! I have to say though, the latter part of the week was challenging...

Two or three people mailed me on >Facebook< asking if I was cutting out all drinks other than water. I did, bar coffee, but even that I have altered and cut down on. I now have my coffee with fat free milk and a sweetener (which I used anyway) so calories are minimal.

Exercise wise, again was very minimal. I walked home from work a few days and Bulmer (my pug!) a few times but no excessive exercise was done, so I definitely but my weight loss down to diet.

Day one was fine getting to grips with everything and tasting the various flavours of the shakes, bars and soups was exciting. 

On day two I did have a thumping headache in the afternoon even though I was drinking my 2-3 litres of water. Withdrawals from food maybe!? Also on day two I struggled to finish my lunch - the vegetable soup but forced myself to. 

On day three I didn't end up getting all 3 meals in which is a no no. Work was hectic and I had forgotten my afternoon shake. After work something came up and I didn't get home until the evening. I learned my lesson there that I have to keep a bar or shake mix on me at all times if you want to stick to a strict Nupo only diet.

Towards the end of day 3 and on day 4 I noticed something peculiar. My breath stank! I have heard that this is due to Ketosis occurring (when carbohydrates are reduced in the diet) and the body begins to burn fat. I also came to the conculsion that I much prefer the shakes ice cold and added ice cubes to it. 

By day 5 I was getting a bit sick of the same flavours and textures, I couldn't face another shake and again although I had all 6 meals I didn't finish them all. At this point I had given up on the soups (which I really just don't like) and just stuck to the shakes.

Day 6.... really missing food. I was out and about that day and snacked on a Mint flavour chocolate Nupo bar but when I got home that evening, the idea of a shake sickened me. I needed food..... stat. I cooked the below which adds up to about 200 calories.

Day 7, (today as I write this) again I felt that I was having so much of the same flavours and consistency and was really missing food. I never realised how much I would actually miss food and I now appreciate it so so much more. I have decided that the full on shake approach is not for me and next week I will be incorporating some healthy foods into my diet along with my Nupo shakes and bars.

Round Up!

I've lost 7lbs in 1 week. The bars are nice, the shakes are 

As I mentioned, I am thrilled with a 7lb loss and look forward to my next weigh in Wednesday.

Slán!

Nupo products were very kindly sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the products and I have not been paid to trial the products.

Osiris Avisé CC Cream from Lidl

Dia daoibh!

Part 2 of the new skin releases to Irish Lidl stores, is the Osiris Avisé CC Cream. Similar to the Osiris Avisé BB Cream which I reviewed >HERE< this is priced at €2.99 so it won't leave a huge hole in your pocket. It comes in two shades Natural (which I tried) and Tanned. It has SPF15 along with UV Protection.

This is the first CC Cream I have ever tried so I have nothing to compare it to bar it's big bro BB Cream! This is much lighter in consistency than the BB Cream which is quite thick. I find this does a good job at evening out the skin tone but does not add much coverage - a strange claim. For this reason it's ideal for under your foundation.

Below are pictures of the CC Cream in action on it's own.

Overall I wouldn't be wearing it on it's own if it's coverage you're after, but it makes a great base for foundation or ideal  for those days when you want light coverage or to let your skin "breath". Again I had to allow a little time for it to set but after a couple of minutes I was good to go.

Below are some more from the range available from today, the 27th January 2013 while stocks last. 

Slán!

The above products were sent to me from the brands PR Team for reviewing purposes. All opinions above are completely my own, 100% honest thoughts on the product.