Thursday 12 November 2015

Want to win a 12 Month Supply of WaterWipes?!

I've been contacted by WaterWipes and they have offered me an opportunity for my readers and followers to win a 12 MONTH SUPPLY OF WATERWIPES!! (the facial wipes that is, not the babywipes!)

How exciting!! Here's the details below.

  • I've posted a tweet on Twitter (link here) and all you need to do is Retweet this tweet, and make sure you're following me and WaterWipes on Twitter!! 
  • You also need to follow my blog here (on Bloglovin' of by email (top right hand side of my blog)
  • It could be you!!! Get entering!
  • Giveaway CLOSES TOMORROW FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 AT 8PM!



Sarah

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Thursday 27 August 2015

1935 - 2015: La vie est belle with Lancôme‏

Here's Lancôme's latest Press Releases, that celebrates a remarkable milestone that they've achieved as a brand, of pure luxury in my opinion! Here's the details!
**For 80 years, La vie est belle with Lancôme**
Founded by the visionary and pioneer Armand Petitjean in 1935, Lancôme is celebrating 80 years of beauty in 2015. An opportunity to celebrate the women who inspire the brand, from its customers to its ambassadresses, and to affirm all year long through a series of joyful initiatives that indeed, life is beautiful with Lancôme. What are 80 years? What does it mean to celebrate eight decades of beauty, scientific innovations, exceptional fragrances, skincare and makeup products, of joyful celebration of femininity that is always true to itself yet is ceaselessly being reinvented? This is the question that Lancôme wished to answer on the anniversary of its creation. Looking back in order to move forward even more successfully, for a House is first and foremost a story that inspires the future and shapes what lies ahead. Lancôme’s story began in 1935 with the vision of a man ahead of his time, Armand Petitjean: a beauty that is French, therefore free and as a result-happy. 
Beauty that lightens and strengthens. The beauty of being oneself. Happy beauty. “Above all, we wanted this celebration to be a moment of joy,” states Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme’s General Manager. “Because – for Lancôme – beauty goes hand in hand with happiness. So it’s a birthday in the form of a celebration, which each month will reaffirm the brand’s greatest ambition: making women’s lives more beautiful with Lancôme!”Something of a nod to La vie est belle, the name of an incredibly successful fragrance that has become the symbol of happy beauty, a brand signature.

Life is beautiful in colour: the colours of the legendary L’Absolu Rouge lipstick or the Hypnôse eye palettes… Life is beautiful with fragrance, from Trésor’s leather-infused peach-rose composition to the wonderfully tasty iris of La vie est belle, the heirs of a line of exceptional perfumes that have marked the history of femininity and won awards since the 1935 Brussels World’s Fair. Life is beautiful with delicious sensations, those provided by skincare at the cutting edge of scientific innovation, skincare products that have become must-haves, such as Advanced Génifique and Absolue l’Extrait. Life is beautiful like the exceptional know-how by which the House perpetuates a certain idea of French luxury.  
Last but not least, life is beautiful just like the Lancôme ambassadresses, who radiate a beauty that is confident, distinctive and always free. Women who leave their mark on their age, whether Isabella Rosselini, the original epitome of Lancôme femininity for generations of women up to the present day, or Penélope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts, Lupita Nyong’o, Lily Collins and Alma Jodorowsky, who allow the brand to shine around the world. Women who are accessible, free, committed, who cultivate their happiness as a way of life, seriously yet lightheartedly, inspired and inspiring in equal measure.


What could be more natural for the brand with the rose than to cultivate happiness? And what more fitting way to approach its birthday than as an invitation to savour the beauty of life to the full throughout a year filled with surprises? Beginning with an irresistibly imaginative film – a Lancôme first – revealed on 20 February 2015, the anniversary of the day on which the House was founded. A summary of all that Lancôme is in a surrealist style with a thoroughly modern glamour. Joy already, in colour and movement.

What's your favourite Lancôme product? Or have you ever tried any products from their skincare or beauty ranges? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Birthday Lancôme!!

Sarah 

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Tuesday 18 August 2015

Be Confident & SHINE this Summer

This week marks the first bit of proper sunshine we've had here in Ireland for more than 6 weeks! This sunshine has given me some inspiration and led me to create this blogpost, which will discuss body confidence and how to get that 'glow' and radiance this summer! I've compiled some tips I try and stick by all year round, but especially during summer time. Between cocktail parties, BBQs, lunch with friends-there's so much going on! We all want to be able to enjoy these occasions with that special summer glow!
#1 Water
I know it's so cliche but I have to include this one. I would be quite diligent with my water-intake and would drink 2L of water every day. But recently I went on a little trial of drinking about 3-4L water a day and WOW what a difference! If you do nothing else, after reading this blogpost, make a note of how much water you drink per day, for 1-2 weeks and aim to drink more than 3L. 
I could honestly see a massive difference in my skin. I'm quite lucky as I rarely have trouble with my skin, but I had to look twice a couple of times at myself in the mirror with no makeup on! It looked like I had highlighter on my skin, it was glowing! It really adds a glow and radiance back to your skin, that no makeup product could buy. Why not take a no-makeup-selfie today and in a weeks time and compare the difference? If you do make sure to share it with me on Twitter/Instagram and use the hashtag #bodyphilosophy. 

As a result I felt more confident in my own natural skin and was feeling great from within, which is so important.

#2 Don't follow the crowd
Following on from the above point, I have been having more no-makeup-days than ever lately! With the season that's in it, even though we've had little sunshine, I am trying to let me skin breathe a bit more. It has coincided with my 'glowing skin' so I've felt a bit more confident and will easily go out and about 'bare-faced'! I don't believe in following the crowd and feeling like you have to live up to a certain 'image' as a woman or a man. People quite often put extra pressure on themselves by just simply following the crowd! Don't wear makeup if you don't feel like!! Be confident in your own skin! No one else is like you, each one of us is unique! It may help if your skin has that natural glow, so make sure you drink that water!!
Your skin will thank you for giving it a break from the makeup, which will probably result in it becoming more radiant and clear, so you can have those no-makeup-days! Win Win!!

#3 Glow from within
Only a certain percentage of what we put on our skin e.g. creams, oils, serums will help with it's appearance. A greater proportion of what we put 'into' our bodies affects the appearance of our skin. I recently was chatting to one of Ireland's Top Models 'Holly Carpenter' and we both had this discussion. She is also a firm believer in this philosophy! If you feed your body what it needs, not what you want, the benefits will be visible in your skin. Try and cut down on the caffeine, sugar and processed foods and increase the amount of 'superfoods' you take. I love to have a mug of hot water & lemon every morning before I eat breakfast. My breakfast will either be some homemade granola (I love this one by an Irish chef Donal Skehan), yoghurt and fruit or poached eggs on brown bread.
The lemon really kick-starts your digestive system and wakes up your body. It also fills you up a little bit! If I have some free time on my hands, I love to make homemade banana bread (again I love this one from Donal Skehan) to either have in the morning or after my lunch. It's full of goodness and is much better than snacking on biscuits! It's also so lovely to take to a summer BBQ with friends and have as your dessert! If you're looking for some nice healthy recipes for any occasion this summer, I found this great website that has yummy healthy recipes, all in one place at Aloha.com. Have a browse through and see if you find something that suits your tastebuds!

#4 No makeup-makeup
I love keeping my makeup minimal this time of year and I recommend just filling in your eyebrows, a little bit of mascara and either some BB cream or a tinted moisturiser and lip balm. You're good to go! It's more fresh looking and we all should embrace our inner beauty.

So here are my tips for being body confident this summer and achieving the summer glow that we all talk so much about! I'd love if you could share your tips for how to be body confident and join in the the #bodyphilosophy campaign. Tweet me with you tips @SarahWhelehan and let me know. Be sure to use the above hashtag!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!
I've teamed up with Bio Oil to offer you the chance to win one of 5 bottles of Bio Oil. Bio Oil are currently promoting the campaign and all you need to do is comment below with the following:

1. Your name and twitter handle (Be sure to follow me @SarahWhelehan)
2. Your tip or tips on how to be body confident

For an extra chance to win, why not tweet me and use the hashtag #bodyphilosophy, sharing your tips.

For another bonus entry, tweet the following: 

Have you read @SarahWhelehan 's #bodyphilosophy tips for being body confident this Summer?! #glowingskin http://sarahyellowsunflower.blogspot.ie/
@BioOilUK 

Terms and Conditions: The giveaway will close in 5 days time on the 23rd August 2015. The giveaway is only open to Ireland & UK readers. (Sorry to everyone else!)
Good Luck!!!!


Sarah

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Monday 20 April 2015

Loves and Loathes: 2015

I have been finding some old but great products recently, while also discovering some not-so-good products, that I wanted to share with you. I think it's kind-of important that you equally know what I'm loving and what I'm disappointed with, so hence this blogpost!!

LOVES:

MAC Cream Colour Base: HUSH

With this lovely sunshine we've been having as of late, I've wanted to add some 'glow' into my Spring makeup look so I decided to root through my makeup and find an oldie-but-a-goodie, that I'd completely neglected!! I bought this Cream Colour Base a couple of years ago and love using it. It adds a lovely amount of 'glow' to your shin, if dabbed on the tops of your cheekbones and up onto the eyebrow bone. 
I gently tap my ring finger into the cream, which is solid to touch, and then gently tap my finger on my cheekbones to blend the product in, after my foundation. It adds a lovely hint of a peach-pink colour, which saves me adding any blusher! 

Giorgio Armani Sí Intense Perfume*

This is my FAVOURITE perfume of all time I think! I just love it so much and I've been wearing it for so long now, over a year I think! So many people comment on my perfume when I'm wearing this, it's such a distinctive smell. It's quite a deep, intense smell and I recommend you smell a sample of it. It's available at Boots, Arnotts and Brown Thomas etc. If you find it too 'intense' as the name suggests, they have a original Sí perfume which is less intense, which you may like. 
Giorgio Armani have also released a new addition to the Sí family, called Sí Eau de Toilette, which comes in a lighter pink coloured bottle. It's only just been released and it has similar notes to it, as the Sí Intense but just a lighter, fresher feel. It may be just what you're looking for!

NIVEA Invisible Anti-Perspirant 

I know this is a little bit random but I've been wearing lots of black and white clothes lately (LOVING monochrome at the minute) and I've always been worried about deodorant marks being left on my good white shirt or dress, or even worse on your black clothing. So I decided to pick up this deodorant from Nivea and I'm very impressed! I've had no yellow marks left on my white clothes or no white marks on my black clothes. It's a great relief to know that you won't have any marks left on your clothes, so this is a recent love of mine!

Lancome Grandiose Mascara*

I'm sure you've heard me rave about this mascara on many occasions and this favourite has not changed in the last year I don't think. I use this mascara everyday and it's definitely worth investing in! It is a high-end mascara and costs €30 from Brown Thomas but if you want some great length, volume and definition to your lashes, treat yourself!

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub*

I love to use this lip scrub about once or twice a week on my lips. I find it best to use it in the shower, as it's easier to clean away any excess. This product smells like it says on the tin I suppose! It smells exactly like After Eight mints, so tempting to lick it off your lips (even though you actually can as it's just made up of sugar and essential oils)!! I find that if I'm applying a lip gloss or lipstick most days and then moisturising my lips in between and at night-time, the dead skin cells on your lips can gather and 'clump' on your lipstick, making it then appear 'flaky'.
If this happens to you, then this is the dead skin cells on your lips, that basically need to be exfoliated or removed. Now you can use (and I often do) just a simple 'soft' toothbrush and 'dry brush' your lips, which will help. But this is a great product which does the same job, but better. You're left with beautifully soft, delicious lips!! This also retails at £5.50 and lasts for about 6-9 months!

Maybelline ColourSensational Lipstick: 842 Rosewood Pearl

I think I bought this lipstick over a year ago and have recently only decided to use it and I've fallen in love. I spotted Anna Saccone (from The SacconeJolys) wearing it in some of her vlogs and I decided to purchase it. It costs approx. €8 and is really a beautiful bronzy/pearly nude. I've been wearing it everyday recently and it adds a glow to your skin. With a bit of HUSH from MAC on my cheekbones and this lipstick, your skin appears fresh and dewy.
In the bullet, it looks like a browny-nude but there is a lovely amount of shimmer in the lipstick and I recommend you swatch it in your local drugstore to see the true colour.

Penneys/Primark Wayfarer Sunglasses

I picked up these sunglasses about 3 weeks ago in Penneys, just as the new Spring/Summer collections came into the stores. These cost ONLY €3.00 and are an absolute BARGAIN! They are an absolute steal and a great dupe for many high-end designer sunglasses. I have been wearing these at every given opportunity recently, with the lovely sunshine we've been having. If you're near a Primary/Penneys have a look at their wide range of sunglasses for Summer and see if there are any that you fancy. Pick them up before they're gone!!
These are a great classical twist on the classic wayfarer shape and would suit most face shapes!

Penneys/Primary Oval Sunglasses

While in Penneys I also picked up these funky oval sunglasses as I thought they'd be really cute for the upcoming summer festivals. I think these are a real style statement and with these, you can simply glam up any outfit! I can't wait to pair these with some loose curls, a headband, and a top and some denim shorts. At only €1.50, these are another great bargain, worth grabbing if you see them.

Olivia Burton Nude Rose Gold Watch

I got this as a Christmas present last year and it's been on my arm ever since. I love big faced watches and the hint of rose gold on the face is just beautiful. I feel this watch is a real classic and will hopefully last me for some time. I've had many compliments on the watch and I love pairing it with a simple gold bangle or just on it's own.
A little hint** If you're looking to buy this one HERE from ASOS, keep an eye on their page for when they've 20% off, and you'll get the watch for only about €80! 

LOATHES:

Eylure Lashes: Cheryl 'Girls Night'*

I was sent these lashes from Eylure recently and unfortunately I have to say that I'm not too keen on these particular ones called 'Girls Night'. I applied these on a recent night out, and didn't really see any effect of the lashes. I found no great difference, none at all really unfortunately. I am a lover of the regular line of lashes from Eylure and a lover of Cheryl, but these range of lashes just don't do it for me! I love the packaging and the lash glue is great also but these particular lashes would not be ones I would recommend.
They are slightly darker and thicker on the outer edge of the lashes but after I applied some mascara with these on, I found and saw little or no difference in my lashes! I left them on for the night anyway but was a little disappointed with them. They cost €8.50 in Boots but I would recommend you checking out my post a while back, for a more detailed post on some of the lashes from Eylure that I DO recommend HERE.

Benefit they're REAL push-up liner*

This eyeliner has been raved and ranted about for some time now but I've been very disappointed with this product, if I'm honest. This gel liner pen claims to 'hug your lashes' when applying. At first it was strange to use and definitely takes some time to get used to. After several uses it did get a bit easier to apply but overall I was still spending considerably longer applying my eyeliner when using this. Not really ideal for when you're in a rush! I also found it hard to achieve an even flick on both eyes with it.
I also found that when I'd go to use it the next time, there would be some product left in the nib of the eyeliner, which would be in a clump and dried slightly. I made the mistake of directly applying the eyeliner on many occasions and ruining my eye makeup with a lump of eyeliner coming out first. When I finally remembered to check it each time, and clean the remaining eyeliner left, I'd probably spent 2-3 minutes doing this. Also, if you manage to get some on your fingers when cleaning it, it is very tough to get off right there and then! Again, another minute or so has ticked on! I usually use a face wipe to correct any mistakes I make when applying eyeliner but I found it hard to clean any mistakes I made with a wipe with this product. It often smudged and I found myself scrubbing it all off on more than one occasion. On a positive note, it was not as hard to remove at the end of the day with my trusty Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. I think I'll be sticking to my trusty liquid liner from Rimmel in the future.

Lancome Hypnose Eyeshadow Palette: Drama Eyes Parisian Lights*

This beauty arrived through the postbox a few weeks back and I couldn't stop admiring it. It is so well packaged in a lovely gold palette with a great sized mirror inside. It also provides a sticker which has a little tutorial on where to apply each eyeshadow, to create a smokey-eye. It also has 2 mini magnets on the packaging, so it closes very smoothly and won't open easily if you're out and about.
Unfortunately I didn't find the quality of the eyeshadows that great for the price of the palette. I was disappointed by the lack of colour pay-off. I even tried to intensify the look, by wetting the brush on application, but I was still left disappointed with the intensity of the colour.
There are some lovely colours in the palette. A lovely gold-bronze colour, and a rose-gold colour, but they didn't come out as bright as they appeared in the palette. I tried adding more colour to help but to no avail. I nearly felt that it looked like I had little or no eyeshadow on. I also found the two brushes that came with the palette practically useless! The double ended brush I didn't like and the other mini blending brush didn't really blend out my eyeshadow very well. Unfortunately this was a disappointment from Lancome.

So these are some products that I've been both loving and loathing so far this year! Let me know if you like these sort of blogposts!

Have you ever tried any of these products? How did you get on? Do you fancy trying out any of these? Let me know your thoughts below in the comments section, or on Twitter (@SarahWhelehan). I love reading your comments!

Sarah

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