I'm now the proud owner of a Karl Largerfeld...

...bottle of Diet Coke (one of these days it will be an extravagant gown, but for now...)
How gorgeous are these?
Theres no way I could open it so its my new favourite eh thing.

Time for a little "Impulsive" competition... see what i did there :)

Absolutely loving Vogue Wilson's "do" for the launch of Impulse bodyspray’s newest scent ‘Very Pink’. (Making mental note to self to invest in some pink extensions)

I've long been a fan of these handbag staples and their latest offering was no disappointment.

Its a light fresh scent with citrus notes and delicate feminine florals and, dare I say it, a hint of luxury about it. I may sound a bit odd here, but to me, it's a more grown up and sophisticated scent than I'm used to with this product. Which is probably because it has an arsenal of perfume giants behind the development of it. 

It was developed by Ann Gottlieb, a world renowned fragrance expert in collaboration with Givaudan, one of the world’s best fragrance houses.  Ann has over 25 years experience in the perfume industry and the New York based connoisseur of fragrances has developed several signature scents for international perfume houses such as Calvin Klein, Caroline Herrera and Sex & the City Star Sarah Jessica Parker’s Covet.

Now for the great news! I have five of these baby's to give away to my lovely readers, alls ya gotta do is answer one simple question.

Pink recently gave birth to her first child, what did she name the baby? (hint, it wasn't "Very Pink", Google is your friend here people) 

Entries can be posted in the comments section below on my Facebook page or sent in via twitter to @laineyoc 

Impulse Very Pink is available in 75ml in all major supermarkets and pharmacies.

www.facebook.com/impulsediaries

Bargain Beauty Buys

Lately I've been astounded at the quality that I'm finding in what was traditionally lower end / lower price (lower quality) make up.
Don't get me wrong, I love my lush brands and there's a hidden snob in me that just adores getting something nicely packaged from Mac or Dior for example
But on the other hand, I'm the daughter of an Irish mammy who likes nothing better than getting a bargain on well anything at all (whether its needed or not) and now I too love nothing more than finding a product that does the same or a better job than another similar product for a fraction of the price and I've been having quite a few of these moments lately.

Lets start with Essence

• Mascara - I've long been a fan of the Diorshow waterproof mascara but when I came across something that looked very, very like (c'mon its an obvious dupe) it in Heatons i just had to get it to test it out and with a price range of €2.50 - 3.50 on their mascaras it wasn't going to be a huge gamble if it turned out to be horrible. It wasn't...While it doesn't come in the waterproof formula that I love the Dior one for it does give me massive false lash effect lashes, so much so that I just cannot justify forking out an extra twenty  five squids for something only marginally better.
  

• Gel eyeliner
  Is a recent offering from Essence (also Catrice are doing one that's supposed to be equally as good but I haven't managed to find it stocked anywhere in Cork ). I had previously been using Mac's Fluidline in Blacktrack but had always found that the consistency left a lot to be desired and that it dried out far to quickly both on the eye and in the pot.
  The essence gel liner is one of those products that just simply makes me happy, it does what its supposed to do, and it remains doing what its supposed to do until you tell it not to (or remove it but bear with the ronseal analogy). It stays wet in the pot, it goes on smooth and even, leaving no patchy bits or drag lines and it dries and stays incredibly black on the lid for the whole day.

Penny's - got a whole lot of things for... well all the time.

• Where would we be without Penny's, the shopping savvy girls answer to almost all fashion needs..their latest offering fake lashes.
  Now when Penny's first introduced their fake lash range I had a quick look and scoffed at the thick bands, the glitter, the feathers, the white balls and all other ridiculous objects that were stuck to the lashes to render them completely useless and I promptly forgot about them entirely.Then a few weeks ago during a bit of uncharacteristic sunshine I was in need of some emergency sandals and while in there I spotted their latest lash offerings.Firstly there was the 5 pack (girls aloud dupe) for €8, they looked perfect, flattering shapes, nice thin bands not a panto show amongst them. The shapes and the packaging are actually about a 90% copy of the girls aloud 5 pack but the good news is that these lashes seem to have gotten popular enough to drive down the price of the Eyelure Girls aloud 5 pack which is currently in Debenhams for €12.50. Good times

which brings me to the next savvy tip...
Eyelash Glue

• Now Duo eyelash glue (surgical adhesive) is generally referred to as the be all and end all for decent eyelash glue and while it is fantastic and quite possible the best on the market it does come in at a quite steep €13(ish) mark. Eyelure on the other hand have their own offering of eyelash adhesive in Lashfix which generally retails from between €2.50 - €3 (I got this on promotion in boots a few months ago for €.75) Eyelure have always been and probably will always be my go to brand when it comes to all things lashes, there is a strong company history there and they know what they're at. Lash fix cannot be beaten IMO (not by duo for a +€10 price tag).

Skin care

• Simple skincare have been a kit staple of mine since I started my career and has been a skincare favourite of mine since I realised I should be cleaning my face with something besides the soap in the bathroom.
  At the moment Dunne's Stores as well as some pharmacy's have their range on a two for €5 promotion, I've stocked up anyway.

• Rosewater - not strictly a bargain but I always think this beats the high end toners hands down and leaves your skin refreshed (and it smells lovely too)

• Silcox base / Aqueous cream : perfect for dry irritated skin, big huge tubs of pharmacy grade available for around the fiver mark.

Teaser pics/vid from last shoot

Had a very busy Easter this year ending in an entirely mad but oh so fun photo shoot with my good friend and awesome songstress/diva/nutjob (I kid) Sian Brown ( http://www.sianbrown.ie/), photographer Kait Hussman (http://www.kaithusmann.com/) and lots of help from Corinne Brown.

The shoot was on location at the old lunatic asylum (which is beyond creepy and very very cool) and ended up in Funderland (as you do :) ).

The look was gothic - to say the least and was achieved with Temptu SB on airbrushed on the face, matte grey shadows from Face 2, Vita Liberata, NYX, Mac, Smashbox and the both lip looks were done with OCC Lip Tars (which I must actually dedicate an entire post to because they are the most awesome make up product I've ever come across). Lashes from Penny's (more on this also later)

Anyway, the incredibly talented Kait has put together a teaser of the final pics from that day and has put them to "Remember My Name" a track from Sian's debut album "Blue Ruin". Hope you like the added helium fueled madness in my car at the end :)

Airbrush Make Up

Its official, I'm in love, and just in time for Valentines day and all. The bad news however is that its not with a Johnny Depp millionaire lookalike, its with a rather fabulous piece of equipment that I procurred at IMATS, I know i'm a make up nerd (I will write a review on the show as well as soon as I stop drooling over my new toy).

I managed to get my hands on the (constantly sold out) Temptu Air compressor with the SP35 airbrush, along with the S/B intro kit of foundations, blushes, highlighters, adjusters and the brow kit.

Since I got back with it (and managed to find a US plug adapter) I''ve been airbrushing anyone who I could find sitting still for long enough (my Dads afraid to fall asleep around me :) ) Everytime the results are so gorgeous that I cannot stop staring at my models.

Airbrushing is definately a new approach to make up, no longer can you see the make up on the face, in fact a lot of the time I'm checking my gun to make sure its working but then all of a sudden the face in front of me looks flawless. Its understandable why this is now the preffered method of make up artistry for HD film & tv and I know this is going to be a huge hit with Irish brides.

Heres what Temptu have to say about their products:"

Our premiere S/B Makeup is the highest quality silicone-based formula on the market. Although designed to be applied with an airbrush, S/B is blendable and can also be applied by fingertips, brush or sponge. The natural properties of silicone impart a soft-focus effect that radiates a healthy and youthful glow on any skin type.

 

Naturally lightweight and flawless, S/B mimics skin texture for a beautiful finish. Using only a few drops, it delivers sheer to opaque coverage. A true long-lasting formula which holds up through hours of studio lights...."

I also managed to get my hands on the water based airbrush formula from OCC Cosmetics

This is a foundation with a more matt finish and so will ensure that whatever your skin type, I have a foundation to suit your needs

.

From OCC: Lightweight yet high in coverage, this waterbased liquid airbrush foundation creates the look of a flawless complexion with a minimum of product. OCC Skin™ is 100% Oil-Free for a modern, natural matte finish that's never dry or flat-looking. Incredibly water resistant, sweat and tearproof. Stands up to the challenges presented by Hi-Definition Television and other digital media.

Ernst & Young Fashion Show

Accountants aren’t just boring suits .... 
Or so Ernst & Young will demonstrate when employees of the Cork office throw away their calculators and take to the catwalk to raise funds for Cork Simon Community and The Saoirse Foundation.  Monies raised will help support the homeless in Cork and also  fund life saving treatment for little Saoirse Heffernan who has a rare neurological condition known as Battens Disease.John Higgins, managing partner of Ernst & Young’s Cork office, says "we are delighted to support this event, which we hope will raise funds for these very worthy charities.  It’s important for us all to be aware of those who are ever more marginalized by the current climate, and we felt it was appropriate to get involved in this event in Cork, and support the local retail business while also helping charities in the region.  We have a fantastic show lined up and will certainly dispel any myths that accountants are dull and boring!"
The event, which takes place on Friday, 12 November at 7pm in the Clarion Hotel, Cork, will showcase clothes from local retailers - Sheena’s Boutique, Lisboa, Amity, Charlotte & Jane, Scarlett, Saville and Mischief Makers.  Guest models will include members of the Cork county hurling and football teams.  
Cork hurling star Tom Kenny and former Miss Cork Caroline Crowley, both employees of Ernst & Young, will be strutting the stage with their colleagues.
The event promises to be a great night out, with champagne and canapés on arrival, great fashion and super prizes including a €500 voucher from Brown Thomas among others.  The Clarion Hotel have kindly provided the venue free of charge to support the event, and with Ikon hair stylists and Elaine O’Callaghan on make up, this event is without doubt the best value night out with tickets selling at just €25 per person.  

Tickets available from Ernst & Young, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. For further information, please contact rhona.abbey@ie.ey.com or telephone 021 480 5700.

Ok so not make up related but thought I'd stick it up anyway.....

 

Would strongly  encourage everyone to check out this gig, Sians outstanding live & her album is amazing.