Sending Chilled Vibes from Albufeira

Hello my lovelies!! I know it has been super long since I posted my last blog and I'm sorry I have kept you all waiting so long. I originally had planned to blog whilst I was on my holidays to keep you all updated, but trying to blog and add photos and edit the font colour/size etc. was just way to confusing and time consuming through a phone so I thought I'd wait till I landed back on Irish soil and post a proper blog then and just make it a wee bit longer than usual - so get comfy, kick your feet up and get a lovely wee cuppa!

To start with I would like to give you all a wee insight to the exciting email I received last Monday morning just before I left for the airport. I got an email from Mikasa Beauty, a new and upcoming American makeup company, specialising in affordable high quality makeup brushes. The email was asking if I would be interested in trying out some products from their company as they had read my blog.. I know, don't chat I felt like a complete celebrity. Poor Kyle had to listen to me the whole way to Dublin about how I was 1. So lured that my blog had hit America and 2. That a makeup company had taken interest in my blog!! Super big achievement for me, so when I got to the airport again I had Kyles head absolutely melted torturing him on what I should buy, but after about an hour of picking from the amazing range of products online I chose two I thought that would be most beneficial for me and relatable to the blog. I chose their Coconut Serum and their Foundation Veil Primer - Green. So the whole week, even though I was on my holidays, I was itching to get home and get using the products!!

Anywaysssss, to Kyles surprise I put the blog and anything else that comes with it aside for a week and just decided to enjoy the week away. We decided in early January just before my birthday to book a week away in the sun for Valentines instead of doing the over cringy presents, and to be honest the holiday cost us both just as much as what a present would have, we got the flights and accommodation super cheap online. As you all know with me its all about a bargain, put it this way the two of us got away for a week in Portugal for cheaper than it would have cost to book us two nights in Belfast - yep that's an eye opener!! We also wanted to go somewhere very chill, we didn't want a party mad holiday we both had one of them last year so we just wanted a week away, just me and him to chill out, and that's exactly what we did in Old Town Albufeira. Old Town is thee most beautiful wee town in Albufeira full of cobbled streets which are filled with your typical holiday stalls by day and by night the sea front is lit up with several small cocktail bars and restaurants - perfect Valentines break away! I don't want to focus too much on the holiday as honestly there's not much to talk about, during the days we walked about either the old town or we ventured into the new town (where there wasn't much life as nothing on the strip is opened at this time of the year), we chilled at the pool or went to the beach, and then at night time we headed in for dinner and a drink in the old town. Best place to eat in Albufeira is 'Louisiana' Restaurant which is situated right on the sea front and does the best breakfasts ever!! Also right next to it is 'Flavours' which does lovely food also, staff in both restaurants were so welcoming!!Because I'm such a bargain hunter I think it is so important to mention that Albufeira is a completely affordable place to eat and live whilst on holidays. Definitely the perfect destination for couples, singletons looking for a good party .. maybe not so much haha!

Back to the skincare aspect of my blog now, if I am completely honest as most of you can probably understand, I ate like an absolute piggy and that did not have a whileeee good knock-on effect on my skin and I am still suffering - whoopsies! I said the whole time I was away, to anything fatty and greasy that came sailing towards me 'sure I'm on my holidays!' and it got gobbled up before Kyle even got the chance to be offered a bit.. my bad! Also we both only took a small hand luggage suitcase each so I was very limited as to what I could take with me skincare wise.. I had to chose wisely! So I decided that for the week I would live with my Micellar Cleansing water and my new Garnier Moisture Bomb Night Gel Cream. This was actually a very wise decision coming from me, although by the end of the week I was not a happy chappy, I needed my Himalayan Face Mask from the Body Shop to try and gobble the grease from the fatty oils back out of my pores. Buuuuuut I cant cry about what I didn't have for a week I just have to be grateful for my two favs that I did have .. why am I talking about skincare products like their my babies?? Freak. Right lets get to the point the newest product is my Garnier Moisture Bomb Gel Night Cream, I really loved this product and thought it was amazing for the sun. It is a really light gel formula which I thought was really suited for my skin type alongside the weather. As I would already have quite oily skin when I'm in the sun it tends to be a nightmare and just look extremely sweaty and fatigued non-stop. I really felt like this moisturiser prevented that from happening all week it gave me a really matte finish. It is a night gel cream, and I do usually use it at night when I'm home, it leaves my skin really awake and refreshed in the morning, it really is amazing! However on holidays I would have got up in the morning and cleansed using the Micellar Cleansing water and then popped on a small amount of the Moisture Bomb and I really do feel like it kept my skin constantly refreshed in the sun all day. This year is the first year were on holiday I  have been confident enough to wear no makeup during the day.. and still not hesitate to get a sneaky selfie here and there - were all guilty!! I do believe this is a result of the Moisture Bomb (alongside all the masks and treatments I have been blogging about), now is the perfect time if you want to try it out it is down to £5.33 in Boots which is really good considering I paid £7.99 for mine - lucky duckies!!

Onto the two amazing products I received from Mikasa Beauty. I haven't had a lot of use of the Coconut Serum from Bodyography, but from what I have used of it, it is amazing on my skin and leaves it super soft after using it, it also really lightens the skin making it look brighter! However like any daily moisturiser/serum it takes time before you get a true opinion on it, so I'll keep you updated on that. What I am most excited to tell you about is the Foundation Primer Veil in Green from Bodygraphy. I chose the green one as it sated in the online description that it is full of amazing vitamins for the skin, prevents collagen breakdown and also reduces the appearance of wrinkles.. I know I'm not wrinkly but hear me out haha! I got this because I always find after a long day at college and work I would get really bad smile lines, or else the bags under my eyes would become really outlined, so I took a chance and assumed that this would be good for me and my skin, but again everyone is different and has their own skin type so be sure to pick the primer that best suits your skin. Anywayssss I have only used this primer twice and already I am wow'ed by the results!! My makeup is looking so flawless all day and it is even making my foundation glide on so much easier, I am so happy with the product and will definitely keep you posted on a 'night out' look using the primer and how I get on with my makeup staying in place all night. I also seen a setting spray from Bodyography on Mikasa, it was sold out at the time but after the amazing standard of their primer I will be 100% sure to keep an eye out for it!

EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS....

If you are thinking about ordering any of the above products or any products available on Mikasa Beauty be sure to use my very own discount code ..

MAIRELYNBEAUTY15 

Super exciting times ahead for MaireMe, as most of you are already aware I have just become a Miss Earth Northern Ireland 2017 Finalist!! I am super excited about the experience and friends the pageant will bring, and the success it could possibly bring to my blog. I have been thinking about doing a blog in relation to the stigma attached to beauty pageants.. I think this is something all young girls would love a read at and hopefully it would boost more young girls to be grabbing opportunities like this with two hands, there is many MANY benefits to experiences like beauty pageants!! But I'll save that for another blog, so keep in touch and let me know if you would like to read something along these lines. 

That's all for today, super long blog and its super late I know, but I only every get to sit down at this time to write properly! Thanks so much for all the support and messages with regards to the blog and to Miss Earth NI 2017, couldn't ask for better readers!

MaireMe xx  

   

Super Mario

Hiya everyone, firstly I'm super sorry for keeping you waiting super long on my blog about the Super Silver Mario Badescu powder! However before suggesting it to any of my readers I thought it was important that I got a good try at it and had valuable before and after pictures to support my opinion.

Soooooo finally after the longest wait and build up ever.. the Silver Powder from Mario Badescu has definitely lived up to its expectations. Again just like the Himalayan Mask I hadn't heard much about the powder, I seen it on beauty bay and watched a short video on how to use it and gave it a go as it was only £11.50 - complete steal for how much you get in the tub and how long it could potentially last you.

Blackheads is something I really suffer with, I thought the Himalayan mask might have helped them but in all honesty it didn't take away my blackheads, of course from my pictures if 100% helped my skin and minimised the pores but I felt it wasn't really lifting the blackheads out!! I had read one review on the Silver Powder and it was along the lines of 'Excellent product!! After a couple of uses I can already see my blackheads reduced!' - of course that isn't quoted word for work because that would just be weird. Anyways getting off track again, after reading that the product went 'straight in my basket' and I was super excited about it arriving - I know freak!!

Anyways the reason behind this blog only being posted now, saying as I received the product a good few weeks ago, is that it was approaching inter-semester break and I was up to my eyeballs in assignments - of course because everything's last minute with me :) I just didn't get the time to get a proper go at the product to be able to see good results. However for just two weeks now I've been using the product two or three times a week and I have definitely noticed changes in my skin.. ask Kyle if you think I'm lying. The other day you would have swore I wont a million pound, sitting in front of the mirror cleansing the powder off with my Garnier Micellar Water, and I nearly had a heart attack for the first time in all my life I genuinely felt like the blackheads on my chin were dramatically reduced. When I see results like this I be super excited to post my blog about the product because I know how hard it is to be a young girl so self-conscious about her skin, and not wanting to leave the house without makeup on. Realistically we shouldn't feel like this, bad skin is all down to the hormonal imbalance in our bodies at this age its so natural, but posting good affordable remedies like this to let other girls (and boys.. Kyle's my number one supporter haha) know about them makes me super happy and excited to see you trying them, I've received a few snaps this week from girls telling me they're buying the products I'm posting about!! I feel so so proud when I get snaps and feedback like that it makes me so motivated to keep writing wee blogs.. it's fun.

I'll stop getting all deep and cheesy now.. but seriously a massive thank you for every single one of you who continuously read and share my blogs. You are the best!

Before

  After

Getting photos of blackheads has been proven so hard this last two weeks haha they're tiny but annoying. I done the best I could and in my opinion you can definitely see results in the minimised pores. Cant wait to just see them get smaller and smaller over the upcoming weeks and hopefully in a couple of months be gone! Its a working progress but so far so good. Great product and would definitely recommend it!

So that's it for today, I go to Portugal next week for a week, and I've an exciting wee product to try when I'm out there to keep my skin refreshed so ill keep you all updated on that!!

MaireMe xx

Volcanic Activity

Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a fab week and looking forward to the weekend. Its been a while since I've posted a blog - longer than I had hoped anyways. However .. that's my own fault! Last week I ordered Mario Badescu Silver Powder Specifically for blackheads, and I've honestly only had the chance to try it out twice, although I have seen amazing results already (I know.. exciting!) I just don't think I have used the product enough to get a true feel for it, to be able to write a blog. I hope to have some before and after pictures of my blackheads too so I'll get that organised this week and keep you posted on that one.

For now I'm going to be talking about Garnier's Volcano Face Mask which I bought today and tried out literally five minutes ago .. eager beaver to tell you all about it haha. Well at first putting it on I thought holy lord this is so thick, I was worried about how it was going to spread on my face. However, with the heat of my face it began to melt into a creamier serum and it glided along my face much easier. It says on the packet to keep it on for 2-3 minutes however I think this is way to little time to even let the mask be absorbed into your pores, and because my pores are quiet badly clogged (hence the Mario Badescu project.. lol) I left it on for 6-7 minutes. Its a rinse off mask, so like every other mask I use, I moisturised it into my skin as I was taking it off with warm water. For a minute I did freak out because I thought it had died my face red, and saying that I'm going out this weekend that would have been no laughing matter.. constant render :). After the mask had been removed my skin looked so refreshed, because I had been out and about all day with no makeup on my skin originally look fatigued, but as a result of one use of this mask it is now looking so much more refreshed. One fab thing I noticed about the mask was it didn't leave my face tight and uncomfortable, it was super light on my skin and you would nearly begin to forget you had it on.. but please don't do that..

Overall I was really pleased with the results of this mask today. My pores are so much less noticeable and my skin feels amazing a refreshed. Perfect kind of mask for those girly nights in, plus only £1.50 in Boots. They come for a range of different skin types, I chose the pore minimising one as clogged pores is something I'm struggling with but make sure and focus it to your own specific skin type - everybody's different!

Wee short quick blog today but just thought I would keep you all updated on products I think are useful. Like most skincare products they need to be used regularly in order to see fabulous results, however this is the perfect kind of mask if your just having a bad skin day/week .. £1.50 - couldn't beat that!

MaireMe xx