When it comes to skincare and having a beauty regime, it can quickly become confusing and even a bit overwhelming. From figuring out your skin type, to finishing your daily routine with the right women’s perfume for the occasion, suddenly your beauty regime sounds more like hard work.
It doesn’t have to be so mind-boggling! One of the first things to remember is that no matter your skin type, or how busy you may be, having any sort of regular routine can help to maintain healthy, glowing skin.
So, if you’re hoping to create a new beauty regime, overhaul your current routine or simply just learn a bit more about skincare, here are some top tips to help you get started.
Understand your skin type
Understanding your skin is so important before you buy any new products, as it can make sure you’re providing your skin with the treatment it needs. Most of us identify our skin type when we’re in our late teens, and often stick to that diagnosis into our 20s and beyond.
It’s worth keeping in mind that your skin will change significantly as you get older, so take some time to identify any new concerns or changing skin conditions. Either do your homework, or consider seeing a professional at a skincare counter to help you.
Keep it simple
It can be easy to get carried away once you start discovering a new routine. However, it’s important to keep it simple; this means you’ve got more chance of keeping it up every day! No one wants to spend half an hour in front of the mirror every morning or night, so stick to minimum products and it will quickly become part of your everyday routine.
One of the best tips for good skin maintenance is using a quality cleanser. Look out for the type of cleanser that will work best for your skin; they often come in various textures like a milk, cream, balm or facial wash.
You should follow your cleanser with a toner. Toners are designed to remove any leftover impurities which your cleanser may not have picked up. There are toners for specific skin types, created with a variety of ingredients, so don’t just choose any old type!
One of the final steps should be to moisturise; even if you have oily skin. Hydrating your skin through a moisturiser can ensure your skin remains healthy. You may want to consider a serum or eye cream to finish with.
It is worth noting that moisturiser is designed to sit on the surface of your skin and protect it from external elements. Serum, on the other hand, sinks right into your skin for extra treatment.
Protecting your skin
You don’t have to be on holiday or in direct sunlight to wear SPF. Our skin is almost always exposed to some sort of UV, even if it’s cloudy outside. By wearing some kind of sunscreen, even if it’s in your makeup, you’re protecting your skin from a multitude of things, such as skin discolouration and appearance of red veins or blotchiness.
Wearing SPF will also slow down wrinkles and stop your skin from prematurely ageing.
Your makeup and fragrance routine
Once you’ve achieved glowing, healthy skin, it’s important to incorporate the rest of your beauty regime. When it comes to applying makeup, consider investing in a primer that is designed for your particular skin condition. Makeup primers are designed to reduce redness, diminish pores or create a matte or dewy finish.
Also, as mentioned earlier, look for foundation that has SPF in it; a layer of foundation alone is simply not enough to protect your skin.
Wearing fragrance is the perfect finish to your beauty regime; but did you know there’s a skill to wearing it properly? Tips from beauty experts have revealed that you should never rub your wrists together after spraying perfume, as this creates friction and heat which can change the scent.
It’s also interesting to note that perfume doesn’t last long on dry skin; even more reason to look after your skin with the right products!
Whatever you do, don’t cover up your perfume with your clothes; target areas like your neck, wrist or inner elbow if you’re wearing short sleeves.
So, now you have a better idea of skincare, makeup and even fragrance, hopefully you can start to put together the perfect beauty regime that works for you.
The early noughties WORSHIPPED the French manicure, and all of a sudden we're seeing a major comeback.
Between Ariana Grande using the trend as part of her iconic 00's chick-flick themed Thank U, Next music video, and Ocean's 8 featuring the nail art, fashion has taken a turn.
White-tipped nails were huge back in the day, everyone who was anyone sported the chic style craze. Heiresses such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian West aided the movement.
The trend appeared to die by the time 2010 came along, with those in the ensuing decade calling it cheesy and (*gasp*) TACKY.
The tide is turning, because the nail style is appearing everywhere from red carpets to fashion shows, from celebrity appearances to music videos.
We're seeing massive 1990s comebacks, from bands such as the Spice Girls and Westlife as well as reboots of popular TV shows and movies such as Sabrina.
It makes sense that nails should follow fashion and popular culture, and we're SO ready to whip out those white tips.
"Fashion has taken a '90s turn from influence, so of course the trends have returned from that era. I'm enjoying the new modern twists, maybe because it comes from my era."
"How you approach the modern take is vital; the nail shape should be a ballerina, not a square. If it's not done right, it will become 'basic'," she commented.
Heaven forbid.
Are you ready to WERK the trend, or do you think it should stay in the 2000s where it belongs?
Makeup can give you that special finishing touch for any prom look, so you can stand out from the crowd. Whether you are going for a low-key or high-fashion look, you want to make sure your makeup is done to perfection.
Although it would be lovely to have a professional come and do your makeup for the big night, this is not an affordable luxury for most people. We've got a few quick tips and tricks to help you take charge and get prom ready in no time, no stress.
Dress to Impress
You've probably spent a lot of time finding your dream prom dress, so it's important to centre your makeup look on it. Your makeup and dress should always compliment one another, rather than compete for attention.
For example, if you were wearing prom dresses in bright colours with embellishments such as this gorgeous number from JJ's House, a complimentary makeup look would be matching red lipstick with light eye makeup.
A heavily made-up eye area would be too busy for this style of dress and completely overdo your overall look.
If you're wearing a plainer style of dress like this JJ's House velvet gown, you can combine sultry, smoky eyes with your red lipstick as it's a makeup look that compliments the material and these styles of prom dresses.
It might not usually be a good idea to copy other people's work or ideas, but when it comes to makeup looks, it's practically a recommendation!
We often see celebrities or models made up in a way that we think will suit us too – prom can be the perfect place to try it out!
The key to making this look work can be summed up in one word: practice! If you leave it until prom day to try it out, chances are it will be a complete disaster – it might look like a mess or just not look as good as you thought it would.
Prom night is not the time to work this out.
If you want to mirror the look of your favourite celebrity, practice and preparation are the best ways for you to get there.
Testing 1, 2, 3
One of the biggest things most people forget to do is make sure their makeup looks good in pictures. This is something that again is best to practice and prepare before the big night.
Flash photography can wash out your skin and makeup, and can make you look pasty and startled! You would be shocked to know what the biggest culprit for this is: moisturiser – or more specifically, moisturiser with sunscreen in it.
The sunscreen reflects the flash, completely washes out your face and mismatches the tone from your body.
Make sure you plan ahead and check to make sure the face cream or foundation you use on prom night does not include sunscreen. If it's only a small amount, you can try and take photos to test how reflective it might be.
We're all most likely familiar with the incredible Marvel film Black Panther.
One of the biggest phenomenon's of 2018, and the highest grossing superhero movie of ALL TIME, the hiring of a nearly all-black cast was a pivotal moment in cinema.
The setting of Wakanda remains one of the most iconic aspects of the film, which mainstream fashion has gripped onto.
The film's acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter wanted to change the public's generalised perception of the African continent;
“I want people to have a new vision of the continent of Africa,” she told Refinery29.
“I want people to understand it's not just this dark place where everyone dresses the same with bones in their nose, living in a grass hut. People need to see this is a modern continent. It has a voice and an aesthetic.”
Unfortunately, clothing brand Forever21 have released clothing inspired by the film, but have gotten into some hot water when it comes to the models chosen…
this sweater just called 311 because Shuri's making too much noise in her lab pic.twitter.com/Npd7nxwhJP
Fans of the film are NOT happy to see possibly the palest man in existence modelling merchandise for the infamously diverse movie, but some fans are claiming that the backlash is unfounded.
Forever21 tweeted; "Wakanda Forever, get the sweater here" last night, alongside a photo of a mens' top, named a 'Wakanda Forever Fair Isle Sweater.'
Twitter did it's job, to say the least. The clothing company quickly deleted the tweet, but the image is still on their website.
If you click on the link, it redirects you to another model, this time a diverse one, wearing a yellow and black sweater.
There's nothing wrong with a person of any race enjoying a movie's merchandise of course.
However, many users online were troubled at the perceived whitewashing, considering the film is arguably the first superhero of it's kind to appeal to all races, ages and genders.
Whitewashing has been appearing in fashion more and more recently, with Zara and H+M getting into trouble for missteps in their high street fashion.
Pradafound itself getting backlash last week for a shop window display featuring a charm eerily reminiscent of a Blackface character.
We think Forever21 need to be a tad more careful with it's marketing campaigns…
This may be the beauty product we've all been waiting for…What are our two favourite things? Pizza + glamorous eyeshadow = pure, unadulterated joy.
Yep, that's the truth. Glamlite Cosmetics have changed the make-up game by creating a pizza-themed vegan eyeshadow palette, and it's absolutely unreal.
The cruelty-free, vegan beauty giant have described the Pizza Palette as; “The world’s most ‘delicious’ palette, fresh out of the oven and ready for delivery!”
What's even cooler, if that's possible, is that the creator received hateful messages about her weight insinuating that she 'ate too many pizzas'.
She then decided to carry out the greatest clap-back second only to anything Chrissy Teigen has ever done, by creating a PIZZA-themed palette which sold out in under 48 hours.
The palette features 18 stunning 'toppings' to choose from, and colours to match. The names range from earthy emerald shades of 'Basil' to the shimmery gold of 'Pineapple', and even metallic purple 'Red Onions'.
This woman is a genius. The product has also been JEFFREE STAR APPROVED, which is no easy feat.
Imagine a man in a tux at a black-tie event. He has the looks and style that grabs everyone’s attention, only to pose and reveal a canvas-strap wristwatch. Not to say that the canvas strap watches are inferior, but they are just not appropriate for the outfit.
Matching your watch to an outfit can be quite simple for a fashion savvy person, but it can be challenging for those who lack basic knowledge. Matching your watch with an outfit is actually a form of art. We are currently obsessed with the official Olivia Burton watch range which you can wear with style.
The choice of watch you choose is a reflection of your personality, your style, and your tastes. Some may argue that matching your watch with your outfit depends on the band or strap, but a person who understands fashion will tell you that it’s more than that.
Many other factors come into play when choosing the right watch-outfit combinations. Below are a few guidelines to help you understand what goes with what.
Match Your Watch to the Formality of Your Outfit
Watches and outfits have levels of formality. A general rule of thumb when matching your watch with your outfit is to match the formality of your timepiece with the formality of your outfit. Let me explain further how you do that.
Black Tie, White Tie
Traditionally, people were not supposed to wear a watch to a black-tie event. However, today you can wear a simple, classic dress watch. You don’t need to look flashy and extravagant on a black tie or white tie occasion, so a dress watch will do just fine.
Dress watches come in a wide range of styles and colours, but one with minimally embellished face and black leather band will be acceptable even to conservative observers.
Business Formal
Business formal dresses are worn every day and are more versatile regarding what you can wear them with. Here you have a wide choice, but you don’t want to appear frivolous when at a meeting or business deal.
Dress watches are a perfect choice, especially if you’re wearing a dark suit. Dive watches are also an option as they are formal while still maintaining their functionality.
This is the outfit that you wear everyday as you go to work such as a non-formal necktie optional business suit. Here we are talking about khakis, button-down shirts, sports coats, denim, leather shoes, etc.
The outfit is best complemented with a pilot watch, a high-end chronograph, or even a field watch. However, almost every type of watch can blend well with your casual business outfit.
Casual Outfits
This is where your most casual clothes fall, including your jeans, polo shirts, and tees. All watch types, except the dress watch, will be perfect.
Dive watches, sports watches, pilot watches, and smartwatches can easily be matched with casual outfits. If you’re going to get involved in physical activity, the more rugged military watches would be ideal.
A note on military watches: Just like pilot watches and dive watches, military watches are not worn solely by officers, but rather can be worn by anyone.
They are quite classic and high-tech, and ideal for outdoor activities. To learn more about them, you can check out this list, and you might just fall in love with one.
Sportswear
There are only a handful of watches you can wear while you engage in sports. However, this also depends on the kind of sport you’re participating in. If you’re only engaging in sports for recreational purposes, a field watch, dive watch, chronograph, and smartwatch can do. Just ensure that the watch is light and comfortable.
Match Your Watch Strap to the Formality of Your Outfit
Once you’ve decided on the type of watch that will match best with your outfit, you should go a step further to pair in terms of the material of the watch strap.
Leather bands are considered more formal than metal bands, and black is more formal than brown. Gold and silver metal bands are also appropriate for the most formal of events and can be ideal for dressy occasions.
Metal Complements Metal
The metal case of the watch and the metal bands should complement other metal accessories you’re wearing such as cufflinks, belt buckle, and shoe buckle. A gold watch can be worn with a gold belt buckle.
When a watch has a metal band, you can wear it with black or brown shoes. However, certain band colours work better with certain colours of clothes and shoes.
Gold watches are ideal for clothes and shoes in brown, tans, and beige tones while silver goes best with black, blue, and grey.
Conclusion
Wearing your watch to complement your outfit can be challenging but fun. People can often judge your sense of style by the small accessories you wear.
Therefore, while you may have a favourite watch in your collection, it’s important to match your watch to your outfit appropriately.
Ah, Stephen's night – the night for seeing all those people in your local you haven't batted an eyelash towards since secondary school, and catching up with you old friends over a few shots of baby Guinness.
Yes, you may feel bloated from the over indulgence of the day before, but we have five comfy but glam outfits to keep you warm on the night – just team them all with thermal tights.
We get our spy gear ready, complete with night vision goggles, Google maps and snacks, of course. We buckle ourselves up for our long-awaited search, the hunt for that jaw-dropping, glamorous, PERFECT….
Winter coat.
Every woman needs a casual must-have jacket for the chilly season, and Penney's have DELIVERED, with a snakeskin cherry on top.
Snakeskin is absolutely everywhere right now, most likely due to Taylor Swift's iconic Reputation album and added snake theme for her immense world tour.
Animal print is the ideal way to make a statement.
You want to be the first person noticed in the Christmas decorated rooms, and the way to do this is by nabbing the most stunning coat in the fashion business.
This puffer jacket is cosy AF, not to mention cheap.
Penneys, €30
At €30, just think how much cash dollah you're saving for your Christmas shopping.
You can accomplish just about anything in the right coat, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Penneys for keeping us warm without robbing our bank balance of it's dignity.
Say thank u, next to the cold this season, fashion has saved you.
Ah, Christmas Day – one of over indulgence, celebration and snoozing.
While pyjamas might be what you want to wear all day, it's nice to dress up a little, throw on a dress and some tights (slippers optional) and look presentable for dinner.
The criteria for the perfect Christmas day dress?
Well primarily, iot must allow for the eating of substantial quantities of food, it must have the ability o be dressed up or down for Mass-to-pub easiness, and it it has got tpo be comfy and cosy.
Buying a gift for your friends or family can be difficult enough when they don't possess 'notions.'
What are notions, you ask? Well, it's essentially when a person has grandiose elements of extravagance; whether in terms of fashion, style, food & drink, décor or just in their everyday life.
They drink non-fat, no-foam, five-shot half-caffeine pumpkin spice latte in a special cup at a certain temperature and will refuse to do most activities due to footwear, except yogalates.
You'd never catch them drinking cans, especially not Tesco lager; they're most likely only drinking a craft beer that no one has heard of or a slimline tonic with lime cordial and a shot of vodka on the side.
Plebs such as us probably would take a taxi or public transport to a club, whereas someone with 'notions' might take a large limousine with white doves as their accessories.
Faux real, winter is well and truly on its way. "What does this mean?" I hear you ask. It means… it's time to get FURRY.
Finding the perfect coat can be a difficult, time-consuming and frustrating task. We've decided to do all the work FUR you, and compile a list of every coat that has caught our eye on the high street this winter season.
So far, brands such a Monki, Mango, Topshop and Zara have impressed us with their glamorous faux fur, but there are some KILLAH vintage websites such as Nine Crows, ASOS Marketplace and Beyond Retrowhich sell vintage faux fur items that have us collapsed on the floor in sheer fashion overdrive.
I mean, you're welcome.
Nasty Gal Go Fur It Faux Fur Coat, was €121.00 now €60.50
Some of these uber-glam coats are on sale this week (Black Friday, how are ya) so nab them before they sell out.
Fur can be a tricky business to navigate, finding the right one to suit you is honestly like picking your new home. You're seeking comfort, warmth, and a place to sleep.
What? You can't deny that those coats are prime nap-time material. They're warmer than our hearts after watching pupper videos on Youtube.
We, on the other hand, roll out of bed and can only pray that we manage to look semi-decent instead of the apocalyptic zombie which was passed out in bed only moments earlier…
If I can remember to put toothpaste on my toothbrush instead of moisturiser, I think I’m winning.
These celebrity gals, however, are often expected to look #RedCarpetReady 24 hours a day, which sounds exhausting, to be honest.
We decided it was time to watch these notorious Vogue Vids to study the movements and cosmetic habits of faces such as Bad Gal Riri (she doesn’t need make-up, make-up needs her), Emily Ratajkowski, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid to see just how relatable these ladies are.
We were inspired by the hilarious Maddison Bush, who uploaded parody version of a make-up tutorial while attempting to imitate Vogue's famous faces.
Hint: not relatable in the slightest. Not even close to it.
1. First up, Bella Hadid.
As we all know, Bella is one half of the supermodel sister duo of herself and Gigi Hadid, AKA: two of the most ridiculously stunning human beings on the planet. We actually doubt if they’re human… they look like they were made in a laboratory for beautiful people. No fair.
From the very start of these videos, it’s already hard to find anything in common with these women. They are all doing their beauty regime in unnaturally aesthetic bathrooms in luxurious hotels or mansions, whereas we’re struggling to find a mirror that isn’t covered in foundation smudge marks, or are possibly in the queue for the house bathroom for the last 35 minutes.
From the second models such as Bella face the camera, it’s difficult to choke down the fact that they aren’t wearing any make-up because they already look damn FLAWLESS.
Like, wig = snatched from the beginning. *sigh*
The videos are also alarmingly short, considering most of us take at least 15 minutes to put our faces on. The fact that famous faces only take 5 minutes to look that good is frankly both disturbing and insulting to my pale palour.
(I’ve been asked if I am anaemic countless times, I’ve just started saying yes now, it’s easier).
Bella begins by saying “models can do their own make-up too!” Good to know, Bella. Good to know. You’re very normal.
She continues by saying, “I look really tired because I’ve been travelling for two months straight.” You poor gal Bella, travelling the world in private jets and glamorous clothing must be devastating to your complexion.
Bella uses concealer, a contour stick, highlighter, brow pencil, lash primer and mascara to complete her look in five minutes.
By the end of the video, she’s essentially ready for the Victoria’s Secret carpet, minus the wings. It’s offensive. *cries in poor*
Relatability level: 2/5.
2. Kendall Jenner. Also known as ‘KANDALL JANNARRR’.
She’s already using products we can’t even dream of affording without selling our organs illegally online, so the relatability factor is null from the beginning.
She claims that she “learns a lot from being on set.” Us too, Kendall. We frequent photoshoots on the reg constantly, it’s the cross we bear.
Relatability level: 1/5. Sorry Kendall, but your bathroom alone is next level boujee.
3. Lili Reinhart.
Our third gal is Riverdale’s gorgeous Betty Cooper herself, Lili Reinhart. We have high hopes for this one, seeing as her social media presence is all about positivity and female empowerment, as well as Cole Sprouse, AKA Coal Sprouts, Jughead Jones.
Lili also begins her video by eating food on camera, it seems to be a common ‘relatability’ tactic. This time, it’s Chinese food. She has us hooked.
She also admits from the beginning that she already has foundation on, thank God. If that was her natural complexion I think I’d have had to tell her to stay in her lane.
Lili doesn’t mention the products which she uses, which we translate to mean that we probably cannot afford them…
She uses pink eyeshadow, lip gloss, a basic nude foundation and of course, concealer and highlighter. Voila, she’s ready for her close-up.
Relatability level: 3/5. She’s the winner so far, mainly due to her Chinese wontons. They just look so tasty.
4. Emily Ratajkowski.
Ah, the notorious sexy selfie queen.We have serious doubts about the relatability level of this gal, she’s got cheekbones for days and an enviable glowing tan.
Plus she could look sexy even if she went to Coppers until 6am the night before and had an absolute ‘mare when those jägerbombs came back to haunt her. The hardest look to pull off, arguably.
She comments that “I do my own make-up for red carpets a lot”. Same, tbh…
All this girl needs is Pat McGrath lipgloss, her blush which she confesses to be addicted to, and a bit of concealer. Wait… that’s it? That’s all it takes? Seriously?
We quit. We are the weakest link, goodbye.
<
Relatability level: 0/5. Sorry Emily, but you took a duck-face selfie when you were done, and DIDN’T delete it or take a second take. That’s downright blasphemy in our books, we need at least 13 photos before we can find one we don’t hate.
5. Rihanna
Last, but not least, BAD GAL RIRI. An icon. A sass queen. Fenty Beauty extraordinaire, we have high hopes for this one.
From the beginning of the ten minute long gift, RiRi shows off her bubbly personality without plugging her own products at all, which is a miracle in itself.
If you haven’t tried using Fenty Beauty products, girl you are MISSING OUT. They’re flawless.
Some of Rihanna’s best quotes from this video include:
“Everyone knows concealer is made for hiding bags and dark circles, and hangovers and bad decisions.” YAS queen, she’s in the know. Riri gets the struggle.
“You’ve got to have powder for when you get greasy on the fly, honey.” Preach it.
“Pink eyeshadow says summer, sunset, love, drama, BITCHES.” We would pray to the church of Rihanna, honestly.
“The key to highlighter is not to be afraid, make-up is fun. It’s there to play with.” She hits the nail on the head, so many of us can find make-up intensely frustrating when we are expected to follow certain trends and look a certain way.
At the end of the day, beauty products should be used for our own enjoyment and empowerment, and if make-up doesn’t empower you, your natural beauty is all you need.
Riri claims that she learned how to contour when she gained weight and wanted to hide her ‘double chin’ and forehead, which was hugely surprising to us. Superstar celebrities have insecurities too, gals.
“The best teacher is yourself.” Say it louder for the people in the back, Rihanna. Everyone has their own unique look, individual face and preferred beauty regimens. You don’t have to look to famous people to understand your own complexion, all you need is you.
Riri relatability level: 4/5. Her personality is down-to-earth, her tips are one of a kind and her products are gold star standard.
We have to remind ourselves that these celebrities have picked up countless tips from the top make-up artists in the business, whereas we got free eyeshadows from magazines as 11-year-olds back when YouTube make-up tutorials didn’t exist (yes, there was a time, believe it or not) and gave ourselves pinkeye.
I lost count of how many allergic reactions I had to dodgy make-up after my 3827th eye infection from cheap “make-up”.
I wouldn’t even call it make-up honestly, I suspect that magazine eyeshadows were essentially homemade concoctions of flour and food dye.
Fast forward a few years, and YouTube beauty accounts have blown up across the internet, courtesy of teenagers who are DYING to know how to contour.
The word contour genuinely did not exist until recently in Ireland, we were simple folk back then.
There was eyeshadow (roughly 4 colours), orange foundation, mascara and lip gloss which was just Vaseline that had notions about itself.
In 2018, the cosmetic industry is bigger than ever, and is only beginning to include minorities in its world, thanks to brands such as Fenty Beauty creating more foundation shades.
It can be difficult to relate to any models in the beauty industry, no matter who they are. However you mould your own look in the mirror, imitate Rihanna and declare “I look cute!”
Always finish your look by feeling yo’self, it matters that you are feeling good, not just looking good.
