An Introduction to Eve Lom

Eve Lom is a brand that I just came across recently and from the very first product I was hooked. Here, I look at a couple of their most renowned products and fill you in on why they are cult classics.

Eve Lom's products really are a thing to behold and their famed Cleanser really is a wonder. You have to try it to really understand why there is so much fuss about a simple cleanser but simple it is not and little pot of magic is a lot more suitable description. Everything I have tried from the brand is the best version of each particular product on the market and here I take a look at the Eve Lom Cleanser, Kiss Mix lip balm and the Morning Time Cleanser. Once you discover the brand it's very hard not to want to try everything they produce to be quite honest and see what other wonders they are capable of.

Sizzling Summer Skincare from Nuxe, Kiehl's, Nivea, Eucerin, Erborian & Bioderma

There is nothing quite like the feeling of warm summer sun on your skin and how great it is for body and soul to get some Vitamin D and a little bit of a glow. However sun care skincare is so vital and finding the right products to look after your skin during the summer months to protect and hydrate is essential. I've been researching summer products for the last couple of years and here is my essential edit of the very best sunshine skincare.

When it comes to taking care of your skin during the summer months two aspects are vital to prevent skin damage and even skin cancer. First and foremost sun protection. Whatever your skin type you have to use an SPF. No potential tan is worth the consequences of sun damage. If you are fair and don't tan, just accept it and relish your beautiful pale skin and never forget to pack your SPF50. If you do tan you still need to protect your skin from the harmful sun rays and you can still get a great colour while wearing high sun factor.

Erborian BB Creme Au Ginseng

After hearing so much praise about Korean French brand Erborian, trying out their most renowned product, BB Créme Au Ginseng, I could see after just one use what all the fuss was about making it an absolute staple in my skincare and makeup regimes.

Erborian was born of a meeting of minds between Korean scientist Hojung Lee and a French beauty expert and globe trotter Katalin Berenyi who came together through their quest for finding the best beauty solutions across the world. The product that caused such a stir in the beauty world that was a result of their creative collaboration was the Erborian BB Créme Au Ginseng which is known for being the perfect alliance between skincare and cosmetics.

An Introduction to Malin + Goetz

It's pretty wonderful when you can tell from the first time you try a brand you're going to love all of their products and Malin + Goetz is certainly one of those brands. Here I take a look at their stand out products.

I originally discovered Malin + Goetz during a stay at the remarkable Marker Hotel in Dublin who use exclusively Malin + Goetz toiletries in their rooms. Quite the treat! It was love at first use with their hair and body care products and, after reading so many good reviews of their cult Lip Moisturiser and Vitamin E Face Moisturiser I had to try them out too and they certainly didn't disappoint. After using the brand for a few months it's plain to see that Malin + Goetz strive for simple, well researched, and highly effective products.

Give it a Glow! An Introduction to Apivita

It was just by chance I came upon Greek Brand Apivita a couple of months ago and in it I found one of the most glowingly effective,immediately revitalizing skincare products.

While in Spain with a friend before Christmas we constantly had our eyes open for quality skincare brands that either we'd never heard of before or brands that we had heard people rave about but hadn't been available over here in Ireland or in the UK where my friend lives. It was a pampering and relaxing holiday, badly needed by both of us, so we had a lot of fun popping on face masks and trying out new products but one in particular really surprised us both.

L'Occitane's Amande Collection

L'Occitane's Almond Shower Oil is one of my all time favourite products, an instant classic, and the most pampering, luxurious, effective skincare products you could ever use. The entire Almond Collection is body care of the highest quality and shows L'Occitane at its very finest.

Ever since I started using L'Occitane's Almond Shower Oil I have encouraged so many friends to try it out and the results have always been the same. Love at first use. Ever since I started using this collection I have not been able to stop going on about how wonderful it is. It's the biggest treat you could give your skin and the perfect pick me up when you need a pamper.

Complexion Perfection from YSL, Giorgio Armani and Chanel

A good complexion is hard to find but at your fingertips with a little guidance. Here is my handpicked edit of the best products for gorgeous, flawless skin from Chanel, Giorgio Armani and YSL.

Having the best base possible for your makeup look makes all the difference and I have noticed certain brands are a cut above when it comes to creating the perfect complexion. Vitalumiere Aqua by Chanel is a fairly new classic while the latest releases from YSL and Giorgio Armani are of such beautiful quality and make such a huge difference to how your skin looks and in turn how confident you feel leaving the house. Here are my tips for a flawless, healthy and natural looking glowing base you can wear alone or dress up.

Mum's The Word

Of all the people in your life, few deserve to be treated and pampered more than your mum. Here's a list of products, many approved by my own mother, that may help guide you towards either the perfect treat for your mum whatever the occasion!

It's an understatement to say how much mums do for us over the course of their lifetime and, of all people, they deserve a pampering what ever the occasion. This is a list of tried and trusted skincare treats for any type of mum.

Delectable Christmas Delights: L'Occitane's Pierre Hermé Collection

Fabulous French luxury brand L'Occitane is back this year with another delicious Christmas collection, this time a collaboration between L'Occitane founder Olivier Baussan and world renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

After last year's gorgeous Christmas release by L'Occitane, the Arlésienne collection inspired by the Arlés region in France - which reminds me of Christmas every time I spray it - the innovative founder of L'Occitane Olivier Baussan has come up with the delicious goods again this year by collaborating with French pastry chef Pierre Hermé to create a mouth-watering set of perfumes just launched for Christmas based on the chef's world renowned pastries.

Event: Giorgio Armani International Face Designer, Thoa Tran, to visit Brown Thomas

To celebrate the Brown Thomas Autumn Beauty Event this bank holiday weekend world famous makeup artist and Giorgio Armani International Face Desginer Thoa Tran is visiting the store this Saturday and Sunday for one on one master classes.

If you love makeup and are looking for something a bit special to do this bank holiday weekend getting advice from a world renowned makeup artist who regularly works backstage in Milan at Armani fashion shows as well as having 15 years experience working as a professional makeup artist for film, TV, film and theatre and fashion with clients including BBC, the Royal Opera House, Sky TV amd 19 Management.

Cleanse Up Your Act: The Best Cleansers from Eve Lom, Bioderma, Kiehl's and L'Occitane

Strange as this sounds to some, cleansing is one of the most overlooked but important steps in your skincare regime and having the right cleansing routine and products can make the biggest difference in the quality of your skin and how well the other products you use work. Here are the very best cleansers I've comes across from Kiehl's, Eve Lom, L'Occitane, and Bioderma.

This might sound a bit obvious but it's only been in recent times I've truly become aware of the skin sins so many people commit and one of the biggest mistakes of all is underestimating the power a good cleanser has on your skin and the difference it makes to find one that suits you and that you use on an every day basis. A shocking amount of people go to bed without taking off their makeup and so many people apply products without cleansing first which means you get a lot less out of the serums and moisturisers you use. Investing in a decent cleanser can actually transform your skin and I swear by this selection of tried and tested products which have, in different ways, all made such a noticeable difference to the quality of my skin over the past few years.

Divine Intervention: L'Occitane's Créme Masque Divine

L'Occitane's big autumn release has been causing a huge stir among beauty writers of late. The exceptionally luxurious Créme Masque Divine, which comes with a 24-carat gold face massager is the closest thing you can get to a top of the line spa facial from the comfort of your own home.

L'Occitane's original Créme Divine moisturiser is known for being one of the best anti-aging moisturisers on the market and a skincare classic so when the brand announced the launch of the Divine Cream Mask there was great excitement among beauty fans and skincare lovers everywhere.

Aromachologie it Relaxation: L'Occitane's Latest Rebalancing Aromachologie Collection

L'Occitane has just made some major new additions to their deliciously relaxing Aromachologie range this autumn with lots of gorgeous smelling new products to help you unwind and relax. The whole new line is designed as a Rebalancing range of products to help you find some zen with select essential oils and very skin-pampering products.

I've already written in detail about two products I absolutely love from L'Occitane's Aromachologie  range, the 5 Essential Oils Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner which you can read about here. Apart from being one of the most amazing treatments for stressed out hair, what really struck me - and anyone I got to try the products out - was the smell. The 5 Essential Oils is the one of the most relaxing smells I've ever noticed in a product so upon seeing a whole new range of products from the Aromachologie range for face and body from the brand I must say I was very excited indeed.

Smoky and the Palette: Urban Decay's Naked Smoky Palette

If you are a girl, or boy, that wears makeup the chances are the announcement of the launch of this, Urban Decay's Naked Palette number four, the Naked Smoky Palette, caused you at least a little to a great deal of excitement. And you were not the only one...

These palettes are the makeup version of Beatlesmania - Nakedmania! People go just wilder and wilder for these with every release. This time Debenhams in Ireland had and 8000-strong waiting list a week before the release and were opening their doors extra early on the morning of the launch to accommodate the huge demand. So, here's a look at what all the fuss is about.

The Very Best Travel Kit Tips

Let's face it, this summer has been a bit of a bust so the only rational thing to do is to pack your bags and take your well deserved holiday somewhere the sun shines throughout the day. Even if it's just for a long weekend with a carry on there are so many amazing travel-sized skincare goodies available to keep your skin glowing and pampered throughout your trip. Here are my all time top picks.

Travel sized skincare doesn't just have to be a small tooth paste and mini shampoo and conditioner from Boots. Personally, whenever I got away, I love to take the time on my holidays to do some proper pampering to add to the relaxing experience so over time I've learned how to pamper pack with the best skincare products to suit a holiday routine. Here are my all time favourite picks.

YSL's Saharienne Sun-Kissed Summer Collection

Yves Saint Laurent really know how to nail their seasonal makeup collections matching the latest high fashion catwalk trends with the perfect summer palette and this latest Saharienne range, fronted yet again by Cara Delevinge, helps you at least look like you've been summering in the Sahara without ever leaving this never-ending rainy summer.

The very first impression you get from YSL's latest Saharienne summer collection is of a palette of colours designed to give you the perfect sun-kissed glow. Inspired by the sunnier climes of Marakech, the range of golden sandy shades and warmer tones illuminate the complexion suiting those with pale to sun-kissed complexions.

Book Review: Even The Dead - Benjamin Black

John Banville, writing under the pen name Benjamin Black, returns with his seventh Quirke novel Even the Dead.

Even the Dead once more follows John Banville's pathologist creation Quirke through a journey into the seedy underground world of murder in 1950s Dublin. Although the Quirke series is essentially in the crime fiction drama, Even the Dead is much more than a page-turning thriller. By this seventh book in the Quirke series Banville has made the pathologist, and the life he lives and people he is close to, the prime focus of the novel with the whodunit taking a lesser focus by far.

Bioderma Launches French Pharmacy Perfection in Ireland

When news came of French Pharmacy brand Bioderma launching in Ireland, I was not the only one to greet the news with giddy excitement. A brand that has been loved not only by beauty writers and skincare fanatics but top models and makeup artists alike, its arrival on our shores means if you love high quality skincare and haven't heard of the brand already, now is the time to investigate.

Bioderma has been one of the most lusted after brands by beauty lovers for a very long time. The epitome of skin-friendly, problem-solving, miracle product skincare, the French Pharmacy brand has been spoken about for years by makeup artists, models and beauty writers due to it effectiveness and the high quality of its range. Backstage photos from fashion weeks often feature the famous pink cap of Bioderma's cult product the Sensibo H2O Micelle Solution. Trips to France or other European countries that sold the brand resulted in a suitcase packed full of Bioderma products to bring home.

Kiehl's New Uplifting Serum: Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate

A new serum from New York brand Kiehl's is always great news for skincare lovers and this Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate is certainly no exception.

Kiehl's rather wordily titled Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate is the latest in a long line of super serums from the New York brand that are renowned for creating products that do exactly what it says on the tin and this is no exception. In fact, the effectiveness of their wonder serums not only made me fall in love with the brand immediately but also made me see how great certain brands and skincare products can be which was what inspired me to set up the beauty section of this blog and become a beauty writer. Every time I try a new - or new to me - product from Kiehl's I want to shout about it from the rooftops! Well certainly write a review of the product at least.

Book Review: Second Life - SJ Watson

SJ Watson, author of hit debut novel Before I Go To Sleep , returns with Second Life, another thrilling tale of dark paths, bad decisions and the seedy, rather terrifying side of online liaisons.

The difficult second novel doesn't seem to have presented a huge problem for SJ Watson. The author of best-selling debut novel Before I Sleep  plunges the reader into a pretty grisly and gripping world from a very early stage of Second Life and the whole book is a real page-turning thriller from start to finish. It would be very easy to see this being adapted to the big screen like its predecessor.