beauty

REVIEW: Tomitago Combi - Mask / Exfoliator, Skin Salve + Make Up Fairy Event

Friday, July 28, 2017

Hey guys and gals!

How are we all? Good? Great!

I can't believe July is nearly over! This year is going by so fast!

Anyway, I was at a Make Up Fairy makeup masterclass at the Waterford Health Park Pharmacy a few weeks ago where Joanne Larby, aka The Make Up Fairy told us all about her journey through blogging, including the ups and downs of building a successful blog and business! She's such a hard worker and so inspiring!

The gang at the Make Up Fairy Masterclass in Waterford Health Park Pharmacy.
L-R Sarah Dwan (Beauty and the Masseuse), Lisa Murphy (Cuddles and Contouring), Joanne Larby (The Make Up Fairy), Bláthnaid Prenter (Wildflower Diaries), Arlan ( cutie little baby), Me (Fairly Fabulous), Rachael Butler (Rachsbeautique).
She's developed a successful business using her own initiative and built it from the ground up.

She demoed a day to night look, using a lot of products from theBalm, which are all available to buy from Waterford Health Park Pharmacy.


 

She's so down to earth and she had these fab Minnie Mouse ear shoes on!

You can't see them very clearly, but they were gorgeous! I think she said that they were from Cari's Closet, and when I checked they're on sale from €99 to €45. You can have a look here.

Waterford Health Park Pharmacy really know how to put on an event! I've been to a few of their makeup masterclasses in the past while and I've picked up so many tips and tricks! They have amazing stock and they're always getting in new and exciting products.

As part of the event there were a couple of pop up shops, one being the natural skincare brand from the South East, Tomitago

L-R Louise, owner of Tomitago Cosmetics and Rachel, one of her triallers.
Tomitago is based in Piltown, Co.Kilkenny, right by the border with Waterford, where I'm from. According to their website they are a "100% chemical free cosmetic company". Love it!

I got to talking with Louise, the owner of Tomitago, after the event, as I wanted to let her know that I had tried their Beauty Elixir, and loved it. The smell is DIVINE!

A sample size of the magical Beauty Elixir.
I then went on to discuss my skin issues with her.

I have dehydrated skin, that sometimes gets oily, leading to a buildup of oil on my forehead, forming little bumps.

I'm very lucky that I don't often get spots, but these forehead bumps were really getting on my nerves!

Louise advised me to drink loads of water, which I am trying to do, and she also told me to exfoliate my skin at least once a week, to get rid of dead skin cells and allow the serums and moisturisers that I use to absorb properly.

She recommended that I cleanse my skin, exfoliate with the Tomitago Combi, leave the Combi on as a mask and then finish off with the Beauty Elixir.

Tomitago Cosmetics Combi - Exfoliator/Mask
Louise was kind enough to gift me the Combi to try out so I could tackle the forehead bumps. She explained all about the other products in the range, one of which, the Skin Salve really stood out to me as it can be used on psoriasis, so I bought it from the pharmacy on my way out! (More on that later)

*DISCLAIMER* I was kindly given the Tomitago Combi to try out. As with any product I've reviewed in the past, my views are honest and my own, and I haven't been told to write specific things. I have tested the product for a number of weeks to get a fair assessment of it. If I like something I'll review it. End of story.

The Combi is a dark brownish green. It has a gritty texture that's great for exfoliating.
I'm a big fan of this product. It has really improved the appearance of the skin on my forehead, which is what I wanted it to do, and what Louise said it would do. I'm very impressed.

Here's some pictures to illustrate the difference in my skin before and after using the Combi, followed by the Beauty Elixir.

Before - 21st of July - Bump City

My skin today - 28th of July - after starting using the Tomitago products again after a break.
As you can see, there's a big difference!

I actually stopped using the product for a few weeks, around the time I was on holiday. When I got home I was working up in Dublin for a month straight and I didn't have the Combi or the Elixir with me. Let me tell you, I noticed the difference!

The bumps came back! My forehead become very congested again. All because I wasn't looking after my skin properly, and treating the problem. 

But when I got home and got back into my routine, my skin recovered so fast as you can see above! There's only 7 days between those pictures!!!

I wish I had taken pictures of how smooth my forehead was when I had been using the Combi and the Elixir consistently, but you get the idea from these pictures.

As I have slightly sensitive skin I'd only exfoliate once a week. Straight after I took the first picture I gave myself my at home facial using my favourite Nía Cleansing Balm, massaging in the Tomitago Combi to exfoliate, leaving the Combi on as a mask, and then finishing up with the Tomitago Beauty Elixir.

To sum it all up, here's a list of the pros and cons of the Tomitago Combi - Exfoliator/Mask:

Pros:

~ Helped to get rid of the bumps on my forehead.
~ Leaves my skin feeling amazing.
~ Improves the appearance of my skin overall.
~ Allows the Beauty Elixir and other, serums and moisturisers absorb properly into my skin.
~ Did what I wanted it to do.
~ A little goes a long way.
~ Doubles as a exfoliator AND a mask.
~ Smells BEAUTIFUL!

Cons:

~ Stains towels. Make sure to use an old or cheap face cloth to remove it, or even a dark coloured one that won't show up the yellow.
~ Tingles a bit strangely/unpleasantly on the skin for a few minutes after you apply it, but that might just be my sensitive skin.
~Tastes bad. Don't ask. 😂
~The sugar that exfoliates falls off your face and goes everywhere!

As you can see, the Pros far outweigh the Cons!

This is definitely a must have product if you have congested skin!

The GLAM Life - Mid Combi Mask
Before I go I just want to briefly talk about another Tomitago product that I've been loving recently and that's the Skin Salve.

A little goes a long way with this!
I have psoriasis on my scalp which flares up when I'm stressed or anxious. It can be quite visable along my hairline, especially just above my ears, and where my hair meets the top of my forehead, making it look like I've got really bad flaky dandruff, when in actual fact, it's an auto immune disorder flare up.

The last few weeks I've had a really bad flare up and this Salve has been a Godsend! I massage a bit onto the affected area when I'm going to bed and when I wash it out in the morning you can't see the psoriasis anymore. It's as if the salve has dissolved it. Unfortunately, it does come back after a day or two, so at the moment this is only a quick fix, but I haven't been using the product long enough to pass proper judgement on it. Right now I'm loving it, and of course, it smells amazing!!

My Tomitago Family
L-R The Combi, The Beauty Elixir, The Skin Salve

*SIDENOTE* Louise, please bring out candles with these amazing scents! Pretty Please!!!

Thanks for reading!

*SIDENOTE* Louise, please bring out candles with these amazing scents! Pretty Please!!!
You can purchase the Combi here for €25.
The Beauty Elixir in 20ml here for €18 and 40ml here for €30.
See the full Tomitago range here.

The Tomitago range is available to purchase in the Waterford Health Park Pharmacy.

Starting from the 30th of July, you can get a professional Tomitago facial done by the lovely Sarah Dwan of Beauty and the Masseuse in her Re>Nu Treatment rooms in the Tower Hotel Waterford.
See her Facebook page for details here.


Let me know if you've tried out any Tomitago products and how you got on with them!

Until next time!

Aoife :) x

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fashion

Top 5 Summer Swimwear Picks

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Hey guys!

Long time no blog! Never fear, inspiration has struck! I'm more active on my Snapchat if you want to follow me there. My snapname is @fairlyfabulousb.

It's summer!!!! I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to get out of the country to somewhere warm for a week or two, to relax and soak up the sun!

I've trawled the web to find my top 5 swimwear picks from some of my favourite shops, so you don't have!

I have a mixture of bikinis and swimsuits for you guys to chose from, and they're all from site's with actual, physical shops, so you can try them on if you're not a fan of online shopping. I know I prefer going into the shop to try things on. :)

So here we go, in no particular order!

Floral Frills Swimsuit

H&M
Shop: H&M
Price: €29.99
Link: Here!

This is such a summery pair of swimming togs! Just looking at it, I want to be on the beach!

Bright florals are very 'on trend' at the moment. Add that to the frills, and you may as well be just stepping off the catwalk!

This paired with massive sunnies and a fab white, open cover-up would look amazing!

Here's what it looks like from the back:

H&M


Gorge! It looks like a bikini, so you'll be able to tan your back!

Pink Printed Bikini


Penneys / Primark
Shop: Penneys / Primark
Price: Top €5 Bottoms €3
Link: Top and Bottoms (You can't order online, only available instore)

All together, this is only €8. €8!!!! I love Penneys!!!

Next time I'm in town, I'm definitely getting this set!

It's so pretty and girly, and would look great with a tan!

This bikini accessorised with a straw hat would look gorgeous!


White Swimsuit with Bow Detail


Zara
Shop: Zara
Price: €25.95
Link: Here!

* I'm really not a fan of the way Zara photograph their clothes. I know they have a vibe going, but you're actually not able to see the clothes properly. It's annoying! *

Anyway, on to this swimsuit!

I love white swimming togs, whether it be a swimsuit or a bikini, and the white bow detail up the side is so cute.

One thing about white togs. A tan is essential, otherwise, you'll look washed out!

This suit will look amazing paired with black accessories!

Tropical Print Bikini




River Island
Shop: River Island
Price: Top €25 Bottoms €17
Link: Top and Bottoms

Personally, I wouldn't spend this much money on a bikini, but I loved it so much that I included it anyway!

I love the shape of it, and the pink and blue accents are great.

A bikini that you can take the straps off and it won't fall off you is essential for summer, especially if you like laying out for a tan, and don't want tan lines from the straps. I've actually stopped buying bikinis if they don't have this.

One of those neon see-through visors and a pair of sliders will look fab with this bikini!

Lilac Crisscross Swimsuit



Forever 21


Shop: Forever 21
Price: €25
Link: Here!

I LOVE THIS ONE!!!

The colour.
The shape.
The detail.
The price.

FAAAAABBBB!

I'm actually going to get this the next time I'm in Forever 21. It's soooo cuuuute!!!

Can you tell I like it or no?

This would look great with a black crochet cover-up and strappy black sandals!



So that's it for me this time! I really like doing these wish list types of posts, cause it gives me an excuse to trawl though online shops, all the while, stopping myself from splurging!

I hope you liked this post! Let me know what you think about these pieces! If you buy any of them; if you have any already; or if there's a gorgeous swimsuit out there that I've missed, make sure to get in touch! My social links are below!

Love,

Aoife :) x

Facebook - Fairly Fabulous
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Lifestyle

13 Reasons Why... My Thoughts

Saturday, April 08, 2017

Hi guys,

This post is going to be different than usual, but I think you should read it.

I've made a very conscious effort not to have any *Spoliers* in this post, but be warned, one or two may have slipped through. Also *Trigger Warning* for bullying, rape and suicide.

'13 Reasons Why' Poster
Source: imdb

Last night I finished watching the new Netflix Original show '13 Reasons Why,' based on the book of the same name by Jay Asher. It was amazing, but incredibly hard to watch at times, especially towards the second half of the series.

'13 Reasons Why' covered a wide range of topics from; suicide and depression; loneliness and relationships; to rape and gun culture.

I don't even know how to articulate my thoughts properly. I'm still reeling after watching it, but I'll try.

It made me sad, angry, furious, terrified and ashamed. By the end of it I was in tears.

If you're reading this, can you honestly say to yourself that you've never made anyone feel bad about themselves? Have you ever stood by while someone was being bullied? Have you ever laughed unkindly at somebody, called someone a name, or gossiped about them behind their back?

Your answer is probably yes. I know mine is.

Then there's the other side of those questions.

Has anyone ever made you feel bad about yourself? Have people ever stood by if you were being bullied? Has anyone ever laughed unkindly at you, called you names, or gossiped about you behind your back?

My answer is still yes.

There is something wrong with our society.

A society in which suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people.

A society in which the majority of sexual crimes go unreported.

A society in which repercussions for bullying and sexual assault are few and far between, and often ineffective.

A society in which the victim gets blamed.

A society in which people think: 'Well at least it's not me'.

It's even upsetting me to write this post. But things need to change. People need to talk about this.

The amount of hate I've seen on social media lately is staggering. From Facebook groups that seemingly exist to bash people; to the comments section on News or celebrity posts; to bloggers being attacked on various social media platforms.

These 'trolls' see nothing wrong with what they're doing! I can only imagine that they think they're being smart or witty, or that they have the right to act like this.

Hiding behind their screens, they don't see the impact their actions have.

When trolling celebrities or bloggers, the go-to excuse for their behaviour is that they should expect it because they're 'public figures' or that they're 'putting themselves out there'. But no one, NO ONE, should expect to receive this hate. No one deserves it. These people are people. There are human beings on the receiving end of these comments. This seems to be something people conveniently forget when typing out these hurtful words.

In the last day. ONE DAY. I've seen two Bloggers/YouTubers being attacked on social media. One in a Facebook group, that, believe it or not, I'm afraid to name for fear of what they'll say about me if it reaches their computer screens. The other incident was on Twitter.

People taking time out of their day to ridicule and attack a blogger that they don't personally know, based on what they see of them on their screens. Disparaging young women for what they choose to show on their social media accounts. Body shaming them, tearing them apart. Delighting in it.

What gives them this right?

Why do they do it?

What do they get out of it?

It actually hurts me to see these things. I don't know how they handle it. I sure as hell know that I'd fall apart if that amount of hate was directed towards me. I can't even begin to image how celebrities cope, being in the world eye.

I no longer read comments on posts that I know will be full of hate and vitriol directed at the poster or the subject of the post.

I saw a Tweet on Twitter last night, aimed at a vlogger who has 551K followers on that platform, telling her that she should stop making videos if she didn't want people to comment on her weight. 

Seriously?!!!?!?

If you were being bullied and abused at work, how would you feel if someone you don't know told you that you should quit your job if you want it to stop?

I bet you'd tell them where to go.

And thank God, this woman did. She called out the people hurting her. Told them the impact that their words have on her.

I hope she's ok. I hope both of these women are ok.

But these people get it every day.

Why is that accepted?

It makes me so mad.

I'm lucky. I've received next to no rude or mean comments online aimed at me and my blog. But it makes me scared of Fairly Fabulous ever getting big, because of the cyber bullying that seems to come with the territory.

It's wrong. It shouldn't be like this.

I seem to have diverged from the original purpose of this post, which was to talk about '13 Reasons Why', but I think that this is what the creators of both the book and the TV series wanted to happen. They want people to talk about this. They want people to take a second and look at the way we treat other people. They want us to see the impact our actions can have on other people.

People can latch onto comments you throw out in passing, without thinking. It can have an impact beyond what you can imagine.

I think we, as a society need to examine how we treat other people, and make a concerted effort to be kinder to each other.

You have no idea what is going on in someones life.

'It's nice to be nice,' and 'If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing,' are cliches for a reason.

'13 Reason Why,' has started this conversation, but it is up to us to continue it.

If you've finished watching '13 Reasons Why,' watch '13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons.' It's very important.

Peace and Love,

Aoife :) x

Facebook - Fairly Fabulous
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P.S. If you need to talk to someone, here are a few people who can listen:
The Samaritans: Free Phone 116 123
Aware: 1800 80 48 48
Rape Crisis Ireland: 1800 77 88 88
Woman's Aid: 1800 34 19 00
Teenline: Text 'Talk' to 50015

If you're looking for another number, Mental Health Ireland, have a list of people who can help.

THESE 1800 NUMBERS ARE FREE TO CALL. PLEASE TALK.

fashion

Valentine's Outfit Inspo!

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Hey gals!

Happy February!!

With Valentines Day coming up, I thought I'd put together a post with a few outfit ideas for the big night.

From full on glam to laid back luxe, there's something for everyone here!

I've found dresses for the most common of body types, Pear, Apple, Hourglass, Boyish, Tall and Petite.

And great news! They're all under €30!!!

So whether you're heading out for a romantic dinner or for a few drinks, I hope you'll find some inspo for what you're going to wear on the night!

Meeah Stone Ruched Plunge Bodycon Dress

Pretty Little Thing

€25.20

Best for: Pear Shape

Pretty Little Thing
This dress would be perfect for Pear Shaped ladies. As you can see in the picture below its the right shape for girls who are curviest around their derrière.

Pretty Little Thing


I love the colour of this dress! This nude/blush colour is everywhere this season and it looks fab with a tan!

Best bit? It's only €25.20!!!!!

I might have to break my spending ban for this one!

Want it? Get it here!


Theresa Strappy Wrap Front Dress

Boohoo

€20

Best for: Apple Shape


Boohoo

I LOVE this dress!!! V. sexy. The pulled in waist is perfect for an apple figure because it slims the waist and accentuates your curves!
Boohoo
I need to find myself a dress like this!

You can find it here!

Club L Midi Cami Dress with Split

Asos

€18.67

Best for: Hour Glass


Asos
Even though this dress wouldn't really suit my figure, (I'm a proud member of the itty bitty titty committee), I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Asos
The cut, the colour! Soooo fab!

This dress is perfect if you have an hourglass figure. It'll hug you in all the right places, and you'll be sure to turn heads!

Like what you see? Get it here.



Layered Frill Bandeau Bodycon Dress Black

Missguided

€23

Best for: Boyish Figure


Missguided
It's hard to go wrong with a little black dress, and this one is great for girls with so called 'boyish figures' (not a fan of the term tbh, but you know what I mean). The off the shoulder frill detail at the top will give the illusion of a wider top half, creating covetable curves.


Missguided
This twist on the LBD is very on trend at the moment and you would get a lot of wear out of it.

Dab a bit of your favourite dry shimmer body oil on your shoulders, and your date will only have eyes for you!

Find it here.

Tall Exclusive Black Ribbed High Neck Dress

Missguided

€23

Best for: Tall Girls


Missguided
I think that short dresses with long sleeves are fab. They draw attention to your legs and lets be honest, it's still very cold so these long sleeves are practical as well as fashionable!

This style of dress on tall ladies is gorgeous, as it will make it look like your legs go on for ever! 

Missguided
If you've got it, flaunt it!

Get it here.


Petite Nikki Lace Bardot Midi Dress - Wine

Boohoo

€20

Best for: Petite Girls


Boohoo
I'm about 5'3", so I'm just slightly too tall for most petite trousers and long dresses but still too short for some regular length trousers and long dresses. This can be especially annoying when I'm trying to find a midi dress. There's just not as much choice for us more vertically challenged ladies.

Buuuut, here we go! A petite midi dress!!!! This will hit you in just the right place on your knee so that you're not swamped by the dress

Boohoo

Delighted I've found such a good range of petite clothes on Boohoo!

If, like me, you've never been able to wear a midi style dress, you're in luck and you can get it here.





     
   


So there you have it! Six different dresses for six different body shapes, and all under €30!!!

If you want your boyfriend or girlfriend's jaw to drop next week, then you should definitely pick up one of these dresses!


Let me know if you get any of these dresses or if you've gotten some V-Day inspiration!

I really liked writing this post, so there'll definitely be more like this on the way!

Lots of LOVE,



* None of the links included in this blog post are affiliate links. 



Lifestyle

Oh Hey 2017

Monday, January 09, 2017

Hey guys!

So, hi again! I'm back! It sure has been a while. I've been crazy busy since August working 60+ hours a week so I didn't really leave time for blogging! But I'm back now and I've been using my time off to redesign this whole website, creating a new look and logo for Fairly Fabulous. I hope you like it!!!

I had decided not to make a list of New Years Resolutions this year, but, I think I've kind of changed my mind.

This time last year I wrote a blog post explaining my resolutions for 2016 which you can have a look at here. To be honest I haven't looked at that list since then! I forgot all about them! But looking back on that list now, I must have subconsciously had it in the back of my head because I didn't fail at my 2016 resolutions, in fact I all but knocked them out of the park, excepting one, but I'll add that to this years list!

© Fairly Fabulous Blog 2017


While the wider world may have thought that 2016 was the worst year ever, I had a great time!

I graduated from my postgrad in Television Production. Started working on some great TV and film projects. Met some amazing people, and made loads of new friends.

2016 was my year, but I have a feeling that I'm just getting started. I can't wait to see what 2017 holds for me. But one things for sure, I won't be bringing a To-Do list of resolutions with me.

Instead I'm going to write down a list of goals, and things I want to achieve during the year.

© Fairly Fabulous Blog 2017

Yep, I actually wrote them down on an actual sheet of paper!

In case you can't read them, these are a few things I hope to achieve in the year ahead:


  1. Stay focused on my career as an Assistant Director.
  2. Try my best at everything I put my hand to.
  3. Stay active.
  4. Focus on friendships.
  5. Take care of Fairly Fabulous.
  6. Be mindful of my health.
  7. Be kind to people.
  8. Be happy!

These are things that I hope to devote time to over the next year. I'm not trying to change anything about myself, I'm just trying to stay on the path I want to be on.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Much Love,

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Disclaimer

All opinions expressed on Fairly Fabulous are honest and my own. If I am sent a product to review, I will always let you know. Same goes for sponsored posts, affiliate links, or collaborations with brands.