COLLEGE X BLOG UPDATE

Hey dolls! I hope you're all surviving with studying and everything else that life is throwing at you. Today's blog post is non-beauty related but just a little chit chat about my blog and, of course, my date with my not so hot boyfriend – college work!

So first of all, I'm thinking of changing my blogs name! I absolutely love my blogs name due to the meaning behind it but I feel like its about time I change into something a little bit more simple as I feel like Where The Beauty Begins is way too long. Now this could be due to the fact that I'm going through this crazy phase of trying to change everything about myself so I am not 100% sure if I will change it. I am also thinking of adding new stuff to my blog  but every time I'm about to hit the publish button on a personal post, I freak out and literally delete it. Any suggestions on how to get over this fear will deeply be appreciated.

I am also thinking of creating a YouTube Channel but my main focus would not be on makeup. So basically this blog would be dedicated to beauty related topics and my YouTube channel would be about other stuff like dealing with insecurities, my religion and often reviews on products. I am not too sure when this will happen as I need to buy a camera and to be honest I feel quite nervous posting a video of myself on YouTube, that’s a big step for me!

I have many ideas of topics I want to discuss but with college and studying taking up my life, I am left with so little time to focus on my blog. I know this sounds like a lot of excuses but this semester is really stressful which I will explain the reason in a future post, that's if I make it out of this bleeding war with college alive. Pfft go to college they said!

And that brings up to end of this post, if you think I should my change my blog's name and if you have any suggestions, let me know! 

See you in my next post,

Lola.

COLLEGE X BLOG UPDATE

NO LOVER, NO PROBLEM!

It's valentine’s Day? Pfft whatever! I have gathered a list of movies for you gals and guys like myself with no lover to take us to a fancy restaurant. We can spoil ourselves by eating all the junk food we want and watching all the movies we want! Who needs a valentine when you can Netflix and chill by yourself.

Dear John

Go on lie and tell me you don’t watch this movie every Valentine and cry your eyes out, you are not alone hun. I watch this movie so many times and it still hits the feel every single time and erm CHANNING TATUM is in it! Hello, perfect valentine date or what?

Movie description:
When soldier John Tyree (Channing Tatum) meets an idealistic college student, Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), it's the beginning of a strong romance. Over the next seven tumultuous years and separated by John's increasingly dangerous deployment, the lovers stay in touch through their letters, meeting in person only rarely. However, their correspondence triggers consequence that neither could foresee.

How to be single

What a perfect movie to watch on Valentine’s Day but wouldn’t you know this movie wouldn’t be in the cinema in Ireland till the 17^th of February! This is a movie I will definitely be watching once it is out, but then again do I really need to? I am already an expert on how to be single, where’s my award already? If you need help holla at your girl! I will teach the ropes on how to enjoy 19 years and counting of being the single girl in the squad.

Movie description:

After four years of college, young Alice (Dakota Johnson) decides she needs a break from her long-term boyfriend Josh. Excited and ready for new challenges, the eager grad moves to New York to take a job as a paralegal. Helping her navigate her way through an unfamiliar city is Robin (Rebel Wilson), a fun-loving, wild co-worker who enjoys partying and one-night stands. With Robin as her freewheeling guide, Alice can now learn how to get free drinks, meet men and enjoy the single lifestyle.

P.S I Love You:

Another heart-wrenching movie, so sad, so perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Movie description:

When Gerry (Gerard Butler), the husband of Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank), dies from an illness, she loses the love of her life. Knowing how hard Holly will take his death, Gerry plans ahead. Beginning on her 30th birthday, she receives the first in a series of letters written by him, designed to ease her grief and encourage her to move forward to a new life.

Dirty Grandpa

Any movie with Zac Efron is the perfect movie to watch on Valentine’s Day! I’ll take Zac as my Valentine any day! Even though I am mad at him for not attending the HSM reunion, I am still going to gosh over him while watching this movie.

Movie description

Uptight lawyer Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) is one week away from marrying his boss's controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track for a partnership at his firm. Tricked by his grandfather Dick (Robert De Niro), Jason finds himself driving the foulmouthed old man to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a wild spring break that includes frat parties, bar fights and an epic night of karaoke. While Jason worries about the upcoming wedding, Dick tries to show his grandson how to live life to the fullest.

ROOM:

I am putting this movie down because it is amazing! If you have not seen this movie, you have to, you will cry your eyes out and not because you don’t have a man, but because of how touching this movie is. I have never been a fan of sappy love movies and this movie is nothing like that! It’s simply about a mother and her son, how cute!

Movie Description:

ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted mother. Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical--they are trapped--confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space that Ma has euphemistically named Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack's curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma's resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world.

And that brings us to the end of this post! I hope you've enjoyed read this post and I hope you all enjoy tomorrow!

Until next time,

Lola.

NO LOVER, NO PROBLEM!

BEAUTY BARGAIN - SLEEK MAKEUP

 Am I the only one looking forward to the weekend already?

 I just finished studying for a class assessment and I am so done with college life already! Can I be a housewife now?

Today's blog post is about a deal from boots website that I just cannot get over! I should probably have posted this blog up a while ago but sure what can you do now. Boots.ie were doing a special promotion on all of sleek makeup products and thinking about it now, I regret not taking advantage of this promotion! I bet you are excited to find out what this deal was so I might as well spill! For a limited amount of time Boots.ie were allowing you to purchase ANY two products from sleek for only €14! You probably hate me now for not posting this up sooner... I AM SORRY! 

After all my excitement and deciding on what to get, I decided to go for the contour palette and the highlighting palette.

S L E E K  C O N T O U R  P A L E T T E

If you have been reading my blog since day one, you know how much I have hyped about the Anastasia Beverly hills contour kit which I was originally planning on purchasing but I decided to settle for the sleek contour palette as there was no way I was going to let this bargain go to waste, and to be quite honest I don't have €42 to spend on a palette at the moment. I smashed my bleeding phone! 

I am not going to go into much details about the palette as I am sure everyone knows about it now, I swear I am so behind on life. The contour palette comes in the shade fair, light, medium and dark, I chose the dark palette because we all know I ain't a lighty. The contour palette contains a contour powder, highlighter and a bronzer. I honestly love using this contour kit! I usually mix the highlighter and the bronzer together to get the right look I want, I know someone is reading this now and thinking what the hell. I don’t know if that is right but it is what works for me and I plan on doing that for a long period of time. I would recommend this palette to anyone that is looking for a contour kit but is not looking to spend a lot of money, it cost €13.49

The only complaint I have is the contour palette in dark not being available to purchase in Store, What’s the deal Boots?!   

S L E E K  H I G H L I G H T I N G  P A L E T T E

This versatile face and body highlighting palette complements all skin tones and includes three luxurious velvet cream formulas and one powder. The iridescent, metallic finishes add a radiant glow and a luminous polish to the skin.

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To be quite honest, if it wasn’t for the special promotion, I probably would not have bought this highlighter. I have been trying this product for a while now and I feel like it’s just not right for my skin tone. I need my face to be popping and I feel like this highlighting palette does not give me the glow I want and I really need that glow. The usual price is €13.49 which I believe is not expensive at all. To be quite fair the palette is good for the price it is worth but I personally would not repurchase this palette.

And that is all for today, I hope you have enjoyed reading this post! If you have tried the products from Sleek let me know your opinion on them!

I might not post a lot due to college work but I am always active on Instagram @WTBeautybegins, you should totally follow me!

Until next time,

Lola.

Co. Dublin, Ireland

BEAUTY BARGAIN - SLEEK MAKEUP

YAY OR MAYBE

Clean & Clear

About a month ago, I broke in crazy spots LIKE CRAZY! I couldn’t look myself in the morning and not shed a tear (no joke) I was heartbroken, I didn’t want to wear makeup, I wanted to die, My face looked that bad. I knew hiding from the world was no option as I was working in retail, my job was based on interacting with customers, what the hell was I supposed to do? Fast forward to week later, my spots were clearing, I was slaying again until..wait for it.. I tried a new product!

So after a day of work, I decided I wanted to try a new skin care product, I was not really looking for anything to clear my spot but I really wanted to tame my oily face, like I swear this is my year to stunt on people but I can’t stunt with my face looking like a frying pan now can I? Anyways, I ended up going into boots not knowing what the hell I was looking to buy. If you are looking for a skin care product I would honestly recommend you reading various reviews before going to buy the product! I knew I wanted something to control the oils but I had no idea what product or brand would be suitable for my skin. I don’t know how but I ended up at the Clean & Clear stand, I am pretty sure the reason for this was probably there was a special promotion going on. The first product that caught my eyes was the advantage oil control cream wash. I quickly glanced over the product description, which said it instantly washes 85% of excess oil and clear skins in 3 days! That automatically sold it to me, the thought going through my head was literally YAS killing two birds with one stone.. If only! I ended up buying the dual action moisturiser with it just in case.

Advantage Oil cream wash product description:

Introducing Clean & Clear® Advantage® Oil Control Cream Wash; a clinically proven formula that instantly washes away 85% of excess oil for fewer spots and to leave your skin looking shine-free for longer.

This dual-action wash combines oil-absorbing PowderParticles™ and our patented Advantage® spot-fighting technology to instantly remove up to 85% of excess oil* whilst helping to clear spots and blemishes.Oil-free.

Won't clog pores. Won't overdry skin. *sebum measurement, average value on 21 subjects immediately after application.

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I felt that the cream wash did help maintain the oil on my face, I hardly used my Urban Decay Oil control spray while using this cream wash, the only problem was the spots! It certainly did not clear my skin in 3 days! In fact, after getting rid of one spot another one was coming! I was so annoyed! 

Yes I wanted a product to help my oily face but I definitely did not want a face filed with spots! I would much rather beat my face every 3 hours than go around with crazy spots! There were days were my face would like perfectly fine and other days it was just a mess. To others my face looked fine but to me it didn’t. 

This product is definitely not a yay I would recommend, but it’s not a no either, it’s simply a maybe. I love the fact that I was able to go for a long period of time without having to worry about anything but I did not like waking up to new spots on my face.

 I have stopped using both the cream wash and moisturiser and I have switched to a new facial wash which I cannot wait to share with you, plus I have been drinking crazy amount of water!

Catch me in my next post,

Lola.

                                                                                                                                                                               

YAY OR MAYBE

BOBBI BROWN X NYX

Hey beauties! Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and got spoiled! I haven't been posting for a while has I have been moving houses, studying for exams and working! Yes I got a job.. well it's just for the holidays but still CONGRATS TO ME!
Today's post is based on my new favourite foundation from Bobbi Brown and concealer from NYX.

BOBBI BROWN:

Since I recently got a job, I decided to treat myself to a high-end foundation, I originally planned on getting a new M.A.C foundation but after working past the Bobbi Brown stand, I decided to try something new. As you already know by now, my face is really OILY ( I bought some skin care products for oily skin that I can't with to share with you) I decided I wanted a foundation that would give me a matte look and as I was spending a lot of money on this foundation, IT HAD TO BE THE RIGHT ONE. After speaking to the nice woman from Bobbi Brown, I decided to go with the Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation in the shade 6.5 Warm Almond. When it is in the bottle it does look really light, I literally spent 10 minutes worrying if I was about to spend €42 on the wrong shade, man I would have cried. You can see what I am talking about from the picture it does looks really light, but before making my final decision, I got one the staffs to test it on my face. The fact that they didn't give out testers was really annoying as I actually wanted to take it home and try it out myself but anyways, I ended up chancing my luck.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
What is it?
A natural-looking and long-wearing foundation with SPF. Comfortable and hydrating, this medium to full coverage oil free formula never looks cakey or masky.

Who it's for?
Normal to oily skin types.
Price:
€40
Where:
Bobbi Brown in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street.
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I have been using this foundation for about a week now and omg yes, yes, yes! This is a foundation that I think it is worth the price! The first time I wore the foundation, I set my makeup with my oil-control setting spray from Urban Decay and my face was Matte for the whole day! I also used it without using a setting spray and I didn't touch up once and there was only a little oil! I am so happy with this result as if it was with my other foundation, it would have been horrible! I am usually in work for a long period of time and obviously, I can't keep running to the bathroom to set my makeup! So yes this foundation is a 10/10 from me! 

NYX HD CONCEALER:

I originally planned on doing a blog post of a review of this concealer separately but since these two are my to go makeup product at the moment, I might as well tie it in together. I usually use LA girl pro conceal which is my all time favourite concealer as the coverage is just amazing but since it was not available in Dublin, it was time for us to part ways *inserts crying emoji*. I never buy my concealer from high-end brands and I probably never will so I decided to go into boots to find a new concealer and I swear I could write an essay on how hard it is for a black girl to find the perfect shade! I ended up going to Hickeys and browsing through the NYX section as I have heard so much about the brand via youtube and to my surprise, they had a concealer close enough to my shade! 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Little wonder the Concealer Wand is one of NYX's best-sellers. The concentrated, emollient-rich concealer formula. It is non- comedogenic and creates medium to heavy coverage.
Price:
€7.99
Where:
Hickeys on Grafton Street or Pharmacy in Clare Hall.
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I am loving this concealer at the moment! It gives me the coverage I am looking for and it is also affordable! It also hides my dark circles!!! Any concealer that can hide my dark cirlces is a big yes from me! 

And that brings us to the end of this post, I hope you've enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed goshing over Bobbi Brown and NYX.
Until next time, 
Lola

BOBBI BROWN X NYX

VANISH And The Stain Is Gone REVIEW

I am sure you hate it when you wear your most favourite top (especially white) on a night out, you feel beautiful, everyone won’t stop complimenting you, and then, of course, you just had to get a nasty stain on it. The most annoying one MAKEUP STAIN all around the collar of your top – My worst nightmare! A shirt that is stained with makeup around the collar does not look cute at all!

I recently wore a white turtleneck and if you know me you know I make a mess out of everything! I usually always remove my makeup before ever taking off my clothes as I hate makeup stains so much! It was a really long day and I was not planning on washing off my makeup as I was so tired, I just wanted to get comfy in my pyjamas. Anyways, I ended up trying to take off my top while I had makeup on – BIG MISTAKE! Also that morning for some reason I decided to put makeup on my neck, I am sure you can imagine how that messed up my turtleneck. Luckily Vanish came to the rescue! 
A while ago I got an e-mail from one of Vanish agent to review two of their Vanish products. if I am quite honest, for a long time I was thinking of how I could tie that in with my beauty blog. After spending a long time thinking, I decided to go ahead to write this post on how to get rid of that horrible makeup stains on your favourite top. As well as that, I have also been given an opportunity to do a giveaway to a few of my lucky readers! More details will be at the end of this post.

Vanish GOLD Oxi Action best for white description:

Our best for your whites, this new formula makes your white garments three shades whiter and is so powerful it removes some stains in just 30 seconds! Pretreat or soak to see best results.

Vanish GOLD Oxi Action best for stain remover description:

Vanish introduces a revolution in stain removal. The super boosted formula is the best from Vanish, it's so powerful it removes some stains in just 30 seconds! For maximum speed and power pre-treat or soak to see results in 30 seconds. Safe to use on both colours and whites.

Vanish Gold Oxi Action best for white review 

As I was wearing a white top that day, I decided to try best for white Vanish Gold Oxi Action to see if it would do the job. When using this product you have the option to wash, soak or pre-treat

Soaking > 

1. Add one scoop to 4L of warm water (approx. 40 degrees) and leave garment to soak for a maximum of 6 hours.

2. Rub the fabric to remove stains.
3. After soaking, wash as usual

Pre-treat >
1. Mix a ¼ scoop of powder with ¾ scoop warm water and stir until mixed with a spoon or stick to ensure you get a smooth paste.
2. Apply mix to the surface of the entire stain.
3. Using the underside of the scoop, rub the mix into the stain for 30 seconds (up to a max of 5 minutes).
4. Wash the clothes as usual.

Washing machine >
Add 1 scoop (for tough dried in stains) / ½ a scoop (for normal stains) with your laundry detergent in the washing machine drawer.
Wash as usual.

 I decided to use the soaking method as I was curious to see how this would work rather than just throwing it in the washing machine.

Before:

AFTER:

I am very happy with the results! If you are looking to buy any of these Vanish products, you can find them in any supermarkets or convenient stores. You can also check out their websites https://www.vanish.co.uk/ to find out more information on any of Vanish products. 

Check the stain solver for advice on stain removal

As I mention at the start of this post, I would like to try my first ever giveaway! If you think this is a good idea, do comment below or on the facebook page -WhereTheBeautyBegins or on Instagram - WTBeautybegins.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

 Until next time,

Lola

VANISH And The Stain Is Gone REVIEW

DE-SLICK-OIL-CONTROL - URBAN DECAY SETTING SPRAY

Hey beauties, since I'm currently on my third bottle of Urban Decay Oil- Control setting spray, I have decided to share with you, my review on it. For you all that have been reading my blog since day one, you know how much I am constantly complaining about my oily face. I have mentioned in my previous posts that I used the Urban decay setting spray like my life depends on it (it does), but I realised I've actually never went into details as to why I love it so much. I have been using this setting spray for less than a year now and honestly, I don't know how I was managing before finding out about this setting spray.

If you suffer from an oily face like I do, I'm sure you know the struggles of Often to constantly run into the bathroom to fix your face so you look presentable, constantly having to ask your best friend if your face doesn't look like an egg could be fried on it. The struggle sucks! I find it to be quite annoying spending a certain amount of time doing my makeup only to go out and within 2-3 hours, it looks like a mess due to my oiliness. 

 Urban Decay also have another setting spray called All-Nighter which keeps your makeup in place for up to 16 hours! This setting spray is suitable for all skin type, so why not pick that up for when you're going clubbing. I will be looking to try this setting spray as soon as my Oil-Control spray finishes.

Product Description:

Oily skin has met its match! Mist on this weightless spray to control oil, deflect surface shine and help makeup stay put. Meet your most powerful oil-control ally. De-Slick mists on weightlessly to control oil, deflect surface shine and keep skin looking beautifully matte. High-tech ingredients help keep foundation, shadow and blush from smudging, sliding or fading – so you hardly ever need to touch up. 

I discovered what Urban Decay setting spray was while watching a YouTube tutorial a long time ago. The minute I finished watching the tutorial, I went onto Google and started looking up so many reviews. At that time, I wasn't aware that Urban Decay had setting sprays! I honestly thought they only did eye shadow (silly me)! Anyways after reading multiple reviews, I knew nothing was going to change my mind, I was going to try it out myself.

I originally planned on purchasing the All- Nighter setting spray but after speaking to one of the staffs in Urban Decay about my condition, she immediately suggested I purchase Oil-Control to help this madness. I purchase the travel size bottle for €12 for trial, it is still the one I purchase till this day. I remember the first time I tried the setting spray, I was attending a fashion show at ITB to support a friend of mine. If I am quite honest, I was pretty nervous, I obviously couldn't keep running to the bathroom to check my makeup during the fashion show.

I applied my makeup at around 3 pm and I remember not getting home till around 11 pm as the fashion show started late. To my surprise, there was barely any shine! You can probably guess how delighted I was, I didn't get up once to touch up my makeup!

I have been using the setting spray ever since! I did have a few problems though. When I purchased the second bottle I found that while I was out or in college, my face would get oily within a few hours and I would have to go to the toilet to touch up my makeup which left me a bit disappointed. This could also be due to the fact that it says at the back of the bottle to spray it on 2-4 times, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t as I am always in a rush to get to college on time.

What inspired to finally write this post was the fact that I bought a new bottle the other day as the other bottle ran out and it was like the magic came back again! I followed the instruction at the back of the bottle AGAIN! I left my house at 9 am, not once did I have to reapply my powder on my face in college. I didn't get back home till 6 pm and went to check my makeup at 6:30 pm. No oil!  I must have mixed the other bottle with the one I put water in to spray my brushes before applying foundation, silly me!

I would highly recommend this setting spray to anyone with an oily face because this bottle does wonder! Even if you still have to touch up after using the setting spray, the shine is not as awful as if you didn't use it all! I like a really MATTE face and that's the only reason I would still apply powder to my face every few hours.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and hopefully it's been helpful to you! If you use any of Urban Decay setting sprays, do let me know your thoughts on them!

Until next time,

Lola.

DE-SLICK-OIL-CONTROL - URBAN DECAY SETTING SPRAY