Nars Kalahari & Kuala Lumpur: A Sneaky Pay Day Purchase

Being a newbie to Nars (Outlaw being my first purchase) I haven't paid much attention to their eye shadows - I know, bad beauty blogger - but on a recent sojourn to BTs these two duos almost leapt from the shelf to be with me. How could I refuse? 

Nars Kuala Lumpur & Kalahari

Nars Kuala Lumpur

Nars Kuala Lumpur is a pink/peach with gold shimmer on one side with a reddened purple with gold micro shimmer on the other. Both are hugely flattering to green/blue eyes - luckily I have 'em and blend beautifully. 

My one note with these is the huge benefit to be had from dampening the brush before application. The colour payoff almost doubles and the fallout is negligible. Not only am i using these alone to create a full eye look but they blend beautifully with the neautrals already in my stash. 

Nars Kalahari

Nars Kalahari is a neutral duo with golden brown shimmer and a brighter golden brown with reddish undertone to complement. Both ridiculously easy to wear I've been reaching for this duo more than any other over the past week. 

Again, I'd recommend a dampened brush for true colour payoff but Kalahari is an ideal duo for buffing out other colours or wearing on it's lonesome for a subtle day time look. 

Nars duos are priced at a fairly spendy €33 each but I'll be honest and say that I had to stop looking. There's some truly beautiful duos on offer but my moment of madness had to be limited to two. (Those pesky kids and their need to eat!)

Tell me, are you a Nars fan? Anything you reckon I should see immediately? 

New Limited Edition Exotica Range for Sally Hansen with Swatches (Pic Heavy)

Behold, nail polish lovers, the brand new and limited edition Exotica collection that's joining the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line for the Summer months. 

Not your typical summer line up these seven shades range from a creamy nude to a burnt orange shade that has to be worn to be believed. 

Some Press Day Shots

How about a look at them in action, eh? 

Shore-ly: Cream beige nude with pink undertone

Tahitian Sunset: Creamy peach with a subtle silver microshimmer

Vitamin Sea: Light bright aqua blue cream

Go Bananas: Light pastel lemon with silver microshimmer

Palm Treat: Pastel mint cream with green leanings

Sgt Preppy: Cream mauve that shows as pink pastel on the nail

Evening Glow: Bright burnt orange (wowsers!)

These colours are €8.95 and available from all good pharmacies and larger Boots stores but if you like the cut of their jib then you need to be quick - they're available for 6 weeks only come May and only in the States and the Republic of Ireland (Soz, UK sisters). 

Go Bananas & Palm Treat (with a thin white basecoat)

What so we think? Anything calling you? 

Cherry Link Love for #BBloggers: Hair Care

First up, a slight apology as I spent the guts of the weekend with my head under the duvet trying to fend off the flu, Cherry Link Love never made it up on Saturday. 

On the bright side though, it's now found a slot on Monday afternoons that will not only get a lot more exposure but hopefully will attract a few more bloggers to join in. 

This week we're talking hair care so if you have a post related to hair care do please link it below. Again, have fun with it, whether your post is to do with products, hair looks or even hair care implements we'd all love to see. 

For the day that's in it I'll share my most popular hair care post about the infamous Sleep in Rollers - more aptly called INSOMNIA ROLLERS. Come, have a chuckle at my expense. 

Guidelines for Cherry Link Love 

• Link up one of your posts in your comment that best suits the topic
• Be sure to leave your CherrySue follower ID so that I can backlink
• Take a mo to check out the other lovely links
• Share the love, by commenting on posts or tweeting fellow bloggers (we all know how great it feels to get a supportive comment.)
• Pay it forward: By Rt'ing links or just spreading the #CherryLinkLove word

Looking forward to seeing your links!

Cherry Link Love: Getting to know YOU!
Cherry Link Love: Nails, Nails, Nails!

Monday's Moments: 29/04/13

I have to hand it to you, Benylin, you know how to kick a cold's ass in two days alright - pity they're the two days of the weekend and I'm fresh as a daisy again and fit for work today - BOO!! 

Nonetheless I've been chasing the Monday Blues with a couple o' Moments so I won't let it get me down. Wanna see 'em? 

1. Got Change of a Hundred? 

Nope that's not my wrinkled paw - pic courtesy of journal.ie

Because I was late leaving work on Wednesday but had to hightail it into town, I hadn't had time to check if I'd the exact fare for the bus. (Since I'm now mo-mo-less). It was only when there was one hurtling towards me that I realised I was 20c short and only had a €50 note with it. 

Pegging it into Starbucks, I asked if they had change and the snotball barista told me 'We don't give change' (With an upward inflection) If I wasn't already late I'd have launched at her but a lovely Dad with his weenchy baby came to my rescue. He asked how much change I needed - I showed him my fist full of eurobux and he handed me 50c. I'd time to thank him profusely, side eye the pretentious waitress and still make it to the bus! Result. 

2. Boots Brownie Points 

Normally I keep my Boots points for Christmas, Birthday and self pressies but when I realised Boots were having a scent sale this week and that coincided with my old Boots card balance being added to my new one then I couldn't resist a little spend. 

What's more, the splurge wasn't even for me. How saintly am I? Like, seriously *polishes halo* 

3. Iron Bear Approves

Behold Orla, my crazy niece, she's superhero mad and Iron Man's number one fan. We managed to bring her along to the premiere last Tuesday and she was absolutely over the moon. 

When we queued to head in she was called aside and given a special prize for the best dressed Iron Man on the night - her choice of noms! Even Iron Bear got a look in, when he wasn't being dragged by the neck. Cracking night altogether. 

4. So, You Owe Me Money?!

I was having a look around one of the never ending Blue Cross Sales in Debenhams last week and managed to spy a couple of serious office wear bargains on the 70% off rail. 

Chuffed with myself I was checking out when the sales assistant looked a little puzzled. She darted off and returned just as quickly saying 'Oh you're entitled to the 20% Blue Cross discount too'. Eh 90% off?! Liking the cut of your jib, Debenhams. Liking it a lot. 

5. The Sound of Silence

Yesterday saw me on my ownio in Casa Cherry from early morning to late evening for the first time in donkeys years. Youngest shagged off to a party and himself and the eldest trotted along to watch the Dubs. Leaving me to my sickness. 

Gotta say it was absolute bliss. I managed to snooze on the couch, catch up on trash TV, get all  most of the housework done and even took a geansaí load of blog photos. I love you lads, but sweet jebus the peace was glorious. 

Tell me, what's been chasing your Monday Blues away? 

Cherry Pick of the Week: Empire of the Sun - Alive

They're baaaack! You might remember Empire of the Sun from '09s Summer track We Are The People that stormed European charts. 

It's been a long hiatus but Alive is the first track from their forthcoming Ice On The Dune album (release June '13) and already I'm in love. 

Give it a listen there and believe that within the next 6 weeks this'll be all over the radio waves. 

Welcome back, lads. 

Iron Man 3 - Movie Review

Who's in it? 

Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Gwynnies Abs.

What's it About? 

Tony Stark has been off the superhero scene since Aliens invaded New York, distancing himself from everyone and struggling with his inner demons. As he deals with this completely out of character crisis of confidence he’s suddenly faced with one of the greatest terrorist threats mankind has seen, The Mandarin.
 

Any Good?

Tony Stark is swagger personified and that’s why it’s so refreshing to see him struggle a little this time around. He has certainly upped his inventor game though, spending all his down time tinkering with and perfecting his Iron army, to the detriment of his relationship with Pepper, her abs* and his own marbles.

The most surprising element of Iron Man 3 though, is just how funny it is. Dry wit and banter from every character make the 190 minutes whip by and manage to lift the mood in almost every scene. RDJ is on top form this time out with the script having the audience laughing loudly and continuously throughout.

While I don’t agree with typecasting an actor, Guy Pearce should only be allowed to play smarmy villains in future. He proves once more here that he can easily hold his own and even elevate the secondary character to the fore with ease.

But I couldn’t mention the spotlight without a nod to Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin. He gives a darkly unsettling performance and manages to prove once more why he’s a master of the craft. Once he’s on the screen, Pearce or even RDJ can’t steal his thespian thunder.

Certified 12A I had concerns that the peril seen in the trailers might be too dark for little ‘uns but in the midst of the ridiculous mayhem my 6 year old niece turned to me, gripping Iron Bear, with a huge smile and said ‘This. Is. Awesome!’ That’s that question answered.

There are enough Marvel references to keep stalwart fans happy, including the obligatory Stan Lee cameo and the post credit titbit (though that wasn't as revolutionary as previous ones have been). While the trailer may have been a little misleading with the tone of the film it’s still easily the best of the three and without doubt the funniest Marvel movie to date.

As with all big releases, Iron Man 3 is available in 2D, 3D and iSense, I’ve seen it in both iSense and 2D and honestly there’s nothing to warrant the extra spend, unless of course you prefer the 3D format. Whatever way you choose to see it, do see it; it’s set to be one of if not THE blockbuster of the summer.

*Seriously, WOW.

Rating:

Psst: If you’ve seen it already, I’d love to hear what you thought?...

Things that Rustle My Jimmies

So it would seem last week's pilot post went down a treat, I'm thrilled but unfortunately my jimmies continue to be rustled on the regular so here we are with round two:

1. Letting someone out in a ten minute traffic jam and they don't thank you. 

2. 'Dear Blogger, we're so excited to exclusively reveal to you our top secret product' .....THAT YOU SAW ON ANOTHER BLOG WEEKS AGO!

3. Paying top dollar for a beauty treatment when you could've done a better job yourself. 

4. Blog 'reviews' on skincare products TWO DAYS after the product is sent/bought. 

5. People standing so close to you in queues that you've to tell them to dismount!

Tell me, what's been rustling your jimmies this week then? Sharing is caring and also decreases feelings of stabbiness. True story. 

A Not So Pretty Pedicure at Pink Signature Day Spa

Finding myself with a free and breezy Friday last week I decided to spoil the Mamito and me a little with some deluxe pedicure action. We often indulge our tootsies during the Summer months with Seoid Spa in Dunboyne Castle being our high end splurge (€55) and using J nails in Capel St as our regular budget friendly option (€28).

Because I’d one or two bits to pick up in Dundrum though, this time we opted for Pink Signature Day Spa on the top level of the shopping centre.

The space in the Signature Day Spa is bright and airy with a stunning view out over the mountains. We were seated immediately and waited less than five minutes before we were introduced to our therapists and brought to the pedicure area with luxurious massage treatment chairs. Once they’d offered us magazines or drinks the ladies got to work.

While the service before and during the treatment was impeccable, as soon as our polish was done we were forgotten about. Our therapists left and didn't return. We sat for the guts of 15 minutes before I decided that was enough. I moved the side tables and hopped down from the swivel chair while the bubbles were still bubbling and the chair still massaging. I checked that my polish was dry, removed the tissue from my toes and carefully popped on my flip flops then headed over to help my Mam down to the same for her (she has limited mobility).

I could be wrong, this could be the approach that Pink takes with their treatments but I’ve never encountered it before. I think had we been told that we should leave once our polish was dry it might have been slightly less disconcerting than being left alone but still it’s pretty poor service. The budget nail shop J Nails on Capel St, for example not only help with your shoes but have been known to hotfoot it to top up the parking meter to save customers from rushing after they've finished. I don’t expect that kind of service everywhere but when paying top dollar a little attention to detail is nice.

While Mam’s toes were beautifully finished, mine genuinely looked like I’d done them myself, which is so disappointing. I didn't complain as up to a point the service was good but I didn't tip either (a first for me).

Unfortunately we won’t be returning to Pink Signature Day Spa for our pedicure needs and I’d be slow to recommend them based on our experience – when I pay €55 for a deluxe spa pedicure I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have my toes look like I’ve paid €55 for a deluxe spa pedicure. I’ve already painted over them as I was annoying myself looking at them. Boo and Urns!

Tell me, have you ever been really disappointed in a beauty treatment? Or more importantly, have you been for a Pink pedicure and loved it?

New: L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash in Milady, Princess and Juliet with Photos and Swatches

Lovers of YSL Glossy Stains (who also love their sheckles) rejoice! L'oreal is set to add to your lip loves with their brand new product the L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash and you won't need to sell seashells down by the seashore to afford 'em either. 

I was sent the beautifully pigmented Milady (whose name always makes me think of this picture) by the brand last week and have been so impressed that I've picked up both Princess and Juliet from my very own Eurobux since. 

The first thing that strikes me with these stains is that the colour in the (very shiny) tube doesn't translate onto the lips. It would seem that they show up differently on everyone's kisser with Milady's bright violet hues turning a rich red with purple undertones on mine. 

While Juliet looks bright pink in the tube, the applicator makes it seem positively neon yet on the lips its a bright orange toned red. I like it. A lot. 

In each of these collages I've applied one coat, allowed that to dry and, as is my wont, deepened the shades with a second coat. Buildable beauty, that's what we like, L'Oreal. 

Princess is quite possibly my favourite of the three for a daytime lip. Showing as a bright coral orange in the tube on the lips it's a beautiful soft toned peachy pink. 

All three are non sticky, non tacky and taste smell delicious. Formulated with a blend of light hydrating oils & concentrated pigments these stains also contain 30% water and feel light as air on the lips. 

L'Oreal promise 6 hours wear, I'm getting on average 4, though the gloss wears off after the first and leaves the pigmented stain behind without drying. I don't feel the need to reapply though as a sheen of Vaseline on top brings the colour back immediately. 

A thought struck me as I was admiring these glosses though, can you see it? That's an awful lot of tube left at the base that the applicator hasn't a snowballs chance of reaching. I'm hopeful that the formulation is fluid enough that I'll be getting my sheckles worth when I get halfway. 

L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splashes are on counters now, I picked these additional two up for €12.29 in Boots Blanchardstown this week - in comparison to €33 for a Glossy Stain, that's not too shabby at all. 

There's 8 colours available but I'd urge you to do your homework online and look at swatches of each before purchase as they are more than a little deceptive with colour translation from tube to lip. 

Have you tried 'em yet? 

Monday's Moments: 22/04/13

Hey we’re already halfway through Monday, if that’s not enough to chase away the Monday Blues then how about a squizz at what has helped me dodge mine?

1. That's Why I'm Eeeeeeaseh

I had a day booked off on Friday for a couple of afternoon appointments but intended on catching the Ironman 3 press screening first thing. That was until I got a call from the Sis to say she’d love me to come to the Premiere with her on Tuesday evening as Disney had sent her passes.

Hello free and breezy Friday morning in the sunshine. There’s nowt like a long weekend to help you face a Monday.

2. Oh, It's On!

 Speaking of the Sis being a lucky duck, she’s managed to bag a family adventure weekend for 10 people in June. We’re dusting off our waders, practicing our paintball game faces and channeling Katniss Everdeen’s mad archery skillz for the parent v teen face off.

It’ll be the ideal time for the Gorgebags to chill out and celebrate finishing their Junior and Leaving Cert – BY GOING DOWN!!

3. Lady Bloggers Wot Lunch

I was thrilled to be included in Marissa Carter’s (Of Carter Beauty/Cocoa Brown Tan) fame Ladies Lunch in the Shelbourne on Saturday. It was so nice to catch up with a bajillion bloggers in such schmancy surroundings. 

Chats and laughs were had and lovely new blogging ladies met and some exciting plans discussed. A rip roaring success by all accounts.

4. How the Other Half Love

While resting our pegs after traipsing the shops (well Brown Thomas) on Saturday I managed to catch this rare glimpse of our very own Lord Mayor trying to get his baba to sleep in the Mansion House window.

Innit cute?  

5. Statistically Awesome Numbers

Hot on the statistical heels of my 45,000 monthly hit celebration that spawned the Cherry Link Love posts comes the next milestone. I’m beyond thrilled with it and completely overwhelmed that anyone even reads my ramblings but Cherry Sue has now broken 50,000 monthly hits!

I know that may be minuscule in the grand scheme of blogging things but Oh M Actual G, I’m chuffed! Thanks so much you lovely, lovely peoples.  

Do please let me know your Happy Haps for this week, I love to hear what's going on 'round the interwebz.