Best Of Lancome

Hello Lovelies! Welcome back to Sense Of Beauty! Todays blogpost will include all my favourites from the prestigious brand - LANCOME! 

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Now onto the blogpost! :)

1. Fragrance - La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum

Currently holding #1 in Europe, this is one of my ultimate fragrances. The perfume itself contains notes of Iris, Patchouli and Gourmand - the perfect equation. It's extremely long wearing and sits beautifully on the skin. Not only is this my favourite scent, my mum has become addicted too. Looking for a fragrance for a special lady in your life? This fragrance will be the winner. 

2. Fragrance - La Vie Est Belle Eau De Toilette Florale 

Another exquisite scent! This fragrance and LVEB EDP are very close to my heart. This fragrance is more day-time appropriate. It's softer as it is an Eau De Toilette. It is sweeter too, which in my opinion, a fragrance can never be too sweet! This fragrance contains notes of Iris, Osmanthus and Gourmand. 

3. Skincare - Clarisonic & Gel Eclat

The ULTIMATE skincare duo! I was kindly gifted a Clarisonic off Santa for Christmas and I have not stopped using it. The Clarisonic cleanses your skin 6x more than a manual cleanse. It is bloody brilliant! All it takes is 1 minute in the morning, and 1 minute in the evening just before bed. To cleanse, I enjoy using the Lancome Gel Eclat Foaming Cleanser. You place a pea sized amount on the Clarisonic and it creates the perfect lather to cleanse your skin. 

4. Skincare - Bi-Facil

One of the best eye makeup removers on the market! I never appreciated a good quality eye makeup remover, until I tried this! It's brilliant at removing your eye makeup, especially waterproof BUT, if you are a lover of liquid lipstick, this will remove even the most difficult liquid lipsticks too! It does contain oil so it wouldn't be recommended to use with Individual/Mink lashes. It does leave a slightly greasy residue, but I usually use this first and then go over with Micellar water. 

5. Skincare - Genefique Serum

The Genefique skincare range in Lancome is one of my favourites. This range in particular holds two amazing serums; an eye serum and a face serum. The eye serum (Genefique Yeux) is applied with a 'roller ball' applicator. It's super cooling, place this in the fridge before you apply it and it works wonders. The eye serum will brighten, tighten and firm your under eyes. The face serum (Advanced Genefique) is my absolute favourite product from Lancome ever!! It is a youth activating serum that will brighten your skin, restore smoothness and of course, contains anti-aging benefits! 

6. Skincare - Energie De Vie

Some of the newer additions to the Lancome Skincare family! The Energie De Vie range is amazing for feeding your skin with it's needed nutrients to add life back. The Energie De Vie Liquid Moisturiser is very refreshing and aborbs very quickly. It has a semi matte finish which means you can use this as your face primer too! The EDV Night Mask is bloody brilliant! You can apply a thin layer like your night cream or apply a thicker layer as a wonderful treatment for 20 mins and then remove with a warm flannel. I prefer to apply a generous layer onto my skin as a night cream and sleep with it on. 

7. Makeup - LA Base HydraGlow

The perfect primer for anyone that has normal to dry skin. This primer instantly hydrates your skin while adding a beautiful glow. It helps your makeup last longer and helps it apply more smoothly, what more could you want from a primer? 

8. Makeup - Effacernes Longue Tenue

This concealer is the BOMB! It's coverage is amazing, it blends beautifully with your base makeup and it is super long wearing. You can use it as a concealer to conceal dark circles or blemishes, you can use it to highlight your face and you can use it as an eyeshadow base. I usually use the shade 01 or 015.

9. Makeup -  Sourcils Defencils

This eyebrow product contains the eyebrow pencil on one end and an eyebrow brush on the opposite end, perfect for travelling and super convenient! The eyebrow pencil itself is quite thin which gives you the opportunity to create super precise eyebrows. It's very easy to apply and is very long wearing. I like to use the shade 02 Auburn. 

10. Makeup - Ombre Hypnose Stylo

The perfect eyeshadow base for any look. The Ombre Hypnose Stylo is available in a large selection of colours - perfect for every skintone, preference and eye colour. It does turn waterproof after one minute so you must work fast when applying this product. I love the shade 04 Brun Captivant. 

11. Makeup - Grandiose Liquid Eyeliner

The ultimate liquid eyeliner! I like to use this liquid eyeliner on myself but I always use this liquid eyeliner when doing other peoples makeup. The applicator itself can be twisted into 3 different positions which helps you apply the eyeliner easily. It dries super fast too so you don't have the risk of it transferring to your lid. 

12. Makeup - Grandiose Extreme Mascara

The newest addition to the Lancome mascara famiy. The Grandiose Extreme gives you bold, dramatic lashes with only a few brushes through your lashes. I will warn, the consistency of the mascara when you first apply can be too wet, I usually just brush it off the edge. I absolutely love this mascara. 

13. Makeup - Volume A Porter Mascara

In my eyes, Lancome can do no wrong with their mascaras. They offer the ultimate mascaras for every customer. For anyone who prefers a more natural lash, this mascara is for you. Its design is quite similar to Benefits They're Real. It has a smaller applicator which works perfect for anyone with smaller eye or shorter lashes. 

14. Makeup - L'Absolu Rouge Matte 397 Berry Noir

Looking for a rich berry lipstick that is long wearing? This is for you! The application of this lipstick is lovely, it doesn't apply patchy. The consistency is perfect - the matte is not drying. The colour payoff is brilliant too! 

And that my lovelies, is the end of todays blogpost! I really hope you enjoyed reading about my Lancome favourites! If you have any favourites that I haven't mentioned, make sure to let me know so I can give them a go! 

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Thank you so much! See you in my next blogpost!

XO, Siobhán 

Top 10 Disneyland Paris Tips ✨

Hello Lovelies! Welcome back to Sense Of Beauty! For my 22nd birthday this year, my mum and I decided to travel to Paris! Of course I asked to spend my birthday in Disneyland! Thankfully, I was able to persuade my mum to visit Disneyland for a second time during our trip where we could explore the Walt Disney Studios. 

If you would like to see my vlog of Paris, make sure to watch the video here! ;)

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So here's a little run-down on our days in Disneyland. On the day of my 22nd Birthday, mum and I took the RER-A to the parks. We spent our entire day exploring the Disneyland Park. We watched the 5:30pm Parade and the 9pm Fireworks. We caught the RER-A train back into the city. We didn't get a chance to browse the Walt Disney Studios Park so we both decided to take another trip back to Disneyland. Disneyland was running a special offer that you can buy two parks for the price of one. This deal runs from January 10th-March 24th. We started our day in the Walt Disney Studios Park and then went back to the Disneyland Park for the evening. We caught the RER-A train back to the city centre to our hotel. 

We booked our tickets directly through the Disneyland Paris website, right here!

So lets begin with my Top Tips for Disneyland Paris! :) 

I just want to mention that I didn't stay in a Disneyland Hotel so I unfortunately can't comment on what it is like to stay at Disneyland or give any tips for staying in Disneyland. My tips are based solely on visiting the parks!

1. Book Online

I would 100% recommend booking and paying for your tickets online whether that's through the official Disneyland website or through a third party. Why? You can avail of better offers through websites, for example mum and I were able to get a special offer on our second day in Disneyland. We were able to visit 2 parks for the price of 1. I also feel it takes a huge weight of your shoulders when you have your ticket printed and you don't need to queue to buy tickets. 

2. Arrive Early

This is pretty much self-explanatory but make sure to start the day in the parks as early as you can. The parks opened at 10am to the general public when we were in Paris. Arriving early, allows you to see more and get more out of your park tickets. For anyone that is staying in a Disneyland Hotel, you have the opportunity of 'Extra Magic Hours'. This basically means that you can enter the park an hour or two before the park officially opens. I would definitely make the most of this opportunity; you can meet some characters, take pictures in front of the castle without the crowds and there are a few rides open too. 

3. Bring Snacks

Food and drink can be quite expensive within the Disneyland parks - don't get me wrong, they are delicious but you can definitely save some moolah if you bring snacks. Bringing snacks like cereal bars, fruit and even a sandwich will help you save some dollahs! If you're only visiting Disney for the day, it might not be necessary to bring many snacks, having lunch and dinner in the parks won't be too expensive. If you're staying for a few days, you might want to cut back costs by bringing snacks. There are plenty of benches around the park where you can have a fuel stop. Mum and I spotted a couple who brought rolls and ham slices with them and was making them up. 

4. Bring A Water Bottle

Instead of buying refreshments in the park, save some money by bringing your own water bottle. The park has various water fountain locations where you can fill up your water bottle for free. 

5. Suitable Footwear

I 100% suggest wearing trainers/walking shoes. Disneyland is quite a large area and if you're walking for the whole day your feet can get quite sore. The last thing you want is to be on a downer because your feet are sore! Also, it might be a good idea to bring plasters with you just in case you get a blister. 

6. Be Time Aware

The parks will have various shows on throughout the day. For example; Jedi Training was on at 2pm in Cafe Hyperion - we decided to have our lunch then. Magic Parade was at 5:30pm, we found our spot at 4:50pm. The Firework Display was at 9pm, we found our spot early. Be aware of the time and make sure to keep note of the shows. 

7. Utilise Disneylands Resources

This connects with the previous tip. In order for you to be Time Aware, you will need to do some research; either through the Disneyland website or through Disneyland's information in the park. As soon as you enter the Disneyland Parks, you will be able to grab Disneyland's event schedule and a map. These are available in a variety of languages too. Use these wisely to plan your day. If you're still stuck, there are plenty of Cast Members throughout the parks that are more than happy to help with any questions you have about show times etc. 

7. Bring A Backpack

If you need to bring items such as; phone, camera, purse and snacks - I suggest a backpack. Why? 

1. It's out of the way when you're walking. Backpacks can be comfortably warn instead of lugging around a handbag that will cause discomfort to one of your shoulders. 

2. You can still wear the backpack on the rides without the stress of your handbag falling out. 

8. Fastpass 

Fastpass is a service that Disney provides where you can get through the 'fast lane' for some of the popular rides. Not all rides have a fastpass lane but you will be surprised at how many do. It gives you a specific time that you must return within to skip majority of the queue. We used this for the Buzz Lightyear ride. 

9. Time Of Year

The time of year that you plan to book your holidays can have a huge effect on pricing. For example, visiting Disneyland during Half Term, Halloween and Summer Holidays will be a lot more expensive than travelling in Februry, March or September. If you are looking to save some money, try booking your holiday when there are no holidays from school. Keep in mind, French holidays too. Not only does it work out cheaper, but the park will be quieter which means shorter queueing time for various rides too. 

10. Annual Pass

Annual passes for Disneyland Paris start at 135 euros, which will allow you access to both parks! A day ticket to Disney starts at 47 euros. If you're planning on taking a trip to Disneyland for a few days, an annual pass will work out a lot cheaper than buying tickets for the few days that you will be there. Also, you will FALL IN LOVE with Disneyland and will definitely want to go again. If you have an annual pass, you'll have your tickets bought, all you need then is your flights and accomodation ;) A perk of holding an annual pass is receiving 10% off in Disneyland stores and restaurants. 

So these are my tips for visiting Disneyland Paris. For anyone that hasn't gone and is thinking about it, please go! And if you need someone to go with, I will go haha! I absolutely loved every minute in there and I am already planning my next trip. 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

See you in my next blogpost!

XO, Siobhán 

My Sister's Skincare Routine | Teenager Edition

Hello Lovelies! Welcome back to my blog! :)

Over the past few months, I have really taken an interest in skincare. Skincare was definitely an area within the beauty community that I was never very fond of. I used to do the very basics; remove my makeup with makeup wipes (a sin in the beauty world I know!) and sometimes I even slept with my makeup on (eeeeekkk!). After attending training for Lancome and Clarins with work, my interest with skincare intensified. 

My sister Róisín is 15 years old. Being a 15 year old is tough especially with the stress of the upcoming junior cert, friends and life in general. All these factors can contribute to the condition of your skin. This year for Christmas, I wanted to really push the importance of a good skincare routine for Róisín. Keeping your skin clean and hydrated is half the battle to clear skin. Of course, your diet and lifestyle can play an effect on your skins condition but I hoped that if I gave Róisín some skincare goodies, she might grow a passion for skincare like I did. 

Working in a Pharmacy on a Beauty Counter, I have learnt first hand that changing a person's skincare routine needs to be completed in small steps. Although, there are a few people that can completely change their routine and excel with it, others prefer to slowly add and remove products from their routine. Firstly, I think this is down to the concept of change. I can speak from personal experience, I am a creature of habit, anything out of habit and I feel like I am thrown into the deep end. I need to make small baby steps with change to make sure that I am 100% comfortable. Secondly, I think it is all down to cost. People want to ensure that they are not wasting their money on products they won't use and won't get satisfaction from. This is completely understandable, I wouldn't want to buy a complete skincare routine if it was overwhelming and I never used it. For this Christmas, I decided to buy Róisín some skincare essentials that will begin her passion for skincare. Róisín isn't very interested in makeup so I thought skincare would be a great section for her to use daily. 

Less of the babble and I will start with Róisín's skincare routine! :P

Róisín is a typical teenager; blackheads on her nose and hormonal spots. So far, all the girls in our house have been blessed with generally good skin. Róisín has normal to combination skin - oily t-zone and dry areas on your face. If Róisín gets any spots, they usually appear on her forehead or her chin. I think the spots on her forehead are from her fringe being worn down all the time. 

With Róisín only being a teenager and only beginning with skincare, I wanted to start her skincare collection with the basics. I tried to pick up products that were for sensitive skin, just in case she had sensitive skin. 

Before we begin with Róisín's morning and night routine, I wanted to show Róisín's skincare collection. 

In Róisín's skincare there is:

-Nivea Sensitive Day Cream (SPF 15)

-Nivea Sensitive Night Cream

-Cien Gentle Facial Wash

-St. Ives Facial Exfoliator

-L'Oreal Clay Mask - Detoxify

-Pretty Nose Pore Strips

-Electronic Facial Cleansing Brush (Imitation of Clarisonic) 

As you can see, it's very basic and simple but it is a starting point for her. I hope to add a toner, hydrating eye cream and other face masks in the future. 

Remember, it's suggested that you start using an eye cream as soon as you begin to wear eye makeup. Although Róisín doesn't wear makeup frequently, a hydrating eye cream will be perfect for her and will ensure that no dry skin occurs around her eye area. 

Róisín is a creature of habit and once she gets into the habit of something, she'll stick to it. 

One item I gifted Róisín this year for Christmas was an electronic facial cleansing brush. It's a dupe for the Clarisonic and way more affordable. I loved the concept of the Clarisonic (you can imagine I was a very happy girl when I received one from Santa!), it's quick (only takes one minute to cleanse your whole face), it removes dirt that a manual cleanse can't and it's very user-friendly. Because Róisín was only beginning to dive into the sea of skincare, I wanted to pick up something cheap and cheerful for her to try out. 

I was really happy with how Róisín fell in love with this item. If you watched my Christmas vlog, you would've seen Róisín use it immediately. She uses it twice daily; morning and night. She applies the Cien Gentle Facial Wash to the brush head and cleanses her face. 

If you are looking to purchase the Clarisonic, buy an inexpensive one first. It will allow you to try the concept of an electronic facial brush and see if you enjoy it. I picked this one up from Ebay, type in 'facial brush' and thousands will appear!

1. Cleansing

-Róisín wets her face with warm water. 

-She wets the head of the facial brush. 

-She applies some of the Cien Gentle Facial Wash to the facial brush. 

-She cleanses her face with the electronic brush. Starting with her forehead (20 seconds), cheeks (10 seconds each) and nose/t-zone (20 seconds). 1 minute cleansing total. 

-She then rinses her face with warm water and cleans the facial brush. 

2. Exfoliating 

-Róisín will exfoliate her face twice a week to remove any dry skin. 

-After cleansing her face, she will leave it damp and exfoliate her face with the St. Ives Sensitive Facial Exfoliator. 

-Once she has exfoliated her face, she washes her face and pats it dry with a towel. 

3. Moisturising 

-Róisín's final step in her morning skincare routine is moisturiser. 

-Róisín's current moisturiser is the Nivea Sensitive Day Cream with SPF 15. Her previous moisturiser was the Simple Light Moisturiser. Róisín prefers the Nivea cream as it feels thicker and more hydrating. The Nivea moisturiser has SPF too which is always a bonus!

1. Cleansing

-Róisín repeats the exact same cleansing steps as this morning. 

-Róisín wets her face with warm water. 

-She wets the head of the facial brush. 

-She applies some of the Cien Gentle Facial Wash to the facial brush. 

-She cleanses her face with the electronic brush. Starting with her forehead (20 seconds), cheeks (10 seconds each) and nose/t-zone (20 seconds). 1 minute cleansing total. 

-She then rinses her face with warm water and cleans the facial brush. 

2. Face Mask

-Similarly to exfoliating, Róisín likes to apply a face mask twice a week. 

-Her favourite one at the moment is the L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Face Mask. 

-While her face is still damp from cleansing, Róisín applies the face mask with a foundation brush all over her face avoiding her eyes. 

-She allows the face mask to dry - usually around 20 minutes. 

-Once the face mask has dried, Róisín removes it with a hot face cloth. 

-Róisín pats her face dry with a towel. 

The L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Face Mask is honestly amazing! It's so affordable (around 7/8 euros) and works wonders. When I began using this, after my first or second try, some spots appeared. This is normal, people call this 'purging'. Róisín's skin 'purged' too. The detoxify mask pulls up any spots/imperfections, if you keep on top of this and apply your face mask twice a week, less spots will appear. I find my skin can become quite dry/red after using this, a rich hydrating moisturiser is ideal to apply after. 

Twice a week, Róisín likes to use Nose Pore Strips. She usually applies these after she has cleansed and leaves her nose damp. She applies the nose pore strips and allows these to dry (usually 20 mins). She removes the nose pore strips and will grab some of her exfoliator and focus this just on her nose area. 

3. Moisturing

At night time, Róisin applies the Nivea Sensitive Night Cream. It's richer than the day cream and it also doesn't contain the SPF. This moisturiser is lovely, it's very comforting to dry/tight skin especially after cleansing with a facial brush and applying a detoxifying face mask. 

So that's it! It's quite simple and straight-forward at the moment. I didn't want to shock Róisín with an excessive amount of skincare at first. Róisín has fallen in love with taking care of her skin. I'm going to slowly add products and change products up for her. 

I hope you enjoyed today's blogpost. I really enjoyed doing this with Róisín. If you enjoyed reading about different skincare products, I recently wrote a post about my favourite skincare products, click here to read it! 

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XO, Siobhán