3 Skin Gems for SUPER Stressed and Tired skin!

Its JUNE! Officially we can say it is summer! :) 

And.. I can also say (officially) I have  finished college after four long years!

Its a strange feeling to go from no sleep and tones of stress to feelings of just nothing.. Its kind of like you are falling at a top speed and then you just  all of a sudden come to a complete STOP! And you are just floating around in mid air kind of like riggggghhhht...Dazed, trying to process it all and wondering.. WHAT THE HELL TO DO NEXT?!? You wonder what to do with your time... You actually HAVE time and then the worry kicks in.. The worry of results and getting flash backs of drunk you on your class night out! (Advice here would be to eat and pace yourself and just maybe not drink at all ugh!) 

Plus being an anxious person tends to make everything that much worse...

Whoa that was a load off.. 

Moving swiftly on from my rambling. I have had three little amigos to help me feel and look my best throughout this hectic year, two of which are quite recent. Firstly let me start off by saying how much I LOVE La Roche - Posay. I just always seem to be using one of these products if not more and their products are just something I constantly return to. If like me you have slightly sensitive skin or even super sensitive skin and don't like harsh products then this brand is just delightful and without all the crap. I love its simple packaging, there is little to no smell, its not their products are not harsh they are just so soothing! I really do recommend giving it ago, your skin will thank you!

I tend to have oily skin but recently enough (like when I a stressed) I can get dry patches and spots because your eating crap, not sleeping enough bla bla blaa. Now this can be horrible because your trying to get rid of grease yet you still need to moisturize and keep the dry patches at bay and it can all get a bit CRAY. I also found I was over washing trying to get rid of spots and it was just too god damn much!! SO, I striped it all back! I used just a face cloth and warm water and that was it for washing my face. NOTE: If you find your skin is tight and dry after washing it more then likely your face wash IS TO HARSH! You are stripping it off too much oil! Anyway three paragraphs in, my first cherished skin product has to be, drum roll please!!!

Effaclar Duo Anti imperfection I used it religiously for two weeks after washing my face and then eased off once I saw a difference and it worked like a charm, it's a great primer and just all round swell product! Just fab!

I'm going to just get right in there with the second product, wasting no time... We have the lovely Avene another french brand! I have to say I have never used any of these products at all. To be honest I want to say I have never even heard of it, so I could feel like I just completely stumbled across something new, but for some reason I just overlooked them. 

Anyway! Once my skin decided to behave a little better it returned to its greasy routes, much to my happiness believe it or not I started to use Eau Thermale Avene gel soapless cleanser  for oily blemish prone skin.  I really REALLLY like this face wash, honestly I may be a little hormonal but it made want to cry a little. It just was like the missing piece in my puzzle. It just does exactly what it says it does and I was skeptical and ye, so buy it! I actually just have a tiny tester size which I have used for the last two months its only 25ml and there is still a good bit left so its definitely value for money! I wish I had found it when I was younger! 

Finally my last little amigo to help me was actually another Avene product. Now before I go any further, only use only small amounts because it is quite hydrating and too much I feel could lead to chaos for oily skin users! This product is the Eau Thermale Avene tolerance extreme cream  this is a CREAM and it hydrates, I think what I love about these products is that they actually do what they claim to do! I love the packaging and when you squeeze the cream out it seals itself down slowly allowing no air through, I am a little bit of freak with germs and things being clean maybe even a bit anal but I love this idea and again its just soothing for tired and stressed skin. Its cooling and kind to your skin. 

What are your Skin amigos and let me know if there are any other products you guys would recommend from either of these brands! 

 

K x

MAC MAC MAC Colour Coding

OK... So let me start of by saying... I have a worthy excuse for abandoning SeiBella for the past while! :( Fourth year of college in a design course is tough going!!
AND Finding time to breaaaatheeee is even hard! I'm here and back and ready keep control of my chaotic self! And love my blog a little more.. Just a few months before I hopefully graduate with an honors degree! agh lkfngl!!! **Fingers crossed**

Anyway the true star of this blog post is MAC and I'm devoting this whoooole thing to their foundation! Providing the whole colour breakdown and in-between  professing my deep heartfelt LOVE for their products! I just love that every piece of make-up in their store!!! EVERYTHING is so pigmented I mean that's what you want from your make-up right?! Then you use as little or as much as you want or need!
Preferably what you need!!

 I walked into the store and felt like I was in a candy shop! Being a poor student in MAC is heartbreaking! I wanted to try on everything and play with the brushes and smudge every conceivable product in there on my face! Usually I would have no time for hanging around in there because its usually quite busy and I can't focus my full attention on the gems dazzling before me! But then I get all stressed and feel the need to leave!

Anyway I went in with a goal, to find the perfect foundation! AND I did!! Praise the Lord! Ladies -Its called foundation for a reason it literally is the basis on which I apply the rest of my make-up! If your foundation is patchy and orange and makes you look anything less then Flawless...You may as well not be wearing any! I feel like I could go on and on about this for ages so I am going to just get to the point!!

Right...As far as I understand MAC codes play a vital role example. NC/NW or just N or W on their own! These are the codes!!
NC standing for Neutral Cool . NW standing for Neutral Warm
These are then followed by a set of numbers! Which determines the Shade of the foundation
The shades go from 15-55 fifteen being the palest! 
Now combine the code and number and you get the correct shade -I am NC20

Before I go any further and confuse myself MAC switch things around!! NW-is  for pink skin tones while NC- Is for more of a yellow base skin tone!
The Pink and Yellow thing can be confusing its hard to know especially with so many different shades.
Once you know the undertone to your skin that is half the battle! Generally pink is referred to as Cool and Yellow as warm hence the confusion with MAC!

Still with me ladies?

There are some ODD numbers in the different selection shades of foundations, these odd numbered foundations actually don't have such a strong undertone and are more neutral! One other thing to keep in your pretty little head is that with the different foundations of MACs such as; Studio fix, Face and body foundation, Studio Sculpt etc. etc. etc....Vary in shades..
FOR EXAMPLE: NW20 studio fix might not be the same shade as NW20 in one of the other foundations like Studio Sculpt!

Hope I helped! Maybe thought someone something not very important in life but important in the world of beauty! :P

Whats your fav MAC Product!? Do you like their foundations?!

Ciao Bella <3

2013 Beauty Fvourites Following me into the New Year!

Can I just say how much I LOVE Soap & Glory products! You know those smells that just remind you of a Great time in your life and bring back tones of memories! Yes? Well that's Soap & Glory for me! This is just a quick-ish break down and review of some of my favourite products that I like. Body stuffs and Make-up, that I will take with me from 2013, into my 2014 adventure!

My two main Soap & Glory products are the Mist you Madly and The Righteous Butter body lotion the two together after a shower makes you smell like a beautiful, mystical unicorn type creature! Honestly! They are inexpensive, smell SO Good and they are not too heavy! As Moisturizers go, some can be sticky and take ages to sink in. This moisturizer has Shea and cocoa seed butters, Rosehip seed oil, Aloe Vera & vitamin E. LOVE THEM. GET THEM! 

The second moisturizer is more a lot more expensive and actually used for people with stretch marks or pregnant women or even for people who have lost weight. But I don't care. I'm LOVING  it. L'occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil is so luxurious, without being greasy and it makes you smell so beautiful. Its has such a gorgeous scent. Not to mention that it makes your skin feel ridiculously soft! Its delicious!

The second picture to the right is a perfume. Now I'm not one for changing my perfumes! I like to have a scent that's just me! My smell! (sounds a bit creepy, but I think you get my drift!) 

 Up until about 2012 I had been using Dolce and Gabbana The one when I decided I would switch it up for 2013 and fell so hard in love with another one of L'occitane products the; Jasmin &Bergamote Eau De Toilette, its very different from The one Dolce & Gabanna, Its far lighter, very fresh smelling, it is feminine and just pretty. I feel like I should be roaming around a beautiful field of flowers, with the sun shining on me and a gentle wind blowing in my hair, when I wear this!!

 (hope you enjoyed that image I just painted for you!)

Seriously if your looking to switch up your scent, I would highly recommend it! 

NOW for Makeup! :) 

Don't get me wrong, I love trying new products! BUT.. I have never found ANYTHING that beats MAC lipsticks!! If there is someone out there that knows a better brand of lipstick that is long lasting, comes in a huge range of different colours and has nice packaging, then do let me know! It's a challenge!  I have tried some 'Dupes' and always went back to MAC. I am going to make it a mission this year to find some Mac Dupes and write up a post on my findings! (If I find them!!)

I mainly wear Nude Mac colours for daytime. Hue which is light pink, with a frosty shimmer is great for daytime, its a subtle colour and great with a smokey eye too. Creme Cup is another of my favourites! It is a blue toned pale pink and honestly probably one of  the most Gorgeous colours!

I injected a bit more colour for 2013 with Vegas Volt, which is more of a coral colour and just again really beautiful and feminine.

FACE STUFFSS!

Face products this year from 2013 has to include Benefits High Beam I used to wear this a few years ago and forgot how stunning this product is. When your on holidays, a dab on your collar bones, cheeks, or brow bone is just simply stunning and so effective!

Also another product which I used to rob from my mum (when I was younger) that I have re-added to my make-up collection is the Yes Saint Laurent Touche eclat highlighter, this is perfect for around the eye area and for contouring as its not too shimmery!. This is definitely a luxurious one but MY GOD  is it stunning. I feel like Im just saying everything is AMAZZZZZING but they are my favourites of 2013, and products that I plan on using throughout 2014! So it would be a bit weird if I wasn't highlighting HOW Gorgeous I find them all! 

Lastly Benefits POREfessional primer... I was a bit Meh! About putting this on the list. Only because I personally find that the stuff feels SOoOo weird on my skin. I actually don't even know how to describe it.. It kinda feels like It shouldn't be going on my skin at all! It does do a great job though and feels very light. Also I love the packaging and it really stops my skin from getting greasy and oily throughout the day. That's a big thing for me and ultimately why it made the cut for 2014!!

EYES My Favourite! 

Urban Decay primer, is a beauty favourite for the ol' eyes, although the application of the product with the brush is a pain. The primer in the tube is far better! It stops creasing and is a light primer, you only need the smallest amount. Its a gem. Another Urban decay obsession is the Naked Basic Palette which I also mentioned in the; Taking the high brow post, its a must its GREAT for travelling, great for doing a basic eye, great for filing in the brows... smells a little weird, Is it weird that I smelled eyeshadow? Um its just a great little set! The last absolute favourite eyeliner HAS to be the Rimmel liquid eyeiner Glameyes in BROWN I adore, love and cherish this product so, SO much I prefer the thin brush as its more accurate and I can add to more eyeliner if I want my liner to be thicker! I find its a lot more natural then black which can be harsh, brown is also quite soft around the eyes. I have quite dark hair and hazel eyes. Having dark features is great but I think brown, for me is more natural for everyday makeup look rather then black.

That's it what are your favurite Beauty products from 2013? Will you be keeping them for 2014? 

<3

Taking the High Brow!

Eyebrows...*Sigh*
I have devoted a whole post to them! There is  a popular saying floating around the beauty and blogging world that eyebrows are not twins they are, in fact sisters! Cute. But seriously...They can be a pain to work with! Eyebrows have always been important to the face, they frame the eyes and add to your features. For me there are three main factors when it comes to Brows!

1,) The Shape
2.) Fullness of 'The brow'
3.) Maintenance

We all have tragic stories of over plucking and even stories of  girls shaving there brows off...How or what would posses someone to think that was ever a good idea I just do not know!! Focus Katy! Anyway nowadays there are tones of tutorials and posts on eyebrows so there should be no excuses! If you don't feel comfortable doing them yourself, or you have tendency to go a little overboard put down the tweezers and Go to a Professional! Also please do not let your friend go at your brows, unless she/he seriously KNOWS what she or he is doing! I was lucky enough that my best friends mum was a beautician when I got to the age of wanting to pluck my eyebrows she taught me how. I had a uni-brow and they were super thick brows. Luckily she steered me away from the over plucking as did my mum. However a few years later I thought I knew best and got a bit tweezer happy. I did some temporary damage but luckily they grew back once I realized the drag Queen Brow, (although fab as they are) didn't really suit a young girl....And also the fact that I wasn't a drag Queen might have influenced me to change my brows!

• The Shape: Let me start off by saying there IS a FINE balance between the different shapes. A nice arch is vital to your brows but, its important not to go overboard no-one wants Nikey ticks on their face! 

         General Guide line for Brow Shape
       

    -Oval shaped face; Thinner higher arches

       -Round shaped face; A slim medium arch
       -Long shaped face; straight medium thick with a subtle arch
       -Heart shape face; Fuller brows with medium arch

  
   
     

My eye!

• Fullness of the Brow; Cara Delevingne has to be the Queen of Thick and Beautiful Brows, although this Brow suits only certain faces. Natural full brows are always a good look, there youthful and beautiful. Unfortunately my brows are nothing like Cara's! Excuse the awful lighting and makeup free-ness of it all. The pink lines highlight where your eyebrows should start, where they finish and where the arch should be. Although I am not blessed with the thickest eyebrows Benefit eyebrow palettes are great for filling any sparse bits! However if you don't want to spend too much money for just filling in your eyebrows, any good pigmented eyeshadow CLOSE to your natural eyebrow colour will work. Just make sure its MATTE. The Basic Urban Decay Naked palette, is a nice multipurpose palette as it has a lovely selection of basic colours for an everyday eye look and also perfect for filling in the brows! The basic palette is also much smaller making it easier to bring when your travelling o just staying over night somewhere! 

                        

• Maintenance ; Grooming your eyebrows can be a paiiiin in the ass, especially when you have let them grow a bit wild. Trimming your eyebrows can also work to keep them tidy in between plucking them! I would suggest trying not to trim them too often, only when it is necessary. Eg longer hairs that are longer then others or hang over the edge of your defined brow. Eyelash brushes are easy to find MAC do great ones but any will do. Brushing the hair upwards and at an angle and trimming only the end of hairs that are going past the eyebrow. Be careful if you cut too much there will be patches! A Good Tweezers is always a must! Filling in your eyebrows (heavily, just for plucking)  into the shape you want. When you are plucking this will act as a guideline as to what hairs you pluck. Plucking outside the shape you have made when you filled them in aids in keeping your brow shape and also prevents you from plucking too much or the wrong hairs.

How do you look after your eyebrows? Have any eyebrow tips of your own?  <3

New Skin Resolutions !!

New years is always full of good intentions and wishes! 
Its not always easy to stick to them, especially when you get that massive insistent craving for chocolate. YUM!  Like the Cadburys Marvellous Creations... If you do not know this chocolate bar... Shame on you! GOOGLE IT (so you know what it looks like). BUY IT and  EAT IT!! Anyway getting seriously sidetracked... New years- Healthy, yes!! OK! So my point is we all get tempted and its good to have that little bit of chocolate and enjoy it.

Many People smother themselves with products and lotions due to the promise that if we use them, we will have clear clean and beautiful skin. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that there are no good products out there and it is all lies. The truth is, its what we eat that really contributes to how we look and feel.(unless your blessed with insane genes and just have naturally beautiful skin! In that case I envy you!) If you feel good on the inside and are healthy then it is likely to show outside and visa versa! 

SO... this year my New Skin Resolution is to be healthier in terms of what I eat and drink! I'm still going to eat chocolate but adding small healthier habits into my life is my goal! 

Anyone heard of Herbal teas? This is a great place to start!! It may be difficult to get used to at the start, especially if you are more of a coffee or tea drinker. Herbal teas are caffeine free and instantly healthier! Teas like twinings tea have a massive selection of different flavored teas. Peppermint and nettle being are some of my personal favorites and warm mug of tea is always comforting!
Health & Skin Benefits:
Peppermint-Aids in oily skin, by lowering the secretion of oil
                 -Heals Acne, this is due to the menthol
                - Great for IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome
                - It also improves the digestive system
Nettle tea-Great for detoxing
                -Helps IBS
                -Clearer Skin
                -Cleanses Kidneys and Blood
The lists are endless!

Of course there's also drinking water 2 liters a day,which a lot of us don't do! Small amounts throughout the day can do wonders for your skin! Even  just a glass of water first thing in the morning balances your lymph system  and does wonders for your skin.

Water and herbal teas are easy and simple habit's that are easy to pick up and that are great for your health and skin without going over kill on the New Years resolutions!

Finally there is one product I do want to mention, about a year and a half ago I literally went nuts for all things organic and would literally read the ingredients on the back of every product. I would  Google each ingredient and found so many ingredients that were less then nice to your skin...Thats a whole other blog post though!
Anyway I read up on all the different alternatives, as I have sensitive skin which kind of developed from no where!! (also a lot of products say they have rosehip or other natural ingredients but its slightly misleading as usually they are in TINY amounts thus not enough to be beneficial!) When I would get a spot it would remain red even after the spot had gone!! So I started to research which natural products, flowers etc. were good for different skin problems/ types etc. (stay with me I know its getting very airy fairy)  Then somewhere Randomly on Google I found the solution: Rosewater, as I researched further I found Rosewater could be mixed with other ingredients such as glycerin.

Rosewater has tones of benefits like anti inflammatory properties, mood enhancer, it has astringent properties-used after facials to close pores, reduces redness and blotchiness its basically an all rounder.  So I went to my chemist and asked for Rose and  glycerin water.

.
The Rosehip is so soothing and calming and the Glycerin is moisturizing. It honestly is a little gem and is great for oily skin, especially if moisturizing creams make you break out!! Saying that its great for dry too. I literally swear by it and I paid; three euro twenty for a 125ml bottle. Applying it with a soft cotton pad onto your clean face before bed, allows for it to work best. although the glycerin is slightly sticky its totally worth it and nothing a splash of cold water in the morning cant fix! If you did want to purchase something more luxurious and more true to it promises trilogy lovely products like the Rosehip oil for moisturizing your body.

What are your New Years resolutions?  <3
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