DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

We live in a world where people seem to be finding it difficult to be different or to be themselves. We are so afraid to do the things we love all in the fear of being judged by the people who do not know us. This post is a little unlike what I usually write and the reason behind this is that I want this blog not only to be focused around beauty products. Where The Beauty Begins is not only about the outer beauty, it is also about finding yourself, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing the things you thought you could never do! I want to be able to share my experiences with being afraid of the world with my readers while also writing about beauty products. 

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “The only person holding you back is yourself”

I never thought I would ever get the courage to create a blog and here I am writing my sixth post and loving it! I was always afraid of what people would think of me creating a blog and I constantly kept doubting myself. I kept thinking my post would never be good enough to get any attention and no one would ever want to read anything from a girl like me. And that’s exactly it! There was never anyone holding me back except myself, there was never anyone telling me that my blog would never be good enough, except myself! In fact, I had a few people constantly encouraging me to start my blog, but my fears of being laughed at kept getting in the way. Everything you think you can’t do, YOU CAN DO IT! You just have to stop holding yourself back and go for whatever it is you want to do! Remember nothing in life will wait for you, so do not waste your talent.

If you want to create a blog about anything you’ve got an interest in, you can DO IT! If you want to write a book, sing or dance, you can DO IT! The minute you decide to stop holding yourself back and start pushing yourself, you can do anything you want! All it takes is hard work, courage, and motivation.

Take a minute to think of the celebrities you look up, would they be where they are now if they had let their fears of being different get to them? No! so neither should you! If the person you look up to is waking up every day and doing the things they love, then why can't you? 

Today’s post is daring you, my readers, to be different. We need to stop being insecure and start doing the things we want to do! Be different from the people you surround yourself with, do things that makes you unique and do not care what people will think. 

At the end of the day, you cannot read people's mind and you cannot change the way these people feel towards you, so just do you!
I can promise you no one is ever going to come up to you and laugh at you for doing something you love! If they do, they are just haters anyways so keep doing what you do and let the haters hate. Most people will acknowledge the fact that you've got the courage to put yourself out there and let's not the forget that you'll have your REAL friends and family supporting everything you do!

If I am quite honest, I was hesitating about publishing this post as I was terrified of what people would think, I thought it was not good enough or I wasn’t in the position to be telling people to be themselves. But every day is a chance for me to prove myself wrong and to keep pushing myself forward. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post, don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts on this post!

Until next time,

Lola

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

MY MAKEUP WISH LIST

Hey beauties, I am back with another blog post for you! Before I kick into this post, I would like to make a very important announcement! Due to college trying to drain the living soul out of me, I will not be able to write new posts as much as I would like but that doesn't mean I won't try! I will try my possible best to post something every week and if not I will be posting every two weeks, so if you do not see anything from me don't worry I am not dead. 

Now back to today's blog post - my makeup wishlist!

If I honestly had the money in the world, I would literally buy all the makeup there possibly was. But due to my lack of money and unemployment (I swear I am actually looking for a job and not wasting my money on burritos) that will not be happening.

Creating a wish list helps me to stay focused on the makeup I am really interested in rather than going all crazy and buying every makeup I set my eyes on without doing my research.

Here is my wishlist full of makeup products I'll be looking to purchase in the near future. 

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CONTOUR KIT

Every Youtuber I watch all seem to have this contour kit so of course I had to do some research and read some reviews on it. After reading a few reviews and seeing the wonders that it does I knew I had to get myself one! Now, why is it on my wish list and not in my cosmetic bag? Well when I went to purchase it and saw the price, the first thing that came to my head was eh not today honey. I don’t contour often so I wasn’t going to spend much on something I’d probably use once in a blue moon or something. I will be looking to purchase the palette in the near future maybe once I have mastered the art of contouring!

The palette contains three highlighting and three contouring powders! It helps to create the illusion of a higher cheekbones, a smaller forehead and a softer jawline. I have read it is really pigmented and it also blends perfectly!

 You can find this contour kit HERE at Anastasia Beverly hills website (shipping is free over orders €21.98) and it is also available  HERE at Sephora website for €35.17. If you are planning to purchase it from Sephora, you would have to go to the French website to get it shipped to Ireland! If you’re not good at French like moi, don’t worry google translator is there for you!

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS DIPBROW POMADE

I swear I am not obsessed with ABH products. I have heard so much about this product, I am pretty sure every Youtuber I look up to all own this!

Dipbrow pomade sculpts and defines the brows and lets’ not forget the fact that it is waterproof! You can easily outline and fill your brows with this dip brow to get the perfect brow you’re looking for. I swear I will not be going into the New Year without purchasing this Dipbrow!

Dipbrow Pomade can be found HERE on Beauty Bay for €18.00

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS LIQUID LIPSTICK

This might as well be an ABH wish list. After watching numerous swatches of the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick, I knew I had to add it to my wishlist for the next time I go on a massive makeup shopping spree. If you follow ABH on Instagram and often watch a lot of makeup tutorials then you would understand why I need this lippie in my life! May I remind you my birthday is just around the corner...

My favourite thing about this liquid lipstick is the fact that it is applied on like a lip gloss but actually dries matte so it basically looks like you’ve applied lipstick on in one easy swipe! (God knows I suck at applying lipsticks). I have also read that this liquid lipstick is meant to last on for hours, what’s not to love about this?!

You can purchase it HERE at ABH website for €18.00

SLEEK CONTOUR PALETTE

The only reason this is still on my wish list and not in my cosmetic bag is the fact that every single time I go to buy it, they never seem to have the dark palette I want! I am fed up at this point *sigh*. I have read and watch so many reviews on this palette that I just want one for myself even if I don’t contour that much.

The palette contains a blush, highlighter and a contouring powder which are available from fair to dark (dark seems to be hiding though).

You can find this contour palette at Boots for €13.49

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS ILLUMINATORS

 The first time I ever heard of this products was from one of my favourite youtuber Irisbeilin. I knew I had to go do my research the minute she posted a video showing off her latest purchase from ABV!

It contains a mosaic of brightening powders that impart a lit-from-within glow and is available in four hues -

So Hollywood - A shimmery bronze hue that flatters deeper skin tones.

Peach Nectar - A warm rose gold that flatters light skin tones.

Starlight - A sheer, luminescent white that flatters all skin tones.

Riviera - A sun-kissed coppery hue that flatters medium to tan skin tones.

You can find it HERE at ABH for €24.66

URBAN DECAY NAKED 3 PALETTE

I am not one to wear eyeshadow, mainly because I suck at it. But with the hype around the Naked 3 Palette, I am so tempted to get it! Naked 3 is the follow-up of naked and naked 2 which I have never tried. If you have this palette, do you think it's worth it?
You can find Naked 3 at Debenhams for €46.00

And that brings us to the end of this post! If you have any of these products on my wishlist or looking to purchase, do let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Lola. 

MY MAKEUP WISH LIST

MAKEUP PRODUCTS UNDER €15

Hey dollies, I'm back with another blog post! I am trying to blog as much as possible since I will be back in college next week, I am actually so excited!

Today's blog post is focused on beauty products that can get the job done but still won't leave you broke.  I know there's a few of you out there like myself that are currently unemployed. But that doesn't mean we can't treat ourselves right?  
If you wanna find out more about these products that are affordable and will still have you looking flawless, keep on reading this post! 

Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge

I’m sure you’ve probably heard of this sponge before or may even know a few ladies that would use it. I love this sponge as it is a 3-in-1 sponge. You can use the flat end of the sponge to blend the concealer underneath your eyes, your nose and to blend your contour.

The slides of the brush can be used for blending your foundation and the tip can be used to cover your imperfections. You can use this sponge damp or dry, I prefer to use it damp as it gives a flawless look and it makes the application process so much easier! 

I've watched makeup tutorials  where the youtuber would use only this sponge for applying all their makeup, excluding eyeshadow of course. So there you go rather than spending extra on multiple brushes, pick up this sponge instead!

 You can find this sponge at your local drugstore or in Boots for €5.99

Maybelline fit me foundation

I love this foundation! I am actually gutted that every time I go to repurchase it, they never seem to have my shade! This was the second foundation I ever tried and I swear the minute I applied it on, I fell in love.

The colour matched my skin tone perfectly, it lasted for a good amount of time and it also gave me a natural finish look! I have no complaint about this foundation, I would repurchase about five of it if I could find anywhere that has my shade again!

 You can find this foundation in Boots or your local drugstore for only €11.99

LA Girl Pro.conceal

I mentioned this concealer in my first blog – Must have makeup products. The main thing I love about this concealer is the shade range.

You can find any suitable shade for you skin tone! The concealer has medium to full coverage and it also applies on smoothly. It’s perfect for highlighting underneath your eyes, your forehead, the bridge of your nose and it also hides the darkness underneath your eyes.

I am not sure you can find them in any store in Ireland, but they do have them online on http://goo.gl/5DKoJp for €2.68, the only downfall is shipping to Ireland is about €18.  If you are planning to purchasing this concealer, why not order with a friend and split the pricing of the shipping!

Cream concealer palette

As you can see in the picture above, I use this pallet a lot. The palette comes with 15 shades which are perfect for highlighting and contouring. I use the darkest shade to contour my face and the shade above it is what I would use to clean up the top of my brows. I love the fact that this palette is suitable for all skin tone and it’s not expensive!

You can find this concealer palette on this website called Aliexpress for €3.60. http://goo.gl/84rnZN

 The shipping to Ireland does take a long time to arrive, you’ve been warned!

Essence all about matte compact powder

This powder gives you a natural matte finish! The description I read at the package said it supposed to last all day, but when I tried it I found that I had to keep reapplying it every few hours.

This powder is suitable for all skin tones as it is translucent! You do have to be very careful with it as it breaks easily! Mine at the moment is in an awful state. I usually apply this powder underneath my eyes, on the bridge of my nose and my forehead.

You can purchase this powder in Boots or Penneys for €4.59

FIT me pressed powder

I usually use this powder to set underneath my eyes, forehead and the bridge of my nose. This powder is flawless, it gives a matte finish and it is buildable!

As you can see in the picture above, I use it a lot! The only problem is the availability of shades for darker skin! I need to repurchase as the one I have as almost ran out and I have gotten darker, but my shade is nowhere to be found. Black people wear makeup too!

You can find this powder at Boots. I’m not quite sure of the price, but it is around €7.

Sleek eyebrow pencil

I have never been the type to spend lots of money on eyebrow pencils/kits. Before I discovered work the colour eyebrow kit, I used to use sleek eyebrow pencil for my brows.

It’s super easy to fill in your brows with this angled pencil. It also comes with a blending brush at the end of the pencil which is really handy. You can purchase this brow pencil in Boots for €7.99, it comes in light, medium, or dark.

Work the colour eyebrow kit

If you’re like me that prefers to use an eyebrow powder rather than a pencil, you can find this eyebrow kit in Boots for €5.49. The main thing I love about this product is that it last for a long time, it comes with a mini angled brush and a brow gel. 

There’s three different shades light, medium and almost dark shade in the palette which are really pigmented so you don’t have to apply a lot.

Urban decay setting spray

I mentioned this setting spray in my previous blog post and I’m sure you know how much this product is my life. You can purchase the travel size for €12 at Urban Decay in Brown Thomas.

It's amazing for setting your makeup in place especially if you've got an oily face and for nights out!

Makeup storage

Around last year, I went around browsing for a makeup storage that wasn’t too big or too expensive as I didn’t have that much makeup. I ended up in the Tiger store close enough to my house and found this makeup organizer for around €3.  It does hold a lot of makeup for something so cheap.

 You can put all your foundation or anything bottled shaped on the left side and on the right side of the storage, there are eight small boxes for you to put your lipsticks, mascaras or brushes. You can find this storage box in any Tiger shop across Ireland.

And that brings us to end of this post, I hope you've found this post not only helpful but interesting! If you've got any suggestion on what post you would like to see on this blog, please let me know! 

Until next time,

Lola

MAKEUP PRODUCTS UNDER €15

Tips for college newbies

 I recently spent a week being a mentor for first year’s students that are starting college in DIT. Being around these first years and seeing how anxious they were about college has inspired me to write a post on tips for getting through your first year of college. College is not as scary as you may think! I remember my first day of college, I was so scared! All I kept thinking was omg I'm going to have no friends, I'm going to be eating my lunch in the toilet or the course I've chosen might not be right for me. Thank God it wasn't like that!  I ended up loving my course, making new friends and passing my first year of college!

So here are few tips from me on how to get through your first year of college while also having some fun.

Join societies-

Okay when I say join societies, I don't mean join about 20 societies and then not be able to go to half of them like I did. I actually ended up only showing up to one or two of the societies that I joined, so I would recommend signing up to about three to five societies, but you can join as many as you want.

Societies are great ways for making new friends! I made lifelong friends through the societies that I joined!

Joining societies actually takes away the stress from college work so please don't go through your college years without being part of a society!

There are so many different societies for you to join no matter what college you’re going into! Examples - Fashion society, debating team, African society, banter society, ANYTHING!

I am not sure about the other colleges, but I know that in DIT it is €2-€5 to join societies.

Talk, talk, talk!

Trust me everyone is on the same boat as you on the first day of college so talk to someone, don't just sit there on your own! Most people in your course will be feeling nervous, so there you go something to talk about!

I remember my first day in college and I was thinking oh sure if I don't talk to anyone in my course, I can always meet up with a friend for lunch. No honey, it doesn't work like that. What are you going to do if you have lunch and your friends are in a lecture? So do make friends with people in your course! It's always healthy to make new friends.

But don’t worry too much about making friends! As the year goes on, you’ll end up making lots of new friends through the college events, group work and societies.

Attend your lectures

I wasn't going to add this in, so you would think I was cool. If you want to pass your first year of college, then do go to your lectures! At the end of the day, you're still in college to learn.

By attending your lectures and making yourself known will benefit you, trust me! And if you are attending lectures, pay attention!

I'm not sure about other colleges, but DIT lecturer will usually know all their students as the lecture room is not that big, and they don't put many students in a lecture.

Get out of your comfort zone

I personally believe that if you want to enjoy your college years, getting out of your comfort zone and just trying different stuff is the best way to go. Try new things, speak to someone new, or even go to a new place for lunch.

I would’ve never imagined myself speaking in front of 310 students without having a nervous breakdown.  I am so used to always being the girl you’ll see hiding her face at the back of the room.

Use this time to push yourself out of your comfort zone and have some fun.

Assignments

 Don't be like me that leaves an assignment to the very last minutes or forget about it completely! I would say around two to three days of getting your assignment, do start doing your research! That gives you plenty of time to ask your lecturer any questions or go to the library to get some books before they are all taken!

If you are finding your assignment to be difficult, please don't just decide not to do it! E-mail your lecturer, ask for help from your peers or anything! These assignments will benefit you so much during exam times.

Balance College works with fun time

It is very important to remember to balance your college life with social life. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying spend your whole college life in your room studying, you deserve a break! If you have given enough time to college work, finished all your assignments and went over work you did not understand, then you’re free to do whatever you want.

So ladies if a guy is asking you to Netflix and chill when you know you've got assignment due the next day that is nowhere near done, kindly reject that offer!

Take time off if needed

I know I did say attend all your lectures, but if you really need to take time off then do. Now I'm not saying be gone for two months! But if you just need to breathe and get your head straight, then take a day off but make sure you catch up on the work you've missed out on!

If you are planning on taking a day off, then try to make it on a day you haven't got many lectures on!

Don't buy your books just yet!

I went through my first year of college without spending a cent on any book. The books you need are usually in the library for you to borrow, but make sure you return or renew them on time to avoid a fine! As well as that, your lecturers would usually put your notes on web courses so you're sorted. I mean the books you're buying do cost a lot so do wait a while before you go purchasing a book.

 Talk to someone

Please please don't go through college feeling crap and not talk to someone. If you feel the pressure of college or anything might be getting to you, then do talk to someone! Talk to a friend, a family member or a counsellor!

I'm pretty sure the health services in Dit is based on the second floor in Aungier Street. But for you all that are not based on this campus, make it your duty to found out where the health services in your college are based!

SAVE

I cannot stress the importance of saving! If I could go back, I would tell myself to stop spending my money on food and save it!

You don’t want to go through your first year of college not being able to have fun simply because you’ve spent all your money on food.

Especially like me if you’re unemployed and depending on SUSI, Plan yourself! Do get a part time job.

You know you’ve got to print out notes, pay for bus fare and still want to be able to have some fun with friends, so don’t do what I did and spend all you money in a week buying God knows what.

If you can bring food from home, DO IT! It will save you a lot of money rather than spending almost a fiver every single day.

For you all that are based in DIT Kevin Street, I was informed that there's a microwave in your canteen (lucky you!)

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, do remember to have some fun, make friends and laugh a lot!

Until next time,

Lola.

Tips for college newbies

Fave lipstick brand- WET N WILD

Hey dollies, I have returned with my second post yay! But before I begin, I would like to thank all of you that read the previous post!! To those of you who helped me with promoting this blog, you are all the real MVP!

Today’s blog post is focused around my favourite brand for purchasing lipsticks!

For you all that haven’t heard of WET N WILD, it is a drugstore beauty brand that offers customers with good quality products that are actually affordable!

So if you’re like me that can’t resist affordable and GREAT quality lipsticks, then keep on reading!

WET N WILD offers varieties of shades for you to choose from. I have only got four shades myself as I wouldn't wear lipstick that much as I mentioned in my previous post. But literally all the colours you need and want are there for you! The lipsticks are also really pigmented and it is matte.

You can purchase these lipsticks from your local drugstore for only €2.99!! Good quality lipsticks for only €2.99? I promise you this is not a dream. I usually apply lip balm to my lips before applying this lipsticks at it can be a bit drying.

The packaging is low quality but who cares? Not me anyway. I wasn't expecting a lot of work to be put into the packaging as the lipsticks are not expensive.

The four shades I currently use are Mocha-licious, Spiked with rum, Cherry bomb and my personal favourite Sugar plum fairy. I do plan on purchasing some more, so if you do have shades that you would recommend,  please let me know!

Mocha-licious

I actually only purchased this shade last Sunday as I was looking for a nude to wear for an everyday makeup. I have to say, it is amazing! It's the perfect nude I am looking for. This is perfect to wear to college every day, or if you are going for a  smokey eyes and a simple nude with a bit of gloss over it. I promise you cannot go wrong.

Spiked with rum

This is another one of my recent purchase. It did not give me the kind of nude I was looking for but regardless I still love it. You can wear it for an everyday look or even if you’re going on your cute little date (lucky you).

The only thing I don’t like about this lipstick is that it transfers when you eat or drink which is totally annoying. But sure you can always reapply it when you’re finished. 

Cherry bomb

I'm in love with this shade as it gives that dark red look I need. I love wearing this colour during the winter time, it goes perfectly with a brown eyeshadow and winged liner. It is a bit drying so I would recommend applying a lip balm before this. It does last up to 3-4 hours but I would still reapply it after grabbing something to eat.

This is a shade I would definitely repurchase.  

Sugar plum fairy

My all time favourite lipstick! I literally adore this lipstick. If you don’t own this lipstick, I suggest you buy it now! This was the first lipstick I bought from WET N WILD. 

Sugar plum fairy is a dupe for M.A.C Rebel. It is fantastic for that autumn look with a simple wing liner. I usually would wear this lipstick for night outs.

 It also gives that matte look which I freaking love! If you’re not looking for a matte look, you can easily apply a clear gloss on top of this and you’re good to go!

And that brings us to the end of this post. If you’ve tried this brand before please do let me know your opinion and if you've got any shades you would recommend, do share!

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
If you haven't already, make sure you subscribe to the blog and do leave a comment!

Until next time,
Lola.

Fave lipstick brand- WET N WILD