Miss Tourism World: National Costume

One of my biggest stresses for Miss Tourism World was  trying to sort out a national costume. A national costume needs to be something that represents your country but also something that really stands out on stage. When I thought about an elaborate stage costume the first company I thought of was Love Jewles x.
Love Jewels is a fairly recent business venture set up by one of Ireland’s leading make up artists Julie Caufield. I first met Julie when we worked on a shoot together a few years back, she’s really creative so I wasn’t surprised at all when I saw she had expanded her creativity into costume design. Love Jewel’s is really unique and is filling a gap for high end costumes and customised pieces in the Irish market. Whether it be  for a dancer costume, a stage show, a fancy dress costume, or something a bit different for a photo shoot love jewels will have you covered with their extensive range.

One of Love Jewels more elaborate costumes, perfect for a shoot!

This one would look great as a dancer costume.

Stunning Julie models some of her custom studded bras (these can be made to order)

I called over to Jules house for a fitting and we tried on a few costumes. In the end we decided to go with a sparkly emerald green dress and the theme of my costume could be the emerald Isle.

I themed it with a black cloak, green necklace and a green shamrock embellished headband, I really loved the quality of this dress and I thought it really stood out and sparkled on stage, especially against the black.

Backstage with Ms Lebanon

On stage

In Bangkok Scene Magazine.

My shoes for the pageant where provided by my favourite online store NoPolka.com, if your a regular reader of my blog you will have seen me blog about nopolka before, I use them alot and find their online service to always be quick and very reliable. The shoes they provided me with for the pageant where great because they where super high with a 6.5inch heel (meaning they gave me that extra bit of height on stage) but still comfortable to walk in so that I didn’t have to worry about tripping or having sore feet during the show.

I love the suede effect and the red sole, I think it gives these shoes a really classic designer look. Nopolka are my go to brand for shoes and  these stunning heels are currently reduced to a bargain €39.19, unbeatable value! Unfortunately they don’t have many sizes left, but don’t worry there are plenty of other similar amazing bargain heels on the Nopolka website.

I really loved my national costume and thought it was a cool twist on the Irish theme, using two great Irish costume/clothing company’s. You can check it out in the video of the Miss Tourism World final below.
Until next time,
Aoife X

Getting Ready for Miss Tourism World: Eyelash Extensions

Before I start my review of the eyelash extensions I have to say that having them whilst on my trip really did make all the difference!  There was so many early starts for press calls and photo ops, some mornings I was up at 6 but we had to go with light make up because we’d be getting our makeup and hair done a few hours later however there was a constant group of photographers and press following us around so obviously we where all still concious about how we looked, and it is hard to feel you look good at 6am make up free ! Having extensions on my eyelashes really made me feel much more confident on these days as they just made my eyes look so much more awake and made it easier to go make up free.

My eyelashes where done by La Prima Rosa in Celbridge and they really did such a great job, the eyelashes looked so natural and they felt so soft. They where so well done that I was stopped by about 10 different in the airport on the way to thailand (Including the girls in the MAC shop who couldn’t believe they weren’t my own). The lashes they use in La Prima Rosa are mink meaning they are very fine and soft and I think this is why they blend so seamlessly with your own lashes, they then spend roughly an hour applying them until you get your desired effect (I went for a very full look).

Heres a pic of the lashes after 3 weeks.

I would definitely recommend eyelash extensions from La Prima Rosa, they did such a brilliant job on mine and they lasted for 4 weeks. I was surprised with how long I got out of them considering I was having my make up done then removed later and redone again most days throughout my trip to thailand so they where put under alot of strain but they lasted! 5 stars from me!

You can check out more from La Prima Rosa on their facebook page, or call them on 01 6279812 for an appointment.
Until next time,
Aoife X

Product Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

So I know a lot of you may be thinking why bother writing a review on Urban Decays naked palette since its been out for awhile now and  theres already a million reviews of it online, but since getting it as a gift 3 months ago I have litterally used it almost every day so I thought it deserved a review.

What they say: You can look great NAKED! This long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal, and feature FIVE NEW shades with names like Darkhorse, Virgin and Buck. We’ve also included a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte. The chocolaty velvet case is emblazoned with the word “NAKED” in gold foil lettering. (Just wait ’til your friends see you pull this sexy thing out of your bag. Jealous!) The mirrored case also includes a professional quality, cruelty-free Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush, AND a travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in original formula. This is a shadow palette EVERYONE can use, and a truly spectacular gift. Experiment with office-appropriate neutrals, summertime bronzy looks, or sultry smokiness. With such a diversity of neutral shades at your fingertips, there’s more to neutral than meets the eye.

What I say: I love this palette and the thing that I have enjoyed most about it is its versatility. It can be used to create any look I want, day or night as the colours range from soft beiges and sparkely golds to dark browns and greys. Urban Decay eyeshadows are well known for having amazing pigment so you really only need to use a small amount of product to achieve deep colour results, meaning this palette should last quite a long time.  The palette is €40.50 from Urban Decay at Brown Thomas or Debenhams Dublin, it can also be purchased online for $50. This may seem expensive but when you take into account that your getting 12 eyeshadows (which retail at roughly €17 when sold as separates) a primer potion (retails at €20) and an eyeshadow brush (again retails at €20) then it really is a great bargain. The packaging is great, it comes with a mirror which is really handy and the case seems sturdy enough that it protects the eye shadows from breaking (which tends to happen me a lot with palettes!)  I can’t recommend this palette enough and think it would be a great staple in any makeup collection as it really covers you for all your neutral colours and with the amount of different combinations possible there is something for everyone no matter what kind of skin tone.

I find Virgin to be a great highlighter, Naked and Buck are perfect flat neutrals for a simple but effective day time look and Half Baked is a great colour for with a tan or to brighten up your complexion a little.
All in all this palette gets a big thumbs up from me and its definitely my favorite item in my makeup bag at the moment. If you like the idea of the naked pallet but don’t wear a lot of shimmer colours and prefer matt shadows then there is also the option of the more recent Naked 2 palette which is also €40.50 from Urban Decay.

Have you tried Naked or Naked 2? If so what did you think?
Untill next time,
Aoife X