Saturday 15 November 2014

How did the miracle gel nails hold up..

Hey Blog Readers! 

Last week I posted about the Miracle Gel by Sally Hansen - you can read that post by clicking here! 

So I just thought I'd write a quick entry to let you know how they lasted... well a week and half on and I must say I am pretty impressed! they have chipped a little on the top of my middle nails on one hand so I guess they didn't quite last the 2 weeks but for me that's prettyyy good! usually my nails chip straight away so to get 1.5weeks is excellent for me and has definitely been a time saver! I think that perhaps if I had wrapped the nail varnish around the top of the nail they may have lasted the two weeks! I'll try this next time! but as for review purposes - I would give this product a 3.5 to 4 out of 5! and would definitely recommend to a friend :)



Lots of Love, 
Shahira Xo
If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.
Share:

Friday 14 November 2014

Radiant Skin?

Hey Blog Readers


So lately I keep getting complimented on my skin - to the extent where even my mum and sister have rang me to say "your skin is just glowing"...

at first I thought maybe it's LA..my new environment and getting more sunshine? but then I remembered for the first month or so in LA my skin wasn't great because it became really dry with dry patches which gave me a need to get a really thick, rich moisturizer to attempt to fix the problem... anyway I spent a little while looking through the different moisturizers in the pharmacy and decided to go with one I hadn't tried before...

Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly
retail approx $14 in Target (less in Euro-Try boots!)
I am now thinking that this may be what has given my skin it's extra glow... after all it is called 'radiance' night cream.. the dryness has cleared up completely and my skin looks and feels great after I use it and when I wake up in the morning after applying the night before!

Anyhow I'll definitely be re-purchasing so I thought I'd tell you guys about it incase I have found a miracle in a tub :)
 

Follow me on Instagram @ShahiraBarry 

Lots of Love, 
Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.
Share:

I've been living on Banana Bread...

Hey Blog Readers! 

So I've lived a way from home before... I spent a brief period in Dublin and 3 years in uni in Limerick but it would be fair to say that I led the typical "student" lifestyle in terms of my diet and what I ahem "cooked"... However, now living so far away from home, in Los Angeles, things are completely different... I've had to learn to plan, prepare and cook lots of different meals and snacks! 
One that I've found myself baking all of the time is banana bread... not as a dinner but as a filling snack that I can eat hot or cold and can grab and bring with me as an alternative snack when I spend long days on set. Basically it's extremely handy and easy to make so I thought I would share... 


PS. Thank you to my sister, Lauren, for telling me how to make it :) Love you!x! 

Ingredients: 
  • Butter (I use margarine instead) and how much you use is up to you. They say 1/2 a cup but obviously the more you cut down on the butter the healthier your bread will be! 
  • Sugar (I opt for brown sugar if possible). I use about the same amount as how much butter you choose to use. (the real recipe says 1cup)
  • Flour (wholemeal is the healthier option) 2 cups.
  • Bananas (I use two full size large bananas... because I like mine to be "banana-yy, lol). 
  • 2 eggs. 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Steps: 
  1. Preheat the over to 350'degrees! 
  2. Cream the sugar and butter together in a bowl. 
  3. Add the eggs and mix. 
  4. Break up the banana and mush it in with the other ingredients. 
  5. Add the flour! The recipe says 2cups of flour but It's pretty easy to estimate how much flour you need once you mix it in as it will develop into a paste that you then spread evenly over the baking dish/tray. Keep in mind it needs to be thick enough to work as a bread but still given room to rise a little. 
  6. Add 1 teaspoon (not tablespoon) of baking soda to the mixture before spreading. less is more with baking soda as it is needed to help the bread rise and develop but you don't want to taste it! (Believe me I learnt this the hard way). 
  7. Place in the oven to bake! It takes 45mins to an hour! I usually end up taking it out after 45 and find that that's enough! to test if it's done prod the bread with a fork and if the fork comes out clean it's ready!! 
Finally: ENJOY :) I like mine warm (if it's been a while since cooking 30 seconds in the microwave is plenty) and with a cup of tea! 


Always cover the remaining, allow to cool and store in the fridge or freeze. Break off a piece when you want some and put it in a lunch box to bring with you = perfect snack during a busy day :) 

Once you've mastered it go ahead and experiment! you can add oats, seeds, nuts.. basically what ever you fancy :) I was naughty and added some peanut butter when making mine today and it was yumm ;) haha 

ALSO bruised bananas that you don't want to eat are actually perfect (better than ripe) for your banana bread - so put them to use! you won't even notice once cooked! 


Let me know if you try it!! :) 

Lots of Love, 
Shahira Xo
If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.



Share:

Body Image...the Pressure is the same!!!

Hey Blog Readers! 

For today's post I thought I would write about my feelings with regards to body image and the pressure that is put on females in particular...

Is it just me or has the world become literally OBSESSED with the female body lately???... Ok I understand and realise that the pressure to look good or look a "certain way" has always been there and apart of the society we live in but over the course of the past couple of years, even months, I feel like it's getting out of control?!
 

Personally I feel like the difference between now and the pressure in the past is that currently "curves are in" therefore people think it's more acceptable to throw it in our face and literally push it on us from every angle because it is promoting a "healthy" body image where we no longer have to conform to trying to fit a size zero...
Don't get me wrong when the likes of Jlo and Kim Kardashian first appeared on the pop culture scene I think they did a great service to guiding us a way from the undoubtedly unhealthy size zero trend that had been dominate previously. It was a great turning point for women, especially curvy or more full-figured women, and I think it's fabulous that it helped so many people to feel more confident within themselves! (Myself included) However... the difference is the super skinny size zero trend was subliminally pushed on us (which I'm not saying is any better!) through e.g. most actresses, pop stars, models etc.. having tiny frames and the general media displaying images of the super skinny body type as being "beautiful". It was pressure and it was in our faces but it wasn't as dramatic as the epidemic that is now sweeping our generation. For example one of the most talked about body parts of late is the "Big Butt".. it is literally everywhere!! from the twerking pandemonium to all the different 'squat challenges', print media, music videos and every song having direct references to the need for women to have a huge booty! It's actually like many pop stars or celebrities are literally trying to out do each other with regards to who has the biggest  and best ass and who can make the raciest video/photoshoot to display that said ass for all to see!


I'm not a prude when it comes to videos/photshoots etc.. and as far as I'm concerned if you have it by all means flaunt it! My only point is that whether it is pressure to be super thin or pressure to have curves the pressure over body image is the same and both can become equally as obsessive and unhealthy! The message should be that we are all equal yet everyone is different! We all come in many different shapes and size and yes we should eat healthy, workout and live a healthy lifestyle but the aim should be to be the best version of ourselves "to be the best you that you can be!". Everyone's frame is different: some people will never be able to be a tiny size zero no matter how much dieting or exercise they do because they just aren't built that way and others will never be able to have those kim.k curves no matter how many squats and waist training etc... that they do because again they just aren't built that way!
Pressure is Pressure! I'm not trying to be a hypocrite: I do like Meghan Trainors 'All about that base" or Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda' and I have a great time twerking (or attempting to,lol) and bouncing around the place to lots of different songs that do speak a lot about big butts, lol. However with that said I don't particularly agree with lyrics such as "fuck the skinny bitches, fuck the skinny bitches in the club" or "go ahead and tell them skinny bitches hey no" just because I feel like it's a double standard towards girls who don't have those curves and are naturally thin and I feel that if that was the other way around there would be outrage. If you're a full figured women or a curvy woman and you listen to songs such as the ones I mentioned above (+there are many more) and they make you feel confident then that is fantastic! or indeed if your stick skinny and you like to bop around to those songs or admire Kim Kardashian's 'Paper' magazine cover - again great! However, if the pressure from the media to now have this super curvy body type that you don't naturally have makes you feel the opposite=unconfident and down then just know that you are beautiful as you are and that we are all different and that's what makes us unique! every different shape and size is beautiful in it's own individual way and while yes it is important to live a healthy lifestyle for your own general health you should always rock what you have and what you can be instead of wishing to be something else! Basically, my only point that I am sharing with you by writing this is that we shouldn't try to be so competitive with each other (the stars included). The only person you should compete with is yourself - that is the only worth while and healthy competition that is going to make you better not bitter! I hope that this phenomenon and pressure to have a huge ass, tiny waist and big boobs will die down soon and that everyone can chill out and get back to the basics: eat healthy, exercise, enjoy life and realise that there are many different forms of beauty in this world and we shouldn't conform and obsess about being just one!
 

Let me know your thoughts...?

Lots of Love, 
Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.

Share:

Thursday 6 November 2014

new nail product love!

Hey Blog Readers! 

HAPPY Friday! 

So as I've said a number of times before I HATE doing my nails! I'm a girly-girl in many ways but my nails are always what brings the cat out of the bag in terms of my tom-boy side! I just really hate painting my nails, I like getting my nails done in the salon (shellac normally) but I rarely keep it up and I'm not a fan of fake nails - don't get me wrong: they look uber-glam but they always seem to get in my way (texting/picking things up etc) I just don't have the patience! I wish I did!

However, I recently came across a nail product that I wanted to share with you guys as it may be the answer to my constant messy-nail dilemma :P lol!

The product is....


Sally Hansen Miracle Gel! 

This Miracle gel is, in a nut shell, a gel nail varnish that does not require a light to set and is said to last up to two weeks!

Now this is a new product for me (I only brought it this week) so I have yet to test it's longevity but so far I am impressed! it is easy to apply and the colour is vibrant immediately (although you still need two coats!). It definitely gives the look and feel of a gel or shellac manicure which is a lot sleeker and smoother than a regular polish! The only thing I did notice is that because it is a gel formula it is thicker in consistency and therefore needs a little longer to dry and set! However it is worth it for salon results at home!!
The range has a whopping 45 colour shades altogether so there will definitely be something that catches your eye!

Although, now that I've tried the miracle gel I have a feeling I will be investing in some more colours! I decided just to get one (+ the needed top coat) to start with so that I could test it out and see if it was worth picking up any more!The colour I went with was pink cadillacquer!


This colour is a bubble-gum baby pink so it definitely embarrasses your girly side without being too dramatic!
The Miracle gel is $7.99 in Target (this would be cheaper in euros) but you do need to invest in a top coat at approx the same price! 
Whether or not I'll get two weeks out of this gel nail varnish is yet to be seen but I am hoping and optimistic that it will last longer than regular polish because so far it does compare very favorably to shellac manicures I have had done in the past! (fingers crossed) I will keep you guys posted! 
My tip for using this polish would be to allow plenty of drying time for the base colour before applying the top coat or the top coat may budge some of the colour off and that will ultimately cause more delays! Ain't nobody got time for that! ;) lol! 

Anyway in other news I'm battling my computer with regards to American spelling and I'm not sure what to do about it... Half of my mind is telling me to stick with English/Irish spelling as that's what is correct to me and what I was brought up on but the other half is thinking should I type in American spelling now that I live here and my computer keeps scribbling error lines under my English spelling??.... Mmm I hate typos and spelling mistakes (it's a pet peeve of mine) but I think I'll stick with the British spelling for now because that's what I know and from my blog statistics the majority of my readers are based in Europe... Oh the dilemma! lol!
Snoop Dogg and Shahira Barry
Snoop & I
In a catch up this week I finished 10days work on the movie Ted2, worked with Bruno Mars and was invited back to set with Snoop Dogg! I am feeling incredibly blessed! but now I need to keep it up #NoPressure :) lol
 

Lots of Love, 
Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.
Share:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig