Monday 22 December 2014

Requested - Tips: my day to day look

Hey Blog Readers

Happy Holidays! 

I for one have been in the best mood the past couple of days - I'm really happy with life right now and I have family visiting me here in Los Angeles for Christmas so I'm SUPER EXCITED!


Anyway this blog is for Michelle Ryan who requested tips on "what I do to achieve my look"... via my facebook page.

I am flattered by the request but It's a bit of a tricky one because I feel like I'm always changing my look...I love experimenting with different makeup and hair styles and even my fashion doesn't really follow any consistency because I simply dress how I'm feeling that day! anyway I guess there are some simple basics that I do stick to so I'll list them in this blog post :)

1) Eyebrows... they frame my face!(actually everyone's face) sometimes for good and sometimes for not so good! I feel like I've tamed down the penciling in a bit more recently.. but it's definitely a working progress! sometimes I get it wrong and sometimes I get it right... it's very hit and miss! however it's almost the first thing I look at when I look back at old photos and the difference between me then and now.. basically I look back and cringe at my eyebrows! when I was a teenager I had very thin and uneven eyebrows that I would literally shave a slit (or two) into LOL! WHAT WAS I THINKING! my poor left brow is still feeling the pain of the past as it's never properly recovered!ha! Anyway..one thing that is a must for me these days with my current look is professional HD Brows and I get them done at The Beauty Suite in Tuam (Galway) with the wonderful Anna Forde! I'm not sure what I'll do without her now that I live in LA but I'm thinking that I'll visit Anastasia Beverly Hills next time I feel a need to get my brows done!(as I've heard great things). However, the best thing about HD's that are done correctly and professionally is that they are very easy to maintain yourself! therefore once you have the correct shape for your face it's simply a matter of keeping them tidy so that's what I've been doing for the past couple of months!
 


2) Foundation! I use Make-up Forever hd foundation and I have done for a very long time! it cost's about €35 but one bottle can literally last me 6-8months if not more! because I love light-dewy skin so I literally use the smallest amount of foundation possible. From just 1/2 a pump to 1 pump(even on a night out) for my whole face! I put the foundation on the top of it's lid(because it's a smooth flat surface) and I use the expert face brush by real techniques to lightly buff it all over my face: I firstly dab a bit from the brush on my checks, forehead, nose and chin and then begin to buff and blend it outwards.
3) My staple eye-makeup would be a white or cream shadow all over the lid applied with a fat brush (sin from the naked palette) a light brown in the crease applied with a fluffy brush (naked from the naked palette), a slight shimmer in the corner of the eye(tearduct) and on the brow bone(Twilight highlighter by Youngblood), white eyeliner(Milk) on the water-line, and black gel liner on the lash line which I often create a cat-flick with(blackest black Maybelline). I don't wear lashes on a regular day-to-day basis but if I'm wearing them for work or a night out I stick to very light and natural lashes (such as whispy's). I'm not fussy with mascara but recently I've been using Manga by L'Oreal - I like a lot of L'Oreal mascaras!


4) I don't tend to wear fake tan (which means I'm often very pale). If I do wear fake tan I keep it light. I get a decent colour when I have a chance to sunbathe(which isn't often) but I'm definitely not tan crazy. When I was younger I was extremely allergic to false tan - I would break out in hives and nasty rashes whenever I would wear it! Then one day I went to the Galway Races on Ladies Day..  I had bought a new dress and going out the door I felt like I looked nice but no-sooner had I arrived at the races when this ignorant adult man (I was only about 13) started abusing me because I didn't take one of his leaflets and shouted "put some f**king foundation on your arms(cough it's tan not foundation you IDIOT) Anyway, It immediately made me feel bad about myself and how pale I looked so I put my cardigan on and didn't take it off for the day (despite it being mid-summer!). From then on I started wearing fake-tan! I would constantly put it on and suffer the allergic reactions until I literally wore it so often that I made myself immune and was no longer allergic! The effects an idiot can have on a young girl is crazy!(be careful what you say to people). Anyway.. as I've gotten older I've become a lot more confident in my own skin in every sense of the word! I genuinely believe that god get's it right with everyone and you should keep it as natural as possible! Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colours! and some celebs that I think are drop dead gorgeous who have pale skin would include Megan Fox and Scarlet Johanson! I'm really feeling the old-hollywood glam look at the moment! Nowadays I really only wear tan if it's to cover a bruise or to evanout my skintone if needed! People with dark skin are bleaching their skin to make it whiter, people with light skin are applying fake tan to make themselves darker! People with curly hair want straight hair and people with straight hair want curly hair! My message would be embrace what you have and be the best version of you! that way you'll always get it right!

5) Lips! unless wearing a red-lipstick (in that case I use a red liner) I always use a lip-liner the same colour as my lips (a honey/nude) regardless of what lipstick I'm going for! I am an ambassador for Gerard Cosmetics(Code 'Barry' = 25% off) and I own a lot of their lipsticks and lipglosses so I switch between these! On a day to day basis I wear the colour 'nude' (which is the perfect nude as it doesn't blank out your lips but gives a natural full effect) I pair this with either 'butter cream' or matching 'nude' lipgloss on the cupids bow and bottom lip. I have also been wearing the lipstick '1995' (an ultimate favorite) on it's own a lot lately! This lipstick was designed to match Kylie Jenner's staple makeup so if you like her latest instagram looks this is definitely for you ;) It's funny because that's what it reminded me of before I even discovered that it was in fact modeled after her!(she's become such a trend-setter)
 


6) Hair: My hair is natural - I don't wear extensions. I just like to keep my hair long (I only cut it maybe twice a year or so). I use a large paddle brush, heat protector and put coconut oil in it from time to time and I always sleep with it in a plait(braid for my US friends, lol). I don't use heat unless I have to! most days I wear it natural..which often means it has a wave from the plait! It's important to keep your hair off your face when you're sleeping-the natural oils in your hair can cause spots and with tossing and turning your hair will encounter unnecessary pulling and tugging which is not good for it! High pony tails/buns are not good for your hair too often or when sleeping either as they cause strain on the roots!

7) Teeth - To keep my teeth white I use 'Dial a smile' by whitening lightning and regularly top up with their whitening pens also (code 'Barry' = 25% off the whole whitening lightning site and sister company Gerard cosmetics). I have two side veneers that Dentist Paul Moore at the Gate Clinic in Galway fitted over a year and a half ago.


8) Highlighter is a favourite of mine! I seriously think their is no make-up product as beautiful as a good highlighter! Although don't make the mistake of getting one with very large glitter particles! glitter particles can block your pores and cause blemishes! stay away from glitter altogether and go for a light thin and airy highlighter! if you have pale skin stick to silvers and if you have darker skin go for golds! I love Twilight by Youngblood! and I always finish my makeup look with stippling some highlighter onto my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and, as mentioned above, on the brow bone and in the corner of the eyes. You can also apply some to the center of the lid over your shadow to make your eyes pop!
Out with friends-you can clearly see the areas I highlight in this pic :)
9) Fashion. I'm inspired by lots of different trends and often save pictures of outfits I like to my phone (not just outfits but make-up looks, hair etc..) but I definitely don't follow 'fashion' or 'trends' religiously! I dress in what I feel comfortable in, what I think looks nice! and I'm always experimenting! I feel like there are many different elements to my personality from girly-girl to hip-hop chick, lol, so it really just depends on what I'm feeling that particular day! I'm starting to buy more day time clothes because for the longest time whenever I was shopping I'd buy a going out dress and rarely a day time outfit but I feel like moving to LA has definitely helped me to express myself through fashion some more and at this stage I really don't care if people like my outfit or not - If I like it that's all that matters! Be confident in whatever you wear and dress to suite you! Afterall you're an individual!
actually someone asked me in a comment where my top is from... It's Boohoo!
10) I think that they are all the tips I have with regards to how I achieve my regular go-to look... but because Michelle asked me on a photo I will finish this blog by giving my best "selfie" tip and that is - good lighting! no matter how great your make-up and hair is everything looks bad in bad lighting! So when you take a selfie or any picture for that matter look for some good lighting! Natural light is the best so if you can stand in front of a large window that's great! If you follow me on instagram you may have noticed I take a lot of selfies in the car.. that's because there is natural light coming in at all angles!

I took this photo infront of a big-bay window! I also find that natural light makes the colour of your eyes pop a lot more!x! 

My ultimate tip would be to dress & style yourself for you! Meaning find what suites you not someone else because we are all different & what suites one person may not suite another! Highlight your good assets & features! Know yourself & yes love yourself because you'll only ever be you so embrasse what you have & work with what you got!x!
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.
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Friday 5 December 2014

My every day morning drink...

Hey Blog Readers

Happy Friday! 
Thanks for stopping by! 

So every morning for as long as I can remember I have started my morning with a mug of hot water, lemon and honey! I think it may have originally been my sister, Lauren, who introduced me to this but it's been so long now I can't even remember! Anyway... recently I came across an article which explained just how good hot water, lemon and honey is for you so I thought I'd share some of it's benefits incase anyone is interested in giving it ago! 


  1. It gives you an instant boost of energy and improves your mood! The honey acts as an instant energy booster minus the calories of something sugary or the unhealthy alternative of coffee as a morning energizer, the water clears your mind giving fresh blood to the brain!  and the lemon activates negatively charged enzymes in your stomach - a great way to combat positively charged enzymes that react with the food you eat adversely, leading to poor digestion! Moreover the scent is lemon is known to be a relaxant which can help to uplift your mood! 
  2. Improves oral health and helps to beat bad breath! Since moving to LA I've become more of a coffee drinker than I was ever in the past.. when on set the idea of a caffeine-boost  can seem extremely tempting but what turns me off is that I truly believe coffee gives you awful breath and I feel I've been on both ends: having drank coffee and had bad breath as a results or having been beside someone who is suffering, lol! However the acidic nature of lemons combined with the honey and water can help to beat bad breath almost instantly! The lemon cleanses the mouth, activates your salivary glands and kills bacteria. 
  3. Clear Skin: this concoction of water, honey and lemon lend a unique restorative, antibacterial and  collagen boosting property to your skin!
  4. Increases the chance of weight loss! as well as cleansing the stomach lemon contains a type of fiber called pectin that helps to make you feel full and keeps cravings at bay! the water and honey also creates a more alkaline atmosphere in your stomach which will aid in loosing weight. 
  5. Improves digestion! it assists in the flushing of unwanted toxins from the body! 
  6. Cleanses the lymphatic system! a dehydrated lymphatic system is one of the leading causes of illness. Lack of water and essential fluids in the lymphatic system can make you feel sluggish and fatigued, lead to constipation, disturbed sleep, high or low blood pressure, stress and an all-round lack in mental function. The benefit of drinking this mixture early in the morning is that it helps hydrate your entire lymphatic system that not only beats all the above symptoms but also improves your immunity.
  7. Sore throat and cut-cough.. bye bye! It reduces soreness and irritation of a sore throat! The honey coats the throat while the warm water soothes! It is also great for singers!
  8. DETOX! become regular(lemon increases urination) and flush out toxins from your body! toxins can build up in your body and cause many negative issues including disease! It also maximizes enzyme function and stimulates the liver to help with detoxification! 
  9. Better health! Increases hydration and the level of 'good' cholesterol in your body as well as reducing cardiovascular strain! ... win win! 
  10. Gives your immune system a helping-hand! Honey has amazing bacteria-killing properties! It's full of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that lead the front line in protecting against bacteria! The combination is also an anti-oxidant
What are you waiting for! 
Just take a tall glass of warm (not hot) water, add the juice of half a lemon and one tea spoon of honey to it. Mix well and drink it quickly. Remember not to drink coffee or tea for at least one hour after drinking this mixture.
 

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.
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