Yumi Lashes Lash Enhancement – Review

I can actually hear your eyes rolling as you read the title of this blog post. Yes, I know – we’re all sick to death of beauty “fads” and treatments that promise miracles and don’t deliver. “Fat Freezing” and “Body Sculpting”, I’m looking at you. So, I think that you’re entitled to be skeptical about the Yumi Lashes treatment that is marketed as “a revolutionary method of creating volume or straightening lashes”, if the brand do say so themselves. I’ll even admit that I thought it was another beauty gimmick when I first heard about it. However, when my local salon Essential Beauty Skin & Laser in Bailieborough, County Cavan started offering the treatment, I knew there had to be some truth to the marketing spiel – the girls in the salon never offer a treatment that they don’t believe in.

 

 

My cousin actually booked the treatment before I did and her results were amazing but she has naturally full, long lashes so I still didn’t know if it would work as well on my own. However, I decided to bite the bullet before I went on my holidays to Portugal a few weeks ago and I’m so glad that I did.

Firstly, I have to warn you that you absolutely MUST have a patch test before you have the Yumi treatment because the results would be far from pretty if you’re allergic to the tint or the glue. The treatment takes approximately 40 minutes, and it’s a lot more relaxing than I expected it to be. I have pretty sensitive eyes so I was bracing myself for a half an hour of torture but, I was in great hands with Ciara at Essential Beauty Skin and Laser.

The Yumi treatment is basically as sophisticated “tint and perm” for eyelashes. The process begins with the application of relaxing eye masks to hydrate your under-eye area while a silicone mould is applied to your upper eyelid. The upper lashes are then lifted towards the silicone to curl them and serum is applied to set the curl. It’s not all as glamorous as it sounds because the curling solution smells disgusting but, that’s something that we can let slide. After the curl is set, the upper lashes are tinted. Then, the adhesive is removed you’re left with fabulous eyelashes. Removal is a bit uncomfortable and as with all eyelash tinting treatments; stings like bejaysus. It’s definitely tolerable though and I think that the photo below demonstrates that it’s worth a few seconds of discomfort for the results.

 

 

For 24 hours after the treatment, you can’t allow your lashes to get wet and you have to make sure that you touch them as little as possible – which is actually a lot more difficult than it sounds. As you can see, the difference is really impressive and two weeks later, I’m still getting compliments on my lashes. Yumi say that the results last 9 – 12 weeks (as long as the natural life cycle of your lashes) but the girls in Essential Beauty Skin and Laser said that for some people, the life cycle is 6 – 9 weeks.

The beauty industry is one that thrives on illusion and often we’re presented with nothing but photos of airbrushing, heavy make up and false lashes. Sometimes it’s refreshing to opt for a more natural look and that’s exactly what the Yumi treatment caters for. Here’s a picture of my natural eyelashes, after the treatment, without mascara:

 

 

 

Of course, the effect of the Yumi treatment intensifies after the application of mascara. In my opinion, the results after a coat or two of mascara are gorgeous and actually look a lot better than a set of lash extensions. My favourite mascara to pair with the treatment is the Urban Decay “Troublemaker” mascara because it holds all day without budging, even when you’re melting in the heat in Portugal! I’ll drop a photo below to demonstrate how the treatment works with mascara, and I think you’ll be straight on the phone to book an appointment!

 

 

Overall, I would highly recommend the treatment and if you’re in the Cavan area, you should pop into the girls in Essential Skin and Laser because they’re absolute pros. I’ll keep you up to date on how long the treatment lasts for me but after two weeks, my lashes haven’t budged and I will definitely be booking in for another treatment before Christmas! 

Rouge x 

 

The Bargain Beauty Bag – Back to College Edition

“You can never be overdressed or over educated” – Oscar Wilde.

It’s that time of year again… I’m so jealous of all my readers who are returning to college or starting out as “Freshers”. SO FECKIN’ JEALOUS. It feels as though I left college forty years ago (in reality, it was 2015) and I can safely say that I would return in a heartbeat. However, I really wish someone had taught me a little more about skincare and make up before I started out as a Fresher. I have the photographic evidence to prove that I was absolutely clueless.

Keeping that in mind, I decided to write a quick post to help you to assemble a college make up collection. Every single product in this post is going to cost less that €15 because let’s face it; you need to save every cent possible for shots and pizza.

 

Primer:

 

 

 

Catrice “Prime and Fine Beautifying Primer” – €4.95 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

I love this primer equally as much as my favourite high end one from theBalm. It’s an illuminating primer so if you have oily skin, it’s not what you’re looking for but if you love glowing skin, this is perfect. A little goes a long way and I usually apply it lightly to my entire face before applying foundation.

Flormar “Illuminating Primer” – €9.95 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

If you do have oily skin, this primer from Flormar is a great option. It’s also illuminating so it gives the skin a really fresh glow but, it has a slightly more “powdered” texture and this creates a matte effect when it’s applied directly to the skin. I would compare this one to Benefit’s “Porefessional” because it blurs the skin and really adds to the longevity of the other products that you use.

 

Foundation:

 

 

 

 

 

Flormar “CC Cream” – €11.95 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

During the day, I would recommend that you steer clear of full-coverage foundation. If you start using heavy duty make up when your skin is youthful, you’ll end up depending on it for the rest of your days. Irish girls tend to use foundation to mask their skin, rather than to simply even out their skin tone. Don’t fall into this trap – try using a light base throughout the day and if you need a little bit of extra coverage, invest in a good concealer.

This “CC Cream” from Flormar is a perfect lightweight base. There are a number of forumlas in the range that target different skin concerns and the shade adapts upon application to suit your skin tone. I’ve actually written a full post on this product which you can find here.

Catrice “All Matt Plus Shine Control Make Up” Foundation – €6.99 from Inish Pharmacy:

This is a heavy-duty foundation with lots of coverage. I wouldn’t use it during the day because it does feel a little heavier on the skin that my usual day time options. However, this foundation DOES NOT BUDGE. A light application wears for hours, without any shine so this is a great option for nights out. For just €6.99, you can dance the night away without worrying about your make up sliding off your face and hastily attempting to reapply it in the bathroom of a nightclub, while in a slightly intoxicated state.

 

Concealer:

 

 

 

 

Catrice “Camoflauge Cream 010” – €3.50 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

As you can probably tell at this stage, Catrice is one of my all time favourite budget beauty brands. They simply always seem to deliver on quality, at a ridiculously low price point. This “Camoflauge Cream” concealer is a great dupe for Benefit’s “Boi-ing” concealer. It covers blemishes without any effort and stays put, once you dust over the product lightly with some translucent powder. However, because this concealer is heavy enough to cover the most unsightly of blemishes, it’s not suitable for the under-eye area. It’s always a good idea to have two concealers in your make up kit; one for blemishes and redness and one for dark circles under the eyes.

Bourjois “Radiance Reveal Concealer” – €9.95 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

The “Radiance Reveal” concealer from Bourgois is a fabulous product for brightening the under eye area and concealing any trace of a sleepless night (or hangover). The formula is infused with hyaluronic acid which helps to plump skin and soften fine lines. To use this concealer simply apply it in an “upside-down triangle” and blend. It also works really well as a very soft highlighter if applied to the cheekbones and cupid’s bow.

 

Bronze and Contour:

 

 

Flormar “Bronzing Powder” – €9.95 from Meaghers Pharmacy:

This bronzer is absolutely beautiful. At only €9.95, it’s one of my favourite products in my make up kit and one that I reach for again and again, over more luxurious, high-end choices. Also, the bronzing powder is a huge product and will easily last you through your four years in college so it’s even better value that you would expect!

E.L.F Cosmetics “Baked Highlighter” – €7.25 from Cara Pharmacy:

Many of you will already know that E.L.F Cosmetics are relaunching in Ireland this month. I actually lived beside an E.L.F store while I lived in NYC, so I’m particular excited about this one. Now, if I’m being honest, I’ve found that the quality of the products from this brand vary from formula to formula but they do have some absolute gems. This highlighting powder is one of those gems. It’s a universally flattering shade and it’s surprisingly pigmented so a little goes a long way. This formula can be built up and used day or night.

 

Blush:

Sleek Blush in the Shade “Rose Gold” – €5.99 from Boots:

I feel like I never, ever shut up about this blusher from Sleek.  “Rose Gold” is a gorgeous peach pink colour with a sprinkle of highlight throughout the formula and it’s a great dupe for the Nars cult favourite “Orgasm”. In fact, I have both products in my make up collection and I always reach for the Sleek formula over the Nars one. A little goes a long way and this blusher blends beautifully, lasting for hours without needing to be topped up.

 

Eyeshadow:

 

L.O.V Cosmetics “Metal Cream Eyeshadow” – €8.99 from L.O.V Cosmetics:

Over the past few weeks, I have been familiarising myself with some of the L.O.V products and I have to say that I’m really impressed with their eye make up range. For years, I just didn’t get the cream eyeshadow trend. I found that the formulas didn’t hold well and creased after a few hours but this product is different. It’s far superior to other popular cream shadows, such as the one recently released by Inglot. The cream formula spreads easily across the eyelid in a thin layer and holds for the entire day. The shades also offer a subtle shimmer, which creates the illusion of bright eyes.

L.O.V Cosmetics “Magnetic Loose Eyeshadow” – €9.99 from L.O.V Cosmetics:

While the “Metal Cream Eyeshadow” is my favourite eyeshadow from the L.O.V range, that’s essentially just because I’m lazy and enjoy products that require minimal effort. The “Magnetic Loose Eyeshadow” is a product that I would avoid in the morning but one that I covet for evening wear. This loose pigment formula is nothing short of amazing. It can be used wet or dry to create an intensity level of your choice but personally, I love to use it wet to create a foiled look. I will actually write a full blog post on these babies, so stay tuned.

 

Lips:

 

Wet n Wild “Megalast Lipstick” – €2.73 from Carthy.ie:

These lipsticks are a amazing and at this price, I recommend that you buy one in every colour. The formula is very similar to that of MAC’s matte lipsticks so they’re really long wearing but I do recommend wearing a lip balm underneath the product, to prevent your lips from becoming dry. All round, I love these lipsticks and during my college years, I never felt one iota of guilt for losing them on a night out – I can’t say the same for losing Chanel lippies that cost €30.

Rouge x