Sunday saw the return of the ever popular Irish Beauty show to the RDS. This is a highlight for many beauty lovers throughout Ireland, as it is a great chance to see new and old brands up close and grab a bargain at the same time. I had debated if I could face the Sunday crowds, but decided to get up early and power through.

I arrived at a little after 10 and already the place was jam packed. I could not get over how busy it was considering it had been open less then 10 minutes. There were people everywhere. At some stands, like the Crown brush stand, you would think they were giving the stuff away for free. Woman really lose the run of themselves at events like this. I got more than a few digs in the back as I stood looking at stuff. You need your fill wits about you when you go to these shows. I felt most sorry for the boyfriends and husbands that were dragged to the show. Seriously ladies, get dropped off and leave the boyfriend sit in the car, they just get in the way standing about.

Now onto the bargains. There was good value at the show, especially if you were a beautician, as things nail varnishes, waxes, etc were very much reduced in price. I had one thing on my mind and that was makeup brushes. However, when I saw the crowds at the Crown Brush stand, I thought this just isn’t worth it and went differently to the Blank Canvas stand insread. I swear the Crown Brush stand was horrific. People were practically dragging people out of the way to get near the brushes. Eh no thanks.
Blank Canvas Brushes
I had recently purchased my first Blank Canvas brushes from their website a few weeks ago and I was seriously impressed. I made sure that Blank Canvas was my first stand to visit, as I wanted to be able to get up close and personal with the brushes before the crowds discovered them. I bought 6 brushes and got a free eyeliner brush when paying. These brushes are so like Sigma brushes it is unreal. Like they are the exact same, but at a fraction of the cost.
From top to bottom
F30 contouring brush €13.99 – It does what it says on the tin
F15 small tapered face brush €13.99 ( show price €9.99) – I use this for setting my concealer, but it is also perfect for sculpting, contouring blending and highlighting the face.
E32 Tapered crease brush €6.99 ( show price €4.99) – I use these for buffing shadow into the crease
E42 – tapered crease brush €6.99 ( show price €4.99)– slighting more tapered than the one above
E26 Blending brush €6.99 ( show price €4.99)– applying eyeshadow and blending out
E10 Small socket blending brush €6.99 ( show price €4.99)– This is one of my favourite brushes, I know have 2 of them and need more. It is perfect for applying shadow to the eyelids crease and socket.
E28 Ultra fine liner€6.99 ( show price Free)– This brush is brilliant with the Inglot gel liner
I can’t get over how great Blank Canvas brushes are and I would seriously recommend that you go online and buy a few of these as they won’t break the bank and postage is reasonable. You can buy them all
here.AYU Brush company
This is actually a new Irish company that are suppliers of professional makeup brushes and makeup sets. They were set up by Makeup Artist Susanne O’ Neil and her sister Laura when they saw that people needed good quality brushes without a really high price tag. They had a good range of brushes to choose from, but considering I had bought a million brushes on the Blank Canvas stall I only bought 2 blending brushes for €4 each. These are very similar to the Mac 217 brush and a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for the 217 brush, but can’t face the cost I would give these a try. They are seriously good value, without lacking in quality. You can buy AYU brushes
hereRoyal & Langnickel Brushes
I hadn’t hear much about this company before, but these 2 brushes took my eye and I decided to give them a go. The foundation one is a bit of a hybrid as it is a cross between a stippling brush and a flathead foundation brush. The other brush is called a line and smudged brush and I actually saw the exact same brush in Inglot today. Both brushes cost €15 in total.
BabyDoll lashes
Of course I was going to stock up on lashes. I actually have an eyelash drawer in my room, with just a lot of different packets of eyelashes. I have a problem I know. These were €8 for the lot and are available in many chemists across the country.
Cocoa Brown Tan
I need to tell you a little bit about my experience at the Cocoa Brown Tan stand. The stand was jam packed all day. People just could not get enough of the Cocoa Brown tan, especially because they were selling the new products that hadn’t launched in the shop yet. When it was my turn to get served Marissa Cater herself served me. Even though the stand was packed, she took her time with me and when I asked her questions about her trip to LA she didn’t rush and chatted to me about it. This woman doesn’t know me from Adam and yet she took the time out to stop and talk. I saw her do this over and over again throughout the morning. This was customer appreciation at its very best. I was uber impressed.
As for the products itself. I can’t remember how many times at this stage I have repurchased the 1hour tan. I absolutely love it. It is hands down my favourite tan.
The lovely legs is probably a little too dark for me, but it goes on easy, lasts all day and doesn’t streak. The shade is just a personal thing as I like my tans a little lighter.
I haven’t tried the tough stuff yet, but you can be sure I will blog about it when I do.
Beverly Hill Formula
My mother actually used to use this years ago and always said it got your teeth super white. I got the black toothpaste as this is suppose to be the best for teeth whitening. It cost €5 a tube and can be bought in Tesco and Dunnes.
Celtic Candles
These are hands down the nicest candles I have ever smelt in my whole life. I have had them lit in the house the last few days and my house smells gorgeous. They give off such a happy smell. They are very strong smelling without being over powering and they give off a smell as soon as they are lit. They got rid of the smell of a fry in our house quicker than any candle I have tried before. They can be bought
here and in a variety of chemists and stores throughout the country. If you see them buy a few, you won’t be disappointed. I will never buy another Yankee candle again. These would also make the perfect mothers day gift.