How to Make DIY Peppermint Sugar Lip Scrub!

I've been writing of late about my love for minimal makeup and a stronger lip in the summer months. What's the one bane in the lives of girls that want to rock a stronger lip? Yep, poor lip condition. I've been a lover of Lush's tasty lip scrubs for years but having seen several DIY scrubs on the procrastinator's dream that is Pinterest, I took to my cupboards to see if I could fangle my own. I give you the simplest thing I've ever made, a DIY (& entirely edible) Peppermint Sugar Lip Scrub! 

Chances are you have these very four ingredients in your press as we speak!

DIY Peppermint Lip Scrub ~ Seriously Simple!

Ingredients: 

• 3-4 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil (you'll find it in most Health shops)
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil
• 1/4 tsp Honey (more if you prefer a sweeter taste)

It really is that simple. Mush it all together until it's completely blended and select your container. I went for these miniature Kilner jars because Kilner jars. You'll find them in Heatons for €2.69 or online ANYWHERE. 

While the above is the basic ingredients, should your container be larger, as mine was, you simply multiply the above to make the desired amount. It took 3 lots to fill this little jar but it will keep once sealed. 

Not only does it look great for minimal effort but it tastes absolutely delish too. Seriously refreshing in the summer months and a boon for gently scrubbing your lips to perfection in minutes. This little pot is happily sitting atop our microwave and both the lads and myself are giving it a go as we pass. Our lips have never been more kissable!

It was only when I was putting this scrub together that it dawned on me how lovely these scrubs would be as home made gifts. The fact that this one is literally child's play means it would make the ideal, super cheap Thank You Teacher gift that the little 'uns could make themselves for leaving school this month. Don't you think? 

What do we think? Would you give this a bash? 

WIN One of FIVE Benefit Make Upper Makeovers in the Gorgeous South William St Boutique!

Another day another seriously good Giveaway to celebrate our new site. 

This time we're talking all things Benefit and FIVE of you lucky ducks will win the chance to visit the stunning South William St boutique and be treated like royalty with a Benefit Make Upper makeover! 

Because of the boutique location do please only enter if you can attend the Dublin address but don't allow scheduling to put you off as these are open ended invites so can be saved for a very special occasion or given as a very thoughtful gift. 

Entry today is stooopidly simple: 

Just sign up for mah newsletter over there ----> and leave a comment below to let me know you've done it (if you're already signed up lemme know that too!) 

See? Peasy!

Winners, as with all #CherrySuesNewDo competitions, will be announced Dec 24th. 

May the Bene-odds be ever in your favour!

Neon Nude Leopard Nails with a Simple How To

I'll admit that these aren't work friendly talons, unless of course you work in a bar/nail salon but having picked up a new Model's Own Nail Art Pen in Boots on Friday I decided to give these Wah inspired neon nudes a shot for the weekend.  

As with all of my featured nails these are easy peasy - check out the simple How To: 

If you don't have the nail art pen, you can absolutely use a bobby pin and plain black polish. 

None of these steps need to be too precise as leopard print is naturally higgeldy piggeldy (technical term) but the neon on nude gives a stunning result. 

Nice eh? I may as well tell you that I've been so taken with the Penney's hoody (pictured) that I've another neon nail look coming up this week. Obsessed? Moi? 

Lemme know what you think and, more importantly, lemme know what you're sporting on your nails today...

The Five Minute Face: Simple Make Up for Mums on the Run

I know, I know when you've hair full of Weetabix and a shoulder full of formula spit up make up is usually the last thing on your mind. I'm going to to as far as saying that if, in the early days you even manage to get moisturiser onto your overtired visage then, girlfriend you're winning at life. 

There are times though, whether they be the school run melee or just greeting the post man that you'd like a lil' suhim suhim to make you look like you have a pulse. These four handy products tick all the boxes and have helped me out consistently when darting about (even though my youngest is almost 16). 

BB creams have come a long way from their first incarnations last year. They're the perfect hybrid between full on foundation and a sheer tinted moisturiser - if you get a good one that is. This iteration from Kiehl's boasts Vitamin C and a whopping SPF of 50. Promising to actively correct skin tone, you'll get a good 6-8 hours wear without the need to reapply. Excellent. 

Dear Eyes Mascara Full Review

Trusty mascara is invaluable to widen the eyes and give people the illusion that you're not in fact asleep with your eyes open (again). This rose scented Dear Eyes mascara from Dr Hauschka is a beaut for fuss free application. Refusing to clump or smudge, lashes are separated, lifted and held in place for the duration of the day (and night too if need be). 

Fine One One Full Review

It's all about time saving when you have literally five minutes to do your face. This little beauty from Benefit is a threefer for twofer, blush, highlighter and contour for lips AND cheeks. Time saving genius. 

Again products that will do two things at once are a boon for mums on the run. These new Appleicious Glossy Lip Balms from brilliant budget brand NYC give the most beautiful swatch of colour to lips and their trio of Shea Butter, Jojoba and Avocado Oil hydrate and protect lips for up to 4 hours at a time. (The weenchy price tag of €2.49 is not to be sneezed at either). 

Tell me, have you a go to product that can used when time is of the essence? Have you tried any of these beauts? I'd love to know. 

NOTD: Simple Mint Vintage Roses

You'd have to be blind not to see the mint take over this Spring/Summer, luckily I'd a trusty bottle of Barry M's Mint Green from last year to throw something together quickly for work and meetings today. 

Of course a thin nail art brush will give you much more defined roses but a) I was too tired to go up the stairs last night and b) I kinda like the abstract look. 

Simply dot a light colour 4 to five times on the nail bed and surround it with a darker complementary shade. Exactly the same technique as with leopard print, funnily enough. A couple of green leaves and voila! you're sporting abstract roses. 

What's on your nails today then? 

NOTD: Neon Nude Ruffian (Half Moon) Mani with a Simple How To

Nails today are my nudge to the Summer to get it's act in order and get here quick. I've experimented with neon on nude nail art before and I honestly don't think there's a colour contrast I like more. 

Here I've given the Ruffian (Half moon mani) a shot and the results, though a little wobbly are very nice indeed. Fancy giving them a shot? 

1. Start with a thin white basecoat to make the colours (especially the nude) stand out. I used Essie Blanc though any white will do. 
2. Place your nail art brush on the centre of the nail top and and round to each side. If you're not too steady you can always use 'hole reinforcers'. (I picked this neon nail art polish up in Dealz for €1.49 btw)
3. Use your first coat of nude polish (Essie Brooch the Subject) to perfect the neon line. And your second coat to build the nude colour. 
4. A high shine top coat seals all layers together beautifully and gives a smooth, salon finish. 

Instagram, yo! (I'm over at @ItsCherrySue by the by)

Neon and Nude: Best o' Buds

Stunners in the sunshine!

Will you be giving these a go? I'm fairly sure if we all have a blast Summer won't have a choice but to show up, right? RIGHT?!

How to Prolong a Salon Manicure in Two Simple Steps

I'm a fickle mare when it comes to nail polish, often changing four to five times a week if not more so a trip to the salon to have a professional job done is a real, if rare, treat for me. A couple of weeks back I was delighted to be invited along to the launch of Rimmel's Salon Pro line in Dublin's funkiest new nail salon Tropical Popical with the promise of an expert nail job so naturally I leapt at the chance. 

Thing is, I'm pretty hard on my nails with work, housework, martyrdom and what not so my manicure was showing signs of surrender within 3 days -  I knew I'd have to act. That's where these two simple steps come in: 

Seche Vite & Essie's Leading Lady

All you need to revive your salon manicure is a glitter polish in a complementary shade to the one you're sporting (or a universally pleasing silver/gold) and a high shine top coat. It's fail safe Seche Vite for me, all day, every day though the likes of Essence and NYC have great alternatives too.  

First up, apply your glitter polish to your tips to conceal any tipwear and/or chips. You can do this freehand or if you're not too steady of claw use the tape method I showed you here. 

Step two: Apply your high shine top coat liberally to seal the deal and watch your salon manicure come back to life like Jebus himself on chocolate egg Sunday. 

It really is that simple. You can expect to get at least another week from your expertly applied polish and no one will be any the wiser. Totes Profesh, wha? 

Alternative Uses for Everyday Products

I picked up two dinky sets of earrings from Penney's (Primark) yesterday and as I set about coating them in clear polish (for my delicate shell likes) I got to thinking, there's a lot of products that I use for several things... 

If you, like me, seem to be forever drowning in a sea of beauty products then this may be the post to alleviate some of your product piggery guilt. I'm talking getting more bang for your buck, more pep for your peso, more Eureka for your Euro - I'm talking alternative uses for everyday goods. Listen up: 

We all know L'Occitane's beautiful Almond Shower Oil, right? Well did you know that it doubles as the most luxurious shave oil too? Rubbed onto dampened skin (in an area of your choosing) the razor will glide effortlessly across the skin and leave you soft and supple. 

 Forget your overpriced concoctions and poorly formulated cleansers, when you need to clean your makeup brushes (and we all do, kids) look no further than your local supermarket shelf. Baby shampoos are designed to be gentle and nourishing on the newest of hair so imagine how good they are for your beauty tools? Plus, your brushes smell like a fresh newborn every time - that's like win/glorious win. 

Nails stained from skipping basecoat or even just wear and tear? Hot foot it to the bathroom and pick up your whitening toothpaste. Just a pea sized amount on your nail brush for a good scrub a dub will have your talons sparkling again in no time. 

Clear nail varnish will get you out of several scrapes, besides the obvious. Is your button about to come loose? A quick dab will hold the threads in place until you can get your mitts on a sewing kit. Ladder in your tights? Pop on a small amount where the ladder begins and disaster averted. Love the look of costume jewellery but not the short life span? Coat the inside of bracelets and rings with a thin layer of clear polish - Ditto for cheaper earrings that are irritating sensitive ears. (Post inspiration right there, peoples!)

Finally, if you're plagued with flyaway hair in your pony tail or just stragglers up top, when you're using your favourite hand cream and it has been almost completely absorbed, run your hands through your hair and down the length of your ponytail. Effortlessly slick. Just be sure that you don't have too much product on your hands, the greased back Mafioso look is never a hit in the office. 

So they're the alternative uses for everyday goods that immediately spring to my mind - Tell me, have you any to add to the list? 

How To Top Knot for Under a Tenner for Short/Thin Hair

Every Blogger worth her Michael Kors, Rose Gold salt knows that the top knot it way to go when it comes to grúaig. But what if you're not blessed with either lustrous hair to cover your donut/rolled sock? 

How about if you're on your second day of Batiste and looking for something to get you out the door in a jiffy without looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus because you haven't had time to wash, rinse, repeat, AGAIN.  Well I may have stumbled across a cheap as chips solution that even the most cack handed of us can rustle up in minutes. Thank you Penney's! (Primark) 

Meet everything you'll need, a small (or large if you prefer) hair donut and a 4 pack of hair extensions from Penney's. €9.50. Seriously. Want to see how simple it is? 

1. After combing through your section of hair, begin to wrap it through the donut. 







2. Use the clips on the hair extensions to give you leverage as you continue to wrap the hair tightly. Always mindful to fan out the strands to cover the entire donut surface. 




3. Et voila! We have one completely covered donut i.e hair saviour. (If needed you can place a bobby pin or two underneath to back up the hair extension clips. 

And that really is that. These donuts and hair extensions are available in 3 colours at present blonde/black/auburn. While the choice isn't extensive the colour of the hair is surprisingly flattering with several tones throughout so you might just find your perfect match.

Now, unsurprisingly enough, it's damn near impossible to take a selfie with no tripod and a big ass camera so I've tried my best to give you the gist of how your messy top knot will look dans crown:

I've also reused the covered donut as a bun, which is a lot more office friendly when you're running late for IRL werk: 

So tell me, is this something you'll be giving a go for your grúaig? Truly, if I can do this to save my skin on the regular, then you can too. 

Have you any other handy tips or tricks when it comes to hair care? I'd love to hear 'em! 

*Header Pic Credit

NOTD: Oz the Great & Powerful: Evanora Inspired How To

I did mention that a new camera has joined the familia here at Casa Cherry didn't I? One of the things that makes me happiest about this news is that I get to back into the swing of things with both make up reviews AND nail art! Admittedly I'm a leedle bit rusty by Evanora from Oz the Great and Powerful up there has done me a solid and sported one of the simplest nail art looks to be seen in the movies in donkeys. Wanna see how simple? 

1. For this look you're going to need a nude polish and a black and glitter striper. Of course you could use normal polish and a skinny brush but considering you can get 3 stripers for €7, I'm thinking make it easy on yo'self. 
2. Paint each nail with two coats of your nude (mine is the new Naked Ambition from the Sally Hansen Complete Manicure range)(It's a nude with silver microglitter stunner)
3. Using your black striper, start at the nail bed and draw two lines that meet at the tip, then colour in with the remainder of polish on the brush. You can use tape for this if you prefer but just placing the length of the brush on the nail will give you a almost straight line. 
4. Using your glitter striper run two lines inside your new black triangle, allow them to meet at the tip. 
5. Repeat for every pingy and finish with a high shine top coat i.e Seche Vite.
6. Admire your ridiculously simple manicure. 

As you can see from this fuzzy close up, lines don't have to be perfectly symmetrical to achieve the desired look. Not only that the pointed tip gives the illusion of much longer nails so this is a great look for short tipped ladies too. 

What do we think? Will you try 'em? And of course, if this look still isn't easy enough for you, you could always give Evanora's Sister's Theodora's talons a blast? 

Rihanna & Marc Jacobs Resort Nails - How To

It's been a little while since I've done a nail art design so when I saw Rihanna pouring out her heart to Oprah in Marc Jacobs Resort mint halter neck this week, I wasn't thinking 'poor ol' RiRi', no, I was thinking 'Oooh that design sure would make some purrty nails. 

The colours are gorgeous together, very like the cherry blossom nails I had previously, just in a slightly different design. Fancy seeing how simple they are to recreate? 

Colours used

A dotting tool and toothpick can be used for the florals (or of course a bobby pin)

Starting with a mint base, the flowers are done with two small dots of each colour. The small pink dots and green leaves are all done using the toothpick, it's much easier to do fine details with the sharper tip. 

Accent Nail

Because the upper half of Rihanna's frock is a concentrated mix of all colours I wrapped the tip of the dotting tool in tissue paper, dipped it into the polish and placed it straight onto the accent nail. 

Place your flowers randomly on the nail bed

The final look

I'm unsure as to whether the accent nail works without the context of the dress but I absolutely love these colours together. It can be recreated using similar colours should you not have the ones I used to hand. 

What do we think? Will you be wearing Marc Jacobs on your talons any time soon?