Vichy - Aqualia Thermal Light

A little while back I had the very real pleasure to be invited to meet with Vichy experts and skin care analysts. While there my skin was tested with one of the fanciest handheld machines I've yet to encounter in the world of beauty and my 'prescription' was made up.

Of the products recommended for my 'normal with a dry T zone tendency' skin, Aqualia Thermal Light was the one that excited me most. In a heavy weight, frosted blue jar, this lightly scented, easily absorbed cream has worked wonders for me.

After six week's use, there's still some goodness left.

I've found that a little goes a long way, although my skin isn't normally dry it has absorbed every last drop of Aqualia Thermal each time just like water. It leaves no greasy or shiny residue, just a soft, comfortable hydrated feeling that lasts throughout the day, even under my make up. The fresh, clean scent is exactly what I like from a face cream too.

What Vichy say: 


Aqualia Thermal Light combines Vichy Thermal Spa Water and a micro-encapsulated delivery system of Activ Hyaluronine to improve the diffusion of moisture into the surface of the epidermis. The skin feels replenished with water, as if continuously hydrated by misting micro-sprays. It feels refreshed and velvety soft, free of the sensation of tightness all day long.

If you've been suffering with tightness, dryness or the effects of harsh products (facial peels for example) Aqualia Thermal Light is the very cool drink of water that your skin will Thank you for. 


Available in all good pharmacies for €21.86 or online from McCabes. 

Neon on Nude - Simple Office Friendly NOTD

Here we have the Neon on Nude How To, as promised over on Facebook. You'll see how absolutely simple this look is to achieve and hopefully give it a shot yourself.

Step 1: What you'll need:

• Polishes = bronze, nude, 2 brights and a white
• Dotting tool (a hair clip/bobby pin or opened paperclip will suffice)
• A paperclip for larger petals (optional)
• A matte topcoat

Step 2: Start with two coats of your base colour (Sally Hansen Café Au Lait for me)

Step 3: Using your dotting tool, place your bronze (Angelica Heirloom) flower centres on your nail beds. I went with a mixture of numbers on each to make a unique pattern. 

Step 4: Again with the cleaned dotting tool, start to place small dots around each of your green flowers (Essence Lime Up).

Step 5: Using both the dotting tool and a paper clip repeat Step 4 using your second bright colour (China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy). The paperclip creates larger petals as needed. 

Step 6: With the dotting tool place white (Seche Porcelain) dots on the outline of the flowers. This will be a random design, depending on the size of your petals but aim for curves. A swish of matte topcoat (H&M) and you're done!

As you can see from the header picture, the designs of my flowers and petals are in no way perfect and I think that adds to the charm of this mani.

Just be sure that your choice of colours are a bright contrast to your base colour and you really can't go wrong.

Think you might try them out?

Philosophy - Field of Flowers

This is going to be one of those posts where I dearly wish Blogger had a smellovision app installed to let you lovelies experience just how gorgeous this scent is. You're going to have to imagine for now or, y'know, hare out to your local Philosophy stockists and pick some of these floral wonders up.

I've heard a fair bit about Philosophy in the past but have never actually owned any of their products, which is pretty much unheard of for me, considering the whole product piggery affliction I've got going on. That's why I was thrilled when the courier man dropped these beauties into me last week for review.

Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath (480ml €17.50)

Perfumed Body Lotion ( 480ml €25)

Field of Flowers is the newest addition to the Philosophy line, the fresh, floral scent of peony the most notable bloom but it's accompanied by so many others. It's a soft feminine scent and I just can't get enough of it (I had a shower and used the rich body cream this morning and am, still, inhaling deeply as I type).

It can be very difficult to get a floral scent right and even more so for me to find one that's not too clawing or chemically scented, Philosophy seem to be bang on the money with Field of Flowers in terms of both the name and the bouquet. But how do they fare as products?

The thought of a shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath in one had me dubious as I'm a lover of specific hair care brands but I have to admit I like it. Lathering up quickly and rinsing out effectively, this left my hair squeaky clean with a noticeable soft floral scent into the following day. I've used it several times now and haven't noticed any build up or residue as can happen with multi functional cleansing products.

The Perfumed Body Lotion is rich and creamy and absorbs easily leaving a light sheen on the skin. I had thought this might be a little overpowering but again was pleasantly surprised. Used after your shower this lotion works to seal in the Field of Flowers scent, the perfume and softening effects are still noticeable after a full days wear, which is a bonus if you're running right from a shift in the office or on site, straight out the door in the evening.

Another plus for me with this range is just how pretty they are, they'd make a welcome addition to any bathroom or a beautiful gift for a lady in your life that enjoys all things floral and feminine. The only downside I can foresee with the range might be the list of ingredients, while they in no way affect either me or my enjoyment of them, (or the lads' for that matter) those with sensitive skin types might want to check the ingredient list for possible triggers before purchase.

Available now from Arnott's or online Philosophy stockists, Field of Flowers has to be inhaled to be believed. 

May is Melanoma Awareness Month

Today, being the first of May sees the start of Melanoma Awareness Month in Ireland. This year the focus is on the men of this fair Isle. Although it doesn't look very much like the first day of Summer out there today, I'd urge you to take a minute and watch this short video put together to increase awareness of Melanoma risks in men.


According to statistics:


1 in 8 IRISH MEN will get SKIN CANCER*Just one blistering sunburn can DOUBLE your chances of developing a melanoma**

'La Roche-Posay have teamed up with the Melanoma Trust to build awareness and understanding about staying safe in the sun. The threat of skin cancer is real and on the rise in Ireland. We want to educate, inform and inspire people to learn how to take care of their skin.'

Anything that raises awareness and increases the chances of just one person checking themselves out has to be a good thing, right? Maybe take a minute and send this vid on to your Dads, brothers, husbands, boyfriends and friends of the male persuasion. Something that simple could potentially save a life. (I've no doubt they'd actually welcome a little break from hilarious videos about cats and whatnot, even if it's an educational one)   


Join the cause and find more information over at www.sossaveourskin.ie

The Brains Behind your Favourite Beauty Sites - Beauty Emporium

Today we have the third instalment in The Brains Behind your Favourite Beauty Sites Series and it's from Stephanie, the mastermind and the solo driving force behind one of my pay day, go to havens, BeautyEmporium.ie.  If you haven't heard of this Mecca for all things beauty then you're in for a real treat.

You're also about to find out, what I've known for quite some time, that's just how generous Stephanie is with both her time and her beautiful bounty. Read on....

Q1.What inspired you to set up your site?

I have always been a make-up junkie and as I spent most of my time in front of a computer for work – I did a lot of online shopping.  I was perplexed at the amount of brands not available in Ireland and that delivery charges were a joke for so many brands. So I looked into setting up a site – started out small with some surplus cosmetics ranges and started going after the brands I wanted to stock on the site and have been ticking them off one by one ever since!

Q2.  How long have you been beautifying the country?

Well I started looking into the site in November 2010, registered the name in December 2010 and launched it in the end of February 2011. So the site has been going for just over 1 year! (It seems so much longer)

Q 3 What's your favourite part of the job?

Has to be the thrill I get from confirming new brands and ranges to site.  I love the whole researching and dealing with the brands – and obviously getting to play with – eh I mean test – all the make-up.  My biggest thrill is really our customers responses to the products and the excitement which some announcements of new brands coming to the site creates – I really feel at home amongst Beautyemporium.ie's customers – like kindred spirits.

Q4 What’s the one thing about your job that people might not know?

Well it seems to surprise some people that BeautyEmporium.ie is pretty much a one-woman show. I started it not sure where it would go and was in employment at the time.  I am now full time and work harder than I have ever had to in my life to maintain the site, keep stock up to date, deal with customers, deal with suppliers, research new brands, PR & Marketing and then pack and ship the orders.  So don’t be surprised if sometimes you receive an e-mail from me at 3 in the morning - it’s a pretty full on job but I love it!  (I do have some lovely family members who help out at busy times  - I’d be lost without them – they know who they are).

Q5.  If I could choose just one product to recommend to a friend?

Ooh so many to choose from - I can’t answer it!  I have made sure my sisters and brother have a Smiths Rosebud Salve for their babies, as they are just brilliant multitaskers and great for nappy rash! Actually I think make-up wise it has to be a Sleek iDivine palette – so handy, great pigment and great value.  The Au Naturel is something I think all make-up bags should have.


Thanks so much, Steph! Isn't she an absolute inspiration, folks? Well get ready to like her just a little bit more. To celebrate the recent makeover on BeautyEmporium.ie and of course this little getting to know you session, Stephanie has very generously offered not only a 10% off to all CherrySue readers today using the code CHERRY10 (You could use it to try out some of the new Daniel Sandler range that has the blogosphere all het up)

BUT ALSO

We have three bottles of China Glaze Prism up for grabs! (The newest, most stunning glitter polish you're likely to see). All you need to do is like both Facebook pages, BeautyEmporium's and Mine (if you haven't already). Simple! I'll announce 3 winners on the 11th of May. Good Luck and Happy Discount Shopping!




(Psst. if Rafflecopter (the temperamental fecker) isn't showing up, just leave a comment below)