Our wedding Day! :)

 Hi guys,

Its been so long since I've sat down and blogged properly.  As some of ye may know, I married my best friend and boyfriend of 9 years on July 24th this year! Best day of my life is an understatement- I really enjoyed the planning and every second of our wedding day.

I apologize in advance for the millions of pics in this post..........lol ;)

 I just want to say thank you so much for all the love,support and good wishes and congrats mails I got from fellow bloggers - what a great community we have! :)

Ok ok...enough rambling, lets get straight into it........... :P

We knew straight away that we wanted to get married in Killarney- its such a stunning scenic place with amazing character. Choosing our venue was pretty easy too- The brehon hotel was our first preference, anytime we go to killarney we always stay in this hotel! :) Top notch service and in a beautiful location close to the stunning Killarney National Park!

Once we set the date, booked our hotel and band everything else started to fall in place. I knew exactly the style of wedding I wanted- Im not one of these girls that were dreaming about their wedding day when I was little but as soon as I was engaged I just knew the look I wanted to go for!! :)

Dress shopping was a laugh, even though I found it a small but overwhelming at the start but once I relaxed into it, i really loved it!

For my ceremony dress.......yup I had 2 wedding dresses ( why not! hehe ) I went for  quite a formal ivory lace dress with a full tulle skirt and cathedral length train.- I absolutely loved it!! I only decided a few weeks before my wedding to wear a veil and I'm so glad I did- It just finished off the whole look ! I felt a million dollars in this dress :) I bought this dress in memories bridal boutique cork - highly recommend this boutique-the staff were so friendly and professional- they knew exactly what would suit me almost the second I walked in!

Annette O' Neill working her magic- We all loved our make up- didn't budge for the whole day and night. I actually didnt  touch it up at all- just the lippy! Annette was great the morning of the wedding, put us all at ease with her calming nature. Pat O' Neill was our hair stylist.....what a laugh he was! Had us all laughing and made us feel like royalty :)

I always wanted two totally different bridesmaid dresses- I got the girls dresses in  Divine gowns in Kinsale.  I thought the two colors complimented each other beautifully :) super pretty !!

 

For my reception dress, I went for a 1950's style short blush pink dress. This made me feel like a princess and was so comfortable to dance (irish dancing included) the night away in!! I changed into sparkly flat ballet pumps to complete the look- aaaand to be extra comfy lol! Damn those jimmy choos! ;) I bought this dress in FG bridal couture in midleton- The second I tried it on I knew it was the perfect party dress for my reception- they have a fab selection of dresses there and again the service was super friendly and professional. Definately worth a visit ladies. Thank you so much for my uncle tom who captured some fabulous shots of my reception dress :)  Tom was my second photographer for the day and night and was so professional I didn't even know he was taking so many shots!! :)

 

As for the details ......I  wanted to be as creative as i could be and personalise as many things as i could for our wedding day! I found pinterest, instagram and etsy great for inspiration. I must say, I really enjoyed the planning and have even have  kept my wedding  planning folder LOL - a teeny bit sad I know!! We made our own table plan- I can do a blog post on this if ye would like and bought alot of bits and pieces either in penneys or etsy.

I bought this "Cath Kidston" inspired material for the display table outside our ceremony room and also for our table plan board from  etsy! Love it so much!! :) 

Super Lucky that one of my bridesmaids is a very talented baker :) Yuummy!!! The wicker heart fairy lights are from penneys ! :)

Our flowers were mostly silk- I have dire hayfever so puffy eyes and a million sneezes was something I wanted to avoid on my wedding day- I absoultely LOVED our flowers and would highly recommend our florists- Tie The Knot Weddings I remember speaking with Danielle about my vision and ideas and she was on board from day one- she knew exactly what I wanted and didn't fail to deliver. Our ceremony and reception room looked stunning! Flowers can make a huge difference to the style of a wedding so I wanted to take my time in choosing what I wanted! :)

 

We  hired a magician for our reception!! He was AMANZING!! Our guests are still talking about him....man in questions is Gerard Keane. We wanted to fill the void between the desserts and the band and he did just that!! I always thought magicians were a bit cheesy but Gerard really blew us away- he had us all gobsmacked and in awe! He allowed our guests to interact with one another and had everyone laughing even before the drinks were properly flowing- great idea for weddings,birthdays and any other celebration :) Check out his website here!!

I always wanted a photobooth at my wedding so I was delighted when I came across Perfect Photobooth in Ennis, Co Clare. Alot of companies are charging an arm and a leg for hiring photobooths but these guys gave us a great deal which included props, a few hours of fun and a story book!! What an absolute laugh- we have great pictures ( and drunken pictures ) of all of our guests!

A huge thank you to our photographer Mícheál O' Sullivan who captured so many details and fabulous shots throughout the day- Super efficient,friendly and professional- exactly what you want in a wedding photographer! We felt so at ease when we first met Míchéal but it was his passion for photography and his absolute love for Killarney that won us over! :)


Really hope ye enjoyed this post :) Any questions please e-mail me at ninijackson@yahoo.co.uk.

:) xxx


Venue: The Brehon Hotel Click Here
Ceremony Dress and Veil: Memories Bridal Boutique Click Here
Reception Dress: FG bridal boutique Click Here
Shoes: Jimmy choo @Brown Thomas
Dress Alterations for reception dress: Annette Mansfield Midleton.
Hair: Pat O Neil- The Brehon Click Here
Make up: Annette O' Brien Click Here
Cake: Danielle Dubois ( bridesmaid )
Grooms Suit: Savilles
Best man, groomsman, fathers suits: Morleys
Flowers: Tie the knot weddings Click Here
Band: The Pearls
Photographer: Mícheál O' Sullivan Click Here
Bridesmaids Dresses: Divine Dresses Kinsale Click Here

Laser Hair Removal at Cork Laser Care

It has been so long since I sat down and blogged....my wedding is only around the corner so I've been super busy getting the last bits and pieces organised :)

Im mega excited!! eeekkk!!! 

I have wanted to get laser hair removal on my legs and bikini area for as long as I can remember but always chickened out for some reason!! I bit the bullet last week and made an appointment with Olive in Cork Laser Care, you can check out their website here. .......I was mega nervous going into her but what a drama queen I was-nothing to be nervous of and was so happy that I finally got it done- Why didn't I get it sooner?!?!

Olive had such a calm and professional manner that I was relaxed within the first 2 minutes of being greeted by her! She carefully explained how the treatment works, what I was going to feel and to make myself comfortable on the treatment bed. I would really love to meet the person who described laser as being like an elastic band hitting off your skin- its no where near that dramatic!!

I was a bit nervous though before going in- I suppose of the unknown.... ( I have my underarm area done already but this was my first time getting legs and bikini done.!) Looking back now, I am morto at how nervous I was- absolutely no need!! I actually find waxing more painful.  Olive is an excellent therapist with flawless technique! She is a perfectionist and made sure I was comfortable throughout the whole treatment. The sensation is more like a hot prickly feeling which only lasts a split second.
Olive advised me to avoid any hot showers, steam rooms, saunas etc for 48 hours and to exfoliate the areas after 5-7 days post treatment!

I am excited to see the results, and weirdly enough I'm actually excited and looking forward to my next treatment- at least I now know not to be scared and just to chillax!!! Olive explained that after one treatment of laser the hair will become softer and reduces. I haven't shaved at all since my treatment and I can already see the hairs not growing back at all in some areas :)

Cork Laser Care provide easy payment plans so you don't have to pay in one sum at all- you can pay per treatment and with a few weeks inbetween your treatments it works out so manageable ! I would highly recommend it- I literally cant wait to through out my razors and wax pots!! The laser treatment is also very safe to do during summer- just remember to wear sunscreen post treatment and you can shave the area in between treatments!  :)

If you are unsure whether or not you are suitable for the treatment, just pop into the girls in Cork laser care clinic and they will advice you right there and then!!

My only regret is why I didnt do it sooner !! :)


Niamh xx

Charlotte Crosby- Geordie Shore- Workout DVD review!

Hey Guys!

I've been very bold on the blog lately with my lack of posts but I promise I'll get better!! :-)

I have been doing Charlottes DVD now 4 times a week for the past 4 weeks so I said i'd do a review about what I think so far! The dvd has 12 round of 3 minute exercise, also has a warmup and cool down section plus an extra ab section.

Now I know what you are thinking, how can a DVD be hard and would you not be better off going to the gym?? This DVD is a fantastic workout, its the perfect combination of cardio and resistance. The sweat pours off me when I do the whole 12 rounds anyway and I feel great! :) As for weight loss or inch loss, I actually haven't weighed myself at all as I am just going by how my clothes feel and how I look! I def notice a difference in my tummy so far, I can actually see the outline of my abs- getting there slowly but surely! :-)

I'm not doing the DVD to loose weight ( although what bride to be doesn't want to loose a few pound hey? )! I started exercising purely to get fitter and to feel better about myself! I have way more energy now than I did before I started the DVD!!

Charlotte recommends doing the DVD at least 4 times a week in combination with a healthy diet! I mean there is so point exercising to get fit or even loose weight when your diet is poor! I wish there was an easy way but nope! lol!!

I'm not quite confident yet to put my before picture on my blog....I will though in a few weeks and actually, this may sound bonkers,I look at my before pic every now and then just to motivate me even further!!

The DVD is great if your not a lover of the gym or if your not a fan of going to exercise classes. Its so handy that you can workout in the comfort of your own home.I literally did the workout the other night at 11pm!! I was full of bean before going to bed sure why not! lol!!

Iv received quite a number of e-mails asking me is it worth getting and I can say 1000000000% yes it is!! I bought mine off amazon.com!

I know alot of my readers have already purchased it so I'd love to know how everyone is getting on!!

:)

Nini xx

Image Clinical Skin Peel: Review!

Hey guys,


As a skin-care fanatic, I am a hard gal to impress when it comes to products and facials....but after my Image Clinical Peel I got this week, I felt compelled to blog about it! I booked myself in for an Image peel at Cork Laser Care on Tuesday with lovely Gerri. I have had treatments with Gerri before so I knew I was in capable hands.

Before I go on......I think there is a stigma attached to the word"peel" and especially when the word "skin" comes before it.......I blame Samantha from Sex and The City for this lol....................

No you will NOT look like this after an Image skin peel....

I am a firm believer that if you want to make a significant change/improvement to your skin, then you need to find skin treatments and products that dig deep into the skin cells and do what they are supposed to do. Image is a skincare range which was developed by an American plastic surgeon. It is formulated with cosmeceutical ingredients which are scientifically designed to get deep into the skin cell. If you suffer from acne,deep pore congestion, pre-mature aging, pigmentation, sun damage or wrinkles/fine lines, then non-cosmeceutical ingredients can only do so much. To rectify your skin concern and to improve your skins condition,  ingredients need to be driven deep into the pore to do their job....why? because for all the skin concerns listed above, the cells responsible for the improvement of the skin are situated deep in the skins layers......HELLO IMAGE SKIN CARE!!

I use alot of image skin care products in my everyday routine, which I will be doing a blog post about soon so I knew I would love this Image clinical Peel.

After a consultation with Gerri, she showed me through to her facial room and told me to make myself cosy. Gerri decided that the Image Signature Facelift would be perfect for me. I was already impressed the second I heard "facelift"..! The Image peel treatment consisted of  facial cleanse,de-greasing the skin which preps it for the 2nd part of the peel.....which is done in 4 layers. High doses of Vitamin C and glycolic are used to totally rejuvenate the skin. In layman's terms, the glycolic scoops out the dirt embedded deep in the pore and the vitamin c feeds and plumps out your starving/thirsty skin cells! :-)

Below is a picture of me before the Peel:

During the Peel:

After the Peel:

My skin felt so amazing after the treatment, clean, fresh and glowing!! It has been a few days since I had the treatment and I can still see the benefits of this skin treatment and that to me is a sign of a good facial! I have had  alot of facials in the past where my skin looks and feels amazing after the facial but that only lasts a few hours max! This peel boosts your skin cells so much and kicks them into action so your skin continually improves after the facial! My skin wasn't red at all afterward so there was no down-time with this facial- Now I can understand why this is known as a red carpet treatment!

Image Clinical Peels have quite an array of treatments available which can cater for any skin condition and concern. Go to this website to see where your nearest Image skincare centre is.....http://www.renaissance-skincare.com/skincare-centres/

Niamh xx

Inglot Haul!!

I cannot contain my hyperness and excitement that Inglot is FINALLY in mahon point Cork!! I remember being in Poland about 8 years ago and discovering this brand, it was love at first sight!! It really is an amazing make up brand and so reasonable priced too which is always a plus. Inglot has been in Limerick and Dublin for quite some time now so I was delira when it came to Cork. I....no joke....have 28 Inglot eyeshadows and 10 lip products....ooppssie, so when I went to mahon point  I was determined to try out something new.

The girls in Inglot were so helpful and friendly, the whole experience was really enjoyable. I picked up a few goodies which I'm dying to tell ye about! :)

First up is the Sparkle Dust! This can be used to highlight the cupids bow, shin bone, collar bone, check bones and brow bone....its super pretty!! They have 3 shades, I decided to go for shade 01 as I thought it complimented my skin tone best. The package is really neat and sleek and its easy to control the amount of product you wish to apply-obviously the more heavy handed you are, the more intense the colour will be! Amazeballs!! If you're looking for a powder highlighter then this guy is for you!!

I've been on the look out for a good loose powder for aaages. I always find that any powders that I have tried in the past have been quite cakey. I decided to go for the Stage-sport-studio mattifying loose powder...I think it was the colour that intrigued me!  The lady in Inglot explained that this was designed for those who have extremley oily skin and that it even keeps you make up inplace while you sweat it out in the gym!! I've only been wearing this powder for a few hours so I really cant tell if this is true or not but so far I love it!!!

Now for my favourite products that I got today!! Inglot have a stunning range of pigments, matte, sparkly, shimmery and so on....every colour under the sun!! I went for no. 82, Its such a pretty array of coppers, browns, green and golds...when the light hits it, its savage!! I'm already thinking Chistmas night out!!! hehe.

While browsing the pigments, I came acorss Duraline....never heard of it before so I was excited to investigate it.! This is magic in a bottle!! Basically you add it to any powder or pigment and it intesifies the colour completely. I have done a few swatches below for you too see the vast difference the stuff makes!! It could really transform your whole eyeshadow kit!!

 This is the pigment after I applied the duraline underneath...!!!! :)

I wanted to test out the Duraline with some of my whole powder eyeshadows so I swatched a Nars eyeshadow with and withour duraline! Difference is unreal...I know I'm guna be obsessed with this product!!!

The swatch in the middle is the eyeshadow by itself....the bottom one is with Duraline added!! 

 

 I think I can safely say that my MAC obsession has been replaced by an INGLOT one!!

:-)

Skin Science: ACNE...

Guna be a long post people ;)

Acne can effect anyone-of either sex and of any age. Speaking from experience, acne can really effect your confidence. As a beauty therapist, I am often asked how to treat acne and what products are best. After receiving a few e-mails since starting up my blog, I've decided to do a blog post about it.

Acne is very complex and honestly the term "acne" is often mis-used. It can be so frustrating and disheartening trying out varies different products and even medications. I remember when I got adult acne at 23, I was devastated!! My upper back, jaw line and the sides of my cheeks were covered in spots and even acne cysts- no make up would hide it. I felt that everyone was staring at my skin ( which they werent! ) and my confidence went to an all time low. My mum was so supportive and even stayed up a few nights with me researching the best way to treat acne!  Nowadays there are so many treatments and great products that treat acne.

If you suffer from acne then educating yourself about the causes and treatments  of acne is key!

What Causes Acne Vulgaris?

Hormones called androgens  are released during puberty which drive your oil glands to produce oil or sebum. An overproduction of this oil can lead to blocked follicles and pores resulting in anything from a blackhead to a cyst! There are varying degrees of acne, mild moderate and severe. Just because you have a blackhead does not mean you have acne! Each follicle in the skin is connected to a gland which produces oil- the oil,called sebum, is supposed to keep you skin soft and supple but over production of sebum and over stimulation of the oil gland can cause too much oil to be produced-the oil cannot flow out of the pore and instead gets blocked along with dead skin cells- eventually causing a "spot". The majority of acne sufferers develop it during puberty and "grow out it" as their hormones balance out, but there is a minority of people that can develop it later in life. Propionbacterium is a bacteria that lives on the skin deep inside the pores-its a very slow growing bacteria which feeds off sebum. Several strains of this bacteria have been linked to acne vulgaris. When a bacteria is in the body, our immune system goes into overdrive and releases white blood cells.....which can actually cause inflammation ( swelling, redness ) In turn, its actually the immune systems response to the bacteria that results in inflammatory acne. Everyones immune reaction is different, some more sensitive than others. Studies have shown that the bacteria doesnt have to be alive to trigger this immune system, even dead bacteria which is lying in the pore can lead to an immune reaction. It is important to remember that acne is not infectious...even when bacteria is involved.

There are a number of avenues you can take when it comes to deciding how to treat your acne. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to concentrate on ingredients, treatments and products that have worked for me. ( rather than medication! ) Obviously visit your doctor or dermatologist if you have an extreme case of acne but if not why not give these ideas a go.....

What you can do at home...............

First step is to kill that bacteria!! How? Disinfectant....thats how! Clean, clean, CLEAN your skin PROPERLY! Get your self your own wash bag....for all your products and for your own face cloth. If you wear make up on a daily basis, make sure to cleanse this off thoroughly before you use your specific disinfectant. Boots do a fabulous range of cleansers, no nasty ingredients and perfect for those who have sensitive skin.....wash your skin with your face wash rather than your face cloth....what do I mean by that? allow the cleansing ingredients in your face wash to cleanse your skin-rather than scrubbing your skin with your face cloth! Be gentle. I know its tempting to scrub the hell out of your skin but thats a definite no no-it will only over stimulate the skin...your pores will get pissed off with you and you don't want that! lol Even if you don't wear make up, you should always cleanse your skin twice-believe me if you could see the crap that builds up on your skin during the day/night you would cleanse!

Now that you have cleansed your skin, its is now prepped and ready for disinfecting it. The best best BEST ingredient for this is benzoyl peroxide...sounds scary but it's not. This will kill the bacteria deep in the pore. Start off with a face wash containing a low percentage, its better to start off with a low percentage rather than bombarding your skin with a high one. 2% or 3% is perfecto. The product I used is Panoxyl 2.5. I used to apply this to the area of my acne, not just the individual spots. Your skin has to be mega clean before you apply this, it may sting, especially if the area you are applying it to has broken skin. Remember you can apply this to the back aswell...... just make sure that you have cleansed your back too before applying it.

Your skin will flake and become quite dry while your using benzoyl peroxide....this is normal, just make sure you use a moisturiser or even better a sun screen.  It is VITAL that you moisturise your skin.....if you don't, then your skin will just fight back and you'll go back to square one. I cannot stress this enough, I know when i was going through this, moisturising my skin was the last thing I thought my skin needed but trust me...using benzoyl peroxide really drys out the skin so moisturise moisturise MOISTURISE!! Image skincare do an amazing sunscreen moisturiser, its like heaven in a bottle and smells delicious!

If you have mild acne,then use benzoyl peroxide only twice, three times a week- anything more will only aggravate your skin-and again you will go back to square one. Skin science, skin cells, acne etc is very complex, you need to realise the importance of using these products and ingredients correctly before you even use them. Moderate acne sufferers can use it every second day and Severe acne sufferers can use it twice a day, everyday until the acne has significantly decreased. Slowly ween your skin off the product until you are only using it when you need it.

 The Next Step......

Once your acne is under control  and you have been using the benzoyl peroxide for a number of weeks, its time to introduce exfoliating ingredients. Now that the bacteria had been treated, its time to get inside that pore and scoop out the crap! Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids are the way to go. Salicylic Acid is a MUST.  Just like the benzoyl peroxide, it is so important to use salicylic acid correctly. I have come across plenty of products claiming they contain salicylic but the blunt truth is, many of these products are not the correct ph or percentage. Image certainly have the best range for acne skin....their medicated acne masque is amazeballs as part of your weekly skin routine. It has the most advanced technology and ingredients in the industry, if you can get your hands on it then do, it really is a miracle worker! The ingredients in this masque are cosmeceutical- meaning that they are formulated to get deep deep into the pore. If you have moderate-severe acne, then this is the product I would highly recommend......

An alternative to this is this Dermalogica face masque. Even though this brand doesn't use cosmeceutical ingredients, it is perfect for those who have mild acne and feels amazingly refreshing on the skin!

I really hope this post helps at least one of my readers. I feel quite strongly that education is key- understanding acne and why certain ingredients work will make your treatment so much easier!


I will post the second part of this blog post soon ...other wise the post will be mega long. In the next part of my acne posts, I will concentrate on the professional treatments that are available noways for acne so stay tuned for that one!


 Like always drop me a mail on facebook or at porcelain.lady@yahoo.co.uk


xxx