The Spirit of Christmas

Please Note: Unfortunately this post was one of the blogs (pre.28th of July 2014) that suffered a 'Blogger' crash.. which saw all images vanishing! I have tried to replace the images from the crash as best as I can. However images of me with products etc.. may be lost as a result and therefore the images you see may not match the text(which is original and was not effected by the crash). My blog has therefore had to start fresh and all blogs starting from July 29th 2014 are correct with the appropriate, original and correct images but unfortunately the same can not be said for images lost in posts before this date. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Shahira xo

Hey Blog Readers!

My buddy Sean Mc Cormack shared a status the other day that hit the nail on the head in terms of how I've been feeling lately so I thought I'd put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard??haha) and write about it!

Now I cropped the end because it's not the "copy and paste" "chain message" element that grabbed my attention (I hate chain messages and at first I didn't think this was one) but what is important is the real meaning behind the status which I believe is very powerful! 

It is easy to get caught-up in the Christmas market, 12 pubs of Christmas, presents, food, parties, glitz and glam but I really believe people need to step back and think about the real meaning of Christmas which is being kind to one another and showing true Christmas spirit!  

Me personally- I have a serious dislike for Christmas - This is for personal reasons but everything from the lights to the songs make me upset, lonely and depressed... Don't get me wrong at one time I was all for it too but now it seems to bring out the loneliness, memories and heartache.. You see, unlike any other time of the year, it is the exact same set up, with the exact same songs etc.. and it triggers sadness within me. This is not a feel sorry for me blog but the point I'm trying to make is that I am 100,000% sure that I am not the only one that feels this way at Christmas time and for many I'm sure it's a lot worse than on the scale that I feel it at.
I do realise that there is an element of showing-off to be done and it is nice to post wonderful, happy pictures all over the internet of what a great time your having with your family and friends at the market, on Christmas day, eating your Christmas dinner, showing your presents and I'm not saying that it's not acceptable to do that, we all do it now and then, and that's up to you, but what I'm trying to say is don't get lost in the falseness.. instead truly enjoy the moment and experience real moments!
Have a look at this.. it says a lot about how life has become and I am guilty too..

Facebook is a show! I know this more than anyone because I run my own public facebook page and obviously it's going to be promoting me (as a model) and my life but it generally only shows the ups and excludes the downs, Which I think can be said for the majority of social media: It is all a show and it really only scratches the surface of the human being behind it. This is why it's important to truly live and if you use social media - express your life through it but don't let it be your life! because if it is then you are not truly living and experiencing life in all its wonderful glory instead you're living in a made up world.
And If you are feeling down during the holidays, or any other time of year for that matter, and social media (or observing people in general) is making you feel like your life is inadequate then please remember  nobody's life is perfect, we all have our problems and if someone is portraying that their life is so great then it's false because life is a journey of ups and downs and nobody is excluded from this rule!

If you truly are having a fantastic time during the holidays, or any other time of the year- that's wonderful but take some time to think about people who may not be going through such a good patch and be appreciative that you are - feeling gratitude is one of the key steps in the secret to a good life.

Don't forget your Christmas Spirit!
Smile, be helpful and caring to strangers and loved ones - It just might change their day! Don't be dismissive!

Remember it's not about the money! 
We're living through hard times with our economy at the moment - don't waste money you don't have trying to "Keep up with the Kardashians" or simply the Joan's down the road. If you do have money to spend remember that not everyone is as fortunate as you are so don't rub it in, instead simply enjoy.
This goes for spending time with family/friends - Many people are very lonely, they may not have the social scene that you do -  so care for those people and extend a welcome hand, call in to an elderly person you know may be on their own, invite a friend around you think may be feeling down. Basically...
Show compassion towards fellow human beings - whether their life is 'great' or not. Add to their happiness and not to their despair. 

News:
My idea to blog every Friday originated because I was going to America, I knew I wouldn't have much time and I wanted to keep my blog readers up to date regularly but I have decided I am going to start blogging more (instead of simply once a week). There will always be a blog post on a Friday but You can find random posts during the week when I feel like it too :) I've downloaded an app to my phone so I can blog on the go :) So Make sure to drop by and see what's new - I also post all my blogs to my facebook page! so make sure you're following it to keep up to date xo

Lots of Love, 

Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.

You shouldn't have to find out you're dying to start living!

Please Note: Unfortunately this post was one of the blogs (pre.28th of July 2014) that suffered a 'Blogger' crash.. which saw all images vanishing! I have tried to replace the images from the crash as best as I can. However images of me with products etc.. may be lost as a result and therefore the images you see may not match the text(which is original and was not effected by the crash). My blog has therefore had to start fresh and all blogs starting from July 29th 2014 are correct with the appropriate, original and correct images but unfortunately the same can not be said for images lost in posts before this date. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Shahira xo

Hey! 

Hope you're all FABULOUS ;) :) 

I've been super busy this week- Between the usual teaching grinds, modelling and blogging I've also added a few extra activities to my spare time ;)

Strictly Come Dancing
I'm taking part in a Strictly Come Dancing for the Rape Crises Center..
It's a lot of fun but it will be taking a lot of my time this month-I'm training 2 days a week- all day Sunday and for a couple of hours on a Thursday evening and as the event comes closer (Sat 6th of December) more training may be needed...

I was really excited to start training because I've always loved hiphop dancing and I did years of Irish dancing but ballroom is totally new to me so I was up for the challenge! I like to try new things and this seemed right up my street! also it's for a good cause so how could I pass! 

So far I've found it to be more difficult than I thought (I thought because I have a background in Hiphop dancing that I'd take to ballroom pretty easy but it's a lot more footwork than I had imagined and you have to coordinate with your partner and work well together so you're not stepping on toes!lol) However, as the training sessions go on I feel I'm getting better and better so hopefully by the 6th of December I'll be ready! 

Keep an eye on my facebook page for info on getting tickets if your interested in coming a long and supporting! The event itself will be in Cliffden (where the new center is being opened) but there will be a party bus out from Galway city so it should be a fun night!x! 

Galway Youth Theater 

You may have read in some of the papers recently that I want to get more into acting... Basically I've always been involved with acting in some form because I've been in performing arts school throughout my life -however I always concentrated on the singing/dancing element and acting came third... as a direct result of me modelling I've had lots of acting opportunities come my way-Particularly when I was in Los Angeles so now I'm taking some time to focus and improve in this area. I've joined Galway Youth Theater and I've started training with them once a week with some Saturday work shops also thrown in! I'm liking it so far-the other people are super nice so I don't feel too intimidated or out of my comfort zone! 

It's always good to have lots of different strings to your bow ;) 

I'm complete with my HD's... 

On Monday morning I called into the ever so lovely Anna in The Beauty Rooms in Tuam. I love calling into Anna because it means=HAPPY BROW DAY :) 

The Beauty rooms are the best for HD Brows-I always come out loving mine and feeling like a new person! 

I had let mine grow out for a while beforehand this time so I was VERY PLEASED to say the least to finally get them done and tidy  once again :) 

AND if you're looking for something to maintain your brows the hd eye brow palette is brill! I use 'vamp' for dark hair. It has a highlighter, a carbon shadow & 2 dark brown tone powders. You can purchase the palette in the beauty suite! -One stop shop :) 

If you don't know what HD brows are here's a reminder of the 7step process: 

Now...What I really want to talk about:

You shouldn't have to find out you're dying to start living!

The other day I came across the below video. It really touched my heart so I knew I had to share it in this week's blog post! I know some of you will see that it's 22minutes long and decide not to watch it but I really encourage you to take some time out from your busy day and give it a watch-It's a real eye-opener!

Zach Sobiech, at the age of 14, found out he had a rare form of terminal cancer: This is his beautiful story...

I can relate to Zach and his family's desire to live life to the fullest and cherish every day! When I had my first experience with a loss of a very loved friend at age 18 my entire life changed! Granted it changed in a way that I would always wish it hadn't and every day I wish that that one thing never happened and wonder how different and happier life would be today if that loss hadn't occurred. Not only in terms of what that person would be doing now but also in terms of how it effected everyone around and threw lives upside down! I wish I could say that the loss in my experience made everyone around it closer, more precious, caring towards one another & grew a strong love that nothing could break but sadly for me, on this first occasion that I'm speaking about, it went something like this -friendships lost, loneliness sets in, hatred & blame brewing amongst some trying to deal with their own grief, distance growing.. you feel like you're loosing your head, you don't know who you are any more: everything has suddenly changed! Grief is a really horrible journey and it leaves broken hearts, emptiness and an awareness of death that you never felt before.
I would do anything to get back to the simpler life-the life that I knew before, before panic attacks and anxiety and before I felt the pain and tremendous loss that is grief! but if there's any positive that I clung on to and dragged from the depths of my dispair its that I learnt an invaluable lesson, a simple one but invaluable all the same and that is that LIFE IS SHORT! 
It's a phrase that is used all of the time and people think they understand... you're lucky if you understand the real meaning of this before you are forced to!.. but unfortunately most people ultimately learn this lesson the hard way.. However, the fact is we all live and we all die. When you are truly aware of this only then will you start to really live your life to the fullest! and as Zach said "You shouldn't have to find out you're dying to start living" - and I believe this also goes for you shouldn't have to suffer the death of a loved one for this fact to register and for you to start living your life! Life is so unbelievably precious and so short- be happy, appreciate and love the people around you-cherish loved ones, surround yourself with positivity-live a positive life style, chase your dreams,do what ever it is that you really want to do and don't take anyone or any thing for granted!! -I cant stress that enough!
Whether you're religious or not has nothing to do with it-whether you believe in life after death or re-incarnation has nothing to do with it... the fact is all we really know is that we live and we die=so we all need to live in the now-"enjoy the small things for one day you'll wake up and realise that they were the big things", cherish the special moments, show love an humanity towards others and if you get side tracked... Re-focus!!

You can only live your life - You cant live anyone elses. Your job is to live yours to the best of your ability and be the best person that YOU can be!x

I love you all-Thanks for reading! 

and remember... 

Lots of Love,

Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.

Say good bye to under eye circles ;) DIY home made mask! Say hello my Tumblr!

Hey Everyone! 

The other week I posted a picture on my Instagram (@ShahiraBarry) wearing a face mask and a bright orange/yellow substance around my eyes... the face mask was just an ordinary store brought mask but I had a couple of people message me asking what the "orange stuff" around my eyes was so i thought I'd let you in on my new secret... (not so secret anymore :P )

The orange substance was a home made mask to help dark under eye circles.... and IT REALLY WORKS!! 

The key ingredient is Turmeric!

You may know Turmeric because it is often used in curries! but you may not know that it has loads of beauty benefits as well... sooo why is it still sitting in your spice cupboard going to waste... ;)

In India the women use Turmeric as part of their beauty regime all of the time! especially before they get married! - It is also widely known as Peeti.

NOTE: It can stain the skin slightly due to it's bright colour (but this will come off) and don't get it in your eyes as it is a SPICE!!

You can use Turmeric to manage your wrinkles woes... 

• Add raw milk and tomato juice to rice powder and turmeric powder. Apply the paste and let it sit until it dries. Lactic acid present in the milk works to peel off dead skin cells. 

• A turmeric honey paste can be applied on the face and neck to help exfoliate skin and keep a check on pores!

Turmeric to manage Acne problems... 

• Not only does Turmeric help to reduce the scars and inflammation but it also reduces oil secretion which leads to breakouts in the first place!

• Add a few drops of water and lemon juice to the turmeric powder. Apply the paste on the acne affected area and leave for about 15 minutes then scrub off with cold water. 

My mask - For dark circles

Ingredients/equipment: 

• Clean mixing bowl and brush (clean foundation brush). 

• Turmeric powder. 

• Buttermilk. 

Instructions:

• Place a tea spoon of Turmeric in the mixing bowl. 

• Add 2 tea spoons of butter milk. 

• Mix the ingredients together. (Note: This mixture should last a week if refrigerated). 

• Place it on the skin and dark circle area around your eyes and leave for 20 minutes. 

• Rinse with luke-warm water and a wash cloth (that you don't mind staining!!) 

• If the mixture has stained your skin use an oil-e.g. eye makeup remover to remove the stain.  

Step by Step: 

You can also drink the mixture - it's great for your over all health and it helps to prevent osteoporosis! 

Health benefits-Tumeric:

1. Detox the liver. 
2. Natural pain killer. 
3. Helps to prevent cancer and Alzheimers. 
4. Helps with depression. 
5. Helps to speed up the process of a healing wound and fixes damaged skin! 
6. SO MANY MORE!

Turmeric skin benefits: 

1. Contains antioxidants which neutralist free radicals in your body!
2. Helps the skins complexion. 
3. Prevents breakouts. 
4. Lightens under eye circles!
5. Lots of probiotics. 

Buttermilk Skin Benefits:

1. Super rich in lactic acid - softens, brightens and exfoliates skin!
2. Helps to treat any discoloration! 
3. Helps prevent age spots/freckles. 

YOU SEE=Turmeric is a holey grail product!and buttermilk isn't far behind it! 

Say GOOD BYE to your Under Eye Circles!! ;) 

News: I'm now on Tumblr!! 

Yup another way to keep up- Incase my facebook, twitter, blog, website, instagram, YouTube and Keek weren't enough ;) haha now you can follow me on Tumblr too! 

Username: ShahiraWorld

Why did I feel a need to join yet another social networking site???

Basically I'm an iphone addict and ever since I got an iphone -around 3 years ago now it has been full of pictures- of, well, anything that's caught my attention or inspired me - when I'm browsing the net/facebook etc... and I'll spot e.g. a hairstyle I like, a makeup look, an outfit, a location, a quote - whatever it might be (the range is very broad) and I'll either screen shot or save the picture to my phone with the idea that I'll go back at some point and either take inspiration from the picture or re-create it in some way... but I never end up going back through my phone and having a look... (it gets too full and then I can't take new pictures)!

SO I decided instead of saving all of these pictures to my phone and never looking at them again that I'd share them on Tumblr with everyone... It's an easy way for me to express myself and what I like, for myself to look back on quickly and take inspiration or for someone else to take inspiration from something I post... 

Why couldn't I do this on Instagram? 

I love instagram (you can follow me @ShahiraBarry) and I instragram a lot of my pictures but what bugs me is that you can't always fit the entire picture in and it has to be partially cropped-also the video clips are too short. I feel like Tumblr is a way for me to express and share my personality, inspiration and ideas in a way that I haven't done so before!x!

I'm still getting the hang of it myself and it may take me awhile but if you're on Tumblr-be nice and give my blog a 'follow' or just drop by every now and then to see what I've posted - shahiraworld.tumblr.com/ 

Have a great weekend! 

Lots of Love, 

Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.

There are going to be some changes around here... ;) Halloween & my daily skin care routine

Hey Blog Readers! 

Another blog another friday.... :)

Changes: If you're a regular follower of my blog you'll notice I've gone back to my old blogspot account and I've connected it with my website www.shahirabarry.com 

While I love my website I wasn't a fan of the blog layout and format so eventually I decided to make the move back to the old reliable! :) 

Anyway... it doesn't make much of a difference to the readers except in the blog section of my website you will be directed to my blogspot and the layout is a little different-that's all! but in general it's the same setup and a blog every FRIDAY! 

I'm still working on formatting my blogger to look and feel the way I wan't it to.. so bare with me :) 

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

I headed out with a few friends in Galway last night. It had been AGES since I was out in Galway so it was nice to bump into some familiar faces and I had a really good night!

I dressed up as, amm well, a hooters girl.. I had the outfit from years ago when I was on holiday in Tenerife and my friend Naomi brought the same outfit when we were in Hollywood this summer so we had planned for awhile now that we'd head out together on Halloween and both be hooters girls! As for the wig.. well I just wanted a change... as you know my hair is jet black and it's likely that it will always be black and I'll never dye it because to go to another colour from black would ruin the quality of my hair and it would be really difficult to maintain so I liked the idea of wearing a blonde wig to see what I'd look like!

Conclusion... I LOVE WIGS!! I think they're going to be my new thing, haha, because I had so much fun wearing it and I almost felt like a different person! Tiffany from Tennessee! ;) haha!!

The only problem was I had to slightly lighten my eyebrows and colour them in in a light brown.

I went for a doll eyed barbie makeup look with double lashes. 

Here are some pictures

SO anyway.. that was Halloween! I loved being Tiffany from Tennessee :) haha 

Skin Care

I've been getting a lot of messages asking me about how I look after my skin and what products I use so I thought I'd tell you in this week's blog post. 

Firstly, like anyone, my skin has good days and bad days and it's definitely hormonal! but I do think it's essential to have a set routine in place to look after your skin-especially if you wear makeup which is constantly clogging your pores and not allowing your skin to breath! Our skin is our biggest organ so we need to take care of it! 

Daily

On a day to day basis I wash my face twice (in the morning and at night) but because I have to wear quite heavy makeup when I model whenever I get a chance to have a 'no makeup day' I will! 

I use baby wipes-they're not ideal and cleansers are better but wipes get the job done quickly and you can simply throw them in your bag-which is very handy! I go for baby wipes ahead of facial wipes because firstly they're cheaper which is always a plus but also they are designed for babies skin so they don't harm or irritate the skin and they are also moisturizing! 

When I was a teenager I got spots before all of my friends! I had a cluster on my forehead and I got so down about them.. that's when I found Vichy Normaderm facewash and I've sworn by it ever since!! It's the best facewash, in my opinion! It is a little pricier than your ordinary supermarket facewash but it's worth it and it lasts (€13). 

Spot Cream 

If you're looking for a spot cream I'd recommened Panoxyl 10! It's fantastic and literally ZAPS them away! BUT only apply a dab directly to the spot and not all over the area/skin-It will irritate your skin and you could get a rash!

Next 

Once all my makeup is off and I've washed my skin I use any toner (not specific-I change all the time) at the moment I'm using Botanical Toner from the Body Shop! 

After I've used a toner it's time for the moisturizer.. 

The night cream I use is Lacura Q10 night cream! - this is an excellent product and so cheap!-It's from Aldi and it's under a tener!

It is certainly richer than Anti-wrinkle, and the Night version feels quite luxurious when you put it on. 

I'm only 22 but I don't think you're ever to young to use at least one ant wrinkle cream! 

Since using this night cream when I wake up in the morning my skin is really glowy and soft! 

Everyone is raving about aldi creams lately! you can read the reviews by clicking here! 

This brings me to my next moisturiser!

Also from Aldi! 

I use aqua complete lacura serum

Again I love this stuff! it's cheap as chips but seriously good! I was immediately drawn to it's lovely fresh packaging and the fact it boasts Hyaluronic Acid in the ingredients. The serum soaks in really quickly which makes it perfect if you're like me and hate waiting ages inbetween skin care products to apply them. If you find products targeting at spot prone skin can be a little too drying, then I would say try this. It's lightweight formula seems great for my complexion.

The Daily Mail refereed to this product as a miracle product! You can read their article  by clicking here! 

Eye Cream

The one thing I do spend a little more on is my eye cream and this is because I am slightly obsessed with keeping dark circles at bay! 

The eye cream that I use is loreal collagen filler eye treatment it retails for €22 and for a small tube this is a little pricey but I love it and although I use it both at night and in the morning I use it quite sparingly and it does last! 

Loreal "Wrinkle De-Crease Collagen Filler Eye visibly softens and brightens the appearance of dark hollow circles and with its filling effect, wrinkles and furrows around the eye immediately appear smoother". 

"INNOVATION Collagen Biospheres can inflate up to 9x their volume in contact with water naturally present in the upper layers of the skin. Wrinkle De-Crease Collagen Filler Eye has a wrinkle filling effect and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkle furrows."

I have noticed a big difference since using this product and it's a MUST HAVE of mine :) 

Lips: 

I put Vaseline on my lips all the time! to keep them from cracking especially in the winter! Vaseline is a great product and if you have extra dry skin you can also apply it to your face. I heard recently that Jannifer Anderson puts Vaseline around her eyes every day and allows it to soak in - this is one of her beauty tips for stayin young! and she certainly looks the part! :) 

Now and Then ;)

Every so often I'll steam my face- all you need is a basin, boiling water, a towel and some cotton pads. you literally hover your face over the basin of hot water (keeping your face at a safe distance) you wrap the towel over your head to trap and keep in the steam and simply sit there and wait for about 10minutes.. this opens your pores and unclogs them. Once your finished wipe your face with a pad and rinse in freezing cold water-this will ensure your pores are closed once again to stop dust etc.. re-entering them. 

Once in awhile I also use a face mask either a store brought one or a home made- 

This egg white face mask with oatmeal can be also a real plus for mature skin as all these 3 ingredients put together, are miracle workers for fine lines.

So if you were looking for a secure mild exfoliation face mask, that goes with your skin’s needs, search no more. 

You will need:

I love watching Kandee Johnson's YouTube channel and I always recommened her to my friends and blog readers :) I've been using her exfoliating lemon scrub for a while now and it's fantastic! 

SO that's it-Very simple! 

Keep the blog requests coming-I love hearing them! :) 

Lots of Love, 

Shahira Xo

If your company would like a review or specific blog-post on a product, treatment, service or any other item to appear on www.shahirabarry.com email info@shahirabarry.com with the details.