I did my first ever "first impressions" video!
I chose to do it on the L'Oreal Super Slim Liquid Eye Liner that I picked up in target recently for only $8.99! If you missed the video catch it here!
Since buying the eyeliner pen I have really fallen in love with it - it makes cat eyes so much easier!
I hope it lasts me awhile and doesn't dry out too quickly (as I've found similar products have).
I like this pen because the tip is precise and thin but it is not too long (as I found the maybeline master precise to be). I think that the longer an eyeliner pen like this is = the more flimsy and difficult to use. I think the super slim is perfect for beginners of makeup or people who still struggle with winged liner(cough mee).. I would highly recommend this product and would definitely re-purchase!
Highlight = 'Marilyn' by Gerard Cosmetics! Code 'Barry'=25% off the entire site!
I've seen loads of reports that the Kardashian's posted there Christmas wish list/gift guide this week and while I don't have any of their apps my question to you is what's one your wish list or gift guide? it might give me some ideas for a post? Let me know!
My wish list would be mostly techy this year: a Macbook Pro (I hate my current laptop and I'm just over pcs altogether: my experience is that they don't last!), an iphone 6 S Plus (bigger is better?:) and a new camcorder(mine's broken), also a new tripod!lol Other than that I'd love the Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix eyeshadow palette(it's in a colour wheel=how awesome!), over the knee lace up boots and the yeezy boost 350 runners: in love!x!
not quite as extravagant as the Kardashian's lists! lol
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.
SO I posted my first ever fashion haul video to YouTube! if you missed it check it out below!
I had lots of fun doing this type of video so I definitely plan on doing some more very soon!
On the video I shared mainly dresses that I collected over a number of months and I have written about and shared pictures of most of them on my blog in the past (links will be at the end of this post) However I have yet to share my purchases from Yoins.com here on the blog so I thought I would do that in todays post!
Let me correct myself as I now believe that I was in fact pronouncing yoins wrongly in the video (cringe) but I guess you get the drift! TomAto -Tomato!haha
ANYHOW, Yoins.com is the absolute bomb! They have really fashionable items at super affordable prices!
Let me start with my favourite find this STUNNING white lace long sleeved dress! This dress retails on Yoins.com for $21.95!! not outing any other stores but I have seen this same dress on other sites for a hefty some more! so what an absolute bargain!
As I explain in the video I love the lace/crochet detailing, along with the high laced collar and scalloped hem!
I am so in love with this dress! it is one of my new favorites in my closet! the only thing I would say is to check the sizing as I am regular medium height (5'6) and this is a bit short on me. I will need to invest in a white or skin toned slip to place underneath before I can wear it out in public but no biggie!
My styling tips for this dress would be to definitely wear a white or nude coloured bra(riskay!), a simple heel so as not to distract from the dress would be best and also for the long haired girls I think a classy upstyle would show this dress off to its full potential!
Product Details:
- Sheer lace on body and sleeves
- High neck
- Long sleeves
- Scalloped hem
- Back Zip closure
- Bodycon fit
- Main: 90% Polyester, 10% Elastane
- Hand Wash (don't forget this!)
I have yet to wear this dress to an event (can't wait to) but I tried it on for you in the haul video and took some pictures..
Next up I have this casual high neck grey sweater mini dress that can be dressed up or dressed down for day or evening wear! It currently retails on Yoins.com for $23.95 which is 30% off!!
I love ribbed detail jumpers and polo-necks so I'd been looking for something similar for awhile and was delighted when I found this one!
Again check the size as I planned to wear this with bare legs (I live in LA) as shown on the model but it's a bit too short for this. It could, however, be done with a pair of shorts or a little black skirt underneath for an added bit of length.
My styling tips for this jumper-dress would be to pair with leggings and over the knee boots.. also some statement earrings, perhaps hoops like I wore, or a nice long delicate necklace would also be fab!
I love it's bodycon fit and curved hem! it is very flattering on!
I hope you enjoyed this blog!x! and remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel for future videos!x! Other posts on items in the haul, more to come! What i wore-black cutout dress Perfect Purple Bandage Dress Side note: to conclude: I don't feel like I can write a blog today without mentioning that my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris and everyone effected by the tragic events that unfolded in the city this evening.
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.
So during the week the buzz word on social media was "Essena O'Neill" and "Quitting Social Media"... Yup, ironic that this idea of quitting social media was trending ON SOCIAL MEDIA..
Anyway - as someone who is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, has a blog and is trying to build a YouTube channel.. I thought I would write (use social media, lol) to give my two cents on this idea and Essena's trending video...
If you haven't seen the video then watch it first so you have some clue about what I'm talking about...
Ok here's the thing...I personally had never heard of Essena O'Neill or seen any of her pictures/videos before this video went viral.. I know I saw many saying the same online... so in complete contradiction that shows the absolute power of social media!
When I first watched the video I could relate to her message and what she was saying... I personally can, at times, find social media very draining! so I get it! A part of me was saying "good on you" and "you go girl!" as she did make some very good points.. I even shared the video on my facebook and said that I found it very interesting... because I did!
The part that left me very confused was the end... the part where Essena says that as a result of quitting her job(social media) she will not be able to pay for her rent and she asks her followers to donate money to her via her new website... This left me with a bit of a weird feeling in my stomach, I almost felt like a bad person for feeling a little negative about that part and this young girl... You see the thing is, as far as I'm concerned, if you truly want to quit social media because you feel it is doing you personal damage (which I can understand why/how it could do that) surely you would just post the video and then delete all social media accounts? At 19 years old (Essena was just about to celebrate her 19th birthday the day after making this video) most normal teenagers don't have a career yet anyway... many have no idea what they are going to do with their life and most have little or no money to their name.. Therefore it would be my thinking that you would just do some soul searching, decide what it is you want to do, even move back in with family if you need to(if that's an option) and then go back out into the real world and get a regular job.. it may not be the fulfilling job that you want immediately but something to pay the bills until you decided what it is you do want to do and what is it that will make you HAPPY (because that's what's most important and again no rush as Essena is only 19).
There is something in me that really does not agree with Essena asking her followers for money(for the reason she has given at least)because she alone has chosen not to have social media as her career any longer and that was solely her choice. Not just that but money is made off of ad-sense and clicks on both websites and YouTube (all be it a teeny tiny amount) but having a video that goes viral and creating a new website which has a lot of interest as a result will gain some revenue in itself (which totally goes against the idea of "quitting social media" btw anyway).
Look... each to their own - it's an individual's choice whether they want to donate money to Essena or not and I am certainly not judge and jury over what's right or what's wrong in that case... or what people should or shouldn't do with their own money but it is my personal opinion that while the original message was a strong one, and I, personally, can relate to the message in many ways as I've said (some days more than others, ha.) and I'm also sure Essena means well in her message and feelings behind the whole thing (she may even feel a bit overwhelmed by the attention it has since received..?) I do however feel in my gut that the end part makes the video somewhat hypercritical..
Anyway, that's my opinion on Essena O'Neill's video... now my opinion on social media in general...
There was a time when I thought I was a queen of networking and social media... for Ireland I was doing pretty well with regards to my online growth - facebook/twitter/my blog etc... however then two things happened 1) Instagram came a long and 2) I moved to Los Angeles...
Both of these things combined made me feel a tad more negative toward social media as a whole and here's why...
Because it became an uneven playing ground for work and work = money and money = surviving financially!
I'm not talking about money made off of views, clicks or endorsements.. to me that would never amount to being a job (not on the small scale that I'm currently on anyway) but jobs with regards to modelling and acting which I am pursuing here in tinsel town!
For example many vine stars are now landing movie roles... not for their love of acting or that they even had any interest in it before (don't get me wrong some have so there are exceptions) but simply because they have a large following they are handed it... tell that to an actor who moved here 5 years ago has worked their butt off to get into acting classes and workshops and lived off of very little in order to do so but when it comes down to the audition the vine star gets the job... that seems unfair?... because, basically, it is unfair! but that's life and that's the social media world that we live in. (I have met many of these actors)
I once read an article by the New York Post saying how in the world of modelling you need more than 10,000 Instagram followers to stand any chance of booking "the" job. And lets be real... 10,000 on Instagram is nothing these days when there are 'Instagram models' who were unknown but have carved a following of a million+ on their account. (To read that article click here)
Fair enough.. when it comes to modelling the larger the following the easier it is for the company to promote the product (for eg) and the more attention it will receive and I totally understand that from a business point of view and if you have put genuine time and effort into building your Instagram and real people are genuinely interested in following you then that's amazing and you probably should get the job!! however where it becomes unfair is where fake followers come into account: On Instagram, in particular, I would argue that there are so many fake followers everywhere you look...to me this is purely obvious based on the follows to likes/comments ratio.. I'm sorry, I realize that more people 'like' than comment on Instagram', but if you're picture has 2,000 likes and 4 comments I would call suspect on that one..
(the thing about fake followers is it attracts real ones because people think this person has a lot of followers so they must be worth following. Therefore i'd suggest we don't judge on numbers alone but on content and interest:)
What pisses me off is that numbers seem to matter so much so that someone with 100,000 fake followers would get a job over someone with 20,000 real ones? That just doesn't seem right...
BUT unfortunately It is a like game, it is a follow game and it is unfair and uneven. What hasn't been said it that it is also a rich persons game... even if you're not paying for followers a picture of your Louboutin shoes placed perfectly on the seat of your expensive car or on your sparkling white rug will gain attention because Instagram is also a dream world where ordinary people aspire to have those Louboutin shoes, drive that car or go on that exclusive Bora Bora holiday! put up a picture of your hatch back and crocks and you won't be getting as much interest that's for sure!! (haha)
There is definitely a downside to social media: the above with regards to jobs (particularly in the entertainment industry) would be a huge one for me but also I can see Essena's point of view with regards to it not being "real life" and it playing havoc on people's self esteem... Perhaps a young girl who looks at the likes of Jen Selter and comes away from her phone feeling shit about her own body..social media can definitely do that...however, it could be said that they are the downsides to an otherwise positive platform because it can also do the complete opposite and inspire - be it fitness,lifestyle or something else: it may set another girl/boys dreams higher, it may inspire them to eat healthier, workout or to travel etc... and It may give people who never had a voice the chance to have one...
I believe what is important is that when looking at social media nobody take it too seriously...A person is not defined by 'likes' and 'followers'..when judgement day comes and its all put in perspective what does that matter anyway? And definitely don't think your life is bad because your comparing it to that of someone you see on social media because you definitely don't see the half of it! Everyone wants to post their best pics, I don't think there is anything wrong with that, nobody is going to post pictures from the day they feel awful, haven't washed their hair in days and have been lazing around in sweats. I can give you a direct example: yesterday I was sick all day! I literally did not leave my house - I missed my audition due to a migraine, I also had bad cramps, was feeling homesick, lonely and extremely anxious..I didn't put on a spot of makeup or brush my hair, I ordered take out and ate fairly unhealthy: I felt horrendous on the inside and out and I cried a number of times (my hormones were all over the place to make things worse)... yet I also posted a "selfie" on Instagram that was taken about three days earlier - that selfie was not taken yesterday!! the last thing I wanted was any type of picture to be taken with how I was feeling yesterday but to the world or people who follow me on Instagram they probably thought that that picture was from yesterday and I had a much different type of day than I had in fact had! so there ya go!
My advice to people trying to build their social media organically:
Post content you actually like and believe in e.g. don't post about any brand just because they ask you to: if you don't like the brand.. don't post about it: simple.
Don't compete with others on social media - no good can come of it and it's impossible in a world where a lot (not all) is contrived.
Don't become consumed - it's true that it's not real life - make sure you are enjoying your real life first and foremost!
Use it as a form of self-expression!
Celebrate life - be proud of who you are and express the real you!!x!!
Think of followers like friends... it's better to have one real one than a hundred fake ones :)
So to conclude:
Social Media is Like Television, Stage, Radio or Magazines - There's really not a huge difference. It is basically "entertainment" so take it with a pinch of salt and ENJOY!
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.
Sorry I missed a week last week as I had promised to post a video every week!
What can I say... my intentions are good but then life keeps getting in the way!
ANYWAY
Here is my latest video!
It is a Review, Demo and Test on the Revlon 24hr wear Colorstay Foundation!
I use the Oily/Combination version (dry skin version also available) and my colour is 240 medium beige!
Before applying my foundation I set a cream contour on my cheek bones, temples forehead and down the sides of my nose and I colour corrected with NYX colour correcting concealer in Orange.. I used this to combat both dark patches and redness under my eyes, on the nostril area, chin and wherever I had a blemish, I then applied the foundation on top (without rubbing in these products) and used my real technique expert face brush to buff in not only the foundation but also the colour correcting concealer and cream contour. Hence I started with the concealed/lighter areas of my face first and then moved on to the areas that had the cream contour.
Off Camera I then applied my ELF blush/bronzer duo in Antigua and set everything in place with a loose powder (mineral rice setting powder by youngblood cosmetics).
Please remember to subscribe to my channel and a thumbs up is always nice too :)
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.
SO I've become better at YouTubing more regularly and below are my two most recent - both are hair tutorials but that's just coincidence (not all my videos will be hair related;). One is How I cut my own hair at home and the other is an Ariana Grande Inspired hair style! Anyway I thought I would post them on here incase you missed them! ENJOY!x!
Let me know what you think or if you have any requests for future videos :)
AND Incase you missed the makeup tutorial I posted a couple of weeks ago...
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.
In-case you missed it on my instagram or most recent YouTube video I thought I would introduce you (here on my blog) to a product I am loving!
It is the Physicians Formula Youthful wear concealer!(in yellow/light)
Physicians formula is brand new to me - I had never used any of their products until I picked up this concealer recently out of interest (I lost my makeup bag during 4th of July celebrations so I had to do some re-stocking of the essentials). I am so glad I found this!!!
I believe the yellow side is very comparable and may I say BETTER than mac's 'light boost' pen as it has a thicker consistency which means less product is needed to 'colour correct'! and it's also cheap! ($12.99). The reason I like this product so much is because it has 3 sections - 1) a yellow colour corrector for correcting and brightening darkness around the eyes! 2) a skin tone concealer stick for concealing and 3) a roll on applicator to spread the product and sooth the under eye! I've had some sleepless nights (hello insomnia) lately but when I've used this product the next morning you would never know I had barely slept (and I'm someone who lack of 8hours zZz! Shows immediately!). The only thing I would say which is slightly negative(though not really) is that you need to move/blend the yellow side asap once applied as it sticks to the skin very quickly almost like a gel! The concealer side is creamy and easy to blend!
Anyway, I LOVE it so I thought I'd introduce you to it if you missed my other posts or have never heard of/tried this product/brand!
In the description section for this product on Walgreen's.com it gives a quick review stating:
"Look up to 10 years younger instantly!"
This product is...
Hypoallergenic
Fragrance free
Paraben free
Gluten free
Dermatologist approved
Non-comedogenic
Clinically tested
Walgreen's: It is the 1st Ever Cosmecutical Concealer and the Complete concealing solution combines two concealers and a professional blending tool to deliver flawless coverage.
High performance formulas help undo the visible signs of aging, restoring firmness & elasticity and improving skin's appearance instantly and long-term!
Light Cream can be used on any imperfection and blends easily for lightweight, buildable coverage
Light Stick can be used on any imperfection for line-smoothing, fuller coverage
As a lot of my blog readers are Irish I did some google research to make sure Physicians formula was available in Ireland before I wrote this post and I found an article on Beaut.ie saying that as of summer last year Physicians formula was introduced in Ireland and was going to be in pharmacies nation wide as of August 2014! If you haven't seen it so far perhaps you may have bypassed it (as I did) before now and gone for the brands you did know such as L'Oreal or Maybelline! anyway next time definitely stop at the Physicians formula stand and take a closer look! I know I for one will definitely try more of the brand now that I've found this amazing product *****
If you do pick it up definitely let me know what you think! :)
You can see a demonstration of this concealer below in my video on 'strobing'!
and here is some background info on "colour correcting"
ConcealerBasics:TheColorWheel
Mastering the art of concealer has a lot to do with understanding the basics of color correction. You know how I’m saying makeup is an art form? Well, remember learning about the color wheel in elementary school art class? Way back when, we learned how colors directly across from another cancels the other out.
For instance, red is directly across from green on the color wheel. The color green will neutralize the color red, which is why green concealer works best to cover red acne blemishes. By simply referring to the color wheel, you’ll better understand how to make those annoying problem areas vanish. Now that we got our art lesson for the day out of the way, let’s move on to discuss the uses for which each color concealer is best suited.
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.
So I got around to making a new video for my YouTube channel and this time I decided to do a video on "strobing"! "What is it and How to do it!" so if you're interested give it a watch! and read on below for the strobing/highlighting products I use!
Hope you enjoyed the video!x!
Strobing Products used!
So the highlighter I'm obsessed with at the moment is by Gerard Cosmetics, it's in their star powder range and it's called 'Marilyn'! Before now I always went for highlighters that were more on the silver side rather than gold but Marilyn is the most beautiful champagne gold colour and I think it would work well on any skin tone! I'm in love! It's perfect for summer and adds such a beautiful glow to the face!
Both the product and packaging are of a very high end quality! I love the pigmentation, it's not too glittery but adds a natural beautiful glow, the staying power is amazing and also the packaging is both pretty yet handy! It's in a sleek gold case which contains a mirror for convenience and also a plastic covering which keeps the powder from braking (all powders should have this!)
Gerard Cosmetics.com says "Marilyn was inspired by the ultimate blonde bombshell. A golden, luminous powder that is an ultra luxurious and creamy texture. Reminiscent of crush diamonds, this highlighter will be a girl's best friend"
There is 19% off Marilyn at the moment and add another 25% off with my discount code (Barry) and that's one hell of a discount! :) YAY :)
Gerard cosmetics have a couple of different 'star powders' so there's bound to be one that catches your eye but for me 'Marilyn' is perfect for Summer-Strobing :)
Another Gerard Cosmetics product that I included in my summer favorites recently is the BB+ Illumination cream! click here to read about it!
And it is perfect for adding that summer glow, highlighting and strobing! I also use it on my body! (neck, shoulders, arms and shins!)
Remember if you shop Gerard Cosmetics .com to get your 25% discount with code 'Barry'
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.
SOOO I constantly see posts on facebook/instagram/twitter from girls saying they want to find a lipstick that reflects the 90's look Kylie Jenner has been rocking a lot over the past few months...
you know the one....
It's a mauve/brown/maroon colour and it was everywhere in the 90's but these days it's a little harder to find... So many people respond to these comments saying mix this mac lipstick with this one.. this lipliner followed by x10 others etc... and I'm always screaming from the inside noooooo all you need is Gerard Cosmetic's (appropriately named) '1995'!!! now some people who I've told this to have taken the advice and purchased the lipstick -contacting me later to tell me how much they love it! when other's may have tried something else only to a couple of weeks later put up the same status.. thus showing they weren't exactly satisfied with whatever alternative product it was that they decided to try in their search for this 90's look!
I understand why people may be skeptical about my advice on this topic..
I have a coupon code ("Barry") which gives 25% off the Gerard cosmetics site and therefore people may think "oh she's only saying that because she is affiliated with the company". I truly do understand that thought process but genuinely I tell people about the coupon code because who doesn't love a discount! and 2nd I would never promote a product that I didn't actually love and think was a great product! For me there would be no benefit in that because people would stop reading or watching my blogs as they wouldn't be able to trust that what I was telling them was my honest opinion! Also while I love the quality of all the Gerard cosmetics products you definitely hear me rabbit on about the lipstick shade 1995 more than anything because I am obsessed with it and I genuinely wear it all the time!x!
Some people are just stuck on mac and find it difficult to try other brands as they fear the quality won't be the same! I call these people "mac-heads". Listen I love mac as much as the next girl but it is a hype thing - some of their products are amaze-balls while other's are mediocre, some beat out other brands hands down while others don't live up to the competition - you just have to be willing to experiment and try alternative brands: both drugstore and high end.
Possibly the biggest reason for not trying 1995 in search for that 90's lip-shade is that people may be reluctant to order make-up products online as you don't get a chance to try it first and it takes a couple of days to arrive! I completely understand this! We used to be the same about online shopping for clothes until we realized how much easier it is and the nicer items you can find online compared to going in to the store where good products/items are often sold out etc! My advice on this would be to always YouTube research any make-up or beauty product that you are considering buying... watch a couple of different videos and look at swatches on people who are ideally the same skin/hair colour as you are as this will give you a good idea of what to expect from the product! Also rest-assured because Gerard Cosmetics have a 30 day full refund policy if you are in any way unhappy with your purchase!
With that out of the way lets have a close look at "1995" :)
Gerard Cosetics say "Get inspired by the neutral nudes of the 90s with Jaclyn Hill's signature lipstick, 1995. Inspired by the 90s grunge revival and the beauty trends of an unforgettable decade, this iconic creation is a matte but creamy lip color that isn't trendy but a timeless expression of glam".
check out my YouTube videos! This one's on contouring/highlighting
There's no denying the shade 1995 is identical to that KJ 90's look... why is it identical? well because that's who it was inspired after and what it is designed to be! SO if you like that throwback 90's grunge look then what are you waiting for!! Jump on board the 90's train!! Choo-CHOO!!
Remember to save with coupon code 'Barry'!
Stop mixing magic con-concoctions trying to figure it out and go with an all round winner!! no need for extra products! One step to ThrowBack-90's-Everrryday :)
