Annette O'Brien : 2014

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Aghadoe Heights - celebrate with us...

Christmas is definitely here - the lights are sparkling, there's a chill in the air and I even met the main man this weekend!

I was invited to celebrate the beginning of Christmas at The Spa at Aghadoe Heights Hotel and what a night it was.

For the lady who has everything...

The lady who has everything can be hard to shop for at Christmas. But I have an idea for you - whether it be for your bestie, your Sister or that special person in your life... take a trip to the gorgeous Hayfield Manor in Cork City.

A very good friend of mine, Ciara, gave me a voucher recently for afternoon tea & spa treatments at this gorgeous hotel. While I was there I was counting the amount of friends who would love this for a gift! You are in a 5 star hotel, ideally situated in the center of the city but feels like you are in the countryside.

Christmas offer

Have you checked out our Christmas special at Le Beau Beauty Salon?

A perfect treatment to get you prepped for the busy, holiday season ahead.

Shellac (Colour) + Eyebrow Wax + Eyebrow Tint + Eyelash Tint for just €40!

Call the salon on 026 65049 to book in.

Available for the full month of December. Add €5 extra for French Shellac.

Today's a good hair day

I have longed for full, luscious locks for a long time. Even though my hair is long it is so fine. I never thought about getting hair extensions as two things came to mind - the horrible, fake-hair-look where you can see bald patches and the bonds stuck to the hair and secondly the amount of damage they do to your natural hair.

I heard about Great Lengths Hair Extensions from magazines and instagram pic's from celeb's and they all had beautiful, volumised full looking hair. So I did a bit of research...

Great Lengths Hair Extensions are 100% human hair which is sourced in India during Hindu rituals. Women & Men's hair is voluntarily sacrificed and donated to Temples.

Great Lengths commit to ensuring all hair is sourced ethically and willingly and that a fair price is paid.

The hair is shipped to Italy where it starts the cleansing process and is sewn to cloths to ensure it stays in the right direction.

It is placed in baths to gently take out the natural pigment and then coloured through a process called osmosis. Finishing off, they 'hackle' hair by hand with a giant brush to remove tangles.

It is then shipped off to the salon!

Winter chills

With the cold nip in the air this week it's time to protect and re hydrate our skin. Even though all the Vitamin D during the Summer was great for our bodies, it's not so great for our skin (boo hoo).

Here are a few of my favourite products to start our Winter routine to nourish our skin again.

To banish all that old, dry, flaky skin on our bodies try Jo Malone Vitamin E Treatment Scrub - it smells divine. More on the pricey side but a little goes a long way. The best body scrub I have EVER used. It also leaves a gorgeous, luxurious oil residue on the skin to help moisturise all those dry patches.

Makeup, hair & fashion inspiration for you x

Some weekend inspiration for you...

All images from Pinterest - follow me HERE

Have a good one X

That time of year again

So cute X

Alfaparf Hair Awards

Yesterday I was working on a team for the Alfaparf Fantastic Hair Awards in The Hilton, Dublin. Big congrats to both Cathriona & Maire from Cathriona's Hair Salon Castlegregory who came in the top 10 of all their categories. And Cathriona who won second place in the Upstyle category - fantastic!

Here are the looks and product list for each -

Model: Robyn

Hairstylist: Cathriona

MUA: Annette - website here

Yes CHEF!

As you know I blog quite a lot about all things beauty & makeup but sometimes I want to share things that you will definitely want to go/see/do. Last night I attended a Cooking Master Class and here's how it went...

I was invited by Head Chef of The Riverside Hotel Killarney, Cyrille Durand to come and join 10 others for a fun night cooking at his kitchen. I called a friend of mine, Aine and we started the night off at 6pm for some pre drinks at the bar in The Riverside.

Oh Me, Oh My, on a Sunday

Sunday's, in my diary are a relaxing day or a day to catch up with friends. I had arranged to meet my friend Helena last Sunday for a workshop that we had booked weeks ago and Oh My were we blown away...

Last month I had spotted this workshop on Facebook, held in Cork and exactly the kind of thing I'd enjoy. "Oh Me, Oh My DIY" is the creation of three fabulous and creative ladies, Cathy, Jill and Leona. I knew we were in good hands. Cathy runs Turquoise Flamingo, an online shop and loves everything vintage, Leona loves fashion (check out her Instagram here) and is normally found styling or rocking the mic at events and Jill a lady who knows everything to know about floristry plus she runs her own shop Wild Floral Couture. And what's more, these are the three ladies behind Cork's magnificent Le Chat Noir Events - need I say anymore?

New Brow Bar at Penneys

Penney's new beauty bar opened today in their flagship store on Mary Street, Dublin. Love Beauty by Monika Mohindra is now available for brow and nail appointments. Has anyone been there today?? I'm dying to see what it's like. Here is the list of their treatments and prices. They are opening in Penneys across the UK and Ireland over the next few months.

A x

Fashion Week - London

Wow! A totally different fashion week in both hair and makeup. We saw a very muted look throughout New York - now have a look at London...

Fashion Week Time - New York

I have spent the last few days checking New York Fashion Week coverage on Instagram (follow me HERE) and fashion blogs. Of course to see the trends, but also the hair and makeup for SS15. Have a look at a few of my favourite picks from so many images. Both hair & makeup quite neutral on most shows with a few different eyeliner techniques.

Makeup by Stila Cosmetics for Trina Turk - "Pop art flower mart" beauty inspiration.

The EASY Flawless Finish

Want a routine for fresh, luminous skin but don't have the time in the morning?

Follow 3 simple steps with these skin perfecting products that provide a silky, smooth and radiant finish.

Firstly make sure your skin is prepped by using an exfoliator and a moisturiser.

1. MAC Prep and Prime CC Colour Correcting SPF30

2. MAC Studio Face & Body Foundation

3. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Lightscapade

Ta Daaaa! So Simple

A x

ESPA at The Europe Hotel, Killarney

I am so lucky to have so many gorgeous hotels & spa's on my doorstep in Kerry. Yesterday I took a trip to the magnificent Europe Hotel & Resort with my Sister. And what a day it was!

Weekend inspiration

Heading out this weekend? I think we are all used of doing the same makeup routine for our nights out - let's face it, we don't have the time to ponder about trying new makeup ideas when dashing out on a Saturday night. Well this weekend will be different! Have a look at a few images below for some inspiration. The first few are so straight forward and make sure you give yourself just an extra 15 mins to do your makeup!

Now have a look at these makeup ideas which are a little more difficult and take longer but are so worth it when complete.

If you are not confident with eye makeup why not try a pop of colour on your lips. everyone gets away with this during the summer especially when we have caught a few sun rays. My faves are 1. Chatterbox, 2. Costa Chic, 3. Girl About Town & 4. Snob all by MAC. And red is always a classic colour, Rita Ora does it best! try MAC Russian Red.

For those who are feeling very adventurous check out my contour & highlight step-by-step here - you'll enjoy it! Kim Kardashian eat your heart out!

All images are from Pinterest, a site I often go to for some inspiration. Beautiful images there.

Happy weekend, A x

A lovely day with Miriam x

Was delighted to have my first ever RTE GUIDE cover photo shoot a few weeks back with the fabulous Miriam O'Callaghan. We spent a Monday afternoon strolling around sunny Dingle town and Fungie even made an appearance to see Miriam!

Beautiful day with a beautiful team.

Photographer: Mark Reedy

Stylist: Roxanne Parker

Director: Janice Butler - RTE Guide

Makeup by moi

Hair: Cathriona Rohan & Grace Comerford

So what are we wearing on our skin??

Pink isn't just a colour...

Morning everyone,

I'm feeling like some colour today and have chosen one of my fave's - Mac Chatterbox. Lined the lips with Hip N'Happy lip pencil and loaded Chatterbox straight on.

Pink isn't just a colour.....it's an attitude!! Happy Wednesday!

A x

Beautiful brides

I have decided to show you a selection of this years (so far!) brides. I loved spending every minute with them on the morning of their wedding.
So lucky to have this job!