All things Cocoa Brown, Event, New Products and Goodies!

This weekend I got the fantastic opportunity to attend another fabulous Cocoa Brown event. The #PassionPersistencePink event took place in the Shelbourne Hotel in Stephen's Green. I met up with the beautiful Amy from WhatSheDoesNow and we attended the event together. Check her out!

When we arrived we got to meet and get our photo's taken with Marissa Carter, Cocoa Brown's leading lady if you didn't know already, and the wonderful Julia Carta, world class hair and make up artist to the celeb's such as Britney Spears, Keira Knitghley, Orlando Bloom and many more! She is now Chief Make Up Designer on X- Factor since 2012 and has worked on BGT, Pop Idol and numerous TV and red carpet events. You can check out Julia and her work on her site, juliacarta.com.

😘 @julia_carta #passionpersistencepink #CocoaBrownAW15 pic.twitter.com/w63WB2iwna

— Marissa Carter (@CarterMarissa) September 28, 2015

After a quick meet and greet we took our seats in the great hall which was filled with big round tables, flowers, giant screens focused on the main stage and pink mood lighting. The ambience and design of the room was everything I expected from the Cocoa Brown girls.

The room when the lights went down! That pink glow ♥

Myself and the fab Amy (Left) from WhatSheDoesNow!

First up Marissa made a little speech and chatted for awhile, we had ombre lip demo's from three fabulous bloggers/make up artists, Rosie Connolly, AJ Make Up and Tara O'Farrell. Marissa also joined in the fun. Then we had a tontouring demo from Marissa who brought her gorgeous sister on stage as her model.

There were spot prizes galore! Every few minutes someone was getting a penny's voucher or we were looking for stickers on our chairs and cups to win something. The prizes/surprises were all very organised. Marissa was very excited and it was great to see her enjoying herself so much, she is a wonderful inspiration and a great speaker and had me laughing with tears at one stage.

The main reason everyone was super excited was for the reveal of the two new Cocoa Brown products! Just before we were treated to afternoon tea the CB girls gave out our swag bags, which we weren't allowed to peek into until Marissa revealed the products, which most of you know by now are two fabulous tanning gels available in Shimmer and Matte!

Our swag bags.

The cutest CB style Cupcakes!

 I will have a review on both up very soon but until then here's a sneak peek and all the details!

Available to pre-order NOW on cloud10beauty.com.

Available in all Cocoa Brown stockists 12th of October!

SWAG BAG CONTENTS

LEFT- Flormar Lippy/Liner- CENTRE- NEW CB MITT- RIGHT- REN 1 Min Facial

LEFT- COLAB Dry Shampoo- CENTRE- SoSu Polish- RIGHT- Wet De-tangle Brush

LEFT- Revo Lip Balm- CENTRE- Two Discounts- RIGHT- HASK shampoo/conditioner

After having a rummage through our swag bags and digging into our afternoon tea it was time for a quick Q&A with Marissa and the onto a make up master demo with Julia. Julia showed us some amazing beauty tips and tricks, fabulous products and answered questions, she was an absolute gem and I was in awe at her work. Watching her use such minimal products and brushes was fascinating and motivating.

The day was so well organised and so much fun, one of the best events I have been to in a very long time! 

I'm super excited to try the new products and will have a review very, very, very soon!!

Lots of love, 

Melody x

Miss Fit Skinny Tea- 14 day Teatox

Two weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and purchase myself a teatox. It had been something I wanted to try for awhile but after the infamous pill and teatox scandal at the beginning of the year, I was slightly put off. Finally I decided to research into a Miss Fit Skinny Tea, simply because I had seen so many raving reviews from fellow bloggers and slimming world members. 

I wanted to try something that would give me a boost but mainly help with my bloating. I took the weightloss as a bonus even though it's part of the package. 

The number one reason I chose Miss Fit Skinny Tea was their 100% natural ingredients. I'm not into the whole diet pill trend or supplement and finding something that was completely natural and hadn't got a laxative effect was my main goal. To top it all off Miss Fit Skinny Tea is completely Irish too which meant I didn't have to wait long for shipping. 

I choose to order the 14 day teatox package as this was my first time and I didn't want to purchase the full month just in case It didn't work for me, so it was somewhat a long haul trial for two weeks.

In total I spent €32 euro for the 14 day tea, strawberry infuser (which you need) and delivery, which to me wasn't a bad price. You also receive a meal plan but as I am in slimming world I stuck to my own plan. 

Week 1

I started on the Thursday it arrived. Each day I would have four cups split up. Day one I got a little bit over excited and had three cups in the space of an hour, which I felt might not have been the best choice but I learnt from my first error and began spacing the tea out. 

My first impressions were good, it wasn't overpowering taste wise and easy to drink.

The instructions were also easy to follow and on the back of the packaging is a quick step by step. I also loved the packaging the tea comes in. 

Teatox & Strawberry Infuser.

Week 1 my motivation was at a high, I had an okay weightloss in slimming world too, wasn't my best but it also wasn't the worst. 

I started noticing changes in my body after two days, especially with the bloating, my bloating went down completely. The tea also helps to suppress your appetite so it helps with the dreaded 'picking' that I tend to get when I'm hungry and see food, I had one bar of chocolate that week as a treat and even then I didn't really want it and usually I'd choose any chocolate over a meal. 

Week 2

At this point I was starting to notice a big difference, unfortunately I'm not that confident yet to show before and after photos, but I noticed my bloating was still gone and my body was looking more toned and in proportion, which is not something I had expected from a teatox. I couldn't put the toning down to exercise as I only worked out twice in the these two weeks since I was so busy. Shame on me!

Seeing the difference in my body even though the scales hadn't moved much gave me the motivation to aim for a big weightloss at my next weigh-in.

I must admit, I made a rookie mistake in my first week and didn't drink a lot of water which I think may have effected my SW results but week two I stuck to the four cups a day of my teatox and 1.5-2L of water a day. 

End Result

After my 14 day's my body shape changed, I was more toned, my energy levels had definitely increased and bloating was almost a thing of the past. Now, 14 days later, I feel less likely to pick up chocolate, I'm motivated and I got an okay weightloss.

The instagram photo's of before and afters I had seen were a reality for myself and it gave me a massive boost in my own body confidence.

I will have a before and after photo on my instagram over the next few days.

Would I buy Miss Fit Skinny Tea again? 

Yes I would! I hope to buy the 28 day package next possibly before Christmas if I need a boost or after Christmas to help with the damage that will be caused from the constant holiday parties and family fun. The taste was fine, it wasn't intense, I felt I could easily slip in the four cups of teatox into my daily routine. You can drink it hot or cold also which is a bonus if you're on the go. 

In total I lost 5 pounds over the course of drinking Miss Fit Skinny Tea and as I had been going up and down for the weeks prior to drink the teatox. I expect I would have lost more if I had stuck to the meal plan given to me but I stuck to my own SW plan and I'm happy with the results, even though the weightloss wasn't massive the difference in body shape was a surprising bonus.

Lots of love, 
Melody x

You can purchase Miss Fit Skinny Tea online at missfitskinnytea.ie.

Check out their product and extra's on their instagram at missfitskinnytea

Or contact them on their twitter at mfskinnytea

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Top Five Contour Budget Buys!

Every girl, guy, mother, aunt and even your pet probably know what contouring is by now. Over the past year this everyday make up essential (at least for myself) has blown up across the world. I blame the Kardashians and their over sharing of their perfect cheekbones. 

Of course contouring like a pro isn't easy but now all you have to do is Youtube 'Contouring' and you've got ton's of video's for beginners, everyday looks, cream contouring and the weirdest of the bunch, contouring like a clown. Yes you read right, clown contouring has become a thing. 

I myself can't go a day without contour, I like to think of myself as an Irish Kim K. Of course I'm kidding, my contouring skills will never be on the same level as the Kardashian's make up artists but a girl can try and with trying come's practice, blending and a good contour kit. 

I've compiled my top five contouring kits and compacts that are perfect for beginners and won't break the bank.

Sleek | Face Contour Kit

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Duo compact which comes in three shades, light, medium and dark. The contour itself is a matte finish which is perfect for every day wear and the highlight has a shimmer finish which will help catch the light and add more definition to your face. This duo is available in all boots retailers and online for €8.49. 

Perfect for your handbag.

Wet N Wild | Mega Glo Illuminating Powder

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This quad compact is perfect for every day wear. Spotlight Bronze is perfect to pop onto your cheeks for a quick contour fix. It is available if four quad compact shades, including a rose version for a pop of colour. Perfect for anyone in a rush or on the go. 

A list of stockist is available online.

Mega Glo is available to order online from the american site and is priced at $3.99 which is roughly €4.50.

Maybelline | Master Sculpt

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One of the latest contouring products on the beauty high-street, Maybelline have brought out a perfect contouring kit. This mini-kit is a three step process and has a built in guide engraved within the product. Not only having a mini guide, this compact also comes with a brush perfect for angling your contour. If you're a beginner and practising I would highly recommend this affordable compact as it comes with a brush already, has a step by step guide and is easy to match to your skin tone. It comes in two shade options, light-medium and medium-dark.

Master Sculpt is available in Boots nationwide and online for €9.99. 

Collection | Contour Kit

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Collection is known for its affordability and it is one of my favourite drugstore brands. Recently collection brought out a basics contour kit, which I have purchased and will be trying very soon. 

It's a duo compact and comes in one colour option as far as I am aware. Which I assume is perfect for building upon and finding an intensity that suits your skin tone. 

It's available in boots nationwide or superdrug and also online for €5.79.

Seventeen | Define and Conquer contour kit

Source

My go to contour kit of the moment, I purchased this beauty last month and have been using it ever since. It's a duo compact and comes with a mirror which is handy when you're out and about. 

It comes in two colour options, fair and medium and easy to build to an intensity you like. I use it for everyday natural wear and going out and find it perfect for both situations. Both powders are a matte finish and easy to blend. It also comes with a mini contouring guide which is perfect for beginners.

Available in boots nationwide or online for €8.49.

lots of love, 

Melody x

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Blogging Break, The future and Plans!

Hello again. It's been quite awhile since I've sat down to write a blog post and if I'm going to be honest, I'm terrified. Blogging was such a big part of my life over the past year and after this long break, I'm afraid people will think I'm a slacker or I have no drive, which is true in some sense. 

I lost motivation and passion over the past few weeks, not something I'm proud to admit but I'm sure fellow bloggers and people out there can connect on some level with losing your spark or flare for something. I got highly anxious about blog posts, over thinking every detail and soon enough I was too afraid to write anything, let alone post it. 

Over the past few weeks family and friends have been begging me to get back to doing the one thing I love most and I was actually kind of good at, and I kept putting it off not even logging on to my blog at all at some points, but finally I am back. I have had a long think, I've written a plan and I've finally felt good enough to admit my faults during my break and decided that I shouldn't care what others may like and may not like. Feedback is great and that's part of the deal but I need to learn how to take bad feedback and criticism and make it constructive.

I'm working on a new blog layout, which I postponed over the break but I am back to designs, logo's and maybe even a new URL in the pipe line but until then I will be back posting weekly. At the moment I'm aiming for two posts, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday and leave the weekend free for random or spontaneous posting, but for now the two set days of posting will be Tuesday and Thursday.

I am so glad to be back and I know it won't be easy as I'll be starting from scratch but nothing comes easy and hard work and dedication is key. 

So this Thursday I will have a brand new post and maybe some updates on the new layout. 

Thank you and stay fab! 

Love, 

Melody x