Hey everyone!

One of my biggest insecurities is the weight on my face and I just love how clever contouring can really make a difference in how I see myself making me feel more confident.

I am not ashamed to admit I have been through the mill when it comes to the racing strips that seems to end up on my face (not as much any more thank god). 

Creating the perfect contoured look became an obsession during and after studying make up. I over thought the layout, put way too much on, then not enough. I used the wrong colours!!!! Tell me I'm not on my own here! LOL. 

After a lot of YouTube videos and through blogging believe it or not, I eventually relaxed on the aul destruction path I was on and out of nowhere came effortlessly beautiful contouring...

Well better than before anyway :)

I realised that I was putting way too much pressure on myself to have cheekbones like the cool skinny girls. So I decided to start investing in good products that suited me! I bought some decent brushes to apply said products and the rest they say is history...

I prefer powders for contouring over creams as I just find powder easier to work with. My favourite powder by far comes from Make Up Forever. At €36.50 the Sculpting Kit is at the higher end of the price scale but you get a lot for your money. 

You get a contour colour and a highlighter (2 * 5.5g). Both powders are super pigmented so you only lightly run brush over product and then you still have to tap off the excess. There are 4 shades altogether to suit paler skin tones to Afro skin tones. I use the shade No. 2 and it looks great on. 

To highlight I like to use Charlotte Tilbury Re Toucher in Fair. I prefer to have a subtle but dewy highlight for every day wear and then more shimmers for a night out.

I use the same brush to contour and highlight from Irish brand Nima. This slanted contour kabuki brush is amazing. It is made from high grade Taklon (the exact same material as the real technique brushes) and retails at €18. It fits the contours of the face perfectly, is easy to keep clean and I have had this brush for over a year now and it is still going strong! Keep an eye out for a review soon! :)

Love Louise xxx

Hey everyone!

I have always wanted to take part in marathon so this year is going to be a good one!

As you are aware my husband sadly passed away in the care of St Francis Hospice on January 14th 2015. 

A few of us have decided to take part in this years event to honour Stephen's memory and to raise much needed funds for St Francis Hospice.

Follow us over the next few months while we train for the marathon. I will post pictures and some diary entries through the blog, Twitter @louisekavanagh and Instagram @strawberry_topics using the hash tag #walkforstephen.

I have set up a fundraising page called Walk For Stephen where you can donate any amount that you can afford to help the cause. 

Looking forward to updating you all soon!

Love Louise xxx

If you want to read more about Stephen and his journey then follow the links below:

 

Part 1 http://strawberrytopics.blogspot.ie/2014/11/dusting-cobwebs-off-my-laptop-for-update.html

Part 2 http://strawberrytopics.blogspot.ie/2015/02/life-update-follow-on-from-post.html 

This product won a SPA Diamond Award 2013. The award was based on the scientific research around preventative measures to protect younger skin,

 Pro Youthing is aimed at all ages but specifically useful for 25-30+ years as a modern anti ageing cream. 

It basically protects individual cells so that they can repair themselves without any hassle. You know how the older you get the less your skin wants to play ball? Like losing elasticity.. Well it helps to slow that part down.

What's in it?

Cell Protection 

(Magnolia Extract, Juvinity, Phyto stem cells and Ectoine )

Smooths wrinkles, Nourishes skin and makes more supple

SRC Complex

Vitamin E

Macadamia Oil

No retail price yet in Ireland but definitely one to watch...!

This is so cool! The fluid is separated within the bottle into two sides. Serum on one side, cream on the other. With all the best from the ocean in between. 

Sea water, Algae, SRC Complex are some key Ingredients.

I wont go into any more details but ask your stockist for launch dates and prices as this will be launched very soon! 

Declaré have a great range of men's products available right now from shaving to aftershave, moisture care, anti-wrinkle care, body care and fragrances.

These products were made with men in mind so have more active ingredients to allow the products to permeate the skin. 

As we all know the Irish man has recently awoken from a long hibernation and we are now living amongst the most fashion and health concious species around.. 

Long gone are the days of not cleaning under finger nails as it was a sign of weakness! We now have men asking for perms! So why not encourage your man to invest in some skin care. 

Gift sets will be launched in May in time for Fathers Day... (You didn't hear that from me!)

Hey everyone,

Last week I received an invitation to attend a master class with my favourite Make Up Artist and Yves Saint Laurent's very own Fred Letailleur. Fred is on Twitter! 
Fred has created timeless looks on the faces of many beautiful stars like Cara Delevigne and more recently little old me!
The class was to celebrate YSL's False Lash Mascara's 15th anniversary and to launch the brand new Couture Variation Palette and eye primers that everyone has been talking about. Shhh... The mascara has been remastered and refreshed for the day that's in it you know!


I jumped at the chance to allow Fred to recreate Cara's look on me. I couldn't get over how simple it was to recreate the look and how well it suited me!! I've an inner rock chick hidden in there somewhere!! You will get to meet her soon as I want to take some pictures of the recreated look once I get around to it.. :)

Now for the part you were actually waiting for!

YSL Couture Variation 10- Colour Eye Palette

10 Shades ranging from Light to Dark. There are 7 frost colours and 3 matte. The palette has been made to such a high standard. In my opinion the quality of the pigments would match or better the Urban Decay palettes. Retails at €58 and worth every cent! 

Before I forget, the brush that comes with the palette is a keeper! Fred used the brush from the palette to blend out the crease and wow.... Just remember I told you so!

Also exclusively at Debenhans you can pick up the Colour Variation Tuxedo Palette 2! Click here for more information.

The primers come in two shades- 1 Fair and 2 Medium. 

Fred used shade 1and 2 to contour the eye socket and act as a base to eye shadow. These primers are so versatile, you can even use it as a cream highlight!

I took home the second shade and have used it along with the palette to create some beautiful long lasting looks! Yes it really does help the shadow stay in place and NO there is no creasing!

(I am proud to say after 15 hours wearing today's make up!) Primer retails at €28.

This mascara as you know is the big 1-5! YSL reformulated the mascara to give it a little lift. I love seeing new life and love put into old products. It really shows a brands commitment to a product! More power to them! 

I love this mascara. Some mascaras are just not worth the hype. I am happy to say that this one is and then some. It gave my lashes a beautiful thick coating and even my bottom lashes got to see some action. Mascara retails at €32.50.

Will you be investing in a palette?

Volumpte Tint - In - Oil

Since the event I have gone back to YSL to pick up their new TINT IN OIL gloss NO:4 which is the same one used on Cara at the shoot. I am not normally a fan of glosses but Jesus this is amazing.
It is not drying on the lips, is packed with colour and it is moisturising too! There are 8 shades altogether and smell like juicy mangoes! Devine! The Tint In Oil glosses retail at €27.

FYI - The pictures below show:The pay off on the lips after 2-3 coats, Second picture shows me putting on the gloss..(No wands were harmed/eaten during the photoshoot! :D) and the third shows the gloss with one coat. No filters or photo shop, just great lighting for the most part!  I aint a model let me tell ya!!!!



See you next time,

Love Louise xxxx

Hey everyone

Welcome back to Day 2 of my week long Declaré series. If you missed yesterday post click here to catch up,


Today will be a little about the Stress Balance range and my favourite product from that line.


When Elka tested my skin she was able to see dryness in areas on my face and décolletage.
Dryness and redness are commonly found when your body is stressed or when your skin encounters the likes of pollution, weather changes, air conditioning or central heating..
We all know I have had enough stress to age me by 20 years with Stephen's illness so I was not surprised to hear Elka talk about this.

It was recommended I start using an Anti Irritation Serum. Elka called this a firefighter for redness! :D

This serum helps reduce the visible signs of redness and fatigue quickly. Behind the scenes it stabilises skin's protection barrier by refilling lost water way beneath the skin. It is also suitable for all skin types.
Key properties include Declaré's award wining SRC complex, Hyaluronic acid and plant extracts.

The serum comes in a beautiful 50 ml glass bottle with a clever twist able lid and retails at E59.50 . A dropper dispenses the serum onto the hand. You use this after cleansing and before moisturising morning and evening. Another good thing is you can bring it on the plane if travelling....!! Yay for me as I have been back and forward to Scotland alot recently!

There is a lovely scent from the serum as with all the products in the range. I got a hint of like sweet perfume but rest assured if there was anything to irritate the skin I would know by now..
It glides onto your skin and it soaks right in. I like how it is not oily and doesn't leave any residue on skin.

I have been using the serum for the last few days and I have actually noticed a small difference with the redness and my skin sure feels plumper, hydrated and smooth so I'm happy with that for now!
I would definitely recommend this serum and I will be repurchasing.



Come back tomorrow for the next instalment in the Declaré series,

Louise xxx

Body Care

Below are just a few reasons why I really like them. I'll also throw in some pictures of the event for the craic and by the end you should be up to speed. 

I have sensitive skin. I have suffered with contact dermatitis for years and break into a rash when certain chemicals come near me. I really struggle to find a decent hard working hand cream. For example, The Neutrogena one makes my hands unbearably itchy and I refuse to walk around with a tub of aqueous cream. It's just so unfair!

This brand is what I have been searching for. Really. 

I just love the fact the this brand is loved and owned by a family. The founder Mr Karl Troll is still hugely involved with the company. The daughter Barbara Troll who I was lucky enough to meet at the event is such a gorgeous and friendly woman that I couldn't help but instantly like her.

The company have won Spa Diamond awards for innovation in both 2013 and 2014.

Also the passion they have for the brand is so clear. They truly are product and skin care experts.

Barbara's colleague Elka performed a skin test on the day using this nifty gadget that magnified the image by 50 times to see if there was any sign of dryness or stress. The test showed that I had some dryness but as a whole my skin was thankfully even so no wrinkles just yet...

From that Elka recommended some products that I have been trying out for the last few days. I will give my verdict during the week. :)

*Disclaimer* I was not paid to write this post and as usual all opinions are my own. I am just delighted to have found the range and wanted to share with you all. 

I was gifted some products at the event that I will write about in later posts.

We drove from Dublin to Scotland for the last epic road trip. Stephen is car mad. He used to regale me of (the same) stories of his first epic road trip around the Ring of Kerry and how it made him feel alive. He also loves Scotland, we both do! Edinburgh is our favourite city after Dublin of course. It made sense to us to allow him one last trip to Scotland and as we couldn't fly we chose to drive. 

We drove to Belfast first and took Stena Line ferry to Cairnryan, Scotland. I haven't been on a boat in years so I was bowled over with how much you can do regarding activities. We paid a little extra to access the Stena Club Lounge and that in itself was unreal. Free drinks, snacks, free wifi, free use of iMacs, areas to sleep and of course the best view from the ship. Coming home we booked a suite and slept the whole way from Cairnryan to Belfast.

Stephen  drove as far as Glasgow and I took over for the last leg of journey to Fife. It took 9 hours to get over including breaks and traffic stops. We surprised my sister by knocking on her front door. 

Whilst over there we didn't sit around. We took in the sights of St Andrews. Anstruther, Dundee, Kirkaldy promenade and Edinburgh City Centre. It was amazing to see Scotland in the luxury of our own car! 

Stephen, his family, Gemma and myself wrapped up
and got into the cars for a trip to Newgrange. Stephen and I got to take in the visitor centre months earlier but never actually got to see the tombs. That was definately worth the trip, We all had a great time and Stephen got to spend much needed time with his family.

We went to dinner in so many places and had waaaayyyy too many take aways. I wanted to make sure he ate so why not have all his favourite foods..

We went to the Guinness Storehouse on a day trip. Best experience of our lives. Then there was the Pet Expo with the dogs. I forgot about these until I went rooting for pictures!

It was all Stephen wanted. To be well enough to spend Christmas and New Years with us all. We went to Beaumont House on Christmas Eve with all his pals. It was such a fun night and we all made some lovely memories.

We went a bit mad buying gifts for everyone. We got picture mugs, photo calendars and gifts made by SnapFish.com. (If you are looking for original gifts they are the cheapest I found online).

Christmas day was lovely. We brought Loki visiting family, Stephen bought him a Santa costume and tried to pass it off as my purchase but you could clearly see besotted Daddy was giving himself away when showing off the dog!! 

 We went to mass in the morning in Whitehall Church which was fabulous and dinner in his parents by late afternoon. 

Stephen spent St Stephen's Day with his parents while I went to mine. 

New Years was another family occasion. I brought out the new Canon Stephen bought for me for Christmas and we took some great pictures for memories.

I still cannot get over the fact he lasted 14 days into January. In those two weeks he was great. No pain, off the oxygen, breathing as well as expected for someone with bad lungs. We went for a couples massage on the Friday before he died and on the Saturday we went for dinner on the Cill Áirne on the Liffey. Quay 16 restaurant. It was on Stephens' bucket list to have dinner there. I am so glad we got around to going as it is one memory of the last few days of his life that I can think of without anxiety. I remember he said to me " This is one of the best nights of my life. Beautiful food, Beautiful company. I am happy.". Big smile on his face as he ate his meal of Sea Bass.

Sunday was when it all kicked off.I surprised him with a Subway but he didn't look himself.

By that night he took very ill. It is hard to write so I will keep this part brief.

I slept 4-5 hours in total over the last few days of his life. We decided it was best to bring him into hospice on the Monday evening. He was brought in on Tuesday afternoon even though he felt better, He needed a rest as did I. 

The next morning I left him with a friend while I went out to take care of business and it was while I was in the bank I got the call that he was gone. 

I don't want to depress myself or anyone just now by going into details but basically the next few days were spent arranging the fun-eral as Stephen wanted it to be called! He is such an easy going person. We spent weeks talking about what he wanted to make sure that if he hadn't checked into Heaven in time that he would have an idea of how the day was going! He chose our clothes for the day and his song was IZ Somewhere over the rainbow. I made sure to have a HUSBAND flower arrangement for the hearse. Those bad boys are expensive by the way!

The day of the fun-eral is a blur. I just remember I didn't feel sad at all. I felt like Stephen was sitting beside me and it was just like the Wedding Day. I'm sure people wondered what I was smiling at but I was having full conversations in my head talking to Stephen about how nice the ceremony was,

He had FIVE priests celebrate the mass and the church was packed, There had to have been at least 300+ guests. I got up on the Altar as Stephen asked and I gave him a great send off - I spoke about our life together and how he made me so happy. I also spoke about his wishes and his love for Loki and everyone. 

My biggest fear was being alone. I have to say I don't feel alone. I believe in after life and that Stephen is still with me and always will be. The anxiety and fear of loss is worse than the actual event, Stephen is pushing me to carry on and that is why I am investing so much energy into putting my blog back to the fore front. I have so much creative energy just now so want to focus it somewhere, 

I've just realised that I have written so much here, I'm sorry if I have bored the arse off you with this essay so I will wrap this up. 

I will continue to talk about Stephen and our life as a sort of therapy. In time I may be able to offer some help to others that need it so feel it will be beneficial to document my feelings from time to time. 

Thanks for reading, I appreciate each and every prayer sent our way.

Next post will be a positive one! Swearzies!!!! 

Love Louise, xxxx

 Check out The Irish Cancer Society Website if you want more information or support.

Shave or Dye or OHMY is looking for support. Get Involved!

St Francis Hospice relies on donations from public to keep the doors open for people like Stephen. Follow the link to donate. Or you can volunteer at the hospice. Check the website for details.