Welcome to my first ever blogblogbloggityblogblog!🤪

Well hello there and welcome to my first blog post!

I am super excited to finally share my beauty blog with you all.

I have been working away in the background for some time now to create this dedicated space so that I can share everything I’ve learned and continue to learn about makeup and beauty.

If you have followed me on socials (Instagram/Facebook) for any length of time, you’ll know I have an extreme passion for makeup and beauty products and for sharing why I love them and how they work/behave on the skin. I love to do this through video tutorials and informational posts.

I have always loved learning about skincare and makeup.

I started out in the beauty industry as a nail technician, training in Ireland in 2002/03 and then later in the UK, furthering my knowledge and skills.

I had my beautiful son in 2007 and shortly afterwards, I moved to the UK. I took a looooong break from all things beauty to concentrate on our little family, all the while living away from every family member we had, but that’s a story for another day!

When my son started nursery, I felt it was time I did something I enjoyed, just for me. As I had already trained as a nail technician, I decided to refresh, and add to, my skills and I trained in luxury manicure and pedicure. I then trained with CND Shellac, which was THEE gel polish brand to use at the time.

After some time offering this as a service, I wanted to add to my treatment menu and decided to train in spray tanning. I trained with Vita Liberata, an Irish brand (and one of the best tans, in my opinion!). I particularly loved the fact that it was an organic tan and one of it's kind at that time. My clients loved it too!

I also trained with Nouveau, offering their LVL Lash Lift treatment.

I am also trained in Waxperts waxing, another amazing Irish brand and to this day, it’s the only wax I’ll use on my body. It’s THAT GOOD!

After some years, I solely offered gel nails and spray tanning and loved every minute of it. However, I was getting restless, as throughout the years, I knew makeup was calling to me. I just never had the confidence to pursue it until one day a friend told me she wanted to train in makeup. I almost leapt off of the chair with the excitement of it!! ‘Oh My God, I’ll do it with you’ I said, already feeling the confidence from having a pal on the journey with me!

We were SO lucky to have found an amazing Irish MUA and teacher, here in Scotland, at LuxLyk - The Hair & Makeup Company.

I remember leaving my first lesson buzzing! I couldn’t wait for the next one. I couldn’t WAIT to buy actual makeup for my kit and actual makeup brushes!!! My confidence gradually built week by week and here I am, a few years later, offering makeup applications as a service!

It wasn’t long after this, that I realised a lot of my clients really didn’t know where to start when it came to applying their own makeup. I began sharing tips and tricks with them at their makeup appointments and I always received lovely messages from them afterwards, telling me how these tips had helped them become more confident applying their own makeup.

I now share these tips and tricks, along with product reviews, swatches, how-to videos etc. on my Instagram and I love sharing them and hearing feedback from lovely ladies who find them helpful.

Although Instagram is a great place for quick reels and short video posts, I wanted more space to give more detailed reviews and easy to follow how-to’s; somewhere where I can chat about my current favourite products in more detail.

I plan on sharing weekly blog posts, focusing on products I think you’ll love and why.

My first product-focused post is an amazing product that I have been using for a few years, for sensitive, redness-prone skin and will be particularly beneficial to those of you who have Rosacea.

Keep your eye out for it, it’s a good one!

Love,

Antoinette x