The third annual Irish Beauty Blog Awards took place in Lillies Bordello, Dublin last night. If you follow my social media you’ll know that over the last few weeks I had been canvassing for your votes. Holy Chic was nominated in four categories, making it to the shortlist in all of them. The finalists were announced last week and I was absolutely thrilled to have made it a step further in two of the four categories – Best Design Blog and Overall Blog of the Week. Last year I got as far as the longlist but it was a different kettle of fish to be in the finals. I got my glad rags on and set off to Dublin, nervous but totally excited.
Outfit Details
So many of my blogger friends were also nominated so I was looking forward to a fun night with them. Planning the outfit came first though. As usual with me, it was a last minute job. Thank goodness for Place in Gorey though. The eclectic boutique is on Esmonde Street and has stunning collection of unique designs. The dress I bought was actually the first one that tried on, (isn’t that always the way!) For my shape, it ticked all the boxes. I loved the off-the-shoulder cocktail style and although the print isn’t what I’d usually go for, I liked that it was outside of my comfort zone!
The Kyoto knee dress is by the label Kevan Jon and featured a full length zip at the back. It was so comfortable and easy to move in. I had it taken up to the knee as it was a little long for me. The hem of midi dresses should always finish at the dimple in your knee. It’s the slimmest part of the leg and makes you look taller and your legs slimmer. Little adjustments to a dress can really make a huge difference.
My Best Shoe Find of the Year!
In my mind I wanted to pair it with a gold or rose gold shoe but I couldn’t find the right pair for the life of me! Anything in the shops at the moment was too shiny or looked cheap. I travelled the county and even to Waterford in search of ‘the’ shoes. In the end, the shoes were on my doorstep! I went in a different direction all together and bought these faux-suede shoes in Shoe Rack, Wexford.
Shoe Rack Dupe
They are identical to the Alaïa studded suede sandals, (below). You may recognise them from Pippa O’Connor’s Snapchat story as she recently treated herself to a pair of the designer shoes. They retail for €880 online but my dupe was just €45!!
The Shoe Rack pair are actually a t-bar style shoe but I cut out the middle piece. I felt that the shoes were too busy for the dress as they were and the t-bar style made me look shorter. So when I redesigned them, they looked much better and could be mistaken for the real Alaïa’s which is always a plus 😋
Finer Details
I finished the look with a little clutch bag from River Island and drop earrings from Topshop. I’ve had both of them for years now. Accessories like that are timeless and you can pull on them time and time again.
Danielle and I – Stardust Belle
What I Wore
Dress // Kevan Jon at Place Boutique // €217
Shoes // Shoe Rack // €45
My Best Kept Glam Secret… Till Now!
Now, I’m going to let you in on a secret and I could be sorry about this because she’ll be booked up for weeks! Hair is the one thing I can’t do myself. I have such thick hair that my DIY styles consist of straight or Hun Bun! So whenever I have an event or special occasion, I leave my hair in the capable hands of Olivia at Karl Martins Studio in Enniscorthy.
Olivia is an absolute genius when it comes to styling and up dos! For the awards she created a stunning braided upstyle with curls pinned into a low bun at the back. I absolutely loved it and it got so many compliments all night long. It was up and out of my way which I wanted because the heat in Lillies was something else! It didn’t budge for the night, (well to be honest, it’s still up as I write this!!) and was a weight off my shoulders, literally!
I can’t recommend Olivia enough, you can see more of the up styles she has done in my hair here. she’s an amazing hairdresser, as are the whole team at Karl Martins Studio in Enniscorthy. You’ll find them on Facebook here.
Make Up Details
I decided to get my make up done in Dublin and last minute, I got an appointment in Inglot on South Anne Street. Ashleigh was the make up artist who looked after me in the Pro Store. She created a fabulous look – brown smokey eyes with a pop of golden shimmer, flawless skin and a pinky nude lip. It was more like natural glam, not OTT, which was exactly what I wanted. I allowed the dress to stand out instead. She used all Inglot products including the YSM and HD foundations applied with the 4SS brush, 77 gel liner, 30N lashes and the Peach Corrective Primer.
The tan I wore was the Bellamianta Rapid Mousse on my legs and their Medium Tinted Lotion on my upper body. You can read my review of the Bellamianta tans here. I topped it off with their Shimmering Dry Body Oil on my shins and collarbones for a gorgeous glow.
Irish Beauty Blog Awards
The traffic in Dublin City was just crazy!! I was stuck in stand still traffic getting out to my friends house to change after my make up appointment and there wasn’t a taxi to be found to get back in to town for the awards either! That meant that we arrived to Lillies much later than we had hoped, but just in time for the awards to start. Like last year, I attended with my best friend Chloe. Her blog is It’s A Clo Thing was also a finalist in two categories on the night and it was great to share the experience with my bestie. James Patrice was the MC for the night and they flew through the 13 categories.
Chloe and I – It’s a Clo Thing
Danielle, Carly and I – Stardust Belle and Live Lavishly
THANK YOU!
Holy Chic didn’t win any awards unfortunately but I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every single person that took the time to vote for me. Out of hundreds of blogs that were nominated, Holy Chic was up there in the finals with the likes of SoSueMe.ie, Pippa.ie, and Rosie Connolly. These women have inspired me endlessly in my blogging journey. If there’s anything that I’ve learned from the night, was the huge amount of support that Holy Chic has.
Jade Mullett Pro MUA and I
Sometimes I write blog posts or I chat on Snapchat and think to myself, who the hell is even watching this?! Are people even reading this?! But over the last week especially, I’ve received the kindest messages of support from people that are actually at the other side of the computer or phone. I would write my blog posts whether there was just one or one thousand people reading them, it’s become my favourite hobby. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people that voted and messaged me, your support will not be forgotten. We did this! Thank you so so much!!
Sinead and I – Sinead De Blogger
Sarah and I – Absolute Gibberish
Celebrating Irish Talent
Congratulations to all of the winners last night. There is such a strong pool of talent in the Irish blogging industry so it was just a brilliant opportunity to chat with like minded people and enjoy a gin with the friends I’ve made since launching Holy Chic.
Chatting to Noelle O’Connor, the owner of Tan Organic and the woman responsible for the Irish Beauty Blog Awards, we agreed that the night wouldn’t be possible without the amazing sponsors. They sponsored each category and the goodie bags, as well as having stalls set up in Lillies on the night. I won’t list them all here as I’d be afraid to miss one, so this is a collective Thank You to each and every one of them!
Dean and I – Mr Indumentum
Gary and I – Hair by Gary PM
That’s a wrap for another year, and who knows, maybe next year?! I’m honoured to have gotten so far in the Irish Beauty Blog Awards and thank you all so much, one final time, for all of the votes and support.
