Ramble #1

Occasionally I like to share things I'm liking, in real life and on the interwebs... 

Introducing ramble numero uno. 

Because it's nice to share! :)

 I love the 60's vibe of this video. It's my new make up inspiration. Lashings of eyeliner, false lashes and nude/ pale pink lips. I think I'll be giving this look a go on my next night out! :) 

The song is pretty damn catchy too!

~~~~~

Florence and the Machine is probably my favourite band. 

I love Florence Welsh, she is a real icon in my eyes. I'm bored of flesh flashing pop stars that are everywhere. She always looks different and unique, with this Vogue shot being one of my favourite images of her.

link to picture

 Again, I love the vibe of this song... very Motown or something? 

I don't know, I just know everytime I hear her voice it genuinely gives me chills in the very best way.

I really recommend checking out her songs Seven Devils and Spectrum, if you haven't already heard them.

~~~~~

Leanne's recent post on her blog Thunder and Threads really struck a chord with me.

I have a fast metabolism, eating like a horse but burning off that food quite quickly. I frequently get comments about being a 'stick' and it can be a little insulting.
 I also agree with her on the 'real women' issue. 'Real women' can be slim too! This doesn't mean we are perfect, not by any means, but it's just a fact that people come in all shapes and sizes. 

~~~~~

I love Ladurée macaroons. I love how they look, smell, taste, everything! Unfortunetly they aren't stocked anywhere near me (sob) so I will just have to make do with this pretty picture!

link

~~~~~

And lastly, many of my friends have recently gotten puppies. As I live away from home, it really isn't practical for me to have a pet and my landlord certainly wouldn't thank me for getting one. 

A girl can dream however...

It's in a TEA CUP!

Aww!

~~~~~

New nails: OPI Tomorrow Never Dies and Essie Thigh High

I've often admired OPI from afar but never purchased, feeling 12euro was too expensive for a nail polish.

However, being a Bond fan (my favourites are Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig) the Skyfall collection caught my eye. The polishes are all named after Bond movies which is a nice touch.

Originally Skyfall and Casino Royale were my picks but in shop they just weren't for me.

I chose Tomorrow Never Dies, a deep purple with blue and red microshimmer.

It was so difficult to capture this on camera and the light wasn't on my side either, but honestly it's a case of what you see in the bottle is what you get on the nails. I don't think this polish is anything special in terms of shade but it's one I really like and that wore surprisingly well on me (3 chip free days).

The second nail product is Essie's Thigh High.
This is my perfect winter colour, a burgundy with red shimmer. Hinting at the festive season while remaining classy, well that's what I like to think!
It was opaque in one coat but I applied a second one for good measure.  It was 5 euro (! Essie polishes are usually 12euro) from a local hair and beauty shop. Doesn't everyone love a bargain? I'm also amused by the name :)

Essie Thigh High

I'm usually drawn to deeper colours in winter and I think these are perfect.

What are you wearing on your nails? Any recommendations? :)

Working Girl

The good thing about a job is that you make money.

The bad thing about a job is that when you get days off you blow all your hard earned money.

Oh dear.

First stop was Brown Thomas to pick up a MAC lipstick I had been lusting over. The Glamourdaze collection is currently out so of course I needed to check that out. I will post on the Mac haul later this week!

Then Boots to pick up some necessities....

Now I don't like Christmas (grinch I know) but I really recommend checking out their Christmas section for gifts for others and er, yourself! This Mango set was 13.00euro! Soap and Glory in particular have really excellent little bundles around the festive season. Also keep an eye on the Boots Star gifts which are better than half price off each week!

And finally it ended, as usual, in Penneys where a selection of winter wear was purchased. Including ear muffs. Are these cool or not?? I don't know but they sure keep my ears lovely and warm!

And now I'm going back to work...

Nicely nude

Brightly coloured lips are all well and good but somedays the 'no make up' make up look wins out.

As I mentioned here I find it quite difficult to wear nudes. Most wash my pale skin out, especially some of the raved about Mac favourites.

 I really like Catrice as a brand and with lipsticks around the 4-6 euro mark I decided to give Ultimate Colour lipstick in 190 The nuder the better a go. As you can see in the close up it has a slight pinky tone eliminating the chance of corpse like lips, yay!

 I think it's a beautiful shade and excellent value. It's really really moisturising too which a must for me, I wear this at work for a good 4/5 hous with no discomfort. I will definitely repurchase this lipstick and I'm looking forward to trying out more shades from this line!

'No make up' make up!

 I can't wait to pair this with a smoky look using my new Smoked Urban Decay palette :)

Monday Must Have: All hail Carmex!

I have spoken a few times about my dry lips and if you are friends with me in 'real life' you've probably heard me complaining about them.

I am a lipstick fiend owning in and around 45 lipsticks... I know... but beauty blogs are a safe place to admit these things :)

Therefore having moisturised lips is probably my number one beauty priority. I used Vaseline for years but I realised that while it protects lips from the elements, it's not very moisturising in itself.

Click for link to picture credit

I knew of Carmex but I don't know why I ignored the brand for so long!

Currently I own the pot, the tube and er, the balm stick. The tube is my favourite. I've already gone through 3!

It's magic and well worth the 3-4euro.

Winter wonderland

My favourite Yankee candle

Winter makes me want to bake

Fuzzy socks= Cosy toes

Starbucks hot chocolate.. Nom!

Snug but stylish

I absolutely HATE the changing clock. Dark, chilly evenings means winter is truly here. The horrible windy rainy weather doesn't help either.

However, this blog is all about the positives so these are some things I like about winter :)

                                     All pictures taken from weheartit.com/.

Nails of the day: Gosh holographic

Silver/rainbow qualities!

In the bottle this polish appears silver but when the light hits it, it changes colour giving a rainbow effect. It's quite the same on the nails. I have two coats of it on here and I'm pleased with the finish.

It's colour changing powers cheer me up no end on these terribly dark & dreary wintery evenings :)

Monday Must Have: Konjac sponge

This is actually my second Konjac sponge so technically this review is a bit late!

The blurb:
Taken from the page on Konjac sponges on beautyemporium.ie :
''Konjac sponges are the softest most gentle yet effective skin cleansing product on the market. Research has even proven in Japan, that Konjac sponges can deeply cleanse without damaging the skin better than any normal wash cloth (or even a sea sponge) that has been designed for washing. The Konjac Sponge Co use nothing other than pure natural products. Pure Konjac, Pure French Clays and Pure Charcoal from Bamboo. No Colouring and No Additives. Just straightforward, biodegradable and healthy plant with the addition of the natural mineral addition of French clay and charcoal in their “added minerals” range of sponges.''

This is the sponge with French Pink Clay for 'tired, devitalized, sensitive skin'. It 'deeply cleanses and freshes' and 'gently exfoliates skin'. When you get it in the post/shop it's hard so you have to allow it to soak up a lot of water until it becomes soft.

My thoughts:

• I don't cleanse in the morning but I like to give my face a quick wash using this and water.
• For one reason or another I seem to have to exfoliate quite often (2-3 times a week). I find the konjac sponge lessens the need for that. After a few days use, I see an improvement in the texture of my skin; it's softer, smoother and clearer.
• My moisturiser sinks into the skin so quickly after using this.
• I really like the fact that it's a natural product, sometimes chemicals can do more harm than good to sensitive skin. My skin doesn't feel irritated in the slightest by this sponge.

I got mine for 7.95e on beautyemporium.ie who I cannot recommend enough for their speedy delivery!

You're blushing!

After rediscovering my love for Bourjois' Little Round pot blusher, I have a renewed interest in all things blush. This means I need (ie.want) new blushers.

Sleek blushes are well known for being some of the most pigmented blushes on a budget. I already own Sleek's famous Rose Gold blush and I can safely say it is a very pigmented and lovely product.

It was decided. More Sleek was needed (ie. wanted) and consequently, ordered :)

Left Suede blush       Right Pixie pink

L-R Pixie pink, Suede, Rose gold

Pixie pink is a beautiful pale pink matte blush and looks really lovely on my pale skin (if I do say so myself!).

Suede is a peachy-tan colour (also matte), which to be honest I normally wouldn't go anywhere near. However it also looks really nice on pale skin, giving a healthy glow without looking  brown or dirty which is very important!! I also use this to softly contour my face.

Both colours look really natural and pretty, adding a lovely glow to the skin. I have a feeling I could be adding more to my collection.. most likely Coral or Pomegranate!

I ordered these blushes from beautyemporium.ie for 5.49 each.

Monday Must Have: Bourjois Nail Polish 1 seconde remover

New series to beat the Monday blues! Let me know if you like it :)

In everyone's beauty stash there are certain items that are Holy Grail or Must Have products.

Nail varnish being one of my favourite beauty items I have tried and tested many nail varnish removers. However, the task of removing it I absolutely detest. It's just so boring. And that's just regular nail varnish. Lately no matter how delightfully glittery the polish I just can't get to grips with removing it.

This is where this week's Monday Must Have comes in. Bourjois' 1 seconde nail polish remover is brilliant.
The idea is fantasic but simple, essentially it's a sponge soaked in nail varnish remover with a hole in the middle. You dip your finger in, swirl it a few times and tah-dah, the polish is all gone. It also smells ok, for nail varnish remover!

Now it doesn't remove glitter polish in the same way but it definitely weakens the hold those stubborn little glitter flecks have on my nails. Another round of nail varnish remover and away they go.

It doesn't work in a second but it's still a miracle worker that I'll repurchase again and again!

I bought this for 6.99 euro in Boots.

Outfit Of The Day

  

Outfit of the day posts are not my strong point. I need to get a) a tripod or b) someone to help me out and take the picture haha! 

However, here are some details of a recent OOTD.

 

Topshop jumper 64 euro

I usually would never spend this much on a jumper, of all things, but considering the cold winters in Ireland and the fact that Topshop were offering a 20% student discount I couldn't say no. It's really on trend with the military studs and khaki colour and it's super snuggly, a must in winter jumpers!

It also goes rather well with my ombré hair :)

I bought these earrings in Topshop too, they were originally 12.50 but they were discounted as well. I wore denim skinnies and black boots with the jumper so the neon adds a bit of colour to the casual outfit.

Neon green/yellow + Black skull

Pink nails

New RI purse

I've wanted a River Island purse for aaaages and this hot pink one is perfect. I can store all my cards/id's etc easily in it and because it's so bright, it's easily visible in my black handbag!

What have you been wearing lately? x

Pink in the Afternoon

 As much as I love loud pinks, purples and reds sometimes a more moderate colour is required, whether it's to pair with a smokey eye or simply to be work appropriate.

I find it very difficult to get a nude/light pink to suit me as with my dark hair and pale, pale skin most make me look half dead or like I have concealer lips on.

 I prefer to opt for a peachy pink which adds colour and life to my pale skin without being too in your face, in this case Revlon's Super Lustrous lipstick in 415 Pink in the Afternoon. I adore everything about this lipstick. It's a creme formulation which means it's hydrating enough for my parched lips, the colour suits me to a t and the packaging is super classy. Also the name makes me think of high tea in a fancy hotel or Downton Abbey (can't get enough of that show).

Left Pink in the Afternoon, middle Mac Love Nectar, right Love Nectar layered over Pink in the Afternoon

If I want extra oomph for night time, I simply add a gloss like Mac's Lustreglass in Love Nectar, a sheer peach/pink with gold microglitter. A word of warning though, your hair WILL stick to this. I only ever use it when my hair is safely pinned up and out of my face. The pretty and long lasting combination is worth it!

Life in pictures #1

New MAC with blue sky background

Beautiful view

Love Audrey Tatou

Sun in October!

Beauty/fashion packages :)

Currently reading....

Sneaky BT purchase

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Crush

With the runaway success of their lip butters Revlon have recently launched Just Bitten Kissable balm stains.
As someone who has ridiculously dry lips these new moisturings lip offerings are a god send.

Emma Stone is also the face of Revlon, really there is no better endorsement for me!

This balm/stain comes in a pencil form, looking pretty similar to Clinques Chubby Sticks. It's twistable so no pencil sharpener required. The colour Crush really appealed to me, it's autumn and I do love a berry lip.

The colour shows up as a burgundy shade on my lips. You can layer it on for a strong colour or sheer it out. It's not as shiny or as moisturising as the lip butters but still decent, especially for balm in pencil form. Wear time is good, about 6 hours on me. I topped it up with some carmex after about 4 hours for a little bit of shine but that's just a personal thing.

These are 11.99 and I'm thinking of picking up the shade Honey next!

Essence Cherry Blossom Girl eyeshadow quad

I cannot pass an essence stand without buying something. Fact.

So when perusing my local Essence stand I picked up this eyeshadow quad in 01 Dreaming under a cherry tree, because the colours looked interesting and well, it was 3.49. Seriously, what's to lose.

 I also love how Essence bring out new collections fairly regularly, just like some higher end brands. This is part of the Cherry Blossom Girl collection which is still about now if you'd like to pick this up! There is a lovely peachy/coral blush in this collection which I *may* have to return for...

Never having tried Essence's eyeshadows, I will admit that I thought it wouldn't be much good. 3.49 euros well spent though!

You do need a primer under these, I always use Urban Decay's primer potion in Original. The first colour in the quad can't be seen very well here but it's a off white-taupe colour.

The shades blend nicely together and create, in my opinion, the perfect autumnal eye. I'm always trying to bring out the green in my hazel coloured eyes and this really does that.

A friend complimented me on this last week and wouldn't believe it was Essence until I showed her the quad. Expensive looking eyeshadow on a budget, yes please!

September Favourites

I love these posts on other peoples blogs (don't we all like taking a sneaky peek into each others make up bags!) so here's my take on Septembers make up faves.

1)  Clarins 3 Dot liner in Black

I'm sure you've read a million reviews on this so I won't bore you with mine. It's quite lovely, pigmented and easy to use, especially for early mornings when I'm half asleep and liquid liner just seems like too much fuss. This is 24 euros.This is/was Limited Edition but I hear Bourjois have a similar offering for around 10 euros which I will certainly be picking up when this runs out.



2) Bourjois Blush in 54 Rose Frisson

 












I really am not a blush person. I own about 5 blushers and erm, 43 lipsticks.. it's clear where my passions truly lie. However, I've wanted a really pink blusher lately. Rooting through my stash at home I found this. I often find that Bourjois products seem to develop a skin of hard product on top when you haven't used them in a while so I scraped off the top layer.

WELL.

What a difference that made. This is a beautiful, well pigmented blush, perfect for a pop of pink on the cheeks.
Plus it smells yummy.
Yes, that does count.
I think these are about 9-10 euros.








3) Bourjois Volume Clubbing in Ultra Black
 Exactly what it says on the tin. Clump free and black, black, black. Perfect for nights out, my friend actually thought I was wearing false lashes.  If that isn't a stamp of approval I don't know what is!
I bought this on special offer for 9.99 euros but  I'm not sure of the original price.

4) The Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay
LOVE THIS. It's just divine, suitable for both day and night. The best 40 euros I ever spent. Urban Decay have really  improved the quality of their eyeshadows, these last forever on me with no fallout.

5) Revlon lip butter in Berry Smoothie
One of the best lip butters. I have 8 of these so I should know. Perfect autumn colour but I love it all year round. Definitely will repurchase.

So that's my September favourites. Let me know what you've been loving! :)