2015.

New Years is probably one of my favourite festivals. After all, who doesn't like a fresh start?
For the last few years I've avoided making resolutions, thinking that life was too hectic to actually follow through.

2015, bring it.

1. Get back into blogging and blog once a week.
I enjoy blogging. However, I let myself feel overwhelmed by all the other, bigger bloggers I looked up to and wondered why anyone would want to read my rambles. Now I'm just blogging for myself. If anyone wants to have a read that's a bonus.

2. Complete the 50 books challenge.
I'm a complete book worm and this year I joined Goodreads. Best idea ever! It really opened my mind to new authors and even new genres that I'd never considered before. I'm hoping this challenge will keep me on a roll!

3. Complete the couch to 5k programme.
Sadly I do not have a natural love for exercise. Sure, I love the endorphin rush and the smug self satisfied feeling I get after I do it but I find it pretty hard to motivate myself to actually start exercising. Please help me Couch to 5 k.

4. Travel to at least 2 new countries this year.
Self explanatory.

5. Make a real effort to keep my room tidy by tidying it for 20 minutes a day.
This is an incredibly childish resolution, I know. I ,somehow, create mess wherever I go. My room gets the worst of it. I recently did a massive clearout so this resolution is to keep me on track!

6. Wear lipstick every time I leave my house.
Another weird one. I own about 54 lipsticks. Seriously. I need to actually use them.

7. Save 30e a month.
I'm a disaster for spending money. I am (kind of) a grown up now. Grown ups save. I figure this number isn't so small as to be insignificant but not big enough to keep me from livin' mah life. Which leads on to the next resoltuion nicely....

8. Get out more. At least once a month!
This is the only resolution that I find it hard to express in concrete terms. Point is, I've become a bit of a hermit. I started this resolution off well by going to the New Year's Festival in Dublin and ringing in 2015 with Kodaline and I'd like to keep on doing fun things like that. Seeing Dylan Moran in Belfast, watching a play and a musical and going to visit the Father Ted house is wrapped up in this!

9. Grow my hair.
I got a pixie cut in 2013. I think it's time to move on!

10. Buy a new laptop.
This one celebrated its sixth birthday in December.

I'm going to try to do a review of these resoltions and my progress every three months. 

Pray for me!

Did you make any resolutions this year? Let me know :)

My Skin Story Part 1 : Acne

Skin woes are part of everyone's life but I think it's an important topic to discuss. I've had to resort to pretty extreme measures to sort out my skin problems and I thought my journey may be of help to someone somewhere!

I sailed through adolescence , blissfully ignorant of the normal spots and acne that plague teenagers. 

However, from the ages of 21-23 my skin went absolutely MENTAL.

Yes, capital,underlined and bold type of mental. 

 I tried a variety of cleansers, moisturisers and other treatments but nothing worked.

I cut sugar and milk out of my diet for a number of months but this made no difference to my skin.

I decided enough was enough and visited my local G.P. (General Practitioner) . I tried a variety of topical creams including Duac,Skinoren and Differin  over the course of a year. These creams made a tiny dent in the spots beginning to cover my face. 

After these creams had tried and failed, I was prescribed Minocin (an antibiotic). I have to say this was very effective and my skin instantly started to improve. I was absolutely delighted and thought I'd found the answer to my prayers. However, as Minocin is an antibiotic you can't keep taking it forever! I stopped taking Minocin and for a month my skin was fine.

But then.... it relapsed again.

The strangest thing about my acne at this stage was where it was on my face. Usually, the t-zone is the worst affected area. However, for me it was the sides of my face and my cheeks. It was very deep, hormonal acne. 

The problem was really getting me down at this stage and I felt I was at my wits end. My G.P. suggested that I visit a dermatologist to see if I would be suitable to take Roaccutane. I was initially very nervous as Roaccutane (or simply Accutane in America) is known for it's sometimes severe side effects.

I'm just starting my 5th month on Roaccutane now and as for the results... I'll let the picture speak for themselves in the upcoming post!

Saving Face

Recently, my skin went through a really bad patch. The power of bad skin is unbelievable, some days I just didn't want to leave the house. You may think that's shallow but its the sad truth! I have combination skin, which is so pale it is prone to blotchiness. This also means that a mark often remains on my skin even after spots have been and gone.

I always thought of skincare as the boring, dull side of make up but it's hard to paint a canvas that is spotty, blotchy and just downright miserable! Cue new skincare routine.

• I have heard many good things about the Eliabeth Arden Visible Difference range and I have to agree. This cleanser (for combination skin) is brilliant. It contains little scrubby bits (technical, I know) which gently exfoliate the skin. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the packaging as I had to put it into another container. It originally came in a handy squeezy tube. A definite holy grail product which I will repurchase.
• The moisturiser in this range is nice and hydrating. However, I find it can sometimes leave me shiny. I like it but I probably wouldn't buy it again as I'm on the quest for the perfect moisturiser!
• La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo  is also a major skin saver. I've posted about it here, you need this in your life!
• I recieved a sample of Clinique All About Eyes from the beauty hoarder that is my grandmother. At 22 I probably don't need this per se, but I enjoy using it and I think it reduces the dark circles caused by the occasional late night!

• A mask I really love is Soap and Glory's the Fab Pore mask. It really does what it says on the tin. My pores are less noticeable and my skin looks clearer and brighter. I use it about once a week for 15 minutes.

• I use  The Body Shop Seaweed Toner  in varying amounts. It isn't a HG product really but it's useful to have around. I use it to refresh my skin on no make up days. It's a nice toner not drying and clarifying. 

This really isn't anything new but water is vital. Yes, it's boring and yes, I'd much rather drink something else ( like a cocktail)  but it's so good for the skin! I'm drinking at least a pint a day now and it really does help.

I hope this was interesting , I know I'm always nosy about other people's skin care routines! What are your favourite skincare products? 

An easy life

First things first, this is not a sponsored post. Just something that made my life easier. Or enabled me to internet shop even more than usual. Hmm..

Delivery charges are just one of the banes of my life (#firstworldproblems). I was once charged fifteen euro for a product to be delivered from England to Ireland. FIFTEEN!! Another delivery related problem is that I live in the back end of nowhere. My own friends can't find my house never mind the busy, stressed out delivery man.

So after hearing about Parcel Motel through the interwebs, I decided to investigate. I broke it all down, in case you're easily confused, like me.

1) You register with http://www.parcelmotel.com/, providing your home address and other details.
2)They then tell you where your local Parcel Motel pick up point is. This is where you will pick up your goodies.
3) Parcel Motel provide you with a UK address.
4) The next time you order something, use the address provided by Parcel Motel in the delivery info.
5) Your package is shipped to this address and when it arrives there Parcel Motel pick it up for you and deliver it to your local pick up point.
6) They send you a text (and an email- very thorough!) with a PIN code.
7) You go to the pick up point, enter your phone number and unique PIN. A little door pops open and you collect your package!

Photo link

It really is an awesome service. The first two stays are free (yipee) and after that it's 3.50euro per stay which I think is pretty damn good. Also on a lot of UK sites shipping to other parts of the UK is free (double yippee) meaning you only pay Parcel Motel's 3.50 for shipping.

Anything for an easy life eh?!

Monday Must Have: L'Occitane en Provence Volumizing mist for fine hair

Everytime I go to the hairdresser, no matter where I go, they all say the same thing about my hair : It's fine but there's lots of it. Unfortunately, my hair gets completely weighed down and it can be a nightmare trying to get volume.

Cute hair clips courtesy of Penney's

I bought L'Occitane's Volumizing mist for fine hair after Julie from Musings of a Make Up Maniac reccomended it as she has uh-mazing hair. Also I pretty much want to buy everything she reviews!

2-3 spritz' is enough to give volume to my fine hair and wake it up. There is a herbal-y smell from the 5 essential oils it contains which  fades fairly quickly so shouldn't be a problem for those who have easily irritated noses!

I can confirm this works as well on short hair as on long, having recently gotten my long locks chopped up into a pixie cut.

Side note: On a good day, I feel like Ginnifer Goodwin.
 On a bad day, Justin Bieber. Let's forget about that shall we?

This product is worth the rather pricey (for a volumising spray) 24.50e as a little goes a long way.

Something for a rainy day

Ever since I bought my first Mac lipstick I have been in love. (It was Chatterbox fyi.) The colours, various finishes and the delicious scent of vanilla lure me in time and time again.

Unsurprisingly, when I was browsing the House of Fraser website on a dull and dreary April day and found that MAC lippies were £14.50 each (17.23 euro) I did what any sunshine-deprived, bored, procrastinating girl would. I bought three.

L-R Lady Danger, Fan fare , Blankety

These lipsticks were purchases I had been mulling over for a long time and this particularly rainy day tipped me over the edge! Anyway, less justifying, more swatches :)

L-R Landy Danger, Fan fare, Blankety

 Lady Danger is a orangey red colour which I have wanted FOREVER. It looks a teeny bit neon at times, as you can see in the picture below, but I think it's perfect for a night out. I usually hate matte formulations but this is bearable for that amazing colour!

Fan fare looks like a 'my lips but better' shade but it was a little more pink than I imagined. This often happens as I have very pigmented lips. It has a very very subtle gold shimmer and is a cremesheen formulation.

Blankety is a nude shade which is a lot less brown on the lips than it looks in the bullet, as seen in the swatch. It leans ever so slightly pinkish on me but it's a gorgeous nude. It is an amplified formulation (my fave) and wears very comfortably.

Fan fare

Blankety

Lady Danger


Which one is your favourite? :)

Monday Must Have: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

During my teenage years I was lucky enough to be blessed with good skin. However, this meant that acne as an adult was even more traumatic!

I have combination skin, which is pale and prone to redness. This also means that a mark often remains on my skin, even after spots have been and gone.

Luckily, I discovered La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo and it's a lifesaver! This really unblocks pores on my nose and chin in a way that nothing I've ever tried has been able to do. It also reduces the appearance of marks from old healed blemishes, particularly ones that I have been struggling with for months (MONTHS, I kid you not!).

I apply a thin layer of this, once a day, to problem areas after cleansing, leave for 30 mins and then apply moisturiser over it. I do think you need to apply a good moisturiser after as it can be drying.

However, a word of caution. I used this once in winter when my skin was dehydrated and I won't lie, it burned the face off me! One of my friends raved about it and I decided it was worth another shot and I am honestly so glad I tried it again. I'll never be without it!

Monday Must Have: Urban Decay Primer Potion Original

Urban Decay's Primer Potion Original is the one and only eyeshadow primer I've ever used. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right? I'm on my third tube now as whenever I run out, I remember exactly why I can't live without it.

I am cursed with oily lids, so eyeshadow is prone to creasing when I don't apply a base. This little beauty keeps my eyeshadow looking perfect even after a night out or on one of those (increasingly rare) warm days. Definitely a Holy Grail product.

This was 15 pounds for 11ml (17.75 euro roughly) on the House of Fraser website which may seem pricey but a little goes a very long way. I've gotten about 2-3 months out of a tiny 3.7 ml tube for example! I'm tempted to try out one of Urban Decay's skin primers next!

What's your must have this week? :)

Life in Pictures #2

Thinking...

Appreciating beauty...       'Venice Twilight'- Monet

Wanting..A room of one's own.

Drinking...M&S Luxury Hot Chololate

 

Reading (and loving)...

 

Devouring....
Honestly, if Carlsberg did Carrot cake, they couldn't beat this!

Pictures 1,3 from www.weheartit.com
Picture 2 from Google Images
All other pictures by me.

A long and winding road....

Over Christmas and New Year I was preparing for some important work experience relating to my future career.

Now that I am three weeks in, I can honestly say I have never worked so hard in my entire life.

A furry friend keeping me company as I work!

I have found this experience to be challenging, stressful and hectic but also rewarding in ways I cannot even put into words.

I struggled with the big question of  'what I wanted to be' for years and it actually caused me a lot of stress and at times,worry. That may sound silly but it was an important decision for me. I feel that a career can be an extension of who we are as a person. It something we are (hopefully!) interested in, something we dedicate time and effort to and is an area of our lives we want to achieve in.

We spend a lot of our lives working and I want to enjoy my work.

I am now certain that the path I chose is the right one for me and this knowledge is, in my eyes, invaluable.

One word: Yum

Yes, I'm really being good to myself...

All the serious stuff aside I had a great Christmas and New Year, and I hope you did too!

I will be back posting again next week with some beauty-ful reviews. Happy February! xx

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.