Floral Fever

Casual weekends in the sun are rare and should be treasured. A little girl passed me on the street and said "Granny, Mum said we can spend more time together today because the days are longer!" She certainly had that right, treasure the longer days while you can! I took these photos last weekend and its only now that I am "penning" my thoughts (more like typing on an iPad..not the easiest). The red converse were a purchase I made two winters ago, in the sale. They lay buried deep at the bottom of a box of shoes, neglected and alone. I wasn't hugely fond of them when I bought them, shame on me! But after my feet took a terrible bashing from pretty but hurtful high heels, I didn't feel like taking a long walk in anything other than converse. I know have grown fond of these and they won't make their way to the bottom of the shoe box for a while! 

The beloved jacket, is something which I rarely remove from my shoulders when the days become a little warmer. A H&M gem, which I find is a rarity and will love it until the threads are pulled so much that there is only half a jacket left! 

The skirt is a jack wills find on sale. perfect for summer lazy summer "daze"! 

China Blue & White Dress

There are far to many instances of me extolling the various pleasures of high street shopping, and Miss  Selfridge is no exception. Put "China Blue Dress" into your chrome search bar and see the multitude of beautiful dresses. My mum had a dinner plate set with a blue and white design which is not unlike the pattern of this dress. Maybe that's the reason why I instantly fell in love with this dress - it simply cried out to me! The intricate prints most likely resonate with so many people who think "I know you from before, yes, you sat at the top of my Gran's cabinet in her dining room".

I still believe everyone's wardrobe essentials list should entail - a black dress, a white dress, a black blazer, possibly a navy blazer, a white blouse and the "pretty dress". When you watch Style shows, they don't seem to  add "the pretty dress" to the capsule wardrobe. Well, I am going to change that, from this day forward.

From my previous blog posts, you will know I am slightly obsessed with cream or white clothing. I am also quite fond of spaghetti bolognese so that combination is not a match made in heaven. Still, I can't help it and my favourite dress of the season is this pretty china blue and white dress.

Dress: Miss Selfridge

Jacket: Pennys 

Read more: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/blogs/cosmo-blog-awards-2013/enter-the-2013-cosmopolitan-blog-awards-nominate-now#ixzz2TsMAsgTD

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My old domain reservedforruby.net has expired and I am sticking to www.reservedforruby.com. I am updating this in Bloglovin, and for all of the lovely people reading my blog, you can now follow me on Bloglovin!

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My Top Five Beauty Products

In the last couple of months, I have grown very found of the products below. Tried and tested, each of these products have stood the test of time and some I have been using for years. Being a product junkie, I am loyal to few, which means if I repeat buy a product, it has to be amazing! 

1. Collection Lasting perfection 16 hour concealer - is there anything that this product can't conceal?! Not only that, it acts as a highlighter, so you can conceal dark circles and brighten under your eyes at the same time. The great thing is, it won't budge all day.

2. Philosophy  - Hope in a Jar oil free moisturiser - it doubles as a primer so in the morning when you are in a rush (and I always in a rush) you can moisturise and then apply your makeup. It is non-greasy and it's very light so leaves your skin feeling fresh and moisturised.

3. Garnier BB Cream - since this cult beauty favourite stepped into my life I haven't looked back! It leaves my skin looking brighter and fresh. The super light consistency feels as though I'm not wearing any makeup. If you are in rush, this is the perfect product.

4. Topshop Blush - Prime Time - This creamy bright pink blush is perfect everyday to inject a rosy tint to your cheeks. You only need a small dot on each cheek and my secret is to add some on top of my Nivea lip butter to turn my lips a lovely pink colour. I am in love with the cute pokadot packaging. Topshop deserve a huge thumbs up!

5. Nars - Laguna Bronzer - The Award winning bronzer is the ultimate cult beauty product. I use this everyday! My face feels naked without it! Although this may seem dramatic, it is so true! This is my favourite bronzer which is loved by many! This product gives you a healthy glow. You can use throughout the year, applying more in Summer when tanned.

Celebrity Style: Angelina's Classic Street Style

Angelina is known for her dark ensembles. Wearing all black can look elegant and classic, once you have some key pieces. Although Angelina doesn't always wear black, it is a staple colour for her. Every girls wardrobe should contain the three capsule items: Black skinny jeans, (regular skinny and skinny skinny), a black leather or leather look jacket, and black sandles (or shoes).

Shop the look online:

Topshop: Faux Leather Biker Jacket

J Brand: Skinny Black Jeans

Oasis T-Bar Sandles @ASOS

Topshop Make Up Brushes

Image: Topshop.com   

Topshop have just released their new PINK brushes!! Yes, I have to admit, the pink really stands out and I want to try them. Each brush is made from Synthetic hair, apart from the stippling brush which is made of both natural and synthetic hair. If you take care of your brushes well, they will last forever. 

I wash my brushes in Johnson's Baby shampoo and leave to dry in sunlight, making sure the brush head is leaning over an edge. If you leave the brush head sitting flat on a table or chair, it will dry into a strange shape. The Body Shops tea tree oil is also great for washing brushes. You don't need to splash out and spend loads on a specific brush cleaning product. 

My favourite out of the topshop brush range is the gel eyeliner brush. I have a couple of eye liner brushes but none quite the same size. My other brushes are that little bit too big and I like to work with a smaller brush. The best thing about it is...the price! The gel liner brush is only £4.00 on Topshop.com

This set is ideal for someone looking to build up their makeup brush collection, without spending loads of money.

My Daily Skincare Routine

To get straight to the point, I have oily skin. When girls say "I get spots when you know, it's um, you know, that..um time of the month". No I am not one of those girls...I am one of those girls who has to deal with the regular appearance of a little red dot on my face. I have learned to live with it and have tried every product (what seems to be) every recommended "oily skin" product. Over the last two months, I have stumbled upon a couple of products which have, (can I say revolutionised?) my skin! My skin looks clearer and brighter, and finally the odd "pimple" doesn't seem to annoy me.

 I would like to thank the very kind sales assistant at Gatwick Airport who pointed me in the direction of the Philosophy filled shelves.





























































I have read and watched countless YouTube beauty guru's rave about Philosophy. However, it remained on my list..and was pushed further down the list with other products. I ran out of moisturiser, and was making the ultimate sin in beauty world...using my night-time rose oil! So at that moment in need, the sales assistant very kindly tested the moisturiser on my skin. The consistency is very fine and smoothes into the skin with ease. It dries fast and you aren't left with that heavy, clunky feeling that some moisturisers (Ahem..Nivea)leave.


 With my purchase, they popped some free samples in my bag - including the Philosophy cleanser and exfoliator. I use the exfoliator once a week and the cleanser twice a day. The cleanser can be used to remove your eye makeup also, ideal for anyone in a rush or simply so tired they don't want to have to use five different products to remove their makeup!

 Lastly, this month I have tried Nuxe foam cleanser. One pump will cleanse your whole face and it rinses off with no residue. It leaves your skin feeling really soft. I tend to try different cleansers as soon as I have finished one. I probably should stick to one as your skin generally needs 28 days to adjust to a new product, but I love trying new products!
    

Philosophy Moisturiser Normal/Oily Skin 

  Purity Made Simple Cleanser 

  Nuxe Foam Cleanser

Summer Turquoise and White

Those that know me will know that I say "amazing" a lot. Sometimes I'm just saying it for effect.   Sometimes I really mean it. It definitely is an overused word for me, but, when I say H&M's recent Spring/Summer filled shelves are "amazing", I really, without question mean it!! A typical trip to H&M for me consists of bursts of light running through the rails. When I spot something I like, I run, just incase it's the last one. Right about now, you should know my sheer passion for finding the right size,the right item of clothing at the right time. It mean's ALOT to me.

 Last weekend, I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but that is usually the nature of all shopping trips for me.

A quick browse can end up in a grab everything that looks pretty and later use the process of elimination based on five factors - quality, colour, size, how pretty it is, would I love it forever. Usually clothes in H&M unfortunately, won't last forever so you can remove the last factor and just run with the four step approach.


The white short sleeve sweater is the perfect addition to my Spring/Summer wardrobe. The practicality of having short sleeves as opposed to long sleeves in a sweater really goes out the window. Treat it like a normal top that you will need a jacket with - if you live in Ireland that is. The majority of my shorts are denim so I wanted something a little more comfortable and colourful.

Shorts - H&M

Top - H&M

Necklace - Forever 21

Clueless Wardrobe: My Dream Since 1995

Even though I was very young in 1995, too young to own enough clothes to fill a wardrobe like this, I still thought this was the coolest piece of technology ever. Since then, my love for technology has grown, and I still dream of having this software. Although, I can imagine it would take a very long time to photograph every single item of clothing. Time could be saved if you buy all of your clothes online, just take a screen grab of the item of clothing and save....

Now there are so many apps which are made for the purpose of photographing your wardrobe. I started using Pose.com where you can upload photos of your outfits, as well as search through the millions of other photos from other fashion addicts. It has the Pinterest feel to it when you first open the app but as you click through you can comment, like, share and buy the outfit. Each user uploads links to where thy bought their clothes. It is such a fast way to shop if you really like a particular piece of clothing!

Image: pose.com

Summer Shoe Essentials

Although I can't predict if it will rain, snow or a sudden heatwave, I like to pretend I can have a Summer wardrobe. I can't reside to the fact I live in a land where you can pretty much wear winter clothes all year round. So I continue to remain positive and look forward to the impending heatwave.

IT WILL HAPPEN. I have limited my Summer shoe collection - the shoes in this post are my favourite pairs of footwear for this season. My wellies come out every now and then but I don't really want to take a photo of those. Standard wellies, I'll let your imagination take over!

I can now reveal, my Summer footwear consists of: Havaianas purple flipflops, Forever 21 Pokadot VERY high wedges, Primark Wedges and Topshop tan boots.

There is a bit of a story behind the havaianas. After a rainy afternoon in Marbella, we decided to walk to Puerto Banus. There is a long path along the coastline, and on a sunny day, I guess this would be ideal. But it was raining and I was wearing pumps from Accessorize. Half way to Puerto Banus, my sand filled, wet pumps were falling apart. Soon, we stumbled upon the havaianas stand. When I say stumbled, I ran across the street and starting searching through the huge assortment of havaianas in every colour under the sun! I decided on the purple pair with diamante detail. The walk was worth it after all!
 

The pokadot wedges are perfect with white jeans, blue jeans - actually any colour of jeans really. I also paired these with a cream skirt and top. If you know me at all, you will know I have an obsession with buying white/cream clothing. I like to pair it with bright colours but none the less, I have too much and I guess it is a slight addiction. It just goes with everything!

The tan Topshop boots are the most practical out of the four pairs. Again, these boots can pretty much go with everything and the chunky heel make these boots really comfy. Topshop have similar boots every year and these also come in black. Tan is perfect for the Summer, but I am contemplating purchasing the black pair too!


Lastly, I walked past this pair of nude colour wedges in Primark and immediately thought "If I leave you behind, I will never forgive myself!" A tad dramatic, I'll admit, but that is how it happened. These wedges are extremely high so when I feel like being 6 foot, I like to wear these!

 

 

Pink Berry

After a six month hiatus, I am back! Apologies for the ever so slight gap in posting! Well I wasn't away anywhere fun on hiatus, just life seemed to get in the way of blogging. But I am back! "My photographer", aka Bernadette Christina and I have been planning our next couple of posts so you will be inundated with new blog posts very, very soon!

After completing a binge marathon of House of Cards, I am contemplating digging out my big old SATC box set. "Wait" I hear you say - "You are actually going to watch a DVD. Who watches DVDs in the streaming and download age?" There is something "classically" wonderful about sitting infront of a stack of DVDs, not having to worry about buffering and enjoying a few old movie trailers at the beginning as opposed to a couple of "Play online and you could win millions" ads. If you are reading this and remember what a VHS is, you will probably have a little chuckle at the fact I called DVDs classic. SATC will always be a favourite for me, even though the style is now dated, it is fun to watch. As I look out at the sun hiding behind a huge big looming grey cloud, I feel this is time for a SATC marathon weekend.

But onto the purpose of this blog - the clothes! Primark is a shop that I visit sporadically, in the hope of finding something new and amazing! I tend to hunt down the smaller Primark stores so I can find something that isn't "new-new" stock but out by a couple of months. This sweater with diamante details around the neckline is from Primark but I think it is almost a year old!! It is a dark salmon pink and I pulled it out when looking for something to match my Berry pink H&M shorts! H&M seem to call out to me when I am looking for shorts - definitely have too many pairs from there but when you are onto a good thing, you are onto a good thing!

H&M are definitely a favourite of mine to keep up with trends. I don't want to spend a fortune on a pair of patterned jeans, so I test out my improbable love for patterned prints with a pair from H&M.

Casual Saturday

Saturday's in May can either be really sunny or really rainy. If you were asked to place a bet on it, I would fancy your chances at rain. So I usually like to layer it up, just incase there are sunny patches, before I grab my umbrella and run for cover in a shop or cafe! 

My top is from Urban Outfitters. I find Urban Outfitters can be hit or miss, but this is one of my favourite tops. It is cream with a floral motif throughout. Simple, understated and fresh - how I like it! The scarf is a "greige" colour from Primark a long long long time ago. I seem to collect scarves in a very large chest in my room, and it's like a lucky dip in the morning. 

My necklace is from Forever 21 which has the best accessories. If you haven't ventured into the bustling F21 stores, you are probably lucky to not have experienced the masses of girls looking through rails of clothing. But if you do go there, you will have noticed the huge collection of accessories at amazing prices. The quality is not compromised on price and each item I have purchased has lasted a long time. 

Neon & Floral Trend

If you haven't quite found your way into the wide open neon embracing arms - make your way there soon. Neon is here to stay - for the next three months at least. With my usual, "play it safe" style , I didn't hop on board with neon immediately. I learned how to disguise neon, offering a glimpse every now and then. Why not try dipping your toe into the neon waters by wearing a neon tshirt underneath another plain cream or beige t-shirt. Why not? Maybe you aren't quite there yet but here I am, offering my advice to you to try, if you will! 

I will write a post soon where I actually wear the clothes but for now, I am going to give you a sneak peek and items I am loving. Again, not quite sure if I am incredibly brave enough to wear the sunglasses, but maybe if I decided to hit up Glastonbury with the cool kids! 

Dolly Bow Bow sells cute floral headbands, floral sunglasses, bows - anything of the cute variety. I have been following Dolly Bow Bow's YouTube channel and blog for quite a while now so I feel it is time I make a purchase. Everything on the Dolly Bow Bow site is really reasonably priced so if you haven't heard of it...get browsing!

I promise I will return very soon with more updated blog posts and new outfit posts! Coming soon to a browser near you!

Quay Retro Sunglasses

Topshop Striped Top

Topshop Frill shorts

Dolly Bow Bow Floral Headband