September Favourites

1. Ellie Saab - this is a fresh scent which is really nice for evening time. The scent is similar to Jean-Paul Gautier.

2. Pearl and faux diamond necklaces - I love to wear these with mohair or cashmere jumpers. They bring a little sparkle to a plain item of clothing.

3. Essie "Bikini so teeny" - this is the perfect colour to wear all year and I especially like it in Autumn because all of my clothes seem to be very dark at this time of year.

4. Clarins Lip perfecter - it is a cross between a lip balm and a lip gloss. I love how this looks, the colour and the consistency.

5. Collection "No clumps" mascara - this mascara is excellent value and if you need a mascara to add to your makeup bag at the last minute, this is perfect. It won't last very long however, for the price this is perfect to try out.

6. Garnier roll on concealer - I use this under my eyes and it glides on smoothly and blends in really well. I bought this in a shade lighter than my skin tone, and recommend this for under the eyes to hide any redness or dark circles.

Anti-Wrinkle: When Should You Think About It?

It is probably something I fear the most - when will I get the dreaded wrinkles! Your eyes are apparently the first place to show your age. I have read numerous articles and blogs that suggest you should start to use eye cream in your 20s, before you start to get wrinkles. I, however, was too busy buying other products that I pushed this thought to one side. Until recently, on a trip to boots when I saw L'oreal Revitalift eye cream. I use it in the morning and the evening and to be honest, it is just like a normal moisturiser on my skin! I can't tell the difference so maybe I shouldn't be using this yet! I read the packaging about two weeks after buying this and it has an age diagram, suggesting 40 year olds should use this. I am still debating with myself whether I need to use this or not, and so many people have mixed views, some people in their early 20s to people who don't start to use it until they are in their late 30s. It is a question that I will continue to ask myself!!

For now, I will use this as a moisturiser until the pot is finished and then I will debate again as to whether I need to repurchase. In terms of a moisturiser however, it is a 10/10!

Lush: Midweek Treats

As I walked past the Lush shop next to Trinity College in Dublin, the perfumed scent of bath bombs and soap filtered through the air. Two American girls in front of me were laden down with Penneys bags packed to the brim with shoes and clothes. One turned to the other and said "Oh I love Lush!!" the other responded with "What is Lush?". Her friend responded with "Oh you have to try it, their products are amazing!". I pass Lush on a regular basis but I always seem to be running somewhere else so don't have the time to browse. You definitely need to have time on your hands when you go into a Lush shop for a number of reasons:

1. There are about a hundred different types of products to try from bath bombs, to moisturisers to lip balms. 

2. Lush employs an array of friendly staff who want to help you choose a selection of products. They know their stuff so they will talk to you for a while. It is difficult to just run into the shop for a few minutes, you will be in there for a least 15!

3. The products smell so good you just want to hang around!

Now that winter is slowly creeping upon us, I felt I would treat myself to one of their incredible bath bombs. We were lucky to have a warm summer that a bath was completely out of the question until now. I choose two bath bombs which act as a moisturiser also. I can't remember the names as they don't have those on the packaging but if you go into Lush and ask for moisturising bath bombs they will show you a huge display with many scents and colours to choose from!

Every girl deserves a little mid-week luxury!

Urban Decay: Basic and Naked 2

If you are a girl who loves the original Naked palette, you will also have been intrigued by Naked 2 and the basic palette. Whilst I love the original, I longed for a matt coloured palette which the basic palette delivers on. The colours in all of the Urban Decay Naked range are perfect for everyday subtlety and can bring you into evening with the darker shades "Creep" and "Gunmetal".

The Naked Basics palette is my essential palette for everyday. I use the colour "Crave" on my eyebrows, "foxy" on the inner corners of my eyes and "faint" across the eyelid.

These palettes are an essential in my everyday makeup kit and really useful if you are travelling or going away for a weekend - you know you will have every colour you need!

Autumnal Nail Colours

With the summer drawing for a dramatic closing faster than I can say "where are my winter boots", it's time to put summer in a box and select beautiful autumnal colours. I received both bottles of Chanel polish as birthday presents. The first, "Lilis" is a coral-orange colour which looks fabulous with brown and cream clothing. I usually wear this during the day and sometimes finish the top of the nails with a splash of glittery polish.

The second polish is a deep berry red called "Suspicious". It is perfect for a night out, especially to brighten up a dark outfit. I generally wear black if I am going out so adding a pop of colour on your nails or your handbag is essential.

Weekend Favourites

With a week lasting 5 days and the weekend only 2 days, it is hardly fair. We have to make the most out of 48 hours to make sure we can squeeze as much fun in as possible. My ten favourite things about the weekend are:

1. Weekend brunch with friends
2. Shopping
3. Wearing my favourite casual weekend outfit
4. Getting dressed up for a night out with friends
5. Nice food
6. Watching films and streaming TV shows online
7. Time to write my blog
8. Using a smaller bag because I can't seem to go to work with a small bag
9. Weekend free minutes from my phone network means phone conversations that last for hours
10. Sleep

The one thing I hate about weekends is.......they are too short!

Revlon "Just Bitten"

Revlon are one of the first brands I remember from a very young age. I was always more intrigued with brands such as MAC, Chanel, Dior, Rimmel rather than Revlon which I just thought had a "boring" product range. How wrong was I?! A few years ago on a trip to the States, I noticed that every Walgreen's and Duane Reade had beautiful shelves filled with Cover girl and Revlon makeup. The type of Revlon make up you would never see in the UK or Ireland. I wasn't sure if I was more annoyed at the fact I didn't know this for so long or because the same products weren't available at home! Over the last number of years, Revlon has changed their product range and I love the lip butters and balm stains. I bought "Just Bitten" balm stain in the colour "Lovesick". It is a very deep berry colour which lasts a few hours. I don't think any lip balm stain, lip stick or gloss stays on my lips longer than a few hours. It is doing well if it can get past the one hour point! 

I only have one negative comment about this product and it is the smell. It has a strange mint taste which I thought was just on my product, but I have read other bloggers have said the same thing. I can't quite work it out and it doesn't deter me from wearing it, but there is a strange taste!

Have you tried any of the lip stains or lip butters by Revlon? What do you think?

Sleek "Pixie Pink"

Superdrug is like a little piece of heaven located on various street corners across the UK. They are sparingly dotted around Ireland so I can either travel to one of those tiny dots or wait for a trip to London to bask in the wonderful goodness. For those of you who don't have a Superdrug nearby, you will know what I am talking about. A few months ago, I completed a make up course and the make up artists had some sleek products in their kits. Sleek is a very reasonably priced brand with good quality products. I am obsessed with the Storm eye shadow palette and even more obsessed with the Pixie Pink blush. It is the ideal colour for my skin tone, particularly in the summer when I have a slight tan. If you are quite pale, I would suggest opting for a paler pink blush but you will have so much to choose from within the Sleek range. You can always buy Sleek online and I do this when I want to repurchase something however, when you are testing something for the first time it is always nice to go into the store. 

I am now a sleek-aholic and can't live without it. If anyone who is reading this hasn't tried Sleek, it won't break your bank balance so go ahead, but be warned, you will want to go back to Superdrug every week to see if any new products have arrived.

Topshop: Back To School

The summer has been and gone and the only exciting part of moving into the cold winter months, is the thought of a new wardrobe! For the past few months, my coats and jackets have been strangers. A distant memory. It is not quite cold enough for a big winter jacket so I decided on a lightweight, but still cosy jacket. The above khaki jacket with gold button detail cinches in at the waist so you can create a fitted jacket or wear loose. 

Recently, I have found it easier to wear a plain top but make it look different with a statement necklace. There is an abundance of cami tops available in different colours in most shops this Autumn. I would ideally like to find a silk cami top in every colour but they don't exist everywhere. Silk sits really well and taken care of carefully, can last forever. The above top is only £17 and in a classic black - you can't really go wrong!

The black boots with buckle detailing are casual and can be worn during the day at college, work or a weekend trip to the shops. I love wearing these boots with a pair of black leggings and a chunky knitted jumper. The boots are lined with faux fur which make them really comfortable.

What is on your wishlist?

Revolutionary Skincare: Bioderma

"Bonjour. Je m'appelle Bioderma." 

This little French gem was hiding from me. It was missing from a my life for so long and now I am never letting it go! It was born and made in France and was only available in a select few pharmacies. I saw a couple of beauty vloggers reviews who couldn't speak highly enough about Bioderma. It eventually was imported into the UK and available in a few pharmacies. Finally, on a recent trip to Sorrento in Italy, I popped into a Pharmacy to buy some after-sun and came across a Bioderma display. Three bottles later, I carried a heavy shopping bag back to the hotel.

I have oily dehydrated skin which is prone to blemishes every now and then. My skin is significantly clearer since using Bioderma everyday for the last three weeks. Skincare specialist's advise to try a new product for 28 days in order to see the true results. I try to do that before making a final decision on a particular product. I knew within a week of using Bioderma that I can't ever be separated from this beauty revolution.

Merci beaucoup to the French for making this...and thanks to all of the beauty vloggers who tried it first and sold it to me! My skin can't thank you enough!

Accessorize Closing Down Sale

I remember still being in University when the first stages of the almighty recession hit Ireland. I, alongside hundreds of other people were worried we would never find a job. The impact was immediate for some businesses, but others battled through. Accessorize is one of my favourite shops to browse and pick up something nice to add to a plain top or dress. It is also the ideal shop to buy a little present for a friend. However, more recently I saw a huge 50% off sign in the window and it immediately caught my eye - I'm only human!! Next to the 50% off sign, there was a teeny tiny sign which said "We are closing on the 15th". Directly across the street, lay a vacant HMV. I felt really sad that two of my favourite shops to browse were disappearing. My Sunday's during the winter were filled with a trip to Starbucks (either a Chai latte or hot chocolate in the Christmas cup) followed by a quick sprint around M&S to grab some food for dinner, a browse in HMV which resulted in an even larger DVD collection, finished off with visit to Accessorize. 

Even though I benefited from the 50% closing down sale, I still wish it was there, alongside HMV. I miss those days.

Italian Summer

Visiting Sorrento in Italy was a dream come true. It is one of the most beautiful places in Europe and in fact, in the world. The beautiful landscape with cliffs cascading along the Almafi coastline were breathtaking. I wish I could go back immediately, but I will just have to save up and return next year!

The evenings in August are very warm so I dressed quite casually in shorts and a coral cami top. The shorts are from Forever 21 and I felt they could transform into a winter ensemble with some opaque tights and a chunky knitted jumper. Being Irish, you always have to think of a summer outfit which can adapt to winter and vice-versa.

Until next year....