Wall Art

I have a few pictures I have painted onto the walls of my bedroom.This is my favourite I think. I got the idea from a tattoo on someone's foot I saw on the internet and I thought it would be perfect on a wall. (Please ignore the ultra cool solar system poster if you can:))

NOTD

So this is my first nails of the day post featuring Essence Rich and Pretty. This is a shimmery silver colour with a hint of lilac colouring in some lights. The quality is ok. It had chipped after one day but for €1.29 a bottle you cant really expect the longevity of something like an OPI. Its a fun colour, not too mad and right on trend for this season's metallic look.

Tank and Rage Face

Tank

Rage Face

These are our guinea pigs. We got them two weeks ago and they live at my boyfriend's house. They are brothers and they are just so adorable! We could see their different personalities coming out after just a few days. Tank is quite shy and reserved while Rage Face is braver and noisier. They are funny because when we separate them they call out and try to find each other. We let them out in their run every day to exercise and eat fresh grass and they seem to be doing well so far. Its a long time since Ive had a pet and Im really enjoying looking after them.

The Eden Project

I did my masters in University of Plymouth last year and my boyfriend paid me a surprise visit in April. Apart from that being the best thing ever cos I hadn't seen him since Christmas, we did a few cool things while he was over. One of the places we went was the Eden Project in Cornwall. Its kinda like a botanical garden but way better. Its built in a reclaimed mine with a large emphasis on education and conservation. Its difficult to describe the atmosphere of the place but personally its one of my favourite places cos I find it so inspirational and just plain beautiful. If you ever get a chance to go I would deffo recommend it!

Flowers in the rainforest biome

Lemons in the Mediterranean biome

WEEE Man made out of recycled household appliances. I love the washing machine doors for eyes!

Night-time Skin Care Routine

I would say I'm fairly obsessed with good skin and trying to prolong my youth. For a long time I've been trying to find the perfect combination of products to use at night-time. I think its important to use good skin care products at night-time as this is when your skin revives and renews itself.

Step 1: I remove my eye make up using round cotton pads and La Roche Posay Toleriane Eye Make-Up remover. These come in individual 5ml containers which I'm not the biggest fan of to be honest as apart from this amount of packaging not being great for the environment, I only need to us half the container to remove my eye make-up so I have to leave the container open to use the next day (that is if I haven't knocked it over or lost it down the side of the bed by the next day). Other than the container this eye make-up remover is really good, it removes all make-up and is very gentle on even my sensitive eyes. The other eye make-up remover I like to use is the No. 7 Cleanse and Care. Its an oily formula and is really brilliant at taking all traces of make-up off. I think I will be repurchasing this from now on simply due to the annoying packaging of the La Roche Posay.

Step 2: After removing my eye-make up I use the old reliable, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleaser. I really can't praise this cleanser enough. As well as taking every last shred of make-up off, it leaves your skin feeling so refreshed and healthy and the smell is beautiful!! Basically if you haven't tried this before go buy it.

Step 3: Next I apply a refreshing spritz of La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water. Now when I got this my boyfriend asked me why I payed €5 euro for a bottle of water and maybe he is right but I like to think there are some nice minerals in there that aren't in normal water.. Yeah ok well anyway I mainly bought this to facilitate my final skincare step.

Step 4: While my face is still wet from the spritz, I apply a few drops of Trilogy Rosehip Oil all over my face and neck. Although this is an oil it sinks in very quickly so you are not left looking shiny faced for long. I really love this product, my skin seems much healthier and softer and I can almost feel it stopping those wrinkles in their tracks!

Step 5: I then apply some eye cream. At the moment I'm using a little sample of Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Eye Concentrate but I'm on the lookout for something else once that is used up. 

I know this may seem like a lot of bother to go to every night but really it only takes about 5 mins and your skin will thank you for it especially in a few years time:)

Autumn Plans

1. I am planning to do a NOTD post tomorrow as today I picked up 6 Essence nail polishes (yeah I know 6 is a bit mad but they are all so lovely and only €1.29 and its not like I bought 7 last week or anything...) Ok so maybe ill be doing a few NOTD posts to try and justify this many polishes.

2. I'm getting my hair cut and coloured this week. I have been blond now for about a year and a half and although I do like how it looks I'm so sick of dark roots and the pain of brushing my hair after a shower (even after using copious amounts of conditioner and combing it in the shower its still absolutely matted after). Im hoping to get it cut to just above my shoulders and go a rich chocolate brown colour. This is a pic of me 3 years ago with brown hair.

3. I would very much like a job. I'm applying to loads of places but haven't heard anything back yet. Fingers crossed I get something soon to fund my various beauty product addictions.

4. After a year of saving me and my boyfriend have finally booked our holiday we promised ourselves for finishing our courses. He was training to be an airline pilot in Spain and I was doing a masters in zoo conservation biology in the UK. We are going to Vienna on the 24th November for the Christmas markets. Its something I have always wanted to do and I am so unbelievably excited for it.

5. I would really really like these boots available at here and here on asos.com.

My Second Naked Palette

Even though they have been around for 25 years, I feel Inglot is still quite a new brand for us Irish girls. It first came to Dublin in 2009 and I have to say I really love their products. I guess the brand is similar to Mac in product range and quality without the hefty price tag. Now don't get me wrong, I love Mac as much as the next girl but being 'between jobs' as they say, at the moment I find myself turning towards cheaper brands.

In Inglot you can buy eyeshadows, lipsticks etc individually but the Freedom System is much better value (and more fun!) First you choose your palette, you can get all different sized ones for eyeshadow, lipstick, blush etc. Then they give you this little magnetic tile and you choose your shades from the many available. You then hand the shop assistant the tile and they go away and put them in the palette for you.You can also mix and match different makeup products in the same palette.

My most recent purchase was a 10 eye shadow palette from the Freedom System range. Now my sister looked at me as if I had two heads when I showed her the colours I chose (a selection of light and dark neutrals) as I already have the Urban Decay Naked Palette but I really love my neutrals and in my opinion the colours I got in Inglot kinda fill in the gaps in the naked palette (not that there are many). So anyway enough waffle and on to the pictures.

Top row L-R: AMC Shine 31, AMC Shinee 26, AMC Shine 07, Pearl 406, Pearl 409. Bottom row L-R: D.S 465, Pearl 421, Pearl 423, Pearl 446, Brow wax 573

L-R: AMC Shine 31, AMC Shinee 26, AMC Shine 07, Pearl 406, Pearl 409.

L-R: D.S 465, Pearl 421, Pearl 423, Pearl 446, Brow wax 573

I have to say I'm so happy with this palette. The eyeshadow colours are great quality and so pigmented but for some reason look slightly different in these photos to how they look in real life. The brow wax is really lovely too. It makes such a huge difference to your face when you apply it to your brows, it makes your makeup look so much more polished and finished if you know what I mean. This palette cost €50 (brilliant value when the individual eyeshadows are €10 each) and Inglot is available at Dundrum, Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown and the Jervis Centre.

Loving The Balm!

I have always thought of 'The Balm” as a cheap version of Benefit due to the similar packaging and product names and so I have tended to overlook it. How wrong was I! So two products I have recently picked up from this brand are the Mary Lou highlighter and Down Boy blusher.

 

Mary Lou Highlighter

Down Boy Blusher

I first tried the highlighter while on a Makeup Forever makeup course a few weeks ago and I really loved it. Its very pigmented and has a lovely subtle shimmer. I apply to cheek bones and blend with my fingers and it gives a beautiful glow to skin. It is also lovely as a highlighter for brow bones. The blusher is a lovely bright pink colour, also very pigmented and it sticks around. A little can be used for a natural day look but the colour is also very buildable for night time too.

Down Boy on the left and Mary Lou on the right

These products are a lot cheaper than Benefit products (the highlighter is €17.50 and the blusher is €15) but in my opinion the quality is just as good! The balm products are available in A-Wear stores and in Make-Up Forever on Clarendon St, Dublin 2.

Hi there...

So that's me. This photo was taken at a friend's wedding recently. I would like to think I project this image at all times...

However, I think my inner dork surfaces more often than I'd like to admit...:)