July Collective Haul!

New video up over on my YouTube channel guys! Its a huge collective haul with stuff from COS, Penneys/Primark and New Look.

Aurelia Cleanser Review.

One beauty product that I always love trying out is cleanser. I've tried loads of different types, creams, oils and balms and they're something that I probably spend the most money on in my whole beauty routine. Most recently I've been trying the Aurelia Miracle Cleanser which I received at the recent Space NK launch party here in Dublin.

To be honest I haven't heard that much about Aurelia skincare- just a few mentions here and there- so I didn't have many expectations for this product. First of all, the packaging is gorgeous! I love the pot- it feels really heavy and expensive and also looks nice on my dressing table! The little muslin cloth was a nice addition and looked so cute all wrapped up with a pink ribbon inside the box.

The product itself is also lovely. I've been using it for about two/three weeks now and I think its safe to say I really like it. I tend to use cream cleansers in the morning as they are nice and light and leave my skin feeling clean and moisturised before applying makeup. I have also used this at night after my Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm as a second cleanse if I was wearing particularly heavy make up that day.

This cleanser leaves my skin feeling plump and nourished after using- it has a really thick consistency. Best of all my skin feels nice and clean without that horrible tight, stripped sensation cleansers sometimes give. The smell is amazing; containing chamomile, eucalyptus and rosemary it smells very medicinal and clean- something I really love in my skincare products.

I'd really recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice gentle cleanser to use morning or night. Its also great for us Irish girls as the whole Aurelia skincare range is now available in Space NK!

Half the Sky: How to Change the World: Book Review.

 

 

 

New video up over on my You Tube channel: my review of Half the Sky: How to Change the WorlD by Nicholas D.Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. Such an amazing and inspirational book- I can't recommend it enough!

 

 

 

June Favourites 2014!

June Favourites are now up over on my YouTube channel! X

Space NK Grafton Street Launch Party.

I got the chance last Thursday to attend the Space NK launch party which was so exciting! This is the first Space NK store in Ireland (except for a very small concession in Harvey Nichols) and its so great to see it open here. The store is on Grafton Street, in a brilliant location and the shop itself is gorgeous. The inside is bright, fresh and airy and I love how all the products are displayed- another bonus is that everything is priced, including the make-up stands. This is something that makes shopping so much easier- I hate asking repeatedly how much something is!

The launch party itself was fantastic, they had a DJ as well as delicious cocktails and nibbles. The staff were all so helpful and friendly, particularly the Assistant Manager who was more than helpful when I asked about the This Works range- even giving me some mini samples of the Deep Sleep oil and cream.

Now onto the best bit: the products. I felt like a little kid in a candy shop walking in here- they have SO many brands us Irish beauty junkies have been starved of for so long! Such as Chantecaille, Kevin Aucoin, By Terry, Lipstick Queen, Oskia, the Diptique skincare range, Caudalie just to name a few. This is so amazing as before I would have had to buy from these brands online, which just isn't the same as swatching in store before buying- especially with make-up!

One of the nicest things about Space NK is the miniature range they have- these are smaller half size versions of products they stock so you can buy a slightly cheaper version of something and see if you like it- they're also great for travelling! I picked up the Caudalie Beauty Elixir that I've heard so much about to try. We were also given the most amazing goodie bags at the end of the night with tonnes of full size hair and skincare products to try. So far I've been loving the Aurelia cleanser and the Sarah Chapman Spot Stickers- I'll be doing full reviews on some of these products over the next few weeks.

 

 Overall I'm so delighted Space NK has opened here and I know the shop is going to do so well! The only negative that I have is that its opened very close to where I work which means frequent trips there on my lunch breaks- my bank balance isn't too happy about that!

 

Chanel Mademoiselle Moisturiser

If I've never expressed my love for the Chanel Mademoiselle scent on my blog before I'm going to do it now. This is, by far, my all time favourite perfume- it's heavenly! For me, it combines a super girly sweet scent with something a little bit more sophisticated. I can't describe exactly what it's like as it doesn't smell specifically of anything like roses, or bergamot etc, it just has it's own really unique smell.
Before I get too carried away talking about the perfume I need to say that this is a review of the moisturiser that goes with it! I got this as a birthday present and it is so so lovely. It's nice to get the body lotion of your favourite perfume as you can layer them up together to create a really long lasting scent. What I like most about this is that it sinks in so fast! It's a great one to apply just before you leave the house as it doesn't leave you feeling sticky or tacky.
As this is an expensive, luxury moisturiser I don't use it every day, I try to keep it for nights out or days when I'm going somewhere nice! I always follow my Grandmas advice when it comes to body lotions; 'Use your cheap stuff on your legs, and your expensive stuff up top!' This is such a good idea, I tend to put my more affordable lotions like my Soap and Glory on my legs and keep this for my arms, chest and neck. This is what my Grandma does with her Diptyque and Jo Malone body lotions! and she uses her Nivea on her legs! I find that the fragrance from this really lingers on my skin, and sometimes I skip perfume altogether and just wear this, as it has enough scent on its own!

It's nice to know that it's not just the scent and the packaging of this body lotion that's nice, but the product inside is amazing too, super hydrating and sinks in fast, I would definitely recommend buying this for yourself or as a gift for someone special!

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm Review.

If you follow me over on You Tube you'll have noticed that these are pretty much the only thing on my lips for the past few videos. I'm already a huge fan of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains so when I heard Revlon were coming out with a matte version I was more than a little excited.
I really didn't need any more red lipsticks, but I have a problem. If its new and it comes in red I'll almost always buy it!

I picked up three shades from the range, all brights as that is what I'm naturally drawn to- they do have a selection of brown and pink toned nudes as well but I don't find those shades flattering on me!

From left to right on the swatches below we have;

Audacious: I would describe this as a true orange shade. Its not got any pink or red in it, its just a straight up super-bright orange. I haven't been brave enough to wear this yet as I think on my pale skin it could wash me out. When the sun comes out and I have a bit of a tan or am wearing bronzer I think this will look gorgeous.

Standout: The middle shade below is the colour that, so far, I've worn the most! Its a beautiful deep cherry red that is very flattering against my pale skin tone.

Striking: Lastly, we have what I've described over on my channel as a strawberry red. Its one of those shades that I think would suit any skin tone, light or dark!

Overall, these really lived up to my expectations! They're long lasting but also feel incredibly creamy and moisturising in the lips.

L'Oreal Micellar Gel Eye Make-Up Remover Review.

While perusing the aisles of Boots (where I can be found more often than I care to mention!) I stumbled across this unusual product from L'oreal. Along the same idea as their Micellar Water its an eye make-up remover, but in gel form. Very interesting indeed.

Being completely honest I picked this up as I was just curious to see what the consistency would be like! Its not as thick as I thought it would be, instead it is a runny gel that is quite easy to squeeze too much of out of the bottle! I've been using it for the past couple of weeks and although I do quite like it I don't know if I'd repurchase it. The gel formula is nice and cooling on the eyes and non-irritating. It removed my mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow really well, but being honest it did just a good a job as my Garnier Micellar Water! I feel like this is just adding an extra product onto my evening skincare that is rather unnecessary.

Overall. I did like this product and I would definitely recommend it to someone that has sensitive/easily-irritated eyes as it felt really nice!

Fresh, Full Coverage Spring Makeup! Crumpets and Marmalade

I just uploaded a Spring Makeup look over on my YouTube channel if you want to head on over and check it out! All the products are listed in the description box. X

The Gibson Hotel- Review.

Recently Peter and I stayed in The Gibson Hotel in Dublin. Its in a part of town that both of us really like and hope to live around at some point in the future! For anyone not sure where it is, its situated in the Point Village, at the end of the Quays near the Port Tunnel. Its also right beside Peter and I's favourite cinema, The Odeon Point Village. We love it there because its huge, has a Costa and is almost always quite empty- what more could you ask for?

We only stayed here for one night and we really enjoyed it. The hotel is definitely aimed towards business people and has a very modern vibe to it. They've also recently finished an art piece entitled 'The Magnificent 7' painted outside the hotel that you can see while going up the escalators to reception, I'll link it here.

I really like the whole design of the hotel, they had these adorable pig statues in reception (which I forgot to get a photo of!) and I really like this print below in the bathroom. It also must be noted that the shower was amazing, it was like one of those rainforest showers and it was huge! My favourite touch though was the Oscar Wilde quote stuck to the shaving mirror; "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken". I thought this was a really cute and quirky touch! The whole room had a grey and green palette that I really liked, and it felt really cosy!

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here and I would stay again! Its directly on the Luas line and takes only five minutes to get into the city centre. Its also within walking distance, and would only take 15/20 minutes which is a really nice walk along the Quays when the weather is nice. I would highly recommend this hotel for someone who wants to stay somewhere really lovely and not too far from the centre of Dublin!