Weekly Catch Up #4

 I haven't done one of these posts in a looong time, and I really like reading other peoples weekly roundups so I thought I'd get back into doing them! I had this week off work and I have been looking forward to it for ages, a week of not doing very much but getting to spend time with my family and boyfriend, and just generally relax.

 I wore my new Adidas Superstars for the first time this week and I am OBSESSED with them. I bought them last weekend and couldn't wait to get them out of the box. I paired them with a new pair of jeans from Primark and my new grey Zara coat. Yes, expect a haul very soon as I've been a busy shopper!

I went to Brother Hubbard for the first time this week and tried their hot chocolate which was voted one of the best in Dublin. Although it was pretty good, I wouldn't say its the best, that is yet to be found for me! I do like the fact that they have melted chocolate ganache in your mug and then you pour hot frothy milk over it and stir to desired chocolatey-ness. It reminded me of the amazing hot chocolates I had in Copenhagen last year.

 A few months ago I won a competition for a nights stay in the Morgan hotel in Temple Bar, so I saved it to use this week which was really nice. When my boyfriend and I arrived we got upgraded to a room with the most amazing bath in the middle! This was definitely the highlight of my week, as I got to fully chill out and unwind, while also feeling like I was on holidays, even if it was just for a night.

For any of you that follow me over on YouTube you may have already seen that I got my haircut! It's a lot shorter than the last time, and I initially hated it but am slowly getting used to it now that I've styled it myself a few times.

How was your week? I love doing these kinds of posts, so I'll definitely be doing more in the run up to Christmas. I'm off to London tomorrow for a few days so follow me over on Instagram for some inevitable snaps of London at Christmas!

November Favourites Video

In case you missed it over on my YouTube channel I've just uploaded my (late as always) November Favourites video. There aren't too many in this one as I didn't have too many for beauty, but my biggest favourite would have to be The Irish Times Women's Podcast which I've been listening to for the last few weeks!

Being Alone.

Today I wanted to write about something that I think is really important, and thats being on your own. Now I’m not talking about being single or even being lonely, but something far simpler and more positive, being alone. I think one of the most vital skills in life is the ability to enjoy your own company, and I meet more and more people who seem to struggle with this.

Most people will agree that they enjoy a few hours alone in their room catching up on a TV show or reading a book. These are definitely good examples of being on your own and being ok with it. However, enjoying your own company extends beyond the confines of your bedroom where you are comfortable. Its more about not depending on others to make you feel comfortable when you’re outside the house.

Earlier on this year, and again only a few weeks ago, I travelled on my own to London for work. Both times I was there for two weeks and had my boyfriend come to stay for a few days. The rest of the time I was on my own. During the day I was obviously working and surrounded by people all day, but the evenings and few days off I had were completely my own. The first trip I took I was quite nervous about these times as although I was completely happy on my own in the confines of the hotel room, heading out for a full day in London alone seemed like quite a daunting task despite the infinite list of things there are to do. However, on my last trip I really looked forward to these days and evenings by myself, which is something i am quite proud of. I don’t think my younger self would have believed me if I said that I could quite contentedly go for dinner by myself. Spending an entire day alone wandering around a city is such a pleasurable experience, I had no internet connection on my phone as I was abroad which at first I thought I would struggle with as phones are great when you feel awkward as there is always something to look at. Instead it was quite liberating, I really took in my surroundings and dwelled in my own thoughts instead of the constant bombardment of images and opinions coming from Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. I spent an entire afternoon wandering around the National Gallery and some bookshops and really did enjoy spending an entire day with nobody but myself. When I did eventually get back to my hotel room, I had such feeling of contentment at how I had spent my day and that everything I had chosen to do was completely for me, and what I wanted to do.

Something we all struggle with is that we all think that everyone out there is looking at us, and when you’re by yourself you think people notice, and dare I say it, feel sorry for you. Once you stop thinking this way it all becomes easier. Nobody CARES. Really, nobody is looking at you, everyones too caught up in their own life to wonder why a girl is in the cinema by herself. If I see someone drinking coffee in a cafe or having lunch by themselves I think “how great!” ,they feel so comfortable and unselfconscious to do that and not worry about it. So get those thoughts out of your head, or if you really can’t and you feel that yes, people are staring at you, just think ‘who cares?’. Chances are you don’t know them, also they might be staring at you because they think you have a fantastic bum/smile/outfit and haven’t even noticed you’re alone. Half of it is more than likely just paranoia.

I really wanted to write this because I think we place so much importance on who we were with all the time. Tagging and checking yourself in on Facebook and Instagram with friends, its like we need to tell the world “hey look I’m not on my own, I have loads of friends!!” Not that doing this is necessarily a bad thing, I am definitely someone who posts on Instagram that I’m meeting friends for lunch or drinks, but we need to have some balance. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to spend time with my friends, boyfriend and family, I also happen to enjoy being on my own. I just don’t think we value how vital it is to spend time with yourself. My boyfriend and I are together almost seven years and I like to think that one of the reasons for this is that we both are quite like minded when it comes to this. We are both aware that we need our own space and time alone. Something I love about us is that we can be in the same room, each doing a separate and absorbing task and its ok that we’re not necessarily talking to each other, we’re happy to sit in a comfortable silence.

Reasons why its great to be on your own;

-Not having to share your popcorn in the cinema- especially if its butter, you want that deliciousness all to yourself

-Having time to actually think without feeling the need to constantly converse

-Getting to know yourself better

- Not being entirely dependent on your phone as a source of distraction

Some nice things to do on your own;

• Go to an art gallery or exhibition you’re interested in by yourself
• Something as simple as doing some yoga in your room, but for a full hour uninterrupted
• Go for a coffee on your own, and don’t make it a ‘to go’, sit and enjoy it
• Take a walk, I love walking by myself, especially without any music
• Go to the cinema on your own- I have always wanted to do this but still haven’t got around to it!

Being Happy & Doing What You Love.

In the last year or so I’ve had, not to be dramatic or anything, a bit of a career crisis. For most of my teenage and early adult life I wanted to be a writer, and then about three years ago I had an awful thought that I would never be good enough. Instead of working hard at it and finding some time to write every week I just gave up. I would occasionally (and still do) sign into my blog and make a few half-hearted attempts to write about a new lipstick, but never anything real. Not that lipstick isn’t something of vital importance to write about (sometimes it really is) but there needs to be some real enjoyment and passion behind the writing, which mine has lacked for a long time. All of this self-doubt and lack of practice put me off pursuing a career in writing, quite specifically my dream to work for a magazine. Over the last few months I’ve started to get back a lot of the passion I had lost, and realised that I never stopped wanting that dream job, I just stopped thinking I could do it. So instead of wondering what to write about, and stressing about the fact that it’s going to be really hard to achieve everything I want, I’m going to write about it. I want this blog to change and to be somewhere I can write about all manner of topics, yes there will still be makeup related posts (that love for lipstick is going nowhere) but I think I have so much more to offer, so expect something different from me. When was sixteen I had a blog and I wrote about whatever interested me, I posted my poems (always quite awful believe me) my photography, fashion and makeup posts and short stories. I want to go back to this time of blissful unselfconsciousness and write whatever I please, not caring if other people like it. There is something very cathartic about this idea and hopefully it will get me back not the practice of writing again.

All this is in pursuit of the title of this post, being happy and doing what you love. I couldn’t sleep a few weeks ago as my brain was stuck in this whirlwind of awful thoughts that I was wasting my life in a job I don’t like and feel no passion for. This fear had me in a sort of vice grip for a couple of weeks as I was having some sort of prolonged internal panic attack that just felt like my brain was screaming ‘WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?’. Someone who inspires me on this regard is my Dad, he works in IT and he loves his job. Yes, he gets stressed out and tired, but on a daily basis he wakes up and doesn’t dread going to work, he enjoys his job. i think this is something so rare and it makes me really sad that so many of us spend the majority of our lives at work and we hate almost every minute of it. As cheesy as it is to say, if you find a job you love doing you won’t work a day in your life, or something vaguely along those lines. This is my dream, to find something I genuinely love to do. That should be easy right?

Handbag Essentials for a Girl on the Go.

Instead of your typical 'Whats in my bag' post (which are something I love to read being the nosey person that I am) today I've put together one that is specifically aimed at those running from meeting to meeting during the week or even if you're just headed to an interview. As you can see from the photos, I really am a pro at squeezing as much as possible into a small bag, so lets go through what I managed to squash in;

1. The Bag: You're going to want something that looks professional and goes with everything, in this case black is your best friend as it will go with any outfit. This satchel in particular is made by the brand Zatchel and it was a 21st birthday present. Its a really classic and timeless style so it won't go out of fashion or be a bag you get tired of. Its also super practical as it has a shoulder strap so you can just sling it over your arm, the leather has become lovely and soft now which makes it easier to squeeze more in!

2. Purse: An obvious essential here but I thought it should be mentioned! Mine is from Michael Kors and is again, plain black so it goes with everything. Make sure that you are always prepared with change for your bus or train as you don't want to be late for a meeting or have to pay for a taxi! I would also recommend to carry some cash on you, especially if your meeting is in a coffee shop so that you can split the bill far easier than if you only carry a card.

3. A Diary and a pen: My diary/planner is by Moleskine, this is my favourite brand as they are made from soft leather and are a nice small size for your handbag while still being big enough to have two pages per week. I always carry mine with me as its handy for keeping track of work/appointments/meetings, making your life more organised and less stressful.

4. Spare tights: I cannot stress enough how useful it is to have a pair tucked into your bag. There is nothing worse than realising there is a hole or ladder in your tights halfway through the day. It instantly makes you self-conscious, and in my opinion it look quite unprofessional.

5. Umbrella: Living in Dublin means carrying an umbrella is essential, you can never tell which way the weather will turned. The last thing you want is to arrive at a meeting with wet, wind-blown hair so make sure you always have a fold up umbrella in your bag, mine is from COS.

6. Deodorant: If you're running from place to place for meetings all day I would recommend bringing some deodorant with you. It's nice to have in your bag so that you can freshen up halfway through your day.

7. Make-Up Bag: This is possibly (for me anyway) the most important thing to bring! For an interview or important meeting I would nearly always wear a bright lip to make you stand out and appear more confident. I've packed Ruby Woo from MAC as its my all time favourite red, as well as being matte so it will stay on all day. Also in my makeup bag is a mirror, for touch ups on the go, mints as its important to have fresh breath but not to arrive chewing gum, paracetamol in case you get a headache but still have to attend, and lastly hair ties and clips in case of a hair emergency on the way!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and it was helpful to some of you! Let me know down in the comments what your handbag essentials are for a busy week of work/meetings. This post was written in association with Meetings Booker and you can check out their original post here.

Natural/Everyday Makeup for Acne/Acne Scarring.

For any of you that missed it, Yesterday I uploaded a new video over on my YouTube channel. This one is specifically aimed at anyone with acne/acne scarring that wants to cover it without looking like they're wearing too much make-up. It's ideal for anyone going back to school where you're not allowed to wear make-up or even just back to college and you're looking for a simple, fresh everyday look. Also, all the products used are available in the drugstore/Boots/Superdrug!
Let me know what you guys think over on my channel!

Weekly Catch Up #3

Last week was a good week- I got to catch up with friends, spent money when I had none, saw my grandparents and ate lots of delicious food. the bikini body diet went straight out the window-which you'll see in the pictures below! I thought I'd share with you what I got up to last week through my Instagram- you can follow me here.

              

I ADORE stationary- just in case any of you don't know that about me. In fact, me and two of my best friends share this love, one of which is moving away for college in September (devastated) and we're already scheduling in a stationary shopping day before she goes! I picked up 25 Sharpies in Easons the other day for a mere €12.99. Bargain of the year- who doesn't love Sharpies?! I literally have no idea what I'll use them all for, but I'll make it my mission to find something.

                           

We got some sunny weather this week so I decided to ditch the all black and wear some more summery colours- for me this means white and grey, about as colourful as I get. Here I'm wearing my beloved Topshop grey coat, Topshop white trainers and my long COS shirt dress.

         

Speaking of stationary loving friends- we met up this week for a catch up- where there was lots of exciting news, and we went to Bunsen. Now for any of you living in Dublin, or who are planning a trip soon, Bunsen is an absolute MUST. Best burger in Dublin. You'll see many places claiming to have the 'best burger in Dublin' but they're all lying to you. I don't have much more to say on this except that you have to go- straight up burgers with no fuss, so little fuss that their menu is printed on tiny business cards.

          

I had five days off last week and it was fabulous, I had no real plans except to relax and spend time with my family. My Dad and I started our few days off with a walk along Skerries beach with the dog and went for tea and scones after. We went to Olive in Skerries which is a great spot on a sunny day to sit outside and have breakfast or lunch.

              

During my days off I finally had time to colour in my world map- I bought this plain map in COS and a girl I work with suggested colouring in the places you've visited. Thinking I'd been to far more places than I actually had I set about colouring it in only to quickly realise that going to a lot of places in Europe doesn't equate to much when you're looking at a world map. I think its time to book some holidays!

              

On Saturday I had the nicest day, my Mum, my Grandma and I went into the city centre for some shopping and walking around the city. First stop is one of my favourite cafes- Le Petit Parisien on Wicklow Street. Stepping inside you almost feel you could be in Paris, the decor, staff and music all feel so authentic without being cheesy or ridiculous. Its such a lovely cosy spot, not to mention the great coffee and even better cakes. I got the raspberry and almond tart and it was divine.

                

We decided to be tourists for the day and go to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the Library. I can't believe I've never been in to the Library before, it was amazing. For book lovers like me it was a dream, I wanted to move in. 

              

We finished off the day with a cocktail in the Shelbourne- quite a ladylike end to the day. This cocktail was called 'Eat the Peach' and it was absolutely delicious. Peach bitters mixed with vodka

and muddled peaches and fresh raspberries- it was well worth the shocking price tag. 

I hope you enjoyed this little weekly catch up guys- and if you're coming to Dublin hopefully it gave you a few ideas on places to go while you're here!

Burial Rites Book Review.

Hey everyone! So I'm finally back with a new book video, this time I've reviewed Hannah Kent's debut novel, Burial Rites. This was one so many of my subscribers recommend to me and I absolutely loved it, such a sad but intriguing read. If you want to know more about it just watch the video!
The most important question is, what to read next?

Weekly Catch Up #2

This week was a good week. The weather in Dublin finally picked up and we had almost a whole week of sunshine! One of the best things about working in the city centre is meeting up with people after work on a sunny day, one of my favourite things to do is get some ice-cream and sit in Stephen's Green Park which I got to do twice this week!

I actually got to wear something summery this week. Jacket//Topshop Dress//Zara Leggings//H&M Shoes//Penneys(Primark).

On Monday myself, my Boyfriend and my little brother went for a (cheeky) Nandos and then to see Jurassic World, it was so good! I've always been a big fan of the originals so it certainly had a lot to live up to. Its by no means as good as Jurassic Park but its still a good watch and I would even go and see it again! Chris Pratt is pretty easy on the eyes in it as well :)

On Friday I also got a chance to meet up with friends, we headed to Captain Americas for food and cocktails (the chicken nachos are my favourite thing EVER) and it was so nice to catch up after everyone has been so busy recently! Its made me excited for the rest of the summer and doing more of this!

A New Favourite: Adult Colouring Books.

Adult colouring books have been popular for quite a while now, but recently every time I walk into a book shop there's a display of them to tempt me. When I initially began to see them popping up I didn't think I would be into the idea, that I'd feel a bit silly. However, the more of them I saw the more I wanted one, especially one of Johanna Basford's as they're particularly nice.

I picked mine up in Harrods when I was in London a few months ago and I love it. The illustrations are stunning, some of them so detailed and complex that they require a lot of time and patience! I bought Crayola colouring pencils initially, which do work really well, although some of the pages are so small and detailed that I did get some Staedlter fine tipped coloured pens to do those. I got mine in Easons for around ten euro and they're brilliant.

 I find it so relaxing to sit down and do a bit of colouring, I know that sounds a bit ridiculous at 23 years of age, but I like to do it while I'm catching up on You Tube videos as it makes me feel slightly more productive! It's also oddly relaxing, and it surprised me how long it takes to complete a page.

Johanna Basford has two of these books, the one I have is the Enchanted Forest and her other is the Secret Garden, which I plan on getting next! Personally, I think that these make great gifts and I have already bought one for a friend and I'll definitely be buying more for my family at Christmas time!