This week on Instagram....

MONDAY.

Brush cleaning is what Sunday nights are made for and seeing as we had a bank holiday this week, Monday took the place of my usual Sunday routine! For me, there's almost nothing better than clean makeup brushes, especially when you start your week using them. Your makeup just seems to glide on that bit smoother. As you can see most of mine are from Real Techniques and I use the Dr Bronner's soap to clean them!

 

 

TUESDAY.

After work on Tuesday I met a few friends and we headed to the cinema. It was a really sunny afternoon, so after work it was nice to sit outside, have a drink and a catch up. We went to see Guardians of the Galaxy which I didn't think was going to be that good. It was hilarious! I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!

 

 

WEDNESDAY.

So on Wednesday I started the 30 Day Shred, which I have started numerous times and never finished it. I'm going away ion less than a month so decided it was time to break out the Free Runs and get my lazy ass off the sofa! It definitely wasn't easy, and I'll keep you guys posted on how I'm getting on!

 

THURSDAY.

When its this close to the weekend its always hard to get out of bed. Its even harder when this little squidge gets in beside me!

SATURDAY.

Had a great day Saturday out in Dundrum, its never a place I usually go but I really wanted to finally try Jamie's Italian. It was really nice, I didn't really like my main course but I think that was just me ordering something that had fennel in-not a fan! However, our starters (calamari-heaven!) and dessert were to die for! I got an Epic Brownie for dessert, served with toffee covered popcorn and amaretto ice-cream. So, so tasty!

 

 SUNDAY.

Currently reading The Rosie Project, so far I just can't seem to get into this one. I've heard so many good things about it though! Let me know if you want me to review it, who knows maybe I'll end up really enjoying it!

Bourjous Rouge Edition Velvets.

For anyone of you who also watch my YouTube videos, you may already be familiar with my new found love for the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets. I mentioned them in a recent haul and ooooh baby it is LOVE.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of a bold, matte lip. It's definitely my favourite, must have makeup product and what I always reach for if I'm not sure what look I want to go for.
These are liquid lipsticks, so they look like a lip gloss but have the finish and the staying power of a lipstick. Much like the Rimmel Apocalips they are highly pigmented and long lasting. However I much prefer these as they dry to a matte finish. Most importantly these feel really lightweight and creamy on your lips. Another bonus is that they are easy to layer up and re-apply throughout the day, which can sometimes be a pain with matte lips.
I picked up two shades, on the recommendations of Vivianna Does Makeup, she loves these! I got Ole Flamingo a hot (in some lights almost neon) pink, as well as Hot Pepper, a beautiful orangey red. I have worn both of these loads already, especially the pink which is surprising for me!

Have any of you tried these? If so let me know what you think of them down in the comments and what colour I should try next!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturisers- Review.

Happy Tuesday everyone- hope you all had a relaxing Bank Holiday weekend!


Today I'm going to be reviewing the Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturisers. As I mentioned in my recent Beauty Haul, I had heard great things about the Vitamin E Range from non other than the skincare Queen, Caroline Hirons. I tend to follow Mrs Hirons advice on anything skincare, so when she recommended a more affordable skincare range I was all over it.
So far I've really been enjoying these, I picked up the Illuminating Day Cream which has a slight shimmer too it (not too much) which I LOVE. It makes me feel so glowy and fabulous when I put it on in the mornings, and I think it would look beautiful on no makeup days. I find that its really nice to apply makeup over, not greasy or tacky at all. It has a much lighter and runnier consistency than I'm used to in a moisturiser but I actually quite like this for daytime, especially in summer.
I also got the Nourishing Night Cream which is also a winner in my books, This is super-thick which makes it feel really nourishing as it claims to be. After using this with my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil I wake up with really softy and plumped up skin.
I also really like the scent of both of these, its light and sweet and kind of reminds me of the Johnson's Baby Lotion. I would highly recommend these to anyone with dry skin, mines been so dry this year but these have really helped to improve the look and texture of my skin!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub- Review.

Today I have a very speedy review for you all, and its of the much raved about Lush Lip Scrub.

I've seen these talked about for yonks and after a recent trip to Lush I decided to finally pick one up and try it for myself! The other flavour is mint, but I jut couldn't resist the bright pink Bubblegum version!

The way to use this is so easy, I just lick my lips and apply a small amount of this all over them, rubbing it in quite gently. Made up of sugar and essential oils this scrub is excellent at removing all the dead and dry skin from your lips and leaves them feeling moisturised after! I lick the scrub off my lips afterwards, which I'm not sure you're supposed to do, but it tastes so nice!

This product is so great for people like myself who love wearing a matte lip. In Winter my lips get so dry and this paired with a matte lip product is not a good combination! I can see myself using this a lot in the colder months and have so far been using this once or twice a week, or whenever I feel I need it.

This is definitely something I'll be repurchasing as I love it, have any of you used this or the mint version? If so let me know what you think down in the comments!

August Beauty Haul!

In case you missed it...... uploaded a new video over on my channel yesterday- so grab yourself a cup of tea and watch my August Beauty Haul!

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!