PINK.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I went on a bit of a spending binge the past week, mostly on Asos.com. I am in love with this website. There is always something I lust after, and my saved items list just ascends every minute I'm on it. Terrible I know. It is one of the few online shopping websites that accepts Laser cards, and possibly the main reason why I'm on it as much as I am. I have yet to get a credit card, and any one who knows me personally warns me against it. I went through a phase on ebay, where I asked my dad politely could I use his credit card, just for one purchase, but 1 turned into about 100. It was a dark time in my life! I couldn't stop bidding. I genuinely think it was a problem. But I'm past that now, and just use what's in my own account. :)

Two of my favourite purchases from my recent splurge was this pink blazer and these acid wash jeans. The blazer is just so different to any colour or shape I already own. I also like that it's collarless, as it adds something unique. I felt that this colour would certainly pep up many an outfit for Sprrrriiiingtime! I know I mentioned before that I didn't think I'd be sporting many pastels this coming Spring, but I was just drawn to this piece, it just called to me! (Buy meeee, buy meeee!). Seriously. :)

The acid wash jeans are a style of jean I don't own at all, or even anything similar. These are from River Island, but were also purchased from Asos. They are a perfect fit, and I can't stop wearing them!

The leopard print boots are from Boohoo.com. I had purchased shoes from this site before, and was surprised with the quality for the price, so I got some more! I had seen leopard Chelsea boots in New Look, but got there too late, as they had all sold out. I'm very happy with these babies though, they fit so snugly, and have a nice sized heel on them.

The watch is from River Island. I don't usually wear watches at all, but I saw this and, well, yeah it called to me. It's adorable! :)

I wore this outfit out for Tapas at the Port House and a meander around Dundrum. Can't believe it's the weekend already! :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

:)

Ways to Wear: The Peach Topshop Blazer

Sticking with the Fashion theme I mentioned in my Current Covets: River Island post, I have decided to incorporate more Fashion related posts into my blog, as I feel that I have been neglecting the fashion side of things recently! I bought a huuuuge amount of clothes this week, mostly from Asos, as I felt my wardrobe needed an update. I love this time of year too, when we all start losing the layers that we were sporting throughout winter, and start donning brighter colours. Spring this year is all about pastels; zesty lemons, spearmint greens, and glacier blues, although I don't really see myself as a pastel kind of girl. One thing I have been lusting after recently is a pinky peach blazer, as I think it is a key piece that will completely revamp my neutrals and dark colours already present in my wardrobe. I purchased this Asos one here, but for this post I have used a more structured blazer from Topshop, which can be found here.

I have created 6 looks using this peach blazer as the central piece. I have paired it with dresses, jeans, leggings and shorts for a variety of day and evening looks, and as it is quite a neutral colour, I have mixed it with varied prints, colours and textures to vary each outfit.

All items can be found on the Topshop website.

Hope you're all having a lovely Wednesday and had mountain of pancakes yesterday! :)
x

The Handmade Soap Co. Lip Balm

This week I was lucky enough to be sent a gorgeous lip balm from the Handmade Soap Company. I was relatively unfamiliar with this brand, I had never really noticed their products in stores, and the only knowledge I had of them was from fellow bloggers, who lapped up their praises. I did a bit of research and was astounded to see this brand were an Irish company, a new one at that, whose unique selling point was that all their products are handmade, using 100% natural ingredients. I had never tried an Irish product like this, and so, I was delighted to be offered the chance to review one of their delicious lip balms.

I received the Orange and Calendula lipbalm, and I am so happy I did, because it is the tastiest, most gorgeous scented lip balm I have ever used! I also had no idea what Calendula was, I kept pronouncing it Candelula :) I have since been informed that it is a herbacious plant, part of the daisy family, which actually has anti-inflammatory properties. Win win so far!

Now I have used lipbalms; Vaseline, Chapstick, Blistex, Carmex, you name it, and have never really been truly satisfied. My lips tend to get dry quite easily, which is a pain, because even when they don't seem dry, nearly all lipstick either seems to make them dry, or make them look flaky and dry. So annoying right. Enter Handmade Soap Company!

This product is glorious. It moisturises and repairs, while leaving lips glossy and shiny, and smelling divine. This product contains beeswax, which has a long shelf life and seals in hydration, as it is impervious to water. It also contains shea butter and jojoba oil, which nourish, condition and soften lips. The Calendula and Orange essential oils add a gorgeous floral and citrusy note to the balm.

I have been using this product non-stop for the past week and have noticed visible results. I also haven't made a dent in it, which means it's going to last a looong time! Overall, I am very happy with this product. The Handmade Soap Co. lipbalms also come in Choco-Mint and Au Natural with Rosehip Oil flavours and retail at €4.50, which matches Burt's Bees Beeswax Lipbalm.

You can buy Handmade Soap Co. products from their website HERE,
or find a stockist near you HERE.

Support Irish Businesses!

Talk soon!

:)

Current Covets: River Island

I realised recently that this blog has become more about beauty and less about fashion. Obviously it is upto one's self as to what to blog about, but I felt somewhat guilty in a sense for neglecting the fashion side of things. After all, the word Fashion is in my blog name. I think many bloggers go through a sort of dry spell, where they get in a kind of slump about their blogs. I'm not speaking on behalf on any one here, I have seen it happen before though, and they get kind of frustrated as to what to blog about. That isn't to say I am going through one of these slumps, but I have come to the realisation that my blog isn't as diverse as I want it to be. So for this reason, my blog is going to be more varied in the future, and more fashion focused. It will also include random posts about life and food, because for a Culinary Graduate, food is life!

I have been splurging quite a bit lately, mostly on clothing items, as I felt my wardrobe needed a spring clean, and just a general update. I have had my eye on River Island, which is unusual for me as I never really shop there as often as I should! Lately though I have seen some items that I am most definitely lusting after. Here's a few of them.

1.Black Stripe Sleeveless Shirt, £30. 2.Gold Tone Green Face Watch, £25. 3.Ruby Red Denim Studded Hotpants, £35. 4.Green Suede Envelope Clutch, £27. 5.Silver Knuckle Duster Ring, £7. 6.Meow Print Tank, £15. 7.Black Fringe Bra Top, £25. 8.Black Glitter Heel Platforms, £65. 9.Black Cheetah Tank, £15. 10.White Diamante Trim Shirt, £28. 11.Lilac Acid Wash Skinnies, £40.

All available on the River Island website.

Although I have been loving black for winter, I think it's time to shake things up with a bit of colour. While I don't think I will be incorporating many pastels into my wardrobe for Spring, injecting teal and ruby seems sufficient for me. Come summer though, I will probably be sporting a few more brights!

Currently lusting after: Denim shorts, 80's Acid Wash jeans, Chelsea Boots, a Pink Blazer and big rings.
Currently reading: The Londoner.
Currently listening to: Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Talk soon :) x

Bibbity Bobbity Boo.

I acquired some new bits recently, most of which I purchased in LANDAN. Yesterday I went on an online shopping rampage, like I mean a serious splurge, but obviously I haven't received them yet, so they will not be included in this post!

This week saw Valentines Day, which was a relatively quiet one if I'm honest. I did cook dinner for my boyfriend (3 courses!) on the day, but our real Valentines treat was last weekend away in the gorgeous Carton House in Kildare, where we indulged in skin resurfacing facials, full body massages, a fine dining dinner, and the biggest breakfast buffet I have ever seen. Unfortunately for me, I had food poisoning all week, and couldn't completely relax, but we figured we might as well go, as we would've had to pay the full price even if we cancelled. I got an Aveda Skin Renewal Facial, and I may do a separate post on my facial experience altogether. If you're in Ireland and you are looking for a place to get away to, I would definitely recommend the Carton House, it is absolutely unbelievable; great service, amazing views, lavish facilities, and unforgettable dining.

I had forgotten to include my London purchases in my previous post, so I thought I'd give a bit more detail about them in this one.

Illamasqua is a brand I'm relatively new to, the main reason being that it is nearly impossible to attain in Ireland. It used to be sold in BT2 on Grafton Street, but it disappeared, and I have no idea where to get it now! It is available on Asos, so I may take advantage of that! At the IMATS, there was some serious discounts at the Illamasqua stand, it was mayhem, but I managed to pick up a few products, as well as some from Make Up For Ever, Inglot, and I nabbed a MAC lippie in the airport on the way home.

Cheeks

Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush in #12 and #1, Illamasqua Cream Blush in Libido.

Eyes

Inglot Matte Gel Liner in Brown #90.

Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Vulgar and Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Motto.

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Super Volume Mascara (came free with Elle magazine!)

Lips

MAC Myth and Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Feisty

I am absolutely loving all of these products so far, apart from Myth lipstick, which I'm still unsure about. Now I am off to pack for a weekend away with my mom and sister!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Talk soon! x
x

London Calling.

Two weekends ago the gorgeous Julie and I made our way across the Irish Sea to London for the International Makeup Artist Trade Show which was held in the amazing Alexandra Palace.

We made our way to Dublin Airport on the Friday morning, heading through security at 6am, before getting a croissant and coffee and having a little look in MAC before boarding. I was so excited to go to London as I had never been before, and just to experience the culture and see the sights. We did a lot of tube hopping for the weekend, visiting Buckingham Palace, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden, and Spitalfields. We had intended on doing some touristy things on friday and sunday, and attending IMATS in between, on saturday. Unfortunately due to extreme weather conditions (!) on the sunday, we didn't get to visit anywhere really, as most of the day consisted of sitting in Stansted praying our flight wouldn't be cancelled! (Which was hell, 9 hours is a loooong time!)

On Friday we sorted out our travel arrangements and purchased tickets for the train into London and for the Tube for the three days we would be there. We managed to get rid of our bags in the hotel and have a waltz around London before returning to check in at 3pm. We stopped off at a gorgeous Patisserie called Paul in Knightbridge for some Lunch, before getting lost in Harrods for the afternoon. Harrods was unbelievable, but Julie and I felt somewhat out of place, being brushed past by posh ladies and men with Louis Vuitton manbags who gave us looks of disgust. Did we look like commoners or something?! Probably. I loved Harrods though, as you can see how snap happy I was taking pictures of the entire place. I loved the clothing, the designers, the shoe emporium, the makeup counters.. but most of all I loved the food rooms. Huge chocolate stands were filled with Valentines gifts, mountains of sweets filled the entire room! In another room altogether was kind of like a market; meat counters, cheeses, an oyster bar, Sushi bar, macaron counter! It was amazing.

We spent the rest of the day visiting Selfridges and Oxford Street, although we didn't buy much at all. We returned to the hotel and had a bit of a rest before venturing out again in search of some dinner! We strolled through Covent Garden and found a cute little Italian in Leicester Square where we gobbled Calzones before returning to our beds after a loooong day.

Saturday was IMATS day! We got up quite early, stopped in Julies favourite place EVER! : Pret a Manger for porridge and granola before whipping off to Alexandra Palace for the day. The IMATS was quite overwhelming. We got there at about 11, and it was jam packed. We scurried around taking it all in, and nabbing a few purchases on the way; Illamasqua, Make Up For Ever and Inglot to name a few. The makeup was amazing, from body painting to prosthetics, there was a lot of madness! After being there for a good few hours, we had seen all we wanted to see, bought all we wanted to buy, and packed up and headed home. Home to our hotel that is. We stopped off at the Hummingbird Bakery which ended up being like RIGHT beside our hotel (SCORE!), and bought a few goodies to gorge on back in the privacy of our room. And let me just say, they were AH-MAY-ZIIING! The Hummingbird Bakery near us was on the cutest street ever, called Frying Pan Alley, how adorable is that?!

We filmed some videos of our trip (one of which can be seen on Julie's channel HERE), before popping off out to see a show. We hadn't planned on going as we thought prices may be too expensive at such short notice, but we nabbed a deal and went to see Chicago, which was also AH-MAY-ZIIING! I'm so glad we got to go in the end, because it totally made our trip complete! :) The plot thickens though, dun dun duuun! (I am in such a weird mood today, excuse that!) We had planned to go to Camden that night after the show, but no sooner had we left the theatre, we were being snowed upon, like I mean there was like an avalanche coming out of the sky. We started panicking. Tubes stopped running, buses stopped running, there were no cabs to be found at all. We were running around London like mad women, we had NO clue where we were going or what was going to happen to us! In times like this I think that I would be overcome with manic distress, and just in general freak out, but we managed to get home safe and sound in the end, on a random bus that happened to go by our hotel. We don't know what would have happened to us if that random bus hadn't come our way when it did, but we were so happy it did! Thank you bus driver on the No.8! :)

The misfortune didn't end there though. We arrived home (our hotel room), flicked on the news, and were gutted to see that Stansted airport was closed! We ended up just praying our flight would go out on time the next evening. We wandered around Spitalfields aimlessly on Sunday morning before returning to Hummingbird to buy MORE cupcakes to cheer ourselves up. We had to check out at 10am that morning, and had nowhere else to go in the freezing cold weather so we ended up just going to the airport.. 7 hours early! Our flight ended up being delayed by two hours, and after 9 hours in the airport, another hour waiting to board and another half hour waiting to take off we finally made it home. Hallelujiah!

My London trip was amazing, although the end of the weekend kind of slightly put a downer on things. It's such a busy city, there's constantly so much going on. I will be back! :)

x