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08 September 2014

Haul | Penneys Woollies

So I made a cheeky very quick little trip to Penneys and picked up a couple of winter warmers. There's nothing too crazy here, but for anyone who might be wondering what kind of options are out there at moment, it might give you some ideas.


This couple of woollies were not bought with any outfits ideas in mind, moreso just practical layers! I figure they will work with some lighter tops underneath with jeans. Layers are definitely important in the Autumn / Winter, especially since it's so cold outside, but with all the heating, it's so warm inside! They're also very handy to keep around the office, since where I work is an old Georgian building in city centre, so it can get very cold in the depths of Winter!

 Penneys, Taupe Cardigan, €12

Penneys, Cobalt Sweater, €6  

Penneys, Brown Cardigan, €17  

Penneys, Mustard Sweater, €6  

Penneys, Burgundy Cardigan, €12 

Hopefully you have some inspiration for some ideas about getting started with your winter wardrobe! This certainly isn't very comprehensive, but it's definitely a start as I begin the transition from Summer wardrobe to Autumn!

What pieces have you picked up for A/W 2014 so far?

25 August 2014

#FestivalFun | General Tips & Hints

Ok to conclude my #FestivalFun series, I'll leave you with a few top tips to get the most out of your festival experience

- Do your Research!
Doing a little research in advance of a festival can make a world of difference when you get there. While not absolutely necessary, it can be nice to know your favourite acts stage times or what types of food options there are so you don't miss any. Otherwise it is possible to completely miss some niche activity that's happening. If you don't know to look out for it, you can often miss it altogether!

- Have fun!
Everyone has their own expectations and plans for a festival, so even though you might go with a group of friends, don't be afraid to head off on your own and immerse yourself in whatever interests you. Don't just go with the crowd!

Ferris Wheel, Electric Picnic 2012

- Stay hydrated!
Between all the singing, dancing and general sun exposure you'll probably need to consume more water than you usually do. If you're not a big fan of water, you can always bring a small bottle of cordial with you, so you can turn any boring bottle of water into something a little tastier.

- Protect your Skin!
Even if it's cloudy or doesn't seem too warm, you're going to be out in the sun for lengths of time. It's important to make sure you're protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays. You can bring a bigger bottle for the tent (you can even co-ordinate to share with friends), but it's definitely no harm having a small travel bottle in your day bag too!

- Drink Responsibly!
While a lot of people drink at festivals and that is perfectly fine, know your limits. Have fun, try lots of different drinks, but be sure to drink sensibly. You're not in your usual surroundings, so you're more likely to get lost or disorientated with a few drinks. Keep up with water at the same time to make sure you're pacing yourself. Not only is good to keep hydrated anyway, but your head will thank you the following day. So you can straight back to dancing around the next morning!

Biergarten, Electric Picnic 2012

- Be safe!
Ensure to keep all your valuables on you at all times, a tent isn't exactly impenetrable. Don't leave anything of value behind. More importantly of course, make sure you yourself stay safe. All the usual rules apply for looking out for yourself and be sure to keep friends abreast of your plans so they will realise if you've been gone too long, etc. It's also helpful to have some pre-planned meeting points throughout the festival should you get separated or your phone battery dies, etc. Use food stall, flags, etc. for reference.

Body & Soul @ Electric Picnic 2012

- Find a good camping spot!
You want to make a few observations before setting up camp. While you want to be relatively close to everything, there are a couple of things you ought to be aware of. Do not set up too close to walkways or toilets as a basic rule of thumb. You run a higher risk of having your tent trampled on. You also don't want to camp too close to the periphery either, the male population will use the fencing as an over-sized urinal. Additionally while it can be handy to camp near some kind of reference point like a tree (so with a few drinks later on, the spot is easily identifiable), you want to be careful as yet again, this will become a popular urinal spot. So use your surroundings as a reference point for sure, but try be in the middle of other tents. This year I'm really looking forward to trying out eco-camping, there's no additional cost, but we along with our fellow eco campers have agreed to leave no trace behind, so it will be a nice change from the usual messiness we have to wake up to!

Andy Warhol Campsite, Electric Picnic 2011


So all that's left to do now guys is pack! Are you all ready to go? Do you have any final tips?


For the rest of the #FestivalFun series please see below:

What Beauty Products to Bring
What's in my Bag?
Making the most of your Time
What to Bring - The Basics

24 August 2014

#FestivalFun | What Beauty Products to bring?

As I've already mentioned in my #FestivalFun series, less is more when it comes to grooming at festivals. You don't want to have too much stuff to carry or too much work getting ready in the mornings either. So below I've broken down the types of products I would recommend bringing and how to make the most of each product you choose. As much as possible if I can find more than one use for a product, all the better!

This is probably obvious, but from the outset I would like to specify I would not bring anything to a festival that I would be devastated if I lost. So (in my opinion) this is the not the place for your €40 foundation or your €25 concealers. Cheap and cheerful is key. If you absolutely cannot live without your favourite Chanel lipstick, my recommendation is to keep that in your day bag, so it's on you at all times.

Skincare
For the cleansing water and moisturiser, I will decant these into smaller containers for the weekend.

- Face Wipes
- Cleansing Water
- Moisturiser



Make Up
I would majorly reduce the number of tools I use compared to if I was at home, a brush to apply my foundation and that is it, everything else I can make do with my fingers. Firstly because then my favourite brushes are less likely to get lost and secondly I'm not as concerned about precision. This is of course a personal preference and just a guide, just bring what you're most comfortable with. The only product I have excess of is lipstick, just to make the looks a little different (so I have a bright pink, deep red and natural option).

- Bourjois Health Mix Serum Foundation (#51)
- Real Techniques Brush (Buffing)
- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Cool Medium 2)
- Soap & Glory One Hell of a Blot, has a sponge inside (one shade only as it is translucent)
- Bourjois Blusher (#37 Pompom Rose)
- Rimmel Scandleyes Eye Liner (#001 Black)
- Topshop Mascara (Black)
- Inglot Eye Shadow Palette (shades: #355, #405, #452, #421, #07)
- Essence Eyebrow Pencil (#04 Blonde)
- Maybelline Super Stay 14 hours lipstick (#160 Infinitely Fuschia)
- Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick (#111)
- Rimmel Apocalips (#101 Celestial)
- Dior Addict Gloss (#684 Mervelle)



Hair Care
Day 1 you'll have beautiful hair, so for day 2 and 3, dry shampoo and clips/hairspray will be your friend. Some simple styling techniques such as high ponytails, braids, etc. will keep you going until your safely in the warm embrace of a proper hot shower back home at the end of day three! You can always jazz your look with clip in multi-coloured hair pieces or using chalk to temporarily colour your hair. Now is the time to go wild!

- Dry Shampoo (Batiste Original)
- Hair Spray / Texturising Spray (V05 give me texture)
- Hair Clips & Hair Ties



Extra Beauty Tips

Nails 
I would always paint my nails the day before I head off with a tried and tested polish that I know will easily last me the three days (and works with my outfit choices). You don't really have the same luxury of allowing it to dry when you're camping in a field!

Sun Protection
Remember although the weather may not necessarily be scorching, you'll be exposed to probably more sun than usual. It is really important to bring adequate sun protection for the duration. As well as sunglasses and hats.

Hopefully these product lists have given you some ideas on what you should bring yourself and highlighted how few products you should be aiming to get away with! If you have any other tips, please leave a comment!

For my other posts in this #FestivalFun series, please see below:

What's in my Bag?
Making the most of your Time
What to Bring - The Basics



22 August 2014

#FestivalFun | What's in my Bag

Ok so you have your general luggage all packed up and ready to go, but of course when you're actually in the festival, you'll be leaving most things in your tent, so below I've included what I have in my day to day bag, the essentials that I need to keep me going all day and night! I have a little paragraph on each, but for quick reference I have also included some bullet points. I would definitely keep it small and light.

I also usually prefer a small over the shoulder bag, since then when you're in a crowd of people, your belongings are in front of you, as opposed to in a backpack behind you!

This small satchel would be perfect 
(New Look, €13, Autumn 2013 collection)

Valuables
Of course you don't want to leave your phone, money or camera behind in the tent. Most obviously as you'll need all of them throughout the day, but also I wouldn't recommend leaving anything of value in the tent, ever. I've never had a single problem to date with things being stolen, but that's no reason to be too lax. As with any other situation, do not leave anything valuable sitting unattended in a field!

- Phone
- Money
- Camera

Hygiene
A mini hand sanitizer is an absolute must. Portaloos are bad enough without coming out of one to realise all the sanitiser is gone, be safe, bring your own. In the very same vein, be sure to bring some toilet roll in case of an emergency. All the loos are being re-stocked and cleaned on an ongoing basis yes, but when you have hundreds of people using them every hour, it's inevitable you'll need your own supplies at some point.

- Hand Sanitiser
- Toilet Paper

Skin / Hair / Make Up Basics
Some sun cream and a lip balm with SPF are a great staple for your bag. Then depending on your preferences you might like to keep a lipstick, concealer or powder on you to freshen up throughout the day. You know best what you'll need to re-apply. If you're pretty easy going about your makeup, leave everything behind! Definitely don't carry around anything you know you're not going to use. I wouldn't imagine you would need to bring any hair care products out and about. However there is certainly no harm in having a few hair ties and hair clips at the bottom of your bag should disaster strike!

- Sun Cream
- Lipstick
- Powder
- Hair Ties / Clips

Miscellaneous
After that you might want to ensure you have on your persons, your sunglasses or a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes, to save on space, just wearing these, means you don't need to fit them in your bag. You might want to bring along a bottle of water, but be sure to check the rules of the specific festival you're attending. For Electric Picnic specifically you are allowed to bring 500ml sealed bottles of minerals into the arena from the campsite, so you could save a little money by bringing a six pack from home. But as per my first post, bare in mind that's now three extra litres of weight when travelling from the car to the campsite on day 1. You may prefer to just pick some up inside the arena.

- Sunglasses / Hat
- Water (optional)
- Jacket/Hoody for when it gets cooler (you can just tie it around the strap of the bag)

21 August 2014

#FestivalFun | Making the most of your Time

This is a particularly tricky one to master and how you utilise your time at a festival will really vary depending on your own personal interests. I've also not always been perfect in previous years, but this year I'm combining all the knowledge I've gained to date to really make the most of my experience. Some for some ideas on what to do, please keep reading...

Music
Okay so obviously this is the main focus of the festival. You will have been scoping out in advance which of your favourite artists are playing, brushing up on your lyrics and generally stalking them around the internet. In advance of the event, you'll have a pretty good idea who you want to see. All this prep work is essential to make sure you don't miss any of your favourites. However I do feel it's important to add a caveat or two here.

Elbow on the Main Stage, Electric Picnic 2012

Firstly no matter how much planning you do, you need to expect the unexpected. Sometimes, unfortunately, your favourite acts will clash. Once you're ready for this possibility though, at least it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise and it can help you plan in advance which artists are a priority. Secondly a major plus of attending a music festival is getting to hear music you would have never otherwise listened to. So make sure your music schedule isn't fully booked with your favourites, leave room for wandering from stage to stage, you just never know who you might discover!

Food
This might not be the case at all festivals, but certainly at Electric Picnic, a huge part of the experience is the food. They have all sorts of food ranging from Fast Food right through to Fine Dining. The choices seem endless and they also have stalls that cater for specific dietary requirements like vegans, those who are lactose intolerant or coeliacs.

You can find cuisines from all over the world, it's not just chip vans and reheated pizza. There are ostrich burgers, homemade pies, burritos, pulled pork sandwiches, seafood chowder, crepes, frozen yoghurt, noodles, gourmet sausages. With over 100 food stalls you're sure to find something delicious. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water

Comedy
Again this may just be Electric Picnic specific, but the comedy tent is another feature of the weekend. It's usually on from lunch tim until 9 on the Saturday and Sunday. It's a perfect way to break up the music arts and just have a laugh. Especially if you're struggling with your first time camping. Perfect way to get your mind off your woes and just get into the spirit if it all! Try to factor in your favourite comedians when making your music timetable too!

Arts, Crafts & Relaxation
Whether your just an observer or getting in on the action, there are many fun ways to fully soak up the experience and also relax. Not only can you admire some amazing pieces of art, but with so many different workshops going on, you can free your inner artist!

There is also yoga and pilates sessions going on alll weekend. There's hot tubs and hammocks. So whether your idea of relaxing is covering yourself in glue and glitter or getting a massage - there really is something for everyone!

Wishing Tree, Electric Picnic 2012

The main piece of advice I suppose is, don't expect to be able to do EVERYTHING. Just really all the activities you do get involved in. And don't sweat it if you happen to miss something. Even the long time goers will admit it's impossible to do it all in just one weekend! Just have as much as you can doing whatever it is that you get to.

If anyone has any advice to share on making the most of your time, please feel free to comment below!

#FestivalFun Part 1 | What to Bring - The Basics

20 August 2014

#FestivalFun | What To Bring - The Basics

I am SO excited to be heading to Electric Picnic again this year, it will be fourth year in a row! In the lead up to EP, I thought I would do 5 part series on festivals using the hashtag #FestivalFun. Some general tips and hints. Whether you're an old timer or it's your first festival, it's never any harm to pick up some extra ideas on how to get the most out of your time! So there'll be one post each day from Wednesday to Sunday!

Ok to start the series off, I thought it would be most practical to start with  the essentials to bring along to a festival. To make this digestible, I will break it down by section.

Camping Equipment
Ensure you have adequate camping gear, at a minimum a tent and a sleeping bag. Now over the years I have seen people bring pillows and duvets, etc. My tip here is make use of bags/clothes when it comes to needing a pillow, trust me the less you need to haul from the car the better. I always try to bring everything in one trip from the car, the more trips you, the more you miss out on the festival itself. Also I'd take tent sizings rather loosely, if there's 2 people you're going to realistically want a 4 man tent unless you want to feel claustrophobic. This is me at EP 2010 in what is classed as a 4 man tent, but comfortably fits two with all your belongings I reckon!

Electric Picnic 2011

Then depending on your own preferences you can choose to bring deck chairs or inflatable mattresses, etc. But beware, this definitely adds a large amount of bulk to your already full hands when trekking from the car to the campsite. Depending where you're parked and where you're set up, the trip could be 30-40 minutes one way!

Clothes
I know festivals have their own dress code now and you might feel a little under pressure to dress a certain way, but trust me while on paper this all sounds great, the reality is often something very different. I cannot stress this enough, comfort, comfort comfort! You are sleeping on the ground, in desperate need of a proper shower and a decent toilet, don't add to the misery by feeling awkward in what you're wearing. If festival chic is your usual get-up, then great! If it isn't, don't force it. You will honestly find all sorts of people wearing all sorts of clothes, trust me, whatever you wear, you'll fit in fine!

Definitely try out new things and exciting looks but keep some key things in mind:
- Does it transition well from warm day time, to cold night time?
- Are you suitably covered if it starts lashing rain? (especially if heading to a festival in Ireland)
- Does it sit comfortably? (you'll be too busy dancing and having fun to spend your days fixing your outfit)

On top of whatever outfits you decide on make sure to include a rain coat and some cosy hoodies. It's amazing if you get great weather for the weekend, but do not underestimate just how cold it can get in the evenings and at night!

Beauty Products
This probably seems obvious but keeping it simple is key. Like clothes, I would recommend going with the tried and tested products here. Keep it all relatively natural and low key. The last thing you want to be doing is spending hours on your hair and makeup. The more time you spend faffing around in the morning, the more amazing experiences you're missing out on

Skincare
Although they're a cardinal beauty sin, this is the one occasion where everyone agrees face wipes are handy to have on hand. Another absolute must is hand sanitiser, I don't think that needs much explaining. Then think travel bag on everything else, decant a small bit of your cleanser, moisturiser, etc. Again the less you have to carry the better. This is definitely not the time to break out the face masks and body scrubs. Whatever the absolute minimum your skin can live on for 3 days is all you're bringing. That will differ for everyone, but once you have something to remove your makeup and something to put the mositure back in afterwards, you should be able to survive! If you're at a festival for a full three days and need to make use of the showers, a mini shower gel is also essential.

Make Up
Keep it basic, bring only the bare necessities. Bring your tried and tested products and make life easy on yourself by only bringing one of any given item. There is definitely no need for two types of mascara. And unless you're a pro at applying a full face of make up in a few minutes, I would definitely recommend scaling back your routine. It's definitely a matter of personal preference, but I reckon less is definitely more in this instance.

Hair Care
If you haven't noticed the theme yet, it's minimalist. Whatever you can do without, don't bother with. If you will need to use the shower, a mini shampoo and conditioner will be needed. Otherwise a small can of hairspray and then some dry shampoo/texturising spray should do it. I would of course recommend having a couple of hair ties and hair clips in the bottom of your bag. It at least gives you some options each day in terms of hairstyles.

Electric Picnic 2012

Other Random Essentials
Some other helpful random items that don't necessarily fit into the above categories

- A small day bag (for all your essentials)
- Sunglasses
- Toilet Paper
- Plastic bags (keeps things separated/dry, also handy for dirty clothes/shoes)
- Raincoat
- Scarf
- Hat
- Wellies & Thick Socks
- Back Up Phone / Battery
- Phone Charger (most festivals have charging facilities, they usually do cost money however)
- Towel (for shower or just in general, in case it rains heavily, etc)

17 August 2014

In the Spotlight | Humans of New York

Hello again everyone. So this week's post is a little different to my usual, but I just felt I needed to talk about it. The focus of this post is Brandon Stanton, creator of the blog Humans of New York. I don't know Brandon, nor am I in any way connected to him, but through his work, I feel more connected to people from all walks of life!

Through his blog, Brandon manages to capture the essence of people through a series of portraits. Each portrait is accompanied by a quote from the subject of the portrait. It is a simple concept, but the result is so powerful. Brandon's ability to engage with the people of New York alongside their unapologetic honesty, creates something so beautiful. He has the ability to connect his readers, at a very human level, with a complete stranger.

Photo Credit: www.humansofnewyork.com

He captures people during happy times, sad times, old people, young people, groups and individuals. He really brings it home that we're all in this together. We all have our ups and our downs, but we are not alone in our struggles, people everywhere are feeling something similar. While Brandon is from New York and his work is based in New York, the portraits and stories he captures could be applied to a lot of places. His pieces just stand to show the everyday nature of human life.

 Photo Credit: www.humansofnewyork.com

It is clear just how easy it his to relate to his work, as he now boasts over 9 million followers on social media since beginning his blog back in 2010. On top of beautifully capturing portraits and sharing powerful stories, Brandon has helped create some real life changes for some of the people he has met through kick starters. Brandon set up an Indiegogo page for a man who was the cameraman for a short piece on Brandon's work. After getting chatting, he came to learn this man and his wife had adopted a child from Ethiopa and they were in the process of saving enough money to adopt another child. 

Photo Credit: www.indiegogo.com

Through the power of a picture and a story, Brandon helped this family raise in excess of $80,000 in 24 hours. It really shows the compassion and power of a community. What can be achieved when we all work together. The original campaign was for $26,000 with the caveat that any extra funding would go towards the children's education. Thanks to Brandon's work and the community he has created, Richard's life has been changed forever, along with his new family's. 

Brandon is currently embarking on a new campaign with the United Nations, it is a 50 day trip to 10 countries around the globe, to capture the portraits and stories of people from these places. While also raising awareness about the Millenium Development Goals. With 2015 fast approaching, there is still so much to do! 

Photo Credit: www.humansofnewyork.com

This new project Brandon is embarking on, is opening up his community to stories from people who often lead a very different life to his traditional readers. He is capturing the story of conflict and human endurance, but not with statistics and maps, but rather on an individual level. It allows his readers to connect with their struggle on a personal level, to truly show the impact of conflict on the individual.

I truly commend Brandon using his platform to help raise awareness and bring the world closer together. I think he is an inspirational human being. He does not go out into the world expecting anything from anyone, nor does he try to "fix" everyone. He is just using his platform to tell a story and connect humans to one another, and in my humble opinion he does it beautifully.

If you want to follow Brandon's work, you can follow his website, Facebook and Twitter pages. If you're not already doing so, I really recommend that you do!

10 August 2014

My First | MAC Palette

I'm not entirely sure how I've done it, but I've somehow managed to get through life to date without owning a MAC palette. Yes I own a few single pots, but not even that many to be honest. While rooting through the MAC website recently, this dawned on me. So of course, with me being me, I needed to sort that out promptly. So the very next day I went to the BT2 MAC store on Henry street to rectify this injustice! Firstly I did a little research online to decide which shades I wanted specifically, using the MAC site and some of my favourite bloggers for reference.




I was very excited to get home and put it all together. I went for a quad to start with, I though a full pro palette (which holds 15 shades) would look a little depressing with 11 empty pots. I think I am going to attempt to de-pot the four single pots I already have also. That would go a long way to filling up the pro palette. Ok so to get onto the shades I decided to go for...


So the four shades I chose are Espresso, Cranberry, All That Glitters and Woodwinked. I decided to start out practical and pick shades I know I would regularly use. My thought process being that Espresso could work in the crease of my eye as well as an eyebrow shade, Cranberry and Woodwinked could both work as crease colours or in the outter corners, depending on the look I was creating and All That Glitters would be perfect for all over the lid. So this one quad could provide all the basic colours I need to create a couple of different neutral eye looks. I know Cranberry wouldn't be everyone's pick for a neutral look, but I quite like using Toasted and Hustle from the NAKED 1 palette, so this type of shade does not scare me.



So there you have it, my very first MAC palette. Do you own a MAC palette and have any shade recommendations? I do intend to grow my collection over the coming years. Ultimately my intention will be to own the 15 shades pro palette and keep the quad for travelling, but I know I'm while off that just yet.

This first purchase was quite an investment and it certainly wasn't cheap, it came to €58.50 in total, but I knew the initial cost would be high and then I'll slowly build them up over time. It's €8.50 for the quad palette and then €12.50 for each shadow. However if you do intend to buy a few, it's cheaper than buying individual pots and also much neater for transporting and storing.

I hope you liked this post and definitely get commenting on what your favourite shades are, I love getting recommendations! That's it from me, hope you're having a great Sunday afternoon whatever you're up to!

03 August 2014

#FOTD | Everyday Glam

This is a bit of a different post from yours truly. I've decided to share with you some of the products I would use for an everyday look with that little something extra. So what would be perfect for a day out with the girls, on a trip away with that special someone or just whenever you might want to go that little bit extra! I don't tend to go too dramatic with my night out makeup most of the time, for me, this look would be perfect for a night out too! I may even do more of these "Face of the Day" type posts down the line, should anyone find them useful!


Quite a natural look with a little shimmer around the eye

Unfortunately as with all (mine anyway) natural looks, there are quite a few products involved to get to this point! To start with I prepped my skin by using my cleanser, acid toner, serum & moisturiser as usual. Then I got started with the makeup itself, this is going to sound like quite a lot of products, but when you're used to all the steps it really doesn't take as long as this post will make it seem. To make it a little more digestible I've broken it down by area of the face.

Face
Foundation: Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream applied using a flat foundation brush from Nima Brush
Concealer: Correction Lasting Perfect Concealer under the eye and on blemishes, using my finger and then finishing the blending with my foundation brush
Powder: One Heck of a Blot from Soap & Glory using my Real Techniques Powder Brush



Cheeks
Blush: NARS Orgasm which I applied using the Real Techniques Blusher Brush
Contour: NARS Laguna which I applied using Real Techniques Contour Brush
Highlight: Very very small bit of The Balm Mary Lou, applied with my fingers


Eyes
All over Lid: Sin from Urban Decay NAKED 1 palette, patted on with the brush in the palette
In the Crease: Smog from NAKED 1, patted on with the brush in palette (also brushed this along lower lash line)
In the Outer Corner: Darkhorse from NAKED 1, patter on with the brush in the palette
In the Inner Corner: The Balm Mary Lou, applied with my fingers

In all instances the shadow was of course blended out with my MAC 217 brush, the key (I've learned) is to build up colour through patting and blending and repeating, don't put it all on at once!

Upper Lash Line: Bourjois Liner Feutre - also along outer corner of the lower lash line
Mascara: Benefit's They're Real, two generous coats (don't also forget to use your eyelash curler first)
Eyebrows: Essence Eyebrown pencil with Buck from NAKED 1, applied using the Real Techniques Brow Brush


Lips
Make Up For Ever Lip Liner Pencil in the shade 43 all over the entire lips and then a coat of Dior Addict Gloss in the shade 684 and then finally a light patting of Virgin from NAKED 1 the lips using my finger. I did this for two different reasons, one, to set the lipgloss in place and two, to give a nice sheen to the lips



A little disclaimer, buying make up is definitely my hobby, so while there are quite a few high end products in here, they have been built up over time, certainly not all bought at once! Then of course the look can easily be replicated by substituting these products with your own favourites!


Hopefully I might have given you some inspiration or ideas on how to create your own everyday glam look. If you do, definitely be sure to send me a pic through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! If you've any recommendation on similar/better products, get commenting! I'm always looking for new products and shades to try.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a great day whatever you're up to!

30 July 2014

Chatty Post | General Catch Up

Yet another inexcusable break was taken here at Beauty Baggage. Okay, let's jump right in with a chatty post, ease myself back in nice and slowly.

Instead of boring you with details, lets focus on something more fun, look at my new custom made logo? I'm so excited to have my very own logo, finally! It was made by my boyfriend's brother, he came up with the entire concept from start to finish, checking in with me as he went to make sure everything was okay. He's currently studying product design and is definitely one to watch! Looking forward to seeing what else he comes up with in the coming years.


Beauty Baggage's NEW Logo

In general my summer has been going well. I'm trying to wrap up the last of assignments for my masters, so that hasn't been terribly fun. But I've still managed to fit in plenty of socialising over the summer months so far, it hasn't been all doom and gloom, plenty of days and nights out! I also have some nice plans in August, with Electric Picnic at the end of the month. However what I'm definitely most excitedly looking forward to this year is my 2 week trip to China in September, I cannot wait! If you've ever been, be sure to leave suggestions in the comments for what I should get up to! I'm also heading to Brussels for a weekend in November with a few friends too. So while it's been relatively quiet year to date, I have lots of things to look forward to!

Some pics from my Summer so far...

I have also really started to try improve my eating and general health in the last few weeks. As part of that I'm trying to get a little better at cooking and making things from scratch. The berry smoothie above is a perfect example of that (it's delish in case you're wondering!), with some more examples below. I have also taking to walk 3 or 4 times a week, nothing too crazy, just maybe 5.5km. However I'm working on building up speed, and have done some very small jogging spurts in the middle. It's going well so far and definitely a case my whole mind and body (not to mention skin) are feeling so much the better for it. That's not to say I haven't fallen off the bandwagon here and there, but life is for living, so that's allowed. I'm using my impending trips and all the sight-seeing induced walking as motivation! So far, so good.

Homemade guacamole, fresh watermelon, homemade pizza & basil plant

So that's a general catch up on what has been going on with me and my summer so far! What's new with you? What have you been getting up to? Has anyone been on holidays or planning any get aways? I'd love to hear from you!

30 April 2014

Review | Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

I hope everyone has been enjoying this love weather we're having, especially since it's probably going to be our summer! Today I bring you a review of a product I have recently fallen in love with. It's certainly by no means new to the market and I've heard plenty of bloggers talk about it for the last year (I have been meaning to pick it up for ages). It's the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot.


What can I say, it was love at first sight. As always with Soap & Glory, the packaging is very chic. But more important is the content. Initially I was a little apprehensive since it describes itself as a mattifying powder as someone who suffers with dehydrated and sometimes dry skin, I usually avoid matt products. However I was pleasantly surprised. I find it sets my makeup nicely but without leaving that caked-on-powder look. At a glance you would not necessarily see I was wearing any powder, it is incredibly natural looking. Which is a major factor for me. My go to pressed powder before this was Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (€35), yet I find this one much better and the price tag is certainly more suitable coming in at €15.


This product also comes with a mirror which is added bonus. I know most compacts do, but it's definitely a pain when they don't (Rimmel pressed powders for instance, do not). So despite having sometimes dry skin I do find (especially in the summer months) I can get a little shiny on my t-zone, so I find this product really helps combat that and helps my foundation stay in place.

 

I have been using this product for weeks now and you can still make out the word powder in the product, it seems it is going to last me quite a while. As the name suggests, I blot it onto the face, which I think leads to using less powder at a time. So I should really get my money's worth with this product.


Have you tried One Heck of a Blot before?
What's your favourite powder?

28 April 2014

Lets Talk Blog Challenge | Day in the Life

Welcome to week 1 of the Lets Talk Blog Challenge, set up by the beautiful Sarah from At the Beauty Desk. You can keep up each week with all the bloggers taking part through the hashtag #LetsTalkBlogChallenge

So the first post is any kind of "a day in the life" post you like, so I've chosen to go with a typical weekend day. Since that's my favourite part of the week, I figured why not? 


Some photos from the last couple of weekends

So many would describe me as a bit of a social butterfly, I much prefer to be in the company of others than on my own, so I like to be out and about and often have my weekends booked up. That's not to sound braggy or anything, I actively make plans with different friends to ensure I utilise my weekends to their full potential.


Enjoying a game of a cards with friends

Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin & Nelson's Monument, Edinburgh

I like to head out for drinks, lunch, walks, days out, drives, etc. It doesn't take much to keep me happy, once I'm out and about and ideally getting some fresh air, I'm in my element!


Food is also an important feature of any good weekend

I certainly wouldn't be the most adventurous when it comes to food, but I do certainly like a variety. Above is home made goats cheese and carmelised red onion tarts, a selection of cheese, meats & crackers along with my favourite summer pastime, barbeques. This was the weekend just past, beer chicken (yes you heard me right), along with pork steaks, sausages and burgers. Yum, yum!

Selection of drinks I've recently been enjoying

While I'm not necessarily a big drinking and I certainly don't drink every weekend, I am certainly more adventurous in this department. I love trying new beers, especially when I travel to different countries. Next in line is of course cocktails. Especially when you're in a speciality cocktail bar, there always such interesting combinations you would never think of yourself! The fish bowl above is from last weekend, a home made punch/cocktail made by my good friend Claire when we were staying with her in Edinburgh. It was all kinds of delicious.


So there you go, an average Saturday for me involves meeting friends, eating and drinking! My idea of heaven. How about you? What does your average Saturday look like?

14 April 2014

First Impressions | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Why hello there. Apologies for the delay in getting my next post up. I've had somewhat of a blogging break. I thought nothing better to get back in the swing of things than skin care, back to basics.

Without further ado, I present the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This is Garnier's answer to the cult beauty cleansing water from Bioderma. However lucky for those of us in Ireland, the Garnier alternative is much easier to get your hands on (and much cheaper).


Firstly lets look at the product itself, it is a little over €6 to buy a 400ml bottle (although at the moment it's one-third off in Boots). It is an all over cleanser, so you can also use it to remove eye make up too. It is suitable for sensitive skin and is fragrance free. It states you get 200 uses from 1 bottle, I think that is definitely overstating, the price is excellent for the amount of product!

Now onto my impressions. I have used this for a few days now, so I mean I don't think my view is going to change all that much. I absolutely love this cleanser. It doesn't feel as drying as some cleansers while also not leaving that oily residue behind either. I find it easily takes off all my makeup. Of course as I'm sure you can imagine, if I'm wearing waterproof mascara, I will need to give it an extra bit of attention. But I find that this product does not irritate my skin or my eyes, which is of course very important.

I have now added this to my skincare routine as the first step before I cleanse my skin with my favourite cleansing balm. I don't see it ever leaving my routine, unless something revolutionary comes along in the meantime. While this cleanser may not re-invent the wheel, it is a winner for me. It's a speedy way to remove my makeup, does not irritate and I do not need to use a separate eye make up remover. What more could a gal ask for?

How about you, have you tried this water?
What's your first impression?

22 March 2014

Treat Yourself | Pamper Night In

So a couple of weeks ago as part of the #BOBBlogChallenge I'm taking part in for 8 weeks, we had to mention our favourite pamper product. Since I have never been once for the pampering, it was quite an empty post. So I decided to take it upon myself to change that and I had a little pamper session myself. So if you're looking for some ideas what to do yourself, keep on reading...


Firstly I started on my nails, I soaked them in some way soapy water to soften my cuticles and then I used Soap & Glory hand lotion. Next up was my base coat from Essie (I always put this on first, no matter what colour I'm doing my nails), then I chose the baby pink colour from Models Own new HyperGel range. I finished off with a top coat from Essie.


Next I cleansed with Clinique's Take the Day Off Balm, you can find a full overview of this magical product here.


Then it was onto the face mask, this one is from Montagne Jeunesse. I know Lush is very popular for face masks, but this was a bit of a last minute decision, so you can pick these one-time-packs anywhere (I actually got mine in the local supermarket). You just pop it on for 10-15 mins, it smelled nice and my skin felt quite refreshed afterwards, it was quite thick though. Definitely need to spend a couple of minutes getting it properly off the face. Any Lush fans reading this, please let me know your suggestions of which mask you prefer, as this is definitely on the list for my next trip into Lush.


The next step was Chanel's Hydra Beauty Serum, for which you can find out more about here. And I finally finished it off with No.7 Repair & Protect Moisturiser & the same brand in Eye Cream.


The final stage in my pamper routine was feet, I guess this particular pampering session focused on all my extremities, not that that was in intentional. I suffer from dry, cracked skin on my feet. I'm not saying it's glamorous and feet are a thing I really don't like, so I won't subject you to pictures. So to help with that I have been lashing on Aqua Minerals Nourishing Foot Cream, which has really been helping get my feet summer ready. Once I've been using it for a bit longer, I will do a proper review.


In the midst of all this of course I had a marathon of back-to-back shows, sure what better way to relax? This is probably quite a random selection of shows, but I tend to watch everything seasons at a time, so all different kinds of shows take my fancy from time to time. I have to say the hype is worth it, True Detective is shaping up to be the next big thing. Also back when it was originally aired, I hated Seinfeld, I never got into it. I think maybe perhaps the jokes were going over my head, as now I love it. I think it's hilarious, I'm up to season 7, if you haven't watched it yet, get a hold of some box sets, pronto!

Anyway I hope this post has given you some inspiration. Take the time to look after yourself, you deserve it!