Debauchery in Dublin

  Dress - Topshop | Shoes - ASOS | Watch - Michael Kors | Lipstick - MAC Dark Side

I have that Sunday night feeling but it’s Monday.  I’m so confused right now.  Having just returned from an awesome weekend in Dublin with the girls I’m feeling a tad worse for wear yet very content.  You know the kind of weekend where memories are made and you laugh from start to finish?  This was one of them!  There to celebrate a friends birthday, we were determined to not let the wind and rain dampen our spirits and made sure we constantly had a cocktail in hand or were doing some sort of activity which filled us with glee i.e. shopping!

The girls looked so glam on the night that I just had to grab my camera and take a few quick snaps.  I then had the idea to do a mini fashion feature starring each one of them and their gorgeous outfits.  I’m going to post one each night this week so if you’re looking for a bit of dress-spiration then make sure to check back.  They were all pros in front of the camera and I’m sure you will all agree they looked gorge.

First things first: my outfit!  As it’s January No Money Month I decided to re-wear the outfit I wore for my office Christmas party.  I was disappointed I didn’t get any photographs of this last time so I’m pleased I could re-wear and share.  I love the colour and think it was perfect for the occasion as Ireland is very green!  The high neck collar and top section overlapping material make it a little more interesting and I felt wearing my hair up would show off the dress a little more.  And on that note...why does effortless, messy look hair take SO MUCH EFFORT?!  To achieve this look I had to backcomb all of my hair, add my hair extensions and then attempt the impossible task of getting it all in a hair bobble.  I’m not exaggerating when I say it took two of us to make it look half decent.  And it took even longer to take back out!  Please tell me I’m not the only girl who has this problem?

Anyway, my bed is calling me.  It’s time I caught up on some much needed sleep ready for work tomorrow.  I’ll be back tomorrow for my first installment of Fashion With Friends.  See you then :)

GC.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21)

On my quest for affordable yet effective skincare I’ve come across Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.  Cleansing balms are having a moment after the Emma Hardie balm cleanser became a hit with bloggers and skincare fanatics alike last year.  It may be worth its hefty price tag but I wanted to try a more purse friendly balm first so opted for Clinique’s offering.  Am I impressed?  I can confirm I am!

With an ingredient list filled with nothing but good things for your skin, as well as it being 100% fragrance free, this balm should suit all/most skin types without any irritation or issues.  I have combination skin and often get blemishes on my chin area but I’ve been getting along with this just fine.  Each evening before bed I warm a small amount of the balm between my fingertips before massaging it into the rest of my face, then wash it off with a clean flannel.  It does remove eye makeup well but I prefer to take mine off separately before concentrating the balm on my face. 

I love how squeaky clean and soft my skin feels after using this.  It’s smooth, fresh and feels ready to soak in the rest of the products which follow in my skincare routine.  The balm doesn’t leave behind any sort of greasy residue which is really good considering it’s effectively an oil once it melts onto your skin.  Initially I found it a little difficult to get the balm out of the pot as it was so solid and hard but it’s really easy to do now the tub sits at room temperature in my bathroom.

A little goes a long way with this product so don’t worry about the price tag (which I think is rather reasonable anyway!).  I’ve been using this at least once, maybe twice, a day for three months and have barely used a quarter of the tub, which I think is fab value for money.  I’m really pleased I tried this before splashing out on the Emma Hardy version as I don’t think I need to buy it (for now anyway - I can’t make any promises!)  If you’re looking at balm cleansers, or even just cleansers in general, this is definitely worth a try!

GC.

Disco pants and denim

 Top - Primark | Jacket - Primark | Disco Pants - American Apparel | Shoes - Topshop | Bag - Topshop | Watch - Michael Kors | Lipstick - MAC Russian Red

Well hello there and welcome to my first blog post of 2014!  Actually, it’s my first blog post in a long, long time.  I’ve kinda fell off the blogging wagon lately having got caught up in the busyness of the festive period and life in general, but I have missed it and I feel so happy to be sitting behind the keyboard once more.  As usual you can expect a lot of beauty related posts from me this year but I’m also going to try and write a lot more fashion and lifestyle ramblings.  Starting with todays outfit of the day or OOTD for all you abbreviation lovers...

I’ve done nothing else today other than have a long lie in and then go to my parents’ house for a lovely roast dinner to celebrate my Dad’s birthday.    The disco pants were a bad choice after a big lunch but I do think they went well with my new top and jacket, which were a pair of Primark bargains.  The denim jacket with wooly lining reminds me of this one from Topshop but it’s a lot more purse-friendly of course.  I know it’s far too early to be thinking about spring but I can see this being a good transition piece in the warmer months.  My shoes are the highlight of this outfit and I know I will wear them a lot.  The lion head embellishment is very chic I think and goes well against the patent leather.  Comfort plus style equals my kind of shoe!

Currently I’m suffering a serious case of ‘round face’ after totally letting myself go this Christmas and so I’m using red lipstick as welcome distraction.  Red lippy always brightens up my complexion so it’s an essential for me whenever I’m feeling a bit sluggish.  My healthy eating regime starts again tomorrow and I’m looking forward to seeing the effects  the vitamin-filled veg and plenty of water will have on my skin.  Right now, I’m on a mission to finish the box of leftover chocolate biscuits whilst I still can.  It would be rude not too wouldn’t it?

GC.

NARS Highlighting Blush in Miss Liberty

NARS Highlighting Blush (£21.50)

This is one of those products that I picked up without fully understanding its uses.  Very naughty I know because you should always do your beauty research but sometimes those products you pick up on a whim turn out to be pleasantly surprising.  And guess what?  This is exactly that.

Miss Liberty from NARS is described as a highlighting blush however I was under the impression it was just a regular highlighter.  I was using it on my brow bone and my cupids bow and although it was giving a nice amount of shimmer, it wasn’t as light-reflecting as some other powders I’d used.  Feeling a little frustrated I took to the trusty internet in search of answers and of course the blog world didn’t fail me.  I soon found this was actually a blusher designed to be worn either alone on or on top of other cheek products to create that glow from within.  The flecks of shimmer running through the powder are very subtle which explains why it works better as a discreet illuminator rather than a full-on highlighter.

I prefer to wear this alone but I have tried it over other blushers and it does look lovely either way.  I think it adds that perfect hint of shimmer and really brings my cheekbones to life without being too obvious or OTT.  I have been known to go a little blusher crazy in the past so this is a refreshing change for me.  You can also get this in two other shades: New Order (a pinky, slightly more pigmented colour) and Albatross (a translucent offering which seems to be a favourite in the blog world).  I think all shades are rather gorgeous and all are supposed to be universally flattering so should suit most skin tones.

I’m so pleased I discovered how to use this product properly.  I’m using it every day now and have had lots of comments on how dewy and fresh my skin looks so it certainly does the trick.  Perfect for perking up your complexion the morning after your Christmas party!

GC.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

 Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (£12)

I’m hopeless when it comes to applying mascara.  I give the brush a quick wiggle between my lashes and hope for the best but without fail manage to mess up and get it on my skin.  So naturally I’m interested in any product which can help me neaten up my peepers.

With its lightweight wand and minuscule brush head this little offering from Clinique is perfect for getting into the corners of your eyes and under those barely-there bottom lashes.  It both thickens and separates each individual lash, reducing the under eye smudge and creating a crisp, clean look.  It doesn’t flake or run and keep’s it’s colour intensity throughout the day.  This would be great for creating a chic, sixties graphic eye - think Twiggy lashes!

Of course a bottom lash mascara is not entirely essential for your make up bag and I don’t use it everyday but it is a nifty little product for when you can afford to take more time on your eye area.  Not very often for me as I don’t get much time on a daily basis but I love using it when I can as it really opens up my eyes.  And I just can’t get over how cute the packaging is.  It’s just so petite!  The perfect stocking filler for any beauty lover this Christmas I think.

GC.

Fish plaits and fishtails

Dress - ASOS | Necklance - Primark | Rings - Primark | Watch - Casio

Somebody give me a slap on the wrist please!  After getting into a good habit of blogging every day in October I’ve well and truly undone all of my hard work this month.  It’s almost the end of November and this is my first post!  Oops!  I really need to sort out some sort of blogging timetable so I make time to sit behind my keyboard and write.  I always have so many ideas but continuously let other things get in the way and never get round to blogging.  I really need to work on my time management.  Tips anyone?

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my beautiful new dress.  Let’s just take a moment to appreciate how pretty this is.  Navy in colour with an almost-fishtail shape, it skims your curves in all the right places giving you a gorgeous silhouette.  Even if you aren’t particularly curvaceous the slinky material will cling to your body giving the illusion of more shape.  What more could you want?  The winter floral pattern is perfect for this time of the year and although I glammed up this outfit for a night out I think it will look equally as good dressed down during the day.

I chose to wear my hair in a messy plait to smarten up the boho vibes the dress was giving me.  I didn’t want to look too casual and an up-do is one way to guarantee you look like you’ve made an effort.  I finished off the look with a slick of my new MAC Lipstick, a matte shade named Relentlessly Red, which will be getting a lot of wear over the Christmas period I can tell.  Look out for more outfit posts like these as the party season is almost upon us.  I can hardly wait!

GC.

Happy Halloween & The End of Blogtober!

Not only is today Halloween but it also marks the end of my Blogtober challenge.  At the beginning of the month I set myself a target to blog at least once every day during October and by jove I’ve done it!  I must admit I doubted if I could do it as finding the time to post something worthy and interesting every day is pretty hard.  I hope I managed to post some refreshing stuff and that you’ve enjoyed having something new to read daily.  Posting three to four times a week is going to feel like a breeze compared to what I’m used to right now.

I’ve discovered a lot about my ‘blogging self’ over this last month and found that I quite like to post about things other than just product reviews.  I’ve loved doing tags and lifestyle posts so look out for a lot more of those in the coming months.  I think most importantly doing this challenge has inspired me and brought back a passion for writing which I lost recently.  It was hard to blog every day whilst working full time, maintaining a social life AND taking a few days out for a weekend away but I’ve really enjoyed it and feel a real sense of satisfaction now my challenge is completed. 

I’m going to have a couple of days off now but will be back on Sunday with a blog post about my Halloween party which me and Mr W are hosting on Saturday.  I’m so excited!  I have a gruesome costume planned and I can’t wait to give the house a makeover.  Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year simply because I love dressing up!  Oh and you get to eat lots of sweets too.  That’s a bonus!  Sending lots of spooky love your way...

GC.