NOTD: Star Gazer

I feel like I haven't done a NOTD in so long. For some reason the past few months I've been neglecting my nails and just leaving them to bite on occasion. (worst habit ever, I know!) 

This is from Star Gazers ultra cover nail varnish collection in 304, that I got in the Ilac Center for €2.99. Its a lovely dark blue colour that has so much shimmer and tiny yellow/green glitter. This colour reminds me of Gosh nail lacquer in 540 Ocean but much more affordable.

As you can see from the photo I use this loads when I do pay attention to my nails that is. It goes on easy and about to two will make sure its bold and perfect. The varnish lasts about 3 days before it starts chipping. Its very easy to take off, however it leaves a blue stain on your nails that has to wear off as nothing will remove it. Bit of a fail there.

The brush in this isn't anything to rave about, I found it a little big for my liking and couldn't help but knock off the edge of my nail onto my skin - see the awful paint job below. But still, that might just by my awful painting skills. The bottle is one of my favourite that I own in my ever expanding collection, next to my models own bottle. (If it wasn't seen as weird I would frame that gorgeous bottle.) Its simple, a lovely round glass bottle and the lettering on it stands out from the varnish colour, great stuff. 

What nail varnish are you wearing?

Make sure and come back soon, I'm going to be holding a Halloween giveaway!

Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover All Bright

1: Bottle 2: liquid before its shaken 3: After its mixed together

From getting overly excited about trying my new toner, I thought I would keep branching out and try Botanics soothing eye make up remover instead of just using whatever cleanser I had at the time and kind of burning the eyes out of myself - as you do. So lazy arse here decided to try the Botanics range again as their cleanser was to die for and I really loved it, also this was on sale at €4.19 when I got it so it was even better! (normally retailing at €6.29.)

The Botanics All Bright line is for brightening up your skin as it has hibisus, which is a natural brightness booster. It also has natural AHA's from the flower that acts as a mild exfoliator as well so you can have smoother, brighter looking skin. This comes for several other different skin types that I would be well tempted to try out like ones for oily skin. This particular one smells lovely, just like the matching cleaner did. This claims to remove even waterproof make, helps to soothe the eye area, condition the lashes and is for all types of skin, lovely stuff. As with all the Botanics range it has clean, bright and fresh looking packaging that has simple and easy to read font on the labels - something I really like seeing. The little colourdy flower at the bottom is cute too. 

Once you give it a good shake so the water and oil mix together, a few awkward don't spill it, don't spill it dabs onto a cotton wool pad and your done. It is very gentle on the eyes but I have to kind of press it onto my eyes for a few seconds otherwise I am left nearly scrubbing the make up off them. So while this is gentle and doesn't sting or hurt my eyes, its almost a little too gentle. But if you soak the cotton wool really well it tends to work much better and your make up is off in no time. Depending on how much make up your wearing of course, I tend to find that mine comes off with one cotton pad for each eye. It also tells no lies, waterproof make up is no harder to get off then normal make up, so thats a definite plus in my books. 

Overall this is a nice soft eye make up remover, but I don't think it will be my first choice to repurchase again. You never know, I might use it a little longer and then fall in love with it. I will keep you all up to date! But I will keep an eye out for another eye make up remover to compare it to. Perhaps even two, just for science sake mind you...

Make sure and come back soon, I'm going to be holding a Halloween giveaway!

Soap&Glory Clean, Girls Body Wash

I have had this so long I can't even remember when I first got it. I think it might have been givien to me as Christmas present, maybe. But I do remember how much I loved it, that sticks out. Its a really huge bottle being 500ml but has easy access with a handy pump. The bottle itself is something you would be proud to display in your bathroom, with a pin up girl on the front cover and some bright, fun lettering as with all S&G's packaging.

Inside this massive bottle is a pinky coloured cream that has S&G's signature sent of Mist You Madly. Its also packed with musk, vanilla, blackcurrant, bergamot, magnolia and freesia. But for me after easily six months of on and off use, I can't wait to finish off this body wash. The Mist You Madly sent is, to me, now a really horrible over-powering smell. No thank you very much!

In fairness to the body wash, it does do a lovely job of cleaning and moisturizing your skin, leaving it soft and fresh.Not to mention that a little goes a long way, this stuff creates a creamy lather in seconds. The sent actually clings to your skin for hours after which to begin with I really liked and was a little more relaxed in the knowledge that I wasn't going around with a swarm of flys after me! (pause for giggle over funny image) 

I doubt very much if I will ever buy this again, or another S&G product that has this sent, but I will look out for new things in their line that might just make up for the fact that I now really hate this smell! However, if you like the sent and want to make a sneaky purchase for it, you can do so here for €8.50 which isn't that bad considering how big this bottle is and how long it lasts. 

Autumn Boots And Owl Purse

I've been living in pumps and those little roll-it-up-and-put-it-in-your-pocket tennis shoes all summer but now the feets are starting to freeze and complain every time I go outside this past while, so it was time to try and find a decent pair of boots or shoes that would be warmer and more sturdy then what I have been wearing. Take a look at the shoes I'm talking about here. And so let me introduce you to my new babies that I love oh so much. 

These black, slightly above the ankle boots are Pennys best would you believe for only €30, such a great bargain! They are meant to be leather on some parts, but don't ask me, I threw away the little card when I first put them on like a dope. They are true to size, being a perfect fit for me. (size 5) Lacing up at the front they have gorgeous square studs in three rows at the top of the boot. Studs are all over every other hand bag and top being really on trend now. They have different ways you can lase them up too, adding a little extra detail. They've a cute little light brown heel on them, just enough to give a tiny bit of extra height. These are super comfy and will be glued to my feet all this Autumn.

Next is my new love of my life, a hot pink, owl covered clutch purse. I spotted this in the window of The Bag Shop in the Ilac centre on Henry St. I've been looking out for a new purse as my old one is very worn because the fabric has frayed. That and if it has more then 3 quid in change it refuses to close, instead emptying the contents into the bottom of my bag. This purse has a zip, a Zip! Oh joy of joys it has it all. Its got plenty of space for cards, change and notes inside, maybe even a cheey lip gloss could be stuffed in too. It has a dark brown strap for easier carrying too. They come in several different colours and retail for €15. 

Have you your eye on a new pair of shoes, a bag or purse?

Birthday Haul

This is purely for those of you who like having a nosy at different blogger hauls just because. So if your not one of those people feel free to ignore this one! I am in no way boasting or 'showing off'. All items below were gifted to me by family and friends. 

As some of you will know I turned 21 last Wednesday (the 18th for anyone who cares to know!) and my family and friends all went a bit mad with gifts. I got some really lovely things and am very grateful for each thought that was put into the day. So I just thought I'd show you a few bits now. There is nothing from Stephen here for the simple reason that he lost his marbles completely and bought half of Lush for me along with lots of other things and if I was to talk about that it would turn into a Lush haul!  

My mother got me three beautiful pieces from Newbridge Silverware. A flower shaped key chain, a little cat (sparkly cat for the win!) keyring and a set of gorgeous, dried, pink flower filled mirror and trinket box. I also got a lovely Argento necklace called Hope that has the cutest little pearl on the top and also a sparkly (Sparkly!) blue French Connection necklace from two of my friends.  

Everyone knows how much I love cards and I got the biggest bundle! Theres quite a few cat inspired ones too, which I just want to giggle at while jumping about in an overexcited fashion pointing. Two of my other passions, books and candles were clearly carefully noted as I received a sky high stack of both and I'm very excited about the lot. Cook books, owls, comedy books, yankee and even two cheeky dvds? Expect me to emerge from my room by say, Christmas? Ok, good!

Last but not least, I got a really thoughtful hand made scarf from a friends mother. She knitted and crocheted it in a fab dark blue with - the best part - loads of sparkles through it! To say I am excite is an understatement. I feel really fancy, movie star like when I have it on, hence the ridiculous face/pose and crazy hair flicking fashion show going on in the picture/my room right now.

Anyway thats the show and tell over with, now excuse me while I cat walk to the nearest chair to read my book! Have a fab day x

Book Review: No-one Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday

Stephen got me an Amazon voucher and naturally I spent it on books because honestly, what else is Amazon for? I got No-one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday for £1.99 on kindle. I downloaded the first few sample chapters and knew it was going to be good. This is Tracy Bloom's first book and it has stayed in the top 100 best sellers list for over 115 days, go girl!

We follow Katy who is a 36 year old girl with it all under control. House owner, successful job with the best and very fabulous gay friend Daniel. But the cherry on top, Ben the much younger PE teacher boyfriend. He makes inappropriate jokes, has immature friends and tends to be covered in mud and foul smelling sports clothes when hes finished work. Hes not the sort of guy Katy planned to spend the rest of her life with, after all he is just a bit of fun. Its nothing serious and they haven't even bothered with the 'L' word its that cool and relaxed. Katy couldn't imagine herself with anyone really, not since her childhood sweetheart Matthew, who ended their long distance relationship in a not so pleasant way. But life goes on and Katy never has to set eyes on Matthew again, or at least not until they meet a their school reunion. Its emotional and fun to reconnect after so long with a lot left unsaid and soon a one night stand leads to the big dilemma. Katy is now pregnant and she doesn't know if Matthew or Ben is the dad. Right so.

Katy doesn't set eyes on Matthew again until she is eight months pregnant walking into her first antenatal class while he sits beside his heavily pregnant wife. This book was a lovely and funny read that had you wanting to turn page after page to see what new kind of trouble Katy was getting herself into next. Tracy Bloom has managed to create a lovable character that is easy to relate to and have empathy for even if her situation is a little on the tricky side and not everyone can say they have been in her shoes. 

I think what I loved most about this book was the sort of feelings Katy had with these two different men. I could relate to some of her old love sick feelings she felt for her ex Matthew, I mean we have all been there and know what it feels like to see the guy who hurt you again. Or the current flame Ben, who is so sweet and fun but you get the impression that Katy feels he isn't the guy to bet on and she doesn't know where she stands with him. 

If you want an easy going read about a girl who wants to protect her heart and keep her life on track with all its twists and turns then this ones for you. Because we all know that life never turns out the way we plan it to. Its a must for the book shelf!

What are you reading at the moment?

Bobo's Restaurant Review

L to R - 

Part of the restaurant, My Vogue face with friends, Energizer Juice ,

Friends and cow wall, Half and half, Banana split, Seriously big Conn Burger,

Me attached to my friends cool coloured chinos, Fancy champagne, Van our lovely curly haired friend, myself and Stephen.

As I said in my last post, I went out for a lovely 21st birthday dinner on Saturday night with some of my closest buddies and I picked the best place in town, even if I do says so myself! I decided on Bobos (Dame St) because myself and Stephen pass it a lot and always mean to go in, so what better excuse then a big birthday dinner. Bobos specializes in gourmet Irish burgers and sources as much of their menu from Irish suppliers as possible. I called a week in advance to book and they said not only was a party of 12 fine but there was no service charge. If you don't eat out in big groups a lot you wont have to deal with the dreaded service charge of anything from 15%+ of the bill that most restaurants enforce, oh its just not cool. 

When we got there we were all met with a great buzz and friendly waitresses that brought us to our table. The layout is lovely, the music was at really nice quiet level and art on the walls creative and fun. But don't let all that bother you, its down to the business of food, right? The menu has a wide range of beef, chicken, pork, lamb, veggie and even fish burgers, all with quirky names like the The Humpty Dumpty or even The Sex on the Farm. A quick warning? Theses burgers are huge! And you can't have a burger without a nice helping of chubby or skinny chips in a bucket to make a meal complete. You can also get a wide range of soft drinks, smoothies, coffees, teas, beers and wines to suit yourself. If your not totally stuffed after all that - and believe me you will be - you can chew down on one of their  death by chocolate sundaes or a coke float. I got the Conn Burger (€9.95) that is piled high with salad, Dubliner cheese, bacon, bbq sauce and more.. Need I go on? A side of Half and Half (€5.25) half onion rings, half chubby chips - truly the best of both worlds. If you go in and have nothing else, please try their onion rings, its like a party in your mouth. The thoughts of all this food is making me hungry now!

You can check out their menu here and they are also located on Wexford St if your down that way. Now I have to add something really awful, you can give out to me later... They do take aways too guys. I know, I'm sorry. Bobos have a Twitter offer here at the moment, any burger and chips for €7 before 6pm. Every. Single. Day. Have I made my point? Go check them out and see for yourself how yummy and fab the place is!

Dame St Bobo's, image source bobos.ie

What Happens When I Dress Up

Picture this; its Friday night, the night before my birthday dinner with friends who I see all the time. They have seen me sick, with no make up on and in pajamas, yet I am throwing every item of clothing I own around my room like its an Olympic sport. I am genuinely awful at dressing myself and my confidence level goes to zero during the slow excruciating experience. So as you can imagine when my poor boyfriend Stephen trys to give advice and a few encouraging words he is left ducking for cover as a high heel narrowly misses his head while I'm on the verge of tears. 

I have perfected the art of having two pairs of tights on at once so there is no time wasting when it comes to matching each with the right dress and shoe together. One is skin colour while the other is normally a black, unless of course I'm having a moment of inspirational 'lets throw in some colour'. Because after all, what did everyone learn from the mistakes of the 80's? From looking at my ensemble, apparently nothing. But even I will admit to looking a little crazy mumbling away to myself while my entire upper body has disappeared under the bed in search of those perfect heels. - Might I just add that the perfect shoes are never there, but you live in hope that someone has stolen all your old things and replaced them with shiny, new, perfectly fitting Christian Dior shoes that haven't even been seen on the runway yet.

Its like those scenes in chick flicks. The crazy haired 20 something running around her bedroom, dancing, trying on silly outfits and then transforming into a vision and been just on time for her date. But with me it stops at the silly outfits. I have yet to master the vision part. Well, I have a vision, but what I see in my mind and what I actually turn out like are two very different things. My latest text to my best friend was ''Swaying in crazy heels and can't breathe in tiny spray on shorts. Will be at home under covers eating ice cream, covered in a face mask crying to big girls are beautiful if you need to find me''. Yes, thats right. I am truly a real-life Bridget Jones, hello people of the earth. 

I have since calmed down, restored my room, apologized to Stephen and even found something that might be acceptable to wear for dinner tomorrow night. I haven't fixed my smudged nail varnish yet, but there is always the bus ride to town. I thought a life post would be a nice change from the recent product heavy stuff and also to tell you all I haven't gone anywhere and will be back posting lots again next week! I will have a review of the restaurant no doubt and also a birthday haul for those of you who are nosy as me when it comes to hauls. Til then keep being fab and maybe be a little happier that the crazy panic of getting ready for a night out isn't just something you do.

Box of Samples #1: Ojon Shampoo, Conditioner and Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy

Sometimes I get samples of products that I throw into my little colourdy box and then I forget about them. But when I was having a clean out of my wardrobe a few weeks ago I came across the box of treasures and decided I would try them all out, then give you guys some mini reviews of them! I guess it will be done in a once in a while way, so no one gets sick of the same type of posts!

My hair has been in quite poor condition recently, I wash it everyday, rarely condition it and I've also started to blow dry it with the colder weather coming in. All in all my hair is dry, has split ends and is full of static crazyness. So when I saw I had 'dry recovery' shampoo and conditioner I popped it in the shower immediately. I've nearly got to the end of these too 30ml tubes that I've been using for just over a week now and I'm not really taken with them if I'm totally honest. Ojon is a high end pricey brand that claim all sorts of wonderful things and hair solutions, but I'm not so sure all their claims hold true. It says on the shampoo bottle that ''instead of stripping away natural oils this gentle coconut-derived cleanser actually preserves them. Pure Ojon oil, nature’s golden elixir helps repair hair in the shower while our Blue Agave Nectar, Macadamia Oil, Jojoba Oil and Babassu Oil complex helps restore moisture and smooth roughed-up cuticles to keep hydration sealed in. Straw-like strands become soft and smooth as silk.'' Hmm, not for me sadly. The full 250ml bottles retail for about €23 each. But for me they are far too expensive and considering I saw no results, a waste of money. 

However its a totally different story when it comes to the Ojon rare blend hair oil. This stuff smells great, a little goes a very long way and best of all you can see results straight after applying it. As you can see from the picture it looks like theres harly a dent been made in the oil, but I have used it about every second day for 2 weeks now, amazing! It claims that it ''protects,  nourishes, softens and boosts shine''. Guys it does exactly what it says on the tin. I'm so taken with this stuff and my hair defienlty feels softer and isn't as dry when I've been using the hair dryer on it once I add a little oil to my hair. But unfortunately I know that when this sample is all gone I wont be repurchasing it as its a very purse pinching €34 for a 45ml bottle. You can buy it in boots here.

 For a full product range you can go here.

My New Tattoo!

Ah lads and ladies I finally did it, I got that new tattoo I talked about in my last tattoo post. If your new here, hello and welcome! Go check out my other tattoos here. For all the rest of you fine people, I will do a little show and tell. You wouldn't guess I'm dreadfully excited to share this at all would you? Theres an internal battle going on inside of me while I'm typing this. 'Do not use too many exclamation marks Cat! Don't dare do it!' (see what I did there? Think it filled the craving somewhat.)

Here we have the latest edition, my beautiful daisy chain.. Le sigh. I got this back at the very start of June. This is dedicated to my dad who passed away a few years ago, hence the 'J' charm. After popping into a load of tattoo shops to talk with artists about designs and the prices, everyone said the same thing. It would cost a small fortune, hurt (ha a tattoo hurt? News to me!) and could take up to 6 hours to complete. Total fail and off I went back home feeling sorry for myself. That was until I remembered a friend who was a tattoo artist and after a little phone call I was off to get needles stuck in me for the craic. (The puns!)

Looking scary with my tattoo healing

V tattoo is the name of the place, its in Temple Bar across from the Mezz bar, its a bit tricky to find if your not looking closely. Philip was the name of the artist and he was great. He drew up a design for me, spent ages redoing it when I got fussy and was a fab guy in general. It took about 6 hours to do with one smoke/food break in between. I also went back 2 weeks later and sat for about another hour and a half getting things touched up and a little redoing on some parts. I found the healing on this difficult and a little tender for longer then any of my other tattoos. I also have gotten some spots scattered over and around the flowers that hasn't died down with time which is a bit of a pain. Guess its more reason to go shopping and try new spot treatments, what a cough shame.

Pain wise it was about a 7 out of 10 at its worst points. Because it was over lots of different parts of my arm it was hard to get a decent pain level rating. My bone and wrist hurt the most. (I shudder at the thoughts of my wrist.) Also it was my first ever colour piece and man, I really felt the difference! Some people think different colours come with a different amount of pain but for me it was all the same. I'm very sure the pain level wouldn't have been as bad if it had just been in all black but what the hell, it was so worth it!

Some Blogs I Love #1

When I used to do 'things I've loved this week' I would some times mention blogs that were super great and I really liked reading. But now I think its time to make a proper list just to be fancy and honestly who doesn't love a good list, right? I'd love everyone to check them out, so I'm going to do a few posts on bloggers as I don't want to overwhelm anyone! Anyway, in no order here we go:

Hello October: Suzie is a fun girl who takes some utterly fab pictures while giving great beauty reviews and showing some lovely outfit of the days. My one stand out love for this beauty is her always-perfectly-done-to-a-tee eye makeup. Wow has that girl got peepers! Oh and I just love following her stories on her travels and events.

We Are Large, People: Rebecca does wonderful life posts, DIY, cooking and my favourite, outfit of the day. Unfortunately shes doesn't post regularly anymore, but if you go back over posts you will fall in love with her funny personality and quirky style. I always have my fingers crossed she will be back soon.

Paperbacks and Postcards: Amy has the most lovely make up of the day posts ever - And I have to admit I'm not normally a fan of those type of posts in general. Her eyes are huge and I'm always so jealous of them! I love her different beauty box openings and the backgrounds to all her product photos. She takes really great photos and catches every detail. Shes so fun and unique to read!

Lovely Girlie Bits:  This blog is run by two down to earth sisters Karen and Joanne who are might I add, Irish girls! These ladies always have the latest beauty products reviewed for us. They add something a little extra when they write a piece, its like sitting with your best friend for a cuppa and a chat about lip gloss or hair spray! Check them out on youtube as well.

Zoella: Zoe is someone I just love reading. She is fun and so so girly, its great! Again, her pictures are always so perfect and her style is so beautiful. She is a tiny little fairy that is always laughing and smiling She suffers with anxiety and its great to see her overcoming it and really blooming, especially over the past few months. I religiously watch her on youtube as well.  

Sprinkle of Glitter: Louise is easily my favourite youtuber and blogger in the whole wide world. She is also a  mum who shares life posts sometimes that includes her little girl Darcy or 'baby glitter'. This lady is also amazing with the old picture taking, my goodness! To top it all off she is best friends with Zoe. Two internet people I love catching up with in the same place? Yes please!

Lush Tea Tree Water Toner

Lovely people of the internet, I have found a new love and I have a feeling it is going to be quite a solid relationship. I'm never one for toners as they tend to be full of harsh alcohol infused nasties that burn my skin worse then when I try to make toast. No sir, a toner is not for me. That was until I asked a staff member about LUSH tea tree water toner one rainy day when I was stalking about their shop smelling everything in sight. I bought it (€5.75?) just for the hell of it and have never looked back since.

 Oh me oh my is it my skins bestest best friend. It doesn't sting, not even on my eyes. I think I have all the dirt, make up and horrible stuff off my face after using my cleanser? Quick wipe over my face with this toner and it tells a different story. I have oily and spot prone skin so this is just the thing for me. It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties with tea tree oil. grapefruit water and juniperberry water. 

 Long story short? It works, smells fresh can be used any time to clean your face or just to freshen up. The 100g bottle I have is perfect for travel and its got nothing in it that will harm your skin. I'm using it with my Nivea refreshing cleansing lotion (just to use it up!) and after I will be using a LUSH cleanser to see if they work wonders together. I have been converted to toners and I am not afraid of stinging skin any longer. My skin looks and feels so much better after using this toner, I'll be stocking up on this stuff again. Get yours here.

Have you tried any of LUSH's skin care products?

Boots, Pennys And Lush Haul

All these things I have picked up in the past few weeks, just in case anyone thought I had gone off on a mad one and was now a share holder in all these places! But thought I would give everyone a look at my new buys, cos' I love being nosy like that too!

First off three Boots make up things. A repurchase for me, Rimmel's Exaggerate waterproof eye definer eyeliner (€5.49) - what a mouth full! Love this little pencil, you can see it in my whats in my make up bag post. Boots is doing a buy one get on half price on some products at the moment and so I picked up Seventeen's new On The Spot foundation (€8.89) that claims to give you clearer skin in 4 weeks.. We will see. And also Seventeen's new phwoarr paint heavy duty eye concealer (€5.49). I like the sound of it already!

You might see that I'm a bit of a fan of Lush, just a bit.. I got two things in particular that I had been lusting after for months now. I am currently using up all my cleaners and will be running out soon so I finally got 9 to 5 cleansing lotion (€10.95). I have tried it before and my word. Heaven. Can't wait to use it. Same goes for the Twilight bath bomb (3.95) that I have never had before but always looked at with such longing. However it broke on the way home and to say I'm upset is an understatement. I know I will get it again though, purely because it has made my room smell fab while its been sitting in the bag. Lastly I got a little Space Girl bath bomb (€3.85) I always get the Out of This World gift set for non Lush people that I want to try and convert because this one is a small fun starter and the box looks so cool. But I have never tried the bath bomb before so I thought why not!

I also went to Pennys and nabbed some leggings (€4.00) and a pair of really lovely floral shoes (€5) because cheap and cheerful is always welcome any day of the week!

Anyone been doing a spot of shopping lately? Talk to you soon, have a fab day! :)

Things I've Used Up #1

These posts are all over the place and I also love watching them on YouTube. There is something so satisfying about finishing a product and being able to replace it with new and exciting things. I have been trying to be very good and not buy anything until I have used up bits of half used products and bottles of fun. So now that I am going use-up-old-things mad, expect more of these types of posts in the near future! You'll have noticed I went a bit wild with taking photos outside while the few days of sun shine graced us, unlike the rain I'm looking out at now..

First off is my new favourite cleanser, Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream. It smells wonderful and is really soft and gentle on my skin without drying it out at the same time. It has hibiscus which is a brightness booster and natural AHA's from the flower act as mild exfoiliators that leave your skin feeling very loved. It has no nasty parabens, basically does what it says in the bottle! I will definitely be repurchasing this little beauty again really soon once I finish using up one or two half bottles of cleansers I have floating about. Normally it costs a little over €6 but right now Boots is having a 3 for 2 1/3 off sale, so grab one for a bargain! 

My lovely 500ml bottle of Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo for dry and damaged hair that has lasted me nearly 3 months! I wash my hair everyday and I really loved the smell of this shampoo, so I picked it up just to try it out. I have used Aussies conditioners before and have always noticed how shiny and soft they left my hair. This shampoo was no different. Its €7.59 but sometimes you can get these on offer, right now in Boots they are doing a 3 for €13 on selected Aussie products. I'll get this again for sure, but first I want to try out some other brands to see if they are as good.

I think its fair to say I am a lover of Nivea deodorants in general (see here) so I got a massive 250ml Nivea Invisible Black and White Pure 48hr Anti-Perspiration . It smells nice, works well and the best part is that there are no marks left on clothes at all. I always have a little bottle of this kept in my handbag too for when I'm out and about just in case. Nivea can do no wrong in my books.

Picture on the right is not my own. Source: lush.co.uk

Hmm, LUSH's The Joy Of Jelly shower jelly. I wasn't mad about this scent by the end of the pot, but it did make an amazing bubbly bath for me several times and was fun to play with and poke at too! It kind of reminds me of the sex bomb bath bomb smell, but a little stronger. Its a lovely purple colour that has rose, jasmine and ylang ylang packed into it. Like all shower jellies can be broken up and frozen or used all at once. You can use this in the shower on your body and hair or in the bath. Not sure if I will be getting this again and it doesn't seem available on their site anymore. Here are some other jellies instead. At least its one more pot to add to my pile of pots to return and get a free face mask from! Read my Love Lettuce Face Mask review if you don't know about the LUSH recycle programme. 

Next comes Rimmels Hide The Blemish Concealer in Ivory. I have gone through tonnes of these little sticks and still think they are the best long lasting concealer out there. It has such amazing coverage that really hides both blemishes and dark circles. I couldn't ask for more. This costs just over €5. You can find it on the Rimmel stand in Boots, but they don't seem to have it online. Oh dear. You can also see it here in my whats in my makeup bag post.

And lastly my go to colour of the summer was Barry M's Blueberry. Its a gorgeous light blue that just screams sunshine and ice cream! Its all used up and you wont be seeing that colour on my nails again this year since were now in Autum, but you can be sure I will be getting this again in time for next summer. You can read my full NOTD review here.

Whats In My Make Up Bag?

Please excuse the messy products! They get like that every 5 minutes from being together in my makeup bag :/

I said I'd do this post, I told myself many a time and even sat down to do it a few times but it well, you know the story!  So, whats always on my face and in my make up bag, keeping in mind that I don't use a lot of make up because A. I'm not bothered to spent that long on it and B. See A again. - I got the No7 bag as part of a set well over 2 years ago and never used it, only discovering it again when I was rooting through a draw last month. (I just realised I have forgotten to take a photo of it, I'll put it up in a future post, silly me!)

First off whatever foundation I happen to have floating about. Currently its Rimmels Match Perfection in the lightest shade, ivory that tends to be on offer for €6 or €7. I like this one and have repurchased it over 4 times now. It only has a light to medium coverage and I think the next time I go to buy one I will be looking for something to suit my blotchy uneven skin tone to cover it a bit better. It has an average lasting/staying power that would be fine for a lot of you girls out there but for me its only ok. I really love the smell of this too, little added bonus! 

Next is Rimmel again, my concealer of choice for about 5 plus years now, hide the blemish concealer. This is a classic, great coverage and something that really stays put once you put it on with a quick sweep of finishing powder to set it. I love this and it lasts ages too. Around the €5 mark.

My pressed powder is the Natural Collections cheap and cheerful in cool. Its the one I have been reaching for the most considering the price, how much I use it, that it lasts forever and oddly enough for something so cheap it doesn't break or go all over the place, score. It's less then €3. As you can see from the photos I'll need to be repurchasing this asap!

This trio of eye shadow is from 17 and called Matallio Coffee. As you can tell from the pictures I have used it to death and it has to be the best trio I have ever owned. Light, medium and dark brown shimmer shades that you can create a bundle of different looks with? One please! There isn't a lot of fall out with this, the colours pop by using just a little and they stay put. I never tend to use an eye primer either with this.I have a feeling this was about the €7 mark but its been ages since I've got this so do double check. On my last visit to Boots I went looking especially for this only to find that it was out of stock - devastated! But I will find it as soon as I can, cheeky thing hiding on me.

For eyeliner I use the forever trusty Essence Liquid In in black - about €2.99. I have loved and used Essence for years now and this is there most amazing formula to date. It has amazing staying power and is 100% water proof (trying to get it off can be tricky without proper eye make up remover) and the little applicator is easy to use, giving loads of product with just one stroke of the brush. For my waterline I use Rimmel's super duper Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in 261 Noir - about €6. You don't need to sharpen this pencil as the product just twists down and it also has a built in smugger on the other end for days when using liquid eyeliner is just too much or when you want to get the smoky eye effect. This glides on so easy which is a must for me, who else hates when eyeliner snages on your lid? Ahh! It comes in 6 shades and I might just have to nab the purple shade when I see it next. 

Maybellines Volume Express Mega Plush is currently in my make up bag, but its not my favourite mascara at all. When I bought it about 2 months ago I expected great things from hearing the fuss it was causing. It had a fancy flexibly brush and it was a gel-mousse with 40% less hard wax which was meant to be easier to use and wear. Eh no. The brush bristles aren't as good as some I have used and using the flex on the brush is hard. I don't think it was worth the €7.99 (on offer) I paid for it and once I have used this up I'll be glad to see it gone. 

Lastly to finish off my eyes I use Benefit's Eye Bright on my lower water line just to brighten up my eye. This is a pricy one at €21.50.

And that is all that I keep in my make bag and use daily. I can almost here to intake to breath here but I don't use moisturiser or primer, and rarely do anything to my eyebrows. I might get better one day, but I've  feeling I've a bit to go yet! As always I hope everyone is having a fab day! Talk to you all soon.

Pixy Lime Body Scrubs

Would you look at me getting all fancy taking photos outside in flower beds! 

  For ages I've followed the new Irish brand Pixy Cosmetics which started up back in 2012. Since then they have gone from strength to strength expanding their products all over the country. Its always so exciting to be able to support and love new Irish brands! Many times I have gone to their site and filled a basket with lots of things I'd love to try out, but never clicking the final button purely because I wanted to see the products in person. Does anyone else have that thing of wanting to actually hold the things and in person buy it? Just me then, as normal.. I had a little look at their stock list and found that City Pharmacy on Dame street stocks the full range. Naturally I had to check it out.

Lime body scrubs were first on my list. The packaging is so simple and the cute gold bow caught my eye, its the perfect present to give a loved one. There are six ice cube sized blocks of scrubbing goodness in each packet to use in the shower or in the bath. Every cube has apricot and lime oil, vitamin e and cocoa butter packed inside. I'm not a fan of the more sour smelling products but these smelt heavenly and it really wakes you up in the morning too, bonus points!

At €4.99 I wasn't sure what to expect when I used the first little cube, thinking it might dissolve quite quickly once water was added to it but I was totally wrong. Hard and moisturizing on the outside, rubbing it over my skin was a treat. After a second or two however it melted a bit and the exfoliating scrubby bites broke through working immediately. And let me just add that I used this all over my body and there was still half the cube left. I used an entire cube though, just because. You could easily get 3 uses from each one. Value for money I hear you say?

I wouldn't recommend this for your face as it could be a little harsh, but people go to town on those rough bits of skin that drive you mad. For me its my elbows and knees, bane of my existence..  Getting a product that both exfoliates and moisturizes at the same time is a fab find. The cubes are small but you will get so many uses from them and they are oh so travel friendly too. What more could you ask for really? I know I will be repurchasing these as gifts in the future. Ok, ok, and for me too.. So why not head over to their site Pixy.ie nab some amazing products and support an Irish brand. You will also get free shipping to anywhere in Ireland once your order is over €10. I can't wait to try out some of their other products!

Love Lettuce LUSH Face Mask

I haven't been feeling 100% calm recently which means my spots flare up quite badly with any stress. It always seems to happen and it can be awful trying to get my skin under control again. So I couldn't think of a better way to give myself a bit of a cheering up then with a trip to my favorite Lush as I had gathered up 5 empty black pots. For those of you who aren't aware, Lush offers any of their fresh face masks when you return 5 empty and clean black pots so they can be melted down and reused again! Recycling  and a free pot of happiness? Well don't mind if I do! If you scroll down to the end of this post you can watch a little video about the recycling of the pots, its full of information!

I'm not going to lie, I sat online for about 40 minutes deciding between all the masks, it was hard let me tell you that. I haven't used one of their fresh masks in a long time, always going for the spot busting Cupcake but longingly looking at the other magic coloured goos on offer. What really lures me in are all the different little silver bowls of colour and wonderful smelling masks scattered around in the ice for you to see.And they put in real roses or pieces of fruit on the side to make it unbelievably eye-catching, bless their little consumer marketing socks! Am I the only one who has a hard time resisting the urge to not poke a finger into the masks and smear it all over my face?

I settled on the Love Lettuce. I love seaweed, it tastes great and works like witch craft on the skin - as does the much loved sea salt. As this was my first time using it I wasn't sure what to expect but it smelt pleasant (we'v all had a mask on your face that smells awful!)  It contains honey and a seaweed gel which give a softening effect with some olive oil to regenerate the skin. Kaolin, lavender and ground almonds are also in there for a gentle exfoliation when it comes time to wash off your mask. Perhaps the one downside is that because all the masks are fresh you have to keep them in your fridge and use them within two weeks of purchase.

Like all masks you spread it all over your face, wait until it drys and then use some warm water to wash it all off. This was a lovely treat for my skin. I can't say there has been a big improvement with reducing my spots from using it, but I can certainly feel my skin a lot softer after washing it off and there is no irritation from using it either which is a big plus in my book considering my skin can be very easily irritated. My skin also looks brighter and more refreshed feeling after using some too. I will be happily using the rest of my my little black pot. Thinking about it I really want to get away from my regular buys at Lush and try lots of their other products, so on my next trip I have a feeling BB Seaweed (seaweed I know!) will be coming home with me!