Skin Care: Greek Yogurt Face Mask ❤

Today is going to be about face cleansing and just generally looking after that pretty face of yours! The best thing to do is not to wait for breakouts, get in there before they even have a chance to think about appearing on your face. Scrubs with harsh granules can irritate your skin and may leave it red and blotchy, which nobody really wants!

First off, rather than steaming your skin which can be quite harsh, cover it with a warm wet towel and if you have some, put a few drops of peppermint or lavender oil on the towel. Leave this on for a minute or so. After you've done this it's time for the face mask!

I'm sure everyone knows the health benefits of yogurt, but it can also be used as a really good face mask, reducing redness in the skin after just one application sometimes. The best way to apply this face mask is using a few cotton balls and just apply a thin layer onto your face. If you want to add on two cucumber slices for your eyes these can add to the benefits as cucumber contains antioxidants that can reduce irritation of the skin. Make sure the cucumber has been kept cool beforehand though.

Let the mask set for about 10 minutes then wash off gently with lukewarm water.

Hope you guys like this and if you try it out be sure to let me know!

Have an amazing day

x

How To: Clean Your Makeup Brushes ❤

Keeping your makeup tools clean is super important, especially if you use them on a daily basis. They should be cleaned every four to six weeks to help them stay nice :)

The best thing to use to clean your brushes would be a mild baby shampoo like Johnson's baby shampoo as these types of shampoo won't contain too many harsh chemicals that could ruin the brush fibres. For longer brushes, such as powder or blusher brushes, sweep these through diluted shampoo (a mix of shampoo and water). And for shorter, finer brushes like, eyeshadow brushes, these should be dipped in undiluted shampoo.

Try not to soak the brushes in water or get the handles wet as this may damage the brushes. Another thing that could damage a brush is direct heat, so it's best to leave the brushes on a towel to dry naturally rather than using a hairdryer. The best time to do this would be the evening time when you won't need to use them until the next morning.

The best way to dry the brushes is to squeeze out the excess water with a towel, reshape and lay on a clean, dry towel overnight, allowing the air to circulate. Then the next morning they're ready to use again!

Hope you enjoyed!
Have an amazing day
x

Haul: Penneys, River Island, H&M ❤

I went on a little shopping trip recently and thought I'd do a post on the things that I bought! I didn't go too crazy as you'll see I only went to Penneys, River Island and H&M.

In Penneys I bought two sheer tshirts; one in white and one in khaki green. These are really nice for the summer because the material is so light. Both of these tshirts cost €5 which i think is good but Penneys have gotten more expensive the past few years because I remember back in the day when tshirts like this would cost two or three euro - oh Penneys...

I also went to River Island where there was a sale on! It was crazy busy in there so I didn't stay very long. The accessories seemed fairly accessible since most people were diving into the clothing racks so that's where I headed :) I picked up a lilac coloured beanie for €3 and a Hamsa hand ring for €1 - if they're not bargains I don't know what is! I love this beanie because its a bright enough colour to wear it on cool days during the Summer and its a hat so it can be worn in Autumn and Winter too! Yay!

The last place I went was H&M, where there was a sale on there too! Here I bought a tshirt dress that has a really cool back and muscle tank sleeves. It's long enough to wear as a dress in summer but it can also be a top when it gets colder too. As you can tell I really like buying clothes and accessories that can go from season to season - I think that's money well spent!

Hope you enjoyed
Have an amazing day!

x

Book of the Month: July - Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn ❤

I don't know how many people will be interested in a Book of the Month post but I think it's a bit of a change from the usual reviews and beauty things! In the last few years I really haven't been reading at all unless it was for a school or college assignment but this summer I find I actually have free time to just sit out and read a book :)
The one I read this month (well technically I finished it this month but I've been reading it on and off since May!) is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It's not your typical romancey style book where girl meets boy and falls in love and they live happily ever after, oooh no! It's actually quite a thriller! And I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet but there's a HUGE twist half way through the book. I was told this early on and it took so much self control not to skip ahead and find out what was going to happen!
I found once I got into this book I couldn't put it down; you just constantly want to know what happens next and how certain things came to be. When you do finally figure out the twist it changes the whole story and your perception of the characters! It's really well written and I would definitely recommend it as a summer read if you're going on holiday or just lazing in the garden.

Hope you enjoyed
Have an amazing day

x

Review: Benefit Ooh La Lift ❤

First off I have to say I am completely in love with Benefit products so there may be a slight bit of prejudice in this review but I shall go ahead anyway :) The product I am going to be reviewing today is Benefit Ooh La Lift Instant Under-eye Brightening Boost. This costs €24.50 from Debenhams, you can view this site here.

I love the packaging because it's so simple but still so cute, and the name's for the products like 'Ooh La Lift' always make them that little bit better. I've had this eye brightening cream for a while now and I still like it as much now as I did when I first used it. All you do is apply three or four little dots under each eye using the applicator and gently pat it in. I usually apply it after I've done my makeup but you can do it beforehand if you like as it doesn't seem to specify which is the 'right' way to do it.

I do tend to get dark circles under my eyes from time to time but this does the job at brightening and covering up which I like, it just gives you the look that you actually got plenty of sleep the night before!

Overall I think it's a great little product to keep in your makeup bag for those days when you want a bit of a lift :) For more information and if you want to see the list of ingredients etc. you can look at this product on the Benefit website here.

Hope you enjoyed this review!

Have an amazing day

x

My Favourite Summer Nail Varnishes ❤

I love changing the colour of my nail varnish almost daily during the summer so here are a few I've been loving! And I actually found that quite a few of them are dupes for more expensive brands - win/win situation!

1. H&M Blue My Mind  dupe for China Glaze Modify Me

2. Angelica Sorbet dupe for Essie 'Shop Til I Drop'  

3. NYC Mint Macaroon dupe for China Glaze Refresh Mint

4. NYC Classy Glassy

5. Models Own Beach Party

6. Miss Sporty Lemon dupe for OPI Banana Bandana

7. Miss Sporty Baby Blue dupe for Revlon Blue Lagoon

8. Miss Sporty Turquoise dupe for China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise

My favourites out of these colours are the Miss Sporty Lemon nail varnish and The Models Own Beach Party nail varnish. These two are super summery colours and are definitely the two I wear the most often.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post

Have an amazing day!

x

The Big Bun Theory ❤

I find for the summer months the easiest and most comfortable way to style my hair is up! Whether that means a bun or a ponytail it's just a lot cooler and you don't feel like your hair is weighing you down especially if you're out shopping all day. I saw this picture on tumblr and just had to recreate all of the styles, so here are four simple different ways to style your hair in a bun!

Messy Bun

The first one is pretty simple, I used a hair "donut" as they are sometimes called, I tend to go with "fake bun". It makes the style a million times easier and you can make the bun big even if your hair is naturally quite thin!

Firstly I tied my hair up in a high ponytail, securing it with a bobbin. Then I get the hair donut and wrap my hair around that by placing it at the end of the ponytail and wrapping it around by folding the hair bun outwards. When you get to the end you can either secure it more tightly with booby pins or make it a bit messier by pulling the hair a little so its not as neat!

Ballerina Bun

Now for this one I went for a smaller sized hair donut as I wanted it to look more dainty and not as big as the messy bun. So using this the same way as before except with a side ponytail, I secured this one with bobby pins just because it was on the side of my head and I didn't want it to fall down throughout the day.

Bow Bun

For this bun I didn't use a hair donut because you need to be able to "cut" the bun in half. You start  by doing a high pony tail, but instead of pulling the hair all the way through the bobbin at the end, leave it so it makes a loose bun. When you have it the size you want it take a piece of hair about an inch or so thick and pull that out of the bobbin. Wrap it over the bun shape to create a bow and bobby pin it in place!

Boho Braid Bun

This style of bun is definitely my favourite and it's super easy like the rest of them. Basically it's the same steps as the Messy Bun but leave enough hair out of the bun to plait into the braid. You can do a fishtail braid or a standard braid, either will work fine. Wrap this around the end of the bun and secure it with a bobby pin at the back. To make the style look more boho you can mess the hair a bit more in the front by pulling it slightly to make it looser.

Hope you guys enjoyed these hairstyles!
Have an amazing day :)

x

Review: L'oreal Absolut Repair Cellular Masque ❤

I don't tend to invest very often in expensive hair products unless I've heard brilliant reviews, but I went a bit wild when I was in Peter Marks last month and bought a hair mask. My hair wasn't in brilliant condition. I had put a dye in it and whatever happened it just didn't take very well and left my hair very brassy and dry. While I was in the hairdressers they cut a bit off the length, mostly the dead ends, to help it repair quicker but  they also suggested a hair mask, which I thought would be a good idea, just as a once off. So I bought the L'oreal Professional Absolut Repair Cellular Masque which cost around €16. It's not available in pharmacies that I know of as it's a professional product, but I'm sure you could find it in a Peter Marks near you, or online from Amazon.

As I said my hair wasn't in great condition so I needed something to bring it back to life. I started using this hair masque properly about a month and a half ago and I have actually noticed a difference. You only need the tiniest bit for hair just below the shoulder, maybe more for longer hair. First you wash your hair as normal with shampoo and rinse it out, then towel dry your hair so its got the majority of the wetness out of it but it's still quite damp. Get a small amount of the product and rub your hands together to distribute it evenly and then put it in your hair. I tend to focus on the ends of my hair and not so much on the roots as I find if I put any sort of conditioning product on them they look a bit greasy which is not attractive! When you've got the product in your hair, leave for about 2 minutes then rinse it out.

I really do like this product as I find it makes my hair feel softer than it was before and it smells really nice too which is always a bonus. It seems to be lasting a long time as I only use it once, or maybe twice a week. I will definitely continue to use it until it's all gone :) with a possible chance of repurchase in the future!
Hope you enjoyed this post!
Have an amazing day

x

Toblerone Cookies ❤

I know I've already done a blog post on baking chocolate chip cookies but I'm a little obsessed if that wasn't obvious :) These Toblerone cookies are so easy to make! And you don't need a whole load of crazy fancy ingredients! 

All you need is:

1 cup Self-Raising Flour

1/2 cup White Sugar

One Egg

75g Butter/Margarine

100g Toblerone

(makes 10 large cookies)

First, put the butter/margarine and the sugar in the bowl and mix them together until there's no sugar left at the end of the bowl. When that's done, add in the egg and flour and mix it up again until its a nice cookie dough mixture. Then, chop up the bar of Toblerone (this can take quite a while if you're like me with a knife!) You could also grate the chocolate into the mix if you want smaller chunks!

When you're happy with the cookie dough you can start rounding the mixture into small balls and put them onto a baking tray, making sure there's enough space for them to spread as they bake.

Put them in the oven at 190 degrees celcius for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they turn brown. Take them out and slide them onto a wire rack and wait for them to cool.

Voilá, Toblerone cookies!

Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm sure I'll be baking again soon, it's quite addictive :) especially when you get yummy cookies afterwards!

Have an amazing day

x

DIY: Muscle Tank Crop Top ❤

Here's a little DIY you can do if you have an old t-shirt that you want to jazz up a bit! Personally, I don't really wear t-shirts with sleeves anymore; but this style is a whole lot more up to date. Firstly, grab a t-shirt that you want to cut up. I found this superhero t-shirt which is about a year old and I think I wore it once! These kind of tops aren't my style but I do like the design so it's the perfect one to DIY!

 

Chop off the sleeves from about half way down the top, or as far down as you want the tank to be open. When it's cut make sure to pull on the fabric so it curls in and the scissor marks won't be at all noticeable if you go a little off.

When you have the sides how you want them then you can move on to the cropping part. Cut the back in a straight line across about two inches under the end of the sleeve. Stretch the fabric again to hide any mistakes! For the front, cut a triangle shape from the centre to each side of the top making sure it matches to the back. When you have the triangle done, cut in a straight line up the centre which will give you the ties!

 This is how mine turned out - not too bad actually! Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial, hopefully I'll do more soon!

Have an amazing day

x

July Wishlist #2 ❤

I know I did one of these wishlists quite recently, but I just had to pop in another one! My wishlists tend to be one full outfit right down to the jewellery and bag, but all of the pieces can be worn with other items so it's not limited only to one style.

The jeans are Frame Denim Le Luxe Noir skinny jeans and are €260. I've been wanting a pair of grey jeans for ages now. I just think they go with so much and are a bit of a change from normal blue denims. I love the fact that they can go with basically every colour and can be a staple to anybody's wardrobe. These ones may be a little pricey but I would actually be willing to spend a lot on a good pair of jeans if I knew they would last a long time.

Next is the beige blouse from Oasis which is €41. I love blouses, especially for the summer time because they're not too heavy but they cover up a bit too. I do have a few short sleeved blouses but the midi sleeves on this blouse just make a bit of a change.

Now, the shoes I am absolutely in love with! These nude studded wedges are €63 online from pret-a-beaute.com. I think nude is a brilliant colour for shoes, especially in a heel because it lengthens your legs and makes you look taller, which is always a good thing if you're a little short like me! The thing I like about these wedges are that they are two different shades of nude, which I haven't seen a lot of!

The bag is from H&M and is €58. I know I had a H&M bag in my last wishlist but I always find myself drawn to them without even realizing! I really like the colour of this bag and the way it's a bit slouchy and looks like it could hold a lot - that's always a bonus! The gold detail on the strap just makes it that bit prettier.

The perfume is Daisy Sunshine by Marc Jacobs and is €60 in Boots. Every time I go into Boots I have to spray a bit of this. I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of doing that with perfume. It just smells really summery so I think the name suits it perfectly.

The lipstick is from Topshop; it's a Lip Bullet in the colour 'There She Goes' and costs around €9. It's a really pretty pinky-coral colour which is lovely for the summer. I must admit I do really like Topshop's makeup range although I do forget about it sometimes. I've purchased a few products from the range such as a blush and a shimmer powder which are both good quality and last a long time. 

The floral headband €84 boticca.com, I do think that is very expensive for a floral headband but I'm sure there would be similar ones around for a fraction of the price.

Lastly, the sunglasses are Juicy Couture Aviators and cost €75. I do think these are quite pricey too but they are Juicy Couture and are still less expensive than the very similar Ray Bans which cost nearly double the price.

Hope you enjoyed this wishlist! For more outfit sets like this or if you want to make your own you can go to my Polyvore here.
Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Review: Seventeen Miracle Matte Foundation ❤

For a long time now I've been using the same foundation, Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 100 Fair. But today I was shopping and decided to try something different! First off, I think this packaging is so cute! It reminds me of some other product but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. This is Seventeen's Miracle Matte Foundation. It comes in four shades, Soft Ivory (which is this one), Natural, Honey and Porcelain. I bought this for €8.95 (£5.99) from Boots.

The best thing about this foundation is the fact that it is a matte foundation. I've been looking for one of these for a long time! I find it such a hassle to have to put on a foundation then spend ages getting rid of the shine by putting on mounds of powder. With this foundation I only need a very small amount of powder, if any at all, to give that extra bit of coverage which I like but may not be necessary for other people. I apply this foundation with a Real Techniques stippling brush.

As well as being a matte foundation, this one is also oil free - which is good for those who have naturally oily skin. My skin is neither oily or dry but I find it sits really well :) I like foundations that don't have a greasy consistency and this one doesn't at all. The foundation claims to be sixteen hour wear and I haven't yet had to leave it on for that long but for the length of time I've needed it, it hasn't budged or melted away in the hot weather!

For the price and the amount I think this is a really nice foundation and would definitely get this again! It's a lot cheaper than my usual foundation which is €15.99 and I find it's almost as good, if not the same. I would definitely recommend this foundation for someone looking to try something new, or if you're not looking for a matte foundation, Max Factor Lasting Finish is another great product.

Hope you enjoyed the review, any other requests for reviews or any other blog posts feel free to let me know! All links are at the top of my blog :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

My Five Favourite Movies Of All Time ❤

It's a bit of a different sort of post today! This one isn't beauty or fashion related but it is my five favourite movies of all time :) They may not seem like typical favourite movies but I'm a bit weird like that!

#1 The Shawshank Redemption

I could watch this movie 500 times and never ever get bored of it. I love the fact that it's not a very recent movie and not too many people know about it (well as far as I know anyway!) One of the best things about the movie is the fact that Morgan Freeman is narrating which just makes any movie that bit more amazing. I watched an entire film about penguins before purely because he narrated it... 

The Shawshank Redemption is basically about a man who gets sent to prison for the murder (ooh scary!) of his wife and her lover; he claims the whole way through the film to be innocent but as they say "ain't nobody supposed to be here" in Shawshank. he starts to dig a tunnel behind a poster in his cell and eventually manages to get out! Yay! 

#2 The Green Mile

This one is another classic, I love Tom Hanks in this. It's quite sad but does have its funny and happy moments too! Mr.Jingles the little mouse is so adorable and it's so heartbreaking when one of the mad men in another cell kills him, but he is soon brought back to life by John Coffey, a man on death row who seems to have a power to heal people. He's in for a crime he didn't commit and eventually gets sent to the electric chair - I cry every time I see this part!

#3 The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger just makes this movie what it is. Although Christian Bale is a bit of a looker :) This was the movie that got me really into superheroes. After this I had to go see the sequels, and watch Spiderman and the Avengers! I love all the one liners from this "Why so serious?" and "It's simple, kill the Batman." both from the Joker. I don't think anyone could have played that character as good as Heath. Also, the sequel to this The Dark Knight rises is amazing, with Tom Hardy as Bane. Best line from that movie is when he says to Batman "...We will destroy Gotham and then, when it is done and Gotham is ashes, then you have my permission to die." How come superhero movies always have the hottest actors with their faces covered - so unfair!

#4 The Lion King

There just HAD to be a Disney movie in my favourites, I mean who doesn't love Disney :) I'm sure pretty much every person in the world knows about the Lion King so I don't need to write a summary but it's definitely one of my favourites. Even now I love singing along to Hakuna Matata, it's the little kid in me! Hard to believe this movie is almost 20 years old - which is still quite recent compared to Snow White from 1937! I wonder how many people remember seeing that one in the cinema!

#5 Labyrinth

This movie choice might seem really strange to some people but something about it I've always liked since the first time I saw it. I think it was on the television one day and I thought it looked cool so I watched it, then had to watch it again and again! It's not your typical movie, as in it has puppets, a maze and David Bowie singing a lot, but I love it! Long story short, David Bowie is the goblin king Jareth and he kidnaps Sarah's (Jennifer Connelly) baby brother and takes him to his castle, she has to get through the Labyrinth in thirteen hours to save her brother or he will be turned into a goblin. She makes it to the castle where Jareth asks her to abandon her brother and stay with him but she refuses and he sends them both home.

There are quite a few more I'd like to put on this list, like The Notebook, My Fair Lady and Mulan but I thought I'd limit it to five or I'd be here all day! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this and let me know what your favourite movies are! Especially childhood movies, I love reminiscing :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Clothes I Forgot I Owned! ❤

I'm sure we've all been guilty of buying clothes for the summer then when it turns cold we put them away in the back of the wardrobe and completely forget about them! Well I do that a lot and the other day when I was tidying out my room I came across some clothes that I had neglected and pushed into a ball in my wardrobe; I thought they had long gone in the bin  (as my mother tends to do that a lot, I'm sure she's not the only one!) But I took them out and decided to get some wear out of them as nearly all of the items have only been worn once or twice; shocking I know! :) 

The shorts are actually a pair of jeans I had for a while and I just didn't like the cut of them so I decided to make them into shorts! I do that a lot with jeans I don't want to wear anymore, particularly when it's summer - then in winter I wonder where all my jeans have disappeared to! The jeans I made these shorts from were bought in a little boutique in Dublin, and by now I'm guessing they're definitely sold out! :(

Next is the playsuit; this one is from Asos. I bought it last summer and had every intention of wearing it. Then the weather got cold and it just wasn't the time for playsuits anymore - what a pity! Now I've found it again I can bring it back out into the big wide sunny world, who knows it might last for a while. I bought this from the petite section because it was on sale, for around €18 at the time if I can remember correctly :) I think it would go really nicely with red wedges and an anchor necklace to make it into a nautical outfit!

 This blouse is from River Island, the Chelsea Girl collection. It's quite sheer but I think it'll look nice with a top underneath! It's very summery so I'm happy I found it again :) I love the lace detail on the back and the little buttons on the front. I can't remember how much exactly this cost but again, like all of these items they would probably be sold out by now.

Now if you read my last post on my July Wishlist I had a lace bralette on there, next thing you know I find this black lace bra in the wardrobe! It's not the exact same but it's fairly similar, which I'm happy about! I love finding old things that have come back into fashion.

As well as the lace bralette, also on my wishlist were a pair of boyfriend jeans! It's scary how I was just thinking about them and both things show up again :) These ones were from Bershka, they are slightly big for a size 6 which is why I think I put them away to begin with but I really like them so I'll have to try a belt or something now - I cannot let these babies go to waste!

Hope you guys enjoyed this post, I'll have to do another one in the winter time to see what I've forgotten about then! Who knows what I might find :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

July Wishlist #1 ❤

So, I thought doing a wishlist or two (maybe even three!) each month would be a fun thing to do, just to show you guys what I'm loving and what I want to buy - a bit like a shopping list but more exciting! :) Mostly they'll be like a particular outfit, with most pieces that can be worn with other outfits. I love looking at people's wishlist's because it gives me SO many ideas!

The Homies hat here is a Brian Lichtenberg Homiés embroidered knitted beanie which is €40 (£34) from net-a-porter.com and I love, love, looove it so much after seeing Cara Delevingne wearing one! Still not too sure if I could pull it off but I'm determined to try.

The next thing on my wishlist is a lace bralette, this one is from American Eagle and it's €12, I think this lace bralette trend is the cutest thing ever, they would look nice under a sheer top of you had the confidence to pull that off - unfortunately I don't, yet! But just knowing it's there is fine :)

The grey tshirt top is from H&M and it's €8, I think a top like this is a must have and a staple for anyone's wardrobe in summer or winter because you can wear it on it's own or with a leather jacket over for those colder days. I love oversized tshirts like this and I'll definitely be getting one soon.

The black platform wedges are from boohoo.com and they are €39, I think black wedges are another staple for any wardrobe as they can be wore casual or dressy depending on what you pair them with; also in black they tend to last longer as they don't show up all the little scuff marks that other colours might.

Boyfriend Jeans are something that I've always been slightly wary of as I thought they would look a bit manly, hence the name "boyfriend" but I think with the right accessories and shoes they can look really nice. Personally I would pair them with the wedges and a heel of any kind will give you that extra length in your legs which is needed with these jeans. The ones on my wishlist are from styligion.com and cost around €89, but I could find ones quite similar in any clothes shop in town for a fraction of the price!

The bag is from H&M and it's €17; I already have a black H&M bag but I think personally a girl can never have too many bags of the same colour! I like this one because it's spacious and looks quite expensive, which is always a plus!

Now, the necklace is from an online shop, ylang23.com and apparently it's over €1,000. So although I do think it's absolutely fabulous because I love the hamsa hand jewellery trend I think this particular one may have to remain a wish!

For perfume, I really like the smell of all ck fragrances, particularly ck shock perfume. This one is from Boots or most pharmacies for around €40. It smells yummy and summery!

Another thing I forgot to put on this wishlist is a Penny board! For the real thing, it costs around €130 as they are custom made in America, but a "fake" one that looks just the same is €18 from Smyths, which is a toy store but I wouldn't complain as the boards are nearly the exact same but one is €112 euro CHEAPER! Now that's a bargain if I ever saw one :)

Hope you enjoyed this wishlist post, there'll be more coming soon! If you make a board like this I'd love to see them :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

DIY: MakeUp Brush Holder ❤

Want to make your own makeup brush holder? Then read on! This doesn't even have to be for makeup brushes you can put anything you like in it; I just think it's a nice way to brighten up your dressing table this summer!

What you're going to need:

• a jar
• old wrapping paper with a cute pattern
• scissors
• glue/sellotape
• ruler and pencil
• nail varnish
• anything else you'd like to decorate with like stickers, etc. 

If you don't have any spare wrapping paper or nothing quite takes your fancy you can print off a pattern from the world wide web - sometimes it's actually good for something other than social networks! :)

Grab your jar first (check that your brushes will fit in it before you do anything else.) Then make sure its all cleaned out! We don't want any jam or anything on our brushes now do we! When your jar is all clean and dry measure how much paper you're going to need. I did this by fitting the paper into the jar and marking off with a pencil where to cut, then using a ruler draw a line to make sure its straight across.

When you have it all measured out, stick it on to the inside of the jar. I used sellotape which was quite difficult to get into the jar so glue would be a lot easier if you have it!

Then when the paper is stuck inside you can decorate the outside! I used coloured nail varnishes that matched the colours on the paper inside, pink, yellow and mint green, to paint around the top of the jar just to make it a bit more interesting :)

After the nail varnish has dried and you're happy with how it turned out you can run and grab your makeup brushes and pop them in there! Et voilá! :) I just think it's a nice change from putting them in a makeup bag or  brush pouch and the brush holder is a nice ornament for summer!

If you guys try this I'd love to see how they turn out! Hope you enjoyed this little DIY, I'll definitely be doing more soon! Any suggestions are welcome, even if I fail it'll make a good blog post of how NOT to make something :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Dog-sitting ❤

For the longest time ever I've wanted a dog. To be precise, I wanted a miniature Yorkshire terrier; preferably a girl. I was lucky enough to get a little puppy for a few months a few years ago but she didn't stay with us long :( her name was Roxy and she was a little bit of a mutt but nonetheless she was adorable! We even got her a little pink jumper to wear when it got a bit chilly outside - I don't think she was a fan!

This week though I got to experience life with a doggy again! Her name is Lola and she's the cutest thing ever, puppy dog eyes does not even come close to describing how this little thing looks at you! I say "little" not in the literal sense, as she's actually quite big for a puppy. The thing that makes Lola even sweeter is the fact she's a rescue dog. She wasn't looked after very well when she was tiny and has been rehomed lots of times, but even after all of that she is so sweet and good tempered. She hardly ever barks (unless the cat's around - sneaky little thing!) but even then she just wants to play!

Here's a picture of her outside wearing some sunglasses and "reading" a magazine :) She looks fabulous don't you think? :)

Spending the week with Lola has made me want to get a dog even more. She's brilliant to take out for walks and is actually quite motivating to run with - mostly because she always speeds on ahead and I have to keep up with her. She must be part cheetah because everyone always comments on how fast she can run! In the dog park earlier in the week every single dog there was chasing her, and she outran them all! Such a cutie :) 

She loves to be around people and we've been letting her up on the sofa all week - such a bad habit! But we're just spoiling her while her family is away :) 

Well I just thought I'd share that with you guys! If any of you have doggies that you absolutely adore leave a comment or send a picture in! I love all little pooches :)

Hope you enjoyed!

Have an awesome day lovelies

x

What am I listening to this Month ❤

I'm terrible for hearing a song on the radio or online somewhere and becoming completely obsessed and listening to that song repeatedly for a full week, then suddenly it becomes unbearable to listen to because I've heard it so many times. I'm sure I'm not the only one that does this, am I? So, I thought you guys might like to know what kind of music I listen to. I always like to know people's favourite songs so then I can find new ones and become obsessed all over again ;)

Strangely enough I'm quite into country music this month, I love two songs by Florida Georgia Line, Cruise (the remix one) and Get Your Shine On.

There's a cover of Miley Cyrus' We Can't Stop that I found on Youtube and it's amaaazing! I love when people take fast, pop or rock sounds and make them acoustic, and the guy who sings this cover, Hobbie Stuart, is British and sounds so good!

Another song I'm loving is Panic Chord by Gabrielle Alpin. It's completely different to The Power of Love which I'd say is what she's best known for, which I will always love, but it's still a really nice song.

In my Top 25 Most Played playlist there's a bit of Miranda Lambert (from the Pistol Annies) Mama's Broken Heart, I looove to sing along to this one. Also, there's a few from The Script, I love these guys mainly because they're Irish, and also become they make pretty awesome music; the lead singer Danny is also a bit of a looker!

One I found recently is By Now by the band Marina's Trench, I'm not sure how long it's been around but I've just discovered it so it's new to me! Another one is Midnight City by M83, it's the song from the theme tune for Made in Chelsea (the most recent season) and I finally found it on Youtube and was pleasantly surprised it was an actual song with words! :)

I have to admit now a guilty pleasure of mine is Michael Bublé, I think he's absolutely amazing and his songs never get old for me. My favourites are 'Beautiful Day', 'Young at Heart' and 'Home'. I could listen to his voice for hours!

I hope you guys enjoyed, and comment some of your favourites! I could always do with more songs :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Healthy Eating ❤

It's just that simple! After eating a huge meal full of saturated fats and salt I usually don't feel so good - don't get me wrong, when I'm wolfing down a plate of spicy chicken and fried rice from the Chinese it tastes really yummy but when it gets to my stomach, that's when my body starts to ask "Why did you put that nasty stuff inside me! I don't know what to do with it!"

The reason why all those dishes from the Chinese or Indian takeaways taste nice is because they are packed with MSG's to give them that taste! If you're not sure what MSG's are you can look it up here.

For breakfast, instead of a sugary cereal with full fat milk, try granola with low fat yoghurt. You still get the cereal and dairy but it's just got less calories! And if you do really need a bit of sweetness you can pour a bit of honey on top - which has 0g of fat!

Instead of frying eggs, poach them. They'll taste the exact same but you won't have to worry about that oil that you fried them in, because poached eggs only need to cook in water. To add a bit more flavour to them, try a sprinkle of pepper as a substitute for salt - I barely notice the difference!

As well as eating healthy foods, you'll be able to digest and use the nutrients in the foods SO much better if you exercise as well. It doesn't have to be a whole day at the gym; just a simple walk for around half an hour, or more if you feel like it, will be enough at first! Then, as you start to feel better, you'll actually want to walk for longer, go further and maybe even try a few minutes of jogging here and there!

If you are going to eat before exercising, you should eat at least half an hour to an hour in advance, depending on its the size of your meal, what you're eating, etc. Some good things to eat before you start pumping iron are:

• a bowl of low fat yogurt with half a cup whole grain cereal and half a cup fresh strawberries
• 1 - 2 poached or hard-boiled eggs with a slice of wholegrain toast
• peanut butter on sliced apple or banana, or spread on wholegrain toast.
• whey protein shakes - these are great if you haven't got the time to cook or make a meal, there's a really wide range of them online too on sites such as Discount Supplements.
• dried fruits are also really good to have as some of them are high in carbohydrates, which you need for energy, my favourite are Forest Feast Dried Mango slices which I buy from the supermarket, read the nutrition information here.

Afterwards, when you've pushed yourself to the limit make sure you rehydrate with loads of water, I'll usually have 2 bottles. If you want to make your water even better, try popping in a Berocca tablet, which are water soluble. They come in orange flavour and tropical and are full of vitamins and minerals. Check them out here. 

I hope you guys found this helpful, if you have anything that you like to make that's healthy and would be a good substitute for a fatty meal feel free to leave a comment!
I'll do a post soon of a full day meal plan with exercises etc. :)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Learning the Guitar ❤

For the longest time I wanted to learn the guitar and finally in 2011 I got one for my birthday - one of the best presents I've ever got. Not only because it's what I really wanted but I think something like a guitar, well, you can have it forever really. It isn't something that's in fashion one year and out the next. Personally I've always found people who can play an instrument to be pretty interesting and cool. :)

First song I was able to play was Summer of 69, granted it was slow and only contained about 3 chords and no particular strumming pattern I thought I was absolutely amazing! I even won an award for it at the end of the year :)
I'd love to be able to play any song on the guitar, just listen to the tune a few times then strum away!

It's a lot more difficult than I imagined. People make it look so easy in music videos and things like that. I just expected to pick it up and be able to play anything - I was very wrong!
The thing that I find most difficult is bar chords and chords that use all four fingers! Sometimes they just don't reach, haha!

And bar chords are super difficult especially when you're weak like me because you have to hold down all six strings with one finger as well as placing the rest on others to make a chord! I checked good old wikipedia for a proper definition which told me that "a barre chord (also known as bar chord or rarely barr chord) is a type of guitar chord, where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the guitar fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the strings), enabling the guitarist to play a chord not restricted by the tones of the guitar's open strings." That's very fancy altogether eh?

There have been times where I get frustrated because a chord just doesn't sound like it should which is soooo annoying, but when it does its like the best thing ever!

Now I've finally gotten to the stage where I can put chords together to make them sound like an actual song! Very fancy altogether! I think my family will soon get tired of hearing the same three songs over and over again but you know what they say 'Practice makes perfect!'

I'm determined to match Ed Sheeran's guitar skills, I'll let you guys know when I do ;)

Have an amazing day lovelies

x

Review - Catrice Eyeshadow Palette ❤

I said back in my post on "What's My Summer Makeup Routine" that I would do a review of the Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow palette, and here it is!

Surprisingly, I never thought to buy an eyeshadow palette before, I always bought single colours. I picked this up in the chemist for around €4, I wish I could remember the actual price but I'm nearly sure that's what it was! The colours in it are quite pigmented, which I didn't think they would be seeing as its not a well known, high street brand. I haven't seen many places that stock Catrice products.

These eyeshadows aren't matte, but they aren't super shimmery either so they can be worn during the day or on a night out :)

I usually use the lightest shade, which is a sort of sandy colour, as a base all over the eyelid, then depending on the time of day or what sort of look I'm going for, I'll use one of the darker brown shades in the crease. The second and fourth shades are quirte nice to wear on their own if you don't have time for all the blending and different brushes.

This palette did come with a double sided brush to apply the eyeshadows but I've always preferred to use my own. If you're that sort of person, you can check the ingredients in the eyeshadows on the Catrice website here! You can also find other products from this brand on that site.

I'll do a makeup look using this palette soon to show you guys what they look like on and blended :)

Hope you enjoyed!

Have an amazing day lovelies!

x

25 Things About Me ❤

I've seen a lot of people make blog posts and youtube videos like this and I thought it seemed pretty cool! I'm not sure who would want to know anything about me, but for those of you who do - here you go! :)


1. I love writing, whether it's a blog, diary or a draft of a book (believe me I've written the start of a lot of books!) One of my dream careers is a journalist.

2. My favourite movies to watch are horror - I rarely like comedys

3. I love reading or watching TV programmes about crime - I want to go into criminal law when I finish my degree :)

4. I have a tattoo, which nobody ever believes! And I want another one now...

5. I've only read one Harry Potter book - the first one - when I was about 11 years old

6. I was in seven different schools from junior infants up to college

7. I have a secret love for the TV programme Come Dine With Me (I guess it's not a secret anymore!)

8. I don't like chocolate icecream/ hot chocolate / chocolate yoghurt

9. I never go to bed early, even if I have to be up early the next morning

10. People sometimes think I'm quite stuck up, but really I'm just shy

11. I love music and singing, if I don't make it in criminal law or journalism I'd love to do something in the music industry (maybe even be a part time singing sensation! haha)

12. Up until the age of 15, I'd never been to a foreign country on holiday

13. I kept a diary from the age of eleven until I was eighteen

14. I prefer winter to summer

15. I auditioned for a television talent show when I was 12 with three of my friends, we danced to the song 'Hey Mickey!' - we didn't make it on though :(

16. I would love to live in London, New York or California

17. I took a Japanese class for a while in school but can't remember how to say anything other than "I am Hayley"

18. I'm currently trying to teach myself the guitar - not going too badly, I know three songs now!

19. I love playing Xbox - such a boy at heart, haha!

20. My favourite type of food is Chinese, I could live on it if I knew I wouldn't gain 10 stone

21. I was born the day Freddie Mercury died; 24th November 1991

22. I don't like fizzy drinks like 7up and Fanta Orange, and especially not Lucozade - blehh!

23. I know how to rap (ok it's one song from a youtube video "Pale Kid Raps Fast" but I can do it!)

24. My mom wanted to name me Angharad when I was born. But thank god she picked Hayley in the end!

25. I love everyone reading this ❤ 


Hope you enjoyed this!

Have an awesome day lovelies!

x

My Favourite Lipsticks ❤

I was honestly never a huge fan of wearing lipsticks, I thought they were far too "mammy-ish" and wouldn't suit me at all! I can't remember when exactly I decided to be daring and try one out but I found that I really do like them after all! (And I still look my age - phew!)

I'd have to say my go-to brand for lipsticks would have to be Rimmel without a doubt. My favourite at the moment is from the Kate Moss Lasting Finish collection in shade 03, as I said in my post on 'What's my Summer Makeup Routine'. It's a pinky nude shade and it just goes really well with my skin tone. I bought this lipstick in Boots not too long ago for around €6 which I think is great for a lipstick. You can find more shades from this collection on the Rimmel London site.

My other favourites are Rimmel Pink Blush and Nude Pink, as you can probably tell they aren't unlike the Kate Moss lipstick but I seem to have a bit of an obsession with buying nude pink lipsticks! :)

Rimmel Asia is more of a dusty pink shade but it still has a nude undertone which fits in quite well with my obsession. All of these Rimmel lipsticks are fairly long lasting, although they don't unrealistically claim to be 16 hour wear like some products do!

Flormar Supershine Lipstick in shade 523 is a  peachy coral colour. They're lipstick collections can be seen here. I bought my lipstick in Awear but I'm not too sure if they still stock it there. I also threw in Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses lip stain as I find its more like a lipstick than a lipgloss and lasts a long time. I have it in the shade 100 Endless Blossom, which is actually quite fitting as it seems to have a flowery smell which I never noticed before! Another thing that took me months to notice was that at the bottom of the lip stain there is a balm stick - next time I should read the label on the back of products and I won't miss out!

And here is a swatch board of the lipsticks I have mentioned - although some are not quite true to shade as the lighting was a bit off! For another look at most of the shades here, they are on the Rimmel website! 

Hope you have an amazing day!

x

Rings and Blings ❤

I always have to be wearing some form of jewellery. Most of the time its the ring I got for my 18th birthday which I just never take off! I think everyone needs one piece of jewellery that goes with everything and is always in style :)

Crazy, big rings were never really my style, I've always liked small, dainty rings. And silver - always silver! It isn't that I hate gold, I've just found that silver suits me better. As I said the one ring I never take off is my silver diamond ring which was a present; a set of rings I like to wear every so often are mid finger rings from New Look which I got for around €8. I love the little designs on them of the cross, peace sign and blue stone and they're comfortable to wear. (Although my fingers are quite skinny so they're a bit big for the middle of my ring finger!)

The next thing I'd say I wear the most often is a necklace. I have about 4 that I wear often depending on my outfit, again most of them are silver because it's so easy to pair with an outfit! The one I like the most is the plain cross necklace which is from New Look, I like long length necklaces because I seem to have some strange phobia of things too tight around my neck - crazy lady! Another one I like to wear when there's pink in my outfit is a cross necklace from Topshop which is sort of an ombré silver into pink and I think it looks really different - it has broken on me once but I managed to fix it back together and it's fine now! Yay!

I don't wear bracelets very much but when I do I like to wear pretty simple ones like jesus bracelets or other wooden style bracelets which I usually pick up from Topshop during the sales when they're about €3.

I've had so many watches over the years and they always seem to break or get wet! But now I have a proper "grown-up" watch! Fancy me! It's silver 'Marc Jacobs-style' with small diamonds around the outside and 'The Time Is Now" written around the inner clock face. I try not to wear it every day because I'm terrified it'll break on me and that would just be catastrophic really.

For earrings I usually wear one in the top of my ear (apparently its called a Helix piercing but I was never aware of this!) which is a small silver cross. I have had a few problems with this particular piercing as I think the man who did it was a bit old... pushing 70 I'd say... and he used a piercing gun which I later found out isn't how it's meant to be done - whooopsie! That's the last time I trust OAPs in Georges Street Arcade!
When I do wear them in my lower ear (scientifically known as the 'lobe' haha) I just try to match them with whatever outfit I may be wearing. I did find a really cool set in Topshop which are a mixture of studs and 'hook' types with prints on them but I haven't figured out how to style them without looking like a loony with two mismatching earrings!

And lastly, the one which is never seen, my bellybar is just a plain curve bar with a lilac ball which is apparently glow-in-the-dark. I have yet to see it glow...

:)



Have an amazing day lovelies!

x