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

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