Sunny Delights

As I look out of my window at the rain pelting down, the wind howling and the clouds turning an even darker shade of grey, it's surprising to think that we are entering the season of summer sunglasses. But we may as well prepare ourselves for when the Irish summer decides to appear. Shouldn't we? And if all else fails, just go and book that sunny trip away so you can make the most of those shades! 

I'm definitely not one for buying super expensive designer sunglasses, because lets be honest, they would most likely break in my handbag, as many others have. (Rest in peace H&M sunnies, you were my fave)
But after dandering about a few of our High Street shops it's great to see that they are certainly awash with all the latest statement shades in preparation for that glimpse of sun. With an excellent range of summer frames to meet your fancy and ultra affordable too there's just the difficult decision of choosing the perfect pair for you. So which ones do you choose? And in my case, how many pairs do I choose?! 

Thankfully over the past five years sunglasses have become much cooler with a greater variety to choose from! Say hello to the chic cat-eye, the hippie oversized, the 60's round, the cool aviator, the classic wayfarer and the laid-back preppy. I have to say my favourite style is the cat-eye. And no, not just because I like cats. I really love the retro feel of the cat-eye and they also suit the shape of my face. 

As part of this blog post I thought I would try something a little different. Rather than just display photo after photo I thought I would put my Photoshop skills to use and rustle up some collages to hopefully give you some sunglasses inspiration! I have to say that I did have fun creating the mini collages! Now's the time to go out and hit the shops and find your perfect pair of sunny delights! And remember, your summer shades are probably the only accessory your doctor will recommend! Yes! You can be stylish AND look after your eyes!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!
x

LatestinBeauty.com

It's that time of the year again folks! The summer beauty products are hitting the shelves! And for some, this puts the absolute fear of God into them.    

For most women (including myself) summer brings extra panic on making your feet look pretty, your skin look bronzed and of course, every inch of hair removed from your body. In other words, major stress and far too much time wasted! 

Making the transition from your winter beauty regime to your summer regime can be a bit of a pain. That lovely rich moisturiser which you used to banish the dryness of your skin, thanks to the cold winter air, is now a greasy, oily, clogged mess. And those days where you just couldn't be bothered shaving? Well, those days are over my friend.    

Pastel nail colours, bold bright lipsticks, BB creams, CC creams, tinted moisturisers, tanning creams, sun lotions. The list goes on and on. 

But which product do you choose? 

Oh and a heads up on the new hair colour trend. According to the adverts you can now dye your hair 'Bronde'. That's right everyone, Bronde.

(Thanks J-Lo). 

Okay, so I may have the answer to some of your summer beauty woes. And it comes in the form of the Glamour Spring beauty box! The box is full to the brim of all the latest beauty products (high-end and cheap as chips) and it can be purchased right here: http://www.latestinbeauty.com/glamour/ 

I first came across 'Latest In Beauty' last year when I purchased my first beauty box from their website. So far I have bought three beauty boxes and each one did not disappoint. The great thing about this website is that you can test all the latest beauty products at a fraction of the normal retail price.

The best part is, there is no subscription fee and you can basically choose whatever product you want to try. Or, you have the option of choosing a box from one of LIB's collections at a set price. 

The Glamour Spring Beauty Edit box retails at £16.99 and is worth £99. And yes, most of the products are full size with a few exceptions. Believe me, there are no catches!

So what's in the box? (Click the link)

     Morrocanoil Intense Hydrating Mask

Nuxe Creme Fraiche De Beaute Mask

                   Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow             

Beauty UK High Brow Kit

Elie Saab L'eau Couture
Model Co Creme-Rouge Cheek & Lips
Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel 
Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat
Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Lipgloss

Rather than bore you with a review of each product I thought I would give you a little summary of my favourite items from the box! I would have to say my least-liked product was the Elie Saab fragrance. The scent is quite fresh and floral and I tend to veer away from such aromas in my own perfume choices.

I know, you are probably thinking, another high street brand attempting the gel nail craze?! It's bound to be rubbish? Right? Well, you are very much mistaken. On trying this nail varnish for the first time I was a little doubtful, but after four days of perfect pristine manicured nails I was pretty pleased! And no, I did not sit on my ass for 4 days straight and do absolutely nothing. My nails took quite a bashing in work. The best results are achieved when both products are used together. I applied two layers of this coral shade (130 Pocket Aces) and one layer of the diamond top coat, et voila, long-lasting, shiny summer nails.

I have always wanted to try a Moroccanoil product as I have heard brilliant reviews on this brand. After using this product three times now I am a convert! I have quite thick, curly frizzy hair which can be quite dry at times and the mask is making a big difference to the texture and the general appearance of my hair. I would use it once a week while showering and massage it onto towel tried hair and leave for roughly 10 minutes. I would definitely recommend this if you do suffer from quite unruly hair. 

And finally we have the Model Co creme rouge. I'm definitely not one for using cream blush. I have been using the Benefit Sugarbomb blusher for years now, and I have to admit it is still my favourite. But I have to say that this product is perfect for your summer make-up bag. The colour is quite scary but the super soft and blendable texture means you can add a little or a lot. You can also use this rouge on your lips! The perfect versatile product for that sunshine flush on your cheeks and lips!

I hope this post has given you some summer beauty inspiration and that you may even try some of the latest products gracing the shelves of the shops!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!
(Two days left til the weekend! You can do it!)

Walk into Spring

Spring is officially here!

So I guess someone was listening to me when I ranted and raved in my previous post about the weather being so gross. Easter week brought beautiful weather for us all (HUZZAH) and it put a huge smile on my face. Thankfully I had a few days off work to make the most of the sunshine and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get my camera out and take some lovely snaps!

If you don't already know, I come from a wee wee village outside of Armagh. While driving through it, if you blink you will certainly miss it. Now, no matter how much I complain about being quite isolated out here in the 'shticks', the place where I was born and bred contains quite a few snippets of beauty. When I was younger I always loved exploring the nooks and crannies of the countryside around me. My dad and I would even venture out at 6am on a crisp Spring morning (Wellington boots and stick in hand) and traipse through the fields trying to spot some furry creatures. Almost every time we would come across a fox or hare going about their business collecting food for their babies and being stopped in their tracks by two lunatics hiding behind some trees. (Those lunatics being my dad and I) Back in those days I didn't carry around a camera, because I was 10 and I was more interested in enjoying the moment. Now, on the other hand, I love capturing the moment through a lens and adding a wee filter here and there. *Disclaimer: I'm no photographer, okay?*

On Easter Monday my boyfriend and I took a trip up to Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor. We soon realised Easter Monday was probably one of the busiest days of the year for this park, but we trudged on and made the most of the day. Ice cream was scoffed, the bare milky arms were out and some beautiful scenery was seen. All in all a brilliant day was had!

Below are a just few photos I took of the forest beside me. Once a huge stretch of greenery it is now a huge area of deforestation with only just a little patch of woodland. Sun, shadows and silhouettes made for a great series of photos!

I'm currently looking out of my window at a very grey sky but here's hoping the sun will peek through those clouds soon enough! I'm off to enjoy a weekend full of lots of celebrations! Hope you all have a fab weekend and a big 'Happy Birthday' to my boyfriend!

It's amazing what a bit of sun can do!

It's April already?!

Could someone please tell me how it is April already? This day two months ago I set up this blog and time has certainly flew by!  

Now I have to say that I do love April! And not just because this month brings my birthday (as well as many many others). April also welcomes the loveliness that is daffodils, Easter eggs and of course that 'quare stretch in the evening'. And lets not forget that we have only a few more months before its summer time!

 But on a negative note could we also take a minute and acknowledge this pure pish weather we are having?! Come on April, get your act together! Give the lovely people of Ireland some sunshine please! 

I just thought I would do a quick wee blog post on a few things which I have been loving lately! I have listed my favourite things below and added links to each item so you can check them out yourself!  

Clockwise from top

1. The Body Shop 'Atlas Mountain Rose' fragrance mist 

2.Topshop sunglasses (the sunglasses don't seem to be available on the Topshop website (sadface) but I have added a link of sunglasses that are similar to my own)

3. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara 

4. H&M sweatshirt (again, this item doesn't seem to be available to buy online. I purchased this one from the H&M Ballymena branch)

5.New Look Stone Contrast Strappy Espadrille Sandals 

I hope you all have a great Easter and enjoy stuffing your face with Cadburys chocolate! I'm off to celebrate the fact my birthday doesn't fall on Easter this year and I won't be receiving hundreds of Easter eggs as gifts. You April babies will know what I mean. 

Have a lovely weekend! 

Not Another LUSH Haul?!

Hello everyone!

Since my last blog post I decided to take a week's break from blogging, which turned into well over two flipping weeks! Working my job, trying to have a social life and general laziness were all contributing culprits to this bout of blogging inactivity. But I am back and ready to get stuck back into trying to entertain you lovely lot. 

Okay, so who likes a good hot bubbly bath? I for one am an avid believer of a good sweet-smelling bath. If you are not a bath believer then the products at Lush might just change your mind. And if Chandler from Friends can be a bath convert then so can you!

Now, if any of you are familiar with the blogging or vlogging world then you will know how popular a Lush haul can be. By this stage you may well be sick to death of them. I know in my experience of following bloggers a Lush haul is something that has to be acknowledged. It is almost like a cardinal rule in the blogging world. And the reason for this Lush madness? Just look at how cute they look, with the added bonus of making your bath look and smell amazing!

So here I am, about to join the many bloggers out there and share my views on the Lush brand. Since the word 'blog' came to light the Lush establishment has become something of a bloggers hub. Any Saturday that I venture into the Lush store in Belfast I am greeted with hoards of young and old smelling and testing those bath bombs and bars. I am pretty happy to join them and pick out a few new bath bombs to take home with me to add to my Lush collection!

Below are a variety of my favourite bath bombs and bubble bars. Most of these are still available to buy with a few exceptions. I will leave links under each photo too!

Appropriately named unicorn horn, this bubble bar is definitely the most magical of all the bars made by Lush. The bar smells of soothing lavender as well as many other gorgeous aromas combined. I bought this product a few weeks ago online and still can't bring myself to use it yet. It's too pretty to ruin! Unfortunately the unicorn horn is not available to buy any more but keep your eyes peeled for more quirky bubble bars to grace the shelves of Lush.

I literally just used this bubbleroon (yes bubbleroon) a few days ago. I love any fragrance containing rose and this doesn't disappoint. Lemon, rose and geranium oil, as well as coconut oil and shea butter are packed into this rosy bubbleroon. It left my skin feeling so soft too! Simply crumble under running warm water to create mounds of lovely bubbles! 
https://www.lush.co.uk/products/rose-jam

I have bought this bath bomb about three times now and I absolutely love it! Named 'Space Girl' this UFO-shaped product smells uh-mazing! The scent reminds me of the old-school sweet, Parma Violets. Once dropped into the water this bath bomb fizzes around turning your bath a lovely shade of purple! I would definitely recommend this one!
https://www.lush.co.uk/products/space-girl

Sex bomb, sex bomb, you're my sex bomb! Yep, you guessed it. This one is called Sex Bomb. Packed with lots of floral scents including jasmine, ylang ylang and sage this bath bomb looks so pretty and turns your bath into a gorgeous shade of pink. I first used this bath bomb a few years ago and decided to pick it up again, mainly because of its lovely fragrance!
https://www.lush.co.uk/products/sex-bomb

Throughout the year Lush come up with new collections to celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day. Fluffy Egg is part of their Easter collection and it smells absolutely gorgeous! If you are a fan of Snow Fairy then you will love this! 
https://www.lush.co.uk/products/bath-bombs/fluffy-egg

Called 'The Comforter' this product does exactly that! This is the second time I have bought this bubble bar and smells so sweet and fruity. The bar itself doesn't look all that appealing but the scent will have you feeling relaxed and refreshed in no time. This product is so big that you will be able to get multiple uses out of it, so definitely value for money!

https://www.lush.co.uk/products/comforter

Honey Bee is without a doubt my favourite scented bath bomb. This bath bomb doesn't really change the colour of your bath water but the ingredients of honey, aloe vera and clay made my skin feel so soft and smooth. A big thumbs up from me!
https://www.lush.co.uk/products/honey-bee

And finally we have Heart Throb. Part of the Valentines collection I purchased this one online along with unicorn horn. This bubble bar is so sweet! Again, you get two bubble bars for the price of one and it turns your bath water a lovely shade of red! Perfect for Valentines! Unfortunately again this product is no longer available to buy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and are in the process of filling up that bath of yours! All you need is a sweet scented Lush lovely! 

Enjoy!

If any of you want me to blog about anything in particular or have any suggestions, please let me know! You can contact me via my Twitter and Instagram pages!

 Have a great weekend everyone!

Freckle.

So Spring has sprung! 

Okay, so maybe it hasn't just yet, thanks to the snow rearing its ugly head a few days ago. Ironically though, little snowdrops are slowly making an appearance in my garden! Here's hoping those darling buds of spring start popping up and the sun decides to peep through those grey clouds very soon! 

So this week I have decided to write a little feature about a new independent magazine I came across, named Freckle. I first became aware of this magazine a few weeks ago via social media, and ever since my acknowledgement I have been itching to get hold of this inspiring booklet. "Freckle is an independently published magazine celebrating the people and landscapes of Northern Ireland and beyond."

On Saturday myself and my other half ventured into Belfast and made a pit-stop at Established Coffee. Knowing that this coffee shop stocked Freckle I was optimistic I would be able to buy a copy, but unfortunately they had sold out, (an indication of how popular this magazine really is). Of course we couldn't leave without having a delicious cup of coffee from this establishment, which in my opinion, provides the best coffee in Belfast, and quite possibly in Northern Ireland. Their chocolate brownies are also the yummiest I have ever tasted! So what I'm trying to say is that you should definitely visit Established Coffee at some point, which can be found on Hill Street, Belfast.

Thankfully I was able to purchase a copy of Freckle at The Black Box! 

This refreshing magazine was just what I needed to escape the humdrum of life this week. I think what attracted me to Freckle is the fact that normal people with interesting lives are featured. The stories which are told come from the need to just get up and do something with your life.  And it's also great these tales are all based in Northern Ireland! 

I also admired that this magazine practices 'slow journalism'. Too often magazines are spun out too quickly without real thought while systematically going through the same motions every week or month. 

Freckle is certainly a magazine where real thought and skill has been expressed. The book is beautifully made (printed onto recycled paper) along with stunning photography. The issue delves into the themes of ocean, soil, belonging, expressing and exploring. My favourite story would be that told by Jim Allen. His story titled 'Love of This Salted Fringe' is a poetic account of his life living by the coast. It is such a beautiful tale told by Jim and after reading his story you will be yearning to take a trip up to the North Coast this weekend. His poem at the end of the article is simply wonderful and one I will definitely be recounting to others.   

If you want to open your mind and discover the hidden gems of Northern Ireland, then you need this magazine in your life. This wee country isn't all that bad. We just need to become more tuned into the fantastic talent we are producing and the beautiful landscapes at our doorsteps.  

If you are interested in buying Freckle, a list of vendors can be found on their website. There aren't many copies left so pick one up today! Or if you already have a copy pass it onto a friend or relative to enjoy!

 >> http://www.frecklenorthernireland.org/magazine/ <<