Sparkling Pretty things!

If you are anything like me then a bit of bling in your life is essential! Whilist watching, and secretly enjoying, Celebrity Big Brother I could not help but notice the beautiful jewellery Georgia Salpa was sporting.

Now I know she got a lot of flak from housemates and the media for being 'dull' but her hair, make-up, outfits and bling was more than enough to keep me interested. After a simple google search I tracked down her jewellery and was very pleased to find the talent behind it was infact a Irish accessory boutique http://crystalsandco.com/zencart/

I was hesitant at first to order for the simple reason my average sized wrist always seems to be too big for standard sized bangles. I was assured the bangles could be returned and the lovely people at Crystals and co could order a larger size or a smaller if needed.

I decided to go for two thin bangles, my first colour choice was gold and the second was light peach. Being an Irish company the price was in euros but with the currency rate they worked out at £22 each and I am pleased to say it was money well spent!

As I mentioned, bangles usually do not fit me, I have spent a small fortune on tiny, tacky bangles over the years were after one wear the crystals are falling off. These fit me perfectly and the blig factor is definitely there...cant stop looking at these pretty bangles in the light!

Did I mention the cheeky pair of clear Austrian Crystal studs I added to order (!?!) well it had to be done and they are amazing, wore them twice and had many compliments. At £13.50 they are a substantial size too.

*Excuse the picture of me, taken after a long day! Just wanted to show size of the earring.


My order came in three days and was very nicely packaged....had planned to take a picture of this but on arrival I got too excited and ripped the tissue paper off!

Not one negative to report, have been back on the website drooling over the Kim Kardashian-esque earrings, only thing that has stopped me ordering more is the popularity of these earrings means there is a waitlist for them. The Candy nudes set will be mine too, looking forward to the Summer nights out with a bit of colour on my arms and these bangles blinding everyone with bling.

And look at the gorgeous colour selection...love them all!!

*Picture courtesy of http://crystalsandco.com/zencart/ facebook page

Salt Brushing Rocks!

My itroduction to 'Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Brushing' was courtesy of a beauty box (don't ask me which one, currently subscribed to four and not a clue who sent what!) At first sight of the two sachets I was disapointed, thinking it was another body product I would never use...or so I thought.

A 50g sachet does me once using it all over my body and it was a instant hit. I purchased the 500g tub from Debenhams for £13.40, you may be able to find it elsewhere for less but I wanted to use and earn my beauty points.

The citrus smelling salt is rubbed on to dry skin in circular motions, you can feel it working but the grains are not harsh like some previous scrubs I have used. Another big thumbs up from me is the salt does not settle at the bottom of my bath tub, have had that happen before and it is like sitting on glass shards.

Once dried your skin is like new, it really helped with a few winter bumps I get on the tops of my arms and leaves behind silky skin. I actually feel like I have moisturised it, this must be the work of the coconut oil in it, an amazing ingredient.

Spa Magik say of their brand,

"We blend mud, salt and mineral extracts from the depths of the Dead Sea to deeply hydrate, repair and soothe your body and mind. Enjoy..."

And I definitely enjoyed this scrub, they have a whole array of items icluding shower gel and body lotion. Not had a chance to try these yet, will make it my mission to do so!

Back and ready to blog!

Can hardly believe my last post was back in August 2010, so much has happened since then, not least I turned 30! You know, it wasn't so bad after all. I don't want to go into it all too much, want to keep my blog light-hearted, but medical issues blighted me in 2011 leading to me having to have a operation...well two really as  the first procedure left me with a abdominal abscess. Agony does not begin to cover the pain and the fact that it took weeks for surgeons to figure out what was up with me, lying in a hospital bed not knowing what was going on was not fun. Although the amount of dishy docs in that place was simply amazing, honestly it was like being on the set of a hospital drama. A south African Dr with gorgeous tanned skin and cute black curls was my crush, only once did he have to treat me but getting my blood taken that day was pure bliss and a memory a will never forget!

Fast forward, they found out the problem and I  had a second operation and life has been on the up ever since. This all took place in June and July so come my 30th in August I was just happy to be alive with all my friends and family around me...with make-up gifts for me of course!

So back to the light-hearted content.......

My love for make-up has not wained in my 30's, it has only got worse with the addition of  anti-ageing products to my stash. I don't care what anyone says, I can definitely see how age is catching up with my skin. I find it ridiculous that I can possibly have wrinkles (ok slight lines) and spots at the same time of life! I escaped break-outs during my teens but seem to have a permanent visitor on my forehead or/and chin. Perhaps my skin is changing and this is all par for the course...whatever it is I don't like it and will continue my search for a miracle product!

I hope someone out there is glad to have me back (!?) if not, I don't mind rambling on to myself, the need to tell someone how great a lipstick is or how bad a mascara works is just too much for me to keep to myself!

Happy 29th Birthday!!

Sunday 15th August was my 29th Birthday, I had been dreading it for months but it was actually a great day and I survived!  There is a certain sadness knowing you will never have another 20 something birthday, to me being in your 20's is still 'young' so I did dreaded this day coming around.

As a child I always thought I would get married and have children in my 20's, so to reach 29 with neither really tugged at my heart strings and left me quite tearful....then one  night on Facebook I saw lots of girls I grew up with moaning about their children/husbands, basically sounding  like 'fishwives' and I suddenly snapped out of it!

I have my 30's for babies....infact I think 45 is the cut off point so I have 16 years to meet a hot millionaire, persuade him to marry me and have children. Actually I would love to adopt but that is another story!

Decided I just wanted a quiet family day, so off we all went to my sisters house for chinese take-away, food, gifts, laughter and no fighting!  I  feel uncomfortable receiving gifts, I just hate being the centre of attention but this year it was fine...the gifts were spread out during the day which made it enjoyable.  My parents, aunts etc gave me cash gifts, I  prefer this as I can save some and also buy things I really need...make-up obviously!

Every gift I got was special but some are more relevant to this blog.

My brother and his fiancee got me a gorgeous black 'pauls Boutique' bag and purse, really fun items that I will get lots of use out of. They also had a purple shawl, lipglosses and trinkets for me, very generous of them especially as they have their own home now and a wedding to save for.

My sister got me a  gorgeous necklace and some MAC items, she asked what I wanted and I said "make-up" but she chose MAC and the items herself.  Three items were 'Gold Deposit' MSF, 'Band of Roses' blush duo and 'Dare to dare' lipglass.

I REALLY loved the look of the lipglass when it was released but knew I could not order one item from MAC so did not get it, it is a gorgeous bright pink shade with blue undertones...looks and feels nice on the lips.

Gold Deposit is not a subtle gold, definately a MSF for when I have a tan but a little bit on cheekbones looks lovely.

Band of Roses was another story, I put far too much on and looked like Aunt Sally!! (British tv character)

A little of this blush goes a long long way but once you get the amount right it looks lovely and fresh.

Had so many lovely gifts I would be here all day showing you them, appreciated them all and thank you to everyone who tweeted birthday wishes....that was a lovely touch!

So, turning 29 was not THAT bad, lets hope 30 is as easy!

In & Out July/Aug

Must admit it was much easier to find 'outs', recently not too many things have been rocking my World.
IN!

* Guru Makeup Emporium - Now selling online and offering fab products. Made an order later Saturday evening, one item was sold out but still showing online. I was contacted, offered an apology and the rest of my order was sent out and arrived first thing Tuesday morning. I was given a free sample of MUFE elixir, something I had wanted to try but was not sure I would like.  The customer service was amazing, can't speak highly enough of them...definately placing another order soon.

* Hand Cream - Not sure if it is age, probably is, but I can not put my hands anywhere near water without following it up with hand cream. I used to use hand cream as a luxury, now it is a necessity! They feel so dry and painful at times that I have to slap it on every other hour, I now have tubes of the stuff beside my bed, in my bag and beside every sink.  Have tried various brands but not found my holy grail just yet...some are too sticky others too scented. Any recs?

* MAC Face & Body - lollipop26 and Bubblegarm both mentioned this product on the same day so I thought it must be good and it is.  Gives me a gorgeous glowy coverage that does not cake and is amazing value.

*  Lola Rose summer scarfs - I managed to pick a couple of these up in the Lola Rose sale and I adore them. They give just enough warmth for a Northern Irish Summer day and manage to look cute at the same time.

* Pretty Woman - LOVE this movie, SKY showed it over and over again in the last few weeks and me like a sucker watched it . How can the story of a hooker be so good? Where is MY Edward Lewis!?!

OUT!

*  MAC eyeshadow palette - Just not feeling the love for this anymore, picked out my favs and filled the palette but hardly used it in the last 2 months. Not sure what it is, I guess as it is too big to carry around in my bag it puts me off. I am a sure it will come back into favour at some point but not sure when.

* MAC Prep & Prime SPF50 primer - I have combination skin, I need a silky primer for my nose and cheeks otherwise foundation can go on patchy and this product does not help at all.  It was £20 for a small amount and does nothing, definately does not prime my skin!

* The weather -  I admit I am more of a Autumn/Winter girl, love big wooly cardies, boots, snow etc etc but at the moment I don't know what weather I am going to wake up too. Here in Ireland, June was beautiful but July and August have been wet and humid, just uncomfortable and miserable really.  Just seems the weather has been all 4 seasons in 1!

* Talullahtu - Got some gorgeous earrings in the sale  here, think I first heard of the site from Sam (Pixiwoo) They don't have a huge range but sometimes you can pick up  great items. I had been after the large coin earrings for a few months, they were £10 but I managed to get them for £3 in both silver and gold. They have a bohemian feel and look to them and I just ordered this gorgeous nude ring . Really great service too!

* Sara Carbonero - She is my girl crush at the moment!  A Spanish Sports reporter with gorgeous hair, clothes and a hot footballer boyfriend who also knows how to work a smokey eye. Keep checking out pics to see her make-up and hair, she also has a gorgeous tan that you just don't get living in Ireland!!

Benefit dupe for Tom Ford

Last week I mentioned that I had ordered a Tom Ford lipstick, it had been on my 'want list' for a while and I was so excited to have my hands on it. The packaging did not disappoint, it was weighty and I loved the gold and white colour scheme.

Unfortunately my excitement soon faded, after a quick swatch on my hand I recognised the colour, in fact I had wore it a few days before in the form of Benefits 'Sassy-Frass'.  Tom Ford lipstick cost £35 compared to Benefits £13....£22 difference!!

To say I was annoyed is an understatement of the century, reading the online swatches and discription 'Moroccan Rouge' sounded much darker and the texture was depictated as being totally luxurious. Personally I found it a little uneven to apply, maybe a little too thick to spread.

Sassy-frass has a gloss like feel on the lips, perhaps it does have a slight sheen but it is not detectable to others. When I asked a friend if she liked my lipstick she said "that's the Benefit one". Aaaah NO! It is my new one I paid £35 for!!!! Of course I did not tell her how much it cost...felt silly enough without hearing it from anyone else.

So there you have it, if you like the look of 'Moroccan Rouge' save your pounds and go for 'Sassy Frass', better on your lips and definately better for your purse!

*Note to self - do not spend £35 on a lipstick you have not sampled!!

Oh the positive side I am still in love with my Jennifer Aniston perfume, perfect for me. Had comments that is is not distinctive enough for some, they prefer their perfume to hit people between the the nostrils....thats is exactly what I try to avoid so it gets  a 10/10 from me.

If you like Philosophy fragrances....you will LOVE Jennifer Aniston's perfume!

I was in the middle of sorting out beads when the door bell  rang, I could not believe it when the delivery man handed me a 'Harrods' box as I was not expecting it to come until the end of this week at the earliest.

Obviously I dropped everything and ripped the box open and I was not let down by Miss Aniston...her fragrance is perfect for me. I am not going to pretend I know much about perfumes, I don't! As I mentioned in a previous post a strong fragrance gives me a splitting headache so I stick to the same few brands.

In the past I have used Philosophy fragrances, I find them  easy to wear BUT the scent all-too-soon fades on me meaning I go through the bottle in a flash.

I purchased the Jennifer Aniston perfume only knowing what the press release shared, it sounded like my type of thing and it is.  I have had it on for 40 minutes now, two squirts and it is still  fresh smelling, no fade, not over-powering but it is there....I feel  when  I wear some light perfumes, after the inital application  the scent all but dies instantly.

At the moment I can't put my finger on which Philosophy scent this reminds me of, might be 'Baby Grace'? Not sure, but to be fair there is not that much difference between the Philosophy Graces. The benefit of Aniston's is it will last so much longer therefore will be more cost-effective that Philosophy ;))

Jennifer's perfume is womanly, clean and gentle, nobody will smell you before seeing you...but you will feel fresh and know you, well, smell good!!

As the great lady herself said, it evokes memories of 'pure happiness'.

Perfume (EDP 85ml £36)is exclusive to Harrods

 My sneaky purchase, Tom Ford  'Moroccan Rouge' lipstick, at £35, is it worth it?  Doubt any lipstick is worth that much but it is a little bit of luxury not to be repeated any time soon.

I went for this burgandy shade as I knew it would suit my colouring, seems to brings out the blue of my eyes. Did not want to remove the 'TF' logo just yet so did a quick swatch using the back of the lipstick....I am pleased with the shade, the packaging is as gorgeous as I have heard. Will get back to you on how it feels on the lips, the most important thing!

Have any of you went for the perfume? Would love to hear your thoughts!