#sbbc Day 5 Makeup Remover

I've had many faves and fails in almost every category of makeup that exists,probably too many to mention, so I'm going to write about the makeup remover I'm currently using.

I love this Boots cucumber cleansing lotion. I have very sensitive skin (seriously, I once used a facial wash that burnt my face and required a trip to the doctors,a steroid cream for my face and a round of steroid pills. Not fun!) and this is one of the few cleansers that doesn't irritate it. Now,to be honest,you do have to use a good amount of this to remove all your makeup, or maybe I just wear a lot of makeup! I use this my slathering it all over my face,then wiping it off using a warm washcloth. I usually have to do this twice to remove all my makeup but my face feels so soft afterwards!  I have tried removing it using cotton pads but I found I had to use far more of the cleanser and a hell of a lot of cotton pads to get all my makeup off so I now always use a washcloth to remove my makeup with this product.  It leaves my face really soft and makeup free and doesn't irritate my super sensitive skin, and, for €1.99 you can't go wrong really.

#SBBC Day 4 : Positives about blogging

What do I think are the positives about blogging? This subject got me thinking. When I started my blog I did it because I enjoyed reading other blogs, I liked getting suggestions on products, I liked seeing outfit posts,I liked reviews of products, I found reviews quite helpful, I found beauty and fashion inspiration from reading blogs. I guess all those reasons are why I started my blog. I wanted to write about products I had used,about the products I was buying,the clothes I was wearing,to get feedback and opinions on outfits I had worn.

Since I started blogging I've discovered lots of other positives, I've discovered new blogs through people following my blog and especially through Twitter. The blogger community, again especially on Twitter, has been one of the biggest positives for me. There's a whole online community there that I didn't know about. It's great to chat to new people to,to read their blogs their updates,get their opinions and advice. As I say, I didn't know this community existed but I hope to become more and more involved in it.
I have also found that the more I blog the more I think about the products I now use, I think about whether they're worth the money I spend on them, am I getting value for money? Would I buy them again? Would I recommend them to a friend? How would I describe them? I think blogging had made me more aware of what I actually buy and use.

These are just some of the positive things that I have discovered about blogging. Does anyone have any other positive aspects of blogging that they would care to share? I'd love to hear other people's experiences :-)

#SBBC Day 3: What you bring when travelling

When I travel with a suitcase that I can check in I pack more stuff that I will ever use while I'm away. However,if it's a short journey and I have to fit everything in to a carry on and can only carry liquids  that are 100 mls or less, I have to be ruthless and only pack the essentials!
Firstly I obviously pack my makeup, I never leave the house without makeup on so it's top of any packing list. When I can only carry a limited amount I make sure I have the essentials... foundation,mascara,eyeshadow, eyeliner,eyebrow pencil,blusher,bronzer,lip gloss. Once I have those I know I'll be ok. I generally just take neutral colours so that I don't have to match up any makeup look to any outfit.This is just an idea of what I took on my last trip

Along with my makeup I obviously pack toothpaste, deodorant & perfume. Generally with perfume I'll pack the smallest bottle I have or ideally I'll take any perfume samples I have. When you're packing for a trip with just a carry on ever centimetre of space matters!
If I have to pack shampoo and conditioner I pick up some travel size bottles in Penneys/Primark , they are only €1.50/2 and I find them so useful! I fill these bottles with my own shampoo and conditioner from home. I also fill one of these bottles with my makeup remover.
When I write it all down it seems like so much! Am I high maintenance?? What does everyone else take with them when they travel? What are your essentials?

#SBBC Day 2: Favourite Jewellery

Day 2 of #SBBC and, to be honest, this will probably be the easiest post for me. When I saw one of the suggested topics for day 2 was "favourite jewellery" I knew immediately what I would write about.To be honest I could have blogged about the same thing for one of tomorrow's topics "sentimental item".
When I was about 13 years old, not certain of the exact age but somewhere between 13 - 15, my Mom went on a trip to Lourdes and returned with a name necklace as a gift for me. I loved it then and I love it now! I always complained that there was never anything available with my name,jewellery, mugs,pens..nothing had the name Colette on it! So, obviously, I love, love, loved my necklace.

 I still wear it quite regularly and I often wear it with another necklace...

Obviously, my name isn't Ann, my middle name isn't even Ann, but it is my Mom's name and when she bought me my name necklace she also bought herself one. After she passed away in 2001 I took this necklace of hers and I quite like to wear it along with mine, maybe it sounds silly but I find it quite nice to wear the two together. I guess both necklaces have great sentimental value to me now and I almost feel a nice security when I wear both of them,I feel safer. That may sound silly but it's true.

So there it is, my favourite piece of jewellery. It's been my favourite piece for years and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

September Beauty Blog Challenge. #SBBC Day 1 : Introduction

When I read about the September Beauty Blogger Challenge (SBBC) on Girlfriday's blog I was immediately interested. I am not the most consistent of bloggers , (to put it kindly), even though I wish I was, so when I saw this challenge I thought "this is exactly what I need!". I also love the idea of taking part in a challenge that other people are doing. I look forward to reading other people's posts, especially if they have chosen to blog on a similar suggested subject. I really like that there are suggested subjects to write about as this will no doubt be a life saver for me, I'm not sure I could otherwise think of something to write every day for a month. Also,the choice between posting a beauty or a lifestyle post on any given day also appeals to me, I like the variety. The suggested topics to blog about are just that, suggested, not mandatory. The aim of SBBC is to blog everyday for the month of September.
I hope that this challenge will help me become a more consistent blogger, that it will make me a better blogger and that it will help me become a member of the wider blogging community. If anyone else is taking part in this challenge then let me know, I'd love to read your blog :) Or if you're interested in finding out more about the challenge then just hop over to Girlfriday's post on the #SBBC here

What I wore...

Just a quick outfit post of what I wore on one of the nights I was in Guernsey recently. The steep streets of St. Peters Port,Guernsey meant that heels were not an option during this trip *sad face* so most outfits were slightly more casual.
On this particular night I wore.....

                                                   Jacket- New Look
                                                   Shirt- Dorothy Perkins
                                                   Belt- A-Wear
                                                   Skirt & sandals- Penneys/Primark
                                                   Watch- New Look
                                                   Necklace- Dorothy Perkins

(ignore the facial expressions in the photos,I'm someone who finds it amusing to pull faces for the camera, for me, the funnier a photo is, the better it is)
And since I mentioned in previous posts that I was in Guernsey to visit my friend Sophie, here we are before we went out!

Perfume Purchases!

While on holidays in Guernsey for a few days I purchased 2 new perfumes. Since I was in Guernsey I was able to buy them tax free, yay for bargains!  I'll try my best to describe these perfumes but I must admit I find it much more difficult to describe how something smells rather than how it looks or feels but here goes!

The first perfume I bought was Escada's Cherry In The Air.

 I have always been a fan of Escada as I love light fruity perfumes. I suppose they could be thought of as summer scents but I wear them year round. Cherry In The Air is another fruity light smelling perfume and, unsurprisingly, it has a distinct cherry smell which I love. I find this perfume fruity, light and girly.The only fault I've found with this perfume is its lasting power.I've noticed during the day that after 4 hours or so it's pretty much gone. So if you were to use it as an everyday perfume it would most likely need to be reapplied during the day.
While I was at the till area purchasing my Escada perfume I noticed that they had a Britney Spears Circus Fantasy gift set on sale. I had never even smelt any of Britney's perfumes until a few days earlier when I used another one of her range, Hidden Fantasy that my friend Sophie,who I was staying with, already owned. Having liked that one I decided to give Circus Fantasy a go. 

I'm so glad I did. Again, it's a fruity, girly scent,obviously a favourite of mine. It's a slightly heavier scent than Escada's Cherry In The Air but is still overall a fruity light scent. For an impulse buy, and with it being on sale, I have to say I'm very happy with it and I would definitely look in to buying more perfumes in her range. The gift set also included a moisturiser. To be honest I never really use the  moisturisers that come in these sets but it's still a nice addition to have and it does smell fab!

Overall I'm really happy with both new purchase and like most women, I like how the bottles look on my dresser. Is anyone else reluctant to buy a perfume in an ugly bottle?

Cocoa Butter Formula

I recently visited a friend in Guernsey for a few days. Firstly I have to say that Guernsey is a beautiful island, I'd recommend anyone spend a few days there if they get the opportunity. While I was visiting my friend Sophie I borrowed pretty much everything she had since I was only able to pack a carry on bag (Thanks Soph!).
One of the items Sophie so generously let me use was her Cocoa Butter moisturiser. I've used cocoa butter in the past and, like most people, I really like it. It's a fantastic moisturiser. However, I had always used the liquid moisturiser and Sophie had what is basically a tub of the actual butter. I'd never used this before but now I'm addicted! I made sure to pop into Boots on my journey home and buy my own tub. 

It still smells like cocoa butter, which I love. It still has great moisturising power, my skin felt so soft and silky after using it. The reason I'm now addicted, however, is that I find the butter easier to apply. There's no more incidents of too much moisturiser coming out of the bottle and then having to decide whether to slather more on or decide to watch it wash away down the drain. I also find it absorbs into my skin quicker. I've never been a religious moisturiser user as I simply hate feeling like I need to dry off after applying it. 
So, if anyone else out there is like me and hasn't yet discovered this product, I highly recommended you give it a go.

Tan fan! Cocoa Brown Review.

Recently I finally decided I was sick of being pale, I wanted a tan! I decided to try using a tan I've heard people raving about... Cocoa Brown Tan. I have heard and read so many great reviews of this tan over the last few months that I felt like the last Irish woman to try it.
I rarely use fake tan, I was always fine with being ghostly white, until recently. I have, also, never been a fan of fake tan as I've seen people where it has just gone horribly wrong, people with orange limbs and white hands. However, due to the good reviews I've read of Cocoa Brown Tan I decided to give it a go and now, a week later, I understand why everyone has been raving about it. Consider me a convert!
Firstly, I really liked the actual bottle, it's pretty and pink and looks good on my dresser with all my other various beauty products. It also has a very cute "happy tanning" note.

I was also a fan of the price. I purchased my bottle of Cocoa Brown in Penneys/Primark for €6.90, which I found very reasonable!
The bottle gives little bits of advice on how to apply,what to do in the days leading up to using the product, such as exfoliating and moisturising. 

I was a tad nervous when I went to apply the tan for the first time,as I am with any tan I've ever used. I was afraid I'd apply it unevenly and up with streaky skin. However, I realised straight away  this was not going to be an issue as the mousse is brown and you can see exactly where you are applying it!
I applied the tan, waited slightly over an hour and then hopped in the shower to was it off. I should note that I wasn't desperately waiting for the hour to pass to wash it off as I have been in the past with other fake tans as this one actually smelled quite pleasant. Hurrah! No fake tan stench.
After showering and washing off the mousse I had applied earlier I was quite happy with the initial results, I had a nice healthy glow. The bottle did say the tan would keep developing so I waited until the next morning to see the final results. The next morning I woke to see that the tan had developed more, it was still a lovely natural glow but was darker than the previous night. 

Pre tan...

Just after showering..Mid tan..

Final result...

I feel like photos don't do this tan justice.It is so natural and doesn't even look like a fake tan when it's applied.Several days after using this tan I still had a lovely glow,it is certainly durable. After a day at an outdoor concert where I initially got caught in a downpour that soaked me to the bone, then going on holidays for a few days where I was sweating in the sunshine and paddling in the sea water, the tan still held on and my lovely glow survived!
Overall I have to say, I love this product! In fact I puffy heart it! I would recommend it to anyone. It's simple to apply, gives great results, and is very affordable. You simply can't go wrong !

As long as he's got his suit and tie...

If you follow me on Twitter you'll have seen that I attended last night's (July 10th) Justin Timberlake concert in Phoenix Park. I, of course, loved the gig! That man certainly knows how to put on a show.
While Mr. Timberlake was on stage I couldn't help but admire how he was dressed, the suit pants looked well on him...very well

Now, we all know that Justin has been dressing well in recent years, I mean, the man released a single called Suit and Tie. It got me thinking though about how women, me anyway, like a man in a suit. I have always been a fan of a man in a well fitting suit or a crisp white shirt. It reminded me of this....

I find this to be so very true, a well tailored suit on a man is simply gorgeous. Does anyone else agree with me on this??
To help you decide how you feel, here's some pictures of the man of the hour for you to enjoy ;-)

Colette xx

What I wore...Yellow fever.

A few weeks back, while on holidays, I spent a few days in Miami (lucky me!). While there, I visited the Bayside Marketplace for the first time and loved it! If you get a chance to visit this place then I suggest take it! It has so many great bars,restaurants and shops. Also, there seemed to be  different events happening on different days, on one particular day you could get your picture taken with Woody from Toy Story!

One of the shops I visited was Wet Seal, I had never heard of this store before but I found some really cute dresses in there. I've always been a fan of  dipped hem , high/low, mullet ..whatever you want to call them... style dresses. Naturally this bright yellow one was something I felt I just had to own. I've never really worn yellow but this dress just felt so summery and appropriate for the hot Miami weather. I wore it with some sandals from Primark and a cream and gold belt from A-Wear.

It also has a cute bow open back detail

Colette xx

Victoria's Secret Duo Eyeshadow Review

While I was on holidays (more about that trip another time) I picked up this Victoria's Secret duo eyeshadow in the shade Undiscover. It was a bit of a last minute purchase,I've been looking for a nice gold eyeshadow for a while and when I saw this I just thought "close enough!"

I'd heard good reviews of Victoria's Secret make up before and for only $15 I was happy to give it a go. Having used it for a few months now I'm quite happy I bought it. I've been struggling to find a gold eyeshadow I like,this does have a slightly yellowy tint to it but it blends nicely with the rust/coppery colour. I used the lighter yellowy/gold shade across my entire lid,then used the coppery colour in the socket.

I also recently wore it on a trip out to the pub and this is how it photographed on a night out.

Like I do with most duo eyeshadows, I've worked my way through one colour much much quicker than the other, so pretty soon my duo gold and copper eyeshadow will be a solo copper eyeshadow.While I do like this eyeshadow a lot and I would purchase it again if I were near a Victoria's Secret store, I do have one complaint, while applying this eyeshadow the amount of fall out on to the rest of my face is ridiculous.It really is an "eye makeup first" type of product , you will have to clean up your face after you've got it on.

Overall though, I like it and I would try more of their products,I just need to get back to the US...I'd best go play the lotto!


Colette xx

A little update..

Clearly,  as is obvious by the severe lack of posts over the past few months, I have been the worst blogger ever. However, I hope to change that and to get back to posting regularly. So what have I been up to while I've not been blogging? Um..well I've been on holiday, fun times! Just last week I joined the gym (God loves a trier) , and this week I am thrown in bed with an extremely sore throat and am currently coughing up a lung. I'm trying not to take this as a sign that my body doesn't want to exercise.

Anyway, going forward I have a few goals:

1. Blog more.
2.Get over this sickness.
3.Go to the gym regularly.
4. Eat healthily.
5.Get an immune system.

I'm thinking goals no#3 & no#4 could lead to goal no#5

That's all for now,but hopefully you will all see another blog from me very soon! 

 Colette xx

Outift Post 20/3/13....Tuesdays with Morrie on Wednesday night

During the week I went to see the play, Tuesdays with Morrie, with a friend. Just a casual outing so nothing too fancy was worn. I highly recommend you go see the play if you get a chance, it was great!

I wore with deep green jeans that I bought during the Christmas sales at DV8,love these jeans , they are so soft and comfy! I chose a cream jumper and patterned red scarf from Dorothy Perkins that I wore many moons ago.My jacket is from New Look,I've gotten so much use out of this jacket lately, it's comfy and surprisingly warm and I got it on sale too...win!

 I decided to wear boots I bought well over a year ago in Penneys,not only do they have a heel so they give a bit of height, but they are also really warm...very much needed these days!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Colette
xx

Lil Red Riding Hood

A little while ago I posted here about the day I dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood to help a friend with a project for college.  My ever so talented friend Jen has blogged about her project here , she's far more creative than I'll ever be!   The project is now done and here it is....

Filming this was so fun, I really did love that cape!

Colette
xx

90's rerun

As we all probably know by now 90's fashion is making a comeback.  It's difficult to go into a shop lately without seeing a crop top of some variety. The ones I'm seeing most frequently are ones like this, the high neck stomach baring crop top.

Even the jumpers in this trend are belly baring, like this one for example

This is a style of top and jumper that I will not be wearing because ,quite simply, I don't have the body to wear it.

Another reason I don't think I'll be embracing this 90's trend is the fact that my 29 year old self remembers the 90's quite clearly....I think I'm just too old for this trend.

Maybe this trend brings back bad memories for me of fashion faux pas of the past, since back in the 90's I was more preoccupied these guys than with fashion

I'd like to know how other people feel though. Is this trend simply for the young and the slim? Do you think there are ways to make it work when you're slightly older?

Outfit Post 13/3/13

So today was my niece's confirmation today,which of course meant I had to wear something nice. Couldn't stroll up to the church in my pj's after all. So I decided to wear this.... apologies for the dodgy "selfie" pictures but I simply don't have a blog photographer so I think I'm going to have to learn to master the "selfie". I like to think of it as the inception of photography..a picture within a picture.

I decided to wear a wine coloured pencil skirt form Dorothy Perkins with a cream top that I bought in Penneys during the January sales for €5, bargain! It's really a casual tshirt type top but I'm a firm believer that any item of clothing can be dressed up or down depending on what you wear it with. Due to the fact that it was fa-ree-zing I had to wear black tights,I simply had to. I also had to go with closed toe shoes so I wore my black shoe boots from Dorothy Perkins that I also wore in this post. My bag is also from Penney's,again bought in the January sales for a whopping €3.
I wore a ring from New Look and a mixture of some bangles from Dorothy Perkins and Penneys.

 Because it was so cold (did I mention it was fa-reee-zing?) I,of course,wore a coat. I've had this coat for years,I bought it in Dunnes and it has been such a good investment,I've gotten so much wear out of it.

I decided to go for a pretty natural makeup look,nothing too exciting and recently I've been thinking about getting a new hairstyle so I'm trying to grow my side fringe out(nightmare). Today I parted it down the middle and put some waves in. Is the middle parting a style I should consider? I think I'm kind of liking it. All opinions welcome!

Hope everyone's well

Colette
xx

5 quick facts about me.

I love reading blogs where people list little facts about themselves so I decided to do a quick "5 facts" post about me. I'm sure I'll do more posts with more facts again soon.

1. I love shoes,it's an addiction I'm working on keeping under control, but I can't wear a plain and simple court shoe. I seem to have a really narrow foot and shoes won't stay on without some sort of a strap. My feet even fly out of my flat pumps but I still insist on wearing them.

2. I'm a big,ok very big, fan of New Kids on the Block, 80/90''s boyband extraordinaire. I've even been on 3,yes 3, NKOTB cruises and I'd quite like to go on a 4th.

3. I used to weigh quite a lot more than I do now. I'm sure my weight will be something I'll battle with forever. Even though I've lost the bulk of the weight when I'm on a night out or at any social event really, I still feel like the biggest person in the room and wish I were thinner,fitter,healthier etc. I'm not sure that feeling will ever go away.

4. I love penguins, they're one of my favourite things in the world.

5. I have a weird crush on Stephen Merchant. He's funny, gangly and awkward  and I appear to find this combination attractive.

Once Upon A Time

I love a theme,plain and simple, so imagine my joy when my friend Jen (her blog can be found here ) asked me to be part of her college project where I got to be Little Red Riding Hood ! Jen was filming a 1 minute clip of Little Red Riding Hood walking through the woods. The fabulous cape I got to wear was made by Jen herself (she's ever so creative) and she put together my little picnic basket too. All I had to do was add few waves through my hair,put some red lippy on my face ,throw on a black dress and I was good to go. Unfortunately I had to wear my black ballet pumps as my red ones were no where to be found *sad face*  It was a fun day and thankfully the weather was in our favour,even if it was a little cold.Hopefully soon I'll have the finished clip to share.

My dress is from Dorothy Perkins,bought a few years ago. My pumps,tights and the long sleeve top I wore underneath the dress are all from Penneys (last of the big spenders!) and my lipstick (the red lip seems to be the only time I wear lipstick) is no# 01 in the Kate Moss for Rimmel range.

Hope everyone has a good day,

Colette xx


P.s. If you ever get the chance to go into the woods in the middle of the afternoon dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and carrying a picnic basket...take it ! It's worth it just to see peoples reactions when they turn the corner and see you.