A Little Taste of Summer

Summer is probably our favourite time of year! We always get so excited, having very high expectations every year that the weather is going to be unbelievable and often get let down a bagful. It is typical Irish weather for this to happen so I think we really only have ourselves to blame, if come the end of summer we are disappointed with our time off! 

This year, we had planned to go on a holiday, a girls holiday, for a week or two, which turned into us attempting to plan a summer abroad on a working holiday. However, it pretty much completely fell through. I think now, it is only really hitting us how much we would love to be jetting off especially seeing so many people leaving for America, etc.

Seeing as we are not doing any of those things we had hoped, we really just have to make the most of the summer from home! We have talked about weekends away to moving out of home and living together in our own house. We are working off a pretty tight budget so not everything we have talked about will be happening but we think it is definitely good to plan. We are hoping to get jobs for the summer, just part time, so we have money to fulfill some of these plans. I (Lauren) am hoping to get back to college in September which is going to cost quite a bit but I don't want this to hold me back from doing really anything this summer. 

We live in a really small, rural area and complain that we never have anything to do, as I am sure most people do if they live in any kind of similar area. Only recently, when we went on our little 'castle hunting' adventure (which we blogged about on here) did we realise that there is probably a lot more to do than we think. So many people come from all over Ireland to visit Donegal and the majority of these touristy places, we probably have never actually been to. This summer is pretty much the perfect opportunity for us explore a little more of our area.

Saying that, we aren't just planning to say within 'the hills of donegal' (little taste of lifestyle around here) the whole summer. We do hope to go a bit further than that! We actually recently discovered the Harry Potter Studios in London and have made it our mission to go to it! Literally never heard of this place until recently, a lot of the youtubers we watch visited it. We both absolutely love Harry Potter as do our friends so we think it would be a really exciting experience to travel to London for a few days and even explore a bit of London as well. Anna has been to London before and loved it so I'm pretty sure we all would! 

As I said, we realize we won't get to do everything we have talked about but even if we do a few of those things we will be happy! Other summers, we did simple things like going to the beach or even local gigs and those days are really enjoyable! You don't have to be travelling the world to enjoy the summer. Obviously, we would love to, but we still have plenty of time for that so we won't get too upset that now, at this very minute, isn't our chance. As my granny likes to say 'Whatevers meant for ye won't pass ye' haha

We will be spending a lot of time together this summer and have already planned a few exciting blog posts, so even those little things are something to look forward to!

Make the most of the summer ♥ 

L&A

  

Nails of the Day (NOTD)

It has been quite awhile since we have actually posted on here so just back with a little nails of the day. Absolutely love this colour. I picked this up a while back in a local supermarket. It's an own brand product in the colour 'Sherbet Fizz'. Loved this when I bought it, but sort of forgot about it until recently.

This nail polish only cost a couple of euros but the downside is that it chips quite easily. Saying that, I am not too disappointed seeing as I didn't necessarily splash out on it! I always finish with a top coat anyways so it does make a difference to this nail polish. And I do love the colour so I definitely will make do!

It is a really similar colour to Essies Van D'Go, a really vibrant baby pink with a peachy tinge.  Love wearing pastel colours on my nails at the minute and really want to try more of the Fruit Pastel range from Models Own. So far I have tried the yellow shade 'Banana Split' and loved it, so I really wanna try some of the other ones especially 'Blueberry Muffin' 

The fact that they smell unreal too is a bonus!

L&A

Skincare Review | No7 Beautiful Skin

I am never very experimental when it comes to skin care. It is definitely a case of sticking to what I know. I really like the Simple products, as there as cheap and cheerful and I like the idea of not having any fragrances or colourings added. It is pretty much the case that I started out using these products, so it has become a habit to pick it up whenever I go into Boots, Superdrug, etc. I love to experiment when it comes to face masks, and I have tried a lot of different ones. When it comes to face wash I have only used a couple. I recently seen this product in Boots and decided to give it a try.

No7 is never one of those brands that I look at straight away (even though everytime I buy anything I seem to receive a voucher for it) My mum has quite a few of their different skincare products and any I have used, when I run out of my own, I have really liked. 

I would have pretty normal skin, only slightly dry around my nose and chin. When I seen this was a gel based product I was really keen to try.

I really love the consistency of this product. It has quite an oily feel when first applied, which I find can be very refreshing on skin giving your skin a more silky feel. It wouldn't be very well suit for anyone with oily skin. You feel this working into your skin as you use it and it takes on a more milky texture, when mixed with water. I love this about it because, it doesn't leave the feeling of having a lot of product on your skin after you rinse it off. It gives quite a healthy glow to and also a super smooth feel! 

There is also some rosehip oil added giving a really fresh fragrance. 

I prefer to use this before I go to bed, because I feel it really works on my skin and in the morning, I still feel refreshed. Using it in the morning, I wouldn't apply just before putting on makeup. 

Although it doesn't feel like there is a product build up, I always prefer with most products I use to let them develop into my skin before applying makeup. 

It is so reasonably priced at only £9.00 a pop which isn't too much of a shock to the system, especially when I am used to buying Simple products! 

I really want to try a few different products now I have finally branched out slightly but this is definitely going to be part of my night time routine for awhile anyways ♥

L&A

  

Would You Rather - Beauty Edition

Image from weheartit.com and edited my me

Would you rather loose all your mascaras, eye liners, lipsticks and lipglosses or all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

I think I rather keep my mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks and lipglosses. Out of all my makeup, eyeshadow is probably one of the things I could most easily live without. I like to add definition to my eyes but that can be accomplished even just with eyeliner and mascara. Plus I love wearing lipstick at the minute and I wouldn't like that to be removed from my makeup bag.

Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

Well, it has been a ridiculously long time since I last got a haircut but never cutting it again would be pretty horrible! I suppose if I did cut it all off it would eventually grow back haha, ok I will go with that!

Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

I think coral. I never really wear pink on my cheeks,I prefer to wear a more subtle blush and find pink only suits certain complexions. I also prefer the more warm tone of coral as I like to have a more bronzed finish and that looks better with warmer toned blush.

If you had £1000 to spend would you rather buy clothes or make up?

Realistically, I would probably spend it on both but that doesn't answer the question haha! I think, as much as I love makeup I would probably spend it on clothes. It seems everyone never really has enough clothes! 

If someone gave me that money right now I would love to spend that on a holiday!

Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

I first read this I thought I couldn't pull off black lips haha but I would definitely go with eyeliner as lipstick. You could use any colour and it would just be like wearing lip liner or even a lip crayon. Plus lipstick as eyeliner sounds pretty messy!

Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

This one is pretty easy for me, I have never actually shopped at Sephora so it is pretty much  ruled out straight away. I do like a lot of MACs products so it wouldn't be the worst brand to have to stick with forever! 

Would you rather only use one eye shadow or one lip colour for the rest of your life?

I would choose one eye shadow to wear. I mostly stick with quite neutral shadows on my eyes, golds and browns so it would definitely be a lot easier to stick with only one colour! I love wearing a bold lip, and also love wearing different tones at different times of the year.

Would you rather wear Winter clothes in the Summer, or Summer clothes in the Winter?

Well, going by summers here, it doesn't differ too much from Winter, same amount of wind, etc and maybe a little less rain (debateable), so I would choose to wear Winter clothes in the Summer. Also, wearing shorts and sandals, etc. in the snow wouldn't be the most pleasant thing!

Would you rather wear dark nails or bright nails all year around?

Ooh, this is a hard one. I love wearing nail polish, never really go without having my nails painted. If I had to choose, I think I would choose bright nails. There would be more of a choice with colours and I could wear bright reds, etc. still in Winter and be suited to the season!

Would you rather give up your favourite lip product or favourite eye product?

I probably wouldn't be fussed either way. With makeup, there is so many different variations of similar colours that if I gave up one I could probably easily find a replacement. Having to pick one, I would say I would give up my favourite eye product (which would mean giving up my Naked 2 palette, agh!)

Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

Definitely wear a messy bun! They are so quick and easy to do, plus I have a natural kink in my hair so to put it into a bun is a lot easier than in a ponytail.

Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

When it comes to lip products, I only really use lipsticks. If I want to add more of a shine to my lips I apply some Vaseline on top or as a base to my lipstick. So I think I would rather do without lipgloss. I really hate not having my nails painted!

Would you rather shave your eyebrows off and have none at all? Or sharpie them in everyday?

Both of these sound pretty awful! I have seen that celebrities without eyebrows twitter page and it is safe to say, not too many are looking too great without brows! Also I remember my early makeup days, before I discovered eyebrow pencil and thought it was attractive to get the majority of my brows waxed/tweezed off when it really,really wasn't! So I would have to choose using a sharpie to fill them in! Could possibly be a look I would grow to love haha.

Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

As much as I have said I hate not wearing nail polish, I would definitely rather not wear it than not have any makeup! I wear makeup any day I am actually going somewhere so I think it would be really difficult to go without. Maybe if I never actually started using makeup it would be a different story.

Thanks for reading ♥

L&A 

My Everyday Makeup

 Products

Mac Prep and Prime - Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Powder - Gosh Bronzing Powder - Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner - Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil - Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara - Topshop Lipstick

I start off by using Mac Prep and Prime. I only started to use primers at the start of last year. I never really thought they would make much of a difference to my makeup. I used Gosh Velvet Touch Primer first off and really liked it. It made my skin have a more silky feel giving a smoother surface to apply my foundation. However, it didn't really help with making my foundation last any longer so I wasn't completely happy with it. One day I was in the Mac store I decided to try this and I really like it! I find it gives my foundation a more even and flawless finish and I also find it helps my foundation last longer throughout the day.

Wake Me Up Foundation in 'True Ivory'

Wake Me Up Concealer in 'Ivory'

I seen this foundation talked about a lot when it came out so I kinda had to try it! I really liked the natural glow it gives my skin and it has just the right amount of coverage for daytime. I never really like to wear heavy foundation during the day so this was perfect. I decided to try the concealer a few months ago and I also was really happy with it. I only really use a small bit of this for around my eyes but I think it really brightens my eyes and gives that little bit more coverage wherever/whenever needed. 

Powder in 'Medium'

I first started using this powder a couple of years back. I don't have a Mac Store nearby so it is never really easy to get my hands on the products! I have used a few different powders in between this but I always seem to come back to this one. I am quite picky with powders as I find some of them give too much of a 'powdery finish and can make your foundation look kinda dry. This, as it says in the name of it, gives a natural finish and when used with the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation looks really well. My makeup usually has quite a dewy finish using these two products which I really like!

Naked 2 is definitely one of my favourite palettes. It has such nice colours for either day or night. I love using golds and browns on my eyes so it's really perfect for me! When the first Naked Palette came out I never actually got around to buying it. It was talked about so much and loved by a lot of bloggers so I wasn't really hesitant to try Naked 2! I love that there is a good mixture of shimmer and matte shadows in this palette! During the day I usually apply 'half baked' across my lid and a small bit of 'tease' through my crease. I use 'bootycall' as a highlight in my inner corner but I also love this as a highlight on my brow bone or even as a cheek highlight!

Eyeliner in '100% Black'

This is definitely my favorite liquid eyeliner! I usually like to keep my eyes quite bright for during the day not using eyeliner in my waterline. So to give a bit of definition I apply a thin line of liquid eyeliner above my lash-line. This eyeliner has more of a solid brush making it so easy to apply. A lot of other eyeliners, I find have too much of a 'floppy' end and can turn out quite messy when applying above your lash-line. I have also used this in the brown colour when I want a more natural look.

I did not actually intentionally buy this mascara. I got it free in a Soap and Glory gift set for Christmas. I have only recently started to use it (ran out of my other mascara) and I really like this product. I don't have a mascara I buy on a regular basis, I jump around trying a lot of different ones. I love the thicker brush on this, at first, I thought it would of been quite clumpy but I think it adds a thick layer of mascara to your lashes giving them a lot of definition. My eyelashes are naturally quite non-existence so I need a mascara like this even during the day.

Lipstick in 'Ohh La La'

I love to wear lipstick during the day and at the minute, I am loving orange! I found this in Topshop after I seen a friend of mine, Donna, using a similar shade. I have only recently started to use their make up products and I really enjoy their line of lip colours! This colour is very pigmented however not too in your face if you prefer a more subtle lip. It lasts quite well, only fading lightly as the day goes on. They seem quite moisturizing on your lips, not leaving them dry at all which is usually a big downside to a lot of lipsticks. 

To finish off my make up I use Gosh Powder to contour my cheek bones. I use this is in the colour 'Natural Glow' I don't often wear blusher during the day, when I do I usually use my Benefit Sugar Bomb blush. I didn't photograph these two items as they have both been dropped and broken and I have already cleaned those messes up once! 

L&A

Jewellery Cake Stand

I came across this pretty little cake stand in TKmax and spontaneously bought it. Just totally had to it was really pretty. I had it in the kitchen for a day and just hadn't the place for it ! Lucky my lovely Lauren had the perfect idea, throw my jewellery on it ? I think she saw this idea on Pintrest before but I thought it was a creative way of displaying the pretty plates and also having a place for your bits of jewellery. 

€9.99 in TKmaxx

 

I have chunky jewellery on bottom half and the smaller ear cuffs, rings and such on the top. I think the cake stand works really well before I just had these things in various boxes or even just on top of things ? Its a tidy way of storing things even if its just throwing them on a plate.

I love the little detailed patterns. They are bright and colourful yet quite soft and pretty.

                                                  L&A

Mix and Match

I recently bought this off the shoulder crop top online from Boohoo I often wear shirts, or tops that are quite high in the neck so I really wanted to try this as it would be quite a new look for me. I think it makes the black crop top look a lot more feminine without being too exposed! I am seeing this style more often in dress,etc. and I really like it. The top only cost around 9euro (perks of being a student) and the shipping was free! It fits perfectly and sits really comfortably off the shoulder. 

When I purchased, I also bought a sort of tie dye print midi skirt from Missguided I loved the skirt when I seen it online and loved the sort of grunge look. Online, the skirt has more of a warmer tone, like a deepish grey mixed with black however, in real life, it is a lot more white than grey. I do still love the skirt, and plan on keeping it, I was just slightly disappointed.

Anyways I bought this top with the intention of just wearing it with this skirt. Turned out, I had a lot more in my wardrobe already to wear it with. I love when this happens! I had recently bought a bright cobalt blue skirt from Topshop. The two blocks of colour looks really well with some gold jewellery to finish it off! The skirt is very vibrant so it really stands out next to the black top. This shade of blue is my favourite colour to wear at the minute so I am looking forward to wearing this statement skirt quite often through summer.

I also had a another skirt, a deep green pleated skater skirt which was also from Missguided I was planning to wear this skirt with a plain, little white shirt for a simple, daytime look. When I tried it with the top I loved it! I imagine it with a lot of statement gold jewellery and bright lip for a sort of festival look!

The last item, I have decided to match my top with is a white and black polka dot skirt from River Island. I bought this skirt last year and wore it with a cropped denim shirt. I loved it when I got it, but I haven't really got much wear out of it since so I am really happy that I will now get the chance to wear it! It's quite a statement skirt so I found it best to keep the top quite simple. The material of this skirt allows it to sit so well, it sort of flows out so next to the tight top it looks great. I plan to wear this with a brightly coloured lip, possibly a fuchsia or even a bright red, to add a bit of colour coming into the summertime!

L&A

LOTD - Mini In The Box

Just another little love of the day. 

Been looking for a new phone cover for awhile now, seemed everywhere I looked they were really expensive or the shipping was really expensive! A friend (fellow blogger -http://www.missladysee.blogspot.ie/) brought me onto this site that she had recently ordered from called Mini in the Box There was so many nice covers, all really reasonably priced, and the shipping was free! The only downside, is the usual wait for delivery which is around 10-20 days. It is quite a wait but I wasn't in any real hurry for them and they were being shipped the whole way from Hong Kong so I didn't really mind! They just came today (7 days later) and I really love them! Such pretty patterns, the owl printed one cost 2.93euro and the striped one cost 3.39euro. So altogether only spending 6.33 on two phone covers, a week doesn't seem like too much of a wait!

♥

L&A

Met Ball 2013

I love these celebrity events, looking at who wore what. I'm sure we all do it, and not just to admire either, probably more so to criticize than anything else. The red carpet fashion seems to have some of the best/worst dresses seen! This year, at the Met Gala I genuinely loved some of the dresses worn! It seemed to be monochrome colours that came out on top, in my eyes anyways, with a lot of celebrities opting for blacks and whites. 

Topshops own custom made dresses featured quite heavily at this years event. I love how a high street fashion is finally being brought onto the red carpet! I am sure, they will be pretty pricey once they hit the high-street however it is still a step in the right direction! 

Jourdan Dunn, Ashley Madekwe, Nicole Richie and Chloe
Green all wearing Topshop.

Nicole Richies custom made Topshop dress was definitely one of my favorites from the whole event! The dress itself is very feminine with the floral design throughout, not an obvious choice for the 'Punk: Chaos to Couture' theme however her hair and makeup completed that look! I'll admit, I didn't really love her hair at first but I think, in keeping with the whole idea of the night it suited really well and I loved the dark lip matched with the subtle toned dress.

Nicole Richie's take on
'Chaos to Couture' theme

Cara Delevingne, Emma Watson and Miranda Kerr were another three of my favorite dresses from the Gala. Cara's Burberry dress suited the whole event perfectly. The super-plunge front and the tiny gold spikes  completed the punk look to a tee! The theme itself, it would of been difficult for Cara to actually get it wrong, her usual style with dark eyebrows and heavy eye makeup was appropriate! 

Cut-Out was another favorite amongst the celebs this year. Emma Watsons Prabal Gurung gown suited her petite frame flawlessly! The strappy detail at the top, showing her stomach was evened out appropriately with the long train flowing behind. Mullet dresses and skirts were very popular in Summer 2012 so they could possibly be making a comeback for this year!

Miranda Kerr, I believe, would look amazing in a bin bag! Her super toned slender figure was shown off amazingly in this Michael Kors gown! It is quite a revealing dress but suited her toned mid riff perfectly! The deep red lip also set off the black floor length dress.

Cara Delevingne

Emma Watson

Miranda Kerr

There was so many admirable dresses at this years Met Ball. I also loved Blake Livelys Gucci dress and Carey Mulligans simple Lavin black cut-out dress but my personal favorite was definitely Rooney Maras Givenchy dress! I think both her and Nicole Richie took quite a similar approach to Punk with a more glamorous side adding, small more subtle hints to the theme. Rooney Mara also wore a dark lip. The plunging front and zip detail added that edge to the lace gown. I absolutely loved the style of this dress, with so much detail in the shoulders and the perfectly flowing mullet design. 

Rooney Mara

So that's just a few of the dresses I loved. Of course like any of these red carpet events, not everyone seems to get it right ha

Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian

L&A

Love Of The Day

Quick love of the day for you guys! Recently bought this little candle holder in a local department store. Absolutely love the little doily/lace pattern. It only cost around 10euros and I currently have 4 little raspberry and papaya scented candles in it that Anna bought me as a little gift. These are sold in Primark for around 2euro and the smell is beautiful! Loving it! 

L&A

Review - Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

So I have seen this brush being used by a lot of bloggers (such as http://www.missladysee.blogspot.ie/, http://www.zoella.co.uk/, http://www.tanyaburr.co.uk/) and I really wanted to try it!

 I have never really used this type of brush before, I usually stick to the typical makeup brushes. I have wanted to try a stippling brush, but when I seen this being mentioned quite often I was curious to try. 

I have only used this a few times but I, so far, am really happy with it! It buffs the foundation into my skin giving me a more flawless finish. It is so easy to blend liquid foundation with this brush! I find with regular brushes, it takes a lot more building up to create that flawless look. It is very reasonably priced at £9.99. I have only tried this with my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation so far (this is my usual everyday makeup as I love the lightweight feel for daytime) I am interested to try this with some other foundations I have to see the result (such as MAC studio fix and Esteé Lauder Double Wear) 

So I will keep you updated ♥

L&A

Summer Shades - Nails

Summer is the main time for bright colours. There is so much more variety of colour at this time of year and one thing we love is bright nail polishes! There is such selection which fluorescent shades, pastel, etc. Here is just a few of the colours we are loving at the minute ♥

Gosh 'Lavender Love'

Rimmel 'Tangy Tangerine'

Models Own 'Banana Split'

Gosh 'Miss Minty'

Gosh 'Wild Lilac'

Kelly Brook collection at New Look (seem to have misplaced
the sticker with colour name, oops...)

Essie 'Butler Please'

That is just a few of the shades we have been loving. We will hopefully be adding to these as the summer goes on.

We are planning on doing a similar post to show our favourite summer shades in lipsticks so look out for that over the next few days!

L&A

x

London Street Gallery - Opening Night

Recently we attended an opening of a new gallery in Derry. The gallery, for the first couple of months was exhibiting pieces which were entered into the Off the Cuff fashion show which also took place in Derry. Anna had entered her own jumpsuit in this fashion show so it was interesting to see it exhibited in a gallery. 

You can read more about how Anna made her jumpsuit on her other blog where she features a lot of her college work (http://annaduffydesigns.wordpress.com/)

It was great to see also some of the other pieces that were entered into the Off the Cuff fashion show. Everyones work was unique and they took a different approach to the given project. 

This was made from broken bits of glass

This was made completely from paper!

This won 'Best Accessory' at the show

This piece won 'Best in Show'

Also at the gallery where different pieces from professional artists. The work was so creative and out of the ordinary. A particular one that stood out was an artist, Bernie Murphy, who made collars completely from zips. We thought this was so unique and the finished product looked so well!

There was also collars made by artist Anne Patterson who created individual collars, which a lot were very wearable and detailed. Her attention to detail is what made her work so eyecatching.

 Just a little bit on what we wore to the exhibition.

Anna (left)

White Shirt - Topshop

Blue Trousers - Primark

Black Wedges - New Look

Lauren (Right)

Polka Dot Shirt - Topshop

Red Skirt - Boohoo.com

Black Booties - New Look

L&A