Beauty stuff I got for Christmas

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a nice Christmas! I certainly did. It is so good being off work for a while. I have been enjoying just being at home, watching movies, eating chocolates and just generally chilling out! It's going to be so difficult getting back into a routine in the new year. But I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

So on Christmas Day, it was so much fun being at my sisters house. We played games, ate great food and just had a really nice day. Christmas is so not about presents for me, although I did get some lovely things. I just enjoy having fun. But, I will now show you what beauty stuff I got for Christmas. Admittedly, I did buy a lot of this myself with money I got. (Thanks dad!)

Clarins Eye Contour Balm - I chose this as I really need to start using an eye cream again. I have read good reviews about this one and the texture is so nice. I don't see any results just yet but I swear I will apply this religiously every night!

Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick - I adore the cute packaging of this lipstick! The shade is "Midnight Rose" which is a gorgeous deep, raspberry pink. Unfortunately I have been unable to wear it yet due to a horrible outbreak of coldsores :( but this shade is so beautiful. I cannot wait to wear it.

Clinique Party Tips Nail Polish Trio - I love these gorgeous nail polishes, and is it just me or are they the most perfect shades for New Years Eve? I am kind of excited to try out Clinique polishes for the first time. They come in such a cute bag too.

YSL Touche Eclat - Oh my God, where has this been all my life? You know how I always complain about my undereye area looking less than impressive, and no concealer helps? Well this is so light and brightening, it is exactly what I needed! I got shade 2. I swear this is the best thing I have ever tried, and the only concealer that has ever made any kind of difference.

Sampar Sea Scrub - I have been lusting after this for some time. The scent of this product is to die for, it just smells like a luxurious spa. I actually thought this product was for your face, but it is a body exfoliator. I have used a small amount on my face though. It is the most expensive product I have ever used! (it was around £50.00). It is so nice and so effective.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara - After buying a Hypnose Star mascara earlier in the year, I have decided that I think Lancome do the best mascaras. I had a tiny sample of the original Hypnose which I loved, so I decided to buy the full sized version. The wand is just perfect and the bristles are so soft. It makes my eyelashes super long and full. I love it!

Nuxe Creme Fraiche de Beaute moisturiser - In desperate need of a new skincare routine, I chose this moisturiser. It is so thick and creamy, and I think it is designed for dry skin. It feels so nourishing and has a beautiful scent. It is such a luxurious product and my skin feels so soft and plump even after just a week of using it!

I also got a ton of Lancome and Clarins samples when I bought my products, so I am really excited to try these out too!


I hope Santa was good to everyone!

Checking in....and Checking Out for Christmas!

Hi everyone, sorry my posts have been few and far between lately. The truth is, now we are in Winter it is exceptionally hard for me to take decent photographs, and at weekends when I do have a chance to blog I always seem to just lose track of time. Plus, Christmas is just around the corner and as such, money is tight and I honestly have very little to blog about.

I am well and truly excited for Christmas, and I am going to be taking a long break from blogging, to rejuvenate myself and to come back inspired with plenty of post ideas!

All my Christmas presents are bought, I am so organised so I really just can't wait to take some time off work and totally relax. Hopefully Santa will bring me some new beauty products to play with!

I won't really be doing anything special over Christmas, but I will make sure that I get watching some of my favourite films....

"It's a Wonderful Life" honestly completes Christmas for me. I will never get tired of it, and I always shed a tear at the end! It is the most beautiful film, with the most beautiful message. Of course, "The Wizard of Oz" is there too, the film that started my love for the classics. Even though I know every single word of the script and every single detail, I still watch this and it feels like the first time seeing it. And it always reminds me of Christmas.

Another of my favourites is of course "Little Women" - the 1949 version with Elizabeth Taylor. I just think this is the ultimate version... June Allyson was born to play Jo! And Elizabeth is just so funny...and so beautiful too.

So, I want to wish all of my lovely followers and fellow bloggers a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for new year. I hope it is full of love, laughter and good health. Thanks everyone for reading my little ramblings here, and to all the lovely bloggers I have met this year for inspiring me to continue writing here. I will leave you with some pictures of my cat playing with the Christmas tree...

a very WICKED day!

So after months and months of waiting, today was finally the day that I got to see Wicked for the very first time. I am very much acquainted with the soundtrack though, and watched many sneaky Youtube vids, but nothing is quite like seeing it in person and sitting with an audience who is laughing, cheering, applauding, crying.....or maybe that was just me!

For those who do not know, Wicked began its 9 week run at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this week. The BGE Theatre is an amazing theatre and the perfect venue for the likes of this show. I have been here several times for different show but I have never been as blown away as I was today seeing Wicked.

I am a long time Wizard of Oz fan, I mean properly obsessed. I know every little detail of that book and 1939 film. Normally I do not usually like prequels or sequels (Return to Oz, anybody?) but I think the plot of Wicked is so cleverly put together that it ties in with the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

I travelled down to Dublin with my niece and we hit the shops for a while (I of course self gifted and made a cheeky Chanel purchase...) and we hit up Eddie Rockets which is out favourite place for food when we are in Dublin. For the occasion, I wore my Wicked nail polish which my sister's friend kindly sent over from America. If you would like me to review these properly then please let me know.

Right now I am pretty exhausted and unfortunately another week beckons us...I don't think I am ready for Monday morning yet!! :(

Make Up Studio - Moon Dust Eyeshadow - "Radiant Opal"

On a recent visit to the Make Up Pro store in Newry, these selection of eyeshadows really caught my eye and I couldn't leave without one. The Moon Dust shadows come in six shades, each of them has a black base with an amazing shot of colour in the sparkle and shimmer. I chose Radiant Opal as I don't really have a shade like this in my collection. Actually, I do not have any black based shadows at all. But I love the shot of blue throughout. They come in a generous sized pot with a screw off lid, however you can custom build a palette if you are purchasing more than one shade.

You really need to see this in real life to see the effect. It is so sparkly! The blue colour gives kind of a metallic finish. I do not usually wear eyeshadow so bold like this but I adore it. I used Virgin from the UD Naked palette to diffuse out the edges. I love how it looks and it is perfect coming up to the festive season, I would wear this to any christmas party!

Make Up Studio is a brand that I have not tried before. They have an extensive range of really incredible make up and I guess they would be somewhere along the lines of MAC. This Moon Dust eyeshadow is of an excellent quality although as I'm typing this 8 hours after applying the shadow, it has begun to crease slightly despite using my trusty ArtDeco eyeshadow base. Perhaps that is normal for darker shades, I am not sure because I have never worn dark shadows before!

I absolutely love this Moon Dust and I am very eager to pick up the purple and green shade in the near future.

Also, if you haven't been to the Make Up Pro Store yet I highly recommend that you make a visit. They have a shop in Newry and in Belfast too,  they run one day courses for beginners and advanced level which I hope to enrol in perhaps in the New Year. The selection of make up is phenomenal and the make up artists are so beautiful and their make ups are incredible. Check them out!

Review - Cocoa Brown Chocolate Whip Oil-Free Body Moisturiser

I was absolutely delighted when this little beauty landed on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago. I really wanted to put this product through its paces before reviewing it! I wanted to use it during tanning application and afterwards to help prolong my tan too.

My first impressions were that the tube was a nice, generous size and when I squeezed a bit onto my hand...oh my god, that beautiful smell! It features of course Cocoa Brown's signature scent of Tahitian Gardenia but with a chocolate twist. It is simply divine, I have never smelled a more pleasant body lotion.

I firstly applied this to my elbows, hands, knees and feet just prior to applying my Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan. The lotion is of a nice creamy texture, though not too thick. The tan applied really well and I was not left with any dark patches. The following evening, I applied this all over in order to help to prolong my tan. As this lotion is oil free, I felt it absorbed into my skin a lot quicker than regular lotions, which is perfect for me now at this time of year, it's too cold to run around feeling all sticky with moisturiser!

I applied this lotion all over for a full week after I applied my tan, and I am most impressed with the results. Although my tan had faded a little, the lotion definitely helped to prolong it and it had faded in a very even manner and I was not left with any patchy tan on me! This really is  a wonder product in my opinion. I will never fake tan again without this moisturiser!

This moisturiser is by far, the most effective I have ever came across. It ticks all the boxes and it does exactly what it says. I would also enjoy using this product alone, even if I was not wearing any tan but just because I am also addicted to the scent, and my skin feels so nice and beautifully moisturised afterward.

I would love to see a tinted version of this moisturiser! The same consistency, the same beautiful scent but one which gives us a subtle glow. That would be awesome!

The Christmas Countdown Part 2 ... My Wish List!

Six weeks today people....six weeks! Honestly, that is kind of a scary thought as 2013 has simply flown for me. It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of the year.

Christmas really is not about presents for me, and I can't stress that enough. My only wish is that Christmas is full of laughter, and good health, and just having fun spending time with my family and friends.

Naturally, me and my family do exchange gifts and if I had to choose, I'd really love some make up and books. Here is a little collage of my wish list...

Vera Wang Bejeweled perfume is something that I cannot resist when I walk past in Debenhams, I always have to give myself a spray and honestly is one of the nicest perfumes ever! And the bottle is so cute too!

I am ashamed as a beauty blogger to admit that I have not tried a Touche Eclait! So I think I should definitely get one...maybe it will disguise my dull undereyes once and for all!

My Lancome Hypnose Star Eyes unfortunately has died a death, it served me well after about 4 months of use! So I need to repurchase that....but I think I would really like the 2013 Christmas edition! How glam is this silvery sparkly tube?!

I think a lot of you know I have been lusting after Chanel Soleil de Tan for months and months...I think it's only fair I add it to my wish list too! It looks so luxurious, and unlike any product I have ever seen before.

And my beloved books.... I chose Harlow in Hollywood as I think Jean Harlow was an incredible woman, whose life unfortunately was quite tragic but she always seemed so strong. This book is full of beautiful and rare photographs which I would be so interested in seeing. Hollywood Costume is one of those big coffee table books again full of pictures and I also had to add in the Wicked Grimmerie, as I am going to see this show twice when it comes to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre and I would love to have this book as a souvenir.

I also have this notion of treating myself to a Kindle Fire, but I am not sure! I used to be a big reader when I was younger but have sort of got out of the habit. I love the idea of having loads of books on this small device, and I can take it anywhere with me! Plus I can check out youtube videos or look at Facebook!


Please let me have the links to your Christmas wish lists below, as I would love to see them! I hope you have all started your Christmas shopping now! ;)

ELF Mini Haul!

Taking advantage of their recent 50% off code, I thought I would pick up a few things from ELF. I have never tried this brand before so I didn't want to go too overboard buying stuff incase I didn't like it. Here's what I got...

Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks in (L-R) Tiki Torches, Flirty & Girly, Movie Star -
The only one of these I have used so far is Movie Star. I have to say the MUA Power Pouts are much better than these. They are not really that pigmented and they wear off in a very patchy fashion which is not a good look. I didn't realise Tiki Torches & Flirty and Girly were so shimmery. I'm not sure how I feel about wearing shimmery, glittery things on my lips but sure I will give it a go and see how I like it.

 elf Studio Translucent Powder - I am really impressed with the packaging of this. It is quite sturdy with a brilliant size mirror. I will definitely carry this one in my handbag for touch-ups on the go. I haven't used this yet so cannot comment on the actual product!

Total Face Brush and Kabuki Face Brush - Two things that I didn't have in my collection, a decent sized powder brush and a kabuki brush so I can use with bronzer and the likes. The Total Face Brush bristles are very rough and aren't too pleasant to use on your face. The kabuki brush on the other hand is so super soft and I love using it! It doesn't hold too much product which is good as I can build up my bronzer to my liking.

elf Nail block - This is kind of a random purchase but it's something I have been meaning to get for a while as my nails are in kind of bad condition. I just used this once lastnight and I cannot believe the difference! My nails are now super smooth with no more nasty ridges!


Overall I am happy with my purchases. I am disappointed with the lip gloss sticks though, their quality just is not as good as I expected. But they didn't exactly break the bank and I am glad I availed of the 50% offer to try a little bit of elf. I definitely would buy more of their products!

Did anyone else make any elf purchases?