OOTN #1

Hello Friends!

I thought I would do a quick blog post on the outfit I wore out last night. It was a last minute decision to head out, aren't those nights always the best :) So here's what I wore:

I wore my favourite blue jersey/football style t-shirt over my navy jeggings which I'm practically living in at the moment!! And my very simple grey vans. Both these clothing items I got in New Look in the Inspire section. New Look is one of my favourite shops! I don't think they are still available in the stores but are online. My vans, I got in Schuh. And my new quilted black crop jacket, I got off boohoo.com in the plus size section.

This a very comfortable and flattering outfit for me. Its very casual but where I go out, you can be who ever you are, without any judgement ;). I do love my dresses and shoes but tonights outfit was kept simple. No handbag, I kept my money, phone and lip butter on me :). 

My makeup again quite simple. I used my Urban Decay Vice2 pallet to create my eye look. Then most of my other makeup I'm wearing is by Rimmel, MUA, Bourjois, Sleek, Revlon and my blush is Mac.  All pictured below.

My hair, I feel I should mention haha, I have very curly hair that I love to straighten from time to time.  But on the way into town it started raining and my hair went from straight to well basically a curly mess. Note to self, never forget the umbrella! Here's the before the picture above in the mirror selfie is the after and my colour will done next week ;)

This is just a quick run down of my outfit and in future I'll do a lot more detailed OOTDs and OOTNs. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this and I look forward to bringing you more in the future.

Much Love,

Amy xo 

My Skin Care Routine. Part 1.

Hello Friends!

Tonight I have for you my first beauty related post and its all about my skin care routine. I've pointed out before: I am no beauty queen, makeup artist or expert by any means but I do love a bit of vanity and I like to take good care of my skin in particular, so tonight I 'm going to bring you my nightly skin care routine then next week I'll follow up with my morning skin care routine. This is my favourite part of the day to take care of my skin. Very recently I bought a new skin care range in Super Drug and these will be featured down below.

So I decided to give the Super Drug Naturally Radiant range a try. I only started using these 2 weeks ago and I will  do a full review on the products I tried after I put them to the the test for at least a month and use them up which will be definitely happening with these little gems. Straight of the bat, I am loving them so far. They are outstanding value for money and isn't the packaging fab? They all come boxed and when I bought these they where 50% off but even at full price their still great value for money. Most of the range costs €7.15 including all the products I'm using but like I said I bought these when they where 50% off for €3.06, even better! 

So, first thing I do when I come home from work is (literally) when I'm in full swing, is go walking :) so when I get in from my walk at around 9pm my skin is practically begging to be cleansed and I really don't blame it, having a mask of makeup on since 6:30 AM and spent an hour walking at a pace where my heart rate is up. At the moment I'm using the Super Drug Naturally Radiant brightening hot cloth cleanser to cleanse my face. I LOVE this. I am the biggest fan of hot cloth cleansers in general and I've tried loads but this one in particular is my favourite and as I've already said it is outstanding value for money. I use a small amount of this, I rub it between my finger tips then in circular motions all over my face, neck and eye area. Its delicate enough to remove eye makeup.Then I take it off with either a hot soaked face cloth or the muslin cloth provided with the cleanser. It says on the box to rinse the muslin cloth after every use but I throw them in the washing machine, after every use! They will stain and I don't feel rinsing them is cleaning them enough. You would be amazed at what you would see come of your face, especially if you where quite a bit of makeup like me. One thing I have discovered over the last couple years is that cream cleansers are definitely best for my very sensitive and dry skin for removing makeup. Much like the cream body washes I only stick to cream cleansers. I honestly don't think I could ever go back to face wipes or cotton wool cleansers having used hot cloth cleansers.

Then followed on from that I use the Garnier Micellar cleansing water. I'm not the biggest fan of toners they are either too rough on my skin or I just don't like the smell of them but this a perfect substitute! Its widely available, smells nice and works perfectly as a toner. This will remove any traces of the cleanser and makeup i.e eye makeup/mascara, and it will be visible on the cotton wool.

Ahhh cotton wool. I'm quite fussy when it comes to cotton wool and I'll only ever use the Super Drug oval pads. I find these the best! They are sturdy and don't become all frail when using them. I know I'm a bit of a crazy woman when it comes to cotton wool haha but these are brilliant, their also great for taking of nail polish etc... The jury is certainly out for these for some people because I have read other bloggers reviews and they don't seem to like them as much but I love them. ;)

Next I use the night renewing cream. This feels like a proper treat on my skin it feels light and delicate. Again I'll review this product and let you know how well it works. 

Then I use a small amount of this balm. Now according to the box after one week skin feels softer and smoother. Skins feels more refreshed and energised. Then after 4 weeks skin tone appears refined and evened out. Now like I've said I only started using this 2 weeks ago and so far so good. As far are balms are concerned this is certainly a goody. I use a small amount after I've applied my night cream and rub in circular motion all over my face and neck. For me its gives my skin that extra piece of hydration and feels really good. 

I've mentioned before in a previous post I do use tee tree oil and bio oil but they are on hold at the moment as I am using this: 
 

Its an antibiotic lotion for my skin to help clear a rash I have on my face and chest so I've replaced the oil with this. Sometimes my extra sensitive skin needs an extra boost to help clear it and a trip to the doctors for this is necessary. How this is applied  is the top of the bottle has a cotton like piece in it that you use to apply directly onto the infected area. It stings a lot at first but it does work wonders. This is designed for adult acne. The rash is caused mainly by PCOS (polycystic ovaries) and my weight loss (my body detoxing constantly) but it is a small price to pay to get to my destination =).

Then always at night as well as during the day I use the Carmex lip balm. My lips dry out something terrible, no matter how much I keep hydrated, funny that when the lips is the first area the water hits LOL :). I'm a huge fan of matt lip sticks too so moisturised lips is a must. This is also available everywhere. This one is in the limited packaging,cool isn't it?;)

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I'll have another one for you very very soon.

Good night and have a fabulous weekend!

Much Love,

Amy xo

The TMI TAG

Hello Friends.

I hope you are all having a fabulous day!
So I'm blogging just over a month now and I hope you are enjoying my posts so far. Tonight I'm bringing you a tag that has done its round on blogs and you tube and its the TMI tag. It's 50 questions about myself, hence the Too Much Information, TMI abbreviation. Thought it might let you get to know me a bit better. Plus I love reading and watching these!

LETS GO

 1:What are you wearing?

Right now I'm wearing a lovely set of red and white pyjamas if I do say so myself, my mam got me for Easter instead of an Easter egg and a hoodie. Love these PJ days, whats seldom is wonderful. 

 

2:Ever been in love?  
Yes.

3:Ever had a terrible breakup?

No. I've had terrible ends to friendships though. I can only assume that's worse. 

4:How tall are you?

Just over 5.6. ;)

5:How much do you weigh?

A lot less than I weighed this time last year. ;D

6:Any tattoos?

Yes.
 This, on my left wrist.

7:Any piercings?

Yes just my ears. I was 6 months when they were pierced.   

8:OTP?
(One True Pairing in characters basically) 
The pair that stand out is Homer and Marge Simpson. 
They crack me up and I just feel they are the perfect TV couple. ;)

9:Favourite show?

Right now, my current favourites are The Big Bang Theory and Orange is the New Black. I love Sex and the City and Friends. Love me soaps too! Corrie all the way!

10:Favourite bands?

Queen, Elbow, The Moody Blues,One Republic, Daft Punk,
 Too many to name really ;)

11:Something you miss?

Miss living in Dublin sometimes simply because my friends are too far away on days I feel or need to call over for a cuppa. We see each other as much as possible. I rely on my phone to be in contact with them. I love where I live but my career and friends are miles away.

12:Favourite song?

'One Day like This' Elbow, LOVE!!

13:How old are you?

29.

14:Zodiac sign?

Pisces.
I'll throw in that I love astrology.

15:Quality you look for in a partner?

Funny and nice style.

16:Favourite quote? 
Simple: ''What goes around comes around''.

 

17:Favourite actor?

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Jonah Hill and 
Leonardo Di Caprio.

18:Favourite colours?

Purple, Green and Blue.

19:Loud music or soft music?

I'd definitely be a more soft music kinda a gal.
However when I'm out training I have my ear phones in and the music pumping.

20:Where do you go when your sad?

Truth be known, I don't really feel sad much. Perhaps because I'm busy all the time but if I want shut away from the world for a while I just go to my room.

21:How long does it take you to shower?

Depends: If I'm showering to just have a wash and freshen up- 10 minutes but If I'm showering and washing my hair and doing all the stuff a girly girl does to maintain herself  ;) exfoliating etc... 40 minutes tops.

22:How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

It takes me about 30 minutes to do my hair, makeup and get dressed provided I'm nice and organised from the night before.

23:Ever been in a physical fight?

No.

24:Turn on?

Nice teeth and kindness. 
(with words not materials ;D)

25:Turn off?

Poor personal hygiene if I'm honest I just don't understand it!!

26:The reason I joined blogging?

I really wanted to try my hand at it because I love blogs so much and I figured it's a good way to express myself and keep myself motivated.

27:Fears?

Loosing people close to me. 
But when I was a kid I had a very irrational fear of butterflies!! And part of the meaning behind my tattoo is about conquering my fears. ;)

28:Last thing that made you cry?

The thing that stands out is when I was driving home a few weeks ago and a crazy driver, driving way too fast on the opposite side of the road clipped my wing mirror so hard it smashed into my drivers door window shattering the glass. I think I got upset with fright more than anything. But they where genuine tears haha I was finding glass for days!!

29:Last time you said you loved someone?
Today, my nephew. xx

 

30:Meaning behind your blogging name?

You'll have to wait and see. 
That's a post I'll have up very soon.

31:Last book you read?

50 Shades of grey, the entire trilogy and I think it gave me 'readers' block haha because I was a long time before I could get into anything else. Bad reading!

32:The book you are currently reading?
The four agreements.

33:Last show you watched?
Keeping up with the Kardashians ;)
I'm am totally addicted to the channel E! And I've only begun to watch Keeping up with the Kardashians! Bit late on the band wagon. I also watched the Fashion Police another great show!!

 

34:Last person you talked to?
Anita.

35:The relationship between you and the last person you text?
Christy. (friend)

36:Favourite food?

Me mams coddle! Definitely. I know it one of them foods that you either love or hate and I think its a real Irish dish but it would definitely come first. :) 
If going out for a meal I love Chinese food. (so original haha)

37:Place you want to visit?

  San Francisco but my list is longer than my arm. =)

38:Last place you were?

Last time I was abroad on holiday I was in Italy. And that was far too long ago hopefully I'll fix that this year.

39:Do you have a crush?

Can't say ;)

40:Last time you kissed someone?

Don't think so ;)

41:Last time you were insulted?

 In fairness I don't get a lot of insults or offended much in my day to day life. I like to think I live a fabulous life and if I do I shake it off and walk away!

42:Favourite flavour of sweet?

Chocolate or orange and put those 2 together and I'm in heaven!

43:What instruments do you play?

I played the tin whistle and keyboard in school and I definitely want to pick the keyboard back up. 

44:Favourite piece of jewellery?

It would have to be a sliver chain with an amethyst stone in it which I love and wore for ages every single day! My mam bought it for me for my 24th birthday.The pic doesn't do it any justice but its really pretty! 

45:Last sport you played?

Does training count as a sport? I do keep active.
Other than that I never play or have played a sport. I'm all for it but at my age I doubt I'll pick one up at this stage.

46:Last song you sang?

 'The one who got away' Katy Perry
Actually love that song!!

47:Favourite chat up line?

Don't have one however I have hard some cringe worthy ones so here you go:
How much does a Polar bear weigh?...
Enough to break the ice....
I promise you that I have never used it nor will I ever use it LOL but it made me laugh. 

48:Have you ever used it?

Never, will I use a chat up line!

49:Last time you hung out with someone?
It was actually last weekend! This week was crazy! I worked mad hours, late nights all week and trained most days too so all my spare time was taking up doing that.

50:What are your aspirations?
 Short term: I want to continue to work hard on my fitness and continue to loose weight and improve my over all health and well being, that said, I feel the healthiest and happiest I have ever been! And then,
Long term: I would like to see my blog do really well and I'll continue to work hard and put as much time into it as possible. I also want to take back up the key board as mentioned above and I want to travel! There are so many places I want to see and that's definitely on my bucket list.

So there you have it, thank you so much for reading my latest post, The TMI Tag. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Later this week I look forward to bringing you my first post on my daily skin care routine and show you how I look after my skin.

Much Love,

Amy xo 

My Favourite Things. April Edition.

Hey everybody!

First of all I'm so disappointed I haven't been able to post on my blog sooner. I have been really under the weather the last couple of weeks but I'm getting back on course now with a really strong dose of antibiotics. I'll be back to myself, (an even stronger self hopefully), in no time. So here we are in May and I honestly can't believe it. Where April went so quick, I don't know! So what I want to do, rather than post just a monthly favourites, I'm going to give a quick run down of how April was for me. And also set out my plan on what I want a achieve in the month of May.

April was a relatively quiet month for my personal life. I work in job where Easter is very busy and you just don't stop. So I was very tied up a lot with work but that's life! I did get to spend the actual Easter weekend with my best friend which was really lovely as we both have hectic lives so when we do get to spend some time in each others company it does be a real treat. I certainly upped the ante where my training is concerned and by that I mean its given first priority when it comes to my spare time. Like I've said in a previous post I'm the most active I have ever been and I don't ever want to drop the ball. So here are a few things I've loved during April. Hope you enjoy.  

1: Favourite Artist 

I use the word Artist because it goes without say this mans creativity in music is on another level. The minute you hear his sound you know its Pharrell Williams. I've loved Pharrell from back in the early days when he was making music with N.E.R.D and The Neptunes at least that's when I first took notice of him. And his most recent work with Daft Punk and Robin Thicke made me love him all over again. Ok, I know its like so last Summer but this guy is making music that lasts plus his most recent tune 'Happy' (lead single from his album G I R L) is yet another classic. His album 'G I R L' will probably be one of my favourite albums of 2014. I drive a hell of a lot so I need some decent music to keep me going in the car. And just in case you didn't know this guy has worked with everybody! Including Shakira, Beyonce, Lorde, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, Frank Ocean (one of my favourites at the moment too) and Mika (remember him) The list goes on and on... Did you that in the video for N.E.R.Ds 'she wants to move' the dancer in it is none other than Alesha Dixon?

2: Favourite TV show

I stepped into the world of netflix at the beginning of April, finally!! There is so much that I want to watch but earlier in the month my spare time albeit very little spare time was taking up watching 'Orange is the New Black' and in one word it is excellent! From start to finish I was hooked. 'Orange is the new black' tells a story about a young woman who got caught up in carrying drug money, not to give too much away and after being on the run for 10 years she surrenders herself to prison. A women's prison in New York, where the TV show is mostly based. I would highly recommend watching this. It is graphic (warning) and brilliantly executed and funny, plenty of laughs throughout each episode. I can't wait for season 2 due out in June. It stars Jason Biggs, best known for playing Jim Levenstein in American pie ;)

3: Favourite nail polish

Right onto a couple of beauty products. So my beautiful friend for my birthday bought me a white Essie nail polish (she bought lots of other goodies too) I had been eyeing for the longest time. I am loving crisp white clean nails at the moment they where huge last Summer and I think this Summer will be the same. I wouldn't get the longest time out of an application even with a base coat and a top coat but my job wouldn't be the best place to expect regular nail polish to last, nonetheless I love wearing this polish. On application you have to be very careful and build it up with thin layers to prevent it from looking like tip ex :) But when done right this can look really pretty, girly and clean. Essie nail polish was first launched in 1981 and 'Blanc' pictured below was one off the very first colours launched and still goes strong today. Definitely one of my favourites I own.

4: Favourite Makeup

This month I bring you the foundation I've been using over the last few weeks and that is the Rimmel 25hr stay foundation. I love Rimmels foundations they are pocket friendly and are very good quality. I go between 3 of them: Rimmel Stay Matte foundation, Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and this one Rimmel 25hr stay foundation.

In the colder months I stuck to the stay matte foundation because it gives the best coverage ever! Its applies so nicely and has great staying power and I'll still use this foundation on nights out and occasions etc... And now with the warmer months here I turn to my Rimmel liquid foundations as I feel they leave a glowing finish and they feel quite light on the skin. I actually forgotten how much I love this foundation. 25hr stay? OK, In fairness that's a big ask haha but I generally apply this foundation at 6:30 in the morning and it stays until I get home and am taking my makeup off, generally around 9pm. I don't touch up my makeup through out the day (sorry beauty gurus) Unless I'm heading out and after work and in that case I would reapply an entire face of makeup. I got so many compliments when I wore this foundation, generally on how my skin cleared, so while it wouldn't give the super coverage the stay matte foundation gives, it still gives enough. I apply this foundation using the pixiwoo miracle complexion sponge which, oh my god, is amazing! I also use a primer which would play a big part in my makeup staying put and a setting powder which again is vital in my makeup not moving. I'll soon have a post about my daily regular makeup routine. ;) 

5: Favourite make up tool

As mentioned above I use the the pixiwoo complexion sponge to apply my foundation and concealer. Its a must to anyones makeup brush collection in my opinion. I often use a brush to apply my foundation but I find this sponge does the job just as well if not better and in half the time, so its perfect for me in my already 'tight for time' morning when heading to work. To use this sponge, you soak it first and it will expand to twice the size. I use the flat part to apply my over all foundation and the the more pointed end around my eye area and to blend in concealer. I own 3 of these as I use them everyday and its vital I keep my tools clean with my sensitive skin. So I wash them after every use which takes minimal effort. These make up sponges are available in boots for around 6 euro and would often be on offer along with the entire range of pixiwoo makeup brushes, buy one get the second half price. They are great value even not on offer ;)    

6: Favourite body care

Last month I brought you Sanex sensitive shower cream and this month I bring you Sanex roll on deodorant and I am using the extra control 48Hr at the moment. I work a in a job where I move around a lot and a good antiperspirant deodorant is a must, so having good protection is vital! I was using Mitchum 48 hour deodorant in powder fresh spray which is fantastic. But I switched to a roll on cos my under arm area is extremely sensitive at the moment and I find the roll ons don't cause as much irritation (but I do keep a spray in my locker for lil touch ups through out the day) Now, why anyone would need 48 hour protection from a deodorant, I don't know, as I'm sure, like me, we shower and wash daily but still its a very good selling point. LOL. I find with roll ons you get a lot longer out of the product than a spray which makes them better value for money in my opinion. I bought the sensitive one too. I picked these up in my local super value, they where on offer just over a euro each which is brilliant value!!

7: Favourite perfume

I'm very particular about what scents I wear. I'm very much a stick to what I know and like kinda gal when it comes to perfumes. I tend to go for sweet smelling perfumes. My everyday perfume is Fantasy by Britney Spears which I'm wearing since I'm 21! And still love it, but for nights out and special occasions recently I've been reaching for Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison and it smells amazing!! Its ingredients are Ylang-Ylang essence, orange blossom and vanilla. I never took note of the scents used in this perfume until I did my research for this post and funnily enough, orange is not only my favourite scent in anything! I also love the flavour in anything, chocolate in particular LOL! Plus I love Vanilla! When I was much younger, in my teens I was a huge fan of vanilla musk and I can only but guess that the Ylang-Ylang essence balances out the fragrance. Its made up of my favourite scents so is it any wonder why I love it?! And the bottle is fab. 
Fun fact? Did you know that most perfume bottles cost more to manufacture than the contents inside them? 

8: Favourite Food

Keeping it on the healthy side, this month I am in love with water melon all over again. I am little obsessed LOL. its super healthy and I love to snack on this particularly after training cos it is very refreshing. And look how pretty it is....

9: Random favourite

Last month I raved about tea tree oil and this month its been all about the Bio Oil. Can you tell I'm a little obsessed with oils? And this one is amazing! I use it head to toe especially around my hands and cuticles which are desperately dry at the moment and this stuff works so well on them. Now Bio Oil is made to treat stretch marks and scaring, I have tried it on a scar on my shoulder however I think its too badly scared to work on it but nonetheless I always have a bottle of this in my beauty stash and anybody I know who uses it loves it too. Its not particularly cheap but not major expensive neither a bottle this size would set ya back about 8 euro and its available in all good chemists and super markets. I apply this using my finger tips.

10: Miss Fabulous

Every month I'm gonna pick a person, celebrity or not :) as my Miss or even Mr Fabulous :) I'll be mentioning a person who inspires me or touched me in some way. And this month its Mary Lambert. And for me, Mary Lambert is head to toe fabulous inside and out. And I love her style! The reason why I picked her this month, is her 'body love' track and video.I just feel she isn't afraid to express herself and say exactly how she see's it. She is an absolute inspiration for the LGBT community. I look forward to hearing her stuff in the future. Did you know that Mary Lambert is the singer on Macklemores track Same Love? And she wrote the hook in 2 hours! What a talented young lady.      

And there you have it, I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the things I have been loving in April.

For this month, like I said in the intro its all about training and working out. I want to beat my times and work on my arms. May is all about the arms :) I have also started a new skin care range I bought in super drug and I'm looking forward to letting ya know how I get on with that. I hope you all have a fabulous month of May! Summer is here!!

Hope you're all keeping well, 

Much Love as always!!

Amy xo