New & Old Fragrance Favourites

I haven't done a fragrance post in a while, my last one was way back when I started blogging. This is by no means a Winter fragrance post, there just scents I've been using alot lately. I'd happily use these all year round to be honest. If I had a fragrances for different seasons I would probably never finish them and have them for years (doubtful that any product shelf life would be that long). If I like a scent I'll just use it regardless of what season we are in. Let's be honest fragrances are expensive, who seriously has the money to fork out on loads. With that out of the way here are the fragrances I've been loving lately.

My most reached for fragrance out of the bunch is Burberry Body. My Mom got this for me last Christmas and it came in a set with a body milk of the same scent. This smells absolutely amazing as it's a Eau de Parfum I find this sticks around for ages on the skin even more if you use it with the body milk. I didn't particularly like the other Burberry scents but this is something different entirely. The fruity scent is really nice, even for everyday The packaging is also something that separates it from the other Burberry perfumes as it's very luxurious indeed, shaped like a crystal what girl wouldn't love this in there collection. I have the 90ml bottle so it's kinda unrealistic for me to bring this out in my bag on a daily basis, it would completely weigh me down. I'd also get funny looks if I pulled a crystal out of my bag, if I want to use this fragrance all day I decant some into my trusty Travalo. I'd definitely recommend getting one of these if you have perfumes that come in humongous bottles. I don't think there too pricey either, my Mom got this for me but I think it's in and around the €7 mark.

A recent release that has made it into my fragrance favourites is Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto*. I'm in love with the Elle Summer edition so I couldn't wait to try this out. Straight off the bat this is a very different scent to the latter, it's alot more sophisicated. I wasn't a hundred percent keen on it at first but it's certainly grown on me. The notes that really stand out for me are blackcurrant and vanilla, I like anything that smells like the latter so I suppose it was a given I'd like this. Again being a Eau de Parfum this is another fragrance that lasts on the skin ages, it settles to a really nice light scent. My Nanna commented on this scent when I was wearing it and she hardly ever does that so I guess it's a winner. Another thing I adore about this perfume is the packaging, it's beautiful. My favourite colour is purple so I love how there's a transparent violet band that goes around the bottle. I'm like a magpie when it comes to pretty perfume bottles so this is right down my street. Manifesto was released recently during the last month or thereabouts so it's the perfect scent for Autumn/Winter. I can see myself wearing it much more than that too as I don't own any other scents like this in my collection at present.

The next fragrance has been a favourite of mine for a while now and that's Vera Wang Lovestruck. I fell in love with the scent that minute I smelt it in store for the first time and so did my Mom,she bought it too! If you like Vera Wang Princess I'd recommend trying this, it's definitely a more grown up scent. I love Gossip Girl, who doesn't and Leighton Meester looks stunning in the campaign for this fragrance. Unfortunately I'm nearly finished my bottle so I may have to take some of my Mom's one or maybe I'll put it on my Christmas list.

Again I see a trend going on with the pretty bottles, my last perfume has a plain bottle but it's what the brand is know best for. It's my Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne which is still relatively new to my fragrance collection seeing as I only got it in September. My Mom gave me this as a gift for doing so well with Slimming World so it means alot that she got this for me. Before I start describing scents I'm just going to make this one simple, this fragrance smells like bitter pears and I love it! As I said this fragrance looks really different next to all my other pretty perfume bottles but this definitely feels that little more luxurious. I'm a big fan of Jo Malone and this is my second fragrance, my first being Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne which is another favourite but I couldn't find it when I was taking photos for this post (typical!). I can't wait to add some more scents of theirs to my collection, any suggestions? I wanted to pick up their Christmas Cracker that comes out around this time of year but sadly Brown Thomas was all sold out already. This happened to me last year too, maybe I'm just unlucky who knows. Back to the fragrance, I'd happily wear English Pear & Freesia everyday but considering it's that little bit more expensive I try to use this only for special occasions.

What's your favourite fragrance? Do you change it depending on the season?

Laura<3

Christmas Gift Ideas #1 - Skincare & Body

I'm a bit late starting my Christmas series this year but better late than never I guess. I really enjoyed doing these kind of posts last year which I thought you guys enjoyed so I wanted to do the same for this Christmas. My first part in this series is going to show some skincare and body products. I feel alot of brands bring out gorgeous sets this time of the year so it would be a shame if I didn't mention them I think. I know skincare can be a bit of a messy gift to get someone as everyone has different skin types so you may not necessarily know what to get them. I've made two skincare suggestions that I think would make a nice gift this Christmas so I had to give them a mention.

First off is Lush's Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser which is a new addition to their Limited Edition festive collection. This was always going to be a winner for me as it smells like cinnamon which I adore! For €7.95, this exfoliating cleanser would make a super stocking filler to go with other small gifts. With such a small tub some of you may think that you don't get much product but seriously a little goes a long way. This cleanser may not look too appeal in the tube, it reminds me of cake mix but it works amazingly well. I know I'll be picking up another one before Christmas comes and goes.

My other skincare selection is from Liz Earle and it's their 24 Days of Liz Earle Advent Calendar. Alot of the brands products make up my daily skincare routine. I love their Cleanse & Polish and Skin Repair Light Moisturiser, I always make sure that I'm stocked up on both these products. Their new beauty range has been much talked about this year and the range definitely contains some must try products like their Signature Foundation and Natural Glow Bronzer. This gorgeous gift set is on the pricier side of things at €120.50/£100 but saying that I think this would make a truly lovely gift. First of the advent calendar itself is enormous, I love how it opens up like a big book. On the run up to Christmas under each door is a gorgeous mini treat. This would be perfect for someone who is maybe new to Liz Earle or hasn't tried too many products. With this set they'll definitely get a feel for the brand, how could you not with twenty four miniatures. These little treats would also be great for post Christmas holidays as they are the perfect size for travelling. There's a great selection in this advent calendar from haircare to bodycare to skincare etc. Liz Earle always run brilliant offers in the weeks coming up to Christmas, there always worth having a look at too. I've opened up door #1 just to show you how big the products are, I decided not to open up all the doors as I didn't want to ruin the surprise just in case one of you get this for Christmas.

Next is a favourite among alot of bloggers, The Body Shop. They've gone all out their seasonal  range this year, I was lucky to go along to their Christmas launch back in October where I got a sneak peak of their festive collection. There are three seasonal scents to choose from Cranberry Joy, Ginger Sparkle and Vanilla Bliss. My favourite scent out of the bunch is the latter, it's not artifical smelling in the slightest and has a gorgeous sweet scent. Vanilla Bliss doesn't only come in a body butter, you can get it in a shower gel, lip balm, body polish etc. Stay clear of the shimmer body lotion though as it leaves you totally sparkly, unless you like the Edward Cullen then you go right ahead and pick it up! If you're looking for something for a friend or a kris kindle gift look no further than this gorgeous gift set, shaped as lollipop how can you go wrong. It contains five of their  popular body butters that are sure to be a hit with just about anyone. The packaging definitely did it for me with this one and for €25.50 you can't really go wrong. To celebrate Black Friday tomorrow, The Body Shop is offering 30% off all their products in store for tomorrow only. It's the perfect time to get some Christmas presents sorted and to also treat yourself. My Nanna loves the Ginger Sparkle hand cream in particular so I may pick her up some more bits in the same scent for Christmas.

Another brand I have alot of time for is Korres, I am a huge fan of their amazing lip butters. Every Christmas they bring out really nice gift sets which contain lovely products and this year is no different. I have two to show you, one for the guys and one for the girls. For the latter, there's the Fig Collection gift set which contains a full sized shower gel and body butter. At first I wasn't too gone of the scent but I actually rather like it now. I find both products to be super moisturising so they'd be perfect for people with dry skin. The body butter sinks into the skin quickly so there's so messing around. Korres products contain alot of natural ingredients which it always states on their packaging. They don't contain any nasties like silicones, parabens etc. I love the body butter packaging as it reminds me of toothpaste so it's definitely more hygienic than sticking your hand in a tub. This personally doesn't bother me but I know it's a issue for some people. Now one for the man in your life the Korres Men's Vetiver Collection contain a full sized Aftershave Balm and Shower Gel in the same scent. This time last year my brother reviewed the Vetiver Root Green Tea Cedarwood Eau de Toilette here on my blog and he loved it. Being the exact same scent as the two products in this gift set, of course it was inevitable that he'd like this too. He described this as a great one for everyday and for the men who like musky scents.

For great gift sets for any ages look no further than Lush. A brand that I always come back to, I love getting their products as Christmas gifts myself. All their festive sets cater for different price points, so there'll be certainly something to suit your budget. All the products are packaged in lovely Christmas wrapping paper so they make the perfect gift. Alot of their sets use to contain a mixture of bath and shower products. A shame for people like me who don't have the latter in their house. This year is different though and I've found that alot more sets contain just shower products. Two sets that caught my eye are Winter Wishes and Snow Fairy, isn't the packaging beautiful? I'm going to do a full review post on both of these to show you what's inside.

I hope you enjoyed the first post in my Christmas series, I would love to know what you think. I'm going to put my next post up next week so keep an eye out. It won't be as long I just had alot to show you guys in this one.

Would you guys like to seen any of these products under your Christmas tree??

Laura
<3

Harvey Nichols Dublin Look Good Feel Better Event & What I Got Up to for the Weekend!

After a long day in work on Thursday I headed over to Harvey Nichols to support a good cause. Look Good Feel Better is a cancer support program that helps women going through treatment for cancer by holding skincare and makeup work shops which results in improving confidence and well being. Knowing people myself who have battled hard through this illness I really wanted to give them my support. All proceeds on the night went to the charity which is amazing and I'm sure it will help alot. After purchasing my ticket, I was given this gorgeous goodie bag which contained some lovely little samples. I'm a big fan of Burt's Bees so I was glad to see their lip balm in there too. I had a brief look around the event before I was ushered out by my brother. Of course beauty products aren't his thing so I'm surprised he lasted so long. From what I seen it looked like such an amazing event and all for a truly great cause. To have so many like minded people in the shop at the same time was pretty cool as we all would have one thing in common are love for beauty products. Before I left I bumped into the lovely Sue and Karen so it was nice to have a little chat with them both even though it was for but a minute. My brother was standing outside in the cold waiting for me at this stage so the least I could do was treat him to a Starbuck for all his patience.

After our quick stop off for refreshments, Ger got a signature hot chocolate & a cookie, I had my favourite raspberry and blackcurrant frappucino we headed into the main shopping centre. The annual Shop & Rock event was on which combines instore discounts and live music. The shopping centre itself was jammers so it made for a really good atmosphere, I could see people really getting in the Christmas mood already. My brother and I did a lot of window shopping, I don't get paid for another two weeks which means I'm unbelievably broke at this moment in time. I love to browse through shops though as you get really good ideas for Christmas gifts, hopefully I remember them all by the time I get paid at the end of the month. I did make three purchase though, firstly I bought a Clarins Gift set that I had my eye on for a while after seeing it over on Viva Adonis. This was surprisingly good value at €22 it's usually €26 but I got 15% off because of the Shop & Rock event. Clarins is one of my favourite brands, I've tried alot of their makeup and loved it so I can't wait to give these products a whirl. In Cath Kidston I picked up two items from their stationery range so nothing too exciting. I fell in love with their Christmas cards, they are just the cutest.

This weekend has been pretty busy for me too. I went to IKEA for the first time on Friday, I loved the place. I'm glad I didn't get paid yet as I probably would of bought more. My Aunty and Mom got me some lovely makeup storage as early Christmas gifts, I'll definitely be putting up a post soon to show you guys. I did end up buying a set of IKEA candles and boy they smell amazing. I haven't tried their candles before so I don't know if they burn well or not, hopefully they do as I really like them. I didn't do too much yesterday, I watched the football in town and YES I do watch it alot. Today I went a massive walk up the Dublin Mountains with my Dad, it was seriously such a trek but you feel brilliant afterwards. The view of the city from the top is amazing, I've done the walk so many times but I still stop and look for ages. I'm going to try to do the same walk more often as it's a pity to have something like that on your doorstep and not take advantage of it. I'm glad we went on the walk early on this morning as it's like monsoon weather out now. Oh how I wish we had a bit of sun now and again.

What did you guys get up to this weekend? Anything exciting?

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #7

I'm back with my seventh Slimming World update, I can't believe I started this program way back in April. Where has the year gone people? Next week will be the start of my eight month of the program it doesn't feel that long at all the time has flown by. I should of really done this update last week but I missed a Slimming World class cause I was sick, so yesterdays meeting made up the month. I couldn't of been happier this month as I feel like I've progressed alot.

Many people thought I would find it hard over the Halloween period as my Mom goes all out and buys some amount of goodies for all the trick or treaters and the family. Back in April when I had a serious sweet tooth I would of probably told you I'd find it impossible to stay away from the sweeties. That wasn't the case though at all this Halloween as I haven't eaten any chocolate since I started the program so I wasn't tempted at all. I was so pleased this month as I'm still gradually losing weight. I was worried that I would begin to plateau after losing so much early on in the program but I needn't of worried as this hasn't happened yet *fingers crossed*. One week during this month I put on a half a pound which I was disappointed at but my Mom told me to look how far I have come already and to not be worrying. You have to love my Mom, she's the one who told me about Slimming World at the beginning. I seriously couldn't of done all this without her and my Dad's endless support over the past couple of months. Over the last month I've lost a total of seven and a half pound which brings my total weight loss up to 5st 12lbs. I'm 2lbs off 6st now which is huge for me, I seriously can't put it into words how happy I am right now. On my Slimming World book cover my stickers go up to 5st, apparently they don't have ones after that which I can deal with. I still liked getting them every couple of weeks though. One of my goals for this month is to start going to the gym. It's always been something that I've kept on the long finger, I walk alot so I never felt the need to go as of such. I didn't think I'd have the time with work and college either but now I really do want to start. I'm not joining just to aid my weight loss but I also want to tone up a little. I've never been a Gym Bunny at all so I'll let you know in my updates next month. I already have my brother Gerard signed up to be my gym partner so I'll definitely be kept motivated by him. People in the clothes shop were I work have been unbelieveably nice to me this month. Many customers have complimented me on how amazing I look now and that I'm a inspiration. I don't know about the latter but it's still such a nice thing for someone to say to me. Not going to lie I was a bit taken aback at first as I would never be so forward in commenting on someones weight myself but understandably they were just being supportive. I've never experienced it before so it was nice to know that people have noticed the work I put in myself. I know how hard it is to lose weight, it's never easy. Slimming World wasn't the first weight loss program I joined in my life but it's certainly been the best. Whenever someone asks for advice or how I did it myself, I'm always happy to help in some way and give my experience.

Until my next Slimming World Update,

Laura<3

Essence Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 Collection

With the release of Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 just around the corner, like alot of other people I am beyond excited. I've read all the books and I love the movies so I can't wait to go along and see the final installment next weekend. The hard thing will be dragging my boyfriend along as I can't say he is the biggest fan of the Saga, he hasn't seen any of them. I think the boxset may be making it way into his Christmas stocking, just kidding Paddy if your reading this.

When I seen my favourite budget brand Essence was bring out a limited edition makeup collection coinciding with the release of the movie I couldn't wait to have a good look at the range. After work last week I walked by an Essence stand and seen the new products on display. Sometimes I find their limited edition products can be a bit hit and miss, they may not bring out shades that I'd go for. Now some people may love them but there just not for me at all. You can't really go wrong with the price though, everything is pretty much under €5 and the quality of the stuff I've tried so far is great. I ended up buying two products from the Twilight collection, Renesmee Red Blush and Bella's Secret Shimmer Powder. I know some people may be disappointed with the product names but I really like them. There is alot more to choose from but these stood out to me the most and I think I'll get more use out of them too. The shimmer powder is quite similar to the limited edition Circus Circus Highlight Powder from a past collection, which I really liked but I unfortunately smashed it recently. I thought this would be a great replacement and I wasn't wrong at all. If you have the Circus Circus Highlight Powder I don't think there's much point in buying this as they are pretty much identical. On the otherhand I wasn't too keen on the blush at first, it's a dark red in the pan. I thought I'd look like a Circus Clown with this on my cheeks but I was wrong this blush is seriously beautiful. It gives a really nice natural flush of colour to the cheeks which I'm not going lie I wasn't expecting at all. I've been using this everyday since I bought it and I may pick up another one before the whole collection sells out, I like it that much!! If you can get your hands on it I'd certainly recommend it. I know the packaging comes across as rather plain but I believe it was such a good idea by the brand. I know if they came out with over the top packaging alot of Twilight fans may not be happy with it. I know when brands come out with products to tie in with movies/celebrities, sometimes you can get a vision in your head of what you want the packaging to look like. If it's something totally different then what you were expecting, it's inevitable that your going to be left disappointing. You know yourself you can never please people. I think the brand went the right way with this packaging as it kinda lets the products do the talking too. That's my two cents on this collection all in all I really like it indeed.

Are you a big Twilight fan? What do you think of the Essence Breaking Dawn Part 2 Collection?

Laura<3

Miners Cosmetics Tin o' Tints

Being quite a lip balm obsessive I love finding new ones to try. None have come close to hitting my much loved Korres lip butters or Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm off their pedestal as of yet. It could only be time before this happens as brands are always coming out with new offerings. When these little gems arrived at my door I fell in love with them.

 Tin o' Tints* from Miners Cosmetics are moisturising lipbalms that I couldn't wait to try out. With a good selection of six wearable shades (Cherry, Vanilla, Pink Grapefruit, Mango, Watermelon, CocoaBean) to choose from there certainly is something for everybody. The packaging is what caught my eye at first, I love the designs on each tin. They show the flavour of the lip balm in writing and also in little cute illustrations. I was drawn towards Mango (my favourite)at first and it smells heavenly. Just like the fruit, I love the scent and its the one out of the five that I reach for the most. Being a tint don't expect too much from these on the lips, they give a small hint of colour which is to be expected. The darker shades like Cherry, Watermelon and Mango are more visible than the clear Vanilla and Cocoa Bean. The latter still smell amazing and for £2.99 you can't really go wrong with these at all. In the above picture I'm wearing my favourite shade Mango on my lips. The lighting wasn't the best when I was taking this particular picture so it is a tad bit lighter on the lips in person. In the lipbalm stakes, they don't beat my favourites from Nuxe and Korres. Don't get me wrong they do leave my lips nice and soft, but I find Nuxe and Korres lip products to be more nourishing which I need during the Winter months. I always have one of the Tin o' Tints in my makeup bag though as there great if you want to add a hint of colour to your lips on the go. I think one of these would make a nice stocking filler coming up to Christmas or if you wanted to add something small to a gift you already bought someone. Miners Cosmetics have quite a range of gorgeous products on their website so it's certainly worth checking it out.

What do you think of the Tint o' Tints? Have you tried them?

Laura<3

A Rather Eventful Day in Dublin

I had quite a eventful day yesterday, after work I decided to pop into town to meet Paddy. The weather wasn't the worst out, it was still freezing but with Winter upon us it's best not to let the bright days slip by. Last Sunday we were going to go to the Dublin which I haven't been to in years! They've opened up alot of new enclosures and made it bigger since my last time there so I've heard. Unfortunately the weather was horrendous on Sunday so we just didn't bother going in the end. After the long trek out to the Zoo yesterday, we found out the last entry was at 3pm and the whole place closed at 4pm. We arrived in Phoenix Park at 3.02pm so let's be honest I was a bit disappointed to say the least. I was kinda glad in the end though as we would of been rushing around the place with only an hour to see everything I guess. Of course we didn't want to leave right away after dragging all the way out there, so we took a stroll around the park. 

The Phoenix Park is massive, it's one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. If your ever in Dublin, I'd definitely recommend you visit! There's so much to see and the park is just full of history, I seriously don't think you'd get around it in day. I remember going on many a trip to this park when I was younger, I loved the forts and seeing the deers. Over the past couple of years they've also held concerts in the Phoenix Park and big International acts have played there. I personally haven't gone to any of the gigs but my brother went to see The Stone Roses last Summer and he said it was a great gig and they couldn't of chosen a better venue.

When we eventually got back into town I headed into some shops of course. Being a Thursday it meant late night shopping YAY! I headed to Easons were I picked up a couple of books as you can see. When I first saw that Lauren Conrad was coming out with a Beauty book I added it to my Wish List. I love her, not just because she was the star of The Hills but because she's made a name for herself since then. After flicking through this book once, I was sold and snapped it up. It contains step by step guides on how to create certain looks which I always find super helpful. The book itself is split in two halves, Prep and Play. Prep focuses on Skincare, Haircare, Finding Your Beauty etc, while the latter delves into Party Makeup, Nails, Everyday Hair and the like. I'm sure there's plenty of tips and tricks in this book so I can't wait to start reading it. The other books I picked up were on 3 for 2 which is always a good offer. I don't need to go into the reasoning behind buying Lauren Conrad's Starstruck. I've read the other books in her series so after buying her big Beauty Book I couldn't possibly leave this behind. What's Left Of Me was featured on alot of blogs lately so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about it. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into it soon. The Silver Linings Playbook just made up my 3for2, I was lost on what other book to get so I went for this in the end. I think is Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence signed up for the film adaption of this book it's bound to be good, isn't it? After a good browse in Easons we went into Arnott for a bit. The Ojon Shampoo/Conditioner Trade In Day was on, I brought in a empty Herbal Essence shampoo (Hello Hydration) and was given a free full size set of their Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner. I haven't tried anything from this brand yet so I'm excited to give these a go. Of course I'll a review up in due course. My boyfriend treated me to this gorgeous Philsophy Christmas Gift Set. It contains a showergel and a lipgloss in the scent Sugar Plum Fairy which smells amazing, I love it. The box the products come in is so pretty aswell and very festive indeed. Maybe a little early but I don't care, I love Christmas!

After what seemed like such a long day already, I rushed home to change out of my work clothes before heading back into town to see The Cribs gig in The Academy. I'm so glad I did as it was such a good night. I wouldn't know the bands stuff too much. my boyfriend is definitely the bigger fan out of the two of us. I do know a few songs though from mix tapes Paddy has made for me in the past so it was great when they played them. The Academy is a small intimate venue so it's always nice to go to concerts there now and again. The gig was all standing, which some people hate but I love as I find you get a much better view. After an hour & a half, dancing in the packed out Academy it was time to finally go home and go to sleep after such a long day. I'd definitely go to see The Cribs again the next time they play here as I had such an amazing time. Florence & the Machine is a little more than a month away so I  can't wait to go and see her perform next. It's a fancy dress concert which is definitely something different so I dunno what to expect from it. I need to start thinking of costume ideas so if you guys have any good ones let me know in the comments.

Laura<3

October Favourites

We are only six days into November and Christmas seems to be the word on everyones lips. Walking into work on Thursday I was surprised to see Christmas trees everywhere a day after Halloween ended. I love pretty decorations so I don't really mind, I already have my eye on a few in work. I also love when brands bring out their Winter collections, is it just me or are they all so pretty this year? I have a few bits and pieces I already want to get my hands on. I feel sorry for my bank card in advance, a little shopping trip could be on the cards. Imagine the next time I do a favourites video Christmas Day will be but a few weeks away, I'm so excited!! Something I'm not too excited about is Christmas shopping I have no idea what to buy anyone yet. During October I've accumulated up a number of favourites which I'm genuinely surprised. I keep the products I've been liking during the month in a large makeup bag, being busy with college all this month I wasn't expecting it to be full. I have so much products to show you guys that I had to take two seperate pictures, they just wouldn't fit into one.

For makeup, I have three products making the cut this month. I love Korres lip butters and I've been using the shade Plum alot lately. I'm not over my fear of bold lip colours yet so this is perfect for me. It's such a nice shade and with it being Winter, the shade fits in nicely with any makeup look. I've been using the Rimmel Scandaleyes eye liner in Black pretty much everyday throughout October. I bought a couple of different shades when they first launched in stores but this is definitely the one I reach for the most. I never use eyeliner pencils so I was really surprised I liked this to begin with. In the past whenever I applied eyeliner to my waterline my eyes water like crazy, there just super sensitive I guess. I just find this eyeliner is super soft so it doesn't irritate my eyes at all when I apply it. I really like the look you achieve with a little black eyeliner on the waterline so I'll definitely be repurchasing this when I run out. When it first came on the scene here in Ireland, I wasn't a 100% keen on the Vice Palette. I'm so glad I caved and bought it in the end though as I've been using it alot this month. If you didn't already know I dressed up as a Cat for Halloween, so I used a couple of the neutral shades and the black shadow to create the look I wanted to go for. I wish I had pictures to show you guys but unfortunately I don't. I know there's a few bright shades in this palette that you may think you'll never wear but I think there good to have as you never know when they may come in handy. I'm glad I bought this palette in the end and I may do some posts featuring some looks I'm come up with using it. My Mom got me Jo Malone's English Pear & Freesia in Duty-Free before she went on holidays back in September. I love this perfume, I'm terrible at describing fragrances but it basically has a really light pear scent which I can't get enough of. I've been using this literally everyday even though I really want to keep it up for special occasions it's just so nice. This is my second Jo Malone perfume and it sure won't be my last. I already have my eye on one of their Christmas sets, they look unbelieveable. All year round I love burning candles, one of my recent purchases was Red Velvet. Like the cupcake, this has a gorgeous sweet scent and it sticks around the room for ages. I would repurchase this again, only my Mom (who's the best) bought me Christmas Cookie (my favourite festive scent!). Currently on repeat on my Ipod is RED the latest album from the amazing Taylor Swift. If you haven't heard her new stuff I suggest you do, it's great. I like how she's always experimenting with her sound to reach a broader audience which you can certainly tell from her new album. I couldn't choose just one song I like from RED but Treacherous, Starlight and 22 are definitely standouts for me.

The second part of my favourites contains mostly haircare and a few other bits that I've been loving this month. Ever since Zoe featured the Tigi Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner in her Ombre Haircare Routine, I knew I wanted to try it. Firstly this stuff is very expensive, when I heard the price (€44) I was kinda unsure if I wanted it to splurge on it. My hair is probably delighted I did as it has never looked so good. Gone is the frizzy mess I once called my hair and in it's place is smooth glossy hair (Thanks Zoe!!!). I got so many lovely comments on my hair lately in work which hardly ever happens so I put it all down to using these two products. I literally wash my hair with these, quickly dry it with a hairdryer and if I'm in the mood I'll straighten it. The good thing I've found about this duo is that I find that I won't have to straighten my hair again until the next wash, it just stays nice and smooth. I'm going to do a full review post on this amazing duo in the next few weeks so I'm not going to talk to much about them.  When I'm in one of those moods were I don't want to straighten my hair I've been using the TreSemme Texture Style Divine Definition Spray . This does exactly what it says on the tin and gives my hair the Wow factor by adding a bit of body and texture to my hair. I've had quite the busy month in October with work and college so I like nothing more than to come home and chill. I've had Liz Earle's Foot Spritzer for a long time now and I always dig it out when I've been having one of those days. I know I hate talking about feet but this stuff is great. Not only does it smell amazing (very minty), but when you spray it on your feet it cools them down instantly leaving them nice and refreshed. My Mom is also a very big fan of this stuff so it's certainly worth trying out for yourself. My last favourite for October is The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub. I bought this and the body butter in the same scent when The Body Shop had their 2 for €30 deal on. There's no point in me rambling on about how good their scrub is as I've talked about them in past posts. This one is no different, it's a light creamy scrub that contains small granules that exfoliate the skin very well. The key thing that won me over is the scent, I love peaches so this was definitely a match made in heaven. I really enjoy using the body butter too, but I've getting more use out of this over the last month or so.

What have made it into your favourites for the month of October? Any products recommendations?

Laura<3

China Glaze All That Glitters Festive Set

I'm sure this will be the first of many festive posts, I know it's a bit early but I don't care cause I love Christmas. Winter is definitely my favourite season even though I have to admit I hate the cold. In the coming weeks I'm going to start a Christmas series like I did last year but until then I thought I'd start of by showing you one of my recent purchases. Like alot of people I pull out the glitter polishes the minute Winter is on our doorsteps. I have plenty as it is but that didn't stop me from picking up China Glaze's All That Glitters Nail Polish set on a recent shopping with my blogger friend Sian. I seriously love this girl's fashion blog, Forever Fabulous in Bows, I want her wardrobe!! We did do alot of shopping when we met up in town and I'm sure I'll have lots of reviews up on the goodies I bought soon.

Back to the product at hand the China Glaze set, I remember buying their minis set last year and I really liking it so I decided to snap one up this time around too. It wasn't quite a big splurge at around the €10 mark for four decent sized polishes it certainly wasn't breaking the bank at all. There is great choice in this set, with a red/gold glitter polish (Pure Joy), a multi coloured affair (Glitter All The Way) plus a gold (Angel Wings) and rose gold (Champagne Kisses)offerings. This wasn't the only mini set you could go for, I do believe there was another combination of colours too. As I only bought this set last week I've only tried one of the four polishes, the gold glitter offering Angel Wings. I'm not going to lie I wasn't too impressed with this one. Firstly the shade isn't all that, it's quite dull looking as you will see in the swatches below. I also find when the polish dries it leaves a very gritty finish on the nails. Saying that though I didn't use a Top Coat so this many fix the problem and it is a glitter polish so what did I really expect. I do really like this set though as all the shades are very festive so I'll definitely be on the hunt for a good topcoat to use with them. I wouldn't wear these without one as they do peel off the nails rather quick too, I got at least 2 days chip-free so it wasn't the worst I guess. I will do a few more posts featuring the other remaining polishes from the set letting you know how I got on with them. Sally's have a 3 for 2 on the majority of their Christmas sets at the moment so I may sneak in and by some more bits soon for Christmas presents and the like.

What do you think of this set? Is there any nail polishes you currently have your eye on?

Laura <3

Loreal Elnett Satin Heat Styling Sprays Launch

I've become big into haircare as of late, when you straighten your hair as much its a must. I've been using lots of shampoo and conditioners recently, two in particular stand out so I'll have a review up on them very soon. When a email arrived into my inbox inviting me to come along to the launch of the new Elnett Heat Styling Sprays in the Dylan Bradshaw Salon, I couldn't say no. I was in a bit of a rush to get there as I had to run straight from work but I'm glad I made it in the end. I had never been to the Dylan Bradshaw salon and boy is it beautiful as you'll see in the pictures below. The atmosphere is so nice and I'll certainly be popping in there again when I get paid. I may treat myself to a Christmas haircut at the end of the month. What everyone was there to see was the new Elnett Satin Heat Styling Sprays and they certainly didn't disappoint. I know branching out like this was quite a brave move as when you think Elnett, hairsprays come to mind but I can see these products doing very well.

We were talked through the new heat styling sprays which comes in three different variations, curly, straight and volume. I think this is a super idea as if you have dull flat straight hair everyday you could try the volume or curly options. The lovely Cheryl Cole is the face of the campaign and wow she looks amazing in the ad, I think after seeing it alot of people will want to try this stuff. Keep an eye out for it on your TV screens for sure. The styling sprays are said to lock out humidity and flyways aswell as holding your chosen style be it, curly, straight etc. for three day that remains to be seen for me. Alot of products state this and most of the time they don't deliver. I'll have to test out the products a bit more but straight off the bat after trying them in my hair at the launch, I do really like them and the next day in work alot of the girls commented on my hair. The packaging looks very luxurious and the formula itself is very lightweight so it didn't weigh my hair down. The lovely stylist Sinead was looking after me for the evening and after explaining to her a bit about my hair (alot of hair but quite fine), she told me the style she'd like to go for. The look we went for was alot of volume on top with lots of lovely loose curls. In my hair she used the Loreal EverPure range which I may pick up for myself soon as I actually quite liked it. It doesn't contain any nasty ingredients either which can only mean good things for my hair. After washing my hair Sinead took all the heavy wet out of my hair and sectioned it off while using a couple of sprays of the volume heat styling spray. The hard bit started then, putting all the barrel brushes in my hair to make the curls. I wish I had of taken of photo of this as I literally had about 10 brushes in my hair but I couldn't be happier with the finished look. I wish I could achieve this look at home, I know it won't be easy but I'm still going to try to recreate it soon. The Heat Styling Sprays have already launched instores in the UK and Ireland so they shouldn't be too hard to find. At €8.99 I don't think there too pricey at all, I actually want to pick up the volume option the next time I'm in Boots.

In breezy old Dublin, I'm already all wrapped up for Winter!

What do you think of the new Loreal Elnett Heat Styling Sprays? Will you be trying them yourself?

Laura<3

October Empties

I can't believe there's only two month left in 2012 is it just me or has this year gone by in a blink of an eye. Sorry for the lack of posts during the last month, blogging has seriously taken a back seat since I started college. October has flown by and I can't believe were into November already, the cold weather has really hit us in Ireland it's freezing out!! Even though I feel like my hands are ready to fall off with the cold, I love this time of year. I've already dug out all my Winter woolies, I can't get enough of wearing beanie hats right now. I've seen a few bits on Asos that I want to pick up so don't be surprised if you see a fashion post very soon. Empties wise during October I didn't finish too much, I think with college and work I'm surprised I have anything to show you.

I'm going to start off with the smelly products e.g shower gel, deodorant etc I finished this month. I'm not going to spend too much time on the deodorant as they do pop up in alot of my empties posts. Out of the two I prefer Sure Bright (pink canister) but at the end of the day they both do the same job. Like everyone else I just like to carry them around in my bag so I always repurchase at least one of these!! The shower gel I finished this month is Korres Vanilla Cinnamon shower gel. Wow this smells absolutely amazing! I know their shower gels can be a bit on the pricey side but they don't contain any nasty chemicals and I find them quite moisturing too. I love Vanilla and Cinnamon so this was definitely a match made in heaven! During October I also finished one of my favourite fragrances, Couture Couture by Juicy. This is the second bottle I've gone through and I love this stuff. It's such a nice wearable scent and my favourite out of the other Juicy Couture fragrances. I know this perfume is pretty expensive so I may hold out a while to repurchase it. I really want to try Viva La Fleur soon, I seen it while I was shopping the other day and it looks lovely.

Again I finished alot of micellar solutions this month. I can't get enough of the stuff since I stopped using face wipes a while ago. The only problem I have with them is that I fly through bottles in a blink of an eye. I must at least two bottles a month or something along those lines. I'm a big fan of Vichy's micellar solutions, I think there great. I prefer their Calming Cleansing option to take eye makeup off aswell as using it to take my foundation off. On the other hand I wouldn't use their Normaderm Micellar Solution anywhere near my eyes, it makes them sting so badly and wasn't a pleasant experience at all. I finally tried the much talked about Bioderma and I have to say I really liked it. It's great for taking off heavy eye makeup and the like. I wouldn't go as far as saying it took all my makeup off with one cotton pad, I'd say four! That said I could see myself buying this again soon, now all I need to do is find a good Ebay seller. Lastly from skincare is Lush's Ocean Salt Facial Scrub. This was the first time I tried this scrub and it definitely won't be my last. Firstly it smells amazing, one of those products I could sit around smelling all day and it's not because it contains vodka. The scrub itself is quite harsh so I wouldn't recommend it to people that have very sensitive skin. This one pot last me ages so I may treat myself to the bigger tub the next time I'm at Lush.

My one and only makeup empty this month is Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer. This may look full but I've been scratching the insides of this very tube out for days. I wasn't a big fan of the foundation of the same name but I love this stuff, I've already bought two back ups while the Boots 3 for 2 was on. I mainly use this under my eyes to make them look alive in the morning. Hard to do at 7am I can tell you but for me this stuff works amazingly well. I use the shade Ivory which is the perfect match for me. I do think Rimmel should bring out more shades as there's only four to choose from at the moment which is quite shabby indeed. It states on the tube that you can use this on blemishes but I haven't, so I can't really judge on that. I'll try the next time I use it and let you know.

What have you finished up this month? Have you tried any of the products above?

Laura<3