FOTD #1 - Bourjois

Bourjois is one of those brands that always comes out with new products that excite me. I already have my eye on a couple of their Rouge Edition lippies.

In the picture below is a makeup look I've come up with using only Bourjois products and I really like it. I think this look would definitely be glam enough to take you from work to a night on the town. My favourite products from the bunch are the Healthy Mix foundation* and Colour Edition 24HR cream eyeshadow*. The latter just gives the perfect smokey eye when blended out into crease while the foundation leaves you with a nice glow, perfect for those early mornings. Healthy Mix foundation is one of my favourite foundations from the brand followed closely by their Happy Light foundation. I was a bit unsure of the shade as it is a little dark but I think it would be perfect with a bit of tan so I'll definitely be using this one. On top of the cream eyeshadow I used the Smokey Eyes trio and the Light Concentrate de Lumiere for highlighting my brow bone. For mascara I used their Coup de Theatre 2 in 1 mascara, I've never tried any of their mascaras before and I was really impressed with this stuff. My eyelashes are quite long as it is but this mascara gives them that oomph factor.   To finish off the look I used their Effet 3D Gloss from their Summer collection in the shade 49 Rose Pacific which contains an spf and is apparently waterproof, I haven't put the latter claim to the test but we'll see how that goes.

What products from Bourjois are you a fan of so I can add them to my wishlist??

Laura<3

Ultimate Girl's Day Out & Giveaway

This weekend is the annual Ultimate Girl's Day Out in the RDS Dublin. Held in the Main Hall, the event brings together a host of popular brands under the one roof, including Benefit Cosmetics, E45 and Scholl to name but a few. There will be talks from some of my favourite authors as well as Catwalk Shows that will be showcasing all of the latest fashion trends of the moment. Being the seventh year running it's sure to be bigger better than ever they always have amazing offers, I can't wait to find a good bargain.

The event itself is sponsored by Gilette Venus and No7. The latter is one of my favourite brands from Boots and I always  make a beeline for their counter when they give out their vouchers. There's also going to be fabulous competitions to look forward  to on the day. The 1st 1,000 people through the doors each  day will also receive a fab goodie bag aswell.

I'm heading along over the weekend with my Mom so hopefully I see some of you there. If you and a friend would like to go along on the day I'm giving away 2 tickets over on my Instagram (@allmadeup21).

Are you going to the Ultimate Girl's Day Out? Have you been before?

Laura<3

Benefit Hydrating Lip Balms.

Benefit Cosmetics have done it again for me. I'm a big fan of lip products as you probably all well know already and I was really excited to see the launch of their new hydrating lip balms. There's four shades to choose from, Bene Balm, Lolli Balm, Cha Cha Balm and Posie Balm. I'm lucky to have three of the four shades to show you guys. First off I have to say I'm a huge fan of this brand, I adore their packaging. In true Benefit style this particular release does not disappoint, they look sleek and uber fun. Cha Cha Balm is a coral shade, while Posie Tint is a sheer baby pink shade. My favourite though has to be Bene Balm it's a nice rosie red on the lips and definiely shows up alot more than the other two balms.  I can still see myself using all three as they are hydrating on the lips and with the Winter months ahead can see myself use them alot.

 I like the idea that these lip balms can be used on top of their coinciding tint or on their own for a hint of colour. At the moment  Bene Balm has a permanent spot in my makeup bag and has definitely become a firm staple of mine. At €21.50 these lip balms are a steal, I think I may even treat myself to Lolli tint in the near future.

What lip balm do you have your eye on?

Laura<3

Brand Love: Alex and Ani

The last few months have been pretty hard for me. In June I lost a family member who was really close to my heart. I know alot of people out there find it difficult to remain positive, I can definitely put my two hands up to that. I have such an amazing support around me who have stuck with me through the good and bad times. It's been a struggle at times but now I know there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

My good friend from college, Serena introduced me to the Alex and Ani range in May and I've become a huge fan of their pieces. Serena actually has a blog to you can check it out here. All their pieces are blessed in America when they are made. The brands ethos is to live consciously whilst turning a lifestyle brand into away of life. I'm all for positive energy at the moment and I really like the idea behind this brand. I've already bought quite a few of their bangles as you can see from the picture above. They come packaged in beautiful sleek black boxes which I store them in at night. There's a different meaning behind each symbol which I myself really like the idea of.

The five symbols I have are as follows

Starfish = Vigilance. Intuition. Ability

The star of the sea symbolises guidance, intuition and vigilance. It's said that when you were this you're given guided direction and a sense of potential. I bought this cause I love the sea and swimming, so when I look at this bangle it reminds me of that. Aquarians are known as water carriers so it definitely is appropriate that I love water!!

Birthstone

My birthday is the 15th of February, I know I was a couple of hours short of being a Valentine's Day baby. My favourite colour is purple so it was pretty apt that my birthstone is amethyst, which is a mixture of violet and red. The stone itself represents courage and inner strength, seems just about right.

Everything Happens For a Reason

This is obviously self explanatory in itself. I do believe everything happens for a reason in life but I know aswell that sometimes things happen in life that we can't control even if we'd like to. Sure if you get thrown a hard ball you have to hit it out of the park. There's so many exciting things in store in life and the future is always brighter than what it may seem at times.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life represents strong roots, consistent growth and fruition. It also acknowledges the strong bond between mankind and mother earth. I really enjoy being out and about, I'm not one for staying in and moping around so I fell in love with this the minute I saw.

Seven Swords = Love.Radiance.Strength

The seven swords represent the seven archangels, when you wear it your meant to find a inner love for yourself.

I have a feeling my obsession with this brand may continue for a while. I've already seen their Disney collection online and I have a couple of pieces I want to get. Pity the postage is extortionate, $60 to Ireland if you were wondering. The bangles differ in price, the ones I bought myself range from €26 to around the €35 mark.

Have you become obsessed with Alex and Ani like me? If so let me know what pieces you've acquired? 

Laura<3

Real Techniques Roadshow!

Yesterday I met none other than the Pixiwoo sisters (queue fan girl moment), Sam and Nic. Anyone who looks at YouTube beauty videos will know these two well known beauty gurus. They were in Dublin's Boots in Jervis street for their much anticipated Real Techniques Road Show. The girls are a real success story and just shows the power of social media. I've always been a huge fan of the girls and really enjoy watching their beauty tutorials as who doesn't want to look like their fave celeb. I know I've gotten quite a few tips and tricks from their videos that's for sure.

I headed for a ramble around town with my Dad and popped into the Jervis centre to see the girls. I absolutely loved Nic's outfit, I definitely need to find out where she got it from. Of course I left my old Dad a little on the embarrassed side as I dragged him into the photo with me. I picked up the Real Techniques Retractable lip brush and makeup sponge on the day as I know I'll get plenty of use out of both items. As I picked up makeup brush on the day I was eligible to the free gift they were giving out on the day which was there amazing buffing brush. I have to say it is my go to makeup brush and I use it to apply my makeup everyday.

I can't wait to pick up Nic's makeup brush kit when it launches in October, it can't come quick enough.

Did anyone of you go to the Real Techniques Roadshow?

Laura<3

Our Fabulous Day Out in Powerscourt!

I love Summertime in Ireland but one thing you can't rely on too much is the weather. I heard predictions of horrible rainy weather but that wasn't a problem today as it turned out to be a scorcher out. Seeing as it was so nice out, Paddy and I decided to take a bit of an adventure and headed to Powerscourt. We both hadn't been in years so we couldn't wait to go. Considering neither of us drive yet the best way for us to get to Powerscourt was on one the City Sight Seeing buses. If your ever in Dublin you won't miss them as they are bright red in colour and there pretty easy to spot from a mile away. The route to Powerscourt was great as it took you through Dublin and showed you different landmarks, even though Paddy and I are born and bred in Dublin we still find things like this really interesting as you can miss out on small little things like this when you live in a city all the time. The journey to Powerscourt took roughly 30/40mins which for me personally is time well spent as the views once you get there are breathtaking! On the driveway up to Powerscourt, we passed the Powerscourt Hotel Resort which is the most beautiful hotel I've ever seen! I'd love to stay there sometime but I'm guessing it would cost an arm and a leg.

Our tour guide was such a lovely lady and super friendly, we arrived in Powerscourt at 3.30pm and she let us wander around for two hours taking in all the sights. I put all my favourite pictures from the day up above as you can see we definitely had a beautiful day for it! My highlight from Powerscourt has to be hands down, the Japanese Gardens which you can see a bit of in the top picture! It was so nice and peaceful, I could of sat and sunbathed there forever! I also got to pull out my sunnies for the first that Paddy bought me, there pink and yellow what's not to love! There was actually a wedding taking place while we were there so there was alot of well dressed people walking around the gardens and lovely classical music playing. By far the weirdest thing I seen was the pet cemetery, soo creepy I couldn't deal!! It's hard to believe that Powerscourt used to be somebodies house and gardens, unreal if you ask me! I thoroughly love the place and I'll be heading back soon to check out the waterfall, apparently it's seperate to the bus tour so another day out to Powerscourt is certainly on the cards. If your looking for a place to go on a day out to if you ever visit Dublin, I'd definitely recommend hopping on one of the City Sight Seeing buses, Paddy and I are already looking into our next trip!

Did you get up to anything nice over the weekend so far??

Laura<3

New lovely launches from Gosh Cosmetics!

 Back in my secondary school days Gosh Cosmetics was always a brand that I was drawn in by. I must of had nearly all their lipglosses at one stage and I was forever dragging my Mum into every shop I seen their stand in. I was given the chance to try two new products from the brand so of course being a big fan already I was pretty excited.

First up of the new releases is their CC Cream Illuminating Foundation. Straight off the bat I'm in love with this stuff!! Working at 9am every morning means I want a makeup routine that's quick and easy, needless to say this CC Cream fits in perfectly. I apply this all over my skin with finished off with a light dusting of Soap & Glory's One Heck Of A Blot and Benefit's Hervana blush and I'm ready to take on the world! This CC cream just gives you a gorgeous natural health glow! Even though this CC cream is described as being light coverage, it still fades out all my skin imperfections. For someone like me who may not have been jumping on the CC cream band wagon initially, I'd definitely consider giving this one a shot. The shade I was sent to review was '03 Sand' which wouldn't be the perfect match for my skin but with a little bit tan this would be perfect for me. I can definitely see myself using this alot over the Summer as a replacement for my heavier foundations. It's nice and light which will be great under the harsh lights in work and of course on the beach on sunny days. At €13.99 I do believe this is money well spent as a little definitely goes a long way. I'm considering even going into McCabes myself and picking it up in a lighter shade on payday.

Next up we have the Gosh Prime n' Refresh Illuminating Eye Roll-On, another product that is a handy addition to anyones makeup bag. I some times tend to neglect eye creams in my everyday routine but now that I'm 24 I definitely think their a welcome addition. Not that I have loads of fine lines yet but it's better to start using them earlier then later. I love putting this under my eyes before I go to work if I'm feeling a bit on the sleepy side of things. It works perfectly beneath my under eye concealer and definitely makes me look a little fresher if that's even possible at 7am on a weekday morning. Even though this is quite a small tube I know I'll get a quite a while out of it. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I've seen it instantly tighten my under eye area but it definitely leaves them looking brighter which in turn makes me look wide awake and ready for the day ahead.

What are your favourites from Gosh Cosmetics?

Laura<3

Flora Women's Mini Marathon 2014

Yesterday I took part in my 2nd Flora Women's Mini Marathon, I was unsure if I was going to take part until the last minute as I lost a close family member early yesterday morning. Having trained hard for the big day I know deep down she would of wanted me to power through and do it. The weather was just right on the day, I was worried it was going to lash rain but that wasn't that wasn't the case.

The charity I supported for the second year running is Friends of St Luke's which raises much needed funds for St Luke's Hospice in Rathgar. It's not a well known charity so I love giving them my support every year. This year I was also a part of Team Herald which was really exciting. The Herald is a national paper here in Ireland and in early March they were looking for people to take part in the Marathon as a part of their team. I put myself forward and I was so surprised when they emailed me back saying that I was going to be there fast jogger. At first I didn't think I'd be able to fill those big boots but after training hard for the past few weeks I knew I could do it. I have to say a special thanks to both the mentors Louise Heraghty and Ruth Scott for their help and words of wisdom along the way. I also can't forget to thank both the Elvery's Power Team and the Flora Women's Mini Marathon office. I definitely enjoyed running the Marathon with The Herald, it was definitely a great experience that I will remember.

Last year I finished the Mini Marathon in 1hr 13mins and this year I finished in 1hr 4mins which I was delighted with I definitely had an angel looking down on me.The route of the Marathon changed slightly this year due to the Luas works in Stephen's Green and I found it almost a little tougher even though it's the same distance which was a little odd I guess. I always feel a huge sense of achievement when I complete a 10km cause it's no easy feat. I still get a little nervous everytime I start one. If you haven't taken part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon before I'd definitely look into doing it next year as it is really good fun! I know a couple of other bloggers took part in it too so I hope they had an amazing day and raised plenty of money for their charity. Next up I hope to complete a half marathon, the Rock n' Roll Dublin Marathon looks like so much fun so who knows I might do that in August.

Have you ever taken part in a marathon? Is it something you'd like to do??

Laura<3

Running with Team Herald for the Mini Marathon!!

Sorry guys for the serious lack of posts over the last couple of weeks,I've been super busy in work and life has seriously gotten in the way of things. Don't worry I'm back again, I've really missed blogging and sharing my favourite gems with you all. I also have pretty exciting news that I want to tell you guys. As you can see from the title of this post I'm going to be running the Flora's Womens Mini Marathon in June. Last year I took part and I jogged it in a time of 1hr 13mins which I was over the moon about. I wrote a post about my experience on the day and if you ever are considering signing up for the Marathon I'd definitely say go for it. It's such a wonderful day out and the rush you get when you see the finish line is unreal. I know it was a huge accomplishment for me.

A couple of weeks back reading the Evening Herald, I seen a blurb saying they were looking for people to run the Marathon with the Evening Herald. I applied for it, never in a million years thinking that I'd hear back. Last Wednesday after work I got a email from the lovely Dee telling me that they'd love me to be a member of Team Herald. Not going to lie I was in shock, when I sent my email in I didn't think anything else of it and hearing that I got it completely blew my mind. My family and friends were really delighted for me as they know how hard I've worked over the past two years. My goal for this years Mini Marathon is to beat my time from last year which I guess is on everyones mind. After getting the phonecall everything happened so quickly, I had some pictures taken and a telephone interview which happened in just two days. On Tuesday I picked up the paper to see my story in there which was really surreal. I put it up on my personal Facebook page and within a day it had 100 likes which was a bit overwhelming to see how supportive my friends are. To get such amazing feedback really made my day! I'm in the Fast Jogger category which is a bit daunting but I know if I train well and right I should do just fine.

I hope some people draw inspiration from my story and it helps them. I know weight is such a personal topic and I know back before I started Slimming World it never effected me but I still wasn't too keen on talking about it. As I have 11 weeks to go until the big day I've started training, with the weather being so bad in Ireland I've been going to the gym quite a bit but when the weather gets better I hope to go jogging around my area. I got a pretty good app called Map My Run on my phone which I feel will help alot. I also want to buy the Now That's What I Call Running CD, I seen it in HMV last week and I love listening to good music when I'm jogging so this will be perfect. I'll be doing updates every week until the Mini Marathon in June so if you guys get to read the articles definitely tweet me and let me know! I'll be putting links up on Twitter regardless so don't worry if you miss them. This is another exciting new chapter for me and I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for all the support so far, you guys are truly amazing,

Laura<3

Maybelline Volum' Express Big Eyes Mascara

When I first saw this mascara being launched Stateside I couldn't wait to see it hit our shores. On a trip to Boots in early February while I was having a browse on my lunch from work I spotted this beaut on the stand. I'm so glad it has finally been released over here as it is quickly becoming my favourite mascara.

Why do I think this mascara is amazeballs? It contains not one but two brushes one for my upper and one for my lower lashes. I'm not one for lashing mascara on my lower lashes as I think it can sometimes be a little OTT unless I'm heading out on the town, that's another story completely. The mini mascara brush reminds me so much of Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara, it just looks really natural and is perfect for everyday. I'm lucky to have pretty long eyelashes but they are ridiculously straight, oh to have everything. After curling my lashes, I apply to coats of Big Eyes mascara and not only does it give that extra oomph of volume my lashes need but it also holds a curl for pretty much the whole day. I couldn't really ask for anything more from this mascara. The last Maybelline mascara I was really impressed with was their Mega Plush mascara, this one definitely knocks it out of the park. Big Eyes is also really easy to remove I've been using Garnier's new Micellar Cleansing Water which I can't rave about enough, literally soak two cotton pads with the stuff and voila the mascara is on. No panda eyes in sight!

In all my recent Instagram selfies (let's not lie we're all guilty of them!), I've been using this mascara. It's definitely my most reached for mascara at present. I love how you can need a couple of strokes and your ready to go for the day. I don't see this being hit off its perch for a while. I'd definitely recommend checking it out the next time you take a much needed shopping trip to Boots. They are also running their 3 for 2 on beauty products at the moment so there's no excuse not to pick up this gem.

Have you tried Maybelline's new offering? What do you think?

Laura<3

New Goodies from Lush for Valentine's Day 2014

Valentine's Day is a day I always look forward to every year. Not only cause it's a romantic holiday but because it means it's exactly 1 day until my birthday. That's right on Saturday the 15th I'll turn the grand old age of 24!! I love having my birthday so close to Valentine's Day as I love going to super cheesy romantic movie releases. Have to say the big movie companies never disappoint as they always bring out something romantic on my birthday without fail. Anyone remember the movie Valentine's Day with cameos from numerous different A-list stars including Taylor Swift? I went to see that on Valentine's Day when it was released. Man I can't believe that movie came out 4 years ago just shows how times flies. This year I'm planning on going to see Endless Love which stars the very handsome Alex Pettyfer. Paddy and I are going to see either next Friday or Saturday I think so I'm really looking forward to it. I also love how beauty brands bring out limited edition products for Valentine's Day. This year Lush really wowed me with their new products releases for this romantic holiday. A brand that I've been a huge fan of for years, I love when Lush bring out limited edition collections as they are always right down my street. I usually end up picking up everything on payday so I can't say my bank balance is overjoyed about that.

Last week I got a chance to go into Lush's Grafton Street store to talk a bit about the products. This is definitely my favourite store to visit as it's really spacious and the staff are really knowledgeable about their products which for me shows how much they believe in them. There is nothing worse than going into a shop and the person not knowing anything about the products their trying to sell. I always enjoy popping into the store and of course I always leave with a tiny Lush bag full of purchases. This years Valentine's Day collection includes lots of amazing bath and body products that were inspired by the romantic love songs and the movie Cocktail which starred the hunk that is Tom Cruise from the 80's. I love hearing the inspiration behind each product as I find it super interesting. When you go into your local Lush expect alot of vibrant and fun products. I wouldn't leave it too long though as I presume it being a Valentine's Day collection it could be gone by March.

I know a sure winner from this years collection will be the Love Locket bath bomb. If you break this bath bomb in half you'll find a tiny heart inside which means you can get three baths out of this one product or if you want to treat yourself you can throw the whole lot in. If it was my decision I'd probably opt for the later for a nice pampering treat. I'm not go into too much detail about this product as I want you to get a surprise when you try it yourself. My favourite product from this lovely collection has to be the Prince Charming Shower gel. If you've read any of my past Lush posts you'll have heard me rant about the fact that I don't have a bath in my house. This means that I can never use Lush bath products which is pretty annoying considering there is such an amazing selection to choose from. However this year they've brought out Prince Charming and I have to say I'm in love. This product contains a lot of nourishing ingredients such as marshmallow root and pomegranate juice which gives it a really nice sweet scent. I also have to take a second and appreciate the fact that it's neon pink, like who wouldn't be happy to get this for Valentine's Day or like me treat yourself to it. This shower gel for me is up their with Snow Fairy, if it was available all year round I'd definitely repurchase it. I've already asked Paddy to buy me the big bottle of this for my Valentine's Day/Birthday present so fingers crossed he remembers to pick one up.

If you prefer to take the fuss out of searching for a Valentine's Day gift, Lush also have a great collection of prewrapped gifts to choose from. They've brought out three in particular for Valentine's Day, Toucan Love, Neon Love and Lots of Love. These gift boxes are such as great idea for someone who maybe doesn't have the time to browse through all the products Lush has to over or if their a busy bee with work and need a last minute gift fast. All the gift boxes come in at different price points too so there's something to suit anyones budget. I'm loving the Lots of Love box, not only cause it's purple my favourite colour but cause it comes in a reusable box. I like the idea of how when you finish your products inside you have somewhere new to store stuff. Lots of Love contains a mixture of bath and body products so it's a good way to try the new Valentine's Day goodies and get familiar with the brand.

Has anything caught your eye from this years Valentine's Day Collection?

Laura<3

My 2014 Goals!

I can't believe we're already a bit over a week into 2014, 2013 was such an amazing year for me and I feel like I accomplished so many of my goals that I set out for myself last year, seven out of nine which isn't too bad! The standouts are graduating college, travelling, maintaining my weight loss and taking part in the Mini Marathon. I do find it good to set out mini goals in the New Year as opposed to one big resolution as there more realistic, for me anyways! I have a few goals jotted down for this year so I though I'd share them with you guys!

Go Travelling
Ever since I finished secondary school I've always wanted to travel the world. Loads of little things always seem to get in the way so I'm hoping 2014 is the year that I hop on a plane and just do it. There's two destinations I'd love to visit, Canada and Australia. I guess the dream is to go over and work for a couple of months, of course I want to visit alot of different cities while I'm there too. I think like everyone I would be nervous about being in a huge city unknown to me but I guess that is a part of the fun of going travelling, it's all a big adventure. Everyone I've talked to that upped sticks and went travelling rave about the experience so hopefully this year is my year to enjoy it too. Paddy and I already have a couple of holidays in the works so you'll definitely see upcoming posts on them for sure. I love reading back over all my old holiday posts, it's so nice to have something to look back on.

Go to the Gym more than once a week!
I love going to the gym but like anyone I find it really hard to find the time to go. I signed up for a yearly membership back in November and I can probably count on two hands the amount of time I've gone. During 2014 I'm going to set myself a goal to go more than once a week be it going to classes or just working out for 40 minutes after work. I definitely think this is achievable so I'm not really too worried. I've already gotten a program from the gym so I'm hoping that makes things a little easier.

Three 10km Runs in 3 months
Last year I took part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon, I really enjoyed the whole experience and to finish the race in 1 hour and 13 minutes was one of my biggest accomplishments to date. It took alot of work and dedication to get fit for the big day and I want to do even more this year. Starting now, I'm going to train for three 10km runs which take place in April, May and June. I know it's going to take alot of work e.g blood, sweat and tears, but it will be all worth it in the end. I'm going to try to jog a couple of times a week with my work buddy Alison. We trained for the Mini Marathon together last year and it was so much fun. One of the runs is on in Manchester so I can't wait to run that! I'm already trying to convince my Aunty Val to do this years Mini Marathon with me as I know she always wanted to do it.

Learn to Drive and finally get a Car!

One thing I really want to do this year is to learn how to drive. I've always wanted to have my own car and go wherever the wind may take me. I seriously don't know why it has taken me so long to learn. I'm going to book in to do my theory test in January so hopefully I pass that and start doing some lessons. I've already started looking at cars I want to buy. I'm thinking either a Nissan Micra or a Volkswagen Polo so fingers crossed the theory test goes well.

Learn a new language!
I was big into languages in school, Irish and French were two of my favourite subjects. Fast forward five years and learning languages has definitely fallen by the wayside so I'm hoping to change things in 2014. I've always wanted to learn Spanish so I'm hoping to take a beginners course in that, who knows by this time next year I could be fluent. One of my favourite cities is Barcelona, so it would be really cool to go over there on holidays and be able to speak the language.

Be Positive!
Last and definitely not least is Be-Positive. I do find myself sometimes feeling down over things that don't really warrant much of my thoughts or my time. I must admit one of my main faults is being an over thinker which for me is definitely not a good thing. 2014 is the year that I'm going to remind myself to breath, take 10 seconds and chill out. At the end of the day nothing is ever as bad as it initially seems.

2013 was certainly good to me and I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store!

Laura<3