The Lo Down - What I Got for my 27th Birthday!

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Last week I celebrated my 27th birthday, it was so nice to spend some quality time with my family and boyfriend during the week. I got some lovely gifts and I was so spoiled. I'm going to show you guys what I got on the day.

From my parents I received a Marc Jacobs perfume set. I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs perfumes so I was so happy with this gift, it was so thoughtful of them. The scent they got me is called Decadence and it's the latest fragrance from the brand. It came in a beautiful giftbox with a shower gel that I can't wait to to use. I love this gift and I can see this becoming my signature scent.

From my boyfriend I got a couple of gifts. Firstly he got me Season 2,3 and 4 of Once a Upon a Time. A T.V series that I'm really enjoying at the moment I watch it every night before I go to bed I love it. I can't wait to get stuck into these. I like nothing more than cuddling up in my pyjamas and watching this show. I'm actually going to do a review on Season 1 really soon. He also got me a Harry Potter Hogwarts Crest Light. He knows I'm a big fan of Harry Potter so this was the most perfect gift. I'm trying to find somewhere nice to put it in my room at the minute.

Of my sister, Lisa I received the new Nicholas Sparks book, Two by Two which I can't wait to read as I like this author alot. If you don't recognise the name he is actually the write behind much loved book/film The Notebook. If you haven't read/seen this it's definitely a tear jerker so don't forget the tissues, they're much needed. As she knows I love blogging and jotting down my ideas on the go so she bought me a beautiful notebook from Penneys/Primark. I love it she knows me way too well. Lastly she bought me Catrice's Matt Plush foundation. I'm a big fan of this brands foundations so I can't wait to try this one.

From my brother Gerard I got five scratchcards and I luckily won €25 which was great. I bought a few Loreal products which you can see in the picture above. These are just newly launched and they look great so I will be testing them out very soon.

My Nanna and Grandad gave me a beautiful card with €40 in it which was much needed and I got some lovely stuff in Penneys. They also bought me a beautiful Yankee candle in the scent Cappuchino Truffle. This candle smells amazing. Yankee Candles are definitely my favourite candles ever. I have nowhere to put it at the moment in my room but I'm going to take a trip to IKEA soon to pick up a new desk.

Lastly my Auntie Val got me JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Screenplay. I love Harry Potter so I know I'm definitely going to love this. I haven't seen the movie so I'm looking forward to reading this first.

So that's what I got for my birthday I got some amazing presents so I'm very thankful indeed.

Laura<3

What I Got For Christmas - The 2012 Edition!

Christmas time has come and gone already, now we have New Years to look forward to. Before I get too ahead of myself I thought I'd show you guys some of the gifts I got over Christmas. I wasn't expecting so much this year, I'm so delighted with everything I got. This year was definitely the year of haircare bits and candles! As you probably all know the weather has been horrible lately, gloomy and wet comes to mind, so I had to use the flash in some of the pictures below hope you don't mind too much.

My parents bought me the Remington Pro Volume Heated Brush, this was my surprise gift and I hadn't been expecting it at all. I've used it twice since I got it and so far so good, I love it! It give my hair a extra boost and a salon like finish. I feel it also leaves my hair less frizzy and alot more sleek. My sister and brother both picked me up some Yankee Candles so I'm stocked up on my all time favourites, Christmas Cookie and Christmas Cupcake for a while to come. If you haven't tried either of these scents I recommend them both, even though they are in fact Christmas candles I'd happily burn them all year round. I know most of the festive Yankee Candle stock goes on stock around this time so it's definitely worth popping into your local store to see if you can pick them up for a relatively cheaper price. From experience I know these candles can be ridiculously expensive. so all these will definitely last me well in 2013. Before I finishing ranting about Yankee Candles I better mention the one my Mom gave me, it would be rude to leave it out. It's their Chocolate Layer Cake candle which is from the new Eat Deserts First range (crazy name I know) . It smells amazing, if chocolatey scents aren't your thing then this definitely isn't going to be one for you. Another thing that I love about this candle is the gorgeous packaging, the nicely trimmed lid makes it look like something you'd find in a Bakery. Besides beauty products, I also got alot of new books to read. I love nothing more than sitting down with a good book over the Winter months, what else would I be doing in this horrible weather! I got a good assortment of books which you'll see below that I'm really happy with. I love the Pretty Little Liars series so I was delighted that I received the prequel, can't wait to start reading this soon. I've wanted to start doing book reviews for ages so let me know if it's something you'd be interested in.

My boyfriend bought me some gorgeous beauty bits which I can't wait to start using sometime soon. For ages I had my eye on the Chanel Holiday Collection eyeshadow quad and I was talking about it none stop, when we were out shopping last month he definitely picked up on the hints! The cranberry shade is so pretty and I can see myself using this alot. I don't have too many Chanel products (maybe one or two at the most) so I'm happy to add this to my collection. He also got me the One Direction concert dvd!! I'm a big fan of their music so I'm looking forward to watching this! My favourite member of the band is Niall, I just don't see all the fuss surrounding Harry at all to be honest. I didn't really get clothes as such for Christmas but I did get a lovely bag (from Mom and Dad) and Wintery boots (from Nan). I haven't taken the latter off since I got them, there just so comfy and they make me that extra bit taller which I need.

I got a few nice bits for my room from my Aunt and Uncle. I'm in love with the perfume bottle, it has a really old fashioned feel about it. I can tell already that this is going to be one of those items which will take pride of place on my dresser, I'm already making room for it. They also bought me these gorgeous storage boxes. I love the black and white design, I don't have a theme in my room at all so these fit in really nicely. I've put some makeup products in them already that I want to review soon. Lastly I exchanged gifts with my International Youtube friend Chie, she sent me over some gorgeous products from the States. I love how both sets she sent me are collaborations with two of my favourite Disney movies, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. I've used EOS lip balms before and I love them so I can't wait to try out these three. She also sent me over three Bath & Body Works Festive minis which all smell amazing. We need to get one of these stores over in Ireland soon!

This is a way bigger post than I expected it to be so I'm going to do a individual post showing you all what I bought in the Post Christmas Sales. I didn't buy too much so I assure you it won't be as long as this one.

Was Santa good to you this year? What did you get for Christmas?

Laura<3

Christmas Gift Ideas #2 - Custom Gift Boxes

When picking a Christmas gift for somebody, the list of possible gifts you could get them is endless. I always find that I'm torn between two or three gifts that I know the person in question would love. Instead of forking out a tonnes of money I've found myself in recent years building up little gift bags for people. I always think they work really well, last year I put together a small custom gift bag for my sister, Lisa that she loved. She still always carries around the makeup bag with her essentials in it, I'm glad to know that the gift is something that she loved and is well used. I've decided to do the same this year for a couple of people. I usually start by buying a makeup bag from Penneys/Marks & Spencers. This year I've decided to do something a little different and use a gift box instead. These are so easy to come across, I know they do really nice ones in Next and Paperchase which are worth having a look at.

Here is a little gift box I made up to show you guys, you can add more or less depending on how much you want to spend. I'm buying small gifts for people this year as opposed to spending alot as I feel you always put more thought into things and it's a personal. One of the gifts (can you guess which one?) above are actually for one of my family members I hope she's not reading this now. I'm in love with the Soap & Glory eyeshadow palette, they haven't brought out something like this before and the shade range is gorgeous. With a price under the €25 mark, I'm half tempted to go out and buy one myself soon as they are not too expensive either. I think this would be a lovely gift even by itself all wrapped up! Another gift I think anyone would be happy with in a gift box would be The Body Shop body butters. If you can get your hands on the miniature body butters, they would fit in really nicely to any gift box. My favourites at the moment are Chocomania, Vanilla Bliss and their Mango scents. I find these are super moisturising which is much needed for this time of the year. Lastly I decided to feature two haircare products as I think they can be looked at this time of the year. I like nothing more than getting new haircare goodies as my gruaig can look a complete and utter mess at the best of times. Both products are from John Frieda which is brand that I've really grown to like over the past while. They have some lovely gems in their range, in particular their Full Repair Perfect Ends Sheer Mist, Straight Fixation Smoothing Creme and the Anything Volume Refresher. The latter is brilliant for giving your hair that extra boost and it works really well as a dry shampoo. I've been using the Frizz Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Creme, before I blow-dry my hair as it contains a heat protectant. This stuff leaves my hair looking lovely and smooth with not a bit of frizz in sight so it does exactly what it says on the tin. One gift that I haven't pictured above but I think would be a lovely addition to just about any gift box is a Yankee Candle. They have such a wonderful range of Christmas scents which I love. My favourite at the moment being Christmas Cookie, it smells heavenly. I always stock up on plenty before they sell out. Again this is just an example of what I'd put into a gift box for someone. There is no right or wrong way to do it people. Once all the goodies are wrapped up I think this would make an amazing gift. I love opening presents like this at Christmas as you get such a big surprise.

What do you think of this idea? Will you be doing it for anyone special this year?

Laura<3

Gifts from Spain & a Little Sidenote

This time last week my parents arrived home from Spain, a whole ten days of sun, good food and the beach. I'm not going to lie I was a bit jealous seeing as the weather hasn't been the best in Ireland lately. I may need to take a little holidays myself soon, I'm missing the sun it feels like it's jumped into Winter so quick.

When my parents go away they always bring us kids back a few gifts, this time was no different. They picked up most of the goodies before they even got on the plane in Dublin, only one product was purchased in Spain and you can probably guess what that was. The present I was most surprised by was Jo Malone's English Pear & Freesia. I already have another Jo Malone perfume in my collection, Nectarine Blossom & Honey, I picked it up on the way to Manchester in July and I love it. I'm so happy my parents bought me this scent as it can be worn on it own or over Nectarine Blossom & Honey to give it's own unique scent. On the airplane my Mom picked me up these two sets, Liz Earle's Beautiful Skin Kit and Bourjois 5x Colour Pop Nail Kit. I can't wait to start using both of these, the latter contains so many pretty bright shades which I'll be rocking on my nails very soon, keep an eye out for some NOTD posts soon. You all know I love Liz Earle so I'll definitely be using this little travel kit alot, all the products included are not full sized but still decent and perfect for holidays. Last but not least the folks actually picked me up two bits from Spain, first is this gorgeous owl necklace, it's quite big so I think it will dress up any outfit. The other gift was the most sought after Bioderma, I haven't ever tried this before and after hearing so many reviews I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I've used it once or twice already and I do like it but it hasn't completely blown me away. I'll use it a bit more and let you know in a future review how I've been getting on with it.  I was so happy with everything my parents picked me up they are seriously way too good, I don't think there enjoying the weather were having at the moment at all.

Just a bit of sidenote for you all, I start college tomorrow YAY! The time has certainly flown by since I announced I was going back. I'm nervous and excited about the whole experience, I'm hoping this will be third time lucky. I think I have everything sorted for going, I went a bit over board with the stationery shopping, which was to be expected I think. My Nanna got me a lovely bag in Warehouse for college, I adore it and I have a feeling I'll be using it outside of college too. Enough of the rambling I'll get back to why I wrote this sidenote to start with, as I'll be working and going straight to college from there, none of my time will be mine anymore. I want to give a 100% to college this time not like previous years so I may not be able to post as regularly as usual. I will be putting up posts but maybe only once or twice a week so I won't be gone completely, I hope you all understand.

Laura<3

College Here I come!

I'm sure you've heard me mention in recent posts that I'm starting college. I couldn't be more excited as I've wanted to go back for a while now. I'm so out of the loop with knowing what I need to buy stationery wise, Paddy and I must of wandered around Easons for a hour picking stuff up. Only for the lady at the till to tell me I probably only needed a notebook and a few pens, that still didn't stop me paying €20 for the bits I already picked up. The course I'm going to be studying in college is a Diploma in Marketing, Advertising, Sales & PR, a mouthful I know. I've wanted to do this course for a while but I'd always made excuses to put it off for some reason. I think I just get a bit nervous about starting again which I think is the case with alot of people. Everyone keeps telling me to relax and everything else will fall into place. I'm going to be doing a evening course and after attending the college open day I realised this was the best choice for me with work and everything. I was originally going to study PR & Event Management but I settled on my chosen course as it is broader and after talking to a lecturer for a good while I decided it was the one for me. I start in two weeks time on the 1st October so I don't have too long left to go and I couldn't be more excited. I'll keep you guys updated on how everything is going throughout. I still have a few bits and pieces to pick up, like a new bag for example, Accessorize fancy backpack or a Warehouse Tote, I really can't decided. Here is what I picked up so far, my little Cath Kidston makeup bag doubles up as a nifty pencil case I think.

My Mom also got pretty excited and bought me all the goodies in the second picture. She's the best and is nothing but supportive of me, I'm sure going to need those post-its and maybe even more. They are shaped as hearts which I think is the cutest thing ever. I love the brand Treacle Moon, she picked me up their Iced Strawberry Dream Bath and Shower Gel and My Coconut Island Body Butter. They both smell amazing, the shower gel smells like Strawberry Milkshake I can't wait to use it.

What else do you think I should pick up for college?

Laura<3

The Body Shop Deluxe Body Butter Tin

While I was in Manchester last month I did a hell of alot of shopping. I was going to do a big haul post showing you guys what I bought and what not but in the end I decided not to. I didn't want to be bombarding you with picture after picture of stuff I got, I know some may find it a little boring. I'd much prefer to do reviews on the things I love as it means I can give a more indepth view on the product which I can't really do in a haul.

One of the purchases I was most excited about was this gift set from The Body Shop. I went to the store in the Trafford Centre but there are tonnes dotted all over Manchester. I was drawn towards this particular gift set right away as not only is it really great value but I also got to choose what I wanted in it. I got to pick any three body butters I wanted out of the range and they put them all into this gorgeous gold metal tin. I don't know if this was a year round offer or not but in my opinion it's definitely worth checking out. I've never seen it in Dublin so it may just be a special promotion in the English stores. There were also mini body butters available in a smaller tin which was so cute. I decided on the bigger tin in the end, 3 body butters for £20 how could you wrong. The only problem I had was fitting it into my suitcase coming home. Before my Mom left for Dublin she told me to leave it in the hotel, could I ever? No is the right answer, I just think it's such a handy size tin especially great for holding these body butters.

You may be wondering what body butters I got, Mango, Pink Grapefruit and Shea made up my three. Two of which have the new packaging which looks lovely. I like how it shows a picture of the key ingredient in the body butter. All the old body butters had so much writing on the lids which then in turn looked very cluttered. There's neat writing around the sides of the new tub saying what skin type it's for and the scent which is a nicer change. Out of the three I bought, Mango and Shea are my favourites, I really can't decide which one I like more. I've heard that the Body Shop are bringing out a new Peach range, I love anything that has this scent so I can't wait to try some bits from the range when it's out.

What's your favourite body butter scent? Do you like the new packaging?

Laura<3

Little Gifts from my Mom's Trip to Belfast

My Mom headed to Belfast over the weekend with work. While there she picked me up two MAC products I was lusting after for a while now. I find makeup in general pretty expensive so when my Mom was heading to Belfast I asked her to pick  me up these two things in particular. At the end of the day I think making a small saving is good. Both the product choices on my part were influenced by some amazing blog posts I read lately.

I've heard so much lovely things about this eyeshadow. Ricepaper apparently looks really nice with another MAC shadow called Soba but unfortunately my Mom said they didn't have any left in stock. I've heard such good things about Ricepaper so hopefully it looks nice on me. I purchased this in pan form to put in my palette, which is filling up really quickly! I have only five spaces left in it. What eyeshadows should I get next?

I've read tonnes about the Mineralize Skinfinish, Soft and Gentle on so many blogs so it was certainly something I wanted to try. This product is used alot as a highlighter but I guess you could use it as a eyeshadow too. The only thing that stops me from buying more Mineralize Skinfinishes in the future is the fact they are so horribly expensive. One of these cost like €26.50, which is ridiculous so I'll be definitely making this one last that's for sure

Once I've used both of these products for a while I'm going to do a review and possibly a face of the day post. I really don't think I do enough of the latter to be honest. The issue preventing me from doing these posts is the dreadful light in my room, I think it may be one of the darkest rooms in my whole house.

Are FOTDs something you'd like to see more of?

Laura<3

Lush PS I Love You Gift Box

One of the presents I got for my birthday was the P.S. I Love You Gift Box from Lush. I love when their products come in usable boxes, as when I get the cardboard box ones that are gift wrapped I tend to just bin them. With this version it's different, as it's way too pretty to throw out. I'm going to use it  to store some Lush products. Even though this is a limited edition gift for Valentines Day, three out of the four products are in Lush's permanent range So if you see anything you like, don't fret you'll still be able to get it in stores.

Silky Underwear Dusting Powder

I've only used another Lush Dusting Powder once which was the Lustre Body Powder. To be honest I wasn't a big fan of it, it had a really strong jasmine scent so I ended up giving it to a friend. When I seen that Silky Underwear Dusting Powder contained Jasmine, I wasn't looking forward to using it. I was really surprised when I tried this, as it doesn't have the same off putting scent as Lustre. Although I can see myself using this product, perhaps it's not something I'd repurchase as I don't use dusting powders regularly. On the leaflet that came with the gift box it says you can also use Silky Underwear as a dry shampoo. I will definitely put it to the test on my hair and let you know my thoughts.

It's Raining Men Shower Gel

This shower gel is a favourite for alot of bloggers. It's Raining Men came out as a Limited Edition product but has since been added to Lush's permanent range. This has such a beautiful sweet floral scent which is identical to Honey I Washed The Kids soap. My favourite Lush Shower Gel is a tie between It's Raining Men and Snow Fairy, I just can't choose. If you haven't tried this shower gel already I'd definitely recommend it.

Sweet Heart Soap

This is the only limited edition product in the gift box that was launched especially for Valentines Day. I'm not too keen on the smell of this soap, it has a  very strong scent. It's described as being a "Jasmine, Mandarin and Vanilla Soap", I can't smell vanilla off this product at all. I find the jasmine a bit over powering. I don't think your missing out on much if you can't get your hands on this soap.

Soft Coeur Massage Bar

Wow I can't believe I haven't tried this before, I'm in love with this product. Soft Coeur has a gorgeous scent of chocolate and honey. I will definitely repurchase this as it smells amazing!

Did you try anything from Lush's Valentines Day range? What do you think of the PS I Love You Gift Box?

Laura<3

Lovely Gifts I got for my 22nd Birthday

As you all know I recently celebrated my 22nd birthday. I wanted to share with you the lovely gifts I received this year. In my opinion 22 isn't a biggie birthday so I was completely surprised with some of the presents I got.

My little brother, Ger got me two of my favourite magazines, Stellar and Company. He also bought me Ed Sheeran's album which I've been wanting for so long. I've been listening to this cd constantly since yesterday I love it!!!!

Off my Nanna and Grandad I got a Dundrum Town Centre Gift Card to treat myself with. I'm thinking of getting some new clothes and bits.

YAY my Mom and Dad got me a Kindle! I've wanted one of these since my Dad got one for Christmas. If you have any book recommendations let me know? I don't know which ones to put on it yet, so I would love to know your favourite reads. Also from Mom and Dad I received this Chocomania hamper which I'm in love with. They know me too well. I haven't tried any of the products yet but when I do expect some reviews on the products I like from the range.

As my birthday is the day after Valentines Day I did get alot of lovely presents off Paddy. He really did spoil me rotten. I can't wait to watch the DVDS they all look great especially Waiting For Forever. I'm also a huge Taylor Swift fan, Paddy went to see her in concert with me twice. The Speak Now Tour is one of the tours we went to see together so I'm delighted with this cd. I think he was also listening to me going on about The Body Shop's Chocomania range as he got me the shower gel and body lotion from the range. Another thing I can't wait to try are the Real Technique brushes, after hearing such great reviews I have high expectations.

My Aunty Val got me this beautiful storage trunk. I fell in love with this the minute I saw it. Isn't it so pretty?  I have a habit of buying alot of storage boxes for all my stuff so this was such a great gift. At least four boxes fit in this one box, it's massive (way bigger in person).

Chie (Makeupland2011) sent me all these lovely goodies. I wasn't expecting this at all so it was such a big surprise when it came in the post. I'd never heard of the brand True Blue before but I'm now a fan of their products. Thanks Chie!!

I'm so happy with the lovely gifts I received for my birthday. As always if there is anything you want to see a review on let me know!

Laura<3

More Sale Bits and My Online Purchases!

After finally making it into the Lush Sale on Saturday, I was surprised to see how much of their sale gift sets were left. All there Christmas stock was half price which was really good. When one of the sales assistants told me it was the last day of the Sale, of course I went a tiny bit mad, who wouldn't. I bought two gift sets that I thought were amazing value.

For the price this set contains so many great products. I've never tried Candy Cane and Vanilla Dee-Lite. I've heard so many nice things about the latter so I'm looking forward to using it. After smelling it only once I'm already in love with the scent, very yummy! The tin box everything comes in is super cute, I'll definitely find something to store in this. The Lush staff were so helpful as all of the Christmas Delights Tins on the sale floor were damaged. When they seen this they got me one from the stockroom which was so nice.

Wow!! Twelve products in total in Northern Lights. The reason I went for the two above gift sets is because they both contain shower products which is hard to find. I've tried most of the products in Northern Lights previously bar a few. I like how it contains more Snow Fairy Shower Gel, my favourite! I've enough to last me well into this year. Again I love the box all the products come in, going to use it to store all my Lush goodies. Glows in the dark too which is something you don't see often.

My Mom got me the Buche De Noel Cleanser. Let's be honest this product doesn't look very appealing. Is it even supposed to look like this? I can't say I liked the smell either but it has grown on me a little. I've read so many great reviews on Buche De Noel so I'll  let you know what I think!

While I was in town I also popped into Muji as I wanted to get some makeup storage. After getting new shelves put into my room last year, I wanted to get some storage drawers to organise my makeup into.

I got this set of acrylic drawers. As you can see alot fits into them, just what I needed. I previously purchased a two drawer unit with a flip top lid from Muji so this sits under it perfectly.

This open box came with a divider which leaves me with twelve sections for my lip products and other miscellaneous products. I really like this as it's way easier to find what I'm looking for. If you would like to see a full makeup storage post leave a comment below!

My Asos and Beauty Bay orders arrived! I placed both orders before New Years, but with the holiday post I only received them now.

 

From Asos, I got three Nars products. Unfortunately when I received my order, they had sent me the incorrect eyeshadow duo. The Asos Customer Service team couldn't of been more helpful. Within four days I received the correct eyeshadow duo, Silk Road and I couldn't of been happier. I haven't got a chance to play around with these yet but when I have I'll do a review.

From Beautybay.com, I bought the Original Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion Duo set. You all know how much I love this product it's been included in so many of my past favourites. My current Urban Decay Primer Potion is almost empty, when I seen this on Beautybay.com a few weeks back I thought it was great value. One tube instore would set me back €20, while this set with two cost me €26.50. Bargain!


Congrats if you made it down this far, I wasn't expecting the post to be so long.

Laura <3