September Favourites

September favourites and the last day of #SBBC. It's been a fantastic month and I actually really enjoyed the challenge to blog every day- the topics chosen by Girl Friday were fantastic- something different each day and I found that it encouraged me to write about things I may not have thought of otherwise. Plus it's been brilliant to see everyone else's take on the same topics- it's highlighted what a talented bunch of bloggers are out there and how we all see things in our own unique ways, which is pretty cool. Anyways, on to the topic at hand! Favourites!

Mac Powersurge Eye Pencil. This is probably my favourite eye pencil ever, I've worn it for years but put it away in favour of others until the last month or so. I then wore this every day throughout September! It creates a lovely smudgey burnished gold/smokey brown around the eye and generally I just apply mascara and then I'm done. Easiest eye look ever.

I did a full review of Mane 'n Tail shampoo and conditioner HERE so I won't go into detail but really any time I didn't used this this month, I felt it's loss and went straight back to it.

No.7 Blush in Soft Damson. I received this at the Cocoa Brown Tan event recently, along with some other No.7 goodies and being the blusher fanatic that I am, decided to give this a go first. I wouldn't generally gravitate towards No.7 as a brand but I have to say this is a really lovely product. A nice flattering shade of pink, there's no sparkle in there so if you're going for a more natural look (as I have been this month) then this is perfect. Dani from The Glamour Nazi has a full review of it HERE, if you want to find out more.

I've been using Hydraluron a lot this month- I bought it at the end of August and have applied it every morning before my moisturiser. I'm not one hundred per cent sure yet how effective it's been so I'm going to give it another couple of weeks and do a full review then. The basic idea with this is that it's pure hyaluronic acid, which supposedly does wonders for dry skin. So far I am liking it but I  just want to be a bit more thorough before committing myself completely!

Lastly, although I got this towards the end of the month, I've been loving this limited edition bag from Penneys. Yes, it's huge but it fits all of my odds and ends and it looks way more expensive than it was. Plus, that front pocket is actually a bag itself that zips off, leaving you with a clutch. Nifty! This for me, is the perfect bag for the colder months ahead as it'll hold all of my Winter accoutrement- scarf, gloves, hat, tissues, olbas oil and random gatherings of change for coffee. 

What's been your favourite product this month? Have you tried any of this lot? 

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I Heart The 1940's

#SBBC day 29 is to describe "an era you would have lived in and why- what attracts you to that time" and for me, that's the 40's. I've always been really interested in WW2- the war itself, the lives of those left at home, particularly women, who stepped up and took over the traditional "men's roles", such as factory work and farming. On a personal level of course, I love all the nursing propaganda from the time such as these:

I actually have that one on the left on my wall.

Because I love all of that stuff, I'm aware that it was a decade of hard work and general misery, so I'm in no way suggesting that the following are indicative of the time but I do love the associated glamour and style of the 40's. Red lips, victory rolls in hair, women drawing black lines on their calves in lieu of actual tights, tea dresses, capped sleeves, tailored skirts, jaunty hats and solid leather loafers. Glorious.

It's a look I love and seems to be one of those styles that doesn't go out of fashion- it screams Hollywood movie star and with good reason as proved by these ladies:

They sure don't make 'em like they used to but here are some modern takes on the look:

Scarlett Johansson gets her own section cause she rocks the look rather a lot.

Cest Ca. What's your favourite era and why?

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The Cliffs of Moher & Inis Oirr

Last weekend we rented a house in Fanore with friends and took a boat out to Inis Oirr one of the days. That particular day was foggy and the water was pretty choppy so the trip back (which did a tour of the cliffs from the sea) was kind of lost on many on board as sea-sickness was rife. It was still quite the experience though and I think it's an understatement to say how absolutely stunning Ireland is. 

The following day was very warm and sunny so we made the most of it and walked to the top of the cliffs of Moher to take in the sights. There are some seriously stunning views from up there and although I've done it a few times before, it somehow still always feels like a novelty. If you're looking for somewhere lovely to go in Ireland, I can highly recommend this. 

That's me there on the steps

Inis Oirr:

We did a full 10k walk of the island and spotted lots of coolness- the shipwrecked boat from the opening credits of Father Ted, the islands only pub, a serious amount of beautifully hand built stone walls and eh, himself's old Irish college..
There's a strange quality to the landscape on the island, it's almost other-worldy, a bit like the Burren in a way. Quite stark and stripped back but with flowers poking out here and there and a tremendous sense of calm and peacefulness. 

Lovely.

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SBBC Day 27: Most Expensive Make Up Item

I do love the more high end make up but generally hold myself back unless it's something I've been lusting after for a long time. I'm not sure if these two are even the priciest I've bought but they're the two that sprang to mind when I saw today's #SBBC challenge, so here goes!

Tom Ford Lipstick: True Coral

This is a truly beautiful lipstick. Firstly, look at that packaging. It just screams luxury. That aside, the formula is fantastic. It is long lasting but most definitely needs to be topped up after eating a meal and should be applied on to non-dry skin. Saying that, I think it's worth the little bit of extra effort in applying it as it is one of those colours that lifts my entire complexion. The first time I put it on, I exclaimed loudly when I looked in the mirror because it really is that effective. I usually wear this with a slick of black eyeliner and lots of mascara and minimal blusher- basically I let the coral do the talking. This is on the dearer side for a lipstick as it's priced around the €40 mark (although it's currently on sale on the HoF website HERE). It definitely is not something I would be spending on regularly but as a once off treat, I think it's acceptable. Plus everyone should have at least one item of Tom Ford make up in their life! 

For some reason this won't photograph how it is IRL..it's actually almost neon bright.

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Make Up Base
I'm not showing you my own here because it's well used and has a few brush hairs in it that look a bit unsightly. Anyways, I use mine primarily as a bronzing base for under make up. I find it gives me a nice glow through my foundation and I generally bring it down onto my neck too. In Summer or when I wear tan I often blend some over my foundation in that "3" shape- around the temples, cheek bones and jawline and it does give a good bronzed look. People often say they're worried about using it because it is such a strongly pigmented product but because it's a cream-gel consistency it blends very easily and leaves your make-up looking a bit more radiant. Boots.ie price this at €38.50 which actually doesn't seem like that much now I realise I've had this well over a year and have yet to hit pan on it.

What's your most expensive item of make-up?

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A Very Happy Memory..

Today's #SBBC post is "a happy memory and what reminds you of it" and I instantly thought of my wedding day and my little Lego people cake toppers. We're both big kids at heart and loved Lego when we were small so it made sense to pick these guys but aside from that, the fact that the groom looks so ridiculously like my husband made it all the more appropriate. I added a birdcage veil and a little red cross onto the bride to make it a bit more me and happily they sat on top of our delicious four-tiered cake (lemon drizzle, chocolate ganache, carrot cake and chocolate biscuit, in case you were wondering). 

Now our little mini me's live on our mantelpiece, along with their altar and Lego flowers and every time I go into our sitting room, I see them and am reminded of my wonderful wedding day. They are possibly my favourite thing that we own actually, not only because of the memories they evoke but because they are very "us", something I would also say about our wedding day- it was perfect for us as a couple and I think these represent that more than any other mementos of the day that we have.

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The Best Online Stores

I'm one of those people that gets weary when shopping- I get cranky, like a small child and begin to lose patience. Even with myself. So I generally try and avoid actual in-real-life shopping, prefering the comfort of my own home, my laptop and a big old mug of tea (chocolate biscuits may also feature quite strongly). These are my favourite online sites for shopping, most of these are particularly great in the run-up to Christmas by the way, in case anyone out there has, like me, already started their Christmas present-buying. I know, I'm a weirdo but I like to be organised! 

Not On The High Street.com

As a side note, I have bought all of the above items, except for the red print, top left (and that's on my wish list). The ones I have bought were excellent quality and all rather lovely.

Not on The High Street.com is one of the best places to go for quirky presents- something a little bit different for the person who has everything. It's comprised of many different sellers so you're getting a great variety and you can find everything from wedding, birthday, Christmas, christening, engagement and anniversary presents to homeware and garden items. The only downside is that you can get badly stung on p & p as it's a UK based site and for some reason that means that you end up paying an extortionate amount. I've avoided that issue by signing up with Parcel motel, however.

Cloud 10 Beauty

Cloud 10 Beauty is my go-to for beauty products such as Sleek, Seche vite, Real Techniques, Nuxe and OPI, amongst others. What I love about Cloud 10 is the excellent service- any time I visit the site, someone pops up to ask if you need any help and if you'd like to hear about the special offers for that day. Then even when I get standard delivery I usually have my order by the next day or the day after! Also, you can review your products on the site to get bonus points, which you can add up and use to get money off your next order. Overall it shows that you, as a customer are important to them and I really appreciate that.

The Book Depository

All great reads and selling on the site for really decent prices.

The Book Depository is great because of the free delivery mainly. I used to buy my books from play.com back in the day but then they were taken over or whatever and only seemed to be selling nonsense that I didn't want. Now I probably prefer the likes of Amazon as the selection tends to be very good but you can't argue with the old free delivery on The Book Depository.

Etsy

I'm a recent convert to Etsy. One day I went looking for statement necklaces on there and got sucked into a vortex of clothing, art work, greetings cards and home decor. It really is its own little wonderland. You can find plenty of reasonably priced and unique items on there if you give it a good rummage.

Other than that, I like all the usual- Topshop, Oasis, Warehouse, Asos. 

What about you? Any of those tickle your fancy or do you have any better recommendations for me?

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An Ode To Bourjois

Today's #SBBC is a brand highlight- your favourite brand, what they do well and what you're looking forward to getting from them. 

I love many, many brands but if I had to pick just one it would have to be Bourjois. I tend to make a beeline for it every time I go into a Boots and I generally never leave empty handed. The reason why I love it so much is that it tends to be very good quality and yet reasonably priced. The packaging is always lovely and there's a general retro cuteness to the brand that appeals to me. Here's what I'm currently using from Bourjois:

I wrote a full review of the Rouge Edition lipstick HERE. 

I'm also really liking their Cream Blush in 01. Although it isn't the most long lasting, it's easy to apply and a flattering shade. Plus it's great to just throw in your bag when on the move. 

I originally bought Healthy mix Serum after I'd gotten out of hospital and it really did nothing for my skin. I've since realised that trialing a new foundation when you're still not 100% health-wise is a mistake so I gave it another go this month and have been loving it. It's probably not as much coverage as I would normally like but it's a great daytime foundation that perks up the complexion nicely. 

1 Second Magic Nail Polish Remover. There was huge hype about this when it was first released and as usual, I gave it a bit of a wide berth until that had all settled down. When I finally tried it I really liked it, it is certainly a time saver and very handy (ha) for travelling. 

Volumiser mascara. This isn't my favourite Bourjois mascara but I still liked it. It's one of those two-step doohickeys, step one is for daytime lashes and step two for more dramatic night-time lashes. Personally, I prefer to have dramatic lashes all the time so I never used the first step but I quite liked step two- it gave great lift and volume. 

Healthy Mix concealer, I also reviewed HERE. 

Lastly, Shimmering Shine liquid Eyeshadow. I use this on a daily basis, it's very light but still quite pigmented and is a great shade for blue eyes. It's super easy to apply, in fact it's foolproof- I just lash it on with the applicator, blend it in with my finger and I'm away.

I'm looking forward to finally picking up a Paris colour Boost Lip Crayon (I just have to decide on a shade! So indecisive), a Blush Exclusif (a blush that reacts to your skin's pH to give you a shade unique to you..I'm a sucker for a gimmick) and Java Rice Loose Powder (illuminating powder, in one of the brands original designs from way back in the day).

Paris colour Boost Lip Crayon, Blush Exclusif, Java Rice Loose Powder. 

Are you a Bourjois fan too? What's your favourite brand?

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ROADS Designer Classic Series

Oh Lord, these are a thing of beauty. I have quite the penchant for beautiful books. I know, I know, "don't judge a book by its cover", which can often be fairly sage advice but these particular books contain some of the greatest literary works of all time- intricately woven tales of love, loss, intrigue, scandal, mystery and horror, so in this case the stunning exteriors are in keeping with the content. 

In this series of ten novels, each book cover (designed by a premier Irish design studio) features a striking yet simple design in a soft pastel with a symbolic icon on the spine- in the case of my books, glasses for the Great Gatsby and a key for Wuthering Heights. Very aesthetically pleasing.

These are so well made and are just excellent quality. When you hold the weight of a good book in your hands you instantly forget about the somewhat lacking experience that e-readers provide. People often say "it's just not the same as a real book" and they're not wrong but that's probably never been more evident to me than when I laid my eyes on this collection. In fact I may have "oohed" a little bit..but I was on my own so it was secretive nerdishness.

I can imagine this collection would be an absolute treat to receive as a gift, especially the entire set, as a housewarming present or to mark a graduation perhaps. It needn't even be something that momentous, I personally have plans to buy the rest of the series and display them in all their pastel-hued glory on the Ikea shelves I have my eye on, once I eventually move to a bigger house. But that's another story. Until then, I'll just admire the ones that I have and when it comes time for my yearly re-read of Gatsby and Wuthering Heights, I know which editions I'll gleefully be reaching for. 

Also available in the series:

• The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
• Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
• The Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde
• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

The independent Irish publishers ROADS are launching this series, which are available now at all good bookshops for €12.50. Any other book lovers out there lusting after these too?!

XX

*Pr sample

Pretty Home Stuff from Avoca

A recent days window shopping in Avoca led to my lusting after several items, which pretty much happens every time I step into that place, it's like my own personal Crystal Meth. Instead of buying anything though (I'm being sensible..boo), I did take note of these few bits that my home would gladly benefit from:

Multi coloured woolen blankets: Every time I go into Avoca, I end up stroking these and thinking about cold winter nights, snuggled up on the couch with a big mug of tea and a book, with one of these lovelies draped across me. My personal favourite is that pink/orange/yellow/red one on the left. Lovely.

My love for a good mug is well documented at this stage and I'm very fond of these Fifi Lapin ones. I feel like these particular bunnies are WAY more stylish than I am though so it could just be a bit disheartening using these on a daily basis. Very cute though.

Yeah so I actually have a baby pink KitchenAid already and I love it greatly but every time I see a new one in a different colour it leads to a secret desire to buy several of them in varying shades and put one on all of my kitchen counter tops, a la "The Great British Bake Off". Which would obviously be insane, if nothing else, given the size of my kitchen but one can dream.

Is there anything greater than a table full of stationery goods? The answer is of course, no. Thank you cards, address books, diaries etc. So many pretty options.

Oh Avoca, you've done it again. I want all of your wares. 

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J'adore L'Or

I am a massive perfume lover so I originally thought that picking my signature scent for today's #SBBC post would be difficult but actually when I really considered it I realised that J'adore L'Or from Dior (part of my anniversary present last month- the original J'adore was my wedding day perfume) is most definitely the one. 

Clutching it there for dear life.

Obviously I love the original J'adore and L'Or was apparently "inspired by" it's predecessor but for me, they're two completely different scents. J'adore is a fruity/floral while L'Or is more floral/oriental. The top note of Rose de mai hits you on first spray, once that wears off beautiful Jasmine de grasse remains on the skin for several hours. Lastly, a base note of Tahitian vanilla takes over- you're supposed to be able to smell this on your clothes months after you've sprayed it and I would one hundred per cent agree with this- it's the most long lasting perfume I've even worn. Although it's fairly pricey, you actually only need to spray it once and it lasts throughout the entire day. I've been complimented on this perfume every time I've worn it, it seems to be quite appealing to other people, which surprises me as I see it as being quite a strong scent. In fact, that's why I love it so much and why I consider it my signature perfume- I really like floral scents but they have to have an edge for me to wear them- I dislike anything too sickly sweet so what I love about this is the good old whack of vanilla that's in there- it adds a lovely warmth to the other quite feminine notes. 

Interestingly, this is called L'Or because it's inspired by gold- from the lid to the "liquid gold" appearance of the perfume itself and the sheer quality of the olfactory notes. 

This truly is a beautiful scent, if you haven't experienced it yet, I urge you to go and try it immediately, it's just divine.

What's your signature scent?

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Shopping My Stash: Nars Lip Laquer in Hot Wired

Todays #SBBC post is about "Shopping your Stash", or what we beauty junkies like to call "being on a spending ban". I could've picked anything for this really but decided to go with this little lovely from Nars. Hot Wired is a bright fuchsia pink with flecks of blue shimmer running through it in a jelly/gloss finish. 

Normally I wouldn't be a big fan of a lip product that has the word "shimmer" associated it but this is different- it's more of an iridescence and it isn't hugely noticeable on the lips. If anything, it just helps to emphasise the whiteness of your teeth. 

Because it's in a pot, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a balm type of product but really, it does require a bit of precision in applying it as it is quite pigmented. I would also say that it wears quite well and is long lasting once on the lips but does need topping up after eating etc. 

It is super pretty and can be worn lightly for a flattering wash of pink or built up for a pop of colour. 

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10 Products Under £10

Today's #SBBC is 10 products under 10 euro and as easy as it would have been to raid my own stash for this, I unfortunately don't have the time today to rummage through my Helmer in search of bargains. Instead, I've had a good look around some online shops and came up with these:

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, 6.49. I went through several tubes of this until I found my beloved Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer but if I was looking for a cheaper alternative, I'd definitely go back to this fella. It works well on under eye dark circles and on blemishes and let's face it, you can't really go wrong with that price point.
Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick, 6.89. I have this in the shade Belle and it's actually one of my favourite lip products. I wrote a full review on it HERE.
Sleek Blush in Antique, 5.49. This is the new blush from Sleek and it has my name written all over it. I love Sleek blushes- they're super pigmented and easily rival the likes of Nars any day. Plus, 5.49!!! Sure where would you be going?!

Sleek I-Divine palette in Vintage Romance, 9.99. Another one from Sleek but their eye shadow palettes are renowned for their excellent quality, colour range and again, bargainous prices- this is only 9.99 and it looks stunning. I want.

Maybelline Color 24Hr Tattoo, 7.49. I didn't really get into the whole hype of these when they first came out (I'm contrary like that) but I eventually caved and picked up the shade Permanaent Taupe. I use mine primarily as a primer for a smokey eye, which gives a lovely "smudged" look but equally they are just as good worn on their own.

Bourjois Liner Stylo Eye Liner, 8.19. This is the Bourjois pen style eye liner and for those of you as incapable of drawing a straight line with liquid or gel eyeliners as I am, this is the one for you. I've roadtested a fair few of these before (post HERE) and this came out on top.

Nails get their own section because when I think of the best products to buy under a tenner, it's generally nails that I think of first and there are some excellent options out there, including:

Topshop Nail Polish, 8-9 euro. I love these, there's an amazing range of really on-trend shades to choose from in a long lasting formula.
Barry M nail polish, 4.59. Again, cheap as chips with a really impressive colour range. If I'm ever looking for a little pick-me-up but am stoney broke, this is where I turn to.
L'Oreal Color Riche, 7.69. I have a few of these now and although the bottles are slightly smaller, I think these are also great value- the polish is a dream to apply and lasts very well too, like how you would expect a much higher end product to perform. I could've actually included Revlon polishes in here too as they are also excellent.
Models Own, 7.65. I had a not altogether happy experience with a couple of these before (HERE) but otherwise I love these guys- they generally tend to release very cool brights or pretty pastels that catch my eye the most and sometimes these can be found on offer in Boots, making them even more pocket-friendly.

Would any of these make your top 10 under ten? What's your own personal favourite bargain?

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Irish Country House Collection Candle: Entrance Hall- The Perfect Autumn Scent.

On my recent day out to Kilruddery House & Gardens I picked up one of these beautifully scented candles in their gift shop. Hand made in Ireland, these are unusually fragranced in that each one represents a different room in a grand country house- drawing room, library etc. I went for "Entrance Hall" because it smells EXACTLY like a peat fire, which is easily one of my all time favourite scents and will be ideal for Autumn/Winter. 

Growing up in Ireland, it's something that a lot of people will be familiar with but for me in particular this reminds me of family days out to Bunratty when I was a little'un and later on, of Ballyfin House while on my honeymoon. Yes, I know I could just buy some peat for my fire over Winter but I know already that I won't be doing that as I have a) no access to anywhere selling peat and b) I won't always want to light a fire. Also, although it does smell beautifully of Irish turf fires and wood smoke, it also has an underlying hit of either sandalwood or cedar wood, making it both fragrant and warming. I've already started lighting this and my whole apartment smells amazing- homely, welcoming and comforting. I love it and cannot stop smelling it, which granted, could become rather distracting. 

What's particularly great is that this is a very inoffensive fragrance- I personally quite like Yankee candles but I know some people can find them a bit overpowering, whereas this is just really pleasant and relaxing. 

These are hand-pored, premium soy wax blend candles with lead-free wicks in glass jars. The larger sizes burn for 40 hours while the smaller sizes burn for 15 hours and prices range from 11.50 to 18.50 euro.

You can visit their website HERE for more information and apparently they currently have a pop up shop at 82 Merrion Square, if you want a sniff in real life! What would be your ideal smell for a candle? Are you a freshly cut grass kinda person or would you go for just washed linen? 

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Top 10 Desert Island Items..

Whenever I see tags like this, I always think "Desert island you say? Well then I'd bring SPF 50, sunglasses, the ingredients for a Pina Colada and a small suit for my soon-to-be monkey butler" but obviously the real topic for today's #SBBC is what make-up items you would bring with you, or if in some horrible twist of misfortune, you lost all your make up and could only repurchase ten things. So, leaving the need for extreme weather protectant products out of it, if I could only buy ten cosmetic products again, they'd be as follows:

Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, I gave this a full review HERE. I love this stuff, I wear it every day and it really helps to keep the horrors of dry, flaky lips at bay. I've tried a lot of lip balms in my time and this is undoubtedly my favourite.
Clarins Flash Balm. I go in and out of phases of using this- at the moment I'm back in love with it, using it as a primer for my very dry skin and I find that aside from providing a great base for my foundation, it also makes me look a bit brighter and generally less like yer man from The English Patient, which is always good.
Lancome Teint Idole 24h foundation. I'm only a recent convert to this but I've been using it all Summer and love it. I am very fickle when it comes to foundation though- ask me again in a few months time and I'll probably have moved on to something else. For the time being though, this is what I'd pick, because it's long lasting, non-drying and improves the overall appearance of my skin.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've gone on at length about this before HERE and my affection is showing no signs of waning. I'm always searching for the perfect concealer and I'm pretty sure this is the one. It covers my under eye dark circles and blemishes equally as well, doesn't crease and stays put.
Nars Orgasm blush. A peachy/pinky blush with a fine gold shimmer running through it, this is a classic for a reason. I'm a bit of a blush addict but I'll always return to this one because it's just very flattering and pretty on.
Dainty Doll blush in 003. I actually use this one for contour- it's pretty much completely matte and has no orange tones in it so it's the perfect contour shade for pale ladies like myself. I find it looks a lot more natural than other contours I've used but still makes an impact.
YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils. I've also gone on at length about this beauty (HERE) and with good reason- this creates a false lash effect without clumping or flaking and it is without doubt the best mascara I've ever used.
Mac eyebrow pencil. I ran out of this during the Summer and because I'd dyed my hair red, the shade of this I was using no longer suited me so I didn't repurchase but it is a great product and when I eventually get around to swatching the other shades, I'll be picking up another.
Mac eye liner in  Powersurge. Ignore the picture there where it's green, I couldn't find a decent image of powersurge to show you but basically it's a murky gold/metallic brown shade in a soft, smudgey finish. It's a dream to apply, making my blues eyes pop. Usually I just quickly smudge it on, put on some mascara and I'm away. Foolproof. I went through a good 5 year phase of wearing this non-stop and recently dug it out again, remembering how much I'd loved it.

And for number 10.....

That's right! Three lipsticks. I know, that technically makes twelve but I couldn't decide and besides they should really all go under the same entry in the list as they are all basically the same product. Just indulge me!

Chanel Boy. This is a really pretty but sophisticated nude/pink shade with a glossy finish. I always feel a bit more presentable when I'm wearing this and it feels lovely on.
YSL Le Rouge pur couture no.02. YSL lipsticks are like catnip to me, I love them so. This is one of my favourites, a rich, smooth red that looks a bit darker on the lips than in the bullet- this is a serious red lip, perfect for Autumn/Winter. Another contender for this spot would be Dior Marilyn, a brighter red and an absolute beauty.
Mac Rebel. I also wrote a review of this HERE. I adore this lipstick. When I first bought it last year I wasn't sure I'd get enough wear out of it but I wear it constantly. It's the perfect berry shade for me because it actually has a good old whack of pink in it so it's incredibly flattering on. I recently was completely knackered the day after a wedding and threw this on..my face instantly looked brighter and more awake. Ah, the powers of a good lippie.

What about you? Anything on here that would make your top ten?

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Autumn Is Coming..

Technically Autumn's already here but any excuse to think of Game of Thrones, eh? As part of #SBBC, today's post is "a photo from your day" and although I actually took these last week on my walk around Kilruddery House & Gardens, I thought I'd pop them up today as they nicely represent my excitement for the change of seasons. 

This tree actually looked like this- no added effects, just one side weirdly Autumnal and the other not...

We had a beautiful Summer in Ireland (for once, a year that you won't hear anyone saying "sure we barely even got a Summer and now it's feckin' Winter again"), but regardless of how sunny it is, it always gets to the stage when I crave the Autumn- that crisp, chill in the air, crunchy orange and yellow leaves underfoot, an excuse to drink coffee more frequently, wear woollies & comfy boots and of course, the anticipation of Halloween. I also love Autumn because it's the perfect time for us bookworms- curling up indoors with a new read, a big mug of tea, the fire lit and a candle burning (I've actually got a post coming up on my new favourite Autumnal-scented candle). Good times. 

Are you an Autumn person too? What are you most looking forward to?

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