Recently Read: March & April

I've slowed down a bit on my reading goal for the year, which currently stands at 15/80. A meagre 19% in. I just don't have the time if I'm honest and as long as I'm getting to read as many books that I can, it's all good. Anyway, for now, here's my most recent reads. Again, some are advanced reader copies, others are audio books, book club reads etc. 

Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent

I somehow have not read Unravelling Oliver, Nugent's first novel, which was highly acclaimed on its release in 2014. I very happily received an ARC of Lying In Wait though, which is due for release on the 7th of July of this year. The first paragraph of this had me absolutely hooked, although the first line alone played a big part in that: 

"My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle but the lying tramp deserved it". 

The husband in question is a well respected judge, living in Dublin with his wife and son in their period property that isn't quite as grand as they'd have people believe. We briefly meet Annie Doyle, a young woman from a working class background with a sad past. Although her murder wasn't planned, Lydia will now go to any length to hide her and her husband's dark secret and protect their young son. Unfortunately, as Lawrence grows up, he becomes increasingly more obsessed with the dead girl and her family, leading Lydia to take drastic action. This is one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time and I had it finished in a couple of days, such was my need to find out what would happen! I will say that the ending is possibly one of the most bleak that I've ever read but don't let that put you off, it's well worth it. Lydia is a brilliantly written character; an absolute psychopath whose actions kept shocking me. Definitely one to pick up in a couple of months time and I'll be getting myself a copy of Unravelling Oliver, pronto. 

Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran

As I've previously mentioned, I am a big fan of Caitlin. I loved How To Be A Woman and enjoyed How To Build A Girl. I laughed wholeheartedly when my sister and I went to see her in Vicar St a few years ago where she got us all to stand on our wobbly stools and shout "I AM A FEMINIST" and I love her newspaper articles, although they're usually behind a paywall on The Times, and I'm a cheapskate. Moranifesto then, was the ideal book for me; a collection of previously unpublished articles and some of her most loved pieces (including that famous pre-posthumous letter to her daughter) and her random thoughts on everything from how extremely addictive Daft Punk's Get Lucky was for that entire Summer, to politics (that's where the Moranifesto part comes in), to how great the British opening ceremony of the Olympic games was, with plenty of time spent on feminism and how the patriarchy ruins everything for the rest of us. That's a very brief description of what's a surprisingly long book. I got this on audio and although she unfortunately doesn't narrate it herself, I had her thoughts in my head for a whole month. And I loved it. I loved every little bit of it and if you really liked How To Be A Woman but were less enthralled with How To Build A Girl (which was fiction and somewhat autobiographical), then this a real return to form and you'll love it too. 

Maestra by L.S. Hilton

Oh here, where to start with this one. Apparently hailed as the "most shocking thriller you'll read this year"(I can only assume by L.S. Hilton herself), this is not so much shocking as it is muddled. Judith is a tough young woman working for a prominent auction house in London. She's determined to succeed and when she finds out she can't do so the old fashioned way (hard work and putting the time in), she basically decides to just start killing her way around Europe. Oh and having lots of very graphic sex too. I'm not being reductionist here, that's the actual plot, of which I lost towards the end when she gets to Paris. I've also heard this compared to 50 Shades Of Gray but to be fair to Maestra, it's nowhere near as badly written as that but still, not quite well-written either. 

Save yisserselves. 

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
I had seen so many reviews of this from people who loved it that I had to give it a go. This is a really mind-twisty thriller that starts with the fatal hit and run of a five year old boy and takes us on a a very disturbing look at a relationship dominated by domestic violence.  There's also a whodunit side to it from the perspective of the police investigation and an absolutely massive twist about halfway through that had me completely floored. I have to say, I found the storyline moved incredibly slowly for the first 50%; I struggled with it a bit if I'm honest but after that I couldn't put it down. Definitely one worth reading if you're a thriller fan but just be aware that you'll need to stick with it and that the abuse element is very hard to read- overall, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Rebel Sisters by Marita Conlon-McKenna
Right. This was our book club read for March and what with the Easter Rising Centenary celebrations and all, it was most appropriate. 

You might remember Marita Conlon McKenna from such childhood books as; Under The Hawthorn Tree and The Blue Horse. I loved her growing up, as did the other gals in my book club so we were all looking forward to this one. You're sensing a 'but' here, aren't you?
Well, truth be told, this just wasn't very good.
The storyline follows the Gifford sisters (Grace, Muriel and Nellie) from their childhood in the leafy suburbs of Ranelagh up to the Rising itself, which they are all involved with to some degree. Unfortunately, I felt too much of the book was spent in trying to establish each woman's own traits and characteristics, and even that wasn't hugely successful. It seemed like the reader only got to know these bright, intelligent, kind, loyal and creative women towards the end of the book which felt like a failure in my eyes. The Rising itself and the immediate time preceding and following it and their involvement were what really interested me and it seemed like we only got to that part in the last 20 or so percent. I also found the writing to be a bit stilted and forced at times.
Quite disappointing.

High-Rise by J.G Ballard
I got this on Audible because it was pointed out to me that sexy Tom Hiddleston (who also stars in the film version) narrates it and I really can't resist that smooth voice. The main character is Robert Lang, a doctor who lectures in a nearby college and has just moved in to the high rise; a lavishly designed block of apartments. What floor you live on indicates your social standing both inside and outside the building; those at the top are the richest and include the architect who designed it. In general the residents are all middle to upper class professionals but slowly, a change comes over them all and they regress to an animalistic state. Over the course of the book, all of the high rise dwellers begin to debase themselves and others; they viciously attack each other in an apparent bid to take over/reach the top of the high rise, now heavily guarded by its upper echelon members. Dr Lang is one of the social climbers so we sometimes see the brutality through his eyes and often, it's via the other residents. Overall, this was a bizarre and at times, deeply unpleasant book but it was also gripping and a different kind of dystopia to what I'm used to.
Avoid if you have a weak stomach and/or really love dogs. Seriously.


And that's the lot!
What are you reading right now?
To the comments!
XX

An "It's Almost Summer" Haul

There was a strong hint of Summer there one of the days recently and as I sweltered in my Winter coat and sunglasses (cause you can never be too well-prepared in Ireland), I was lured into a Boots by an offer of buy-one-get-one-half-price on every make-up brand and sure you can imagine what happened next. 

(I bought all of this stuff, is what happened next.)

First up is this very pretty bronzer/blusher from Maybelline in 09, Sun Tropics. Dream Sun features two matte products in one to provide your skin with a nice warm glow. So far I'm really loving the bronzing part- it's subtle enough that you won't look like you've been tangoed but can be built up for extra contouring. I love that it's shimmer-free cause I do prefer a more natural looking glow. That pinky/coral is a very pretty design but the colour pay-off isn't fantastic. You definitely need to really work your brush in there to get a good result but either way, I quite like this one and I do think it's handy for travel etc. 

Bourjois recently brought out City Radiance; a foundation with SPF30, radiance boosting pigments and an anti-polution screen. This is actually my second tube! I haven't even finished the first one but I love it so much I said I'd get it, plus it worked out nicely with the offer that was on (the concealer, below!). I'll do a proper review on this soon cause I need more space to rave about it but for now, if you have somewhat dry skin, need a light daytime foundation that makes you look really well, then, look no further!

The offer on Barry M could only for me, be used on their nail polishes, which I love and tend to stock up on every Summer, thanks to their fab range of pastels, neons and nudes, all of which look great with a tan! 

So, these two are both new; Coconut infusion contains a blend of Coconut water and oils to hydrate and nourish nails, as well as leave a glossy finish. I got the shade Flamingo, because I couldn't not get a shade that tropical with that name! I've so far only worn this on my toe nails and it's holding up well there. The colour is a lovely smooth, creamy pastel and is indeed nicely shiny. 

Mani Mask is a major favourite though. I've again, only worn this once but it held up well on my fingernails and leaves such a gorgeous finish; semi-matte that takes care of your nails and makes them look super healthy and classy too! Two of my friends that saw my nails immediately wanted to buy a bottle for themselves! I got the shade Birthday Suit, which is a nude but there's also Bashful; a baby pink that I may need to pick up too...

I was actually originally just looking for this newbie from Bourjois; Radiance Reveal Concealer and then of course, I bought ALL the things. This is really good. It's designed to correct, illuminate and provide 24hour hydration so from that you can decipher that it's ideal for under the eye. It's a similar product to the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer except that this is much lighter. If you liked the Nars but felt it settled in fine lines, this may be a good alternative for you. You may find yourself compromising slightly on coverage (I think nothing really beats the Nars) but this is a very good alternative and well worth trying- I really like it so far.

The Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Eye is a repurchase. I'm just finished one of these bad boys and would recommend buying the light one whenever you see it as they tend to sell out pretty quickly! I will do a proper review on this one too because it's really excellent for concealing under-eye dark circles. 

Have you tried any of these? 

Anything catching your eye?

XX

Givenchy Glamour On The Go 3-Step Makeup Palette

One of my lovely sisters gave me this swoon worthy Givenchy palette for Christmas and although it could easily fit in with the other stunning beauty products I own but don't touch for fear of ruining, I'm clearly stating here and now that this shall and will be used and loved, rather than vanquish in an overflowing make up drawer.

 

I don't own any Givenchy (I have many moons ago but none at present), so this is a great re-introduction to the brand. As implied by the name, there are three steps to the palette; eyes, cheeks and lips. 

Each level has its own mirror, which is super handy and aside from that, the packaging is glorious; glossy black with the Givenchy logo and a gold bar on the side to release and secure the levels to each other.

 

Level one features Le Prisme Visage Mat in 84 Beige Mousseline; a super soft, finely milled powder that could either be used as a bronzer or as a face powder, depending on your skin tone. As I'm freakishly pale, I choose bronzer! Generally you could keep applying this and it won't look orange or over the top, it's a beautifully subtle glow that leaves you looking radiant. It's lovely. 

Le Prisme Blush is that soft pale pink below it and reminds me a bit of Dandelion from Benefit. It's pretty and suitable for a low key look.

Level 2 is Le Prisme Yeux and has some of the most pigmented eye shadows I've ever seen! The three outer shades are quite pearlescent so are probably better suited for night time looks while the four core shades are perfect for my blue eyes- I love those burgundy, bronze, and gold hues and all of these can be mixed and matched for different effects.

I will of course be throwing out that double sided sponge applicator. I've fab brushes for that!

Lastly then there's a dinky little Magic Khôl eye liner pencil in black. Next to it is the Noir Couture mascara in Black Satin (veeery fancy looking brush on this fella, fyi). This is a 4-in-1 for volume, length, curl and care. And of course, an Ultra Shiny Colour Plumping Effect gloss in Capricious Pink. 

These three are all stupidly cute, like make up for a doll. 

Truth be told, I am disinclined to use any of these for fear of ruining the set but that then would be silly...eep!

Chloé Love Story | Review

When I was growing up, my mum loved the original Chloé perfume. You know the one; heady, musky, 80's. Of course, because she loved it, I loved it too. That was until the new Chloé perfume came out some ten years ago. I fell for that big time, and only one sniff in!

Since then, Himself has bought me almost every version of it, which has worked out super well for me, as you can imagine. Aside from the always slightly awkward moment when someone asks what I'm wearing and I have to answer "uhhh…Chloé", of course. 

Yeah cause that doesn't make me look like an egomaniac at all. 

So, when the latest instalment came out last year, Love Story, I once again found myself smitten by its beautiful packaging (based on the love padlocks on the Pont des Arts in Paris) and of course, its stunning scent.

That scent by the way is a romantic play on the original fresh floral. 

This time it opens with orange flower oil designed to mimic the  "intoxicating flush of new love". At the heart of the fragrance, you'll find a seductive hit of stephanotis jasmine- used in wedding bouquets, with a final note of cedarwood, creating a sensual, strong and complex base.

That's the official blurb. I would describe it (using my own less fancy words) as a sophisticated, fresh and feminine white floral that lasts well and is more grown up than I was expecting. While its cousin Chloé is quite powdery (one of the things I really love about it actually), this is a lot less so but still has that classic quality of its forbearer (yeah I know, how can you be a cousin AND a forbearer but sure look..)

So, this beauty is ideal for the following; daytime, work (as it won't irritate your co-workers olfactory senses like you can be full sure 1980's Chloé did, am I right Ma?!), days when the sun is shining and a cool Summery breeze lifts your hair and catches your perfume in the air (ooh la la!), weddings and as a bridal perfume and otherwise just general life. 

Everyone wants to smell incredibly lovely and this is a great way to achieve that.

That accompanying lotion in the top photo by the way? Gorgeous!

C'est ça! Have you tried Love Story? 

Are you a Chloé fan? (again, the perfume, not me. I know you love me.)

To the comments!

XX

*This post is not sponsored. Its contents were not sent for review and as always all opinions expressed here are my own, unless otherwise stated.

Skincare Updates!

I was tagged on Snapchat to do a video of my skincare, which I did and aside from realising how many products I actually have (in fairness, the majority were sent to me for review), I also figured out that I hadn't in fact reviewed these fellas yet:

 

 Organic Surge Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser*

I really like the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser (try saying that three times quickly) so I was intrigued to try out this fella as it has lots of nice ingredients like damask rose oil, Shea butter and orange peel oil that combined, are designed to moisturise and brighten the skin. It's super easy to use too; massage onto dry skin to loosen your make-up, dampen a muslin cloth with warm water and wipe off. This even removes my eye make-up and overall my skin is left feeling clean and soft, with no tightness or dryness.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Light

This was a free gift with purchase (purchase of MANY things) in Sephora last year and I chose this as my gift because I'm all out of a facial oil and had heard great things. Because this is a featherweight version of the well known moisturising Argan oil, it can be used under make up as it has a semi-matte finish, although I choose to just use it at night time after moisturiser. So far, I'm loving it; it feels so lovely on- there's no greasiness but there is soft skin so it's really the best of both worlds. I would 100% buy a large version the next time I see it!

Olay Total Effects 7 in-one Feather Weight Moisturiser*

This is a light, anti-ageing moisturiser that has Vitamin B3, B5 and E to give you seven signs of younger looking skin. If you're interested those are; moisturises, reduces appearance of wrinkles, restores firmness, brightens, evens tone, smoothes texture and refines the look of pores. 

All of that aside, I love this, yes love because it sinks in immediately and my skin is quenched. My make up applies beautifully over it and it has an SPF of 15 so basically it has everything I look for in a day moisturiser. Love it. I will be buying this again for sure.

Organic Surge Comforting Hand & Nail Cream*

Another excellent product from Organic Surge and one of my favourites from them. Himself and I use a hand cream every night for our super dry skin (we both work in hospitals so use a lot of alcohol hand gel etc)and so I like to think we're hand cream aficionados at this stage. If we both like one then you can be sure it's good. We're about half way through this fella and we'll definitely be buying more. This is lavender scented which generally I'm not a huge fan of but it's great for last thing at night, lavender being an aid to sleep and there's also geranium essential oils, vitamin E, Shea butter and cocoa butter in there too so you'd best believe it's working on our chapped hands! Oh and it's suitable for those who are eczema prone!

 

Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

I am obsessed with overnight face masks lately. I also got this in Sephora and although it was pricey (sure look, money spent in dollars isn't real money anyway) because I'd done a good bit of research about it online beforehand and there was a lot of praise! 

It contains a complex of black tea ferment and black tea extract, blackberry leaf and lychee seed extracts, all designed to help improve your skins elasticity, firm it up while you sleep while peptides defy the signs of gravity. You heard; IT CAN DEFY GRAVITY!!! 

There's also Hyaluronic acid for moisture and Belle de Nuit extract (nature's nocturnal flower) to help soothe and rebalance skin. Sorry, I had to give you the blurb for that one cause there's so much going on in there! All you really need to know is it feels amazing and smells unbelievale (like a delicate tea with flowers floating in it) 

Obsessed.

Ren Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Lift*

This gel-serum is designed to get to work instantly- something I've personally never experienced from an eye cream/serum before. I pat a tiny amount in (I've a feeling I'll have this little bottle forever), and I can feel a tightening, slightly tingly warm sensation. I haven't used this over a long enough period of time to be able to say categorically that it has sorted out my eye bags but if it carries on as it's going I'll be delighted! Over time it is supposed to dramatically reduce dark circles, puffiness and the appearance of fine lines. Currently my main issue is dark bags, they're the first thing on my face that gives away my age (shakes fist at eye bags) and I do genuinely think this has helped. It can be used over your make-up, topped up throughout the day, so I may well start doing that as well, every little bit helps!

Garnier Ultimate Blends Restoring Lotion 

I tried a free sample of this in a magazine recently and although I'm not a fan of honey, I loved how intensely moisturising this is on my super dry skin and actually, the scent is really good! Even though it's rich, it does sink in quickly so it has everything I like in a body moisturiser and I love that it's in a pump bottle too. Plus it was only around six euro something! Bargain-tastic!

Even as I was typing this I started using some products from Eucerin specifically for my dry skin and I forgot to mention my Ren 1 minute Facial in this lot too so expect more skincare from me soon!

Have you tried any of these?

What did you think?

To the comments!

XX

*This post contains products that were sent to me to review. I was not paid to do so and all of the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Organic Surge is new to Ireland, not tested on animals and now available in Allcare pharmacies in Dublin, Cork, Kildare and Louth.