Chupi | Rings

I've previously espoused my love for Irish designer Chupi's beautiful nature-inspired jewelry and Himself has copped on to that too; below are two beautiful rings that I had my eye on and he gave me for Christmas and my birthday, respectively. 

While I was expecting the Emerald Quartz, the leaves were a surprise and such a lovely surprise at that. 

I tend to wear the two together on my right hand and as a lover of the colour green, rings that make me look regal and all things leaf and floral related, these suit me down to a tee. 

The emerald quartz has a ring cast from a mould of a twig and the stone is a vivid shade of green that has resulted in many compliments. The leaves ring hugs my finger perfectly and is adjustable so if you're looking for a gift to suit anyone- this is it. 

There's more detail on the leaves than what's showing up here but such is the pure power of my photography skills.

Lastly, check out that packaging and the lovely little Roald Dahl quote card that comes with it- the perfect touch. 

You can buy Chupi in the Made store on the top floor of Powerscourt shopping centre, where you'll most likely also find me, heavily drooling over things. 

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*This is not a paid or sponsored post. As always, all opinions are my own!

Skincare Update #3

It's probably way more than #3 to be fair but I'm too lazy to go back any further. As you may know by now, I'm a big fan of skincare. So much so that I'm always trying new products and I often get more excited about it than I do fancy make-up. I have dry/dehydrated skin and so I tend to invest in good quality cleansers and moisturisers, although some of these were sent to me for review. I wouldn't keep using them if they weren't working for me though, so you can be sure they're good!

Cleansers

Bioderma Hydrabio Moisturisning Make-up Removing Micelle Solution
I loved the original Bioderma micellar water so when they brought out Hydrabio, specifically for dehydrated skin, I obviously had to buy myself a bottle. Usually I use this as the first step in my cleanse, followed by one of the below, more heavy-duty cleansers. While I like this, I think I may prefer the original. This is heavily-scented, bizarrely; an addition I would have thought was unnecessary. It still removes make-up without stinging my skin, but then so does the non-scented version!

Botanics Hydration Burst Dual Action Cleanser*
For those of you still missing the Botanics Cleansing Balm, this is the newer versions of it, in a tube! You apply this to the skin (it's like a gel/balm/oil mix), wet your fingertips and massage further into the skin. I then remove it with a warm muslin cloth. I like this one, I always feel like my skin is fully clean afterwards but with no dryness.

Shiseido Creamy Cleansing Emulsion*
This is one of those almost-too-luxurious-to-use products that I've had to make myself not save! When they say 'creamy', you'd better believe they mean creamy! It's really very lovely to use. I typically use this on a cotton pad and it gently removes whatever make-up is left after the micellar water. It's mildly floral-scented and most definitely has built-in moisturisers because my skin always feels a bit smoother after using it. Love it!

REN Express Make-Up Remover*

This one is super handy for removing make-up quickly. I usually just swipe this on a cotton wool pad across my face and it does exactly what it says on the tin. I'm almost finished this one but can see myself buying another, full size. 

Exfoliator

Pixi Glow Tonic

I'd been trying to get my hands on this for ages but it was constantly sold out online, until I found it on sale in Marks & Spencers. This is a chemical exfoliant, so no scrubby beads here! I use this a couple of times a week and it removes dead skin cells from the face quickly and easily. Moisturiser works better after it and make-up applies better. It's a good'un.

Moisturiser

Garnier Ultimate Blends Body Restoring Lotion 

I bought this in a French supermarket for €4. You can probably get this one here too but it was slightly cheaper than in Boots and I loved the sweet almond/vanilla scent of this one. It's as moisturising as the honey one I was using HERE. 

Botanics Hydration Burst Hydrating Day Cream*

I've been using this moisturiser for a while now and am almost finished it but I'm really liking it. It's light and cooling and sinks in quickly, sits well under make-up but at the same time, is an unusual consistency. It's actually more of a gel than anything else so if you hate heavy, cloying face creams, then it's well worth trying this. 

Jade Facial Roller

I read about this on the John, It's Only Make-Up Facebook page and so I duly bought one for myself and my sister. I'm using the end of my Josie Maran Argan Oil with this; gently massaging it in with either large or small sized jade roller endings. Because it's nice and cool it feels lovely but to be honest, I don't always have time to use this- oftentimes I'm too tired and I'm doing well if I use the oil at all!

And, that's the lot for now.

As the weather gets colder, I'll need to change up my skincare again to include some Winter skin saviours, so expect another post on that soon!

What skincare products are you currently rocking?

Anything else I need to try?!

XX

*Products were sent to me for review. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own, as always. 

Korean Beauty; Tony Moly & Skin79

A while back I showed you some bits from Korean beauty brand, Tony Moly that I picked up while in New York. When we were in Barcelona, I managed to find a Sephora (it's a unique honing ability that I have. That and using the internet) and found to my delight that there was a Tony Moly section there too!

I had been looking for the Bunny Bars for aaaaaages and was unwilling to part with cold hard cash over the internet for fear of being duped and sent nothing in return (I fear eBay). This is a Petit Bunny Gloss Bar in the shade Juicy Cherry. I particularly love the disdainful expression on his face. He hates you and he's letting you know all about it. If I can find more of these in the New Orleans Sephora, you'd best believe I'll be stocking up. It's just far too kitsch for me to not spend all my money on (and to be fair, they're not actually pricey).

Speaking of kitsch, is this Mini Green Apple lip balm. I already have the cherry and peach versions of these and at the time when I wrote the blog post about them, I said they weren't the best lip balms for moisturising, and granted that is still true but I grew to become practically dependant on the peach one when I was last an inpatient in hospital, in spite of several people pointing out to me that it looked like a nipple (Lads, I'm a midwife, that doesn't bother me in the slightest). This one smells more like a perfumed apple…like what I imagine those DKNY apple shaped perfume bottles smell like. It's not overly glossy but has a nice smack to it and seems to settle in quickly and moisturise. I like.

Lastly, from Skin79 this time, is an Intensive Moisturiser Animal Mask for Dry Monkey Skin. Apparently there was not a mistake in the translation.
I have dry skin so I thought this was a great idea and as you know, I love a sheet mask for it's serial killer-style aesthetics. The description of "Hilarious Monkey Mask containing Hyaluronic Acid makes your skin moisturised" also appealed to me and Skin79 are renowned for their good quality skincare. I bought one of these for my friend's birthday too so hopefully she wasn't too horrified by it…

I just had a shower so my hair was wet, in case you were wondering.

Yeah. It's really more "creepy clown" than monkey mask but sure look, if you can't rock a terrifying face mask coming up to Halloween, when can you, am I right?

That aside, it smells lovely and my skin felt great afterwards, plus my make-up went on nicely the next day.

Have you tried anything from Tony Moly or Skin79 before?

XX

Autumn Reading List.

I'm all for Summer reading- a stack of holiday reads on the beach with a fruit-filled cocktail? Glorious. Autumn reading is where it's really at though. Picture yourself in an oversized knit, curled up next to a roaring fire, pumpkin spiced latte in one hand, a book in the other. 

It's good right?! And yes, I am that person you know who pins loads of "isn't it great that it's Autumn and I can wear big scarves and drink coffee and read books" images on Pinterest. 

Hello!

 These are all new releases for the next couple of months (bar one), so if you're looking for something new to read, look no further! I'll also have my real life book club reads as I go along and I'll most likely do a separate Halloween book list and probably a separate New Orleans book list for our trip there in October (themed book lists; a firm favourite). 

The Trespasser by Tana French

I love Tana French and having read all of her previous books, I get very excited at the thoughts of a new release from her. This one focuses on Detective Antoinette Conway, a member of the Dublin murder squad. She's good at her job but being a take-no-nonsense kinda woman, she's not well liked by her male colleagues. There's a nasty campaign going on to get rid of her while at the same time she and her partner get a case that looks almost too straight-forward. They're being pushed in a certain direction with the case but they must figure out whether this is part of the drive to get rid of her or whether there's something much more sinister going on. A perfect read for the darker evenings!

Release date: 22nd of September.

The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

I've already started reading this one and I have a description AND a give-away for a copy of it HERE. 

Release date: 13th of September.

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

I've read a few of Val McDermid's books before; namely those in the Wire In The Blood series. They were all fairy non-putdownable but if I'm honest, they were a little bit too dark for me at the time. The Distant Echo is a different series from her so I'm hoping for good things. 

Although, that bloody barbed wire on the cover sure doesn't bode well, does it? Hmm.

Anyway, this one takes us back to a Winter's morning in 1978 after the body of a murdered barmaid is found by four men in a cemetery. They are the only suspects but also, the only evidence is the blood on their hands so they are not charged. Twenty five years later and it's now a cold case in the hands of Inspector Karen Pirie. The resurgence into the case awakens old wounds for the four men involved who begin to be murdered, one by one. There's someone out there getting revenge and the only way to save themselves is for the original suspects to go back and try and solve the murder themselves. 

Release date: This is the only one on the list that isn't a newbie and I'm sorry for that but I just really wanted to read this one, so it's on here anyway!

Today Will be Different by Maria Semple

I loved Where'd You Go Bernadette, it was our book club read back in January of this year and I particularly fell for Maria Semple's slightly offbeat style of writing, She's previously written for the TV show Arrested Development (one of my all time favourites) so it's great to see she transferred that quirky humour to her novels. Today Will Be Different is a day in the life of Eleanor, who decides that today will be different by making small changes; she will read poetry and do yoga and drop her son to school, she won't swear and she'll initiate sex with her husband. Unfortunately for Eleanor, the universe has other plans and has bigger changes in mind for her. Described as a "hilarious, heart-filled story about reinvention and sisterhood", this sounds just like my cup of tea!

Release date: 4th of October. 

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

I'm also a big Ian McEwan fan so a new book from him is a no-brainer really. This one has already gained a bit of attention because the narrator is a foetus. Yes, you read that correctly, narrating away from inside a uterus and fully aware of the murder and deceit taking place in the outside world that his mother may or may not be involved in. To be honest, I'm just really intrigued by this one, it's a plot device that I've never heard of before.

Release date: 1st of September.

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

This will be my next Audible purchase as it's read by the woman herself. I'm expecting an Amy Poelher/Tina Fey/Mindy Kaling kinda book with added comedy sass.

Release date: 16th of August

The Female Of The Species by Mandy McGinnis

Good luck to us all getting that song out of our heads now, am I right?

Mandy McGinnis is a YA author and tends to veer on the dark side. I actually have another of her books on my to-be-read list but sure you know yourself, that may never happen. Anyway, this one is about Alex, a teenager who has turned to violence after her sisters murder went unpunished. Alex keeps away from other people in her small town, for fear of unleashing the darkness within but somehow becomes friends with the school jock and the preacher's daughter, an unlikely combination that leads to very bad things. 

Release date: 20th September.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

If there's one thing I can't resist, it's a book about books. I haven't read any of Jenny Colgan's previous novels (you may know her from such works as "The Loveliest Chocolate Shop In Paris" and "Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe"). Nina is a librarian in a big city who loves her job, that is until she's laid off. Upon moving to a small, sleepy village, she buys a van and becomes a mobile book seller, sharing her love of books as she goes. This just sounds lovely and cosy.

Release date: 20th September.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith

I love Zadie Smith- I still think about White Teeth every so often, even though it's about 8 years since I read it. Swing Time is about two young friends, both passionate about ballet but only one with real talent. The other has ideas about rhythm and time, black bodies and black music. A close but complicated friendship taking them from West Africa to North West London and from childhood friendship to an abrupt end to their relationship in their early twenties. 

Release date: 15th November.

This is by no means an exhaustive list; I could walk straight into a bookshop right now and leave with a big bag full of new releases, none of them on this list! Autumn always feels like a great time to read a new book. I think it's the cosy factor.

Do let me know in the comments what you're planning on reading over the greatest season ever!
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New Book Release & Giveaway! The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

I've been a fan of Mark Edward's slow burning thrillers for the last few years now, starting with Because She Loves Me, which I brought with me to a wedding abroad (and kept furtively sneaking a read of, in between family photos) and then Follow You Home last year which creeped me out completely and made me slightly terrified of both trains and Eastern Europe.

I'm only 120 pages into his latest, The Devil's Work and am already completely gripped. I had to put it down for the last couple of weeks to finish my book club book in time but now I'm straight back with protagonist Sophie, who following her parental leave to look after her daughter Daisy, has just accepted the job of a lifetime with a well established publishing firm. Even though she's only a few days in to the job, she begins to have misgivings about one of her colleagues, who she starts to suspect wishes to succeed at any costs, regardless of who gets in her way. An unnerving encounter with the head of the company stirs up dark memories from Sophie's past, after which both her work and home life begin falling apart. I'm currently trying really hard to figure out the connection between Sophie's past and what's happening with her assistant but it looks like Mr Edwards may have foiled me again! I'll have to wait til the end. The good news is that one of you gets to do the same because Thomas & Mercer have very kindly provided me with a brand new copy to give away too!

Double the creep factor...my copy on the right, yours on the left!

So if you're a fan of thrillers, or of Mark Edwards work, or you just want an exciting new book to read this Autumn, all you need to do is let me know why you would like to see this come through your letterbox, using whichever platform suits you! Leave me a comment here, or on Facebook, retweet on Twitter, or even Instagram! I'lll pick a name at random and will contact you for your address (so you'll need to be over 18 or have parental permission to enter). Open to residents of Ireland and UK only.

I will, as always, have a full review up once I've finished!

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