Dublin in a Week, Part 3: The Japanese Gardens (Not actually Dublin at all)

The third part of my home-tourism week looks at the Japanese Gardens in Kildare, which is obviously not in Dublin but is only a 45 minute drive from my house, so I'm cheating slightly. We'll all get over it, I'm sure. The gardens were created between 1906 and 1910 and are designed to symbolise the "life of man". God forbid that women, the givers of life, should have a garden dedicated to their existence, but whatever. Ahem.
Anyways, the gardens portray the paths of birth, childhood, marriage, parenthood, old age, death (fun times on that particular path) and the afterlife with an exploration of Eastern and Western traditions. You can also check out the stud farm, where race horses are conceived, born and raised.

Famous Bridge, Waterfall and statue of St Fiachra (the patron St of gardeners), having the craic on his lake.

Beautiful flowers everywhere, dotey little Japanese House.

The "Marriage Bridge", Being soppy on said bridge

St Fiachras gaff, outside and inside

Lots of open green spaces

And this is Margo, possibly the cutest foal of all time.

If you're interested in visiting the Japanese Gardens yourself, it's open all year round, admission prices range from 7 euro to 29.50 (family ticket) and tours are available.

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Stila Colour Balm Lipstick: Valentina

After spotting Valentina on Emerald Eyeliner, I added it to my wishlist (post HERE) along with Stilas Convertible Colour trio..neither stayed on the wishlist too long. I hummed, I hawed and I eventually bought both. I'm delighted I did as the Convertible Colour Trio (cream blushers- post coming soon!) have been a permanent fixture on my face since and this gorgeous little tube of brightness is now my go-to lipstick for when I need a bit of a pick-me-up, you know, visage wise. 

The idea with the Colour Balm lipsticks is that they provide the full pigment that a matte lipstick would but with the added nourishing properties of a balm. I expected this to be similar to the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine (Review HERE) or indeed Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butters but in reality this to me feels like a creme finish lipstick but slightly more glossy. 

The packaging is beautiful, that's a little mirror on the top- dinky!

The Colour! One swatch only.

This is again, just one coat lightly applied so you can see how pigmented it is. I just threw it on before leaving the house but it can be built up by properly applying two coats or using a lip brush.

And here t'is with two coats applied. Lovely.

The colour is just outstanding with this, a super bright orange/red, it really lifts the complexion and if it looks well on me with my pasty face then I'd imagine it'll look fantastic on those with a darker skin tone too. Being a glossier finish, this will need reapplication if you're going anywhere near food or drink but generally I have to do that with any lipstick this bright, unless I lash on a layer of LipCote, which I probably wouldn't do with a consistency like this. 

There are 17 shades in the range and are priced at £16. You can pick them up in Harvey Nichols or HERE on Stilas website, which offers free delivery to Ireland. Asos also sell the brand.

Dublin in a Week, Part 2: Guinness Storehouse

In Part 1 I showed you the beautiful Trinity college. As part of the Dublin City open top bus tour we stopped off at the Guinness storehouse, where we learnt all about how the famous black stuff is made (information you don't need), looked at lots of advertising memorabilia from over the years and sipped a rather lovely pint in the Gravity bar:

The interior of the storehouse is actually really beautiful

A wee mini glass to start with for sampling purposes

Old school machinery etc.

Cool giant Guinness man, husband answering phone and failing to realise where he was leaning..ah ha ha ha!

A very small sample of the past advertisements

The view from the Gravity bar of the entire city was actually stunning, even when a massive rain cloud descended, and eh, more Guinness.

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YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Corail Intuitive, No 15.

I raved on about YSL's Rouge Volupte Shine in my Spring/Summer Lipstick picks HERE back at the start of April but I had to give it a post of its own because it really is just a gorgeous product that I've been wearing non-stop since I bought it. Firstly, lets just address the packaging- SWOON. It's that lovely heavy container with a good solid click upon closing, with the main plus of the outer casing being its innate ability to cause intense jealousy in others when it's taken out of a handbag for reapplication purposes. Yes, it's that good. It also has that amazing fruity YSL smell that I've grown slightly addicted to, which I've decided reminds me of a peach Bellini. 

The aesthetics aside, it's so pretty on the lips- a glossy peachy/pinky/coral, in fact I can't really pin this colour down as it's very different to anything else I own. 

Granted, this isn't the most long lasting of lip products so touch-ups are needed but having said that it's really perfect for days where you want a pretty but natural lip that requires zero effort unlike many others (I'm looking at you, Rimmel Apocalips, as much as I love you). 

Here it is on the lips, one coat only:

Love it. Anyone else tried the YSL Rouge Volupte shines? Any other shades I should be checking out?

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Dublin in a Week, Part 1: Trinity College

Although I've lived in Dublin for almost four years now, there's plenty of touristy type things I've yet to do. Himself and myself are city break type of people- we like to traipse around all the various tourist destinations a capital has to offer until we're knackered yet full of cultural knowledge! Previously we've been to Dublin's art galleries, Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol, Christchurch Cathedral, the Zoo and have generally explored most of the city. Hubster had this week off so we decided to add to that and pop into Trinity College, hop aboard the city bus tour, knock back a pint in the Guinness storehouse, go for afternoon tea, visit Dublinia and take a stroll around the Japanese Gardens (although that's technically cheating as it's not in Dublin at all).

First up, Trinity College and the Long Room/Book of Kells. Trinity itself was founded in 1592 and as well as being a third level educational institution, also houses the biggest collection of Ireland's oldest books (the Long Room) and the Book of Kells, a manuscript from over 1000 years ago, created by Irish monks.

Beautiful weather in the front square

The Long Room

Intricate Staircase, Book heaven, How the inks were originally made

Fancy Armagh Leather Satchel, from ye olden medieval times.

I'm sure most of us have been to see the Book of Kells at some point, most likely as youngsters on a school tour but if it's been as long as it was for me then it's definitely worth another visit. The buildings in Trinity are so beautiful and as you can see above the Long room is stunning- a fantastic, peaceful space and as an aside- the smell of the books! Amazing! I couldn't get to take any photos of the Book of Kells because it's obviously a flash free zone but is quite dark in the room it's housed in so you'll just have to check that one out for yourself. Overall, a lovely way to spend an afternoon!

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Essence Peel Off Base Coat & Revlon Girly

I've wanted to try the Essence peel off base coat for a while now but for the life of me I could not find it anywhere.

Step in the lovely Sharon from Behind Green Eyes, who not only found a bottle but then sent it to me. Little legend that she is. The deal with this is that you apply a generous layer, then allow 10 minutes to dry until the white base coat turns transparent. Then you can apply your sparkly top coat or basic glitter polish. When you're sick of it, you just peel it off and avoid the horrors of trying to remove a glittery nail polish with regular remover, which as we all know destroys your nails and is generally incredibly annoying and time-consuming.
To test it out properly, I applied Revlon's super glittery top coat in Girly- a milky pink base full of small pink and lilac pieces and large hexagonal purple and fuchsia pieces. It's so pretty.

This lasted me over seven days. SEVEN days people. You're right to gasp, that's impressive. I genuinely expected it to last a couple of days before it chipped like crazy so I was so pleased with this and when I went to remove it, it really made it much less of a hassle. Hopefully you too know a Sharon or your Penneys is better stocked than mine but either way, you should try and get your hands on it if you're a fan of glitters! I can highly recommend it!

Recently Viewed

The Great Gatsby

I had such high hopes for this one, being a long term fan of Baz Luhrmann's work (I wrote a waffle-y post on Romeo & Juliet HERE and I also loved Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom) and more so the novel the film is based on but it just wasn't meant to be. 

Firstly, I agree with other reviews that the film is visually quite arresting- the excessive style of the roaring 20's is well suited to Luhrmann's equally over-the-top cinematography and the soundtrack is also brilliant (I've already bought it and am loving it) but for me, other than for those two elements, the Great Gatsby is just lacking something. 

While I thought Leonardo di Caprio was excellent in the title role, overall I don't think Gatsby is well suited as a character or as a book for the transfer to the big screen, given the dreamy quality of Fitzgerald's prose. 

If, like me, you love the novel too then you'll undoubtedly want to see it no matter what I say and on balance it probably is worth seeing- it's by no means a bad film but I did feel disappointed...perhaps my expectations were just too high.

Iron Man 3

I don't think anyone needs a synopsis of Iron Man at this stage but anyway, Robert Downey Junior (Ridebag Downey Junior to you and I) is Tony Stark- millionaire inventor type and also the creator of Iron Man, a superhero who regularly saves the world. In this instalment baddies include Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley (both excellent in their respective roles), attempting to destroy the world and generally just create a lot of anarchy.
Gwyneth Paltrow (Stark's colleague and girlfriend Pepper Potts) is also great in it and she finally gets an ass-kicking scene of her own. Of all three Iron Mans this was probably my favourite. It's clearly not going to win any awards for realism but it's a superhero movie based on a comic book so you really shouldn't be watching it expecting anything but frivolous action sequences, some great fight scenes and lots of RDJ being all charismatic and hilarious. 

Star Trek: Into Darkness 3D

Being the big nerd that I am I actually really enjoyed this, the second film in the most recent Star Trek series. It's all the same people from the first one- Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty). Excitingly, Benedict Cumberbatch makes an appearance as Khan, a time-travelling super villain intent on starting an intergalactic war. As you do.
As per the previous film, the action scenes in this are amazing, clearly no money has been spared on the sets (perhaps some of it could've gone towards the female cast members costumes though..it's not the 1960's anymore, everyone) and the acting is excellent. Cumberbatch is a fantastically chilling nemesis and I will, to my everlasting shame admit that I shed several tears at one particularly touching scene between Kirk and Spock. Yes, you're right to be scarlet for me, I am too.
My emotional breakdown aside, I would definitely recommend you check Star Trek out (as a side note, we saw it in IMAX 3D, which was very cool), even if you wouldn't consider yourself a fan- there are a lot of in-jokes because it is such a long running franchise but it really does work well as a stand alone film and is plenty entertaining as a one off sci-fi/action movie.

Any other good movies out at the moment that I should be checking out? Or any good dvd releases you can recommend? 

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A Very Late April Favourites

Finally, my April favourites post. It's almost a month late but that's cool..right? If anything it means I've loved all of this stuff for that little bit longer, so you know it's good!

Sleek Contour Palette in Light.

I love this. In my attempts to refashion myself some cheekbones I recently picked up this handy little kit on Cloud 10 Beauty and have been loving it. A richly pigmented matte bronzer (a little goes a long way) with an accompanying pretty highlighter and all for the bargainous price of 9.95. Love it.

Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang

The blogging world has been alight with the love for these lipstick/gloss/stain hybrids although I originally avoided getting one as I generally like to wait and see whether these sort of hyped-up products are still as loved once they've been out for a while. Anyways, reviews were good and I have to say, I love this stuff. The colour is just immense. Possibly my favourite red of all time, and that's saying something for me, given my love of red shades. I will say that lasting power isn't great with this, I completely destroyed a china tea cup after applying it but a bit of reapplication is worth it for the gorgeous colour! And I got it for 5 euro something, so cheap as chips too!

Fancy glittery Shoes, Penneys

Yes, I'm aware I didn't need another pair of green hued shoes, but I had originally wanted these when they were full price, but held myself back (I'm a shopping ninja in some ways) and good job I did too because these were then reduced to 7 euro! Huzzah!

Knitting Kit!

This was a rather lovely gift, complete with everything I need to start knitting and there's lots of handy sewing stuff in there too. Plus- look at the cuteness of the outer material!! 

The Sartorialist and The Sartorialist Closer, Scott Schuman

Ooh, I love these books. Another fantastic present, these have taken up permanent residence on my bedside table so I've been flicking through them on a regular basis to get inspiration for my own wardrobe (although clearly I'm fooling myself, because I'll never be as cool as any of these people). Schuman is a photographer and runs thesartorialist.com, where he showcases the outfits and style of random people on the street and celebrities all around the world. The photographs are absolutely stunning and both books have me lusting after the wardrobes of complete strangers, which is fairly impressive. A must for fashion lovers. (Also, Kanye West has his own chapter. Good times).

Lastly..

White Chocolate Coated Raspberries

Enough Said.

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Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

I've previously spoken (at length) about my very dry skin and am always on the hunt for the ultimate skin saviour product. One thing I have been missing in my skincare regime has been a good night time serum. In the past I've tried Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair and the Clarins Blue Orchid oil (review HERE) and although I liked them both, being the little beauty addict that I am I felt naturally inclined towards trying something new. Step forward Kiehls, one of my new favourite brands.

I'd heard a lot of good things about their Midnight Recovery Concentrate and after almost two months of use I can agree with a lot of that praise. Described as "a replenishing elixir of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals to visibly restore the appearance of skin by morning", the glass bottle contains 30mls complete with a fancy dropper in the lid that makes me feel like an old-timey apothecary every time I use it. Bonus. 

Also great is the fact that it contains 99.8% natural ingredients, is paraben-free and feels quite light on the skin, in spite of it being an oil based formula. Suggested use is only two small drops each night- so you'll basically have the bottle forever, although I usually apply 3-4 drops (so I don't neglect my neck) after cleansing and toning and then apply moisturiser. 

I'm not sure that I've ever woken up after using it and exclaimed at how fresh-faced I look, but then again I usually look like this in the morning:

photo source

Having said that, my skin always feels lovely and soft after using it and there has been an improvement since I started it, although I can't say for certain whether this or one of my other lotions and potions are responsible for that.  

The scent is lovely and soothing- there's a fair old whack of lavender in there to aid restful sleep but still manages to be quite delicate on the skin, which is always nice. 

On the negative side, it is slightly pricey but as I said, you will have it forever and a day so probably worth it, cost per use wise. 

Anyone else tried any Kiehls products or any recommendations for me? I'm thinking their Acai Serum looks rather lovely too...

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Recently Read

An odd assortment of books here but I've been reading all sorts lately. I'm slowly but surely getting through my many to-read lists which you can look at HERE and HERE but I'm also balancing those books out with some slightly more random choices, as you can see below:

Minding Frankie, Maeve Binchy

The Frankie in question is the newborn daughter of Stella and Noel, the result of a one night stand between the two. Stella has terminal cancer and dies following a c-section (it's the start of the book, I'm giving nothing away), leaving Frankie with Noel, an alcoholic in a dead end job, living with his parents. Aargh. The book chronicles how he deals with this massive change in his life with the help of a vast array of characters (parents, friends, cousin, neighbours, doctors, etc. It takes a village and all that) with completely improbable names (Muttie Scarlet, anyone?!). I like Maeve Binchy's writing, this is light and an easy read.

The Gift of Fear, Gavin De Becker
The Gift of Fear is a self help book written by a US security expert that aims to teach you how to be aware of your own instincts and to respond to them appropriately in order to avoid exposure to violence and trauma from dangerous individuals. Normally this would not be my sort of book at all but it had some amazing reviews, was a number one bestseller and Oprah loves it, so, you know, it must be good...and it was! De Becker is kind of a 'Criminal Minds' sort with years of experience so the book contains detailed interviews with victims and criminals alike and is just incredibly fascinating. The advice is actually genuinely helpful and really struck a chord with me- I've always been very vigilant when out and about but I would say I am more so now after reading this than ever. I've also really taken on board how to ward off unwanted attention and the tricks con artists use to do what they do.
Interestingly, the book relates how humans are the only mammals who frequently ignore their instincts- often times we'll say to ourselves "I heard a noise in that bush, but I don't want to look like an idiot, so I won't run away down the street" etc. De Becker points out that the worst that can happen is that you'll look a little foolish if you do run but you could well be avoiding an attacker so clearly it's worth it. He does point out that he in no way blames the victim of any crime but more wants to demonstrate the importance of listening to those instincts to hopefully avoid these incidents, and sadly as that is often not fully possible, to save your own life. While this isn't the happiest book you'll read and was a little bit spine-chilling in places, I would say it's definitely worth picking up.

Macbeth, William Shakespeare
I've always had a bit of a thing for Shakespeare and I always wanted to read this, but am only getting around to it now. Shame on me. I really enjoyed it, dark and sinister, it's unputtdownable (that's a word, right?) and I had it finished in a day. It just flows so well and the prose is beautiful. A palate cleanser for the mind. Well worth reading.

Small Island, Andrea Levy

Small Island is set in the UK, India and Jamaica in 1948 and tells the story from the perspective of four characters- Hortense and Gilbert (who escape their own "small island" of Jamaica only to face all the difficulties of the UK during WW2- war, poverty and racism) and Queenie and Bernard (a married couple stuck in a loveless, strained relationship and owners of the room Hortense and Gilbert rent). While I liked this- it's well written and very different to anything else I've read recently, it's not the lightest of books and parts of it were slightly arduous to read. I really enjoyed the characters of Hortense and Gilbert though and I may try and hunt down the BBC adaptation of this...the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch was in it has nothing to do with me wanting to see it, I swear.*

*filthy lies.

Me Before You, Jojo Moyes

Don't be fooled by the chick-lit esque title and cover, Me Before You actually has a very serious subject matter and is in no way frothy- it's about Louisa, a girl-next-door type who loses her job as a waitress, struggles with unemployment and ends up taking up a position as an assistant to Will, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Although she's completely unqualified for the job and Will is understandably low in spirit, the two grow close and both of their lives are changed forever. I know it sounds a bit bleak but it actually really isn't! If I could only recommend one book in this list it'd be this one. I truly loved it and was so sad when I had finished it. Always the sign of a good'un!

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

This has been on my to-read list since forever really so it was probably about time that I picked it up. I actually really loved it- I was worried it'd be one of those gothic classics that I'd be disappointed in (I'm looking at you, Dracula), but I was so wrong. Sure we all know the story by now, young scientist and general asshat Frankenstein decides to put all of his energies into bringing a "man" back from the dead but instead creates a monster who he abandons following his disgust at being faced with the hideousness of his work. The monster then basically goes on a revenge spree and ends up driving Frankenstein insane. Have no pity for him though, like I said, he's an asshat. I really loved this book, it draws you in and you won't be able to put it down. Super creepy too.

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

This was actually my first foray into the world of audible (a branch of amazon.co.uk) which I've found great for going on walks to keep myself entertained. If you were going to buy any audiobook I think this is kind of the perfect option- the book has two main protagonists- Amy and Nick, both with fascinatingly messed-up characters, well suited to being read aloud as an audiobook. Amy has mysteriously gone missing from the home she shares with her husband Nick. Things were more than a bit dodgy between them so the finger of suspicion gets pointed at Nick who basically then has to put all the clues together to exonerate himself and find out what happened to his wife. As the book progresses, we find out more about their ailing relationship and the events that led up to the day Amy disappeared. The genius of the book is that the whole way through you're kept guessing- has he actually done something to her or is he in fact innocent? Thankfully, there is a proper ending to this (although not necessarily one you'll want to read), which I was grateful for as I don't think I could've kept guessing. If you enjoy a good thriller you'll love this.

The Fault In our Stars, John Green
My second audiobook purchase, The Fault in Our Stars is actually a Young Adult novel about a teenage girl (Hazel) battling lung cancer while falling in love with a fellow cancer patient (Gus) who she meets in group therapy. While I really loved this book and it was funny in parts, it was also highly emotional and several times I found myself wiping away a tear on my daily walk down by the canal..nothing more normal looking than crying by the canal, I always say. Aside from that, this really gives a brilliant insight into the life and feelings of not just a cancer patient but a young girl struggling with balancing adolescence and a chronic illness. Very well written and an enjoyable read. As a complete side note, the title of the book is a quote from Julius Caesar, which endeared me to it even more, as did the fact that one of the main characters quoted my favourite of Shakespeare's Sonnets (it's number 55, if you're interested, fact fans!)

And that's my lot for the time being. Have you read any of these?
Any other recommendations?
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May Wishlist

Will there ever come a time when I don't have some sort of a wishlist on the go? The answer is of course, no.

1) Marc Jacobs mouse flats. Sigh. I've had my eye on these for a few years but I'm particularly in love with the gold sparkly ones you can see above. Unfortunately they don't seem to be on sale anymore and eBay being a cruel mistress only has them in EVERY other size other than my own. Gah. This season there's a cute pink slingback version of these, which you can see HERE, I just think they're better in the super sparkly version.

2) Stila Colour Balm Lipstick in Valentina (orange poppy), HERE. OK, so this is very orange, clearly but it just looks like such a beautiful shade, Summery and glossy but still highly pigmented. Stila make up is so lovely, I've always loved their glosses and lipsticks so am really interested in trying these new products from the brand, including..

3) THIS Convertible Colour Trio in Cool. These cream blush/lip colours have kind of reached legendary status in the old blogosphere and for good reason- long lasting, beautiful, multi-tasking shades that are easy to use and suit most skin tones. Lovely. 

4) I've actually been on the dreaded hunt for a new bikini (wishful thinking), but as I have to do it on line, it hasn't proved hugely fruitful so far. Having said that, I have quite the love for all things stripey and all things pink so THIS swimsuit from Ted Baker ticks those boxes as well as having a nice 50's style to it. It is crazy prices for swim wear though so I may just make a trip to Penney's at some stage instead..

Let me know in the comments if any of these would make your wishlist too!

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Eve Lom Cleanser

I've previously spoken about my love for Eve Lom HERE so I've been really eager to try the much loved cleanser from the brand, especially as Vogue have described it as "probably the best cleanser in the world". Wowzers! For the past year I've been really loving my Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser (review HERE) and didn't think anything could replace it in my affections, until I started using this little beauty.  It contains a unique blend of four aromatic oils (Chamomilla flower, clove leaf, eucalyptus leaf and hops cone oil- it smells amazing!) to cleanse, decongest and soothe, while the woven muslin cloth that accompanies it helps to improve circulation, open pours, cleanse, exfoliate and tone the skin in minutes. 

This has a really unusual texture- in the tub it looks a bit like a thicker version of Vaseline but as soon as it's on the fingers it begins to melt and becomes a sort of oil/milk hybrid. Not sure I'm explaining this well but it's possibly the most unique product I've come across. You apply it to dry skin using circular motions, dip the muslin cloth (which is huge by the way) in hot water and place and leave on the skin for 5 seconds, repeating that action 3 times. You then rinse the cloth in warm water, and remove all traces of make up (including eye make up), then rinse the cloth in cold water and hold to the skin for 5 seconds to close the pores, then gently pat dry with a clean towel. Phew! I will say that while that sounds like a lot of fuss for make-up removal, I first encountered this method of cleansing during an Eve Lom facial and my skin felt incredible afterwards so it's definitely worth the effort and once you start doing it, it quickly becomes part of your nightly routine. 

The pot contains 100mls, in the usual beautiful Eve Lom packaging and although this was a present, a quick search of the interwebs informs me that it is horribly expensive at £55 per 100mls. Aargh!

Personally, I love this and think it's worth the price. It feels incredibly luxurious, like a mini facial in the comfort of my own home every night. Having said that, I almost feel like I should be "saving it for best", (as Russell Brand would say) so that makes me unsure as to whether I would buy it myself. However, it does make a fantastic gift- really, gifts should be the sort of lovely extravagance that you wouldn't splash out on yourself so this is ideal for that. 

You can pick it up along with the rest of the Eve Lom range on Feel Unique or you can have a look in a Revive salon if you're in Dublin.

So, what do you think? Interested in Eve Lom? Willing to spend a small fortune on your face?!

NOTD: Topshop Bee's Knees

Ah would you look at the Summeriness! Sunshine in a bottle! I actually bought this polish a few weeks ago and loved it so much I picked up another bottle online for my friend's birthday. My skin is quite pale at the moment so I was worried this would look a bit stark in contrast but surprisingly it just looks quite cool and almost mod-esque. It will equally look great with a tan however and will be very cute worn on toes with a pair of sandals.

This is three coats but you could easily get away with two. I got four days out of it before I saw any wear or tear, which is pretty decent.

Also, it needs to be mentioned that "Bee's Knees" is possibly the greatest name for a nail polish ever, although granted, that is neither here nor there.

Anyone else rocking lovely lemon nails this Summer?

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