March Favourites

Behold!-My latest favourites from the world of entertainment, beauty and eh..walks around Dublin.

TV

Game of Thrones, the third series has just started up and I'm loving it. If you haven't seen any of this epic show, you need to get watching- the characters (especially some of the female characters) are amazing, the story lines are completely convoluted yet so exciting and the scenery and settings are just incredible. Plus, DRAGONS!

The Mindy Project

I mentioned this in my Recently Read Part 2 post, I started watching this show after reading Mindy Kaling's book and also loving her work on the US Office. This sitcom about Obstetrician Mindy follows her disastrous love life from one hilariously awful date to the next. Lots of great characters in this too and it's just very funny. You'll like it if you already like....

New Girl! Ah, Zooey, I love you so. New Girl has been around for a while too, this is the second series that's currently being shown and it's just been confirmed that there'll be a third. If you haven't seen it yet, it's about Jessica Day- a very cute and quirky school teacher who moves in with three equally weird male housemates and the general hilarious consequences of that. This show is just so great. There's something I find really comforting about it- whenever I'm not feeling too brilliant Hubster pops on an episode for me, makes me a cup of tea and suddenly things are a bit better..the power of harmless comedy :)

The Walking Dead

Not so harmless is this show about the (undoubtedly unavoidable) zombie apocalypse and a particular group of survivors. This is based on the comic books of the same name and is also in it's third series. It's been hugely successful since it started and it's easy to see why- it's just very well made and has it's viewers constantly on the edge of their collective seats. This is also another great one for strong female characters and if zombies are your thing (if not then they should be!) then you definitely need to check this out.

Books

I've been reading loads lately and have come across some excellent books, which you can read more of in my Recently read posts HERE and HERE but I haven't had a chance to review this little treasure yet- I'll go into it properly in my next book round up but if you're looking for a good read between now and then, please check out 'Me Before you' by JoJo Moyes..this is just so great, I had been avoiding it because I thought it was chick-lit and I generally have to be in the right frame of mind for that but this was completly not what I expected and I could not put it down. Excellent stuff.

Walks in the sunshine- the park and the beach

I've really been enjoying the recent sunshine and have been making the most of it with walks in the park and at the sea. Ireland really is a beautiful country when we get the right weather :)

Cath Kidston Strawberries iPhone Case

My phone is pretty much always adorned with Cath Kidston's cute and kitsch designs so I had to get this new Spring/Summer case when I saw it online- it's such a cheery pattern, I love it.

Camomile Tea

I picked this tea up this week to try and encourage more restful sleep, so far I'm loving the taste and I do find it quite relaxing to sip this while reading my kindle every night. Also- check out the prettiness of the packaging..good old M & S.

Beauty stuffs

Clarins Lip Perfector Gloss

My new favourite lip product, which is saying something for me. I wrote a full review of this HERE.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps

I mentioned this in my Post Hospital Recovery Kit post and will be doing a full review on it soon, this is a really, really great body moisturiser. Pricey but so worth it.

Dainty Doll Blush in My Girl

I did a full review of this super bargainous blush HERE..I adore this, such a pretty colour, so pigmented and beautiful on. I've since picked up a couple of other shades to try and another of these for my friend's upcoming birthday present.
Topshop Polish in Celestial
As I've previously mentioned about a million times, I love pastel blue polishes and I also love Topshop nail varnishes so this is a match made in heaven really. I got this as part of a birthday present last year and I love it- it's the perfect Spring shade, blue with a good whack of lilac in it, so very pretty.

And that's my lot! Let me know in the comments if you agree with any of my picks and what your own current favourites are!

XX

April Wishlist

I've been loving all the bright colours that are out at the moment, here's what I'm currently lusting after but have somehow resisted buying (the links are the names of the websites):

1. Colour Block Large Pink and Orange Envelope Clutch, Accessorize, £29.00.
2. Illamasqua Polish in Fragile (although I'd gladly take Mottle too- it reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice-cream!), Asos, 19.04 euro.
3. Limited Edition yellow Floral Embellished Skater Dress, Topshop, £140, 
4. Darling Lace top,Asos, 45 euro.
5. Ted Baker spot dress with Belt, Asos, 182.51 euro.
6. Sleek Blush by 3 in Lace, Cloud 10 Beauty, 13.00 euro.

XX

Post Hospital Recovery Kit!

If you follow me on twitter you'll have noticed a recent absence on my part while I was in hospital. Since getting home I've been basically putting all my energy into piecing myself together again- resting, exercising, eating well, sipping 7up and coughing dramatically like I've got The Consumption. I've also been trying a whole rake of products to try and patch up my poor outward self..perhaps not the most vital element of recovery but important in helping me feel like myself again. So these are the bits and pieces I've been using lately for my skin and hair:

Nuxe Creme Fraiche de Beaute Enrichie
I'm loving this super moisturiser from Nuxe. I wrote a full review on it HERE.

Vaseline
Bit of a self explanatory one. I've been using this constantly on my lips..sometimes things are classics for a reason!

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
Soothing Repairing balm for very dry skin- this has been an absolute godsend. I've been lashing it on and it made a difference from the very first time I used it. Pricey but so worth it.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
I've been wearing this over the Nuxe at night time, I find the two together is like my skin drinking a big glass of water..lovely. I wrote a full review of this HERE.

Sanctuary Hand Cream
This is part of a set of Sanctuary products a friend gave me and I've been loving it. It's really moisturising without being greasy, which I find is such a hard balance to get right in a hand cream.

Oilatum Scalp Intensive Treatment Shampoo
I actually forgot to include this in the photo but said I'd mention it here anyway. I tend to have a sensitive scalp so had been using this pre-hospital anyway but am finding it especially beneficial now.

RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum
This cost a small fortune but it had to be done- during my operation I had tape over my eyes which took half my brows with it. It really is the least thing to be worrying about but it's just one of those things that completely changes your apperance so I'm looking forward to them growing back (hopefully). This stuff brushes on just like a mascara- you use it twice a day but generally people tend not to see results for a few weeks. I've taken pre photos and will keep ye updated!

Mac Eyebrow Pencil in Fling
This was recommended to me by the lovely Marian of The High Life of Mars. I had been using a Rimmel brow pencil but found that it's too red toned now I have so little brow hair. This is the perfect shade for blondes and is easy to apply because of the precision of the tip. Thanks Marian!x

Kerastase Hair Oil
I also had this pre-hospital but have been finding it really great for my dry ends since getting home. I'm almost finished this and am considering trying out the L'oreal version as it's a bit cheaper.

OPI Nail Envy
I love this stuff, it really does make a difference to the condition of my nails, which have been weak and prone to breaking. I'm almost at the end of this too and will definitely be repurchasing.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Creme de Corps
I've wanted both of these for ages and my dry skin has finally given me the excuse I needed. I've only just started using them so I'll give them a proper try and then do full reviews on them both. So far I'm very impressed though.

Help me out here ladies, is there anything else I should without a doubt be using to help my skin/hair?

Recently Read Part 2

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Recently made into a film (which I've also seen and will be reviewing at a later date), this is a quirky little story about Charlie, a young teenage boy struggling to cope with the world around him. He appears to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum and has to constantly question his own and others reactions to everything- something he does through the medium of letter writing to an unidentified character he calls "friend". This'll sound weird but one of the things I love about this book is the pop culture references- Charlie is constantly discovering new books and music and as it's set in the early 90's there's lots of the Smiths (one of my all time favourite bands) and his favourite books are some of my personal loves too so I really appreciated that element of the storyline. Overall, I liked this book. It touches on some dark topics but because it's from Charlie's perspective it seems relatively innocent when it could have been quite harrowing. 

*Harrowing..the word everyone looks for in a book review*

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

So Mindy Kaling is my new favourite comedian. If you haven't heard of her check out the 'US Office', which she not only acted in but also co-wrote, directed and produced as she is now doing on her own sitcom 'The Mindy Project'. This was a New York Times bestseller and it's easy to see why- she's hilarious. The book follows her childhood and successful career to date through lots of funny anecdotes and generally terrible tongue-in-cheek life advice..a nice short read that had me loudly chuckling away to myself like a lunatic. It's been compared to the likes of Tina Fey's 'Bossypants', another book I loved, so if you enjoyed that then this is probably a good choice for you too.

The Burning Air by Erin Kelly
I reviewed Kelly's first book "The Poison Tree" in Part 1 of my Recently Read and really liked it. Her second novel, "The Burning Air" is an interesting tale of revenge, secrets, lies and general intrigue. There's a nice little plot twist about half way through the book and like her first novel, this relies heavily on the use of flash-back as a plot device. While I liked this at the time I would say it's not hugely memorable..it works well as a thriller and was a good read but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to recommend it, if that makes sense. 

The Equality Illusion by Kat Banyard

Described on the cover as "the most influential young feminist of the century", in this book Kat Banyard explores the current perception that women have "never had it so good", a theory which she completely refutes in each chapter, focusing on different aspects of society and women's lives- work, money, sexuality, gender based violence, eating disorders and the rise of pornography. What I really liked about this book is that she interviews real women for their personal experiences of these issues but also backs that up with statistics- an interesting blend of research and anecdotal evidence which the little study nerd in me appreciated. This is definitely worth a read, some of the statistics in it are genuinely shocking and I found myself loudly exclaiming "Oh Dear God" on more than one occasion. This would be of particular benefit for anyone questioning whether or not we still require feminism as a society. (The answer is yes, by the way :)

Dainty Doll Blush in My Girl

The blogosphere went a bit crazy recently with the news that Nicola Roberts (of Girls Aloud fame) was selling her make up line for pale skin 'Dainty Doll' on the bargain website Fragrance Direct. After humming and hawing for days about whether or not to get a cream or a powder blush the decision was eventually taken out of my hands anyway when all the cream blushers sold out. To avoid further disappointment I picked up this little powder beauty "My Girl" instead for the princely sum of £1.99!

The pigmentation in this is just amazing, I need apply only the smallest amount to my brush and it makes such an impact. It really is the prettiest shade of pink too, containing the slightest hint of shimmer which leaves a lovely fresh faced glow. The packaging on this is nice too- a fairly plain black compact with a large mirror. I am so impressed with this product and would love to try more from her range.

On a less positive note, I wasn't overly impressed with the service from Fragrance Direct. They emailed me on the 18th to say my package had been sent and when by the 26th it still hadn't arrived, I emailed them to enquire about it and was told they'd look into it..I didn't hear anything else from them until it arrived two days later so I'm assuming they had basically forgotten my order until I contacted them, otherwise I probably would never have gotten it. Not really good enough communication on their part to be honest. I did also pick up two of the Essie polishes I featured in my Easter Egg inspired nails and these two lovely Sally Hansens in Teal Fairy and Bewitched, all of which I'm pleased with too. 

Anyone else tried any other Dainty Doll products?

xx