The Christmas TAG

I've seen several Christmas Tags floating around so I thought I'd take part in creating one. My intention was to do this weeks ago but…better late than never or rather Christmas hasn't passed me by yet so imma do what I want. Hope you enjoy!

Essie Nails: Holidays My Way: Mint Candy Apple, No Place Like Chrome, & Stroke of Brilliance

It's no secret that I love doing my own nails and using multiple color combos. This particular combo is my 2013 holiday mood. I know the usual is red, green, and gold with the odd blue and silver tossed in but I was feeling minty. Tossed in some of that silver and blue glitter for good measure. I can never keep myself away from the glitter. Read on for the end result :)

Flower Cosmetics Lip Service Lip Butter & Petite Fleurs Pocket Triplets (by Drew Barrymore)

Petal to the Metal, Rose-y Future, Princess & the Peony, Haute Honeysuckle, Sheer Snapdragon, PF5-Warm, PF7 Neutral, and PF1Cool

I'm a self-confessed beauty junkie and one of the staple addictions is lip product. I love love love lip products! Lipsticks, balms, crayons, lacquers,  sheer, uber-pigmented, neon, neutral, look at me, don't look at me….everything under the sun, I'm just crazy about it! FLOWER is a beauty line by Drew Barrymore. I can't remember where I heard about this line….but when I first moved back home and made a trip to wal-mart I came across this brand and just went hmmm….to try or not to try? 

Skincare Skincare Skincare...

I have had problems with acne for over a decade now. I went from a kid with painful cystic acne to a young adult with minimal acne troubles and scarring from old traumas. A person who truly suffers from acne will try everything under the sun. If a voodoo man told you to lay out in the sun naked with a dead chicken on your face you'd do it which (to me) doesn't sound as bad or is at least on par with taking round after round of antibiotics for years. I took antibiotics for roughly 5 or 6 years on and off and I wish I never touched them. They did more damage than good. For years I'd hear from doctors, "Oh it's because you're going through puberty, it's normal and will clear up, take this to help it" or "when you're  17 it'll be gone, or 20…or any day now….it'll be gone" Then one doctor told me "it's never going to go away at this age or that, it's not the foods you eat, it's not this or that, it's most likely just bad genetics or hormones." With that I was both disappointed and relieved. I was sad I just had shitty genes or hormone problems but relieved that I could just breathe and not feel like I had to keep taking all these prescription drugs and topical creams that could cause birth defects and all that fun stuff…I decided right there and then that it wasn't worth it and that I was going to figure it out on my own. And from then on I've taken advice with caution. Please read on for my latest experiences with skincare and discover what brands and routines have worked for me. :)

I Have Finally Returned!

View from Window (San Lucas Cabo, Mexico)

I have been a terrible terrible blogger. I can't believe that it has been a few days shy of two months since my last blog post! Shocking to say the least. After the thesis, all my energy and focus was on figuring out what I was going to do with myself! Which I ended up leaving Dublin and moving back home to Texas. It was a difficult move and I'm still adjusting. To catch you up to speed for the last while I've been working for my dad at his auction house, which has been great. It's what I'll be doing until I further settle in, learn to drive (another shocker, I'm nearly 26 and still can't drive), and then find a job that'd I'd flourish in. In between all this madness as a welcome home/you're finally done with school present, my aunt and uncle took me on a 6 day trip to San Lucas Cabo! I figured sharing my experience there would be the perfect comeback post! Read on for more!

Rimmel London Salon Pro Ultra Violet and L'Oreal Confetti Top Coat

Who doesn't love treating their nails to some fun colors and care? That was one of the first things I did after I finished my thesis. I went out and picked up 2 new fun polishes and went right to taking care of my nails (they were sooooo neglected). 

This or That TAG

A little bit of this or a little bit of that: Charlotte from Makeup by Candlelight (HERE) tagged me ages ago to participate in this tag. It took me awhile to recover from that hand crushing thesis but now I'm back in full swing and finally getting around to participating in this fantastic tag. Thank you Charlotte for tagging me! Read on :)

Liebster Award # 4

This is the 4th time I've been nominated for a Liebster, for which I'm very grateful :) This time around Zoe Dawes from Zoesque (Her blog is HERE, please check it out as it is great!) Thank you Zoe! Since I've been nominated several times already, this time I'm simply going to answer the questions given to me and then at a later date when I find some great new blogs to nominate I'll do a separate post. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Liebster Award you can find out more information HERE. 

Life & A Necessary Death

(FYI: Long Post on my Life etc... you may get bored or ya may relate, skip down to the strange documentary/thing I watched a few days ago if you don't wanna read about life)

Victory is MINE!!!! The Thesis is Done, And my Hand is Over Done.

Etude House Dear My Color Pop (OR14) & Vivid Pop Stick (#7)

These two products were part of my most recent Korean beauty haul. I was pretty excited about receiving these, it took me ages to pick out which colors I wanted. But my dreams of successfully adding any POP to my look were thrown away, far away, a place I hope to never find or even more so I hope never finds me. Which of these products let me down? Read on to find out :)

Catrice Matte Lipstick (Sweet Coraline) & (Matt-erial Girl)

Told ya! I wasn't lying when I said I'd be featuring several products from Catrice Cosmetics on the blog. I just can't help myself. They are such lovely and affordable products! Vibrant colors, a wide range of colors, and a great formula! You have your nudes/naturals and more out there colors. Something for everyone. I chose 2 of their newer shades: Sweet Coraline & Matt-erial Girl. Out of these two Matt-erial Girl is my favorite. A fuchsia-esque shade, just the right amounts of pink and purple for me. Loud but not too out there. It has more of a matte finish than Sweet Coraline. Both are very moisturizing and do well by not settling into the lines of your lips (but that doesn't mean you should exfoliate your lips first)! Read on for swatches :)

Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Crazy Sticks: Blue, Green, Yellow

Packaging always gets me...

I'd been eyeing these funky little liptint sticks for awhile. The packaging is what initially attracted me and then I read a few reviews that were more or less favorable. I finally decided "what the hell, imma do it." I got these as well as a few other products (you can view HERE) that I'll review later on from W2Beauty, a Korean Cosmetic online shop that has great prices, deals, and selection. Read on for more pictures and swatches :)

Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm (Cherry-ty, I Don't Red It, Rusty In Peace)

As I've said in a previous post, I truly do love Catrice Cosmetics. Very affordable and good quality the majority of the time. Since everyone and their grandmother has been coming out with these "crayon" type lip-tints/balms/sticks, I knew it was only a matter of time before Catrice did too. I chose 3 colors that'd suit me the best (I say this, although I really just wanted to buy them all)  but they have 8 to choose from. Overall, I like them way better than Bourjois but they don't quite overtake my love for the Revlon Just Bitten Balms (you can find my post on these two products HERE). These are by far the cheapest of all the lip crayons I have and I think have a good balance of moisturization, color, and shine. Check out the swatches :)

Catrice Nail Polish (Bricky Mouse) & (Kitch Me If You Can)

Because I really did need more...?

It is no understatement to say that I own loads of nail polishes. In a previous post I said I had enough lipsticks to build a child's playhouse well...I probably have enough nail polishes to build an actual house. One day my boyfriend saw the vast amount of polishes I had and asked, "Why do you have so many of the same color?" I quickly tried to defend myself saying they were all different "shades" of a base color. Or that some nail polishes have different jobs, like being matte, glossy, or just hardcore in general. But at the end of the day...yeah I probably have too many of the same color but... I don't care. Here's two more!

Margaret...

The crazy on her startles me a bit. 

I'm pretty sure my brother aims to take the most unflattering pictures of Margaret. Let it be known that I have not yet met this dog in the flesh. But every time my brother sends me a picture of her she looks like an alien or psychotic. She's a pug, isn't ugly cute on pugs? Or is it just scary? Perhaps she's just not photogenic yet. She doesn't know how to work the camera. :)

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick (10 Rouge buzz) (05 Brun boheme)

I recently picked these up. I've just now started digging my paws into Bourjois Products. Unfortunately, my camera was having trouble picking up the true colors of these two. Rouge Buzz is a spicy red-orange color and Brun Boheme is a lovely nude brown-pink. Read on for more details :)

Bobbi Brown Mascara & Diorshow Blackout Samples

These are two sample mascaras that I got for Christmas. They were hidden away for ages and then something possessed me to give them a go and now they've become staples in my mascara rotation! Once I have the budget to do so and I've run dry on these samples I'll get my hands on some full size versions! Read on for details :)

Latest W2Beauty Haul

I was so excited to finally receive my order from W2Beauty today! Best part was the postman actually came to my door and handed it to me meaning I didn't have to trek all the way to the post office to pick it up. 99% of the time I have to and frankly it's just lame. But woo! I couldn't wait to get my hands on all of the things I carefully picked out for myself. Choosing took ages given the fact that there is so much to choose from on W2beauty's site. If you follow my blog on a regular basis you must know by now that I'm a huge fan of the online shop. Some of the best deals, products, and customer service around and I will always recommend W2beauty for anyone looking to try out new products or looking for a place to purchase Korean beauty products. Anyway, the first photo is of things I actually purchased: 

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation

I recently bought this to replace my Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation. I wanted to try something new and I read a few good reviews of this foundation. Rimmel often surprises me. I think back home in the States we get the "less" exciting products. But I gave Rimmel another shot once I moved to Ireland (I didn't have much of a choice) and I'm glad I did. They have a wonderful range of products and consistently coming out with new products. Most of great quality. Read on for more on this foundation :)

Pretty Hands

Hands Ever Feeling A little Rough? Try this out...

My hands are constantly getting the proverbial shit kicked outta them. All the cooking and cleaning I do, means I'm constantly washing my hands and they end up dry and the cuticles are rough and just raggedy. I remember a time when I had the hands as soft and perfect as a baby but now I have to work hard to keep them looking up to par. Pretty Hands helps me do this! Read on!

Bobbi Brown Bellini Lip & Eye Palette

I got this gorgeous palette for Christmas (my aunt sure knows what I like and what I can't afford). I remember being over the moon when I got this. You would've thought I won a million bucks with all the excitement. I remember I had been looking at this online thinking to myself "Boy, what a brilliant product." And then BAM it's mine. It's like my aunt read my mind. It's very well used. And will be used up til it hits pan. Read on for a closer look :)

Blogging Sabbatical (I Have a Thesis to Do)

It pains me to say that I'll have to take a 3 week break from blogging in order to get my thesis done and then be done with school forever!!!!! I kinda sorta wanna do a good job so, I will have to say farewell for now. Do note though that I've scheduled some blog posts for the next several days, so keep a lookout! And share the posts if you feel the need :) Thanks for being such wonderful followers! I really appreciate your comments and feedback. 

My Go To Makeup Routine/What's in My Bag?

I don't know why I haven't done one of these posts sooner. I guess it just never occurred to me until now. Looking at all this stuff in my bag makes me feel silly. I feel like I should have less. Truth be told...this isn't all of it. Just the highlights of my everyday makeup. And even then I can't keep to a minimum of 10. I like to have choices. Lots of choices. I've parred it down to 22 items. Lord... Read on :)

Liebster Award(s)

I've been nominated for this award once before and I think it's a fantastic award to network with other bloggers. I've now been nominated again by Amelia Blake from: Mint Sunday and Laura Atkin from: Laura's Blogs. (Both have very lovely blogs. Check them out!) And I'm very excited to answer their questions and nominate some fellow bloggers. Read on for details :)

Top 10 Beauty Buys (Tagged by Charlotte from Makeup by Candlelight)

The wonderful Charlotte from http://makeupbycandlelight.blogspot.co.uk/ asked me to participate in this: Top 10 Beauty Buys. Please check out her blog and the other blogs she tagged to participate! They are all truly wonderful! 

HipHopCandy Sweet Macaron & Surprise Gifts

Some of the Cutest Products I've Ever Purchased!

I had been eyeing this small online shop for months. Never sure if I'd take the plunge and buy. Part of the reason was the shipping costs. The more you buy the more it costs etc... And if I was going to buy I wanted it to be worth it. I had been specifically pining for the Sweet Macaron body lotion and roll-on perfume. All the reviews I read were fantastic, 4 & 5 stars. Finally after months of being unsure I caved in and decided to get the Sweet Macaron lotion and roll-on perfume and then because I couldn't decided what else I wanted, I decided to get a "mystery" package. In this you get at least 5 items and you can recommend what you might like to try as well. For instance I told them I was dying to try some of the "food" inspired lip balms and got 2 :) which made me a very happy gal. Read on for more info on the products :)

Funky Earrings from Galway

It always decides to rain when I visit Galway...But I always pick up Interesting Things...

There was a deal to go to any of the major cities for a fiver, and my boyfriend and I decided to go to Galway to visit his mother because it just seemed like a deal we couldn't pass up. The bus rides were torture, pure torture. The traveling completely wiped us out and on top of that it was raining all day. This was my second trip to Galway and so far...rain the first trip and rain the second. I'm pretty sure if I went a third time it'd be rain again. But despite the long travel, crazy passengers, and rain I had a good time and along the way I picked up some neat earrings at a small "hippie" type shop called Kembali. They also had lots of clothes and bags. If I had more time and didn't have a huge backpack on my back I'd have stayed a little longer. 

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara vs. Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara

Who's Gonna Win My Vote?

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Boots had a 2 for 15 euro deal on Revlon products and I was quite intrigued by their newest mascara: Revlon Lash Potion. I had originally went into Boots to see if they had the new Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara (and they did on offer for 5 euro). I'm not usually at mascara crazy person. I generally just have one or two that I alternate but I think the packaging is what attracted me to the Lash Potion (it's just really pretty). Advertising and packaging often gets me. As my dad would say, "They saw you comin' a mile away." Anyway, I came for the Retro Glam (which also has a lovely advert) and left with 2 fairly new mascaras that claim amazing things. Big lashes, with the typical promises of volume & length without the clumping, flaking, and all those other irritating things that can happen with less than desirable mascaras. Let's see what wins my heart most... :)

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Crush) vs. Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon (Orange Punch)

It seems there have been so many lip "crayons" balms/stains/gloss bars cropping up all over the place lately. I recently bought 2 of them (actually I had a Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain before but it's nowhere to be found now). I've seen tons of reviews on the newer Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon. It always seems my town gets things in stock about 2 weeks later than everyone else. Sometimes longer, so I was pleased to pick it up in Orange Punch. They weren't on sale at the local pharmacy where I picked this up, therefore I only got one. As for the newly acquired Revlon Balm Stain in Crush, I basically got it for free at Boots as they are having an offer of 2 Revlon products (any products) for 15 euro. To me this was a deal because I got the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara which was already close to 15 euro and this Balm Stain (which prices somewhere between 10 or 11 euro). I couldn't pass it up. Anyway, let's size them up... :)

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream

I Could Drown In This Stuff and Love It

I'm always on the lookout at my local Boots for this stuff. It's only recently been stocking the "Sugar Crush" range. And you never know what you're gonna get. One day it's a body wash and the next zilch. I bought the Sugar Crush Body Wash in Belfast (and you can read about it here). I was completely psyched to get this today. Read on for a few details... :)

Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream

Spring Breakers

Spriiiing Breaaaaak.....

(Original Image here)

Christ almighty, I don't know what I was expecting when I casually put this film on, but it definitely exceeded whatever it was I expected. When this movie was being promoted I didn't pay it much attention. "Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez...hmmm...can't be anything special..." I obviously ignored the fact that it was a film by Harmony Korine, a man who wrote the script for Larry Clark's KIDS and made films like Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy. If you have seen these films or heard about them then you'll probably understand what I mean. Read on to see what this understated film is all about :)

I love...coconut & cream

I bought this while I was on a body wash kick. Got them at a local pharmacy that had them marked down to half price (about 2 euro each). I love coconut. It's always kind of fun to try out new coconut scented products because it seems that no two ever smell the same. Some are really strong, others lightly scented, and then some just don't smell like a coconut at all but something completely indescribable. On a sidenote, I nearly thought these were treaclemoon (review here) products at first glance. The packaging is quite similar. Anyway, read on to see what I thought about these 2 products :)

10 Style Icons: Interesting & Inspirational

I thought I'd post something different from my usual product reviews. I sat and thought about some style icons, whether actresses, models, designers, or cult figures, inspired/intrigued me. Above you see the fascinating and elusive Karl Lagerfeld. He's the head designer and creative director for one of the most classic fashion houses: Chanel (as well as Fendi). While that on its own is noteworthy, in general I find him intriguing. He's a mystery in that Andy Warhol-ish sort of way in a more put together kind of way. To find out who else inspires/intrigues me read on :)

Olay Glow Perfectors BB Cream

I have a bone to pick with this product...

There was a sale on at Boots maybe a month ago on Olay products, I believe this was half off at the time. And dang it I wish I never threw out the packaging. I meant to save the packaging it came it and take pictures of it. As you can see this tube says Olay Essentials BB Cream Complete Care, the package it came in said Olay Essentials Glow Perfectors BB Cream: do ya see where I'm going with this? It gets more ridiculous...Read on. 

White Girl Problems

(Rich) White Girl Problems

I honestly can't remember how I came across this book. I must've been buying another book and this popped up in the suggestions and the title caught my eye. I'm sure there is a meme out there somewhere based on "white girl problems" kind of like there is one for "first world problems" I was just curious to see exactly what this was. Read the reviews. Most found it really entertaining, it was only $0.01. So I figured what the heck, I need some laughs. Read on to see what this White Girl Problems mess is all about :)

Maybelline's Shocking Coral and Master Drama Chromatics Khol Eyeliner

A few colorful things to add to your collection...

I came across these items at Boots not too long ago. I'm aware that the Maybelline lipstick in Shocking Coral is a very popular choice. I've read so many reviews on this singular lipstick, so I figured this has to be a winner. Honestly, I only bought the lipstick because there was a 3 for 2 deal on at Boots. It was between the lipstick and the new Color Shock mascara (that is suppose to be paired with the Master Drama Chromatics Khol Eyeliner). Although I was very tempted to get the mascara I realized that I wouldn't get the use out of the mascara like I would with the lipstick. So maybe another day...Anyway on to the review! 

A.L.T. (André Leon Talley) A Memoir

My brother got me this book along with a few others for Christmas. We're definitely a book giving family. My brother and I are always in competition to give each other gifts that the other won't expect or will be really pleased about. I recommended my brother get this for me for Christmas when he asked what I wanted and I was absolutely stoked when I got it. Some of you may recognize André from a few cycles on America's Next Top Model as a judge (and it's a pity he's gone because he made the show more fun). You may also recognize him sitting beside Anna Wintour at fashion shows. He is the former editor-at-large for Vogue and now is a contributing editor. He's hilarious, chic, unique, and mesmerizing in an indescribable way. He's an interesting character to say the least. That's why I devoured his book in just a few days (most of which was on an 8 hour flight to Dublin). Read on to find out what I thought of his memoir!

essence Lip Products

As mentioned in a previous post (here) I bought a few essence products a couple of weeks ago. More impulsive than anything. But essence products are so affordable and fun I didn't feel too guilty. I still feel as essence is more for a younger age group but hell, who cares about age. The only downside is these will just feel "unsuitable" and look "unsuitable" for those of us who are more experienced wearers of makeup. Never fear though...Read on and find out more :)

Style-Rut: Can You Feel My Pain?

For the last 6+ months I've been in a severe style rut. I can remember a time when I actually took pride in the way I looked and I wanted to look good. And I'd give it my best shot. For the last good while I've just neglected myself completely. Without a second thought I've thrown on yoga pants and either a loose t-shirt or tank top. Now this isn't the end of the world by any means, but since I've been in this mindset for the last good while I just don't know how to get out of it. I wouldn't even know what to buy if I were so inclined to do so. 

Have any of you experienced this sort of slump? If so, what do you recommend to get out of it? Please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts. :)

e-tailPR Blogger Network

This may interest many of you...

I just wanted to focus your attention to this banner that can be found at the right sidebar of my blog. 

e-tailPR Bloggers Network helps connect you with brands and promotions. It's very simple to register and the website gives you the blow by blow on what to do. It also gives you tips on promoting your blog and making you more viable for companies/brands and receiving samples from them. Click on the banner on the left sidebar to be directed to their site and see if this is something you'd like to be part of. 

A Google + Community to Join: Beauty, Books, & Everything In Between

(Original Image Here)

I started a Google+ community for fellow bloggers to have a place to further promote their blogs on beauty, books, and any other things they are passionate about.

About Community: This community is for those who wish to promote their blog posts that pertain to beauty/skincare, books, music, & films. Whatever you're passionate about. I personally love beauty products & books and starting to acquire a taste for kawaii and Japanese literature. Please feel free to post about what you love and connect with other members. Support your fellow bloggers!

You can find the community here: 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108907456251072127681

Come check it out and meet new bloggers!

Have You Ever Had to Write a Thesis?

This is my 3rd...What was I thinking?

I just felt like sharing the pain I'm going through right now. This is my third thesis to write, the second Master's Thesis. I have a very masochistic relationship with school, I must if I putting myself through this again. Don't get me wrong, I love reading, writing, and being a badass but I usually end up with more gray hair at the end of it all. The theme for this thesis: Southern Gothic & Horror Film. 

What do y'all think?

essence I heart Extreme Volume Mascara & I heart Punk Jumbo Eyeliner Pen

 Nice & Affordable & Fun

I bought a few essence products not too long ago (so expect a few posts here and there on them) and I had been eyeing these 2 products for awhile but it took me a bit to finally allow myself to purchase them. Don't know why it was such a struggle when these products are so cheap! Read on for more info!

Weekend Chill-out Goods

There was recently a Bank Holiday weekend and I decided to completely chill-out for a few hours reading Love and Vogue magazines. Love is a fantastic magazine, a bit of fashion and lots of creative spreads. And well, Vogue, it's just a classic go-to. Also picked up some items for nail/hand care. I feel like my hands take a beating during the week and just has them looking neglected. These items did just the trick. Read on to find out more. :)

Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor(s)

I felt like a dope...

As you can see I have what looks to be two of the same product. Why you ask? Because I didn't think before I purchasing. I was quite aggravated to see that I was merely duped by new packaging. The biggest thing that got me was the fact the product on the left has "translucent bb cream" slapped on it. I know it's my fault for buying the same product but it kind of hurt my feelings a tad to feel a bit tricked by Soap & Glory. Meh...still great products. Read on to see what I think. :)

Korean Cosmetics/Skincare & W2Beauty Sponsorship Program

A Wonderful Online Shop for all Your Skincare and Makeup Needs!

I came across Korean Beauty/Skincare products by accident. I had heard whisperings of how Korean skincare and cosmetics were some of the best in the world but initially didn't pay it any attention because seriously, "where am I going to get these products? And besides they'll probably cost a fortune..." I couldn't have been more WRONG! I stumbled upon a blog The Wanderlust Project and it inspired me to finally research Korean Cosmetics and I found tons of shops that shipped the products worldwide! I didn't know where to start! After browsing for hours I finally decided that W2Beauty.com was the best shop given it had the most products/brands available, great prices, and amazing deals/discounts! I love this shop so much that I decided to be part of their sponsorship program. If you're interested please read on to find out how you can get an automatic discount and learn about some of my favorite brands W2Beauty carries! 

Treacle Moon Products

Wonderful scents to uplift the spirit...even if only for a few minutes 

Ridiculous isn't it? Do I really need 3 different body washes? NO! I need MORE!!! I've been eyeing the treaclemoon products for awhile but never bought anything because I told myself that I had plenty of bath/skincare products and need to finish those up before I buy anymore. Yeah...well...who said we always have to be reasonable? My mom...but we'll ignore that fact at the moment. Because it's time to get my bath on. Read more to get the scoop...