Lush Imperialis Facial Moisturiser

I love the Lush store. Last time I was in one was in Italy and I couldn't understand the labels haha. A trip to Dublin's Lush is on the cards. 

I bought their Imperialis online. It is a facial moisturiser made of cocoa butter, tiger lily and orange flower. It is very runny and light in consistency and absorbs really well into the skin. I love it and seem to be reaching for it all the time lately as it soaks in very well and I don't need to wait long before I apply my foundation. It has quite an old fashioned scent and reminds me of Ponds.  

The Irish Get Up and Go Diary

This was my favourite Christmas gift by far - a diary with a difference! It is so well put together with little proverbs and words of wisdom. It is just the dose of inspiration, motivation and optimism I find you need last thing at night and first thing in the morning. 

Each month begins with a page on which to write your goals. I love this part as it really focuses me on what I would like to achieve in the next few weeks. Each day includes a few uplifting words. I have never come across such a diary before and am so glad I have one - a great Irish creation!

A quick update!

Blog, how I've missed you! I would first like to thank you for reading my blog even though I have not posted in three weeks. I appreciate all the views and am pleasantly surprised when I see so many of you have visited even though I have disappeared for a short while. I love my little blog and  your views mean a lot to me :) 

I have many posts in store, from skincare to make-up, books to organisation, fitness to lifestyle.

Stay tuned!

Reawakening the body!

I have started the 28 day Beginner Squat Challenge that I came across on the myfitnesspal app. It consists of 4 different squats, one week spent on each type. I'm almost at the end of the first week which involves the counter balance box squat. I like the sound of short term challenges and this one has woken up a few of my muscles again. Maybe it's my imagination but I could swear I see a difference in my thigh/ bum area. If you want a very easy workout for your thighs and bum then I would recommend this one.

I have also started walking in the evenings again and availing of my gym membership! Swimming and yoga resume shortly so I'm looking forward to those after indulging slightly over the Christmas period.
Stay tuned for more health and fitness challenges :)

Happy New Year to all my readers!

Those rosy cheeks

As someone with a pale complexion, I quite like blush to add some life to the face. Over the past year or so I have collected blushes of varying shades and pigmentation. Depending on the time of year, my skintone and the colours I'm wearing I choose from: 

Clinique's Iced Lotus  &  Maybelline's 77 Rose are both cooler and I tend to use them more at Wintertime or when creating a fresh-faced look. 

Artdeco in 44  &  Catrice's Toffee Fairy are both warm and rustic and perfect for Autumn

Elf's Tickled Pink & Candid Coral are quite poorly pigmented so more ideal when creating a subtle, everyday look

Benefit's Sugarbomb & Mac's Springsheen are high quality products, both suitable for day and night. 

What blush do you use currently?

A touch of sparkle!

I thought I would share these few pieces that I love wearing lately. 

The two chains are from Willow - I love their selection of jewellery! The long turqoise piece goes with a multitude of green and blue tones of which there are many in my wardrobe. The white and yellow piece looks great against black, grey and green. 

 I cannot remember where I got these earrings but they look great especially at this time of year - they really brighten the face and make a huge difference. I love all these pieces at the moment but my favourite is this ring I got for my birthday in June from Bronzallure. I have always loved bronze and was delighted when I came across this collection. It is definitely worth a browse on their website. 

Lip it!!

The three lipsticks I am using these days are

benefit's Wing Woman, quite a bright peachy neutral. 

I mostly wear this at work / daytime

L'Oreal's Ginger Chocolate 274

a natural nude, very subtle

This is probably my favourite of all three! 

Revlon's Colour Burst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie 50

for when I need a bright lip, a lovely pink

Personally I like to wear bright colours when I am wearing neutral coloured clothing and nude colours when I'm wearing brighter coloured clothes. Having a peach, pink and a more natural nude covers most bases, next stop the darker plums!!

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator & Skin Repair Moisturiser

As the Liz Earle range is agreeing with my skin so well, I decided to expand my collection with their exfoliator. I also received their Skin Repair Moisturiser in one of their latest offers, and a very relaxing Eucalyptus & Rosemary Candle. 

The exfoliator includes eucalyptus, cocoa butter and jojoba beads. A little goes a long way - I work it into my skin in circular motions, concentrating on those parts that I want to invigorate and brighten. I use it about twice a week and find it great. 

I prefer the Skin Repair Moisturiser to the Superskin Moisturiser I already had. It has a slightly thicker, richer texture, I think. I chose the one for Dry/Sensitive Skin. It includes borage oil, echinacea, hops and avocado oil.

Perhaps it is due to the passage of time but it is certainly not due to my diet (which is another story or blog post!!) but my forehead which was quite bumpy is now smooth and blemish-free. In general my skin has never been so clear and healthy looking! :) 

That's Life - Fulfillment - Be Brave, Be Determined, Believe

I would like to post a little about fulfillment and how we all need a sense of this in our lives. At this time in my life I am feeling it more than ever. I think it is mainly down to pursuing my interests and passions and feeling I am moving forward and achieving something. I have a number of passions I work on and partake in on a weekly basis, all of which I enjoy and are unique to me. Becoming more skilled at something, without a doubt, increases one's self-esteem and confidence. It can take a while but once you find that thing you love doing, go for it. The likelihood of you giving up is slim if it is something you actually want to do and not something you are doing to impress others. We all have so much potential and have the ability to achieve far more  - all we need is courage, determination and self-belief. 

What would you really like to do? 

What would you really like to be good at? 

Why aren't you doing it already?

Happy Sunday! :) 

Winter Weathering (Prevention of)!

I thought I would post about keeping hydrated this winter, in every way 

- hair, lips, hands, body and face. 

 (I hope you like the picture. This was taken out my back on a lovely old style fence, unfortunately you can't see the fence as I thought the trees and sky looked lovely on this wintry afternoon. I had great fun taking this as the tube on the far right kept falling!)

Hair

About a week ago I bought two items from Kerastase - a shampoo and a mask. Their anti-dandruff moisturising shampoo is an exfoliant. I had never used an exfoliator on my hair before and was a little apprehensive but it was so good. Unusually I had quite a bad bout of dandruff  but it practically disappeared after the first use. If you have dandruff or dry scalp at the moment I highly recommend this. I was only on the search for a good anti-dandruff shampoo, however there was a discount on 2 or more items so of course I got sucked in and now I am the proud owner of their Nutritive Masquintense. I have yet to try this but if the scent is anything to go by then I think I'll like it. The Kerastase range is expensive but hopefully worth it.

If I'm in a hurry and don't have time to condition my hair I spray some of Herbal Essences Bee Strong  Leave-In Cream into the length of my hair. 

Hands

The two hand creams I am using these days are La Source Hand Therapy by Crabtree & Evelyn and Garnier's Intensive 7 Day. I love both of these as they are fast absorbing and don't leave a sticky feeling. I also have the La Source Exfoliator which is brilliant. I find when I don't keep my hands moisturised they look like they belong to an old lady!

Lips

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser is brilliant. Don't forget to exfoliate your lips with a toothbrush, making them all plump and soft.

Face & Eyes

Read earlier posts to find out about my skincare routine. In addition to my current routine I use Avene's Soothing Moisture Mask and The Body Shop's Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. Once a week I apply the mask and I reapply to the areas where the mask has soaked into easily. I often get into bed with the mask on, trying to stay on my back. I wake in the morning hydrated and soft. Another great product for night-time is the Serum-in-Oil - very hydrating and softneing. Of course try to exfoliate your face at least twice a week to get rid of dead skin. The skin around the eyes dries out too so I am now lashing on eyecream whenever I remember. 

Body

My favourite body moisturiser at the moment is coconut oil. After a hot bath or shower, it soaks in very well. Again, try to exfoliate at least once a week to increase the effectiveness of your moisturiser. 

And of course hydrate your body from the inside with water and fruit :)