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Tuesday 29 April 2014

My May Wishlist


My May Wishlist is a day early! I'm looking forward to getting my monthly allowance on the 1st but I've got to study so anything I do buy will have to be a revision treat. Without further ado here is my first wish-list post!

Saturday 19 April 2014

Mini Haul Part I


So I haven't yet really posted about any products I use; this is my first official haul post! But since I enjoy shopping for beauty products so much you know it won't be my last. Being that it's my first post I think a little history is in store before we start: I am a massive fan of bargains, it's not to say that I don't splurge, but being student I have a moral obligation not to get ripped off. That doesn't mean I always buy the cheapest products, but I certainly take a long time considering splurges and testing out cheaper alternatives if I think a products is too risky. So bearing that in mind I hope you understand that I do my best not to be frivolous!!

Products above:
  • Max factor Facefinity Compact £11
    • Remember how I was saying I very rarely made frivolous purchases? Well this was one of them. I was in need of a powder compact since the last one I bought is about 4 years old and the current one which I use for setting my makeup and touch ups is the Hello Flawless powder which comes in Benefit's How to Look the Best at Everything Kit - not practical for handbag usage! In comparison to my old L'Oreal True Match powder this is amazing; it doesn't clump and applies evenly with both a brush and the little sponge provided. I haven't really noticed a difference between this one and my Benefit Hello Flawless powder which is a bonus considering that one will set you back a whopping £25! Not to mention the gold case is really attractive and slim - it's what made me splurge in the first place!
  • Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation (£11)
    • I admit I didn't intend to pick up the 'Serum Gel' version of this foundation and so can't say if it's any better than the ordinary foundation (£2 cheaper), but I can tell you one thing: I am in love!! This foundation has completely revolutionised my skin care routine, I have had so many compliments on how fresh-faced I am, and also on how good I look without make-up on! (I wish it were true!) It is a light weight formula which you can't feel when on and it lasts for hours.
  • Bourjois 123 Perfect Colour Correcting cream (£10)
    • So after the success of the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation I wanted to try some more Bourjois products - sadly this one left me disappointed. It doesn't really provide enough coverage to use on its own, but using it underneath foundation seems pretty pointless (however it does have an spy 15 which the serum foundation lacks). Also there are only 5 shades and the lightest shade for me is unfortunately just a little bit too dark.
(I'll save the Smashbox Eyeshadow Palette for another post with the Smashbox Mascara too - I didn't know I could talk so much about make-up!)

Hope you have a lovely Easter and I look forward to sharing more recommendations in my next post! :)

Thursday 17 April 2014

Travels: Donegal [Ireland]



Donegal (Dhun na nGall), located on Ireland's upper-left-most corner, overlooking the North Atlantic, is an area of the world I have always been interested in. As a Brit I have always felt incredibly guilty that whilst I've ventured across the Atlantic many times I have never really been to any of the countries on my back door (Scotland, Ireland, N. Ireland) so finally being able to rectify that was important to me. Also have studied Brian Friel's Translations for A-Level (which is set in County Donegal) I was interested to get out and see a part of the world I had read about. It most certainly didn't disappoint.

We flew into Belfast and drove across the border and I was surprised at how quickly cityscape fell away into sprawling countryside. We bypassed Derry and headed north for Rathmullan and Milford where half of my boyfriend's family comes from. The scenery was breath-taking. Motorways end shorty after leaving Belfast, but the slower pace was nothing to be disappointed about. I never realised how rural Ireland still remains (in comparison to the 'countryside' where I live in the South East), and being a lover of country-side, sea and rain at heart this gave me some real hope for one day finding somewhere to hole up and be a hermit. 

In this instance however, hermitting was strictly prohibited as I was travelling with my boyfriend, his mother and grandfather to visit family. We stayed in a holiday home in Rathmullan, a beautiful seaside town overlooking Lough Swilly (a channel of the North Atlantic which runs inland; in the summer you can ride a ferry between Rathmullan and Buncrana, but in March most attractions (including restaurants) are closed. We spent a lot of time in the Milford Inn where there is a live band and dancing every saturday night. We also took a tour along the Atlantic Drive (where most of my photos were taken), and spent a night at club Voodoo in Letterkenny with Leigh's younger brother and girlfriend who were responsible for opening the new Letterkenny CeX.

Sadly I'm shy and what with the nature of this holiday being so family orientated I often didn't lug my camera with me which conveniently calls for another holiday.