Nivea Daily Essentials Cleansing Collection; Micellar Water & Eye Make-Up Remover

New from Nivea is the Daily Essentials Cleansing Collection. It offers products for different skin types; normal, dry, combination and sensitive. I've been trying out the Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water and the Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover and here's how I got on:

Daily Essentials Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water 

This is one of the better Micellar waters I've tried. I'd liken it to Bioderma actually, which is my favourite. This removes all of my make-up with no residual drying or tightening of the skin, which is a relief to be honest. I've tried a couple in the past that felt like paint stripper but this is so gentle; it says 'sensitive' and it means it! Even though it's a mild cleanser, it's still very effective. 

As per Nivea:

An innovative formula which cleanses and removes make-up from the face and eyes while moisturising the skin in one step. It respects the skin's natural balance, requires no rinsing and is free of perfumes, colorants and parabens. 

This is €5.49 for 200ml. While I can use it to remove my eye make up, if I have anything more than a bit of eyeliner and mascara, I use the dedicated eye make up remover in the range.

Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover

This is for all skin types and suitable for contact lens wearers. It's one of those cool bi-phase oil/water formulas that you have to shake before using. The oil part is designed to break down waterproof mascara and eye make up without irritating all that sensitive thin skin around your eye while the water part is formulated to protect and care for your lashes without leaving any oily residue. Fun fact; it contains cornflower extract which is known for it's anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. This does work very well- it's definitely up there with my favourite eye make--up remover from L'ancome. Like that, it gets the job done without leaving my eyes red or sore except that in this case it's a bare fraction of the price, at only €4.79 for 125mls!!

I've only tried these two products from the range but I'm impressed. Affordable, good quality products, sure you can't go wrong!

Also available from the range are: 

Sensitive Cleansing Milk €4.99

Gentle Exfoliating Scrub for normal/combination skin €6.29

Refreshing facial Wash Gel €4.79

2 in 1 Cleanser & Toner €5.52

Refreshing Cleansing Lotion €4.79

Refreshing Toner €4.79

Available from pharmacies and grocery stores nationwide.

Have you tried anything from the Daily Essentials Cleansing Collection? Were you as impressed as I am?

XX

*This post contains press samples, gratefully received. All opinions my own, as always!

Recently Read; September & October

All of these were started in September/October but finished in the last few weeks if I'm honest. As you might recall (I'm not sure if I've mentioned it enough times actually…ahem) I was away for three weeks between the last two months and so I've only managed to read a paltry six books during that time. This is in spite of the fact that I brought books specifically to read in different parts of America.
Well you can imagine how well that turned out.
Best laid plans and all that. 

After You by JoJo Moyes

This is the somewhat eagerly awaited sequel to Me Before You. I say 'somewhat' as fans of the aforementioned book really didn't feel it needed a follow-on story. I loved it too and thought it was kind of perfect as a stand-alone novel but sure here we are. After You is about Louisa Clark, a young woman struggling to pull her life together after her paraplegic fiance (and one time employer) chose to end his own life, with her assistance. That happened in the last book.
Louisa is now estranged from her family who can't abide the part she played in the euthanasia. She lives alone in a sparse apartment, drinks far too much and works in a soul-destroying airport bar with zero prospects. After drinking one too many she has an accident that then completely changes her life again.
This has a romantic storyline in it but nothing as consuming as in Me Before You, which is what I think people have had trouble with. I actually did enjoy this book. I felt it provided a really good insight into grief and the process of grieving; a very human experience that often is neglected in popular literature. It was also nice to catch up with not only Louisa but her madcap family and the other very likeable characters form the first book. If you enjoyed Me Before You, I would read this but be aware that it is very different from it's predecessor but is still an enjoyable read.

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling

I loved Mindy Kaling's first memoir; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? 
That was a tongue-in-cheek look at her childhood, college years, friendships and the beginning of her career- acting and writing for The Office. She wrote that almost in the style of her character on The Office, Kelly Kapoor or indeed Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project, which only added to the humour in my opinion.
Why Not Me? is written in a similar style and picks up from her career breakthrough onwards. She provides tips on how to be a celebrity alongside funny anecdotes and insightful commentary on body image. I have to say though that while I laughed and enjoyed it, there are parts of this that felt a lot like filler content and overall it just wasn't as good as her first book; it felt more rushed. If you're a fan of Mindy, you'll enjoy this, it's a light book and a quick read but don't expect much more than that. 

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This is obviously a complete cheat because this is an essay and I finished it within an hour but I'm including it because it was an interesting piece and I really like Chimamanda's style of writing. The essay is adapted from her TED talk of the same name and seeks to find an answer for what feminism means in today's world.
While she discusses the obvious examples of discrimination against women across the world she also talks about the more insidious behaviours that seek to control and degrade women, drawing on her own experiences in the US and in her native Nigeria.
It's really just a straightforward and intelligent essay on why you should be a feminist. Read it and you won't be able to provide an answer as to why you shouldn't.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
I had intended to read this while we were in Maine, cause you know, it's Stephen King country but all the trekking about the place, eating lobster and drinking iced tea meant there was little hope of that happening. I did read it for Halloween though and what a perfectly spooky choice! Louis Creed is a doctor from Chicago. He's moving his wife, two kids and cat to Maine with him where he's taking up a new job in the University as head of medical services. They quickly become friends with an elderly couple who live across the road and they settle into their new home, a big old house with lots of land. Jud (the old man across the street) brings them to the "Pet Sematary" in the woods behind their home. He explains that the local children have always buried their pets there and this sparks a discussion about death with the Creed's five year old, Ellie. Rachel, Louis's wife has a major aversion to talking about this after the traumatising death of her sister when she was a child so she finds it all a bit too much. Things don't improve when a student dies horrifically on campus on Louis's first day at work. The real trouble starts when the dead student visits Louis in the middle of the night and brings him to the Pet Sematary...but is it a dream or is there something deeply sinister in the Pet Sematary? You best believe it's the latter. I'm a big King fan but even still, this is a really good horror- it gets seriously scary and there is a constant sense of dread. I was always waiting for the next shock and when I say shock, I mean; heart-pounding, hair-standing-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck, queasy sensation in the pit of your stomach and immediate fear of the dark….and cats.
Eeeeep!!!
And yes, sometimes dead is better.

Breakfast At Tiffany's by Truman Capote
I do of course love the Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard 1961 film adaptation of the same name but the book is beautifully written and focuses much more on the tragic poignancy of Holly Golightly's character than the film does, which is actually a love story, unlike the book.
I bought and read this one in New York- the only book in my travelling plan that I actually succeeded in reading whilst there!
In case you haven't seen the film, Holly and an unnamed narrator (Holly nicknames him Fred because he reminds her of her younger brother) are both renting apartments in a brownstone in New York. "Fred" becomes fascinated by Holly's outrageous party girl lifestyle and gradually they become friends with Holly revealing selective details from her unusual life.
This is actually a novella with an additional three short stories, all of which I loved too. I'm annoyed I hadn't read it before because I devoured it, from cover to cover. Such a gorgeous read! Can't recommend this one enough.

The Thrill of it All by Joseph O' Connor
So, alongside my brilliant sister-in-law and our friends, we've set up a book club. This was the first book (chosen from an Irish Times list*) and lord was it the worst possible choice. It's a mock-memoir of the life of an Irish/English rock band; The Ships in the Night and follows their journey from their inception in the 80's, throughout their global domination and up to the present day where the band are now all middle aged and have had varying degrees of success in their solo careers. Although it's very well written, it's let down by how painfully slow it is and also the fact that very little really happens. There are some interesting characters, in particular lead singer Fran, a Vietnamese/Irish orphan with a terrible upbringing. When he meets Rob (our narrator) he's a natural performer with a flamboyant dress sense, musical brilliance and a super quick wit. I loved whenever he was around but even that couldn't save it. Joseph O' Connor is a fine writer but this just did nothing for me (nor anyone else in the book club as it transpired).

*Shakes fist at The Irish Times*


And that's that for the time being. Thankfully, I'm back on my reading buzz so there'll be plenty more next month!
What are you reading at the moment? Have you read any of these?
XX

American Drugstore Haul!

Last week I went through what I bought in Sephora and Ulta (HERE) and today I'm looking at the slightly more affordable bits and pieces I picked up whilst Stateside!

I love a bit of Revlon and their lipsticks in particular; this Super Lustrous Shine in Plum Velour is gonna be an Autumn/Winter winner I think! I really like this Photoready Eye Art Duo also; one end is a cream metallic shade and the other is a glitter liner. Festive party season, here we come! Speaking of perfect Autumn/Winter lipsticks is this Smart Shade Butter Kiss from Almay. They all looked gorgeous but I got the shade Berry.

Burt's Bees is a lot cheaper over there so I got a Wild Cherry Lip balm for about $2 and this Lip Crayon in Napa Vineyard for about $8 ( I think). I love their balms- they're super moisturising, perfect for Winter. The Lip Crayon is surprisingly pigmented but a bit drying, so I'll be combining it with the aforementioned balm! I also picked up a set of four of the balms in lovely flavours and a couple of EOS sphere balms, all to give as gifts, so I won't show them to ye here. I'm mentioning them just to point out how much better value they are over there; the EOS balms were two for $7, far less than what we pay here.

I can however show you this EOS Hand Lotion which was again only a few dollars. This is Berry Blossom; it smells divine and feels super moisturising.

I also wanted to try a drugstore foundation and CoverGirl seemed like an obvious choice. This is a hydrating foundation, perfect for dry skin. This is actually really nice on but you need to add a bit of glow yourself as the foundation is a bit on the flat side. Still, very good quality for $6.

Ulta had a massive NYX stand and being honest, I've never actually found a properly stocked stand at home. It was a struggle just to decide on the two things but I plumped for a High Definition Blush in Taupe (which is always out of stock in Dublin) and a Gel Pencil Liner in Brown, because I'm obsessed with smudgy brown liners at the minute.

Speaking of brown liners, I really liked the look of this brand, Flower in Walmart. It turns out that it's actually Drew Barrymore's company and having bought this Kohl Liner in Espresso and Blush/Bronze Duo in Gloriously Golden, I kind of wish I'd bought more!

I had this Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles and struggled to find it over there. I have the regular concealer of this- this one is a brightener/illuminator and only available in America.

I hadn't seen these L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes over here so I said I may as well try one. I got it in Soft Peach. 

I really like this Essie Autumn/Winter collection so I went for a beautiful dark plum shade, In The Lobby.

I found a full ELF stand but there was nothing I really wanted other than a few brushes, so I picked up a fan brush, an eyeshadow brush and a Blending Eye Brush. They were all 1-2 dollars each.

Lastly, is this ridiculously cute mini pot of Vaseline Rosy Lips, which, if I'm honest, I only bought because of how dotey it is. Squeeee!!!

Let me know if there's any of these that you'd like to see reviewed in more detail!

XX

Boston: Highlights & Tips!

I shared my New York highlights HERE, now it's Boston's turn! We were only there for a couple of days but as is our way (I say our but really it's down to my husband's remarkable planning skills) we packed in loads! 

We took a train from New York to get there which was comfortable and quick. We stayed in the Hotel Buckminster which was only a ten minute walk from Fenway Park, close to a "T" station (Boston underground) and near to shops, restaurants and bars. The decor of the hotel could probably do with a revamp but it was a comfortable stay and although there's no kitchen services within the hotel, we were given vouchers for breakfast for one of the days to eat in the attached restaurant next door. 

Boston has a very different vibe to New York; obviously the population is a lot less but even still, it's all just a bit calmer. The pace is more relaxed and everything feels a lot…older. Because it is! Boston is a historic city; it's where the American Revolution was plotted. Because of that and its British connections, it feels much more European so it's easy to feel at home. 

Fenway Park

Back to our first day there! After we checked in we headed off to Fenway Park, a 100+ year old baseball stadium and the place to be in Boston when the Red Sox are playing. This was actually a highlight of the trip for us; it was just a wonderfully American experience; hot dogs, cold beer, the national anthem, various baseball chants, dedicated fans and of course; the game itself, which is like a super long-winded version of rounders (so definitely something the Irish can get behind). 

There's an awesome atmosphere at the game; the camera zooms in on the crowd loads and it feels like a community affair with all the little kid Red Sox fans dancing to the music and getting super excited when they see they're on camera! 

Amazingly; there was a proposal on the big screen too! Like being in a sitcom! If you're going to Boston, this is high on the to-do list!

Little Italy

That night we were peckish and had heard great things about Little Italy so we hopped on a T and began the lengthy struggle to try and pick just one restaurant! The area is full of good quality and highly rated places to eat; most of them will be busy and it's hard to find anything to set them apart from each other so in the end we just picked one at random! Thankfully it was lovely but honestly, you could eat in any of them and be happy! The quarter itself is aesthetically quite beautiful; it's old with a lot of the Freedom Trail running through it (I'll get to that later) and the streets are cobbled with nice little shops in lovely buildings. A top tip; skip dessert in whatever restaurant you're in and go and queue in Mike's Pastry. The line will be out the door but it moves fast and it's worth the wait. Their cannoli are famous and it was easy to see why! Delicious and authentic, they were a real treat but if that's not your thing, they have all sorts of cakes and pastries too!

Duck Tour

As we didn't have long in the city we thought a sight-seeing tour was the way to go and it was! While we were shown all of the city's most prominent monuments and learnt lots of history we were also kept entertained by Flo, our very cool driver! There's lots of tours in the city but the official duck tour was great and we obviously got on the water too which was lovely. 

Boston Public Library

After the duck tour we popped into the Boston Public Library, which like the NYPL, is just a stunning feat of architecture and worth a look for the book nerd. There was a Revolutionary war exhibition on there that we had a look at too. 

Freedom Trail & Boston Common.

I'm putting these together because they're all about the walking! The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile self guided walking tour (you can pay for a walking tour but get a map and be grand!), that leads you to 16 historically significant sites via a red-lined brick pavement, so you can't really go wrong! 

Boston Common is actually the oldest park in America and again, has historical significance as well as being a lovely area to get a fresh lemonade (I mention that cause we found a lemonade stall there and it was DAMN GOOD) and wander around happily!

Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market

These are also right beside each other; Faneuil Hall is another very historic building that you'll no doubt see at some stage if you're in the city and Quincy Market is a great spot for getting a quick bite to eat. There's stalls of every possible food imaginable in here as well as jewellery, gifts, some clothing and other knick knacks. The market is also surrounded by lots of nice stores if you're looking for somewhere to shop. We found a super nerdy shop where we were in our element. As in, we bought Jaws slippers and an Archer t-shirt. Good times!

Wrentham Village

Speaking of shopping, I'm including this premium outlet centre in here as it's just a short drive from Boston. It is absolutely huge. I'll leave the link HERE if you want to see all the shops there but highlights for me were Kate Spade (although the manager was quite rude to be honest), All Saints. Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Beauty Outlet Stores and Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth. Himself did well here too in some of the athletic stores. You can get some really good discounts and there's places to eat and take a break from the deluge of shops but be careful; we ended up spending way longer here than we expected!

I have no photos of Wrentham Village for you because, well, it's just shops etc. Instead, there's this; I think this photo nicely captures the city and its mix of old and new!

We loved Boston! It was a great stop after the intensity of New York but was still full of life and was a beautiful and historic place to walk around. I'm not sure we would have needed more than the two days there to be honest but that might just be down to himself's Turbo Planning! 

Next Stop; the start of our New England Road Trip!!

XX

Vita Coco, Movember & Moga!

Today I bring you news of a pretty nifty initiative for this years Movember. Traditionally known as a time of year that men grow facial hair to raise awareness and funds for a global men's health charity (in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society), this year Vita Coco, the delicious Coconut Water folks, have joined forces with Movember for something us ladies can join in too (unless you want to grow some facial hair....you do you)! 

Moga is part of a new initiative; MOVE, a 30 day fitness challenge. Moga has been set up as a way to encourage men and women to get fit and healthy by joining a yoga course. The good news is that this month over 25 yoga studios around the country will be participating and donating 50% of the cost of each 8 week course directly to Movember. 

Vita Coco will be available at each of the 25 yoga studios to keep participants hydrated! Clever, eh? I think this is ideal for anyone who wants to take part in Movember but can't or doesn't want to grow a moustache. You can get fit and help out a good cause! Hurrah! I'll leave a list of participating yoga studios at the end. 

On a similar note, you'll probably be aware of Vita Coco Coconut Water by now but did you know they also make Extra Virgin, 100% Raw, Coconut Oil? Cause I didn't and I'm very happy about it! I've been using coconut oil for a while now and am always happy to have more brand choice. Obviously it's fantastic to use as a hair mask but I'm loving it for cooking and baking also. I now use it in most of my cooking; it's great for curries and Chinese dishes as well as roasting vegetables. 

You might also have spotted this apple, blackberry and maple crumble I popped up on Facebook the other day but it's well worth trying yourself. A healthy Autumnal dessert and using the aforementioned tasty Coconut oil! You can get the recipe from the Deliciously Ella website HERE.

Yoga studios taking part:

Dublin: Yoga Lounge Raheny, Yoga Hub Dublin, Elbow Room (Smithfield), Innit (Grand Canal Dock), The Yoga Room (Merrion Road), Hush Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga Blackrock, Bikram Yoga Dublin.

Clare: Ennis Yoga

Galway: Yoga Shala

Cork: Yoga Loft, Yoga Zone (Carrigalane), Himalayan Vallley Centre, Bikram Cork, Yoga Worx.

Limerick: Bikram Limerick, Satayoga.

Waterford: House of Yoga.

Meath: Yoga Boann (Duleek).

Wexford: Earthwise Yoga (Bree)

Laois: Blackhill Woods Retreat (Abbeyleix)

Westmeath: Bikram Yoga Athlone

Wicklow: Greystones Yoga, Wicklow Yoga, Yoga Sacred Space. 

You can find out more HERE.

Are you a Coconut Oil convert too? Will you be getting on your yoga pants for Movember?!

XX

*This post is not sponsored but does contain press samples. All opinions my own, as always.