A Gift Guide…For Myself

Yeah, you read that right. It's been a particularly crap year and I'm currently in hospital (as a patient, not as a nurse unfortunately), so I've decided to amuse myself by compiling a list of very fancy beauty gifts that I would like and hopefully with your help, I can narrow down what I should get as a treat for myself.

Because I'm worth it.

*cue hair swish*

First up is the much sought after Charlotte Tilbury Book of Makeup Magic advent calendar. It's horrendously expensive at €195 but if you're looking for luxury, you won't get much better than this. I'm not a huge fan of the CT skincare products (aside from the moisturiser, which is nice but not worth 90 quid or whatever it is) and there are a few of those in there alright but there's also lipstick, eyeshadow, a lipliner and an eyeliner, none of which I have tried. Following a Twitter chat last night with the lovely Lorraine from John It's only Make Up!, I'm thinking I'd probably be happier with just one of her gorgeous lipsticks. I've tried none of them and they all look divine but I am leaning towards Amazing Grace (thanks again, Lorraine!), Red Carpet Red and Love Liberty.
 Let me know in the comments what your favourite CT lipstick shade is, I need inspiration! Of course, if I did that, I wouldn't have the daily joy that only an advent calendar can bring! Decisions!

Next, we have the Victoria Beckham for Nails Inc Judo Red and Bamboo White Nail Polishes. These are €45. I tried the Bamboo White in store and it's lovely. These have a nice lux feel to them and the shades are classics. Very tempting but I do own a LARGE amount of nail polish as it is.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to get this Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Collection but every year I for some reason don't. Maybe it's the €58 price tag. Eeeeeep. These are eyeshadow sticks in 6 different shades of mattes and metallics. I feel like these would revolutionise the process of applying eye make up which at present, feels like a tedious chore on a day-to-day basis. Without it though I somehow look like a combination of a sick child and a very weary pensioner. 

I haven't bought anything from Estee Lauder in years but this is just a make-up lovers dream. Look at how gorgeous those lipsticks look! This is the Be Envied Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipstick Collection Limited Edition Christmas Set. I'm actually tired from typing that. Anyway, these are only travel sizes but are €44 so that does make me question how good value this is..might be worth seeing these in person first!

WILDCARD!!!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette for Holiday 2015

In the style of the X Factor, I'm throwing in one last one. This has been in the back of my brain for a few months now and as much as I want it, the price tag of £65 is slightly off putting. 

Hear me out. 

I own NO Hourglass products, which is kind of a disgrace really. 

Secondly, I'm old and haggard and so I need products that can cast a glorious candlelit glow across my tired visage. 

Thirdly, I want it, it's pretty.
But.
I also re-read Temptalia's review on it and she seemed less than impressed so I'm now thinking maybe a single powder would be more cost effective.

What say ye?

What I really want to know is (are you gonna go my way?!) which of these should I buy? Which do you own and why should I also own them?
Thanks lovelies!

XX

Let's Stop Comparing Women, For The Sake Of My Sanity

I haven't ranted about anything for a good while now but that's not to say there hasn't been plenty of things bothering me. First up, is this particular meme that has been doing the rounds lately, mostly on the Instagram accounts of beauty bloggers. 

While I'm generally of the opinion that people can post whatever the hell they want on their own social media (and if you don't like it, unfollow!), I've noticed that so many people I follow and am friends with have been passing this particular one around that I can't even ignore it anymore. It annoys me.

Here's why.

The media just LOVES pitting women against other women and does so regularly with magazines and newspapers devoting column inches to "who wore it better" segments (read about Amy Schumer's disgust at this HERE) but at least those are straight up blatant in what they're doing. They are literally comparing and contrasting the appearance of women. 

In the general scheme of things, this isn't the biggest issue in the world right now but it contributes to the objectification of women; often by other women and young girls, to view each other as only the sum of their parts and nothing more. That is dangerous and doesn't acknowledge anything about that particular woman beyond the very superficial- how she looks next to other women. 

On to the Princess Diana meme though. This surprisingly isn't the work of the Daily Mail but seems to have spawned from the depths of the Internet. Probably Tumblr or such like. 

Firstly let me say this; I am not a fan of the Kardashian/Jenners. I know little about them as I've never seen their TV show, I don't click into (the many) articles about them and I don't read magazines so I have successfully managed to avoid them for the most part. 

Having said that, I also have no desire to denigrate them. 

It often feels like a woman in the spotlight has to represent her entire sex, not just herself. How many "In a world full of Kanyes, be Prince William" memes have you seen? None? That's not surprising. Men aren't held up to the same standard that women are and are never expected to be the absolute best man they can be at all times. 

Fine, the Kardashians might not be considered to be the greatest role models for young women but why express that by remarking on their failure to be a dead princess? It makes no sense. 

This is also similarly vexing:

and:

and elicited this epic response from journalist and feminist Lindy West:

"THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE GIRL. ALL GIRLS FIGHT TO THE DEATH. "

Source

Why do these two women need to be compared? They are famous for very different things. The life of one should have no impact on the other. Amazingly, women can choose to read about or look up to or admire or ignore a whole multitude of women and men, depending on their personal preference. Sharing things like this online is just perpetuating the belief that women have to be deemed to be perfect by some arbitrary system of judgement for them to deserve public attention and admiration. 

Even if you agree with the opinion that more focus should be placed on Malala Yousafzai instead of Kylie Jenner, what can be achieved by pointing this out? Are you going to make people consume less reality TV and pick up Malala's autobiography instead? I find that to be a bit misguided and bringing one woman down to raise up another is a pretty negative concept when you really think about it.

Lastly, there are plenty of people who like the Kardashian/Jenners and enjoy being entertained by their lives and that's fine too. Why should you care either way? There's a place for everyone and as the mighty Amy Poehler says:

What do you think?

Do you agree with these memes? If you think I'm way off base here and am missing a hidden message of positivity then do let me know in the comments!

XX

Unique Christmas Present Ideas With PhotoBox.ie!

For the last couple of years my sister-in-law has made us a calendar from Photobox.ie for the year ahead using some of our favourite photos. It's a really lovely, personal gift that we always appreciate- it's something you can actually use and be reminded of happy times simultaneously!
I was delighted then when I was asked if I'd like to try out the website for the blog and immediately took up the offer to pick out some things myself! I'm not gonna lie, there's a lot of options to choose from and I got a bit flustered trying to decide but I had himself on hand and together we came up with these:

I'm an Instagram addict so it's really no surprise that the Retro Prints were high on my want-list and they did not disappoint. Your photo is printed onto textured paper with a varnish gloss added over the top and a black photo negative on the back of the print for that Polaroid feeling! Speaking of Polaroid, look at the case they come in! Love it! You can choose between 12, 24 or 36 prints.

I went for 12 but I can easily see myself getting more. We decided to go for photos strictly from our recent trip to the states and although I haven't displayed them very well here, once I find the perfect twine and mini close pegs, they'll be livening up a very boring wall in our bedroom. 

I think it's going to be so lovely to wake up every day to some of our most treasured holiday memories and the fact that they're printed like this makes them that bit more special.

Another thing that I love about these is the option to add your own text to your print, as you would with a real polaroid too (except that you can choose your own font here)! 

If you can't decide what you want to write at the time of ordering (if it's a gift for someone else for instance) then you can add your message later on at home too. Clever eh?

Also great is that the retro prints are eco-friendly. They're non-toxic, recyclable and the production process contains no volatile compounds like traditional photo printing systems do. Bonus!

I really love these. I have fond memories of my family having a Polaroid camera when I was a little'un and this is like that but much cheaper. 

12 prints set me back €12.99 only. For that, I have a lovely decoration and I think something like this would make a fantastic birthday, Christmas or anniversary present.

And speaking of presents, I thought a personalised mug would be a fun gift for my Mum for Christmas this year. That's me there in New Hampshire, loving life, surrounded by all the gorgeous scenery. The photo came out crystal clear and is printed on one side only with an option for a personalised message on the other:

You could really do anything you wanted with this. I'd also suggest it as a Secret Santa gift as it's fun and would make the recipient smile every time they had their cup of tea in the morning! At only €7 too, it's not going to break the bank. 

Lastly then is this photo himself took on our New England road trip. This was one of my favourite photos from that holiday and we thought it'd look spectacular on a larger scale. I can't even tell you how mesmerised I was by the Autumn leaves over there; the colours are just outstanding and I love the contrast of that red/pink/orange against the blue sky. Again, the clarity in the print is perfect too. 

We went for a wrap canvas which means the edges are part of the print, which looks great. This is a Canvas Lite, 61cm x 40.6 cm. I'd say it's an average size; it's big enough to make an impression but not so big that it takes over a wall entirely if that makes sense! 

There's loads of sizes and shapes available though so you'll be spoilt for choice. I do really like the idea of creating a wall of these with different canvas sizes, it's very Pinteresty but always looks so cool!

We love this canvas, like its retro print friends it'll be going up in our bedroom and will add a nice flash of colour to an otherwise bland cream wall. This is your ideal gift for a loved one I think; pick out their favourite family, wedding or celebratory photo, a shot of their kids or pets and get it masterfully recreated onto a canvas print. Perfect! 

Overall I thought our order was pretty cost effective. I was given credit by the company to try some of the products for myself but I ended up spending my own money too, purely because I wanted more! The original cost of delivery was pricey because the canvas was coming from outside of the EU but there was also a pretty generous discount on the site the same day (30% off orders over €40-that's over tomorrow!) so we saved a lot. I'd say to keep an eye out on the site for discounts as they do seem to be quite generous. There's Black Friday offers on at the moment too that finish tomorrow so definitely a good idea to check it out now if you're interested! 

If you're eager for more gift ideas like this, you should really check out the site, HERE. You can personalise cards, diaries, cushions, snow globes, key rings, Christmas tree baubles, coasters, mouse mats, placemats, fridge magnets, teddy bears, iPhone and iPad cases and even create your own jigsaw!

Amazing!

This post was just to give you an idea of what they do but have you tried anything from Photobox yourself? 

Anything here catching your eye?

XX

*this is not a sponsored post but some items were provided for the purpose of reviewing the website. All opinions my own, as always!

Tony Moly: Mini Brand Focus

Tony Moly is a Korean beauty brand, known for their ridiculously cute packaging and fun colours. I've lusted after the adorable products for a really long time now cause if there's anything I love it's a bit of kitsch.

These were all picked up in that very dangerous mini's aisle of Sephora near the till. I'm a terror for mini sizes of anything, they're immediately more desirable purely because of their size and sure lip balms in the shape of fruit are practically necessities anyway. Ahem.

The Cherry Balm smells a bit like sweets (ideal for a Haribo addict, such as myself) while the Peach Balm is like a Bellini in moisturising form (also ideal for a Bellini lover, such as myself) and are lovely on the lips (they're designed to soften and plump). The Cherry Balm has a tint but it's quite light, definitely not an alternative to a lip stain or lipstick while the peach translates as clear/pink on. My lips did feel nicely soft after using them both- these are very nice balms indeed.

Where these really shine is on the packaging front however, from that shiny cherry with its pliable stalk to that smooth peach groove; these are make-up-bag eye candy, let's be fair. 

Both were 10 dollars each and if I could get the whole range of fruit shaped products, I probably would!

What was actually not worth my hard earned shekels at all was the Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base, $12. This is an eye serum base in stick form with brightening peptides to illuminate the skin around the eyes. It smells lovely and makes a nice smooth base once it's blended but I can't say I've noticed a huge difference from using it compared to not using it.

In conclusion (thanks, Leaving Cert English), these are very cute products and are nice to use but probably not worth going out of your way to get, unless you're as mad into a novelty as I am!

Have you tried anything from Tony Moly?

XX

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!