Wednesday 31 August 2016

MUSIC | Monthly Playlist #9


1. Give It Up - Róisin O 
2. Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Pop Style (Ft. The Throne) - Drake
4. Hotter Than Hell - Dua Lipa
5. Toothbrush - DNCE
6. Sober - Selena Gomez
7. Into You - Ariana Grande 
8. We Don't Talk Anymore (ft. Selena Gomez) - Charlie Puth
9. All In My Head [Flex] (Ft. Fetty Wap) - Fifth Harmony
10. Bitter Pill - Gavin James
11. For Free (Ft. Drake) - DJ Khaled
12. Something New - Set If Off
13. Yeah Boy - Kelsea Ballerini
14. Sometimes - Ariana Grande
15. Tears (Ft. Louisa Johnson) - Clean Bandit
16. This Is What You Came For (Ft. Rihanna) - Calvin Harris
17. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele
18. Best Fake Smile - James Bay
19. Right Hand - Drake
20. Formation - Beyoncé

What have you been listening to this month?

Until next time,
Elle x

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Friday 26 August 2016

BEAUTY | What's In My Makeup Bag?

Two posts in one week? Who do I think I am?! This is a little bonus post because after next week, I'll be away until the middle of September!

I'm an over-packer. It's a sickness, I admit it. I may pack 4 outfits for every day, but I've learned my lesson when it comes to makeup. I normally pack two bags full for trips, and wear less than half of it. I like to have options, okay?! Knowing the climate in Orlando, I won't need a full face of makeup AT ALL!


For my skin, I'll need my Nivea Essentials Day Cream, and Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser, This is such a no mess, no fuss product. Perfect for those of us that aren't great at remembering to moisturize every day. Oops! I couldn't forget some Fix + and Strobe Cream. I know I'm not the only person who wants their highlight seen from space! I also popped in a mini Garnier Micellar Water for all my makeup removal needs!


As for the rest of my face, I've got my Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown and Essence Clear Brow Gel for brows. The Brow Wiz is perfect for travel, with it's built in spoolie! For eyes, I only need my trusty Rimmel Wonderfull Mascara. So this is maybe where I went a little overboard. Oops! When it comes to lip options, I've got MAC's Candy Yum Yum, Flat Out Fabulous, Velvet Teddy, and Russian Red, as well as two Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Audacious and Shameless. 
NYX Lip Pencil in Pinky, Fuchsia, Hot Red and MAC Lip Liner in Stripdown


And that's all she wrote. So maybe I haven't learned my lesson that well!
Baby steps!

Until next time, 
Elle x

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Wednesday 24 August 2016

LIFESTYLE | What's In My Carry On?

Number one reason why I love this kind of post is that it reassures me that I'm not the only person who can't travel light. I would rather the sore shoulder than feel like I've forgotten something. Sue me! I'm off to Florida next week, so I thought why not pack my carry on with you guys! My bag is from Topshop last year, and the pompoms are from River Island and Penneys.


Right off the bat, I need the essentials; phone and purse. I never leave home without these, obviously! Next up, gotta have a good book and my Kindle. I've waited to start Blue Lily, Lily Blue on the plane, but it's killing me! I talked about the first book of The Raven Cycle in my July favourites, if you're interested. I also picked up Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, which is a spin-off from the Wizard of Oz tale. I do tend to go through a lot of books, so the Kindle is great for saving space and my back! And of course, I can't forget my chargers.


This next lot is all the little things I can't be without; earphones, deodorant, gum, hand cream, lip balm, tissues. I keep them all in this little makeup pouch from River Island. I also have this cute notebook from Tesco. I'm a serial list maker so this is essential! And of course, no holiday would be complete without sunglasses. The first two pairs are from Penneys, and the second two are from Boohoo - here and here. The cases are also from Penneys!


Are you an over-packer like me? Or have you mastered the art of travelling light?!

Until next time, 
Elle x

Find me on:
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Wednesday 17 August 2016

TOP 5 | Holy Grail Products

We're reviving the Top 5 series today, with my holy grail products. There are the products I'd need if I was stranded on a desert island with Zac Efron. Because why else would I need makeup on a desert island?!


1. L'Oreal True Match Foundation 
True Match has actually replaced Maybelline's Fit Me as my favourite drugstore foundation. It just ticks all my boxes! It is a medium coverage formula, but can be built up to full coverage very easily. The formula is super blendable, as advertised, and feels lightweight on the skin with a dewy finish. The shades are separated by skin tones - Warm, Neutral and Cool, with 32 shades between them. I do go between three shades, in and around the 5 to 6 region. Mainly because the actual shades I use can't be found in Ireland. Bummer! True Match Super Blendable Foundation can be found in Boots and most pharmacies, and retails at €14.99

L-R: 5N Sand, W5 Sand Beige, W6 Sun Beige

2. MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skin Finish
This product started my love affair with highlight, and I haven't looked back since! Soft and Gentle is a warm, peachy champagne shade. The coverage is buildable, it can be semi-sheer or super opaque. Just depends on how you like your highlight. I personally go for the glow-worm look! While you'd think the finely milled glitter would be a bit overkill, it actually makes the skin look naturally luminous. Soft and Gentle retails at €31.50 currently, and can be found at MAC counters or on Brown Thomas online. 



3. Wet n Wild MegaLast Lipsticks
These are some of the best drugstore lipsticks around. Wet n Wild came to play! The formula is comfortable on the lips, even with it's matte finish. As for pigmentation, these lipsticks are opaque with one swipe. The colour range is huge, and the line is full of dupes for lots of high end lippies! To add to this all-rounder, they are super affordable too. Perfect for anyone starting a makeup collection, or a kit. They retail at €2.99 and stands can be found in Penneys, Dunnes and pharmacies nationwide.

L-R: Bare It All, Mauve Outta Here, Spiked With Rum, Sandstorm, Mochalicious
4. Benefit Hoola Bronzer
This is the only product I use for powder contour. I honestly can't look past it. It's such a universal shade, it suits all skin tones. The tone of the bronzer itself has a good balance, it's cool but not muddy, warm but not orange. It blends out nicely, and the coverage can be built up, depending on your taste! Hoola retails at €34, from Benefit counters.


5. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
I don't have a lot of dark pigmentation in my under eye area, so I love using this concealer just to brighten rather than conceal. The Fit Me concealer has a light to medium coverage, and works best if you have light dark circles. The formula is lightweight, creamy and blends out like a dream. It doesn't cake, and with a little bit of setting powder, there's no creasing. What more could you ask for?! The concealer retails at €8.99, and can be found on Maybelline stands in Boots and pharmacies nationwide.


What products make the cut for your Top 5?

Until next time,
Elle x

PS: I just created a Snapchat account for this blog; elleblgr_blog. Head over there for blog updates, random life things, and who knows what else!

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Wednesday 10 August 2016

FAVES | July 2016

What better way to jump back into blogging than with a favourites post?! As it's been so long, I'm just going to focus on the things I've been reaching the most for lately! Let's jump right in!


First things on the agenda are Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Could you say love at first sight? Uh, duh! These shadows are buttery, super pigmented and easy to blend. They're such good quality, there's a huge colour range, and with a price point of $6/€5.94, they cannot be passed up. My current go-tos are Frappe, Cocoa Bear and Americano. Don't get me wrong, these shadows know how to hold their own, but together, they create the most perfect brown smokey eye. I DIE! Makeup Geek can be found here; on their own website, or here on Beauty Bay.


L-R: Frappe, Cocoa Bear, Americano
L-R: Frappe, Cocoa Bear, Americano
Ardell Wispies and Demi Wispies might actual be my favourite lash of all time. Bold statement, but I'm willing to make it. Both styles are lightweight, and so easy to apply. The thin band means you can go without liner if you're not feeling it. What's not to love? The original Wispies are long, fluttery, and perfect for any glam look. The Demi Wispies are a little shorter, more graduated, making them ideal for every day wear. I buy mine from Penneys, for €5. I find they're best applied with Duo Glue (€5.50), also available from Penneys!



Next up is Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick in 1995. It's widely known that I'm a sucker for a matte lip. Add in my new love for liquid lipsticks, this one was bound to feel right at home in my collection. The Hydra Matte formula does exactly what it says on the tin. While it does dry down matte, it's still hydrating and super comfortable on the lips. 1995 is a rose-toned mauve; total 90s vibe. Perfect shade to make the transition from Summer to Autumn! Gerard Cosmetics can be found here, and here, costing $20/€11.90.



Blank Canvas E25 Round Top Blending Brushes are the real dealThese babies blend shadow like a dream. It's no wonder I have THREE of them. Plus, I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many brushes! The E25 makes the tiresome job of blending feel effortless. You'll wonder how you ever survived without one! They retail at €7.90. You can get your own here.



My last favourite of the month is a book called The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. "For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore." I'm not going to lie, this story took a while to grip me, like 5 or so months. But once I gave it a second chance, I just couldn't put it down! While the summary promotes a love story, a romantic element is minor undertone. The story, loosely based on real Welsh folklore, is packed full of psychics, ghosts, and the paranormal. I'm just itching to get my hands on the next installment! The Raven Boys is available from Easons for €11.70, or on Kindle. A little addition to this one; Good Reads. I love this website for finding new books, and keeping tabs on books I've read and want to read!



What do your July faves look like?! 

Until next time, 
Elle x

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Thursday 4 August 2016

LIFESTYLE | Don't Call It A Comeback

Or do, I guess. That's what this is, right?!

I seem to have a love/hate relationship with this blog. Things are great for a while, a honeymoon period if you will, then we break up for two years. Oops!

It wasn't my intention to be gone for so long, and if I'm being honest, I really missed it. But life got in the way, in the form of a 9-5 job, and blogging got lost for a little bit. I can't promise that this is going to be a full time thing again, let's not get ahead of ourselves! I just want to be able to say that I gave it a proper shot. At least once.. Or twice!

So, I guess this means you can expect at least one post a week for the foreseeable future. Wish me luck!

Until next time,
Elle x

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