Liebster Award

Hello Ladies!

Thanks to the fab Roxanne from LollyLou for nominating me for the Liebster Award! After a bit of research I figured out what it's all about, It's an award for new bloggers with under 200 followers, once you receive a nomination you can then go on to nominate 11 other new bloggers. It's a great way for new blogs to get discovered and I really enjoyed doing it and reading other peoples, I think it lets you see the blogger a bit more personally. There are a few little rules that need to be followed.

The Rules:

1. Each blogger should answer the questions the tagger has set for you. 

2. Choose 11 new bloggers to pass the award onto and link them in your post.

3. Create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers. 

4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award. 

5. Each blogger should post 11 Random facts about themselves. 

6. No tag-backs! 

Roxannes Questions:

 What is your best memory?

 Without a shadow of a doubt my best memory is meeting my little girl for the very first time. I’ll never forget how I felt the moment I first laid eyes on her, it was unconditional love at first sight. I was so proud of her and so proud of myself.

  What is your favourite makeup brand?

 This is a tough one! I love Benefit, the makeup is amazing quality and the packaging is gorgeous too, however saying that, I've been really impressed by Urban Decay lately too! I’d probably have to pick Benefit for foundations, concealers and mascaras but Urban Decay eyeshadow is hard beat and I’m absolutely head over heels in love with Naked Flushed… And for a budget brand Rimmel have been quite impressive lately, one word- Apocolips- nuff said!!

 Did someone inspire you to write a blog? If so who?

 Yes! My best friend Danielle, she has the loveliest blog ever, The Imperfect Beauty Queen. She eventually talked me into it and being the gem that she is even helped me set it up! Love this girl so much!

 What is your favourite film?

 It really depends on my mood...’ P.S I love you’ for a good cry and an ogle at Gerard Butler, ‘Pineapple Express’ or ‘Ted’ for a good laugh or ‘Cruel Intentions 1’ for a bit of drama, I don’t do scary! Haha!

 Where is your favourite place to shop?

 As I live in the middle of nowhere I do most of my shopping online, I love boohoo.com and asos.com.  If I do get the chance to do some ‘real life’ shopping though I’ll definitely hit Penny’s (Primark) and if I want something really nice I’ll usually go to River Island.

 Do you prefer pastel or neon? Why?

 I’m definitely more into pastels, I think they’re girlier and more feminine. That’s not to say that I never wear neon though!

Stripes or spots? Why?

 I like both but I’d probably have to choose spots.

Do you have one true wish? What is it?

 Yeah, that my daughter will live a long, happy, healthy and prosperous life, what more could I ask for?!

  What is your biggest fear?

 Loosing people that are close to me.

 Do you prefer beauty or fashion?

 Definitely beauty! Although they do sort of go hand in hand!

Who is your biggest idol/Role model? Why?

 My mum. She was always so strong and determined and always done things her own way despite what other people might have thought. She was true to herself and stood up for what she believed in. If I can be half the woman and half the mother she was I’ll be proud of myself!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1.       I’m extremely ditzy, I forget to do things the whole time, I’m constantly walking up the stairs to get things and by the time I get to the top I forget what I was going up for.

2.       I’ve recently become obsessed with baking cupcakes! Like baking them up to 3 times a week, my tummy loves me, the rest of my body not so much…

 3.       I steal my daughters stuff, cute hair bobbins, nice baby products, even her food sometimes when she’s not looking! Shameful I know, but she’ll be doing it to me in no time!

 4.       I’m a cheeseaholic! I’m yet to discover a cheese I don’t like! The smellier the better! I have a whole shelf in my fridge dedicated to cheese.

 5.       If my battery dies on my phone I freak out a little, I’ve become so reliant on it!

 6.       I’m allergic to red currants, no assassination attempts please!!!

 7.       I have a thing for cushions, I have loads of them in every room in my house.

 8.       I love the song ‘Tiny Dancer’ by Elton John, never fails to put me in a good mood!

 9.       I’m much more of a staying in then a going out gal, a bottle of vino, a roaring fire and some good company wins everytime!

 10.   I have the radio or tv on in my house 24/7, I hate silence.

 11.   When I was pregnant I was obsessed with Lemon Cheesecake, I easily ate a whole one every day, can’t even look at one now!

My Questions:

1.       What is your all-time favourite beauty product?

2.       If you were stranded on a desert island and could have 3 things with you what would you take and why?

3.       Handbags or shoes? Why?

4.       Why did you decide to start blogging?

5.       If you could go on a date with any celebrity who would it be and why?

6.       What do you like to do to relax?

7.       Fake tan, sunbeds or au naturel? What do you prefer/use?

8.       What 3 products are currently top of your beauty wish list?

9.       If you had to leave the house with only one makeup product on your face what would you chose?

10.   If you could go on an all-expenses paid holiday anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

11.   What is your dream job?

My Nominations:

Becky from Lipgloss and Lashes.

Megan from Escape Through My Eyes

Verity from A Little Personal Shopper

Francesca from The Francesca Diaries

Dellilah from Dellilahs Notebook

Tolmeia from Tolly Dolly Posh

Mez from Mez Made Up

Vanessa from Vanessa Chloe's World

Zahra from In a Makeup Minute

Fiona from The Pretty Beautiful

Kerrie from Odd Looks Makeup

Well that's me done! Hope you enjoyed the read and you a little more insight into me!

Really looking forward to reading more of these!

Zara

xx

April Favourites

Hello Ladies,

Happy Summer! The weather is lovely where I am today, hope you're all enjoying some sunshine too! I get so excited this time of year, it means it's time for the bright colours and the pretty scents! Anyway, onto the business of my April Favourites, these are all products that I've come across recently in the last couple of months that have impressed me and have been turned to a lot in the last month. Hope you enjoy! 

Boots Botanics Instantly Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner

These shampoos & conditioners are amazing! They contain white quinoa which moisturises and nourishes the hair as well as soy protein to repair and protect. And a big big bonus is that they're paraben and sulphate free! The thing I've noticed most with my own hair since starting to use these is the increased elasticity of it, it's become far less prone to breaking and also the shine! I tend to leave the conditioner in for a few minutes before rinsing as I think it gives it more time to work. I describe the smell as slightly citrus-y, it's fresh and pleasant but not overpowering. They're both in and around the €5 mark each which I think is brilliant value as I've used hair products that were far more expensive and didn't do the job half as well!

Got2b Oil-licious Styling Oil

I absolutely looove this styling oil! I've used it every single time I've washed my hair over the last few weeks and it hasn't done me wrong! It contains the much hyped about Argan Oil which I can tell you does work wonders but this comes at a fraction of the price, €4.95/50 ml and can be bought here. It's multi-use and can be used as a treatment pre-washing, for better manageability pre-drying, and for added shine and taming after styling. A little goes a long way and the bottle will last ages! It doesn't leave my hair looking greasy and it smells divine! Huge thumbs up from me!

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

I won't bang on about this for too long as I've already reviewed it here, I'm still loving it and I couldn't possibly have left it out of my april favourites! You need this!! 

Bourjois Healthy Mix (41) Blusher

I picked this up a few weeks ago and its quickly become my day to day blusher, it's perfect for summer, it's a soft coral colour and it's suitable for all skin tones. It's got a very slight shimmer to it and it gives the skin a lovely healthy glow. It's also paraben free! It's super blendable and also buildable if you want more of a pop of colour on your cheeks, did I mention it smells gorgeous!!

Lady Gaga Fame

Definitely a summer perfume, it's sweet and fruity with notes of honey, apricot and vanilla along with muskier notes of belladonna, incense and jasmine. I don't particularly like Lady Gaga but I do however like her perfume, a lot! The bottle is fab and perches proudly on my dressing table, I also love the fact that the perfume itself is black (just in the bottle, not on the skin). It's a lovely, quirky, fresh fragrance and overall I'm impressed with it, I just wish the scent would last a bit longer on the skin as I find I have to reapply it. 

Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup
This is such a lovely light foundation and it truely does match the colour of your skin. It comes in light, light-medium, medium, medium-dark and dark so you can choose accordingly to your own skin tone. I opted for light-medium as I tend to wear tan quite a bit normally I'd be light though! The foundation starts out white but it contains spheres of pigment that burst when you start to blend it to match your skin colour. It looks so natural on and has a nice dewy finish. I prefer lighter foundations in the summer so I'll definitely be repurchasing this for the summer months, and as it's on offer in my local pharmacy for €4 I think I'll stock up for next summer too!! To make things even better the foundation has an SPF of 15 and is also oil-free!

Have you fallen for any of these products too?

Zara

xx

Soap & Glory 'No Clogs Allowed!' Face Mask

Soap & Glory 'No Clogs Allowed' Super Self Heating Deep Cleaning Face Mask

Hello Ladies,

I just couldn't resist sharing this with you! My skin's been a big groggy lately as I've been chopping and changing a lot with my skincare regime and I'll admit I even used baby wipes to take my make up off last night (shudder) but in my defence there was vino involved!! My poor skin was so congested and icky and dull and then this miracle in a tube came to my my rescue and showed it whos boss! 

My favourite thing about this mask is that you only need to leave it on for one minute but you can leave it on for upto five minutes if you want a deeper clean so it means you don't have to walk around the place looking like an alien for 20 minutes. The mask is white when applied to dry skin and then you wet your fingers to massage it in and it acts as an exfoliator too and two things happen, one it turns blue and two it heats up (hot, hot, hot), I don't know which is more alarming! But I could literally feel my pores opening in the heat. So, I basked in the smell for a few minutes which comes from a beautiful blend of  menthol, eucalyptus, orange, palmarosa, rosemary and geranium and then I washed it off using the sponge that it comes with.

Wallah! My congestion was no more! I couldn't believe the difference it instantly made to my skin, I've used it before but my skin wasn't so bad then so although I liked it I didn't realise just how good a job it does! As promised my pores were unclogged and there wasn't so much as an inkling of a blackhead in sight. Another bonus for this mask is that it leaves my skin feeling really soft and not at all tight. I followed it up with L'Occitane Essential Water Spray and Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (see what I mean about my chopping and changing), my skin was back in all it's glory! It cost €12.87 (£11.00) from boots, usually I'd think thats slightly steep for a face mask but considering the amazing job it does I'll definitely be making a repurchase when needed!

I think this may have just become my holy grail face mask! Have you tried it?

Zara

xx

Aveeno Bath & Shower Oil

Aveeno Bath & Shower Oil

Hello Ladies,

Hope you're all keeping well, once again sorry for my absence, I've been having a hectic few weeks!

I've been meaning to share this with you all for a while now as I'm totally smitten with it (and on bottle number 3 may I add!!). I first bought it in boots as I'd been looking for a nice bath oil and I'm already quite well acquainted with the Aveeno range and so far I've always been impressed with it. I don't particularly suffer from dry skin but the difference this has made to me is unbelievable! 

The oil contains colloidal oatmeal which is known to moisturise, soften and soothe itchy skin, I've done a bit of research into it and it's meant to be great for sufferers of Eczema and Psoriasis as well as being good for sunburn, chicken pox and other itchy rashes. It's also suitable to use on babies and young children suffering from dry skin.

The oil itself  is amazing as it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy and 'coated'. To use it in the bath you simply add 2 tablespoons to warm running water, the oil appears as a sort of gloopy brown liquid but once it  comes in contact with warm water it turns white and milky, I love that it turns my bath water white, it makes me feel like Cleopatra in her milk baths! Hehe! To use it in the shower you just massage the oil into your skin and rinse it off. The oil itself cleanses so theres no need for harsh shower gels or soaps. The oil smells amazing, I think it smells like babies (minus the poop), and I can smell it on my skin for the rest of the day yet its not over-powering. My skin is left feeling super soft and pampered and without the need to moisturise so its definitely a time saver!

It costs €9.74 (£8.19) for 250ml from boots and I have to say that it's well worth it, I'm definitely going to keep buying this again and again! Have you tried this? If so, what did you think?

Zara

xx

Korres Lip Butter - Quince

Hello Ladies,

Hope you're all keeping well! The weather here is awful, it’s just so miserable! So much for spring! Its times like this though that I really appreciate my Korres Lip Butter. The cold and the wind always leaves me with really dry chapped lips but not when I have this little gem at my disposal! I picked it up a couple of months ago and had very high hopes for it because quite frankly I think that €12 is a ridiculous price for a lip butter but I needed a bit of luxury in my life and I'm glad to say that it hasn't let me down!

I chose to get it in Quince and I adore it! It’s a sheer pink shade and it looks really glossy on. It smells and tastes gorgeous too which is definitely an added bonus! Another thing that I love about this product is that it feels really light on and there’s no horrible stickiness when you're wearing it, in this weather the last thing you need is your hair sticking to your lips in the wind!!

The lip butters contain Shea Butter and Rice Wax which nourish and moisturise and form a barrier against the elements to protect your lips. Quince itself is also known to be moisturising and have anti-inflammatory properties and it gets even better, they're suitable for vegans too!! When you consider all the good quality ingredients that go into them little pots and the great job that they do I'd say that they're worth the hefty price tag. I’ll definitely be trying out some of the other shades and flavours!

Have you tried any of the Korres Lip Butters? What did you think? I'm also curious about their other products now, if you've used any other Korres products I’d love to hear about them! 

Urban Decay Naked Flushed

Hello Ladies!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I've discovered so much since my last post that I don't even know where to begin! I've decided to start with the latest addition to my collection.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed

I am head over heels in love with this little beauty! My lovely best friend got it for me as a birthday present and it’s been reached for every day since! It consists of a bronzer, a highlighter and a blusher all presented in a nice sturdy little palette with a good sized mirror. It’s the perfect size for popping into your handbag!

As always with Urban Decay the pigmentation is amazing! You only need the gentlest of touches to get great results and it blends beautifully.  I especially love the highlighter. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s the best powder highlighter I've ever used! It leaves such a gorgeous dewy look to my skin and makes me look really fresh faced. It’s a soft pink shimmery champagne shade but it’s not OTT. The blusher is absolutely fab, its rose coloured with a hint of shimmer and it gives such a natural finish. I would say that its suitable for most skin tones. The bronzer is gorgeous and is great for fair skinned ladies like myself as it’s not too dark but can be built up easily for more colour. It’s a satin finish bronzer and gives a lovely golden sunkissed look.

(bronzer, highlighter, blusher)

I can't recommend this palette enough and at €26 its a great price for 3 really good quality products. All 3 products would be suitable for most skin tones and its such a versatile little palette, its perfect for day to day makeup or can be built up a bit for a stunning evening look. Well done Urban Decay, You've outdone yourselves again! I honestly can't say a bad thing about it!

Have you tried it yet? If so what did you think?

Zara

xx

AWOL

Hello Ladies,

This is just a quick post to apologise for my severe lack of posts! Sadly my mum recently passed away so I haven't felt much like doing anything nor have I had the time. I'm hoping to get posting again over the next few days and I have sooo much to share with you! Thanks for hanging in there! :)

Zara

xx