Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Messages From Heaven ♥

Everyone knows someone who has sadly passed away, someone who they loved very much and held so dearly in their hearts but who's time to go sadly came, whether it was too soon or expected, it's never easy to fathom and they will never be forgotten. I've only ever known four people who have died, my Nana and Grandad Naughton, my friend Louise and a friends mother, it's lucky in a way to have experienced so few deaths in my life, each terribly sad in their own way.

Recently I feel as though I've been getting messages from Heaven, all coming from my Grandad Naughton. Now some people may think I'm absolutely crazy but please read on before making a judgement and if you still think I'm crazy at the end of this post well then you're more than welcome to your opinion, I get some comfort from these things so that's all that matters to me.

 It all started one night last week where I had a dream about being outside a grand estate home with my family. I've been having the most vivid and strangest dreams as of late so this was nothing out of the ordinary but the dream took a turn when my Grandad walked into the dream. It's strange as even though I was in a dream I thought to myself how weird it was that he was there. My grandparents have only featured in my dreams a handful of times since they died and it's usually my Nana who's in them, so to see and talk to my Granda in my dream was a real surprise for me. I can't remember what he said to me in the dream but the strangest thing was I suddenly woke up and got the strong scent of pipe tobacco in my bedroom, a scent which I associate with him as he used to smoke a pipe but gave up doing so a few years before his death. I looked around the darkness of my room seeing only Jacek sleeping soundly next to me and knew that this scent of pipe tobacco wasn't coming from my inside my home, so where was it coming from? I can't remember falling back to sleep but when I woke up in the morning that dream was blazing in my mind.

Imagine my surprise when today Tyler Lee found the above picture of my Grandad out of nowhere. I honestly don't know where he found it or how it ended up in his hands as I thought it was in a book high up on the shelf but there he had it, in his little hands and he was smiling at it. He then began to give the picture kisses, taking it around the room and chattering away as if he was showing it his toys and things that he does. It was so strange to witness but so lovely at the same time. I have to admit, seeing him kiss the picture over and over brought a tear to my eye. My Grandad and I weren't incredibly close but I do have fond memories of him from when I was a little girl and from our holidays together when I was growing up. Before I put Tyler Lee up for his nap I showed him the picture again and asked who it was, he said Granda.

 Now I know it sounds silly but I like to think my Granda is giving me messages from Heaven, I don't know why and I don't know why he would choose to do so now as he died on January 5th 2009, but all I can think is that I've been feeling a bit defeated lately, down on myself and wanting to give up on things which I used to love and perhaps he's wanting to spur me on. Two things that my Granda told me stick in my mind a lot, the last time I saw him he told my brother and I that we should stick together because all we have is each other and also that I'd have to work for all I have in life.

One of the things I've been thinking of giving up is this blog, something which I previously hoped to turn into a profession for me. Maybe he's spurring me on not to give up, I absolutely have no idea but what I do know is my Granda is looking out for me and his words are now in the forefront of my mind, making me rethink things and wanting to find my inspiration again. 

How wonderful and comforting is it to think that you're still being guided and minded by those you love, even though they haven't been here for quite some time and never will be again.

Thank you Grandad, I love you. 

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

A Little Boy & His Island ♥

We're island people, we love being by the sea and exploring. As my boy had slept all afternoon we had all evening for exploring so I decided to show him some new places, beautiful places on his island which he'd never been to before. The sun was shining bright, golden hour was fast approaching and we were touring the back of the island. I had my camera in one hand, my toddler in the other, it was perfect.

 Our first stop was a little strand which I don't think anyone goes to. Over a stream and through some rushes we found a little lake of sorts made by the sea, it was so beautiful with the sun shining down on the water, the little flowers growing on the bank and the wet grass squelching under our feet. This is a place we discovered together because I had never see this lake before and it's a place which we'll most definitely return to one day soon as it was so peaceful in the evening sun and the perfect place to spend time, just the two of us, with only the sea and the green fields for company, and believe me when I say that Ireland is green!

 We then went to a spot which my Dad used to take me to as a child. Once again there was no one but my boy and I, and the midgets of course as the sun was going down fast, I told he they were fairies and he was amazed by them flying around him. We couldn't drive down the hill to the strand as the road is so badly broken up, I don't think anyone goes down there anymore and that's quite sad really. It was such an eerie feeling walking down a road to essentially nowhere with nobody around. There was moss and ivy everywhere and pretty purple flowers with heart-shaped leaves, I just had to capture them on camera. My boy was mesmerised by the colourful graffiti on the wall, loving the love heart shapes and trying to press them.

I love these adventures, especially in the warm, evening light. My boy got to discover more of his island and I got to visit places from my past, just perfect.






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Real Techniques Sculpting Set Collectors Edition Brushes | Review ♥

 I've been in need of some new makeup brushes for awhile now, so when I got my hands on the Real Techniques Sculpting Set Collectors Edition* brushes I was excited to give them a try. I honestly think that Real Techniques offer some of the best quality and affordable (hugely important to me!) makeup brushes you can buy and this set is no exception.

The set comes with three brushes, each with a gorgeous metallic pink handle and skunk bristles. The bristles on these brushes are super soft, so lovely to use on the face as there's no scratchiness to them and they don't irritate the skin at all. There's no fallout at all from the bristles either which just goes to show just how great quality these brushes are.

My favourite brush out of the three in the set is the sculpting brush, which I use with my IsaDora Face Sculptor palette. It's the perfect shape, with it's wide angled head, to create perfect contour lines and it's also amazing for buffing product into the skin. I've used this brush for my bronzer and highlighter and it has worked amazingly well for applying and buffing both into my skin, especially under my cheekbones and on my forehead.

The fan brush is another fantastic addition to this set and is actually a set exclusive. This brush sweeps away any excess product or powder, giving a flawless, even and airbrushed finish to the skin. I was amazed at how well this worked at correcting my bronzer heavy-handedness and making my face look polished and perfectly done. The fan brush really is a miracle worker of sorts and I was actually so surprised at how easily it gave my skin that perfect, airbrushed look without much effort at all.

The final brush in the set is the setting brush, a great little brush for applying highlighter or other loose powder to certain areas of the face. I use this brush to add highlighter to my brown bone and under my eyes and as these are areas which are delicate and which I don't want to use a lot of product on, this brush is perfect for controlling how much product I'm applying.

I'm so in love with these brushes - they look pretty, they work amazingly well and they are so soft, I really can't fault with them. I use them daily when contouring my face and they really do help to create a flawless finish to my face.

The Real Techniques Sculpting Set Collectors Edition brushes are £19.99 and are available in major retailers nationwide.




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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Beach Inspired Hair | Mark Hill Big Tease BBF & Beach Babe Sea Salt Wave Spray ♥

 I always wear my hair down but as the spring is here and the summer months are fast approaching I look for ways to style my hair effortlessly, whilst keeping on trend of course. I really like using sea salt sprays in my hair during the warmer months to create that messy beach hair look, perfect for teaming with floral crowns and accessories to give a laid-back, easy hairstyle that looks effortlessly done. 

 I recently got my hands on Mark Hill Holiday Hair Beach Babe Sea Salt Wave Spray* and couldn't wait to try it out as it smells amazing - seriously, the scent of it just reminds me of holidays and anything that makes me think of warm sands and clear waters is a winner in my book! 

I sprayed the product liberally on my dry hair - the product, however, can also be used on damp hair to get naturally drying waves. When the product dried in my hair different feel hard and unmanageable like other sea salt sprays have made it feel over the years, it just simply felt and looked like, my hair had be tousled by the sea air and the sand, the exact look I was going for.

To give my hair an extra bit of va va voom I used the Mark Hill Big Tease BFF Backcombing Brush* to give some volume to the roots and to style my fringe. Now I can't say I've ever gotten on well with backcombing brushes before, finding their small handles quite hard to keep a grip on whilst trying to style my hair, but this hot pink brush, which resembles two combs stuck together, was so easy to use and it worked really well with creating volume, along with some dry shampoo of course.

I'm super impressed with these two Mark Hill products and shall be using them both lots over the coming months. I just love the messy beach vibe hair look, it's so easy to create and quick too.

The Mark Hill Big Tease BFF is £6.99 and the Beach Babe Wave Spray is €8.49, both being available in major pharmacies nationwide.

Are you a fan of the messy, beach hair look?
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

My MAC Lipstick Collection ♥

 It's safe to say that MAC are my favourite brand for lipsticks ever. I'm just so in love with their colour range, their different formulas and that gorgeous vanilla scent which they have. For me no brand, except Lime Crime, has a better pigmentation to their lipsticks and it's strange but when I'm wearing any MAC products I immediately feel better about myself and to me, that's the most important thing a makeup product can do for you - give you confidence and make you feel beautiful all at the same time. MAC lipsticks are on the pricier end of the scale at €19 a pop but to be honest, they are totally worth the money. I now have 18, having used up some and given some away but these will last me for ages and I love having different shades to choose from too, it's nice to be able to wear a different colour everyday.

I also love the fact that MAC have their 'Back to MAC' scheme which has allowed me to get free lipsticks from time to time. I actually have six product empties at the moment (I steal them from my mam when she's done with her products - sorry mam!) so I'm due a free lipstick. I think I'll be going for Saigon Summer or Coral Bliss as I'm loving orange/coral shades at the moment and they're so pretty for spring and summer. If anyone has a review on these colours please feel free to share the link below so I can have a read.

My collection can really be divided into three groups - pinks, purples and mid-tones.

 Pink is always my go to shade for lipstick. I think I have a good range of pinks from MAC and as you can see Snob is my favourite pink and was actually the first MAC lipstick shade I ever bought. The shades I used least are Viva Glam Gaga, Pink Pearl Pop and Rose Lily, I just don't think they suit me as they're so light but looking at the swatches above I think I'll have to give them another go because they look quite pretty swatched. Lickable is a great 'going out' shade as I like to call it and it has some shimmer to it. Bombshell is a shade I wear a lot during the day as it's not too n your face.

The purple end of my collection is another one which I think I have a good colour range of from the MAC collections. Rebel is my newest addition and I'm not quite sure if it suits me or not which is a shame as I think looks lovely on other blondes. Plumful is the shade I've be using a lot recently and I really love it, the Lustre formula is really moisturising on the lips and the colour just pops. As you can see Up the Amp is the shade I've used most out of the bunch and it's such a great colour for night time wear. One of my favourite MAC lipsticks ever is Twig as you may have seen it featured on the blog before. It's a shade I wouldn't have picked up myself but after my mam passed it onto me I fell in love with it.

 Looking at the mid-tones I have, a lot of them seem to have red and orange undertones - I must have a penchant for those colours! My favourite MAC lipstick is Sunny Seoul, such a gorgeous light coral shade which is perfect for spring and summer. I also love Crosswires which is a red/orange shade and is really pretty for wearing during the day. Fan Fare, Lovelorn and Fabby are all shades which I wear offhand for daytime. I'm not in love with any of them particularly but they're find for wearing daily. Ladybug is the only red lipstick I've ever liked on me as it's not too bright or stand-out and that suits me fine as I like to be quite demure - at times anyway!

You can read my reviews on some of the lipsticks above and other MAC products which I own here.

Do you own any of these MAC shades? Which is your favourite?

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Just For The Whimsy... ♥

Sometimes I do things just for the whimsy and this shabby chic styled tea was no exception. I styled it to compliment my Tea and Chats series and although I'm not one-hundred per cent happy with how the pictures turned out I thought what the heck, why not show them anyway? They are quite pretty and I really do love those pink carnations - at least that's what I think they are, so please do enjoy the pretty things!

Those queen cakes were absolutely delicious, sometimes it's the most simplest of treats which taste the best. Can you believe that my two year old actually drinks water out of those miniature teacups? He likes to pour the water in himself from the teapot, so adorable. My shabby chic cake stand is my new pride and joy, although I was left disappointed by the fact that the third plate and tier had no hole in the middle... why do these errors and broken items always get sent to me from shops? Nevertheless, I quite like it two tier and it's the perfect size for displaying all our treats on.

We must have tea and whimsy more often!
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