My makeup removal routine

With most things I don't really have a routine or things that I feel I have to do, but when it comes to taking my makeup off I'm pretty fanatic about it, and have to do it before I go to bed, (unless I'm a little bit drunk, because lets face it, I'm hardly perfect!)

I do have very dry skin though so I do need to be very careful about what products I actually use, as some have caused me to break out more than wearing makeup has. So I've had a few years of trial and error, but I seem to have found a few products and a routine that works really well for me.

I absolutely hate using makeup wipes to remove my makeup, especially since they dry out normal skin and mine is already dry, but I also feel they don't do a very good job of removing everything from my face.
Over the years I have sampled many cleansers, and the one I am currently using is one of my favourites. NO7 Cream Cleanser removes everything, while leaving my skin feeling moisturised and fresh. It easily removes eye makeup and dark lipstick too so that is definitely a bonus for a red lippy lover like me.

After cleansing, I use Nspa toning spray to freshen up my face and soothe any irritated skin. If my skin is especially dry I follow this with a small bit of facial oil, (it also helps me feel as if my skin has been spa treated, and not just done at home!) And then last but not least I follow this with a moisturiser. At the moment I am using my Nivea Q10+ day cream, (but am searching for recommendations of good night creams if anyone has one) which is especially good for daytime as it has SPF15 built in, and when you are fair skinned like me, every bit of SPF helps!

If I am having a pretty bad breakout I sometimes use a hot cloth to cleanse as this really helps clear my skin up, and of course a good face scrub is a total necessity. I really recommend this Simple scrub, as it thoroughly scrubs without being irritating.
I really recommend these products for dry skin as I have had a long hard search for good products which don't irritate my skin.

Changes in life, changes in style.

For those of you who may not know, I am about a month away from starting my final year of university (Too scary, have a mild panic everytime I think about it!) and so far my university experience has been AMAZING. I really feel like uni has changed my life in so many ways, and the major change I've noticed has been in my own self-confidence.

Three years ago I moved from a small Northern Irish town, to a slightly bigger English city. I left behind my friends, my family and everything that was familiar, to be a small fish in a much bigger pond than I was used to. I remember being nervous about moving, but also really excited. Without dwelling on it too much, I didn't have too fab a time at school, and was really excited to be somewhere that I could have a new start. Going over (with a shocking amount of stuff) I had been chatting to a few people on my course on Facebook, but had absolutely no idea what to expect from them in real life. 

Long story short, some of those people are now my best friends, (Miss you all, as at this point I haven't seen you all since May!) and I feel like a completely different person than that nervous fresher who got off the boat three years ago. I can see these changes in so many ways, but the biggest has to be in my wardrobe and pictures of me. Fresher me didn't know the benefits of a good eyebrow threading and tinting, and even though I study Fashion, I look back and cringe at what I was wearing. But now I am so much more adventurous with clothes and makeup, as well as being so much more comfortable with myself. 

Being really self-conscious meant that a lot of my now everyday wardrobe staples, would have totally terrified me. Leather trousers would've made me run a mile, but now they're the favourite piece I own. Even with regards to my blog, I used to be scared to post the link anywhere and kept it to myself for a while, but know I tell any social media platform that'll listen, and I would never have dreamed of taking pictures of myself and posting them online for fear of people calling me vain. Now, I don't care. Before uni I used to worry about what people thought far too much. I hated my legs so I never went on nights out without tights on, now I wear whatever I want as long as I like it.

Before discovering what an eyebrow pencil was, and well before I realised that a side fringe was SO not a good look for me. But good to see I still have one standard pose. Hands on hips everyone!

Basically the whole point of this post is just to tell anyone debating about their future or whether they should take a massive step in life, to just do it! If it doesn't work out, that's fine, at least you tried, and you never know what amazing things will happen to you along the way.

"Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world"

Nude Brogues: Clarks// Black Pumps: Oasis// Navy T-bar: Primark// Studded Sandals: ALDO//Pointed Pumps: Miss Selfridge

How many pairs of shoes are too many? I have gone a little bit shoe crazy lately, and they are literally all I have been buying! To me, shoes totally make or break an outfit. What's the point in forking out on the most beautiful outfit ever and wearing the ugliest shoes with it.

I feel like Carrie Bradshaw's Irish soul mate. I'd rather spend my money on Manolo's than rent, and I'd rather starve than pass up some cute heels in Topshop. So here are the many pairs I've bought in the last two weeks (And these are only the ones I've not returned... oops.)

My new nude brogues are a replacement for my much loved, but very battered, grey brogues. These are comfy, gorgeous, and match EVERYTHING, But my favourites are definitely my new pointed toe pumps from Miss Selfridge. They make every outfit look a little chicer, and I feel very classy and sophisticated while wearing them. 

Summer Daze

 Dress: River Island//Sunglasses: H&M//Hat: Miss Selfridge//Shoes: ALDO//Necklace: Accessorize

How amazing is this weather? 30 degrees? YES PLEASE! This week, Ireland has been hotter than everywhere from LA to Lanzarote. Amazing. This, combined with payday, meant I had to go shopping. Obliviously, any excuse for new clothes.

This Gorgeous cream dress is a River Island sale bargain, this combined with my salt sprayed hair, makes me feel very Boho and cool. The hat is the result of a long laborious search for the perfect floppy hat that actually fits my oddly shaped head, and Miss Selfridge came out on top. I feel very Made in Chelsea!

If any of you saw my facebook post yesterday, these are the shoes from inside the ALDO box. Snakeskin, studs and sandals couldn't really be more perfect for the summer. Hopefully the beautiful weather continues and I get lots of use for them.

Saturday Style Inspiration: Ashley Madekwe

Those of you who are fans of TV show, 'Revenge' will recognise this face, probably instantly. Ashley plays Ashley Davenport on the hit show, and is always impeccably dressed on screen. This is also true of her real life looks, as she writes her own fashion blog 'Ring My Bell'. I have not seen her wear something I hate yet, and that really does say something about her style!

My Fave Five!

Soap and Glory 'Scrub of your life'// Percy and Reed Finishing Polish// Vera Wang 'Princess'// Benefit 'Big Beautiful Eyes' Palette// Topshop Cream Highlighters

I love beauty Products, but I don't often do beauty posts, so I decided to do a post on My five favourite beauty products at the moment.

1. Soap & Glory 'Scrub of Your Life' Body Scrub

I have a literal addiction to Soap & Glory scrubs, as I feel they are the best ones on very dry skin. I do suffer from extremely dry skin, and this one makes my skin amazingly soft and smooth. It comes with the signature Soap & Glory scent as well, which is definitely a bonus.

2. Percy & Reed 'Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish'

I got this free with Glamour Magazine a few months ago, relegated it to the bottom of my beauty box, and totally forgot about it until I moved back home. I am now totally and officially in love with it. Is it possible to marry a hair product? because I need this to be in my life forever! (and I'll have the hottest wedding hair ever!) It is perfect for helping to control those annoying stray hairs, without making my hair look too neat, as I prefer to wear it slightly messy.

3. Vera Wang 'Princess'

This perfume is so summery and floral, that I have been wearing it constantly in the recent bout of sunshine. I bought it in the airport as a little present for finishing 2nd year of uni, and because Princess is my and my friends pet name for each other, and I won't see her for three months, so it cheers me up seeing it everyday. It is also a cute addition to my perfume shelf as the bottle is gorgeous.

4. Benefit 'Big Beautiful Eyes' Palette

This eye palette is in my everyday makeup routine, and definitely one of my makeup staples. it contains three eyeshadows, a base shadow, a shadow for contouring, and a liner shadow, in different shades of brown and nude, in order to highlight your eyes. It also comes with Benefits 'Boi-ing' Concealer, which I will be purchasing as a full product once I finish this, as I have yet to find another concealer which covers my under eye bags as well as it does.

5. Topshop Cream Highlighters

I never used highlighters, and didn't really know much about how to use them or what they did, as I never noticed much difference with or without them, but this is a product I got given on my last day at Company Magazine, and since then I have used these most days, and I can see the difference they make to the outlines of my face. I wish the packaging was as cute as other Topshop makeup, but at least these are a quality product, and not just based around the packaging.

                                    

Saturday Style Inspiration: Emma Stone

I am in LOVE with this girl. like, genuinely girl-crushing. She can be dressed up, or down, on the red carpet or just grabbing coffee, and she always looks flawless. Her skin is totally enviable, and I definitely need to know her skincare secret.

Looking for pictures, I realised that she has changed her hair colour and style so many times, but I didn't find one I didn't like or that didn't suit her. For a hair coward like me, this is brave! The most adventurous thing I've ever done was grow out my fringe and get a dip-dye, so I don't really think adventurous is even the right word to use.

She also just seems like such a genuinely nice girl. Emma, can we be best friends please? I'll have my people call your people.