A Little Lush Haul

Hi Everyone!

I was shopping up in Dublin last week with my mam and I couldn't go to Dublin and not call into Lush. It truly is one of my most favourite shops and always makes me super happy. I was excited to try some of the new Christmas Limited Edition stuff as well as invest in some new skincare bits. I've shown everything I got in the video below....





What are your favourites Lush products ? 

Erin X
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My Pink Story | Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Everyone deals with cancer in one way or another, either directly or indirectly. Either way, it's unpleasant for everyone involved! This month is breast cancer awareness month, so I've decided to share my story. My pink story. I was inspired to write this after watching a video by Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter on YouTube, you can watch her video (here).

I just want to say that these are just my memories, things may not have happened exactly how I remember them but this is what I remember...



So my very first encounter with cancer was my granddad, he passed away from lung cancer many years before I was born, before my dad even met my mam, so to a certain extend it didn't really effect me. Except for the fact he wasn't there of course. When I was 16 (2011)  unfortunately my beautiful grandmother passed away from lung cancer too. Now that was hard. Up until then I had never lost anyone. She had suffered with emphysema for years and in the last few months of her life, she developed lung cancer.

But it wasn't until my granny, a truly incredible woman, developed breast cancer that I was truly effected by cancer. I can't really explain or properly describe how much she meant to me other than, well, she was my granny. My granny was a tough lady, been through a lot but always came out the other side smiling. I could sit here all day and write about how amazing and wonderful she was and it still wouldn't do her justice. She was truly an incredible woman. I think she developed breast cancer around Christmas 2008/2009. I was in first year of secondary school at the time. I'll never ever forget the day when my mam told me. I just remember being really shocked, I had obviously heard about cancer but it never entered my head that someone I loved could ever have to fight it.

SO a few years passed, I didn't notice much of a change to be honest, expect I went to the hospital a few times with my mam and granny for her treatments. I only really remember because we always went to pizza hut afterwards. The next vivid memory I have is October 10th 2011, I remember this day in particular because it was my birthday. My granny had had an operation to remove her breast. I remember travelling to the hospital after school with my mam. My granny was in good form and I remember leaving relieved, in my head I thought it was simple, the cancer was in her breast, they had just removed it so obviously now she'd be ok. And she was ok, she had a few sessions of radiotherapy and was given the all clear.

Unfortunately shortly just before Christmas the cancer came back and this time it was stronger and grew quicker. Because my granny was diabetic, they couldn't operate again as her skin wouldn't of healed quick enough and the chance of getting an infection was too high. Instead she underwent radiotherapy. Around this time, I decided it would be a great idea to go to Africa and climb the highest mountain, Mt.Kilimanjaro. I started training and was due to leave for Africa in June.

SO in January of 2012, I started training. We had to choose a charity to raise money for and for me it was a no brainer, cancer research, in particular breast cancer research. So while I was off climbing my mountains, my granny was facing much greater ones. Then she started to get really sick, she was moved into the hospital. I can't really remember how long she was there. I just remember that my routine was go to school, do homework, go to the hospital, then train on weekends.

In April 2012, I'm not sure whether she was actually getting better or she whether her health was staying constant but she came home. I remember my mam and I spending a full weekend going all around the country trying to get the proper chairs, toilets, shower seats etc all ready for when granny was coming home. And she did come home, she had a hospital bed and all the equipment at her house. My mam visited almost every single evening after work, I often went with her too.

I, the eternal optimist truly believed that she would get better. You see many years before this, I must of only been about 4 or 5 years old, she had had a massive heart attack. I was too young to understand this of course, all I knew was that granny was sick. I remember my dad trying to explain it to me one evening while my mam was in the hospital with her. He said something along the lines of "granny is in a dark place at the moment". So off I went and got my little art pack together and made my her a paper candle. I even remember getting two of the kitchen chairs and the sweeping brush. I put the sweeping brush between the two chairs, horizontally, wrapped a sheet of paper around it. My dad stapled it together and I started painting it with glitter, green glitter, purple glitter, blue glitter. I then coloured in a flame which my mam later cut out in the shape of a flame and stapled onto my candle.

In my mind it was so simple, she's in a dark place so let's light a candle and then it won't be that dark anymore. When my granny got better after the heart attack, she said she loved it of course and she put it only her kitchen dresser, where it still sits almost two decades later. Anyway now I'm rambling, my point is, she had always gotten better, no matter how bad things got, she always got better. This time however she didn't get better.

I remember my mam telling me one Tuesday morning, that granny had had a fall and granddad couldn't lift her up. She told me to take my brother to school and she'd ring with any updates. Usually I always do what my mam says (you know to a certain extent, I'm not claiming to be the perfect child by any account), but this time I just had a feeling it was different. I'd never seen my mam so scared. She didn't argue when I said I was coming with her. So we raced over to my grannies house, calling an ambulance on our way. We arrived before the ambulance, I don't remember much of what happened at the house, the next thing I remember is being in the ICU in the hospital, my granny had slipped into a coma, but had come out of it just as quick.

While my mam and uncle were sorting things out with the doctors, I was left with my granny. This was the last conversation I ever had with her. I'm not even sure what it was about, I think she asked about my french test that was coming up. I just remember holding her hand really. She was put into a private room that evening and my mam started making phone calls to all our relatives to come and say goodbye. She passed away on the Wednesday night. I remember waking up on the Thursday (not knowing yet that she had passed on) to my dad in the sitting room, which was strange because he was always in work for like 8am, no one had called me for school, so I knew something was wrong. The next few days were a blur.

She died just 6 weeks before I left for Africa. While on the mountain, my body found it really hard to adjust to the altitude. On summit night/day, I was struggling like really struggling. I had started hallucinating and it was the strangest thing I've ever experienced. I had lost both of grandmothers in the last year and when I was on the mountain, I had completely forgotten they'd died and kept thinking I could see them further along the trail. I maintain to this day, they only way I got to the top was with their help. They say everything happens for a reason and I'm a firm believer of that. Perhaps she died at that time so that she could help me when I needed it the most, maybe that's just something I tell myself for comfort.

My point for writing this post wasn't to blabber on about arguably one of the most difficult times in my life, it was to raise awareness. We need to find a cure. We need people to get tested regularly. I really hope that this post reaches those who need to read it. If you're due a check up or a scan please go. Stop putting it off and just go, it could just save your life and save your loved ones suffering.

I miss my granny. I miss her hugs. I miss her giving me a sneaky fiver when my parent weren't looking. I miss the afternoons we spent baking. I miss her taking my side over my mams. I miss her cooking at Christmas. I miss everything about her. 

Here is a link to the Irish Cancer Society where you can donate here Or you can simply text CANCER to 50300!


Erin X
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Benefit They're Real Mascara VS W7 Absolute Lashes Mascara

Hi Everyone!

I have heard so much about the W7 Absolute Lashes being a dupe for the Benefit They're Real Mascara, so today I'm putting them up against each other. While there are a lot of similarities, I don't really think it is in fact a dupe. I found the They're Real mascara to be far superior. Here's why...


Below is a picture of my lashes before any mascara had been applied and it's very obvious that both mascaras did a great job. But if you look closely you will definitely notice a difference (don't look too close my eyebrows are shocking)



The wands themselves while they are quite similar are still different. I found the bristle on the They're Real mascara to be much longer and not as sturdy, which worked well when applying the mascara because the bristle moved with the lashes!


You can definitely see a difference in the two in the pictures above. I found the Benefit formula really separated the lashes well and gave it great volume after only one coat, where as I found the W7 formula to be a little drying and I really had to work to get it to separate lashes and get any volume.

The staying power of both of these are pretty much the same, I did however find the W7 formula to flake after a while and leave a bit of fallout under the eye. They're both as difficult to remove as each other too, I found an oil cleanser like the Lancome Eye cleanser the best for removing them.

Over all I don't think Absolute Lashes are a dupe for the They're Real mascara and even though I probably sound quite negative towards the Absolute Lashes, I do actually like the mascara. It's a great budget mascara and something that I use on a regular basis. It's great for day time. I do feel that the They're Real, while it is expensive is worth it. It's a fantastic mascara that gives a fabulous dramatic effect and requires very little effort on your behalf.

Which would I recommend ? It depends on your budget, if you're not worried about money then I would go for the Benefit mascara but if your budget doesn't go that far the W7 is a great alternative, not a dupe but a good alternative!

Have you tried either of these ? What did you think ?

Erin X
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Pinspiration | Halloween Nails

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday I hope you all have a great week. Today I'm here to share so nail art inspiration for Halloween! I love Halloween and everything that comes along with it including Halloween themed nail art. So I scoured Pinterest as I always do when I'm looking for inspiration and these are the looks that I thought were super fun and relatively easy...

All images are taken from Pinterest!

I love the looks above and I hope to try some out, if I do find the time I'll bring you all along with me either on snapchat or Instagram both of which are 'chasing ruby chat'. So let me know in the comments which one is your favourite...

Erin X
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Seventeen Stay Time Foundation Review

Hi Everyone!

I've been using this foundation from Seventeen for a few months now, maybe since the end of July. I can't remember where exactly I had heard that this foundation was a really good affordable full coverage foundation, but to whoever said it, thank you! If you've read my blog for a while or seen any of my YouTube makeup videos, then you'll know I have problematic skin. I used to have acne, it's cleared up quite a bit in the last few years thankfully but I still always opt for a full coverage foundation, as I've been left with scars and still suffer breakouts. The problem with getting a really good full coverage foundation that doesn't break me out, is that it always costs a fortune!

Enter Seventeen Stay Time foundation, a budget friendly but high quality product. This is one of the first foundations that I have continuously loved, no matter how my skin is behaving. It is definitely FULL coverage and very build-able. It can be a little tough to work into your skin, I always apply it with a stippling/foundation brush and then go back and blend it with the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge. It works amazingly well with the sponge.



It has an SPF of 30 which I think is amazing for a foundation. On the skin it can feel a little heavy but to be honest all full coverage foundations do feel a bit heavy. It has been compared to the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation quite a lot, but of course it is only a fraction of the cost. This foundation will only cost you €8.19 and is usually always on a 3 for 2 offer in Boots. Also this is exclusive to Boots, so you can buy it in store or online at Boots.ie.

So Seventeen say that this foundation will last for up to 25 hours, I have only wore it for 16 hours at the very latest and to be fair it did last very very well. My skin is a little weird, I have a dry nose but my forehead and the area beside my nose would typically be quite oily. What I did notice is that the foundation would cling to any of the dry patches after about six or seven hours, so if you have dry/very dry skin, you may want to give this foundation a miss as it does have a matte finish. Also if you have a fine lines, after applying it, leave it for about 5 minutes, then come back, smooth out any creases and then set it with powder.

This foundation as far as I can tell comes in about 6 different shades and it is one for us pale girls. I use the shade soft Ivory and it suits my skin really well. There are even lighter shades available too. I love this product and it is an absolute favourite of mine. I will definitely repurchase it and would 100% recommend this to you.

Have you tried this foundation or any other products from Seventeen ? 

Erin X
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Autumn Inspired Makeup

Hi Everyone!

Today I have a makeup tutorial for you, as you know I'm obsessed with all things Autumn. So obviously my makeup looks change from Summer to Autumn. This is a look that I've been wearing quite a lot recently as you'll know if you follow me on snapchat 'chasingrubychat'

Almost all of the products used were from affordable drugstore brands, so it just proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to end up with a good look. I personally love this look and the colours are very autumnal, so let me know in the comment what you think and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos like this.





Erin X
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My Favourite Autumn Lipsticks

Hi Everyone!

SO you may have guessed by now, if you've read any of my previous blog posts , that I LOVE Autumn. I love everything about it including the darker more dramatic makeup. I live for darker lipsticks, they suit my skin tone a lot more than bright ones and I just love the dramatic look of them. SO without further ado, here are my top five Autumn lipsticks...






Sand Storm - This beauty is from Wet n' Wild. I always pair it with the brown lip liner from Pennys and the two of them together are just a dream. This is my favourite nude for Autumn. The lipstick itself is great quality. It's creamy but doesn't slip and slide all over the place. I find it to be quite hydrating on the lips too, very comfortable to wear.

Vamp it Up - This beautiful deep purple is also from Wet n' Wild. I do find this lipstick to be quite drying, it's beautiful when it's on and I absolutely love how dark it is, but I do sometimes have difficulty actually applying it. I usually use a lip brush to apply it, so it does take a few seconds longer to apply. however once it's on your lips, it's not drying and feels very comfortable to wear.

Rimmel 107 -  You guessed it, it's from Rimmel. The camera didn't quite catch how deep this red actually is unfortunately, but it is a lovely deep berry red that's perfect for Autumn. I usually pack away my orange reds and pink reds this time of year, always opting for deeper berry tones. It's quite creamy so I do like to pair it with the Penny's red lip liner. They work really well together and I always get compliments when I wear them.

Ghost Berry - This beautiful colour is from Ghost and can be purchased from Debenhams. This is in fact a lip crayon, and it's possibly my favourite one. It's very hydrating and feels amazing on my lips. It's has quite good staying power as well which is very impressive. This is my everyday go to lippie and I actually featured it in my September Favourites HERE. 

Cherry Bomb - Another amazing lipstick from Wet n' Wild, you just can't beat the value. Amazing products for only €3!!! This is a  beautiful, purple red colour, almost ox blood red/plum. It's lovely and comfortable on the lips and doesn't slip and slide. The staying power is insane with this lipstick, even if it's worn away, because it's quite dark it will actually act as a stain so you don't need to top up as often! LOVE love love this lipstick! 

So there you have it, my favourite Autumnal lipsticks, what's yours ?

Erin X
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Turning 21

Hi Everyone!

So today I'm 21. I'm not sure I feel about it, it's kind of anti climatic if I'm honest. When I was younger I used to always imagine what I'd be like when I was all grown up at 21, what my life would be like and most importantly of course what my 21st birthday party was going to be like. Well...I'm not having a big major bash like I'd always planned, I'm just not really into it anymore. My life is very different to how I'd imagined when I was small and I am so different to the person I thought I'd be. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with my life and who I am, I just can't help but wonder, if six year Erin could have seen into the future and seen who I am today, what would she think ?



Back then of course I wanted to be a famous fashion designer, I still have most of sketches that I used to do at home. I imagined that by now I'd be living in a Penthouse in New York, wearing sparkly dresses and sky high heels every day, sitting in a big bright office in the company that I had built. I imagined that my boyfriend would wear suits everyday and we'd have the most romantic rooftop meals for dinner every night looking over the New York skyline. I'd imagined having the most fabulous cocktail nights with the girls and getting into all sorts of mischief.

Of course none of that has happened, expect having fabulous friends and wild cocktail nights.In reality, I'm not a famous fashion designer, I don't even close to being fashionable. I love makeup, social media, wearing cosy jumpers and my idea of a great night out is going to the cinema. I live in a small apartment in the 'massive' city of Limerick that I share with four other people. My boyfriend doesn't wear a suit everyday he wears tracksuits and chinos. Our fancy dinners include 4 in 1's from the Chinese across the road and occasionally whenever we can afford it, a nice meal in the steakhouse in town and to be honest, I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

SO you see why I'm finding the whole '21st' thing a little anti climatic. It's not that I'm unhappy with my life, I'm so blessed but I guess your 21st is made into a big deal when really it's not. It is in America because now you drink and all of that but here in Ireland, I just don't get it. Maybe I'm just being cynical in my old age haha.

I have learned so much in the last 20 years, I did a full blog post about it HERE. I guess it's kinda nice to look back and realise the amazing life I've had so far and how truly blessed I am to have such outstanding amazing parents like I do, to be lucky enough to have the friends that I have and to be as happy as I am.

Turning 21 feels a bit weird. I swear I woke up this morning with some grey strands of hair and wrinkles under my eyes, so old! Haha I do of course realise that 21 is still very young but I can't help but think of that little girl who used to sit in her room, look up at the neon stars that were stuck to my ceiling and dream of being 21. What would she think of who I have become ?


I hope she'd be proud.


Erin X
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September Favourites

Hi Everyone!

I hope you're all well and having a great week. September was a weird month for me. I started back at college, I started working full time again, I was spiked on a night out and then I got tonsillitis. Lots of other things happened in between too and I was a bit all over the place. But despite my setbacks, it was still a good month! Today I'm sharing my September favourites, better late than never.





Let me know in the comments what you're favourite thing about September was! 

Erin X
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Nía | Shower Mousse

Hi Everyone!

Today I'm back with a product that I have been obsessed with recently, the Nia Intensive Luxury Creamy Shower Mousse! Nía is an Irish company and they do so many awesome products but today I'm focusing on the shower mousse...



Let me start off by saying that the smell of this product is so amazing. I could literally smell this all day everyday, it's that good! This product brings me so much joy in the shower, not only because it smells amazing but because it makes my skin feel amazing. All of the ingredients are 100% natural and I think that's what makes it feel so good. Afterwards my skin feels so soft and any dry patches that my skin typically gets are basically non existent.

It's very hydrating and creamy and lathers up into a soap like consistency. I have quite sensitive skin and this product is just a dream! I have stopped using any other shower gels and always opt for this beauty now. In the tin it's almost like a balm but when you scoop some out and add a little water, it melts and lather up into the nicest shower mousse I've ever used.

This is actually my second tin of this shower mousse, it's such a treat to use in the evenings after a long day! You can buy Nía in Natural Hand stores and also online HERE on Dolledup.ie !

Have you tried any Nía products ?

Erin X
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Manicure Monday | Catrice & Wet n' Wild

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday, I hope you all have a fabulous week! I have been obsessed with this nail combo for the last week. I have been loving the darker nail shades now that it's autumn and I think this combo is very autumnal, almost winter like. The dark polish is Catrice 'Vino Tinto' and the sparkly silver is Wet n' Wild 'Kaleidoscope'.



Please so excuse the untidiness of the picture above, I just wanted to show you what they looked like on the nails and may I add this is after four full days! There's barely any chippings and they still look quite good.

So the Catrice polish is a very dark plum purple shade, from a distance it almost looks brown.  This is actually the very first Catrice polish that I've ever tried and I have to say I love it! The polish applies so evenly and smoothly across the nail. It's very opaque and you could definitely get away with only one coat. I applied two just because I love doing my nails. The brush is very good. If you've read a few of my Mani Monday posts, you'll know how important the brush is to me. My favourite brushes being the essence ones, however this Catrice brush has me rethinking my favourite. It carries the perfect amount of product and spreads out once its on the nail, it makes it super easy to apply. The lasting power of this polish, as you can see it great. It retails for about €4/€5 euro and can be bought from any Catrice stand in pharmacies or Pennys!

The Wet n' Wild polish is a new favourite, I have lots of polishes that are similar but this one is my favourite. The brush is very good, I had absolutely no trouble what so ever with it, it applied the glitter very well. Unlike other glitter polishes that are thick and gloopy, 'Kaleidoscope' is a breath of fresh air. The consistency is perfect, it applies very smoothly in one thin coat. The glitter has fabulous colour like blue, red, green, gold and of course silver. This polish is very affordable at around €3!! Great quality for a great price!

So that's what's on my nails this week, what's on yours ? 

Erin X
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Fave Bloggers | September

Hi Everyone!

If you've read my blog for a while you'll know that I used to do a monthly feature of some of my favourite bloggers in that month. I was shocked to see that the last time I did this was actually April!!! So I'm back sharing some of my favourite blogs today, hopefully you'll find some new blogs to spend hours reading. I have some really fantastic blogs to share so please do go over and have a look through their blogs!

SO in no particular order here's who I've been loving this month...


1. Claire by Reverie : Claire is an absolutely amazing blogger! I love how she writes, it's so easy to read. Claire focuses on beauty and lifestyle and I always love her reviews! Very in depth, helpful reviews with great photos. Even though I haven't met Claire I feel like I know her. She is so supportive of other bloggers and just generally a lovely human being.  She also has a fitness blog so be sure to check that out too. It's called Volta Fitness! My fave post from her this month was THIS ONE !!

2. Tres-Belle : Grainne is the fabulous blogger behind tres belle and her blog is just as fab as she is. Grainne's blog is a beauty and parenting blog. I simply can't scroll past if I know there's a new post up, I just love her posts! She gives lots of detail on products but her posts are never too long. They're the perfect length! Just like Claire, I feel like I know Grainne even though we haven't met! Definitely check her out on snapchat too, her daughter Lucy is so freaking adorable! My fave post from her this month was THIS ONE

3. Behind Green Eyes : Sharon is the lovely blogger behind this amazing blog! Her blog focuses on beauty, parenting , books, food and DIY. I know this might sound weird as I'm only 20 but I love her parenting posts! In particular THIS one! I just love how she writes, she has me hooked from the first to the last word in every post. Aside from the parenting posts, her beauty posts make me wanna spend all my money!! She is such a talented blogger so definitely check her out!

4.  It's All G Blog : The lovely Grace is the beautiful blogger behind It's All G! Her blog is for anyone who is obsessed with beauty and makeup! I'm warning you in advance though, she will make you want to spend all of your money, you have been warned ! She is also the loveliest bloggers I've ever come across, very supportive so definitely do go over and check out her fab blog! My fave post from her this month was  THIS ONE

SO those are the wonderful blogs that I've been loving this month! 
What blog have you been loving ? 

Erin X
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Afternoon Tea with Retro Flame

Hi Everyone!

Last Sunday I went to an Into the West Event! The event was afternoon tea with the amazing super blogger Erica Fox aka Retro Flame. It was on in the beautiful Glenlo Abbey in Galway. I'd never been before and was taken aback by the absolutely stunning views! The abbey itself is very traditional and just gorgeous.



There was so many new faces at this event, which was really lovely to see. I was sat at the Christian Dior table and the ladies there were just lovely. Really nice down to earth ladies. We got chatting about weddings, beauty, other bloggers and exchanged some great tips. It was an absolute pleasure to be sat with them. Here's all their links, definitely check them out!

So the afternoon began with a warm welcome from Sinead and Saibh. We were brought up table by table to get some lovely treats from the buffet. The food was so pretty almost pretty enough not to eat...almost! Haha after we had some treats and chatted for a while the beautiful Erica started her talk. I found her very inspirational, she talked us through how she started blogging, all the hard work she's put in and then opened up for a q n' a!

Afterwards we got a chance to checked out the brands that had come on the day and to chat and network with each other. It was a really great day and I can't wait until the next event! I did vlog the day so if you're interested, do watch the video below!


Have you been to any events lately ?

Erin X
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