No Beauty Buy Year... 3 months in!

So, I’m officially three months in and to be very honest, I’m really surprised I’ve managed to make it this far. I definitely thought I’d have given in and bought something by now but I haven’t!! I have managed to get through three months and not buy any makeup, tan or skincare. This may seem like an easy task to some but I’m a makeup/beauty addict and this is probably the longest I’ve gone without buying makeup in literally about 10 years.

So here I am three months in, what have I learned? will I continue? how’s it going so far?

January

Well it’s certainly more difficult than I thought. The first month was probably the worst because all the new year sales came out and I found it hard to watch Instagram stories and YouTube videos of bloggers/influencers reviewing products. Towards the end of the month, my personal life got very busy and distracted me a lot so it started to get a bit easier. My housemates moved out and I took over the lease. This was super exciting because it meant I could throw myself into the world of interiors and redecorate the house a little bit. Beauty and makeup were the last thing on my mind to be honest.

February

I was still distracted by the house for the first week or so but then some fabulous launches came out and I was straight back to wanting to buy all the makeup! I decided to remind myself why I was doing the no beauty buy year, which was to mainly stop adding to my overwhelming beauty collection, used up what I have and appreciate all the beautiful products that I currently own. I saw LJ from @anythingbutmarizpan doing a #shopmystash challenge over on her Instagram and decided to jump on the bandwagon. Basically, shop my stash is where I pick out products at the beginning of the week and then I can only use those products for the entirety of that week. It has really REALLY helped me enjoy my own makeup collection again.

March

I spent most of the month on holiday which was amazing! I thought that this would be my biggest test of the year. I usually buy loads of stuff just before holiday, the first reason is because I like to give myself some pre-holiday treats like a new face mask or tan lol. The second reason is because I like to buy small travel sized bits and pieces and may “need” something. This time though I was well prepped, I did my #shopmystash holiday edition and realised that actually I have loads of makeup and definitely don’t “need” anything new. I’d about 10 tans to use up, loads of skincare that I could depot into travel bottles and plenty of makeup to see me through the holiday. I was also expecting the holiday itself to throw me off course because I was stopping in America and we all know how much I love a trip to Sephora. But I managed to ignore the cravings and keep my blinkers on. The rest of the month was actually easy as I threw myself into my #shopmystash challenge!

So that’s how’s it been thus far, a quarter way through the year. I’m actually thrilled with myself that I’ve managed to stick with it. I’ve learned that I had become the type of consumer to just buy everything and anything, I was literally like a magpie anything shiny and it HAD to be mine.

One interesting thing that I did notice is that my trips to Penneys/Primark are very different now. I hadn’t really noticed but every time I went in, I went immediately to the beauty section. I’m a big fan of the P.S beauty range (Penneys own brand of makeup) and they have new releases and products all the time. My local Penneys also stocks Essence (one of my favourite brands of all time) Catrice and a few other big brands. So, it was strange going in and trying to ignore the beauty section altogether. Now though I don’t mind too much going over and having a look but I think that’s also because I’m three months in know that I can definitely go a bit longer so I feel a bit stronger (I sound like a proper addict 😂). This all sounds so stupid because its only makeup at the end of the day but any fellow beauty addicts will understand me (I hope).

I’m definitely going to stick with the #nobeautybuy for as long as I possibly can and I’m excited to see how far I can get with it. If you’re interested in my rules for the challenge and how it all began you can read this post HERE. 

I’ll check in again in about 3 months’ time, until then you can follow me on Instagram for daily/weekly updates!

Erin x

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2020 Goals

2020, I am very very ready for you!

I wanted to share a few of my goals on here, partially to keep me accountable and partially for me to come back and visit throughout the year and remind myself. I do have more goals set for myself but they're a little too personal for on here, but here's a list I don't minding sharing.

I really want to get back into reading. I love reading, actually. I hate starting a new book but once I'm into it, I'll be up to all hours reading. I really enjoy how a book can help you escape your own reality and travel into someone else's life and world, it's magic in a way. I have a few books on my to read list and I'm making it my mission to have them all read by this time next year!

I want to write more. I actually really love writing, whether it's about beauty, lifestyle or personal pieces like this, I enjoy it so much. Again I have an issue with actually starting but once I do, I'm off like a rocket. I want my blog to become a blog again if that makes sense. I was quite turned off blogging/social media this year. I very nearly packed it all up only a short time go. But in my heart of hearts, I knew I wasn't finished with it just yet. I know I say it all the time but I want to be more consistent with my content, hell I want to be more consistent with my life lol. I want to get through the 100's of makeup products that I own and used them up. I recently did a quick stock take of my makeup and the numbers were INSANE. I own over 60 foundations....I ONLY HAVE ONE FACE AND I DON'T EVEN WEAR MAKEUP EVERY DAY!!! Absolutely ridiculous! I'm actually going to be doing a #NoBeautyBuy for 2019 and you can read all about it "Here".

With my blog (and by blog I mean this site, YouTube, socials etc) I want to see growth again, I haven't really seen growth in about 2 years. This is 100% my fault. Yes, the algorithms are getting increasingly difficult but I don't do myself any favours and only get annoyed then when I don't see growth. I just got a ringlight for Christmas, a new camera and microphone for my birthday (thank you James) so I've no excuse. I actually love the process of blogging and making videos and creating content for Instagram etc so I wanna do it a lot more in 2020.

In saying that though, one of my big goals for 2020 is to get healthier. Healthier in mind, body and soul. I do need to lose weight. This was one of my goals last year and I did manage to lose about a stone and a half. I did that by cutting dairy and soy from my diet after learning that I was intolerant to them. I also feel like chocolate wasn't agreeing with me so I cut that out in July and I'm all the better for it. I want to continue to be good with my diet and avoid any and all slip ups if possible. I want to use my gym membership. I'd love to get to a point where going 3 times a week was just part of my routine. I want to also use their wellness facilities too such as the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi etc. I'm paying for it so I might as well. I'd love to set a goal like the women's mini marathon and do that. I think having a fitness goal with a timeline would be useful.

I wanna get organised again. I used to pride myself on always being so organised but I guess I got too overwhelmed in the latter half of the year and didn't have as much time as I'm used to and fell out of being organised. I used to start every day with a to-do list and do everything in my power to clear it. I could probably count on one hand the amount of to-do lists I've made over the past few months. I wanna be more productive, I need to I think in order to stop feeling so overwhelmed all the time and start feeling a bit prouder of myself on the daily.

I packed my 2019 full of adventures, I went to Paris, Orlando,Vegas,Greece and Berlin last year. I think I want 2020 to be a little bit quieter. I want to spend time with myself and those that deserve my time. Honestly I just want to be more unapologetically selfish and take back my life a little.

I'll leave you with a list of 5 things that I hope to achieve by this time next year...

1. Women's Mini Marathon
2. Use up 50% of the makeup products I have
3. Read 10 books 
4. Start doing yoga classes regularly
5. Lose 1 stone

Lots of love,

Erin x

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No Beauty Buy 2020

I have been a beauty lover all my life, but I became some what of a beauty addict over the last 5 years! It's now gotten to the stage where I've forgotten the majority of my collection because there's just so much of it and ultimately it's such a waste. I'm spending a fortune and not even getting the use out of the products!

Background
I think the addiction actually stems from most brands nowadays dropping new releases every two weeks! It can't just be me that's overwhelmed by the sheer volume of makeup launches the beauty industry has seen over the past few years. It used to be a big deal when a band was bring out a new collection, now it's just another Tuesday.

Recently I was going through my makeup, reorganising everything and I was kinda surprised by how much I've actually accumulated. I did a quick stock take and was shocked by the numbers. I have over 60 foundations for example...why??? I ONLY HAVE ONE FACE!!! That's more than a new foundation every week for a year. SO this has spurred me on to do the no beauty buy challenge this year. A few other people are doing it too, @anythingbutmarzipan being one of the biggest inspirations to me, she is going to do it for the whole year.

Reasons I'm Doing #NoBeautyBuy

• To test myself and see if I can resist and learn some self control again when it comes to makeup and beauty.
• To save some €€€.
• To use up/ significantly reduce my current collection.
• To properly use my makeup and start doing full reviews again.
• I am quite impulsive when buying makeup and I want to become more critical of new releases, deals etc.
• Learn to enjoy what I have currently.

Rules & Exceptions

• If I run out of a product, I must use up any backups or samples before buying.
• I cannot buy any new products unless I genuinely need them eg. if I run out cleanser or another essential item.
• I am only focusing on makeup and skincare as I am already quite good for using up shampoos, body washes etc. 
• If I do need to replace anything, I will do my best to find a product that is very good value and do research on the product before buying (something I haven't really been doing recently).

Being totally honest, I don't know if I can do this for a whole year, I certainly have enough makeup but I think I'll run out of skincare quickly enough. I think if I was to do this #NoBeuatyBuy every second month I'd still see a big reduction in the products I own and still make a decent saving. I know I'm going to America this year and I just can't imagine limiting myself on that trip as I'm not planning any American holidays after this one for quite a while. SO while I am going to be very strict on myself, there are a few cases where I will allow myself to spend and enjoy new products. I'll do my best to give an update at the end of each month I do this and if I post about it on Instagram I'll be using #NoBeautyBuy and #Chasingrubychat so it'll be easy to follow. 

Have you ever attempted a #NoBeautyBuy challenge? Would you ever consider it?

Erin X 

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Iconic Bronze Luxury Tanning Mousse

When I went to the fabulous Blogger Bash Galway event run by the gorgeous Ciara from @Mummys_make_up and Erika from @sassylifesecretsbyerika we got a lovely bag filled with #gifted products from PRs. One of the products was from Iconic Bronze and I couldn't have been more thrilled. I have wanted to try out this tan since it launched but always had too many in my collection to justify buying another bottle of tan (I wish I was this strong willed when it came to the rest of my beauty collection🙈).

We were #gifted a small travel/sample sized version of the Iconic Bronze Luxury Tanning Mousse along with their Iconic Bronze Luxury Tanning Mitt. The mitt is lovely to use, I haven't used another velvet mitt so I can't compare it to anything else other than the basic non velvet mitts that I've always used. I thought the mitt would absorb a lot of product but it didn't seem to at all which is fab! It's super soft and very easy to use. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts and if it's worth the €7.99 price tag. Personally I go through tanning mitts quite quickly so to spend almost double what I would usually spend on one, I would want to be getting at least double the use and longevity from it. So far though I'm very happy with it.

Onto the actual tan itself. I was given the shade 'medium' which at first I was apprehensive about as I usually go for the darkest of dark when it comes to tan. When I fist applied it, it reminded me a lot of how Sally Hansen tan applies, almost like body makeup. But it's actually just got really great coverage which is why I found it a little thicker than other tans. It actually applied like a dream, as it's instant you can properly blend it so that you don't end up with patches or streaks etc. Initially I was really happy with how it turned out. After a few hours I noticed that it really did darken up, which I was only delighted about!! It still doesn't go very dark but as you can see from the before and after shot below, it's pretty dark.

So how did it last? It lasted well, I ended up with a few patches under my arm but to be completely honest, I was out drinking for the day so I think I was just leaning on tables etc and the tan lifted before it really set because the rest of me was perfect. It lasted for about 4/5 days before it started to fade. I wasn't too difficult to remove, about three showers and a little bit of scrubbing! I didn't use any particular tan remover or anything just my normal shower scrub.

Overall I enjoyed using it and will be bringing it on holidays with me and would probably pick up the darker shade the next time I run out of tan. It costs €13.99 and can be bought on their website which I will link HERE and you can also pick it up in Penneys/Primark!

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Penneys P.S Bronze Glow Instant Tan Gel Review

I have been using the PS Bronze Glow Instant Tan since it launched well over a year ago now. I've probably gone through about 8 tubes of it in that time so I thought it was about time I sat down and wrote a review!

Obviously the fact that I've gone through so many tubes and continued to repurchase is a clear giveaway that I fecking love it! Here's why...

• It only cost €3!!!
• You get 125mls of product - This suits me as I don't use it every week so I do get a decent bit of time out of it before it runs out.
• It is a gel formula 
• It is an instant tan but it dry down a little darker than it initially seems
• It's a wash off tan which means the tiniest drop of water will remove it with ease. 
• I usually go for the shade medium to dark or dark - I love how dark it gets me! If you wanna be totally mahogo then you'll love the dark shade too!
• The packaging is lovely - gorgeous blue colour
• It's a squeezy tube so it's easy to use but I can see how it might not be best to travel with as the lid can get very messy. 
• The best thing about it? No tan smell 🙌 Because the tan smells quite fresh, almost floral it covers the tan smell, although after 24 hours that starts to fade. 

Here's a before and after photo! 

That's pretty much it to be honest, a tan that is cheap as chips and is bloody fantastic! I honestly cannot recommend this enough! Big probs to Penneys for creating such a bomb product at such an affordable price! 👏👏👏👏

Have you tried any of the Penneys/Primark Tans? 

Erin X

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The Foundation Files #2 | Elf Flawless Finish Foundation Review

I started a new series over on Instagram called the Foundation Files! Each week I take a foundation and review it, some are new to me, some I've had in my collection for a while! This week I reviewed the Elf Flawless Finish foundation. I try to make my reviews, relatively quick and straight to the point while still giving you as much information about the product as possible! Let's get started...

It claims to : be lightweight, oil-free, have a semi-matte finish, to last all day long and to restore uneven skin textures and tones for visibly brighter skin. 

Packaging : The foundation is in a frosted glass bottle with a pump! It's quite sturdy and sleek.

How does it apply : I apply it with a brush first to get the best coverage possible, then go over it with a beauty blender. I think it would be too chalky on my skin ti not go over it with a beauty blender.

Coverage : I've seen a lot of reviews online saying it's a medium coverage foundation that you can build to be full coverage. I definitely disagree, after three layers I still can't get it to be full coverage. However it does give nice coverage and for me it's the perfect amount of coverage for everyday wear, but if I was going on a night out, I wouldn't reach for it!

Long lasting : This claim I can get on board with, it certainly does wear very well throughout the day!

Who does it suit : I have dehydrated skin with some dry patches and I found it suited me perfectly.

Shade Range: The shade range is impressive at 40 different shades however there are only 5 shades available on Superdrug and only 9 available on boots, which is a shame!

Value for money : The foundation comes in at €9 which I think is a good price for what you get. The packaging is sturdy, you get 30ml of product and it's a decent formula!

Positives : It's affordable, easily available throughout the country, long lasting and gives decent coverage.

Negatives : It claims to be lightweight and while it's not a heavy foundation by any means, it can feel kind of chalky and I can definitely feel it on my skin!


Overall : I think the foundation is nice but I don't reach for it too often, probably wouldn't travel with it and ultimately don't think I'd repurchase it!

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts?

Erin X

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Pestle & Mortar - The Ultimate Hydration Kit

Let's talk about skincare, I'm a dehydrated gal at the best of times and in the past three months or so been having some dry patches too. I'm a sucker for buying anything that promises to give hydration.  I've heard such amazing things about Pestle and Mortar and specifically about their hyaluronic serum so I was eager to try it, but the products are quite expensive so I'd always put off buying them until I seen their Ultimate Hydration Kit in Boots over Christmas for only €50! I was so excited to try it! My boyfriend very kindly bought it as part of my Christmas present and I was thrilled.

I have been using the kit pretty solidly now for about 5 weeks and to be perfectly honest, I'm very disappointed. There's three products in the kit, a balancing facial spritz, a hyaluronic serum and a moisturiser. While they are nice enough to use, I don't notice that much of a difference and for me that's the main issue.

The Balance Fine Misting Facial Spritz
I don't ever tend to use a facial spritz, I know I should but I always forget throughout the day and always think of them as a non essential part of the skincare routine - even though I know they can be very useful. Anyway, I got into the habit of using this and while I don't notice anything major from it, it is quite cooling and refreshing. I'm not mad at this product but I'm not mad about it. It cost just over €30 depending on where you buy it and for that price I'd want to see it doing something to my skin, anything, so I won't be repurchasing!

The Hyaluronic Serum
A few years ago hyaluronic serums became very popular and now almost every skincare brand has one. I've tried three, the first being the Medik8 which was actually really good, the second being from the Ordinary - I could take it or leave it but for €6 it's good enough and then finally the Pestle & Mortar hyaluronic serum. The consistency of it is really nice, it's not sticky in the same way the ordinary one is. It dries in super quick and doesn't leave any residue, so it's perfect to use in the morning or under makeup.The dropper is fantastic and overall the packaging is fab. My biggest issue with it is that I just don't notice a difference, I stopped using the kit for a week just to see if my skin missed it. I haven't noticed a difference at all. This product full sized and full price is over €40 and with that type of price tag, I would obviously want to see some sort of a difference - very disappointed.

The Hydrate Lightweight Moisturisier
To be fair, this does exactly what it says on the tin or packaging should I say! It's very lightweight, it soaks into my skin quickly enough and leaves my skin feeling plump and hydrated - for about 5 mins and then I'm back to square one. I don't necessarily blame the product for this, I just think I need something heavier. I'll use it up, particularly in the mornings but I won't be repurchasing.

Overall, I'm really disappointed, I've heard rave about the brand for years but it just didn't work on me and that's the thing with skincare, what works for me may not work for you and I think that's what the problem is here. I'm really happy that I got the kit so that I could try the brand and not spend lots of money on products that ultimately didn't work for me. I wish more higher end brands did these kind of kits! Have you tried anything from Pestle and Mortar? If so what did you try and what did you think of them?

Erin X 

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Paris - What to do, Where to stay and Where to eat!

Recently myself and my boyfriend ventured off to Paris to celebrate our anniversary! It was such a lovely trip, definitely one of my favourites. I'd been to Paris twice before so I knew I'd enjoy it. Before we went we made of plan of the things we wanted to do over there, we'd done a little bit of research, however I never found anything that had it all, where to eat, what to do, what to avoid, how much money you can expect to spend etc so I'm hoping that this post will be a little more helpful!

Where to stay in Paris

We stayed in a beautiful hotel called the Mercure Paris 17 Batignolles. There are a few Mercure hotels in Paris as they are a franchised company but the one we stayed at was in a brilliant location. If you walk 10 minutes in one direction you'll come across a massive shopping centre, it has everything from Sephora, Kiko, food courts, pharmacy and all sorts of shops - very handy to have so close by. If you walk 10 minutes in the other direction of the hotel, you'll find a metro station that can bring you anywhere in the city! Around the hotel there was lots of restaurants and cafes and overall I felt very safe in that area. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was just beautiful, I did a little room tour and saved it to my highlights over on Instagram if you're interested. The room definitely exceeded my expectations!

What to do & How much it cost!
There is so much to do in Paris, I could write a full post on all the amazing things there is to do, but today I'll just share the few things that we did while we were over there. We arrived Thursday late afternoon and we were wrecked so we headed to the shopping centre that was only about 10 minutes away from the hotel, we browsed through the shops and ended up having dinner in a little diner across from it.

Paris is a very big city and it's very spread out in comparison to a lot of other European cities so definitely make a little plan of what you want to do and make a schedule. We didn't account for how long it would take to travel from one attraction to the next and that ate into our time! Also another thing to note is that if you're under the age of 26 (or 25 in some case) and an EU citizen, most of the famous attractions are actually free.

The Lourve - An obvious but must see attraction when you visit Paris. It's actually a lovely place to wander around, enjoy a coffee and take in some of the history through the artworks. Of course the main attraction for most is the Mona Lisa but bare in mind that the painting is quite small and there's usually a big queue to get a picture. I think the full fee was about €20 but as we're under 26 we got in for free! Yay! 🙌

Musee D'Orsay - Across from the Lourve is another museum the Musee D'Orsay. To be perfectly honest I much preferred this to the Lourve, not as many people, the art works were still beautiful, they actually have a whole section of Van Gogh's work. Also,the iconic clock image is up on the top floor in the restaurant - it took me way too long to find it! Entry to the museum was €17 but again thanks to being under 26 we got in for free!🙌

Montmarte and Sacre Coeur - One of my favourite spots in Paris is Montmarte, I just love the atmosphere there!😍😍 If you want to do a little souvenir shopping then there's loads of little shops at the bottom of the Sacre Coeur as well as really cute cafes. The Sacre Coeur is a stunning cathedral that looks over all of Paris. It has amazing views and the basilica itself is just gorgeous! To reach the top of the Sacre Coeur you need to climb up 300 steps. Please be careful if you are climbing the steps, there are groups of men that hound you to buy their merch and they can be quite aggressive and forceful. There are three ways to reach the top. The first is the winding steps, very pretty and pictureque but this is where those men are! I would seriously recommend going up an alternative way. There is a kind of ski lift option which costs about €6 or there's steps to the left of the basilica that go straight up. There is no entrance fee to the basilica.

Notre Dame - When we arrived at Notre Dame it was the late evening and it was closed however we did arrive just on time to hear the bells. The building is beautiful and the little gargoyles are the exact same as the hunchback of Notre Dame movie so I enjoyed that quite a bit! No fee as we didn't go in!

Arc de Triomphe - This is a must see in my opinion, one of my favourite things about Paris! The Arc de Triomphe is in the middle of a massive roundabout, to access it you need to go through an underground passageway, there's one right across from the Champs Elysees. There's a €12 fee unless you're 26, then it's free! You need to climb up 284 steps and then you'll reach the rooftop which will give you the most amazing views over Paris. I would highly recommend viewing this at night time!

Eiffel Tower- An Iconic attraction, to be honest, it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's actually really dirty looking and very over hyped! You can go up to the very top or you can go to the second level, completely up to yourself. There is also a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower but you need to book it in advance otherwise you won't get a reservation it's also expensive AF! The fee to get into the Eiffel Tower can vary between €30 and €70 depending on what level you go to.

Science & Technology Museum - This was such much fun and if you're bringing kids (or are just nerds like me and James) then you'll probably love this too. The museum is massive and you could 100% spend a full day here, maybe even a day and a half. There are a couple of difference exhibitions so if you're planning on going, check them out before hand and book online because there was a planetarium exhibition I'd love to have gone to but didn't pre buy the tickets and they were sold out! The other exhibitions were very fun though, there's completely interactive and after spending four years studying interactive design, it made me verrrrry happy to see some of these exhibitions in real life! The entrance fee was €12 but that can vary depending on what exhibitions you go to.

Palais Royal - We actually only happened across this by accident on our way to the Lourve but it was a very happy accident! The garden is v cute, lots of benches to sit down and enjoy a coffee. There's also the Colonnes de Buren which is a controversial art installation created by the French artist Daniel Buren in 1985–1986! It was cool to see it. There was no fee to walk through it.

Boat Tour on River Seine -  This was really cute! We timed this as one of our last stops of the day and it was actually ideal because we'd walked miles so getting to sit down for an hour but still see Paris was great! It cost €14 but again depends on what company you go with. We walked along the River Seine until we found a tour that was leaving soon. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend doing one!

Versailles - The palace of Versailles was very impressive. It is massive like crazy stupidly massive! The gardens are beautiful and I can totally imagine spending lovely summer days here. From Paris it's about an hour away so if you're going, you'll most likely need at least a full day there. Be aware that the first Sunday of every month is free for everyone, which means lots of queuing, I think we queued for just over an hour!  On a normal day tickets are about €18 - €60 but again if you're under 26 you'll get in for free! 
That's everything we did for the few days we were in Paris, there's loads more to do though! I found this great post that I'll link HERE with a big long list of free things to do in Paris!

Where to eat!

I'm going to be very honest and say we found it really difficult to find good places to eat in Paris, especially for breakfast/lunch. In saying that though, here's a few places we did like!

Cafe de la comedie - This is just around the corner from the Lourve and they do lovely quiches!

Le Ronsard - This is at the bottom of Montmarte and it was great! Fab atmosphere, brilliant service and the most delicious crepes!

La Zuppiere - Myself and James happened upon this restaurant and omg it was our favourite place in Paris. We ate there two nights. It's insanely affordable, the service is great and the food was amazing! It's such an unassuming place and you'd miss it if you weren't looking for it but I would highly highly recommend this if you're in the mood for pizza or pasta

Chez Georges - I had the best steak and chips of my life here! OMG YUM!!! Very reasonably priced too, it's on the Champs Elysees and definitely worth tracking down!



Overall Paris is v cute, it's about the same prices as Ireland except for some reason their drinks are very expensive, not wine or alcohol but their soft drinks. I paid €8 one day for a small bottle of coke. 🙃 Be careful as Paris is known for pick pocketing. Wear good shoes as you'll end up walking loads! Their directions and sign posts are way worse than Ireland's so Google map will be your best friend!

I think I covered everything but if you've any questions, just let me know and I'll answer them!

Erin X 

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2018 Beauty Favourites

2018 was a weird year for me, you can read all about it here! Between finishing college and sorting my life out, I didn't really get a chance to play with as much makeup as I'd have liked to! I literally have a full drawer of unopened makeup that I've bought throughout the year but haven't managed to try yet. I did however get to play with a few things and here are my favourite finds of 2018!

Eyeshadow!

2018 was a year for eyeshadow palettes, every beauty guru from every corner of the internet launched there own palettes along with all the usual brands! Eyeshadow is one of my most favourite things about makeup so there is no complaining from me. I never understand why people seem to have an issue with bloggers/YouTubers coming out with their own makeup products but that's a whole other topic for another blog post! Anyway these are the few palettes that have found there way into my heart this year!

BPerfect StaceyMarie Carnival Palette
Everyone and their mother seemed to go mad for this palette when it launched, usually I avoid hyped products until the dust settles but I had high hopes as I had tried and adored the LMD palette by BPerfect last year. Thankfully I was right and the Carnival palette knocked every expectation I had out of the water. The eyeshadows are SO pigmented!!! They blend like a dream and there are so many wonderful versatile shades. It's definitely on the pricier side of things coming in at about €45 but if you catch it on sale,  I would recommend picking it up, especially if  you love makeup, you won't be disappointed.

Keilidh Mua x SoSu Palette
I must admit I was a little sceptical when this collab was announced, only because I really didn't rate the first So Su palette, but thankfully Keilidh and the SoSu team have knocked it out of the park!
This palette is honestly, amazing! Since I bought it about two months ago, I haven't used anything else! Without giving a full review on the palette, I love the versatility of the shades, they blend like a dream, the aesthetic & theme of the palette is fab, I love that it has a nice big mirror and the size of it is ideal for travelling! All in all, this is a wonderful palette and I love using it!

Jaclyn Hill Palette
I wanted this palette from the second Jaclyn announced it, but there was a lot of controversy around it at the time, so I held off on buying it until this year. Boy was I wrong to wait, this palette is unreal! While I definitely have a few gripes with the palette, overall I love it and the eyeshadows speak for themselves (not literally although that would amazing)The palette is so versatile and the colour payoff is amazing.

Tarte Mermaids Forever Palette
The second I saw this palette I was in love, the packaging is just on another level, even 6 months after buying this palette I still marvel at how pretty it is. But it's not just a pretty palette it's actually amazing quality too. The shimmer are stunning, so creamy and buttery, my favourites shimmer I've ever used I think. The mattes are great too, plenty of pigmentation and the blend really well. I was nervous to buy Tarte eyeshadows as I'd heard mixed reviews but this has been a great introduction to the brand and I'll definitely be buying more in the future!

Foundations

Along with eyeshadow, foundation is one of my favourite makeup items and realistically it's probably my favourite. I have relied on full coverage foundations for years to cover up my acne and make me feel more confident. The power of makeup is incredible and with the right foundation I feel amazing!

Seventeen Stay Time
I know, I know, you're probably all sick to death of me going on about the Seventeen Stay Time foundation, but it's my absolute holy grail and this year it left Ireland - I'm still devo six months on. I'm down to only four backups now! Anyway if they still sell it in your country, STOCK UP! Cannot recommend it enough!

Makeup Revolution Fast Base Stick
This was a massive surprise to me this year. I had tried a few of the foundations from makeup revolution before and they were terrible!! They seemed to have relaunched the brand again in the last 18 months and the quality of their products have been getting so much better! I have a whole video dedicated to this foundation if you wanna watch that, click here! But overall, this foundation has great coverage, gives a beautiful glow, lasts all day and just looks lovely on the skin! Oh and did I mention it's only €6!!!

It Cosmetics CC Cream
I am a bargain babe at the best of times but when I went to America, I splashed out in Sephora and bought all around me. One of the things I picked up was the IT Cosmetics CC Cream and I am so happy that I did. I never expected a CC cream to have such amazing coverage. I have a very quick Instagram video showing the coverage HERE. It does cost a pretty penny at about €50 but if you have the budget, it is a beautiful CC Cream. It gives a beautiful glow, it's very long lasting and has amazing coverage - sure what more could you want?

Penneys Foundation
I'll hold my hands up and say that I've only been using this foundation since the beginning of December but it's made a great impression on me and its cheap as chips so I wanted to include it! It's from the Penney's beauty range that is cruelty free and vegan as far as I'm aware. It's called My Perfect Colour Velvet Finish Foundation. It has medium to full coverage, has SPF 30 and gives a lovely mattifying effect. If you're looking for a everyday affordable foundation that has good coverage, give this guy a go and let me know how you get on!

Rimmel Skin Perfecting Foundation
This is a strange one for me, I have never gotten on with Rimmel foundations, they've never suited me but I pulled out the Rimmel skin perfecting foundation one day randomly this year and it looked beautiful on my skin! I was so shocked. It's quite lightweight but gives very decent coverage, ideal for covering my scars when my skin isn't freaking out! I loved wearing this during the summer!

Concealers

When I got to America, the first makeup I went to was Tarte! I still can't cope with their products!! I picked up the Tarte Shape Tape because every YouTuber I've ever watched has raved about it at some point or another. I was skeptical that paying $30 would be worth it for a concealer. Let me put it this way, I'm going back to America this year and will STOCKING UP!!! I can't explain how amazing it is, I love the applicator, the product seems to last forever, you only need a tiny amount, the coverage is &&& honestly I could sit here and write all day about how much I love this concealer.

Onto a cheaper concealer and actually a concealer that many have said is a dupe for shape tape and that is the MUR Conceal & Define. While it's a very very similar product, it's not a dupe. It does give great coverage, handy package, great applicator but I go through so many tubes of it! I'd say I've gone through 3 tubes at this point and have about 4 backups ( I usually order it online when it's on sale). If shape tape is out of your budget this concealer is a fantastic alternative.

Mascaras & Eyeliner

This year I seemed to try loads of mascaras and eyeliner but was sadly disappointed with almost all of them. There really was only about two products that I liked - but boy are they good and but from Essence too! The Essence I heart Extreme waterproof volume mascara is amazing. It lifts my lashes, holds a curl, is jet black, doesn't flake and looks bomb - what more could you ask for? The Essence Liquid Ink is a tiny product but lasts ages! The brush is small enough to do detailed eyeliner but is very flexible and gives you lots of freedom without being messy. It's also jet black and lasts all day!


Lipsticks

I used to be such a big lipstick fan, I'd rarely come home from town without a new one, but this year I actually picked up very few! My biggest find and love this year was the colorpop liquid lipsticks, everyone seems to go about how amazing they are and I'm happy to confirm that they are correct - They're amazing! Very pigmented, great applicator, lasts longer than any other liquid lip I've tried before and they're comfortable on the lip! I'll definitely be buying more of them!


Contour, Blush & Highlight!

I decided to lump contour, blush and highlight altogether as there's only a few things I loved this year. Starting with bronzer/contour I have adored using the Elf contour palette. The bronzer is the perfect shade for me and the contour shade is just cool enough without being grey - perfect for my complexion. I bought this in America for about $5 and will be restocking again when I go to America this year as I've already hit pan! Love this product - cannot recommend it enough!

Blush is never a makeup item that excites me, just something that I always seem to pick up and have in my collection. Saying that though, I have enjoyed using the Elf blush palette, they aren't too powdery, have great pigmentation so you only need a small amount and it's very affordable!

My favourite highlighter this year without a doubt is the Colourpop 'Flexitarian' Super Shock cheek highlighter! It's simply stunning. Absolutely blinding if you want it to be but also if you use just a tiny amount, you can get a really nice glow. It's super small and handy for travelling. When you touch it, it feels like a cream but it dries down as a powder very quickly so it doesn't disrupt your foundation. It does have a fair amount of sparkle to it so if that's not your thing maybe stay clear but I love wearing this one nights out and all the time really!

Everyone seems to be obsessed with glow drops this year, I gave in and tried the Penneys glow drops and well, I'm converted! When I first apply it, I resemble the tin man but once the foundation goes on over top, I look so glowy and fresh! I picked them up on sale so I think it was only €1 so for that price and

Primers

I haven't really steered away from my Elf Primers that I loved in 2017 but the only one that caught my eye this year was the Penneys PS Beauty's Matte Primer. It's a silcone based primer, it's oil free and I haven't stopped using it since I bought it. It's a complete bargain at €4 too. I have quite textured skin thanks to over a decade of acne so using this as a primer gives me a smooth base for my foundation, I know some people don't believe in primers but I  really notice a difference when I use this.

Eyebrows

This year my beloved Brow Zings from Benefit finally ran out, I've been using it for a few years (definitely past the expiry date) but I hadn't replaced it because it's €34 and I know there are cheaper ones out there that do a similar job! So I was on a mission to find a dupe and I found something very very close and that it the eyebrow kit from ELF! I picked it up over in America and it was $3/4. I was delighted with myself. Now it's not an exact copy and if I'm being 100% honest I do still prefer the benefit product but with €30 in the difference, the Elf one is close enough! Since buying it in June, I haven't really used anything else and will definitely be repurchasing it when it runs out!

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