Hey everyone!
So this blogpost was inspired by a quote I found on Instagram a few days ago, which led me to thinking a little about the issue of new year's resolutions.
Each year, so many people make new year's resolutions.
New year's resolutions are a big business. In supermarkets, Christmas is barely over by the time the cake and biscuits are replaced by fitness DVDs and gym clothing.
I don't disagree entirely with the idea of new year's resolutions, but what I do find a bit uneasy is the way people approach them. It's admirable for someone to announce that they will "lose weight" or "eat healthily" as a new year's resolution, but what if that doesn't go to plan? I know from my own personal experience how difficult it is to abide by a healthy eating plan. All sorts of factors can affect that plan, from tiredness, to budgeting issues, to lack of motivation. Many people end up just feeling like failures, and depressed even more in what is already a very depressing month.
Maybe instead of pushing these unrealistic expectations on yourselves, it just might be an idea to give yourself a break this January. Instead of trying to lose weight or eat healthily, why not make this year the year you finally start to love yourself just the way you are?
It sounds very Oprah I know, and for some of us, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do, far more difficult than losing weight or eating healthily. I don't do it myself. But it's the most important thing in the world for our mental health and general well-being. So many new year's resolutions revolve around altering the exterior of ourselves, that we don't often give thought to the interior. As I've got older, it's something that has perplexed me. We often decorate our houses on the inside better than we do on the outside, why not do the same to ourselves? We focus on the physical aspects, rather than the inner aspects. You may have a few extra pounds, but you may have an amazing personality and a hard work ethic. You may be an amazing mother/father, brother/sister, niece/ nephew, boyfriend/girlfriend, and collegue, with people who love you just the way you are. These are the things that cannot be determined by a figure on the scale.
By all means, set goals. Set aspirations. But don't let it rule you completely. Do the healthy eating thing, but allow yourself to have cake when you want. Life is way way too short to be denying yourself of things that make you happy. After all, chocolate contains endorphins - scientifically proven to improve mental well-being, any excuse to dig in, eh? And that to me is more important than dropping a dress size.
Hope you enjoyed this blogpost xxx
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Friday, 1 January 2016
Fashion & Beauty: New Years Celebrations!
Hey everyone, and welcome back to my blog!
Happy new year too. Hope everyone's heads are not too bad after the celebrations last night. Mine is fairly fragile still to be honest, but I'm sure it's nothing a good strong cup of tea can't fix!
The dress I'm wearing is from Boohoo.com, and was actually a Christmas present from one of my best friends Aine. Though truth be told, I regretted eating all the crap I did over Christmas when trying to squeeze into it! Sooo tight! It's fab though.
The metallic heels (that you can't see in this photo - grr!) are Penneys, I've mentioned them before in many other previous blog posts, I got them in the summer sale in June reduced to €7 from €16, I wear them so often I feel like they're an extension of myself!
The tan I'm wearing is Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. This was my second time trying it out, but I'm not going to say too much about it here as I will be writing up a review of this tan very soon.
For makeup, I moisturised with Simple Kind To Skin Light hydrating moisturiser. I've written a review of this product plus some skin care tips HERE. The foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation (review of that is to come), applied with Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (review of that is HERE). For eyes I kept things very simple. I used the Make Up Revolution 'Flawless' eyeshadow palette (details of this eyeshadow are on my previous blogpost ), sweeping 'Medal' over the lid, 'Copper Shimmer' in the crease and 'Gold Digger' on the inner eyelid. I applied New York Color liquid eyeliner on my upper eyelid (review HERE), before applying Primark eyelashes in 'Sultry'. I set my makeup using Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Blusher used was Make up Gallery blush, bought in Poundland. Highlighter used was an Essence one, but it's part of a limited edition Cinderella range so unfortunately it's no longer avaliable.
Lipstick used was Rimmel Lasting Finish in 'Starry Eyed'. I absolutely adore this lipstick; it's a dark plum shade and it lasts for ages too!
Hope you enjoyed this blogpost - any questions, fire away! xx
Happy new year too. Hope everyone's heads are not too bad after the celebrations last night. Mine is fairly fragile still to be honest, but I'm sure it's nothing a good strong cup of tea can't fix!
The dress I'm wearing is from Boohoo.com, and was actually a Christmas present from one of my best friends Aine. Though truth be told, I regretted eating all the crap I did over Christmas when trying to squeeze into it! Sooo tight! It's fab though.
The metallic heels (that you can't see in this photo - grr!) are Penneys, I've mentioned them before in many other previous blog posts, I got them in the summer sale in June reduced to €7 from €16, I wear them so often I feel like they're an extension of myself!
The tan I'm wearing is Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. This was my second time trying it out, but I'm not going to say too much about it here as I will be writing up a review of this tan very soon.
For makeup, I moisturised with Simple Kind To Skin Light hydrating moisturiser. I've written a review of this product plus some skin care tips HERE. The foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation (review of that is to come), applied with Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (review of that is HERE). For eyes I kept things very simple. I used the Make Up Revolution 'Flawless' eyeshadow palette (details of this eyeshadow are on my previous blogpost ), sweeping 'Medal' over the lid, 'Copper Shimmer' in the crease and 'Gold Digger' on the inner eyelid. I applied New York Color liquid eyeliner on my upper eyelid (review HERE), before applying Primark eyelashes in 'Sultry'. I set my makeup using Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Blusher used was Make up Gallery blush, bought in Poundland. Highlighter used was an Essence one, but it's part of a limited edition Cinderella range so unfortunately it's no longer avaliable.
Lipstick used was Rimmel Lasting Finish in 'Starry Eyed'. I absolutely adore this lipstick; it's a dark plum shade and it lasts for ages too!
Hope you enjoyed this blogpost - any questions, fire away! xx
Products used:
Simple Kind To Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser, €5/£3.70.
L'Oréal True Match Foundation in 'Ivory', €13.55/£9.99.
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, €7.99/£6.99.
Make Up Revolution Eyeshadow Palette in 'Flawless', £8.
New York Color Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40/£1.99.
Primark false eyelashes in 'Sultry', €1.50/£1
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent', €5.99/£3.99.
Make Up Gallery Blush in 'Soft Blush 1', €1.49/£1.
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 'Starry Eyed', €5.50/£4.99.
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in 'Light Glow', €13.99/£9.99.
Friday, 25 December 2015
Fashion and Beauty - Christmas Day!
So after the visit to Mass, the unwrapping of presents from Santy, and falling into a food coma after the dinner, I took some time out and decided to write up a blogpost about what I was wearing today for the special occasion. I like to lay round in my trackie and hoodie as much as any other girl, but Christmas only comes round once a year so I like to make some effort for the day.

The tunic dress I'm wearing is from Penneys (Primark) and cost €14 (£10.33). I bought it Sunday afternoon after arriving in Ireland for Christmas. I really like the berry shade of it; this colour is always associated with the festive season so I felt like it was perfect! It actually has sheer sleeves, but to keep nice and toasty during the winter day I popped a long sleeved black top underneath it.
These long sleeved black tops are basic, and they're an essential part of my winter wardrobe, and only cheap as chips too, so I'd definitely recommend to invest.
The black tights were basic ones from Penneys, also bought on Sunday. I got three pairs for €6.
The scarf was also Penneys, it belongs to my sister though so I don't know the price, sorry! I'd imagine it would cost no more than a tenner. Many of my scarves are summery and light, and this is a nice thick one, so perfect for winter.
The boots are Shoe Zone, they have a slight heel on them. I bought them the first weekend I arrived in England as a birthday present to myself (I'm awful good to myself!). They were £20.
The coat is Penneys, but I bought it two years ago so I cannot for the life of me remember the price of it! I really like it as it comes out slightly at the hips and is super warm too!
Before applying makeup, I moisturised my face and neck using my trusty Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser and waited a few moments for it to absorb. My skin is super duper dry at the moment, so I applied it in a thin layer three times. FYI, I've done a blogpost on caring for dry skin, which you can check out HERE.
Foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation in Ivory (the lightest shade in the range). I decided to try out this foundation about two weeks ago as I have heard it being hailed as the 'holy grail' of foundations. I'm not going to say too much about it here as I am planning on doing a seperate blogpost all about it in the coming weeks. The concealer I used was Rimmel Wake Me Up (review of that product is HERE) under my eyes and on blemishes, before setting it with Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder.
For eyes, I decided to use a combination of gold and brown eyeshadows to complement the berry in my dress. I used the eyeshadows in the Make Up Revolution Flawless palette. I bought this palette, containing 32 eyeshadows, in Superdrug last month. Correct me if I'm wrong, but sadly, I don't think Make Up Revolution is avaliable in Ireland. I applied 'Medal' all over my lid and up to my browbone. I then applied 'Copper Shimmer' in the crease. Then I applied a small amount of 'Molton Chocolate' where my eyeliner 'flick' would go from. Then I applied 'Gold Digger' at the inner eye. I then used Essence Liquid Ink Liquid eyeliner on the inner eyelid and flicked out to create winged eyeliner effect. I applied a tiny amount of Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Pencil on my waterline, going about half way across. I find that on my small hooded eyes, black kohl eyeliner makes them appear even smaller, so it's used sparingly with me!
The blusher I used was Make Up Gallery Blusher in 'Soft Blush 1'. Make Up Gallery is actually a range of makeup from Poundland, would you believe! In Ireland this range is avaliable in Dealz. I've been trying out this guy plus a few other products for the past few weeks so that is another post I am looking forward to showing you all. I filled in my eyebrows using Primark eyebrow kit.
I was trying to find a lipstick to suit my eye makeup and dress, and I felt red didn't match either of them, so I stole my mum's Essence lipstick in the shade '04 On the Catwalk'. Mum loves this lipstick and after wearing it for the whole day today, I can see why! I've never used any of Essence lipsticks before but I may have to invest after today! This and the liquid eyeliner I mentioned above are widely avaliable in Ireland, from Penneys to several pharmacies, but the only place where Essence is avaliable in the UK is Wilko.


Product List and Prices:
Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser, €5/£3.70.
L'Oréal True Match Foundation in 'Ivory', £9.99/€13.55.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in '040 Soft Beige', £5.49/€6.99.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent', £3.99/€5.99.
Make Up Gallery Feeling Blush Blusher in 'Soft Blush 1', £1/€1.49.
Make Up Revolution Ultra Eyeshadow Palette in 'Flawless', £8.
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in '061 Jet Black', £2.99.
Essence Liquid Ink Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black', €2.49.
Essence Lipstick in '04 On The Catwalk' (think its around €3/£2).
Primark Eyebrow Kit, £1/€2.
Hope you enjoyed this post! Any questions, don't be shy! xx

The tunic dress I'm wearing is from Penneys (Primark) and cost €14 (£10.33). I bought it Sunday afternoon after arriving in Ireland for Christmas. I really like the berry shade of it; this colour is always associated with the festive season so I felt like it was perfect! It actually has sheer sleeves, but to keep nice and toasty during the winter day I popped a long sleeved black top underneath it.
These long sleeved black tops are basic, and they're an essential part of my winter wardrobe, and only cheap as chips too, so I'd definitely recommend to invest.
The black tights were basic ones from Penneys, also bought on Sunday. I got three pairs for €6.
The scarf was also Penneys, it belongs to my sister though so I don't know the price, sorry! I'd imagine it would cost no more than a tenner. Many of my scarves are summery and light, and this is a nice thick one, so perfect for winter.
The boots are Shoe Zone, they have a slight heel on them. I bought them the first weekend I arrived in England as a birthday present to myself (I'm awful good to myself!). They were £20.
The coat is Penneys, but I bought it two years ago so I cannot for the life of me remember the price of it! I really like it as it comes out slightly at the hips and is super warm too!
Before applying makeup, I moisturised my face and neck using my trusty Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser and waited a few moments for it to absorb. My skin is super duper dry at the moment, so I applied it in a thin layer three times. FYI, I've done a blogpost on caring for dry skin, which you can check out HERE.
Foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation in Ivory (the lightest shade in the range). I decided to try out this foundation about two weeks ago as I have heard it being hailed as the 'holy grail' of foundations. I'm not going to say too much about it here as I am planning on doing a seperate blogpost all about it in the coming weeks. The concealer I used was Rimmel Wake Me Up (review of that product is HERE) under my eyes and on blemishes, before setting it with Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder.

I was trying to find a lipstick to suit my eye makeup and dress, and I felt red didn't match either of them, so I stole my mum's Essence lipstick in the shade '04 On the Catwalk'. Mum loves this lipstick and after wearing it for the whole day today, I can see why! I've never used any of Essence lipsticks before but I may have to invest after today! This and the liquid eyeliner I mentioned above are widely avaliable in Ireland, from Penneys to several pharmacies, but the only place where Essence is avaliable in the UK is Wilko.


Product List and Prices:
Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser, €5/£3.70.
L'Oréal True Match Foundation in 'Ivory', £9.99/€13.55.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in '040 Soft Beige', £5.49/€6.99.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent', £3.99/€5.99.
Make Up Gallery Feeling Blush Blusher in 'Soft Blush 1', £1/€1.49.
Make Up Revolution Ultra Eyeshadow Palette in 'Flawless', £8.
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in '061 Jet Black', £2.99.
Essence Liquid Ink Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black', €2.49.
Essence Lipstick in '04 On The Catwalk' (think its around €3/£2).
Primark Eyebrow Kit, £1/€2.
Hope you enjoyed this post! Any questions, don't be shy! xx
Friday, 11 December 2015
Festive Fashion Picks on a Budget!
Hi everyone!
I apologise for my absense from blogging for the last few weeks - I've just been so so busy! I was on placement on my course the end of November (which was very intresting but quite tiring!), and of course the assignments have been building up (which I am slowly but surely getting through, by the way!). But I managed to grab a few minutes here and there each day to write up a blog post about some budget-friendly outfit ideas for you to consider over the festive season (you'll be pleased to know that they're not all dresses and they most certaintly won't cost you an arm or leg - money for Supermacs, yay!). So drumroll please....
1. Sequin Embellished Dress.
It's not Christmas without some glittery sequins so this dress from the online fashion retailer Ivy here in Carlisle would be perfect to flaunt during the festive party season. I really like the cut of this dress; it looks really classy. It requires minimal effort too - the sequins are a fashion statement all by themselves so skip the jewellery and just add a pair of heels and you are done! This dress will set you back £24.99 it is more expensive than the other outfits I'll mention, but I think it's very important to support local businesses wherever you live, and the small local businesses here in Cumbria need it more than ever after last weekend's disasterous flooding. If you live in Carlisle delivery is free; to ship elsewhere in UK standard delivery will set you back a mere £3.99, which isn't really that bad!
Please do make sure to check Ivy out at ivy-online.co.uk. .
This is the back of the dress:
2. LBD
If in doubt, pull on an LBD and red lippy and pout!
There isn't a girl out there who doesn't love her black dresses. Black colour is so slimming, meaning no-one will be any the wiser to how many helpings of turkey you had! I love this one from www.everything5pounds.com, a website I recently came across having lived in England for a few months. As the name suggests, everything on the website is just five pounds (€6.97). And for five pounds for an LBD, sure where would ya be going wrong?! Add a pair of heels, some red lippy and a clutch and you're all set! It's also avaliable in a burgundy colour. I don't know about you, but I'm buying five.
3. Berry Jumpsuit
I know jumpsuits might not be to everyone's taste, but I think they're a great alternative to a dress if you don't feel confident enough to bare certain parts. I have a feeling that mammies all around the country will approve this one, at least they won't have to worry about ya freezing your self off! The culotte trend has also been huge this year. I think this colour is absolutely fabulous, and I really like the neck detail. It's also avaliable in a yellow, nude, khaki and black colour. At the minute it costs just £12 (€16.56) on Boohoo.com, reduced from £20 (€27.60) - howya bargain! Boohoo have a great range of party wear in recently, and over the past few days that I've been browsing (but been too poor to buy anything - student life, wah!) they've had either free next day shipping or shipping for a pound.
4. Floral Print Dress
Yeah, I know you're not supposed to wear florals during winter, blah blah blah. Well I say this dress was made screwing the rules for! I really like the length, fit and cut of this dress. Again, the dress pattern is a statement in itself so minimal effort is required. Better still, it only costs £9.99 (€13.79) from missrebel.co.uk. This website has a whole load of items under ten pounds, so it's well worth a look!
5. Two Piece Set
Co-ords (two piece sets) have been a huge trend all over the catwalks, and again, they're really good if you're stuck for time (or money!), as buying them as one piece is far less expensive than buying a crop top and a skirt seperately. This one at karmaclothing.co.uk recently caught my eye; it's a snake print grey one and looks absolutely stunning; some tan and you are good to go! It costs £18 (€24.84).
Hope you enjoyed this blog post guys! x
I apologise for my absense from blogging for the last few weeks - I've just been so so busy! I was on placement on my course the end of November (which was very intresting but quite tiring!), and of course the assignments have been building up (which I am slowly but surely getting through, by the way!). But I managed to grab a few minutes here and there each day to write up a blog post about some budget-friendly outfit ideas for you to consider over the festive season (you'll be pleased to know that they're not all dresses and they most certaintly won't cost you an arm or leg - money for Supermacs, yay!). So drumroll please....
1. Sequin Embellished Dress.
It's not Christmas without some glittery sequins so this dress from the online fashion retailer Ivy here in Carlisle would be perfect to flaunt during the festive party season. I really like the cut of this dress; it looks really classy. It requires minimal effort too - the sequins are a fashion statement all by themselves so skip the jewellery and just add a pair of heels and you are done! This dress will set you back £24.99 it is more expensive than the other outfits I'll mention, but I think it's very important to support local businesses wherever you live, and the small local businesses here in Cumbria need it more than ever after last weekend's disasterous flooding. If you live in Carlisle delivery is free; to ship elsewhere in UK standard delivery will set you back a mere £3.99, which isn't really that bad!
Please do make sure to check Ivy out at ivy-online.co.uk. .
This is the back of the dress:
2. LBD
If in doubt, pull on an LBD and red lippy and pout!
There isn't a girl out there who doesn't love her black dresses. Black colour is so slimming, meaning no-one will be any the wiser to how many helpings of turkey you had! I love this one from www.everything5pounds.com, a website I recently came across having lived in England for a few months. As the name suggests, everything on the website is just five pounds (€6.97). And for five pounds for an LBD, sure where would ya be going wrong?! Add a pair of heels, some red lippy and a clutch and you're all set! It's also avaliable in a burgundy colour. I don't know about you, but I'm buying five.
3. Berry Jumpsuit
I know jumpsuits might not be to everyone's taste, but I think they're a great alternative to a dress if you don't feel confident enough to bare certain parts. I have a feeling that mammies all around the country will approve this one, at least they won't have to worry about ya freezing your self off! The culotte trend has also been huge this year. I think this colour is absolutely fabulous, and I really like the neck detail. It's also avaliable in a yellow, nude, khaki and black colour. At the minute it costs just £12 (€16.56) on Boohoo.com, reduced from £20 (€27.60) - howya bargain! Boohoo have a great range of party wear in recently, and over the past few days that I've been browsing (but been too poor to buy anything - student life, wah!) they've had either free next day shipping or shipping for a pound.
4. Floral Print Dress
Yeah, I know you're not supposed to wear florals during winter, blah blah blah. Well I say this dress was made screwing the rules for! I really like the length, fit and cut of this dress. Again, the dress pattern is a statement in itself so minimal effort is required. Better still, it only costs £9.99 (€13.79) from missrebel.co.uk. This website has a whole load of items under ten pounds, so it's well worth a look!
5. Two Piece Set
Co-ords (two piece sets) have been a huge trend all over the catwalks, and again, they're really good if you're stuck for time (or money!), as buying them as one piece is far less expensive than buying a crop top and a skirt seperately. This one at karmaclothing.co.uk recently caught my eye; it's a snake print grey one and looks absolutely stunning; some tan and you are good to go! It costs £18 (€24.84).
Hope you enjoyed this blog post guys! x
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Beauty - Natural Collection Eyeliner, Lipstick and Lipgloss Review
Hi everyone, and welcome back to my blog!
Natural Collection is one of a few make-up collections exclusive to Boots.
If you're as broke ass and on a budget as myself, you'll be keen to try out this range, as every product is less than £2/€3 and there's often 3 for 2 offers available. But is it any good is the question we all want to know?
Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'
First thing's first about this brand - it is quite basic. The packaging is nothing too fancy at all, basically white or black with the brand name written on the front and a few sentences detailing what it is and that it is all of natural ingredients (well I'd like to think are as natural as possible). It is dermatologically tested (if it gets in your eye it won't sting the absolute bejaysus out of you!) and has no fragrance either, which means if you have extremely sensitive/dry/troubled skin, you should definitely try out at least one of these products!
The smell off this liquid eyeliner is quite unusual, it weirdly smells a little bit like fake tan. The brush is super thin as can see from the picture to allow for easy application which to be honest is nothing short of a godsend if you're unfortunate enough to have clumsy and shaky hands like myself. The lasting power surprisingly is amazing for the price paid! My eyes water sometimes due to my frequent wearing of contact lenses and yet this baby stays on and won't run - no panda eyes yay! But I did find the product's consistency to be slightly watery so I really would advise applying the eyeliner line first, then repeating the process and going over it to make sure it looks really defined and more there than just barely there. It costs £1.99/€2.79 for 8ml.
Moisture Shine Lipstick in 'Rose Bud':
I've been on the hunt for a natural looking, everyday, easy-to-wear lipstick for quite a while so the next thing to try in the range was obviously this lippy! Again, basic packaging. It applies very smoothly to the lips and has no yukky taste, horrible smell and no irritation.
This one looks very pink in the tube, but it's actually quite wearable and is actually the same colour as your lips. It's super soft and moisturises too. Great buy. It costs £1.99/€2.79.
Juicy Lips Lipgloss
As the name suggests, this lipgloss smells like juicy fruit (not the chewing gum, like actual juicy fruit, strawberries most likely!). It applies very smoothly to the lips, doesn't drag across the lips at all like many more expensive products do. Most importantly, it tastes unreal, good enough to eat actually (but please don't eat it!). It looks very natural on, so suitable partner for your dramatic eye makeup looks or for everyday wear, and the staying power is pretty amazing too! It costs £1.99/€2.79.
Instagram and Twitter feeds are to the right of your screen if you're on a laptop, and here is my facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/shellsaysso
Thanks for reading everyone!
Shelly xxx
Natural Collection is one of a few make-up collections exclusive to Boots.
If you're as broke ass and on a budget as myself, you'll be keen to try out this range, as every product is less than £2/€3 and there's often 3 for 2 offers available. But is it any good is the question we all want to know?
Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'

The smell off this liquid eyeliner is quite unusual, it weirdly smells a little bit like fake tan. The brush is super thin as can see from the picture to allow for easy application which to be honest is nothing short of a godsend if you're unfortunate enough to have clumsy and shaky hands like myself. The lasting power surprisingly is amazing for the price paid! My eyes water sometimes due to my frequent wearing of contact lenses and yet this baby stays on and won't run - no panda eyes yay! But I did find the product's consistency to be slightly watery so I really would advise applying the eyeliner line first, then repeating the process and going over it to make sure it looks really defined and more there than just barely there. It costs £1.99/€2.79 for 8ml.
I've been on the hunt for a natural looking, everyday, easy-to-wear lipstick for quite a while so the next thing to try in the range was obviously this lippy! Again, basic packaging. It applies very smoothly to the lips and has no yukky taste, horrible smell and no irritation.
This one looks very pink in the tube, but it's actually quite wearable and is actually the same colour as your lips. It's super soft and moisturises too. Great buy. It costs £1.99/€2.79.
Juicy Lips Lipgloss
Instagram and Twitter feeds are to the right of your screen if you're on a laptop, and here is my facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/shellsaysso
Thanks for reading everyone!
Shelly xxx
Friday, 13 November 2015
"My Happy Place" in association with Independent.ie
Hi everyone!
For their 'Mind Yourself' campaign, I was asked by Independent.ie (online version of an Irish newspaper), to discuss my "happy place".
Everyone's happy place is different.
For me, it's the beach.
Not any beach, mind. My local beach in situated in the small, quiet town of Enniscrone in County Sligo in the west of Ireland holds a special place of importance in my heart. No other beach seems to compare, quite frankly.
If the sun was ever kind enough to make a rare apperance in summer-time in Ireland, that's where myself and my family used to always go to, as the beach is approximately less than fifteen minutes drive away from where my home house is. The sun would be cramping and distressful elsewhere, but at the beach the temperature was off-setted by the cool, salty Atlantic Ocean air.
When I walk out onto the beach, I feel calm. Life goes round us in a frantic blur, so it's always a good idea to just stop and remember to breathe sometimes. It helps massively as a stress reliever and I used to frequent the beach a lot when I was busy revising for my final year school and college exams. Hearing the rhythmic pulse of the ocean waves is so peaceful. Having a quick walk on the beach and also around the pier worked all sorts of wonders for my physical and mental states.
When I was feeling down about life, it helped me to gain some perspective. Life appears difficult, crazy and often unfair... until you witness a beautiful Enniscrone sunset, and you wonder why you were ever down in the first place! It makes me appreciate that I can see, that I'm alive, that I can witness such beauty. So many are not in the fortunate way that I am, and I am grateful for it. It's a reminder that it's the little things that are important in life.
When I'm there, I remember with fondness growing up around the beach and the memories connected with the beach.
I remember the memories I had there during the summers as a child. Bucket and spade in hand, making a sandcastle. Flying a kite and watching the colours of the fabric float gently in line with the clouds. Getting an ice-cream cone with a 99 flake from the ice-cream van that was parked precariously on the edge of the shore (even though it would be near melted by the time you'd get back to your place on the beach!). Running into the water and splashing friends and family with the water was the best laugh and I remember some of my time spent at this beach as the happiest time of my childhood.
It was for all of these reasons that, before I left for Dublin Airport to get a flight so I could begin university studies in the UK, there was not another place that I most wanted to spend my last evening in Ireland. It did not disappoint, obviously. The sunset was amazing and I left the beach with a smile on my face, well ready for my new adventure. I'm really looking forward to going there when I'm back home in Ireland at Christmas-time.
For more information on this lovely beach, please do check out the website (though this is not a promotional blogpost by any means): http://www.discoverenniscrone.com/
Thanks for reading everyone! The photos featured in this blogpost are my own, please give credit if you wish to re-publish.
Please do not hesitate to interact with me on my social media sites, which are to the right of the screen if you're on a laptop! xx
For their 'Mind Yourself' campaign, I was asked by Independent.ie (online version of an Irish newspaper), to discuss my "happy place".
Everyone's happy place is different.
For me, it's the beach.
Not any beach, mind. My local beach in situated in the small, quiet town of Enniscrone in County Sligo in the west of Ireland holds a special place of importance in my heart. No other beach seems to compare, quite frankly.
If the sun was ever kind enough to make a rare apperance in summer-time in Ireland, that's where myself and my family used to always go to, as the beach is approximately less than fifteen minutes drive away from where my home house is. The sun would be cramping and distressful elsewhere, but at the beach the temperature was off-setted by the cool, salty Atlantic Ocean air.
When I walk out onto the beach, I feel calm. Life goes round us in a frantic blur, so it's always a good idea to just stop and remember to breathe sometimes. It helps massively as a stress reliever and I used to frequent the beach a lot when I was busy revising for my final year school and college exams. Hearing the rhythmic pulse of the ocean waves is so peaceful. Having a quick walk on the beach and also around the pier worked all sorts of wonders for my physical and mental states.
When I'm there, I remember with fondness growing up around the beach and the memories connected with the beach.
I remember the memories I had there during the summers as a child. Bucket and spade in hand, making a sandcastle. Flying a kite and watching the colours of the fabric float gently in line with the clouds. Getting an ice-cream cone with a 99 flake from the ice-cream van that was parked precariously on the edge of the shore (even though it would be near melted by the time you'd get back to your place on the beach!). Running into the water and splashing friends and family with the water was the best laugh and I remember some of my time spent at this beach as the happiest time of my childhood.
For more information on this lovely beach, please do check out the website (though this is not a promotional blogpost by any means): http://www.discoverenniscrone.com/
Thanks for reading everyone! The photos featured in this blogpost are my own, please give credit if you wish to re-publish.
Please do not hesitate to interact with me on my social media sites, which are to the right of the screen if you're on a laptop! xx
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Fashion - Primark Haul!
Hi everyone! :) If you follow any of my social media sites, you'll know that on Monday night my little blog reached a major milestone and finally made it to a whopping 10,000 views. Wow, that's crazy! Needless to say, I'm very grateful for the support, and when I started blogging only eight months ago in March I thought no-one would be interested in it, so thank you so much for taking the time out to read and support my blog. Here's to the next 10,000 views! In celebration, I started tweaking some elements of the blog last week to make it a bit easier for you guys to find me on my social media sites, as I only publish a blogpost every few days but I post on Twitter and Instagram quite a bit! You can access these at the right of the post.
Anyways, my blog today features my Primark haul from a few weeks ago. Apart from the few things I brought over to uni with me from Ireland in September, and a few bits here and there, I haven't really bought many clothes for myself recently. There's no Primark where I'm living in Cumbria and although there's a New Look, it's more than a bit on the expensive side; grand for a few emergency pieces of clothes like interview wear, but you wouldn't exactly get much change back from £50 to shop in there. In short, I've been looking like a hobo around university; I don't think anyone there that's seen me the last few weeks would guess I'm a fashion blogger! So I took a very necessary trip down to Preston a few weeks back and took full advantage of the Primark there.
Preston is a city in Lancashire and is about an hour and a half away from Carlisle. It's an average sized place really; slightly bigger and busier than Carlisle but less busier than let's say, Manchester or Liverpool by far. The Primark there is big enough, not as big as the Primark (Penneys) that's in my home town in Ireland but a decent size. After over a month of not being in a Primark, I got a little distracted at first and quickly forgot about my shopping list I had scribbled down in my diary prior to the visit (always the way!). But I did manage to get a good few bits of clothes for myself. I'm not going to include the prices, but I did give my debit card a good battering as they say in there. I'm not one to spend a lot of money in one go, but I won't be in a Primark until I come to Ireland at Christmas time and I did spend my earned wages on the clothes, so I like to think of it as treating myself.
Anyways, I guess you want to see what I bought...
First thing up is a bright yellow neon hoodie. I had a complete lack of hoodies in my wardrobe, and needed something to just throw on if I'm late for uni (or can't be bothered to make an effort!) and this fits the bill. I really liked the bright yellow colour too, it's so eye-catching and may even be as good as coffee to help to wake me up in the mornings!
Item two is a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I brought some of my jeans over with me, but I think I've ranted before about Primark's skinny jeans; they have stretched in the wash and aren't so skinny anymore. I hate it when skinny jeans become slightly baggy; they just lose all appeal in my eyes. So I needed a new pair that I can team with a jumper or a top.
Item three and four are just plain white T-shirt vests. I must have brought at least five of these over from Ireland and bought another three in New Look when I came over, but I had a bit of a misfortune with the washing machine a few weeks back in which I stupidly put all my clothes into the wash together and mixed these with dark blue jeans. Obviously, they came out light blue and were pretty much ruined (silly me, better not do that with my white placement uniform!). These are really handy wear under a shirt or a jumper on these chilly mornings.
Item five is a pair of purple tracksuit pants. Again, like the hoodie, these are just basics that are easy to throw on if I'm lazing around the house or if I can't be arsed to get done up for uni in the mornings.
Item six is a 2-in-1 shirt and grey jumper top. I must confess; I've had my eye on this one for a while! I fell in love with it when I was still back home in Ireland but hadn't the spare monies back then to buy it - devestated! I think it's super super cute and can't wait to wear it with jeans, boots and a leather jacket.
Item seven is a brown faux-suede skirt. I really have a lack of skirts in my wardrobe and thought this one looked super cute. I'm looking forward to teaming this with a pair of tights, a cute top and black boots in the coming weeks.
Item eight is a tartan scarf. I brought some scarves over with me from Ireland, but they were really thin ones, which won't keep out the chill these days! I really think this one is so cute and it's so soft too!
Item nine is a boho-inspired playsuit that was actually reduced to just five pounds so I had to! No, I really had to! Even though it's obviously a summer outfit (hence the reduction), I really think it will work well for the cooler months teamed with a pair of thick tights, boots, a scarf and a warm jacket.
Item ten is just a basic T-shirt - black and white stripes. Good for wearing under a jumper or a hoodie or just lazing around the house.
Item eleven is this really cute monochrome top I just fell in absolute love with (who needs a boyfriend when you have clothes this cute?!). Black and white is a colour combination that is so effortlessly classic and I thought the bow tie neck detail was just too adorable to not have.
Item twelve is a wooly forest green (looks black in my idiotic phone camera's photo!) polo-neck jumper that is just so snuggly and cosy. Perfect for chilly days!
Item thirteen is this white jumper with navy stripes, which is a nod to the nautical trend. I thought it was super cute and had immediate visions of paring it with red lippy (as if I needed an excuse to wear red lippy!).
Item fourteen is a black and white striped skirt that goes to my knee. If you couldn't tell already, I love wearing black and white and this striped skirt also gives a nod to the nautical trend (more red lippy!).
Item fifteen is a checked shirt. I have some shirts in my wardrobe already, but as they were bought during the 'warmer' months (in Ireland that means when the rain gets warmer, we don't get much sun, poor us!), they're not really appropiate for wearing now unless you have five vests and T-shirts on underneath! This one is slightly thicker so warmer for the changing season. I love wearing checked shirts, I think they're easy to just throw on with a leather jacket and look sooo effortless!
Item sixteen is a pair of patterned trousers. This is another item I've just wanted to buy for so long. I constantly see these trousers online and really wanted to invest! Surprise surprise, it's also black and white! I can't wait to wear these on a night out with a cute top, high heels and my trusty leather jacket!
Item seventeen is a pair of eyelashes by Primark beauty. I've used many of their eyelashes before, but I haven't seen these 'Intense' style in any store in Ireland I've ever visited so had to invest! I'll have to try them out soon and let you know my thoughts...
The last few items are some makeup brushes. Just before I left for England, Primark brought out their make up brushes and I didn't feel like buying more at the time, but I've heard these ones are all right so decided to give them a go for myself! I picked up the blusher brush, the liquid foundation brush, the concealer brush and the eyeshadow/concealer brush. I hope to do a seperate blog post on these guys once I use them over the next few weeks and let you know what I think!
Hope you enjoyed my Primark haul! Happy shopping!! xx
Anyways, my blog today features my Primark haul from a few weeks ago. Apart from the few things I brought over to uni with me from Ireland in September, and a few bits here and there, I haven't really bought many clothes for myself recently. There's no Primark where I'm living in Cumbria and although there's a New Look, it's more than a bit on the expensive side; grand for a few emergency pieces of clothes like interview wear, but you wouldn't exactly get much change back from £50 to shop in there. In short, I've been looking like a hobo around university; I don't think anyone there that's seen me the last few weeks would guess I'm a fashion blogger! So I took a very necessary trip down to Preston a few weeks back and took full advantage of the Primark there.
Preston is a city in Lancashire and is about an hour and a half away from Carlisle. It's an average sized place really; slightly bigger and busier than Carlisle but less busier than let's say, Manchester or Liverpool by far. The Primark there is big enough, not as big as the Primark (Penneys) that's in my home town in Ireland but a decent size. After over a month of not being in a Primark, I got a little distracted at first and quickly forgot about my shopping list I had scribbled down in my diary prior to the visit (always the way!). But I did manage to get a good few bits of clothes for myself. I'm not going to include the prices, but I did give my debit card a good battering as they say in there. I'm not one to spend a lot of money in one go, but I won't be in a Primark until I come to Ireland at Christmas time and I did spend my earned wages on the clothes, so I like to think of it as treating myself.
Anyways, I guess you want to see what I bought...
First thing up is a bright yellow neon hoodie. I had a complete lack of hoodies in my wardrobe, and needed something to just throw on if I'm late for uni (or can't be bothered to make an effort!) and this fits the bill. I really liked the bright yellow colour too, it's so eye-catching and may even be as good as coffee to help to wake me up in the mornings!
Item two is a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I brought some of my jeans over with me, but I think I've ranted before about Primark's skinny jeans; they have stretched in the wash and aren't so skinny anymore. I hate it when skinny jeans become slightly baggy; they just lose all appeal in my eyes. So I needed a new pair that I can team with a jumper or a top.
Item three and four are just plain white T-shirt vests. I must have brought at least five of these over from Ireland and bought another three in New Look when I came over, but I had a bit of a misfortune with the washing machine a few weeks back in which I stupidly put all my clothes into the wash together and mixed these with dark blue jeans. Obviously, they came out light blue and were pretty much ruined (silly me, better not do that with my white placement uniform!). These are really handy wear under a shirt or a jumper on these chilly mornings.
Item six is a 2-in-1 shirt and grey jumper top. I must confess; I've had my eye on this one for a while! I fell in love with it when I was still back home in Ireland but hadn't the spare monies back then to buy it - devestated! I think it's super super cute and can't wait to wear it with jeans, boots and a leather jacket.
Item eight is a tartan scarf. I brought some scarves over with me from Ireland, but they were really thin ones, which won't keep out the chill these days! I really think this one is so cute and it's so soft too!
Item nine is a boho-inspired playsuit that was actually reduced to just five pounds so I had to! No, I really had to! Even though it's obviously a summer outfit (hence the reduction), I really think it will work well for the cooler months teamed with a pair of thick tights, boots, a scarf and a warm jacket.
Item ten is just a basic T-shirt - black and white stripes. Good for wearing under a jumper or a hoodie or just lazing around the house.
Item eleven is this really cute monochrome top I just fell in absolute love with (who needs a boyfriend when you have clothes this cute?!). Black and white is a colour combination that is so effortlessly classic and I thought the bow tie neck detail was just too adorable to not have.
Item twelve is a wooly forest green (looks black in my idiotic phone camera's photo!) polo-neck jumper that is just so snuggly and cosy. Perfect for chilly days!
Item thirteen is this white jumper with navy stripes, which is a nod to the nautical trend. I thought it was super cute and had immediate visions of paring it with red lippy (as if I needed an excuse to wear red lippy!).
Item fourteen is a black and white striped skirt that goes to my knee. If you couldn't tell already, I love wearing black and white and this striped skirt also gives a nod to the nautical trend (more red lippy!).
Item seventeen is a pair of eyelashes by Primark beauty. I've used many of their eyelashes before, but I haven't seen these 'Intense' style in any store in Ireland I've ever visited so had to invest! I'll have to try them out soon and let you know my thoughts...
The last few items are some makeup brushes. Just before I left for England, Primark brought out their make up brushes and I didn't feel like buying more at the time, but I've heard these ones are all right so decided to give them a go for myself! I picked up the blusher brush, the liquid foundation brush, the concealer brush and the eyeshadow/concealer brush. I hope to do a seperate blog post on these guys once I use them over the next few weeks and let you know what I think!
Hope you enjoyed my Primark haul! Happy shopping!! xx
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