I love Spring Things! Tag 2015 :)

Hey everyone!! So I am back with a fun and simple tag for Spring :) I said I would finally do it as the weather has gotten less cold and we saw some sun today so here goes!! 

Name your top 10 spring makeup items ❀

1. Nyx Wicked Dreams Palette

2.Seventeen Pink Power lipstick

3.Nyx HD Concealer

4.Bourjois Volume max Mascara

5.Soap & Glory Smoulder and kohl eyeliner pen

6.Manhattan Cream Compact makeup 

7.Manhattan Soft Compact Powder

8.Isa Dora Bronzing powder

9.Urban Decay Primer Potion

10.Catrice Liquid Liner

Name your top 5 spring blushes ❀

1. MeMeMe Blush me in Coral

2. Nyx Powder Blush in Dusty Rose

3. Catrice Defining blush in Apropos Apricot

4. Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lovely Pink

5.Bourjois Round pot blush in Rose Èclat 

What do you look forward to about Spring?❀

The (hopefully) warmer weather, the change in fashion, closer to Summer and of course my Birthday in April :) 

What are some fashion and beauty trends you are going to rock?❀

I am loving the crazy prints in Primark atm, and the shoes, also love the pastel colours :)  For beauty I am loving the natural look :) 

Have you a favourite Spring inspired clothing item?❀

Yes! I have a beautiful dress from Primark that is black and white with flowers on it :) It's perfect for Spring! 

Favorite spring accessories?❀

Scarves, bracelets, statement jewellery, all in bright pastel of course! :) 

Favorite spring scents?❀

Viva la Juicy by Juicy couture or any of the DKNY scents :) 

What is your favourite Spring Flower?❀

The daffodil or daisy :) 

Are you planning anything for this Spring?❀

Not that I am aware of but it is my birthday in April, I will be a big 22 year old (Yay)...(Not!) :D 

Ok guys so that is it!! Feel free to do it yourself as I tag everyone and anyone :) 

Happy Spring <3 !! 

Sandy.S❀

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Recent Favourites

Hey everyone! So I am back with some recent beauty favourites of mine that I just felt I had to share with everyone! 

So first off we have possibly one of the best cleansers I have ever used and I am sure you have heard of it; the Garner Micellar Cleansing Water.

This is without a doubt the best I've ever used and I know I am probably very far behind in only saying this now, but I'm glad I caved it and bought it. At only 4€ for almost half a litre where would you be going wrong?

Nyx Wicked dreams eyeshadow palette

So this palette has 24 shadows, both matte and metallic ranging from beige colours to black and metallic browns, blues, greens and pinks. It only cost me 13€ on sale in a local pharmacy and I had to pick it up! The colours are so pigmented and perfect for daytime or nighttime looks. 

 

Catrice eye liner in Black on track

I love this guy and have kept going back to it time and time again. It was only 3-4€ and lasts so long! Without a doubt it is one of the best I have ever used. Iit comes with a thin brush applicator which I find is more flexible than a felt tip and easier to do that perfect winged line. 

Catrice Made to Stay Highlighter pen in EYE NEED!

I picked this up randomly and am so glad that I did! It is a beautiful white gold pen that you place on the inner corner of your eye to brighten up the area, it can also be used as a base for a white or similar white gold or gold colour on your eyes. One little dab of this and your eyes brighten immediately! 

Rimmel Hide The Blush concealer

I bought this impulsively as I wanted to try it out when doing my contouring and I was very happy with it, I bought it in 001 Ivory and it is yellow based, perfect for my rosy red cheeks. Because it is a stick it is easily applicable and stays throughout the day. 

Nyx Concealer wand in Cw01 Porceleine

I am crazy about this concealer! It is more liquid based than anything else and comes with a wand applicator but is so creamy and light and covers any blemishes instantly! Again I would highly recommend this for contouring as it is easily blendable and brightens the skin. 

Nyx Round Lipstick in Chic Red

I love Nyx lipsticks because they are some of the most long lasting and moistening lipsticks ever used. I use this with a nyx lip liner in Plum and it creates a great base to keep it there, through eating, drinking, kissing ;) whatever it may be. Chic red is a beautiful fuchsia red colour and perfect for those of you not wanting to go too dramatic with a vibrant red, this is more of a fuchsia colour. 

Nyx Jumbo lip pencil in 727 Vanilla Ice

This colour is not one I would usually go for and when buying it I actually thought it was a jumbo eye pencil! But it is a beautiful metallic coffee colour and really moisturises and brightens up the lips. 

Urban Decay Eye Eyeshadow Priming Potion in Sin

This is without a doubt my favourite base for doing a dramatic eye Makeup. It is the exact same as the Urban Decay eye shadow Sin, so if you like that eyeshadow I would advise puttig this on before it and it really brightens the eyes! 

Ok so guys, that is everything on my recent favourites :) I also recently bought the Ultimate Blends Shampoo in Honey Treasures for dry brittle hair and I cannot wait to try them! I love anything honey based :P !!

I will be back soon with some more tips and tricks :) !! 

Thank you as ever for reading!! 

Sandy.S

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Valentines Gift Ideas

Hey everyone!!

So with Valentine's day looming, I'm sure there is a lot of you out there with your head in your hands thinking 'crap' or some other choice words :P

I have a head like a sieve at the best of times, but I do always remember the commercial celebrations, like valentine's day :P just ask my fiance he'll tell you ;) I remember a number of years ago cursing the day that is Valentine's day. because I was convinced I would end up alone or in a convent, so I always said if I ever had someone to celebrate Valentine's with, I would go all out :)

I know many hate that day and think it's stupid, but the romantic in me will always think otherwise :)

So for those of you who have absolutely no notion what to get for your significant other I will suggest a few homemade items to help you...and p.s if none of these help, Lidl/Aldi/Tesco etc do some fairly cute little bits leading up to the day :)

You could just use one of these funny cards? :P

90% of ideas are cooking based, so if you're not great in the kitchen don't read the following :P
If you're partner has a sweet tooth then I would definitely suggest the following:

A sweetheart cake.
Ok so you have seen that really pretty cake you think they'll love in the bakery window, you check the price and you don't like what you see...but you love the cake.
Make your own! And quite simply too :) Have a look in a recipe book at whatever type of cake you like...(Chocolate is probably the best) and decide on an icing (preferably pink). The tricky part is how do you get the shape without having to buy a special shaped tray :)

Use one circular baking tin and a square one, make two cakes. When both are baked, cut the circular one in half  and turn the square one around until it resembles a diamond shape. Place both halves of the round cake on top until it resembles a heart and cover in your icing, sparkles, strawberries etc :) Simples!

If you want something cuter I will suggest a Heart Sweetheart pie :)
For this you might have to be very creative, but it is a really cute idea and perfect for Valentines ideas :)
You will need :

Ingredients 
3 – 4 cups of strawberries (cut into chunks) 
Frozen pie crust ( pastry)
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1/2 cup water 
3 tablespoon cornstarch 
1 egg yolk 
sugar to decorate

In a bowl, pour sugar over the strawberries. In a saucepan, bring the water, cornstarch, and strawberries to a boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut out hearts from the pastry using a small heart shaped cookie cutter. Place pastry shell in desired oven dish.
Leave the strawberry filling cool down and when finally cooled pour into the pie shell.
Brush one side of your cutout hearts with an eggwash formula and place them on top of the pie in a neat circular row,
Brush the entire pie with the egg wash and dust with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes then reduce the oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 20 – 25 minutes until the filling bubbles. 
Crust should be golden brown when ready.

If you would rather make lots of smaller versions of the above pie, then follow the same recipe with the strawberries, just cut out sizeable heart shapes in the pastry. Place one heart on top of another and fill with the strawberry mix and cook for the same time ;) Simples!

Chocolate covered hearts.
So if you just want something simple and delicious, I would suggest these.  All you need are some cocktail sticks, strawberries, melted chocolate and whatever else you feel like decorating them with, icing sugar, edible glitter, etc. Go mad :) Simply melt some chocolate, any kind, bournville, dairy milk, galaxy, aero, or even simple cooking chocolate! Cut some strawberries in half, place them flat down and beside their other half to shape a heart. Place a cocktail stick through them so they don't separate and pour chocolate over them, decorate with whatever you wish and leave them in the fridge. Voila! If you feel like messing or having a laugh I suggest chocolate covered bananas instead ;) for the messers out there :P

 

There literally are so many ideas just add pink icing or chocolate or strawberries to anything and it's a valentines present :)

Another similar idea is cookie hearts :) make any type of cookie he or she like, in a heart shape using a heart cutout. Cover in sprinkles, chocolate or pink icing and you're done :)

So if you hate the idea of food and want some practical cutesie presents I have plenty of ideas for you :)

So remember that last time you went on holidays and bought the obligatory deck of playing cards? Well it can make the most romantic Valentines gift for your partner :) I know you might love a lot of things about them, more than 52? If so, write them down, one thing on each card, for a unique present to your partner. It might be unusual but that's part of the charm :) Plus it's guaranteed to make them smile :)

Homemade scratch cards. (I personally love this!)
So if you want something really cute, Ii will suggest these and they are actually really simple!
So I would suggest you write something cute on a piece of card, be it a scratch card to get a certain gift like breakfast in bed, a bath, dinner, something adult :P (especially after fifty shades is out :P) So write what ever you like on this piece of card, decorate it and then is the creative part. Get a small blob of acrylic paint, any colour and mix with some fairy liquid. Water down if necessary. Paint the mixture over your answers to be scratched off and leave to dry in a spot with sunlight for 2-3 hours. After this you should have a scratchable surface :)

If you're looking for something specific for her and homemade? Try this simple and easy recipe

 and it is guaranteed to make her smile :) A rose petal coconut sugar scrub!
Sso after all of these new diets came out coconut oil has become a best seller on the market and is used in EVERYTHING!! Especially in health and beauty! So I came across this and thought omg perfect gift for her. So all you need is 1/2 cup coconut oil , 1/2 cup rose petals, 20 drops of rose water oil or almond oil and 1 cup granulated sugar. Mix all of the above together using a hand held blender, add more or less of the almond/rose oil depending on the smell you want and spoon into a jar of your choosing (an old jam or relish jar washed out is good as any!). Decorate however you wish :)

Looking for something specific for him?
Simple! I know it might sound so obvious, but men literally love getting things from women, who know exactly what they like (outside the bedroom this is!;p ). So the ideal gift is to literally fill a box full of the stuff they like, beer, bacon, pizza, fifa, beer, die hard...etc! Men aren't as complicated as us women, we like romantic cheesy stuff but men are happy with practical and simple things they like! Sso find out what food he likes, beer, dvds, music etc and just put it all in a box, I guarantee he will be delighted!
To be honest most of the homemade gifts I found for men were not for a picnic in the park :P but if that's what you're looking for or know he likes, I advise you to go see Fifty Shades and get some ideas ;) ;)

Happy Valentines gift making peeps ;) I'll be doing some makeup looks for the ladies as well so feel free to have a look at them also!!

Until next time <3
Sandy.S
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Spring Trends :) What's coming our way

Hey Guys :) 

So, I have been browsing the Spring/Summer Makeup trends that have been hitting the catwalk recently on Cosmo magazine. Preparing myself for bright pinks and reds, I was surprised and a little bit off to be honest! 

I have seen a crazy amount of winged eyeshadow in dusky browns and golds ,even bright and dark purple! simple winged liner, green, pink and orange eye liner with a dramatic wing, in both eye line and water line! Twiggy inspired mascara (slightly clumped together lashes) bleached brows to heavy dark brows and completely natural looks with slight contouring! 

Personally I do like to keep my looks as simple as possible, favouring a smokey eye, lashes, liner and either nude or pink lips :) I find it very challenging to step out of my comfort zone, even though I know some of these looks would actually suit me or my family and friends! 

In fairness Ireland has only recently discovered the Kylie Jenner look! (God bless lip liner!) Even though we are one of the closest countries in Europe to America, why does it seem that we are so late in trends or adapting them. I sincerely doubt I am going to see some of my neighbours shopping in town with bleached eyebrows or Tiffany Blue eyeliner! We seem to have a look that we depend on and don't change. I for one know many that have adapted the 80's blue eyes and red lips and don't change it! Fair play to them I say!

SO, as part of my new challenge with my new "Streaky Face Blogs" I am going to try out some of these looks and hopefully give some inspiration to people that read them to step out of the comfort zone and have bright blue and peach eyeliner all over Ireland!:P (jokes) 

I just hope that it will give people the chance to see that the usual liner and lippy look you wear to work or on a night out might not be the only look that suits :) 

Watch this space ;) 

Here are some examples of Spring Summer Trends for 2015 :) 

Thanks for reading :D if you feel like trying any of these out, do, and let me know :) 

Sandy.S

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Smokey eyes :) How to:

Hi Everyone :) I'm really sorry about my delay in writing posts but I am back now and promise to be better with writing these :) 

So I have been trying out some looks with the eyeshadow palettes I have and I have decided to show you all how I create my smokey eye look as I have gotten so many compliments on them recently :)

It is quite tricky, but one little genius tip I will share with you is this...

Yes, sellotape! 

If I ever found it tricky to do a smokey eye before I would just use sellotape! Fortunately over time I have gotten used to doing them and can do without it now, but this is what I used at the beginning :) All you have to do is this, apply some sort of base over your eye, be it a paint pot, coloured primer or concealer to hid the veins and redness (if you have it), then get a piece of sellotape about 4 or 5 cm long, and place it just under where you either want your eyeshadow to stop, or eyeliner to go. If you are using it for eyeliner place it under the eye and join it up so that it is as if you were continuing on from your water line. You can even use it on your cheeks for contour! But I find it the best for doing smokey eyes, even just until you get used to doing them yourself. I also advise doing it before you apply your foundation as any fall off can be easily wiped off and foundation applied. 

So after I apply my sellotape I apply my eyeshadows. You can choose any colour/colours you like, depending on what you would like to go for. Usually I will use 3 or 4, sometimes 2 if it's only a simple look :) Normally I go for browns, golds and pinks, even black if very dramatic :) 

I start by applying the brightest colour to the inner corner of my eye and tear duct, usually a white or cream as it will reflect the light and make my eyes appear brighter :) I will use this colour again for under my brows. 

Next I will usually get a metallic or shiny based colour to apply on the middle of the eye or 2/3 part :) The reason for this is, the middle part of the eye is the part where the eyeball moves the most and catches the light,  therefore placing a glitter based shadow on that part of the eye will catch the light and give your eyes a more appealing look. I will pat this colour down, rather than brushing it as patting it down will leave more product on that part. 

On the third part of the eye and the crease I will place a darker colour, usually a dark matte colour, void of any glitter, a brown, black or even a dark purple or pink. I will then blend the three colours together using a thicker blending brush. You may notice the outer corner has lightened a bit, if so go back in with the dark colour and blend into the crease with either a small blending brush, or crease brush. 

I will then get the colour I used for the inner tear duct and place that under my brows and blend it into the eyeshadow over the crease so there are no thick lines of shadow, everything looks more natural and professional. 

 After this I go in with my liquid liner(you can use a pen or gel, whichever you prefer) and line the top of the eyes, the lashes to get rid of any shadow on them, and then the waterline just over the sticky tape. You can have it any length or any thickness you prefer (that's what she said :P ).

I will then line the water line with some black liner, if you have small eyes then avoid this or perhaps use white instead to make your eyes appear bigger. I then apply the darker shadow used under the lower lashes and either join that to the liner or just leave it under the lashes, depending on the look. Sometimes I like to use a sort of ombre effect under the eyes, of the shadows I have used previously. Again, that is completely up to you, it just helps to dramatize the look. 

If you wish to apply the lashes, first use an eyelash curler, one coat of mascara and then stick them on. I use my eylure adhesive glue, place it on them and leave it to dry for a couple of seconds, then apply the lashes (You have to do this as it will make the lash glue tacky, and therefore stickier and easier to apply) Once you have applied them how you want them, line over them once more with liner and apply some extra coats of mascara to make them blend into your lashes. 

After this apply your foundation, etc and get ready for your day out/work/coffee date/night out :)

I will include some pictures of looks I like to do and I hope this helped :) 

                                         

  

 

For any products I use, I usually leave a list of products under my Makeup Looks on my facebook page :) 

Thanks for reading and happy blending!! :D

Sandy.S

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Blog one of January :)

Hey everyone :) I am sorry it has been so long since my last blog, however it was a very busy christmas and new year personally and I found I just didn't have the time :( 

So I finally get to wish you all a happy new year and I hope it will be amazing and ten times better than the year past! :) 

Do you have any plans for this year? Any trips planned? Or are you like me and winging it? :P 

I had a very mixed year in 2014, moving to Galway, my father being on TV, going to Manchester and Berlin, getting engaged to the best man in the world and of course losing some very important people and meeting new ones :) I think with the crisis the country was in, it has been very mixed for many, but with the highlight of some very important topics such as Mental Health and Homelessness, I hope that these issues will be further dealt with in 2015 and massive improvements will be made :) 

I know many people will be thinking New Year, New Me and all that. But do you really think that you are going to change drastically when the bell strikes for midnight? I for one know that I want to start being more positive, join weight watchers, get more exercise and hopefully this year will be the year that I will get my dream job or course and be able to settle in to something and be more content in life. But I also know that this will take time and I cannot expect to get everything done overnight. I think getting engaged really put life into perspective for me and I find that I finally have a life goal or something to work towards! :P 

The point I'm trying to make is that you should not expect yourself to be able to change overnight, or start giving up on something you love just because your friends have or that supermodel from the Victoria Secret fashion show had the best body you've ever seen! and something else I really hate, is this new fad of joining the gym and feeling the need to have abs and muscles etc like the lads in Geordie shore. I was listening to a doctor on a radio show recently who was giving out about this also, because he said he has never seen so many muscle injuries and sprains since this new gym trend started. I cannot see what is wrong with doing a sport or going for a jog, a run or even a walk. I see people eating fast food, drinking protein shakes and going to the gym like mad people. This is not healthy! Of course I understand people might not be able to go anywhere but a gym for exercise, or that maybe they need it for training up or whatever. I just think it's ridiculous when people are only going because there friends are or because its a fashion statement or the 'new slim'. A persons health is their wealth at the end of the day and if you are perfectly healthy why change yourself?

It's normal for him ^^

Not him ^^ :/

Personally I tell everyone I just want to be healthy, but it's actually because I can't wait to fit in to a gorgeous wedding dress lol :P Jokes!

 I want to be able to wear whatever I want and run to keep up with my sister when we play sports in the summer. I don't care what actress or tv personality has the fittest body, I just want to be happy with myself and I don't care what anyone else thinks about my lifestyle choices :) 

So don't go mad dieting, or change your hair, or your lifestyle just because your friends do and don't make promises to yourself you're not going to keep and make again next New years. If you are doing it for yourself then that is your choice and I wholeheartedly agree with it :)  The best resolution you can make, is to just be yourself in the new year and take every day as it comes. And any fitness decisions or lifestyle choices should be your own not somebody elses. 

I will be writing loads of blogs in the New year hopefully, more makeup tips, more lifestyle issues and some new menu tips as soon as I join Weight watchers :D 

I hope you enjoy :) 

Thank you for reading this odd blog :P

Sandy.S

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Mental Health Awareness: What is Depression to me?

I realize when reading the varying topics of my blogs people will think I have a split personality disorder or something (god forbid) because I literally go from one thing to the other :) and two topics in one day can be so different. I do apologize for this, however, whenever I feel the need to type I just have to put hands to keyboard and off I go :)

Tonight I was reading a few articles about depression and Mental Health, Anxiety etc and I got to thinking what does it all mean to me? What is my explanation for it? To be honest I have yet to completely understand it. All I know is that it is something that unfortunately rears it's ugly head every now and then and it's like that horrible mouth ulcer on the side of your tongue that comes so unexpectedly. No matter how much Bonjela you put on it, or Listerine, or salt and water mouth rinse. It's still there.

Depression is like this, it comes at random, it hurts, no matter how many songs you listen to, chocolate you eat or chick flicks you watch. It just hangs over you and pulls you down deeper and deeper. You could be finished an exam and got the highest mark in the class or even the lowest and still feel this numbness. You could be told you look a million dollars in that new top or skirt, makes no difference to you. I used to think it was just PMS, or being a teenager, but I've been out of my teenage years for two odd years now and it's still there. I was told by one doctor it was just circumstantial, because of the way the country was with recession and this, that and the other. But deep down I knew, no it's not that. I knew there was something there that got me down and I couldn't control it. No matter how great a job I ever got or will get, or how great a life I lead (which I am thankful for) or what great friends, family and new Fiance I have, this 'thing' will always come back to keep me down at times.

Personally, I find that it comes so unexpectedly. One time it got so bad I just took to writing in a diary I had when I was 15 and I just balled my eyes out lol. I felt better afterwards but to this day I don't even know what it was that caused it? I literally have no idea. Does it affect my life? Yes, it does. I find it hard at times to even be in people's company. Strange and all as that sounds, what I mean is, that I will find myself comparing myself to them and how they have a better this, that or the other and it really gets me down. I will then come back to myself eventually and hate myself for even thinking like that in the first place! I even used to compare myself to other people that suffered from depression and felt that if they were suffering so badly, surely mine wasn't as bad and there has to be something else wrong with me. But no, depression and anxiety is exactly what I suffer from and it comes to people in different forms and strengths. Luckily I was able to acknowledge the fact and seek help before it got to a worse stage. I visited Jigsaw in Galway for a couple of sessions to build myself back up and it was one of the best things I have ever done.

Fortunately the stigma surrounding Mental Health in Ireland is lifting, it is too late for some but hopefully it can help others. Like Bressie speaking out and many other celebrities, I too feel that if we share our stories and listen to others, we can help to spread the fact that it is not making you a freak or a coward. Quite the opposite in fact. It is one of the bravest things you can ever do, walking in to a doctors office or Help centre and asking for help.

Just remember, you're not alone!

Bit of an odd blog, but I hope you will share your stories and feel free to ask me for any help or guidance that is in my power to give.

Thank you for reading,
Sandy.S
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