FAVOURITES | December 2013

Ah! It's my last favourites post of 2013. I actually started working on this post before Christmas, and then got so overwhelmed in the festive period, that I forgot to finish. Oops! I feel like this year has just gone by so fast! Crazy! I don't have many favourites this month, but let's jump right in!

My first favourite this month is the Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Stick in the shade 008 Blackmail. All of the Scandal Eyes range is fantastic, but I am especially loving this crayon lately! I've been using it to create quite a grunge-y, smokey eye. Blackmail works as the perfect base, as it's super pigmented and blendable! The pigmentation is buildable, which is ideal, because you can always add, but you can't take away without having to start from scratch! The Scandal Eyes Shadow Sticks retail at €5.95.

 Next item in my December Favourites may have won a place my all time favourites. It is MAC's Candy Yum-Yum. Candy Yum-Yum is a neon, blue-based pink with a matte finish - surprise, surprise! Having seen a couple of my nearest and dearest wearing this lipstick, I had to have it. It's everything I love in a lipstick; pink, bold, and most importantly MATTE! While it's not hydrating, it's not drying in the least! Definitely might be my number one MAC lippy! Candy Yum Yum retails for €19, and can be purchased from Brown Thomas or MAC's flagship Irish store at BT2 on Henry Street in Dublin. A handy tidbit; if you sign up for a BT Loyalty Card, you can collect points that can be used for money off purchases in MAC. Ace!

For a fashion-y favourite, these Primark leggings are just the most comfortable things EVER, and they're in my favourite print right now: TARTAN! These retail at €8, and come in two different colours! I originally bought the red pair, but ended going back a week later to buy the other colour. Primark also stock a woollier version of the blue/green ones!

My last favourite for this month is One Direction's Our Moment fragrance. While I wasn't entirely sold on the band bringing out a fragrance (it seemed sort of.. gimmicky), my opinion changed as soon as I smelled it! It's described as a "sparkling, juicy and feminine fragrance" that is "made up of splashes of fresh fruit and seasonal flowers infused with undertones of warm musk." I fell in love at first whiff, it was right up my street. Even my mother said it was a 'me perfume'! I was only too happy to discover it under the Christmas tree! It ranges in price, from €27 for a 30ml bottle to €49 for a 100ml bottle, and can be found in most pharmacies and department stores.

What are your favourites of December, and 2013? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, and Happy New Year!,

Elle

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FAVOURITES | November 2013.

I've got a wide range of favourites this month, some new, and some rediscovered, so let's jump right in!

My first favourite this month is Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Liner in Nude. I find this liner is perfect for any daytime make up look, as it's not as dramatic as black liner. The nude also helps open up your eyes, and helps make you appear more awake! Perfect for early mornings after those late nights! These go for €5.49 from any Rimmel retailer.

Next up is the Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I buy two things obsessively; mascara & lipstick! I just can't get enough! The thing I love most about this particular mascara is that the brush is quite small & thin, making for precision application. Ace! I've taken to curling my lashes, using this to set the curl, then going in with Benefit's They're Real to finish off! At €7.49, it's one of Maybelline's cheaper mascaras. 

In keeping with the things I purchase obsessively, my next favourite is, of course, a lipstick! It's 17's Stay Pout Lipstick in the shade Delinquent. Delinquent is a bright fuchsia pink and has great staying power on the lips. The formula is not drying in the slightest, and the finish keeps your lips looking moisturised! The entire Stay Pout collection is fantastic, they have a great range of shades and don't break the bank! The range is available from Boots, and retail at €5.69.

I've raved about Bleach London products countless times before (see here & here), but I'm not done yet! This month, I am loving their Super Cool Colours. What started as an innocent ombré with their Bruised Violet dye, turned into an all over colour in a matter of days! First time around, I diluted the dye with conditioner to get a muted, almost pink shade. A week later, I left the dye undiluted, and simply went for it! The result? A gorgeous, rich true purple! If like me, you want a quick & easy way to change it up a bit, then here is your solution. Simply shampoo your hair, towel dry it, and pop in your Super Cool Colour of choice. Et volià, you have transformed yourself! The dye lasts 2 to 10 washes, depending on your own hair colour, so it's not a huge commitment. They've got a great range of colours too! Can you tell that I'm totally in love with the Bleach brand yet?! I can't wait to try out some more of the colours! The Super Cool Colours retail for €6.79, and are available from select Boots stores & Boots online.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my Ultimate Wishlist, and on said list was American Apparel's Denim Sherpa Jacket. Retailing for €135, it was, and still is, way out of my price range! Fear not, Primark has come to the rescue once more! They have a mid-wash denim sherpa jacket in stock, a dead ringer for American Apparel's one, and at €21, it's a fraction of the price AA are charging. Score! I honestly haven't stopped wearing it since purchasing. 

Last, but by no means least, we have the fantastic lads in One Direction and their 3rd studio album, Midnight Memories. Pegged to take top spot on all charts this side of Christmas, Midnight Memories is deserving of all the praise and success! There's not really much else I can say without gushing embarrassingly! Being completely honest, there is nothing about Midnight Memories that I don't like! I can tell it'll be on repeat indefinitely! One thing I will say, go for The Ultimate Edition. You can thank me later! Midnight Memories is available for download from iTunes, as well as in stores worldwide.

What are some of your favourites this month? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,
Elle.

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MUSIC | Monthly Playlist #1

I thought as a break from my usual spiel, at the end (or near the end) of each month, I'd post a playlist of what I'm listening to! 

This month's playlist has some new ones, some old ones and some cheeky guilty pleasures! Let's dive in! 

1. Story Of My Life - One Direction
2. Boy - Little Mix
3. Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know - Britney Spears
4. Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood 
5. Take Me To Church - Hozier
6. I See Fire - Ed Sheeran
7. Dangerzone - Kenny Loggins
8. If I Could Change Your Mind - Haim
9. Not Like The Movies - Katy Perry
10. Can We Dance? - The Vamps
11. Her Every Flaw, Her Every Virtue - Bressie
12. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
13. Can't Sleep - Paper Planes
14. Over Again - One Direction
15. Borderline - Madonna
16. Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus
17. I Wish - Cher Lloyd ft. TI
18. Can't Fight The Moonlight - Leann Rimes
19. Holy Grail - Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake
20. You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall & Oates  

That's it for November's playlist! What have you been listening to this month?! 

Until next time, 
Elle. 

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FAVOURITES | October 2013

These were meant to be a part of my beauty favourites, but it was already longer than it needed to be! I'm slowly, but surely, figuring this out, so bare with me while I work out some kinks! There's not too many, and I promise to try be less long winded! Let's jump right in!

In terms of fashion pieces, I've only had one this month that I just cannot get enough of. It's these black boots from New Look. They retail at €59.99, but bare in mind, they are real leather, so you'll get your money's worth! I couldn't find these particular boots in the online store, but they could be still available for purchase in New Look stores. I adore these boots. I've worn them as much as physically possible. It does take a few wears to get them super comfortable, but for a boot that will last be the whole winter and then some, it's well worth it. I cannot speak highly enough of them! While these particular boots may not be in everyone's price range, but I do know that Primark have a very similar pair for a third of the price (€22.00), and they come in both black, and a tan colour.

Books wise, while travelling, I picked up The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I will admit, the sole reason I picked this book up was because I had enjoyed the movies so much both times I saw it! What I wasn't expecting was to find that the book was so different to the movie adaptation, having read online that they stuck closely to the story line! It became this brand new story, and I was unsure how it would end. I loved it immensely! So much so that I'm planning to buy the rest of the series. It is a bit daunting, beginning a book series with 5 books already published, and another on the way in 2014. Don't let that put you off! This series will have you chomping at the bit to get your hands on the next one (believe me, I'm speaking from experience here!).

In the spirit of Halloween, my movie favourites are some festive classics. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus must watches for me during the spookiest time of year! Both movies are jam packed with songs to sing 'til your heart's content, and aren't so scary that you'll be awake until Christmas! Perfect for scardey cats like me! 

Musically, October has been one for my favourites. I've been listening to four records in constant rotation: Arctic Monkeys' AM, Kings Of Leon's Mechanical Bull, Days Are Gone by Haim and The 1975's self titled debut. I could wax lyrical about these albums for days, just know that they all fantastic and sometimes splashing out on the deluxe edition is worth the extra euros!

Now, I couldn't mention musical favourites without mentioning my loves, One Direction (I like 'em - sue me!). Their newest single Story Of My Life was released this week, and the video will be online this coming Sunday. I'm not gonna lie, I really like the song! It usually takes me quite some time to warm up to songs, especially singles from unreleased records, but it was an instant love affair. Story Of My Life, available for download on iTunes, is from 1D's upcoming third album, Midnight Memories, which will be released November 25th of this year (expect a review to follow the release!).

This last favourite, I forgot to include in my beauty favorites. It's the Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner. I'll be the first to admit, I'm very, very lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes. It's shocking. Prior to this, I'd never even purchased a brush cleaner, opting to use home remedies instead. At last, I have seen the light. This daily cleaner is quick and easy, and takes minimal effort. Perfect! 6 pumps covers the largest of brushes, then you lightly swipe the brush across a clean cloth until clean, then leave to dry. It's that simple. This product costs around €6.50 and can be purchased from any Sephora store. 

That's it for my monthly favourite! Hopefully next month, I'll be able to fit them all into the one post! Also, I kind of want to play around with how I lay out these types of posts. If anyone has any suggestions, or if you like this layout, please share your thoughts. Don't be a stranger!

Until next time, 

Elle. 

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