#SBBC Filler Post Day 23: It's Finally Autumn!!

Today I wasn't really feeling either topic for the September Beauty Blog challenge, so I decided to use a filler post I had sitting around! Hopefully nobody decides to lynch me for my choice!

How many of you would say your favorite time of year is Spring/Summer? My guess is a lot. I however, fall into that minority of people who love Autumn and Winter. I adore this time of year. While I don't care terribly for Hallowe'en or Christmas, I cant get enough of the weather, the atmosphere in the run up to Christmas, the weather and the wardrobe.

Before I get into this, it's important to mention that bold lip colours look better on smooth lips, so I recommend you invest in a lip scrub, like my Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush (€6/7.99) and a good lip balm, like Carmx or Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner. These will give you the best base possible for your bold Autumn shades!

I have been stocking up on Autumn lip products in the last few weeks, so I'm going to give you a run down of what I will be rocking until at least next January!!



Revlon:

Crush

Revlons Kissable Balm Stains are perfect for Autumn and Winter wear as they are hydrating and have a decent wear time. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to rock an Autumnal lip but would also like the options of going sheer or building up the color intensity.

• Crush 005 has been a faithful companion of mine during the last year, and it's so fall appropriate!
  
  
  It's a beautiful reddish-purple berry color that can be worn sheer, or built up to a more opaque, full coverage.
  

  

  Romantic

• Romantic 045 is a very new purchase, but I bought it because its a sheer red tone that makes your lips look as though you have just bitten them! Again you can build the intensity up to suit your needs, be it for daytime or nighttime wear.
  
  This one will easily be a Festive Favorite come December!
  
• Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet 040. I am in love with this Lip Butter.

  

  Red Velvet

  
  
  It couldn't be more Autumnal but it is also festive so will see me through to Christmas with ease! As with the Kissable Balm Stains, the Colorburst Lip Butters are pigmented and hydrating, providing beautiful color with ultimate comfort.

€11.20 in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Maybelline:

24hr Absolute Plum

• Super Stay 24hr Lip Colors are my "Go To" for when I'm visiting Chris, because they do exactly what they say on the tube. The staying power on these babies is in-credible!! I don't know why I don't have more of these guys knocking about in my lipstick basket, to be quite honest! My Autumn shade is 340 Absolute Plum. It's a gorgeous purple with a red undertone. It pretty much looks like the inside of a ripe plum. Yummy! 

€13.99 (approx) in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Midnight Plum

• Color Sensational in 338 Midnight Plum is a gorgeous shimmering purple shade, that goes on quite sheer. This would be good if you were nervous about rocking an opaque purple lip as you ease yourself into Autumn and Winter. I like!

 €9.99 (approx) in Boots, currently Buy One Get One Half Price

Catrice:

Love's Di-Wine

• Ultimate Shine Gel Lip Colour in 010 Love's Di-Wine is a beautiful, high gloss lipstick in a sheer red berry shade.
  
   If you were trying to rock a Lily Collins-esque, glam red carpet look, then look no further! Catrice Lipsticks have fabulous staying power and this is no exception! This particular shade is heralded as a dupe for Nars Flamenco, if that tickles your pickle!

• Ultimate Colour in 160 Tell Me A Berry-Tale (discontinued).
  
  I feel like a right tease for including this but I picked this up at the end of spring, before The Great Gatsby was released, and I think its a perfect Autumnal, deep purple berry colour. I can't get over it. It's so bold but somehow muted, suiting a glam, understated night look perfectly. 

• Ultimate Colour in 270 Matt-Erial Girl. I have received so many compliments on this shade that it makes my head spin.
  
  This is probably the brightest of all the lipsticks featured, but its beautiful and fun for the coming season. I've actually fallen so hard for this I've bought extra tubes for when Catrice inevitable discontinue it. 

• Ultimate Colour in 220 Step Red Up. Finally we have a red lip! Finally!!
  This lipstick is a very vampy red, so tread lightly. As with all of the Ultimate Colour range, it's seriously pigmented and opaque, so not for the faint of heart. This would be stunning at a Christmas party with a simple eye look and your classic LBD. 

All Catrice lipsticks are €4.49 in Penneys and Chemists nationwide.

My personal favorites of all of these picks, would have to be the Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet, and the Catrice Ultimate Colour in Matt-Erial Girl. With that said though, I adore the whole list from top to bottom!

What do you think? Have you any recommendations for other brands I've missed out on? Drop me a comment down below! 

xxx Amy

#SBBC Day 22: A Quote

I've been wracking my brains for a quote that I like, and suddenly it occurred to me!

"There are few who can foresee where their path will lead them, until they reach its end..."

Legolas Greenleaf  actually says "Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end." (Lord of The Rings, The Two Towers)

I can't believe that it took me so long to think of a quote when this one has been tattooed on my ribs (in Elvish, no less) for 3 years!!

I love this quote becuase it reminds me not to get too bogged down about where I am in life, and to stay focused on the journey. I don't know where I'm going, but I can see where I came from. 

Whats your favorite quote? Leave it in a comment below telling me why you like it... 

xxx Amy

#SBBC Day 21: Advice to Others About Blogging

If I could advise anyone about blogging it would be to blog about what makes you happy.

I absolutely adore make-up, shopping, and all things beauty related, but I still blog about the little things that make me happy. Being able to be there for people who struggle with anxiety, depression, food and body issues, etc makes me just as happy as Beauty Blogging which is partly the reason for Mental Gealth Monday, and the entire reason I still talk about MH on this blog. My struggles don't define me but in some ways I am proud of them. They made me the version of myself that you guys get to interact with. 

I blog about the things I think I am good at, the things I know about - and so that makes me a reasonably good blogger too.

Always do what makes you happy, both in the blogging world, and beyond!

xxx
Amy

#SBBC Day 20: 10 Things Under €10

Hi all!!

So, ten things under a tenner each. This I can do!

1. Catrice Lipsticks.

Most Catrice Lipstick retail at €4.99 in any good Penneys, or chemist. The quality far surpasses the price, that's for sure! If you can get them on a half price deal in a chemist (between seasons) you can stock up on a good few basics for very little.

2. Essence Colour and Go Nail Polish.

At €1.89 on any Essence stand, these polishes pretty much mean there is no excuse for you not to have a lovely set of nails at any given time! Nobody has any excuse not to be able to keep up with the latest colour trends, even if they are a broke student!

3. Lush Bubblegum Lip-Scrub

This stuff retails for somewhere around €7.49 and boy is it worth every penny. I've had a jar since I started blogging and I'm not even halfway through it yet. That's value.

4. New Look Socks.

New Look offer a deal of 3 for €9 on their socks. This is an offer worth taking up, ladies, because their socks never get rough in the wash. They stay as soft as the day they were bought. So much better than Penneys, that's for sure!!

5. Sally Hansen Acrylic Top-Coat.

This stuff is amazing! I've been trialling it for the last 2 week and let me just state for the record that it is the best top coat I have ever used! It's €6.99 in Tesco. It dries twice as fast as SH's Double Duty, and waaay glossier, too!

6. Penneys Body-Con Dresses.

I have bought two of these dresses within a week of each other, they are that brilliant. I have a black and a deep berry purple one. They have 3/4 length sleeves and are great for wearing a number of ways! Look out for some OOTD posts, featuring them!! They're €6.00 each, by the way!!

7. Patterned Tights.

Patterned and boldly coloured tights are some of my favourite things to wear, especially with a simple outfit. You can find them anywhere really, and mostly under a tenner, too! If you want to keep with two Autumn trends at once, then you need to get hold of some dark green tartan print tights!

8. Catrice Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder

Tis stuff is the best powder I have ever used. It has rendered my Natural Collection Pressed Powder void, since I discovered it. It's untinted, meaning it will match any foundation, by setting it invisibly... €5.99 in Penneys and Chemists nationwide.

9. Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express

Is this cheating? This amazing stuff is on offer at the moment in Tesco for €7.99 so I re invested. It's the best mascara I have ever used...

10. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clarke

I got this book in Tesco as well, for €9.95. There is a movie being made of this series so I want to be ahead of the curve! This is the first book in a large series, as far as I'm aware!

Those are my 10 under €10! What do you think? Please recommend anything you think I might like, or anything I've missed out on! 

Amy
xxx

#SBBC Day 19: Spending, Spending, Spending!!

Today, the topic is "€250 to Spend; How Do You Spend It??"

Oh Lord!!

Credit: m2.paperblog.com

If I was handed €250 and told to go shopping, the first thing I think I would buy is MAC Ruby Woo and Cherry Lipliner. Then I would go to a Catrice stand, and pick up a few of their lovely lipsticks and liners for good measure.

After that, I would drop into Penney's and get a few nice sets of underwear. Sure, why not, right? I'd pick up a bunch of basics, skirts, tops, leggings, jeans, jumpers and cardigans, and a few accessories like bags and stuff.

So lets say I have €50 left to spend. I would go for lunch to a Sushi Bar with Himself, and then swing by Hodges & Figgis on the way home.

How would you spend €250??

Amy,
xoxo

#SBBC Day 18: Inspiration

Hi guys! Today the topic is Who or What Inspires Me.

Music takes the top spot. Certain tracks evoke certain feelings. For example, AC/DC's Back in Black evokes a feeling of "badassery" in me. I have been known to strut around my room in a towel after a shower to that song. I have no shame!!

I'm inspired by my friends and by Chris too. You can bounce an idea around with my friends and suddenly it becomes a tangible, real thing! It's so wonderful. The last time I was inspired by Chris, I applied for college, and suddenly here I am, in DIT! Cray-cray!!

Would it be totally cheesy to say my readers and viewers inspire me?? Because you guys have no idea how much you guys have spurred me on to keep blogging! I wouldn't be in the shortlist for the Blog Awards if it wasn't for you guys!! Thank you so much!!

What inspires you? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!!

Amy,
xoxo

#SBBC Day 16: Things I Love

Hey Guys!

Today is "Things I Love" so lets get started! I happen to love a lot of things...

I love being in love. That is my favourite thing. I am so content and safe in my relationship and I love it. Chris keeps me safe and helps me remember to be brave. I wouldn't be going back to college without his gentle nudging to at least apply and see what came of it.

Archery. The most infuriating sport to even come along. When its great its unparalleled, but when its awful it makes me want to slit my wrists. I love it though. 80% of the people I call friends are archers! While the sport itself may be infuriating, and I may be finding it hard to get back to my peak, the down-time, the jokes and the general mischief involved in being an archer is hard to beat.

My Naked Basics palette. It's been the best €26 that I have spent in a long while. I can do so much with it, from day to night, it makes creating a beautiful look so easy! I would recommend it to anyone.

Other things I love include:

DVD Boxsets,
Tattoos,
Lyons Tea,
Vanilla Alpro Yogurt,
Brown Sauce on Bacon sambos,
Black Skinny-Jeans,
My childhood Teddy-Bear,
My iPhone,
Penneys Scarves,
Banter,

What do you love??

Amy,
xx

#SBBC Day 17: A Photo From My Day

Hi all!! 

Today I get to share a picture from my day! This is basically my "Start of College Selfie"!! I'm so excited to start in DIT, it's going to be an adventure! 

What do you think? 

Amy,

xxx

#SBBC Day 15: Beauty Things I Suck At

Hi all!!


Today, we have the Beauty Things I Suck At tag. Oh boy!!

I absolutely suck at matching my liner wings. It's impossible. Like, I cannot do it. It wont happen no matter how hard I try... To be honest, it's quite infuriating. Maybe some day, but today is not that day.

Lipliner. I cant get my lipliner to go on nicely the first time round, or else it takes me longer to line my lips than any other makeup task on my face. It's a nightmare.

What do you suck at?

Amy,
xo

#SBBC Day 14: Post You Are Proudest Of

I am finally up to date on the SBBC!! Woohoo!

The post I am prodest of would have to be my "This Time, It's Personal" post, because it was so hard to write and open up about such a personal time in my life. I am so proud of it though because I helped so many people after that post went live. Aware, the charity even advocated my post and spread the word.

That post makes me so proud because by doing such a scary thing, I was able to help all these people who maybe needed the push in the right direction.

Another reason I'm so proud of it is because it inspired Mental Health Mondays, and that has helped loads of people too.

Dumbledores words have always stayed with me since then; "Soon we must all face a choice, between what is right and what is easy..."

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 13: DIY Beauty

Everyone knows to look good on the outside, you have to treat your insides right.

So, my DIY is a Smoothie!!

YOU WILL NEED:

Credit: Google

Kale,
Celery,
A Banana,
Apple Juice,
Ice,
Lemon Juice.
A  Blender.

Chop up the leafy kale and put a handful or two in a blender.
Chuck in a stalk of celery ( if you want to chop it, do!)
Same with the banana (chop if you want, I don't mind)
Splash in half a cups worth of apple juice.
And a tablespoon of lemon juice (stops it going brown. Bleagh, brown!!)
Lash in some ice, to keep it cold.

Whizz it up, pour and enjoy!

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 12: Life Advice to a Young Person

You're young, you're carefree, you have your whole life ahead of you.

So I'm here to give you some advice on how to make it easier.

Don't take people for granted. You may think your best friend will always be there, up the road but they wont always be there, nor will you.

Remember to say "I Love You" to the people that matter. You will probably be embarrassed, but tell your mum and dad you love them, because they love you so much, more than you will ever know. You are their world. Three words from you, will make their whole day.

Don't let people manipulate you, if it feels wrong, then it probably is. Do not stay with that guy who makes you feel like shit, for fear of being alone. Better alone and happy than in an awful relationship. You're worth so much more than an asshole who mistreats you.

Study. Please for the love of god, study. It is necessary. You can't coast by on the bare minimum your whole life. Hard work and dedication make dreams come true in the long run.

Talk about your problems. Reach out. Take it from me, bottling it up will be the undoing of you.

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 11: How Did "Red Lips, Red Hair"Get Its Name?

Red Lips, Red Hair is the second name my blog has had. When I first started this blog, I was under the moniker of "The Power Of Bilocation", whereby I felt that I could be in two places at once, because of my online space.

Most of you know I struggled badly with anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and generally a bad few years (and to be fair sometimes I still do). Something changed in me when I felt myself getting better. I was always afraid of red lipstick, for some reason I felt too shy to wear it. Yet, as I felt myself getting stronger and more confident, I found myself wanting to rock a red lip.

"Damn it, I am a strong, confident woman and I have had my share of shit hit the fan, so why shouldn't I wear whatever I want to!!", was the thought process for the most part. So I went out, got a red lipstick and liner, and rocked it. Ever since then, my blog has had its Red Lips.

The red hair part:

I was in a pretty bad relationship a few years back. I had been wanting to go back to my ginger roots for a while, and when I would voice it to him he always said that I would be unattractive and ugly with red hair. I listened, like a fool. When I got out of that relationship I believed that the best thing was to stay dark-haired. While I was staying dark haired, I was also growing out my roots up top. Then one day I went into the hair dressers a purple haired emo kid, and came out with a pixie cut that was ginger and joyful. I loved it. I did have to go back for another chop to get the last of the damage off, though. It was a great experience. I'm a redhead and I am proud.

Red Lips, Red Hair is the reminder that I can do whatever the eff I want to, because I am strong and I surround myself with people who love me for the Ginger nut that I am.

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 10: Beauty Pet Peeves

*RANT WARNING*

One of the worst things I see young girls doing these days is caking on their makeup. They have probably heard that "less is more" but do they listen? No.

The second thing, is people who don't blend their foundation down into their neck. It's an unforgivable misdemeanour in my eyes. Why would you put on a whole face of beautiful makeup, only for it to be ruined by the obvious line at your jaw?? Grr!!!

There are plenty more, but I risk being in a bad mood for the entire day if I continue!!

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 9: Incorporating Colour

Credit: fanpop.com

One way I like to incorporate colour into an outfit, is by adding one bright pop in the form of shoes.

Bear with me here, I'm not completely mental!

 I have been known to wear a whole dark outfit, and then pick up a bright touch of colour with a pair of converse. You can then accent that colour in your nails or a scarf.

See, I'm not so crazy!!

Amy
xx

#SBBC Day 8: A Letter to Someone From Your Past

Dear "Someone From My Past",

Thank you for everything. Seriously. I mean it. thank you for teaching me everything that you've taught me. I'm actually grateful for the way you did what you did, too! You lied, and led me astray, led me on, you probably would have lead me off a cliff if I hadn't got out when I did. You destroyed me, and you made me bitter.

I spent a lot of time hating you. Even longer than I ever loved you. I suppose there are days when I still look back and hate your guts, but I spend my days looking forward, looking to my side to see all the wonderful people I have and nearly lost because of you. For that, though, I cannot and will not forgive you.

But, I am grateful for your lies and deceit, in some sick, masochistic way. I'm even grateful that you hurt me. I'm grateful for every single teardrop that I cried over you. Do you know why? It's because I will never let anyone treat me the way you did ever again. You broke me but I got built up 100% better. Because of you, I learned that I hate being made feel small, I hate being lied to. You were the straw that broke the camels back.

You led me on, and ruined me. But, I'm better now.

I am the person you never wanted me to be.

And damn, does it feel good to be rid of you.

Thanks Again,
Amy.

#SBBC Day 7: Fantasy Dinner Party

Hey Guys!!

So today, I get to talk about my fantasy dinner party. I am not going to focus just on the guests, but also on the menu and the location, too. For the purposes of this post, I am going to allow myself to pick from people both living and dead.

Assuming I could invite four guests;

• The first would be Ville Valo, the frontman of HIM, my favourite band. I would love to have a nice conversation with him about music and books and love and life.
• The second guest would be John Green, the fantastic writer of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I would be delighted to just break bread with him, never mind the topic of dinner conversation!
• Third on the line up would be JRR Tolkien. I would love to show him my LotR tattoo and see what he would think of it. I would hope that he would like it!
• Finally, my fourth pick would be Beatrice Hill Lowe. She was an Irish Archer (though she represented Britain) in the 1908 Olympic Games. She took Bronze, by the way!

For food I would be inclined towards simple, wholesome food. Smoked salmon to start, and chicken arrabiata for a main, followed by lemon merengue pie for dessert, which would all be served at a large round table. I would sit between Beatrice and Ville, with John Green and J.R.R taking up the two other seats.

What do you make of my fantasy dinner party? Do you like my guest list?

Amy
xx

June BBC Day 6: Travel Dreams

Most of the time, travelling (at least for me) means a long drive to somewhere in Ireland. Very rarely do I get to go any further than the UK.

I would LOVE to go touring around Scandinavia, because in my opinion, a lot of the best music comes from there. I also love the cold, snow, huddling up in layers, the whole kit and caboodle!

The picture above is of the port in Helsinki. Ain't she mighty pretty?

What would be your dream travel destination? Do you like mine?

Amy
xx




#SBBC Day 5: A Recipe

Morning, All!

You guys probably don't know this about me but I love to bake! My specialty are my caramel slices, but I'm having to amend most recipes for my new Lactose-Free diet. As such, here's a great recipe, totally vegan, gluten and dairy free!!

All of the ingredients can be found in Tesco while you're doing your shopping, then you prepare it and freeze it at a time convenient to you, and you cook it in the dish(es) you serve it in, so it's handy and it's mess free to boot!!

Without further ado, I give you my (amended) version of a Berry Crumble I saw on Nigella once!

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• 100g of Gluten Free Flour (you can get it at any Tesco)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 50g COLD Soy Butter (diced up) (again, you can get this in Tesco, dirt cheap)
• 3 tbsp Demerara Sugar (the light brown one)

FOR THE FILLING

• Frozen Berries (from the freezer aisle in Tesco)
• 1 tsp Cornflour (thickening agent for those not in the know)
• A sprinkle of Vanilla Sugar (You can substitute regular sugar and a couple of drops of Vanilla Essence)

METHOD

1. First, you'll wanna decide whether you're making this in one big ovenproof dish, or in personal serving sized ramekins. When you've sorted that out, pop them onto a baking tray and leave them to one side. 
2. Pop the Gluten Free Flour, Baking Powder and the Soy Butter in a bowl, and rub together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Nigella said "coarse sand" in her TV programme, but ewww, sand!
3. Stir in the sugar, or mix it around with your fingers, and then pop it all into a freezer bag and bung it in the freezer til you need it. For this recipe, we can retrieve it in a "Here's one I made earlier" style move!
4. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 7/ 220 degrees and while its heating up, pop your summer berries into either an oven proof dish (Pyrex or the like) or evenly distribute them between 4 ramekins. Throw in some of the vanilla sugar and cornflour, and stir it up a bit. 
5. Spread the frozen crumble mix over the tops of the frozen berries, bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Even though this is Dairy and Gluten Free, this crumble is awesome and appropriate for this time of year! 

Happy Baking, 

Amy

xx

#SBBC Day 4: Positives About Blogging

I have found a lot of positives have come to me from blogging. Not only beauty blogging, but also Mental Health Monday has been amazing and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

I learned to cope better, first off. When I started blogging, I felt lost, drifting around in a sea of darkness and I didn't know how to be strong. Through blogging I learned to cope somehow, and I found a comfortableness in myself that I never knew about before. I've never felt more strong or happy, and I owe that all to my decision to open a blogger account! Best decision I've made in a very long time...

Second, I feel like I belong somewhere, truly and unerringly. I never fit in as a kid, I mean, I always had friends and I love them to bits, but I always felt wrong somehow. I never felt like my weirdness was completely accepted, I couldn't say the random things I thought, and I have to say that blogging about random stuff has given me an outlet for my very strange, eclectic persona. I can be thoughtful, funny, say silly things an somehow it's always understood here. 

Blogging has also educated me majorly, and by that I mean almost exclusively in regards to beauty! My makeup collection used to consist of one eye palette, a mascara, an eyeliner, one or two lipsticks, and a blush. I have now got more products than I ever need but I know how to use every one of them properly. I can contour and highlight, rock a bold lip, create a smoky eye, and most of all, I can make myself feel amazing, rather than just doing makeup to "fit in". 

Friendships are something I never thought I would garner from blogging, let me tell you. I thought it was a "write for a reader" effort, not a community where people bounce off each other creatively and socially. I am beyond honoured to be counted among the Irish Beauty Blogger community. It's made me feel all warm and fuzzy, and I am so grateful to count people I used to admire from afar among my blogging peers. It's surreal but amazing. 

Blogging has been an intensely positive, educational experience for me and I have been able not only to help myself, but also others. I have been able to review products for those of you interested in that side of my writing, and I have opened up in a deeply personal level for those of you who struggle with the same things I dealt with. 

I love blogging, and once I have one person who likes what I do, be it Beauty or Mental Health related, that will always be enough. 

Amy

Xx

#SBBC Day 3: What You Bring Travelling

I'm not one to travel far, mostly just to Dundalk to spend weekends with Chris, the odd shoot down the country, that kind of thing! I have gotten the art of packing down to a fine art, but instead of boring you with the necessities, I'll just list 5 things I couldn't travel without.

1. Make Up 

I wouldn't ever leave for Dundalk without my makeup and brushes. I always pack up the essentials, and I seem to have gotten good at minimizing the weight of my makeup bag. I will always bring my foundation and powder, then my Look Cheeky Trio, and an eye palette. Lately I've been obsessed with my Urban Decay Naked Basics. I also bring an eyeliner pen, a white eye pencil and a couple of lipsticks. That way, I can create any kind of look, with minimal products!


2. Brush Kit

Wherever my make-up goes, my brushes follow. I have to have my brushes, at least that way I can create any look, for any possible outing. I bring my brushes in a pencil case, that way they are kept clean and safe. I also bring a mini bottle of baby shampoo to clean my foundation brush when I'm not at home. I am a self confessed germophobe, and well... foundation brushes are known for their germ collecting abilities. Enough said!

3. A Book/My Kindle

Chris and I love to read and more often than not, we will sit together and read. So when I go to Dundalk, I always bring whatever I'm currently reading. I'm still trooping through Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy at the moment... It's what I can only describe as a tome.

4. Lacto-Free Milk

Anytime I travel I will bring either my little Lacto-Free pyramids (one cup of tea per portion) or a mini carton of Alpro Soya. Being lactose-intolerant means that I have to remember things that most people don't have to, like milk, yogurt and soy butter. Ho-hum, that's life!

5. My Tablet and Hard Drive

The one problem with having a semi long-distance relationship is the travelling to see each other. Usually before I go anywhere I load up my tablet, charge it fully and them pop it in my handbag for the commute. I also bring my hard drive because I have a bunch of movies on it, and sometimes Chris's brother slows the internet so we can't use Netflix, so it's a handy back up, just in case.

Those are some of the things I bring travelling. What do you bring? Comment down below, I'd love to hear!

Amy
xoxo

#SBBC Day 2: Favorite Eye Palette

Hey guys! Today's topic is one of my favorites of the month, so lets jump in!

My favorite eye-palette, by far has got to be the Naked Basics palette. It is however, closely rivaled by the Accessorize Exposed Palette. I am a complete sucker for neutral shadow palettes, though...I own about 6 of them!

The Naked Basics may only have six shadows, five of which are matte, but you can do so much with it, I can't even explain. From understated day-time to dramatic night time, it can do it all! It also has a huge mirror built into it, which helps a lot when your touching up your look on the go.

The Exposed Palette, on the other hand, has 32 shadows, ranging from matte to shimmer to metallic, and are all amazingly pigmented. It does, however have a lot of fallout, a problem that I have never had with the Naked Basics.

There is a bit of a price difference between the two though, Urban Decays offering is €26.00, whereas the Exposed palette is £7.99 in Superdrug. I did check in Accessorize on Henry Street, but I couldn't find it.

Whats your favorite Eye Palette? Let me know, I'd be delighted to have some products to research!! 

#SBBC Day 1: Intro

Hi All!!

So today is the first day of the September Beauty Blog Challenge, or #SBBC as its known on Twitter!

I'm so glad to be taking part in this challenge, because I had a lot of fun during the June Beauty Blog Challenge. I really want to round out my blog with some lifestyle posts, since I'm afraid that I may be losing potential readership because of being so beauty-centric! A bit of lifestyle, and some personal posts may help to start evening things out.

Here's to a great month, girls!

Amy
xx