April Favorites 2015

Hi All!!

It's been so long since I posted a talk-through of all my favorite things from the previous month, so I thought today I would do that for you all! Let's go ahead and get into it!!

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty:

Oh my god, I cannot even begin to describe how much I am digging this mask, you guys! I've tried on three occasions to write a review for you all but it winds up just being a couple of hundred words of blatant gushing and absolutely no constructive feedback. I will say that this mask really helps to control breakouts and soak up any excess oils you may have. It also slightly exfoliates your skin when you wash it off because of the little bits in it. Mmmmph, I love it!

Toms:

I have not worn any other shoes than Toms all month, unless I've had to attend an event, whereby I clearly wear heels! Toms shoes are seriously comfortable, really well made, warm and breathable. The best bit is that they are ethical, and every time you buy a pair, Toms give a pair to a child in an impoverished country. I literally cannot get over how comfy they are and they look so cute with all kinds of outfits!! You need a pair, honestly!!

Nivea Daily Essential Express Hydration Primer

This stuff has really been useful to me on those "no make up" days, when I want my skin to look great but I don't want to wear a full face of slap, I smooth this on, apply some concealer to trouble spots, mascara, do my brows and I'm done! It leaves my skin hydrated and glowing but not in that awful glittery way, more of a subtle "lit from within" way,

Isa Dora Face Sculptor Palette:

I am in love with this palette lately, not least because it's 3 perfect shades in one handy compact. It's been truly well loved since Isa Dora gifted it to me a couple of months ago. The bronzer is perfect for sculpting out my cheekbones and the blush is incredibly flattering. the highlight shade is my favourite of the trio, however, I've been using it as a highlight on my cheekbones, brow bone, inner eye and even use it as a shimmery eye-shadow.

What have you been loving lately?

 

xo

Amy

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Lush Mask Of Magnaminty REVIEW

Oily skin is a real scourge, so much so that I spend an inordinate amount of my life trying to find products to suit my face. For a long time it was an expensive endeavour, using multiple products to keep the grease under control. Put me down on record for this one: Lush Mask Of Magnaminty has put an end to that. I have finally found a mask that doesn't dry my skin in a bid to sop up the shine.

Deeeeeelightful!!! 

The mask itself is advertised as a peppermint face and body product. It certainly is minty, with a cooling sensation and gorgeous scent. You apply it to your skin in a thin layer and allow it to dry. I personally rinse with cool water and pat my skin dry but you can use warm water, I'm not telling you what to do with your life!!

I used this mask every other day for a week and found it to be just enough to allow my skin to do what it needs to do but stems the oil enough that breakouts are stemmed and not caused due to an over production in compensation. I now use it once a week alternating with other Lush face masks!!

It's refreshingly cooling and a little goes a long way. However you can choose to apply a thick layer or a thin one, depending on your time and preference.

All in all I think this mask is amazing and incredibly healing for skin that suffers from breakouts.

Have you tried this mask??

Let me know!

 

Xo

Amy

Gothic Ginger Spice

 

 

 

 

 Hi All!! So today I'm posting my very first outfit of the day... Exciting times here on RL;RH!!

I don't think I'm half as fashionable as the gorgeous fashion bloggers I count among my peers, but I was dying to have a go and I loved it!!!

 

I went with all black against my pale skin, because no matter how I try I can't deny my naturally gothic pigmentation and I wanted to play that up for this look. The lace detailing on the décolletage area adds a touch of glam to a very simple look. For my footwear I decided to clash a pair of chunky heeled booties with the girly dress. I took my usual rings and bling to this outfit and found it worked brilliantly. The little crossbody bag that I slung over one shoulder kept this look ladylike despite all the other elements.

 

Dress: H&M

Shoes: Motive Shoes Ilac

Bag: Penneys

Hobbit Hole Pendant: Birthday gift

Amythest Claw: Antique

Bracelet: Pandora

Sunnies: Penneys

 

Photos by Zoe Holman @ zoewithumlauts.com

 

What do you think, guys?

Be gentle, it's my first time!;)

 

Xo

Amy

 

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50 Facts About Me TAG

Hey There Folks,

So it's been a very long time since I posted anything personal on this blog, and in all honesty, that was what this blog was created for in the very beginning. So, since the GORGEOUS Aoife over at Rockette Queen has tagged me, I'm going to share 50 Facts About Me. 

1. My name is Amy Catherine, supposedly because the initials "A.C" mirror the initials of my father's favourite football team, AC Milan.
   
2. For years I dyed my hair because I hated being different. Now I have my natural hair back and I realise that being red is who I am. I will never again see myself as different, I am unique.
   
3. I've been on a huge "Life Clearout" lately – not just physically cleaning out the clutter but severing ties with toxic people… Honestly it has been such a liberating experience. My circle of friends is tighter than it has ever been and I am happier than I have ever been.
   
4. I am deathly afraid of moths, butterflies, flies… Any insects really. They terrify me to my very bones.
   
5. My favourite band is HIM, a Finnish band with their very own genre – Love Metal. They saved my life, made sense of my world and even to this day, as a 23 year old fully grown female adult human, I have a huge poster of the frontman Ville Valo on my wall.
   
6. I love to call people by pet names, such as gorgeous, darling, my love etc. I do it because I always want to show people love and affection – in my eyes, it can make a persons day to know that they are appreciated and thought of with warmth and love.
   
7. If I could make a career out of worrying about people, you better believe I would be the best in the business! I literally never stop worrying about the people in my life – even if they don't know it.
   
8. I used to loathe wearing colours, and was almost always seen in black; Now I'm all about colours!!
   
9. My favourite item of clothing is my Doctor Who Fourth Doctor scarf that my mother knitted me for my birthday last year. I wear it almost every day!!
   
10. I have no idea what I want to do with my life. The only thing I am sure of is that I want to help people.
    
11. I don't have a set style. I just wear what I love.
    
12. I would love to branch out into OOTD posts, but I don't regularly buy clothes, and I'm not very fashionable so I'm afraid to make that move.
    
13. My favourite place in the world is Cork City. The people, the place, the food, the whole thing. I am always so excited to go to Cork, and so sad to leave it.
    
14. Give me a caramel coffee frappucino from Starbucks, and I will love you forever. Mmmmmmmmmmyum!!
    
15. My favourite lipsticks are: 01 from the RimmelxKate line, Shame by Urban Decay, Faux by MAC, NYC Blue Rose.
    
16. I've been sitting here since 3.30pm and it's now 5.20pm and I am having the hardest time thinking of facts…so theres that.
    
17. I'm a size UK6, but I eat like a horse and I have no idea how I stay thin…
    
18. I am all about Pretty Little Liars, and I've got Andrew on the top of my "A List".
    
19. Even though I am a 23 year old "grown up" I love YA literature. I pretty much died of cuteness reading Anna and The French Kiss…
    
20. Despite my love for YA Fiction, I read a lot of heavy complex stuff… Game Of Thrones, Anna Karenina, Poe…
    
21. I have 6 tattoos, and technically 5 piercings, but I only have one piercing in, and that one is my conch ring.
    
22. Up until my last tattoo I used to alternate the sides of my body that got inked each time – right wrist, left shoulder, right side, left leg, right arm.
    
23. I'm the proud owner of a selfie stick. No shame, not sorry!!!
    
24. I've never had my own birthday cake. If anyone ever gave me my very own birthday cake I would probably break down in tears.
    
25. I may be a beauty blogger, but I don't wear make-up every day. Effort!!!
    
26. All this "I" and "my" oriented writing makes me uncomfortable.
    
27. I suffer from night-blindness, which isn't rare, but I've the unique situation of only having the condition in my left eye. Once it goes to twilight/lamplight, I am down to one eye. It affects my depth perception and that's why I am always covered in bruises. I'm not clumsy during the day, I swear!!!
    
28. I let myself get taken advantage of, and then when I realise it, I wind up upsetting people because I pull back harshly.
    
29. It takes me ages to get ready for an event. For the Sleek event it took me two hours to put my face on.
    
30. I love popping spots and blackheads. It's disgusting but I just love doing it!!! Don't judge me!
    
31. I find it very hard to hold back when I love people. I want to show everyone I love how much I love them all the time.
    
32. I've become a bit addicted to Lush. Seriously, I need to just move my bedroom to a Lush store!!!
    
33. At the moment, I'm trying to save up to buy a DSLR so I can up my blogging game. I think I could do so much more with a great camera- plus is I had one with a remote shutter I could use it to shoot OOTD's if I ever got brave enough to try.
    
34. My favourite breakfast food is Eggs Benedict. It is the reason I could never be Vegan.
    
35. I consider my diet as "flexible". Some days I eat Vegan, other days I'm all about fillet steak and potato gratin.
    
36. Some of my favourite YouTube personalities are Shona (EllieJayden), Bunny (Grav3yardGirl), Kiera Rose (Scarlet Saint), Louna (LounaTuna), my good friend Kayliegh (KaylieghLand), Clara (Claraification), Kayleigh B (KayleighKill) and Clare Cullen (Clisare). I'm also a little bit in love with Nicole Guerriero, Gigi Gorgeous, Emma Pickles, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Lindsey Hughes.
    
37. If I only had to eat one "type" of food for the rest of my life, Mexican would be it! Mmmmm burritos, fajitas, coriander galore. YAS!!!!
    
38. I love hats with wide brims, but I cannot make them work for me. I think my head is gimpy!!!
    
39. When certain things match, like the wings of my eyeliner, my furniture, my finger and toenail polish, it makes my heart happy. However, I don't like everything to match. Case in point: all my bedroom furniture is pine, but nothing else matches. I have two purple walls, one red wall and one green wall, my curtains are cream and my duvet cover is black. I hate when mugs match, so I collect nerdy mugs. In fact, in life, my theme is "unmatching".
    
40. Some of my favourite clothing items have come from charity shops. Rooting around charity and vintage shops is one of my favourite things to do.
    
41. I used to briefly work for a photographer, and as a result I have a modelling portfolio. I don't know if I'm brave enough to send it to agencies no matter how much I would love to.
    
42. Saying "no" to people is something I struggle really hard to do. When I do say no, I have a hard time making it not sound rude.
    
43. I waited 12 years to see The Darkness play live, and when I finally got to see them, it was in a venue for 150 people, and I was at the front of the stage. My friend William got the ticket for me for my birthday and made sure Justin Hawkins knew not only my name but that it was my birthday… That was literally the greatest experience of my life and I am still not over it.
    
44. Even though I want everyone to be okay, I am so uncomfortable with people crying. I kind of go into "Sheldon Cooper Mode" and am bereft of good things to say.
    
45. I can't swim. My mother got me lessons every year as a kid, and my boyfriend tried to teach me a couple of years ago, but I just am inept at treading water.
    
46. I hate when people speak to me when they are wearing mirror finish sunglasses. I don't know why but it bothers the sh1t out of me!!!
    
47. My childhood bear still comes with me on long journeys and when I have to stay away from home.
    
48. I find it hard to take people seriously if they have bad eyebrows.
    
49. I am deathly afraid of being overweight. And yes, I know it's not PC to say that, but it's the truth and it's a fact.
    
50. My greatest insecurity is not my weight, or my body, it's my teeth. I would give anything to have a Hollywood smile.
    

Wow. That took so long!!! Hopefully you were not bored to death, and maybe you got to know me a bit better!

I'm going to tag:

Kayliegh,  

Robyn

Collette, 

Zoë and 

Nirina 

Xo,

Amy

Recharging With Lush

Sometimes I've got to recharge my batteries as it were, and when I need that, I'm inclined to have a pamper day. Lately I have been loving Lush for just such an occasion.

This time around I am going to walk you through my Lush Recharge Routine...

First up I splash my face with warm water and slightly pat my skin so its damp but not dry. I take a Lush Face Mask of choice, usually Mask Of Magnaminty or Cupcake and apply it liberally, swiftly followed by a hair treatment, such as Hsuan Wen Hua... When the mask has dried, I rinse it off with warm water in the shower and lightly exfoliate with one side of my Nima Mitt and then shampoo my Hsuan Wen Hua treatment out...

Once all the residue has been rinsed away, I take a small dab of Ultrabland and work it into my skin in soft circular sweeps and over my eyes and lashes. Once I have worked it into my skin, I take the other side of my Nima Mitt and wipe the residue off.

Using a clean towel, I pat my face dry and take Enzymion, an oil control moisturiser and work a small dab over my skin.

Finally I use my Mint Julips lip scrub and a really hydrating lipbalm to make my lips as... lush (!) as the rest of my face and noggin!!

What do you think of my Lush routine?
Have you any recommendations for face masks I should try in future?


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