Primark Home Haul

Earlier this week I went for a spontaneous road trip to Dublin for the day and spent some time exploring some

of the shops there (obviously!) 

Dublin city centre has a huge Primark (it's called Pennies there) it's located on O'Connell Street and is worth checking out if you ever find yourself in Dublin. 

Primark have really stepped up there game when it comes to homeware in the past few months and was excited to find their new autumn/winter range had been launched. Here are the few bits I picked up...

Geometric copper photo frame €2.00

I am loving the copper trend at the minute and was excited to find this extremely affordable nod to the current interior must have. It comes with an adorable little LOVE postcard so you don't even have to worry about thinking about what to put in it. 

Wire 'Hello' wall hanging €2.00

This is a nice little addition to a bare wall, i've hung this next to the front door in my home, as a fun greeting to any visitors. Orange in colour with an attached blue ribbon it gives a nice pop of colour aswell.

Mini artificial succulent plant €2.00

I love having plants and flowers in the house but I find it hard to keep succulents alive for any length of time (what am I doing wrong?!) so when I came across this artificial mini succulent it was immediately put in my shopping basket! 

Geometric print candle with wooden lid €3.00

If you've read any of my previous blog posts you will probably know that I am

A candle junkie, I love them! This caught my eye as it looks like something you would find in Oliver Bonas or another higher end interior store. I love the black and white geometric print and the wooden lid! The candle itself smells of fresh linen which is an added bonus! 

Salted Caramel Scented Candle €3.00

Yes, I got another candle. But look at the packaging! I love the simplicity of the design and the brown glass reminds me the apothecary candle range from Paddywax. It smells sweet like caramel with vanilla base notes, it boasts a burn time of 25 hours which isn't too bad for such an affordable candle!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend

Carly x

Lush's New Summer Collection

Lush's new Summer collection is online now, they have a huge number of new   products ranging from bath bombs to limited edition shower gels. 

Most of these have already been available to buy in their new Oxford Street store in London. Unfortunately, as I live in Northern Ireland the likelihood of a trip to London to visit the shop was pretty slim so when they launched online- I had to pick up some of the special limited edition treats! 

'The Experimenter' Bath Bomb

This smells heavenly, it's a scent that I haven't come across before in a Lush product. It contains vetivert oil, fair trade vanilla and tonka, combined together to create a therapeutic and spa like scented bath bomb. The bath bomb itself is a rainbow of different colours that claims to turn your bath water into a mixture of 5 bright colours, perfect for summer! It also contains popping candy...yup...popping candy, I'm interested in seeing how that goes! 

'Cup O' Coffee' Face & Body Mask

As a complete coffee addict that loves everything coffee this is the first thing I popped into my online basket. This is an exfoliating mask for your face or anywhere on your body that needs a bit of a caffiene pick me up. I've heard of the benefits of coffee scrubs before and am excited to try this. It contains freshly brewed coffee, roasted cocoa extract, vetivert and coriander oil. It claims to give the skin a quick pick me up leaving it brighter with a healthy glow.

'The Comforter' Shower Cream

This is the liquid version of the popular comforter bubble bar. It contains sweet cassis, bergamot oils and cypress essential oils combined to create a delicious blackcurrant scented shower cream.  The formula contains almond oil which is great for anyone with dry skin as not only does it leave you smelling wonderful it packs a punch of hydration!

'Yuzu and Coco' Moisturising Shower Cream

Having previous picked up the yuzu and coco bubble bar and falling in love with the scent, I knew I would love the shower cream version. It smells good enough to eat- think chocolate oranges with a hint of coconut. Its beautifully sweet and claims to be intensely hydrating. It contains citrusy yuzu juice, coco and tonka. This one is a real treat for the senses! 

All of these are still available to pick up from Lush online.

Carly x

August Book Wishlist

How To Build A Girl by Caitlin Moran

 I recently finished reading How to be a Woman by Caitlin last month and really enjoyed her style of writing, humourous while still discussing serious topics in modern feminism. I'm interested in reading some of her other works and this is next on the list! How To Build A Girl seems to be quite similar in theme to How to be a Woman but instead of Caitlin recalling her personal teenage years it is through a fictional character. Will be picking this up soon!

The First Bad Man A Novel by Miranda July

It seems everyone and their dog has this book! It has been all over Instagram, wondering what all the fuss was about I looked into what this book is actually about and thought it was something I would actually read, hooray! Miranda July is an artist, filmmaker and writer and has successfully published short stories in the past. After reading some mixed reviews on The First Bad Man, some claiming it to be strange and some stating it is something that is completely new to the book world, I was sold. I love strange! 

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

This has been on my Amazon wishlist for months and I hope to eventually get around to buying it this month! This book discusses the culture around beauty and the role it plays in todays society, how the media can play a big role in pressuring both sexes into looking what they deem as 'acceptable'. The Beauty Myth has been reviewed by the New York Times as "Powerful... No other work has...so honestly depicted the confusion of accomplished women who feel emotionally and physically tortured by the need to look like movie stars" 

I am excited to read this.

The Human by Matt Haig

Something of a lighter read is work of fiction by Matt Haig. This tells the story of a nameless alien who takes over the body of a mathematician who's discovered something the alien civilisation doesn't believe the people of Earth can yet handle. So he comes to Earth with the mission to destroy the evidence of the discovery and to kill everyone who knows about it. There is romance and an insight to the quirks of human nature along the way. Sounds good to me! 

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

This book is a bit of an educational, light read in something that I am interested in learning more about: cognitive science theories. Dobelli translates them into understandable terms and illustrates various biases that govern human actions and everyday behaviour. I would love to learn more about how we think and reason in day to day life.

What's on your reading list this month?

Carly x

The £2 liquid eyeliner you need

Last month I ran out of my Soap & Glory 'Supercat eyeliner pen' and thought i'd try out a new eyeliner. Not really sure what to go for (there is ALOT of liquid eyeliners on the market!) I decided to try one from the budget brand MUA. MUA is exclusive to Superdrug and having tried a few of their products before (eyeshadows, mascara) I was pretty impressed with the quality for such a low cost products! 

I spotted this and for £2, I picked it up, thinking if it's rubbish, I wouldn't have wasted too much money on it and guys this is the best eyeliner I have ever tried! I have never found an eyeliner that lasts all day and doesn't flake off after a few hours of wear. This lasts all day and once dry does not budge! It is also the blackest of blacks and once left to dry it leaves a perfect matte look. 

Okay so it's not exactly a pen nib applicator but it's sooooo easy to use! Having applied eyeliner for years now I am pretty good at it (if I do say so myself!) so this may not be for you if you are complete newbie when it comes to winged liner. 

This eyeliner works well whether you are going for an understated thin line or bold statement winged cat eye. It is easily buildable and really does last all day! 

If you are on the lookout for a new liquid eyeliner, try this, you won't be disappointed!

I have stocked up on these little gems, for £2 each you won't be out of pocket. Available now at the MUA counter in Superdrug.

5 Ways to De-Stress After a Difficult Day

We all get those days where nothing seems to go right, either we are stressed out at work or just having a difficult time. For those kinds of days it's essential to set some time aside for yourself in order to relax and reboot your overloaded mind. Here are a few tips on how to spend some quality down time with yourself.

1. Have a bath

              

One of the ways I like to destress is by running myself a bath and using all my favourite products in it (usually Lush goodies!) Baths have many benefits not only in helping you unwind after a stressful day but it also can play an important role in boosting your immune system, it helps improve sleep and strengthens blood circulation! 

There are many different types of bath products that cater in helping the mind relax, but the ones I have found most beneficial are those that contain essential oils such as lavender and ylang-ylang.

2. Mediate or try yoga

You don't have to be an expert in yoga to reap the benefits of practisting it; it's a great way to start the day and wake your body up before your coffee! I have recently tried it for the first time and was amazed at how relaxed and calm I felt after just a 20 minute session. There are some great youtube tutorials out there if you don't have time to take a class or would just rather do it in the comfort of your own home. If yoga doesn't interest you mediation may! Meditation for 10 minutes every day helps clear your mind

and refocus your energy, it's quite difficult once you start to clear your mind completely and focus soley on your body but after a few sessions it gets easier! I use the Headspace app as it gives you daily mediation guidelines and is great if you are a beginner.

3. Coffee and a good book

Even the simplest things such as brewing up some delicious coffee and cosying up on the couch to read a good book is a great way to relax. Not only does reading take your mind of whatever maybe stressing you out, it's a simple and easy way to spend time with yourself.

4. Go for a walk

Yup, go for a walk! Whether it's just a short stroll around the block or to grab a coffee at your local coffee shop, going for a walk and getting some fresh air can work wonders for your mental health.

5. Watch a feel good film

There's nothing I like doing more than snuggling up with Netflix on a week night after a long day! Watching your favourite shows or film is a sure way to boost your mood. My favourites are any Wes Anderson films or my new favourite film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, if you haven't seen it, you should it is the definition of a great feel good film! So get on your comfy clothes, crack open that Ben and Jerrys ice-cream and spend a little me time! 

What are your tips for destressing?

Carly x

(All photos taken from weheartit.com)

July Favourites

Hi folks! I hope you all had a great month!

Here are a few things I have been loving this month.

I picked these up on a impromptu trip to Boots and got roped into their 3 for 2 deal. I wanted to give their hot cloth cleanser a go to see if it matches up to the much loved Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser (i've yet to try it) I also got the melting gel cleanser which I have used a few times and have really enjoy using it so far, it leaves my skin really soft after. Then for my free No7 product I picked up the early defense eye cream, just because I've ran out of my regular eye cream and wanted to give something else a go! I will report back on what I think in a future post!

TK Maxxs candle game is strong at the minute! I picked this up just because of the packaging, but i've been burning it non stop since! It's highly scented and smells earthy with a hint of ginger- perfect.

 

Paperchases silly postcards. Love them.

I've been reading The Girl on a Train this month and can't put it down. I'm only half way through and find the story compelling, a real page turner if you like thrillers. I won't say too much as it may give away the story, but it is worth picking up if you are looking for a new read. 

What have been your favourites this month?

Carly x