Beauty Wish List

There are a few (quite a lot) of beauty products that I've been lusting over for a while. Since I'm dying to get my hands on them but am also skint, I figured I'd just put them all into a list and you can lust over them too!

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk

Charlotte Tilbury turned the widely loved Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk into a lipstick and beauty lovers were ecstatic with the result. This lipstick is extremely popular and it's clear why - in such a wearable pink-nude shade, making lips look fuller, this is perfect!

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher in Ecstasy

This is a perfect combination of a dusky pink and a bright pink to give your cheeks that perfect rosy glow. Also, the Charlotte Tilbury packaging in itself is enough to make you want to buy it!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

This is a fab foundation for brightening, evening out skin tone and giving you that healthy, natural glow. There are a wide range of shades so you'll have no bother finding the match for your skin tone. This would be perfect for Summer with it's hydrating formula!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

This a classic for Nars and I can't believe I still haven't jumped on the bandwagon! Pretty much everyone has tried this concealer...apart from me clearly. It has a medium to full coverage so, perfect for covering blemishes and redness. Said to be long-wearing and crease proof, this is definitely on my wish list!

Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow

If you're into a palette with easy-to-wear matte shades, mauve-pinks and amazing packaging - this is the palette of dreams! Tarte products are pretty hard to get your hands on in the UK but if you check out QVC you might find it there.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit

Hourglass developed a palette that brought together some of their most stunning products. This palette includes a sheer powder, bronzer, blushers and a highlighter...what more could you need?! This is a very pricey product but with the beautiful marble packaging and powders, it's so dreamy!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter

If you're a beauty junkie, you either have this or want it! One of the most coveted highlighters, this creates the ultimate glow and is designed to enhance your natural radiance. This results in a shiny finish but not glittery - perfect!

Tom Ford Lip Colour in Misbehaved

I've always wanted to own a Tom Ford lipstick, however, the prices are eye watering! From the packaging to the TF detail on the lipstick, they are utterly beautiful. The shade 'Misbehaved' is a red-mauve colour and is perfect for everyday wear or nightwear. These lipsticks are said to be creamy and super smooth on the lips.

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

I would rarely go for eye shadow sticks but with the right one you can get amazing colour pay off! Also, for the lazy girl, these are seriously convenient! I've heard so many positive reviews on By Terry's Ombre Blackstar shadow sticks, I'm dying to get my hands on one!

This Is Reality

I flick my phone onto Facebook and the news comes flooding in. I keep flicking, barely believing what I'm reading. I want to throw my phone across the room, curl myself into a ball, lock the gates and pretend none of this is happening.

It is.

This is reality.

The London and Manchester attacks hit me harder than most. They were too close to home. I know it's not just me that was thinking this; the whole nation was shaken by these attacks. I was so torn as to whether to speak about this on here, which is why it's late. However, I don't think this is something that is ever going to be irrelevant...I wish it was. 

Indivuals lost their lives and many were injured. I can't begin to imagine how the families and friends of those that were killed or hurt must have felt; and will continue to feel for a long time to come. There is no way that my words can do justice but they can be a tribute at the very least.

What restores my faith in this world is the bravery, courage and determination of the emergency services. I'm sure we're all aware of how essential they were throughout these attacks. Attending the scenes within minutes and attempting to calm a distressed nation down. That isn't light work. 

There have been numerous attacks across the globe and with every new attack comes a new sense of fear. But, as I say all of this, I'm reminded of the thought which the 'One Love' concert in Manchester promoted; Love is bigger than fear. Love brings a nation together. We won't let them win.

This is also reality. 

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

*Photos from Google Images

5 Things To Do This Summer

I don't know about you but I always plan to do lots of exciting, fascinating and adventurous things over Summer but then Summer rolls around... and I'm binging on Netflix. If you're anything like me and you'd quite like to do something fun or make a few memories this Summer, keep on reading and you'll see the simple little list that I created; The Summer Bucket List, if you like!

Toast Marshmallows

This one of my absolute favourite things to do, getting a fire on the go with a few marshmallows on a stick - can't beat it! We recently got a fire pit and it has been one the best purchases. I mean, can you tell me what's better than an oozing, toasted marshmallow between chocolate and biscuit? Nope. Didn't think so.

Have a Picnic

Whether you organise something big and fancy with a vast assortment of food or you simply grab a rug and sit in your garden, it's such an easy and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. The NI weather can be a bit unreliable but even when the slightest glimmer of sunshine appears, grab a few friends, family members or even just yourself and have a picnic! 

Do a Little Reading 

Reading is one of life's simplest pleasures but we don't always have the time or make time for it. Generally, the summer brings more free time so get comfy, make a cup of coffee and pick up a book. Reading is such an easy escape and it's even nicer doing it in the sunshine! If you're not a book person...read some blogs!

Go on an Adventure

When I say that, what I really mean is pack a suitcase and do a little travelling (I'm going to South of France and I'm beyond excited). However, not everyone has a holiday planned. Instead, get creative with your surroundings - go somewhere you've never been, plan a road trip or have a beach day (might as well pretend you're somewhere exotic!). 

Have a BBQ

Usually in NI as soon as there's even the slightest chance of sunshine, the shops have been cleared of anything that is possible to barbecue. Having a BBQ with family or friends is one of the nicest ways to spend a summer evening, whether it's planned or spontaneous!

Happy Summer!x

The Summer Makeup Bag

For me, Summer makeup is all about light, dewy skin. On warm days you don't want to be sweating all the layers of your makeup off (gross, but true) so, you want a minimalistic approach while still looking put together and alive. I've rounded up a few of my favourites which should just about give you a full face of glowing skin! 

You're going to want your makeup to stay on well so, first things first, a primer! I have fallen in love with the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. This magic in a tube almost creates a velvety film over your face, minimising visible pores and resulting in a seriously smooth texture. It's a cream-gel texture that leaves your skin feeling soft and works for easy makeup application. A little goes a long way with this one! 

Onto your base, aka the most important part. You don't want this to look thick or cakey in any way so, I've opted for Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. With it's light to medium coverage it leaves your skin looking very natural, while still covering uneven skin tone. If you have oily skin, this foundation would be good for you as it has a matte finish. This foundation is full of vitamins that work to hydrate and reduce signs of fatigue. 

To give you that sun-kissed look I've chosen my trusty Bourjois Bronzing Powder which works for a wide range of skin tones - even my very pale skin! To give you a subtle golden colour, use a bronzing brush with a light hand and dust your cheeks and hairline. To complement the bronzer, I decided on a peachy toned blush which I think is very summery. This Lily Lolo Mineral Blush (Juicy Peach) is lovely on the apples of the cheeks. However, you don't want orange cheeks so apply sparingly (if you go overboard simply dab it with a beauty blender until you reach your desired colour).

To achieve that desired luminosity you're going to need two things. To highlight and brighten under your eyes I recommend YSL Touche Eclat which will make you look awake and radiant. Then, for highlight - all the glow! I've been using the Seventeen Shimmer Brick and it creates almost a pearlescent effect which is stunning! Even better when it's so affordable. 

For the eyes I've chosen two of my favourite products. I opted for an eye shadow stick as it requires no effort and gives a glossy, shimmery finish. I've been loving the Eyeko Shadow Liner in Topaz all over the lid. It provides such a pretty but subtle shimmer. For mascara I'm using my absolute favourite, the Estée Lauder Mascara which is literally the most lengthening mascara I've ever used! This combo is perfect and go-to Summer duo!

I've been trying to find the ultimate Summer lipstick and I discovered this Rimmel Lipstick in the most stunning coral-red shade (Cheeky Coral). This has Summer written all over it. It's got a buttery texture, leaving a satin finish. 

To finish things off I spritz my face with the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray, which helps my makeup last that little bit longer and helps to achieve that glowy, dewy finish! 

What does your Summer makeup consist of?

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Who doesn't love a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?! Even better if you can make them yourself with only 4 ingredients! I've seen videos and blog posts with recipes for homemade peanut butter cups and I've been meaning to try them for ages. I want to see if they'll taste as good as the real thing! Finally, I've made them and I'm sharing the super simple recipe with you - maybe you can try them too! I haven't done a baking post in far too long so, I'm excited to share this one with you! 

What You'll Need:

Equipment

• Muffin tray
• Bun cases

Ingredients

• 180g milk chocolate 
• 100g peanut butter (smooth)
• Pinch of salt
• 25g icing sugar

Method: 

1. Line the muffin tray with 12 bun cases. 

2. Melt 100g of the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Using a teaspoon, spoon the chocolate into the bun cases and draw it up the sides until the cases are evenly coated, being careful not to go too high if you want a shallower peanut butter cup. Place in the fridge until the chocolate is firm. 

3. Mix the peanut butter, icing sugar and salt in a bowl until well combined. Spoon a small amount into the cases, on top of the set chocolate. 

4. Melt the remaining chocolate and spoon on top of the peanut butter mixture, ensuring that it goes right to the edges of the bun case. Leave until they harden. 

How simple is that?! I can confirm that once they were tried and tested, they tasted amazing! Basically as good as the real thing if I say so myself...

If you give these Peanut Butter Cups a go, be sure to let me know how you get on and if you enjoyed them as much as I did!