Time for another wishlist!

I've got that summertime, summertime sadness... Well not really, just a bit of summertime longing for these gorgeous items. I spotted  the Barry M Matte Nail Paint and a few other of these gems on a recent shopping trip, while I came across the floral bralet when browsing on Missguided. Of course, I also discover new products/clothing while reading through my favourite blogs or scrolling down my Instagram feed so it's very easy to be tempted into purchasing lots of new, bright and shiny looking "necessities" without even visiting the shops! 

However, despite my shopaholic tendencies, I've abbreviated my actual wishlist to the six gorgeous items below:

PhotoCredits:
missguided.eu // barrym.com // eyeslipsface.com // newlook.com //revlon.com // topshop.com

Collage created by me with the help of PicMonkey. 

1) Tala Crossover Back Bralet in Floral Print 

Ah, Missguided.You had me at the floral print. With its delicate, white, string straps and stunning floral design, this bralet would go beautifully with a high waisted skirt or even the Joni jeans (number 6 on this list) from Topshop! It is so girly and perfect for the summer weather.

2) Barry M Matte Nail Paint 

I am a big fan of Barry M nail products and I have yet to find a budget nail polish comparable to their Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint. It comes as no surprise then that I am very, very excited to try out the Matte Nail Paint particularly in the pictured shade, Miami, a fun, pink colour. Matte nails is a trend I have wanted to try out for a long time so this nail polish is top of my list.

3) ELF Shimmering Facial Whip

I can't justify paying around €30 for Benefit's famous High Beam although I have been searching for a good highlighter. On my pursuit for a less pricey alternative, I couldn't believe my eyes while reading rave reviews about ELF's equally praised, luminous highlighter, Shimmering Facial Whip. Coming in five radiant shades, Lilac Petal appears to be the closest in hue to High Beam. The best part of all?  The Shimmering Facial Whip, available from ELF's American site will set you back just $1 (yes, only $1!) 

4) Stone Floral Print Contrast Trim Backpack

This adorable little backpack from New Look caught my eye the other day with its charming pattern and practical design. It boasts multiple pockets and a drawstring section on top of a cute, vintage look. This would be perfect to carry those beach essentials. 

5) Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm

Another matte option here. Revlon never fail to disappoint with their wide collection of super soft, really, really good lip products. When I tested one of these ColorBurst Matte Balms on the back of my hand at Boots, I couldn't get over how pigmented it was. I literally brushed the balm (I think the shade was Audacious) onto my skin lightly but the colour payoff was amazing! These balms seem to be very creamy in texture and even though they aren't cheap, from what I saw, I definitely would consider purchasing one. 

6) MOTO Sky Blue Joni Jeans

Oooh they look so comfy don't they? I've been longing for a pair of light blue skinnies and this high waisted pair of Joni jeans from Topshop fit the bill perfectly. Because they're high waisted, pairing them with either crop tops or regular tees isn't a problem and the stretchy, denim material looks very snug and cozy. Hopefully a soon-to-be resident in my denim-lacking wardrobe.

May Favourites

It's officially summer, my absolute favourite time of year. Cue a chorus of joyful singing and celebratory dancing! As you can tell, I'm pretty excited at the prospects of embracing all that summer has to offer. And you should be excited too! Anyway, this isn't a "seize the summer" post, I'm here to talk to you about what I've been enjoying the past month. Let's get cracking!

Beauty: If you've ever visited Lush, you'll know what I mean when I say that a trip to one of their stores is a feast for the senses. From bath bombs to makeup, all of the products from Lush are handmade and smell absolutely incredible (no exaggeration). My most recent purchase there was the deliciously fragrant Creamy Candy Bubble Bar which, judging by the smell of it, is going to be amazing when I use it. This pink bundle of sweetness can be used to turn any old bath into a heavenly, bubbly, delightful treat by crumbling the Bubble Bar under the flowing water of your bath. Described as delicate vanilla candies, the Bubble Bar also has little pieces of cocoa butter inside it as well. I can't wait to use it!

Fashion: More of an accessories favourite than a fashion trend this month but as the sunny season is here, I had to feature my new retro-style shades with you. They're pretty glam with the diamantes on the arm and such a bargain from Penneys/Primark. Last year, I was all for the bright and colourful sunglasses from Penneys but this pair grabbed my eye last weekend so I just had to buy them. Penneys have really stepped up to the mark in recent years when competing with other high street stores and, even if the quality isn't at a par with the likes of Topshop, you really can't go wrong when shopping for seasonal items like casual summer dresses, playsuits and accessories. So I'm delighted with my cute new sunnies and I shall be sporting them proudly when the weather permits, or even just to keep my hair back on windy days! It's Ireland after all, isn't it?

Music: Stay With Me by Sam Smith is one of the few beautiful and meaningful songs being played on the radio at the moment. Unfortunately though, it's played among the many, many (too many) poor excuses for music consisting of two words sung on repeat for three and a half minutes wasting air time and brainwashing people into thinking that this is what music is all about. It's not. But I applaud Sam Smith for using his gorgeous voice and writing wonderful songs like this. Have a listen here.

Get Creative Series: Part 2 - Nail Art

Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past few weeks but as the end of the school year approached, I was very busy with award ceremonies and graduations which were followed by a nice little break during which I slept a lot and just chilled out, really. Now though, I'm back to blogging with a bang and, with a long summer ahead of me, I plan to post a lot more regularly. So to kick things off, here is the second installment of my Get Creative Series, this time it's all about the nails.

Summery yellow with white cross symbol

Nail art has definitely been having a moment lately and, with nail polish matching previously unrivaled lipstick sales last year; it seems as if adorning our nails with beautiful designs is more than just a fleeting trend. What better way to express your creativity than by using your nails as a canvas and painting to your heart's content. As I said in my first nail art post, you don't have to be the next WAH NAILS artist to recreate your favourite looks. All it takes is a little bit of patience and some cute, crazy or colourful ideas. Below, I have included some useful links but first, to show you how easy and obtainable it is to get creative with your nails, here are a few basic designs I pulled off myself:

Pink and orange aztec-style

Coral with white cross symbol

Pink and blue vertical stripes (tutorial here)

Useful Links:

WAH NAILS - The iconic East London nail salon's website. Click Archive to see all of their amazing creations. 

Cute Polish Tribal Nails - Check out the other great videos on the Cute Polish channel as well!

10 Nail Posts - Blogger Lily Pebbles looks back at ten of her favourite nail posts.

The Nailasaurus - Pore enviously over this feast of nail art. Jealous is not the word. 

I hope this blog post has inspired you to get creative with your nails. It is 100% possible to have fun and experiment with a variety of looks even on a budget. By no means am I a nail art expert at all, I simply want to share with you, different ways of expressing your creativity and nail art is one of those ways. So I hope this post was worthwhile, I really enjoyed putting it together and it has encouraged me to give more complicated nail art a go! I love comments, so leave one below telling me what you think or let me know if you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see more of on Life Beauty Blogger.

Enjoy the lovely weather!

xxx

Get Creative Series: Part 1 - Photography

This year, more than others, I've really broadened my creativity. I've started a blog, I've began taking photographs with a more critical eye and I've developed, even further, my taste in music. But being creative can involve a whole lot more than just the few things I have mentioned. From fashion and food, to art and even dancing, the possibilities of outlets through which you can express your creativity are endless. Over the next short while I'm going to be posting some of the ways I like to chill out/enjoy myself through creativity and I hope these ideas will also help you to awaken your artistry. The first topic in my Get Creative series of posts is the art of photography. Hope you like it!

This photo was taken with my smartphone's 5MP camera,
proving that expensive photography equipment isn't always
needed for impressive results

Start Snapping

Photography is something I only began to appreciate and take a bit more seriously in recent months. I mostly just use my smartphone (with its humble 5MP camera) or a pretty basic 10MP Fujifilm digital camera as I don't think pricey SLR cameras are always necessary when starting out. I find that using your smartphone wisely and trying out different photo editing apps can give just as promising results.

For my Instagram account (@lifebeautyblogger), I sometimes edit my photos with an app called AfterFocus and then use a softening filter like Walden, Valencia or Nashville to give a nice finishing touch. Other times, I leave  photo just the way it is, if I am already happy with the colour and lighting.

An untouched photo I took this morning

The same photo edited, as described above, for Instagram

The most important aspect to keep in mind while taking photographs is, of course, lighting. Also, consider the photograph as a whole; the background is equally as important as the subject, and clutter will only take from the picture. Lastly, always keep your eyes wide open as you never know when the perfect photo opportunity may arise (and I'm not talking about selfies!) whilst exploring a bustling street or strolling along a quiet country lane.

A recent unedited photo I took while on a boat to the Aran Islands.
This was also taken on my smartphone.

Beauty Wish List

Ah, the downsides of being a shopaholic.... I always seem to have an arm-length wish list of beauty products just pleading to be purchased. I've narrowed down my lengthy list to five products that I'm lusting over at the moment and I created my first collage on picmonkey.com (a really simple website for editing photos and creating collages like the one below). So without further ado, I present to you my current Beauty Wish List:

1) Real Techniques Blush Brush, €12.99
Teen Vogue call it "Photoshop for your skin" and this Real Techniques brush seems to be one of the best on the market for perfect blush application. I love all of the Real Techniques brushes because of their fab, dense quality, lack of hair shedding and cute colours as well as their outstanding blending abilities. I can't wait to get my hands on this blush brush to add to my collection.

2) Sleek Face Form, €12.99
You've got to love multi-purpose products and this trio of contour powder, highlighter and blush has caught my eye recently. Available in four shades; Fair, Light, Medium and Dark (the latter two include bronzer instead of blush) this would be a great little compact for travelling or for popping into your handbag instead of lugging around three different products all the time.

3) Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight EDT 50ml, €61.00
Maybe it's just because of the absolutely adorable bottle that I was attracted to this fragrance but the fresh new edition of Marc Jacobs' bestselling Daisy is bound to smell just as fantastic. Or maybe it's just the bottle...

4) Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, €13.99
After reading countless reviews about this wonderfully light foundation, I've decided that this will be my next purchase after my current No7 Essentially Natural foundation is gone. I generally prefer lighter coverage foundations and this one is meant to smell amazing as well so I'll be giving it a go shortly.

5) Essie Resort Fling, €9.99
One of the four summery shades from Essie's Resort 2014 collection, this "peachy coral" (according to Essie) is the perfect nail colour for long and sunny days on the beach. Although Essie polishes are quite expensive, I'd love to buy this particular shade as I've always been a fan of corals, especially over the summer months.

March/April Favourites

Here its is! My latest monthly favourites post, this time with a Spring theme. The season of cherry blossoms and daffodils is upon us so sit back and enjoy my monthly roundup of beauty, fashion and music.

Beauty: Only because it was on sale in Boots did I purchase Maybelline's new priming product: Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser. Maybelline promise to give us a "baby smooth and matte finish" while erasing all traces of pores with this lightweight primer, but in terms of priming; it didn't really excel. It did however give my skin a lovely dewy look and it did smooth out my skin considerably with it's clear gel-like texture (that could be a nuisance for some as it tends to make your fingers a bit greasy on application) . It's certainly not a phenomenal breakthrough for Maybelline but at the same time it does what it claims to do and it does it pretty well.

I also tried Collection 200's Cream Puff Lip Cream in Fairy Cake which I really like. The colour is a beautiful deep coral and the lip cream (a moisturising matte lip gloss) stays put for longer than most lip products.

The final product in this month's beauty section is the Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks blusher. The shade I bought was Peach Melba which is a darker shade than I would normally wear on my cheeks but it's a great bargain blusher.

Fashion: Flower crowns and floral hair pieces have been on my radar during recent weeks and, with images of floral fashion at Coachella pouring onto my Instagram (@lifebeautyblogger) feed making me extremely jealous, I went out and bought myself a bunch of flowers. Just kidding, I actually bought some pretty, floral accessories in Penneys/Primark. It wouldn't be spring without florals, would it? I'm not yet brave enough to pull off one of the larger flower crowns but I bought a pink, rose entwined hairband which I think is adorable. I also bought a pair of orange flower earrings with a diamond in the centre. Both the hairband and the pair of earrings cost a mere €2 each so my Coachella jealousy was eased a little.
Flower power all the way!

Large flower earrings on the far left and pink rose
hairband on the right, both €2 each  from Penneys.

Music: I absolutley love Ed Sheeran's music. His unbelievable lyrical talent is proving to the music world that he is one of the best songwriters of our generation. I'm counting down the days until I get to see him in concert (170 days in case you're wondering) and I've played his debut album "+" (plus) so often on my iPod that I know almost every song by heart. The official audio of the new single off his second album "x" (multiply) was released a week ago. The song is called SING and I didn't like it at first but after a few good listens, it started to grow on me. It's very catchy but so different to his previous songs which had a much calmer vibe to them. I'm still not sure about it but I'll trust Ed on this one as there is no doubting his talent. Listen to it here: Ed Sheeran - SING and let me know what you think.

I hope you all have a lovely Easter.

xxx

Monthly Tumblr Favourites

For the duration of March and the beginning of April, my tumblr blog lifebeautyblogger.tumblr.com seems to have been filled with very feminine looks with shades of pink and blue being the most prominent colours gracing the pages of the blog in recent weeks. I suppose the looks below are a true reflection of my taste at the moment which includes tailored jackets and pencil skirts in varying patterns. I feel that pattern is huge at the moment and I'm certainly drawn to it anyway as it can add another dimension to an outfit while heightening the sophistication. Plus, classy pattern makes your skirt/blazer/jeans look a whole lot more elegant.

Looking further back to the start of March, however, the outfits and street style looks that I reblogged were of a different kind with bold pops of colour and more laid back clothing on show. I hope you enjoy looking at my favourite images from March and April above and below, whatever your taste may be. Included are some gorgeous nail art photographs as well. If only we could all paint our nails like that.....                                                                                                             Enjoy!

                                                 

All images courtesy of Tumblr.com