SBBC- Day 19- €250 shopping spree

€250 is honestly a huge amount of money to me right now, as I'm sure it is to most people, so as huge as the urge to blow it all in Penney's and Boots would be, I think I'd have to spend the money on something useful.

For the last few months I've wanted to do a nail course, so I think I'd either put the money towards the cost of a course, or spend it on putting my own kit together. Then I could continue saving for a course that will allow me to train on my own kit and do it at a later date. The ultimate goal would be to be able to be a freelance nail technician, all the while saving to do other courses like tanning and eyelash extensions, so I can offer more.

Having such a fancy array of products just sitting there that I can't use would be a killer, but worth it in the long run!

SBBC Day 18- Desert Island beauty

I'm fully aware that half the products I'm bringing with me to this desert island are useless without modern technology, but the desert island I'm going to comes equipped with hair dryers, straighteners, tanning mitts and make remover. Got that? Okay lets go!!

 1- Sudocrem- There's been a tube of this knocking around my room since I got my first ever pimple, and there will always be a tube of it somewhere. Got a pimple? Put some Sudocrem on it. Get a little burn? Sudocrem that thang! Arm fall of? Sudocrem will fix it! Magic stuff!

2- Schwarzkopf Got to be Oilicious- I only bought this recently, but I really like it. I put it on my hair once it's dry and find it makes my hair really manageable and soft. Also gives it a nice shine.

3- NYC Liquid eyeliner- Are you starting to figure out that I really REALLY love this eyeliner?? It's just the bomb, I'm never without t!

4- Essence eyebrow pencil- This is almost a staple item for me, so cheap and effective, and much handier to carry around than an eyebrow kit.

5- Mascara- I have SEVENTEEN Back Lash mascara pictured there, but basically whatever mascara I'm favouring at the time I'm abandoned on this devil island.

6- Cocoa Brown- One would think that one wouldn't need fake tan when you're stranded on a desert island..... but one would be very, very wrong. I could live on said island for a thousand years and still wouldn't tan. Can't beat a bit of Cocoa Brown for a quick sun fix.

7- L'Oreal True Match- My favourite foundation, and probably the only one I'd trust for a night out. If it can last a boozey night in O'Rielly's, a desert island will be a breeze!

8- PRO:VOKE Touch of silver brightening shampoo- When my hair is blonde, which it will be again by tonight, this shampoo is my best friend. It really gets rid of any yellow tones and is a bargain at €4.19.

9- John Frieda 3 Days Straight- Ever since I got a bottle of this to try at a Slattery's Communications event I've been absolutely in love with it. It's just marvelous stuff! I'm all fingers and thumbs when it comes to straight blow dry's, but even so my hair is lovely and straight until it's next wash! I'm nearly through my second bottle now!

10- Eyelure Dyelash 45 day mascara- I was afflicted with exceptionally fair brows and lashes so unless I tint them they're snow white and I look like an alien! Don't get me wrong, some people can absolutely rock fair brows, but I just can't, my face needs the structure. I use this on both my brows and lashes and find it great, it's really easy to mix and the colour is really long lasting!

So there we have it, my 10 desert island items..... It was like Sophie's Choice :(

SBBC Day 17- BB Creams smeebee creams!

Remember when they first came on the scene and everyone lost their collective minds because they were meant to be the BEST thing to happen to foundation in years? Well..... They lied!

First, lets start with the more budget brand BB's, think Essence, NYC, Collection 2000 etc, all next to useless.

These brands just completely forget the cool toned pale girls. The only way any of these would be remotely wearable on my skin tone would be if I diluted it heavily with moisturoiser, but then it's basically just a tinted moisturoiser and offer no where near the coverage I'd want. That said, you aren't going to be going far above €6 for any of them, so if you're a warmer skin tone, probably worth a look!

Lets take it up a notch and look at offerings from the likes of L'Oreal, Rimmel, Garnier, and Maybelline. Again, the exact same problem as their cheaper counterparts. The L'Oreal Nude magique BB Cream seemed really promising at first, and I got quite excited that it was going to adapt to MY skin tone.... well I don't who's skin it was adapting to, but I was left with a ring of shame that would rival any full coverage foundation. As with a lot of their face products, Rimmel once again underestimated how pale one can be with their BB cream. The Garnier 'fair' shade is actually almost hilarious in how un-fair it is!

The one and only BB cream that has ever even remotely come close to matching my skin tone is the MUA one in the lightest shade, and to be fair, it really is quite good. I'm never going to be a BB addict, because I'll always prefer a full coverage, but if I ever was to wear one it would definitely be MUA.

SBBC Day 16- what makes me happy

Don't get me wrong,  I do like the finer things in life. It's nice to be spoiled, or to treat yourself to something fancy you've been lusting after for months. But I like to think that at the core of it I'm a woman of simple pleasures. I could do without most of life's fineries as long as I have the following to keep me going-

A cuddle from these two fluffy heart warmers

Seeing this little devil rock up at my door to tear my house apart and make me laugh

Sitting inside in cosy jumpers and big mugs of coffee on gloomy days like today.

Getting a cuddle from someone you love. Even better when it's from someone who loves you.

Adorable stuff like this

Thinking about my weird and always wonderful friends and some of the great times we have had together.

Getting good feedback on a blog post. I get all giddy!

See...... such a softie.

SBBC Day 16- My beauty wishlist

I am many weird and sometimes wonderful things, but one thing I am more than anything else, is extremely. EXTREMELY wanty. I want everything and I want it yesterday. If I don't want it right now I will probably want it tomorrow. But I am also perpetually broke, so until I can source myself a wealthy husband who likes to spoil me, the vast majority of what I crave will remain on my wishlist. Le sigh  :(

First up, one of these bad boys please. I'll no doubt pick myself up a cheaper version along the way, but still, gimmeeee!

I'll also have this please. Actually, i'll just have ALL the Sleek pallets thanks!

If you're feeling EXTRA generous, I would love, love, LOOOOOOVE a full set of Great Lenghts hair extensions. Who wouldn't, right? If I ever win the lotto, that will be the first thing I treat myself to. I mean, look!! It's so unfair :(

And I also want an Iphone. I have to stop before I cry...

SBBC Day 15- Eye candy

Lets not get bogged down in words, lets just enjoy his beautiful face...

Looking well Tom! Let's have a another look just to be sure...

You are wearing that suit. Dayuuuuum.

Yes, ok, you're definitely looking well. But what's that..... you want to grow a beard?? Oh, I dunno Tom....

Well, maybe I was mistaken....

I was definitely mistaken. The beard is fabulous! Beards get itchy though, have a little scratch there...

But WHAT??!? Now you want a beard AND an adorable doggy?? I don't think I can take it....

Be still my beating ovaries

I need to lay down....

SBBC Day 12- Advice to the young

My SBBC posts are ever so slightly all over the place, and I do apolagise, but I'm catching up as best I can.

Keeping with a recent trend, This is me exposing my softer side (I'm a big softie and I'm not even sorry!). While I'm writing this post my 19 month old niece is as the forefront of my mind, so I'll dedicate this to her, baby Grace. I'm gonna phrase it as if I was writing to her.

Grace,

Throughout your life you are going to get mountains of advice from many, many different people, and words from your silly old aunt will likely mean nothing to you. But while you're reading this, do remember that I was once young and going through pretty much everything you will find yourself going through. I'm not stupid or naive, I know it's hard to take advice from your elders, so I'm fully aware that everything I say will probably fall on deaf ears.

That said, I want to pass on to you a piece of advice that has been invaluable to me since I was old enough to fully understand it. Always remember that 'Beauty is only skin deep'. Be kind, be thoughtful, be accommodating, be a good listener, be generous with your time and wisdom, be open minded and tolerant, be fun and carefree, be everything I wish I had been, be the kind of person people go to for advice, but also the person that people will welcome with open arms. Give hugs often, and accept them even more often. Let people cry on your shoulder, because you'll need them someday too. Don't pick your friends because they love your beautiful face, pick them because they love your beautiful soul. People can be fickle, but a good person never goes out of fashion.

Grace, you're only 19 months old and I already love you more than I thought I could ever love anything. You have changed, and matured me more than I thought possible. You have taught me more than I will ever teach you, and I can only hope that someday these words have some impact on you. I can already see your little personality blooming and you are larger than life. You're bloody hard work at times, but you brighten my day when I hear you knocking on my door. Please, I beg of you, stay as absolutely beautiful on the inside as you are right now. I daren't dream how you'll grow up, because I'd never set limitations on you, you can be, and do, absolutely anything you set your gorgeous little mind to. Who knows, maybe someday in the distant future you'll read this, and no doubt you'll slag me off to your friends, but please, after you finish slagging me, and have shrugged off the embarrassment, remember what I told you..... 'Beauty is only skin deep'

Lots and lots, and an obscene amount of love, your silly old aunt,

Katrina xx

SBBC Day 14- My inspiration

When it comes to blogging I find my inspiration absolutely everywhere. Somebody I pass on the street with fabulous makeup, a colourful bouquet of flowers that inspires me to try out a new look, new products in store, the change of season, watching my mam get ready for a night out, make up in tv or film.... Inspiration is everywhere if you walk around with an open mind.

But above all, the one thing that inspires me to keep blogging more than anything else is my fellow bloggers. Reading other bloggers posts, and chatting to them on Twitter, is my most vital a source of inspiration. I'm not going to link to all the blogs I read, because it would be an endless list, but I will say this- We have created a very welcoming, inviting and embracing community within our blogs, and all our social media outlets, and I am both thankful, and grateful to be a part of. I adore blogging, because it has given me the opportunity to go to so many events and try so many products, but more so because it has introduced me to so many wonderful people that I just never would have met otherwise. You girls push me to better my blog and myself, intentionally or not, and you should all be very proud of yourselves. There is one fabulous blogger who has pushed me harder than anyone else, and I won't name names, but she will never know how much her belief and encouragement means to me.

So cheers to being a beauty blogger!! We are just the business and each and every one of us deserves a big pat on the back.

SBBC Day 11- My biggest beauty fails

I think we all wrack up some beauty fails throughout the years,  particularly when you're younger and braver and nothing is off limits. I spent most of my 13th year wandering around the place looking like aunt Sally, until my dad finally snapped and refused to drop me anywhere until I sorted my blusher out.

Then there was the time I got handsy with a blue and silver glitter pot and applied it, with no great skill or precision, to essentially my entire face. I looked like a picture a child painted, but at the time I was only gorgeous.

Speaking of glitter, do you remember body glitter? Do you remember rooms full of preteen girls shimmering like human disco balls?

The one fail that stands triumphant among them all (triumphant in that it was the absolute worst) was when I was 17, had just broken up with someone, and thought I had nothing better to do than chop off my lovely long blonde hair and dye it black. In my post relationship haze, I thought I looked really edgy and cool, in reality I looked like a corpse in a school uniform. Im just far too pale for dark hair. Not even pale, ghostly. Then began the 2 year battle to get my hair back a lighter colour without it all falling out. Never, ever again.

SBBC Day 10- My pet peeves

Ohhhhhh, where to begin! Im normally quite a tolerant person, we all make mistakes, but when it comes to make up there are certain things I just can't abide. When I occasionally fall guilty of them myself it's all I can do not to run home and weep into my make up remover. So let's have a look at a few things that make my toes curl with embarrassment

Eyebrows so large they should have their own postcode- some people can pull off the bushy brow, try picture Cara Delavigine without her signature brows, it's hilarious! Most people, however, cannot. Pick your brow shape to suit your face, not to follow a trend!

Drawn on brows- Drawing eyebrows on babies and pets- HILARIOUS. Drawing eyebrows on yourself as part of your super serious make up routine makes baby Jesus cry. On behalf of all people everywhere, please stop that. 

Spider lashes- there's a fine line between adding that extra layer of mascara that makes your lashes look full and fanned out, and the layer that makes you look like you have 3 lashes.

The ring of shame- we've all been guilty of it at one stage. Thankfully most of us grow out of it when our mother/sister/stranger on the street slaps us and teaches us how to blend. Alas Horatio,  not everyone pays attention.

Marshmallow head- also known as the reverse ring of shame. It can actually be tricky to bronze your face up right if you're not used to wearing tan, so im slightly more lenient on this faux pax. But seriously!.... draft in some help if needs be. Looking like you went on holiday but left your head at home has never worked. For anyone. Ever.

The attack of the mascara wand- eyeshadow-perfect, eyeliner- beautiful, foundation- stellar job you did there! Would be a shame if something came along and ruined it all, like, I dunno..... a mascara wand RIGHT ON YOUR EYEBALL!!!!! Give me strength.

Rain sabotage- nothing worse than having an uncharacteristically good hair day, and just while your getting used to basking in your good hair glow BOOM!! Rain. Rain everywhere. And of course you don't have an umbrella because that would just be too sensible

Pink tooth- Lippy is lovely on your lips, not so lovely on your pearly whits. And how would you even know if not for the kindness of strangers? Oh the hugemanity :(

Leaky eye syndrome- You know those beautiful summer days where the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the pollen is sky high? They suck!! Many days I have left the house with fabulous eye make up, and returned looking like an escaped panda. Nothing is truly waterproof. Long live autumn!

SBBC Day 9- A pop of colour

I absolutely love a pop of colour,  especially during the summer months. It really brightens up my mood,  and makes me a little cheerier. I personally find it a bit easier to incorporate colour when the weather is lovely and bring as you can get away with such vibrant,  bold colours.

I do tend to keep colour minimal in my make up, as my hair is very bright and it can look a bit much. So my nails get a lot of colour.

When I do wear colour it's almost exclusively on the lip. Im a huge fan of a bold,  bright lip, particularly pinks and corals.

NYC Expert last lipstick in Pink Rose

On the rare occasion I'm not sporting a plain cat flick, or dramatic smokey eye, I do like to experiment with colour. I just find the colour and shape of my eyes more suited to a simpler look.

Coming into A/W I'll be obsessed with deeper,  richer colours like plums and dark reds, even browns. I love autumn,  rich colours,  layers and knitwear. Heaven. My current favourite is my Oriflame deep plum lipstick. I love the colour and finish,  there's a lovely sheen to it.

SBBC Day 8- A letter to someone from your past

Dear E,

Anything I can write here I really should have said to when I had the chance. But alas, I am an awkward soul, and embarrassment always trumped my honesty. You were always so close by, always just..... there, like a family member I had the joy of choosing. Let's not lie, we had our differences, but through it all your heart was only every in the right place.

There are no words to describe how grateful I am for everything you did for my family and I, for your relentless efforts when we were in need. The support you gave us when my uncle passed away was nothing short of trojan. You picked the vulnerable up when they were at their lowest ebb, even when it was thankless. When your own health deteriorated you still thought of us, as you always did. You would help anyone else before yourself, even strangers you had never met. You were selfless. Your capacity for understanding was limitless, there was no problem you wouldn't help someone tackle. You were a pillar of strength for your family and friends, even for those in your community.

You helped people overcome life altering hurdles, but you also made people laugh. Even your own hearty chuckle would garner a giggle from onlookers. You were cheeky, and sassy, and sometimes downright bold. You were painfully honest, and brutally kind. You gave my mother some of happiest times in her life, and I can still see how much she misses you when your name comes up in conversation. You took a little piece of her when you went, but you gave her so much when you were here.

I'll never forget the day you passed, I honestly wasn't prepared, but I don't think anyone was. The emotion in the room was tangible, because we all knew what we had lost. The one person who could have made us all feel better was gone. We all thought we had more time, but you were suffering, and if anyone deserved a merciful end, it was you. You passed surrounded by your nearest and dearest, and as sad as it was it was also quite beautiful, because it's what you would have wanted.

Your funeral was a testament to your character. The church just wasn't big enough to hold all the people you had touched or helped in one way or another.

There's a new family living in your house now, but I'll never get used to not seeing you pottering in and out. It will always be your house. You weren't just a neighbour, I have loads of them, you were a part of my family, and a vital part of my life. You helped shape me and I owe you so much.

Wherever you are, I hope you found the happiness you so truly deserve.

Lots of love,
Katrina xx

SBBC Day 7- A make up look

Believe it or not, the above would be a fairly standard day look for me. If I'm going for a bold lip, I tend to keep my eyes very simple, and vice versa. Some days, you just need lashings of pink lippy to make tings better.

The products I used for the above look are

Face-
L'Oreal True Match in Rose Ivoire applied with a flat foundation brush
Collection 2000 pressed powder
Benefit Boi-ing concealer under the eyes
Essence Guerilla Gardening cream to powder blush in Mission Flower

Eyes-
Essence Creamlylicious eyeshadow in Iced Chai Latte
NYC Liquid Eyeliner
SEVENTEEN Dolled up mascara
Essence brow designer eyebrow pencil

Lips-
Rimmel Apocalips in Apocalyptic

As it's a day look, it's fairly quick and easy, and very easy to adapt into a more dramatic night time look if the occasion calls!

SBBC Day 6- What I'm never without

A lot of my make up is little extra's that I'd buy for a night out, or to incorporate into a particular look, and I love trying out new products so my staple products do have a tendency to change from time to time. Except my foundation. I've been using basically the same foundation for about 4 years. L'Oreal True Match in Rose ivoire is ALWAYS in my make up bag. I do try new foundations from time to time,  but inevitably go back to my old reliable. It's never steered me wrong colour wise, and I love the coverage.

A few more recent additions to my Never leave the house without collection are my SEVENTEEN Dolled up mascara, my NYC Liquid eyeliner, Essence pressed powder in Translucent, a brow pencil to touch them up in an emergency and a trusty tin of vaseline. Once I'm out of the house I tend to be very relaxed about how my make up looks so my make up bag is very minimal, only the bare essentials!

SBBC Day 4- My favourite hand cream

Look at me posting on time!!

There's a tie for my favourite hand cream. At the moment I'm using one I picked up in Lidl for a whopping €2.49. It's an anti aging hand cream that contains beeswax and vitamin e. The reason I love it so much is that it does wonders for my ravaged cuticles. I have an awful habit of chewing the skin around my nails, I know, im gross, so the skin was always in bits. Sometimes painfully so. But after a few days using this there was a huge difference. The thick formula is quick to absorb and leaves your hands beautifully soft. I use it at least twice a day now. It has SPF 10 in it too so you're getting some uv protection. Fantastic littlebbudget miracle worker.

My previous favourite was the Body Shop hemp hand cream. A friend of mine got sick of me robbing his every time I was in his car so bought me one for Christmas. It was really nice, really intensely moisturising. As soft as it left my hands, it didn't do an awful lot for my cuticles so I didn't buy it again.

SBBC Day 3- What do I bring travelling?

To be bvery honest, I don't get to travel nearly as much as I'd like to, so when I do go away, pretty much everything I own comes with me if I'm travelling within Ireland with no weight restriction. I think the best way to go about this post would be to tell you what I brought on holidays to Spain with me in July....... When we flew with Ryanair.

I don't do well in the heat at all, so I wanted a light foundation that would allow my skin to breath in the heat, but also gave me a nice coverage. I opted for the MaxFactor CC cream for the day time, and warmer nights, and used my usual L'Oreal True Match on nights that it was cool enough. The CC cream has a mild SPF so I was getting some extra protection. Didn't stop me freckling though! You can read my full review here.

I would never dream of leaving the house without my NYC Liquid liner, never mind go travelling without it (the horror). This is like my holy grail of eyeliners, I adore it. As you can probably tell I'm completely obsessed with cat flicks and don one pretty much every single day. This liner (that's about €3.59) is like a warrior. It's not waterproof, but it doesn't claim to be, even so it can withstand a fair amount of moisture. And it stays put until you decide to take it off. GO BUY THIS, NOW!! Thank me later.

I brought my SEVENTEEN Doll eyes mascara with me. It's not waterproof, but I wasn't wearing mascara during the day so that wasn't really important. As you can see from my review it really is one of the best mascara's I've ever used, and have bought it about 3 times over now. Swear by it!

Powder wise I just brought my Collection 2000 pressed powder as it's never steered me wrong. For my blush I brought my Collection 2000 Shimmer shades blush quad. I actually found that great as it gives a lovely sun kissed glow but my niece broke it shortly after my holidays so sadly it is no more :(

I also brought a bottle of WOW Brown with me to keep my tan topped up. Honestly, it never got used. The pool just stripped it away immediately (same with my hair colour) so it was pointless. But I arrived like a golden goddess.

I got my eyebrows done just before going on holidays so during the day I just left them be. At night I filled them in with an Essence eyebrow pencil.

I think it's horrendously obvious that we flew Ryanair.... I was terrified of my luggage being overweight so my make up was really skimmed down to what was ABSOLUTELY necessary. I brought nothing in the way of eye shadow, as I just didn't think i'd use it. The only lip product I brought was a trusty tin of vaseline. As  said I'm not great in the heat, so I was only really wearing make up at night, and you just can't beat a dramatic cat flick of an evening! 

SBBC Day 2- Favorite jewellery

I'm a huge fan of costume jewellery. I don't actually own any "real", well none that still fits anyways! My favourite accessories are quite quirky, unusual statement pieces. I love trawling markets and car boot sales for pieces you just wouldn't find in shops. That said, one of my favorite necklaces is one I picked up in Penneys about 3 weeks ago.

The reason I love it so much is that there's an almost identical version of it in New Look for €25 (Nicole Sherchzinger wore it on the XFactor last night) and I've wanted it ever since I saw it, but just couldn't pay that much for costume jewellery. So when I saw this I absolutely jumped on it. It was only €10 so I would have been raging if I plumped for the New Look version.

As you can see statement necklaces feature pretty heavily in my jewellery collection!

I love playing around with my jewellery too. The glasses in the top collage were just plain black Penney's glasses that I glittered up with nail polish. The phone case was home made with some glue and some old jewellery! I rarely throw anything out, it can always be used for something.

To be very hobest some of my favourite accessories are actually my tattoo's! I know they're not for everyone, but they are for me and I absolutely love them. They're not so much accessories as they are just a part of who I am now. I sat through hours of pain for some of them, so I feel like I earned them, I wear them with pride! I have 11 tattoo's so far, there will definitely be more in the future. Here's a few of my bigger ones.

See you tomorrow!!

Why am I doing SBBC?

Hello everyone :)

I've had great fun reading through some of the SBBC posts already! I'm really excited that so many decided to take part, it's gonna be a great month of reading.

To kick off SBBC, I decided to go for the lifestyle choice and explain why I'm taking part.

First and foremost I'm taking part because it was organised by a good friend of mine GirlFriday, who put a huge amount of effort into the layout and format of this challenge. I've been excited to get started since I first saw the topics almost a month ago. I think the choice of topics each day will really help me expand my voice as a blogger.

I want to learn more from reading other people posts, and get to read blogs I may have missed in the past. Really, I want to get more involved with the fantastic BBlogger community in Ireland, and what better way to do it?

I don't really want to achieve anything from SBBC. It's kinda the kick up the ass I need to get into a more consistent posting routine. So everyone has my complete permission to tweet/email/Facebook/text me giving out if it's ever approaching midnight I've not put a post up. Of course, upping your visitor numbers is marvelous, but it's not the be all and end all.

I really hope everyone enjoys this challenge, and that we all make the most of it! I can't wait to get stuck into reading some fabulous posts. as well as writing on topics I'd never normally even think of!

Anyone for drinks on the 30th? :P

September Beauty Blog Challenge

I really tried my best to keep up with June BBC, but for personal reasons I had to call it a day after only a few posts. I was gutted, but I wasn't gonna half ass it. So the wonderful GirlFriday has gone and organised another challenge for us all, and it's bigger and better than before!

I absolutely love the format of this challenge, while the topics for June were great, they were quite rigid and to be honest slightly intimidating if you were a novice blogger. September comes with 2 choices- beauty or lifestyle. So you can blog about your favourite make up one day, and about what you had for dinner the next. Having that choice will be so handy in expanding what you blog about and pushing you ever so slightly out of your comfort zone.

The topics themselves (which you'll find on GirlFriday's blog) are really interesting, and accessible to everyone. Blogging for 30 days may seem daunting at first, but if you're anything like me, you're brain will start planning out your posts as you're reading the list!!

I really can't wait to get stuck into this challenge, there was a real sense of blogger solidarity about June, and it seemed to really get people in touch with other. With such a variety of topics this time around I'm sure it will be even more successful.

I have to say HUGE props to GirlFriday for organising yet another challenge. You only have to read her post to see that an awful lot of hard work, thought and time went into setting it all up, that's dedication! So, lets not let her down! (Trust me, you don't want to, she'll have your guts for garters!)

Feel free to follow me on Twitter to keep up to date on how the challenge is going using #SBBC