My favourite hobby...Online shopping.

Hey huns,

Im sure you have all noticed over the past few years clothes shopping has changed from trawling through rails, to sitting at home with a cup of tea and opening up the laptop (or using your smart phone) , -i tend to use the laptop because i find it far more exciting to see my purchases on the big screen and just browsing away to your hearts content.

Online shopping is bigger than ever and the excitement  i feel when i hear the doorbell and I'm still in bed, open the curtain slightly, see that yellow DHL van or my UPS delivery man who knows me by name and leg it downstairs to see my new goods. It's almost as good as Christmas. Almost.

I find that shopping online is therapeutic and there's a vast shopping world out there that needs to be explored. Clothes that you'd never in your wildest dreams find walking up and down Henry Street.

So if you're struggling for your Christmas party outfit or you're just sick of walking into Topshop and seeing the same stock over again and looking the same as every girl out there , here are my top websites to shop on.

1)   Nasty gal.

http://www.nastygal.com/

This is the holy grail of websites, now opened it's own shop in LA, is by far my favourite website of all time ever. Stocking everything you need to stand out and look amazing at the same time. It varies from very expensive to moderately priced but it's so so worth it.

They tend to break my heart from time to time when i get charged customs at the door but we wont speak about that.

Make sure you turn the currency on the page to whatever is your chosen currency to avoid confusion.

2) Missguided

http://www.missguided.eu/clothing


If you haven't already heard of missguided where have you been living? Its the best website for the cheaper option. If you want a really nice outfit that you know you'll only wear once and you don't have all the money in the world this site is my go to. I have to admit their shoe selection is amazing as well as their accessories.

Please note just like Nasty Gal and most other sites, the models are not your average girl so try be realistic when you order tiny dresses and killer heels.

3) Motel Rocks

http://www.motelrocks.com/

This website i never really bothered with until i actually saw them featured on Nasty Gal, and once you know it's on that site it's a sure winner. I love this website again for their price range and they have some amazing co-ordinates. Like missguided they have a lot of stock similar to the high street but they put a more funky twist on their clothes. Perfect for outfits over Christmas and perhaps an aul New Years Eve number.

Priced in sterling so easy to work out and it's really fast shipping!

4)Wasteland

http://www.shopwasteland.com/

This website has a similar layout to Nasty Gal and similar styling. As far as i'm aware it's Australian but they stock a good few brands like Jeffrey Campbell and Unif. This isn't expensive at all compared to your average high street brands and the stock is so unique. It's especially amazing towards the summer with all of their festival style clothing. 

I always find great styling tips on these sort of websites and great ideas on how to out outfits together.

5)MyMumMadeIt.

http://www.mymummadeit.net/

This website is slightly smaller but the clothes are so beautifully displayed it's so hard to not look at every item on the entire site. It's a great website for a more casual look but you could certainly dress their items up. The price point is so amazing as the clothes look way more expensive and they have amazing basics.

All the stock is originally designed so you 100% wont catch another website selling the same thing. They're also a very minimalistic style so if you prefer a more understated look you need to check this out.

6) Monki

http://www.monki.com/

One of my personal faves at the moment. It is the same company as H&M so as you can imagine their price points are amazing.  I know they're featured on ASOS aswell but it's not as much stock as the website has. Monki is huge in Asia and it's slowly taking over Europe. Perfect for occasion wear and more casual wear.

I find the clothing quite big fitting and oversized so keep note to order a size down.

These are all my currant faves for something that bit different but i want to add a few more tips to avoid any upset or trauma upon your beloved order.

Track it. 

Websites will send you a confirmation email with a tracking number so keep an eye on its delivery to avoid it ending up in South Africa.

Be aware of customs.

The customs will get you, especially outside of the EU, it's painful but necessary. So when the delivery man knocks on the door, have some cash on you just incase.

Check size guidelines.

Make sure you check the sizing on each website, American shoe sizes are different to UK sizes and a small in some clothes could be a UK 10 and the extra small could be an 8 so please check.

Send it back.

If it doesn't fit you, please wrap it up nicely and send it back. Most places send you the details in the package plus the address to send it back to and you'll get a full refund.

aaaaand remember...

The likes of Topshop and Zara have more stock on their website so i always check the sites as well as the actual shops because i know they have more to offer.

Happy Shopping :)

xxx

Christmas must haves according to a hun.

Okay so, if you're like me and as soon as pay day hits you already have a list as long as your arm of things that you wanna buy that you've seen throughout the month and you add up how much things will cost and the conversation in your head (well mine anyway)

"K so i have 600 euro for two weeks seen shoes in topshop and i need a new coat and i need an outfit for my Christmas party and i need new foundation and maybe new lipstick , so all that comes to 400 euro so i can 100% live off 200 euro for the rest of the month can't i?"

NO, NO YOU CANT.

I'm trying to teach myself how to budget and just buy a couple of things that will last me the winter season and not to buy things on a whim. (I am the biggest impulse buyer ever.) So here's my list of what i think you need to get you through winter time and still have money to actually buy your lunch in marks&spencer and not raid your kitchen at home looking for your pot noodle to bring into work the next day to "save you a few quid".

Christmas must haves

1) The party shoe. (which , in my opinion has to be the fluffy shoe.)

Carrie Bradshaw /90's eat your heart out. These are so cute and so dressy. Wear them with leather trousers, dresses, skinny jeans , culottes, hell even wear them with your Penny's pyjamas. My fave shoe of the season. Festive and fun.

These two are from Missguided (left) and Topshop (right).




2) The statement runner

I have a new found love for cool runners (thanks to my bf cause he has the best collection ever) but i think they can totally funk up your average daily outfit and they're so comfy. It's actually okay to wear Adidas Stan Smiths again. Who would have thought?

If you check out the unbelievable Brown Thomas Marvel room (full of stuff i can't afford bar these unreal runners.)Mary Katranzou for Adidas is a fab (and affordable) funky runner that will help you look so stylish aswell as keep you comfortable and will help jazz up your outfit if you don't feel like dressing up.




3) The Bold Lip. 

Makeup again so it is. Even though i love fashion ,gorgeous makeup is vital if you want the whole look and it doesn't get more statement than a bold vampy lipstick. Good lipliner is necessary with this as it will hold it on longer.

There's so many to choose from but if i had to pick (you obviously all know i'm going to say MAC suprise suprise)

  

(L TO R) MAC Diva lipstick , MAC Rebel lipstick & MAC Heroine lipstick. All to be accompanied with either Nightmoth or Currant lipliner.


      


4) The leather trousers.

Sadly i have not found my perfect pair just yet due to lack of funds and the sheer effort it takes to get them on in a fitting room (Ross from friends moment anyone?). However it has to be said that they're such a wearable item to have because they go with almost anything. They're almost a more glam black skinny jean. So go fourth and search until you find a pair that you can actually sit down in (firstly) and make you look like Catwoman (secondly). Priorities please.





5) The Fur.

Winter is the best time for fur and it also adds so much to your outerwear such as your standard black coat or your ancient leather jacket. Personally this year i like the ones you can get in brighter colours because i always wear black and they add a touch of excitement to my outfit but a classic black one is also a must.

I love this one from River Island.



6)The Sparkly Eyeshadow

Like i said in my very first post, i loooove glitter as much as Elsa from Frozen but it can be tricky to wear without looking like a ten year old. I absolutely adore MAC pressed pigments especially in ''Blonde Streak''. It's a gorgeous pale silvery gold with reflects glitter really finely pressed into the shadow. I normally just use it on my lid and do all my blending with matte colours like Cork and Brown Down in your socket line. Please always leave shimmer to the eyelid only.

(Pictures do this no justice, you have to see it to appreciate it)




7)The Chunky knit

This is my ultimate favourite lazy outfit. Be it a jumper or a dress , it is the easiest and most cosy outfit you will find. Ideal for cold mornings and generally going about your daily business. I especially love the high necked ones because i don't have to worry about fake tan. Even better is if you buy one from the mens section and pair it with your leather trousers you'll look extra glam and feel extra snug.





8) The Dressy Top

I always find when i'm going somewhere that's classed 'dressy casual' i'm like "what does that even mean??" and i always go for chunky boots, either black leather trousers or skinnies and i'm always , without fail , stuck for a top to wear. Well being the festive season and all, you cant go wrong with a shimmery (i said shimmer not sequins, there's a difference) top. It just makes your outfit that little bit dressier and there's so many to choose from at the moment.  Who even invented the term dressy casual anyway?

I'm loving this one from Folkster.





9) The statement earring.

This one is perfect if you're like me and your wardrobe is black, black and more black because it's a quick update to a simple enough outfit especially if your hair is up. Throw it in a messy bun and then your earrings will really stand out. Be careful when you're shaking all over the club to Beyonce as it may get caught in somebodys outfit. (I'm speaking from experience).





10) The Camel Coat.

This is one of those things that when you wear it, you just look rich. In winter , your outerwear is your most important because it's what people see the most. It's important to invest in a good coat and what's more glam than a camel coat.You can swan up and down the street thinking you're fab. The longer the better and also (the warmer). Throw it on over anything and you're good to go.

A huns guide to lipliner.

Hey Huns ,

Number one question i ask myself on a daily basis..

HOW DO I BE KYLIE JENNER??
(Or at least have her lips..)

Did she get them done? Did she not? What does she use? and so on and so fourth , so i felt compelled to write a post on the magic tool that is lip liner.

I must admit lipliner was never my most used product in my makeup bag purely because i was afraid i'd look like the woman who used to work in my local Tuthills newsagents who i'm  one hundred percent sure, wore black eyeliner on her lips and the palest pink lipstick you could find. Quite literally , terrifying! So i suppose i was a bit slow on the uptake.
I've recently discovered in the past few years (and clearly Kylie has too) how much of a difference it makes to your lips and how nice your makeup looks when you wear the right one.

So i'm sticking to my roots again for this one (MAC hun for life and all) and without further ado.

My favourite MAC lipliners that you need in your makeup bag like now (or on your christmas list at least)

I also threw in a few selfies to show different ways they look on (and a few of my best friend jenni for good measure)

Number 1

Stripdown

As mentioned before in my previous post, the best colour for natural looking lips , not too dark , not too light. It's a warm toned brown that goes with every nude lipstick you could ever dream of and i  bring it with me everywhere.

Worn best with :  Every nude you have in your posession. Trust me.

Number 2

Whirl

This is one of the Kylie faves, probably the most lip coloured pencil (if that makes sense), Great for using all over your lip as an actual lipstick and also great for lining because it's a dusty shade of pink so its perfect for everybody.

Worn best with: Faux lipstick, Kinda Sexy lipstick, Please Me lipstick.

Number 3

Soar

Again, another Kylie fave, A gorgeous pinky colour that again matches the pink tones in your lip so a great way to wear this one again is it fill in your entire lips with the pencil to get the actual colour because it's so dreamy and so pretty and i've just now realized i don't know where mine is.

Worn best with: Creme cup lipstick, Angel lipstick.

Number 4

Stone

Ah now i'm partial to a bit of stone now and again. It's slightly cooler than the other liners (cool as in the colour not the personality trait although it does make me feel like i'm back in the 90's) it's a grey brown liner and it's also subtle in the sense that it's not really dark but it still does the job.

Worn best with : Viva Glam II, Or if you're feeling really brave, the new Viva Glam Rihanna II.

Number 5

Plum

Plum is a weird one because that used to be a liner that i'd look at and go "ewww" but oh god how the tables have turned. I know all you nude lip lovers are probably sitting there puzzled as to how this one works exactly. Yes in theory it is technically a plum colour BUT when worn more faint it gives an amazing definition to the lip line and if you want an in between colour for your actual lips it's amazing aswell.

Worn best with: All your nudes, Please me lipstick, Angel lipstick, Faux lipstick.

Number 6

Redd

Ah now this is the only red lipliner you need in your life. If you normally use red lipstick minus the lipliner and you find your lipstick bleeds and doesn't stay on long enough, well this will solve that problem. Just fill in your lips with the pencil and then put your lipstick over it and i guarantee it wont move for the night.

Worn best with: Red red and more red. (Or Ruby Woo lipstick)




Number 7

Nightmoth.

Last but not least , this is the vampiest lipliner of them all. I normally wear this around winter time with any deep wines and burgundy colours. Not for the faint hearted this pencil is a must for anybody who likes to embrace the more gothic side of life. Like the red lipliner, colour in your entire lip with this colour and put your lipstick on top and you're ready to go.
Disclaimer (do not wear this on a date for obvious reasons)

Worn best with: Rebel lipstick, Hangup lipstick , Media lipstick.
(Very very old picture but i love the colour)

Top 10 MAC products.

Okay, so I’ve decided to give this blogging thing a go after about four years of talking about how much I wanted to do one and that I was too busy or too afraid of what people would think or what if what I say doesn’t really matter and people laugh at me but now that I’m older and (seemingly) wiser at twenty three years of age my attitude is simply .. ‘sure why not’.

This blog is mostly going to be about fashion, makeup and beauty, perhaps the odd personal note or funny musing and even if the only reader is my mam at least I tried right? (It also gives me a valid justification to my parents to show that I am using my MacBook that was bought for me for college) J.

I get asked by family and friends all the time about my makeup (something that my four year stint working for MAC has helped me perfect) and  I always get asked what I think the best products are from MAC. Although I don’t work for them anymore I still consider myself a MAC girl for life so I’m only now branching out and using other brands like Ingot etc., but for all the MAC lovers out there I’ve decided that my first post is going to be my top products that you absolutely without a doubt HAVE TO HAVE, from MAC.

Number 1……

 Shy girl/Kinda sexy/Velvet teddy lipsticks.

These are my favourite nudes ever. They all have a hint of peach in them (love a warm tone me) and I have never ever seen these colours look bad on anybody (special shoutout to kinda sexy). If you can’t afford all three and your budget allows you just one, it has to be ‘kinda sexy’.

 

Number 2……

Pearl highlighter

Oh my god, if MAC stopped making this I’d cry rivers every single day. I have oily enough skin but like everybody out there, still like a dewy complexion without looking like I dipped my face into a frying pan of grease so this is perfect. I normally just apply it at the top of my cheekbones with my finger so when the light catches it, people genuinely mistake me for J.lo.  It’s creamy so it can be slightly tricky to use but once you master it, your face will go from being dull to dazzling. (CRINGE)

 

Number 3……

Stripdown lip liner

Okay, I’m going to do a thing where I try and not mention Kylie Jenner everytime I mention lips but seriously this lip liner is a godsend. The reason I like it so much is that it’s strong enough to define your lips without it being brown but it’s not too pale that you can’t see it. It’s the perfect nude lipliner. I wear it every day with lipsticks like I mentioned above and even on its own with some lip balm for a more natural look.

 

Number 4…..

Painterly paint pot.

Oily eyelids please pay attention; this is literally the solution to creasy eyeshadow. Basically a creamy primer like eyeshadow base that’s a neutral colour that stops your shadows from moving and the colour payoff is way stronger too. The paint pots come in other colours aswell (check groundwork and quite natural) but ‘painterly’ is the most neutral one. I would never dare to leave the house without it on my eyes my eyeshadow would literally be gone in twenty minutes.

 

Number 5……

Cork eyeshadow and texture eyeshadow.

I normally don’t wear a lot of colour on my actual eyelid except for my trusty painterly, so I would normally put muted soft tones in my socket line (or crease line) and these tones would normally of the soft brown family. Warm brown tones bring out the colour of my eyes and they don’t look too dark or heavy on but you can still see that you’re wearing actual colour.

 

Number 6……

Feline eyepencil

All I can say about this is ’black black blaaaaack’ . The blackest eyeliner known to man. Perfect for smokey eyes, perfect for smudging, perfect for staying on. That is literally all I can say.

Number 7….

Number 36 eyelashes.

Hi I’m Ciara and I have a massive false lash addiction. No matter how bad of a day you’re having, false lashes (if worn correctly) can make you look a million times better and they truly get no better and fluffier than MAC eyelashes in number 36. They’re brown so they don’t look that false and have a slight kick out at the end to lift your eye shape. They’re also the best lashes to be worn when doing winged out eyeliner.

Number 8……

Diva lipstick.

I know this is my second lipstick entry however this is more of a vampy winter colour. If you like to wear nudes a lot then this is a nice one to change it up. If you have the confidence to that is. It’s the perfect deep wine shade and it’s also matte so it doesn’t budge. I wear it with vino lip liner to make sure it doesn’t budge.

Number 9…..

Medium Deep mineralize bronzer.

Best shade ever for bronzing/contouring. Not too faint and not too strong. It’s soft and blends so easy. It warms up your face in an instant and stops you from looking like a ghost. Keep in mind this should only be applied under the cheekbone and on the temples and NOT all over your entire face. It’s a bronzer remember, not a face powder.

Number 10

Mac reflects glitter in reflects pearl

Now this is quite selfish as I know a lot of people may not be into glitter, but being a girl and especially as we approach the festive season it’s the only time I can wear it and not look like a ten year old. Reflects pearl is a beautiful tone because it’s like a white glitter so you can put it over anything and it will jazz it up. When it catches the light it looks amazing and it’s such a quick way to make your makeup look more festive. Only sad thing is, you can’t buy it in Ireland, so if you’re lucky enough to get to any MAC pro store, you can get it there.