Volupte 1940's Makeup Compact

I have always been a makeup fanatic since a young age. I think the fact that my mum was the same and always had a full face everyday probably influenced me there and started my fascination.

In a previous post I wrote about the very exciting day that I met my makeup idol Lisa Eldridge last year and got my copy of her book FacePaint signed. I mention this because if you don't already know, which I'm sure most of you do, her book is about the story and history behind makeup.

I have followed Lisa's career and videos for years now and one video in particular that I loved was her collection of vintage products. 

Since then I have loved the idea too of sourcing and collecting old compacts and products. 

I just adore the idea that the item has a past. I love to imagine who it belonged to and where it was taken. What did it's owner look like and wear? There are so many things to dream about and I think it's almost quite magical. To some, this may seem crazy, but I'm sure a few of you can relate.

My boyfriend knew of my lust for vintage makeup, so to my surprise on Christmas morning I opened up this beauty....my first piece to my collection. 

This is a Volupte compact from the 1940's and it arrived to me from America. It is in beautiful condition, even with the original packaging. Inside there is a mirror which you can pull down and it reveals a compartment where I believe you could keep cigarettes. Then are the three makeup sections, one for blush, one for lipstick and one for powder. As you can see from the photographs there is still quite a lot of the original super pink blush and red lipstick in there. This is really exciting as you can see the actual shades that were in fashion! The powder has been used, but there is the original powder puff/applicator with the Volupte logo on, which is super cute.

It is a very weighty and well made compact. I think it would be amazing if this type of thing was still made today...a gorgeous and very useful way to touch up our makeup on the go.

I will really treasure this item and hope to keep adding to my collection now and learning more about the history behind the brands and products.

Let me know if any of you have any vintage pieces too! 

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

So I have heard a lot about the brand Living Proof and the science behind their products for a while now. Recently though, after a visit to Cult Beauty, I decided to take the plunge and order myself the Prime Style Extender.
Anything that can really help to protect my hair and keep it in shape and style for longer is definitely in my good books.

Having recently bleached my hair even more than usual to achieve a pink colour, it needs a lot of care and nourishment, especially on the ends. I usually use a smoothing serum before drying, but earlier this week I applied the primer and the primer alone, I wanted to see how it left my hair feeling with nothing else added.
Once I dried my hair, I then also ran my GHD's through to give it a sleeker appearance. My first impression was good, however it didn't feel as moisturised as usual, which I think I was expecting.

But later in the day something happened which really impressed me. It started to hailstone very heavily in my town, and after trying to hide in the car for as long as possible, I finally made a dash through the storm to reach my house. I was not a happy bunny as you can probably imagine. I was due to leave the house again very soon to head out for lunch and thought I would now have to tie my hair up.
However this wasn't the case....the hailstones slid of my hair and even though it felt pretty damp in places, it dried in the exact same straight style. Now I will just add that my hair is naturally wavy and any touch of rain, or anything wet for that matter, will cause at least a kink or frizzy patch to appear..so this was pretty exciting!

The next magical moment came the next day. I went to the gym the following morning and tied my hair into a high ponytail. I did mainly resistance training, so I wasn't super sweaty to be fair, but my hair stayed tied up until the evening. When I finally released the band, there was no kink or band mark! I repeat no kink or band mark!! I'm not sure how this is even possible but I was very happy.
Just a quick brush through and it looked pretty perfect still.

So in summary, as I think you can probably already tell, I really loved this product. Next time I am excited to layer it with my usual serum and I think it could be added to my favourite styling products!
I will definitely have to try some more of the Living Proof range.



Here is a link to the Prime Style Extender:

Beautiful Mermaid Brushes

As a makeup artist, and a makeup lover in general, I am totally obsessed with brushes. I come over all flustered when I purchase new ones and get far too over excited!

Honestly though, I really believe that a good set of brushes are a great investment and make the world of difference to your application.

Being the girly-girl that I am I stumbled across the brand Spectrum through Instagram, after spotting a mermaid clam filled with brushes. Yes you did read that correctly....a mermaid clam! I know, I freaked out slightly too!
So I clicked purchase right away and I am now the proud owner of these beautiful brushes and the Glam Clam.

The handle of each brush is mint green and rose gold, and the actual brushes are lilac and pink ombre. What more could you want?!
Going a little deeper beyond their looks however, these are super super soft on the skin and do their job perfectly. They are also vegan and animal friendly which I love, and so far they clean up very well too. I think the lilac faux leather clam is so fun and cute, and looks adorable on a dressing table.

I would definitely recommend checking out the brand if you are after some great but affordable brushes, and they come in lots of different colours too which are all gorgeous!

Having looked on the Spectrum website today, I believe that the Glam Clam is currently sold out, but hopefully it will be back in stock soon.

Homemade Healthy Granola

I do think it's completely crazy how every January we all jump on the bandwagon of getting fit and healthy. Our bodies are so important and our health is really all we have, so why don't we take care of ourselves all year round?

I am saying this now, however like most of us, I ate my body weight in chocolate over Christmas....and even after doing a super healthy food shop yesterday, whilst in town I bought a bag of Terry's chocolate orange bites and ate the whole thing by myself!
However I am now starting to feel extremely sluggish and have been getting headaches this past week.
More than ever last year I learnt that it's great to workout and eat well to look gorgeous and get a hot bod, but really to keep your insides healthy should be our main objective.

Taking this forwards, this morning I decided to make a batch of granola. One of my favourite breakfasts to have is yoghurt, berries and granola but unfortunately most shop bought packets are filled with so much sugar. So I created my own version. It was super simple to make and there are lots of recipes online, but I thought I would share my one with you.
It really makes a difference to know what is in your food and therefore going into your body.

Here is what you will need:

Add the oats, flaxseeds, coconut flakes and chopped dates into a large bowl. You can use as many or as little of these ingredients as you like, but put a good amount of oats in as the base.

Blend the pecans and almonds in a blender, I use my Ninja, until they are quite finely chopped, and then add into the mixture too. You can add some whole nuts if you prefer a crunchier granola.

Melt some coconut oil over the hob or carefully in the microwave and pour it over the mixture, stirring it through as you go. Then pour into a baking tray and squeeze some honey over the top.

Bake it in the oven at about 180C until it is all golden brown.

Once it has cooled, add the raisins in and also some more chopped dates. Then store in an air tight container and enjoy!

This is a super delicious but also healthy way to start the day. There is no added sugar, only natural, sweet ingredients and I am definitely looking forward to digging in and hopefully beginning my healthy lifestyle. Wish me luck!

Starting the New Year in Dublin

My New Years Eve was a very quiet, chilled one this year. Just curling up on the sofa with my boyfriend, a DVD and a single glass of prosecco.
After all that happened last year, as many of you would have read in my previous post, I didn't feel like celebrating. In fact, the thought of 2016 scared me and still does a little.
However whilst most people were waking up hungover, we headed for the airport on Friday morning.

My last weekend, the first of the year, was spent in Dublin. It was a fantastic distraction and a fun trip that I definitely needed. So I wanted to share with you all some of my highlights:

The Morgan Hotel

We stayed in The Morgan, which is located in Temple Bar, on our first night in Dublin. It has a great location and is beautifully decorated inside. Our room was huge, and the bed was one of the biggest I've seen. It had gorgeous pale wood panelled walls and felt so plush and cosy.
The bar was also super modern and served a delicious mojito. It is a lovely quiet escape from the bustling streets.

Glasnevin Cemetery

This may seem an odd place for tourists to visit, but honestly I would highly recommend a trip if you are in Dublin. This huge, and I mean huge, cemetery is home to the most intricate and stunning gravestones and monuments. It was so peaceful to walk around there and interesting to notice the fashions, if you can call them that, throughout the years.
It's wonderful to see how the people who are buried there are so respected and the beautiful memorials created for them.

Butler's Chocolate Cafe

I am a chocolate addict and I am happy to admit it. One obsession of mine over Winter has been hot chocolate, and in Dublin I think I may have found one of my favourites ever.
Yes, if you ever find yourself in this city, I highly recommend that you visit one of the Butler's Chocolate Cafe's. It is heaven in a cup.
I actually visited twice over the weekend because it was that good! The first time I got the traditional Butler's hot chocolate and the second I got the praline flavoured one. Both were amazing and have actual pieces of chocolate in. The touch that got me very excited though, was that you get given a free chocolate each with your drink. What more could you want?!

The Fresh Air

My boyfriend's dad has a house about 2 hours away from Dublin, up in the mountains. We stayed with him for one night and I have honestly never been somewhere so remote and quiet before.
Once it gets dark, that is it. There are no street lights in sight!
I really noticed how crisp and fresh the air was up there though. I felt like I was inhaling pure oxygen and even though it was cold, it was lovely to walk around in.
The other thing that my boyfriend pointed out to me was how pure the water was. Fresh from the mountain it was so refreshing and clear.
Let's be honest I probably needed it after all the chocolate from the day before!

All in all we had a lovely trip, and over the weekend we also saw Dublin Castle, drank in the famous Temple Bar listening to a traditional Irish band, learnt about Irish folklore at the National Leprechaun Museum and I even tried the famous potato pancakes 'Boxty' for breakfast.....Dublin, it was fun.