Hook Lighthouse

I mentioned in my last outfit post that last month we visited Wexford and Hook Lighthouse. I wanted to share some photos as it's such an amazing structure and location. It's been a long time since I've visited a lighthouse, so this was a real treat. As I have mentioned before, my grandfather on my mother's side was a lighthouse keeper and so of course every time I see a lighthouse, I am reminded of him. 

Hook is the world's oldest operational lighthouse, the tower was built by a knight named William Marshal between 1210 and 1230. However as early as 500 a.d. monks at the monastery at Churchtown kept a beacon on the peninsula to warn sailors of the dangerous rocks. The tower was then restored in the 1670's and into the 1700's when it came into the possession of the Loftus family (more on those guys in another post). In 1791 the coal fire was replaced with a lamp that burned whale oil. 

During the 1800s, the tower was handed over the the corporation, the houses were built for lighthouse keepers and their families and three red bands were painted on the tower that were later changed to the two black bands seen today. In 1871 gas lights were installed and then paraffin oil became the source of power. 

Throughout the 1900s many changes came to the tower including the changing of a fixed light to a flashing one which was powered by a clockwork mechanism. Then in 1972 they finally switched the light to be run by electricity. 1996 was a sad year as after 800 years, the lighthouse became automated and all the lighthouse keepers were no longer needed. 

Obviously that is a very brief history of a building that has been around for such a long time. Walking up the steep, narrow, winding stairway, it was hard to believe the history that those steps had seen. It's difficult to imagine that it was someone's job to walk up and down those stairs and maintain the light. Countless lives were saved because that light was there all those years, what an important job the lighthouse keepers had. I have such a great admiration for my grandfather working as a lighthouse keeper for years all over the country, I can't help but smile every time I see one.

I'll have part two of my trip for you later in the week.

Emma x

Win an ASOS Voucher

The generous people at Appliances Online have offered me the chance to give you all the opportunity to win a £40 voucher to spend on one of my favourite online stores ASOS. The competition is open internationally and will run for the next 8 days so check back then to see if you have won. Enter using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Emma x

Icon

I first heard about Hourglass Cosmetics last year when I saw photographs of Christina Hendricks and Kat Dennings at the Emmys wearing the most stunning shade of red on their lips.  I quickly found out they were both wearing the Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon. The liquid lipstick formula had me very intrigued so I decided to buy Icon back in April when was at Space NK as I'm not really near one that often and as far as I know it's the only place in Dublin that stocks Hourglass products. 

The first thing I will say about this is that it won't be for everyone. Unlike solid lipstick from a bullet, you do need some extra patience when applying these and you can't just slap them on without a mirror. They need careful and precise application. However once it's on, it really does stay on. If you stick to the instructions on the box, with a little practice, it gets easier to apply each time. I did find it tricky at first, but sticking to the instructions is key to making the most of these liquid lipsticks.

They are unscented and the packaging has a retro-futuristic feel to it. As you can see in the photos it has a small doe foot applicator which makes the application a lot more precise. They also contain skin conditioning ingredients such as Vitamins A, C and E that help keep your lips moisturised and protected throughout the day.

To be honest I haven't worn this for 14 hours straight so I don't know how true that claim is, but it really doesn't budge from your lips and doesn't bleed at all, you just have to be careful to not rub your lips together or it ruins the effect. I would say this is a semi-matte finish rather than full on matte (compared to my other matte lipsticks), it looks similar to the finish of the Estée Lauder matte lipsticks.

It seems to me that the Opaque Rouge lipsticks are the perfect product for an occasion such as a Wedding/ Prom/ Debs etc. when you don't want to worry about having to touch up your lips all day/night. Never one to save red lips for a special occasion I do like to wear this to work as it means I know I won't need to touch up at all.

Icon is the perfect classic deep red shade and stood out the most to me from all of the colours available. The only other shade I would really be interested in investing in is Muse, which is a more coral red.

These retail for approximately £23/ €26. You can find them at Space NK or Liberty.

What do you think? Do these long lasting lip products appeal to you?

Emma x

*I'm wearing Urban Decay's Midnight Rodeo and Lost from the Book of Shadows IV on my eyes

Fashion Getaways Blogger Challenge With House Of Fraser

When I heard that House of Fraser were running a Blogger competition to put together an outfit inspired by one of the most iconic fashion capitals I thought it would be fun to create an entry, also who wouldn't want to win a £200 House of Fraser voucher?

All you have to do is go to their site and create an outfit inspired by one of the following cities: London, Paris, Milan, New York or Tokyo and explain what you love about of the items. Then ask your readers to guess which city you've chosen.

Chanel Pirate Lipstick, £25
The outfit I've chosen is quite monochromatic so I wanted to add a bright red lip to make this daytime outfit a bit more special. Chanel Pirate is the perfect glamorous shade of red. 

Therapy Spot Woven Dress, £45
I chose this Therapy dress because it's a great price point and it's so versatile. It can be worn with tights, brogues and a trench coat (as shown above) during the day if it's a bit cold, with sandals for the warmer weather or with some classic black heels and a blazer for dinner or drinks in the evening. 

Office Lottie Shoes, £62
These brogues are perfect for wearing during the day as the stacked heel makes them more comfortable for walking around in. The cut-out is really on trend at the moment and makes them a little bit more modern and different than your usual pair of brogues.

Zatchels Barrel Cross Body Bag, £45
This black bag is perfect for sightseeing in any country, it's cross body so it's more secure and can fit just the right amount in it so that you're not weighed down. 

Cutie Trench Coat, £35
Trench coats are a great way to layer up in colder weather without feeling too bulky. This one is a little bit of a twist on the classic trench coat because of the cute layered skirt which also gives a great shape.

Libertine Yellow Gold Thorn Ring, £25
I wanted to keep the outfit quite simple and not add much jewellery. This gorgeous Libertine ring is a nice statement piece that adds some interest to the monochromatic outfit. 

Charnos Sheer Black Tights, £6

You can't be without a pair of sheer black tights when the weather is a bit chilly. These will look great against the pale shades of the dress and the trench coat.

You can find out all of the details on the House of Fraser Blog. 

So have you figured it out which city have I chosen? Let me know in a comment below!

Don't forget to tell me if you decide to enter the competition too so I can take a look at your outfit.

Emma x

Soft Peach

I very rarely wear such a subtle all over make up look, I tend to either have strong eyes or bold lips. However recently with the weather being so warm, minimal but soft and pretty make up has been my go to look for my days off. 

I usually go for my favourite long lasting foundation Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, add some powder and brow gel to my eyebrows, then some mascara, at the moment I've been loving Estée Lauder's Sumptuous Extreme mascara again, it gives the perfect amount of length and definition for during the day. I finish off the look with some cream blush and matching lip gloss. Brows, lashes, cheeks and lips. That's all you need. 

Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet, €10.49

I received this cream blush in a goodie bag about three weeks ago and have been wearing it every day since then. I read about these new Bourjois blushes for a while and had no plans to buy one because I don't really need another blush, but now that I've tried it I'm so glad I have it. It's not really a nude colour as the name suggests but more a peachy shade that gives a gorgeous glow to the cheeks and is perfect for summer when you want something that looks fresh and subtle. The formula is cream to powder but I find it still looks natural rather than powdery on the skin. It's easy to blend and build up the colour if you want more of an impact too. It contains mango butter and apricot extracts to leave your skin feeling soft and to give a healthy glow. The packaging is the same as the regular Bourjois Little Round Pot powders blushes only a little smaller and more compact, so it is perfect for if you are travelling. At €10.49 they are a great price for such a quality product, I'm interested to swatch the other shades to see if there are any I can't live without.


No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Peachy Keen, €8

I won't go into too much detail about the No7 Nail Colours because I've already reviewed a few of them so you probably already know everything I love about them. I bought Peachy Keen at the beginning of Summer because I thought it was the most perfect pastel peach shade. I think this is a shade you could wear all year round because it's not too bright. It looks great paired with '60s inspired make up.


Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer, €17

I've already written about the Rose Shimmer shade which I've since used up. Thankfully I was given the Apricot Shimmer shade as a gift recently as I was really missing this product in my life. The two shades aren't completely dissimilar, this one is more peach than pink but it's perfect for those days when you want to downplay your lips but still want them to look nice and stay moisturised. They contain Shea Butter and Mango as well as derivatives of Vitamin A and E to repair, soften and protect the lips. They have a sweet vanilla scent which I love but if you don't like scented products, it may put you off. As you can see they leave the lips looking glossy and full. The formula is not sticky at all and feels comfortable and smooth on the lips.  I really don't have a bad word to say about these, I don't even mind the applicator which seems to be the only thing people don't like about them.


Do you ever go all matchy matchy with your make up and nails?

Emma x

This Place Is So Quiet, Sensing That Storm

It's offically Autumn! Well, at least in Ireland anyway. Donnacha and I took a trip to Wexford with my parents last weekend. We had such a wonderful time being tourists in our own country. One of the only things we had planned for our trip was a visit to Hook Lighthouse, the oldest operational lighthouse in the world at 800 years old. 

Dress and Bag- Monsoon

Sandals- Clarks

Sunglasses- Marks and Spencers

Ring- Dixi

Watch- Fossil 

Nail Polish- Barry M Green Berry (Fingernails) No7 Hot Lava (Toenails) 

Lipstick- Revlon Kiss Me Coral

I don't know if I have mentioned it here before but my grandfather was a lighthouse keeper so we all have a huge interest in lighthouses and particularly visiting the ones he was stationed at. Hook Head is not one that my grandpa worked in, however because of it's history and that it's one of the few lighthouses around Ireland that my mam hadn't seen yet, we just had to visit it. The interior of the lighthouse is quite amazing and really demonstrates the skill of the people who built it. I have a whole post planned on our trip because I took lots of photos to show to those of you who are interested and maybe won't get a chance to visit Hook Head. We also went to Loftus Hall (Ireland's most haunted house!) I had wanted to visit it for years after reading about it in a book we had when I was younger. I have a huge interest in abandoned and derelict buildings so this was really exciting for me. It actually just opened to the public in October and you can take a guided tour around the ground floor of the house (The other floors are still too damaged and unsafe). The money from the tours is going towards renovating the house as it was unoccupied for 7 years and unfortunately went into great disrepair. I'll tell you more about Loftus Hall in my next post as it has such an interesting history.

I'm totally smitten with my new watch that you can see above. It was an early birthday present from Donnacha and it's perfect, exactly what I wanted.

How is your week going so far?

Emma x

PS. A huge Happy Birthday my my best friend Lisa. Love you!

*Post Title is from Peter Gabriel's Red Rain