Into The Wild

If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen this look that I posted during the week. I bought the Into the Wild palette from Diego dalla Palma earlier this week. I had been eyeing it up for a while as I thought it was such an unusual combination of quite unique shades. I found it in the M&S Beauty Hall on sale and I couldn't resist picking it up despite the fact that I have more palettes than I could probably get through in a lifetime. What can I say, I'm an addict. 

This palette was part of their limited edition 2019 Cruise Collection which had beautiful tropical/safari inspired products. It's still available on their website if you fancy a look. Diego dalla Palma is an Italian brand and I've only tried one product from them before now, their Ciglione Mascara which I really liked. Italy is known for manufacturing a lot of beauty products, so many brands have products that are made there. I definitely want to try out more from this brand as they seem to have a great reputation. 

I went to the launch of the Urban Decay Naked Honey palette during the week and as it's inspired by the seventies, it got me researching the makeup of that era. This look was obviously subconsciously inspired by the seventies looks I saved during the week (Jerry Hall in particular). I was incredibly impressed by how these eyeshadows performed, they're so pigmented and blend with ease. I didn't think I'd be able to do a look with all four of the shades and make it work but I love how it turned out.  I also went a bit more heavy handed on the blush and bronzer than I usually would to keep with the seventies feel. I used a lip combination I hadn't tried before, the Primark PS Lip Liner in Foxy Nude which is a great warm toned nude for fair skin all over my lips and some of the Alex Steinherr X Primark Plump & Glow Lip Gloss in the centre for some dimension. I'm excited to try more looks with this palette, each shade is beautiful in its own right. 

I had a few breakouts this week including a huge painful one on my chin so I brought out the bareMinerals BAREPRO Foundation and it worked a treat at covering what I wanted it to without looking too heavy. It's my go-to foundation for when I need more full coverage. I think pairing it with earthy toned colour makeup helped a lot as I avoided bringing out the redness in my skin and drawing attention to the blemishes. 

Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Gel (Medium Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Diego dalla Palma Into the Wild Eyeshadow Palette
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Mascara
KIKO Milano Glamorous Eye Pencil (401 Golden Hazelnut) (Discontinued, similar here)
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat (1)
Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk)
Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter (Moonstone)
Fenty Beauty Killawat Freestyle Highlighter (Hu$tla Baby)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Travel Size (Dim Light)
Primark Beauty PS Lip Liner Pencil (Foxy Nude)
Alex Steinherr X Primark Plump & Glow Plumping Lip Gloss

*Press Sample

Have you tried Diego dalla Palma? What do you think of seventies makeup?

Emma x

Wishing I Could Fly To Fantasy Island

It's been a while since my last style post and I'm completely blaming the Irish weather. Every time I had a free day to do it, the weather was rainy, windy or horribly cold. Which is why I wanted my first outfit post of Spring to be a colourful one.

I bought these earrings in H&M last week and I immediately pictured myself wearing them with clashing bright pink. You may remember I have the white ones too which I wore in this post last Summer. This is the fourth time I've styled tassel earrings in outfit photos over the past year (seen in this post and this one) all of which happen to be from H&M. I just love how much of a statement they make, I can see myself wearing these with dresses in the Summer too like I did with my white ones when I was in France last year. 

Coat- Dunnes Savida (the red version is still available in stores but there are some similar styles here and here)
Shirt- Penneys/ Primark (similar here)
Jeans- Next (similar here)
Boots- ASOS (similar here and here)
Sunglasses- ASOS (similar here)
Earrings- H&M (black version, similar here)
Bag- Penneys/ Primark (similar here)
Lipstick- Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Rose Lancôme

The clashing colours trend, particularly with pink and red is one of my favourites this year and I was excited to try it myself. Between the earrings, coat and lipstick there is a lot going on here which I love, but it meant I wanted to keep the rest of my outfit very pared back with a white shirt and jeans. These sunglasses are my favourite purchase of last Summer, if they were still available on ASOS I'd probably have bought a back up pair. I saw them on Erica from The Edited last year and ordered them straight away. My friend saw them on me and bought them too. I just think they're so unusual with the colourblock acetate frames and such a flattering shape on my face. I have my eye on these amazing colourblock ones from & Other Stories for this Summer.

I've featured the bag and boots here already, I love finding new ways to wear the items in my wardrobe. For me, it's not possible to wear completely new outfits all the time. The average person doesn't have the means to keep up with that kind of lifestyle either and it promotes fast fashion which I'm trying to steer away from (new H&M earrings aside). I've been cutting down my wardrobe significantly over the past few months, donating A LOT to charity and it doesn't mean the I have less to wear. I love seeing the creative outfits of people who have a capsule wardrobe, I'm not quite there yet but I'd love to have something along those lines myself.

I'm so happy Spring is finally here and the sun is out again! At the moment I'm gearing up for my trip to New York which is is just over three weeks time. If you have any suggestions of things to do or places to eat please let me know, I still have so much planning to do!

I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday and enjoying the nice weather.

Emma x

I Fall Asleep To Dream My Dreams Of You

I had been looking for a velvet blazer for a while coming up to Christmas. It's such a classic seasonal item that you can bring out year after year and style so many different ways. I'd seen a few in the likes of Zara and Topshop but nothing that was perfect for me. After attending the Primark Spring/Summer 2017 press day I was given a voucher with which I bought this entire outfit (apart from the shoes). I actually rarely browse in the women's clothing in Penneys, I usually head straight for socks, pyjamas and the home department. I had a really good look around the shop late one evening about a half hour before closing when it was quiet enough for me to be able to properly see everything without crowds of people. 

The blazer was one of the first things that caught my eye, I tried it on and was sold straight away. I wasn't too sure about the trousers at the time, I didn't want to buy something for the sake of it even though the prices are so reasonable so I went home with the blazer and blouse (among other things) and a few days later I came back for the trousers. I actually ended up getting a bigger size as I wanted the suit to look more casual and less form fitting. It's probably not the most flattering outfit ever, but I don't mind that. 

I knew I wanted to wear it around Christmas time but I didn't want to look too dressed up so I paired it with my white Topshop runners and the peter pan collar blouse. This is definitely something I wasn't sure if I could pull off, I've never worn a suit before but I'm so happy I tried it out because I really liked it in the end, especially dressed down with the runners. I'm not a heels girl, but I'm sure it would look amazing with heels too. I think a suit like this is so versatile, you could wear it so many ways, each piece separately or with something different under the blazer like a t-shirt, a jumper or polo neck, a cami top etc. I saw a similar blazer styled with a white shirt, gold pleated midi skirt and heeled boots and it looked amazing. 

That's what I like about shops like Penneys, it allows you to try out trends without forking out a fortune on a designer piece, having said that I'll definitely be wearing the suit until Spring comes and keeping it in my wardrobe for next year. I really dislike the concept of fast-fashion which is why I'm always just as scrupulous buying something at a lower price as I would be if it was more expensive. I hate buying something with the mindset of only wearing it once and then getting rid of it because it was cheap. If I buy something I intend for it to be in my wardrobe (and worn) for years to come.  

I wore this on both Christmas Eve and Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) and the trousers are so comfortable it's like wearing pyjamas, perfect for the festive season when you might be overindulging a little bit. 

Jacket, trousers and shirt- Penneys/Primark (similar here, here, here, here and here)
Shoes and Earrings- Topshop (similar here and here)
Lipstick- Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge in Rose Lancôme
Nails- Essie Eternal Optimist and Shine of the Times

What are your thoughts on "fast-fashion" and shops with lower price points? Are there any trends you loved this Winter?

Emma x

All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun

We braved the freezing weather last weekend to take photos of an outfit I based around my new Aire Shirt from the second Archive by Alexa collection for Marks and Spencer. 

I still adore the Frances Trench and Misty Dress from the first collection that I featured earlier in the year so when I heard that there was going to be a second collection I was so excited to see how it would compare to the first one. I was drawn to the metallic Aire Shirt straight away when I saw the campaign images. It's based on a design from the 80s and I loved the embroidered details on the collar and pocket as well as the neck tie and scalloped edge on the cuffs. 

Shirt- Marks and Spencer
Coat- New Look (similar here and here)
Skirt- Monsoon (similar here, here and here)
Boots- Primark (similar here, here and here)
Bag- Zara (similar here and here)
Fur Collar- Chicwish (similar here and here)
Earrings- Accessorize (similar here)
Lipstick- Clinique Nude Pop

I wasn't sure about the material of the shirt when I first tried it on as it's not exactly very soft, but I actually don't mind it at all, if it had been made from a softer material it wouldn't have the same look. The reason I went for this shirt over the other items in the collection that are maybe a bit more wearable is that it's different from anything else I've seen on the high street. I loved this printed pieces too but I limited myself to one thing and this shirt was it.

You may have seen my Winter Wardrobe Wishlist last month in which I mentioned some patent boots from New Look that were sadly sold out in my size. I had to give up on them but luckily when I was in Liverpool earlier this month I spotted these boots in Primark that I had seen on Instagram and couldn't find in Penneys here in Dublin. They were very similar to the New Look boots except with a lower (and different coloured) heel and they were only £12 so I couldn't pass them up despite only having a carry on bag for the plane. I'm delighted I ended up getting these instead of the New Look ones because the quality is practically the same and they were a third of the price and much easier to walk in so I'll get more wear out of them.

I got this coat in New Look on sale last year and I've worn it so much. I like that the grey colour is different from the usual leopard print coats. This is pretty much the opposite to my last outfit post. More accessories and print and textures, but I like trying something different and not always wearing the same thing. I've made a couple of "Black Friday" purchases that I'm looking forward to styling when they arrive.

Did you get anything in the sales? What do you think of the second Archive by Alexa collection?

Emma x

And We'll Dazzle Them All

You'll have to excuse my unplanned temporary hiatus from blogging. Since I got back from holidays in September there has been a continued series of disruptive life events that have unfortunately meant that I've been unable to do much in the way of writing posts or reading my favourite blogs. 

I know I haven't written very much about my personal life in the past year and a half but I just wanted to write a little bit about what's been going on in my life recently because I've gone through some major life changes in the past couple of months. Just after we got back from holidays we were told that our landlord had sold our building and the new landlord was completely renovating all of the apartments so we had to move out. At the same time I was interviewing for a new job, my first interview in eight years. So we began the daunting task of looking for a place to live. 

Having to move out was a blessing in disguise. We were very lucky in that the rent and location of our old apartment were both incredible. But we were sharing with a flatmate so there were pros and cons and we were both happy to be finally getting our own place. Rent has increased significantly in Dublin over the past few years and the market is hugely competitive. After much wasted time viewing places not fit for habitation and a few disappointments, we finally found the perfect apartment for us. 

While we were apartment searching I got great news that the job I had interviewed for was mine. I handed in my notice to my managers and three weeks later said goodbye to my workplace of eight years and my wonderful friends and colleagues. I had my last day in work on a Friday, moved apartment the following day and started my new job on the Monday and life has been a blur since then. 

We just got internet in the new apartment today, hence the complete silence from me recently. With apartment searching, packing, moving and working so much I haven't had the time to do a lot for the blog. However I've still been taking outfit photos (I should be getting a new camera soon), trying out new products, and attending any events I can that don't clash with work. I have an abundance of content that I can't wait to share with you all. 

For now, I have an outfit post we shot about a month ago before the weather became too Wintery. 

Jumper- H&M
Jacket- Penneys/ Primark (similar here)
Skirt- Monsoon
Shoes- New Look (similar here)
Hat- H&M (similar here)
Fur Stole- Accessorize (similar here)
Ring- Stella and Dot Pavé Chevron Ring
Bag- Accessorize (similar here)

I've already written enough in this post so I won't say too much about this outfit except I saw this skirt  and didn't think it would suit me at all but I tried it on and loved it. I'm also still loving fur collars this year, I added this one to the collection I built up last Autumn.  I also love this hat from H&M and it's wool so it keeps my head really warm, although I can't wear it when it's windy because it just blows straight off my head. Lace up shoes seem to still be having a moment, I know a lot of people are probably sick of seeing them but I love mine and never one to be thrown off by trends, I'll keep wearing them until they fall apart.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to support me despite my erratic post schedule recently. I really appreciated the messages I've received asking how I am. I'll be catching up with all my blog reading over the next week. I hope you all are doing well.

Emma x