November Glossybox- The Glossy Wishlist

November's Glossybox is filled with products that are supposed to get you ready for the party season ahead. This month's box contained 4 full size items and three sample sizes which is amazing value for your money and seems to be more than you would usually get in a Glossybox. 

Emite Micronized Eye Shadow in Dams- €19 (approximate conversion)

Scholl Dry Skin Exfoliator- €5.40 (approximate conversion)

Yves Rocher Cacao and Orange Hand Cream- €2.50 

B. Smokey Soft Blendable Kohl Eyeliner in Plum- €5.40 (approximate conversion)

Vichy Idealia Life Serum/ Smoothing and Illuminating Cream- €38.50/€26 (approximately €9.30 worth of product for 3 samples) 

So all in all you are getting approximately €41.60 worth of beauty products for around €15. The only thing I would say is that it would be great to have the actual Euro prices of each product on the info card for the Irish customers. It's a small detail but one I'm sure the Irish Glossybox customers would appreciate. 

I really loved this month's Glossybox, the Scholl Exfoliator is perfect for getting your feet ready for wearing heels. I think everyone neglects their feet a little in the Winter because they are mostly hidden so I really enjoyed using this and then using my Soap and Glory Heel Genius afterwards, it's the perfect treat after a long day on my feet. 

The Yves Rocher Hand Cream smells good enough to eat. Terry's Choclate Orange fans will love this! I can't believe how inexpensive it is, it absorbs nicely into the skin and it's handy size to keep in my bag. 

Emite is a Swedish brand I hadn't heard of before. This matte black eye shadow is perfect for creating a smoky eye for your Christmas party, I like to use it along my lash line as eye liner.  

The B. Kohl Eye liner is a gorgeous deep purple shade , something that was missing from my make up collection and I am rather partial to a smoky purple eye so I'm dying to try this out properly. So far I've just used it a little along my lower lash line for a bit of colour. It's really easy to blend especially with the sponge tip on the other end of the pencil. 

I've used the Vichy Serum before and I absolutely love it, this is a definite repurchase for me, combined with the sample of the moisturiser, it makes an unbelievable base for applying make up. I'm so impressed with this range. 

If you're stuck for an idea for a Christmas gift, I don't know any woman that wouldn't love a subscription to Glossybox. You can purchase three, six and twelve month subscriptions so it's the gift that keeps on giving. Another option is to get somebody the Limited Edition Christmas Box that contains 6 samples this time, all adding up to £80.  

Have you tried Glossybox yet? Are you interested in trying it?

Emma x

Kiko Smart Lipstick in 914

When we were in Paris, the shopping centre beside out apartment had a Kiko store in it. Having heard a lot about Kiko recently on blogs and youtube, I couldn't resist having a look around and I was incredibly impressed with what I found.




The thing I noticed first was that the prices were so reasonable. This lipstick was €3.90, an unbelievable price for any lipstick. I wanted to try a few things since we don't have Kiko here in Ireland yet and I never like buying make up online unless I've had the chance to look at it in person first. I knew I wanted a lipstick and I had my eye on a red one at first but it was sold out and I'm so glad it was because I then spotted this  beauty (914- Amaranth) which immediately reminded me of Rebel by MAC, a lipstick I've wanted the past couple of years.

On the Kiko site, these are described as a rich nourishing lipstick with full colour and total comfort and I fully agree with that. The texture reminds of the Estée Lauder Crystal lipsticks, the formula is thinner than that of the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks. They come in boxed outer packaging which I thought was an unusual addition to such an inexpensive lipstick. The packaging itself is simple, classic, practical black packaging and the scent is a lovely vanilla scent similar to MAC lipsticks.

I can't fault this lipstick. I got a couple of other things from Kiko that I will review soon. I'm really impressed with Kiko as a brand so far and I hope they make their way over to Ireland soon as I think they could do really well here.

Have you tried anything from Kiko yet?

Emma x

Rose Baby Doll

When the YSL Glossy Stains were first released I was very eager to try them out because as a lip product fanatic any new lip innovations are very exciting. When YSL came out with the Baby Doll Collection earlier this year I was totally taken in by the gorgeous Rose Baby Doll shade Glossy Stain and decided it was about time I tried them out for myself.



I wanted to show you the two above photos so that you can see how different this shade can look depending on the light and how much product you apply.

Glossy lips are not something I usually go for, I prefer a satin or matte lip (the windy Irish weather is a big factor in this). That being said the first time I tried this I completely fell for it. The packaging is gorgeous, as you would expect from YSL. The gold embossed lid combined with the practical black hard plastic tube that has a little window through which you can see a glimpse of the product inside. The applicator comes out with just enough product for one thin layer. The incredible rose scent may not be for everyone but I personally love it, it reminds me of my beloved Stella perfume.

It took me a while to perfect the application of this. I find it works best it you apply a thin layer first and follow that up with another layer perfecting the edges. It works best on well moisturised lips but make sure you don't have a lot of lip balm on underneath or you may find it doesn't go on as well. Resist the urge to rub your lips together as this totally messes up the application. Once applied it stays on incredibly well and I just love how it wears throughout the day. I wore this to an event where I was drinking and eating and it lasted so well and wears into an imperfect distribution on the lips that I just love. I wouldn't top it up either, if you're out and about bring a small packet of wipes with you and remove the product and start again otherwise I've found it just ends up looking worse.

You might ask is that not a lot of trouble for a lip product? To that I would say just try it on at a YSL counter and then you'll see why it's worth it.

Emma x

Five Outfits...

... I've worn recently.

Emma x

Rock N Roll Red

Bonjour!

I'm back from an amazing week in Paris and just getting around to catching up on blogging after my break. I have Paris posts planned to fill you in on what I got up to as well as lots more. Firstly, I want to tell you about the nail polish I wore during my holiday.

I went into Boots last month on a mission to buy a red nail polish because shockingly I didn't have a true red in my collection. I was originally planning on buying No7's Devil's Delight which I have used before and loved the shade but it was sold out so I opted for one of the Rimmel Salon Pro by Kate Moss polishes in the shade Rock N Roll.



I love this nail polish, the shade, the brush, the formula. Is it just me or does anyone else just love giant nail polish brushes? I find polish so much easier to apply with a bigger brush. This is basically the perfect glamorous shade of red. I wore it when I was in Paris and it lasted the entire week without chipping, there was some very slight wear on the tips of my nails but that's it. I am truly impressed, and I'm definitely going to check out the other shades in this range.

What are you wearing on your nails at the moment?


Emma x

Dreams Unwind, Love's A State Of Mind

I chose this outfit based completely around this amazing Esprit hat I received from Surfdome.com. The outfit ended up having a seventies feel to it hence the post title lyrics from Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon which are also fitting considering it's Halloween later this week.  Have a look here at Surfdome's array of hats for Autumn/Winter. 

Photos by Donnacha

Hat- Esprit c/o Surfdome

Sunglasses- eBay

Fur Collar- Chicwish

Jacket- Marella (charity shop)

Dress and Boots- Marks and Spencer

Bag- Coach (via eBay)

Rings-Vintage

Earrings and Bracelet- Accessorize

Watch- Fossil Georgina

Lips- YSL Rose Baby Doll Glossy Stain (review coming this week)

Nails- Essie Velvet Voyeur

We've been so lucky with the weather so far this Autumn. Apart from the rain and wind, it's been quite mild so I'm enjoying wearing light layers at the moment. I've been having a lot of fun recently, hanging out with friends, going out more than I usually do, work is going really well and I've been making the most of new challenges every day. I feel really lucky. I'm going to Paris very soon and we've been trying to organise what we're going to do each day so I'm getting really excited about that. I've been watching The Mindy Project which has quickly become my new favourite show and listening to a lot of Pixies, Elliott Smith and Fleetwood Mac. I've had lots of great exciting opportunities because of blogging, which can sometimes be scary but I really want to embrace it all and enjoy it. It's been so much fun and so rewarding!

Tell me how you are!

Emma x

Absolut Originality- Interview with Chrissie Abbott

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to interview London based illustrator Chrissie Abbott for the upcoming Absolut Originality Exhibition running in Dublin next week. I didn't realise that I already knew some of Chrissie's work and I can now say that I am a true fan. I am in complete awe of how talented she is. Please take a look at her site to see more of her amazing work.

Have you been creative from an early age? When did you first start getting into the world of design/illustration?

I think it’s just something I've always enjoyed; at school art was my favourite, the only subject I liked. I've always drawn and made things; collaging old scraps of Christmas cards, birthday cards and magazines was a group activity in my house when I was little.

 When did you know that you wanted to be an illustrator? What made you realise that's what you wanted to do?

I never really considered another option; it just wouldn't make sense to me to not do this. The covers of book and record sleeves that my parents owned were a massive inspiration and it was just always what I saw myself doing. 

Do you think it's important for someone interested in design/illustration to study it in college or do you think you can be self-taught?

I think it really depends on the person. The thing about Art College is that it doesn't teach you to have talent, it teaches you techniques to express what's inside of you, and you meet wonderful and inspiring people and you learn how to communicate your ideas. At the time I wasn't the biggest fan of being there but in hindsight I learnt how to work to deadlines and discovered printmaking which was invaluable.

Chrissie's collaboration with ASOS

 As someone who doesn't know a great deal about the world of illustrating, I would love to know who your favourite illustrators are.

There are so many! Jiro Bevis, Marcus Oakley, Will Sweeny, French, Esra Roise, Jody Barton, Jim Stoten, and Peter Blake is my ultimate hero.

 I had a look at your tumblr and I noticed you seem to be a fan of a lot of different films, television and music. What are some of your favourite films/television/music? Do you think that they have an influence on your work? Are there any directors/musicians that you would love to work with?

I love Sofia Coppola's visual style; The Virgin Suicides was a big influence and inspiration for me because it was just so dreamy.

Older films and TV shows like Twin Peaks, The Holy Mountain, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider are amongst my favourites.

I really enjoy working with musicians and bands whose music I like because it’s usually really easy to translate into a record sleeve. 

I would flip out if I ever got to work with My Bloody Valentine or Neil Young.

Reading Emotions

What makes you decide to work with a brand?

If it’s an exciting project it’s great to work with brands as it elevates your work to a wider platform and gets seen by more people.

 Do you have a favourite from your body of work?

Recently I did artwork for a band called Big Deal, and I think this is my favourite because they were such a joy to work with and I felt really inspired by their record.

 I have a friend who is just starting out as a fashion illustrator, is there any advice you can give her from your own experience?

I think just work hard and be enthusiastic and try not to lose the love of what you do.

 Do you have any plans for the future? Are there any brands/people you would love to work with? 

I’m just about to embark on a trip to Australia and I'm excited to be in warmer climes and get inspired by new things.

I'd love to do more fashion stuff like textile and pattern design.

 What inspired you for the collaboration with Absolut Vodka?

I'm a big fan of rocks and minerals, for me the cobalt blue held a wealth of inspiration, plus I get to work with some amazingly talented and people who make wonderful things.

Chrissie will be featuring her designs in ABSOLUT ORIGINALITY, a free multidisciplinary exhibition taking place in Mabos Arts Space, 8 Hanover Quay, Dublin. The exhibition is free and open to the public on Thursday, October 31^st; 11am to 8pm, Friday, November 1^st; 11am to 6pm and Saturday, November 2^nd, 11am to 6pm. The exhibition is to launch this year’s new limited edition bottle design, ABSOLUT ORIGINALITY, which features a streak of cobalt blue to reflect the original streak in all of us.  Visit www.ABSOLUTORIGINALITY.ie for more information.

I hope you enjoyed reading the interview as much as I did coming up with the questions and a huge thank you so much to Chrissie for her time and to Absolut for this opportunity. 

Emma x