Blogmas Day 4: Kris Kringle Gift Ideas for Her

So for Kris Kringle/Secret Santa, you could include gifts that I've already mentioned in my stocking filler gift guides for her. Those are smaller ideas so I thought I'd put together a post focusing on just Kris Kringle gift ideas.

1. Cocoa Brown The Goddess Collection gift set - €14.99

2. Sleek iDivine A New Day Palette - €10.49
3. Yankee Candle Jack Frost Tealight Holder - €13.33
4. Real Techniques Core Collection Set - €19.99
5. Disney Mug - €7.00
6. Toni & Guy Glamour Collection Kit - €7.49

Here's Vlogmas Day 4:

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Blogmas Day 3: Luxury Gift Guide for Her

For today's blogmas post, I have put together a few of my fav luxury gift ideas. These are just a few ideas of what I personally think are a great luxury gift.

1. Perfume - Perfume can be cheap or expensive. I usually prefer cheaper scents for every day wear but recently I found the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir scent absolutely amazing. It is expensive at €109 for 100mls but it lasts ages and I love the scent.

2. LanaiBlo Hairdryer - This hairdryer looks absolutely amazing even if it is €100. I've seen videos of people using it and the results are unbelievable. It makes your hair silky smooth and frizz free in only a few minutes. I have really frizzy and wavy/curly thick hair so this would be ideal for me. They also do a really cute personalised version that you can get someone's name on it. I personally love this - I'll take the white one please!

3. StylPro - This may not seem like much of a luxury gift but at €65 from Meaghar's Pharmacy, it isn't exactly the cheapest. I bought one of these make up brush cleaners a few months ago and honestly wouldn't be without it. It cleans and dries your brushes within seconds. And the best thing is it actually works. You can see how I use it in a video here.

4. A trip away. Who doesn't enjoy travelling? Whether it's a trip abroad or a trip to a luxury hotel in Ireland, who can complain?

Here's Vlogmas Day 3:

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Blogmas Day 2: Stocking Fillers for Him

Following on from my stocking filler for her gift guide from yesterday, I've decided to put together a post on stocking filler ideas for him.

1. Phone Case - Similar to my post yesterday, a phone case is a great stocking filler. Again, eBay is great for cheap novelty ones but just watch the shipping times. If you're looking for a more durable case then the Otterbox one's are great.

2. An X Box / Playstation game can be a great gift. You can get cheaper ones or new releases which are more expensive. If he's not into games, then why not get a DVD. I find Smyths are great for both.

3. Earphones - Who doesn't need earphones? My fav are definitely the Apple ones (but the old ones!). You can also find cheaper ones like these from Argos which I like too.

4. Novelty Socks - C'mon, you have to throw in the novelty Christmas socks! Penneys do cute cheap ones but these ones from Debenhams are super cute.

5. Aftershave - This is great as it can be cheap or expensive. We usually get Kevin's expensive aftershave when we're in America and I'd usually get a cheaper one for Christmas for him for every day use. I find Sam McCauley's do great ones at very reasonable prices.

Hope these stocking fillers help you. Let me know if you put other things in!

Here's Vlogmas Day 2:

Blogmas Day 1: Stocking Fillers for Her

For my first day of blogmas, I've decided to put together a post on ideas for stocking fillers for that female in your life! We always got chocolate, stationery and make up in ours! What did you get in yours?

1. Phone Case - A phone case is a great idea for a stocking and can be catered for all budgets. I buy all of mine, like this one from eBay as they're so cheap. Just be careful if it's being shipped from Asia as they'll take a few weeks and may not arrive before Christmas. If you're looking to splurge on a phone case then an Otterbox is the way to go.

2. Sweets / Chocolate - These chocolate coins from Aunty Nellie's Sweet Shop are a very cheap stocking filler. I always remember getting these in my stocking when I was younger so I think they're the perfect addition to anyone's stocking.

3. Bath Bombs - Dealz have very cute cheap bath bomb sets at the moment but in my opinion, you can't beat Lush! They usually only cost about €5 and the quality and scent are great.

4. Make Up Brushes - This is another thing where you can save or splurge (without reducing the quality). I have a few of the Make Up Revolution brushes which I love, especially the eye brushes. They're super cheap and have lovely gift sets too. Another brand I love which are more expensive than the Make Up Revolution ones but still very affordable are Real Techniques. These are my every day make up brushes and I wouldn't be without them.

5. Lipsticks - You can't go wrong with throwing a lipstick into a stocking. Again it's a great product and can be adjusted to your budget. If you're after a high end brand, I love Mac's Viva Glam II. For a budget brand, my go to lipstick is NYX Thalia.

6. Hat - I love bobble hats and they can be a great gift idea. I love the ones from Custom Vintage Dublin but Penneys do gorgeous cheaper alternatives.

That's just a few of my ideas! Stay tuned for stocking fillers for him which will be up tomorrow.

We're also doing Vlogmas (vlogging every day until Christmas). You can see our first video below.

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Beauty Pro Collagen Face Masks

I was sent these face masks a couple of weeks ago and was really impressed. I had never tried the sheet type masks before so they were a first for me. I left them on for about 15-20 mins and really saw a difference.

I found these masks in particular to be really refreshing especially the one with green tea extract. My skin had been quite dry and these really helped hydrate the dry areas. They were really soothing and relaxing and I'd definitely try them again. I definitely noticed the difference in my skin but I also found them really relaxing which means they're the perfect mask for a pamper night. You can get them on the Beauty Belle website and are €5.88 each. They have lots of other types of masks too that I'm dying to try out.

Blogmas 2016

Hey everyone!

This is just a quick post to say that I will be doing (and hopefully finishing!) blogmas this year. I've done it the last couple of years and although last year was a bit of a fail, I'm hoping this year will be much better!

I've been writing down ideas and starting to put together blog posts so if you have some Christmassy blog post ideas then comment below or message me on snapchat (rfairydustblog).

Talk to you all on December 1st!

Black Friday / Cyber Weekend Discount Codes 2016

Hey everyone!

I know most of you (me included!) are interested in getting discounts online and with Black Friday and Cyber Weekend being the most discounted sales in the year, I thought I'd put together a post on the various discount codes that I've found so far.

Asos: 20% off with code GOGOGO (ends November 29th)

Brown Thomas: Up to 20% off in-store and online (no code required)

Arnotts: 20% off almost everything (no code required - ends November 27th)

River Island: 20% off with code BFRIDAY15

Public Desire: 20% off with code CYBERBAE / 30% off with code CYBER30 (limited time)

Office: 20% off with code WONDER (ends November 28th)

Lifestyle Sports: 15% off with code EARLYBIRD

Vavavoom: 20% off with code PARTY20 (includes sale items)

Look Fantastic: 15% off with code LF15

Freddy Jeans: 30% off with code VIP30

Cari's Closet: 20% off with code BLACK (ends November 28th)

Heatons: 20% off with code CYBER20

Pamela Scott: 20% off with code PSBLACK20

All Saints: 30% off with code CYBERBAE

iClothing: 25% off with code XPS25

New Look: Up to 50% off plus €1 Irish delivery (no code required)

Topshop: Up to 50% off in-store and online (no code required - ends November 28th)

Zara: 20% off (no code required)

Bershka: Up to 50% off (no code required)

Pretty Little Thing: Up to 50% off (no code required)

Schuh: Up to 40% off (no code required)

Cloud 10 Beauty: 20% off with code BLACK20 (ends November 27th)

Sosu: 20% off with code SOSU20

Make Up Forever: 15% off with code BF15

Biofresh Skincare: 20% off with code 2311

Crown Brush: 25% off with code Makeup25

Feel Unique: 15% off with code BLACKFRIDAY15

Debenhams: 15% off fragrance sets (no code required) (rumours are up to 50% off in all depts)

Blank Canvas Cosmetics: 30% off everything (discount automatically applied - ends Midnight November 25th)

Argos: 25% off when you spend €30 or more on homeware and up to 60% off toys

Smyths: Up to 50% off selected toys

Easons: 10% off with code BLACK16

Aer Lingus: €50 off North American Flights (travel January 1st - May 31st - no code required)

Amazon: Up to 50% off (no code required)

Harvey Norman: Up to 60% off (no code required)

Carphone Warehouse: Up to €100 off selected phones (no code required)

Currys: Up to 70% off (no code required)

Falcon Travel: €50 off holidays departing before October 31st 2017 with code BLACK50

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W7 Banana Dreams Loose Powder

I had been looking for a loose powder for ages especially in a banana shade. I had heard a few people talk about the W7 one and I figured I'd give it a go.

This product has been my holy grail ever since I got it! I have been using it for almost a year I'd say and I have absolutely been loving it. I use it to set my under eye concealer and it works really well. It has great staying power and doesn't crease at all. The best part is it's only €5.99. A little goes a long way with this product so you don't need to be buying it too often. I use this every single day for brightening under my eyes and it's still mostly full. Just be careful not to use too much product as it does create a lot of fall out!

Let me know if you've used this or other loose powders, I'd love to try more.

Cork on Ice Launch Weekend

At the weekend, myself and Kevin were invited to Cork on Ice's launch weekend in Mahon Point Shopping Centre. We've gone the last couple of years and have always had a great time. This year, it didn't disappoint! We had such a fun day and we didn't fall once which was a success :P

Cork on Ice is a fab day out and fun for both kids and adults of all ages. They have a separate smaller kids rink that caters for children from the age of three. Here they have really cute penguin aides that children can hold onto for balance while skating. 

The main rink is quite busy and full of skaters with different levels of ability. You can skate around the edge of the rink closest to the barriers where you can hold on or you can freely skate through the centre of the rink and just show off! I'm more of a middle gal - confident enough to not need to hold on yet not brave enough to pretend like I'm a professional skater :P 

If you don't want to skate, you can watch your friends and family from around the sides and they also have a coffee and snack area on site too. Each session is 40 mins long and costs €12 per adult and €11 per child (peak times are €1 more) if you buy online, otherwise they're €17 per adult and €15 per child. Family and student tickets are also available. 

Cork on Ice is open now until January 29th and is celebrating it's 10th anniversary. You can find all the info you need on their website.

We also vlogged the day which you can watch here!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Colour Correcting Fluid

I received three of these Urban Decay colour correcting concealers* in the post a few weeks back and oh my God they have been amazing!!!!! As in I can't understand how I have been doing my make up without them :P the two I've been using most are the green and yellow.

I have been having a hard time with my skin for the past few months and I'm constantly breaking out and being left with scarring from spots. All around my chin area is quite red and often, concealer just isn't cutting it. I've been using the green shade of these colour correcting fluid on any red areas and red spots before applying my foundation. It has really helped in covering them and I don't even need to use as much concealer anymore.

I've also been loving the yellow shade to counteract any dull areas. Although I wouldn't say I suffer from dark circles, my under eye area is definitely quite dull. I apply the colour correcting fluid just underneath both eyes, again before applying foundation, and the difference it makes is just incredible. I look much more awake and my dullness is completely gone.

There are five colour correcting fluids in the range and they retail for €22 each. Here's a breakdown of what each colour does:

Green - counteracts redness including spots, blemishes and broken blood vessels.
Lavender - balances out sallowness and helps neutralise skin with yellow undertones.
Peach - use on dark circles, dark spots, veins and deep discolouration.
Pink - disguises dark circles particularly on fair skin tones.
Yellow - perfecting for disguising dark circles and brightening skin.

Have you tried them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

*PR Sample

Yellow Mellow

Hey guys! Happy Monday!

I haven't done an outfit post in a while so I figured since so many of you seemed to like last weekend's outfit, I'd do a post on that. 

Mustard and yellow seem to be very popular colours this season. It's not the sort of colours I'd normally go for but it adds a very bright look to my predominantly black and grey wardrobe :P I have been absolutely living in this jumper recently. I've been wearing it with black skinnies mostly but decided to dress it up a little last weekend. It's a curved type jumper so it looks lovely on its own as it's shorter at the sides.

I absoulely love this grey suede dress as its so versatile. It's a perfect autumn/winter colour and can be dressed up or down - I can't wait to throw a polo neck on underneath it.

These boots speak for themselves. I adore the gold detailing on the heel and zip. They are so comfortable and so affordable. Black boots are a definite staple piece for winter.

The shirt, dress, jumper and boots are all Penneys. I got the shirt at the end of the summer but they have similar patterns in stock at the moment for only €9. The dress was reduced to €9 and is still in some shops. Both the jumper (€10) and boots (€21) are current stock.

Karora Cosmetics CC Cream

I've been trying out this Karora Cosmetics CC cream* for the past few weeks and although initially I didn't love it, it did grow on me and became my go to foundation especially when I was on hols.

I find this CC cream really hard to blend for some reason. It applies really muddy and patchy but I find if I use a non-dense stippling brush after applying it, it blends it out much easier. It has quite good coverage and feels really light on the skin which I really liked as I was using it in a very hot Florida climate! It had good staying power and I didn't need any touch-ups.

What I really like is that it comes in one shade. That may scare some of you but it adapts to the colour of your skin and although I can only speak from my perspective, it definitely worked for me. It did apply a little darker but as I blended it out it was really natural. Again, perfect for summer even when I became more tanned - no more packing 3 different shades of foundation!

It retails at around €25 and can be purchased from their website, along with Cloud 10 Beauty, Sam McCauley and plenty of other pharmacies I'm sure.

This was my first time trying out a Karora product and I'm really looking forward to trying more from their range.

* I was kindly sent this product. All opinions are 100% honest and entirely my own.

Life Update: New House, New Job, New Blogging Commitment

Hey Everyone!

So instead of a regular beauty blog post that I had intended to post, I've actually decided to give a bit of an update as to why my blog has been quiet the last few months.

So as most of you probably know at this stage, myself and Kevin moved into our first home together in April. Since then, we've been so busy redecorating, buying furniture, painting, shopping for home stuff etc. As this has been taking up most of my time (as well as working full time), my blog suffered and I felt like I was in the position where I had to blog rather than wanting to blog. I have written a good few posts but they're lacking in pictures and things and again trying to find the time to specifically lay out products to photograph was proving difficult. I then decided to focus more on posting on my Instagram as I felt that was much easier to keep up with.

Then we went on holidays in July and August/September so our time was focused on planning those trips. In September I started a new job which then took up most of my focus. I now work Tuesday to Thursday full time and have a half day Friday and have weekends and Mondays off which is now why I'm able to finally blog!

I feel like I've finally gotten into a routine now where I can write blog posts and take pictures for the posts on Mondays and Fridays and upload them during the week.

I just wanted to write this update to let you all know why I haven't been as consistent as I would have liked but hopefully from this post on I'll be back to regularly posting again.

If you have any blog post suggestions please let me know! Now maybe I should be working towards blogmas...?

Kiko Full Coverage Concealer

So I'm back from Florida :( so sad to be back but I think I'll put up a blog post with the very few pics we took of the holiday :P anyway...I wanted to come back with a beauty post so I thought I'd talk about this Kiko full coverage concealer that I've been really loving lately.

I picked this concealer up when I was in Barcelona and I must say, I absolutely love it! It's seriously full coverage and one of the best concealers I've used. It matches my foundation perfectly (I have shade 03) and it blends really easily and really well. The consistency is really nice; it's quite creamy, not too thick but doesn't slide off your face either. 

 

I think it costs about €7/€8 and although you can't buy it in Ireland you can get it on their website. Shipping costs €5.90 and is free on orders over €49. I'll definitely be re-purchasing this when I run out of it as it really covers up redness and bigger spots better than any other concealer I've ever used.

Have you tried any other Kiko products? I'd love to try out some more so let me know in the comments below.

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Cold Shoulders, Chunky Heels, Summer Nights

Hey guys!

Cannot believe we're already in August!!!! Where has the year gone! August makes me happy though coz it means we only have 3 more weeks till we head to Florida ahhh! I'll be writing out a few blog posts in the next week or so to go up when I'm away so let me know if there's certain posts you wanna see :)

For today's post, I'm gonna talk about my outfit that I wore to Prodijig in Cork Opera House last weekend. I'm loving the cold shoulder trend at the moment and when I spotted this top in Penneys two weeks ago, I knew I had to have it! It's very Zara-esque! It was only €11 and they still have some in Patrick's St. My jeans are from Aeropostale about a year or two ago. They come to my ankle and are a really nice fit. My shoes are also Penneys but I got them a few months back. I absolutely love them but the top strap cut all my toes :( any advice on how I can prevent this next time would be greatly appreciated! I posted them on my Facebook page and it was quite a popular post which was good for me but not good for all the people that were hoping to be able to get them :P

We also logged this day so you can see more of my outfit here!

Laya City Spectacular - Cork

A couple of weekends ago, myself and Kevin went to Fitzgerald's Park to watch some street performers. This was our third year going and it just keeps on getting better. It's a fun and free family summer festival with lots of performers and food stalls. The sun was shining so we enjoyed it even more!

We got to see various performers perform including the Lizard Man who put a corkscrew through his nose, down his throat and through his mouth, Seb Whipits who juggled burning whips on a unicycle, Kamikaze Fireflies who did a lot of hoola-hooping and lots more amazing acts.

Thanks to Paul McLauchlan for taking these fab pics of myself and Kevin during Seb Whipits performance. Make sure to follow Paul on instagram here - he has some fab photography!

We vlogged the day too which you can watch here! We already can't wait for next year!