Day One in Sorrento

What I'm Wearing: 

Navy blue dress from French Connection

Nude heels and clutch from ASOS

Earrings from Accessorize

Necklace from my dad

We are in Sorrento, Italy!  Yay!  We have actually been here since Monday but I took a few days off blogging and had pre-scheduled some posts from last week for you guys for the last couple of entries while we got organised here.  These pictures were taken outside our hotel on our first evening in Sorrento, when we went out for dinner.  Our hotel is AMAZING, it's right on the coast so the view from our room is spectacular and there is an outside pool on top of the building as well as a spa which we may make use of on the day before the wedding :)  Everything is so pretty here and of course the food & weather are amazing!  I'm so glad that Jonathan likes it - it's his first time in Italy so I was curious to see what he'd think! 

We met my mom, sisters and my brother and his family for dinner which was so exciting because I hadn't seen my niece & nephew for soooo long, and they are super cute!  (You can see them getting their little chef hats at the restaurant on our daily vlog, if you're interested!).  I cannot wait to see them in their little flowergirl and ring bearer outfits!  We also saw a sweet Maltese being carried by its owner in Sorrento, which made me cry because of course it reminded me of my babies Albi & Sina!  But I know they are being looked after extremely well and I couldn't be happier with the Your Pet's Best Friend dog-sitting service!  They have a Facebook page and a Twitter where they post pictures of them and update us on what they're doing several times a day -- I am so thankful for that! 

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Last Minute Wedding Shopping!

Last week I did some last minute wedding shopping in Accessorize and Meadows & Byrne.  I was trying to decide what to buy for my bridesmaids, as they are all wearing different shades of neutrals (mahogany, nude and cream to be exact!) so I wanted to get them one piece of jewellery to make them all look a little bit uniform :)  Because my wedding colours are warm, I knew I was going to go for gold but had a few favourites to pick from!  I ended up going with the gold leaf earrings - so pretty!  I also picked out my wedding earrings which are very delicate pearl studs with a gold backing.

Lastly, I stopped by Meadows & Byrne to buy my lanterns for the bridesmaids -- yay!  This is what they will be carrying up the aisle.  Originally I had envisioned much smaller ones but I ended up choosing something larger, which will double up as table centrepieces at the reception.  I bought four large glass lanterns with slate hearts hanging from the inside.  I love them!  My brother Francesco has already bought me some fake flickering candles (so that nobody burns themselves, lol).

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August Glossybox

I am so excited to share some exciting news with my lovely readers! (That's you by the way ;)  Have you heard of Glossybox?  If you are a regular follower of beauty blogs or YouTube beauty/style channels, you probably have.  Basically it is a subscription service where you receive monthly "glossy boxes" packed full of 5 different beauty products for you to sample!  The American equivalent to this is called "Birchbox" and I was so happy when Glossybox launched in the UK.  I think it's a great idea, every month you get a little gift which is always a surprise as you never know what you'll get ;)  The subscription to Glossybox costs only £10 a month plus £2.95 p+p.  This seems extremely reasonable for what you receive -- the products seem to be good quality, sometimes full size but mostly sample size products.  Here is the exciting part -- Glossybox recently contacted me to let me know that they are now delivering to Ireland - yay!

I was lucky enough to receive the August Glossybox and have already discovered two new products I absolutely love.  The five products for this month were: 

1. Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet Mascara

2. Rebel Nails Nail Wraps

3. Ahava Mineral Body Lotion

4. Murad Acne Time Release Blemish Cleanser

5. KMS California ColorVitality shine & shield

You also get a card with all the information on each product.  I have tried the Ahava Body Lotion which smells divine and makes me feel like a princess, leaving me luxuriously moisturised.  The KMS California ColorVitality is probably my favourite of the bunch as it's worked wonders on my hair!  I applied it to the ends while damp just before blow-drying and it made it silky smooth, shiny with not a hint of frizziness - perfect!  I will definitely be repurchasing that - you can check out my last outfit post for the effects it had on my hair.

Another thing I really like about Glossybox is the packaging.  It seems like they've put so much effort into every detail and the box comes packaged beautifully.  Also an added bonus is the fact that the pink boxes make for very pretty storage options!

To receive your monthly Glossybox, you can sign up to the website here.  Let me know your thoughts on the idea and the company!  I'd be interested to hear your opinions.

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My Babies

How precious are these pictures of my cute little fur-babies?!  Jonathan shot these with his 18-50mm lens.  I love how it captures Sina's scruffy little monster face and Albi's sweet nervous look perfectly, hehe :)

The first two are Sina and the last two are Albi, by the way!

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Return of the Shoe Boots

What I'm Wearing:  

Khaki pants from Primark (last summer)

Black v-neck tee from Primark (bought recently!)

Leopard print cardigan from ASOS (about 3 years ago)

Black leather tassel barrel bag from ASOS

Gold Scorpio necklace from my dad

Gold vintage bracelet from my sister

Gold stud earrings from Accessorize

I would be a lot more depressed about the fact that I'm wearing shoe boots again if I weren't going to Italy on Monday, hahaha!  It's just another indication of how horrible this summer has been in Ireland (although the sunshine always looks so nice on my blog pics, it's actually almost always followed by a downpour!).  We spent the whole day packing and organising for our trip, as we leave for Dublin tomorrow morning and then fly out very early on Monday.  I can't wait!!  I'm so excited to see my family -- I miss my mom and sisters and I have not seen my big brother or my uncle and his family in over a year.  My family is so important to me, I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people so close to me.  One of my huge worries for tomorrow though, is dropping Albi & Sina off at their "summer camp" as we've decided to call it.  I literally can't think about it without breaking down in tears, lol.  Those two are everything to me and I can't bear the thought of leaving them for a week!  :/  But I know they will be in good hands and they have each other which does make a big difference!

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Foundation Routine for Acne Prone Skin

It's no secret that I have acne-prone skin.  I've had it since I was a teenager, which is probably when it was at its worst and now again in the past few months before my wedding.  In my case, I am quite sure that the reason for my breakouts is largely to do with pre-wedding stress as nothing else had really changed.  The breakouts started in July of this year and since then I've had to change both my skincare and foundation routine.  Certain foundations can make acne look worse, some are too light and don't cover redness or bumps very well, others are too heavy and give a cakey appearance.  I had been researching different foundations for weeks, trying to find the best possible option for my wedding day.  Then, I received a package from The Body Shop and all my prayers were answered.

The package included their full brand new Extra Virgin Minerals range which was made up of two liquid foundations (a lighter and a darker shade), a kabuki brush, foundation brush, compact foundation and powder foundation.

I first tested the liquid foundation.  Unfortunately both shades were a little too dark for my skin tone (they sent me Golden Beige and Golden Ivory), as well as being too oily for my skin type.  I think these would work a lot better on dry skin.  Mine is oily/combination.

Next I tried the Cream Compact Foundation in the shade 205 Rose Vanilla and instantly fell in love with it.  It melts into the skin so effortlessly and gives an overall flawless appearance, without looking cakey or oily in anyway.  The main thing I love about this is that it covers all redness, bumpiness and acne as if I had used the airbrush tool on my face in Photoshop, lol!  I applied this to my forehead (which is my worst breakout area) in front of Jonathan to see his reaction and even he was amazed!  The other thing that I adore about it is that it DOES NOT BUDGE all day long.  I look at myself in the mirror last thing at night and my face makeup is still perfect.  This is definitely a must-have for my wedding day!

I also received the Loose Powder Foundation in the same shade, 205 Rose Vanilla and was equally impressed with the results.  I apply a thin layer of this on top of the Cream Compact to counteract any oiliness or shine in my T-zone.  On a regular day when I don't want to use too much makeup, I will just wear this one on its own.  It covers acne wonderfully too -- however paired with the compact foundation they are perfect for my wedding day.

Here are all the products I currently use for my foundation routine, to achieve a flawless face for my not-so-flawless skin.  They are as follows:

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Cream Compact Foundation 

Sedona Lace Vortex Flat Top Foundation Brush

Maybelline 24 Hour SuperStay Concealer 

Sedona Lace Vortex Concealer Brush

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Kabuki Brush

The Sedona Lace Vortex foundation brush is my absolute favourite out of my whole set.  It works amazingly well with the cream compact foundation.  I thoroughly recommend a dense, flat top foundation brush for a completely blended and airbrushed effect!  (Get $4 off your purchase at Sedona Lace with promo code, TheStyleDiet.)

I hope some of you found this helpful!  

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Disclaimer: The Body Shop and Sedona Lace products were kindly sent to me for consideration to review.  I was not paid for my review nor am I affiliated with either company in anyway.  My 100% honest opinion, as always :)

Khaki

What I'm Wearing:

Khaki pants from Primark (last summer)

Beige boyfriend blazer from Vero Moda (bought about 3 years ago)

Cream ribbed tank top from Primark

Beige Chloé Paddington bag

Black patent leather Phosphor Appear watch

Sandals from New Look

Vintage gold bracelet from my sister

Gold stud earrings from Accessorize

Scorpio necklace from my dad ;)

We FINALLY have both of our wedding rings now...I am so relieved!  I literally can't stop sneaking mine onto my finger and staring at it, it's sooo pretty!  Now I think we are all set for the wedding, how exciting!  Only one week to the day :)  By Monday I will be in Naples and hopefully basking in glorious sunshine -- which is very much appreciated given our craptastic Irish summer weather this year!  My mother, sisters, oldest brother and his family are all there now and I am ridiculously jealous!  

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Monochrome

What I'm Wearing:

Hello!Skinny Jeans c/o The White Door

Black cropped leather jacket from H&M (3 years ago)

Black and gold sandals from Zara (4 years ago)

White off-the-shoulder tee from Zara (last year)

Scorpio necklace from my dad

Diamond stud earrings which were a Christmas gift from Jonathan

Apologies for the white jean overload in my latest outfit posts, but there is a method to my madness!  I am currently uploading a "How To Wear White Pants" video by request and needed pictures of three different looks so I have been wearing these jeans for three days in a row!  I am so relieved to be able to throw them into the laundry basket now, hahaha! 

The lighting in these pics wasn't the best as we took them in late evening, but the wind made for some pretty cool hair blowing shots, lol.  Only EIGHT days to our wedding, aahhh!  We picked up most of the remaining stuff we needed today: bridesmaids' gifts, lanterns (which the bridesmaids will be carrying down the aisle), bathing suits for both Jonathan and me, and finally my wedding earrings.  I will show you guys everything in a separate blog posts.  There is only one thing left to do and that is to pick up Jonathan's ring, which is taking an unbelievable amount of time to get sized and is kind of causing me to lose sleep at night...ack.  Deep breaths!

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Soft Pink Makeup!

This makeup look requires very little effort, and is the one I've been wearing almost every morning lately because it's so easy, quick and natural which means it's perfect for everyday!  I would even recommend this as another back to school look because there is hardly any eyeliner involved so it's not too dramatic!  It's also very soft and pretty so for any girly girls out there, this is for you! ;)

What I'm Wearing: 

FACE 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Éclat Medium

Sarah G Cosmetics Oil-Free Foundation in Wheat

Benefit Get Even Powder in 02 Medium

The Body Shop Bronzing Powder in 03

MAC Earth to Earth Blush

Benefit 10 Highlight on cheekbones

EYES

The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes #21

(light pink all over the lid, rose pink in the crease, grey in the outer v, white in the inner corners and browbone)

Maybelline Drama Studio Gel Liner on the upper lid

CoverGirl Lashblast Volume Mascara (top and bottom lashes)

LIPS

Rimmel Airy Fairy Lipstick

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I Got My Hair Cut!

What I'm Wearing: 

Hello!Skinny Jeans c/o The White Door

Nautical striped top from GAP (bought last year)

Navy blue suedette kitten heels from New Look

Beige Chloé Paddington bag

Gold stud earrings from Accessorize

Vintage gold bracelet from my sister 

You probably already know this if you follow me on Facebook/Twitter but I FINALLY got my hair cut!  I am so happy with it, the stylist did an amazing job!  I was a tiny bit nervous about it because since we've moved I've had to find a totally different salon to go to but she was so lovely and did exactly what I wanted so I will definitely be back!  If you're curious, I asked for long layers all round and a few face-framing layers at the front.  She took about an inch and a half off the bottom layer, this was something I wanted because I had a LOT of split ends!  It's actually pretty embarrassing how long it had been since my last cut!  But now that it's done just in time for my wedding NEXT WEEK (!!!) I couldn't be happier.  Oh and if you're wondering about the colour of my hair, it's a mixture of a few different things...my natural colour which is a dark blonde/light brown and about 4 weeks ago I dyed it myself using Garnier's Herbashine semi-permanent dye in #600 Light Brown.  This fades after a few washes and I absolutely love the colour!  I will probably dye it again after a few more weeks but right now I'm loving the slightly ombre effect that it gives when it fades, especially at the ends!

Stay Stylish!