Tip Tuesday: July Favourites 2013!

This week's beauty tip comes in the form of monthly favourites!  Here are my must-have beauty products for the month of July! 

Revlon Lip Butter in 001 Pink Truffle

This looks more like a raspberry pink on my lips/colouring.  At first I didn't like this as I felt it was too dark but after having received lots of compliments on how flattering a shade it was and seeing it on camera made me realise I actually love it!  It's quite a different colour choice for me but I think it works, especially for summer :)

OPI Nail Lacquer Step Right Up

A pretty ballet pink, the perfect light pink/nude nail for everyday!  This also goes well with a summer tan!

Zoya Nail Polish in Kara

I wore this a lot in Italy - it's a bright orangey coral which happens to be my go-to summer shade!  I think this colour actually makes my fingers/hands look more tanned...I don't know if it's just my imagination!

The Body Shop Tea Tree Cool & Creamy Wash

This cleanser really impressed me as I wasn't sure if it would really work with my oily/combination, acne-prone skin.  After using it for a whole month I can safely say that it helped keep breakouts away & felt very cooling and refreshing on my skin.  I love the smell of tea tree oil although it can be very strong - but this made a nice change from my usual salicylic acid/benzoyl peroxide cleansers which can sometimes be quite harsh and drying.

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream

I purchased a full-size version of this after receiving a sample in my Glossybox.  I love this stuff!! It is such a lightweight moisturiser that doesn't break me out or feel too heavy on my skin and it smells amazing!  I also think the packaging is very pretty & fresh!

L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Hand Care SPF20

Once again I fell in love with this product when I received a sample of it in my Glossybox and had to purchase the full size to bring with me to Sorrento!  I'm so glad I did, because not only does it protect your hands from age spots & UV rays but it also brightens them leaving the skin looking extra glowy.  Definitely worth having in your handbag :)

Dove Summer Glow + soft shimmer

Most of you already know by now that this is my all-time holy grail self tanner and I never expected that it could be better...until I accidentally stumbled across this!  While doing our weekly Tesco shop I mistakenly added this one to my trolley and it wasn't until delivery that I realised this was their new "soft shimmer" version.  At first I thought it would be horrible and fake looking but to my surprise I love it!  It gives a pretty summery shimmer which is just enough to still look subtle and not "in-your-face" disco ballish!  

Bath & Bodyworks I Heart Cookie Dough Hand Sanitizer

I brought this with me to Italy and carried it all around with me in my handbag...it smells divine and just like the real thing!  The only problem was that my sisters were obsessed with the smell too so everytime I took it out I had to hand it round to everyone else and now it's almost all gone! Ha ha ha :)

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum

I used to use this a few years back so it's kind of a revisited favourite but I got the full-size sample in my June Glossybox and now I remember why I used to love it so much!  This was an absolute life-saver for dry ends when we were in Italy and I used it in between washes to touch up my waves and keep them looking more defined & healthy.

Those are my best products of July - hopefully you got some good tips from this post!  Feel free to share your July faves in the comments below! :)

xoxo

Anna

Mommy Monday: Emilia's 10 Month Update!

Sorry this post is about 3 weeks late!!  But we were in Italy when Emilia turned 10 months so I haven't had a chance to film with her/write her 10 month post till now.  Here's what's been going on this past month and a bit! 

Height/Weight: She is still not due to have these measurements taken till after her first birthday!  I do think she lost weight while we were on holiday though...a couple of people who hadn't seen her since before we left mentioned that she looked like she'd lost some of her baby chubbiness - probably from all the crawling around! 

Routine: Because we went on holiday this month, Emilia's routine changed quite a bit but now that we're back home here's how it looks:

9am Wake up, snuggle in bed with mommy & daddy.  Watch Peppa Pig for a bit while I finish getting ready.

10am Breakfast with mommy!  

11am She plays on the floor while I clean up the breakfast things and vaccuum/do laundry/etc.

12pm I bring her back upstairs to her nursery and change her into her clothes for the day.  Then I nurse her to sleep in the rocking chair and put her down for her nap.  Recently she's been taking one reeeeally long nap for 2-2 and 1/2 hours instead of two separate ones.  This has been ever since we got back from our holiday!  

2/2:30pm Lunch time!  

3pm We usually do floor-time again/play with her toys in the afternoon - but this is where it gets tricky because she needs sooo much more entertainment! We read books, play games & she crawls all over the house after me!  Otherwise we go out & run errands if we need to.  

5pm If she took her very long nap she usually stays awake until dinner and eats a small snack in her exersaucer - otherwise she goes down for another short half hour nap.  It all depends on that particular day!

7pm Dinner time!  We always eat dinner as a family - both Jonathan and I think that's really important!  

8pm After dinner is bath-time and Emilia is now in the big bath-tub (no more baby bath!).  Then I brush her teeth & hair, put on her lotion & pj's and read her a bedtime story.

9pm We aim for a bedtime of 9pm but again, these times are kind of rough and depend on the day.  I nurse her to sleep in the rocking chair with a bedtime story and she goes down into her own crib for the whole night.  (Yay!)

Sleeping: Like I said, Emilia is now sleeping through the night and is still going the whole night in her crib with the door shut & the monitor on.  Sometimes she wakes during the night and fusses a little bit but now that she's in a routine she will put herself back to sleep and knows that she doesn't come out of her nursery till around 9am the next morning.  I still loooove cuddling her though so I always bring her into our bed in the morning :) 

Eating: We're still doing baby led weaning and it's working great for us!  Emilia is such a good eater and when we were in Italy everybody would always compliment us on how varied & diverse her diet was!  Her favourite food is still CHERRY TOMATOES - she could eat a whole bowl of those in one sitting!  But she is not fussy and will try anything you put in front of her.  She even tried baby octopus in my uncle & aunt's house in Naples and didn't bat an eyelid :)  For breakfast she usually eats 1/2 a portion of porridge with one banana and some other fruit/blueberries.  She has just started feeding herself with a spoon and will try to drink with her sippy cup.  For lunch she usually has cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, bread and/or whatever else we happen to be having.  For dinner she eats whatever we're eating and for dessert she usually has a yoghurt (although when we were in Italy she got ice-cream...and loved it!).  For snacks she still loves any kind of fruit and her cheese & tomato puffits.

Sizes: Emilia is wearing 9-12 months and 12-18 months clothing (depends on the brand/item of clothing) and size 4+ nappies.  

Milestones

• She has now started saying "this" and "doggy" which sounds more like "dudden" which is exactly what I used to call dogs when I was a baby :)
• She can clap, point & wave good-bye
• She has 8 teeth with more bottom ones coming in and possibly a molar coming up too.  
• She is crawling (forwards now!) very fast and just started to pull herself up to standing position.
• Her new favourite thing to do is try to climb things or stand up holding onto pieces of furniture/people/etc.  This can be quite scary/dangerous though so I have to keep my eye on her at all times!
• Sleeping through the night is one of the best things to have happened since having Emilia...ha ha ha!  It makes everything so worth it!  

10 Months Postpartum

Last month I said that I had gained a little weight after beginning the weaning process...now I am only breastfeeding twice a day (three at the most, if she is very fussy or teething!) and I actually lost about 5lbs when we were in Italy.  I'm not sure if it was the hot weather or just a better diet but I am happy either way as I now weigh less than my pre-pregnancy weight and am the same as what I was for my wedding :)  

Until next month!  

xoxo

Anna

How To: Gel Nails At Home!

Today I tried out gel nails for the first time!  At first I was very nervous about the whole thing as I am not a nail expert nor am I very good at painting mine in general...so I fully expected this to go horribly wrong.  To my surprise it didn't!  I used the Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit which comes with a professional LED light, Max Adhesion Prep, Base Coat Gel, Seal & Shine Top Coat Gel, Nourishing Cuticle Oil, "Red Carpet Reddy" Nail Gel Polish, Pre & Post Application Cleanser and Nail Gel Polish Remover.  Phew!  That's a lot of stuff...especially for a total beginner like me!  Can you see the concentration in my face?!  Thankfully the kit also comes with very clear & concise instructions and it was actually very easy to do!

I was extremely pleased with the results - I did my nails during Emilia's nap time and when she woke up I was ready to go about my day with beautiful shiny, glossy nails without having to worry about them smudging or getting messed up.  The manicure is supposed to last a few weeks which sounds AMAZING and suits busy moms perfectly but I can't comment on that yet so I will give you an update soon!  

The Red Carpet Manicure Pro Kit is available for €95 here and individual polishes retail for €13.50.  To watch my full tutorial on how I did my at-home gel nails, click here! 

xoxo

Anna

July Glossybox 2013!

I got such a surprise when I opened up July's Glossybox!  The seaside splash theme they went with is SO cute and definitely brightened up my gloomy Irish summer's day (the evenings here have been sunny but we had torrential showers all day!).  I love the cheery bright turquoise & coral box and the products inside did not disappoint either!  Here's what I got:

Anatomicals Spray Misty for Me Facial Spritz

Feels really refreshing & nice on your face when you need a little pick-me-up or extra hydration boost.  This would also be perfect for travelling/plane journeys!

Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist

Everything about this screams me, me, me!!  This is right up my alley in terms of hair styling and just what I love my hair to look like!  I'm so excited to try this out.

Coola Organic Mineral Face SPF 20 Rose Essence Tint

Why, oh why did this box have to come AFTER my sun holiday?!  This would have been perfect for Sorrento!  Apparently you apply this underneath your foundation/tinted moisturiser for an extra layer of protection.  

Sleek Pout Paints

These look amazingly pigmented and have been compared to the OCC Lip Tars (which I've never tried either).  I got two in the shades Minx & Peachy Keen - two colours that I would definitely wear!  Yay! 

Essie Sleek Sticks

These look so cool!  In the past I was sceptical about nail stickers but I used some leopard ones on my toes before I had Emilia and they lasted for weeks, plus I got so many compliments on them!  So once again, I am really excited to give these a whirl!

I was very happy with my July Glossybox - the packaging and products were top notch.  Did you get the July box and if so what did you think of it?  If you are not subscribed to Glossybox yet you can do so for £12.95 a month here.  They do ship to Ireland and now also to the US.

xoxo

Anna

Fashion Friday: Jeans, Tank & Flip Flops!

This week's outfit is ridiculously simple, in fact I didn't even realise that I was going to be doing an outfit post when I got dressed this morning as my head is still all over the place after the holiday!  Also apologies for Albi's bum shot in the background...he wasn't aware that he was being papped! ;)  He is doing much better by the way, thank you for all your well wishes and comments/tweets/messages about his health!  For those of you that don't know, poor Albi got sick while we were on holiday but thanks to the lovely people at Your Pet's Best Friend he was very well taken care of and was put on antibiotics right away.  He has made a full recovery (his gums were very inflamed and has always had problems with his teeth) but we expect he may have to have some teeth removed!  Poor little one-eyed, toothless doggy!! 

I'm wearing a navy & white striped Vero Moda tank top that I stupidly stretched out last summer from wearing it too much while pregnant so it's not the most flattering fit anymore unfortunately!  My jeggings/jeans were €5 on a Zara sale rack about 3 years ago and the flip flops are my new white Havaianas with gold studs & skulls/crossbones that I got in Sorrento!

Last night I painted my nails with OPI's Step Right Up which is a beautiful pale pink!  I did my toes in Zoya's Asia - a deep red...everytime I wear red on my toes it makes me wonder why I ever paint them anything else!  My jewellery consists of my silver Tiffany's heart charm bracelet, Swarovski heart necklace (bought in Italy), and Orelia sparkle hoop earrings (you can't see them in the picture - sorry!).  I'm also wearing a pink wrist/hair-tie from Layniebug Designs!

I hope you're all having a fantastic Friday! :)

xoxo

Anna

Throwback Thursday!

I keep forgetting to do these Throwback Thursday posts on Instagram so I thought I'd start incorporating them into my blog!  Here's an old picture of me with my little sister Emma in our house in Baltimore MD.  I think this must have been taken right before we moved to Ireland because I'm about 6 and Emma is maybe 2 or 3?  We moved when I was 7.  I still remember the feel of those couches :)  Oh and in case you're wondering who the talented designer of my sweatshirt is...that would be me, ha ha ha!

xoxo 

Anna

What I Ate Wednesday!

Breakfast (10am)

Back to my all-time favourite!  Flahavans Organic Quick Oats with almond milk, 1/2 banana, cinnamon & a black coffee.  We also got these new place-mats in Sorrento...aren't they pretty?  They match our kitchen perfectly :)  They're from a shop called "Casa Mia" near our hotel & the park where we took all our outfit pictures.    

Lunch (2pm)

Chickpea salad (contains feta, olive oil, red peppers, red onion, coriander, cucumber) from GoGo's.

Mid-Afternoon (4pm)

Coffee break!  Another black coffee.  I got about 4 hours sleep last night as we are training Albi & Sina to go to bed downstairs with the other pups...Sina is perfectly fine but Albi is a nightmare :(  He howled and cried the whole night!  It's not his fault though, we are trying to undo 4 years of a bad habit so I'm not surprised he's reacting this way.  Hopefully he will get used to the new sleeping arrangements soon - I hear persistence is key!  

Dinner (8pm)

I really don't know anyway to make this look pretty after it's been spooned out...ha ha ha!  It looks like a big heap of slop but it's actually yummy chicken, mushroom & bacon pie!  I would normally have added some kind of side-salad but our fridge is pretty much empty at the moment as I'm waiting on our grocery delivery (tomorrow morning :) so I did without for today!  

Dessert (10:30pm)

This is more of a bedtime snack than dessert...we had a really hard time putting Emilia down to bed - I think her schedule is still a bit messed up from the holiday, poor little thing! :(  So I was a bit stressed after two attempts at breastfeeding, rocking her to sleep and then unsuccessfully putting her back into the crib and when she finally settled down the only thing I could think of were these KitKats, ha ha ha!  Actually in the end they were pretty stale as I hadn't realised Jonathan had bought them in Italy around 2 weeks ago...oops!  But in my weary state I didn't really mind :)

I also drank 8 glasses / 2L of water today...I am trying to drink LOADS of water as I currently have low blood pressure so I need to stay hydrated!!  

xoxo

Anna

Tip Tuesday: Beach/Pool Makeup!

One of my most asked questions while we were in Italy was how I managed to keep my makeup in place while at the pool.  And in the sweltering 30C heat it's not always easy to prevent your makeup from melting off, no matter how you apply it!  So I came up with a few tips on what worked for me.  While I totally understand that wearing makeup at the pool or beach is not practical for everybody, if you are like me and "putting on your face" is part of your daily routine then hopefully these will help you!  

1. Keep it simple

Keeping it simple can vary from person to person, so if you're like me and generally apply a full face of makeup everyday this will differ from someone who only wears concealer, mascara and a hint of gloss!  But either way you want to keep the number of products you use to a minimum.  When I woke up every morning I applied concealer, tinted moisturiser, powder, bronzer (because my face was always lighter than my body!), eyeliner, mascara and a little lipstick.  Later on in the evening before we went out I'd add things like blush, highlight and eyeshadow.

2. Skip foundation

During the rest of the year I use a pretty heavy-duty foundation (Estee Lauder DoubleWear) and while it's still one of my favourite products it just does not make sense for hot summer days!  So I switched to tinted moisturiser for the summer which is a lot lighter, doesn't look cakey or feel like a mask on your face.  I like MAC's Studio Moisture Tint.

3. Skip eyeshadow

I love eyeshadow as much as the next girl but for daytime by the pool it just doesn't make sense...I would generally either go without or use a very light wash of colour like nude or champagne shimmer all over the whole lid followed up by eyeliner.  Then for evening makeup when the sun had gone down and it wasn't as hot I had fun with different shadows, crease colours, highlight, etc.  

4. Keep the sun off your face

My face without makeup is always a few shades lighter than my body as I never like to sunbathe my face or neck!  Of course this will inevitably help keep your makeup from melting off your face but the main reason I do this is to avoid premature wrinkles & ageing.  I'm all for having a tan but when it comes to my face & neck, the fake stuff is good enough for me!  Sun-loungers nowadays usually have a small panel which you can put in front of your face to block out the sun and I always make good use of those, otherwise you can use a wide-brimmed hat or sunglasses of course.  

5. Touch up with powder if you need to

A good quality setting powder is sometimes all you need to keep your face from getting too shiny/sweaty looking.  I use Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent and would lightly blot this around my forhead/T-zone after coming in from the sun.  This would usually keep me going for a couple of hours!  

I hope you find these tips helpful.  Please remember that everyone is different and I'm in no way saying that you need to wear makeup by the pool/beach!  Do whatever works for you - and whatever makes you happy!  

xoxo

Anna

     

Mommy Monday: Goodbye Italy!

Hey guys! Sorry for the long hiatus from my blog - it's been so difficult to post while on holiday but I've missed catching up with you guys and I promise to return to a more regular blogging schedule very soon!

In the meantime, here is one of my favourite pictures of Emilia & me on the last day of our Italian trip in Naples at sunset!  She is wearing her Peppa Pig dress from Loveaboo and hot pink bow/headband combination from Layniebug Designs.

We are on our way home today and although we had an amazing time in Italy I'm excited to get back into our regular routine again and better yet...be reunited with our puppies!!

xoxo

Anna

Sorrento Day 2!

Yesterday we spent the morning at our hotel pool! Emilia napped in her stroller with her UV protective cover over it (this thing is a lifesaver...it keeps her stroller dark, cool and her skin out of the sun while she is napping so she doesn't miss out on her sleep during the day even when we're on the go!).  She did not like the water at all much to the disappointment of her daddy :(  I think the initial shock of the cold water was a bit too much for her!  Her cute pink gingham bathing suit is from Pumpkin Patch and my bikini is from Debenhams' Ultimate Beach range.

Like I said in my Day 1 post, Emilia has been extremely clingy towards me since we began our holiday making it very difficult to do simple tasks like get ready/shower/edit videos/write blog posts...whereas before she was always totally happy to hang out with daddy (she LOVES her dad!), now it's all about me.  Although admittedly this does make me feel rather special, it gets frustrating quite quickly as the minute I put her down to do something she either screams & cries or fusses and crawls frantically towards me.  I know this is most likely just a phase and also part of getting used to her new environment and she will probably be back to her normal self by the time we get home :)  *cough*fingers crossed*cough*!

My outfit of the night!  I'm wearing the maroon Vero Moda maxi dress I got for 9.95 with a Zara belt and Dune flip flops.  I love the length of the dress as it's not too long and doesn't swamp me as most maxi dresses do!  

Stay Stylish!

Sorrento Day 1!

Siamo arrivati!  We've arrived! :)  Yesterday was our first day in Sorrento and Emilia did great...initially I was a bit nervous of how she would react to all the travelling and how she would cope in the heat, new surroundings etc. but she is a trooper!  Here she is eating her first mozzarella in carrozza (obsessed!) although I did end up nursing her about 20 times that day.  I think this was just how she coped with the whole experience - today she was a lot better as we are more settled.  

Emilia was very good on the plane, I nursed her during take off but not landing and she was completely fine!  The only stressful part was feeding her breakfast, which was a very messy and cramped experience...ha ha ha!  She did get a little bored towards the middle of the journey but thankfully we didn't have any screaming tantrums ;)

This was the pretty light cotton dress she wore yesterday evening!  It was a gift from a viewer and is from Tesco F+F.  It also comes with little panties underneath.  I packed mostly light airy dresses like this for Emilia as I think they're easiest and more comfortable to wear in the heat!  Here she is wearing the hot pink headband & bow from Layniebug Designs but unfortunately she kept it on for all of about 5 seconds :(  She won't even keep a hat on...I'm so afraid of her head getting burnt!  If anyone has any tips  let me know!

For my outfit of the evening, I wore my tie-dye maxi dress from Velvet with a skinny blue leather belt (ASOS).  Many of you may remember this from when I was pregnant!  

I'm so happy to be taking this trip with my mama & sisters along with my own little family!  It is such a wonderful experience for Emilia to be close to her Oma & aunties...she already idolises my sister Erika!  Everything Erika does makes her laugh, it's so cute to watch!  

Stay Stylish!

On the Road!

It's official!  Our summer holiday has begun :)  Today we started our journey to Sorrento by driving up to Dublin to prepare for our early flight tomorrow morning. (Hello, 4 hours of sleep tonight...gahhh!)  This was my travel outfit - I wore my Gap 1969 Always Skinny jeans, blue & grey striped Selected tee and dark blue Soaked in Luxury cardigan along with the new ballet flats I got from TK Maxx.  Wearing these shoes was a BIG MISTAKE!  I should have known not to wear brand new shoes for the first time when travelling - they cut my feet so bad! :(  I'll definitely be in flip-flops tomorrow!  I also wore my new Chloe sunnies that I got from TK Maxx for only €54...I love them so much! 

I did my makeup using the Smashbox Studio Pop Palette (you can watch a variation of this look here) and styled my hair using my curling wand (watch the tutorial here!).  My lipstick is Estee Lauder Crystal Baby.    

To kick off the holiday & get in the summery spirit I shared a yummy pavlova with my mom for dessert at our hotel this evening...I can't wait for ice-cream and all the scrummy food in Sorrento - my mouth has started to water...aaah!

Nighty night, and see you all tomorrow - in ITALY! :) 

Stay Stylish!

What I Ate Wednesday!

Breakfast

Flahavan's Organic Quick Oats w/almond milk, 1/2 banana, blueberries & cinnamon.  I swear every Wednesday like clockwork I revert back to this breakfast!  All the other days this week I've been drinking green juice and then BAM!  Today I got a craving for porridge again...sorry to be so repetitive and boring!  One of these days I'll show you guys how I make my juice :)

Lunch

Chickpea salad from GoGo's - made with tomato, peppers, coriander (I'm guessing here!!), olive oil, feta cheese (I think) and red onion.  It's super yummy and Emilia had the same thing as me!

Dinner

Salmon fishcake with basmati rice, baby spinach & cherry tomatoes.  This was delicious...the fishcakes are from Tesco's Finest range and they also do a spicy prawn one which is equally yummy!

Snack

Nescafe Mocha with a few Oreos...accompanied by my new Vanilla Lime Yankee candle!  (No I didn't eat the candle...but you will want to when you smell it!)  

My next What I Ate Wednesday post will be from Sorrento - yay!  What did you eat today? 

Stay Stylish!

June is Over! And My 700th Video

I can't believe June is over!  Ahh...where does the time go?!  As you can tell, Emilia is very excited about something...ha ha ha!  She is getting so big and today I noticed her legs are looking skinnier since she started crawling :(  Now when I say "skinny", I really mean slightly less chunky but you know...I am going to miss her rolls!  Today she was wearing a cornflower blue top from Mothercare, Name It leggings and her slate blue Layniebug Designs headband & bow set.  Did I mention my baby girl now has EIGHT teeth??  Ahhh!!  She is growing so fast!  

Today also marked my 700th video upload and the last of my June "video everyday" series.  Yay!  I can't believe I actually stuck with it the whole month long.  I am thrilled with the feedback I've been getting about the daily videos and I am contemplating continuing with them through the month of July.  What do you guys think?  Today I filmed my June Beauty Favourites.  You can watch the video here, but I thought I would give you a written list of the products I mentioned just in case you missed anything! :)

Sleek Lipstick in Coral Reef

Essie Nail Polish in Peach Daiquiri

MUD Nail Polish in Look At Me

Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Face Brush

MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15

Beautiful Movements Prime & Create Mixing Medium Primer

LA Creative Illuminating Powder in Stardust

Smashbox Studio Pop Ultimate Palette

Dove Summer Glow in Medium to Dark

MonuSpa Golden Glow Face & Body Bronzer

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter

Hope you guys had a brilliant month and I will see you all tomorrow! 

Stay Stylish!