Starbucks- ICED LATTE!

Hi Everyone

I hope you're all enjoying your summer holidays so far! I've partially being enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having here in Dublin the past few weeks although this week looks like we're back to rain!
To keep the summer vibes going I thought I'd do a post on my favourite summer drink this year. Recently I've switched up my Starbucks order which would normally be a Caramel Latte, Caramel Frappachino or the odd time a Classic Hot Chocolate but so far this summer I have been loving the Starbucks Iced Latte!!!

I normally get mine with just the normal coffee blend but yesterday I tried the Kenya blend. I've tried this blend in other coffees before but for me I always find it a bit too strong. I prefer the normal coffee  blend but for those of you who prefer a stronger tasting coffee I would defiantly recommend you give the Kenya blend a go!!

Let me know what summer drinks your loving this year and give me some ideas of what to try next!

Much Love Ciara Xxx

Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived Body Lotion -Review

Hello Everyone!!

I recently picked up the Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived Body Lotion to get myself in the summer mood with a nice summer glow and I have to say I am loving it. I have always used the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion which has a gradual tanner in it and works wonders to give you a fresh sun-kissed look without any hassle. As far as I know the dove Derma spa is basically the same as the summer glow just with new packaging which is fab I think the gold packaging really gives it a spa look to it and makes it look fancier. I've been using it for quite a while now and I see no difference between them maybe just the smell of the lotion is a bit different.

For those of you who may not know Summer Revived is Dove's  first spa-like body lotion combining natural, gentle tanners with Surface Cell-Moisturisers. This self-tanning lotion treats you with a daily dose of summer for a healthy-looking bronze glow. Its available for light to medium skin and also in medium to dark skin which is the one I use as I find it works best for me. I use this product after every time I shower, applying onto clean, towel dried skin. 

Self tanners can be tricky for fair skin types, so it's really great the fact they created two versions of Derma spa; one for light-to-medium skin types and one for medium-to-dark skin so you can slowly build up your tan. I like that this version now comes in a squeeze tube instead of the shampoo-type of bottle it used to be in(summer glow). It makes applying the product in my option a lot easier as it's easier to get it out of the bottle and control the amount your using.Even though summer only comes once a year, this is the perfect self tanner to prolong that sun kissed skin and have a summer glow all year round.

This product retails at €9.99 and is available at Boots and other phamacies and supermarkets nation wide.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water--Review

Happy Wednesday!!
Halfway through the week nearly time for my favourite time of the week.. the weekend!!! :)

Today I thought I'd do a review on the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water because it is currently one of my favourite products to use. It is a super efficient and gentle way to cleanse, remove makeup, soothe the feel of skin and hydrate in just one step!Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water contains micelles which act like magnets, gently lifting away makeup and impurities from the skin, without the need to rub or rinse. It leaves the skin feeling beautifully cleansed and refreshed. The formula is suitable for the face, eye area and lips, has no perfume and comes in a generous 400ml size with a smaller travel size bottle also available to purchase.

I use this all the time to take off my makeup. I have really sensitive skin so I'm always a bit hesitant as to trying new products but I have been using this product in my face almost every day for almost a year now and I love it. It doesn't dry up the skin and hasn't cause any acne or redness on my face which is really fantastic. I highly recommend this product and it is available in most pharmacies. Also in some penny's(primark) shops in Dublin which is where I get mine they have a good selection of this product and it's even under €5 to buy. I can't remember the exact price but it's around €4.50 which is brilliant. The bottle states you get 200 uses out of it which in my opinion you really do get value for money.

I would highly recommend this product to any beauty lovers out there because you'll really fall in love with it and won't be without it again.

If anyone tries it let me know what you think,

Much Love

Ciara Xxx

Perfect Pancake Recipe!

Hi everyone,

Happy Pancake Tuesday!!!

I hope you all have your pancakes ready to eat. I thought since its shrove Tuesday and everyone eats pancakes why not post a simple easy recipe I use to make the perfect pancakes! Every year for Pancake Tuesday I always buy ingredients to make my own pancakes and also a ready made pack just in case they go wrong but more then less they always turn out right!! :) 

I love pancakes and love trying them with different things my favourites would be the simple lemon, golden syrup, butter and sugar . Also I love them served hot with ice cream and chocolate spread. So Yummy!!!! 

You can eat pancakes with really anything like fruits such as  strawberries or even so sweet things like marshmallows. Whatever way you like to eat them all you need is this simple recipe to make the perfect one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 125g / 4oz Plain Flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Egg
• 300ml / 1/2 pint Milk
• Oil for frying

To Serve

• Chocolate Spread
• Ice cream

Or why not try some of other tasty toppings such as : Pecan Nuts, Chopped Almonds, Chocolate Chips 100g   

METHOD:

1. Sieve flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour, break in the egg and add about a third of the milk. Beat well, gradually pouring in the rest of the milk and drawing in the flour to make a smooth batter.
3. Pour batter into a jug and allow to stand for about 30 minutes.
4. Brush a pancake pan or frying pan with oil. When the pan is hot, give the batter a stir before pouring a thin layer onto the pan.
5. Fry until golden brown. Turn and fry the other side until brown also.
6. Stack pancakes on a large plate, as they are cooked.
7. Spread with chocolate sauce, roll and add ice cream

Tasty Filling Suggestions

1. Dust with Golden caster sugar, add a squeeze of lemon juice, roll up pancake and serve.
2. Drizzled with Honey
3. Fruit served with whipped cream
4. Stewed apples, flavoured with cinnamon and a dollop of fresh cream
5. Diced chicken with salsa sauce
6. Cottage cheese and sliced pineapple
7. Poached egg and Hollandaise sauce

I hope you all enjoy eating your pancakes and if anyone try's to make their own using this recipe let me know 

Much love

Ciara Xxx

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How I Wash My MakeUp Brushes!

Hi Everyone

So today I thought I'd tell you what I wash my makeup brushes with. All you'll need for this is baby shampoo, water and a plate.

I normally do this by the sink in my bathroom. I start off by putting a small amount of baby shampoo onto a plate. I then get my brush and dip the top of the bristles into the shampoo and move it in circular motions around the plate. I then leave the shampoo on the brush and place the brush on a towel while I continue to do the rest of my brushes. As the plate does get dirty with left over products I tend to rinse off the plate as I go along adding a small bit of fresh baby shampoo with every brush.

When I have all my brushes soaked in shampoo I then turn on the cold water and rinse off all the shampoo from the brushes until they are clean and the leftover products are removed from the brush. I normally do this routine once every 2 weeks and tend to do it at night time so I can leave the brushes to dry over night. For my brushes to dry I leave them hanging over the edge of my dressing table with the bristles of the brushes over the edge. I find that this way the brushes dry quicker and by leaving them over night it gives them plenty of time to dry.

I get the baby shampoo from tesco. It's the tesco brand and does the exact same as any other higher end brands. This bottle is only around €1.50/€2 and works really well. It's cheep and cheerful and keeps your brushes nice and clean.
Let me know if any of you try this out.

I hope you all have a great week!!!!

                                    Much Love
                           Ciara Xxx

My Trip to Zante, Greece!

Hi everyone hope your all having a lovely week! Since it's almost the weekend and it's also approaching that time of year when we all book our summer holidays, I thought I might share with you all about my trip to Zakynthos, Greece.

In July 2014 myself and 2 friends set off for a weeks holiday to the beautiful island Zakynthos in Greece. There was a 2 hour time difference in Greece so they were 2 hours ahead of Irish time. We arrived late on a Tuesday evening around 8pm Greece time which wasn't to bad. We were staying in a town called Kalamki. Which turned out to be only 5 minutes away from the airport, which is great for anyone who doesn't like sitting on buses for hours traveling to accommodation. When we landed in Zante there was a coach there waiting to pick us up. We had booked the holiday in a package through a travel agency as it was our first time travelling away from home by ourselves so just so everything was secure for us we got a package deal which included flights, accommodation and transfers.
When we got to the hotel which as I mentioned was only about 5 mins from the airport, we were welcomed by very friendly reception staff. They showed us to our room and we settled in just fine. We stayed in appartments called the Ionian Blue and they were just beautiful. It was a very small complex with a small pool but was just a few minutes walk to the beach and the strip.

  
   
 
As Zante is a small island and would only take about an hour or so to travel from top to bottom it also has gorgeous mountainous areas surrounding it. As we looked out on our balcony we could see the mountains as well as airplanes as was close to the airport where we stayed. Throughout our stay we relaxed by the pool, took many trips to the beach and the town, and ate in many different restraunts.
As we booked a package deal we also had a rep at our hotel who was extremely helpful. He recommended to do some of the tours while we were there. One of the days we booked with our rep a trip to the waterpark on the island. We had a bus pick us up at 10am and bring us to the waterpark it was about a 25 min drive to the waterpark which really wasn't bad as it felt like less. We spent the day at the waterpark, enjoyed some lunch in the restraunt in the park and also got a fish pedicure. It was a really great day from start to finish. The bus picked us up at about 4 to bring us back to the appartments. There was loads of water slides and suited all ages.

   

  

As our rep had recommended to do some tours we decided to do the turtle spotting tour out to turtle island for the day. The bus picked us up at 9am and we were brought down to a town called Agassi where we got on a boat for the day. We set off on the boat at around 10am and went out around the beautiful turquoise oceans of Zakynthos. We seen the stunning coves and caves on the island as we were on the boat. We stopped at a certain point in the sea and stayed really quite to see if we could see any turtles. We were successful and got to see some which was really a great sighting. After that we set off again and got to stop of at a cove which has crystal clear waters and beautiful sand. We got to jump off the boat and stay at the sand or swim for about 20 mins. After we set off again taking pictures off all the coves and the gorgeous scenes of the island. Before we headed back to the port we could get back into the sea if we wished. The tour lasted about 6 hours and in my opinion was a bit too long. We got back to the appartments at about 4:30 that evening. It was really a great trip though.  

  

The week went by so quickly and I would have loved to have stayed longer. As we went in the middle of July the heat was unreal. Everyday reached about 34 degrees Celsius. While we were the night life in Zante seemed to be great. We spent most our time in Kalamki but headed into laganas a few times which is know for partying. It was €7 in a taxi from Kalamki to laganas as taxis in Greece have set prices so there in a sign at the taxi rank stating the price to each town. Which is so handy. Laganas certainly is the party place of the island from morning to night with some nightclubs staying open until 9am !!!! We had a great night in laganas and went into as many bars and clubs as we could.   Food and drink in Zante is really reasonable with some restraunts giving a free drink with each meak. Most main courses ranged about €8/€9 in each restraunt which I thought was brilliant.   

 

  

I really enjoyed my time on the island and I would definitely recommend Zakynthos to anyone. There is just some much to do during the day and such a great nightlife. It really was a brilliant holiday and I certainly will be returning in the future!! 

If any of you guys have gone or are thinking of going let me know i would  love to hear!

Much Love 

Ciara Xxx

New Outfit Update

Hi guys

So I recently went shopping and bought so much new stuff!! I try not to go to overboard when shopping for clothes but come on let's be realistic everyone does it I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't control themselves when you see something you like. I always feel I should just buy it there and then cause with my luck it wouldn't be there if I went back a day later to get it! Any ways I thought I would show you guys my favourite purchase from that shopping spree which is...

A black and white checked shirt dress from New Look!

       

I love it so much! It was €29.99 from New Look. I bought it in the black and white colour just because I always wear these colours plus on the day there wasn't much of them available in the store. I got mine in a size 10 as I like things a little bit bigger on me from room to move and feel comfortable. I did find it a bit too big and should have got a smaller size but I was happy in it anytime I've worn it (which is only like twice so far)
I've gotten many complements on the outfit and as I am aware you can purchase a similar one for €15 in selfridges or primark? I'm unsure on this though as I heard it from a friend but I'm sure if you guys have a look around you might pick one up. On the day I also seen a red and white striped shirt dress so it is also available in different colours. It has sleeves only to the elbow just like you can see in the second picture above. The first picture is just to give you an idea or what it might look like if you were to wear it buttoned up to the top. When I ware this outfit I ware it with two buttons down and have it baggy at the top so it draps over the matching belt a bit.

I wore this outfit with:
Over the knee boots from H&M


I bought these boots in H&M for €49.99
I think every girl should have a pair of knee high/over the knee boots because they are soooooo comfortable, fashionable and can be worn with so many different outfits weather it be a dress, skirt, trousers or jeans!! They can be worn for going out or even just a daytime look. They are so easy to walk in and very comfortable I've worn mine so many times ever since I got them. They are really affordable and match with almost everything because of the colour. I got mine in a size 5 but just for comfort I wear fluffy socks with them. They are a small bit big at the top of my legs and do tend to fall down a bit as the night goes on from walking but I don't mind that at all because I love these boots so much!!


Here is a picture of the full outfit on me. I felt really happy and comfortable in this look and I'm sure I'll wear it again soon!!

Much Love,

Ciara Xxx