My top 10 drugstore products

Welcome back everyone, I hope you all are having a lovely day! Today I'm going to share my top 10 drugstore beauty products with you all. In my opinion I feel drugstore products are just as good if not better than higher end products. These are products I use everyday, always repurchase and can not live without!

1. Garnier Pure Active Charcoal Scrub
I use this scrub 2-3 times a week to get rid of dead skin cells and deep cleanse my face. I feel this really does the trick and leaves my skin feeling clean and  refreshed. Find it here

2. Revlon Colourstay Foundation
If you have seen my march favorites you will know how much I love this foundation. This is definitely my holy grail foundation. I always find myself going back to it. I have mine in the colour 150 buff for oily combo skin and it really suits my skin and blends in nicely with my skin tone. It has great coverage and lasts all day. It's a bit more on the pricey side for a drugstore foundation but is definitely worth the price. Find it here

3. Real Techniques Miracle complexion sponge
Again I raved about this in my march favorites post but it really is great for blending in any foundation or concealer products. It is the only thing I use to blend in my foundation I don't think I could ever go back to a brush. It blends foundation seamlessly and leaves you with a flawless base. Find it here

4. Catrice Liquid Camouflage concealer
I love this concealer for underneath my eyes and on the arch of my brows, cupids bow and chin area. Its great for covering up those unwanted dark circles and brightening up my face. For how good it is its only priced between 2-3 euros in pharmacies and also Penney's! so definitely pick yourself up one. Find it here

5. Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder
This is my everyday go to powder I always repurchase. Its cheap and great for mattfying the skin without looking cakey on the skin. I have quite an oily t-zone and find it great for keeping me from getting shiny throughout the day. Find it here

6. MUA Heaven and Earth eye shadow palette
This is my go to eye shadow palette for everyday. It has a great range of different shades of browns. The colors are very pigmented and last all day. It's great for both day and night time eye looks. Find it here

7. Collection Extreme 24Hr Felt Tip Liner Pen
This is a really good eyeliner pen, one of the best I have tried. Its very pigmented, easy to work with and lasts all day. For the price point you really can't go wrong. Find it here

8. Essence Long-lasting Lipstick in 05 cool nude
This is my go to lipstick for everyday. I would describe it as my lips but better! I love the shade its perfect for everyday wear. Its easy to apply, not drying on the lips. It doesn't last all day but you'll get a few hours out of it before you have to top it up. There's 6 shades of nude in the range of lipsticks to choose from so their suitable for everyone.  Find it here

9. Tangle Teezer
I only got this a few months ago but I haven't used a 'normal' hairbrush since! It glides through your hair and gets out any knots without tugging at the hair. It's perfect to use on both wet and dry hair. Its a bit pricey but its definitely worth it, I wouldn't be without it in my life. Find it here

10. Carmex

This is the best lip balm I have tried so far. It's the only thing that keeps my lips moisturized and in good condition. I find my lips still feel moisturized for hours after I apply it. It also has SPF 15 which is great for protecting the lips. Find it here

There you have it my top 10 drugstore products. I hope you all enjoyed this post and let me know your top drugstore products!

Until next time,

Sophie x

My Skincare Routine

Welcome back everyone, so today I'm going to share my current skincare routine with you all. These are the products I have found myself sticking to over the past few months and they seem to be working well for my skin. I have combination skin, oily in the t-zone and dry everywhere else and it is also quite sensitive. 

Mornings:

Step 1: Cleanse

I don't tend to do much to my skin in the mornings as I double cleanse my skin the night before. I just use the Garnier Micellar Water with a face cotton pad and swipe it over my face to refresh and cleanse my skin.

Step 2: Moisturise
To moisturize my skin I use the Simple Day Cream. It has SPF 15 which protects the skin and leaves my skin feeling nice and moisturized. My skin still feels hydrated hours after I moisturize with this.

Step 3: Prime
I know this is not really a skincare product however sometimes I will use the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm after my moisturizer as its great not only as a primer for makeup by also for hydrating the skin.

Evenings: 

Step 1: Cleanse

First I use the Garnier Micellar Water with a cotton pad to remove my eye makeup. It works well at removing all my eye makeup and is gentle enough on the eyes.

Step 2: Cleanse

Most days I wear makeup so I double cleanse my face. I use the Olay cleansing milk with a face pad to remove my face makeup. This is gentle on my skin and works well to remove the majority of my makeup.

Step 2: Second cleanse
I then go back in with my Garnier Micellar Water with a cotton face pad to remove any makeup left on my skin. More makeup does come off so it is vital to double cleanse if not makeup will be left on your face and could damage your skin in the long run.

Step 3: Wash
I use the Simple moisturizing facial wash to wash my face. It is very gentle on the skin and ensures that every bit of makeup is removed from my skin. It leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed.

        

Step 4: Moisturize                        

To moisturize my skin for the night I use the Simple Rich Moisturizer. It is very nice and hydrating and works well for my skin.

Step 5: Serum

Recently I've started using the Argan Oil night repair serum after my moisturizer. I've only used it for about a week now but so far so good.

Step 6: Exfoliating

About once to twice a week I use the Garnier Pure Active charcoal scrub to exfoliate my face and remove any dead skin cells. I don't find it does much for my spots but it works well and leaves my face feeling nice and clean.

Well there you have it my current skincare routine. Its very simple(not just because I use the simple products lol). If anyone uses any of the products I mentioned above let me know how you find them or if anyone has any recommendations for skincare products let me know also!

Until next time,

Sophie x

26 things that make me happy

Welcome back everyone, over the past few days now I've become more grateful for everything and appreciate more of the little things in life that make me happy. So today I thought I would share 26 of them with you!

1. Family and Friends

2. Succeeding and accomplishing things in life

3. My dog Poppy, how could you not love those big brown eyes

4. Puppies, obviously

5. The beach

6. Exploring and discovering new places

7. Baking

8. Playing around and doing my makeup

9. Listening to music

10. Coffee

11. Cozy nights in with a movie and some munchies!

12. Hot chocolate

13. Inspirational positive quotes

14. Desserts and chocolate

15. Flowers

16. Sunshine and Rainbows, cliche I know but true!

17. Perfect winged eyeliner

18. Freshly painted nails

19. Looking back at old photos of happy memories with my loved ones

20. Romantic comedies, my fav genre of film, no shame!

21. Being kind to others, it costs nothing to be nice and it feels good to be kind

22. Shopping

23. Laughing

24. Writing blog posts

25. Hot showers, I could spend hours in the shower if I was let!

26. Relaxing

Let me know some of the things that make you happy :)

Until next time,

Sophie x

Porridge Bread

Welcome back everyone,
So today I decided I would share the Porridge Bread recipe I tried and tested out over the weekend. I can't take credit for this recipe I found it on 'the 7AM club' on Facebook and it looked too good not to try out! You can eat it on its own or top with sliced banana or almond butter!. Its perfect to have in the morning for breakfast or in the evening with a cup of tea. I hope you all enjoy the recipe and if you try it out let me know!

Ingredients:

500ml tub of natural yogurt

500g of porridge oats

2 tsp bread soda

1/2 tsp of salt (optional)

Dried fruit eg. raisins, sultanas, berries etc. 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line your loaf tin with baking paper.

Begin by mixing the yogurt and beaten egg together in a mixing bowl.

Mix the oats, bread soda, salt and dried fruit(if using) in a separate bowl.

Add the yogurt mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.

Place in a lined loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees for 50 minutes

Remove tin from the oven at 40 minutes.

Take the bread out of the tin for the last 10 minutes and wrap bread in a damp tea towel (helps soften the crust).

Let it cool completely, then serve and enjoy! 

Until next time,

Sophie x

May favourites

Hi everyone, so today I'm going to share some of the things I loved throughout May. Its hard to believe we're already in June, the year is flying by isn't it? Anyway on to my favourites!

1. Nyx Butter Gloss in Eclair



I picked this up a while back and recently started using it again throughout the month of May and love it! Its very easy to apply with or without lipstick, dries nice and is a really nice everyday pink. There's also a huge shade range of the butter glosses which I definitely need to try.

2. Batise Dry Shampoo

This isn't a new find for me by any means, I've been using Batise for years now. Recently its a been a savior for my greasy hair. With the help of this I can actually get 2 days out of my hair. I also really like the scent of this one.

3. Peppermint tea

When I was in Holland and Barrett I picked up this tea. It has a really lovely taste, not too strong and its also really good for digestion. I like to drink it after a meal. It was only 2:19 euros in Holland and Barrett so cheap as chips.

4. Strawberries

I've always loved strawberries especially now that its summer and there more readily available. I also think summer is the perfect weather to be eating them in as they are so refreshing and sweet. There also great to snack on if you get a craving for something sweet.

5. Hairstyles

 This half up half down top knot has been my go to hairstyle when I want to wear my hair down but don;t want any hair in my face especially during the summertime! I'm also in the process of growing out my side fringe so this hairstyles perfect!

I've also been loving braided buns. Its very easy to do you just braid your ponytail and form it into the bun shape you desire.  I wear my hair in a bun most days so its a nice touch to add to make it look like you put more effort into the hairstyle when you actually didn't!

6. Pretty Little Liars

I know I mentioned this in a blog post before but I just can't get enough of it. I find myself watching 2-3 episodes a night (got to limit myself). The story line is very gripping and always leaves you wanting to watch more. Definitely give it a watch if you don't already.

Well there you have it my favourites for the month of May. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know what your favourites for the month were.

Until next time,

Sophie x

25 facts about me

Hi everyone,

Today I thought I'd tell you all 25 random facts about me. Its a slightly more personal blog post but it will hopefully give you all a small insight into what I'm like. I've seen this tag floating around youtube and blog post for years now and I love reading them. So here are 25 facts about me!

1. I have just completed my Level 5 in Early Childhood Care & Education and have applied for the Early Childhood Care & Education course in Wexford campus, so fingers crossed I get it!

2. I'm a home bird. I love being at home with my family. I'd love to travel but I can't see myself permanently living abroad, I'd miss home way too much!

3. Romantic/Romantic comedy films are my favourite genre of film. Titanic, The Notebook, P.s I love you and Marley and Me are some of my top all time favourite films.

4. I'm naturally a very shy and quiet person but once I get to know you I'll talk away to you and be my weird normal self!

5. I have a huge sweet tooth and love chocolate and desserts.

6. I hate rushing and being late for things, It gets me so frustrated and puts me in a bad mood for the day.

7. I have one younger brother who's 15 years old.

8. I am the biggest procrastinator and will put off doing most things until the very last minute!

9. I'm obsessed with coffee and have to have it every morning.

10. I have a dog called Poppy and she is a King Charles Spaniel.

11. I'm a short arse, at 5.2 and a half, the half counts OK?

12. My skin is my biggest insecurity and I can never leave the house without makeup.

13. I'm such a worrier and overthink everything.

14. My fears are heights, all creepy crawlies and my loved ones dying.

15. I love cooking and baking and trying out new foods/recipes, nutrition is something I'm actually very interested in and would love to study in the future.

16. I'm a very private person and it takes a lot for me to trust and open up to people.

17. I hate rollercosters, I hate the feeling of my stomach jumping when I'm on them. I'm generally the 'bag/personal items' holder for my friends while they go on them.

18. My star sign is a Sagittarius.

19. My favourite foods are chicken satay, pizza, strawberries and chocolate (obviously) lol.

20. I'm obsessed with makeup and everything beauty related.

21. I have a small dent in the bridge of my nose from bumping into my mam with a hot dinner plate when I was younger(not a pretty sight).

22. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who chew with their mouth open.

23. I used to do Irish Dancing when I was younger and actually won some medals for it.

24. Vanilla, coffee, baked goods and freshly cut grass are some of my favourite smells.

25. I love quotes, the majority of the photos on my phone are quotes I've screenshotted. Some of my favs are 'this too shall pass' and 'everything happens for a reason'.

So there you have it, 25 facts about me. I hope you all enjoyed it and let me know a random fact about you!

Until next time,

Sophie x