I had become resigned to the fact that good skincare costs a lot. I had been thoroughly convinced by the beauty industry that if you want products that work you simply have to fork out huge amounts of money as good skincare costs money, right?

Wrong.

So chances are, if you’re into beauty at all you’ve heard all the buzz surrounding the new skincare line from ‘ The Ordinary ‘ by DECIEM.  Finally, a skincare company has released affordable versions of products with proven active ingredients that actually work.  If you’re into active skincare ingredients such acids and retinoids etc chances are you’ve been investing pretty heavily into skincare because up to now ingredients such as those have been super expensive. 

All of  the products from the range are  priced between €5-€14 euro which is unheard of, so is this really the most exciting breakthrough there has been in the skincare industry…. Its founder, Brandon Truaxe, says the range is full of ingredients that are well known, well proven, but typically overpriced and disguised as 'new' innovation.  Each product is made with just one or two ingredients, which apparently means they can be made and bottled more cheaply. The cheapest item in the range is the Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, which costs  €5 and promises to plump skin thanks to Hyaluronic Acid and a hit of Vitamin C.

The most expensive ,at €14 is Buffet, which has Matrixyl 3,000 peptide complex, a potent anti-ageing ingredient, as well as Syn-Ake peptide complex, which is thought to freeze lines like Botox. 

I ordered the products from Ordinaries.com hoping for miracles! I came away with 9 products totalling less than €80 (which is ridiculously cheap) Hyaluronic Acid 2%- B5, Vitamin C Suspension 23% *HA Spheres, Lactic Acid 10%*HA 2%, Advanced Retinoid 2%, 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil and  100% Organic Cold Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil (for my hair) . 
All of these are ingredients that I look for and already use in my skincare to tackle my dehydrated skin. I eagerly await these sleek little bottles! 

UPDATE

I received all 9 serums from the Ordinaries and have been blown away by how amazing they are- especially the Hyaluronic acid, buffet serum and Vitamin C serum. They are just incredible products for the price. My skin is so hydrated from just one use of the Hyaluronic acid. The vitamin C serum tingles upon application but i quite like this, it means its actually working! All that is missing from the range is an amazing SLS free balm / cleanser. 
Definitely worth purchasing the whole range and now that it is available to buy on ASOS with free worldwide shipping, it couldn't be easier.

The Ordinary is now available HERE and HERE!

We all need an amazing faux fur jacket that if you find the right one that will fit your lifestyle and needs, it’ll become your best friend. You won’t want to go anywhere without it. I have a few coats like that. Season after season, I wear them again and again. But I’ve never really found a shorter style faux fur jacket that I feel the same way about. My thoughts changed when I saw this Oasis 'Tilly' faux fur jacket. I’d been on the hunt for it in my size for a while, and finally tracked one down online. It’s even more cozy and perfect in person, and also comes in a black version. Luckily, the weather is freezing in Ireland so I immediately pulled it out this past weekend to wear with my new purchase, these amazing grey Stuart Weitzman 90mm highland boots, courtesy of LuisaViaRoma. A word of warning though- size half down as these are big fitting. I feel as though I will wear these so much all year round, they are beautifully made and so comfortable. 

JO MALONE

If I could only wear one fragrance for the rest of my life , it would be Jo Malone without a doubt. I have barely reached for anything else since I bought my first bottle. I adore the beautiful minimal bottles and truly unique scents that can be layered to create another scent. And it's just not about the dreamy scents that they offer but I find it's the way I feel when spritzing on a fragrance from Jo Malone, it's an entire experience. Everything from their luxurious body creams to the ultra luxe candles are just dreamy. And the amazing Christmas advent calendar retailing at over £400, which sells out in hours! My all time favourite is of course Wood, Sage & Sea Salt , but I also love Lime, Basil & Mandarin and Rose Blush & Peony to name a few.

LINK!

ZOEVA 

I started my 'Zoeva' journey with an amazing set of rose gold brushes, the quality was suburb and they came in a beautiful leather pouch. I use these brushes every day and rarely reach for anything else. They work beautifully with any product, whether it's high-end or budget and they age incredibly well and can withstand hundreds of washes without any shedding or becoming misshapen. My newest edition is the 'Zoeva' nude spectrum palette and I was blown away by the pigmentation and quality of this palette, It's very similar to MAC both in texture and actual colours. I never need another palette with this in my collection.

LINK! 

CHARLOTTE TILBURY

Charlotte Tilbury is also a brand that I can do that with. Everyone who has used her products will know how amazing they are- her eyeliner crayons are the softest and smudgiest around and takes about 10 seconds to apply, her eyes to mesmerise are my all time 'one sweep across the lid' favourite, her foundations are groundbreaking....I could go on and on... For a brand that has only been around for 3 years she has made a huge impact in the world of beauty with everyone going completely gooey eyed over the products. And that's hardly a surprise as they come housed in the dreamiest rose gold packaging as well as a stunning shade range to choose from. So many of their products have become staples in my life.  Of course, it's a more premium brand but one that I think is totally worth it for the outstanding quality that you're getting, as not only are the products beautiful in their formulation but they last incredibly well too. 

LINK!

ZARA

Zara caters for everyone, literally. Unlike many of its fellow fast-fashion high-street retailers, it doesn’t put all its eggs in the ‘trend’ basket. While it will expertly interpret the latest Celine/Chloe/Givenchy pieces each season, it’ll also keep a finger in the ‘classics’ pie. Customers know they can just as reliably go there and pick up an office-appropriate navy blazer, plain silk shirt or cashmere crew neck. This means Zara appeals to all ages and style sensibilities; people who follow trends and those who don’t. Ever wonder why you see a new trend on the runway and then you see it days later in Zara? Thats because Zara’s in-house design team can have an item in stores within three weeks. That’s three weeks from the beginning of the design process to the time it lands on the shop floor for us to buy. One of my favourite ways to shop is on Zara.com, It is so easy to navigate and is as good as fast fashion gets making the experience easy and enjoyable. New stock drops twice a week, on Mondays and Thursday (the same as in-store), so if you don’t live near a Zara you don’t miss out. I estimate that 85% of my closet is Zara! 

LINK!

NIGHT OILS

Facial Oils have become huge in the beauty industry within the last two years or so. We’ve come a long way from when oil was considered 'the enemy', especially if you have oily / acne prone skin. Now Facial Oils are lauded as a superior form of moisturising because they contain essential fatty acids that properly hydrate, restore, and heal the skin. The Queen of Skincare- Caroline Hirons, says that using a Facial oil actually helps REDUCE oil production, because our overactive sebaceous glands are tricked into producing less sebum because there’s already oil on the skin. For my skin routine, I love organic coconut oil , The Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate and daily reviving concentrate. The Kiehls Daily Reviving Concentrate is their newest oil specifically designed for day use, this oil is a mixture of botanical and essential and it's easily absorbed, which is obviously good if you're using it in the morning. Anyone who has dryness, dehydration or finds their skin looks markedly worse at night to first thing will benefit from it. Facial oils would be my number one choice if stranded on a desert island! 

LINK!

As we embark on a new year, it's a good time to have a wardrobe refresh too - try something different or new. And what better inspiration than those around you? Whether you need some inspiration for layering your coat or a cozy outfit idea, look no further than these chic ladies who have their winter style on lock.

What is your favourite Winter look?

Instead of setting resolutions this year, I’m setting a list of goals for both my professional and personal life. Setting goals feels much more realistic and hey, I might even achieve them. On a professional level, I will be posting more, I can't believe my blog is hitting over 100,000!! 
Here’s some goals I’m hoping to achieve this coming year, something I always love to do as it’s always fun to look back on this time next year! 

2017 is the yEAR i..

...Travel more

...Eat less sugar

...Spend more time by myself

...Host more dinner parties

...Be more adventurous with food

...Look after my hair /skin better

...Don't bother with exercise that I don't enjoy

...Watch a series on NetFlix

...Put down my phone more often

....Wake up earlier

...Spend less time on less important things

...Celebrate every milestone 

...Teach Arabella how to swim

...Family first

Make 2017 the best year yet!

January 1st is a day we should all take some time to reflect on the year that has been. Let’s not forget that everything that has happened during 2016 has shaped us into someone we weren’t at the end of 2015. The start of the new year is always an exciting time, as it feels like the beginning of a fresh start. I do love looking back at what I've accomplished, the highs, the lows and changes that happened over the previous year. This was a big year for our family personally, as we built our first home and are in the process of moving very soon. Also, with a 3 and a half year old and a 14 month old , life is busier but better than ever!  
I have so many exciting things coming my way and I can only hope that 2017 brings as much joy and happiness to us.

Happy New Year!

Skirt Topshop // Cami River Island // Clutch Saint Laurent // Shoes Office