City Discovery #2: Simonds Park Boston

Hello Beauties,

A new year means new travels, another edition of the new cities adventures. To end my 2017 adventures and start 2018, there is no other place id rather be than in the beautiful city of Boston. 

I am lucky enough to have friends in Boston that I came to visit while on university break. And let me tell you something, Boston this time of year, is absolutely freezing. But with each new day comes new places to visit and new cafes and food spots to discover.

Before new years we visited this snow-covered local park, what was amazing was the kids sledding down the snow mounds on their own sleds. To an Irish person, that’s something we don’t see very often. Especially when we don’t get snow very often, and when we do, it's not snow, its just pure slush. 

Everywhere you look is snow upon snow, it's magical, no matter where you take a picture, there is always something beautiful being captured. Everywhere you look it's a great backdrop.

Block Tench Coat: Primark

 Jumper with Ruffled Neck: Primark

Denim Skirt: Primark

Cashmere Scarf: Dublin Clothing Stall

Cashmere Gloves: Dublin Clothing Stall

I hope you all enjoy this 'wintery' inspired cool toned fashion look, I enjoyed taking these photo's as it feels great being back in the states for a little vacation. Which city is next?

Love Rouxella x

A Weekend of Cities!

Hello Beauties,

It's that time again where we get to travel a bit around Ireland. It was a very special weekend as I got to visit some of the popular sites and landmarks in the beautiful city of Cork and the ever so popular Dublin.

As the colder days and nights roll in and the beginning of the New Year is about to commence, I was lucky enough to have some photographs taken in various spots around Ireland. Starting in Blarney Castle and Gardens, Cork. This was the first time I got to explore around the Gardens as when I was a child I just got to look at the castle from the outside, too scared to go explore. The Gardens are absolutely beautiful, there is no doubt you could get lost, there are so many different paths and trails you could follow. Although, there is a need for some fairy doors and tails in a few areas.

Black Tights: Primary

Denim Button Skirt: Primark

Grey Turtle Jumper: Primark

Navy Jacket with Fur Collar: Primark

Next was a trip up to Dublin where we shot in multiple locations, of course we had to start in the beautiful St Stephen's Green, a trip to the Capital isn't complete without a nice walk around the very autumnal park where you can just leisurely stroll while sipping on some delicious hot chocolate. Perfect for this time of year, warms up the body and the chocolate definitely puts you in that festive mood. A new discovery of mine is Grand Canal Square, the backdrop of the water is perfect, the atmosphere and modern buildings are fabulous. Ending the photoshoot day with a little tour of Trinity College followed by there a spot of lunch in Sprout&Co. 

White Collar Shirt: Primark

Cropped Embroidered Jumper: Primark

To finish of the trip we had the pleasure of staying in the magical Carton House in Maynooth, this place has a little place in my heart. The hotel is just a dream and a total luxury, I feel like a princess every time I step through those doors. The staff go above and beyond every time to make sure your needs are met to the highest standard, and I can't even express my love for the breakfast the following morning. 

Overall, this trip was just amazing and I look forward to my next photoshoot in various cities throughout Ireland and beyond. I mean, who knows what trip I'll plan next. 

Love Rouxella x

Positivity, Food and Bringing People Together!

It was a long awaited journey which I have been planning to go on since the beginning of last year when I first started following this energetic and positive 'Pear' of guys. The Happy Pear are twins, Dave and Steve from the beautiful Greystones town in Wicklow. They spent a long amount of time travelling the world but not together, separately. Discovering new and different cultures, and of course new foods. Dave and Steve eat a plant based diet and their branding and family shop has grown above and beyond their own expectations. The one thing that captivates me most about 'The Happy Pear' is their values and how much emphasis they put on their family and friends. In today's world, it's not very often that you come across individuals who are as genuine and loving towards everyone that they meet.

The Happy Pears vision for making the world a healthier and happier place has sprouted through their own positive attitude towards not only wholesome and plant based foods but also towards life itself and how lucky we all are to be alive and healthy. Through my own ways of living as healthy and happy as I can, their motto really captivates me. I try to live each day, if not second of my life with a positive and happy attitude to not only keep my own mind healthy and happy but to also make sure I am exuding that positive attitude onto others. They are a part of Jamie Oliver's Foodtube network while also setting up their own Happy Heart Course.

From being a little follower of their social media channels to following their daily snapchats, I made it my mission to go to their cafe and really get my hands on their delicious food which I see every day on either their Instagram or Snapchat. I have created and re-created many of their recipes from both their YouTube channel and their book but to have the chance to go to their cafe and taste the true Happy Pear dishes was just something else.

It is well known that food can bring people together, but it's not just the food that brings us together, it is their attitude towards life. They genuinely care about the people(including me) that support and are followers of their journey from a small fruit and vegetable shop to a No.1 cookbook best-seller. The smile on my face as I watch their daily snapchats is something else, it's almost like I am a child on Christmas morning. So you could only imagine the expression on my face as I travelled to 'The Happy Pear' cafe in Greystones. It was a long time coming, but damn was it worth it. We arrived at the cafe just before lunch time so it was the most perfect and ideal time as we beat the long lines of people who line up daily for their delicious food.

The atmosphere and environment which surrounds the cafe is uplifting, it's all 'go-go-go' and everyone is just smiling and laughing and truly having the giggles with one another. The biggest struggle or issue I had was trying to decide what I wanted to order. There was an array of delicious food, and I wanted to taste it all. My mother and I got two different plates so we could try a few different dishes that they had(very tactical I know). I got a plate full of the different salad options that they had were serving that day. I just asked for everything. I had never tried any of the salad options they had so I was excited to taste it all. My mother got the quinoa and black bean burger which was just phenomenal and definitely had the 'more-ish' taste to it.

The food was so filling and absolutely delicious, everything was so fresh and there is no better feeling than eating wholesome foods which just fills your body with the micronutrients our bodies need and crave. Food's that I wouldn't usually have such as beetroot, chickpeas and hummus were the options I tried and since then, I have introduced them into my daily dishes but of course I can't make them taste just as wonderful as 'The Happy Pear' Chefs do. What was most surprising was how full my mother and I felt all day, we couldn't get over how much it filled us up. These dishes kept us so satisfied throughout the whole day. They were definitely those meals that you just didn't want to end.

For dessert, we just had to buy not just one dessert or a slice of their delicious cake, but we just had to buy a whole loaf of their banana cake/bread. And oh sweet baby Jesus, it was delicious. It was gone in minutes and when we returned back to Cork the following day we were on the hunt for the ingredients of the cake so we could make it ourselves and devour it again and again. It was just so moist and it just melted in your mouth, paired with a perfectly brewed 'Latte' it was the perfect 'pear-ing'. Oh, the puns! We replicated the banana bread/cake as best we could but again, there is just no way you could truly make it taste as good as the real thing. This bread is a staple in our household now, every week see's a new banana bread. And I ain't complaining.

I was in awe, walking around the cafe and looking at all the vegetables and different fruits they have available,. I absolutely love discovering new wholesome and nutritious foods and finding out new information about different superfoods etc. And 'The Happy Pear' cafe just encapsulates the wholesome, delicious and plant-based food motto.

So I hope ye enjoyed this little foodie adventure, I know I did.

 Let's hope there is another 'Happy Pear' adventure coming soon.

Love Rouxella x

The ULTIMATE Top 5 Brushes!

We all have those makeup brushes that we use all the time, the ones that we always find ourselves grabbing and those we feel we couldn’t live without. When I find a high quality brush I just have to have more than one in my collection. Four out of five of the brushes that I have featured on this blogpost are very affordable with the exception of one and I find that the durability and quality of these brushes are worth raving about. The fact is, most brushes that we find in the drugstore are manufactured in the same factory as those that are overly priced. There is nothing worse than when we spend a lot of money on brushes that don’t live up to our expectations. Most high end brushes tend to shed after a few washes.

F22 HD Dome Face Brush(HD Collection) €14.99

From left to right, the first brush I use is the ‘Blank Canvas Cosmetics F22 Buffing Brush’. I bought this brush over a year ago and it is still in great condition. There hasn’t been one bit of shedding and it is still as compact and soft as when I first used it. I use this for both applying my base whether it is a primer or a liquid illuminator and also for my foundation. Due to its compact bristles, this brush gets the most coverage out of any foundation, from the lightest to the very high coverage foundations. It is perfect for blending out your foundation as it requires minimal effort, it’s almost like the brush does all of the hard work. It blends everything out so effortlessly and it also allows you to build up the coverage without any cakeyness. What I love most about this brush is that it doesn’t soak up the foundation, I find this happens with a lot of foundation brushes.

Primark P.S Beauty Powder and Blusher Face Brush €2.50

For both setting my foundation and bronzing up the face I always use my ‘Primark Powder and Blusher Face Brush’. This brush is of serious quality at such an affordable price. One side is more compact, dense and smaller in size which is perfect for setting your foundation with powder. It is not as large as the opposite side so it is perfect for getting into the crevices of the face such as around the nose and it is also great for setting the under eye area. The opposite side of the brush is amazing at bronzing up the face. What is great about this brush is that it is quite fluffy so there is no worry about harsh lines or applying too much product. Because of this, its blends everything out seamlessly and it is very easy to build up the intensity. I would highly recommend stocking up on all the Primark Beauty brushes as I have every one and they are definitely comparable to the high end brushes on the market.

Blank Canvas Cosmetics: E25/E26 Blending Duo €11.99
Now this brush might surprise you, can you believe that I use this brush both on my eyes and also on my face in a variety of ways. I use it mainly for blending out my eyeshadow. I use the F26 side first for the initial blending out of the base eyeshadow, this is one of the only blending brushes that I find actually blends out the eyeshadow without having to blend and blend and blend for what feels like days upon days. Even when I am using very neutral colours I still use this as it gives such a blended and seamless eyeshadow look. The F25 side is great for blending when you are using harsher shades and creating a dramatic look. Now for the surprise, I also use this on the face for contouring my face using both creams and powders. It is also the perfect shape and size for applying a highlighter to the high points of the face. No matter what type of product you are using, from a powder to a cream and even a liquid. Because of its size and its rounded shape, I find it's perfect at setting the under eye area with a powder and also blending away any fallout from your eyeshadow.

Real Techniques Shading Brush €11.99

For the eyes I always use the ‘Real Techniques Shading Brush’. This brush is perfect for both applying a light layer of eyeshadow and also for packing on eyeshadow for a more dramatic and intense look. This brush has very compact synthetic bristles, it is perfect to use for both applying the eyeshadow and also blending the eyeshadow out with just a few swipes fur to its rounded tip. You always know you’re going to get such great quality at such an affordable price when you are purchasing any ‘Real Technique’ brushes. I have multiples of both their face and eyeshadow brushes, I highly rate all their brush sets.

MAC 266 Small Angled Brush €22

Last but not least, the eyebrow brush I use every single time I fill in my brows is the 'Mac 266'. I have had this particular brush for years now. It was one of the first travel sized brush sets that I received. It has survived countless of travels and washes. It is perfect for applying both wax and powders, it has natural bristles and is also angled so it is great for creating both a natural and structured brow. The angled brush makes it easy to shape the brow especially around the arch of the brow. It is not as dense and compact as most eyebrow brushes out there, therefore, it is easy to build up the intensity of the brow shape and also the ease of cleaning the brush as the product doesn’t get trapped in the tightly compact bristles.

Hope you enjoyed this little favourites post,

Love Rouxella x

MAKEUP REVOLUTION: The Creators Of The Most Beautiful Palettes.

Hello Lovelies,

I purchased these beautiful palettes as I've heard such good things about the brand. The quality and also how inexpensive the products are is just mindblowing. Makeup Revolution is a UK based brand which is available online and in many Superdrug stores in the UK. From my knowledge there are an increasing number of pharmacies stocking Makeup Revolution products so it is definitely a brand to start looking out for on your weekly if not daily trips to your nearest pharmacy/chemist. The products came wrapped in plastic packaging almost like the packaging for missguided and boohoo. The palettes were thoroughly protected by a good few layers of bubble wrap which I was delighted to see as it's always a bit daunting when ordering cosmetics online, that by the time they reach you they are damaged and cracked.

On first glance I was amazed by the quality of the outside cardboard packaging followed by the compact and sleek sturdy palettes. It is evident that they are of serious high quality just by the look and feel of the thick plastic and the sleek and glossy finish. I am just amazed by the quality and pigmentation of all three palettes. I just couldn't wait to use these palettes and really get stuck into creating the most amazing contoured and highlighted looks.

Makeup Revolution are very well known for their ‘dupe’ creations of the products that are high end. If you are curious about what products they have available then I strongly recommend visiting their website (http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/). They have such a variety of products available, from skin bases, eyeshadow palettes, contour palettes, makeup brushes and also an enormous amount of lipsticks with different finishes and shades available. Basically they have everything!

I am seriously blown away by the quality and how sleek and expensive these palettes look. As I said previous I purchased three palettes, two for contouring and one for highlighting. The two contouring palettes I got were the 'Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette', 'Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette' and last but not least the highlighting trio palette is the 'Makeup Revolution Radiance Highlighting Palette'.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette

This palette contains three contour shades (two dark brown and one light/medium cool toned shade) two setting powders (one light skin toned and one banana shade) one natural skin toned highlighting powder and of course it doesn't stop there, it also contains a marbled white highlighting powder and a marbled bronze powder. It is clear that they have put serious thought into both the packaging and the layout of their palettes. It is a very versatile palette which can be used all over the face, it has everything you need for contouring, bronzing and highlighting the face in just one palette. What is so handy about these palettes is that they are not big and chunky, therefor they are perfect for travelling. Especially if you want just one palette which can be used all over the face and can create a lot of different yet easy looks with.

£8/€11.99

Makeup Revolution Ultra Cream Contour Palette

There was just no way I could go onto the Makeup Revolution website and not order this palette, I have seen an increasing number of brands start to bring out cream contour palettes since the beginning of this year with some palettes being overly expensive. The formulation is very creamy and insanely blendable. The palette contains four highlighting shades (one very light skin toned/white shade, one banana shade, one light/medium shade and also a white(shimmery) shade) and it of course contains four contour shades (two dark brown, one warm light/medium skin toned shade and one cool light/medium skin toned shade). It really does give you a lot of options and a variety of shades, it is very easy to create a natural contoured and highlighted look as well as being able to easily create a very structured and intense contoured and highlighted look (no surprise that this is my favourite way to contour).

£8/€11.99

Makeup Revolution Radiance Highlighting Palette

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW! Go onto The Makeup Revolution website and just take a very long look at this gorgeous palette as you seriously need it in your collection. As you can tell from the layout and shade range in this palette, it is a dupe for the 'Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette'. It is definitely a very close contender but as I do not own that palette I cannot compare it on a performance and pigmentation level. But this right here in my opinion is a definite winner. For such an affordable price, it's insane that it is this good. The shades are to die for and it gives you great variety in terms of the shades available and the different undertones that are included in this palette to match anyones skin tone, from the paler girls like myself to the more tanned/darker skin tones. What I adore most about this palette is the control you have over the intensity of the highlight, but I can definitely say, once you start applying you’re not going to want to stop.

£8/€11.99

Hope you enjoyed this review and that you are tempted to make an order,
I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Love Rouxella x

BUDGET BUY: A New Catrice Concealer On The Block..

Hello Lovelies,

I would like to introduce you to the 'Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer', I have been testing out this concealer for a few weeks now since I finished my 'Mac Pro Long Wear Concealer'. Siobhan from 'Letz Makeup' is always raving about how good the Catrice brand of makeup is and how amazing this concealer is. I am definitely the type of girl who loves just grabbing a concealer to cover a few imperfections instead of going full throttle every time I want to put on a bit of makeup. I hate having an unnecessary load of makeup on my face when I won't be doing anything special.

I love wearing concealer to cover any redness especially around my nose and chin and to cover any blueness or discolouration under my eyes. Because of the fact that I am then relying on the concealer and not on a foundation, the staying power and longevity of the concealer is definitely a key factor. This concealer has blown my mind, the staying power and quality of this concealer is not one to miss. When using this concealer as a 'foundation' I just put some around my nose, around my T-Zone area and around my chin/mouth area. This concealer leaves a bit of a satin finish instead of a complete matte so I always like to set it with a powder to ensure that it won't move around throughout the day.

The coverage on the concealer is amazing and definitely one to test against the higher end brands such as the 'Mac Pro Long Wear Concealer' and the 'Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer'. It's not as high coverage as the Mac but it is definitely a contender, the Mac formulation is also a bit drier and doesn't glide as easily as the Catrice does. My all-time favourite concealer will always be the Mac Pro Long Wear but taking into account the similarity and the price difference, this Catrice concealer is a very close runner up.

When using this concealer for a more dramatic look, it is just outstanding for highlighting under the eye to give that brightening effect, and what's the best about this concealer? IT DOES NOT CREASE. The bane of my life in relation to concealers is that they always seem to crease and seep into those little creases under the eyes.I love when concealers have a multi-purpose characteristic to them instead of just being for one use/job. The shade I use is just a bit lighter than my natural skin shade but it would be 2/3 shades lighter than my foundation I use on the regular as I like to tan quite often. The formulation is so smooth and glides very easily, the blending ability is very impressive and it works perfectly with all types of brushes, from the 'Real Techniques Contour Brush', 'Blank Canvas Cosmetics F22' and my 'Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge'.

The only downside to this concealer is definitely the shade range which is available, in my local Penneys/Primark there is only two shades. Which I don't mind as they are suitable for my skin tone  but for girls with a deeper complexion it would be very irritating. For just €3.99 there is zero reason why you shouldn't have this in your makeup bag. Maybe even more than one, I will definitely be stocking up on these ASAP.

I hope you enjoyed this little review,

Love Chelsea x