Christmas Giveaway

Hey guys!

I have been waiting to post this for ages and I am so excited to announce that I am holding a Christmas giveaway on my blog and social media accounts!

The giveaway includes some of my favourite brands and beauty products at the moment as well as some yummy food and tea to get you through the holidays.

The giveaway starts at midnight and closes at midnight on December 18th so it arrives just before Christmas.

Most of my blog traffic and support comes from Ireland so this giveaway will only be open to residents of the Republic and Northern Ireland (especially as some of the prizes are only redeemable in Dublin).

The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ciara,

xoxo.

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Gift Guide for Makeup Lovers

Hey guys!

  This year has flown by and there's no need to stress over what to get the makeup lover in your life because this guide will fit every budget!

Gifts Under €15

Everyone loves a good pamper sesh and this gift set from Lush is perfect for someone you know loves some 'me time' every once in a while! 

The Night Before Christmas has a Shoot for The Stars Bath Bomb and and Snow Angel Bath Melt available in store and online for €12.95.

I love NYX and their stand in Arnotts stocks three shades of this concealer palette. The colours in the palettes range from dark to light and are perfect for concealing and contouring. At only €14 it's a steal! 

The NYX Concealer 3C Palette is available online and in Arnotts!

I love Better Than Sex and this deluxe mini is perfect for a Secret Santa gift or a little stocking filler! 

Better Than Sex Ornament is currently available in Debenhams for €12

SoSu Lashes have landed in Tully's Pharmacy for the holiday season. I love the Sara lashes and think they would be perfect for a night out!

SoSu's Sara Lashes are available from Tully's Pharmacy for €5.95.

Gifts Under €30

I love all three of these products from The Balm and having them all in the one palette is the dream! 

Tully's Pharmacy have The Manizer Sisters for €28 and offer free shipping for orders over €50!

I love Too Faced Melted lipsticks and need a Melted Matte in my life! This little gift set is perfect for any Too Faced or lipstick lover because it has a variety of shades and a matte lipstick to finish the collection off!

Too Faced Merry Kissmas is currently available in Debenhams for €26

I love Gerard Cosmetic's hydra mattes and haven't had the chance to try their metal mattes yet and this cute little bundle is the perfect opportunity to try the metals and the hydra matte in a new shade!  The Naughty & Nice bundle lets you choose your shade for both lipsticks and what scent you prefer for the mini Slay All Day!

This bundle is perfect for any lipstick fanatic out there and is available for €25 from Gerard Cosmetics.

Makeup lovers are always looking for the perfect selfie light and with Halo it is so simple! This little beauty just goes onto the top of your phone and you're selfie ready!

You can pick up the fab Halo by Tippity in Meaghers Pharmacy for €24.95.

Gifts Under €50

I love Benefit holiday sets and Girl-A-Rama is no different! From brushes, to eyeshadows, blushes, mascara and primer, this set has it all! Not to mention the packaging is super cute and easy to travel with as it won't get squished!

Girl-A-Rama is available from Benefit Boutiques nationwide and selected Debenhams and Boots for €43.

Guys the Anastasia BH Moonchild Glow Kit gives me life. I have wanted to get my hands on it for ages and I know it'll be under my tree this year. For real, if you want to make a makeup addict happy, get this glow kit! Especially if they have the classic pale Irish skin because they will still be killing it with these shades!

Moonchild is available from the ABH website for €38.

I have heard so much about First Aid Beauty and this holiday kit seems to be the perfect way to try out the brand for myself as it is full of their bestsellers! From face masks to lip therapy. this kit will help anyone keep their skin fresh during the Christmas period.

First Aid Beauty's Fab Holiday Cheers Kit is available from Cloud10 Beauty for €50.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on MAC's Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments and Glitter Kit a few weeks ago and I am obsessed. The kit is flying out the door and if you want to get one, I suggest trying straight away! The pigments are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for creating a holiday sparkle look.

The Sweet Bronze Kit is available from MAC concessions in Brown Thomas and some BT2 stores nationwide for €35.

Gifts Under €100

I love getting new brushes and absolutely adore Spectrum's Marbleous 12 Piece Set. The set contains everything you would need to complete a look and is perfect for beginners and veterans alike!

The Marbleous Set is available from Spectrum's site for €77.

Lush's collection this year did not disappoint and if you're looking to spoil someone this Christmas, look no further! Magic Cube contains everything from bath bombs to lip scrub and everything in between!

Magic Cube is available from Lush stores nationwide for €85.

Any makeup lover will know that washing your makeup brushes literally means spending the whole night in your bathroom with Netflix and your brushes. I absolutely hate waiting for them to dry and love Sigma's innovative Dry'n Shape Tower because it speeds up the drying time and helps keep the brush shape!

The Dry'n Shape Tower is available from Sigma for €65.

Another brush set, this time from Zoeva that I have been lusting over for ages. The Luxe Prime Set has a range of face and eye brushes that look absolutely gorgeous and would make any makeup lover happy!

The Luxe Prime Set is available from Zoeva for €95.

There you guys have it! My gift guide for makeup lovers. 

The guide has gifts that will fit any budget and I hope you found some inspiration from it!

Let me know if you think I should include anything else in the comments below.

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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Gift Guide For Him

Hey guys!

We're nearing the end of November and the holidays are just around the corner so I decided to do a mini gift guide for him! If you're stuck on what to buy your man, family member or friend, I hope my guide gives you some inspiration!

Topman Grey Mark Mini Roll Neck Long Sleeve T-Shirt 

I love Topman and think this t-shirt is fab and a perfect little gift for anyone (especially if you want a say in how they dress!).

This t-shirt is available in different sizes online and in-store for €20.

Calvin Klein Boxers - 3 Pack

Again, an easy option to go with as they will almost always be loved. Calvin Klein boxers range in style so be sure to buy the right ones!

I came across a pack of 3 that loved on Amazon for €32!

CK One 

Okay I am in love with CK One and will literally try to buy it for everyone because then I can be surrounded by it (and occasionally steal it). I love the combination of papaya in the top notes and nutmeg in the middle notes, it's heavenly!

CK One is currently on offer in Boots for €25 (100ml).

FIFA 17

I know FIFA is on my brother's list this year and probably a lot of other guys! I personally don't see the appeal and think there are a lot of more interesting games out there but I'm sure my brother doesn't see the appeal in buying me makeup!

FIFA is available from Smyths for €55.

Romantic Break for Two

If you can't figure out what to get your man for Christmas than escapes.ie is perfect for you! You can choose a one or two night stay in hotels around the country for a discounted price! It's like a gift for you as well and who wouldn't love a romantic break?

Check out their website for all of their offers!

Do you have anything you would add to my gift guide?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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What's on my iPhone

Hey guys!

I didn't post on Saturday because I was at the fab BloggerConf in the Marker for the day. I had so much fun and learned a lot from the speakers there. If you're a blogger (or would just like to know more about the blogging world), I would definitely recommend snagging a ticket to the next one! 

So today's post is all about what's on my iPhone, something I have wanted to do for ages and I finally decided to do it.

I have an iPhone 6s that has a 64GB memory so I will always (fingers crossed) have space available on it.

I try to keep everything organised in folders on my phone but I left the first page alone as this had all of the apps that iPhones come installed with! My top four apps on the bottom however have caused some controversy with people I've met.

To be honest, I have always had the top four there and I would feel incredibly weird not having them there!

My second page is a mix of apps I use regularly. I keep most of my social media separate because I use them so often, it's just easy to click into them.

Out of all the apps on my phone, I probably use Snapchat the most (ciarakxo - stay up-to-date with everything Sparkle of Pink) where I post my daily musings.

I keep all of my photography apps together on my second page. I only really use Flipagram and Pic Collage for friend's birthdays when you post the standard embarrassing pictures.

VSCO and Snapseed are the two main editing apps I use for Instagram. It is so much easier to edit pictures in apps now rather than photoshop. When I  have a theme going on Instagram or a colour scheme, I find it easier to use one of these apps to tune each picture I'm posting that week into the theme.

UNUM is this fabulous app I discovered about a month ago. It lets you plan out your Instagram feed so you can see if a picture fits the theme before you even post it! It also allows you to schedule pictures and set reminders for when you have to post them.

All of my editing apps are free (although some offer in-app purchases) and available in the App Store.

The final page of my apps is full of a few different things. I keep my travel apps here so I can always check when the next bus is or, if I get lost, how to find my way back again! I also keep my pizza delivery apps here because you always need pizza.

I try to keep all of my blog related apps in the one place and Google Analytics has to be my favourite one! It helps me keep track of my page views and what my popular posts are. If you don't have this for your blog, I highly recommend you download it as soon as you can!

The last thing I want to show you guys is my sleep folder! Sometimes I find it hard to sleep or just want to get woken by my alarm at a time that supposedly makes it easier to get up at. I chop and change between Sleepy Time and Pillow because I find both equally as good.

They also track your periods of deep and light sleep during the night which I find really interesting.

There you have it, what's on my iPhone!

Do you guys have any of my favourite apps on your phone?

Do you have any app suggestions?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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Mont Bleu Glassware Review

Hey guys!

So a few weeks ago the fabulous team over at Mont Bleu sent me some products to review. Mont Bleu sell gorgeous glass manicure (hand and feet) products including nail files made in Prague.

The first product they sent me was a set of 3 of their Crystal nail files which I absolutely love. I chose the shade light rose because of the pink in it and I have been loving the set! I keep the baby one in my handbag just in case I need one when I'm out and it has come in so handy! 

I keep the other two in my room and use them whenever I am painting my nails or reshaping them. The quality of these are absolutely fantastic and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to have a good, long-lasting nail file instead of having to repurchase cheaper ones.

The next product the team were kind enough to send me was a zodiac nail file. I got the Scorpio one as my birthday is November 19th so I'm a Scorpio. I love this file so much because it feels personalised and the detailing on it is fantastic. The file itself is the same as the crystal nail files and is of a very high quality.

The zodiac line is perfect for Christmas is you want to give someone a gift that is specific to them (just be sure to get the right star sign!).

The final product Mont Bleu sent me was a foot file. I chose one with a pink tip because I'm me and if pink is an option, there is no other choice! Foot care is a necessity for everyone even if it is rarely spoken about.  I use the file after my showers once or twice a week and I love how soft the sole of my feet are now!

The foot file is also glass and is of the same high quality as the nail files. I would definitely recommend investing in one of the Mont Bleu one's for people who are on the lookout for a new one!

Mont Bleu were kind enough to give me a discount code for my followers.

Enter the code BLOG at the checkout of their e-shop and you'll be on your way with 20% off your purchase.

Their fabulous products are also available on Amazon!

Thank you so much to the team at Mont Bleu for sending me some products to review!

Have you ever used their products before?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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19th Birthday Wishlist

Hey guys!

So I'm turning 19 on the 19th (I hope you get as much satisfaction out of it as I've had over the past few weeks) and I have compiled yet another wishlist of things I would absolutely love to get for my birthday.

By no means am I expecting any of this but I would very much love it all the same.

Return to Tiffany Necklace

So this was on my wishlist last year and will remain on any birthday/holiday wishlist until I have one in my life, I'm that obsessed. I think the engraving idea is wonderful as well and if I was to get one, I would engrave CK on the back in script or french script, yes I have thought about it that much!

Tiffany necklaces are available online through their website and in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street.

Colourpop It's Vintage Mini Mattes

I love Colourpop so much and my collection is ever growing and their ultra matte lips are a staple on a night out! I love the It's Vintage collection because it's full of nudes and burgundy shades, basically my favourites!

It's Vintage is available off the Colourpop website and I am so happy that they deliver internationally now!

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments and Glitter Kit

I absolutely love MAC's Holiday Collection this year and this kit is gorgeous. I love all of the different shades in this kit and I can see me wearing this on Christmas Day already, the different pigments just scream Christmas to me!

The Sweet Bronze Kit is available from Brown Thomas in store and online!

InTheStyle Pandora Jumpsuit

I love this jumpsuit so much and think it would be gorgeous for Christmas parties or just a night out! Especially as it's getting colder and it's not too skimpy!

The Pandora Jumpsuit is available from InTheStyle's website!

Erin Condren Life Planner

I'm such an organised person and I would love to have a 2017 Erin Condren Life Planner to keep everything together. I would have so much fun with monthly/weekly sticker kits and I just need one of these in my life!

Life Planner's are available from Erin Condren's website and they ship to Ireland.

Too Faced Melted Matte - Queen B

I am such a big fan of Too Faced and haven't had a chance to pick up a melted matte yet. Literally every single time I go into Debenhams I lust over Queen B and it's never in stock!

Melted Mattes are available in store and on Debenhams website.

Sephora Favourites Trending: Beauty's Most Coveted

So I know there's no Sephora in Ireland but I have seen so many bloggers talking about this set and I need it. It's full of so many brands and products that I would love to try and the price of this box is only a fraction of the collective value.

Sephora's Beauty's Most Coveted is available in stores (but is very limited in stock)!

Over the Knee (Thigh High) Socks

So thigh high socks were in my October favourites during the week and I mean you can never have too many pairs. Forever 21 have such a fab selection online and I would love some of their burgundy or lace socks to wear around the house!

Forever 21's selection is available online and they have a small selection in store!

Scented Candles

I always have a candle or two lighting in my room when I'm doing work or just chilling, I love the glow they give off and the scent of my favourite candles just makes me so happy! I cannot wait to get my hands on Penney's Winter Dream candle and Yankee Candle's Baby Powder or Clean Cotton jars!

American Candy

I love American candy so much and recently came across a website that ship to Ireland called Queens of Candy and I have fallen in love with their Oklahoma and North Carolina hampers!

Queens of Candy have a large selection of American candy on their website for amazing prices!

So there you have it! My 19th birthday wishlist!

I would be thrilled to get anything off the list for my birthday and am looking forward to celebrating the day with my friends and family.

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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October Favourites

Hey guys!

I can't believe I'm doing my October favourites right now, the month just flew by! November is such a busy month for me with Christmas launches, my birthday, exam prep and my trip to London!

I got so many fabulous press gifts over the past few weeks that I absolutely love and have featured some in this month's favourites.

Shadow Switch

I absolutely love this product. The fabulous team over at Beauty Essentials sent me this at the start of the month and I have been using it almost daily! If you're switching up your shadow colours for a smokey eye or just something dramatic, all you have to do is rub your brush over a few times and it's clean!

Shadow Switch retails for £5.99 and will be launching in Sephora soon!

Begutea Morning Buzz

Begu were kind enough to send me a selection of their teas a few weeks ago and I absolutely love Morning Buzz! I usually have this with my breakfast each morning because it is packed full of antioxidants and has an added caffeine kick that's better for you than coffee! It's also a great tea to start any detox with as it doesn't have any nasty side effects! 

Begu's Morning Buzz is available on their site for roughly €16.65.

Vegas Nay's Eylure Collection

Guys I am obsessed with these lashes. The collection has dramatic lashes as well as lashes you can wear daily which I love. Easy Elegance (Red packaging) has to be my favourite pair as I can easily wear them casually and on a night out!

Vegas Nay's collection is available from Eylure and prices range from €6.60 to €8.80

Magnitone Lucid Cleansing Brush

I reviewed Magnitone's Lucid Brush last year and have been using it ever since. I'm fairly sure they have rebranded it as the Barefaced Cleansing Brush since then but the model looks the same.

I use the brush almost daily with a cleanser and I love how soft it leaves my skin. It's also great for clearing your skin if you're having a bad week.

Magnitone Cleansing Brushes are available from Boots and are currently on offer for €90.

Scribble Prints Co. Ballerina Planner Kit

I can't remember which weekly kit this was from Scribble Prints but I am obsessed with the rose gold ballerina theme. Scribble Prints Co. have so many amazing kits and mini kits that will suit every budget and I have been loving the planner mail I've been getting from them recently!

Weekly kits are €23.15 from the Etsy Shop but their are other kits available as well.

Inglot Lipstick - Shade 293

Y'all know I am obsessed with berry and dark lips shades during the colder months and Inglot's lipstick in sahde 293 is a staple in my collection. I end up buying a new one every year I wear it that often! I love it because it is perfectly creamy and lasts for ages!

Inglot's Lipstick in 293 are available in store and online for €15.

Technic Setting Spray

If you guys follow me on snapchat (ciarakxo just in case you don't!), you will have seen me obsessing over the pigmentation of the eyeshadow palette technic sent me in a press pack a few weeks ago. This setting spray was also in the pack and I've been using it on my last couple nights out. I'm totally impressed by it because my makeup has stayed on all night!

Technic's range is available from their website and it's a budget friendly brand that I love.

Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask

I love a good face mask and am currently obsessed with Garnier's Moisture Bomb mask. I find it great for rehydrating my skin (especially now that it's getting colder), and I don't have to use another mask for about 10 days!

Garnier's Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask is currently on offer in Boots for €1.39.

The Vampire Diaries

I don't know how I feel about the fact that season 8 is the beginning of the end but my love of TVD has been renewed. My Saturdays have gotten that much better because I can sit on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and obsess over the Salvatore brothers once more.

Thigh High Socks

I don't know what it is about autumn and winter but I cannot wait to wear thigh high socks and long jumpers every year. I am obsessing over the selection in Penneys this year because they have cute little bows on the side and I even wore a pair with my Halloween costume this year!

What did you love during October?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/sparkleofpink

Snapchat: Ciarakxo