2017 Year in Review

Happy New Year guys!

I've taken a break from blogging over the festive period and have just gotten access to a laptop since mine is getting repaired!

2017 saw some big changes in my life and my blog and I'm doing a roundup of my favourite makeup products and movies, etc.. from the past year!

Favourite Foundation

My sister was the one who told me to try this foundation because she loved it and wow was it fab! The formula is lightweight but the coverage is completely buildable and perfect for day and night looks. 

I even use a darker shade for when I'm wearing tan!

L'Oreal Infallible 24Hr Matte retails for €11.99 is Boots and is currently on offer, 3 for 2!

Favourite Concealer

Okay so my sister may have discovered this one too... While she was in the US she went a little crazy in Sephora and came home with Tarte's Shape Tape Concealer and I love this product!

Sometimes all I wear is the concealer to cover up my dark undereye circles and blemishes, some powder and I'm set for the day! The coverage in this is unreal and I cannot wait to get my hands on another tube!

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer is available from their site for €26.

Favourite Mascara

Too Faced is definitely an up-and-coming brand in Ireland, especially since their launch in Debenhams during the summer. I have been using Better Than Sex for a few years now and it is definitely my favourite mascara of the year.

While I have yet to try the waterproof version, the original formula doesn't clump and gives fab volume to short lashes like my own.

Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara is available from Debenhams for €23.

Favourite Eyelashes

For €12.95, these lashes are definitely an investment but are reusable and part of the luxury lash range! Think timeless elegance combined with unforgettable drama, these lashes are perfect for a sassy day look or a classic night look.

I love using Irish brands and supporting a fellow blogger is always a good thing!

SOSU's Taylor lashes are available from the site for €12.95.

Favourite Primer

My skin has gone from sensitive and dry to sensitive and combination in the past year but this prep (and prime) spray has kept my oily skin at bay during the day when I have makeup on! It's also great for helping my makeup stay put throughout long shifts!

With the store open on Grafton Street now, there's no excuse not to go in and treat yourself!

Urban Decay's B6 Prep Priming Spray retails for €30.

Favourite Highlighter

I love this palette so much. I got it last Christmas and it has seen a lot of wear since! The colours are so diverse and I always get compliments on my highlight when I wear any of the shades!

My favourite has to be lucky clover because it is so good at catching the light and not everyone wears a green highlight so it definitely makes me memorable!

The ABH Moonchild palette is available from the site for €46.

Favourite Eyeshadow Palette

Another purchase from the States, this palette is full of mattes, metallics and warm tones. I found myself reaching for this palette pretty much before every shift because the shadows are so pigmented and effortlessly blend to create a perfect look suitable for work!

The Narissist Loaded Eyeshadow palette is available from the Nars website for €55.

Favourite Album

I mean how could Reputation not be my favourite album of the year? The songs are amazing and the development from 1989 to Reputation is just unrivaled by another other album progression I've ever heard. 

Don't Blame Me has to be my favourite track of the album as well. Roll on June when I finally get to see Taylor again!

Favourite Movie

Beauty and the Beast was one of the most anticipated movies of 2017 and it did not disappoint me at all. From the costumes to the actors this movie had me entranced from beginning to end.

I have watched the movie so many times since I first saw it and I love it more and more each time!

Favourite TV Series

I jumped on the Riverdale bandwagon a little late so I got to binge seven episode at once but it did not disappoint at all! From a gripping plot to loveable characters, this is a most for anyone who wants to start a new series in 2018!

I mean how cute is Archie, I know KJ isn't actually ginger but he is just so cute!

You can catch Riverdale on Netflix!

Favourite Book

Focusing on the events of the Battle of Berlin in 1945, this book was gripping from beginning to end. If you're into history you'll love this book!

Favourite Trip

My trip to Milan in August came at just the right time for me! I spent a week discovering the city, its sites and everything else the surrounding area had to offer.

Milan is such a beautiful city and I cannot wait to go back to Italy and visit Rome this year! I'm hoping to go somewhere every month this year, home or abroad, so if you have any idea let me know in the comments!

What topped 2017 for you?

Was it a good year overall?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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February Favourites

Hey guys!

February flew by for me! Midterms and deadlines started this week and I cannot wait until my spring break.

I received some lovely blogger mail in February that I have been using almost daily along with some new favourites that I kept on going back to over the past few weeks.

MyKitCo (Pro) 1.15 Brush

So I know this is a shadow brush but I've been using it as my highlighter brush for a few weeks now and I am obsessed. The brush is dense enough to give a gorgeous glow without being overbearing and I will definitely be using this for my hightlight from now on.

1.15 Pro is available from MyKitCo's website for €17.55.

Sensodyne Repair and Protect Mini

During February I was away for a weekend and I had a few sleepovers with my gals as well so this toothpaste came in so handy! Instead of having to bring a whole tube of toothpaste I threw this handy mini into my overnight bag and didn't think twice!

Mini toothpastes are available in Boots nationwide and some supermarkets.

Artistry Shimmer Powder Eye Duo - Dreamy Pink

I received a gorgeous pigment duo from Artistry's limited edition Modern Icon Collection in a press pack this month and the Dreamy Pink pigment is my go-to highlight for my inner corner and brow bone. The pigmentation in this product is really good and the shimmer catches the light at any angle. I am also in love with the little brush attached to the lid - can all pigments come with one please! It makes life so much easier.

Artistry Signature Color's Shimmer Powder Eye Duo (it came with a blue shimmer as well) is available for €49.50.

Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation - 201 Classic Beige

The sleepovers came hand-in-hand with nights out so I had fake tan on for the majority of the month. I mix whatever foundation I'm currently wearing with Rimmel's Match Perfection in Classic Beige when I'm wearing tan so my face actually matches the rest of my body!

The foundation has buildable coverage which I love and lasts all night until the early am!

Match Perfection is available from Boots for €10.49 and is currently buy one get one half price!

Kara Wispy Eyelashes

Sticking with the nights out trend, I have been making my way through my stash of these wispy lashes this month. I love how natural yet dramatic looking they are when paired with a smokey eye and for only $1, what could go wrong?

I will definitely be stocking up on these lashes soon!

Check out ShopMissA's collection of lashes to find the perfect pair for you.

Mad Beauty Grape Sanitiser and Pug Nail Files

Mad Beauty were kind enough to send me a fabulous blogger pack at the start of February (full review coming soon don't worry!) and these two little gems have not left my handbag since.

The matchbox-style nail files are so easy to just toss into your bag and they're there if you break a nail during the day and trust me. they come in handy. Taking the bus twice, sometimes more, a day, the sanitiser, which smells like grapes and is fab, is so easy to fit into a bag. I use it after getting off the bus and at random times throughout the day.

Both of these products are available from the Mad Beauty site and won't break the bank at all!

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

Multiple nights out this month also lend a hand to some very dark circles under my eyes. Benefit's Boi-ing concealer is a heavy-duty concealer that does wonders in masking tired looking eyes.

I bought a sample size one in Boots a few months ago and I love it. I bought the it in the shade 02 because I knew my eyes would look absolutely terrible after nights out so I'd need a darker shade to match my tan.

Benefit minis are still available in Boots where you get four for €20!

Milani Baked Blush - Luminoso

Another product I have been loving with the added glow I have this month is Milani's baked blush in the shade Luminoso. I just love how it complements my tan and the slight shimmer adds that gorgeous sparkle to my cheeks as well!

I got this blush as a present when someone was visiting the States but if I find a retailer in Ireland I will let you guys know!

Pure PawPaw - Watermelon

Pure PawPaw Ointment were another brand who very kindly sent me some products recently and if you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen me raving about these guys!

My favourite one so far is the watermelon scented one because it just smells so good. I've been using the ointment to help soothe my dry winter lips and any dry patches on skin I've come across and it has really helped.

I'll have a full review of the product soon but check out their website if you want to know more!

What were your favourite products during February?

Did we have some similar faves?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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Debs Dress Shopping Guide

Hey guys!

With debs just around the corner (September/October is still pretty close when you have the LC ahead of you and need to find a debs dress).

I went to countless shops before finding my dress last year and have compiled my favourite shops for some of you to go to this year!

Simply Divine - Fashion City

Simply Divine is a dress warehouse in Fashion City, Ballymount. They have a wide range of dresses for debs and other formal occasions. They're open Monday-Friday 10am-5:30pm and from 10am-4pm on Saturdays.

You have to book an appointment before you go (it's free don't worry) and can do so through their website www.simplydivine.ie . I think it's well worth the trip if you live in Dublin or are willing to travel to get your dress.

Marian Gale - Donnybrook

Marian Gale is another fabulous shop to try in Dublin. They always stock the season's latest trends. Their dresses start from €299 and are on the pricey end but if I learned anything when looking for mine last year, it's that wherever you look the average price is €300+, unless it is a warehouse.

Marian Gale will also take your name and school name in the aim to not have two dresses at the same debs which I find great. The boutique is open Monday - Friday 10am-5:30pm and from 10am-6pm on Saturdays.

Cari's Closet - Cork, Dublin & Galway

Cari's Closet was another shop I looked at when searching for a debs dress last year. I found the range in store pretty good and they had a variety of sizes that suited everyone.

The one thing about Cari's Closet that I didn't like was that they had the same dress in a variety of colours and with three branches nationwide, it would be hard to guarantee nobody else would have the same dress. Especially as I saw some of their dresses in different stores as well.

Each branch has different opening hours so be sure to check www.cariscloset.ie before going. As an added bonus, they're offering 20% all long dresses and debs dresses for midterm, using the code MIDTERM online, but only until Sunday!

Verso -  Douglas

Verso is another shop I went to in Cork during the summer. The staff in Verso were lovely and they had a good range of dresses in varying styles and colours.

One of the best things in Verso was that a lot of their dresses were on sale and I hadn't seen the majority of their collection in any other shop.

Although I didn't buy my debs dress here, my sister did and I loved hers! Check out their website for the opening hours as they vary.

Vermillion - Ennis

I found my dress before I got around to visiting Vermillion (Yes I was that prepared to travel) but I spent hours lusting over the dresses on their site.

Their range of styles, colours and sizes is unreal and the company pride themselves on only selling one style and one colour for any event. According to their website, prices range from €225-€295 which is really good as I found most shops were €300+.

The store operates on an appointment-only basis so make sure to give them a call before heading there!

Rosie's Closet - Newry

Rosie's Closet is another massive warehouse style store that was on my hit list before I found my dress. They stock a wide range of debs dresses and claim some are exclusive to the store, so there's no chance of a second dress popping up at your debs.

Open from 11am-8pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturdays, if you're willing to travel for your dress I would definitely try Rosie's Closet as there's no appointment necessary.

The Moderne - Cork

I saved the best for last in my opinion because I bought my dress here. The Moderne Bridal in Cork stocks debs dresses for the debs season and no appointment is necessary.

The staff are so helpful and very patient (I may have gone in five or six times because I had set my heart on my dress and wouldn't pick any other one). The have a good selection of dresses, even though the prices of each dress did vary quite a bit.

The staff also take your name and school to ensure no two dresses are at the same event (Even though my school was in Dublin they still did it!), and they offer companies that do alterations should your dress need one.

Check out their website for some of the dresses they have on offer.

Have you guys started looking for your dress yet?

Did you check out any of the stores I mentioned?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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My Favourite Perfumes and Body Sprays

Happy Wednesday guys!

For some reason this week is going so slowly for me and I'm counting down the hours until the weekend. I've been switching up my perfume a lot recently and although I will always have my signature scent, I've noticed myself reaching for the same few at the moment and decided to do a roundup of all my current favourites.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck will always be my signature scent. It was my very first perfume and people know me by the scent. I love floral scents but Wonderstruck has a sandalwood undertone that makes it slightly muskier and I absolutely love it. 

Spritz it on your clothes and your hair and the scent will follow you around all day.

I had to buy my current bottle of Wonderstruck from America so if anyone knows of a shop in Ireland that sells it, let me know in the comments!

Victoria Secret Love Spell Night

Love Spell Night is one of Victoria Secret's body sprays and I have found myself reaching for this whenever I have training or am going to the gym because the scent lingers on my clothes, even after. 

This body spray is blissfully fruity but again, has a muskier undertone to it that I love.

Victoria Secret Mists are available on their site (and on Grafton Street soon!) and are currently on offer! (5 for €31). 

CK One

I used to steal my dad's bottle of CK One and spray it on my clothes because I loved the scent so much. I have a little bottle of eau de toilette that I spritz on my clothes from time to time.

Colognes usually give me a headache but I love the fresh, clean scent of CK One with yet again, a musk undertone that I just can't get enough of!

You can currently get 200mls of the Eau de Toilette for €37.50 in Boots!

YSL Black Opium

Black Opium is a lovely floral scented perfume with vanilla undertones that makes it sweet and girly and I love it.

It doesn't linger on my clothes as much as the other perfumes but if I spritz some in my hair I get a nice whiff of it at random points throughout the day!

Black Opium is available in Boots for €60.

What are your favourite perfumes?

Do you have a signature scent?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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My 2017 Planner

Hey guys!

My Saturday post is a tiny bit late because I was absolutely wrecked this week and didn't have the energy to sit down and write a post. 

I love being organised and always *try to have my life together. I have finally caught onto the planner craze when I saw how easy it was to have everything planned out in planners like Recollections and Erin Condren.

I ordered a Recollections Planner from Michaels before Christmas and was so excited when my mum came home with it while she was visiting the States. Since January I've been using a combination of printables and kits sent to me by some fab shops on Etsy!

      January Monthly Kit

                                                

I got this floral themed January kit from Jax and Pepper  on Etsy and Lena was kind enough to send me the kit to try out. I loved the colour theme and although Lena makes her kits to fit Erin Condren planners, I found it fit rather well in my Recollections planner.

The kit came with three sheets of stickers, all of which I have not used, and is on lovely matte paper that is easy to write on. I loved this monthly kit and will definitely be using more kits from Jax and Pepper throughout the year!

Check out the full Etsy shop for all of the stickers available from Jax and Pepper!    

                                               

February Monthly Kit

     

I bought my February kit from PaperCrownPlanner on Etsy for €1.50 during a sale in January but her printable kits are lovely and you can buy them for less than €4 which is great.

I love this kit because it's pink for Valentines but there were also a few blank boxes that I wrote quotes on which add some personalisation to the spread which is always a bonus!

Silvia sells a fab range of printable stickers for planners and the majority, if not all, of her kits are less than €5.

Check out PaperCrownPlanner's full shop over on Etsy!

February Week 1

         

 I'm new to planning and still don't have a set way to do my weekly spread but I think my first week of February looks pretty good.

This kit was a printable freebie from PlannerAddiction.com ! The site has a whole range of freebies ranging from monthly kits to cute kawaii sticker sheets.

I use Q Connect A4 Sticker Paper to  print my planner kits and I bought 100 sheets including delivery to Ireland for something like €8 which is pretty good if you think about how much                                                           a weekly or monthly kit costs on Etsy!

        

February Week 2 

     

Lena, the owner of Jax and Pepper, was also kind enough to send me a weekly kit to try out and although I haven't written anything in for the week coming yet, I love the look of the kit!

I love marble everything and this kit is gorgeous! The marble and peach weekly kit comes with four full sheets (I haven't used all of them here) and are made for vertical planners but I love the layout in my horizontal one and think it fits very nicely into the Recollections planner!

                                                      

                                                Check out all of the weekly kits over on Etsy!

                                             

Do you guys have a planner?

What kits do you use?

Do you have any suggestions for my layout?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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Snapchat: Ciarakxo

January Favourites

Hey guys!

Going back to college has made everything hectic and I didn't have a chance to sit down and write a post. I'm settled back into the routine now so I'll be back to my normal schedule before you know it!

Seen as I had most of January off I was wearing makeup almost every day and found some new gems hidden in my collection.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit

I got this for Christmas and I am in love! Although the shades look similar in the palette they are all incredibly different. I love the pigmentation and metallic glow that Moonchild has and it has become a firm favourite in my routine since I was lucky enough to get it for Christmas.

Moonchild is $40 plus shipping from the ABH website.

 Eylure x Vegas Nay Grand Glamor Lashes

I had a fair few nights out over the break and these lashes add the perfect dramatic volume to any makeup look that are perfect for a night out. I will literally be wearing these lashes until they're on their last legs and I will definitely have a pair or two in storage as well.

Grand Glamor are available from Eylure's website for €9.30.

 Soap & Glory Instant Sunkissed Tint Body Lotion

If you decide to go out last minute and need an instant fix, Soap & Glory's Sunkissed Tint Body Lotion is perfect! It dries in minutes and leaves you with a fab tan until the next time you shower. It smells great too which is a bonus when it comes to tan!

The Sunkissed Tint Body Lotion is available from Boots for €12.

 Kiko Smart Colour Eyeshadow Shade 12

Kiko shadows are one of my favourite shadows out there because the pigmentation is unbelievable for the price of their products. I bought shade 12 in November when I was in London and I have been using it in my crease for weeks. It is such a buildable, metallic rose gold that is perfect for a subtle smokey eye.

Kiko's Smart Colour Eyeshadows are available from their site for €2.50.

 Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover

I am such a fiend for not taking off my eye makeup properly but this remover works wonders for me with very minimal effort. One or two quick swipes with a cotton pad and my eye makeup is gone without a trace!

Garnier's Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover is currently on offer in Boots for €3.33.

 Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Gold Toothpaste

To be honest, I haven't kept track of my teeth colour while using this toothpaste but I have loved how fresh and clean my feel after brushing and they feel the exact same way hours later!

Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Gold Toothpaste is currently on offer in McCabes Pharmacies for €3.74.

Lush Pearl Massage Bar

Admittedly, my bar has seen better days but I love it so much, I'll definitely be buying myself a new one when this one is gone. I use the bar after showers and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and soft. The scent lingers on my skin and I love it so much!

Lush's massage bars are available in stores for roughly €7.50 (Although I could be wrong as I lost the label).

 Dream Dots for Spots

As much as I love London, I never appreciate the breakout I get after coming home and I'll inevitably get one every single time. I love Dream Dots because after putting one on at night, the spot is almost gone the following morning!

Dream Dots are available from their site with varying prices depending on how many packets you buy!

What products did you guys love in January?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

Instagram: instagram.com/ciarakittyk

Bloglovin: www.bloglovin.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sparkleofpink
Snapchat: Ciarakxo