Sunday Roundup

Hey everyone hope you are all well :)

Just a quick little check in! I had my first full weekend off work in a while this weekend so I made the most of it!

On Saturday I got a bit domesticated and made quite a tasty dinner, if I do say so myself. Shoutout to my friend Ruth who made a yummy smoked salmon starter-we make a good team:) But I think the chocolate biscuit cake was the winner of the night, malteaser,marshmallow,galaxy caramel and biscuit goodness mmmmm so bold but so tasty!!
I went out with a few friends on Saturday night and had a great night, I love having an excuse to get dolled up. I'm hoping to do a couple of posts during the week on my hair and make-up looks from the night so keep an eye out for them!
It wasn't just a food filled weekend though, I started the Fitness Blender 5 day challenge on Thursday so I had to fit in my daily workouts along with everything else. I've been using Fitness Blender for quite a while now doing different workouts whenever I can, so when I saw there was a 5 day challenge happening coming up I thought why not! Let me tell you it is a challenge, but I've been really enjoying it! I love Kelli and Daniel and I can't recommend Fitness Blender enough they have something for everyone, check them out at fitnessblender.com .

So that's it just wanted to do a quick little catch up and let you know what's coming up this week.Have a good one!
Until next time,
Claire :) x

July Favourites

Hello all!!

Hope everyone is keeping well and happy Friday:)

So I'm back with another post and this time it's my July favourites. It's my first monthly favourites post and hopefully there'll be many more to come. I've thrown in some non beauty favourites too so I hope you enjoy and as always I look forward to your comments :)

Umberto Giannini Bad hair day smoothing shampoo and conditioner

So first up it's haircare. Now anyone who knows me knows I have a serious head of hair and it can be pretty hard to control at times. Frizz is always a problem and my friend Ruth shares the same hair woes as me so when she recommended this shampoo and conditioner combo that claims to leave you frizz free, I had to try it. And I am happy to report it really does work!! I used it every time I washed my hair for about three weeks and really noticed the difference. I very rarely dry my hair (as the hairdryer usually seriously ups the frizz factor) I just leave it to dry naturally and this is usually when the frizz takes hold. But after using this my hair was so much smoother and sleeker and waaaaay easier to manage. Even after the first shampoo I noticed a difference, my hair felt lighter and was much easier to style. After I used it solidly for a couple of weeks I did find it a little harsh on my hair so now rather than using it every wash I alternate between it and my regular colour protect shampoo and this routine works perfectly. Highly recommended to anyone with a frizzy mane like mine!

Sanctuary Spa Fresh Faced Purifying Wash

Sanctuary is slowly but surely becoming one of my favourite skincare brands. This cleanser is now firmly part of my daily routine. It provides a lovely deep cleanse without being harsh on the skin, so your skin feels fresh and revitalised without feeling tight or dry. As my skin is quite oily it's prone to getting congested and with this face wash I can really feel it dislodging any grime that may have built up over the day. It has quite a thick gel like texture and so you only need to use the smallest amount to work up a lather all over the face. It melts away all of my make up perfectly even mascara which we all know can be stubborn at times. I can't recommend this enough, it will leave your skin feeling fresh, soft and so clean. Everyone needs to get on the sanctuary bandwagon, and I've only recently discovered they often do sample sizes of their products in sachets or in mini size. So if you want to try before you buy the full size this is great for a little trial. Just look in the mini's section in most larger boots stores and you should find them!

Bioderma Photoderm Bronze SPF 30 

I went on holiday's early in July and bought this new facial suncream on escentual.com before I went. I decided to go for bioderma as I know their products agree with my skin and so thought it would be a safe bet. I definitely made a good choice and will be repurchasing before my next holiday. In the past I have often found face specific suncreams very rich and they often don't absorb into my skin very well. This formula is just the right consistency, it absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any heavy residue which is great and exactly what you need in sun. It's perfect for sensitive skin and I found it to be great on my skin. It wasn't in any way drying but at the same time didn't feel greasy either. All in all a great high protection face suncream.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss in Glorious Grapefruit

My new favourite lipgloss!! Now I love the maybelline colour elixir glosses but unfortunately they are not available in Ireland or the UK, but we do have the colour sensational shine glosses which in my opinion are every bit as good. I bought a couple of shades (of course I couldn't just buy one!) and glorious grapefruit is the one that has taken up residence in my handbag recently. I love a good lipgloss and this has the perfect formula. It's not sticky or gloopy, there's a good colour payoff and it applies really nice. There's 6 lovely shades definitely something for everyone so  go try them out!

Maybelline Superstay Gel Nail Colour

I had been hearing such good reports about these nail polishes I knew I had to give them a try, and it's safe to say I am now addicted and must buy every colour. All the hype is true they actually do last for up to 7 days !! There's so many polishes out there that claim to last for whatever amount of time, so I generally don't get too excited but believe me you need to get excited about these. They just do not budge!So far I've got to 6 days without a single chip!! Whatever Maybelline have done here they're onto a winner. They are super shiny and just generally gorgeous. So far I have the shades Hot Salsa, Pink in the Park and Uptown Blue and I love them all. Get yourself to your nearest pharmacy now people!!

Now I'm gonna throw in a few non-beauty favourites too, I should really just call it food favourites cause it's all about food! What a surprise eh?

So over the past couple of weeks I've tried out some great places in Dublin and just wanted to share my love for them with you guys. First up is the The Breakfast Club at Yogism in the George's street arcade. This venture by Daniella Moyles offers a healthy all day breakfast menu. I had the pancakes which are served with greek yoghurt and berries and my God were they good!! It's hard to believe something that tastes soooo nice can actually be healthy but it's true. Go try it people, I will most certainly be going back, next on my list is the overnight oats in a jar! 

http://www.tbcdublin.com/people.html

Continuing on the healthy trail the next place I want to recommend is Pog-Froyo on Bachelor's Walk. They offer yummy froyo, salads and juices. I had lunch there so went for a salad. They have a list of speciality salads to choose from and there's also the option to build your own salad which is what I went for. So basically you can pick all your favourite ingredients and they rustle up a yummy salad for you. So tasty, so many options and great value. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.ifancyapog.ie/

So that's it, what I've been loving in July hope it was an enjoyable read. Let me know if you've tried anything I've mentioned :)

Until next time!

Claire x