The evolution on the ring.

 While browsing through different jewellery websites I have began to notice how much the humble ring has evolved. No being a girl a diamond ring will always have a top place on my wishlist but in general I have been bowled over by the new designs that are currently out there. Gone is the ordinary dress ring, now a new breed of ring has been born. The quirkier the better. Here are just a few on the amazing ones I have spotted.

House of Harlow 1960 Triquerta ring €58

ASOS Triple finger mixed media deco ring €17

House of Harlow 1960 set of five stack rings €99

Pamela Love Tribal spike three finger ring €715 (netaporter.com)

TopShop Pearl armour ring €20.50

Pamela Love Triangle ring €119 (netaporter.com)

Topshop Stone Spring Ring €15.50

Who says rings have to be boring?

What do you think of these new age rings?

I say Penny's you say Primark.

Anyone that knows me, knows I have a love for the high street and always a special place in my heart for Penny's (or Primark if you're in the UK). It started out initially as my favourtite store out of necessity but in the last 6 or 7 years Penny's has come such a long way. Now  I activally search it out for the newest collections. Of any high street store I know they change their stock the most often. There is no such thing really as Spring?Summer or Autumn/Winter seasons. Every couple of weeks they get in a new range. Plus they are always the first to copy a piece as seen worn on the celebrity of the moment which is great for the teeny boppers amongst us who want to get the latest Lady Gaga hotpants. However they also do their best to recreate blazers worn by Kate Middleton or casual printed t-shirts along the lines worn by Alexa Chung!

The best news I have heard about Penny's is that they are doing their first pop up shop at the Oxygen festival. It will accurately be called "POP" and no doubt it will go down a hit with all the festival goers. Especially if Pennys ship in extra rainmacks and wellies for the occasion! It will be open from 12pm to 1am. Clever Penny's get the drunken shoppers too.


I have picked out a few of the best pieces that I have spotted for Summer. Can I convince any of you die hard label lovers?

I Sea You

A few weeks back I was writing about my new bargain cosmetics find in the european brand Catrice. I am yet to try out their eyeshadows and lip range but yet again I got sucked in by their nail polishes.

This is my new colour. It is a beautiful peacock colour called I Sea You. It looks amazing on the nail, really rich and glossy and again I was reminded of the richness of the pigment for such a low price nail colour.

I have a habit of always choosing pinks and corals for my nails so this is quite a brave choice for me.

I have added some swatches  so you can see the colour on and I will aim to try out some more cosmetic from this brand since these have awakened my curiosity to see if the rest of the collection is as good as it looks.

Pilates Newbie

Now that I'm slowly settling into yoga and feeling more confident doing it, I thought it was time to try something  with a little more exertion. I have always wanted to try Pilates but with funds being a little tighter than normal, up until now I couldn't afford to do both. The Dublin yoga studios have saved the day!

www.yogadublin.com

At the moment they have a brilliant offer for newcomers. It costs only €59 for your first month and you can attend as many yoga and Pilates classes as you like. This gives you a great opportunity to try out lots of different teachers and styles to find the ones you like the best.

My first Pilates was this Sunday morning at 10am. Luckily I hadn't been out the night before so I was up fresh as a daisy and ready to give it my best. My teacher Caroline was great. She was really enthusiastic and funny which definitely helps when struggling through some of the more challenging stretches.

There were definitely similarities with Yoga but with a stronger emphasis on toning. This is exactly what I need. Most exercises are based around a strong core which I am hoping will start to tone my little potbelly. We also toned our arms, legs  and abdomen. All exercises are performed with a controlled breathing system which is actually done quit differently than in yoga.

I must admit even though I have only done one class so far, I think it's going to be addictive. Afterwards I felt full of energy and ready to face the day. Hopefully it will become a new Sunday morning routine. Pilates, Sunday papers and the breakfast!

Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Jennifer Love- Hewitt swear by Pilates to keep them fit and they have amazing bodies. It's enough to keep me motivated that's for sure!

Have you tried Pilates yet? Any tips on pilates exercises? Anybody recommend a good yoga/ pilates schedule?

There's something about Rosie

I have been know to be a bit of a celebrity addict but not so much for the gossip but more in a fashion/ beauty slant. I find it fascinating how a high profile celebrity can appear in a certain outfit, colour or hairstyle and all of a sudden we all want it for ourselves. This sometimes can work to our benefit as it can bring about a trend of an idea I have secretly been dying to try but maybe wasn't brave enough before and now it will make it ok to try out.

Lately everywhere I turn I keep seeing photos of Rosie Huntington-Whitely. I must admit I'm fairly impressed with her. Not only is she completely stunning but she has me completely hair envious and I completely applaud her in the fashion stakes too. She is not afraid to try anything new and has made some pretty bold but elegant choices of late. Now in all fairness this girl could probably wear a refuse sack and still look amazing but still she is definaitely one to keep an eye on in the future.

Brave choice but fantastically dramatic. It's Gucci of course.

This was the start of my Rosie hair envy. Stunning colour and the half up half down do is an easy but impressive Saturday night hairstyle.

This is a great pairing, stunning sequin mini dress and fur (hopefully fake!) gillet. Effortless but attention grabbing.

Who needs makeup when you have hair like this!


I think this has turned into a slight girl crush. Do you have any celebrity fashion crushes? Or crazy hair envy?

Are you primed?

I have always been a girl addicted to primer! You can use the best foundation in the world, even a long lasting one but I swear by the fact you will still get a better and longer finnish if you have used primer first. It is especially great for lazy girls like me who put their make-up on going to work and then just tops up goin for afterwork drinks!

My favourite primer for years has always been Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. €22

 Its clear and has the texture of a gel and literally glides on over your moisturiser giving and fantastic silky base to put your foundation on over. €25

 I have also on occasion tried the bronzing Photo Finnish Primer which is great when I have a tan or have used fake tan first. This has exactlt the same consistency as the original but gives an extra hint of tan too! Smashbox though can sometimes be a hard brand to find and often I can only pick it up at the airport.

During Smashbox droughts I have been know to use Mac's Prep and Prime skin. This feels completely different again, it is more of a lotion texture and smooths out any redness on the face before your foundation application. It costs around €18 and easily available too.

Now being a bit of a cosmetics tart I have been keeping my eye out for a cheaper alternative, (these are recessionary times you know!) I was really happy to discover the introduction of a new L'oreal primer.

It comes in a cute glass pot and sells for an impressive €12. I must admit this could be my new favourite. This primer is quite thick and has a slightly moussey texture but when applied to the faces it warms up and smoothes on easily. Also because of its thicker texture it fills in any lines or pores perfectly and I always have a great foundation application after using it. Well done L'oreal.

Do you have any Primer secrets to share? any reccomendations for new products? Or do you have a favourite primer that you swear by?

The Disco Blazer

Lately something has been catching my eye. I have seen many a celebrity wearing sequined blazers. I have a new obsession to get one. They look amazing just over a white t-shirt and jeans or over a cute mini dress.

Sme can be a little over the top for me like this one worn by Blake Lively, it's bordering a little on a Michael Jackson number. I would prefer a gold or silver metallic blazer.

On my travels I found this one from Zara. This photo doesnt do it justice but the fit on is gorgeous. I tried it in a medium and although it was slightly big on my I think for this particular style it's better to wear it slightly looser. It is €99.

It looks perfect here with heels, vest and leggings. The trick is keep everything else simple, neutral and classic. The jacket speaks for itself. In this way you can easily avoid the "Jackson effect"!

Cougette Salad

On return from my holidays, I have reverted back to my healthy eating plan. Not sure how long my will power will hold out but for now I am in the zone. I am back doing yoga once a week or even tice if I get the cance and I will be starting Pilates on Sunday! Yes Sunday, thats dedication for you, no drinking for me Saturday night!

I have been hunting around for some good healthy recipes and at the moment I am trying to keep my carbs down to a minimum. In the evenings I am aiming to just have either fish or a grilled chicken breast and either vegetables or salad. I get bored very easily with salad so I have been hunting around for some new ways to jazz up my ingredients.

This one is a complete winner and it came from my very creatve and talented Uncle. It is completely easy and can be prepared ahead of time if need be.

Boil 6 small cougettes or three large ones whole for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain in a collander. Leave the cougettes in the collander for ten minutes to mae sure all excess water has been removed. Slice small cougettes in half lengthways (or large ones in half horizontally and then lengthways). Place into you salad bowl. Add three finely chopped garlic cloves, the juice of half a lemon, a splash of olive oil and a handfull of chopped basil. Stir through and enjoy!!! (tip: This salad tastes even better if the cougettes are warm or room temperature, rather than from the fridge.)

Tasty!

Any other good salad recipes would be welcome, especially as it will help keep me on the straight and narrow!

Caggie dress replacement!

Just to add on to my blog Yesterday about Caggie's dress from Made In Chelsea. I was out and about shopping today as usual and bought this cute white Summer dress in H&M, it has a hint of Caggies dress about it. (Obviously not quite as gorgeous!) but it has a fantastic fit on and with a tan the white is gorgeous. I'm loving the sweetheart neckline especially. I got mine for 19euro although I see on the website that some of the other colours are only £9 so definitely a bargain. Shame it's not in apricot. I'd be in heaven!

Apricot Crush

Ok so in order to tell you about my new fashion obsession, I have to admit to the cringe-worthy fact that I watch Made In Chelsea. Yes very embarrassing and it really only hapenned by accident as I was flicking through channels and came across these slightly annoying but stylishly dressed starlets. One episode and I was hooked, waiting to see what they would wear next. You could even watch it with the sound down if needed.

Anyway there I was kicking back to drool over the latest style offerings when I fell in love. This dress worn by Caggie in Cannes ("oooh excuse me"!) is so beautiful but the best thing about it is the colour. This shade of apricot is far enough away from yellow to be worn on Irish skin but still not quite an orange which doesn't always work with freckles. Its by the Australian designer Zimmerman and of course is completely sold out. So I went hunting around to see if I could satisfy my apricot thirst elsewhere. This is what I found:

ASOS is my one stop shop today. I found this cute day dress for 57euro completely adorable and the colour is fairly close.

And this little beauty also from ASOS for 38 euros.Can just imagine myself at the cocktail bar in cannes wearing this. aaaahhhhh.

If a full dress in yellow is slightly scaring you though how about this little blouse, it would be amazing with indigo jeans and a tan clutch bag, only 45 euro at ASOS.

To finnish off the look I found this Atlas bag, its 95 euro but absolutely worth it.

And finally just for fun and if you are feeling daring enough, how about a splash of apricot on your nails. Here is a really cute polish from POP only 8 euro.

What a relief my apricot thirst has finally been quenched. Thank you ASOS!

The Blouse is back!

Yep grannies around the world can let out a sigh of relief now the blouse is back in fashion. And not just for grannies either. This Summer has seen an abundance of cute flirty and sheer styles that can satisfy any sexy minx. Plus there is plenty of choice from pussybow to ethic and pretty florals. Here is a little selection of ones that have caught me eye!

Ahhh how cute is this little number from Miss Selfridge. its only 47 euro and limited edition so grab it quick. Would be so cute with a pair of cut off shorts!

I saw this in River Island and thought it would be so cute for work with white jeans or a charcoal pencil skirt and it's only 34 euros so great value too!

I love this from Top Shop. It's so pretty and feminine and a nice way to join in with the floral trend this summer. Could be perfect for festivals with shorts. 43 euro

For cuteness alone this one gets top marks. It comes in a couple of colours and the Peter pan collar gives it a little"Mad Men" edge. 50 euro.

So thats me convinced I'm buying all four. How bout you? Have you got your blouse on yet?

Tan enhancer? Yes it is!

So Im back from my hols, so sorry there hasn't ben a new post for a few days. This is just a quickie to follow up on my post about Nivea suncream 'Protect and Bronze'

Well I have to say I'm pretty impressed. It definitely brought my tan up quicker than normal. It felt nice on application, not too runny like some suncreams but not to thick either which can be a real pain. My skin felt moisturised for a few hours afterwards. The only mistake I made was not starting with factor 30. I actually started with only 20 so I did burn in a few places (it may also have something to do with the fact that I may have nodded off in the aternoon and forgot to top up the application!! oops!)

My colour is definitely more intense than normal and I found that even those hard to tan areas like legs and backs of the arms, all tanned better.

I would give it an 8/10 and will definitely be using it again on the next beach holiday. Hopefully I wont have to wait that long for some more sunshine!!

Fancy Footwear

.I'm ashamed to admit that unlike practically every other girl in the world I am not a wearer of heels! I know shock horror. It's  slightly embarrassing to admit. I have been known to wear them very rarely if the outfit or the occasion deems it fit but left to my own devices I choose flats every time.

Summer makes my 'situation' a lot easier because out come the ballet pumps, the flip flops and the sandals and this year is no different so I thought I would share with you my top five sandals for the Summer. I found it hard to whittle it down as there are hundreds to choose from but these little beauties definitely caught my eye.

1. Miss Selfridge. Knight Bronze Embellished flat sandal. 39 euro. Love the Aztec style of this sandal.

2. Reiss. Lloyd buckle detail flat sandal. 123 euro. A slightly more expensive sandal but amazing quality and they will match eveything.

3.Dune. Casey plaited strap sandal. 61 euro. Tan sandals are great for Summer they emphasize a tan and the neutral color will go with pretty much everything in your wardrobe.

4. Oasis. Jetalica metal tassle zip back sandal. 44 euro. Bargain price for something su unusual. These would be great for a festival with shorts or a cute playsuit.

5.KG by Kurt Geiger. Maybell bow detail flat sandal. 57 euro.Ok my Asos obsession continues and how could you resist these cuties. These sandals are so pretty and since we have already looked at oranges being the colour of the season we already know exactly what we will wear them with!!!

Now that I have compiled my wish list, I just need to wait for my next paycheck to buy them all. Happy shopping!