Month: April 2016

Fridaygram

~ Simply Sorcha ~ Leave a comment

Happy Friday! It’s my favourite day of the week, and today is an extra special one as I am down in Castle Durrow in Ireland getting ready to watch one of my best friends walk down the aisle.

Before I do that though, here’s a look back on my week in Instagram in this week’s Fridaygram post…

Friday


I was due to be going out for dinner with a friend of mine last Friday but it got cancelled. So instead I opened a nice bottle of red and curled up on the couch for the night.

Saturday


I had a lovely long lie in on Saturday morning drinking tea and reading magazines. I hadn’t done that in so long and it was such a treat.


It was also such a lovely sunny day in Dublin so Dave and I went for a long walk on Dun Laoghaire Pier sand watched the world go by. I love nothing more than a leisurely stroll on a sunny day.

Sunday


As always there was an inspirational quote thrown into the mix. I came across this one on Pinterest and it was exactly what I needed to get me in the frame of mind for a stressful week.


I also did a long meditation session and shared a blog post on how it helps me to cope and deal with stress and anxiety. This photo I came across just epitomises the stillness and calmness that is meditation and the Pleasant Pose.

Monday


I actually took this picture on Saturday out walking on the pier, I love that old bandstand and it’s usually full of people, so when I got this opportunity to get a photo with nobody in it, I took it!

Tuesday


I took this picture for my Naked Skin concealer review and shared it on Tuesday. I just love the rose gold packaging on these products and the photograph so well too. I also love this concealer so if you haven’t yet read my review you can do so here!

Wednesday 


I painted this colour on my nails last week and love it. I don’t usually go for dark nail colours at this time of year but it’s been more like winter than spring so why not?!


I also shared this picture because it makes my mind wander and dream. Life is all about the little things really.

Thursday


I took this photo while out walking the other day. Tulips are one of my favourite flowers and I just love these bright colours. A great way to brighten up any day!


I also shared this picture of my favourite face mask by Eve Lom. This packaging is so sleek and clean, and as many of you probably know by now, I’m a sucker for good packaging.

Friday


Love, because Lucy is getting married today and I just feel like spreading the love!

Hope you all have a fab Friday and fab weekend.

Sorcha x

Weddings, Bank Holidays & Summer Oufits

~ Simply Sorcha ~ Leave a comment

Today is a good day, it’s my Friday, it’s a bank holiday weekend and to make it even better, we’re off to the lovely Castle Durrow for my beautiful friend Lucy’s wedding. And to make it even doubly, doubly better, I’m a bridesmaid, yay!

You may remember a few weeks back, we had a Club Tropicana themed hen for Lucy in the stunning Clonabreany House and now the celebrations will continue for the big day itself.

Obviously as I’m bridesmaid, I can’t reveal anything about our outfits just yet, but over the past month or so in Paris and here, I picked up a few bits for summer and I’ve decided to pull some of them out to wear over the weekend. Here’s a look at some of the things I bought:

FashCollage1

  1. ZARA Printed Blazer €69.95
  2. H&M Long Denim Shirt €24.99
  3. H&M Round Sunglasses €9.99
  4. COS Coral Petal Drape Top €59.00
  5. COS Blue & White Stripe Belted Sleeveless Top €69.00
  6. ZARA Nude Embossed Flats €19.95
  7. ZARA Skinny Jeans €39.95
  8. ZARA Printed Dress €59.95

We have pre-wedding drinks tonight, the wedding tomorrow, a second day party on Saturday and another friend’s birthday on Sunday, so it’s definitely going to be a weekend full of celebrations with lots of different outfits needed. The only obstacle I now have is that it’s been more like winter in Ireland for the past few weeks, with hailstones and snow are both forecast for this weekend. So all my outfit planning may go out the window, eeek.

But fingers crossed the snow stays away and I get to wear some of my new clothes.

For now, I’m going to love you and leave you so I can finish getting packed and get on the road.

Sorcha x

My Faves Part 1: Eve Lom Rescue Mask

~ Simply Sorcha ~ 2 Comments

Last night as I was applying my favourite face mask for a bit of evening pampering, I decided I would write a blog post about it to share with you all. I have a lot of favourite products that are not new to the market and therefore haven’t written about them, but then I thought, why not write about them? Some of the greatest products out there are classics! So going forward I’ve decided to add a new section to my blog called ‘My Faves’.

For this post, I’m talking about my Eve Lom Rescue Mask. This face mask is by no means new on the market, in fact many of you may have already tried it, but it’s the best one that I’ve come across in a long time and have been using it for over a year now. I apply it usually around every two weeks or so and still love it as much now as the first time I tried it.

The Rescue Mask is made of a clay called Kaolin Clay and contains some great ingredients such as honey and sweet almond. According to Eve Lom; Kaolin Clay (absorbs excess oils and reduces puffiness), Camphor (cools and decongests), Ground Almonds (gently exfoliates) and Honey (conditions the skin).


The mask is quite thick, as you would imagine from any clay mask, and I tend to apply a generous amount all over my face, obviously avoiding my eyes and mouth. The mask smells amazing, and starts to dry into the skin and harden quite quickly after application, so be prepared to sit quietly for ten to fifteen minutes while the mask does its work. The perfect excuse for some quiet time!

After roughly fifteen minutes, I splash some warm water over my face, then using a warm damp muslin cloth, gently wipe and remove the mask from my face.

The softness of my skin after this mask is just incredible, and it also leaves skin looking fresh and glowing. So in other words what I’m saying here, is that Eve Lom is very justified in its product description. It reduces puffiness, it decongests, it exfoliates and it conditions. What more could you need in a mask?!

The 50ml tube that I have will set you back €45 so it’s not cheap, but it will last you around three to six months depending on how often you use it. So given the lasting time, to me that’s not bad.

If you’ve tried this, or decide to try it then I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I’d love to hear about your favourite masks too. As you know, I’m always on the lookout for new things to try so send them on!

Sorcha x

Review: Urban Decay NAKED SKIN Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

~ Simply Sorcha ~ 9 Comments

As many of you may know, I’m a big fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Retoucher Concealer pen and it has been my go-to concealer for the past few months now. However, when I first started using it, I found it very light and more suited to a daytime makeup look, and therefore wasn’t 100% sold on it being the perfect concealer for me.

As a result, when I was in Urban Decay recently, I happened upon their NAKED SKIN Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer and decided to give it a try. Lots of bloggers love this concealer so I had very high hopes. And when my Charlotte Tilbury ran out last week, it gave me the perfect opportunity to put it to the test.

I’m a sucker for Urban Decay products in general, as you all know their eyeshadows are my favourite, and I’m just a little bit obsessed with some of their lipsticks too. I haven’t tried any of their foundations or concealer’s before though so I was interested to see whether this would live up to my expectations.

After testing a few shades out in the store, I decided to opt for shade Med-Light. First impressions are that this may be slightly on the dark side for me, but easily fixed I know.

Apart from loving the rose gold packaging, which is obviously important, I really love the applicator on this concealer. It is so easy to use and the brush head moves when applying.


The consistency is rich and creamy, and while not thick as such, it has a much thicker consistency than the Charlotte Tilbury concealer and therefore I felt I had to do a bit more work when blending. However, once done, the coverage that you get with this is just incredible. Blemishes, dark circles, you name it, covered!

My only negative, if you could even call it a negative, is that it starts to dry very quickly. So unless you blend straight away after application, it can start to drag and pull your makeup.

I was concerned at first that this may be a little too heavy for a daytime makeup look, but actually, after using it for a few days it has really grown on me. It’s definitely different than what I’ve been wearing, but different does not mean worse, and I think this could become a new favourite.

I like good coverage with my foundations and concealers and I think I could be on to a winner with this one. It’s much more along the lines of MAC’s studio finish concealer in terms of consistency which for years was my favourite concealer. So I’m happy to have now discovered one I like just as much.

 

It’s €22 so very much in line with similar concealers on the market, and in my opinion, a good concealer is always worth investing in.

Sorcha x

Sunday Silence

~ Simply Sorcha ~ 1 Comment
Photo: Refinery29 (Pinterest)

I had a nice relaxed weekend this weekend I’m happy to say. The hubby and I are celebrating three years together today, and although our wedding date is our new anniversary, we still felt like celebrating.

We spent a lovely weekend out walking, lunching, talking and spending time together, and last night went for a gorgeous dinner in one of our favourite restaurants. It was the perfect quiet weekend after a few stressful weeks.

However, the weekend is drawing to a close and I know that this week again, is going to be a tough one. Instead of filling myself with dread, anxiety and worry as I usually do, today I decided to turn to my meditation, to be still with my thoughts and silence the worry away.

For the skeptics among you, I get it, my hubby is one of you, but the power meditation has to help you cope with stress is just incredible. Five or ten quiet minutes, just breathing and being still, has almost the same relaxation effect as a great spa weekend away! And I’m so glad that I have it.

I’m by no means an expert, I am only learning meditation myself, but if there is something troubling you or worrying you, I would definitely recommend giving meditation a try. I’ve suffered with anxiety for years, as many people do, and it has really helped me cope with how I’m feeling and keep myself calm in stressful situations.

I may talk about it in more detail another time, but I wish when I first started suffering with anxiety that I knew more about meditation. I discovered it because of my Dad who practices meditation daily, and never realised the power it has over the body and mind until I began practising it myself. The power of the mind is an incredible thing, and we take it so much for granted.

So on this quiet Sunday I just want to say, if you’re a bit worried or down, or stressed or anxious, maybe give it a go, sit quietly with your eyes closed for a few mintues. It won’t be earth shattering, but it might help, even if just a little.

Namaste.


Sorcha x

Fridaygram

~ Simply Sorcha ~ Leave a comment

Well I’m happy to report, this week was a much better week than last week, thankfully. And although I still have a lot going on, I think some time out and relaxation last weekend made me much better able to cope with things this week.

The sunny weather in Dublin  over the past few days, as well as Coachella last weekend, has really got me (and the whole country I think) in the mood for festivals, travel, holidays, and lots of summer fun. And this was reflected in a lot of my Instagram pictures this week too as I was dreaming of sunny days and far away places.

Here’s a look back on all my Instagram snaps from the week:

Friday

Last Friday I went to a charity for Irish Charity, First Light. It is an incredible organisation that gives support to bereaved parents and families. It was held in one of my favourite Dublin eateries, Fade Street Social, and this photo is a quick selfie I took of me and one of my best friends, Dearbhla, on the way in.

Saturday

I came across this picture of Coachella on WeHeartIt, and immediately I was transported to sunny Palm Springs. What I would give to have been there, it just looked so amazing, not to mention the incredible festival fashion that all the celebs were rocking. But I’ve added this to my bucket list so maybe next year we’ll get to make a trip over!

Sunday

On Sunday my festival vibes continued when I shared this picture of me from the hen party I was at a few weeks ago. If you read that post you’ll know it was a Club Tropicana theme, and I was loving my flower crown that I got to wear.

Monday

As I mentioned above, the weather has been incredible this week in Dublin. The sun has been shining every day, and on Monday evening I took this sunset picture while out for a walk.

I’ve also been playing around with camera shots and my makeup trying to improve my photography skills. Using some lovely Tulips I bought at the weekend, I took this photo of all my favourite MAC lipsticks.

Tuesday

I’m really trying to channel all my inner positivity at the moment, and for me, it really helps to read quotes, and look at inspiring images. This image I came across on Pinterest just gave me all the feels… summer, love, travel, adventure and positivity!

Wednesday

This photo is a photo of the outfit I wore to the charity lunch last Friday. I love this skirt but as it was a daytime event, wanted to dress it down a little. So I decided to pair it with my casual ankle boots and my favourite leather jacket.

I also shared this picture of the new Urban Decay Alice Through The Looking Glass eyeshadow palette, because it is just so pretty.

Thursday

Oh these shoes, these beautiful shoes! These Sophia Webster Angel Wings heels are high up on my wish list, I’ve been admiring them for so long and think I’ll just have to purchase soon.

I also shared this picture of these cute sunglasses I happened upon in H&M. I’m loving circular shades this season and these were an absolute bargain at €9.99!

Friday

Yay, we made it through the week. I do love a good photo picture of a Friday and this Friday is no different. Today I went for this picture which is keeping in with this week’s summer Instagram theme.

I’m off out tonight with one of my best friends for a girly dinner and let me tell you, am seriously in need of it, and a big glass of vino! So I will be counting down the hours today.

I hope you all have a lovely Friday whatever you’re up to!

Sorcha x

 

 

 

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland

~ Simply Sorcha ~ 2 Comments

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the gorgeousness that is the new Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Alice Through The Looking Glass eyeshadow palette? I mean, is there anything Urban Decay can’t do when it comes to palettes?!

  
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge Urban Decay fan and this is why. Just as the excitement of the Gwen Stefani collaboration started to die down, they announced the release of this little baby.

This limited edition palette will retail at €49 so only very slightly more than there regular collection palettes, and the collection consists of twenty shades. To accompany the eyeshadow palette, there are also five lipsticks in the collection, Alice, Iracebeth, Mad Hatter, Time and Mirana.

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As I haven’t got my hands on this yet, I unfortunately only have UD images to share, but I’ll be sure to share some swatches as soon as I can.

It’ll be in stores from early May so you will be able to get your hands on it then too.

For now I’m just going to swoon…

Sorcha x

50 Things That Make Me Happy (Part 1)

~ Simply Sorcha ~ 8 Comments

This week I’ve vowed to start the week off on a positive note in the hope that it will make for a better week than last week. If you read any of my blog posts last week, you’ll know that it was a bit of a tough one for me. I was stressed, I was down, and I was feeling quite overwhelmed by a lot of things going on in my life.

But, as I’m one for optimism and trying to look on the bright side, over the weekend I got thinking about all the things that make me happy. Positivity is an incredible thing really, the moment you start thinking about the good things in your life, the moment you realise there are so many more good things than bad.

As a result of these thoughts, I decided to write a list. This list is by no means exhaustive, there are hundreds upon thousands of things that make me happy every single day. But for the purposes of focusing on the positive, I wrote a list of fifty things that make me happy and decided to share them with you all.

They are in no particular order, and range from small things to big. Some may seem silly, some obvious, but either way, they have made me grateful once again for all the wonderful things in my life. The simplest things make us the happiest, and as the old saying goes, the best things in life are free…

  • Sunny days
  • Walks on Dun Laoghaire Pier
  • Sing-songs and Irish music sessions
  • Champagne and all kinds of bubbles
  • My nieces
  • Having a good cry
  • Shopping
  • Curling up in bed early with a great book
  • My family
  • Dancing

 

  • Tea chats and catch ups with my girls
  • Pizza
  • Date nights with my hubby
  • TV Box Sets (in particular Grey’s Anatomy and Sex and the City)
  • Writing
  • New shoes, and old
  • Big open fires
  • Red wine
  • Sunbathing
  • My friends

 

  • Surprises (good obviously)
  • Going on holiday
  • Malteasers
  • Having a good political debate
  • Breakfast with my parents
  • 80’s music
  • Cosy slippers
  • Having my nails done
  • London trips with my family
  • Going to a small Irish pub for some craic agus ceoil

 

  • Girls nights out
  • Old photographs
  • Having a job that I love
  • Social media (is that really sad?!)
  • Cheese
  • Sunny Sunday drinks in beer gardens
  • A good concert / festival
  • Listening to my brother sing
  • Talking on the phone with friends
  • Candles

 

  • Listening to the rain when I don’t have to go outside
  • Driving
  • Laughing so much it hurts
  • Having a good rant
  • Getting my hair done
  • Buying new makeup
  • Fitting in to old clothes that are now too big for me (I need to get back to that)
  • My wedding video
  • Road trips
  • My hubby

 

Now that I’ve started I could keep going forever. Because really, life is pretty amazing. Yes some shitty things happen, yes we have bad days, and yes sometimes we wish we could crawl into a hole and never come out. But those times always pass.

So on that note, I hope you all have a great week. Here’s to a better one than last week anyway!

Sorcha x

 

Sunny Saturdays

~ Simply Sorcha ~ Leave a comment

 
Finally it’s starting to feel like summer is on its way to Dublin. While it’s still pretty cold outside, the sun has been shining for the past few days and that is just glorious.

I don’t know about you but the sun just puts me in such a good mood. I’m a summer baby, I was born in summer and I read once that the season you are born in is the season when you are at your best. And for me that’s so true.

As I mentioned the other day, I’ve had a pretty tough week, there’s been a lot going on recently and I’ve been pretty stressed out over the past few days but I’m hoping that now summer is finally on its way, I will go back to being my best.

I started back running this morning for the first time in a long time and though it was super tough, I felt so good afterwards. Your frame of mind has so much to do with how you feel every day and I need to just snap out of this rut I’ve been in and start getting back to myself. 

  
So for today I’m going to enjoy the sunshine and focus on all the good in my life. I hope the sun is shining where you are today, and I hope you’re having a lovely weekend.

Sorcha x

Fridaygram

~ Simply Sorcha ~ Leave a comment

Happy Friday everyone!

We made it, we got through the week… Sing hallelujah, sing it! (Some of you may know I tend to break out in song every now and then, so feel free to join in and sing along, or feel free to ignore!). I have to say, there was a point or two this week where I really couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, it was a tough week but I got here.

What’s more, I have a day off work today to go to a charity lunch with some of my friends. So what better way to start the weekend?!

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the blog, you’ll see that I posted a couple of reviews this week, I’ve been busy testing out some products all while recovering from the madness and fun that was my dear friend Lucy’s hen party last weekend.

As usual, I’ve shared it all on my Instagram, but in case you missed it, then here’s a look back at what I got up to this week:

Friday 

One of my favourite things to do is to while away an hour or two on Pinterest looking up quotes, photos and pretty pictures, and while doing just that last week, I came across this. I feel it conveys exactly just how I feel about Fridays, wouldn’t you agree?!

Saturday 

As mentioned above, last Saturday we danced the day and night away at my friend Lucy’s hen party. Lucy is a big WHAM fan, so the theme was Club Tropicana. This is a photo of me and one of my besties, Fiona. We donned our summer outfits, and loving a good prop, did not take our Hawaiian lei or oversized sunglasses off for the entire night.

Sunday 

As I was nursing a hangover, the most I could share on Sunday was this picture of my nails because I just love this colour. It is CND Shellac in Decadence, and I got them done in my favourite salon, Mimi’s Beauty Room in Sandymount, Dublin. The girls are just the best in the business, and recently won Best Beautician’s at the IMAGE Magazine Business of Beauty (BOB) awards. If you’re a Dubliner you should definitely go check them out.

Monday
I took this snap of some of the products I’ve currently been using and putting to the test to give you all a sneak preview on what I’m up to. The palette is Catrice’s new Sand Nude palette and I’ll be posting a review on it soon so watch this space if you’re interested in seeing what it’s like.

Tuesday
This print from my friend Julie’s wedding the other week is so cute, I just love it. Great detail inspiration for anyone planning a wedding currently. 
I also shared this picture of my owl slouchy socks. I think they are so cute, and look, it was just one of those days that called for socks, the couch and some trashy TV!

Wednesday 

I had a bit of a bad day on Wednesday, well all week was a bit of a bad week. I’ve been feeling down, stressed and a bit overwhelmed. In times like this my mind tends to wander, I suppose it’s a form of escapism really. And this week my mind wandered to travel, and adventure, and wanting a little bit more out of life. This picture represents that desire.


I also shared this photo of my charcoal smokey eye which is the makeup look I created for the wedding last week. Using my current favourite eyeshadow palette, the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette, I used soft greys and browns to create the look.

Thursday
I have got the dreamers disease… Yes, yes I do. I shared this picture that I made using Word Swag, one of my favourite apps because it resonates with me on so many levels. I’ve always been a dreamer, and a romantic, and often tend to get lost in my dreaming. 
I also shared this picture of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream. My review went live yesterday morning so if you haven’t already checked it out then you can have a read here.

Today

Before I get ready to go to the Charity Lunch that I’m off to today, I have a few bits to do. These TOMS flats are so comfortable and a great casual flat option for when you’re on the go. The sun also made an appearance this morning which is always a bonus!

So on that note, I’ll leave you for the day and hope you all have a great weekend. Don’t forget to come follow me on Instagram if you’re not already.

Sorcha x