The Michael Kors Hamilton Tote

If you're a follower on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you obviously know all about the Michael Kors Hamilton Tote. Well guess what? After months of hard work and saving, I finally got it!

Back when I was in secondary school, I told my parents that the first thing I was going to buy once I got a permanent job was a bag. I've always been a bag person. I've asked for a bag every Christmas except one since I was thirteen and often went into Brown Thomas just to dream about the day I would have one of my own. I'm not a person who spends obscene amounts of money on clothes. All the clothes I get are usually on sale and I don't really commit to shoes or accessories. My mum has always been a shoe person so when I started saving for this bag, she understood why it was so important to me. I've never bought anything like this for myself since having a job. I haven't even used my wages for a holiday. To many of you, this is just a bag, You're right. It is just a bag. But it's a bag that will remind me of how hard I worked and how long I saved for. It's something that I was able to buy by myself with my own independence and determination. 

So here it is. WHOOOOOOO!

I am beyond in love with the padlock feature. I just think it's so cute and it can actually be used! But overall, this bag is even more amazing than I ever thought it could be. It's me, inside and out.

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Summer Holiday Wishlist!

Bonjourno! I believe that translates to "hello" in Italian, which is where I am heading to in June! I'll be off with my family and accompanied by my boyfriend. It's our first time going abroad together so I'm especially excited!

Like most women, I over pack. But the way I pack and organise my holiday essentials, is just on another level. I've already began putting things just for holidays at the bottom of my wardrobe in a small case. I find too much enjoyment in being organised.....

But moving on! Here are some of the bits I'd love to pick up before jetting off.

1. HERE // 2. HERE // 3. HERE // 4. HERE // 5. HERE // 6. HERE  

I'm off to Athlone in two weeks to visit my boyfriend since he moved up there last week and I plan on completely tackling Penneys. It is the Narnia of retail up there! I'll do a post on my summer holiday wardrobe closer to my departure to sunny Italy!

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

My Everyday Makeup Routine

Good evening my lovelies! Yes, it is another beauty post........ Well I'm excited anyway! For the past couple of weeks in work I've been getting questions about my makeup (what I use, how I apply it, etc). I'm not too sure why because I actually don't think it looks phenomenal but others seem to really like it. I don't have any secrets or magical tips. I just make sure that I wash my hands before and after I apply my make up, especially if I'm applying bits of product with my fingers.

So here it is, my make up routine and what I use!

Step 1:

This is literally the best thing I have ever used and have dubbed it responsible for making my skin feel amazing. I apply this before my makeup by using a little dollop on my finger tips. It's water based and quite light on the skin. It gives me a really dewy look and keeps my skin hydrated under my makeup throughout the day. It's available in all Boots stores. I bought mine for just €4!

Step 2:

I bought this just over a month ago because I wanted something lighter on my face that wasn't foundation. I came across this and thought I'd give it a go. It is now one of my makeup must have's of 2014. I've been recommending it to everyone! It's perfect for everyday life, it's light on the skin but still gives excellent coverage. It's available in most pharmacy's and all Boots stores for €8.99 and lasts so long!

Step 3:

After applying my foundation or BB cream, I use this beauties. The collection lasting perfection concealer has been on all the latest beauty blogs and articles lately so I thought I'd see what all the hype was about. It certainly lives up to the hype! I apply it under my eyes and around my nose (the places where I get some redness) and it lasts the whole day! It's excellent coverage and instantly brightens the area that you've applied it to. This is available in Boots for €6.99.

The Rimmel Stay Matte powder is an item that a lot of us use. I apply it all over my face after my concealer and it really does an amazing job at keeping everything in place throughout the day. This is available in Boots for around €5.99 I think.

And lastly, this is a new addition to my makeup bag. All the blushes I have are rather bright so i wanted something a bit more day time appropriate. I found this in Boots last week and it is just perfect for day time. It looks more like a natural glow rather than an actual blusher. I guess that's why it's called what it is!

Step 4:

This little stick is just fab! The best highlighter I have ever used without a doubt. I just apply this to the tops of my cheeks where light naturally catches and if I'm going for a night out, I'll apply a little bit on my brow bone. This was bought in Brown Thomas for €26. I know it's quite pricey but I've been using mine nearly everyday since I bought it in December and there's still loads left.

Step 5:

This is a product that I've received loads of questions about. This is an amazing brow palette and only cost me €10. I've been using this since September and, as you can see, there's still a load of product left. I apply this by using an angled brush but for all you brow beginners, be sure to practice loads. That's how I learned.

Step 6:

This Soap and Glory mascara deserves an award. Who needs falsies when this exists! It makes your lashes look so big and bold without the use of multiple coats or fake eyelashes. I can't remember how much this was but it's available in all Boots stores.

This eyeliner by Barry M is the only one I'll use for doing the flicks on my eyes. I've tried L'Oreal, Maxfactor, Rimmel, etc and none of them have been as good as this little trooper. It doesn't dry out and the pointed brush allows you to create a fine or thick line. I do this almost everyday. This is available in Boots for €7.99.

Step 7:

And lastly, for a pop of colour I use this. It's a gorgeous red from Rita Ora's new collection for Rimmel and the product is a mixture between a gloss and a lipstick. It doesn't dry out you lips like regular lipsticks do and it's no at all sticky like a lip gloss. It's a perfect balance between both and you don't have to continuously apply it throughout the day. The colour is long lasting and they're all on offer in Boots for just €5.99!

Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know what you think of these products.

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Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

April Favourites

It's now a new month and you know what that means! An April favorites post! A round up of what I've been loving along with purchases of the month.

Fashion

Boots €25 Dorothy Perkins (reduced from €60)

Bundle Pearl Earrings €6, Gold Circular Earrings €6 both from Dorothy Perkins

Silver triple chain necklace €17 from Next

Lace and crochet top €22.99, stripe top €14.99 and cream Kimono €22.99 all from New Look

Beauty

From left to right: Real Techniques face brush, Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, Rimmel (Rita Ora collection) colour stay lip stick, Rimmel BB cream, Loreal Super Liner liquid eyeliner, Maybelline gel liner, Maxfactor blush and Rimmel's Stay Matte powder.

All bought under the 3 for 2 deal that is currently going on in Boots!

Sugar Crush body wash from Soap and Glory along with mini bottles of the handbag essentials including a lovely spray from Ted Baker. 

Also bought under the 3 for 2 deal in Boots!

Will probably do a review on the beauty products listed above so stay tuned!

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Jewelry Collection and Storage

I've been promising this for a while now so seeing that I have a few days off, I thought I'd do it. Like all you lovely ladies, I have a bit of a sweet tooth for jewelry. I don't necessarily wear a lot of it but I do love having a bit of a collection. Most of my collection consists of costume jewelry from Penneys (Primark), New Look, Topshop, etc. I don't really have a lot of expensive jewelry but I have a decent handful of the sentimental kind.

I store most of it in a drawer next to my wardrobe and I use a nail on the frame of my bathroom door to hold all my long chains to prevent them from getting tangled.

The majority of my sentimental jewelry was passed down to me by my grandmother on my dad's side. She lived with us for the last seven years of her life and died three years ago this May. Those of you who are regular visitors on my Facebook page would probably know that her and I were particularly close. Every Friday night we would have a pampering evening and would often clean her jewelry together. I was lucky enough to inherit my favorite pieces from her collection. Here are some of the pieces she gave me along with a few other all time favorites!

1. The silver bracelet was a gift from my friend in London for my 18th Birthday. It's the only bracelet that I wear every single day.

2. These diamond and sapphire earrings were one of the things left to me by my granny.

3. This Swarovski and pearl chain was another 18th birthday gift from my Aunt and Uncle.

4. This locket was given to me at Christmas by my boyfriend. The pictures inside are from my Debutant ball in 2012.

5. This gold bangle was bought for me by my granny on my mum's side just before she died when I was three months old. It was given to me on my 15th Birthday. It has a little message engraved on the inside that says "To Shannon love Nan".

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Much Love,
Shannon.
xoxo

Spring/Summer Shoe Crush

1. HERE // 2. HERE // 3. HERE // 4. HERE // 5. HERE

It's obvious that I love clothes but I'm definitely more of a bag and shoe kind of girl. I believe that investing in things like bags and shoes is completely okay because you want them to last for more than just one season. I think that investing in things like clothes is a bit unnecessary, for me anyway, because my style tends to change quite regularly. My two favorite picks from this list have got to be No.4, the rose gold diamote strappies from boohoo.com and No.1, the cut out leather boots from Topshop.

Which ones are your favorites?

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Much Love,
Shannon.
xoxo

What About the Boys?

Men! Most of us are focused on women’s fashion, especially seeing that the majority of fashion bloggers are women. I've discovered a new appreciation for men's fashion since specialising in the men's department in Next. I learn about the new collections, styles, preferences, etc. I've put together a little board of things that I am loving for men this S/S 2014. They also include favorites from my boyfriend and brother. I find that I'm quite a fan of the Chino trouser look on boys. I think they're very smart and easy to style (which is what some men may be looking for). The most common question I get asked at work is "what's in right now" and I always dive head first for the chino's. They come in so many different colours now as well!

1. White T-Shirt // 2. Navy Jute Slip-On // 3. Purple Blazer // 4. Boxy T-Shirt // 5. Grey Chino Shorts // 
6. Chalk Chinos

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Much Love,
Shannon.
xoxo