* Falseeyelashes.co.uk sent Eylure false lashes to me as a gift in return for a mention in a blog post. All thoughts are my own. 

My makeup bag is always overflowing. I can’t remember the last time it wasn’t. Even when I hardly knew about makeup and was just starting out, the bag was full. Between travelling and staying at different houses, (Mum’s house, Dad’s house and uni), there are a few staples that make it into the bag every time...

Givenchy’s Noir Couture Volume Mascara- I have always struggled to find a good mascara. One that doesn’t clump my lashes or make them look like squashed spider legs. That was until I found this Givenchy number as part of Glamour’s Beauty club. I absolutely love this mascara and I won’t be going back to high street brands for a long time. The difference between the before and after one swipe is amazing, my lashes look naturally volumised. 



Tom Ford 03 Loveshade eye shadow- My eye shadow game is shocking. Shockingly bad. I very rarely experiment with colours instead I choose at most 3 shades of nude. This colour (as you can see) is a golden pink colour and perfect for swiping over the eyes for a work look. It has a slight shimmer to it and the golden colour warms up my eyes.

Eylure False Lashes*- Fake eyelashes are a staple in every makeup bag. These lashes are from falseeyelashes.co.uk I really like the No70 lashes as they’re closest to my natural lash pattern, enhancing my features rather than covering them.


Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil- I have to say no one does eyebrows quite like a Benefit brow. I like that the pencil is quite basic because 1, I don’t have the time to be doing them properly and 2, I don’t have the skill to do anything more than fill my brows in a little bit.


L’Oreal True Match concealer- I’m usually a stickler for the Maybelline Fit Me concealer but when your shade is always sold out its difficult to remain faithful. This True Match concealer (1.R/C Ivory Rose) was the palest one I could find in the store and one that had pinkish undertones. The pink undertones help to add a little colour to my face and it works perfectly for brightening under my eyes and covering red blemishes.

Eco Tools Brushes- Makeup isn’t the only thing in my makeup bag. After all, I need to apply it somehow. When I first started wearing makeup I was a beauty blender devotee. But when I changed my foundation to a water-based one, I started using my fingers to apply it and using brushes to apply the rest. I really like the feel of the Eco Tools brushes. They have a similar softness and quality to the Real Techniques brushes and they're also vegan!


What are your makeup staples?

Love, Aoife xo


My Mum and I arrived on Thursday morning and left Saturday evening. Meaning after all the travelling, Friday was the only day we had a full day. We stayed in a cute AirBnB in Porto Romano which was a couple of stops on the Metro from Duomo Square. It was a couple of minutes from the station and also near the tram stop to get to the Navigli canals. Which we visited on Thursday evening.

Duomo Square is the main square in Milan as it's where the cathedral is located. On the left of the cathedral is Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II which you'll know by the high glass ceiling and impressive architecture. Surprisingly, it was actually quite cool underneath the glass while the weather was hitting 30 degrees outside. 

The floor is covered in mosaics and we found the famous bull. The myth goes that if you spin on your heel on the Bull's balls you receive good luck. We both had a little spin and whether you believe in the myth or not, I found out I had passed my media law exam after thinking I'd failed it. So I did receive a little bit of good luck!


Friday was spent wandering around Milan as much as we could on foot. Coming out of the Galleria, we took a little trip through the fashion district. The centre of Milan is filled with narrow roads and all the designers had set up shop in the old buildings. I don't think I've ever seen such a large concentration of designer stores in one area before. It was quite something. Even though we window shopped, it was nice to explore a quieter side of Milan and look at the old buildings. 

After strolling past the Montragoni school of fashion, we stumbled across a free museum hidden behind the street. It had a mixture of art, lace and sculptures. We also took a trip to the Castelo Sforzesco where we crashed in the park for an hour or two under a tree to avoid the heat.


There aren't many touristy things to do in Milan. At least, not things we were interested in doing. However, going to the top of the cathedral was definitely on our list of things to do. We originally planned to go in the morning but the sun was shining brightly above us so we decided to leave it until later. Buying the tickets were a little tricky and confusing, I'd recommend going a little later in the day when the surge of tourists (even though you are one) has gone down. We chose not to do the fast track tickets and it turned out to be fine. There were no queues. 

To go inside the cathedral you need your legs and shoulders covered. As you can see from the pictures, I had both out on full display so I was made to buy a paper kimono for a few euros. The cathedral had very high ceilings but the chill you get in most cathedrals wasn't there. I think visiting the rooftop was one of my favourite parts as you could see all the other rooftops of Milan. It was quite stunning.

Views from the Airbnb.
Love, Aoife xo

My friend once told me that in France a Mother will take her daughter to a perfume shop when she turns a certain age. There she would choose a perfume that would become her ‘scent’. It was like a coming of age event. I have no clue how much of that is true or whether I’m getting mixed up with another country but I like to think so much of it is true. The idea that a scent, personalised to you, is made when you were younger and something you carry through in life.

Everyone has a different relationship with scent and different scents hold different memories. In the past, I never took much consideration and attention to the perfumes I would use. However, that all changed a few years ago when I finally had the money and learnt how important a good perfume can be. And so, my coming of age story began. 

For me, I associate scents with different outfits and places. I choose one depending on what I'm wearing and how I feel in it. Summer is my favourite season; the lovely sunny weather, the relaxing feeling that takes over and eating al fresco every night. The perfumes I wear during the summer season are generally light, floral and a little sweet. 

Here are my top three perfumes for this summer:



Gucci Bloom

This perfume is very special to me and is my favourite one. The scent unravels as you wear it and each time you smell it, you get hints of something else. It contains base notes of natural tuberose and heart notes of Jasmine Bud. The beautiful Dakota Johnson is the face of it, who I absolutely adore, and she put us on to the good stuff. I don't know if it's just me but reading the descriptions of this perfume and the ideas behind it, make me fall more in love with it.



Burberry Her

I received this perfume as a Christmas gift and at first, I wasn't sure as I'm not a big fan of sweet smelling perfumes but it's growing on me. Her is sweet smelling but not overpowering, giving it a classy, elegant edge. The smell reminds me of youth and freedom so I usually pair it with light, fun outfits.

Stradivarius Pretty Blossom

I LOVE scents that smell edible. Pretty Blossom has a subtle hint of chocolate which makes it a mouthwatering scent. It’s doesn't have one domineering scent but rather a mixture of subtle smells. Compared to the others on my list, this is from a high street brand and costs £15. It's really good quality and the scent lingers all day.



Victoria Secret Body Sprays are a must have in any wardrobe and I use mine every day. I picked up the scent Wild Flower last year and it smells of coconuts and hot sunny days. I'm don't actually like the taste of coconuts but I love the smell of them. Coconut smelling perfumes are perfect for the summer as the scent is a summer staple. 

I also have a billion little perfume samples sitting in a drawer and so here are a couple of extra favourites that are perfect for summer: Givenchy’s L'Interdit and Emporio Armani’s Stronger With You. Elie Saab's Girl of Now has a hint of almond which is perfect for a lush Summer’s day.

What’s your favourite perfume?

Love, Aoife xo




Did you know that deodorant contains aluminium? The aluminium is used to cover your pores and stop you from sweating. Which is perfectly fine but I feel like it's quite an aggressive way of saying don't sweat.

For the last month, I swapped my normal Sure deodorant to go organic and use Green People’s Natural Aloe Vera deodorant. I’d heard mixed thoughts on using an organic/ natural deodorant, some good and some bad, so I decided to put it to the test.

NORMAL DEODORANT

I typically buy antiperspirant deodorant because my body likes to sweat a lot. Not that it actually works, I sweat right through it. I then switched to roll-on deodorant because I kept gassing myself out every time I used the spray and I was fed up of the white marks left behind. The main reason I made the switch was that I felt like the normal deodorant was becoming less effective and my armpits were starting to ache.

THE LOWDOWN

Organic deodorant is named so as it does not contain or have as many harsh chemicals and aluminium like normal deodorants on the market. They typically contain some essential oils and organic ingredients. You can read more about the benefits here.


The price range for natural deodorant varies with the most expensive being £22.50 and the cheapest £4.99. (on feelunique.com)  Green People’s deodorant was £10.50 on Feel Unique and is made with 89% organically certified ingredients. The description says it contains a subtle scent of Sandalwood and Chamomile with organic aloe vera, probiotics and zinc ricinoleate which is used to absorb odour particles. The description breaks down the natural ingredients and their purposes.

RUMOURS

When it comes to organic deodorant, a lot of people say there’s a transitional period for the first few weeks. This is where your body adjusts to the new pH in the less chemically filled deodorant which can cause B.O. I was quite worried about this and self-conscious that I could start smelling like a pubescent teenager. They also say that it’s not as strong as a normal deodorant so you will need to reapply it throughout the day. I didn’t mind this but it could start to get annoying after a while. 

As gross as it may sound, I had already stopped wearing normal deodorant a few weeks before and I’d go days without wearing it. This was because I felt better without it on. However, I would wash more as a way to compensate so I didn’t smell. But I never smelt massively bad.

WHAT I LEARNT


I love using organic deodorant. My armpits feel so much better than they used to and there isn’t that sting that comes with normal deodorant. It seems weird but I feel as though my underarms don’t sweat as much as they used to and when they do, it feels like a healthier sweat if that’s possible.

The deodorant is a roll on and dries quite quickly. The B.O smell isn’t as full on as I thought it would be and most times you can’t smell it. Or if it is there then you have to give it a big sniff.  And... no white marks!!

Overall, I’d recommend trying a more natural deodorant. If anything you limit the number of toxins going into your body and it feels so much better than having the sticky sweat that builds up. I don’t know how much this is true, but it probably helps the environment too.

UPDATE: I can officially say I’m out of the transitional period. Last Thursday was the first day where there wasn’t a hint of B.O under my arms at the end of the day. 

Have you ever tried organic deodorant? If not, would you make the swap?


Love, Aoife xo
Photographs by Rashidah Beatson.

Having an argument with your best friend in the middle of Westfield probably isn’t the best way to share your struggles with anxiety and eating issues. Sorry hun!

It was #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek last week and following a conversation between my two flatmates, a recent post from Grace Victory, I thought I’d share my story and my relationship with mental health. As well as give a few pointers on what helps me feel better when it seems like the world is caving in. 

Mental Health doesn’t necessarily display any physical signs. Of course, the physical signs can come a little later. But my point being, that you never always know what is going on up there for someone unless they tell you. And that’s the sort of relationship I have with my mental health. I have struggled on and off with anxiety for around four or five years now. It tends to come in waves. Thankfully, it’s getting much better. From the outside, I always make sure I look put together as I’m very good at separating my thoughts from my facial expressions. So while I’m panicking upstairs, I’ll look like the calmest in the room.

It was over the summer before year 11 when in the space of one week, I had dropped one stone (about 6KG). As I was already slim, it had quite a negative impact on my body and mental health. I’m pretty sure I was underweight. I struggled to eat; my stomach had shrunk from having nothing in it for a week. I experienced full-blown anxiety for the first time and I struggled a lot with controlling my breathing. 


When I returned to the weight I was before I still had bouts of anxiety, but the second year of A-Level was the absolute worst. Some days I’d turned back home because I worked myself up into a state on the way to Sixth-form. I never sat the mocks for one of my subjects and I sat my final exams in a separate room. I started to lose count of the number of times I practised breath control during A-levels.

At university, I feel anxious at times. My living situation has not helped at all and as a result, I’ve been to wellbeing a couple of times for it. However, for the most part, I manage and a little pep talk always helps.

There are not always obvious signs when someone is struggling with mental health. There can be little subtle changes in their behaviour; a little quieter than usual or not quite in the present. They may act differently towards you or even be a little more annoying than usual. These changes often happen because they have a lot going on internally, that they are less attentive to what is going on around them.


The easiest way to find out is to ask them how they’re feeling. Instead of the 'hey, how are you?', try 'Hey, how are you feeling today?' or 'How are you, mentally?' Ask more pointed questions because from my experience, if someone asks how you are it’s very easy to brush them off and evade how you’re really feeling. My best friend and I often ask these questions now, to avoid a repeat performance in Westfield, and it works as a silent 'I’m here when you need me'.

Ask your friends and your parents how they’re doing. Nothing is worse than finding out a few months or even a year later that someone close to you has been struggling internally for a long time because they didn’t feel like they could talk to you. Let them know that you’re available to lend an ear or give some advice when they need it. Use this time to encourage a conversation about something you never really talk about. Not saying you have to change the way you live but start talking about it.

As for yourself, having good mental health isn’t all about baths, candles and treating yourself. Sometimes, it’s about looking after your body and your environment. 
  • Think: cleaning, paying bills, buying groceries. It’s the simplest of things but looking after your environment is quite important. 
  • Wash your hair or give your body a scrub. I notice a big difference in my attitude when I haven’t shaved my armpits for a long time. Take care in your physical appearance. After all, when you look good, you feel good. Make an effort on the outside and you’ll start to internalise that good feeling. P.S- I'm not saying you have to shave your armpits but if you 'let things go', your mind does too. Look after your body.
  • Go to the gym/ Take up an exercise. It's been proven that working your body physically helps with mental wellbeing. It really helps me with my anxiety. Focusing on exercise and the way your body moves, for even 30 minutes, has a massive impact. It takes you away from those spiralling thoughts leaving your body to relax.
  • Change location. I find that by removing myself from a room I spend a lot of time in or the house itself, makes me feel a lot better about things. I often associate places with feelings and changing the place, clears them away. Even going for a walk around the block can help to clear your head. 

With all that said, use this week to care of yourself and to talk to those around you. Whether you share your problems with them or they share theirs; it’s a start. There’s a whole spectrum when it comes to mental health and while I put myself on the somewhat healthy end, if you’re struggling then there's is plenty of support out there from your family and friends to organisations such as Mind and Samaritans.


Love, Aoife xo


What is the meaning of life? You tell me.

What is the difference between right and wrong? It’s about feeling; knowing what you shouldn’t do versus the better option.

Nature or nurture? Nurture. 

Is it more important to be liked or respected? Respected. You don’t necessarily have to like someone/ thing but you can appreciate them/ it. I get really frustrated when people can’t appreciate the time and effort that goes into something.

If you could be remembered for one thing what will it be? For being passionate and encouraging others to find theirs [passion]. 

Who or what is your greatest love? Fashion. 

When did you last lie? Yesterday. A woman came up to me and I had no clue who she was but she obviously knew me. So I pretended like I knew more than I did when she spoke to me.

Does the supernatural exist? If you want it to.

Are you fatalistic? Yes. And also no. I believe we are given choices and it’s up to us to decide which ones to take. But, also, that it will all work out in the end. Even if we’ve been dealt with the wrong cards; know that it will get better.

What is your greatest fear? Being lonely. I don’t mind being alone and living by myself but to be completely lonely and have no-one. That’s quite scary.

Animals or babies? Babies. 


What talent do you yearn for? Being able to sing would be awesome.

Do you like to be complimented? Yes, who doesn’t?

Do you have a high pain threshold? Define high. Haha! I can cope with a bikini wax but that’s about the only pain I can cope with.

What book do you recommend most to others? I don’t think there’s one book that I recommend to others. Everyone I know is going through different things and has different personalities. But if I do, then it’s probably a Sophie Kinsella book.

Which lesson has been the hardest to learn? You can’t control everything and everyone. People have their own paths to follow and stuff to figure out. And not everybody will treat you with the same respect you give to others. Same, with what they do as well. 

What food sums up happiness? Thai Green curry. It smells divine and warms you up from the inside. It’s a dish full of love.

What have you never understood? People.

What is one thing you want to know before you die? The French language. 

Are you scared of dying or what happens when you die? Touchwood, that won’t happen for a while. But, isn’t everybody?

Quinoa or Quavers? Quinoa. My body is a temple and all that.


I came across these questions in the back of Stylist mag with Little Simz and I thought I’d share the philosophy too. They’ve been fun to do and if you’re a fellow blogger out there have a go and tag me in it. I’d love to see what answers everybody has. Comment below what has been your hardest lesson to learn and how you dealt with it.


Love, Aoife xo