Haunted Spooktacular

Hello everyone and Happy Halloween! 

So today's post is going to be about something completely different... It's about Halloween! If you're not heading out tonight I have a recommendation on something for you to do... Something that will scare the cr*p out of you! 

Last night I attended a the Haunted Spooktacular in Meath and it's my third year in a row that I've went, and it has never disappointed. It's definitely something to do in a group... Even if you don't like scary things I'd still recommend it. It has something to terrify everyone... From clowns to scarecrows to chainsaws to hillbilly's and with a little bit of exorcisms thrown in for good measure. Realistically if you have nothing planned for tonight and you don't fancy sitting in watching your Facebook newsfeed, and being jealous of lads and lassies dressed up as priests and nurses and slutty maids, get in the car (or your friends car) and head north (or south or east or west) to Meath!

So, what does it entail? An hour and a half queue if you don't fancy paying an extra €6 for fast entry (pay the extra €6, it's well worth it). Once you enter the attraction, you'll explore the land but be prepared for people to chase you with chainsaws and jump out from the darkness. The good part about this is you have to stop at points so you have time to calm down. Take into consideration that if you're claustrophobic or affected by strobe lights or loud music this isn't for you. Once you get through the woodlands you'll enter a house which has everything from exorcisms to mental asylums and little children asking you to play with them. Creepy is not the word! 

So how much is it? If you book before you head you can pay a standard rate of €16 or you can get the fast track tickets which are €22 or pay at the gate which will be €19 or €25, depending on your preference. 

And how do you get there? From Dublin take the M3 till exit 9 which is for Navan/ Delvin (you'll have to go through one toll), from there head in the direction of Athboy/ Delvin and then after 6miles you'll come to a T-junction (there will be a sign ahead of you pointing to Farmaphobia which is another scare attraction) turn right, after another 2.5 miles you will reach a small village called Fordstown and take a left after the Daybreak and it's straight down the road with free parking. If you're travelling from anywhere else head over to the website for directions.

The event runs from 7pm till 10pm and tonight is the final night! Step out of your comfort zone and just do it! Myself and my two besties proved we were just as strong as the lads we went with and completed the attraction with a few screams and tantrums (OK that was a lie there was a lot of panicky moments)

Have you ever headed to the Haunted Spooktacular? What did you think? Will you be heading along tonight?

Dawn

xXx 

**(Pictures obtained from the Spooktacular website, as cameras are not allowed within the attraction)

Good Things - Instant Dark Circles Concealer

Morning ladies,

I got sent out Good Things Instant Dark Circles Concealer before I went away on holidays. I've always used a natural collection concealer which I love, but since my obsession for the Good Things brand has begun to grow, I decided to change things up a bit. (Click here to see my previous Good Things post...)

Firstly, I think the packaging is really cute, and is presented the same as every other Good Things product. It's 15ml so is quite small, but the tiniest bit goes a long way. Originally when I first applied this product, I found it quite difficult to get out due to the metal roller-ball tip, but once I overcame this it was smooth sailing from here on out. 

This concealer, unlike many others, is a two-in-one product which not only covers dark circles but also depuffs the area. I sometimes find concealer can be really tough on your eye area and can sting quite a bit, but this has been tested to be extra gentle and is really lightweight!

So what are the ingredients that make it lightweight and help depuff the eye area? Raspberry,Lychee and Caffeine. The raspberry soothes the skin, the lychee supports the area around the eye due to the mineral potassium and the caffeine acts on the tiny blood capillaries within the skin to improve circulation and counteract puffiness around the eye area!

 So, does it conceal and hide puffy, dark circles? YES! Is it easy to use? YES! Is it an essential to my beauty bag? I don't know.... This was really a go to product on my holidays, mainly because it was super lightweight and hid my hideous dark circles from my friends! However, back at home it doesn't give me ENOUGH coverage... It's not great on blemishes and when I'm wearing a full face of make up it just doesn't sit right, I guess... 

Overall, I probably wouldn't rush to stores to purchase this again, but it definitely didn't put me off Good Things products. It smelt amazing (I never thought I'd say that about a concealer), was easy to use, is lightweight with natural ingredients and is reasonably well priced for what it does.

Have you ever used any Good Things products? Have you tried the Instant Dark Circles Concealer? What is your opinion on it?

Dawn 

xXx

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Ah we're on our holidays...

Morning ladies and happy October!

Apologies for the complete lack of posts as of recent! I've been busy getting the last few bits for my holidays, working loads and last week I was relaxing in the sun in Puerto Rico! I just wanted to share some details from my holiday with you....

We arrived at our hotel in Puerto Rico on Saturday night and after quickly unpacking we met by the poolside bar for a drink or two! (There was a bit of an issue on the plane which delayed us getting off... Some lady obviously couldn't last the 4 hour flight without sneaking to the toilet for a smoke... She seemed to get away with it and was also first off the plane... But sure she was on her holiday so it's acceptable, it's also acceptable to batter your 2year old grandchild too apparently... But enough of that). 

The next morning myself and Mick rose at about 9 to search out a supermarket and bakery (we'd been so excited about getting freshly made pastries for weeks!). Now this is probably where I should mention the steps... Almost 200 steps down to the commercial centre, which means 200 steps back up... NIGHTMARE, we done it twice and I think that was enough for us!

Some of the steps down to the commercial centre...

After the steps ordeal, we spent the majority of the day in the sun, and then caught the GAA final in a lovely Australian bar... COYBIB! We went for a meal later on and then had a few drinks by the pool later that evening.

Myself and Mick celebrating in an Australian bar!

The next day I woke early again (I'm not a morning person, but I couldn't sleep past half 9), we ended up spending the day in the commercial centre having a little wander and had a swim later on!

For the rest of the week it was mainly sunbathing, swimming and eating! 

On the Thursday evening we headed out quite early and returned to the apartment early enough to catch a magic show and reptile show after... We got to get in a picture with a giant albino python around us (which was fantastic), however I was more interested in getting a picture with the magicians dog!

The next day we went to a lovely little market about 20 mins away from us (something Mogan, but I was referring to it as Piers Morgan!). I picked up a few bits, including a lovely statement necklace and a giraffe mask thing for my wall! Nothing else really tickled my fancy apart from a lovely "Louis Vuitton" tote, which the seller was trying to sell for an extortionate price.... I can live without it!

Saturday came around and unfortunately this meant we had to pack up our stuff and get out. We managed to nab a late check out on one of the rooms, but of course this was the hottest day and I think we all wanted to jump in the pool. Our bus collected us for the airport just after 8 and we soon discovered our flight was delayed... Thankfully it wasn't too long, but it just meant getting home from Dublin airport would be a lot more difficult... Myself and Mick had been awake since before 8 so we were getting a bit cranky!

Overall I had a fantastic trip and I really wasn't happy about coming back! I have a few more posts planned for during the week, so hopefully I'll get the time to write them up...

Have any of you ever been to Puerto Rico? What do you think about the resort?

Dawn

xXx

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September/ Holiday Wishlist

Hey guys,

So, in three weeks I'll probably be sitting on a sun lounger working on my tan.... but more than likely I'll be sat under a sun umbrella complaining about the heat. Yes, that's right ladies, I'm going on my summer holidays! Myself and Ash, from A Plus Size Pony Pal, are dragging our boyfriends to Puerto Rico (in Spain not Mexico). We've been planning this trip since June, and we finally booked it last week! We're both so excited to head off... and it worked out super cheap, all we have to do now is organise our spending money!

The apartments we'll be staying in...

So with this I wanted to put together a holiday wishlist, in the hopes someone might see this and decide to spoil me....

The first thing I really want to pick up for my holidays is a pair of flatforms, I know these are horrible but for holidays they're perfect. I found a lovely pair on ASOS and they're only €49... however I also love these snake skin wedge flatforms (more wedge than flatform to be honest), but at almost €190 I just couldn't justify it.

ASOS Flatforms for €49

I absolutely love these shorts from Glamourous, and they only cost €30. I think they'd look fantastic with a dark tan, not saying I'll have that. These are definitely within my budget so I may purchase them before I go... but who knows.

Ok, so my style is so basic, I literally live in tank tops and cami's, but I love swing cami's like this one from Miss Selfridge (it's now sold out, but so many other high street stores sell these). Now, as much as I love this I just couldn't purchase it, mainly because Miss Selfridge's never take into consideration girls with boobs, and these are always really tight on me in that area...
....Sunglasses, sunglasses, sunglasses... now anyone that knows me knows how much I need sunglasses with me at all times, and this is due to my leaky eye....yes I said it, LEAKY EYE! Wind, sun, rain, and my eye will leak! I love these Ray-Bans, but at over €150 I think I'll stick to my cheap know off pair...right?! One day I'll splurge on a pair of these, and will then probably end up sitting on them and will probably never leave my house again.
Michael Kors....am I right?! Wow!! I've have been lusting over a Michael Kors tote bag... and watch....for the past year and a half. I just really couldn't justify it, when I can get a knock off in Penney's for next to nothing. However, this is my holiday wishlist and if I could afford it, I would be strutting around Dublin airport with a tote on one arm and a flashy watch on the other.
The final thing that's on my wishlist is this boho style frindship cuff. It's $20 which is about €15 (?), but I think I'll wait till I get over there to purchase something like this, after all I could probably get 20 of these for the same price over there!

Have any of you got any holidays planned?! What would be on your wishlist?!

Dawn 

xXx
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One of my favourite places...

Hey guys,

So today's post is not beauty related at all and more so to show one of my favourite place in Dublin! Dun Laoghaire is one of my favourite place to go in Dublin, especially for a relaxing walk with my boyfriend! One of the best days I've had this year was a bank holiday Monday spent down here with one of my best friends Niamh. We went for lunch along the sea front and it was so peaceful. 

Myself and Mick went for a stroll last night and it was so relaxing, even if we did get caught in a shower on the way back to the car. We usually walk along the pier and talk about the stupidest stuff... Like literally the most irrelevant things ever! We usually walk the East pier because its a little bit more friendly on the feet and its 1.3kms long, the West pier is slightly longer but doesn't have as many lights along it and its more gravelly!

Along the East pier there are lots of little exit points which lead to a slope down the water front. These are perfect for fishing.

At the end of the pier there's benches which look out onto the sea and you can see Howth perfectly, it never looks far away and I'm convinced that if there was no water it would only take a matter of minutes to walk between the two. 

If you are going to walk it, I'd suggest you bring an umbrella or something with a hood, as we all no how indecisive Irish weather is and there's no shelter from the rain. Also when u get to the end of the pier be prepared for wind! 

Have you ever walked Dun Laoghaire pier?! What do you think of what the tow has to offer?!

Dawn

xXx

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Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff

Hi ladies,

I got an early birthday present last week and it really couldn't have come at a better time. The present was Cocoa Browns new Tough Stuff and I was dying to give it a try. The previous week I was at my cousins wedding and on the Wednesday I got my spray tan done down in Carter Beauty (it of course came out fantastic). The one thing I hate about getting a spray done is when it all starts coming off, I always think my skin looks scaly or something. I stupidly didn't moisturise to help it come off more naturally so I was left with chunks of tan all over my body. My original plan was to just put tan over it for the Saturday night and hope for the best... But I was so thankful Tough Stuff arrived before I even started. 

So the product itself comes in a little sachet, that's of course pink. You can apply this mix either wet or dry (applying dry will give a deeper scrub). I opened the package and was pleasantly surprised that Cocoa Brown kept to their pink theme and the scrub itself was pink. It also smelt fantastic. Although the sachets look quite small I got a full body scrub out of it and had some left over. Now I actually hate scrubs because I always find they hurt too much and make my skin really dry but this was quite easy to rub in (my hands got a little sore the more I scrubbed, but I needed a good  scrub)! 

You know when you go to the beach and you arrive home with sand EVERYWHERE, and you jump into a shower to wash it off...that's what this feels like, which is something I actually love (it reminds me of holidays). Also a huge bonus about Tough Stuff was that it didn't make my shower really slippery like other scrubs do (whenever I use Ted Bakers body scrub I end up slipping when I'm getting out of the shower!). 

Before and After of my arm

Overall the product worked really well and made my skin so smooth, so much so that I actually told himself to feel how soft I was. It smells fantastic, looks super cute and is easy to use (absolutely no mess was made!). And best yet.... Cocoa Brown have kept to their low prices, Tough Stuff retails at €2.99. The one thing I would love though would be if this product was available in a tub because the scrub that was left in the sachet was thrown out because I don't like leaving products open for too long. Other than that I really couldn't fault the product. 

My legs are still swollen from bites and my cream didn't react well with the tan,
but tough stuff removed the majority of the blotchy tan.

Have any of you tried Tough Stuff yet? What did you think of the results?

Dawn

xXx

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Keeping Make Up Brushes Clean

Hi guys!

So today's post is about keeping make up brushes clean and bacteria free. This is something that actually scares terrifies me and I hate doing… so much so that I used to never do this until I realised I was having terrible breakouts when my brushes had been left too long. I remember the days when I first started using make up and applied foundation with my hands and eyeshadow was applied with the little brush that come in the eyeshadow set (and the only mascara i used was a clead one because blak mascaras gave me spider lashes). I eventually moved on to using sponges and later moved up in the world, and purchased my first foundation brush. I was the first of my friends to get one of these and I distinctly remember being at a sleepover when I was 16 and applying my make up the next day and the girls literally couldn't stop laughing at me, because it looked like I was painting my face… needless to say they ALL own a foundation brush and couldn't live without one now!

Ok so back to the daunting cleaning process. About 2 years ago, I became an inglot addict and went through a phase of getting my make up done before every night out (I obviously had a lot of disposable income).

Inglot Brush Cleanser €10

I was talking to one of the girls about keeping brushes clean and she recommended using their brush cleanser. It costs about €10 and would last you a good 6 months if not more. At this time I also purchased a new foundation brush as the one I had was becoming a bit worn and I was in need of a new one (even though I had only had it a few months). Now take in mind I apply foundation every day and this inglot brush has now last me 2 years...that's 730 days. I don't know if this is because it's a really good quality brush or if me cleaning it everytime it has been used has helped to maintain it… probably a bit of both.

My Inglot foundation brush

So everyday after I use my make up brushes I'll use this brush cleanser, especially on my eyeshadow brushes… the last thing you want is to be applying an eye shadow and the black shadow from last night ending up all over your face, not a good look. I'll admit I can be lazy sometimes and not bother, but when they have been cleaned applying make up is so much easier. I usually spray a little bit onto either a pad or a baby wipe and use this to clean the brush. I prefer using baby wipes to be honest as sometimes the pad tends to fall apart. 

Once a month I'll give my brushes a really deep clean by washing them all and leaving them to dry on my window sill. I usually use shampoo to get everything off them and then use conditioner to keep the brushes soft. I've been told that baby shampoo is the best for this but I have always used whatever shampoo is in the shower at the time. By actually cleaning my brushes once a month and using the Inglot cleanser my brushes are all in top notch quality… including my MAC set which I got for 19th birthday 4 years ago!

Majority of my brush don't look at old as they are...

...Until you look at the faded names on each of them.

How do you keep your make up brushes clean? Have you tried Inglots Brush Cleanser?

Dawn

xXx

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