Posts

With so many products out there it’s difficult to find the ones you love. Between pricing, packaging and most importantly how effective they are it can be tricky to pinpoint which ones are for you. I have picked out a few of my favourites at the moment.

1- With the news of Victoria Secret potentially opening in Dublin the popularity of their products are likely to continue to grow. We will no longer be restricted to having to go to terminal 2 of Dublin airport! Good news for all. I love their body sprays and their coconut passion body spray with vanilla is a definite favourite of mine. It’s perfect for giving yourself a spritz before running out the door. (Price: €12 approx)

2 – Quick Fix facials isn’t one I was familiar with but I decided to give this calming clay mask a go. It’s designed especially for sensitive and red skin (both of which I am susceptible to). With ingredients like oatmeal, aloe vera, chamomile extract and rose extract it leaves the skin and feeling soft and refreshed. (Price: €6 approx)

3 – Next is the Toni and Guy dry shampoo and this one is my favourite of the bunch. I love dry shampoo, not just for freshening up hair between washes but also for building texture. Having tried a few different brands and not being too impressed with one factor or another, this one gets it all right. Works brilliantly, smells fantastic and the packaging reflects the product. It’s white, clean and refreshing,matching perfectly with the CLEANSE series. (Price: €8 approx)

4 – Vichy Fresh Cleansing Gel is my next choice. Vichy is a fantastic brand that are known for their skincare and this product is no exception. A small pump of the product is plenty as it foams and lathers once water is added. Skin is left feeling clean and revived! (Price: €14 approx)

5 – Sanctuary Spa Hand Cream was a simple choice. Another very recognisable brand, it doesn’t need much explanation. With ingredients like shea butter and sweet almond oil the velvety cream leaves skin hydrated and soft. (Price: €7 approx)

6- L’Oreal Paris Collection Exclusive Lipstick (Shade Liya’s Pure Red). At first I wasn’t a massive fan of this lipstick, despite having fallen in love with the colour. After a few uses it grew on me and is now my go to red lipstick! (Price: €10 approx)

7 – Soap and Glory Love at First Blush blusher. Soap and Glory is a popular product range and having usually stuck to their moisturisers and body creams I was unfamiliar with their make-up. Upholding their positive reputation, the make-up didn’t disappoint. With a mixture of four different shades you get just the right hint of pink and shimmer! (Price: €12 approx)

 

A lot of our lives are dependent around work. Fair enough, to an extent. We all need an income to survive and live but does that mean we need to become slaves to our CV’s?

So we all know what a CV is. Your Curriculum Vitae, to use it’s proper title. It consists of your experience, your qualifications, educational background and your hobbies and interests, essentially it’s your life on a page (but no more than two!). It provides your new prospective employer with a chronological overview of who you are. One would think this should act as an asset to your life but often your CV can become more of  a hindrance.

Life is not black and white, sometimes you want to travel, you might want to change career, maybe you want to volunteer for a while or maybe the whole 9-5 scenario just doesn’t do it for you. All of these are perfectly acceptable reasons as to why you might want to change things up, but now every time you want to make a life decision you have to think, how is this going to look on my CV? So say you do one of the above. You take a bold move and decide to break the mould a bit. You go off and try something different or make a change more suitable for you. Then, for arguments sake, lets say you return to your previous industry or lifestyle a year or so later. You have to justify and explain why you made the decisions you made, why you are now returning, why you have a gap on your CV and you almost feel like you have done something wrong. Just because your CV has a bit of variety doesn’t mean you aren’t suitable for a role or worthy of it.

I find it frustrating that we seem to live in a society where, for the most part, you’re judged solely on a CV. I am an ambitious person and I want to do well but I also want to enjoy life and make decisions that are right for me, when they are right for me, and not have to worry how it will look on a piece of paper afterwards. I welcome the  day when a “discrepancy” or a gap on a CV doesn’t dictate how we live our lives and diversity is welcomed and seen as advantage.

 

Everyone I have spoken to who has travelled to Amsterdam has loved it. Having never been myself I was curious to see what it was about this charming city that made people fall in love with it. Last Thursday night myself and my good friend Noelle left Dublin for the Netherlands. We touched down about 10.30 pm and set about finding the train to the city centre. Sadly, someone had tragically taken their own life by stepping onto the railway line so there were some complications but we arrived at our hotel at about midnight.

On our first day we went for a leisurely breakfast and wondered around the centre. Almost immediately I could see why this city is so popular. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that made me like it so much but I could see the appeal. Embracing the tourist in us we went on a boat ride around the city. The architecture was interesting to look at. Most buildings are tall and extremely narrow with a sturdy metal hook jutting out from the top. It turns out the reasons for this was because there used to be a tax on the width of buildings so people built upwards as opposed to outwards. The metal hook at the top was to assist in hoisting heavy or awkward furniture etc. in and out of the buildings. This was because often the stairs were too narrow. When I look at the homes and buildings in cities like Amsterdam and Prague I wish the architecture in Ireland had a bit more character. I can’t help but think the majority of our cities look generic in comparison.

That evening we  wondered around some more and were intrigued to see the red light district. There were swarms of people and I have to say it was one of the most unusual things I think I have ever seen. On reading more about it there are some sad stories as to how some women have ended up there while others are there completely by choice. Interesting to see it nonetheless.

Saturday we went to the “I amsterdam” sign which was also surrounded by tourists. People climbed daringly on the letters and more than one took some bad tumbles. We played it safe sticking to sitting in the letter ‘d’ and under the ‘m’ :). Following that, we went to the Anne Frank house. Thankfully Noelle had booked this in advance as the queues were far from short. This was one of the best things I did while in Amsterdam. The story of Anne Frank and her family is tragic and moved me to tears by the end. It was only €15 and took two hours, certainly value for money but I would definitely recommend booking beforehand.

On our third day we decided to sample some of the Dutch shopping but I behaved and only spent €5! I had certainly already spent enough by then anyway. It turned out to be a bit more expensive than I expected and a particular low point was when I was charged €11.50 for a drink. I will certainly be making a return to Amsterdam in the future but will be leaving it until late Spring or early Summer simply because I have to go and see fields full of the beautiful tulips. Unfortunately, it was a little early in the year this time round but not to worry because this gives me an excuse to go back. Also a word of warning, people on bikes will cycle into you!

 

 

 

We have become accustomed to being constantly “on”. Even when we are not at work, we are connected to work. Thinking about work, worrying about work, using social media for work, checking emails, the list is endless. But how long can people sustain this kind of lifestyle? Surely, it is bound to have an effect sooner or later. I am aware that certain careers demand this more than others and it’s a choice you make, but I have to question if it is worth it.

Although not sure how and why our society has developed the way it has I do believe there is  massive pressure from society to conform. Society has deemed certain career paths more successful than others and should someone dare to break the mould there is an unspoken judgement, not from everyone of course, but it is there. The supposed appropriate lifestyle includes college, (even among universities there is an unspoken snobbery), graduating and entering some large successful company only to work your way up and pull in as high a salary as possible, get married, get the  mortgage and have children. But what if that’s not what you want? and for plenty of people it’s not, some who I don’t think even realise it but because it has been drilled into us that is what “success” is then we start to believe that is what we have to do. This has become so engrained in us we start to feel that anything less might make you a failure which is ridiculous.

Yet on a daily basis many people find themselves stressing out about work. It has led me to now try and live by the title of this piece, something my brother said years ago.. work to live, don’t live to work. Our lives should be balanced. Work should assist our lives, not consume it. When you look at the levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues in this country you would have to wonder in how many cases is it avoidable by something as simple as not having to stress about work all the time. I am by no means claiming that it is  black and white, people have responsibilities that mean sometimes working in a stressful job is necessary but if you don’t have to,then don’t. Do what you love and if you can make that your career then it’s a bonus but the ultimate aim is to enjoy what you do. 

 

 

 

Since returning from Prague in July 2014 I hadn’t really done a  lot to please the travel bug that bit me about seven years ago (apart from a brief trip to the UK in June last year). My focus was to return to college by night and work to get as much experience as possible. You could the say the pressure inflicted on us all by society to get your foot on the career ladder certainly started to weigh on me. Now, eighteen months later, and having achieved what I set out to do, I have decided that 2016 needs to be a lot more fun, for lack of a better word. What better way to start that than a trip to the beautiful Barcelona.

Myself and Ruth, a close friend I have known since I was old enough to talk, booked it all about 3 weeks before Christmas and set off on January 14th. Dreaming of balmy sunshine might have gotten the better of us considering the bleak amount of stormy weather Ireland had been experiencing and we definitely over-estimated the temperature! I ended up buying a fleece and hat and my remarks of “I can’t wait to feel the heat on my bones” seemed like a distant memory.

Barcelona reminded me of many other European cities I have been in. It has beautiful architecture, great shopping, tasty cuisine and is a lot cheaper than here (particularly for food and drinks) and of course there had to be an Irish bar lurking around which I happened to get offered a job in! There were plenty of attractions to see so we got stuck in straight away and headed to Parc Guell which is one of Gaudi’s most beautiful works. After getting a little lost in the beginning we eventually found our way and it was certainly worth it. The park is covered in beautiful mosaics and leaves you wondering if you have somehow ended up in a scene from Alice and Wonderland.

Friday saw us attempt to see Mount Tibidabo but that’s a long story. What we did see was the amazing Sagrada Familia (another beautiful piece of work from Gaudi). Pictures simply cannot do this justice, it needs to be seen and despite being under renovation you can still appreciate just how amazing this building is. From here we went on to see the Arc de Triomf and the beautiful Parc de la Citudella which was another favourite of mine. Here stands a fountain which rivals that of Rome’s Trevi. It’s a perfect place to sit and relax and just take in the beauty.

On our last full day we were headed for Montjuic which didn’t disappoint. The weather, although still cold, was beautiful and only enhanced the already stunning views. To get back to the ground we had to take a cable car and neither of us are the bravest when it comes to heights but made ourselves jump in regardless. Eager to get my feet back on the ground I happened to get out a bit early only to have jump back in before the cable car went too far! The wind, and the fact that the car stopped mid way down(just for a second), didn’t help things. We finished off the day with some well earned drinks and struggled back to Dublin the next morning! It was a fantastic trip and a city I would certainly recommend.

 

 

I know that you are weary, but I know that you are strong,

You will always be my daughter, so within you I live on.

The night that I was taken will never leave your mind.

Wounds are deep, scars unending, that some will never understand.

I taught you much, and yes you have done me proud.

Believe me when I tell you from above I’m smiling down.

Shed your tears if you must but please don’t shed too long.

Your smile is far too precious to hold it back and not move on.

I know that you are worried of the pain and fear I felt

And yes, I could hear you all trying your best to help.

Although 15 years has passed, tears still roll down your face.

But just be strong, I am always with you, no one will ever take my place.

Think of the black and white films that we would sit and watch

Or that time we walked in Jersey and I swore we weren’t lost!

When you were just a little girl I promised to keep you safe.

And if a boy ever hurt you he would have me to face.

Although I am not there with you, I watch you from afar.

You are not just my daughter, you’re my friend and my star.

So next time you feel down or sad remember what we had.

Know that I am with you, I will always be your Dad. x

I was never quite sure where my fascination with Audrey Hepburn came from but I know it struck around the time I was in my second year of college so I was about 19 or 20 years old. In college, a few times a year, or at least once a semester there were poster sales which would take place on campus and as Audrey Hepburn is one of those popular faces we see at such events, this could have been where my curiosity came from. I had a few posters in my room, the usual classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s shots and from here I began to become more and more interested in her style. She’s simple, chique and classy. She certainly has an air of sophistication about her which isn’t commonplace in today’s movie star world. I think film stars then and now are world’s apart in many ways and Audrey Hepburn epitomises the poise and grace of a true film star, something lacking in today’s society all too frequently.

Hepburn was born in Brussels on May 4th 1929 and spent some of her youth studying in a boarding school in England. During WW2, her education also brought her to the Netherlands where she spent time at the Arnhem Conservatory. During this time the young girl had had a keen interest in dance and pursued this love further when she went to focus on ballet in Amsterdam and later in London. She certainly had the figure of a dancer and perhaps some of her poise and grace is as a result of her time as a ballerina. In 1948 the Belgian took part in her first on stage production- a musical known as “High Button Shoes” in London. Following this, she also danced in “Sauce Tartare” and ” Sauce Piquante” in 1949 and 1950. Of course we all know Hepburn for her movie roles and this began to take off in 1951 where she took part in ” One Wild Oat” and “Lavender Hill Mob“.By now she was still quite young, a 22 year old, who was about to get the world to recognise her potential, made her New York debut in a Broadway production of “Gigi“. This was set in Paris in 1900 and it certainly sparked Hollywood’s interest in the Belgian beauty.Just a short time later, about 2 years, Hepburn starred along Gregory Peck in “Roman Holiday” where she plays the part of Princess Anne. As a result of this role Audrey Hepburn earned herself the title of Best Actress, an Academy award every actress strives to achieve.

Her Broadway career continued and the awards along with it. Hepburn won a Tony award for best actress in a play where she met her husband, Mel Fererr. The wedding took place in Switzerland in September 1954. In the same year, Hepburn took part in another of her more famous works “Sabrina” where she played a naive young girl who travels to Paris for a Summer and returns a far more sophisticated young woman and captures the heart of her neighbour. Following this, the young actress re-introduced her dancing routes by incorporating it into her next big role in “Funny Face”. This was a musical where Hepburn portrays a character who works in a book store and is discovered only to be transformed into a glamorous model. The clothes and costume for this one were designed by none other than Givenchy. At this point in her career Hepburn began to show her versatility and prove her credibility as an actress in more serious roles like those she played in “War and Peace” in 1956, “The Nun’s Story” in 1959 and in 1960 “The Unforgiven” In the same year she gave birth to her son, Sean.

The next role that Hepburn played is arguably the character that she is most known for, that of the carefree Gollightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” where she brings to life a fun and playful young lady loving life in New York but harboring a difficult past and a close relationship with her brother. Holly falls in love with a writer in the film and her vulnerability-not only for the man she falls for but also at the connection she has with her brother is portrayed beautifully by Hepburn and earned her a fourth Academy award nomination. Some of her later work included “My Fair Lady” in 1964 where she executes the story of a girl, Eliza Doolittle, who rises through society from a mere flower girl to a true lady in society. It’s interesting that quite a number of Hepburn’s characters move through a type of transformation. This can be said of “Sabrina“, ” Funny Face“, “My Fair Lady” and to an extent ” Breakfast at Tiffany’s“. Perhaps this is something that made Hepburn so appealing, fans would have seen her move through different transitions and watch her make these characters come to life. Hepburn, also played a difficult role in 1967 where she portrays a blind woman in ” Wait Until Dark” who uses her other senses to overcome those troubling her. This allowed her her fifth academy award nomination and in the same year she and husband Fererr divorced. Hepburn would soon marry again, this time to an Italian Psychiatrist, Andrea Dotti and the couple had a son, Luca, in 1970.

Audrey Hepburn continued to act up until the 1980’s and her final role was in “Always” in 1989. She later became an ambassador for UNICEF where she travelled to raise awareness for the cause. Her good work was marked by a Humanitarian award in 1993, however, Hepburn died before she received it. She passed away on January 20th 1993 from cancer of the colon in her home in Switzerland.

I think the fact that Audrey Hepburn played such a variety of characters made her appealing to a wide audience. Her roles were fun and quirky but also vulnerable and I believe this added to her already endearing qualities. She is a classic beauty, a great actress and an icon who has gained the respect of an audience the world over. Some love her for her style, others for her charitable work and others for her great acting throughout her career. I thought writing a piece about this actress was a must, not only does she currently grace the background on my blog, the classic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” image hangs on my wall and I also did my best to impersonate the gracious icon recently at a friend’s 30th birthday. There’s no doubt the legacy of this film star will continue and with it her beautiful style.

Those I am closest to will know that I have always been pretty well organised. I like to make sure I know what I am doing, when, how and have a time period set as to when I want that particular thing done. Well organised has its advantages but at some point when good organisation becomes slightly more obsessive you start to realise that it’s not organisation any more…

When I was about 11 I was in my sitting room at home. I looked into the kitchen to see my parents having dinner just like any other night of the week. My Dad still dressed in his oily clothes from the garage as he was a mechanic. For some obscure reason that was the first moment I realised that my parents would not always be around. It terrified me. Roughly three or so months later, my Dad died of a heart attack. I’m not sure just how much time had passed before I put two and two together but when I did make that connection, I never forgot it. From here I developed this idea that I had somehow contributed to what had happened to my father. I developed a mentality that every thought that sprung into my head would then materialise just as had happened with my Dad. Over the years I think I got used to it as I was quite young so for a long time I just assumed it was who I was but with age I have learned an awful lot about myself and know that there is a reason I get so anxious and that is most certainly as a result of what happened on December 24th 2000.
There has been a lot of talk recently about mental health in Ireland. Firstly because of Sinead O’Connor and her concern about Miley Cyrus (which she then turned on Sinead) and secondly as a result of Conor Cusack who spoke of his depression and reached hearts near and far. It’s reassuring that people are finally starting to realise the extent of mental health and that it doesn’t make you weak or abnormal if you experience a time when you need someone to talk to. I have visited a counsellor twice in my life, the first for bereavement and the second time as I was just feeling generally quite unhappy and couldn’t pinpoint why. When people hear the word counsellor they automatically think loony, psycho or some other complete exaggeration. Often they have a stereotype of the counsellor too, the cliché of someone sitting in a big fancy office writing notes as you awkwardly sit there. I can honestly say, it is just that, more often than not, it’s a stereotype. You might be surprised to think that it can be quite friendly, informal and leave you feeling a hell of a lot better than you did before.

 

From my second experience I learned so much about myself that I can’t even verbalise or explain it. I found out why I do certain things and how to recognise them. I am still learning even now but I can see far more clearly the mistakes I have made and patterns I may have subconsciously followed. For example, my way of coping was to set myself a goal and achieve it. I had basically been doing this for the last decade. Do a good a Junior certificate, do a good Leaving certificate, get into University. I was constantly striving for my next goal and they weren’t just limited to education, there were some very personal goals too. To a reader this may all sound quite obscure and not make too much sense but I can assure you if you have ever wanted to go and talk to someone about anything you should most certainly do so. The unhappiness I had felt was all related to losing my Dad and although it’s now thirteen years later and I am an adult now I was a child when I dealt with it the first time round.

 

My anxiety is something I have wondered about for a while. I often get worked about trivial things and others couldn’t and can’t see why I get so concerned about such little details. Now I know why and I know how to remedy it. I have wanted to write something about this for a while but truth be told I was worried people would judge me. I have had friends say to me that they think they should go and talk to someone about various things but they never do, maybe because of the fear of what others may think or what they may find out about themselves. One thing I certainly learned was that there is always a reason we are the way we are, somewhere along the way a minute detail may have had far more of an influence on who you are today than you even realise. It’s not the easiest process but it’s certainly worth it and while I could tell you more about my experience there wouldn’t be too much of a point as everyone’s is unique. We just need to stop worrying what others may think about that.