New Nail Obsession: OPI Malaga Wine.

Whilst flying back from Ireland I thought I would treat myself to some new nail varnish, I had some left over Euros so thought it would be great to buy myself a new OPI nail varnish. I have only heard fantastic things about the OPI range of nail varnishes, and loved the Malaga Wine nail colour. Although I definitely had a difficult time only picking one nail varnish, as I wanted most of them! But this nail varnish is perfect for me really, my Nanna used to live in a town near to Malaga, so I used to fly there several times a year to visit her, so instantly I loved this nail colour and its name. 

This colour is perfect for the upcoming Autumn months. I am so done with Summer (due to all the insects and bites I have had to put up with) and so ready for Autumn, so this deep red colour is perfect. I also usually love to wear red on my toe nails, so this nail varnish is ideal for me too. 

The OPI nail varnishes are quite expensive so I had been put off trying them, but I am definitely glad I splashed out and treated myself to my first OPI nail colour. Usually I apply nail varnish and it chips so quickly, and within a day or two the nail varnish has either chipped or smudged. However this is not the case at all with the OPI nail varnish, it has lasted for many days without chipping so is hard wearing. The nail varnish also comes in a large bottle so I know that this nail colour will last a long time. The colour is a dark deep red, and definitely suits the name of Malaga wine as it looks like a rich red wine colour, but it is also not too dark for everyday wear. 

I will definitely be treating myself to more OPI nail varnishes in the future, definitely worth while to splash out on an expensive nail varnish every once in a while! Plus i definitely need to get my hands, or rather nails, on some more OPI nail colours! 

What's New In My Beauty Bag.

One of the new items in my beauty bag include the Loreal Smoothing Resurfacing Primer, which I bought from Boots as part of an offer of 2 Loreal products for £15, the primer itself is sold for £14.29. This product is truly great, after applying the primer it really makes your make up stay put all day and improves the appearance of the make up, especially foundations and eyeshadows. I've also found that most primers have a slight unpleasant smell to them, whereas this primer really smells nice. I also love the texture of this primer, it feels like your applying strawberry mousse to your face, which feels both slightly odd but wonderful, and leaves your face feeling smooth and soft. I definitely recommend this primer!  

I also bought the Loreal Colour Riche lipstick in Tender Rose as part of the 2 for £15 from Boots. I have bought Loreal lipsticks in the past and definitely recommend them, especially their pink lipsticks. This lipstick is quite pale but is still visible when on, and provides a slight shine and glimmer. The lipstick also has a combination of omega-3 and Vitamin E, which is great because it feels like the lipstick is actually moisturising your lips at the same time too. This product is perfect to wear everyday, or at night for a subtle colour too. 

Recently I also received the Balance Me Moisture Rich Face Cream free with a magazine, and what a great freebie it is! I can't praise this moisturiser enough, it really does help make your skin so soft. I have been applying this product in the morning and before bed at night. What I also love about this moisturiser is the smell, it smells like rose turkish delight, even my boyfriend has commented on how great it smells. I would definitely recommend this product because it really does soften your skin without feeling too greasy. I will hopefully try out more of the Balance Me products in future. 

Have you used any of these products?

Any recommendations for Balance Me products? 

My Everyday Makeup Routine.

I thought I would do a post about my everyday make up routine and which products I use. I would say I am pretty comfortable with the products I use everyday for my makeup, I have been using most of the products for months, if not years, and I would thoroughly recommend all the products! I don't tend to use too many make up products, especially not everyday, and I tend to mainly focus on eye make up. 

I start by applying a moisturiser or a primer, and wait for it to settle before applying my foundation. I only use a small amount of foundation and try to create a more natural look. I have a very pale complexion, and lots of freckles, so if I wear a lot of makeup I feel a bit too dolled up or that I am caked in makeup. 

This Maxfactor Colour Adapt foundation is perfect, it has such a smooth light texture and is so easy to apply. What I also love about this product is that I don't need to use a lot each day, nor does it feel like I'm wearing loads of makeup. I used to use a different Maxfactor foundation until they discontinued the product so I had to change to a different one, but I am definitely happy with this foundation and will keep purchasing it in future! 

I then apply the Clinique pore refining solutions, but only if I feel like any blackheads are showing, or if I feel like I need a bit more coverage. 

I apply a small amount of blusher just to provide a rosy glow, and this Revlon highlighting palette is perfect! They also do a different darker colour which is good for those with darker complexions. I have previously reviewed this product on my blog, you can see the review here. 

I then apply mascara to my bottom lashes, and this mascara by Maxfactor (2000 calorie) is definitely one of my all time favourite mascaras and one I wholeheartedly recommend. I've been using the waterproof version at the moment, as I needed a new mascara for my graduation, and I needed one that would stay put all day, this mascara definitely did the job. Another example of how amazing this mascara is; when I travelled to Ireland I applied the mascara at 4 in the morning, had to travel to Ireland, then spent all day walking around a town in Ireland, had a long nap, and then a BBQ, and my mascara was still perfectly on at the end of the day. If thats not a great mascara I don't know what is! However, my one issue with the mascara is that it is so good that sometimes it doesn't want to come off, and requires makeup remover especially for waterproof makeup. But this is also a plus, because I sometimes find that my mascara wears off on my bottom lashes, especially in summer, so this waterproof mascara is perfect. I can't speak highly enough about the Maxfactor mascaras and foundations! 

I then apply my eyeshadows and I tend to use a few of the natural brown tones on my eyelids. This is because I find that brown tones compliment blue eyes. I also find that they are suitable for everyday wear and don't look like I'm wearing too much makeup. I use both the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette and also Bourjois Paris eyeshadow. However I have had this Bourjois eyeshadow for years so I'm not too sure if they still make this colour, but due to the fact that I still use this product everyday and have had it for years surely makes it stand out as an amazing product. 

I then apply the Soap and Glory Supercat liquid eyeliner to the top of my eyelids, creating a slight feline flick. Then using the Thick and Fast Soap and Glory mascara I coat my upper eyelashes with the mascara. I have also previously reviewed this product on my blog, you can view the post here. 

What are the everyday makeup products you would recommend?

Do any of these product feature in your everyday makeup routine? 

My week on Instagram.

As you can see the majority of my Instagram photos (_katyjayne) end up being photos of my dog Pennie, or the beautiful places I go to walk her. The first photo is at a place in Blackburn called Pleasington that Pennie just loves because it is full of rabbits to chase! The fourth photo is at a park near me called Worden Park which is also a great place to go walk your dog. 

I was also in Ireland last week, in Galway to be specific, so a lot of the photos from my Instagram last week were taken there. Such as the photo I took whilst watching Milton Jones in a cosy little pub called Roisin Dubh,  which is definitely a must if you're ever in Galway! Salthill beach was fantastic too and is also definitely worth a visit if you're ever in Galway, its a cute little beach, but it was actually heaving with people all day due to the great weather, I also managed to get really sunburnt that day too, which is shocking as I was in Ireland. Also the views from the beach were so beautiful. As you can see I also enjoyed taking lots of photos of Twizel, who was the Springer Spaniel that we looked after whilst we stayed in Galway, she was such a sweetheart and I am definitely missing her now! Wanted to kidnap her and bring her home with me, but sadly she had to stay in Ireland. 

I took a couple of photos whilst on the airplanes going to and from Ireland, I just love the photo of Ireland from in the plane because it just shows how beautiful and green Ireland really is, as you can see from the vast amount of fields and woods. The other photo I took whilst flying over to Ireland and you can see Wales down below. 

Hope you've all had a lovely week! 

Wednesday Wishlist!

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven

At the moment I am dying to get a new coat so I'll be ready for Autumn and Winter, and I would just love to own my own Barbour coat! I'm starting working full time soon so hopefully I will be able to save up and treat myself to a really nice coat. I just love the feel and look of all the Barbour coats, but ideally it needs to have a hood and be at least partially waterproof, for all the times that I'll be out walking my dog Pennie in the rain. This coat is perfect really! Although I will still be keeping my eye on other designs!

I have also been after some new trainers lately, I bought some Nike Air Max trainers last August and I just love them! I wear them almost everyday, they are just so comfy, and because I bought black trainers they seem to go with everything! But these Roshe Run trainers look so comfy too! Also the colour is a bit more summery and would also go with a lot of clothes I own. I am definitely now converted to keep purchasing Nike trainers!

At the Shannon Airport in Ireland I treated myself to an OPI nail varnish and now I want more! These colours are just so lovely! My nail varnish is full of blues but I am due a new purple nail varnish.

The Wildfox Grey Panda intarsia jumper is so cute! The panda design is so lovely and would look so great with some skinny jeans. However this jumper is priced at £205 from Harvey Nichols, so sadly I think this jumper will have to remain on the wish list! I'll just have to keep my eye out for a cheaper version!

The Black Cat Dandly Earrings are also so cute! As you can see I definitely have a thing for clothing items with animals on! Both the earrings and cloud necklace are from a company called Little Moose, and both these items are so adorable, definitely think this company is worth looking at and buying from!

This post was inspired by the lovely loulabeth! 

Meet Pennie!

I thought I would do a little post showing off my amazing beautiful dog, she is a gorgeous cocker spaniel called Pennie (because she cost a lot of pennies). She is such a sweetheart and is so well trained and behaved all the time. One of my all time favourite things to do is go on walks in the woods and around different parks/beaches with her and my boyfriend. She is also a huge fan of cuddles and loves being the centre of attention, although she isn't too keen on big groups of people or children (in fact she hates children). She also loves hunting and chasing rabbits, although she never actually catches or hurts them, she just loves the chase.

She is almost 4 years old now but still acts and looks like a puppy. If you go onto my Instagram (_katyjayne, I follow back) it is just full of pictures of Pennie, and all the wonderful places I go to on walks with her. 

We brought her home whilst I was still at college, and whilst she was a puppy, so I came home in all my college breaks every day to walk her and train her, so really I am partly responsible for her amazing behaviours. I have always had a dog whilst growing up, so when my last dog sadly passed away the other year the house seemed so odd and strange, especially not having a dog to welcome you home or to cuddle with. Pennie definitely became an important member of the family as soon as we brought her home. She is such an amazing dog, and I would definitely recommend spaniels, and especially cocker spaniels, to anyone looking at getting their own dog. 

Do you have any amazing, loved pooches? 
Also, if anyone has any questions about cocker spaniels, feel free to ask :) 

Little Trip to Galway!

Last week I went on a little summer holiday to Galway in Ireland with my parents and boyfriend, we flew to Shannon and stayed on the West side of Ireland. We have family friends who live out in a little town called Quin so we went over to see them. The flight over to Shannon took approximately just 40 minutes.


On Wednesday we went round to our friends house in Quin and stayed there for the night, we had a BBQ and got to meet some other lovely people. Quin is a picturesque small quiet town, and it is just how you imagine Ireland to be. When we got to Quin we walked round the town and the Quin Abbey. 

Quin Abbey

On Thursday we travelled to Galway where we stayed for the rest of the holiday, we were house and dog sitting for our friends parents-in-law. Whilst staying at the house we looked after their springer spaniel called Twizel, who was such a big sweetheart. The houses in Ireland all seem so lovely, they are all spaced out and have huge gardens. We also caught the bus into the city centre and walked around the bars and shops. Galway is fairly surprising really, as you expect it to be a small town with barely anything there but the city centre was heaving with people. There was the Galway International Arts Festival on so the streets were lined with people watching all the arts and acts. What is also fairly surprising about Galway is that there are not too many shops, and the shops which they do have are fairly small in size and with limited stock. However Galway is packed with bars, pubs and places for food. We walked round the town and the docks and through the Galway Museum, which again was fairly small in size. 

Twizel

On Friday we went to Salthill beach for the day, and shockingly I actually got really sunburnt in Ireland; all my legs ended up sunburnt! The beach was really lovely, and was again packed with people and families. The views from the beach were amazing too, looking out from the beach you could see other parts of Ireland, such as County Clare (where Quin is). 

Salthill Beach

Also on Friday night my boyfriend and I went into town again and managed to see the comedian Milton Jones. Milton Jones has done shows at Live at the Apollo and is regularly featured on Mock of the Week. We didn't have tickets but thought we would try our luck and try get tickets on the night and luckily we did! We watched him in a small personal pub called Roisin Dubh in Galway City centre, and tickets cost €23. We were stood to the side of the thick black curtain (instead of a door), and whilst the host comedian was on introducing the night a man came and stood by the side of me, and i realised it was in fact Milton Jones himself, which was pretty impressive to be stood next to a huge comedian watching other comedians before his own show. The host and support comedian were also great. 

Milton Jones at Roisin Dubh

On Saturday we again went into the city centre and went to a great little restaurant on the main stretch in town and had really yummy food. On Sunday we watched another comedian called Patrick McDonnell at a place called the Laughter Loft, which was also part of the Arts Festival. We also went to watch a play at the theatre called Ballyturk, which was starring the actors Cillian Murphy, Mikel Murfi and Stephen Rea. Cillian Murphy is such a huuuuuge actor and has been in so many of my favourite films, so it was so amazing to be in the same room as such an exceptional actor. Stephen Rea has also been in one of my favourite films; Interview with the Vampire, so it was really fantastic to watch a play with them both in. 

On Monday we dropped by Ennis, which is a small beautiful town near Quin. We only had a short amount of time before we needed to be at the airport so my boyfriend and I just went to a little cafe, where we had a delicious pizza topped with goats cheese, olives, pine nuts and spinach. 

It was a really lovely week spent with family and friends, and I definitely would like to return and the trip has also made me want to visit Dublin again some time in the near future. If anyone is contemplating visiting Ireland I highly recommend it. The city was packed full of people from various countries and cultures, ranging from the US to Spain to Australia, so is definitely a popular city and area to visit. I really do hope to visit the West of Ireland soon!