I know I haven’t been posting much lately, but I’m back! – and hopefully more consistently with a blog post every week. This week I would love to share some of my June favourites with each of you.
So here we gooooo!
SKINCARE
If you follow me on my personal Instagram @niiash_a, you know I’ve been investing in skincare products throughout quarantine. Here are a few products I’ve been loving throughout the month of June;
CLOTHING
I purchased this Sage Shacket from Missguided, and it has quickly became a staple piece in my wardrobe.
It’s such a versatile item of clothing because I can wear it with almost everything and anything!
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO
Here are a few of my music favourites of the month.
Clearly some of these have been influenced by Tik Tok …
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING
Netflix and Disney+ are great and all – but quality Youtube content is top tier… I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s been binging youtube during quarantine.
These are a few of my favourite videos from the month of June;
I really hope you enjoyed this blog filled with monthly favourites. Please let me know if you watch/listen/purchase any of the videos, music and products I have mentioned.
Today I’ve decided to dive into the world of beauty by sharing my go to everyday makeup favourites. I am definitely no makeup artist, but I like to believe that I have mastered the art of doing my own makeup over the years – and that would not have been possible without the following products I have grown to adore, that I am going to share with all of you, today.
Brows
Although I am very confident in my natural brow shape and shade, I can’t imagine doing my makeup without carving and filling them in to give that extra fleek. My go to products for my brows are the Essence Longlasting eye pencil in the shade ’01 Hot Chocolate” and the Clear Brow Mascara you get in the Collection Eye Brow Kit.
Foundation
As for my foundation, for daily use I tend to reach for the Maybeline Dream Satin Liquid in ‘Golden Caramel’. However, on the rare occasion that I am looking for a bit more coverage, I also top up my foundation by applying the Black Opal ‘True Color Foundation Stick’ in the shade ‘Nutmeg HT5’ , to the areas of my face that tend to suffer from discolouration.
Concealers
To conceal my under eyes and smile lines, I tend to interchange between the PS ‘My Perfect Colour’ liquid concealer from Penney’s and Maybeline’s ‘Fit Me’ concealer in the shade ’50’. I love the consistency of both products and how easy they are to apply and blend.
Powder
Applying powder to my face is definitely one of my favourite steps when doing my makeup. The Black Opal ‘Deluxe Finishing Powder’ is EVERYTHING. It locks in all the products I would have already applied, whilst also beautifully highlighting the areas of my face that naturally attract the sunlight.
Contour
After setting my face with powder, the next step is contour. I have been using this specific NYX palette for more than 4 years, and couldn’t imagine completing my makeup routine without it. The shade I use to contour my cheekbones, jaw and forehead is called ‘HCPS08 Hollow’.
Bronzer
The B by Superdrug, Radiance Powder, is the product I never thought I would need and love. I use this product to add a natural looking glow to my face after all the setting powder and contour. With a fluffy brush I apply my bronzer to my forehead, cheekbones and chin, to achieve a radiant glow.
Mascara
The Essence ‘Lash Princess’ ‘False Lash Effect Mascara’, is definitely a current favourite of mine. It was recommended to me months ago, by a friend of mine, and since then I have ditched all my previous ones and find myself constantly reaching for this one.
Some of you might be questioning the fact that I have not included a setting spray within my product favourites for my everyday makeup routine – and that is because I still haven’t found one I truly love or one that actually makes a significant difference to the durability of my face. So if anyone has any suggestions of setting spray’s they swear by, I would really appreciate either a comment or dm on Instagram.
Once again, thank you so so much for reading today’s blogpost. If you have any questions or queries concerning prices, feel free to comment down below.
So last weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend Shauna Doyle’s very first event – ‘Shauna’s Summer Social”. I have been following Shauna’s Instagram for a little less than a year now, but I immediately fell in love with her content because of the authentic online presence she conveys across all her socials. I also love that she is very much an all round blogger and does not shy away from any category – this really stood out for her at her event, where she discussed all things makeup, fashion, biodegradable glitter, sustainabilility, relationships, love island, mental health, future goals and much much more. There was literally something for everyone.
In today’s blogpost I decided to share some highlights I captured, of the outstanding event. Shauna really went above and beyond with every single detail in order to host a fabulous blush babies event that was instagrammable.
Shuana’s Summer Social was held in the luxurius River Lee Hotel, a member of The Doyle Collection, in Cork. Upon arrval, each attendee was greeted, offered a glass of orange juice and photoraphed by @johnarthurphotos infront of the Blush Babies moon gate.
As I walked into the room more, my eyes quickly gravitated to each and every detail. Shauna did not miss any opportunity to personalize the event and make it her own. The whole room was embellished with baby pink tones, stamped with her logo. It was evident that she was involved in the entire organisation process.
As we all approached our seats, waiting for us, was the goodie bag Shauna had teased prior to the event, along with a programme and slithers of cake made by @traceofcakes.
Inside the programme, along with the schedule of activities and sponsors, was a page dedicated for us to jot down ‘what we learnt’, our ‘wishlist’ and ‘notes’. This was a fantastic addition to the programme as it gave each of us an opportunity to write down any products, tips and word’s of advice, that were mentioned as the event progressed. Once we were all settled Shauna then went up and welcomed us all, to her very first event. She spoke with such humility and gratitude, not only to her sponsors, friends and family, but also to us, her blush babies who support her on a day to day.
She then moved on to the first segment of the day, which was ‘Makeup’, where she was joined by Caoimhe (@caoimhebhmua) to do a makeup look on Lucy (@lulusbits). Throughout the process, Shauna and Caoimhe were generous enough to share all their tips, favourite products and answer the ‘hape’ of questions we all had. Once the dewy makeup look was complete, Shauna then invited us all outside for some lunch.
After lunch we went straight into the the ‘Styling Session’. For this session, Shauna invited Ali (@ali123_), who is a student brand ambassador for Boohoo, to talk all things fashion. Shauna and Ali had both brought staple pieces from their wadropes, to give us tips on how to style them. I loved that they discussed sustainable fashion in this segment and how it is okay to wear an outfit more than once. Something I had never considered, that Ali mentioned was, if like her, you’re someone who loves wearing dresses and then struggles to switch the outfit up for another occasion, maybe try buying trousers/skirts and tops so that you can alternate pieces to switch up the outfit. The minute she said this it immediately resonated with me, as I am that person who buys dress after dress but never has any other way to change up the outfit besides the original way I wore it. I can’t wait to try out her tip next time I go shopping and see if I can save myself a few euros in the long run.
The final segment of the day, after another short break, was the ‘Q+A & Panel’ where Shauna was joined by four other fabulous ladies.
Together they discussed how they became the influential women they are today, while sharing the reality of their lives behind the screen. Each of them had their own experiences and goals which I really loved hearing about as there was something for everyone to relate to. They did not shy away from their truth but instead shared their raw real life experiences.
All in all, I really and truly enjoyed #shaunassummersocial. The time and dedication she put into the organisation of it all, in the months leading up to it, was really worth while. I wish events like this were on every single weekend. The whole event was very intimate and felt like a massive sister chat.
I am very excited to see what is next for Shauna, but for now I will hold onto what is now a fond memory of mine.
I hope you are all having a fantastic week so far, and that you are all enjoying the lovely weather that we have been graced with. Among other things, summer for me, consists of glowing skin, adventures, memory making and much more. In today’s blog post, I want to share some of my summer favourites which are essential in making my desired summer a reality
Woman of colour.. self tanner… summer favourite?! Yes, yes and yes! The “Dove DermaSpa Summer Revived Shimmer Body Lotion” is definitely a prize product that i do not see myself parting away with, any time soon. I use this product in the shade ‘medium to dark skin’. Although it is summer, because of Ireland’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, we mainly experience a temperate maritime climate. This essentially means there is often little to no opportunity for ‘golden hour selfies’. However, this moisturizer gives me such good coverage on days that I want to ditch the makeup and flaunt my natural skin, while giving the illusion that I have been basking away in rays of sunshine for hours. The shimmer particles in the product also act as a highlighter, which is always a plus!
2. Lipgloss
The Essence ‘Shine Shine Shine Lipgloss’ in the shade 01, is definitely a must have for me all year round. The gloss gives a wet-look effect, which I know a lot of people aren’t here for, but I am all for it. The texture of it is very wearable and smooth and leaves your lips feeling moisturized, while giving them that glow.
In the last few months I have really fallen for a chunky bag or shopper as my desired handbag. I just find them much more useful for day to day use, because you can carry absolutely everything in them. However, when I am going on adventures/day trips I hate nothing more than lugging around a bag filled with unnecessary bits. Small shoulder bags, like the one pictured above, are the most efficient when you are on the go, as they allow you to carry the minimal necessary bits without the excess weight.
Unfortunately because of the size of my desired bag, I have to resort to downsizing some of its everyday contents, such as my purse. Being honest, I have never been a fan of smaller purses, I am all about the big ones with plenty of card slots (because i just can’t say no to loyalty cards), however the black polka dot one, which I picked up in Stradivarius (also pictured above), has won me over.
The Hollister, ‘Crescent Bay’ Body Mist, has been a summer favourite of mine for the longest time now. I am all about body mists in the spring and summer months as I find that they are a much lighter scent, in comparison to a perfume. Crescent Bay is infused with refreshing and bright notes of watermelon and lychee, which are perfect scents for the summertime.
Summer can be a very busy period for a lot of us because of various commitments. Making use of a personal planner is ideal, in times when you are trying to schedule social events, holidays and outings, in-between shifts in work. As you can see my ‘Molly & Rex’ one is clearly loved because of the creases all over it. The planner offers amazing monthly and weekly layouts and also has sections for me to write my top priorities for each week and events coming up the next, which helps keep me organized. I would recommend anyone who leads a busy life to get themselves a planner not only for the summer months but for the year.
So yeah… there’s five of the products and things I have been loving, so far, this summer. If you would be interested in seeing more of the products and things I am loving, leave me a comment down below and let me know. I would also love to hear about some of your summer favourites and essentials.
Nyasha's Nook 