Wednesday 25 June 2014

Sex Criminals: Volume One #1-5


I'm a lover of comics and graphic novels. I guess you could call me a bit of a in the closet nerd, if you will. But I really hate the term nerd, I feel like its a negative word that some people now have branded themselves in order to appear more unique and cool. So I guess I'm just someone who likes DC, Marvel and the likes. I get off a little on picking up my comics on Wednesdays (new comic day!) and running home to read them. Today I want to talk about the graphic novel, Sex Criminals. Spoiler alert: You need to go buy it, like, yesterday. In future posts I'd really like to talk more about comics, so heads up!

This monthly crime comic is written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Chip Zdarsky (- incidentally if either ever read this, I'm totally up for marriage. Or like, dating? I'm not fussy.) Published by Image Comics, one of the creators dedicate the book 'to anyone, anywhere, at literally any time in human history who ever who rubbed one out'. How could you not love a novel that starts with something so wonderful? The ongoing story follows Suzie the librarian and Jon the actor, in their incredible adventure of stopping time - by orgasaming. Your brought through snippets of past and present, getting to share their back stories about their sexual experiences, their cringe worthy dates and their understandable confusion. Not being able to talk to anyone or find answers as to why when they orgasm, time stops. Is it the same for everyone, or are they freaks?


I'm really enjoying this comic, I love how they not only manage to bring such relatable problem to light, but they can make it light hearted and at times very funny too. Theres no 'smut' in this, no sir. Who hasn't gone through that brief (or long) crisis of confusion about your body, about sex and about who the hell you can go to, to talk about all the really embarrassing burning questions? Come on, I have my hand up here. This great story is accompanied by really gorgeous and well drawn graphics. I love this type of drawing style and Zdarsky has perfectly captured not only magical moments of 'The Quiet', but how I imagine the characters would look from reading the story and learning about their personalities. Lots of content sighs going on here. 

Suzie needs to save her books and Jon has just the plan to become criminals. Sex criminals that is.


If you fancy following this comic you can get the graphic novel for about €15 in Forbidden Planet - or online for cheaper! (just sayin'). Issue 6 is currently out this month so you have no lost issues in between. I know, I think its cool too. 

Tuesday 24 June 2014

Academie Bronz'Express Self Tanner




I know. I'm back again with more tan talk. When will I learn to politely decline from reviewing tanning products and just leave it to the pros out there? Well, one because if I did that with make up all those years ago I wouldn't know half the stuff I do today! And two, its a gas bit of craic to see how badly I manage to feck up every single fake tan I use. As a novice of tanning, its always a nice challenge to find a product that totally baffles me and I end up thinking why people spend time and money on this stuff. But some people would say the same about make up or books. I get it, thats why I want to try and (badly) embrace it!

*Bronz'Express is a French brand that has been on the market since 1958, so its safe to say at this stage that they have fine tuned their products, or so you would think. This particular one is for both face and body and is immediately effective once its applied. The bottle is the first problem on the list. Out of all the tans I have tried, this was the hardest one to use. The screw off lid leaves you to pour the liquid onto your tanning mitt and then apply. But as it was totally liquid it went down the side of the bottle, onto my hands, the floor and into the bath. I could also feel it soaking into the mitt itself leaving my fingers stained once I took it off. This is not for the faint hearted, nor the busy 2 minute tanning lovers. Considering how difficult this was to just get out of the bottle I felt that so much product was wasted between it going on the floor and soaking into the mitt. 


But not all is lost just because the bottle was poorly thought out. Once you get the hang of pouring (which I just couldn't for the life of me) then the application is really simple and quick. The product has a pleasant sweet smell, that almost reminds me of a perfume I can't quite remember the name of. It drys quickly so you need to get moving fast but it leaves a really nice slight colour from the moment you apply - the photo below makes it look like I've big bruises but it just picked up badly! After the seconds it takes to dry, it takes on a different, more tan-like smell which I wasn't in love with. As its so fast drying you would really need to exfoliate well before using it as I would say it will cling to any imperfections. 

I left it for the evening and the next morning my skin was a really lovely, if somewhat dark sun kissed look. This time I was honestly not fussy with trying to tan my feet as I just can't do it and it always looks awful. So a little got slapped on, as you can see in the bottom right photo. But the upside to this is it works as a fantastic visual aid! As you can see with just the one quick application my fake tan has come up really well. Now after 3 showers and a bath over 3 days it did fade a lot, but not as much as I expected that it would. 

Overall despite the really crappy bottle, I really liked this tan. It started to give you colour from the moment it was applied, it only needed one application to give a really nice darkish tan and it stayed for a good few days even though it got  attacked with lots of water and scrubbing over it. And it can also be used for your face whcih is always handy too. If I was a tan person I would use this again without hesitation. You'd just never hear the end of my bitching about the bottle! You can get this 100ml bottle for a bargain grabbin' €10 from The Cosmetic Outlet. 


*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

Sunday 22 June 2014

My Top 3 Sea Salt Sprays


Sea salts sprays were big last summer and this time round its no different. I'm relitivly new to the whole thing but over the past few months I've been using all sorts of texture sprays and sea salt sprays to get the desired 'just casually been to the beach, and I look feckin' great!' look. So from the high end to the dirt cheap, heres my top 3 for the summer. I mainly use all my sprays on slightly damp hair, but occasionally dry too. 

I'm going to start with the most pocket pinching thing, which I personally think is a crazy expensive brand. Bumble and Bumble has the most beautiful surf spray that comes in a 125ml bottle for only - only €27.50. Before you think I hit my little head off something very hard, I got it as a present. I'll admit, its the nicest one out of the lot as its so light, it has a pleasant smell and a few squirts of this gives my hair the perfect sea salty looking hair. It produces soft wavys without making my hair hard feeling like its full of product or gone mad out of control with frizzyness - thats a word now. Its easy to brush out and isn't sticky in the slightly. If you were big on the beautiful wavy hair then this little bottle isn't worth investing in as it is so expensive and would be used up in no time. However, if your like me and occasionally remember you have hair then it might be something to think about. Its love for me, but when did love become almost €30?!


Next is the middle of the range Schwarzkopf got2b beach matt mermaid look texturizing salt spray. That is a mouth full, but is a lot more friendly to the purse. I got this ages ago and it was about €5 for 200ml, but after a quick look on Boots.ie I spotted it on offer for €2.67, ohh bargain alert! This one is actually my least favourite out of the three here. Its not bad at all, but its a little heavy on the hair and one squirt releases a lot of product which doesn't evenly distribute over the hair. I think the nozzle should be a little bigger so the product isn't as concentrated on one piece of hair. Other then that, it smells nice and works ok. But a little and spraying far away from your hair works best, otherwise it will be sticky and really hard to work with.

Lastly my favourite of the dirt cheap sprays is SuperDrugs own brand Style expertise salt spray in  100ml. I couldn't get the price in euro so I actually called one of the very few shops here in Ireland to ask. The girl was so lovely and helpful, I'm well impressed! This is €3.85 but is on offer at the moment. A lot of things are on offer in SuperDrug - how I love it. This one reminds me the most of the Bumble and Bumble spray. Its got a really good nozzle and distributes the product well. Its light and holds the wavys all day, without looking like theres lots of goo sitting in your hair. 

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Aussie Blog Awards: The Readers Choice


I've been in two minds whether or not to write this post. I'm not one to ever go nagging people for likes or that sort of thing. If you want to read my blog, you might add it to your bloglovin' profile or like it on Facebook to see if anything new comes up that takes your fancy. I know thats what I do for all the blogs I love. Normally if I really like a blog I'll follow that person on Twitter and Instagram too, as I like their personality and want to keep up to date with whats going on with them - I'm dreadfully nosy like that!

But the one thing that really bugs me? (Apart from bloggers not mentioning prices of whatever their reviewing that is!) People hounding readings and followers for likes, subscriptions and votes. I'm not opposed to the occasional 'go on, you will, you will, you will' comments as everyones allowed be a little cheeky at times. But over all? I'm not a big fan. Yet here I am asking you now. What in the name of holy Bejayus am I like?

So heres the story. Aussie have teamed up with Her.ie to make the #AussieBlogAwards. Some blogs have already been picked but there is one category left, the readers choice. All votes are solely by readers, which is the best kind in my opinion. And it just so happens that Big Blonde Girl was voted onto the list along with loads of others. So if you fancy it, you could pop over and spend a minute voting for me? Alternatively, you might find another blog you really love on the list and vote for them instead. Main thing is, kindly get your bums over to Her.ie and vote for someone you love, cos' getting behind your favourite blogger is just the best thing! And I can speak for all bloggers when I say we always appreciate when people give feedback or support us. That fuzzy feeling is starting to well up now!



Thanks lads and ladies!

Meet My Girl, Pixy


If you come round here often enough, you'll know that I'm a big fan of Lush. But sadly over the past while I have fallen slightly out of love with them. Partly due to their unhelpful staff in recent times and partly due to me finding more and more products that just don't fill my little heart with joy. I have a feeling Lush hasn't gone far, we'll still see each other. But for now fear not, a product junkie like myself is always on the lookout for some new hot lovin' and today its come in the form of a girl. Shes cute, got style, a great personality and goes by the name of Pixy. (Thats right, I'm introducing brands like I'm dating them now. After all, we do spend a lot of time together during the day. In bed. In the shower... It was bound to happen at some point.) This lovely girl is Irish and born in Cork. Who can say no to an Irish babe like her?

We have some history though, I blogged about her lime body scrubs way back. Man those things smell good and work wonders! Below is a little round up of some of the things I've been really loving recently, mixed with a few things that I'm not liking so much. After all, its not a lasting relationship if you only see the good qualities and not the bad too. Pixy and me? Were totally going steady. 


One of my many overused lip balms. This one is in honey and my favourite by far, its just so yummy and smells divine! Its soft and moisturing. Despite it being a small tin, this has lasted me over a year and I'm only half way through it. I use it most nights before bed. There are loads of different flavours and I eh, might just have them all. There €4.99 each.

A new find for me is the *solid foot scrub. I'm not a fan of feet at all so I rarely give mine any love, but this little foot has my mind changed. One side is soft and moisturising while the other is a hard and scrubby bit. (- My descriptions never cease to totally baffle me. 'scrubby bit'.) Its not going to take away dead skin but its a lovely treat and always leaves my feet feeling extra fancy. It has cocoa butter, almond oil, lavender and tea tree oils to help soften, keep fresh and to sooth the foots. This is lasting me such a long time and I'd say if it was used with one of those peg egg yokes it would work even better. This is €8.95 and I'd say I'll be getting this again when its finished. 


I'm a lover of all things face related and my mug was happy to find the almond milk face scrub. It sounded soft and nourishing while being gently exfoliating at the same time. My skin is very sensitive however and can be temperamental with what it likes slathered over it. Unfortunately this stung the hell out of my skin and I had to stop using it. Its been passed along to the mammy and she is more then happy with it. I was upset that this didn't agree with me as it smelt so so lovely! Give me anything with almond in it and I'm a happy girl. This one was €9.95 and has a lot of product so I would say it would last a good few months as face scrubs aren't recommend to be used more then 2 or 3 times a week.


Something that I'm still ifie about after using for nearly two months now is the *cellulite body oil. I think the glass bottle it comes in is so lovely for displaying and really unusual. However the one thing I didn't like about this is that it smells like black liquorice, something that makes me feel really unwell. Once you get over that, its easy to apply and spreads evenly. A little goes a long way and I mainly used it over my thighs. I can honestly say after a full month of using this daily I couldn't see any difference in my skin. On the bright side my skin was super soft, if a little awful smelling. Over the next month I eased off using it as no results and the smell was off putting. I'm surprised this did nothing for me as there are loads of rave reviews of this product out there. This isn't breaking the bank at €9.95 so maybe try it out for yourself and tell me if it works for you!

Lastly the prettiest bottle you ever did see, a mixture of sweet smelling almond oil that is the*sensual bath oil. I wasn't expecting anything much from this as I poured it into the bath for the first time as I'm a bubbles and foam kind of girl. But the almond scent sucked me in and the bath water was lovely and soft on my skin. I was worried when I got out that my skin would feel weighed down with oil as can often happen with these sorts of oily products, but I was wrong. I'm baffled at how this oil doesn't make me feel weighted down, but it doesn't. All I feel is softy soft and find myself approaching people to have a feel of my skin. As one does when their soft. The one downside is that it has tiny glitter in it, and if your like me you wont have noticed until you've fully submerged yourself in the water, got out, got dressed and gone out to something important that is not a glitter occasion. Someone needs to invent emergency showers in prime locations. Like anywhere where I might be for example. Just a thought. This lovely little bottle of softness is €9.95.

Have you tried Pixy before? Whats your favourite product?

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

Saturday 14 June 2014

Bloggers Night In With Sex Siopa


Last weekend the owner of Sex Siopa, Shawna, invited my myself, Lisa from scatteredbrainedblogging.blogspot.ie  and Emma from Scene Designs along to an information night about her toys. I dragged my bestie along too and we all had a really lovely night eating meringues and crisps, talking about make up, the feckin amazing weather that day and of course, sex toys. I really enjoyed the night and I almost missed the last luas as time just slipped away!

So what can I tell you from spending the evening with the owner of Sex Siopa? This lady is a mind of information when it comes to providing body safe toys for customers and knows everything there is to know on the topic. She runs her business from home and is genuinely excited for the products that she sells. Its lovely to know that money doesn't power every business, some people do it because they have a genuine passion for providing a safe and beautiful product. My one negative comment is that there was a definite bad vibe when it came to talking about the kink and BDSM community. I realise that everyone has their own thoughts and opinions, but I feel its important to be very open minded and non judgmental, especially when your in the business of sex!  So now for a little on some of my favourite toys that Sex Siopa stock. Its always so much fun to actually get to see and feel things when you have looked at them online so much. (Ah, a good old three hour ramble in Boots after looking online at everything the night before.)


 The first thing that I couldn't wait to see was a male masturbation toy, surprisingly enough! I had seen these eggs around the internets and was delighted to finally get to feel them! Is it sad that I wish women could grow male organs just so I could try this out? Yes? Ok then...  There are several different kinds, the one pictured is the 'stepper' egg and reminds me of those silicone-like aliens you could get in the pound shop as a child. Each one comes with a little packet of lube and when turned inside out, (in the very last photo) it reminds me of a christmas tree. They are €10 each or you can get a cool egg pack of 6 for €50. I want to get one for all my male friends. Who doesn't want a slightly weird egg shaped, but totally posh wank? If you mind them your meant to get about 3 uses from them. Lovely!
  

Now onto the colours. Shawna pointed out that there are so many pink and purple toys on the market, but you rarely see other colours, which is so true! Because of this, she trys to stock toys in lots of other colours to give people the opportunity to mix it up a bit! Greens, blues, oranges.. The list is endless and I personally think its such a lovely touch to consider the little things that bigger companies can overlook. (Ten points to Gryff.. Ehhrr I mean Irish businesses!) Above are the two of the Fun Factory kegal balls Sex Sipoa has. I love the more unusual shapes and of course, the colours of them. From having held and shook them, I would say they can be strongly felt if you were walking or running, as they are weighty and easily moved. 

Next has to easily be the show stopper of the night, the Minna Limon vibrator. You squeeze in a rhythm and strength it repeats it back to you. This little power house is a pricie €120 but I think its the bees knees if your one of those people who loves the latest technology. I mean you programme the pattern, think of all the songs you could play on it in vibration form! Think its a little bit deadly, if I do say so myself. Plus, its a cute lemon shape and you can paint your nails to match..


Another male masturbation toy is the Tenga 3D Polygon sleeve. These are again cool little toys if you are lucky enough to have the bits required! This is like the Tenga egg but it can last up to 50 uses instead of 3. Sex Sipoa stock four different types of these so there are plenty to choose from.

I love toys that are body safe and cheap. Tantus Little Secrets vibrators are only 25 quid and they not only come in loads of colours but shapes too. I am still a little scared of the green 'tease' but it will not get the better of me! For so cheap, you could easily get the whole collection. They can be used with or without the sleeves and they have a nice little vibration that isn't noisy at all.

Two of the most colourful butt plugs in stock are from Fun Factory. Being made from silicone means that they aren't heavy and are super easy to clean too. I love the shapes and they are two of the most affordable body safe plugs I've seen. 

Fun Factory have some really fab designs as you'll know by now, but they have some really funky (yes, funky!) double ended dildos. These both have different shaped ends, a bit like having two toys in one. They are surprisingly quite heavy and super flexible but firm too. I think these are really interesting and different from other things I've seen out there. 


A palm sized green leaf shaped vibrator was too cool not to take a quick snap of. Leaf is the brand name and this little yoke has power! Its a pocket pinching €100 so it might be one for the wishlist. A more affordable dupe is the iroha mini which is a happy €25. It also comes in lots of different colours and I think its way cuter then Leaf and nearly as powerful. Its also super quiet which is always important.

How pretty is the collection of stainless steel? Its really something that sets my heart a-flutter. Sex Siopa have a beautiful selection with the Njoy butt plug and two Njoy dildo wands. These are all so weighty, especially the 'pure wand' which is the biggest one in the photo above.  Between €90 to €120 they are a more expensive toy, but I think a really good investment. They will last you for years to come, easy to clean and because they are stainless steel, they will always be as pretty as the first day you got them!

Lastly Sex Siopa has a really big range of all sorts of vibrators. I've ranted on about them so much in this post, but there are just so many fantastic ones that not only do cool stuff, (besides bringing you to orgasm that is) but also come in so many pretty colours! Above is a selection of some of the ones you can insert as well as for clitoris stimulation. These ones range for €110 to €140. 

I'd like to thank Shawna for having me and I really enjoyed my time with the girls learning about the toys and having a few laughs. I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of the ones I think are really deadly. Make sure and check out the entire range of toys over on SexSipoa.ie and say hello!

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Macadamia Oil and Conditioning treatments


I'm on a roll with pound shop finds recently. Last month I stumbled across a macadamia oil extract hair treatment and a hair mask for the grand total of €3. Where would you get it! I am forever on the lookout for something to help with my mane, as I dye the crap out of it and generally abuse it. Macadamia oil is one of those hyped ingredients that a lot of must-have  products contain right now, but what does the stuff actually do? Or is it just that - hype? (like oil pulling, my favourite thing to listen to people 'swear by.' So much loling, so little time.)  

Macadamia oil originates from Australia, but now is also grown in Hawaii. The plants help to grow seeds that produce the lovely rich oil that everyones hair wants these days. The oil contains vitamin E and B, sources of calcium, iron and about 80% mono saturated fat, to name a few things. Despite the oil having so much packed into it, its lightweight and not really that greasy so it absorbs easily into hair. Because it absorbs quickly into your hair, it means that there is no product build up that you can get with products that are slow working. It nourishes, softens and fights the never ending battle with frizzy hair. It helps to keep hair healthy and well, is a wonder ingredient to use. But considering most products say there is only an extract of macadamia oil, I always wonder if there is enough in the product to actually make a difference. 


For €1.50 each, whats the thoughts after using both a few times? I really liked them, especially the oil. I'm not normally one to put oil in my hair and leave it as I feel kind of dirty and in need of a shower, but this stuff didn't make me feel like a total grease ball (sexy phrase alert). The hair mask added to the oils hard work is total bonus hair lovin', but the hair mask on its own doesn't seem to have the same softie soft effect as both used together. However theres no harm in trying out things that could help your hair when they are so super cheap. That and it makes your hair smell really good! I'd definitely recommend picking these up if you see them, especially the little bottle of oil as it has made a difference to my hair. I'm a slightly softer cailin now. 
  

Monday 9 June 2014

May Favourites


Where did May go?  I think this month is a more rambling-type post then a product heavy post. I want to talk about how hard it is to get coffee stains off your pajamas bottoms, (note: Its impossible!) how lovely the blogging community is and that you all really need to go see Maleficent the cinema. I know it was technically out in June but its amazing and I'll totally go see it again and over use the dvd once its out! 
 Its just one of those months. The squinty-eyed-selfie-with -random-objects kind. It was the month of trips to the dentist (if you live in Kildare you need to ask for Peter in Park Dental, the sweetest little fella you ever clapped eyes on!) many cat videos, voting and healthy (aka, shameful) eating.

So lets start off with the biggest thing blog-wise last month, the #BloggersDoDublin meet up that I organised. Holy moley I did not know what I was getting myself into there! I am still so overwhelmed by how lovely all the companies were to support the day and we raised over €150 for The Irish Cancer Society. Deadly, right? The blogger peoples that came on the day made it what it was - fun, friendly and just so warm and fuzzy! Sometimes there can be serious bitching in the blogger community and I personally can forget how great most blogger ladies and gents can be. So to all that came, to everyone that interacts with me on social media and on the aul blog, thank you. x

I'll go back to normal babble for a sec and tell you about the shampoo that stole my heart in May, Toni&Guy cleanse for advanced detox for occasional use. Now don't think I took a ride on the crazy train, I know its almost €8 but I found it in the pound shop for €3. (I almost keeled over with the shock too.)  Its in the fancy posh bottle, it smells really nice in a chemically-over-processed way and the best part, it works wonders on the aul head. May was not a month to be proud of my head. It need to badly do my roots, the purple is a constant upkeep and the condition its in is a woeful situation - yes, I am pulling out all the overly Irish phrases for this one. Thats how bad it is. But this shampoo makes my hair feel weightless and more shiny. Not a necessity, but if you see it in the pound shop, nab it!


Another product I couldn't have lived without was my MUA Underdressed eye shadow palette. I got this in SuperDrug about a year ago and occasionally use it, but in May and now this month too, I've needed it like air. My eyelids have never looked better for less then €5. You can clearly see what shades I've been favouring cos' with me, glitter is always in. I don't care if its summer time and natural minimal coverage is the thing. Hell, my eyeballs look better when their framed with smoky warm brown and gold glitter plastered on! If you can find one of these palettes, I'd suggest buying one for me and posting it out. Oh, get one for yourself too!

Food wise this month, there are only two things I can think and talk about obsessively. Chinese and chai lattes. I'm not sure what sparked this, but if you follow me on Twitter you'll no doubt have seen my craving tweets. The silence between tweets? Pauses to pick back up the chop sticks or order another mug full of goodness. Even now I am contemplating venturing out tomorrow just for that drink. My regular haunt is Kokoro sushi bento on Lower Liffey Street. Allergic to fish, but man that can't put me off their noodles and cute staff! Plus the weird and wonderful conversations people strike up with you in that place is an worth going in for alone. And the best chai latte in Dublin is Hippety's Temple Bar. Oh man the layout of the cute coffee shop, their amazing food.. The fact that they have board games! (for after the many Instagram worthy photos) If your about Temple Bar its a must. But the one down fall is they don't do coke, so Stephens not a fan. But I won him over with their chocolate cake. On a ranty side note - Costa do the worst chai lattes I have ever had. The taste buds jumped out of my mouth and ran away when I ordered one. Sweet divine... Ugh.


Now pause and watch 7 seconds of Wiggle Cat. I wish it was longer as I've had it on repeat so much. Its still not lost the shiny funny new video feeling yet!


Lastly a new shop that I have found through the twitters, Scene Designs. The lovely Emma runs a LGBT Etsy shop that sells cards and mugs with such feckin cute designs on them! I ordered from her about a week  ago in preparation for some friends birthdays. I had the pleasure of a chance meeting with her the other night too and she is just such a lovely and very funny lady. A small Irish business that sells amazing quality things? Yeah, you know I'm loving it. Plus check out the heart 'You're Fabulous' mug, its next on my list of life essentials. See everything over here. 

Saturday 7 June 2014

Emmas Soy Candles


Twitter is alive with the rave reviews of Emmas Soy Candles at the minute. Loads of bloggers have been getting on board the shop local and support Irish businesses band wagon - and what a fine thing it is to see! Not only am I a massive lover of candles, but of good home grown businesses that you can be proud of too. It just so happens that both of these boxes are ticked in todays post.

To start with, I have to mention the packaging. I'm a lover of shiny, pretty floral designs and these candle tins send the aul heart a fluttering. I was lucky enough to meet Emma's husband who not only was a mind of information but also gushed over his lovely creative wife Emma! He told me that she thought up and designed all the packaging herself, how cool is this lady?! The hardest thing was choosing a candle after smelling how good they were and the enthusiasm for the brand caught me like wildfire. 

Emma's candles have no artificial dyes, synthetic fragrances, paraffin or parabens in them, so what your burning is really some good quality stuff that wont upset those of us that might be sensitive to overpowering chemical smells. Also I'm a big fan of burning these candles as they don't effect my asthma the way some candles can. (The all fearing moment when you light a new candle and hope you don't keel over before you can get your inhaler 10 minutes later.) To top it all off these tin candles (€9.95)  have a burning time of about 20 hours while the bigger glass tumbler (€19.95)  has a massive 50 hours. You can also get lovely wax tart melts (€4.95), it doesn't say how long their burning time is for on the site but I'm sure its enough time to help you unwind with the gorgeous scents.


The first tin I had my eye on was the lavender scented one. I really like sweet scents but never try out the more relaxing ones so this was nabbed pretty quickly! When its lit it has the most gorgeous light scent of real lavender up close, but it doesn't fill the whole room for about 40 minutes which means your not overpowered and need to blow it out quickly. The thing that really stumped me was the day after burning it, I could still get the lavender scent when I walked into my room! It lingers so much longer then any other candle I've ever used and anyone who walked into my room that day asked if I had sprayed something or put fresh sheets on the bed. I think this candle (no doubt a repurchase by then) will be great for the winter months when windows aren't opened and you need a little freshening up in stuffy, warm rooms. Speaking of which, will I be shot if I mention that these are on my Christmas shopping list? Both my mom and sister really liked them so... I'll just be quiet now.

The second candle was the *lemon grass scent which I would have normally never tried out. I'm really surprised at how much I'm enjoying burning it and like the lavender one, it isn't overpowering and doesn't hit you with a strong scent once its lit. I think this is the perfect scent for the summer and on my next internet shopping trip I'm going to try lemongrass out in their wax melts!

Have a look at the whole range on emmas.ie.

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

Thursday 5 June 2014

The Screaming O Review


As some of you will know, last week I held a blogger event and asked the lovely Secrets Ireland to give a talk about some of the toys that they stock. I bought a few things, as one does when given the ever shiny event only discounts! One of the first things that caught my eye was The Screaming O cock ring. I'm a long time cock ring fan, so I couldn't pass this little red piece of fun by when its made with couples in mind!

What the hell is a cock ring you ask? Before you commitment phobes run a mile, its nothing to do with marriage. A cock ring is a small piece of circular leather, silicone, rubber or metal (for the BDSM inclined) that fits around the base of the penis. This slows the blood flow meaning a harder, more erect penis. Basically ladies and gents, your fella will last a lot longer with this little toy wrapped round his bits. Can I get a helluva?!

Screaming O is made of soft silicone material that comes in three colours, so its really stretchy and easy to fit around the penis. I can promise that this silicone material is comfy for the wearer, I have plenty of people to vouch! (I sound like I'm lining men up and asking them to feedback while they wear one.. You never know, all in the name of blogging!) This toy has been proven non toxic after examination of the SGS organization. Its waterproof for those who want to get frisky in the tub and its also latex and phthalate free - some of the things you should be looking for in your sex toys as they are better for you and your body. Theres also a chance that you might be allergic to certain materials so always read the packaging carefully. 


The great thing with silicone rings and cock rings in general is that, with a little looking after you can have this for a really long time. Some warm water and soap will do the trick to keep all your toys in tip top hygienic condition. I really think one of these is great value for money and worth investing in. After all, who likes a male member at a less then satisfying half mast, when you can just whip this little gem out and get back to having fun? They are fantastic for anyone who might suffer from ED (erectile dysfunction) too. This can be sexy and still really tame at the same time for those of you that might not want to go all whips and bondage right off the bat, but still want to venture into the world of sex toys.

You can have a look at The Screaming O over here for €7.50 on Secrets Ireland. Remember when ordering from sex toy sites, they will always have discreet packaging and on your invoice it will normally come under a different name unless otherwise specified. If your unsure don't be afraid to email the company and ask them about it! Theres nothing more a company loves then answering the important questions customers might have bobbing round in their heads. From personal experience I know that Secrets Ireland is more then delighted to answer anything that comes to mind. And believe me, I'm always full of questions! So your bank, your post man and not even your mammy will know that your ordering anything that could lead to a few blushes. People you are safe as can be!

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Wednesday 4 June 2014

May's Powder Pocket


Yet again I am really delighted with May's Powder Pocket box, purely because of the presatation and the range of things in the box. But I'm really sad that there is not one full sized product there. So its a bit of a woo colours! And then opening it to be let down. But first lets talk about my initial reaction. I was so excited to see that the box is a beautiful baby blue and all the ribbon and sticker decorations inside the box are so bright and summery. It just makes me happy inside! As I might have said just the once or twice *cough* I am such a sucker for gorgeously done packaging and this box always gets tiny butterflies in my tummy over it! This months theme is Sweet Treats and I just love how they have done that theme so well with just the colours alone! I hope they start to bring out more box colours, especially because their normal black box in the summer is a little bit of a downer - but not for clothes. You would only be able to pry my black tshirts and leggings from my cold dead hands. That, or trade for a decent sized piece of cake. We can talk. 

 Not only was I excited by the box but the leaflet that comes with every box is always packed full of beauty related pieces as well as explanations of what you have gotten inside your box. But what did I spy on the front page? Me, ha! I tweeted about the box a few months ago and Powder Pocket decided to print it! I felt very fancy and even had to tweet about it. How sad am I!? 

So onto the goodies that were in this months box. As I said earlier I was really sad to see that not one product in this months box was a full sized product. I don't expect all the products to be full sized, but I would like at least one or two as I have forked out my pennies expecting something exciting in return. It will be interesting to see what is in this months Chic Treat Club box, as they have had totally amazing boxes since launching and I have been pondering for a month or two now if I should change over boxes. We shall see!

The first thing I noticed in my box was the Nimue Exfoliating Enzyme. Despite this brand being way out of my price range I have tried some of their products (all gifted to me) and really do love their things. My favourite has to be their face masks. You can see one in my post here. But the one thing I don't love about this brand apart from the price? Their website! Its so hard to navigate and I feel they don't explain the products properly on the packaging either. All I want is a simple life, but Nimue have other ideas. This exfoliating enzyme is an ok 30ml sample size. It will be interesting to try this out and I will definitely report back if I feel the full sized 60ml bottle is worth it for €49. Holy god!

Next is Great Lengths Daily Moisture Shampoo. I've actually heard about this brand before so I am excited to try it out. That and my poor hair needs all the help it can get considering the harsh dying routine that I expose it to! After a quick sshhniff I can report that its quite pleasant, so fingers crossed it leaves my hair just as nice. You can use this with all hair types and it has all sorts of good sounding things in it. This is a 50ml sample with a full sized 250ml bottle costing €17.99.
  

I think my little heart skipped a beat when I saw Ciate Mini Nail Polish in the box. This one is in Ferris Wheel and is the perfect summer pastel baby blue. Think this is the best part of the box! A full sized nail polish is €10.95.

The last two things I'm not at all impressed with. I think Its a waste of space in the box and feel one decent sized sample or even full product could have been better. The first is a miniscule tube of Hollywood Eye Magic Eye Magic Serum. Anything with the words 'magic' or 'hollywood' send alarm bells off in my mind as gimmicky and not worth the money. I've heard nothing about this brand before and to be honest I'm not impressed with the presentation or the crazy price of €75 for a full 15ml bottle.  I doubt I'll use it.

The second thing is Kinvara Skincare Absolute Cleansing Oil. Again I'm not impressed with the presation of the sample sized bottle, but I do think the card that it came with is beautifully eye catching. This is €19.95 for a 100ml bottle and I'm not sure I will use this as my skin is combination leaning on oily. It claims to remove all types of make up and eye make up, so I might give it a go over my really stubborn mascara some day. 


Keeping with the theme of Sweet Treats, Powder Pocket also had a mini packet of love hearts in the box, which I thought was a nice touch. Over all I am kind of at a loss. I love the look of the box and the theme, but oh so sad about the lack of full, decent sized products. Could this be the push I needed to try out Chic Treat Club?

Have you gotten this box? What do you think of the contents this month?

Tuesday 3 June 2014

What Happened At #BloggersDoDublin

When I started sending emails to companies and trekking across Dublin in an effort to find a venue, I never thought that the day would actually come together and so many lovely bloggers would turn up! I really have a new found appreciation for anyone who organises an event and I can't decide if they are really lovely people, or really mad in the head. I think its a little of both.

So before I tell you about what we got up to, I have to tell you about the companies that made this day possible. After all, I am only one big lady and as much as I would like to grow that extra arm, sometimes you need a hand from someone else. FindaVenue.ie really rocked my socks, they are a free venue finding service for every type of event you could imagine. They found me a choice of places to look at in like 24 hours. Holy be da jasus if your organising something you should really use them. In fact. I insist.

Next on the list of saviors is where the event itself took place, Pacinos. Now if you've been hanging around a while you'll know I'm not one to hold back if I feel I could bitch about it, so when I tell you that the manager (Mick, heya fella!) and the staff were one of the nicest groups of people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, you'll know I'm not messing. They didn't mind over 30 crazy women, balloons, glitter, confetti thrown round the place or even sex toys. They were so accommodating and friendly and if there was something they could do to make the day better, they would have bent over back ways to try and do it for you. I loved the gorgeous resturant and the food even more. I actually pre booked my birthday dinner there after the event, it was that nice. Are ya's sold? Good. Now don't all send me flowers at once when you see I wasn't just jabbering on.


Anywho, on the day loads of lovely blogging ladies and some companies that kindly contributed to the raffle prizes came together and had the lols, the noms and the natters. What an amazing day it was! I got to meet so many new faces and I'm delighted that people from as far as Cork and Belfast were able to make it. Fair play lads! Upon arriving there was utter excitement at the Cosmetic Outlets goodie bags. Man those things weighted a tonne! Paul very kindly gave us 30 of them and I've been told there were some really lovely surprises in them. So make sure to keep an eye out for any of the bloggers reviews of them! (you can see the full list of bloggers who attended here)


The first demo on the day was done by Matte to Matellic, who just launched their new site so take a look at it over here! The gorgeous Jennifer and Ciara took turns to show us how to create a day time summer look only using budget brand make up. This was right up by street as we all know how much I hate forking out on expensive stuff if I can basically get the same thing for less elsewhere! I couldn't have asked for two lovelier ladies to help us out on the day. They were nothing but helpful answering beauty questions while doing Nickki's (limesandstars.blogspot.ie) makeup so she looked stunning. (But then again, doesn't she always.)


The second demo of the day was given to us by Secrets Ireland, a sex toy company. You know me and my sex, I just can't get enough of it. I thought I'd give other bloggers the opportunity to get to know a few toys better while learning about all the high end and low end things on the market. Who knows, we might have more sex bloggers joining the ranks in future! I couldn't have asked for a better response and everyone was positive asking questions, feeling some of the toys and lets face it, having a lot of giggles too. This was a lovely change from the more childish and famous alcohol infused Ann Summers parties that are normally associated with sex toy talks. The lovely lady who gave the demonstration was a mind of information making sure that we understood everything and asked that if we had any questions that we weren't comfortable with to email and ask her. Professional, friendly and knowledgeable doesn't even begin to describable this company and I recommend everyone to have a look at it over here.


Lastly I have to thank all the companies again for giving prizes to raffle off on the day in aid of The Irish Cancer Society. Some of the things are below and I'm sorry to say I'm very jealous of all the girls who won on the day, there were really exciting things! You can see the full list of companies that took part in my #BloggersDoDublin post. 

I really can't thank the companies, venue and all the bloggers who came enough. It was such a fantastic day and maybe next year I might even do it again. (but for now, let me sleep for a week!) 


Monday 2 June 2014

The Body Shop Body Sorbets


I'm a fan of The Body shop, you'll know that if you read my empties post. But oh mammy was I excited when the post man popped his head around the door and told me I had a package! These are two of the brand spankin' new *body sorbets that are the most exciting products of the summer for me so far. Let me give you the run down on these beauts, prepare to be grabbin' your hats, your knickers and running to the nearest Body Shop to get yours.

The body sorbet is a cooling skincare treatment that can be used in the summer and all year round. If its extra hot you can put on of these babies in the fridge for uber cooling down and freshening up - how cool is that?! these bottles contain soya oil to help make your skin silky smooth while giving it loads of moisture and hydration. I really like the mango scented one, its surprisingly not an overpowering sweet smell like I expected it to be. The downside however is that you'll want to eat it. Restrain yourself!
My favourite scent from all of these (I went into the Body Shop and had a sniff of the entire line!) has to be moringa. I can't pronounce it and always have to double check the spelling  but this is my dream boat in a bottle - I should write cheesy songs and sell them to Britney. Moringa is the only floral fragrance with the other four being fruity ones. 

The product has a slightly strange consistency. Its not oily and not like a cream, its a hard one to explain! Without putting anyone off (and I'm so sorry if I do!) it feels kind of silky, like lube. You only need a small amount as a little goes a long way and it sinks into the skin oh-so-beautifully so your not left to do the Flappy Cold Dance Of Doom. So don't think my poor description means your sticky and eh, ready for action! I love using this right after the shower, its such a gorgeous treat for my skin and nose. And since I've started to use them I have genuinely felt a difference in my skin. Its not doing amazing things for the really dry skin on my elbows (sexy) but the rest of me? Oh I want everyone to have a feel!

If I was to say one negative thing about them, it would be that they are pricy at €13.50. But the prices in the Body Shop in general tend to be a little more in comparison to the regular run of the mill products in Boots. I feel a lot of this is down to their fair trade ingredients and high standards that they insist upon as a brand. And for that reason, I don't give out as much when I go to buy something that might pinch the pocket a little. Now, if you'll excuse me. I here my moringa calling me, the sexy sexy bottle of love.

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.