THUNDER + THREADS

Giveaway - Win a Benefit ChaChaCha Tint worth €30!

2012-03-04T12:45:00.001Z

Good morning all! Most of you may know, that I recently 10,000 subscribers on my Youtube channel. In celebration of this, I'm holding a giveaway to say a massive thanks to everyone for supporting me over the years.

I'm giving away my ultimate Spring/Summer makeup product; a brand-new Benefit ChaChaTint! I've been wearing mine constantly the last few weeks, it's so gorgeous and Summery. It's worth around €30, and it can last you up to 1-3 years - amazing!

To enter the competition, you MUST comment on this video (the video below). No comments left on this post, will be counted as entries - this is just here to let the people who don't have me on Youtube, (please subscribe!) about the giveaway.

Good luck everyone!

Dolce & Gabbana - A/W '2012-13

2012-03-03T01:17:00.002Z

I've put off posting this Dolce & Gabbana review for a few days now; simply because I've been lost for words! I'm constantly asked why I love fashion so much, why I spend hours upon hours flicking through fashion magazines and websites.. and the answer lies right within this post. Fashion inspires me constantly, it makes me feel empowered, I find every little inch of it interesting and energising.

When I saw the first photos pop up on my computer screen of Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn/ Winter collection, it literally brought a tear to my eye. I've mentioned in the past, that collections have made me cry, and it's simply just down to the beauty of it all moving me, and making me trés emotional. Whilst I flicked through this collection's show photos, my mouth was wide open in awe and I was literally dumbstruck. The beauty of these pieces is just so exquisite, so perfect, so inspiring. Right down to the garments themselves, the hair, the makeup, the shoes; it's all perfect.

I've had the photos saved for days, flicking through them constantly throughout the day. There's nothing more exciting than seeing art come to life, especially in the format of clothes. I feel like I've stepped into the lavish Baroque era studying the pieces, inspiration and outfit ideas popping up from all angles. There's a abundance of colour, attention to detail, texture upon texture (my beloved sheer and lace); it's just all completely mesmorising.

Some of you may think I sound completely crazy, getting this worked up over clothes - but this is why I want to go down the path I'm pursuing. Collections like these, make me feel like I can do anything, be who I want to be and all of that other clichéd nonsense.

Before I bore you all with my Ode to D&G, enjoy a bundle of Dolce & Gabbana A/W '12 photos, watch the video and just take in the allure of the pieces. I'm still lost for words over it, I haven't adored a collection so much in years. I bow down to you, Domenico and Stefano!

My Experiences With Self-Harm & Depression - National Self-Harm Awareness Day, 1st March 2012.

2012-03-01T17:06:00.001Z

Good afternoon everyone, I’m going to be writing a very personal post for a change. I’ve been thinking about addressing the topic of self-harm for a while now, as it’s something I’ve experienced; and what better day than today?

(I originally posted this on my Tumblr, as I was anxious as to how people would respond to it. People have sent me such kind messages of support though, since I wrote it. Seeing that it's helped people already, just makes me so happy. I hope it gets as good a reaction on here, as it did there. I haven't blogged in days, due to Blogger's photo uploader not working - I keep attempting to upload all of my London photos, but it just won't upload past 5/6 of them. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon.)

Most of you know, I’ve been bullied practically my whole life. Through primary school, secondary school, outside of school and online. Due to the bullying, I developed depression and a huge case of self-loathing over the years. I started self-harming as such, when I was around 13-14. It was a very, very dark place in my life.

I’m not going to go into the details of where I cut, how I cut and all that; it doesn’t matter. I cut because I wanted to hurt myself, I hated myself and my life so much that I felt pain was a sort of punishment for me. I did it for a months, not daily but regularly.

I finally stopped when a “cutting session” became very OTT, the one cutting session that left every single one of the scars you can see in the photo above. I won’t go into details, but it was like a scene from a gory horror movie.. you get the picture! It was gross, I was terrified but it was a major wake up call for me to be quite honest. I told nobody, not one person until I eventually told a mate in school a few days later.

My Mum saw my cuts a few weeks after the above happened, she saw them by mistake. She of course rang my Dad straight away, who told my Nana. I was given out to by all of them, except my Nana. Possibly the biggest mistake my parents have ever made, was never getting me help. Never looking into me seeing a therapist, not once. It was all brushed aside.

I remember the stress of hiding the cuts in school, in Home Ec my teacher would constantly give out to for not rolling up that one sleeve, but I still refused to roll it up. Same with P.E class, I had to wear the lamest looking armband to cover them, it was terrible. I know people who’ve cut before also, but didn’t do it on their wrists like me. They cut everywhere from their thighs, to their stomach.

A year later, I started binge drinking every weekend. The bullying continued, my self-loathing developed into Body Dysmorphia; I was an absolute wreck! I was still depressed more than ever, and I tried to overdose twice in one year. I know some of you may not know that, but yep.. I was only 15. Again, no help was looked for, for me. Looking back I think, why the hell didn’t I look for help myself? But I was only 15, the idea of a therapist scared me.

Over the years, I’ve built up a really, really thick skin. I’m a complete Marmite person; you either love me or hate me! I’m cool with that too, most of the time. People judge me wayyy too harshly over the net and irritates me. Any subscriber, or follower I’ve ever met in person has told me how nice and friendly I was to them. There’s nothing more amazing than meeting someone, who likes what you do.. it’s the best feeling in the world! I’m a very strong-minded person I realise that, as most of you know. If I believe in something, I’ll say it. I’m the first person to stick up for myself, and others for that matter. I receive abuse daily, mostly regarding my underbite disfigurement, which doesn’t hurt me at all nowadays to be honest. I think if you hear something enough, you become numb to it’s harshness..

I’m starting to ramble, so I’ll just get to the point, it sounds so bloody cliché butthings do get better! Even if you’re still dealing with unnecessary shit off people constantly, YOU can change YOU. Almost like training yourself to not be bothered by people’s slags and trying to make the best out of you. If you self-harm, or are suffering from depression, the best thing you can do is talk to someone. Tell a friend, a best friend or maybe an older sibling. I find parents to be a bit judgemental when it comes to things like this, they immediately assume you’re doing it because of the music you listen to/people you hang out with bla bla bla. Just TELL SOMEONE! Take it from someone who bottled all of these feelings up for years, you end up exploding with anger. It doesn’t help anybody.

If you cut, those scars will be there forever. I had a few of mine tattooed over, as you can see in the photo and I’m getting another tattoo to cover the rest in a few weeks. I got a generic ‘Fighter’ script, because the song Fighterby Christina Aguilera (yep, I know..) used to give me courage and strength when I was being picked on in primary school. I remember listening to that song constantly, and adoring the lyrics and feeling like I could be who I wanted to be, and forget about the rest of arseholes bringing me down. To this day, the song still gives me the strength. It means a lot to me, every time I look down at my scars, I see ‘Fighter’ now.. I feel instantly strong and encouraged to be a happy person.

If you know a friend cuts, or are suspicious of one, talk to them and be out-straight about it. Don’t go accusing every person you see wearing 40 bracelets now, of being a cutter but sure.. it’s better to be safe, than sorry? If it wasn’t for me opening up to my friends about my problems, I probably wouldn’t be writing this right now.

If you’ve managed to read this whole post, well done haha! I just thought I’d share my experience and advice with you guys, as after I recorded my tattoo video and briefly talked about my past, some of you mailed me saying it helped to hear how someone else got through that dark period in their life. Trust me, it gets better.. it really does. Physically hurting yourself is not worth it, every time you feel the need to cut, distract yourself with doing something else with your hands - sounds weird, but it works. Whether it be cooking, reading, typing.. whatever.

I hope this has helped some of you, or maybe just helped you all get to know me better. I always find it helps reading someone else’s experience anyway. :)

London Fashion Week: Street Style - Last Few Days..

2012-02-26T20:31:00.000Z

London Fashion Week - Day 4; Outift of the Day!

2012-02-21T22:35:00.000Z

My final LFW outfit, a very Disney princess-esque inspired one I must say! I wore a Topshop bow, playsuit and a faux fur coat, leopard-print rip-off Litas, that I bought in Shoerack. I accessorised with my Penneys (Primark) bag, Penneys socks and a vintage ring also.

My final street style post will be up tomorrow, my overall LFW experience and vlogs that'll be uploaded at the end of the week. Thanks to everyone for your lovely compliments and support so far, I'm having a blast over in London.

(Photo taken, and featured on Stockholm Street Style - Caroline's Mode.)

London Fashion Week - Day 2: Outfit of the Day!

2012-02-19T16:38:00.002Z

Day 2 of LFW, was a rainy and windy one! Somerset House was jam-packed full of us fashion peeps, sheltering from the torrential rain outside. However, the rain didn't stop me or others from dressing up to the nines. I wore quite a different outfit, to Friday's one; something very Japanese street style and 90s Gwen Stefani inspired.
I wore my hair in two China buns, which luckily stayed put for the whole day. Makeup wise, I wore turquoise eyebrows and a bright pink lip. I drew my brows on with a turquoise eyeliner, and set them with a translucent powder. I wore the same bright pink Barry M lippy, as I wore the previous day.
I wore my Topshop leather jacket, American Apparel mesh dress, Versace for H&M leggings and my Doc Martens for my outfit. For accessories, I wore my H&M bag, sunglasses I received from a magazine years ago and my Versace for H&M scarf tied around it.

(Photos courtesy of SpottinStyle.com, H&M street style and As You Are magazine's blog.)

London Fashion Week: Day 2 - Street Style

2012-02-18T21:39:00.000Z

London Fashion Week - Day 1: Outfit of the Day!

2012-02-18T20:31:00.000Z

Greetings from London! I'm having an absolute whale of a time over here, at London Fashion Week. Due to having extrememely slow internet in my hotel room, my updates have been quite hit and miss - apologies! Here's the outfit I wore yesterday, for the first day of LFW - it's very retro inspired, as you can see.
I wore a vintage scarf in my hair, sunglasses that I received as a free gift from a magazine years ago, Asos earrings, a vintage shirt, a Topshop faux cur jacket, a Zara skirt, American Apparel lace cycling shorts, black sheer tights and my leopard-print Lita rip-offs from Shoe Rack.

I'll be posting a full LFW round-up and vlogs, next week. Until then, I'll be posting street style and outfit posts daily.

(Outfit photo, courtesy of SpottinStyle.com)

London Fashion Week: Day 1 - Street Style

2012-02-17T20:42:00.000Z

New York Fashion Week - A/W '12

2012-02-16T03:02:00.000Z

Good morning everyone! It's currently 2:30am, and I've been working on my biannual NYFW post for a few hours now. I'm heading off to London tomorrow afternoon, for my first London Fashion Week experience. I'm beyond excited, and I can't wait to share my journey with you all, day by day. I'm bringing along a laptop, my video camera and my brick of a digital camera; I plan on documenting my every step. I'm there for 8 days, so I'll be doing some exploring, as well as attending some shows.

I must say, NYFW is never one of my favourite weeks of the fashion season, I always find London and Paris more 'my cuppa tea'. However, I loved this season's collections for Autumn/Winter, and discovered some fabulous new designers through my fashion week treks across the interweb.

Jeremy Scott has been my favourite designer for the last few years, but Prabal Gurung has officially kicked him off his place in my mind. I featured Prabal Gurung in my top 3 collections from NYFW S/S '12, and have fallen in love with his visions more and more, as the seasons pass. He is definitely one designer to watch and keep an eye on, his collections only get better and better. I literally teared up watching the video on his collection, and Prabal explaining the story and vision he had behind the designs. Crying watching fashion shows is nothing new to me, since I was a young teen, fashion has always made me so emotional and inspired. Fashion is art, and art moves and changes people, including me. It always reminds me of how much of a passion I have for the arts, and especially the fashion world alone.

I did love Jeremy Scott's collection this season, but I just didn't find it as exciting as his last two or three previous collections. Whilst it's enthralling and fun, I just found it very typical of Jeremy; like he played it a bit 'safe'. He seems to have incorporated every underground trend evaporating out of the website Tumblr it seems; bindis, unicorns, tie-dye, rainbows, cartoon logos. It's cute, it's playful but I feel it's a little done. The individual items are pretty, especially the striped two-piece, and I see a ton of celebs (Rihanna, Jessie J, Katy Perry etc) latching on to Scott's funky ensembles from the show. I liked it, but didn't love it.

I particularly enjoyed Badgley Mischka, Victoria Beckham, Tadashi Shoji and Monique Lhuiller's collections also, four designers who I've recently never heard of, or who've never particularly caught my eye in the past. Each of their collections were gorgeous, appealing and all very different from eachother.

Beauty-wise, Derek Lam and Jeremy Scott's makeup looks stood out for me the most; both complete opposites! Lam's models wore brown smokey eyes, with a nude lip and dewy finish to the skin. Whilst Scott's models, were adorned with multi-coloured bindis, paying homage to Gwen Stefani during her 90s No Doubt days. I absolutely adore the blue lipstick, and have a feeling I'll sport some during LFW. Very inspiring altogether!

Prabal Gurung

Badgley Mischka

Jeremy Scott

Victoria Beckham

Tadashi Shoji

Monique Lhuiller

Derek Lam

Jeremy Scott

Get Glam event, with Benefit & Diet Coke!

2012-02-15T10:00:00.002Z

Myself, Becky and Sarah after our Benefit makeovers!

Last week, I attended to oh-so fabulous Benefit and Diet Coke 'Get Glam' launch event in the Dylan hotel. It was jam-packed full of makeup artists, beauty nerds and of course, us flock of bloggers! It was a fantastic afternoon, filled with girly gossip and makeup treats everywhere. I've been a fan of Benefit cosmetics for years now, so I'm always super excited to attend their events. Meeting the Benefit team was great, they were all so friendly, and I learned some amazing makeup tips from them throughout the afternoon. Even though I'm a regular-Coke kinda gal, I sipped 3 (yes, 3) cans of Diet Coke and some delicious bubbly.. I stayed for quite a while, as you can tell. The Dylan hotel is just such a swanky venue, I couldn't leave in a rush..

Daphne and myself, enjoying some yummy Diet Coke!

Lisa applying my rock chick makeup!

The Benefit team, made over three of us bloggers, each of us sporting a different look inspired by a Diet Coke girls. I was lucky enough to get my makeup done, by Benefit's head makeup and trend artist, Lisa Potter-Dixon! She gave me a fabulous smokey-eyed rock chick look, inspired by Irene the Diet Coke rock chick. Lisa tried some gorgeous Benefit products on me, such as the new 'They're Real!' mascara and Benefit facial moisturiser (Lisa shared a super secret makeup tip with me, whilst applying the look - apply some moisturiser on to the palms of your hands, rub them together and gently pat on to the face over your foundation. It gives you a glowy and healthy look instantly)!

"Jaysus Leanne, a smile wouldn't kill ya!"

Ah, there's a smile! My finished Irene-inspired look, I lovelovelove.

I met some really great bloggers, who I've been talking to for a quite a while over the net. We were all delighted with how the event turned out (Thinkhouse - you've nailed it again!), and we were even more excited when we were given a box full of Benefit goodies and three of the limited edition Get Glam cans of Diet Coke. The contents of the box include the new 'They're Real!' mascara, the 'POREfessional' primer, three tints and three perfumes; it's so overwhelming to receive ALL of these at once. I'm dying to try all of my new treats out - I already have the beloved ChaChaTint, so I'll be giving this new one away in a giveaway soon, so keep an eye out! If you want a review on any of the products, leave a comment to let me know.

Pssst! If you pick up a limited edition 'Get Glam' can of Diet Coke, you instantly receive £5 off any order over £20, on Benefit's website - how amazing is that?! (UK only) If that wasn't enough, every hour a person will win €99 worth of Benefit makeup, if they text the code under the lid to the number given on the can to cokezone.ie. That's every hour, 9am-9pm.. can you imagine all of that makeup? Go to your nearest shop, and snatch a Get Glam can asap ladies!

Glossy Box - Valentine's Day Edition

2012-02-14T11:00:00.000Z

Good morning lovelies! Happy Valentine' Day, I thought this post was well suited for today - my review on Glossy Box's 'Pretty In Pink: Valentine's Day Edition' box. I was half-pleased with the box, but I've definitely received better in the past. Initially, I was in awe over the cute pink box itself and its Valentine's-inspired wrapping, but when I saw 3/5 products in the box were body products, I was a tad disappointed. I think Glossy Box sometimes overdoes it on the body products (shower gels, lotions, shampoos etc). I feel most of us prefer to receive makeup in beauty boxes, in comparison to a ton of body products. Whilst I do enjoy receiving one or two in a box, I sometimes find I barely use them and they're tucked away in a drawer. I wish Glossy Box, and other beauty box companies had some sort of a questionnaire on their sites, where you could let them know your hair type/skin type/skin tone. If I receive products that aren't suited to my type of hair/skin, I can hardly use them!

The three body products I received in the box are a Davines Moisturizing Balm, a Davines Cleansing Nectar shampoo and a Fab Body Wash. I was quite happy with the Davines balm, as it came in a generous 150ml tube and it sounds interesting to use. I was also pleased with the shampoo and body wash this month, but solely because I'm going to London this week and am in need of some travel-sized products. Once I use them, I'll let you all know how I get on.

I received two makeup products in this box, an Eyeko eyeliner and a Murad primer. I was delighted with the eyeliner at first, as I adore Eyeko products but the pale pink shade didn't even show up on my skin - at all! I tried using it as an eye brightener on my eye's waterline, but it just made my eyes look red as it's a pink-toned shade. I was even more disappointed with the primer; it was coloured! Usually primers are colourless, which suit all skin tones. This primer however was a tan colour, and made me look like an oompa-loompa. Very disappointing.

Glossy Box added a little sweet into the box, which I thought was a cute little extra. Unfortunately the contents of the box didn't wow me, but every box I receive won't please me 100%. I've received amazing Glossy Box's in the past, so I still highly recommend the service regardless. Who doesn't love receiving a box full of goodies in their postbox every month?

To sign up for monthly Glossy Boxes, click here!

P.S I returned to Youtube, check out my Q&A and Update video...

Photoshoot - David Mushegain

2012-02-13T11:00:00.012Z

To hype on Lookbook, click here.

Last November, I'm sure you all remember that I had a photoshoot with famous American photographer David Mushegain. He discovered one of the biggest models of the moment, the pink-haired Charlotte Free and has shot everything from ELLE to Vogue covers, and is basically known worldwide for his amazing photographs! When he contacted me through Facebook, to tell me he was in Dublin last year, and would be interested in photographing me, I squealed with delighted.

What initially turned out to be one day shooting, actually turned out to be a weekend. He photographed me twice, once on my own (photo above) and again with my friends (photos still not published). It was a whirlwind of a weekend, and we were all honored to be hanging out with David - he's such a cool guy, and so down to earth, despite his amazing CV behind him.

I was featured on The Last Magazine's website last week, where David wrote a nice little piece about me and Ireland. I'm so delighted, and I can't thank him enough for the amazing opportunity. I'm so happy with the photo's outcome, and I'm terribly excited to see the rest in due course.

The article on The Last Mag's site, about me and David's trip to Dublin.

David and myself.

My friends and I, with David just before he went back to the US.

Outfit & Events of the Day.

2012-02-08T23:15:00.002Z

Hype this outfit, on Lookbook here!

Hello all! Yesterday was such a fantastic day, that I had to share it with you all..

I've slipped into a 'black' phase over the last while, where I'm constantly wearing all-black outfits. I adore it to wear, as it looks so chic and flattering. I mix my all-black outfits up, by combining different textures to make them less boring looking (I'm wearing leather, faux fur and sheer here). Yesterday I wore, my new sheer maxi dress from InLoveWithFashion, my Topshop leather jacket, my Nana's vintage faux fur collarette from Italy, my Topshop double-chained necklace and my Office 'Victorian-style' boots. I loved the outfit, it's definitely something I'm going to consider wearing to London Fashion Week (next week, aahhhh)!

I attended a Benefit and Diet Coke event yesterday afternoon, in the Dylan hotel with my friend Conor, which was marvelous! I'll have a huge blog post up in the few days about it. I always love attending events, and meeting my fellow bloggers; they're so much fun.

Afterwards, we wandered into town, as it was still early and we were both in great, enthusiastic moods. After hearing about Topshop's clearance jewellery sale, we popped into the Stephen's Green branch for a look. I bought TONS; €140 worth of jewellery for a TENNER! I was delighted, expect a haul post up this week showing the bits I nabbed. Somehow, we ended up in Christ Church at 8pm, taking spooky polaroid pics and videos. It's one of my favourite places in Dublin, as I'm a sucker for gothic architecture! It was quite spooky last night actually, not only was there a full-moon out, it was absolutely freezing out! I felt I was in a Bram Stoker novel, with Christ Church glaring in the lights. I have to say, I love Dublin at night; our architecture is stunning and I think it looks extra-eery when it's dark and lit-up.

We went for dinner in my current fave restaurant; Havana Tapas Bar on George's St. We ordered a gorgeous plate of bread, tortilla chips and dips, and I ordered some yummy iced-tea (addiction). I love Havana so much, as it's such a relaxed atmosphere, there's free wi-fi and the prices aren't sky-high. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Havana grub, delish!

(I'm having trouble with my photos on Blogger recently, hence why some may be aligned wonky - apologies!)

Mini Beauty Haul & Nails Of The Day!

2012-02-07T11:00:00.035Z

The other day, I ventured into town in desperate need of some new foundation. I'd just finished my bottle of Revlon ColourStay, and I swore to buy it again. I finished up the Oily/Combination bottle, but decided to pick up two Normal/Dry bottles this time. The Winter has sucked the life out of my skin lately, and it needs some extra moisture throughout the day. It's obviously that bit more dewy looking, in comparison to the O/C bottle, but colour and coverage wise - it's the same! I love it.
I bought two bottles of it in the amazing new discount beauty store Cosmetique, in George's Street Arcade. They're usually around €18 in Boots, but Cosmetique had them even further reduced, at an amazing €9.99 each - so I bought two!
Whilst in Cosmetique, these two W7 nail polishes caught my eye, both at €2.99 each. A stunning luminous pink (48 Pink) and 'typical Leanne' shade - turquoise (1 Envy)! I adore them, I've been wearing them constantly since I bought them. The shops had shelves upon shelves full of the nail polishes, every colour you could imagine.
Cosmetique have a Facebook page (click here) and I told the shop assistant I'd give it a wee shout-out on my blog, so please go and 'like' it - say I sent you! The shop sells a ton of brands, such as Revlon, Calvin Klein, Roc, W7, Revlon, Directions hair colour and more, all at discounted prices. Amazing!
I popped into the pharmacy on George's Street also, for a new Burt's Bees lipbalm. My other one is running out, so I needed a replacement asap. I picked up the 'Mango' scented one, and I think I prefer the scent of my other tube - the original, menthol scent. Still, it's lovely and moisturising!

My Everyday Makeup!

2012-02-06T11:00:00.075Z

Good morning all! I've been asked quite a few times, how I do my makeup "naturally" or for an "everyday" look. I love wearing makeup, it makes me feel confident and I like how it can transform me - I'd never be able to leave my house without at least foundation and mascara on! This is my "everyday" look, something I'd wear if I was meeting a friend for coffee or if we had visitors. It's a fraction of what I normally wear, and it takes me still around half an hour to apply it (my usual makeup routine takes sometimes over an hour). Personally, I don't mind spending ages on makeup application. I love it, and find it almost therapeutic almost? I find makeup is an escapism for me, like forms of art are for a lot of people.

I like a full-coverage of makeup on my face, and find that foundation application is the key part of makeup application. If your foundation is applied well, you'll look better instantly! I wear M.A.C's Prep + Prime primer, which has a high sun protection factor of 50. Using a primer makes all the difference; it gives me sun protection for my face, ensures my foundation lasts all day and it also keeps a barrier between my skin and my makeup (great for not clogging up pores). Coverage wise, I use Revlon's ColorStay foundation in 110 Ivory and Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection concealer in the shade Fair. I've never been one to like a dewy look on my face, and I'm huge fan of a matte complexion; I'm currently loving Essence's Fix & Matte Translucent Powder, which I apply all over my face. I've never been a big blusher junkie to be quite honest, I never find myself going out of my way to purchase any; I only own around 6! I use M.A.C's Pink Swoon blush more-or-less daily, it suits most of my makeup looks and applies really well onto my skin. I'm obsessed with Benefit's High Beam highlighter, and I cannot leave the house without wearing some these days! I apply it on my brow-bones and upper cheekbones, to give me a healthy glow.

I like a bright, wide-awake look for everyday wear on my eyes - I use Essence's liquid eyeliner to define my eyes. I just can't seem to step away from it, I feel more like myself with it on. I do smudge black eyeshadow into my lashes sometimes though, instead of the eyeliner if I'm feeling really lazy! All over the lid I wear 'Bootycall' and 'Verve', from the Urban Decay NAKED2 palette, and I blend some of 'Pistol' into the crease, for some definition. To brighten up my eyes even further, and give me a more 'wide awake' look, I apply my favourite ELF Eye brightener pencil onto my waterline. I love big lashes, regardless of what look I'm going for. Clinique's High Impact mascara is my current fave, and this little travel sized version has lasted me ages. Eyebrow wise, I never bother filling them in with a pencil for an everyday look. I apply M.A.C's Brun eyeshadow for filling them in and adding some shape and definition, with an angled brush.

I never bother with bright lipsticks for an everyday look, so I usually wear M.A.C's Creme Cup or Angel lipsticks, both gorgeous and creamy nude pink shades. If I'm not feeling up for wearing a lipstick, I apply my favourite Burt's Bees lipbalm onto my lips. It's an absolute gem of a lipbalm; it tastes great and is the only thing protecting my lips from getting chapped during this freezing weather.

This may seem like a lot of makeup to some people, for an everyday look - but it's what makes me feel confident and ready for the day. It's quite a toned-down version of my usual pin-up look I suppose, and I do like wearing it a few times a week.

What products do you use for an everyday look?

Outfit & Makeup Of The Day

2012-02-04T23:51:00.001Z

Hello everyone! Don't you just hate those days, where you pick a nice outfit and your makeup goes on perfectly - only to find it's raining outside!? Insert a 'GRR' here! Well, that happened yesterday. I had plans, but of course the rain and wind decided to pay Dublin a visit, as always. (I heard it's snowing in the UK at the minute though, so I can hardly complain..)

I wore my Fred Perry polo shirt (I bought it yearrrrrs ago), with my vintage Levi shorts and Penneys (Primark) belt. I've worn outfits similar to this before, but thought I'd whip out some of my Summer gear anyways to convince myself the dreadful weather will come to an end soon.

I wore quite a soft smokey eye, with a light grey (Pistol - NAKED2 palette) on the lid and a turquoise shadow (Nightbird - M.A.C) smudged into the lower lashline. The eyes were quite dramatic, so I wore M.A.C's 'Creme Cup' lipstick, to tone it down. It was a complete waste of makeup however, as I didn't even leave my house. Oh well!

To hype this look on Lookbook, click here!

In other news, I booked my trip to London! I'm flying over with my friend Erica, from the 16th-24th February. We're staying in Covent Garden and are sooo excited. If anyone has any recommendations of shops or events going on, please let me know! (I'd also be interested in going to a blogger meet-up, if there's any going on? I'd be happy to organise one too, so let me know below if you'd like that.)

Carmine Beauty Box - January 2012

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000Z

There's nothing I love more, than receiving post; a parcel being delivered to me, regardless of what it is, is so exciting! I adore receiving a Glossy Box and Carmine box each month, full of fabulous beauty products for me to try out and test for you all. Since receiving my first two Carmine boxes last year, I'm totally in love with the company - I love it as much as Glossy Box! I've found myself using the products I've received, constantly, and I always find Carmine extremely generous with the sizes of products given.

This month's box was fantastic, of course! I received a Korress Wild Rose moisturising cream sample, Eldora false eyelashes, Balance Me Radiance face oil, Westlab Himalayan bath salts and an Eyeko Fat Eye Stick.

I was delighted with the Eyeko Fat Eye Stick the most to be honest, as I adore Eyeko as a brand and own many products of theirs. The shade of the stick I received is 'Satin Taupe', and it's absolutely stunning! I know I'll get such good use out of it, as an eyeshadow base or on its own; I'm delighted!

I never shower, as many of you know, only bathe; I've never enjoyed showers, and have always found baths to be my preferred choice of cleaning. Naturally, I can't wait to try out the Westlab bath salts, which claim to be the equivalent to a 3 day detox, if you soak in the salts for 30 mins - how interesting is that?! I'm definitely going to review these when I use them, but I'll wait until I feel I need to first.

I'll try out the Korres moisturiser and Balance Me face oil, but I don't see myself really latching on to them. The Eldora eyelashes look gorgeous, but I personally never wear false lashes, so I might keep them for a future giveaway or something.

I was thoroughly impressed with this Carmine box, and I highly recommend you guys check them out. I personally love trying out new products, and especially products from lesser-known brands!

To subscribe to Carmine beauty boxes, click here!

Nails Of The Day - Blueberry Ice Cream

2012-02-02T13:51:00.000Z

Good afternoon all, Happy Springtime! I thought I'd share my current favourite nail polish with you all today, as I'm totally addicted to it - Barry M's 'Blueberry Ice Cream'. You all know how much I adore Barry M polishes, so when my 'Pure Turquoise' bottle ran out, I bought this one as a replacement - it's a pastel baby blue, in comparison to 'Pure Turquoise', which is more of a sky blue.

Barry M polishes are generally great quality, but as you all saw in my recent NOTD post, the 'Mint Green' polish was a total let-down; the colour is gorgeous, but to get the polish opaque - I needed 3/4 coats! 'Blueberry Ice Cream' however, is a completely different story. After the first coat, it's more or less opaque, and the polish is so creamy and gorgeous to apply. It has fantastic lasting power, these pictures here are of my nails after 2 days of wearing it (I usually apply nail polishes daily, as they always chip on me from using my hands a lot).

It's the perfect Springtime shade, and I think blues go with everything and anything - it's a total fashion-forward 'safe' colour! Like all Barry M polishes, it's completely inexpensive. I find a bottle of Barry M nail polish, lasts me at least a 1-2 years. Totally worth every penny!

I won't be posting daily this week, or next week as I'm super busy organising my London trip, I'll be posting as much as I can however! I've a good few events to attend this month, so I'll be keeping you guys posted. I'll be updating my Twitter daily, so make sure to follow me.

What nail polish are you wearing today?

Outfit & Makeup Of The Day

2012-01-31T11:49:00.000Z

Morning all! I wore this outfit on Sunday, and thought I'd share it with you all as I loved it. We had a family day/dinner thing in my house, so I dressed up for the occasion. The whole outfit's very New Romantic inspired, and I'm absolutely delighted with it. I wore my vintage silk shirt shirt, American Apparel Disco Pants and my Asos 'Fleur De Lys' earrings. It's absolutely freeeeezing here in Dublin at the mo, so I popped my new Asos tartan cape on over it also - which I adore!

My makeup's my classic pin up look, with a subtle brown smokey eye. I used Urban Decay's NAKED2 palette mostly on the eyes, and I'm wearing Eyeko's Liptastik 'Lip Lover' on my lips. I'm currently having a bad time with my hair, I'm stuck between styles and colours. I like it black, but I have a sudden urge to do something crazy with it. I just popped my fringe up in a quiff, and let the rest down. Nothing special, it's trés boring!

Sorry for the mirror outfit pic, I was in a rush to help with dinner and took it in a hurry!

Hype this look on Lookbook here!

Sigma Makeup Brushes - Review

2012-01-30T18:11:00.007Z

Sigma's 'Essential Kit' brushes.

Morning all! I always get asked about what makeup brushes I use - my favourite brushes are from Sigma - I've had the Essential Kit (€67/£56/$89) for nearly 2 years now. I use the brushes daily, and they're in perfect condition. I also own brushes my Face2, Real Techniques, Urban Decay, M.A.C and No.7, but I still find my Sigma ones to be my most reached for! They wash fantastically, and barely shed. Sigma brushes are proven to be as good, if not better, than M.A.C brushes. I've never really felt the need to buy M.A.C brushes, because I find them really expensive; I own the 217 brush but that's it. I'm happy enough with my Sigma brushes.

I use most of the brushes in the Essential Kit daily, and my favourite ones from the kit are definitely the E40 Tapered Blending Brush and F60 Foundation brush. I only have sheeding problems with the F50 Duo-Fibre brush, but it's nothing to extreme. I only use it for contouring, not foundation application, so there's never brush hairs all over my face!

My package arrived within a week from the USA, when I ordered my brush kit. (Sigma DO ship to Ireland, click the 'Republic of Ireland' choice in the drop-down list.) They were packaged beautifully in a mesh bag, and came with a full guide on how to use and take care of the brushes. I also received a complimentary travel-sized blending brush with the kit.

Overall, I give the kit 9/10 - the point knocked off for the Duo-Fibre brush shedding. I'd highly recommend them to anyone; I don't see why people spend money on M.A.C and other cosmetic brands' brushes, when there's amazing Sigma ones available at a fraction of the price?!

Sigma also sell makeup palettes, cleansing tools and much more, check them all out here!

(This video is a few months old.)

What makeup brushes do you use?

Outfit, Hair & Makeup Of The Night

2012-01-30T11:00:00.024Z

Good morning all! I thought I'd start this week's posts with a risqué outfit of the night, to wake you all up. I wore this out on Thursday night to Provider, and despite being freezing; I really liked the outfit! It's not to everyone's taste, as per usual, but it's very 'me'. I incorporated this fetish trend, in with a bit of Kelly Kapowski 80s. (I'm going through a black and white photo phase, hence why the photos are edited that way.)

I wore my Asos 'Fleur De Lys' earrings (I'm completely over-wearing these at the mo, but I just adore them), my American Apparel mesh dress, vintage Levi shorts and my Penneys (Primark) belt. I wore suspenders, but took them off eventually, I thought they were a bit too much with the see-through mesh dress! They are nice in the photos however, I think.

I wore a MIDDLE PARTING in my hair, shock horror! This is the second time I wore it like this in years, I thought I'd try something new. I pinned my fringe back with some bobby-pins; it did last all night, although eventually I parted it to the side when my dancing became Beyoncé-esque. My hair naturally parts in the centre, but I'm sure still unsure as to whether or not I like it - what do you guys think?

I wore Arabic-inspired makeup again, which didn't turn out the best to be honest. I don't think I'll be wearing a lot of heavy eyeliner out to clubs in future, as it got messy and gunky towards the end of the night (even though I used waterproof, so annoying).

Hype this look on Lookbook here!

I'm sure most of you read the news on Facebook, but just in case you missed it; I'm going over to London Fashion Week next month (17th-22nd Feb), and writing for Disorder magazine! I'll be covering shows such as Holly Fulton, Acne, Aquascutum, Peter Pilotto and more, if everything runs according to plan. I'm flying over with a friend, and I'll be staying an extra few days to make a trip out of it. If anyone knows of any interesting exhibitions or events going on in February, please let me know!

(Posts might be a bit all over the place this week, due to me organising London and such, so please bear with me. I'll try my best to get a post up daily!)

Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer - Review

2012-01-26T13:37:00.000Z

Afternoon all! I thought I'd do a quick review for you guys today. Bourjois' "chocolate" Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder, has been a favourite product of mine for almost a year now. I use it as a contour powder, and sometimes as a blush to liven up my face. I use Chanel's Bronze Universel cream bronzer daily as a contour however, but when I'm looking for something more natural-looking, I use this! I'm really pale, as you all know, and I find this bronzer perfect for me. I have it in shade 51 - medium. I didn't see a lighter shade when I bought this, so I would be curious to see if it would suit my skin-tone better than this one, even though shade 51 still works fine.

It's a gorgeous bronzer, it's more-or-less matte and has teeny-tiny shimmers in it, which are barely noticeable. It smells absolutely amazing (like caramel chocolate), and the bronzer itself looks like a bar of chocolate. It has a very good colour pay-off, it isn't too chalky and applies evenly on to the skin. I do have to swirl my brush in the bronzer a few times though, to get a good bit of product onto the bristles.

I find using an angled brush to apply this on to the face works best, I use Sigma's F40. I have NO defined cheekbones whatsoever, so contouring is important to me for thinning out my face. I find the angled brushes create a more natural and definite contour to the face.

I'm not 100% sure on the price of the bronzer, but it's around £7/€9 - not too bad, seeing as mine's lasted so long. Overall, I adore this product! The packaging is cute, it smells amazing and it's just a great 'everyday' product for quite a small price. I'd highly recommend it to anyone, especially pale girls who are looking for an affordable contour powder.

(I'm dying to get my hands on the "white chocolate" highlighter version of this, but I haven't seen it anywhere in Dublin at all. Does anyone know where I can buy it?)

Chocolate! Without the calories..

Swatch of the bronzer, blended into my hand.

Have you used this product before? What do you use to contour?

Nails Of The Day - Barry M's 'Mint Green'

2012-01-24T13:16:00.000Z

Afternoon all! I'm writing this quick little post for you all, with trembling hands. I'm seeing my beloved One Direction tonight in concert, and I am BEYOND excited! I've adored them since their auditions, and yeah, their album is amazing. (I'm also inevitably in love with Harry Styles). I've gone into complete fangirl mode and I am determined to meet them... or at least one of them (Harry, please). If you're there tonight, and see me; do say hi. I'm going to try and get photos for you all, and maybe do a blog post reviewing the concert (comment if you want me to)!

I wore this fab nail polish yesterday, one of my current faves - Barry M's 'Mint Green'. The colour is stunning, pastel and perfect for Spring!

I love Barry M polishes, but unfortunately the formula of this polish is quite watery. I needed 3 coats for it to become opaque. It is quite a stress, but I love the colour too much to just ditch it altogether. I wore Sally Hansen's 'Insta-Dry' on top as always, it speeds up nail drying like nothing I've ever used before.

What nail polish are you wearing today?

Photoshoot - Lesleighanne Murray

2012-01-23T11:00:00.001Z

Good morning everyone! Here are the photos from the photoshoot I did, with the amazing photographer Lesleighanne Murray and model Catriona Grimes on Saturday. I styled all of my outfits myself, and will be posting Lookbooks of them all throughout the week - so keep an eye out for them to hype!

We shot in a gorgeous room, in the Camden Deluxe hotel on Camden Street.

I hope you guys like them, I sure do - I had so much fun.

(I've never been paid to participate in a photoshoot, and I'll gladly be involved in one for any photographers out there for free. Please email me at leannewoodfull@gmail.com for enquiries!)

Spiked choker - Fresh, dress - American Apparel and boots - Topshop.

Dress - photographer's own, necklace - Forever 21, ring - Merle O'Grady and boots - Topshop.

Cropped tee - American Apparel

Mesh dress (worn as top) - American Apparel, earrings - ASOS and Disco Pants - American Apparel.

Spiked choker - Fresh, mesh dress - American Apparel, leather jacket - Topshop and leopard print skirt - Penneys (Primark).

Catriona and Myself. (I'm wearing; leather jacket - Topshop, khaki army shirt - Urban Outfitters, earrings - ASOS, Sid & Nancy tee - Urban Outfitters and Docs - China Blue.

Visit Lesleighanne's fashion photography blog here!

(I've received some really cruel and disgusting comments already on these photos. Snide remarks about my weight and style - don't bother! Anyone who leaves me an insulting comment, will be banned from every page and site I have. Go and spread your negativity somewhere else.)

THUNDER + THREADS

*Giveaway* - Win a Benefit ChaChaCha Tint worth €30!

Dolce & Gabbana - A/W '2012-13

My Experiences With Self-Harm & Depression - National Self-Harm Awareness Day, 1st March 2012.

London Fashion Week: Street Style - Last Few Days..

London Fashion Week - Day 4; Outift of the Day!

London Fashion Week - Day 2: Outfit of the Day!

London Fashion Week: Day 2 - Street Style

London Fashion Week - Day 1: Outfit of the Day!

London Fashion Week: Day 1 - Street Style

New York Fashion Week - A/W '12

Get Glam event, with Benefit & Diet Coke!

Glossy Box - Valentine's Day Edition

Photoshoot - David Mushegain

Outfit & Events of the Day.

Mini Beauty Haul & Nails Of The Day!

My Everyday Makeup!

Outfit & Makeup Of The Day

Carmine Beauty Box - January 2012

Nails Of The Day - Blueberry Ice Cream

Outfit & Makeup Of The Day

Sigma Makeup Brushes - Review

Outfit, Hair & Makeup Of The Night

Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer - Review

Nails Of The Day - Barry M's 'Mint Green'

Photoshoot - Lesleighanne Murray

Giveaway - Win a Benefit ChaChaCha Tint worth €30!