Party Season

As it is coming up to Christmas, we all have different occasions to attend and we want to be looking our best. I always try to keep up with the latest fashion trends and this festive season it's all about metallics and sequins but everyone has their own taste and style and there are party dresses out there to suit every shape. You can show off your curves in glamorous body-con dress or go for a super sexy skater dress. Also keep an eye out for peplum tops to emphasize your waist or choose bold Aztec prints to show off your tan. While I was browsing through fashion sites I spotted some lovely outfits that represent this season's latest trends. I have picked out my top 3 outfits for this party season. Have a look and see what you think, it might even give you a few ideas!

Sarah Sequin Cap Sleeve V Back Dress

Firstly, is the glamorous body-con sequin dress for all those of you who want to show off them lovely curves and be bang on trend. The sequins are not to over-powering and you can't go wrong with an LBD ( Little Black Dress)  in your wardrobe. Team this dress with sky-scraper heels and a glam little clutch and you are ready to hit the town. You can accessorise with some fabulous earrings also for the ultimate glamourista look. This dress is available from boohoo.com for €45.00 with free delivery for the month of December and 10% student discount.

Celine Baroque Print Peplum 

Next up, is the Peplum top which has been a major hit this season. This peplum top features a sleeveless design tat shows off your shoulders while the gold design add glamour to your outfit. The length is perfect for emphasising your small waist and teaming with high waisted black skinny trousers or with black wet look leggings. If desired, pair with a pencil skirt for a stylish silhouette. This top is available from iclothing.ie for €25.00 with standard delivery cost of €4.50. 

Polly Bandeau Skater Dress

Finally, the Skater Dress which is the ultimate sexy look. It will also give you an ultra flattering shape and will bring you to any occasion. Team with a statement necklace to add to the minimalistic bodice and chunky heels or change it up with a fitted blazer and platform sandals. Red is also the perfect colour for the Christmas season. This dress is available from boohoo.com for €30.00 and comes in a range of different colours. 

Until next time,

Liz X

White Chocolate Cheescake

I am not a big fan of cheesecake but when my Mammy came home with this recipe I found a new love for cheesecake. It is truly divine, slightly on the heavy side and not suitable if you are on a diet of any kind as it is so fattening but once you have one bite you can't help but stay eating. I decided I would share this recipe with my fellow bloggers :) 

Ingredients:

Base:

-1/2 pack of digestive biscuits (more or less pending on how thick you want the base)

-80g melted butter

Topping:

-small carton of cream - thickened

1/2 mug of caster sugar

-2 x 200g bars of white chocolate (purple cardboard cover in Lidl is the best)

-2 x 200g Philadelphia cream cheese

To decorate:

-bashed up flake/raspberries or whatever you fancy :)

Method:

1. Prepare base: bash biscuits and mix with melted butter and press into cake tin (line it with clingfilm so it is easy to lift out)
2. Lightly whip cream and leave to one side
3. With electric mixer, mix Philadelphia and caster sugar together until really smooth
4. Melt chocolate and add cream and chocolate to Philadelphia and sugar and continue to mix until really smooth
5. Pour onto biscuit base and refrigerate (over night is best - if you can wait)
6. Decorate as desired and enjoy!

It should turn out something like this:

Enjoy!

Until next time,

Liz X

Law&Order:SVU

Law & Order: SVU has started its 14th season this year and it is even better than ever with new detectives and new cases to investigate. I first came across the episodes when I was up late one night flicking through the channels and saw that there was an episode of SVU just after starting so I decided to watch it and have been addicted ever since. I have the series recording on Sky+ and I think I have seen every single episode at this stage. The detectives investigate rape cases in New York so as you can imagine the scenes are graphic and the storyline are brutal but they keep you on edge throughout. Just to give you a glimpse of how this season started:

Picking up where the thirteenth-season final left off, Special Victims Unit boss Captain Cragen (Dan Florek) has woken up with a dead woman in his bed - the witness who previously approached Detective Amaro (the still vastly under appreciated Danny Pino). Cragen can't remember how she got there, but we learn through flashbacks that she wasn't as innocent as she wanted him or Amaro to believe. It's a classic setup, one that we've seen on cop shows before, but what holds our attention isn't the "what happened" but the "how is he going to get out of it?" 

Cast of Law & Order:SVU

It was a pleasant surprise to see Dean Winters reprise his role as Detective Brian Cassidy. He is an entirely different person now and the only thing that rings hollow with his return is Benson's renewed romantic interest in him, which seems more like a knee-jerk reaction than anything else, and doesn't add anything to the story. We've seen a number of short-lived romantic partners for Benson over the course of the series, most recently David Hayden (Harry Connick, Jr.) last season, and it feels as if the show ought to finally allow her a long-term romantic relationship.

Actors Mariska Hargitay & Dean Winters

Amongst all these strong performances, though, the winner here is Dann Florek, who continues to add more and more to the character of Captain Cragen. Cragen is probably the shows most stable character - both in terms of time served and how he is always there for his detectives through all the drama they have faced.  Having played him for the better part of twenty-two years, it's amazing that he hasn't tired of the role or run out of places to take the character.

Actor Dan Florek "Captain Cragen"

SVU​ writers do a good job of refreshing the audience's memory as well as keeping all their plot threads in order. With two major antagonists and characters coming in and out of the narrative, there's enough information to need a flowchart, but the two episodes never feel cluttered. The plot moves along at a fairly steady pace, and even though it doesn't always ring true, it's consistently entertaining and hints at places the season could take all of the characters. 

Detectives Benson & Stabler

While there's a lot of talk about the ​Law&Order​ formula, ​SVU​ it has still managed to flesh out 14 seasons without losing momentum or the interest of their audience. There is still plenty to explore with these new characters, and Season 14 should continue the momentum established by its predecessor. I know I am looking forward to the exciting episodes ahead. 

Catch Law& Order:SVU on Universal at 9:00p.m on Sunday nights. 

Until next time,

Liz X

Piranha Promotion

Last night me and my friend were asked to do a promotion night in The Field Bar, Kilkenny. We were asked to promote the drink Piranha, I was delighted when I heard this because I'm a big fan of this drink and I also love doing promotional events. The Field is a pretty small pub in Kilkenny and we weren't sure what to expect but when we got there it was packed with people of all ages, there was live entertainment and a great buzz in the place. We were given outfits which consisted of a blue and black body-con dress, belts to hold the drinks and a pouch for our money and also a sash to hold the shot glasses in. You never know what you have to wear till you get there so luckily enough this wasn't too much of a shock! I done a promotional event for Centra once and I had to dress up as one of the Centra family with a big bobble head and massive shoes, it was hilarious! We were also given free merchandise for the customers when they bought a drink, piranha t-shirts and Santa hats! We got to work straight away selling shots of piranha for €2 and even though there was already free shots been given at the bar a lot of people still bought the shots of us which was good news for us because we were promoting the brand and making profit for the bar. I think these promotional nights are a brilliant way of promoting brands and making them more well known, it is also a great way of socialising and interacting with different people and it's a very easy job to do! 

Free Piranha t-shit & the bottle of Piranha

I got into this job through a friend of mine who was doing it for a good while, so if you know anyone and you are interested in doing it just get them to have your name mentioned, they are always looking for people because there is promotions going on all the time, not just in bars. Also keep an eye on the jobs.ie website as they do be advertising it under the merchandising section. 

Until next time,
Liz X

British Fashion Awards

Stella McCartney was told by a former boss that she would fail. Her previous employer in French fashion house Chloé warned her not to leave because she would never succeed on her own. She has clearly proven him wrong, bagging two awards at this years British Fashion Awards. The fashion designer was named both Designer Brand of the Year & Designer of the Year. During her speech she made a tribute to Team GB as she created their London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic kits. I am delighted she was honoured for the incredible work she does, she is a role model for all budding fashion designers out there. The British Fashion Awards represent the culmination of talent, creativity and innovation across the whole industry. It has been an exceptional year for British fashion and this event is a great way to conclude the year and honour such incredible talent.

Stella McCartney showing off her awards

Dresses from Stella McCartney's SS 2012 Collection

Until next time,

Liz X

Love/Hate

I have been reading reviews in The Times about the most talked about series on RTE today, Love/Hate. When Love/Hate first aired on RTE, it didn't get good reviews. "More Westlife than Westies" was the verdict from The Times which wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement for a drama series aimed to depict organised crime in Ireland. However with the final instalment of this years second series, Love/Hate has found it's feet with over 660,000 viewers tuning in to watch the gangland drama. Stuart Carolyn, the creator, writer and executive producer of the series said the idea of Love/Hate was building in his mind for years. He says he was profoundly affected by the death of journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996; his mother's working as an emergency department nurse also gave him an insight into the human stories behind gangland violence.

Stuart Carolyn

Love/Hate is the first Irish production to properly explore gangland activity and get a glimpse of what life is really like for drug lords in Ireland. The show is centred around Darren Tracey, played by Robert Sheehan, who decided to come back to Dublin from Spain and is forced to stay as he is seduced by the large sums of money to be made by working for John Boy Power, an intelligent ruthless operator. His life spirals dangerously out of control as he gets sucked further and further into the drug world which he had attempted to leave behind.

Actor Robert Sheehan

In the world of Love/Hate the gang characters can have the weddings of their dreams,  the money to buy what they want but all this can be taken away instantly. The crux of the matter is that their prosperity is built on sand and constant fear. At any time a strong wind threatens to blow and leave them with nothing, not even their lives and the worst part is that they are aware of this. The characters of Love/Hate smile earnestly at their colleges all the while waiting for their fate to catch up with them. 

Fran, Darren, Nidge & Tommy

The cast of Love/Hate all have a natural ability on camera and make their characters come alive. The Times say " Love/Hate young actors may leave an indelible mark in future years to come". Love/Hate is certainly an ensemble performance and unusually for a TV series there doesn’t appear to be any weak links. The realism of the production is mainly due to two things, the scriptwriting talents of Stuart Carolyn, and the wonderful camera-work. The cinematography of the series is extremely faithful to the Irish climate. The outdoor shots are harsh and dark, something all too familiar to people who have frequented Ireland. The dark palette creates a foreboding sense of dread as the Irish landscape imposes itself, dominating the setting in the process.

The show intends to depict the drug addiction, squalor and violence of organised crime in post boom Ireland. It is not easy viewing and not recommended for a younger audience as there is a lot of strong language, scenes of violence and sexual scenes. It keeps you on edge throughout and gives you an insight into real life events that are happening in the gang world today. Catch Love/Hate on RTE1 @ 9.30p.m on Sunday nights.  

Until next time,

Liz X

Fake €50 Notes

I was working over the weekend and it was crazy busy on a Saturday. I was on the tills all day and the queues were all the way back to the front door, with people buying over €100 worth of stuff. As you can imagine a lot of money is taken in on these days and as we are responsible for the cash we are handed we are supposed to check every single note with a money tester, especially €50's and €100 notes if we are given them. As it was so busy we were all under pressure and someone wasn't paying as much attention to the notes being handed in as they normally would on a quiet day because there was two fake €50 notes found in one of the tills when a cash lift was done. It was clearly a mistake but it is so easy to be caught out. We were warned when we started working there about dodgy people taking chances and to trust our judgement but I never thought it possible for someone to have the nerve to hand in fake money. It has made me more wary and now I take my time and check every single note as I do not want the company losing profit because I wasn't paying attention. 

This is a picture of a real €50 and circled are the easiest areas to check to determine if it is real or not:

1. A  watermark on the left hand side, should only be seen under light
2. The middle area circled is the easiest one to check in a hurry. Run your nail across this and you should hear/feel the corrugated vertical lines, fake €50 notes are known to have these also so be sure to check everything else
3. On the right hand side there should be a hologram, it should have the € symbol and the number of the note. Holograms are basically two images on top of each other so move the note around so you can see both images.
4. Also when you hold it up to the light you should see a straight line running down the middle of the note.

If any of you work on cash registers, just be careful and don't get caught out. Also when you are given change in a shop or supermarket check to see if the notes are real, just to be sure. Our economy is in a bad enough way as it without fake notes floating around!

Until next time,
Liz X

Bargain Buy

I work in Penneys so I usually know what stock is on the floor and where everything is but they change stuff around on a daily basis so its hard to keep up! So I decided to get a bit of Christmas shopping done on my day off ( organised or what?!) and while I was browsing around I came across a new sale rail that had been put out on the floor with a mark down price of €3. Now I am the type of person who will root through a sale rail no matter how messy it is just to find something I like, especially when it is only €3. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw a dress with an original price of €19 had been marked down to €3! It is one of them dresses that you either love or you hate and I loved it the minute I tried it on and I got so many compliments that night when I wore it out. I teamed it with blue platform shoes and black jewellery but there are so many different colours throughout the dress you could wear any colour shoe/bag with it.

Pictured here with my friend Kellie

Until next time,

Liz X

iPhone vs Samsung

As it is coming up to Christmas, I have been considering trading in my current phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace) for a newer version as I feel it is too slow and the memory is crap on it, I have tried bringing it back to the shop but they have been unable to do anything for me so I want to invest in a new phone. I have been asking people for their opinions and have been getting mixed reactions. Some people have told me that the iPhone is amazing and others tell me that the Samsung phones are streets ahead of  them. To be honest, from using my friend's iPhone for a day and my boyfriends Samsung Galaxy S3, I personally think the Samsung was a lot nicer, not just to look at but the graphics were much better and you could customise it yourself. The only advantage the iPhone has on the S3 is the wider choice of quality apps. Their is a lot of hype surrounding the iPhone and I think people just crave the ability to say "I own an iPhone". I'm not saying there is anything wrong with them, personally I just prefer Samsung.

iPhone 5

Samsung Galaxy S3

With all this new technology been updated constantly it is hard to know what to choose!

Until next time,

Liz X

Irish or Not?

I read an interesting article on the journal.ie website lately with the heading "7 things you think are Irish but are in fact not at all". As you can imagine this caught my attention and so I kept reading. A survey was done recently by the Love Irish Food campaign and they came across some interesting facts which shocked a lot of Irish people, including me. There is widespread belief among many people that some products are Irish made, when in fact they are nothing off the kind. What shocked people even more was the fact that it's not just food products:

1. Lyon's Tea. 77% of people believed this product was Irish when in fact it's not.

2. Siúcra. 80% of those surveyed believed this was Irish.

3. HB. 71% believed that HB is produced in Ireland.

4. Cully and Scully. These ready-made food products were originally Irish but are now produced in the UK

5. Boyne Valley Honey. This is packaged in Drogheda but the honey is produced in the EU.

6. The biggest shock of all; St. Patrick. It was discovered that not only is he British, he only came to Ireland because he was forced to. It is believed that he was either brought over as a slave or he fled to avoid taking a nasty job.

7. Neither Sally O'Brien or they way she might look at you( Harp Lager) are made in Ireland. The actress, Vikki Michess is English. So the Harp LAger guy's yearning's are totally misplaced.

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble about us Irish but believe me I was as shocked as ye are now reading this! Does this country even exist any more?

Until next time,

Liz X

Disco Pants...OTT or Not?

I have to admit, when these first came out I did not take a shine to them like most people did as I thought they were a bit OTT but they are after growing on me in the past few days. I have seen so many people wearing them, not just on a night out but also walking down High Street on a normal shopping day and I was amazed to see how good they look on everybody, including Sophie from Geordie Shore who was rocking a red pair last night on the show.They are so flattering and make such a fashion statement, so I have decided to spend my wages wisely this weekend and purchase a pair of these ( or 2!) for my next night out. Boohoo.com have a great range to choose from ranging from prices of €12-€17 but when I came across these on the Penneys facebook page I fell in LOVE.........

Penneys Disco Pants, €17 in Metallic Blue

I will post photos of the final look in a later blog so you can see how they look and what is best to team them with but dont' be afraid to give them a try, from what I have heard you won't be disappointed!

Until then,

Liz X

Bronzed Beauty

Ok so because of the lack of sunshine we get here in Ireland we all need something to give our milk bottle skin a healthy glow,especially in the winter, and that is where we enlist the help of fake tan! We are all guilty of faking it as there is nothing worse than standing beside someone who has been on holidays and looking like we havent even left the house all summer. My skin tans very easily in the sun but I still love using fake tan to give me a more bronzed look. There is such a variety of different fake tans out there, from instant to overnight, pale skin to dark skin, you are bound to find one that suits you. I have been using tan for a few years now and have had the opportunity to try most tans on the market but I always end up coming back to the same 3:

From L-R: L'oreal Sublime Bronze, Sally Hansen &Tan Organic

Allows prep your skin before applying fake tan by exfoliating, shaving and moisturising at least 24 hours beforehand.

First of all, L'oreal Sublime Bronze is an amazing product. It is actually the first tan I was introduced to and I have been using it ever since. It takes roughly 3-6 hours to develop properly so it is ideal for a night out but if you want the best results from it I would advise you to exfoliate and moisturise properly beforehand and take the time to apply it evenly the night before you plan to go out (with a tan mitt to protect your hands). You can also top it up the next day if you want a deeper tan. It gives a light colour as you apply it to your skin so you can see any white patches you missed! It retails at approx. €18 but keep an eye out for any offers and promotions as normally in most chemists it can be it reduced to €12 and as you can see I got a bargain in Sam McCauleys one day during a promotional event as they had up to 70% off L'oreal products. Happy Days!

Secondly, Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is a must have beauty product. It gives a beautiful natural colour that is perfect for day or night, camera ready legs in an instant. I also use it on my upper body and I have read reviews from people who have used it on their face as a foundation. It only takes a few minutes to apply with a tan mitt or you can spray it directly onto your body but you need to be careful as it dries quickly. The most important thing to remember is to BLEND and watch out for tan lines! The one thing about this tan is that it can stain clothing especially whites so wait until it is fully dry before getting dressed. As I have tanned skin already I use the medium/tan glow which retails at approx. €11.75 but Penneys now stock it for €9.25.

I have only recently been introduced to Tan Organic and I am loving it. When I was at the Ultimate Girls Day Out Show in the RDS they had a stand set up promoting their tan and were selling it for only €10, the girl promoting it was wearing the tan and it looked amazing so I have to say that did influence my decision to try it! Also the fact that it is Irish and 100% natural so it can give you a gorgeous summer glow without putting harmful chemicals on your skin. It is reallly easy to apply as it is in a spray bottle and liquid form which blends easily on the skin. Wait at least 8 hours before showering to allow the tan to develop properly and again ensure it is fully dry before getting dressed. This tan normally retails at approx €19.95 but it is well worth it!

 Also to prolong your tan it is good to use moisturiser or oil on your skin, this will also allow it to wear off more evenly without any noticeable patches!

Until next time,

Liz X

Brown Smoky Eye

I know it is all about the dramatic black smoky eyes this season but I have often been told that a brown smoky eye suits me a lot better and I tend to agree. I have hazel brown eyes so by creating a brown smoky eye effect it really brings out my eyes. I spend a lot of time reading the beauty section in magazines or watching tutorials on YouTube and I have tried them all but when I attended a Rimmel master class a while back I was introduced to a very simple way of creating this look by using all Rimmel products. So for any of you who prefer a brown smoky eye here is how to achieve it:

1. I always start by using a concealer on my eyes as I feel it creates a base for my eye shadow and allows it to stay on without smudging. The concealer I swear by is Rimmel Match Perfection, which retails at around €5.95, it has great coverage and brightens your skin ( also great for dark circles under your eyes). 
2. Next draw a thick line using a brown eyeliner along your upper and lower lash line, Rimmel have a great selection of eyeliners for less than €5, and smudge it all over your eyes. 
3. You now need Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in . Apply it on top of the smudged eyeliner and keep blending upwards until it fades out, I use MAC brushes to apply my eyeshadow.
4. Next you will need Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono eyeshadow in Fancy Topaz (171) . Apply this in the centre of your eye and blend outwards.
5. If you wish you can draw another thick line with Rimmel brown liquid liner along your upper lash line. Apply mascara, Scandal Eyes mascara is amazing.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Fancy Topaz & Dusk, Rimmel Professional Liquid Eyeliner

Should turn out like this :)

Until next time,

Liz X

The Leather Jacket

I am a big fan of reading magazines to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends and one trend that never fails to appear in magazines is the trustworthy Leather Jacket. It has a long history and has never been outdated, so for me it is a staple item in my wardrobe and I think everyone should have one in theirs. Leather jackets are fun, versatile and are on trend no matter what season it is. They are available in a range of different styles and colors, prices vary depending on where you get them. I picked up mine in Heatons for a bargain price of €10 in both black and blue.
You can wear a leather jacket many different ways but these are my Top 5:
1. With a feminine dress
2. With skinny jeans
3. With a pair of boots
4. All leather
5. With red lipstick
Why don't you give it a try?
(Pictures to follow)
Until then,
Liz X

"Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline."

I recently read a review in Stellar Magazine about Maybelline New York's latest make-up range FitMe which they showcased in an exclusive A/W shoot in New York. Their products are bang on trend with this seaon's hottest make-up looks, dramatic smoky eyes and deep lip colours. After reading the rave reviews I decided to try it myself and I have to say I was amazed with the results and  how easy it was to achieve. 

Here's how you can achieve this season's on trend look:

FitMe Foundation creates a flawless looking base and adapts to your natural skin colour, it retails at €11.99 and Boots are also doing a special offer of buy one get the second half price across all make up products at the moment. I always apply my foundation with a  foundation brush for a better effect. I use MAC make up brushes which are amazing and well worth investing in. Use the lightweight powder to finish the look, this also holds your make up in place for up to 8 hours without re-touching. There are a range of shades available to suit all skin types. 

Maybelline FitMe in Shade 220.

Mastering the Smoky Eye has never been easier with Maybelline's new Eye Studio Master Smoky Shadow Pencil, RRP €9.29.

All it takes is 3 simple steps:

1. Draw a thick line with Master Smoky Shadow Pencil, available in 5 shades.

2. Blend the liner with the super smudger at the end of the pencil to transform into a smoky shadow. For deeper intensity use a black/grey eye shadow along with this.

3. Complete the look with Colossal Smoky Eyes Mascara, RRP €11.99.

Maybelline Master Smoky Shadow Pencil

And finally, red lips are back with a bang this season. Create depth and intense colour by applying Colour Sensational Lipstick in Fatal Red first and then adding Maybelline's Superstay 10 Hour Tint Gloss in Endless Ruby for high shine and maximum impact. 

Now you're ready to hit the town!

Until next time,
Liz X

W.I.T Charity Skydive

I decided to brave the skies a few months back in April and do a 10,000 feet high skydive. I had always wanted to do one and when I heard that W.I.T were hosting a skydive in aid of charity I signed up straight away. We were given sponsorship cards to raise €450 for 4 chosen charitites, which proved easy enough as people were willing to support such a good cause. People kept asking me if I was nervous and I would always reply "No, I'm actually excited" but when it came down to it I was as nervous as hell!

As myself and my friend, Kellie arrived early we were first on the list. We didn't even have time to think about it as straight away we were shown how to land safely, what to do if anything went wrong and helped into our harness gear. It was all pretty frightening but our instructors were so calm and patient it made us relax...a bit! Once we got on the plane there was nothing we could do but try and enjoy the experience and that I did. It was the most incredible feeling in the world, words can't even describe it and I am delighted that I got the chance to experience it and raise money for such good causes.

Are you brave enough?



Until next time,

Liz X







Taken 2

Taken 2 has been getting nothing but bad reviews since it came out a few days ago but I have to disagree with all of them as I thought it was a brilliant film. For those of you who have not seen Taken it is the story of a retired CIA agent, Bryan Mills who embarks on a frantic quest across Europe relying only on his skills and knowledge to rescue his estranged daughter, who was kidnapped on a trip to Paris with her friend and sold into prostitution. It is a fast-paced, action movie that keeps the audience captive throughout. I do not normally enjoy these kind of movies, chick flicks are my thing but I loved this movie and Liam Neeson put on a superb performance. In Taken 2 it is Bryan Mills and his estranged wife who are taken and it is up to his daughter to save the day. The villians are the fathers, brothers and sons of all the men Bryan killed while trying to save his daughter the first time around. They are back for revenge. I will not give away too much but I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys action movies.

Out now in cinemas nationwide!

Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards

It is that time of year again when the Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards take place. Glasses have become a huge fashion statement in the last few years and this event allows spectacle wearers to showcase their glasses in a stylish and glamorous atmosphere and be in with a chance to win some amazing prizes.

New Irish model, Maria Gildea (20) will be heading to London in October to represent Ireland in the international competition to find the Spectacle Wearer of the Year for 2012. Maria from Ardara in Co. Donegal was signed up by Assets Model Agency a number of weeks ago having been spotted as having huge potential by staff at Specsavers in Letterkenny when she went in to their store for an eye check up. She loves wearing glasses and says "The only thing I find difficult about them is when I’m wearing false eyelashes." The model, who had only appeared in small charity fashion shows in her native Donegal until this breakthrough, is looking forward to her first trip to London to compete for the international title.

Having taken part in this competition myself in 2011 I would highly recommend it to anybody who wears glasses, either full time or as a fashion statement, to take part as it is such an amazing experience, I got to meet some amazing people and it also enabled me to be more confident when wearing my glasses.



Finalists of Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards 2011



Here is the link to enter, believe me its worth a try:

http://competition.specsavers.ie/enter-now.aspx

Until next time,
Liz X

Bargain Hunting

"Bargain hunting in second hand shops is the new black"

Since the recession people have had to cut down on the amount they spend on luxuries and sales of designer goods such as Prada, Dolce&Gabanna and Diane von Furstenburg have decreased rapidly.

In charity shops however the demand for these brand names has never been greater. A pre-loved pink dress by Moschino, worn by the likes of Michelle Obama, was sold for an amzing €50 in Oxfam in Dundrum and the bargains don't end there. For €100 you can be the proud owner of never worn Prada heels in WaWa on Aungier Street. How could any woman resist?

Most people think designer pieces slip by charity shops but this is not the case and as this new trend is starting to develop people are starting to realise it is worth looking in these shops, not just for the bargains but also to support good causes. I went in to Oxfam in Kilkenny recently to see what all the fuss was about and I must say I was impressed with all the designer names on the rails with price labels I could afford! I picked up some lovely vintage dresses which retailed at approx €120 each but I got them for €20 each. Happy Days! 

Knowing our money is going to a good cause and we get to look good for less, we feel good about ourselves. What more could you want? Next time you are passing by a charity shop you should pop in and experience the bargains for yourself, you won't be disappointed!

Until next time,

Liz X

Welcome to my blog :)

Hello everybody my name is Liz Martin and this is my blog which will dicuss topics of interest to me. I am currently in my second year in W.I.T studying Retail Management and hope to pursue a career in the fashion industry. Hope you enjoy my blog and please feel free to comment and subscribe to it. 

You can also follow me via
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