The Fashion Student

Friday 18 December 2015

Where I've been...

Hi! First of all I want to apologies for the lack of blog posts for the past couple of months. I'm never the most consistent but I made a promise to myself that if I was going to do this I wasn't going to pressure myself and make it seem like a chore if I gave myself a deadline. Whenever I feel like posting, I'll post. I never usually plan blog posts in advance; if something comes to me or I find inspiration I'll start writing.

In saying this, I know I've been seriously slacking recently and I don't like making excuses for things so I'm just going to say it like it is.

There are loads of things I could've posted about the past while, but what's the point if it's just for the sake of having something uploaded? I don't want to upload content if my heart isn't 100% in it, and produce mediocre blog posts because it's just not me. If I'm not feeling up to it I just won't.

That being said, I know it's not fair for people reading this but I'm hoping you'll understand. I started this blog as a hobby and I've so much fun with it the past year now. But sometimes we will lose interest in hobbies for a while but eventually may get back to it. For some people it's sports, others art or reading. For me it was this blog. I'm only a teenager so I'm going to change a lot and lose interest in things and find other things more interesting.

This isn't a post telling you that I'm ending my blog or anything, I still love writing posts, but I just wanted to explain why I haven't been as active recently. I will still obviously be posting on this because I still love fashion/beauty/lifestyle, but I'm just not going to put myself under pressure. It's often seen on blogs and Youtube how what once was a hobby for some people has turned into a pressurizing career in which they have lost their passion for what they started in the first place. I never want that to happen for me so that's why I just want to be 100% honest with you!

I have a lot of exciting things for me and also this blog coming up so just try to be patient! I know there aren't loads of you compared to other blogs but I really appreciate and love anyone who reads/comments on this blog!

xo, Orlagh

Review // Lush Ultrabland

Walking into Lush can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many things and sometimes its hard to know where to start. The last time I went into Lush, I knew I wanted a new cleanser but didn't know which one to go for. As usual the staff in Lush were really helpful and a girl told me about Ultrabland and convinced me to buy it. It claims that it is the Lush founder's #1 desert island product, so I was really excited to try it out and had high expectations.

The Lush website says 'This cleanser removes all traces of dirt and makeup, without stripping away your skins natural defenses.' and I have to agree with that. It has a really weird creamy/oily consistency that it very unique for a cleanser, but it's probably this that helps remove makeup so well (even mascara!).

When you wash this off some of the product stays on your face almost like a serum. I thought this was great because you're basically getting two products in one and it's a lot more efficient and cheaper than using two or three different products.

What interested me about this product is that on the tub it recommends to use the product and nothing else for a whole month to fix problem skin and bring your skin back to its natural balance. I was really intrigued so I gave it a go. Honestly, I found it really difficult not to use anything else especially when I had a spot that I knew wouldn't budge without some spot cream, or when my skin was really oily and couldn't use some toner. It didn't work for me, but I feel like it would work wonders for someone who has dehydrated skin or extremely sensitive skin.

If you have dry/normal skin I highly recommend this as it's so moisturizing and isn't stripping on your skin at all. Unfortunately it doesn't work well with my oily/combination skin and I think it's causing me to breakout. If you have a similar skin type to me I would stay away from this and maybe use 9 to 5 or Angels on Bare Skin instead as they are great for normal/oily skin.

There's not much point in me giving you a run down on the ingredients/properties when the Lush website probably do a much better job at it.

xo, Orlagh

How to // make your room cosier

When the weather gets worse I tend to be in my room more often and I realised that it was quite boring and bare. Being a student with no job (or EMA :( ), my funds are very low, so I tried to find things that wouldn't cost much but would still make my room look a little bit cuter. Here's what I done:

Candles

Candles are the cheapest and easiest thing to get as they are literally everywhere, and they make your room look so cosy! I love getting more spicier/christmasy scented ones for this time of year; Yankee Candle do really good ones.

Fairy Lights

I saw these fairy lights on the next website and thought they were so cute and I love how they aren't just plain fairy lights - I think they're really nice for only £10

Throws and Pillows

My bed looked so plain without these and its such an easy way to make your bedding look more expensive for really cheap. I got the throw from primark and the quality is amazing for the price! Primark have really great cheap homeware.

Books on Display

My windowsill was quite bare so set my books out and I really like how it looks; so have you have an area in your room that looks a bit boring just set your books out it looks really nice!

If you're a student like me, these would be great even for your room at Uni because it doesn't cost much but is still effective! If you have any other ideas leave them in the comments; hopefully this helped some of you out.

xo, Orlagh

instagram - @_orlaghmccloskey

Tanya Burr Galaxy Eye Palette // Review

Tanya Burr cosmetics launched well over a year ago, and I can't believe i'm only picking up something now. I knew I wanted something from the collection but I wasn't sure what to buy - until I saw Tanya using the palette in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hI3zhz12i4. I usually never wear cool tones but there was something about the colours in this palette that I thought were so pretty.

There are other palettes in the collection which are all priced at £6 which I think is incredible for 4 decent quality eyeshadows; perfect for anyone starting out in makeup! They are well pigmented and last all day. Their blendability isn't the most amazing i've ever seen for such a well priced product I really don't mind it. You can create lots of different looks with this palette and it can easily be taken from day to night by adding a little bit of the last eyeshadow to make it more smokey.

Snowflake // a frosty white shade

Moonlight // a shimmery pewter/silver

Stormy Sky // a matte, cool toned brown/purple

Starry Night // Black with gold glitter

Here is what they look like on:

Hope you enjoyed this post, if you have any favourites from Tanya Burr cosmetics let me know in the comments!

xo, Orlagh

Autumn Lipsticks

I love the makeup in Autumn because I can finally bring out my more brown/berry coloured lipsticks that I've had stashed away to use. Out of all the lipsticks I have been using, these have been my favourites.

(L-R, Mac Velvet Teddy, Rimmel Lasting Finish 03, Revlon Super Lustrous Black Cherry, Revlon Lip Butter Pink Truffle)

Mac Velvet Teddy - After waiting for so long I finally gave into the hype of this lipstick and I am sooo obsessed. It's the perfect mix between a brown and a nude. It has a matte finish so I always put on lip balm before applying it; it lasts all day!

Rimmel Lasting Finish 03 - I wasn't sure about this lipstick as I bought it on a whim, but I absolutely love it now. It's what I would call a true nude and if I don't know which lipstick to wear I always use this and it works well with any makeup look. It's really similar to velvet teddy only it has a creamier texture so I always use it for a night out because you don't have to worry about your lips getting dry, and a cheaper alternative to mac (incase I lost it).

Revlon Superlustrous in Black Cherry - I found out about this from watching Jaclyn Hill and had to buy it. I think it's a lot easier to pull of a dark lip at this time of year so I think i'll be wearing it loads! It's a bit hard to wear as it's so dark so you definitely need a lip liner underneath, but other than that I love it.

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle - I can't believe this is the first time i've had a lip butter because i've wanted one for so long after my sister had one. The formula of these are amazing; they are quite sheer and moisturizing so perfect for everyday. I love this one because it's really natural but still has that rosy/autumnal colour.

I've realised from this post that most of the nude lipsticks I have are basically the exact same and I have a bit of a problem (they look different in my eyes!). Let me know what your favourite lipstick is for Autumn - hope you enjoyed reading this!
xo, Orlagh

New Music Dicoveries

The past while I feel like I haven't been making an effort to discover new music like I used to love doing, and just got stuck in a rut of listening to the same 5 artists until I got sick of them. I've starting listening to new people and different types of music I didn't think I would like but actually love now.

Here are a few artists/songs I've been loving at the moment:

Troye Sivan

I've been watching his youtube videos for so long and I knew he released some songs but I never really listened to him until his new EP, Wild, was released and I am so obsessed! I didn't expect to like that music but I love it so much now because of him. I'm not a music expert but his songs are quite electropop and really chilled. Here's one of my favourite songs from the album (which you can get on spotfiy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLuWMOF6vOU

FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs is one of those artist you wish you knew about sooner, she's amazing!! I think she's such an underrated artist because she is so creative and original with music and her appearance. All of her songs are so different and it's obvious how much effort she puts into each one. You should definitely go listen to her!! Here's a video on her vevo of all her songs (it's amazing):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYU3j-22360

CHVRCHES

The first time I heard CHVRCHES was on the Radio 1 Live Lounge (I think it was cry me a river by Justin Timberlake) and I thought they were so cool. Their music is more pop/alternative but I think they're album has a sort of 80's vibe which I usually hate but it actually works. And her accent is so cute!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM

Lana Del Rey

I've loved Lana for ages but she has a new album so it counts! Every album she has put out so far has been so amazing and I always think the next one will never be as good, but she never fails to impress me. She seems to be going more and more alternative and further away from pop with each album (which I love) and Honeymoon is such a good album.

If you have any artists you think I might like let me know!
xo, Orlagh

Instagram - @_orlaghmccloskey
Twitter - @_orlaghmarie

Autumn Makeup Routine

I feel like if there's any time of year where someone has a specific makeup look that they gravitate towards, its got to be Autumn. Whether it be berry lips or bronzey eyes, I feel like everyone rocks at least one of the makeup trends that come out at this time of year.

For the rest of the year I can never seem to stick with the same makeup and get bored of looks really easily, but then Autumn comes along and all is right in the world again. I can finally wear the colours that I love and actually suit me for a change (if it isn't obvious already, Autumn is definitely my favourite season). Each year my makeup changes slightly, but its always based around really warm gold/brown tones. The products below are what I've been using this year and I really love this makeup.

Base

Revlon ColourStay Foundation

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Mac Springsheen Blush

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Eyes

Benefit Brow Zings

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer

Soap&Glory Eye Palette (I can't find this anywhere :(!)

Soap&Glory Supercat Eyeliner

Rimmel Wake Me Up Mascara

Rimmel Eyeliner

Lips

Mac Velvet Teddy Lipstick

Rimmel Addiction Lipliner

xo, Orlagh

THE ALL-ROUNDER // BY TERRY OMBRE BLACKSTAR

When I first saw these eyeshadow sticks in a Tanya Burr video, I was obsessed. I was all set out to buy one - that was until I saw the price. Some people would think spending £29 on a crayon for your eyes is a bit insane; and so did I to be completely honest. I still really wanted one, so I decided to save up and buy it. At first I was thinking, am I really wise spending this much money on this? But as soon as I used it I knew it was worth the hefty price.

It really is an amazing product. It has amazing pigmentation and is easy to blend, but once it's set, it seriously does not budge. They have a range of 12 colours from bronzes to purples and they're all beautiful and really wearable. They work great as a base for eyeshadows but I often just end up wearing it on its own. The thing I love most about this product is that it is so easy to use, and great if you're in a rush. You can apply it straight from the tube and use a fluffy brush to blend out the edges and you're done! The colour I have is 13 Brown Perfection (below) and it can be used in so many different ways.

I thought I would share some of my favourite ways to use this product. The first brush is great for packing it on the lid for a smokey eye. If I want something that isn't as harsh as black eyeliner I love using this angled brush to use it as eyeliner (really nice for blue eyes!) For everyday, using this fluffy brush to blend it in the crease looks really nice and keeps it looking polished.

I know these are probably out of a lot of people's budgets, so I found some great dupes that are a lot cheaper:

http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-London-Scandaleyes-Shadow-Stick_1306557/

http://www.boots.com/en/SEVENTEEN-Eye-Eye-Crayon_1427550/

http://www.nyxcosmetics.co.uk/best-sellers?product_id=62

Thanks for reading!

xo, Orlagh

OOTD // 90'S INSPIRED

Today was a really nice day for a change so I thought that I would take advantage of the good weather and wear something summery that I never normally get the chance to wear (gotta love the Irish weather).

Outfit

Top // Forever 21

Skirt // Zara

Sunglasses // River Island

Shoes // Converse

Makeup

Face // Mac Studio Fix Foundation & Springsheen Blush, Benefit Hoola Bronzer & Watt's Up Highlighter

Eyes // Soap&Glory Eyeliner, Rimmel Wake Me Up Mascara

Lips // Mac Velvet Teddy

xo, Orlagh

Instagram // @_orlaghmccloskey

Twitter // @_orlaghmarie

A/W 15 TRENDS

It's finally my favourite time of year again. I can finally ditch the summery clothes (that I never got to wear because the Irish weather has been terrible) and bring out the coats, boots, hats and everything great about Autumn/Winter. I love this time of year in terms of fashion because I feel like shops get a complete refresh and change dramatically, and the passion that designers put in really shows on the A/W 15 catwalks.

There are so many trends that I love this season, but I thought I would show you just a few of my favourites and how you can get them for a quarter of the price.

Bold Prints

The 60's are making a big comeback this season with geometric patterns and bright colours.

River Island black romper
£58 - riverisland.com

Zara red shoes
£51 - zara.com

Accessorize red hobo handbag
£38 - accessorize.co

Fur
This trend was shown on the catwalk in so many different fun colours such as green and teal.

AX Paris fur coat
axparis.com

Topshop black jeans
£9.62 - topshop.com

Nude shoes
newlook.com

H M black purse
hm.com

Gothic
Mixing different edgy textures such as mesh and leather with feminine details and accessorize was popular, and creates the perfect balance between goth and girly.