Trip to Majorca

A couple of weeks ago my parents and I went on a week's trip to Majorca and I had such a good time relaxing and stepping away from reality for a short while. I took loads of pictures so it was hard not to put them all in this post! But I just wanted to make this quick post so I could have it to look back on and remember the holiday. 

We stayed in a resort called Cala D'or which we had never been to before and it was stunning. With loads of restaurants, shops, markets and three beautiful cove beaches (one of them called Cala Gran beach was just a five minute walk from our hotel), it was definitely my favourite place I've been on holiday. 

(Cala Gran beach)

On the first day we went to a restaurant that we had looked up before going on holiday called Restaurant Diferent as it had really good reviews, and the food was sooo good, so if you're going to Cala D'or I would highly recommend this restaurant as we actually ate here twice.

We went down to the marina a few nights which is about a 10 minute walk from the main area of Cala D'or. All the restaurants are lined along the marina so there's a beautful view no matter what restaurant you eat in. 

                                                                                        (view of Cala D'or beach)

(Food at asian restuarant called Noa: Vegetable spring rolls and Thai green curry)

We decided to do something touristy during the holiday and went to the Caves of Drach in Porto Cristo. They were sort of dark and eerie but absolutely stunning inside.

Hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures!

xo, Orlagh

The Next Chapter...

I've been a bit AWOL when it comes to blogging recently, but I have a reason - I finally started my youtube channel!

I remember when being 11 or 12 and discovering one of Michelle Phan's transformation videos on youtube (I think it might've been Barbie) and was just in awe of how talented she was and how fun the video was to watch. With suggestions for other videos popping up along the sidebar, I slowly got drawn into the wonderful vortex of youtube, discovering so many more people making great videos. 

I fell in love with it so quickly, discovering people like Zoella and Sprinkle of Glitter, getting really excited when a new video had been uploaded. I admired the confidence and positivity these people had, when the thought crossed my mind of 'what if I could do that?' but quickly put it out of my mind as it was a stupid idea.

4 years on from that, I still wanted to badly to share my creativity, tips and ideas but never had enough confidence to open my laptop and start typing. That was until I ended up in hospital being quite ill. I was lucky however, and I'm sort of glad of it in a way as reality check to stop waiting for something and just do it. Being housebound for a couple of months to heal and rest gave me the perfect opportunity to start blogging.

I was never really a confident, fully happy person, so by posting reviews or get the looks, a comment really brightened up my day and put me in such a better mood. That's why I know realize how important it is to pursue what you're passionate about, as it can have such a positive impact on your life.

This blog has been so fun for me the past year, but for me it was always something  I wanted to do to help me build up the confidence to start youtube - and now it has! I'm so excited for this new chapter and while it may not amount to anything (I might hate it for all I know) I can at least say that I gave it a go and followed my heart.

In terms of content, I want to focus a lot more on fashion and lifestyle as opposed to beauty, as I always struggled to post good fashion blog posts and I feel that the ideas I have in my head will be portrayed a lot better through video. I will still post here from time to time as sometimes there's nothing I love more than writing a spontaneous blog post.

So without making you read my boring, rambly thoughts any longer, here is my first video.

It would really mean a lot to me if you subscribed as there will be many more fun videos to come!

https://youtu.be/6p3jEBr54nw

xo, Orlagh

Relax... It's Summer!

For most people, exams are over and it's officially summer, so just relax, take a deep breath, and smile - you have two whole months to do whatever the fuck u want!!

One thing I want to stress is that you shouldn't overthink how your exams went. I know that it's natural instinct to go back over what you wrote in the exam and check if you done the right thing, but sometimes that does more harm than good - just forget about them rather than making yourself feel like crap about writing the wrong answer because at the end of the day, it isn't going to affect/change your grade.

Instead of worrying about results, just go out and enjoy summer, do the things you love, and most importantly relax! Your brain's probably been on overdrive for the last 2 months so it's important to take a breather. Do something or go somewhere that puts your mind at ease. I went to the waterfall near my house because I find it so peaceful, and then went to my caravan for the weekend to chill out and get a bit of an internet detox.

While I don't think it's a good idea to overthink your exams, I still think it's important to reflect and put things into perspective. It's important to realize that if you get bad grades, it really isn't the end of the world! The pressure put on students these days is ridiculous and we're made to think that these exams are a test of our intelligence and that they determine our future, but as long as you have tried your very best it shouldn't matter because a bad grade does not mean you are stupid.

Instead of worrying about what you should've done, reward yourself for all your hard work and have the best summer ever!! Take it as an opportunity to spend more time with your friends and family, or maybe even start a new hobby. Always wanted to learn how to play the guitar or maybe how to paint? Do it! You have nothing to lose and it'll help pass the time during summer.

I know sometimes doing fun things in summer can be expensive, but there are so many things you can do that are cheap/free and you can still have an amazing time. I think the best thing to do is take advantage of where you live; If you live near a beach, go there all the time; if there are nice scenic walks where you live, go for a walk; if you live near/in a city, act like a tourist for the day, visiting parts of the city you wouldn't usually go to. Here are some articles I've found which have great ideas of what do in summer that wont break the bank:

http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Cheap-Things-Do-Summer-37421848

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/40-free-fun-things-to-do-this-summer-220963

http://www.canadianliving.com/life-and-relationships/family/article/50-free-things-to-do-this-summer

I hope you have an amazing summer!

xo, Orlagh

OOTD // Parisian Inspired

 Hi! Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately, I'm trying to focus more on revising for exams but expect a lot more posts when they're out of the way. I was going out for dinner and it was such a nice day so I thought I might as well take advantage and get use out of my summer clothes that I never get to wear. I kept it casual so this outfit would be perfect for wherever you're going, and could easily be dressed up with heels.  

Top // Vintage

Skirt // Zara (I've linked a similar one)

Shoes // Converse

Earrings // ASOS

xo, Orlagh

Updated Skincare Routine

 It's been quite a while since I last posted about what I use on my skin so I thought I would give you an update on what I'm using at the minute as there are quite a few different things. At the minute my skin is oily/combination and quite sensitive, so if your skin is the same hopefully this might help you out as they have really been helping me out the past while. Some products however can be used for other skin types as well so have a read and something might suit you!

Soap & Glory Cleansing Milk // This is the one cleanser that no matter how many other ones I try, I come back to it without fail. It's nice and gentle so great if you have sensitive skin. It doesn't strip your skin but still makes it feel really clean, which is really hard to find so that's why I love this so much. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion // I've been using this quite a while and I really do think it helps with spots. It's perfect for oily/combination skin because it moisturizes without making you oily.

Botanics Organic Facial Oil // I sometimes mix this in with my moisturizer during the day and just put it on my face on its own at night. Although my skin is oily it's quite dehydrated and this is the only thing that's been helping it. My skin feels so soft in the morning after using this and it has rosehip oil which helps with acne scarring. This is targeted at dry skin so I think it would be amazing for someone with that skin type.

Lush Angels On Bare Skin // I think this is a cleanser but I use it as an exfoliator 2-3 times a week because my skin is too sensitive for anything else. This stuff is amazing - it soothes your skin and clears it at the same time. It's the one thing I would recommend the most because it's made with natural ingredients so you know it's doing your skin some good.

Quick Fix Purifying Charcoal Mask // This is quite a new discovery but I really like it. I use it once a week and my skin feels really clean after it. It draws everything out of your skin so its quite for getting rid of blackheads and helping to calm breakouts

Hope you enjoyed reading this and that it has helped some of you out!

xo, Orlagh