Ciara Sims: July 2015

July Favourites

Friday, July 31, 2015

Can you believe we are over halfway through this year already? I think I start every monthly favourites post with a similar line but time really does seem to be flying by. I'm half way through my long summer holiday already and I just don't know where it has gone! I had so many plans and ideas for this summer and so far I think I have only acted on two of them (see one of them here!). Here's to a jam packed second half hey?

This month has been all about easy products for me. I've liked my makeup being quite minimal as I think summer is the time for fresh and natural makeup but with pops of colour. This is a look that I think suits me so I've really enjoyed the relaxed easy vibe of it. However, just because I want to look natural doesn't mean I want my redness and blemishes on show to the whole world. I don't want to look that natural. The L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation (£7.99) and Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) are THE dream team. They give me exactly the look I'm after while still covering everything that I want covered. L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation gives me a flawless base and leaves me with even looking skin while taming my oily bits and not clinging to any dry patches. It really is the best foundation I have ever tried and is affordable too. The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer needs no introduction. The world and his wife know about how amazing this concealer is and I agree with them completely. I have the lightest shade and it is a perfect colour match for me, the thick creamy consistency covers all signs of blemishes and redness and it's even a pretty great under eye concealer too as it doesn't crease and covers bluey tones and dark circles without feeling heavy. I love these two products so much and will be repurchasing them for a long long while.

To apply my L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation I've really loved using the Ecotools Stippling Brush (£7.99). This is the brush that dreams are made of. The Ecotools Stippling Brush is a dream to work with and buffs foundation into the skin like nobodies business. It picks up plenty of product and doesn't suck any of it up. Oh and it's super soft. What more could you want really? I have quite a few Ecotools brushes in my collection now and the quality of them are exceptional. For a budget brand they know what they are doing. I also think the bamboo handles are a really nice touch.

As I said earlier, this month has been about easy products. Products that get the job done and do it well. Eyeshadow sticks do exactly that. I love eyshadow sticks because they are so simple yet effective. You can just take one in a pretty colour, colour in your eyelids, give it a little blend with your finger and there you go - a one wash wonder! My personal favourites this month have been the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick in 002 Bulletproof Beige (£4.49) which is a really nice champagne colour and the Rimmel London By Kate Eye Shadow Stick in 100 Rose Gold (£4.49) which is a gorgeous rose gold colour as the name suggests. Both of these colours are lovely for day time softly blended and Rose Gold is stunning when built up for a almost burnt copper eye look. These eyeshadow sticks are great because they are so easy to use and don't crease. They are also waterproof as well so they last all day. I think I will definitely be looking into picking up more of these.

Last but not least we have the beautiful Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti (£7.99). This is an absolutely lovely sheer orange colour that can be built up to a beautiful pop of colour on the lips. I've talked about this lipstick a few times now but I really do love it. I think what I love the most about it is that it's just so easy to wear. It isn't scary because it's quite sheer, it's moisturising, fades evenly, you don't need to line your lips and it seems to be flattering on everybody. It's a tangerine dream.

So there we go, another month down. Let's see what August has to bring.

Do you prefer powder or cream eyeshadows?

Ciara x

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baking

Mini Victoria Sponge

Sunday, July 26, 2015

I love baking. I find it so relaxing and you get to tuck into delicious treats afterwards. Baking doesn't have to be hard either. I think sometimes people over complicate it when really I think one of the nicest cakes is the simplest - the classic Victoria sponge. Today I'm going to share a really simple mini Victoria sponge recipe with you that you can knock up for a party, BBQ or just for yourself. They're really easy yet delicious.

Ingredients:

For the cakes: (makes 12)

120g of plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter
120ml milk
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
raspberry jam

For the icing:

250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter
25ml milk
½ tsp of vanilla extract

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
Chuck the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or if you're lazy, an electric whisk until everything is combined.
Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is all mixed in.
Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl, then pour that into the flour mixture and continue mixing until all mixed in and smooth, but be careful not to over mix.
Stick cupcake cases into a 12 pan cake tray and spoon the mixture into the cases until all the cases look equal.
Stick in the oven for 20–25 minutes and you're good to go.
To check if the cakes are done you can put a clean skewer into the centre of one of the cakes. The skewer should come out clean. If any mixture is left on the skewer, your cakes aren't done and they need to go back into the oven.
If your cakes are cooked then leave them too cool on a wire cooling rack.
While the cakes are cooling you can get on with making your icing.

For the icing:

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter.
Beat the butter and icing sugar together using a wooden spoon or an electric whisk until they are combined. (If you are using an electric whisk be careful not to set it too high otherwise you'll have icing sugar everywhere and it's a pain to clean up).
Mix the milk and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl, then add them to the butter mixture a little bit at a time.
Continue mixing until the icing is light and fluffy. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes. When you've finally finished mixing, you're ready to start putting your Vicky sponges together.
Now your cakes have completely cooled you can remove them from their cases and cut them in half horizontally. This will give you the top and bottom half of your sandwich.
Now spread as much of the jam as you would like onto the flat side of one of your sandwich pieces and spread as much of the icing as you would like on to the other sandwich piece. (If you're having a bit of trouble spreading your jam then you can warm the jam in a bowl in the microwave for a couple of seconds, and if you're having trouble spreading the icing then you can use a piping back to pipe it on).
When all your pieces of cake have been topped with either jam or icing them you're ready to pair them up and sandwich them together until you get 12 Victoria sponge cakes.
If you have any icing left over like I did then you can make your sandwiches extra pretty by piping a little bit on the top of the cake in any way that you like. If you don't have any icing left over then a dusting of icing sugar is classic and really effective.

This cake recipe has been adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook's Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do and have fun making it!

What's your favourite cake?

Ciara x

beauty

The Perfect Red

Friday, July 24, 2015

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in 916 Neon Red (£6.99) was the first red lipstick I ever bought. It's a really nice pillar box red that is great for all year round and perfect for summer because of it's slight orange undertones. Neon Red looks a little blue toned in the bullet which I don't tend to go for but when swatched or on the lips it has much warmer undertones. It's a bold shade that I think will look flattering on anybody brave enough to wear it.

Neon Red is so nice to wear because it's quite moisturising without being glossy and sticky. My lips never feel dry when I'm wearing this and this has to be the longest lasting lipstick ever made. I wore this to a party and didn't have to touch it up once. Eating and drinking didn't bother it at all and I wasn't leaving nasty lipstick marks on cups or my boyfriend. When I did finally remove it at the end of the night it left a really nice stain on my lips. I could rave until the cows came home about how amazing this lipstick formula is.

I also think the Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in Neon Red is really versatile. You can either go full pelt and do a full swipe over your lips for a very bold and pigmented look that is bound to turn heads or you can bounce the bullet against your lips to get this really nice stain that gives your lips a just bitten look. I love wearing it like this because it's a little bit more natural so you can get away with it a bit more.

On the whole this a great red lipstick that I think everyone should have in their collection.

Are you a fan of a bright red lip?

Ciara x

Music

Guilty Pleasures

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

I'm sure we all have songs that in our bedrooms we dance about to and sing at the top of our voices but switch off whenever a friend walks in. I probably have more guilty pleasure songs than actual songs I like so maybe I'm not actually that guilty about them!

Guilty Pleasures from An English Rose on 8tracks Radio.

What's your guilty pleasure song?

Ciara x

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beauty

Summer Lips

Monday, July 20, 2015

Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Electric Orange

*No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Delicate Pink

Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Neon Red

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Mischievous

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

I love a bright lip for the summer I think they brighten up a makeup look and just look lovely and fresh. I like to keep my makeup quite natural in the summer but I then tend to go for a bright pop of colour on the lips to bring it all together. Recently I have been particularly loving orange lips. I know many people are scared of orange lipstick but I actually find it much more flattering than red. Orange seems to work on everybody and it's much more summery. You can go sheer with something like the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti (£7.99) or bold with the Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Electric Orange (£6.99). Or if mattes are more your thing then the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms (£7.99) in Mischievous and Audacious are fab. Audacious has more coral undertones than Mischievous which makes it a little safer but I personally love Mischievous. However, if reds are your thing then I think the perfect red lipstick for summer is the Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Neon Red (£6.99). This is such a pretty classic pillar box red and goes on quite glossy so it's really flattering and vibrant. I don't tend to go for pinks that much as most bright pinks tend to have blue undertones which just doesn't seem to suit me but when I am in the mood for a pinker lip I love the *No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Delicate Pink (£9). This is such a pretty colour that can be worn sheer or built up into a not so delicate but very feminine pop of colour.

What's your favourite lip colour for summer?

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

Chat

I've Caught The Travel Bug - 10 Places I'd Love To Travel To

Thursday, July 16, 2015

My recent trip to Ireland has definitely left me with the travel bug and I would do anything to go on another adventure to an entirely new country. I don't actually go on that many holidays and so there are still plenty of destinations left for me to dream about. I would love to travel the world one day and I have world maps and postcards from friends and family covering my bedroom walls that feed my wanderlust. So I thought I would round up 10 places that I would do anything to travel to. A girl can dream can't she?

Peru
Norway
Budapest (Hungary)
New York
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Australia
Thailand
Mexico
Sweden
Jinju (South Korea)

Where is on your travel bucket list?

Ciara x

beauty

What's In My Holiday Makeup Bag?

Sunday, July 12, 2015

So as you know, I've been in Ireland for the past week and I could only take hand luggage so it meant I really had to cut down on what I was taking. I thought I would take this opportunity to show you what I took with my in my makeup bag. Now this might be a little different to typical holiday makeup bags as I haven't been sunning my self in the Bahamas so I haven't got loads of bright lips, but it is still quite summery.

Base:

L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation in 11 Vanilla (£7.99). This stuff is amazing. If you've got oily skin but like a perfectly matte base then this is the stuff for you. The L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation is such a dream to apply with or without a brush. It blends seamlessly into the skin and doesn't cake so it leaves your skin actually looking like skin which is always a good thing. L'Oreal describe this as a high coverage foundation but I would say it's pretty buildable. It's a good all rounder foundation because it feels so light on the skin yet covers everything you want it to cover. Saying that a foundation will last for 24 hours is a huge claim and I don't actually know anyone who wears their foundation for 24 hours but I can say that the L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour matte foundation really does last hours without needing to be touched up even on hot days. Great for the summer months.

Welcome the new love of my life - the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair (£4.19). I have heared over and over how great this concealer is but have never been able to get my hands on it. Finally my local boots decided to stock up and I am able to say that you must believe the hype over this concealer. It is amazing. By far one of the best concealers I've ever tried and I don't think I'll be trying a new one any time soon. The colour match is perfect for me and the creamy consistency covers all blemishes and dark circles without feeling heavy. The wear time is great although not the 16 hours which Collection claims however, that doesn't bother me because I never wear my makeup for that long.

The lid on my beloved Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder broke and so couldn't be taken on holiday with me so I bought the Bourjois Java Rice Powder (£9.99) as a replacement without realising it was glittery. I probably should have paid attention to the word 'illuminating' but the packaging was too pretty so I got a bit side tracked. However, I powdered on against my fear of glitter and it turns out the Bourjois Java Rice Powder isn't half bad. Although the glitter can be clearly seen in the pot, it's so finely milled that it's almost invisible on the skin and just creates a nice healthy glow rather than a glittery mess. The Bourjois Java Rice powder is really good at setting the makeup and smells nicely of roses without being too perfumed.

To add a bit of colour back into my face I use *Benefit's Hoola Bronzer (£23.50) which looks so natural and heavenly. The colour is buildable so it's really hard to go overboard and it lasts all day. I then took my MUA Blusher in Bon Bon (£1) mainly because the packaging is small and it does the job. This blush creates a really nice healthy flush that doesn't fade however be careful because a little goes a long way.

Eyes:

As I only took hand luggage away with me my choice of makeup which I was allowed to bring was fairly limited but I didn't want to just wear the same makeup every single day. I chose to bring the Maybelline The Nudes eyeshadow palette (£9.99) with me because it contains every shade a neutral lover could possibly want and doesn't take up a huge amount of space. I think the colours in this palette are so beautiful and there is a good range of matte and shimmer and light and dark shades so you can create any look you want and transition from day to night. The lasting time isn't fantastic and I do tend to find that the colours have faded a bit by the end of the day but for a budget palette its pretty impressive. My personal favourites are the three metallic shades in the middle. They will look just stunning with every eye colour.

I used to be obsessed with eyeliner. Every makeup look I did included a thick helping of black winged eyeliner. I loved the drama of it. I've sort of gone off it a bit more recently as I feel that it can sometimes make my eyes look a bit dull as the jet black can be a bit harsh on my skin but I still don't want to be too far away from my favourite Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner (£12) just in case the urge reappears. Anybody who believes they aren't very good at eyeliner needs the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner in their life. This pen applies like a dream and lasts on the skin until you remove it yourself. The felt tip nip just glides along the eyelid and the colour doesn't fade at all. It really is a beautiful eyeliner and one that I want in my life forever.

Speaking of eyeliner I also took the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in 001 Black (£3.99) with me because this is perfect for tight lining the upper lash line. This is a step that I always do no matter what because it's almost like hidden eyeliner and makes your lashes look thicker and fuller. This is just a pretty basic eyeliner, nothing amazing, but does the job.

When choosing what mascara to pack Benefit Roller Lash (£19.50) was the only contender. I've raved about the mascara to everybody I know and I think they're a bit sick of it by now. This mascara seems to divide people but I love it and I will probably buy another one when my little one runs out. This mascara curls and lengthens the lashes giving them a really lovely fluttery look that looks almost natural. Roller Lash has never smudged or flaked on me and I find the brush really good at getting all of those lashes you didn't even know you had.

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette.

Lips:

I love lip products and they are the one thing that I can't skip. Even if I have no other makeup on my face I will always wear a lipstick or lip gloss to help me feel a bit more together and alive. L'Oreal Colour Riche Eva's Nude (£6.99) is the perfect lipstick for those kind of days where you want a hint of colour but nothing that screams look at my lips or no makeup makeup. It's a really nice warm, peachy nude that has bronzy undertones that helps to give you a sun kissed glow. This a my lips but WAY better colour, it lasts for hours but fades evenly with eating and drinking. This is also quite a moisturising lipstick so doesn't cling to any dry patches.

I couldn't go on holiday without a bright lip or two so I packed the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 015 Tutti Frutti (£7.99) and the *No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Delicate Pink (£9). Tutti Frutti is a really nice vibrant but sheer orange that is so lovely for the summer. It creates that just bitten look that is oh so lovely and because it is sheer but buildable it's incredibly versatile. It's also really moisturising. *Delicate Pink is similar but just a bright blue toned pink version. When applied lightly it's really subtle but add a couple more coats and you get a bright pop of colour that boosts any makeup look.

From left to right: MUA Blush in Bon Bon, *Benefit Hoola, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, *No7 Lip Crayon in Delicate Pink, L'Oreal Color Riche Eva's Nude, Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner, Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner

Although I had to pack light makeup wise I packed versatile products that allowed me to create a range of looks for whatever the weather and mood and I had everything I needed.

What's one makeup product that you couldn't live without?

Ciara x

Don't forget you can Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

beauty

Bubble Gum Nails - Ciaté Electronica Review

Friday, July 10, 2015

Normally bright pink nail varnish is something I steer well clear of but I just couldn't leave *Ciaté's Electronica untouched. Something about the brightness of it made me think it would be perfect for summer and I was right. *Electronica is a really vibrant bubble gum pink with a hint of coral that is just perfect for festival season. I picked up *Electronica from the *Ciaté Mini Mani Manor but it is actually part of Ciaté's neon range, unfortunately I don't think they still stock *Electronica but you can pick it up here for £2!

I think what draws me most to *Electronica is its finish. It has an almost rubber finish which I think Ciaté describe as satin? I'm not too sure, but it lies somewhere between being glossy and being matte. It's really nice and completely unlike anything else that I have in my collection.

As with all Ciaté polishes, *Electronica was an absolute dream to apply and dried within seconds. I don't always find that the Ciaté nail polishes have the best wear time but *Electronica is amazing, I had it on for days and played netball with it on and it didn't chip until at all until I took it off.

This may not be a shade that I will be reaching for every time I paint my nails but it really is a nice one for the summer and I was surprised by how much I liked it! Maybe I should reconsider my hate for pink?

What's your summer nail colour?

Ciara x

PS. My blog name has changed! Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

beauty

Going For The Chop

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

one ¦ two ¦ three ¦ four ¦ five ¦ six ¦ seven ¦ eight ¦ nine ¦ ten

I've been dying to get my hair cut for so long now. I'm so sick of my long hair and it just causes me too much stress. It gets all over the place, has more knots than I thought was possible and makes me so hot. So I decided for the summer that I would finally go in and get it all cut off. Well not all of it, maybe just to above my shoulders. This will be the shortest I've had my hair since I was in infants school so lets hope that I don't end up looking 5 years old again!

What do you think of bobs?

Ciara x

beauty

Huge Beauty Haul

Thursday, July 02, 2015

I love reading and watching beauty hauls, well any kind of haul really. I think they are a great way to find out about new products which means my shopping list always seems to grow considerably after having seen one. I would just like to point out that this was not all from one outing and I have bought these things over the past few months. I've also bought it all with my own money and I've actually been saving for quite a long time so that I could treat myself this summer. I will eventually be giving full reviews of each product but if there is a review that you would like a bit sooner, then just let me know.

From left to right : Bourjois Java Rice Powder, Mac Peaches Sheertone Blush, Bourjois Bronzing Primer, Sleek Rose Gold Blush

From top to bottom: Revlon Colourstay Eyeliner in Topaz, Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 03, Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Audacious, Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Electric Orange, Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Mischievous, Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti.