Ciara Sims

What songs are on your soundtrack to summer?

Ciara x

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Last month, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Ireland to visit my family and we ended up staying with my Uncle and Auntie in Murrisk for most of the trip. Murrisk is an absolutely beautiful village in County Mayo which is on the West coast of Ireland and is home to Ireland's Holy mountain - Croagh Patrick. Now I've seen Croagh Patrick many times and I have family members who have climbed the mountain but I've never been all the way to the top myself. I thought that while we were staying there it was an opportunity not to be missed.

Climbing Croagh Patrick was easily one of the hardest things I've ever done and it took us a good few hours to climb all the 762m above sea level to the top and back down again. It was challenging, many breaks were taken and I'm in no rush to go and do it again but I am so happy that I can say I have climbed it. I don't really know what I expected. I expected it to be tough, it's a mountain. But I wasn't prepared for how steep it was at all. Or for the fact that if you went very wrong, it could possibly end quite badly. There wasn't a path or anything, like people think there will be. It's just rocks. But we were fine and we met loads of people coming up and down who were so lovely and offered encouragement. The views when we got to the top were amazing, you could see for miles and if the weather had been a little bit nicer then I could have stayed up there for hours. Even if you don't make it to the top, the views from the half way point are stunning so it's worth it if you try and make it to there.

The whole reason why Croagh Patrick is such a big deal is because Saint Patrick is supposed to have completed a 40 day fast there and legend also has it that the mountain is where Saint Patrick banished snakes from Ireland forever! Each year, on the last Sunday of July, thousands of people from around the world visit the mountain for a day of worship in honour of Saint Patrick. Some of these people even climb the mountain barefoot as an act of penance (you'd never catch me climbing that thing barefoot but each to their own).

I seriously admire anybody who makes it to the top and my auntie even did this thing for charity one year when she climbed Croagh Patrick every day for a week. Which I think is so impressive because I was really tired the next day and couldn't even think about going up again. Plus there was a man who climbed the mountain every day for a year. A WHOLE YEAR. If that's not impressive then I don't know what is. I think it's something that should definitely be done once in your lifetime and if you ever get the chance to go and see it then you definitely should. Murrisk is beautiful and the mountain makes for some breath-taking pictures. When we stayed at their house I could see the mountain from the bedroom window and that was a view that I definitely think I could never get used to.

Climbing Croagh Patrick is an experience that I will never forget and I'm so happy that I managed to do it.

Ciara x

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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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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

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.

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

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







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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

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It's the end of my exams and I am more than ready to kick start this summer!

Have you got any plans for the summer?

Ciara x