Step into Autumn with Daniel Wellington

I think it's safe to say that if you’ve been around Instagram long enough, you will have seen one of these watches shown above. Recently, I was lucky enough to be sent a Daniel Wellington watch to try and review.

Back to college with UNiDAYS

Heading back to university or sixth form or perhaps starting for the very first time? Well this blog post is for you!

I first heard about UNiDAYS from a Freshers group on Facebook around this exact time last year. I'm going to be pretty honest, it seemed almost too good to be true. So what exactly is it? UNiDAYS is an exclusive student discount website with a plethora of offers available that switch up every week, from 20% off ASOS to 50% off Spotify.

Living in Direct Provision

Institutionalism is alive and well in Ireland and it exists in the form of Direct Provision.

Direct Provision is a system run by the state with the aim of providing basic needs and facilities for asylum seekers that have arrived in Ireland. This system was set up in 1999 as a supposedly temporary solution for asylum seekers waiting on their asylum status however 17 years on and Direct Provision is still in existence with 4,500 people registered at the end of March this year including around 1,000 children.

Ireland's Incomplete Revolution

Step into Spring with GlassesShop.com

So a couple of months ago, the lovely people at GlassesShop.com offered to do a collab with me. I was so excited but also a little skeptical having never ordered glasses online before. 

I'm going take you through the whole process but first, let me tell you a bit about my own eyes. So, my eyesight isn't too bad, I'm pretty short sighted which is probably my main complaint. I have a pretty low prescription so I was advised to wear my glasses as much as I wanted, however, I never really had a pair I felt comfortable wearing to college.

These pair of glasses I chose from GlassesShop have really given me the confidence to wear them anytime I desire.

So how does it work?

February Favourites

So for this months post, I wanted to share a few of the things I have been loving these past few weeks. I'm sitting here writing this on my reading week from college and I can't believe it's the middle of March already.
To jump right in (in no particular order); 


1. Diamond Whites "Black Edition" Charcoal Teeth Whitening

Having never dabbled in the fine art of teeth whitening before, when I was sent this product by Diamond Whites I honestly had no idea what to think. However, after using this product for the guts of 6 weeks, I wish I had thought about it years ago.

As it says on the packaging, this product is 100% natural charcoal. Pure black powder.

The Diamond Whites "Black Edition" promises to whiten your teeth as well as "strengthen your gums, remove toxins from your mouth and absorb bacteria". It also makes a huge mess.

Why Ireland Needs to Repeal the 8th

So, let’s talk about why we, as a nation, need to Repeal the 8th. If you’re not from Ireland, the “8th” is about the Eighth Amendment in the Irish constitution which equates the right to life of a woman who is pregnant with that of a foetus. Passed by a referendum in 1983, the 8th criminalises abortion in all cases apart from those where to continue the pregnancy would result in loss of a woman’s life. The 8th amendment in recent times has created an extortionate amount of debate and controversy. There are two sides to this debate, Pro- Life who favours to protect the amendment and Pro-Choice who seeks to repeal the 8th so that every woman in Ireland has the option to seek an abortion if they wish.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Can you believe it's December 18th already? This post is going to feature a lot of my favourite brands this year that I think would make perfect last minute Christmas gifts. 

1. Shadow Switch Brush Cleaner 
This beauty tool was created as a dry brush cleaner, aimed at cleaning and getting rid of product on your brushes so you can "switch" up colours and shades. Basically, it comes in a compact tin and it includes a wire sponge inside. All you do is take your brush and swirl in a circular motion until all traces of colour has gone. And then your ready to go onto the next shade! I've been using this for the past 2 months and it's saved me so much time in the mornings going to college. Retailing at just £6 on Amazon here, I feel it would make a perfect stocking or Kris Kindle present. 

The AM | PM Routine Tag

I saw this tag floating around and as I've had my blog for over 3 months now I thought it was time to do another personal tag.

AM

What is your morning routine?  

I'll usually get up on the second ring of my alarm. I am not a snooze person. I'll let Atticus outside (he's our cat not a person we are keeping hostage) and then make some coffee. I'll drink at my desk while on Twitter or responding to emails. Then I'll head in the shower.

What's for breakfast?

Coffee. That's it. Ever since I started secondary school almost 6 years ago I physically cannot eat breakfast. I don't usually crave anything until around 10am. 

Stationary Haul

Women need men to feel successful and empowered.
Global warming is a lie.

I am obsessed with stationary.

One of these above statements is true. Did you guess right? Yes, I am completely and utterly obsessed with stationary. You may even go as far as saying stationary shopping is my favourite type of shopping. 

I have a myriad of stationary in this haul; some quite expensive and others reasonably priced.

Review: Crystal Bar Soap

This post is probably my favourite one I've ever written so far but also the hardest because there is simply so much to talk about.
Crystal Bar Soap are a cruelty-free and vegan brand from Canada that specialises in crafting soaps and bath bombs. What makes this brand so unique is that each product, whether it's a soap or bomb, contains a handpicked crystal inside.  Each product has a recipe that compliments the crystal embedded within, which will be revealed after using it.

End Of Summer Lookbook

The evenings are starting to get darker, pumpkin spice lattes are back and tinges of orange and brown will soon adorn the streets. It can only mean one thing: summer is ending and autumn is here.
Autumn has probably been my favourite season as far back as I can remember. I can put away the shorts and t-shirts that show off how irrevocably pale I am and start wearing my favourite thing, layers.

I have teamed up with Froccupy on Looks Number 1 and 3. Froccupy are an affordable Irish fashion brand and I was so excited when they gifted me these items from their new collection. If you are interested in purchasing any of the items below or anything else, you can use the code "MAPETITE20" which will give you 20% off anything on their site! Shop online here. 

Getting Organised With Toad Diaries

Staying organised was once one of my best attributes. But that all changed when I started this blog. I was uploading sporadically and had no set day to shoot photos or to respond to emails. And then came along this. As much as I enjoy using my iPhone to store my To-Do lists, nothing beats good old pen and paper. And so fortunately, when Toad Diaries offered me to sample their new journal made personally for bloggers, I was so excited.

August Favourites

It feels like just yesterday I was scheduling my July Favourites and now here I am with another one. 

As summer is quickly drawing to a close and I have to consider the reality of starting college I have been trying to prepare myself with a plethora of items.

The Fear Of Failure

Failure - an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful

If there's something about me that defines me in my entirety, it's the fact that I am a complete and utter perfectionist.

The Aftermath Of The Leaving Cert

The Leaving Cert; Ireland's ultimate memory test.

If you're not Irish, the Leaving Cert is the set of exams we take after six years in secondary school and will basically determine or not whether we get into college.
After years of watching the news and Facebook statuses pop up on my screen with people sharing their results and college acceptances, it was finally my time.
I'm a bit disillusioned with the whole Leaving Cert even though I got good grades, or perhaps because I got good grades. The whole thing just consisted of massive amounts of rote learning and more rote learning. I even found myself having to take days off from exhaustion throughout the year because of the immense pressure I put on myself.

Review: For All My Eternity Coffee Scrubs

When the lovely people at For All My Eternity sent me this scrub to try I was so excited. The scrubs are 100% natural and use organic and fair trade coffee. So not only is it good for your skin, it's good for the growers too. The most important thing for me is that this brand is also cruelty-free. 

WIhen I opened the packet I was instantly hit with the overwhelmingly smell of, well, coffee. The first time I used it was in the morning and the scent woke me up so much that probably I didn't even need my morning cup of caffeine. The scrub has a very earthy smell to it which is a reminder that there isn't any harsh chemicals in it.

My Week In Pictures #2

A busy week it has been. We found ourselves with a stray cat which I have named Atticus, I bought a rather large box of cherries and I finally received my Leaving Cert results ( a separate post to follow soon on the aftermath of that)

I Am A Feminist

                           
I am a feminist. 

Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.

When you choose to identify with a label, that label is more than likely going to come with a list of negative misconceptions and preconceptions that society has built up. 

I am a feminist but I don't hate men. Yes, I have male friends. I am a feminist and I believe in the equality for both men and women. And equality between masculinity and femininity. I am a feminist but I don't believe that women are better than men. (Misconception number 1: Feminists hate men. Being a feminist does not mean you hate men or believe women are better than men)

Let's talk about misandry for a minute. Misandry and feminism are two very separate things. Misandrists have an ingrained hatred for men and want to be above men. They are not feminists. 

I am a feminist because in 32 states if a woman has a child as a result of rape, the rapist can sue for custody and visitation rights of that child. 

A Letter To My Teenage Self

Dear teenage me,

Fourteen is an age where you think you are beginning to understand life. You don’t. In 5 years time, you still won’t.

Right now you've just finished the Junior Cert, and don't worry, you did achieve that A in English, despite having the worst teacher in the universe. You are now transitioning into the Leaving Cert and you will find a love for French and for learning about the world around you. Soon you will become this open minded culturally aware person that you can be proud of today.