My Home Office and Vanity Room

Hello again everyone,

I am back with a highly requested post about my new home office and vanity area. For anyone who doesn't follow my snapchat, Harry moved out of our room this week and I was so reluctant to let him go!! I loved having him beside me, but the time had come to get him settled into his nursery. To take my mind off things I decided to get stuck in to creating a proper home office to work from.

Until now, I would just pop my laptop at the kitchen table, but there are too many distractions and I needed somewhere that inspires me and I can get stuck into working. I have not been posting enough on my blog, so the aim is to get lots more blog posts up for you all, as well as continuing with my usual Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat posting.

So on to the details. Lets start with my office area.
Nearly everything I bought for the office is from Ikea. It doesn't help that Ikea is about a 5 minute drive from my doorstep so I am always popping in for one thing and leaving with a whole trolley full of goodies. No matter how many times I go there, I always end up seeing things I didn't the 100 times before.

I will list a link below to all of the IKEA items in my desk area -

Desk €16.90
Add on Unit for top of desk €40
Storage Drawers €100
Picture Ledge €9
Yellow Flowers and Vase €8.25 (total!)
Pink Flower and Pot €12.50 total
Table Lamp €5.75
Cake Stand for Jewellery (Not on Ikea Website)
Chair €17.90
Rug €12

The rest of the items are from different stores, that I have picked up over time.
Orchid - Dunnes Stores
Buddha Head - TK Maxx
Candle - Dunnes Stores
All of my prints in the photo frames are just ones that I found online and printed out in my local Boots.

Now on to my Vanity area. This is one of my favourite places in the house, and I always do my make up here when I am not in a rush.
I have another set of the Ikea ALEX drawers here, to house all of my make up products.

Mirror and Lights - Ikea
Floating Shelf - Ikea
Mirrored Brush Holder - Dunnes Stores
Larger lace baskets - Dunnes Stores
Smaller white pots - Ikea
Pink Orchid - Ikea

So that's it... I hope that has answered all of your questions, and I hope you get some inspiration for your own vanity area or home office..

Cheers to the weekend ladies (Nearly!!)

Lots of Love,

Rosie
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Rosie's FAQ's

Ever wondered what foundation I always wear? What my go lipstick is?

What way do I colour my hair? 

I get asked certain questions multiple times a day, so instead of trying to get back to everyone individually, I have decided to answer as many of these questions below. If I am missing anything then please let me know...

"What foundation do you wear daily?"

Lately, my everyday foundation has been the Stila Stay All Day foundation in shade 7. 

I adore this, as it give a flawless coverage but feels very light on the skin. I pick mine up from Harvey Nichols Dundrum. 

"What is the lipstick you wear most days?"

I am a huge nude lipstick fan. You will rarely see me with a strong red or dark lip, as I like to play up my eyes, so tend to keep my lips neutral. Nine times out of ten, when I am asked about my lip combo, it is NYX Cosmetics Matte lipstick in shade Nude with Stripdown lip liner from MAC Cosmetics. I wear this nearly every day and it just works for me. 

"How do you keep your teeth so white?"

I am lucky that my teeth have always been naturally quite white, but I had my teeth professionally whitened over 4 years ago now. I saw a groupon deal for laser whitening and took the chance. The woman who did it said I wouldn't see drastic results as my teeth were very white anyway, but I did notice a difference. To keep them looking white I use iWhite Instant Teeth Whitening trays, and the iWhite toothpaste. I had heard great reports about this so gave it a try and since I began using it, I have had a lot of compliments on my teeth. I use it every 3/4 days and use the toothpaste twice a day. You can pick it up here.

"What tan do you wear?"

I have been wearing one tan and one tan only, for over two years now. That is, Cocoa Brown One Hour tanning mousse in the dark shade. I apply my tan twice a week, and never go without it. I used it throughout my whole pregnancy and just can't fault it. And yes, for a darker finish, I apply mine at night and sleep with it on, washing it off the next morning. 

"Where do you get your colour done and are they highlights?"

I have been getting my hair done in Zero One Salon in Greystones since January, and it is definitely the best place I have ever had my colour done. I also have Great Lengths extensions applied here too, and love them. My colour is highlights, but as I am naturally very fair haired, they come up very blonde. I used to have a low light through my hair (just a slightly darker blonde) but didn't have that done the last time. I get a full head done once a year, and then just a half head of highlights in between. As my hair is so blonde naturally, I can get a few months out of my regrowth. 

"Where did you get all of your Nike runners?"

My collection of Nikes is growing rapidly for someone who doesn't work out, but I just love them day to day while I am running around after my little boy. I have picked most of mine up from Footlocker in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. 

"What is your exercise routine?"

It doesn't exist, I'm afraid. I get asked to do diet and fitness posts but I can't talk about something I know nothing about. I am naturally slim, and my baby weight just came off itself. I do the odd workout at home, and do some yoga or pilates occasionally, but nothing consistent. As for my diet, I love Indian, pizza and all the bad stuff. However, Monday to Friday I do have a healthy dinner every night with  Paul. Its usually chicken, beef or fish along with brown rice or sweet potato and veggies. On the weekends we tend to get a take away, and I love my chocolate like most ladies do! I know my diet could be a lot better, and that is my aim for the next few months. 

"When are you getting married?"

As you may know, myself and Paul got engaged last month, and we have already began planning our wedding. However, for the time being, we will be keeping dates, venues and any other big details under wraps. All I can tell you at this stage is that it will be somewhere hot and sandy!!!! 

"When did you start blogging?"

I began blogging a few years ago but never put enough effort into it. Then, when I became pregnant with my son, I decided to document my pregnancy style and it grew from there. I am now gaining over a 100 new followers on Instagram per day, and my blog is averaging at 50,000 hits a month. 

So there you have it. This is just some of the many questions I get asked, answered. If you have any more questions, please comment below and I will do another FAQ's post down the line. 

Don't forget to follow me on all of the below - 

Facebook

Instagram

Snapchat Username - Rosieconxxx

Have a lovely evening everyone.... We survived Monday!!! 

Lots of Love, 

Rosie

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Diamonfire WINNER

Hello again! 

I hope you're all having an amazing weekend. I am currently sitting down with a cuppa. chocolate and candles lit. Harry is tucked up in bed and myself and Paul are going to chill out with a movie for the night....Bliss! 

I was thrilled to team up with the amazing Diamonfire to give away this STUNNING ring... I adore mine and was so happy to spoil one of you with the same one! 

So without further adieu... 

The winner is

EMILY GREANEY 

Please email me at rosieconnollyblog@gmail.com to arrange postage. 

Thank you to everyone who entered, and keep an eye on my page for more exciting giveaways. 

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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Motherhood : The Reality

So I have been very neglectful of my blog recently, as I am in the process of moving it to my new website which is due to launch soon (Keep your eyes peeled!!)

I get hundreds of emails and messages every week from about all things fashion, beauty, baby or just random questions. I love that my followers feel like they can share things with me, as I try to be as open and "real" as possible. Being a full time blogger, people tend to think you live a super glamorous life, getting to go to lots of amazing events and being gifted lovely products and clothes on a daily basis. Yes, this is true, but it is a very small part of the blogging world and the big picture is far from what you may think. Blogging is hard work behind the scenes, like every other job. 

I recently received a very heart felt email from another mother, who opened up to me about struggling with her child, and finding it hard to cope some days, so I feel it is only right to give you an insight into my life as a mother and full time blogger.

If you were to glance at my Instagram feed, you would think I had the perfect life. Newly engaged to an amazing man, a beautiful healthy baby boy, and a job I love. Yes, that is all true, but what you don't see is the everyday struggles that I deal with too, just like you. 

I have suffered from anxiety since my Dad's tragic passing back in 2008 and it has always been something that I have to control, or it begins to control me. When I met my fiancé Paul, I was in a good place mentally, and although my Mum was very ill at the time, I felt I had finally gained control of my head. 

This all changed when I fell pregnant with my son. Immediately, my anxiety came back and I worried about EVERYTHING. From the pregnancy, to the birth, to becoming a Mum. I remember lying in bed thinking "What if I don't do a good job and when he is older, he ends up in trouble with the law?"

Crazy stuff, but at the time it all seemed like very valid points. Throughout my whole pregnancy, that anxiety never left me. It wasn't always bad, some days were worse than others, but it never went away.

Our beautiful son Harry arrived on Tuesday 16th December 2014 at 5.58pm and my life changed forever. The love that came over me was so overwhelming, I just cried for the first week non stop, all happy tears. I couldn't believe I had spent so much time worrying, as he was perfect and I couldn't be happier. This feeling still hasn't changed, over six months in, but the anxiety came back. I finally went to see my GP, and talked to him about how I was feeling. I used to worry all day about anything happening to Harry, to Paul or to any of my family and friends. Having a new baby was hard enough, without adding hours of overthinking to the mix. I think having lost my father so suddenly, and having my Mum diagnosed with cancer, it really made me worry about any other loved one being taken from me again. 

To this day, I still have "bad days". There are days when Harry can be cranky and crying, and the minute Paul comes through the door, I hand him over and jump straight in the shower to calm down. There are days when I have called my mum or sisters, and just cried my eyes out because I hadn't even time to wash my hair or make a cup of tea. Having a baby is hard work, and some days, you can just crack. These are the days that I find I need to talk to someone. Generally, when I feel like this, I don't want to talk to anyone, but I make myself pick up the phone, as sometimes just saying how you feel can lift some of the pressure. Myself and Paul can fight like cats and dogs over the silliest things, but I am not going to record our arguments and pop them on Snapchat! That also doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. We fight like any couple, and adding a young baby to a relationship can cause strain. Both of us can be overtired and just disagree on EVERYTHING. But, that's life. REAL life!! 

The reason I am sharing this with you all is so that you get a REAL insight into my life. I share so much of my life with you all, that it is only fair to also talk about the hard things too. If you are a Mum, and are struggling and feel like you are not doing a good job, pick up the phone and call a loved one. Just say how you feel and I promise you, you will feel better. If you feel like you have no one to talk to, message me. I am more than willing to listen and help in any way I can. I am so blessed to have a partner, parents, family and friends that I can confide in, so if you don't have that, then please feel free to chat to me! 

If you have made it this far, then I applaud you! I hope this post helps even one person feel a little bit better. No one is perfect, and there is no such thing as the perfect mother. We all make mistakes, but at the end of the day, we are doing the best for our children and that's all that matters.

Us mums do an amazing job from day one of pregnancy, right through your child's life, so lets support each other on the good days AND the bad. 

Lots of Love, 

Rosie 

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Review : AYU Makeup Palettes

Happy Friday everyone!! 

Today's post is a review of the new makeup palettes from the amazing AYU Makeup

I have already raved about their make up brushes, so was super excited to give the palettes a go. 

To create this look I used the eye shadow palette with 28 different colours.  

I love the balance of matte and shimmer shadows in this. I am a huge lover of matte eye shadows, and this palette has lots to offer. They are all very earthy tones, again something I love.

I used three different shadows to create this look, all of which are marked below. 

There is so much choice that it was hard not to just slap them all on at the same time!!

I then moved on to the concealer palette to conceal, contour and highlight my skin. 

This palette is just incredible for creating that glam contoured look. 

I mixed two of the darker shades to contour below my cheekbones, around my hair line, down my nose and under my bottom lip. 

They blended out seamlessly and due to the creamy texture of them, they were very easy to work with and didn't dry too quickly, giving me time to blend, blend, blend!!!

I also used the light concealer(marked below) to highlight under my eyes, the centre of my forehead and down the centre of the nose. Again, the creamy texture gave a lovely dewy and healthy finish to the skin, and I didn't even need to apply a shimmer highlight to my cheekbones, as it was already there.

I am shocked at how high quality the palettes are, considering the shadows are €24 and the concealer palette only €15. If you are a budding make up artist, I would suggest adding these to your kit, as there is a shade for everyone and they will go a long way in terms of professional application.

You can pick them up online at www.AYUMakeup.ie

Have a lovely weekend,

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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My Teeth Whitening Secret!!

I honestly cannot count the amount of times I have been asked about my teeth, what products I use, and how I get them so white. 

Since a very young age, I have always been someone who thinks a smile is so important, and I had my teeth straightened while in school. I love the look of a full, wide smile, and that is exactly what my orthodontist achieved for me.

However, what is the point in having straight teeth, if they are not gleaming? This question led me to my pursuit of white teeth. 

I am a coffee drinking, red wine loving woman and therefore I am conscious of my teeth being stained. Luckily, I don't smoke, but I still needed a solution to get my teeth super white, and keep them that way. 

This is where IWhite comes in...

I have been reviewing this product for a while now, and did not want to answer any questions about my teeth whitening routine until I knew that this genuinely gave great results. Obviously, it takes at least a few weeks to notice true results, and so I can now report that this is, by far, my favourite whitening product. 

This is an at home whitening treatment, which is worn for just 20 minutes a day, for 5 consecutive days. You can then whitening them every once in a while to top up the results. The one size fits all trays come pre-filled with the active gel, so there is no messing around with syringes etc. 

The amazing thing about IWhite is that it delivers instant results, which just get stronger the more you use it. It also has a highly soluble source of calcium, which strengthens the teeth as you whiten them.  The trays are cleverly designed to whiten both the front and the back of the teeth. As teeth are translucent, stains on the back of the teeth can show through, making teeth appear duller. 

The trays are so easy to use, are comfortable to wear, and can be thrown away straight after treatment. 

Both myself and Paul have been trying out IWhite, and we are both delighted with the results we achieved. My teeth have always been naturally quite white, but after using IWhite, I can definitely see the reduction in staining, and the brighter look to my smile.

We have been using it alongside the iWhite toothpaste too, and it really compliments the work of the whitening trays. 

Here is the LINK to purchase iWhite, and get yourself some pearly white's in time for summer!! 

Happy Monday ladies, and remember....A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear! 

Lots of Love,

Rosie,

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AYU Make Up Brushes Review

So, what is the point in spending all your hard earned money on amazing make up products, without the right tools to apply them? And who knows more about make up and brushes, than the professional artists who use them on a daily basis. 

Welcome, AYU Brushes. AYU is an Irish based and Irish owned make up brush company, set up by professional make up artist Suzanne O'Neill and her sister Laura Maher. Having worked in both the beauty and make up industry for over ten years, Suzanne really knows her stuff. This was obvious from the first time I tried out the brushes.

I have trialled them for over a month now, and can safely say, they are a must in my make up kit. The brushes are made from sable, goat hair and synthetic fibres. They give a flawless look to your make up, whether you are using high end or drugstore make up brands. 

My favourites from the collection - 

The Buffer Brush

I mentioned this brush in my recent Top 5 Foundations blog post. I have been using it to apply my base for a while now, and it really helps to buff the product into the skin, making it last all day. I find I use less foundation with this, as the brush doesn't soak up all of the product. Its the perfect size for covering the whole face quickly, so great for someone who is on the go and needs to get out the door asap! 

This brush retails at €12.50 which is a super price when you compare it to some high end brushes. 

Eyeliner Brush

I know this is meant to be used for eyeliner, but this is my new eyebrow brush. I picked up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade recently, and this is the brush I apply it with. It is super thin so creates hair like strokes, making the brows look natural yet defined. This brush is only €4.50 so I will be picking up a few more for using on clients, and for gel liner too.

Blender Brush

As a make up artist, you can never have enough blending brushes. As you may know, the key to amazing make up is all in the blending. When i do a detailed eye make up, I can sometimes use 3 or 4 of these brushes. They blend just as good as the MAC equivalent and retail at only €5, meaning you can purchase a few of these, without breaking the bank. This brush is a must have in any woman's make up kit, whether professional or for personal use. 

Angled Blush/Contour Brush

As we all know contouring is the latest make up craze, and in order to do it right, you need to apply it correctly and blend blend blend. 

This brush makes contouring really easy for beginners as the brush is angled, which makes defining your cheek bones a simple task. I also use this brush for applying highlighter to the tops of my cheek bones too. This is only €10.50 and you can purchase it on www.AYUMakeUp.ie 

AYU also stock amazing brush sets, for those of you starting out and looking to get the ultimate essentials for your make up bag.

Check out the full range and their beautiful make up palettes on 

www.AYUMakeUp.ie

Happy shopping ladies, 

Lots of Love,

Rosie 

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