FaeriWood

Stop everything you're doing right now. Lush Belfast have opened their new store in castle lane and it is everything and more and you need to go to it now. Ok maybe not now - it's quite late at night while I'm writing this - but you know what I mean.  To give you an idea of size, the new giant sized shop is split in to 5 main sections - face, body, bath, scent, hair - each of which could have taken up the old shop on their own; gone are the days of claustrophobia whilst queuing for a sniff of the latest product, now you can take a seat and relax while you try them out. Speaking of products there are a tonne of new ones to choose from, with quite a few having previously been Oxford street exclusives. Now, I'm a die hard fan of the bubble bars and bath bombs but I think my new favourite section is the wall of bath oils. Designed to looks like tiny hand made chocolates, you may want to keep an eye on the kids if you're bring them with you, according to my sou

If you didn't sing the title of this blog to the tune of 80's classic "I think i'm turning Japanese" by The Vapours, then we can't be friends. I'm joking. Mostly. Gluten Free is a pretty big buzz word these days and, having grown up with a Coeliac mum,  and two aunts and various extended family members,  from a young age, I’ve always been keenly aware of the impending possibility that some day I may get the dreaded news. Well that day has come. As if I didn’t have enough issues trying to cope with IBD and various other issues already I now have to be one of those people who reads labels, double checks menus, and asks restaurant staff “exactly how is that prepared?” To try and avoid cross contamination.  One of the things I vowed during these early stages of my transition in to living a gluten free life, I am not going to be a complete nazi about things. Yes I’ll avoid binging on donuts and huge amounts of pasta and bread - I made that mistake onc

This year I have been quietly chugging away in the back ground testing out some new - to me - products (or versions of) and I’ve decided it’s time to share. I guess I’ve been inspired by the multiple people this week who told me off for making them need to buy pretty things. So here are some pretty things for you that you may just want to buy even if you don’t need them! Ha! I’ve been obsessing over Estèe Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Eye for months and I just can’t get enough of it’s balmy texture. Someone recently asked on InstastoryQuestions - mouthful - what my night time routine is and while most of the products change from night to night, this fella is consistent.  A trio of delights here that took me by surprise. I recently declared that I had found my perfect mascara, but that doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying new ones. Wet’n’Wild Lash Renegade* really surprised me with its impact and, whilst the spool isn’t my all time favourite, I am really digging it.  Another

When I was offered the chance to visit Calm Massage and Beauty in Randalstown, it came at exactly the right time. I was smack bang in the middle of a series of stressful and invasive hospital appointments and I needed some calm in my life. It sounds trite but it’s true.  Honestly I’m so glad I went. Ciara herself is so lovely and I loved the atmosphere in the small two room salon, situated on Randalstown Main Street, just half an hour outside Belfast. Here are a few reasons to make the trip.  Ciara herself We chatted for quite a while after my appointment was finished and I loved how enthusiastic Ciara was about doing the best for her clients. Whether it was choosing products that she really believed in, supporting other female led businesses around Northern Ireland, training in services that could potentially be life changing - more on that later - She has great hands and a great heart too.  Neal’s Yard I’ve never had a facial using Neals Yard before and I came