My First Driving Lesson..!

On The 17th of November 2015 I passed my Theory test on the first attempt, which i was highly surprised with, as i didn't know a single thing about driving or a car for that matter! I just sort of winged it and did a bit of  eenie-meenie-miney moh to answer the questions and I managed to get 39/40 meaning, I just got one question wrong! To be honest, I literally only sat the theory test because I had set a target at the beginning of 2015 that i would have my theory test complete by the end of the year, and generally, once I set an aim I do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Long story short, after having my licence for 10 months I finally contacted John Browne- Browne School of Driving. I have literally feared the day that I would be the one sitting behind the wheel of the car. I am the worst passenger ever, so I honestly thought I would be a nervous wreck behind the wheel.. My first lesson was for 11am this morning (25th of September) and when i told people to beware on the road, I was reassured  that it was safe enough as everyone would be at mass at that time, so I knew I was off to a good start. 

I literally didn't have a notion as to what to do once I sat behind the wheel of a car all I knew was I had to put on my safety belt,put the key in the hole and i this time i had to actually had to use the mirrors  to check for cars and not to use them to check if my make up was okay - after that I didn't have a clue.I'm not going to lie i spent from 9 o clock this morning googling - what pedals are in a car? how do you drive a manual car? and so on and so forth. As you can tell i really was putting my driving instructors life in my hands, but after stalling the car about 10 times and giving John a Minor case of whiplash I finally got into the swing of things and relaxed a small bit.

I had myself convinced this morning that all I would be doing was sitting in the one spot getting used to the pedals,gears mirrors, indicators,and the steering wheel but that's not what John had in mind for me as by 11:15am I was driving down the By pass in Cahir. I was thrown straight into the deep end which I was actually glad of as I didn't have time to over think anything I just had to take control- I suppose that's how everyone had to learn, I just felt that bit more vulnerable behind the wheel as i have an attention span of a 3 year old and I forget what I'm doing.

You're probably wondering what did I learn Today besides how to conk a car and give the passenger whiplash? Keep in mind that this was my first time EVER sitting behind the wheel so we had to start from scratch. First off I learned about the pedals -The clutch , brake and accelerator I learned what they're for, when to use each pedal, and what leg to use for each of the pedals-Which is alot to take something so simple but to anyone starting off it's vital to know!!We then mastered the gears, I used 1st,2nd,3rd and 4th gear and lastly I took on the challenge of going around a roundabout for my first time and guess what? I didn't cry and even better still I SURVIVED!

I am kicking myself that I didn't bite the bullet and make an appointment for a lesson straight away after i passed my theory test as afterall, it really wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.It's just like everything practice makes perfect. I have decided to document each lesson that I have with John over the next few weeks, so that ye can see how I'm getting on- and I can Gaurentee  you that It will be very interesting as the weeks progress as I'll be doing, hill starts,parking, and U-Turns. That's All For now but stay tuned as i have my second lesson this week. In the mean time if you're looking for a Driving Instructor you can contact John On 086-3733759 or Check out his facebook page right here--->Browne Driving School . 

Until Next Time.

Much Love,

Caoimhe x

21seconds is all it takes..

On the 17th of July I made a decision that basically changed my life all in the space of 21 seconds. You're probably wondering how my life changed in the space of 21 seconds so here it goes, As most of you will know by now June 2016 I attended James butlers blogger workshop in conjunction with frockadvisor and Galaxy Ireland which was amazing and I was grateful to be given that opportunity alone. When the workshop was coming to a close Sonya Lennon announced that there was a follow up competition that we could enter to become a frockadvisor Galaxy Style reporter for Dublin Fashion Festival 2016, this time all you had to do was record a short video which contained a small bit about yourself and why you would like to win. I was in two minds as to if I should record the video or not because I was convinced that people would judge me.

Sunday the 17th of July after I finished putting on my make-up I decided that I would bite the bullet and record a video as at the end of the day  I am the maker of my own destiny and  I wasn't going to leave the opportunity of a lifetime pass me by. I recorded 21 seconds of a video and submitted it to my Twitter account. On the 22nd of July Brendan Courtney Announced the winner of the competition and I was blown away that I was chosen, I was like a child on Christmas morning no joke! From that moment on everything started to fall into place for me, my blog was getting recognised all over the country I was been contacted by local shops and newspapers while also getting contacted by nationwide companies such as Oxendales who kindly sponsored all of my outfits for Dublin Fashion Festival and Louise Breslin Owner of Laveesha Jewellery who gifted me with some amazing jewellery. It has just been a crazy few weeks since the announcement.

It’s now Sunday the 17th of September 2 months since the exact day that I bit the bullet made the video.Dublin Fashion Festival has come to an end and I have had the most amazing week ever. I got to attend each and every event that took place throughout the festival and report live from each one I covered MFI fashion Show, Young designer of the year and also The creative quarter fashion show just to name a few, I also got to met some amazing people throughout the festival such as Glenda Gilson,Suzanne Jackson, Rosie Connolly and Joanne Larby who have been idols of mine for quite a while, so been at the same events as them was extremely overwhelming.

I have learned so much about the Media/ fashion industry over the past few weeks, keep in mind I didn’t go to college so I don’t have a degree in anything so basically  I was thrown head first in the deep end, I had to interview people, stop people on the street for street style looks and also I had to do on the spot  Video promo work for both frockadvisor and Galaxy which is something I thought I would never be able to do but suprisingly I loved every single minute of it and it was the best way to learn about the industry.

Not alone was it my first time doing anything of sort but also it was my first time properly away from home on my own. I had never stayed in a hotel on my own, never been on public transport on my own and never walked a street in Dublin on my own- I used to stay within in my comfort zone ! I am so glad that I was given the opporutunity to beome the reporter for Dublin Fashion Fetsival as if I hadn’t been given the opportunity I would still be stuck in my little comfort zone at home in Cahir Co.Tipperary. and I would have never been fortunate enough to get the opportunities I have gotten over the past few weeks. 

 All because I took 21 seconds out of my day to make the video I have now experience in the fashion/media industry, I have a slot on my local radio station very Tuesday afternoon with Owen Lonergan, I have written my very first article for Stellar magazine, I've been contacted by several companies to do collaborations and I have also been offered my very first job which is a real bonus.There is so much happening for me right now and I honestly couldn’t be more grateful. To be honest I haven't even had time to sit down and let it all sink in, its still so surreal I never ever thought that I would be where I am today so early in my career, and its just the beginning. I have another very exciting week ahead of me including  a trip to the ploughing with Tipp FM and a trip back up to Dublin to finalise something very exciting. That's all for now but stay tuned as I will be announcing what I'm up to in Dublin During the week.
Until Then.

Much Love,
Caoimhe x 

Uriage Skincare Saviours

The last few weeks I have literally been on the go 24/7 which I won't complain about, the only downside to being so busy is that my skin is suffering the consequences. I have had to attended events and meetings 2-3 days a week so obviously I've been wearing make up a lot more often than usual. I have always been extremely lucky with my skin and rarely get spots, generally the only place I would get spots would be my chin and if you use the face map, Chin spots are linked to hormones which makes a whole lot of sense as us poor ladies have hormones all over the place each month, and also for me my chin is the most oiliest part of my face, everywhere else is dry to normal.

I had spent quite a lot of time looking into skincare ranges that wouldn't be too harsh on my skin as apart from having dry skin I also have quite sensitive skin which really doesn't help the situation as I have to be so careful when choosing skincare/products. I had heard about the French Brand Uriage which is a Range that offers products for people who suffer with sensitive skin and was blessed when I realised that a local pharmacy @McCormack Clonmel stocked it in their store.

What is Uriage? Uriage is a skincare brand that develops its products in cooperation with dermatologists and pharmacists from all over the world, ultimately producing products that are hypoallergenic, free of parabens and meet the demands of strict pharmaceutical criteria hence why they are perfectly suitable for those who suffer from even the most sensitive skin as all of Uriage products are produced from the waters of the magnificent Alps!

I headed into McCormack's Pharmacy in clonmel just a little over two weeks ago to get my hands on some of the products so that I could sort my skin out Asap! The staff in McCormack's were extremely generous and gave me testers of their most popular products from the Uriage range. So here's my top 3 favourite products from the range.

1.Uraige AquaPrécis Hydration Dynamique.

This product is so good for people who suffer with dry skin like myself, and it also has two purposes. It can be used as a moisturiser/ cleanser and also it can be used as a base for your foundation as its hydrates the skin so it will give a fab dewy finish, which can be a difficult look to achieve when you have dry skin. It also contains SPF 20 which is a massive bonus as your skin is been protected by it also. Overall this product restores/rejuvenates the original balance of the skin so basically its like giving yourself a Facial every time you use it as your complexion is bright, the skin is protected, and your left with a healthy glow.

2. Uriage Xémose Cream

This Cream is amazing, I wanted to talk about this cream as its not just for your face, it can be used on any part of your body. Recently I have started getting little dry patches, on the inner side of my elbows and just on my collarbones which I find really strange, I tried a rake of moisturisers and the dryness didn't budge but this cream came to the rescue and solved the problem after a few days purely because its Hypoallergenic ,Non-comedogenic, Fragrance-free, and also it contains both Uriage Thermal water Patented  Cerasterol-2F complex which is why its so effective at reinforcing the skins barrier and keeping your skin feeling super soft. I would recommend this product to any one who suffers with skin conditions such as eczema.

3. Uriage Hyséac SOS Paste

I saved the best until last, This product has become my Best Friend, No joke I even took a trip back into McCormack's during the week to stock up on it before it sold out! It literally does what it says on the box,  I have made my own punch line for SOS and I have renamed it the S-Save O-Our S-Skin paste! I had 3 massive spots on my chin last week and I was so conscious of them as I had to Interview celebs for Dublin fashion week and obviously I didn't want to be conscious of them I popped on the Paste over night and bin the space of 8-9 hours the spot had reduced in size, I continued to use the paste for 3-4 days and you honestly wouldn't think I ever had a mark on my chin. All I have left to say for this product is get yourself into McCormack's Pharmacy ASAP.

I honestly couldn't recommend  Uriage skincare enough, I have finally found my go to skincare range after years of searching with thanks to McCormack's Pharmacy in clonmel , you can take a look at their Facebook page by clicking on this link --->McCormack's Clonmel as they have the whole Uriage range in store and also they have some great "Fab Fridays" offers and lots lots more. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, I have a pretty exciting few weeks ahead of me so stay tuned for more updates. Until Next Time.

Much Love,

Caoimhe xx

From ConfiDental To Confident

I have been bursting to tell you all about my trip to ConfiDental on Tuesday morning but I wanted to wait until I had the time to share every single detail with you. I posted a little sneak peek on Tuesday evening because I literally couldn’t wait. I was just so excited about my new smile. During my early teenage years when I was in and out of hospital I was so caught up with everything that I didn’t give my teeth the care that they needed, which I am still kicking myself for to date so as you can imagine as a result of neglecting my teeth I became so self-conscious! Apart from the fact that I didn’t look after my teeth I also had a massive fear of the dentist, and I honestly blame my fear of going to the dentist on the clinic that I attended when I was in primary school, I still have nightmares!!

Since winning the competition as a Fashion Reporter for Dublin Fashion Festival my teeth were on my mind 24/7 and it was preventing me from really looking forward to the Festival as all that was going through my head was “how will I be able to interview anyone with teeth like this”? Or “how will I be able to smile for photos” ? I know that it’s a first world problem but to me it was like the end of the world. This was the perfect opportunity for me to face my fear and treat myself to something that I have always wanted, which for me ,was to have nice teeth, as it’s the first thing I notice about someone.

I rang ConfiDental,at Castle Street in Cahir, on Monday afternoon, and they slotted me in for a Consultation on Tuesday morning at 10am.  I can barely remember walking in the door I was so nervous! Dr.Ryan Hennessy – who is the  Dentist and owner of ConfiDental told me what I needed to do with my teeth, in order to get them sorted in time for Dublin Fashion Festival. My first task ahead of the Dublin Fashion Festival was,to travel to Dublin on  Wednesday,( the day after my consultation) where I would be getting photos taken and  promo vidoes for the upcoming event.. I was expecting it to be 2-3 months before my teeth would be sorted but Ryan gave up his time off and fit me in for a later time Tuesday morning so that I would be happy with my teeth for Dublin which I can't thank him enough for.

My heart was literally pumping out of my chest when I sat down on the chair before he started the procedure, but 10 minutes into it I was extremely relaxed- Dentist and Relaxed were two words I honestly thought I would never put in the same sentence but after my experience in ConfiDental I am honestly a new woman. The only reason I wanted to get up off the chair throughout the appointment was to see the results and I’m not messing I was overwhelmed with the finished result other than that,  I was so relaxed which was really surprising as I contemplated running back down the stairs when I arrived first!!

 I have been asked did I get veneers by so many people since last Tuesday which is crazy. So here's what I actually got done and I don't think you'll believe me when you see the before and after photos.  Dr.Ryan Hennessy and his lovely assistant Danielle began my treatment by polishing my teeth, removing any stains visible before he worked on my front teeth which was where most of the damage was situated, over time a gap had formed in the back of my two front teeth and it discoloured causing me to have a dark staining which was HORRIFIC when I opened my mouth but Ryan saved the day and he filled in the damaged gap using a white filling.  I honestly never smiled because I was so embarrassed.  Ryan talked me through every single step of my treatment which made me so calm as I knew what to expect each time.  There’s nothing worse than having loads of metal tools in your mouth and not having a clue as to what’s going on!!

I was in two minds as to whether or not I'd share my before photo with all of you as I was so embarrassed when I had seen it but I really wanted to show you how much of a difference 45 minutes can make when you are left in the hands of a wonderful professional.  No word of a lie,  my treatment began at 12:00 and I was back in my house at 12:45 and here’s the difference.

My smile is still not perfect I have another few fix ups to do, and also I will be returning to Confidental to get my teeth whitened in the coming weeks so I can’t wait to share that experience with all of you. I would highly recommend anyone who was in my position and was 1. Petrified of the Dentist and 2. Extremely conscious of their teeth, to just bite the bullet and ring ConfiDental as soon as possible. I am gutted that I didn’t do it sooner as I would have been so much more confident than I was for the past few years.   As you can tell by this picture of me at my first meeting for Dublin Fashion Festival,  I am smiling from ear to ear in this photo to show of my new smile.

I never thought I’d see the day that I would look forward to returning to the Dentist for my next appointment. You can find ConfiDental on Facebook by clicking on this link -->ConfiDental you can also contact them on 052 7441111. I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. That’s all for now I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog post. Until next time.

Much Love,

Caoimhe  x

My Top 3 Snapchatters..

Am I the only one who waits to watch  my favourite Snapchatter's stories until I'm all comfy and chilled out in bed? It's become a ritual for me at this stage, it's my way of winding down before going to sleep. People often ask me who inspires me and who do I look up to in the world of blogging So I've decided to let you in on my top 3 Favourite Snaphcatters some of them you may know and also some you may not know.

1.Pippa O Connor (Pippa.oconnor)

Do I even have to explain myself when it comes to  why Pippa O'Connor is one of my favourite snaphcatters? I watch Pippa's Snapchat stories religiously each night, you can tell that she is extremely down to earth and such a lovely person in general.  Pippa documents her daily life activities from work, fashion, beauty, and she also includes her two beautiful sons Ollie and newly born Louis.

2. Lisa Jordan  (Justjordanblog)
Lisa Jordan is a fashion and image consultant and also a professional Make-up Artist who works with MAC in Brown Thomas, Cork city. She always gives 100% honest opinion on products that she uses by telling everyone the pro's and cons of the products before you run to the shop to buy it which I think is extremely helpful. Lisa also buys a lot of her clothes in Penney's and does regular Penney's haul's so it;s great to be able to Steal her Style and get some style Inspo.

3. James Butler (Jamespatrice)

What can I say, this man will actually have you on the verge of wetting yourself. He has to be one of the funniest people around!. I have followed on him on Snapchat for months now and I have yet to be disappointed with his daily updates which include the famous Fron (his mother)..I have been a massive fan of James since day 1 and  I attended his Masterclass in The Dean Hotel in Dublin in July and I can assure you he is  exactly the same behind the camera as he is in real life. He is an absolute gent. I would definitely recommend you to go and follow him on Snapchat as you definitely wont be disappointed.!

If you haven't seen on my Facebook page already I have also set up my very own Snapchat account for my blog you can find me at "itsallaboutm.e" or you can scan my Snapcode in the picture below.

I am extremely busy at the minute with lots of amazing opportunities in the pipeline so that's why this weeks  blog post was a little different to recent posts, and also I'm prepping for Dublin Fashion Festival, so I will be back to my normal Blog posts next week. I hope you enjoyed this weeks short and sweet blog post That's all for now. Until Next Time.

Much Love,

Caoimhe x

Steal the Style..

I literally cannot get over the amount of views I got on my previous post "The weigh to go" it has been one of my highest reached posts so far, which really surprised me. So since my views went through the roof I decided that I would do a follow up post this week. This time something a little more casual suitable for everyday wear.

As I've previously said, I always get complemented about the clothes that I wear, and I can assure you that 100% of the time they're from Penney's !! I'm not a tracksuit type of girl, as generally anything baggy doesn't suit the build of my body and it just makes me uncomfortable in general, although I did find a really great pair of tummy controlling leggings in Penneys for just €11 so when I want to have a chill out day there my fave.

99% of the time I wear skinny jeans, but it took me FOREVER to find the perfect pair that fit both on the waist and the leg, as not only am I curvy I am also quite short so it makes it 10 times harder to find jeans that are the perfect fit. Lucky enough, I discovered that River Island do 3 different length in jeans Short, Regular, and Long leg so that's the length sorted but now the ultimate question, which jeans will be comfortable on my waist? I done my research last year after wasting money on jeans that just didn't suit my figure, and after trying about 4-5 different types the Molly jeans in River Island became my best friend. The Molly jeans are quite stretchy and they're also high waist so they keep you nice and snug whilst hugging your figure, the only down side is Molly jeans are €55 a pair.   I have them in white, denim and black. I found my black ones faded quite fast ( but then I used to live in them).

When my black Mollys ripped a month ago I honestly didn't know what I was going to do, first world problems or what , right? I'm not working at the minute so I obviously don't have €55 to splash on jeans so for the first week or two I just wore denims and I won't lie I survived but I did miss my good reliable black jeans! I popped into Penneys one day and decided to check out all the types of jeans that they had to offer and guess what? I found a Penneys version of River Island Molly's!! The ones I found have the same stretch and the same high waist, the only thing that differs is the material its a tiny bit lighter than the River Island jeans but they are still so comfy, and a bonus that they are only €11 which makes a massive difference to €55.

Anyway, enough about the jeans, the main reason I'm writing this post is to show all of you lovely ladies and gents if your reading, that you create outfits from High Street stores for just a fraction of the price, While dressing head to toe in Penney's clothes (apart from my roshes of course).I've used the same items of clothing in both these outfits with only substituting my bomber for something a little more suitable for daytime when the weather is too clammy to be wearing a jacket.

My clothes from Penneys that you can create two looks with.

Khaki Green Bomber Jacket €19

Denim shirt- €11

Black Jeans -€11

White/Silver Own It T-shirt- €6

Scarf-  €4

Total: €51

Steal the Style with River Island clothes.

Khaki Green Bomber Jacket €60

Denim Shirt €45

Black Jeans €55

White/Gold Your Dreams T-shirt €25

Scarf €17

Total: €202

As you can see the River Island outfits are 4 times the price of the Penneys outfits that I created during the week. The only difference in the outfits is the quality of the material which can make a huge difference to a curvy gal but for clothes that you are going to wear just for everyday wear I definitely wouldn't pass Penney's,although I do tend to shop from the likes of New Look or River Island for occasion wear as it does tend to have a better fit for my curves .That's all for now! But I'm heading to Dublin on Thursday so I'll keep my eye out for some more Style Steals. I hope you enjoyed reading this weeks post.

Until Next Time,

Much Love,

Caoimhe x

The Reality of M.E

I don't even know where to begin with this weeks blog post! It was a week full of mixed emotions. I'll start with the positive moments from the week, I'm sure the form isn't the best of a Monday evening so I'll try not to make it any worse. Anyway, if you follow my regular updates on my Facebook page "It's all about M.E" you will now be aware that I have won the #GalaxyStyle competition and I will be working with Frockadvisor as a Fashion Reporter for this years Dublin Fashion Festival during the month of September.   I've shared it enough on all of my social media accounts so I'm nearly 100% positive that you've seen it by now but you never know... Anyway I still can't put into words how thrilled I am to be given an opportunity like this at such an early stage of my career, it's literally a dream come through. I started my blog  back in April for the simple reason that I wanted to keep myself mentally active. So winning a competition just 3 months into blogging is a massive self achievement and something I will always be proud of myself for.

As you can imagine my phone has been hopping non stop  since the news got out on several social media  platforms, which I won't complain about as the views on my blog posts have gone through the roof from all of the publicity that my blog has been getting from both Galaxy Ireland and Frockadvisor. Since the word got out that I was the winner of the competition it has already opened so many doors that lead to new opportunities, I have had several bloggers contact me on Twitter  and on Facebook to congratulate me and they also gave me great feedback on my blog.

 Not only have I been contacted by bloggers last Friday evening, amid the numerous Facebook and Twitter notifications I received a private message from the lovely Louise Breslin fromthe  Laveesha Jewellery range.  She messaged me to say that she would like to send me  some new bits from her latest jewellery collection to wear for Dublin Fashion Festival. As you can imagine I greatly accepted her offer and I am now waiting in anticipation to see the fabulous pieces of jewellery that will arrive in the post over the coming weeks, but in the meantime why not click on the links to her facebook page--> Laveesha or Instagram account--->Laveesha and check out some of the fab bits and pieces that she has for sale.

At this point it seems like things really couldn't get any better right..? Unfortunately, when you suffer with M.E you have to wait for the big bang right  back down to earth. I spoke a few weeks back about how I suffered with my stomach lately, shortly after I posted my blog post discussing all things stomach related I stumbled upon several articles online discussing that new studies show that it is now proven that M.E patients have an abnormal bacteria which is found in the gut that causes several gastrointestinal problems, so as I said it's just something that you have to get used to and power on through each day but I normally carry tablets or my good old reliable gaviscon in my handbag everywhere I go just for emergencies.As you can imagine I was on cloud 9 the past week with the excitment of everything that I neglected my body and I was on the go non stop from Thursday-Saturday, I just couldn't sit down and relax.

I was looking so forward to spending my whole Saturday with my Mam and Dad as I don't do it as often as I used to. I woke up did my usual Saturday morning routine, shower, make- up , do my hair and get dressed, everything still going to plan until all of sudden my eyesight started to  go blurry, my head started pounding, I obviously just presumed that the lack of sleep had caught up with me, so back to bed I went. My head literally hadn't hit the pillow when  I began vomiting.   I spent a solid 10 hours vomiting non stop. I had obviously caught the stomach bug. This is the first time that I've been properly sick in months and it has really knocked me back, 2 days later I am still extremely weak and every single muscle in my stomach is torn.  I literally can't even laugh without been in pain, it will take me 2 weeks or more to strengthen up my immune system again to be back to myself . I think some people look at me and think that there isint a single thing wrong with me,but I can assure you when you see photos of me online I have a full face of make up on.   I have found the best lighting in the house (usually you'll find me in front of my sitting room window, such good lighting there ) and also I have probably taken 20-30 photos before Im satisfied,for example here's two photos of me there's roughly 7 hours in the difference and this sums up M.E to a tee.   As I have said multiple times M.E is an invisible illness where many people do suffer in silence, lucky enough I have so much support and love surrounding me that I'm able to get up and on with my life and well I love playing around with make- up so I always have the bags under my eyes covered up..

Thats all for now,I just wanted to show you that M.E doesn't go away over night, and it won't ever go away over night, you simply just have to get up and get on with your life, and the main thing is to  find the right balance that will allow you to do so, and like everything it just takes time so be patient. I could stay in bed and feel sorry for myself everyday of the week but if I did I would never get any of the opportunities that I have gotten so far . "Challenges are what make life interesting,  Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful".. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, I'd love to hear your feedback.. Until Next Time..

Much Love,

Caoimhe x