Slimming World Curry Sauce - 3 recipes/ 3 ways

Last week I shared with you my Spice Bag recipe, nothing accompanies a Spice Bag better then a tub of curry sauce!

Here are some easy and mostly syn free curry sauce recipes.

Method 1

Mushy Pea Curry Sauce

This can be a bit like marmite some people love it and some people will not even dare to make it.

If you are brave enough to give it a go you will be pleasantly surprised that it taste nothing like mushy peas and is a very mild tasting curry.

Ingredients

1 tin of mushy peas

1 tin of baked beans

1 tin of chopped tomatos

1-2 spoonfuls of syn free medium curry powder ( check sw app)

1. Empty all tins into a saucepan and heat through
2. Add in curry powder and mix
3. Curry can be served as is or blended until smooth

LovelyGirlyBits has a recipe that includes more speed food and spices to give it more flavor. Check it out!

Method 2

Simple Tomato Based Curry

If I decide to add curry to my dishes last minute then I always use this recipe. It is like a quick version of my Madras Recipe.

Ingredients

1 small onion, peeled and diced finely

1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic crusher

450g of passata

1tsp of turmeric

1tsp of coriander

1tsp of chilli powder

1tsp of cumin seeds/powder

1tsp of garam masala

4-6 tsp of water

1. Saute the onion and garlic in frylight on low heat.
2. Add in spices and saute for another 2 minutes
3. Add in passata and water and bring to a boil
4. Once boiled, turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half (if you do not want to reduce it that's fine, I just like my curry to be a little thicker.)

Method 3

Chip shop curry

This recipe looks exactly like curry you get with a chipper dinner and is not too far off in taste either. This recipe is not syn free but with only 3.5 syns of flour and this can serve up to 4 people you can basically count just 1 syn.*

Ingredients

500ml of chicken stock

2-3 tbsp of syn free curry powder*

Frylight

1 small onion, diced finely

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 carrot, diced finely

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp of flour 

1. In a saucepan, saute the onions and carrots and garlic in frylight.
2. After 5 minutes add in curry powder and bay leaf.
3. Add a few more sprays of frylight, remove pan from heat, add in flour and mix.
4. Return to heat and slowly add in stock, constantly stirring.
5. Stir until all flour has dissolved and bring to boil.
6. Once boiled return to simmer and reduce until desired consistency.
7. Curry can be served as is(bay leaf removed), sieved to removed veg, or blended(blending will change colour slightly).

So here are my curry sauce recipes, of coarse there are many other recipes out there, even on the Slimming World website. As always I tailor my recipes to my Lactose Free diet.

*Always Double Check Syn Values in the Slimming World Book/Website.

Homemade Spice Bag- Syn Free

If you are Irish then you know what a Spice Bag is and how obsessed the entire country is with them. What started off in very few Chineses around Dublin has now taken over and Chineses in each county coming up with their own variation. Unfortunately their not very good while you are following a healthy lifestyle or a plan such as Slimming World.

So how to make a delicious spice bag that will not leave you craving the real thing.

Ingredients

(serves 2)
2 Chicken Breasts
1 slice of Brennans B Good Wholemeal Bread(or any other HEXB Bread)
1 egg, beaten
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Onion, peeled and diced
1 Pepper, any colour, deseeded and diced
4 Large Potatos, peeled and wedged
4 tsps of chilli flakes- divide between chips, chicken and veg
2 tsps of chilli powder- divide between chips, chicken and veg
Good sprinkle of salt 

Method
 Preheat oven at 180 degrees(fan oven)

1. Par boil potatoes for 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness of chip.
2. Drain and dry the chips, spray evenly with Frylight and sprinkle on  chilli flakes and powder and mix.
3. Blend B Good bread into breadcrumbs with chilli flakes and chilli powder. I use a food processor or a blender
4. Dice up Chicken Breasts into strips
5. Dip strips into the beaten egg and then dip the strips covered in beaten egg into bread crumbs.
6. Once covered in breadcrumbs pop strips into a tin foiled (sprayed with frylight) oven dish.
7. Place chicken strips and chips into preheated oven for 30 minutes, shake chips halfway but do not touch chicken.
8. While they are in the oven prepare vegetables.
9. In a wok on low heat add in onions, peppers and carrots and spray with frylight. Sweat the veg for a good 15 minutes i.e do not colour the veg but soften them.
10. Add in the rest of the chilli flakes and powder.
11. Once chicken and chips are done, mix together with the veg and sprinkle on on salt.
12. Serve with some homemade syn free/ low syn curry sauce

(Come back next week for some curry sauce recipes)

 

How To Guide To Makeup with NYX

 Makeup can be pretty daunting when you are just starting out. I remember been 13 and my mam finally allowed me to purchase foundation and mascara and eyeliner. I knew nothing about how to apply, blend or the correct tools I needed. It has taken many years of studying, practising and finding what suits me to be at the point where I am content in my makeup application.

Here are some tips all about makeup and application;

1. Good Skincare is a must! 

I constantly see younger girls on social media asking what is a good foundation with full coverage, I then see girls suggesting €40 foundations and then a couple of weeks later they are asking same question again because the expensive foundation suggested did not work. Some foundations are better suited to certain skin types but alot of the time foundations can really work better when the skin is been looked after properly. Finding out what type of skin type you have is key to what products you should use. Cleansing the face morning and night is mandatory, I personally favour a double cleanse, to make sure makeup is completely removed and I am getting the benefits from cleanser. I use Garnier Micellar Water for my first cleanse (currently on offer at Hickeys Pharmacy) and then a cleanser suited to my skin type as my second cleanse. I follow by toning, eye cream and moisturiser, again suited to my skin. I also use exfoliator, masque and serum once or twice a week depending on what my skin needs.

 

2. Using the correct tools

This can be the correct brushes, cotton buds, spoolies etc. I wrote about makeup brushes that are needed for makeup application back in 2011, you can read here. I still stand by this that you need few but good brushes to achieve good application and over the last few years even more high quality but low price tag brushes can be bought such as Real Techniques (also available at Hickeys Pharmacy). Having cotton buds at your makeup desk/makeup bag can really help with cleaning up little mistakes i.e smudged mascara/ drawing outside the lip line.

Other tools I suggest keeping about are spoolies, eyelash curler, tweezers and sharpener.

3. Fill in them brows!

This may sound hilarious and pretty basic knowledge, but I wish somebody had told me to fill in my brows when I first started. Honest truth I was 21 when I started to fill in my brows, my face would be covered in all other makeup and my brows would be non-existent. By filling in them brows you are not only giving them color and shape but you are framing the face. Giving it a defined shape and it can accentuate all of your features.

Attending a good brow artist can really help define the shape your brow and show you what suits your facial features. For when you are doing your makeup then I highly recommend NYX Tame & Frame, this brow pomade has been reviewed highly all over the blogasphere and has been linked to the famous Anastasia brow pomade. At a fraction of the price at €7.75 and available on Irish Shores I know what one I choose.

4. Blend and Blend and Blend some more!

Going back to tools invest in some good blending brushes and have spares. Blending can make or break an eye look, yes it can be tedious but the finished look can be amazing with good blending. The trick to blending, blend with a clean brush and keep practising. In blending using a clean brush will guarantee a perfect blend and that you are not putting extra work on yourself by adding more product with a dirty brush, by adding more product you are creating more time on yourself blending. Also especially on a smokey eye always use a transition color for blending, this will help the stronger colors blend more easily. I really like NYX 05 Brown Single Eyeshadow as a transition color in blending.

5. Have Fun!

I think some times we forget that makeup is an art, it is there to be played with, to think outside the box with and most of all have fun with. We get caught up sometimes on the "rules" we lose sight of the excitement in makeup. Playing with colors, trying new eye looks, lip shapes, different ways to contour is all part of the fun in makeup.

So next time you sit down to apply makeup choose different colors, colors you necessarily you would not apply, you never know you may surprise yourself and find a makeup look you really love!

 Nyx Products on the Face 

 Eyes: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Strawberry Milk

NYX Single Eyeshadow in 05 Brown

Eyebrows:NYX Tame & Frame in 04 Espresso

Lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Prague

All Products are available at NYX stands across Ireland. I purchased mine at Hickey's Pharmacy on Henry Street.

 Hickeys are currently celebrating their 20th birthday and have some amazing offers in store at the moment . #Hickeys20

Find your nearest store here

Penneys/Primark Accessories Picks for Autumn 2015

So I am back with another Penneys Picks, this time is all about accessories! Fur(synthetic fur) is going to be huge this winter its on everything from coats to bags.

Penneys/Primark have got everything you need to make an outfit as stylish as can be.

The rose gold back pack has to be my favourite it also comes in a selection of other colours, but if you want the rose gold I would head in quick as I can see them flying off the shelves.

Up style what you already have is something I love to do. The fur collar is perfect for up styling last years leather jacket or winter coat, no need to fork out €60 for a new coat when you can pay €9 and a bit of needle and thread. BOOM NEW COAT!

Bowler hats and Trilby hats are still in season so dust them off from last year and of course beanies will never go out of fashion.

All items are currently available in Penneys nationwide.

Pictures and Prices link

Graduation Day- What I Wore

 If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen on Friday that I graduated. This was my graduation for Beauty Therapy Year 1 as I am currently studying Year 2. I had a great day and night with family and friends.

I have to say a big thank you to Kiera from Just the F Word Blog for her fashion posts on Facebook as when it comes to shopping for clothes for myself I hate it. All the searching, trying things on, getting frustrated ( this always happens). I just end up going home empty handed and having to spend hours searching online and then not knowing weather it is going fit until delivery. A few weeks back Kiera posted dresses from Forever 21 and I instantly screenshotted them and headed into town a few days later and picked up my graduation dress with no fuss at all. What made it even better the dress was a bargain at €14.95!

Dress: Forever21

Hat: River Island

Socks: Penneys/Primark

Shoes: Boohoo

Slimming World Update- Tips To Stay On Track When You Can Not Make Group

We all get them times when life can get super busy, 10 million things to do and not enough time to do it in. That was August for me! I had to prioritise and choose things that needed my time and things that at this moment I could not afford to give my time to. 

That is why at this moment I am not attending weekly weigh ins. After a crazy busy August of a horrendous flu that had me a week in bed, my Mams 50th and multiple of friends birthdays and preparing for college I could not make my weekly Monday meetings. 

At the moment I am waiting to get my college time table to see will I be home from college on a Monday to start going back or will I have to change group. I do miss group, group provides great support and let's you talk about your journey in an open non - judgemental setting.

I may not be at group but I am still following the plan. Slimming world is great in that sense it provides you with the tools to carry on in your everyday life.

So here are some tips to stay on track when you can not make group.

Remember why you started! 

So cliché I know but it really does help. We all started on this journey for a reason weather it was to lose weight, get healthy, feel better about ourselves or all of the above . If you keep this in mind then you are sure to stay on track.

Use your tools! 

 When you started you were given the tools in the form of your books and online tools i.e syn calculator. When you feel you are losing your way read the book. When you are unsure of syns use the calculator or the syns online tool with a list of  branded product syns.

Keep in touch with fellow slimming worlders! 

Weather it's the ladies from group, slimming world family on Instagram or one of the many groups on Facebook. All these men and women are on the same journey as you and can relate to every craving, every bad day, every milestone. A little word of encouragement can really set your mind back on track.

Do not deprive yourself!
It's the same as been in group, if you really want something have it by not having that naughty treat/ that extra tipple/cheeky takeaway you can drive yourself demented. Slimming world set you up with the tools to control your attitude towards food. So if you went way over syns or had a big binge get up the next morning and start all over again back on track.

Avoid the scales at home!
If you are used to the scales at group do not start weighing yourself at home if you miss a meeting or two. Scales at home can be totally different from scales at group. They are not calibrated the same. You could be losing weight or maintaining but the scales you have at home could have you at a three pound gain. This can really change you attitude towards the plan, you could end throwing all the hard work you have been putting in because of scales that weigh you different.

Hope my tips help you when you life gets to busy and you can not make group. Remember to stick to plan and everything will work out great.

Shepard's Pie- Dairy Free/ Slimming World Friendly

 My mam used to make Shepard's Pie nearly every week when I was younger. It was always a really filling meal and would warm you right up over winter months. Over the years I have been trying to make my version healthier every time I made it by omitting processed packets, gravy granules, extra salt and now by omitting dairy yet still having creamy mash on top.

Ingredients

(Serves 4 people or 2 really hungry people)

• 250g of under 5% lean mince(beef or lamb)
• 5 medium potatoes
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 500ml of boiling water
• 3 carrots
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
•  100g of frozen peas
• 100ml of unsweetened almond milk
• Pepper
• Dried mixed herbs
• Dried Parsley

Recipe

1. Chop vegetable up finely.
2. In a large pan fry mince until brown, add in onions and garlic and saute until soft.
3. At this stage add in dried herbs, these should be added in at the start as they need time to release flavor, if using fresh add in at the end.
4. Mix the stock cubes with 500ml of boiling water and add to the pot with carrots.
5. Bring to boil, turn to simmer to let the liquid reduce to thicker consistency.
6. Peel and chop potatoes to roughly the same size, bring to boil in a pot of water. Depending on size of potatoes this can take 15-30mins.
7. When the gravy mix has reduced to a thicker consistency remove from heat.
8. Drain potatoes, using a potato masher mash potatoes, add in almond milk a little at a time, too little and they will be dry, too much and the mash is ruined. Constantly taste test. I also add in pepper and parsley to add flavour.
9. Add in frozen peas for last 5 minutes of simmering
10. In a oven dish add in your mince mixture, once evenly spread out start to add mash on top.
11. Evenly smooth out mash, using a knife/fork along the top and create a design, I went with criss-cross design. By adding a design to the mash you are giving more of a surface area to get crispy. Pierce the mash all the way through in some areas to allow steam release. ( I forgot hence my hole)
12. Place is a preheated oven of 160 degrees for 30 mins.
13. Serve and enjoy!

On Slimming World this would be considered free on Extra Easy Plan

Penneys Beauty Haul- P.S Love Collection

 Ah Penneys, could you make us love you even more! I remember when Penneys makeup smelt like playdoh and was good as the stuff you would buy in the pound shop as a child. In the last year that has all changed, they have upped their game completely and are now producing makeup that competes with other budget brands on the market.

After reading lots of posts on P.S.Love and seeing it all over Instagram I knew I had to pick some bits up for myself to see what all the hype was.

 I picked up one of the new P.S Matt Long Last Lipstick in Ladies Day.

 I was expecting more a deeper shade by the packaging, so I was quiet surprised when the lipstick was more pink then plum. I was hoping to pair it with the number 04 lip pencil I picked up also but alas the pencil is much darker. I might try an ombre lip with the two colors in the near future. As it is a matte shade, good lip care is essential or you will find it will not sit well on the lips and highlight any dryness or cracks. The lipstick lasted well I got a few hours wear with no top ups and it was pretty smudge proof. I am pretty impressed and for €2 it is a total bargain.

These two P.S Love.. Lip Liner Pencils are only €1.50 each.

If you have not heard about the 06 Penneys lip liner then you have been living under a rock. Viva Adonis raves about it and Lisa over on Contour and Cuddles wears it every day. Influenced completely by other bloggers I knew I had to have it. It did not disappoint, it is a beautiful deep nude without been too brown (we are not going for 90s look here), it has amazing staying power and compliments most makeup looks. I either wear it all over the lip either on its own or with a slick of gloss, or pair it with many of the nude lipsticks in my collection.

The other liner I picked up is 04 plum, perfect for autumn months I can see myself get alot of wear out of it. I had originally picked it up to go with the lipstick but as previously mentioned it is more deeper in shade not to worry as the 06 before it this can be worn on its own or with some other plum lipsticks in my collection.

More makeup shopping will have to be done in the near future in Penneys, as I can not fault the quality or the price of these few pieces. I hope to see Penneys actually get a stand for their makeup, as at the moment some stores have the pieces all together and other stores have the collection scattered all over the place.

Have you picked up any of the P.S collection? If so what did you think of it?

Carribean Pepper Pot Stew

Ingredients

400g of stewing steak fat removed

2 red peppers

1 small sweet potato

200g green beans

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp of sweetener

2 tbsp of jerk seasoning

200g of passata

200ml of beef stock

2 tbsp of Worcester sauce

salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
2. In a hot pan sear the meat for 4-5 mins
3. In a large casserole dish add in all ingredients with the meat. Stir everything together
4. Cover with tin foil and place in oven for 1 1/2 hours
5. Serve with rice
   

The Last Manicure- Tanya Burr and Ciate

Next week it is back to college for my second year of Beauty Therapy. Unfortunately that means goodbye to my nails that I have been growing since May. As part of the course our nails need to be short neat and filed. No long nails allowed, no nail polish, no gels or acrylics.

So for my last manicure I went with Peaches and Cream from Tanya Burr collection and Ciate Glitterball (Christmas Edition)

Recently Tanya Burr has relaunched her collection with new packaging and added products.

Image Source

The new gold detailing brings the products all together as before her lashes packaging never really went with the packaging on lip gloss and nail polish.
I am really interested in try out her new palettes to see what the pigmentation is like, especially interested in the Eyebrow kit that comes with a mini brush and tweezers.

The new collection is available over on FeelUnique.com and SuperDrug.com which recently just launched delivery to Ireland.

Also Feel Unique have the old collection on sale and you can pick up the lip glosses for less then €2 euro in the sale using the code ADD20 for an extra 20% off.

Slimming World Syn Free Chicken Madras Recipe

Ingredients

4 Lean Chicken Breasts

1 onion chopped

1 tin of chopped tomatos (400g)

2 tbsp of tomato puree

2 tsp of garam masala

10 dried curry leaves

150ml water

Spice Mix

3 or 4 tbsp of chilli flakes/ 1 or 2 red chillis chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric

Recipe

1. Spray pan with fry light and brown off the chopped chicken for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. On a low to medium heat add in onion and saute for 5 minutes.
3.  Add in spice mix and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add in puree and tomatoes, bring the pan to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Now add in chicken with the 150ml of water, bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add in the curry leaves and garam masala and simmer until sauce has thickened.
7. Serve with a side of rice or chips or salad, if you are like me you can serve with all three.

*Madras is a hot and spicy tomato dish, the heat of the dish can be controlled by how much chilli flakes or chilli you add in the more you add the hotter it will be.

Penneys New Arrivals Autumn/Winter 2015

Look I know its August and these picks are aimed at autumn but come on Ireland it is time to face facts summer is not coming and autumn is here.

Every Irish girl loves Penneys and over the last few years Penneys has risen to it's A game when it comes to affordable high street fashion.

These are just a few picks from their new arrivals, burgundy will be like last year a go to colour for autumn/winter 2015, as well as khaki greens, greys and blacks.

I also picked out the white waistcoat and jeans not necessarily autumn colour's but will look amazing with the burgundy open top lace up boots.

All items are available now in Penneys and available in different colour's, the burgundy crop also comes in a black and white stripe which will go perfectly with the high waisted jeans.

Picture Sources 

Slimming World Week 8 update- 1/2 Stone Award

 

Stepping on the scales last night I had no idea what to expect, when a -3 popped up on the screen to say I was delighted is an understatement. After my ups and downs over the past few weeks, getting my first half stone award is an amazing feeling. I am now down eight pounds and well on my way to my stone award. This week I changed up what I was eating, I listened to my body and ate what I wanted. This week my body wanted carbs and I ate carbs by the bucket load!

The great thing about the Slimming World plan is that there is little or no restrictions. You can eat as much carbs as you want following the Extra Easy plan. There is also no time restricts e.g no eating past 7pm or any weighing involved so you can eat as much or as little carbs as you feel you need. In last week Slimming World Post I mentioned how with my insulin resistance Doctor had told me to avoid carbs where possible, so when I started Slimming World I was a little frightened of carbs, from week 2 I started including Sp days into my week. I feared that eating carbs throughout the week would have a negative effect on the scales come Monday, by Fridays I would switch from Extra Easy to Sp. Some weeks I lost one or two pounds with a few maintains thrown in. I was chipping away and content with it as I stated last week my journey will be a slow one.

I had no plan start of the week, as I said I just listened to my body and gave it what it wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed my week and all the food I consumed. I kept my syns to about 6/7 a day with one day of using my full 15 syns. Slimming World should never feel restrictive and if you food optimise 100% it never will. This week I ate crisps, had Chinese and wine. As long as you stay within syns then it will show on the scales.

I stayed the whole week on the Extra Easy plan, and as you can see my result was better then ever, -3 pound brought me up to 8 pound loss over all and got rid of my nasty one pound gain from last week.

You will find my instagram dedicated solely to my Slimming World Journey here. I post all my meals here and my weekly weigh ins. Below is just some of the delicious meals I ate during the week

 

 

So fellow Slimming Worlders how was your week? Did you get what you wanted on the scales?

Let me know in the comments below.

Do not forget to check back on Friday for another delicious Slimming World friendly recipe.

Remember you are in a race with nobody. Enjoy your journey, treat yourself and if you have a bad day/week remember tomorrow is a new day and all you have to do is pick yourself up and start a fresh.

Slimming World Nacho Style Feast

 

As before Friday is all about food on the blog , and even though I may be on Slimming World my food is still as adventurous as ever. 

The original recipe was featured in Slimming World's Magazine in May, it had a syn value of 1 for the whole dish. I tweaked mine to omit syns to make mine completely syn free. This dish is extremely easy to make, as well as been perfect for sharing. so grab a few mates around and dish this up they will have no idea its a Slimming World recipe.

Ingredients

250g of lean mince(5% or under)

1 tin of kidney beans

1 tin of plum/chopped tomato's

1 beef stock cube

1 tsp of tomato paste

1 carrot grated or chopped finely

1 onion chopped finely

2 cloves of garlic

1 jalapeno chili

70g of grated cheese

2/3 large potato's, peeled and chipped into large wedges

Spice Mix:

1 tsp of chili flakes

1 tsp of Cajun spice

1 tsp of mixed herbs

1 or 2 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of smoked paprika

Method

1. Par boil the potato's for 3 minutes in boiling water, drain and place on a chip tray and evenly spray with Fry light one cal spray. Pop in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Shake at 15 minutes.
2. In a non stick frying pan brown off the mince, when it is evenly brown add in onions and garlic and saute on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add in crumbled up beef stock cube and spice mix and tomato paste, give a good mix around the pan, evenly coating the meat and vegetables.
4. Add in tomato's and kidney beans(juice and all) with the grated carrot. Bring to the boil constantly stirring and then leave to simmer for about 15 minutes or so, until it thickens up.
5. When the chips are finished remove from the oven and arrange them around the outside of the oven dish( like the picture above).
6. Place the chili in the centre of the dish. On top of the chili throw on the chopped jalapeno ( seeded or deseeded) and evenly sprinkle the cheese on top.
7. Place under the grill or back into hot oven for 10 minutes.
8. Serve! Enjoy!

This recipe serves two people, can easily be altered to serve more.

Vegetables can be altered to suit your own preferences.

Hotness of the dish is up to you this recipe is on the milder side of things just up the quantities on the spice mixture to make it more spicy.

Syn Values:

1/2 of the Dish: Free on Extra Easy using HEXA

If not using cheese as HEXA then 35g of reduced fat cheese is 5-6 syns do check on your Slimming World app or with your Consultant.

Enjoy

Naked Smoky Available the 6th of August

Over the years the Naked Palettes have become a staple in nearly every Irish girls makeup bag. With the release of Naked Smoky next Thursday the 6th of August, the Naked Palette Hype is in no sight of ending soon.

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the preview of Naked Smoky yesterday,  where the lovely Roisin gave us all the details on the launch and how well it is doing worldwide. We also got to feel, swatch, play to our hearts content with the new palette.

I have already decided it is my favourite palette from all the Naked range, why you ask?

1. The packaging is by far the best, its sturdy, the only thing that rattles is the brush it comes with, it has a magnetic closure that stops any mishaps. Also the feel of it its smooth and sleek (its not velvet!!)
2. You get a good selection of mattes, shimmers and satins, out of the 12 shades 9 are brand new and 3 are exclusive to the palette.
3. The palette can easily bring you from day to night. Using just the golds and browns during the day and then amping it up on the night by adding some dagger or smolder.
4. I love the two ended brush, the pointed end is a great pencil brush for getting under the lower lashes or highlighting the inner corners of the eye. The blending brush is also great and with the blendability of these shadows the application is just effortless.

 The Launch

With waiting lists reaching over 9000 yesterday, getting your hands on this palette is going to be tough. Urban Decay is only available in Ireland in Debenhams and House of Fraser Dundrum. So if you want to get on the list ring or visit your local store.

Debenhams will be opening their doors at 8am( an hour early) on 6th of August to accommodate the Launch, it will also be available online on debenhams.ie  but how many will be available online we do not know, so best to head to the store.

This palette has already sold out twice in the USA so believe me when I say it will sell out in Ireland.

My Slimming World Journey

I wanted to write this post when I had received my first half stone award but here I am 7 weeks in and 6 pounds down. Not  very much people expect to loss that in their first week, but am I disheartened? No! Do I love slimming world? Yes I could not be more happier I bit the bullet and joined 7 weeks ago.

So my weight loss is slow, and I knew from the start it always would be. Due to health issues I suffer from Insulin Resistance. Slightly similar to Diabetes but no where near as bad. What it means in weight wise is that I find it very difficult to loss weight due to my metabolism been greatly decreased. So this also means weight can easily piled on. Before diagnosis my diet was pretty clean I always bought meat from the butchers and fresh fruit and veg, I never bought processed food barely ate takeaways. My weight though did not reflect my diet at all.  Doctors suggested I try low gi diet which I did I cut out so much, bought special foods said goodbye to all grains, ate lentils by the bucket load, broke countless nails grating up cauliflower rice. So six months on feeling deprived and craving everything I could not have, been moody and irritable I had only lost 5 pounds. 5 bloody pounds!!!

It just was not working and I felt worse then ever before. So family had suggested Slimming World to be countless times, but I was convinced it would not work due to my food limitations. When a close friend of mine admitted she had been going for some time and was loving it and promised me I would really enjoy it and if it did not work they would give me my money back.

So start of June I bit the bullet and joined. Sitting in my first group meeting I could understand why everyone lately has been raving about Slimming World, the confidence you leave group with is amazing because everyone is so encouraging and supportive. My Consultant Lorraine is one in a million also and is there throughout the week not only at group.

So the plan, you have speed foods, protein foods, free foods and syns. You can eat as much protein, speed and free foods as you want and you get 5-15 syns a day. Once you understand the plan it is very easy to comprehend. So this meant for me I would have to introduce food I had been avoiding for so long, I convinced myself the whole first week it was not going to work, this plan was going to make me gain weight and I would be back to square one. 

First week I lost a pound. At group I said I was disappointed, but the reason I was disappointed was because I expected to be like other people. The big loss getting their first award in one week, two weeks etc. Then I sat myself down and gave myself a kick up the arse and a tap on the back. I had to remember that everyone is different, our journeys are different, we progress at different rates and we meet bumps in the road at different times. So 7 weeks on I have had 4 losses 2 maintains and a gain. I have lost more weight in 7 weeks then I did following the diet the hospital gave me for 6 months. I have never once let the word disappointed cross my lips again at group and remained positive at everything the scales throws at me each week. I am in a new stone bracket. My moods are better and I no longer feel deprived. I may be still waiting on my first award but I have already received one Slimmer of the Week Award , my Bronze Body Magic Award. To my total shock last night I have also been Nominated for Women of the Year 2015.

So follow me here for my journey and weekly slimming world friendly recipes.

Follow my Instagram dedicated only to my Slimming World Journey @Megan.sw

Find your local Slimming World Group at SlimmingWorld.ie

Lusty Beg the Island on the Island

In October of last year I was offered the chance to take an over night trip to Lusty Beg Retreat in Co.Fermanagh. Myself and my other half travelled by bus to from Dublin to Lusty Beg with fellow bloggers and press . At the retreat we were joined by more bloggers and wedding planners from all over the Ireland.

On arriving we were treated to lunch of soup and selection of sandwiches and then checked into our room. Lusty Beg has a host of different types of accommodation. Courtyard rooms are similar to luxury hotel rooms, they are situated just a minute walk from reception and located in individual houses with just 5/6 rooms to the houses. You can choose from double/twin or family rooms. Perfect for a couple or family who just need to relax. The rooms are very spacious and beautifully decorated.

Lusty beg also has Lakeside cabins which are perfect if you are looking for even more luxury and a little secluded paradise.They are equipped with mini kitchenette, private veranda and outdoor hot-tub and breakfast is provided by the hotel.

For larger groups they also have Log Cabins which can sleep up 6 people. They are self catering and have stunning views of the marina or lake. Depending on which cabin you choose, they can come with wood burning stove, hot tub, flat screen TV. Luxury in a home away from home.

We had a choice of what we wanted to do on the island as there was a host of activities to choose from. The island has, clay pigeon shooting, archery, off road driving,kayaking, rib boating around the Lough Erne, as well as lighter activities such as walking, cycling and swimming in the in door swimming pool.

In the short video below was little clips of the activities we did. Clay pigeon shooting was amazing and so was impromptu off roading ( we only had 10 minutes of off roading but can do hour long slots). Archery was fun but by god do I need some more upper arm strength. 

The weather was not fantastic on the day but Lusty Beg have it set up that all the activities can go ahead in most of the weather conditions. They cater for everyone with the activities from small groups to large corporate events. It would also be a great escape for hen or stags weekends. 

Lusty Beg also have an on site Spa which provide amazing treatments exclusively using Voya which is an Irish skincare brand. I was treated to a very relaxing mini facial on the second morning and got to relax at the spa before my journey home the next day.

Lusty Beg Island is a very picturesque and private with the only access to the island by their own ferry. Looking for something different in a wedding venue then Lusty Beg ticks all the boxes,  outdoor and indoor weddings can be performed on the island, with a host of locations to get them amazing wedding photos done. Themed weddings can be catered for also, in the past they have hosted barn dance themed with BBQ for over 100 people and Hollywood theme weddings to name but a few.

So looking for a relaxing private break away from the hustle and bustle of city life, planning your dream wedding, or looking for something exciting to do for hen or stags or corporate event then Lusty Beg Island can cater to you.

 Thank you again to RDC Communications and Family and Staff of Lusty Beg Island for a wonderful trip.