• A Quick Update •

Good morning! I haven't been active the past few days on this blog and I apologise. However, these past few days have been really hectic for me and I have some great news along with that. 

As you may know, I recieved my Leaving Certificate results on the 12th of August and that went extremely well. On the 17th, the CAO released the information of whether or not I would be getting into college. As I logged in, my heart was pounding incredibly fast and my hands were shaking. I looked and I saw that I recieved my first choice of college and my first choice of course! I was, and I still am, over the moon. I have orientation days coming up and I am on the road to achieving exactly what I want. I am so delighted.

The next day my Debs took place, which was also quite hectic to say the least. If you want to see pictures, go follow my Instagram - caoimhe.m, and I will more than likely follow you back. I wore a lace red dress that I absolutely adore, I had a gold bag, gold shoes and gold nails. My cousin did my hair into an updo, which turned out incredible, and she also did my makeup, which was amazing. Overall, I had a fantastic night with my friends that I made in secondary school.

I have been preparing things over the last few weeks for college and I have a few more bits to get, but there will be a haul coming up very shortly. In the meantime, there will be other posts being uploaded to my blog. I just wanted to update you guys on that good news.

PS: Here is a very motivational quote to start your days with. It helped me all throughout last year and it worked!

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• My Advice to Future Leaving Certs •

Hello! I hope you are having a good day. Today I want to talk about a topic that most Irish teenager dreads to hear, that being the Leaving Certificate - ooh the horror! For those of you who are not Irish, the Leaving Certificate is a final exam you take after five, or six, years of secondary school. I recently received my results, ( which I am delighted with by the way ) so being fresh out of the Leaving Cert means that I have a bit of experience when it comes to this topic. That being said, I am just a seventeen year old who wants to share my adivce with you. Let's get cracking shall we? 

• Start Studying As Soon As Possible •

I know what you are thinking. " Why would I start studying now, I have until June!!!! ". Please don't be that person. You can start off small and work your way up towards the bigger stuff. This year went extremely quick for me. I was one of the oddballs that started almost straight away and I was thankful in the end. You will not feel overwhelmed and panicked if you are on top of your study compared to those who are studying in bulk, wishing they had started sooner. Seriously, start as soon as possible. You will thank yourself if the end, I promise.

• Set Goals For Yourself •

This definitely came to my advantage. On the first day of school, I took out a flashcard and wrote out what grades I wanted, calculated my points and wrote down my college requirements. I stuck this on my wall, in front of my desk. Every time I felt even slightly unmotivated, I looked over at my goals and this got me right back on track. It definitely helped me as the Leaving Cert got closer and closer. 

• Find Your Preffered Method Of Studying •

Everyone has a different method of studying. That's just a fact. I am an active learner. I need to be writing constantly, whether it be writing notes,  mind maps or flash cards. I need to be writing in order for something to stick in my head properly. Of course there are tons of other methods. If you prefer to listen, you can record yourself reading out the information you are learning and then you can listen to it back. If you prefer to read, use highlighters and annotate. I found a trick online where you can get gummy bears or other sweets and lay them on each paragraph. Once you have read a paragraph, you can reward yourself with the sweet. The choices are endless and it is completely up to you! Just make sure it is something you can see yourself doing for the whole year.

• Do Not Fret Too Much Over Class Tests / Mocks •

Of course, they are important and you need to try your hardest at everything that is hurled at you. At the end of the day, the Leaving Cert is all that counts. As long as you know you have worked for the mocks / class tests, you will be okay. Take a bad grade as a learning experience and improve yourself for YOU.

• Balance Your Life •

This one is extremely important. Don't be one of those people who locks themselves in their room for countless hours. It is so unhealthy, both mentally and physically. Make sure to do a sport, meet your friends or make time for your hobbies. The Leaving Cert can be a very stressful time and the pressure can get to you, regardless of how much or how little you have studied. Making time for everyday things that you enjoy eases the worry for a while. You can have a social life and still get good grades. If I could do it, you can do it too. 

• Have a Rest Day •

This one helped me so much throughout the year. I took a complete break from homework and study on a Friday. I went to a spinning class for an hour which released a lot of stress. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing with my family. This allowed me to unwind from a long week. I got back on schedule the next day. Of course, this became quite hard to maintain as the Leaving Cert approached but it helped me so much. 

• Your Homework Can Count As Study •

This took me so long to realise. Of course, if you have the time after you have completed your homework, you have to do some study. However, I found that on some days of the week, I would get a mountain of homework and by the time I finished, I would be way too tired to do any study. Once I realised that homework can count as study, especially towards the end of the year, it helped me feel calmer when it came to studying. Independent study is important and should be done most days, but there are those certain days that your homework schedule can be crazy. Try plan your study around your homework schedule.

• Put 100% into your Orals & Projects •

This, again, is a very important bit of advice I can give you you. For the orals, start learning your material as soon as you go back to school. Your written exams are primarily based off material you learn for your orals, so it will help you in the long run. Your projects should be attempted to the best of your ability. Make them A standard if possible. They can be the difference from a B to an A, a C to a B and so on. They can make a huge change to your grade. They are just as important as the actual exam.

• Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help •

If you are worried or confused about an aspect of the exam or not being sure about what you want to do after the Leaving Cert, ask someone for help. As unappealing as it sounds, you will be thankful that you did. You may think it is a stupid question but that's what teachers are there for. They want the best for their students and they will do anything they can to help you.

I hope you found my advice helpful. I am not an A student or any expert but I wanted to share the little bit of adivce I had. The Leaving Cert is an anticlimactic experience. Once you are in there, you will be okay. 

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will help if I can. Best of luck next year! 

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• Rimmel Kate Moss 107 - My Thoughts •

I purchased this lipstick not too long ago after spending ages contemplating on whether I should get it or not. I have heard so many people rave about this lipstick - from beauty bloggers, youtubers, exetra. I decided that I would invest in it as it seemed like a good quality lipstick and for its price, €6.99, it was worth giving it a shot. So, the question is, is this lipstick worthy of the hype it gets? Let's get into it! 

                     • Colour •

The main reason I wanted to invest in this lipstick, was mainly due to its colour. It is a blue-toned red that is perfect with almost any look. I knew this lipstick would be a staple item in my makeup collection for anything - from a daytime look to a night look. I am in awe with this colour and I would give it a high rating, purely on the colour alone.

                 • Packaging •

Most lipsticks come in a very basic packaging that usually looks quite drab. However, this lipstick is an exception. Its packaging is quite unique compared to most lipsticks. It is a bold red colour with Kate Moss's signature across the top. I believe that this contributes to how much this lipstick range stand out.

 

                  • Is it drying? • 

For a matte lipstick, it wasn't completely drying, which was a bonus for me. I always fear buying lipsticks, and lip products in general, because if they are really drying, I tend not to use them. This lipstick, however, is definitely wearable.

              • Is it lasting? • 

The answer to that is yes! I went out with it on and when I came back, it was still on, without any smudges! The only downer is that I actually struggled to get it off. Other then that, I am delighted with how well it stays on.

            • Overall Thoughts • 

I absolutely love this lipstick. I was actually smiling so much when I put it on, because I knew it was going to be an all time favourite in my makeup collection. I will definitely buy it again and I will also invest in some of the other lipsticks in this range. Rimmel gets a big round of applause from me!

Have you got any of the lipsticks in this range? Let me know in the comments and make sure to leave some recommendations on which ones I should pick up! 

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Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

• Ten Years Time.. •

In ten years time, I will be twenty seven. That is something I find very hard to process in my mind. I have multiple dreams and wishes that I would like to accomplish by the time I am twenty seven, so I decided I would document them in a blog post.   

By the time I reach the age of twenty seven, I would like to be able to say I have grown in confidence. I have been quite shy for as long as I can remember. I have come a long way since I started, and recently finished, secondary school. However, I still feel I have that little bit more I need to gain that will make all the difference. I believe I will hopefully gain this through college and through a part time job.

In ten years, I would like to be in a job that I am passionate about and that I love doing. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and feel happy that I am going to work. Right now, I want to do secondary teaching. That can all change in ten years time. I just hope I will be doing something that I enjoy. 

Of course, everyone wants to be in a relationship by the age of twenty-seven. I won't be disappointed if I am not in one. However, if I do end up being in one, I hope to be with someone that has a lot in common with me. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

In ten years time, I will like to have my own apartment or my own house. I love watching or reading about homeware hauls. The thought of making a homely place for myself makes me feel excited. I am very young to do so at the moment, but we will see what the future holds.

This time in ten years, I would like to be able to say I have visited some of the countries and cities that I have longed to vist. I would love to travel to different countries and experience cultures I have never experienced before. 

I hope that I will keep some of the friends that I made in secondary school. They mean a lot to me and I would love for them to be in my future. 

Finally, and most importantly, I hope that in ten years from now, my family, my friends and I, are all healthy and happy. The people in my life are very important to me and their happiness and health is all that matters. 

I hope you enjoyed this very different post  from me. I also hope that this helped you to get to know me, a.k.a the person behind IsMiseCaoimhe, better. I enjoyed writing this because this is something I think about from time to time.

What do you wish to achieve in ten years time? Let me know in the comments! 

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• My Less Stress Playlist •

As I await my Leaving Certificate results, which is a week today, I find myself worrying an excessive amount. My mind often trails to this topic and I keep wondering if I got the grades I worked so hard for.

I decided to create a playlist for myself to ease the worry and stress. I made it so if I started to feel worried, I would just take my headphones out and listen to this playlist. I find that it has been working quite well and I often forget my worries for a while, whilst I listen to this playlist.

As the new academic year, or work year, is quickly approaching, I feel that this is the time of year that people feel most stressed. I decided I would share this playlist with you so that you can take a breather and calm down a little bit. Music is a great way to unwind and relax. I hope you enjoy this playlist. 

• B a noBody - Soak

• The Fault in Our Stars MMXIV - Troye Sivan

• Wings - Birdy

• Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran

• Seaside - The Kooks

• Youth - Daughter

• Move Together - James Bay

• Yours - Ella Henderson

• 1973 ( Acoustic ) - James Blunt

• Medicine - the 1975

• Please Don't Say You Love Me - Gabrielle Aplin 

• Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

• Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran

• The Scientist - Coldplay

• Let it Go - James Bay

• Barcelona - George Ezra

• Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran

• We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off - Ella Eyre

If you want this playlist instantly, make sure to follow me on spotify - caoimhe.m! I really hope this playlist helps you to unwind and just feel relaxed.

What is your favourite song to relax to? Let me know in the comments!

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• Review - Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub •

Hello! I hope you are all having a good day. I decided I wanted to do my first review on this blog. This is a review on a product I recently bought - Lush's lip scrub in the flavour bubblegum. 

Let's look at the back story shall we? My friends went to Dublin in May and all four of them picked up this lip scrub. They all only had good things to say about this product, pointing out that it really helps with chapped lips. Once they said this, I knew I had to get this product, as I am a huge sufferer of chapped lips. 

A few days ago, I went to Dublin to see Ed Sheeran. Before the concert, we had a little bit of time to go into some shops to have a look around. I immediately went into Lush to pick up this lip scrub. 

Basically, inside the tub is pink caster sugar. You take a small amount on your finger, rub it on your lips and wipe, or lick, the excess amount off. 

I was immediately pleased with the results. It left my lips feeling much softer and it got rid of the chapped feeling. I also love how good it smells and tastes. It has such a strong scent, which I find amazing. 

The only thing that was a negative for me was how much it costed - €6.95 for the little tub. However, if you are like me, and suffer with chapped lips, especially during the colder seasons, it is so worth it. I have been searching high and low for something to help with my chapped lips and this has been a life saver. I also realised that although the tub looks so small, it actually will last me quite a long time.

Have you ever tried Lush's lip scrubs? If so, what do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post.

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Disclaimer - this is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

• My Ed Sheeran Concert Experience •

Friday night was one of the best nights of my life. Yeah, I think that's a good opening sentence for this blog post. It's true though. I felt so pumped and I have never felt so hyper after a concert. Okay, I don't want to bore you with the details before the concert so I will get right into it.

After our Nando's we headed to Croke Park and started queuing to get in. This was around half four / five o' clock, which to us, wasn't that early. There were already tons of people at this stage so we expected to be standing near enough to the back. Boy, were we wrong! The security took us through the tunnel. One of my friends remarked that she could've sworn they said pit standing. However, the rest of us thought that they said pitch standing. It turns out that my friend was right! We ended up being four rows from the front. I couldn't believe our luck. I was jumping up and down with excitement.

As we were waiting for the concert to start, we started talking to the people around us. They were from all over Ireland and some even travelled from countries such as Luxembourg. The crowd wasn't rowdy at all, to my relief. We were all just super excited to see Ed Sheeran.

At six o'clock, the first opening act, Gavin James preformed. I listened to his music before the concert so I was so excited to see him live. He has such a beautiful voice and he got the crowd hyped. I enjoyed that he included to audience and got us to sing certain parts and harmonies. The crowd definitely loved him and my friends were pleasantly surprised at how good he was live. Half way through his set, Jamie Lawson came on stage and they sang a duet. I had heard of Jamie Lawson before but I never had the chance to listen to any of his music. He was amazing. Their voices sounded so good together too. I highly recommend you look them both up. They are both ones to watch.

After Gavin James, a band called BellX1 came onstage. To me, they weren't particularly the best. I mean, that's just my opinion. I didn't feel an ounce of excitement whilst they were on. I just wanted Ed to come on at this point.

Finally, after a load of ' ole's ' and chants from the crowd, Ed came on stage. The whole stadium went wild for him. His opening, I'm A Mess, got the crowd so pumped for the entire show. I knew from then that the concert was going to be an incredible experience.

 - Ed's Setlist -

• I'm a Mess

• Lego House

• Drunk

• Take it Back / Ain't No Sunshine / Supersition 

• Raglan Road / One / Photograph

• Bloodstream 

• Tenerife Sea

• Don't / Loyal / No Diggity / Nina

• Feeling Good / I See Fire

• All I Want ( with Kodaline )

• Give Me Love 

• I Was Made to Love Her

• Thinking Out Loud 

• The Parting Glass / The A Team

~ The Encore ~

• You Need Me, I Don't Need You

• Sing

One of my main highlights from the concert was when Kodaline came on stage. Ed and Kodaline sang All I Want. They left us sing by ourselves. Over 80,000 people were singing the song back to them. From where I was standing, I could see all of their facial expressions. They all looked so proud and emotional. It was the most incredible feeling in the world.

I was also in so much awe when he sang The Parting Glass. I was really hoping he would sing it and I constantly begged him on Twitter to sing it. Towards the end of the concert, I felt that he wasn't going to sing it. When he sang the first word, I smiled so much and I almost cried - I was just way too happy to cry! 

He interacted so much with the audience. He got us to sing so many harmonies. For example, in some songs, he got one half of the stadium to sing the low harmony and the other half to sing the high harmonies. I felt goosebumps go through my body. He also looked like he was having the time of his life up on that stage.

I was in so much awe by what one man, one guitar and a loop pedal could do. There were no backing tracks, no dancers, no gimmicks - just pure Ed Sheeran. 

It was one hundred percent the best concert I have ever been to and I don't think anything will top the night that Ed Sheeran played Croker. 

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