The Movie That Changed My Life -

From a very young age I had three passions in life, writing, talking and fashion and to me nothing else mattered. Three topics that overlapped so many times throughout my life I couldn't begin to explain but to this day at twenty one years of age there's one movie that inspires me like no other and that's 'The Devil Wears Prada'.

Growing up fashion was my escape similar to the way writing is for me today, no matter what was going on in my life I'd always have my design notebooks by my side and a packet of colouring pencils just in case.

I only watched fashion shows from Vivienne Westood to John Galliano, obsessed with the likes of project runway and A Listers Unzipped, as for Ben De Lisi... well De Lisi was my hero. I knew names of people twelve year old's shouldn't have been able to pronounce let alone know each of their collections inside out but for me fashion was my life and I loved it.

Like I mentioned above I admired Ben De Lisi growing up and I actually reached out to him at the age of 11 sending him an email off the family account and believe it or not he responded, I couldn't believe it. I remember asking Ben how he first got interested in fashion and he replied telling me it was when he wanted a pair of jeans but couldn't afford them so he made them himself and he never looked back. An email I received over 10 years ago and I still remember it word for word. Another fashion idol of mine was Irish stylist Courtney Smith, a lady who inspires me day in and day out and is doing phenomenal things in the fashion world today, she was what really inspired me to consider a career in fashion and told me that I can incorporate fashion and writing something I never even considered.

One thing I hated when I was younger was watching movies, I didn't have it in me to sit there quite for two hours but one movie that I could watch again and again and never get sick of it was The Devil Wears Prada. 

 If you haven't seen this Iconic film then firstly you need too but it's the story of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) who is the Editor -in - Chief of Vogue magazine and her new assistant Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who has little to no knowledge about fashion but is embarking on a journalism career and knows if she can spend 12 months working at Vogue then she can have pretty any journalistic career she wants. As the story unfolds you see how fashion changes Andrea's life be it for the better or worst but you'll have to watch it yourself to decide.

 For me as a child interested in journalism and fashion I was obviously going to be attached to this movie and after watching it again last week for the first time in a while it gave me goose bumps and reminded me exactly why I first wanted a career in the fashion industry.

In the movie Andrea had my dream job (and boyfriend but that's another story) she worked for the Queen Miranda and day in and day out there she learned the history/ story of fashion and it wasn't before long she was hooked on fashion too, she never gave up on any job Miranda threw at her even though it backfired on her at the end the movie, for me showcases how passion and power can genuinely make or break a person depending on how you handle it and of course how important fashion is.

I understand that if you're not interested in fashion then this post is a heap of bogus to you but for me fashion meant everything to me. With so much going on in my life as a child the one thing I could always depend on was fashion, whether it was to take my mind of things by designing dresses or knowing that with each season was a new collection things were always going to get better and new things were to come. Fashion was what kept me going and is and always will be one of my life's biggest passions whether people know it or not.

My beauty Secret - Petroleum Jelly

In my twenty one years on earth I've tried and tested too many beauty products to name but one thing that has never, ever failed me is the trusted petroleum jelly otherwise known as 'Vaseline'.

Growing up, like every other Irish household there's always been a tub of Vaseline lying around. This was usually used when I'd fall and scrape my knee which surprisingly happened a ridiculous amount of times however it wasn't until I got older that I realised Vaseline had 101 uses and it's one of the products I'd recommend the most.
 Here's a couple of things I use Vaseline for:

Eyelashes- 
 As odd as this may sound my number one use for Vaseline is to thicken and strengthen my lashes. I remember being really young and hearing this but a few months ago I really started to give it a chance and the difference it's made is phenomenal.
 I completely cover the lashes in the product and then use an old washed mascara wand to spread them amongst my lashes just before going to bed. I then wake up, curl them and they're genuinely so separated and long it's a miracle.
I have tiny blonde lashes so anything that will make a difference for me is perfect, Even for those make up free days I do this and it makes such a huge difference.

Moisturiser- 
As moisturisers go I would never really pass Aveeno but when my skin is feeling very dry or I want it to be very soft I will always used Vaseline and believe me when I say it makes a huge difference. I hate the feeling of pure Vaseline on my skin when I'm going to sleep so what I usually do is mix it in with my Aveeno and trust me you'll never pass it by again.

Keeps Perfume Lasting Longer- 
Not a lot of people know this but if you put a little blob of Vaseline on the wrist, behind the ears or wherever you put your perfume then it will genuinely make the scent last longer.

Makes skin softer - 
I get very dry skin on my hands especially around Winter and there's nothing that works better than Vaseline, I cake it on my hands, cover with gloves and when I wake up the dry skin is gone!!
 There's hundreds of hand lotions out there but there's nothing cheaper and more effective than this stuff.

Softens Lips-
What we all know Vaseline is meant for, growing up through primary and secondary school everyone had a little tin of Vaseline in their pencil case and I was no different. As I got older not much has changed and I apply it morning and night to my lips before exfoliating them with an old toothbrush.

Cleans Up Nail Varnish Disasters- 
I'm a disaster at painting nails, I kid you not I couldn't be any worse and most of the time I don't really care about it but when there's something where I have to have immaculate nails then I take the extra time to put Vaseline on a cotton bud and wipe it around my cuticles so when the nails are dried you wipe off the product and Bob's your uncle you've perfect nails.

So there you have it, six uses of Vaseline that you may not know about, but now you do thanks to me!!

Q&A With Inglot MUA Lydia Everett

Waterford based MUA (make up artist) Lydia Everett is without a doubt one of the most stunning, creative women I know. Having started out as a self taught freelancer she now works with one of the countries biggest brands, Inglot and is quickly becoming one of the most in demand make up artists in the country.

From her favourite beauty products to her soon to be YouTube account I hope you enjoy this little Q&A with the fabulous Lydia Everett. 

So Lydia, how did you get involved in the beauty industry? 

I was always interested in makeup since school but I didn't know I wanted a career in it until I was about 19. I actually did a year of Equine Science in UL and realised that wasn't for me and then I got into makeup.

What's a typical day like for you? 

A typical day is going to work in Inglot and doing makeovers, makeup lessons, courses etc and then when I go home I do snapchat tutorials if im not too tired. My snapchat name is makeupbylydie 

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

I like to keep all the looks I do really different. I don't think I have a certain style of makeup I love trying out different looks. Most of my inspiration comes from random artists I find on Instagram. The girls I work with really inspire me as well were constantly learning off each other.

What MUA's do you admire? 

Plouise, Stacey Marie McDonald, Emily Casanova, Jamie Genevieve and all my Inglot gals.

What's the best thing about being a make up artist? 

It's probably the easiest and most enjoyable job in the world if you have a genuine passion for it. It never gets boring because there's always new trends and looks to try.

You have a huge following on Snapchat now, but how do you feel about having these new 'fans' 

 I wouldn't say fans now I cringed when I read that word lol but I'm so thankful for the followers I do have they're always asking questions and recreating looks I do and it really motivates me to keep active on social media.

You often comment about people screenshotting make up free snaps of you, what are the downsides to having a hugely active snapchat account? 

 Yeah that's one of the downsides I try not to let it bother me too much.. I don't mind when I have makeup on or there's a caption with the name of products etc but it's hard not to feel like some girls are slagging you off!

Are you going to make a YouTube Chanel?

Yeah I've been wanting to make one for a while now but I am nervous of negative comments etc at least with snapchat it's just there 24 hours but YouTube is a bit scarier.

What advice would you give aspiring MUA's?

My main advice is to keep practising and watching lots of different tutorials.. there's so many makeup artists out there now so you want to make yourself stand out by always trying different looks and developing your own style.

What are your top 5 Inglot products?

Duraline, eyeshadows, body sparkles, 77 gel liner and under eye concealer.

What's it really like working for Inglot?
I love working for Inglot I've had unbelievable training with our regional trainer Sarah Cummins and I feel like I'm constantly improving since I started working with Inglot. I made so many friends since I started working there as well were like a lil family. 

How long does it take you to get ready for work? 
On a normal day around an hour to do my makeup and when we have trend days maybe another half an hour.

What's your signature look?
I'm not sure if I have a signature look because I'm always trying different looks.. maybe cut crease or half cut crease because I do prefer dramatic looks.

What are the challenges MUA's have to face?

Probably hate from other girls.. a lot of girls slag MUAS because there are sooo many MUAs out there but it doesn't really bother me much.. I think it kinda makes you look like an asshole if you slag someone for doing something they love.

What beauty product can you not live without?

Lashes definitely because I feel like I look like an egg without them lol.. and brow gel is another must have. 

Do you have any other interests outside of make up and work?

I'm gone kind of lazy at the moment I used to do a lot of horse riding but now I go to the gym 2 times a week if I can.

Finally Lydia what can people expect from you?
I'm trying to do more tutorials and eventually I'lll start a YouTube channel.. I'm also trying to start doing more freelance makeup/lessons/courses etc and I can be contacted through my email everettlydia@gmail.com

So there you have it a quick Q&A with who in my opinion is one of, if not the greatest make up artist in the country. I wouldn't go to anyone other than Lydia anymore she's so talented and such a lovely girl.
Be sure to follow Lydia on the forums below...

Snapchat - makeupbylydie

Facebook - makeupbylydie

Instagram - lydiaeverett_makeup

Thanks so much Lydia for answering these questions for us :) 

5 Years On - My First Rugby Match

Munster Vs Glasgow Warriors: Musgrave Park,Cork April 14th 2012 7.15pm...

This was it.

After months of waiting and sheer pestering my cousin the day had come where I would finally set eyes upon the one and only Mr Conor Murray. Anyone that knew me back in the day knew how much of a big deal this was for me and I nearly wet myself with the excitement. 

• 6 Foot 2 Murray banner = Check
• Big Munster Flag = Check
• Jerseys = Check
• Another big Munster flag = Check
• And one more Munster flag just in case = Check  

Oh yes,we were good to go and trust me when I say I couldn't have been more excited if I tried.

Most people go to there first match when they're 4 of 5 or as a matter of fact when they're still in their mothers womb, well I was 16 and I could never have braced myself for the experience I had facing me.
I had harassed my 19 year old cousin Dylan to bring me which wasn't the best idea I've ever had, when you bring a 16 year old girl who hasn't the slightest clue what's going on and a 19 year old boy who is fully just interested in the sport there will always be a slight... disagreement. Not to mention another 14 year old boy who couldn't get over the fact I had dragged him to a rugby match to look at men.. The Sheer Horror!!
As we approached Musgrave Park I could see the floodlights and I'll admit the panic started hitting me, my hand also started hitting my little cousin beside me. Well, could you keep calm if you realised Conor Murray was in the same radius as you? -> Yes okay, I know the answer to that and well if you said it to me now I'd have more cop on, but at 16.. well, you know!! I was buzzing!!

So we went for our seats. 'Lynda we've the best seats in the house' says Dylan.

Oh we did alright, only a good 9,000 peoples heads in front of us!. Not that I'm complaining I mean to be honest I was lucky by the end of the night I was brought home and not left stranded somewhere in Cork.

I remember the feeling well, walking through the stadium and up the steps until suddenly you see the pitch and it all begins to get real, well the legs almost went from under me.
When we finally climbed to our seats the Munster lads ran out onto the pitch warming up, but that was the moment I knew I would see Conor Murray and Jesus I couldn't cope.
 I was put on the inside of all the seats (okay, so I was purposely trapped on the inside but that didn't stop me, I jumped up looking for Murray.. and would you believe, there he was... I had just seen Conor Murray, IN THE FLESH!!! 

and so that was it..I was up screaming....like the absolute idiotic fan girl that I was!!  
                                 MURRAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONOR MURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was that moment I knew I'd lost any friendship between myself and my two cousins and the family aspect...gone!! Never was so much abuse thrown at one person, I was 'an embarrassment to the family' but feck that I was seeing Conor Murray for the first time and they would have no choice but to accept the sheer embarrassment of a screaming 16 year old for the next 80 minutes!! 

After about 15 minutes I noticed the replacements stand up and the next minute Murray jogged past us! Well talk about a heart attack, I could feel it in my bones, I knew it was going to happen, I tried to stop myself but before I knew it, I was up.. On the chair.. 'MURRAY!! MURRAY' trying to hold a banner six times the size of me over my head, a scene I wouldn't want my children seeing, but there he was in all his 6 foot glory!! - He was absolutely gorgeous!!

PUSH UPS!!

 So just as I started to breathe normally again what does the man decide to do??... PUSH UPS!!!!!



By this stage I was hanging over the railings struggling to breathe and also by this stage two of my companions had left with the embarrassment leaving me with Stefan, who to be quite honest didn't even know a match was being played.

With a final 20minutes left I saw Conor getting on his feet!!(He wasn't starting the match but was coming on as a replacement!) but suddenly the jacket was pulled off and the number 21 jersey was on show!! Well I got to my feet! I pulled out the banner and got up on the chair my dream was coming true when BOOM!!!!!.

My wold came smashing down as Dylan pulled me down... Well the abuse!!!!!! If I thought I was being abused before that was nothing to go by.. 
There's 'something wrong with me' I was an 'Embarrassment' ..  I was 'Embarrassing Murray' and I was 'Achieving Nothing in my life'!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after sulking back into my seat out he came!! 

                                     Two pictures and the phone dies, 

but still...I left Cork City the happiest girl in the world and I still have two cousins at the end of day! Little did I know one month later I'd meet Murray in the flesh and have some of my best memories from rugby, I've made some incredible friends through it and to this day it's still one of the biggest passions in my life. To say rugby changed my life is an understatement and as for Conor Murray...worlds best scrum half say whatt ;) 

Get Personal With Me ...

As much as I like to think of myself as an open book something a lot of my friends would say about me is that I'm quite secretive about my life and never like to give too much away so when I was scrolling though my twitter one day I came across '50 questions to really get to know somebody' and decided to screenshot them and write a little piece for my blog so my readers can hopefully find the serious side of me and believe me I had no idea how long it would take to answer 50 questions but here they are and I hope you   enjoy :)

1. What's the one thing that's happened to you that has made you a stronger person?
 My father passed away when I was twelve years old and within two months  of him dying both my nanny and grandad (his parents) passed away on the same day and that's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with but it's made me such a strong, hard skinned person which can either be a blessing or a curse at times.

2. What's the one thing that's happened to you in your life that made you feel weak?
I moved to Carlow for college and I went there as a headstrong ambitious young girl and left a different person completely, seeing how being in a toxic environment was affecting me I to this day have still never felt as weak as I did there.

3. Where is the one place you feel most like yourself? 
Without a doubt in the woods, it's my favourite place to be.

4. Where is your favourite place to escape to?
The gate, no matter what happens if you can't find me the first place to check it the gate up Farmer Whelans hill, it's nothing more than a simple gate looking down at the town and it's my sanctuary.

5. Who do you think has had the largest influence on the person you are today?
My mother, hands down.

6. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
My temper, I can go from 0 to 100 very quickly and it's something I know I'll need to find ways to control.

7. If you had one day left to live, what would you do first?
Go up to the gate and then decide from here.

8. What decade to you feel you most belong in?
I don't know the exact decade this is but I can describe it exactly for you. It was the times where there was no cars just horses and carts, simpler times like when my nanny was my age that decade. The stories she used to tell me always made me wish I was around back then, no big shops just little markets and local shops, sessions in pubs, doors open for neighbours to walk in and out, that'd be my ideal decade in old Ireland.

9. Who are you closest to in your family? Why?
I'm an only child so it's always just been me and my mammy.

10. Who is the one person in this would that know you best?
Probably my friend Annmarie, we grew up together and she pretty much knows it all and has been there through it all.

11. What is your favourite quality about your best friend?
That they've never turned their back on me, a lot have but there's a certain few who have stuck with me through it all and I'll be forever grateful becuase Jesus Christ I can be a handful.

12. When you were younger what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
I think the first thing I ever wanted to do was be an air hostess but quickly realised I was about three feet shorter than you need to be, I also wanted to have my own cookery show like Delia Smith and have my own cookery books and once that dream fell from there on wards it was always a presenter.

13. If you could identify with one fictional character (from a book, show, or movie) who would it be?
I'm gonna leave this blank because I remember specifically one time watching something and thinking OMG she's me..so I'm gonna try remember!!!

14. Do you easily accept compliments? or do you hate compliments?
I respond with ' I know, thanks' .... unless I know they're lying then the eyes just get rolled.

15. Is your favourite attribute about yourself physical or non - physical?
Non -Physical

16.What is your favourite physical attribute about yourself?
My eyes! They're the same as my dads so whenever I look in the mirror I think of him.

17. What is your favourite non- physical attribute about yourself?
Either my loyalty or determination.

18. Do you believe in love at first sight?
No, I believe in lust at first sight.

19. Do you believe in soul mates?
100%

20. How seriously do you take horoscopes? 
Ridiculously!! I have a daily horoscope emailed to me every day and read it every morning before work, and then the first thing I do when I get into work is check the daily paper for another one.

21. Have you ever been in love? How many times?
Once.

22. What makes you fall in love with someone?
A beard.

23.What does vulnerability mean to you? 
It's something I'm massively scared off  so I can't really comment too much, but there are times when in order for you to move forward you have to show you vulnerability to someone and that's not the scary part, it's seeing what they choose to do with it is the scare.

24. What's the one thing you're scared to ask a man, but really want to?
There isn't anything I'd love to ask a man to be honest, anything I'd have to ask I'd ask my best friend Brannigan.

25. If you were a man for a day, what would be the first thing you do?
Slap myself for being such a twat.

26. What do you find most attractive about men?
Physically, first things I notice are eyes and smile...and a beard but non - physical someone who can make you laugh, they say if you can make a girl laugh you can make her do anything!

27. What's the one thing you'd love to learn more about?
I'm really interested in spirituality and the law of attraction so I'd love to know more about that but also I'm really interested in history so would love to know more history in general.

28. What is something you've never done that you've always wanted to do?
Been travelling, I'd love to go everywhere from LA to Bangkok ...hopefully one day though!

29. Why haven't you done it yet?
Money!!!  WAHHH!!! :'(

30. If money didn't matter, what would be your dream job?
A housewife with a little tea room near my home.

31. If you had an off day from work today, what would you do?
My day's off can go either one of two ways, either like mine has gone today doing absolutely nothing!!!! Or getting up really early, walking the dog and making the most of the day and there's nothing I love more than those days.

32. What was the last thing that made you cry?
Last night I had a terrible nightmare and woke up in tears...

33. What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Gogglebox Ireland, there's a young fella on it called Tadagh and he's on it with his grandmother and I just watched it earlier and was howling with laughter when he told his granny to replace the BL in James Blunt with a C....howling!!!!!

34. What is your favourite memory?
Aw so many, but probably one of the many days spent out in the avenue growing up, or dancing to Astronmia with my best friends on my 21st birthday.

35. What is the last thing that REALLY embarrassed you?
Jesus, I'd have a few embarrassing things I could tell you but the most recent one was on Friday just gone, on Thursday night I decided to try out a few face creams and had a terrible chemical burn all over me, I looked like Freddie Kruger and actually had to go out in public!!!

36. What is your biggest fear?
I know it's irrational, but getting old is my biggest fear, always has been always will.

37.Do you have any regrets? What's your biggest one?
I try not to dwell on any regrets I have if they can't be changed why waste your time thinking of them?

38. Have you ever broken a law? 
To be fair, who hasn't?! That's all I'll say on that question.

39. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
It's questions like this that make me realise how dull my life is, the craziest thing I've ever done....... like it's nothing exciting but probably getting my tattoo.

40. Would you have a conversation with a stranger?
Absolutely! I do everyday!! I would chat to a brick wall and love when I get into interesting conversations with strangers.

41. Would you tell a stranger they have toilet paper hanging from their shoe?
I would more than likely....like I probably would but situations differ I suppose.

42. What's your favourite joke 
What do you call a fake noodle?
 An Impasta
 hahahahhahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahaha

43. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
Dog, but I do love cats too!!!

44. If you could be any animal, what would it be?
A duck!! They're just so happy and cute I love ducks!! Swimming around in their ponds quacking!! The life of luxury they have.

45. What's one show you're embarrassed to admit you enjoy?
My favourite programmes are 'Room To Improve' and 'Fair City'.....that's enough said!!

46. How do you think your parents would describe you as a child?
Gorgeous!! And probably a handful, I remeber being told that when I was only a tiny little thing I was brought off for a walk in my buggy and when it started to rain my parents pulled down the plastic cover to keep the rain off me and I used my foot to dislodge it, kick it up and then said 'F*ckin Rain'  at the age of 1..but I'll ask her later what she thinks

47. If you could go back to any age or time of your life, what age or time would it be?
I'd do anything to go back to Transition year in school, I was about 16/17 had just gotten into rugby, discovered my love for Irish scrum half Conor Murray, school was the best laugh, I was with my friends everyday and had absolutely no stress apart from who we'd invite to our Friday night gatherings.... oh please Lord bring me back!!!

48. What's something you believe in that not everyone else does?
Magic :)

49. What's one thing you would say that makes you unique from other people?
Something that makes me 'unique' is probably that I'm into witchcraft and I cast spells!!

50. What's the one you feel your life is missing?
At the moment I don't really have a path to follow in terms of career or life in general so once I find that path I think things will be a lot easier and everything will start falling into place but at the moment I think my life is missing a path.

And there you have it, 50 questions answered by yours truly that will hopefully help you to understand me a little bit better, I know in my older posts I used to be a much more open book so hopefully this will be the first of many personal posts that I'll be writing soon.

If you're eager to know even more about me (which I very much doubt) I previously wrote a post about 25 facts on me so you can take a look at that too!!

Hope you enjoyed this post :)