Thank you metropolis for the chance to have one last dance of the festival season 2017! 

As per usual I had so much fun dressing up and I genuinely think this was my favourite outfit of the year so far! As you can probably tell if you follow my instagram I have FINALLY been able to update my wardrobe and I am honestly just having so much fun with it! Seeing as Metropolis was sadly the last festival of 2017 I just had to give it my all and go all out! As it was halloween weekend I did get a lot of "SOOOO what are you?" which I found funny and just answered, I am me and kinda laughed because I would've probably dressed the same even if it wasn't halloween weekend!

Here's the outfit and all the deets! 

 Bodysuit - Dollskill By Currentmoodclothing (click for link)

Shoes - Dollskill By Demonia Shoes (Click for link)

Hat - eBay (Click for link)

Red Sunglasses - eBay (Click for link)

Tights - Penneys 

Socks - H&M 

Gloves - George's Arcade Dublin 

Wig - George's Arcade Dublin

Chain Chocker - FreshTemplebar Dublin 

Coat - Forever21

Wearing the wig was so much fun! I have spoken about my hair before, it's currently healing (i think). Just from bleaching it so much in the past few years combined with struggling with my eating disorder I suffer a bit with hair loss/thinning. It is doing so much better since I had my braids and is even starting to grow for the first time in so long! But I am determined not to colour it or bleach it until I feel it is really healthy again and as well as this I've only been washing it once every 5-7 days to try and keep some of the natural oils! Whilst I am aware of how much good I am doing for myself, I can't help but being so bored so quickly of my hair. If you followed me this time last year you'll know my hair colour changed with the seasons, sometimes even the months, so lately I feel a little bit bored and restricted, so being able to wear the wig was LIBERATING! Maybe I am dramatic but it just made me feel so great about myself and this one was so cheap and just a little experiment that has maybe think maybe I will actually invest in some proper ones!!!

Sadly Metropolis brought festival season 2017 to a complete close and I was so exhausted from it I could't bring myself to head back out on Halloween night, so for now I am just gonna keep having fun with some street style looks for the silly season, but I am already excited for festival season 2018! 

Grainne 

XO 

Sadly we live in an age where once you've snapped your outfit for instagram, it's highly unlikely you'll be caught dead in it for a second time. We are all guilty of this and so quick to forget the damaging effects it can have, fashion quite sadly does actually contribute to global warming in a very HUGE way. I don't know exact figures but it doesn't take a genius to realise this is the case. Think about all of the resources needed to produce the high quantities of garments which hit our high street stores every week worldwide, again I don't know figures but from working in retail I can only estimate millions! Between raw materials for textiles, fuel to transport garms and animals being killed for their fur or skin for leather we really have actually got a massive problem yet even when we are aware of the problem we subconsciously still contribute to it in a major way by doing small things like not wearing an outfit twice! 

Whilst the problem might sound so huge and out of our hands, there is actually SO many little things that we can do to contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry which not only benefits our planet but in many ways also benefits us! It's a win win really! 

Depop is such an amazing app for buying and selling clothes! Since downloading depop and becoming an active user I very rarely throw away any of the clothes I no longer wear. I always post them on my depop. It is super easy to use and the selling fee is quite low, I have never had a bad experience with it! 

Similarly to vintage shopping you literally get to give your clothes a brand new go at life lol! 

Another benefit, is you can often find some brands or labels cheaper than the full retail price while still in great condition! Anything I've ever purchased has been exactly as described! Most sellers will have an open and honest conversation with you before you buy their item! 

When my clothes don't sell on depop or I feel they would never sell anyway, especially things like old t-shirts which almost become like rags, I will bring some of the better quality items to a charity shops or else to the conscious bin we have in work (H&M). Many retail stores now have something similar also, I know TKmaxx and zara have definitely introduced them. The clothes either go to charities or the fabrics are reused. In H&M you receive a €5 off voucher, so it is a win win situation really! 

(Faux fur coat & Pleather Pants) 

It's October? When, how, why what where? THAT is the extent of how fast the month of September passed for me. I literally feel as if I slept through a month and missed the whole thing. I have been so super busy in the last few weeks with returning to college and working 20+ hours and squeezing in some quality time with those who make my life whole (LOL). But in all seriousness I feel like I barely have time to sneeze lately, however I cannot complain I have always been an on the go kinda gal, I prefer to be kept busy. 

Despite the ten million things I do in one day along with being in final year, I am still determined to try and keep up some regular bloggin! Recently I have found this kinda format, as in me giving an overview on myself and my month/week, along with some fashiony bits and bobs is a style I enjoy and also seems to be a style y'all (my readers) enjoy too so I decided I am going to try and make it a monthly thing! So Hello to October, but first, How was September? 

Kickin' It off with some outfits....

To be 100% honest, I have worn these trousers to death at this stage, I still do not care. I adore them and they are literally the most comfy trousers in the world! This look was my "first day back to college" attire! The effort I put in has already rapidly decreased but my college style is always a long these kinda lines! I like to be comfortable in lectures but also me being me, I like to keep "comfortable" as fashion as possible. 

Channelling my inner Parisian with this look, it was one I absolutely adored. For the entire day I kept walking by mirrors telling myself I was "so cute". I was also super pleased that this belt worked so well with this amazing little skirt. I picked up this skirt off the "Fresh Temple Bar" sale rail back in March for €5. I was always too big and I was going to get it taken in and then I just decided one day after it had spent months sitting in my wardrobe dying to be worn, to try a belt with it and I loved it! The fluffy detail at the bottom is my favourite part!


I have always loved pink clothes so jumped at the opportunity to wear an all pink outfit for a night out! I went to a disney princess themed 21st birthday party, hence the glitter and the pink.
Probably not the most practical outfits for warmer months, but when it comes to nights out, I feel that goes out the window! Fashion comes first! 

My apologies for the terrible pun but I couldn't resist. Anyways here are some of my FAVE Fall/Winter trends that I can't wait to add to my wardrobe! 

I am 100% OBSESSED with the Beret trend that has taken over this Autumn/Winter, I am determined to have one in almost every colour of the rainbow before the season comes to an end! 

They literally add extra cuteness to almost any outfit whilst keeping you warm on colder days. I am still trying to restore my natural hair oils by avoiding bleaches and dyes as well as minimising the amount I wash my hair per week so they are perfect for hiding routes and the greasy bits on the days a bit after a wash! I picked up this cute pink one in Penneys for just €5 and they have quite a few different colours! I got my black one on eBay and there is a huge selection on there too. To be honest you're likely to find one anywhere you look at the minute! 

4. FLATFORM SHOES

I am a huge fan of all things Lush and got this face mask free  for returning 5 empty pots! My skin since returning home from Asia has been really bumpy, which I think came about from a clogging of my pores from suncreams and wearing make up again more often since being home and just a change in climate. My skin really hates the winter and the cold. I have been using this face mask about 3 times a week in the last two weeks, it's job is to remove any excess oils from your pores which for me is what was causing the bumps. I did break out a little in the first week but that is natural and means the product is working. What I really enjoyed about it also is that while it removes excess oils and the dirt and build ups causing the bumps it didn't completely dry out my skin.
Also being vegan it's always great knowing Lush are completely cruelty free and this mask is 100% vegan friendly! Lush carry a huge range of these fresh masks and they are super affordable, especially for the amount you get in them. I think they price at about €7-8 but you get about 6 uses out of a pot, which when you break it down is actually less than €2 per mask! So affordable!
I will definitely be picking up a few more of these in the future!
Skincare in winter is tough, but so so so important!!


Goodbye September,
September was a busy month and a bit of a rollercoaster for me in terms of how I felt. I experienced a bit of a lack of creativity in terms of my blog and my style but I am now realising that sometimes this happens and I need to be ok with it, especially when I am super busy. So I decided to take some time off of social media by deleting the Instagram app off of my phone for 1 whole week! It was literally so difficult in the first few days and I found myself just picking up my phone looking for the app on a number of occasions just out of habit, which proved to me I certainly have a huge dependancy on social media. Whilst it is not the worst thing in the world to have a dependancy on I definitely feel the week off did me some good. I've blogged before about our generations obsession with how we portray ourselves online and found myself becoming wrapped up in likes and followers and how other people see me, which in the large scheme of things in the world is so unimportant. I am now trying to focus on myself and my own life and my own perceptions of myself and my successes before others on social media.
October is an exciting month for me as I actually have quite a lot planned in the coming weeks as well as dress up season! HALLOWEEN!
My main aim for the month is to set myself some achievable goals and just have a good time, because at the end of the day life is precious and short and we need to appreciate everyday that we have!





Grainne 




XO

It's now been exactly 3 weeks since I touched down at home again and to be honest in such a short space of time quite a bit has gone on, it has made it seem as though I have been home for so much longer. I decided to do this post because settling back into home, life and just reality in general was literally such a difficult few weeks for me. My blog and my social media across all platforms is always quite positive and in fact I get quite a lot of messages from people complimenting my positivity and ability to always remain happy. Which is always a lovely message to receive but I think it is important for me to share this post because life is not always perfect for anyone, however people, including me only ever post the perfection. Nobody ever shares their worst day online, thus leading to SO many people, including myself feeling bet down by "how amazing" other people's lives are on social media. 

On occasions, I often get into quite a funk. It can last a few days or sometimes a couple of weeks but this year I feel as though I truly taught myself the correct way of coming out of it. Which in my opinion is key to avoiding it becoming a serious mental health issue.

Prior to this year I think my way of coping with negative feelings or situations would always end up in me engaging in some form of self destructive behaviour. To be honest I think without realising it most people actually do the same, for example how many times after a bad thing happens do we feel going out and getting drunk is the best solution? Then we have fun for a few hours and the next day we feel even worse than the day before. 

Coming home from anywhere is always difficult whether you've been away for 2 days, 2 months like me or even 2 years. Hence the term "holiday blues" exists. When I came home from travelling I sunk into one of the worst funks I have had in a very long time and it lasted the guts of almost two weeks. I cried so many times, there were days when I couldn't even get dressed because I genuinely couldn't see the point at all and I completely restricted my food because my eating disordered thoughts always find away of convincing me that losing weight will make everything better, it never does. 

BUT... Three weeks on from being home I am now feeling happy and hopeful and genuinely excited about the future as well as the now! So I decided to share my ways of getting out of my worst funks because its not the bad times that are significant its overcoming them which really matter. 

Recognise how you're feeling... 

I feel like this may sound a little bit dumb because most people might think you just always know how you feel but what I mean by this is to really try and recognise each emotion and try to make sense of why you're feeling that way so you can try to come up with a suitable way to overcome it. For example, when I came home I had no job, no money and not a lot to do as I had a full month before returning to college. I felt completely hopeless and began panicking and stressing. So I began trying to  notice each emotion and why I was feeling it and came up with a solution and a goal/plan to overcome each one. For example money - I applied for jobs online and worked on getting my old job back which I'm returning to soon and  I have managed to get a bit of work doing promotions on the side. I sold some clothes on depop and I set myself goals in relations to money and work. Doing all of this is important because it creates light at the end of the tunnel and allows you to escape the negative thoughts which to be honest is one of the biggest factors in escaping a funk at all. As I've mentioned before I am a strong believer in the law of attraction!

Meditation... 

This relates to the previous paragraph as I feel recognising emotions and dealing with them in a calm way is not something which is always easy nor something that is natural for people.  I started taking meditation seriously at the start of this year when my eating disorder started to take over again slightly and I was in quite a funk for a few months. Now I try to practice it at least 3 times a week and I don't go to sleep without a sleep meditation playing in the background. Meditation is time where you're thinking in the now, not the future or the past. It allows you to really just be in the present moment without thoughts racing around you're mind. By practicing it on a regular basis, being in touch with yourself and your feelings and emotions becomes much easier and clearer. I've also began a little bit of self education on the chakras and tried meditations which heal each chakra and I've without doubt noticed an improvement in myself on a day to day basis.
A question I get a lot when I discuss meditation with people is "how do you do it? I can't just sit there for 10 - 20 minutes". I'll be first to admit it takes time to be able to fully feel the benefit, especially if like me you find it difficult to sit still for anything ever. But by consistently practicing you will eventually look forward to it. Once you feel the benefits you'll never look back!

Keep Yourself Occupied...

This one is quite a big one for me because when I am not kept busy I start to lose my mind and feel like I have no purpose. So when I came home and had no clue when I would be busy again I was totally stressed about it and got quite down. So I decided to throw myself into my blog as well as editing pictures and videos from the trip and electric picnic. I also threw myself into getting work organised as well as meeting up with friends who I hadn't seen since before I had left. One thing I quite enjoy too is exercise whether it is just an hour of yoga in my sitting room or going to the gym or for a run, I always feel better afterwards with a much clearer mind. 

Another thing I threw myself into was self educating myself a little on spirituality, meditation, chakras, the moon and Buddhism as they were all things I had a slight interest in after spending time in Asia and seeing temples etc. You can learn so much from the internet and I am so glad I started to research it all because without it even being my intention a lot of the information I was teaching myself was so healing to my negative thoughts.
Find something which you enjoy and use it as a way to escape and heal your negative thoughts. 

Eat, Sleep, Heal...

Getting the right foods and getting enough sleep is a mega point here. Sometimes in a funk I'll comfort eat to feel better and always feel worse or on other occasions I will completely restrict which leaves me with absolutely no energy to do anything productive. My main goal when I am coming out of a funk is to make sure I am eating enough of whole, healthy foods to fuel my body and keep me healthy. Sleep is another big one, whenever I am stressed I find it really hard to sleep and when I am quite down I can oversleep for way to long. As I mentioned above I always use a sleep meditation, most of which I listen to on youtube. They work so well for me 9 times out of 10 and your subconscious is always listening so they are very healing as well as helping your sleep.
Give yourself a detox from things like alcohol, fast foods and late nights during your bad times, a healthy body makes a healthy mind!  

Show Yourself Some Love...

I have touched on self love on my blog before but I will never leave it out of a post like this because I cannot stress its importance. Having struggled quite a bit recently with my food and my body image, self love during this funk was something I practically had to force myself to do. For me self love is small things from putting on make up or doing a facemask or putting on tan. I keep trying to focus on the things I like about myself as opposed to the things I don't. Again, the law of attraction comes into play here, if you treat yourself kind the world will follow. I think a big thing to revisit here which I touched on slightly at the start of this post is comparison. Comparison KILLZ! How many times after looking at your fave instagram gal have you critiqued yourself and put yourself down? Personally I am so guilty for this and for what? As I said people only ever post the best version of themselves online, with the best lighting, the best angle and the picture you see on their instagram probably came after a number of pictures they weren't happy with before the winning shot! In reality the people we compare ourselves to are comparing themselves to other people, so what is the point? Love Yoself!

Towards the last few weeks of my travels one of the main things I was looking forward to getting back to was my clothes! My backpack began to offer less and less as the weeks went by! And if there is one thing that can always cheer me up it is clothes! So since coming back I've been having some fun styling some cute looks!

Here is a few... 

Jeans - H&M

Belt - Asos 

White gilet shirt - Asos 

Top - Topshop

Fishnet Crop - H&M (DIY JOB)

Earrings - Penneys 

Hat - Nine Crows 

I loved this casual look and it was perfect for the weather because it wasn't too hot or too cold which is perfect for the constant indecisive Irish September! All of the pieces are from previous years, I did a little DIY job on the fishnet top and cropped it because I am loving the cropped style making an appearance everywhere at the mo! I wore a little pleather jacket with this outfit when I went out to keep warm! 

Fishnet Crop - Fresh Temple Bar 

Pleather Top - Misguided 

Jeans - Nine Crows 

Sandals - H&M 

I am bringing half my Spring/Summer wardrobe into Autumn/Winter with a whole load of layers! This is one reason I adoreeee the cropped style taking over street style at the moment! I've been having so much fun layering loads of different little crops and tops and then adding big jackets or coats!  It's a layer but you don't have to hide your cute outfit and you can wear your pieces from summer in winter styled completely differently! 

September is here, I cannot believe how fast the Summer and Festival season 2017 passed by. I am just so so grateful for having the chance to do all of the amazing things I did this Summer. 

Getting to go to the Sunday of Electric Picnic this year was honestly such an amazing way to top things off. Most of my friends who had also travelled this Summer went to Electric Picnic so we all basically reunited in the fields of Stradbally! 

Leaving Asia I saw it as impossible heading down but I am so glad I took the risk of jumping in my friends car with no tickets, a bit of hope and about €4 in my pocket and heading down anyway. It paid off! 

Having been to much smaller festivals earlier in the year I always forget how big Electric Picnic is and this year I saw so much more of it than I ever have across the 3 days because I spent the entire day exploring and the entire night dancing! I had such a fun 24 hours! 

Of course as always one of my favourite things about attending Electric Picnic was getting to play dress up! My look of the day was genuinely by far one of my favourite festi looks of the summer... 

I must admit I laughed quite a bit when I met a friend down there who saw me and had read my previous blog "Festigal Lookbook" and couldn't believe after planning 3 whole festival looks I had managed to put together a whole new look for the day! LOL! 

But I was super super lucky as I was given this STUNNING festival cape to wear by an Irish brand NinaLaurenCouture - (Find them on Instagram). I tried it on and instantly fell in love. All of the colours are so vibrant and completely suited me and my personality! I felt like a festi queen wearing it! NinaLaurenCouture is home to some amazing festival garms and Ibiza style swimwear pieces so if you don't already know about them make sure you make yourself familiar. 

NinaLaurenCouture Website

Every single garm is so unique, I fell in love with this brand and as I always say it's so important to support Irish and independent brands! 

I paired my cape with a blue velvet bodysuit from Zara, some fishnet tights and my leg harness from eBay! I also wore my hat which I made for body and soul earlier in the summer!

I wore my creepers and I think this time it was finally for the final time! They've done me so good for the last couple of years at festivals, sadly I think it's finally time to move on to bigger and better festi shoes! Demonia shoes plzz!!!!

I kept my hair super simple as I think my hat is loud enough! It was so strange wearing it without braids this time, it was so big for my head! I did add a bit of glam to my hair with some cute little dreads which I adore! Major thanks to TribalQueenHairDesign (Instagram) for sorting me out with them! I have been dying to add some excitement to my hair since removing my braids but I am trying to avoid colouring it in anyway to help it grow and get healthy again! I am super excited to maybe try a full head of dreads so its great to start with a few to get a feel for them! This gal makes amazing dreads and the most beautiful festival braids so be sure to check out the Insta! 

My face gems were from Festi Fox as always but were a set I had previously used at body and soul! This is why I LOVE festi fox so much, the gems despite being used before stayed on my face so well for the entire day even though it was so so warm and I was totally sweaty! 

I added a pink eyebrow and a tiny bit of glitter to my nose! I think this make up look was much more subtle than some of my other festival make up previously in the year but I really loved this look! 

Even though I was only there for 1 day I still managed to get some amazing footage and put together one of my favourite after movies of the summer!!! 

Enjoy