Orange Obviously

Friday, 17 June 2016

Lunch at Bar Solo, Galway

Happy Fri-Yay!!

Hello again, blogging from New York.. (that doesn't get old)

Today's post is a review of a lunch I ate at Bar Solo in The Connacht Hotel, Co. Galway. Those of you who follow me on snapchat (cloddscan) may remember I was there a few weeks ago with my fellow bloggers Shona from Sho Style and Kerrie from Bella and Vogue.

Pampering at Bellissimo Galway

Hello everyone from sunny New York.. It feels so surreal typing that!!

Anywayyyy, last Saturday I was lucky enough to get invited up to Bellissimo in Galway to get my hair and nails done by the lovely ladies in the salon. It was an ideal excuse to spend the long weekend in Galway!

My first impressions of the salon are fantastic. It's so fresh and modern and the staff are all very friendly and helpful. It screamed luxury as soon as I walked through the door!!

Firstly I got my nails done. As always, I live for my shellac nails so that's what I opted for. I find shellac the best way to keep my nails strong and also protected, as I play camogie and guitar. So in order to keep my nails long, shellac is the best for me..

The shellac that the nail tech used is called CND Polish which I'm sure a lot of you have heard of as it is the original shellac brand. There was a great range of CND colours to choose from so I was spoiled for choice. I didn't know what colours to go for, but keeping my holiday to New York in mind I opted for a fairly neutral colour scheme.

I chose a beautiful pastel pink and a hot pink with sparkles for the ring fingers..

The lady who did my nails was so lovely. She suggested colours, shape etc.

Everything was very professional. She ensured that time was taken to file the nails into a nice rounded almond shape. Her application of the polish was very thorough and she did an excellent job. I was so happy with them! A week later, after travelling and exploring New York, they are still looking very fresh, so I am absolutely delighted with my nail experience at Bellissimo

Next it was time to get my hair done at the other side of the salon. And wow I had never seen anything like it. There must have been about 15-20 hair stations.. It was amazing

Just like the nail treatment, I cannot recommend the hairdressing enough to you. Everything was second to none. Again, the staff were continuously accommodating and friendly, enhancing my overall enjoyment of the pampering experience.

Something unique to Bellissimo, which is so amazing and relaxing for the client was the recliner seats at the basin when getting your hair washed. Oh my god, it was just fab to put my feet up while getting my hair massaged and washed. Let's be honest we all absolutely love getting our hair washed at the hairdressers - soooo relaxing.. I was nearly asleep at the basin, it was that good.

I decided after the blowdry to go for some soft curls to bring up my new écaille highlights. How amazing did my hair look? The curls lasted right through to the next day too - very impressed!!

Bellissimo is an extremely popular/busy spot and I can see exactly why. It is so convenient.

It's only a 5 minute walk from Eyre Square.

Located in an industrial park means there is lots of room for parking.

If you want to get your hair done but also your nails, or anything beauty related, it's all in one place and will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Something which is very special about Bellissimo in Galway is their wig service.

Bellissimo have been providing expert advice and discreet service to wig wearers in Galway and Ireland for over 14 years. There are two forms of wig wearers, the necessity wearer which includes those suffering from alopecia or those undergoing chemotherapy therapy treatment and also the fashion wearer, those who like to change style from day to day to suit their mood.

I just think the whole idea behind the wigs and their ethos is amazing, and I just wanted to give it a mention because perhaps not everyone knows about it!

This is my honest opinion of Bellissimo, as I was treated to a blow dry and shellac. But I really really loved every minute of the experience and I will 100% be back again! Thank you so so much to the staff at Bellissimo for inviting me, spoiling me ad sharing my blog on their social media!

You can follow Bellissimo here:

Website : Bellissimo Galway

Facebook : www.facebook.com/bellissimo.galway

Instagram : www.instagram.com/bellissimogalway

Twitter : twitter.com/BellissimoGal

Until next time,

Clóda

Penneys/Primark Haul May 2016

Hello lovely people.. What amazing weather we've been getting. The spirits are so high :)

I go to Penneys like every week so I reckon it's about time that I did a haul! There are so many reductions in store for the last month or so. So most of the things shown here are sale items!

B A G S

I fell head over heels for this bag as soon as I spotted it. I am obsessed with paisley prints as you will notice by the end of this post but for only €12, it had to come home with me! I'm pretty sure that it has also been reduced to €5 in some stores :)

I've been stocking up for college in September little by little so I'm forever checking the accessories section of Penneys to see if there's ever clutches reduced! (pro bargain hunter over here).

I picked up this baby which was down to a fiver! Happy days! And it's super dressy too.

Brown is a colour that I really don't have enough of in my wardrobe and it's a crime considering it is a colour that so perfectly matches denims and prints for summer. This clutch is so spacious and will come in so handy when I just need to up and go to places for the next few months! Can you believe how pretty it is and I nabbed it for only €3?? It was also there in coral and royal blue.

I absolutely adore this cross-body slouch bag. It is ideal for hitting the shops or bringing to a festival/concert. And you cannot go wrong with the ice-grey colour! It's so in and so neutral!!

It is reduced to €5 in selected stores..

C L O T H I N G

After being blessed with glorious weather the past few days, I reckon it's only fair that we whip out the crop tops and high waisted shorts. Stripes are still the biggest thing this season and you can never go wrong with a V-neck. This pretty little thing was only €4 and one of about 5 different colours of this top. It would be so perfect with a pair of high waisted white jeans, a denim skirt or even worn under a shirt and leave the top buttons open to show off the crop! So many ways to style such a wardrobe essential!

There's nothing better than the Spring/Summer colours. This pastel mint & white combo is so refreshing to look at! I've shown pictures of how the print looks up close and far away. They are super soft and have a fab high waisted fit. Such a summer staple for only €12!!

After spotting this top in Nuala Gorham's snapchat story I instantly needed it!! Again with the stripes, I know.. I have a serious problem. How cute are the little lace details too though. Such a cute everyday top with jeans. There's worse things I could have bought for €3!!

You had me at stripes.... €3.. I'll just leave it there...

Excuse the wrinkles in a few items I uploaded but they have quite literally came straight out of the bag for these photos because I wanted to take all the pics while the sun was still shining haha! We see aztec prints every summer and they just never seem to fail! I cannot wait to pair this cute cami with a pair of shorts. It was only €3 and with that rose gold beading it could go very nicely with a pair of black leather jeans also for a night look!

Again, try to look past the wrinkles haha! I have no shame in admitting that I love Justin Bieber, I always have! Any excuse to buy something with his face on it lol!! And now that I will be seeing him at V Festival in August, it's very fitting that I purchased the top..

What do you mean it was reduced to €3......?

These €10 (at full price) palazzo pants are one of my absolute faaaave purchases from Penneys as of late! You know I'm all about a good paisley print but just take in how many different little themes are going on?? It's incredibly pretty. The colour scheme is simply wow!! And I cannot explain to you just how comfy they are in the warm weather! One thing about them is they wrinkle quite easily after a day of wear, but what doesn't? L O V E

Hello gorgeous!!!

I think a lot of you will love this dressy-caj cami top! It is a style that suits everyone and is super flattering. Look at that colour scheme in the sun, wowzers! But it's also something you could wear right through to Winter too. Such a versatile top for €9

I looooove capes/ponchos/all things loose and comfy for getting some lunch or going for a stroll. This oversized sleeveless poncho is super easy to match with anything. It can be worn so many ways too.

You could pop a belt on the waist..

Layer it up for winter

Pop a polo neck underneath it..

This was €7.. Cannot wait to style it!

10.

I'm an absolute sucker for tiny details that make a piece stand out! The colours in this bikini caught my eye straight away but it was the detailing on the chest that sold it for me. Because I'm not busty, I like bikinis to have extra detailing to hide that!

It was €5 for the bikini top and €5 for the bottoms!

E V E R Y T H I N G E L S E

I love Penneys' belts. For a price range of about €1.50-€6 you just can't go wrong.. And they're super pretty too! I'd been keeping my eye out for a nice brown one to wear with denim jeans and shorts for the summer and I really like this one for only €4!!

I love a good old fedora hat and I am lusting over all things rosy & blush pink at the moment so I couldn't leave this beaut behind. Another item that is reduced to €3 at the moment. It is ideal for blog events and photos for my blog!

It seems that Marissa Carter is really starting to rub off on me as I'm loving all things pink these days. Hooooow the hell could I leave these hot pink court heels behind when they were a mere €19??

I love the contrast of the faux leather body on the shoe against the patent heel. Now I will be honest, they are not overly comfortable but they look good in photos so that's all that really matters haha!!

Ohh and I also spotted them in a bright lemon yellow colour. So I'm hoping that they will get reduced to like €7 so that I can justify buying them when they are so uncomfortable hahah!!

EVERY girl needs a pair of white/nude diamonté sandals for summer and for nights out when you just can't be dealing with wearing heels!! I got this exact pair in turquoise last year for my holidays in Portugal and even though I brought about 5 other pairs of shoes I still lived in those ones. So when I noticed a girl the other night at an event wearing these white ones, they simply had to be mine. Also they were only €11 and so comfortable!! Style Steal..

Would you look at the dirt on these haha!! I have them well worn around the house for the past few months. The Birkenstock dupe trend is well and truly living on into Summer 2016. They are sooo handy if you're going for a quick drive or your in a rush and it's a warm day but you just want to dress casually. I love how easy they are to walk in and you can adjust the tightness for your foot size! They are still in Penneys retailing at €6 and are also available in white, khaki and tan!

Who else lives for the 50c sale counters in Penneys that sell the quirkiest, funniest and most unnecessary things??? Well this "Novelty Shower Cap" was only 50c so it was coming with me.. Why would I use the clear ones that you can get in a hotel when I could have a blue frog cap? And also it's way more waterproof so it's actually worth it haha!!

Aaaaand last but not least I cannot leave Penneys without a sneaky trip to the homeware section.. I love the candles, the cute bed sheets and pretty much all the cushions!

But I really am a sucker for the photographs with quotes in them.

This one was so appropriate!!

So there you have it. They are some of the fab items in store at the moment. As I said most of them are reduced so get in and get your bargains before they are gone!

Cloda

Boutique of Molly - Cold Shoulder Style

Hi everyone, hope you all had a lovely, enjoyable long weekend! Thank God we were blessed with good weather for parts of it! It's officially summer now so I don't care how cold it is, I'm wearing summer style haha!!

One of my favourite things about summer fashion is that you can be super experimental with colours and accessories. And the weather makes taking blog photos much easier haha!

A big trend this year, as most of you know is the "Cold Shoulder" look! And I have to say I am beginning to absolutely love it! I think it's a style that suits everyone because the shoulders and collarbones are such pretty features..

For this blog post I have collaborated with Boutique Of Molly for the second time since coming into contact with them. I really love working with them because they have such stunning, girly pieces but at the same time are very affordable.

I absolutely love this "Cold Shoulder" top from Boutique of Molly! It's so different and oh so gorgeous. I am obsessed with all the various details. The lace daisies, the bell sleeves, the tie up with a cut-out! It just makes a pair of average white shorts look that bit dressier!

My shorts are from Zara in the sale last year. Zara is by far one of my favourite high street stores and if I have any fashion advise for ye, it's to hit it up when they are having a sale. You will find absolute gems for half nothing!

My sandals were also a bargain buy! I had been looking for them for months last summer and had given up hope on ever getting them as they were sold out everywhere! Randomly enough then when I was in Parfois in Portugal I spotted them and they were half price! I get so lucky with sales..

I decided for once, I would actually do something else with my hair instead of just leaving it straight as usual lol.. I actually quite like this loose curl/beach waves look!!

And how cool is this flower crown from Lushuaia.. Pity I've no festivals to wear it to!

Also cheeeccckkkk ouuuuut that highlight!! The SoSu Contour palette is actually my life! It is my absolute go-to when I'm getting dolled up. Best €30 I ever spent!