HD Brows @ DKH

I love a good eyebrow. I tend not to leave the house without them done properly, it used to be my eyeliner but the eyebrows have taken over. They frame the face don't they, give it that final touch. 

I've only ever had them waxed and plucked by the same 2 people, I'm fussy and they know me so well so it's a no brainer. 

I found with mine though that sometimes they look a little sparse in places and shorter on one side due to a scar from a failed eyebrow piercing many moons ago. When the foundation goes well they almost disappear then, cue lots of colouring in. Most days I get them right, some days it's hard to follow the natural shape of my eyebrows and they end up looking wrong.

So when I was invited to come into DKH in Cobh to try out their new HD brows I jumped at the chance. 

DKH have recently expanded their range of services as well as moving to a bigger premises. 

The DKH team now offer make up artists services, HD brows, lash extensions, gelish nails, waxing as well as their usual high quality hair dressing services, when it comes to colour I can't recommend them enough. 

I was met by the very lovely Rosie Higgins who was going to be looking after me on the day. Rosie is also the in house make up artist. 

In Rosie's own words:

"A lot of people are under the impression HD brows need to be thick boxy dark brows - this is not the case. These brows are light and natural and I always take care to follow my clients wants and likes when doing their brows" 

We talked through the look I wanted and I expressed that I felt like they were a bit too short and patchy and wanted a longer, more fuller look. 

Rosie explained how she would achieve that and started off with the tint. I need to point out how super comfortable the chair was, I was able to sit back and relax while she was working. 

There was waxing and threading in order to achieve the shape I wanted as well as working with my own natural shape. 

She then finished them off by using an eyebrow pencil to give them a smooth finish and talking me through how to do it so I can achieve the same finish myself at home.

I really liked how they turned out, even when I have my foundation on now I could easily get away without having to fill them. Its just so convenient if I'm rushing in the mornings, which I usually am, that I can afford to leave my eyebrows without them looking ridiculous or non existent against the rest of my make up.

They are expected to last for around 4 weeks and I'm already 10 days in and they have shown no signs of fading yet. 

This treatment costs €40 and in my opinion it's worth every penny. I'll definitely be going back to get them again.

DKH is located in 4 Harbour Row, Cobh and can be contacted on 021 4855319.

*I was offered this treatment for the purpose of this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Fitzgerald's Park

Last weekend we headed off to Fitzgeralds park in Cork City for a change. Being in Cobh we tend to stick to the East Cork surrounding areas and because I work in the city I really don't want to be up there on my day off. 

I'd heard great things about the park and Luke is always excited to discover a new playground, so we packed up a few sandwiches and drinks and took off for a nosey. 

It's located on the outskirts of the city not too far from UCC and there is parking spaces situated around the parameter of the park itself, we managed to take one of the last available spaces. You don't even feel like you are in the city once you are down by the park, it's quite peaceful.

Luke was very impressed with the playground and I liked the sand aspect, although not so much when he kept asking to take off his shoes. It's quite big and considering the amount of kids that were there on the day there was plenty of room for them all to pay. 

We walked through the park and over to the famous Shaky Bridge. I'm not a fan of heights or of walking on tings that I can see the underneath so I held back but Luke took off across with his cousin and her friend, my nerves! They don't call it the Shaky bridge for no reason!

There's a fabulous rose garden on the other side of the park near the river, full with pretty colours and people relaxing. We sat here for a bit while having an ice cream which we purchased from the perfectly positioned ice cream van, there no chance of Luke not seeing it!

I was quite surprised at how big the park is, you definitely get lost in there for a few hours taking in all the surroundings and water features and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

An ideal spot if you want to grab a blanket and a little picnic and just relax and watch the world go by for a while.

This weekend in Fitzgerlad's Park, Ireland's biggest free Summer festival, City Spectacular will take place. There'll be lots of family friendly entertainment on with international street performers, interactive family activities as well as some international street food. So if you're looking for something to do this weekend why not head down. 

Stop The World...We're Getting Off For The Weekend

I am on Day 6 of an 8 day stretch at work this week. I'm mentally prepared, it's the same every Summer in this job, that's ok because it's only this busy for a short few months and then it slows down a bit and we catch our breath.

I can deal with this, 9 years now and I'm well used to it. 

At 4 years old, Luke really notices it though, he asked me this morning how many more days until I have no work and I tell him 2 more mornings of leaving the house while hes still in his pjs and arriving back just before he gets back into those pjs and I'm all his. 

It's tough on me to hear that, but not as tough as it was the first Summer I worked after he was born, not as tough as it was the second time either. I can cope, I've finally managed to appease that niggly old friend of mine, Mother's Guilt, for a while. I've become matter of fact, this is the way it needs to be right now, not forever but for now. Knowing we have a plan in place to change our circumstances over the next couple of years gives me a sense of security and slight content because in my head it allows me to get through the hard days at work and the long days away from my boy.

I'm off this weekend and I had great plans to do the ironing, sort out the hot press, do the gardening, visit some friends,....but then I saw his little face this morning, so accepting and understanding of the fact that he still has to wait another 2 days before his Mum is his for a while, I thought feck it. This weekend is about us, whatever that may be, even if we don't do anything in particular we're going to do it together. It's so easy to get caught up in trying to keep on top of things, I end up giving out more, shouting a little louder, growing that bit more anxious.

He can lead what we do and I'm going to soak up every minute of my time with him. I'll still do some bits and pieces but they will be a second thought. I don't want to spend our weekend with him being told to wait until I finish such and such a thing. He deserves that time and attention. 

While I may been able to bring myself to a matter of fact way of thinking, he can't, he's only little and as much as loves spending time with his Grandparents, cousins and Aunty he loves having his Mum and Dad around. 

I'm all for getting on with life and having a "that's just the way things are for now" attitude and powering through but sometimes you have to stand back and break ranks. Take time out, forget what needs to be done and just do what I want to do, those things will still be there when I am ready to tackle them. Sometimes I just need to focus on me and my little one, engage with him on higher than usual level, give him my undivided attention, pull his security blanket in around him that little bit tighter, his Mum and Dad being that security blanket. 

Sometimes I just need to stop our busy little world and take us off to sit back and just enjoy each other.