My favourite brush!

Make Up brushes have only in the last year or so really made an impact on my regular make up routine. Previous to that, I would have used make up sponges, you know those kind that you'd get in the 2 euro shop in a big bag? Ya, I know. And I used to wonder why my make up was gone only hours after putting it on!
2013 was the year that I discovered Real Techniques. If you haven't heard of the Pixiwoo girls, then seriously, I'm ashamed! OK that's a joke. But really, they are the most amazing brushes, for ridiculous prices!

                                                               The Pixiwoo Girls
Made with synthetic bristles, these brushes are so soft, and are 100 percent cruelty free.
To make it easy for us amateurs, the brushes are colour coded, eye brushes have purple handles etc.. The names are also on the handles, so again it makes the whole make up application a lot easier.
My favourite at the minute has to be the Expert Face Brush.

It has a wide, circular shaped brush head which makes it so simple to apply and blend product, especially cream products.
My favourite way of applying foundation is to dab a little bit on to my hand, and then dot it on to my face and then use the brush to blend it in. For me it saves having too much build up of product on the brush, and also cuts down on me actually using too much product.
I just love everything about this brush, its light and just so simple to use. Even for someone who doesn't have a clue about make up, you honestly can't go wrong with any of these brushes!
If you are someone who doesn't have a clue but does want to give brushes a try, the PixiWoo girls have a vast array of demo's with the different brushes on the website, or on the YouTube channel!
And then when you consider the price, there really is no excuse not to give them a whirl! They are so inexpensive, the Expert Face Brush is only 13.29! They are readily available too in Boots, or on www.Cloud10Beauty.com.

What are your favourite brushes?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha
xxx

Make Up Monday!

Can you believe it! Another week over, and its another Monday.... :( However it does mean it is time for another Make Up Monday!! :) Woohoo!
If you don't know what in the slightest I'm talking about, I've decided to do a little series talking about my favourite item of the previous week. This week I'm including two, but they've been used together as a couple so to speak, and let me tell ye, I'm loving the combination!

The product's I'm speaking of are..... My Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, and my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation!

I got these pictures from www.boots.ie, they are blurry but I couldn't possibly show you my own personal ones because they are so beaten up and dirty!

But these work amazingly well together its amazing! 

I've been using the Healthy Mix since the Summer time, but put it away because for some reason it always looked slightly streaky on my nose. I don't know why exactly this is, I do have rather large noticeable pores on my nose so it could be to do with that. But last week I decided I'd get it back out again, and rather than use a brush I dampened my miracle complexion sponge a bit and gave it a go! 

I was instantly surprised with the finished look of my make up, it just looks so flawless, like I don't have any make up on at all! 

The sponge is great because it has a wider side, and then a pointed side which is great for getting in around the nose, and I also use it for blending in my concealer for blemishes and under eyes! 

The Healthy Mix foundation is available in Boots for 14.99 and the Miracle Complexion Sponge is only 5.89 also in Boots.

What have you been loving this week? 

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx

October Favourites

Everyone loves a good favourites video don't they? So I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and show you the products I've been loving for the last month, just in written form instead of video! 

Soooo.... Who wants to see what I've been using constantly over the month of October?? 

So as you can see, there is a wide variety of things I've been enjoying, some not too interesting, but they've never been far from arm's reach for me, and it will quite possibly be the same for the rest of November too! 

First up is the perfume I've probably been reaching for the most this month. I don't know why but there's something about this scent that I just find very comforting at this time of the year. Its one of the Kate Moss perfumes, I think this was the first scent she release a few years back, and I was obsessed when it came out first, and then after a while began using other things, but for some reason I'm just as obsessed now as I was in the beginning! Its a floral scent, but at the same time its musky, so it definitely suits people that like both sweet and strong scents! Its not expensive either as a 30ml bottle is currently on the Boots website for 11.99! 

I'm a demon for eyeshadow and I have gathered quite a large amount over the years. Most recently I've been getting really into eye shadow palettes, and this one from Sleek is one I've been reaching for most days. A lot of beauty bloggers rave about Sleek as a brand, and I can see why! The pigmentation of the shadow's is amazing, and so far they are the must buttery soft, creamy shadows I've used! I've found that they work best for me with a primer, but that's not really an issue because I use one on a daily basis anyway. This particular palette is called the 'Storm' palette, and there's a great mix of colours in it to choose from! I particularly love to use this two shades in the top right corner as combined they are the perfect burgundy eye, especially when used with the 'Metallic Pomegranate' colour tattoo from Maybelline! These are a fantastic price at only 9.99 from Cloud10Beauty.

I am a Soap and Glory nutter. Its ridiculous! Every Christmas I'm one of the many women eyeing up the Boots website to find out what gift set is on offer that particular year, and what it contains and all the rest! This is the Smoothie Star Body Milk which I got in last years set, and OMG, I love the smell of this! When I started to use it first I wasn't sure what to make of the scent, as its a real foody smell, but now I'm obsessed! Its ingredient list is mouth watering, with ingredients including almond, cocoa butter, honey, oats and honey! Its 14.00 for a 500ml bottle, but it lasts forever! I've mine on the go since Easter time and I still have a good quarter of product left in the bottle! This is also available in a body 'buttercream' which makes it sound even better! I would assume its more of a body lotion formula, but either way its a winner. 

Everyone and their granny knows that lip crayons have been a huge trend in the beauty world this year. Clinique started the trend with the 'chubby sticks' and then Revlon introduced the 'Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain' into the drugstores also. Well now you can look at any brand in the drugstore, and its quite likely they'll have some offering. This one from Rimmel is probably the best I've tried so far! The colour payoff is amazing for something that is described as a lip balm of sorts, and it feels so comfortable on the lips! It does stain the lips, but its very slight. There is a variety of colours in these from nudes to reds, and I have 6 out of the 7 of them so far, and I can't pick just one as a favourite! These come in around 7 or 8.95 so not badly priced! 

This one is a bit random but after using it constantly for a week I had to put it in! Its the Carmex mint lip balm, and WOW is it minty! This is a thick enough consistency, and my lips have been starting to feel a bit drier so I decided I'd use this at night time to see did it help! Its so weird, its like one of those plumping lip glossed that make your lips tingle! Except this lasts for more than a few seconds! It doesn't bother me in the slightest but I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with that sensation. This was really inexpensive at only 2 or 3 euro in Penneys! 

Lastly, I can not get enough of this Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge! From someone who never had a Beauty Blender, I can't really compare the two, but I can say that I love this sponge. It just gives such a natural looking finish to my foundation, and its so multipurpose I also use it to blend my under eye concealer and my normal concealer! And it was so cheap at 4.99 aswell! I will definitely be picking up more of these just to have! The Brush Buff is something I've had for a while, but due to laziness on my part it hasn't got much use. Its an antibacterial cleanser for make up brushes, and is so easy to use! I just spray a bit on my brushes and then just wipe the brush clean. It sometimes takes a while as I don't wash my brushes as much as I should, (slaps wrist), but this little bottle takes the effort out of brush cleaning. It was 14.99 on Cloud10Beauty but a little does go a long way so it'll last a long time. 

So that's what I've been loving in October! I could have gone on... and on... and on... But I really didn't want to send anyone to sleep! 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Cloud 10 Beauty Purchases

So for any of you that aren't aware, Cloud10Beauty is an online beauty store, which sells some amazing products by some brands that would otherwise be really difficult to get here in the emerald isle. I decided I'd treat myself to some bits that I'd been eyeing up before, after reaching 1000 page views on this blog, so thanks to all you lovely people who have read it! :) Any who, I thought I'd show you what bits I picked up, so perhaps if your interested you may decided to do the same.

What I purchased was the much raved about Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, which I can't wait to try after having heard its something similar to the infamous 'Beauty Blender', an EOS lip balm, (how cute are they??) a Sleek single blush, and also a blush trio. 

Another thing I love about Cloud10Beauty is that you always get some free samples with your order, so I picked  a sample of the well known 'Tough Stuff' scrub from Cocoa Brown, and a  sample of Ren's Hydra-Calm-Global Protection Day Cream. 

The sponge isn't anything bar what you see here, so I didn't take an individual picture of that... But I did take some of the blushes, so lets get lookin!! 

This is one of Sleek's newest releases. As part of their 'vintage romance' collection they released this blush called 'antique' and I had to try it! To me it looked like it was going to be a mauve colour, but its actually more of a light brown with shimmer, but I'm still excited to give it a try!

This is the main thing that I was dying to get my hands on, put the photo really doesn't do it justice.. But it still looks super super pretty! Those pinks are amazing! The one on the far right is actually darker than it looks in the picture, and the colours are totally suitable for the winter, so hopefully I'll be looking like Snow White with super pale skin and lovely rosy cheeks.... Ha!

OMG. Like seriously, how cute is this lip balm! I had to take it out and try it as soon as it came, and I love it already and I know its never going to be out of my bag, especially now the days are getting a bit colder! The one I picked is Pomegranate/Raspberry, but there is loads of others too, I think the lemon one is my next try!

All of the items featured above and the prices etc are on the Cloud10Beauty website, which I've linked above.
Happy shopping!!
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Whats in my make up bag!

So for any of you that don't know or aren't on Instagram, Cloud10Beauty are doing a 'beauty photo challenge for the month of October, and I've been dying to do one for ages so I decided I'd give it a lash! The reason I decided to do this post is because one of the challenges is a 'what's in your make up bag' post, so I figured I'd go one step further and do a blog post on it aswell! I have a large quantity of make up, which at the moment is stored in my wardrobe in various different vanity bags and cases, so this make up bag is the one I keep the products I use every day in, and I try to switch it up every so often.

So first of all, the actual make up bag itself is one I got when my parents were on holidays, and it came free with a fragrance purchase from Roger and Gallet. I've only started using it recently, but its a good size, and I can fit a good amount into it, a lot more than what I have in it at the moment! 

Now, onto the good stuff! :)

First up are my make up brushes, which as you can see is made up mainly of Real Techniques brushes! I'm in love with the blush brush, its so so soft, and applies just the right amount of product! The rest of the brushes are all eye brushes, and the long black handled one is a Kiko one I picked up last week, and the short silver handled one is a Sigma travel sized blending brush, and the other two are just ones I picked up cheap! But they do the job so I cant complain! :)

And onto the face!For my days off work, or when its really hot, (which isn't a whole lot in this lovely country), I opt for a BB cream. At the moment I'm using this one from Catrice, alongside the Maybelline Dream Fresh one, and if I'm honest I prefer this one! There's more coverage without it being too heavy, where as with  the Maybelline one, it doesn't cover up any redness or blemishes or anything which is disappointing for the price of it! And this Catrice one is only 6 euro! 

My go to foundation since the autumn crept in is  this Stay Matte foundation from Rimmel, and I love it! Its a mouse foundation, so the teeniest bit will do your whole face, and the coverage is amazing!

I always use a primer before applying my make up, and I've just recently finished a Smashbox one which I adored, but I won't pay 30ish euro just for a primer, to me its mental. So I'm trying to use what I have for now, and this My Base illuminating primer from Essence does the job of keeping my make up on all day, and is dirt cheap! 

For powder I use this much raved about Stay Matte powder from Rimmel. I don't use it when I'm wearing the Stay Matte foundation because that would be much too cakey for me, but I'm using more sheer products I'd always use this to mattify my face!

I'm currently using 2 concealers, the Maybelline Fit me for any blemishes or redness, and the Eraser Under Eye concealer also by Maybelline. Apologies for the grubbiness of the packaging, but both of these are on the go a while now! 

For eyes I have these 2 gel eyeliners by Catrice in both brown and black. I used to use these every single day but during the summer I just went with shadow and mascara, so now that the winter is back in I'm going to try and get a bit more use out of them, because they are actually really good! 

I've two mascaras on the go aswell at the minute, the Rimmel Scandalise, and a random one from NYC which I cant tell you the name of because the writing rubbed off! Both of these are coming near the end of there life, so I'm just trying to get a bit more use out of them before then! 

Also in here is my must have NYX eyeshadow primer. This stuff is amazing! It makes my eyeshadow last from for the full working day and a bit more, which is great! 

I currently only have 2 blushes in my bag, 'Flushed' from Sleek and I think this cream  MUA one is called Dolly, or something of the sort! Both of them have amazing pigment and are perfect colours for the transition into autumn/winter.

These are two of the most recent additions to my lipstick/gloss collection, a lipstick by Essence and this lip gloss from W7. Neither have been used yet, so I will have to test them out fairly soon! 

Lastly I just have a few random bits! An eye cream from Nivea, a tin of good old Vaseline, (aloe vera if you don't mind), and a tin of deodorant! 

So there you have it ladies, that's what's in my make up bag... For the moment!! 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx