Current Favourites

Hey ladies!
For such a long time I've been trying to get back on track with my blogging. I still love make up and beauty just as much as I previously did, but there was just something about blogging that felt like an effort, so because of that I gave it a break for quite a long while. Oops!
Today I'm here to tell you about my current favourites. I have tried a fair bit during the Summer so my list could be huge, but I'll try and keep it short so you won't get bored! :)

Essence All About Matt Powder: I've always always always for as long as I can remember had dry and previously  super sensitive skin. But for whatever reason this Summer my skin turned more to the oily side of the scale, and no matter what primer or foundation I used, after a couple of hours my face was as shiny as a disco ball. I picked this up on a whim one day because it was cheap, and oh my god it is actually so good!I apply it after all my other make up is done, and it keeps me matt all day long. Now that the weather has slightly changed and gotten a bit cooler, I may not need to use it as much, but for anyone on a budget looking for a good mattifying powder, give this a go!


Covergirl 3 in 1 Outlast Foundation: I'm really trying to ration my use of this because I picked it up in the States back in April, and since I've no immediate plans to return for a while I don't know when I'll be able to pick it up again! Sad face! But anyway, this is the first foundation in quite a while that I've really loved. Its a medium/full coverage and it leaves the nicest finish on the skin. Not matte, but not particularly dewy either.  But it lasts ALL DAY. I put it on in the morning and when I'm taking my make up off at night it looks exactly the same as it had earlier. To me it just looks natural! I only got it back in April and I'm over half way in the bottle already, so that just shows how good it really is!

Benefit Dandelion Blush: This has been mentioned quite a few times before, but when you hit pan on something then you really know its a favourite! Its a beautiful natural shade of pink, with a very very subtle hint of shimmer. Its the perfect blush to wear if you want to go for a strong smokey eye, or a bright statement lip. I really can't wait to try more of the Benefit Box O Powders because I genuinely love this one!

MUA Undressed Palette: I'm a neutrals girl through and through. I don't know what it is but I'm just not adventurous when it comes to my eyes! This palette is MUA's version of the Naked Palette, and you can see how much I love it by just looking at the battered packaging and I've hit pan on a couple of them already!  I'm not too gone on the Matte shades so I don't use them that much, but I love the shimmers, and when I use them alongside a primer, they stay put all day!

Rimmel Colour Rush Balms: There was one particular shade that I wanted to tell you about, but typical when I went to photograph it, it seems to have disappeared! I'm really looking forward to trying some deeper shades when the weather gets a bit cooler! This is probably the most comfortable, pigmented lip crayon I've used so far, and trust me I've tried a lot of them! There's a newer pinky/purple shade that came out as part of the Rita Ora Collection that I can't wait to try! :)

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm: I was lucky enough that my mother gifted one of these to me when she purchased it herself of QVC a while back. I hadn't been using it because its so expensive, but I've been using it regularly the last while and I'm so impressed! I rub some onto my face and it sounds strange but you can feel it actually melting the make up away! I then rinse it off with a warm face cloth and all my make up is gone! I often use a micellar water to make sure, but there genuinely isn't a trace of make up left!

So that's it lads and ladies.. There's so much more I could list here, but for now I'll keep it short and sweet! :) I've really enjoyed writing this post, so here's hoping that this is the start of me getting my blogging mojo back!
Anything in particular that you've been loving lately?
Thanks for reading (if there's anyone still left out there)
Alisha xx

Sharing the Love: Maybelline

Maybelline is a brand that I would never have really looked at in previous years. Not because I thought there was anything wrong with the brand, but I just tended to stick to Rimmel and Catrice products because they worked for me. Recently though I have absolutely been loving Maybelline as a brand, and a lot of my everyday make-up is from them. Cheap as chips products, great quality, what's not to love! So today I thought I'd share with you all my top picks from the brand, and who know's maybe you'll come across things you've never tried that you may want to give a go to! :)

Fit Me Foundation: This has been my go to foundation as of late. Its exactly the kind of coverage I like, light weight foundation but it is buildable. It just gives a nice healthy glow to the skin, which I love, as matte foundations just make my skin look too flat. The idea behind this foundation is its make up that fits you and your skin tone. The colours are divided into pink toned and yellow toned, making it easier for you to find your perfect match. The colour I was previously using, (120), was a tad too dark, so I just used it whenever I used fake tan. But I picked it up in 115, which is a much better match to my skin tone, so its getting lots of use! Its a brilliant price too at only 11.99!

Fit Me Concealer:  From the same family as the foundation, this concealer has been compared to the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, but as I don't have it I can't say 'yay or nay' to the comparison. However I can say I love this concealer. Its a light creamy concealer, which can be used under the eye to brighten up or used on blemishes as it has enough pigmentation. And it doesn't settle in to the nooks and crannies under my eyes woo! And its only 8.99! :)

24 Hour Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow: Everyone knows the deal with these now so I don't have to go on and on about them again, but they are fantastic to use as bases for eyeshadows! I often use On And On Bronze on its own if I can't be bothered with heavy eyeshadow, but some of the others I find very patchy looking on their own, so I tend to reserve them solely as bases, but they do a fantastic job of keeping eyeshadow in place! My personal favourite shades are On And On Bronze and Pink Gold! These are only 10 euro each, and they do last for an eternity!

Colour Sensational Lipsticks: This was the first product that made me realise I needed more Maybelline in my life. Its been a while since I've used these so I really must give them more love over the summer! The colours I own are 'Hot Plum' and 'Shocking Coral' which as the names suggest are really bright in your face colours, perfect for the summer evenings! The pigmentation is great, and they don't dry out your lips, which is  great as its my pet peeve in lip products! Again these are only a tenner, so its a great way to try out bright lipsticks without spending a huge amount of money!

The Eraser Under Eye Concealer: Another concealer, but its love! This undereye concealer was a god send for me when I was suffering from really bad dark circles, nothing else I tried worked. Until I tried this and it instantly got rid of those blue/purple undertones from under my eyes and it made me look more awake and refreshed in seconds! Its 11.99 so again, not badly priced!

Maybelline Colour Elixirs: I had heard so much of these on Essie Buttons channel that I had to pick up a couple, and now I'm raging that I didn't pick up some more because these are one of the most comfortable lip products I've ever had. They are similar to a gloss, but they're so much more pigmented than a standard gloss, and they are so creamy! And even after the gloss has disappeared, there's a slight stain left on the lips! These weren't expensive, maybe around 7/8 dollars, but I'm really hoping they appear on Maybelline Stands here soon!

So that's it ladies... Not a lot here, but still, the few bits that are here are really great, or at least I think they are anyway!
What products are you loving lately?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

NYX Wishlist

Ok I have to apologise, but my trip away is getting closer and closer, and because of this, my shopping list is getting longer and longer. Oops! With Inglot, Mac and Sephora at my disposal in Times Square I am going to be up to my neck in high end make up. However, sad as it may seem, I'm more excited about drugstore make up, a lot of which we can't get here. I'm not going to do a wish list for every single brand I want to buy bits from, but I thought I'd do a post on NYX, mainly because its so hyped up here, and also for the fact its not readily accessible. So no matter what happens, I'm not coming home without NYX make up!! :)

First up is probably the most obvious one of all, the Butter Lip Glosses. Raved about by beauty bloggers across the globe for being non sticky, super pigmented, and smelling delicious, I will definitely be picking up a couple of shades of these to try out!

Next up is the HD Eyeshadow base. I've actually had this before and I loved it! Any time I used it my eyeshadow did not budge, but unfortunately I tried to buy it from the site I had bought it from previously and it wasn't there!! NOOOOO!! So I shall definitely be stocking up on this when I get to a stand! :)

I'm useless at contouring. Like absolutely useless. I'm just so pale I can never seem to get a right shade of bronzer that's not too orange on my Casper white face. So seen as the Powder Blush in Taupe is meant to be the perfect contour shade for paler ladies like myself, I'll be giving it a try. And maybe one or two other shades, just for the blog of course. ;)

I'm a blush fiend ok?? The newly released Baked Blushes just look so beautiful I have to give them a go? It would be rude not to... Wouldn't it?

And lastly, a base. I don't hear a lot about NYX base products for some reason, but this Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation sounds really interesting. It claims to offer full coverage, but with a natural looking finish! I don't have hugely problematic skin, but I'd love to try this for days I get really bad breakouts, which to tend to happen once a month... :(

There is lots more I could add to this list, and being truthful, when I get to a stand I will probably buy loads more than this! But for now this is what I definitely have my eye on, and will go to hell and back to make sure I get them!

Have you tried any NYX?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

February Favourites...

Hey everyone, happy March! Ok so I'm a couple of days late but I'm a bit stuffed up with a cold and had been feeling just meh. But now I'm back with a months full of favourites!


First up I've been really getting back into my  Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette from MUA. Its a pretty identical dupe for the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay from what I've read online and I've rediscovered it this month. Its made up of a range of different neutral colour eyeshadows ranging from mattes to shimmers and its perfect for creating either a natural every day look or else a smokey night time look. And its a steal at just under 5 euro!

Sleek is one of my favourite brands and I especially love the blushes. This month I'm loving the shade Rose Gold. Again its hailed as a really good dupe for Nars Orgasm, but I can't compare because I don't own it, but I love Sleek's offering. Its a beautiful pink coral shade with gold shimmer throughout it, and it transfers on to the face really nicely, as it gives the colour of blush, but the shimmer leaves a really nice highlight. I shall definitely be wearing this throughout the summer when I get a bit of a tan. (When I say tan I mean red. Up to my elbows')

I recently ran out of my beloved Healthy Mix, and rather than going straight out and buying a new bottle, I decided I'd be good and raid my foundation drawer. (Don't judge me). The first one I tried was another Rimmel one which I can't think of the name of, but after a few uses I ran out of that one! Aaaagh!! But anyway, I then reached for my Wake Me Up Foundation instead, and its all I've reached for the last few weeks. I find its a really light coverage but I've had a really bad break out the last  few days, and I found it was easily enough built up to cover it. It just makes me look awake and healthy, and makes me look like I've lovely glowy skin, when its in fact the opposite at the moment.

My lips have been ridiculously dry this month and its taken ages to get them somewhat back to normal, then I go and get a headcold and I'm right back to where I started! But because of this I haven't been able to wear lipstick which has been killing me! However I have been wearing gloss without too much hassle, and I've really loved this Catrice Infinite Shine Lipgloss in Pink Up Your Life. Its a lovely pink with gold shimmer through, its very like the Rose Gold Blush, except in lipgloss form. I don't know why I left it to the side for so long, because its a super creamy gloss, and there's no stickiness at all, not like other glosses I've tried. It doesn't last too long, but I have no problem reapplying it a few times a day anyway!

There's one fragrance I haven't been able to get enough in February either, and its Caroline Heherra  L'Eau, which is one I picked up in Lanzarote a couple of years back. This is my second bottle of the stuff, and after using up the first bottle I had bought, I couldn't wait to get back to Spain to pick up another bottle as it couldn't be got here. I'm rubbish at describing scents, but if you could put Spring and Summer in a bottle then this would be it. Its just so fresh and it gives me an instant lift as soon as I put it on. It contains notes of Lemon and Orange Tree Flowers, Jasmine, and Apple Tree Flowers, but deeper  notes like Sandalwood also, so its while its sweet, it still has enough deeper notes to keep it from being sickly.

So that's it for this month! Not a whole lot of products really, but honestly they are the ones I have reached for without giving a second thought this month.

What have you all been loving?
I'd love to know. :)

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

What's new in the Drugstore! (Or Chemist) for January '14

Happy Sunday to all you lovely people out there! I hope you're enjoying it whatever you're getting up to! I went for a wander around town like I usually do on a Sunday, but for the first time ever I bought very little. In fact all I bought was shampoo and a nail polish remover! I must be getting sense! I did however go for a wander in Boots as always, and after a nose on their website too, there is a couple of new bits that arrived in store that I'll find it very hard not to buy!

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation: I think this has been out for a good bit now, (correct me if I'm wrong), but I haven't seen it at any Bourjois stand near me! However, I have seen it online HERE so its technically the same thing! I've heard rave reviews about this foundation, and I've fallen in love all over again with the Healthy Mix offering from this brand, so I may have to give this a go when I have used up a couple of my other foundations! Its 16.99 so its not a bad price either.

Revlon Colourstay Matte and Lacquer Balms:

Every beauty obsessive has heard and tried the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. Except me, for some unknown reason! The first drugstore brand to take a step into the lip crayon world after Clinique and there Chubby Stick, every beauty blogger has sung their praises from the rooftops! But now Revlon have gone and released these versions! One with a matte finish, and one with a lacquer version! The colour selection looks great with a selection of neutrals to really brights, but the thing that's really catching my eye is the packaging! The matte packaging is just that, matte, and the lacquer packaging is really shiny to emphasise the lacquer effect! These are 11.20, so in line with the Just Bitten version.

Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser: This is probably the release I'm most excited about! I had heard of its release in Asia months ago, and didn't think anymore of it, but now I'm raging because I bought the Benefit Porefessional not that long ago, and I would gladly have given this ago first, mainly because of the 11.99 price tag of the Maybelline primer! Sigh... Anyway, this does look interesting, and does claim to erase pores and give baby-smooth skin, so again I think I'll give it a go once I've used up the Benefit one.

Sleek Blush Trio: (Garden Of Eden Collection)

Sleek are renowned for their blushes, and I have to say I have a fair few of them already. But nonetheless, that does not mean I won't want this one when its released! Part of the 'Garden Of Eden' collection which will be released soon, the colours are perfect for Spring/Summer, whenever it rolls around. There is also a blush trio of coral colours, and an eyeshadow palette with some fantastic green colours too! The blush trio's are 12.99 and a little goes a long way with the Sleek blushes as they are so pigmented! Sleek is available on Cloud10Beauty, or Boots.ie.

These are just some of the new releases that will be or already have hit stores this January, and I don't know about you but they will definitely brighten up a dreary month for me!

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

   

Top 5 Face Products 2013

Hey there everyone, how depressing is it being back to normal after all the excitement of Christmas and New Years! :( Oh well, such is life I guess! So on to the good stuff! 

By far the beauty post's and video's I love to read and watch are good old favourites of the month!

I find it really interesting to see what products other's use and love. More often than not it does end up in me buying them to try out for myself! 

I decided rather than doing one long post it would be better to break them up in to a couple of shorter ones, which it'll make it a lot less boring for you all! 

So first up I decided I'd share my favourite face products with you all! 

2013 was the year that I really did become a tad more obsessive about beauty, and previously to that I had one foundation and I'd use it until I ran out and that was that. Now I have slightly lost track and have begun to branch out and try different brands and formula's, and pretty much spreading my foundation wings! 

So in no particular order.... :

The Porefessional Face Primer from Benefit: I only recently picked up the full size of this, but beforehand I did have a sample, and god did I get every last drop out of it! I know everyone had raved about this, but I never could see myself forking out. Until I tried it that is. I have rather large pores on my nose, and I've become quite paranoid about them lately, so I really couldn't believe the difference this primer made. It reduced the size of the pores quite largely, and it also toned down any redness I had on my nose and face too.. Happy days! It is expensive at 34 euro, but I do think its worth it, and I have a feeling it will last ages! 

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation:  This was definitely one of 2013's most raved about products. Although it was only released this side of the pond in recent months, everyone and anyone who's tried this product has loved it. Everything about this foundation is different to most other foundations, in that this is a really liquid product, (it is lighter than water after all) it has to be shaken up and then tipped on to the finger to apply, and it is also a really light coverage! I'm loving this since I bought it, and it has firmly earned its place as my new everyday foundation. The finish is just beautiful, it just looks like you're having a really good skin day! Its priced at 14.99 from Boots and most other pharmacies. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation: Rimmel had a fantastic 2013, and came out with some amazing products, the most well known probably being the Apocalips Lip Lacquers. They release this Stay Matte Foundation in late August/early September, and although I don't have oily skin, I did want to try out a foundation with a matte finish, and what better way to do it than with a budget product. I have to say though I fell in love with it as soon as I tried it! Its a thick mousse texture, and a little goes a long way with this, otherwise you may end up looking very caked, which is not a good look for anybody! It is a more full coverage foundation though, so if you do like your lighter coverage, then this  isn't for you. I loved it though, and at times when I thought it looked a bit flat, I just added a bit of highlighter. Simples. Its cheap as chips aswell at 7.99 (ish).

Catrice Camouflage Cream: This was another one that set the beauty world alight this year, and because I'm lucky enough not to get blemishes too often, I'm not one to use concealer an awful lot. On a whim in Penneys one day I picked it up to try, and this is some hardcore stuff! I've tried it on a scar I have on my hand and you wouldn't even know I had a scar after using this, and as for blemishes, well they just vanish into thin air! It is a thick concealer, so I don't know would I use it under eyes as I would fear it would sit in lines and whatnot, but maybe someday I'll try it just for curiosity's sake!

Maybelline The Eraser Under Eye Concealer: I gave this a go back in August after a week full of late night's and a couple of sleepless nights, which resulted in me having bags under my eyes bigger than Ryanair's carry on bags. They were horrendous, and no matter what I did I couldn't make them disappear! As soon as I started using this I instantly saw a difference. Although it doesn't make bags disappear altogether, it does a very good job at hiding them, while also brightening up the under eye area. As you can see by the picture I've been getting some serious use out of it, and I will definitely repurchase!

Have any of you tried any of these products? If not, what have your favourites been? 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation

Happy 1st of January 2014 everyone! Hopefully you all don't have very sore heads today! ;) I didn't head out so thankfully I'm fresh as a daisy today, the last few times I've been out I've over indulged and I've felt rotten afterwards, and its not worth it!
Today I thought I'd talk about a foundation that caused quite a stir when it was released a few months back, and that is the L'Oreal Nude Magique 'Eau De Teint' Foundation. I had read a lot of reviews and watched a lot of videos on YouTube before I bought this, mainly because I hadn't really planned on buying it, but of course had a 3 for 2 on one day I was in, so I used it as an excuse to try it!!

First up, how adorable is the packaging! It comes in a teeny tiny glass bottle, with a purple metallic lid. Its just so cute! Not a very important factor to some, but it does help if the product looks nice if its to be left on your dressing table! 

You can see how it measures up size wise here to a normal size foundation, (excuse how grubby my healthy mix is). A standard foundation contains 30mls of product (usually), but L'Oreal's offering contains 20mls.

Formula wise though, its like no other foundation I've tried before! It doesn't look or feel like make up when applied to the skin, it just gives a really nice healthy look to the skin which I love! L'Oreal say this formula is 'lighter than water' which is due to 'volatile oils gradually evaporating as the formula is applied to the skin'. Very fancy! The foundation itself is like I said previously, not like your standard foundation. Its a very liquid product and so can be very messy if its not used right! To use you have to shake up the bottle, and then turn it upside down and tip some product on to the finger, and then use what's on your finger on your face. Now when I did this, I only had a tiny amount on my finger, and while I don't like thick cakey foundations, I do like a good coverage, so I did dab a little bit more on to my face, but only a small amount. Coverage wise I find it good. It is a lighter coverage than most, but I like that, because I want my make up to look natural for the most part. I've been using this during the day before my healthy mix and I've been really loving it! Because it is light, I have been using concealer on my nose for a bit more coverage as I do have a lot of redness around my nose, but I don't mind because I would be using concealer anyway. I apply this using my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and it just blends it in so flawlessly! A lot of people may be upset that it only contains 20mls, but because of the real liquid formulation of this, it will last for ages!! Colourwise, there is only 6 shades, so there may not be a shade for everyone, but I went for the lightest shade porcelain, and it suits my skin fine. Pricewise it is 14.99, which is  the higher end of the drugstore, and is the same price as Bourjois Healthy Mix, and again because it will last ages, you won't have to buy too often! 

Have any of you tried this foundation? If so, what do you think?

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

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

In this day and age in the beauty world, everyone seems to be searching for 'the perfect foundation', and finding said foundation is no easy task! With a vast range of formula's for dry to oily skin, from radiant to matte, to light/medium coverage, its a tough job these days to buy foundation, especially if you don't have the budget for higher ended brands who tend to give samples. In the drugstore (when did I become American), its not that easy.

I have previously never been searching for the perfect foundation, I tended just to pick one and say 'it'll do', I wasn't bothered about coverage or the type of finish it gave, as long as it made me look half decent it did the job.

Until I discovered this beauty from Rimmel. This is the foundation I had been waiting for all my life, I just didn't realise it!

So what's so special about this foundation you might ask?? Well I'll tell you what!
One of Rimmel's newest releases, this foundation is a liquid mousse foundation which is lightweight, and offers control oil. Although I tend to have more dry to combination skin as opposed to oily, I decided to try it out anyway!

Colour wise, I went for the shade 100 Ivory, which is what I'd usually wear in any Rimmel foundation, and it does be a little bit dark, but I make it work with a lot of blending. However, this range comes with the welcome addition of a lighter shade 010 Light Porcelain, which I was actually given afterwards as a present from a family friend, but I havent tried that shade yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it matches my Casper the friendly ghost pale face!

The texture of this foundation is a mousse, and because of this a little amount goes a long long way, it took me a while to realise that I needed to use a lot less than I did when using a normal liquid foundation. A teeny tiny pea sized amount is enough to do my whole face, so less is more ladies!

I use this foundation  with either of my two favourite brushes, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush and Expert Face Brush. Although if I had to pick just one to use it with I would probably say the Buffing brush, as it just seems to blend the product better, and it leaves a slightly better finish in my opinion.

As is quite obvious by the name of the product, it gives a matte finish, and on me it lasts well all day,  although I think if you're someone with oily skin, you may need to touch up a bit later on in the day with a little bit of powder.

All in all, I really am so impressed with this product. I've been using it non stop since I bought it, up until this week, because I'm holidays from work I figured I'd use a little bit less make up and so I'm just using BB creams for the week instead.

For the Winter I think this is a great foundation, as I think the matte affect works much better in the current season than it does in perhaps the Summer.  I wore this recently on a night out with a red lip and a neutral enough eye and it looked great!
If you're someone who wants a full coverage foundation but doesn't like the idea of matte, then this could just as easily work for you too, just maybe add a bit of a highlighter to give it more a dewy finish.
For anyone wondering about how easily it comes off, I use my L'oreal Miscellar Water first to remove the bulk of it first, and then I use my No 7 to cleanse properly. But it comes off fairly easily!

Its a great price at only 7.99 from Boots, and most pharmacies around the country, and  if you're stuck in a rut with your foundation I think for that price its definitely worth a go!
I've had numerous compliments from people while wearing this foundation, and that has never happened to me before, so for that I'm giving it two thumbs up!

Have you tried this foundation already?
If so what do you think?

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

A little haul.....

So on Friday I decided to head into town to pick up some bits for holidays. However this was a complete and utter flop as most of the summer clothes were sold forever ago, and so I ended up picking up a few winter bits! After that I then ventured to probably my favourite shop in the world.... Boots! And this happened:

Ya, I know, I know I know, I didn't really need any of it! But it was buy one, get second half off in Boots, and any girl that loves her beauty knows that's not the kinda offer you pass up!
There was a couple of things that I really really wanted, but the rest then I just decided I'd like to try because I've read a lot of reviews on them and wanted to give them a go myself!
First up is the much raved about 'Dream Fresh BB Cream' from Maybelline. Its only in recent months I've started to try Maybelline products, after trying the infamous 'Colour Tattoo's'. Miss Budget Beauty loves this stuff, so I'm looking forward to trying it for days when I don't want a full coverage make up. It was 11.95 but it also has an SPF of 30, so its like a double product really... Right???

Next up is again a much raved about product from Maybelline. The '24 hour colour tattoo' in 'Metallic Pomegranate'. I have been dying to try this colour for ages as it'll be a perfect base for burgundy looks and what not in winter, but unfortunately I've briefly tried it out and its not living up to the hype! It just doesn't come out as pigmented as it looks in the jar, but I'll hold back a proper opinion on it until I've given it fair use! With the current offer I got this for about 3.95 I think! Bargain!

The next thing I then picked up was the newest addition to the Rimmel foundation line, the 'Stay Matte Liquid Mouse Foundation'. I've tried this out already, (I've very little self restraint), and I have to say I really like it! The coverage is brilliant, and even after a full day at work it was still perfect. My only bug bear is that I tend to have drier skin in winter, so it may not be suitable for drier skinned ladies, but possibly with a good moisturiser it may be ok! Its also a great price at only 7.95! 

My next purchase that I got for half price is a goody! Recently make up stands far and wide have been bombarded with versions of the Clinique 'Chubby Sticks'. So I decided to pick up Rimmel's newest offering! I cant remember the exact shade name, but as you can see from the packaging, its red! I thought when I picked up that it was going to be a sheer, buildable, balm type, but its actually not! Its really pigmented and not balmy at all! Not that its a bad thing. This again came in around the 3.95 mark at half price, how could I refuse that!

The main thing I went in for was another one of the Kate Moss lipsticks for Rimmel. I have one of each formula, the red tube being the matte formula, and the black tube being the more glossy of the two. I had seen this amazing pink colour, but any stand I went to didn't have it.. Until I went to Boots of course! Its an amazing hot pink colour, that looks to have a slight shimmer to it, I cant wait to wear it on a night out! This was 6.95 full price, but I think this was the last item I got at half price so again around 3.50! (Sorry but my laptop is refusing to let me rotate the picture) :(

And lastly, I was trying to decide my last couple of purchases, when the apocalips caught my eye. In different shades! That's right! Rimmel have launched some new shades, I'm assuming for autumn/winter, but who knows! I decided to pick up the shade 'Aurora' which is a lovely muted reddish burgundy shade, and is perfect for day wear, unlike some other reds which are very in your face for the workplace! But this is perfect! It was 7.95, but again if you pick it up with something a bit more expensive, you'll get it for less than 4 euro! 

So that my lovely ladies was my haul! My poor boyfriend nearly fainted when he saw the amount I spent on make-up, but I do the same quite regularly when he tells me about parts he's bought for his car!

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

MUA (Make Up Academy)

So any serious beauty junkie knows the difference between her high-end and drugstore beauty brands.

Well this my dear ladies (and lads possibly) is probably the least expensive brand you could possibly find in the drugstore, (or chemist or pharmacy as we Irish gals like to call it.)

Now its not readily available in stores in Ireland, I do believe its available in Superdrug stores in Ireland, as that's where its sold in the U.K, but seen as there's no Superdrug in my area, I cant confirm or deny that.

I do know for certain though, (after a couple of sneaky purchases), that they do ship to Ireland from their website! Hurray!! 

The brand in question, is fairly obvious, as its the title of this post. Make Up Academy, or MUA as its more commonly known, is one of my favourite make up brands. Not only has it such a selection of cosmetic products, but the prices of them are ridiculously cheap! This does not mean in any way that the products are of a lesser quality, because believe me they aren't! 

I think the product they are most well know for is the infamous eye shadow palettes, especially the aptly named 'Undressed and Undress Me Too' palettes, which you may be able to tell from the names are dupes of the Urban Decay Naked palettes! Now I personally don't own either of the Naked palettes as I'm not sure how i feel about paying 40 euro for an eye shadow palette, when I can get the MUA ones for just over 4 euro! Here's the Undress Me Too palette:

Another great thing with this palette is that on the back it has names for all the colours, just like the Urban Decay ones, and it even gives tips on looks you can create with the colours! I cant compare it to the Naked palette, but from my own usage, and my own opinion I can safely say I love these palettes! Its my go to for my every day make up and its fantastic! I use some eyeshadow primer and pop on what ever colours I'm using that day, and no exaggeration, they do not budge for the day! For the price of them they're worth a try at least! 

Some more personal favourites of mine are this highlighter and foundation from the Undress Your Skin range. Again this would be something similar to the Naked line being offered from Urban Decay. The MUA line also offers a face primer, an eyeshadow primer, a make up setting spray among many other bits and bobs. So far the highlighter and foundation are all I've tried. But that's not to say I wont pick up a few more bits! ;)

Apologies for the poor quality pictures, it may take me a while to get the hang of it! Practice makes perfect! The foundation is an illuminating foundation, which offers medium to full coverage, so depending on your preference, this would suit a lot of ladies! Its available in 3 shades, Porcelain, Beige and Golden, and me being the typical Irish lady that I am, with red hair and freckles, I chose the lightest shade, Porcelain. However, it is a little bit too light for me, but with a lot of blending I make it work. I would be interested in trying the next shade to see is it much darker though. Its a nice foundation, but I didn't find it to illuminate my skin, but again that could be because I chose the wrong shade and it washed me out. For the price (5.86 euro for 35mls of product), its not bad!

However my personal favourite has to be the highlighter! Its amazing! Its only 3.52, (yes you read that right), and it gives such a beautiful glow to the skin, you would genuinely think its a much more expensive product! I did try to take swatches but the pictures did not do the highlighter justice whatsoever!

It does look very shimmery in the pan, but when its on the face its much more subtle. I apply a light dusting on my cheeks over my blusher, and then set it all with some powder, and I also often use it as a highlighter on my brow bone. There is so much to choose from with this brand, they're constantly coming up with new products! Most recently they introduced the Power Pout, which is something similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks,which only cost 3.52, the Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tints, (again similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks for the Eyes, and there's more in the pipeline! 

If you're interested in trying some of the products then click here

:http://www.muastore.co.uk/store

They also have two Facebook pages where you can find out all about new product releases and find out about special offers and discounts! 

https://www.facebook.com/MUAmakeupacademy?fref=ts

and 

https://www.facebook.com/MrMUAmakeupacademy?fref=ts

However, if you end up ordering quite a lot, its not my fault really!! :) 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx