Catrice Nail Polish in 'Karl Says Tres Chic'

Don't get me wrong, every girl needs a few bright nail polishes in her collection, but she also equally needs more toned down wearable shades for every day. I've tried a variety of nude shades and they just don't work for me at all. Nudes just make me look like a mannequin in a shop window, so if I want a nice neutral nail that's not going to offend anybody at an interview or something like that, I go for in a soft or light pink.
The colour I'm talking about today is neither soft, nor light but it works and is a colour that's not going to draw too much attention or looks of disgust. Its Catrice's nail polish in 'Karl Says Tres Chic' which was part of the 'Ultimate Nudes Collection' so I'm not 100 percent sure if its still available on stands, and if its not, well its a travesty I tell thee! ( I've just checked the Catrice site, it has been re released, whoop!)

Now the name itself to me is something special, as I picked this up one day at a stand after going back with something that was broken and the polish just caught my eye and I grabbed it. I only noticed the name after I got out of the shop, and Karl was actually my brothers name who unfortunately passed away when he was 13, so to me this is a message from above! :)
Anyway the polish itself is a beautiful creamy neutral pink, it just goes with anything. I have found the formula of Catrice Nail Polishes to be fairly decent, and this is no exception. One coat of the polish gives fairly opaque coverage, but I generally tend to apply 2 coats anyway just to make it last a bit longer.
The brush is also a thick enough brush that makes it easy to disperse product over the nail in just one swipe without making a mess, which I somehow always manage to do!
Catrice polishes are cheap as chips at around the 4 euro mark, and come in a great selection of colours, and they also have a great choice of glitter polishes which are perfect as top coats, or else to use as an accent nail.

Have you tried any Catrice Polishes?
What do you think?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Barry M Gelly Nail Polish

Today's post comes compliments of my lazy weekend, which was spent moving from couch to kettle and back again. The only thing I did that involved some slight effort on my part was turn on my laptop to watch some YouTube video's and catch up on some blogs on my Bloglovin feed, (there's a lot to catch up on, I currently have 540 new posts to get through)! Oh yes, and I painted my nails! I'm so laxy daisy with nail painting at the minute, that I feel like everytime I do it, it deserves a little blog post all of its own. Bit much? Maybe. Do I care? Not really!

The polish I went with this week is Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Greenberry. Barry M nail polishes are some of the best on the high street at the minute, the selection of colours is outstanding, the formula's are excellent, and there's a great selection of finishes to choose from. Just recently they introduced the Matte Nail Paints, there's the unusual Neon Nail Paints, and then a selection of top coats.
I used one of the most talked about formula's on the Internet in the last year or so, the 'Gelly Hi Shine Nail Polish'. It is exactly what the name suggests, a high shine polish which gives a gel like finish. Barry M maintain you achieve this in just one coat, but with this particular shade Greenberry, I didn't think it was opaque enough with one coat so I did two, and it gives such a nice glossy finish! I have to say though I did find it a little bit messy to apply  because it is quite a thick formula, and the brush itself is fairly average size, so if you have too much product on the brush it will tend to go everywhere! But if you take some of the excess polish off before you actually start your nails, it applies like a dream. It does take a while to dry (I learned the hard way), so unless your using a quick drying top coat like Seche Vite, make sure and give yourself enough time to let it dry fully, otherwise you will end up with a lot of smudges.. I
As for wear time, I did my nails around 2 or 3 o clock yesterday afternoon, and so far so good, still no chips! Which is fantastic for me because usually they will have chipped by bed time the same night I've done them! There is an amazing selection of shades available in this range, so if you're someone who is into Nail Polish, and don't really want to go to a Salon and pay for gel nails, then these may be worth a look! They're a great price too at only 5.99, and usually there's some sort of offer on in Boots, so you'll either get one for half price, or else for free depending on the offer, woohoo!

Hope you're all having a great weekend,
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Nails Of The Week!

So I have to apologise first of all, because I have gotten very lacksy daisy with painting my nails. I don't know what it is but some weeks I'm mad to change them up a bit, and then others I'm just happy to let them chip away... Bold me!!
This week however I'm back with a bang, and with a trusty favourite that I've had in my collection for years at that!
Its another from the Rimmel 60 Second Collection in the colour 'Grey Matter'. Seriously, if you haven't tried these polishes, you must! The formula is fantastic!
Anyway, this polish is a light grey colour, which is perfect for this time of year, especially if you want something fairly neutral but don't want your typical nude colours.
In the bottle it does look a light grey, but with this you need two coats to make it opaque, and with two coats it does translate to a slightly darker colour, but I wouldn't mind that! ;)
What nail colours are you lovely ladies rocking this week?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Nails of the Week

Over the last week while I've been on holidays from work I've been trying to come up with some new ideas for the blog. I've had it in my mind to do some sort of a series for a while, but I couldn't figure out exactly what. Until now!
A majority of my post's seem to be quite long and somewhat descriptive, so I wanted something short and snappy that wouldn't bore everybody!
So that's where the 'Nails Of the Week' posts come in!
 A weekly account of what nail polish is on my fingernails for the week and what I think!
So this week I'm wearing....

Green With Envy by Rimmel! Its one of the infamous 60 seconds quick drying range, and I think its one of the best nail polish formula's I've tried! The short, wide brush, makes it super easy to apply, and it really does dry in an instant!
This particular colour is a lovely metallic green colour, which was more or less opaque in just one coat. I however did two coats just to be sure! The formula of these is great, and usually on there own they last a few days anyway, but I put this on Monday with an OPI topcoat and its lasted me till now with one or two tiny chips!
This particular formula from Rimmel is priced at 5.49, so its fairly reasonable for such a good product!

What's on your nails this weeks?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha
xxx

This or That Tag!!

I've been waiting for ages to a tag post, but the right one never came up.. Until I happened across this one on totalmakeupaddict's blog.

So I'll get cracking at the This or That tag shall I? Its nothing too complicated, just exactly what it says on the tin!!

Makeup
Blush or Bronzer?
Definitely blush. I'm a pale skinned, redhaired Irish cailin, so no matter what bronzer I've tried, it always seems to just look orange and not right on me. So I tend to stick with blushes, and just mix up the colour that I wear depending on the season! At the moment I'm loving deep mauvey toned blushes.

Lipgloss or Lipstick?
Hmmmm.... That is a toughie... If I was asked that question back in the spring or early summer I would probably have said lipgloss, as I didn't really have any lipsticks in my collection. But since then it has grown a fair bit, and I've amassed quite a few lipsticks from different drugstore brands. So I think for now I would probably have to go with lipsticks. 

Eyeliner or Mascara?
Mascara for sure. I do use eyeliner, but only for nights out or during the day the odd time if I fancy something a bit different. My eyelashes are very fair so I really need mascara, even on a day if I wasn't using any other make up I'd still put on mascara.

Foundation or Concealer?
I use both on a daily basis, but thankfully I don't have a huge problems with spots and blemishes, so if I had to I'd be able to do ok with just foundation. The one I'm using at the moment, Rimmel Stay Matte is pretty full coverage anyway. :D

Neutral or Colour Eyeshadow?
What are coloured eyeshadows?? I'm terrible, but nearly my whole eyeshadow collection is made up of neutrals. There's nothing better than a neutral eye teamed with a bright lip in my opinion!  I am trying to embrace deeper colours such as burgundy and deep greens for the winter season though! 

Pressed or loose eyeshadows?  I do have a couple of pigments in my collection, and I think they're great if you want to create a more intense eye look for a night out or something, but for every day its pressed all the way. Much easier if like me you don't give yourself a lot of time in the morning to get ready!

Nails
OPI or China Glaze?  The only thing I have from either of these labels is an OPI top coat. And although it does make the polish last a few days longer, its a pain to dry! Even after doing your nail polish really carefully and letting it dry, if after applying the top coat you happen to smudge one it makes a mess of the already dry nail polish!! Grrr... Very annoying!!

Long or Short Nails? Most of the time mine are short. They do grow fairly well, so I'm lucky in that sense, but I just have more comfortable when I have them kept short. At least there less likely to break! 

Acrylic or Natural?
Natural. I'm yet to try Shellac or gel nails even!! I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing! 

Bright or Dark?
A bit of both! I have a huge nail polish collection, so depending on the mood I'm in your liable to see me with any colour nail polish on my nails!

Flower or no flower?
Well I'm not very good at nail art, so I think no flower. The less complicated the better! . 

Body
Perfume or Body Spray? Definitely perfume. I have a huge perfume collection made up of mostly sweet scents. I don't think I even own a body spray! 

Lotion or Body Butter?
Very recently I've become a bit obsessive about body butters. I went into Boots during the summer and stocked up while there was an offer on their own brand. But on the other hand I have lotions from Soap And Glory that I also use on a regular basis. So I think it has to be both!

Body Wash or Soap?
Its always some sort of body wash. I did pick up a soap when in the UK from Lush, and although it smells gorgeous, its impossible to use because it just slips and slides all over the shower! 

LUSH or Other bath companies?
I don't live anywhere near a LUSH unfortunately... But anytime I'm in Dublin or the UK I always have a look in a store. They do have a great selection, but I think my all time favourite label, although I don't know if they're a bath company as such, is Soap And Glory!  They have such a selection of products and different scents, (Sugar Crush is divine, trust me), and most of the time they're on offer in Boots, whoo!!

Fashion
Jeans or Sweat Pants?
Jeans most of the time, but at the moment I'm in trackies and a big hoody! You can't beat a bit of comfort sometimes! 

Long or short sleeves?
Long sleeves but it's a bit of a waste of time really because I have my sleeves rolled up, so it kind of defeats the purpose! 

Dresses or skirts?
I wear a bit of both. For work and stuff I find dresses easier because I can just throw a cardigan on over them to keep warm, but if I'm going out I'd definitely wear a skirt! 

Stripes or Plaid?
I don't wear much of either, but I suppose at a push I'd say stripes!  

Flip Flops or Sandals?
Flip Flops all the way!. Although maybe not in the depths of Winter! 

Scarves or hats?
Scarves, scarves and more scarves! Its actually ridiculous the amount I own! I continuously complain about being cold but would never dream of wearing a hat!

Studs or dangly earrings?
Studs. I have one pair that are never out of my ears. Silver and they're made up of all little diamonds... A present from myself, to myself! 

Necklaces or Bracelets?
Both but seen as its Winter I'm always wearing scarves so I don't tend to wear the necklaces unless I'm going out! 

Jackets or Hoodies?
Hmmm... Usually jackets, but today I'm wearing a hoody! 

Hair
Curly or Straight? My hair is always curly so I guess I'll have to say curly. The very very odd occasion I straighten, maybe once a year, if even!

Bun or ponytail? A bun for sure... Its just so easy with the donuts! 

Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips?
Bobby pins- But yet when I want one I can never, ever, find one!! 

Long or Short hair?
Long, my hair as always been relatively long, and although its not as long as it previous has been I'm happy with the way it is now because if I choose to, there is a lot I can do with it. 

Light or dark?
I don't know really. I am a redhead of sorts, and depending on if my hair is highlighted, it can go various shades of blonde in the summer, and it tends to be darker in the winter. But I think I prefer it when its lighter!  

Side sweep or Full on bangs (fringe)?
I had a full fringe a few years ago at school, and my mother hated it. It was impossible to keep because of my curly hair, and I also had a cow's lick, so no matter how hard I tried, it never stayed down! So probably a side sweep. 

Up or Down?
Its up most of the time really! I do try to leave it down though if I'm going out. 

Random
Rain or Shine?
Why would anyone say rain? We get too much of it in this country, so definitely shine! Nothing beats a nice crisp sunny winters day in my book! 

Summer or Winter?
Summer for sure! Sunshine, sitting in the garden enjoying a nice crisp drink... Yummy! 

Autumn or Spring?
I love Autumn, and being able to get out all my boots and scarves and warmer clothes!! 

Chocolate or Vanilla?  Chocolate is my all time favourite weakness. Any kind will do, except Turkish Delight! Hate that stuff!! 

So that's it for my first tag post! Hope you enjoyed it, 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha! xxx

Top 5 Nail Polishes for Autumn/Winter

When it comes to make up and anything beauty related, I have to hold my hands up and admit that I'm a bit of a hoarder. But its no wonder when I keep buying products that I really don't need! I'm the same when it comes to nail polishes. For a while during the summer, I had a different colour on my nails every week, even every couple of days sometimes! But after slight staining of my nails, (note to all you lovely ladies, if you do tend to wear a lot of nail polish then wear a base coat, it will save you a lot of hassle), I gave it up for a couple of months and went 'Au Natural' as they say in France, (I think). But now the colder weather is here, I'm all about embracing the deeper colours and decided to get back into painting my nails, badly at that! I've kinda lost count of how many polishes I do actually own, its definitely more than 50, and hopefully less than 100..... That's not bad... Is it???
I decided to have a look in my collection and see what shades I had that are perfect to carry you through the colder months until we hit the springtime!

So as you can see, there's a pretty mad selection of colours in my selection, and I think some of them would be suitable for the summer too! 

From left to right we have: 

Essie Carry on: This is probably the most wintery colour I have in my collection of nail polish. Its a lovely deep purple colour that can vamp up any outfit in an instant! The only thing for me is, it doesn't really translate to the colour that it is in the bottle, because with one coat its streaky and a bit wishy washy, and with two coats, although its more opaque, its more of a black purple. Still and all its nice, but I wish I put on a base coat before using it! :( Even better is the fact that I  got this for a mere 3.20 in Cara Pharmacy in Galway! Yahoo!! :)

Rimmel Green with Envy: I love Rimmel nail polishes. To me they are some of the best out there, and I don't see the point in spending huge money on the likes of Essie, or Nails Inc (I have some of both), when these are just as good! The formula of the 60 Second ones are fantastic, and are dry almost instantly, and when used with a top coat they last ages! I love green, any colour green at that, and this one has a slight duochrome finish to it that just makes it a little bit more exciting for the chilly weather ahead of us! These are so inexpensive, coming in around the 4 euro mark I think, so for that price you could afford to give a couple of them a go! 

Barry M Gelly High Shine in Blue Grape: Everyone and their mother has raved about the formula of these polishes, and I for one am no exception! In a couple of coats of these babies, your nails will look like you've just stepped out from a fancy nail bar after getting a gel manicure! I have a few colour in these, but I think this blue colour is one of my favourites. Especially as blue is everywhere fashion wise for the season ahead! The only slight problem I have with these is they can be a bit messy, and if you forget to use a base coat, then you can be left with some slightly blue tinged nails! Not a good look! These are only 5.95 in Boots, but as always there is probably some sort of offer on so you'll get a bit of a bargain on them! 

Essie A List: Another bargainous product that I couldn't pass up! (It was also reduced in Cara Pharmacy so I decided to try). This a red colour, but not your normal bright red that you'd often see around London in the form of double decker buses or post boxes! Its a slightly deeper toned red that will be perfect at Christmas to jazz up a plain black dress or to tone down a glittery outfit for New Years Eve. The possibilities are endless! I'm yet to try this one, but one of the evenings over the weekend it shall be done! 

Catrice Karl Says Tres Chic: I think this could be one of my absolute all time favourite polishes. I wear this any time of year as its just a perfect pinkey nude colour that looks great on a night out, or if your someone who works in an office or somewhere that dark purple nails may not be the done thing, then this is perfect as it just gives the nails a really polished and pretty  look! I can't remember the exact price of these,  but I have a feeling they were around the 4.50 mark!

So that's it for my fave polishes for this time of year, do you guys have any favourites?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

New budget beauty finds!

Cara Pharmacy recently opened its doors the the public in Galway, so when I was in there last Sunday I had to go in for a look, being the curious person that I am! I had a good mooch around, and came across this section that had a range of products from a brand called W7 Cosmetics. I'd heard of it from other beauty bloggers across the pond, but I presumed it was a British brand that I wouldn't be able to get my hands on! So when I saw it on front of me it was only natural that I'd pick up a few bits, considering the price point of the products!

So the bits I picked up were: 

Creme de la Creme cream blusher, which was only 2.00!

Super Pout Plumping Lip Gloss which again was only 2.00! 

Prime Magic Primer, which I'm hoping will be a much cheaper alternative to my Smashbox Photoready Primer which I used up recently! Price was 4.00! 

And then I picked up this nail polish remover which I think was about 1.99, here's hoping its as good as the Bourjois one! 

I havent tried any of these out yet but I'm looking forward to it! Either they'll be really good, or really terrible! But either way, for the price I wont complain! 

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx