Catrice Ultimate Shine Lipsticks

Everyone and there cousins dog knows that MAC lipsticks are THE lipsticks in the beauty world. Except me. Because, (hides face behind hands in shame,) I don't actually own one. Yup, I said it! I don't own a MAC lipstick! I own very little MAC make up as a matter of fact, but as I've said before, I have serious issues with parting with nearly 20 euro for a lipstick when I could find something as good in the drugstore for much less money. Or maybe I just have a problem with parting with money full stop, who knows! But I am known for disappearing in Penney's and if I do, you will find me in the same place each and every time, the make up section! Sometimes I buy something, sometimes I don't, but still i can't help myself looking anyway! I have a tendency to lean more towards lip glosses, or crayons or stains, as for some reason I have this belief that lipsticks are too heavy on my lips and so go for something a bit lighter. So on one occasion when I was in Penney's, I decided to pick up a lipstick from the Catrice stand to give it a go, and I am glad I did! So much so I went back for more!

I really need to figure out how to work this camera properly and the flash and what not, but as you can see, the lipsticks come in a black packaging with a slight sheen, with the Catrice name on the front. I don't know are they trying to emulate the MAC bullets, but either way, they're still pretty enough to leave on your bedside locker if you are someone that likes to display your make up!

The 3 I own are: 250 Matte about Pink, 240 Hey Nude, and number 210 Pinkadilly Circus. First off, how cool are the names! I especially love Hey Nude, because any time I go to wear it I automatically start to sing 'na,na,na,nananana, Hey Nude!' (I know, I'm getting weirder and weirder as this post goes on). The 3 of these are all from the Ultimate Shine collection. I know there are a couple of other collections including a new Gel lipstick collection, but I haven't tried any of those yet!

First up is Matte about Pink, I know this one and Pinkadilly Circus look very similar in the bullet colour wise, but there actually not. Matte about Pink is as the name suggests Matte, but its not very Pink either, its more of a coral colour. I'm not a big fan of matte lipsticks, but I love the colour of this one, and also picked up a lip liner to match, but I don't think I'll be wearing a whole lot of this one for autumn/winter, but either way its a nice lipstick and its not too drying on the lips like some matte offerings are!

Next up is Hey Nude! I've never been one for nude lipsticks either, mainly because I don't want to look like a mannequin from a shop window, because that's not a good look for anyone! But decided to give this one a shot. Its a very subtle lipstick, and it just offers a very sheer wash of colour to the lips, which is perfect  for me as it just makes my lips look a lot healthier than normal.

And last up is my favourite out of the lot, Pinkadilly Circus. I have to apologise for this looking so beat up, but I havent even used it that much! I actually bought it after swatching a tester at the stand, and grabbed a new one, and assumed it wouldn't have been opened. Well, as you can see, I was  wrong! I don't understand why people don't just use the testers, that's what they're there for after all! But anyway! This one looks brighter in the bullet than it is in real life. It is more of a berry coloured pink, so its perfect for the transition into the colder months if you fancy sprucing up your make up bag!
All of these lipsticks are super creamy and comfy on the lips, but I would suggest using a lip balm with Matte about Pink, as with most other matte lipsticks it is slightly drying. But the formula of these is amazing, and the price is amazing, 5.49 each! Like you could have 4 of these for the price of one MAC one! I know MAC have a huge selection of colours, and obviously seen as this is a drugstore brand there wont be as much choice, but there is 16 colours to choose from, which is massive for a drugstore brand!

Not the greatest swatches in the world, but just to give you an idea of what there like! From left to right, Matte about Pink, Hey Nude, and Pinkadilly Circus, (why this colour wont show up properly is beyond me). So there you go folks, just a little review on my new favourite lipsticks! 

I have a  feeling I'll have to go back for more, just for research purposes of course! ;)

Catrice can be found in some pharmacies across the country, and some Penney's stores. 

Happy weekend people, and thanks for reading! 

Alisha xxx

Facebook!

I've just recently set up a Facebook page for this blog, so if any of you guys want to keep an eye on what's happening in my make up world through Facebook then you can find me on https://www.facebook.com/AlishasBeautyAttic

I tend to spend a lot of time on Facebook so hopefully when I've a bit more time to work on that page ye'll see a lot more activity on there from me! But for now if ye could head over and like the page that would be great!!

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

NYX HD EYESHADOW PRIMER

I didn't know there was such a thing as an eyeshadow primer until I started watching youtube videos and reading blogs, and in nearly all of them the exact same primer was mentioned: The Urban Decay Primer Potion. I looked it up on a few different sites, and was shocked to see the price, nearly 20 euro! Now some people would pay that, and that's fair enough, but I prefer to spend less on make up, and get more products if you get my drift. So then I decided I'd a bit of research and see could I find something that would do a good job of holding my eye shadow in place for a working day, without the huge price tag! I'm a huge fan of Cloud 10 Beauty and BeautyEmporium.ie,which are both Irish beauty websites which stock products from brands such as Sleek and NYX, which are otherwise impossible to get in Ireland. So I decided to have a sneaky peak on BeautyEmporium.ie to see what I could find. Now unfortunately it was a while back when I purchased this, and they're no longer available on the site. :( But there is any number of budget beauty brands that have recently released eyeshadow primers if you fancy trying one, and the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's also work really well as bases, so that's another option! The base  I'm going to talk about today however is the NYX HD Eyeshadow Primer. I think this cost between 7 and 10 euro when I bought it, so half the price of the Urban Decay one! :)

Its a nude coloured base, with a slightly oily texture, and at first I wasn't sure of this, but after seeing how well it performs I've gotten used to it! When I'm doing my make up, I apply two coats of this to the eyes and blend it out, and then let it try for a few minutes while I'm priming my face. Then I go back and apply my eyeshadow. I still cant get over how good it is! I use it mostly with my MUA eyeshadow palettes, and I usually do my make up between half 8 and half 10, depending on what time I'm working at that day. Most nights its at least 11 or half 11 when I'm taking it off again, (I know, very bold), but I'm not joking, my eyeshadow is the EXACT same as it was when I applied it first! I now use this as part of my everyday make up routine, and I wouldn't be without it. I have tried another one from NYX, one from Catrice, and one from Essence, but none of them have lived up to this! Now I just have to try and figure out where I can buy it from when I run out. :(

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Boots Extracts pampering treats!

There's nothing I like better than a nice long hot shower to relax after a long and possibly stressful day. I have a press full of goodies that I often delve into to pamper myself with at the same time. This usually contains a shower gel or scrub and a body lotion, and whatever shampoo I'm using at the time, and a face mask or scrub. I've so many bits and pieces that I've gathered over the last while that I'm trying to use up before I attack the aisles of Boots again at Christmas! The products featured in this post are from the Boots Extracts range, and I have to say I'm in love with them and am looking forward to getting to try more!

I picked up the mango scent in these and its divine! Its fruity and sweet without being overpowering, and the scent lasts ages! And the best thing about this line of products is that the ingredients are organic, but also fair trade! 

The shower gel is 5.95 and for that price you get 200ml of product, but it lasts ages! Its a thick gel type substance, so a little goes a long way! 

The body scrub is amazing! Its a sugar scrub that's not too harsh and once its washed off it leaves a slightly oily feel to the skin, which I love because more often than not I already feel like my skin is super soft and moisturised and tend to skip the body butter then. (I know, slap on the wrist for me) I use this about once a week generally, maybe twice if I've been out at the weekend and have used some sort of fake tan. I cant remember the amount of product but I think this was about 11 euro, and the tub is huge and its lasted me ages! 

I think the body butter has to be my favourite product out of the lot. It smells divine, it leaves the body nice and soft, and it feels like a real luxury when using it! I've never used a Body Shop body butter before, but I'm aware they're about the 15 euro mark. These are on the Boots website for 10.95 (for 200mls),  which isn't a huge difference in price I know, but when I picked these up they were on 3 for 2, and after a quick look on Boots.ie they are still available on this offer! Woohoo! 

These are a great alternative to the Body Shop's offering if you don't want to part with 15 euro, or if you have Boots points to spend and fancy a treat! The only downside is there isn't a huge selection of scents,  but I currently have both the brazil nut body butter and the vanilla one on standby to try after this runs out! (And as you can see by the picture that won't be too far away)

You can pick these up in any Boots store or on the website http://www.boots.ie/

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

My new favourite under eye concealer!

In recent weeks I've noticed my under eye 'bags' have become more prominent, and dark circles seem to be constant. My grandfather passed away a month ago, so a lack of sleep and long days and nights spent in the hospital took its toll. But since then no matter how hard I've tried to get to bed earlier, no matter how thick the concealer I've used, my dark circles seem to remain. My most recent attempt at concealing them was using a Prai under eye corrector, and the Maybelline Fit Me concealer. But not even such an expensive product as the Prai one worked! I was beginning to get paranoid, (even though I wear glasses, so they're probably not even that noticeable to others) until I recently went into the pharmacy near where I work and picked up this little ray of sunshine!

Every beauty blogger and their mother has heard of this concealer, and any of the ones I've seen talking about it has been singing its praises from the rooftops! But I couldn't justify buying more make up, especially when I have two or three other concealers on the go at the moment! Until now that is, and boy am I glad that I did! This is the Eraser Eye concealer, which has instant anti-age properties, and which also contains goji berry, which I assume has some brightening/and or cooling properties also. Now I wouldn't be too concerned with the whole anti-age part, mainly because I'm only 25, but then again, prevention is better than cure and all that jazz! But the product itself is amazing! I don't think I've bought something that I've really loved as soon as I've tried it for the first time. The product is dispensed through a sponge at the top, after you twist the lid to the left before use. Probably not the most hygienic method, but I suppose seen as only myself will be using it it won't be too much of an issue! The product itself is definitely by far the best concealer I've ever used, and you can instantly see a difference in the under eye area. My under eyes were much brighter, and a lot of the puffiness was gone straight away! I picked up the colour light which was the perfect match for me. It is available in Nude also, so I would assume this would be for people with more sallow or darker skin. Its around 11 euro for 6mls of product, which to me isn't the cheapest, but I wouldn't mind paying it again if it continues to do its job!

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xx

My favourite bloggers!

Its only really since before Christmas last year that I properly got into reading beauty blogs and watching beauty bloggers on YouTube. Thanks to this new found discovery of blogs, my obsession with make up and anything beauty related, escalated quite rapidly!
Which is why I thought that today I'd share my favourite bloggers with you all!
Although I dont know any of these people personally, through their own blogs, not only do they share their love of cosmetics, but you also get a slight insight into their life, which is really interesting! I'm constantly looking for new blogs to read, but at the end of the day these are always the first ones that I look for new posts from on my bloglovin feed!

First up has to be the lovely ladies Karen and Joanne at http://www.lovelygirliebits.com/ . If you havent heard of this blog before then seriously, where have you been? As the name suggests, its a place to go and read about all bits lovely and girly! The girls post every day, twice if not 3 times a day! They both work full time, yet still are so dedicated to the blog! Its fantastic! They recently set up a YouTube channel also, and I tell ya, if there's ever a day you feel slightly down or under the weather, then pop over and watch one of the video's, I guarantee you'll be splitting your side's laughing! They are just so down to earth and funny, and I for one cant wait to see the next video!

Next up is the loveable Estee at http://www.essiebutton.com/. This girl is adorable!
A canadian lady now living and studying in London, her obsession with The Body Shop makes me want to go in and buy one of everything, especially the body butters! Her most recent August favourites featured an olive body butter, which sounds to me a bit like Marmite, you'll either love it or hate it, but yet I still want to try it! She has such a lovely personality, its almost like sitting down with your best friend having a chat about make up and beauty products!

Another blog I love catching up with is Kila, otherwise known as MissBudgetBeauty! http://missbudgetbeauty.co.uk/ Like the name suggests, she generally blogs about less expensive,more budget friendly items, but at the same time, does talk about some, (but not many) more higher end products. Which is fair enough if you think about it. How could she provide us all with sneaky dupes etc if she didn't sometimes have a sneaky purchase or two of more expensive items! All in the name of research for us adoring readers. ;)

Although this next one isn't strictly just a beauty blog, its more of a bit of everything blog, I couldn't not mention Louise over at Sprinkle of Glitter! http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.ie/ This girl is just crazy! (In a good way). Most recently on her channel I've watched her reaction to the new One Direction single, and also a Fluffy Bunny challenge, (I didn't know what this was either until I watched the video). That's not to say she cant be serious because she has covered some serious issues that a lot of bloggers wouldn't dream about, such as self harming. Over on her blog she also does really inspiring posts called 'Motivational Mondays', which is a serious of weekly posts on a Monday (obvious I guess) that covers a wide variety of topics, but that all in some way inspire and motivate.

So there you have it, some of my own personal favourite bloggers and YouTubers! I know everyone has different tastes, so there approach to blogging and vlogging may or may not be your cup of tea! But still, you wont know until you have a look! So why not sit down, grab a cup of tea, (make mine weak with 2 sugars please), and maybe you'll discover your new favourite blog! Or if your like me, you'll end up with a list of new products you want to try!

Thanks for reading girlies,
Alisha xx