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... On Tuesday....

Maybe I should rethink this whole 'Make Up Monday' thing. I mean Monday's are stressful enough without giving my self a headache trying to decide on my favourite items, its just too hard!!!
However, this week though I must say it wasn't too difficult. In fact, it was rather easy because the item in question is one I reached for without thinking about it, EVERY SINGLE DAY. What was it you ask?
Well it was Sleek's blush trio in 'Pink Sprint'. (I just love the name). I had bought this of Cloud10Beauty a few months ago, and it got put to the back of my blush drawer, (yes I do have a blush drawer, so what) in the midst of a tidy up of all my make up.

I rediscovered it a coupld of weeks ago, and I've been loving it ever since. It comes with 3 varying shades of pink, 2 slightly dark, and one that's so bright, its almost iluminous! The trick with these though it to apply them with a very light hand. They are so pigmented that if you do overdo it with the blush brush, you will come away looking rather clown faced! So folks... A little goes a long way!!
In particular I've been getting great use out of the shade at the far right of the palette.
In fact, I had been wearing it recently when my aunt told me I was looking rather flushed, which I took as a compliment, because it just looked so natural on the skin!
I've raved about Sleek and their products before, so I won't do it again. Just go and try their products.... NOW!!! :)

What have you been loving this week?

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 Eye Products 2013

Hello again lovelies!

Today I'm on to the last of my 'top 5 posts'... I had considered doing a random favourites, but I decided against it, mainly because I'm not big into random favourite posts myself, so I decided to stick with make up!
This is the one post I probably had the least amount of thinking to do for, mainly because I have been using the same things on my eyes, over and over again!

Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoos: These were probably the best thing I discovered in 2013. It seems to be the same story with me the whole time, I try one, love it so much and go out and buy more colours! I have 6 or 7 different colours in them at this stage.. I have done a review on them already, which I will link HERE, so you can go and check them out if you so wish. They are so creamy and soft to use, they are a dream to use. The shade range is great, with Maybelline continuously adding new colours, and even a limited edition matte collection, which sadly never made it to our shores, but I'm hoping I'll be able to pick them up in America in a few months.. These last absolutely ages on the lids, and are great as either a cream eyeshadow or a primer. I use them as both, but find they last that little bit longer with a powder shadow on top. I love all the colours, but my two favourite have to be On and On Bronze, and Pink Gold. They're quite a bargain too at only 7.95, and are fairly comparable to the Mac Paint Pots.

MUA Undressed and Undress Me Too Palettes: I have much love for MUA, and have loved everything I've tried from them, but the eyeshadow palettes are definitely one of the standout products for me. The Undressed and Undress Me Too are probably the best dupes out there for the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay, but for a tiny fraction of the price! Quality wise I can't compare because I don't own any of the Naked palettes, but with these on the market, I can't ever see me owning one either. What I can say is that they are great quality shadows, and when I use them over a primer they last on me all day.. And I mean all day, like they're still as perfect at midnight as they were at 10 that morning! All of that is really great, but what's even more outstanding is the price, they are just over the 4 euro mark! For that price you get 12 really good eyeshadows that you can combine to make any number of looks! They do a number of other colours aswell, depending on what you're into, there's a pretty pastel one I have my eye on next!

Soap And Glory Thick and Fast Mascara: I'm really not a mascara gal at all, as I've said here before, they all seem to do the same job to me! However this one really surprised me this year! I have 3 of them that I got in various gift sets, (thanks Boots), and it has really really surprised me. For the first time ever I've actually been able to see result's with mascara, and I've been really impressed. I don't have the longest lashes, but this makes them look like I have the longest, girliest lashes ever. And it also adds loads of volume! Its not too expensive either, its only about 13 euro, and as always its more than likely on offer in Boots, so it lessens the blow a bit!

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eye Kohl Liner/Avon Supershock Eye Pencil: I'm not a big eye liner person by any means, I used to be back in my teens, I thought it was really cool to have really really dark eyes. Then I realised it wasn't, and so my eye make up swiftly reverted to the bare minimum. However as of late, I realised that eyeliner can be a godsend if you don't overdo it. I've been admiring these people that can do their eyeliner in a jiffy, and these products helped me to be able to do it too. I should really have picked just one, but they're both as good as the other so I couldn't. Both of these pencils are so creamy, and just glide on the the eyes with ease! And then once they're on, its next to near impossible to get them off! The Rimmel one is readily available in most pharmacies, the Avon not so much now that Avon are no longer in Ireland... Sigh... I picked this up as a free sample in a magazine before, so keep an eye out and you to may be able to do the same.

Mac Duo in Dazzle Me and Mulch: I'm lucky enough that my boyfriend picked up on ALL my hints last Christmas and treated me to a lovely gift set from Mac. Included in it was this eyeshadow duo, and I had to include it. Not for the quality of the eyesh

adows, because to me they're nothing special. Good, but I have cheaper priced shadow's that are up there with the quality of these ones. But the colours are so beautiful! Especially when worn together! Dazzle me is a light cream kind of colour, with some gold glitter through it, and mulch is just a very wearable brown shade, again with some slight sparkle.

So that's it for the Eye Products!

If any of you have any different ones I'd love to hear them..
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Top 5 Lip Products of 2013

Hey lovelies, hope you're all enjoying your Sunday! I myself went in to town shopping, (bold, especially seen as I'm trying to save money), I don't feel too bad though because I didn't spend a huge amount, just a few bits in Penney's!
Today's post in the Top 5 of 2013 series is my 'Top 5 Lip Products', and I have to say this was a really difficult one for me, because in the last year I did get more adventurous with lip products, and I came across loads that I really liked, but in the end I narrowed down, and went with the ones that I just reach for continuously. More often than not there is always 2 or 3 of these in my handbag at the same time! Am I the only one this happens too?

So onto the little beauties!!
From left to right we have:
Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Cotton Candy:
Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in Hey Nude:
Rimmel London Apocalips in Apocalyptic:
Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in Keep Mauving:
and Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Cotton Candy: I picked up a couple of these on a whim earlier in the year, and I was blown away. Everybody knows' that Essence is a fairly budget brand, and a lot of the products can be hit and miss. Not these babies. They only cost 2 to 3 euro, and for the price they are amazingly pigmented and so creamy! So much so that I picked up another two after this one! This colour is Cotton Candy, and its a lovely bright pink colour, perfect for spring!

                                         (swatch of Essence Cotton Candy)

                                                                                                                                                   Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in Hey Nude:
 I really make a habit of picking things up on a whim, (damn you Penney's), but that is what happened with these guys aswell. I had wanted to try a nude lipstick but didn't want to spend a whole lot of money,  for fear I'd end up with 'concealer lips'. Thank god though it didn't happen. I was so impressed with this, its so so comfortable on my lips, not in the slightest bit drying, in fact you wouldn't know you were even wearing a lipstick! I did pick up a couple more of them, and I picked up 2 matte ones, but even those aren't as drying as some other matte formula's. The colour of this is so nice, (see below), it just adds a slight colour to the lips and a little bit of shine, and its a bargain aswell at under 5 euro!                

                                              Swatch of Catrice Hey Nude



Rimmel Colour Rush Balm in Keep Mauving:
You can always count on Rimmel to come up trumps when it comes to trends in the make up world, and they've definitely done that with these lip balm crayons. I picked it up one day in a red colour, and it packed a real punch when it came to pigmentation! For a balm the colour payoff is excellent, and they are so moisturising its unbelievable. This mauve colour is great for every day wear, as its natural but there's a hint of pink in there to stop it from being too boring. Pricewise they're only about 7 euro, which is a bargain!

                                      Rimmel Colour Rush Balm in Keep Mauving    

Rimmel Apocalips In Apocalyptic:
Silly me forgot to take a picture of my own one... Silly me, but at least I remembered to swatch it! Everyone and their mother has heard of these, and I've mentioned them before so I'm not going to go on about them too much. But I really love these! For a while I was frustrated with them because I couldn't get the application right. I was applying them more like a lip gloss, which is not what they are! Once I realised that and applied them slowly and precisely like a lipstick I got to love them! Again they're a great price at only 7.95 (I think), so its worth giving them a go!

Rimmel Apocalips in Apocalyptic  (far right)

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie: 

 Turns out I forgot to take a picture of my lip butter aswell.... Ah!!! I'm really slipping up today ladies, apologies! I don't need to say too much about these either, because they are so well known from various blogs etc... I have the lip butters in 3, maybe 4 colours, and this is the one I turn to regularly, especially in the winter. There's nothing I can say about these that hasn't been said already, super soft and buttery on the lips, amazing colour payoff and pigmentation, what's not to love! Well... The price is the only thing I don't love as much. Its more on the high end of the drugstore at 11 euro.... But none the less, they are lovely products, especially if you're in the market for a bright lipstick these are especially great because you can start off with applying them quite sheerly, and build them up! 

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie (2nd from right)

So that's it for my Top 5 Lip Products....

Have you any different ones?

Thanks for reading..

Alisha xxx

Top 5 Cheek Products 2013

Today I'm back with the second post in my Top 5 of 2013 series. This year was the year I fell hard for cheek products. Blush, bronzer, highlighter, you name it I tried it.
So here's the one's I really fell for in 2013!


First up is Sleek's Blush in Pixie Pink.. Well actually, any of Sleek's blushes! The quality of them is fantastic, and the colour pay off is better than most other blushes I've tried! A tiny bit goes a long way with any of them, otherwise you will end up looking a bit clown faced! The one I've pictured here is Pixie Pink, which is a really girly Barbie pink colour, and on the cheeks it just looks really natural and adds a nice pop of pink colour. And they're a bargain at 6 euro!
Next up is a fairly recent purchase of mine, Benefit's Dandelion. I had been wanting to try a Benefit blush for ages, and eventually I did! I can genuinely see the fuss around them now. Dandelion is a beautiful Coral pink, with some slight glitter through it, which is great because it means you don't need a highlighter with it. Result, especially if your a lazy bones like me! At 34 euro though they aren't cheap, but I think this will last a long time. Next one I'm eyeing up is Rockateur! 
I discovered the brand MUA last year aswell, and on a few trips to England I picked up a few bits. This Undressed highlighter was perhaps the best of the bunch! (Besides the eye shadow palettes,if you haven't tried them you must) I've seen some people compare it to one of the MAC highlighters, which of course I can't remember the name of now, but I will pop it in when it comes back to me! Its a gorgeous pinkish highlighter, which adds a really subtle glow to the face when applied. I hadn't really tried any highlighters before this one, and now I definitely don't want to try anymore! It was only some crazy price too, around 4 euro I think!
NYC is another brand that is super friendly to your wallet if you're on a serious budget, but still like to get your beauty fix. This Colour Wheel Mosaic Powder in Rose Glow is one I turn to if I'm not wearing a lot of make up, or if I just want to keep my cheek's natural. It just makes me look healthy, and for that I love it! Again its not expensive, I think its about 4 euro at the most!
I love Rimmels products, they're bang on trend with every new trend in the make up world, and they make them more affordable for everybody which is always a plus! This Mono Blush in Pink Rose isn't new by any means, but it is one I've reached for a good bit throughout 2013 and I felt I had to include it! Again this is just a really natural colour blush, and its one I'd wear a lot, especially for work and just every day when I'm not up to much!

                                          LEFT: Pixie Pink, Right: Dandelion


So that completes my roundup of my fave cheek products! Is there any that you all like that I don't have included? What are they?

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

2013... The Highs and the Low's ...

Its hard to believe that another year is over, and that 2014 is creeping up on us, slowly but surely... 2013 for me was definitely a mixed bag of emotions and what nots, and I think its nice to take time and look back on it and reflect before another year comes charging at me head on..

Highs:

• At Easter last year, myself and my mother bit the bullet and joined Weight Watchers. I had put on near a stone, and at 5''1, and over 10 stone, I was very unhappy in myself. Sure people kept telling me it didn't matter, and maybe to them it didn't because to them I was still the same, but it mattered to me, because I felt so crap in myself because I felt heavy and sluggish, and a lot of my clothes didn't fit anymore. :( So when I did bite the bullet I was delighted, because I had a goal to aim for, and I was determined to do it. And by God I did it! I lost over a stone and a half, and went from 10''1 to 8''5 and I feel like a completely different person. To go from wearing size 12 to size 8 is such an unbelieveable feeling for me because never in my life have I been a size 8, until now! It just shows that goals are achievable if you do set your mind to it and are determined to do it!
• 2013 was the year that I discovered beauty blogs and beauty channels on YouTube. I don't know why but before this year they seemed to slip by me somehow! After a lot of thinking and consideration, I set up this blog and I'm very glad I did, I've got some amazing feedback off friends and family, and although in recent weeks I've lost my blogging mojo, I am determined to work very hard on this blog in 2014 and make it something I will be very proud of. 
• This is a bit of a soppy one, but I really learned the true value of friends and family in 2013. I think it is often something we take for granted, but throughout this year I have developed a bond with my cousins that I didn't think was possible. I'm not saying that we were never close but 2013 brought us all closer together, and hopefully that will last for many more years to come. 

• Lows:

Without a doubt, the biggest low of 2013 was losing my beloved grandfather. He lived just around the corner from me, and so for that reason I saw him pretty much every day. I know to some people this is odd, but not seeing my grandparents to me and my brother was odd. It was just our families way. Unfortunately back in August he took ill very suddenly, and never recovered, and passed away peacefully on Ladies Day of the Galway Races. It was heartbreaking for all the family because he was the life and soul of the party. Words can't explain how much a part of our life he was and how much he will be missed, but I have no doubt that he is in a better place with the rest of the loved ones that we've lost. 

How was 2013 for you all?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

What I Got For Christmas 2013

Hey everyone! Its nearly time to wrap up another year and look ahead to a new start in 2014... Madness! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and got lot's of nice goodies off Santa Clause! :) I myself had a quiet enough one, I spent it in the company of my family, and saw my boyfriend Xmas Eve, and then popped out to visit his family on St Stephens day, and then hit the town with my gal pals on St Stephens night, which for once was really good!
I thought I'd do a quick post on what I got for Christmas this year, I'm NOT showing off, but I have been watching videos on You Tube from various bloggers on what they got, and I just find them really interesting to watch for some reason! So I figured I would show you all some of what I got! I was really lucky this year and got some amazing gifts, so I'm just going to show you some of the bits I got... :)

So I know some people wouldn't find books very exciting... But I love reading, and am really trying hard to get back into it! My parents picked me up this book from Mitch Albom, entitled 'the first phone call from heaven' and so far I'm loving it! My boyfriend gave me this tourist guide of New York City, and at first I was a bit confused... But the main part of my Christmas present is.... A trip to New York!! How exciting is that! My jaw nearly hit the floor when he told me!! He gave me a choice between Paris and New York.. And of course I opted for New York! I've already started hunting out the different make up brands that we can't get here to pick up when I get there! Sad or what!! :)

The next two pictures are a couple of the presents from my brother, and I have to say he did well this year! He picked me up a heap of lovely goodies from LUSH, including some bath bombs and melts, and I also got another set which contains some shower jelly, some bubblegum lip scrub, some lip balm and some other bath bombs and bubble wands etc... I am so excited to try them as I've never tried any of the bath products from LUSH, and I'm more of a shower person, so I'm going to use it as an excuse to have more baths!! :D  This jewelry set was also a gift from him, and I love it!! I have earring like these anyway, so the necklace is perfect to wear with them, and I love the teal colour for something different! Thanks bro!!

This watch is my new baby, I absolutely love it! My parents bought me this, and it is absolutely beautiful, its a rose gold colour, and the face is a white kind of shell colour, (I'm sure there's a word for it but I can't think of it). The best thing about this is that it doesn't need a battery! Its a mechanical watch, so you give it a wind up as much as you can and its good to go for 2 to 3 days before it needs to be wound up again!

My boyfriend's family were very good to me again this year. I got this Ted Baker Sitting Pretty set from his parents, and its lovely! The bag is gorgeous and will be perfect for putting make up in, and the products in it smell lovely too, slight floral but fresh at the same time!
And from his sister and her husband I got this little pedicure set! It contains some really pretty nail varnishes that I can't wait to use, and also some toe separators, and I think the little owl is a nail file, how adorable!!

I have to say I'm very luck and privileged to have gotten such amazing things from such wonderful people. I know there's a lot of people out there who may be sick in hospital, and there may be a lot of families out there who don't know how they'll get food on the table, never mind get each other presents, and for that reason I consider myself so lucky.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and wish you all the best for 2014, and to anyone who has ever looked at my blog, even if it was just for a brief look, thank you so much!

Thanks for reading guys,
Alisha xxx

Benefit Haulage!

Recently I posted on this blog about a recent love affair that developed between me and a very famous primer from Benefit, The Porefessional... I had a sample size that I squeezed every last drop out of and decided when it was all gone that I was going to take the plunge and purchase the full size!
I was in Dublin recently with a couple of friends, so while doing a spot of shopping we ventured into Brown Thomas, as we all wanted to pick up a few bits and soak up the Christmas atmosphere..
So this is what I bought!!

So like I said I had intended on picking up The Porefessional anyway, but then the guy working at the counter showed me this little box set, and it seemed way better value so I snapped it up! For 55 euro I got a full size of The Porefessional, a full size of They're Real Mascara, a mini Coralista lip gloss, and a mini Sun Beam highlighter, (which I have tried and love by the by)... Considering the primer is 34 euro alone this is a great way of trying additional products without having to fork out!

One of my friends with me was also raving about the Coralista blush from Benefit, so I was going to try it, as I had been contemplating trying one of the blushes as they are so well known and raved about. However after a scathing look from the Benefit man and a 'You're far to pale for that colour love', I opted for this one that he picked up and tried on me instead. The one he chose was Dandelion, and to be fair he made the right choice, as its a perfect light mauve/pink colour that looks really pretty on the skin. This also cost 34 euro, so I have to admit I did feel slightly guilty walking out of Brown Thomas.. But oh well, its Christmas after all!

So far I am really liking the products I've tried from Benefit, so I won't say no to trying a few more!

Thanks for reading,

Alisha 

xxx

Make Up Monday

Ok so first off I know I am a day late with this and I apologise profusely for this, but it was hard to get it up when I got home from work after having dinner, going for a walk and getting a shower! But better late then never I guess!
So this week I've been trying to go through my make up bag and try a few bits that don't get as much love as they should.

So this week its the turn of my Rimmel Stay Blushed Cheek Tint!
To be honest I had previously considered cheek tints and similar products to be more for the Summer time, which is understandable seen as they are a cream product.

Rimmel describe this as a 'lightweight liquid cheek tint which blends instantly and seamlessly for a natural flush of colour'.

And it does exactly what it says on the tin! For the last week or so I've been trying to go for more of a bold lip, and so I  haven't wanted to go over the top with the rest of my make up. Which is why I pulled out this baby! 

I really really am impressed with this stuff. A little goes a long way, so a tiny little dot of this on my finger and blended in with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush leaves me with a nice flushed colour on my cheek that lasts all day. 

I have this in the colour Pop Of Pink, which is exactly what it is, just a nice natural pink colour! 

Its 6.59 and available from your usual Rimmel Stockists! :)

The Battle of the Lip Lacquers!

This year it seemed like the 'it' product was lip lacquers. Rimmel set the beauty world alight with the release of the much anticipated Apocalips, and since then many other brands have jumped on bored with their tuppence worth.
Recently I went into Boots, and after picking up two products that I had my eye on for ages, (more on these later), I had to find a 3rd item to make up my 3 for 2, (which is a harder task than you'd think in Boots believe it or not), I ended up choosing this Colour Pro Lip Lacquer from Collection, as I haven't tried much from the brand.
After having used both offerings from each brand, I figured it would be nice to do a post comparing the two, as considering they're both meant to be lip lacquers, they should both work in the same way, right? Well lets find out!

Rimmel Apocalips: Rimmel say that these provide 'The intense rich colour of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin smooth shine', and I have to say they do deliver on everything they say!  At first I wasn't very taken with these. Perhaps it was the unusual texture, or the fact they were very hard to use without making a mess, and because I bought them in all the bright bold colours, it always ended up that I left the house looking like I did my make up in the dark. Epic fail. However, after finally getting to grips with these, and figuring out how to apply them without looking like a bad drag act, (actually a drag act would probably still have done it better than me), I love them! So much so that I had bought 6 out of the 8 colours available at the time in them! The texture of these are real creamy, and packed full of pigment. They just feel so comfortable on the lips, and after the initial wet feeling upon application, they do dry to a nice glossy finish. I myself personally do find that they wear a bit after eating or drinking, but even so they do still leave a slight stain on the lips, particularly the stronger colours. My personal favourites of the bunch are Stellar, which is a fab coral red colour, and Apocalips, a lovely deep pink colour which I love for nights out! I have been tempted to wear it for work somedays, but I haven't been brave enough to do it yet... But someday! I'll pop in some swatches of these below so you can see the colours and texture's for yourselves!  The packaging of these is also something a bit different, Rimmel really made the effort to make sure it suited the name of the product! These released earlier in the year with just 8 colours in the collection, which isn't bad really, but now they've upped that to 13!! They are priced at 7.95 each and are available in Boots and your local Rimmel stockists!

Collection Colour Pro Intense Lip Lacquer: Collection is another drugstore brand that is well known with bloggers, probably most for its Lasting Perfection Concealer. I'm yet to try that however, so on a whim when in Boots the last day, I decided to pick up a product I hadn't heard much about from the brand, just to see were they a good all rounder brand. I picked up the colour 3, which first of all is a bit disappointing that they don't actually have names for these, personally I just think that the number only is a bit boring. Regardless, I picked up the colour I thought I'd wear most, which is a nice bright bubblegum pink, which strangely is something I don't have in my collection! Collection say that these leave a 'lacquer like finish for the evening or a subtle sheen for day time wear'. First of all, the texture is really really different to that of the Apocalips. Its sticky upon initial application, and just remains that way for the length it remains on the lips. I applied some about an hour ago, maybe more, and my lips are still sticky! Now I  don't have a problem with that, but its just something to note incase you don't like that in a lip product. Colour wise, they are pigmented, but nowhere near as much as the Apocalips, (or maybe its just the colour I chose, I don't know). Again I'll pop in a swatch below so you can see for yourselves. I also find it hard to apply these, not in the same way as the Apocalips, but more in the sense that the applicator on these nearly drags across your lips and doesn't disperse the product very well. Really to me, these are just a highly pigmented lip gloss. A lip lacquer to me should be somewhat similar to a lipstick, but in a liquid form, and I'm afraid to say that this doesn't meet that definition for me. Packaging wise, there's nothing very different about this product for me, it just looks like a standard lip gloss or lip product. Another downside with this is there's just 4 colours! They are priced at 6.49 from Boots.

Overall I was fairly disappointed with the Collection offering. I did have high hopes for it, and had imagined it to be a lot creamier than it turned out to be... It just is a big sticky thumbs down from me, but seen as I got it for free in the 3 for 2 I can't be too upset. If you are looking to try a lip lacquer from the drugstore, I think at the moment the Rimmel ones are probably the best ones to try! And there not expensive, so if at the end of the day you're not a fan there's no harm done.

                                        Rimmel Apocalips in Apocalyptic and Stellar

                                       Collection Colour Intense Lip Lacquer in Shade 3
So that's it guys, have you tried either of these?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

November Favourites!

Here we are again, the end of another month! Am I the only one that feels like time is going way too fast and it should just slow down a biteen? I mean this time 4 weeks Christmas will have been and gone!
This month I'm back with another quick round up of things I've been loving and reaching for on most days.. So here we go!!

So there isn't really a whole lot of favourites this month, as generally I just keep reaching for the same thing over and over until it runs out and my hand is forced to try something else! 

Benefit The Porefessional: I did a brief post on this earlier this week, and I won't dwell on it again too much, but I can't believe how good this stuff is! It minimises the overly large pores on my nose instantly, and it has a really soft and smooth texture that you wouldn't even know you're putting it on your face! 

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara: I have mentioned before that I'm not really that fussy on mascara, mainly because to me mascara is much of a muchness. But for some reason this one is a game changer for me! I got it in one of the sets Soap And Glory released at Christmas time last year, and finally I got around to using it, and so far I'm loving it! It just seems to coat my lashes really well, without getting excess mascara all over my face or in my eye, and it doesn't clump up either! 

Superdrug Face Masks: I picked up some of these little face mask sachets a few months back when I was in Birmingham for my cousins wedding, and I absolutely loved them! So much so when I ran out, I got my brother to pick me up some in Superdrug in Preston before he came home from college for the Summer! There's something for everyone in the range, depending on what type of skin you have. The two I've pictured here are the deep cleansing mask, and the berry exfoliating mask, but recently I've used up the yogurt smoothie mask for dry skin, and my skin is so soft after using it! 

Roger and Gallet Cedrat Fragrance: Roger and Gallet do some absolutely gorgeous fragrances, and if you haven't checked them out by now you seriously should! This particular Cedrat fragrance is not your typically citrus cent, as it has a slight musk to it also, which in my opinion makes it easy to wear in either Summer or Winter! 

Nivea Lip Butter: I'm kind of cheating with these, considering I only bought it like a week ago! But after using them I couldn't but mention them! They smell divine, which isn't really important when talking about a lip butter, but it helps doesn't it? But the formula of these is just as nice, as its so soft and supple on the lips, and it contains shea butter among many other ingredients to keep the dry lips that the dreaded Winter brings at bay! 

MUA Undress Me Too Palette: For such a long time I was dead set against trying the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay, mainly because of the price, (that has changed since seeing pictures and swatches of Naked 3, I need/want/must have that Palette). Then I found out that UK brand MUA had probably the most close dupes to the Naked Palettes, so I gave them a go, and I'm so so glad I did! This is the dupe for the Naked 2 palette, but I've been reaching for this every single morning this month without fail, because the colours in it are practical for every day wear, but at the same time could create a perfect smokey eye for a night out! 

Yankee Candle Wax Tarts: Ok this one is a bit random, but over the last few months I've developed a bit of an obsession with these little guys! When I'm getting ready for work or bed, I light my burner by my bed and melt which ever tart I fancy at the time, and the smell just fills up the room! They are so handy if you're not really into candles, because these pack just as much of a punch as the large jars from Yankee Candles do. I'm currently burning a vanilla scented one, (can't remember the exact name), but I'm dying to light Merry Marshmallow and Fireside Treats! 

So that's it for this month ladies! Not much in it, but as I said, I've generally been reaching for the same things time and time again so I don't want to bore you all! 

What have you been loving for November? 

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx