Lazy Girls Guide to taking off Make-Up

As much as I love make-up and putting it on, there's no better feeling than taking it off after a long day or night. But what do you do when you arrive home late after a night out, or you're so tired after a long day at work that you'd love nothing more than jumping straight into bed as you are?
Well you'll be glad to know that happens to most of us women. The effort of having to cleanse tone and moisturise seems huge at night, so if for some reason you decided to give it a miss, I'm showing you 3 super quick ways to at least remove your make up before you hit the hay.

Soap and Glory Off Your Face Wipes: Ok, I know face wipes are bad for your skin and dry it out and this that and the other, but even if you just use them when you come in at 3am after a night on the tiles they won't do too much damage. These particular ones from Soap and Glory claim to have 3 in 1 properties, in that they cleanse, tone and smooth the skin. They also claim to minimise pores, and soften skin... All I know is they remove my make up and that's really all anyone wants from face wipes isn't it? If you're familiar with the Peaches and Clean cleanser and like the smell then you'll love these as its the exact same fruity yet minty smell! Its 6.00 for a pack, and they are just handy to have for make up removing emergencies! (If there's such a thing).

Garnier Micellar Solution: Ok so I only got this last week, but it doesn't have to be this particular one, it can be any micellar solution! They are possibly the quickest way of removing your make up! A couple of drops on a cotton pad and a quick wipe of the face and you're done! It removes any make up, even the most stubborn mascara, which is great as it cuts out needing to use a separate eye make up remover. If you're not familiar with micellar solutions at this stage, they are a clear substance which almost looks like water, which contain 'micelles' which act in a way similar to magnets, which then draw out the make up and other impurities from the skin. Again I wouldn't use it as a replacement to proper cleansing and toning, I'd use it as an extra  step in the process, but if you're feeling lazy at least if you use this you can feel slightly less guilty going to bed! ;) Its 6.29 from most pharmacies!

L'Oreal Miracle Cleansing Oil Face and Eyes: I left this until last because its the one that requires the most effort, but even at that its minimal. All you do is take 2/3 drops of the oil, rub it on to your face until it turns to a white slightly milky texture, and then rinse off with warm water. It literally removes every ounce of make up from my face! I had thought it didn't really suit my skin first, because after a couple of uses I had a couple of break outs, but I think it was coincidence because after giving it a break for a while and coming back to it again, its grand! Its 10.79 which is slightly more expensive than the others, but you use so little of it at a time that it will last ages!

So that's it ladies, that's what I do when I'm falling into bed but need to take my make up off!
What about you ladies? Do you use anything like this or do you mind going to bed with your make up on?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks

Happy Paddy's weekend everybody! I hope you are all well and happy and enjoying whatever you're up to! I'm back today with a review of another product from Wet N Wild, and this time its their Mega Last Lipsticks!

I had heard so much about the lipsticks from various bloggers, so I had actually been planning on picking some up when I got to the States, (4 weeks to go woohoo) but when Wet N Wild arrived here I breathed a sigh of relief. Now I could buy myself some of these famous lipsticks, while at the same time freeing up some room in my suitcase for lots more make up! Win Win! :)
So before I tell you what I think, I'll tell you what the brand themselves say about their product.

'This 4 hour, long-wearing lip colour, leaves a semi-matte, creme finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich velvety colour that doesn't cake, feather or bleed.'

While I do like these a lot, I don't agree with the blurb completely. I find application to be slightly difficult as the lipstick actually pulls at the lips when putting it on. So glides on? Me don't think so! However once its on its a completely different story altogether! The product itself is so comfortable when its on! Its so creamy in my opinion it doesn't feel like a lipstick! I often find myself mushing my lips together like I would if I had a lip balm on, because I honestly can't believe that its so comfortable to wear! Another great thing about these is that they last ages after being applied. I've eaten and drank while wearing these lipsticks, and although they do transfer a little bit, you're not left with all your lipstick on the side of a glass and none on your lips! I find they last maybe 4 to 5 hours on me without being topped up, but even if it didn't I wouldn't mind, because I don't have an issue with reapplying lip products throughout the day. I do notice that after wearing the lipstick for some time, my lips do eventually feel a little bit dry, but nothing that a dab of lip balm won't sort out.
Although they aren't a completely matte finish, they do cling to dry patches (I found out the hard way, so do make sure your lips are prepped before use.

                                 L-R: Rose Bud, Red Velvet, Just Peachy, Smokin Hot Pink, Mauve Outta Here


I have five of these in total and the colours I have are:

• Red Velvet which is a bright almost coral red. Its a beautiful shade and although its one I don't go to every day, I know its one I'll reach for in the Summertime quite a lot as it'll be gorgeous with a tan, be it fake or real. ;)
• Just Peachy This is a shade I just picked up recently, but it's fast becoming my favourite colour altogether! Its a lovely peach shade, which I didn't think would suit me too much, but its so nice on!  Its what I thought Rimmel's Apocalips in the shade Luna was going to be, but so much more at the same time. Since I bought this its the only lip product I've worn every day since, I just love it so much! 
• Rose-Bud I picked this up prior to Just Peachy, because I thought this would be more suitable for my skin tone as it was slightly darker. This looks like a dark peach kind of nude shade in the bullet (great descriptions I know), but when its on my lips it nearly looks more brown. I'm not saying I don't like it, because it is a very weareable shade, its just not my favourite of the bunch. 
• Mauve Outta here is a really wearable mauve pink shade. Its a great every day shade, and is something I just throw on if  I'm feeling lazy but want to wear something on my lips! As they say in the beauty blogging world its a 'your lips but better shade' ;)
• Smoking Hot Pink is last, but by no means least. I left it until last because I haven't actually worn this yet, but what I can tell you is its a bright blue toned pink which I think will be a nice alternative to the dark winter shades for nights out! 

So they are all I have for now, but I have to say there's a couple other shades catching my eye, Sugar Plum Fairy being one of them (its meant to be dupe for MAC'S Rebel). These are great lipsticks for the price, which is ridiculous at only 2.99! However, you get what you pay for in the line of packaging. Packaging never usually bothers me with products unless its impractical in some way, which in this instance it is. The lipstick itself doesn't twist down all the way, so every time you take the lid on and off the product, it nicks the lipstick leaving big marks in the product which is a bit of a pain. Besides that though, I'm seriously in love with these. It just shows that you don't have to pay big money for a good quality product, and with so many shades to choose from (26 in total on Wet N Wild's website, not sure if they all made it over here), you will more than likely find a couple of MAC dupes. 

Have you lovely ladies tried these? If so, what's your favourite?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Spring has Sprung!

Finally, the sun has made its appearance and its beginning to feel a lot like Spring. Although next week there could potentially be snow, rain and any other god nasty weather, but for now I'm making the most of the bright yellow ball in the sky. In celebration of said bright yellow ball, I've decided to shake up my make up bag a bit, and add in some products that I feel reflect the change in the weather.
So here's what I've chosen!

Coral shades more or less scream Springtime to me, so I've added in my Sleek Blush Trio In Lace because its just so pretty. It has 3 differing shades or coral shades in it, with the middle shade including some glitter which means it doubles up as a highlighter! As with all other Sleek blushes, they are super pigmented so a little goes a long way.  I picked mine up from Cloud 10 Beauty for 10 or 11 euro, which is great value!

As you've learned from previous posts, I have a soft spot for blush, lots and lots of blush... So I couldn't not add in this beaut also from Sleek, Pixie Pink.  Its a real Barbie pink colour, and in the pan it looks petrifying,  but when applied to the cheeks it just gives a really natural colour to the skin. Something similar to being out for a nice brisk walk in my opinion. Again, super pigmented, so you only need to tap the brush ever so slightly into the product to get enough for both cheeks! This only costs around 5 euro again from Cloud 10 Beauty.

Back in my late teens I developed an obsession with coloured liquid eyeliner, No 7 ones in particular. However they did get pushed to the side as I got more 'mature' (I lie, I'm still 12 inside). But now that the sun is shining, I feel like giving them another go, so I've rediscovered this beautiful teal green one from Rimmel, so I'll be using this to add a pop of colour to my usual every day eyelook, (neutrals, neutrals, oh and more neutrals). I can't remember when I got this, so can't remember the price, but its Rimmel so its not going to be expensive, I'd say around 5 or 6 euro.

MUA are one of my favourite brands by far, I can't get enough of their eyeshadow palettes, and this Glitter Ball palette is one my mother very kindly got me last year but I never used. Its all glittery shades, but its made up of a variety of different colours, from pinks to nudes (yay), greens and purples. Its just really nice bright and colourful palette for something a bit different and I can't wait to get some good use out of it. It was also cheap as chips at 4 pounds, so less than 5 euro!

The last thing I took out of my ever expanding lip product collection was this Revlon Lip Butter in Sorbet. Its a real beauty, a nice vibrant pink, perfect for Spring/Summer evenings. I was so eager to try this in fact that I took it out today. I was less than impressed to discover the bullet of the lipstick come clean out of the packaging however. And the reason for this is I'm assuming is because the bullet didn't actually fit into the packaging properly. It was actually the opposite way to what it was meant to be! So it kept banging of the plastic and lumps were being knocked off it all sides aswell.... However I do love the colour, so I think I will repurchase it nearer to the Summer. For the time being I may use one of my other bright colour lip butters instead.

So ladies and gents... For now this is what I shall be using to brighten up my face while the weather is nice!
I'm sure I've plenty more I can add at later dates so I shall keep ye all posted!
Is there anything here you've tried?
What do you use to jazz up your make up bag for Spring?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

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

Penney's/Primark Picks!

So more or less since Christmas, I am being very sensible and trying not to shop needlessly, because I'm going away in a few weeks time and want to save as much as possible for that. I could easily go in to Penney's and spend 80 or 90 euro in one go, but I've been doing well lately and haven't bought anything in there really in weeks! Until now that is. I've been so good that I decided I could go in and pick up just a few bits to brighten up my wardrobe for when Spring eventually realises that its late getting here and the sun comes out!

First up I bought socks. Lots of socks. I don't know why I bought so many really because its not like anyone  is going to see them except me. I just couldn't resist the quirky colours and animals! I think my favourites though are the ones on the right, which are so so handy for wearing with pumps and open shoes in the summer. I hate wearing shoes without socks, and I won't wear popsocks (smelly feet central), so these are perfect as they are cotton like normal socks, so they don't make your feet sweat too much.

Its not  a trip to Penney's without a look in the accessories section. They have so many pretty things in there, including some beautiful sequined bags, but I restrained myself and just picked up this trio of bracelets. I love the colours, and the different designs all within the one bracelet! It came in plenty of other colours but this was my favourite.

Can anyone go into Penney's without checking out the make up? Just me? I spotted these eyeshadow palettes on the Essence stand and I couldn't decide between the two of them, so I got both. The first one has some really pretty pastel colours, which will make some really nice eye looks when the weather picks up, and the second one has more neutral colours in it. The colours seem to have a pink tone to them, reminding me of the Naked 3 palette, so I figured I'd give it a go. They were only 4.89 euro each, and there was other colours in them aswell, so well worth a look I think!
I spotted  these Catrice 8 Hour Lip Polishes online a few weeks back and HAD to have them. The idea seems similar to the YSL Glossy stains, the colour of a lipstick, with the shine of a gloss and a staining effect after the glossiness wears off, topped off with the promise of 8 hours wear time! I picked up two shades, Mission Pinkpossible, which is a really bright blue toned pink, and Strawberry's Secret, which to me is a nice light coral colour. I'll  be putting these through their paces in the next few weeks and doing a review, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

To finish I picked up some shoes. I love when the weather gets a bit warmer to get rid of my boots and heavier shoes and go for something light and girly, so when I saw these I had to pick up a couple of colours. They're so light and they're not completely flat so they'll be nice and comfy, and they'll go with lots of different bits and pieces, especially jeans and nice tops!
To match the coral shoes I then picked up this jumper to match. I know they look slightly different colours here, but I promise they are a lot closer in real life! Also, this jumper is a huge fit, I've ended up taking it in a size 6, and its still very big!

Have you ladies done any shopping lately?
If so what have you bought?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Sephora Wishlist

So last week Twitter was set alight with the news that Sephora now delivers to the UK. This is good news for all us Irish ladies aswell because thanks to the fantastic service that is Parcel Motel, we can also shop till we drop. Apparently there is a flat rate of 10 pounds for delivery for orders over 75 pounds, so if there was a couple of friends that also wanted a few bits then you could always go together and deliver would work out cheap as chips. Sephora have said that there won't be any customs charges, but I don't know is that for them. But still, we can shop in Sephora now! Woohoo!
Anyway, this news didn't really make any difference to me, because in 6 weeks time I shall be in New York, so I can actually go into a Sephora, and touch and see and swatch to my hearts content!
I have been eyeing up the website frequently to see what bits I'm going to get, and these are the products I've narrowed it down to. However all of these may not be possible as Sephora is more on the high end side, but we'll see. ;)

First of all is the Naked 3 palette. I've been thinking about this for ages now, but am yet to give in to the hype. There's something about the pink tones that are just calling out to me!

Next up is the Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion Lip Ink: I've heard great things about Sephora's own brand products and this Lip Ink looks really interesting. From the description it seems to be similar to the YSL Glossy Stains, but for a lot less money! Also, how cute is the test tube like packaging?

It wouldn't be a trip to the States without picking up an Amazonian Clay Blush from Tarte. Every beauty blogger across the globe has raved about these, and apparently the shade Exposed is great as a contour colour for fair skin. I'm akin to Casper the Friendly Ghost, and I can't contour to save my life, so this could be just what I need to get myself in gear to practice it a bit more.

Another really hyped up product is the famous Beauty Blender. Ok so this in reality is just a really expensive make up sponge, but after trying  and loving the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, and another copy of the BB that I picked up in TK Maxx, I just have to try this and see is it really worth it.

I've been wanting to try a full coverage foundation for ages, but haven't been able to find anything decent in the drug store, but the Kat Von D Lock It Foundation is meant to have exceptional coverage, and as its not available here I may be tempted to pick it up on my holiers! Its also a bit less expensive than some of the other more high end offerings, so that means more money to spend!

And last but by no means least is the Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush.  Apparently Sephora brushes are phenomenal, but browsing the site I didn't really see any that I liked. However, this brush from Tarte looks extremely sturdy with its bamboo handle, and it just looks like it would buff in foundation to perfection!

There was lots more I could really have added to this post, but I dread even seeing what these bits have added up to! But by the time I get around to going to New York I may have won the Lotto so I may be able to afford all these! ;)

Have any of you ordered from the Sephora site yet?
Have you been in Sephora?

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