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

Hask Keratin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner Review.

For some reason, haircare is something I've never gotten into. Perhaps its due to all the plaiting of my hair my mother did in my schooldays, (my hair was down as far as my backside almost), or perhaps its just because deep down my true love is make up, and always will be. But the point is, haircare has never been a top priority of mine. I previously used to straighten and blow dry my hair a fair bit, but in recent years I've decided to embrace the curliness, and just let it dry naturally and sometimes add a bit of mousse and I'm good to go. Because my hair is so try however, I tend to have problems with it being really really dry and brittle, especially at the ends. I decided to give somethings a go, including the infamous Argan Oil, but nothing worked.

 On a whim in Penneys one day I decided to pick up this set of shampoo and conditioner from the 'Hask' brand, but in the Keratin Protein formula, as opposed to the Argan Oil formula, and I have never been as glad that I did!

These are a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, which to me would be aimed at people with dry and damaged hair. Now I  wouldn't say my hair is damaged as such because I very very rarely but heat on it, but it is definitely more dry than I'd like it to me. These products claim to soften and renew such hair, and are free of sulfates and parabens, artificial colours, and alchohol, which which is another added bonus!

The products contain an ingredient called 'Hydrolysed Keratin' which apparently reduces frizz and protects the hair from humidity, which we all know can often reek havoc on our locks!

I have never been as impressed with anything as quickly as I have been with this, I've only used them 3 times each so far, but I really know that I'm onto a winner with these! My hair feels completely different after using these, and I can't actually believe its my hair! 

It's so soft in comparison to what it used to be, and the ends are also so smooth compared to before. 

I definitely would recomend these beauties to anybody who has had problems with their hair like I have had. I'm not as sure how they'd work if your hair was really damaged from heat and what not, but I'd say they're worth a try at least! 

These were 4.50 per bottle in Penneys, which is a little bit steep for something from Penney's but it is well well worth it in my opinion! They also do treatment oils, and deep conditioners, and if they are anything as good these products, I may just have to try!

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx

Lush Wishlist

Ah good old Lush. The only shop that I go into that gives me a pounding headache thanks to all the lovely goodies contained inside its 4 walls....Its not very often I get to visit a Lush shop because unfortunately there is none located in Galway, (Lush, sort this out), and its only when I'm either in Dublin or visiting my brother in the UK, that I get to go in and wander!
So if someone was to give me access to a Lush store right at this very moment, and a pocket full of cash to buy whatever I wanted, then here's what I would pick!

Let The Good Times Roll Face and Body Cleanser: I've heard Khila from Miss Budget Beauty rave about this and ever since I've been dying to try it. Its a cleanser, with possibly them most amazing ingredient in it..... Popcorn!!! Popcorn in a cleanser, imagine that! But anyway, this is a limited edition rolled cleanser that has been released for the Christmas season. Its made up of ingredients such as maize flower, polenta,cinnamon powder, and popcorn!! This is a cleanser that gently exfoliates the skin so it would be perfect for the party season, and the fact that it smells like caramel is only an added bonus! 

Snow Fairy: Another  Christmas product that has been raved about by bloggers all over the world that has peaked my interest. A bright pink shower gel  that apparently smells like sweets, what's not to like about this! I may have to ask my brother to bring me home some of this... Purely for research purposes of course! ;)

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb: I hadn't planned on this wishlist being all Christmas products... But that's just how its looking! Can you blame me though, look how pretty this is! It would actually be a shame to use this, but I guess leaving it sitting on the window would be a bit of a waste.. This is one of  the Lush bath bombs, which all have a surprise of some sort when you put them into the bath, usually in the form of some scents and colours, and sometimes even glitter! This particular one contains ingredients such as orange and cognac oil, and apparently turns the bath water all sorts of colours. I'm not one for baths, but this could be the thing that changes all of that!

Big Sea Salt Shampoo: A big trend this year in hair was volume, everyone wanted big hair! This shampoo from Lush aptly named 'Big' is packed full of coarse sea salt for volume, seaweed and coconut for softness, and lemon and limes for shine. It also contains fragrances such as neroli and vanilla so your hair actually won't smell like a big tub of salt, which can only be a good thing! 

Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask: A few years ago I got a really really bad dose of spots on my chin, which I tried and tried to get rid of and nothing worked. I was so self conscious of them I packed on the make up, which really didn't help matters. It was only until a trip up the north that I was given a sample of one of the fresh face masks (cosmetic warrior) in a Lush store that the pesky buggers finally cleared up! Now I only tend to get spots the very odd time, and if I was looking for a cleanser to keep my skin clear I'd be looking to try this particular mask. Packed full of blueberries, calamine powder, Irish moss gel, among many other ingredients, this is a mask that gives a good deep clean, and so keeping the pesky spots at bay!

I could've kept going with this post really, there's so much amazing stuff in the Lush store at the moment, but I figured I'd restrain myself! 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Boots Star Gift

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll all be aware of the 'Star Gift' concept Boots launched in recent years. If you have been living under a rock and have only just crawled out and are wondering what the hell I'm talking about, in the lead up to Christmas, Boots take a gift set from a well known brand, sometimes perfume, sometimes body care or make up, and they slash the price of it! Its usually at least 50 percent off, sometimes more. They then leave this set on offer for a week, and its changed up every week then in the run up to Christmas. Now as far as I was aware this usually begun the 1st week of December, but this year it seems to have started earlier!
So what's this weeks you may ask? Well here it is!

                                              Its this beauty from Ted Baker!
'The Great & The Gorgeous' is a gorgeous set jam packed with 11 products that beauty junkies are sure to love, and it also contains 4 brushes!
Its made up of:
                      Bronzer,
                      2 Lip Crayons,
                      Eye Liner Pen,
                      2 Eye Creams,
                      Eye Glitter,
                      2 Nail Varnishes,
                      Pink Illuminating Liquid,
                      Gold Illuminating Liquid.


This is a great gift idea for any age, and I know for a fact I would love to open this on Christmas Day! Its a bargainous price this week at 25 euro, down from 52 euro! These offers run from Thursday to Thursday, so if you do see something you like you'll have to be quick to snap them up!

Happy shopping!
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

October Favourites

Everyone loves a good favourites video don't they? So I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and show you the products I've been loving for the last month, just in written form instead of video! 

Soooo.... Who wants to see what I've been using constantly over the month of October?? 

So as you can see, there is a wide variety of things I've been enjoying, some not too interesting, but they've never been far from arm's reach for me, and it will quite possibly be the same for the rest of November too! 

First up is the perfume I've probably been reaching for the most this month. I don't know why but there's something about this scent that I just find very comforting at this time of the year. Its one of the Kate Moss perfumes, I think this was the first scent she release a few years back, and I was obsessed when it came out first, and then after a while began using other things, but for some reason I'm just as obsessed now as I was in the beginning! Its a floral scent, but at the same time its musky, so it definitely suits people that like both sweet and strong scents! Its not expensive either as a 30ml bottle is currently on the Boots website for 11.99! 

I'm a demon for eyeshadow and I have gathered quite a large amount over the years. Most recently I've been getting really into eye shadow palettes, and this one from Sleek is one I've been reaching for most days. A lot of beauty bloggers rave about Sleek as a brand, and I can see why! The pigmentation of the shadow's is amazing, and so far they are the must buttery soft, creamy shadows I've used! I've found that they work best for me with a primer, but that's not really an issue because I use one on a daily basis anyway. This particular palette is called the 'Storm' palette, and there's a great mix of colours in it to choose from! I particularly love to use this two shades in the top right corner as combined they are the perfect burgundy eye, especially when used with the 'Metallic Pomegranate' colour tattoo from Maybelline! These are a fantastic price at only 9.99 from Cloud10Beauty.

I am a Soap and Glory nutter. Its ridiculous! Every Christmas I'm one of the many women eyeing up the Boots website to find out what gift set is on offer that particular year, and what it contains and all the rest! This is the Smoothie Star Body Milk which I got in last years set, and OMG, I love the smell of this! When I started to use it first I wasn't sure what to make of the scent, as its a real foody smell, but now I'm obsessed! Its ingredient list is mouth watering, with ingredients including almond, cocoa butter, honey, oats and honey! Its 14.00 for a 500ml bottle, but it lasts forever! I've mine on the go since Easter time and I still have a good quarter of product left in the bottle! This is also available in a body 'buttercream' which makes it sound even better! I would assume its more of a body lotion formula, but either way its a winner. 

Everyone and their granny knows that lip crayons have been a huge trend in the beauty world this year. Clinique started the trend with the 'chubby sticks' and then Revlon introduced the 'Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain' into the drugstores also. Well now you can look at any brand in the drugstore, and its quite likely they'll have some offering. This one from Rimmel is probably the best I've tried so far! The colour payoff is amazing for something that is described as a lip balm of sorts, and it feels so comfortable on the lips! It does stain the lips, but its very slight. There is a variety of colours in these from nudes to reds, and I have 6 out of the 7 of them so far, and I can't pick just one as a favourite! These come in around 7 or 8.95 so not badly priced! 

This one is a bit random but after using it constantly for a week I had to put it in! Its the Carmex mint lip balm, and WOW is it minty! This is a thick enough consistency, and my lips have been starting to feel a bit drier so I decided I'd use this at night time to see did it help! Its so weird, its like one of those plumping lip glossed that make your lips tingle! Except this lasts for more than a few seconds! It doesn't bother me in the slightest but I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with that sensation. This was really inexpensive at only 2 or 3 euro in Penneys! 

Lastly, I can not get enough of this Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge! From someone who never had a Beauty Blender, I can't really compare the two, but I can say that I love this sponge. It just gives such a natural looking finish to my foundation, and its so multipurpose I also use it to blend my under eye concealer and my normal concealer! And it was so cheap at 4.99 aswell! I will definitely be picking up more of these just to have! The Brush Buff is something I've had for a while, but due to laziness on my part it hasn't got much use. Its an antibacterial cleanser for make up brushes, and is so easy to use! I just spray a bit on my brushes and then just wipe the brush clean. It sometimes takes a while as I don't wash my brushes as much as I should, (slaps wrist), but this little bottle takes the effort out of brush cleaning. It was 14.99 on Cloud10Beauty but a little does go a long way so it'll last a long time. 

So that's what I've been loving in October! I could have gone on... and on... and on... But I really didn't want to send anyone to sleep! 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

US Drugstore Items I NEED!!

Although there are some amazing things to be found in the drugstores here and in the UK, it seems those lucky suckers in the US get some bits waaaaaay before they hit our shores, and even at that, sometimes they never do! So I decided I'd compile a wish list of things I would be picking up if the day ever comes that I'll hit American shores!

To be honest if I could have fit a lot more bits and pieces into this picture I would have! But for now these picks will have to do!:D

First up in the top left is something I'm really really hoping will make its way over the us in the Emerald Isle, Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Pigments! I've been lusting after these since seeing they had been released a couple of months back so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I had a look at the Maybelline website and they come in so many colours so there's bound to be something for everyone! 

NYX are a brand that we can't really get here, which is a pity because they have some amazing stuff! One of the most popular and much loved products from the vast range available are these  butter glosses, which I think are more like a liquid lipstick! I saw Tarmarz talk about them in a recent video and she picked up some amazing colours in the US, so I think these would definitely be one of the first things I'd grab!

Next up, and the only thing that's higher end in this post is the Amazonian  Clay Blush from Tarte! Every blogger in America seems to love these. Soft, easy to blend and full of pigment, if only we could get them here! :(

WetnWild are another drugstore in the States, and the prices are just mental. I've just been browsing the Walmart website, and its buy one get one 50 percent off! Madness! Considering that the lipstick that I've pictured here is 1.99 (dollars) So you'd be getting another one for in or around a euro! I would grab any colours in these lipsticks because so many people have said they are super pigmented, and for that price you could afford to try loads! 

Another much hyped WetnWild product that is much raved about is the eyeshadow quads! Again these are so inexpensive, and they're meant to be such good quality! I wish all these brands would make there way to us, I'm getting serious cravings for all these new bits of make up now! 

Physicians Formula are probably one of the most well known American drugstore brands, and its no wonder, look how adorable this neutral eyeshadow pallette is and this blush is! 

Oh to live in the States, I definitely wouldn't have a cent left with all this amazingness!

I'm sure as time goes on there'll be more things added to this list.. As it is I've heard that Maybelline have released some limited edition matte colour tattoos! Considering there's only one matte shade in the collection as it is, this is great news. But will we get them... Who knows??

Thanks for reading guys,

Alisha xxx

Face Of The Day

I find it really interesting to look at these 'face of the day' posts on other blogs. Usually I get some great ideas about alternative ways to wear my make up, and a lot of the time I end up really wanting to try some new products. Seen as I had no work today I thought I'd take an opportunity to show you guys what I wear on my face on days off if I fancy wearing a little bit of make up.

For my base I used the Maybelline 'Dream Fresh' BB Cream in Light. I think I got this for dry skin and on first go of this on holidays I wasn't too impressed, especially after hearing so many bloggers raving over it! However I have given it a go a few times since then, and I have definitely changed my mind! It just tones down any redness and gives a light/medium coverage, without being too heavy on the skin. 

For concealer I used my two trusty sidekicks, again both Maybelline. (I just noticed that 4 out of the 6 products in this post are Maybelline... Hmmm... Anywho! For undereyes I continue to use 'The Eraser', and I just love the way this works, especially when I blend it in with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge! It just gives the most flawless finish ever! 

For blemishes and redness I use the Fit Me concealer. Its light but at the same time it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin at all! 

For blush I used this little guy from MUA. I love MUA, they do amazing products, but at the same time they are so inexpensive! So much so I've just put in an order... Including two of these cream blushes! They are cream blushes, but they have a cream to powder finish, meaning they blend in flawlessly! I think this one is called Dolly, but I could be wrong with that.. They are only like 2.99ish, so a great price for a great product.

And lastly for my eyes. This is my go to eyeshadow if I want a bit of colour on my lids when  I can't decide what I want, or else when I'm too lazy for the whole blending and crease work etc. Its the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in one of the most well known colours 'On and On Bronze. As you can see it does get a fair bit of use, but its so easy to use! You can put on a light layer and sheer it out, or else you can build it up to a more intense colour! I use this a lot as a base for my eyeshadow aswell, and it works brilliantly!

I'm not a huge mascara person as I've mentioned before. A mascara is a mascara to me, they all do the same thing. So at the moment I'm just using this Rimmel Scandalise one and its grand for everyday use.

On my lips I used a bit of my Eos Lip Balm and that was it!

So what do you guys use if your having a lazy day like me?

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

Essence Stay Matte Lip Creams

First of all, OH MY GOD, I am so so so sorry for my lack of postings recently. I would like to say I was super busy doing really cool things like most bloggers, but, I wasn't.. :( As a matter of fact, I just seemed to lose motivation to do a lot of things really, but now I'm back and raring to go!
So today's post is on one of the most bargainous beauty products of all time.
Essence is well known for its beauty bargains, and like most lower end beauty products, some are hits and some are misses. Not these Lip Creams however, they are fantastic!
The Matte Lip trend seems to be back with a bang this season, and everyone raves about the numerous MAC matte lipsticks, the most infamous probably being Ruby Woo, so I was interested to try a matte lip and see what all the fuss was about!
I actually have 3 of these, but there's two shades that are very very similar, so it didn't really make sense to picture the two of them, because really, if you have one then you don't need the other!

So the two shades I have are: Smooth Berry and Soft Nude. I also have another shade called Velvet Rose which is very similar to the shade Soft Nude, so I think it may have actually replaced it altogether! There is a 3rd and final shade called Silky Red, and I would imagine it would give a similar effect to Ruby Woo possibly, as its a very bright and vivid red. 

The texture of these are super soft and creamy, (obviously says you, they're a lip cream), and they are so comfortable on the lips, to me they almost feel like a lip balm! You wouldn't realise your wearing them at all.  The pigmentation of these is brilliant as you'll soon see in the pictures below, especially the Smooth Berry shade, for such a little tube, there's a lot of colour! However, they staying power isn't great. If you do eat or drink they disappear fairly quickly, but for me that wouldn't be a huge issue as I have no problem in reapplying lip products.

There is a slight vanilla scent of them however. Now its not overpowering or anything, but if you are someone who doesn't like scented products, then I don't think they would be for you! 

Application with these is very easy, as the product is dispensed on a doefoot applicator, and it because the product is a thicker consistency than say something like the Rimmel Apocalips, you don't have to worry about having too much product on the applicator, which is always a good thing! 

Obviously the one on the left is the Soft Nude shade, and the right hand shade is Smooth Berry. The pigmentation of these is amazing, and especially for the price which is something crazy like 2.89! I would love if they brought out more shades in these because I would definitely pick up some more... As a matter of fact, I'm contemplating picking up the red shade as it is! Essence do often release limited edition collections, so keep an eye for those incase they may release new shades as part of them! 

So what do you guys think? 

Would you try these or do you prefer a gloss finish?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Cloud 10 Beauty Purchases

So for any of you that aren't aware, Cloud10Beauty is an online beauty store, which sells some amazing products by some brands that would otherwise be really difficult to get here in the emerald isle. I decided I'd treat myself to some bits that I'd been eyeing up before, after reaching 1000 page views on this blog, so thanks to all you lovely people who have read it! :) Any who, I thought I'd show you what bits I picked up, so perhaps if your interested you may decided to do the same.

What I purchased was the much raved about Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, which I can't wait to try after having heard its something similar to the infamous 'Beauty Blender', an EOS lip balm, (how cute are they??) a Sleek single blush, and also a blush trio. 

Another thing I love about Cloud10Beauty is that you always get some free samples with your order, so I picked  a sample of the well known 'Tough Stuff' scrub from Cocoa Brown, and a  sample of Ren's Hydra-Calm-Global Protection Day Cream. 

The sponge isn't anything bar what you see here, so I didn't take an individual picture of that... But I did take some of the blushes, so lets get lookin!! 

This is one of Sleek's newest releases. As part of their 'vintage romance' collection they released this blush called 'antique' and I had to try it! To me it looked like it was going to be a mauve colour, but its actually more of a light brown with shimmer, but I'm still excited to give it a try!

This is the main thing that I was dying to get my hands on, put the photo really doesn't do it justice.. But it still looks super super pretty! Those pinks are amazing! The one on the far right is actually darker than it looks in the picture, and the colours are totally suitable for the winter, so hopefully I'll be looking like Snow White with super pale skin and lovely rosy cheeks.... Ha!

OMG. Like seriously, how cute is this lip balm! I had to take it out and try it as soon as it came, and I love it already and I know its never going to be out of my bag, especially now the days are getting a bit colder! The one I picked is Pomegranate/Raspberry, but there is loads of others too, I think the lemon one is my next try!

All of the items featured above and the prices etc are on the Cloud10Beauty website, which I've linked above.
Happy shopping!!
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Face of the day...

I dunno about you guys but I love seeing what products everyone else is using on a daily basis, not only because I find it really interesting, but also because if there's anything I don't have it more often than not makes me want to pick it up!
So here is what was on my face today!

For my primer I'm currently using this 'my base' illuminating primer from essence. It was only cheap, and I've gathered quite a collection of primers unknown to myself, so at the minute I'm just trying to use this one up, but its not bad for the small amount of pennies I paid for it!
For my foundation, I'm still absolutely loving this 'Stay Matte' mousse foundation from Rimmel. The finish it gives is flawless, and it just makes me look like I have absolutely perfect skin! (Which, for the record, I don't).
For blush, I've been leaning towards my Sleek blushes for the most part, if you haven't tried any then seriously, you are missing out! They are dirt cheap, and the pigmentation is fantastic! The colour I'm using at the minute (top left) is Rose Gold, which has been compared to Nars 'Orgasm', I don't have it so I can't honestly say, but I'm loving Rose Gold as its the perfect shade for any season, and the little subtle gold flecks in it make it a beautiful highlighter also!
For eyes, I'm still using my NYX hd eyeshadow primer, which makes my eye make up last forever! For eyeshadow I'm using my MAC duo, and the colours in it are 'dazzle me' and 'mulch' which are just great everyday neutral colours. I got these as a present, so I don't tend to use them too often, I tend to see them as my 'good' make up... Weird I know!
The mascara I'm using was also a gift, and its MAC Opulash. I'm not a big mascara fanatic, to me they all seem to do the one job, but again this was a gift, and I don't want to have to throw it out  without getting a good bit of use out of it!
And finally, for concealer, I'm still using my trusty Maybelline 'Fit Me' for any blemishes and also their 'The Eraser' for under my eyes.

So that's it!
Anything here any of you  have used or would like to try??
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Essence Lipsticks

I am a sucker for budget products. Give me a large quantity of budget friendly items instead of one higher end product and I'm happy out. Especially when it turns out that the products in question are actually good!
And that's the case with these newly released lipsticks from Essence. I'm not 100 percent certain if they are an altogether newly released product, or if they are just a reformulated product from before, but either way these lipsticks are fantastic from such a pocket friendly brand!

I picked up the lipsticks in 3 shades: Cotton Candy, which is a nice bright pink, Natural Beauty which is a pinkish nude, and my favourite of the bunch, Wear Berry as its perfect for the autumnal season!

Everything about these lipsticks is just lovely, the packaging, the colours, and even the actual design of the lipstick, how cute is that little e design on the lipsticks itself! For people that don't like scented beauty products, you'll be glad to hear that there's no scent, which I don't really like as I'd much prefer if there was some sort of smell off them. 

I had planned on swatching these on my lips, but there really dry at the moment so I didn't think anyone would really want to see that! From top to bottom the swatches are: Wear Berry, Natural Beauty, and Cotton Candy. 

If there is anyone out there thinking about trying them I would say give them a go! They are soft and creamy on the lips, and although they don't last too long on the lips, it isn't really a big deal, considering that they cost a mere 2.85! There was plenty more colours in these also, including some bright reds, so I may just have to back and get more! 

These are available nationwide from selected pharmacies, and selected Penney's stores, (I'd advise trying Penneys because they seemed to have a better selection).

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

October Wishlist.

So one day I was sitting down trying to figure out what kind of posts would work best on this blog, and this wishlist idea was one of the first that popped into my head. I've seen it done on other blogs and it does seem to work well,  so I decided I'd try it myself! I know some of you will look and say that's not much of a wishlist considering all the products are pocket friendly... But I have so much already its taking all the restraint I have not to get them all! 

So onto the things I'm lusting after! 

Sleek Vintage Romance Collection:I can't lie, I love Sleek Cosmetics. If you haven't tried there eyeshadow palettes, or there blushes, then seriously, what rock are you under??? The pigmentation is great, and the prices are extra great! They are an English brand, but are available online here from Cloud10Beauty, or BeautyEmporium, but in my opinion Cloud10Beauty have a better selection. This 'Vintage Romance' collection looks absolutely beautiful... Especially the blush! Its really going to take all my self restraint not to give in and buy it. Or else my mother taking control of my laser card. One or the other. 

Soap And Glory The Yule Monty Collection: I know its way too early for this I know, but as soon as I saw it in the Boots catalogue I knew it would be mine! Its jam packed with some of Soap And Glory's most loved products, some of which I'm  yet to try including the Sugar Crush body wash, and The Scrub of Your Life exfoliator. Now all I need to do is wait for Christmas to get here!

Sleek Blush Trio in Pink Sprint: You may see a pattern emerging here with the Sleek products, but get a look at the colour of the pinks in here! Packed full of pigment and easily worn in any season it's well work the 10 euro (ish) price tag. 

 Rimmel Colour Rush Lip Balm: I have tried one of these already and all I can say is... Can I have some more, please? Considering its described as a lip balm, I was convinced these were just going to leave me with a sheer wash of colour, which is why I got the brightest red in the bunch, as I was starting off easy and working my way up to a much deeper red. But its so pigmented that idea went out the window! I'm looking forward to trying more of the more neutral of the bunch, but not for a while as I really need to get some use out of all the lip products I have already! 

Incase your wondering, any of the Sleek items can be bought online at Cloud10Beauty HERE

So that's what I'm lusting after at the moment. 

Is there anything you guys really really want?

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx

Saturday night sessions!

It may be a surprise to hear that for a 25 year old woman, I'm not overly pushed on going out on Saturday nights, especially considering my obsession with make up and beauty related products. Occasionally I do venture out, and I do spend great time and effort into how I look. But for the most part, Saturday night to me is the one night I can utterly relax, and so I look forward to coming home and putting my feet up watching the TV in my pyjamas. But not after a nice relaxing shower and a few pampering treats! Every girl loves to me pampered and feel good don't they? So today I thought I'd share with you all the products I'm using at the minute for my Saturday night 'spa sessions'. (For those of you wondering, I do wash more than once a week, but Saturday is just different).
So for those of you wondering, here are some of my current favourites:

So I think I should make a confession.... I may or may not be slightly obsessed with Soap And Glory. and why wouldn't I be, their products smell soooooo good! But that's another days work. :) I also have to say that a majority of the Soap And Glory that I do own I've gotten in Boots at Christmas time as their 'Star Gift'. If you don't know what that is, its when Boots pick a certain gift set and knock it down by at least half price! Soap And Glory is always the last one, and it always flies off the shelves, so I always make sure to stock up!

So in my current routine I'm using:

Pulp Friction Body Scrub: First of all I don't understand why it says its a 'foamy fruity scrub' because I don't find it foams, at all! But that doesn't mean its not a nice product because it really is. It contains lots of fresh invigorating ingredients like fig powder, peppermint oil, and then some that I've never heard of before like 'frozen yuzu' and 'jungle pomelo essence'. It smells really good and its different from the most commonly known Soap And Glory scent. Its a very rough scrub, so if your not into that and prefer a less abrasive exfoliator this won't be one for you. Its 11.25 in Boots or online HERE and is currently on 3 for 2 also!

Clean on Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel: This is my current go to shower gel,  and for some reason every time I use it it makes me feel really posh and makes me think I'm going out somewhere, when in reality I'm planking my ass on the couch watching god knows what! This is THE smell Soap And Glory are known for, and I don't think its possible not to like it! The shower gel itself is thick and luxurious and has a built in body lotion, so if your someone that's on the go or just too lazy to moisturise after a shower this is perfect because it saves you having to! Its priced at 7.65 for 500mls in Boots or online HERE.

Smoothie Star Body Milk: Is it really really wrong to want to eat your body lotion? Because that's what happens to me when I use this! With an ingredients list containing almonds, oats, honey and brown sugar its understandable! It killed me to put this away for the summer because to me its too heavy to use in the summer, but as soon as September came this bad boy was out straight away! Its a body milk, so its not too heavy on the skin, and it doesn't sink into the skin straight away which I kind of like because then the scent lingers on your pyjamas or clothes and I find it comforting in some sort of odd way! This is 14.00 for 500mls, again in Boots or on there online store HERE

I've really started to get into face masks at the moment, and so Saturday night is a night I really enjoy getting all my make up off and popping on a mask and letting it do its job. My current picks depending on how my skin is at that given time are:

Quick Fix Facials Mega Moisture Gel Mask: I tend to have dry skin, especially in the colder months, so I decided I'd try this moisture mask. There being raved about all over the Internet, but any that I've heard about have been crazy expensive, and these ones are only 5.75 in Boots! The gel formula is a new concept to me, as a lot of the masks I've used have always been clay or something similar, but this one is a thinner more runny consistency, and so it doesn't look  or feel as heavy on the skin. I'm loving the effect its having on my skin because my skin isn't as dry as it could be for this time of year, and it feels plump and hydrated! 

Quick Fix Facials Anti-Blemish Mud Mask:  I'm sure your wondering why I got this when I've just said I'm a dry skinned creature. Well like most ladies, I tend to get random breakouts, especially on my chin, and when one spot appears, another 2 or 3 also appear! So I bought this with the sole purpose of using it as a spot treatment. I use it the same as I use the moisture mask, but just restrict it to my chin whenever I'm suffering with those pesky breakouts! The only thing I don't like about it is the smell. It does its job great, but the smell is very antiseptic if that makes sense! 

This is one I've had for quite a while, and its one of the most expensive purchases I've ever made. Its a balm by a french skincare brand 'Decleor' and they are ridiculously expensive, which is why I don't use it every day! A lot of balms lately tend to be cleansing balms, but this particular one is for dry skin, so its used like a moisturiser. So on nights that I'm doing a mask I use this to give my skin a bit of extra moisture, and in the morning its nice and soft. It smells lovely because its 100 percent natural and is made up of angelica, chamomile and geranium. I've found it online at  QVC HERE but at 31.50 POUNDS which is about 37 EURO (before postage) for 15mls it is a bit on the expensive side.

So that's my pampering routine. Obviously everyone is different so what works for me may not work for someone else. But if we were all the same it would be kinda boring wouldn't it??

Thanks for reading guys, 

Alisha xxx

Berry nice!

Every Autumn/Winter there is one trend that will never ever date.... Dark lips! I think there's a berry shade out there to suit everyone, no matter what the skin type or hair colour.  Its only recently I've become a bit more adventurous with my lip colour, so this season I'm going to try my best to stay away from nudes and relatively neutral colours.
In my lip collection, which seems to be growing quite rapidly, I found four different products which to me are perfect for the changing weather, and if your someone that's not fond of lipsticks, then the best bit is there's not a lipstick to be seen! So lets get cracking!

Oops, should have zoomed in a bit closer and got the lid and the light bulb out of the picture! Sorry folks! So from left to right we have: Maybelline 10 Hour Superstay Tint Gloss in Lasting Pink, MUA's Power Pout in Crazy In Love, NYC's Smooch Proof 16 Hour Lip Stain in Berry Long Time, and finally, the infamous Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.

Maybelline 10 Hour Superstay Tint Gloss in Lasting Pink: I think this has to be my favourite product out of the 4 pictured. As the name says its a tint gloss, which means that on first application it has a glossy finish, but throughout the day, the gloss wears off, and leaves a stain. Its really easy to apply because of the doefoot applicator, and when it is applied to the lips its really cooling! The name is Lasting Pink, but its definitely not pink. Its not as dark as the other colours pictured here, so if your someone that wants to try a berry colour but don't want to try something too dark, this is the perfect place to start! Its available in Boots for 11.49, or on there online shop HERE.

MUA Power Pout in Crazy In Love: These came out earlier this year, and after hearing everybody and their mother raving about the Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stains, I decided to try these, considering they are only a fraction of the price at just 3 pounds! It says on the MUA website that this is a lip treatment, that 'relieves dry cracked lips and provides immediate moisturisation'. I don't think so! Don't get me wrong because I really really like these, but they do dry my lips out a lot when I wear them, so I don't think they do a lot to moisturise the lips! Other than that, the colour payoff from these is brilliant, and after the glossiness has worn off, there is still a slight stain of colour, there not the longest lasting, but for 3 pounds, I don't really mind having to reapply every few hours. You can pick these up in Superdrug for those of you that have access to one, or you can buy them online from MUA HERE

NYC Smooch Proof 16 Hour Lip Stain in Berry Long Time: If your like me and were unsure of the whole dark lips trend, then this is probably the most bargainous way to try it out! NYC are well known for being a brilliant budget beauty brand, who more often than not hit the nail on the head when it comes to trends, and are dirt cheap without compromising on quality. This lip stain in Berry Long Time, is one of the darker berry shades, and as its a stain its more matte rather than glossy. However, the staying power is amazing, and I've worn it on nights out and its lasted throughout the night, even after a few drinks! The price was in around the 2 euro mark aswell, so for that you can't really go wrong!

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie: These lip products are some of the most raved about products on blogs and on YouTube. The hype surrounding them after they were released in America was unreal, and eventually they made there way to Ireland and the UK! These do look like a lipstick, but as you can see by the name, they are actually a really really pigmented lip butter, which to me has similar effects to a balm, just with a really good colour pay off. I have 3 of these, and 2 of them are darker colours, and they seem to be more pigmented than the lighter colours. They are so soft and silky on the lips, and only for the colour, you wouldn't actually know that your wearing anything on your lips! They come in an array of colours, but the price is the only thing that would put me off. There normally 11.20, but at the moment on the Boots Website they are currently on offer at 8.20 which is amazing! I'm assuming they will be this price in store aswell, and there's also a 3 for 2 on at the minute aswell, so even better for us beauty junkies!

 Swatches from left to right are: Maybelline Superstay Tint Gloss, MUA Power Pout, NYC Lipstain, and Revlon Lip Butter.

So what do you guys think? Is there any of these you'd like  to try yourselves or have you your own Berry shades that you love?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Whats in my make up bag!

So for any of you that don't know or aren't on Instagram, Cloud10Beauty are doing a 'beauty photo challenge for the month of October, and I've been dying to do one for ages so I decided I'd give it a lash! The reason I decided to do this post is because one of the challenges is a 'what's in your make up bag' post, so I figured I'd go one step further and do a blog post on it aswell! I have a large quantity of make up, which at the moment is stored in my wardrobe in various different vanity bags and cases, so this make up bag is the one I keep the products I use every day in, and I try to switch it up every so often.

So first of all, the actual make up bag itself is one I got when my parents were on holidays, and it came free with a fragrance purchase from Roger and Gallet. I've only started using it recently, but its a good size, and I can fit a good amount into it, a lot more than what I have in it at the moment! 

Now, onto the good stuff! :)

First up are my make up brushes, which as you can see is made up mainly of Real Techniques brushes! I'm in love with the blush brush, its so so soft, and applies just the right amount of product! The rest of the brushes are all eye brushes, and the long black handled one is a Kiko one I picked up last week, and the short silver handled one is a Sigma travel sized blending brush, and the other two are just ones I picked up cheap! But they do the job so I cant complain! :)

And onto the face!For my days off work, or when its really hot, (which isn't a whole lot in this lovely country), I opt for a BB cream. At the moment I'm using this one from Catrice, alongside the Maybelline Dream Fresh one, and if I'm honest I prefer this one! There's more coverage without it being too heavy, where as with  the Maybelline one, it doesn't cover up any redness or blemishes or anything which is disappointing for the price of it! And this Catrice one is only 6 euro! 

My go to foundation since the autumn crept in is  this Stay Matte foundation from Rimmel, and I love it! Its a mouse foundation, so the teeniest bit will do your whole face, and the coverage is amazing!

I always use a primer before applying my make up, and I've just recently finished a Smashbox one which I adored, but I won't pay 30ish euro just for a primer, to me its mental. So I'm trying to use what I have for now, and this My Base illuminating primer from Essence does the job of keeping my make up on all day, and is dirt cheap! 

For powder I use this much raved about Stay Matte powder from Rimmel. I don't use it when I'm wearing the Stay Matte foundation because that would be much too cakey for me, but I'm using more sheer products I'd always use this to mattify my face!

I'm currently using 2 concealers, the Maybelline Fit me for any blemishes or redness, and the Eraser Under Eye concealer also by Maybelline. Apologies for the grubbiness of the packaging, but both of these are on the go a while now! 

For eyes I have these 2 gel eyeliners by Catrice in both brown and black. I used to use these every single day but during the summer I just went with shadow and mascara, so now that the winter is back in I'm going to try and get a bit more use out of them, because they are actually really good! 

I've two mascaras on the go aswell at the minute, the Rimmel Scandalise, and a random one from NYC which I cant tell you the name of because the writing rubbed off! Both of these are coming near the end of there life, so I'm just trying to get a bit more use out of them before then! 

Also in here is my must have NYX eyeshadow primer. This stuff is amazing! It makes my eyeshadow last from for the full working day and a bit more, which is great! 

I currently only have 2 blushes in my bag, 'Flushed' from Sleek and I think this cream  MUA one is called Dolly, or something of the sort! Both of them have amazing pigment and are perfect colours for the transition into autumn/winter.

These are two of the most recent additions to my lipstick/gloss collection, a lipstick by Essence and this lip gloss from W7. Neither have been used yet, so I will have to test them out fairly soon! 

Lastly I just have a few random bits! An eye cream from Nivea, a tin of good old Vaseline, (aloe vera if you don't mind), and a tin of deodorant! 

So there you have it ladies, that's what's in my make up bag... For the moment!! 

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx