Wet N Wild Haul!

So every beauty obsessed lady in Ireland were delighted to hear that Wet N Wild had crept into some Dunnes Stores in Dublin unknown to us. I had given up hope of finding it in Galway for another few weeks, (the official launch is next week), so I'd resigned myself to waiting patiently. Until last night!
After work myself and my better half headed into get dinner in the city, and after stuffing ourselves with chicken in KFC, we went for a romantic stroll in Dunnes. The first aisle we headed for was the beauty aisle, but no sign of it there so just incase we headed upstairs. (My other half was just dragging his heals behind me, can't blame him really). After a bit of wandering I came across Rimmel, and there was a stand the far side which I thought was Catrice, until I walked around and nearly jumped out of my pants, WET N WILD WAS HERE!!!! Needless to say I picked up a couple of bits, so I thought I'd show you all what I got, incase like me you want to hotfoot it down there straight away! ;)

                                                  My stash of Wet'nWild

Wet'n'Wild's best known products are probably the eyeshadow palettes. So of course I had to pick up 3! Comfort Zone is probably the most well known, so even though I definitely did not need another neutral palette I picked up anyway. The right hand side appealed to me more because I don't really have any green colours for my eyes, so thought it would be nice to try. The next one I bought was Poster Child, which is made up of 8 bright and fun shades. I really stick to the same colour eyeshadows all the time, so I thought this palette would be a nice way of trying bright looks for my eyes once the warmer weather hits. The yellow and turquoise look like a really interesting combo! These are great value at only 6.49 each!

I also picked up one the trio's of eyeshadow's because I just thought the colours were so pretty. I have actually used this today and it seems lovely so far! Its called Sweet As Candy. The name alone just sold it to me! The price of these again was so reasonable at only 4.49!

 I had heard that the blushes were also very good, so I picked up the shade Heather Silk. Again I tried this today, and all I can say is, go easy with your brush! Its so so pigmented, and I had a lot of work to do to try and tone it down after application because I went in to hard with my brush! Oops.. But don't make my mistake and you'll get along just grand! There was a great selection of colours and it didn't break the bank, again at only 4.49!

 Another thing I had heard a lot about were the lipsticks, so I had it in my head when I heard Wet'n'Wild were in Ireland to try them. I picked up two colours in the MegaLast Lip Colour, Mauve Outta Here and Rose Bud. I couldn't not really try them, they were only 2.99!! They both seem like really natural every day colours, so when my lips heal up a bit as they are very cracked on both sides, I'll definitely be trying them out.

And of course I had to try the Megaslicks Balm Stain. I don't know what it is with me and lip crayons! This was the only thing I didn't swatch on my hand, so I don't really know what it'll be like, but it just like it'll be a nice fun Barbie pink! It was only 3.99, so not the end of the world if I don't like it!

So that's all I got! I was so delighted to see it in Galway I got slightly excited and wasn't really sure what I wanted, but in the end I calmed myself and picked out what seem to be the stand out products! It was great to see the stand pretty much full, and no products opened and tested bar the actual testers, which always gets on my nerves! I picked up my bits in the Dunnes in Briarhill, so I would assume it would be in the other stores in town now, or else soon enough!

Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Lip Lovin!!

A lot of the time we often overlook our lips when it comes to our skincare routine. Its only when our lips get so dry that they start to crack, (mine at the minute, ouch), or when we apply a matte formula lipstick that we see just how badly our lips suffer, and perhaps regret not looking after them aswell as we should have.
Which is why from now until Spring creeps in, (and Valentines day, wink wink,) I'm going to aiming to give my lips some serious looking after, which will make it much easier when it comes to applying lipstick, the only thing it won't help with is deciding which one to wear...

                                  Picture taken from oneclickbeautycare.com

Exfoliating: This is probably the key thing when looking after your lips. We all exfoliate our bodies and faces using varying exfoliators, so the lips aren't any different. Obviously the lips are more sensitive than the rest of the body, so a less abrasive scrub is ideal. You can go out and buy a ready made one, or you can make one yourself!!

• If you really don't want to spend money on a lip scrub, then it is quite easy to do it yourself. The easiest way to do it is with a toothbrush and some Vaseline, which lets face it, everyone has in their house. Dab a bit of Vaseline onto the brush and rub the toothbrush on your lips in circular motions. Lovely soft lips in an instant without spending any money! 
• Make your own! This is simple, and again its not going to cost you anything, because pretty much everything you need should be in your kitchen. The basic ingredients for a lip scrub are sugar, (brown works best but ordinary sugar will work aswell,) and olive oil. You just have to mix the two ingredients together and rub onto the lips. You could rub it on with a face cloth if you wanted to really give them a good vigorous scrub! When your done all you have to do is wash it off, and apply a lip balm of some sort because your lips will be slightly dry afterwards. (But super soft). You can add other ingredients to it if you so choose, such as honey, or lemon, or coconut oil. Its amazing what you can find in the kitchen!
• Buy one. The most likely option for us all, because lets face it most of us don't have the time for all these DIY beauty products. If we had the time I don't think we'd need to buy another beauty product again! The most well known lip scrub that can be bought on the high street are definitely the Lush ones. They come in a variety of flavours, Bubblegum, Pop Corn and Mint Julips. All of them smell equally as tasty as the other, and depending on your taste you'll definitely find one to suit. My personal favourite is the Bubblegum one, it smells like sweets, or the pink Hubba Bubba from back in the day! It works well, and it lasts for ages!! I'm still using a pot that I got back in February last year! And if you're so inclined to eat it, you can! Although I don't think eating dead skin from your lips mixed in with sugar would be too tasty... For what it is, its slightly expensive. Its around 6 euro, and if you can get past paying that for a tub of sugar then you're sure to love it!
  

                                                    Picture taken from Lush.com

Moisturise: Again this is common sense when it comes to our face and body, but we somehow over look it when it comes to lips. Once you've exfoliated your lips they will be super smooth, but slightly dry. The next step is to use a good moisturising lip balm to put some moisture back into your lips, which will give you a great base for whatever lipstick you may choose to wear. I currently have a few on rotation, one for my handbag, one for my bedroom, and then  another just for the sake of it! Its personal preference really, but I am loving a Lush one that I got for Christmas by the name of Honey Trap. Its by far the most moisturising Lip Balm I have ever used. Its no surprise really considering its made of up of ingredients like Shea Butter, Almond Oil,Beeswax and Honey! Oh and it also smells like chocolate... ;) 

The next step after that then is to try and decide which lipstick you want to wear.. .Which my friends I'm afraid I can't help with! 

So do you look after your lips, or do are they as dry as the Sahara desert?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

Make Up Monday!

Hey lovelies, hope you all had a good weekend! I didn't do too much, I spent Saturday at work, I spent Saturday night with my boyfriend and we just got a load of rubbish food and wine and sat in watching TV! Then Sunday I went shopping eager to see had Wet N Wild made its way to Galway yet, but it hasn't so I came home without anything! But I don't mind too much because I'm saving much needed shopping money for NYC!
Because of this little holiday, I've been good on the make up front too, and haven't bought any, and have really decided to try and use up as much of the bits I have at the moment.
Which led to the rediscovery of this week's much loved product
 It is in fact my Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe.

I love these guys so much! I have 7 if not 8 colours in them which is more or less the whole collection! I do have a post on them already.
If you have been reading the blog for the last while, you will know that I am obsessed with the On and On Bronze shade which is just a beautiful shimmery bronze colour.
This one is the complete opposite and is a matte muddy grey. I know it doesn't sound, or look all that interesting, but its when its actually applied to the eyes that it really comes into its own! It just looks so gorgeous on the eyes, and it looks like you've put in a lot more effort with your eye make up than you actually have. (Its OK I won't tell, I promise).
These little lads are brilliant because they can be used in either of two ways: as a base for powder shadows, or just on their own as a cream eyeshadow. Now I have used On and On Bronze on its own a million and one times, and it stays on forever and a day, but Permanent Taupe seems to crease a lot more for some reason. It could be because of the matte texture, but either way I'd recommend using a primer underneath it if you are using it on its own, or else using it as a base for another eyeshadow.
I use mine under an MUA eyeshadow from the Undress Me Too palette, which is the exact same colour but with shimmer, so it really helps it last all day.

What have you been loving this week? Have you rediscovered any of your old favourites?
Thanks for reading and have a good week,
Alisha
xxx

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Puryfying Micellar Solution V 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil

Micellar solutions seem to be the bee's knees and the cat's pyjamas in skincare these days thanks to the stir Bioderma has caused in the beauty world. I've never tried Bioderma so I can't say anything about that, but when I saw L'Oreal had brought out their own version, well it didn't take me too long to hot foot it to Boots to see what the fuss was about! In case you don't know what a Micellar solution is, its a solution which acts as a magnet to draw impurities and oils etc out of the face, instead of spreading them around the face which is what some face wipes can do. Of course when I went in there was a 3 for 2 on skincare so I ended up with 2 bottles of the Purifying Micellar Solution, and a bottle of the 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil.
 Neither of these are products that I would use on their own to cleanse my face, (unless its 3am and I may have had one or two cocktails,) but rather as an extra step in my skincare routine to make sure my make up has been removed altogether.
I have had a lot of compliments on my skin lately, and I myself have seen a noticeable difference. Its clearer, I'm getting a lot less blemishes, and it seems to be a lot brighter. I myself am putting it down to the double cleanse routine that I have really gotten into.
I figured it would be a good idea to do a post comparing the two of these, mainly because they are two different products, from the same company that claim to do the same job!

Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution: 
L'Oreal claim that this is a 'A high-performance hypo-allergenic cleanser for face eyes and lips, suitable for sensitive skin. Dissolves make-up, unclogs pores and removes impurities and tones and soothes the skin.' It is also said to be suitable for Sensitive Skin. I have skin which is more dry to combination so I can't really give any opinion on those claims. However I have found this a godsend in my skincare routine. I use it to take off the bulk of my make up, and the amount of stuff that comes off on my cotton pads is really and truly disgusting! (Sorry for the visual).So without a doubt it removes make up!  I then go in with whatever cleanser I'm using at that time (Its Lancome at the minute). It doesn't effect the eyes in the slightest bit so it does act as an eye make up remover at the same time. I've gone through two bottles of this altogether so far and it is just such a handy product, I often use it in the morning as a quick freshen up to wake myself up. The only small little complaint I can make about it though is that I did find it to dry my skin out a tiny little bit, so for this I wouldn't say it tones and soothes skin. I'm out of this for the moment but it is a product I would definitely repurchase. Its currently on offer for 4.46 in   
Boots, (6.00 normal price) so go quickly!!


Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil:
Straight away this is different to the Micellar Solution for one obvious reason, this one is an oil rather than a water. It claims to 'instantly dissolve all traces of make up and impurities, (even water proof), re balances and purifies for healthier looking skin'. This was my first time trying a facial oil, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It was easy enough to use though, I took 2/3 drops of the oil and applied it all over my face and eyes (this is the part where I was waiting to be blinded), and then rinsed it off with warm water. The first thing I'll say about this is that its very messy to use. As soon as I had rubbed it on my eyes there was eyeshadow and mascara all over my hands! That didn't really make a huge difference as realistically you're taking off your make up anyway. I did the same with this as I did with the Micellar Solution, and used it more of a pre cleanse rather than a proper full on cleanse. 
Again it lived up to its claims of dissolving make up instantaneously, as there wasn't a bit left on my face when I rinsed this off. Pricewise this is slightly more expensive at 10.79, but again its on offer at 7.19, so its a good time to try it if you've been curious about products like this! 


So which one would I choose? 
To be honest I can't really decide. Both of these are excellent products, which both do a great job at what they say. However the Micellar Solution to me is a quick fix, its one of those products you might use if you're in a rush, whereas the Cleansing Oil is something you'd need to have more time for seen as you have to rub it on and then wash it off. Its more of a treat too I think, something  you may use if you're having a night in and really want to pamper yourself. (Oils seem fancy to me ok?)
The price point for them is good too, there isn't a huge difference in the two to make you choose one rather than the other. If you are like me and can't help yourself and want to try both, you'll get both for under 20.00, and you'll even have change left over for ice cream! (Or fruit).
Either way you can't go wrong...

What products are must haves for you in your skin care routine?

Thanks for reading,
Alisha
xxx

Spa Sessions!

Ever have one of those weeks where everything went wrong? Ok well that's an exaggeration, but it was one of those weeks where I was feeling sorry for myself and nothing could cheer me up.. (Until I went and saw Last Vegas, it was so funny I was still laughing on the drive home).. But anyway, I decided the other night in the midst of my 'I hate the world' rant, that I would treat myself to a bit of pampering. No I didn't hot foot it off to a spa for the day.. Instead I did the thing that every Irish mother hates to hear.. 'I'm turning on the immersion for a bath'..

I'd say I was about 10 when I last had a bath, shower's just took over and became more convenient and all the rest.. But my brother treated me to some Lush goodies for Christmas... And well I HAVE to use them don't I? 

Everyone does things differently, and some of you might think I'm a bit daft or you may have other products you'd use instead.. But you never know, maybe you'll get some ideas and have your own pamper session! 

So first of all I did the most important thing and removed every trace of make up on my face and applied a face mask. The one I'm using at the moment is No 7's Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask or Dry/Very Dry skin. Lately my skin has been feeling very dry and tight, and I had gotten this at Christmas so figured I'd give it go! This is the first time I've seen or felt a noticeable difference in my skin after using a mask. It instantly made my skin feel more hydrated and I know its not a radiance mask but it did make my skin look a bit more alive after use!

For my actual bath I used Lush's Creamy Candy Bubble Bar. I'd never used a bath product from Lush before so I was only glad of the chance to do so. The first thing that hit me was the smell. Typical of the brand it just smell gorgeous! This bubble bar is made up of super moisturising ingredients like almond, cocoa butter, and vanilla, so its a lot more moisturising than the standard bubble bars. To make the bubbles I crumbled the bar under the running hot water, and just stood back and watched the bubbles and the water turn slightly pink! It was lovely and I'm really looking forward to the next bath I have with some of my other Lush goodies! 

Picture taken from Lush.com

As an extra treat i opted to use my Lush Snow Angel shower gel. A limited edition at Christmas it is the girliest shower gel available. Its pink with slight glitter through it, and smells like sweets! Its divine. I think I got out of the bath smelling like a big bag of sherbet!! :D

And lastly I decided to bring my book in with me. Kindles and virtual books are all the rage these days, but I don't think anything is as good as reading an actual physical book. I'm currently reading Mitch Album's 'The First Phone Call From Heaven' which is about a small town in America which becomes the centre of attention after some of the residents have been getting phone calls from Heaven! Its one of those books that you can't put down no matter how tired you are or no matter how much work you have to do! 

I have to say it did help me feel a lot better afterwards. I'm the type of person that lets everything get on top of me, and worries about things that haven't even happened yet, or things that there's no point worrying about at all, and after my half hour of me time, I felt a lot less panicked. My New Years resolution is to try and stop it if I can, as I know its not good for me or the people around me, so hopefully I'll be able!

So what do you do if you're feeling under the weather or need a little pick me up?

Thanks for reading,

Alisha xxx

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