Current Favourites

Hey ladies!
For such a long time I've been trying to get back on track with my blogging. I still love make up and beauty just as much as I previously did, but there was just something about blogging that felt like an effort, so because of that I gave it a break for quite a long while. Oops!
Today I'm here to tell you about my current favourites. I have tried a fair bit during the Summer so my list could be huge, but I'll try and keep it short so you won't get bored! :)

Essence All About Matt Powder: I've always always always for as long as I can remember had dry and previously  super sensitive skin. But for whatever reason this Summer my skin turned more to the oily side of the scale, and no matter what primer or foundation I used, after a couple of hours my face was as shiny as a disco ball. I picked this up on a whim one day because it was cheap, and oh my god it is actually so good!I apply it after all my other make up is done, and it keeps me matt all day long. Now that the weather has slightly changed and gotten a bit cooler, I may not need to use it as much, but for anyone on a budget looking for a good mattifying powder, give this a go!


Covergirl 3 in 1 Outlast Foundation: I'm really trying to ration my use of this because I picked it up in the States back in April, and since I've no immediate plans to return for a while I don't know when I'll be able to pick it up again! Sad face! But anyway, this is the first foundation in quite a while that I've really loved. Its a medium/full coverage and it leaves the nicest finish on the skin. Not matte, but not particularly dewy either.  But it lasts ALL DAY. I put it on in the morning and when I'm taking my make up off at night it looks exactly the same as it had earlier. To me it just looks natural! I only got it back in April and I'm over half way in the bottle already, so that just shows how good it really is!

Benefit Dandelion Blush: This has been mentioned quite a few times before, but when you hit pan on something then you really know its a favourite! Its a beautiful natural shade of pink, with a very very subtle hint of shimmer. Its the perfect blush to wear if you want to go for a strong smokey eye, or a bright statement lip. I really can't wait to try more of the Benefit Box O Powders because I genuinely love this one!

MUA Undressed Palette: I'm a neutrals girl through and through. I don't know what it is but I'm just not adventurous when it comes to my eyes! This palette is MUA's version of the Naked Palette, and you can see how much I love it by just looking at the battered packaging and I've hit pan on a couple of them already!  I'm not too gone on the Matte shades so I don't use them that much, but I love the shimmers, and when I use them alongside a primer, they stay put all day!

Rimmel Colour Rush Balms: There was one particular shade that I wanted to tell you about, but typical when I went to photograph it, it seems to have disappeared! I'm really looking forward to trying some deeper shades when the weather gets a bit cooler! This is probably the most comfortable, pigmented lip crayon I've used so far, and trust me I've tried a lot of them! There's a newer pinky/purple shade that came out as part of the Rita Ora Collection that I can't wait to try! :)

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm: I was lucky enough that my mother gifted one of these to me when she purchased it herself of QVC a while back. I hadn't been using it because its so expensive, but I've been using it regularly the last while and I'm so impressed! I rub some onto my face and it sounds strange but you can feel it actually melting the make up away! I then rinse it off with a warm face cloth and all my make up is gone! I often use a micellar water to make sure, but there genuinely isn't a trace of make up left!

So that's it lads and ladies.. There's so much more I could list here, but for now I'll keep it short and sweet! :) I've really enjoyed writing this post, so here's hoping that this is the start of me getting my blogging mojo back!
Anything in particular that you've been loving lately?
Thanks for reading (if there's anyone still left out there)
Alisha xx

Penney's/Primark Picks!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fiver Friday #2

With the day that's in it, I think today's Fiver Friday post is very appropriate for those of you who may be planning on puckering up to someone special. And even if you're not, well I think you just go and treat yourself! :)

Today I want to tell you about Essence's Longlasting lipsticks. Essence is a brand that I tend to look over a lot, and when I'm in my local Penney's I tend to look at the Catrice stand rather then the Essence stand. This may have something to do with lots of teenage girls having the stand surrounded, and then swatching all the lip products on themselves and putting them back and wandering off without buying anything. This gets on my nerves and I'm sure I'm not the only it happens to, or am I?

Anyway I did get a look at the stand one day and I got to pick up a couple to try, and I was really impressed.
I'm not going to go in to too much detail because I already have a post on these little beauties HERE, but these are some really good lipsticks! Easy to apply, creamy, and really pigmented, and they come in a great selection. The packaging is also quite nice, a slightly matte black finish, with the colour of the lipstick itself around the centre of the tube.
These lipsticks are an out and out bargain at only 2.85 each! So for just a little bit more than a fiver you'll have two new shiny lipsticks! If you decide to try them out, I'd recomend the colours 'Cotton Candy' and 'Wear Berries'.

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

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

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

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