My Favourite Highlighters

Hi Beauties, hope you're all well!
On this dull and gloomy day I thought I'd do a post on my favourite highlighters. Contouring and Highlighting has become huge lately, especially in the last year or two. While contouring is something that I'm yet to come to terms with properly, I do love a nice bit of highlight!
So today I thought I'd come on and tell you about my absolute favourites! Some are palettes, some are singles, some are cream/liquid but either way they are all fab!

First up is the Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter.  It's a silver toned  liquid product  that serves more than one function. You can use it as a primer underneath your foundation to illuminate your skin and give a nice glow, you can use it on the tops of the cheekbones to to highlight, and as of yet I'm trying to figure out what the 3rd option to do with it is, but I'll figure it out! But anyway, my preferred method for using this is to apply a tiny bit to the tops of my cheekbones, and I'm good to go! It's not a highlighter I'd use on a daily basis because it is very shimmery and very obvious, but it's great for nights out. You need so little of it and the bottles so big it'll last for ages! It's a bargain too at only 8.50!

Next one that I absolutely LOVE is the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter in Pink Shimmer. This was under 5 euro and for the price it's well well worth it! It's so pigmented and lasts all day. It's a beautiful pink toned highlight with a silver almost blue toned shimmer. If you didn't see the packaging and the name on this, I think you'd genuinely be forgiven for thinking it's a high end highlighter! This one is definitely one that can be built up if you want a really heavily highlighted look, or one that  you can just tap your brush into gently for a more subtle effect.

 The Make Up Revolution Radiance Palette is up next, and it's one that has been getting a lot of love lately! And yes, they do look like a certain high end highlighter palette. ;) But I can't answer if they perform the same as I don't have both! But anyway! This palette is a lot more subtle than the other ones mentioned, so if you're someone who'd like a more natural glow then this one is for you. There's 3 different shades, and my personal two favourites are the first two, the middle one I especially like to use to set my under eye concealer as it brightens up the area without leaving it cakey or too glittery! I tend to use the 3rd shade more so when I've tan on. The powders are decently pigmented, and while I don't think they last all day, they last a reasonable amount of time on my skin, and costs around the 10 euro mark. You can also buy these individually so handy if you only want to try one particular shade!

Last, but nowhere near least is the Sleek Solstice Palette. This is the ultimate highlighting palette, it really is! It comes with 4 shades, 3 powders which are extremely soft and highly pigmented and last ALL day, and one cream highlight. I can't even begin to explain how much I love this. Everything about it is beautiful from the gold outer packaging to every single shade. I think the powders could probably double up as eye shadows if you're into something on your eyes that has a bit of dimension and not flat. The only bad thing I've to say and it's my own fault for being so clumsy is how easily breakable the powders are. I only had the palette a matter of hours and let it fall and one powder smashed to pieces. It's still useable, but a lot of the powder has gone into the cream shade so it's just messy. But I still love it regardless! Again this was fairly affordable and was only around 12 euro!

So ladies, these are my favourite highlighters. They're all fantastic and I'd recommend all of them to you really and truly!
Ps Sorry for some of the picture quality, taking good pictures is something I'm still trying to get better at, but I'm going to keep practising!
Have you tried any of these?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

MUA Skin Define Hydro Primer

Hi Ladies,
I hope you all had a great weekend, the weeks are just flying by! Today I'm back with a super affordable budget buy that will put a smile back on your face, especially in the run up to Christmas.
I was over to visit my brother a few week's ago in Liverpool, so as per usual when I visit the UK, I popped into Superdrug. Don't get me wrong, I love Boots, but I love Superdrug for the brand's that you can only order online here in Ireland, them mostly being MUA and Make Up Revolution. In the two stores I went to, both Make Up Revolution stands were crowded, so I stuck with good old MUA. I've tried a good few products from MUA, and for the most part I've been impressed, (until I picked up an under eye radiance concealer that's just made up of glitter, not a good look). So when I saw the new Skin Define Hydro range from the brand, I'd no bother in picking up a few bit's to try. I picked up the setting powder, which so far I've no complaint's about, but the thing that's really impressed me is the Hydro Primer. I've only been using it for a week so far, but let me tell you, it's love!

From the website and the packaging itself MUA say the primer is

A fresh and hydrating primer in a lightweight gel formula. The soothing aqua base leaves skin refreshed and smooth allowing for even makeup application. The hydro primer has a self-repairing system, designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and prime your face for a smooth complexion. 

So first off, the packaging. It comes in a neat plastic tub, which is fine. Packaging as I've said before isn't a huge issue for me as long as the product inside lives up to it's claims. So I'll just skip right ahead on to the product itself. 
It's the most unusual consistency that I've ever used in a primer. I'm mostly used to silicone based primers, and some that are cream but yet still feel like silicone, but this one is just like jelly. To be honest it remind me very much of an extremely high end primer that people raved about on the blogging scene a while back, but I never tried it so I can't compare the two. It's just such an unusual texture! Even when I put my finger in it makes a little dent in the product, but it's not too long before the primer smooths over again! 
When I apply it to my skin it has a very cooling hydrating effect. It dries in fairly quickly too, which is a big thumbs up for me, because I'm always rushing in the mornings! 
But, the big thing is, does it work? I think so.
It definitely does hydrate the skin, as for reducing the appearance of fine lines, I can't say as I thankfully don't have too many yet, but it definitely does a good job of priming the skin. And although it's not marketed as a primer that makes your base last longer, I find it does. My nose is  the first place that my make up disappears from, thanks to a combination of having a very shiney red nose, along with very very obvious pores. But this primer seems to hold it a bit longer than usual! 
Overall I'm very impressed with this primer. I've tried quite a few of them, and I do have a particular favourite from No 7, but it's just so expensive for the amount you get that I can't justify repurchasing it just yet. 
This one was just 5 pounds, I'm not sure what exactly that is in euro, but obviously it's no that expensive, and I only use a little at a time so I think it will last a fair while! :)

You can pick up MUA product's online HERE, or from Superdrug stores. 

Do any of you lovely ladies have any favourite primers?
Thanks for reading,
Alisha xxx

Benefit Vending Machines.

I was in JFK last Tuesday, and after being disappointed in myself for not doing as much shopping as I could have (rookie mistake), I'd decided I was going to make the most of airport shopping and spend a chunk of the dollars that I had left. Until I got to the terminal and saw that the shopping was complete and utter rubbish. We were flying out from Terminal 5 and maybe its one of the smaller terminals at the airport or something but shopping was very limited. There was a tiny shop with some perfumes and cigarettes, a few stands with a couple of beauty brands outside it, but that was it for beauty shopping. I was well and truly disgusted because I thought there may have been some MAC, but nope!
But then... I came across a vending machine. Not much excitement there until I looked in and saw it was selling Benefit Products! How mental is that! I don't own much Benefit bar the Dandelion blush, and the ever popular Porefessional primer, so I thought I may aswell try some new bits to see were they as good as the other two!

                                                            The vending machine itself...

But the really important question is... What did I buy?
I had thought about purchasing Sugarbomb blush as I love Dandelion so much, but then I decided it would be more beneficial to try some of the mini's instead.
So I opted for the 'Beauty Score' kit, which seemed better value for 36 dollars compared to 1 blush at 28 dollars, (beauty maths right there).
It contains 10 mini sized products which are the perfect size for travelling, and out of the 10 I've only ever tried one, which is good going!

The products it contains are:

• Benetint Cheek and Lip Stain (2.5mls)
• Highbeam  Highlighter  (2.5mls)
• Stay Don't Stray Primer (2.5mls)
• Ooh La Lift Under Eye Brightener (2.5mls)
• The Porefessional Primer (7.5mls)
• That Gal Highlighter (7.5mls)
• It's Potent Eye Cream (3.0grms)
• Hoola Bronzer (3.0grms)
• BelleBamba Blush (3.0grms)
• They're Real Mascara (3.0grms0

All in all I'm really impressed with what's in this, and I think its fantastic value, considering it works out to be about 25 euro! I know they're all smaller sizes, but realistically they will last me for ages, as I had a sample this size of the Porefessional before, and it last me a good 6/8 weeks! I'm especially looking forward to trying the Hoola Bronzer and the Ooh La Lift brightener! :)

Have any of you tried any of these products? What do you think of Benefit overall? 

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

   

Make Up Monday!

I know I say it every Monday but seriously, where are the weeks going? Tomorrow 4 weeks is Christmas Eve!! Madness!
So the product I've been loving this week is a new addition to my collection, and I just can't believe I haven't tried it before!
It is the infamous 'Porefessional' from Benefit, and its every bit as good as it has been made out to be!

Now I don't actually have this size YET, but I am definitely going to pick it up in the coming weeks!
Benefit claim that this primer 'quickly minimises the appearance of pores and fine lines for smoother than smooth skin'!
I had people raving about it for ages, and really had no interest in trying it, but then I was cleaning out my make up a few weeks back, and I came across a little sample size that I had gotten in a magazine! Woohoo! I've been using it for the last week, and the first thing I've noticed is for such a small sample its lasting ages! I definitely have another weeks use out of it!
Its a really light silky tinted primer, but it goes on to the skin transculent. The first place I used it was my nose, because I have serious Rudolph issues with redness, and also the pores on my nose are huge, like its ridiculous!
Now it took away the redness for sure, and although I could still see them, they definitely weren't as noticeable as they were before!
I actually noticed that this made my make up look a lot more flawless than it had with previous primers, but I don't think it helped it stay on any longer, but I really wouldn't worry about that unless I was going out or something!
I've been in two minds over whether to purchase the full size or not, but I do think more than likely it will happen, as I've never been as taken with a product after one go as I have been with this!

The POREfessional costs 34.00 for 22ml, but its currently on offer on Debenham's website for 30.60, so if you want a bit of a saving then pop on over!

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

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

New budget beauty finds!

Cara Pharmacy recently opened its doors the the public in Galway, so when I was in there last Sunday I had to go in for a look, being the curious person that I am! I had a good mooch around, and came across this section that had a range of products from a brand called W7 Cosmetics. I'd heard of it from other beauty bloggers across the pond, but I presumed it was a British brand that I wouldn't be able to get my hands on! So when I saw it on front of me it was only natural that I'd pick up a few bits, considering the price point of the products!

So the bits I picked up were: 

Creme de la Creme cream blusher, which was only 2.00!

Super Pout Plumping Lip Gloss which again was only 2.00! 

Prime Magic Primer, which I'm hoping will be a much cheaper alternative to my Smashbox Photoready Primer which I used up recently! Price was 4.00! 

And then I picked up this nail polish remover which I think was about 1.99, here's hoping its as good as the Bourjois one! 

I havent tried any of these out yet but I'm looking forward to it! Either they'll be really good, or really terrible! But either way, for the price I wont complain! 

Thanks for reading, 

Alisha xxx