December brings a Rose Gold Glossybox

First of all to unbox a rose gold Glossybox is more exciting than beginning my first tub of miniature hero's - and thats saying something! With this one it's not just the instant attraction, the texture, the design but the contents that toped it off even more. So for the whole Glossybox as a package 'thank you' to Really Ree for this super glam collaboration! 

Another unexpected surprise in this months Glossybox is the extra product that's included, yes there is 6 products! I suppose it's puts this season into perspective- it is the season for giving after all and that's what Glossybox have just gone and done! They have really taken time to fill this months box with everything needed to prep and pamper the skin! 

So the first product I unboxed is the Starskin bio-cellulose second skin mask. So not only is this mask intensely nourishing, smoothing, restoring, lifting, anti-ageing and illuminating, but it has an ingredient called 'Bio-cellulose'. And not to get technical but this material basically binds with the skin to feed it essential vitamins, build a protective shield and hydrate the skin also! This means after just twenty minutes wearing this mask, your skin will just feel like you had a top facial! Winner! 

Next I unboxed the 'Etre belle' golden skin roll on. This beautiful cooling gel will not only hydrate my eyes but soothe them also. It instantly feels refreshing and cooling on the eyes so there's no need to keep this one in the fridge! I'll be having radiant peepers this Christmas! 

I next unboxed the 'Philosophy' 3-in-1 cleanser and after hearing so many great reviews in this I was definitely super excited to try this! This little bottle will remove dirt, oil, makeup while hydrating and toning the skin! And as its so important to always remove all your makeup at night to keep your skin right, this little bottle has just made that task very easy! No excuses now! 

We all love a long lasting lipstick and especially when it's a liquid lipstick! They give great coverage, they last and they give the illusion of a gloss with that shine. So unboxing the 'Essence' liquid lipstick in show off just confirmed the lippy I will rock on Chritsmas Day! Plus the applicator makes it quick and easy to apply! 

Excited to find a 'Kiko' mascara also in this months box. The brush itself is amazing with its hourglass shape to really  add volume and length to the lashes. This makes it easy to finish a great smokey eye. There's no need for falsies this Christmas! 

And lastly, I unboxed a highlighter pencil from 'So Susan'. I love that this pencil has a gold tone to it to really add warmth to the skin while highlighting it too. Perfect to wear with tan this Christmas! And the shape of this pencil makes it simple to highlight everything from cheekbones to Cupid's bow. I'll surely be glowing this season! 

I guess it's bring on Christmas the season for giving, laughing and glowing! 

Hope you enjoy your Christmas and if you have yet to unbox a Glossybox and experience pure excitement, there's always the New Year! 

Ali XO 

My ten minute everyday makeup - using budget friendly products!

My everyday makeup has gone from spending around 40 very relaxed minutes on my face to a speedy ten since I have become a Mummy. Not that I mind at all, my little man is the best!
I still do need makeup though for hiding my dark circles and tiredness and brightening my skin.

So on to the products I use daily to achieve the below look,

Firstly I start with my NYX Born to glow liquid Illuminator & mix a pea sized amount in with my L'Oréal true match foundation- shade Rd C2 - and apply this all over my face and blend it in. Then using my foundation brush, the same brush I used to apply my foundation, I blend whatever product is left on the brush down my neck.

NYX liquid Illuminator  €10
L'Oréal true match foundation €14.99

I then move onto the brow, using my Sleek brow kit in light I firstly dip the brush into the power and starting at the bottom of my brow, I begin by drawing a line following my brow shape. Then continue by filling in the brow by following the hair growth. Make sure you don't clump the start of your brows or it makes your brow look to heavy and can look like it's falling down on the face instead of lifting it off the eye area. 

Sleek eyebrow palette €10.99

Next I clean up around the brow using my Maybelline 'the eraser eye' in light. I also use this under the eye area to conceal and brighten. It has a great sponge on the end of the concealer that's easy to apply and blend.

Maybelline eraser eye €11.99

I then move onto my cheeks and Im currently using the 'Barry M Get up and glow' palette which has a great range of blushes,  a bronze colour for contouring and a highlighter.

Barry M palette €9.49

On to the eyes and I'm loving the Mua palette 'undressed' as all the colours are so wearable and you can bring a look from day to night!  I always start by applying a transition colour into my crease line and blending slightly above.  For this look I used the 'fawn' shade. Next I used a darker shade 'Tawny' and blended this in the outer corner of the eye in a v shape , so along the lash line into the crease. And lastly I used a lighter shade 'puff' in the inner corner to really open the eye.

MUA palette from Super drug £4

On to the lashes with No7's 'dramatic lift black mascara' which is amazing girl to really lift the lashes and add volume. If your like me and have very little lashes then this mascara is so worth the investment. It is a more expensive high street mascara but so worth it!

No7 mascara €18.50

And lastly the lips! So no time for liner here just some of Rimmel's colour rush balm in shade 110 'make me blush'. Such a nice pink shade for daytime wear and easy to top up on the go!

Rimmel colour balm €7.99

Thanks my daytime look guys! Have any of you tried any of these products?

Ali XO

Brow alert!

Everyone loves a nice defined brow and here's how I achieve just that....

Step 1: Conceal around the brow- this helps to define a shape - and leave the concealer there without blending (so that it's obvious)
I use Mac's studio finish concealer NW20!

Step 2: Fill in the brow starting at the arch and working back towards the beginning of the brow - I use Fuschia's boom brow in brunette. And only a small bit is needed so it lasts ages!

Step 3: Set the brow to give a more defined look - I use Benefit's Gimme Brow in Med/deep
It's quick and easy to use and has a great brush that's easy to comb through the brows!

Step 4: Using a concealer or flat brush, blend the concealer in around the brow to finish the look.
And that's it- you have defined brows!

#brow #benefit #benefitcosmetics #fuschia #mac #makeup #makeupblogger #Irishblogger #bblogger #beautyblogger

My first Glossybox

To say I was excited to see my first Glossybox package arriving this morning is an understatement. If you have never heard of Glossybox before then your certainly missing out! When you subscribe to Glossybox they send out the newest and exciting miniatures on the market each month. There are different subscription options  available to pick from but the one I choose was the monthly one which basically costs  £10 per month plus  £3.25 p&p (also you can un-subscribe at any time).  So it's easy to keep up to date with the newest trends and go to beauty products!

So what's inside October's box... I began the journey by ripping open the outer cardboard box to find a beautiful pink box neatly placed inside. Upon opening the lid on the pink box to seeing perfectly tied ribbon wrapped over pink tissue paper sealed with a small label.  I continue to be excited when I discover this month's products are all full sized!

So first product out of the box is an intense golden ointment from Lanolips. With the cold weather and dark evenings setting in this is product is just perfect for my hands to keep them well moisturised. With 60% lanolin and manuka honey as its main ingredients, this really will hydrate and repair anything from hands, feet or legs.

Next product is an airbrush blending sponge from Nicka K. This sponge is domed shaped too and being a makeup junkie this is just perfect to blend anything from foundation to concealer. Plus the dome shape sponge helps me to reach every nook and crease on my face.

The next product is by Jelly pong pongs fairy lash mascara. This mascara carefully defines and curls the lashes, continuing to curl the lashes throughout the day. It's also cruelty free and suitable for contact lens wearers. Given that I have very little straight lashes, I sure will be wearing this one today!

Next up is Photo hydra day by Talika. This product is a moisturiser that - wait for it, uses energy from natural light to work deep into the skin to hydrate and moisturise the skin. How amazing does this product sound? I think this will have to be my new moisturiser. And the texture is nice and light and illuminating on the skin. Winner!

And lastly So Susan's haute light highlighting pencil. This little pencil is perfect for highlighting anything from brows to cheek bones or even your cupids bow. It is a Ivory creamy texture and blends very easy.

So to say I'm chuffed with this month's products is absolutely right, it just makes me more excited for next month's delivery!

XO Ali

How I created my Autumn/ Winter look

Hi guys!

As promised I have listed below the products used to create my favourite Autumn/ Winter look. This look is great for day/ night wear and to really jazz it up from day to night, just add some black shadow into the crease line and blend!

So before I mention the products I have used, to apply this look I use a mixture of brushes from Smashbox to Illamasqua and Real techniques to Fuschia.

Now onto the products I used to create this look,

(Firstly I always moisturise my skin before applying my base.)

Primer

Fuschia velvet veil primer

Foundation

Mac pro long wear foundation NW20

No7 skin Illuminator radiance boosting beauty fluid

 (I mixed these two products together)

Highlighter

Mac prep and prime highlighter in radiance rose (I apply this in the areas of my face that catch the light)

Mac mineralise skin finish soft and gentle

Powder

Mac mineralise skin finish medium

Blush and bronzer

Pippa pallette

Eyes

Mac pro long wear paint pot painterly

Pippa pallette eyeshadows in K.D. ( used for eyeliner) and Lily (all over eyelid)

Rimmel super curler 24 mascara

Under eyes

Stila perfecting concealer light

Fuschia under eye brightening powder

Lips

Sleek true colour lipstick cherry 790

Brows

Beautiful brows chocolate

So that's the list of products I used and I hope you enjoy creating this look!

XO Ali

Autumn Winter makeup inspiration

Hi Guys,

Sorry I've been very quite on the blog over the last month, I've been busy adapting to first time motherhood and I'm totally in love with our new baby boy Harry!

On another note I'm loving so many of the current Autumn/ Winter makeup trends this year especially the bold lip colours and the masculine brow. See below some of my favorite looks,

Bold masculine brows

Smokey eyes using shadow and liner 

Bold Red/ Berry lips

Luminous dewy skin 

Keep an eye out for my Autumn / Winter inspired look to follow soon! 

XO Ali 

My 5 everyday makeup essentials

Hi ladies,

Its hard to believe it's September next week, where has our summer gone too? And then again we didn't exactly have a scorcher to begin with!

So as Autumn approaches I want to keep as much of a Summer glow as I can - even if it means faking it! So here's my five makeup essentials for everyday wear and they are very budget friendly!

First on my list has to be Rimmels wake me up foundation & I use shade 100 - Ivory. This foundation gives an instant, radiant and healthy glow in one application. It's light and easy to apply, gives great coverage and takes away any signs of tiredness or fatigue - just what I need! It has an SPF 15 and the best part is this bottle of radiance costs just €10.99 normally but the good news, Boots have it on offer at €6.99 at the minute. Time to stock up!

Next has to be Fuschia's Boom Brow, it's a small pot that transforms and scultps the brows! For a brunette my brows are so fair so without this product I look like I have non exsistence brows! So not only will Boom Brow define and fill in the brows but it keeps them looking in shape. I use an angled brow brush to apply the product and its available in three shades. It costs €15.50 for one pot but considering the small amount used per application and the fact that it really lasts and sets like a powder means its a winner in my eyes. The only problem with this product is once you start using it, you will be addicted! And did I mention it's flake free too.

Moving on to Sleeks face form contouring & blush palette, which I use in the light shade. This palette makes contouring and highlighting so quick and easy and thats why I love it! With a beautiful bronze contour powder, a rose gold blush (which I must admit is so similar to the Nars Orgasm blush) and a really nice pearly highlighter, it's perfect to really make those cheekbones pop. And the best part is this palette costs only €13.49 and being so compact it's perfect for on the go!

My fourth favourite everyday essential has to be the NYX Doll eyes mascara in waterproof. Being so fussy when it comes to finding a good mascara I really love this one for the simple reason that it doesnt cake or its not clumpy. The brush separates the lashes to add length and volume but it does set quickly when applied to the lashes, so if your like me and must apply two layers of mascara then just apply it quickly! And being waterproof it doesn't smudge or fall under the eyes but it's simple to remove with an eye makeup remover. This one costs only €10.99.

And finally Rimmels colour rush lasting intense colour balm in shade 110, make me blush. This chunky lip pencil is glossy and luscious to apply. It super long lasting even after eating and drinking throughout the day. It's a great colour to wear from day to night and so handy for the handbag.

Let me know if you have tried any of these beauties!

XO Ali

My 5 steps to help diminish dark circles

Hi ladies,

Does anyone else have the same problem as I do when it comes to dark circles? I mean I drink or at least I try to drink eight glasses of water a day. I use an eye moisturiser under the eye area morning and night and have tried so many brands. I suppose I am noticing my dark circles more now being so pregnant and with the warm evenings, late night toilet dashes and lack of sleep - I'm not feeling very bright eyed and bushy tailed!

So thank goodness I have found a great little quick fix to help me moisturise,  brighten and cover those dark circles of mine! And it takes less than five minutes!

So here's my five step routine...

Step 1 - Moisturise under the eye area

I am currently using and loving the 'Boots vitamin e gentle eye cream' and with a price tag of €3 it sounds too good to be true. This eye cream is light and gentle, easily absorbed and has an SPF 15. I have been using this for a few weeks now and find it really brightens my darkness under the eyes. I only use a pea sized amount each time and pat it on under the eye area with my ring finger.

Just look at those dark circles! 

Step 2 - Prime under the eye area

After I apply my foundation and eye makeup I apply the 'NYX HD photogenic concealer' under the eye area. This product is so amazing and it's mineral enriched, talc free and paraben free, which means it won't cake under the eye area. It's great for covering dark circles and gives a good medium coverage.  I just apply a pea sized amount under the eye area and blend it out with my fingertips. And considering that only a small amount is needed and it costs just €6.99, I just love it more.

I have applied the NYX HD photogenic concealer to my right eye only 

Step 3 - Conceal under the eye area

When I choose a concealer for under the eye I always choose one that gives a good coverage but is not too powdery as I don't want my fine lines becoming more obvious. And that's why I am using and loving the 'Fuschia advanced longwear concealer' in extra light and being it's talc free it works a wonder. This concealer is lightweight on but gives a medium coverage and covers everything from dark circles to pigmentation. For the wonders it works and little amount I use, €15 isn't a bad price. Again I use a pea sized amount under my eyes and apply it using  a flat concealer brush.

Again concealer is applied only on the right eye over the primer

Step 4 - Add some instant radiance

OK I love, love, love the 'No7 instant radiance concealer' pen - it's definitely a dupe for the 'YSL touche eclat' except it costs €17.50! This little beauty instantly reduces puffiness under the eye area and adds radiance. With its light reflecting particles it gives the illusion that I have had a great nights sleep - winner!
This push button concealer pen it so handy to use and has a brush attached. I personally apply a small amount to the back of my hand and use a flat concealer brush to blend it under the eye. This way I don't apply too much product.

Instant radiance concealer is applied to the right eye over the concealer

Step 5 - Set under the eye with a powder

For this last step I use the 'Mac mineralise skinfinish powder' in shade light. This powder gives a natural matte finish to the skin and provides a light coverage.  It sets the concealer perfectly without looking or feeling heavy or cakey. I apply this using a small fluffy buffer brush and brush it lightly under each eye.

Both eyes have all five products applied 

And that's it! Really this takes less than five minutes and really makes a difference!

Let me know if you have tried any of these beauties!

XO Ali

Boots App & Parenting club

Since I became pregnant I can't seem to help myself when it comes to buying baby clothes, hats, booties and anything baby related! In fact its more exciting that shopping for yourself but then there's the fact that there's only so much cream/ white and lemon one can buy! I do love stocking up on all the essentials too like sudocream, baby wipes, nappies even nappy bags- who knew a little baby needed so much! Honestly this baby has a better wardrobe than me ( that's only because it's getting to the stage were everything is getting tighter and shopping for me is not fun!), and I still have five weeks until he/ she makes their present known. That's me hoping I don't go overdue!


So it was no surprise that I absolutely loved the new Boots app from the moment I downloaded it and signed up the parenting club. The app itself is amazing and so easy to use. In fact Boots send offers tailored to you, to the app and with your Boots advantage card linked to the app is easy to keep track of all your points building up.

     

The Boots parenting club is then available from the moment your pregnant until your baby turns 3. Some of the benefits include 10 points for every €1 spent on baby products in the baby area, personalised offers that are send through the app that have been tailored to you and your baby and free expert advice. When you sign up for the parenting club and add your details you give your baby's due date, this way you will receive personalised emails and offers. And you also get free gifts through the app too.

     

Already from my free gifts I have received a really nice practical baby bag with a change mat included. I received this in store when I purchased a pack of Pampers new baby/ sensitive nappies. I also received a free Mam bottle and soother and there was no purchase necessary for this one. And still I have some great offers to avail of on my app.  Most of the offers are available anywhere from two weeks to over a month.

  

To use your offers in store you just go to your app and click on the offers you wish to use and you will have an option to load the offer to your advantage card, which you can then select. When the offer is loaded to your advantage card it fades out in colour from your app, it's still available to you to check your selected offer before you use them. When you decide to use the offers in store, Boots scan your advantage card and the offer then disappears off your app.  So it's really straight forward and easy to use.

Also I found out today that Boots are running a baby event until the 15th of September!

So that's where I'm off now, it's not like the baby needs any more essentials or clothes but I always love a bargain and it's good to stock up! They say a new baby can use up to ten nappies a day!

Happy shopping!

XO Ali