12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 9 - Party Season Day to Night Makeup

With Christmas just around there is going to be a lot of nights out or events you may have to attend and you might not always have time to go home to get fixed up. Whether you're a working girl or a college student (or let's face it maybe both) here's some quick ways to get yourself Christmas party ready and out of the office. 

I'm going to start of with a basic face of makeup. I went for flawless matte skin with minimal blush and contouring. Then I filled in my eyebrows, applied an eyeshadow base and created a light brown smokey eye, applied 2 layers of mascara and finished off with some lipgloss. This is perfect for heading to work because you have your base for everything done making touch ups quick and easy. 

So it's the end if the day and you haven't got long to get ready to head out after college or work, here what I did to transform my makeup from day to night. 

1. I started off my darkening up the outer corner of the shadow then taking a gold loose pigment and pressing onto the centre of the lid, making sure to blend out any harsh lines with a medium brown shade, I smudged a darker shade of brown on my bottom lashes and applied a flesh tone liner to my water line to make my eyes appear bigger, I highlighted my brow bone and inner coner with a white eyeshadow. Then I created a thin winged liner and applied some lashes over the top. 

2. Now you can clean up any eyeshadow fallout and move onto the rest of your face. I took a powder and touched up my foundation, deepened my contour on my cheeks, forehead and nose, applied some blush and highlighted my cheek bones, nose and Cupid's bow. 

3. Finally I applied some red lipliner and lipstick and sprayed my entire face with a setting spray to make me makeup last all night. 

My tips for transforming your makeup from day to night : 

1. Bring multi use products eg. Use your contour shade as a crease colour on your eyes or to fill in your eyebrows, use your highlighter on your eyes aswel as on your cheeks, if you forget your liner you can use an angled brush and dip it into your mascara and apply it as eyeliner. 

2. Brushes you can use for several different things, use the same brush for contour and blush, use one eyeshadow brush for highlighter and light shades of eyeshadow.

3. MINIS! Mini products or product samples are perfect for this kind of situation because they don't take up much space and you don't have to worry about lugging around a huge makeup bag. 

That's how  transformed my makeup from day to night. Hope this helped. 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 7 - Sweater Weather Tag

I've seen a lot of people doing this tag not only on YouTube but on their blogs too. I'm trying to get myself more in the winter & Christmas spirit and I thought this tag would do just that, so here we go. 

1. Favourite candle scent? 

I love vanilla scented candles and burn them all year round. I love really sweet scents but in the winter particularly around Christmas I like to change it up a bit and I'll burn some type of cinnamon scented candles. IKEA have a great selection of scented candles, they're cheat and cheerful and possibly my favourite place to get candles.

2. Tea, coffee or hot chocolate? 

I am definitely a coffee kinda girl! My favourite type of coffee to get is a caramel latte, especially from Starbucks #typicalwhitegirl hahaha.

3. What's the best fall memory you have? 

This is a hella long time ago but when I was around 9 or 10 we had our first "real snow" that I remember in Ireland. Like I mean schools, roads and even shops closed for nearly 2 weeks! At the time my dad was the caretaker of my primary school and he had the keys to the school grounds. Me, my dad & my two older brother all got to go over the the school and make proper snowman, snow angels and we had a massive snowball fight. Then we headed home changed into cosy pyjamas and our mam had the fire going in the sitting room & a stew on for dinner. It was the perfect winters day in my opinion. 

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer : dark lips or winged liner? 

Can I cheat & pick both? Bold lips and winged liner are my ultimate makeup look but if I absolutely pick one I'd go with dark lips. Recently I've been trying the no liner/blown out shadow look and I find it goes really well with a bold lip. 

5. Best fragrance for fall? 

I generally don't change up my perfumes because I find it hard to find perfumes I really like so when I found one or two I like I tend to stick between them. As I mentioned before I love sweet/floral scents. At the minute my top perfumes would be Rihanna Nude & Ralph Lauren No.3, both sweet smelling definitely not your average autumn/winter scents.

6. Must have fall nail polish? 

Hands down any wine/burgundy colour is my go-to for not only autumn & winter but all year round. My favourite nail polishes are the BarryM ones, I love everything from the formulation to the colour payoff. They retail at only €5 each and are my nail polishes EVER... Especially the matte shades! Surprise surprise! 

7. Skinny jeans or leggings? 

Ooooh this is a toughie! I easily have 20 pairs of black leggings and I find them so easy to just throw on with a baggy jumper, a scarf and some comfy boots. However a good pair of skinnys can be so versatile. They're also so easy to throw on with a jumper, scarf & boots but you can also dress them up for colder nights out, so I think it's going to have to be skinny jeans for the win! 

8. Boots or uggs? 

Boots! Definitely boots! I hate such a love hate relationship with uggs, they are so good for pottering around the house and staying toasty or running out into the garden or even just a quick trip to the local shop but get caught in the rain and you are royally screwed! Let's face it, getting caught in the rain in Ireland is practically part ou everyone's daily routine. Nothing beats a nice pair of black boots for the winter.

9. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype? 

Definitely! I sound like an anti-girlo but I absolutely hate pumpkin spice, don't like it, never have, never will. Dramatic much but I just don't understand the craze? 

10. What is fall weather like where you live? 

Well here in Ireland the weather is pretty much the same all year round... Crap! We basically have all four seasons in one day and you can nearly guarantee rain! It's not as depressing as it sounds I swear! 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 8 - Festive Season Party Outfits

We're well into the festive season now and that means lots of parties and nights out. There's always those questions... What do I wear? How do I style it? So I've found some great pieces that would be perfect for this party season! 

First off we have the gorgeous sequinned dress from H&M for just €12.99! What a bargain! This dress has long sleeves and a low back and comes in two colours, the other being black. 

My next pick would be a jumpsuit, preferably in black. I find these so easy to wear, perfect for last minute because you can need to worry about tan. This one from H&M for €49.99 and has gorgeous detail around the neck so there's no need of a necklace. 

The next dress I picked also comes from H&M for just €9.99! Perfect for anyone on a budget. This dress also comes 3 colours, black, nude & purple. 

Finally when in doubt always go for the trusted LBD! Black is the most flattering colour to pull off. Even though it's just black you can make your outfit more interesting with a pop of colour in your shoes, bag or jewellery! 

How to style : 

You don't want to over accessorise. Keep it simple, pick one tone of jewellery silver, gold or the most popular this season rose-gold. Penneys have some gorgeous heels at the minute, especially these ones with a rose-gold heel for just €18. 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 6 - White Eyeliner

This is going to be a suuuuuper quick post as I'm getting ready to leave to go sit my semester 1 language exam in college. Everyone pray for me! Anywayyyy for Quick Tip Thursday we're going to talk about... WHITE EYELINER! I'm all about multi purpose products, they're handy for travelling and you can find really good basic white eyeliners in the drugstore so your purse is going to be happy. My favourite white eyeliner is the cult classic NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk. I get mine from BeautyJoint.com.

Here's what you can use your favourite white eyeliner for! 

1. Use as a traditional eyeliner : Applying white eyeliner onto your waterline will instantly make your eyes pop and appear bigger. 

2. Layering colour : Putting white eyeliner on your lid then placing eyeshadow over the top will intensify the colour, make them stand out and will also act as a base for your eyeshadow. 

3. Highlighting : Apply to the inner corners of the eyes this will brighten your eye and enhance the eye look. It can also be used as a brow bone highlight. 

4. Hiding blemishes : Apply the white liner over the blemish first then concealer. The white will counteract the redness and create perfect coverage. 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 5 - My Top 10 Makeup Brushes

1. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge : Normally I hate makeup sponges but this one is different. It's an affordable dupe for the Beauty Blender. Use the flat edge for patting the product and blending under the eyes, use the rounded side for flawless coverage all over the face and use the pointed end for contouring or for covering blemishes. You can get Real Techniques in Boots, this sponge retails for €5.89. (Mine is so dirty I couldn't bare to put a picture of my own in) 

2. Blank Canvas F15 tapered brush : I use this brush for under eye powder or highlighting my cheeks. The tapered point on this brush makes it perfect for getting in under the eye area  the turning it on it's side to highlight the tops on my cheeks. Due to it's shape it's also perfect of contouring. It retails for 13.99 find it here http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com/products/f15-small-contour-highlight-black-bristles.html 

3. Nars Ita Kabuki brush : This is my ultimate brush for contouring and carving out those cheek bones. It was pricey at €42 but when I bought it there was nothing like it on the market. A new brush has similar to this has come into my life recently and I'll have a blog up on the comparison so keep your eyes peeled for that but this brush is still my favourite. 

4. Real Techniques Powder Brush : This is the perfect brush for all over face powder because of the pure size of the brush. The hair on the brush is fluffy and soft and makes powdering your entire face so quick and easy. It retails for 13.50 in Boots and on cloud10beauty.com find it here http://www.cloud10beauty.com/brands/real-techniques/real-techniques-powder-brush.html#.VJH8udb46K0

5. Crown Brush C405 Angled Contour Blush : As the name suggests it's perfect for contouring or blush. It angled hairs make it easy to carve out your cheekbones on get that contoured look. However I prefer to use it for blush, it applies beautifully and product doesn't build up in the hairs. This brush retails for €10.40 from the Crown Brush website http://www.crownbrush.ie/brushes/brushes-type/powder-blusher-brush/c405-contour-blush.html

6. Crown Brush C158 Angled Liner/Spoolie : This is my go-to brush for my brows, 2 in 1 makes it perfect travelling or just in general to have. The spoolie helps tame your brows and the liner is the perfect size to get the crisp 'Instagram brow' that we all want so bad. If that wasn't enough to convince you to buy it, the price definitely will at just €3.63 here on http://www.crownbrush.ie/catalogsearch/result/?q=C158

7. Sigma E35 Tapered Blender : This is my ultimate eyeshadow brush! If I could only have/use one eyeshadow brush this would definitely be it. I genuinely don't know what I done before this brush. You can pack on colour as well as blend it out beautifully with this brush. You can get this for just €13.50 from sigmabeauty.com but I prefer to use cloud10beauty find it here http://www.cloud10beauty.com/brands/sigma-beauty/sigma-tapered-blending-e35.html#.VJIH35D46K0

8. Royal & Langnickle Pro Tapered Blender 150 : This is my favourite brush for blending out harsh lines and blowing out eyeshadow gradually. I got this brush at the Pro Beauty Ireland in the RDS last year for just €5. I couldn't find a link for this one but Royal & Langnickle are at Pro Beauty & the Professional Beauty Show both in the RDS every year. 

9. Crown Brush C462 Shader : This brush is great for applying and blending eyeshadow on the lash line particularly the bottom lashes. It's even useful when trying a dramatic cut crease. Again another steal from Crown Brush for just €4.50 find it here http://www.crownbrush.ie/c462-infinity-chisel-shader.html

10. AYU Pro Blender Brush : So this brush comes from a relatively new Irish company. I only have 2 brushes but I love them both particularly this flat blending brush. It packs on colour brilliantly and I think it's a perfect dupe for the MAC 217 for a fraction of the cost at just €4.50 linked here of course http://www.ayumakeup.ie/products/brushes/ayu-pro-blender-200/ Check out the rest of the website for amazing brush sets for a range of affordable prices. 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 4 - What's In My Bag Night Time Edition

So now that the festive season is upon us, there's going to plenty of nights out. Keeping that in mind you don't want to be lugging a huge bag around with you all night while you're trying to enjoy yourself. So I'm going to show you my handbag essentials for a night out. 

As many people will know my wardrobe colour palette is mostly made up of black with the odd bit of wine or burgundy thrown in. You probably guessed it that my handbags aren't any different. My favourite bag to bring on a night out is actually this black iPad mini case with gold hardware I got on sale from River Island that I like to pretend is a clutch. Truth is no one ever knows it's an iPad case until I tell them that is! I love using this as a clutch for going out, it's a perfect size to fit all my stuff and it's so versatile it goes with pretty much any outfit. 

Here's what I bring with me when going out. Obviously the essentials, my phone for all of the selfies, my house keys so I'm not stranded outside, my favourite River Island purse with all my cards, ID & money but its quiet big so I also keep some other things in there too like bobbins, hair clips and chewing gum, I keep these in the coin pouch so they're easy to find. Sometimes I'll also throw in a back combing brush depending on the hairstyle that night. 

The only other things I take with me on a night are things for touch ups. If I could only bring one makeup item with me it would definitely be these blotting papers from Essence (€3.49), they're perfect for soaking up excess oils or sweat and let's be real, nightclubs can get really hot. Blotting papers and a medium coverage powder are my go to for touch ups, this Inglot AMC powder is my favourite powder to use with my Blank Canvas brush for touch ups. Occasionally if I have any spots I'll throw in a concealer and beauty blender in my bag to make sure those suckers stay hidden. Last but not least I bring with me any lip products I've used, my favourites for a night out are MAC Ruby Woo lipstick and Cherry lipliner for that perfect red lip which is really suited to this party season. Ruby Woo is extremely matte and sometimes drying so I always prep my lips by exfoliating and making sure they're moisturised before applying, I like to bring Vaseline with me when wearing a matte lip and reapplying throughout the night to avoid nasty chapped and flakey lips. 

So that's it for my night out bag blog. What are your handbag essentials for a night out? Comment below. 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 3 - Christmas 2014 Gift Guide

It's that time of the year again! Christmas is around the corner and my shopping senses have gone into over drive. Being a student being broke is just a part of daily life but Christmas time is the one time I don't mind picking up extra hours or odd jobs to get my family nice presents. So here's my 2014 gift guide for the men & women in your life that won't break the bank! 

For her, this can include your mam, sister, auntie, niece or girlfriend. 

1) Alex and Ani bracelet : 

Alex and Ani bracelets are in my opinion the new Pandora bracelet. Every girl seems to be wearing them and rightly so because they are gorgeous. These come in gold and silver with a range of different charms or birthstones. They can be bought from Arnotts starting from €30. What I love about these bracelets is that they are pretty on their own but they also look feminine and elegant when several are stacked on one another so this can turn into a recurring present to make things easier when choosing a present for the girl who has everything. 

2) Skincare Set :

A Skincare set would be appreciated by any woman in your life. This is nearly fool proof for any men out there looking for a present for their Mam, Sister or Otherhalf. This first set from No.7 The Skincare Collection Gift includes No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser, No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make Up Remover, No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream, No7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream, Muslin Cloth, Headband retailing at €20.50 from Boots. 

This next one comes from No.7 too it's the Bright and Beautiful Skincare collection and both of these sets are included in the 3 for 2 mix & match in Boots so if you have several women in your life to buy for this could be handy. This set includes No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion, No7 Rapid Radiance Balm, No7 Beautiful Skin Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm, No7 Beautiful Skin Radiance Revealed Exfoliator, No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal to Dry Skin, No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Normal to Dry Skin and retails for just €18.

3) Pyjamas : 

This may sound boring but a nice Satin Pyjama would be perfect for your Mam or other half who seems to have everything. This set is from Marks & Spensers for €49 and also comes in black. 

4) Mini Makeup Hamper :

This one is my favourite present to give because it is completely customisable to the person getting it. You decide what to out into it, what you recommend, what you like, what you think they will like, what you think will suit them or maybe something they wouldn't normally buy for themselves. This would be good for any woman in your life and you can fill it with drugstore brand, high end brands or a mix of both, the price point is completely up to you! 

5) Perfume :

For the teenager or young adult in your life Thierry Mulger Alien is one of the most popular perfumes. This gift set retails €57.50 and it includes a 30ml refillable eu de parfum, shower gel, body lotion and body cream. 

This next one is a popular more mature scent, perfect for your Mam, Auntie or older sister. Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Collection retails exclusively at Brown Thomas for €83.

6) Christmas Sets  : 

I think we all have a major makeup lover in our lives these days and picking makeup as a present can be tricky but when done well it can earn some major brownie points! When in doubt pick the makeup sets and this time of the year there a plenty of those around. Here are my top picks...

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot €43 available from Benefit counters in Debnahems & Brown Thomas and also in selected Boots stock Benefit, you can find a list of stockist on Boots.ie

Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash is perfect for any makeup lover because it has 6 mini UD lipsticks 3 exclusive shades Flower, Crush & Illict and an Ozone lipliner which retails for €29 at Urban Decay counters in Debnahems. 

Blank Canvas are an Irish company who have the most amazing brushes, brilliant quality for very affordable prices. They have several brush sets but my favourite is this 6 piece brush set including 2 face brushes F26 & F04, 4 eye brushes E10, E24, E32 & E 38 and a makeup brush case all for just €49.99 http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com/products/6-piece-set-3-f26-f04-e24-e38-e32-e10-with-free-case.html 

For him, now this could be anyone from your dad to brother to uncle to nephew to your boyfriend.

1) Shaving set 

All Dr K Soap Company products are handmade in Ireland and you can get a range of products from shaving, grooming to skin & beard care. They also do sets for really reasonable prices. This shaving set retails for €35 find it here http://www.drksoap.com/mens-grooming-set/

2) Aftershave 

You can never go wrong with a good after shave. There's always great sets and deals around this time of the year. I love this Hugo Boss Orange set retailing for €44 in boots. 

3) Books 

Around this time of the year there are always a lot of new releases particularly books about bands or personalities but there's also books like these the '100 things to do before you die' books like these are great coffee table books and interesting conversation starters. 

4) Gadgets 

As we all know boys love gadgets and toys and honestly some of them can be quite handy. Here we have this speaker from Penneys that connects to your phone and plays your music for just €10. Also perfect as a stocking filler.

This next one looks a bit scary but it's pretty handy. This is a 10 in 1 tool the size of a credit card which includes a saw blade, a ruler, a wrench, a bottle opener a flat head screwdriver and many more. Again a perfect sticking filler for just €3.75 find it here : http://www.red5.co.uk/christmas-gifts/christmas-gift-ideas-for-brothers/10-in-1-credit-card-multitool.aspx 

Another gadget here but any iPhone owner would find this really useful! This is a rechargeable phone case, possibly one of the best inventions ever! I found this one on Amazon for an iPhone 5/5s for just €13! Whatever about the man in my life, I think I'll be getting one of these for myself.

5) Watch 

Watches can sometimes be hit or miss but when looking keep it as simple as possible, think about their job, what they do in their spare time and try to imagine them wearing it. This one from asos is an absolute steal for just €40 find it here http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Bracelet-Watch-In-Black/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=4565062&cid=5034&Rf-800=-1,54&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Black&totalstyles=127&gridsize=4 

The great thing about all these presents is that they can be mixed and matched depending on the person you're buying for. There's plenty of men out there who would appreciate a good skin care set and there's plenty of women who would appreciate some cool gadgets. Hope this helped, happy holidays! 

Until next time guys, Alison x 

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 2 - MAKEUP HAUL (Black Friday & Cyber Monday)

As I'm sure you all know, I love a good bargain. So when Irish brands and websites were putting on Black Friday & Cyber Monday you know I couldn't help myself! I didn't get my blogpost up in time with all the places and their discounts but there were so many other bloggers posting about it, it's all I was reading for a couple of days so I thought there was enough people talking about it.

I'm not going to ramble on too much I just wanted to update you guys really quick and show you what I got. Now all of this stuff wasn't bought over a couple of days, some of it I have been accumulating for a few weeks, picking things up in sales or with vouchers I've gotten and they have been just sitting in a box under my vanity just waiting to be reviewed! 

So now I better show you! 

First up I got a hella load of stuff from BeautyJoint.com which was having a 20% sale for Black Friday ( now they did have a Cyber Monday sale but I was far too impatient to wait 3 days for that). I got a lot of E.L.F & NYX stuff, things that are raved about in blogs and on YouTube but you can't get certain things in Ireland. E.L.F you can't get at all in Ireland unless you order online and NYX you can get in certain pharmacies and selected shops but I think it's way over priced considering what you can get it for online. So if you're addicted to makeup & YouTube like me check out BeautyJoint.com honestly it will be your new best friend! 

                                  

Next I got the raved about costal scents revealed 1 & 2 palettes! Now these I bought on a whim because they were on sale & including shipping it worked out at €15 per palette. I mean how could I not? Especially considering I still haven't jumped on the Naked3 palette bandwagon yet and I've heard the Revealed 2 is a dupe for it. I got these on http://www.coastalscents.com/. 

                                           

These next 3 things I nearly fan girled over! They are the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation, the 24/7 concealer and the All-Nighter setting spray. The setting spray I got as a present, it retails at €26 in Urban Decay stands in Debnahems. The foundation and concealer I got off FeelUnique.com obviously on sale.

                                  

This next lot of MAC is going to look absolutely ridiculous but I turned 21 back in July so nearly all of it was either presents or bought with vouchers, very little of it was bought with my own actual money. I got the 2 premade eyeshadow palettes in cool neutral & in warm neutral, I got 3 lipsticks Diva, Russian Red & Creme D'Nude, I also got 3 pencils an eye pencil in Coffee & 2 lipliners in Whirl & Boldly Bare, I got a paintpot in Soft Ochre, a refill pan eyeshadow called Sketch and a repurchase of Fix+ & brush cleanser with the spray top. One of the times I went the girl serving me also gave me a same of strobe cream and the new foundation Master Match in the shade 1.0 to try out, I'll let you know what I think! 

                                          

This is a little more tame than the last lot but I absolutely adore Inglot and trust me you will be hearing a lot about this brand from me! This stuff was bought on 2 separate occasions, the first I saw they had the 3 for €50 deal which was a foundation, powder and blush all for €50 I was basically in heaven! I got LW400 in the foundation for when I'm tanned. The rest of the stuff was bought at a student lock in the Jervis Street Shopping Centre in Dublin which was 10% off and you got a free gift when you spent €50 or over which I obviously did! I got the 20 eyeshadow palette and 4 shadows, the 5 rainbow colours I already had. I got a green concealer and 2 AMC gel liners one in 90 brown for my brows and the other 77 black as a normal liner. The free gift included 3 samples of their new makeup base, a double sparkle eyeshadow and a sample of their green pigment. 

                                         

Boots is literally my haven and with 10% student discount all year round! I just can't get enough! Apart from one thing all of these products were repurchases. I got the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation I'm light porcelain for €10.99 & Scandaleyes waterproof mascara €8.99 but there was a special offer, 2 Rimmel products for €12. Next I got the L'oreal True Match in W1 for €14.99 & L'oreal Lumi Magique base €14.99 and the cult concealer Collection lasting perfection concealer normally €6.49 but on sale at the minute for just €3.24, Finally I got the Soap & Glory Eyebrow shaping and highlighting crayon for €10 this is a new one for me and I am loving it so far.

                                          

Cloud10beauty.com had a 20% off sale on Black Friday. I was debating with myself for months whether or not I'd get stuff from theBalm now I didn't get everything I wanted as a lot of it sold out quick but what I did get was the Bahama Momma bronzer and the Hot Momma blush just €13 each!!! Cloud10 also do free shipping in Ireland when you spend over €15, you get to pick a free sample and my package arrived in like 3 days so I was all over that! 

                                   

Now last but by no means least, Blank Canvas! You can get Blank Canvas on cloud10 but as I mentioned a lot of their stuff across the website was sold out. Myself and my friend Lauren from college were texting back and forth the whole day about all the deals we found and I mentioned that I couldn't find what I wanted on cloud10 her reply gave me life... 30% OFF ON BLANKCANVAS.COM! As you can imagine I ran and jumped on my laptop and got these 2 babies! I was cool calm and collected and just got 2 things but it's quality not quantity! Including shipping the brush and brush case cost €22 which I was buzzing over considering the brush on it's own normally retails at €19.99! 

                                    

So that's it.... I'm done, no more shopping! At least until the St. Stephen's Day sales here in Ireland. Expect lots of product reviews, how use one product for more than one thing, tips & tricks and of course dupe alerts all over the place.

*Disclaimer* This post isn't about showing off or bragging, almost everything here was bought on sale or with vouchers. I know there's people out there (including myself) who love seeing what makeup people buy, where they get it and what they think of it. Some people collect shoes or handbags or even stamps, I like to collect makeup. What I have is definitely way more than what the average person would need but this is a makeup blog and I want to share what I get, what I like, what I don't like, what I would recommend and what I wouldn't. I hope that clears that up, hope you enjoyed this post.

Until next time guys, Alison x

12 Blogs of Christmas : Day 1 - My 2014 Winter Essentials

I know there's plenty of people out there in the blogging world doing Blogmas but since I'm new to the game I thought I'd ease myself in with a 12 Blogs of Christmas post. Starting today I'll be posting every day for the next 12 days. We're well into winter now so for my first post here are my top picks for winter 2014 essentials! 

1. Oversized Handbag : This one might just be me but I like to carry a hell of a lot of stuff. I like to use this black oversized bag from H&M for €49.99 which also comes in grey. It's a very simple plain bag with a zip pouch on one side inside and an open pocket on the other side, it also has a longer strap to carry it on your shoulder. This suits me because you can just chuck everything in and be on your way. I tend to use this bag for college as I can fit my iPad, notebooks, pencil case as well as my purse, umbrella, makeup bag etc.

2. Tartan Scarf : Tartan scarfs are a must have fashion accessory this season. Almost every clothes shop from River Island, Forever21, New Look to Topshop has some sort of tartan scarf in their autumn/winter collection but these ones in particular are from Penneys for JUST €6 (a fraction of what they cost in other stores) and they come in multiple colours. Definitely one of my favourite items for winter because I wear a lot of black so these scarfs add just a hint of colour to any outfit. 

3. Cosy Jumper : I think everyone needs at least one cosy oversized jumper for the winter. This one is my favourite and it was such a bargain from Penneys marked at €12 but it scanned in at just €5 at the till! Penneys and H&M currently have a great selection on cosy jumpers for extremely affordable prices. This jumper is perfect to just throw over a pair of jeans or leggings with a tartan scarf and simple pumps.

4. Ripped Jeans : Ripped jeans are also a huge trend this season. I haven't found my perfect jean brand just yet I tend to chop and change but I do really like the ones from River Island and H&M. If you're on a budget Penneys have some great jeans (unless you have thicker legs like me, it might be a little harder to find perfect fitting one, it's all trial and error, you'll definitely need to take a few pairs into the fitting room) you can DIY the rips in the Penneys jeans, there's plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to do it and you don't need to worry too much about ruining them as they are normally cheap enough to start with. 

5. Autumnal Lipstick : I am a very red/berry/burgundy toned lipstick person so I generally wear these types of colours all year round but when it comes into this time of year it's a little bit more fitting. As some of you may know I'm not a major lip product person but I do have a soft spot for MAC lipsticks. My current autumn lipstick favourite is MAC Diva! It is an intense reddish burgundy colour with a matte finish. 

6. Oversized Coat : This might be a no brainer for people in Ireland as it gets even colder than normal around this time of the year. Investing in a good coat is a must for me! Now when I say invest I don't mean you necessarily need to spend €200 for a decent coat. Penneys have really been upping their game this winter and their coat section is no different. This pink oversized coat comes in several difference colours including light grey for a mire €30! A slightly more expensive option but just as good comes from River Island for €80. 

7. Tights/Leggings : At the start if winter I like to stock up pairs of black tights and leggings because they're so easy to style and look out together while still being comfortable. You can easily just throw on an oversized jumper, a jumper dress, or a t-shirt dress with black boots or pumps for a quick put together look. I get all my tights and leggings from Penneys because I don't see the point in paying ridiculous money for those types of things. The tights range from €2 per pack & from €2.50 for leggings. 

8. Moisturiser : With the change in weather and it getting colder outside a lot of people will start to notice their skin drying out. My current favourite is Garnier Soft Essentials Hydrating Day Cream which retails in Boots for €6.79. Not only does it hydrate for 24hrs, but it also provides your skin with vitamins and a UV filter to protect it. I've been using this since September and I've been more than happy with it. I've had no flakey patchy foundation which I had a really bad problem with last winter. If I could only have one winter essential item, this would probably be it. 

9. Boots & Pumps : When talking about footwear most people would just stick with boots in the winter, which I do love like these Penneys black boots for €22 but I also like pumps especially these 2 pairs from again Penneys these patent wine loafers for €13 & these plain black loafers for just €8. I love all 3 pairs of shoes here because you can mix & match between outfits and they're all a bargain, you can't get better than that! 

10. Travel Mug : If you guys are anything like me I can hardly function first thing on a winter morning without a cup of tea, coffee or even a hot chocolate but I never seem to have time to run to a coffee shop before college so these cute travel mugs from yup you guessed it... Penneys for just €3.50 come in handy! They also come in a huge range of colours and style for both men and women. Also in the long run you'll notice you end up saving yourself money making your coffee rather than buying it every morning, WIN! 

Until next time guys, Alison x