My Saturday bargain shop!

I love reading about these on other blogs, so I though I'd do my own :)

Saturday was a good day shopping-wise!

Here are the items I came home with:

 

Will start with the chocolate...mmmmmm chocolate! This was FREE! Courtesy of Hotel Chocolat and their amazing Facebook competition! (Also courtesy of the lovely girls over at Facebook's Beauty Box Swaps who made me aware of this competition!) I came away from the ridiculously expensive shop with a £26 Easter Egg (For my lovely boyfriend which he claimed, so not on the picture!) A £28 box of Signature chocolates and an Easter Egg Selection, worth £12 - so not bad for free!

Then, the shoes....mmmmmm shoes!!!! I headed into New Look's sale shop in Birmingham and came across these beauties for £13. After another rummage, I found a handbag I was after for £8! Both are still full price in the store so I was chuffed! I'm trying to inject a bit of colour into my wardrobe at the moment, so yellow and sky blue will do nicely ;)

Then, No7! One of my favourite brands...

I'll start off by saying I have a lovely best friend who happens to work in Boots, and sssshhhh, uses her discount card for me when I'm with her. I'm not sure of the exact discount amount though.

So firstly, armed with my £5 off voucher, I picked up:

• No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal / Oily Skin (£12.95)
• No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser (£12.00)
• No7 Perfect Light Loose Powder (£11.00)
• No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in 'Wheatsheaf' & 'Truffle' (£8.00 each)

The first three items I used as a 3 for 2, and I used a voucher as well, which made the cost just under £20, then with my friend's discount = £16 - bargain!

The BB cream is quite nice, but doesn't provide as much coverage as I would have liked. I'm also still slightly oily only a few hours after applying it. The tinted moisturiser I haven't tried yet, but have heard good reviews about it - hence the purchase. The powder I also haven't tried yet, but generally I 'get on' with No7 products.

I went in later with another voucher, and again after that (Joined another queue!) and purchased the eyeshadows at around £2 each :) They're a beautiful colour; and the 'Wheatsheaf' also doubles up as a cheek highlighter.

So roughly £20 for my No7 haul; add on my shoes and bag = £41....not to forget my free chocolate which should have cost £66!

So not a bad shopping day ;)

x

This week's loves....

What I have discovered, and LOVE this week:

Garnier BB Cream - Miracle Skin Perfector

This adds a lovely glow to your face, and although it doesn't cover all imperfections, my skin certainly looked a lot better! Seen as I only use mineral make up now, it was a nice bit of coverage beforehand. I used the shade 'Light' which was perfect. You can pick up some samples below by clicking the link & reading all about the product :) Superdrug has this on offer at the moment for £7.49. Boots stock the item at £9.99 but there is also a 3 for 2 offer on.

What Garnier Says...

My second love this week is:

The Balm - 'Frat Boy' Blush

I purchased this after hearing a lot about it. The colour is a lovely rosy pink which I have found to stay-put all day! It has no shimmer, so produces a very matte, natural finish. It will last a long time too as you only need to use a small amount :) The packaging is lovely too (Which always has an impact on whether I buy something!) I picked up mine from Ebay as the official site is American. However, the Beauty Box that introduced many to Frat Boy is listed below as a stockist.

The Balm - Frat Boy

Carmine

Swaps!

Updated list & a few new items!

*Indicates new product

Face:

No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation in ‘Blonde’ – Used Twice

No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in ‘Blonde’ - Used Twice

17 Super Wear foundation in ‘Fair’ – Used Once

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour skin protectant (50ml) & lip protectant set *

MAC Volume, Length & Curl Mascara (Used once)

Sephora light touch highlighter in light beige*

Maxfactor smokey eye effect used once.

KISS False Eyelashes – Natural lashes x2*

Estée Lauder soft smudge black eyeliner pencil. Used once never sharpened.

Studio makeup lipstick in tender pink - swatched.

MAC ‘Dark Soul’ pigment (Used a few times but still almost full)

Vinies Luminous Skin Mask sample (Opened, smelt & lid put back on lol)

Sephora eye shadow ‘Catherine no3’ (Used once)

Sephora eye shadow ‘Aspen Summit no23’(Used once)

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lipgloss in ‘My Eternity’*

AVON Anew lash transforming mascara & serum (Used once)

Calvin Klein lip glosses in cocoa sheen and mica*

Accessorize eyeshadow pallet. 1 colour used, 2 more swatched. No applicator.

Body:

Elizabeth Arden 200ml 8 hour body moisturiser *

Make Believe Self Tan Lotion 30ml*

Make Believe Gradual Self Tan 30ml*

Mitchell & Peach Shower Wash 50ml*

Bamford body wash*

Bamford body lotion*

Nails Inc ‘Piccadilly Circus’ 10ml*

Another of my favourite brands: Sephora

I've always loved the brand Sephora, so I was really annoyed when they closed all their UK stores :(

I found the brand very high quality, but also very reasonable in price! That's why on my trip to America last year, I found myself in their shops more than once! I have to say, America have some amazing prices for beauty products! Or maybe we're just that expensive here in the UK?!

This is my current Sephora collection:

 

& I have to say how cheap everything was over there :(

Sephora Color Buildable Cover Complexion Kit

I picked up this set for $22...

Look at all those products for $22!! A little primer, concealer, concealer brush, mineral compact foundation, powder brush and a double sided sponge...whew!!!

The primer is gorgeous! Not oily and really holds the foundation in place. The concealer is thick but covers beautifully (It claims to be able to cover tattoos, but I don't have any to test on!), and the foundation, wow! Only thing that covers my sometimes nasty skin, I tell you!

The other products I have were part of a $7 set - where the hell can you get mascara, lipgloss, eyeliner, eye makeup remover and primer in a set for $7?!

I think I can safely say that I'm in love with Sephora! I wish they would bring their stores back to the UK, or better yet, take me to America?!

Best make my products last :(

http://www.sephora.com/

Finally! Got the fake eyelashes on!

The False Eyelash struggle....

Well, I struggle so much with fake eyelashes that I generally go through 1-2 pairs when attempting to put them on, then I just give up! I used to be able to do them fine, but lack of practice has left me with my finger stuck to my eye on more than one occasion!

So, I picked up these little beauties and thought I'd give them a try:

 

They're not the usual style or thickness that I'd prefer, but to be honest I didn't think I'd get them on anyway! However, the little strings actually do work and hold the lashes in place until they're set! Ta-da!I'd definitely recommend them for people who struggle to get them on and to stick, unless it's just me!?

The brand is: KISS and they do various styles in these lashes, so I'll definitely be investing in some thicker, more glamourous ones for nights out :) Yay!!

YouTube vid on how to apply.

Stockist: Boots

Leonor Greyl Huile De Palme

I received a sample of this little beauty in a previous Boudoir Prive/Joliebox.

It's a strange little item that hardens when it gets cold, and transforms into an oil when it heats up.

"Leonor Greyl's Huile De Palme is a detangling, softening, protective and beautifying oil for the hair. Huile De Palme regenerates, softens and protects your hair from sea water, chlorinated pool water and aggressions from the sun. Hair is left softer, lengths and ends are well nourished. This product is designed to be used specifically for dry, very dry or damaged hair. However, it can also be used on all hair types if the product is distributed appropriately. Other benefits include: Waterproof - While swimming the hair is protected from contact with water to a temperature of about 77°F. Thus Huile De Palme stays on the hair in low water temperature. Prevents Dryness - Water moisturises keratin, sun strips natural moisture. Hair becomes dry, dull and split ends appear. Regenerates And Softens - The oils formulated in this product have been selected for their softening and regenerating properties. Before shampoo it detangles and softens the hair. Combined with Leonor Greyl's Creme aux Fleurs, this oil can be used as a conditioning treatment to restore health to the most damaged hair. Ideal for: All Hair Types, Sensitive, Dry & Damaged Hair." - Amazon.co.uk

&...

"This product should always be used prior to applying a treatment or a shampoo. This formula uses botanical oils that facilitate detangling while nourishing the hair. Apply Huile de Palme evenly to dry lengths and ends, brush hair to ensure even distribution. The oil should be left on for up to 10 minutes or all night if desired and then use the shampoo suitable for your hair type. The perfect blend to protect and restore damaged lengths and ends." - Leonor Greyl

& there you have it! My hair is very dry at the ends, and often very lifeless! I use this treatment about once a month due to only having a small sample at the moment. Last time I used it, I applied it and left it overnight and shampooed out in the morning. My hair was left very soft and a lot more manageable. I'm definitely going to buy a larger bottle to test it over a few months.

Stockists:

Jolibox - Cheapest I have found - £24

Perfect Skin....

On the hunt for perfect skin - I will make it my mission!

I'm almost 26 years old for God sake, a few wrinkles here and there I'll cope with, but stop with the oiliness and spots!! I'm not fifteen!

I have various products to try so let's hope by Summer I'll have cracked it! (& hopefully I'll find a cracking foundation to hide myself with until then!)

x

Saturday Night Order!

Bored, can't sleep, so ended up spending - oops!

Been on CheapSmells and ordered myself:

Nina Ricci Flawless Control Foundation - £.8.99. RRP. £28.00

Couldn't find any reviews for this, but here's hoping it's good! I love her perfume so that's a good start, right?

Dr Nick Lowe Anti-Blemish Starter Kit - £8.95. RRP. £15.31

Wanted to try this for a while, I have lovely blemished/oily skin so again, here's hoping!

& finally,

Gatineau, Melatogenine (Three Piece Anti Wrinkle Performance Booster Set) £.4.95. RRP. £24.99

No idea why this went in really as the samples are so tiny, so I probably won't see a difference anyway! But I've heard a few people raving about the brand so, in the basket it went!

Free postage so I can't grumble too much. Hmm, I should have just gone to bed lol! x

First Blog Award!

I've received my first blog award from Nobeastjustbeauty :) :) Thank you Gina! 

(Click to visit and follow her blog!)

 

Rules:

***This award is meant ONLY for people who have a blog dedicated to makeup...that's why the "Beauty"***

The person who receives the award should link back to the person who gave the award (if you have received the award directly from sdglitter then you may skip this step but mention it that you have been awarded by sdglitter)

 

The person who receives this award must pass this on to 5 other beauty blogs that he/she follows and out of the 5 one should be a newly discovered blog

 

The person who receives the award should list 5 trends of makeup that he/she likes or dislikes or both

The best rule - The person who receives the award should post a link to

Beauty-Ful Blog Awards So people who have not received the award can nominate themselves.

My top five trends

 

1) Bronzed, tanned skin.

2) A lovely peach blush

3) Black winged liner & smokey eyes.

4)Pretty pastel nails

5)Fluttery, sexy lashes - real or fake!

My Five Nominees are:

• Peonies & Sweet peas
• Poochy-Tails, Eyelashes & Nails
• Cara Robinson
• Glimmer and Gloss Beauty

& newly discovered award to: Secret Beauty Hoarder

My favourite scrub!

My favourite scrub/mask at the moment is Susan Ma’s (Apprentice contestant)  

Tropic Skincare - Polishing Mask 80ml. RRP £9.95

 Tropic Skincare state about this product:

Pure. Honest. Effective. These are the three principles that lie at the heart of Tropic Pure Plant Skin Care. Our products are derived from 100% pure plant extracts, are honestly priced, and are naturally effective on all skin types.

I received a sample of this in a beauty box, and it is my favourite skin scrub to date! It feels quite oily and does settle so you will have to give it a little mix before each use! However, there are a lot of scrubbing particles in there, and if you’re like me, you like a face scrub that actually feels like it is scrubbing! You simply use it on dry skin, massage in and leave on for a few minutes (the mask effect), then wash away. You skin will feel instantly smooth and revived. I suffer with blemishes and oily skin, and after using this for a month once/twice a week, I can definitely see an improvement, & it just feels nice afterwards! :)

Give it a try!

http://www.tropicskincare.com/Tropic-Face/Polishing-Mask

Enhanced or fake beauty?

Bit of a rant but it's something that really annoys me, and seen as it's beauty related, I'm going to post about it!

One thing that really annoys me is the whole concept of  'Fakeness'. Think of the usuals:

Fake Tan

Hair Extensions

Fake Nails

False Eyelashes

....you get the picture! (Just to point out that I'm not really discussing surgery in this post - merely cosmetic, as I have no surgery myself so couldn't comment on this area.)

I have no problem at all with this 'Fakeness' - so let us know my position on this, yet it seems that a lot of girls do. I regularly wear fake tan, make up, but only usually a lot of make up and hair extensions when I go out. Yet in the past it has been enough to obviously 'offend' some people, who felt it fair to comment on how much make up I use, and how obviously 'fake' I am.

Fair enough, we all see someone that really goes to the extreme with the fakeness, but your general girl who uses fake tan, make up and hair extensions? Why so much hatred and abuse towards her? Is she hurting you? Or is she just prettier than you?

If I had £1 for every time I heard someone say, 'Yeah well you should see her without all her make up' or 'Natural beauty is best' - Yes, it is, I'm sure we'd all love to wake up with glossy and styled hair, smooth, radiant skin and lovely fluttery eyelashes wouldn't we? But the fact is, not many of us are that lucky, and we need a little help in the beauty department. Or so we all believe anyway....we're all our own worst critic. 

Even 'natural beauties' will mostly admit to you that it is simply cleverly applied make up to make it look like they are hardly wearing any! I'll openly admit that I don't have the 'natural look' down make up wise! It takes me just as long to make it look like I'm hardly wearing any make up, than it does to apply my full face of going out make up! So to me, what's the point? I'd rather just not wear any, and openly show the world that I am a scruff - and look nothing like my pictures on Facebook :)

Myself, I've had it all, as I used to also be platinum blonde. So the usual 'Barbie doll' comments were often aimed at me, so much that they didn't have an effect anymore. I knew that I didn't cake myself in make up everyday, I often felt that I should as I knew that I looked better with it but I simply couldn't be bothered to be made up everyday. My day-to-day life didn't alter because I wasn't wearing all my make up. In fact, I used to feel more self-conscious if I left the house in daylight wearing a full face of make up, hair extensions and fake tan, but this was due to the fact that I knew I'd receive looks, comments or both, and probably mostly negative. However, whenever certain people saw me, it was usually when I was dressed up to the max on a night out, or in Facebook pictures, which obviously show me at my best. So, in their eyes, that was me 100% of the time - obviously a fake person; inside and out.

So, the people totally against fakeness...what is their problem? What is a girl who wears a lot of make up actually doing to deserve a negative attitude towards her? One thing I will say is that the people directing the abuse aren't usually in a position to do so, without me being blunt!

So does it simply come down to jealousy? Are these girls jealous that they cannot apply make up as well, that they can't be bothered to apply make up as well, or do they genuinely have a hatred for cosmetics and anything 'fake'? If it is the latter, then they really all need to start backing up their arguments a little better. Because no one I've encountered who has slagged me off has been able to provide a good solid stand on why fake tan, make up and hair extensions is really harmful to their life...Fair enough if you think they're a waste of money, but if you really didn't care about it, you'd simply shrug it off and know that you spend your money in better ways. You wouldn't feel the need to slag someone off.

I'm a firm believer in - 'If it makes you feel good, use it.' If you love how you feel wearing fake tan and it gives you confidence, wear it! If you like wearing a lot of make up, use it! If deep down you know that you're hiding behind a mask as you think you're ugly without it, then that's a separate issue altogether.

I believe cosmetics enhance natural beauty, they don't create it. Cosmetics enhance features that are already present. So how someone can say, 'She's ugly without all that make up' really makes no sense at all. Maybe people who don't care for make up automatically assume that they won't like those that do, that they'll have nothing in common with them, that they're obviously not interested in anything other than their appearance...there are many assumptions that come associated with girls who are 'fake'. My advice? Stop being so judgemental. That girl...her whole world is not how she looks I can assure you, and your negativity or insults just show what an ugly person you are - inside.

And we all keep saying it's what inside that counts, don't we?

Jane Iredale - 'Purelash' Extender & Conditioner

Jane Iredale 'Purelash' Extender & Conditioner

My most recent love is for Jane Iredale 'Purelash' Extender & Conditioner. I received a sample of this in a previous Boudoir Prive/Joliebox box and loved it! I'm a fan of the mascara's with 'the white bit' on the end, or usually called the lash fortifier or conditioner. However, these double ended mascara's usually meant that the mascara itself run out quickly. So this is the perfect solution!




Jane Iredale states about this product:

Provides a much-needed step towards unbelievable lashes. When used to prime lashes for mascara, it adds measurable thickness and length and allows you to use less mascara. A single coat of this revolutionary formula before applying mascara will help strengthen, lengthen and thicken your lashes, making the mascara twice as effective.

• Algae extract conditions and protects lashes
• You will need to apply less mascara
• Stops lashes from drying out and splitting
• Allows lashes to grow to their fullest potential
• May even encourage extra growth

& believe me, it does! I have used this product with various mascaras; from expensive to cheap, and the effects are always good - amazing. You simply apply one thin coat to your lashes and wait until it is tacky (Not dry!) before you apply a chosen mascara.

In the photograph, I used Avon's 'Spectralash' mascara - one coat only! I usually needed three coats of the mascara to achieve the same effect.

For Stockists:

Jane Iredale

JolieBox stockist

My New Baby....to add to the others!

Let's get one thing straight....I'm a Cat Lady! Probably end up old with five of them hanging onto my legs but I love the little things! So most the people who know me, know that my kittycat children are a big part of my life...

Already I've got:

Squeak - 17year old man, grumpy, also known as 'Sir Squeak' or 'Sqwark', or 'Sqwonk' - Anything we fancy calling him - daft bat always answers. Adam's cat since he was 8, so he's been around the block a bit! Resembles Basil Brush, both in facial features & the trademark fluffy tail! Attention seeker, fluffball, odd meow, will rip your arm off if you touch his belly, likes to lie in leaves...

 

Little Brown Cat - or 'Brownie', for when we're too embarrassed to say we named a cat 'Little Brown Cat'. It just fit, ok? Little stray that first appeared with her leg stuck inside her collar...Adam soon warmed to her and bought her inside. She's scared of her own shadow, loves a fuss, and should have been a tortoise...as I'm sure if she could carry her little pet house around on her back and just keep popping her head out every now and again, she would! She once saved me from being eaten by a dragonfly though, so she's a keeper...

Mommy Cat - Another great name that just suited her! Poor little stray that used to live under the outside table at our old house. After worming her way into the garage, she eventually became a full fledged household member. Arch rival of Squeak, and known to bash Brownie around a bit. Went missing when I went back to stay with my mom and dad...I was absolutely heartbroken. So was my Dad! This is where the bond was formed I believe...Luckily, we found her. She ended up staying with Mom & Dad at the 'Retirement Home', fed tuna/other human meat everyday, fed cod liver oil capsules for her fur, and escorted down the garden so she doesn't run off again! I couldn't bear to break up such a relationship.....

& most recently; Cupcake.

This little bundle of gorgeousness was my valentine's present off my 'very in my good books' boyfriend. His reason for getting her for me? As I'd never had my own kitten, I'd always taken in strays and never had my own baby....awww!! She's a lovely grey British Shorthair with that cute, stubby nose and face like its been whacked with a spade. She's simply growing up at the moment & I adore her. She's already a little character who likes to dart around at 100mph, chew my shoes, ensure she wakes Adam up every night when going to the toilet, plays with a stupid pink mouse for hours on end (It doesn't even have a bell or squeaker!) and is currently signing her own death warrant by becoming too fascinated by Squeak's lovely, swishy tail...

New Blogger...

To be irreplacable, you must always be different….

Hi everyone :)

Here’s to my first blog post - always a bit awkward starting things off…So here goes:

I’m Hayley, 25 from Walsall in the West Midlands. I’m a University Support Worker which I love, as it means I get to sit in various lectures, learn a lot (Sometimes!), meet a lot of new people, mentor students and generally act like a student! I’m hoping to progress in this role, complete a Counselling qualification and continue to hopefully make a difference!

I’m a recent University graduate, having gained a First in my Policing and Criminal Investigation degree. Loved it but haven’t had any luck on the jobs front yet. Probably doesn’t help that I never want to be a police officer, hmm…

I used to model, loved that time of my life and glad I achieved as much as I did :) Plus I’ve got some nice pictures to look at and think, ‘God I looked like THAT?!’ I'll quite happily say that I generally look a scruff most days, but I know how to scrub up well ;) The modeling industry changed drastically, and I can honestly say that I wasn't prepared to do what needed to be done anymore, I stuck to my morals and values and ended my career on a high, which was a full page shoot in Loaded!

I live with my boyfriend of three years - Adam, in our lovely house that we’ve just bought :) Everyone who knows me and Ad knows our story, and it is a complicated one! I love him more than anything even though he can do my nut!!! We’re a cat family; with Adam’s cat Squeak, a stray we adopted - ‘Little Brown Cat’ and new addition, ‘Cupcake’ - my gorgeous British Shorthair (& also my Valentine’s present - brownie points for Ad!)
My family and friends are my life & I’d do anything for them! I’m wary of who I trust, and realised that many people aren’t worth my time, but I usually suss these people out pretty quickly ;)

I’m addicted to Beauty Products!! I buy whatever item takes my fancy, and I’m ashamed to admit that I usually believe all the stuff each product ‘claims’ to do! So this blog should include some reviews of my favourite products, and also some ones to be aware of! I’m a beauty box subscriber also (Boudoir Prive/Joliebox) and will review these products as and when I receive the boxes. I love them, as it’s like getting a little surprise every month, and what girl doesn’t like surprises ;)

I’m also a travel addict - I’d love to travel the world and mark off the places I visit on a map! I’ve got some amazing travel memories and will probably share some on here also :) My main fascination is with America, I'd love to take six months to travel around the whole country, so here's to winning the lottery!

Throw in a few general rants, a lot of pictures of my cats, random quotes and I think that’ll be my blog in a nutshell!

=D
Love, H xxx