Free Ciaté with Marie Claire!

July's magazine freebies are pretty amazing, and this one is no exception! In this months issue of Marie Claire magazine (£3.70) readers are offered a choice of three nail colours worth £9 each! I picked up 'Jelly bean' although the other colours are just as lovely. There is also a 25% off everything at Ciate for Marie Claire readers (yay!)

Free Benefit in Glamour!

You have no idea how happy this freebie made me when I saw it in my local supermarket today while browsing the magazine aisle! With this months copy of Glamour magazine (£2) readers are given choice of three Benefit gifts worth £35 together. Personally I went for both the 'That gal' and 'The porefessional' primer (Both  7.5ml) although I'll probably go back for the mascara!

There are even some shampoo samples, and a free Graze Box offer thrown in too - Not bad for just £2!

Will you guys be picking up this amazing offer?

Free Jemma Kidd in Red!

I was browsing today when I spotted this freebie in Red magazine. for just £3.90 you get a choice of a mascara worth £15 or an eyeliner worth £14. I picked the I-Glamour Volume mascara although I may go back for the eyeliner if I'm impressed with it.Will you be picking up a copy of Red magazine this month?

On another note, I officially finished my AS exams today - So expect loads more posts to come!

NEW Mua Palette!

As soon as I saw the post on MUA's blog, I knew I had to have this! I literally made the 11 mile trip to get my first bunch of MUA professional goodies yesterday, as they don't sell it in my local one so I'm a little gutted I'll have to do it all again! Although it all sounds worth it! In Karla's words  'It has a great combination of shimmers and mattes and the colour selection is great for creating this season’s clean, natural look, but leaves the "boring shades" behind hence the name of the palette being ‘UNDRESSED’ it’s in my eyes a "a breath of fresh air.” Being bang on trend with the spring summer runway filled with nude makeup looks.'

Are you guys looking forward to trying this palette as much as I am? Be sure to click on the blog link to get a closer look.

Making a dent in the wish list.

Armed with my birthday money, I hit the shops today for the first time since exam season started ready to waste a silly amount. Admittedly I should have been studying for my last exam on Wednesday - But its my birthday! At least it was yesterday... and I had a lot of lost time to make up for ;)

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette £4 | MUA Glamour Palette £4 | MUA Primer £4

Baring in mind I spent a ridiculous amount of money on clothes, finally getting these eyeshadow palettes honestly made my day. For a long time I've lusted over 'Heaven and Earth' - But I've mentioned how badly kept all my local MUA stands are. The one I visited today was lovely! Plus these were 3 for 2 which made the whole experience ten times lovelier. All of this for an amazing £8!

Natural collection lash care £1.99 | Natural collection juicy lips in Fondant £1.99 | Natural collection moisture shine lipstick in Rose Petal £1.99

I've become quite a big fan of the natural collection range, I wasn't actually planing to buy anything - But stumbled across the 'Lash care' mascara which I've been looking for, for a while now. So I figured I may aswell compete the 3 for £5 deal, I love both of these lip colours!

Boots Essentials cucumber moisturising cream £1.52 | Boots essentials fragrance free moisturising cream £1.52 | Boots Essentials cucumber eye gel £1.52

I've heard great things about the boots essentials range, So figured I'd try it while it was on 3 for 2, for just over £3 for two moisturising creams and an eye gel you cant do wrong!

Nivea Milk & Honey lip balm £1.99

Another blogger posted about how much she loved this product (Sorry, Forgot who!), So I figured I'd pick it up while it was half price. Plus I'm down to just one draw full of lip balms, So I needed a new one clearly.

No7 Melting Gel Cleanser £9 | No7 Eye Makeup Remover £7.75

You can probably tell the No7 Vouchers are back! Which I was over the moon with, I went to the stand hoping to get a new moisturiser with mine. I don't know what happened but the cleanser caught my eye, and I love this remover so much I had to get another bottle!

Witch Skin Clearing Primer £6.99

I've wanted to try this for ages, So when I saw it was half price in superdrug  snapped this baby up! I think I've brought about 5 primers in the past month alone ...Opps!

Matlan nail files £1 | Angelica nail polish in Sorbet £2.50 | Max Factors fantasy fire £3.99 | Rimmel Disco Ball £2 | Essie fortifying nail mask - £3.99

My nail files had a habit of going walkies, So I'll be placing these in different places in the hope I'll be able to find atleast one when I'm doing my nails. I got the Rimmel and Angelica polish in Primark. I was really surprised to see a Rimmel stand in Primark, but the price tag was great! I also picked up a lip tint for just £1.50 which the check out lady didn't put in my bag - Boo! I was shocked to see so many bottles of Fantasy Fire in boots - I swear this stuff goes for £20 on ebay! Lastly but ceartainly not least I picked up this nail mask in Tk Maxx, I've never tried a 'nail mask' so it sounds interesting.

I'll probaly post about most of thes products indidually, But if you read this blog often you'll know that means in a few months time (If I even remember). So be sure to comment telling me if you'd like to here more about any of the above and I'll try and post ASAP!

Etat Pur : Week two update

I cant believe that I've only been using this stuff two weeks now, The results are so fast! Around mid week I stopped using this full time (four drops twice a day) because I simply felt I didn't need it anymore. Instead I've been using it in problem areas as I require it, and the results have been just as great this way. Yesterday morning I spotted a break out starting around my forehead, I applied it then and again at night. Just a day later there is practically nothing there.

I think this will be the last of these updates, because I'm pretty sure I'll be using this 'Zinc Gluconate' for a long long time! I cant wait to try more products from Etat Pur!

Tressmee: Iron style & hold spary

 I mentioned on Wednesday that I picked this up for just 10p at my local superdrug so I figured I'd tell you more about it. I really don't understand why it was so cheap as the bottle was full and unopened. The only think I can think of is that this has since been rebanded or discounted. Although I think It is likely it has been rebranded like this one in Tesco which looks nothing like my bottle.

I've been hunting for a heat protection spray I can use with dry hair for a while now as I like to allow my hair to dry naturally over night and then style it in the morning but I have found that many spray's require you to apply on damp hair, so this was pretty much perfect for me. Like anything I use on my hair I was worried that It would leave it greasy and weight it down, however I couldn't even spot a difference in my hair (Apart from the fact it stayed dead straight all day despite the warm weather)

Its a winner for me, I'd definitely spend a fiver on it!

My favourite lip gloss.

I've always been a lover of the natural look and this gloss certainly stays true to that. I first brought this in a 'limited eddition' set about a year ago along with impulse tease for just £3. Although recently I discovered they're still on sale and was so happy to get a back up! This is everything I could want from a lip gloss; Non sticky, moisturising and the smell reminds me of vanilla! I love being able to use this as part of my everyday make up routine and I recall even wearing this to prom!

Be sure to get your £3 Barry M and impulse set before they go (I say that- But they've been around for well over a year now, 'limited edition' I think not!)

Today's bargains.

I was wasting a free lesson wondering around superdrug with a friend of mine when I spotted the reduced section - Which in my college's local superdrug is pretty neat, It looks like any other shelf with no yellow labels or huge 'reduced' signs - The only difference is the prices!You have to have a good look to spot the bargains, I spotted a section of 10p items, although they hadn't made a big deal of it really just a simple '10p' label where the pricing normally goes. Between the two of us we spent a grand total of 40p. Whilst she opted for some sort of curling creme and heat protection. I picked Tresemme's iron style & Hold spray along with Superdrug's straight Expertise straighting creme - Not bad for just 10p each!

Have you guys spotted any good deals in superdrug lately? I'm really happy with mine!

Loreal Caresse: Sweet Berry

I wasn't planning to buy this - I went into boots after a more nudey colour but something about 'Sweet Berry' just spoke to me despite the fact i'm scared of darker colours. Once on the lips this is my dream colour - Its noticeable without being too bold, while complementing my skin tone at the same time.

Like all of the Caresse lipsticks I've tried this delivers a pop of colour and keeps the lips well moisturised - Although this is definitely my favourite shade of the bunch, I think I need a back up!

Blistex lip massage.

'Unique smoothing applicator tip massages in shea butter, squalane and aloe vera. Use daily to leave lips gorgeously soft and supple 24/7.'

After a visit to the dentist my lips were feeling ridiculously dry and in need of care when I spotted Blistex lip massage in the shelf in Asda. I was rather interested in the idea because I hadn't seen anything like it before so of course I stupidly picked it up despite having three other lip balms in my bag.To use you simply have to twist the bottom and product is released. I cant say the whole 'massage' thing adds to the experience in any way shape or form. In fact I've found myself applying the balm with my fingers because if anything its a little annoying.




























The price said £1.19 on the label, So I was even more annoyed that Asda had the cheek to charge me £2.50 for this. I do however like the product inside, and therefore will be investing in some Blistex - This tube however is going to the back of my make up draw!

Marie Claire freebie!

I tried my hardest to resist this freebie after buying way to many magazines this month - Honest! But today I finally gave in and decided I needed a treat in the form of the Body Shop's lip and cheek stain!

Sadly my local newsagents only had 'Bronze Glimmer' left, although I was really lusting after 'Rose pink'. I still picked it up though - Because it was a total bargin at £3.70!

'Bronze Glimmer' is probally the shade I've heard less about in terms of blogging (Because everyone went out and brought rose pink! Thanks guys.)

I wouldnt say this shade looks pratically bronze outside of the tube, Infact the colour reminds me of my Peach Parfait lip butter - only with about twenty times more gold glitter, Not the best look in the world..

I wouldnt dare wear this on my cheeks in fear that I'd be scubbing off glitter for the next three months, But on the right skin tone i'm sure this would look lovely. You can still pick this up in Junes Issue of Marie Claire magazine for just £3.70, I also spotted that next months freebie was worth looking out for:

Etat Pur Zinc Gluconate

With exams, revision classes and even a trip to the dentist, this week has been pretty hectic - but thanks to my new skincare routine my skin hasn't suffered at all, in fact it looks better than ever!

Last week I mentioned my recent order from Etatpur.co.uk, I have used four drops of  Etat Pur's 'Zinc Gluconate' on my cleansed skin both at morning and at night. Okay that's a lie, I'm far to lazy to cleanse in the morning too, But I still have however managed to pull myself out of bed every morning and use the four drops just minus the cleansing action.

I honestly thought I'd struggle with the whole morning and night thing because when it comes to skincare  I'm pretty much the most unorganised / forgetful person I know. However seeing the results so fast made me really excited to see more of what this product could so I found myself using this every morning and night without fail - Which must be some sort of record for me.

As you can see from the above image 56 drops (fast math!)  didn't take as much product as you'd expect in fact I'd say there is around 80% left as the white bit has some in too. This product would last you well over a month if you were using it twice daily (although you only need to do this for the first week)

I am happy to announce I am spot free after just one week! Although I do think I will happily continue to use this product for another week to get rid of any small marks I'm left with now.

For reference my current cleanser is 'Vitamian E's hot cloth cleanser' , And I have normal skin which is prone to the odd break out especially with exam stress!

Be sure to check this out in the Etat Pur website for just £8.50 (Its worth every penny - I promise)

100th post...

I would like to take this chance to thank every single person who has ever read, commented or even followed this blog, It means so much to me! x 

Natural Collection: Winter Moon

I thought I'd take a break from catching up with my lip posts today and show you a polish I brought while buying my natural collection lipsticks. 'Winter moon' interested me because I'd never seen anything like it before. Although It took a few coats to get it to work (Although you can probably tell by the state of my nails!)

What do you guys think of this pearly polish? I'm pretty undecided!



Loreal Caresse:Aphrodite Scarlet

I'm definitely playing catch up with my lip posts this week! Haha,  please bear with me, Its exam season and I want to get these posted while I'm busy studying (I'm trusting Scheduled posts again!)

From the moment I tried my first Rouge Caresse lipstick I was pretty much in love, It left my lips instantly moisturised  with a lightweight pop of colour. I was a little Scared of 'Aphrodite Scarlet' when I first saw it in the packaging - Although It was on 3 or 2, So I had to pick another shade and most were out of stock. But I'm happy I picked this up, My lips remain natural most of the time and I was worried this would be too bold, thankfully It goes perfect with my pale skin tone! I cant wait to get more use out of it this summer (Not that its ever warm in the UK, but I can hope)

What do you guys make of Loreal's Rouge Caresse? 

Revlon Lip Butter : Tutti Frutti

I've been promising individual posts on my Lip Butters for god knows how long now, But honestly Its taken me quite a while to figure out my thoughts on them. I wasn't particularly wowed by these which was pretty gutting at first, although I have warmed to them and found  they are pretty good (In fact I have a few more colours I wish to try).

Tutti Frutti in particular is a colour I just cant make my mind up on, sometimes I feel it looks great with my skin - But in over lights I just look drained. For that reason I haven't got much use out if it although I have worn it a few times since purchasing around the house.I wouldn't say this is particularly moisturising like I was expecting, In fact the longer you were it the dryer it feels which is pretty disappointing

But don't get me wrong I would buy these in other colours - Just not at £7.99 because I feel there are other brands that provide lipsticks which are both cheaper and more moisturising.

What do you make of the Revlon Lip butters?

Wishlist weekend: Beauty

MUA Great lips £2 | Models own ibiza mix £5 | Essie nail polish £7.99 | Elf eyebrow kit £3.50 

Wake me up foundation £8.99 | MUA palette £4 | ELF nail Polish £1.50 | Real techniques core collection £21.99

 Studio Matte Lip Colour £3.50

My beauty wishlist isn't as bad as I expected, While I have put myself on a shopping/spending ban until my exams are over at the end of this month - These are the products I hope to treat myself to when they're over. MUA deliver great value products every time, these two products are ones I've had my eye on for a while, although none of my local superdrugs sell them! Hopefully next month my best friend will be taking me to a big shopping centre near her house (With a massive superdrug) meaning I may finally be able to get my hands on both the lip balm and the palette. I keep hearing so much about Models own Ibiza mix, It looks great and is a total steal at just a fiver! Essie polishes have always interested me, Now Superdrug and Boots have made these easily available (Plus they're currently 3 for 2 in superdrug - Yay!) I never do anything with my eyebrows out of pure laziness, although there's something about this kit which makes me want it- At just £3.50 why not! I also have my eye on more nail polishes and the studio matte lip colour from ELF! I'd be lying if I told you I wore foundation a lot (In fact the last time I wore it was last June) But these something about this one that makes me need it (Plus I've seen it in Wilko for just £4.99 although I cant find a link!) Lastly and most expensive product on this list, The real techniques brush set - They just look so pretty!

What beauty realted goodies have you got your eye on this month?

Wishlist weekend: Fashion

This weekend I figured I'd do things a little differently and show you some of the items I've been lusting over lately, Originally I was going to fit this into one post until I realised just how many things I want. So here goes the fashion side of things:

Converse  £39.99 | Blue dress £12.99 | Wavy Leatherette Clutch £13.75 | Dip Back Sleeveless shirt £12.99

Structured Swing Dress £19.75  | Jacket £34.99 |  Distressed Leatherette Handbag £24.75

 

I love my current converse although they're looking pretty worn now so I think its about time I picked up a new pair. My wardrobe is seriously lacking on the dress front, So I think these to beauties will fit the bill perfectly - I love the simplicity of the structured swing dress and the detail of the blue one. My current college bag is pretty battered so this distressed leatherette handbag looks like a great replacement, along with the clutch bag which is perfect for nights out. Lately I've had a thing for shirts so this white dip back looks like a great one to add to my collection. Lastly and probably my favourite thing here is the blazer from H&M, While £34.99 is quite expensive its worth every penny - I should be getting this sometime in the next week, and I cant wait!

 

I hope you enjoyed my first round of 'Wishlist weekend', Next up is beauty!

Etatpur.co.uk

When I saw this post over at pretty not included I was pretty much sold by the idea of 'Etat Pur'. Not only do they offer affordable skin care solutions, Etat Pur also give shipping along with 3 free samples with your first order.

Delivery is estimated at four days, although this took around a week to get here - but bearing in mind it was a bank Holiday  (and delivery was free) It was pretty good. My only regret is not taking a picture of how lovely everything was packaged in the box, My items came in a lovely paper Etat Pur bag which now  hangs with pride on my wardrobe door ready for when I'm ready to test my new samples.

Although I was tempted by one of the cleansing waters the site has to offer, I choose to go for one of the targeted treatments purely because I'm really happy with my skin care routine lately however I have noticed the odd blemish here and there, which hopefully this 'Zinc Gluconate pure Active' will help fix. If I'm honest I choose this treatment because it was the cheapest under the 'Imperfections and blemishes' pure actives section, although I'm really happy I did because in just one night I can really see a difference on my skin so I'm pretty excited to see the results in weeks time (I'll do an update post next week to do a full review on the product)

As I mentioned above I received 3 free samples with this order too. I picked the melting moisturising cream and rich nourishing cream to try out, a surprise sample was also added (the micellar cleansing water).  These are pretty tiny, but perfect for an overnight bag. I'll personally be taking the cleansing water and one of the creams when I stay with my best friend for a few nights in a couple of weeks.

Have you tried anything from Etat Pur?

Old Favourites.

'For more than 40 years, Witch has used nature's clever ingredient Witch Hazel. It naturally cleanses, tones and soothes, leaving your skin perfectly balanced, soft and healthy looking. That's why we use it in all our products, Trust nature, trust witch.'

When I was in my early teens, I used this product religiously. So when I saw that this and many other Witch products were half price in superdrug about half the range fell into my basket.

 

This blemish stick remains easy to use, You just dab the product on whenever a blemish appears and the formula gets to work instantly. This product is pretty strong both in smell and on the skin, so expect a little stinging while using it and be careful if using on sensitive skin types.

Have you tried any Witch products?

Nails inc Instyle Peach Sorbet

I'm always on the look out for more Peach shades to cover my nails with, So when I saw this freebie in Instyle magazine - I had to have it. The quality of this was great, With a lot of pastel shades I struggle with streakiness of the polish, but with this my nails looked great in just 2-3 coats.

I haven't had just a plain colour on my nails for a long time, normally they're piled high with some sort of glitter or effect so this is such a lovely change.

You can still pick your shade up in the current issue of Instyle magazine, Just get a move on - I predict they'll be selling out fast!

Revlon Lipstick in 'Smoked peach'

After having Ebay for just over a week, Its safe to say that I'm well and truly addicted! I first heard about these cheap Revlon lipsticks on The Sunday Girl's blog a while back, although it wasn't until I finally made myself an Ebay account I got my hands on this lovely shade. These matte lipsticks retail here in boots for £7.49, although If you have an Ebay account I highly recommend this seller where you can pick up this beauty for £3.50 with postage! I wanted more shades but sadly a few were out of stock.

The shade sits happily in a sturdy black case which looks as if it could take a knock or two. While lipstick itself is great and something I would happily pay £7.49 for - I found it to be long lasting and comfortable to wear, not to mention the lovely colour! This product exceeded my expectations coping well with all food and drink thrown at it, I'll be buying more!

EOS Summer Fruit Lip Balm

When I first heard about EOS lip balms  I knew had to have one. The idea of a sphere shaped lip balm spoke to my inner child. So I began searching the Internet for a price that didn't make my eyes water. The actual EOS store seemed really reasonable costing just $3.29 per lip balm, Until of course you get to the check out and see the $15.00 flat rate - Are they giving it its own private jet?

 My search lead me to Ebay, where I found the lip balm for £4.70 including shipping, Never in a million years did I think I'd waste so much on a lip balm but curiosity got the better of me in this one.

The thing I love most about this product is the packaging; not only does it break the whole duck face routine when putting on lip balm in public, I can simply pop it into my bag with no fear that it will be harmed thanks to the sturdy packaging. The lip balm itself glides on perfectly to my lips, they feel instantly moisturised. At first I hated the Summer fruit smell/favour, But once I got past the first layer that faded and I was left with just a hint of this while applying.

I'm undecided weather I would buy again, I know this product will probably last me a while. Although at £4.70 a pop its not exactly cheep. While I love the whole idea of the product but I feel myself asking is it really worth a fiver?! I guess only time will tell. On a final note If you live in the UK I recommend using this buyer, I ordered my lip balm on Wednesday night, and to my surprise It was here buy Friday morning!

Free Rituals with Easy Living.

I was first introduced to 'Rituals' in the December Glossy Box and loved their shower gel, So I was pretty happy when I saw this freebie in Easy Living magazine. There is a choice of a free scrub or body cream - Which together are worth £10. I also spotted that the magazine is offering 20% off Rituals products. Not bad for £2.90, Aye.