July Favourites

Loreal Super Liner Perfect Slim (£6.99)

When I saw this for just £3.99 in Superdrug I jumped at the chance to buy it - Loreal's perfect slim allows me to create a mess free line on my upper lash line in one quick motion, making it a complete winner in my eyes.

Look Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot (£8.00)

This is a great little three in one product which allows you to experiment with a few different lip looks, I love the colour of this and cant wait to try even more shades!

Clean and Clear Dual Moisturiser (£2.00/100ml)

I posted the other day about how much I loved this product, Its a great moisturiser and a total steal at just £2! 

Angelica Hydration Cream (£29.00/50ml)

I got this in Glamour months ago, and think its amazing - Although I didn't think I could quite take spending that much on a moisturiser when the clean and clear one works out £28.00 cheaper per 100ml!

MUA Heaven and Earth palette (£4.00)

I have used this pretty much everyday for the past month, I think it's great and such a bargain at just £4.00, I think everyone should have one of these little palettes in their make up bag!

Look Loud Lips in Toffee Cup (£7.00) 

I love this shade, It is the perfect mix between brown and pink! Such a lovely packaging design for a high street product!

Look Flawless Fix BB Foundation in light (£10.00)

Yet another Look beauty product! I've been using this daily and love the way it leaves my skin - A must have in my make up bag!

July Empties

I'm a nightmare when it comes to using up products, generally I get about 3/4 of the way down the tube and think 'I'll save that' - as a result end up buying too many new products, without the room to store them. So I figured monthly empties posts will (hopefully) help with that problem. 

Travel size Soap & Glory Flake away (£2.50)

This is something I've had sitting around for ages after receiving it in a gift set, last week I finally decided to try it and I am in love. Flake away leaves my skin feeling amazing! I love the smell of it and I definitely think I'll be buying the full size which is great value at £7.00 for 300ml of product.

Dove hair care shampoo and conditioner (£2.49) 

I'm a big fan of Dove's hair care range since trying their 'Oil care express treatment conditioner'  last year, I love everything about the nourishing oils range and regularly use the shampoo and conditioner. Although above is pictured a shampoo from the 'silk and sleek' range as the shampoo wasn't in stock, It did a good job although I have remained loyal to my beloved nourishing oils and have already repurchased the shampoo and conditioner. 

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Mask (£3.99)

I brought this a while ago when it was on offer in Superdrug, It smelt lovely although I cant say I feel it did much for my hair and therefore I wont be repurchasing any time soon.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion (£3.77)

Everyone seems to rave about this product although I honestly cant see why. It was lovely to apply, although I didn't feel like it was doing anything for my skin. I didn't feel like it was worth the £3.77 because I finished the bottle so so quickly - and half of it was stuck in the bottom because of the rubbish bottle design!

Natural Collection Wild Strawberry Shower Cream (£2.00)

I never stick to one shower gel, So its a miracle that I finished this one! I thought that it was okay, the smell is very artificially sweet, it was nice in the shower, although it didn't stick around at all on the skin at all. I think I'd like to try more scents from the Natural collection as I thought this was good value for money.

Chit Chat 'Juicy Lipstick'

I couldn't resist picking this 'Juicy lipstick' up while browsing in poundland, after all the hype surrounding the similar designs of the Chubby Sticks and the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. 

Chit Chat 'Juicy lipsticks' come housed in a plastic crayon style  packaging which reflects the colour of the inside product, you simply twist to reveal more of the lipstick.

Although I would have preferred a lighter shade, I ended up picking up 'Damson' as It was the only one they had in store. I found the shade to be a well pigmented buildable bight pinky red which is far from the normal sheer nudes I love. 

You can pick these up in Poundland, I know I'm going back for the lighter shades !

Look Statement Eyes in Luxe

Eyeshadow has become a must have for me over the past month, So when I was ordering from Look Beauty I knew I had to pick this lovely colour up! Like all of the shades in the 'Statement eyes' range 'Luxe' comes housed a stylish clear container which looks like it could take a beating or two. The shade itself is lovely, I wouldn't wear in during the day because it is rather glittery (even for me) but I'm happy I discovered it in time for the Olympics and see myself getting a lot of use out of it! 

You can pick this up online here or in selected Superdrug stores for just £4!

Clean & Clear Moisturiser

I got this Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser a few weeks ago now in Tesco for just £2 on offer. I've been rather lazy with my skin lately so hoped this will help since it promises 'effective medial ingredients that regulate problem areas on the skin and help prevent spots & blemishes'. I have noticed a dramatic change in my blemish prone skin and feel like this product has helped to keep spots away. As soon as you apply you can feel it get to work which I know some people might not like because it can sting a little (especially over blemishes) although the results are worth it. I really like the simple packaging design which allows a whole 100ml of product - an can see myself repurchasing when this tube runs out.

Vivo Ultimate Base Concealer Kit

 'We love creating the perfect kits to help your makeup routine even easier. This is our ultimate base Concealer kit which contains three shades of concealer and a little wand of highlighter to create a flawless finish. The beauty of having three different shades of concealer means you can adjust to your skintone depending on the time of year and if you have a tan or not. The three different shades range from light, medium and dark and are a gorgeous creamy soft consistency. Apply the highlighter to areas of the face you want to highlight - cheekbones, cupids bow and down the nose! Your all in one kit for a gorgeous flawless, perfect skin look, courtesy of VIVO!'

After being left impressed by this Vivo baked blush, I decided to pick up this Ultimate base Concealer kit to try out while browsing in Tesco last week. I've never actually tried an concealer kit before but at just £5 you really cant go wrong.

I love the concept of this kit, Its lightweight and compact enough to just slip into your handbag. Yet in contains pretty much all you need for those on the go touch ups including a setting power, two shades of concealer, an illuminator pen, double sided brush and even a mirror!

When I brought this I originally thought there were three concealer shades rather than two and a setting power, So I was a little confused when I first tested the shades out although I find the concealer and power work great together providing a lovely coverage (I tend to use the middle shade for under my eyes and the last for any blemishes)

Above are all three shades in the kit, although the 'translucent pressed powder' is pretty hard to spot. I love the addition of the 'illuminator pen' and think it makes a lovely little highlighter. 

I cant even begin to describe the colour of it, but I think I see a hint of purple there! I figured showing you guys the concealer with flash and natural light would give you a greater idea of this.

Overall I love this little kit, I cant say I get any use out of the little brush supplied because I use my own but other than that I love every part of it. The kit can get a little messy although I try to make sure I wipe it as often as I can because I'm a total clean freak when it comes to make up products (If only the same rule applied for my bedroom!)

What do you guys make of Vivo cosmetics? Are you loving them as much as I am?

Pound buys.

I keeping hearing great things about Poundland at the moment, So I went to have a look around for myself today. I was a little gutted that neither of my two poundlands seemed to have much Stila stock, although I did walk away with foundation sponges from the range which was pretty much the only thing they had other than 'whiting powder refills'. 

The 'stila angel light whiting powder foundation sponge' set comes compete with 3 packs each containing two sponges. Which feel lovely and I imagine would be handy to pack in an overnight bag rather than bothering with so many brushes. I look forward to trying these out with my current foundation. 

I was very happy to see this Collection mascara in there. I've been wanting to try 'Skyscraper' for a while and was willing to pay the full price (which I believe is £4.99), so at just a pound how could I say no? I tested it earlier and really liked the result - Hard to believe how little I paid for it.

Poundlands answer to the famous 'Chubby sticks'? I had to pick up this 'juicy lipstick' in 'Damson' to test that theory. Although I think I would have liked a lighter colour better, I'm willing to give it ago!

I'm always seeing Serums aimed at more mature types of skins, but never blemish prone. I really look forward to trying this Clearasil ultra overnight serum and will let you know how I get on.

Have you checked your local poundland lately for bargains?

ColorTrend: plumped pink lipgloss

I'm pretty excited about ColorTend this month because when I was flicking through my friends Avon book I spotted that they had changed their packaging like I suspected in this post, I love the new look and have already put in an order for a couple of bits!

I picked this plumped pink lipgloss up for £2.50 from Avon (normal price £4) a few months ago, the purpley pink colour isn't something I would normally go for - But it looked so lovely on the model that I had to give it ago! The packaging is amazing, It's so unique and it really stands out against my other lip products. 

The gloss itself was lovely and pigmented as well as being comfortable to wear on the lips, It doesnt feel like other plumping lip products I've tried that sting - The only way I can sum up the feeling of this gloss is like a fresh feeling that only lasts around a few minutes before disappearing anyway. It isn't too sticky to wear and I can see myself wearing it lots over the summer.  What do you guys think of Colortrends new look!?

Look Beauty Flawless Fix

I've mentioned this beauty balm from Look quite a few times on my blog now, so its probably about time I finally got around to dedicating a whole post to it. Flawless Fix retails at £10 (Although I picked this bottle up for just £5 in the look sale) and houses a lovely 40ml. The BB cream is available in three shades; light, medium and dark.

'

'Clever enough to cover any breakouts or hang-ups, but natural enough to let your real skin shine through; this light foundation is the perfect start to your make up look'  

I thought the best way to show you the effects of this BB cream were to do a before and after shoot of my face (which is way more freckly than I thought!). The left image shows my skin naturally and the right with just a small amount of this BB cream. I found it did a great job of covering any blemishes I have as well as masking any redness. My skin as a whole looked more evened out and I loved the way It makes it feel. For just £10 this BB cream is a complete steal! essepically if you consider the lovely high end style packaging.

You can pick this BB cream up here and in selected Superdrug stores.

What's in my make up bag?

Vivo ultimate base concealer kit £5 | Look Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot £8 | MUA Heaven and Earth palette £4

Loreal Perfect Slim liner £6.99 | Natural Collection Lash Care Mascara £1.99 | Loreal Telescopic £10.99

Witch Primer £6.99 | Look beauty balm in light £10 | Hello Kitty eye brush | EcoTools concealer brush  

I find myself reaching for all ten of these items daily, I picked up the Vivo concealer kit last week while in Tesco - I still havent made my mind up on it, but for just £5 its a total steal. I love this Look double hit lip in Rose Riot - the colour is lovely and I am clueless as to why I haven't reviewed it yet! So expect to see that soon. Shade four in my MUA palette is probably the most used as you can probably tell from the above image. I think it's a lovely shade for all over the lid and I love using it as part of my daily routine. After trying the MUA felt liner I picked up the Loreal slim liner for just £3.99 on offer. The two products are pretty much the same although I find this is thinner and therefore I prefer using it over my MUA one. My clear Lash care mascara does a great job of holding my brows in place all day, great for just £1.99! My Loreal Telescopic mascara is probably my current favourite - I love how it leaves my lashes! I'm confessed my love for this witch primer already, It and my Look beauty balm make a great combo and I love using them together. I don't use many brushes but I love this eye brush from a Hello Kitty gift set and this concealer brush from the EcoTools set I picked up on Ebay.

What's currently in your make up bag?

Things to do this summer...

I'm starting to think this post should be called 'reasons I need a spending ban'. I still have a whooping seven weeks off until the academic year at college starts all over again, With so much more free time on my hands I figured its about time I set myself some beauty related goals to complete by the time this seven week period is up. I've always been a lover of the natural look, but lately I have found myself venturing into the world of eye make up and putting my make up palettes to good use. (Finally!) So It's about time I did so with the rest of my stash.

Try out samples

I'm always picking up magazines for the great freebies and love beauty boxes, but lately I've found myself storing samples together in an old latest and beauty box and simply forgetting about them. Sometimes it's just easier to reach for that moisturiser you know will keep your skin calm instead of trying a new one with could cause unwanted break outs. So this summer I want to make an effort to make use of my samples rather than letting them go to waste. I remember how happy I was to pick up the Benefit primers which are currently housed in the back of my make up draw without being used once! I'm hoping to find some products I love, and if not pass them on to others to see if they can make use out of them.

Remember to use lipstick 

No matter how long I have to get ready I always forget to coat my lips! Lately I've invested in a load of lip products, but you wont find a single one in my make up bag! From now on I'm going to try and carry at least one lip balm/gloss/stick with me at all times, I have so many lovely shades which I would hate to see go to waste.

Find a skincare routine that works for me (and stick to it!)

Above is the contents of my 'currently using' skincare draw - For some reason whenever I find a routine I'm happy with I get bored and move on. First it was Hot Cloth cleansers, then Avon and now a mix between Naked skincare and Clean and clear. But I still find myself falling back on Etat Pur's cleansing water every time because its so easy to use and requires next to no effort! This summer I'm determined to play around with these products until I find the perfect combination for my skin.

Do you guys have any beauty related goals you want to tackle this summer? Also please let me know if you like these more personal posts aswell as my normal reviews.

Lasting Fix in Topical Island

I received this beautiful polish from the 17 lasting fix nail polish range in a free 'Fest of all' kit , for spending over £6 on 17 cosmetics and this was by far my favourite product of the bunch! 'Topical Island' normally retails at just £2.99 along with the rest of the lasting fix nail polish range, It's a lovely bight orange shade with small flecks of gold glitter added to the mix.

After just two coats the polish was opaque, Personally I love this and think its perfect for summer! 

You can buy Topical Island and the rest of the Lasting fix range here.

2true Cheek 'n' Lip tint.

I've always loved the look of the Benefit Cheek and lip tints, but being a student paying out so much money for something I'm likely to use twice isn't an option. So when I saw these 2true 'cheek 'n' lip tints popping up from Superdrugs £1.99 brand, I had to have one! There are two shades available a rose tinted stain, and this blush pink one. I went for this one as I felt the blush of pink would suit my pale skin tone more.

The packaging reminds me of that you're likely to see housing nail polishes, complete with a brush to apply the tint. 'To use: Brush and blend quickly with finger tips. For lips: Dot on lips and blend with fingertips' The initial colour can be a little over whelming (what, with it being the brightest pink I've ever seen and all) but following the instructions this blends into a lovely flush of colour!

This natural looking colour and is a compete steal at just £1.99 - Available from selected Superdrug stores.

Ebay Ecotools Brush set!

Over the past few months I've seen a few bloggers post about how they've brought these little sets from Ebay sellers for under £4 and have been left very impressed. So naturally when I had the money in my bank account, I went on the hunt for Ecotool brushes. I needed a concealer brush so I figured ordering the 6 piece brush set seemed like a good idea as it came with one along with a blush brush, eye shading brush, eyeliner brush, Lash and brow groomer and brush roll for just £3.59! (with p&p)

I brought from this Ebay seller , and was very happy with the service given - I ordered pretty late on Saturday the 30th of June madly it was dispatched on the next day even though it was a Sunday. I was aware it wasn't going to be delivered over night because it had to come all the way from China - So I think 18 days is pretty acceptable (And I was told between the 17th and 1st of August).

At no point did I expect the brushes to be real EcoTools because of the stupidly cheap prise but when they got here I'm honestly debating if they are or not because they look exactly the same as the product on the Boots website right down to the packaging and they feel AMAZING! 

Sadly my Lash and brow Groomer was snapped, I assume in transit but I don't blame the seller at all for that, and I honestly probably wouldn't have used it. I've just finished washing the brushes before I test them out, So I'll let you guys know how I get on. If it goes well I'm tempted to order even more brush sets!

The overnight bag.

The other night I stayed over at an old friends house, we stuffed our faces with pizza and stayed up to a silly time in the morning watching old twilight movies (Yes, we are very sad indeed) I haven't done much since apart from catching up with some sleep and watching Jezza. When I finally went to get ready this morning this is what was left in my make up bag - I'll spare you the boring stuff such as deodorant and tooth paste and get onto the 'fun' things..

When I say somewhere I like to take the basics, I don't want to bore them with my whole skincare routine, or carry around all those jars and bottles (I should have a part in that Olay advert haha) So refilling my Etat Pur Cleansing water bottle seemed like a good way to take my make off softly in one go without all the fuss - I cant believe I haven't reviewed this product yet because I love it so expect one very soon! I also packed my Tesco sensitive eye make up remover pads, which were only like £1.50 - They're great for removing eye make up in a couple of swipes and I would highly recommend them to anyone. The mini balance me face cream came in my skincare stars box, I've really liked using it and I still have loads left because you only need a little every time. I also packed a mini bottle of 'Ghost'

Make up wise was very simple, of course I had my beloved witch primer for a base! I've found myself reaching for my look BB cream although I didnt trust myself with the glass bottle so packed my dream fresh BB cream which leaves me lovely and glowy. As normal I had my trusty lash care mascara for my brows as well as my loreal telescopic and Soap and glory mascara for my lashes - I also packed my ELF eye lash curlers.Lastly but by no means least is the super liner from loreal which I am yet to review but I love it!

17 Hot Metals Nail Art Kit

I brought this little nail art kit last month along with the 'Best of British' version and have to say I'm very impressed. The beautiful box houses three polishes perfect for getting into the Olympic spirit; Gilt,  Silva and Bronzy all in a full sized 17 bottle of 8ml.

Like the 'Best of British' kit, this comes complete with some handy 'Get the look' ideas on the back of the box which is a lovely little extra. I can see myself using both of the wearable designs!

This kit is a total bargain at £5 especially if you consider individually these polishes should cost £2.99 each, so you're getting three for less than the price of two of them.

Again one of the things I love most about this kit is the thin nail art style brush, at first I thought the brush would annoy the hell out of me when trying to paint the whole nail however I found it gave me greater control.

I love all of the colours, especially the 'Bronzy' one! You can pick this up for £5 at boots.

Primark's Detangler Brush

When I first saw this brush in a haul post I knew I had to have it. (Sorry, I cant remember the name of the blog!) For just £1.50 Primark's 'Detangler Brush' is the perfect alternative to the famous Tangle Teezer priced at £10.99.

Like the Tangle Teezer the Primark Detangler brush has with different length bristles designed to get through your hair and give pain free detangling. I don't personally own the Tangle Teezer, although while at a friends house (who happens to own the brush) we quickly compared these and both concluded that the Primark version made it through the hair so much faster and didn't get stuck like the tangle Teezer - A result we guessed from the difference in bristles (The Primark ones are much harder than the soft Tangle Teezer one)

I really like this brush and have found myself reaching for it daily, for just £1.50 its a complete bargain!

No7 Voucher buys..

Boots seem to always be giving away these handy £5 off vouchers although I've never really been through what I've spent them on. So today I thought I'd share with you guys the things I brought with my latest round of vouchers which I believe was around June...

Quick Thinking wipes (£7.00)

I really want to say I would never normally spend £7 on a pack of face wipes, but for these I honestly think I would. I don't use these often but they're great for when you're not going to have a lot of time. I find myself reaching for these when ill and they just make me feel ten times better. The fact that you can keep these sealed just adds to the product,  I still  have a stash of these from previous No7 vouchers since they work out costing just £2 a pack, but I still find every time I get another voucher the first thing I do is stock up on even more because its such good value.

Eye Make up Remover (£8.50)

I was a little gutted by the poor reviews on the Boots website because I quite like this make-up remover although I think most of those negative reviews are in regard to the new packaging which I can deal with to be honest. I recall paying less than £3 for this with my voucher, so I think Boots have upped the price a little - Although £3.50 with a voucher is still a good deal, I find this remover leaves my eye area feeling moisturised around the eye area as it removes all traces of make up - I will be buying again!

Melting Gel Cleanser for Normal/Dry skin (£9.00)

I dont particularly have dry skin, but I was interested by this product and at just £4.00 with my voucher I figured I'd give it a go. I did like this product, It left my skin feeling incredibly moisturised both times I used it. Although I need to give myself a longer period of time to test it in (And I'm terrible at sticking to a cleansing routine!) I'll let you guys know how I get on when I finally get the will power to stop buying skincare products and use up what I have!

Stay Perfect Top Coat (£7.00)

This is my second bottle of this top coat! I love how quick drying it is and the look it adds to my nails, for just £2 with my voucher this is a bargain and I would happily by it over and over again!

Amazing Eyes Liner (£8.75)

Again this is another product I quite like and was shocked by the terrible reviews, I love how brush allows you to control the thickness of the line! Saying that I have only used this a handful and times and will have to finish the tube to decide if I will be buying again!

What are you favourite No7 goodies to stock up on?