Huge Beauty Haul

So....I went shopping. To be fair to me, I haven't been shopping in a really long time and although I got quite a lot of stuff I actually didn't spend that much money. I went to Boots, Superdrug and Topshop and got a few things that I've been eyeing up for a while and a few others just because why not?!

So first of all I hit Boots and although I could have picked up a whole hoard of things, I was actually quite well behaved. So the first few thing I got were some tanning products. Now that summer is upon us I want to give my skin that sun kissed glow that we all spend the winter months dreaming of. Lucky for me Boots had some money off deals across the tanning section including the Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser. I like gradual tans although they do take a lot of upkeep. I usual go for the Garnier Summer Body gradual tan but I'm mixing things up a bit and giving this one a go as its had excellent reviews. Another product that had money off is the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan Matte in Medium. This is a new release from Rimmel (they've had a bit of a relaunch for their Sun Shimmer range) and, again, I've heard pretty good things about this product in particular (not so much about some of their others) so thought I would give this a go too.
I don't actually own a tanning mitt so thought it wise to invest in one and picked up the Boots own Soltan one as its a bit cheaper than some of the others.

The next thing I got was the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser and this is something I have wanted forever but have been waiting for it to be on offer and, hurrah, it finally was! This is a body moisturiser in an aerosol form so you can just spray it on and you're done. For me this will be perfect for summer as I find thick body moisturisers take an absolute age to absorb into the skin, plus I'm a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising (although I'm getting much better!).

The last couple of things I got in Boots were some makeup items. First up is the Barry M Matte nail paint in Copa Cobana. Barry M have released some new additions to their Matte range (which I absolutely love fyi) and there are some gorgeous colours. This a bright, coral shade which I am planning on using mainly on my toes to give them a bright splash of colour.

The last thing I picked up were three of the Revlon Shadowlinks. I have been after these ever since they started circling the Blogosphere-I think they are a genius inventon. In every eye shadow palette I get there is always a shade I will never wear or a shade I don't like however with these you build up you're own palette and can continue adding to it. I picked up three shades- Petal, Candy and Plum. Petal is a satin finish, peachy cream shade which I think will be lovely as a highlighter. Candy is a pale bubblegum pink shade with a pearl finish which is lovely for simple everyday makeup. Plum is a deep matte, purple shade which will be great for contouring the eye.

So next I went to Topshop. I have to say,I never venture into Topshop, ever. And on this occasion I only went in with one thing in mind, to check out their makeup stand. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to purchase but I knew I wanted to try something from their beauty range. After swatching some of their many lipsticks and blushes, I decided to go for their Magic Liner as this is one of their standout products that I have heard a lot about. It is in a felt-tip pen form and although I have a few of these, I'm eager to see what Topshop makeup is like so I'm quite excited to give this a go.

Finally, I ventured into Superdrug and, again, I had one thing in mind that I wanted to buy. This is something I have wanted ever since their namesake announced it in her Vlogmas series and I have heard nothing but amazing things about this product. That, of course, is the Tanya Burr lip glosses. She also has a range of nail polishes but I'm more interested in the glosses. Firstly, an amazing shade range and it took me ages to decide what shade to go for. In the end I picked up Picnic In The Park as I think that is a shade I will get a lot of wear out of. I'm so excited to try this lipgloss and I'm pretty sure the next time I'm in town (that's the store nearest to me to stock the Tanya Burr range) I will be picking up another couple of shades.

So there we go! I'm going to be reviewing some of these products so keep an eye out if you're interested, and I'm also thinking of doing a mini series on tanning at some point this month.

Have you done any shopping lately? Leave any links to haul posts/videos below!

The Beauty Show UK Haul

 

So recently I attended The Beauty and Hair UK show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The show was full of well known and not so well known brands displaying the products they had to offer. Some of the well known brands there included Elemis, Lauren's Way, NYX, Sienna X and Monu, aswell as lots of new and upcoming brands. Some of the stands offered trials of the products they were showcasing including eyelash extensions, gel nails and teeth whitening at reduced rates, and free spray tans and workout equipment to try. I had a great day and picked up some great products to try which I thought I would show you.

W7 10 out of 10 Browns Eye Shadow Palette
This is a palette of 10 neutral shades ranging from light to dark. They are a mix of both matte and shimmer eye shadows, and can be used for everyday use, to create defined contour, or to create a smoky eye effect. I haven't' tried this out yet but it was only £5 so was an absolute bargain!

Kco Makeup Brush
On the stand this brush was being used to apply all sorts of different make up including liquid foundation and powder. It is very similar to the Real Techniques Stippling brush however feels much more dense so could be ideal for applying liquid foundation or blending in concealer.

Pink Essentials Medium Eye Shader and Brush Essentials Contour Powder Brush
This were both on a stand full of all sorts of different makeup brushes at absolute budget prices! I picked up both of these for £5 and I'm really excited to try them out, especially the contour brush as it is very different to my current one.

Glam Lac Professional Lacquer in Sea Lover and Naturally Cute
I fell in love with these shades, particularly Naturally Cute as it seems like the perfect nude shade for me which is great for when I'm at work. Sea Lover reminds me of Greenberry by Barry M but isn't quite as bright however I think this will look lovely in the summer with (hopefully) a bit of a tan.

Cuccio Naturale Butter in Vanilla Bean and Sugar
This was another stand that had loads of products on offer with lots of different scents. I tried a bit of the butter they had on the stand and it feels so thick and moisturising so I opted for the smaller tub and might use it on my feet as they are in desperate need of some TLC.

SuperCover Professional Makeup Eye Pencils in Raspberry, Ocean and Brandy
These were probably my bargain of the day-all three for just £5! I know, I couldn't believe it either. I swatched the pencils at the stand and they seem really pigmented and, even though I washed my hands several times, the swatches hardly budged so I'm hoping they will last just as long on the eyes. They also had so many different shades to choose from but I thought I would go for these as they are probably more wearable.

ArtDeco Eyeshadow in 250
Ok so this eye shadow is absolutely tiny but the pigmentation of it is absolutely amazing! I fell in love with the colour as it reminds me of the Mac Pigment in Golden Olive which I have been trying to get hold of for sometime so you can imagine my excitement when this appeared in front of me. I cant wait to use it!

NYX Blush in Bourgeois Pig
So NYX is obviously a brand many will know however they aren't as readily available in the UK but they have started selling it in some Next stores. Anyway, this was the stand I wanted to see the most as I love the NYX products I already have and I was desperate to try their blushes. They have a lovely selection of shades and this one seems unlike any of my other blushes. Plus it was cheaper than buying it in Next!

NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie
This is another NYX product I really wanted to try and, again, it was cheaper than in stores. I did a little swatch in stores and the gloss seems so creamy and well pigmented. I was a bit stuck for choice as although there was a wide selection, they had run out of quite a few. I picked up this pale pink shade as I think it will be perfect for during the day in the summer.

Did you attend The Beauty Show?

May Beauty Haul

 

Ok so not exactly a humongous haul, however I did stop by Boots and picked up a few things, plus they had 3 for 2 on makeup so how could I resist?!

Maybelline Colour 24 hour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe
I love these so much and I have been searching for this shade everywhere for months, anytime I go to Boots it seems to be out of stock. Until this time! This a beautiful matte-finish, grey-like taupe shade, eye shadow cream. This looks great on its own or teamed with other eye shadows. I might do a post on my Colour Tattoo collection, I have quite a few now!

Rimmel Eye Definer
This item intrigued me, I haven't had a try yet but I assume you use it the same way as an eye liner? I will report back!

Tea Tree Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub
I love this brand, their products never seem to disappoint me! I already have their blemish stick (see review here) and their peel off mask and both are amazing so I have high hopes for this face scrub!

L'Oreal Smoky Palette in Nude Lingerie
I saw this on A Model Recommends and my first thoughts were how beautiful the shades are! I've never tried any eye shadows from L'Oreal so I'm looking forward to trying it!

Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover & Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover
I have been after a couple of new eye make up removers recently however my eyes have become extremely irritated with it being hayfever season so I needed one from a brand I trust and one that is gentle. Both of these cover that, I have tried the Nivea one before but the Garnier one is a new release so I'm looking forward to giving that a go!

Have you tried any of these products? I would love to know your thoughts!

Collective Beauty Haul

Ok so I thought I would show you all some of the products I have collected over the last couple of months that have been sat in my 'blogging box' waiting to be put to use.

Garnier Miceller Cleansing Water

I love using miceller water to remove makeup, it suits my skin really well and is super easy to use. I have seen this Garnier one pop up on a few blogs so, as I was on offer, decided to pick it up and have a go.

Seventeen Solo eye shadow in Regal

The Seventeen solo eye shadows are actually pretty good quality considering their price, and they have a great shade range. I have a few neutral shades from their collection but decided to try this more dramatic shade.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

A blogger and YouTuber favourite! I have been wanting to try this foundation for ages now and I have finally added it to my collection. I will report back with how I get on.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

This is a recent release from Bourjois, I wouldn't normally be too bothered with CC creams however as this was relatively cheap and it was on offer I thought why not?! CC creams are designed to correct the appearance of your skin by targeting red areas and tired looking skin. I have been suffering a bit with my skin recently so I'm hoping this will be a good base to try.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

For some reason my pores recently have been awful! They have been really visible and large, and it has really been bothering me. I spoke to a few other beauty bloggers who recommend trying this. Again, this has had a lot of press recently and is part of the Maybelliene 'Baby' collection. I love their Baby Lips products so I'm hoping this will be a winner too.

NYC Palette in NY Tribute

I love the NYC palette's. I already have Fashion Bootcamp (see my review here) but these shades are so pretty and Spring-perfect that I knew it had to be added to my collection. These palettes are ridiculously cheap aswell.

Models Own Hyper Gel in Coral Glaze

Me and Models Own have such an on/off relationship so I wasn't overly sure about trying this polish out. Their Hyper Gel nail varnishes are designed to have the finish of a gel manicure and the shade range is beautiful. I thought I would give Model's Own one last chance so it all depends on this polish, not too much pressure hey!

L'Oreal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

This has been another beauty blogger favourite of late, and although I'm not into super massive hair, I do like some texture, especially when I have curled my hair. Plus this spray is stupidly cheap compared to other texturizing sprays (yes I'm talking about the infamous Oribe) so I think its worth giving a go.

So there we are, a classic beauty blogger beauty haul!

Has anyone else tried any of these products? I would love to know what you think!

Birthday Haul

 

On 20th March I turned 22 (cue Taylor Swift). I had a lovely few days around my birthday (possible birthday celebration post to come) and received some lovely gifts. I thought I would show you all what I got, not to show off but just because I'm a nosy parker myself and hauls are my favourite posts.

Make Up Haul
I received a little bit of cash from my grandparents and used some of that to treat myself to a few things in Boots, they had 3 for 2 on which meant I got a couple of extra things for free. I'm planning on reviewing most of the products so this will just be a quick run through. So, I picked up the Seventeen cheek stamp in Stare Struck, the Sleek matte lip cream in Party Pink, the Seventeen shimmer brick in Pink Bronze, two of the Rita Ora for Rimmel nail polishes in Lose Your Lingerie and Oragasm, one of the Barry M silk paints in Pearl, a Soap and Glory lip balm in Juicy Peach, a Seventeen solo eye shadow in Ivory Coast, and a nude Rimmel Scandaleyes eye liner.

Soap and Glory Birthday Box
I received this from my brother and sister, who know I love Soap and Glory. The box includes my favourite shower gel which is Clean On Me, a tub of the Righteous Butter (another fave) and a loofa.

Ted Baker Nail set and Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance
I received the Ted Baker nail set from my brother and sister also. The set includes two new shades-a candy pink called Sweet on You, and a pink glitter paint called Champagne Sundays. I got the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance spray from a friend who knows I have just discovered the brand. The spray is a lightweight conditioning spray which is designed for weak and distressed hair, perfect for my tangled hair!

Marshmallows and Sekonda Watch
I got both of these gifts from my mum and step dad. The Marshmallows are just a little treat they know I love, but the watch is my absolute favourite present. Its a gorgeous rose gold, and has rose gold pearls and gem encrusted pearls connected to the face of the watch, and then a rose gold chain. The watch also comes with a beautiful bracelet, I haven't taken off the two since I got them.

I had an absolutely lovely day and I'm very lucky to have such wonderful people in my life who helped me celebrate and bought me such lovely gifts.

Collective Haul

I thought I would show you a few bits that I have picked up over the last couple of months (even though I have been on a spending ban, oops).

I picked some of these products up in drugstores such as Boots and Superdrug but a couple of the items I got from Poundland which was a great surprise!

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo
This is a product I got from Poundland. I have never actually tried an Aussie product but have heard mixed reviews about it so have never been tempted to pick any of their products up. However when I saw this travel size in the Poundshop I thought I might aswell give it a go. I thought it would be perfect to take with me to the gym.

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Striking Spectaculaire
I mentioned this in my Drugstore Wishlist post which you can see here. Revlon released two new collections of lip crayons, the Matte Balms and the Lacquer Balms. I'm quite enjoying a matte lip at the minute so that's my reasoning for picking up this one, plus it is a lovely bright colour which will work perfect for spring.

L'Oreal Infalliable Foundation
This isn't a product I went out looking for, it was in the Reduced section in Boots and was a ridiculously cheap price for a foundation so I decided to give it a go. There wasn't a great selection of shades but this one looks fairly similar to my other foundation shades.

Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad
Another Poundland purchase. I really like Rimmel eye shadows, I find them to be well pigmented and long lasting which is pretty much all I ask for. Also, these quads come in a great selection of shades to choose from, I already have a bronze quad but thought this one would be great for creating a smoky eye. And for just a £1 you really can't go wrong!

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water
I have been wanting to try this for a little while now, I loved the Micellar water by B. so I want to see if this is any good in comparison.

L'Oreal Eye and Lip Makeup Remover
I only bought this because I have heard many times that it is an excellent duplicate of the Clarins eye make up remover, but for obviously half the price. I'm always on the hunt for a good, heavy duty eye makeup remover for when I do a smokey eye or use heavy eye makeup.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser
I have seen this on DizzyBrunette3's blog ever since I first discovered the world of blogging, and I have been having quite an issue recently with large pores. I love The Body Shop anyway, and Tea Tree oil is great for my oily skin so I thought why not.

Seventeen Phwoar Paint Concealer
I have really been loving Seventeen the last few months, anytime I'm in Boots I end up having a good swatching session at their counter. They have released some great products recently, and there have been some great reviews of their concealers. I have been after a heavy duty concealer as I have had a bit of a breakout this month so as this is a much thicker consistency I hope it will conceal any spots well.

Bit of a random collection of products but I think I have justified all the purchases made.

Has anyone else tried any of these products? I would love to know what you think!

NYX Haul

You may or may not know but Next have started stocking NYX cosmetics in some of their stores. I'm lucky to have quite a few large Next stores near by so as soon as I heard this news I decided to go and see for myself. NYX is a brand I have wanted to try for a long while now, it is constantly raved about in the beauty world and the prices are pretty reasonable.

 

I wasn't sure what items to pick up as they all looked pretty irresistible but I managed to control myself and just stick to these three products. The setting spray caught my eye straight away, its not something I normally see on a drugstore counter and, although I don't tend to fonder the dewy look, I thought this would be something different to try out especially as we head into Spring.

 

The shimmer roll on was a purchase that I didn't put much thought into really, and I'm now wondering why I bought it as I'm not entirely sure when I'm going to wear it. Now the festive period has come and gone, the glitter look has most certainly died down. However this is a lovely bronze glitter so could work when the weather warms up and the bronzed look works a bit better.

 

The final product I bought is by far my favourite and one I will get plenty of use from. I have heard of the Xtreme Lip Creams in plenty of blogs, and when I heard Next were stocking NYX this was the product I wanted to try. And I have to say it hasn't disappointed me at all! Its extremely well pigmented, and lasts ages on the lips. It has a beautiful glossy finish to it without being too sticky.

 

I'm very excited to start using NYX products and I have a feeling this will be the first of many NYX hauls.

 

Has anyone else bought anything from NYX recently? I would love to know!

Mini Lush Haul

Although I love Lush products, Lush isn't a store I generally venture into unless I'm buying a gift for someone as I think their products are extra special and make lovely gifts. So around the Christmas shopping period I popped into Lush to pick up some gifts, however their super friendly and informative staff 'persuaded' me that I need these products in my life. So lets have a look at what I bought...

 

 

Popcorn Lip Scrub

I have been after one of these for ages as I'm always reading about them on blogs etc. and with the weather leaving my lips in a horrid dry state, the time came for me to make my purchase. I wasn't overly impressed with the different flavours (I guess that's what they are called?!) but I fell in love with the smell of Popcorn. As you may or may not know, I am awful at describing scents, but this has a lovely toffee smell to it, which you can taste when the product is on the lips. I use a very little bit to exfoliate my lips before I apply moisturiser. It removes any of the horrible dry skin that lipsticks love to cling to, and just makes my lips feel and look smooth.

 

 

Feeling Younger Skin Tint

I was originally after a Lush pigment as I have heard a lot about them, but when I explained I wanted something to use as a highlighter the ever so helpful member of staff pointed me in the direction of this little beauty. I haven't used this yet but I did try the sample in store. The product itself is of a creamy consistency and is extremely easy to blend into the skin. Its a little thicker than some liquid highlighters, and is ever so pigmented so only a little is needed. I'm really happy I went for this in the end.

 

 

Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask

Another Lush product I have been desperate too try-Love Lettuce is a thick face mask that you apply and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Its best suited to normal-oily skin which is great for me. It has refreshing scent and leaves the skin feeling radiant and exfoliated. I would definitely recommend this to someone who is after trying a new face mask.

 

 

Karma Soap

I got this as a freebie and although I wouldn't normally buy a bar of soap, this one is lovely and has a beautiful, luxurious scent to it.

 

So there we have it. Although Lush products can be a tad pricey, they're great and so lovely to use.

 

Has anyone else had a recent Lush splurge?

Make Up Haul

 

You might have caught my Primark haul ( click here ), in which I mentioned that I am living on a tight budget in the new year. So in preparation for this I went on a big shopping trip and stocked myself up with lots of goodies to see me through the next few months!

My favourite Rimmel Stay Matte powder has hit pan so I am using it rather sparingly. Obviously this isn't going to last me three months, so the first thing on my shopping list was a new powder. I wanted to try a different one, and I love the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, so I thought I would give the powder a go. I picked up the shade 010 Fair, although I have to say the selection of shades wasn't great.

I then moved onto the Sleek counter, where I picked up a new blush in Life's A Peach and the Face Contour Kit in Light. I really like the blush I already have ( see here ) so I was keen to try another, and a few people have compared Life's a Peach to Nars Gina. I have seen the Contour Kit on a few blogs now so could no longer resist! I have been quite adventurous with my contouring as of late, so I'm pretty eager to try this out!

The next stand I came to was Seventeen. They've had a bit of a rebrand in the last few months, and have released a few new products (see my thoughts on their 3 way highlighter here ). I was after a new concealer to try, so thought I would give this one a go and see if it can live up to the heavily loved and worshipped Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. I have also been after a couple of nude lip colours to wear, so I picked up Seveteen's Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive, which has a beautiful glossy finish and is very wearable. I also picked up Natural Collection Moisture Shine in Rose Pearl, which has more of a matte finish but is equally as beautiful a shade.

The next stand I hit, where I did the most damage, was Bourjois. I have really been loving Bourjois recently, I think they have such a great selection of products. They also had an offer on where if you spent more than £15 on Bourjois goodies, you received a free gift worth £29! Who can resist?! So I picked up the Colour Boost in Plum Russian. I love the Colour Boosts, they're so glossy and well pigmented, and this shade is such a lovely plum for this season. I also bought an Intense Smoky  Eye trio, which includes two eye shadows (a pale silver and a teal) and a liner (also a teal). So this meant I had spent enough to get the free gift which included a nail polish, another Smoky Eye trio, a Volume Glamorous Max Holidays mascara and a 3D Effect Lip Gloss.

The last couple of things I got was another Barry M Matte polish. I got the shade Vanilla which is very similar to Models Own Utopia, but has the matte finish to it which I love! And finally I got another Scandaleyes eye shadow paint in Rich Russet. This paints are brilliant to work on their own or to add colour to a smoky eye or another shadow.

Wow that was a long post! I never realise just how much I buy until I have to write up the blog post!

Has anyone else tried and tested any of these products? Please let me know your thoughts!

Huge Primark Haul

A few weeks ago I made the decision that, as of January 2014, I will try to live on a weekly budget for a few months without making any unnecessary buys. So I pencilled in a big shopping trip to make sure I have everything I might 'need' to prevent me from being lured into the January sales. Or any shop that sells beauty products/clothes/shoes in fact.

 

My local Primark is the second biggest in the country (I think) so I knew I would be spending a small fortune in there. I was after lots of items that I could pair easily with other items.

The first thing I knew I needed was tights, and I knew that Primark have a great selection of tights to choose from. I picked up the famous Super Cosy tights, some grey woollen tights and a pair of navy tights too. I thought all of these would be pefect teamed with shorts, skirts or dresses to keep me warm on those cold nights-perfect for the party season!

 

I got four tops from Primark. I absoloutely love the two shirts, I think they are so classy and simple and I'll be able to wear them with so many things. I wanted a new white shirt for ages, and I think the teal is a beautiful colour for this time of year and it complements my hair and skin tone too. I bought the pink jumper to wear over shirts, and I love the bright colour. At this time of year its so easy to stick to very similar, dark colours so this jumper will add a bright splash of colour to my winter wardrobe. I had to have the Peter-Pan collar top as soon as I saw it! Firstly, I love this colour at this time of year, even though I have way too many items in this shade. I also love the detailing on the collar bone of the top, I think that makes it a little different.

 

I know that shorts are a bit of an odd item of clothing to purchase at this time of year, but as soon as I saw these two I knew that had to be mine. The half price tag also helped me make my decision! I think they are such excellent quality material, and the prints are very unique yet totally wearable. These shorts are also perfect trans-seasonal pieces too, so I'll be able to get lots of wear out of them!

 

I'm sure many other beauty and fashion bloggers watched Zoella's Primark Haul a few weeks ago so you might have noticed I have picked up the same pyjama bottoms that she did. I love the fleecy material for the cold nights at this time of year and, in my bid to be festive this year, I couldn't resist the cute robin pattern. I have also been desperate for a tartan scarf, and although this isn't exactly what I was looking for, I like that its different from what many others have. The colours are very toned down compared to a traditional Tartan pattern, so are probably more wearable. Although I am still keeping everything crossed that I get a tartan scarf for Christmas.

 

My final Primark purchases were two new pairs of shoes, because what girl doesn't need new shoes?! I thought the burgundy flats would go perfect with some of the items I already have as, like I previously mentioned, I go crazy for this shade at this time of year so a lot of my clothes either are this shade, are similar or go perfectly with it. The heels were a bit of a necessity purchases as I desperately needed a new pair of black heels to wear to the upcoming Christmas parties, and I like that these are a bit different.

 

So that's it! My last Primark trip for the foreseeable future. I am actually really happy with my wardrobe now, I feel like it is complete and can see me through the next few months.

 

Has anyone else visited primark recently? Or is anyone else planning on sorting out their finances in the new year? I would love to know!