Friday 31 January 2014

January Favourites

I've found that this month I have been trying out so many products, especially because I've put myself on a spending ban which you can read HERE. What comes with a spending ban is the fact you're forced to use a lot of products you already own - finding some old treasures in your never ending collection. Along with Christmas gifts too January has very much been the experimentation month!


  • Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer (£10.99) - I picked this product up with a gift card and Bourjois are a brand I'm really starting to enjoy. I was a little hesitant about a matte primer as I have a dry skin type but still I went ahead. I'm so glad I did, it gives me an airbrush like finish to my foundation after application. I also like how it comes in a glass bottle with a pump as I often feel like I'm wasting product when using a primer from a tube.
  • Clinique Lash Building Primer (£12.00) - Another primer! I actually picked this up a few months ago but couldn't get it work right for me. The mascara style wand holds a white product with the same consistency of a mascara, I swipe a few times over the lashes and it leaves my lashes with length all day, such a good purchase that was brought on a whim. 
  • Carmex Original Lip Pot (£2.69) -  I actually picked this up in Primark of all places for a little cheaper with a price of £2. I often wondered why everyone raved and ranted about this lip balm and now I can see why. I suffer with terribly chapped lips and this has been keeping the dryness at bay with so much ease. I really like products when I can see an impact straight away and this offers that.
  • Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (£7.99) - Now I know I'm massively late with this product, so late Revlon have actually brought a new release out on this product but whatever. I opted for the shade Honey as I wanted something natural for everyday wear. I've been really enjoying lip stain products and this one from Revlon has become my absolute favourite. 
  • L'Oreal Triple Active Day Moisturiser (£6.49) - This product I actually picked up in a gift set from the boxing day sales and I adore it. Suffering with dry skin always means I need something leaving me hydrated and keeping any dry patches at bay too. This really does do the trick. I pop it on in the morning and it also makes make up application a lot smoother too.
  • DKNY Be Delicious 30ml (£34.99) -  I love this range of fragrance from DKNY. I find that Be Delicious is the strongest smelling scent I have tried from the range but definitely my favourite one. Personally I prefer to wear it in the evenings but it's long lasting and I've gotten so many compliments on the fragrance.
  • Bourjois Java Rice Loose Powder (£9.99) - I have wanted to try this out for the longest time and I am sure it was worth the wait. Released as part of Bourjois' anniversary and I can see why it's a best seller from back in the day. It gives a lovely radiant glow to the skin and sets make up well too. I like to use it a highlighter as well due to it's shimmery finish. 
  • Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara (£10.50) - This was part of the Yule Monty gift set from Soap & Glory and why has it taken me this long to try it? The mascara wand is like a thinner cone shape and really lengthens the lashes well giving them a thickness as well. Somehow I don't already have anything similar to this mascara in my collection making it a great addition and often reached for.
What products have you been loving lately?




Monday 27 January 2014

House Of Wonderland Picks

House Of Wonderland offer quirky, unique and pop art style designs from jewellery to art prints. HOW was launched by Tessa who is seriously hard working to make her brand succeed. I adore the uniqueness of HOW's pieces and wanted to share with you some of my favourite picks from their website. 
The 'You May Say I'm A Dreamer' art print captured my attention obviously because it's a song lyric of John Lennon's - and what a fab song that is. Priced at just £6 I think it would make a lovely addition to my room! My favourite pieces from HOW's collection is most definitely the range of necklaces. My favourite is the 'Doll' slogan one, you can see a wide range of necklaces HERE. Still on the theme of jewellery I thought that the Microphone Charm Earrings were so cute and show my love of music very well. They are part of the HOW Vintage collection which I am a massive fan of! And finally the brand offers a wide range of pocket mirrors with quirky designs, my favourite was the little bit different but so cute Lucky Tattoo design. 

I think House Of Wonderland is definitely worth checking out. Their pieces are unlike anything I have seen and would make a brilliant unique gift to yourself or maybe even someone else. You can see how much hard work designer Tessa puts into HOW as well!
What do you think of House Of Wonderland?

Sunday 26 January 2014

Meet The Blogger #3

The latest from my 'Meet the Blogger' series comes from a lovely and hard working blogger/youtuber! If you're new to the series I ask some of my favourite bloggers to answer a few questions and share their blog as I think they deserve plenty more readers! Here's part three..
"Hi there! My name’s Beth and I have a little blog called Beautyinbeta.co.uk My posts are mainly a mixture of lifestyle and beauty, but there’s a bit of fashion (not that I’m entirely fashionable) thrown in for good measure. You can expect posts about my beauty loves, and what I’m up to. I’m not an expert in any of these fields by any stretch of the imagination, but I am passionate about it, and love sharing things I’ve found. Oh, and sorry for the amount of pictures of my cat. I don’t take things too seriously (including myself), and absolutely love the community that comes with blogging! I also have a YouTube channel  (youtube.com/beautyinbeta) where I natter about my life, review products, and show how I do certain things. They’re not really tutorials, as I’m not trained, but just my way of doing things!"


1. What made you start your blog? 
I’m not 100% to be honest. I think I was getting to a point in my life where I needed to change, get some variety, and some kind of creative outlet to get everything out. I previously have blogged in the writing field, but I’ve always been passionate about more lifestyle blogging and beauty products, so I thought why not! 
2. What's your must have product at all times?
Definitely lip balm, I get such dry lips. I love Carmex. 

3. Who inspires your style - fashion and make up choices?
Honestly, it’s other bloggers around me! I love seeing their choices and I really value their opinions. They’re the reason that I have no money! 

4. Who's your favourite well known blogger?
Probably Louise from Sprinkle Of Glitter. She’s funny and down to earth, and is easy to relate to. 

5. And any underrated bloggers you think deserve more credit?
Yes! Oh gosh there are loads. How many am I allowed?? Here’s the first three I thought of:
Joanna from Joannaloves.com, Sarah from http://xsarahspeaksx.wordpress.com/Anna from http://houseofbargain.wordpress.com/

6. What is your favourite drugstore beauty brand? 
Hm, tough one! Either Collection or Bourjois
7. And your high end brand preference?
Probablyyyy, YSL or NARS 

8. What's your favourite clothing brand? Online and high street?
New Look and ASOS! Oh, I also love clothes from Asda and Tesco, they have some wicked stuff in there! 

9. Got any blogging tips you have learnt?
Network, network and network some more! Regularly updated content which is unique and the most important thing - have fun! 

10. What are your hair styling secrets? Products? Electrical's?
I wouldn’t say they’re really secrets, but I use Moroccon Argan Oil on the ends of my hair after washing, as the tips of my hair are dyed. I then brush it through with a paddle brush, and most of the time I’ll just leave it to try naturally. If I don’t have the time for that, then I’ll blow dry it upside down, which probably isn’t that good for my hair! Make sure you use heat protect spray, I don’t, bad Beth! Then if I’m going out I’ll just curl it with some standard curling tongs!  

11. And finally what do you want to achieve from blogging?
I don’t think I really have any particular goals. Mainly to meet lots of likeminded people and be able to keep on blogging for as long as I can!  

Here is where you can find Beth:
You can catch up with the rest of the 'Meet the Blogger' series HERE. Don't forget to check out the lovely Beth's blog either, she works so hard on it! 
You can still get involved in the series to, you can find my email on my contact page!



Friday 24 January 2014

8 Week Spending Ban


As I'm entering my 4th week of a beauty/fashion spending ban I decided it was time to speak about it on the blog. I started on the 1st January and it will end 28th February - I still may extend my ban though. I've lost count the amount of times I've told myself and others I'm on a spending ban and then before I know it I've popped into Boots and walked out with everything.. And still placed an order on ASOS. It's become apparent I've terrible at saving money so when I booked my holiday less than two weeks ago I knew I had to stick to this spending ban. I've set myself a few rules as follows:
  • No buying anything beauty related unless it's an essentials (such as shampoo, deodorant, lip balm etc)
  • Only repurchase products when others in my collection are empty
  • Allowed to continue subscribing to Birchbox at £12.95 per month
  • No buying any clothes unless they are for my holiday in September
  • A trip to the hair salon half way through is allowed
So have I brought anything so far?
Yes. A Carmex lip balm for £2 as I was completely out of any lip balms. A top from Primark for my holiday, on sale for £2. Making my spending for the first 3 weeks in total £4 - not bad at all.

Has anyone set themselves a spending ban?


Wednesday 22 January 2014

Exclusive Discount For Bloggers?!

#

Ever since January begun I have been lusting after pastels and floral pieces for my wardrobe for the upcoming months. If I'm honest I've been pretty impatient with a lot of my favourite more well known brands as they seem to be taking forever to insert their SS14 collections online. However, In Love With Fashion have definitely not let me down. Above are a few of my favourite new pieces from the new collection.
Not only are they giving me a longer wishlist they are giving bloggers an exclusive discount! If you enter 'LFA30' at the checkout you will receive 30% off. This is only off full price items but you can still pick up some bargains in their sale! You can check out the new arrivals page HERE for the latest pieces.

I've placed an order with In Love With Fashion before and the quality is amazing, it's true to size, quick delivery and well packaged on arrival. Most definitely getting your money's worth. They're pretty big on bloggers to so you can join their Fashion Academy HERE to become an ILWF insider!
What do you think of In Love With Fashion?



Sunday 19 January 2014

Meet The Blogger #2

If you missed it last week I decided to start a new series every Sunday in the name of 'Meet the Blogger'. I ask some of my favourite but what I think to be underrated bloggers to answer a few questions. They all definitely deserve more recognition so here I bring you part two.

"Jane. 22 year old beauty & lifestyle blogger studying Moving Image & Television Production at University. PoptartsBeauty consists of beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog posts and specialises in bargain products for those on a tight budget!"


1. What made you start your blog?
I started my blog just over a year ago because I was becoming obsessed with fashion blogs. I'd always been online, writing a Tumblr blog but I was becoming interested more into makeup and fashion and wanted somewhere I could write about it.

2. What's your must have product at all times?

Liquid eyeliner - not a day has gone by in the last 5 years that I've not worn it!

3. Who inspires your style - fashion and make up choices?

I have a very strange style and it changes daily but I admire Mary-Kate and Ashley, Alexa Chung and Agnes Deyn.

4. Who's your favourite well known blogger?

Laura from Lisforladybird.com - she is such an amazing blogger and a very good friend of mine! We became friends through blogging and I'm so lucky to have her in my life! 

5. And any underrated bloggers you think deserve more credit?

I love Stefy from http://www.stefypuglisevich.com/ she deserves loads of credit because her blog is amazing!

6. What is your favourite drugstore beauty brand?

Max-Factor

7. And your high end brand preference?

Mac

8. What's your favourite clothing brand? Online and high street?

www.motelrocks.com - my absolute FAVOURITE online store ever! And Primark is probably the only high street brand I can afford right now so let's say that one!

9. Got any blogging tips you have learnt?

Be nice to other bloggers and make as many friends as possible, the rest will fall into place.

10. What are your hair styling secrets? Products? Electrical's?

Condition, condition, condition. I don't do a lot with my hair to be honest, but I really believe conditioning it every two days will keep it looking perfect.

11. And finally what do you want to achieve from blogging?

I'm still unsure about this!  I just want to carry on and meet new people and enjoy it! I'd also like to start a youtube channel but I'm too much of a scaredy cat!

Here is where you can find Jane:

If you haven't seen the first in this series then you can do HERE. Don't forget to take a look at the lovely Jane's blog too! & There is still time to feature in this series, you can find my email on my contact page.




Friday 17 January 2014

January's Birchbox


Another month and it's another beauty box instalment from my favourites Birchbox. I missed out posting December's box but no doubt some of the products included will pop up on here soon! I've got to say with every Birchbox that gets delivered I'm more and more impressed each time. The theme for this box was 'Tiny Tweaks' - all about making small changes in the new year. Plenty of new products to try. 


I thought this little quote was really lovely and a little reminder for everyone. Saying that I enjoy having a little read of the almost mini magazine Birchbox supply with their beauty box offering.


I told you it was a good one this month! When I popped on to the website a noticed there was going to be a Benefit sample I may have let out a little squeal. 

  • Tommy Guns Fig, Plum & Marshmallow Conditioner (£5.50) - I think 250ml is a pretty good sample size and did leave me wondering why this month's box was a little on the heavy side.
  • Benefit The POREfessional (£24.50) - Oh I am so excited for this one. I've been wanting to try this out for ages but with high end products I hate to splash the cash without a sample to trial first.
  • Noble Isle Willow Song Bath & Shower Gel (£20) - This product supposedly resembles the smell of British Countryside, so an early morning shower might be the time to try this.
  • Vasanti Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser (£18) - I've been wanting to shake up my skincare routine so a new cleanser is always welcomed with open arms.
  • Premae Anatomy Nutrients Instant Renewal Body Oil (£9.50) - It claims to rehydrate and nourish the body so I shall put this to use after a gym session or a long hard day at work.
  • Itsu Miso Soup (£2.25) - I love how Birchbox include lifestyle samples in their boxes, especially as you know they are always good for you - bonus. 
You can subscribe to Birchbox HERE for £10 (£2.95 P+P) a month. Choose your beauty profile so the right products get sent to you as well.



Thursday 16 January 2014

Blue Collar Jane

For ages I have been on the hunt for a collar shaped necklace that can be styled with shirts easily for a more edgier or feminine look. So when Zophra sent me one I fell in love with it.




First off when it was delivered it came packaged beautifully, there's nothing worse than something pretty coming in packaging that makes it look, well a little bit naff. This beaded collar necklace has stunning detailing though and I've already worn it a good handful of times to see what it is styled best with. I've even tried it with a monochrome printed shirt and it didn't look too busy either, always a bonus!

 Collarless shirts are a classic and a style I want to invest into more of. I had this cobalt blue number from Matalan a few years back now but haven't worn it near enough. I really like how the necklace sits with this shirt though, I can see it being a great summer look in the upcoming months. 


For something a little bit more on the feminine side I went for this cream chiffon blouse from New Look. Personally I find it looks really cute overlapped on the collar of the shirt. Add a floral printed jacket and you are most definitely ready to look girly this Spring and Summer. 

You can buy this necklace from Zophra's website HERE for £9. 

What do you think of collar shaped necklaces?


Wednesday 15 January 2014

Spring/Summer Picks On A Budget

You've got January blues, Christmas has been and gone and all you can think of is jumping on a plane to somewhere hot, am I right? That's exactly how it is for me. We booked our holiday for September time a few days ago and over the past few weeks all I have done is look at is clothes/shoes/bikinis/bags for the holiday. I'm literally itching for more SS14 collections to come out all the time. Let's be honest part of January Blues means that you are a little bit skint, over spending around the festive period is easily done. If you are like me and want your hands on some SS14 pieces already then look no further than Just For £5. Yes, everything is just a fiver.
#
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Dresses. Of course pastels and floral prints go hand in hand for SS14. Whether you need a casual cover up for by the pool or something more for an evening walk along the beach. My favourite is the bow detailed baby pink dress, also available in mint, beige and black. If any of these dresses are catching your eye then click the numbers and it will take you there!

#
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Tops. When the weather gets warmer there's nothing worse than clothes that stick to you. So I'm a fan of chiffon style tops that flow, making oversized the best style. You will find with Just For £5 that a lot of there styles are available in many different colours too. I really like the pearl pattern blouse with the scallop detailing, also in bright coral shades too.

#
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Bottoms. Everyone should know by now I am a massive fan of patterned trousers so there is no surprise I have featured some here. I much prefer wearing a bit of colour on the bottom half and add something monochrome to the top half. I adore cobalt blue shades so the pleated skirt is a big hit for me.


#
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Accessories. I'm not usually one for brightly coloured bags and usually opt for a tan coloured one as you can see. The accessories range has plenty of cute detailed items available that will finish any outfit off. A lot of these items are again available in different colours.

#
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Shoes. Again I opt for less striking colours in my shoe choices. Darks, nudes and sandals are done the best on Just For £5 though. I'm really loving these sandals and there's plenty more styles available too. If we're thinking of what's going to fit in our case though a few pairs of shoes which go with everything is always a good start I'd say, no hefty over weight baggage charges for us smart girls.

It's often questioned why these items can be sold for so little, Just For £5 have been supplying to the industry for 10 years and decided to take to online as it becomes increasingly popular. I've seen nothing but good reviews of the quality of items brought. It makes you think how over priced some things are in shops.

Just a little note to say I've spent a few weeks scanning the Just For £5 website and some items are now out of stock that are featured. However, popular items often appear on the 'back in stock' page so keep your eyes peeled. So are you going to try Just For £5?



Sunday 12 January 2014

Meet The Blogger #1

For the new year I wanted a new series I could post every Sunday, something that was a little different and I hadn't seen done before. Like myself you might spend ages trying to find new blogs to read so I decided to hand pick a few of my favourite bloggers that I think are a little underrated in the beauty/fashion/lifestyle blogosphere world. In my opinion they all deserve an extra few readers and what better way to know them then a few questions of what you can expect. So here we have 'Meet the Blogger'. 


"Hi everyone I'm Lauren! I blog over at Lauren Wanders. Its a lifestyle blog where I share my daily musings about beauty, fashion, food and take you with me on my travels."



1. What made you start your blog?
I started blogging a fair few years ago but not consistently, then last year I decided I wanted to start afresh after being inspired by so many lifestyle blogs, especially The Londoner's blog. 

2. What's your must have product at all times?
 Mascara always, I have repurchased Maybelline's The Falsies mascara for about a year now.

3. Who inspires your style - fashion and make up choices?
I don't really have a particular person as so many things inspire my style both fashion and makeup wise. It can be from scrolling through my Tumblr feed, to watching some of my favourite Youtubers, to reading style blogs and magazines.

4. Who's your favourite well known blogger?
I adore so many bloggers I could list so many, but at the moment its definitely Suzie from HelloOctober. Her Sunday post is my favourite and her Youtube videos are amazing.

5. And any underrated bloggers you think deserve more credit?
I would have to say Viva la Blonde's blog, she posts about beauty, food and fashion and definitely deserves more readers.

6. What is your favourite drugstore beauty brand?
Oo thats a toughie, it definitely used to be Revlon but nowadays its Maybelline. They have amazing mascaras and the colour sensational lipsticks are the best. I love the Fit Me foundation too.

7. And your high end brand preference?
I think it's going to have to be Nars. I adore the Laguna bronzer and the blusher range is gorgeous. I would love to try their lip pencils too, having read great things about them.  

8. What's your favourite clothing brand? Online and high street?
Zara get it right every time for me, followed closely by Topshop.

9. Got any blogging tips you have learnt?
Be yourself. I know its an obvious one but I love reading blogs where you feel as if you know the person behind the screen. Also don't blog for the sake of blogging as it just doesn't work. Only write when you really want to as the content is always better.

10. What are your hair styling secrets? Products? Electrical's?
My favourite electrical beauty product is the Babyliss Soft Waves Curling wand, it gives my hair soft loose curls which I definitely prefer at the moment. In terms of products I only use my Batiste Dry Shampoo to give my hair a bit of volume, but I'm still meaning to try the Oribe Dry Texturing Spray.

11. And finally what do you want to achieve from blogging?
My blog is my online diary, I want to carry on posting snippets from my life and share my memories, so I can look at back at them and remember that time in my life. Along the way I would love to make some 'blogger' friends as they share the same passion and hobby as me and hopefully increase my readership and interact with every single one of them.

Here is where you can find Lauren:
I hope you all enjoyed the first instalment of 'Meet the Blogger' and make sure to check Lauren's lovely blog out and her Youtube channel is fab too.
And if you want to get involved in this series then just click on my contact page to email me your interest.


Friday 10 January 2014

2013 Favourites Part 2/2 - Skincare/Haircare


Continuing with my 2013 favourites three part series, today I have the skincare and haircare bits and bobs I've been loving. I do have a hair care post coming out soon as it has been requested so I haven't included too much as more in depth reviews will be coming very soon. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post I'm not a high end type of person but in 2014 I definitely want to splurge a little and use some higher end skincare and haircare products. I did experiment more towards the end of 2013 mind you.


| SKINCARE |

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner & Facial Cleanser (£3-£8) - I really enjoyed using these two products together though I do wish I'd brought the bigger sizes. That's the great thing about The Body Shop, a lot of their products you can buy in mini size which is great for trialling new products. These two together left me feeling really fresh though, perfect for mornings. 

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Solution (£4.99) - With this offering from L'Oreal you can easily remove your make-up before having a good cleanse. With a quick few swipes over your eyes you can remove any tough eye-liners or mascaras with so much ease, no more sore eyes.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (£8) - By far my most favourite exfoliator choice. Leaves the skin very soft and the perfect kick start to a killer fake tan. I'm a massive fan of citrus smells in body care products so I love the lime scent that goes with this glorious little pot. 


| HAIRCARE |

Aussie Take The Heat Shampoo (£4.69) - Now this might just be me being a little crazy but I find with blonde hair it's really hard to get a nice shine to it. Like many Aussie products it just gives me the best shine out of many hair products I've used. And anything that protects from heat damage is always a bonus.

L'Oreal Studio Line Matt and Messy: Salt Spray (£3.75) - Having natural/wavy hair is sometimes a good thing for myself. The amount of times I'll leave it in it's natural state and add a little bit of this salt spray from L'Oreal. It adds a bit of texture to it and I'm a fan of the whole 'beach hair' look. This small bottle lasts ages as well (I think they've changed the packaging since I last repurchased anyway). 

The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter (£3-£8) - Another product from The Body Shop that I brought in a mini size but is lasting me ages. I add this hair butter to the ends of my hair after conditioning to keep them soft, you don't need a lot of the butter. The trick with this one is 'less is more'. 

Part two of my 2013 favourites over with, if you missed yesterday's 2013 make-up favourites you can catch up HERE. What have been your favourites products in the past year?


Thursday 9 January 2014

2013 Favourites Part 1/2 | Make-up


Somewhat a little late on the 2013 favourites posts but I'm spreading mine out in three parts. Today's post being make-up and tomorrow's skincare/haircare. It's only towards the end of the year I've really been trying out higher end make-up so I haven't wanted to include that in my yearly favourites because I find that drugstore products have served me very well for the majority of the year. My make-up brand of the year has to go to Rimmel too!



| EYES |

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara (£6.99) - It's not very often an advert for a new product makes me want to purchase the latest from a brand but it was right up my street this one. 60's band playing, 60's influenced fashion and make-up and a scooter for good measure. The mascara wand is brilliant at creating volume and lengthening my lashes. Become my go-to mascara most definitely. 

Natural Collection Due Eyeshadow in Mink/Sable (£1.99) - One of the biggest bargains you will ever pick up, promise! I love the lighter shade for a base on the whole eye, highlighting the brow bone. Then using the darker of the shades as a base for the lid. I think Natural Collection are often overlooked because of their cheap prices but these eyeshadows are well pigmented and easily build able.

Sleek i-Divine Storm Eyeshadow Palette (£7.99) - I love the mix of matte and shimmer shadows in this palette. I used to massively dislike shimmery shades in the daytime but this has changed my mind. They're incredibly pigmented but so subtle. A little dust excess can form if you don't keep the palette clean but apart from that I have no faults.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner in Black (£10) - I actually hated eyeliner in liquid or kohl form until I discovered this gem. Obviously I'm a sucker for anything Alexa Chung loves too. On a serious note though it's so easy for application with the fine point tip felt pen shape. Creates the most amazing flicks. 


| FACE |

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain (£6.99) -  Before I discovered this beauty I was all about the fullest coverage I could possibly get. I wouldn't say this is a sheer coverage, more like a medium one. What attracted me was the variety of shades available for a drugstore foundation. It's a perfect shade for my pale complexion and I've lost count how many times I've repurchased. 

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil (£15.95) - How did I even cope without this for brightening my eyes after a sleepless night?! I think this product will really get some rave reviews in 2014 because it is amazing. For a pencil it has quite a creamy formula once warmed using the fingers for application. Doesn't crease either, bonus points to you Chella.

Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter (£5.99) - This can be used as a primer but I'd find it far to shimmery as a full face of it. As a highlighter though I can't get enough of it. It stays in place for hours and I often use it with a little blush which of late has been given me the perfect combination of a winter glow.


| NAILS AND LIPS |

Collection Hot Looks Nail Polish in Milkshake (£1.99) - There hasn't been a particular shade of polish that I have loved this year. I have loved a range though which is the Hot Looks Nails from Collection. Priced at £1.99 they are a bargain even if they are on the smaller side. Despite that they are long lasting, don't take very long to try and most shades only need one coat. Except a review soon with plenty of colours.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick (£5.49) - Again not a shade I've been loving but a formula. I adore these from Rimmel's collab with Kate Moss. My two favourites have been in shades 19 and 16 for the seasonal transitions mind you. After a few swipes over the lips there is no budging this for hours. 

So there is my make-up favourites for 2013, look out for my other favourites from 2013!

Friday 3 January 2014

Boxing Day/January Sales Haul

I've decided the start of this new year I'm putting myself on a spending ban for say the first 6 weeks, no beauty items, no fashion items and definitely not any shoes. I look back at the past year and wonder where my money goes. I spend a little on gigs and the travel side of it but the amount of clothes I have sitting around I've never even worn is ridiculous. Hopefully this year there will be a fair few of us going on holiday and hopefully V festival again. Plus, trips to Manchester, Liverpool, London and Leicester for a few gigs will more than likely wipe me out so do I really need anything else? No. I just want to point out anything in this haul was purchased prior to the New Year and I picked up some bargains.

I popped into Boots straight away. I did pick up a few other things but they were gifts for my Mum's birthday. This little 'post party beauty' kit set me back a fiver. I've been loving the 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution from L'Oreal and seen as it retails at £4.99 anyway I couldn't turn a basically free moisturiser could I? There was so many bargains in the Boots half price sale so I'd check it out while stocks last! I can't see this on Boots' website anywhere but it's available at Feel Unique for £6, HERE.

I always used to think the NEXT sale was a bit naff, still is really but I did find a load of these roll neck fine dogtooth printed tops for £8, down from £16 so obviously I grabbed one. Thinking of the hotter months that are ahead I'm sure this monochrome number could work well with a pop of colour on the bottom half.



Fred Perry always start their sale a few days before Christmas, and around the time of payday. I'm a massive fan of the brand and it's the only clothing items I indulge in money wise. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing they emailed me over an extra 15% off discount code for being a loyal customer though. I'm not complaining though. The quality of the polos are second to none and this reminds me something from the Amy Winehouse collection even though it isn't. This cost me £35.70 with my discount code, currently at £42 from £60 HERE. Fred Perry polo shirts really are an investment piece. 


Matalan isn't a shop I tend to shop in but I know they always have a good sale on their lingerie section which is the reason I stopped by. Me being me though couldn't resist a little look through the sale rails and stumbled across this geometric print shirt, £7 down from £14. I've been looking for something like this for ages. It's a little sheer and you might want to pop a another top underneath. They also had this available in red if blue isn't your colour. It's also available online to, HERE.

As you can imagine the sale in Topshop was manic on Boxing Day. I made a swift stop in there on my lunch break and I didn't have the patience to have a proper look and come 3 o'clock everything was in a bit of a mess but I did find this jacquard embossed style skater dress with a high neck collar. I loved the shape and style of this. Originally £30 and came in at half price for £15. They don't appear to have the black dress in stock online but I did spot similar ones HERE and HERE.

I did find there was a lot in the Dorothy Perkins sale but when I popped into Outfit which stocks the brand I found there were loads of variety and a lot better deals too. This jersey navy drop waist dress was £3. YES 3 ENGLISH POUNDS. Originally priced at £22. I can't find this anywhere online, imagine the frenzy if you found a basics item online though for a few quid.

I've made a little promise to myself this year to wear more jewellery. My collection is pretty much none existent apart from the odd few things here and there. I first stumbled across these different shaped rings and for £3 I couldn't turn them down.Then you can only imagine the look on my face when I discovered 3 matching necklaces for half price too, just £3.25. New Look really do have all the bargains every year don't they? I think I dropped on with these sets. 


One item I told myself I wanted to get was in fact a basic black skater skirt. This one was about 5 or 6 pound. Another embossed number but with a waffle like pattern going on. Something simple for the wardrobe and an easily layered number as Summer feels very far away right now. January blues..


Very very similar to the top I picked up in NEXT but I though hey what the hell I'll wear them so £5 isn't going to break the bank too much. Not entirely sure how to describe this pattern. Like a fine print tiling or something along those lines but well done to New Look again for a cracking sale.


I was if'ing and ar'ing over this dress but in the end I decided that I will wear it and it can always come out back to play when Autumn rolls back round again. Navy blue jacquard floral on black isn't something I'd usually go for but I really liked this one. Priced at £11, working out a little bit better than half price. They don't have this exact dress online but a very similar one can be found HERE.

That's everything now for a good few weeks on the clothes haul front anyway.
Which shops did you find had the best sales?