Post Christmas Sales Beauty Haul

A shop I always pop into during their sale is Boots. They do a fantastic 3 for 2 offer before Christmas, and then on Boxing day, the gifts become half price, with premium beauty gifts reduced by a third. This is a great deal and you can really pick up some bargains. I used boots.com to place my order, with the online sale starting two days earlier than stores, on December 24th. 

The first gift set I snatched up was Calvin Klein's 'Euphoria.' This is such a sexy, feminine scent and one I haven't worn for a couple of years. I used to wear it religiously and always recieved so many compliments when I did. The gift set contains the 30ml EDP perfume and the matching 100ml body lotion. I managed to pick this up for £23, a steal. 

The next gift set I grabbed was 'Powder Trip' by Soap And Glory. This contains 3 of their powder products to bronze, brighten and luminize, as it contains a blusher, bronzer and a highlighter, as well as a mini brush. I haven't tried to much of the Soap And Glory make up line and I thought this would be a great introduction to their powder products. I'm excited to give these ago, especially with New Years around the corner. The packaging for this set isn't great for travelling, but it does contain a mirror, making it easy to use at home. This set was reduced to £10.

I also treated myself to Lancome's 'Doll Eyes' set. I have only ever tried thier Hypnose mascara, which was great, but the Doll Eyes one is raved about. The set comes with a mini eyeliner (Le Crayon Kohl) in 01 Noir, as well as the 'Bi-Facil' eye make up remover, which I have also never tried. This set was a bargain at just over £14.

I always try and snap up hair care sets, as you can get the products on a better deal in the gift sets, than by buying them individually. This year I picked up James Brown's 'Photo Fabulous Volume Kit.' This set contains a large shampoo, conditioner and intensive treatment. These products retail for around £6.99 each, yet I managed to pick up the set for £7.50, a complete bargain. I am really hoping they can inject some volume into my very flat hair. 

My last sale purchase was at The Body Shop. I actually made this before Christmas as I had voucher for £15 off a £30 spend. I decided to stock up on my favouite product, the Body Butters in Satsuma. This is just divine as the scent is incredible and it just leaves your skin beautifully soft. I decided to grab two whilst I had a code for a discount. The products were £6.50, down from £13 each. 

I now think I have enough new beauty products to last me well into 2014. Did you treat yourself to anything in the sales?

What I Got For Christmas-Beauty Edition

I have a huge obsession with The Body Shop, especially there shower gels and body butters. Luckily, I received a humongous 750ml bottle of my all time favourite, Satsuma shower gel. This has come with a pump on the top, as it is such a large size, so this will be in my shower for the foreseeable future. I was also treated to a Mango shower gel and body butter. This is a scent that I have never tried before, so am excited to give this a go. I love having both the matching shower gel and body butter as I really think it enhances the staying power of the scent. 

This year I didn't ask for any perfume, but I was lucky enough to recieve Kylie Minogue's 'Darling' fragrance. This was one of the first perfumes that I ever began wearing and is very subtle and feminine. I really like the bottle for the scent, although the black, bulky lid does slightly ruin it. Even so, I am very excited to start wearing this again. 

I also got a couple of miniatures in my stocking, which are always useful for travelling and the gym. I got a Natural Collection shower gel in the Apple and Lime scent, as well as the Cocoa Butter body wash from The Body Shop. I have never tried either of these before, so am looking forward to giving them a try. 

In makeup, I was ecstatic to unwrap a Benefit 'Love At First Shine' set. This contains 6 mini sizes of their lip glosses in the newly released packaging, from earlier this year. The packaging is really cute and the sizes are perfect for your handbag. I have tried the shade 'A Lister' (top left in photo) already, which is a peachy pink shade and the formulation is smooth and soft, without being sticky. This is the first time I have ever tried a Benefit lip product and I am very impressed. I am very excited to try the rest of the shades in the set. 

What did you recieve for Christmas?

Tomorrow's post will be on the beauty bits I have picked up in the sales!

My Everyday Basic Makeup Routine

On a daily basis I play it very safe with my makeup, mainly for speed and convenience. I like my makeup to provide coverage and to give the appearance of being more awake. I then change my lip product depending on my outfit and colour scheme. 

Base: I like to spend the most time building my base up, to almost full coverage, to cover any hyper-pigmentation and blemishes. I use Lancome's 'Teint Idole Ultra 24H' foundation in the shade 005. I struggle to find good matches with foundation, as I am very fair skinned, but this is a perfect match. It claims to last for 24 hours, but I find it does wear in places, such as my chin, like any other foundation will. I find I can apply this foundation with fingers, brushes or a sponge, for great results. I follow up with Rimmel's 'Wake Me Up' concealer in 010 Ivory. I apply this under my eyes to brighten the area and bring more light into the eye area. It also covers any of the purple-grey undertone I have under my eyes. This doesn't crease with wear which is great for such an inexpensive product. I then take my favourite concealer, Collections 'Lasting Perfection' in Fair 1 on any blemishes, which require extra coverage. This concealer is widely raved about as it is so good and rivals high end products. Afterwards, I follow up with another Rimmel product, the 'Stay Matte' powder in 001 Transparent, to banish any shine. This then leaves me with a base ready for blush. On a daily basis I apply MAC's 'Well Dressed' which is a soft blue toned pink. I use a soft brush to apply this to the apples of my cheek, to warm my complexion. 

Eyes: I always like to fill in my brows, otherwise they can barely be seen. I use a well loved Loreal pencil to do this, as it is quick and hassle free. As I am almost at the end of this pencil, I can no longer see the shade or number of the pencil, but it is a medium brown colour. I then use my little finger to blend it out, for a natural look. I then take my current favourite mascara, Benefit's 'They're Real.' This builds great volume and length to give a full lash look. 

Lips: Keeping my lips really simple I always apply Blistex's 'Medplus' lip balm before I apply my makeup, as this gives the lip balm time to sink into the lips. My most used winter lip product is Soap And Glory's 'Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick 3D Volume Lip Shine' in Raplumzel. This is a lovely warm berry shade and finishes the look well. If I have more time on my hands, then I will go for a lipstick, but this gloss stick is very quick and easy. 

What makeup products do you use daily?

A Few Small Beauty Purchases

As Feel Unique was having a 10% discount across the entire website, I decided to make an order. The first item I picked up was a hand cream that I have been dying to try for ages. L'Occitane's shea butter hand cream is raved about online and was recently mentioned by Lisa Eldridge in one of her gift guides. This cream contains 20% shea butter and has been formulated for dry skin. I suffer with very dry hands in the winter, so am hoping this has good results. I also really like the traditional and simple packaging. A 30ml tube was £8 (before discount).

The other item I chose from the site was Caudalie's 'Instant Foaming Cleanser.' I love their hand creams so really wanted to try some of their skin care as I know how popular their Beauty Elixir is. I use always follow my micellar water cleanse with a foaming or cream cleanser, so thought this would be great. The product also contains grapes and sage, as well as being free of parabens and sulphates. I ordered a 50ml travel size of the product, to try, which was £6.75. 

I also picked up two new additions to my Real Techniques brush collection, as they were Buy One Get One Half Price in Boots. I selected the 'Miracle Complexion Sponge' and the 'Shading Brush.' I have been wanting to try the sponge for a while and I plan to use the shading brush for concealer, to really blend it. I am really pleased with the other brushes I have from Real Techniques, so I am really excited to try these and see how I get on with them. The sponge retails for £5.99 and the brush for £7.99 at Boots. 

Beauty Haul

Here are a few beauty treats I have picked up in the last couple of weeks.

A foundation I have been dying to try for a while now, is Revlon's 'ColourStay.' This is because it is raved about as one of the best foundations available on the high street. I have picked the combination/oily skin type and have gone for the shade '110 Ivory.' I have yet to try this, but I have high hopes and am looking forward to giving it a go over the festive period. My only complaint, which I knew about before purchasing it, is that it doesn't come with a pump, so potentially can be very messy! Boots stock this foundation for £12.49 for a 30ml bottle and it is currently on their 3 for 2 offer. 

My other makeup item is a lipstick from Rimmel. There are some gems on the stands at Boots and Superdrug, so I'm trying to diversify more. I picked up 'Nude Pink' from the 'Lasting Finish' line. I have just looked at the swatch for this on the Boots website and the colour is far more peach toned in real life, instead of the blue toned pink it appears as. This really enhances my natural lip colour and is perfect for a basic make up day. The lipstick gives a pearlescent look to the lips, which is quite different to anything I currently own. I usually layer a gloss over this and get a couple of hours wear from it, which is what I would expect for £4.99. There are 10 shades in the line and the formula is nice and smooth, without it being too drying, but it does have a slightly waxy texture. 

The first body lotion I picked up was from a brand I have never tried, Good Things. I selected the 'Soothing Body Lotion' in the Goji Berry & Blueberry variety. This smells really fruity, which is why I picked it. I also liked that this range is free of nasties including parabens, mineral oils and sodium laureth sulphate. The packaging for this product is also nice with flowers edging the text. I am looking forward to using this after my next shower. A 250ml bottle was roughly £5 at Boots. 

As The Body Shop are currently having a 50% off sale, I decided to pop in and treat myself to my beloved body butters. I picked the 'Shea' scent, which is targeted at very dry skin, which I don't have, but I find it injects the most moisture into my skin out of all the varieties, which is great for the colder months. This has a typical shea scent and is formulated into a very thick butter. This product does need time to sink into the skin, so is better for a pampering evening than a busy Monday morning, otherwise you may get your clothes clinging to you. A 200ml tub is currently £6.50 at The Body Shop. 

My third and final body moisturiser (yes, another one) is the 'Sugar Crush Body Buttercream' from Soap And Glory. I adore their body products as they smell divine and do wonders on the skin. This body buttercream smells glorious, as it contains shea (again) and sweet lime. I have yet to try this after a soak in the bath, but I am very excited to as it smells good enough to eat. I already have the Sugar Crush body scrub and the matching shower gel, so I really will be smelling of sweet limes! The packaging for this product is really bright tub, which will look great at the side of any bathtub. A 300ml tub costs £8 at Boots. 

What have you treated yourself to recently?

Empties #6

In the last few weeks I have used up another body butter from The Body Shop, this time in the Satsuma fragrance. Just like the other body butters, this is rich and creamy, which really injects moisture to the skin. The scent is incredible, so fresh and fruity. I got lots of compliments from using this product as it could be smelt on the skin for up to 5 hours after application. I will continue to purchase the body butters, as they are great. They retail for £13 each but are currently 50% at The Body Shop.

Soap And Glory make bath time even better, one of my favourite products to use on a pamper evening is their 'Calm One Calm All' bubble bath, complete with built in body lotion. This bubble bath creates lots of bubbles and really softens and moisturises the skin. I still moisturise after bathing, but with this product, you can get away with skipping this step. The scent is like 'Hand Food' and the other signature products in the Soap And Glory line, very light and floral. This is such a treat and is perfect for a Christmas gift. I will continue to repurchase this in the future. A 500ml bottle is available at Boots for £6 and is currently on their 3 for 2 offer.

A shower gel that has been featured in an empties post before, is Radox's 'Berry Burst' shower gel. I use this after the gym and is great for a cleansing shower. It lathers well and has a lovely fruity scent, although this doesn't linger on the skin for long after. I will repurchase this, but next I really want to try the cherry variety in the line. I always pick this up on offer for £1, but it is available for £1.99 normally.

A shampoo I have really enjoyed using is Herbal Essences 'Bee Strong Strengthening Shampoo.' This is their honey scented shampoo, although I wouldn't really say it smelt of honey, it was more floral. It did a great job of cleaning my hair, leaving it shiny and smooth, but I didn't see an improvement in the strength of my hair. I buy Herbal Essences purely because it does a great job for the price point, so I do not expect amazing results or some of its claims. I will continue to repurchase the brand, as I have done for years, but I do prefer some of the other scents to this one. The 400ml bottles are currently £1.94 at Boots.

I have also finished a 300ml bottle of Tresemme's 'Heat Defence.' There is a complete review on my previous post, '10 Products Under £10.' But in summary, this is great heat protectant as it disperses a fine mist over the hair and protects up to 230 degree heat.I am already using another Tresemme product to protect my hair as they are so good. You can purchase this at Boots for £5.25 or is also on 2 for £7.

My final empty, which is also another hair product is a conditioner from Soap And Glory. 'Glad Hair Day' is a conditioner aimed at frizzy, heat damaged and thick hair.I have fine hair which is subjected to a lot of heat so this was perfect. I felt like the conditioner not only protected my hair, it also helped to thicken it. The scent of the product was lovely and fruity, which was really nice. I like to rotate my hair care by using different products every time, but I will definitely come back to this one in the future, especially with the matching shampoo. You can get your hands on this for £5.50 at Boots.

Top 10 Products Under £10- Part 2

My sixth pick is Rimmel's 'Wake Me Up' foundation. This is such a great product from the high street, as not only does it offer good, buildable coverage and SPF 15, it really makes the skin appear fresh and healthy, with a slight glow. I have very fair skin and the lightest shade in 'Ivory' is a good match. This foundation also has a matching concealer in the range, which is also a great buy. The glass bottle comes with a pump, making it hygienic and user friendly. A 30ml bottle is £8.99 at Boots, which is also currently on a 3 for 2 offer.

My favourite nail product is the Seche Vite 'Dry Fast Top Coat.' This is a super shiny top coat which drys quickly and leaves the nails with a gel like finish. I find top coats can be a bit ropey as many claim to prevent chipping, but the Seche Vite one is great and really enhances the wear time of a polish. The brush is also a great size. It also can iron out little imperfections in your paint job, which is always great! A 14ml bottle of this is £9, which is on the higher end of the scale for a top coat, but I will continue to buy this as it is the best I have found on the market.

I use very few products on my hair, purely because it is very fine and I don't want to overload it with products which make it appear greasy looking. As I heat style most days, I always use Tresemme's 'Heat Defence' spray as this protects the hair from up to 230 degree heat. Once I have styled my hair, it is soft and shiny, with little frizz or static. The spray also prevents dryness in my hair, which can be caused by the heat. The pump also disperses a fine mist instead a shot of product. A 300ml bottle lasts me at least a year, so for £5.25 it is a bargain. Boots currently has Tresemme products on 2 for £7.

For tools, my most used makeup brushes are the ones by Real Techniques. These are endorsed by Youtuber Sam Chapman and really deserve all the hype they have had. They are sensibly priced for such a high quality product as they make makeup application quick, easy and seamless. Washing them is also easy as the synthetic hairs means the makeup doesn't stain and they don't shed. I wash my stipling brush daily and it still looks as good as the day I purchased it, which was more than a year ago. I do not own any of the newer eye brushes, but I do have the powder brush, stipling brush and the blusher brush (which I use for contouring). They do range in price, with the blush brush retailing for £9.99 and the other two are £11.99 and £12.99. Compared to MAC brushes they are very good value, so I am really going to build a collection. Next on my list is the 'Miracle Complexion Sponge.' 

My final choice is another product from Rimmel. Their 'Stay Matte' powder is great at providing shine free skin. This is a finely milled pressed powder which appears invisable on the skin. I use the shade '001 Transparent' as I am so fair, so find coloured powders hard to match my skin tone. I find after 4 -6 hours I do need to reapply or blot, as I have very oily skin, but in comparison to some I have tried, this is long lasting, especially for the price point. There are 6 shades available for £3.99 each, currently on 3 for 2 at Boots. 

What are your top products? Have any been mentioned in this post?

GHD V Styler Review

I have coveted a pair of GHD's for years but have never wanted to splash out over £100 for the straightners. I have always relied on my trusty Babyliss Pro 235 Elegance straightners, which have done the job really well for 3 years, but now they are old and worn, with chipped plates, so I have decided to splash out.

I decided to go for a limited edition styler, purely because I wanted something colourful for my dressing table, sad I know! This is exactly the same as the IV styler, it just has a different name as it is a newer edition. The straightner I have chosen is metalic silver, with nice detailing along the sides. The plates are black and very thin, in comparison to my Babyliss straightners, so this makes it easier to use the straightners for curling and doing fringes etc. The on/off is triggered by the slide up button inside the straigtners and they heat up within a matter of seconds, which is great if you are in a rush, which most of us are in the morning! A great safety feature they possess, is that if they are left unattended for more than 30 minutes then they turn themselves off. This is great is you leave the house and worry if you haven't turned them off. They also come with a 2 year guarantee, which is great for an electrical item. 

Now, onto how they work on the hair. I have fine hair so I just use my straightners to tidy up the ends and bring my hair into a more presentable shape. The thin plates glide down the hair, leaving it smooth and shiny, so there is no snagging or tugging. I also noticed reduced static on my hair, especially around my parting which can sometimes happen with heat styling. I am really happy with how my hair looks after using them, so I can tell we are going to have a happy relationship for the next few years. 

I decided to splurge on my GHD's during Amazons Black Friday week, so I managed to pick them up for £89 instead of £139. Although, the standard black IV styler is usually £89 if you're not interested in the pick of colours. I am really happy with them and have been recommended them so many times over the years. I have never been to a salon which doesn't use them, which is a great testament to how they work. 

Which straightners do you use? Would you recommend them?

Top 10 Products Under £10- Part 1

Bargain beauty products that work are what we all love. Here are my favourite picks for less than £10.

For those who love a good self tanner, Garnier's 'Summer Body' is a great one to try. This is a gradual tan, which looks like a regular moisturiser but has the tan built in. I find this is a really natural gradual tan, which is a lovely brown colour, unlike the horrible orange shades you can get with some tanners! I use the light version of this product, but they also do a darker one. The great thing is that this doesn't streak, so you look like you've been on holiday, instead of orange and patchy from an awful tanner. This also doesn't smell too bad for fake tan, it has apricot extracts in it, although the scent isn't fruity, it isn't as terrible as some products out there. I apply this with a mitt for easy and quick application.  You can pick up the 400ml for £7.15, or £4.77 on offer currently at Boots. 

I have pledged my love for Soap And Glory's 'Hand Food' numerous times on this blog. It is a great moisturiser for your hands, leaving them feeling soft and smooth, instead of dry and cracked.The formula isn't greasy, instead it sinks into the skin within a couple of minutes. The scent is also divine, and matches products such as 'The Righteous Butter' and the 'Mist Your Madly Body Spray,' with ingredients such as shea butter and marshmallow. I have a couple of the 50ml sizes in my handbag and on my dressing table and a full size on my desk at work. You can never have enough hand cream, especially in winter. Boots stock the 50ml for £2.50 and the 125ml for £5. 

One of the best makeup products on the high street by far, is the 'Lasting Perfection Concealer' by Collection.The basic packaging doesn't do it justice as the product inside is phenomenal. Not only will it cover hyper pigmentation and blemishes, it works well under the eyes to conceal dark circles. The formula is creamy, which ensures it doesn't leave the skin dry. I use the shade Fair, which is a perfect match. This has been a staple in my makeup bag since I purchased this concealer nearly a year ago. I will definately repurchase this until it is discontinued as it is so good. This is a steal for £4.19. 

My ultimate lip product is Revlon's 'Lip Butters.' They are a tinted lip balm which come in a variety of shades. I currently own 5 (Sorbet, Raspberry Pie, Juicy Papaya, Candy Apple and Pink Lemonade), although I have also gone through 3 other shades (Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake and Peach Parfait). Some of the shades are more pigmented and others are more sheer. The formulation is rich and hydrating, helping to keep the lips moisturised, they also last well. My current favourites are Juicy Papaya for a neutral daytime look and Raspberry Pie for the vampy berry lip. With 21 shades available, there is a colour for everyone. These are available on the high street for £7.99 each. 

From left to right: Candy Apple. Juicy Papaya, Sorbet, Pink Lemonade and Raspberry Pie

My final selection is another Soap And Glory product, but this time it comes from their makeup line. The 'Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick 3D Volume Lip Shine' are similar to the Lip Butters, but are in more of a solid consistency. They again are tinted lip balms but come in more of a Chubby Stick style with the twist up bullet. I own the shades Bashful and Raplumzel, both of which have a rich and glossy finish, but there are a total of 5 in the range. If you are looking for colour pay off then the Lip Butters are stronger, but if you want the glossy finish without having to use lip gloss, then these are a great choice. You can get your hands on these for £8 at Boots, or why not pick up 3 shades on the 3 for 2 offer? 

What are your must have products?