Samples I've Used Up 028

 I've used up two travel sized Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water which I adore using to remove the bulk of my makeup off. I've finished up a pack of Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes which I kept in my bag for times when I needed to freshen up. These were very moist to the touch and hydrating at the same time so I will definitely be repurchasing these! I've used up the travel sized versions of Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Shampoo + Conditioner which were very hydrating and helped keep my hair manageable and soft. I've finished up a travel sized Sensodyne Extra Fresh Toothpaste which lasted quite a while and will definitely consider purchasing in full size.

I've used up the travel sized versions of Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo + Conditioner which completely transformed my hair whilst away on holiday. It helped to hydrate my hair whilst reducing the appearance of any noticeable damage all whilst smelling bloody good! I will definitely think about buying these in the full size. I've finished up a travel sized Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor which I used most nights on holiday just to give my hair a treat after being in the sun all day. Long term readers will know that I swear by Aussie's 3MM's! I've used up the No7 Youthful Eye Serum which I use before I apply any eye cream and whilst I haven't noticed any groundbreaking results, I like to think that it's hydrating my under eye area more when combined with an eye cream. I've finished up two samples of Vichy Idealia Life Serum which I only got a few uses out of each sample tube which sadly wasn't enough to get behind the hype of the product. It did make my skin feel soft but apart from that, that's really it. Lastly, I've used up a vial of Juicy Couture Couture La La which smelt so good as it contains notes of mandarin and white floral which is definitely going on my to buy in full size list!

Lanzarote Haul

When on holiday, you have to take full advantage of the exchange rate and offers and do a little shopping which naturally I had to do! Where we were staying, there were a few Fund Grube stores which is essentially like Debenhams just not as big. At the time, they had slashed the prices over 1,500 beauty products which meant some serious savings were there to be had!

I took full advantage of this and decided that now would be he best time to get the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 which is specifically for dry combination skin. I've been reading a lot about their clarifying lotions and how they can either work wonders for your skin and wreck havoc. I personally don't take reviews for face value as everybodys skin is different so what may work for one person, may not necessarily work for the either so with that in mind, I'm keen to try it for myself. It's essentially an exfoliating toner that helps to remove dead skin to reveal brighter, more radiant skin. I'm really hoping that this works well for me as I do have high hopes for it. Next up is the Melvita Damask Rose Floral Water that has been on my wishlist for the longest time ever! This is a hydrating toner that you can either spritz directly on the skin or onto a cotton pad before sweeping it over the face. It's distilled from Damask Rose petals and is a astringent which will give you that tight feeling after applying without irritating the skin.

Anybody who has stepped foot in a department store will understand how pushy sales assistants are and the sales assistants in Fund Grubbe were no different, especially when it comes to making you buy fragrance! They were having some sort of special promotion on a new his and her fragrance which of course we had to smell and then somehow ended up buying. Its called Voulezvous Pour Femme by Chhabria which I believe has been exclusively for Fund Grubbe. The scent itself is rather hard to explain as I cannot find any information on it however it smells good and is one that lingers on the skin hours after spritzing.

I couldn't resist buying some makeup so I bought two eyeshadows from Collistar. The first being Kartell X Collistar Silk Effect Eyeshadow Trio in 70 Nudo Jelly which has a champagne colour, shimmer packed copper gold and a shimmer dark brown that looks beautiful together. The other being a Double Effect Eye Shadow that you can use both wet and dry in the shade 4 Beige Rosato which is a very shimmery gold bronze shade where the shimmer literally gets everywhere! Lastly, there was a promotion on at the till where you could get four travel sized face + body lotions for €5 which of course were too cute to pass up! They're made in the Canary Islands and all contain extracts of aloe vera.. The blue one is aloe vera, the pink one is aloe vera with moscheta rose oil, the green one is olive oil and the orange one is aloe vera with karite butter

Boots Haul 020

I'm sure we all have one of those shops where we could just spend a fortune in and surprisingly, that store for me is Boots. Boots is just one of those places where they have a good mixture of highend and drugstore with many bargains like the infamous 3 for 2 which all the beauty bloggers sure take advantage of! Which just so happens to be the main cause of this haul, I fell into Boots only needing a few repurchases and I ended up coming out with a lot more. 

The main repurchase for me is the Estee Lauder Light Black Primer which I use after curling my lashes to act as a primer. I a do a few coats before going in with my normal mascara to make my lashes appear longer and fuller. It's completely unnecessary but I like to think it does something for my short lashes. The next repurchase is of course naturally the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge which is my go to for applying foundation. I tend to stick to one sponge for two days worth of foundation hence why I end up with atleast three on the go. With one sponge lasting two months or so before throwing it out, I always like to have a few in backup to keep going between the 3 for 2 deals.

There's no denying that I love my highlighters so I picked up the Collection Speedy Highlighter which is pretty much identical to my beloved No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter just slightly darker in colour. I also picked up the Collection Contour Kit Highlight & Scuplt which on first glances, the highlighter looks to be packed with glitter which gladly doesn't translate on the skin. It's instead a beautiful champagne colour with the perfect bronzer for pale skinned beauties. I also picked up the Collection #BlushAndGlow which has the bronzer and highligher already in there with two shades of blush which in hindsight is rather pointless however it's ideal for travelling.

I couldn't resist picking up the Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Palette as the colours inside are right up my street! I also decided to get the Soap & Glory Supercat Liner as everyone and their nan raves about it and I wanted a change from my normal liquid liner. One product that I haven't had in what feels like forever is the Collection Lasting Perfect Concealer which is essentially like the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer but a fraction of the price. After seeing a friend rocking the Revlon Nail Varnish in Ace Of Spades, I too had to get on that bandwagon and I'm certainly not disappointed! It's a beautiful light black/dark grey that only takes one coat to be completely opaque. Lastly, I had to buy the Philips Tongue Cleaner purely because it was practically half price due to their price matching which I'll be popping up a review of in the next few weeks or so.

Superdrug Haul 006

Superdrug is one of those stores that I don't really go into much, purely because the staff in there aren't very helpful. The last time I went into one of their stores was back in May which feels like forever ago and even then I didn't buy a great deal. After seeing quite a few people hauling their own branded products, I decided that I better pop into my local one to see what products they had.
Before I even tried Liz Earle Cleanse + Polish, I was a loyal follower of the Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser so of course I had to pick up two more! This is by far one of the better hot cloth cleansers I've tried as not only is the consistency very creamy and very luxurious but I actually feel like it works wonders for my dry/very dry skin. I also picked up their Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser which again, I have tried previously. This is a brightening version of the Vitamin E one just slightly smaller in size with a much different scent. I much prefer the Vitamin E one however this version is better suited for days when my skin is looking a little dull.

I've seen quite a few people raving about the Vitamin E Dual Phase Cleansing Oil recently so of course I had to pick one up. It's one of those products that you have to shake it up to combine the two layers to then use to cleanse the skin. You can use it to both remove makeup and to clease the skin however I think I'll give both a go before I decide which way is better suited for my skin. Lastly, I picked up the Gilette Venus Snap Razor as it's been on my radar for quite a while and it's perfect for when I'm travelling both abroad and around the country. It's basically a smaller version of the a normal size which still takes normal razor blades. 

T K Maxx Haul 002

Hands up who agrees that T K Maxx can be very hit and miss especially when it comes down to their beauty products? I honestly don't know how people can come away with many big branded goods when my local store fails to keep even the cheapest of items tamper proof. I believe that all the good stuff stays up north whilst we get all the ruddy stuff down south! Now with that being said, I did find a few goodies on my most recept trip there which just so happened to be up north in Nottingham.

I've been lusting after GlamGlow for ages and despite owning a sample of it, it just hasn't satisfied my cravings so when I found the GlamGlow Hello Sexy Set which contains the Super Mud Clearing Treatment and Youth Mud Tingle Exfoliate Treatment all for £16.99 with a RRP of £43, I simply had to have it! Now I'm not entirely sure why but this particular set is targeted towards men when the products included are unisex however for the savings, I'm really not fussed.

My next purchase was more so an impulse buy than anything else however again, I could't resist it! It's the Glam Glow Bright Mud Eye Treatment which contains twelve single use capsules to instantly brighten the under eye area and help with dark circles, fine lines, fatigue, puffiness, plump up the area whilst hydrating it. Normally this would cost £35 however I paid £14.99 for it which is a little steep however I bet it's most definitely worth it!

Lastly, is my favourite purchase of them all and one that I've been lusting after for ages! If you remember the Illamasqua Speckled Collection from a few years ago then you will remember the nail varnishes that literally looked like a mini egg but in nail varnish form. When I saw the shade Fragile, a light speckled blue, I was literally estatic as this particular shade I've wanted for ages just I've been put off due to the price. However this only cost me £3.99 instead of £14.50 which is a great buy!

Espa Haul 001

When this blog post goes up, I will actually be sunning myself in Lanzarote hence why this is the first of quite a few haul posts. I didn't intentionally plan this just however I was away with work for a course literally days before going away on holiday and one thing just lead to another and I came away with a rather heavy suitcase and a much lighter purse. On this said course, I was staying at The Village Hotel in Nottingham which I've been to previously and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. This time however I noticed that they were running a deal in the spa where you could get a fourty five minute facial for only £34 so of course naturally I booked myself in for one having never had a facial before. FYI Best thing ever!!

After fourty five minutes worth of my face being slathered with various oils and lotions, I couldn't believe how soft and hydrated my skin felt afterwards. It seriously felt incredible and I wish that I could have a facial every single day if only my purse allowed for that. I asked the therapist to write down all the products that she used on my face which lead to me purchasing only one product with two freebies. 

Long term readers will know that I'm a huge fan of cleansers so naturally I had to buy the ESPA Optimal Skin ProCleanser which is a tri-phase multifunctional gel cleanser that can also be used as an exfoliator and a facial mask. This by itself is £30 which for 100ml is rather steep however the spa had a deal on where you could buy both the cleanser and the Hydrating Floral Spafesh for £30 so of course it meant that I had to take them up on this offer as it basically meant I was getting the other product for free. As I was buying a product, I was also given the ESPA Beauty In The Bag Replenishing Skin Collection for Normal/Dry Sensitive which is made up of five travel sized products to continue the spa like feel at home with a how to facial routine guide. Despite not needing any more cleansers or toners, I simply couldn't resist such a good deal!

When Beauty Bloggers Go On Holiday..

This is meant to be seen as a tongue in cheek post and not to be taken at all seriously although I'm pretty sure we've done most of these when packing on holiday/going on holiday!

- Empty out drawers reserved for travel sized products that you've been saving for this trip all year long.

- Immediately rush into Boots/Superdrug and buy all the miniatures/travel sized products - hello 3 for 2!

-  Packing four different red lipsticks is totally necessary for all those dinners by the sea, drinking wine.

-  Taking three seperate SPFs for the different times of day.

-  Throwing in all the bronzed makeup to achieve the bronzed goddess look that we've wanted to try out all year.

- Spend all the time by the pool, in the shade.

 

- Packing an aftersun with a hint of tan just to deepen our natural skin colour as we didn't tan at all that day.

- Checking out what products are sold at Duty Free and instantly making a list as long as your arm of what to buy.

-  Buy all the swimwear to then return it all as you don't like any of it.

- The minute you land at the airport, you immediately buy a hat and wear it all week long.

- Eat like royalty whilst on holiday - cooked breakfast, lunch AND dinner!

- Realise how much cheaper said products are abroad and immediately want to to track down the stockist.

- Spend all day long in shops, swatching makeup whilst its 30+ degrees outside.

- Fake tan before you go on holiday as you'll only top it up and maintain it, right?

- Take the entire skincare routine plus face masks, hair masks as your skin will get dry due to aircon despite how much moisturiser you're slathering on every hour, on the hour.

- Paint your nails a bright, vibrant neon colour to enhance your tan.

September Favourites

September has been such a whirlwind month and one that I've spent mostly in a sleep deprived daze. I've been so busy with work, attending conferences and training and just generally preparing for Christmas that I can't remember what a lay in feels like. With that being said, I'm actually going away on holiday this Sunday for a week to Lanzarote with my other half for our first holiday abroad and I'm too excited at the prospect of just relaxing on a beach all week long! Before I get too carried away talking about my holiday, I better share what products I've been loving throughout the month.

I've been piling on the primer this month and the No7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer is the first step to creating a flawless, radiant base. It's a silicone come cream based texture that not only creates the appearance of flawless skin but adds a little radiance to the skin to make you appear more awake. Speaking of radiance, I've been applying the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter like there's no tomorrow! I apply this both before foundation and after foundation to the tops of my cheekbones, on the bridge of my nose and under my brows to create this strobed effect that everybody seems to be following. Truthfully, I've been strobing ever since this badboy entered my life but hey ho.

If you thought that was enough highlighter, I've been dusting the Bourjois Java Rice Powder all over my face this month not just to set my makeup but rather to create the appearance of a glow from within. This powder doesn't create that dreaded disco ball effect when used with a really light hand but instead it creates a beautiful radiant glow that instantly makes you look like you've had a really good sleep. The brush that I tend to use with this is the Real Techniques Fan Brush that is from the Sculpting Set which picks up just the right product to dust all over the face. To coincide with a radiant base, I've been embracing coppery, taupe bronzed eyes so I've been using the MaxFactor Excess Shimmer in Copper to the lid which adds an instant wash of colour which you can either leave how it is or apply an eyeshadow over the top to enhance the colour.

Lastly, I've been using the Nails Inc Kensington Church Street Nail Varnish over every nail varnish I've used this past month to create a beautiful snow flake effect on my nails which looks both effortless and chic at the same time. I tend to layer this over darker nails to get the full effect but it also looks just as good over paler colours too.