Big Beauty Haul

Why do I always do this? Say I’ll save money and then spend it as soon as payday comes. Oh dear.

Saturday me and Dane popped out to buy some stuff for the house and as we always do when we have to make a shopping trip like that we pop to Homesense, because Homesense is amazing!

I ended up spending quite a lot of money in the beauty section there as well as at Boots.

So I decided to show you all what I bought as there are some real gems in this haul. Enjoy!

As well as Homesense I also popped into Boots as well as The Body Shop for some freebies.

I picked up so many sheet masks when I was in Homesense… I could have easily picked up more but I had to watch my money. I picked up three Tony Moly masks, two avocado and one red wine. I’ve got a couple of these masks already (tea tree, lemon and aloe vera). These cost £1.99 each… Which wasn’t cheap in my eyes as I’ve bought these before for a £1 each. I’ve never heard of this brand before but I also picked up some by a brand called Forever Young. These are in the green tea pore control version but they had quite a few different types. I settled on these as Dane has big pores, I love green tea and these will help to calm down my oily t-zone. You get five of these in a packet and they cost £4.99 so these seem more reasonable than the price of the Tony Moly ones.

Another Koren beauty item I picked up is the Etude House lip gel patch. I have heard about these time and time again over the past couple of years and have always wanted to try it out for myself. So when I saw two of these up for grabs I knew I had to pick them both up. As I’m writing this blog post I currently have one on my lips. It feels like jelly and surprisingly sticks onto the lips fairly easy. It smells of sweet cherries and you can really feel it working. I left it on for 20 minutes and it left my lips feeling lovely and soft! These cost me £1.99 each which isn’t cheap. I’ll look on eBay for these in future!

The next two things I picked up are by a brand called Caim & Able who are an Australian beauty brand. I picked up one of their bath salts and body scrubs. They had a couple of different ones in stock but I had my eyes on these two. The bath salts are coconut and lime which sounds right up my street! I love things like this so I’m really excited to use this soon! It’ll be lovely to use before going out in the daytime on my days off work. The body scrub is clementine and coffee and I LOVE coffee body scrubs! They’re great for cellulite which is what I’ll be using this for. These cost £7.99 each, I don’t think you can pick them up in the UK. If I love these I’ll be making sure to review them.

The final thing I picked up from Homesense was something for Dane. It’s some ingrown eliminating pads by Bliss. He’s always having problems with ingrown hairs on his face so I picked these up for him to try. If they’re any good I may have to steal a couple myself to try. These are meant to cost £28.00 but I picked them up for £5.99.

My next stop (as I mentioned) was Boots as well as The Body Shop for my freebie face mask samples. I got two which are British Rose and Ethiopian Honey. These will be exciting to try soon.

In Boots I picked up a couple of things I needed, as well as a couple of treats too. I needed some new hand wash for the bathroom and I really love the Baylis and Harding ones as they keep my hands looking and feeling soft and smooth. This is in the scent eton mess and although I am not a fan of the dessert I love the smell of this! It’s making me feel all Christmassy as well which is always good! This was just over £2.00.

I repurchased another bottle of my favourite shampoo which is the botanical shine shampoo by Liz Earle. It’s sulfate free and only costs £10! You get 200ml which isn’t loads but it lasts me a good couple of months which suits me fine. I love this stuff and as it’s for all hair types anyone can use it.

I got a couple of make up items too, including a clear mascara which by Collection which I used on my eyebrows to keep them in place. This is cheap as anything at £1.99 and it lasts months! As well as that I also picked up two Maybelline items as they were on buy one get one half price. I picked up the new baby lips shade in chai tea latte. I’m not a fan of the Starbucks drink but these smells delicious! Really warm and comforting, perfect for autumn which is looming. It’s a dark red shade like burgundy but when applied to the lips it looks a dark pink almost raspberry shade. I know I’ll be wearing this loads for the rest of the year. My final purchase was one my mom told me about and encouraged me to buy, which is one of Maybelline’s new lip products called colour drama intense lip paint. I picked up the shade vamped up which is an intense dark purple. I applied a little bit to my lips and it looks and feels amazing! This is definitely a product you can work with as with the more you apply the more intense the colour pay off gets! I can’t wait to wear this throughout autumn and winter.

So that was what I picked up over the weekend! I’m meant to be saving money, which I will be doing now.

What have you been buying recently? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

August ’16 Wish List

Ha I don’t know why I’m writing a wish list when I have no money to buy anything! I guess that is why it’s called a wish list. 😉 Either way I love making wish lists and skint or not I’m not going to stop making them anytime soon! This one has a couple of home related things on, woohoo.

• Pusheen Handbag Mirror – £6.99 (link)

Recently I broke my handbag mirror, which I was really sad about considering it was a fox one. The mirror has broken in half and it’s currently awkward as hell to apply anything through it. I love Pusheen, have done for years so I am so damn glad that the merchandise is becoming easier to buy in the UK now.

• Topshop Vinnie Mouse Shoes – £18.00 (link)

I only discovered these today thanks to the Instagram Disney Find! I would like some new flats as the majority of mine are all tattered and old, and who can say no to a cute pair like this that look like Mickey or Minnie Mouse? These aren’t cheap, but Topshop shoes are great quality and I don’t mind paying these sort of prices. I also love how they’re pointed, as I love pointed flats.

• Deadpool Lanyard – £8.99 (link)

It’s not news that I love Deadpool, so whenever I see Deadpool goodies I want to buy them all! I would like a lanyard for work so I can keep my card on it, as well as my locker key. I don’t know when I’ll pick one of these up, but I intend to as soon as I can really. Can make sure I look cool at work! 😛

• Marks & Spencer Tailored Fit Boxy Checkered Shirt -£25.00 (link)

I eyed this up recently when I was in M&S and it is beautiful! I think they have their autumn range in stores already going by all the darker colours, and knitwear that they have out for sale at the moment. I love checkered shirts and have gone through many in the past. This one so far has one negative review, so it’d definitely be something I would try on before I buy! I may have to look into picking this up for when September comes with its autumn weather. It would look great with a pair of jeans, or a skirt.

• Pusheen Round Mug -£7.99 (link)

I think I have already mentioned my love of Pusheen, and it isn’t that I need anymore mugs, as I have loads (mostly Disney ones…) but how can I say no to this Pusheen mug? I know a few people I follow on Instagram who have this mug and it just looks so damn cute! I think I may need to treat myself to this in the future, as it would be lovely to have hot chocolates in with marshmallows and cream!

• Maybelline Baby Lips Pop Art in Blueberry Boom -£2.99 (link)

I have two out of the three from this collection (you can check out the review for Grapefruit Zing here) so why not get this one too? That and I love blueberry so it’d be silly for me not to pick this up. I can’t find it in stores ANYWHERE so I don’t know if this is an online exclusive. I’ll be making sure to order it in the future, I don’t want to let this one slip through my fingers.

• Disney Animator’s Collection Princess Mug – £8.99 (link)

I have been waiting for the new Animator Collection to come out in the UK for a couple of weeks now and it has slowly started to make its way over here. YAY! I don’t need anymore mugs, but I love this one. The Princess’s as little toddlers are so damn cute! My favourite one is Pocahontas as she is so damn adorable looking! I’ll probably pick this up too at some point. ^_^

So that is my wish list for August! I need to be good this month as I have spent way too much money lately. I’ll be spending the majority of the month in the house playing games and tidying our things away. Yay!

What do you have on your wish lists this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and see you soon!

July ’16 Favourites

Is it really August now? The past two months have flown by and I’m really gobsmacked about it. It’s due to my house, and now I can safely say that me and Dane have moved in! Hopefully things will start to slow down a little now, and I’ll have more time for my blog. Yay! As I write this I am wrapped up on my new sofa, in my gorgeous new M&S blanket, with a horror movie on… Did I also happen to mention it’s 8am? Oh dear!

Anyway let’s get on with this post! OH and you may have noticed that the background image is now different then how it was before. This is how it should be from now on, due to moving into the house, etc.

• Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Scorpio (review here)

I can’t believe I haven’t yet mentioned this shade by Jeffree Star, especially as it is on of my favourite shades to wear! I don’t really get as many compliments on this… So to speak. I usually get, “That looks very gothic!” or “Wow I wish I could rock a shade like that!” I guess the latter is kind of a compliment. It’s a gorgeous grey purple shade and one I love to wear whenever I fancy being different.

• Maybelline Baby Lips Pop Art in Grapefruit Zing (review here)

I recently reviewed this on my blog and it has seriously been my go to lip product since I bought it. I have been wearing my lipsticks of course, but this has just been handy for when I’m too tired from early shifts at work (getting up at 4.30am is hard work people!) to be arsed to apply liquid lipstick. I get loads of compliments on this too, which is always lovely to hear!

• Victoria’s Secret Body Mist in Snow Mint

This is an old Victoria’s Secret product and have owned for nearly two years now… Wow a long time! I love using this during the warm summer months as it’s so cooling to just spray onto the skin, especially before work, or if you want to pop out to do some errands. I get nothing but compliments on the Victoria’s Secret body mists and this is no different. Everyone always says how nice I smell, which of course is a great thing to be told! I hope they release these again this Christmas, as they are limited edition. You can pick these up on eBay though, which is always good.

• The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate

This is a sample I picked up a couple of weeks ago from The Body Shop and it is safe to say that I loved it. It’s one of those products where a little bit goes a long way, and as it’s lightweight and cooling it has been a real treat to use when it’s been hot and clammy. I don’t know if I would pick up a full size of this, but it has left my skin feeling gorgeous. I may have to treat myself to it in the future. It is a beautiful product to use.

• Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Gloss in Wink Of Pink

Another Maybelline product! I have been waiting for these to hit the UK for quite some time now, and they are finally here. Not all shades that America have mind, which is frustrating. These have been lovely to wear on their own or over the top of Grapefruit Zing. I intend to review this soon as it is such a lovely lip gloss to wear over the summer, and it really does remind me of lip glosses I wore as a teenager.

So those are my favourites for July! Sorry that there isn’t anything mind-blowing on here, but sadly I haven’t been able to really use anything special this month due to house related issues again. Now we have moved in things will start to get more exciting on my blog again, I promise!

What things have you been loving throughout July? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Maybelline Baby Lips Pop Art in Grapefruit Zing – Review

Another review and another Baby Lips one at that! I haven’t done one of these for a very long time. I remember when Baby Lips first launched in the UK three years ago and I was mega obsessed with them, and especially with getting my hands on at least one shade! Three years on and I now own five different shades and have reviewed two of them, Mint Fresh, and Pink Punch.

Now it’s time to review my recently bought shade, and I have to say it is by far my favourite from the bunch!

Grapefruit Zing is from Maybelline’s new limited edition Baby Lips, which is called Pop Art, very funky for summer which is very much upon us right now (she says as she wipes sweat from her brow)!

I picked it up on a whim when I popped into Boots recently for a few bits and pieces. I didn’t need it, but I hadn’t bought myself a new Baby Lips for a while and thought why the hell not! I’m so glad I did because I use this so much since buying it.

I’m not going to lie when I say to any Baby Lips virgins, don’t expect amazing moisturisation from one of these bad boys as they really don’t help your lips stay soft. This is from what I’ve found anyway. This being said, it does help them stay hydrated, especially on hot days, like today! They’re more for a younger audience, and how fun it can be to wear a tinted lip balm. I get that, I was young once and loved stuff like this. I forever had a tube of Nivea cherry lip balm in my pocket! I would have rocked these as a teenager, which is probably why I still gravitate towards them now. That and they’re great for work if you just want a bit of colour. Speaking of which…

The pigmentation that you get from Grapefruit Zing is by far the best I have ever had from a Baby Lips! I wear this to work quite a lot and get so many compliments from staff, it’s crazy and I was kind of surprised. It’s a beautiful hot pink shade with a glossy look to it. A little bit of this goes a long way, and the more you apply, the darker the pink will become. Of course this applies to if you don’t apply a lot, you can get a more sheer pink shade. As all the Baby Lips shades have, this has a scent to coincide with the name of the shade. This smells of zesty grapefruit, which is really nice for the summer.

From top to bottom: Grapefruit Zing (Pop Art), Pink Punch (regular), Cherry Me (regular), and Berry Bomb (Electro).

I’ve done some swatches to compare my other Baby Lips shades (which are all permanent editions) so you can get an idea of how pigmented the shade is in comparison to previous ones. The only one I haven’t swatched is Mint Fresh, reasons being that I have misplaced it. Sorry, but it’s only a clear lip balm anyway.

Of course I have to show off me wearing the lip product! Do enjoy my sweaty, tired face after a shift at work. 😉

So overall I LOVE this Baby Lips shade, and I plan to buy the other two shades from the Pop Art collection, those being Blueberry Boom, and Bubblegum Pop. However, I cannot find either of them lately in stores! I guess they’re both just doing that well as everywhere seems to be sold out.

If you like the look of these, you can pick them up from Boots which is currently doing buy 1 get a 2nd half price, and Superdrug which is currently doing 3 for 2. They cost £2.99 each, which is a complete steal, and as there are three shades, you can grab them all on both the offers!

Will you be picking up any of the Pop Art Baby Lips? Which shade(s) you liking the look/sound of? Hey! Maybe you’ve already picked one, two, or all three up! What do you think of them? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time all, have a lovely day and I hope you’re all well.

October Favourites 2014

October, where did you go? If I thought September went quickly than October just went by in the blink of an eye. Can’t believe it’s November but I’m not going to complain! I for one am super excited for Christmas, and I’m also super excited for my holiday.

I have to say I do apologise for being quiet on my blog for over 2 weeks now but I have been pretty busy. I’ve been busy trying to juggle having a social life, having a boyfriend, having a job and also having my university course. My personal life and such like that come first and sadly my blog will just have to be put on the side until I get a change to write-up a post.

Although before and during December I will either be posting regular or only once a week as I need to get 5 assignments finished by the start of January, which will suck, but totally worth it!

I do hope you enjoy my favourites this month, I have a few new bits and pieces in here as well as some old favourites… Enjoy!

ALSO I want to apologise for how CRAP these images look. They aren’t the best and I took these late at night and i thought the settings on my camera were okay.

• Yankee Candle in Fireside Treats.

Like most people out there I love my candles and now that it’s autumn (and soon to be winter) I’m burning as many as possible! I bought this one at the start of October and since then I have loved it each time I’ve burnt it. It was one of the two fragrances of the month and due to that it was only £14.99 for the large jar instead of £19.99, bargain huh? Considering I have wanted this ever since it came out 1-2 years ago, I’m glad I was finally able to pick it up for a great price. It smells sweet but not over the top, sickly sweet but more of a subtle sweet scent. I like this as it means I can burn it for hours on end and it won’t get to the back of my throat, nor will it give me a headache. I’ve been enjoying burning this during the late afternoons and evenings whilst I do my work for university and chill out.

• Paul Smith Rose EDP.

I love this perfume and I have done since I discovered it back in my final year of university. I remember my Mom buying it and ending up not liking it as much as she originally did, so she gave it to me and for about two years it became my signature scent. Sadly it ran out and I was without it for a good year, until my Mom bought me a new bottle for my 24th birthday this year. Since then I have been using it on and off, but throughout October it’s been the number one choice for work and some days at university. It’s a gorgeous deep floral scent that lasts ages and smells so lovely on the skin. This is a very romantic scent and due to how deep it is, it works better during the colder months than the warmers ones. I can’t wait to wear this more throughout winter.

• The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel.

I’ve owned this shower gel for quite a while now, never going to use it until all my other shower gels were used up. So when I looked into my shower cupboard and saw this at the back, I decided it was time to start using it. I want to say how my boyfriends loves this! Whenever he stays over at mine it’s pretty much the only shower gel he’ll use and at once point I was contemplating giving it to him. He recently finished his huge bottle of the strawberry shower gel and I can tell it was very much-loved. ANYWAY This smells really fresh and the citrus from the satsuma really does come through every time I use this. Due to this it really does wake you up when you use this, so I love to use this mostly in the mornings to get me going for the day, and even in the evenings to perk me up. This leaves my skin feeling lovely and clean as well as feeling smooth and smelling lovely! Although I love this, I doubt I would buy it again mind as I much prefer the strawberry shower gel but also because I want to try out some new things in 2015. Just to let you know these huge bottles are once again in The Body Shop’s sale at just £8 a bottle, AND if you own a Love Your Body card you’ll get an extra 10% off too! These make great presents for Christmas so it’s always worth stocking up for that.

• Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch (review here).

I know when Baby Lips first came out in the UK every girl and women into their beauty were after these, and they were either left disappointed or their expectations made reality and accurate. I bought two of these when they first came out, including Pink Punch. I had a clear out recently of all my make up items and I re-discovered this lip balm. I’ve been using it lots for work and it’s a nice balm to use alone or over pinky lip shades. This smells really nice, link fruit punch and it is really a pleasure to wear. It isn’t the most hydrating lip balm out there but as I make sure to moisturise my lips all the time at home, it isn’t so bad when I’m out of the house. I can see me stocking up on Baby Lips for my holiday as they have a lovely pigmentation to them and they’re really easy and quick to apply. PLUS they contain SPF 15, can’t go wrong with that, eh?

• L’Occitane Lip Balm in Zesty Lime.

Recently I wrote a post about how you could pick up a free L’Occitane hand cream with Marie Claire (post here) and how the magazine was offering its readers to pick up a free Hugs & Kisses gift set from L’Occitane too! All you had to do was buy something in store and as I was feeling the urge for some new L’Occitane I decided to get my hands on said gift set. As I said I would, I picked up the Zesty Lime set and inside the set was the lip balm. The balm itself is really lovely and glides onto the lips ease and thanks to the applicator on the balm it makes it easier to apply it too. It feels really moisturising and also smells of lime sweeties which is perfect, I’m a sucker for lime sweets and I’ll always be the one who steals the green ones from your Fruit Pastilles tube! 😛 I’ve used this quite a lot this month, however I am going to cut back on that a tad as I do want this for my holiday. I recommend checking out the L’Occitane lip balms as they really are better than I thought they were going to be.

• Shiro Cosmetics Intertube in Smashing.

I have to firstly say that this is now discontinued and no longer available to buy, which sucks as I want to try more of the Intertube’s! As well as that I’ve never been so glad to grab a bargain as my friend Mali (maliberrymakeup) put this up on her blog sale so I only paid £1 or £2 for this and quite frankly I’m chuffed to bits with it. It’s a gorgeous purple shade and applies really smoothly and with ease, which is always good. It doesn’t have a scent or taste to it which is good and lasts ages on the lips, leaving behind a slight stain. I really do want to try more of Shiro’s lip products, especially their Studio Ghibli collection… So I may have to spend a few pennies in the New Year…

• OPI Matte Top Coat.

Back in January my Mom bought me an OPI top coat gift set and this was one of the three polishes in the set. I hated it when I first used it, it made my nail polish look horrible and it didn’t dry… But oh how the times have changed! I tried this out again to see if it would work and alas it did! It made the originally shiny nail polish matte AND it dried it super quick too. I was shocked by pleasantly surprised and since then I’ve used this on every manicure I’ve given myself. This looks works wonders over darker shades and I’ve found it works best with OPI’s How Great Is Your Dane? and also OPI’s WHO ARE YOU CALLING BOSSY?!? It’s what I’ve been wearing over my nail polishes throughout October and you really can’t go wrong with matte nails so I strongly recommend this top coat if you want a good one for that matte nail look.

• OPI Nail Lacquer in WHO ARE YOU CALLING BOSSY?1? (review here)

I recently reviewed this polish and the set that it came in, and since then I’ve worn it quite a lot. I’ve of course team this up with my OPI matte top coat and it looks perfect for autumn and winter! The polish itself is really pigmented with two coats and has a gel like look and texture to it, which looks lovely. I can see me teaming this with plenty of various glitter polishes, as well as some lighter shades for some nail art. I can’t wait to wear this at Christmas time too!

• L’Occitane Hand Cream in Zesty Lime.

This is the hand cream I got free with Marie Claire (post here) and I can safely say I am in love. I’m so glad I decided to pick this up to try as since then I have gone on to buy two more… Obsessed, me? Get out of it! I’d been eying up some new hand creams for a while to get me through autumn and winter and it really does look like I’ve found a staple for my collection. This is super nourishing due to its number one ingredient, shea butter and also smells so yummy and citrus like due to the lime scent. A little of this hand cream goes a long way, so I can see those three tubes lasting me quite a long time… I hope anyway! I will definitely be buying this again.

• Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella.

I LOVE The Shopaholic series and I have done since I started my BA course at university back in 2008. So for four years I waited in anticipation for a follow-up to the last book and in September I finally got it! I used my saved up Nectar points to buy this and I’m really glad as whilst this is worth every penny, it’s good to save pennies where you can. I’m currently on chapter six and I can hear you saying “WHAT? It’s been out for over a month and you’re only on chapter six?” yes I’m only on chapter six. As much as I love reading, I do have a busy lifestyle right now and sometimes sitting down and reading a book isn’t really what I want to do. I’m a very slow and laid back reader, which sucks and it’s a habit I’ve never been able to shake, sadly. I know next month or in December I shall be writing a blog post about the Shopaholic series to keep you eyes peeled for that. If you haven’t yet bought the book and want to read the first chapter, then go onto the website ALL the books from the series have first chapter extracts in there.

So those were my favourites from October, but what were your favourite products? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, take care all and Happy Belated Halloween!

August Favourites 2014

It’s September… Really 2014, really? I know I say this every month and I think I always will but bloody hell is this year going quick! They say times goes fast when you’re having fun, but I wouldn’t say this year has been 100% fun… I’m going off subject now!

It was actually really hard to pick my favourites this month, I don’t know why!

• I Love… Cosmetics Hand Wash in Mango & Papaya.

I bought this on a whim as it was only a £1, I needed hand wash, and I rather like I Love… Cosmetics products. I’ve been using this for the past couple of weeks now and it’s a really lovely hand wash to use. It leaves your hands feeling lovely and soft, as well as smelling fresh and beautiful! I would definitely try their other hand washes and I’m sure I will be as soon as this one finishes. A little bit of this hand wash goes a long way, which is great! Try it whilst it’s on offer for a £1 in Boots!

• Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire EDP.

I’ve mentioned this perfume before in a previous favourites post and I still love it! During the cold and rainy weather this has been the scent that has really picked me up when I’ve been feeling a bit sluggish and bleh. I think this will definitely be my scent for autumn and winter this year, as it’s such a lovely warming scent and you can’t go wrong with that, eh? If you want to read more about it, check out this post.

• Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Shower Gel.

I LOVE this shower gel so as soon as some of my shower gels were finished up and thrown away, I was able to pull this out of my toiletries cupboard and pop it on the side of my shower/bath. This smells like key lime pie and due to the citrus scent of it, it really does wake you up when you use it, making it perfect for mornings when I feel really sluggish! I’ve worked a lot of early shifts at work throughout August so this really did help wake me up! I’ve already used quite a lot of this shower gel, which  is hardly surprising and as soon as it runs out, I’m sure I’ll pick up another bottle. You can read more about this here.

• The Body Shop Hand Cream in Coconut.

These are some of The Body Shop’s newest products and I was counting down the days until they came out in store to buy! I randomly popped into one of The Body Shop stores for a look and they had all the samples for their new hand creams out for people to look at and try, but they weren’t for sale. I asked when they would be out, as I was sure I read on a blog that they would be out in August, however I was told by the cashier that they wouldn’t be out until late September. So I let out a disappointed sigh and forgot about it. I randomly popped in for a look and they had them for sale, IN AUGUST! So I picked up Coconut and Strawberry and all I have been using when at home is the Coconut scent. It smells so beautiful and is really relaxing to sniff whilst snuggled up in bed. It leaves my hands gorgeous and soft and even my boyfriend has noticed how it has made my hands feel lovely! This and the Strawberry scent will be reviewed very VERY soon so keep your eyes peeled for it!

• Etude House Peel Off Base Coat.

Peel off base coats are now becoming something new that all nail polish wearers need, especially if you love wearing glitter nail polish! OPI have brought one out but at a high price, and one I don’t wish to pay for myself. SO to eBay I went (as I always do) and discovered that Etude House have a peel off base coat! So for £3.70 (including P&P) I bought this and it arrived pretty quickly too, as I ordered it from Korea. Since then this has been a staple of mine whenever I use glitter nail polish. I’ll be reviewing this in September as it just NEEDS to be spoken about in further detail.

• Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Crisp Morning Air.

This is one of the most beautiful PocketBac’s I have come to own and it’s all thanks to Hollie over at Eating Lipstick, who has recently posted quite a few Bath & Body Works haul videos over on her YouTube channel. She mentioned how beautiful Crisp Morning Air smelt and I knew I had to have it. SO I once again ventured over to eBay and found someone selling it for a good price, so I ordered it straight away and I couldn’t wait for it to arrive! When it finally did I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn’t ordered something that I may not like and it really does remind me of autumn. It has a lovely crisp warming scent to it, apples, cinnamon and just yummy goodness but not like a cake smell. It’s hard to describe but I recommend ordering it, or smelling it if you’re over the pond at the moment or soon. I wrote a post about hand sanitizers recently and this one was mentioned in that post, you can check that out here.

• Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm in Berry Bomb.

Another month, another Baby Lips lip balm! This is by far my favourite out of the four I’ve tried! I had seen swatches of this online from bloggers from over the pond so when I heard that it was going to come out in the UK I was super excited! This is a gorgeous purple shade and smells delicious, like dark berries. The only flaw with this is that I’ve bought a shoddy lip balm as this rubs up the side of the tube and before I know it this will break soon, I’ll probably need to buy another one soon. ANYHOO! I love to use this over my purple lip products whilst at work and on the go. Even on its own this shows up really lovely and I really like it. I can see this being a staple, I keep it in my handbag all the time.

• Carmex Lip Balm in Strawberry (review here).

I’ve been using this a lot lately at home, due to the weather being on and off hot and then cold my lips have taken a turn for the worst and got really dry and sore and to be honest I think Carmex is what has helped them go back to being lovely and soft. This tastes vile mind, I won’t lie nothing like strawberry if you ask me and I much prefer the original due to that, however my original is now close to running out and I need to use this lip balm up anyway! This is alright to use underneath some lip products too, especially stains and lip crayons. I can’t wait to finish this mind so that I can try one of the other Carmex flavours, which include Cherry and Mint.

• elf Cosmetics Lip Exfoliator.

I read a review for this lip exfoliator a while ago and thought it sounded ideal! I ended up purchasing it as a treat and I’ve ended up being unsure of how I feel about it. It DOES work and leaves my lips feeling lovely and smooth, but at the same time the stick has actually gone a bit deformed in the tube, making it a little awkward to use. This isn’t a major issue mind! As I mentioned above my lips have been horribly dry during August so this and Carmex have both been lifesavers! If you’ve tried Lush’s lip scrub and found it was too fiddly to use then I recommend this for sure! I find the Lush lip scrubs are rubbish and too awkward to use, so this is much easier and tidier too.

• Collection Lip Butter in Perfect Plum.

I LOVE this lip crayon! I don’t think I’ve ever liked one as much as I do this one. My best friend and I whilst looking around the shops stumbled across these in Boots and we both decided to take up their 2 for £5 offer. I bought Perfect Plum, a near dupe of MAC Rebel and she picked up Vintage Rose. This is so creamy and smooth to apply to the lips and lasts ages too! It’s easy to apply too and doesn’t need sharpening, which makes it great to use on the go or at work. I recommend these to everyone and soon I’ll be writing a review for this as it’s too good not to share and talk about.

Wow I can’t believe it’s September! I’m actually really excited as August was a pretty crap month for me and this month I aim to sort my life out… Well try to anyway, and that’s all you can do!

What were your favourite products for August? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time take care all and happy September.

July Favourites 2014

I can’t believe it’s August already and I also can’t believe it’s been raining. I started writing this post up on Friday and literally sighed after each time that I looked out the window, how dramatic huh?

This months favourites are pretty summery, which is to be expected after all the lovely weather we’ve been having the past month. Fingers crossed this rain passes so we have some more.

There are quite a lot of new products featured on here that I’ve either only just reviewed or really need to get round to reviewing, sooo if you see anything you would like to see being reviewed, PLEASE let me know in the comments!

This post is going up later than my usual favourites posts, but I’ve just been so busy and such that I sadly didn’t get time to post this until today. Oh well, better late than never!

Image taken from thebodyshop.co.uk

• The Body Shop Banana Shampoo.

The reason this is a picture taken from The Body Shop’s website and not an actual photo of said product is because I don’t actually own this shampoo… But my boyfriend does. I bought him this just before we went to Bristol in June as part of his anniversary present and to this day he has loved it. Whenever I stay at his house I use this shampoo and it really does leave my hair feeling soft and smooth, as well as looking healthy. The most appealing thing to me about this shampoo is the smell! It smells like real bananas, which makes me happy, as (random fact!) I’m actually allergic to bananas and due to this I often have to avoid banana things that contain actual bananas, just incase they cause me to flare up. However I gladly discovered in Bristol that this shampoo doesn’t set off any allergic reactions, so since then I’ve used this on and off. I do intend to buy my own bottle of this soon, when however, I don’t know! This is for all hair types and I really do recommend it, especially if you love the smell of banana as much as I do!

• The Body Shop Body Sorbet in Strawberry.

When I heard about this coming out well before June, I KNEW I needed it in my life! As much as I love having soft skin, like pretty much most women out there I loathe moisturising. It can take ages (well 10 minutes for myself) and never wants to sink in as quickly as well all hope. I have found moisturisers that DO sink in, as well as the patience to apply them, but during the recent hot summer days it just feels too hot and clammy to wear any moisturiser. However, The Body Shop have brought out their Body Sorbet’s just in time! These cooling moisturisers help keep your skin soft and smooth, as well as cool feeling and smelling gorgeous. They come in 5 scents and the one I picked up was Strawberry, my favourite Body Shop scent. You can read my full review for this here, but I have  loved using this throughout July and I know I’ll continue to enjoy it throughout the rest of the year, not just during summer.

• Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy EDP.

This is the only celebrity fragrance I currently own and is by far one of my favourite fragrances to wear. It smells gorgeous and lasts all day and for an 100ml bottle it costs just £19.99, bargain eh? But anyhoo, as to why I like this in the first place… When the weather is really warm I often reach for stronger perfumes and this is probably one of the first ones I will reach for, for many reasons. Not only is it a strong perfume but it also smells of blueberries, which is a really nice for the summertime, I think anyway. I’m near the end of my massive 100ml bottle, so I am going to be buying a new bottle really soon as I can’t really live without it. I love wearing this for work as well as over the weekend as it’s just a lovely perfume to use to keep you smelling beautiful all day long.

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet.

I heard about this coming out over the pond in America because it had even hit shelves over here in the UK the same time as the Body Sorbet and I have to say how much I love this stuff! I was hesitant to purchasing it, even after testing it out in store (and admittedly falling in love with it) I didn’t feel it was worth the price tag of £12. However I walked around town for a while after trying it and decided that it was actually something I needed in my life, even for £12. The sorbet is both cooling and very hydrating for the skin, as well as that it’s also meant to leave your skin with a matte finish too, which is pretty much what my skin needs, as it’s combination. I already know I’ll be re-purchasing this moisturiser, and will be writing a review up of it very soon! My skin has improved so much since using it.

• Benefit Benebalm Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm.

I can’t remember when these came out, but I remember reading about them being released and I was so damn excited! There are four of them to choose from and when I went shopping with my friend Poppy back in June in Milton Keynes, we popped into Boots and my advantage points were burning a hole in my pocket, so I decided to treat myself to this lip balm and I’m really glad I did! It was a tough choice between Benebalm, Lollibalm and Chachabalm, but I love my reds so this one won! This lip balm is super hydrating and lasts for ages. It’s been a staple for long close shifts at work, where I’m usually too busy to get a chance to keep reapplying lip products. It’s nice worn alone or underneath/over a red lipstick. I’ve teamed it with my Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint (review here) quite a lot throughout June and it’s worked really well! I’ll definitely be reviewing this soon, as well as buying the other balms in future.

• MAC Goddess of the Sea Lipstick.

As many will know, this lipstick is from the Alluring Aquatic collection and one I snapped up pretty much before it was due to be taken off the shelves forever. I was going to buy this lipstick in Bristol after swatching it the first day I was there, but by Monday it was taken off of the shelves and I was told it was no longer available to buy. Fast forward a week or two later and I had it in my possession! I picked it up from the MAC counter in Birmingham’s Selfridges and the woman who sold it me was so lovely! Anyhoo… This shade is gorgeous! A dark violet-purple and due to it being a cremesheen it is perfect to wear during the summertime, as it feels comfortable and the colour just works perfectly! I’ve been wearing this loads during my time off work, as well as in work. I’ve had many compliments on it and upon telling customers it was by MAC they just sighed and said, “I can’t afford MAC!” oh dear. xD But anyhoo… This WILL be reviewed in the future, probably one of the days this month. I can’t wait to review it quite frankly as this has fast turned into one of my favourite MAC lipsticks and I wish I had picked up two of these now so that I had a spare for the future.

• Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me.

As my previous reviews of Baby Lips show (Mint Fresh review and Pink Punch review), I’ve owned these lip balms before and whilst I loved them at first, I slowly grew for forget their existence and for a while they just sat in the bottom of my handbag gathering handbag dust. However everyone has always ranted and raved about Cherry Me the most, including my closest friends. SO I decided to pick it up for myself to see what was so great about it, and I really do love this lip balm. It reminds me so much of Nivea’s Lip Balm in Cherry, which I used to own and use every moment of the day when I was at school. I remember it well and the scent just reminds me of that time. I pretty much just have this lip balm for work to apply to my dark and red lipsticks, it works beautifully over Rebel, for example. I can see this being my go to lip balm for winter time mind as it tastes gorgeous, smells gorgeous too and is lovely to wear and quick to apply! Another product I’ll be reviewing soon!

• Simple Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm.

This is an eye balm I have gone back to time and time again and this is it. It’s always been gentle on the skin around my eyes, as well as doing what it actually should. Other eye balms don’t compete against this one, price tag included on that! I’m just glad to have this back in my beauty regime as it’s just something I can’t really live without. In this warm and humid weather it can make my eyes feel very dry and tired, but this eye balm leaves them feeling cool and awakened, which is definitely what I need for early starts at work! A roller ball eye gel would work wonders too, but I never find these work as well as they should. I definitely recommend this one though if you’re after something cheap and cheerful, which will actually do what it says on the tin.

• Ciate Nail Polish in Pillow Fight.

This was a freebie in Marie Claire magazine back in June and I picked up two of these magazines for the nail polishes. I wrote about the first Ciate set I picked up, but I managed to get myself another set, which included Pillow Fight. Pillow Fight is a gorgeous purpley grey nail polish and something different, that I knew I needed to have in my collection for autumn and winter. This being said I have been wearing it a lot over the course of June and it has worked beautifully with some glitter nail polish too! I would definitely and probably will in the future buy the full size version of this, as it’s just too gorgeous not to keep in my collection.

• The Body Shop Hand Cleanse Gel in Strawberry.

I love scented hand sanitizers and whilst I love my Pocketbac’s, they’re too pricey to keep using 24/7, so I opt for The Body Shop’s versions instead. I’ve pretty much tried all of them bar a couple and my most recently used one is Strawberry, which has fast become one of my favourites. I keep these in my handbag to use whilst on the go, as well as for work and I always get lovely compliments about how gorgeous they smell, mainly from my manager who can always smell when I’ve used it! They usually have their hand sanitizers on 3 for 2, so I always pick some up whenever I pop into The Body Shop!

So those are my favourites for July! What products did you enjoy using last month? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a great weekend!

August Favourites

Really August, really? You’ve already come and gone in the blink of an eye and now it’s September, one of my favourite months of the year and boy, is it going to be an exciting one!

To think in July’s favourites I was excited to starting university this month and now I’m not even going to university anymore. Shame I guess, but it isn’t something to be rushed into and it was certainly planned too late.

I loved quite a few things in August and as usual at the start of each month, I share them with you all.

• Hidden Passion Eau De Parfum,

This is by far the cheapest perfume I have ever bought, but for what it is it does a good job for work. It cost me 99p from a Pound Shop and if it wasn’t for my friend Jacqui taking me in there to have a sniff, I wouldn’t have bought it, which she bought a bottle of too. It smells like a lighter version of Jean Paul Gautier Classique EDT, which I really like but can’t afford to buy. This doesn’t last that long when sprayed on, but I don’t expect it to for how much I paid, but I like to use this whilst at work as I work around food and drink and wouldn’t want to taint the customers orders with my perfume. This stays in my handbag all the time and as it’s a 75ml bottle it will last me absolutely ages, which I like. I never thought I would buy a 99p perfume but it really is ideal for work and has replaced my body spray.

• Possibility Peppermint Ice Cream Ultra Rich Shower Gel, Shampoo, & Bubble Bath.

I’ve mentioned a couple of Possibility products (Orange Cupcake here and here and Raspberry Pavlova here) on my blog before and I’ve loved using them all. I found this in Home Bargains for less than a £1.00 and snapped it up quickly. It smells just like mint humbugs and reminds me of Christmas and the Twinings Tea that we sell at work. It lathers up really well and leaves your skin feeling tingly and fresh, which is really nice as it makes me feel clean. I’ve been using this to shave with and it’s really nice to use, just like Orange Cupcake was too. Time and time again I have recommended the Possibility products on here as well as to friends and I know I’ll continue to do so.

• Garnier Hand Intensive 7 Days SOS-Repair Hand Cream in Dry To Extra-Dry Hands.

My eczema is getting rather bad at the moment due to the change in weather as well as constantly washing my hands at work. I’ve mentioned this before in a monthly favourites here and have been using this product for a year now. It’s really good and lasts ages and I have to keep one in my handbag at all times, as well as in my room for use before I go out. It’s really good for getting rid of my dry skin and is something I use alongside my eczema steroid cream, which I need to get more of from my doctor soon as I’ve run out. I recommend this hand cream to everyone as it doesn’t cost that much and a little bit goes a long way so it lasts ages!

• Outspoken Intense EDP by Fergie.

I got this little sample of Outspoken about a year ago when I bought Outspoken by Fergie, which I really liked. This smells really nice and as it’s in a little dab bottle I like to pop a bit of this on my neck, wrists and behind my knees before I go out. I wouldn’t carry it around with me as I’d worry that the lid would fall off and leak in my bag. This is really nice though and I’d be tempted to buy myself a full size version of this if it is still available to buy.

• Original Source Shower Gel in Lemon & Tea Tree.

I bought this little travel version of the full size shower gel to take with me whenever I go to visit my boyfriend to use in the shower, as I was feeling bad for using his shower gel. However this has just ended up on the side of my bath as it’s so delicious and I’ll soon be buying the huge version of this. Remember the yellow medicine you had as a kid and how amazing it smelt? This smells JUST LIKE THAT and also like lemon pie, which I love. I can’t get enough of it and thus cannot wait to get my full size version of this. I’m going to see if they sell a hand wash and shampoo version of this, as I would love my hands and hair to smell of it too. It lathers up beautifully and leaves my skin smelling gorgeous and feeling soft.

• Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Fresh Picked Strawberries.

I’ve written a review for this product before which you can find here and for a while I stopped using this product and my two other PocketBac’s because I had no money to replace them and wanted to save them for when I did have money to replace them with. I still don’t have the money to replace them with but I know I don’t want them to sit in my drawer rotting away, so best to use them. I like using this one when I’m out and about, occasionally at work and whilst I’m in the house when I fancy the nice strawberry scent. I love the PocketBac’s and I really want to add more of these to my growing collection as they’re lovely. They smell really strong, last ages on the skin and of course keep germs away!

• Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch & Mint Fresh.

Since these came out in the UK and I got them in my mitts I’ve used nothing else but these! Mint Fresh is all I use when I’m at home as it goes onto the lips really easy and is small enough to fit into my pocket and I use Pink Punch at work so that I can keep my lips really soft as well as have the lovely bubblegum pink tint too as I don’t feel confident enough to wear my lipsticks at my job yet. Full reviews of these here for Mint Fresh and here for Pink Punch. I’ll be re-purchasing both of these again in future already as well as the other versions of the Baby Lips.

• Rockstar Super Sours Energy Drink in Green Apple.

Not a beauty related product but I love this stuff and as the shop down the road from me sells this and the shop down the road from work too, I can often can be found drinking a can of this to get my sugar levels back up.

So those were my favourites for August, I loved everything and I can’t wait to see what products will be here next month. I’m really excited for September!

So what products did you enjoy using throughout August? Let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care and talk soon!

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Pink Punch review

Yes I have another Baby Lips review for you lucky guys!

I happened to pop into Boots after work earlier this week for something and I had to pass the Maybelline counter anyway, so upon inspecting if they had any of the tinted versions of Baby Lips available, they did! The only ones they had left were all the tinted ones so I decided to be good (as I really am poor right now) and pick up one shade, the one I’ve really wanted, Pink Punch.

As I mentioned in my review for Mint Fresh, Baby Lips are available in six shades/flavours. Three of these are Hydrate, Intense Care and Mint Fresh for all the clear shades with light scents to them and the other three are Cherry Me (light red), Pink Punch (light pink) and Peach Kiss (light peach) all have a light colour to them, as well as scent too.

Since that review Boots have finally brought Baby Lips onto the make up stands, instead of just plonking them on a plastic hook holder on the side of shampoo and shower gel shelves. Sadly the 3 for 2 offer on Maybelline products was gone when I purchased mine, but I only wanted this one anyway. Plus as I stated in that review I was hoping to get my hands on this one anyhoo, if I pick anymore up in future it’ll be new shades/flavours that Maybelline may bring out in the near future.

Like before, after buying my Baby Lips I couldn’t wait to get it home to open it and ripped the packing open whilst I was on my way home from town. I put some on my lips on my way home and I can safely say this is going to be on my monthly favourites for August for sure!

My thoughts and opinions on the packaging haven’t changed and the pink and yellow colours for Pink Punch are just as cute as the green and purple used for Mint Fresh. However the packaging for Pink Punch really does remind me of something I would have had when I was in my first teenage years, little things like this are nice reminders of our childhood and younger years.

Pink Punch is  tinted lip balm so of course it’s going to give you a hint of colour and as you can see, Pink Punch has a cute bubblegum pink colour to it. When these first came out in the UK I searching high and low all over the UK beauty bloggers for reviews, thoughts and especially swatches of all of the tinted Baby Lips and a lot of them commented how this wasn’t very pigmented. I know I have yet to see in the flesh how Cherry Me and Peach Kiss are with their pigmentation, but when I got home wearing this lip balm the first thing I was asked was, “Is that a new lipstick?” I think this lip balm is REALLY pigmented and I can see it replacing my lipsticks and glosses on days where I’m poorly or really can’t be bothered.

It offers 8 hour moisture like Mint Fresh does and also SPF 20, perfect for a summer lip balm or for popping in your bag for while you’re away on holiday.

Now onto the smell, which is one of my favourite parts. Since sniffing this for the first time, I haven’t been able to stop sniffing it since. At first I couldn’t put my finger onto what it smelt like, it definitely smells like one of the fruity drinks we serve at work and then I realised, it smells sort of like a pina colada! If not that something like pomegranate and oranges. Maybe some blackcurrant too, but seeing as its name is Pink Punch, I can only see it smelling of a fruit punch. You can’t taste this on the lips when applied and the smell soon wears off after applying, but that doesn’t bother me.

Since reviewing Mint Fresh I still see some Beauty Bloggers stating how these aren’t worth the hype that they appear to be getting. Personally I love these but at the same time I can understand that hype. Nivea do similar lip balms to these, their Cherry one reminds me of Cherry Me for example. But I think due to the fact Maybelline is a make up brand (and a very good one at that) I think women just like to own something like this by a make up brand… I don’t know how to describe it really. I think you’ll get what I mean!

Superdrug and Boots are still selling these at 3 for 2! This will mean that three of these babies will cost you £5.98, but they’re also £2.99 each if you don’t fancy having three.

And finally this is what it looks like on the lips. Apologies if I look crazy or poorly, but I am rather ill right now and I’d just got in from work so as well as that, I was very, VERY tired after a busy morning and afternoon.

Are you still wanting one of the Baby Lips lip balms? If so which one? If you do have one however, which one(s) did you pick up and what do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Until next time, take care and I hope everyone’s week started off well.

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Mint Fresh review

As long as I have been a beauty blogger, or at least interested in reading beauty bloggers posts, Baby Lips have been something everyone has wanted. However up until last month, Baby Lips were only available over the pond in America, damn them and their awesome things!

We have been lucky enough to get them brought over here now and I for one have been rather excited to get my hands on one of these… But it appears that everyone has felt the same as I have and most of the flavours available have been sold out in stores. But this isn’t an issue, having one to try for now is better than not having one at all, isn’t it?

Maybelline Baby Lips are available in six shades/flavours.

Hydrate, Intense Care and Mint Fresh are all clear shades with light scents to them.

Cherry Me (light red), Pink Punch (light pink) and Peach Kiss (light peach) are all have a light colour to them, as well as scent too.

I went into Boots one more time after a week of searching with one of these in mind, Pink Punch. I’ve heard it smells divine and the light pink shade appealed to me so I went over to a Boots customer service assistant and asked in my most determined voice, “Excuse me, do you stock the Maybelline Baby Lips at all?” to which she said, “We do… But we only have three of the six types left.”

They only had the clear shades left and not many of them, so I quickly looked at which one I would prefer and Mint Fresh was mine for the taking. I’m pretty glad about my choice, but I still want Pink Punch!

Apologies for the messy packaging, but whilst I was out I couldn’t help but break into this to try!

The lip balm itself comes in what I think is a really cute packaging, but what most people have said looks really childish and “stupid”. I think the childish aspect is what is appealing to myself, as this just reminds me of something I would have used when I was at school. It’s the little things that satisfy us.

As you can see from the images above, Mint Fresh is a clear lip balm which contains SPF 20, which is perfect for at the moment in the UK when the weather is unpredictable! From the swatches it’s also clear and leaves a glossy finish due to it containing petroleum.

It smells really minty, like chewing gum which I really like! It doesn’t plump the lips up like most mint flavoured lip balms, but it does feel a little menthol on the lips which is nice. Sadly the flavour doesn’t last long, which is a real shame.

A lot of people have been saying the Baby Lips lip balms aren’t worth the hype, but they seem like a great essential for your handbag or even your pocket! This has been great on its own, as well as a base for my lipsticks! I know I’ll be buying these for people, especially as they’re on offer in the Maybelline offer in both Superdrug and Boots for 3 for 2 and as they’re only £2.99 each it’ll only cost £5.98 for three of these babies.

This is what it looks like on the lips, it looks like a light lip gloss, but one that will keep your lips safe from the sun and hydrated for up to 8 hours!

I hope you enjoyed this review, I hope to pick up one in Pink Punch soon!

Have you been wanting one of the Baby Lips lip balms? If so which one? If you do have one however, which one(s) did you pick up and what do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Until next time, take care and I hope everyone’s week is going as well as mine seems to be.