July Beauty Buys!

Hellloooo.  Well as it's coming to the end of the month (WHERE is this year going by the way?) .. I thought I'd bring together the little bits and bobs from the beauty world that I'd purchased this month and put them all together in one lovely little post! So here we are!

L'Oreal Studio Matt & Messy Shine-Free Salt Spray 150ml - £3.69 in Boots

I'd seen this in pretty much every magazine I laid my eyes on last month, and given that I love a tousled messy look, I thought I'd give it a go!  Well I wasn't disappointed and I actually keep it in my handbag to top up throughout the day.  It's perfect for when I'm just wearing my hair down and I need something to give it a bit of life.  It instantly picks up the hair and adds volume without looking or feeling stiff/sticky!  I would definitely recommend - it's become part of my daily haircare routine!!

Vaseline 2 in 1 Hand Cream +Anti Bac - £3.49 in Boots (picked it up at half price)

Ohhh I had such high hopes for this product when I seen it on the TV!  When I seen it was half price in Boots I instantly ran out to get this as I'm a bit obsessed with hand cream!  Having a 10 month old baby boy means my hands see so much stress throughout the day (dirty nappies, constant bottle washing etc) which results in my hands really feeling the strain (sorry hands).  I always keep Soap and Glory's Hand Food by my bed and apply it every night without fail, and a Dove hand cream in my handbag just in case I'm out and about with dry hands! So..  this product seemed like a no-brainer, a moisturiser with antibacterial action in one?  Dun dun dunnnn......
Well sorry to anyone who really likes this product (lol) but I haven't been able to get away with it at all!!  I honestly feel as though my hands need a hand cream immediately AFTER I've used it!!  It smells quite nice, but it's really sticky and feels uncomfortable as it's soaking in!  I want to be able to use this up seen as though I've purchased it, but it might have to just go on a journey to the back of my drawer for now! Weep!

The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner 30ml (Best Seller) - £3

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream 15ml (Best Seller) - £4

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion 15ml (Best Seller) - £3

I've never really tried any of The Body Shop facial products before, having often used their shower gels, body butters etc, but after reading a lot of blogs that talk about their skincare range I thought I would give it a go!  What I did like is the fact they do mini versions of their products so that you can try them out first without spending a whole load of cash on something that might not suit your skin!!  There was a sale on that has only just ended, in which I picked up these 3 little beauties, along with some other full sized cult products that my hubby has kindly bought me and put away for me until my birthday next month!!  I've been giving these little cuties a trial in my skincare routine for the past couple of days and so far so good.  The day cream especially - I have noticed a huge difference in the nasty shine I usually get by the end of the day on my forehead!  For anyone with oily/combination skin, these beauties are said to be perfect!

Blink 'Contacts' Soothing Eye Drops 10ml - £3.89 in Superdrug (picked it up at half price)

I was lucky to find this little gem at half price, as I went into Superdrug especially for these as my Optician suggested I get some as I've been really struggling with my contacts during the summer with sore/itchy eyes! All you poor people out there who wear contact lenses will know exactly what I mean.  Right? These drops really work well, and I love the fact you can pop them in at any time .. and you don't even have to remove your lenses.  Instant relief!  Think I'll be stocking up on these!!

Topshop Blush Stick in Sneakpeak (As seen in Vogue) - Was £10 .. Now £5

I'd seen this in a few magazines and never really thought about buying it until I stumbled across it on the Topshop website in the sale (wow, how cheap do I sound, lol).  I thought I'd give it a go, but to be honest I haven't really formed a proper opinion on it yet!  I've only used it once or twice and I think it might be a little bit bright for my liking.  I'll give it a chance though and I'm sure once blended properly it will be a lovely summery colour.  Also, I've read that it can be used for a flush of colour on the lips too - I am all for a multi-purpose product!!  Not sure of the smell though - bit 'old woman' if you ask me!

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in 01 Ivory - £6.99 in Boots.
I've read a lot about this amazing new concealer on blogs and heard a lot on YouTube so I was bound to go out and grab it!  I had a voucher from the Boots parenting club (awesome by the way - go have lots of babies, you get loads more Boots vouchers haha) where if you spend £30 you get £5 off, so I grabbed a load of nappies, wipes, milk and baby food that I needed anyway... and then trotted back upstairs to grab the cheeky concealer, got my £5 off so really it was almost free!! haha (love convincing myself into beauty buys).
ANYWAY... I absolutely love this and it has become a part of my everyday routine!! It comes with a twist applicator and a brush (much like YSL's Touché Eclat).  Using it before I apply my foundation or BB cream -  I rub it under the eyes, around my nose, on my chin and anywhere else I have blemishes or dark patches.  It instantly removes dark circles, highlights and makes me look refreshed and awake.  With it's gel based formula, it blends really well without looking cakey like some concealers. Apparently it's behaves very similar to the YSL Touché Eclat but for a fraction of the price!  Can't go wrong!
Huge thumbs up from me!!

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara in Extra Black - £7.99 in Boots
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in 101 Celestial        - £5.99 in Boots
***BOTH CURRENTLY 2 for £10 in Boots. Saving £3.98.. aka BARGAIN!***
As you can see, I was a bit excited about that little offer, haha!  I haven't tried either of these and I'd seen a lot of reviews about how great and well-lasting the lip lacquers were.. so couldn't resist, hehe!  Will let you know how I get on when I get round to trying these bad boys out!

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara - £21 in Boots
***I got this for £9 on a Groupon deal just last week*** (YESSSSSSSSSSS)
Well, I'm certainly not allowing myself to buy anymore mascaras for a while, I've got 2 to use up and then these 2 beauties from this month!  Love a new mazza!!! I will definitely do a review on this when it comes to using it!

L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 501 Nude Ingenue - £7.99 in Boots
I've been trying to find a nude lipstick for sooo long and finally found this little number.  I have always had trouble finding the right lipstick formula as I find a lot of them to be drying - but not these!!  It feels so soft and leaves my lips looking so natural and moisturised.  Pair this up with just a simple BB cream and a smidge of cream blush and the natural look is good to go! Love love loveee!! <3

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 825 Lovers Coral - £7.49 in Boots
I have read mixed reviews on this lipstick but I honestly really love it.  They have sooo many colours and I left Boots with both arms covered in swatches - hehe!!  So I eventually chose the shade "Lovers Coral" which is like a shiny coral pink.  Its sooo nice for summer.  It can be built up aswell to be more intense if you so wish! As I said above, I need a lipstick that is really moisturising and these definitely are that.  They are soo so soft.  I'm gonna go back and get another colour - although the Revlon Lip Butters also really appeal to me so watch this space!

What have been your favourite beauty buys of the month?  I'd love to know!

Nails of the Week #2 | Topshop NAILS. Sparkly Violet with a Cute Bow!

Technically it's been 2 weeks since my first NOTW post, but I have been on holiday and just haven't had chance to even paint my nails, never mind do a post on them! Woopsie!

Products I used

Cuticle Pusher and Trimmer
Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File
Barry M All In One Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener
Topshop NAILS in Palma Violet
Topshop NAILS in Ice Crush
Topshop Nail Art Pen in Frozen (White)
Topshop Nail Art Pen in Knightrider (Black)

(Palma Violet and Ice Crush came in a lovely set along with Crystal Clouds - I received these as a gift from my cousin and absolutely LOVE them! I'll do a seperate review on Topshop Nail polishes when I treat myself to a few more)

Tutorial

The Finished Result

Have you ever tried Topshop Nail Polishes?  What do you think?

Nails Of The Week #1 | Cath Kidston inspired nail art tutorial!

Well here goes.. my first ever nail art tutorial!!  I've been practising nail art on myself for about a year or so now and I honestly can't get enough of it!  I thought I'd start a nails of the week post, and hopefully do one once a week if I can find the time!

I just had to start off with my favourite designer, Cath Kidston.  I just love her style and her unmistakeable prints and patterns.

I'll start off by telling you what products I used.  Then a run down step by step of how I achieved it.

Products I used

• Cuticle pusher and trimmer. (this was about 50p on eBay)
• Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File.  (best nail file EVER - it literally turns the nail to dust)
• Barry M All In One Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener
• Barry M Nail Paint in Blue Moon
• Barry M Nail Paint in Peach Melba
• Models Own Nail Art Pen in White.  (I use the striper brush part for this tutorial)
• Models Own Pro in Matt Green
• Rimmel 60 Seconds in Rose Libertine
• Nail art dotting tools (you can get these really cheap on eBay aswell) 

Tutorial

Just wanna quickly add that before I start painting my nails I always obviously remove any excess nail polish, treat cuticles, buff my nails and file them using my beloved Leighton Denny.

(Now we can begin, haha)

Once the nails are dry, add a little cuticle oil and you're good to go! 

The Finished Result

Hope you all liked them.  Please feel free to leave a comment and suggestions on what tutorial you would like to see next.  xx

August 2013 edition magazine freebies! (On sale July 2013)

Well the summer days are certainly upon us (finally) ... and so are the summer magazine freebies! Who doesn't love a good freebie? July (well, august edition) has been a very good month in terms of freebies in the magazines! Here's a rundown of the magazines I've purchased so far this month and what came with them.

Glamour Magazine - £2

I have a subscription to Glamour Magazine and was extremely excited when my monthly edition came through the post and I received a Balance Me: Moisture rich face cream 20ml (worth £13). So much so that I ran out and got another copy for the Balance Me: Pure skin face wash 50ml (worth £11). I'm really excited to try these and will post a review once I have given them a whirl!

Glamour are also offering a Balance Me: Super toning body wash (worth £9) and a Balance Me: Shine on tinted lip salve (worth £12). I don't think I'll run out and get those though. I get much more excited over facial skincare than anything else! 

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Red Magazine - £4

Now this is one that I have been really excited about! I have read so much about REN skincare recently (mainly from Hannah Georgina (www.hannahgeorgina.com) as she really raves about a certain few of their products - but I haven't actually tried any yet as I have been trying to make my way through the products I already have before I go out and buy anymore. But as this is a freebie gift I couldn't resist!

This month, Red is offering a 3 piece holiday skincare set from REN! (worth £8.62 - based on the sizes). This includes; Vita-mineral Day Cream 10ml, Rose Centifolia Cleansing Gel 15ml and Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream 3ml.  Really excited to use these products, even if they are teeny!! I will post a review when I have finally got round to using them!

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InStyle Magazine - £3.90

This month, Instyle are offering a free Rituals: Perfection Volume Mascara worth £8... so obviously I had to go and pick this one up aswell! I've never tried anything from Rituals either so this is a pretty exciting month of newbie freebies for me!! Woohooo!  I will post a review of this mascara once I get round to opening it!

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So far this month they are the only 3 magazines I have bought!! Although there's a couple of others I have my eye on purely because of the freebies...

Marie Claire - £3.80 - Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner in Black (worth £8)

Harper's Bazaar - £4.20 - L'Occitane Precious Creme Moisturiser (worth £13)

What magazine freebies have you found in the last few months? 

 Have you sampled any of the products mentioned above?

Denman D90 Tangle Tamer Review | I can finally tame my Lion's Mane!!

Since being a little girl, I have always LOATHED having my hair brushed after washing it.  I can still remember crying my eyes out when my Mam used to sit me down and attempt to drag the brush through my tangled mane!  (I can't imagine it was much fun for her either)

I have quite fine, flyaway hair, but lots of it - and I think this combination is the reason for my knotty battles.  Up until a week ago, no matter how much conditioner I slathered onto the ends of my hair, I would still have a 20 minute struggle with knots, not to mention a big ball of hair left in my hairbrush at the end of it.

This was until I finally found the solution... The Tangle Tamer!! One word.. WOW!! I honestly LOVE this product and can't believe I didn't think to try it sooner.



The Tangle Tamer (D90), by Denman comes in a lovely hot pink (some stores also stock it in black) and is small enough to be considered travel size.  The description on the Denman website aims it at children, but I honestly don't see a problem using it as a fully grown adult.

The fast and gentle way to detangle children's hair without the tears! The super-soft nylon bristles gently glide through the hair, removing tats and tangles. An air-cushioned pad follows the contour of the head for smooth damage-free grooming. With a bright pink handle, this Denman hairbrush will be every little girl's favourite accessory!

This"little girl's favourite accessory" has now become this big girl's!!


Denman D90 Tangle Tamer. Between £5 and £6.

The super fine bristles come in clusters of different lengths, which gently tease the knots and glide through wet hair with ease. I was honestly shocked at how quick and easy it was.

While browsing for this product in Boots, I noticed there was another brand of tangle taming beast called The Tangle Teezer.  However, the fact that it was double the price of the Denman, at £10.99, I decided to try the cheapest option first.  (How glad am I? Surely it can't get any better?) I also wasn't keen on the fact that this rival brush was shaped like some sort of kidney and had no handle.

All in all, I think every Man/Woman/Girl/ with troublesome locks should try this little beauty and live happily ever after with knot free hair.

Happy hair brushing!

Cheeky Hello!

Hi everyone.  Well, this is my very first post on my brand spanking new blog - after being an avid blog reader and youtube watcher for a very long time.

I've been wanting to start a blog to discuss and review all things beauty for quite a while but being married and having a 10 month old baby boy seems to take up a lot of my time.  However, I've decided that enough is enough, so here I am.

I'll be mainly posting reviews on beauty products; makeup, skincare, haircare, nails etc along with some other cheeky little posts about other things that tickle my fancy now and again.

So, until then.. happy blogging!