Haul

New In My Beauty Stash #4

- Vicki 2 Comments
new in my beauty stash May 2017

Over the past 5 weeks or so I have made a few purchases so I thought I would give you a quick low down on them.

Nip & Fab Eyeshadow Palette in 01 Sculpted £10.95

I know most of you are aware that Nip & Fab have added makeup to their range and it is available in some Superdrug stores. I was super excited to see the stand in my local store and I was very restrained to only buy one item, when I could have gone to town and bought the entire collection. I almost bought the foundation but I just couldn’t resist this beautiful 12 pan neutral eyeshadow palette, it is so ‘me’ and all the shades are ones I wear on a daily basis which means I will (and have been) get alot of use from it.

The packaging is slim, sleek and feels so nice, I like that it is clear so you’re able to see all the shadows, there is something so satisfying about that! As I said you get 12 shades and they’re a good mix of creams, deep browns and taupes. 8 of the shades matte but you also get 2 shimmers and 2 shimmer infused mattes, so a great selection.

nip and fab eyeshadow palette

new nip and fab eyeshadow palette

Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in Melon Forever £2.50

I always have a couple of these hand sanitisers on the go they’re so good to pop in your handbag for keeping those pesky germs at bay. This Melon scent is from their new Summer launches and it smells damn good, a mix of sweet and fruity. Let me know what your favourite scents are, I quite often get the Warm Vanilla Sugar or anything Christmas scented.

B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes £2.99

I have bought a few products this year from the B. Pure range which is exclusive to Superdrug & I have been impressed with them all so far. These Micellar Wipes were free when I bought their Exfoliating Cleanser and I have to say as far as face wipes go these are very good. You get 25 wipes in a pack and they have a hard plastic close top which is fantastic at keeping the wipes fresh and moist for longer. The wipes are soft, fragrance free and gentle on the skin, they are enriched with Witch Hazel, Vitamin E, Aloe and Cucumber extract. So very hydrating, antibacterial and soothing for the skin. I have purchased a second pack of these because they’re super handy to have in my makeup bag. If you haven’t tried the B. Range from Superdrug then I highly recommend checking them out, they have a great selection of makeup and skincare.

Bath and Body Works Pocketbac in Melon Forever

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser £5.99

I can’t get enough of the Superdrug own brand skincare, they have a few collections all focused on different skin concerns. This time I picked up their hot cloth cleanser which also came with a muslin cloth & it was only £4 which is an utter bargain. This has such a creamy texture which feels so nice on the skin when you’re massaging it in. It breaks down makeup with ease but I would say if you like to wear quite heavy eye makeup then you might want to go in first with an eye makeup remover as this doesn’t always remove all my mascara. Using a muslin cloth is a great way to gently exfoliate the skin without being abrasive and I love the feeling of cleansing my face using a warm cloth. The cleanser was so gentle, it didn’t sting or irritate my eyes and it left my skin feeling smooth, clean and refreshed, I might even go so far as to say radiant.

essence luminous matte bronzing powder

Essence Luminous Matte Bronzing Powder in 01 Sunshine £3.00

Essence have released some beautiful products into their Spring / Summer collection and I couldn’t leave the shop without this bronzer. This bronzer is available in two shades, I opted for the lighter of the two and it gives me that perfect mix of warm and glow. The outer bronze ring is matte and the inner ring has a subtle luminous glow. I swirl my brush so it picks up both colours and add it to my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose and it leaves my skin looking healthy, bronzed but with a subtle fresh glow.

The powder feels silky smooth and it reminds me of my beloved Soap & Glory Solar Powder and it gives a very similar satin finish. As I said it has quite a subtle colour pay off which makes it a great everyday bronzer.

So those are a few new additions to my stash this month, let me know if you have tried anything from my roundup & let me know what new products you have discovered recently.

Five Under £5 for November

- Vicki 5 Comments
Five Under 5 For November

Five Under 5 For November

If you want to get involved and link up your monthly 5 Under £5 finds then head over to Julia’s blog at Rainbeaubelle and join in. It’s a lot of fun & you get to see all of the cute bargains that everyone finds, I always end up purchasing so many things from everyone else’s roundups.

So a few weeks ago I went to Amsterdam for my birthday (which was magical) I have been to this lovely City on many an occasion. One of my favourite things to do is visit HEMA, which is an affordable, very cool shop and they sell a little bit of everything. I tend to stock up on stationery, mainly because its easy to get home in my suitcase. If you’re not heading to Amsterdam anytime soon fear not, there are a few HEMA stores in the UK & you can order online (yipeeee).

HEMA Happiness Planner Notebook

New Planner Notebook

Happiness Planner

I know they have spelt it Happyness but lets just ignore that. I am going to use this for notes, lists and blog ideas, I can’t see me using it to record my ‘good things about today’. It has a sturdy hard pink and gold cover, which I really like and the pages are nice quality too. I am terrible at keeping up to date with a journal or a planner so this is somewhere in-between and if I keep it on my desk it should prompt me to use it.

HEMA Planner Sticker Sets

Planner Stickers

HEMA do to the best selection of stickers, I bought 2 packs and you get 2 sheets of stickers in each pack. I am thinking of using these in my notebook to make it look a little more colourful and give it more of a planner feel. I am a sucker for stickers and could have purchased so many more sets but I am trying to use the the massive stash I already have so I limited my self to 2.

HEMA Hand Cream

Hand Lotion £2

I 100% bought this because I loved the packaging, I haven’t used the hand cream itself yet but I am not expecting it to be amazing, but the HEMA beauty and toiletries are pretty good quality.  I have very dry hands, especially in the colder months and I’m THAT person with one on my desk, in my handbag and by my bed. Otherwise I forget to apply it, this one is going on my desk.

HEMA Writing Set

6 Pack Letter Writing Set With Envelopes £1 

This is for my 8 year old niece, I buy her one each year. We write letters to each other as she lives in Scotland (600 miles from me) and its a lovely way to keep in touch. Of course I call her and we facetime but writing a letter is more exciting and its nice to keep the letters to look back on, also we use technology so much now that letter writing is something that feels more special and keeps us connected in a slower, more whimsical way. It also worries me that Alyvia won’t have ever known a world without technology, crazy.

HEMA Festive Washi Tape Pack

Gold Festive Themed WASHI Tape

I know I do not need any more washi tape but I just can’t resist and hear me out, I have every intention of using these lovely selection to wrap my Christmas gifts. Its really great quality and the gold sparkly one is super pretty and textured. I may have already started wrapping my Christmas gifts already, that is me trying to be organised, so far so good.

I feel I was quite restrained, especially if you take a look at my HEMA Haul from a couple of years ago.

Boots Haul February 2015

- Vicki 14 Comments

Boots Haul February 2015

I had a voucher that I had been saving from Christmas & last week I finally spent it in Boots. I bought a few products I had wanted to try for a long time and I am excited to try everything.

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner £6.00 – I’ve used this a couple of times since I bought it & I like how black it is & that the colour doesn’t fade throughout the day. It was easy to apply & I was able to get quite a precise liner look at well as a more dramatic winged effect. So far I like it, we will see how long it takes for it to dry out as often these felt tip liners dry out quite quickly and that can be annoying.

Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter £2.99 – I bought the colour Vintage Rose a few weeks ago & loved the formula & colour so much I had to go back and get another shade. I opted for Perfect Plum & its just as pretty. These are quite long wearing for a lip crayon and I like that they’re not too glossy or greasy on the lips. Don’t tell anyone but I am going to go back for the other colours too.

Soap & Glory Love at First Blush £11.00 – This multi colour blush just looked so pretty in the pan, its quite a bold shimmery blush (reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks) I’m thinking it will make a good Spring / Summer blusher highlighter duo combo, if you know what I mean. I might have to use a light hand as it is quite pigmented & shimmery. I don’t want to look too 80’s disco ball. Let me know if you have this & how it works for you.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water £4.99 – I didn’t know this came in three options. I’ve used the pink one before and really rate that so I had to try out this one which is targeted at Combination Skin. So far I like it, its gentle and does the job at removing stubborn eye makeup. I like how much product you get in these Garnier Micellar Waters & the price is good too. I always have a bottle in my skincare stash.

Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray – I’ve tried high end sea salt sprays & budget ones too & to be honest there is never much in it. This one was on offer for no more than £3 & I like Toni & Guy products so it came home with me. I like it, it gives texture to my wavy hair without making it feel crusty or dry. This is the small travel size bottle which I thought was cute.

L’Oreal True Match The Powder £8.19 – I know nothing about this powder but it looks good & I love the L’Oreal True Match Foundation. So in my mind that is a good enough excuse for buying it. I have the shade Rose / Beige. It feels finely milled and gives a little extra coverage. We will see how well it wears throughout the day over my foundation. Oh & the packaging has a good sized mirror & a brush thats not horrid.

L’Oreal Glam Bronzer – This is a two toned bronzer, you get a lighter highlighter shade & a deeper brown shade. I’ve not tried this yet but I am hoping it is like my beloved Soap & Glory Solar Powder which I use daily. Its the same concept but the brown / bronze shade in the L’Oreal looks like a better match for me. We will see. Again much like the True Match Powder the packaging has a mirror.

Soap & Glory Lid Stuff £10.00 – This quad in What’s Nude has been the one product I’ve wanted & never bought. I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to buy it. All four of the shadows are perfect colours for me, I love a neutral eye. I have been using this quad since I bought it & it does not disappoint. The quality is excellent and the colours work well together or you can wear them alone. I’m impressed and kicking myself for waiting so long, but now I have it I will be making full use of it & showing these shadows a lot of love.

Let me know what new purchases you’ve made this month & if you love or hate anything I have bought. I’m excited to try everything properly over the next few weeks.

A few February Purchases

- Vicki 25 Comments

Beauty Treats

Deliciously Ella – I saw this in Waterstones for half price & thought it sounded like a lovely healthy cookbook. There are so many Vegan friendly recipes & I can’t wait to try making something from it. I want to cook from scratch more & this book is the perfect place for me to start & find my feet. Its all about healthy but delicious food, nothing too difficult as I am the worlds worst cook. Also I failed at eating well in January so Im hoping this book helps kick start a more healthy eating 2015.

I will let you know what I pick first & also do a proper review of the book once I have used it for a while. I had never heard of Ella before this book, let me know if you own it and also what recipes you recommend from it.

Benefit Roller Lash – This cute deluxe sample came free with this months Elle magazine, so if you haven’t already picked up a copy you need to ASAP! Its not out to buy in shops / counters until March. I have been using this mascara for just over a week & I love it. I did a full review last week & to read it click here.

GOSH Prime & Refresh Illuminating Eye Roll On £7.99 – My under eye area is my more problematic – not with blemishes but its so dry and my makeup settles in to my fine lines. Often the makeup on that area looks terrible after a couple of hours so I thought this GOSH offering might be the answer to my prayers. Its illuminating, something my under eye area needs – refreshing, which will keep the skin looking fresh and feeling soothed and its also a primer so my makeup should stick around longer & not sink into my fine lines. I can’t wait to use this some more & let you know what I think. The dispenser is so neat & the metal balls feel cooling on the skin.

Revlon Highlighter

Revlon Rose Glow Highlighting Palette £8.99 – This is so pretty and I thought it would be perfect for creating that Spring fresh faced look. I love highlighters but don’t own many that are pink and I like how this has 5 shades. It is quite shimmery but if you use a light hand its not too OTT & looks very brightening on the cheeks. I love the packaging, the clear lid means I can see it in my collection & it feels sturdy. So far I really like it.

Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter in Vintage Rose £2.99 – This is a gorgeous soft peachy pink, its quite a subtle colour but you can build up the colour. It makes my lips look healthy and brightens up my face. It is the perfect everyday shade and the formula is creamy and glossy on the lips. I am going to go back and get the plum shade too. You can’t go wrong with a lip crayon & these Collection ones are budget friendly too.

Bourjois Colorbrand Eye Crayon in Brun dadaiste £5.99 – I love eyeshadow sticks and I have been seeing these everywhere. I couldn’t resist buying this brown shade. Its so pigmented and lasts all day on my eyes. I like to sweep the colour across my lids then blend it out with my fingers, its so easy & quick. I love low maintenance eye makeup for everyday & this is doing the job. I want the Rose & the Mauve shades too.

What have you treated yourself too lately, do you have any new discoveries or recommendations for me.