January Sale Shopping

 

It's no secret that the January sales are notorious for big deals and bargain finds. Due to overspending in the lead up to Christmas this year I didn't do too much sale shopping this year, but what I did do was buy loads of shoes. (This was whilst I was on a shoe buying ban, oh dear.)

 

 

 

My obsession with shoes is now getting a little out of hand, but once I aw these gorgeous burgundy chunky boots in the New Look sale, I knew that they would be going home with me. I persuaded myself that they were an absolute 'must-have' and I'm so glad I picked them up as I know I would have regretted it otherwise.

 

 

One amazing thing about these boots are that they have a zip on the inside of the shoe, which means that you aren't spending forever and a day unlacing them everytime you want to wear them. The laces are more of a decorative feature and I haven't even tied them whilst I've been wearing them.

Another bonus is that I can actually walk in them without looking and feeling like an idiot and a huge bonus is that I can safely drive in them! (It's always a pain when you have to take a flat pair of shoes to drive in when all you want to do is  wear heels.) These beauties were reduced from £29.99 to £22.49 in the New Look sale, but honestly I would have paid full price for them anyway! They also come in grey too I think.

 

This winter it is safe to say that I have gone a little bit boot crazy. However, I had my eye on these cut out boots from New Look from the moment they were released into stores. I love the cut out detailing on them and that they are a little bit different from other boots and shoes I owned. So imagine my delight when I spotted them in the sale in Cambridge, and I got the for a ridiculous bargain. Originally retailing at £30, I scooped these up for £12! Admittedly, I haven't actually worn them yet and I have no idea if I can sensibly walk in them, but at £12 it was worth it.

 

So, these heels pictured above weren't actually purchased in any type of sale, but as they are so gorgeous I thought I would feature them in this post. After realising that you can never have too many pairs of black heels (or shoes for that matter) I decided to firstly buy this pair to wear to my work's Christmas meal.

I think they look really sophisticated and I love the t-bar styled straps which give me a bit more support and doesn't make me feel like I'm going to fall out of my shoes every two minutes. Also I loved the price of these, only £24.99 from H&M. The only bad thing about the is that they aren't particularly comfortable to wear, but with some gel cushions in I can easily last all night in them.

 

A few years ago I received a pair of dark brown brogues from New Look for Christmas and wore them until there was practically nothing left of them. Since then however I haven't had the chance to repurchase some replacement brown brogues and so whilst buying other shoes in the New Look sale, I came across these. Originally priced at £14.99, they had been marked in the sale at £8 which was a great find for me. Even better, when I got them to the till I was charged £6 and I wasn't complaining! 

 

Finally, I thought I would add two pairs of boots which I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas this year. Above are my ankle boots from Topshop, which I actually got for £45 after they had been reduced from something like £70. These boots are so comfortable and go with pretty much everything and are so easy to slip on and off, they really are great.

 Below are probably my most worn and most loved boots this season. Similarly to the boots above, these ankle boots are black yet have this lovely buckle detailing on them to make them stand out just a little bit more. They are also my most expensive pair of shoes, costing me £60 from River Island. They are so worth the money though, and I think I've been living in them since I unwrapped them on Christmas day!

 

With January coming to an end, the sales are thinning out. However, this means that soon spring and summer clothes will be hitting the stores ready for my favourite time of the year! I can't wait to start shopping for summery clothes, although I will miss wearing my boots!

 

 

First Purchases of 2014 (Makeup Haul)

 

So with Christmas over for another year and having received my bank statement for December (ouch!) it's that time of year where you decide that you really need to save some money after spending so much during the festive season.

Apparently I didn't get that memo and I've been out shopping over the past few weeks and have brought some amazing cosmetics which I'm going to share today.

 

The first thing that I've purchased were these makeup wipes from Superdrug. Recently I've been using some Sainsbury's own branded wipes just because they are cheap and easy to pick up, but I decided I should probably invest in some wipes that are actually designed to be used to take off makeup. These were also a complete bargain at only about £1.50 and although I have never used them before I thought that they would be worth the risk.

 

My obsession with nail polish continues. Barry M have recently released a new collection of matte polishes in a variety of colours. Their new polishes always intrigue me and after buying loads of their standard as well as jelly polishes I just needed to try this one. I picked up the shade 'Vanilla' costing me £3.99 from Superdrug.   

 

As Superdrug were having a 3 for 2 offer on all their Barry M products, it would be rude for me not to buy two more polishes. For my second polish I decided on this gorgeous burgundy shade called 'crush' from the new matte collection, which also retails at £3.99.

 

To complete the three for two offer, I needed to decide on one final polish. On the Barry M stand they had a picture of a model showing off one particular shade. I fell in love with it and decided that this would be the final shade that I would buy. This polish is part of the Hi-Shine jelly collection and is called 'Guava', also priced at £3.99 in Superdrug.

 

I actually brought another nail polish from Barry M a few weeks ago whilst I was shopping in Cambridge and totally forgot about it. At the time Superdrug were doing a 2 for £6 deal on all their nail polishes and so my friend and I got one each. I picked up this shade called 'blackberry' from the jelly range, saving myself 0.99p!

 

Living in a small town means that my local Superdrug doesn't sell any sleek products. After buying a blush and the contour kit online, I was desperate to get my hands on some of their other products, but wanted to be able to see what I was buying first. Luckily Cambridge had a whole stand of Sleek products, and it's fair to say that I went a little crazy.

 

The first thing that I picked up from Sleek was this gorgeous lipstick in the shade 'barely there.' Although I haven't used this product yet it claims to be a highly pigmented non drying and conditioning lipstick, which sounds pretty good to me! Costing only £4.99 it is also a bit cheaper than some of the other drugstore lipsticks out there so thought it would be worth a try.

 

After buying and falling in love with the Sleek blush in the shade 'flamingo' I decided that I would definitely need to expand my collection. With 11 shades in the collection it wasn't easy to pick just one so I brought two on this occasion, but could have easily brought them all! Oops.

 

I decided to go for two more pink shades, but these are no way near as bright as 'flamingo.' The blush pictured above is a lovely dark pink almost red shade with the slightest bit of shimmer in called 'flushed.' I can't wait to start using it and with it being priced at only £4.49 it is a serious bargain in my eyes.

 

The other blush I picked up for £4.49 was the shade in 'rose gold.' I've seen so many other beauty bloggers and vloggers rave about this shade of product and thought it was about time I got my hands on it too. It contains more shimmer than the other two blushes I have, yet will be a welcome addition to my collection.

 

This is where I think I got a little bit over the top and went a bit crazy with the sleek products. But whilst I was there I decided to pick up one of Sleek's eyeshadow palettes.

 

Typically of Sleek, the have kept their gorgeous black packaging for the palette and I'm so excited to try it out. They have a variety of palettes available but I got the 'Au Naturel 601' palette as I thought it would be one that I'd use the most.

 

Although I haven't used this product yet, I am seriously impressed with it at first glance. The colours inside look absolutely gorgeous and I love the mixture of both matte and shimmery shades in there. I also love the fact that each shade has it's own name and that there isn't one colour in the palette that I don't like. Perhaps the biggest bonus is that this cost only £7.99!

 

 

My final purchase over the past few weeks have been some new make-up brushes. I've had my eye on real-techniques brushes for ages and after receiving some for Christmas I decided to expand my collection. This resulted in a trip to Boots!

 

I decided to purchase the core collection, costing me £21.99. Working out at only about £5 a brush, they are seriously good value for money and even the woman in Boots told me that they are amazing!

Featuring a foundation brush, a brush for concealer, powder and contouring, I'm super excited about using these brushes alongside my new and old purchases, although I don't want to get them dirty! Haha.

Wow, it seems as though I've gone a bit overboard recently on products. One day I will learn to resist. (I hope)

A return to blogging and a life update

Ever since I left Sixth Form last summer and entered what many call 'the real world', life has flown by so quickly. It feels as though I've hardly had time to sit down and take in everything that has happened over the past 4 months.
  Christmas and December absolutely flew by, and we're now almost at the end of January 2014. Crazy!
  With everything in my life changing and happening so quickly, it was almost impossible to believe that some important things would be neglected, with this blog being one of them. The ability to sit down and compose posts had vanished, due to both having practically zero time and minimal energy and motivation. To be honest, I was stretched. And exhausted.
   However, these past four months, overall, have been some of the best of my life so far. Yes there have been some stressful moments and moments that I hated and had to physically drag myself out of bed for and moments I wish that I hadn't have said yes, but in the end they have all been worth it.
  In the last part of 2013 alone I achieved so many things, experienced new challenges and also stepped outside my comfort zone just a little bit more. Honestly, I didn't want 2013 to end but it also made me believe that 2014 is going to be a fantastic year.
  So what exactly have I been doing since I left the school I had been at for 7 years in the summer of 2013? Well, after picking up my results the reality of university set in for most people I knew. Preparations began and everyone starting packing, feeling nervous yet excited to start the new part of their lives. For me, there was just something that didn't click. University just didn't seem right for me at that moment and so from there came my first big decision.
  I had always been interested in writing and expressing my thoughts and this was a huge influence in starting this blog, but I was also interested in taking my hobby that little bit further by studying Journalism at University. At the time, I knew that I wanted to focus mainly on Formula One so sports journalism looked to be the way to go, but to keep my options open I decided on applying for the standard course. I had sent my UCAS application very late in January and extremely close to the deadline, yet I still secured 4 offers out of the 5 for places at Huddersfield, Sunderland, UCA in Farnham and one other University. From that I accepted a firm offer from UCA and an insurance from Huddersfield and played the waiting game until my results came through.
  However during this time, although I had picked a course I thought I'd love at a University which was really appealing, doubts were creeping into the back of my mind. Was I really ready to go to University? Student finance was also a big factor in deciding to go to Uni because of the extortionate fees and costs of living.
  Something which was becoming a huge consideration was to take a gap year. So on results day, I took the plunge. My results had confirmed that my place at Uni was secure and from there I could have packed my bags and be 4 months into my degree. However, that afternoon I emailed admissions at the University to break the news that I would not be attending in September. Perhaps one of the scariest decisions I've made and some could say risky, as I had no other plans or job to fall back on.
  However, once the decision was made it was time to start planning my year out. Originally I was going to get a job for the year and then go back to studying, after spending the last part of my gap year travelling.
 At first finding a job was not very successful, and was at times, worrying. I was scared that I'd made a terrible mistake in not going to University, yet I carried on and secured an interview a few weeks later.
  I went to the interview. To be completely honest the interview for the role I applied for wasn't the best, yet I still managed to be considered for a completely different role within the company. After a trial week and a phone call, I learnt that I had secured the full time job I was looking for. That's when my plans changed again.
  I've now been working full time for just under 4 months now and can honestly say I love it. I love my job, the people I work with and there has not been one day I've woken up dreading to go to work. Not going to University has been one of the best decisions I've made and when September comes around again, I won't be going to University. I guess you can say that my gap year lasted around a month and I'm definitely not planning on leaving my job anytime soon. It has given me so many new challenges and opportunities and I've made some brilliant new friends. University isn't the only option after Sixth Form or college, although it may seem that way and if there is anyone considering a break from studying, I would say go for it, you never know what may happen!

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 107 Review

Shade 107: 'Wine'

After purchasing a few of the Kate Moss Rimmel lipsticks recently, I knew that I would be going back for more shades because I have loved wearing them so much. Whilst I was in town a few weeks ago I took the opportunity to buy a shade which I have had my eye on for a while now. 

As I had been impressed with the other Kate Moss lipsticks in the Rimmel collection, I had high expectations for this product and it is safe to say I wasn't disappointed.

Shade 107 or 'Wine' is a beautiful dark red, which is perfect for the time of year. Admittedly I was expecting it to be a bit darker on the lips as it appears to be quite dark in the packaging but nevertheless I have still fallen in love with this product. Although I think it is supposed to be matte, it still has a slight gloss to it which I think is a good thing because it means that the product helps to keep the lips hydrated. Another positive about this lipstick is that it has considerable staying power, I found myself only usually reapplying after eating or drinking. 

The lipstick applies so easily and you are able to build up the colour with a few coats to make your lips really stand out. With this lipstick you don't need to go overboard with the rest of your makeup either, and this could easily be worn to both events and during the evening as well as during the day.

Perhaps one of the biggest positives of this product is the price. Costing only £5.49 it is fantastic value for money and with drugstores regularly having deals on, you can pick these lipsticks up for a bargain price. Even if you don't think this colour is for you, the range has so many different colours to choose from, there is something for everybody!

If you are looking for a new lipstick to signal the arrival of the Autumn/Winter season, I would definitely recommend this little beauty. You will not be disappointed.  

Haircare Haul

Over the past few months I've realised that it has been such a long time since I've treated myself to some haircare products. Obviously shampoo and conditioner are always necessities but I haven't found myself to be buying any other treatments or products so when I popped into town recently I decided it was time to change. Here's what I bought!

It is not secret that I love using TRESemme products. I am a massive fan of their shampoo and conditioner and have also bought hairspray from them in the past. After recently running out of my hairspray and having my sister steal and use all of my other it was time to invest in some new stuff. After eyeing the different products on offer I went for something which I've tried and tested in the past in the form of the TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold (4.) TRESemme have five different sprays in this range and the higher the number the stronger the spray is. I also went for the huge 500ml size, costing £4.69, knowing that it would last me a long time. However in addition I also got the smaller 100ml size in the same strength because it is perfect for travelling and carrying around with you. The smaller size cost me £1.69 from Superdrug also which was a bargain.

The next product which I picked up from Superdrug was this leave in treatment from the platinum strength range from TRESemme. Everything in the platinum treatment range was on offer for under £2 so I thought that this would be a complete bargain. I've never tried this stuff before so I'm really looking forward to seeing what results it brings. I'm not sure how much I paid for this but like I said it was under £2. Another selling point for me was that this can be applied to both wet and dry hair, and the product smells amazing too. 

My next purchase was in Boots. After recently finding out that Dove had brought out a new range called the Style+Care I was interested in trying out their products. One thing that my hair desperately needed was a new heat protect spray as I use a hairdryer almost everyday and straightners and curlers on occasion. Therefore from the new Dove range I got the heat protect spray, costing either £4.49 or £5.49, I can't exactly remember. This product also smells divine and I really love the packaging as well. 

My final two purchases were two necessities, shampoo and conditioner. With the TRESemme platinum strength being on offer I couldn't resist picking up both for only £2.45 each. I've used both these products in the past before and they make my hair look and feel amazing. Paired with the leave in conditioning treatment that I bought my hair has some serious pampering coming its way I think!

I'm so happy with all the purchases that I have made and I even managed to pick up some bargains, some products I love and even some products that I've never used before. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balm Review

When I found out that Rimmel would be releasing a new range of lip products at the start of October, I knew that I would have to check them out. Although Rimmel have released new shades for their lasting perfection lipsticks, it was the colour rush balms that I was excited to try out.

'Not An Illusion'

With a whole range to choose from, I decided to go for the shade called 'Not An Illusion' because I am a huge fan of nude/pink lip colours. I also thought that this would be perfect to wear on a daily basis, so I didn't want to try out anything to bold or bright. 

  Lip balms with colour in them are a new product to me. Before now I was regularly using lipstick or Vasaline and so the thought of something new excited me. 

  I've been really impressed with this product, right from the start of using it. The balm is so hydrating on the lips and applies so well. I like that the product looks like a massive colouring pencil as it makes putting it on so much easier. Also regarding the packaging, I love that the colour of it reflects the colour of the balm, which makes knowing what colour it is much easier. I was also worried that the balm would leave my lips feeling sticky, but I'm pleased to report that this hasn't been the case. 

As well as not feeling sticky, I was also surprised at how much colour are actually in these things. I was expecting a slight tint, but as it says on the packaging, the product really does give your lips a real colour boost.
  The fragrance that a product gives off can sometimes put me off. Happily I love the smell of these balms, they smell like vanilla essence and are super sweet. Just like the price. At only £5.49 each they are so affordable and competitive with the other products out there.

 Perhaps the only disappointing thing with this product is that it doesn't last that long on the lips. I find myself having to regularly reapply this balm, but maybe that should be expected as it is only a balm. However, this small inconvenience isn't enough to put me off this product, it is still very good.  

I've been wearing this product almost everyday throughout the month and have been seriously impressed with it, so next time you walk past the Rimmel products, I suggest you give this little gem a try!

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex Mascara Review

Ever since I have started to wear makeup, mascara has always been one product that I am a bit more experimental with. I have tried and tested a whole range of mascaras across many of the drugstore brands and one of which I find myself returning to is Rimmel London. 

  Whilst shopping in Boots a few weeks ago, I noticed that they were giving away the Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex mascara for free when you spent over £10 on other Rimmel products. This gave me the perfect opportunity to a) Get a free mascara, b) Buy even more makeup products and c) Test out a mascara that I had never previously used. 

  I am a massive fan of the Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara, with the bright orange packaging and so immediately this product seems like an extension of the original. Instead of the neon orange packaging, Rimmel have gone for this bright neon green which certainly stands out in my makeup bag. I really like the shape of this product and I think the colours work well together, making the product a bit more fun. 

  It is also extremely well priced, at only £6.99 from Boots and this is around the same price range as similar products making it really competitive. 

  

To illustrate the effect the product has had on my eyes, I have taken a photo without any mascara on. The product applies so well and the brush is huge, creating so much volume once applied. I think the formula is also really nice, as it isn't clumpy and doesn't stick your lashes together. The product claims to only need one coat, but to make my lashes really voluminous and full I do need to apply a few coats.
  One criticism that I do have of the product however is that I find it can take longer to dry than other mascaras out there. This means that I do get the annoying bits of excess mascara on my lids which is annoying when I have eyeshadow on and need to carefully remove it without ruining the rest of my makeup.

I think I do prefer this product to the original Rimmel Scandal Eyes, purely because I think you get a better product for around the same price and you can tell the difference between the two products. However, I'm still not sure if this mascara will beat Maybelline Falsies as my favourite, purely because I think the Maybelline mascara still makes my lashes longer. 

The pictures above and below show the effect the mascara has on my lashes. It is a lovely mascara and definitely a steal at the price you pay. It can be easily worn everyday and it certainly lasts all day yet removes so easily with makeup wipes at the end of the day. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a new mascara wanting to try something different.  

Beauty Haul

A few months ago I shared my recent purchases in a mini beauty haul. Since then however, I've found myself to have brought even more products from both Boots and Superdrug so I thought that I would share these. Some of the products I brought here were also in my other haul post, but these are repurchases and so I have included them to illustrate just how much I love them!

Firstly I went into Superdrug. On this trip I knew that I needed to pick up a few essentials and one of them was the orange and satsuma shower gel. I brought this product in my last haul and have used every last drop so a repurchase was necessary. It was so cheap at only 89p and it smells gorgeous. It is also really refreshing and lovely to use in the morning shower, even if this scent is not for you Superdrug have a huge range of scents to try out.

Another essential purchase for me was these cotton buds. I got these for 99p and they will probably last me a while considering there were 200 in this pack. They are a lifesaver for correcting any makeup mistakes such as eyeliner and mascara smudges and also for removing nail varnish from the skin if needed.

When I was at school Bic made pens. Apparently they now make razors aswell and these ones pictured above were my last unglamorous purchase. The colour of them was probably the deciding factor in buying them although they aren't actually a bad razor. They're called the Bic soleil lady and for a pack of 4 cost something like £2-£3

With the Autumn/Winter season officially here, I've been on the lookout for deep shades of lipstick to wear throughout the season. I've been a big fan of the Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel, although I was rather late to jump onto the bandwagon. However, in Boots recently I picked up this shade, 107 (wine) and have fallen in love with it. It cost around £5.49 which is a reasonable price for this type of product. 

I was also aware that Rimmel have recently brought out a new range of lip balms as well as some new lipsticks to their 'moisture renew' collection. Eager to try some of these products out I went into Boots and picked up one of the colour rush balms. A sucker for pink/nude shades I decided to try out the shade 'Not An Illusion' and I'm sure a review will be coming up soon. I think this also cost around the £5.49 mark. 

What I love about shopping in both Superdrug and Boots is that they always seem to have some amazing deals on. During my shopping trip, Boots were giving away a free Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex mascara when you spent £10 or over on Rimmel products. As I had picked up the two lip products I got this free when usually it retails at around £7-£8 so this was a real bargain. 

So my lip product collection is expanding and I am falling more and more in love with Rimmel products, I'm already looking forward to my next shopping trip!