Saving Money Whilst Shopping

It's no secret that I enjoy shopping on a somewhat regular basis. However over the past few months I have been trying to save and reduce the amount I spend each month on shopping. At first I tried to extreme cold turkey approach where one day I just stopped spending altogether.
 Although this was quite effective, I've now found that I have started to slip back into old habits and the spending is mounting up again. Therefore I have put together some tips and tricks and although they don't stop me spending money, they do help me to save some money which is a good start.

1. Use points/reward systems in stores and online
Many stores nowadays use a number of different reward systems, which in the long run helps consumers save money.
 Drugstores such as Superdrug and Boots have their own versions of an advantage card, where you collect points dependant on the amount of money you spend. In Superdrug it is 1 point for every £ spent and each point is worth 1p. You scan the card everytime you spend money in store and then you can use your points whenever you like to either pay for a full transaction or to put money towards your purchase. I recently used 400 Superdrug points to pay for some of my purchases but that does mean that I have spent over £400 in store which is very scary.
  The Boots Advantage card is very similar but you collect 4 points for each £ spent and each point is worth 1p. However unlike Superdrug you can only use your points to pay for a full purchase and cannot use points to pay for part of your purchase. However using free reward systems is a good way to save money in the long term.

2. Vouchers/Promo Codes
Another way to save money whilst shopping is to make full use of vouchers or promotional codes. 
 Vouchers can be found in multiple places and can be used in a huge variety of different stores. They can be found in magazines or brochures, on receipts and places like Boots often give away vouchers such as money of No.7 makeup when you make purchases. They can entitle you to free things, money off or a multitude of different offers.
  Places like Prezzo usually have offers running from Sunday to Friday varying from 2 main meals for £12.95 to 20% off your food bill. Superstore Morrisons also have a Morrisons Miles scheme where you collect points when you fill up your car and once you reach 5000 you receive a £5 voucher to spend in store.
  Promo codes are similar in that they entitle you to money off your spending, but these are usually found online. There are so many websites nowadays offering codes to type in at the checkout stage of buying online. Many clothes sites such as H&M and Asos usually have promo codes available and can be found on websites such as www.vouchercloud.com and www.vouchercodes.co.uk

3. Offers instore/online
In addition to collecting rewards and points, both online and in store there are usually a whole range of different discounts and offers. Some of these may include 3 for 2 or Buy One Get One Free to 20% off or free delivery for spends over x amount (online.) I know Superdrug and Boots have recently both had a 3for 2 offer on all of their makeup, which means you save money on your third product.


4. Discounts
Another great way to save money if you are a student is to use your student card or apply for one to use. These give great discounts of 10% or sometimes even 20% purchases in store such as New Look and Dorothy Perkins. Student discount also entitles you to a free burger, fries or mcflurry at McDonalds.

5. Sale
Instead of heading straight towards full priced items, shopping in stores sales saves you money and also allows you to find a bargain at a reduced  price. Many stores and online websites have big sales after Christmas and Summer but they also have smaller sales throughout the year to get rid of stuff from the season before. A great way to find some great stuff for a snip of what it was originally priced at.

6. Research
If you are really set on saving some money but still feel the urge to go shopping, I highly recommend researching and planning before hand. Some stores nowadays are starting to sell items that are very similar. If I find something I like, I look at different websites or stores to see if they have something similar that is cheaper.
 Also planning what you are going to buy also helps because it makes you less likely to overspend. If you are set on just buying one top and one pair of jeans you are less likely to come out with the whole collection of scarves they've just put onto the shop floor as well.

My final tip would be to pay for as much as you can with cash. Paying with a card is so easy because it doesn't feel like you are spending money and you don't physically see the money leaving your account. If you pay with cash you can see exactly what you are spending and you are less likely to break into that £20 note which is sitting in your purse.

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.  

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!

Mini Beauty Haul

I'm not really sure how this haul happened. Friday evening I received an email from The Body Shop, telling me that they were offering free delivery on all orders over £5 AND they had 40% of everything! I was instantly drawn, as I could pick up one of their new lipsticks for only £6!

  Everything was set, the lippy was in my basket and I had my debit card out ready to pay when suddenly and I don't remember how or why I decided to go onto Superdrug's website. Big mistake. I found out that they were doing a buy one get one half price deal on all Rimmel makeup and this was enough to put off the Body Shop purchase and head into town myself the next day.

  I took Superdrug up on their offer and purchased a few new lipsticks and some new shower gel, not the most exciting or extensive haul, but I've been trying to save money.

Superdrug Own Brand Showers Gels
L-R: Orange & Satsuma
Strawberry & Raspberry

The first things that I picked up were these two shower gels, which are part of Superdrug's own brand. These shower gels are amazing because they lather really well and smell gorgeous. If you've ever used the Original Source shower gels, they are extremely similar to these and like Original Source they have a variety of different scents to try out. They are the perfect shower gel because they are super refreshing, especially the Orange and Satsuma one I picked up. These are also very affordable, costing only £1 each and currently Superdrug are doing a buy one half price on all of their own branded products.

I spent a fair while eyeing up the Rimmel section of Superdrug, trying to decide what to purchase. As I had nearly brought some lipstick the night before and didn't really need any other beauty products at the time, I decided to get two lipsticks as part of their buy one get one half price offer.
  For a long time I've heard rave reviews about the collection of lipstick Kate Moss released with Rimmel and so decided it was finally time to jump onto the bandwagon. These are usually £5.29 and so managed to get two for around £8. 

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in shade 01

Unfortunately when I went into the shop everybody has seemingly had the same idea as me so there wasn't many shades to choose from but I've wanted a new red lipstick for a long time so picked up shade 01. I also really liked the look of shade 08 but there wasn't any in Superdrug so I brought 03 instead.

  I then took a trip to Savers and purchased 08, just because I loved the shade and decided it needed to be in my life. Admittedly I did have to pay full price, but in my mind it was worth it. 





Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in shade 03

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in shade 08

Swatches L-R:
01, 03, 08

Although I haven't had a chance to test out these lipsticks properly yet, from the swatches I did above, I can already see that I picked up some gorgeous shades. They look super pigmented and I think that I've brought some shades that can be worn as part of an everyday makeup look. I will probably write a full review on these in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

NOTD: Lychee

I have really been loving this nail polish from Barry M. I've previously featured this particular one in my 'Top 5 Barry M Nail Polish' post, and it is the shade which I am currently wear on my nails.

 

The shade itself is called 'Lychee' and can be found in most drugstores in the UK such as Boots and Superdrug. This one came from http://www.superdrug.com/barry-m/barry-m-gelly-nail-paint-lychee/invt/612353 and cost £3.99

I really like the neutral shade of this nail paint and it looks really elegant and sophisticated. It also compliments my natural skin tone, and it applies evenly and lump or bubble free to my nails. I find that I always apply two coats of this polish though to ensure maximum coverage.

  It doesn't chip easily and I find the wear is good on this polish which makes it really great value for money. 

I would highly recommend this nail colour to anybody that wants a change from bright colours or if you just want to try something new. You won't be disappointed!