Benefit Goodies in July's Glamour

I bet you're reading this thinking ' I have read this blog post about 50 times already!' but just incase you weren't aware, in July's issue of Glamour (which is available from today) contains a mini sample of a choice of three Benefit products! Wow!

These are: That Gal Primer, Pore Fessional PRO balm, and Bad Lash Mascara. I opted for Pore Fessional as I often have awful blemishes and wanted to give it a try without breaking the bank first! 

The magazine itself is only £2, so stock up while you can!

Have you got your copy of Glamour yet?

Zoe xxx

Bargain of the week: Pepsi Lip Balms

Now, pottering around Home Bargains early morning before work today, with my fellow bargain -loving friend (She will happily rummage through junk in 'cheap' shops with me to find a good bargain - a trait which is hard to find in a friend) I picked up my usual bottle of pop and mints, then helped my friend pick out some baskets she liked. At the till, I noticed on the side there were loads of little tiny lip balms shaped in the size of tiny cans! So cute! There were hundreds (OK, not literally hundreds, but there were a lot) of Mountain Dew ones, and I spotted only one of each of the Pepsi lip balms I picked out, which were Wild Cherry and Vanilla. 

They looked really cute and intriguing, and I thought, for 49 pence (yes, only a mere 49p for a cute lip balm!) I'll give it a wizz. 

I didn't buy the Moutain Dew lip balm because quite frankly, I hate the stuff. I'm sure the lip balm would be lovely, but even the site of the logo gives me flashbacks of drinking the (in my opinion) vile drink. 

So, here are the photos of the cute little lip balms.

They are typical lip balms, you take off the 'lid' of the 'can' (I've found the paper around the top lid isn't very secure on the 'can' but not really anything to moan about for 49p!), and then twist the bottom of the 'can' to increase or decrease the amount of balm. 

The balms themselves are quite nice. Nothing to write home about, but they are generally lovely little lip balms, which are slightly scented. They smell and tatse a little like cola bottle sweets, and , off course, the cherry balm smells slightly of cherries, the same with the vanilla balm.

I'm quite impressed with these little bargains, so definitely have a look out for these beauties if you are lip balm hoarder lover like me! :) 

Zoe xxx

Review: Sleek Au Naturel Palette

Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Palette 

As I mentioned in a recent haul post, I picked up this beauty I've wanted for months. Every time I go to any local Superdrug, they never seem to have it in stock. But my luck changed and I managed to get it!  A few of you requested me to do a review, so I will just do a brief review as I have not had it long, and provide some swatches for you :) 

This is the gorgeous packaging outerbox. I love sleeks i-Divine palettes, they look so sophisticated and slim to fit into any make-up bag. As with all i-Divine palettes, there is a mirror above the shadows, but I have not photographed this due to the flash ruining the picture. 

The palette includes 12 very neutral, usuable shadows. I absolutely love the colour selection it has, with both matte and 'pearl' shadows, you can use this palette to make a simple everyday eye-look, a smoky eye, or even use them for a night out. 

In terms of pigmentation, the darker colours on the bottom row are Very pigmented, I am really impressed. The lighter shadows on the top row are less pigmented, but this is commonly known with most drug-store make up brands. Particularly Nougat and Cappuccino, but I would tend to use these two colours as bases anyway, so I'm not too fussed :)

The lastability of these shadows is impressive for a palette which only costs around £6.50, as I have been using these shadows for the past four days now and they have not slid off through-out the day.

Swatches: Left to right: Noir, Regal, Mineral Earth, Bark, Moss and Conker.

Left to right: Taupe, Toast, Honeycomb, Cappuccino, Nubuck and Nougat.

All in all, I am quite impressed with this Sleek product. The only fault I could make would be that the two shades Nougat and Cappuccino could be more pigmented, but as said above, its easy to work with. 

I would defiitely repurchase this product in the future as the colours are very wearable and all colours would look nice mixed together to get a neutral day look, or an edgy smoky look.

8/10

Hope you enjoyed this review and the swatches! If you would like me to review any other Sleek products (I have built up quite the collection over the past week!) comment below!

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Shopping Ban Update: Week 11!

77 days down, a mere 23 to go!
Although this post is definitely not a positive one!
I brought 3 tops on my birthday, coming to a mere £20 (not bad for Next and Dorothy Perkins!) and also went for three meals out and a big night out up town. Lots of money spent, and feeling very sorry for myself!

So no money was saved this week I'm afraid :(

BUT I haven't purchased any body/skin care or cosmetics this week.. probably because I received so much for my birthday :)

Hope you are all well
xxxx

Review: MUA Lip Boom in Its a Situation

MUA Lip Boom - Its a Situation

Price: £3

MUA say: "Designed in collaboration with Alexandra Burke, the brand new Lip Booms from MUA are like nothing else on the High Street. With a lipstick on one end and a highlighting gloss on the other, they create the look of fuller, curvaceous lips. Use alone or all together for a striking, gorgeous look!...Make Up Academy Make Up Artist suggests applying the highlighter on top of the cupids bow for a fuller top lip, or applying in the centre of both lips for a plumped out full lip look."

The good: The price for starters is amazing for a lipgloss and lipstick duo. Its so easy to travel with, and the lipgloss almost compliments the lipstick. Its a beautiful pinky purple colour which would look lovely on any skin tone.

The not so good: The lipgloss applicator is not the best, for £3 its workable. The lipgloss has a bit of sparkle in it, which is lovely if you like that look, but its not really me. I don't find the product moisturising at all and does seem to dry my lips quite badly.

Repurchase? I would probably repurchase this product but in a slightly lighter shade.

All photographs are of my own.

Have you tried any of these lip booms out yet?

Let me know :)

xxx

Shopping Ban Update: Week 10!

Okay, the end is near!

This is a little early update than usual, I like to post these up on a Sunday afternoon, as that is the day I started the shopping ban, but as I am going away this weekend (eek! Excitedness has taken over) I wont be able to update you on Sunday, and probably not post for a few days as its my 21ST BIRTHDAY on Tuesday :D 

I don't quite get on well with the Schedule Post function on here - mainly because when I schedule something, it never posts it! Does anyone else have this problem? I just thought I'd bang this on here early any who. 

So... the ban... has gone completely out of the window. You wil know this I you read my last post. I went a bit mad in Superdrug, and picked up a few things from Primark, Lush, Poundland and Home Bargains in the week. Naughty naughty. Nothing too major but still. 

I don't know what came over me, I just didn't care any more, and the excuse I have consistently used this week is 'its my birthday soon' just doesn't quite cut the mustard in the guilty stakes, so I must apologize to both myself and you all. I feel such a let down!

I haven't lusted after anything this week, as I simply brought what I wanted, and no money was saved at all. 

The end of next week I have a few reviews lined up for you, including my new sleek products and a few other cheeky bits, and possibly a birthday post when I get round to it!

Hope you are all doing okay, and those of you sitting exams this week, best of luck!

How has your week been?

@zoelianne_x

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Haul Featuring Primark, Superdrug and Lush

Okay, so the spending ban went completely out of the window this afternoon. I met up with two of my best friends for lunch, and one thing lead to another and...yes, we went shopping. 

I didn't spend OTT, but picked up some lovely bits from Primark (Its my birthday soon so thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it), and aso just could not resist the 3 for 2 offer on mix and match cosmetics, and a few other deals. 

Here are the bits I picked up:

Superdrug:

2 packs of Baby Wipes £1.49 

So...? Fab Body Spray 

Sleek New Skin Rwvive SPF 15 Foundation in 981 White Rose

Sleek Lash Out Mascara 

Sleek  i-Divine Au Naturel Pallette

Primark

Leopard Print Dress

Two long 'Old Skool' vest tops in purple and white

Lush

Space Girl Bath Ballistic

Nice little shopping trip it was, although I do feel a little guilty - whoops!

What do you think of my buys?

Comment or tweet me :)

xxxxxx

Review: Soap & Glory Show Good Face Foundation

Price : around £11 for 30ml

Soap and Glory are a huge skin care favourite from me... and I must admit, I am a sucker for their make-up range. 

This is the Soap and Glory Show Good Face 2-in1 Skin Energizing Foundation and Primer (bit of a mouthful).

It retails at around £11 I believe, which is pretty much the same price range as other drugstore foundations.

It states: "After moisturising, use your fingertips to dab a few dots of SHOW GOOD FACE down the centre of your forehead, nose and chin. Blend centrally, then rub any excess outward onto your cheeks"

- Soap and Glory. 

For me, it is a beautiful foundation which blends well, does not dry too quickly, gives good coverage without looking too cakey, and matches my skin tone very well.

I use the shade 'The fairest of them all - Blanche neige'

I love how it a 2 in 1 product, as I can never be bothered to use primer in a morning! 

As for the packaging, like most Soap and Glory products, the box is beautiful, and the bottle is in the famous pink-and-black design.

Repurchase: Yes, I've brought a few of these foundations since first using it, and love it. 8/10. 

Shopping Ban Update: Week 9!

Just a short and sweet post today updating you on my shopping ban.
It is going okay, although I did dig deep into my pockets and had a total splurge out.. and spent £2 on myself. Ha ha I'm joking :)
I picked up two things from Pound-land, some Candy Kitten false eye lashes and Bic shaving gel. Very interesting yes? Ha ha.

Just a quick snap of the lashes... look pretty decent for £1!

My own Photograph

I have finished lectures at University now, so have a lot of free time and feeling very bored... I need to steer clear from the shops!

Photo found from We Heart It

Just a little quote that applies to my situation, which should be applied in every area of life!

I haven't actually lusted after anything this week in particular! I have eaten my own weight in junk food, so I'm feeling a little rubbish and my skin is looking awful! Self -inflicted!

Its my birthday one week today (on the 22nd May) and I am super excited... but feel a little lost that I will be turning 21 into a real grown up! :-( have you any ideas on how to celebrate in style?

Sorry for such a boring post today guys, hope you are all well.
As always if you have any questions comment below and I'll get back to you :)
xxx

Review: 'Active Cosmetics' Day Look Palette

Active Cosmetics : Glamour Day Look

(All my own photographs.)

This is a nifty little compact pallette I was lucky enough to receive as a Christmas gift. I do believe it was from Superdrug,

I thought I'd do a little round up on here just to show my love for it!

It has 5 neutral colours (shown above) which are perfect for every day or even a night out smoky eye look. 

On the left of the pallette it has a small mirror and instructions on how to apply the eye shadows to get a glamour day look. Genius. Great buy for a beginner in make - up or just someone like me that needs guidance!

I must say I absolutely ADORE these eye shadows, and I use them pretty much every day. I especially love chestnut and cinnamon. They are very pigmented, and have wonderful staying power as they last all day!

The pallette also came with a pink sheer lipgloss, a black pencil eye liner and a 2 coloured mascara. The mascara is very good, and the lip gloss and eye liner are okay, too, probably not the best lip gloss in the world but ideal and small enough to fit in your clutch for a night out! 

Repurchase: Yes! Probably only for the eye shadows though :)

These are no longer available in Superdrug as they were a Christmas special, but you can pick hem up on amazon and ebay!

You can see them on amazon here.

Comment or tweet me @zoelianne_x

xxxxxxx

Fragrance on a Budget: Paris Hilton

Paris Hiltons Orginial Scent!

Retails: around £18-23 (for 100ml)

Fragrance Notes: Frozen Apple, Peach Nectar, Freesia, Mimosa, Jasmine, Tuberose, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang and Oakmoss

Repurchase: YES!

"Mysterious.

Intriguing.

Beautiful.

Paris Hilton".

 

In an essence, exactly what it says on the tin (or bottle, ahem.). This girly scent is everything you would expect a Paris Hilton perfume to be. The notes of this fragrance are very floral and fruity, and the stay-power is impressive for a cheaper perfume. It is a Eau De Parfum Spray, which means that the scent is much more stronger than a EDT is, which is good! 

The packaging is very sweet and girly, and would look pretty on top of any girls dresser. The bottle itself is sleek and sophisticated, definitely a 10/10.

The onyl downfall to this scent is that it can be difficult to get hold of, and hasn't been stocked in Boots or Superdrug for some time. 

In conclusion, I will always continually repurchase this as I love it so much.

Hope you enjoyed this post, more to come soon!

What is your favourite bargain scent?

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Shopping Ban Update: Week 8!

Hello beautiful readers, I am really, really excited at the thought of finishing University in a weeks time! I just have one exam and one essay (I say just, oh dear!) left to do, and hopefully aslong as I pass it all I should be done for good! Very exciting times ahead :)

My shopping ban this week... well, not the best, I will be honest. I brought a top for £5 from Primark, a blanket for my bedroom for £3, and just an absolutely ridiculous amount of food and drink! I think I am trying to make up for the fact I cant spend on anything else, so I am bulk buying in food and drink I don't need!

I was also very naughty at the start of the week, and took advantage of the fact that my other half was picking me up from work, and brought a huge organiser, magazine rack for my room from WH Smiths. I also picked up a pen holder which I may use for makeup brushes. I may do a blog post soon about these storage items, and perhaps my make up storage if you would like? Let me know :)

I feel so so guilty, I haven't saved barely any money at all and definitely need a pick me up! 

I've also, as you know, been trying to use up old products I already have in my room and it pains me to say I have no make up wipes left! I am the laziest person ever, and I am so annoyed that I have to cleanse and tone to take it off now, too much effort. Very lazy and bad for my skin, I know! 

I'm running low on loads of body things I think I will have to get some bits soon. 

To be honest, I am really struggling at the minute. I am so bored out of my mind bored of not being able to spend any money, not that I have any anyway! Its coming up to my 21st birthday, which is on the 22nd of this month, and I have so much planned, but no idea how I intend on paying for it all. I wish money never existed!

Have any of you got any ideas of any alternative ways of spending my birthday without spending too much money?

Two quotes I thought contrasted nicely about the different attitude towards money.  Which one do you agree with more?

Both pictures provided by We Heart It

I haven't got any weekly lusts this week really, just about everything haha! I haven't been up to much either except for work 5 days this week, uni, seeing my OH and I went out for a friends birthday for drinks on the weekend.

How has your week been?

Comment below :)

xxxxx

Review: Bloom Foundation

Bloom Liquid Foundation in Base One

Has anyone else discovered the gorgeous cosmetic brand Bloom?

I picked myself a foundation up from their range recently, and thought I would review it for you all.

I picked base one which is seemed the lightest shade available, and it cost £16 from Superdrug. I was little sceptical at first, as it was a little pricey for a brand I'd never used or heard of before. 

First impressions were not good, as I picked up this foundation which the box was filthy, covered in foundation and scuffed. I asked for a new one to a member of staff but they had none left, but thought I'd get it anyway. I then, once home, opened the box and the bottle was really unclean too.  I wasn't overly impressed at this as it wouldn't wash off. Maybe I am just fussy though!

 

I found the actual foundation Very watery, but is a nice foundation but only for a light coverage. It is a lovely match to my skin tone, I must admit. The pump is good but lets out a lot of product. 

(The product on my hand above)

Repurchase: Maybe. 6/10. 

Hope you enjoyed!

Have you tried any other Bloom products?

Comment or tweet me! 

xxxx

Disclaimer: All photographs are of my own. 

Review: Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 08

Review: Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in 08

Price: £5.49 from Boots or Superdrug


The good: The classic, black lipstick bullet looks sleek and sophisticated, and a rival to 'high end' lipsticks. he packaging itself is beautiful; a very simplistic black bullet with Kates signature in red on the top half, and off course the famous Rimmel crown on the top.
The shade 08 is beautiful, a very easy, every day wear colour. The lipstick lasts a good 3 to 4 hours, which is good for a drugstore lip product. It is best teamed up with a clear lipgloss I have found, I really would reccomend this shade, I believe it would suit anyone. The formula used is lovely, and is nice used just lightly, or built up the shade really does compliment itself.


The not so good: I have found it quite difficult to find many faults in this lipstick in particular, it has quite literally lived upto my expectations. I would probably say that the swatch of the colour on th ebottom of the bullet does not give the lip colour justice, but now I'm just being picky.


Repurchase: Yes! Very wearable and a good lasting lipstick. 7/10

All photographs are my own.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Have any of you tried any of this Kate Moss range of lipsticks? 

Let me know

Comment or tweet @zoelianne_x

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