NEW IN: Sleek Brow Intensity and Lip VIP in Ready To Rock

It is no secret that I love writing about my love for Sleek makeup products on my blog - just check out my product directory; I've featured so many Sleek products on here over the Years, you can really tell its one of my fave brands. I have two new products to share with you today, and heads up - I am really impressed with both of them.

I adore this shade of lipstick, isn't it just beaut. The shade 'Ready To Rock' is a dark nude pink/mauve colour. I find it a really great shade for everyday wear, it isn't quite a matte finish and leaves a shimmer to the lips. I can't praise Sleeks Lip VIP Lipsticks enough - they stay put on the lips, last a fair amount of time and have a gorgeous and vast amount of different shades to choose from, and all for the tiny price tag of £5.50. I'm planning on writing a separate post dedicated to my Sleek Lip Vip lipsticks with lots of swatch photos, watch this space.

Another new product from Sleek is the Brow Intensity. This handy little tool has a tiny mascara-like wand with a sponge tip on one end to shape and define the brows with the coloured fibre gel, and a highlight on the other to define your brows. I really like this product, particularly the brow gel product as it is a great match for my brows, isn't messy and actually lasts really well throughout the day and keeps my 'brows at bay. The highlight is great to use under and over the brow arch too, I only wish it was a slightly lighter shade highlight, but this is just a personal preference.
Brow Intensity comes in five different shades which I think is pretty good considering a lot of brow products tend to come in only two or three shades.

*PR samples*

NEW: Natural Collection Brow and Highlight Products

Natural Collection are one of my favourite brands when it comes to powder and eye liner - but something I was excited to try from them where their brand new eye brow and highlight collection. I am a huge brow grooming fan and always keen to try out every brow-kit going, so I was eager to give the Natural Collection Brow Kit, Brow Pencil and Brow Gel a whirl.

The brow kit is good value for money costing just £1.99; it comes with a powder and wax which have a great pigmentation and when using this kit, my brows look natural and stay in place all day.
I don't always use a brow pencil, but when I do, I like to achieve a neat and tidy finish, which is so easy with the Natural Collection brow pencil. It is super soft and doesn't drag on the skin either - bonus. Probably my favourite product from the eyebrow range is their brow gel. It is a great tool to define and fill in the brows. The medium brown shade is a perfect match for my 'brows too.

Along with the brow products, Natural Collection also recently released their new highlighter sticks in shades rose glow, copper glow and coral glow. These are so easy to use if you are a highlighter novice like me; simply apply to the skin and blend to give a subtle shimmer and glow. My favourite of the three is coral glow, I think it is the perfect highlight for Summer!

*PR sample*

Get That Natural Glow with Natural Collection

When I first started getting into make-up, I would head to Boots and pick out some lipsticks, blushers and mascara and would be overjoyed playing with different colours and trying out different looks. Not much has changed since then; I still spend a lot of my time scanning the beauty stands in Boots looking for that perfect bronzer or the eyeliner of my dreams. A brand which has always stuck out to me is Natural Collection They are incredibly affordable and their products are good quality and great value for the money.

With the Summer ahead of us, I am hoping to achieve that natural and radiant glow with Natural Collection. With their products costing only £1.99 each, these are perfect for an every day work look, on holiday or even a night out.

Base - Use a tinted moisturiser in place of your foundation to give a more natural look, and a good setting powder like this one is perfect to apply to keep your make-up looking flawless whatever the weather. This tinted moisturiser gives a great finish without looking cakey and the pressed powder is one I have used many times before.
Bronze - Create a healthy summer glow by using this super affordable bronzer - you can even contour with this.
Blush - Apply a dash of blush to the apples of your cheeks, I can't recommend Natural Collection's blushers enough! I love a girly pink blusher, for me a blush completes my make-up, this one is perfect for the holiday season.

I absolutely adore the Natural Collection base products, have you ever tried them?

*PR sample*

What I Bought From The Lush Sale

I spent far too much time trying to make a purchase from the half price sale online at Lush. I finally managed to make an order and I was so pleased when my products arrived. I had never ordered from Lush online before so I did wonder how long it would take, and how the products would arrive. Everything arrived in one piece so I was pleased.

I picked up a few100ml bottles of Snow Fairy; like a lot of people this is one my favourite shower gels - I couldn't resist!
The bath bombs I picked up were Dashing Santa, Golden Wonder and Cinders. My room smells amazing with all of these bath bombs!
I picked up two gift sets - one being the Snow Fairy Castle gift set, which includes all of my favourite Snow Fairy scented items - this has to be my favourite Lush gift set of all time.
I also bought the Firecracker gift set. I picked this one because it included two bath bombs and a bubble bar. I tend to pick gift sets with just bath bombs, shower gels or bubble bars as I know I will get my use out of them as they are my favourite Lush products.

Did you buy anything from Lush in the sale?

Boxing Day Sales Haul

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! Today I wanted to share the few items I picked up in the Boxing Day sales. We don't have plans for Boxing Day in our family so me and my Sister decided we would wake up early and pop to the shops to see if we could pick up some bargains.

I am a huge Soap and Glory fan (if you hadn't already noticed!) so my first stop was Boots with the main aim to pick up a few of the half price gift sets. I managed to get three out of the four sets that I wanted, which were the Once Upon A Lime gift set, the Zest A Girl Can Get gift set, and finally the Soaprise cracker gift set. I know this is a lot of Soap and Glory, but they are my favourite brand and I have saved so much buying them at half price!

From Superdrug I picked up this Baylis & Harding set for only 99p - what a bargain! I love a pamper so I tend to stock up on bath and body products during the Christmas sales. I also purchased the Cheryl Cole perfume set online for just £10, so impressed with the price.

Finally, I bought a few DVDs and a CD I have been wanting for a while, they weren't in sale but I thought I would include them anyway. I love This Is England!

I also made an order online with Lush... I will share what I bought in their sale in another post soon!
What did you manage to buy in the sales this Year?

Sunkissed New Double Sided Tanning Mitt and First Thoughts

I am a huge fan of Sunkissed - I have used their make-up products since I was a teenager, and adore their reasonably priced and really good quality tanning products. When I heard they were bringing out a double sided tanning mitt, I knew I had to give it a go! I always say that a double sided tanning mitt* would be so useful, so it is great that one of my favourite tanning brands have released one.

A double sided tanning mitt is great because you can get to those hard to reach places yourself - for example, you can tan your back without having to switch your arm around (tanners you know what I mean!). This means applying tan is much easier and quicker to do on your own. There has been no leaking or damage with this mitt - it really is good quality. This mitt has lasted me really well and washes great too. I use my Sunkissed Self - Tan Mousse and the mitt together and it gives me a very even and natural looking finish, with no streaks to be seen at all.
As the mitt is double sided, this means it lasts twice as long too as you have both sides to use.

The Sunkissed Double Sided Tanning Mitt is available to buy online on their website here for £4.99, and is also available at Primark.

*Includes some PR samples*

Nspa Fresh Apple and Watermelon Shower and Bath Gel

I have been meaning to write the blog post for quite a while. Nspa released a selection of limited edition products last Summer and this was my absolute favourite. I wasn't sure whether to share this review as this may be more difficult to get your hands on now, but hopefully Nspa will re-release it again some time soon.

Nspa are one of my favourite budget - friendly brands for shower gel and body mists. I love their Fruit Extracts range and anything that smells a little zesty and fresh is always something I am interested to try. The Fresh Apple and Watermelon Shower & Bath Gel ticks all of those boxes for me; it smells amazing and is perfect for a wake up shower. I really like Nspa shower gels as they lather really well and last such a long time; as the bottle is 500ml you get plenty of use. The scent of apple and watermelon is a great fruity twist that is really refreshing and sweet. The product gives a delicate fragrance to your skin after cleansing, which isn't too overpowering.

You may not be able to get your hands on this now, but luckily Nspa have recently launched more in their Fruit Extracts range and I have quite a wishlist of what I want to try! Nspa products are available at ASDA here.

Bentley Organic Shampoo with Tea Tree, Lemon and Mint

I have a real love of hair products which contain tea tree and mint; I love the distinguished scent it leaves on your hair and it makes my hair feel really clean. I know that tea tree is supposedly really good for hair growth, as it is said to help unclog hair follicles. I was browsing online and saw the Bentley Organic Shampoo which has the scents of tea tree, lemon and mint, and instantly wanted to try it.

I have tried Bentley Organic products in the past and really enjoyed using them. Bentley Organic are a natural and organic brand that do not test on animals and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
I like the simplicity of the packaging, and I think the size of the bottle (250ml) means it will last a good while.

The shampoo lathers quite well and the scent is fairly strong, (but not overpowering) and lasts on the hair. After using this shampoo, my hair felt extremely clean. I think this shampoo is a great daily - use shampoo as it does cleanse the hair well and doesn't leave my hair feeling heavy.
I do suffer from an irritated scalp, and have found no further irritation from using this product. Knowing that their are no nasty chemicals included in the ingredients of this shampoo is really satisfying and I would be happy to use this product again.

Overall, I really do like this shampoo. It isn't an outstanding, holy-grail product, but I would use it again and recommend to anyone that likes their hair products to be made from natural sources. It cleanses the hair really well and has a nice, refreshing scent, so a big thumbs up from me!

The Bentley Organic Shampoo with Tea Tree, Lemon and Mint is available to buy online here from MyPure and has a RRP of £5.20.

*Post includes PR sample*

Beauty Bargains of the Week

Hi everyone! Being the bargain hunter that I am, I have found a few good beauty deals this Week that I thought I would share with you. I have had some time off work this Week which meant I spent an evening wasting spending time online window shopping on the internet (Oops). 

• MUA Limited Edition 5th Birthday Palette - Free 5th Birthday Palette when you spend £8+ on selected MUA makeup. Superdrug Online
• Beyonce Heat Eau de Parfum 100ml - 100ml EDP half price was £40 now £20. Superdrug Online
• Tanya Burr Lip Gloss - Reduced Was £6.99 Now £1.99. Fragrance Direct
• No 7 Summer Beauty Bag with four mini products - Free when you buy 2 selected No 7 products. Boots Online

Happy Shopping!

Tesco Pro Formula Range

I'm no stranger to using own-brand beauty products, and thought I would share a few of my favourite products from Tesco. I tend to pick a lot of things up from Tesco, as their Pro Formula range is very reasonably priced and are really good products that have worked well for me. 

The Pro Formula Radiance Toner is a great product to cleanse and refresh the skin. It is really inexpensive but does a great job of removing make-up. 

The Pro Formula Exfoliating Facial Scrub is a really great product. As you can see from the picture my tube has seen better days as I have had it a while now, It cost around £2 and is just as good as other facial scrubs I have tried which were much more expensive than this. 

The Pro Formula Anti Dandruff Shampoo is a product I pick up usually once a Month because I suffer from a sensitive scalp. I often struggle with hair products as they often make my skin flare up, but this shampoo is great for sensitive skin and helps to keep dandruff at bay too.

The Pro Formula Purifying Day Cream is a light mosituriser which I use on a Morning before I apply my make up. It doesn't cling to dry patches and doesn't make my skin any more oily, while still leaving my skin feeling soft and refreshed.

All of the products I have tried from the Pro Formula range are really inexpensive but deliver with great results. I definitely recommend looking into the range if you are looking to alternate from high - end products to save a little money, as these few products from Tesco do a fine job and are just as good.

Have you ever tried any own - brand beauty products from the supermarket?

Easy Home Super Cleanser

Cleansing facial brushes are pretty huge in the beauty world right now. I have really wanted a face brush to cleanse my skin with for such a while now, but with some costing over £120, it is just way over my price range. I was hoping to find a more reasonably priced alternative, but didn't have much luck on that front. I actually tried to hunt down the Sanitas Cleansing Brush from Lidl which I saw Hannah from Away With the Fairies Blog feature in this post, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find it. 

I was delighted when I came across the Easy Home Super Cleanser which my Sister actually found in Aldi, for a complete bargain. The brush comes with 6 different attachments to achieve a full face cleanse. The heads for the cleansing brush include: facial massager, hydration sponge, sensitive cleansing brush, medium cleansing brush, hard cleansing brush, and wrinkle reducer. 

The brush is really easy to use with a simple on/off switch. It is wireless but require 2 AA batteries (which are included). The kit also comes with a storage cradle to keep in the bathroom which is really handy. 

I use the brush with a variety of different cleansers and moisturisers. It makes my skin feel clear and soft. 

I have used this cleanser brush for over a Month now and I have noticed my skin feels much, much more cleansed after use and I don't have to wash my face further, other than eye make-up. It removes heavy make - up which is really impressive. My face feels very soft and mosturised after I use this. Both me and my Sister have one of these tools and both have found it a really good product and have received many a compliment on our clearer skin. 

I would definitely recommend this facial cleanser to anyone that hasn't tried one before. Of-course I have no idea if this is on par with the likes of Clarasonic and other brands, but it works for me and my skin so I am really impressed with it. I am not sure if this facial cleanser will be available nationwide in all Aldi stores as it has also been difficult to track down online, but its worth a look if you are popping in anyway. 

Free Nails Inc Nail Polish and £3, £15, or £100 voucher for the Body Shop with Glamour Magazine!

This Months Glamour Magazine (December 2014) comes with a free Nails Inc Nail Polish, as well as a voucher card for The Body Shop. Every card is loaded with either £3, £15, or £100 to spend at The Body Shop in store (full priced products only). The magazine also comes with a 20% off H&M voucher on a minimum of £20 spend, and a Pantene Conditioner sample. 

I think this magazine is definitely worth picking up as it costs just £2. Two Pound! All of The Body Shop cards are worth atleast £3 so that is such a bargain in itself! 

The Nails Inc Nail Polish is worth £11 and is full size. There are four shades available. I chose the shade Marylebone Mews.

To find out how much is on your card, simply ask a sales assistant in store who will tell you how much it is worth. My voucher card was worth £3, so I picked up a shower cream which then cost me just a pound! 

Have you picked up your copy yet?

Poundland Bargains

Beauty Bargains from Poundland

Being a complete bargain hunter and magpie to anything beauty related, I thought I would share these gems I found in my local Poundland recently. 

I have heard great things about the Eylure Pre - Glued Lashes, but false lashes aren't something I wear often enough to justify spending over £5 for. I was happy to see them in Poundland, and am looking forward to putting these pre - glued lashes to the test, and seeing if they are easier to apply than using glue.

I also spotted some Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, and being a complete lip balm fiend I just had to pick one up. I already own two of these and I really do like them. Admittedly I did not need any more lip balms and these are a little over - hyped but I couldn't believe what a great bargain it was to find them for one single British pound coin - I couldn't leave it on the shelf. The packaging is clearly different, but the product is exactly the same as the ones I already own, so I definitely recommend picking one of these up if you see them in your local store. 

Have you spotted any beauty bargains in your local Pound Shops recently?

Real Techniques Bargains from TK MAXX!

Hi everyone! I tweeted last week that I had spotted a few Real Techniques brush sets in my local TK Maxx. I found two sets of the Core Collection, two sets of the Starter Set and two sets of the Travel Essentials sets. All sets were priced at £14.99 in TK Maxx, which is a fantastic saving as they usually retail at a starting price of around £20.99 each at boots and Superdrug. 

I already own the Core Collection and the Starter Set so I already knew they are fantastic value for money at their RRP price anyway; so I thought I would purchase another Starter Set,and as eye brushes are something I have very few of, I thought I would make the most of the great deal. I did notice the packaging was slightly different; featuring a picture of both Sam and Nic Chapman; which I found odd as it is usually just a picture of Sam. I thought that maybe this is very old packaging/old stock that they are trying to get rid of now, and maybe that is why I found them in my TK Maxx.

Once I got home I actually compared the packaging to my first Starter Kit and noticed more differences, and also realized that one of the brushes in the TK Maxx set is completely different to the set I already had, and is in Boots and Superdrug currently. The TK Maxx set houses the Fine Liner Brush, where in the current set, is replaced by the Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush - because I already have the brush I didn't mind having a different one as I don't really use the Pixel Point brush anyway, and also found that they do sell the Fine Liner Brush on its own for £6.99.

I have included a few photographs below so that you can see the differences. If you don't mind the change in one of the brushes or that the packaging is clearly very old, I would suggest checking out your local TK Maxx as it is a great bargain!

Left is current packaging, right is the set from TK Maxx 

w7 Showing Out Mascara

w7 Showing Out Mascara in Blackest Black

I am a big w7 fan, but I do find it difficult to get hold of their products. I found a few reviews from bloggers who had discovered the website Xtras that stocked a lot of w7's products, so I ordered this mascara. It cost only £2.80 which I think is a great bargain for a mascara.

As you can see, the wand is quite thick and the brush is quite fat. The top of the brush has a little dome shape, which is great for getting into the corners and applying to the bottom lashes. 

This mascara helps to achieve very voluminous, long and thick lashes. It can get a little messy as it is a large brush, but if you are light handed application is very easy.

Have you found any bargain beauty websites thanks to reading blogs?

MUA Eye Brow Pencil in Brunette

MUA Eye Brow Pencil in Brunette

I really enjoy trying out different brow products, as I am a huge brow fiend and am constantly filling my brows in. I decided to give MUA's Eye Brow Pencil a whirl, as it costs only a single British pound I thought it was worth a go. I usually use a powder to fill my brows with, and a pencil isn't usually something I would use. I filled in my brows with the pencil as you can see from the photograph above (gosh aren't they a state! Please excuse my wiry brows!), and I just didn't like it being used for this job. It looked a little bit 'drawn on' when I filled my entire brow using the pencil. I tried using the pencil after using a powder which works much better, as it defines the brow a little. 

I probably wouldn't reach for this product every day, nor would I use it alone to fill my eye brows with. I think it is a good tool if you like perfectly outlined brows. The colour was also a little too light for my eye brows too. 

What are your thoughts on eye brow pencils? Would you use them alone without a powder?

Chupa Chups Strawberries and Cream Candle

As a child, the strawberry and cream Chupa Chup lollipops were always my favourite, I had such a sweet tooth. I was beyond delighted to see a strawberries and cream candle when I was out shopping a few days ago... and in Poundland of all places! Bargain.

The candle itself looks very similar to the Forever Friends candles that Poundland stocked a while ago.

This scent is quite sweet. It doesn't last too long and it certainly isn't overpowering but it is a very pleasant scent and great for just a pound. Just thought I would give you all a heads up on these nifty little candles as they smell nice, last well and are so affordable!
Where do you buy your candles from? 

Natural Collection Lipstick in Crimson

Natural Collection Lipstick in Crimson

Natural Collection and their £1.99 lipsticks are fantastic value and well worth the money. Albeit they do not last all day, but have a good few hours staying power before having to reapply. They feel quite moisturizing on the lips, and don't tend to dry your lips out, or cling onto dry skin. I really love this particular colour, Crimson, as it is a true red with a blue undertone to it. I don't find the colour bleeds at all for me, but have seen a few other reviews of this lipstick where others have experienced a little bleeding of the colour. Once it has been worn a few hours it does leave a slight pink stain to the lips which I actually like. I think this lipstick is great value for money, especially if you aren't that adventurous to try bright lipsticks, its only a few pound to give it a whirl. I own quite a few of the Natural Collection lippies and I am a big fan. 

OPI from the Pound Shop?

Bargain Of The Week!

Just thought I would give you guys a heads up to let you know there are O.P.I nail polishes in poundland stores right now!

They are the Shatter polishes and my store had an array of colours, such as red, green, black, and the one I opted for, silver.

The nail polishes are still available online for the price of around £8, so for a good quality nail brand you are saving yourself 7 squid!

Image Source from here

Rumour has it there are also some Dainty Doll products found in some Poundlands too...



Weekend Bargain Find: Oversized Tote Bag from Matalan!

Bargain Of The Week!

Oversized Structured Tote Bag £16

Matalan

Image from Matalan

Hi everyone!

I had been lusting over quite a fair few Zara bags recently, but me being me who likes a bargain and wanted to have a look if I could find cheaper alternatives, I trawled the interwebs to stare at pretty handbags. As you do.

This bag is no dupe for a Zara bag - I just think it looks as good as a Zara bag. It is over - sized and sturdy, looks fab and the best bit - only £16!

It is a plain black oversized handbag with plenty of room for books and folders, so it could be used as a students bag, work bag, holiday bag?

As you can see it has both a long and short strap so ideal for every day.

I thought I would share it as thought it was a complete bargain for such a stylish bag.

You can buy this online or instore at Matalan.