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!

xxxx

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

xxxxxxxxx

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