BARGAIN SUNGLASSES

Whilst browsing Matalan the other day, I found a pair of sunglasses I instantly fell in love with. I never spend much money on sunglasses because I either go off them, or leave them floating around in the bottom of my bag to get scratched. But, despite the £2 sale price tag of these (reduced from £8), I will be keeping them in good condition because they are just too darn nice. Sunglasses rarely suit me, so the fact I'm blogging about this pair is a huge statement.

They have quite a Kourtney Kardashian vibe to them in my eyes (excuse the pun), as they are slightly winged in the top outer corners, and they also don't have any plastic round the bottom which I think makes them look that little bit more chic. The lenses themselves are fairly round, but the black plastic on the top diverts away from this giving them that stunning shape.

I also quite like the gold arms, they just add to the style, and honestly I don't know why but wearing these makes me feel so fashion forward, that I don't want to take them off. These will definitely be coming with me to my trip to America in October, so despite the late purchase, I will be getting my wear out of them.

ORLY VA VA VOOM

I think it's safe to say that in the summer, a lot of us enjoy a neon nail colour, whether just on the toes or the fingers as well, for that poolside looking pop of colour. When in TkMaxx recently I stumbled across the Orly Nail Lacquer in Va Va Voom for £2.99 and didn't even have to question whether or not to buy it.

It is a neon medium pink, as the picture would suggest, but isn't the most strikingly neon polish I have ever seen, so good for those who are undecided on the neon trend, but beware, it still it pretty bright. It has a semi matte finish as do the majority of neons do but with a topcoat you can't tell any difference (I find the slightly blue toned Ciaté Black Light Top Coat does the best job as it adds an intense glossy shine and the hint of blueness makes things look even more neon).

I can tell in Summers to come this will be a much loved polish in my collection, and will help me step away from the greige and pastel offerings I had been opting for beforehand...

SLEEK BLUSH BY 3: LACE

Sleek blushes aren't stocked near me, but they are definitely some of my favourite blushes out there (my Face Form has huge circles gleaming silver in where I have hit pan for the reference), so when I saw the Blush By 3 in Lace for £5 in my local Tesco I nearly wept (with joy).

There are two matte shades, a bright vibrant orange called Chantilly, and a hot red-pink dubbed as Crochet. The formula of these two are nice, not too buttery nor too chalky but the right balance that allows them to really stain the cheeks and create a long lasting colour. The shimmer is called GUiPure or something(?!), but is a stunning colour. Think Sleek Rose Gold but lighter, and I really love the look of it swatched and kind of packed on - it reminds me of a sunset, what more could you want?

These could possibly be some of the brightest powder blushes I now own and I am really inspired to try more from the Sleek blush range now, let's hope Tesco get some more trios into the clearance so I can get a collection going! But, saying that I would definitely pay full price for these, as three blushes in one place for £9.99 is a brilliant deal, and what sounds like a travelling essential...

ORIGINS CLEAN ENERGY CLEANSING OIL

I do enjoy a good oil cleanser, there's always something about the whole process of cleansing with them that I really love, and my skin seems to be thankful whenever I use them as well. I've had this for well over a month now and I thought it'd be a good time to write a review now I've gathered my thoughts about it.

The scent isn't brilliant, but nothing I absolutely hate, just quite a natural scent. I use this as my second cleanse after a micellar water/eye makeup remover to remove the majority of makeup, and massaging this onto dry skin seems to be the way to get the best results.

I often find that using cleansing oils helps fade scarring, not this one so much but I have seen a slight difference. This doesn't leave a greasy residue nor does it strip the skin - it genuinely leaves the perfect nourished balance to the skin, which is why I love it so much, and I would say that it could work for pretty much all skin types.

I got this in a CCO so didn't pay full price, but I am fairly tempted to do so when it runs out as I use it morning and night as a staple step of my skincare routine and can't imagine life without it (a bit dramatic perhaps), but I have been really enjoying its stay on my skincare shelf.

Do you have any recommendations for cleansing oils for when this runs out?

 

A £3.50 MANICURE

I'm not a regular false nail wearer, but after seeing a few people wearing the Primark P.S Love 'Fashion Nails' I thought I would give them a go. I am very anti-glue so instead of putting myself through that, I picked up some of the Elegant Touch Super Adhesive Tabs, and I am so impressed and I think this may be my favourite ever false nails mani.

The first huge plus is that the whole lot cost me £3.49, with the tabs being £2.49 and a pound was spent on the nails. I went for these tribal/Aztec print ones as I thought they were a design I would stggle doing on my natural nails rather than a block colour which I could recreate easily.

As for lasting power, the tabs are incredible. I got two wears out of the pack, and on my most recent wear, I applied them on a Wednesday night and I peeled them off on Sunday (which was quite hard to do), and I am certain that they would last another day or two, I just wanted a change.

Although you have to do the whole peel off, stick on nail, peel layer off, stick on false nail, press on process, it really is worth it as I am so impressed by the finish and how they looked on the nails (I did cut them down a bit because I had exams etc. and I didn't want to be restricted from doing everything haha), and is so much more affordable than Impress nails that don't last anywhere near as long on me as these.

Will you be trying this manicure combo?

BEAUTY HAUL: CCO AND LOCAL

After not spending any money on beauty for a good 6 weeks, Megan and I went to Bicester Outlet Village for her birthday and had a little spend up, and both came out with bags full of bargains. I also popped to my local ASDA and got some clearance and roll back items so I thought they would be included too.

The first thing I got in the CCO was the Bumble and Bumble Classic Hairspray for £7.50. This isn't the largest size but as I am going away soon I thought it'd be more appropriate. I haven't tried anything from the brand prior to this and I'm pretty excited. I must say, the scent is a bit odd, but I'll post a full review shortly.

After running out of my DHC cleansing oil a while ago I noticed my skin was falling back into its bad habits and when I stumbled across the Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil for £15.75 I instantly took it to the till. It is a pretty large bottle might I add, so this will be lasting me for quite some time I predict.

I was also running low of my current Kiko Natural Concealer that I use to brighten the under eyes, so when I saw a Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener for £13.75 I instantly picked one up, as did Megan. On first impressions I do really like this. I also got the Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Gemstone for £10.50 on Megan's recommendation and it honestly does last such a long time.

From ASDA I saw the NSpa Deep Hydrating Facial Oil for a mere £5 and thought I would give it a go. To be 100% honest, I was sold by the pipette bottle (such a child), but I am looking forward to getting some hydration going on. I also found a Maybelline Colour Show nail polish in Urban Turquoise for £1.87 in the clearance and I have it on now, and I am so impressed. It was opaque in 1-2 coats, dried almost instantly and is such a unique colour in my collection. I have added more of the range to my wishlist already.

Oops, so many purchases. Might I add, I am thinking of getting some Nike Free Runs or Roshe Runs (have you tried them? Let me know your opinions), after seeing Anna style them so well countless times and I think I will be able to get a children's size saving me some money... the joys of tiny feet.

SCHWARZKOPF GOT2B OIL-LICIOUS TAME AND SHINE HAIR OIL

Everyday, at school, I will sit in assembly and stare at the 'split ends' I am oh-so paranoid about. No matter how frequently I get my hair cut, because it is so thick, it often feels dry and I get a little panicky about having split ends. Everyone tells me I don't, and Megan even got me this Schwarzkopf got2b Oil-Licious Tame and Shine Hair Oil probably to stop me banging on about my ends, haha. 

So, basically, this oil is meant to absorb instantly, leave your hair shiny and smooth, and also tame any 'wild' hair. I think it is safe to say (for me anyway), this does just that. I even used this while blow drying yesterday - something I rarely do, but I had to out to the supermarket with my mum and my hair was dripping, and boy, did it make my hair soft.

It has argan oil in it, which is an ingredient everyone has been going a bit cray about over the past year or so, and I can definitely see why. After using this oil, I just want to flip my hair luscious locks all over the place like I'm in an advert. It smells incredible too, but I can't put my finger on the scent.

If you haven't tried this... why not? At a budget price, with high claims and high quality, it is worth a shot whatever your hair type (or maybe a last minute stocking stuffer!)

P.S: Thanks so much for 300 followers! An early Christmas Present for me!

 

 

MAKING SAVINGS ON TOOLS

I'm sure every beauty blogger out there dreams of the Shu Uemura lash curlers, but our purses - not so much. In the same way, of course we all hope to get our mitts on a MAC Brow comb, but it's not realistic either. Although my options may not be equal in quality, they serve me well and I am going to share my thoughts anyway.

If you want a brow comb, and you have finished/dislike a cheap mascara, give the wand a clean. This will be your new brow comb, without the price tag. The one I use is from a Natural Collection mascara, which wasn't the best, but it does a jolly old job of combing though those brows. In the same way, grab a cheap clear mascara and use it as a brow gel, instead of paying £15 for the same product with a brand name on it.

Lash curlers. The torture device look-alike. Primark sell these ones for £1-£2 with a replacement of the rubber pad to make sure you don't cut those lashes off, not a finest moment to pin in the photo album. Although the pricier ones will no doubt work a bit better, for someone like myself on a budget , they serve me well, and should do until I have the money for new ones. You can even get No.7 or Models Own ones from the likes of Boots, for under a tenner, instead of the £20+ high end ones.

I know most of us are probably brand snobs, but it doesn't hurt to make a few savings here and there, I know I do, and I feel pretty good about it. No-one likes an empty purse, with a 2p coin and a staggering receipt lingering at the bottom.