WORKOUT GEAR ON A BUDGET

I've always wanted to be a regular work out do-er, but have never had the gear, the effort nor time and to be honest I deemed it as expensive and thought I needed branded clothing and a gym membership. A while back I started doing cardio videos in my living room from Youtube and got into it, but I only vest tops and leggings which served me well but wasn't quite cutting it. I searched around and ended up getting the bulk of my equipment at a really good price.

The Workout Mat you see behind is from Primark, and usually these cost £5 but mine was reduced to a mere £2, so a total bargain. If you can't get a Primark mat, I suggest looking in TkMaxx as I know mine has a lot of fitness wear as well as equipment. I also got a sports bra/top from Asda actually, and this cost me £6 and is a standard grey stretch material that is absorbent as well as giving plenty of support.

The rather exciting trousers/leggings are from Primark too, and these were £7. They were the nicest pair they had in my store, as I didn't want just black and they fit really nicely when I tried them on. They are hard to describe, but they sort of have a monochrome pattern which almost looks like a water marble nail design. These are cropped and sit around my mid shin, although I am 5'4" with short legs so bear that in mind.

I have been really enjoying working out at home with this gear, and I feel much more comfortable doing so too. This lot cost me £15, so is definitely worth it (although I have ordered some Nike Free Runs which could arrive any day now and if I like them/keep them I will certainly to a post on them). Right now I do a mix of dance cardio workouts and a Candice Swanepoel toning workout which really feels effective - you can certainly feel the burn.

BORN PRETTY STORE BRUSHES

Recently I had some brushes sent to me from Born Pretty Store, in the form of this 5pc face kit*. I wasn't expecting much as they were extremely budget priced, but I'm actually a huge fan and have been getting a fair amount of use out of the collection. If you use the code EVANH10 you can also get 10% off the store.

My favourite brush is the one pictured in the first demo picture, and the one on the far right on the top picture. It's quite a dense, tall pointed yet round foundation brush, and one I imagine to be quite similar to the currently hyped Louise Young LY34 brush, making it perfect for a quick foundation application. The second demo shows the round buffer brush, which is slightly smaller than the rest. I like to use this for cream/liquid highlighters, especially Benefit High Beam.

The flat top brush is quite a nice one for concealer, and I also like the angled slightly rounded top pne for cream blush, especially the more natural colours as it is the perfect shape for focusing the colour along the cheekbone and up onto the temples for that cold flushed look. I assume the flat top angled brush would be rather good for this purpose too.

All the brushes aren't too dense that they are unworkable, so they aren't stiff when blending, but they are just the right density to get a flawless finish. I've really been enjoying the multi-use aspect of this brush set, not to mention I quite like the sleek monochrome look of them.

THE ANNUAL LUSH STOCK UP

I don't often go to Lush, mainly because there isn't a local one for me, and also because sometimes I simply can't justify £4 odd for a one use bath bomb, which is why I tend to stick to the multi-use bubble bars once the Boxing Day sales come around. This year me and my family endured the sales on the 27th and there was still plenty of Lush smelling goodness left over, and all this stuff cost me a mere £8.21 of Christmas money.

The first thing I found was one I haven't used, the Snowman FUN - a blatant novelty interpretation of the regular FUN that can be used as bubbles, a shower gel alternative, and also as shampoo. I tried FUN last year and this big chunk only cost £2.50 so I thought I'd give it a go. It's fruity sweet scent makes me love this even more. Will I be sculpting a snowman family on the side of the bath? We'll see.

So White was the only bath 'ballistic' I could justify, simply because it's my all time favourite. The crisp apple scent makes my heart skip a beat and it is always exciting to watch this one unveil its pink tint in the depths of my bath water.

A more nourishing alternative is the Melting Snowman - a slightly spicy, cinnamon bath melt that not only looks adorable (despite the lacking carrot nose) but also leaves the skin feeling soft, and the comforting warm aroma of this makes it perfect for the evening relaxation in the colder days. This one was rather cheap, coming in at about £1.20.

Another repurchase from previous years is the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar. This smells rather basic; think soap with added sophistication of ylang ylang and jasmine, making it the perfect remedy for a good nights sleep.  For £1.48 I couldn't resist.

Finally, a personal favourite although not to everyone's taste - Candy Mountain Bubble Bar. This is the one I always set out with the intention to buy; not only is it pretty to look at but personally I cannot resist the sweet, sugary candy floss bubbly scent, and for something short of £1.50 I probably should have picked up another, as I do think the Bubble Bars have the best value, and this one is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

I look forward to my upcoming weeks/months of bathing in the evenings and I might even crack one out tonight...

WET N WILD LIP PRODUCTS

If there's one thing I have way too many of, make it lipsticks. In a recent trip to Florida I took advantage of the non-UK products and got myself a quartet from Wet n Wild, the majority of which I love.

I'll start with the one I don't wear very much, which is Think Pink (3rd Clockwise). It's too pale for me and just washes me out and looks too barbie, but it is a stunning colour for those who can pull it off.

Starting back from the top is my absolute favourite of them all, Purty Persimmon. A punchy orange red that I never would have guessed would suit me, but boy does it. This has quicky become my favourite bright lipstick and I often even reach for it more often than my nudes at the weekends - it really is a 'feel good' colour for me.

Another nice one from the same line is Mauve Outta Here, a subtle pink purple that appears slightly more plummy on the lips, but still everyday, neither too bright or dark. I really like the formula of these too, they are really thick and almost matte, and although it takes some work for application, the finish and lasting time as well as gorgeous colour wins me over time and time again.

From the Fergie Centre Stage collection is Ferguson Crest Cabernet. It has a more eccentric packaging and a glossier finish to the actual lipstick. This is a deep purple, reminding me slightly of MAC Rebel but a little lighter in colour (although it does show a little darker if layered on the lips) and I'm coming to terms with this one slowly but surely.

If you live in the US and want some budget friendly lipsticks, definitely go and check out the Wet n Wild stand, and have a browse among the endless colours.

DAINTY NECKLACES

The stages of statement necklaces have more than passed for me, and nowadays I tend to crave the dainty, tiny accents round my collar, and when in America I found some perfect candidates in Forever 21 for the equivalent of about a £1-£2 so I picked up a good little trio.

The first is two rings kind of interlinked into each other. This is different to anything I've seen before so I couldn't resist it of course. I've been wearing this with my beige-y coloured jumper and LOVING it to be fair. I also like to wear this with the tiny triangle necklace as they look rather nice with one shorter than the other. They both have a normal chain, and I love how they look barely-there.

The other is on a different more boxy chain, and is a small 'v'. This one is like others I have seen before but I think it's a good staple to own so of course I chose that one too. I wish I had looked at the other jewellery in Forever 21 as there were some really affordable pieces in there, and if you get a chance to go in there either in London or elsewhere, definitely browse the masses of jewellery.

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...

SEPHORA SOFTENING FACIAL MIST

During my recent trip to Madrid in a local Sephora, I spotted what could possibly be a summer essential, and for a few euros I couldn't pass it up, and so decided to give it a whirl.

Generally I don't tend to buy into the 'cooling face mist' concept as it is just water in a spray can, but the Sephora Softening Facial Mist has Lotus Extract included so it made the purchase more justifiable as there was a little more added to it. In the heat of Madrid this really did come in handy to spray on my face and sometimes even chest when I was getting a little flustered.

There isn't any alcohol in this so it doesn't dry out the skin, and has a light fresh scent which is quite comforting when you spray it. The spray nozzle dispenses just the right amount of product as a light fine mist - nothing too vigorous or heavy, and absorbs into the skin in a matter of seconds making it perfect for on the go.

I have been using this occasionally when the heat picks up in the UK, but sparingly of course because once again I have found a product I can't purchase here and at the moment as I'm saving for a trip to the US, a Sephora order is just not on the cards...

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?

DIY RIPPED KNEES

The ripped-knee jeans trend has been something I have wanted to jump into myself for a while now and as they have been hitting the shelves more these past months I have been even more intrigued, but being on a saving spending ban there was no way I could buy  myself a pair. After Megan sent me an iMessage of her DIY ripped knees I headed to Google and gave them a go myself to revamp some old Primark skinnies.

The process was simple, I popped the jeans on, and drew with a pencil where I wanted the slits to be, took them off and cut two simple lines through the fabric. The next steps can be a bit difficult but I put a small cardboard box (Lush Fun Set to be specific) in the legs to get some support and it seemed to make life a lot easier.
 Using a cheese grater (weird huh) and rubbing it across the cut edges made them fray and get some texture in there to make them look more ripped seems to work a treat, and then I took some old tweezers and grabbed some of the edges and pulled tightly to get some loose strings going on which made them look much more distressed.

I honestly love the outcome of these jeans and I am tempted to try it on some other pairs as this is a something that I feel is very flattering on me and many others...

BARGAIN STILA PRODUCTS

I love a good sale. Even when I am on a spending ban, one incredible sale popped up on the Stila website and I simply couldn't resist, and obviously I am going to write a blog post about my bargainous finds.

So, basically, Stila incredibly discounted tons of their products, including sets, individual products, and some limited edition items, and the thing which made up my mind was the free shipping - result. I picked out 2 sets which I am so happy with and I will be more than happy to review them in the future if you wish.

Firstly, I found the Smudge Stick Eyeliner Set for an incredible £6.25, which contains 5 shades of what is a bestselling liner. Although I have complaints about the packaging and the often faulty twist-up mechanism, I can get round it because the colours are divine.
 You get Moray, which is a stunning olive base with some green and almost rust coloured shimmer, which only shows withing certain lights. You also get Oscar Fish which is a brown liner, with some reddish shimmer in there which I adore. Next up is Angelfish which was the one I was most excited about, which is a nude shimmery liner, with almost a slight hint of greyish lilac to it, but only slightly. Then there is Stargazer; a black liner with sliver glitter/shimmer in it which is nice for a feline flick. Finally, Tetra is a gorgeous jewel-like purple which is infused with some pink shimmer to add some dimension.
These liners are truly smudge proof, to an extent which I can rub my eyes like mad without any evidence of doing so.

Then, I got the Positively Pink Lip and Cheek Palette, for £3.25 which contains a powder blush, and a lip glaze, both of which are stunning pink colours. I believe this was made to support the Breast Cancer Awareness week/month which is a lovely touch as well.

Bargains everywhere. I hope to will restrain myself now, after buying the Ikea Alex 9 Drawer Unit, and needing to pay my family back some of the money. Spending ban it is.