Unplanned hauls are the best, me and my husband decided to go to the Trafford Centre at the spur of the moment and I'm glad that we did.
Apart from enjoying my first TGI Fridays (the nachos are the best around) I managed to do a little shopping. Here is what I picked up:
Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm
Since trying the travel set and falling in love with the reve de miel handcream I saw that they do it in a lipbalm. You can either get it in a jar or as a stick I think they are different. Anyway I went for the jar as I've read that a lot of bloggers swear by it.
I love it's fruity orangey smell it's gorgeous. It feels nourishing on the lips and not greasy. It will keep my lips nice and soft through winter.
At the moment I put this on in the evening when I have taken my make up off and my lips feel better already.
Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub
I have wanted one of these for ages but there is no Lush in my local town of Wigan and to buy it offline would work out costly with the shipping. I am so glad to finally pick one up and smell the testers in the store as I originally wanted Mint Julips but upon testing I didn't like the smell so I went for the Popcorn which is delightfully sweet.
It doesn't feel too abrasive on the lips like I thought it might but now my new lip skincare routine is working wonders. No more dry cracked lips for me I hope. I have been using this 3 times a week.
Mac Ravishing Lipstick
This is from the creamsheen range and it's been my favourite shade for a while. I am so happy to pick up the full size. I know that I will get a lot of use out of this. This shade is a orangey light pink. It doesn't come across in the picture due to the flash but I will add swatches.
I hope you liked my mini haul I now want more Mac shades to start off my collection, I'm hoping for a bright red next.
Jodie x
So I recently visited my local large shopping centre which is the Trafford Centre in Manchester and I as I was passing M&S I thought I'd pop in.
This is not a store I usually shop in as I associate it with the older generation but I've recently seen that they have started stocking one of my favourite skincare brands which is Nuxe.
I currently could only get this thought they're UK website or Feel Unique but it's good to see things in person as you get a better feel for the product.
When I saw the Nuxe display I did get rather excited especially when there was a 20% off sith because there beauty counters are new. So I couldn't resist the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm which was in my last wishlist post. I can confirm that it is amazing and I will do a proper review on it shortly. So if your passing your local M&S make sure you pop in and check out there new beauty ranges.
*Nuxe Reve De Miel Baume Levres - This has amazing reviews across lots of blogs and my lips are very dry at the moment so I really want to try this out.
*Nars Happening Palette - I'm a sucker for palettes with multiple items in and this has blush, bronzer and eyeshadows so it is right up my street. I believe this is hard to get hold of now as It was limited edition earlier in the year boo! But I've not given up hope.
*YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in Corail Incandescent - since I've recently got two other shades of this lipstick and I've fell head over heels for it I now want it in more colours. This shade is next on my list.
*Night Film by Marisha Pessi - I love a good book and this horror/thriller sounds perfect for me, so I'm hoping to pick this up soon.
My video of my Feel Unique sale haul is now up on my YouTube channel here:
If you don't want to to watch a video I have a written blog post with pictures showing what I got here :-)
Feel Unique is now my favourite place to shop and I have discovered some amazing products that I want more off.
Did you pick anything up in the recent summer sale?
So i have been voted for a Liebster Award by the lovely Lottie over at Coral Me Closer i'm quite new to these things so i will give it ago.
1.If you could go one place where would you go? Las Vegas 2.Whats your favorite makeup product? Arrgh this is so hard to choose one but i would say right now that it is my YSL Volupte Shine Lipstick in 14. Corail in Touch. 3.If you could choose one shop to shop at where would you shop? Selfridges 4.Whats your favourite high end makeup brand? It changes between Benefit, Mac and The Balm sorry i can't choose one. 5.Whats your plan for the future? To start a family with my husband and hopefully maybe my blog can make it big. 6.Favourite celebrity for fashion? Dita Von Teese 7.What made you want to start a blog? To share my passion for all things beauty and fashion related in my life. 8.Favourite YouTuber? Emily Noel over at Beauty Broadcast 9. Favourite memory as a child/teenager? Going to lots of gigs espcially Blink 182. 10. If you could give advice to a teenager what would it be? Stop thinking that you know it all because you don't 11. Who do you look up to the most and why? My nan as she was the most beautiful kind person that i have ever met.
1. What is your holy grail make up item? 2. How long have you been blogging? 3. What is your favourate blog? 4. What is your favourite make up brand? 5. What is your must have skincare item? 6. Cats or dogs? 7. How would best describe your style? 8. Tell us a random fact about yourself 9. What would be your dream job? 10. Who is your favourite celeb style icon?
I have been dreaming of owning a YSL lipstick for quite a while now. They just look so gorgeous and glamorous! So when I found out that they where included in the Feel Unique sale I couldn't resist and I bought 2.
I got number 14. Corail in Touch and number 15. Corail Intuitive. Number 14 is darker than number 15.
The Corail Intuitive is perfect for everyday as it's quite a nude pink coral colour where as the Corail in Touch is a brighter coral which can be worn day or night.
I am absolutely in love with both of these lipsticks and I now want more! I got them for £20.40 each in the sale down from £24 each.
They have a nice subtle shine and they are not as opaque as they look in the bullet but they are both stunning.
Please watch my video to see swatches and my review.
Do you own any of these lipsticks? And what do you think of it?
I read a lot of blogs and one concealer kept constantly popping up and it was this the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer everyone raved about how good it was so I decided to try it for myself.
I ordered it from Space NK as they recently had a free delivery offer on. I have got shade Chantilly which is the lightest that they do. I have noticed this shade is no longer available on the Nars website so I'm worried that maybe it is being discontinued.
So this is my first Nars product and I really like the sleek packaging and the rubber tip which I wasn't expecting I expected it to just be plastic but it's a nice touch.
The wand applicator feels very good quality and the fact that not too much product comes out of the tube.
When I first applied this I panicked oh no its too light my heart dank I'd got the wrong shade but once it was blended it settled and it wasn't such a shock. The shade was perfect phew. This is a great concealer and I would say that it is noticeably better than my current favourite of Benefits Boi-ing concealer. I hope I continue to love this as if I find out that it has been discontinued I will have to stock up.
Have you ever tried this concealer and what did you think? It is my new favourite.
So when I saw Feel Unique had a summer sale on I couldn't resist as so many of the things that I bought had been on my wishlist for a ages! and they where all reduced.
Here is what I picked up:
-The Balm Nude Tude Palette
- YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 15 Corail Intuitive
- YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 14 Corail in Touch
- The Balm Instain blusher in Swiss Dot
- Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
I love everything that I got but especially the YSL lipsticks, these are the first that I've ever owned and they definitely live up to the blogger hype and more. They smell gorgeous, they look gorgeous they feel gorgeous they are just amazing. The bad thing is that I now want more shades.
The Balm products feel great quality and they are very pigmented I will go into more depth with swatches in a future post.
The Real Techniques brush is my first of the famous brand and I am impressed I would now like the whole collection oh dear I see a theme here. Overall the Feel Unique sale is one you can't miss so I would recommend purchasing any items before it goes off soon.
All the products here will have there own dedicated post soon so if you want to see the gorgeous lipsticks in action don't worry I'm working on it :-)
This bag is just stunning! I currently own the Ted Baker Mardun handbag in black which is a similar style to this but a lot bigger. It is perfect for carrying my everyday work essentials but sometimes I would like a smaller handbag or a across the body bag. This fits both of those criteria whilst also keeping the vintage style that I desire.
I love Ted Baker bags as they are my favourite and I know they are expensive but they are good quality and they last. My Mardun bag still gets lots of complements. You can see my blog post about my Mardun bag here
This Suno bag comes in 4 colours unfortunately none of them are red like I was hoping as my Mardun is black but I'd still buy this in black but you can also get green, hot pink or light pink all of which are gorgeous.
It has the Ted Baker British bulldog interior design print and this is definitely on the top of my Christmas list. I can only hope that it goes on sale as £109.99 is pricey but you can buy it here
What do you think of this bag? Have you fell in love with it like me.
Jodie x
When I saw this it literally took my breath away with its beauty. It without a doubt is the most gorgeous palette I have ever seen. I know not everyone will have the same opinion as me but I really can't find a single fault with it.
The start with the Ravishing lipstick was already on my wish list as it looked like the most perfect coral lipstick and I knew we I wanted to try it, so the fact that you get it in this palette sold the deal for me.
This palette is limited edition and is a collaboration with the artist Rebecca Moses. The packaging is very eye catching and I like it. It oozes quality as the material of the palette feels very well made and if you didn't know it was Mac you would still think that it was pricey. The case is a fabric material which you don't expect. It also has Rebecca signature on the mirror.
This palette comes in a choice of two colours which are brown or plum. The brown one looks far superior in my eyes but they have both sold out on Macs website but I do believe that they are still in stock at Selfridges. The RRP is £39.50 which isn't cheap but good value for Mac as to buy all these items separate it would cost a lot more than that.
My favourite thing about this palette is that you have abit of everything you get 4 eyeshadows a blush and 2 lipsticks so it would be perfect to travel with. I also love how the lipsticks have a separate cover inside to protect then from powder and to keep them fresh.
Inside you get:
* Melba powder blusher, matte
* Orb eye shadow (top left) satin
* Smoked Sepia eye shadow (bottom left) satin
* All That Glitters eye shadow (top right shadow) satin
* Show-Stopper eye shadow (bottom right shadow) matte
* Ravishing lipstick (top right) cream sheen
* Myth Lipstick (bottom right) satin
* Dual end brush 275SE/316SE
The colours are gorgeous and complement each other perfectly. On the back on the box you get a little set of instructions of how to achieve there desired look with the palette which I am wearing with the Ravishing lipstick in my picture.
This is definitely my favourite palette ever and there's not much more that I can say.
Swatches left to right are:
Eyeshadows as they are with no primer - Orb, all that glitters, smoked sepia and show stopper.
Other swatches:
Melba blusher, ravishing and myth lipsticks.
As you can see the colours are all gorgeous and pigmented. The blusher and lipsticks are very wearable colours for all skin types.
Have you tried any of the illustrated items? What do you think of this pallette?
After seeing a navy blue eyeshadow in a recent Bobby Brown palette it inspired me to search for a cheaper alternative.
I have found this Rimmel one in a colour rush trio eyeshadow. The trio is called Modern Glam which is colour 699.
You get the following shimmer colours: pale blue, pale pink and navy blue. The navy doesn't look as shimmery as the others which is good.
Overall the pigmentation of these is ok but not the best.
It can be found for very cheap as this trio is only 99p on Fragrance Direct. I bought it off amazon for £2.40 including postage.
I don't think it will be a eyeshadow trio that I will use very often but it will be nice to experiment with.
Do you own a navy blue eyeshadow and what do you think of it?
There is probably tonnes of products that I want from the USA that are not sold in England but here is my main 3 that you cannot buy from storrs in the UK. If I wanted these items I would have to get them shipped over which would be very pricey in the postage department.
Here is what I am lusting over from across the pond.
Tarte Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Palette
Omg how gorgeous is this, seriously just look at it for another second. Amazing.
This is so cute and it has everything, I love the circular shape and everything. It even has a starfish on the top of the compact which has been cut off in this picture.
I am so tempted to have this shipped over but it is limited edition so I'm guessing it will be hard to get hold of. Sephora currently have it on their site.
I love how you shadows, blush, bronzer and a highlight all in this palette. I am palette obsessed so this is right up my street.
Sigma Brushes and Brush Cup Holder
These look amazing but they are on the pricey side. I think the brush cup holder is a great idea as you can use I for travel too as well as displaying your brushes.
I've heard great things about these brushes but I've never tried them so I might add them to my Christmas list.
You can buy them individually or in sets. I'd like the essentials set.
The good thing about Sigmas website is that they shipping internationally no problem but again pricey.
Benefits World Famous Neutrals palettes have been out a few months now and there are 3 to choose from.
I went for the Most Glamorous Nudes palette as this looks like the one that I'd get the most use out of.
Unlike other eyeshadow palettes that I have this has a mixture of both cream and powder shadows and they look gorgeous alone or together.
Benefit give you instructions on how to use this kit for a glamorous day or evening look. My favourite is the day look as it is so versatile and stunning.
I am wearing this day look in my video so please let me know what you think.
To see swatches and to find out what I think about this palette please watch my video :-) x
If you read my blog you will see that I posted about this set when I first got it, I now love it so much that I've made a video about it. Feel Unique had it on sale at approx £7.80 yesterday including postage but now I've seen that it has gone back up.
Still to get this for £9.90 this it is still a great deal. I would recommend buying it direct from Nuxe here as if it is your first order you get 10% discount and you also get lots of free samples :-)
I really cannot recomend this enough and i know that i willl be looking to get some of these items in full size when they run out.
Please let me know what you think, have you tried this brand before?
Here are the 2 items that I recently purchased in the half price July sale.
Collectif Dolores Flared Dress - Blue Hibiscus
The Dolores dresses are my favourite and this is my first flared one and I love it. It's great for everyday or to dress up for a evening out. It goes perfect with my white kitten heels.
Collectif Dolores Top - Blue Polka
I love how versatile the Dolores items are, you can wear them on or off the shoulder. I prefer to wear them off as I have shoulder tattoos and this shows them off nicely. This goes perfect with either a pencil skirt or skinny jeans, either can be casual or dressed up looks.
I now want more Collectif items as they are all do pretty. Did you pick anything up in the recent Collectif sale?
So you might have seen in a previous post that I won a twitter competition for a Bioderma personalised skincare regime.
I went into more detail in my last post about it so I won't repeat myself.
Here you can see the 5 items that I got as my prize and what I thought about them.
So in case you might have been living under a rock for the last few days Feel Unique have got a summer sale on which is amazing. They have free delivery as well which is one of the reasons I love this site.
Here is a round up of my favourite sale items.
The Balm Nude Tude Palette £20.80
This palette looks amazing and I've loved it since I saw it on my favourite blog - Beauty Broadcast. This is getting a lot of blogger attention so I can see it selling out pretty quick.
The Balm Instain Blusher - Swiss Dot £14.40
Some websites are selling this for £22 so this is a great price. I love love love this blusher. I want it in the Lace pink shade but it's sold out but the peachy Swiss Dot colour is gorgeous too.
YSL Rouge VolupteShine Lipstick - Corail Intuitive £20.40
Omg this is my favourite item in the sale so far I've had sleepless nights wanting this haha. The Corail in Touch colour has just sold out but they are both gorgeous! These are £24 still in the YSL website so this is a good saving. I am so excited about this one.
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £10.79
This seems to be the brush to get. I don't yet own a Real Techniques brush but the starter sets are on my Christmas list. This seems to be a great all rounder brush.
Nuxe Travel Set £7.92
I have raved about this set in a previous post. This is seriously a must have product. Everything in it is amazing. They also have my favourite hand cream on sale for £8 the Nuxe Reve De Miel.
Have you bought anything In the Feel Unique sale and what do you think of my picks?
Here is what I have recently ran out of this month, some of these I will repurchase and some I won't.
Tresemme Smooth Salon Silk Shampoo & Conditioner
I love Tresemme now I've found the right type for my hair. Years ago I tried the moisturising one and it made my hair greasy and it put me off the brand, but I just realised that my hair didn't need moisturising.
Anyway I use the smooth collection and it works really well on my hair. It leaves it silky smooth and shiny. It helps me get my straight and glossy look. I have repurchased these as I have been using the same duo for about a year now and before that I used the coloured hair one.
Sanctuary Spa Body Wash
I got this in a set for Christmas and I have only recently rediscovered it. I really like the Sanctuary Spa stuff and I enjoyed using this body wash. The scent is nice and it leaves my skin feeling clean and soft. Some washed leave my skin feeling dry and unnoureshed but this didn't. I won't be repurchasing this as I prefer other body washes but I might in the future.
Nivea Smooth Nourishing Hand Moisturiser
This didn't soak in very quick and it left my hands feeling greasy for a while after using it. I won't buy this again. I am now hooked on the Nuxe Reve De Miel handcream which is amazing.
Simple Eye Make Up Remover
This is one of the better high street make up removers that I have found. I didn't think much of the Nivea one that I tried. I like the L'Oréal Micellar one too. I might repurchasing this in the future if I'm after a cheap make up remover but not at the moment as I'm using my Bioderma.
Tresemme Platinum Strength Shot
I got this in my August Glossybox and I used it straight away. To be honest I didn't notice any difference to my hair at all so I won't repurchase this.
Benefit Facial Polish Scrub
This is only a travel size but I didn't think much of it. I find facial scrubs too harsh for my skin and this was no different. I wouldn't buy it.
Have you tried any of these products and what did you think of it?
Can you not go a single month without buying a certain magazine? For me it's Company and Marie Claire I love them both so much! I have to have them in the travel size too, none of that big bulky magazine lark.
I have to buy these on the day of release if my local store doesn't have it I will go to another. I will not rest until I've purchased it.
I want to subscribe to Company as this is my favourite out of the two but I'm waiting for that one awesome subscription gift that will draw me in.
What is your favourite monthly magazine? Do you read them in the paper or tablet version?
I have always said that if I won the lottery that this would be the first item that I would buy as I've dreamed about owning one for as long as I can remember.
I have even thought about renting one of these things! It Costs about £250 per month or you can rent it for just a weekend for a special occasion for cheaper. My husband thought I'd finally cracked and gone crazy when I suggested the idea. But the Chanel bag dream wasn't over!
Last Christmas I got this bag as a gift, now I'm not stupid I suspect it probably isn't authentic due to it costing hundreds rather than thousands of pounds but I cannot guarantee it nor rule it out. Anyway I am happy with it. It feels great quality and has very good detailing on it. If it isn't real it is a good copy. What lengths would you go to to get the look of your dream bag? The Chanel 2.55 bag is probably the most famous and sort after bag in the world!
My bag is black with gold detailing and I have had it 8 months and I love it. It is rather heavy though with the chain strap. The chain can be worn long across the body or doubled up to fit nicely over the shoulder.
What do you think of this? Would you ever risk your money in getting a possible fake or would you consider renting a designer bag?
So I've had my fun with my Glossybox subscription but now I've started to feel like it's a waste of money I always like 1 or 2 things out of the boxes and convince myself that I like the rest when I don't. They all get left in a Glossybox unused so I've decided to cancel my subscription after I get my September one (which will be free as I've redeemed my 1000 Glossydots) and spend the money month by month buying things that are on my wishlist. These are items that I know that I will love! Here is a low down of my planned purchases that are a £1 or 2 either way of my Glossybox subscription price of £12.95.
The Balm Instainblusher in Swiss Dot £14.40 @ Feelunique
I absolutely adore this blush since I got the tiny sample. Which h is still going by the way a little of this product goes a long way and the pigmentation is first class.
Burt's Bees Essentials set £12.99 @ Burts Bees
I already have the lip balm in this which I love but I recently bought my mother in law this set for her birthday and I struggled to hand it over as I knew that I wanted it for myself. She was very kind though and let me test it. The foot cream is my favourite as well as smelling gorgeous you can feel the results instantly. This is a box of items that I know that I will love every single item which I can't say about my Glossyboxes.
Mac Lipstick £15.00 @ Mac
Any will do but but Ravishing is top on my list, but i want the Rebecca Moses Illustrated palette in brown which has Ravishing in so I might get another colour. Anyway I would happily trade a whole Glossybox for a Mac lipstick.
NuxeReveDeMielHandcream £10 @ Nuxe
I know I've raved a lot about this lately but it really is amazing! The best hand cream ever hands down. Anyway my small sample of this is getting low so I full size one of these is on my wishlist.
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £10.79 @ Feel Unique
I don't own any Real Techniques brushes yet but I do want to build up a collection so month by month I could get a different one.
So what do you think of my idea? Do you subscribe to any Beauty boxes? And do you always like what you get?
So if you have read my August Glossybox post you will have read my rant about how my July box hadn't turned up.
Hoorah it has finally arrived only 1 month late. So here it is, I am not sure that I will have use for all of its contents as summer seems to have faded away but maybe I will save them for next summer.
In my box I got:
Alterna - Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Hair Mist 25ml
If you can get over the ridiculously long name you can make out that it is hair spray to give you beachy waves.
I have never managed to achieve the sort after beach waves as I always have my hair poker straight but I am wiling to give it a go. To see if this does help you to achieve the California girl hair like Cameron Diaz
Anatomicals Facial Spritz 100ml
I do like the idea of this and I'm sure I would have greatly appreciated it when it was red hot but I don't have use for it at the moment. It smells nice of lavender anyway so I might use it to spray on my pillow as a fabric spray. Apparently it helps you to sleep.
Essie Sleek Sticks - 05 a to zebra
I was hoping for a Ciate nail polish but I do like the pattern of these. I will definitely give them ago but I would never spend £10 on them which is the RRP.
Sleek Pout Paints - 154 mauve over & 161 minx 8ml each
I do like the colours that I received in these. This is a good product to try through Glossybox as again It is something that I would never purchase in store.
When I opened them I found them abit oily and I had to shake the tube to get it mix to come out as a consistent colour. They are very pigmented and bright so I look forward to trying these out on my lips.
Coola Organic Suncream Facial Moisturiser 7ml
This is a facial moisturiser that contains SPF 20. It is unscented and organic and is paraben free.
It also boosts a list of other stuff that it apparently does for your face like minimising pores. It reads like a BB cream advert but once I've tested it out I will let you know if it lives up to its promises.
So as you guessed this is abit of a meh box for me, overall a huge disappointment seeing as I had to wait so long for it. The box is pretty and I will keep it to store my bits and bobs in. I like how it has something for everything as it includes skincare, haircare, nail product & make up What did you think of your summer box?
So here is my August Glossybox, the theme this month is Highflyers and it includes products from around the world.
If you are subscribed to my blog you may have noticed that I've not done a blog post for the July Glossybox, this is because I've still not received it! I will get my rant over quickly. I've been subscribed to Glossybox for 4 months and the courier that they use Hermes are absolutely rubbish in my area of Wigan! My courier delivered both my May and June box the same day despite having my May box for over a week before I guess she just couldn't be bothered to deliver it. Now with my July one I tracked it religiously (as I'm inpatient) and it said there had been 3 unsuccessful delivery attempts which was BS as my husband was off work that week and he didn't hear the door go and there was no phone calls or cards left. I am furious to say the least as she sent the box back to Glossybox and I have still not received it and Glossybox aren't much help either, so this may be my last Glossybox review.
Anyway enough ranting here is the August box, mine includes:
Sweden - Emite Eyelash Curler RRP £20
Everyone received this in their box this month and it is my favourite item. I am currently using a £1 one from body care which is fair rubbish. A decent eyelash was something on my wishlist so now I can take it off. This one is great quality and I love it, it also comes with spare pads.
USA - Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir Sample
Most people don't like receiving perfume samples but I am very grateful of this as my perfume has ran out and also this smells amazing! It really smells delicious and so feminine. I would definitely consider buying the full size of this. That is why I am happy to receive samples as I would never even try brand in store (as the word chavy comes to mind) anyway I really like it.
UK - Jelly Pong Pong 2 in 1 Shadow/Liner Full Size RRP £10.50
I didn't know that this brand was a UK one for some reason I thought it was international anyway let's hope that this is better than the mascara that we received in May as that went down like a lead balloon with bloggers.
Though to say that this was a 2 in 1 shadow or liner is abit far fetched as I can't imagine anyone using this as a shadow pencil but I will reserve judgement until I have tried it. The one that i received is in a dark green colour.
Brazil - Oceane Make Up Remover Pen
This doesn't have a RRP as it isn't currently available in the UK.
This is a full size product that comes with 3 refills. I am hoping that this fairs better than the Simple pen that I reviewed a few months ago that was rubbish. This difference with this though it that the nib is removable which was the Simples main problem as after a couple of uses the bib got dirty and just smudged the make up around which was the opposite of what I wanted it to do. So i hope this one works better.
USA - Tresemme Platinum Strength Hair Treatment Full Size RRP £1.49
I love Tresemme as it is currently the only hair product brand that I am using I will go into more detail for my love for Tresemme in a planned future post. I am happy to receive this product and to try it out as I suffer from split ends. I will let you know how I get on.
So there is my Highflyer August box what do you think? I am very happy with it as I got 4/5 full sized products and the eyelash curlers alone are worth more than I paid for the box which was £12.95.
Let's hope that my July Summer Glossybox arrives before Winter hmm.
I am so lucky and grateful to be one of the 3 winner from Twitter, this was from a competition last week on Twitter which involved following and Retweeting Bioderma.
I have heard many good things about the brand especially the micellar solutions but I've never tried any before. Mainly because I thought it was very expensive but when I've looked it's actually quite reasonable and less expensive than I thought especially compared to other high end skincare out there and also because it wasn't readily available in the UK. This is no more a issue as you can buy it on a few websites now mainly www.escentual.com and also www.garden.co.uk
So the prize was a personalised skincare regime and after I found out that I'd won I was asked a few questions about my skin and my current skincare regime. I was currently using the Benefit B. Right range which was getting close to running out so this prize couldn't be at a better time. Unlike the Benefit range which is generic for everyone's skin my prize is targeted at my skin only which is combination skin, it's oily around the t-zone with visible pores.
So I have got the following to try out, this is a 5 step skincare regime which consists of:
Step 1 - Sebium H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution 100ml RRP £4.50
This is the all famous micelle cleansing make up remover solution. I have read so much about this on blogs that I'm so excited to finally try it for myself.
Step 2 - Sebium Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel 200ml RRP £9.00
Yay a Foaming cleanser my favourite. I know a lot of people prefer other cleansers but I'm old school if I don't splash water on my face in don't feel like I've cleaned it properly. Which I know is crazy. Anyway I am interested too see how this differs from my Benefit foaming cleanser so let the battle begin.
Step 3 - Sebium Pore Refiner 30ml RRP £14.80
This is for my Tzone to tighten my pores and is a step before moisturising or it can also be a great make up primer. I'm also thrilled to try this as I only have Benefits Porefessional to compare it to so I will see which is best for my skin.
Step 4 - Sensibio Eye Contour Gel 15ml RRP £14.00
I really suffer with dark circles under my eyes and it is a sensitive area. In the past I've used make up removers which are too harsh and have left red marks under there. So anything delicate is a blessing.
Step 5 - Hydrabio LightMoisturising Cream 40ml RRP £14.00
This looks like a great moisturiser which won't make my face feel greasy after use like some. Benefits Total Moisture is my favourite that I've ever used so I wonder if this will compare.
So overall I am so happy with my prizes as I got a lot of items more than I expected so a big thank you to Bioderma and Wizard Publications who handle their PR. You did a amazing job at picking out the right products for my skin.
I can't wait to use them and to report back in a week or two to let you know how my skin is doing. I'm really hoping that I see a difference so I can stock up.
So please check out Bioderma at www.escentual.com as they have free delivery on orders over £30.
Have any of you tried any of the Bioderma skincare range and if so what's your favourite?
So this morning my mum dragged me to a car boot at 8.30am on a Sunday morning. I did question whether I was crazy going at that time but my mum insisted that we go early to "catch the bargains". This was my first time at a car boot in years and I did really enjoy myself.
Here is what I got:
* Lush fair trade foot lotion - £1
* Mememe tinted moisturiser - 50p
* Bourjois pink pigment in Regard Rose - 10p
* Elle Macpherson solid perfume - 10p
* Russian Dolls - £1
* Russian doll umbrella - 50p
* Cat ornaments - 50p each
* Cat picture - 50p
* Marian Keyes books - 20p each
* Narnia book set - £1
* Lipsy dress - £4 not pictured
* M&S bra - 40p not pictured
* Atmosphere blouse - 50p not pictured, the clothes are in the washing machine so I didn't take pics of these.
I can't explain how long I have been after a set of Russian dolls all that I can say is that it's been over a decade. When I was a little girl the second hand shops where full of these things but now I can't find them anywhere apart from cheaper ones on ebay. Anyway my mum was right about getting the early bargains as this was my first and overall favourite buy of the day. I literally squealed with delight when I saw these and I couldn't believe my luck when she said they were only £1. It also looks complete as it is a set of 5. The lady on the stall told me that her son who lives in India brought them back as a gift for her so it's nice to know abit of history about them.
My next favourite item that I bought was the little wooden cat ornament that is curled up sleeping, it's just so cute and it has taken pride of place on my bookshelf.
I'm glad that I picked up some Marian Keyes book as her style is similar to Belinda Jones who I adore so I will look forward to reading these.
As you may know I am cat obsessed as I have 2 myself. Wolverine (black/white) and Rogue (white/black) yes we do like X-Men, and I was so happy to find a fellow crazy cat lady who I bought all my cat items off. I was stood there in my cat peplum top that I have with a cat tote bag over my shoulder so there was no missing my cat obsession, I believe this helped me get a good price for my cat items as the black ornament was originally £1. My husband loves cats too so when I came home with my cat picture and put it straight up on the wall he didn't bat a eyelid.
Overall I had a great time and I'm happy with what I got. I will look forward to going again to see what I can get. Next up I want a nice big teapot so let the bargain hunting begin.
Here is what I've been reaching for most this month:
Benefit Boi-ing concealer - nothing covers my dark under eye circles like this stuff. It has the best coverage that I've found in a concealer but it isn't too thick or cakey. £21.50 Here
Nuxe Reve De Miel - I never thought a good hand cream would make such a big impact on me but I have fell head over heels for this stuff! This hand and cuticle cream is absorbed instantly and leaves my hands feeling soft and refreshed and not to mention smelling good enough to eat. This isn't greasy at all like all the other hand creams that I've tried. £10 Here
It seems rare these days but sometimes I come across some gems in the second hand shop and here is one of those.
This is a across the body bag in navy blue it's approx 10cm x 7 x 3 cms with a gold lock.
I'd been after a small across the body bag for a while for the days where I don't need to carry as much round with me, as on a usual day I carry my Ted Baker Mardun bag around which can get pretty heavy.
Anyway this was only £3.50 and I think it's a great find. I've never heard of the brand but that doesn't matter.
Today I am going to advise you on how to avoid fake make up on ebay. Ebay and Amazon are saturated with fake make up and it's so harmful to our skin. It is also bad on the brands as if we use the fake product and think that's it's rubbish we won't try the real one.
There is fake make up from all the popular brands about especially Mac but today I am going to concentrate on Benefit. I have bought so many fake items on eBay and it's such a let down. They are not even all cheap. Anyway here is my advise for ebay shopping.
* check what other items the seller has for sale - if they are all new make up products I would be wary especially if they have a lot of the same brand. I will only buy a Benefit make up product from a seller if it is the only item of that brand for sale, just go with your instinct on this. * Make sure they don't have a quantity of that one item if it's a buy it now - this is the same as above really but if it's a buy it now it can tell you how many of that item they have or have sold. Stay away.
* Read the description - especially with the box o Powder blushers the fake say no brush. A real new one is always sold with a brush. These don't have a brush because they are fake. The fake brushes are bad quality and will give away the fakeness straight away so they don't include them.
Also if they mention any damage to the packaging beware. Another good one is they say factory seconds or store closing down. There is no such thing as Benefit factory seconds so that's BS right there. The store closing down could be legit but it would ring alarm bells for me.
* Obvious but check the feedback - if they are selling fakes they may have some bad feedback but usually they don't as people don't know that they are getting fakes.
* If the price is too good to be true then it usually isn't real - if the item is half the RRP then nope sorry it's not real.
So you've now received the item and your unsure if it's real, you need to give it the once over to spot if it is genuine or not.
Check the packaging quality - it's often the small detail that can give it away is the pan straight in the kit, is there any spelling mistakes (especially in the booklet), is there any gaps on the packaging that look wring where the card is folded? Does it feel cheap? Does it have a magnetic closure?
Check the codes on the item as the batch code on the item should match the batch code on the box.
Does it smell of chemicals? Benefit products always smell nice or neutral if it smells chemically then it's fake.
Another of Benefit items have a peel away sticker to reveal the ingredients, on benefit products it peels away very neatly on a fake it either won't peel at all or it will rip off.
The Benefit Smokin Eyes kit has a big indicator to tell if it's fake! the initial give away is the way that the stripes inside run as on the real one the stripe pattern is vertical in a fake one it is horizontal. Check the brush quality as fake brushes look very scruffy and are terrible quality.
Here is a list of what fake Benefit products are doing the rounds:
Smokin Eyes kit
Box o powders - all colours
Mini travel size blushers
All travel size items porefessional etc
Boi-ing
Make up brushes - all
Brow zings
Big beautiful eyes
Confessions of a Concealerholic
Realness of concealness
Hello Flawless powder - refills don't exist
High beam
Lemon Aid
Perfect 10 set (set on 10 minis)
Lipgloss - full size and travel size
Porefessional
Bad Gal mascara
They're Real mascara
I'm not saying don't buy these products on ebay or amazon I'm just saying please be very careful as a very high percentage are fake. If you think it's fake do some research online of how to spot the difference between real and fake. Report the eBay seller and claim your refund.
Be wise ladies x
I keep thinking to myself that I don't need any more blushers so but there are so many that I want to try that looks amazing The Balm's Instain being one of them. After I saw these little samples being given out in one of the latest Birchboxes I was intrigued.
I don't currently subscribe to Birchbox but I knew that I i wanted to get hold of one to try it out before committing to a full size one.
This sample is in the shade Swiss Dot and you get 0.5g it is smaller than I thought it would be but that just adds to the likeability it is seriously cute! It is tiny but I love it and the packaging is so cool. Also surprisingly a lot of this product goes along way.
I used a tiny amount on my blusher brush and it gave me enough pigment in one brush stroke which is something that I've never had happen to me before. I am very impressed with how pigmented and good quality this blusher is. It also has great staying powder. I will definitely be purchasing a full size one of these but maybe in the Lace colour as that looks more suitable for my skin tone.
I can't get over how impressed I am with this blusher just wow! I've heard from bloggers that all products by the balm go along away so only a tiny amount is needed and with my experience that is definitely true. I wish it was more readily available in the UK as I am falling head over heels in love with this brand.
The left swatch is blended out and the right one isn't blended. I've done a picture with and without flash and you can see there is a colour difference between the blended and non blended swatches.
Have you tried any of The Balm Instain blushers and what did you think? Jodie x
