Battle of the Budget Beauty Sponges!

For a while now i have wanted the Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge, i mean its cheap at £5.99 isn't it...or is it?

I went on the hunt to see if i could find another beauty sponge that was even cheaper, and i did it peoples!

On good old trusty eBay i found a sponge for the grand old price of £1. Click here to see a similar one to the one i bought.

Apologies for the marks on the sponge, i had to test them! :)

The sponge on the left is the eBay £1 special, sure it took about 3 weeks to arrive, but for £1 with free postage who am i to complain. The pink sponge feels firmer than the Real Techniques sponge, and it had more a plasticy scent to it. For coverage its good for concealer it easily blended my Benefit fake up under my eyes.

I really like the base of the sponge as its quite round and bulbous which made it good for dabbing on cream bronzer, or blusher. 

So on to the Real Techniques sponge... it has a versatile shape. You get a pointed end, a flat end and rounded sides. Perfect for blending in concealer or BB cream.  

This sponge is alot softer than the eBay one, it didn't have a stinky plastic scent to it.

The verdict on these two... I like both. I like the shape of the eBay one (Pink) and i also like the shape of the Real techniques one. The only big difference to me is that the real techniques one is alot softer, so its nicer to dab under your eyes for concealer. 

If i knew what i know now, then i probably would just buy the cheap £1, as it works well for the price. So overall price wins the battle here.

Birch Box March: Lulu Guiness edition

I know its nearly the end of March, but i wanted to show my Birch box which i received a week or so ago.

This is my first ever Birch Box, its the Lulu Guinness edition and i love the box its so cool with the stripes and the Lips!

I have to say my whole experience with Birch box was a lot smoother than with Glossy box. I ordered the box, and it arrived by Courier. No problems, it arrived on time and to my designated safe place.

I really like the box the products come in, it feels a bit more up market than Glossy Box, and i think the draw string bag inside is a really nice touch. It again makes it feel a bit more 'expensive' and useful!

There was a good selection of products, things i wouldnt have ever tried before, but will probably give them ago in the future.

Here is the low down on what i recieved;

- Korres Body milk in Citrus scent - Im not a fan of this it smells very masculine which im not very keen on, but its a good sized sample at 50ml.

- Molton Brown Rhubard and Rose hand cream - This has the most amazing scent, it reminds me of rhubard and custard sweets! The sample is about 10ml, and its priced at £10 for full size of 40ml, which is quite pricey but its worth it for the scent even if it isnt that moisterising. (compared to my soap and glory hand food!)

- Dr Brandt Pores no more refiner - This is basically the same as the benefit porefessional, but this is ALOT more expensive, this is £39 in full size, and full size is 30ml. I didnt think much of this if im honest it just dried my skin out.

- Benefit stay dont stray primer - I LOVE love love this, and im so glad i recieved a sample!
I have used a sample of this before but didnt buy the full size as i thought it was expensive. However after using a different cheaper primer for a while i realise i do love this and i think ill invest in the full size!

- English Laundry Singature for her EDP Spray for her  by Christopher Wicks - The final sample is a perfume, it has top notes of rose geranium and creamy white flowers set against its backdrop of woody spicy and musky notes. Thats what the website says anyway, its a very uplifting scent thats girly. I noticed the musk scent later in the day too.

The Verdict!

I really enjoyed this birch box and the extra treat of a stick of rock, it has a nice selection of products and is the same price as Glossy box. However i think the products are a bit too up market for me. I did prefer the selection of products in Glossy box as the samples were bigger. So i feel Glossy Box is better value for money, even though their customer service sucked!

I would definitely get Birch Box again in the future if they have a special edition box, so this isn't the end!

Mini Haul - March 2014

A few weeks ago i popped into a local Next outlet near to me, and picked up these shoes for the small price of £8! Bargain.

They are perfect shoes for spring time, and i have already paired them with my indigo Jean leggings from next and a blazer and they looked awesome!





I then popped into Superdrug and picked up a few things with my Sun+ voucher. I spent the £20 voucher, and then about £5 of my money on the above make up!

So far I'm loving the Revlon colorburst, its such a gorgeous colour (a review of that will be up soon!) I really wanted to try out the maybelline colour tattoo, and i have to say i do really like it, but I'm still yet to wear it out, I've just messed about at home with it. I also got my trusty Rocket Mascara. 

I love a good shopping haul, be sure to link me up with yours no matter how big or small!

Dogs ♥

My dogs are my babies, who wouldnt love those adorable faces!

Lush Cleanser - Angels on bare skin review

When i was in London with Amy i popped into Lush at Waterloo to check out the new Easter and Mother care products. I decided to grab a new cleanser as i want something that's more natural for my skin. 

I picked up Angels on bare skin which costs £6.35 for 100g. It has a clay like texture and has bits of Lavender flowers mixed throughout. Its made from 100% natural products. I read on the lush website that this has something called Kaolin which absorbs excess Oils and grease. It also has Rose absolute which helps to calm your skin. 

You use this product by taking a small chunk and rubbing it on your palm with a splash of water. It turns it into a watery paste, you can then give your face a good wash.

The only annoying thing about this product is that the lavender flowers get in your hair, which is annoying if your not planning to wash it!

Other than that, this is really soothing on my face, it gives it a squeaky clean feeling. I love the fact is Vegan, its not tested on animals and that if you keep 5 lush black pots you can trade them in for a free fresh face mask!
 

If you want Curls, then check out John Frieda!*

I love having a good hair day, I also love having voluminous hair with a curl so i thought these would be very useful for ladies who like to have big bouncy hair!

I you want floral styled curls then check out this tutorial...

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 Or if you want Big Beautiful curls then check out this amazing tutorial... 

I know whats going on my next boots shopping list... John Frieda products!

)


*This is a sponsored post, please see my disclaimer in my PR/ contact me tab.

New shoes: Next

They deserve a post of their own as there so fabulous!

I bought these wedges from next (on my account... im not rich people) They are so nice, i saw them online and was like I-NEED-THESE.

They are leather and i feel there kind of timeless, like they wont go out of fashion quickly, everyone loves a wedge heel. 

They cost £45, and i love them.

 

Closet Confidental tag

I saw that Estee from Essie Button did a 'Closet Confidential tag' on you-tube, so i thought i would do a blog post of the tag.

 Question 1. - Oldest item.

The oldest item in my wardrobe is these Nude New look heels. I was given them from my mums friend was i was about 14ish, she was chucking them out and i 'needed them' i have worn them a fair few times and they are surprisingly comfortable! They are so worn out though i should really chuck them away.

Question 2 - Newest Item.

 

The newest item i have it these Next Jean leggings, they are seriously, SERIOUSLY comfy, they have no pockets on the front, they are those fake ones. They have a zip and button though, so they look like real jeans. They cost £24 and they have them in a few different coloured denims. I have this indigo/inky kind of colour, and i also picked up a black pair which i can dress up or down. But these ones were worthy of a boast as they are my fav's.

Question 3 - Most expensive item.

The most expensive item is my Irregular choice Patty shoes. They cost £65, i didn't actually buy these, they were a gift from my Nan. These were my wedding shoes that i wore in Vegas baby! I have to say these shoes look awesome, but they were SO uncomfortable. I will never wear them again as i dont want to ruin them. I intend on getting a clear box for them so i can display them in my bedroom once its re-decorated.

Question 4 - Cheapest / Most affordable item.

The cheapest item i have (i have a few, but this was the best) is this stripe maxi dress from Primark, it only cost £9 and is so multifunctional. I have worn it out to dinner in France with sandals, out shopping with a denim shirt here in the UK, its very versatile and i love the fact it was less than £10!

Question 5 - Biggest Bargain.

My Biggest bargain is these ASOS shoes which i picked up on eBay for the grand total of around £3 (£6 including postage) I seriously love these, i stalked them on eBay for about a week then i placed my bid at the last 30 seconds and BOOM i won them! They are really high though and i must admit walking home after a few too many drinks makes for a wobbly walk, plus a few near miss broken ankle incidents. LOL.

Question 6 - Biggest waste of money.

I bought this really nice black cardigan from Forever 21 a while ago, it cost £14. I class this as a waste of money because look at that hole. That happend the first time i washed it. Thats not the only huge hole either, its covered in them. It does say on the label in tiny print to wash this separately / hand wash it. But its a waste of money to me as who has the time to do that!

Bonus Question- Three favourite items.

And finally for the last bonus question, my three favorite items.

I have a forever 21 Hello kitty t-shirt, it has a BRIGHT pink sheer back with a cut out on. it cost around £14, and i bought it last spring/summer time. This t-shirt looks awesome with denim shorts in the summer and i cant wait to wear it again. Next is a Lounge fly Hello kitty purse, its the Monster Hello kitty purse it cost me £16 inc. postage from eBay. and finally my peace sign necklace which i bought from Republic for £1, (this should have been my biggest bargain dammit!) I love this pendant, its pretty big and has a long chain. Looks really nice with a peplum top for work. 

Thats the end of the Tag, i quite enjoyed rooting through my wardrobe finding my favorite items. I even had a bit of a clear out too after finding some old crap im never going to wear again. In the charity bag it goes!

 

 

Get ready for Spring: Nuxe edition!

I have never really looked on Nuxe, why i dont know. But now i want want waaaaaant to get my self all refreshed for spring and so, i put together a nice wish list for some lovely Nuxe items.

1. Spa Huile Prodigieuse Candle - £7
2. Huile Prodigieuse oil - £28
3. Fondant Body scrub - £17
4. Ultra nourising lip balm - £9.50
5. Reve de Miel Hand and nail cream - £10.50
6. Gentle exfoliating Gel with rose petals - £16

I chose my favorite things from the website which i think are good to de-winter yourself. Yep i made that up, de-winter. So many nice products to smooth, moisterise and give yourself healthy skin ready for baring those legs in the spring / summer.

Ohhhh i wish it was spring already, i cant wait for the warmth and the new flowers, and the baby lambs in the fields, and the EASTER EGGS!!! yaaaaahoooooooo om nom nom.

New clothes, Pajama's and more!

I decided i needed to get out the house at the weekend, dust off the cobwebs and go shopping. I had Gastroenteritis last week, and maaaaaan was i feeling crappy.

Katy and i hopped on the train and went to Woking and made beeline for superdrug as i had my Sun+ voucher to spend as they we're burning a hole in my pocket!

I picked up the two facepacks from Primark for 90p each, but the rest was from Superdrug and after i used the £20 voucher i spent about £5, bargain!

I had been wanting to try the Real Techniques sponge for a while and i had ordered a cheap ebay sponge for £1 but it hasnt arrived yet, so i caved and bought this one. I've been using it everyday for concealer and its really good. It blends everything out real goooood.

I also got a collection 2000 lip definer, Maybelline Lipstick, and 2 Maybelline stay colour 7 day gel effect polishes, i cannot rave about these enough. THEY-ARE-SO-GOOD!!!
 I have had people comment on the colours when im wearing them so many times, they last well too!

 
Next up we hit the New look Sales, i managed to get this nice jumper top for £5, total bargain and i love the pattern.

Last and by no means least (its actually my favorite purchase ever!)

LOOK AT MY NEW PAJAMA'S!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhhhh my gawd they are amazing, they cost £12 (£7 for the bottoms, £5 for the top)

Oh and i got them in Primark, they had some other awesome ones like Slush puppy, and my little pony!

Have you been on any shopping trips lately, i cant wait for spring time i love watching the seasons change and the new clothes to come in store!

Beauty Monday: Maybelline Super stay Gel colour polish

I had some vouchers for Superdrug so decided to try out some new Nail polishes, this one caught my eye as its a nice deep Pink/maroon colour called Divine Wine.

These bottles are a decent size at 10ml, the brush is curved so its really easy to apply. I have been wearing this for 8 days now and have barely any chipping to my nails. (That is with 2 coats, and a Sally Hansen topcoat)

The colour is really shiny, and a bargain at £4.09 (in superdrug) I picked up two more colours to try out which were from their new 'Spring' range which will be in a shopping Haul later this week! 

I think these will be perfect for the summer when i can paint my toes and have them in flipflops, i doubt ill need to do many touch ups for a week or two!