My Favourite Drugstore Products...

Hello lovelies.

There's nothing I like more than spending ages walking around Boots picking up products I don't really need & having a heart attack when I get to the till. Don't get me wrong, I love my high end products too but drugstore purchases tend to make me feel a little less guilty and they're easily accessible on nearly every high street.

Here's my current drugstore favourites...

Nivea Lip Butter | £1.49

I picked this up a few weeks ago have used it every day since. It's a great inexpensive lip butter that leaves my lips soft & it tastes amazing. If you haven't tried this yet I really recommend giving it a go.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint | £3.99

I only picked these up last week but I already love them. These have been doing the rounds on the blogsphere & it's easy to see why. As with any Barry M nail paint they last a good few days without chipping and this forumula is super shiny. I want every colour in the range!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation | £8.99

This has been a firm favourite since Summer '12 and I still love it just as much. This great every day foundation provides medium coverage and leaves my skin with a healthy glow, just what iI need on these gloomy days! 

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer | £3.99

I picked this up a few weeks ago and it's already been featured in a monthly favourites! This inexpensive eye primer makes applying eyeshadow a breeze and makes it last all day without creasing. I recently posted a full review of this product here if you want to read more. 

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara | £10.99

I can't count how many times I've mentioned this product or featured it in a monthly favourites on this blog. This has been my go to mascara for well over a year now & I can't see that changing anytime soon. No other drugstore mascara adds volume and length to my lashes like this without clumping. I often try new mascaras but always come back to this when I need a mascara I can rely on. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | £4.19

Every blogger & their dog seems rave about this concealer & it's easy to see why. This must be my fourth tube of this concealer now! It covers and conceals blemishes and under eye circles great and the coverage is good enough to last all day. I'm sure you've tried it before but if not where have you been?!

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner | £7.99

This has been my go to gel liner for long lasting eyeliner & flicks for ages now and my first pot is still going strong. In the time I've owned this product I've tried high end equivalents such as Bobbi Brown & Mac and they have both dried out whilst this little gem is still going strong.

So there we have it, my current drugstore faves! I'd love to know what your favourite drugstore products are and what you recommend me to pick up. Boots currently have 3 for 2 on cosmetics so I can see a little splurge coming on ;) 

Sarah xx

How I Deep Clean My Makeup Brushes...

Cleaning makeup brushes has to be one of the most mundane tasks I can think of but I ensure I clean mine once a week. Makeup brushes harbour bacteria and every time you use that brush you are simply spreading that bacteria over your face, gross eh?! Some of my friends have confessed to me that they rarely or never clean their makeup brushes, I soon put them straight on how important it is! Hygiene factor aside I also find my makeup applies much better with a clean brush & I always get the best finish with them.

Here's how I can deep clean my makeup brushes...

1. I use a baby shampoo to clean my brushes, I bought this huge bottle in Poundland. You can use normal shampoo or hand soap if you don't have any to hand.

2. I squeeze a small amount of shampoo into my hand and swirl the brush around, I add a small amount of water and completely saturate the brush in shampoo.

3. I hold the brush under a warm running tap until the water runs clear. It's important to use running water for this step as there's no point in cleaning your brushes in a pool of cloudy dirty water.

4. I squeeze all water out from the brush & reshape it. 

5. To dry the brushes I roll a towel up into a sausage shape and ensure the brushes are pointing downwards, this is important as you don't want water getting into the handle. I dry my brushes underneath a radiator and turn them halfway to ensure the brush dries evenly.

I hope you found this post helpful, I'd love to know how often you clean your brushes & if you use a particular technique you think may be handy.

Sarah xx

Lifting The Lid: Glossybox 1st Anniversary Edition...

Good evening my lovelies, It's finally Friday, Yay!!

May marks the first Anniversary of Glossybox and to celebrate this the May Glossybox is a special Anniversary edition.

I personally can't believe Glossybox has been around for a year, it feels like only yesterday I was ripping open my first box, How time flies!

 Here is what I received in this months Glossybox...

 How pretty is this tissue paper?! I managed to save it & will be using it to wrap a present in the future =]

My box contained:

♥ Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath & Shower Gel - I know these shower gels can come in handy for traveling purposes but I'm getting bored of receiving one every month. I haven't tried this particular shower gel yet but it smells really masculine to me, I might give it to my boyfriend for our holiday.

♥ Lolita Lempicka Perfume Samples - I know some people don't like receiving perfume samples but I personally don't mind them for slipping in my clutch on a night out. I probably wouldn't choose these perfumes myself or purchase the full sizes but they're not bad & I will use them.

♥ Weleda Face Cream & Body Milk - I haven't tried this yet so I can't say too much but I'm always happy to try new skincare and look forward to giving this a go. 

♥ Collection Lasting Colour Gel Liner - I was quite surprised to see this in my box & it was black, a colour I will actually use! I saw that a few people received the brown liner and I'm so glad I received the black. I'm a big gel liner fan & look forward to trying this out. 

♥ HD Brows Brow Beater - I was SO happy when I saw this! I missed out on the first HD brows product that came with a Glossybox last year and have never lived it down. I'm a big fan of filling in my brows and it's an important part of my daily routine so this product is right up my street. I tried it this morning & I really liked it. I don't want to say too much yet but I will be posting a full review soon. 

♥ Mirror & Balloon - With this being the Anniversary edition Glossybox included a mirror & balloon as bonus products. I'm really happy with the mirror, it's doubled sided with one side being a magnified mirror and it will be perfect for slipping in my handbag. The balloon was a really sweet touch and my nephew has enjoyed playing with it =]

Overall this box wasn't bad. It's certainly not my favourite box and I probably won't use all of the products but the HD brows product certainly made up for it.

What are yours thoughts on this months box?

Sarah xx