Recent Haul...

Hello my lovelies.

I love nothing more than a good haul, I don't buy anything for a while & then when I start I can't stop. When I saw Boots had 3 for 2 on all cosmetics & haircare I couldn't resist, who can resist free products! Then a 25% New Look voucher dropped into my inbox and I was sold!

Here's what I've picked up recently...

Toni & Guy Shampoo For Fine Hair | £5.99

Toni & Guy Conditioner For Fine Hair | £5.99

L'Oreal Elnett Heat Styling Spray For Volume | £5.99

I've wanted to try this shampoo & conditioner since Zoella mentioned it in her haircare routine so when Boots had 3 for 2 on haircare I couldn't resist picking it up. Dizzybrunette3 recently mentioned this heat styling spray in her haircare routine & her hair always look stunning so I was hoping for some of the same. 

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation | £6.99

Rimmel Stronger Base Coat | £5.49

Rimmel Apocalips Celestial | £5.99

Boots also have 3 for 2 on cosmetics at the moment, what more reason does a beauty junkie need to indulge?! I've only just realised everything I picked up is from Rimmel, I didn't do this on purpose! I've heard really good things about the foundation & as I'm such a fan of Wake Me Up I'm hoping I'll like this just as much. My nails have been breaking recently so I decided to give this a go, I've not heard much about it but I'm liking Rimmel at the moment so I'm hoping for good things! I couldn't resist adding to my Apocolips collection, these amazingly pigmented lipsticks/gloss are great for every day use and are such a bargain.

New Look Peplum Top | £9.99

New Look Lightweight Grey Jumper | £12.99

I can't find this peplum top on the New Look website but I saw loads instore so it should be back on the site soon, I just thought it would look lovely when the summer warms up with jeans or shorts. Hurry up  Sping! This jumper is so comfy and is perfect for when the weather finally warms up a little bit.

New Look Crochet Jumper | £12.99 £6.00

New Look Denim Jacket | £17.99

This other lightweight jumper caught my eye because of the colour, I don't really own anything khaki but I really like it! When I saw it was on sale for £6.00 I couldn't resist. I've been after a denim jacket for ages and the picture really doesn't do this jacket justice, it's lovely! I'm all set for spring now we just need the sun to make an appearance!

Phew! I love a good haul & I can't wait to try out everything I've bought. The 25% off at New Look ends on Thursday, all you have to do is quote '240313' at the till. Don't blame me if you spend a fortune!

Sarah xx

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

February Favourites 2013

Hello my lovelies, I hope you all had a fab weekend.

We had family visiting this weekend which was lovely, living so far from home we don't get to see our loved ones as often as we'd like & we love it when we have people staying over. 

I can't believe it's March already, I'm going to have a baby next month! This scares me somewhat so I try not to think about it too much!

My favourites this month are mainly products I've loved & owned for a while with the addition of a couple of new finds. Here's what I've been loving this month...

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Moisturiser

£4.99

Available here

I'm sure this has featured in my favourites before but I just can't help but love this product. It's light and sinks in almost instantly but at the same time it leaves my skin beautifully soft. I can slap this on and get dressed almost straight away & it smells lovely, what more could you want?! I've lost count of how many bottles of this I've gone through and I can't see myself stop using it anytime soon.

Origins Super Spot Remover

£13.00

Available here

This is a firm favourite in the blogsphere and it's easy to see why. My skin has been playing up recently and I know I can rely on this little gem to eliminate any blemish I have. It isn't a wonder product and won't banish a breakout overnight but by the next morning the spot has always reduced in size & redness. I also find breakouts clear up a lot quicker when I use this product. The bottle may be tiny but I've had this since last summer & I'm only about halfway through.

Rimmel Exaggerate Shadow Primer

£4.99

Available here

I recently posted a full review of this product which you can read here so I won't ramble on too much but I'm sure I've used this everyday this month so couldn't not feature it in my favourites. This reasonable priced readily available eyeshadow primer makes applying eyeshadow a breeze and keeps my eye make up in place all day. If you haven't tried this yet I can't recommend it enough.

Nivea Lip Butter

£1.49

Available here

After Fee over at Makeupsavvy featured this product in her 2012 favourites I knew I had to try it. This super cheap lip butter tastes delicious and leaves my lips feeling beautifully soft. It won't cure severely chapped lips but it's a great thick lip butter to apply throughout the day. I don't even feel guilty about reapplying it too often because it costs less than a cup of coffee!

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle 

£45.50+

Available here

This has to be one of my favourite perfumes ever, I'm rubbish at describing scents but it smells sophisticated & I always get compliments when I wear it. i've had this bottle for 2 years now and as much as I love it I'm aware perfume does have a shelf life so I've been trying to use it up before it goes off. I'm nearly there!

So there we have it, my february favourites! It's so strange to think I only have one more favourites post to go before I become a Mum, how scary!

I'd love to know what your favourites have been this month so please pop a comment below.

Sarah xx

Review | Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Primer

Hiya lovelies.

I was recently having a mooch around Superdrug as you do when I spotted this on offer, I was intrigued as I'd never seen an eyeshadow primer available in a drugstore before & I can't resist a bargain! 

Rimmel have been on top form with the new releases lately and this is no exception.

The new Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Primer comes in a lipgloss style tube with a a sponge doe foot applicator. I'm not usually a fan of this type of applicator but I actually find it works really well with this product. 

The formula is a white silicone based primer which when blended is almost invisible as you can see above. I personally have no problems with silicone based products but I know some people do react to them so it would be best to test this on your hand before applying it to the eye area.

I've given this a good road test both during the day and for going out and I can confirm it makes a wonderful base for eyeshadow and keeps my eyeshadow in place all day/night. Applying eyeshadow has become a breeze because there's no pulling or tugging of the eye area and it also intensifies the eyeshadow so less product is needed.

Overall I can't recommend this product enough. At last we have an eyeshadow primer readily available on the high street that does it's job & comes in at under a fiver. What more could you want?!

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer is available here priced at £4.99.

I'd love to know what your favourite eyeshadow primer is, please leave me a comment below!

Sarah xx

April Beauty Haul - Featuring Nars, MAC, Etc...

Hello my lovelies <3

I hope you're all enjoying the easter weekend. I dragged my boyfriend to see Titanic 3D last night, he wasn't impressed! I've seen it at least 10 times and I still spent the last half an hour sobbing like a loser. 

I haven't blogged a haul in quite a while and now I need to split my recenty haul into 2 posts! I've decided to split this haul into one beauty post & one fashion post, here are the beauty products I've bought recently...

It doesn't look like much when I look at like this, it felt like more when I was buying it! Here's a closer look at what I bought...

Nars Laguna:

Now when I say I bought this I actually got it for free! Don't worry, I haven't taken to a life of crime just yet. I actually got it for free from Buyapowa, I recommended the most co-buyers and received Nars Laguna completely free of charge. I'm actually going to write a full post about Buyapowa as it's become somewhat an addiction of mine. I wanted Laguna FOREVER and was so happy when it popped up on Buyapowa for £18.00, I was even happier when I got it for free!

MAC:

MAC Paintpot in Painterly, MAC Eyebrow pencil in Stud & MAC Lovelorn lipstick.

I went to the Mac counter in Bluewater intending to buy an MSF Natural & MSF Soft & Gentle and they had neither of these in stock so naturally I got 3 completetly different products instead. This is my first paint pot and I've really enjoyed using it so far. The eyebrow pencil is a lovely dark grey/brown colour and looks really nice on my brows. I actually wanted to buy Mac Hue but again they didn't have this is stock so went for Lovelorn instead.

Drugstore products:

Revlon Colorstay foundation, Rimmel Lasting Finish in Misty Jade & Apricot Punch and L'oreal Carress in Dating Coral.

Boots currently have 3 for 2 on all cosmetics so it would be rude not to participate and buy a few things!

I've been a fan of Revlon Colorstay for a few years now & always like to have a bottle in my collection, I  bought this when I bought my giveaway prizes and actually got this bottle for free.

I really wanted a mint green mail polish but my Boots had sold out of nearly all Barry M polishes so I opted for Rimmel intsead, Apricot Punch also looked like a lovely spring colour so I picked this up too. I had my eye on L'oreal Caresse for a few days and kept popping in until my Boots finally had it in stock, I'm really impressed with it so far and will be posting a full review soon!

Overall I'm really happy with everything I bought, if you would like a full review of anything I've bought please leave a comment below.

Sarah xx

Review: Rimmel - Wake Me Up Foundation

Ahoy my lovely blogerinos!

I can't believe how amazing the weather has been for the past couple of days, it's like summer has come early. I spend my days gazing out of my office window wishing I was laying in the park soaking up some rays! I hope you've all been enjoying it more than me & making the most of it. I'm also finding these lighter evenings really deceiving, I lay on the sofa thinking it's 5.30pm to look at the time and see it's actually more like 8.00pm! Oops =]

Anyway onto the point of today's post, a review of the new Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Rimmel say: 'Introducing Rimmel Wake Me Up, our first makeup that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow and minimizes premature skin ageing.

A light, smooth texture for natural, 100% poreless coverage instantly eliminates signs of tiredness and lifts skin from fatigue. Radiance pearls illuminate for a healthy, radiant glow. Flawless natural finish. Peptides increase elasticity so skin recovers and bounces back more quickly. SPF 15 protects.

Wake up and glow!'

My Thoughts:

I picked this foundation up over a month ago after reading alot of hype over it on blogger/twitter and I've used it on and off since.

One of the first things I have to comment on is the packaging. IT HAS A PUMP! If drugstore brands can include a pump in a foundation that costs under £10 why can't a high end brand include one on a foundation that costs £25+?! I know some bloggers don't like the orange packaging but I actually like it, it stands out in my collection and brightens my morning up.

I grabbed this foundation when I was running late for a train and actually picked the wrong shade. I picked Classic Beige which is probably 1 or 2 shades darker than I should wear.  This foundation is only available in 6 shades and I would say they are all in the medium skin tone range. Ladies with fair skin may find it hard to find a match because even the ivory shade is leaning towards beige. I know brands such as Rimmel only have a limited space in which to promote products but I still feel 6 shades is a little stingey.

I really like the formulation of this foundation, it's a liquid foundation that almost feels gel like. I use my Real Technique's stippling brush to buff this into my face and I find this works really well. The coverage is light to medium but is certainly buildable. I still have to use a good helping of concealer to cover imperfections but this isn't a foundation's job anyway.

Part of me really likes the finish of this foundation and part of me doesn't. I like how it looks & feels on the skin, it leaves a fresh dewy look without looking cakey or heavy. In order to create this finish the foundation has 'illuminating particles' and in all honesty I did not notice these when applying my make up in the mirror. I only noticed them standing under harsh artifical light and it worries me they may be noticeable in bright sunshine. 

I find this foundation lasts around 6 hours on me before I need to powder to keep the shine at bay. I have oily/combination skin so this may last longer on people with more normal/dry skin.

It's hard to say what my overall impression of this foundation is. The finish on my skin is nice, it's nice to work with and it's affordable compared to my other foundations. Maybe I should give this another go in my true shade but there are so many other foundations I want to try out first. The jury is out on this one I'm afraid!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation is priced at £8.99.

Have you tried this foundation yet, if so what did you think?

Sarah xx

Boots & Superdrug Haul - November

Good evening ladies, It's Friday at last, Yay!!

I've got some exciting posts coming up in the next week or so but I thought I'd start with this. I made a trip to Boots & Superdrug today and I thought I'd show you what I picked up.

Boots:

Boots currently have buy one get one half price on all Eylure products, I've wanted to pick Dylash up for a while and couldn't resist yet another pair of false lashes!

Eylure Dylash - Dark Brown - £7.40

Eylure Lashes - 107 - £2.62

Superdrug:

Superdrug currently have 3 for 2 on all cosmetics, what more reason did I need?!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation - Soft Beige - £6.99

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara - £6.99

Collection 2000 Last Perfection Concealer - Medium - Free!

NYC Lashes - 974 - £1.99

St Ives Apricot Scrub - Fresh Skin - £4.38

V05 Miracle Concentrate - £4.99

V05 Strong Hold Hairspray - £3.05

I'm really happy with the stuff I picked up & alot of the products are things I've wanted to try for ages.

Please let me know if you want me to review anything above.

Sarah xx

FOTD - 15092011

Good evening ladies, it's nearly friday!!! =]

I've been trying out a few new products this week & thought it was about time I did another FOTD!

Products used:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation

Mac MSF Natural

Bourjois Bronzer

Sleek Rose Gold Blush

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Sin, Toasted & Hustle

Bourjois Clubbing Mascara

Benefit Badgal

ELF Eyebrow Kit

Natural Collection Raspberry Lipstick

I love this lipstick!!! It's perfect for people like me who are scared of red lips =]

I hope you've all had a fab week, I will announce the winner of my giveaway over the weekend.

Sarah xx

These are a few of my favourite things - August!

Hello Ladies!

I can't believe it's time for my August favourites already, where has this year gone?! It's Christmas soon, yay!!

Here are the things I've been loving this month:

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette:

This needs no introduction. It's been featured on various blogs and there's a reason for that, It's amazing! The pigmentation is great, there is a fab selection of neutral shades to choose from and it costs £4!!!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation:

This has been a firm favourite of mine for a good few months now. It has great staying power, It gives great coverage and it's very affordable. This has to be one of my favourite drugstore foundations ever.

Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzer:

I can't believe I'm going to admit this but I had never tried this before I bought it a couple of weeks ago! It's a HG product for many bloggers and I now know why. I use this bronzer to contour and to give me some colour, It doesn't make me look orange and It's not too shimmery. Winner!

Mac MSF Natural:

This is my favourite setting powder of all time. I have fairly oily skin so I have to set most foundations. This leaves my skin looking flawless and makes my foundation last so much longer. I'm sure I don't need to convince you because many of my lovely followers rave about this.

J.Lo La Glow:

I picked this up on offer in the Perfume shop for £12! It's a lovely fresh fruity scent with good staying power. I'm now only wearing my Chanel perfume for special occasions because I'm scared of it running out so this makes a great cheap everyday perfume =]

Hair Doughnut:

I'm not very talented when it comes to hair, I either have my hair straight or in a simple ponytail. This is my new favourite accessory! It keeps the hair off my face but makes me look like I've spent alot longer on my hair than I actually did! This was £1 in Primark. I have since picked up a brown version which matches my hair alot better!

Last but not least this is my random favourite of the month.... my new iPhone 4! I had the 3GS in black and this isn't much different in terms of features but I love the white colour, is that sad?!

I can't believe this is my last favourite post before my driving test! Hopefully a full driving license will feature in next months favourites!

What have been your favourites this month?

Sarah xx

400 Follower Giveaway! **now closed**

Good evening dolls =]

As a small thankyou to my gorgeous followers & to celebrate reaching 400 followers I've decided to hold a giveaway featuring a selection of my favourite products.

Here are the products that are up for grabs...

MUA Heaven & Earth palette.

No.7 Blend & Contour eyeshadow brush.

Schwarzkopf Got2b Powder'ful.

Rimmel Nail Polish - Disco Ball & Cranberry Zest.

Montagne Jeunesse Masks - Chocolate & Fruit Smoothie.

This is just a small selection of my favourite products. I own all of these products and they have been tried & tested by myself.

Here's what you have to do to be in with a chance of winning:

♥ Leave a comment on this post including your email address - 1 entry.

♥ For 1 extra entry tweet about this giveaway. Remember to mention me in the tweet, you can follow me with the link on the left. When leaving a comment mention that you tweeted.

♥ For 2 extra entries either write a blog post about this giveaway or feature it on your sidebar.

That's a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above!

The boring bit - the rules:

♥ You must be a follower of this blog via Google Connect.

♥ You must be 16+ or have your parents permission (I'll need your address)

♥ This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!

♥ All qualifying entries will be entered into random.org

Entry to this giveaway closes on Tuesday 13th September 2011.

Any entries after this will not count.

Good luck dolls =]

Sarah xx

Review: Rimmel 5in1 Nail Treat - Basecoat & Topcoat

Good evening dolls!

Am I the only one who keeps thinking it's Monday?! Not that I'm complaining =]

Here we have one of my new found favourite products....

Rimmel 5 in 1 Nail Treat - Basecoat & Topcoat.

What Rimmel say:

"Get smoother, stronger, longer, more moisturised and shiner nails."

I've been on the lookout for this product for ages, It's always out of stock at my local Boots & Superdrug. I eventually managed to track it down whilst on a weekend away with the boyfriend.

What I think:

I love this product!

Using it as a base coat ensures my polish goes on smooth and doesn't stain my nails. The top coat leaves my nails shiny and polish dries within a couple of minutes, this is very important to me because I paint my nails before bed! I've certainly noticed a big change in the condition of my nails, they feel alot stronger and break far less, something that was a big issue with me.

I'm not a fan of the brush. It's not the normal wide Rimmel brush, something which I love. The brush is much skinnier and it can take a while to apply the product.

Overall I would recommend this product. It's good value for money and rubbish brush aside it does exactly what it says on the er...bottle!

Product: 9/10

Packaging: 7/10

Price: 9/10

Overall :9/10

Available at most Boots/Superdrug stores priced at £4.59

Sarah xx

FOTD - 23082011

Good evening lovelies =]

I thought it was about time I did a FOTD as I've been blogging for nearly a year & I haven't done one before so here goes...

Please ignore my rain ruined hair!

the products I used:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation

Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Mac MSF Natural

Benefit Hoola

Sleek Blush - Rose Gold

ELF Eyebrow kit

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette

ELF Cream Eyeliner

Maxfactor Falsh Lash Effect Fusion

Benefit Badgal Liner

GOSH Lipstick - Darling

Maybelline Watershine Lipgloss - Cotton Candy

Wow, I didn't realise I use that many products on a day to day basis, eek!

Sarah xx

Scented Polishes - Revlon v Rimmel

Ahoy blogerinos!

I wasn't sure what to make of scented nail polishes when I first heard of them, my initial thought was 'what is the point... I bet it's just a silly gimmick' but I fell in love with these shades & the fact that they were scented was just an added bonus.

I didn't actually realise how similar these polishes were until l'd already purchased the Rimmel one, oops!!

Revlon:

Revlon recently released a limited edition collection of 8 scented polishes. I opted for Tropical Temptation after I had read various blog posts about it.

I bought this polish as part of a promotion, the price of Revlon polishes has always put me off in the past. I have to say I'm really not impressed with Revlon polishes, the application was awful! It was streaky, not opaque at all took and took ages to dry. I like the colour but I don't think there is much difference between this and the Rimmel polish.

The scent of the polish is very subtle, I find you actually have to smell your nails to notice it, I think I'd get some funny looks if I did this too regularly!

This was Tropical Temptation after 2 coats & no top coat. The polish lasted 4 days without chipping which did impress me considering I didn't use a top coat.

Revlon Tropical Temptation - 14ml - £6.49.

Rimmel:

Rimmel currently has a collection of 4 scented nail polishes - Lemon Drop, Strawberry Fizz, Apricot Punch & Cranberry Zest, cute names!

I opted for Apricot Punch, I thought the shade was perfect for summer - without realising how similar it was to Tropical Temptation - oops!

The scent of this polish is alot stronger than the Revlon polish, I can actually smell it without smelling my nails but it's not overpowering at all.

This was Apricot Punch after 2 coats & no top coat. As you can see it's ever so slightly pinker than the Revlon polish, only just!! I love the colour and it lasted 3 days without chipping. I also love the brush & it applied really well, much better than the Revlon polish.

Rimmel Apricot punch - 8ml - £2.99

Overall I have to say I much prefer the Rimmel polish. It applied better, It smells better & It costs less than half the price of the Revlon polish. The size of the Revlon polish may be larger but I rarely finish a bottle of nail polish anyway!

Have you tried scented nail polishes, if so what did you think of them?

Sarah xx

Currently Loving - March

Hi lovelies :)

I don't do this type of post often as my favourite products rarely change but these are my 'go to' current favourite products...

1 - Revlon Photoready foundation

I loved this foundation last year and I recently bought another bottle of it and it has reminded me just why I love it. This foundation leaves me looking fresh and dewy but still covers imperfections, lovely!

2 - Rimmel Silky Loose Powder

This has been a long standing favourite of mine & I love setting my foundation with this powder. It isn't too matt & being translucent doesn't end up looking cakey at all.

3 - Garnier Intensive 7 Days Moisturiser

Love this! Smells gorgeous and leaves my skin feeling very soft. Not thick and hard to work with like a body butter, perfect for spring/summer!

4 - No. 17 'Forever' Nail Polish

The perfect nude polish, for my NOTD post on this nail polish click here.

5 - ELF Studio Powder Brush

I've been using this brush for my liquid foundation and setting powder, I actually did a full review on this brush a while back, click here to read it :)

6 - No.7 Eyeshadow Blend & Contour Brush

The perfect eyeshadow blending brush & for the bargain price of £1.75 when bought using a No.7 voucher!

Sarah xx