Cleanser Empties

The title is a bit misleading as these aren't quite empty just yet- they probably have about 2 uses left in them but knowing me when they are finished properly I will just shove them in the bin and forget to review them! I got these mini's in sample boxes, can't remember which ones though, and have been using them whilst I'm staying at my boyfriends place. The Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Cleanser is also a scrub and a mask. I have only used it as a mask once but it worked well and didn't make my skin feel overly tight. I love the scrubbiness of this cleanser as I feel that I'm really getting all the grime out of my pores! It is soap, paraben and alcohol free and contains salicylic acid as well as kaolin and corn starch so it's ideal for oily blemished skin. The Normaderm range is targeted towards 'imperfection prone skin' and there are lots of products in the range. I think I'll be checking out the micellar water they do next. I might repurchase this at some point, it costs a bit more than what I'd usually pay for a cleanser, but at £11 it's not too bad especially considering it's a 3 in 1 product.
I like foaming cleansers ever though they can be a little drying and whilst the Shiseido Cleansing Foam claims to be extra gentle I did find that it felt a bit 'soapy' in that there was some tightness afterwards as if I had just used bar soap- it feels squeaky clean almost. It did have a rather luxurious texture though which I have enjoyed using but it does have a strong soapy scent and found it to sting really badly if I got it in my eyes! A little goes a long way so it's lasted me ages considering it's only a 30ml tube. I won't be repurchasing this though as the full size 125ml tube costs £29 which is just ridiculous seeing as I can pick up a basic one that does the same thing for under a fiver.

Have you tried any of these? What did you think?

O.P.I You Don't Know Jacques!

When I heard that Fragrance Direct were selling O.P.I polishes for a bargainous £3.99 a pop I knew I couldn't resist temptation!  I chose this shade as it's something I haven't already got in my collection and it seems to be a bloggers fave. It's quite a 'grown up' polish but a sophisticated shade I reckon. I'm sort of reminded of Minstrels when I look at my nails too! I've never tried an O.P.I polish before but I was impressed with the formula in that it took two coats to reach full opacity, dried fairly quickly and was neither too thin or thick. I would have liked a slightly glossier finish but this can be easily rectified with a top coat that I was too lazy to apply! I will definitely look into adding more O.P.I polishes to my collection-they have such a wide range of shades and the cutest names!

What O.P.I polishes would you recommend I try?

Bargains of Late!

I had a cheeky shop at the weekend and I found some great bargains! I shouldn't of been spending but these were such steals it would of been rude not to.

In TK Maxx I picked up a bottle of Dr Bronners Citrus Orange Pure  Castile Soap for £3.00 as I have been meaning to get some for ages. I had a few samples of it in a JolieBox and it was excellent for cleaning my brushes with. It is also the only cleaning product that has gotten my beauty blender properly clean! Here I also got a 200ml tub of Nip + Fab Pistachio Sundae Body Butter for £4.99. I don't really know why I got this as I have a tonne of moisturisers already that I just don't use! I think I was lured in by the yummyness. I am glad I got it though as it smells divine and feels super nourishing. Perfect for my scaly legs! The label states the RRP is £9.94 but you can get it in Boots for £8. 49. Either way it's cheaper. 

I also popped into Poundland, as I always do, and found a rather nice cook book called 'Cooking With Coco' Even though it's based on recipes for children there are some really nice looking dishes in there. Basically it's full of simple Italian (mostly) home cooking that should please the whole family. I like that it's not full of typical fussy kiddie fare but rather a wide variety of proper food. The price on the back is £18.99 so this is a great bargain for a quality cook book. 

I also got a lightweight jumper in the sale at New Look for £7, but I am currently wearing it and have no mirror long enough to take a pic of it on! I'll try and add it in later but it's on the website so you can see it here.  

Have you picked up any bargains lately? 

Pappy Product: Superdrug Dry Shampoo

This is the first in a possible series of 'Pappy Products' though hopefully they shouldn't come up too regularly!   I bought three of these back in October when there was a buy one get two free deal going on. I think these are always on some some sort of offer though. On a positive note I love the smell of these, especially the orange one but after getting through two and a half cans, and going back to Batiste,  I have to say that I just don't think they're up to the job. I did like the fact that they weren't as powdery as the Batiste ones but these didn't seem to have anything in the way of powder to absorb oil even though it contains corn starch. Batiste uses rice starch I believe and I would have thought that both would do the same job but maybe the other is more efficient or contains more of it? I dunno but the Superdrug one is pretty inefficient, I end up having to use loads and even then I can't really see a difference. So yeah, whilst these are cheap they just don't cut it when my hair is in a tramp like state and in need of some serious degreasing! For a refresher though they're fine and as I said they do smell lovely.

What do you think of these? What is your favourite dry shampoo?

Dainty Doll Eyeshadow-002 'Treat Her Like A Lady'

I was in Poundworld last weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find a few Dainty Doll items amongst the cosmetics. Thankfully there was a label with the shade name and colour on the bag it came in so I wasn't buying it blind! I think the bag just said brown so I was expecting it to be much darker than it actually is, which is a light taupey brown shade. The Dainty Doll website describes this a nude which is pretty apt as it is a soft subtle colour though it isn't boring like some ones that just look like pressed face powder! It's very easy to wear though it looks best over a primer. On it's own it's a bit wishy washy and doesn't transfer too well. The powder is so soft and blends really well-it feels like a quality product. I love that it's cool toned as most of the browns I own are warm toned which isn't quite as flattering on me. There is silver shimmer running through it too which helps to brighten the eye and stops it looking flat. This is such a good every day shade and I reckon I'll be using this a lot for work. Overall I'm so glad I found this gem for a pound! If you see this and you're a fan of taupes then it's definitely worth a try.

I've seen these online with and without mirrors in the lid. Not sure why some haven't but for a pound who's complaining! 

No flash

With flash 

Have you got this shade or any other shades from the range? 

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Mist

My lovely boyfriend got me this after I saw that The Body Shop were doing a 40% off offer making this only £4.50 instead of £7.50. There is also free delivery if you spend £5. I think this deal is on until the 20th May so grab a bargain whilst you can. Not that you'd have to wait long until they have another discount code, there always seems to be offers on!
This came yesterday and it was love at first sniff! It's gorgeous! It has chocolate/ toffee notes to it that makes it smell akin to a yummy dessert. Heaven if you love foody scents. It's a very cosy scent and probably one more suited to Autumn/Winter but whatever! I've found it to be quite long lasting which is great as this is limited edition so I don't want to use it up too quickly. I may actually get a few backups and check out the other products in the range too. I'd love to layer this up!

Creightons Perfectly Clear Moisturiser and Spot Gel

I saw these last weekend in Poundland and just had to give them a try. My skin is often problematic and if these can help for just a pound then that'll be great! I've been using these for the past week now and so far so good. The Balancing Mattifying Moisturiser has a non oily formula and contains salicyclic acid to help combat spots. I find this light cream sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me shiny or feeling tacky. It also has a pleasant fresh scent. It's only been a week but I do think it has helped calm my skin. My blemishes may have gone away on their own but in any case it hasn't given me any more or made them worse!
The Calming Spot Gel also contains salicylic acid and 'antibacterial actives'. It smells very strong which I'm presuming is from the peppermint and eucalyptus oil I spied in the ingredients list. It claims to be gentle but I do find that it packs quite a punch! It worked at reducing spots but also caused some dryness around them so be careful when applying it. It's quite a thick gel and it does take a while to dry. I don't mind the slight tackinesss though as I apply this at night but is something to consider if you were using it before makeup.
Overall I have been impressed with this duo and hope it continues to work well!

Have you tried anything from this range yet? What do you think?

MUA Nail Polish- Fever Red

I picked this up yesterday in a rush as I was in need of a red polish to go with an outfit for that evening. As I was at my boyfriends place I didn't have my collection with me and I didn't want to spend lots of money as I already have a few reds at home. This fitted the bill perfectly at a mere quid.
I did an awful job as I was up against the clock but I can't complain about the formulation. It did need two coats as the first was a little thin and on the pinky side but once the second coat was on it transformed into the red as it appears in the bottle. It's still not a fire engine sort of red but I like it all the same. The brush is narrow but I appreciate that with colours like this as it allows me to be more careful. I can't really comment on how long it lasts as I only applied it yesterday evening and then messed them up by not giving it long enough to dry before faffing around. I'll have to try it again with a top coat and more time! In any case for a pound you can't complain too much. I only hope it doesn't stain my nails as I've been trying to get them a normal colour again for ages! I did use a base coat but that doesn't always work. Fingers crossed I don't end up with  the dreaded orangey nails!

Lasting Finish By Kate Lipstick - 08

Like a lot of people I gave into temptation when these lipsticks appeared on Fragrance Direct at the bargainous price of  £1.99. I was good though, I only got 1! I wanted this shade when it first came out but never got around to actually getting it so I'm pleased I finally have it in my mitts. The pinky/mauvey brown  shade is really easy to wear and is perfect for work as it looks like I've made an effort but isn't over the top. Not that I even have to look like I've made an effort when I'm just dealing with 4/5 year olds all day but still! It is indeed pretty long lasting without a compromise in texture. I find it goes on lovely and smooth with no dryness. I'm not terribly fussed on the scent but you can't really detect its on.

Love the packaging, especially the little crown design on top

The bottom swatch shows one swipe and the top shows it applied more heavily

All in all a great versatile lipstick that I can see myself reaching for a lot. 

A little trip :)

Hi, hope everyone had a lovely bank holiday weekend. I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning and go to work, especially as it's sunny again today!
I just wanted to share with you some pics of my little trip to Pistyll Rhaeadr- the highest waterfall in Wales apparently. It was really nice to go somewhere I haven't been to before and the scenery and weather was just gorgeous. Can't beat a bit of Welsh countryside! Not that I'm biased at all haha.

Looking forward to lots more days out this summer- weather permitting that is!