Half Term Shopping Spree! Amie, Deborah Lippmann, The Bodyshop...!

Well I say spree but it really wasn't up to that standard! I was feeling a bit sorry for myself after having a blood test done (I'm a wimp when it comes to needles and I get myself really worked up, I'm just impressed I didn't faint!) so I thought that I would have a wander around town. I don't get to shop in Wrexham as much anymore due to spending most of my time in Oswestry so it was nice to have a little scout about. Firstly I ended up getting quite a lot in Tesco even though I was only meant to be getting some sweets in for Halloween! It was half price on Amie stuff so I ended up getting the purifying face wash and the matte finish moisturiser for £2.47 each. I've read lots of positive reviews so I thought it was worth getting them whilst they were on offer. I have enough face wash and moisturisers so I didn't really need them but they'll keep, I'm not planning on opening them until I've finished some more up. I also got a tub of the Tresemme Keratin Smooth hair mask as that was also on offer for £2.75. I've used this previously and been super impressed with it so I'm glad I've got it again.
Soz for the flash/non flash pics. My camera isn't great lately and I'm too sleepy to keep faffing about!

I also got a bottle of Brazil Nut perfume at The Body Shop for £4.25 as it's being discontinued. I love, love, love this scent and as I'm quickly running out of my body mist it's good I managed to nab this before it goes from shops completely! 

I think my fave purchase of the day has to be the trio of Deborah Lippmann polishes I got in the clearance section of TK Maxx for £8. I nearly passed it by but then I spied the super pretty Across The Universe shade and it just had to be mine. The other shades included are Fade To Black and Modern Love which are also very lovely. Fade To Black will be the perfect partner to Across The Universe! I've never tried a Deborah Lippmann polish before so I'm looking forward to seeing what the quality is like. 

Finally, I picked up a copy of Elle magazine just to get the little Benefit lipgloss freebie. I almost didn't buy this as £4 is steep for a mag I don't read but I just thought sod it and gave in to temptation! I chose the shade Dandelion as it thought it would suit me the most. It's a weeny tube so I might actually be able to finish a lipgloss for once in my life! 

In other news yesterday I got back from a mini holiday with my boyfriend to Torquay. We had a lovely time and I shall be posting about the trip shortly :) 

Helly Kitty Lipstick-Koala Berry

So I finally found these on Thursday in B&M Bargains after seeing them on a couple of blogs- sad as it is I was very excited! They are just so cute! In the end I only chose one lipstick as the other colours didn't really appeal to me. The one I got is called Koala Berry (such a great name!) and is a deep red berry wine coloured shade. Perfect for Autumn/Winter! It applies much lighter than it looks so it is very wearable. I thought it might look a tad too vampy on, in contrast to my pale skin, but it really doesn't as more of the red tones come out. Formula wise it feels very smooth and moisturising. My lips are super dry at the moment but surprisingly it doesn't cling too badly at all. I can't remember exactly how much they were, but I do know it was less than £2 so, for the price, this is an excellent lipstick.

I also got two nail varnishes from the range so expect a post on them shortly!

Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo & Conditioner

Wow I got this duo ages ago now, think it was last year! I didn't start using them though until fairly recently and as I only wash my hair about twice a week they're lasting me a long time. These were a complete steal as I didn't pay a thing for them!The shampoo is normally £21 and the conditioner is £23 but all I had to do was bring in an empty shampoo bottle (any old one, I think mine was a cheapo Boots own one)  to exchange. I say 'all I had to do' but actually it was my dad who did it for me as I was working at the time and I knew they would run out of them in record time. Bless him, he was up at sparrows fart to go into town for me! The Damage Reverse range of products is aimed at very dry and damaged hair and contains ingredients such as Ojon oil, wheat protein, passiflora oil, buriti oil and murumuru butter. I have no real idea what these are but I'm sure it's all good stuff! My hair definitely needs all the butters and oils it can get at the moment, it's like shredded wheat.  Out of the two I prefer the conditioner as it is really thick (so thick it's a bit of a pain to get out of the bottle!) and nourishing. I nearly took this away on holiday with me but then didn't' as it was taking too long to decant into the travel bottle! I was kicking myself in the end though- my sun frazzled hair desperately needed a hardcore conditioner! The shampoo is alright, again it is thick and luxurious in texture and lathers well but it hasn't given me amazing results. I've gotten better results from much cheaper shampoos so whilst this has been nice to try it's not something I would repurchase. It definitely works a bit better in conjunction with the conditioner but there is no way I am paying £44 for both!
Apologies for the glare, had to use flash as it's been so dark and miserable lately.

Did you take advantage of this offer? Have you been impressed by any higher end haircare or do you think the cheaper brands are better? 

Revlon Nail Enamel- Really Rosy

I bought this polish last week from Poundland as I surprisingly don't have any pinks in my collection that look quite like this one. It's a gorgeous dark dusky pink shade that I am in love with! I think it's quite season appropriate in that it's a bright but warm shade- a sort of 'cosy colour' if that make sense! No application problems to report apart from accidentally dropping it on the floor- cue my peeved off boyfriend scrubbing the carpet with window cleaner (Google says) in the hope of getting it out before it set. Seemed to work! Carpet drama aside, it took the standard two coats and dried relatively fast. Sometimes too quickly thinking about it, as on a few nails it did drag a bit on the second coat, but that was down to me not having enough polish on the brush I reckon. Overall I'm so glad I got this little bargain. If you like your pink shades I'd definitely recommend you have a hunt in your local Poundland for it! 

Got any nail polish bargains yourself lately? 

Roma Rant

Well not really a rant but Romanian gypsies have been very prominent in the news lately and are generally getting some very bad press. Obviously I can't defend the ones who actually have been engaging in illegal activities, but they only represent a small percentage of the Roma population. I have been to Romania twice now to work with the gypsy children in the village of Urvind, near Oradea. Even in there own country, where they have lived for hundred of years, they are victims of discrimination and have not been able to integrate. As a result there are extremely high levels of poverty, unemployment and poor education. Many are illiterate and it is estimated that 1 in 10 cannot read or write. Though the living conditions have improved for the gypsy village I visited, I also went to another village where they are only just beginning to get help, here the living conditions were overcrowded and squalid. Families were packed into tiny spaces and there was rubbish and human/animal waste everywhere.  Birth rates are high within the Roma community so families are large and often times the parents are very young themselves. Education as a result isn't a high priority though many of the children would love to go to school and learn. During my time there last year we worked in partnership with the village school and carried out some educational activities with them. I saw lots of gypsy children who showed great potential and a real eagerness to learn who, sadly, will more than likely not be able to reach their fullest potential. Education programmes are in place for the Urvind gypsy children but it is never going to compare to what the other children are getting, especially when in some instances parents try to keep the children at home to help with the chores. One of the most horrific sights I saw in Romania was a girl getting repeatedly hit across the face by her mum for being at school and not home. The poor girl was dragged away in tears when just minutes earlier she had been having fun and enjoying herself. A real rarity, she always looked so sad. The scene really broke my heart and it still upsets me to think about it now. Thankfully Teams4U, the organisation who have been helping the Urvind gypsies, have reported that the majority of children are now attending the state funded government school and are being able to graduate high school. A pre-school programme and after school club have greatly helped the children on their way but many gypsy communities do not have this support. What I am basically getting at is that education is the best way out of poverty and without the right opportunities then they will continue to be unemployed and have to cope in the only way they can which, ultimately, is by illegal means for many. Without the opportunities how can they escape a lifestyle which to them is the norm? Of course this problem is never going to be eradicated, as in every ethnic group there are always going to be criminals, but what I'm hoping to get across is that if everyone keeps pushing the Roma away then surely the problems will only get worse. I understand there are arguments for and against every situation but this is just how I feel.

Bit of a FOTD Fail

I thought I would do a FOTD today as I don't tend to do them. But then the lighting was crappy and my camera is perpetually crappy and so the end result is not very useful in regards to seeing what the products actually look like on. I've decided to stick it up regardless as frankly I've got lots of cleaning to do and this is helping me put it off just a little bit longer!  :-p
As I've said you can't tell what I'm wearing but I'll list them anyways!
Witch primer (best primer I've used yet!)
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in 51
MUA cream blusher in Blossom
MUA eyeshadows in Ghost (Smokin' palette) and Reveal (Undress Me Too palette)
Max Factor Wild Mega Volume mascara

I'm missing the slight tan I had in the summer so much! I look too pale :( I have got a bit of a cold again though so I think that is a contributing factor. The star product here is definitely the cream blush. It applies so well with my stipple brush and looks really natural. Such a bargain too!

It's Nearly Half Term And I'm Getting Grumpy Shopping

Ok so I got a bogey on me today. It wasn't mine.
The joys of working with little kids... but hey! Just 5 more school days then I get a weeks break and a little trip to Devon with my boyfriend. Nice.

So yeah, when I left school today I was feeling a little frazzled and in need of a Poundland browse. Here's what I got, minus the chocolate orange bars!

So how cute are these Hello Kitty fluffy socks?! Well cute if you like Hello Kitty of course! These are lovely and soft and perfect for cosy nights in. Which is every night for me really, I'm such a granny. 

I eyed up this Revlon polish last weekend and managed to resist it but today I had zero willpower! The shade is 'Really Rosy' and is a gorgeous mid toned dusky sort of pink. I don't think I have anything like this in my vast collection! 

Next up I got a can of got2b rockin' it dry shampoo as I go through loads of the stuff. Anything that saves time in the mornings is a boon (love that word). 

Yes, I have bought 2 packets of the evil wipes but I actually find them really useful when I'm tired, and as of yet my face hasn't fallen off as a result of using them. 

I'm so looking forward to the weekend now and I'm not even doing anything!