20th Birthday Presents

On the 20th January, I turned 20! I wrote a birthday post, like I do every year, and showed you my delicious birthday 'cake'. Thank you so, so much for the birthday wishes! 

Here's what I received. I normally tell my parents what I would like and they buy it. Although this takes away the surprise factor, I'm guaranteed to like what I get. This year, I asked for 10 books. Look at them! I'm so happy. After I've finished my current book, I think I'm going to read City of Bones. My sister bought me the fox cushion, the giraffe money box and the Tinker Bell pen. Again, I chose the fox cushion and giraffe money box because my sister wanted to make sure I loved my presents. My friend bought me the hedgehog cushion, the 'l' bunting, a Malteaster bunny and a load of Parma Violets because she knows how much I love them! I was so surprised and happy to see that she'd got me the hedgehog cushion. I really wanted it, and my sister was actually going to get it for me, but we decided on the fox one instead. The last photo shows my new cushions, along with my owl one, sitting on the bed. My sister bought me the owl one for Christmas 2011. I think they make perfect gifts because they're not something you would want to buy yourself (seeing as they're £15+), but they're still something you would love to own. Although they're more expensive than your average cushion, you've got to look at them gifts, and as gifts, I think they're well worth it.

MUA 50% off haul

Last week, MUA reached 50,000 'likes' on Facebook, and celebrated this with 50% off and free delivery. There was a lot of drama and angry customers over a variety of things. Fast forward to today, and I received my order! I'm going to be showing you my sister's products as well as mine, just to make it a little more interesting. I'm also going to give the full prices of the products, and not the prices I paid, seeing as the offer is no longer on!

Let's start with nail polishes. The ones above are Amaretto Crush (sister's), shade 16 (sister's), shade 12 (sister's), Frozen Yoghurt x2 (one for me, one for my sister), and shade 5 x2 (one for me, one for my sister). These retail for £1 each. I've already bought a load of nail polishes this month, so stopped myself at two. 

I also bought the Nail Constellation in Leo for my mum, which is £3 full price.

My sister and I then both bought the Cream Blusher in Blossom, which is normally £2.

My sister also bought the Heaven and Earth Eyeshadow Palette, which is £4. I already own this and really like it. She was going to buy some individual eyeshadows, but this worked out cheaper.

The rest of the products you see are for myself! The Bronzed Perfection Bronzer is huge and only £3! It looks promising.

I then bought the Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair, which is normally £1.50. I love concealers, and this shade is perfect for me, so I'm hoping it's good.

Lastly, I bought some brushes! From top to bottom, I bought the E7 Eyebrow Brush (£1.50), the F2 Foundation Blending Brush (£3), the F6 Blusher & Contouring Brush (£3) and the F4 Powder Brush (£3.75). They are surprisingly good for the price! They're not quite as soft as my beloved ELF ones, but they're not far off! I'm particularly impressed with the Eyebrow Brush and Foundation Blending Brush (the stippling brush). Compared to my ELF Studio Stipple Brush, this one if smaller and denser. 

And that's everything! I didn't go crazy because I already ordered from ELF and Look Beauty beforehand. Did you order anything in the 50% off sale?

Wordless Wednesday

Shopping!

This is my 6th haul this month! You can see why I'm going on a spending ban in February. To be fair, there's been a lot of sales this month, and it was my birthday. So, here's my most recent purchases! I'll start with the duvet set. I bought a similar one at the end of December and love it so much. Like that one, this was also in the sale, and then I had a 25% off code on top of that. I ended up paying £27 instead of £45. £27 is still more than I normally spend on a duvet set, but I loveee it. The squares on this one are all different sizes, and the patterns are different. The reverse is equally as beautiful.

Next is the purple, pink and orange floral fleece throw from Primark, which was only £6. It's so pretty! I can have up to 5 cats and a dog on my bed, so need a throw to keep my duvet covers clean.

I then bought a couple pairs of Super Cosy tights for £3.50 each. I love Primark tights, but I've never tried their Super Cosy ones, which are always raved about. They feel so nice, so I can't wait to wear them. I also bought some pig socks for £2. I love my novelty socks! In terms of animals on your toes, I now have pigs, cows, sheep, foxes and bumble bees.

I then bought a bra from New Look for £11.99. I fell in love with it straight away. The camera doesn't pick it up, but it's blue with purple lace, so it looks almost duo chrome. I also have this style of bra in green and yellow, and really like them.

When cleansing my face, I either use my fingers or a pair of exfoliating gloves. I didn't have anything in between. So, I bought the Botanics Facial Brush from Boots for £6. It feels soft for a facial brush, which is just what I wanted. I used to have a small one from The Body Shop, but it was far too rough for everyday use.

Finally, I bought a bottle of Original Source Spearmint shower gel for £1 from Savers. Original Source has gone up in price in a lot of shops, so I'm glad it's still a pound in Savers. I have about 10 bottles of shower gel stocked up in my drawer, so I shouldn't have bought this, but it smells so nice! I love the scent of spearmint. Some mint scents can be overwhelming, but this is perfect.

That's it. No more shopping for me for a month! I do have an MUA order on its way though which I placed last week, so look out for that. I also have a birthday present post coming up and a few reviews!

February Spending Ban

While other bloggers have been on a spending ban this month, I seem to have been doing the opposite and spending more than I normally do! Things I've bought this month include a Cath Kidston bag and purse, a BHS duvet set, a load of cosmetics from ELF, Look Beauty and MUA, and various things from Primark, Superdrug and Boots. Oh, and let's not forget an expensive camera. So, for the month of February, I will be on a spending ban. I'm up for the challenge. I don't know how well I'll cope though. I can go weeks without buying something, but that's on my own terms. I think it's going to be hard if there's something I really want. To stop temptation, I'm just not going to browse any online shops. However, I read a lot of blogs and follow a lot of bloggers on Twitter, so there's still going to be a lot of temptation, especially when someone posts a haul! 

I'll update you guys half way through February and then at the end of February.

It's not a final idea yet, but I'm thinking of doing a spending ban every other month. So, I can spend in March, but not in April, for example. We'll see! UPDATE: I'm now thinking once a week every month. I'll still be saving money, but it'll be easier to achieve!

Is anyone else currently on a spending ban, or planning to be on one?

Ponderings

I keep thinking about, or shall I say worrying about, the future and the experiences I lack. I've never had a job or been in a relationship, I don't know how to drive, and I'm not in touch with any of my old friends. I feel like everyone else has experienced these things. 

The friends situation. Everyone from my sixth form is still in contact with each other, and are still the best of friends. I hated myself in sixth form and felt low a lot of the time, so when the time to leave arrived, I left everything, and everyone, behind. I sometimes wish I made the effort to keep in contact. I didn't because people didn't contact me either, and that made me think that they didn't like me. I feel pathetic just writing that! But our minds can be cruel sometimes and make us paranoid. Also, to make more friends, you need to go out and meet people, but to do that, you need friends to go out with. Vicious circle!

I know driving isn't the most important thing, but it just adds to the fact that I'm not growing up at the rate of others. I didn't learn to drive when I was 17 because I didn't have the money. I have the money now, but I want to learn the basics with my dad before giving my money away. I also find driving scary. I'm hoping to go more often with my dad so I'm confident enough to have lessons.

Again, the relationship thing sounds pathetic, but it can sometimes feel like a big deal. Nearly everyone I know has been in a relationship, and sometimes I feel like a child being the odd one out. I often think 'will I ever have a boyfriend?'. And I can't see myself having a boyfriend for a long, long while because I don't go places to meet new people (aside from uni). It's the same circle as the friends one above.

The job thing is my biggest concern, and is what's making me feel like a failure. My lack of confidence has always got in the way. I'd be happy working in a stock room away from people, but a lot of jobs require social interaction. This Summer, I'm going to either try and get work experience, or a small job. If I don't, where am I going to start after uni? No one will want to hire me. Also, I'm still not 100% sure on what I want to do with my life.

Lack of relationships and jobs, and not knowing what I want to do with my life makes thinking of the future terrifying. I try shutting it out and focusing on the present, but it's hard. 

So, there it is. I don't know how long I'll keep this post published for. I can see people thinking 'you did this to yourself' and 'oh, what are you worrying about? Get over it'.

Look Beauty Haul

Earlier this month, Look Beauty cosmetics were half price, so I took advantage! I didn't plan on buying this much. My first order consisted of the Fresh Cheeks cream blush in Melon (left) and the Triple Hit eyeshadow trio in LA Luxe for my mum for Mother's Day (I already own it). These were £2.50 and £3.75 (all prices given are what I paid; half of the normal price). Then, a week or two later, I had the urge to buy more! The blush on the right hand side is called Guava and was also £2.50. The Long Last Liner Eye Brightener was £2. There's not many nude eyeliners on the market at the moment, so wanted to compare this to the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Nude. I also bought the Loud Lips lipstick in Berry Vamp, which was £3.50. I don't plan on wearing it that dark though. I'm going to lightly dab it on to create a stain. The packaging is pretty, but not very practical. The lid is magnetic and easily comes off. Lastly, I bought some nail polishes, which were all £2.50 each. The shades I bought are (from left to right) Beret, Vintage, Dusky, Flamingo, Petticoat, Sequin Effect and Pearl Effect. The last two are for my mum for Mother's Day. I own a couple of flakie nail polishes like Sequin Effect, but nothing like Pearl Effect, so can't wait for my mum to wear it.

A month or two ago, I also won £50 worth of Look Beauty make-up, so I'll show you my collection and swatches soon. I'm also going to be posting about my cream blush collection, so you'll see the blushes above featured. The nude eyeliner will be featured soon too, in a comparison review.

I've made three make-up orders this month (ELF, Look Beauty and MUA). It's not like me at all! I rarely buy make-up. All of it was bought at great prices though, so I don't feel too guilty.

I hope you've had a great weekend! I finished the last of my assignments and exams on Friday, so my weekend has been bliss, not having to write or revise! The rest of today will consist of taking more blog photos, taking the dogs for a swim, bathing them, and dyeing my mum's hair.

ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain

 

I was running out of my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, so thought I'd add ELF's latest offering to my basket while ordering. You get 20ml for £3.75, which is amazing! I wasn't sure if the lightest shade, Porcelain, would match my skin tone, but it does. It's perfect for the fair skinned among us! I really like the packaging. It's simple, but sleek. It's more hygienic than a doe foot applicator, but you have to be careful not to squeeze too much out because you can't put it back in! The formula blends well, doesn't look cakey, and leaves a dewy finish. Some people may think it would give a matte finish because of the 'oil free' claims, but it doesn't. If you have dry skin, it's great, but you'll have to powder if you have oily skin, like myself. The slight problem I've had with this product is that it creases on my eyelids, even after blotting, priming and powdering. You may be able to avoid this if you let it dry for a few minutes. I don't have the time, or patience, to look down for a few minutes in order to avoid my eyelids creasing though, especially in the mornings! I cannot comment on how long it lasts because I use a primer under my make-up, which I suggest you do too if you want your make-up to apply better and last! The main aspect I look for in a concealer is coverage. This concealer has a medium-high coverage, I would say. Now, this is where I have to disagree with a claim it has. It claims to cover tattoos. How can it cover a tattoo if it can only just cover a blemish? I tested it below:

No, I don't have a rubbish tattoo on my hand - It's just a pen marking for demonstration purposes. The first photo shows just the pen, the second photo shows 1 layer of the concealer, and the third photo shows 5 layers of the concealer. Yes, it has covered well, but I think any product would make a substantial difference with 5 layers on. I also think it would take many more layers to completely cover (it's more noticeable in real life).

Overall, I like this concealer, but don't love it. It could so easily be a great product though, which is annoying! I like the packaging, the amount of product you get, the price, and the coverage is okay. However, I would prefer it not to crease on my eyelids. Also, I think it's an extreme claim to say it covers tattoos. If that's the case, every other concealer I've tried covers tattoos too, with tons of layers!

Will I repurchase? Most likely, if placing an order anyway. I won't actively seek to repurchase it though.

It's my birthday!

I've turned 20 today! For me, this birthday is the important one. Not only am I no longer a teenager, but I've turned 20 on the 20th. I'm not doing anything today though, apart from revising. My parents don't get paid until next week, so at the end of the month, they're buying me the 9 books I really want and taking me out for a meal. I'll show you my birthday presents, along with the books, in a couple of weeks :) I'm not a fan of sponge, so prefer not to have a standard cake for my birthday. A couple years ago, I had a triple tower cheesecake birthday cake, and this year, I decided on a pavlova. As well as this, my sister got me some apple crumble and lemon meringue cupcakes. I know they're sponge, but cupcakes are different! For one, they provide just the amount of sponge I can enjoy, two, they have deliciousness on top, and three, they're ever so cute.

I was happy to jump into the next year of my life during my teens because it meant I was growing up, but now, I don't want to grow up! It's scary. I'm just going to keep being myself and doing what I do though. Age is just a number, after all!

Update - More photos of the pavlova:

ELF Haul

 

Studio Cream Blush in Heart Breaker, Studio HD Blush in Headliner, Studio Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky

Studio Bronzer in Warm, Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium, Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain

Studio Stipple Brush, Bamboo Complexion Brush

ELF, e.l.f, Eyes Lips Face, you know what I mean!
Looking back through my blog, I can see that I hadn't ordered from ELF since April 2012! Since then, new releases didn't excite me and they increased their prices. Their mineral lipsticks are now £5, so it's cheaper for me to go into Boots or Superdrug! However, last week, I saw that they had quite a few new products available and a free delivery code was going around, so I 'treated myself'. The products I picked up were either products I've wanted for ages or new releases.
I picked the the Studio Cream Blush in Heart Breaker. The blushes were originally £6.50, which I think is overpriced for ELF. However, they were in the sale for £3.50. I was undecided between Flirt, a cool toned pink, and Heart Breaker, a warm pink. I ended up choosing Heart Breaker because I feel like warm blushes suit my complexion better. The texture is really weird! It's like sponge/clay. I'm excited to use it.

The Studio HD Blush in Headliner intrigued me because I've never owned a liquid blush before. I've seen that they're incredibly pigmented, so picked up the lightest shade. The bottle is very small, but I can see it lasting ages.

The next blush I ordered was the Studio Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky. I love baked blushes and don't own another peach shade. I'm hoping this will suit my complexion well!
The Studio Bronzer in Warm was the next product to be added to my basket. I've wanted this for years, but never added it to my basket because some people didn't like it. I then thought that there's always going to be people that don't like something, and everyone is different, so ordered it. 
The Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium is my third one. I use it every day!

I then ordered the Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain. I love my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection one, but I'm running out, so thought I'd try something different this time. You get a whopping 20ml! If I end up liking it, it'll be a huge bargain. The shade is perfect for me, too.

Another product I've wanted for ages is the Studio Stipple Brush, but it was out of stock for a long time. My cream blush collection is growing, so wanted something that would apply them well. I've currently been using a normal blush brush, but it's quite dense and picks up a lot of product.

The Mineral Bamboo Complexion Brush was a bargain. I couldn't pass up a £3 bamboo brush in the sale. I've got a few of the Studio Complexion Brushes and love them, so knew I would love this too. The hairs are light in colour, which is good and bad. You'll be able to see how much product you pick up, but you'll see how dirty it'll get. But, then again, that's a good thing because you'll be reminded to wash your brushes!

I didn't repurchase any of the brushes I already own this time - I have too many! It's always tempting at £3.75 a brush though.

Wordless Wednesday

Primark and Superdrug Buys

After handing in my assignments this morning, I went into town with my mum, and here's what I bought! I intended to buy a bag and floral scarf, but couldn't see any I liked.

The Primark pyjama bottoms (£6 and £5) are so beautiful and look a lot more expensive than they are. They're also thick and feel like great quality. The purse was only £4! And again, I think it looks more expensive than that. When I saw that they are now selling aqua coloured hair turbans (£1.50), I was very excited. I love my hot pink one for practical reasons, but don't like the colour, so I'm glad to now have this! The foot cushions and heel shields were £2 and £1.50. They're boring, but they'll help look after my feet. I also bought some t-shirt bras, which were £6 for 2. I've been wearing Primark t-shirt bras for years - I love them. They give you a nice shape, last, and are incredibly affordable. I did buy some underwear as well, but they don't fit, so I've given them to my sister. The reason they don't fit is because Primark have changed their sizes. Instead of 8-10, 12-14 and so on, the sizes are now 6-8, 10-12 etc. I was a perfect 8-10, so didn't have to try clothes on because I knew they would fit. I'm going to have to try things on now though. However, the pyjama bottoms I bought are also 6-8s, and they fit fine because they're elasticated. A lot of underwear is elasticated too, just not the pairs I bought. I'm just hoping I'll still be able to fit into their jeans!

From Superdrug, I bought the pearl necklace, seen on the pyjama bottoms, for £4.99. I've been wanting some shorter necklaces, and this will go with anything. I also bought the Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeliners in Nude and Taupe for £3.99 each. I bought the nude because my eye area can get quite red (I'm blaming my ginger gene for this!). I picked up the taupe shade because I like wearing taupe on my lower lash line and smudging it out. I've just tried them out and like them already. They're really creamy and pigmented. I have the nude on now, and as well as concealing the redness I have, it's also brightening my eyes. I bought the last three items for my mum. The MUA eyeshadow in shade 30 was £1, and the Barry M nail polishes, in Silvery Lilac and Teal, were £2.99 each.

And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this post. When I arrived home, I bought the bag I'd been eyeing up on eBay and a bag organiser, which I'll show you when they arrive! I also have an ELF order in the post... oops.

Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm

Natural lighting, flash

As soon as I laid eyes on the new lip balms from Figs & Rouge, I knew I had to try one. The other two varieties, Coco Rose and Mocha Orange, are shimmery, so I gave them a miss. Cherry Blossom sounded right up my street though.

How beautiful is the packaging? I think it's the prettiest product I own. The scent is delicious. It smells like sweets, but I can't pin point which ones. I thought it was going to smell more floral, so I was pleasantly surprised. As you can see in the third photo, the formula is thick, which I was pleased about. This means it stays on longer than other liquid lip balms. It's also tinted, and I love tinted lip balms. My lips are a very pale pink, so even this subtle tint shows up on me. I'm not sure how pigmented it will be on darker lips though.

This lip balm is normally £4.95, but it's currently on offer for £3.96 on the Feel Unique website (click here to view). They also have free delivery on all products. Although it's more expensive than your standard lip balm, I definitely think it's worth it. It's 100% natural, beautifully packaged, smells delicious, tinted, stays on for hours, and works. If the new Cherry Blossom hand cream smells like this, I'll be purchasing that too!

Favourite Books of 2012

2012 was the year I submerged myself into reading again. I love reading so much, more than ever before. I've just asked for 9 books for my birthday this month. The books above are the ones I loved the most. As you can see, there's quite a few! I will also be mentioning a few more that were either read on my dad's Kindle or were from the library. I won't be giving you the blurbs because this post would be even longer! Amazon and Goodreads should provide you with everything you would like to know.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - This was the trilogy that got me into reading again. I think I read them in May and then created my Goodreads account just after. Even though I can't remember everything in them right now, I remember that I love them, and I know that as soon as I start reading them again, the details will come back! This trilogy had a perfect amount of action and romance for me.

The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner - I only read this trilogy last month, so my love for it is still fresh!  From the Amazon and Goodreads ratings, I thought these books were going to be good, but I didn't expect to love them. I can't tell you what they're about because it would ruin them for you. As you go through the books with the main character, you learn the answers to so many questions. I think that's why I was hooked - I had so many questions I wanted answering. These books are purely action, and great for both genders.

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth - The third book is coming out this year! I'm so excited! Here's the basis of what the books are about: They are set in a dystopian society. Within this future society, there are 'factions'. Factions are groups within the society which consist of people with the same characteristics. There are five factions: Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Erudite (intelligent), Candor (honest) and Amity (peaceful). Once a teenager turns sixteen, they take a simulation test, which determines the faction best suited to them, and then they have to decide which faction they want to be apart of. Tris' test results show that she has characteristics suited for multiple factions. She's a Divergent. She has to decide how she would like to live her life. Once her decision is made, she is put through her paces to see if she can survive in the certain faction. Corruption then breaks out across society, and the decisions Tris makes from then on will determine who lives, and who doesn't. Insurgent then carries on from this. Society is in a state of war, and you get to see each faction in depth. Again, they are a mix of action and romance, so they definitely kept me on my toes!

Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - The third book is also coming out this year! I love, love, love these books. They're set around a dystopian society believing that love is a disease. The main character also believes this, until she falls in love herself. They do not fall directly under the romance category, especially the second one. They are full of action. The ending of both of these books left me surprised and wanting more.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - I'm loving Lauren Oliver. This book is just beautiful and gets you thinking about your own life. It's about this girl who dies, and then she lives her last day over and over again. Each day, she tries to do something differently to save herself. Putting it like that makes it sound morbid, but it's really not.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - Another book that gets you thinking about your life. There's this girl who has a small life, has never done anything exciting and just goes about her days. She ends up working for a family whose son has recently been in an accident and is paralysed. The relationship they develop changes both of their lives. The ending was sad and happy at the same time. It really does leave you with mixed emotions.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I was initially skeptical about this book because it was so different to anything I had read before. The reviews were so positive though, so I decided to give it a go. After the first chapter, I was not convinced. However, I continued and really got into it. It gives you an insight to what it was like to be black in the 60s. A truly beautiful story.

Switched, Torn and Ascend by Amanda Hocking (not shown) - I read all three in less than two days. I barely ate and slept! I want to buy these in paperback form soon. It's hard to describe it without giving anything away. I'll just roughly say what the blurbs say! When the main character was younger, her mother believed she was a monster and tried to kill her. Well, later she finds out that there may be some truth behind it. She learns that she was switched at birth and belongs to another species and society. We then follow her journey of learning about this society and her history. Again, this is a mix of romance and action.

Angel and Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly (not shown) - The third book of this is also coming out this year! I need to buy these in paperback form. I checked them out of the library, you see. I don't know why because the titles and front covers are awful. However, these books are great. In these books, there are angels and angel hunters. The angels are not your typical ones though. They feed on humans. The main character is half angel; something that everyone thought was impossible. An angel hunter finds her, and then you follow their relationship from then.

With the 8 books I've recently bought and the 9 I should hopefully be receiving for my birthday, there will certainly be more reviews to come! What books would you recommend?

Resolutions

source

I didn't have any resolutions for this year, but then one popped into my head, and then another and another. I know some people believe that if you want to change something in your life, you shouldn't wait until the new year. I agree, but the new year gets you thinking about your life and what you would like to do differently. 

My resolutions for this year are:

• Tone up my stomach
• Strengthen my arms (seriously, I'm so weak!)
• Drink more water
• Moisturise my body and face every day
• Use/get rid of a product before buying another
• 
  

Now, I'm not concentrating on every one straight away. At the moment, I'm going to concentrate on toning up my stomach and moisturising every day. I'll then add in the strengthening of my arms and drinking more water. I won't need to put much effort into the last resolution because that will happen automatically, as long as I remember the 'one in, one out' rule.

I think I'll be able to achieve these resolutions if I introduce them gradually. A lot of people try to change so many aspects of their lives at once, and it becomes too much. I think I've intentionally done exercise about... 3 times in my life, and they were only 10-20 minute sessions, so that's why I'm not doing both of the exercise resolutions right now - my body would go into shock!

To make these resolutions successful, I'm also going to make time in my routine for them. For example, I've decided to do sit-ups before I shower, and moisture after I've showered. Personally, I need this organisation. I can't just say 'oh, I'll do it at some point today'.

I'm thinking this is why my drinking more water resolution fails every year. You can't have one allocated time slot to drink an entire day's worth of water. You need to drink it throughout the day. I've tried drinking a certain amount up until midday, and then another amount up until tea time, but I always forget. I'm used to being dehydrated, so for this resolution, I'm going to have to really, really put the effort in and be concious about drinking all the time. Maybe I could set alarms on my phone to remind me? They wouldn't be very practical for uni though. I'll work it out!

Do you have any resolutions for 2013?

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Shower Gel

The scent of a product is an important factor for me, especially with shower gels. With that in mind, let me introduce you to my new favourite shower gel! It smells delicious. Think of fresh, juicy peaches and you're there. It smells even better once it's lathered up too. It serves its purpose of cleaning my body, but that's not why I would repurchase it, if I'm honest! It's all about the heavenly scent. I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of the bottle I bought my mum for Mother's Day...

It's normally £4, but I bought it for £2 in the sale (which is still going on). I don't think I would pay full price for it, but that's the same for all of The Body Shop products because there's usually a generous discount code floating around the internet.

The Vineyard Peach products were/are in the sale with the Christmas scents and I heard that they're limited edition. I really hope this isn't true! I would buy the body butter, but I have so many tubs already. I can justify buying shower gel because I use it every day, but I rarely moisturise (naughty, I know), and I've been using body oils if I do.

Have you tried any of the Vineyard Peach products? If so, do you love the scent just as much as I do?

dotcomgiftshop purchases

 

Toadstool Night Light £3.95, Rabbit Night Light £4.95

 

Metal Rabbit Hanging Decoration £1

 

Metal Ivory Heart Hanging Decoration 39p

Set of 3 Wooden Heart Decorations £1.50

"MORE buys?!" I hear you say. Yes. I have no justifications haha

I came across dotcomgiftshop last week and just had to place an order. Delivery is £3.95, so I had to make it worthwhile. I ordered the items above and a few other bits for birthday presents. The night lights are so cute! Only some of the spots on the toadstool were painted though (from what I've seen, they're all like that, apart from the image they use on the website!), so I used a white nail polish to fill in the remaining ones earlier. The metal rabbit hanging decoration... I love it. It's what pushed me over the edge to place the order! And I was surprised it was only £1. The rest of the decorations were also a bargain. I mean, 39p for the ivory heart?! It has gone straight on my beauty chest of drawers with the rest of my ivory/white decorations. I don't know what I'm going to do with the wooden hearts yet because I have things hanging from every available space at the moment, but I'm sure I'll find a place for them. I would have ordered more decorations, but like I said, I have no where for them to go :( I need more hooks!

So, yes, I very much like dotcomgiftshop. It has a variety of little bits and bobs (I have my eye on some glass bottles, but don't know what I would use them for!) which are perfect for presents or yourself. 

Barry M's Gelly Blood Orange and Essie's Beyond Cosy

 

Barry M's Gelly Blood Orange

Essie's Beyond Cosy

Once I've painted my nails, I take a couple of photos on my phone and then plan to take 'proper' photos the following day. Well, sometimes a nail chips or my actual camera doesn't pick up the colour well, so I don't bother blogging about it. I was going through my phone earlier though and thought these photos were okay to use. Even though they were taken on my phone with a flash, they're still a good representation of how the polishes look.

I rarely wear red nail polish. In fact, Barry M's Gelly Blood Orange is my first bright red. The only other red shade I have is Barry M's Raspberry, which is definitely not a true red. I like it! I just hope it doesn't stain the hell out of my nails. It was opaque in one coat, but I added another just to be sure.

I wore Essie's Beyond Cosy the week of Christmas. It's so pretty! It's a pale gold which is gold in some lights and silver in others. The glitter is finely milled and opaque in two coats - Win!

I hope you're enjoying January so far. My birthday's on the 20th, so I always like this month. I'm going to be 20 this year! No longer a teenager. Scary stuff.

I also just have one more assignment and a couple of exams to do (I've already completed 2 assignments, an article and a presentation).

Oh, and I bought a new camera today! The Nikon D3100. I'm just waiting for some accessories, including memory cards, to arrive so I can use it.

Have a good evening!

Boots Sale Purchases

In my Christmas Sale Purchases and More post, I said I'm always underwhelmed by the Boots sale. Well, this post completely contradicts that statement! I love Boots Extracts and Botanics, so thought I'd buy some sets for birthdays throughout the year, as well as Christmas.

The Boots Extracts Collection was £11 down from £22. It contains a variety of mango and coconut scented products (all large 200ml sizes). I worked out that the products separately come to around £35, so I'm very pleased. I'm going to split the products up, put them into organza bags, and give as presents.

The Boots Extracts Cranberry set was £8 down from £16. It contains a 200ml tube of body wash, 200ml of body lotion, a 50ml tub of body scrub and a 50ml tub of body butter. I love this set. The bag is beautiful and the products smell delicious. I think it will be perfect for a Christmas present!

The Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Mini Mix set was £2.50 down from £5. It contains a 75ml tube of body wash and a 50ml tub of body butter. I think this set is a perfect little stocking filler (or birthday gift bag filler!). I wish there were more scents available.

The Botanics Men's Face Care Regime was £6 down from £12. I didn't take a photo of this separately because the products are on the front of the box. It contains a 150ml tube of face wash, 150ml of shave gel and a 75ml tube of moisturiser. This will either be for my dad or grandad, I think! I love how it's presented - the box is lime green inside, too :)

The Boots Extracts Mango Selection is in the Christmas Sale Purchases post, linked at the top, so you can see it in more detail there. It was £5 down from £10 and contains 200ml of body wash, 200ml of body scrub and 200ml of body butter. The body butter alone is £7.95, so this is a great little bargain!

So, the Boots Christmas sale isn't that underwhelming after all! Only because of the Extracts and Botanics sets though. I wasn't interested in anything else.