Bargain EcoTools Brush Sets from eBay

There's been a lot of brushes featured on Affordable Treats lately! You can see my Real Techniques Brushes post here, eBay Makeup Brushes post here, and Bargain EcoTools Bronzer Brush on eBay post here. 

The most recent additions to my collection are the 5 and 4 piece brush sets from EcoTools. I already own the 4 piece set (which used to be called the 5 piece set, and the now 5 piece set used to be called the 6 piece set because they included the pouch as a 'piece'... confusing, I know), but couldn't resist another for the price. I bought both of them from this listing for £3.39 and £2.99, including P&P. As I've said before, I don't know if these are the real deal, but they're really soft and great quality, nonetheless. I think it's hard to tell if they're authentic or not because they're made from natural materials, so vary from set to set anyway. They retail for £15.99 and £19.99 in Boots, so that's quite a saving!

I'm going to try and not buy any more brushes for a while! I'm running out of room!

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Pistache

Natural lighting, flash

I own a few teals, and I own a few mint greens, but I've never owned a green like this! A light grass green. I think it's because I've seen it as ugly in the past and thought it wouldn't go with my skin tone. However, I was drawn to it in Boots, and for £1.99, I thought I may as well try it! I'm still getting used to it, but I think I like it. The formula was great, taking 2 smooth coats. However, I've had to use a base coat for once because I think it's a stainer. I swatched a few polishes last night to decide on a colour, and this stained the nail like crazy, as did Rise & Shine (another green from Sinful Colours).  Hopefully the base coat will be enough to prevent this, though.

I'm seriously impressed with my Sinful Colours nail polishes so far. Have you tried any?

eBay Blush Palette

Flash: eBay Blush Palette

Flash: eBay Blush Palette Swatches

Natural: eBay Blush Palette Swatches

I had been considering getting this blush palette for years (literally), and just decided to go for it last month. I bought it for £3 something, including P&P, from here. The seller has now increased the price to £4.19, but it's still very cheap! I know people are wary about make-up from eBay because they don't know if it's safe, but I haven't had any problems. The only products I'm apprehensive about are eye cosmetics and face creams. I love that this palette has a variety of shades. It gives you the chance to try colours you may not normally wear. I do wish there was a matte peach/orange, though. The only matte shades are the three bottom pink ones. In terms of quality, the blushes feel soft to touch and blend well on the skin. The pigmentation is average, apart from the middle bottom shade, which is really sheer. This can be a positive or negative aspect depending on personal preference. I like that you can build them up and not have to worry about looking like a clown, but I must admit, I'm always impressed when I come across a strongly pigmented blush. Because the pigmentation isn't intense, all of the shades are wearable. Overall, I think this is a good little blush palette, and it'd be great for someone wanting to experiment with different shades. I would definitely like it more if it had a variety of matte shades, though.

Have you tried one of the blush palettes from eBay? I want to try the 6 pan blush/contour palette now!

New Summer Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Passion Fruit

Natural, flash

I was browsing one of my local Superdrugs on Friday when I came across the new Barry M Gelly Nail Paints. They're not meant to be out until next month, so I was pleasantly surprised. I picked up Guava, a bright turquoise, and this one; Passion Fruit. It's a bright, orange based red. I normally associate reds with Autumn/Winter, but this is very Summer appropriate due to how bright it is. The formula was okay, but it could have been better. It was fairly opaque, but a little streaky at the same time, meaning I had to apply 2-3 coats. 

Here it is compared to Blood Orange (the shade on the right). As you can see, it's lighter and more orange based. Blood Orange isn't even a dark red, so that shows you how it differs from the classic shade.

I'm enjoying wearing this shade. I think it really pops against my pale skin! I'll be posting about Guava soon, as well as a handful of Sinful Colours (haul of them can be found here).

Beauty Haul - Sinful Colours, Summer Barry M Gelly Nail Paints, Maybelline Mega Plush and More

I handed in my last written assignment yesterday (I just have a photo assignment and an exam left), so decided to go in town and treat myself. 6 nail polishes, I know... but that was me being restrained! I wanted 6 more!

The Sinful Colours stand was full and all the pretty colours drew me in (as well as the £1.99 price tag). I bought Orange Cream, Island Coral, Pistache, and Rise & Shine. They remind me of a fruit salad all lined up like that! I only have two other green nail polishes, and they're blue toned (mint and teal shades), so decided to try Pistache because I don't have anything like it. I bought the peachy coral shades because I just love those kinds of colours. Next time Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on, I'm definitely buying more. I'll be able to get 6 polishes for under £8!

I went into one of my local Superdrugs and saw that they already had the new Summer Barry M Gelly Nail Paints out (they're not meant to be available until next month), so just had to get a couple. I was going to buy the Nail Art Pen in Black (£4.99) anyway (you can see my review of the other shades here), so the 3 for 2 deal came at the right time. I also used my student discount, so I got both nail paints for just over £3. That's just over £1.50 each! Oh, the shades I bought were Guava and Passion Fruit. Guava is a bright turquoise shade, and I actually have nothing like it in my collection. Passion Fruit is a bright orangey red. It's taken the classic red and made it appropriate for Summer. 

Here is a comparison of Passion Fruit and Blood Orange. As you can see, Passion Fruit is a lot lighter.

I also picked up Maybelline's new Mega Plush mascara in Boots for £5.99 (normally £7.99). I needed a new mascara, and always go for Maybelline ones, so thought I'd try their latest offering. I'll let you know how I get on with it!

I'm so glad Sinful Colours have come to the UK. Have you tried any of their shades?

OPI Are We There Yet?

Natural light, flash

OPI's Are We There Yet?* is the most recent addition to my nail polish collection. It's a muted orange with subtle pink and gold shimmer. It reminds me of the end of Summer/beginning of Autumn. I really like it. I know some people don't like bright, garish oranges, so this is a great alternative. The formula was average; no complaints from me. It was thin and creamy, which made drying time a lot quicker. I'm wearing 3 coats in the photos above.

This is from Fragrance Direct, with the small price tag of £3.99. The site used to sell them for £5.99, which was still reasonable for OPIs, but now they've dropped the price even more. They currently have a great range of shades, especially pinks. I now have a habit of checking the site every couple of days in the hope of finding new Essie and OPI shades!

*PR sample

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine Edition

I was intrigued by this perfume the moment I saw the promotional images. The bottle is just so pretty! I've heard some say it looks a little childish, but I really like it. Being Limited Edition and me not being a perfume fanatic like some, I didn't think I'd ever try it, but Fragrance Direct invited me to choose a few products to review. Like I said, I'm not usually the perfume kind of girl, and normally lean towards fruity body sprays. I think this is because I prefer simple scents rather than notes on top of notes (on top of even more notes). I also find a lot perfumes too musky and 'old'. I actually own a small bottle of the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh (which I also bought from Fragrance Direct), which I wear, but not as often as I should. The Sunshine Edition* is one of the better designer perfumes I've smelt. It's light, fruity floral, and reminds me of Spring/Summer. It also reminds me of pink lemonade, for some reason. To get a better idea, the top notes are strawberry, pink grapefruit and apple blossom, the heart notes are jasmine, rose and violet leaf, and the base notes are oakmoss and amber.

Compared to the original Daisy Eau So Fresh, it's fruitier. The original is a little heavier and grown up.

And here's a photo of the bottle lids swapped because it amused me. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine Edition retails for £48, but Fragrance Direct is selling it for £43.99 here.

*PR sample

eBay Makeup Brushes

I was on an eBay bargain finding roll one night when I stumbled upon these. They were cheap, looked good from the images, and reminded me of the Real Techniques ones, so I ordered a few. I paid just £1.54 per brush from this seller. They've now gone up to £2.55, which is annoying, but they're still incredibly cheap! The seller has red, blue, and gold varieties (in different listings). I believe I have brushes 1, 3, and 2 in the photo above. I actually ordered number 4 instead of 3, but I've spoken to the seller and it's all been sorted. So, as well as being cheap, they arrived in 1-2 weeks, which I was pleased about. I'm also happy to report that I really like these brushes! They're really soft, not flimsy, don't shed, and wash well. I've been using number 1 for when I attempt to contour or highlight, number 3 with cream blush or foundation, and number 2 for blush. This eBay seller is the same seller I got my EcoTools Bronzer Brush from, so if you're looking for some affordable, good quality face brushes, I'd definitely check them out!

Etude House Ice Cream Nail Polishes

 Etude House Ice Cream Nail Polishes in Banana and Blue Mint

Etude House Ice Cream Nail Polish in Blue Mint

How cute are these nail polishes?! I must admit, the packaging is what initially attracted me to them. The price persuaded me, too, being just £2.90 each (including P&P). 

The formula was a pleasant surprise, with Blue Mint taking 2 coats to become opaque, and Banana taking 2-3. Yellows tend to be streaky, and the other similar yellow I have (Sally Hansen's Yellow Kitty) takes 3 coats WITH a white base, so I'm really happy with this one. 

On its own, Blue Mint looks like a sky blue, but compared to my other sky blues, it's definitely more turquoise (which is great because I didn't have one!). 

As you can tell, I'm really impressed with these and would definitely recommend them. I think they'd make great presents, too!

I'm really tempted to buy Green Apple as well now, which is a light lime/grass green. Are there any shades catching your eye?

Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Wash

Soap & Glory is a brand raved about a lot, but I've never been that interested in it. I think it's because I find their signature scent a little boring, and their prices are more than what I'm used to paying. However, I smelt this and instantly wanted it. It smells like lime cheesecake! I wasn't willing to pay £6.50, though, so used my Boots Advantage Card points. The packaging is great, the scent is amazing, and it's fairly moisturising, so I'm glad I got it. I don't know if I'd get it again, though, because £6.50 is a lot for a shower gel. You do get 500ml of product, but that's the same amount as Treacle Moon's bottles, and they're only £2.99. I suppose you could buy this when there's a 3 for 2 offer, or buy it as a treat now and again.

Since buying this, I've also bought the Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk, which I'll be reviewing soon! It was £7, but I don't mind spending more on cleansers. I just have an issue with spending more than £3-4 on a shower gel that ultimately does the same as my £1 ones! If the scent is good enough, though... (I'm a sucker for a good smelling product!)

Bargain EcoTools Bronzer Brush on eBay

 

I've had one of these brushes for over a year now, and love it, so when I saw it on eBay here for just £2.69, including P&P, I had to buy another. I paid around £4 for my other one, but it was still a bargain compared to the £9.99 Boots want for it. I've bought quite a few EcoTools brushes from eBay over the years, and think they're authentic. Even if they're not, they're very soft and of great quality! I use this particular brush for powder, blush, and bronzer, so would definitely recommend it.

Primark Haul!

Yesterday was one of those good Primark shopping days, despite the heat. I mostly bought basics, like I usually do, but still thought I'd show you!

Men's turquoise zip hoodie - £10 (was labelled as £12, though), women's mint zip hoodie - £8

I don't have many hoodies, so finally decided to buy a couple. I wore the first one today, as you can probably tell by the arms! I bought it in XS, and it fits nicely. I hadn't previously bought any of the women's hoodies because they were thin and not as good as the men's, but they seem to have changed that and made them thicker. I bought this one in a size 10, and it's not that different in size to the men's.

Top - 7 pairs of ankle socks - £2.50, 3 pairs of sheep ankle socks - £1.50

Bottom - 3 pairs of cow ankle socks - £1.50, 3 pairs of frog ankle socks - £1.50

This was me being restrained... I have a problem.

Top - White pj top - £3.50, yellow pj top - £3

Bottom - Pink flamingo cropped pj bottoms - £5, mint striped cropped pj bottoms - £5

I also have a pyjama problem...

Top - Shopper bags - £1.50 each

Bottom - Grey and peach stretch vest tops - £2.50 each

The bags will come in useful for when I need to take my camera or extra books to uni. They'll also be useful for when I go shopping! I already own the vests in a variety of colours, and just couldn't resist the peach one. I'm really liking peach, yellow, and mint at the moment - It must be the weather!

Top - Blue speckled t-shirt - £4, green t-shirt - £2.50

Bottom - Orange t-shirt - £2.50, blue t-shirt - £2.50

These look awful on the hangers! But they look okay once on. There's not much more to say about them, really!

Like I said, most of the items featured in this post are boring and basic, but that's my style! I may try and branch out of my comfort zone next time... maybe!

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars in Juicy Apple and Juicy Peach

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars in Juicy Apple 03 and Juicy Peach 05

Bare lips, Juicy Apple, and Juicy Peach

Let's just jump straight in and talk about the packaging because we all know that's what persuaded me to buy these! How cute are they?! They have ears! And each shade has a different bunny facial expression. I also bought them because I love tinted lip balms, and the price was reasonable (I bought them from here for £3.69 each, including P&P). I bought Juicy Apple because it's the classic "I've just been eating strawberries" lip shade, and I bought Juicy Peach because I've been obsessed with the colour/scent recently. They both smell amazing; Juicy Apple like sweet apples, and Juicy Peach like... well, peach! On me, the pigmentation is good, but that's because I have pale lips and I apply a few layers. The formula and lasting time are average, like most lip balms I've tried. There's not much more to say about them, really. I just love the packaging, price, and the shades I have. I'm tempted to buy Juicy Orange next!

Sticking with the cute cosmetics, I have some ice cream shaped nail polish in the post, so stay tuned for that! Korean brands really know how to make good packaging.

Bargain Brush Cleaning Glove

Makeup brush cleaning can be tedious, to say the least. Sigma recently brought out a glove to make the task easier, but they want $39 for it (around £25). Well, last week, Fee from Makeup Savvy posted about a dupe she'd found on eBay, and I bought one that evening. It doesn't have different textures for different brushes/purposes like the Sigma one, but it still does the job pretty well, and I only paid £2.95, including P&P, from here. It comes in light blue (the one I purchased), dark blue, red, and pink. This glove makes washing your brushes faster and easier. The ridges help create a nice lather, and really ensure your brushes get a deep clean.

What do you think about this accessory for brush cleaning? How do you clean yours? And how often do you do it? I don't really have a set routine, and should probably wash them more often than I do!

Barry M Nail Art Pens

It took them long enough, but Barry M finally brought out nail art pens! At £4.99 each, they're cheaper than the likes of Models Own (and better). I decided to go for the white and pink varieties, but I'm now thinking I need the black and silver versions in my life, too. You only get 3ml of product, which disappointed me at first, but I still think these pens will go a long way. The nib is like a felt tip pen, but plastic. I'm not a fan of the nail art pens that have the metal nib because I find they drag, and you constantly have to squeeze them, which brings me on to my next point. With these, you push the nib down a few times to pump the product, and that's it. You don't need to constantly squeeze it, or worry about squeezing too hard and making a big mess. The actual formula is also great. It's 'watery' but still opaque, meaning it dries flat and quickly. If you make a mistake, it's easy to correct while the product is still wet. I just got a damp cotton bud and wiped it away, leaving a clean nail. The Models Own pens don't do this, but leave a big smudgy mess (on me, at least). Once dry, the designs stay put, but I'd recommend using a top coat to prolong the life of them. As you can see in the first photo, the black Models Own pen I used for the bunny's eyes didn't agree with the top coat, and smudged (even after having hours to dry). The designs above aren't the best, but that's down to me, not the pens! As you can probably guess, I'm a fan of these so far. I'm just hoping they'll last and won't dry out. Oh, and the cornflower blue base is Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Blueberry (one of my favourites!).

Have you tried these yet? If not, do you want to?