Beauty Purchases

I was being organised and took photos for multiple posts a few weeks back, but the error in doing this is that I've since bought more products! I'll just have to put the Zoeva brushes and lip liners in a separate post.

As some of you may know, I tinted my eyebrows not long back (you can find the post here), and while I still have multiple applications left, I wanted to give the Eylure Pro Brow Dybrow Dye Kit in Dark Brown a go. It's £7.49, you get up to 12 applications, and it has high ratings. I bought this from Superdrug because the Boots website only has the single application ones (which are £9.95!). It's not on Eylure's own site either, so I wanted to buy it now while I can still get hold of it.

NYX is one of my favourite brands, which is why I've bought eight products from them recently now that they're available at Boots. I've been loving the Butter Lipstick (£5.50) in Root Beer Float, so went ahead and bought Licorice (now known as Moonlight Night) as well, which is a deep plum shade.

I also bought the Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (£7) because it's often compared to the Anastasia Beverly Hills one, and has great reviews. I'm still getting used to achieving a natural look with a pencil, though, because I'm used to powders and pomades.

The Intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches (£5.50) is similar in shade to the Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float. It's incredibly opaque, and basically a liquid lipstick with a gloss finish. I've since bought one of their lip liners in a similar shade, which pairs nicely with it.

I don't do much with my hair in terms of styling, but I'm obsessed with keeping my hair as soft and conditioned as it can be. The OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Miracle In Shower Oil (£8.35) is another product with high ratings, and can be used in multiple ways, so I thought I'd add it to my collection.

More eyebrow products, I know. It's a little ridiculous. I'd never tried a brow gel/mascara type thing before, though, so was curious. The Soap & Glory Archery Volu-Boost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk Of The Brown (£8) is a new product, and one I bought before I dyed my eyebrows darker. I can still use it, but that's why I then bought the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette (£5.99). Again, it has great reviews, and it's cheaper than the Soap & Glory one, despite having more product in. I don't know if these types of brow products are for me, to be honest, but I'm going to try and make them work.

I've been using the Lush massage bars in the same way as their solid body butters, by smothering myself in them while stepping away from the shower. My skin feels great, so I wanted to get some more. You can see how far back I took these photos by the date on the wrappers, by the way. Anyway, I bought Pearl (£6.50) and Strawberry Feels Forever (£5.95). I've already reviewed Pearl, which you can find here.

While there, I picked up another Ultrabland because I always like to have a back up at the ready. Seriously, it's amazing.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products, and if you've taken advantage of NYX being readily available to us now.

Recently Purchased

I hadn't painted my nails in roughly two years, but last week saw me buy four polishes from Barry M's new ranges, and I've painted my nails multiple times since. I don't know what changed, but I'm rolling with it! I bought the Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Pink Lemonade (the third one along) in store, wore it, loved it, and then decided to buy some more online at Boots. It was 2 for £6 or 3 for £9, but adding a third only increased the total by less than a pound, rather than £3. Then student and staff discount brought this down further, meaning I somehow paid £1.58-£2.36 for them. I chose the Mani Mask in Bashful, the Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Cream Soda, and the Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Butterscotch Sundae. I'm loving these delicate, nude shades. Pink Lemonade reminds me of a slightly pinker version of Models Own Utopia and OPI's Steady As She Rose. which are old favourites of mine.

I've been wearing and loving Rimmel's The Only One Lipstick in Naughty Nude an awful lot, but I also like my berry shades, so picked up Oh So Wicked from the same line. It's already love. I wore it the other night and it lasted through pizza, which is the ultimate test in my eyes. These lipsticks seem to seal themselves without becoming drying, meaning they comfortably last for a long time.

In the same Boots order as everything else, I also bought another Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black because I always like to have a back up.

Then, from Superdrug, because it was out of stock at Boots, I bought the Collection Illuminating Touch Foundation in Porcelain. This was £3.99 down from £5.99, and I used £1 of my collected points, making this just £2.99. It's darker than what it looks like on other people, and this is the lightest shade, but this isn't a problem now that I have The Body Shop's Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops in my life (I love them so much!). I've only worn it once at the time of writing this, but I like it so far. I'm used to natural or matte foundations, so wasn't sure how this dewy formulation would fair on my combination oily skin, but it lasted well, felt really nice on the skin, and actually made my skin look less flat than it normally does. It also wasn't cakey, and didn't settle in places it shouldn't. This was with using the Soap & Glory One Heck Of a Blot Primer underneath it, though, so I don't know how good it is on its own.

I've liked the look of printed trousers/jeans for a while, and finally decided to just buy some in Primark last week. The ones above were £11. The trouser material is something I'm going to have to get used to, but I love the print, and am already on the look out for some navy tile ones.

I spotted the skirt above (£17.99) in New Look before work one day, and impulsively bought it without trying it on. Once home, I found that while it didn't fall down, it was too big to look flattering. I wanted to exchange the 8 for a 6, but it wasn't available, so I just returned it. Then I found it on ASOS, where smaller sizes are available, so bought it again. The smaller size fits perfectly. I've recently tried on three New Look skirts in size 8 now, and all of them have come up big, so it's something to consider if you're going to buy one from them. Anyway, the print of this one is pretty boring, but I can see it coming in handy for a few occasions.

The makeup bag was also from New Look, and was £5.99. It's so incredibly tacky, but makes me happy to look at! It reminds me of mermaids and unicorns and all things beautiful. The photo above really doesn't do the changing colour justice, so I've included more photos below. I've also included photos of me wearing the clothing and Barry M's Mani Mask, all of which are from Twitter/Instagram.

I'd be interested to know what you've purchased recently, so let me know below!

Clothing and Homeware Buys

I don't buy a lot of clothes these days because I'm either in uniform or pyjamas most of the time, but a few items from New Look caught my eye last week. 

I've never been a fan of high-necked tops on myself, but that seems to have changed in the last month or so. The first thing I added to my basket was the colour block funnel neck jumper for £27.99. I personally think this is overpriced for New Look, along with the other two actually, but I've decided to just buy things I like the look of. It's not often that I find clothes I like, so I have to take advantage when I do! Despite me saying it's overpriced, it's good quality. I thought it'd feel quite rough and cheap, but it's soft. I've actually exchanged this for a smaller size because it was huge, hence the phone images - I couldn't wait for my other one to arrive before writing this!

The fine-knit striped jumper was £17.99, and I've already worn it because I like it so much. It's kind of cropped, which will take some getting used to, but at least it makes my legs look longer. I just have to be careful with makeup and food around it!

The jacquard mini skirt was £19.99, and is completely out of my comfort zone. I was drawn to it, though, and kept imagining it with tights and boots. I'd prefer it in a size smaller so it was tighter and gave more shape, but it doesn't come in one, so will just have to deal with it.

When I move out and have my own place, browsing TK Maxx will be one of my favourite hobbies. It is now, to be honest, but I have to restrain what I buy because I currently have nowhere to home things. This weekend's trip was fairly successful, though. I picked up the wire and canvas basket for £9.99, and this is currently storing my Lush products. I previously had them in a box, but would forget about them, so wanted something which would display them, while still looking fairly organised. It's from a brand called JVL, if you were wondering.

The wooden basket tag simply says 'handcrafted in vietnam', and this was £6.99. I really loved the rustic look of this, so bought it to store my teas and other hot drinks in.

The orange rim around the bowls is much brighter in real life, making them a lot prettier, but you get the idea. They're from a brand called Creative Tops, and are part of the Wanderer collection. The larger one was £3.99, while the smaller one was £2.99. I don't have a use for these yet, but couldn't leave them behind!

The last thing already has a special place in my heart. It's the Sabichi Oversized Spots Mug, which holds 600ml, and it was just £2.99. I'm already imagining having an epic hot chocolate in this. Who cares if it'll contain my daily sugar intake?

There were also these ceramic mixing bowls which nested inside each other, and each one had a different colour on the inside, but I currently have no room for them, so had to leave them behind. Sad times.

Have you found any gems in TK Maxx recently?

Purchases & Presents

I was planning on getting this post up earlier than this, but I keep buying things, so have been waiting for them to arrive before taking photos of everything. Even now, I have some sale sets on their way to me, but thought I'd draw the line with this lot, else we'll be waiting all year.

This post is a combination of a 'what I got for Christmas' and sales haul post because I don't get a lot for Christmas, but wanted to show you the things I picked out for my parents to buy.

I've already shown you the Lush sale products I bought with the Christmas budget my parents allowed, but I placed an order with Whittard of Chelsea before Christmas. I picked the Cocoa Creations Hot Chocolate Gift Set for £20, the Hazelnut Flavour Ground Coffee for £5, and the English Rose & Glass Mug Bundle for £18. They're expensive and not items I'd buy myself, which is why I thought they'd make an ideal present.

Also with my Christmas money from my parents, I ordered Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge from Amazon for around £15. I've never bought a YouTuber's product before, and I've never bought a makeup book, so this is a first on both accounts. I'm a fan of Lisa Eldridge, and I like that this book has been designed with an older audience in mind, rather than young teens. It's beautiful and not tacky at all. What I like most about it is that it's not just another book telling you how to apply makeup, but one which looks at the history and origins of it. I'm looking forward to having a proper read through of this.

I've been wanting to buy a Rituals gift set in the sales for the last couple of years, but they either sell out quickly, or I change my mind and think they're still not worth the money. Last week, though, M&S had the Ancient Beauty Gift Set for £7 down from £19.50, so I had to order it. The common scent across the products is rose, and it's combined with something else in each one. It's a subtle, sweet floral, but in a luxurious, spa-like way.

I bought a couple Origins sets before Christmas because they were on offer, and I'm glad I did because they were nowhere to be seen on the Boots website after then. I've already shown you the Glow So Nice Set, which I managed to get for £20.66 down from £40, but I've yet to show you the Shining Stars Set, which was exclusive to Boots. It was originally £25, which is still great value, considering the moisturiser alone is worth that. It then went down to £20, and when I added it to my basket, my staff discount took off more than it was supposed to, so I got it for £15.50. I've tried the Drink Up Intensive Mask before, but not the others, so I'm looking forward to giving them a go.

The Boots after-Christmas sale is one which I look forward to the most. I didn't buy anything from the main line of gifts because I bought everything I wanted during double discount week in October, but I did get some fragrance sets. The first was Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue, which was £28 from £42, and the second was Marc Jacobs' Daisy Dream, which was £37.33 from £56. I then found a code for £5 off these, which was a bonus! I already own Daisy Dream, and my sister's already finished the bottle I bought her for her birthday and is on her second, so I thought I'd buy her this as a back up.

Then, earlier this week, Boots further reduced their fragrance gift sets, so I bought Dolce & Gabbana's Miniatures Set and Nina Ricci's Nina Gift Set, each for less than £20. Again, I already own Nina, but bought the set as a present. Still, I should probably avoid buying perfume for a while!

What have you bought in the sales? 

A Christmas Gift To Myself (and other things)

The Origins Glow So Nice Christmas Gift Set was in my post-Christmas sales wishlist, and the one I wanted to get my hands on the most. Its contents is worth £71.75, with the VitaZing alone costing £29. The GinZing eye cream is £20 to buy individually (in pot form), the KissZing lip crayon in Rosemance is usually £16, and the GinZing mascara sample is worth around £6.50. On top of this, you receive a mirror and little cosmetics case to hold it all, so the £40 price tag isn't astronomical. I still wanted to wait until after Christmas, though, seeing as we haven't got long to wait now anyway. However, I was browsing the Boots website the other night and saw that it was a third off, at just £26.66. Then I added it to my basket and my staff discount brought it down to £20.66. It had taken off double the amount of discount that is was supposed to. Seeing as it was nearly half price anyway, I decided to buy it then, because it's not guaranteed to be in stock after Christmas. I'm looking forward to trying all the products because I've heard great things!

The Boots website (and some stores) now stocks NYX, so I added the Concealer Wand in Green (£5.50) to my basket as well. I've had the pot version for a few years now, and after not using it for a long time, I've recently dug it out again. The texture is really thick and drying, though, so I wanted to get the liquid formula. I haven't used it properly yet, but it already seems to be a lot more manageable. 

I've decided to start using my Boots Advantage Card points before I get to £100, because I know that once I hit three digits, I'm going to withhold from spending them even more. The first product I bought with them was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creme De Rose (£4.99). This is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Painterly. I don't wear eyeshadow, but thought this would be a beautiful wash of colour to get me into doing so. The lid implies it's a lilac shade, but it's actually a creamy beige.

I'm a fan of the Barry M Satin Super Slick Lip Paints I already have, so wanted to use my points to add 169 Mannequin to my collection. It's the nude that I wanted Nuditude to be. I find that it looks more brown in the bullet than it does when swatched, which suits me perfectly because the brown lip trend hasn't won me over yet. These lipsticks are only £4.49, so I'd definitely recommend checking them out. 

I know I've just posted a haul of sorts, but I can't help it if things catch my eye so soon after! Let me know if you've purchased any Christmas gift sets for yourself this year. They work out to be better value for money than buying the products individually, so they're a great way to sample a brand.

Huge Boots Haul!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35

Boots staff double discount happened, and this isn't even all of it! I've removed some presents and doubles from the photo, and I forgot to include the No7 mirror and foundations (which I paid pennies for thanks to clearance and vouchers). In my defence, a number of items above are Christmas presents for various people. I'm just going to talk through a handful of things because we'll be here for a long time else!

I'm not one for false lashes, but I had a few styes and started pulling mine out (I know), so needed something to fill the gaps while they grow back! The individual lashes have been great, and while they don't last for days and days, they look natural. I remove them every night like I do with any cosmetic. This would be time consuming if I applied a full set every morning, but I only apply a couple. The Naturalites (10) also look promising!

I well and truly stocked up on the Tresemme Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner because they ended up being just £1.87 a bottle. It's definitely a range I'd recommend trying!

Original Source have brought out some body moisturisers, and I couldn't resist buying the peach and apricot lotion. It smells like a peach and apricot yoghurt! There's also a watermelon one, which I wouldn't mind smelling at some point.

29, 34, and 35 were on clearance in my store, so I ended up paying just 39p and 87p for them! Another exciting lip product purchase is L'Oreal's Colour Riche Exclusive Red Lipstick in Julianne. It's beautiful!

The Babyliss straighteners and Soap & Glory gift sets are for my mum for Christmas. She's only ever had mine and my sister's old straighteners, and her favourite colour is purple, so I thought the Elegance Pro would be perfect. She's not familiar with Soap & Glory, but after telling her a bit about the products and showing her reviews/swatches, she's excited to start using them!

Other points to mention: I'm excited to use the No7 makeup products (7 and 25-28) because they all have great reviews, I love the Laura Ashley kitchen accessories, and I don't know why I included the anti-blister stick and spray plaster. It must have been a long day!

Have you splurged recently?

Bargain Beauty Haul

I've bagged some great bargains recently, especially in the last few days, so thought I'd gather them together and have a little ramble!

The first product is the Nina Ricci Nina perfume. I was going to buy this from Boots, but found it on allbeauty.com for £31.80 instead of £54. Although it's still not the cheapest perfume out there, I thought it was a great discount.

On top sits a set of three Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Peach Parfait (all shades I've considered buying in the past). I found this little gem in TK Maxx for £7.99, instead of £7.99 each. It's the first decent beauty item I've found in there! 

I bought the Maybelline Elixir in Mandarin Rapture in Boots yesterday. This retails for £6.99, but I used a couple of vouchers towards it. There's also a 3 for 2 on all Maybelline products at the moment, if you're interested. Apart from the slight shimmer (and it's only slight), I like this so far. It reminds me of the NYX Butter Glosses, in the sense that it's balmy, glossy, and still packs a punch of colour. Unfortunately, we don't have a huge shade selection over here in the UK, but there's still a couple of others I have my eye on.

The EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm wasn't a huge bargain, but thought I'd include it here anyway. I bought it from Amazon for £3.91 including P&P, but they've now changed the price, so I'd suggest looking around yourself. I wanted to know if these hyped little balls were any good before buying a big value pack for presents. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted!

The Witch primers were on clearance in Superdrug for £1.75, and they were buy one get one free. Two primers for £1.75? Yes, please! The Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours (£1.49) were also buy one get one free, so I picked up a couple more.

I definitely didn't need any more wipes, but had a £5 No7 voucher to use, so thought I'd pick up the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes (£7). My staff discount on top made these just 42p. It would have been rude not to! I then bought the Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (£9.50) with another voucher I had, and ended up paying just £2.36 for this. Lastly, on the No7 front, I bought the BB Lips Beauty Balms in Geranium and Blush Coral (£9 each). I had a £3 off voucher, and because I bought two makeup products, I received a free gift box. It contains a mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and eyeshadow brush. The shades are ones my mum will love, so I'm going to give it to her as a present.

There's currently a 3 for 2 across all hair products in Boots, so I picked up the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor (£4.99), the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Shampoo (£4.39), and the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39). I also had 25% off and double points vouchers, making these even cheaper.

After I bought these (and annoyingly used my 25% off voucher), I noticed that the Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner bottles were on clearance for £1.75 each (down from £6.99). They also qualified for the 3 for 2 offer and discount, so I paid just £1.02 each. I think it was meant to be because there were just three bottles left, and two of them were shampoo (I go through more shampoo than I do conditioner).

Have you picked up any bargains recently?

Recent Purchases (Accessorize, Bourjois, and Pacifica Bargains)

It's that time again! These are some of the things I've bought in the last couple of weeks.

Accessorize currently have a sale on, and I can never resist their sales. I spotted the lemon coin purse a few weeks back, and thought it was so cute and would make a nice present, but held off buying it because I knew there would be a sale soon. I ended up paying £3.50 instead of £7. I like that it fits cards in, unlike many coin purses. The sticky notes book was also £3.50 down from £7. Cute stationery at a great price is always a winner! I also picked up five pairs of underwear ranging from £2.50-£3.50 down from £5-£7. I love Accessorize's underwear, but it's expensive, so make the most of their sales. I then went back yesterday and bought the coral dolly shoes for £12.50 down from £25. I spotted these last month, but wasn't willing to pay £25 for a pair of dolly shoes. Then I found them in the sale in my size, but ended up talking myself out of buying them. When I went back in yesterday, they were still there. The last pair in my size. It was meant to be.

When the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks first came out, I wasn't interested. None of the shades appealed to me, and I was going through a light, balmy lip product phase. I then swatched them again and really liked the look of 02 Frambourjoise, a pinky red shade. Fast forward a week and they were on offer for £5.99 in Superdrug, so I couldn't refuse!

The Pacifica sets I've had my eye on for months finally went down in price on Tesco Direct. They're currently £7.50 down from £15 (£18 on Feel Unique), so I ordered Indian Coconut Nectar and Island Vanilla (I may have to get Tuscan Blood Orange, too!). I already own the Ruby Guava set, which I managed to get in January for just £5. I think they're great products for your bag, and make beautiful gifts, too.

What have you been buying recently?

The Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop products have been featuring a lot on Affordable Treats lately! Many are in my routine (see here), but I still wanted to try a few more, so took advantage of the 40% off online and in-store code currently making the rounds. Full prices given.

Bath Lily - £2

I always have a couple of these in my stash. I find TBS ones are softer and create a richer lather than others, so like to pick one up when I'm buying other products.

Mango Body Sorbet - £7

This isn't online yet, so I bought it in-store. My first impressions are that it smells amazing (obviously), isn't sticky in the slightest, absorbs quickly, and leaves you feeling refreshed. I don't feel that moisturised after using it, though, so don't know if it's actually doing anything for my skin. However, I have normal skin, so don't need an intense moisturiser.

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10

This is a repurchase because I'm down to the last third of my current bottle. You can read my review here.

Vitamin E Moisture Serum - £11

I've never tried a serum, so thought I'd give this one a go. I've read mostly positive reviews, but will let you know how I get on with it personally in the next few weeks!

Colour Crush Shine Lipsticks in 18 Sunset Romance and 15 Fuchsia Flirt - £10 each

I wanted to try a couple more things from the makeup line, and these were calling my name. They're apparently similar to the likes of the Revlon Lip Butters, in the sense that they're light and balmy. You'll no doubt be seeing these again soon!

Have you made any purchases from The Body Shop recently?

New Things

I used my iPhone for the photos above because my camera and I aren't getting on at the moment. I may use my phone for future hauls, too, because it's a lot quicker! This week, I've received my dissertation and final assignment grades (all good, thankfully), updated my CV and applied for a job, finished watching Chuck, watched the first season of OITNB, started watching Prison Break, and shopped. All in all, it hasn't been bad!

I featured the necklace in my New Favourites #05 post. It's from Accessorize and was £6, which isn't too bad for them. It's small, sits on your collarbone nicely, and goes with most things. I also have my eye on another Accessorize necklace, but it's £15, so I'm going to wait and hope it's in their next sale!

Even though my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light is still going strong, I wanted to buy a back up. I bought it here for £4.99 including P&P. Now that it's gone up to £3.95 on ELF's website and P&P is £2.95, it's cheaper to get it on eBay. I know ELF often have codes floating around, but I didn't want anything else.

I bought the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter yesterday for £6.95 because I had one of those £3 off vouchers to use. I wasn't planning on getting it, but loved how it swatched. Also liked the BB Lips Beauty Balms, and wish I'd picked one up now!

I then bought the Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Liquid Lip Colour in Show Off for £3.99. It's a warm, coral pink, which is very pigmented and similar to the Sleek Pout Paints. I tested it out yesterday evening and it was still present after three hours, a stir fry, and a bowl of ice cream (half a tub, really...). It had faded, but it was even. I then went ahead and ordered another three shades, so look out for reviews and swatches soon!

The mug is from Wilkinson and was £2. The print is nice, but the main reason I bought it was because of its size. It's like a small bowl, fitting two normal sized cups of tea in!

The tins were from TK Maxx and cost £2.99-£3.99. I'm always on the look out for tins because they're great for storing my baking bits (and anything else).

The yellow satchel was from Primark and cost £6. I've only ever used bags for school/uni, so have never owned a small one. I loved the colour of this, though, so just had to get it. They also had it in mint and pink. This is probably my favourite item I bought yesterday because it's so different to anything I have!

The knickers were also from Primark, and were only £1 each. They have a nice shape and look good on, so I'm happy.

The last three photos are of boring items, but they're items most of us use. The lint rollers were from Primark and were £1.50 a pack. Lint rollers are a must in an animal filled house! The Bic Soleil razors were from Superdrug and were down to £1.83 from £3.69. I already had a couple packs stored away, but couldn't resist a couple more. They're something I'm always going to use! The Mitchum deodorant sticks were £1.48 and £1.66 from £2.99 and £3.35 (this offer isn't online, though). I started using Mitchum deodorants earlier this year and they seem to work better than others I've tried. 

I use Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes for removing makeup before cleansing, spot cleaning my brushes, and freshening up. They're normally around £1.99 for 80, which is great in comparison to standard facial wipes. However, I usually get them when they're 99p or 6 for £5 at Lloyds Pharmacy. My sister also happens to work at the latter, so gets staff discount. 67p for 80? Yes please!

The last photo shows my inner age. My new net curtains arrived yesterday and I really like them! It's surprising how much a new pair of net curtains brighten your room. I'm mentioning them because they were a bargain from eBay. For my large window, I paid £5.70 including P&P. You can find the listing here. You can probably get nicer ones, but for the price, these are great. They also look better than others I've had in the past.

What have you been buying recently?

Collective Haul

Going through my Instagram earlier, I decided that my small purchases here and there over the last couple of months could actually be grouped together for a 'haul' post. I show all the little things on Instagram, but then forget to even mention them on here until I review them!

So, the first photo is of OPI's Steady As She Rose, which I bought from Fragrance Direct for £3.99. It's a beautiful, light, dusky lilac. I've already swatched and reviewed this here, and have compared it to Models Own Utopia here.

I've also been buying more Bath & Body Works hand gels recently. I already owned Vanilla Berry Sorbet and Fresh Picked Apples, but then bought Tuscan Melon, Market Peach, Island Nectar, and Sweet Pea last month. They were all £1.99 including P&P from various eBay sellers, which is a rip off compared to American prices, but I really wanted them! They keep changing their prices and stock, so I won't link you to any listings, but just search 'bath and body works hand gels' and you'll find them. Market Peach is my favourite, which is no surprise! They all smell exactly like their names, and Island Nectar smells like really sweet mango with a hint of floral.

I then bought Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Sugar Apple from ASOS because I wanted it (obviously) and could get student discount and free delivery. You can see my swatch and review of it here. The formula's not the best, but it's a beautiful shade.

I don't think I suit sunglasses at all, but want to start wearing them more because I seem to squint outside a lot, and squinting = more wrinkles when I'm older. I bought the ones above from Primark for just £2. The style is a lot bigger than I'm used to, but I like them. I may buy some without the brown tint next.

From eBay, I bought these white rose fairy lights for £11.99 including P&P. They're quite expensive for what they are, but I wanted some fairy lights that looked good turned off as well as on. They're not very long, but they're just the right length for the header of my bed.

After finishing writing my dissertation last week (handing it in Thursday!), I decided to go shopping, but didn't really buy much. I did buy some pretty bras from Primark, though. I love the style of them, and they were only £4 each.

I bought the NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler from eBay for £6-7 because I didn't want to pay £5 + £4.50 P&P on the NYX website. I should have waited, though, because I ended up ordering from them last week as they had free P&P! I've already swatched and reviewed this here. It's my new favourite lip product!

On the same day I bought the Primark bras, I also bought Models Own Beach Bag in Superdrug. It was £5, but I had some points to use on my beauty card, so it was cheaper. It's the first polish that's caught my eye from them for a while, and is a neon pastel peach. You can see me wearing it here, but I don't know if I'll be blogging about it because I'm not 100% happy with my application! It's also hard to capture on camera.

Finally, two products which arrived today (after Interlink screwing up): NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe and Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel. They had free delivery on orders over £10, so thought I'd pick up a couple products I'd had my eye on! The blush is for contouring (or attempting to), and I wanted another Butter Gloss because I love Peach Cobbler so much. This one is beautiful, too. I'm not usually one for lip gloss, but these are something else!

I've also just ordered from The Body Shop because they finally have a peach body mist! I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw it on their website. What have you been buying recently?

The Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop deals tempted me for months, but I refrained from placing an order because there wasn't much I really wanted. However, when on the hunt for a new cleansing balm, I stumbled upon their Camomile products, and caved. At the time, though, they only had a 35% off discount code on their website. Although this would be a huge saving anywhere else, I don't settle for less than 40% off when it comes to The Body Shop, especially when I'm buying a fair bit! After a little searching, I found a £25 off £50 spend code, and here's what I picked up:

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter - £12

I love cleansers, and I love trying out new formulas of cleansers, so am most excited to try this. It's had lots of positive reviews, so I'm hoping I feel the same way! It smells amazing. Very light. Very fresh. It reminds me of a product I've used before, but can't put my finger on it!

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10

I've never used a cleansing oil before, so am intrigued by this. Again, it has that beautiful scent and has received positive reviews. Some have said it's just a glorified olive oil with a higher price tag, but still say it does its job and smells amazing, so we'll see!

All-in-One Face Base in 02 - £14

This is a repurchase because I've recently hit pan on my current one. It gives you a little coverage and a velvety, matte finish without looking cakey; love!

Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair Matte - £13

I wanted to start bronzing more to define and slim my face a little, but the only matte bronzer I had was quite dark and powdery, so decided to give this a try. I was going to get 01, but from swatches, it looked a little redder in tone. 02 has more of a golden tone to it, and looks ever so slightly lighter, too. It feels soft to touch - I'm just hoping the colour's okay!

Ultra Fine Bath Lily in Aqua - £2

I've heard horror stories about creatures living in these, but have never experienced this myself, thankfully! I bought this to qualify for the discount, and because I needed another!

Have you bought anything from The Body Shop recently?

Recent Purchases

I wasn't planning on posting about these items, but was in the mood to blog, so here we are!

Primark bag - £12

I've never owned a formal bag, but with uni about to end and interviews about to begin (hopefully), I thought it was about time I did. I'd heard people talk about this being similar to the Zara Office City Bag, which I quite liked the look of, so decided to buy it. However, once in store, I wasn't sure, so left it. Then I found one I liked in H&M, but it looked very similar, and was £24.99 instead of Primark's £12, so thought I may as well get the cheaper of the two. It's smart, practical, and I like the texture of it. I've already taken the Atmosphere 'leather' tag off, though, because it just cheapened it.

Primark shopper bag - £1.50

Cotton shoppers are so handy to have around, and you can't complain for the price!

Primark white face cloths - £1.50, and duck egg 'luxury' face cloths - £2.50

I've started using Lush's Ultrabland cleanser, so was in need of some face cloths... there's nothing else to say here!

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips - £4.29 or 2 for £5

The only wax strips I've ever used were some ones I won in a giveaway a few years ago. I finally finished those recently, though, and was in need of some more. Lack of variety and mixed reviews left me undecided, but then I came across these. I'm hoping they perform well, but if they don't, I haven't lost a great deal of money.

Real Techniques Blush and Expert Face Brushes - £5.87 and £5.29 from Asda Direct

I use the Powder and Stippling ones every day, and wanted to try these two next. I couldn't resist when I saw the prices; so much cheaper than Boots. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 from Boots

After falling in love with Revlon's Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, I wanted to get my hands on this beautiful peach shade. There's currently a huge 3 for 2 going on in Boots, but I'm ever so indecisive, so just left with this. Will be kicking myself later, no doubt.

Do you have any of these products?