Blog Sale

Hey everyone,

I've got a few beauty bits and pieces to pass on so decided to pop them in a wee blog sale. I'm moving flat in a few weeks so I've added a few bits and reduced prices or pulled together some bundles at lower prices. I'll consider offers on a bulk purchase.

The general rules/instructions are noted below but do let me know if you have any questions. Happy browsing!

• All items have been purchased by me and either tested or lightly used (unless otherwise specified) 
• UK shipping is £3.00, there's no extra charge for additional items
• Contact me for international shipping rates
• Please comment on this post or email stacey.mckane@googlemail.com with your request and Paypal email address 
• Payment via Paypal only - please pay within a couple of days 
• Parcels will be shipped within two days of payment receipt

Now, onto the goodies!

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder foundation in Natural Beige - used 6-8x - £16 now £10

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation in NC40 - used 5x - £12 now £9

MAC Mineralize concealer in NC35 - used 1x - £8 now £5 

NARS blush in Exhibit A - used 3x - £14 now £9
NARS blush in Gina - 85% remaining - £8

Illamasqua blush in Sophie - used 6-8x - £9 now £6

BeneFit Watt’s Up highlighter stick (smudger lid missing) - 90% remaining - £8 now £5

MAC Pro Longwear eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction - 90% remaining - £7 now £4
Laura Mercier creme eyeliner in Violet - 85% remaining, still very creamy - £5

Sleek eyeshadow palette in Vintage Romance - used some shades 4-5x - £3 now £1.50
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold - 85% remaining - £1

Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils in 030 Brun - sharpened 2x - £4 now £2

Wet’n’Wild eyeshadow in Envy - used 1x - £1

YSL liquid liner in Gunmetal Grey - swatched - £1
No7 Stay Perfect Metallic Eyes eyeliner in Camouflage - swatched - £1.50
OR ALL 6 FOR £4

Essie Bikini So Teeny - used 2x - £3

Essie Sand Tropez - used 4x - £2

Essie Navigate Her - used 2x - £2

Essie A Crewed Interest - used 2x - £2

OR ALL 4 FOR £4.50

 Butter London in Pillar Box Red - used 2x - £4
Nails Inc in New Oxford Street - used 2x - £4
Deborah Lippmann in Hit Me With Your Best Shot - used 3x - £5
OPI in Live Love Carnival - used 2x - £3
OPI in Ogre The Top Blue - used 3x - £3

Super Facialist by Una Brennan in Rose Hydrate moisture mask - used 3x - £3 now £1.50 

The Sanctury Time Reversal face mask - used 2x - £3 now £1.50

Nip+Fab Glycolic Instant Fix face mask - used 1x - £4 now £2

Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver - used 1x - £5 now £2.50

Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin - used 1x - £1 now 50p

Body Shop Honeymania cream body scrub - tested, 95% remaining - £4 now £2

Body Shop Vineyard Peach cream body scrub - new - £4 now £2

NOTD: Essie - Fiji

I realise that an almost white baby pink shade probably isn't appropriate in November but after wearing dark shades for the past few weeks I fancied a change. I've had Essie Fiji since the summer and have to admit that I don't reach for it all that often. 

Fiji is so pale against my skin and sometimes I think it looks a bit too stark. In saying that, if you're looking for a pale pink shade this is one I'd definitely recommend because the formula is great. I used four thin coats which might sound excessive but I've tried other similar shades that still looked streaky after six coats. If you're like me and you're not a fan of sheer polishes you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by Fiji. I get a decent amount of wear out of this polish too; usually about four days without chipping. 

In general I'm a big fan of Essie polishes, especially the diffusion line from Boots. The polishes in that range have nice wide brushes which make application that little bit easier. They are priced at £7.99 each. 

Are you a fan of Fiji?

Stace xx

PS - I was going to apologise again for my absence but that's starting to get boring! I'm spending this weekend working on a few new posts and I'm hoping to be posting every second day from now on. Thanks for sticking with me :)

A Teeny Tiny Haul - Boots & Wild About Beauty

The last time I bought a beauty product of any description was over a month ago so I thought I was due a trip to Boots; partly to replace things, partly for new nail polish! I also popped into Debenhams and *ahem* accidentally managed to spend some more money there. 

Boots are running a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics right now so I decided to take advantage of that. I initially just wanted the Essie polish in Bordeaux but I decided to pick up another tube of the Rimmel Fix & Perfect primer because it's one of the best primers I've tried and I'm just working through other samples at the moment. I've heard so many good things about the Maybelline Forever Strong polishes so I picked one up in the shade Rosy Sand. I thought it would be a nice warmer toned alternative to Chanel Particuliere. I'm wearing it just now and I have to say, it applied beautifully. I'm not entirely sure I like the colour though.

My beloved Rosewater Toning Spritz from Botanics ran out a fortnight or so ago and I've been lost without it so I had to repurchase that. I also picked up a shower gel from the new Botanics bodycare range. It's the Restoring Cream Body Wash. I bought it because my skin is feeling quite irritated at the moment; I've used it a few times now and I think it's helping. I had a coupon for this Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo so I grabbed a can to add to my current supply. I can never be without that product!

When I was in Debenhams I spotted a new counter for a brand I'd never heard of before. It's called Wild About Beauty (I think the name is pretty silly) and the range has been developed by make up artist Kim Jacob and celebrity Louise Redknapp. The products themselves all look and feel really nice. I loved the shade selection; everything looks quite natural. 

I picked up a couple of products to try out. The first thing that caught my eye was the Nutritious Gloss in Astrid. It's a dark pink berry shade which is surprisingly pigmented. I'll need to wear this a bit more before reviewing it but expect to see a post fairly soon. I was intrigued by the Mattifying Balm so bought that too. If you've tried BeneFit's Dr Feel Good, this product is sort of similar. You can use it under or over make up but I'm planning to buff it on my T-zone after foundation with an ELF Powder brush. I think it'll be a nice alternative to powder for me; I hate looking powdery. I couldn't even wait to photograph this product before trying it so I apologise for the less-than-perfect photo!

The girl on the counter, Kathleen, was lovely. If you're in Glasgow I'd definitely recommend having a chat with her because she's more than happy to tell you all about the new range. So far, I'm quite impressed with what I've tried.

What have you been buying recently? If you have a haul post, link it below!

Stace xx

My Top Five: Pedicure Polishes

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to pedicure polishes and nine times out of ten I'll be wearing one of the five shades above. Every time I stray from these five colours I always regret it. For some reason most bright colours look awful on my toes so I tend to stick to more classic shades.

Nails Inc Baker Street

Okay, so this isn't exactly a classic shade but it's one of my all-time favourite polishes and I've used it so much. It's definitely been my pedicure colour of choice this summer. I wear a lot of tan flats and sandals and I love how Baker Street looks with those. The formula of this polish is excellent; I can get away with just one coat if I'm in a rush. 

Essie Fishnet Stockings

This is a mini that has seen better days. It's a dark, slightly warm toned red creme. This is my go-to when I'm not in the mood for a dark or nude shade but don't fancy wearing Baker Street. The formula on this one is also quite nice but it does require two coats.

Chanel Rouge Noir

This is my favourite Chanel polish, hands down. I need to pick up a new bottle because this one only has about a third left and it's become quite gloopy. It's a vampy dark red that looks great on fingers and toes. I wear this one an awful lot in the winter. I need two, sometimes three, coats with this one. 

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

This polish is like a purple toned  version of Rouge Noir and is another winter favourite for me. I wear this one year-round, though. It's very dark and almost looks black in some lights but it's less harsh looking than a black. I rely on this polish to complement whatever I happen to be wearing and I think it does that job pretty well. I need two coats of this polish.

Essie Sand Tropez

This shade may divide opinion but if you've not tried a light neutral shade on your toes, you're missing out! I like this polish for the same reasons I like Lincoln Park After Dark; it works with most outfits/shoes. I prefer this lighter shade over the more taupe/mushroom shades because I think it looks a bit 'cleaner'. Sand Tropez is several shades lighter than my skin so it won't be for everyone but I love it. I need three coats for an opaque finish.

With all of these polishes I use a fast-drying top coat like Sally Hansen Insta Dri. 

What are your favourite pedicure colours? Are you a creature of habit like me?

Stace xx

August Haul

I had every intention of not buying anything this month and failed miserably! I'm consoling myself with the fact that most of the items weren't too expensive and the priciest item was a birthday present.

Botanics Cleansing Face Wipes

These were under £3 in Boots when I bought them so I thought it was worth giving them a go. I used them when I went back home this month and I've got a review of these coming up soon.

Boots Baby Extra Large Cotton Wool Pads

These were recommended by Zoe from Zoella and they're great! I used to use about eight small cotton pads to remove my make up but I only need two of these.

Boots Baby Shampoo

I use baby shampoo to wash my brushes and I sometimes use it to wash my hair if my scalp's feeling a bit irritated. 

NARS Bronzer in Laguna

This is the first high end bronzer I've ever purchased! It was a bit of a birthday present to myself. 

Elie Saab Le Parfum

This was part of my birthday present from Boyfriend. It smells gorgeous :)

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser x 2

This is one of my favourite moisturisers and I like it especially if and when I get break outs. I've purchased so many tubes of this in the past, I've lost count! They were in a 2 for £5 offer in Boots.

Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish

My favourite scrub, The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, is running low so I decided to replace it with this cheaper alternative to see how well it compares.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

This is another repurchased product, it's probably my fifth or sixth tube of this scrub!

Cuticura Passion Flower & Mango Anti Bacterial Hand Gel

I love my little Bath & Body Works Pocket Bacs but I'm running low on those so I picked this up to replace those.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation

I've been on the hunt for a nice drugstore foundation which doesn't break me out so I decided to give this one a try.

L'Oreal Color Infallible Shadow in Goldmine

This was a total impulse buy because I knew if I spent more than £15 I'd get a little gift set for free. It's very glittery!

L'Oreal Color Riche Polishes in Dating Coral & Femme Fatale 

These were emergency airport purchases because I didn't like the manicure I'd planned to keep on for a week. I'm addicted to these little bottles of polish.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara in Brown/Black

My mum used to use this. In fact, she probably still does! It was on offer so I picked it up to see what it's like. I've never tried a Max Factor mascara before. I went for the brown/black shade because it looks a bit softer and more natural.

17 Blemish BB Balm in Medium

I don't know what possessed me to buy this because I know I don't like western BB creams but I always want to try new ones just in case they're not rubbish! I've tried this a few times already and I don't hate it, which is a good sign. I'll probably be reviewing this in a few weeks.

MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer in NC20

I picked this up on a blog sale for around a fiver. It's a couple of shades lighter than my skintone but I'm planning to use it on my under eye area.

I had a coupon for £5 off a Feel Unique so I made a little order!

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Lotion

I needed a new moisturiser to use when I don't need to use the Clean & Clear Dual Action so I picked this up on a whim. I was a bit disappointed when it arrived as it's only 30ml rather than the 50ml I expected; I should have read the description more carefully!

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

I needed a new bottle of this and it was under £5 on Feel Unique so I popped it in my basket. 

NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

I'm a lip balm junkie so I knew I'd have to get around to trying this at some point. I'll be posting a review of this soon!

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Body Lotion

When I buy clothes from ASOS I always end up with at least one beauty item in my basket and this body lotion is what made it into my most recent order.

Boots Nail Polish Remover

This was another product repurchase!

Essie Fiji

I've been wanting this colour for such a long time and Boots were running a points event where you would receive 10 points per £1 if you spent over £15 so I added this to my basket in order to take advantage of the extra points. At least, that's what I'm telling myself!

LUSH BB Seaweed & Brazened Honey Fresh Face Masks

I was after a new face mask but after looking in Boots several times, nothing took my fancy so I popped into LUSH and picked up a couple of their fresh face masks. I've tried Brazened Honey before and it wasn't my favourite mask but I was given it by accident instead of Love Lettuce this time so I'm interested to see if my opinion has changed. Expect to see reviews of these quite soon. I should also mention that Rachel, the girl who helped me in store was absolutely lovely. All the staff in LUSH on Buchanan Street in Glasgow are great so if you're in the area I'd highly recommend popping in!

If you'd like to see reviews of anything I purchased please let me know in the comments. 

Did you buy anything nice this month? If you have a haul post or video, leave me a link!

Stace xx

My Travel Make Up Bag

Okay, so I brought far too much make up on holiday. I hardly wore any of it but I wanted to cover all bases and I could fit it all into a small make up bag. We went to Crete for a week and had a very relaxing time, hence why I didn't wear much make up. If we'd been going out every night, I would have probably made more effort.

For face products I brought my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 as it's the darkest foundation I own. Sadly it's a touch too light for me now so I only wore it once, the same goes for my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3. If anyone has any recommendations for darker concealers in the drugstore, please let me know as I need one to fill the gap until I'm pale enough to wear what I already have. I brought my Illamasqua cream blush in Rude in case I wanted to wear blush but I ended up not using it. I brought the Illamasqua Highlighter brush to use with the blush and/or the foundation but again I didn't use it.

For lips I brought two balms - one from Yves Rocher which a lovely girl sent me in a swap. It's the best stick lip balm I've ever tried and I wish it was sold here in the UK. The other is just a Boots Soltan SPF 30 balm and I used both balms, obviously! I brought two Revlon lip butters; Tutti Frutti which I didn't use and Fig Jam which I did use because it's one of the five lip products I'm trying to use up. The two glosses I brought are also in my lip product challenge and I used both the Dior Lip Polish in 001 and Estee Lauder Pure Color gloss in Electric Cherry. I added the Sleek Eau La La liner in Moulin Rouge in case I fancied a red lip but of course, I was too lazy to use it!

For eyes I brought my NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base which I used a couple of times under shadows from the Wet'n'Wild The Gilded Age trio (sadly this is was limited edition but if you can ever get your hands on it, BUY IT!!) that I applied with the only eye brush I brought; the ELF Eyeshadow brush. I also brought an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil in Rehab but didn't use it. I used BeneFit's They're Real mascara a few times - it's not waterproof so I didn't wear it during the day but it was fine in the evenings. The only brow product I brought was some MUA clear mascara.

I went a bit overboard with nail polish and brought five Essie minis. I ended up putting Fishnet Stockings on my toes halfway through the holiday and Lady Like on my nails but I didn't use Size Matters, Very Structured or Bangle Jangle but that was mostly due to the nasty nail polish remover pads I brought with me and because I forgot my top coat.

So there you go, that's what was in my travel make up bag and what I actually used. I hope that was useful! Let me know what your travel make up essentials are.

Stace xx

Essie Fill The Gap Base Coat

I've been meaning to review this for a long time now. It's without a doubt my favourite base coat. Ever.

I never really understood the purpose of a base coat other than to prevent staining so I used to use a clear polish or sheer nude as a base coat when I was using a darker shade of nail colour. I don't have a lot of problems with my nails despite what I put them through. They grow well and are pretty strong. I could see why someone with weak or peeling nails would use a specific base coat to help with those issues but silly old me didn't realise how much a base coat could help the look of my polish.

This base coat is supposed to help anyone with uneven or ridged nails and whilst I don't have those problems, it leaves me with an even smoother base for my polish. It leaves my nails looking quite matte, too. The reason I love this base coat is that it helps polishes which are typically streaky and difficult to work with apply more evenly. I especially like to use this with darker polishes. 

There is no need to worry about it taking a long time to dry either, it's touch dry in less than 30 seconds.

I picked this up from Boots for £11.25 (link) but I'm sure you can pick this up cheaper elsewhere. If you're struggling to get an even finish from some of your polishes, I'd recommend you try this out. I've been using this since before Christmas and I've only used about a quarter of it. Considering I use this every couple of days, I expect this to last a long time.

Which base coat do you use?

Stace xx

My Top Five: Spring Nail Polishes

I had a lot of requests for top five/ten posts and I've been meaning to do a few posts about products I'm excited to use this spring so I'm going to kick things off with my top nail polish picks. In no particular order...

OPI Red Lights Ahead

I wasn't sure I was going to like this when I bought it. I struggle to find reds I like, especially when it comes to bright reds. This, however, is a perfect bright coral-red shade. 

Essie Sand Tropez

Everyone loves a good nude polish, don't they? I have several nude/natural shades but this light beige one is my favourite for spring/summer.

American Apparel Office

This is one of my all time favourite pastel shades. It's not as harsh looking as something like Essie Mint Candy Apple which is a plus for me! 

Chanel April

If you're a fan of darker nail polishes, this shade is a great choice. I'm wearing it right now, actually! It's a dark raspberry pink shade which I can see looking really pretty with gold sandals and a tan if we ever get any sun up here in Glasgow.

China Glaze Custom Kicks

I really like the formula of China Glaze polishes. This shade is very easy to work with and wears like steel. I know a bright turquoise-green shade won't be for everyone but I love it!

I'm going to cheat a little and add a couple of honourable mentions. I didn't think I'd like the OPI Holland collection as much as I do and there are two other bright shades from the collection I can't help but mention here. OPI A Roll In The Hague is a bright orange shade which is probably not for the faint hearted but I'm going to wear it lots in the summer. OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips is a crowd-pleasing bright pink which isn't too warm or cool toned so it should be flattering on everyone. I'm fussy about pinks too so the fact I like this one must mean it's a winner!

What are your top nail polish picks for spring?

Stace xx