Weekend Haul: Philosophy & Boots

Hello!

I've finally done a little bit of beauty shopping! This haul is probably going to seem tiny compared to the monthly hauls I used to post but I'm sort of pleased about that. I generally try to be cleverer about the purchases I'm making now so will usually only buy one or two products over a period of a few weeks. This week I allowed myself to go a tiny bit crazy at the Philosophy counter and in Boots. I say 'crazy' because I don't actually need any of these things but that's not to say I won't enjoy trying them out; there could be some new favourites in here!

Philosophy as a brand is still fairly new to me. I've tried a lot of samples (and received even more after making this purchase - check out the cute little 'mini miracles' bag they came in!) and generally liked everything so I've been keen to pick up more of their line for a while. The 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath is one of the brand's staple offerings; I went for the delicious citrus scented Señorita Margarita. At £14 it's pretty pricey for a basic shower gel but I've been trying this out and a little definitely goes a long way. I tried it in my hair too and liked it as a shampoo but my hair is ridiculously low maintenance so I wouldn't recommend this as a shampoo for all hair types. 

The second product I picked up is their primer: The Present. I've heard mixed reviews on this one and haven't tried it out myself yet but plan to this week so expect to see a review soon if I have especially strong feelings either way. This was £22 but you do get 60ml of product which is around twice the size of most standard primers from other brands. 

Then I had one of those trips 'I-want-everything' trips to Boots but I somehow managed to compose myself and not spend too much. Looking at it now it does seem like a random selection of products! 

I made a couple of repurchases from Rimmel; the Wake Me Up concealer has been a favourite of mine for a long time and another lipstick from Kate Moss's Lasting Finish range. I got the shade 05 which is a warm, slightly bright pink because I've misplaced my beloved shade 19 and I'm hoping to find it again soon! I got a free Scandal Eyes mascara in black which I'm not sure I'll be a fan of as the brush looks absolutely huge.

The next three products which swiftly made it into my basket are all things I was really excited to see because until now I've not spotted them in British drugstores. The Maybelline Mega Plush mascara came out in the States forever ago and I've been dying to try it. This is another product which appears to split the opinion of beauty addicts so I'm interested to see which camp I end up in. I imagine there'll be a review of this up fairly soon. Next up is a Sally Hansen Salon Manicure polish in the infamous shade: Commander in Chic. It's one of those griege-nudes that's been doing the rounds for the past two or three years but I'm still looking forward to trying it out. I also came across a Sinful Colors display with a wide array of shades which are a snip at £1.99. I've been hankering after green nail polishes recently so this one in Exotic Green is a good way to try it out on the cheap.

Finally, I need new skincare. My current skincare system is driving me crazy; largely because it's not really a system. I'm starting my mini-revolution with this Vichy Normaderm moisturiser because it claims to target the issues I've been having with my skin. I also need a new cleanser, toner, serum, exfoliator and mask...suggestions on a postcard (or in the comments, probably quicker), please!

Have you been buying anything lately? If you've posted a haul, leave me a link!

Stace xx

Philosophy Purity Made Simple

I've been using this cleanser for around six weeks now so I thought it was about time I posted a review. I used to use only cream cleansers but in the last year I've been trying micellar waters, face washes and hot cloth cleansers so it was inevitable that I'd try Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser at some point.

The packaging is typically Philosophy; simple and functional but still a little special. Since the product is more of a liquid than a gel this sort of packaging is better than a tube but it will be more difficult for me to get every last drop of cleanser out. It's not a deal breaker for me, though. I have to say, it did take a while to get used to the herbal scent.

It's pretty easy to use, I just apply a small amount (see above photo) to damp skin and massage in for around a minute. Purity doesn't sting my eyes at all so I don't need to use a separate eye make up remover and it removes waterproof mascara excellently. If I'm using it in the shower, I just rinse it off my face but otherwise I remove it with a muslin cloth. If I've been wearing a lot of make up, I'll cleanse twice and if not I'll just spritz on some of my Botanics Rosewater toner. 

After using this over the past six weeks I've not had any reactions and I still have lots of product left (about 70% of the bottle!) It does leave a slight 'moisturised' feeling on my skin which doesn't bother me but may be problematic for anyone with really oily skin. 

All in all, I really enjoy using this product and think it's really effective as a cleanser. I have the 240ml size which cost £17.50. I'm definitely interested in trying more Philosophy skincare now!

Have you tried this cleanser?

Stace xx

June Haul!

I'm going to try to do monthly haul posts again (I'm sure I tried to do those before) so I can keep track of the amount I've been spending each month. If you'd like reviews on any of these products, please ask!

I went to a Philosophy and Urban Decay lock-in event in the middle of the month and picked up a few things. I've been wanting to try the Purity cleanser for a while so I got the smaller sized bottle of that; I've not tried it yet so I can't comment on how much I like it right now. I really enjoyed the Naked Lip Junkie mini that came with the Naked 2 palette so I picked up the full size of that. I also picked up a Super Saturated Glossy Lip Color in F-Bomb but after swatching it I've noticed it's the wrong shade - the assistant was quite busy so maybe that's why she made the mistake. It's a gorgeous cool-toned red but I can tell it just won't suit me so I've added it to my blog sale for £8 if anyone's interested. 

I innocently walked into Frasers one day at the beginning of the month and a Laura Mercier assistant pointed me towards their sale section which included some body cream/bubble bath duos that were half price. I took one sniff of the Creme Brulee scented duo and had to buy it. It was half price at £15. I put a little of the body cream on my arm and could still smell it about eight hours later. I don't think I could ever justify buying the full sizes at full price, though.

I had some MAC empties so I did my first ever Back 2 MAC. I got the lipstick in Spice it Up! which I'd not heard a lot about before but I'd seen swatches online and it looked similar to the Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam which I love and am almost out of. I also picked up a Pro Longwear eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction which I've been wearing almost non-stop this month. It's similar to Patina but a little bit more golden. It's a great neutral.

Boots Botanics has undergone a bit of a makeover and there was a 3 for 2 offer on so I picked up a few products. First up, a Rosewater Toning Spray. I used to use their Rosewater toner so I imagine this will be something similar with the addition of a spray bottle. I've not used a cream cleanser in a while because I've been trying micellar waters so I picked up their Softening Cleanser. I really hope they've not changed the formula of their Soothing Eye Make Up Remover as I picked up another one of those. I think that's probably the eighth or ninth bottle I've bought! I really like the new packaging.

A friend recommended the Revlon ColorStay polishes and I was in need of a new base coat so I took advantage of the 3 for 2 offer in Boots. I got a gorgeous orange shade called Marmalade, which I've yet to try out and a light pink shade called Pale Cashmere (NOTD post on this coming up very soon). I also picked up the base coat which I've been using and liking so far. 

I stopped by the Illamasqua counter today and picked up a cream blush and a lipstick...I realise they probably look like exactly the same colour...oops! The blush is from the Naked Strangers collection and is called Zygomatic. The lipstick is from the regular line and it called Test. I find Illamasqua cream blushes to be really easy to use so I'm looking forward to trying that out, I imagine I'll need to apply it quite heavily since I'm a bit darker now. Their lipsticks tend to be a little drying but on the upside, they stay on really well.

Finally, I picked up a couple of things from L'Oreal. I got a Color Riche polish in Beige Countess because I like these little polishes and I seem to be preferring neutral shades right now. Again, I'm thinking ahead about what I'd be able to wear to work/interviews and so on. I finally caved and picked up another Rouge Caresse lipstick. I bought my first one (Nude Ingenue) months ago and haven't been particularly drawn to any of the other shades stocked in the Boots I go to. Sweet Berry, the shade I got, has always been out of stock and I can see why! It's a lovely medium berry pink that I'm looking forward to wearing. 

Have you bought anything nice this month?

Stace xx