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

September Empties

Another month, another empties post. This month I got through quite a few products without really trying; I was surprised to see that my 'empties' bag was bursting!

I ran out of three face products this month; my primer, foundation and powder. The MUA primer was nice but the packaging was frustrating because I always ended up squeezing out too much product so I'm not sure if it's something I'd repurchase. It's good if you're on a budget, though. My beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua  foundation finally ran out this month but I've moved on to the YSL Touche Eclat foundation; espect to see a review of that one soon. I will probably repurchase Vitalumiere Aqua at some point in the future. The powder I finished up was the Clarins Ever Matte. I liked it but I do think it's a bit overpriced. My Chanel Rouge Noir nail polish finally became too gloopy to use. I've been looking for a similar shade but can't find one that seems just right so if you have any recommendations please leave them in the comments. 

I used up a second pot of the Lierac Smoothing Energizing moisturiser, a small bottle of Osmo's Beber Oil treatment and a Fresh Brown Sugar fragrance sample. I enjoyed using all three of these products but I don't expect to repurchase any of them just now.

This Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture Hand Cream is a great budget buy; I used to use this all the time and it's something I always seem to go back to. The Botanics All Bright Cleansing Face Wipes were just okay and not something I'm particularly keen to use again. I got through two pots of Lush Fresh Face Masks and enjoyed using both but much preferred BB Seaweed over Brazened Honey. 

This Boots Nail Polish Remover is another go-to budget buy for me. I've tried more expensive removers but none work as well as this one for me. I reviewed the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Body Lotion yesterday and if you read that post you'd know that I have mixed feelings about the product. I don't think I'll be repurchasing. I would, however, consider picking up another tube of the Jergens Cocoa Butter Body Lotion; partly because it smelled delicious and partly because it felt really nice on my skin.

I wasn't overly impressed with the scent of Soap & Glory's Foam Call Shower Gel when I first smelled it but it seems to smell a lot nicer in the shower. I like that it comes with a pump because I tend to be too generous with shower gel. I'm not sure if I'd buy it again immediately but it is a nice product. I used up two shampoos this month; the L'Oreal Ever Strong Reinforcing Shampoo and the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo. I realise that it seems as though I've used a lot of shampoo this month but the L'Oreal only had a little left in it at the beginning of September and I gave some of the John Frieda to a friend to try. I have reviews of both these shampoos coming up soon. 

I've had this can of Boots Firm Hold Hairspray sitting around for quite a while but I've been wearing my hair up a lot more recently and was reaching for it to tame flyaways. I don't think it's a particularly good hairspray but it did the job for me. The Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo is one of my all-time favourite hair products and one I posted about recently. I've already purchased another can! LUSH Rub Rub Rub is another product I reviewed positively recently. I still can't believe how much I loved the scent and it was a really effective exfoliator. I was given Prada Candy last Christmas and whilst I liked it initially I did get a bit bored of it so I'm quite pleased to have finished it up. There's just something about it that isn't right. I wish I could explain it!

So, those are my September empties. Did you use up many products this month?

Stace xx

Budget Beauty Essential: Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo

This week's budget beauty essential post is going to be about my favourite dry shampoo. Last week's was about baby shampoo but I promise that next week's product won't be hair-related! 

I've purchased countless cans of the Tresemme Instant Refresh Volumising dry shampoo over the past four or five years. It's the one I always come back to. I find that come of the cheaper ones (hi, Batiste, I'm talking about you) leave too much of a white cast in my dark hair but this one doesn't at all. I also really like the smell of the Tresemme dry shampoos in comparison to others at a similar or lower price point. This dry shampoo is £4.79 but it's often part of a 3 for 2 or buy two for £5 offer in Boots or Superdrug so I usually stock up then.

I'm a big fan of dry shampoos in general because my roots become greasy fairly quickly and they also tend to look a little flat. This product helps to eradicate greasiness and gives me some volume. I realise that most dry shampoos provide this volumising effect but I've noticed that the results disappear much more quickly than they do with this volumising version. 

So, if you've got hair like mine and are looking for a nice dry shampoo, try this one!

Stace xx