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

Wednesday Wishlist: Make Up Academy

MUA is one of the best high street brands, in my opinion. They never cease to amaze me with exciting new products at really reasonable prices. Whilst I do enjoy using products from brands like Revlon and L'Oreal, if I'm after a cheap fix MUA is always at the top of my list. I sometimes buy their products in Superdrug but often the stands are messy and poorly stocked so I prefer using their lovely website. I always get my parcels quickly and they offer free shipping if you spend over £25. You can get a lot of MUA products for £25.

I thought I'd share the products I'm tempted by in this week's wish list!

Mega Volume Mascara - £3

I think I'm most attracted to this mascara because the packaging is similar to Maybelline's One by One mascara which I quite enjoyed! The brush has rubber bristles like my favourites; BeneFit's They're Real  and L'Oreal's Volume Million Lashes. This comes in brown, black and waterproof. I think I'd go for the waterproof version.

Blush Perfection Cream Blusher - £2

I have my eye on the shades Yummy (bottom right) and Dolly (top right). I like experimenting with cream blushes every now and then. At £2 a pop I don't think you can go wrong. The other shades are Bittersweet (bottom right) and Blossom (top left). 

Nail Constellation in Libra - £3

I remember when Fleur De Force posted a video about a similar product from Ciate priced at £18 and thinking that was a ridiculous price. £3.00 is much more reasonable. If you've not heard of these manicure products before they're basically little beads that are applied to a just polished nail to give an interesting 3D effect. From MUA's range I'd go for the shade Libra because it's the most neutral looking colour. I wish they'd release with a black or dark blue.

Nail Varnish in Red Fever - £1

This is probably a predictable choice from me; I do love dark red shades! I've never tried any of MUA's £1 nail polishes so I'm interested to see how they compare to my more expensive favourites. 

Pearl Eyeshadow in Shade 11 - £1

I've been meaning to pick up this shade for years! It's a dark, slightly golden taupe-brown shade which I think would look perfect in the crease for definition or all over the lid with darker shades. liner and lots of mascara for a pretty smoky eye. 

Have any MUA products caught your eye recently?

Stace xx

Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils

Until quite recently I was terrified of brow pencils. I was more than happy with my Smashbox Brow Tech powder because it was so easy to achieve a softly defined brow with that product. I always thought pencilled in brows looked really obvious and considering mine are already so dark, I was afraid they'd look harsh if I used a pencil.

I lost my favourite brow brush so my Brow Tech was out of action for a while. I lasted about a week before breaking down and heading out to buy something for my brows. I'd heard some good things about the Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils so I went to a counter to try it out. When the assistant used it on my brows I was surprised at how soft they looked so I picked up a pencil in the shade 030 Brun.

The shade is pretty much perfect for my dark brown brows; it's quite ashy which I appreciate. My favourite thing about the Lancome pencil is how easy it is to use. I use it really lightly but can apply more pressure if I want a bit more definition. Unless I press really hard they never look overdone. I like the little spoolie on the end too, it's handy.

I think I'm going to have this pencil forever because despite two months of constant use I've still not had to sharpen it! It is priced at £16.00 which I think is reasonable. If you've been considering this pencil I'd say it's worth it.

What's your favourite brow product?

Stace xx

A Little Life Update

Hello!

I don't normally post specifically about my life but a lot has been happening recently so I thought it was about time I wrote about it. I've not posted anything in three days and it's driving me crazy!

Almost four weeks ago now I made the decision to split from my boyfriend. We'd been together for around three years and lived together. It wasn't an easy decision at all but I know that it's the right one. Nothing bad has happened; we just grew apart and I had been feeling miserable for quite a while. We were always waiting for something to come along and make us better; finishing university, moving, finding jobs. I realised that we shouldn't need something else to improve our relationship and I felt as though we were just putting off going our separate ways. I will always care about him and wish him the best for his future. I'm concentrating on becoming the confident, independent girl I was before. 

I found a new flat but I'm still waiting on the paperwork to come through so that I can move. It's really difficult to live with someone you've broken up with; I wouldn't advise it but I don't have a choice at the moment. I need to move within the next week so can everyone please keep their fingers crossed?! I'm going to be living by myself which is both scary and exciting at the same time. I'm looking forward to making it my own without anyone telling me that I have too many cushions!

On a more positive note, I was offered a job yesterday. A job I really wanted. I'm beyond delighted about that and can't wait to start a week on Monday. I've also got to thank my friends for being the best people in the world over the past few weeks. The lovely things they've done for me make me want to cry more than anything else has! Some of those friends are probably reading this right now; I want to thank you for the comments, tweets, emails and anything else you've said or done in the last month. I've appreciated every single one of them and don't know how I'll be able to thank you enough. 140 characters doesn't sound like a lot but sometimes they mean so much.

If you find yourself in a similar position to me or if you're struggling with The Big Stuff in life please don't be afraid to make a decision to keep someone else happy or because  the consequences would be too difficult. You're all a lot stronger than you think and sometimes you just have to be brave and selfish. Your happiness is ultimately your priority and if something is making you miserable it's up to you to change it if you can. You'll soon realise that you're not alone.

With love,

Stace xx

BeneFit Sunbeam Free with InStyle Magazine

I just thought I'd hop on and blog about a little freebie I came across today. I don't usually buy magazines for free products but I've been wanting to try BeneFit's Sunbeam for a while and the magazine was only £2.50 in Tesco (normally £3.80).

The sample is a dinky 4ml but contains more than enough product to try for a little while, at least. I was under the impression that this was a really dark golden colour and that's part of the reason I've not purchased the full size already. I was worried it'd be too dark to use as a highlighting product. However, as you can see in the swatch, it's more of a dark champagne shade which is a perfect highlight colour for me. When blended out it looks pretty subtle but I can't wait to try it out on my face very soon. 

If you're not interested in trying Sunbeam you could pick up a mini BeneTint or Cha Cha Tint instead. The magazine is full of high street finds this month so I'm probably going to spend part of this evening reading that!

Have you tried Sunbeam?

Stace xx