April Favourites

Sorry for not doing a favourites last month but I didn't have any new loves. This month is a different story though. I have lots of new things from the Manchester meet up goody bag as well as a couple of other rediscovered things and of course some new purchases.

The first thing I've been loving is the Skinetica* spot treatment. I was a little skeptical at first because it smells like alcohol but I'm so pleased I gave it a go. It has reduced my exam stress spots so much in a matter of days and they are almost gone after five days use. It is the best spot treatment I have tried, and I've tried a fair few.

Next up is the Dove Summer Glow Daily Tanning Lotion. I've actually never used fake tan at home before partly because I couldn't be arsed and seeing so many streaky orange girls completely put me off. I decided to give it a go though and start easy with a build up tan. This gives such a nice orange free tan and it is noticeable after a couple of applications. It can be a little sticky and I'm not sold on the smell but it's worth putting up with and using a mitt really helps. Not gonna lie, I'm a little streaky at the moment but I'm learning!

This month my Mum bought the Sally Hansen Healthy Cuticles Now Balm because both of us have dry peeling nails. I hadn't given my nails even a days break from nail varnish for about 7 months so after removing all my nail varnish I've been applying this once or twice a day for a week. My nails have stopped feeling and feel so much more moisturised already.

In the goody bag I received the Neal And Wolf Blow Dry Balm* and I was impressed from the first use. It made my hair sleek, frizz free, bouncier, easier to style and kept it's style longer. It's perfect for a polished salon finish. I used the conditioner treatment from the brand for the first time yesterday and that made my hair so silky soft so I'll definitely look into more from the brand.

A couple of make up bits I've rediscovered are the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 101 and the Accessorize Baked Blush in Sensational. At the meet up I asked  the lovely Zoe what her lipstick was because it looked gorgeous and when she told me it was the Rimmel one I went straight home to dust mine off. It's a dusky pink with what I think is quite a retro look.  The formula is really creamy and the citrus smell is lovely. I rediscovered the blush because I wanted to use a pink blush other than Nars Deep Throat for a change. The Accessorize blush isn't the creamiest or most pigmented blush but it gives such a pretty sheen that makes up for it. It's really different to any other blushes I own so I will try to appreciate it a bit more. That's the problem with being a make up hoarder- so much make up so little time!

What's been your favourite products this month?

30 Ways To Save £1 | Beauty & Fashion

So as you probably now Money Supermarket are currently offering bloggers £30 to give 30 tips on how to save £1 to celebrate the pounds thirtieth birthday. Can you believe 31 years ago they didn't have a one pound coin?! I am probably to late to get the thirty pounds from money supermarket but as I have really enjoyed reading these posts and of course I love saving a few quid I decided to share my thirty tips.

Keep reading for beauty and fashion money savers!

Source

1. Use up what you have before buying more. As tempting as it can be to go and buy that new mascara everyone is raving about buying it will only end up wasting your current one.
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2. Cut used up products in half to scoop out left overs. You might find you have a couple more uses.
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3. Save up your empties from Lush and Mac and you can get yourself a free lipstick and face mask
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4. Have a cooling off period before you buy. You might find that something you convinced yourself you desperately need is forgotten about in a few days. If you're still thinking about it in a week it might be worth it.
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5. Research before you buy so you don't waste money and experience shoppers regret. Sites like Make Up Alley are great to get lots of opinions in one place.
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6. Hunt around your local Boots and Superdrug for the clearance section where they have make up massively discounted for damaged packaging, unused testers or discontinuing.
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7. Check for discounted make up in shops like poundland and TK Max. You may have to rummage around but it could be worth it.
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8. Look out for dupes- there are plenty of high street dupes for high end products that can save you a lot more than £1.
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9. Collect those pennies- as tempting as it is to discard them put them in a pot and you'll soon have enough to treat yourself an MUA product. Self checkouts save a lot of embarrassment!
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10. Try before you buy especially with foundations. Test it at a counter to make sure it's right for you and don't be afraid to ask for a sample. It's important you get it right to avoid wasting money.
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11. Don't get drawn in by gimmicks. Is it really that different from what you already have? Will it work? Is it worth paying extra for?
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12. Avoid temptation by staying away from shops you know are your weakness. We all know how hard it is to walk out of Boots empty handed!
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13. Get reward cards from Boots and Superdrug. Both are free and you can get yourself a new lippy for nothing when you saved up enough points. Also Boots often have exclusive discounts and freebies for advantage card holders. I got a free Benefit mini from it!
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14. Don't forget about Boots Treat Street. You can earn lots of points if you're buying a new computer, TV or other costly items from a whole range of shops. Then you can spend the points on a luxury product. For more details click here.
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15. Sell things you don't use anymore. They'll be someone out there who will appreciate it much more and you can make a few quid in the process's.
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16. Check out blog sales. People say high end products for a lots less than in the shops so you can get some amazing bargains.
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17. Don't ignore bargain brands like MUA and Natural Collection. If you're selective you can find some gems for next to nothing.
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18. Stock up when there's an offer on products you know you'll use like shower gel. It will save you money in the long run.
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19. On the other hand, think about if the deal actually saves a much money or if you will really use the freebie otherwise you aren't saving money.
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20. Look out for freebies in magazine. You can get amazing products from top brands like Benefit, Body Shop and Percy & Reed for a couple of quid.
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21. Shop your stash. When you've got a big stash it's easy to forget about certain things so use something you haven't used for a while. It will feel like you've got something new and hopefully satisfy your urge to shop.
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22. Arrange to swap clothes with friends. A top that you've gone off or doesn't fit anymore could be perfect for your friend and vice versa. You'll both get something new for nothing!
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23. Customise old clothes to give them a new lease of life. It can be as easy as adding a few new buttons so you don't have to be creative.
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24. Buy clothes that you know go with lots of things you already have. As Gok said, its all about having a capsule wardrobe.
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25. Rather than buying a whole new outfit try mix and matching clothes you already have. Put something together that you wouldn't normally do could give old clothes a new lease of life. It's all about experimenting.
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26. Shop in Charity shops. You can get amazing bargains and even find designer pieces if you're lucky! A top tip is to go to a wealthy area because people are more likely to donate high end clothes.
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27. If you know your spending too much put yourself on a spending ban for a month or two. Its easier said then done but you'll save up lots of money and appreciate what you do have at the end.
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28. Take advantage advantage of student discount. If you shop online you can cheekily use someone elses  if they let you.
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29. If you're a student sign up to www.myunidays.com/ and they will keep you updated on student discounts events and competitions.
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30. Fill in customer feedback surveys to be in with the chance of winning vouchers or freebies. They only take a few minutes and you can come out of it a couple of hundred quid up!

What's your best money saving tip?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer Review

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer- £7.49

I bought the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Shade 51 a few weeks ago. As much as I love the famous Collection Lasting Perfection I wanted a change and as I was so impressed with the Healthy Mix Serum I decided to give this a go. For almost double the price of the collection concealer I had high expectations.

The coverage is light build able to medium. It covers my beauty spot ( I refuse to say mole!) well in the above picture but it took a lot of concealer. For me this isn't enough coverage because I get a lot of red angry spots. It's definitely more suited to people with good skin or only a slight bit of redness. One of the selling points is "anti-fatigue" but once again there is no way near enough coverage for my under eye luggage. On the plus side I really like the applicator as it is much more hygienic then a doe foot. It does have good lasting power and even built up it doesn't look at all cakey. You can see the colour matches me well but that is with build up tan lotion on, believe it or not! I know a lot of pale beauties can get away with Bourjois's lightest shades but I am ridiculously pale.

I do think this is a good concealer but unfortunately it just isn't right for me. I will be going back to the trusty Collection concealer and I don't think I will ever betray it again!

Have you tried this concealer? What do you think of the Healthy Mix range?

           

Why Did You Build Me Up, Buttercup Baby?

Most posts are singing the praises of amazing products but on the search for the perfect make up there is inevitably going to be some disappointing products a long the way. This post is basically a compilation of negative reviews so you know what products not to bother wasting you're money on. I wish I hadn't!

                         
Lush Shower Jelly:
I love the smell of this and it was really fun to use at first. However after about a months use the jelly started falling apart and no matter how hard I tried the bath would end up covered in purple jelly. My parents have thought I had a gross infection! It's a shame because I will have to chuck a 3/4 tub away.

Burts Bees Lip Balm*:
This isn't necessarily a bad product but it is really hyped up so my expectations were high. It isn't creamy or soft enough for my liking and no way near moisturizing enough. The balmy feeling only lasts fifteen minutes before I feel like I need to reapply. From the branding I was expecting a really natural, creamy, moisturizing balm but it didn't deliver.

Maybelline Blush in Flash Plum:
I mentioned this before in the best and worst of 2012 post and surprise surprise it came under worst. The texture is rough and the pigmentation is bad so it's pretty useless.

Stila Lip Glosses:
The trio was a gift to me so I hate to have to include them in the post. The brush on the end seems unhygienic as it gets clogged up with old lip gloss and to get any out you have to turn a screw at the bottom so it is so easy to get too much out at once. The texture is soo sticky which I absolutely hate. To top it off the pigmentation is poor too. I actually don't have a good thing to say about them.

Bare Minerals Foundation:
Lots of people love this but I can't get on with it. The coverage is very light to the point you can't tell you have foundation on. It doesn't give enough radiance for my liking and it makes my pores look even bigger. Maybe if my skin was clear and glowy naturally I'd love it.

Sleek Brow Kit:
After complaining about eyebrow pencils lots of people recommended this to me. The powder section is quite good but the wax is so red it makes my eyebrows look ginger. I am yet to find a good eyebrow wax or pencil that doesn't have a red tint or hefty price tag.

When I finished taking photos of the products Tilly decided it was her turn for a photoshoot!

What product has disappointed you recently?

*PR Product

Nars Deep Throat Blush

Recently I've been really getting into blush. I used to change up the blush I wore every day but not since I purchased Nars Deep Throat for an extortionate £21. I actually have to force myself to wear a different blush occasionally. The reason I love this blush is, despite the interesting name, it is so pretty. The colour is a surprisingly sheer pinky coral with some gold glitter running through it. At first I was a little put off by the poor colour pay off but it actually makes the blush really build-able so you have the option of going for a more natural look. On the cheeks it gives such a pretty flush of pink and the gold glitter means it really brightens up your whole face. Perfect for the healthy summer look! After wanting it for almost a year I am so happy I finally bit the bullet and got it. It's my absolute favourite blush and I wouldn't want to be without it.

Northern Bloggers Meet Up

I usually spend a Sunday afternoon curled up in my onzie or doing revision but last Sunday was different. The lovely Em from emtalks.co.uk/ organised a meet up for bloggers in Manchester. We all headed to the Revolution bar on Deansgate for cocktails, cupcakes and lots of beauty chat. There were a few little stalls set up with different beauty companies and Capital FM came and set up a 'paparazzi' area. There was plenty of time to mingle with other bloggers, get our nails done and listen to talks from Elemis and Xen Tan. At the end we were treated with a huge goody bag full of things that I can't wait to review for you.

Em organised the event so well and the whole thing must have taken so much effort. She'll need a pin to pop her heads with the amount we are all complementing her! The event was a huge success and I'm sure everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. So, when can we do it all over again?

Can you believe all the goodies?!

YSL Glossy Stain: Rose Vinyl

 

 

On the lips and stain after 6 hours

Nearly two months a go I was lucky enough to win an amazing give away from Anna whose blog is On The Dressing Table. She was giving away a YSL Glossy Stain of the winners choice. I couldn't believe it when Anna tweeted me to say I had won! 

It took me a while to choose what colour to get because I wanted something bright but still wearable. I didn't go for red because until I get my teeth whitened I can't wear it. So after a lot of googling and swatching in store I opted for Rose Vinyl. It is quite a bright pink but at the same time still easy to wear. Normally I can't stand lip gloss but this doesn't have a hint of sticky-ness and the gloss lasts as long as 3-4 hours if not more. The stain it leaves behind isn't amazing so I imagine it works better with darker colours. I need to be more brave!

The shape of the wand makes application easy peasy although the consistency is quite watery so it can be a little tricky if you have too much on the wand. The only thing I really hate is the floral granny smell. It is so strong when you apply it and it smells far too artificial. Why YSL? Why?

Overall though I absolutely love this and I wear it all the time.  It's definitely a luxury and I am very grateful to Anna for giving it to me. Her blog is fab for reviews of high end luxury products but be warned- it's dangerous for your bank balance!

Have you tried a YSL Glossy Stain?

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara Review

Today I'm going to review my current mascara- Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion. My lovely Mum got me this for Christmas from America before I realized Covergirl and Max Factor mascaras are the same. Stupid Megan! Anyway the Lash Blast Fusion promises to deliver length and volume. In the close up picture you can see how tiny the plastic wand bristles are which makes it really easy to grip the tiniest lashes. I can even use it on my tiny barely there bottom eyelashes. One coat of this isn't too impressive but the great thing is you can layer it up with no clumping. In the shopping channel style before and after pictures below you can see the difference an extra layer or two makes.

You may notice a slight bald patch. There was an unfortunate incident with a set of eyelash curlers a few months back and they still haven't recovered. 

As you can see it makes my pathetic excuse of eyelashes look much more noticeable and the results are so much better than other mascaras I have tried. The formulation isn't one of those really 'wet' ones that smudges everywhere. During a lovely cold I discovered you can even sneeze straight after applying it and not end up with panda eyes. Throughout the day it doesn't smudge or budge on my bottom or top lashes even though I have very watery eyes but this means it can be quite difficult to take off.

The true test is would I repurchase it? Well I'm not really sure. There are so many different mascaras I want to try and so little time.

Whats your favourite mascara?