Bargains at Sally's

I thought I would let you all know about these bargains I got at Sally's today, in case you want to hot foot it down to get some yourself. Sally's is every beauty addicts dream shop, as it sells all manner of beauty supplies and goodies. I wander round and have to stop myself from buying ridiculous things like huge tubs of wax and hair bleach. I have to keep reminding myself I am in fact, not a beauty therapist or hairdresser. Although the shops are predominantly aimed at trade, there are some great things in there,and can be a source of items that are not found in your high street shops like Superdrug and Boots.

My main purpose for going to Sally's today was to get the brush, which is a Spornette little wonder. I wanted to get this for using to back comb, or tease. I had seen similar brushes being used in youtube videos, and a quick google search revealed this one at Sally's. They come in a range of different coloured bristles, I went for pink obviously. It cost £4.75, but a word of warning about Sally's,  all the prices you see are without VAT, so  20% will be added on when you get to the till. I think if you have a trade card this doesn't apply, but you have to be a hairdresser or beauty therapist or the like to get one. I have had a quick go of the brush, and it does seem to back comb very easily. Expect to see me with mahoosive hair soon!

So, having got what I went in for, I started having a wander round and I spied the face mask by Queen Helene.  I have read alot of things about the infamous mint julip mask by them, but there didn't seem to be any of that in stock. As it was reduced, I thought I would give this a go, as it worked out at just under £3. It does have a quite artificial lemon smell, but I have yet to actually use it.

A bit further on, I spotted some threading thread, which is the pink box. Now, I have watched loads of youtube threading videos, and have always fancied a go (I told you Sally's makes me think I can do these types of things). I haven't really tried this yet either, as my brows are in ok shape just now. I probably won't try actually shaping them for a good while, but I will have a go at getting the stray hairs below and between my brows. If you see me with no eyebrows soon, you will know why! I then picked up a nail rejuvenating oil, to try and help my poor nails. Then, I went to the till to pay. I got the the counter, and my beady little eyes spotted another bargain, in the shape of china glaze nail polishes!

These are from the Christmas 2010 collection, and at £2.40 each (with VAT), I was powerless to resist. They are, from left, Little Drummer Boy, Hearty Party and Cheers to you. I had been eyeing up hearty party in the run up to Christmas, but was a little short of pennies so left it. Now, I can put this away till next Christmas and have lovely nails.

Little drummer boy and cheers to you I will happily wear throughout the year, as I don't think they are obviously festive. They didn't photograph amazingly, but little drummer boy is a deep, shimmery navy, and cheers to you is an amazing rich, shimmery silver. I love a good shimmer polish, such as the models own ones I have. These are my first china glaze polishes and I am impressed with the quality so far.

Anyway, I did manage to tear myself out of the shop at this point, so that is it! There were a few other polishes from the christmas collection, so if you fancy getting some, its worth a look in your local Sally's.

House party FOTD

I went to a house party with a friend on saturday night, so wanted a pretty casual make up look.

The eyes didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but hey, I am still learning. Again, almost all the shadow disappears when my eyes are open, so I guess I need to work on that. Please comment with any tips for me.


What I used-


Face

Avon Ideal shade cream to powder foundation in Shell

L'Oreal True Match powder in Rose Ivory

NYC color wheel in peach glow

Collection 2000 blush in 04 Trouble.

e.l.f  under eye concealer & highlighter in glow/fair
Avon blemish clearing stick, no shade

e.l.f complexion brush

e.l.f blush brush

Old black kabuki


Eyes

Maybelline the Falsies Mascara in Black

Avon Glimmerstick brow definer in Blonde

MUA Clear Mascara (shade 1) on brows

Avon Supershock Gel eyeliner in Silver (on lower waterline)

Benefit eye bright, (in corners of eyes and under brows)

e.l.f eyelid primer

e.l.f 32 piece eyeshadow collection

e.l.f eyeshadow brush

old 17 eyeshadow brush to blend

Vital Radiance brow brush


Lips

Soap and Glory Sexy Motherpucker- Candy Gloss

I did notice this time with the foundation that it really shows up any dry patches, something I don't get with my usual liquid foundation. It also didn't last amazingly, as photos from later in the night reveal a lovely shiny face! As my skin had a few break outs, I decided to use the Avon concealer, as it is medicated to treat the skin. I'm not sure if it made much difference, but it certainly didn't make things any worse.


So, please send in any eyeshadow tips for my tiny little eyes. I guess the fact that I wear glasses alot doesn't help either, so any tips for eye looks for glasses wearers wanted too!

New favourite thing- Nail Wheels

Aren't they beautiful? Having seen nail wheels on a few blogs (this seems to be a recurring theme, this is why blogging is bad for your bank balance), I wanted some so I could see my collection better. I was chatting to Paige from Nailsaholic (check out her amazing nail art on her blog) on twitter about them, and she recommended this ebay seller. I think I had seen them from that seller before, but as they are Hong Kong based, I was a bit hesitant to order from them. When Paige said hers came fine and were good, I went for it. To be fair, they only cost £1.99 for 10, so it wasn't much of a risk. Anyway, I needn't have worried, as they arrived in about 14 days, all safely packaged. I got the white ones, as they were a bit cheaper, and I wasn't sure if those or clear were better. The white ones seem fine.

So I set about putting all of my collection onto the wheels. Now, this process shouldn't be taken lightly, as there are many important decisions to be made. How do I group the polishes? By brand, by colour, by some other crazy system? I started with the pinks wheel first, and just put all my pinks and reds around the wheel in a random fashion. Then, I tweeted about doing my nail wheels, and Kelly from Jellyminx thinks said she was doing the same. She said she was ordering them by colour, from lightest to darkest. So, I tried to do this with the lilacy blue one, and it worked out ok. I then have a third one which is all the other colours, and the glitters. I have one space left on this to fill, which will probably be the last Diet Coke Nails inc polish. I started numbering the first wheel, but I need to get a better pen for this. I wrote lists of the polish order for each wheel, as some of them are quite similar.

I would recommend getting yourself some nail wheels, as it is lots of fun painting them, although that could just be for me, and it lets you see clearly what colours you have. This will be helpful when choosing what colour to wear, and shows you which ones you don't need to buy any more of. Clearly I need no more pinks, reds, or lilacs. I honestly had no idea I had so many similar shades. They are all slightly different however. Over the next few months I will take lots of photos and show you my collection.

Do you have some nail wheels? Or do you have another way of testing and showing your collection?

My hair's new best friend

Yes, my hair has a new best friend, the tangle teezer. I had read about this on quite a few blogs, and have been longing for one ever since. So, I decided to bite the bullet when I was looking at the sales, and get one. This unfortunately wasn't in the sale, I paid the full price of £9.99. You can get it from a variety of places, but I decided to get it from boots, so I got the points.

As you can see, its like a conventional brush as it has no handle. It reminds me of a horse brush. Not that I have ever brushed a horse, being a city girl ruined those dreams. Anyway, I love this brush. I use it when my hair is wet and dry, and it has dramatically reduced the amount of hair left in the brush. When my hair is wet, I part it using a wide toothed comb, and then detangle all of the rest using this beauty. It does maybe take a little bit longer than using a comb, but I think its worth it due to the reduction in hair loss. When dry, it brushes my hair quickly, without tugging.

The tangle teezer has a nice ergonomic design, which fits nicely in your hand. There are 2 different lengths of soft plastic bristles, which glide through any tangles. It does come in a variety of colours, but of course I chose pink. You can also get a travel version which is slightly smaller and has a little protector for the bristles, as they can be damaged easily, according to the enclosed information.

The tangle teezer is also apparently great for children, and Mothercare sell the exact same brush in a Mothercare branded box. My eagle eyed boyfriend spotted on a bargain hunting site that these were in the sale reduced to £4.99. I was a bit annoyed, as this was like 3 days after I had bought mine. So, I did what any sensible girl would do, and bought another bargain one. Now I have one at my house, and at my boyfriends. I expect all the sale ones are sold out now, but just so you are aware that its worth a look there.

Have you tried the tangle teezer? What did you think?

Lee Stafford

I always look out for haircare bargains in the post Christmas sales, and this year didn't disappoint.

I spied this Lee Stafford bargain in Boots, which I got for £7.50 down from £15.00. Not bad seen as the products usually cost over £5 each. 

The set I got is the poker straight set, which contains flat iron protection mist, dry shampoo, and dehumidifier. I have had a go of all of these products, and I like them so far. I did go through a slight Lee Stafford obsession, probably about 8 or 9 years ago, so the smell reminds me of my youth. The products all have the same distinctive smell, which is quite strong, so if its not your thing, it could be quite off putting.

I have to admit I am terribly guilty of straightening my hair without using any kind of protection spray, so I hope this will spur me into action. I don't actually straighten my hair that often, but I did get cloud nine straighteners for my birthday, so will probably do it a bit more often. I will review these for you in due time, but I want to give them a good trial, as they are such an expensive product. Anyway, when I have used the heat protection spray my hair felt nice and shiny after straightening, and was hopefully protected.

I whipped out the dry shampoo last week following an all night dissertation writing session, as I had no time to wash my hair before handing the work in. I usually use batiste, and can't say I thought it was any better or worse than it. I do prefer the smell of the Lee Stafford, but really need to use it a few more times to give you a better opinion.

Now, the dehumdifier claims to be like an umbrella for your hair. This is obviously something I can really do with in Scotland. The day I used this, as always when I spend ages straightening my hair, I was caught in torrential rain as I came out of Starbucks with my friend. My hair did get pretty wet, and go a bit wavy, but I do think it looked a bit better than it might have normally. I think this product is more aimed at light rain and humidity, so the Scottish rain is probably a bit too much to ask.

Overall, I like all the products, and look forward to using them and giving you a more in depth review.

I noticed this set is still online in the Boots sale if you want to grab one, or have a look in your local Boots.

What are your favourite haircare products?

Sale Lush treats

Now, I have to admit, I'm not a major lush fan. Not really sure why, but i've just never got into it. I did buy a few products last year, such as a lip scrub, dream time balm, and a lip gloss. When I was in buying the lipscrub, I picked up a bubble bar to try out. I did actually enjoy using it, despite it being a bit messier than my normal bottle of bubble bath. This is mainly cos I wanted to get a few baths out of the bar, so I cut it up. Anyway, so when I read about the lush sale, where all christmas products were 50% off, I thought this was a perfect time to stock up on some bargains, as I think lush is a wee bit pricey normally. I was also lucky enough to get 3 bath bombs from my wee brother for christmas.

So, what did I get?

This pretty little lot cost me about £12.50 or thereabouts. In support of my aim of being tidy, the receipt is already in the bin!

After all the blogger excitement around snow fairy, I felt I had to give the legendary stuff a try. There were no medium bottles, and I didn't want to go mad and get the huge bottle, so I just got the mini bottle. I took it away with me when I went up north to visit the bf's folks, and, while I like it, it didn't blow me away. It has a nice scent like sweeties, but I don't think it would replace my favourite soap and glory shower gel. Just as well, seen as its seasonal. I also got the lip tint, as it smells nice, and as I don't always like wearing lipstick, will at least give me a bit of colour.

I got two gift sets, as I wanted a selection of products, and this was easier than picking them out myself.

This is the contents of the Bunty box, which was reduced from £12.50 to £6.25.  I thought this was pretty good value for 2 bubble bars and 2 bath bombs.

This is the secret santa box, which was reduced from £5 to £2.50. How cute is the santa bath bomb? He smells really orangey. Will be kind of a shame to use him, but I will.

Then, when I was through in Edinburgh meeting up with Zeby from Eye to the keyhole, I couldn't resist and bought a couple more bubble bars.

The blue one (christmas eve I think its called) got a bit icky in the bag, but I am sure it will still be lovely.

I haven't actually used any of the bath products yet, but am looking forward to some relaxing baths when I have the time.

Did you get any lush bargains?

Are there any lush products I really need to try?

First ever Face Of The Day- FOTD

Yes, thats right, my first ever face of the day. Or evening. Or doing anything to avoid doing dissertation work. My bad.

So here we have it, a pretty simple look, in which I used alot of products I have, but don't usually use. In case you are wondering, my hair is still blonde, those are just my horrific roots! First thing I'm doing when I get my bursary is getting my hair done. It doesn't look at all bad when its down, but I had it up all day as I have been working on the dreaded dissertation.

 As I said in my resolutions post, I am not great at applying make up, but practice makes perfect. I think I did ok today, but probably could have done a bit more with my eyes. I am really not confident with doing eye looks, and end up just using one colour, on the lid. As this all but disappears when I open my eyes, I need to do something else I think! I did actually use 3 colours today, go me!

What I used-

Face

Avon Ideal shade cream to powder foundation in Shell

NYC smooth skin loose face powder in Translucent

NYC color wheel in peach glow

Avon face pearls

Rimmel 3 in 1 powder blush in winter glow

e.l.f  under eye concealer & highlighter in glow/fair

e.l.f complexion brush

e.l.f blush brush

Old black kabuki, think it was boots- applied color wheel

Bronze handled kabuki, boots sale bargain- applied face pearls

Eyes

Maybelline the Falsies Mascara in Black

Avon Glimmerstick brow definer in Blonde

MUA Clear Mascara (shade 1) on brows

17 Glam Rocks eye palette (used the white shade all over the eye area, then the light and dark silver on the lid)

Really old eyeshadow brush from elite

Vital Radiance brow brush

The lipstick is a really old collection 2000 ultra shine, in sunblush. I forgot to take a picture of this! I am not really confident enough for dark or bright lip colours, so tend to stick to something pale. Maybe I need to face this fear this year too.

Like I said, alot of these products I don't normally use, but this year I want to start using up my collection. I really like the foundation actually. I applied it with the sponge it came with, as I am not sure what else I should use with a cream to powder? The eyeshadow palette is the one that came as a freebie with 17, if you spent £6. 

Finally, a pic of what I really look like, all geeky in my specs. I actually don't mind wearing glasses at all, but I do wear contacts when I go out, and whenever else I feel like it.

I hope you liked my first FOTD. What do you think of the format I used? I always like to see pictures of the make up people use, but the list is helpful too for shades used.

New year, new resolutions...

Once again it is a new year, and a time for reflecting back, and looking forward.
Firstly, I would like to wish all my readers a Happy New Year, and I hope that you all had a lovely festive season.
I had a lovely time, my holiday in Egypt was great, I even managed to do a bit of snorkelling, far away from where the shark attacks were. It was my birthday while we were out there, and while it was weird to be away from my family, it was lovely to spend the day with my boyfriend, as I didn't see him on my birthday last year. The staff at the hotel brought a cake up to my room, and my boyfriend told me he had bought me a day cupcake class, at Bibi's bakery, the place with the amazing cakes I blogged about here.

Then it was back to the cold and snow of Scotland to get into the christmas spirit. I caught up with friends, and stayed at home with my family, as both my brothers were at home. I managed to get a few bargains in the sales, which I may just show you in the next few days. Then, on the 28th, I went through to Edinburgh and met up with the lovely Zeby from Eye to the keyhole. We went for a fish pedicure, you can read all about our adventures on her blog here.

Anyway, like most people, at the start of each year I like to think about the year ahead, and set some goals/resolutions. I'm trying to be sensible this year, and make them realistic and achievable.

This year I will...


Finish university and qualify as a nurse.

Get my first job as a nurse, even though the job situation in Scotland is dire. I WILL get a job.

Hopefully said job will be near to where my boyfriend lives, and I can then move in with him, and live happily ever after.

Wherever I get a job, I will be fleeing the parental nest, hopefully for the last time.

This year my goals/ resolutions are...


Learn to drive and pass my test. I got a groupon deal for 6 lessons during the snowy spell, so I am all set.

Get fitter, healthier, and lose some weight. Basically, I am a lazy, junk food fan. As a nurse, and a sensible person, I know this needs to change. I have felt myself putting on weight, and I would like to lose this and feel more confident about myself. I am planning to start running, swimming,  and gymming myself, and going to zumba with one of my best friends and her mum.

Stop buying, collecting, and generally hoarding, stuff I don't need. I am currently having a major room turn out, and I really can't add anymore junk to the stuff I already have.

Only buy clothes I really like, not loads of cheap clothes. I have done well with this recently, as I haven't bought anything in ages. I have also vowed not to buy clothes until I have gone down a size or two.

Improve my make up skills. I am still quite a newbie at make up, even though I have been wearing it for years. I want to master lovely eyes, eyeliner, the works.

Learn to apply false lashes. I have loads of false lashes, and pretty short natural lashes, so I really want to master the art of applying them. Any tips, please, help!

Take better photos. I want to take better photos, for my blog, and just generally. My boyfriend gave me a few things for birthday and christmas that should help, which I will try out and let you know about.

Stop buying things because of hype. I'm sure you all understand this one. A new product comes out, everyone is blogging about it, and then you just 'have' to go out and buy it. This is how I end up with products i'll probably never use, yes, Sleek circus palette I'm looking at you.

Grow my nails. Yes, as you may realise, this is an ongoing battle for me, as I bite my nails. I can do it, I can!

Generally, try to be more positive and happy. I tend to get stressed and upset about things, but if  I can be more organised, I should manage to avoid this.


So, nothing too taxing, so hopefully I will manage. I think I will take a look back in 3 months, and update you all on how I am doing.

Have you set any goals or resolutions?