Beauty Discount Shopping Spree Up Norf!

I was in Blackpool and Manchester over the weekend with himself for our 2 year anniversary - oh the glamour! I didn't leave an inch of space in my suitcase as I had no intention of shopping. At all. Let's just say the case has now gone to the great luggage rack in the sky and I ended up 'acessorizing' my return journey with a glamourous Tesco bag, or two. Yes, the scabby, noisy plastic kind.

Can I just say I am IN LOVE with T J Hughes! Sadly the closest one to me is in Watford - hours away since I don't drive, dahling.  I've since discovered it sells online, but the P&P charges are a bit steep.  I also hit up Aldi in Manchester for their Lacura range.  Shopping outside of London is great because things don't sell out within a matter of seconds like they do in the Big Smoke.

I found some great boots, jewellery and the satchel I've been hunting FOR AGES in Primani.  Post to come!

Okay first up, my T J Hughes finds.  Only one of these, the boxed contour powder, was impulse, the rest are all things I've wanted for a while.

£2.99

This W7 'Double Act' boxed powder is a nearly-as-good-as dupe for Benefit's 10 - one of my wishlist items. It was sealed so I bought it on a wing and a prayer (only £2.99! - over £20 less than '10') and am pleasantly surprised! The pink highlight is great and the bronzer is quite good but not as pigmented as '10's.  The brush is much better - well softer - than Benefit box powder brushes.  The packaging is very similar but the design on the box isn't as cute as 10.  So far it's doing much better than Primark's rip off version.  I'll give this a good go and then decide whether the one swipe = cheekbones approach works before I splash out on the real thing!

£10

This Escada perfume is the purchase I'm most over-joyed about.  A mini version featured in my May Favourites as I finished the bottle and was very sad that it was no longer for sale - it seems as though all Escada perfumes are released for a limited period only, and only the crappy ones hang around on sale in Debenhams and Beauty Base.  Can you imagine the state I was in when I saw 30mls of this Eau de Parfam for £10 in T J Hughes?! Load me up! (I got two - I would have got more but I have stacks of perfume and it goes off after a while anyway).  When I'd originally spotted it at Heathrow airport it was selling for £36, so a great bargain.  The scent is difficult to describe but to me it is a sweet but strong feminine '80s' scent - it reminds me of Saturday afternoons with my mum in Barkers on Kensington High Street sniffing our way around the perfume counters.  Ah, memories :) 

£6 for shampoo, £8 for conditioner

I've wanted to get this Bed Head Brunette Goddess shampoo and conditioner since I tried it at my friend Nat's house over two years ago.  It also makes my hair beautifully soft.  Sadly the shampoo suffered a small spillage over my St. Moriz finds.  Okay, I know I'm a redhead, but the shampoo is a very light colour (the bottle is ginger! Ha!) and I think it will work for me well long term to add shine.  But the best bit of all is the smell - it's like a vanilla biscuit shower gel I used for a while.    I'll let you know how my hair reacts after a month or so.

£2.99 each or 2 for £5

I got my last batch of St. Moriz mousse from Amazon Marketplace, but T J Hughes had the Instant Self Tanning Mist and Shimmering Bronzing Body Souffle.  I'm saving the spray mist for when I got on holiday (I have cream carpets) and it will be interesting to see what the souffle does to boost my tan - I'm hoping that it will be moisturising as St. Moriz mousse is extremely drying to my skin.  Can't beat it for colour and streak-less-ness though.  It' s a staple of my monthly favourites throughout summer!

In Manchester I spotted Aldi, which sells the Lacura range - a great bargain beauty and skincare line.  I own most of the stuff, so I picked up a few recent additions to the range.  Sadly they only had a tester left of their lipstick in shade '108' which looks like my exact lip colour and would be perfect.  The shelf-stacking monkey I asked for help wouldn't even look out the back for me! I don't think he got the significance of this lipstick! I should have asked a woman!

Face masks (4) £2.99, lipgloss and eyeshadow £1.99 each

I haven't had a chance to try the face masks yet but I will take a couple on hols with me where I'll have more time for a pampering session.  They're supposed to work on blackheads.  I resisted the Lacura eyeshadows for ages as I have about 632, but I really liked the brown and they're excellently pigmented and soft.  The lipgloss also looked right up my street colourwise, and I was right.  The consistency and scent are also lovely.  I've been wearing it an hour so far and it hasn't budged.  Let me know if you want me to do an overview of Lacura products (the good: pressed powder, the bad: mascara, etc).  One very interesting Lacura skincare product I use occassionly is 'WrinkleStop' which contains SYN-AKE - apparently an artificial version of snake venom which is supposed to have a 'botox' effect on wrinkles overtime.  I plan to use it 30 days straight to see if I notice any difference to the fine lines around my eyes.

Eyeshadow packaging, sleek but this one's difficult to open

I love the mirror in the lid - take heed, MAC

Shade 807 - Amythyst

Shade 200 - Coral

And of course the best thing I got was my Hello Kitty, won by himself after only putting £1 in the grabby machine! Woo!  

Have you ever seen so much GLEE?

Where do you go for the best beauty bargains?

July Favourites

Quite a random mix of favourite products in July - a few of them have featured in previous faves lists, but a favourite is called such for a reason!

These products are making repeat appearances.  St. Moriz self tanning mousse has revolutionised my summers and no matter how fat I'm feeling (or actually, am) a bit of tan makes all the difference.  The first time I applied it with my hands - a disaster - but the Boots tanning mitt protects your hands from looking freakish and helps avoid streaking.  I ordered my St. Moriz from Amazon Marketplace but you can also pick it up from Savers.

Given that I can't tan naturally my other summer beauty must have is a high SPF face sun block.  I've tried about 6 and the No7 one is my favourite for acting as a moisturiser and sinking in fast so I can get my slap on over it in a rush!

To make my pale face match my St. Moriz'd body I use MAC's Minieralized Skin Finish in Light Flush to give me a light bronzed glow.  Recently I've started using it to lightly contour too.

You can read more in depth thoughts on these products in my May and June Favourites posts.

My hair always get greasier faster in the hot weather, so Batiste dry shampoo freshens it up and I find it also adds volume.   Batiste is quite a 'vintage' brand which was relaunched a couple of years ago.  I've tried the 'Blush' and 'Tropical' versions and while both smell lovely, I have to work the white powder into my hair so much that the action only stimulates more grease production!  I have red hair and the Brunette version blends in perfectly.  I would say if you have dark brown hair however that it would be noticeable.  I'm on my 4th can of the stuff and I love the scent.  The only drawbacks are that it's almost always sold out in Boots and I get through a can very quickly.  However it saves me from washing and blow drying my hair every morning (I only have to do every other) which in turn limits the damage to my locks.

I'm also on about the 3rd  (unheard of) bottle of this L'Oreal Elvive Nourishing Fluid for hair.  It's like a white, watery hair serum with the most divine scent on earth.  There's also a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask of the 'Royal Jelly' scent.  Now I've had 'Royal Jelly' products from Marks and Spencers and they don't smell anywhere near as good as this fluid!  The best bit is that it doesn't weigh my hair down or make it lank like even the light version of Frizz-Eaze for thin hair does.  One pump smooths out any frizziness at the ends of my hair and I actually think its helped prevent further damage.  I have the leave-in 'day' version, so I assume there is also a 'night' version which will be a bit heavier.

I reviewed this a few weeks ago and although I normally flit between about six different cleansers I used this one consistently during July.  I wouldn't say the face wash itself is revolutionary, but I sure do like the little scrublet! I've tried it with other foaming face washes, such as Biore's and it works just as well.   You really get a more thorough clean than you would from just using your hands, and the scrublet is more hygienic than a face cloth.  However, I'd say its not a patch on the Clarisonic, which I hope will one day grace my favourites lists.  I'm just waiting for Space NK to have a very generous sale! I won't hold my breath.

And now for the fun part: make up favourites!

Since I grabbed MAC's Hang Loose Mineralize Blush from the In The Groove collection in mid July I have used it every single time I've applied make up - for any occasion - work, play, more play...The colour is unlike any blush I own and I love the fact that I'm applying a crazy lavender powder to my face yet it shows up as an iridescent baby pink.  Click here for my post about it and close up snaps.

My new favourite foundation is Bourjois Healthy Mix in their lightest shade - 51.  I had my eye on this baby for ages and it's everything I hoped it would be.  For more of a review and to see how it looks on me click here.

I always wear coral nail polish in the summer and for the past two years my toenails have been adorned with Rimmel PRO's Coral Romance.  It looks even better when I have my St. Moriz on.  Click here to see what it looks like on my nails.

I take my Sleek Pout Polishes in Pink Cadillac (left) and Electro Peach (right) everywhere with me and have been wearing them constantly.  I was never a 'lip' person until I discovered (well, won) these babies and I've never had more compliments on my lip colour.  They are moisturising, nicely pigmented and long lasting.  I'm even warming to the flavour.  My boyfriend says they taste of coconut but I find them slightly bitter.   To see what they look like on my lips click here.

Now, the Sleek Storm eye shadow palette.  I think almost everyone has this and agrees on its fabulousness.  I've  used this palette for a little over a year now and it's my all time favourite - even beating my UD Book of Shadows I & II.  It is unbelievably versatile and so I've taken it on every holiday I've been on - a major test of how much you love something!  I've hit pan on my favourite shadow - the pale creamy gold (top row, second from left) and my new love is the pale pink (top row, second from right).  There isn't one shadow I don't like or don't use.  I hope Sleek never discontinue this palette, but safe to say, I have a few back ups.  Let me know if you would like me to do an over-re-view of my Sleek palettes - I also have Original, Graphite, Bohemian, Sunset and Circus.  I'm mighty sad I missed out on the Safari one a couple of years back.

My non-make up favourite of July is Florence + The Machine's Cosmic Love.  I've had Lungs for yonks and even heard it live at Lovebox last year, but it only struck a chord with me in early July (see what I did there?!).   I've had the song on repeat - no seriously - it's the only thing I've been listening to! The vid is also, in the words of Perez Hilton, amazeballs.

June Favourites

I can't believe June is over already! Only two months of summer left :( This month has been Vampire month for me, with the new True Blood novel release and of course, the Eclipse soundtrack :) But let's get down to the beauty products!

I got this a while ago with one of those Boots £5 off vouchers and started using it properly when the days became sunnier. I absolutely love it! Even though it's SPF 30 it's light and sinks into the skin quickly, acting as a moisturiser, primer and sun block in one. It has a slightly cream/beige colour rather than being the usual stark white that SPF creams can be, but does have a faint sun-block scent. It's my summer essential and I won't leave the house without it on!

i.d bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light

This mineral foundation featured in my May favourites too, but I have to mention it again because I have practically used it every day. In the hot weather it's great for setting liquid foundation in place and I've also been using it alone in the day. With the right brush it gives good coverage - I like to use a pore-filling primer underneath for a smoothest finish. This powder really came through for me when I realised to my horror that it was the only foundation I'd packed for my mini cruise last week! (usually I bring a heavy coverage liquid like MAC Studio Fix as it needs to last from 6pm to 4/5am) However I packed on loads with my Inglot kabuki brush and my skin glowed and was almost flawless. One of the best things about mineral foundation is the lack of tide marks around your jawline/neck - a serious issue for me and my pale skin! The shade 'Fairly Light' is one shade darker than their lightest (Fair) which suits me better, but I got this in a set, and in the summer I can make it work for me.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Light Flush

This MSF was part of the MAC Pinkzapoppin! set released around Christmas time. I use it as a bronzer and it gives a very light and flattering colour. It's very iridescent and has a pinkish undertone, which suits pale skin much better than your typical orangey brown bronzers. I've used it a lot and barely made a dent in it - definitely good value!

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in 004 Champagne

When I got this foundation for the first time about five years ago I didn't get on with it at all. But after experimenting with different ways of application and the release of an even lighter shade this really works for me when I want to put on a fast, good coverage and oil absorbing foundation on rushed mornings. Of course it's not the greatest for tide marks, but it is easier to blend these away with the mousse formulation than with a thick liquid. Lately I've been applying it with a duo fibre brush and blending any problem areas with a makeup sponge and this method gives a lighter, smoother finish.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

I've had this mascara longer than is probably hygienic, but it's still going strong and hasn't dried out. The brush looks pretty standard but it is a holy grail mascara. Pure black, separates lashes, lengthens and holds the curl well (although the waterproof version would do this better). I paid about £19.50 for it at the time, but it's worth it as I've bought countless lower end brand mascaras since which could never match up. This mascara makes me excited about my lashes!

St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse

I started using this last year following Lollipop26's recommendation. St. Tropez always seems too orange and expensive for me to bother, but I paid £2.99 for this rip-off on Amazon Marketplace, and it's been one of my discoveries of the year. I no longer have to look like the living dead with my pale, almost blue skin. I only apply it on special occasions or when I'm feeling particularly fat! I've had it on for the most of June. It's best applied with with a tan mitt for no streaking and non-freaky hands. It barely streaks, the colour is natural on me, and it fades quite evenly. However this bottle is about a year old (I did a massive bulk order when I saw how great it was) and I think it must have gone off a bit as it looks darker than normal - time for a new one! The only drawback is that it is drying, but I've found this an issue with all the fake tans I've tried.

I know it's not beauty related, but it's been a big favourite this month!

I got a bit obsessive and read all the previous novels, along with watching the TV series'.  I'm halfway through the latest book and glad to see that Charlaine's writing skills have become slightly more sophisticated.  Don't get me wrong, I love the fictional world she's created, set in the American South and I've been vampire mad ever since Buffy, but as a writer I find her repetitive.  I wish someone more imaginative had the idea for this series.  (And I want more Eric action!)  I feel the same way about Twilight, again I love this series, but wish a less 'cringey' writer had that famous meadow dream.

I really hoped this would be a new favourite, but I'm just not getting into it :(

Continuing with the vampire theme I picked up this album on Monday and have given it a couple of listens.   It won't be replacing the Twilight or New Moon soundtracks on my iPod any time soon.  Not even one song grabs me.  I really expected to love it at first listen.  However I'm reserving final judgement until I've seen the film...

What's your favourite June product?