Cheap and Cheerful

Many of you will know that Poundland/Poundworld stock beauty items and these are a few I've found in my local stores lately. I just can't help myself when they're so cheap and you really can't go wrong when they're £1 can you?

Now the whole reason behind why they are so cheap is because it's from old lines or (I presume) the companies that sell the products had too much leftover stock. 

I picked up a Calvin Klein Sheer Creme Eyeshadow (Tempting Glimmer) in Cashmere Plumb which I was very uncertain was real but I think there's a good probability it is as I read a review which stated that it was from their first beauty line a few years ago which was unsuccessful. 

The colour is actually a rather medium toned pink with a lot of shimmer in it. The formula of these are sheer so don't be expecting a Maybeline Color Tattoo sort of pay off although the one I bought is quite pigmented. The texture of this reminds me of a lip balm, as it's quite light to the touch. I haven't wore it yet but when I do I'll be interested to see what the wear time is like.

As you can also see I've picked up two nail vanishes. The first vanish is Lilac Pastelle by Revlon Nail Enamel which is a pretty lilac and it is still available in Boots! So that's a saving of £5.45 which is quite sufficient! The shade needs quite a few coats to become opaque because it is a bit watery. It claims '10 days wear' but it did chip quite easily on me. 

The second is the shade Wet Cement by Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear range. As far as I'm aware these aren't sold in the stores anymore but are easily available online. I have to say, I was very uncertain about buying this as I was firstly put off by the name (not pretty!) and the colour which looked odd to me.

I have to say though I really like it and the formulation is great, you only need one stroke to get full opacity although I did use two in hope of it lasting longer! It leaves a glossy finish to the nails and my nails feel quite smooth, sort of like when you get Shellac nails and they feel soft. Of course it doesn't feel as soft as that but you know what I'm getting at. I've currently been wearing this for 3 days and it hasn't chipped yet - success!

Have you checked out your local pound store lately, if so have you found anything good? I'll be checking in again to look for more Sally Hansen polishes and also, they had a few NYC products in Poundworld last time I went in that I wanted to buy but the colours were not my thing.

Previously I've picked up Nivea lip balms and a Boujois lip tint in there. So it's always worth a look.

What can I say, I just really love a good bargain...

Thanks for reading!

An old favourite: Urban Decay lipstick in Requiem

Hey everyone, as you may know Urban Decay have recently brought out a new line of shiny lipsticks which really excited me as I love the brand. So far none of their products I have used have disappointed me in terms of quality and pigmentation. I can't wait to eventually get my paws on some of the shades!

The new announcement of the lipsticks made me think about my good ol' Requiem which I've been neglecting through the Spring/Summer months. I've had this for around a year or two and I bought it in a discounted make up store for around a fiver, which is pretty good going. Although it may be old and an outdated formula now, I still really like it.

Requiem is a sheer dark muted red which is velvety to apply to the lips because it has a really soft texture. It doesn't have the best smell (to be honest I'm not even sure what the scent is) but it isn't horrible. What isn't pleasant however is the artificially sweet taste the scent leaves in your mouth but, this can be overlooked as I love the colour it gives to my lips. 

For me, this is sort of my, 'my lips but better colour' as my lips are medium pink in pigmentation. The wear time of this lipstick is short, especially since it's sheer to begin with, but I don't mind re-applying as it is a lovely texture. 

Last but not least: the packaging. I'm not quite sure what Urban Decay were thinking when they designed this. It's certainly unique with the little dagger and odd shape but not practical. One thing I like it the way the brand name and dagger is engraved on the lipstick itself.

I'm really glad they've re-designed their packaging, as although it is cute it is not very sophisticated.

Swatch:

First swatch is one layer, the second is with multiple layers. As you can see it is slightly buildable and it is a lot lighter than it appears in the tube.

Although this is probably nothing compared to the quality of the new lipsticks it is still pretty good if you're looking for an easy every day lipstick that isn't too loud and proud. If you do want to buy one of these old things you can find them on places like Amazon or a discounted make up store like I did (prices will vary).

What do you think of Urban Decay's previous line of lipsticks? If you have one of the new ones how do they compare to Mac lipsticks which are around the same price?

Thanks for reading,

Can you afford not to? Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks

Hey guys! So I'm sure a lot of you will be aware with the website Fragrance Direct, which sells discounted make up, perfume, etc. Recently I picked up two of the Rimmel Moisture Renew for 99p each!! (BARGAIN ALERT) Which is a crazy price considering that they retail for £6.49 in the likes of Boots.

 I ordered Pink Chic (220) which is a barbie pink and Cherry-Licious (820) a cherry pink which unfortunately is frosted which I didn't realise when I ordered it.

These are quite artificially scented but not as much as the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks but there is still a rose taste/scent. This may be unpleasant for those of you who are not a fan of scented products - personally scents don't bother me as long as they are not sickening. They feel really nice and soft when applying and they are not strongly pigmented. The coverage of the lipsticks is probably light to medium as it is build-able. They are housed in a rather beautiful shiny purple packaging with the Rimmel logo on top like their other lipsticks. The plastic is quite solid, not flimsy and takes a bit of effort to take the lid off. These also obtain SPF 20 which is really useful and include vitamins and anti-oxidants.

In terms of the colours:

Like I said Pink Chic is a barbie pink, which looks brighter on the lips (at least on me). I don't really think this colour suits me much unfortunately but I'll give it a few tries. As you can see it has a fair bit of shimmer and looks glossy when applied to the lips.

Cherry-Licious is a wearable frosted lipstick although I still felt a bit unsure wearing it as I really don't like the frost look. This however has perfect coverage and sits well on the lips. I prefer this to Pink Chic as I feel it suits my pale complexion better.

Swatches:

Left to right: Cherry-Licious, Pink Chic

I'll defiantly be trying more as they seem perfect for College as they're not too bold. I've heard they're in Poundworld but knowing my look they won't have any in my branch. 

What do you think of the Rimmel Moisture Renew? Let me know below any shades you suggest!

Thanks for reading!

Recent Bargain Buys

Hey guys, hope you're all doing well. The weather here in England is currently very warm, 25°C to be exact! It's definatly starting to feel a lot more like Summer, although looking at the lack of bright colour in my wardrobe I don't feel at all 'Summer ready'. I'll have to get working on this!

I thought I'd share a few recent purchases with you guys, pocket friendly purchases to be exact.

£2.99 H&M

I'd heard a blogger mention about these, although I can't remember who as I didn't bookmark the post. All I could remember was that they were in H&M and so I popped in there and luckily found them.

They're stackable metal rings in different thickness and sizes, some sit above the knuckle and some below. The thing I like about these is that they're quite simple yet they have a twist. The idea of these is to wear them all on one hand but to me that feels a bit clumpy because of the thickness so I spread them out over two. But, for demonstration purposes I put them all on one.

These can be found on the website here. I like how affordable these rings are and I like the look of these ones here which I'll look out for next time I'm in store. Overall, I'm happy with this purchase, £3 well spent.

Around £14 in the sale - Urban Outfitters

So Urban Outfitters have a sale on, a really good sale actually. I think UO are some of the best on the high street as they do actually reduce things quite dramatically which is great for teenagers like me. 

I seen these on the website (they don't seem to be on there now) and I was doubtful that'd they would have any in store but they had quite a lot actually. They're not the ones I wanted (which were had more of a platform and seemed better quality) but they have grown on me and are comfortable to walk in. 

The sole is slightly worrying me a bit as it looks like it could ware down but I'll hope for the best. The reason I didn't get the other version was because they didn't seem to fit as well and felt lose. 

I do love the contrast though between the black and the metallic silver. They're from the brand Deena & Ozzy, I'd defiantly have a look in and see if they have any left as they're a bargain!

£5 - Asda

I was dragged to Asda the other day by my Mother and whilst milling around in the make up section I see that this had been reduced from £10 or so. I suffer from really bad dark circles and the fancy words on the box promise a solution. It is technically a concealer aimed to reduce the dark pigmentation of the under eye area through the caffeine and vitamins in it which apparently have been naturally sourced - whatever that implies.

In terms of the concealer it lightly covers up the dark circles in a creamy formula. Nowhere near the coverage of an actual  but it does do cover up fairly well. I don't find it offers me enough coverage so I do use Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection concealer over the top.

In terms of it reducing dark circles, I haven't used it enough yet to notice an effect. I doubt it will actually make a significant difference although I've read it helps with puffy eyes - something I don't suffer with so I can't comment on unfortunately. 

I'll keep you guys informed if anything miraculous happens.

£4.99 - New Look

Recently, I've been losing and breaking my sunglasses (accidentally of course) and so I need some new pairs. I was browsing New Look and found these which are a similar style to the Ray Ban Clubmaster but of course minus the designer price tag. I really like the top heavy approach as I find it quite flattering to the face.

I really like the pattern of these - it's a floral print but it's not very obvious unless you look closely. Could you say it's abstract? I don't know but I love floral patterns so it's a win in this category also.

Major bonus is that they actually fit well! I often end up buying ones which are too lose or too tight.

And that's it for my 'mini' sort of haul! Let me know what you've bought recently this summer!

Summer Wishlist ☼

Hey everyone! Just thought I post a quick polyvore of all the items I've been lusting over, specifically clothes for summer as my wardrobe is lacking - a lot!

The things which have arrows drawn to them are items which I hope to purchase very soon, these are the Motel Off The Shoulder Catalina Dress £38 which would look perfect dressed down in the daytime or up for a party. The River Island Coral pleated skirt which is £35, I love the colour and I currently don't own any maxi skirts so this is a must buy. Also, the Topshop Hanna Flatforms £32, not too sure of the white colour, might get them in black instead which would probably be more wearable with most  of my clothes.

Coral Lovin' Happened So Fast: Current Favourites.

 Hey everyone! Summer is once again upon us, and here in England it has been quite sunny this past week which has made me want to wear more summery make up. So, I've been in Boots and Superdrug looking for coral make up to buy and try out.

These are mostly recent buys and are thing that I have been loving over the past couple of weeks. Also, they're purse friendly!

Sleek Blush By 3 - Lace £9.99

(From the left) Chantilly, Guipure, Crochet

 I love the Sleek products I already use on a daily basis (Sleek i Divine Ultra Matte V2 and the Brow Kit) and I had heard good things about their blushes. So I gave in and bought this cute little trio of coral themed colours and they so far are not disappointing. I firstly love the colour range, Crochet and Chantilly are two fairly bright mattes and the middle colour 'Guipure' has little gold speckles in it - perfect for a blush/highlight combination and is similar to Nars Orgasm. I have currently only had the chance to use Crochet, a bright pink and it is well pigmented. You don't need a lot on the brush as I found when testing it out, I only swiped a bit on and my cheeks were quite bright already.

So far I'm pleased with this blush trio and I will defiantly be getting my use out of it in Summer. Can be found and bought on the Sleek website and at Superdrug.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Shine Formulation) - 825 Lovers Coral £7.49

This I believe is one of the new 'Shine' formulas I believe, I didn't realise this when I picked it up as it was very much an impulse purchase - I didn't even swatch it! 'Lovers Coral' is a really, really sheen pinky coral that is really smooth and balm like. Since I didn't swatch it whilst in Superdrug, I had no idea it was a sheer formulation and was quite disappointed when I tried it on at home. However, I have came to love this lipstick for this aspect as it is so easy to wear because of it's lack of opacity and you can layer it up to build more colour intensity.

This is my first Revlon lipstick (unless the Lip Balm Stains count?) and I am quite impressed. My only gripe is that it oddly draws attention to my flaking lips so I have to pay attention when putting it on. Great balm like feeling though, and looks lip glossy on. Can be found at Superdrug who currently have a £2 off deal on and Boots.

According to both websites, this has an SPF 15? Which I don't think was on the outer plastic or label - although I could be wrong. Great bonus! (You can tell I'm a bit of a Revlon newbie eh) I'll defiantly be trying out more Revlon lipsticks.

Collection 2000 Cream Puff  Lip Cream- Fairy Cake £2.99

I bought this alongside Angel Delight as I heard great reviews and it is a pretty good for such a low price. I was surprised at how much I loved the colour of this, it is again a bright coral pink with orange under tones. It is matte, which I really like as I find it settles into your lips more and is very pigmented compared to the Revlon lipstick as reviewed previously. It leaves a sort of velvety feel to the lips which is non-sticky and it smells divine! I do have to blend this into my lips with my finger as it is a bit streaky which is annoying as I then have to wash my hands.

The only faults I can find with this is that it has little staying power and can draw attention to your lip condition but it is matte, so that is expected. It is also quite a small tube but then it is only £2.99

This is a nice little bargain and I think it is one of Collection's better products. Can be found at Boots  and Superdrug I presume although it is oddly not listed on the website. 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Nail Vanish - 060 Hot & Spicy £2.99

This is a bright orange shade which looks a slightly different shade in various lightening conditions. That or my eyes are playing up on me, which is rather worrying. I find that this nail polish lasts averagely well for the price and it is defiantly a perfect colour for summer which I keep coming back to.

You can find this at Superdrug for a reduced price of £1.99 and at Boots. Oddly enough, I picked this up at a Rimmel stall in my local Primark while at the till last year. They don't seem to have Rimmel products in there anymore unfortunately, it must have been a temporary thing.

I hope you've enjoyed my little favourites post, let me know if you'd like any of the products reviewed further and also let me know your favourite coral coloured products, as I'm looking to expand my collection :)

Thanks!

Cora xxx

Battle of the 'dupe' chubby sticks!

Hey everyone, I'm back with just a quick comparison between the cheap and cheerful £3 MUA Power Pout and the £8 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. The colours are Crush Beguin which is a deep berry colour (Revlon) and Rendezvous which is a light pink (MUA, not to be confused with the Revlon balm stain colour with the same name)

Firstly, they are both similar in size and shape. They look almost identical although the Revlon one is slightly larger in size and the MUA one has a wider top. They also both have a screwable end to get more product (hooray for no sharpening!)

The Revlon one has the name on the bottom, whereas the name of the MUA one is on the wrapper which you will inevitably throw away. This isn't too much of a problem but is a bit annoying.

The products both have the exact same minty smell. Which goes away on the Revlon one, however you can taste a sort of sweet chemical taste from the MUA one. It isn't the worst taste, but it certainly isn't the best.

Now, the consistency of these products are completely different. The Revlon one is a lot heavier and firm when applying whilst the MUA is lighter and feels more balmy/lipgloss like. I find that the Revlon one has better pigmentation in terms of colour payout, which is partly due to the fact that it is a dark shade.

The MUA product does not mask my lip colour at all and instead attributes to it. I have naturally pigmented lips and was a bit disappointed to find that it makes them look a hot pink colour as other reviewers have found it gives them a nude look. On the other hand, the Revlon one does mask your lip colour.

They both stain, although the Revlon one stains more. I do find however that it stains more around the outside of the lips and shows flakiness which isn't the best if you have chapped lips often like me.

Overall, I do prefer the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in terms of colour payout and pigmentation although I like the light balm feel of the MUA one, which the Revlon one doesn't master as brilliantly. I'm not sure whether I'll buy another MUA one as some of the colours look terrifyingly bright. However it is only £3 which is an absolute bargain, so I may be tempted! I am however looking to buy another shade of the Revlon one in Romantic.

The MUA Power Pout is available at Superdrug,  and the Revlon Balm Stain is available at both Boots and Superdrug.

Let me know your favourite chubby stick type dupe, or which out of the two products mentioned you prefer?

Thanks for reading,
Cora xx