Small Boots Haul / Mini Reviews

Why must boots live so near by?

So, I've been in boots again. It's not my fault they kept giving me No7 vouchers! Anyway, I bought a No7 fake tan, a few lipsticks and an eyeshadow. I have used all of these products now and can give a mini review on each item. These are my opinions and you may find these products different to your taste, but here we go.

This is No7's Sunless Tanning Quick Dry Tinted Lotion and this was the fake tan that I used to go for when I was needing a quick, easy and wearable tan but since then have moved on to the mighty Xen Tan. But with Xen tan always a delivery fee away I decided to go back to this when I had a £5 off No7 voucher. I have been building up a good (but a little bit orangey) tan over the past couple of days with this because I am really quite pale even with a couple of layers. I can say I am very happy with my skin right now, a fake tan always gives me some much needed confidence, especially now the sun has come out (YEAHBABY!). 

Usually with a fake tan I find I have to religiously moisturise every night as my skin tends to really dry out, but with just applying a layer of this every morning seems to keep my skin hydrated as it is in a lotion formula.  The lotion is tinted so is super easy to apply, I really cannot do with untinted fake tans as I just make a mess out of it. I always apply with a tanning mitt, I seriously have no idea how people can do it with their hands? 

This product does have quite a strong smell, the usual biscuity, cakey smell, but I personally don't really mind that too much. It's one of the nicer smelling fake tans I think but if you aren't keen on a strong smell I would say definitely try and mask it by burning candles or just try another product if you really can't stand strong smells.

This product is usually £12 in Boots stores but with the £5 off No7 voucher promotion it was only £7 (which makes it £10 cheaper than my usual Xen Tan. Winning). I'm afraid this promotion only goes on until this Sunday (25th March 2012) but I'm sure they will bring it back shortly as they always do it!

These Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks are fantastic! I love the colours and at only £4.99 I think they are just the bee's knees. 

The first colour I picked up was Pink Blush which is a gorgeous muted candy pink. The second was  Indulgence and this is a more bold pink and I think it will be really pretty for Spring and Summer this year. They're both really pigmented and last really well on the lips. I usually have a problem with lipsticks drying out my smackers but I didn't find this the case at all with these, I feel super moisturised and if thats not enough they're amazing teamed with a lipgloss.

(Swatches of these are in the final image)

 I then found myself at the Natural Collection counter... I'll admit, I was a NC virgin before these purchases as I was a little hesitant because the price is SO cheap I therefore figured the products won't be very great. I have swatched a few lippies in the past but often found they aren't very pigmented and are a bit too sheer. When I buy a lipstick I want it to really add a colour to my lips and if I want something sheer I'll go to a lipgloss. But I then heard reviews of their lipsticks and saw some bloggers and youtubers swatch them and they looked a lot better, and once they said £1.99 I was sold! So I swatched a few and some just really weren't my sort of colours but then I found Rose Petal and my world turned upside down! It's SO pigmented and the colour is gorgeous. It's a very bright rose nude and I love it, love it, love it! A sad tale is that the stick broke when I got it back to the flat so I am yet to revive it by melting it back into place. I am so excited to use it properly soon!

I also picked up an eyeshadow. This was a little spontaneous, but I had been wanting a yellow eyeshadow as I want to create a daisy eye look with whites, yellows and large open eyelashes. This obviously isn't very yellow but I was drawn to Golden Sand as it was quite yellowy toned so I swatched it and fell in love! It's so pigmented and shimmery, but not glittery, which I LOVE. I think this is a very easy colour to wear and mix with others. Definitely a win for me!

Here are the swatches of all the lipsticks purchased in this haul on the left and the eyeshadow I purchased on the right.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you have found this Haul informative about both the products and the brands. I will reinstate that these are my opinions of these products and you may find them different yourself. Let me know if you also have these and tell me what you think! 

Much love, Jen xo

Topshop & Boots Haul

Boots & Topshop HAUL

This is just a small collection of makeup which has been purchased in aboouut the past two weeks. I have tried and tested each product and will give my honest opinion as to what I think on most aspects on the items.

I've picked up three lipsticks in the past two weeks, two from Topshop and one by MUA.  The price of the Topshop is obviously nothing compared to the bargain of the MUA lipstick range at an amazing £1! Topshop's lipstick range is currently at £8 a piece, which I think is pretty pricey. They don't hold a massive range but the colours that they do are to die for. All About Me is a gorgeous hot pink in a matte finish, which I find a bit drying (but that's probably just my crumby chapped lips at the moment).  This finish makes the colour really last on my lips and I find I only need so many touch ups throughout the day. Ohh La La is a beautiful coraly pink and is in a "velvet" finish, which suits my lips so much better. I did find that the colour did clump in areas if I don't use a lip primer and since it is quite glossy I found it didn't stay on my lips very long at all and I need several touch ups during the day.  MUA's Shade 13 is a voluptuous cherry red which I would say was in a velvet finish. It wasn't at all drying and also lasts well on the lips and for £1 I think it's bloody fantastic!! I'm not so keen on the rest of MUA's colour selection but this bold red is a winner with me.  I think with Topshop's Lipsticks you are paying for the adorable packaging and the quirky names but if you're after a quick fix on your more typical lipstick shades I can recommend MUA's range 100%!!

 I have been meaning to get my hands on Topshops cream to powder blush in Head Over Heels for a while now and I have no idea how I've done without it! At the small price of £6 I think this blush is worth every penny. The creamyness works wonders on my dry skin and it blends so easily for a subtle glowy cheek. The packaging is Topshops usual incredibly cute white plastic with sketchy polkadots. The colour is a beautiful light coraly pink, which really suits my pale skin, and it lasts pretty much all day. All in all the product is another winner and makes me giddy happy!

This is No7's Vital Enlightening Highlighter and let me tell you, after purchasing this bad boy it is definitely a "vital" part of my makeup routine! This highlighter retails at £13 in Boots stores but you may know that Boots have been handing out £5 off No7 product vouchers when you spend £5 or more SO it became £8, which I think is mighty worth it! It has such a beautiful velvety texture and almost feels like a cream, although its not, it's a powder. Although it looks pretty harsh in my swatch above, it blends out so evenly and beautifully for a subtle glow. The packaging is not really my cup of tea. It's a bit boxy and naff. I don't really see the point in the overly colourful design on the front (I don't think it looks like anything to do with No7 as they usually do simple, nice packaging) but at least I'll probably never lose it! I'm not sure if I would pay the whole £13 for it, as I do love the highlighters at topshop which are actually cheaper (shock horror!) but I'm sure if Boots does another promo for No7 I think I'd probably pop £8 on it again.

Accessorize's Baked Bronzer Duo in Bali really floats my boat. I think that the shade on the right (swatched on the left finger) is a similar concept to MAC's soft and gentle, although obviously not as wonderful it gives a slightly bronzed glowy, dewy look. The shade on the left of the palette (swatched on the right finger) is more suited for contouring cheekbones. I definitely wound NOT use this to contour your temples or the rest of your face as it is far too shimmery and orangey for anyone to get away with it. I love the way that this combo looks on my cheeks and really makes my lack of cheekbones stand out. 

Play For Keeps is a difficult one... I can say that I was quite happy to pay £5 for the cute packaging and equally cute name but the colour was not really what I had hoped for. In the bottle Play For Keeps appears (to me, anyway) as a pastelly nudey coral and I went for this colour as I was going for a natural colour that wasn't a browny nude shade. When painted on my nails the colour is SO much brighter, it's almost like a neon coral... If that exists? I mean I love all shades of coral and orange and I have quite a large collection of this kind of shade already which is why I was maybe a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong the colour is gorgeous and I will use it, it just bums me a bit that I'm going to have to try and find another nail varnish that will satisfy my needs before. I'll obviously have to be more careful....

I hope you've found this haul helpful and informative. These are just my opinions and you may think differently of these products. I bought all these products myself and have not been asked to review them but have done so in hope of helping you guys :)

For more hauls, reviews and OOTD's like this please follow.

Much love, Jen xo

My very first post!

(oooh - aaah)

Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Jen: I'm eighteen years old and live in the North East of Scotland (Oh aye). As of six months ago I was tragically separated from my parents and became an art student in Aberdeen (okay, not that far from home I know..).

Myself, sporting a rather dishevelled look

 I live in a flat with my betrothed, Mike, and another hellish - male - flatmate, so I'm outnumbered. You will usually find me with Mike, friends, shopping or (if worse comes to worse) course work - eeww. 

"What a beautiful couple" I hear you say?

Now, I intend to blog about beauty, fashion and maybe things that I find interesting along the way. Hopefully there will be upcoming hauls, reviews and maybe tags! If this goes well I may even spread my wrath to Youtube... But I'll need a new card for my camera then, OH WELL. 

If you wish to hear from me soon, do follow :) Will be greatly appreciated.

Much love, Jen xo