My Years Favourites

Boxing Day Beauty Buys

I have spent this year trying to find some alternatives to some of the more expensive products I have previously used. I have had success with some, others not so much. I think the conclusion I have reached is that sometimes you can find an alternative that is equally as good for half the price, other times it is worth spending that extra bit for a fabulous product! 

So here are my year's finds and favourites...enjoy!

• Dermalogica - Skin smoothing cream and daily microfoliant. However many times I try something new I always return to these two fantastic products. I have been using these for years and nothing compares! I buy them from Look Fantastic when they have a deal on to get them at the best possible price.

•  Soap and Glory make up range.  1. "It's all about Prime" eyeshadow primer - a brilliant little primer that intensifies eye shadows and keeps them in place all day. 2. "Trick and Treatment" concealer to cover those black under eye bags! I've needed that this year!! I get these at Boots.

• Bad Gal Benefit Lash - A superb all round mascara - have repurchased this twice from Boots  and still happy! 

• Orly Top 2 Bottom base and topcoat - This is the best one I have ever tried. It really does help sustain my nail polish for longer. You can get Orly polishes and nail treatments from Cheap Smells.

• Stila bronzer and highlighter - this is a lovely little product that I rely on to bring some winter colour to my very pale face! Look Fantastic stocks Stila products.

• Hydraluron moisture booster - if you haven't tried this yet - do!! It goes under your usual moisturiser and really does improve skin texture over time. Now hooked! This can be purchased at Boots .

• Elvive Extraordinary Oil - best anti frizz, calming, hair product on the market. I love , love , love this product. Easily available at Supermarkets and drugstores.

• Essie nail polishes - the colours of Essie polishes have me capitivated and the fact I can pick them up from Superdrug is even better! Superdrug Essie Polishes

• My most recent discovery - KMS makeover spray. A brilliant styling, revamping tool without buildup! Another staple to be added to my cabinet! Cheap Smells has a great price on this product.

• Bourjois Colour Pots - I have a few of these as alternatives to my Mac eye shadows. They are not the same as Mac by any stretch of the imagination, but with a good primer they are fantastic little shots of colour and at a 3rd of the price a few of these will do thank you very much! Wait for a 3 for 2 offer and get these from Boots.

• Dr Jart BB cream - this is the most gorgeous BB ever! The end!

I could go on ...and on and on ..... but these are probably my top new discoveries or old favourites. I have a list of items I am now itching to try. Thats the problem with reading blogs - you read about so many tempting things!! 

My advice with beauty products is if you are unsure always see if they have a sample size you can buy first or if buying from a counter ask for some samples to try. Always look for money off vouchers and codes and check the prices online to see if it is any cheaper to order your products, taking into consideration the cost of posting compared with petrol and parking etc to drive into town to buy them. Don't rule out buying through cashback sites either. Some sites such as Quidco give up to 8% cashback on purchases at Boots and you still get your points on your card too. It's a win, win! 

What is your favourite Beauty Product of 2012?

SuperDrugs Essie Polishes

A Great Choice!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. We are a little bit behind the times down 'ere, so you'll have to forgive my excitement for having at last got the range of Essie polishes on my doorstep (almost) at Superdrug. 

I find these polishes are worth the extra few pounds as they last and last. Sometimes spending that extra bit makes sense in the long run as you have a polish that lasts longer on your nails and longer in the bottle.

My Autumn picks this month are:

What I am wearing today!

What are you wearing on your nails today?

If you are interested in Glossybox after my post last week they have a "20% off your first box" offer on at the moment here

Favourite Products this Month

Top 5!

One thing I have been attempting to do lately is find some good alternatives to expensive salon or  spa products to reduce my monthly outlay on beauty products. However,there are some products I don't think I will ever change, but I always research where I can find them at the best possible price. As a family of 5 we are constantly looking at ways to reduce our monthly outgoings.

I'm adding a short post each month with a low down on my top 5 products. These will be 5 products that I am really loving using. They may be a new product I have just found ( often from another blog in which case I will link to the blog I found it on) or an old favourite. I will link where you can purchase these from too.

 My October top 5

1. DR. Jarts BB . At last I have found a BB that I love and my skin loves. This has a SPF of 40 . I am going to do a full review of this on my Wednesday Beauty Buys next week, so do pop back then. Love, love, love. I checked out e.bay and there are some private sellers selling some of these for good prices. Otherwise Boots stock it. They have a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment.

2. Eau Thermale Toner. This is for oily or blemish prone skin, which mine is not particularly, but I do have an oily zone . It certainly has helped minimise some pores too. I got mine through Boots on the 3 for 2 offer.

3. L'oreal Extraordinary oil. I have been using this for about a week and it is fabulous. I went straight out and got it after Beauty and the Biryani did a review on it. I have thick hair that doubles in size the minute there is any moisture in the air. But not if I use this. Check out her review for full details. I use it on my little girl too.

4. Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream. Just the best moisturiser ever. I get mine from Look Fantastic. The link is in my side panel.

5. Essie Chocolate cakes - see the colour here. Gorgeous . Am wearing this all the time at the moment. I think the best buy is from Superdrug on the High Street.

What are your favourite products this October?

Removing Nail Polish

In one swipe!

Ok so I am a bit of a nail polish junkie - there I said it.

This is my favourite colour at the moment, Essie Chocolate Cakes. It is a lovely brown with a hint of red to it. It is the first Essie polish I have purchased from Superdrug - primarily because they have only just caught up with the rest of the country and started stocking them down 'ere! The chunky brush is so much better for application in these bottles. Here is one of my other favourite nail polishes, Orly  . 

A friend pointed me in the direction of this fantastically simple and economic way of removing your nail polish on Pinterest using one cotton ball and a bit of nail polish remover. Far quicker and better for your nails than scrubbing away with numerous bits of cotton wool and it really does work. 

So here are the steps.

1. Get nail polish remover and a couple of cotton balls ( I get two incase I spill anything!)

  My nail Polish remover is just the cheapest from Superdrug. Nothing special.

 Nail Polish is Esssie Chocolate Cake - 2 coats, plus Orly 3 in1 top and base coat. So we are removing 4 coats in total here!

 2. Unroll the cotton ball.

 3. Cut or tear the cotton ball in half length ways.

  4.Cut or tear one strip into 10 small pieces - one for each nail!

 5.Cut the second strip in 2.

 6. Put a small amount of nail polish remover into a pot ( I use the lid)

 7. Dip the end of each piece of cotton wool into the remover in turn and wrap tightly onto your nail.

 This does not have to be neat and the cotton wool does not have to be soaking wet ( it will run all over your hand if it is too wet!). Push each bit of cotton wool into the corners of the nail.

8. Leave for a minute or two.

 9. Fold the other pieces of cotton wool in half and using one for each hand, push firmly down and with one wipe pull the polish off from the nail bed to the tip. Hey presto. A clean nail!

10. Any tiny bits that are left can quickly be tidied up, but if done well this is not needed. Forgive my yellowing nails - too much bright nail colour on there lately!!

Try this, it takes less than 5 minutes and really works well.It is perfect for resistant or stubborn polishes and saves on the cotton wool balls ! Makes me sound so tight, but when you change your nail polish as often as I do, you go through a fair bit of this stuff and you know me - anything to save the pennies!

Go on, try it - I guarantee you won't go back to the old way ever again!