£5 and Under Christmas Gifts

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I'm not sure if any one has noticed the stark absence of Christmas themed posts on my blog, but I certainly have. The reason for this is that this is the first time I've really sat down and thought hard about Christmas presents. This is a rather packed 7 day period for me as I have my long-suffering boyfriends birthday on 28th November, my father's birthday on 3rd December and my anniversary (4 years! eep) on the 4th December. So, finally, now I know that everything has been done and sorted for those, I can have a good old trawl through the internet and pick out some presents! 

1. A Book. The picture and link here are representative. 

I honestly believe that giving a book as a gift is more than just giving a present. You are handing someone the gift of an experience. A book is one of the most amazing things that you can possibly give to someone. I chose Life of Pi because it is an experience that I loved. Truly loved. I read this last year and I still think about it, particularly since the film adaptation is soon to be released (who's excited?!) You can always find books cheaply, you just have to have a good shop around. No, you are not going to walk out of Waterstones with a bestseller for £3, it's a sad fact, but it's true. I actually found my copy of Life of Pi in a charity shop for £1.50 and I love that it has signs of wear on it. It's a book that has clearly been loved. Pass on your favourite this Christmas, and talk about it excitedly in January!

2. Glass Bauble Shaped Candle Holder £2.99

I love candles and I think that this holder is Christmassy enough to classed as "themed" but simple and clean and elegant enough to use all year round. It's a serious bargain that leaves you with change from your fiver to buy some tea lights!

3. Soap and Glory Mini's £2.50 each currently on a 3 for 2 deal

Who doesn't love Soap and Glory? I've tried all of the products that I chose and they are all of fantastic quality and smell amazing. Get them whilst they're on offer!

4. The Body Shop Mini's Currently on a 5 for £5 deal

I've tried most of the products included and as always with The Body Shop, they are really wonderful products. If you've been reading my blog for more than five minutes you know I'm a total Body Shop fangirl. I would be thrilled to receive a cute mix bag of mini's!

5. MUA Eyeshadow Palette £4

Featured here is the Undressed Palette, currently the only one I own. Everybody and their mother knows about these bargain gems. They make perfect stocking fillers and there's a good range to choose from. Ideal for any beauty loving girl.

6. The Body Shop Mini Manicure Kit £5

A super cute Christmas themed manicure kit to get your nails perfect and polish-ready. I love the classy packaging on this and a need some new nail scissors... hint hint Santa. 

7. M&S Beauty Gifts at 50% off. 

Shown here: Alice + Eliza Winter Berry Lip Balm £1.25 Alice +Eliza Nail Polish Giftset £3

I've linked to the whole lot that they have available at the moment. There are also some men's toiletries available. I've never actually tried anything from Alice + Eliza but I really loved the packaging and colours available in these two products and thought they would be great bought together. Take a peek whilst they're on offer!

I hope you liked my idea and got a bit of festive inspiration! I'd love to see some similar gift lists so feel free to leave links.

Will you be taking advantage of any of these offers this year?

Lauren

Star Product: The Body Shop Dragon Fruit Lip Butter

I tend to get really dry skin and this translates to really dry lips, especially in winter. It would get so bad that when I woke up in the morning my lips would split as soon as I opened my mouth meaning I would constantly have this cracked bleeding part in the middle of my lips. Needless to say, it was painful, frustrating and unattractive. I always used to use the Vaseline lip pots in cocoa butter or aloe vera and whilst they worked fine during the day, they just weren't enough to keep my lips hydrated throughout the night.

On one of my first trips to The Body Shop the sales assistant brought my attention to their new lip butter.

The Body Shop Dragon Fruit Lip Butter £4

The first thing that needs to be mentioned about this product is that 100% of what you pay goes to charity. This is such a wonderful idea and it really does make you proud to be a part of it (even though I would happily by this again even without the charitable element!) You are also able to choose your own charity which means you can directly support something that is important to you.

I chose BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.)

Now for the actual product. First off, the packaging is super cute with the colours representing the skin of the dragon fruit. You get a nice amount of product and this stuff smells AMAZING. It is literally one of the best smelling products I have ever encountered. The product itself is very thick and cream coloured and very little is needed. I have been plowing through this for about a month now and I'm not even half way down. I literally cannot recommend this enough, it is so so effective and I use a little of it almost every day and slather it on every night. I haven't split my lip in the morning in weeks and I know it is because of this gem. Even my boyfriend has started using this at night because of how great it is.  

Have you got one? Can you recommend any other great moisturising lip products?

Lauren

NOTD: Maybelline, Winner Takes It All

I've decided that I'm going to do my nails every Saturday from now on because it's probably the day that I'm least likely to be doing a long shift at work.

Today I picked Winner Takes It All (820), a gold metallic from Maybelline's Forever Strong Pro range. This is the first time I've used this shade and the first time I've used a varnish from Maybelline full stop. I only just stopped a life long nail biting habit this Summer (I'll post about how I did this because when I searched online there was very little to help me!) so colouring my nails is still somewhat of a novelty for me and as such I haven't tried many brands and I certainly haven't perfected my application technique, so be gentle!

Here it is on me. Chubby fingers and all.

This really is a gorgeous shade and I really liked the shape of the brush - it made application super easy, even when using my non-dominant hand. I did find that the varnish was a little thick though and difficult to apply evenly. This has led to clear (when up close) brush strokes on my nails which is a little annoying. It's quite a flat metallic and I think that the next time I buy a shade like this I'll get some with more of a shimmer in it. I've used two coats here but I could have easily left it at one, this shade is super opaque so great for when you're in a rush. It also dried really fast which is always a bonus. It retails for £4.09 for 10mls so it's really affordable and worth a try. I bought this as part of a buy one get one half price offer at Boots though so for just over £2 I couldn't say no! I used my Barry M all in one as a base and top coat.

Which metallic shades are you loving at the moment?

Lauren

FOTD: Casual Work/Daytime Make Up

This is a great casual look for work or school. I tried to work around the idea of "subtle definition."  The main focus here is clear, pretty skin and bright eyes! I work in a clothes shop which can be really draining. I don't need to tell anyone that's ever worked in retail that people can really push your limits sometimes. So feeling down combined with shopping centre dryness can be a nightmare for skin.

I used my moisturising foundation to inject some moisture into my skin and even out my complexion and followed it with a little concealer under the eyes and around the nostrils. I then set this with some pressed powder.

For the eyes I used my bronze body shop shimmer cubes in choc chip and dark chocolate. I used choc chip as a light wash over the entire lid, blended out at the top towards the brow bone, and dark chocolate to add some shadow in my crease and define a little of the lash line. I lined with a black liquid liner coming up into a slight point at the end of the lash line. Two coats of black mascara on the top lashes and one coat on the bottom helped open up my eyes without going over board.

I finished this look with little peach blusher and a slick of lip balm. 

Et voila! A simple, quick day time look that the boss can't argue with.

Lauren

p.s. I know about the eyebrows. :(

The Body Shop Haul!

I love all things Body Shop. I'm a regular in my local store and I have a ridiculous amount of their products (I'll do a post on some at a later date) and love 99% of them.
So, seeing that there was a shopping event on yesterday with 20% off with a Love Your Body membership card (which I have! yay) free gifts (* indicates part of gift) AND my five pound voucher... It was time for a new haul :) I haven't used  any of these products yet (except the lip balm) so I can't review them just yet but I will in a few weeks when I've had some fair use out of them.

Everything came in these really cute Christmas bags. I love the colour and design. As if shopping needed to be any more fun.

The bigger bag at the back contains my free gifts (worth £20) the bag on the right is a pick up and go skin care regime for oily blemish-prone skin and the bag on the left is a collection for the green shimmer cubes eye shadows.

So here's everything! This was an absolutely ridiculous bargain. I paid £26 for over £80 worth of stuff. Who doesn't love a 70% off sale?

Satsuma Body Butter 50ml*

The Body Shop are renowned for their body butters, and for good reason! Always thick and luxurious with a gorgeous smell, this is just the ticket for some winter pampering. It soaks in quickly too which is great. I haven't opened this one yet but I regularly use the shea nut butter and I've smelt the satsuma one in store (beautiful.) This was a part of my free gift and I was really excited about it as its one of my favourite scents.

Coconut Shower Cream*

I love the smell of coconut. It always reminds me of soaking up the rays on holiday. I usually go for fruity/nutty scents over floral for skincare as it just makes me feel fresher. The coconut shower cream smells just as good as I thought it would and I'm really excited to use it but I need to get through my green apple shower gel first (which I picked up for just £2 a few weeks ago.) I just know this is going to end up in an empties post! 

Cucumber Cleansing Milk*

I'm really happy they included this in the gift because I'm need of a good cleanser and hopefully this will be able to remove stubborn liquid liner and the maybelline colour tattoo shadows. At the moment I'm having to go over my eyes two or three times to get them clean which is such a pain. I think that the cucumber will be quite gentle too which is great because I have super sensitive skin, particularly on my face. Also, the milk may help with my dryness which will be a plus. Reviews to come soon :)

Refining Shower Lily in Red*

I always use these on my body to as they're a great gentle exfoliator that you can use daily with all kinds of body washes. This is the first time I've had one from The Body Shop though so I look forward to see how long it stays together!

Green Shimmer Cubes

I already have these in the bronzes and the limited edition Lily Cole set (bought for £5 in the sale.)  They retail for £16 which does seem a little steep but the sheer amount of product you get in them and the quality of the product more than makes up for it. They can be used dry or wet for a more intense look and are great for building a smoky eye.

I decided to pick up the greens simply because I don't have many brighter colours in my collection and I would really like to start doing some jewel coloured looks for A/W particularly around Christmas! I really love the dark teal colour and I think this set is really going to enhance my eyes. I look forward to creating some looks to post on here.

Born Lippy Lip Balm in Passion Fruit

This smells divine. I picked it up for just £2 because of the fabulous fragrance and berry colour. It has a really light colour pay off, being a balm, but I really feel like it warms up my complexion a bit. It has a great smooth consistency and applies easily. Soon to become a Winter staple.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Skincare Regime

I bought this as a set as a present for my boyfriend. He has quite oily, blemish prone skin and it's something of an embarrassment to him. It's really lowered his confidence so he was pretty happy with this spur of the moment gift. Skincare is certainly not just for girls! Hopefully he'll be diligent enough with it to actually have an effect. The whole lot retailed for £15 which is a bargain to be honest and I didn't hesitate to grab one.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Wash

This has a great fresh scent and an androgynous look which is ideal for my purposes! I already catch him stealing my old witch hazel and tea tree exfoliating face wash from Boots (which I abandoned because it just felt too harsh) which smells similar so I'm sure he's going to love this.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion

This is a light moisturiser for day time which controls shine. Everyone should be moisturising, even with oily skin, so I'm glad they included this. Should help stave off those early wrinkles and it will be great to put some extra moisture back into the skin after shaving.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Exfoliating Pads

This is such a great product for my lazy man. Pull out a pad give your face a scrub and you're done! I may be stealing a few of these too as my Soap and Glory facial exfoliator can sometimes feel a bit harsh so I only use it once or twice a fortnight. These pads will be great for a midweek skin-brightening! :)

Tea Blemish Fade Night Lotion

This a really hydrating lotion which claims to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes such as spots and discolouration (both problems that he has.) I'm not sure how well this will work but only time will tell. I will also steal this if I ever have a break out. I look forward to posting the results :) 

Natrulift Firming Day Cream*

I was given two sachets of this but I can't see myself using them. It claims to make skin feel firmer and more hydrated and reduce the harshness of wrinkles. I don't really have any wrinkles that I could properly test these on just yet so I may pass them on to a colleague or more mature relative that could let me know how they worked out. Or I may pop them in a giveaway later on! We'll see

Super Volume Mascara in Black

This retails for £10 and claims to give lots of volume, intense colour and all without clumping. I actually already have this mascara and really like it. I did find that the wand felt a little clumsy in my hands as it's much larger than the "spoon" brushes I've been using with my Maybelline Colossal mascaras. The formula is really nice and I don't notice any flaking during the day. I may keep this for when my other one runs out or put it in as part of a giveaway :)

Carbon Eye Definer in Black

This seems like a great little product as it includes a smudger on the opposite end of the pencil. This does claim to be water resistant and longwearing which will need to be put to the test. I tried this in the shop and it certainly doesn't seem as blendable as some other eye liner pencils but we'll see how it looks on me later! Retails at £9.

Eye Shadow Brush

Last but not least! I definitely needed another one of these. This will be the second eyeshadow brush from The Body Shop. I've actually always used my fingers and occasionally sponge applicators to apply make up so these are my first brushes full stop and I have not been disappointed. It's great to have a second one for complex eye looks when I just wouldn't have the time to clean a brush inbetween! This brush is usually £9 which is not bad for a high quality brush. It's worth noting that all of The Body Shop tools are completely animal product free which I do feel is important.

The Body Shop in general is a very eco-friendly store which works hard to produce fair trade items.

Phew! Okay, so that is my massive Body Shop haul! I hope you liked it. Did you get down to the shopping event yesterday? What did you pick up? Which Body Shop products do you recommend? Let me know :)


Lauren

Review: Barry M Lip Paints: Part 1, Flamingo Peach

Okay, so I am a serious lipstick virgin. My profile picture is the only time I ever wore lipstick and I was too cowardly to even go outside in it. In the desire for true make-up freedom I bravely took a walk today to take advantage of the 3 for 2 offer on cosmetics at Superdrug. I am now the potentially proud owner of 3 Barry M lip paints.

The first shade I picked up is part of the newer Ultra Moisturising range (I have heard that the usual lip paints can be very drying so this range is great proof that Barry M are listening to their customers.) The packaging for this range is really nice. Sleek square tubes in a hot pink shade, a black band around the middle and the Barry M logo in black on top. All in shiny plastic.
Flamingo Peach (161) is a very bright, deeply pigmented peach/coral shade. I also think that it looks ever so slightly metallic.

Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Flamingo Peach (No 161) £4.49 from Boots or Superdrug

Application was really easy. Super smooth and the colour went on quickly. I've had it on for half an hour now and it still feels really moisturising. I'll update on longevity in a few hours after a couple of drinks! I feel like the colour pay off is very true to the shade you see in the bullet which is always a bonus.

Update: After 5 hours, an indian meal and two drinks the colour was still clinging on! Admittedly it was more of a stain at that point with a little bit of product around the edges of my lips. Topping up at the 3 hour mark would probably be ideal. It did start to feel a little bit drier when I went for a walk in the cold so I suggest topping up with a balm in that situation.

Here it is on me! I have fairly pale skin that sometimes suffers from dryness. 

I love this colour on me. It's definitely a statement shade but still really wearable. It feels like more of a Summer colour but I think I'll get some use out of it this season anyway :)

What do you think of this colour? Or Barry M Lip Paints in general?

Lauren