Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I just thought I would do a quick post on my Kiko haul that I bought when I was in London at the weekend.  I think it was the first day they had opened their Regent Street store so I couldn't resist going on a shopping spree.  I have been to Kiko before when I visited Rome a couple of years ago so I knew what to expect, although I did wonder if the prices would be higher, but they seemed pretty reasonable.  Anyway here is a picture of my haul. I will post more info and swatches at the weekend. Has anyone else visited Kiko on Regent Street? Leighlee

Heres a quick post about the products I have used up in October and November.  There is something so satisfying about finishing a product, especially when you are a shopaholic who has numerous other products stashed away waiting to be used.  Heres a photo of all the products that I have managed to use up (I have included samples as well). I won't go through everything individually, just pick out the ones that I really enjoyed and will repurchase and those that I wasn't a big fan of. I really enjoyed using the Klorane Nourishing treatment shampoo with mango butter and the conditioner with mango butter (nourishing and detangling). Both are for dry and damaged hair.  They both left my hair feeling soft and moisturised and they have a nice mango fragrance as well.  I bought them from Escentual when they were offering 30% off, so I will stock up next time there is an offer. I finished a perfume, Dolce & Gabbana Rose the One .  I really like this and althoug

I don't normally have much to say about hand creams as they are pretty boring products. They keep my hands soft and that's about it, I could get away with just using body lotion on them if I am being quite honest.   That being said, I do have a few words to say about the Bee Lovely hand cream from Neal's Yard.  I always pick something up from Neal's Yard when I am in Covent Garden in London as they have some really nice products and once I smelled this cream I was totally sold, even though I was definitely not planning on buying a hand cream (since I have so many from various magazine freebies in the last few years). This cream smells amazing.  I normally have problems with describing fragrances, but with this I have absolutely no problems. It makes your hands smell like you have just peeled the juiciest, sweetest orange you have ever tasted in your life.  Even if  you don't use hand cream, just put some on your hands and inhale the fragrance.  Its so fresh and

Its a bit late but I wanted to provide an update on the October Use it or Lose it Challenge.  This time I chose 11 products to try, to see if I liked them enough to keep or if I should get rid of them.   The products I decided to use or lose in October were: Here are the results: Vanitas Versace Perfume 4.5ml - I like this perfume so I will definitely be keeping it.  It has a light floral smell that is not too overpowering so can be worn through the day. Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eye Liner in Smokey Diamond - This one was easy to apply and gave my eyes definition so I will keep this one.  Its a smokey grey with a bit of shimmer in it. Elf Shimmer Eye Liner Pencil - This worked well so I will keep this one.  Its pretty similar to the one above but has a softer tip so is easier to apply. Avon Super Shock Gel Eye Liner in Black - This was too thick and too dark and it looked like I had a black eye when I applied it even with a light hand.  Definitely gettin

I just received the November Birchbox, so I thought I would do a quick review of the contents. Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Souffle Body Creme 25g - I was glad to receive this product rather than the Laura Mercier mascara that some people have received, as I have so many mascaras in my stash that it would take me ages to get round to using another one.  The body creme will be an easy one to use.  It has a lovely musky vanilla scent and is rich without being too thick to rub into your skin.   Weleda OAT Replenishing Shampoo for dry and damaged hair 18ml -  I am a bit bored of receiving Weleda products as they have been in quite a few boxes. That being said my hair is dry and damaged so I may as well use this, although on my thick hair I will only be able to test this once, so I wont be able to tell too much from 1 use. Chella highlighter pencil 1.4g - I have never heard of this brand before, but I have tried this highlighter and it seems to be more of a concealer, eyesh

I recently subscribed to the YOU BEAUTY Discovery Box.  I like the fact that it only costs £6.95 per month including postage and you get to choose the 2 main items that will be in the box.   There was a good selection of products to choose from including a Nailberry nail polish, a FACE Stockholm creme lipstick, Oriflame Wonder Lash Mascara, Murad Osmolyte Tonic and Maddi Alexander bath & body oil.    I chose moa the green balm (full size 50ml) which is worth approx £10.  I chose this item as I have bought it before and it is great for dry patches on my skin.   I also chose Neo Stem Anti-Accelerated Aging Serum. This is an active serum against signs of lipoatrophy and premature aging.  I am really into serums at the moment and thought this would be a good one to add to my stash to try out.  This is a full size 30ml bottle and is currently for sale at M&S for £59, so this is amazing value for such a cheap beauty box.  I can't wait to try this serum. I addition

I couldn't resist buying Decembers Glamour magazine when I found out that there were free Kate Spade Nails Inc nail polishes in 4 gorgeous colours and The Body Shop Joy cards worth at least £3, especially as the magazine only costs £2.  Ok, its not technically free as although I would normally buy 1 Glamour magazine I wouldn't buy 4, but its a free Nails Inc polish  for goodness sake  (which normally costs £11),  I cant be expected to resist that surely.  So yes, I did buy 4 magazines to get the 4 colours and I also got 4 £3 Joy cards to use in The Body Shop.  So all in all I felt like it was worth getting them.  The nail polish colours are fab and will be great to use for Christmas nights out. The colours are: Big Apple Red - A great bold bright red Uptown Glamour - A gorgeous metallic gold shimmer Soho Silver - A lovely metallic silver shimmer New York Noir - A dark black (I am impressed with this as it applies nicely in just 1 coat) I love the names and t

I was recently lucky enough to win Sam @ Honey Go-Lightly's 2nd birthday giveaway and I just wanted to do a post about the prize that I won as its really nice.  Check out Sams blog here . First up are 2 great Illamasqua products that I was really happy to receive as its one of my favourite brands.  I won a lipstick in the shade Eurydice which is a really bright hot pink colour.  This is outside my normal comfort zone for lipstick shades as I am more a neutral pink toned kind of gal, but I am definitely going to give this a go as its good to try something new.  I also received a nail polish in the shade Force which is a great purple colour and is right up my alley.  I can't wait to try this out. I was so pleased to receive a Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet.  I love Bourjois cream blushes and I already own 1 in a different shade.  This one is a lovely nude, peachy colour and really suits my skin tone. I am really interested to try the Laura Geller inkwell

Here's my 2nd giveaway and I am really excited that the prize is a Marc Jacobs nail polish as they are not available in the UK yet. I bought this in Sephora when I was in Los Angeles (see my Marc Jacobs haul post here ). The polish that I am giving away is called Jezebel (loving this name) and is a gorgeous deep red colour.  This is the actual polish but the top picture reflects the colour better. For your chance to win, just enter via Rafflecopter below. To enter, please follow me on Bloglovin and leave me your email address. The other entries are all optional.  Unfortunately, because the giveaway prize is a nail polish, I am unable to accept international entries.  This giveaway is only for people with a UK address.    I will do another giveaway in the New Year which will be open to international entrants.  Good luck everyone. Leighlee a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was so excited to receive the BBB Beauty Box II, I even answered the door to the postman in my pj's and unbrushed, frizzy hair (how attractive), as I didn't want to risk missing the delivery.   This is how beauty boxes should be, a mix of brands that you have heard of and are excited to try out, and some new brands that give you a chance to try new products and who knows maybe even find a HG item.  I love a box that is not afraid to let you know whats inside before you buy.  That's the sign of confidence in their product and the fact that they all sold out in 1 morning shows how popular these boxes are (I think 750 boxes were available in total).  The box cost £22 + £5.95 P&P but the value of the box is approximately £150, which I think is an absolute bargain. Here's a list of the products that came in the box (list taken from British Beauty Bloggers site here and I have added my comments in italic). Alterna Bamboo Volume 48 Hour Spray (25ml)

I recently wrote about the Real Techniques brushes being sold at Asda for bargain prices here .  I just wanted to let you know that I went back about a week later and all the brushes have gone up in price.  They are still cheaper than in boots, but not as good a bargain as before.  For instance the Core Collection set of brushes was originally for sale at £11.57 and now Asda are charging £15.97.  The Expert Face Brush was originally £4.96 and now its £6.61.  I think this just proves that when you see a bargain you have to snap it up straight away, because it might not be there when you go back. Did anyone manage to find the Real Techniques brushes at Asda? Leighlee

When I visited America, Sephora was the first shop I wanted to visit and one of the reasons was that I couldn't wait to check out the new Marc Jacobs Beauty line.  I was like a kid in a candy shop. It is a great range with a lot of really nice products and colours.  I visited Sephora a number of times while I was on holiday as I just couldn't make up my mind what to buy, but in the end I went for 2 Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinyl Sheer Lip Glosses and 4 Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquers.     The Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinyl Sheer Lip Glosses I purchased were -  Lust for Life (312) a shimmering reddish raspberry and Sweet Escape (306) a shimmering nude pink.  They were $28 each (approx £17).   These are sheer lip glosses that have a really nice caramel fragrance.  At first I wasn't sure about the plumping formula, but when I put the gloss on I do feel a tingling on my lips although I'm not sure if it makes my lips look any fuller.   The description on the website says

I was in Asda doing a late night shop yesterday and I walked down the beauty aisle just to check out if there were any bargains to be had.  I happened to notice some Real Techniques brushes on a stand and had a quick look and was amazed at the prices.  I picked up the Real Techniques Core Collection containing a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush.  This cost £11.57 (in Boots this retails for £21.99).  I also picked up the Expert Face Brush for £4.96 (this brush costs £9.99 in Boots).  I have been meaning to pick up the Core Collection for a while, but could never justify spending over £20 for brushes that I don't really need, but for £12 I just could not resist.  I already have the face brush, but I really like it so I thought it was well worth picking up another one.  In the past I put my foundation on with my fingers, but found that I was always left with the foundation highlighting the dry patches on my skin. The face brush makes it

The December issue of Elle Magazine is out now and it comes with a great freebie.  Each magazine comes with a Benefit lipgloss and there are 3 to choose from - Coralista (coral colour), Hoola (dark beige nude) and Dandelion (a light creamy nude colour).  Each lipgloss is 6.5ml.  I picked the Coralista as I liked the colour, but I think that I might also pick up the Hoola gloss as well.  The magazine costs £4.  The full size lipgloss (15ml) retails for £14.50 on the benefit website, so the lipgloss that comes with the magazine is worth £6.28.       Leighlee