Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I have to admit that I was thinking of cancelling the Degustabox after the July box, not because I didn't like the first box I received, but mainly as I am trying to cut down my spending on unnecessary items.  Having received the July box, I do like the contents, so I will keep going with my subscription for a while longer. Here's what's in the July box: Starting with the drinks I received 3 Zeo Drinks (275ml each) - RRP £1.29 each - The flavours I received were Zest Lime, Peach & Grapefruit Burst and  Citrus Crush.  I just tried the zest lime and to be honest it's not very zesty, so I'm hoping the others taste stronger.   I also received 2 Hornsby's Blueberry Cider (330ml) - RRP £1.25 each - I really like fruit ciders, it's one of my favourite tipples other than Rose Wine, especially on a hot summers day.  I have never tried a blueberry version, so looking forward to trying this one. I received 3 bags of Portlebay Popcorn (25g) - RRP £0.79 ...

I love the sales. It feels so good being able to buy from shops you love and get things you have had your eye on and not pay full price.  The sales started a couple of weeks ago so I couldn't resist having a look in Zara as I love their stuff and I like to see what I can pick up in the sales.  Here's my latest haul: These cost £19.99 from £29.99.  I love flats as I'm quite tall so I don't tend to wear heels very often. I love shoulder bags and this one was £19.99 (now £12.99) reduced from £39.99.  This white TShirt was £7.99 reduced from £17.99.  Its a bit crumpled as I dumped the bag in the corner of my room before taking the picture. Have you bought anything in the sales recently? Leighlee I bought these with my own money

I have seen so many people write about MEMEBOX that I thought I should order one for myself. MEMEBOX is a South Korean Beauty Box Service.  Its not a subscription service, you just order a box as and when you feel like it and they have so many to choose from.  I chose the mask edition, because I like masks and also I thought it would be hard to get items that were not suitable, so the chances of being disappointed were slim.  This box (which is now sold out) cost $23.00 plus $6.99 shipping.  I also had a $10 discount for creating an account and a $3 referral discount which meant that the box only cost $16.99 (Approx £10.50). I received the box this week and I am really happy with the contents.  The box is quite compact and a really cute pink colour. Then I opened it up and it just got better.  Products were just packed into the box and there was a card in English explaining what the products were and how they work and their value. The first ...

I really do find it hard to browse around Primark without buying anything. They have some really nice items and I can never say no at Primark prices. Admittedly the clothes aren't always the best quality, but with a little bit of care you can come out with some really nice things.  I particularly like the shoes, as they are just as good as some more expensive shops and hey if they don't last quite as long then that's ok with me as I get bored quite easily.   I bought the same shoes in 3 different colours as I love the crossover strap. The cream and black shoes were £6 and the pink shoes were £3.  The shoes all fit perfectly and are really comfy.  What more can you ask for.  They are just perfect for summer. I also loved these cute navy blue patent flats.  Shame they did not have them in other colours as they were only £6. I also bought a couple of small hair donuts and a nail corrector pen for £1 each. These black and burgundy retro j...

I have curly hair and I have to admit that it's been the bane of my life for many years, yet I am too lazy to straighten it regularly as that requires too much time and effort. I have thought about having it professionally straightened by a hairdresser, but I have yet to find a salon or a hairdresser that I would trust to do this (its hard enough finding a hairdresser that can cut curly hair, let alone someone I want to let loose straightening it permanently).  Therefore, I have spent many, many years searching for products that can tame my frizzy locks.  So when I find products that improve the look and manageability of my hair, then I definitely want to share. One of the products that I really rate at the moment is salt spray (aka surf spray). When I originally tried these products a few years ago, I was dreaming of changing my curls into a tousled mass of waves.  What I actually ended up with was crispy, crinkly spiral curls.  Not really a good...

I couldn't resist a cheeky visit to Sephora on my trip to Paris in May (you can read my trip report here ).  I don't know what it is about foreign money but it's always so much easier to spend then pounds it's almost like monopoly money (or is that just me?). Anyway who can resist a visit to Sephora.  It was an excuse to purchase stuff I think is too expensive if I was buying it in the UK, but was ok to buy in Paris. Here's what I bought. OPI Glitter Off Peelable Base Coat  - 13.90 Euros.  I love glitter polishes and I have a huge collection of them, but I rarely wear them because they are such a pain to remove (even using foil).  I really hope this base coat works, so as soon as I have tested it I will write a review. Dior Nail Glow - Instant French Manicure Effect Whitening Nail Care - 22.30  Euros .  This product is meant to enhance the natural colours of your nail so the pink becomes pinker and the white becomes whiter which gives the effec...

Wow its been a while since I posted my last Use it or Lose it Challenge (my first of 2014).  If you haven't read that post then check it out here .  I basically picked out some products that I haven't used either ever or for quite some time and tried them out to decide if I want to keep them or if I can part with them, as I will probably never get round to using them. These are the ones I picked for March.  First off are 3 mineral eyeshadows from MAC. They all look very similar so I am going to try them all out and see if they are actually the same or if they are different enough to keep.  They are called Cloudy Afternoon, Snow Season & Mineral Mode. These eyeshadows are all a slightly different colour and make a great base shadow, so I will definitely keep them and try and use them more often. Next on the list is an Illamasqua Powder blush.  Its a coral colour called Lover and I just want to check if it suits my skin tone and also w...

I was lucky enough to purchase the British Beauty Blogger Dream Box from Latest in Beauty which I reviewed here .   I have had the chance to try a few of the products now and wanted to post a review of one of my favourites,  Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint 3 in 1 Cleansing Water . The info on the website says it is suitable for all skin types.  It dissolves make-up, cleanses and tones the skin and no water is needed.  It's gentle enough to use on the delicate eye area, it leaves skin bee-autifully clean, toned and refreshed.  The active ingredients include moisturising British wild flower honey, brightening red algae and refreshing wild water mint. This product works really well and is quick and easy to use.  You just apply it to a cotton pad and sweep it over your face.  It really gets all the dirt and grime removed (I must admit when I use this I can't believe how dirty my face is). I sometimes use cleansing wipes and it's cle...

Back in December (if you can remember that far back) I set myself some challenges for 2014 ,  I haven't really posted much about them since then apart from my shopping ban so I thought I would do a quick update and hopefully motivate myself to complete more of them. Here's my original list below and I will add an update to each line. Watch 50 DVDs from my collection and then give them away. I haven't made much progress with this one as I have so much to watch on Sky+ and I have recently joined Netflix.  I have only watched 9 DVDs so far. Sort out 100 items to get rid of (either sell, throw away or giveaway). This can be any type of item and is all part of the decluttering process. I need to work out how many I've done on this one as I haven't kept a record. Read 10 books from my collection (I know I am so behind the times, I recently bought a kindle but most of my books are still paperback and take up alot of room). My hope is to finish all the books and pa...

Its always nice to receive my Birchbox every month, as it's great to receive some new products to try out. This months box theme is Sun, Sea and Sand and here's a photo of the contents: I received the following: Weleda Millet Nourishing Shampoo (18ml - worth £0.84) - this shampoo is for normal hair and mine is dry.  I think it would be useful to put a shampoo and conditioner set in the box rather than just a shampoo, so that you can find out if the set works for your hair.  I definitely need to use a conditioner on my thick, curly hair. Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream (7ml - worth £9.33) - this is a nice enough product, but the problem is I have about 4 of them already as they have been in every single beauty box over the years.  I am a bit bored of Balance Me in beauty boxes (and also magazines) because it happens too often.  I think Balance Me are hurting their brand by being in so many beauty boxes.  The aim is surely to encourage you to buy the...

This is not a glamorous post I have to say, but I suffer from the occasional bout of itchy scalp and I have to say The Body Shop Ginger Anti Dandruff Shampoo is a life saver.  It sooths my scalp instantly and it's a reasonable price too.  I always stock up at The Body Shop outlet shop where you get 40% off if you purchase 4 or more items. That makes the Ginger Shampoo a bargain price of £3.90 for 400ml (full price is £6.50). You can buy it here  (make sure you wait for a good offer like 40% or 50% off which happens pretty regularly). What's your favourite Body Shop product? I'm on holiday this week so I'm going to try and post every day. See you tomorrow. Leighlee I bought this with my own money

During my recent trip to London and Paris (see Paris post here ) I discovered a great store called & Other Stories.  As I was travelling, I only picked up some gorgeous pieces of jewellery, but I could have been tempted by the shoes and bags and some great clothes (and some great beauty items).  I feel this is a store that I will always visit when I am in London (or Paris).  There is only one store in the UK at the moment which is on Regent Street, but you can buy online here and there is a sale on at the moment. & Other Stories is a brand under the H&M group, but whereas H&M tends towards the casual, & Other Stories leans more toward stylish & chic. Here's what I bought (I will give the prices in GBP and EUR as some were bought in London and some in Paris - the Paris store is on Rue Saint-Honore which is not far from the Place de la Concorde at the bottom of the Champs Elysee). This silver and gold coloured ring was GBP12 (EUR15...

I have seen so many comments about the Degustabox food box, that I finally decided to sign up.  I used a code to get a box for £9.99 (usual price £12.99). Here's what was in the June box: Estrella Damm Spanish Lager (worth £4.00) - not a fan of lager so will give this to someone who is. Elizabeth Shaw Milk Chocolate Amaretto Flutes - these were devine and I probably should not admit it, but the box in the photo is already empty. I did share them with someone though.  (worth £2.59). Urban Fruit Pineapple - these were a nice dried fruit snack.  Again the bag in the photo is empty, as I have already eaten them.  They tasted pretty good.  (worth £1.09). Bear Alpha Bites - Crunchy cereal letters that contain no refined sugar, no salt and no added nonsense.  I am probably a bit too old for alphabet cereal, but then again I am currently working my way through a box of coco pops so maybe not.  (Worth £2.69+) Veetee Basmati & Wild Rice (worth £1.49...

This months You Beauty Discovery Box is a travel themed box.  I have to say that the options were not great this month, but I am still happy with the 2 items that I picked. Here's what I received: I picked Tan Organic Oil Arganic Body Oil (£24.99 for 100ml) - this is a multi-purpose dry oil and I am really loving argan oil products at the moment.  They really do work wonders on my hair and skin, so I am looking forward to trying this out. The 2nd product that I chose was L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara (full size worth £8.99).  I like L'Oreal mascaras and this one promises mega volume.  I haven't tried it out yet as I have too many opened mascaras on the go at the moment, but I will report back when I have used it. Everyone received a sachet of Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream,  a 2ml sample of Agent Provocateur Fatale Eau de Parfum (which is very sultry and peppery, rather nice actually) and a 50ml Dove Men +Care Pro-Moisture Shav...