Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I was lucky enough to get hold of Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara* before it hit the shops. My first impression of this mascara was to notice its very big wand, one of the largest I have seen on any mascara.  The second is the interesting spiral shape of the wand.  I did wonder if I would be able to use this mascara on my short eye lashes, mainly due to the size of the wand.  In the end it worked pretty well.   The spiral shape of the wand picks up even the shortest lash and one coat is enough to define, separate and lengthen my lashes.  It even works well on my lower lashes, without smearing onto my under eye area.  There is no clumping or flaking and it lasts all day. Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara retails for £11.99, although  Boots currently has it on offer for £9.99 and if you spend £15 on Max Factor Products you can get a free gift. Leighlee *I received this product free to review but the opinions are my own.

Maybelline Dr. Rescue SOS Nail Balm is one of those products that makes taking care of your nails and cuticles so easy.   It's a balm that is packaged similar to a lipstick, so you just wind it up as you need it.   I can keep it in my drawer at work, which gives me no excuse not to use it on a daily basis, or I can pop it into my bag and apply it on the go.  I received the Maybelline Dr. Rescue SOS Balm Nail & Cuticle Care from a British Beauty Blogger Latest in Beauty box and it's one of those products that I now can't live without. I just run it around the edge of my nails and cuticles and then massage it in and it keeps my nails and cuticles from drying out.  It’s a pale blue balm that has a very light fragrance fragrance and it's quite soft, so it is quick and easy to apply.   It costs £3.99 from Boots or other retailers. Leighlee I bought this with my own money as part of a beauty box.

I recently got the opportunity to try out L'Oreal Magic Retouch Instant Root Concealer Spray* in the shade dark brown.  I'm a bit lazy and I have to admit I should have coloured my hair a while ago (I usually use Vidal Sassoon Salonist to colour my hair.  See my review here ). I have more than a few grey hairs on my parting, so this was a great opportunity to see if this kind of product works.  The actual aerosol can has a very thin nozzle which makes it very easy to apply the spray exactly where you want it.  I have to admit that I thought that it would be quite messy, but other than getting a few little dots of product on my forehead and hands, which were easy to wipe off, I found this really easy to use. The results were quite impressive as you can see for the before and after photo s below.  The dark brown shade matched my hair colour really well and blended in great. It didn't leave a stain on my scalp either, which has happened with other products.  It was so

There are some really great bargains in TK Maxx at the moment, so here’s a look at my recent haul. I really like the Ojon Rare Blend Tamer Wand  which is   £12.50, but they only last me about a month.  So I was happy to see these John Frieda Full Repair Flyaway Tamer Smoothing Wands for a bargain £3.99 each (usually £10.99), so I bought two.  I just hope they work as well as the Ojon wand to tame my frizzy hair. I love my Tweezerman tweezers and the cheaper versions never seem as good, so I snapped up these full size tweezers for just £9.99 (they normally retail at £20.95).   Finally, I bought Bliss Fuzz Off Bikini which was £4.99 (normal price £20). Since I am on a no spend ban that includes makeup and toiletries (none of the above count as I don’t stash any of these products and I will start using them straight away, to replace items that are finished with), I had to pass up on quite a few items that I would have normally bought.  These include the Too Faced Ross &a

Benefit Cosmetics & Starbucks are teaming up with a great offer.  If you are going anywhere near a Benefit Counter from now until 31st March 2016, then be sure to pick up a Benefit Cup Sleeve which allows you to buy one drink at Starbucks and get another one free of charge (cheapest one is free).  If you happen to being visiting a Starbucks then you can pick up a Benefit Cosmetics coaster, which you can take to your nearest Benefit Cosmetics store and receive a free makeover. Full details can be found here. Leighlee This post is not sponsored.

As January is over I thought I would do a quick update on how I've been doing with the challenges I set myself for 2016. Spending ban from 4th January to 31st March 2016.  I have spent so much on makeup and toiletries in December 2015, in order to take advantage of all the great offers that are around at this time of year.  I am going to have a complete spending ban from the start of the year for 3 months.  January spending ban completed, I haven't bought anything beauty related since the 4th January.  2 more months to go. Nano Keratin Treatment - I have finally found a hairdresser that I like, so I will be definitely be booking this for early 2016. Pay off credit card - I want to get my credit card balance to 0 this year. Books - I want to finish 10 books that I already own this year. I have read 1 book so far. DVDs - I want to watch 25 DVDs that I already own and decide whether to keep them or give them away. Weight - I would like to lose 1 stone this year.  Once I ac