Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I have quite sensitive eyes and I can't help rubbing them, which makes them sore and puffy and then I want to rub them even more, it's a vicious cycle.  I'm always on the look out for products that can help calm the skin around my eyes and on a recent visit to Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall I found a product that was just the ticket. Eyes Wide Open Soothing Eye Care Lotion is a liquid product that you apply to cotton pads and then pop over closed eyes for 5 minutes which is really relaxing and a good way to sooth tired eyes.  Alternatively, you can just wipe the cotton pads over your eyes for instant refreshment.  I noticed a reduction in the puffiness under my eyes the first time I used this product and unlike Liz Earle's Eyebright which stings my eyes, Eyes Wide Open did not sting my eyes at all.  I like to use this product to unwind at the end of the day as it really soothes the skin around my eyes. Eyes Wide Open costs £16 for 150ml.  You can read mor...

I love that Halloween now seems to be a big thing in the UK.  I remember going Trick or Treating when I was younger but there wasn't the big array of costumes that there are now. I was either a witch or a black cat and don't get me started on the fact that we didn't carve pumpkins we carved turnips!!!!! Anyway when I was browsing in Boots the other day I came across these fab nails that I just had to buy. They are all great designs and there are 4 options (I only bought 3 as there was a 3 for 2 offer on them).  The 3 I picked up have skull prints on them (these are mix and match nails).  There are the Gold Glitter Skull , the black, red and pink skull and the Skull Diva Stiletto Skull .  There is also Vampire Chic Stiletto nails which was the pack I didn't pick up.  Even though I wont be dressing up for Halloween I will have a chance to get in the spirit in a small way by putting on the nails.   They were originally £3.99 each but are now £1....

Last few days to enter my Autumn Giveaway don't miss out. It feels like a while since I last had a giveaway, so I thought I would have one to cheer people up now we are getting back to the normal British weather and getting up for work in the dark. The prize includes the following: Primark PS Rose Konjac Set W7 Brow Parlour Kit Marsk Vanilla Frosting Mineral Eyeshadow 7th Heaven Virgin Olive Mud Masque Angel Mugler Body Lotion 30ml Superdrug Detoxifying Dead Sea Mask 15ml Palmers Coconut Oil Lip Balm There are a few ways to enter.  Follow me on Twitter and retweet the pinned giveaway post here , follow me on Instagram and comment on the giveaway photo here and for an extra entry into the giveaway simply comment on this post telling me what your favourite beauty product is (and just let me know if you have entered the giveaway on Twitter or Instagram (or both).  The giveaway closes on 31st October 2018 and I will contact the winner via Twitter or...

I was really happy to receive some hair colour products from COLOUR:VIBE* recently as I love changing the colour of my hair.  I have dark brown hair with a few grey strands thrown in for good measure and usually stick to mahogany or chestnut brown semi-permanent colours.   I was sent a couple of colours from the Vibrance semi-permanent hair colour range* to try out - Fuchsia Bloom , Bright Violet and Silver Ray .   Each product can provide up to 10 applications depending on the length of your hair and will provide colour for up to 10 washes. They contain pure honey and marula oil which helps to keep your hair soft and shiny. They can be applied to bleached, previously coloured or natural hair and you can use the product to create a full head of colour or simply use it for an ombre look or even streaks,  Whatever you fancy really.  Obviously it works better on light coloured or bleached hair for a really vibrant look, but I wanted to see if it would giv...

TV - A Discovery of Witches - I binge watched the first 4 episodes of this supernatural tv series starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer and I loved the chemistry between the ancient vampire and the witch who has tried to ignore her powers for a long time.  Set in the city of Oxford, this offers a wonderful backdrop to what has fast become my favourite tv show right now.  The tv series was inspired by a series of books called The All Souls Trilogy  by Deborah Harkness which I have already bought and added to my kindle. Shopping - I am really getting into Charity Shops and Car Boot Sales this year and I have found some great bargains including a small Fossil leather bag for £6.99, a Weird Fish winter coat for £7, some Gap ballet slippers for 50p, a Diesel bag for £3, a Bench top for £1 and some 4 UCLA tops for £7 total.  It's amazing what you can find when you have a bit of a rummage. Spending time - at the spa with my sisters.  My favourite spa...

It's been a while since I last did a brand review so I thought I would review some Pixi products that I've been using lately. Rose Tonic is a great toner which is great for soothing and calming skin.  My skin can be sensitive but I've never had a problem with this toner. It smells lovely and is suitable for all skin types.  This product is £10 for 100ml or £18 for 250ml. Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar is a great lip balm that I always like to have in my bag.  It is so soft and smooth to apply to my lips and leaves them feeling great.  It does give a light wash of colour to your lips as well.  This product costs £8. So the fabled Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanser which I know people have reviewed to death but I will add my thoughts anyway.  I do like the premise of this product.  I really like using a balm cleanser so the first step of this product is just up my street and I'm on board with double cleansing so was happy to use...

I have been into Primark every day this week on the lookout for the new Alex Steinherr x Primark skincare collection. Alex is the former beauty director at Glamour magazine and Primark has been nailing it with their skincare and beauty ranges lately, so I knew this was going to be a good one and I wasn't disappointed.  I didn't do any research about the products and when I noticed a poster being put up in my local Primark, I made a beeline directly for the skincare area and noticed a small crowd around one smallish stand.  Sure enough this crowd of people were doing just what I was planning to do and scooping up as many different products as they could carry.  I managed to get to the front and picked up all the products that caught my attention (in the end I bought 7 out of the 20 strong range, but at a maximum price of £5 it isn't going to break the bank.  Here's what I picked up: From the Sleep Spa range: Sleeping Face Mask (£5 for 50ml) - this is a reple...