Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I have a confession to make, I am rubbish at applying makeup even though I have tons of it.  WTF.  I nearly always go for a natural look when I wear makeup but that is because if I did anything more obvious I would probably end up looking like a clown.  That does not stop me buying more make up as it is just an addiction, I love all the pretty packaging and lovely colours. Anyway recently I have been attending beauty events in the likes of Debenhams, Harvey Nichols etc some of which are to watch demos of make up being applied such as a beauty event at Debenhams where brands such as  Urban Decay did a make over and more recently at a Harvey Nichols Fenty Beauty  masterclass event where one of the Fenty Beauty UK Ambassadors did a demo which showcased Fenty Beauty products and showed how easy they were to apply.  Yes it is a way to encourage sales and yes I did buy some items, but what I took from each event is that you don't have to go overboard with your makeup to look good a

Guys, I just wanted to let you know that TK Maxx are selling some Real Techniques brushes at bargain prices. Here's what I picked up: PowderBleu Collection Soft Complexion Brush & Soft Finishing Brush - £5.99. I was so pleased to get my hands on these as I really wanted to try out some brushes from this collection. I think these brushes originally retailed at over £24.99. I also picked up the Bold Metals Collection Tapered Shadow brush for £4.99 and the MultiTech Collection Point XL brush for full face application and blending for £5.99 both originally retailed at £14.99 . Finally, I also bought the Brush Crush Diamond Sponge for £3.99 (originally retailed at £12.99). Really happy with my purchases and these additions to my brush and sponge collection. It's always worth popping into TK Maxx to see what bargains they have in store (I managed to pick up some Chanel nail polishes for £7.99 not long ago (check out my post here ). If you can't find the brush

I am a  big fan of Clinique's Moisture Surge range and have recently picked up the Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator SPF 25 .  I tried the product out at the Clinique counter in Debenhams to find out what shade  suited me and the lady at the counter advised me that Universal Light was the best fit.  There are only 5 shades in the range Universal Shade 1 - Very Light, Shade 2 - Light, Shade 3 - Light Medium, Shade 4 - Medium, & Shade 5 - Medium Deep.  The product uses Mimetic-Shade Technology which means each shade blends with a range of skin tones. The Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator can be applied directly to skin or over your moisturiser and gives 12 hours of  hydration, complexion perfection and protection all in one (or at least that's what it says on the Clinique website).  To be honest I really like this product.  I don't often wear full on foundation (although I have recently bought a couple to try out and will let you know how I got on shortly) a

I am a big fan of the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum cream as it smells divine and leaves my skin feeling silky soft and hydrated, but it's not cheap at £44 for 220ml (it is also available in a travel size pot of 75ml which costs £18), so when I saw that Aldi was selling a dupe called Lacura Booty Balm Body Cream for £6.99 I had to give it a go. I know that some people don't like the idea of brands making cheaper dupes of other companies most popular products, but honestly I am ok with it. First of all, because I usually buy the high end version first and then test out the cheaper version at a later date and also because sometimes you just can't afford the expense and still feel like treating yourself. For instance the Jo Malone fragrance dupes from Primark are a nice cheap alternative. I have a fair few Jo Malone perfumes which cost almost £50 a pop, but they are a special treat. On the other hand when I am browsing around Primark, it's so easy to grab a few of th

I was lucky enough to win this lovely Walden A Little Star-Dust natural perfume a while back on a blog giveaway run by the lovely Sandra over at Beauty Balm (definitely check this blog out if you love natural products).  A Little Star-Dust is a wonderful blend of Ylang Ylang, Iris and Jasmine with a touch of Amyris and Tonka Bean. The result on my skin is a sweet, creamy smoky scent that is perfect for summer evenings.  It lasts a good couple of hours on my skin, which is about normal for me. Walden Natural Perfume (named for Henry David Thoreau's book 'Walden') make their fragrances by hand in small batches using 100% natural ingredients. The  15ml  eau de parfum costs £18 and the  50ml costs £40. If you sign up to the Walden Perfumes newsletter you can get 30% off your first order.  You can also buy Walden Perfume from Love Lula . This is my first experience with a natural perfume and it won't be my last.