Mini Beauty/Hair Haul

Hi Guys & Dolls!

Just a quick post on some hair and beauty products that I picked up in the last few days :)

 

(L-R)

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in No.6 Rose Bergamasque (Satin finish)

Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in 08

Sleek True Colour Lipstick in 790 Cherry (sheen finish)

MAC Mattene Lipstick in Unknown Pleasures (semi-mat finish, I think this is limited edition)

Nars Laguna Bronzer

Decided to finally purchase the full size rather than use the one in my travel palette (there's a dip in the pan already, oops).

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover

This is a staple in my beauty regime. I think this would be bottle number 5 or 6? It's really effective in removing my eye makeup, including waterproof mascara and false eyelash glue, and the best part is that it's really inexpensive! £3.05 inexpensive! I'd highly recommend to grab one of these if you have the chance!

 

Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo, 60ml

Macadamia Natural Oil Moisturizing Rinse, 60ml

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque, 30ml

Had my hair cut last Monday at my regular hair salon and noticed that they now stocked a small range of Macadamia Natural Oil. I absolutely LOVE their Healing Treatment Oil and have been thinking about purchasing more from the range. So I brought these travel/sample sizes to test before I purchase the full size products. You can shop the range here.

BaByliss Porcelain Curling Wand

I been meaning to buy this curling wand and saw on the Boots website that it was currently being sold for £20.49. So yesterday, I walked to my local branch and brought one. I haven't tried it yet but have heard positive reviews, hopefully it will give me those beach wave curls :)

Sarah xoxo

Mini Beauty/Makeup Haul: Topshop and Nars

Hi Dolls!

Whilst vacation shopping, I picked up a few small makeup/beauty products and thought I'd share them with you.

I've never actually brought any beauty products from Topshop ever since their makeup line launched a year or 2 ago. But whilst purchasing a maxi dress, I wondered over to the in-store makeup counter out of curiosity. The eyeshadows, blushes, etc didn't interest me and when I saw the girl next to me directly apply the tester lippies on to her lips, that put me off swatching the testers! I never apply testers on to my face - it's something about the sanitary purposes of it all, so I always just swatch on the back of my hand.

However, I did find two nail varnishes that interested me....

The coral polish is called War Paint and the lilac polish is called Vegas Madness. Both were priced at £5 each but on the day, TS was offering 20% off for students. so I paid £4 each. I also picked up their Kohl Liner in Coal, which was priced at £4 + 20% off - Bargain!

So far, I've been really impressed by the quality of these products - their pigmentation, applicability, etc =D The Kohl Liner has replaced my Urban Decay Zero in my everyday makeup bag and I've been using the coral polish for the last 2 weeks now (a clear indication of my enjoyment over the products!).

I received a 'freebie' due to purchasing 3 makeup items and these were: face wipes, colourful bobby pins and a liquid eyeliner in black - all in a drawstring bag. No complaint for receiving freebies there! :)

I've been wanting to purchase the Nars Blush/Bronzer Trio Set for quite some time now but didn't have the time during my uni deadlines to buy it. Now that I am free from uni and have more time on my hands, I decided to pop by to my local Space N.K, where I knew the set was being sold at.

I'm in LOVE with this set! It has Orgasm Blush, Albatross Highlighting Blush and Laguna Bronzing Powder, and was priced at £39. I already own Orgasm Blush but have never tried the two other products. I can't believe I held off purchasing Laguna Bronzer, and I absolutely love it!! (I'm now thinking of purchasing the full size, so the travel set will not hit pan before the others do). The bronzer doesn't make me look 'dirty' and the slight shimmers do not show up on the face (if they do, then it just adds a subtle glow to the skin - perfect for healthy looking skin). Albatross Highlighting Blush is a really nice, golden shimmer - kind of reminds me of Mac's Vanilla pigment.

So that's it! Just a small and quick haul =D

What beauty treats have you brought recently? Any Topshop makeup products that you would recommend?

Love, Sarah xoxo

Vacation Clothing Haul: H&M, Topshop, Primark

Hi Dolls!

I've been doing a spot of shopping lately, now that I have finished uni :) I've been looking to purchase some clothing items for a few holidays that I'm going on this year, so summer essentials were mainly on the list and not makeup. Here's what I got....

Primark, £10

I went into Primark and found this gorgeous coral shirt for £10! I have been really into coral shades lately (without consciously knowing until after I came home and saw all the coral pieces that I'd brought). I brought a UK size 8 (US 4) and think this shirt would go really well tucked into white/black/camel coloured shorts, you can dress it up or down and it compliments my dark hair and medium tan skin tone. At £10 -  bargain!

Primark, £12, Topshop Maxi Dress £18

The second item is a sleeveless, stone-washed, cropped denim jacket. At first I was skeptical about it on the hanger but when I tried it on, it was the perfect fit for my petite frame. The jacket stops at my waist and fits perfectly on my back. I thought it's look great teamed up with maxi dresses during the summer. Perfect for that laid back, casual outfit w/ layered jewellery! This one was priced at £12 (expensive for Primark?) and I brought a UK size 8. Underneath, is a plain black, Topshop maxi-dress that I also brought :)

H&M, £12.99

Recently, I've been loving shopping at H&M whilst simultaneously been going through a shorts craze. I found these 'smart' camel shorts and just had to buy them. I got a size up (UK10/US6) because I didn't want 'a really fitted' look and these were priced at £12.99. The shorts are such a classic design and can be worn year-round - so many outfit choices can be made with these.

H&M, £12.99

Now these are the complete opposite, they're very casual, loosely-fitted and ORANGE/CORAL! They really do not look appealing on the hanger but once tried on, they really embody summer. I don't think the pic shows the stitching detail but it reminds me of those tiered tops that came out during the past 2 summers and these have pockets too. I think these would be fantastic for colour blocking outfits during the daytime. There was a navy version but I don't own a pair of orange/coral shorts so chose these ones instead. They cost £12.99 and I got them in my regular size 8.

H&M, £7.99

I also brought these casual turn-up shorts, both in coral and white for £7.99 each. Yes, I know I brought the same kind but they're in two different colours! Hehe. I consider these the 'lazy summer day' short - perfect for relaxed days and I wouldn't be fussed if they were to get ruined. Both were brought in UK8/US4.

H&M, £12.99

I got this sheer, purple/pink-ish vest-top. It has a racer back and a small (discreet) pocket detailing on the front. The print is of palm trees and I absolutely love the colours on this top! This would be perfect for those hot, sunny days on vacation for a casual daytime look to the beach or sightseeing. I got this in a UK size 10 because I wanted the top to be more loose and longer. Lastly......

H&M, £14.99

I got these bright babies!! I absolutely LOVE them! Perfect for summertime colour-blocking :) One thing that I'll make sure is that my feet will be in tip-top condition - unmaintained feet is a no-no!

And that's it!

What recent clothing purchases/trends have you been in to?

Sarah xoxo

Haul: Lipsy, Primark, Topshop, Dune

I haven't been clothes shopping in a very long time...usually I just buy one piece here and there, every 2-3 weeks. But to specifically go on a mission to buy multiple items of clothing in one week alone, then no I haven't been in months! I think I've been more addicted to makeup shopping instead =S, which I can say is very frequent...

Recently, I've been watching and reading a couple of videos and blogs on recent clothing hauls. That prompted me! One YouTube video that I watched was by a girl called Sara (SWalkerMakeup - I love her videos and she has such a sweet personality :)) and she showed a beautiful soft camel, chiffon shirt that she brought from Lipsy. I just had to have it!! Cue.....

Lipsy Button Front Laced Shirt, £38

I love it! I'm usually a UK size 8 but I brought a size larger as I wanted the shirt to be more loose and 'flowy'. It is sheer and the neck line is low so I will wear a cami underneath, but obviously you don't have to - it's your preference! There are delicate black lace detailings around the neck line at the front and also around the elasticated cuffs - giving it that extra feminine touch. The sleeves are 'puffy' and not fitted so drapes down until it gathers at the wrist. l I think it's all the detailing of the top that makes me love it :)

I would wear mine with black skinny jeans and either cute nude pumps or black biker boots, teamed with a blazer for a daytime look. For the evening, just add some black or patent camel/nude heels!

I couldn't find the shirt on the Lipsy website but I brought mine at a concession in Topshop. I have also seen the shirt at the freestanding Lipsy stores. Both also give 10-20% student discount! Love Love!

Lipsy Embellished Fan Sleeve Top, £38

I also brought another top from Lipsy, which you can find here on the website. This time in a dusty pink colour and in my usual size 8. I think you would have to see the colour in person to know whether it would suit your skintone, but I am naturally lightly tanned (not bronzed) and it suits me well. The top has angel sleeves and again the top flows and drapes down to your waist. It is sheer so I will be wearing a cami underneath this one too. I absolutely love the pearl and silver embellished detailing around the neckline! Love!

I don't usually buy my clothes from Primark but I wanted to see what they had in their collection...and I ended up leaving with quite a few items!

Ok, first of all, I know I'm not a teenager anymore and yes fine, I'm getting...older :'( But I thought this grey cardigan was 'cute'. My BF calls it 'cheesy' (hahaha) but I stand my ground, I like it :) It has multi-coloured pastel hearts all over it and fits around the body well (not too loosely).

I brought it as I thought it would just be a very casual 'studying in the library/popping out to the shop' cardigan. And at £12, I can't really lose...

I also brought a cream long cardigan with sheer flower designs all over it. It has pockets at the bottom and the cardi would be nice for layering and the during the spring time...Another item that I brought was a light pink sweater with faux diamond detailing all over, nice to wear just for uni :)

 I saw this light tan pleated skirt, made from cotton with a zip at the side. I needed some skirts and not just the bodycon ones! Not too sure what I would wear with this yet but I don't mind having it in my wardrobe and it only cost £12!...Can you see a trend here with the nude colour scheme?!

I passed by the accessories section of Primark and 98% of everything cost £1! So I picked up a pack of 3 cute flower hair grips. They're not big enough to hold up my entire head of hair in them but they're do for when I'm at home and want to get my hair out of my face. I also brought a pair of cute flower earrings (bottom right) and two rings - one similar to the Swarowski Chic rings and a plastic pink rose....

I popped into Topshop (where I brought the Lipsy shirt) and wanted to buy a new pair of denim jeans. I like the range that TS offers because they stock 30" leg lengths. I'm 5 ft 2" and always find it difficult to find a decent pair of fitted jeans with the right length - I hate having to wait to alter jeans. I was looking for a pair that was fitted towards the ankle, in a dark indigo colour and found these!...

Topshop 'Leigh'  Super Soft Ankle Grazer in Navy, £36

I brought a size up (Waist 28) rather than my usual W26, as they come up extremely small!!! But I love them all the same! They are extremely soft and don't have any fancy pocket detailing, etc. I wore them today and they're very comfortable :) Love!

Last but not least! I found these babies the other day whilst I was browsing in Dune...

 They were originally £99 but I brought them in the sale for £40!!! I couldn't believe it! They are extremely comfortable peep-toe, platform heels and have a diamond and metal twist detailing at the front. The heels have silver metal details and I love them! I might wear these on Valentine's Day <3

So that's it - a haul of clothing that was long overdue! I really recommend visiting these stores as their new Spring/Summer collections are being released and most of their sale stock has gone, so the stores don't look as messy and they're not too busy during this time of the year :)

Sarah xoxo

Haul: Chanel, No.7, Toni&Guy

I thought I'd share with you some of my purchases that I picked up this week amongst others - these are just going to be a few makeup/beauty-related items :)

Today I stopped by the Chanel counter as they had just released their new Spring 2011 Collection. I had previously read Temptalia's (one of my fave blogs!!) post of the new collection and knew that I had to it check out once released. I already knew that I wanted 2 of the nailpolishes: 513 Black Pearl and 515 Peche Nacree, 13ml, but wasn't too sure on the eyeshadow palettes nor the lipsticks/glosses. The pic below doesn't really give the justice that both polishes deserve. Peche Nacree is a beautiful pearlescent peach with silver and pink micro-shimmers and would look lovely during the Spring/Summer months! Whilst the Black Pearl is more dimensional in colour. It's a gunmental colour with silver/grey and teal shimmers, depending on the lighting it can look more grey/silver or gunmental w/ teal reflects. Gorgeous, especially during the Winter months! I'm going to try out the Peche Nacree tonight and hopefully it won't be too streaky :S

The collection is actually really nice as a whole considering that I haven't followed their collections in years. They released two eyeshadow palettes: one limited edition and the other permanent. I swatched the LE palette, which had 5 shimmery colours but once blended, the pigmentation seemed to disappear on the back of my hand so I didn't bother. Eyeliners - I didn't think I needed anymore. Lipsticks - They had released 4 but I decided to only pick up one: Rouge Coco 77 Jersey Rose, as it seemed to be the colour that I would most likely use and it wouldn't just say at the back of my lipstick drawer.

The Rouge Coco 77 Jersey Rose is a sheer, mostly rosey but with coral hints lipcolour - the picture above doesn't really show the true pigmentation (Sorry!). This would be my 2nd lipstick from that line, the other one that I own is 05 Mademoiselle, which is much more darker and shall I say, mauvey-peachy-ish in colour (I'm crap at describing!). I actually like both lipsticks and hopefully the Jersey Rose will not fail me in the long run.

I also picked up the 38 Peche Precision Lip Definer, 1g, as I don't really own any peachy-coral lipliners and think it would really work during the summer. But it isn't a must so you can skip it if you already have peach/coral liners :)

I had one more No.7 £5 off voucher to use by Sunday so I stopped over at Boots on my way home. I don't really buy No.7 products whenever I makeup shop - to be honest, the only time I ever do is when Boots give the £5 off voucher (hahaha). I have a couple of their brushes that I love and an eyebrow pencil, but that's really it. Any lipsticks that I had brought previously, I gave to my mum x

Anyways, the first product I automatically saw and reached for was their Spring 2011 Collection Blue Cream liner (limited edition). I tried to take a photo but the colour keeps coming up black, so I gave up (Sorry again!). I would describe the cream liner as a dark indigo blue - that's basically it, no shimmer/glitter, just plain dark blue. I use Clinique's Cream Liners and they don't offer a dark blue, so that's how I decided at the counter to use my voucher :), in the end I paid £5.50. I don't have high expectations for the liner but let's just wait and see if it proves me wrong.

Earlier this week, I decided to start curling my hair on a more regular basis (as in once every 2 weeks hahaha). I don't really know much about styling hair and just blowdry and go. My hair length is past my bra-band to give you an idea, and it's thick, straight and black with some dark brown hints (from highlights years ago). I have one 1.5inch curling tong that I brought from Rite Aid, whilst I lived in the US last year, so I'm weary about using it in London due to the socket adapter and the handle heats up quickly. This Toni&Guy 38mm Tourmaline Wave and Curl Tong was really inexpensive and more or less the same as my American one. I picked it up at John Lewis Department Store. Considering that I don't really style my hair, I think that it's not necessary for me to spend a lot of money on a hair tool and this only cost me £19.95! I tried it out once this week and really loved the curls that it gave :)

So that's it! Just a few beauty/makeup products that I picked up this week. I also placed an order with Love-Makeup.co.uk for 3 Sigma brushes. The parcel came this morning but unfortunately, I missed it! :(

What products did you buy from Chanel's Spring 2011 collection? 

Love Sarah
XOXO