The Latest

Before I went on my holiday to Cyprus, my Mum and I went on several trips to Marks & Spencer's because one, it's one of our favourite shops, and two, we needed to get more stuff for our hols. Yes, we did need more. I find that Marks & Spencer's is extremely underrated with people my age, as it's dismissed for being a shop for 'the oldies'. I couldn't disagree more! Limited Edition (previously Limited Collection) is one of my favourite places to get my clothes from as they're great quality, reasonably priced, and on-trend. What more could you want?! Not to mention the Food department is amazing...


Normal M&S


M&S Collection Cat's Eye Sunglasses in Black - £15
When I saw these I just had to have them. They had them in a tortoiseshell finish as well, but I ended up going for the plain black as they're soooo Kourtney Kardashian. And if you know me, you'll know how much I love her.



M&S Collection Supersoft Ankle Socks 3 Pair Pack - £4
Yeah I know that socks aren't exactly exciting but I felt the need to tell you about them. I desperately needed some black socks for work (where I'm on my feet all day), so when I saw these super soft ones, I knew they'd do the job just fine.



Shoes (sadly can't find link)
Ahhhh, I love these shoes. At first I was unsure because of the height, but they've definitely grown on me. I surprisingly don't have many pairs of shoes and I wanted some that were classy but could be used for different occasions. These are pretty comfy and suuuuper elegant, something I could see the Duchess of Cambridge wearing, who happens to be one of my style icons.



M&S Active Santoni Seamfree Cropped Leggings in Pink Mix - £17.50
I just had to be a sheep didn't I?! I'd been wanting some yoga pants for ages as I'm forcing myself into starting jogging. I am yet to actually go, as my friend who I'm meant to be doing it with keeps making excuses. Shame on you, Shannon! Anyways, I love the fit and they're ridiculously comfy. I can see my wardrobe filling up with these soon enough... So tumblr.



Floral Collection Lavender Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - £2
There's not much to say about deodorant except that I'm on my third M&S one now (I think) and it does it's job, and is cheap at the same time!


M&S Outlet


M&S Collection Animal Print Round Frame Sunglasses - £9.50 (I think they were £6 in the Outlet)
As you can see, I have a thing for sunglasses at the moment. I got these from the Outlet a week or so after getting the Kourtney-esque sunnies, and loved them. Like I said, I wanted the tortoiseshell versions too, so when I saw these, I fell in love. These are currently my fave sunglasses as they're super wearable and so on-trend at the moment.



Limited Edition Flirt Plunge Push-Up Bikini Top - £4.99 
Limited Edition Flirt Side Tie Bikini Bottoms - £4.50
This is such a gorgeous bikini, I love it! I wore this several times on holiday in Cyprus and it's very supportive and comfortable, not to mention it gave me a good boost, if you know what I mean...*wink wink*.



Bouclé Jacket (can't find link)
Taking inspiration from the Duchess herself yet again, I opted for this classic jacket. I love the shape of it, it balances out my body perfectly. My Gran even commented on it, saying that it was 'very Chanel'. I have to agree, as it has that classic look of a Chanel piece, minus the £3,000 price tag. J'adore.



What have you bought recently?
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It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was on holiday that I'd noticed that although my blog was a cruelty-free blog, I'd never written posts regarding companies and their animal testing policies. This is why I'm going to start writing up the e-mail responses I've been given by these companies, to help you know which ones are cruelty-free and which ones aren't. If anyone has any requests on companies that they'd like to know are cruelty-free or not, you can pop on over to my ask.fm account where I'd be happy to e-mail that company for you.

If you haven't noticed, there is a new addition to my navigation bar up above. The Cruelty-Free section of my blog is where you'll find all things to do with these e-mail responses. I'm also going to compile my very own Do and Don't Test lists from the responses I've received from these companies, to aid you in shopping the animal-friendly way.


the Katy Perry lashes are definitely my favourite lashes of all time - and not just 'cause they're hers!

First up is Eylure. I've always been a big fan of their eyelashes, and it wasn't until about a year ago that I realised that they could be tested on animals. I was pretty oblivious, to say the least. I scoured the internet, and nowhere could I find anything regarding their animal testing policy. I sent Eylure the usual questions (Do you test any of your products/ingredients on animals? Also, do you sell in China?' on the 17th August 2013, and Original Additions (creators of Eylure) responded two days later:


'Hello There,

Thank you very much for your e-mail.

Our products are not tested on animals. I am afraid we do not currently have a distributor in China.

I hope this information is useful to you.'


I'm pretty happy with the response. They got back to me quickly and answered all of my questions, and I'm so chuffed that they're cruelty-free! Now I can add them to my Don't Test list.


Eylure's website - http://www.eylure.com/

Original Additions website - http://www.originaladditions.co.uk/


♥


I understand that it's July now and March and April seem like forever ago, but I enjoy writing empties posts as it reminds me that although I buy a lot of products, I do actually use them up too. That's my excuse whenever I step into Boots, anyway.

In the space of these two months I used up a lot more products than I usually would, so this is gonna be a pretty hefty post! I've decided that I'm going to split all the products up into different categories, to make it a little more structured. Everything is better when it's organised. God, I'm starting to sound like my mother...



Make-up



No7 Stay Precise Felt Tip Eyeliner in Black - £8
This was the first felt tip liner I used (I think...) and it helped me achieve the ideal 'perfect eyeliner look' pretty much every day. I didn't like this product too much as I thought that it was kinda pricey for the quality but it was super-easy to use and it was a rarity that I ended up with uneven eyeliner, something that I (and pretty much everyone else) hate.


Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Cool x 4 - £1.99 each
I bet you're all sick of me talking about this powder but I adore it so much! Like I've said in the past the coverage is virtually non-existent but it sets my foundation brilliantly and that's all that really matters to me in a setting powder. And for £1.99 I can almost justify using four of them in the space of two months. Almost.


Autograph Ultimate Wear Long-Lasting Foundation in Ivory - £12.50
I got this a year or so ago and I recall liking it but absolutely hating (using bold shows just how much I hated it, adds a nice dramatic effect. Although I am not dramatic. At all. Hahahahaha.) the smell. It smelt like I had smeared oil all over my face. It was awful. Despite the not-so-pretty memory of this foundation, I thought to give it another chance. Still. Hated. It. The smell was even worse than what I remembered! I can usually deal with bad-scented products if the rest of it is good quality but after about 2 minutes of having the foundation on my face I had to get it off. It's such a shame really 'cause I'd used it quite a few times when I'd first got it, and thought that maybe it was just my bottle that had the oily smell. I looked on the M&S website at the reviews and there was no mention of the scent. I then popped into M&S (something that I seem to be doing every week now) and smelt the ones on the stand, and they smelt just like mine. All oily. Oh well, £12.50 is kinda expensive for me anyways. At least my purse is happy!


17 Clear Definition Mascara - £4.69
I used this for longer than I care to admit, hence the cute orange-tinge. There's nothing amazing about this product to be honest. I use clear mascara to set my brows, and this didn't do a very good job of it. It was okay, and it helped 'clean' my brows of powder, but it had very little setting ability. I much prefer the Natural Collection LashCare Mascara - it does the job and it's cheap!


Pro Blender Sponge - £2.20 (pack of 4)
I got these about a year ago from Amazon as I wanted a Beauty Blender but wasn't willing to pay the ridiculous price of £16 for a freaking sponge. And after a while of scouring, I found this pack of 4. I loved these sponges, for the price they were pretty impressive and a great dupe for the BB. But sadly, when I was cleaning the blue one, I didn't rinse the soap off properly and it ended up going all weird and gooey. I'm not too bothered though as it only cost 55p, and it's lasted pretty well before I ruined it!



Skincare



Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - £5.50 (30ml tube)
I got this as a freebie when I bought the full skincare set once, and although I'd usually save it for my holidays, I'd ran out of the full-sized HCC and so I ended up using this mini instead. Not much to say about this cleanser except that I love it. But if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll have read my post on how to look after your skin here and already know that. I love shamelessly plugging my own posts.


Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser - £19.25 (50ml pump)
Like Liz Earle's HCC, I adore her Light Moisturiser too. It's not greasy, and it sinks into my skin beautifully, leaving it silky soft like a baby's botty!



Hair Products



Lee Stafford Hair Growth Conditioner - £6.99
I love the Hair Growth range from Lee Stafford, and this conditioner is no exception. Because I have so much hair, I go through this stuff super-fast, which makes makes my hair happy but my purse not so much.


Nature's Origin Shampoo & Conditioner
Mum got me this set from Home Bargains for my holiday to Lanzarote back in February, and although it did the job of cleaning my hair, I did find it quite drying. Despite this, the conditioner did a good job of putting moisture back into my hair, but not enough as was needed.


Batiste Dry Shampoo a Hint of Colour in Medium & Brunette - £3.99
I'm trying to wash my hair less nowadays as the amount of shampoo and conditioner I go through is pretty excessive, and it's not exactly cheap. I used to wash my hair every single day, but now I wash it every other day and therefore need something to stop it looking greasy in between those days. That's where Batiste comes in. Before, I couldn't use them as they would make my hair look grey, but luckily enough for the dark-haired girls of the world, they brought out coloured dry shampoo. Brilliant!



Other



Ted Baker Candle in Set My World Alight (from the Holy Smoke set)
I got this candle as part of a set for Christmas from my Mum and Dad. It smells amazing, which isn't exactly surprising from Ted Baker. I do wish they weren't just a holiday thing as I would definitely repurchase them.


Marks & Spencer Floral Collection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant in Rose - £2
I don't really have much to say for this except it does the job, it's cheap, and it's cruelty-free!


The Body Shop Earth Lovers Shower Gel in Lemon & Thyme
I adore these shower gels. I got a bunch for my birthday ages ago and just got around to using them. Sadly, they've been discontinued for some unknown reason, but they were great. I especially loved this lemon and thyme one - the only way I can describe the scent is that it smells like a hot guy. And therefore it made me smell like a hot guy. Not something a girly-girl like me should look for in a fragrance, but it just smelt sooooooo good.

What have you used up recently?
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A mere 34 hours prior to writing this post, I landed at Leeds Bradford International Airport following my fabulous two-week holiday in the ever-so stunning Mediterranean island of Cyprus. I absolutely adooooore Cyprus, I've been three times now to the cute beach town of Coral Bay in Paphos, and every time I fall in love with the place all over again. I managed to see Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite's Birthplace, above) this time which I was super happy about as I'm really interested in Greek Mythology. Anyways, you guys don't wanna hear about what I did on my holiday, but I do know you'll wanna hear about what I bought, so here goes...




First off I started in LBIA's Duty-Free. Obviously. I needed to get some make-up remover wipes as I had none left at home, and I knew there was a Superdrug in the Airport so I just popped in there. As well as the face wipes I got some nail polish remover pads and a lip balm. Like I need more. As well as going to Superdrug, I also went to WHSmith to get a couple magazines that came with some fab freebies!



Superdrug Cleansing Facial Wipes (for combination skin) - £0.99
Like I said before, I needed some face wipes as I had none for my holiday. There wasn't much selection but I know that Superdrug is cruelty-free so I went straight for theirs. They had different ones but I thought best to just go for the cheap ones. Sadly they had none for oily skin so I just opted for the combination ones and so far there haven't been any issues. I can see myself buying these again to be honest, they remove make-up really easily and aren't irritating or harsh on my eyes, and they're dirt cheap!



Superdrug 20 Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Pads - £1.39
I've had the regualar pads before and to be honest they're not that great. They take forever to remove the polish, but I guess you have to expect that when they're super cheap. Instead of opting for the regular ones like last time, I went for these ones as they're acetone free and the same price as the others.



Barry M Cor Balmy! Lip Balm in Rosie Lea - £3.49
I'd realised when I was in Superdrug that I forgot my usual holiday lip balm (balmi lip balm in coconut, check out my review here) so that instantly gave me permission to by a new one. I always get excited to go the the Barry M stand in the airport as I adore their polishes. Mum stopped me from getting the new Summer Gelly collection though. Sad face. So instead of buying a bunch of new polishes, I went for one of their brand new lip balms - Cor Balmy! I didn't have high hopes of this to be honest, but I actually really like it. I got it in the shade Rosie Lea which is a bright rose pink with a hint of mauve. It's pretty nourishing and a beautiful colour. I think Mum is going to have to stop me from buying all these too...



Glamour magazine (with free Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in either Navy or Black) -
I love Glamour, so when I saw that they were giving away a free Eyeko liner with their magazine I just had to get it. You had a choice of navy or black but I didn't realise this until later, and ended up getting the navy one. At first I was annoyed at myself but then became excited to try navy as I (suprisingly) don't have one at home. I've used it a couple times so far and at the moment I love it.



Cosmopolitan magazine (with free pair of sunglasses) -
Cosmopolitan is probably my favourite magazine out of them all. I've got a pair of their sunglasses from a previous issue and they're not amazing, which isn't exactly surprising, but they're not too shabby either. There were three different shades to choose from and I opted for these black ones.




Despite being super close to the gorgeous Kings Avenue Mall, I didn't do any shopping in Cyprus itself apart from getting a cute bracelet in one of the little shops, and a nightingale jug whistle from the market which I sadly broke. Although, I did have a look around at Paphos International Airport's Duty-Free, and was excited to find a Body Shop stand.


The Body Shop Lip Butter Lollipop - €20.70 (£15 but on sale for £10)
After almost an hour of sulking because my Mum guilt-tripped me into not getting this lip butter set, I went against her wishes and got it anyway. Sorry Mum. I've been wanting one of these lollipops for aaaages, so to see one in an airport in Paphos of all places when I thought they'd stopped selling them was practically the Universe telling me I needed it. I definitely needed it.


On the flight back home to Leeds I had a little flick through Jet2's JetAway magazine, checking out all the products they had on offer. I always look through on both flights there and back, but usually get the stuff I've been eyeing up on the way back, unless it's something I reeeally want. This time their selection wasn't that good for me as there were very few cruelty-free products, which I was disappointed about, but I still managed to get something after telling myself I didn't need a new bottle of Paco Rabanne's Lady Million.



Eylure Eye & Lash Kit in Warm Smokey - £12
I was umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to get this. After around three hours of contemplating and blasting out Iggy Azalea and Foxes' new albums to help me, I decided to get it. After all, it's not like I don't have enough eyeshadows or falsies or mascara or eyeliner now is it? Noooooo of course not... The set includes three eyeshadows in gold, plum and charcoal as well as a liquid liner and mascara, both black and a pair of naturalites 107 lashes and lashfix.


Have you been on holiday recently?
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Last Monday I went to White Rose with my Mum as it was a Bank Holiday and I needed some stuff for my holiday. I always find White Rose to be fairly calm ever since the Trinity Centre was built. I like it when it's calmer though as I'm not a fan of crowds, plus you get more of a chance to look around when you're not being pushed and shoved all the time.


Zara
please ignore the fake tan mishap on my hands, it won't happen again
Zara Trafaluc High-Waisted Shorts in Yellow - £9.99 (on sale & can't find link)
Zara Trafaluc Crochet Crop Top in Mid-Ecru - £25.99
Zara Trafaluc Crochet Shorts in Light Salmon-Pink - £25.99
First up, we went into Zara. By far one of my favourite shops as I can actually fit into a lot of their pieces, something that is a rarity for me. Ah the perks of being a pear (don't know your body shape? find out here)! I managed to snag quite a few items, all of which are perfect for my upcoming Cypriot holiday. I adore this white crochet crop top, it makes a nice change from all my vests! I feel like it could be easily dressed up or down, simply depending on what kind of bottoms and shoes I opt for.
The last time I went to WR I saw these yellow shorts and tried them on in green, but just wasn't happy with the colour. Sadly they didn't have any of the other colours in my size. So, when I went back and found the yellow ones, I just had to get them!
The last piece I got from Zara were these peach crochet shorts. They're fairly loose, so perfect for the heat, and they have pockets! This sounds weird but if I ever find 'hidden' pockets on bottoms, it makes me really happy. I often can't wear bottoms with pockets on as they make my hips look wider, but if they're 'hidden' like these, they give me all the satisfaction for lipgloss and BlackBerry space, without making me look like I've put on a stone round my hips. Brilliant!


Miss Selfridge
This is what starts to happen when all the photos are going wrong...

Miss Selfridge Petites Lime Crop Vest - £12
Next, we popped into Miss Selfridge. Now, I don't normally go in here as I find it can be kinda pricey but the window display featured some fabulous outfits. Despite not getting the outfits I (and my mum - yes my mum) loved as, like I said, they were fairly pricey, I got a beautiful, vibrant lime-coloured and white-speckled loose vest top.


H&M

H&M Skater Skirt - £14.99 (can't find the link)
We then went into H&M where I was finally able to get a co-ord. Well, I already had the jacket from a previous trip but after spotting this skater skirt in the exact same print I just couldn't help myself! Sadly, when I got home, the skirt and jacket didn't work together in the way I'd hoped. Seperately, they were beautiful, but together they made me look bulky. I kinda guessed that would happen but I'd hoped for the best anyway. Plus, I thought the jacket was shorter. Sigh. Still, it's a beautiful skirt, it just looks like I'm still on the hunt for my ideal co-ord.


Superdrug

I popped into Superdrug and got two more of their Micellar Waters from their B. Pure range. I got my first one in my last haul and although I'm not obsessed with it, it's pretty good for the price. Plus, it was still on offer so I thought I might as well stock up as I've gone through the first one fairly quickly so far.


What have you purchased recently?
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