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Showing posts with label lee stafford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lee stafford. Show all posts



The other week I nipped into Boots for a few bits and pieces and obviously ended up buying things that I most definitely did not need. But at least it gave me the opportunity to put it into a post and classify it as a haul, right?! Here's to cheap makeup that has outstanding quality... Cheers! *clinks glass of water against wall*
















Natural Collection Solo Eyeshadow in Crushed Walnut - £1.99




Collection Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit - £3.99




Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Neutral x 2 - £1.99 each








Have you been shopping recently?

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
♥


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?
♥

So this is my first ever empties post and I've been meaning to do one for aaages. My main concern is that I don't finish enough products to do one, but it wasn't until I started putting all my empties in a box for this post did I realise that I actually do! Me being me wrote this a little late, mainly because I had other posts planned but I've finally got around to it. Now I can't remember which order they were used up in so I'll just do them at random.


Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo & Conditioner
By far my favourite shampoo and conditioner, ever. This stuff is absolutely fabulous and I can see myself using it for years to come. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you may know that I'm a huge fan of Lee Stafford's hair care and styling range, I can't get enough! I rave about his products to anyone that'll listen, they're the best and I ain't just saying that. I go through these two products so quickly though because my hair is so long and I have so much of it, and as the products aren't exactly cheap my mum kindly gets them for me (hi mum!) as I can't afford them myself. Sigh.



The Body Shop Earth Lovers Apricot & Basil 100% Biodegradable Shower Gel
A friend of my mum's bought me a bunch of these Earth Lovers shower gels a couple years ago in different scents for my birthday and I just got around to using them, and I must say, they smell soooooo good. You wouldn't think that apricot and basil would work, but it really does. It's hard to explain the scent but it smells a little like them fruit salad chewy sweets. Consistency-wise, it's not as thick as average shower gels, it's actually pretty watery. But because I use all shower gels with one of them scrunchy, net-like thingymajigys (I am so good at explaining stuff) it doesn't bother me, although I have noticed that this one has lathered more than average shower gels. I would've happily bought it again if they hadn't have been discontinued *sad face*.




Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Ah, Liz Earle. My favourite skincare brand by far. This is the first tonic that I haven't found to make my skin drying or tight, which just shows how good it is for my skin. It leaves my skin silky-soft and it smells so clean and slightly floral...a bit like a meadow on an early morning in spring, but not overpowering. The perfect toner for all skin types!



Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray
This is the kind of product that I love, but would prefer to find a cheaper alternative to. It's good n'all, and I have bought a replacement, but at £20 for 118ml, I'm debating whether it's worth it. It makes my make-up look more 'skin like' after I've applied powder and the bottle lasts ages, which are both a plus but it just doesn't seem to keep oil at bay as much as I would like it to. I'm gonna search around for a cheaper alternative to compare it to, as I feel for the price it should have a lot more going for it.



No7 Stay Perfect Smoothing & Brightening Eye Base
I do like this product, and I could see myself buying it again as it keeps my eyeshadow in place, but it creases. It's annoying because I find it so much easier to use than Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and to be honest creasing doesn't actually bother me that much but it is £7 for a little pot so if I needed a cheap(ish) eye base, I'd probably go for this one.




Soap & Glory Trick & Treatment Concealer
I got this about 4 years ago and only just found it again, and no, I didn't use it...not after I'd smelt it anyway. I used to absolutely adore this concealer, I'm so annoyed at myself for letting it go off as I used to swear by it. I can't remember if it's actually as good as I thought it was, but I'll definitely be buying it again! I know it's not empty but I was gonna throw it away anyway and wanted to share that with you all because I'm strange.



I'm gonna start doing empties posts more if you guys are interested in them, as I quite enjoyed going through the stuff I've used up. Plus, I'm trying harder to use up older products before new ones, and this is a good incentive to help me!


What have you used up recently?
♥

It usually takes me around half an hour to blow dry my hair 'cause I have a lot of it and it's pretty long. Because of this, I've always put off blow drying my hair and therefore rarely straightening it. I know blow drying is bad for your hair, but as long as you're not doing it every day it's fine, but I'd maybe do it once a month if that.

When I went to Home Bargains (if you've never been in you need to) a couple months ago I saw that they had a load of Lee Stafford stuff but at a fraction of the price. I picked up a few products but the one I was most excited to try was the Wonder Spray which promises to reduce the time it takes to blow dry hair and also helps de tangle hair. Now if you know me you'll know that I'm a huge fan of Lee Stafford's products, and so although I had my reservations about the spray, I did believe that it could work. And boy, does it work.

Like I said before it usually takes me around half an hour to dry my hair, so I expected that the spray would maybe reduce the time to around 20 minutes. I was shocked that after 4 minutes, yes 4 minutes, my hair was completely dry. This spray cost me like £3 and yet it does that! I am so pleased with this product and intend on buying more. Home Bargains probably won't sell it again but I know Boots do, and I'm more than happy to pay full price. 

The back of the bottle/can (I don't really know what it is) says that it's 'full of extra special ingredients to improve the smoothness of the surface of the hair and reduce friction, for easier combing and detangling of wet hair. With added heat protection to protect hair up to the heat of 220'C. It also contains a little bit of hold to keep your style once you have blow dried it into place!' And it doesn't lie! Not only did it help reduce blow drying time dramatically, my hair seemed less frizzy than it usually does when I blow dry, and it did make combing my hair easier. Plus it has the typical Lee Stafford scent that lasts and makes your hair smell b-e-a-utiful!

If you're a busy person like me and don't have the time or the effort to blow dry your hair, but wish you could, I'd highly recommend this Wonder Spray, RRP'd at £6.19 at Boots.

this one gets ♥♥♥♥♥ - I can't fault it!

What's your favourite Lee Stafford product?
♥
Ok, so I've been a vegetarian for around 7 years now. A lot of people ask me why, and my usual response is 'I've never really liked meat' but I guess it's more than that. I've always been a huge animal lover and I became a vegetarian after I found out that animals were killed for meat (I thought they died naturally - how naive) and I can easily say I'll never go back. Because of my passion for animals and their welfare, I began researching animal rights and came across the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. For some of you that may not know, PETA is an animal rights charity based in America, and they basically fight for animal rights and reveal the raw truth about what really happens to animals behind closed doors. On their homepage there was a link to their 'Companies that test' and 'Companies that don't test' lists, and as I was an intrigued 11-year-old I decided to check them out. I didn't know up until then what went on in laboratories. I didn't know what animals went through just so someone could have a tube of mascara. It's fair to say I was in complete shock. I went on several of their other posts about animal testing and actually saw what happened to the monkeys and the kittens. I recall just sitting there and crying for hours, I just couldn't understand how anyone could ever do that to a defenceless animal! Luckily, as I was only young I'd only ever used mum's Marks & Spencer's make-up which was - and still is - cruelty free. I decided from then on that whatever make-up I purchased would NOT be tested on animals, and I trusted in PETA's 'Companies that don't test' list for guidance. Sorry for the long intro, but here it is, my top 10 cruelty-free make-up brands!


10. Natural Collection - Cheap & Great Quality
One of my favourite face powders is the NC Pressed Powder. It helps keep shine at bay, it's perfect for my porcelain skin and most importantly it's a mere (drum roll) £1.99. Yes, you read it right. I'm pretty in love with the powders, they aren't super pigmented, which you kinda expect from something so cheap,  but I don't use powders for coverage, I use them just to set my foundation and prevent oil attacking it, and it does it for me.


9. Lee Stafford - Soft & Shiny results
I have a fairly big collection of Lee Stafford products, one of my favourites being his Hair Growth range. All his products are encased in the famous pink packaging which makes it a stylish addition to your dressing table, a bonus on his already great quality products. Even though it's a high-quality brand, it's affordable. If it's slightly out of your price range, Boots often do a 3 for 2 offer on the Lee Stafford range, making it that much more appealing. If you're like me and fall for products just by sniffing them, you'll fall in love with these products, guaranteed.


8. Liz Earle Skincare - Natural & Really Works
I've got really bad scarring from having acne and I've tried all the skincare sets that are meant to help me, like Clinique's Anti Blemish range and Manuka Doctor's apiclear. But none of it really worked... I mean they might've made a slight improvement but not enough for me to notice. I tried Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser set a few months back and i've really loved it. I'm not sure if it's this or the weather or me not wearing makeup so much but my skin has vastly improved. My scarring has reduced dramatically and I can see a major difference in my skin. I was so sceptical about it seen as the Clinique and Manuka Doctor ranges didn't work for me, so I'm really hoping that these results are down to Liz Earle. One thing I have noticed is that my skin seems 'happier' because of the set. As in, my face doesn't get oily as quick after I've washed it, the toner doesn't make my skin feel tight like the others did and the moisturiser leaves my skin reeeally soft. Fingers crossed that by this time next year my scarring has completely gone, go on Liz, work your magic!!


7. ghd - Elite & Professional
When it comes to styling, ghd is THE company. It's world-renowned status has made it notorious for it's array of straighteners and more recently, hair products and the ghd air. I own the air myself, alongside the Pink Orchid styler and several products including the Final Fix Hairspray (I wrote a review for it here), the Heat Protect Spray and the Straight & Smooth Spray. The quality of ghd's products are phenomenal, there's a reason why they are so famous! ghd can be pricey, but boy is it worth it.


6. Soap & Glory - Vintage & Kooky
I am a huuuge Soap & Glory fan. When it's Christmastime and Boots do their 3 for 2's I can't help myself but buy almost all of their sets. I know, I know I don't need it all but when it's on offer and the packaging is that cute and it all smells so gooood I just can't help myself. I am not sorry. Some of my favourite S&G products include their Arch De Triumph eyebrow pencil, Kick Ass Concealer and Sugar Crush body wash (you just need to smell it)!


5. Bourjois - Colourful & Pigmented *NO LONGER CRUELTY FREE*
Bourjois are famous for their eyeshadows (which I happen to be selling here and here) and blushers, but one thing I love about Bourjois are their Rouge Edition Lipsticks (will be doing a review on these at some point probably). My current tally is at 5 and counting with my favourite being Fraise Remix which is a beautiful bright pink, perfect for going out but tame enough for a work environment. Another Bourjois product I love is their Healthy Mix Concealer, which I use as a 'base' concealer underneath my foundation if I need super full coverage. I'm determined to collect all their Little Round Pot eyeshadows, I only have 8 at the moment but they are so luxuriously pigmented and affordable that I just can't help myself!


4. No.7 - Sleek & Flawless
I have a major love for No7's Beautifully Matte foundation, which I wrote a review of here. Not only is their match-made service revolutionary, their range of foundations, concealers and powders is wide enough for any skin tone or type. Besides my fave foundation, I also adore their felt-tip liner, it makes lining your upper lashes so much easier due to the nib being fairly stiff so you don't end up with black all over. Plus, their brush cleanser is a must-have!


3. Real Techniques - Vegan & Affordable
These brushes are sososo soft, and they're made using synthetic hairs! Sam Chapman is the lady behind these phenominal brushes that promise to give you a flawless finish without spending an arm and a leg! I'm obsessed with them, I only have 8 in my collection at the moment but I intend on buying them all, they've changed the way my makeup looks completely. I didn't realise before but it wasn't until I made my first purchase on their Stippling Brush that it was so easy to create an airbrushed look, before I settled with blotchy - not good.


2. Barry M - Cheap & Cheerful
I've only used Barry M's lip paints, lip crayons and nail paints but they are some of the best i've ever come across, especially the Paints. As you may have seen in a previous post on the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints i'm a little in love. The Gellys are my ultimate fave when it comes to the polishes but I also have the textured paint in Kingsland Road, the special Christmas gold edition paint, the sequin paint in Pink and the neon paint in Fuschia (amazing colour)! I'm adament to collect all the Lip Paints, they're so creamy and long-lasting, and for £4.49 you can't really go wrong, plus the green one that changes colour to the alkaline level on your lips is so freaking cool, and I managed to nab it after months of searching!


1. Urban Decay - Luxury & Ridiculously Pigmented
And finally, at number one it has to be the exquisite Urban Decay. The pigmentation of Urban Decay's eyeshadows are astounding, although they are quite pricey they're definitely worth it - I use mine for occasions, not daily use as I'm quite worried about hitting pan! Despite this, I find that no other eyeshadow can even compare to that of UD's. I currently have the Naked, Naked2, BYOP Rock, BYOP Melt, Glinda and Theodora palettes, and I still feel like I need more! I use their b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Spray and their De-Slick Setting Spray daily, it makes such an impact on the longevity of my makeup, thus saving more makeup in the long run. I'm also a big fan of their Super Saturated Lip Crayons, SuperCurl Curling Mascara, all their brushes, and their powders. Not only are their products commendable, but so is their attitude to animal welfare. Urban Decay is recognised as being one of the biggest cruelty-free brands, with a wide vegan range. When they were considering expanding to China, I was furious. I sent emails begging them to not lose their morals just so their makeup could be sold in a big country. Luckily, UD listened to the thousands of us and decided not to sell in China, thus keeping them cruelty-free. YAY YAY URBAN DECAY!


p.s. i'm sorry the post is a day late - Celebrity Big Brother finished last night and I couldn't miss it for the world (shut up that is not sad, Charlotte & Mario needed me okay)


What's your favourite cruelty-free brand?!
♥