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Showing posts with label natural collection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural collection. 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
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Ages back I was requested to do this post by a reader on ask.fm, so whoever that was - thank-you for the great idea! Here I have compiled a list of my 10 favourite cruelty-free (of course) budget beauty products ranging from skincare to make-up bits and pieces. Enjoy!




I've had this blusher for years and somehow still haven't hit pan. Talk about value for money! It's a universally wearable colour as it's such a beautiful, natural shade. It's perfectly pigmented and I'd recommend to all!





This has to be the only face wash that I've used that I can tell has properly cleaned my face. Because the muslin cloth that comes with the cleanser is white, and because the cleanser is white too, you can really see all the crap come off your face. It's disgusting but sooo satisfying at the same time. Not to mention it's super gentle on your skin, which is always a bonus. I've mentioned it previously in my 'How To: Care For Your Skin' post that you can have a little read of here.





This stuff comes in super handy. If I'm feeling lazy (which is very often) I can use this to clean my face, and not feel guilty about it. It gives your face a great deep clean, getting out any traces of dirt from the day. Not to mention, it's a great make-up remover! My only problem is that I have to be careful taking my eye make-up off with it, as it's not quite as sensitive as it should be.





I started using this foundation when I was about 15 and I loved it, but at the time I didn't know how to properly apply foundation and concealer, and therefore the coverage wasn't great. Now that I know how to get the most out of a product, I can use the HMF to it's full potential, And despite it not being full coverage like I would usually opt for, it's great when applied on top of Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.





This is probably my favourite nail polish of all time. And I've literally had hundreds of different polishes, but this one tops them all. It gives you a shiny, pigmented finish that can even trick the professionals themselves into thinking you've had a gel manicure. Forget going to the beauticians - just nip to Boots!





If you have trouble applying eyeliner, you need this. This liner has helped me create the perfect eye look on so many occasions, at one point causing a shop assistant at Miss Selfridge to compliment me and ask where my eyeliner was from. Safe to say she was pretty shocked when I said Collection, I think she was expecting me to say MAC or something! Because it's a felt tip, the nip is fairly stiff (stop it) and therefore makes for easier application. It's now a staple in my make-up bag as it doesn't flake or dry out quickly like many others I've tried.





These lipsticks are amazing. They're pigmented, creamy and long-lasting. What else could you want in a lipstick?! The packaging is sleek and classic too, which is always a huge bonus. The only issue is that once you get one, you're gonna wanna get them all...



excuse the chipped nail polish... *cringe*


Everyone and their dog seems to rave on about this stuff, but it really is fab. There are many people out there that dismiss 'cheap' make-up because they believe it's not going to be good. Yet brands like Collection are there to prove them wrong. If you're looking for a medium-to-full coverage liquid concealer, give this one a try. My only main concern is the small colour range, especially for those like me who have pale yet neutral/warm skin.





I've loved their lip balm since around 2010 when I first purchased their limited edition Christmas Spiced Vanilla. Quickly after, I purchased the Cranberry Joy flavour in the range and then the next year, added Candied Ginger to my collection. Sadly, they no longer do them exact lip balms anymore. Two Christmases ago, I went into the Body Shop to see if they had any, but they were replaced by these domed lip balms that were no where near as good, they weren't even creamy like the old ones! I think TBS must've gotten a few requests to bring the old lip balms back as last Christmas they donned a similar formula, and I obviously had to snag one. This time, in the Glazed Apple flavour. Sadly but obviously, these only come around at Christmastime. Therefore, you can either wait or you can get their good-but-not-as-good Lip Butters. I have a bunch of these and I do love them, but they're just not quite the same.





If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll be sick and tired of me raving on about this powder. For the price, it's bloody fab. Yeah the coverage is non-existent but it sets my makeup perfectly. And for just under £2, it's worth a try. I guess that's why I felt it was worth the coveted No.1 place!



What are your favourite budget beauty buys?
~requested~

"We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognise it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace." - Albert Schweitzer 
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Okay so if you're one of those kinds of people who will read haul posts and then go out and buy everything, you might wanna look away. It's safe to say that after taking the picture below I came to the realisation that I may have a problem... Mum, if you're reading this, you were right. God I hope she doesn't read this. To make my 'little' haul seem less dramatic, all of the products that I'm about to show you were bought on three separate occasions over a period of around 4 months, one of them I paid entirely with advantage points. So it's not that bad...right? I've been keeping all this stuff in their bags and boxes so I could write about them, but admittedly I have used about half of them... oops! Anyways, if you're easily influenced like I said before, you may wanna look away. But for those with a very strong willpower (screw you), carry on...





Skincare


Boots Botanics Micellar 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution Ultra Calm - £3.29 (currently on sale for £2.19)

I wanted to see if I could find a micellar water that would take my eye makeup off as the Superdrug one I was currently using was quite drying and therefore I didn't want to put it on my eyes. It does the job fairly well, it doesn't sting when I use it although you can feel it on your eyes if you use too much. I paid £3.99 for this bottle, it was reduced from £4.99 at the time...looks like they've lowered the price completely!




Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Cleansing & Toning Wipes - £3.39

I think I had a voucher that if you spent so much on the Tea Tree & Witch Hazel range you would get so many points, so I thought these wipes would be worth a try to remove makeup. Plus, they might help my nasty acne-prone skin out!



Tea Tree & Witch Hazel with Active Charcoal Face Mask - £3.59

Same excuse (haha) as above, except I really wanted to try this. I've used their peel-off face mask before and really liked it, so I thought this was worth a shot. I always used to go for peel-off masks over mud masks but recently I've been preferring the latter. Plus, charcoal is meant to be really good for your skin. I used this on Monday, and on first impressions it's lovely! We'll have to see how it goes...

Make-up


Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla x 3 - £9.99 each

When I was about 16 this was my go-to foundation. I loved it at the time, but as I got better at doing make-up I didn't enjoy it as much as it didn't give the coverage I wanted and needed. After a 3-year hiatus I returned to it in a classic 'I've ran out of foundation and if I don't get any now I will die' panic. And to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. Last time I tried it, I hadn't quite mastered the art of concealer, but now that I have I can see how brilliant this foundation is and why so many people rave about it. I guess that's why I bought three...




Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation in Porcelain - £5.99

Ah, the almost-perfect full coverage foundation. This is my go-to if my skin is acting more annoying than usual as it covers my imperfections (with the aid of the LP concealer) without looking too cakey. Only main problem with this foundation is the lack of shade range, especially for pale-but-warm toned creatures like myself.



Seventeen Stay Time Foundation in Porcelain - £6.49

To be honest I'm not too sure why I got this, I guess I was having a foundation-related identity crisis. The reviews on the boots website were brilliant so I thought I might as well have a try. Plus, it's full coverage!



Seventeen BB Magic Blemish Balm in Light - £6.99

Before this purchase, I only had one BB cream from the Body Shop that turned me electric orange. Not a good look. Therefore, I decided to try and find one that doesn't make me look like I've been tangoed as I was going on holiday and wanted a lighter alternative to my usual full coverage foundations.



Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair x 3 - £4.19 each

The classic Lasting Perfection concealer that everyone and their dog seems to be raving about just had to be included, didn't it? It's fab for the price, and it was on 3 for 2!



Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Neutral x 8 - £1.99 each

I bet you're all getting tired of me banging on about this powder...but it's just so good! You wouldn't think it was good cause it's so cheap, but it seriously is brilliant. If you haven't yet tried it, get one! Or make like me and get 8!


left to right - personne ne rouge & grand cru


I know I'm super-late on the bandwagon for this one, but that's mainly due to the fact that I've been banning myself from buying unnecessary make-up products for what feels like forever. When I went on this Boots binge I decided to treat myself to one, seen as I've been so good for so long. After much deliberation, I decided to go for Personne ne Rouge - a classic red. Very Taylor Swift. As for Grand Cru, that's Jenny's (more of a sister than best friend) fault. I told her about my purchase of PNR and she fell in love and just had to have it. Therefore, when she got Grand Cru, I just had to get one as well. We are non-biological twin sisters, after all.



Collection Supersize Fat Lash Mascara in Ultra Black - £2.99

Because I'd spent so much on Collection products, I got this lil freebie. I never seem to buy mascara as I always get them free like this, or in sets. I honestly can't even remember when I last paid money for one!



Seventeen Backlash Mascara in Brown Black - £6.49

Like with the Collection mascara, this was a freebie. Not bad for a freebie to say it's worth over £6! I'm looking forward to seeing how these two work out though, although that may be in a year or so. I have a LOT of mascara...



Other Stuff That I Can't Categorise Because There Isn't Enough Stuff...Stuff



Batiste Dry Shampoo in Medium & Brunette x 2 - £3.99 each (on sale for £2.66)

I used to wash my hair every day and now that my hair is down past the bottom of my back, I can't really be bothered anymore. Plus, if I'm straigtening it, it's always better on the second day. Although it's always starting to get greasy at this point, and that's where my trusty Batiste comes in! I always stayed away from Batiste as it was never suitable for brown hair, until they bought this beauty out! I swear by this stuff, it's fab.



Boots Baby Shampoo (500ml) - £1.50

Boots often have a 2 for £2.50 deal on the shampoo and the baby bath below amongst other baby products, and although they're a bargain anyway, I always like to take advantage of the offer. Why not! I use this shampoo to clean my makeup brushes with, and it does a great job! It's brilliant that it's so cheap as I go through the stuff super fast. It keeps my brushes and my purse happy!




Boots Baby Moisturising Bath (500ml) - £1.50

I love a good bath, me. The smell of this stuff just reminds me of being a little kid, and the massive bottle means plenty of super bubbly baths for just over a quid. Yes it's meant to be for babies but don't knock it until you've tried it!



Have you bought way too much in Boots recently?
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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 couple of weeks ago me and my friend Shannon popped into Leeds for a few hours on a miserable Thursday afternoon. Leeds is the home of the Victoria Quarter and Trinity Centre, making it one of the best shopping destinations in the UK (if you haven't been and you adore shopping, you need to visit!). I feel pretty lucky to be able to have almost every shop you could imagine all situated in one area. My purse, on the other hand, doesn't love it so much.

Surprisingly, I didn't actually go into Leeds with the intention of buying beauty products, I actually went because I really really reaaaally wanted Iggy Azalea's The New Classic album. HMV did have it, but didn't have the Deluxe edition, which is what I wanted. So of course, I had to cheer myself up with make-up...I just had to.


I'd seen this in an e-mail I received a few weeks back and after looking it up on their website I really wanted to try it out. Now although I work in a hairdressers and therefore get my hair done for free, I've never actually had my hair dyed. I'm pretty lucky to have hair that's in good condition and I know what dyeing can do to your hair so I've always been put off. Because of this, I'd been wanting to try hair chalks out for a while so when I found out that Body Shop were selling some in pink and in blue, I knew I'd have to try it out. For £5 why not?!




I like (but not love) their Lasting Perfection Concealer and I've been wanting a cheap (but good quality) foundation for a while so I picked this up. When I got home so many people had said bad things about the foundation and despite the colour (I didn't realise they had a Porcelain shade), I actually like it. I might do a review on it sometime in the near future so keep your eyes peeled!



As I've said many times before, I adore NC's Pressed Powder. I also adore their Loose Powder and decided to pick up two!




Ah, my one true nail-love. Adored by many, raved by me. These were the last two I needed to complete my collection...until I found out that Barry M were releasing MORE shades, this time a Summer 2014 collection (read about the Summer 2013 collection here). I'll obviously be buying the Summer 2014 shades too, and there shall be a post on the Spring Collection up soon. I LOVE THEM.




As I mentioned a few paragraphs above, I don't love the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer as much as everyone else seems to, therefore I am still on the hunt for 'the perfect concealer'. As I love everything I've tried from NC I thought I'd have a try with their CoverUp Cream, and so far, I'm impressed.




Montagne Jeunesse Blemish Mud Face Mask - £0.79
Me and my mum are (secretly) obsessed with Home Bargains. If you haven't already heard of it, it's basically a shop that sells well-known brands (and some unknown ones) at a cheaper price. Sometimes a super cheap price, but not always. I'm a lover of Montagne Jeunesse and their fab face masks and whenever I get them, I get them from Home Bargains. They always have a good selection and they always seem to be on 3 for £2, that's why I bought three!

What have you purchased recently?
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Last Sunday I went to White Rose with my mum and whilst I was there I picked up a few essentials (and treats) from my ever-growing beauty shopping list. Now, I only actually bought one product from Superdrug, so this is more of a Boots haul but I thought I'd include it as it fits with the theme.




If you're a regular reader, you'll probably know about my sliiiiight obsession with Natural Collection's Pressed Powder. It's £1.99 but usually on offer so it's even cheaper, and instantly you'll think that it's probably just cheap rubbish. I disagree. Yes it offers little coverage but it sets my foundation brilliantly and for £1.99 it's definitely worth a try! I go through them pretty quickly so I always like to stock up whenever I go to Boots, and that's why I got four. I would've bought more but that's all they had left...plus my mum was telling me off haha!





A few weeks back I bought a Sealing Gel from Illamasqua (you can read about the haul here) for my birthday. Sealing Gel basically turns powder into a budge-proof liquid liner and because I had never used it before and didn't really understand how it works I didn't want to use it on my expensive black powders and ruin them. That's why I bought this Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Midnight. Sadly, they didn't have a jet-black shade but I didn't mind settling for this dark navy-black seen as it was so cheap.





I prefer to use clear mascara to brush my brows as it sets them too. The mascara I was using before had gone a lovely light browny-orange shade (cute) and was in desperate need of a new one for a loooong time, and as Natural Collection had the 3 for £5 offer, I decided to get their LashCare Mascara.





Barry M's Gelly Nail Paints...by far my favourite nail polishes of all time. Recently, Barry M released three new Spring shades to their Gelly line and I just had to get my hands on them. Sadly, they only had Huckleberry in stock but I'm super excited to get the other two soon enough!





I'd been using No7's Base Coat and Top Coat polishes but I was never too satisfied with them, as they were kinda expensive but did hardly anything to help my polish stay on longer. Because I'm a huge fan of Barry M Nail Paints I thought I'd give their base and top coat polishes a try, and excitedly I found out that they did an all-in-one (including a nail hardener) for just £2.99, what a bargain!





I used to shampoo my hair every day and because my shampoo is kinda pricey I've been wanting to cut down to doing it every other day or every two days. Because my hair is so used to being washed regularly it gets greasy quite quickly, and that's where dry shampoo comes in! I'm trying to not get too dependant on it though as I don't like to use too many products on my hair, but I'm happy that Batiste have a dry shampoo for brunettes as I know that so many people struggle with the regular ones making their hair look grey. I've used this product quite a few times before and I do adore it!





I'd been needing a nail polish remover and I was going to get the Bourjois 1 Second Magic Nail Polish Remover as my second bottle had started to get a little mucky but I wasn't really willing to pay the slightly expensive price for one, especially seen as I've been painting my nails almost three times a week now (I'm addicted) and it would run out fast. After spending around 15 minutes searching for Boots' own nail polish remover, it was nowhere to be found. Eventually, we found it at the end of an aisle, nowhere near the nail care aisle. So logical. I've had this remover before and it smelt soooo strong and I'll probably end up wishing I'd just bought the Bourjois one but I need to save my pennies.





Instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money on brush cleanser to clean my brushes, I use baby shampoo. Don't get me wrong, I do like brush cleanser for spot cleaning but it doesn't deep clean like baby shampoo does. Plus, it doesn't smell as nice. Plus, it's £1.50 for a 500ml bottle. So next time you're gonna spend £20-odd on brush cleanser, get some baby shampoo!




I was gonna get some more Soap & Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble Bath but, like I said before, I'm on a budget. So, whilst I was looking at baby shampoo my Mum spotted the Boots Baby Moisturising Bath. There was a regular one too but I thought I might as well just get the moisturising one as it would be better for my skin. It smells soooo good too!




I'd been wanting a Bioderma Micellar Water for quite a while but after finding out they tested on animals I came across a blog post (that I sadly can't remember, sorry!) that compared the two. She wrote that they were pretty similar, with the biggest difference being the price. So when I popped into Superdrug to try and get a setting spray, I came across the B. Pure Micellar Water, and it was on sale!



It felt weird being back in Boots seen as I haven't been in in aaaaages, I've been trying to save up money for my future car y'see. So although I did enjoy picking up these (almost all) essentials, I did feel a little guilty. I deserve a pat on the back for not buying more! Priorities, priorities...

What have you purchased recently?
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