The 'my purse wants to cry' haul

I need to stop spending money. Like seriously.

When it gets to the middle of the month and pay day is in sight I get really spend-ey, especially when I have money left to spend. I should be starting to save the money I don't spend in the month but I end up blowing it all on random stuff. So here is the most recent time I blew my hard earned cash on pointless things!

Let's start with something I was really excited to get but it took my local Superdrug so long to get it in that I'd forgotten what I wanted when I walked up to the stand, but I knew I wanted something! It's the Tanya Burr Illuminating Powder in Champagne Sorbet and it was definitely worth the wait. It's not the most intense highlight I have (Champagne Pop I'm looking at you) but it gives an amazing daytime glow that brings life to my face when I'm struggling in the morning. What a gorgeous champagne shimmer!

Skincare wise I was in need stocking up and the Body Shop didn't disappoint. Once again they had an amazing deal/offer on and I ended up paying WAY less than full price. First up is the Vitamin E Eye Cream. It's a thick cream that feels cooling and I'm enjoying using it so far. I really wanted to get a new moisturiser because the one I was using wasn't sinking into my skin and making me feel greasy. I picked up the Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser. This smells amazing and makes my skin fell bouncy and hydrated. I also picked up the Vitamin C Energising Spray. I forgot how much I loved this spray, it just gives my skin a refresh and is just what it needs half way through the day. Repurchase of the Simple Micellar Water, love this.

When I was in Superdrug I spotted this L'Oreal Multi-masking Play-Kit and I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you've thought about trying these masks. There's so much in these little pots, I've used it twice and I reckon I have another ten applications left, yeah I know. Also just had a check and they're on offer! Also from Superdrug I picked up a Colab Dry Shampoo in Tropical. It gives my hair volume, makes it look less like a greaseball and smells amazing! Literally every time I move my head it smells like an island paradise.

Random bits and bobs include stuff for my bedroom. I'm having a redecorating moment so I bought a copper pencil pot for makeup brushes, a fake succulent plant and some copper spray paint, I've just spruced up my old desk chair, all from Wilkinson's. I love Wilkinson's for home stuff, it's good and at a really good price.

What's been a favourite recent purchase of yours?

Five minute summer face (that takes me fifteen)

It takes me forever to do my makeup in a morning. What would take some two minutes will take me ten, especially when I've still not woken up properly. So, this has been my go-to 'work face' that takes  about 15 to 20 minutes in a morning and] lasts just long enough to get me through the working day. A lot of the products are cream as well as I've found that I can pretty much swipe, blend and go.

After some good weather and an experiment with the St Tropez Self Tan Express Face Sheet Masks (which side note worked out quite well) my skin is looking quite tanned so I've ditched the foundation. I've been going straight in with concealer and I've been reaching for the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. I just apply it under my eyes so I don't look quite as dead in the morning and maybe a little bit on my chin if it's looking a bit spotty. This is normally when I go in with powder but because I'm all about the cream products it's time for bronzer. Last year I bought the L'Oreal Glam Bronze Cushion De Soleil and I love the way it makes my skin look, like a natural glow. I use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply this and put it where I usually bronze, forehead, cheekbone area and jawline down my neck. I then do two swipes of this Collection Speedy Brush in the shade Cheeky on both of my cheeks and blend out with my Body Shop buffing brush, a flat topped brush. One swipe on each cheek is enough to blend out to a nice flush and it lasts pretty much all day without making me look like I'm red, hot and sweaty. Highlight wise I've been using the MUA Luxe Ombre Highlight Stick. There are three shades on the stick, light, medium and dark. What I do is angle the stick to just put the lighter two shades on the tops of my cheek bones, cupids bow and the end of my nose. It gives a great glow that isn't overly subtle but not as in your face as my others.

A quick dusting of my Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder and that's my base sorted. I sometimes give my face a quick spritz with the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, just to make sure I don't sweat everything off throughout the day (because, TMI, I do get a little greasy).

For my eyes I start off with the Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick in 21 Passion Fruit. It's so easy to use, swipe blend and done. It's a gorgeous pink gold that goes well with Tanya Burr My Paradise Palette. I usually use the shade Tranquility all over my lid and just blend it out, leaving a shimmery pink that to me screams summer. Add a touch of mascara (L'Oreal Baby Roll is my pick at the minute, does the job) and that's my eyes done. Very toned down from what I usually do but it takes me next to no time.

To finish everything off my brows, which will have been waxed and tinted within the last month, get a quick brush through with the tinted side of the Fleur de Force by Eyelure Brow Tamer in Medium. My lipstick of choice is something light, in both colour and texture. I've been reaching for the Clinique Pop Lipstick in Melon Pop. The peachy colour makes my skin look more bronzed and I like the fact that it's glossy but doesn't come straight off. Love love love!

What's your favourite summer makeup product?

Clinique Melon Pop | MUA Luxe Ombre | Collection Cheeky | Tanya Burr My Paradise | Kiko Passion Fruit

Zoella Jelly & Gelato Collection | First Impressions

Just realised that I'm going to be posting two first impressions posts in a row. Sorry, but also I HAD to post this. Normally I'm not sucked into a new launch where I absolutely have to buy the product the day it's released. For some reason this one was different and I found myself frantically scrolling through Feel Unique trying to decide which products to buy. I settled on a shower gel, Shower Shake, and a scrub, Cream Scrub, partly because these caught my eye the most but also because I'm running out of scrub and I can always use a shower gel.

Just a disclaimer, I haven't been a religious buyer of the Zoella Beauty range but I've been getting more and more interested in the products with each new release.

Starting off with the packaging I am totally in love with it. The bright but muted pastel colours go really well together and massively give me summer vibes. That font is the thing dreams are made of and the shiny gold just finishes everything off. The straw on the Shower Shake is literally the cutest thing ever. When I saw the picture of it online I thought it was a bit gimmicky but in the time I've had this I've pretended to drink from it like thirty times. The pot that houses the Creamy Scrub feels really sturdy and there looks to be a fair amount of product in them both.

The scent. For some reason I was thinking this was going to be a sweet, vanilla scent, much like the Sweet Inspirations collection from last year. I know, I know, the description of these products is that they are Elderflower and Pomegranate but the ice cream theme and packaging took my mind to something sweet. That being said I do really like this scent. It makes me feel really nostalgic, I have no idea why, but it does remind me of jelly so maybe I'm thinking back to birthday parties. It's slightly sweet but also a bit floral, not in a granny way but in a refreshing way. Definitely summery.

Let's get into the actual products. When testing these out I went for the scrub first which is an orange colour (the same as the orange on the Shower Shake packaging). It's one of the thicker scrubs I've used and I found that I had to scoop right down to get out the product. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it shows how thick it is. I also had to rub the product together in my palm to make it soft enough to rub on my leg. This scrub sits somewhere in between rough and gentle, not quite as scrubby as the Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub but not as gentle as the Body Shop Coconut Scrub, which is the scrub I'm currently using. The texture is like a thick balm with soft flaking beads in it which gives a good scrub without being too harsh and feeling like I've rubbed sandpaper up and down my leg. I'm a big fan of this scrub and I think it might become a firm favourite in my stash.

I'm just going to get this out there, the Shower Shake is amazing. I'm a big fan of the Soap and Glory Whipped Clean because it's so thick and this is exactly the same. It's a really thick cream that made shaving my legs an absolute dream and made my entire body feel soft in the shower. What I wanted to really test out though is how moisturising it was. The product description said that it would give a boost of moisture so I wondered if it would make my skin feel as it I had used a moisturiser after using it. I'm a serial moisturiser, I can't go a day without slathering a body butter on my body, so I was intrigued to see if I felt the need to moisturise. Although I will moisturise after using this product in the future, I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. My skin didn't feel tight and itchy like it does sometimes when I get out of the shower. My skin felt smooth and soft and I didn't feel like my skin desperately needed extra moisture.

Overall both of these products get two big thumbs up from me and I definitely want to try more from the range.

Have you tried any of the other products from this range? What did you think?

From white to whoa that's tanned | St Tropez First Impressions

My uni friends will tell you, I'm not a fake tanner. I went through my uni years without the tactile tanning sessions to make sure the body glow was at the optimum level for nights out, I never understood what all the fuss was about. That was, however, until a couple of months ago. I was going to my cousins wedding and wanted a little bit of a tan so I didn't look like a ghost up against my other family members. I read reviews and it looked like St Tropez Express Tan was the way to go, a natural tan that develops in three hours and means I won't have to sleep feeling sticky. On my trial run I didn't go overboard and I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't looking much darker than I did when I was going au natural. So the next time, I went all out a smothered myself in the stuff. This is when everything changed. I think I like the compliments I get more than anything. Like, 'ooh you look tanned' or 'have you been away'. No I have not, it was all done in the comfort of my own bathroom!

Anyway, since this revelation I've still not delved majorly into the world of fake tan but there are two products I've found work for me so I thought I'd share them. The first is the above mentioned St Tropez Express Tan. So easy to use, you just have a shower, tan yourself, wait one to three hours, shower it off, go to sleep and wake up in the morning to find yourself a golden goddess. If, like me, you're quite new to the tanning world I'd recommend getting this little kit. It's £15 and you get a bit, a mini exfoliator, a mini moisturiser and a mini Express Tan. It means you can try out the tan without having to shell out £33 on something you might not like. Plus I've had three applications from the mini and I reckon it could do another so there's plenty to give it a good test! I'd read reviews that the St Tropez In-Shower Tan was good but not great and that it worked best as a top up for a pre existing tan. So after my recent holiday I thought I'd get it to give it a whirl. Cue an email from Beauty Bay saying St Tropez was 20% off and I was soon the proud owner of another money saving (well sort of) minis set. This set (which I can't seem to find on the website anymore which is a shame seeing as I only bought it a couple of weeks ago.) features the Classic Tan, In-Shower Tan and Gradual Tan. I'm yet to use the other two products (but I'll let you know what I think if I like them) but I quite liked the shower tan. After I got over the fact that I have no idea how much to apply or where I had already applied it, it worked quite well. I can understand that there would be next to no colour had I not had a 'base layer' but I can see this as a good product to top up my holiday glow.

What's your favourite tanning brand and product. Obviously I'm still new to the world of tanning so I'd appreciate any recommendations!

Why Quads Hold a Special Place in My Heart

As much as a huge palette filled with 40+ shades really gets me pumped up and ready for a smokey eye, I always find myself reaching for my quads. I don't know if it's the fact that they're filled with my favourite shades or because all the shadows of together, but I just can't get enough of them. 

My journey into the world of quads started at the beginning of my third year of uni when I bought myself the Fleur de Force Cosmic Bronze Quad (which I don't know if they actually sell anymore - sad). At first I thought the shimmery shade would be the one I used the most and the others would kind of get left behind. But oh no was I wrong, that's definitely my least used. I love the way the other three shades go together and are so versatile. I like that I could go full out brown smokey, something a bit more natural or with a deep brown crease and winged liner. 

The fact that I can just pull out a palette and work my way round really appeals to me but I also the love the fact that usually there is one or two shades that can be slapped on your eye on their own. My favourite 'slap on' shade is Innocent by NYX. It looks like nothing in the pan but paired with the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise in Jean it transforms into a lovely shimmery, golden eye. In fact all of these shades are gorgeous (to read my full thoughts on this palette, click here.)

My favourite quad has to be my Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette. I mean, look at it. How could this not be my top dog. It has all the shades you need for the perfect smokey eye, and that 'pop' shade is just stunning! At the minute, for more of a warm summery eye, I'm really liking the Tanya Burr My Paradise Palette. although the three shimmery shades aren't overly different from each other, they create a nice, warm, rose gold eye that I like to pair with winged liner and tonnes of mascara.

Know of any other quads I should try out? Please let me know (I need to be enabled to buy more makeup I don't need!)

The 'I Need A Good Pamper' Haul

Whenever my parents tell me they're going to ditch me on an evening my immediate response is that I'm going to have a bath. So when they told me that I would be spending a Sunday night all on my lonesome, I decided to stock up on some 'pamper products'. I already had my bubbles of choice (The Body Shop Vanilla Chai Foaming Bath from Christmas - still available online) so it was just a case of picking up a new candle and something to give my face a good detox.

Let's go with masks first. I've been eyeing up the L'Oreal Pure Clay Masks for a while so I decided to bite the bullet and go for the Purity Mask. I didn't want to buy all three at once because I thought that would be a bit hard on my bank account and this one seemed to do the things I look for in a mask, clean my skin and mattify. I really like the texture of this, a bit like a gel, and it dried down totally in 15 minutes and left my skin feeling tight and cleaned but also moisturised. If anyone has all three masks let me know if it's worth getting the other two because I really like this one so far. I also got myself a Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. I love how easy these are to use and how hydrated my skin feels after applying one. I put this one once I'd finished with my L'Oreal mask and the cooling effect this had on my face just made me sink into the bath and relax even more. I'd definitely recommend checking these out. I don't have dry skin but it is quite dehydrated and this works wonders.

I picked up some of the Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Facial Pore Strips from Boots. I love these! It's really grim but they're so satisfying and I feel like my skin gets a good clean when I use one of these. Anyone who likes watching 'those' videos on the internet then get yourself a pack of these (I feel like a disgusting human). Also from that range I bought a new blemish stick. Now let me start off by saying this is the weirdest spot treatment I've ever seen. It comes in a tube as fat as my thumb and is bright blue...yeah, weird. I've not been using it for long enough to see if it's doing the job but it hasn't broken me out yet so so far so good.

Last but not least I picked up a Zoella Lazy Days candle. I've been thinking about trying one of these for a while and I found the scent quite interesting, quite clean but also kind of sweet. I can happily report that I'm quite impressed. What I love about this candle is within just a few hours of first burning it, the wax had burnt all the way across. I've had candles of the same size that take eight plus hours to burn all the way across and it really gets on my wick (haha what a pun). I think I might be picking up some more of these!

What's your go-to pamper product?