Nail Polish Haul!

Every once in a while, my sister and I seem to find a load of nail polishes we like the look of on Fragrance Direct, and because they're so affordable, we buy them! This is our most recent order, with the most expensive polish being just £1.49. First up, we have the Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Polishes in 312 Ultra Violet and 420 Aqua Cool, which were 99p each. I love the brushes of the Rimmel polishes! These two are my sister's, but I'll definitely be adding some to my next order. Then we have Sally Hansen's 848 Sgt Preppy and 843 Palm Treat, and these were £1.49 each. I also love the brushes of these. I then bought L'Oreal's 507 Riviera Lavender and 506 Exotic Grenade, which were £1.30 each. These are only 5ml, but I never finish a bottle of polish anyway, so don't mind. I wouldn't pay the full price of £4.99 for them, though! I also chose Revlon's 920 Make Mine Mango, 210 Jelly (Top Speed), and 570 Vintage (Top Speed), which were 99p each. These are the ones I like the most out of our haul! I love oranges/corals, so had to get Make Mine Mango. Jelly was another must have because I love deep, red toned pinks. Although it's called Jelly, it's not a jelly formula. Then we have Vintage, which is a berry shade, and perfect for this time of year.

Have you bought anything from Fragrance Direct recently? They're supposed to be getting some more Essie shades in this week, so I'll no doubt be placing another order!

Nail Supplies Haul

I was in need of nail supplies the other week, so went straight to eBay to stock up! 

The 4 in 1 nail buffer blocks were £1.76 for both, and can be found here. The more you buy, the more you save; you can buy 10 for £5.99, or even 50 for £25!

The nail wheels were £2.75 for 10, and can be found here. I've never had nail wheels before, but thought I'd buy some to compare shades in posts for you guys and practise nail art on. 

Lastly, and most importantly, we have the brushes. The first pack was £2.38 from here, the second pack was £2.49 from here, and the third pack was £1.95 from here. Nail art brushes are a crucial part of my routine because I use them to clean up the edges of my nails after painting them. I simply dip them in nail polish remover and go around the edges with a steady hand. I've bought the first pack before, but can only use a few of the brushes because the rest are too long (it's best to have short ones so you have more control). I bought the second pack on a whim, hoping that they'd do the job well (even though they're not flat like the brushes I'm used to). I used one the other week and was pleased to find that they work just fine! I haven't used the third pack yet, but they're short and flat, so should be fine as well!

What nail products are part of your routine? I also use the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover and Superdrug Emery Boards, but that's about it! I don't use any cuticle oils or hand creams, even though I probably should. I also don't use base or top coats, and while this works for me, I wouldn't recommend it for everyone!

Cranberry & Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

I'm not one to choose fruit over chocolate chips when it comes to cookies, but decided to try something different the other day, and I'm glad I did! My family and I have been enjoying these over the last few days, and I'll definitely be baking them again.

What you'll need to make around 30 cookies:

125g butter, softened

125g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2tsp of vanilla paste)

225g self-raising flour

1/2tsp salt

100g raisins

60g cranberries

40g oats

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

2. Line your baking trays with baking paper.

3. Cream together the butter and sugars.

4. Combine the egg and vanilla.

5. Sift in the flour and salt, and then fold.

6. Add in the oats, raisins, and cranberries. I only used 40g of oats because it was my first time adding them to a cookie mix, but next time I'll probably add more. You can also add more cranberries, but I wanted some left over to eat on their own! 

7. Spoon walnut sized balls onto your baking trays, making sure you leave a good couple inches between each one.

8. I then added a couple of cranberries to the tops just to make sure each one had some.

9. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, but make sure you check them every few minutes or so.

10. Finally, take out the oven, leave to harden for a few minutes, and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

These remind me of rock cakes; a childhood favourite! They taste delicious, and are a healthier alternative to the classic chocolate chip.

Barry M Matte Vanilla

I've worn neon nail polishes that dry to a satin finish before, but Barry M's Matte Vanilla is my first 'proper' matte. I'm surprised at how much I like the matte effect, actually, because I hate every other texture that's not shiny or glitter! Fluff and sand are the ones I really can't stand. I think Vanilla is a great nude for my skin tone. I'd describe it as a muted nude that looks grey in certain lights, and it even has some lilac tones in there at times. I'd heard a few people say that the first coat kind of separates and looks oily, but a second evens everything out. I didn't experience this at all, and could have left a few nails with just one coat on. I ended up applying two on all of them so they looked the same shade, though. It dried very quickly, and was one of the easiest polishes I've applied recently. Matte polishes are known to accentuate any flaws you have on your nails, so I gave them a good buff beforehand, and that seemed to do the job.

I'm surprised at how much I like this polish, and want to get Crush and Espresso next! What do you think? Are you a fan of matte nails? If not, you can always apply a topcoat over them!

Empties #03 - I finished a body butter!

As I've already mentioned it in the title, I'll start with The Body Shop's Mango Body Butter! It's the first one I've ever finished, and I feel like I've accomplished something! I normally alternate between my products, so instead of finishing one, they're all half empty. The actual product was good (or else I wouldn't have finished it!). It sank into my skin well and left it moisturised for days. Mango is one of my favourite scents, too.

Let's head back over to the left. I finished two more Alberto Balsam Shampoos in Strawberries & Cream and Sun Kissed Raspberry. The Strawberries & Cream scent is one of my favourites, and I've already stocked up on a few bottles of it! The Sun Kissed Raspberry is nice, but very subtle. They perform well in my hair, and I can't complain for 99p!

I also finished a bottle of the TRESemme Naturals Conditioner. Again, TRESemme is a brand I regularly use and have had no problems with, so I've already bought another bottle of this.

The Body Shop's Banana Conditioner was okay. I liked the scent, but the conditioner itself was average, and I wouldn't pay the full price of £4.50 for it. I was surprised, actually, because it's a product so many people love. The bottle also made it very difficult to get product out.

Aussie's Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner has been part of my routine for years, and I've already repurchased. It leaves my hair feeling soft, and smells incredible.

I haven't been using them for the last couple of weeks, but you can see I used them a lot before then, and that's the Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colours. The shades I have here are Rich Warm Brown and True Chestnut. I love these, and have spoken of them many times before. I have three more bottles in my draw, and will purchase more in the future.

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Face Mist was a product I bought simply because I was trying to get to a certain amount to qualify for a code. I like how fine the mist is, and it is refreshing, but that's all. I don't feel like it helps improve my skin or the longevity of my makeup. I don't think I'll repurchase this - I'll just refill the bottle with water!

Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser is similar to their Vitamin E one. It removes all my makeup well, and leaves my skin feeling moisturised. I can't say my skin looked brighter, though. 

The MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer has been part of my makeup routine since the beginning of this year, and thought it was about time I ditched this one and bought another. For £1.50, why not?! It has a light to medium coverage and a dewy finish. I'm not the biggest fan of the dewy finish, but I apply powder over the top anyway, so don't find this a problem. It doesn't always cover blemishes well, so I use another concealer for this purpose.

I love Simple's Baby Moisturising Wipes, and have already stocked up because they're better than half price at the moment! 80 for £1.99 is good, but it's even better when they're 98p. They just do their job - They remove my makeup without stinging or drying my skin out, and they help keep my eye/eyebrow brushes fairly clean until I wash them. I don't see the point in buying more expensive wipes. Others may be more moisturising, but I don't buy them to moisturise because I have moisturisers for that!

I'm also finished with The Body Shop's Raspberry and Lemon Body Butters, but not because they're empty. They're actually almost full, but I've had them for too long and now they're smelling a bit off. This is why I need to stop buying new products and use what I have! I've learnt my lesson now. I even resisted buying more tubs of the Vineyard Peach one because I knew I wouldn't get round to using them. They were down to only £3, too, so it took a lot of strength to resist!

Have you used any of these products before?

The Body Shop Sale Purchases

I couldn't resist The Body Shop's sale and a further 40% off code! When I first had a look, some of the items I wanted were out of stock, but I checked back the following day and they were all available again. I initially added the entire Vineyard Peach and Brazil Nut ranges to my basket, but then decided that I didn't need any more body butters or shower gels! 

The first product in the photo was the only item that wasn't in the sale, and that's the Mango Body Mist. I love this, and am nearly out of my current bottle, so thought I'd buy another. It's normally £7.50, but with the 40% off code, I paid £4.50. Still not the cheapest, though, so think I may find a cheaper alternative soon! NSPA have a mango body mist which is quite nice (my sister has it), and their products are usually 2 for £4. 

Next is the Cranberry Joy Linen, Room & Body Spritz. The sale and 40% off code made this just £2.10! Again, it's another repurchase because my current bottle is nearly gone. I use it as a room spray, mostly, and it smells incredible. 

The Brazil Nut Body Mist is new to me, and cost just £2.25. It smells so much better than I thought it would - It's very sweet, and smells like nutty chocolate/caramel/vanilla. 

Lastly, I added a couple of the Coconut Butter Duo Baubles to my basket for £2.40 each (usually £7). They come with a small body butter and lip butter, and will make great little gifts.

The sale is still currently on, and they've just made products available again - Including all the products above! For an additional 40% off, use code 14673. Happy shopping! 

Raspberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wasn't going to blog about these, so the better looking ones have all been eaten! These are the ones left over. 

I ended up making around 30 cookies with this recipe.

What you'll need:

• 125g butter, softened
• 125g light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste)
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1/2tsp salt
• 100g white chocolate chips
• 50-100g raspberries

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

2. Line your baking trays with baking paper.

3. Cream together the butter and sugars.

4. Combine the egg and vanilla.

5. Sift in the flour and salt, and then fold.

6. Add the chocolate chips and a handful or two of raspberries. It depends on how many you personally want. 

7. When the raspberries break as you mix them in, the juice will make your dough wetter, so add some more flour.

8. I found that my second batch rose more because I left the dough to sit for about 20 minutes, so if you want them fluffier, leave the mixture like I did.

9. Spoon walnut sized balls onto your baking trays, making sure you leave a good couple inches between each one.

10. If you want, you can then add a raspberry to the middle of each one. This can be quite sour when you get to the middle, and the juice from it makes the cookie softer, so you don't have to do this.

11. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, but make sure you check them every few minutes or so. I remember the original recipe I used said to bake for 7 minutes, but mine are never near done at this time.

12. Finally, take out the oven, leave to harden for a few minutes, and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

The raspberries do make these cookies more moist than others (I hate the word 'moist', but that's the only way I can describe them!), but they taste delicious. I'm going to adapt this recipe and make cranberry and raisin oatmeal cookies next!