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!

Decluttering my Makeup Basket

I have this basket on top of my beauty chest of drawers, and it's supposed to hold my most used makeup (with the rest going in the top drawer). This just makes things easier to find and saves time in the morning. However, over time, more and more products are added to it, making it a cluttered mess! If I buy a new product, it'll end up in the basket. If I take something out of the top drawer, it'll end up in the basket. And yes, even hair ties end up in the basket.  So, after being strict with myself and having a good sort out, what has made the cut? 

No lip products have because they live in a lipstick container next to the basket. 

My MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer has, as well as a tube of Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for blemishes. On a side note, how rubbish is the packaging of this? It's a new tube, and yet the black writing has already rubbed off! 

My chosen powder is The Body Shop's All-in-One Face Base in 02 because it gives a little coverage and a silky, matte finish. 

Moving on to cheek products (I'm going through this in the order I do my makeup!). I've decided to have NYX's Cream Blush in Natural in there, as well as two Dainty Doll Powder Blushes in You Are My Sunshine and Money Talks. You Are My Sunshine is a pinky peach with golden shimmer (it looks nothing like it does in the photo), and Money Talks is a cool toned brown. It's shimmery, so I don't use it as a bronzer, but it's a nice alternative shade for blush. 

ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light has also made the cut, which is no surprise! It's all I use on my brows. 

For lining my lower lash line, I've chosen a few products. NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha is very well loved, as you can see! And I've also chosen Maybelline's Colour Tattoos in On & On Bronze and Permanent Taupe. Permanent Taupe is matte, so I use this when I'm not in the mood for shimmer. 

I've chosen Rimmel's Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude for when I wish to line my waterline. I don't do this every day because it hasn't lasted well the last few times I've used it, but it's supposed to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter, and I'm all for that! 

Then, when I have the patience, I'll use L'Oreal's Perfect Slim Super Liner. I'm too lazy to use it on a day to day basis, though! 

Lastly, Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara is my current everyday mascara. I think I ended up with 6 in my basket! And although I used them all, I've decided to use one up at a time.

Do you keep your everyday makeup separate from the rest? If so, do you slowly add other products to the mix so it gradually becomes cluttered like mine?

Models Own Utopia

Models Own Utopia is the first bottle of Models Own nail polish that I've actually paid full price for! My others have come from sales, be it ones of the blog or ASOS variety. As I said in my previous post, I'm going through a phase at the moment, and am really loving these muted, off white, lilac toned shades. I'm still getting used to how they look on my nails, though! It's weird not seeing them painted with a bright coral or turquoise. Utopia is difficult to describe... if a lilac, grey, white, and a touch of nude all came together, this is what it'd look like. It took two coats to become opaque and I had no problems with the formula, so it gets high marks from me. I'm tempted to add some nail art to it because it's the perfect base for doing so, but don't want to ruin it!

What do you think of Utopia? Do you like shades like this?

Current Nail Polish Phase

Essie Go Ginza, Models Own Utopia, Barry M Matte Vanilla

These are the last three polishes I've purchased, and I can't help but notice a theme! Light, muted, muddy tones of lilac (especially the last two). I just think they're understated, feminine, chic, and make great bases for nail art or glitter. These opinions are relatively new, though. I would have stayed far away from the likes of Utopia and Vanilla before this month. I actually remember thinking Utopia looked a little like cement a year or two ago. You see, I normally prefer shades that fit nicely into a colour category, instead of in between, can't-quite-describe shades like the above. I liked lilacs, and I liked nudes, but would never have bought these shades. I've already swatched Go Ginza here, and will be painting my nails with either Utopia or Vanilla this weekend. 

Do you go through nail polish phases? I was all about different shades of red not long back, be it corals or berries. I'm really liking the feminine, off white shades at the moment, though, and am desperate to get my hands on Sinful Colours' Easy Going!

Stocking Up on Essentials

My essentials were running low, so thought I'd stock up while some of them were on offer! I either use TRESemme or Alberto Balsam Shampoo & Conditioner, with my favourite being the Strawberries and Cream scent. I couldn't find it on the shelves anywhere, though, so when I found it online at Chemist Direct, I bought 4 bottles (98p-£1.04). I did want to buy 8, but restrained myself. To make up for the postage cost, I also bought the Pomegranate, and Mandarin & Papaya, shampoos and conditioners, which are also difficult to find in stores. From Superdrug, I bought another tube of the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser because it was just £3.32! With this, I bought two more packs of Simple's 80 Baby Moisturising Wipes for 99p each (they're normally £1.99) and MUA's Cover & Conceal Concealer for £1.50. A few days later, I noticed that Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara was £3 off and buy one get one half price, so I bought two for just £3.74 each! It's one of my favourite mascaras, so I was pretty chuffed with that. Lastly, from eBay, I bought ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light for £5.99. It's normally £3.75 on ELF's website, but the postage makes it more expensive, and I didn't want to buy anything else, so bought it from eBay to save a little bit of money. I've been using the Medium shade of this kit for years because I thought Light would be too... light! But it actually suits my eyebrows more.

Do you stock up on your essentials? Or wait until you've finished them before repurchasing?

Essie Go Ginza

(Instagram photo)

I'm not happy with my application of this, but I just had to show you the shade because I have nothing like it in my collection! As you can see, it's so much lighter than my other lilacs. I found myself looking at swatches of Go Ginza on Thursday, and then found it in the ASOS sale for £5, so it was meant to be. I was a little apprehensive about paying that, though, because I'm used to Fragrance Direct's £1.99 price tag, but once I found a student discount code (making the polish £4.50) and realised they were giving me free next day delivery (worth £5.95), I couldn't resist. The formula was good, taking just two coats. The first coat was streaky, but a second evened everything out. For such a light shade, I was expecting to have more issues. I really like it, and think it would look even better paired with a light coloured glitter!

What do you think? Are you a fan of lilacs? I personally love them, and deep berry shades, but tend to stay away from the purples in between.

How much is my face worth?

I did this tag two and half years ago, with my total being £38.95. I thought it'd be interesting to do it again and see how much my face is worth now! If you're unfamiliar with this tag, you simply gather all the cosmetics you use on a daily basis and add up their prices. So, here goes:

MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair - £1.50

The Body Shop All-in-One Face Base in 02 - £14

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural - £5.50

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light - £3.75

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On & On Bronze - £4.99

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Very Black - £7.99

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey - £7.99

Total = £45.72

Not too bad! I thought it'd be more than that. I'd also like to point out that I've given the full prices of items, but I rarely pay this. For example, I only paid £8 for The Body Shop All-in-One Face Base because I used a code, and the Maybelline and Revlon products were bought with my 10% off student discount. Also, the products I use day to day do vary a little, but the ones above are my most used. My blush and lip colour change often, but I use products around the same value. I also wear liquid eyeliner when I can be bothered!

How much is your face worth?

New Favourites

In order to write 'monthly favourites', you need to be trying new products (unless you wish to feature the same products every month!). My favourites usually stay favourites, and I don't buy that many new products, so had a hard time keeping them up! So I started writing 'new favourites' and realised earlier that I hadn't written one in a while. The products above are products that haven't been featured much on Affordable Treats, but I've been using them a lot recently, so thought I'd talk a bit more about them.

A couple months ago, I wanted a face powder with a little coverage, so purchased The Body Shop's All-in-One Face Base in 02. It's £14 full price, but I paid around £8 with a code. The Body Shop always has a great offer on, so you'll never have to pay full price for something! It gives me a little coverage and a soft, matte finish. For areas which need more coverage/mattifying than others, I pat the product on with my finger. I use this technique around my eyes the most because they tend to get quite oily and red. You can apparently apply it wet for even more coverage, too.

Sticking with The Body Shop, I've been loving the Mango Body Mist. I've loved this for months, and am running very low! £7.50 full price, but I've never paid that for my mists (I also have the coconut and berry varieties, which are also great). My sister also loves this and has about 4 bottles stored away!

Another fragrance I've been loving is Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine Edition. I was gifted this from the people at Fragrance Direct, wrote a post about it, and have been wearing it ever since. I've been wearing it even more than usual recently, though, which is odd for me because I'm more of a body mist kind of girl. I've been pairing this with the Mango Body Mist, actually. The light floral and fruity scents go well together. It's a nice, happy medium of the both.

I bought the Organic Surge Blissful Daily and Super Intensive Moisturisers during their sale for just over £2 each, and I'm so glad I did! They're both very moisturising, but light at the same time, and sink into the skin quickly. Even the intense one is suitable for the day, and I have combination skin! It has a light scent of rose, and the daily variety smells of lemon. They're £8.49-£8.99 full price, which is very reasonable, and I'd be happy to pay that.

I use ELF's Small Angled Brush to fill in my eyebrows, but find it too thick to apply eyeliner with eyeshadow. Enter MUA's £1.50 Eyebrow Brush. It's very thin and dense, making it perfect for eyeliner. 

Do you use any of these products? What products have you been loving recently?

Primark Shoes

I rarely find shoes I like in Primark (or anywhere for that matter), and if I do, my size is usually out of stock, so wasn't expecting any different yesterday. However, I ended up buying not one, not two, but three pairs! I've been looking for a black pair of boots to wear with black tights and shorts/dresses for years. Literally. But I'm very particular when it comes to the style. I don't like chelsea boots because they make my feet look hugeee, and many bike boots are too clunky. I saw and tried on the biker boots above about a month ago, but wasn't sure if I liked them or not, so carried on my quest. Many pairs later, I realised that they were the best of a bad bunch, so decided to just buy them. I'm still not in love with them, and wish the gold hardware was silver, but they were only £15 and I really needed some! The black tasselled moccasins (£8) are very similar to my other pair from Primark, and since I wear those so often, I thought I'd also add these to my collection. The nude moccasins (also £8), detailed with studs and bows, are so pretty. I've never owned a nude pair of shoes before because they usually make my pale feet look dead, but these don't. I'll have to be careful I don't get stuck in the rain with them, which will be hard with such unpredictable weather, but I'm glad I bought them nonetheless. I'm finding myself loving shoes shaped like the ones above because they're just so flattering!

Have you bought any shoes from Primark recently?

iPhone cases

 Did I really need to buy another 4 iPhone cases? Yes. Yes, I did. I can't help it! I'm a collector, and have been since I was a child. The first two are from this eBay seller, and are £4.95 individually, but you can buy one and then get another half price, making them just £3.71 each! I love that they don't have a border around the designs, and that the sides are clear. It makes them slender and sleek. They also come in boxes, so would make great gifts. The second two are from here and here. How cute are they?! They were more expensive, at around £7-8 each, and the designs don't look as good as they do in the listing pictures, but I still really like them (especially the cat one!). They are quite difficult to get off, though. My sister usually has to get mine off for me, but even she had a hard time with these! It does mean your phone will be nice and snug, at least.

Do you have any cute and affordable iPhone cases I just need to check out?

Trying out Nail Tattoos/Transfers/Decals/whatever you want to call them

I hadn't thought about using nail tattoos or stickers since I was a child, but found myself doing just that the other night. So I hopped on over to eBay and started searching for nail art stickers. Something I could layer over my polish to look like I'd spent ages making my nails look pretty. This then led me to look at nail wraps, and then nail tattoos. I came across these for £1.99, and thought I'd give them a go. The printing quality could be better, but I only bought them to have a play around with. The instructions say to paint your nail with a white base coat (the white on the design is actually clear and you're just seeing the white of the paper behind), cut the transfer to size, place in water for 30 seconds, slide the transfer off the paper, and place onto your nail. Then hold it onto your nail with a cotton pad and then apply a top coat. However, you don't need to slide the transfer off and place it onto your nail. You can just put the whole thing straight onto your nail with the paper facing up, wet and press with a tissue or cotton pad, and then remove the paper (like you would with a fake tattoo). This saves you a step. How did I get on? It was more tricky than I thought it'd be, especially cutting the transfers to size. You can tidy and shape polish after applying, but you can't with these. I also had trouble keeping the design in place before applying a top coat. I do like the result, though! I'd love to try nail art stickers next, especially white designs. At least they don't cover your entire nail, so you don't have to worry about the shape around your cuticles.

Do you like nail art tattoos/transfers/decals/stickers/wraps? The ones above have made me realise that I don't own a light blue! I have sky blues, but no pastel varieties. Madness. Also, if you're wondering what nail polishes I'm wearing on the other nails, they're Grapefruit, Blueberry, and Greenberry from the Barry M Gelly range.

September Update

A selection of photos I've taken recently!

We're into autumn now, which is probably my favourite season when thinking of the stereotypical weather it includes. However, in reality, especially here in Britain, the rain doesn't care what season it is! So I've been having to wear my coat even though the temperatures haven't dropped much yet, resulting in me being hot and sweaty (I HATE being hot. It makes me feel so sick!). My ideal day would be clear skies and cold temperatures. No heat, no rain.

The month of September saw me unintentionally changing my style a little and becoming more autumn/winter appropriate. I used the darker shades of the Superdrug Colour Effects, making my hair darker and redder. A few people noticed this, thinking I'd dyed it properly. One person, who has only just met me, didn't believe I was naturally a ginger. They thought I had brunette hair and had just dyed it an auburn shade. The rich, deep tones I now have seem to have this effect! I also cut in a shorter side fringe to accompany my new, shorter hair. I always seem to go shorter for the colder months. I've also been wearing berry lip shades again, and even building them up to create an intense colour (something I never do - maybe this is a sign of more confidence?). As well as this, I've been buying and wearing jumpers! I love jumpers. The ones I've been buying are all from the men's section of Primark. I love how tightly knitted and baggy they are. Women's ones seem to be more interested in making you look fashionable, so aren't as simple and warm as men's ones.

I upgraded to an iPhone at the beginning of the month, which I've been loving. As you can see from the photos, I'm enjoying buying cases for it! Even though I can't get them off for the life of me. My sister has to do it. I also created an Instagram profile, which you can find here. The camera on the iPhone is so much better than the one on my old phone, so I've been making the most of it!

My uni screwed up my third year modules again. After they sorted the '2 for semester A and 4 for semester B' problem, everything was fine. I then emailed them asking if they could update my timetable, only for them to tell me I couldn't do one of my modules because it clashed with another. So I had to pick something I wasn't really keen on doing. They wouldn't have even told me if I didn't email them in the first place! However, after all this, I'm actually glad I'm doing the module I'm doing. The other one seems really time consuming (more so than other modules), and considering it's only my minor and I have a dissertation to do, I don't want that.

Speaking of dissertations, I'm now back at uni and starting my own! I'm already feeling daunted and stressed. To reassure myself, I've just got to remember that the amount of words equates to that of two modules, and these are split across semesters A and B. Also, as long as I create a timetable and stick to it, I shouldn't fall too far behind. This is easier said than done, though, and procrastination usually sets in. If only you could buy motivation.

September also saw some anniversaries! On the 16th, we'd had Mysti and Mia (the tabby in the photos) for 6 years, and on the 20th, we'd had Buddy (the dog in the photos) for a year! I can't believe it. This means Mysti and Mia will be 7 next year :( I don't want them to get old!

I also started watching Breaking Bad! Everyone was raving about it, so thought I'd see what the fuss was about. Even though I tried spreading the episodes out, I ended up watching them all in a week and a half. Feeling a bit lost now! I'd recommend the show, especially if you like crime dramas.

Until November, my friends (I can imagine that update being filled with my worries and stress).