New Things

I used my iPhone for the photos above because my camera and I aren't getting on at the moment. I may use my phone for future hauls, too, because it's a lot quicker! This week, I've received my dissertation and final assignment grades (all good, thankfully), updated my CV and applied for a job, finished watching Chuck, watched the first season of OITNB, started watching Prison Break, and shopped. All in all, it hasn't been bad!

I featured the necklace in my New Favourites #05 post. It's from Accessorize and was £6, which isn't too bad for them. It's small, sits on your collarbone nicely, and goes with most things. I also have my eye on another Accessorize necklace, but it's £15, so I'm going to wait and hope it's in their next sale!

Even though my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light is still going strong, I wanted to buy a back up. I bought it here for £4.99 including P&P. Now that it's gone up to £3.95 on ELF's website and P&P is £2.95, it's cheaper to get it on eBay. I know ELF often have codes floating around, but I didn't want anything else.

I bought the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter yesterday for £6.95 because I had one of those £3 off vouchers to use. I wasn't planning on getting it, but loved how it swatched. Also liked the BB Lips Beauty Balms, and wish I'd picked one up now!

I then bought the Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Liquid Lip Colour in Show Off for £3.99. It's a warm, coral pink, which is very pigmented and similar to the Sleek Pout Paints. I tested it out yesterday evening and it was still present after three hours, a stir fry, and a bowl of ice cream (half a tub, really...). It had faded, but it was even. I then went ahead and ordered another three shades, so look out for reviews and swatches soon!

The mug is from Wilkinson and was £2. The print is nice, but the main reason I bought it was because of its size. It's like a small bowl, fitting two normal sized cups of tea in!

The tins were from TK Maxx and cost £2.99-£3.99. I'm always on the look out for tins because they're great for storing my baking bits (and anything else).

The yellow satchel was from Primark and cost £6. I've only ever used bags for school/uni, so have never owned a small one. I loved the colour of this, though, so just had to get it. They also had it in mint and pink. This is probably my favourite item I bought yesterday because it's so different to anything I have!

The knickers were also from Primark, and were only £1 each. They have a nice shape and look good on, so I'm happy.

The last three photos are of boring items, but they're items most of us use. The lint rollers were from Primark and were £1.50 a pack. Lint rollers are a must in an animal filled house! The Bic Soleil razors were from Superdrug and were down to £1.83 from £3.69. I already had a couple packs stored away, but couldn't resist a couple more. They're something I'm always going to use! The Mitchum deodorant sticks were £1.48 and £1.66 from £2.99 and £3.35 (this offer isn't online, though). I started using Mitchum deodorants earlier this year and they seem to work better than others I've tried. 

I use Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes for removing makeup before cleansing, spot cleaning my brushes, and freshening up. They're normally around £1.99 for 80, which is great in comparison to standard facial wipes. However, I usually get them when they're 99p or 6 for £5 at Lloyds Pharmacy. My sister also happens to work at the latter, so gets staff discount. 67p for 80? Yes please!

The last photo shows my inner age. My new net curtains arrived yesterday and I really like them! It's surprising how much a new pair of net curtains brighten your room. I'm mentioning them because they were a bargain from eBay. For my large window, I paid £5.70 including P&P. You can find the listing here. You can probably get nicer ones, but for the price, these are great. They also look better than others I've had in the past.

What have you been buying recently?

Collective Haul

Going through my Instagram earlier, I decided that my small purchases here and there over the last couple of months could actually be grouped together for a 'haul' post. I show all the little things on Instagram, but then forget to even mention them on here until I review them!

So, the first photo is of OPI's Steady As She Rose, which I bought from Fragrance Direct for £3.99. It's a beautiful, light, dusky lilac. I've already swatched and reviewed this here, and have compared it to Models Own Utopia here.

I've also been buying more Bath & Body Works hand gels recently. I already owned Vanilla Berry Sorbet and Fresh Picked Apples, but then bought Tuscan Melon, Market Peach, Island Nectar, and Sweet Pea last month. They were all £1.99 including P&P from various eBay sellers, which is a rip off compared to American prices, but I really wanted them! They keep changing their prices and stock, so I won't link you to any listings, but just search 'bath and body works hand gels' and you'll find them. Market Peach is my favourite, which is no surprise! They all smell exactly like their names, and Island Nectar smells like really sweet mango with a hint of floral.

I then bought Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Sugar Apple from ASOS because I wanted it (obviously) and could get student discount and free delivery. You can see my swatch and review of it here. The formula's not the best, but it's a beautiful shade.

I don't think I suit sunglasses at all, but want to start wearing them more because I seem to squint outside a lot, and squinting = more wrinkles when I'm older. I bought the ones above from Primark for just £2. The style is a lot bigger than I'm used to, but I like them. I may buy some without the brown tint next.

From eBay, I bought these white rose fairy lights for £11.99 including P&P. They're quite expensive for what they are, but I wanted some fairy lights that looked good turned off as well as on. They're not very long, but they're just the right length for the header of my bed.

After finishing writing my dissertation last week (handing it in Thursday!), I decided to go shopping, but didn't really buy much. I did buy some pretty bras from Primark, though. I love the style of them, and they were only £4 each.

I bought the NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler from eBay for £6-7 because I didn't want to pay £5 + £4.50 P&P on the NYX website. I should have waited, though, because I ended up ordering from them last week as they had free P&P! I've already swatched and reviewed this here. It's my new favourite lip product!

On the same day I bought the Primark bras, I also bought Models Own Beach Bag in Superdrug. It was £5, but I had some points to use on my beauty card, so it was cheaper. It's the first polish that's caught my eye from them for a while, and is a neon pastel peach. You can see me wearing it here, but I don't know if I'll be blogging about it because I'm not 100% happy with my application! It's also hard to capture on camera.

Finally, two products which arrived today (after Interlink screwing up): NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe and Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel. They had free delivery on orders over £10, so thought I'd pick up a couple products I'd had my eye on! The blush is for contouring (or attempting to), and I wanted another Butter Gloss because I love Peach Cobbler so much. This one is beautiful, too. I'm not usually one for lip gloss, but these are something else!

I've also just ordered from The Body Shop because they finally have a peach body mist! I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw it on their website. What have you been buying recently?

The Makeup Brushes I Use

I have somehow ended up with three pots of makeup brushes, even though I wouldn't consider myself an obsessive. I have ones from ELF, EcoTools, Real Techniques, MUA, Models Own, and even eBay, but the ones above are the ones I use in my daily routine.

Real Techniques Powder Brush (£12.99 at Boots, £10.99 at Superdrug) - I've given the Boots and Superdrug prices because they're the most accessible, but you can get it cheaper online from various places. I paid around £8 for mine from Amazon, and I've seen the brand stocked on discounted cosmetics sites, too. Before this, I was used to paying ELF's price of £3.50-£3.75 for a powder brush, so this was a splurge. I've been using this nearly every day for 9 months now, and definitely think it's worth it. It's a lot bigger than any other powder brush I've used, and has maintained its fluffy and soft qualities for all this time.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush (£11.99 at Boots, £10.99 at Superdrug) - I bought this the same time as the other, and paid around the same price. I use my NYX Cream Blush in Natural on a daily basis, and use this to apply it. I have about 4 stippling brushes now, but always pick this one because the hairs are shorter and slightly more dense, allowing me to blend the product in better. It does mean it picks up more product if you're not careful, though, but I'm used to that. 

MUA Eyebrow Brush (£1.50) - I used to use ELF's Studio Small Angled Brushes to fill in my eyebrows, but haven't touched them since buying this. It's thinner, meaning it doesn't get clogged with product, and allows you to be more precise. It's a bargain, too!

ELF Studio Small Precision Brush (£3.75) - I don't wear eyeshadow on my lids, but like applying a little to my lower lash line to give some definition, and I opt for this brush to apply it. It's the perfect size.

ELF Eyelash and Brow Wand (£1.50) - After I've filled in my brows, I give them a brush through with this. I've had this one for years, and it's still going strong. It's cheap and it does the job!

I also love my eBay brushes, which look similar to the Real Techniques ones. You can find my post about them here. I've just had a look at the seller's listings, and they've put the prices of all the colours back down below £2. They range from £1.63-£1.99, and come in blue, purple, pink, red, and yellow/gold. The seller also has the EcoTools brushes and sets I've blogged about before for just a couple of pounds.

What are your favourite makeup brushes?

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!

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.

Recent Purchases - Primark, New Look, and iPhone Cases

It feels like it's been months and months since I last bought enough things to worthy a post, but really, my last haul was 5 weeks ago. To be honest, 5 weeks is a long time for a girl, and especially for a blogger! It's partly because nothing has taken my fancy, and partly because I'm running low on the money front! 

I'll start with the jeans. Both pairs are from New Look, and they're repurchases. I actually already own 3 pairs of the high waisted ones, but they're all looking a bit worn and faded because I wear them so much, so thought I'd get some more. The top pair were £19.99 and are the 'navy supersoft skinny jeans', and the high waisted pair were £22.99 and are called the 'navy high waisted supersoft skinny jeans'. Since trying 'supersoft' jeans, I haven't gone back. They're just so comfortable!

Moving onto Primark, I actually planned on buying much more, but hardly anything caught my eye. I also wasn't in the mood to shop (shocker!), so that hindered my spending. Every year I plan on buying some knitted jumpers, but never end up doing so. I think it's because a lot of the ones I see are not knitted tight enough, so I know they're not going to hold up. It's also because the material makes it hard to remove hair from, and I have a house full of animals! Anyway, the women's jumpers just weren't doing it for me. The quality wasn't there. So, I went to the men's section and found the knitted jumper you see above. It's tightly knitted and the quality is much better than others I've seen in the past. It was expensive for Primark, at £15, but I was willing to pay it because I've wanted a big knitted jumper for ages. The next item I bought was also from the men's section! The bluey grey hoodie was £10. I love the men's hoodies, and already own a couple, so knew I'd get a lot of wear out of this. The third, and final, items I bought from Primark were the thermal socks for £2.50. Primark's thermal socks are my favourite, so I love it when they bring out new patterns this time of year. I'm going in town tomorrow and Friday (three times in a week!), so will no doubt buy some more bits from our beloved Primarni.

My sister and I upgraded our phones to iPhones at the beginning of the month, and the first thing we did was pursuit eBay and Etsy for cases. The first one, the galaxy case, worked out to be £3.23 including P&P from this seller on Etsy. Admittedly, the case does look better in the picture, but it's still beautiful. Also, for the price, I don't really mind! Quite a few sellers sell this case, and other galaxy variations, so just have a search to find the right one for you. The second, a mix of galaxy and aztec designs, was £3.99 from here. The finish is almost matte, and I really like it. The final case, an aztec design, was £2.99 from here. In the last couple of weeks, I've learnt how hard iPhone cases are to get off! I couldn't get them off for the life of me before. I can now, but still find it difficult haha

This seems to have turned into an autumn haul, hasn't it? Speaking of autumn attire, I still haven't found a pair of black boots that I like! It's becoming mission impossible. 

Have you bought any Primark or autumn appropriate items yet?

Wishlist #01

Hello there! I wasn't going to write a wishlist today because there's not many beauty products I have my eye on at the moment, but then I thought I could show what I'm wanting in general, not just in terms of beauty.

My phone contract is ending soon, and I'll be able to upgrade at the beginning of September. No phones have caught my eye, so I'm considering paying a little more and getting an iPhone. I'm not sure if this will happen, but I've been looking at cases anyway. The first one can be found here for £3.99, the second lot can be found here for £2.99 each (I have my eye on A2, A5, and A12), the third lot can be found here for £3.65 each (I have my eye on the Nebula designs), and the final one can be found here for £2.99. iPhone cases are the best! There's just so many to choose from.

I always have books on my wishlist, but these series are the ones I'm probably going to buy next month. Apart from Clockwork Angel (the first book in the prequel series to The Mortal Instruments), I've read the rest, but have shown them to represent the rest of the series. There's a supernatural theme going on here!

I LOVE The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach range, so was delighted to find that Nspa has recently brought out a peach range, too. The body butter and shower gel are £3 each, or currently 2 for £4! A trip to Asda is definitely in order. Lastly, I'd like a cupcake stand for when we have the occasional buffet or birthday party. I'm thinking about making green cupcakes at Christmas and making it look like a Christmas tree. The large 41 cupcake stand is £7.99, the 23 cupcake stand is £5.90, and the 13 cupcake stand is £3.99. All three can be found here.

There's not much else I'm wanting at the moment. I'm still looking for a nice pair of black boots, and may have possibly found them in Primark, but they haven't had my size in stock since they've come out! What's on your wishlist?

Unintentional Haul

An impulse buy here, and an impulse buy there, and suddenly I have enough to warrant a haul post! Small purchases are deceiving because they're cheap on their own, but they quickly add up to a small fortune without you realising it. I'm cutting down on these cheap thrills now. 4 days into August and I haven't spent a penny ;)

I met up with a friend on Wednesday who needed her Primark fix, and this wore off on me. Just a little. I bought a few pairs of underwear, with the pink and black lace pair being £2, and the other two being £1.70 each. I then picked up the bunny makeup bag for just £1 down from £3. I'd very nearly bought this before after seeing it on numerous blogs, so when I saw it on sale, I couldn't resist!

We then ended up in Superdrug, and the Imperial Leather Foamburst Body Washes caught my eye. The packaging is really nice, and I love foam shower gels, and they were on offer for £2 each, so I picked up a couple. If you've ever used a foam shower gel, you know how big and messy one little pump can get, so I couldn't smell them in store. My guessing paid off, though, and I love these two scents. They smell just like their names. Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom is subtle-y sweet with a hint of floral, and Uplifting Lime & Grapefruit smells like lime and grapefruit! It's slightly more grown up than other lime shower gels I've smelt, though. Even though you can't really smell them in store, one bottle/can of Blackberry & Wild Fig had already been tested, so I decided to also have a whiff. I made a mess and ended up having to put the foam into my coat pocket haha, but it smelt amazing, so I think I'm going to have to go back for it. 

I've also ended up buying a couple bottles of the Bath & Body Works hand gels from eBay. The scents I bought were Fresh Picked Apples, and Vanilla Berry Sorbet, both of which were £2.84, including P&P (from here and here). I actually resent paying what I did, but one's for a birthday, and both are unique scents. I just can't help but think that they're only $1-$1.50 in America!

Next up we have The Body Shop's All In One Face Base in 02. Usually £14, but I paid £8.40 because of the 40% off code. I normally use concealer and translucent powder, but wanted something with a little more coverage. Nothing on the highstreet really caught my eye, so I went to The Body Shop's website where this had many positive reviews. I would never pay £14 for it, but then I'd never pay full price for anything at The Body Shop! They always have a code out.

Lastly, I bought Bourjois' Shine Edition Lipstick in 1,2,3 Soleil from ASOS for £4.95 (normally £7.99). I'd been eyeing this up, so when ASOS had an offer on Bourjois cosmetics, and I had a 10% off student discount code, I went for it. I've wanted a lightweight, coral lipstick for a while, and very nearly bought L'Oreal's Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral, but liked the look of this better.

This time, I really am going to try and cut back the spending! Have you tried any of the products above?

eBay Necklaces #2

After my last eBay Necklaces post, I ended up buying some more! The three above arrived yesterday, and I have three more in the post. My favourite is the first one, which can be bought here for £1.89. I wore it out last night and really like it. It also comes in nude, light blue, and black. The second can be bought here for £1.87, and the third can be bought here for £1.59. The third is my least favourite, but that may be because I don't have the right style of top for it. I need some more stylish tops to go with my new jewellery finds. Maybe some baggy and higher neck varieties! 

Have you bought any jewellery from eBay recently?

Flower Shaped Shortbread Biscuits

I didn't plan on baking today, but then thought I'd give myself a break from watching Supernatural and Criminal Minds! It's a hard life, eh? I wanted to make some kind of biscuit, and decided on the classic shortbread. Shortbread is so easy to make, and most books/websites have a recipe for it. This time, I followed this recipe. The only thing I didn't do was chill the biscuits in the fridge before baking because there was no room! For the flower shapes, I used the cookie cutters I bought from Wilkinson at Christmas. They were around £1, and have definitely been more than worth it. You can find similar ones on eBay, too. I've just had a quick search and found these for £1.69, and these for £2.09. All I need now is good old cuppa to go with these little treats!

eBay Necklaces

 

I bought these necklaces months ago, but didn't start wearing them until recently because I don't wear much jewellery! My first, and favourite, can be bought here for £1.39 including P&P. You can also buy it in silver here for the same price. The second necklace can be bought from here for just 99p including P&P. And the third can be bought from here for £2.39 including P&P. Keep in mind that the listing for this one shows a blue stoned necklace, but I received a grey one. I still think the grey is pretty, though. All of these necklaces are from the same seller. They sell a load of necklaces, and I'm just about to buy some more! I always check eBay before I buy jewellery from the highstreet because you can get exactly the same thing, or something similar, for a lot cheaper. I've bought a few necklaces that have been exactly the same as ones seen in Accessorize!

Cake Decorations Haul

I've been getting into baking over the last month, and have bought a few things to make my treats that little bit prettier! 

The first things in the photo above are my favourite out of everything. They're the Wilton Food Colouring Pastes/Gels (which can be bought from this seller for £2.85-89 each). You only need the tiniest amount, so I can see them lasting a while. I bought Pink, Sky Blue, and Violet. I bought the Violet to make my buttercream/frosting whiter. It will counteract the yellowness of the butter (just like a purple toning shampoo counteracts brassy tones in blonde hair).

I also bought a few pots of decorations from Tesco. The Dr. Oetker Sugar Stars were £1.29, the Tesco Multi Coloured Confetti was £1.50, and the Strawberry Glimmer Crunch was... I've forgotten, but it was probably around the same price!

The Rainbow Dust Edible Cake Decoration Glitter in Hologram White is from the same seller as the Wilton Food Colouring Pastes/Gels, and was £2.95. I chose this colour because it will go with everything. I'm tempted to buy a few others, though!

The muffin cases were from this listing, and cost £1.20 for 24. I think they're expensive, but they're big, thick, and I'm using them for my sister's birthday cupcakes/special occasions. They're not cases to be used every time you bake!

The Dr. Oetker Wafer Daisies were also from Tesco, and were £1.49. These are also for my sister's birthday cupcakes :)

From TK Maxx, I bought some Silicone Baking Cases for £3.99. I've wanted some of these for a while because you can reuse them, making them more cost effective in the long run!

I also bought the Confetti Sprinkles for £2.49. They're more expensive than the ones from Tesco, but the pot is double the size. These are the ones I used in my Chocolate Chip Cookie Slabs.

The Cookie Cutters were bought from TK Maxx a couple of months ago, but thought I'd include them because I saw some similar ones when I bought the Silicone Baking Cases and Confetti Sprinkles the other day. I also wanted to include them because they're so colourful! These were £2.99.

I also bought a piping bag and some cupcake boxes, which were also from eBay, but they weren't pretty enough to make this post ;)

Colours of the Rainbow Tag!

I had seen this tag doing the rounds, and when Laura tagged me, I thought I'd have a go myself! For this tag, you simply pick a product for each colour of the rainbow (plus pink). It can be the packaging that's coloured, or the product - whatever you choose! I actually found this pretty hard. I wanted to stay away from nail polishes because I've already done the Favourite Nail Polishes - Rainbow Edition post. I also wanted to pick a variety of products, not 4 or 5 shower gels.

So, for the colour red, I've chosen one of my eBay brushes (you can see my post on them here). For £1.54 (they're now around £2.55), I'm very pleased. It's soft, dense, doesn't shed, and washes well. I've been using it for my powder blushes.

For orange, I picked The Body Shop's Mango Body Mist. I love fruity scents, especially mango, so this is perfect. 

I've cheated a little with yellow because there's hardly any yellow on it! But it's the best I had, and I wanted to pick products I actually use and love. This is The Body Shop's Mango Hand Cleanse Gel. I love it! It smells just like the other mango products, and lives in my bag (I have the other scents laying around the house). I reviewed this, and the other scents, here.

I just had to pick Original Source's Lime Shower Gel for green. I've used this for years. I told you I love fruity scents!

For blue, I picked Nivea's Express Hydration Primer. I've been using this for... over 8 months now, and I've still got over half left. It's very thin compared to the Witch primer, but it works (I reviewed it here).

Maybelline's Rocket Mascara isn't exactly indigo, but it's the closest product I had. I've only been using this for the last couple of weeks, but really like it. It separates my lashes and defines them. I've also been using the Mega Plush one, which is great, but I think I prefer the Rocket because it's not as feathery, so gives a little more definition. 

I chose Cutex's Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for violet. It's my favourite nail polish remover, and all I use now. It does the job and smells nice for a nail polish remover (like vanilla).

I picked Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey for pink (swatched here). It's my favourite lip product, and one of the few I wear to its full intensity.

I love a good tag! I tag everyone reading this :)

Bargain EcoTools Brush Sets from eBay

There's been a lot of brushes featured on Affordable Treats lately! You can see my Real Techniques Brushes post here, eBay Makeup Brushes post here, and Bargain EcoTools Bronzer Brush on eBay post here. 

The most recent additions to my collection are the 5 and 4 piece brush sets from EcoTools. I already own the 4 piece set (which used to be called the 5 piece set, and the now 5 piece set used to be called the 6 piece set because they included the pouch as a 'piece'... confusing, I know), but couldn't resist another for the price. I bought both of them from this listing for £3.39 and £2.99, including P&P. As I've said before, I don't know if these are the real deal, but they're really soft and great quality, nonetheless. I think it's hard to tell if they're authentic or not because they're made from natural materials, so vary from set to set anyway. They retail for £15.99 and £19.99 in Boots, so that's quite a saving!

I'm going to try and not buy any more brushes for a while! I'm running out of room!

eBay Blush Palette

Flash: eBay Blush Palette

Flash: eBay Blush Palette Swatches

Natural: eBay Blush Palette Swatches

I had been considering getting this blush palette for years (literally), and just decided to go for it last month. I bought it for £3 something, including P&P, from here. The seller has now increased the price to £4.19, but it's still very cheap! I know people are wary about make-up from eBay because they don't know if it's safe, but I haven't had any problems. The only products I'm apprehensive about are eye cosmetics and face creams. I love that this palette has a variety of shades. It gives you the chance to try colours you may not normally wear. I do wish there was a matte peach/orange, though. The only matte shades are the three bottom pink ones. In terms of quality, the blushes feel soft to touch and blend well on the skin. The pigmentation is average, apart from the middle bottom shade, which is really sheer. This can be a positive or negative aspect depending on personal preference. I like that you can build them up and not have to worry about looking like a clown, but I must admit, I'm always impressed when I come across a strongly pigmented blush. Because the pigmentation isn't intense, all of the shades are wearable. Overall, I think this is a good little blush palette, and it'd be great for someone wanting to experiment with different shades. I would definitely like it more if it had a variety of matte shades, though.

Have you tried one of the blush palettes from eBay? I want to try the 6 pan blush/contour palette now!

eBay Makeup Brushes

I was on an eBay bargain finding roll one night when I stumbled upon these. They were cheap, looked good from the images, and reminded me of the Real Techniques ones, so I ordered a few. I paid just £1.54 per brush from this seller. They've now gone up to £2.55, which is annoying, but they're still incredibly cheap! The seller has red, blue, and gold varieties (in different listings). I believe I have brushes 1, 3, and 2 in the photo above. I actually ordered number 4 instead of 3, but I've spoken to the seller and it's all been sorted. So, as well as being cheap, they arrived in 1-2 weeks, which I was pleased about. I'm also happy to report that I really like these brushes! They're really soft, not flimsy, don't shed, and wash well. I've been using number 1 for when I attempt to contour or highlight, number 3 with cream blush or foundation, and number 2 for blush. This eBay seller is the same seller I got my EcoTools Bronzer Brush from, so if you're looking for some affordable, good quality face brushes, I'd definitely check them out!

Bargain EcoTools Bronzer Brush on eBay

 

I've had one of these brushes for over a year now, and love it, so when I saw it on eBay here for just £2.69, including P&P, I had to buy another. I paid around £4 for my other one, but it was still a bargain compared to the £9.99 Boots want for it. I've bought quite a few EcoTools brushes from eBay over the years, and think they're authentic. Even if they're not, they're very soft and of great quality! I use this particular brush for powder, blush, and bronzer, so would definitely recommend it.

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars in Juicy Apple and Juicy Peach

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars in Juicy Apple 03 and Juicy Peach 05

Bare lips, Juicy Apple, and Juicy Peach

Let's just jump straight in and talk about the packaging because we all know that's what persuaded me to buy these! How cute are they?! They have ears! And each shade has a different bunny facial expression. I also bought them because I love tinted lip balms, and the price was reasonable (I bought them from here for £3.69 each, including P&P). I bought Juicy Apple because it's the classic "I've just been eating strawberries" lip shade, and I bought Juicy Peach because I've been obsessed with the colour/scent recently. They both smell amazing; Juicy Apple like sweet apples, and Juicy Peach like... well, peach! On me, the pigmentation is good, but that's because I have pale lips and I apply a few layers. The formula and lasting time are average, like most lip balms I've tried. There's not much more to say about them, really. I just love the packaging, price, and the shades I have. I'm tempted to buy Juicy Orange next!

Sticking with the cute cosmetics, I have some ice cream shaped nail polish in the post, so stay tuned for that! Korean brands really know how to make good packaging.