Illamasqua Sale Purchases

I'm so happy I managed to get my hands on these beauties! Not only are they packaged beautifully and products I'll get a lot of use out of, but they were a complete bargain.

The Illamasqua Embellished Eye Trio caught my eye before Christmas, with its Precision Brow Gel in Strike, Vintage Metallix Cream Eyeshadow in Embellish, and Precision Gel Liner in Infinity. At £49, though, I couldn't justify buying it. Then it went down to £24.50, but for some reason I still didn't order. Then it went down to £14.70 last week, which was insane. The Precision Brow Gel, Strike, is the only shade available at the moment, and could possibly be too dark for me. However, with a light hand, I think I can make it work.

I decided to add the Intense Lipgloss in Mistress to my basket last minute for £6.60 (down from £16.50). It's described as a bright, coral orange, which is one of my favourite shades. I've also been loving pigmented, liquid lip products recently, so I can see this being used a great deal.

I love all the Illamasqua products I own, especially because most were bought at great prices in their sale.

What's your favourite Illamasqua product?

New In

This next haul post is coming to you from Boots (and one item from Topshop). Working there has definitely encouraged my beauty spending habits!

I prefer cream highlighters to powder ones, and had heard a lot about the Topshop Glow Highlighter in Polish (£9). I'm impressed so far, and will probably be reviewing it soon. I also had my eye on one of their powder blushes, but I have enough already. I'm also not a fan of the packaging because it gets so grubby.

The Max Factor products are actually my first purchases from the brand. I'm running out of my Witch primer and wanted to try something new, so thought I'd give the Face Finity All Day Primer (£10.99) a go. I was sent the Skin Luminizer Foundation (£11.99) a few months ago, but it was in the wrong shade and I wasn't really into wearing foundation back then. I've heard good things since, and was in the spending mood yesterday, so popped it in my basket. I'm hoping it's light enough for me! Max Factor is currently on 3 for 2, so I also picked up the Colour Elixir Lip Gloss in Enchanting Coral (£7.99). I'd had my eye on this for a while - it's a beautiful, pinky coral shade with no shimmer (for once!), and has a good colour pay off.

Wearing foundation has opened up a whole new area of makeup for me to try, which is exciting. After doing lots of research on many brands and foundations, I decided to try the L'Oreal True Match Foundation (£9.99). I was going to go for the Revlon Colourstay one, but it looked too dark for me, so maybe I'll try that in the summer. Now, I thought it'd be best to go for the shade N1 Ivory, but my store only had C1 Rose Ivory. I thought it'd be too cool toned for my skin, but then I compared it to other foundations in the store, including my current No7 one, and it didn't look any different, in terms of tone. I'll let you know how I get on with it! L'Oreal is currently 2 for £14, and as tempting as that was, there wasn't anything else I wanted.

I love Maybelline mascaras, and the new Lash Sensational (introductory price £5.99, normal price £7.99) looked like a combination of the Rocket and Falsies, so I had to try it. I then bought another Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black (currently £5.99, normally £7.99) because my current one is starting to dry up. I love this eyeliner, and I actually use the brush that comes with it!

When I showed my family what I bought (does anyone else do that?), my dad said I didn't need any more makeup. Sometimes, I feel like he doesn't know me at all...

Another Yankee Candle Haul

I know I've only just posted one of these, but my sister and I went to a store that had its own Yankee Candle section the other day, so took advantage of being able to see and smell all the scents.

I intended on stocking up on Red Raspberry because I'd melted it the night before and fell in love. Sadly, it was the one scent they didn't have any wax tarts in, so I settled for a sampler candle (£1.80). I then bought another Mango Peach Salsa, as well as Black Cherry, Pink Grapefruit, and Turquoise Sky for £1.49 each. Turquoise Sky is described as 'calm, salty air with hints of sea grass and musk, float gently on ocean waves... off on an adventure beneath a bright blue sky', but I'd just describe it as fresh and slightly more masculine than the others I have.

Champaca Blossom is one of the fragrances of the month (25% off), so I paid £1.12 for the wax tart. It's described as a 'fruity floral nectar', and I'd agree with that. Not one I'd have chosen if I was shopping online, so I'm glad I was able to smell it.

Summer Scoop and Sicilian Lemon were £1.04 for some reason, and ones I'd had my eye on before. Summer Scoop smells like strawberry ice cream, and you can guess what Sicilian Lemon smells like!

Finally, Christmas Cookie and Snowflake Cookie were 74p each. There were other Christmas and Halloween scents on sale, too, but I didn't like them as much.

I don't need to buy any more for a while now, but I'm tempted to buy 10 Red Raspberry melts from yankee.co.uk for £9.60! I may need another Pineapple Cilantro as well because the scent's currently wafting through the house and smelling beautiful.

The Body Shop Haul

I've been 'treating myself' a lot recently, so expect to see a few hauls!

The code I used for the products above only entitled me to 35% off (not 40% or 50% off like I usually buy with!), but it included sale items as well, so I didn't mind so much!

I'd wanted to try The Body Shop's Home Fragrance Oils for ages, so when I bought my burner, I went straight to the website. I bought Aloe & Soft Linen, Green Tea & Lemon, Pomegranate & Raspberry, Exotic, and Satsuma for £2.60 each (RRP £4).

I then bought another All In One Face Base in 02 for £9.10 (RRP £14) because I always like to be stocked up on this. It has some coverage and a velvety soft, matte finish.

From the sale, I bought the Frosted Cranberry Eau De Toilette for £2.93 (RRP £8.50), the Frosted Cranberry Body Polish for £3.25 (RRP £10), and the Raspberry Body Scrub for £4.25 (RRP £13). I want to start using body scrubs more, and these scents are a couple of my favourites!

Have you bought anything from The Body Shop recently?

Yankee Candle Haul

I've wanted a wax burner/warmer for years, but am not allowed naked flames in the house. I looked at electric ones a couple years ago, but there weren't many options and they were much more expensive than tealight ones. Then, last week, Hannah reminded me of them and I went on an online hunt. The selection still isn't great, and they're still not the cheapest, but my parents offered to buy me one for my birthday (I'm going to be 22 on the 20th). I bought the one above from here, and then set about buying some wax tarts to go with it. 

I know I went a little overboard, but I just got excited about finally being able to buy them! I bought 10 from this listing for £11.95, and another 10 from Yankee Direct (another recommendation from Hannah). The ones from Yankee Direct were 'buy 10 pay for 8', and delivery was £1.95 (£2.95 if you spend £10-£24.99 and £3.95 if you spend over £25).

They're already scenting my room, and I haven't even opened them yet! Salted Caramel is particularly strong, and one I can't see my parents appreciating, so I'm going to break it into smaller pieces.

I also wanted to try some wax melts from smaller brands to see how they compare, so look out for another haul.

Are you a fan of wax tarts? What's your favourite brand, scent, and place to buy them?

Lush Sale Haul

It was the early morning of Boxing Day, and I found myself dreaming of the Lush sale. You'd think I was a mad fan of the brand, but I'm not. Anyway, this dream woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep, so up I got, thinking the sale would have just started. Hours passed and still no sale. Then, when it did start, there were difficulties with the site. Most of the Christmas products I wanted didn't even show up, so I settled with four items (three of which were from the permanent line).

I bought a large bottle of Snow Fairy for £5.97, which is still overpriced for a shower gel. I like the pear drop and cotton candy scent, though, and it's one of the few that actually lingers on my skin. I had my last bottle for about 10 months before I started using it, and it still smelt the same as when I first bought it.

I then added an Each Peach (And Two's A Pair) massage bar to my basket for £2.97. I already have and love this, and it's still smelling great after all this time, so thought I may as well get another while it's half price!

I received two shampoo bars for Christmas, but that didn't stop me buying two more. How could I resist when they were down to £2.87 each? I'm going to keep the ones I'm not using in a vacuum bag to ensure they stay fresh! I've already owned Squeaky Green in the past, but am most excited to use one of the new additions; Honey I Washed My Hair. I believe my first introduction to Lush was a set gifted to me on my birthday many years ago. If I remember correctly, it contained a Butterball bath bomb and a chunk of Honey I Washed The Kids soap. The sweet scent now brings back memories and I find it comforting. They just need to bring out a Comforter smelling shampoo bar now!

Did you manage to pick anything up in the sale? I couldn't get to a store because of work, but will hopefully have more luck next time!

The Body Shop Haul

Just hours after publishing this post, I placed another order with The Body Shop. Two, in fact, to make the most of the £20 off £40 code (14320, ends 11.11.2014). They annoyingly upped their free delivery threshold to £30 instead of £20, so I had to pay two lots of postage (I couldn't use the code in my local store), but managed to get £40 off the products you see above. Most of them are presents, but I couldn't resist a couple things for myself!

Frosted Cranberry Treat Box £7

Frosted Cranberry Tubes of Treasures £15

Frosted Cranberry Body & Room Spray £7

Soft Hands, Warm Kisses Mango £7

Voyage Eau De Toilette Trio Gift £15

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter £12

Japanese Cherry Blossom Mini Gift Set £8

White Musk Shower, Soften & Spritz Set £14

Will you be buying any of The Body Shop's Christmas gifts this year? I'll be buying a few more when the sales start!

The Body Shop Purchases

The Body Shop currently have a sale and 40% off (when don't they?), so thought I'd repurchase a staple and try a couple other bits. I was quite restrained this time! I was tempted to buy another Camomile Cleansing Butter and the entire Frosted Cranberry range, but really need to use what I have first!

All in One Face Base in 02 - RRP £14, paid £8.40

This is my 4th one of these, and I love it. It has a little coverage and a velvety smooth, matte finish.

Vineyard Peach Body Scrub - RRP £12.50, sale price £6.50, paid £3.90

The one thing my stash is missing is body scrub because I normally just use exfoliating gloves. I love the rest of the Vineyard Peach range, so thought I'd give this a go (especially for the price!).

Frosted Cranberry Hand Cream - RRP £3.50, paid £2.10

I think the new Frosted Cranberry range is the same as the old Cranberry Joy one, or at least very similar. It's amazing. I thought I'd just get the hand cream for now, since it's something I've started using a lot in my job. The seasonal products that have just been released (Frosted Cranberry, Glazed Apple, and Vanilla Brulee) aren't actually included in the 40% off promotion, but it was applied to everything at the till. I'm not complaining!

I never used to buy products in store because I didn't realise the codes could be used at the tills. Even though you can get cash back online, I think I prefer being able to smell and swatch the products available. Have you bought anything from The Body Shop recently?

Huge Boots Haul!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35

Boots staff double discount happened, and this isn't even all of it! I've removed some presents and doubles from the photo, and I forgot to include the No7 mirror and foundations (which I paid pennies for thanks to clearance and vouchers). In my defence, a number of items above are Christmas presents for various people. I'm just going to talk through a handful of things because we'll be here for a long time else!

I'm not one for false lashes, but I had a few styes and started pulling mine out (I know), so needed something to fill the gaps while they grow back! The individual lashes have been great, and while they don't last for days and days, they look natural. I remove them every night like I do with any cosmetic. This would be time consuming if I applied a full set every morning, but I only apply a couple. The Naturalites (10) also look promising!

I well and truly stocked up on the Tresemme Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner because they ended up being just £1.87 a bottle. It's definitely a range I'd recommend trying!

Original Source have brought out some body moisturisers, and I couldn't resist buying the peach and apricot lotion. It smells like a peach and apricot yoghurt! There's also a watermelon one, which I wouldn't mind smelling at some point.

29, 34, and 35 were on clearance in my store, so I ended up paying just 39p and 87p for them! Another exciting lip product purchase is L'Oreal's Colour Riche Exclusive Red Lipstick in Julianne. It's beautiful!

The Babyliss straighteners and Soap & Glory gift sets are for my mum for Christmas. She's only ever had mine and my sister's old straighteners, and her favourite colour is purple, so I thought the Elegance Pro would be perfect. She's not familiar with Soap & Glory, but after telling her a bit about the products and showing her reviews/swatches, she's excited to start using them!

Other points to mention: I'm excited to use the No7 makeup products (7 and 25-28) because they all have great reviews, I love the Laura Ashley kitchen accessories, and I don't know why I included the anti-blister stick and spray plaster. It must have been a long day!

Have you splurged recently?

Bargain Beauty Haul

I've bagged some great bargains recently, especially in the last few days, so thought I'd gather them together and have a little ramble!

The first product is the Nina Ricci Nina perfume. I was going to buy this from Boots, but found it on allbeauty.com for £31.80 instead of £54. Although it's still not the cheapest perfume out there, I thought it was a great discount.

On top sits a set of three Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Peach Parfait (all shades I've considered buying in the past). I found this little gem in TK Maxx for £7.99, instead of £7.99 each. It's the first decent beauty item I've found in there! 

I bought the Maybelline Elixir in Mandarin Rapture in Boots yesterday. This retails for £6.99, but I used a couple of vouchers towards it. There's also a 3 for 2 on all Maybelline products at the moment, if you're interested. Apart from the slight shimmer (and it's only slight), I like this so far. It reminds me of the NYX Butter Glosses, in the sense that it's balmy, glossy, and still packs a punch of colour. Unfortunately, we don't have a huge shade selection over here in the UK, but there's still a couple of others I have my eye on.

The EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm wasn't a huge bargain, but thought I'd include it here anyway. I bought it from Amazon for £3.91 including P&P, but they've now changed the price, so I'd suggest looking around yourself. I wanted to know if these hyped little balls were any good before buying a big value pack for presents. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted!

The Witch primers were on clearance in Superdrug for £1.75, and they were buy one get one free. Two primers for £1.75? Yes, please! The Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours (£1.49) were also buy one get one free, so I picked up a couple more.

I definitely didn't need any more wipes, but had a £5 No7 voucher to use, so thought I'd pick up the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes (£7). My staff discount on top made these just 42p. It would have been rude not to! I then bought the Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (£9.50) with another voucher I had, and ended up paying just £2.36 for this. Lastly, on the No7 front, I bought the BB Lips Beauty Balms in Geranium and Blush Coral (£9 each). I had a £3 off voucher, and because I bought two makeup products, I received a free gift box. It contains a mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and eyeshadow brush. The shades are ones my mum will love, so I'm going to give it to her as a present.

There's currently a 3 for 2 across all hair products in Boots, so I picked up the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor (£4.99), the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Shampoo (£4.39), and the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39). I also had 25% off and double points vouchers, making these even cheaper.

After I bought these (and annoyingly used my 25% off voucher), I noticed that the Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner bottles were on clearance for £1.75 each (down from £6.99). They also qualified for the 3 for 2 offer and discount, so I paid just £1.02 each. I think it was meant to be because there were just three bottles left, and two of them were shampoo (I go through more shampoo than I do conditioner).

Have you picked up any bargains recently?

Recent Purchases (Accessorize, Bourjois, and Pacifica Bargains)

It's that time again! These are some of the things I've bought in the last couple of weeks.

Accessorize currently have a sale on, and I can never resist their sales. I spotted the lemon coin purse a few weeks back, and thought it was so cute and would make a nice present, but held off buying it because I knew there would be a sale soon. I ended up paying £3.50 instead of £7. I like that it fits cards in, unlike many coin purses. The sticky notes book was also £3.50 down from £7. Cute stationery at a great price is always a winner! I also picked up five pairs of underwear ranging from £2.50-£3.50 down from £5-£7. I love Accessorize's underwear, but it's expensive, so make the most of their sales. I then went back yesterday and bought the coral dolly shoes for £12.50 down from £25. I spotted these last month, but wasn't willing to pay £25 for a pair of dolly shoes. Then I found them in the sale in my size, but ended up talking myself out of buying them. When I went back in yesterday, they were still there. The last pair in my size. It was meant to be.

When the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks first came out, I wasn't interested. None of the shades appealed to me, and I was going through a light, balmy lip product phase. I then swatched them again and really liked the look of 02 Frambourjoise, a pinky red shade. Fast forward a week and they were on offer for £5.99 in Superdrug, so I couldn't refuse!

The Pacifica sets I've had my eye on for months finally went down in price on Tesco Direct. They're currently £7.50 down from £15 (£18 on Feel Unique), so I ordered Indian Coconut Nectar and Island Vanilla (I may have to get Tuscan Blood Orange, too!). I already own the Ruby Guava set, which I managed to get in January for just £5. I think they're great products for your bag, and make beautiful gifts, too.

What have you been buying recently?

The Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop products have been featuring a lot on Affordable Treats lately! Many are in my routine (see here), but I still wanted to try a few more, so took advantage of the 40% off online and in-store code currently making the rounds. Full prices given.

Bath Lily - £2

I always have a couple of these in my stash. I find TBS ones are softer and create a richer lather than others, so like to pick one up when I'm buying other products.

Mango Body Sorbet - £7

This isn't online yet, so I bought it in-store. My first impressions are that it smells amazing (obviously), isn't sticky in the slightest, absorbs quickly, and leaves you feeling refreshed. I don't feel that moisturised after using it, though, so don't know if it's actually doing anything for my skin. However, I have normal skin, so don't need an intense moisturiser.

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10

This is a repurchase because I'm down to the last third of my current bottle. You can read my review here.

Vitamin E Moisture Serum - £11

I've never tried a serum, so thought I'd give this one a go. I've read mostly positive reviews, but will let you know how I get on with it personally in the next few weeks!

Colour Crush Shine Lipsticks in 18 Sunset Romance and 15 Fuchsia Flirt - £10 each

I wanted to try a couple more things from the makeup line, and these were calling my name. They're apparently similar to the likes of the Revlon Lip Butters, in the sense that they're light and balmy. You'll no doubt be seeing these again soon!

Have you made any purchases from The Body Shop recently?

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 Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop deals tempted me for months, but I refrained from placing an order because there wasn't much I really wanted. However, when on the hunt for a new cleansing balm, I stumbled upon their Camomile products, and caved. At the time, though, they only had a 35% off discount code on their website. Although this would be a huge saving anywhere else, I don't settle for less than 40% off when it comes to The Body Shop, especially when I'm buying a fair bit! After a little searching, I found a £25 off £50 spend code, and here's what I picked up:

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter - £12

I love cleansers, and I love trying out new formulas of cleansers, so am most excited to try this. It's had lots of positive reviews, so I'm hoping I feel the same way! It smells amazing. Very light. Very fresh. It reminds me of a product I've used before, but can't put my finger on it!

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10

I've never used a cleansing oil before, so am intrigued by this. Again, it has that beautiful scent and has received positive reviews. Some have said it's just a glorified olive oil with a higher price tag, but still say it does its job and smells amazing, so we'll see!

All-in-One Face Base in 02 - £14

This is a repurchase because I've recently hit pan on my current one. It gives you a little coverage and a velvety, matte finish without looking cakey; love!

Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair Matte - £13

I wanted to start bronzing more to define and slim my face a little, but the only matte bronzer I had was quite dark and powdery, so decided to give this a try. I was going to get 01, but from swatches, it looked a little redder in tone. 02 has more of a golden tone to it, and looks ever so slightly lighter, too. It feels soft to touch - I'm just hoping the colour's okay!

Ultra Fine Bath Lily in Aqua - £2

I've heard horror stories about creatures living in these, but have never experienced this myself, thankfully! I bought this to qualify for the discount, and because I needed another!

Have you bought anything from The Body Shop recently?

Recent Purchases

I wasn't planning on posting about these items, but was in the mood to blog, so here we are!

Primark bag - £12

I've never owned a formal bag, but with uni about to end and interviews about to begin (hopefully), I thought it was about time I did. I'd heard people talk about this being similar to the Zara Office City Bag, which I quite liked the look of, so decided to buy it. However, once in store, I wasn't sure, so left it. Then I found one I liked in H&M, but it looked very similar, and was £24.99 instead of Primark's £12, so thought I may as well get the cheaper of the two. It's smart, practical, and I like the texture of it. I've already taken the Atmosphere 'leather' tag off, though, because it just cheapened it.

Primark shopper bag - £1.50

Cotton shoppers are so handy to have around, and you can't complain for the price!

Primark white face cloths - £1.50, and duck egg 'luxury' face cloths - £2.50

I've started using Lush's Ultrabland cleanser, so was in need of some face cloths... there's nothing else to say here!

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips - £4.29 or 2 for £5

The only wax strips I've ever used were some ones I won in a giveaway a few years ago. I finally finished those recently, though, and was in need of some more. Lack of variety and mixed reviews left me undecided, but then I came across these. I'm hoping they perform well, but if they don't, I haven't lost a great deal of money.

Real Techniques Blush and Expert Face Brushes - £5.87 and £5.29 from Asda Direct

I use the Powder and Stippling ones every day, and wanted to try these two next. I couldn't resist when I saw the prices; so much cheaper than Boots. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 from Boots

After falling in love with Revlon's Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, I wanted to get my hands on this beautiful peach shade. There's currently a huge 3 for 2 going on in Boots, but I'm ever so indecisive, so just left with this. Will be kicking myself later, no doubt.

Do you have any of these products?

Primark Purchases

I posted a haul yesterday, which mostly included items from Primark, but I went shopping again today, so thought I'd show you these bits, too! I went in to buy some workout clothes, but that was a fail. I also need a sports bra, but don't want to pay too much (edit: I bought one today from Sports Direct, so all's good!)

The daisy jumper was £14, and is the first women's jumper I've bought in a while! It's a little smaller than I'd like, but I think that's because I'm used to men's sizes.

The burgundy joggers were £7. I needed something other than jeans and pyjama bottoms to wear! These will also be good for when I exercise.

The mint green t-shirt bra was £2.50. I own nearly every colour/pattern of their t-shirt bra design now. They're cheap and comfortable!

The grey trainers were just £3, and I bought these for when I exercise, too. I'm going to try out running this week, and if I decide it's for me, I'll then buy proper running shoes.

The duck egg extra large throw was £10. I haven't liked the throws in Primark for a while, and I love this colour, so thought I'd treat myself!

The mint green and gold necklace was £3. It's the first piece of jewellery I've bought from Primark in years!

Have you bought anything from Primark recently?

Haul - Primark, Revlon Matte Balms, and More

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Audacious, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, and Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Elusive.

Birthday money in hand, I decided to do a spot of shopping this week, and then thought I'd combine the other odd bits I've bought this month to create a haul!

The majority of the stuff above is from Primark, so we'll start there! I bought yet another men's jumper for £12. I love them. They're comfy, warm, and easy to wear. I then picked up some coat hangers to store my expanding collection of jumpers, which were £4. I've always been a little reluctant to spend money on coat hangers, especially because I store most of my clothes in chests of drawers, but the colours of these persuaded me! The giraffe pyjama top was £4 and is incredibly cute. They also had matching giraffe print bottoms, if you're interested. I then picked up another one of their reed diffusers in Red Berries and Orchid for £3. It's along the same lines as their Juicy Blueberry and Blossom one, which I love. The socks at the top were £3.50, and are knee high and extra thick. They're more expensive than the ones I normally buy from Primark, and are just as expensive as Topshop and Accessorize ones, but, I suppose, they are extra long and thick. The last things from Primark are the tweezers. Both the floral owl and black polka dot ones were £1 for 2. They're not the sharpest I've had, but they do the job!

I bought a fair bit of bedding from Tesco Direct a couple weeks ago, and while most of it was fitted sheets and pillow cases, I did buy the pretty, floral, fleece throw you see at the top. It was £10, and I bought it to spruce up my plain bedding sets. I also bought the bedding you see everything on, which was £15 (now £12). I wasn't sure about it at first, but it's warming on me!

A couple weeks ago, my friend and I had some time to kill, so decided to venture into Next's home section. We came across the Apricot Blossom scent, and just had to buy something from the range. I'm not allowed to burn candles under my dad's roof, so opted for the reed diffuser, which was £5. If you're interested in the candle, it was £3.50. I'm tempted to get it just to smell it whenever I can! I love apricot/peach scents.

Birthday money, not buying makeup for ages, my love of lip crayons, and a 3 for 2 offer all contributed to these next buys. I walked into Boots and headed straight to the Revlon stand, knowing they'd have the new Matte and Lacquer Balms. I wasn't expecting there to be a 3 for 2 offer on, so that just pushed me to get swatching even more. I decided on the Elusive and Audacious Matte Balms, intending to sheer Audacious out to make it more subtle. I also wanted Unapologetic, a really bright, warm pink, and also intended to sheer it out, but it was out of stock. At 9am on the day of release. No extras in the draws underneath. The Lacquer Balms were okay, but most had shimmer in, so decided to swatch the lip butters. I've never owned one before because the colours didn't float my boat, but then I came across Wild Watermelon, and a spark ignited within. Okay, a little dramatic, but you get my drift. In the tube, it looks like an orangey red, but when swatched and sheered out, it turns in a light, pinky red. I also want Juicy Papaya now! All three retail for £7.99, but the 3 for 2 offer meant I received one for free.

I'm also going in town tomorrow to get some workout clothes because I've started exercising (only a little, mind!), but will no doubt end up in Boots again. Back at the Revlon stand. Have, or will, you be buying any of Revlon's new releases? Lip crayons got me into wearing lip products, so they'll always have a special place in my heart!