Hauling the week away!

This blog was originally meant to be a beauty blog (not that you would know by looking at the past couple of posts), so I thought it was time that I injected some beauty and glamour into the blog, and what better way to start it off with than a haul! 

I have a very serious shopping problem; I shop if I am happy, I shop if I am sad, hell - I'll even shop if I'm hungry! This is the damage that I did last week. I will be posting more in depth reviews once I have tried out the products - this post will be more like a first impressions kind of thing.

I used to be a massive Benefit fan but after a few questioning makeovers by some Benebabes I was put off the brand. I was really pleased to see one of my favourite Benebabe at the counter on my most recent visit (who actually knows how to apply make up), so I jumped on the stool and asked her to try the Benefit Fake Up on me. I have heard so many great reviews and I was not disappointed. 

A quick summary for anyone who has been living under a rock for the past few months; it is a hydrating non-creasing concealer containing Vitamin E and apple seed extract - it boasts of hiding dark circles and getting rid of those pesky fine lines. The concealer is in the middle and the moisturising element is the white that you see on the outside. They work together to provide great coverage and a creamy concealer that doesn't look cakey. The concealer really did cover up and highlight my under eye circles, which is what prompted me to buy it there and then. There was some sort of special promotion and I had money on my beauty card so I was able to bag this beauty for £10. I will keep testing it out and see if it is able to handle the pressure of the more laborious days. Have you tried this? What did you think of it?

I have been on a perfume ban for over a year now because I built up a rather large collection. This month, however, I have had to resort to sparingly use my last 3 perfumes - so I decided to take the plunge and get another one. I was stuck between the new Marc Jacobs, Paco Rabanne Lady Million; I decided on the Jimmy Choo - and now I am kicking myself, I have no idea why I picked it. Arrgghhh! Don't get me wrong, it is not horrendous but it's £40 on a perfume I don't actually like. I am still using it but this will teach me for impulse buying. Have you ever done that?

I recently finished my 'Clean on Me' shower gel by Soap & Glory so I was in the market for a new one. One of my friends had Instragammed 'Foam Call' and raved about how good it was, which naturally meant that I had to try it out for myself. I have used this a few times now and I am loving it. I didn't think anything could beat 'Clean on Me' but boy oh boy this does! Not only does it smell heavenly (it contains peppermint essential oils, grapeseed, fig and orange waterjuice), but it also lathers up nicely in the shower. I haven't been using any body oils or butters for a few days now because this shower gel manages to do a really good job cleansing and moisturising the skin all by itself. What are your fave Soap & Glory products?

Dry shampoo is an essential on my dressing table; whether it me a bottle of Batiste or some good 'ole talc. Batiste is a product that I am in a love/hate relationship; I love it because it always revives my slightly greasy fringe, but hate because it also gives me a really, really, REALLY dry scalp. Dry to the extent that when I move my head it's like a snow avalanche on the carpet - lol, I kid, it's not that bad but it is still annoying as fudge. I popped into Lush last week with the intention of getting shampoo, but I fell head over heels with their 'No Drought' dry shampoo when one of the girls clocked onto my interest and demonstrated how to use it. A mere sprinkle of the powder in your hand, a 1 minute massage of the hair that needs de-greasing and you are good to go! I have used this once since I got it (I make it sound like my hair is a massive grease ball but it really isn't that bad lol) and I have enjoyed using it so far!

The lovely laydee behind the counter also gave me two samples of their 'Big' shampoo. Has anyone ever used that? Thoughts?

'Along came Betty' is a brand that I have recently seen crop up in the Tesco beauty section, and the catchy packaging and creative product names have not only made it look like a slightly cheaper version of Soap & Glory, but also guaranteed it a place on my 'To Try' list. This reminded me of Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser so I thought I'd give it a go to see if it matched up to the higher end brand. In the product description it says that the cleanser removes dirt and excess oil which leaves softer and brighter skin. It contains shea butter, cocoa butter and cranberry antioxidant. It doesn't mention anything about how well it removes off make up so that shall be an interesting experience. I picked it up for a mere £3! 

I hate having just one thing from a brand so I decided to pick up the 'De-stress Face Scrub' as well. I haven't used this yet because I am still working through the last remains of my No.7 exfoliator but I cannot wait! It smells heavenly and if it does what it says on the tin then I know that it's going to be a steal at £1.75. I sometimes think that slightly cheaper brands that do the exact same thing as higher end brands get forgotten JUST because they are cheaper. Have you tried any 'Along came Betty' products?

I cannot wait to get stuck in and get all these products into my skincare and make up routines to see if they are as good as I hope they are. Have you used any of these products before? What are your thoughts?

This song was my blogging song for this post. It has been on repeat for over an hour now!

ENJOY ;)

Salli

xxx