September Primark Haul;

So, yeah... Primark happened, again. I've said it many times but I think Primark has become my favourite store. I seem to be going in more and more and not coming out with clothes, so I thought I'd show you what I picked up this time.

Up first is this PS Makeup Fixing Spray. For me, fixing spray is an essential. With it you can afford to wear a  foundation that isn't so long lasting and for £2 I couldn't not pick this up. This really is like hairspray for your face as its in an aerosol can. When applying this I felt like it was going on uneven and as its aerosol its not nice to breathe in. But it did lengthen the wear-time of my base and keep it looking fresher, and really it worked just as well as any other I've used.
I also picked up a Make-Up Brush Cleanser, this is the kind of product that you spray directly onto your brushes. I'd use this as a spot cleaner and still give my brushes a good shampoo once a fortnight (ok maybe once a month). When spraying this it smells like synthetic fruit and a little chemically if I'm honest. But it did do a good job of removing the visible product on my brushes, as well as cleansing away the germs from my face, even my foundation brush looked almost as good as new! And if you use this in the evening your brushes will be dry and ready to go by morning.
Moving onto makeup I got a PS Lip Liner Pencil, with no actual shade name. This is a gorgeous deeper pink with grey-ish undertones. This was only £1 and it applies easily as its quite a creamy feeling liner. As it has a matte finish it lasts quite a while on the lips too, and I think shade will be lovely for Autumn.
The last thing I got from the ever-expanding beauty section was this deep cleansing pad. Its basically a rubber pad with soft, flexible bristles. It also had a suction pad onto back to stick to your shower. I thought this would be great to work cleansers deeper into my skin, as well as exfoliate. It beats using your hands, right?

I also picked up yet another candle from Primark, The Orange Sunshine Soda jar candle. I really love their jar candles as their only £3, they smell gorgeous, and you can reuse the jar. As you can guess by its name, this smells really fresh and just like oranges. This was probably more suited for summer but I couldn't resist it, and its a lovely, light scent for any room at any time of year.

Have you picked up any goodies from Primark recently?

A 'No Clothes' Primark Haul;

The thing that has blown me away about Primark in the last 2 years is how much their homewares and beauty has improved. So I headed to my local the other day "just for some hair clips" and was not disappointed.

The first thing I picked up was this threaded, patterned makeup bag. The lilac and pink colour with tribal print makes this perfect for summer and festival season, I even think you get away with using this a clutch. It also has a tassel accent along the zip. This thing is huge, and padded on the inside to keep all of your makeup protected. I also think this will make a lovely prop for blog photos.

Next I had a look at the nail section, Primark's falseys are my favourite. They're just the right length so they don't get in your way, and the glue that comes with them is pretty good, Primark nails last the longest of any false nails on me. This set is pink to purple ombré with a black palm trees and covered in glitter. The only thing that would make these better is if they were wrapped around a cocktail in the sun and these are just £1. I also picked up a bottle of their Fast Dry Nail Spray, I've tried a few fast-drying products and I have to admit none of them have been perfect. But I'm always up for something that reduces drying time and this was 80p. I will get back to you on how well this works.

I've heard great things about Primark's perfumes so I decided to pick up the rollerball called Midnight Kiss. I'd desribe the smell as a grown up floral scent with a hint of musk to it, it smells pretty similar to Katy Perry's 'Purr'. I'm tempted to go back for the spray version as its only £6. I also picked up a new hand sanitizer, as these just £1. These are so handy to keep in your bag. This is in the scent Sparkling Fruits which I thought was a nice summer shake up.

The next thing I picked up was this intagram-worthy cup/bottle. I'm a kitsch cup fanatic I own far too many, but I couldn't pass this up. It looks like a bottle but has a straw and yet still fits my reusable icecubes (also from Primark). And this is huge! I had to then pick myself up a new candle, these aren't the strongest smelling but for the price they're pretty darn good. This is pineapple and ginger, it smells fruity but with a tang and it's perfect for this time of year. It's only £2 and look at the size of it.

The last thing I picked up was this 'chill' cushion, its huge and I love slogans. I like the mint writing as it goes well in my bedroom. The whole bedding section in Primark has improved so much and I definitely want to pick up a bedspread in the future.

 I did also manage to grab my hair clips and I bumbled to the check out!

Mini Mac Haul;

The nearest Mac store to me is an hour and a half away. Although I am forever lusting over the website I like to see my makeup before I buy it. Luckily a few towns away The Cosmetics Company Store has just open, they offer higher end brands of makeup  for a discount price. Of course they don't offer a full selection of products and they often use discontinued and less popular shades. But I am very excited to show you what I purchased and share my savings with you.

 I had to pick up the Pro Longwear Foundation especially as it was £17.50 in store. The helpful assistant stood with me for 20 minutes helping me find the right shade so a big thank you must go out to her. I bought it in the shade NW 13, I'm told the NW means pink toned and this was such a good match that you couldn't notice I was wearing it on my neck when I left. This foundation is meant to be medium coverage and natural so I'm looking forward to see how it works with my skin.

I don't usually get on with cream eyeshadows/ bases, (I don't even get on with the Maybelline Colour Tattoos) but I've heard such good things about Mac Paint Pots. I picked up mine in Groundwork, which is a medium warm-toned brown (even though Mac's website describes it as taupe??). I got this for £10 which is a £5.50 saving, I'm just keeping all fingers crossed that this converts me to a cream eyeshadow wearer.

This is by far my favourite purchase, Mac eyeshadows are iconic in the beauty world but even at the discounted price a single pan was £8 and I managed to pick this quad up for £21. Introducing: Showstopper, it is a cool toned quad that I don't think is available anymore. It contains the shades; 'Oh My Darling' which is a light nude with a little shimmer, 'Jest' which is a pink-peach shade with shimmer, 'Mineralism' which is a brown taupey colour which is full blown sparkle and 'Showstopper' which is a matte dark brown with purple undertones. I think this is gonna make some great looks and fit right in with the rest of my eyeshadows. I literally can't wait to try this, like as soon as I finish typing. Ooh and the packing is magnetic... so satisfying.

If you see The Cosmetics Company Store open near you, definitely go take a look it might take a bit of rummaging through sparkly purple lipstick and orange eyeliner, but there are some real gems. The also offer Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder and Smashbox among others and I will definitely be going back for more (when my bankcard has recuperated). What are your favourite Mac products?

Haul and First Impressions: I Heart Makeup;

Warning photo-heavy post coming up....

So recently I couldn't resist making yet another order from Makeup Revolution. They have recently started offering a new brand called I <3 Makeup. I decided to pick up two items from the range, which I bring to you today.

The first item I ordered is this beyond gorgeous Blushing Hearts, Triple Baked Blusher in the shade. This is clearly a complete dupe for Too Faced blush and the packaging is so amazing I almost wouldn't care if the product were crap because it looks great just sitting on my dresser.

It comes in a gorgeous pink box with metallic fuschia writing and the bottom gives you a preview of the product, which I think will be so handy when the product is in store. The blush itself comes in a sturdy cardboard casing in the shape of a heart, this really makes the product stand out in my opinion. The top is the same pink and fuschia as the box but the bottom is metallic gold. Inside the product is held by a plastic container which is held in place pretty strong (I have tried to shake it loose). The only only problem with the packaging is that over time I can see excess product building up between the plastic and the cardboard. The product itself is made up of 3 striped shades of blush. Starting from left we have a light pink with a slight sheen, a sheeny peach shade and a darker pink with glitter. In theory you could use these shades together or separately (if you can find a small enough blush brush). If you're a lover of matte blushes this probably isn't the one for you. The last shade has a lot of chunky glitter, but I find it you don't go in too heavy on that shade it isn't too noticeable. The overall shade is a lovely more pink that peach shade with a nice sheen.

The second thing I purchased was one of the slogan pallettes, ironically named 'No Photos Please'. Ironic purely because the shades are so eye-catching that they call for about 143 selfies. This products' box also comes with a preview of the shades. The front of the palette is holographic although shows both; from some angles you see 'No Photos' and from others it says 'Please', I think this is a unique twist. This is a small size compared to the Makeup Revolution Palettes, but that makes it great for putting into your handbag. It has a mirror along the top, and ten sparkly shadows. A favourite feature of mine it that this palette has shade names such as, 'Back Exit' and 'Publicist' which I think are absolute show stoppers.
I decided to get this palette over the rest as, like any makeup lover I own far too many neutral palettes. This has a few sparkly brown shades to add a twist to an everyday eye look, but also a lot of really eye-catching blues and greens which will be amazing for trying out different styles and for nights out. I've only created two looks with this so far but the shade I have used are both highly pigmented and easily blendable. Paired with my Revlon Photo Ready Eyeshadow Primer the looks lasted very well and the palette has impressed me.

Along with this palette came a free, Mini Eye Primer. I tested this on my lids and was surprised to find it had a sparkle through it, which even though the shadows are glittery, immediately made me think this wasn't for me. To make matters worse once I'd applied a shade to my brush and went back to my eyes the primer had creased, badly. If the primer creases on its own it doesn't strike me as a product that will keep my makeup on. This, I'm afraid is sitting in the drawer for emergencies, but the shadows are what I ordered and they're good enough not to put me off ordering another palette.
Have you tried anything from the I <3 Makeup line?
xoxox

Primark Haul;

Primark  is quickly becoming my favourite store, lately I seem to be taking weekly trips in for so-called essentials. Primark has definitely upped its quality game the last year, the prices have of course risen with that but its not quite breaking the bank yet. This week I picked up a few wintery bits, and some accessories...

Jumper; £6

 My only fashion piece of this haul is this sheer white jumper. I've been looking everywhere for plain jumpers for tucking into skirts, over the top of dresses and hanging on to summery clothes for as long as humanly possible and I think this was an absolute steal. The only reason I resisted buying this in every colour is because I do need some jumpers to see me through when the even colder weather, and this is slightly sheer and doesn't exactly keep all the warmth in.

Snood/ Circle Scarf; £5

I can't believe I found this snood/circle scarf in Primark, it looks so much more expensive! A few years back I had a slight obsession with River Island scarves, but that was an expensive habit so this chunky-knit gorgeous scarf in Primark was great! The plain colour means it will go with everything, its very thick and will actually help keep the cold out in the months to come and its made very sturdy (as far as I can see).

Socks; £3 (3 pack)

I have a thing about knee length socks under boots during the winter, and the day I went shopping I had a pair of ankle boots on, they just looked so plain without that little bit of sock poking out! These socks are the usual length and they finished off my outfit so well and I see me wearing these out over winter.

Midi Rings; £1.50 (8 pack)

Midi rings are one of my favourite accessories even if I don't need an excuse to wear more rings, but they're so small I have a tendency to lose them. But for £1.50 for 8 it doesn't matter if I lose them or if they discolour! They're plain and in every colour so they will go with everything, its safe to say I'm so glad Primarni has jumped on the midi ring bandwagon!

Scrunchies £1.00 (3 pack)                                      Hairband 50p

I have to wear my hair up for work so I'm always looking for simple ways to jazz up my up-dos. The right hairband goes so well with a high ponytail, I already own this in gold but black goes with everything (except brown). Seeing these scrunchies lit up my day, I'm a 90s kid and I ran across River Island when I saw dungarees during summer! I've seen scrunchies hopping across UO and Topshop lately but they were expensive and I like to keep to fairly neutral colours at work and keep my hair down when I'm home so these were perfect. They go great around ponys and doughnut buns.

Hairgrips £1.00 (40 pack)                              Clothes Hangers £4 (10 pack)

These were my true essentials and the only reason I actually ventured into Primark (oops!). The mythical hairgrip fairy seems to have stolen all of my grips yet again, I swear I have to buy new ones every month, where can that amount of hairgrips even go?! I also have completely run out of hangers (again) and these are great they have a sort-of velor (how do you spell that again) material which is great for sheer shirts etc. as it helps them to grip, and the price is cheaper than Wilkinson!

Lots of love, GAV

xoxo