What I Bought: Collective Beauty Haul

I know that a lot of bloggers are on a spending ban right now but most certainly am not, so here’s what I’ve picked up recently.

TOPSHOP

Louise Gray for Topshop Brush Set - £32

I was instantly drawn to these when I hit the makeup section in Topshop. I can’t find the link for them as I think they’ve sold out, but the set contains powder, blush, foundation, eyeliner and eye shadow brushes.

Lips in Rumour Has it - £8

I’ve been wanting to try Topshop lipsticks for a while as everyone raves about them and I’ve finally come across a colour that’s flattering for my skin tone. Rumour Has It is a dusty rose with a velvet finish.

THE BODY SHOP

Foundation Brush - £12

I picked up this foundation brush as I wanted something to apply facemasks with. I have a few TBS brushes already and they’re really good quality.

Lip Care Translucent - £8.50

I’ve been looking at this online for a while now and even though I don’t need to add another balm to my collection I couldn’t help but grab it.

 

Vineyard Peach Body Scrub - £6.50

This smells edible really nice. As I’ve said before I love scrubs and since this was half price in the sale it would have been rude of me not to pick it up!

JOHN LEWIS

bareMinerals Original Foundation - £24

My foundation is getting a bit low so I decided it was time to pick up a replacement. #bbloggerxmas girls will know that this is my Holy Grail foundation – I absolutely love it. The price is pretty average for a premium/high-end brand, and an 8g tub lasts me about a year so it’s really cost effective.

bareMinerals Tinted Mineral Veil - £24

I’ve wanted to try this for absolutely ages, and got the girl at the counter to try some on me and it’s even better than I expected. I think £24 is a little steep since it’s the same price as the foundation, but since I’ll only need a small amount I can see it lasting even longer than a year.

MARKS & SPENCER BEAUTY

Philip Kingsley Body & Shine Trial Pack - £15

Everyone always raves about the elasticizer so I picked up this kit so I could give it a go. I stupidly didn’t read the part that says ‘body & shine’ so this isn’t exactly for my hair type, but I’ll use it all anyway.

Tara Smith Feed The Root Shampoo & Conditioner - £10 each. Shining Moment Glosser - £12

Last month I attended a Tara Smith Blogger Event and was given some samples of her shampoo and conditioner (review to follow!). I’ve fallen in love with the sulphate-free formula and had to get some more. They’re a bit more than I’d usually pay but definitely worth it.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi Usage Dry Oil - £29.50

Multi-use = Lola loves. I swapped with someone for the sample that came in a Glossybox last year and my hair was literally addicted. It smells amazing and applies like a dream.

REN Invisible Pore Detox Mask - £18

It was a big toss up between this and the Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask, but I think I prefer this. I’d tried both but I have a few enzyme masks already and this one is perfect for my oily skin.

Pure Instant Radiance Skin Exfoliator - £6

I’ve read some good reviews on the Marks & Spencer beauty range and a girl can never have too many exfoliators, so for just £6 this definitely had to accompany me to the till.

Perlier Honey Silk Effect Body Oil - £17.50

Yes, another body oil. It's a cruel, cruel addiction. It smells and feels amazing!

ESCENTUAL

Avene Cleanance K Cream-Gel - £8.40 (Sale price)

I love the Avene Cleanance range and had to get this during the Escentual sale.

Avene TriAcneal - £18.40 (Sale price)

I’ve got a post coming up about this so I won’t go into too much detail, but this stuff is amazing for spot/acne-prone skin.

L’Occitane Skin Supple Oil - £23.20 (Sale price)

This is one of my most favourite body oils. In fact I kept the empty bottle when I ran out of the last one because I was too upset to chuck it in the bin – sad, but true. You can read my review of it here.

Lanolips

I actually bought this on a FB swapping group. A girl had two, sealed, original tubes and was selling them for less than the price of one tube in Boots so it would have been rude not to buy!

Jemma Kidd Lipstick Duo in Eve - £2.50

I have another one of these and I adore it so picked up another one since it was such a bargain. I accidentally put the wrong colour in my basket but I think this is quite cute anyway.

So that’s how I’ve bankrupted treated myself this month so expect some reviews very soon!

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Beauty Wish List

Cash has been a bit tight of late, but I’ve got a lovely cheque coming through next month so I’m planning on go on a slight spending binge.

Beauty Wish List by LolaStarHearts

DivaDerme Lash Extender, £15 from Amazon 

 I keep seeing this pop up on Wowcher and the reviews look great. I’m not sure if I’ll get this exact one but I definitely want something similar for my stubby lashes.

Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter, £7/6g from Feel Unique  

As a lip balm fiend I need this in my life. I’ve read a lot of reviews on this and have got to get my mitts on one.

bareMinerals Tinted Mineral Veil, £17/9g from Feel Unique  

I love bareMinerals, it’s the only foundation I trust for full coverage that doesn’t break me out. This veil is supposed to set the foundation and give an airbrushed finish. Yes please!

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, $3-$4/4g from Amazon  

I’ve put the US price of this because they’re much cheaper there and I’m asking for one in my US swap (I’ll be posting about this soon!). They look great and Grape looks like it’ll give a subtle flush of colour.

L’Occitane Almond Skin Supple Oil, £29/100ml from L’Occitane  

 I’m really annoyed at myself for buying this because I love it. If you’re looking for something to reduce the look of stretch marks then I can’t recommend this more. I hauled it here and I’ll do a full review soon.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDP £56.50/50ml from Boots  

 I got a 1ml sample of this in the Harrods Glossybox and loved it. It smells amazing! A tad on the pricey side, but I’ve got to have it.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm, £9.50/15g from Feel Unique  

 I warned you I was a balm addict. Seven months ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of spending so much on a lip balm but hey, addictions only get worse right?

Caudalie Vinsource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum, £26.10/30ml from Feel Unique  

 My skin is addicted to this. It absorbs really quickly and makes my face feel amazing.

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, £30/50ml from ASOS

 I got a sample of this in Liberty a few weeks ago and it reminds me a lot of the Monu Radiant Peel I reviewed here. Going to get it from ASOS so I can take advantage of my student discount – unless they will be any REN offer floating around.

Burberry Body EDP, £46.75/60ml from Feel Unique 

I did a project on this at uni and Harpers Bazaar press office sent us a bottle and it smelt so good. I can’t wait for this baby to join my fragrance collection!

Di Palomo Orange Blossom with Wild Honey & Olive EDP, £22/50ml 

 I reviewed a set of Di Palomo hand creams here and the orange blossom is now my favourite. If the perfume is anything like the hand cream then I know it’ll smell delicious.

I don’t even want to work out how much all of this is going to cost, but it has to be done!

What’s on your Lust List?

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Review: Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser

I’m a complete lip balm addict. I don’t have a huge collection, but I’ve got enough to last me a while let’s say. But whilst I have so many, I’m really fussy with what I use on a daily basis. I didn’t realise that Simple produced lip balms, but I was dying to try one when I found out. Queue Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser*.

I love the applicator; it’s hygienic and means that I can apply it on the go without a mirror. Although, some of it tends to get in the seal so bits of lint stick to it in your bag – which is why I keep mine in my lip balm bag, yes I’m sad.

This product reminds me a lot of my Dr Lipp Nipple Balm For Lips – reviewed here – but it’s not as thick – and suitable for veggies. I’d say that it’s like a gloss/balm hybrid. It has the texture and consistency of a gloss, but when you apply it it’s very balmy with a glossy finish.

This is what a thin layer looks like applied on my lips. My lips were a wee bit flaky before I applied this so you can see how it has added a lot of moisture and enhanced my natural lip colour slightly too.

  

It lasts quite well, probably around 2-3 hours before you need to reapply – even through eating and drinking. I like to apply it at night if my lips have gotten particularly dry throughout the day, and it’s always still there in the morning. This was sent to me about two weeks ago and I’ve used it religiously since.

I tried using this underneath my lipstick to see how it fared as a primer, and let’s just say it’s not primer material. However I found that it was perfect for those lipsticks that really don’t suit me.

Here’s what I mean …

The left is Elizabeth Arden in Ginger alone – hideous on my skin tone, and the right is Ginger applied over the Simple Lip Moisturiser. It dilutes the colour enough to make it wearable.

  

The left is bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lip Colour in Confidence. I love it but it’s way too bold and doesn’t last well if I blot it. The right is Confidence applied over the balm.

  

The left is Collection in Coffee Break, a very shimmery brown but too orangey for me. The right is applied over the balm, the camera hasn’t picked it up but it gives a really subtle shimmer.

Bottom line: It’s a must-have in any lip balm/makeup bag!

You can buy Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser from Superdrug at the bargain price of £1.49.

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