Freebies ♥

Gooooood Day everybody! The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, and I'm in the office, like many people at the minute! So as soon as I finish, I need to try and catch some rays! 

Today I'm going to do a little post on a couple of recent freebies. I must admit I did have one more product to put in, but I've forgotten to bring the item with me to photograph it which is a little irritating, but more on that in a little while.

So I popped into Birmingham with my friend Sarah and I have been on a spending ban. However, this weekend that did seem to fail quite miserably. Thumbs up to me huh? I had a voucher given to me by two of my friends Lucy & Becky, from when I worked at a hotel, for my birthday for House of Fraser. As you can imagine I was super excited so we headed there. Cue decent quality photos... ;)

Chubby Sticks! I LOVE these little guys, they are amazing. For just being at work when I don't need something super colourful, but just a hint of a tint, and a moisturising one at that - these fit the bill! They are £16.00 each from Clinique as mentioned in a previous post, but I think they are so worth it. So I went to buy one as I'd already bought a Chanel Lip Gloss (post coming soon) with the remainder of the voucher. The lady on Clinique then informed me that if you buy two products you can get a freebie!

That word is lethal to me, if it's free, I'm there. I'm all for a bargain and proud! So another Chubby Stick it had to be, so I got them in Pudgy Peony and Oversized Orange and I love them both. Free with them, there was a choice of two make up bags, but this one is a limited edition version for the Olympics/Jubilee and it's SO gorgeous! It's a bright, chic, city style print with London emblems on and little Clinique make up bottles. UhMazeBalls.

If you thought that was nice enough, it was full of goodies! A Superbalm moisturising lip gloss in Raspberry, a rinse-off Foaming Cleanser, a Dramatically Different moisturiser for dry skin, a Super Defense SPF 25 anti age cream, and a mini high impact mascara in Brightening Black. I haven't managed to try the products yet, but it's a great feeling getting such a pretty make up bag with all these products to try in it! Get yourselves to Clinique!

In Glamour magazine this month, they are giving a free sample of Balance Me products. I got hold of the face wash, worth £11.00! The magazine is £2.00, I haven't yet tried the wash, but I've heard a lot of good things about it. Also in Birmingham, a little Nivea concession had been set up in the Bullring, and I got four samples of the Nivea Soft moisturiser. This is because fashion designer Nicola De Main (no, I don't know either) has designed the new pots that it comes in. I forgot to bring the samples with me to photograph which is annoying, but they are small enough to take on the plane with me to keep hydrated through the flight.

I've also had an Urban Decay lip gloss free with a palette I bought, as mentioned in a previous post. Don't hesitate to ask for samples, they can only say no. However, with spending nearly £40.00 on one product, surely a little sample wouldn't hurt. A little bit of charm mixed with a little bit of cheek should get you everywhere! That's what I learn of my Nan anyway, she's the Queen of bartering. 

Ciao for now XxX

P.S. I'm going to be starting a new blog, all things wedding related, if that interests you then watch this space!

Thursday Thoughties - Collection Naturally Matt ♥

Hellooo! So from now on, I figured that I am going to do a review type post on a Thursday. I always say I am going to do a review on products, and never seem to get round to it, so from here forth - I shall! I purchase many different cosmetics as a hobby really, because that is what makes me happy - and you should always do what makes you happy! So, I am going to share my thoughts with you, because if there is something you are thinking of getting but you aren't sure, then you can save your pennies until you make your mind up from my opinion!

Of course it will always be what I personally think, I have never been sent and item or paid for any review, so it is 100% going off my own purchase and my own opinion!

To get started then, in my previous, recent haul, I purchased the Collection 2000 Naturally Matt Foundation. I am a tad on the oily side so it is always nice to try a matt foundation. I recently tried the Number 17 Matt foundation and it could only be described as disastrous - but we won't continue with that.

Packaging wise, it is a nice and easy squeezy tube, and says all it needs to on it! I like the black packaging, I think it is always a safe option to look smart. This retails at a pretty shocking £2.98, which I feel I should of paid more for! 

I got it in the shade Blonde 2, which is second in line I believe. They were all out of the lightest shade and I was so desperate to try it I got it anyway. It is a real shame because it is a couple of shades to dark for my skin tone, but hey - nothing a bit of fake tan can't sort out!

Swatched on my hand it looks like this. It is a fairly light consistency with a medium coverage. The top swatch is how it first applies, and underneath you can see it blended in just about. You do have to work fairly quickly with it before it starts to dry, but it does give you enough time to work with, not like Number 17 that is just cake.

For the money, I actually really like the coverage. My everyday foundation is now NARS sheer glow, so I find it really hard to go back to a drugstore after that. At the moment I am trying to savour the last bits of my NARS, so this Collection one is stepping in during the days I am at work. It is mattifying and this is how it looks on. 

Overall, I think it is a really great Matt foundation for how cheap it is, obviously not suitable for dry skin because it will just patch up in the dry areas. However for me, with combination to oily skin it is great! I only wish I had the correct shade, so I am going to have to go back and see if they have it in stock!

Hope this was helpful to you, and if you are are looking for a less pricey Matt foundation, I'd definitely give it a go! Thumbs up from me!

Rating out of 5 = * * * *

Ciao for now! xXx

It's About Time ♥

Finally. I have been feeling a little down as I have previously mentioned, and I'm sure I have mentioned how much I loved turquoise! So to cheer myself up, I thought I'd go drastic and put some colour back in my life. So welcome back to the turquoise hair! Dodgy photo I am sorry, it was taken really late and I had no make up on so had to hide the face! But you get the gist. There are really green tones in this pic too, but they are covered with the black when my hair done properly. I feel more myself. Just wish I could shift the weight now. 

For work I am just going to put a wide hair band over it. I look like a bit of a hippy but that's ok if I get to be myself every weekend! People also automatically assume that I am like an 'emo' when I have this hair too, not that there is anything wrong with that...but I just personally am not like that! I am 21 and have way passed that stage, I just love the colour turquoise, so I have it in my hair. I don't dress any different, still in 'normal' sort of clothes and dress how I want. I love the art of expressing yourself, I am not going to be this age forever, so I should try and embrace it now. Just like everyone should. It is really difficult when you have restrictions like jobs, and growing of age when it becomes a little less 'socially unacceptable' to express yourself, but who cares! All it is, is a colour in my fringe, no biggie. So if you are itching to do something, just go for it, and be yourself <3

Just thought I would show you Ed's HUGE chip! We went to The Green Man in middleton, and he had fish and chips, but they were HUGE! It doesn't look so big on this picture, but if you can compare it to the fork, you can see what I mean. 

So I am going to do more beauty blogs very soon, I appear to have been distracted by other subjects! By the way, the hair colour I used was Turquoise by Directions which I way prefer to stargazer. It is in a little tub so you can just use as much as you need and put the lid back on. Every sort of 3 to 4 washes I tend to re-apply it, it will last longer than that, it will just be more faded, and I like to keep it vibrant. For the black, I used Loreal Feria in 'Blackest Black'. I will put a picture of both products on a blog very soon, and a proper picture. We are seeing Marina and the Diamonds again tomorrow in Cambridge and I am excited! We aren't going to Brighton tomorrow any more because the hotel had the most awful reviews on tripadvisor, and we are having some building work done on our office so Ed needs to be home to keep an eye on the job. Hopefully we will have some good fun though! 

Right I have waffled for long enough, time for bed. 

Have a great day/night! 

Ciao For Now xXx