Haul: Sephora, Zara, H&M + More!

So I did a bit of shopping recently and so I decided to film a haul video! I hope you like it, all the items mentions are listed in the description box below. Don't forget to go over to YouTube to subscribe to my channel! Thanks for watching!

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Another Little Haul

Another haul, I know, shoot me. It's been barely a week since my last one and here we are again. I really wanted the Nars Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret when it came out and as usual I dilly-dallied and they quickly sold out. Story of my life. Luckily they came back into stock and I quickly snapped one up. (As I write this they're still in stock online). I'm so glad I got it as I just love all of the shades, there isn't a single dud. 

When I'm in Boots, the Essie stand always manages to draw me in, their polishes are so pretty and I'm a sucker for anything arranged in colour order. I decided to go for a barely there pinky nude called Not Just A Pretty Face, which made it onto my nails in record time. I'm already certain this is going to become a long term favourite.

The last thing I got was the Nars Multiple in South Beach which is just a ridiculously beautiful colour. It looks really orange in the bullet but doesn't transfer that way, it applies as a sheer coraly-bronze that does wonders to warm up dull skin. I've been using it as a blusher/highlighter hybrid and I love it. 

Have you bought any new makeup recently?

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Mini Beauty Haul

I've not been buying a huge amount lately in an attempt to use and make the most out of things I already have. One product aside, I've bought products to replace the ones I've used up recently.

Fushi Organic Sweet Almond Oil

I've always used Coconut Oil for a multitude of beauty tasks, mainly as a hair mask. I've become slightly bored of it so decided to have a bit of a change and give sweet almond oil a go. Fushi make a good selection of organic, cold pressed oils which I'm planning on trying more of in the future. I love the fact that I won't have to melt this oil everytime I want to use it as a hair mask!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme 

I tried a sample of the original Elasticizer a while ago and thought it was brilliant, when I decided to buy a full pot I went for the extreme version instead as it's designed for thick, coarse hair that's quite damaged. I'm desperately trying to get my hair back to a good condition and I hear this is the stuff for the job!

Soap & Glory Archery

I usually fill in any gaps in my brows with powder and an angled brush, it gives the best finish but it's definitely not the quickest method. I also unfortunately lost my spoolie between a crack in the floorboards so an eyebrow pencil with a spoolie on the end was a necessary purchase! I really love this one, the pencil is very thin and so looks very natural it also has a wind up mechanism so it does't need to be sharpened.

Soap & Glory Supercat

I've been wearing winged liner a lot lately so when my Avon SuperExtend liner ran out I needed another one pronto. I had read good reviews on this one and I'm really glad I got it, the pigment it super black, the point stays sharp and the formula stays put.

Nars And God Created the Woman Palette

Late to the party, I know. I finally caved and bought this palette after lusting after it for the longest time. I'm so glad I did because I absolutely love it and have been getting a lot of use out of it. I know it will be my go-to palette for traveling as it's a great edited down selection of every colour I need. 

Have you tried any of these products?

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Beauty Haul!

It's been a while since I shared my beauty purchases here on the blog and over the last couple of months I seem to have accumulated quite a few new things so I thought I'd do a haul post. Here's what I got!

After hearing a lot about the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets I decided to give a tester a try, it lasted all day long without fading so I decided to go back and pick up 3 shades, Ole Flamingo, a warm toned fuscia, hot pepper, a bright, true red and Grand Cru a burgundy shade. They're a matte liquid lipstick formula and I'm completely blown away by them. A full review is in the works! 

I also got a blue and white stripy makeup bag which was only £8 from Boots, I love the stripes and the way they contrast with the bright coral zip, plus it's the perfect size to throw into my handbag for on the go touch ups.

I'm not a huge powder wearer, I only ever have one on the go so when my MAC Studio Fix finished I wanted to get something to replace it. I found Studio Fix far too heavy for my liking so decided to get Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder as I heard it's super lightweight and very finely milled. 

I got a set of mini Estee Lauder fragrances as a gift a while ago and the one that I was instantly drawn to was Beyond Paradise, it's just so different to any fragrances I'd smelt before. I really missed using it when it was finished so it wasn't long before I picked myself up a full sized bottle. 

I've always loved aromatherapy products and had trouble sleeping so I thought I'd finally give a couple of products from This Works a go. This duo contains a mini Deep Calm Pillow Spray and Breathe In rollerball. 

I'd been coveting the Smashbox Full Exposer Palette for the longest time so I finally caved and decided to get it, I thought it was the perfect time of year for it as it contains lots of party friendly shimmery shades as well as a good range of mattes. I also got the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Shadow Paint in Chained, it's a great, easy to use, wear everyday kind of shade. As you can see I've used it quite a bit already and I love it!

I was in need of a new mascara so I decided to give the Smashbox Full Exposer Mascara a go, purely  because I liked the look of the brush and I was already at the counter getting the palette!

I also invested in a couple of new haircare tools, I finally got round to getting a Tangle Teezer and I'm so glad I did, I have no idea why it took me so long to jump onto that bandwagon! My old round blowdrying brush had seen better days, I'd used it for so long that most of the bristles had flattened down and when the handle broke off I knew it was time for a new one! I went for the Remington brush because it seemed to have the firmest bristles of all the brushes in boots. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing my new purchases! I'll be sure to do full reviews once I've been using them a bit longer. Have you bought any new beauty products recently? 

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Mini Beauty Haul

I bought a few new products recently so as usual I thought I'd share my thoughts on them so far with you! 

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask

I love a good face mask and seeing as I ran out of all of mine at once I thought I'd go for this one which seems like a great all rounder. It contains papaya extract to brighten and exfoliate, white clay to draw out impurities and unclog pores and manuka honey and beeswax to nourish and moisturise the skin. I'll definitely be doing a full blown review on this once I've used it a few more times.

Indeed Labs Pepta-bright

I've read so many rave reviews of this product, it's supposed to be great at fading acne scars and pigmentation and generally making the skin look brighter and more even toned.  It was on a £10 off offer at boots so I though now was a better time than ever to give it a try. I've been using it a few weeks so far and can definitely see an improvement, again I'll do a full review once I've been using it a bit longer. 

MAC Lipstick in Syrup

I recently found myself in the airport on my way home with some leftover holiday money, so naturally I headed straight for the MAC counter! I was on the lookout for a 'my lips but better' shade that I could throw on with any look without the need for a mirror. This shade fits the bill exactly inspite of it being a bit more cool toned than I'd usually go for.  

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

I've been coveting this concealer ever since it came out last year but being somewhat of a concealer hoarder I decided to restrain myself, until now that is! I recently finished up another concealer so allowed myself to replace it with this one. One in, one out and all! I haven't given it a proper try yet but from what I can remember of having tried it on counter it's soon to become a firm favourite!

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Clothing & Accessories Haul

Yesterday was all about the beauty bits I've been buying recently (see that here), but today I'm talking clothing and accessories. Looking at the pictures you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the middle of winter, bar the sunglasses. In spite of the fact that I was supposed to be shopping for holiday clothes I ended up with mostly blacks and neutrals. I think it's my insatiable appetite for finding the perfect 'wardrobe essentials'. 

I got some black boots because, once again, I'm on the quest for the 'perfect pair' these ones seemed pretty comfortable when I tried them on and they have a mid sized heel, they were from H&M. Also from H&M, I got a medium sized black handbag which will work well for days when I need something on the smart side. Can you tell I'm lusting after the Givenchy Antigona? 

From Dorothy Perkins I got a lovely black envelope clutch with gold hardware, I think it looks pretty good quality for DPs and it's the only clutch I plan on taking away with me. I also got a pair of cheap sunnies but don't worry they have full UVA/UVB protection! 

 

Also from Dotty P's (anyone else call it that?) I got come cute midi rings. I've been meaning to get some for a while but never got round to it, I love how they look on so I'm not well and truly on the bandwagon! 

I spotted this lovely MOR London Hanging Fold Out Bag and knew I had to have it, I love the print, it's made really well and when you open it up it has 3 separate zipped compartments and a hook to hang it onto the back of a bathroom door! Surely a beauty addict's dream? Unfortunately I was disappointed soon after getting home when I realised one of the zips was faulty! I'm going to be taking it back in the hope I can get another one, fingers crossed they still have some left!

Last up, the clothes! I've been after some of the leather motorcycle type skinnies for a while now but have never found any that fit quite right. These ones seemed like a good fit so I went for them. I was also on the hunt for a plain black mini skirt but when I saw this one I decided I quite liked the embellishments. The hunt for a plain black one still continues! Both from H&M.

I also got a couple of slouchy t-shirts, aka my daily uniform. A beige Cynthia Rowley one and a navy Vera Moda one. I'm planning on doing some OOTD posts soon so you'll be able to see what they look like on! 

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Summer Beauty Haul

I picked up a few new beauty bits lately so I thought I'd share them with you! I'm especially excited about the makeup bits as I haven't bought any in a while. 

The first thing I got was the Riemann P20 Once A Day Sun Protection SPF30, I've tried the SPF50 version before and I absolutely loved it. It's transparent, sinks into the skin quickly and isn't drying. I'm going on holiday soon (excited!) so this will definitely come in handy! When I travel I try to do it as lightly as possible, whether or not I succeed is another question! I picked up a few Muji Travel Bottles to decant stuff into. I also got the Ren Clarifying Toner which I'm very excited to try, I'm a huge fan of Ren skincare, I haven't tried a single product of their's I haven't liked so I've got high hopes for this one. 

Kiko is a brand I'm always hearing great things about but have never really tried. I finally decided to give them a go, I got the City Filter Sunscreen Primer SPF50 which I tried on the back of my hand instore. I just couldn't believe how lightweight it was and how quickly it sunk in without leaving a white cast. The 3 in 1 Shine Nail Care because I've just about run out of my current top/base coat and the 207 Eye Contour Brush.

I also got the Glow Touch for Lips & Cheeks in Wave Hibiscus which I cannot wait to try out, just look at how pretty it is! I love the colour, packaging and the fact that it's a multi use product. This one's definitely coming on holiday with me! As if one cream blusher wasn't enough I got the Sleek Blush By 3 Blush Palette in 370 Californ.I.A, I'm a huge fan of their powder blushers so I thought I'd give these ones a go! 

I'll definitely be doing reviews of these products as and when I use them so look out for those if any of this has caught your eye!

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The Body Shop Haul

Every time The Body Shop have a 40% off code I get seriously tempted to put in an order. They just have so many great products! This time I gave in and ordered a few bits although I still seem to have a wish list the length of my arm! Here's what I got.

Ultra Fine Bath Lily White

Not all bath lilies are made equal! In my opinion The Body Shop and Sanctuary Spa make the best ones. They're slightly more expensive than your bog standard cheap ones but they're much more tightly packed and last a lot, lot longer, so they end up working out cheaper in the long run. 

Tea Tree Cool & Creamy Wash

I love the scent of tea tree, I find it so refreshing and awakening. When I saw that there was a cream cleanser added to the range I just had to pick it up. I haven't tried this out yet but I have high hopes, I'm thinking it will be perfect for hot summer days.

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

This is probably my third (or forth?) tube of this stuff. It's just so darn good! I never need it in the colder months but as soon as the weather warms up this is a staple in my routine. I use it more as a primer rather than a skincare item. I just press a small amount into my t-zone pre makeup and it keeps the shine at bay well into the day without the need to reach for the powder. I also use it to touch up during the day. I really can't recommend this stuff highly enough! You can see my full review from last summer here. 

Vitamin E Moisture Cream

Another one I've gone through endless amounts of. It's a really basic no frills product that plumps the skin full of moisture, leaving it feeling nice and soft. It also has a really light texture that is just so easily absorbed. It's a great moisturiser that works as a day or night cream and it great for all skin types. I've lost count of how many people I've recommended this stuff to.  

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

I'm a huge fan of oil and balm cleansers, they're great at removing makeup and leave the skin feeling soft and plumped up rather than dry and uncomfortable. I've recently read lots of reviews saying that this was comparable to many of the high end equivelents so I had to give it a try. It was the first thing in this haul I tried out and I already love it. I'll be sure to do a full, in depth review once I've been using it a bit longer.

Vineyard Peach Shower Gel & Body Mist 

I was a huge fan of the limited edition Vineyard Peach range the last time it was out so when I saw that they brought it back I just had to get a few more bits from the range. I absolutely adore the scent of fresh peaches so this one was a no brainer for me! 

Have you tried any of these products before?  

40% off code - 19804

Car Boot Sale Haul

Last sunday when the sun was shining we decided to head to our local car boot sale in search of a few bargains. Often with car boot sales I come away feeling like I haven't really found much but this time I really hit the jackpot!

Starting off with homeware, we got this huge mirror for only £10! I thought this was a brilliant bargain as mirrors are usually very expensive. I love the vintage French Country look that the frame has and I think that gold and cream looks lovely together. I've put it on the mantelpiece in the living room and I love the way it looks, it really opens up the room! (Please excuse the bare light in the pictures, the house is still a work in progress!)

Another item I instantly fell for was this vintage metal trolley with removable trays. I really like the gold circular pattern that trims each tray and I thought it might come in handy as I can never have enough storage items! I'll definitely be giving this piece a bit of a makeover, I was thinking of covering the bottom of the trays with some pretty cream or pastel paper. 

When it comes to storage, I love wicker. It keeps everything out of eyesight and looking tidy but in my opinion looks a lot better than having plastic storage everywhere.

I also got a really pretty mint watering can to water my new veg patch with but I've since discovered it leaks! I'm not too disappointed though as I only paid £1 for it and I can always use it to plant some pretty flowers or herbs in.

 

Some packets of seeds! I'm going to attempt growing some carrots in the garden this year as well as some cacti in pots indoors. I also got a wildflower seed mix which you just sprinkle and leave to do it's own thing, leaving you with lovely low maintenance flowers.

I picked up an old, well loved copy of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie which I've been wanting to read for a very long time. It's been added to my 'to read' pile!

 

I managed to find a girl selling lots of lovely clothes, she was the same size as me and lots of her stuff was brand new with the tags still on! I had a rummage through and found a White Topshop Cami, which I love, some Gap Super Skinny jeans which are lovely but unfortunately a bit big for me, a white River Island shirt and Red Herring print top.

My biggest bargain by far was finding the stall of a manicurist who had tonnes of new high end nail varnishes! It seemed like too good a deal to pass up so I picked up quite a few by Nars, Illamasqua, Dior, Butter London, Nails Inc and Barry M. I'll be featuring them in upcoming NOTD posts so keep your eyes peeled if you fancy seeing them in action. I also got a Revlon Photoready Skinlights in the shade Bronze, a product I've been on the hunt for for a while but could never seem to find!

Do you ever go to Car Boot Sales?

Boots Haul

Another day, another haul. But the last one was all with boots points (therefore free) and this one is more needs than wants, plus it doesn't include any makeup so it doesn't really count, right?

Moving on, let me tell you what I actually got! First up I ordered some more of my trusty Caudalie Grape Water from FeelUnique, I've gone on and on about how much I love this stuff (here) so it was just yet another repurchase of the stuff. It's great for dry and sensitive winter skin.

Next up was my trip to Boots, I'd heard Amelia talk about the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave In Conditioner and seeing as how I've loved all her previous hair product recommendations, I decided to pick one up. I also got the Moisture Seal Shampoo and Hair Rescue Masque from the same range as I needed some more anyway and I like to use products from the same range together!

Come rain or shine, coconut oil is a staple in my beauty routine, I spoke about all the ways I use it here. This one comes in a nice little glass jar that I can always top up from a bigger bottle which is handy. The more sensitive my skin gets, the more I tend to use this stuff, at the moment it's all I'm using to remove makeup and I keep reapplying it (about every 15 mins) to a pesky dry patch that just won't budge. Sexy, I know. 

Said dry patch is on my eyelid, and everything I put on it seems to be making it burn at the moment. I got this cucumber eye gel in the hope that it would be soothing and calming, fingers crossed it is! 

Nailfiles, we all know how they work so there isn't much to say about those, but I do always specifically get these Double Faced Cotton Pads, one side is designed to take things of, like removing makeup/nail varnish etc and the other side is designed to put things on, like when using toner. I know it sounds like a bit of a gimmick and they are slightly pricier but if you are using decent products you end up saving in the long run. I find I need a lot less product when I'm using them.

Last but not least I bought Maybelline Colour Show Nail Varnish in Clear to use as a base and top coat because my current one has gone gloomy, but more on that in my next empties post!

Have you tried any of these products before?

Boots Sale Haul!

No wallets were harmed during this haul, I got it all on boots points, I love getting a good bargain! So remember a few days ago I mentioned my favourite beauty and fashion sale picks? Well as you can see some of them made it into my basket! 

I went a bit crazy with the Boots Extracts range, but seeing as I'd wanted to try them for a while, they were on half price and I had some points stashed up, I thought, why not? I got the full size Cocoa Butter Collection which contains a full size shower gel, body scrub and body butter for only a fiver. As well as the 4 Pack Body Butter Collection which contains mini versions of their cranberry, coconut, mango and cocoa butter body butters for £4, making them just a pound each. I also got the matching set of 4 mini shower gels in the same scents which seem to have sold out online now but if you're lucky you might be able to snap them up from your local boots. 

Last but by no means least I picked up the Sanctuary Triple Moisture Bliss Set which contains 3 of their best selling body butters in 100ml tubs. I had my eyes on this set last last christmas but it sold out before I could get my hands on it so I'm really glad I managed to get hold of it this year!

I think it's safe to say I now have enough body butter to last a lifetime, or until next years sales at least! What have you been buying in the sales?

Escentual French Pharmacy Haul

I seemed to have run out of what feels like everything at once so a spot of shopping was in order! Escentual had 25% off all french pharmacy brands throughout October so and I managed to squeeze in an order right at the end! Here's what I picked up.

First thing into my basket was Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk, which I've been going on and on about lately (full review here). I'm almost at the end of mine so I thought I'd stock up while it was on offer. I also got the Caudalie Grape Water which I tried a few years ago and loved, it's not as good as their Beauty Elixir, but it's a great moisture boosting spray and it's a lot cheaper.

I've been wanting to get an exfoliating toner for a while now and tried out a sample of Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, which I spoke about in my Streamlined Skincare post, I loved it but decided to try out the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Micro-Exfoliant Lotion instead as it was less than half the price. I have high hopes for this product as I've read some good reviews!

Lastly I picked up the Klorane Mango Butter Shampoo and Conditioner, I've never tried anything by this brand before but Amelia recommended it on her blog and seeing as she has the best hair ever I immediately knew I had to try it! I'm hoping it will restore my dry hair which I'm really trying to keep long!

Have you tried any of these products before? What did you think of them?

American Beauty Haul

When I went to America I, (naturally) did a bit of beauty shopping. In an attempt to not go too crazy I only bought things that aren't available over here, or are significantly cheaper (more on those ones later) 

I did most of said shopping in Sephora, but I did also pop into Walmart for a few high street/drugstore bits.

The first thing I got was the Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in In the Dark, they have a few of these palettes in different shades but I went for this one because the blue looks amazing. I've tried this palette out a few times now and so far I love it! 

Make Up For Ever is a brand I've heard a lot about, but I've only tried one of their products. An eyeshadow crayon which I love. I was planning on getting a HD Microfinish Blush, but the store I went to only had 4 colours, none of which appealed to me. I then spotted their Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream concealer and picked up the shade 14 Fawn. This concealer is super heavy coverage and waterproof, it served me well mixed with my facial sunscreen poolside in Vegas. 

While browsing the high street (drugstore) makeup brands in Walmart, I spotted the ELF HD Blush, which you can get hold of online in the UK. It's a fairly obvious copy of the Make Up For Ever version  but much, much cheaper. I got the shade Superstar, but all the shades look really nice.  

Oh, and another thing about Sephora, they always throw a few free samples in the bag! I got a primer and an eye cream.

What are your favourite holiday beauty buys?