My entry for a BOOT-iful giveaway!

I have got a bit of a thing about buying new boots at the moment as I love this time of year and there are so many nice styles to choose from! So when I saw the giveaway Hello, Terri Lowe is hosting with Barratts it gave me an excuse to look at more wonderful styles on their website! So for my entry I have chosen some boots that are perfect for walking in the leafy woods... or streets in my case!

The first pair are the Lotus Lace up Wedge Ankle Boots. I think these are perfect for daytime worn with some chunky socks, some skinny jeans and a big cosy coat. I love the colour of these too and think grey is a good colour because it goes with everything. Also the wedge on these boots is good as you won’t feel unstable wearing them during the day.

The second pair are these Heeled Chelsea Ankle Boots. I love Chelsea boots at the moment and really like the dark brown colour of this pair. I also think the detail of the elastic insert is great. These would also look really nice with a pair of jeans or a flared skirt and chunky jumper!

I think this is a really great giveaway and enjoyed having a little browse on the Barratts website, as it wouldn’t usually be the first place I look for shoes. But I would love to have both of these pairs to add my collection! 

If you want to find out how you can enter as well then just head over to Terri Lowe’s blog here.

A/W Haul.. part 1

I say this is part 1 of my Autumn/Winter haul as there will probably be a few in the next month or so! I was in desperate need of some essentials now that the weather has changed and you can definitely feel a chill in the air. The items I got do feature quite a lot of black but I have hardly anything black in my wardrobe as I usually go for brown or grey so needed a change! I was in need of a pair of black skinny jeans and bought the ones from Primark for £11 which are so so comfy. You can’t go wrong for that price and I know I will get so much wear out of them. I’ve already bought a pair in a dark blue too! I also got these from the New Primark near Tottenham Court Road, it is such a big store and I could have spent hours in there but I had my boyfriend with me that hates shopping (especially in crowded places) so I had to resist tormenting him!

I also picked up a couple of pairs of black boots; the first from Primark which were only £20 and great for everyday wear, and the second are the ones that I know everyone has from Topshop, but I really like them and couldn’t find alternatives that were as nice!

I also got this faux leather jacket from Berska while in London as I needed a new “leather” jacket and like the contrasting material on the arms. This was £39.99 which I thought was a good price!

The two peplum tops were from Matalan and are £12 each but I got 25% off when they were having an offer. They are such good material too and I love the colours! I also got the black bag with the discount too but this is only £12 full price too!

And the final bits are the necklace and earrings I picked up in the New Look sale; the necklace for £2 and the earrings for £1.. bargain. I love that the earrings are vintage looking too!

I now need to look for a winter coat but not sure what to go for. I currently have my eye on this one and this one from Lipsy, althought they may not be the warmest of coats. What do you think? 

Soap and Glory Kickass Concealer

I am a pretty big fan of Soap & Glory and love all of their skincare products. I literally have a box full of the stuff! So when I saw they had a cosmetic range in Boots a couple of months ago I had to have a look. I am often looking for a good concealer as it is always a part of my makeup routine, so I picked up this little compact to try something new. Whenever I buy concealers I always stick to a thick cream rather than the liquid ones as I find they blend better (although I really want to try the Collection concealer after seeing so many rave reviews!) 

 The packaging of the compact instantly attracted me, as do all of the Soap & Glory products. They just have such good branding and know how to draw your attention when browsing shelves in the store. This often causes me to make a lot of impulse buys! The small compact is perfect for putting in your makeup bag and comes with a small mirror too which is great when you’re on the go.

No flash

Flash

It has two concealer colour shades inside; one being a creamy light pink colour, and the other a more yellowy, thicker almost waxy shade. The pink side is for under the eye area and the colour matches well with my skin and blends in very well. Although if you have dry skin it may not be as good as can go slightly cakey on dry patches. Then on the other side is the concealer, which I usually apply with my fingers and blend it into blemishes. It also has a transparent setting powder, but I do find it can make my face look a bit white so I don’t always use that.

Overall it’s a really good concealer and I use it all the time. It’s a nice little size to keep in your makeup bag when you go out and stays on well. It costs £10 from Boots but they currently have it on offer for £7 which is a great price! 

Botanics cleanser and toner

At the beginning of the month I was looking for a new cleanser and toner and I bought some from the Botanics range at Boots. I have been using them every morning and night and I can say that I really like them. The whole range is developed with Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and they have a range of their products that are a high percentage of or entirely organic. This is the range the cleanser and toner are from. Just to note I have oily/combination skin and tend to get an oily T-zone.

Botanics Softening Cleanser - £4.99 currently £3.33 (250ml)

This is 82% organic and has ingredients such as nourishing rosehip, which is a rich source of Omega oil and keeps skin soft, as well as many plant and fruit oils. This cleanser is very easy to use and you simple massage it onto dry skin and gently remove with a cotton wool pad. The product has a lovely smell and is a creamy consistency, just like cleansing milk. This doesn’t feel like it dries out your skin at all and feels light and not oily. This also removes all of my make-up very well.

I like this as it really does leave skin feeling smooth and supple and you don’t have to worry about washing your face; although I often like to splash my face with water afterwards.

Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz - £4.99 currently £3.33 (150ml)

This toner is 100% organic and doesn’t contain many ingredients other than rosewater. This is really refreshing on your face after cleansing and you can feel a very slight tightening on the skin. This comes in a spray bottle and to apply you just spray over your face and neck then remove with a cotton pad. The only downside with this and it can go everywhere when you spray it, but this can be avoided by spraying it on a cotton pad first. This product also really helps to remove the last traces of dirt after using the cleanser.

After hearing a lot about the Caudalie Beauty Elixir and not being tempted to part with the cash for a water based spritz, this product is seems like a good, inexpensive alternative.

I also use the Shine Away Mattifying Gel of an evening as part of this routine which I also love. You can see my review on it here.

I am really impressed with these products and would recommend them to anyone looking for a new cleanser and toner. I feel my skin looks much more fresh and radiant after using these and they are well worth it for the price!

Lee Stafford hair care review

I have recently bought a few Lee Stafford hair care products and thought it would be a good time to review them. I am a fan of Lee Stafford and have always been pleased with the products I have bought. I find the range has something a bit different and I like their packaging, although the names are a bit of a mouthful. So here is what I have.

Treatment for hair that never grows past a certain length £ 7.99 (200ml)

I had heard a lot about this product before buying it and was intrigued as to whether it would work.

It claims that it “Improves follicle health which in turn increases the ability of the hair to anchor to the scalp” and“Improves volume and feel of the hair.” I have now had this for a couple of months and I use it about once every 10 days. You have to take an egg sized amount, although I sometimes think that is too much but I do have quite fine hair. You then cover hair from roots to ends and leave it on for 5 minutes after shampooing.

Likes:

Gives hair good moisture and condition

Smells great

Improves hair strength

Verdict:

I am unsure whether it actually makes your hair grow longer, seen as you have to use it over a period of time and your hair will naturally grow in that time anyway. But it is a good product to improve strength of hair and condition. Be careful not to use too much for your hair or too often as it can make hair become greasy.

Would I buy again?

I think I would, but for the fact that it is a really good conditioning treatment for the hair rather than making it grow longer. However it may have just not made much of a difference on the length of my hair and may work well for others.

I hate my hair the day it’s washed solution spray £6.19 (200ml)

I bought this for the obvious reason that I don’t like my hair the day it’s washed. I find it goes a bit too fluffy and you can really notice the flyaways. No matter how many times I straighten it this still happens so I bought this product in the hope it would cure my problem. To apply you just spray it all over freshly washed hair and dry as usual. I have been using this every time I blow dry my hair for the last few weeks.

Likes:

I does tame frizz and has stopped my hair from getting static

It’s very easy to use

Verdict:

I do really like this and do think it makes a difference. I have quite naturally straight hair and I’d imagine if you have frizzy or curly hair it will work wonders too! It also smells nice and is very light on the hair and does not weigh it down.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, but I won’t need to for a while as I have only used a ¼ so worth the money.

Sun Kissed Lightening Spray £7.99 (100ml)

I came across this when browsing in boots and immediately picked it up. I had my hair done at a different hairdressers and really wasn’t pleased with what he had done. Why do hairdressers never seem to get it how you want it? I will be going back to my usual next time! Basically I didn’t want a bright blonde on my roots but wanted something that would blend my natural colour to my already light blonde hair. I don’t think he left the colour in for long enough because you could hardly see a difference. Anyway, I picked this up thinking it might lighten my roots, and I am so pleased I got it!

You can use this product on your roots, all over or to ombre your hair. You just spray on to towel dried hair carefully choosing where you want it. It contains Hydrogen Peroxide so be careful and also it does say not to use this on chemically treated hair, which I didn’t see until after I first used it. But for my roots it was fine. It does not show straight away so don’t expect to see it once dried. But if you use it 3-4 times (I did it every other wash) you will soon see a difference.

Likes:

This is great for blondes who hate the sign of roots coming through and want to use something to hide it.

Easy to use

Good price

Verdict:

I love this and I am really impressed that it worked! This will last a long while as well because you won’t always be using it. I would say depending on your hair colour it will give more of a golden/honey tone than bleach blond but it still looks great.

Would I buy again?

Yes!

Boots are currently doing 3 for £12 on the Lee Stafford range here which is a great deal!

What I bought this week

This week I bought a few bits and pieces, mainly for the wedding I am going to on Sunday as I wanted some new accessories... and an excuse to shop! So as it is Friday I wanted to share what I got. My shopping habit is pretty bad at the moment considering I don’t have much money, but I keep adding to my list of things to buy and it seriously is never ending!

So I received my Lavish Alice dress, (as shown in my previous post) which is gorgeous and I am so glad that it fits perfectly. It is a slightly darker colour to what was shown on the website but I prefer it as I have quite pale skin anyway, so didn’t want it to wash me out. I also got the gold bag and belt from New Look and the bangles from Republic to go with this outfit. I also got the leaf necklace in the sale in Debenhams for £3 which I may wear too.

Then on my shopping trip I got slightly distracted (as always) in Boots as I wanted to try more of the Botanics range after using their Mattifying Gel Cream so decided to pick up the cleanser and toner which I can’t wait to try! I also got this Lee Stafford Sun Kissed Lightening Spray which I am hoping will lighten up the not so blonde roots I have at the moment.

The roller brush was also a little bargain from a cheap store in town for £2.99, it’s by a brand called Goody which doesn’t look bad... but I guess I will see when I use it!

I will hopefully take a decent picture of my whole outfit on Sunday and post it on here to show the final look!

Have you used any of these products, if so what do you make of them?

Botanics at Boots

Boots have just re-launched their Botanics range and I was interested to have a look recently when in the store. The new packaging looks a lot better than before and shows images of flowers as it is working with Kew Botanic Gardens using plant extracts in the products. They have an amazing collection with 5 ranges from Radiant Youth Skincare, Organic, Ultra Calm, Shine Away and All Bright. I chose the Shine Away Mattifying Gel Cream which I wasn't planning on buying but they were doing 3 for 2 and I had already picked up a couple of other bits and thought I'd give it go. I have quite oily skin and I haven't seemed to find something that controls it very well, until now.

It claims it will help tighten pores and reduce imperfections, as well as hydrating the skin and leaving it feeling matte. I can feel it tightening slightly but haven't noticed much difference with my pores yet but it definitely hydrates and leaves skin feeling so soft and banishes shine!

This product contains Willowbark which is a natural clarifier. I'm not sure if it is the Willowbark but the smell of the gel is really nice and reminds me of the smell of tea - strange but I like tea so I don't mind. You only need to apply a small amount of this as a little really does go a long way. I tend to only use it at night after cleansing because I tried it before applying make-up and could feel it all turning into a rubbery texture and peeling off! Plus you'll get more benefits from it by letting it soak in for a long while.

The great thing about this product is it only costs £4.99 but at the moment you can save a 1/3 and it is only £3.33 which is such a bargain!