Fragrance Direct Christmas Nail Haul

Last week I decided it has been too long since I'd ordered from Fragrance Direct, so I hit up the website and placed a savvy order of all things nails just in time for the festive party season. 

I really wanted to share with you what I picked up, especially all the glitter nail polish as they are all totally gorgeous and were such a bargain! I also picked up an interesting nail product that I'd never seen before so that also swayed me to write up this haul post. 

Essie nail polish in Sumit of Style and Pinking About You 

£2.49 each - Fragrance Direct here

Whenever I shop on Fragrance Direct I always pick up a couple of Essie nail polishes as they are amazing value at only £2.49 (compared to £8 everywhere else - Superdrug, Boots etc) and they have such a colour choice to pick from. As I was feeling particular festive I had to pick up some glitter shades as these are always my favourite from Essie! Essie Sumit of Style is just a gorgeous old gold coloured glitter that I know will look particularly amazing over nude and black nail polishes and just on the very tips of the nails. 

As for Pinking About You this is the most subtle light pink glitter that actually looks like snow on the nails! This will certainly be going over red manis this Christmas but also one I know I will use all year round. So pleased with both these buys.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon in Strawberry Shields and Cheery On Top 

£1.99 - Fragrance Direct here 

Whilst looking at nail polishes I spotted some fab new Sally Hansen glitter shades and was lured in by the prices of them! I was instantly drawn to the wonderful cranberry coloured glitter that is Strawberry Shields, in fact it reminds me of a slightly lighter version of Deborah Lippman Ruby Red Slippers when paired with a deep crimson red base. I've already been wearing this over Essie Bahama Mama (again bought from Fragrance Direct!) and totally loving it and it's Christmas-y vibes. This definitely is a glitter that suit a deep coloured base for a vampy nail look. Obsessed! 

I also picked up Cheery On Top on a bit of a whim because I felt I couldn't just buy one Sally Hansen nail polish. This interesting shade contains a mix of pink, purple and turquoise glitters in various sized pieces and as I wasn't sure what shade I'd wear it over I took to Google and looked at a few nail swatches. From looking at different nail blogger swatches and reviews I will now be pairing this with grey nail bases and deep purple shades (probably Essie Bahama Mama, actually) and  applying a matte top coat over it as it looks stunning when mattified! 

L'Oreal Le Jewel Shaker 

£2.99 - Fragrance Direct here 

This was the item I mentioned about never seeing before in shops or online, I'd love to know if any of you knew that L'Oreal came out with this product actually! This is basically an easier take on caviar nail trend with the little golden tube containing micro clear beads. You simply paint your nails, open up the tube carefully, insert a finger, and shake! Sadly I couldn't find any clear swatch images of the Jewel Shaker but I thought I'd see how I went with it... if the results are nice I will have to show you!

Rose & Co Patisserie De Bain Sugared Violet Hand Cream 

£2.99 - Fragrance Direct here 

Lastly I picked up a none needed hand cream in my favourite ever scent - parma violets. I've previously bought the glass pot version of this and it was total love but I can't say I loved having to dip my fingers into it to use the hand cream, so this time I went with the more hygienic version with a tube of it. This really won't be many people's cup of tea and only suited to people that love the smell of violets as this is incredibly scented and does linger for quite some time, but I totally love it! It also leaves your hands silky soft within a minute of applying it. Just lovely. 

Hope you enjoyed this haul! 

Have you ever picked up any bargain nail polishes from Fragrance Direct before? 

Fee xo. 

The Best Black Friday Beauty Buys!

Okay, I know Black Friday has been annoyingly adopted by the UK and every blogger and their aunt is writing about all the amazing deals on offer. But I couldn't resist joining in as there are just so many savings to be had to kick off the festive shopping period. 

Below are not entirely all of the Black Friday beauty offerings but 10 deals that I feel are worth checking out as there are some major savings to be had with these brands!

ASOS

20% off every single thing!! Use promo code ' CYBER' at checkout here

Ends 8am 1st December - discount can be applied to outlet/reduced sale items as well! 

The Body Shop 

40% off with code '14670' + free delivery over £5 spend here

Ends 10pm 29th November - discount can be applies to most items 

Look Fantastic 

Save 35% on Real Techniques Core Collection + 3 for 2 on everything else here

3 for 2 on - Tangle Teezers, Glamglow Mud Mask, La Roche Posay Al BF deals here

Plus 20% off on website with minimal exclusions with code 'LFBLACK'  

Ends 11:59pm 1st December

Liz Earle 

30% off selected products + free delivery here

Origins 

Black Friday Super Set - 8 products for £55 (worth £112!) here

While stocks last.

Models Own 

50% off all Models Own Orders here

Ends midnight 30th December - must have a minimum of 5 nail polishes in your basket before the discount is applied.

Superdrug 

Save up to 65% off selected gifts - so many amazing reduced gift sets here!  

Ends 1st December.

Nails Inc 

Up to 75% off individual nail polishes and gift sets here

I'm talking sets down to £12 from £81!!! 

Boots in-store

Benefit's No.1 Selection Box only £25 for one week only (£52 worth)

Very Exclusive 

25% off almost all beauty brands here 

Ends midday Monday 30th December.

Hope you've found some deals here. I know I'm off to shop the ASOS 20% off sale and find some bargain gift sets on the Nail Inc website!

Fee xo. 

My Favourite Skincare Product Right Now - B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing Peel

Taking it back to 2013, Glycolic Acid was the new buzzword in skincare and guess what, I didn't try it out! I kept with my trusty Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish that was serving me just fine at the time. But fast forward 2 years and my skin even though only suffers from minor breakouts, was looking lack lustre with age (boo hoo!) and I now juggle a strange oily/dry skin combination skin type. 

So a few months ago I decided to try out the much praised B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing Peel that can be found exclusively in Superdrug and on their website where it's currently half price at £3.95 (normally £7.99)! This has done only wonders for my skin and it's totally a skin care product I would recommend, so I thought I'd finally rave about it! 

So firstly what exactly is a Glycolic Acid? And what skin types does it benefit? 

Glycolic Acid is a fruit acid derived from sugar cane and part of the AHA family (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) along with other fruit/food acids such as lactic acid (milk) and malic acid (from apples) and so forth. These natural occurring acids have been used as skincare for the longest time due to there exfoliating yet moisturising properties;  in fact the use of AHA's dates back to ancient Egyptian times with Cleopatra bathing in milk to soften her skin! Fast forward 5000 years and of course most of the major (and generally high end) skin care brands now use AHA's, in particular Glycolic Acid, in their skincare. As for what skin types the natural acid can benefit it really does cater for most - whether you are oily (acne), combination, dry or after an anti-ageing product to renew and brighten the skin. 

So in less boring terms Glycolic Acid works by dissolving the bond that holds dead skin cells together on the very top layer of the skin to reveal a much smoother, brighter complexion that really will take years off you!

B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing Peel 

On to the good stuff now and why this specific cleanser/peel/face mask is currently my jam! The cleanser is a thick white cream that can either be used much like a face mask for up to 3 minutes or as a regular daily cleanser, and includes a muslin cloth (I use a nice thick flannel - much more effective and comforting). I personally prefer to use this as a skin treatment twice a week before I get in the shower as I've noticed the best result with this but as a daily cleanser is does also work. Once the cleanser is fully removed instantly the face feels so much softer with all dry patches removed and almost renewed feeling skin. I've also noticed as I've kept up using the peel that dull pigmentation to my skin where I've previously had re-occurring blemishes has vastly improved to the point that it's virtually unnoticeable. I also feel like my skin was looking a little blah or should I say lack lustre which I put down to nearing 28 and having an awful sleeping pattern, but again the cleansing peel has worked it's magic and my skin really is looking younger and much brighter all round. 

My only criticism would be that the cleanser is scented and though it is a pleasant enough scent that doesn't linger I can't help but think it just isn't needed and almost doesn't suit the type of product it is. 

Overall B. really have come up with an amazing AHA product for those on a budget and I know I would be straying from this as long as B./Superdrug keep on selling it! 

As you may have noticed I don't often write single product reviews, but really this product is so so good I had to make an exception for it! 

Have you tried of this Glycolic Cleansing Peel or any other similar budget/high street versions? 

Fee xo. 

Christmas Decoration Haul 2015

Over the past few weeks I've been doing a major amount of Christmas decoration shopping because this year I'm changing up my decor theme to be a bit more eclectic and playful! 

I'm super excited about this and have found some amazing decorations that I really wanted to share with you before everyone goes and puts up their Christmas tree. I also have a few random items that can be dotted/hung around the home for an extra festive touch. P.S I loved photographing all these amazing decorations; I'm currently feeling soooo festive! 

TK Maxx/Homesense 

Each year my first stop for all things festive is Homesense (and then TK Maxx) as it literally feels like Santa's grotto in there for Christmas decor and gifts. As I mentioned this year I want my Christmas tree to have an eclectic feel to it but without being full on tacky, so Homesense was the perfect place to find some quirky yet vintage style tree decorations. Yes, TK Maxx and Homesense are a little pricey for individual tree decorations at around £2.99-£3.99 each but they really are baubles that you will treasure and keep for years to come I think. 

What I picked up - Vintage Santa £2.99, Mother Rabbit With Bunny £2.99 and a donut £2.99. I also picked up a set of 6 gift tags for £2.99... again a little pricey but I couldn't resist them! And the below rose gold studded heart (from Homesense) for £3.00, which I plan to hang from a door handle.

The Range 

For the longest time I wasn't aware of The Range and somehow it is one of those stores that a lot of people haven't heard of. I haven't a clue why as they have some pretty big stores full of amazing homeware, arts & crafts and children's toys. Each year come November they also turn half of the store into a haven of all things Christmas-y and it's just wonderful! They have aisle after aisle of stunning baubles all colour grouped and I really believe they are just as good as the baubles found in the likes of John Lewis and Debenhams but at a fraction of the price! Though I did manage to be restraint and only picked up two Christmas tree decorations. 

What I picked up -  Gold Glitter Bauble £1.59, Large Heart with snowy branch £2.99, also the below gold jingle bells (pack of 9) for only £1.00! From Matalan I picked up - Naughty or Nice? Mason Jar for £3.00, perfect for hot chocolates with whipped cream!

Tesco 

Lastly I doubled up some Tesco Clubcard points I had and couldn't resist in buying quite a few of their Christmas tree decorations that are just so adorable this year. They are also on 3 for 2 making them so affordable. 

What I picked up - Glass Reindeer decoration £3.50, Gold Glitter Fawn £1.50, Polar Bear £1.50, Gold Glitter Bow £1.50, set of 3 Christmas Pudding  baubles £1.50.

I'd love to know your favourites from what I picked up and where you like to go Christmas decoration shopping as I'm still a few more bits and bobs! 

Fee xo. 

 

An Introduction to Korean Beauty Products

For the past four years I've had a love for Korean beauty products. This initially started because I just loved the kawaii packaging that a lot of beauty brands offered, but I soon realised that the formulas and quality of Korean makeup often would be superior to the UK beauty brands I was use to. 

I've now tried out a huge selection of Korean products, both cosmetics and skincare and a lot form the staples of my everyday makeup bag and skincare routine, so I thought I'd share with you today what I recommend if you are new to trying Korean beauty brands.  

Silicone Primers
The Asian Beauty market contains some amazing silicone based primers that really do act as a veil over the skin and for that reason I've tried out quite a few now. Yes, these do need to be used sparingly and not everyday due to the silicone not letting the skin breath but when you are wanting flawless skin then a little primer can work wonders. My first experience of a Korean silicone based primer was with the wonderful Tony Moly Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm that comes in a unique golden egg packaging. The primer is much thicker than other primers I was use to using but this meant it really did fill in my enlarged pores and smoothed out the skin - it's actually still a favourite of mine! But my ultimate favourite has to be DHC Velvet Skin Coat, £17.00 Feel Unique, which has a wonderful powdery gel texture that glides over the skin to create a flawlessly smooth base for foundation.

 Lip Tints 
Aside from primers that offer a flawless base, the East Asian beauty market is awash with stunning lip products and I couldn't be more pleased about this fact. Over the years I've tried many a lip tints, from water tints, to gels and of course balms. These all make for easy everyday wear and add a pretty hint of colour to the lips. My personal favourite tint is Etude House Magic Tint Balm that really is such a unique melted formula that smooths over the lips feeling so comfortable and slightly plumping, plus offering such a lovely sheer red hue. Another everyday favourite are the Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars, £3.93 each eBay, that are so fruity and again offer such a lovely wearable tint that keeps the lips soft and hydrated all day long.

BB Creams
BB Creams are certainly an Asian beauty product that's caught on in the UK in a big way yet I can't help but thinking we've got it all wrong and our version of a BB Cream isn't authentic at all. For me a good BB cream should act as skincare, even out skintone, work as a concealer and be high in SPF. However the only downside to true BB Creams is that shade range is limited and often ashy in tone. So unless you can get colour matched and buy in person I'd say stick with foundation! But if you really do fancy trying out a higher quality BB Cream than the ones on offer from UK brands then I can't recommend Dr Jart Beauty Balm Creams (found in Boots) more highly. These offer such a comfortable feel on the skin, just the right amount of coverage and that high SPF.

Peeling Gels 
Peeling gels/creams went a bit crazy in Asian skincare in 2014 and even though it hasn't  really filtered down to the UK or America skincare market there are such an array to be found online by various Korean cosmetic brands. Peeling gels are actually chemical exfoliators that gently dissolve dead skin cells from the face, leaving it silky soft and brighter. I personally love peeling creams over physically scrubbing at my skin as it's much more effective and also a lot more gentle to the skin, not to mention better for the planet! I find using a peeling cream leaves my skin so much smoother but results do only seem to last 2-3 days before you need to use it again, the only downside really - but trust me the results are pretty impressive. My personal favourite is Skin79 Crystal Peeling Gel, not only does this look like a high-end product with the beautiful yet simplistic packaging but this gel really does leave my skin baby smooth and only a little is needed! But if you want to go for something much more fun there's the Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream that comes is an amazing apple shaped pot and even smells of fresh apples. This definitely is more cream like in texture and ideal for sensitive skin and a great way to try out a peeling cream for the first time with the benefit of kawaii packaging! However if you do want to stay away from eBay when buying Korean products or you aren't placing a large order through a Korean beauty website then the Ginvera Exfoliating Whitening Gel, £11.24, is a great UK buy that can be found on Amazon. 

Face Masks 
When it comes to face masks it all gets a bit crazy for choice, there's sheet masks, overnight masks, steaming masks, pack masks and of course your bog standard mask in a tub. I've tried quite a few sheet masks now from various Korean brands and find them a great way to quickly hydrate my skin even if I look scary in the process. Also sheet masks are inexpensive - my favourites comes from Innisfree and Etude House. As for traditional pack masks (in a sachet) I haven't had so much luck and found them a little generic and not great for all the varying skin types. However I do love Korean face masks that come in pots that are thick and full of great ingredients. My favourite Korean face mask has to be Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask £9.42 eBay, which is just amazing for oily/acne prone skin, easily the best clay mask I've tried without being overly drying to the skin. If you do have an oily or even combination skintype then I'd certainly recommend trying this face mask out if you are picking up a few Korean beauty products. 

Side note - I personally love finding Korean beauty products via eBay from larger genuine sellers however if prices are surprisingly low then it's to be expected that the product will be fake and best avoided. If you just don't want to risk it then Yes Style is a great website with low delivery costs to shop at or Ko Ko, which is a UK based website. 

Fee xo.  

Christmas Wish List 2015

Oh how I love Christmas! I'm already in full swing buying presents and decorations for my tree, which will be going up BEFORE December 1st! But with so many amazing products out there at the moment I keep adding to my own Christmas list as I go. So I thought now would be the ideal time to share it with you to prompt some gift inspiration and maybe some to jot down on your own list!

Books for Christmas! 

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a pile of new books to read! I've had both Monsters (£7.99 - Amazon here) and Ready Player One (£6.29 - Amazon here) on my to-buy list for some time now so I'd love to find them both under the tree this year to speed read through over the holiday period. But the book I have my eyes on the most is the stunning new illustrated version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (£16.95 - Amazon here), which includes over 20 illustrations by the talented Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. This really would be a treasured book in my collection if I were to receive it! 

Laura Mercier In The Glow Trio 

£25.00 - John Lewis here or House of Fraser

There's nothing like receiving a beautiful beauty gift set on Christmas morning then proceeding to try out all the product as you get ready for the day. I always like to opt for a good value beauty gift set and Laura Mercier seem to do that each year. This lovely trio of products include a Matte Radiance Baked Powder, Bonne Mine Stick Face Colour and Caviar Rose Gold Eye Colour that I've wanted to try so badly. Although only deluxe samples the three products contain enough product to really try them out and keep you glowing all winter long.

New Scents 

Another must-have for Christmas is a new scent to wear on Christmas day and over winter. Much like previous Christmas' I will be asking for my favourite ever fragrance, Guerlain Insolence (on offer £29.99 - Boots here) as it's just my signature scent that smells of beautiful sparkling violets. I also have to include a perfume that I planned to put on my Christmas list but then went and accidentally bought it for myself! As you can see that scent is Burberry Body Tender... which can you believe is only £12.95 for 35ml right now on Fragrance Direct here - a total steal! I just couldn't resist it for that price and as I've had it before I already know what a lovely fragrance it is. 

Lush Happy Christmas Selection Box 

£24.95 - Lush here or in-store 

Lush is another favourite of mine at Christmas especially the gift set from there, big or small, they are always well received. However this year I sadly don't have a bath in my house making a gift set containing bath bombs a  bit of a waste. But after looking through all of this years gifts I've found the ideal one for me containing zero bath products! This lovely set contains - Green Fun, The Comforter Shower Cream, Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Rock Star Soap and Refresher Shower Jelly. I really would love to receive this gift set!

Cath Kidston Christmas Billie Mug 

£6.50 - Cath Kidston here or CK stores and concessions 

In the last two years I've become slightly obsessed with mugs and have decided I definitely need more festive mugs in my life. This Cath Kidston Christmas mug is perfectly cute and very affordable!

Orelia Mixed Star Necklace 

From £12.00 - Orelia here or ASOS here

Orelia is one of my favourite affordable jewellery brands  and contains some many lovely unique dainy pieces. I love wearing new jewellery on Christmas Day and this little mixed star necklace would be perfect with a festive top but also to wear any time to make an outfit that bit more special. Both ASOS and the Orelia site contain some stunning affordable gifts, with the Orelia offering a fab 20% off code at the moment.

Jurassic World Jersey Top 

£7.00 - Primark in-store

Lastly on my list is quite a few clothing items from Primark, including this fab Jurassic World top. I absolutely love Primark at Christmas especially for new pyjamas, Christmas jumpers and branded tops such as the one above. This year I'm hoping for a new pair of pyjamas to relax in come Boxing Day and quite a few branded Disney items!

Do you have any idea what to ask for Christmas this year? 

Fee xo.

4 Products That Changed The Way I Apply Makeup

Have you ever come across a product so good that it's changed the way you apply your makeup? I've had a beauty products like that recently (lucky me!) and as I've been so impressed with them I thought I'd share with you today!

Fixing my wonky Cupid's bow with bareMineral Lip Liner 
When it came to trying lip liner I was embarrassingly late to the party... especially as a beauty blogger! I think I pretty much told myself that I didn't need it and lipsticks looked fine without it. And they did, however I've always had a niggle with my Cupid's bow as it lacks pigmentation in areas making it appear wonky. Lipstick conceals this to a point but if I wanted a defined bold lip it just wasn't happened. I then discovered bareMineral's Marvelous Moxie lipliner in Empowered (£11.70 - Feel Unique here) and though I now have many more lip liners it's stayed a firm favourite. The texture is waxy yet creamy making it last on the lips for hours, it's the perfect deep pink shade and most importantly it defines my cupid's bow and totally corrects my wonky lip line. I seriously couldn't be without this product now!

Using a shorter nib for precise eyeliner application with Lord & Berry Eyeliner 
For the longest time I was using flexible brush liquid eye liner and though I had perfected creating a smooth flick I often messed up, something much worse than sneezing after applying mascara! But then I gave a much shorter firm nib a go in the shape of Collection Fast Stroke eyeliner and realised with a shorter nib you definitely have more control and mistakes are just less likely. I then moved onto the amazing Lord & Berry Ink Glam Liquid Eye Liner (£10.00 - ASOS here) and again with the shorter, firmer nib I found it so much easier to handle especially for a precise glossy finish. I've now ditched using so many of my old favourite from Bourjois and L'Oreal because a short eyeliner nib is just were its at!

Setting my under-eye concealer with the smallest amount of Gosh Prime n' Set Setting Powder  
If you have read Makeup Savvy for any time then you have probably seen me rave about the Gosh Prime n' Set Setting Powder (£9.99 - Superdrug here); for me it's a multi-purpose wonder powder! And yet again I've found another amazing use for it! With my oily/combination skin I often find that my under-eye concealer slips throughout the day and so after watching a few tutorials on how to properly set under-eye concealer without it looks cake-y or heavy I decided to use the Gosh powder to try it out, along with a Real Techniques concealer brush. This worked amazingly well and not only was the powder untraceable to the eye but it kept my concealer in place all day. This is a trick I now use daily and never skip!  

Hiding my ridged nails with Butter London Foundation Base Coat
With over painting my nails for years I've found in the last few years certain nails have become quite ridged to the point that the ridges show through nail polish. To combat this there are a multitude of ridge filler base coats out there which I've pretty much been buying my way through and finally I've found the one with Butter London Nail Foundation Flawless Base Coat (£15.00 - Amazon here + free Butter nail file). With a single coat this covers the nails perfectly leaving a smooth base that's free from ridges. I now use this every time I paint my nails to give a smooth perfect finish and can also say it's also been keeping my nails free from staining at well! This really is the best base coat out there if you have ridged or peeling nails. 

What products have changed the way you apply makeup? 

Fee xo.