Blogs Of A Shopaholic

MONTH ONE DONE ✓ ✓ ✓ Why have I decided to embark on a "no buy 2019"? That's probably the first thing to talk about before I go on to say how I have found the first month.  I have never really given any thought to the things I want and buy.  If I see something I like, I want it... I need it in my life, right there and then.  Whether I can afford it or not doesn't come into the equation.   Towards the end of last year (2018) I started to change the way I looked at things.  I took a break from Instagram, which I was finding incredibly toxic and it was the best thing I could have done.  I was finding myself getting caught up in people's daily posts of new outfits and purchases and try as I might, I couldn't help feeling quite jealous that these people could afford to keep going out every day buying new clothes all the time.  I then read that actually, some people just order or buy a load of clothes, take photos for the 'gram and then return the...

I am a massive  fan of liquid lipsticks (well, any kind of lipstick to be fair), but I do tend to gravitate towards liquid lipsticks a little bit more.  I find that these can be great if you want something slightly longer lasting for a night out or if you're after a great matte lip look. I saw these Maybelline Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks posted on Facebook (I can never remember where I see these things) and hadn't seen them before so thought I'd go and check them out.  They are priced at £9.99 but always on offer and Boots and Superdrug are both doing a 3 for 2 on all cosmetics promotion at the moment.  First of all - the shade range is huge ! Maybelline have recently added around 10 more shades to the already large collection.  The original shades ranged from the classic nudes to pink, oranges, reds and plums.  They have now also added an "Un-Nudes" range which is classed as an "unconventional nude" range with purples, greys and browns. I ...

Hey everyone, So we finally made it to the end of January and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I hope it was ok for all of you, whether you chose to do some resolutions like "Dry January" or "No Spend" or you just needed to get through to the first payday since Christmas. There are just a few things that I have been reaching for constantly in January and I really wanted to share them with you.  The first two things though are products I have written about previously so I won't repeat myself but I will send you in the direction of my previous blog posts.  They are (if you haven't guessed already) the Tanya Burr Gift Set ( here ) and my haircare favourites from Percy & Reed ( here ) but they have been staples in my everyday routines through January. There are a few new products though and they are all skincare related.  The first being the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose Limited Edition.  This came in my Marks & Spencer Advent Calendar (...

Hey everyone, I wanted to do a very quick post on the Lee Stafford Scalp Scrub I picked up a few months ago.  I never even knew "scalp scrubs" were a thing so when I saw this on the 3 for £15 offer on the Hair Growth Range I had to give it a go. As you all know I've been using the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Range for about six months or so and I absolutely love it.  My hair has changed so much in that time and growing it has definitely been painless and easy.  This scalp scrub is described as: "A nourishing pre-wash scalp treatment with PRO-GROWTH™ complex and gentle pink exfoliating beads to stimulate the scalp and encourage hair to grow." I apply a small amount to wet hair before my shampoo and massage it around my hairline, paying particular attention to my forehead area as this is where I use hairspray.  The exfoliating beads feel very fine and it's a strange sensation to get used to as it feels like the product isn't going anywhere ...

Hey everyone, I recently found myself in the skincare aisle at Boots and my attention was grabbed by this very pretty new skincare range from L'Oréal.  I'm not usually a "girly" girl but I was really attracted by the pastel pink and white packaging and the scent of Rose and Jasmine is subtle, yet beautiful.  It's aimed at dry and sensitive skin types but even though I have normal to combination skin, I thought they looked too good to miss trying.  There are four products in the range - Cleansing Milk, Gel-Cream Wash, Toner and Cleansing Wipes.  They were all on offer so I picked up all but the wipes.  Below are my thoughts on the three products I chose:- Gel-Cream Wash This is a rich cream/gel facial wash that can be used both in the mornings and evenings.  It has a thick texture that, mixed with water, creates a soft foamy wash.  The scent is lovely and it leaves my skin feeling so clean but not dry or uncomfortab...

Hey everyone, I wanted to round off 2016 with two last blogs about " favourites " - my favourite beauty products of 2016 and my favourite fashion items of 2016.  I will link the beauty products blog here if you would like to have a read of the round up of things I have absolutely loved over the course of the year. This one however is a bit of a strange one for me, as (and I'm sure I've mentioned it before), I hate writing the word "fashion" in any of my blogs but there's been a few events I've been to this year where I've worn an outfit that I've just fallen in love with and I really wanted to share that with you guys.  The first thing that I will always remember 2016 for is my 40th Birthday.  I had the most amazing time and was spoilt rotten but my birthday party was just the most amount of fun I think I've ever had.  For someone who has never had a birthday party for fear of no one turning up, I bit the bullet and organised one a...

If you read my last blog post you will know that I picked up some new Collection Velvet Kiss Lip Creams which I was quite disappointed with.  If you'd like to read that blog before this one just so you know what I'm talking about, I'll link it here .  On the same day that I posted that blog I was looking around YouTube and came across a review for Rimmel's The Only 1 Matte Lipsticks.  These are a new collection to the already established The Only 1 Lipsticks which I haven't tried.  I have to admit I did swatch a few of the matte shades when I was in Superdrug buying the Collection Lip Creams but decided against it as I wasn't sure. I really wish I'd picked these up instead....they are absolutely amazing! They are priced at a very reasonable £4.99 and are currently on offer at Boots for Buy One Get One Half Price.  I picked mine up from Wilkinsons on a 3 for 2 offer but they were slightly higher priced at £6.98. There are 9 shade...

Last month I finally managed to get my hands on the new L'Oréal Pure Clay Masks.  They had been featured in the Look magazine I was reading and the fact that they were so cheap (£7.99) really appealed to me. When I bought these they were on offer at £5.00 each from Boots but they are back to their original price.  They are now stocked in Superdrug too though and are currently on offer at £5.29. There are three masks in this collection: Glow, Detox and Purity and as the names suggest, they are targeted for different things.  You can use them separately or you can use all three in one go on specific parts of your face.  I would also say that all three of these are quite highly scented.  Personally I really like that but if you're someone who prefers unscented skincare then I don't think these would be for you. Pure Clay Glow Mask (Brightens/Exfoliates) This mask was the one that appealed to me the most....

I have had my eyes on these cute little things for a while now.  My specific was that I would like a product that I can take on my summer holidays and literally throw on my face, even if I have no other product on there.  I am trying really hard to " travel light" in the cosmetics department this year.  Last year my make up bag alone weighed 2kg but it was so hot I didn't actually wear any make up for the whole holiday!! There are four shades in this range: Innocent Peach, Shimmering Bronze, Flirty Pink and Blooming Ruby.  I purchased Innocent Peach and Shimmering Bronze.  They are available in Boots and Superdrug and are priced at £4.99 each.  Boots are currently holding a Buy One Get One Half Price promotion and Superdrug have a "3 for 2" across all cosmetics and beauty. The idea behind these products is that they can be used on both the face as a blusher and the lips as a balm to give a hint of colour together with 4 hour hydration. Out of th...

I have just got back from a fantastic weekend spent in the historic City of Bath.  I was there to celebrate my best friend's Hen Night along with 13 other ladies.  Although we had a packed and hectic schedule, from the short glimpse of Bath I got, all I can say is it is the most picturesque, friendliest city I have been to.  First on our to-do list was a visit to the historic Thermae Bath Spa.  Here you are able to enjoy Britain's only natural thermal waters and we did so in style, in the open-air Rooftop Pool.  There is something quite breath-taking about swimming outside on top of a building in naturally heated waters.  In total, we spent two hours at the spa and this also included a Kraxen Stove (a traditional Alpine Hay Chamber where steam radiates around the back and shoulders).  We took in two bus tours on Saturday which were great value for money.  A single ticket cost £9.00 (we had a group discount...