Drugstore Haulin' │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

Today, as you may have already seen from the title, I have yet another haul. It's another miniature haul, but it's still a haul. I really need to stop spending money on beauty products, especially skincare, I literally have back ups for everything, and even back ups for back ups! Therefore, I am putting myself on another spending ban. I will only buy a product if it is something that I use on a regular basis and when I run out, I have no back up. Then, but only then, I can buy beauty products! My addiction to all things beauty is becoming a real problem for my bank balance, so I am now doing something about it, haha. This will be the last haul that you see on here for a while, that is, if I stick to my word and my spending ban! Anyway, onto the haul!

Everything in this haul is either from Boots or Superdrug, so somewhat affordable. Firstly, and my favourites, the make-up bits. I have a major obsession with lip products, so couldn't resist picking up a few more. I got another shade of the Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Minimalist, a gorgeous pink, perfect for Spring and Summer. I bought one of the new Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque lip lacquers in the shade Rosé on the Rocks which is, shock horror, another pink shade! I then got a lip liner, because I really want to get into using them more. I got the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Liner in the shade Red Rush, a vibrant red shade, my favourite shade of red to wear for Spring and Summer. I really didn't need this one, but I couldn't resist because I love nude shades for my nails, so I got a Nails Inc Nail Varnish in the shade Porchester Square. Some people may think it's quite boring but I think nude shades are timeless and are suitable for any time of year. Next another Maybelline Color Tattoo, but this time in the Leather Effect and in the shade Creamy Beige. I'm a big fan of the Maybelline Color Tattoos and just had to add another neutral coloured eyeshadow to my vast collection! Finally, on the make-up front, is possibly my new favourite brow product. That's a bold statement, I know. I may be doing a full review on this product very soon, it's the Maybelline Brow Satin, a duel ended eyebrow saviour! I got mine in the shade Medium Brown. 

I also got a couple of skincare items, both being cleansers which I really didn't need but really wanted to try. The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is one that I have wanted to try for absolutely ages and I even included it in my 2015 Beauty Wishlist. However, it wasn't too easy to get hold of, but now that it is stocked by Boots it is a lot more readily available, to me anyway. I got the starter kit, which came with a 100ml bottle of the cleanser itself and a muslin cloth, all kept in a cute little Liz Earle pouch. I can't wait to try this and a full review will be coming eventually, I'm sure. Lastly is the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Cleanser. It claims to gently exfoliate, retexture, cleanse, purify, hydrate and smooth your skin, all in one go, so I have to give it a go! I love a good multi tasking product. 

What products have you bought recently?

Have you tried any of these products? 

♥

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Missguided Wishing │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for that this is my first post this week, I've just not had a very good week at all, but I'm back so anyway. A couple of weeks ago, I did a Boohoo Wishlist post. Now, I'm back with a Missguided Wishlist. I am loving the New In section on the Missguided website recently, even more than I usually do! So, I thought that I would use my little space on the blogosphere to make a wishlist that I can come back to for inspiration when I'm buying some new clothes for Spring and Summer. I am in love with the 70's trends that are starting to come into stores so be prepared for a lot of tan, fringing and tassles!

What are your favourite picks from this wishlist?

♥

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Avon Haul + Blogging from my iPad | lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

I thought, today, that I would try writing a post from my iPad just to see how it turns out. I will probably never do this again, but I won't know if I don't try! So today I'm just going to be showing you a few bits that I picked up from Avon. Avon isn't a brand that you hear about very often so I thought that sharing my thoughts would give some of you an idea about it if you'd not heard about them before! I have mentioned the fact that my Mum is an Avon rep before, and I absolutely love it and I probably order every time she does, which is every three weeks. I love their make-up and body products, but particularly love their range of haircare, called Advance Techniques. So, I picked up a couple of haircare bits and then a few make-up items too!

First, the haircare bits. The Moroccan Argan Oil range is possibly the only one of their haircare ranges that I haven't tried, but I know that my Mum loves it and therefore, I know that I will too! Our hair type is very similar and so what works for one tends to work for the other. I bought the 360 nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask and also the Leave-in Treatment. As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of hair masks and am actually coming to the end of my last one, so I needed to pick up another because I can't be without a nourishing hair mask in my life! I bought the leave-in treatment to use on those days when I don't have the time to wait for a hair mask to work its magic for however long. A leave-in treatment is a quick and easy solution to give your hair a little extra treat and nourishment! Reviews will be coming on both of these products after they've been tested a few times. 

Now for the make-up bits. I am a sucker for a good dupe, which is why I had to try these Colour Correcting Pearls. They are brand new to Avon and have been compared to the Guerlain equivalent, but they are a fraction of the price! I am definitely looking forward to trying these out and I'm hoping that they help to counteract the discolouration that I have going on on my face. Lipsticks are a product that I really can't get enough of. If I see a colour I like, I buy it. It doesn't matter if it is similar to one that I already own, I buy it anyway. I just love lipsticks! Here, I have the Avon Luxe Couture Creme Lipstick in Stiletto Red and the Avon Ultra Colour Lipstick in a Scenic Peony. Both are gorgeous shades and I know that I will get a lot of use out of them. The fuchsia pink shade, Scenic Peony, will come in especially handy going into Spring! 

Have you tried any products from Avon?

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A Mini Mac Haul │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

Mac is one of those brands that I love and I am constantly snooping through their website, but I just can't bring myself to buy the products very often because of their cost. Although all the products I have tried are amazing, they still come at a pretty hefty price and being a lover of all things beauty related and constantly wanting to try new things, I will save a bit of money when I can. So, as my Mum and Dad went on holiday last week, I asked them to pick up a few bits from the airport duty free for me. I have had my eye on a few things from Mac for a while now, so wrote my little list and gave it to my Mum. 

From Left to Right: Lipstick in Pure Zen, Lipstick in Faux, Pro Longwear Concealer in shade NC15

I am always a fan of Mac lipsticks so they had to go on my shopping list. Recently, I have been really into nudes from the peaches and pinks to the slightly more brown nudes. I love them all so had to pick up a couple more! Pure Zen is a typical 'me' colour and I know that I will be wearing this to absolute death in Spring and Summer. Faux is one that I have had my eye on for ages, and I hear it is to thank for that famous lip look that Kylie Jenner wears. I love her make-up looks so that made me more certain of buying it. I also got the Pro Longwear concealer in the shade NC15, as I have heard amazing things about this concealer and I have quite dark circles all around my eyes and will try anything to banish them and make me look more awake! We are planning a holiday abroad for September, so I am already preparing my duty free shopping list for then!

What are your favourite Mac products?
♥

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Spring Boohoo Lust-list │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

Now, I don't know about you, but whenever the seasons start to change I instantly become obsessed with the new clothes coming into stores. I love to look at all the new trends and colours and start planning some key pieces that I want to get for my wardrobe for the upcoming season. So, I have spent any spare time in the last few weeks on the internet trawling through all the clothing websites that I can think of and planning what items I am going to purchase for Spring and Summer. One of my favourites for their new Spring collection is Boohoo. I find myself browsing the 'New In' section almost everyday, I really cannot get enough! Here I am going to show you my top picks from the lot and the things that I am almost definitely going to be buying in the coming weeks! 

          

  

              

                  

            

What are your top picks for Spring Summer?

♥

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Empties #2 │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

Over the last month or so, I have been trying to use up all those products that I had started to use and then forgotten about. I have quite a large stash of beauty bits and bobs, so I really want to start to use things up so my stash becomes smaller, because I probably have enough shower gels and shampoos  to last a good few years! So as I've used up a few bits and bobs, I thought I would do a quick empties post to give a mini review of each of the products that I have used! I say 'quick' but there are rather a lot of empties now I sit here and look at it. Here we go..

Avon Advance Techniques Instant Repair 7 shampoo & conditioner - I have used both the shampoo and conditioner, but only have the conditioner here. I loved using this combo and could definitely notice a difference in the condition of my hair after using them. The ends of my hair both looked and felt a lot healthier after each use and I would definitely buy them again

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverRiche Nourishing Intense Mask - I am a complete sucker for a hair mask. I am always buying new ones to try out and I couldn't tell you how many different ones I have tried. This was one of my favourites, specifically designed for dry and very dry hair, I feel like it really got to work on the dry ends of my hair and put back that moisture and shine that they had lost. It doesn't look like the biggest pot, but it lasted a really long time, so I would definitely consider repurchasing again in the future.

Colab Dry Shampoo - This was my second can of the Colab dry shampoo, and I am already using a third. I love this stuff, it really is incredible. It really is invisible and makes my hair feel fresh and clean when I haven't washed it. This has completely overtake my love for Batiste and I will continue to use it religiously. I love it.

Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena scented deodorant - I don't really know what to say about this. It's a deodorant. It works. It smells nice. It lasted ages, so was good value for money. It just did the job and that's all I can really say!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Super Rich Smoothing Body Cream - I loved this stuff, especially as my skin got super dry during the winter. I loved to use this in the mornings because of the fresh, zesty scent. It was quite a thick formula, so was really moisturising. It sunk in quickly and left my skin feeling really soft and smooth.

The Body Shop Chocomania Sugar Body Scrub - Sugar scrubs are my favourite kind because I can really feel the particles working and scrubbing away the dead and dry skin. I loved the texture of the scrub and the way that it worked but I wouldn't repurchase this because of the scent. The chocolate scent was so overpowering and a bit sickly. It really wasn't a scent that I would like to use on a regular basis.

Soap & Glory The Scrub of Your Life - I had the miniature version of this in a gift set that I received for Christmas. I didn't really look at the packaging to see exactly what the product was, I just saw the name 'The Scrub of Your Life' and assumed it was just a scrub so used it once my old one had run out. I was shocked to find that it was a super moisturising scrub, kind of a scrub and moisturiser in one. I love a multi-tasking product, so this was perfect for me. I even loved it for shaving too, as it kind of lathered like a shaving gel. I was disappointed that I only had the miniature version because I loved it so much. It really is an all-in-one product and I will definitely repurchase when I'm in need of a new scrub.

Lush Hot Toddy Shower Gel - This was one of their limited edition products for Christmas. I'm usually a fan of all their spicy, musky scents at Christmas but I did find this a bit too much for me. It smells very strongly of cinnamon, which I'm only a fan of in small doses. I did, however, like the fact the scent lingered very faintly on my skin for a while after using it. I also wasn't really a fan of the gold glitter in the product, I just didn't really see the necessity for it.

Maybelline Baby Lips Intense Care - I liked the way that this made my lips feel when I first applied it, but I didnt really find it to last for long and I was constantly re-applying. I also found that it always left a strange and not very appealing taste in my mouth when I used it. If I put something on my lips, I don't want it to taste horrible. I wouldn't repurchase this lip balm because I have used ones that work so much better for me.

Colgate Max White One Optic Toothpaste - This is a slightly strange thing to review but I think it's really good so I have to talk about it. I first bought this toothpaste just because it was on offer and I have been using it ever since. I can really notice a difference in the whiteness of my teeth since I started using this. It has these small blue particles that burst while you're brushing your teeth and whitens them in the process. I have continued to repurchase and I will in future.

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Moisturiser - I really, really like this moisturiser. It was super moisturising, while still being lightweight. It kept my skin hydrated without it feeling like there was a film on my skin, which is something I really hate. I found that whilst using this, the Skin Perfection part lived up to it's name. It really improved the texture and appearance of my skin and I am definitely going to repurchase this along with some other products from the range once I have used up some of my other skincare products.

Sanctuary Deep Cleanse Facial 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask - This is possibly my favourite mask that I have ever used. I love the thermal side to it, because as it heats up you feel like your pores are opening up and the mask is getting to work on them to clear them out. I really feel like it does give a deep cleanse and my skin always felt amazing after using this. I will 110% be repurchasing this mask once I have used some of my others. I probably have around 15 different face masks waiting to be used. They're a bit of an obsession of mine, this being my absolute favourite!

Have you tried any of these products?
What did you think?
♥

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Spring Mani Makeover │lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love winter. I love the cold weather. I love the crisp mornings. But most importantly, I love the layering of clothes and the dark lipsticks. However, I am now just a bit bored of it and wishing for Spring to show it's face so I can crack out my pastel coloured polishes and brightly coloured lipsticks. I am so impatient that I have already sorted through my nail polish stash, and brought all those Spring-like colours to the front and ready for me to grab. I love pastel colours for my nails for Spring, they are my absolute favourite colours to wear, so as soon as I saw a touch of sunshine and blue sky last week I couldn't resist. So, I'm going to show you some of my favourite polishes to wear for that transition from Winter, into Spring, and eventually into Summer. 

From L to R - Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Lychee, Models Own Scented Polish in Banana Split, Models Own Scented Polish in Peach Melba, L'Oreal Color Riche in Nouvelle Vague, Barry M in Matt White, Essie in Fiji, Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Papaya, Bourjois So Laqur Glossy in Amande defile and Models Own Scented Polish in Blueberry Muffin. 

I am currently wearing Essie Fiji with an accent nail in Models Own Blueberry Muffin. They are such pretty pastel colours, suitable for both Winter and Spring, so perfect for the transition between the two. I know that these polishes are going to be the only ones I wear for the next few months, at least. They are all such gorgeous shades and I'm pretty sure that Essie Fiji was my most worn polish for the whole of last year so I know it'll be a popular one this time around. 

What are your favourite polishes for Spring?

Do you prefer pastels or brights?

♥

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Where Have I Been? + February Favourites 2015 │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello everyone!

So, I have just had a look back at my posts to see how long it's been and it's been almost three weeks since I last wrote a blog post. It started out with the classic bloggers block. I just couldn't seem to think of blog post ideas and when I did, I was kind of stuck for what to actually write. Then over the last couple of weeks, a lot seems to have happened at home and I have spent the majority of my time at work, and I've just really not been feeling up to blogging at all. I didn't want to put blog posts out there for you to read, that I wasn't into writing. I want you to see how passionate I am about the things that I write about, not just me putting up a post for the sake of sticking to my schedule. And now, after all that I have just started to come down with a stinking cold! So, I am dosed up on paracetamol and have an olbas oiled hankie in hand to try to warn it off! On the plus side, I am back and feeling a lot more motivated to start posting regularly again, with hopefully no long breaks like I've just had! To ease me back into it, I'm just going to talk about a few things that I have loved for the month of February. My February Favourites!

I haven't really tried anything new this month and as I have spent the majority of my time at work, earning lots of extra pennies, I haven't worn make-up very often either. I just have three make-up favourites, which I will start with. The first is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I have loved this for a long time and I have yet to find anything that I like more. I have especially loved this this month for the days when I have been at work. I don't wear very much make-up to work, if any, and this is always the first thing that I reach for, along with a mascara and my eyebrow pencil. A lot of my shifts for work start at 6:30 in the morning so I have been loving this concealer to cover up my tired eyes and lack of sleep! It will literally cover anything. The next is the Natural Collection Blush in Peach Melba. On the days that I have worn a full face of make-up, I have kept it all really natural and have reached for this blush every single time. It is such a gorgeous natural peachy pink colour, and it's so easy to wear with any make-up look you like. And at £1.99 it's an absolute bargain! My final make-up favourite is the Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette, but in particular, the eyeshadows. The colours is my favourite thing about them, a lot of bronze tones which brings out my blue eyes and are my favourite eyeshadow colours for any time of year. They are so buttery and blendable and they make eyeshadow application so easy. They are the only eyeshadows I have been reaching for, they're just gorgeous. My favourite shades are Dive, Fix and Stun. 

Now for the two non make-up favourites, one being a facial exfoliator and the other an electronic device. Let's start with the beauty, because that's the bit that we all want to know about isnt it?! The L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Radiance Revealing Gentle Exfoliator has been an absolute life saver for my skin over the last few months. It keeps my dry patches at bay, but the reason that it is in my favourites this month is because of the scent. It has such a fresh and invigorating scent that really helps to wake me up and make me feel more alive in the mornings. It really is brilliant! My final favourite is my kindle. Before this month, I had only read one book on it in the year or so that I've owned it. I just feel like you can't beat the feeling of holding an actual book. I love to hold a book and flick through the pages, but this month I have read a lot more on my kindle and I think it's brilliant for reading on the go. I can have my mini library with me anywhere I want to go. One full charge lasts for 8 weeks, so you don't have to worry about the battery dying on you. It still doesn't beat reading an actual book but I have a new found love for my kindle and am definitely going to use it a lot more from now on! 

What have been your favourites for February?

♥

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