Collective Beauty Haul

Over the past few weeks I have found myself nipping into my local Superdrug a little too often and have not been leaving empty handed. Sometimes I enjoy beauty shopping more than clothes shopping; it’s easier, there’s no faff about sizes and there’s the anticipation of trying out a new product. Oh god, I sound so sad! Anyhow, this is the little bundle I’ve accumulated…

For some reason I find lots of small, cheaper purchases much easier to justify spending my money on rather than 1 big shop when I know really it doesn’t make any difference. To be honest most of these things were essentials and were either on offer or fairly cheap anyway (yes, I am referring to the many Primark logos you see.)

So first up was the 3 for 2 offer on at Superdrug, I believe it has finished now however they regularly bring it back and Boots often do a similar deal.

Barry Me Gelly Nail Paint (Guava) – I absolutely love blue for nails in the summer and I already had quite a good collection however I hadn’t tried any from this new range from Barry M so I thought I’d give it a go. The shade is slightly more turquoise than the photo shows however it doesn’t come out quite as nice on the nails but still ok. The formula did have a nice finish and therefore I chose not to use a top coat but I think it still needed one as they chipped within 1 day. I love Barry M’s nail paints however I think in the future I’ll stick to the original formula (unless I see an awesome colour and can’t resist!)

Collection 2000 Supersize Mascara – When looking through the endless makeup racks I came across Collection 2000 and remembered using their ‘Big Fake’ mascara about 1 year ago and really liking it. Instead of doing the clever thing a picking that up, I thought I’d try another one by them and went for the cheapest. At £2.99 I don’t know what I was expecting but it is truly awful. It does absolutely nothing, it barely even turns my lashes black let alone giving them any length or volume. I think even an MUA mascara at £1 would probably have been better than ‘Supersize’. I will definitely not be purchasing it again, ever.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation – Having just pumped the last usage of product from my Rimmel ‘Wake Me Up’ foundation, I was on the hunt for a new one. I’m still fairly new to foundations having only used a few different ones before so I’m still looking for my perfect base. I had heard a lot of positive reviews regarding ‘Match Perfection’ and that it gave a dewy finish which is something I look for having dry skin. So far I really like it, it’s a fairly good match for my skin although I could have gone a shade lighter (I just don’t like to admit to myself that I’m the lightest shade available.) It definitely suits my skin better than ‘Wake Me Up’ and is buildable which is great for both summer time and nights out when I need different coverage. So far, so good!

Palmer’s Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturizer – So summer comes round and the weather seems to just get worse; rain, cold and wind means jeans and winter clothes hang around. Then BAMB, we get a lovely scorcher of a day, the shorts come out and then I remember; my legs haven’t seen the sun for a good 9 months meaning they are ghostly white. Just to throw another problem in the works, I NEVER tan. Last year I spent 2 weeks in Florida and didn’t even got that “sunkissed” look. That is where fake tan comes to the rescue…well, sometimes (often it just makes me look like a wannabe TOWIE cast member.) I prefer to use gradual tanners as I think it creates a more natural look however I don't like the long process it takes, which is why this Palmer’s version might be my saviour. I’ve only used it once so far to try it out but my legs were noticeably more bronzed the following morning. Living up to Palmer’s reputation, it’s super moisturizing and I actually don’t really mind the smell, it’s far nicer than the traditional , biscuit, fake tan scent. I picked mine up for around £5 in Sainsbury’s.

L’Oreal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light Shampoo – In search for a shampoo to beat my favourite by Aussie I remember hearing/reading quite a bit about this range in the beauty world. I went for the ‘Light’ version as it is aimed at people with greasy hair and I usually have to wash mine every 2 days which I would like to make less often. I’ve using it for about 2 weeks now and so far really like, it refreshes my hair without causing build up and leaves it smelling really good. I still have to wash it every other day so it doesn’t seem to make my hair less greasy but for £3.99 I’m quite impressed.

Most recently I picked up some beauty basics whilst in Primark. I got a 2 pack of hand wipes for £1 and a 4 pack of tissues for 60p for when I go to T in the Park in July, festival essentials! I also got a twin pack of cotton pads for £1 as for that many in Boots it would be double the price, they’re not amazing quality but they do their job at removing make up and nail vanish. I saw they now do teasing/backcombing brushes for £1 so picked one up, I’m always trying to create volume when I’m going on a night out and I think it will come in useful when doing my hair for prom in a couple of weeks. I also picked up the 4 pack of hair grips/clamps (or whatever they’re called) they don’t last long but for 25p each they are so useful. Finally when I was by the tills in H&M I noticed their make-up collection and on sale was a double ended ‘smoky’ brush. It has a angled brush at one end for eyeliner and a soft eye shadow brush at the other for blending, I’ve been looking for something like this for a while and got this one for £1.99, bargain!

I hope you enjoyed this beauty haul, let me know what you think. What is on your beauty wish list? Is there any recent purchases you’ve bought?

Have a great week!