Life - Who doesn't love a freebie?

At work over the last year we've had some great freebies which is a great office perk. Looking in papers these days there are always people out there working out how to feed a family of four for £1 per head per day or most recently, families affording Christmas at rock bottom prices. I've always been a bargain hunter and Christmas is when I am in my element but people always ask me, where am i getting these bargains and how do i find them? The answer; by putting in a lot of effort.


Lets begin with the cheapest of cheaps... freebies.

My work place use a company called Gems At Work. Sign up your office today to get freebies. All they ask for in return is a review of the products sent over for their market research.

Here is one of the recent freebies we had:

Recently in the office we had another freebie at the same time as the above by chance as a someone on our customer service team won a competition as per the below:

For my own freebies I've recently been applying through Magic Freebies. This site is a little "hit and miss" but I've found a lot of the money saver articles suggest this site. Mainly I apply for samples this way but even with samples I receive only 40% of what I apply for.

Onto bargains. I am a bargain queen if I do say so myself. I hate to pay full price for anything and have become so used to paying low prices that faced with full priced items I dispair at the full price ticket.

My favourite site for the last year has been everything5pound. This wonderful site sells everything for £5 (shocker right). A lot of thier product are previous seasons branded items. From here I've bought ASOS, h&m, new look , cameo rose, topshop and many other brands we know and love for as I've said before £5. It is hit and miss so you could end up with something cheap looking as well as cheap costing. I've now got colleagues hooked on this site and j hope you become hooked too.

Everyone knows about Primark of course but as we all know this is another hit or miss store..often I have asked colleague "where did you get that" they tell me primark and I'm astonished. How do people find these gems? I've had a few which i was really pleased with but generally i usually leave with something i like but not love.

Believe it or not even places like Poundland and Aldi are upping thier homeware game currently and there are some great bargain finds in places like these if youre willing to take the time to look.



Lastly we have Discounts and Voucher codes.

I would do no shopping if not for discounts and voucher codes. For any big purchase my first port of call is Quidco. This website offers discounts and most importantly cash back on purchases. Some of these cashbacks are minuscule but its still more than nothing. This site also gives you the ability to sign up a card and for instore purchases at certain stores you will still get cashback when using this nominated card. I've made on average £70 a year on this site for the last three years.

For most discount codes, especially those for fast food i simply google search the store/restaurant "voucher codes". This usually brings up a plethera of sites to choose from. Two of my favourites are Voucher codes and Hot deals UK. These are hit and miss as a number of codes will be out of date but also these codes are provided by outside sources and are often unreliable.

Currently with my beauty boxes i am searching for a number of codes online but also using my one stop source of information on beauty boxes Which beauty box UK.On this site you will find not only reviews about the latest beauty boxes but also some discount codes. Its been really helpful.



The above are not the only options as occasionally I've been known to even barter in store (especially furniture stores) but this is a rough guide to how i do get bargains.

Well that's all i have for you on this.

Peace Out ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 18 - Not so Rockin' "Roccabox"

I'M BACK. I wasn't really gone very long but here I am again. This time its a new beauty box which unfortunately unleashed fresh disappointment.....


Recently I discovered a awesome new blog about beauty boxes called Which Beauty Box UK. Through it i've discovered more beauty boxes to try but also gained some more discount codes which rather than saving me money has meant I've bought even more beauty boxes! Through this blog i discovered Roccabox. This monthly box is £10 plus postage and packaging but through Which Beauty Box UK i used a 10% discount code.

If you have been on which beauty box UK before, or have since i've included the link above then you may be asking why did i chose this box? Well if you check out the September blog for Which Beauty Box UK you will see that the selection was AMAZING as were the prior selections for the months prior. I was so excited to give this a go especially as its a blogger edition based on ReallyRee suggestions....


So i began to unbox......

I was getting so excited.... then......

IS THAT IT?!?




Lets begin with what I did like....

Murad - Exfoliating cleanser
I actually picked this up recently in my Latest In Beauty box which I blogged about recently. Since i already had tried and tested this I wasn't wow-ed but it was nice to know I liked this and could put it to use.

Omorovicza - Deep Cleansing mask
This is also available on Latest In Beauty though i haven't picked it up as yet. I am looking forward to using this and have heard great things. It is however expensive so its not a product i'd buy again, but i like that i get a chance to try it.


That is it really for the items i look forward to trying.

I want to give the eyelashes a go as i'm wanting to experiment with lashes, however I just bought four sets of lashes to try so this is just another which will wait in line.

The last is the Pureology, Strength cure shampoo conditioner duo. I'm least excited about these since i'm fairly happy with my current shampoo, oil combo and wasn't really looking to replace/improve.


Its not just me. Jaina who writes the blog Which Beauty Box UK has expressed her disappointment in this box also explaining how although she see's a theme (which i cannot even grasp this theme) this wasn't great for her.

I don't think i'll be trying this box again since i especially didn't like the lack of visibility you had. No previews and as its not that popular, instagram didn't help at all.

Sorry this article was a bit of a bummer but i hope you enjoyed or found it useful regardless.

Peace out ☮🕊䷊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 17 - Getting glam with Glossybox

I've never had a Glossybox before and since this months edition was Mermaid or Unicorn edition with an awesome eyeshadow palette from Makeup Revolution i was SOLD. So of course as many a savy shopper does, I dug out a voucher code and purchased away (uh oh... don't tell the other half). You can imagine the disappointment when the below arrived:

So I saw this and thought...Ok maybe they ran out of the boxes. I opened the box further:

I had thank sinking feeling I wasn't going to get what i thought i was purchasing.

Nope. Not mermaid or Unicorn. Regardless of not being the colourful delight i wanted it to be there was many a delight in the box.

Already reviewed in my last blog in Episode 16 of trying to be more woman I received the Too Faced Better than sex Mascara which i LOVED! Please refer back to my other blog for the full review.

As pictured, also reviewed was The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm. This smells slightly Rosy however I didn't find the affect long lasting...... pity.

Another item which my colleague (blogger http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/ ) was particularly excited about was the Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster. I'm yet to try this but I'm not wow-ed by the colour.

Something I should have tried this weekend was the Smokey Eye Pen from Rodial. I'm not sure how to use this but I'm sure youtube will have the answer.

The other two are actually samples but I already know that i love the Himalayan Charcoal Mask from The Body Shop and as a lover of masks I look forward to trying the Hydro Face Masks from Rose of Jericho.



The subscription for Glossybox is £10 + postage and packaging so I'm not sure if I'll be trying them again. When i queried why i didn't get the Mermaid or Unicorn box they simply stated that it was sold out. I'm not sure if that's acceptable since its basically false advertisement.

That's all I have for now so Peace Out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 16 - i don't do fancy dress but i did fancy up my face

Folks it's that Halloween time of year (not actually Halloween yet) which calls for parties, which in turn calls for fancy dress of course. I'm invited to two parties this year (well three but the third is held AFTER Halloween and its my brothers party so I don't count it). My work do and my friend's house party so this episode of trying to be more woman will include two versions of my fancied up face with different products (that's the plan). Lucky you!!!!

First party was the office do. Held immediately after work in our office cafe (basically our office kitchen eating area.) Both nights out my look is goth devil. I chose this look as I need practice with my smoky eye and I already have flashing horns from when I was 13. Job done.

So here is how I looked for the office people....

The following is an end of the night shot so lighting is darker and the makeup has worn off a little in places (eyeliner and eyeshadow mainly).....

What you can't see is what I'm wearing (oooo sounds kinky...SPOILERS it's not)... Well I'm wearing an off shoulder black and white skater dress which is mainly white with black bows from ASOS. The bottoms are half pvc wonders from sofabulous (a brand within littlewoods) which I've teamed with a primark over sized thick knit cardigan. In my usual bargain ways the dress and bottoms were from ebay (LOVE searching new with tags) and the cardi was of course bargain price in primarni! The Bottom especially were a great find as it turns out Littlewoods have a clearance account on Ebay. Check it out along with all these other retailers with clearance accounts:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Littlewoods-Clearance 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/OfficeShoes 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/veryclearance  

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Trespass-Outlet 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/thesuperdrystore?clk_rvr_id=1349026516353&rmvSB=true

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/boohoo-outlet?clk_rvr_id=1348836892763&rmvSB=true

Onto trying to be more woman... how did i get my face looking this way.... check out the below:

 

I went with a double team red lipstick: The base lipstick is from Bourjois called Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick which goes on as a gloss and mattes out. The lip gloss is from Elle and is an oldie of mine (most labelling has rubbed off over time.) I bring this out every Halloween as it gives a bloody sheen which is perfect for the occasion.

The mascara is an old fave which I've reviewed in a prior blog..here. The Gosh foundation and Primark (foundation stick) highlighter I've also already reviewed....here and here. 

The eyeliner is another Bourjois item but this was entirely new to me. It's unique in its shape and therefore application but I actually found this made it easier to apply. I got this really cheap in my local (Maidstone) TJ Hughes and would really suggest for others to give it a go.

The newest items in my arsenal for this look was the ModelCo contour stick. It looks an odd colour but let me reassure you that this blended beautifully and really finished my look. I got this in my first ever birchbox (which you can see the full review for here) and couldn't have been happier to have discovered it.

Then we have the Mac 8 colour eyeshadow palette. I used only one lighter base colour for this look.

Lastly i used Collection 2000 eyeshadow pencil. This didn't sharpen well and was very crumbly. This could be due to the age but either way this was the first and last time i will be using this.

Second party and second look is similar with a few changes:

For starters this picture is care of a bestie of mine Ruth. Check out her instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/ruthiomac_88/ . Sorry folks but I didn't take a before so as you can see my eyeliner is already bleeding out but this is the best pic i could get. Lighting at my friends was very dark, mainly lit but UV bulbs (as pictured below) hence my fluorescent bra showing through.... my bad.

The bestie loves a sugar skull so her and her hubby went all out on the decorations. Was awesome with dry ice and the works!!!

The make up bag for this night was :

As you can see there are a number of repeats from the day before. I am also missing a key piece from the above which I will still include in the breakdown:

MAC Russian Red Matte lipstick. This isn't pictured but its a great base as it stays on all night. Tried tested and almost all gone.

Too faced better than sex mascara. This was a newbie from my first ever glossybox (review to follow). When i got this mascara my work colleague (check out her blog http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/ ) was really excited. For good reason. I find this coats my lashes to thier fullest extent making them look fuller and darker than they have ever been!

Another newbie to the list which differed from the night before was the Fearne Eyeshadow base. No longer available in store but this really helped the eyeshadow stick.

I once again used the MAC eyeshadow palette, but this time i used two other colours. These seemed to work a lot better than the powder pencil combo from the night before.

All the rest was the same.


That's all i have to share for now. Hope you have enjoyed this blog and if you have please read on and check out my other blogs.

Peace out! 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 15 - Latest in beauty with my latest in beauty box

I've been watching the Latest in Beauty website since my last delivery, adamant that I'd choose wisely this time keeping reviews, variety and product size in mind. I feel happy with my choices this month. My box is brimming with delights, each which excite me and none of which i felt even a tinge of disappointment with. Well without delay let me introduce you to this months box of delights:

As you can see I chose the following 9 items with my "Beauty Guru" subscription:

1. Burts Bees - Tinted lip balm in rose

2. Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleaner - really excited about this and am just waiting until I'm through my current cleanser before i give this a go

3. Natracare - Regular Tampons - guess why i wanted these and what I'll be using them for.....

4. Eisenberg Paris - Moistourising smoothing serum
5. Lord & Berry - Matte crayon lipstick in Chic - tried this out and I'm not entirely sure the colour suits me. Will try it out in front of my gal pals to see what they think
6. Nanogen - Root boost thickening hair treatment spray - no hair, do care 😭

7. Feather & Down - Sweet dreams pillow spray - intend to have the Mr try this. He used to suffer from insomnia and although he sleeps better it still takes him a while to drop off to sleep

8. Wellwoman - Wellwoman energy in Lime - never taken vitamins before let alone berocca type stuff. First time for everything

9. Cetaphil - Gentle skin cleanser, Moistourising cream, Moistourising lotion - why wouldn't i try this? Three products in one selection! YAY









Another yay in this box was A FREEBIE (as pictured on the right). I have tweeted Latest in Beauty my joy at the freebie and now i shall tell you blog reading folk. YAY i love a freebie!!!! Will give this a go and review another time.




 












Lastly i was impressed with two small things included in the box this week. Two things which they may not have intended to impress by, but none the less did impress little old me. Firstly...there was instructions on how to use one (well three) of my products and also a voucher for money off another product should i wish to purchase full size later. This is a small gesture but something i really appreciate.

So folks. That's all i have to say on these for now. To see individual reviews you will have to read future blogs (oh yeah; plugging my own blog) as and when i use the products.


Peace out 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 14 - Whats new? Whats used?

Quite a bit of newness this week, some empties and also a return to a product which I've already reviewed.

Lets start with goodbyes with some empties:

Tesco - Coconut & Almond Milk Shampoo
A golden oldie for me. I've mentioned before but i have a sensitive scalp and often my scalp has reactions. On top of that with my super fine and soft hair, if a shampoo leaves too much of a residue then often my head is left a greasy mess. At 80p I'll be getting this again and again.


The body shop - Tea Tree Cleansing Toner
 I've reviewed this before but I got this from The Ashford Retail Outlet for a steal. I've been using this after my cleanser and its really helped to clear up my recent break out (sounds very prison break when in reality i mean SPOTS). I will be getting this again to be sure.


Avon - Sweet Vanilla Bubble Bath
Sold out on their site but you can purchase other festive shaped bubble baths so take a look if you want. I wouldn't suggest it as i have mentioned here, and here. To reiterate my prior post this smelled great in the bottle but didn't smell at all outside of the bottle.



Ok enough of the old, in with the new:

Balanceme - Pure Skin Face Wash
This is my favourite newbie of the week. I got this in my Birchbox this month and i am impressed. I'll start with the best part. It rubs on and washes off quickly and leaves my skin feeling great. I must go on again about sensitive skin but its my blog, so deal with it! This does not irritate my skin at all and leaves me feeling glorious. Now the bad bit. Looks and feels like spunk! Sorry to those who ma be insulted by me bringing up bodily fluids but that's the case. The smell is also kind of chemical for a product which claims to be 99% natural? Regards less of smell, look and texture I am loving this product!

Aldi - Mighty Shampoo
Another product which admittedly i have tried before but well worth a revisit. This moisturises better than my tesco usual but without leaving a residue which will grease up my hair. This smells delicious too which is always great for a shampoo. People don't be put off by store brands. Aldi especially are upping their game and playing against the big boys. So far there isn't a product of theirs i haven't been impressed by.

Rituals - Ritual of Sakura
My colleague seemed excited when i got this in my Tilli box however i wasn't that impressed. The smell is quite old fashioned and not a scent i like. The texture is odd. This is a gel which foams... but not that foamy sometimes and sometimes too foamy. There's no balance. I basically used the whole canister in two washes which is ridiculous.

No.4 - Lumiere D'hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect
What this incredibly long name is meant to tell us is spray which makes it easy to comb (or brush) and protects from heat (should you choose to dry your hair). I air dry my hair so protect i do not need. With my thin, fine hair it does get tangled and does need help. This spray does work to help with my issue HOWEVER it does no more than my Aldi brand. Aldi version is much cheaper so i really wouldn't buy this again nor would i recommend this.






Lastly my other half has asked me to revisit my review on a new product he tried out last week (and is still using). I shall call this sections "He has an opinion on everything":

 The other half wanted to again reiterate that he liked the scent ALOT however he has found a design floor in this bottle. He claims that its incredibly hard to get the wash out the bottle which is frustrating for him as he really does like this product. Pity its so expensive.....



That's all folks. No more new, old, empties or revisits.


Hope you have enjoyed this article and if you have suggestions please do let me know.


Peace out ☮🕊

Thr chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 13 - Feeling sorry for myself

I was feeling a little under the weather this week and as always was feeling very sorry for myself. My first go to for any pain or illness is sleep. Well unfortunately being a working day my mind wasn't willing to cooperate with that. I woke up at 5.50 and I was up for the day. Still I got to rest even if I wasnt sleeping.

I'd have loved to get some household chores done but I really wasn't feeling up to it. So as many of us do, I set up camp on the sofa under my faux fur blanket and switched on Netflix. 

Anyway Ive got distracted from the main point. As I felt a little better in the afternoon and as noted already my skin is really horrendous at the moment I thought now was as good a time as any to do a face mask. The mask I went with was the Primark Deep cleansing blueberry bubble mask. It was my first time using s primark mask and a first using a bubble mask but at 80p I wasn't worried if it was useless. 

Application - the liquid comes out as a viscous fluid with a creamy looking consistency (yes, it looks like spunk)

Smell - with blueberry in the title name of the products , I was expecting something fruity. It wasn't. It wasn't a very pleasant smell for me but that could be me being ill as I've lost some sense of taste

Consistency when on face - once on, the foam starts up pretty quickly. It did feel a bit uncomfortable and itchy while I was waiting.....

Removal and after effects - washing off was easy enough however it was sticking to my flannel and really wouldn't wash out. After my skin felt a tad sticky... But no more cleansed...

Would I recommend this? Yes. It's a cheap buy to try out a bubbling face mask. Did it do much for me? No, but again didn't expect much for 80p.

If you like this, please visit my older blog on other mask's i've tried :)

Well that's all I have for you on this one. Hope you enjoyed!!!!

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 12 - damn you blemish stick

So folks in this not so special Tuesday me and my colleague decided to jazz up an ordinary day by renaming today Neon Tuesday. It isn't to become a national day I'm afraid but for a few in our finance team at work we are rocking the bright neon today.

Since today is a little different I wanted to put an effort into my face so what happens yesterday.... Mount Etna decides to mould itself to my face.

Sod's law, I know..I bought a blemish stick from Avon a little while back so this was an opportunity to give it a whirl... well..... Meh. It doesn't want to stick to my face and like most blemish sticks it's entirely the wrong colour for my face. So rather than conceal I'm left with a large paler lump on my face..... Yay. I tried and at least this has tea-tree in it so perhaps it's helping a little. Its currently only £2.50 so if you're tempted, now's the time to give it a go. I won't go on about my bad experience with Avon again, but here's my blog about them if you're interested.

The rest of my face I'm overall pleased with. This morning I tried a the technic primer (bought from fragrance direct for £1.75) out for the first time and then used the simple light moisturiser (i reviewed this on my recent blog so please refer back for more details). I feel the combo has made a difference as a base for the makeup and am pretty pleased. The Revlon gloss is a subtle touch to my bold look (yay neon Tuesday). I tried the Primark bronzer stick again today but this time along with the W7 liquid highlighter. The bronzer is probably too dark for me but runs in well but the highlighter... It's nice and glittery but other than that I feel it does little else. I'm also wearing my gosh foundation which I have mentioned in previous blogs and my L'Oreal eye pencil and Maybelline mascara.

Onto my fashion choices (picture care of itsshradha which the tag line #betterthanitsshradha comes from)..... Bold and beautiful i say. I am a pink Princess and proud today. I got this jumper for FREE from www.everything5pound.com when using a voucher code. I hated it when I first ordered it online and when it arrived but when I tried it on..... love at first sight. The jeans (sold out already) are also from everything5pound with a simple h&m black cami. I finished the look off with my office leather bright pink beauties which I had re-heeled yesterday. I love that these beauties are back in action so expect to see more of them. The socks were another recent purchase from ASOS, all topped off with my only accessory today which is my fitbit!

Well that's all I have on this neon Tuesday. I hope you all enjoyed and please do read my other posts for more makeup newbie reviews and fashion tips (maybe I'm not the best to take tips from).

Peace out ☮️️

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 10 - Birchbox supports breast cancer

This month I decided to get my first Birchbox beauty box. Why this month? Well I've been keeping an eye on the products within the monthly box and this month I felt that I wanted everything that was a possible option. This is something I really liked about Birchbox, not only can you see the possible options available in the box for that month but also you get to choose between two of the items every time. This months choices were between ModelCo contour stick or Megalash mascara. I actually chose the option "surprise me" as, as i have already noted I would be happy with any of the this months options.


So next questions. What were the options and what did i get? Here..... have another picture:

I am yet to try these but i can tell you i am very excited about a couple of these items and cannot wait to try them.

Firstly the Spectrum Marble cosmetic brush. I haven't had much experience with brushes in general being that I am still a super amateur. Regardless i am really excited to give this a go.

Likewise i cannot wait to try the contour perfecting sponge from Ecotools. I'm really experimenting with contouring at the moment. I've been applying bronzer and highlighter really subtly and cautiously as i have been so unsure. With the blending sponge I'm going to search for some videos and try and up my contour game. I will post the results!

Leading from the contour sponge I am really desperate to try out the contour stick from modelco. I've already tried this out on my hand and it seems to blend really well. My colleague who is also a beauty blogger seems even more excited by this and excitement is really contagious.

The Number 4 Lumiere dhiver super comb prep and protect (WOW that's a long name) will be something which I can give a go almost immediately as part of my day to day routine. I'm not as excited by this but it is a practical item which I'll be able to use.

Another item which I'll start to try out immediately will be the Balance me Pure skin face wash which appears to be a Marks and Spencer's product. I always worry about a face wash as if i have a reaction with my sensitive skin it could really ruin all the work I've been trying to do to clear up my blemishes. Oh well. Lets see....

Lastly and the least wow of the products was the Anatomicals Grab your melons shower gel. Its a shower gel folks. It may smell nice but its going to be a sweet smelling gel just like many others out there I'm sure.



As happy as I was with my box i wanted to try one other product so BAD. The product i really wished for in the box was R + Co Badlands dry shampoo Paste. Pity but its an expensive product so its unlikely i will now get a chance to try this. Oh well.



I have the feeling most boxes came with the Grab your melons shower gel as this box edition was pink in line with "CoppaFeel". CoppaFeel is all about ladies keeping an eye on our breasticles and making sure we feel for any lumps and bumps. Their website has a GREAT instruction guide on how to check them which any lady should check out https://coppafeel.org/your-boobs/boob-check-101/ .


Well i hope you folks enjoyed this article and ladies..... go have a grope.... of yourself. I do not encourage you to go grope others!!!

Peace out ☮🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 9 - A weekly "what have i used"?

Its been a while. Busy week, busy mind, not really had the time to write a blog. I haven't forgotten so here's my weekly used bits:

 There are a number of repeats so I'll take us through some of these as logically as I can.

On right are three the body shop products I used this week. I purchased all of these from the Ashford Retail Outlet. This outlet is well worth a visit for any bodyshop fan. I got the two smaller bottles for £1.25 each and the bigger bottle was part of a set which was also heavily reduced (sorry but it was a while ago and I really cannot recall the price on this).

I have reviewed the two smaller bottles before but below are the links in case you haven't read my previous blogs:

Seaweed Facial wash - £7.50 full price

Tea Tree Cleansing Toner - £6.00 full price 

NEW to the list:

Moringa Shower Gel - £5.00 full price. I found this to be quite moisturising, leaving my skin a little greasier than I'd like. The scent isn't really doing much for me either. As noted above i did get this as a set and I loved some of the other scents that came before this.

Both of those on the left are from Avon. If you read my blog on Customer Service you will know i recently placed my first order with them and fell out of love very quickly due to their terrible customer service team.

Displayed on the left are two of the products of which I purchased in my order.

The Bubble bath was not a winner for me. It bubbled as it should and was gentle on the skin but the scent was so old LADY. Still at £1.50 I'm not heartbroken over the purchase.

The Lip Balm on the other hand was a big win! I get really chapped lips and this was great for just before bed, lasting all the way til morning or first thing in the morning, lasting me til my first coffee. Once again this was a steal at only £2.20 I would like to suggest to readers to go out and get this. I say "would like to" as due to their customer service and super slow delivery I would suggest anyone to shop with them. Sad as there are so many great products!

On the right are two Lacura products. Lacura is the cosmetic/beauty make from Aldi.

I mentioned before that I prefer this purple mouthwash and after using it after the last one I can confirm this is still a solid favourite. At only £0.95 I'm not sure why everyone isn't using this?!?!

The other item is a lime shower gel bought for my other half but I wanted to give it a go as it smelt so edible. Once again an absolute steal at only £0.65 and so much better than similar products I've tried in this scent from other superstores. Well worth a try if you have an Aldi near by.

So many snub Aldi and the alike economy/own brand products. I would really urge people to give these products a whirl! You could really save some pennies without making any sacrifices!

Yep. Its those guys again. Sanctuary Spa is a make which I use daily. Their products always do as it says on the tin and the scents are DIVINE!

I have reviewed these both before and if you are thinking of purchasing from the company directly, or via boots, expect to pay the matching price tag. If you want a bargain however T J Hughes always has a great selection of their products as well as many other well known brands.

I found T J Hughes entirely by accident. When I moved to Maidstone I had a stroll round the shops and found this gem. Its brilliant and I have since introduced my family to this wonder. Their website isn't as varied so I'd urge you to visit your local store to check for bargains!

This a two new things for me rolled into one. I'd never heard of this brand and nor had I tried a foam cleanser. I purchased this from my favourite T J Hughes store as noted above for a bargain £1.99. This can be found on their website here.

Its noted on the bottle that there are moisturising benefits to this and that it can be used everyday. With the exception to today I have used it and unfortunately I have more spots and blemishes than ever. This could be due to the makeup I wore twice in the week, or could be due to stress in my life HOWEVER it hasn't helped as it should have. Ironically in gaining spots in places on my face which are usually clear, the blemish spots i usually have on my cheek have disappeared since using this. Swings and roundabouts ay?

To the right you will see two products both of which came in my Tili Box from QVC.

This was my first box from QVC and it didn't disappoint. It isn't a subscription and there are no surprises. You buy the box as seen and they aren't even regularly released. Its a case of being in the know or keeping your eye out.

Of the two on the right I could actually pick a favourite.

The Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat promises to be a nail strengthener and conditioner. This couldn't have come at a better time as I'd recently had two sets of gel nails and I'd peeled the last set off, just as the nail technician told me not to do. This really did work as nice recovery for my nails. At £23.50 it is steeply priced. I'm unsure if I'd purchase this again simply due to the price. Pity.

The Shay & blue perfume was a surprise. I knew I was relieving this as stated already, but I didn't expect to like it. The Scent is Blood orange which is a little sharp and slightly sweet. Its a lovely scent and lasts well! I think it's quite a summery scent and would have done better in a summer edition box. At only £49 a bottle however, this is cheaper than most perfumes and I'd definitely consider buying this again.

Below is everything I received in my Tili Box. I will get round to reviewing eventually, I promise!

Last but not least we come to how did I wash this week. Well I have had a couple of reactions this week (not sure what to, and often am never sure) so I went for a fairly simply soap.

This Culticura soap was purchased from Fragrance direct for £1.49. It has an old fashioned scent and as advertised is gentle on the skin. For my this is great as it doesn't dry out my skin but does get my skin squeaky clean without leaving any residue.



Well that's all I have this week. I hope you've enjoyed and if you have any tips or questions, please to let me know.


Until next time. Peace out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 7 - Weekly, What I used

Little late so my apologies for that. Its Saturday night and I'm sat in the living room, fully reclined tip tapping away at this blog whilst re-watching Ru Paul's Drag race. Watching 4 episodes of season 8 reminded of my womanly fails so I thought now was an apt time to blog again.


So what did I use this week?

As you can see from the above there's a bit of a mish mash. Pictured is a combination of store bought, free samples, old and loved favourites and Latest In Beauty bits. Lets get this show in the road and do a bit of reviewing!


Pictures above are some of my dailies as well as a couple of one offs. Of the dailies I used some of the following:

 Aldi
Silk Body Wash - 85p STEAL. I loved this but the other half didn't. He found it a little greasy however this left my skin feeling lovely and soft and the scent was luxurious. I'll be getting it again for sure
Refreshing shower gel - Even better STEAL at only 65p and again another which my other half did not like. This is described as Eucalyptus and Grapefruit scented but really I could only smell dettol and I LOVED IT!

Nivea
Rich and nourishing body cream - Affordable £5.29, I carry this in my day to day bag. Good as a staple and Nivea is always great for sensitive skin.





Tisserand
Tea tree deodorant -  I bought this from a spa place in Hastings last weekend as my its don't often smell too fresh for too long. I really liked the scent but did it stand the test this week? On a night out this week it got its real first test of a fair bit of walking but also time spent in a warm London bar in non breathable materials. It didn't fair too well I'm afraid. Regardless I'll use this on days where i will remain fairly inactive (like today) but i won't be repurchasing.


New Look
Sunglasses - £3 from asos, bought and received this week. Been told by the surgeon to wear sunglasses til November (even on cloudy miserable days) so I'm trying my hardest to get some funky looking specs. I love these and so did my manager! The seal from authority lol.


Perfumes
Marks and Spencer
Nuit Parfum - Received from my latest in beauty box, please check out my review for this on my previously blog 


 

Philosophy
Amazing grace - Received as a freebie with my Latest In Beauty box. At £33 for the full price, full sized product its unlikely I'll be getting it. Big thing i want to mention about this however is that Latest In Beauty admitted to me that they only give samples with their first order and after that one maybe one. I feel quite duped by this.






Now for some of the new products which are pictured on the left.............





Primark 
Eye Makeup remover - No link I'm afraid as Primark don't actually sell anything online. At 90p i still wouldn't recommend anyone buys this! I brought it into the office and my colleague (who has her own blog which I'd recommend you check out http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/) immediately warned me that this burned her eyes but also made the skin around her eyes sore. This has the same affect for me I'm afraid. I reported this to Primark and they are looking into this!


Lavera
Firming day cream - This was my one freebie from Latest In Beauty this week. It was a tiny one use sample however I did like this. It was a thin cream that did the job and in the morning my skin did feel a little firmer.


Primark
Micellar water - £2 for the larger size this removes makeup gently and thoroughly but not for use on your eyes.


Regenerate
Advanced Toothpaste - See my previous blog for my review

Oh yes there was a his and hers moment this week with nose strips. I bought these for my other half as he has in the past stole mine (even though I've only used these once before).


Primark
4 One - step cleansing Aloe nose pore strips - £1 as you can see from the picture. These worked well but did leave a dusty residue. I wasn't wowed so I will keep looking for alternatives.

Charcoal & volcanic ash unclog pore strips - 90p for a pack of 3.  My other half has used this twice now. He likes them and we both think these smell GREAT. I'm annoyed that it is advertised for men as just with my past strips men can use any nose strips, not just those which are advertised for just men.




Lastly below is the Makeup which i used this week:

Of the above many of these are my usual. I have only had one decent cosmetic brush which I've had since I was 14 (AND NEVER BEEN CLEANED... Gross i know), the mirror in the far right bottom corner I've had since i was 15 from the National Gallery and the Gosh foundation though barely used I've had for some time also. There's also my MAC mascara, L'oreal Eye pencil, W7 bronzer and MaxFactor Eye luminzer which i have reviewed before on my blog.

The one new product was the Green People Lip crayon which I reviewed on my last blog. Please take a look for more information.

Well that's all I have for this week. Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions on any of the above mentioned products, please comment.

Peace out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 6 - latest in beauty with my Latest in beauty box

Let me begin by saying that I was disappointed when I opened this box. My colleagues could tell you that my face said it all. Partly this is my fault as if I had read measurements online properly then I would have realised these were all fairly small with the exception of the lip products which are all full size. My first order came with a bag, which I wasn't expecting for all future orders but what I was expecting however, was more little freebies like I got with my first order (got like 4 or 5 freebies!!!). I feel like for the first order they threw fistfuls of freebies in to entice the consumer and then by your second order... Nah...... I am on the top package out of the subscriptions so it's really disappointing to get 1 tiny sachet of moisturiser and that's it...... Oh well enough with the moans and on with the show!

The Latest In Beauty website isn't great. I find it it super slow and often I have to log in three or more times in the space of 30 minutes? Going from page to page is painful (but hopefully worth it?) The layout of the website however is really user friendly. As noted in my prior blog, I REALLY like that you build your own box. 

I love that Latest in beauty boxes always include a little postcard! I am a real sucker for a postcard and have a whole tonne from Paperchase which my and a Pal send to each other! Love that this one is a good comedic play on words. This month's postcard gives us "I came, I saw, I contoured". LOVE IT!!

Now onto the fun stuff.... The products.......

Exuviance 

Purifying Clay Masque - Not had a chance to give this a go as yet. Sample size i received was 10g which is a 1/5 the size of the full size product which will set you back £20.89. I'll give this a go over the weekend and review properly in my "what have a used this week" blog.

Marks and Spencers

Nuit Parfum - Sample size is 15ml which is decent as a travel perfume. Full size is 75ml for £28. The scent is slightly musky with floral tones (I feel so snobby for using the term "Floral tones") however it is a slightly old fashioned smell. My other half described it as "Granny".

Eucerin

Intensive Lip Balm - I received the full size product (10ml) which in store will cost you £6. I've tried this yesterday and today and although it goes on nicely and isn't sticky or greasy like some lip repair balms the effects are not long lasting. Comes off within 15 minutes. I also worry with these style applicators as they end up mucky around the top which traps in bacteria.

Natural World

Chia seed oil volume & shine anti gravity oil for fine hair - I know what you're thinking... they could have made the name more specific and elaborate! Joking aside I've used this product last night and really like the affect. I'm a fan of a hair oil as my scalp/skin being sensitive I struggle to find shampoos which are kind on my hair and skin. With fine hair you always run a risk with conditioners and oil sitting heavy in your hair, dragging it down and making it incredibly greasy. NOT the case with this product. This left my hair buoyant and soft from root to tip. I didn't have to use much (as I have very little hair anyway). The sample I have is only 25ml, but at a SUPER cheap £2.99 for 100ml, this is definitely something I will be getting. One improvement I'd make is that for both sample and actual product, they could do with a better dispenser. Perhaps a pipette would make application easier (I applied to fingertips and ran through my hair, however getting it out the bottle was messy).

PHB Ethical Beauty

Organic Lip Crayon (In Pink) - Product I received was the full size 4g in Pink. This pink is perhaps brighter than I'd usually go. Then again i don't usually use a lip liner anyway. Its nice to know this is Vegan 🍂 and a cruelty free product but its a pencil. Nothing to get too excited about. I tried this out for an hour and even after eating dinner, some of it was still there. I'll wear it on a night out sometime soon and let you know the full outcome then. At £8.95, its probably more than I would usually want to pay for a liner product however knowing that it is cruelty free I am more inclined to purchase.

Aurelia

Aromatic repair & brighten hand cream - The sample size is a small 7ml which is a suitable handbag size. It seems small but you only need a little per application. At £28 for 75ml, this would not otherwise have been on my radar. In the past I have spent a maximum of £15 on a hand cream. I'm not sold that you get your moneys worth for £28. You need very little per use, so 75ml would last me and my old lady hands a couple of months. It is however quite greasy even once rubbed in. The scent is strong and quite herbal-ly. The scent very much reminds me of Elemis Cleansing balm (please refer back to my blog on the balm). I would have considered buying this if the full size product were not so expensive.

The Green People

Instant definition lip crayon (Sangria) - Like with the lip liner I tried this out briefly last night before and during dinner. It didn't last too well but giving it the benefit of the doubt, I am trying it out again tonight. I received the full size product and I was dubious about the colour when I chose it, but am completely sold when I'm wearing it. Its quite a dry lipstick but it has a slight metallic sheen which I like. Currently on sale at £10 I'd consider re-buying this colour or trying out another 

Naveen

Firming mask - To be tried this weekend/next week. Review to follow on another blog. Could only find this on US sites? $34.50 for a pack of 6.

Regenerate

Advanced toothpaste - I cannot comment on the long lasting effects as I used it for the first time last night (and reverted back to my normal for the morning) but I did the like the scent and taste. Bad point would be that there was no cleansing burn, nor did it foam. I don't personally like non frothy toothpastes, but that is personal preference. I will review on this again when I've finished it.

That's all I've got for now folks. Follow my blog to keep tabs on the products which i haven't had a chance to test yet.

Peace out ☮