Tuesday 7 August 2012

Summer Holiday Haul


Over the past few weeks I have been buying a few bits and bobs for my trip to Spain in a few weeks time, today, I thought I would show you what I have purchased…

New Look £9.99 (Now £5)


These shorts are from New Look and are bright blue hotpants! I don’t normally ‘do’ short shorts but I thought these would be great for on the beach with a coloured vest top.



New Look £6
Again, these white shorts are from New Look and are for the beach on holiday. Before last year I had never had a pair of white shorts but I picked up a pair really cheaply and wore them nearly all summer (until the zip broke)! So, this year, I was going to get a more decent/expensive pair but I saw these in the sale and thought, why not?!
T
New Look £16.99
hese high wasted shorts are from New Look (surprise surprise) and I only bought them last week but I have worn them three times already! They are a perfect length, not too long, not too short and I am going to wear them with tights in the winter as well as with bare legs in the summer. At first, I wasn’t crazy about the black buttons but they are growing on me.

H&M £3
I bought this pack of 2 vest tops from H&M because I thought they were an absolute bargain! Only £3 for 3 vest tops, and not just plain, one is stripy! The only problem with these is that they are quite long but for £3 who can complain?

H&M £3.99
This is an oatmeal coloured vest top, again from H&M. It was a bit more expensive (£3.99) but you can tell its good quality. I thought it was a bit more interesting to wear than your typical black/white vest tops. I also like this top because it has slightly thicker straps so your shoulders are slightly more protected from sunburn.

New Look (Brave Soul) £5
This pink and white top is from New Look but it is by the brand Brave Soul. I think you can only get this brand in certain shops and online. It was meant to be £7.99 but it was £5 in the sale so I snapped it up! It looks like you have a plain pink vest top underneath a stripy one and I thought I could wear this with jeans in this country and it was a bit nicer than just wearing a plain vest.

Primark £2
Finally, this headband is from Primark and an absolute bargain at £2. In case you can’t tell from the picture, it is a creamy yellow colour and has owls on it. I had a headband similar to this last year and I wore it everyday on holiday so I thought I would ‘invest’ in another one. I can wear it at home too as I like to wear these to pull back my hair when I am washing my face and putting my makeup on.

So that’s my little holiday shopping spree, I hoped you enjoyed reading and please let us know in the comments if you have picked up any summer bargains! xo

Monday 30 July 2012

3 reasons I love Converse

1. They go with anything.
And by anything, I do mean ANYTHING. I wear mine with my jeans and a t-shirt for walking the dog and running errands. I wear them with shorts and tights for shopping and generally going out with my friends. I wear them with my cycling shorts for the rare occasions that I exercise. I wear them with summer dresses to make them a bit more casual and relaxed. Anyway, you get the idea; you can wear them with anything.

2. They are hard wearing.
My converse are quite new but I know people who have had the same pair for over two years and have only bought some more because they have outgrown their old pair. What if you get them dirty? No problem, just throw them in the wash and they’ll come out good as new.

3. They come in every single colour
Well, maybe not EVERY colour but you certainly have a lot of choice. They do black pairs for the winter, pink pairs for the summer, union jack pairs for when you’re feeling patriotic and yellow pairs for when you’re feeling a bit wild. There is a colour/print of converse for everyone; you just have to find what’s right for you.

Let us know what your favourite style of converse are, or any other type of shoes! xo

Sunday 29 July 2012

Sudocrem

A few months ago I purchased a tub of sudocrem in the hope it was clear up my spot invested face. I had heard a lot about it from various blogs and magazines (apparently Cheryl Cole uses it?!) and decided to give it a whirl.

3 months later it is now one of my favourite skin care products! It clears up spots so much quicker than your average ‘spot relief’ cream and you can use it for lots of other things including; minor burns, eczema and sun burn. So far I have used it on my own eczema and a straighter burn on my leg (don’t ask) and I can safely say both things have started to clear up faster since I have been using it.

The tubs themselves are not too expensive and you do get a lot for your money. You also don’t need to use a lot to get good results; I have barely scraped the surface of my pot in the last three months.

The consistency of the product is a little strange. It reminds me of clotted cream because it’s quite thick but smooth at the same time. Because of this, application can be a little hard because you have to really rub it in to your skin but once you get used to it it’s fine.

I have heard some rumours across the blogging world that sudocrem dries your skin out. For me personally, this is not the case. I don’t know weather it’s because I have quite dry skin anyway but I really can’t tell any difference.

So that was a collection of my thoughts on sudocrem, in short, I love it J

Please leave us a comment if you have tried sudocrem or have any recommendations of a similar product! xo

Monday 23 July 2012

Skin coloured tights, the three golden rules.

**We know everything’s been a bit quite on the old blog lately, but we’ve finished school for the summer now so we have lots of time to write our ‘amazing’ blog posts!**
Today’s post is going to be about tights. More specifically, see through tights. You see, I hate having bare legs so this sort of tights are a blessing to me. I wear them with everything and anything; shorts, dresses, skirts etc etc. As you can probably guess I get through a fair few pairs of these things as they don’t last very long at all (last night I got through two pairs) so I thought I’d share my top three ‘tips’ on buying good skin coloured tights…

Make sure you get the right size. The whole point of these tights is to make you look like you’re not wearing any tights, if yours are too big they’ll all gather round your ankles and everyone will be able to tell you’re wearing them, nightmare. If they’re too small you will be pulling them up all night, another tell tale sign of wearing tights!

Choose the right type. There are all sorts of finishes on these tights (kind of like lipstick) there is matte, glossy, tanned, shimmery, extra thick and many more. Check the packet before you buy, there is nothing worse than turning up to school or the office in a pair of shimmery tights!

Get the right denier. The higher the denier, the thicker the tights (obviously!). As a general rule, I get a lower denier in the summer, usually about 50 and in the winter (if I am wearing these type of tights at all, I usually wear black in the winter) I get 120.

That’s about it really, different brands work for different people so it’s best just to try them all and see what you like best J

Thank you for reading xo

Monday 16 July 2012

Getting ready for summer pt. 2

Here is a few more little tips and tricks you can try to get yourself ready for summer!

Clean your makeup brushes. I think the summer is a perfect time to have a good clean of all your brushes, and why not? Regularly cleaning your brushes means that they hold less bacteria which is better for your skin (stops you getting spots) and who wants a spotty summer?

Buy a new nail vanish. Reds and dark purples are great for winter but in summer I like to have something a bit lighter. Try a mint green or a pastel pink for a summery nail look! What I do is try the colour first from a cheaper brand (e.g. The Natural Collection) and if I like it and it suits me buy a more expensive one as a little summer treat!

Get some flesh- look tights. If you’re like me and hate having bare legs, even in the summer, these are a great alternative. They give the illusion that you’re wearing no tights whilst still covering up insecurities. They’re also great for covering up fake tan disasters…

Find your flip flops. Dig out last summer’s flip flops and give them a good clean. There’s no need to buy any more if they’re not falling apart so why spend the money? I know they’re only cheap but still, every little saving helps. I have had one pair that are now entering their fourth summer and are still going strong!

Get your hair cut. Especially if you’re going on holiday and you will be swimming a lot, there’s nothing worse than having to constantly wash really long hair. A new look can also be refreshing and you won’t look back on your holiday photos and think “What on Earth was happening to my hair!”

That’s all for today folks, see you soon xo

Sunday 15 July 2012

Traveling on a budget

Everyone loves shopping. Ok, most people love shopping. But sometimes your local town centre doesn’t meet your needs in terms of quantity and/or quality of shops. This means us shopaholics have to travel to bigger, better cities in order to have a good shopping trip. Living in England means that our 3 main choices are; Manchester, Birmingham or London. I’m not ready to face London on my own yet, so I usually go to Manchester or Birmingham. Last time I went the train ticket was £11 for a child all day return. You might say that’s good but that’s £11 less for shopping! So here are some tips on getting cheaper train tickets:
Book online. By booking online in advance you can save up to 50% and it saves you a lot of hassel once you get to the station.

Go with one company. For example, if you only go with Virgin trains it’s a lot cheaper. There are less trains per hour but as long as you know when they are you can easily plan your day around them.

Check what your eligible for. I didn’t know I was still eligible for child tickets so if I hadn’t checked I would have had to have paid at least £5 extra. You may be eligible for a student rail card or if you’re travelling for work, you may be entitled to some money of your ticket.

So that’s just a few things that can save you a bit of money whilst train travelling. If you have any more tips, please leave us a comment!

Saturday 14 July 2012

Days Out On A Budget

Now I know this isn’t about fashion, but seriously, the cost of a day out now a days is shocking. So with summer coming up and your parents asking you for “ideas of where you want to go with them” (apparently “nowhere leave me alone” isn’t a valid answer), you need ways to persuade them to take you where you wanna go. So I thought I’d tell you about my school trip.

We went to the Zoo. Yes we’re 15, but whatever. It was £17 for entry and the coach there and back…not bad.

The cost of food etc though was extortionate. There was no way I was buying anything there. So I took sandwiches, fruit, crisps, sweets and three drinks to last me the day. My friends all took a small lunch, drink and some sweets with them, but either they hadn’t packed enough or they were just really hungry that day, so they bought more. An ice cream was almost £3.00. Now you might not think that was that bad, but according to someone else on my trip, Thornton’s ice cream is cheaper than that. On top of that a tub of popcorn cost £2.50, and being quite honest, it wasn’t a particularly big tub.

 So tip –pick a place you wanna go and make yourself lunch. Take plenty of drinks and sweets and that way, your parents can’t really complain about paying extra to go to a beach or theme park, as they don’t have to pay for the food J

The most shocking thing of all, was that it cost £5 to have your face painted, and none of the faces actually looked like the animal they were supposed to be. And yes, three people on my trip had their faces painted. And my mum says I throw money away…

Monday 9 July 2012

Getting ready for summer pt. 1

Hello everyone! We’re both really sorry for the lack of blogs lately but with it being the end of term we’re both so busy with school however, stay with us guys, there’s only 2 weeks left! With summer fast approaching I thought I would share with you what I do (beauty wise) during the summer:

Get my eyebrows threaded. I normally just pluck my own but when it’s summer I like them nice. Aso if I pluck my eyebrows while I have a tan I get pale spots where I have plucked- not a good luck!

Don’t wear foundation. I physically can’t stand it when my foundation is sweating off my face (sorry for too much information!) so in the summer I stick to a lighter tinted moisturiser. If I have been on holiday and got a tan I always buy it a shade darker, there’s nothing worse than a tanned body and a pale face!

Get eyelash extensions. I haven’t tried this before but I’m thinking of doing it this summer so I don’t have to wear mascara as it’s a bit of a pain, especially if I’m swimming.

Wear sun cream. I know this seems obvious but it really is important to protect your skin. Luckily, I still get a tan even though I’m wearing sun cream (it just takes longer) but if you don’t just apply a fake tan or gradual tanner.

That’s all for today girls, part 2 will be up tomorrow xo

Thursday 5 July 2012

Review: Simple ‘Spotless skin Rapid action Spot Zapper’

Today I’m going to be reviewing Simple’s Spotless skin Rapid action Spot Zapper. Before I start, I have to say that I love anything that Simple make because I have really sensitive skin and this brand is about the only one that doesn’t make my face go all blotchy. So, what I’m saying is that there may be a better product from another brand that does the same thing; this is just the best spot-zapper for me J

I bought this product around a year a ago and I have since re-purchased it THREE TIMES! It does exactly what it says on the tin, reduces the look of spots within four ours. When I first read the 4 hours thing on the packaging I thought it was just the usual waffle but no, it’s actually true. If I put it on a spot before I go to bed it always looks better in the morning.

Notice I say it looks better. You see, I’m don’t think this product actually get’s rid of your spots, it just makes them less angry. Let’s be honest, there isn’t a product that’s going to get rid of a spot in 4 hours and this one doesn’t claim to either. It’s prefect for what I use it for, an extra to my normal spot combating routine. I put my cleanser and moisturiser on first, then apply this over the top.

As far as application goes, this product is brill. It’s roll on (like deodorant) so it doesn’t get all over your hands and you can get it to go exactly where you want.

You can buy it for £5.49  at boots. This is a little bit much for a 15ml bottle but it is really good so I do splash out. I always look out for it on the 3 for 2 deal so I can get it on a better deal.

Overall, I would give this product 4 stars because it does what it says on the tin and makes spots look less read really quickly, although you do pay for what you get.

Thanks for reading and please let us know what you use to combat spots!  

Monday 2 July 2012

Leggings

Leggings can be a blessing or a curse. For some people they look great, a change from jeans but not as dressy as a skirt. However, for some people (for example, me) leggings make you look like a giant whale with two pieces of material stretched over your legs. So what can we whale like people do to wear leggings and still look socially acceptable?

-Wear a longer top. Wearing a top that covers your bum is a simple way to hide insecurities while still enjoying the comfort of leggings.


-Wear patterned leggings. I was a bit sceptical about this when I first saw them in the shop but now I love them! Peace signs, floral, even stripey, I love them all and they all disguise what you don't want people to see.

-Wear jeggings. These are brilliant because they often have normal pockets (like jeans would) and they make you feel less self conscious, I suppose it's just another layer of material that hides you legs/bum!

-Trying ‘riding pant’ style leggings. These are basically really thick leggings and often have panelling in the sides which makes your legs look slimmer- genius! On the rare occasion I do wear leggings, I tend to wear these, mine are from Topshop and I think you can still get them.  

-Don't wear leggings. Let's face it guys, leggings aren't the be all and end all of fashion, if you choose not to wear them, like I do, you're not missing out on anything and hey, jeans are always 'in'!

Let us know your favourite- jeans or leggings?


Thanks for reading!

Sunday 1 July 2012

Watersports...


So I thought I’d wind Sarah up and tell you all that she's going to Croatia on a Watersports holiday.

She has competed and won a place to go to Croatia on a watersports camp. Yes, she knew what she was getting herself into and still tried. The worst part is she has to raise £850 through fundraising to pay for the trip. After the £2 donation I’m giving her, that takes it down to £848.

I have no idea how she's going to do this, but I thought it's relevant, seeing as it's technically a holiday on a budget. Even if it is involving zero sun and ALOT of water.  **Sarah’s Edit: Croatia is sunny, it’s in Italy, hence why I’m going**

I, of course will be very supportive. Sitting at home, watching tv and going out with my friends. Apart from having a relaxing bath every night in a bathroom I don't share with complete strangers, and the rain that is most likely to occur, I will not be coming into contact with any water at all! :)

Let us known if you're going on holiday this year and where you are going!

Saturday 30 June 2012

Clear Nail Polish

Yesterday we were discussing how it’s so unfair our school’s don’t let us wear nail vanish. They always talk about how we should be ‘individual’ and ‘not follow the crowd’ but then they strip us of our individuality, it doesn’t make sense!

School uniforms are bad enough, with even a flower in your hair breaking the rules, but nails as well? Surely we should be allowed one bit of us to express our personalities? The other thing about nail vanish is that it hides horrible nails and makes you look a lot neater.

We think we have found a way to get the neat-nails effect without coloured nail vanish or false nails, clear nail polish! Its brilliant because they can’t tell you off for wearing it at school because it’s clear and you may just have extra shiny nails… Clear nail vanish and a good filing is all you need to achieve a perfect school (or work) appropriate look.


A few of our favourite clear nail polishes are:

Models Own Pro Nail Strengthener- This looks pink in the bottle but we can assure you it comes out clear. The brilliant thing about this is that it strengthens your nails as well, so it’s great if your nails have been weakened by fake nails (like mine were!).  It’s £8 (boots )which is a little pricey but the results are fantastic.

Natural Collection nail colour- This is super cheap at £1.89 (boots) and it’s great for the money. You need a few coats to get a glossy effect but it looks really good once it’s on, like your nails, but better!

Rimmel Nail Care Nail Rescue- This is another nail strengthening polish but it’s slightly cheaper than the Models Own one at £3.59 (superdrug). Having tried both, I would say that the models own one is slightly better but at under half the price this one is amazing, especially if your nails aren’t really that bad.

So that was a quick summery of our favourite clear nail polishes, hop you enjoyed reading and please leave is a comment telling us about your favourite nail polish!








Thursday 28 June 2012

Eyes for eyebrows


Eyebrows are probably the most annoying thing on my entire face. Plucking them takes ages, only to wake up the next morning and find a new hair has ruined my hard work. Not only this, but for some reason, my eyebrows grow straight upwards. So if I pluck a hair out, that is the whole height of that part of my eyebrow gone. I don’t understand. Yet somehow, the majority of people i see each day have perfect eyebrows.

What can we do about it?

Plucking
Probably the least painful and cheapest option, as you just need a pair of tweezers and you’re off. But the shape is never quite how you want it, and you seem to spend your whole life trying to tame them. However, it is useful as you can whip any stray hairs out in seconds.


Waxing / Threading
This option is more painful and expensive, not to mention the fact that 99% of the time you can’t do it yourself, so in-between treatments you have to walk around looking like Susan Boyle. But once they’ve been done your eyebrows look and feel perfect, and you don’t have to make yourself late in the mornings because you’ve developed eyebrows bigger than the rugby team overnight.

Those are the two main options that let you develop the shape and thickness of your eyebrows as you want them. And they're both reasonably cheap.

Or alternatively, as I know of a boy who once did (for a dare), shave them off.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Summer Body Splashes

 Today I’m going to be talking about my top 3 summer body splashes. I love these in summer because they’re a bit lighter than a perfume and you can just throw them in your bag and top yourself up all day.

In no particular order…

The first one I’m going to talk to you about is my Natural Collection Wild Strawberry body splash. I’ve mentioned this in an Outfit of the Day before and I still absolutely love it. It only costs around £2 and the smell is quite strong, for the money anyway. It doesn’t last that long but for two quid who can complain? It’s bright pink and the packaging is simple but effective. A wonderful summer scent!

My next product is Hollister’s Laguna Beach body mist. This smells of summer and parties on the beach! The smell is very intense which is really good and it last quite a while considering it’s not a proper perfume. This body mist would be perfect if it wasn’t so expensive, they’re currently £12 each but you can sometimes get them on a two for £20 deal. Having said they’re too expensive though, you do get a 250ml bottle and you don’t need to use much of it to get a nice smell, I have had mine for just under a year and it’s still not half empty!
 
Finally, I want to tell you about Soap and Glory’s Mist You Madly body splash. This is AMAZING. The smell is the signature soap and glory scent and although it’s perfect for summer, you can use it all year round too, it’s practically an investment! I think they’re around £5 for a 100ml bottle but again, you don’t need to use much of it to get the full effect! The packaging is very slick and it will look lovely on any dressing table.

Thankyou for reading and please let us know about your favourite summer scents!

Monday 25 June 2012

DIY makeup brush holder


My friends think I am the most un-creative person on the planet, today I think I proved them wrong. Let me introduce you to my new brush holder…


This is what it looks like without brushes...


... and the other side

Let me explain. The pink cup is meant to be a pencil holder but it’s huge and it doesn’t match anything else on my desk. So, I decided to put all my brushes in it and put it on my chest on drawers. The problem was, I  thought it looked a bit plain. As I was thinking this, I glanced over at my overflowing-earring box and I had an epiphany. I decided to attach all my earrings through the holes in the cup. Of course, they didn’t all fit, but most of them did and I am so happy with the result! I am even considering buying some cheap earrings from Primark just to decorate it. A nice brush holder would have cost loads but I made my own for virtually nothing (the cup came free with my magazine holders and most of the earrings were presents).



Please leave a comment if you have any good DIY bedroom decorations!

Friday 22 June 2012

Kill me now...

This weekend I am going on a watersports camp and I thought I’d give you a run down on what I’m taking, as I have improvised on some things because I’m not spending £££ on special waterproof clothes I’ll only wear once.  
 
2 pairs of tracksuit bottoms
 
You are meant to bring waterproof trousers but decent ones are so expensive so I just have some sports tracksuit bottoms. They’re really light so if they do get wet they will dry quickly anyway.
 
1 pair of thick tracksuit bottoms
 
apparently you are meant to sleep in thermals, no thank you. So I just have a pair of fleecy tracksuit bottoms.
 
2 fleeces

 
These are thin but warm over-your-head fleeces. I wasn’t going to bother with these because I thought they were going to be a fortune but there was a sale in a local camping shop (Not Trespass or anywhere like that) and they were 2 for £10. I got a turquoise one and a purple one and they’re really snug. I am defiantly going to be wearing them around the house.
 
A hoodie
 
Because we all need a good hoodie.
 

Mini Shampoo

 
I got this free in a magazine and I have kept it for an occasion such as this. In fact, I have a whole stack of different products in miniature form that I have got free or acquired from hotels.
 
Socks
 
I’m sorry, but I’m not spending £10 on a pair of walking socks. So, what I’m going to do is wear 3 or 4 pairs at the same time and take some blister plasters with me.
 
Primark Pumps (£2)
 
The kit list says we need 3+ pairs of waterproof shoes. No. I am taking 4 pairs of Primark pumps, I am going to wear them and if they get ruined just throw them away.
 
A bedding roll
 
I haven’t actually made this yet but from what I can gather, you just roll your mat, sleeping bag and pillow together and tie some string around it, sounds easier than it probably is.



 I hope you enjoyed this random post, sorry it wasn’t very long but I must dash as I haven’t actually put everything in my bag yet, whoops!

Miracle Mascaras

Mascara is my second most important make up. The first being foundation.
Without it my eyelashes look non-existent and it somehow makes me look and feel more awake. But some mascaras are a lot better than others.

My favourite mascara that I use the majority of the time is Maybelline – “the COLOSSAL Volum’ Express Waterproof” and I love it. It is £7.19 from Superdrug and the brush really helps your eyelashes go larger. My eyelashes don’t flick easily and this mascara, compared to the others I’ve tried gives them the most volume.

The other mascara I quite like is Max Factor Mascara 2000 Calorie Black. Is it £7.99 from Superdrug and really make me eyelashes stand out. It doesn’t give them the same volume but, considering the lack of volume my eyelashes gain, it does have a noticeable effect.

The mascara I am most disappointed about is Rimmel London – The Max Volume Flash Waterproof Mascara” It was Rimmel, £6.69 in Superdrug and did absolutely nothing to my eyelashes but give them a slightly darker shade.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Lovely Lip Balms

Hurraw lip balms have fast become my favourite lip product ever. I had the grapefruit one for my birthday and I have fallen in love. I was browsing the website looking for more flavours (yes I love them that much) and found out they were about £2.50, PLUS SHIPPING. Although they are lovely I’m not paying that for a lip balm that’s no bigger than my little finger.

So that got me thinking, what lip balms do I like that don’t cost as much. I love the Nivea one (you know the blue one that everyone’s got) it’s really moisturising when I have chapped lips but it doesn’t have a very nice smell. The smell’s not bad but it’s not the sort of thing you would hand to your friend and say “Here, smell this”.

Another brilliant lip balm is actually Vaseline. My favourite is the pink one (I’m not too sure of the exact flavour) and they’re quite cheap considering those little round tins last for ages. The only problem with Vaseline is that it melts easily. It’s ok if you’re at home; you can just stick it in the fridge for a bit. But, if you’re on holiday like I was when mine melted, you might not have that option.

My other all time favourite lip balm in the ‘I love…’ one in the flavour Mango and Papaya. My pot has lasted for ages, I got it from Ethel Austin and that closed down ages ago. I think they now sell them in TK-Max but I’m sure if you did a bit of web surfing you could easily find them online. This lip balm, as I said, lasts for ages, I’m still not half way through the pot and it was super cheap! It smells lovely and is quite moisturizing.

So they’re my favourite cheap lip balms, I’m still gutted about the Hurraw ones being so expensive but I have realised there is lots of cheap alternatives!

Hope you enjoyed reading, please leave us a request in the comments!





Tuesday 19 June 2012

7 Things for 7 Days





We’ve just read Sprinkle of Glitter’s '7 Things for 7 Days' posts and we love them! When she invited everyone to join in we were so exited. So, this is 7 things we (Sarah and Aimee) would like to achieve this week.

Be nice. We were talking about this the other day and we have decided that the odd smile here and the odd “Hello, how are you?” there can make you into a much nicer person.

Read more. We both have hundreds (ish) of books that have never been read and we don’t want to miss out on literacy goodness now do we? Also, reading is a good way to relax which leads us nicely on to…

Relax. We have very nearly finished our exams for this year and we can feel  the stress on ourselves so this week we are both going to try and relax more. I’m (sarah) going to have lot’s of hot baths and watch glee and Aimee is going to watch rom-coms and have an early night.

Eat healthier. We both eat like pigs and sooner or later we’re going to be obese. So, we have decided to focus on getting our five a day and cut the chocolate *cry*.

Be the reason someone smiles. This kind of links in with the ‘Be Nice’ thing but hey ho. By this we mean giving people the smallest compliments such as “Your hair looks really nice today” that can really brighten up their day.

Try our best in everything we do. We know this sounds a bit cheesy but we think it’s really important. We want to work harder in the last few weeks of this term, the final sprint as it were. It’s not just school we want to try our best at blogging and getting on with out families too.

Be better bloggers. We are trying our absouloute hardest to put out good quality blogs everyday and we want to continue that! If you have any suggestions on blogs you would like to see please leave us a comment!



And that finishes our ‘7 Things we’d like to achieve’. We hope you enjoyed reading it and if you have done this leave us the link and we would love to read yours!

Review: Telescopic Explosion Mascara L’ORÉAL


Today’s post is a little review of my favourite mascara. It’s the Telescopic Explosion Mascara by L’ORÉAL. I purchased this mascara a couple of months back and since then I have used it again and again. It’s nearly run out and if they still make it, I will defiantly be re-purchasing.

Before I start rambling on about the actual product, I thought I’d just mention the packaging. It’s red and black and looks, kind of sleek. It’s the perfect size and thickness and I have to say, I think it looks rather posh ;)

The thing that makes this mascara so brilliant is the wand, it’s a sphere! This is really unusual (obviously) so at first I was a little sceptical. But once I had done one eye with this I was hooked. The application does take a bit of getting used to as you have to do one lash at a time (yawn) but you get faster once you’ve used it a few times.

As far as consistency goes this mascara is pretty good. You don’t need a zillion coats for it to have its best affect, maybe two or three? And I have found it doesn’t come off that easily during the day, unless it rains because it’s not waterproof, sadly.

The only problem I have with this product is that it clumps a lot. It’s really annoying when you’re in a rush and you just want to quickly go over your lashes. To solve the problem I use a coat of another mascara (a Hannorah one if you’re interested!) and this get’s rid of the clumps. My other mascara is also waterproof so when you have both on together it doesn’t run as much in the rain.

The price is a bit steep, I think mine was around £11.99 from boots, which is more than I would normally pay for a mascara. Is it worth the extra money? I would say yes it is, but I would love to find a cheaper one that’s just as good.

As I said before, I’m not sure if this mascara has been dis-continued or not, as it isn’t on the boots website or in my local store. However, you may be able to find a similar one from L’ORÉAL (maybe they’ve just changed the name) at www.boots.com.

Ease of use: * * *

Quality: * * * *

Packaging: * * * *

Wand: * * * *

Price: * * (although I think it’s worth it)

Overall: * * * *

((We know our blog has been a bit all over the place lately, we're just trying to find the perfect design and text colour, please bear with us!))

Monday 18 June 2012

Dry Shampoo...


Dry shampoo is one of the best inventions ever. When you don't have time to wash your hair, or wake up half an hour late and suddenly look like you've just been swimming, it's a quick and easy solution.

Two of the best Dry Shampoos are Batiste and TRESemme. I have Batiste Original and it makes my hair look like it was washed just 24 hours ago. The Original version doesn't have a refreshing smell, but it's a great quick fix. I have never tried the TREsemme one but it is rated as one of the best and although doesn't have a great smell is said to really add volume to your hair.

The Batiste Original 200ml can be bought for £2.99 and lasts a very long time! The TREseeme 200ml costs £4.79 which is more expensive, but several reviews quote it as "better than Batiste"

In conclusion, i think that the Batiste dry shampoo is perfect on a budget as it cleans your hair and takes less than ten minutes to apply and brush out. I personnally prefer this to TREsemme as although this has a better smell, it is much more expensive for the same size, same quality bottle.


Sunday 17 June 2012

Too good to be true?

A few months a go I ‘invested’ in a Natural Collection body spray from boots. At first I was a little sceptical, £2 for a 150ml body spray just seemed too good to be true. I thought it was going to be very watery with a weak smell.

How wrong was I? This body spray is brilliant! I have Wild Strawberry at the moment but I will defiantly be trying the other flavours. The smell is very intense, I even use it to freshen up my bedroom when my brothers been in it!  

The packaging is simple but there’s nothing wrong with it and the actual spray itself is hot pink, perfect! It doesn’t look out of place on my dressing table and it’s competing with the likes of Hollister and Soap and Glory.

Speaking of Hollister, I would defiantly prefer to save myself at least £10 and buy this body spray than fork out for the likes of Hollister. To be honest, there is hardly any difference in quality and even though the Hollister one is bigger, it’s defiantly not worth the extra money.

Another good thing about this product is all the different flavours, as well as the one I have there is; Vanilla, Sea Minerals, Apple and Lime and many more. I might have to buy them all to complete my collection…

Overall I would give this product 9/10 because it smells wonderful, it looks lovely on any dressing table and it’s most defiantly brilliant on a budget!


Saturday 16 June 2012

Are designer shoes old news?

If your towns anything like ours it will have gone trainer shoe crazy! Vans, Converse, Doc Martins, Hunters, but are they really worth the hype?

Aimee
I recently purchased a pair of black vans from the Vans shop. I have been wanting a pair of Vans for ages and it was definitely worth the wait! They’re so comfy and I can wear them with pretty much anything. I would have preferred a brighter colour, such as red, but the black ones really do go with most outfits and can be worn in all weathers. They don’t look similar to “those £2 ones from Primark” as my dad puts it, and they’re way more comfy. They were definitely worth the £45.

Aimee's vans

back


Sarah
I love converse. There is no two ways about it; they are my all time favourite shoes. I had a new pair for my birthday and I haven’t taken them off since. They are so comfy, go with everything and look nice. When I saw the ones I wanted were £40 I was unsure but I can safely say they are worth the money. I also want some Vans (I’m rather jealous of Aimee’s) maybe some pink ones… As for Doc Martins I can never decide whether I like them or not. I think I like the white ones and the cherry red ones but I’m not sure about the other colours. On a side note, I also LOVE Hunter wellys but I have told myself they’re just normal wellys with a label on and have persuaded myself against buying some (sadly).


Sarah's converse

back


So, to conclude, we have decided we love Vans and Converse because they’re practical, go with everything, comfy and are worth the little bit extra. As for the other shoe crazes we’re not too sure…

Jeans jeans jeans


 There’s nothing quite like a good pair of jeans. We both recently bought new pairs of the wonderful items…


Aimee
I bought a pair of black jeans at the weekend from New Look. I thought they were £10… which is why I bought them. They were £15. My other jeans were too big but these are perfect. However, stuff sticks to them like dog hair and fluff (cough sarahs dog cough).

Sarah
My new jeans were actually a birthday present but my mother doesn’t understand the labels in Topshop so she gave me the money to buy them. They are bright blue ankle grazers, as I said before they are from Topshop, and they are the Leigh style. They were £40 which is not really a budget price but they were a birthday present so please let me off… I am really pleased with them and I love the turn ups at the bottoms because old people, who don’t know what ankle grazers are, just think you’ve turned your jeans up.

Hello!

Hello this is our new blog, Brilliant on a Budget!