How Much Is Your Face Worth?

You may be a little bit bored of seeing this tag showing up again and again on your reading list as it does seem to be very popular. However, after seeing many people's totals adding up to over £200 it has made me curious to see just exactly how much my face is worth.

I wouldn't have really thought that my total would even reach 3 figures as I'm not one for regular use of luxurious and high-end products when cheaper alternatives can be found, especially when bearing in mind that this is going to be based on my 'every day face'. But let's see...

Base: Benefit The Porefessional (£23.50).

Skin: Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation (£23), FCUK Bronzer (£15), Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (£3.99), Collection 2000 Cover Up Stick (£2.99), YSL Touche Eclat (£25).

Eyes: MaxFactor Colour Precision Eye Shadow (£6.99), Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo (£4.99), Barry M Liquid Eyeliner (£4.79), Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara (£10.66), ELF Eyebrow Kit (£3.75).

Lips: Mac 'Lustering' (£14).

Total: £138.66

I'm not really sure at all what to make of this! It is a very low total compared to many others I have read, but let's face it there really is nothing fancy on this list. Maybe I could have a cheaper primer or a dupe of the Touche Eclat if I was wanting to be super thrifty.. but otherwise this list is about as basic as a full face of make-up is going to get! And it's £138. Ouch. 

Obviously it can be justified by saying that each of these items will see you through a considerable amount of uses and this price is not cost per wear by any means. I find that products like powders/bronzers last an eternity and take forever just to hit pan on. So that can make you feel a little bit better.

But to think that I spent this amount of money on 12 items and then look over at the huge pile that is the remainder of my untouched make-up collection I feel a little bit queasy! Not to mention the cost of the brushes/tools used for application and the daily skin care routine too. Oh man! 

Did you find this post interesting?

Are you scared to find out how much your face is worth?!

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100 Followers - Thank You !! ★

This post is just to say a great big massive thank you to all 100 of my GFC followers! I have a huge, huge smile on my face knowing that I have reached this little blogger milestone. :D 

Now, of course we all know that 'blogging is not about the numbers', yeah yeah it gets said all the time, and I know this. I'm not in it for the followers, I actually do enjoy just sitting down and rambling away about things that I am passionate about ..but I feel that if I was writing away and nobody at all was reading I would feel a little discouraged and surely it would seem pointless? If I wanted nobody to read my blog then I would write it privately, I wouldn't publish it and share it with the world, would I?

So it makes me extremely happy to know that as many as 100 people have bothered to click the 'follow' button, read what I have to say and have taken the time to leave me genuinely lovely comments at the bottom of the page. It feels quite surreal really! I really am so happy and feel hugely encouraged to just to carry on as I have been doing and hope that my blog continues to grow and I meet even more lovely people along the way.

Again, thank you all so much!!
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New: Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick Collection

Currently available exclusively on Facebook is Kate Moss's new lipstick range with Rimmel which is all about matte colours. Now, matte isn't my favourite finish on a lipstick but I have loved every other Rimmel lipstick I've tried out and just had to have one of these for myself now as they aren't available in stores for another month yet.

Available now here for £5.49 with free UK delivery and also a FREE NAIL VARNISH with every order in the shade 'Rose Libertine'. I ordered myself 'Shade 110' (it's a shame they aren't named) which is the middle one on the image below and it look gorgeous - I cannot wait for it to arrive. What are you waiting for? - Get yours now!

Monthly Empties & Favourites | August

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I didn't have enough things to show you all to make these two blogger traditions into two separate posts, so I have combined both my 'August Empties' and my 'August Favourites' into the same post.

This is the first time I have done one of these posts but they are always my favourite ones to read. If you are unfamiliar with the concept then 'empties' posts are written showing products that have been used up during the month and the blogger will give their full thoughts on the product, often stating whether or not they would repurchase - these tend to be better than your typical product reviews because you know that the blogger has actually used the product up 100%, not just used it once or twice, so they can share what the full benefits are and how effective the product really is with continued use. 'Favourites' posts is quite self explanatory really; the blogger will share with their readers which products they have recently been loving and why. This could be quite a lengthy post so I'll try to keep it brief!

August Empties

- Lush Fresh Face Mask - Cupcake
This was the first of Lush's fresh face masks that I have tried and I will definitely be going back for more as I thoroughly enjoyed using this. The only problem with them is that as they contain fresh ingredients they have a 'use by date' of around 3 weeks so you don't have that much time to use it all up. I applied this mask generously and fairly frequently too and only just used it up within 3 weeks. Lovely and refreshing and absolutely gorgeous smell too - so chocolate-y!

- Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Mask
This is the 2nd tub of this mask I have finished and have recently stocked up on 3 more too (Lee Stafford products are currently 3 for £12 in Boots). I feel it's a little bit false advertising because it doesn't technically make your hair grow any longer or increase the speed of growth; what it does do is improve the quality of your roots and hair follicles, making it grow better as opposed to faster. Using this my hair is definitely healthier and stronger and this a mask I'm sure I'll continue to repurchase.

- Percy & Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Hair Mask
This was a freebie in Glamour magazine quite a few months ago but it's just something I haven't got round to using that much as it is a mask that needs leaving on for a minimum of 10 minutes, so you need to be chilling in the bath really, and I'm not much of a 'bath person'. I can't say that I noticed a drastic improvement to the condition and the hydration of my hair, but it did leave my hair (and the bathroom) smelling so strongly of marshmallows long into the day after washing. Depending on whether or not such a sweet scent is up your street then this may not be for you as it very strong. The magazine this was a freebie in costs just £2, but the price of this mask normally is £20.00 for 175ml which I think is incredibly expensive for a mask that didn't really benefit my hair. 

- Right Guard Deodorant
Okay, deodorant, what can I say? I'm not loyal to any particular brand at all, I just pick up whatever's cheapest/on offer/has the most eye-catching packaging and this is just one that my mum picked up for me when I ran out. It did the job, it was okay, but probably won't repurchase.

- The Body Shop Wild Cherry Shower Gel
I can't complain about getting this little shower gel for just £1 in one of The Body Shop's sales. Like all of The Body Shop products it smells gorgeous and I don't suppose there's much more detail you can go into about a shower gel. It kept me clean and fresh and I'd definitely buy shower gel from The Body Shop again but maybe experiment with a different ..flavour? scent? what do you call it?! *mind blank*

August Favourites
- Lush Face Mask - Mask of Magnaminty
I picked this up at the same time I got 'Cupcake' but as this one is not 'fresh' it did not need to be used within the 3 week period. It does however still have a use by date which is not until the end of October. This has fast become one of my favourite skin care products and I will definitely be repurchasing. At £4.95 for 125g of product I think it's very good value for money and it seems to be lasting me forever! I use this when I have a break out and the peppermint-y mask dries up the area and definitely calms it down. Once it has been left on for 10 minutes and the clay has dried then you can splash your face with water and it turns into a gentle scrub with small grains. Rub it around your face and rinse off and skin looks instantly refreshed and calmed. 

- Redken Color Extend Radiant-10 

I received this inside my August SheSaid Beauty Box and it was something I lovely straight away after the first use. It's nearly all finished now and I will definitely be getting myself the full size bottle soon. This is a multi-benefit leave in spray treatment for coloured hair. Can be used on damp or dry hair and claims to have as many as 10 benefits for the hair, including detangling, softening, nourishing dry ends and infusing shine. At £16.99 for 170ml this is a must-have product!

- Jemma Kidd Semi-Permanent Lash Tint
This is not your typical mascara, although I did think it was before I actually read with the tube said! This was something that my Nanna passed down to me after she found it wasn't for her and thought it would be something more up my street. It does slightly lengthen lashes, but nothing drastic and it doesn't add any volume, but it does tint them fantastically well. The shape of the wand makes it possible to coat every single lash, even the little ones, and it is extremely waterproof and long lasting. This is a great summer product to make eyelashes look natural but beautifully dark without layers of clumpy mascara and it helps them to stand out if you have fair lashes. 

- Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara
My mum got me this mascara for Christmas so that means it has been sitting around in my make-up drawer for many many months now before I have discovered it's wonders and properly fallen IN LOVE. I want to do a full review on this product showing 'before' and 'after' products of with and without this mascara on. The amount that it both lengthens and volumises the lashes is quite astonishing and I have never used a mascara so amazing. It also claims to have growth properties that help your natural lashes to grow both longer and fuller. I wonder if this will be my holy grail mascara?! 

- The Vintage Cosmetics Eyelash Curler
I got these curlers inside my July SheSaid Beauty Box and I wasn't overly thrilled with them but now they have become and every day essential in my make-up routine and I'm wondering how I ever went for so long without bothering to use eyelash curlers! I don't know if it's this brand specifically or just curlers in general but they open the eyes up so dramatically and really enhance your lashes, even without any mascara applied on top.

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Instagram Diary | August ♥

Just for you, here is a run down of my month in picture form. Enjoy! ♥

#1:

- Hannahripley1

♥ New Mac Lipsticks ♥ Coral Vans (that I didn't buy but wish I did) ♥ Nandos

♥ Homemade Creme Brulee ♥ Cupcake Face Mask ♥ Euromillions Ticket

♥ Saturday Night Out ♥ Me & My Friend Emily ♥ Own The Runway Delivery



#2:

- Hannahripley1

♥ Wedding OOTN ♥ Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment ♥ Topshop Nails 'War Paint'

♥ Summer Foundation vs Winter Foundation ♥ Mini Dior Perfumes ♥ Samples

♥ Caudalie Beauty Elixir ♥ Cake Baking ♥ Finished Birthday Cake




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'What I Got My Boyfriend For His Birthday'

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I know that this isn't in any way related to beauty, make-up, hair, fashion (ok, there is one item of clothing that I'm going to show) or anything else that my blog is typically about, but I am assuming that most of my readers are beautiful females and that a large chunk of you are likely to have a man in your life. In that case this post may actually be of some kind of use to you if perhaps you have a boyfriend/husband (or maybe even a brother) with a birthday or an anniversary coming up and you need some hints or ideas for what to get them.

I find buying gifts for males such a challenging task and for 19 years my dad and granddads have had to put up with a new book and a pair of socks from me on special occasions. Last August when my boyfriend turned 18 it had been the first chance I'd really had to go all out and treat him so I in in my full effort and filled a huge box with individually wrapped presents, each one numbered from 1-18. Some of these were just little things, 'stocking fillers' if you will, such a lottery tickets and a scratch card, a car air freshener, socks, boxers or a set of golf balls (golf is his passion), whereas others had a more meaningful background to them and had personal touches such as a DVD of the film that we watched on our first dates and a framed picture of us on a formal occasion (*I'm not trying to make anyone throw up by being overly soppy here!). Then there came the pricier gifts such as a new pair of trainers, a couple of Hollister tees and a bottle of Jagermeister - he did hit the legal drinking age after all - and while all of this was very fun and exciting it did mean that I had exhausted almost every gifting option on the first chance I got. Rookie mistake. Did I mention that I included a batch of homemade cookies that spelled out 'Happy 18th Birthday'?

Since then we've had Christmas 2011 and Valentines Day 2012 both of which have left me stumped for gift ideas and have settled quite boringly and unoriginally on just a new t-shirt or new jumper, often with a DVD or an Xbox game and some chocolates thrown in there too just to mix it up a bit.

So now here we again, one year on, and now my lovely lad is turning 19. Not a huge milestone or anything like that, but a birthday is a birthday and you want to celebrate it all the same. This time around I strayed away from the material gifts (slightly) and opted for something that was a little bit more of an experience - something that we could do and remember. So here is what I got him for us to celebrate him becoming another year older:

Moonpig Card

Everyone needs a card, and if you had a browse at my 'Instagram Diary of Marbella' post (link) then you are likely to recognise most of these pictures on the card. I got the extra large size as a bit of a novelty but it ended up coming to just less than £7 which is definitely more than I typically spend on a card.

Michael McIntyre Live Ticket

Something for us to do together. Something for us to remember. Something for us to get excited for. It means a road trip away to one of our favourite cities and something the promises (hopefully) to be fun and entertaining. There was a couple of other events that I could have chosen from but a lot of them were a long time in the future and this was the soonest one; two months from now, and we both enjoy Michael's humour anyway. When I showed this to my sister she was slightly confused why it said just '1x' on my DIY ticket and thought that I was making him go alone! I just meant to show that this was his ticket and I assure you that I bought a 2nd one for me to join him.

Friday Night Overnight Stay

Liverpool isn't miles and miles away from where we live, it's only about an hour and a half driving but staying over just saves the hassle of worrying about getting home late at night after the show finishes and also it means that we can blissfully spend the night in luxury and have a 'city day' on the Saturday to prolong the trip; perhaps go out somewhere fancy for breakfast and lunch with a splash of shopping in between.

Jack Wills Polo

Okay, I said I'd only slightly moved away from the materialistic gifts, ha. But what's a birthday without a new addition to your wardrobe? I do think that Jack Wills is over priced for what it is, especially when you aren't always getting what you pay for in terms of quality, but it is one of my boyfriend's favourite brands (thanks to my influence) and I picked this up in one of their sales so with some money off it did make the price a bit more reasonable.

In Time DVD

A DVD - how original and exciting - I know! We both buy each other a lot of DVDs and have filled up many of Blockbusters loyalty cards in the past, but we do spend quite a few rainy weeknights after work cuddled up and watching films while scoffing our faces with sweets, especially now that summer is bidding us farewell and the darker nights are soon to be creeping in. We saw this film at the cinema together and both LOVED  it - favourite film of the year without a doubt.

Chocolate, Sweets & Cake

Need I say more??

Also, his birthday isn't actually until Saturday which is two days from now, so I hope he doesn't see this before then and ruin the surprise ...not that he's a regular reader of my blog or anything!

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Hair Care Haul | ft. FeelUnique & Boots

I have had two mini splurges this week and treated myself to some new products, not many, just a few. One lot was an order from www.FeelUnique.com and the other from a trip Boots. I've split this weeks haul into two parts; 'skin care and make-up' (posted yesterday, you can see it here: link) and 'hair care' (this one that you're reading right now).

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Hair Mask
£5.22 for 300ml, from Boots.
I have never used this mask before but have heard good things about it and I am looking forward to giving it a try and seeing if it lives up to its promises of restoring my hair. 

Lee Stafford 'For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length' Treatment

£7.99 for 200ml, from Boots. CURRENT OFFER: 3 LEE STAFFORD PRODUCTS FOR £12.

I went out and bought myself three new tubs of this treatment because I had finished off my second tub the day before and I am absolutely in love with this product. It was also a bargain being 3 for £12 and I saved myself a massive £11.97 because of the offer they had on. I am going to do a full review of this product in coming week singing its praises and explaining why I love it so much and the changes that it has made to my hair. In a nutshell this mask contains a protein complex that nourishes your hair follicles and scalp, helping hair to anchor to the scalp reducing loss and address the hair at a cellular level. This is quite a unique mask as it is one that focuses on improving hair condition from the very beginning by helping the roots, instead of trying to treat the already dead ends. 

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave In Treatment

£12.55 for 250ml, from Feel Unique.

I absolutely fell in love with a sample Redken product that I received inside my August SheSaid Beauty Box and was browsing to buy the full sized version of it when I came across a whole array of different Redken products that looked absolutely amazing. I opted for the anti-snap treatment because the ends of my hair have been bleached to create the ombre effect and I often worry about their condition, despite smothering them in argon oil after every wash. I'm trying my best to grow my hair and it's obviously growing because I have visible roots, but the length doesn't appear to be increasing at the same rate and this is likely because the ends are snapping off. :(. So if this treatment does as it promises and protects the ends of my hair, whilst the Lee Stafford treatment nourishes my roots, then it should be no time at all before I have hair that would make even Rapunzel jealous.

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Skin Care and Make-Up Haul | ft. FeelUnique & Boots

I've had two mini splurges this week and treated myself to some new products, not many, just a few. One lot was an order from www.FeelUnique.com and the other from a trip Boots.  I've split this weeks haul into two parts: 1) 'skin care and make-up' (this one right here that you're reading right now) and 2) 'hair care' (which will be posted tomorrow).

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Lotion

Reduced to £2 in the 'clearance' section of Boots. I couldn't find the original price anywhere on the Boots website but on the Superdrug website it says £3.99.
I always have a little nosy at the 'clearance' section in Boots if I'm wandering past just to see if there's any little bargains to be found. I spotted this lotion with a big £2 sticker on it and I thought 'ah, I'm looking for a new toner and I have oily skin too' so thought it would be good to give a try. The bottle says that it's gentle enough to be used daily and can be used either morning or evening, so I first tried it out on the evening that I had bought it. After cleansing I opened the bottle and gave it a sniff and thought that it smelt absolutely gorgeous! So fresh and fruity with a strong hint of apple - lovely. So I tipped some onto my cotton pad, started rubbing around my face and it started burning my eyes and felt like I was rubbing pure vodka around my face! Such a strong alcohol smell that I could almost taste it. I looked on the ingredients list and there it is, second in the list: alcohol denat. It's something that I guess I could get around because it did seem to work and I felt as though it did keep the oil at bay for the whole day, but it is an incredibly drying product at the same time. Explains why it was in the clearance section! I will keep this product, but it will get put in a drawer and used on the odd occasion when I'm feeling super oily - it will definitely not become a part of my every day skin care regime. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick - 016 'Heart Breaker'
£4.99 in Boots.

This was my first dip into the realm of Rimmel lipsticks and I felt a little overwhelmed looking at the stand and seeing all of the different ranges that they had; the Kate Moss ones, the new Kate Moss ones, the Lasting Finish ones, the Moisture Renew ones.. it was a bit 'agh what do I want?!' and to not help matters there was a severe lack of testers available. After a lot of deliberation I settled for a Lasting Finish lipstick in the shade 016 'Heart Breaker' - a very deep redish pink, quite a 'vampy' shade I would say as it's so dark, not a colour that I'm used to wearing on my lips. But I've fallen pretty hard for this new lipstick and cannot wait for autumn/winter to come around so I can wear it every day. I love the texture, it feels lovely and smooth, is super pigmented and definitely long lasting. Plus, at less than £5 it's a great price too! Winning.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir 30ml

£9.90 for 30ml / £25.92 for 100ml, from Feel Unique.
I've had this for 3 days now and used it just one time each day so of course I cannot give my full thoughts on it just yet. I do plan on doing a full and in depth review of this in the future as I want to do a little series of reviews on some of the 'Blogger Hypes' featuring the most raved (and ranted) about products, starting with this beauty elixir and including other coveted items such as the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, the Bioderma Solutions and the Origins Super Spot Remover. My first impressions of this beauty elixir is that it's very nice and refreshing on the skin, a lovely little 'wake-me-up' in the mornings or as a refresher part way through the day, I'm just not very keen on the scent. It does have a very strong scent and I'm just hoping that it's something I can get past/get used to.

*Free samples included with Feel Unique order:

- Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid SPF15

- Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correction

- Paco Rabanne 'Lady Million' Eau de Toilette
The two Caudalie samples were part of a promotional offer and you received the duo as a complimentary gift with the purchase of any beauty elixir. I've enjoyed using these two samples and they feel extremely luxurious but I doubt they'd be something I would repurchase as their main aim is to target dark spots, something that I do not have. When I saw the tiny 2ml sample I thought that I wouldn't even be able to cover one cheek with it, but I actually managed to cover my entire face 3 times! A little really does go a long way. With just the three uses I did not see any noticeable complexion correction but I'm sure you would do with prolonged use, and the day perfecting fluid made a lovely base for make-up. I felt that it had similar properties to a primer with the way that it smoothed out the skin tone as well as moisturising and creating a radiant glow on the skin. A range that I would be very interested in if I was around 30 years older perhaps!
The EDT sample was just popped in there as a bonus. This is a very loved and raved about perfume and after trying out this sample I can see why - definitely popping this onto my birthday list!

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(2-in-1 Post) eBay Bargain: Shamballa Bracelet and Topshop Nails 'War Paint'

Hello, I've got 2 mini posts wrapped up in 1 for you all today.

eBay Bargain: Grey Shamballa Style Bracelet

These Shamballa bracelets have been rocking around on people's wrists for quite a long time now and I've been lusting after one for months but have always been a bit confused why some of these bracelets retail for up to £150, i.e. the Tresor Paris ones, and some are selling in other good quality jewellery retailers 'on sale' for around £20-30. It wasn't until somebody explained to me that the 'original' shamballa bracelets are the Tresor Paris ones that are the extortionate price and the others are just 'shamballa style', not exactly rip offs, just cheaper imitations but are still legitimate. My bracelet, however, is from eBay and cost me just £4.99 with free p&p! It ticks all the boxes for the 'real' bracelets; it has 9 balls, it is heavy, and the end balls are even magnetic - something that I did not expect from just a cheap knock off. If you hadn't have read this blog post then you would never have known how much this cost me. The only thing about this that is probably different from the Tresor Paris bracelets is the level of sparkle, as my bracelet isn't incredibly sparkly. I will link the seller I bought mine from here: link. There is a range of different colours to choose from and this arrived super quick. Definitely recommend. 

Topshop Nail Varnish 'War Paint'

I absolutely love, love, LOVE Topshop's Nail Varnishes.. I want them all! I cannot sing their praises enough and at just £5 (£4.50 if you get student discount like me) each they are a bargain too. I am willing to pay more than this for a good quality nail varnish as OPI and Essie are amongst my favourite brands, but Topshop more than meets their standards. The pigmentation is great, I got full coverage from just one coat (but put on two just out of habit), it applies smoothly and evenly, the colour choice is amazing; ranging from the prettiest of pastels to the most dazzling of brights with the occasional special editions being brought out along with the glitter and metallic colours too. Plus, I've had this polish on for four days now; 2 of these days I was at work and I had one night out before I took these pictures and you can see how minimal the chipping is on them. Other polishes I've had from Topshop have been the same great quality so I'll definitely keep going back for more. I love the shade of 'War Paint' it's a really bright pinky-red with the slightest of hints of neon to it too. Great for summer and looks fab with a tan.

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SheSaid Beauty Box | August 2012

The August SheSaid Beauty is my 3rd beauty box and I've been enjoying them so much that I recently signed up for a 6 month subscription while they were running a special 50% off offer.

If you're interested in signing up yourself then you can follow the referral link below and it can help me on my way towards getting a free box!

https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/JKWWS

In each box you receive 5 sample products, and one 'bonus' product (so technically you receive 6 products). Often 1, or sometimes 2, of the products are full size and are worth quite a lot more than the box itself costs (£9 a month +p&p). There is a little bit of variation between the boxes that people get so read on to find out what I got in my August box and a brief rundown of what I thought of each item.

My first thoughts on the box were that it was quite messily packaged for a change and looked as though there hadn't been much care into packing the box. I understand there must be some poor soul who has stand around and hand-pack each of these boxes and mine could well have been last in the pile at the end of a hard day, but still it could've been better than opening the box in excitement and just seeing the products messily thrown inside and a lump of straw chucked on top of them. 

White Glo - Professional Choice

A tooth paste? In a beauty box? Well that one surprised me. I've not tried this yet because I think its the perfect travel size and I'm saving it for a little holiday in October that is currently being planned. However, I have read other people's reviews on this box and every single one have said they were impressed with this toothpaste and saw a noticeable difference in the whiteness of their teeth even with just this sample size which makes me excited to try it out.

150g Full size product costs £4.07.

Balance Me - Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve

This cute little lip balm has taken its place right on my bedside table now; I love every single thing about it ..except for the scent. It's not actually an unpleasant scent and I can put up with it, it's just that 'rose' is not something to my personal preference. The packaging is adorable and it keeps all of its promises to 'plump hydrate and smooth'. This was the only full sized product in the box and 10ml tube retails at £12.00 (See what I mean about some of the products being worth more than the box?).

Redken - Color Extend Radiant-10

This product really caught my eye when I opened the box as I've been wanting to try out some Redken products for quite a while now and I have recently purchased myself a couple of full sized bottles. It's in an adorable little 30ml bottle and I've nearly used it all up already. This claims to have '10 essential benefits for coloured hair' and I don't know about a full 10 benefits but it definitely has made some improvement to the condition of my hair and I will be buying the full size bottle. 170ml costs £19.99 as a limited time introductory offer.

Papier Poudre - Rachel Powdered Paper

These are something that I first of all thought that I would never get any use out of. Despite actually having really oily skin I just thought that these sort of blotting and absorption papers wouldn't be very effective and would just rub away make up. I tested these out once on a really hot and humid day last week while I'd been wandering around in the sun all day, I got home and looked in the mirror to be greeted with a super shiny oily forehead/nose/general T-zone, and I spotted this little booklet on the side so picked it up to give it its premier trial. This instantly absorbed the visible oil on my face and it even leaves a slight trace of powder behind to leave an extra matte finish. I do like these but I'm not sure if I would repurchase this particular brand; I may try the Kleenex version now though. A pack of 6x 20 leaf booklets costs £7.95.

Absolutely Flawless - Nail Foils

Eugh. These are cheap and you can really, really tell. Plus, £1.90 for 32 foils and we received 16 foils in our box? - Oh thanks SheSaid that's so generous of you. In general I never really liked the whole nail foils craze; I tried them out once about 2 years ago and sure they looked great, but they were just far too fiddly for my liking and I didn't like trying to blast a hairdryer onto my hands and nearly burning myself just to melt the glue! I'd much rather just paint my nails and wait for them to dry than spend the time cutting out the foils to match the shape and size of my nails. The foils that I received were an imitation of the 'crackle' effect that everybody loved a couple of months ago but I feel that's had its day a bit now. The box included a card with all the other designs available from the Absolutely Flawless brand and I wouldn't wear a single one of them. Sorry, definitely not a winner from me!

*Bonus 4711 - Eau De Cologne

Of the 3 SheSaid boxes I have received and the 3 perfume samples that came with them, I have not liked a single one. I would rather not receive perfume samples full stop to be honest. To start with how UGLY is the packaging of this bottle? And the smell.. eugh! I don't know anybody that would like this. Again, not a winner. A full sized 100ml bottle costs £17.00.

Overall, the Redken and the Balance Me products are a love, the powdered papers are okay, the tooth paste is still yet to be trialed, but the nail foils and the perfume sample are a no-no!

Again, if you're interested in signing up for your own box for £9 a month (+p&p) then follow the link below to sign up:

https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/JKWWS

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Own The Runway | Disco Pants Dupe

I've been lusting after a pair of the pair of American Apparel Disco Pants (link) for such a long time, but it really is such a lot of money for something that is essentially a pair of leggings. If any of you also follow LLYMLRS's Fashion and Style blog you will know that she has done quite a few posts on dupes of the AA Disco Pants (if you've not seen already then check them out). She has compared the River Island, Glamorous and Own The Runway versions to the original ones and from what she had written the Glamorous sound most similar to the originals, but I wanted a black pair and these were all out of stock. So I settled for option #2 - Own The Runway (link). 

This was the first time I had ordered anything from Own The Runway and was impressed with how quickly my order took to arrive and also the price too, but the quality was a little bit off on one of purchases. I ordered two things, one of them being the black disco pants dupes, and the other being a white shirt to go with them. I don't have any photographs of me actually wearing the white shirt because I have now sent it back - was not keen at all. The material of it felt really stiff and cheap so did not hang nicely, the 'metal tipped collars' were horrifically cheap plastic, both to look at and to feel, plus there were also multiple loose threads coming from the shirt in different places which I know isn't a massive problem but the shirt wasn't how I expected it to be and I wouldn't wear it.

As I don't personally own the original AA disco pants then it's quite difficult for me to give my own comparison of them but I am really impressed with these ones and it was £26 well spent. They're super suck-y in-y (not a real phrase, i know) and a very flattering fit. The weather is a bit too hot to be wearing them at the moment as I did start to feel a bit hot and sticky while trying them on them the other day as they're super skin tight, but I think I'll get a lot more wear out of them when autumn and the cooler weather comes around.

On the first picture of the disco pants you can see that because these are so tight it means that knickers are actually visible underneath (its what the ridge is incase you couldn't tell), and nobody wants a VPL! So I'm going to have to hunt myself down some invisible underwear! Also, yes the middle picture is a picture of my backside, I just wanted to show how they fit at the back.

Metal Tipped Collar Sleeveless Shirt in White - £18.99 link

Shiny Disco Pants in Black - £25.99 link

Standard delivery costs £2.99 and if you 'like' them on Facebook you can also receive 10% off your order. 

What do you think of these disco pants?

Would you prefer to have the ultimate American Apparel pair, or would you settle for some cheaper dupes?

♥

Manchester Haul | ft. Primark, Topshop & Lush

Helloo. At the weekend I went on a shopping trip to Manchester with my boyfriend so that he could pick up a few bits and pieces for his summer holiday to Zante and I thought that I might as well show you what I picked up while we were there too. I didn't have a massive spend or go OTT, but I did buy quite a few things and for a change I am actually happy with everything that I bought and don't want to take any of it back like I usually do!

Primark
First stop: Primark. Primark is one of those that I have a huge love/hate relationship with, I love it's on trend clothes at bargain prices and super cheap accessories, PJs and underwear... but I strongly dislike the actual experience of shopping in the store. Unless you hit it at a quiet period like at 10am on a random Tuesday morning like I sometimes could while I was at university, it is a nightmare place to be. So, so, so, SO many people are in there, all trying to cram their huge baskets down the same tiny gaps, barging you out of the way and putting their smelly armpits in your face when they reach up to higher rails (I actually have had these experiences!). Not to mention the ridiculously hot, sweaty and claustrophobic atmosphere along with sometimes having to rummage through piles of clothes (jumble sale style) just to try and find your size.

We arrived in Manchester just after 10:30am and after we'd found somewhere to park the car we headed towards the Arndale Centre. As Primark is probably my boyfriends least favourite place to be in the whole world he said we should definitely go there first before the rush hits and it gets too busy, plus he said I had 1/2 an hour maximum in there so that we could go grab a coffee and a cake from Starbucks as a mid-morning snack (this was actually a reasonable request because I have been known to spend multiple hours scouring Primark if left to my own devices). As soon as we walked through the doors I instantly thought 'eugh we're too late' as it was already heaving! What do you expect from a Saturday morning in a city center though really? The heat and the thick, sticky air hit me like a tonne of bricks and I knew there was no way I was going to get to have an indepth look at any of the rails, so I just have a quick scan over and if anything at all caught my eye from a distance then it was worth while having a closer look. I was quite happy when my 30 minutes allowance was up as I couldn't wait to get out of there. I didn't get much at all but here is what I did manage to pick up:

- Red Zip Up Jacket (XS from the men's section) £12.00.

- Pyjamas. Bottoms £5.00, Top £3.00.

- Snood £4.00.

- Sunglasses £1.00.

Topshop

Topshop is actually not a dissimilar experience from Primark; over heated, over crowded and loud music blasting so you can't even have a conversation with the person you're with. Not to mention they had a sale on which just added to the mania in there, people just seemed to be grabbing at everything and anything. I would definitely much prefer to shop in a calmer and quieter atmosphere. Nonetheless, here is what I popped in my basket in Topshop:

- Nail Varnish - 'War Paint' £5.00.

- Jumper £26.00

- Vest top £6.00 (2 x £6 basic tops for £10)

- Cropped vest top £6.00 (2 x £6 basic tops for £10)

- Underwear £4.00

I also got 10% student discount off everything.

River Island

I only picked up one thing whilst we were in River Island as it's not a shop that I tend to like very much. I had a quick scan through their sale as I've often picked up some amazing bargains from there in past but couldn't find anything so I spent more time helping my boyfriend go in and out of the changing rooms trying to choose from about 6 pairs of shorts that he'd picked up. I did spot this one top by the door in the 'New In' section, I thought it was something I'd wear often and was reasonably priced so I got it.

- Print tee £16.00.

Superdrug

After lunch at Nandos we went into Superdrug because I am STILL on the hunt for the Sleek Contour Kit in 'Light' and can never find it in stock anywhere (still had no luck :(.) As my boyfriend had been kind enough to pay for lunch I thought I would repay the kindness and buy him all of his toiletries that he needed for his holiday. I think I actually got the bad end of the deal here and ended up spending quite a bit more than he did on lunch! When you add together the cost of sun cream, after sun, deodorant, shower gel and whatever else he popped into my basket it really does add up to a hefty total, especially when just one bottle of suncream costs £10 and he needed a 10-day supply. But he's worth it and here's what I got for myself:

I CANNOT get this picture to rotate - apologies!

- 200ml Batiste Dry Shampoo in Brown £1.95 (on offer!)

- Barry M Liquid Eyeliner in Black £4.79

- 80ml Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Face Mask £3.49

- 10ml Tea Tree Peel Off Face Mask £0.89

- 10ml Superdrug Peek Off Face Mask £0.99

- 10ml Superdrug Purifying Clay Mask £0.99

Okay, so you may think that I went a little bit face mask crazy, especially when you read on to see what I got from Lush, but face masks are one of my favourite things to treat myself to on a lazy Sunday or just a general pamper day before night out or special day. I prefer the peel off ones as they are generally less mess than trying to wash off the clay ones. In the future I plan on doing a review of my 'Best & Worst Face Masks' on all of the ones that I have tried and tested. 

Lush

I won't ramble on much because this post is already really long. But I picked up two masks from Lush, neither of which I have tried before. One is a cleanser and the other is a fresh face mask that needs to be kept in the fridge and used up within 3 weeks. I'm going to do a more indepth review of both of these soon once I've used them up to include things like how long they lasted me/how many uses I got out of the tubs, if I think they're value for money, and any noticeable improvements to my skin after continued use, which one I prefer, if I'd repurchase - that sorta thing.

- Cup Cake (75g) £5.95

- Mask Of Magnaminty (125g) £4.95

That's it for my 'Manchester Haul' and if you've seen my recent 'Payday Treats' and 'Asos Haul' posts then you'll know that I've bought myself quite a lot of stuff in the past few weeks. Maybe I should be imposing a spending ban on myself!

xxx.

Instagram Diary of Marbella ♥

These pictures are from quite a few months ago (I went on holiday at the end of May), but at that point I hadn't started blogging yet and seeing as though I just figured out how to make an 'instagram diary' today I thought I would back-track a little bit and share with you all some of my favourite pictures from my holiday to Marbella that I had uploaded to Instagram. *Warning: there is a lot of pictures.

♥ Setting off to the airport ♥ First night ♥ Out for tea on the first night

♥ Walking along the beach ♥ Boyfriend on the outdoor gym ♥ Me being silly on the outdoor gym

♥ Milkshake to cool down ♥ Boyfriend posing in his sunnies ♥ Big tree, little girl

♥ Posing on the beach ♥ Marbella life - Ferrari and Lamborghini ♥ Evening cocktails

♥ Boyfriend sipping his Daquiri ♥ Fancy meal out ♥ Just posing

♥ My #1 picture ♥ Tapas ♥ Inappropriately reading Harry Potter.. naked!

♥ Meal out ♥ At the water park 'Aqua Land' ♥ Me in my favourite maxi skirt

♥ Huge elephant style shower on the beach ♥ Sunset ♥ Boyfriend on the beach

♥ My super tanned legs ♥ A palm tree ♥ Sad to be going home

♥ Locking the apartment for the last time ♥ Palm tree silhouette ♥ Beautiful Marbella harbour 

♥ Follow me on Instagram: Hannahripley1

xxx.