Mini Beauty Haul @ Poundland

Hi there!

Yesterday I decided to defy wind and snow to go to the grocery store, I swear my intent was to buy only eggs, milk and a little more; surely the decision to go to the shopping centre was hiding a secret desire to buy something else entirely.

I went to Poundland to buy light bulbs and other household items, well aware that you step inside to buy two things and when outside you discover you've spent >£20 (and you do not even know how). I expected to give in to the sweet department, or chips, or buying unnecessary scented candles, but while I was reading quickly the ingredients of the cleansing wipes, this struck my eye:

isn't it lovely?

I usually take a blush with me to use it as a mirror, so I have no proper compact mirrors (well, I had a Nana mirror once ... I wonder were it is now, probably lost), so how could I resist in front of an adorable heart-shaped, vintage style, 50s mirror?

Obviously I could not, and so he went inside my shopping cart together with cleansing wipes, a notebook and various sponges. At that point I had to a look more carefully at the counter (more goodies could be hidden among fake lashes and nails) and the brand Sleek popped out from the others.

quite different from the current paper packaging

I love Sleek make-up  I have two of their famous iDivine palettes (the Oh so Special and the Au Naturel) and I am literally craving for more (i.e. the Ultra Matte V2 and the Lagoon), so I am really interested on trying other products from this brand. At Poundland you can find some of the older shades of their True Colour Lipstick and Sheer Cover Lipstick (which are no more available on their website). 

After rummaging through make-up sponges, Revlon and Maybelline duos and quads, and all kind of beauty stuff all mixed together, I managed to resurface from the chaos with two True Colour lipsticks: Blaze (827) and Fuchsia (833); as it was impossible to open the packaging without damaging the products (and I hate those who do not care about others and open all the products), and there were no testers available (also, it was a very impulsive purchase, so I didn't look for swatches on-line), I could only trust the labels on the bottom... ah ah! How deluded! As if labels have ever been faithful to the real product colour... but for £1 only I was willing to take the chance.

the fuchsia label was truthful

Fuchsia is fuchsia, not a magenta, not a hot pink and I am really happy with this colour; I have never worn this kind of shade as I usually wear blue based red, purplish red and when I was a teen I used to wear a Rimmel lip gloss which came in a small jar and was a nice biscuit colour. I am really looking forward to try it on and experiment with make-up matches (I really don't know how to wear a fuchsia colour on the lips, so it will be fun!).

natural light by the window

Blaze really startled me, while the label suggested an old-rose, purplish shade, the swatch on my hand was a brownish/coppery shade, with a frost finish and a glittery look (don't worry, the glitters don't show up too much when on the lips). I am not sure this kind of colour suits me well, it gives me a sort of "vampy" look, which I really like (I love MAC Dark Side because it's really vampy on me), but I usually wear cool colours and I need to get used to wear brownish/warm colours.

I think that with a well studied make-up, with a good balance of warm tones, this lipstick could be amazing, especially with a little tan that enhances the golden tones on my skin.

I also think that given it frosty and glittery finish it would be perfect for layering with another lipstick and/or lip pencil, lip stain etc.

wearing blaze, no other makup on
taken with mobile, sorry for the crappy quality, better pics coming soon

Last but not least, I bought two products from a brand I was curious about for a long time: Simple, which has great advertising, packaging and all, but when I read the ingredients I always feel somehow disappointed (I guess we have different definitions of "harsh chemicals" and "unnecessary ingredients"), so after a thorough analysis of the INCIs I choose to take home the Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner (really lovely ingredients this one) and the Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash (from the INCI it seems delicate and soothing).

So if you want to buy yourself a little beauty on the budget treat, check your nearest Poundland!

Which brands or products would you like to find at Poundland?

What do Japonesque and Vintage have in common?

They're both behind and inside my first order from Latest in Beauty ^^

But let's start from the beginning.

I was browsing the web, looking for new cosmetics to be tempted with, when I stumbled upon Latest in Beauty website, which offers to us consumers the possibility to try new products samples for a very small price (£1.50 for a "Little Beauty Box" containing 3 samples categories, and 1£ to 15£ for bigger -sometimes full- size "Luxury Samples").

How could I resist?

So I ordered a Little Beauty Box a few weeks ago, and 3 luxury samples a couple of days ago. The three products I chose to be packed into the Little Beauty Box were a Melvita Moisturizing Rose Nectar day cream for dehydrated skin (1x2ml sachet), a Lavera Liposome Intensive Night Cream (4x1ml sachet) and the Lady Gaga Fame Eau de Parfum (1x1.2ml spray). Unfortunately I haven't tried these products yet because I was waiting for my face to come back to normality after a bizarre period full of zits and impurities, as I don't want my trials to be affected by "extraordinary" skin conditions; while the Lady Gaga perfume has been saved for a special occasion.

In my second order I chose to go for the Luxury Samples because it seems to me that they are better value for money, you get a lot more product than the tiny samples inside the Little Beauty Box and this allows you to get a better idea on how the product works for you before buying (or reviewing) it.

This time I chose to stay more on the make-up side and I made a pure rational and thoughtful decision process which led my to an Eyelash Curler, a pack of Make-up Remover Swabs and a Hand Cream; the fact that the Eyelash Curler comes from a company called The Vintage Cosmetics Company and the Make-up Remover comes under the Japonesque brand it's totally irrelevant, I swear U__U

But I have to say that this is my first eyelash curler, that I am a mess with lipstick and mascara so these makeup removers will surely come handy, and it happened that I finished my hand cream (Caudalie Hand&Nail Cream, just love it!) ^__^

Also, the fact that I have paid £10 for two full size products, a generous sample and some tiny tiny samples help me feel less guilty.

While I was shooting some photos for this post another product popped up from the box, it was hidden under the shredded paper so I didn't notice it at first especially because I didn't order it, so I guess it's a gift or just a lucky mistake ^^

The extra product is from The Vintage Cosmetic Company and it's one of their most famous products: the false lashes, called the Girls as each one is identified by a girl name, so call me Betty from now on (if I manage to wear them XD).

I've tried false lashes a couple of times before, and both times I found them to be heavy on my eyelids resulting in a drowsy look rather then fresh and wide open eyes; the Girls eyelashes should be "incredibly light and comfortable to wear" and also suitable for contact lenses wearers, I am so looking forward to try them on!

Stay tuned for some reviews coming soon ^^