Haul! Sleek makeup

I've been a bit rubbish on the blogging front recently! I think it is a combination of sunshine and uni work. The weather has been so nice recently and I finish uni next week so when I haven't been out in the sun I have been trying to finish work off. Anyway...I made a few purchases on the Sleek website and thought I would share them with you. I will probably review a few of these items in more depth with swatches etc but thought I would give a quick overview now :)

The main thing I wanted was the Au Naturel eyeshadow palette - I haven't given it a proper try yet but it looks lovely. I have the Oh So Special palette and a couple of shades are the same which is a little annoying but nothing awful.

Next I got a tester kit for their new Skin Revive foundation, I like that they have such a big shade range. I haven't tried this out properly yet either but looking forward to giving it a go. I picked this in the lightest range - fair/light.

I also bought the Eau La La liner in Cocoa. I've been after a nice brown liner and this one seems great. Anything waterproof is good with me as my eyes can get quite watery. Will probably do a full review of this soon.

I also got one of their blushes in Suede as I thought this would be a nice contour colour on fairer skin. Lastly but not least I chose some false eyelashes, I think I have only worn false eyelashes about twice in my life but these ones looked so pretty! I have a ball coming up for uni in June so I might wear them then.

As well as this they let me chose a free mini high shine lipgloss - even though I don't wear lipgloss too much the colour of this one seems like it will be nice for the summer.

Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the nice weather :)

Have a lovely weekend!

Frankie x

Weekend Wishlist

I decided to do a beauty-based wishlist as the last one I did was mostly fashion.

Been wishing for quite few things recently! Mainly makeup based and a few skincare.

1. This one's a bit of a cheat because I have just recently purchased this palette (along with a few other things) online, just waiting for it to arrive. I love sleek makeup, I think it's really affordable and great quality :)

2. I spotted this Weleda Skin Food in a magazine a while back and when I researched further it seemed right up my street! It is described as a "deep-penetrating replenishing skin repair cream for dry patches of skin and for added winter protection"...ok it's not winter but I do suffer from dry patches sometimes so I fancy giving this a try.

3. This skin illuminator by Stila looks amazing - I especially like the gold coloured one called "kitten". The only problem is the price - £16 seems a bit steep! If only I had a birthday coming up!

4. I haven't actually tried any makeup from topshop (shock horror!) but this lip stick seems fab.

5. I am loving the idea of body oils recently as my skin has been a bit dry. This one from balm balm seems like an affordable choice and it's 100% natural so I know it would be doing my skin good :)

6. I know everyone is probably sick to death of hearing about these! I actually have 2 colours already but I'm after the taupe colour as well.

7. This new fine liner brush by real techniques looks great. I have a few other brushes by them and absoloutely love them! I'm after a new brow brush as well and this one by bdellium tools is cruelty free and a pretty good price!

8. Ok I admit I am a bit obsessed with eyeshadow palettes at the moment, when I first saw this I wasn't so keen but now I feel like it would be perfect for summer - and it's only £4!

NOTD + general update

Just a quick post today because I've been quite busy the past few days. I apologise for the quality of this photo, I really wanted to share! I bought this nail polish from topshop a week (ish) ago - I couldn't resist the sparkle! It's such a pretty colour and I love that it has different sized pieces of glitter. I love the packaging of their nail polishes - so cute :) This colour is called Razzmatazz and it's basically a blue/lilac toned glitter polish. 

I confessed in a previous post that I was a habitual nail biter and that I was finally trying to stop. Well...for 2 weeks now I haven't bitten my nails! I'm now trying to get some strength back in them and stop them peeling. As you can see they are quite small naturally so they are quite hard to grow, but they are looking a lot better than they did so I'm pretty happy :) 

On another note, I've got my laptop back from the PCworld repair centre and it's working yay! So happy to have it back, it's like having a brand new laptop! Giving in my first draft for my final project at uni tomorrow - just can't wait to be finished now...

Hope everyone is well.

Frankie x

Review: MUA lipsticks

  (MUA lipsticks shade 11(left) and shade 13 (right))

I know I have talked about a mascara by MUA in a post recently but I've been really impressed with their lipsticks so I wanted to write about them as well! I've tried shade 11 a pinky-brown shade and shade 13 - a bright red. What surprised me was how nice the formulation is, it's really creamy and easy to apply - which, to be honest, I wasn't expecting for the price point (£1!). I first heard about the red shade through Sprinkle of Glitter's blog when she mentioned it as one of her favourite red lipsticks. The shade range is really good, I thought the browny shade looked a bit dark in the tube but it is actually really wearable and natural looking on. The lasting power isn't amazing but I don't mind reapplying occasionally when I've only paid £1. I found that to make the red shade a bit more suitable for daytime I can buff it into the lip and create a nice red tint which is much more long wearing. Overall I don't really have much negative to say about these lipsticks and I'm excited to try other colours in the range, as well as the new "lip booms" I have seen other bloggers talk about.

You can pick them up from superdrug or online at muastore.co.uk 

Have you tried any of these lipsticks? What are your favourite drugstore lipsticks?

My boyfriend finished his last ever exam for uni today so we are out for a meal tonight to celebrate :) I'm giving in a draft for my final piece of work this week so might not be blogging so much but will try my best.

Hope you all have a nice week!

Frankie x

Current Skincare Favourites

Naked Skin Thirst Aid 12 Hour Moisturiser 100ml £7.49 Superdrug

I got this moisturizer on a whim when it was half price in Superdrug - and I'm so glad I did! It's described as "a hydrating moisturiser containing starflower, neroli, argan oil and shea butter to keep your skin perfectly soft and smooth". It smells sooo good, really natural and relaxing. It makes my skin feel really smooth and the feeling lasts a long time (unlike the simple moisturizer I used to use).  It's 97% natural and doesn't contain any suplhates, parabens or silicones. I have quite dry skin and this is perfect to keep it moisturized day and night. You don't need to use much, I've been using it nearly 2 months every morning and night and there is still loads left. I would most likely repurchase this at full price although they do seem to have offers on this range quite a lot. I would be interested to try the cleanser from this brand as well.

The Beauty Parlour Scrub up! Face Scrub (not currently online but I think it was around the £3/4 mark)

Again I got this when it was on offer in Superdrug (can you see a theme emerging? :P). I'm not normally too impressed by face scrubs as I either find they are too drying or not "scruby" enough. This gets a perfect balance between being very exfoliating but also moisturizing at the same time - after I've used this my skin feels lovely and soft so for me it's a winner. I use this about 2/3 times a week and you only need a tiny amount for your whole face.

The Body Shop Nutriganics Softening Cleansing Gel £9.00 for 100ml

I use this cleanser at night time after I have removed most of my makeup with a face wipe. It's a liquid that comes out like a gel, then kind of dissapears into an oil on the skin, I then use a flannel/muslin cloth to wash it off. It does what it says and is very softening! It isn't great at removing heavy eye makeup but my skin definitely feels nice and clean after I've used it and it has a lovely floral/natural scent. I sometimes find that cleansers can be a bit drying but this one isn't at all. I got this with some sort of deal so it was practically half price, not sure I would repurchase it at full price as I don't think it will last that long and I'm always keen to try out new cleansers. I also have a sample of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish that I've heard everyone rave about, so I'm keen to give that a good try and see if I like it.

Lush Eau Roma Water £3.75 for 100g.
I love this toner from Lush. It's basically lavender and rose water combined and smells so good (yes I like things that smell nice haha). As well as smelling nice it's lovely and refreshing. I use this in the morning and night after my cleanser and sometimes during the day as well to refresh myself. This is the second bottle I have bought and would most likely buy another one when this runs out!

Superdrug Natural High Radiance Balm £4.99 Superdrug (currently half price at the time of writing!)
This is a light reflective balm/cream that I use after my moisturizer in the morning to give my skin a bit of an extra boost. It's really nice and refreshing and makes my skin a bit more glowy :) It's also great to have in your bag during the day incase your skin feels a bit dry.


I hope you've enjoyed this post and I didn't ramble too much! I've always been quite interested in skin care and think it's nice to see what other people really like. I'm no expert I just find these things work well in my experience but obviously everyone's skin is different.

What are your favourite skincare products at the moment? Have you tried any of the things I talked about?

Frankie x

Mint Green Obsession

1. Chinos - Zara 2. Mint Candy Apple by Essie - Boots 3. Lace Belted Skater Dress - River Island  4. Clutch Bag - Asos  5. Court Shoes - Asos

Loving this colour at the moment. I'm not really into pastel pink/lilac shade so green/blue is a great spring alternative for me :) Had my eyes on this nail polish for a while - might have to get it soon!

What colours are you loving for spring?

Frankie x

Accessorize Duo Baked Bronzer in Laguna

I really like the accessorize makeup range. I've tried a few of their nail polishes and a lipstick and have been really impressed so far! This bronzer definitely doesn't let them down - I've been using this pretty much every day and its definitely a big favourite!

(excuse the sticky label marks on the back of this it came with a barcode stuck right across all the info and this is the result of trying to peel it off!)

So this is what it looks like. As you can see it's pretty large - you get 12.5g of products which is loads! (for reference the nars bronzers contain 8g). It's a baked bronzer with half of the product a quite dark bronze colour and the other a lighter gold colour, both with a marbled effect running through them. I think it looks really pretty in the pan :) Mine has been used a few times when I took these photos so sorry if it looks a bit grubby. I started using it before I started this blog but I love it so much I really wanted to write about it!

Here are some swatches showing the darker colour, the lighter one and the two swirled together.

And here is what it looks like on (excuse the weird face/angle - it was hard to get a picture that showed it accurately!)

I like this bronzer because its not too heavy on the skin. It has a slight shimmery finish but isn't glittery at all and just gives a nice glow to the skin. I have quite pale skin and think this looks nice and natural on. I also like that it has two slightly different colours as the lighter one is quite nice as a highlight :) I normally just sweep this over my cheeks with quite a big brush, you could use it to contour but because its shimmery I find that this doesn't work as well. It's really easy to apply because although the pigmentation is good, it's also quite sheer, so you can build it up as much as you prefer but it's hard to overdo it.
I've been finding it really nice to use when the weather is a bit grey and miserable (quite a lot recently!) as it adds a bit of warmth to the skin and makes me feel healthier. I think it will be great in summer as well!

If you're after a natural looking bronzer that works on pale skins then I would definitely check this out :)

You can get it from Superdrug or Accessorize for £6 (its not currently not on sale on the website but you should be able to pick it from your local store).

Have you tried this bronzer or anything else from the accessorize line? What is your favourite bronzer at the moment?

On another note, it was really nice and sunny here this morning and now it's grey and rainy! Hope the weather is a bit better wherever you are and you're having a good Wednesday.

Frankie x

Review: MUA professional extreme curl mascara

If you are from the UK I'm sure you are aware of the makeup brand MUA - they are stocked in superdrug and everything from their standard line is a £1! They also have a very slightly more expensive line called MUA professional and things in this line are around the £2 - £4 mark. I've tried some eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes from them and have been really impressed so decided to pick up this mascara when I was in superdrug recently! Now I love mascara, it's one of the products I really feel "naked" without. My current favourite is the loreal telscopic, however that retails at around the £10-11 pound mark so, for me, that's a little on the expensive side for a drugstore mascara. I spotted this one for £2 and thought it was worth trying out as I've only got £2 to lose! Anyway enough of all the ramblings, here are some pics! (I did take some before pictures but none of them turned out very well sorry! Hopefully you can get an idea of the effect anyway)

As you can see it definitely has lengthened and defined my lashes. It's not clumpy and the formulation is nice and easy to work with. I do like a really lengthening mascara so for me its not quite dramatic enough but for a day to day more natural looks it's great! On the downside I find the application a bit tricky as the brush is curved and also quite large so its a bit fiddly but I'm sure it would get easier with practise. I also find that you get quite a lot of product on the end of the brush when you first take it out so need to wipe of the excess before applying. When it comes to curling power I'm not sure I noticed any dramatic "curliness" to my lashes (I didn't curl my lashes before applying) maybe there was slightly but I couldn't tell! Another thing to note is the smell - to be honest it's pretty nasty. Luckily it's not really a big issue when it comes to mascara as you aren't gonna be smelling your eyes but its just something to bare in mind. Overall I really like this mascara - it gives definition and length mainly so if you are after something really volumizing then this might not be for you however for £2 I really don't think you can go wrong with giving this!

You can purchase this in superdrug in store or here online

Next on my list to try from MUA is their eye primer and maybe another eyeshadow palette...

Have you tried this mascara? What were your thoughts on it? Have you liked other products by this company or not?

Frankie xo

NB: After submitting this I just went on the MUA website and found out they have an offer on for the bank holiday where you get 3 free products when you spend over £8! It ends tomorrow so go check it out! http://www.muastore.co.uk/store

Weekend wishlist

Ok, I may have stolen  borrowed this blog title from other bloggers out there but I was limited in what I could call it!
A quick one today cos I had to go to town this morning and really need to do some uni work this afternoon! Just thought I would share some things I've got my eyes on at the moment.

1. Love this scallop vest from missguided, seems like a much cheaper version to the topshop ones.
2. The coolest laptop bag ever? Plus it's a bargain and comes in so many different colours! My laptop is currently in the claws of the PCworld repair service but when I get it back I might treat myself to this.
3 & 4. Getting back into jewelry recently and this necklace and ring from bershka are right up my street and pretty reasonably priced.
5. Caudalie has been talked about a lot in the blogging sphere, especially their beauty elixir, however this cleansing water seems like something that might be more useful for me, just not sure it's worth the money...
6. I'm too minds about these shoes, one side of me knows I would probably never wear them, however the colour and the fact they would give me that bit of extra height (always a bonus) makes me love them!
7. I've been on the look at for a sweater for ages and this one from monki is fab! The combination of animals and big comfy clothing will always win me over!


I definitely don't have the budget to buy a lot of these things right now, but it's nice to dream ey?


What have you been wishing for lately?


Frankie xo

My nail secret

I've got a bit of a secret to share today guys, well it's not a secret at all if you know me....I bite my nails :(
I have done for as long as I can remember and I'm not proud of it! I have very small, weak nails so I always felt like there was no point in growing them anyway because whenever I tried they always seemed to break (much to my frustration). But after 21 years on this planet I've decided that this horrible habit needs to stop! So I went into boots today and I made a few nail-related purchases (as well as some other unrelated things I might blog about soon).

Stop'n Grow - £4.50 - Boots

I've never had the motivation before to try something like this but  I'm finally delving into the works of anti biting treatments! I'm a bit nervous of using this stuff because I know I will bite my nails without realising and I have read it tastes disgusting! Which is obviously the whole point! I'm hoping it can help break the habit though.

Nu-Nale Strengthening Cream - £3.60 - Boots

I got this strengthening cream as well because it was pretty reasonably priced and I haven't had much luck with the nail varnish type strengtheners in the past so wanted to try something a bit different.

I hoping that the combination of these things will finally help improve the state of my nails and as neither of them were too expensive I'm not losing loads of money if they don't. I will keep you updated with how this goes and might even post some before and after photos depending on how successful I am.

Does anyone else have the same problem? Anyone tried the stop and grow or strengthening cream?

Frankie xo



Hi!

Hi everyone!

So this is the dreaded "first post", I thought I would start by just saying a bit about me and what I want this blog to be about :)

I'm currently a university student (soon to be graduate - eek!) and have been reading beauty/fashion/lifestyle blogs for a while now and decided it was time to start one myself! I wanted to come at things from a slightly different angle because for one I know how many beauty type blogs there are out there and two I wanted it to be about something that I was really passionate about and something I knew about! Anyway - I'm already rambling! - I feel sometimes that a lot of beauty products are, as a student, simply out of my price range or at least something I can't justify spending that much money on and I think this is true for lots of people. Obviously there is exceptions and sometimes you may just want to treat yourself, however on a day to day basis I rely on drugstore makeup/skincare and high street clothes. I love finding a bargain, not just something that is cheap but something that is good quality and a good price - basically good value for money. I think that everyone should be able to have nice things without spending a fortune and sometimes even if you can afford it it's nice to find something that does the job at half the price! So I thought I would put the hours I spend trawling the Internet for said bargains into good use and start a blog to talk about the more affordable options out there and share my opinions and ideas and maybe some more random posts along the way.

So if this sounds like something you might be interested in then stick around :)

P.s I'm new to all this and still getting used to sorting out my blog design and all that malarkey so bare with me, thanks!