Fifty Pound Friday

So I managed to spend £50 the other day, but it was for a much, much needed spend so it's absolutely acceptable. Right? 

Homeware

As you may or may not know I'm moving out in September and I'm starting off by getting the first bits of my duvet/bedding stuff. So far I've tackled 2 pink (of course) pillow cases, 3 face towels & a hand towel. A dent in the first of the many things I need to buy. Hmph, £6.50 down!

Skin care

My skin's been getting really dry recently so I decided to go for an exfoliator to get rid of dead/old skin and the cleansing lotion/facial toner are two products I currently use but are running out. The tweezers are something I've been meaning to buy for ages. My pair at the moment are really long and old and I need something slightly more manageable, especially to take with me to move away.

Make-up

I finally found a Raspberry Barry M nail varnish! Ever since I first saw it and ignored it rather than buying it there and then I haven't seen it since - typical. And here it is! I can't wait to wear it. The rest are all second purchases of products I love and the lipstick is a cheap buy to pad out my lacking pink collection. I definitely need some more pink shades and Natural Collection is a brand I'm reasonably impressed with considering their prices. I also bought some hair dye that isn't pictured because I've used it already. Back to purple hair it is! 

I may be £50 down. (£50 and 2p down to be precise) but I'm very happy and up 200 Boots points. Have you guys been shopping recently?

Natural Collection Lipstick - Pink Mallow

(£1.99 from Boots)

Natural Collection is a brand I've tried before. Their eyeshadows come out so pale that I've been put off the brand itself which is a shame. I've found a lot of their products are more subtle than bright which was a problem for my younger self who enjoyed experimenting with bright blues and greens. Now, slightly older, I appreciate the brand a lot more and the subtleness.

I purchased this in Pink Mallow which is a nice rosy pink without looking too bright or too pale. It's my perfect choice of colour. The packaging itself is simple which can look slightly tacky in a make-up bag but it does the job at a cheap price.

It claims it has 'moisture shine' which I can't say I agree - it glides on but after a while clings to dry areas on my lips. I can't fault the colour though as it's so gorgeous and a lovely dusty pink. I bought this after my £7 Avon lipstick was running out and it's a lot cheaper but very close in colour. It lasts for around 3 or so hours, which is impressive for me at the price. Plus, a lot of people have said MAC lipsticks last around this amount of time and obviously their price tag is a lot more extreme.

This is a soft 'day time' look for me and it's subtle without drawing away from eye make-up etc. I'm really impressed with this lipstick although I wish Natural Collection lipsticks were available online which is a real shame.

Don't judge an eyeshadow palette by its box!

So a long while ago now I popped into a big Boots store in my area and my eyes hooked onto this beautiful eyeshadow palette as a Boots own product. The owl design is absolutely gorgeous. It looks classy and elegant and like it will be a beautiful addition to my make-up collection.

Upon opening the box the theme was consistent, an idea which reflects the palette itself and has been very thought out, and the colours looked shimmery and bold but still subtle on my eyes. There is a mixture of what I'd specify as 'day and night' shades. The paler blues and white is perfect for a soft daytime look that will complement my eyes and the metallic silver and purples look bold for a statement evening look and can mix up a smoky eye. 

However, imagine my disappointment when I tried out these eyeshadows only to find that they were so pale and shimmery that they barely showed up on my eyes let alone stood out or looked half as bold or as spectacular as I thought. Below are some of the swatches I tried out, despite that I've sharpened the image you can barely see them. The formula is very weak and the eyeshadows are so powdery and light that it's a wonder how they'd spread across my eyelid.

This has definitely taught me that you shouldn't pick something up just because it looks pretty. This product failed me and I'll definitely think twice about picking up a palette just because I like the owl on the front! Has anyone else done something similar? 

Good for: A striking handbag look
Bad for: Pigmentation

Boots Nail Varnish Remover Pads

I've always turned my nose up at Nail Varnish Remover Pads because I thought it was quite expensive considering you'd have to use quite a few just for each nail but I gave them ago after reading several positive reviews about them. Boots claim these pads give 'much needed nourishment whilst effectively removing nail polish'.

So pretty simple! Simply wipe it over each nail and the job is done. It really does get rid of polish quickly without the need to rub in a lot - although this may be due to having very short nails. I only needed one pad for both my hands which I was very impressed with. They also smell really good - a flavour I'd compare to strawberry milkshake - and gets rid of the ridiculously nasty original polish from a bottle smell. The only downside I'd say is I see no real evidence of nourishment or moisturising qualities and it leaves my nails feeling really greasy after using them.

(£1.50 for 15 pads from Boots)

Well done Boots! An absolute bargain for a really good product that works effectively.

Good for: Getting rid of nail varnish quickly
Bad for: Making nails greasy!

Tea Tree & Witch hazel Blemish Stick

Spots seem to have a habit of turning up when you least want them to don't they? Sitting at home for a couple of days and my face is as fresh and clean as a daisy but as soon as I decide I need to look nice for somewhere important I have a big spot suddenly appear. Always the way!

I was fed up of using Clearasil which, although worked like a charm, was really quite harsh on my sensitive skin and decided to go for a more 'natural' seeming blemish balm. Boots claims that this Blemish Stick 'gets to work instantly on fighting the spot-causing bacteria' and uses Tea Tree Oil and Witch Hazel to keep skin calm and healthy whilst clearing spots. It's suitable for all skin types but is specially recommended for oily/combination skin, so I thought this would be perfect for me!

(Available from Boots for £2.59)

The packaging is very sweet and fits with the theme of the naturalness of this product. You do get a lot in the stick for its price and I can say that you don't need to use a lot at a time so it's very cost-effective.
But can I say this product lived up to expectations? Unfortunately not.The stick itself smelt quite herbal, something I obviously expected from this sort of product but it just felt very medicinal. My spots didn't improve at all which was very frustrating and my overall complexion didn't change. I think a main problem I have with this product is the fact it's on a stick. Thus meaning that if you're using it on your face you still have the spotty bacteria which is then being spread further. 

Sadly I was let down by this product and I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone. I'm sceptical of blemish sticks anyway and this hasn't helped reassure me that they work too well.
Sorry Boots but it's a thumbs down from me! 

Good for: A quick herbal cover up for those that have enough time on their hands
Bad for: An instant spot treatment