Drugstore Haul #1

Yesterday I stayed inside and had a rather chilled day, it was storming cats and dogs. Now the mix-and-match weather has surprised me again with an absolute scorcher today which left me yearning for air-conditioning and a trip to the beach. Seemed like the universe was telling me to go shopping so I headed off to my local Priceline.

Priceline is one of my favourite stores to buy beauty supplies and I had the added benefit of having a discount voucher which I had received for being part of their Sister Club. I love this program because the rewards a very clear and instantaneous, and you always know where you are at with your spending as you can check online via your Priceline account. It's not like some other reward programs where you sign up and have absolutely no chance of getting rewarded. Needless to say the prospect of air-conditioning and the voucher was more than enough encouragement to get me out the door!

I've been trying to incorporate more pharmacy/drugstore products into my regime and hence, I went out with the intention of course of buying staples. Who am I kidding? That never quite works for me, so I splurged a little. 

1. The Bed Head by Tigi range is always on my radar. Picking this one up was definitely an impulse buy of sorts, it's kind of sentimental. One of the first times my hair got professionally coloured and styled, I can remember the hairdresser lathering it up with a variety of Tigi products and me, consequently, feeling a million dollars and smelling lovely! So I closed my eyes and dashed straight for the counter before I could change my mind on this one, it was on for 20% off after all. Ego Boost is is a multi-functional product used to repair, smooth and protect damaged or dry hair which sounded perfect to me. Another cool thing about Ego Boost is that you can use it one of two ways, as a split end mender if used on the ends of dry hair or as a leave in conditioner on wet hair.

2. Next up, Nature's Soothing Eye Cream with Jojoba Oil. I received this Nude by Nature product for free as they had a one-day-only lucky dip of products when you spent over $20. This was pretty exciting because this brand is totally new to me. This eye cream is all natural and claims to moisturise and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. While I don't have wrinkles as such, I don't think it's a bad thing to get a anti-aging regime started while you are young and prepare for the inevitable, surely it's easier to prevent than reverse damage? Maybe this will be the start of a long and beautiful friendship with the brand? Time will tell.

3. This is what I originally set out to buy, the Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Balancing Moisturiser (what a mouthful of a name!). My skin has calmed down a lot in the past year and so the main skin care to-do remains fading those dark spots that has been left behind and preventing any more from appearing. I'd heard so many good things about the Yes To range and I had run out of a daily moisturiser, I decided that I wanted to steer clear of any more high-end moisturisers and try out something a bit more friendly to my bank account. Plus, with all the hype, how could I resist? This product is 98% natural and contains lycopene, watermelon, red tea and fruit acids to help calm and clear your skin. If you were interested, it's also paraben-free! The packaging is ridiculously cute and functional too, with sweet quotes on the box and a hygienic pump on the bottle. If this works out well, I'm looking forward to trying the new Yes To Grapefruit range for uneven skin which is probably more tailored to my needs and wants.

4. Not the most glamourous product but a very essential one nonetheless, the new Colgate Optic White Daily Toothpaste. I saw alldolledup do a review on this product in her "Beauty Products on a Budget" video and she seemed happy with the results even after a short period of time so I thought I would give it a whirl too. I haven't tried this one yet, but it uses a small percentage of hydrogen peroxide formula as the whitening ingredient to deliver 3 shades lighter teeth after 4 weeks of use. I'll be sure to let you know how this one goes.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you recommend from the drugstore?

New Kicks: Boot-ylicious

On Valentine's day, I relieved an e-mail from Wanted Shoes saying they had a one day only 20% off sale. So I decided to treat myself a little bit and buy myself a gift (I know, naughty!) as I had been eyeing off some shoes for a while now.

The purchase was totally inspired by Mariannan, a blogger that can pull just about any look off. I adore her ability to pair basics with statement pieces and really dress them up or down. I'm also trying to learn to appreciate neutral basics and bring more of them into my wardrobe after seeing what you can do with some accessories and layering. 

(… That being said, long live my true style obsession... prints!)

With all this in mind, I spoilt myself and bought some suede, black ankle boots by Windsor Smith. The style I chose are called the 'Shetland' and I love them to bits! 

I wore them out to dinner followed by dancing last night and they were really comfortable and sturdy as they have a mid-sized and quite thick heel. The sole is also quite chunky so I'm hoping they should last for a while to come! The shoes were comfy from the first wear and I gave them the ultimate test, whether I could last in them for a night out - I did, but my legs were aching by the end of it which is probably more of a reflection on my crazed boogying.

I'm exited to try these out with more outfits. Have you fallen into the ankle boot trend yet?

Empties: Products I've Used Up #1

Skincare is definitely the beauty department that I splurge and experiment with the most. Over the past 8 months I have been battling against the acne scars with a full arsenal of lotions and potions. After years of fighting against blemishes, I only get the odd breakout (which I am very happy about!) but I would love to get rid of the acne evidence altogether and feel more confident to rock a fresh face more often. Hence, any product that mentions brightening, correcting, firming or tightening is likely to take my fancy and perhaps, share a car ride home with me. 

If you're interested in what I think about these products read on. Without further ado, lets find out whether these products aren't just tried but also true!

From left to right: 1. Olay Complete Defence daily UV moisturising lotion SPF 30, 2. Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturiser SPF15, 3. Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, 4. Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam, 5. Alpha-H Liquid Gold, 6. Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator.

1. I use an array of serums morning and night in my skincare routine to help fade the dark spots, but it would be hopeless if I let the sun have its way with them. I've been using a lot of moisturisers with added SPF to make sure the progress I have made is being shielded. I love the Olay Complete Defence daily UV moisturising lotion SPF30, it feels very light and the fragrance is mild. I picked up the sensitive alternative which hasn't irritated by skin at all. It even works as a good base for makeup!

2. While this is only a trial size of the Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturiser SPF15, I really enjoyed using it. It's very gentle and is 100% fragrance free. The "brightening" effects of this moisturiser were not apparent to me because I was of course using this in conjunction with my serums so it's difficult to tell which products are really doing the trick at times. It definitely hydrates and soothes  my skin but the full-size version would drain my bank account, so I'll keep hunting for other alternatives.

3. The Aveeno Positively Radiant range was introduced to me by missglamorazzi on Youtube so I immediately raced to the store and picked up the Skin Brightening Daily Scrub as I trust her opinions and suspect we have a similar skin type. The "scrub" barely feels that it is scrubbing at all mostly because of the addition of microbeads as an alternative to the standard exfoliants. I don't mind the scrubbing sensation that products like St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub provide, but I know many people who hate it and think that Aveeno have hit the nail on the head by describing this product as "gentle". The Positively Radiant range by Aveeno products intend to improve "tone, texture, dullness, blotchiness and brown spots" and it can't have made that badder of an impression as I even bought more of the range after trying this product! Aveeno is a brand that I will be checking out more, as an affordable and effective alternative to some high end skincare.

4. The Clinique Anti-blemish range has been a holy grail and fail proof option for me over the past year. It totally clears my skin and helps tame the few blemishes that I do get. Therefore, I adore the Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam for this reason. The range can be drying but if you use it in conjunction with a good moisturiser, this can be quickly fixed!

5. I purchased Alpha-H Liquid Gold on a whim after hearing Ruth from amodelrecommends rave about it. Liquid Gold is a chemical exfoliant with glycolactic acid which helps to stimulate the skins natural renewal cycle. This product promises so much but I think it also delivers - it helps to remove dead skin cells, reduce breakouts and diminish hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. After using this product intensively overnight my skin feels smooth and looks much calmer.

6. Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator is a gorgeous, non-irritating product which puts some moisture back into my skin following my cleansing and toning routine.

I know, so many Clinique products! It's a security blanket of mine as my skin has only ever reacted well to the brand and after having such awful acne previously, I don't want to test it too much. However,  following this clear out, I'm going to be trying out a new skincare routine consisting mostly of Michael Todd True Organics. Wish me luck!

 What have you used up lately?