Why, hello there...

I am pretty excited about this haul, so I wont blabber on for too long and just show you what I got!

I love fruity scented stuff, and I've never tried Alberto Balsam shampoo before, and for a pound, I thought why not!


I FEEL LIKE A REALY BEAUTY BLOGGER NOW! I've finally got my hands on maybelline's Baby lips! incredibly late on the bandwagon but I finally got one! Hopefully I'll put a review up soon!


This was a great little find in a charity shop. I sometimes get samples of perfumes through the post or in magazines, so this little bottle is perfect for keeping the samples in! Also it looks really pretty on my shelf!

Hope you enjoyed this little post, have you done any hauls recently? Have you tried any of these products?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but I'm finally getting round to doing it! 

Last week I got baptised! Loads of people have been saying 'haven't you been baptised before?' or 'weren't you baptised when you were born?'. For my church it's a bit different. We can be dedicated/christened when we're born, but we have the choice to be baptised when we're older and we feel ready.It's just to show the church that you're committed to the church, and it's a pretty big celebration! Anyhoo, it was easily one of the best weekends I've ever had because all my friends (with a few exceptions who couldn't make it down, we missed you lots) came down for the day or for the weekend which was so much fun! you were all so kind and generous and I got some lovely cards and prezzies!

Me and Joel singing + baptism

As you can see I got quite a few books on daily devotions, but I'm sure they will all be put to good use! The Card at the top was made by my beautiful best friend Grace out of an old bible, it's so cool! She also got me the book in the top left corner, the ring and the cross bracelet in the bottom left (both from Accessorize), they're so pretty! Thank you to everyone who got me a present or a card, they're all still up in my living room! (I did have a box of chocolates, but most of them are gone now...)
If it wasn't for Helter Skelter and the amazing people I've met over the last year, I probably wouldn't be in the place that I am now. I can't say how much I appreciate them all.

Just a quick post! If you have any questions or would like to know more, my email is in the links|contacts page at the top of the blog!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

I've noticed a sudden boom in the amount of people using eye-lash curlers recently, but I've always been a bit sceptical about them. Do they actually do anything or make a difference? Or are they an over-rated product? Lets find out...

Technic Eye lash Curlers, Bodycare, £1.25

Without curlers + Mascara      |     With curlers + Mascara

My eyes look hilarious in these, plus my camera isn't great quality so I apologise for this, but you get the general gist of it.
You can see a definite difference in the first 2 photos, but personally i can't really tell much difference on the last 2. There is bit of a lift but it's not a massively noticeable difference. Maybe I haven't done it right or maybe I just need some practise, or they would be useful for fake eyelashes? I'm not particularly impressed by them, but maybe if I use them more I'll start to like them.

What's your experiences with eye-lash curlers been like? Do you use them? Any advice for me? Let me know in the comments!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

Just a quick post to let you know that Superdrug are having a weekend offer for all their customers with a rewards card. This weekend only, Superdrug are giving 10 points for every £1 you spend, which is great considering it's usually only 1 point for every £1! 

As well as extra points, if you can't make it to a store they're offering free delivery on all standard orders from their website. So this weekend seems like a good time to do a haul!

Also Beyonce has released a limited edition fragrance in order to commemorate her recent tour, The Mrs Carter show. Superdrug is offering for an introductory price of £19 but this price will only last until tuesday, so grab it while you can! If you want more info, click here.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! If you do decide to have a haul, link me your blog post on it below!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, Hello there...

Clearing out my room the other day and re-arranging it I was sorting out where to put my hair care products, and I thought I would share what I use with you!

As you can see, I don't really use a lot of different products, I just use a lot of these products at one time! I straighten my hair most of the time for school, so protection is always key. My hairdresser is always impressed at how healthy my hair is considering the hot tools I use on a daily basis. I use a lot of the VO5 protect spray on all the sections of my hair when straightening so this is probably why my hair seems so healthy.
Every girl needs their Batiste.
he boots hair spray is actually really good! It doesn't have a brilliant smell but it definitely does the job, and it's very cheap for the massive size you get! I've had mine your ages so you definitely get your moneys worth.
I used to use Dove but my mum started getting these instead, and I love them! They smell great and they're just really nice products.

What you're personal favourite hair-care product? Favourite hair-care brand?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

I have a pretty basic face/body routine for the mornings/evenings. I suffer from eczema (dry skin which makes my skin really itchy so I scratch a lot, particularly on my arms) but this also means I have quite sensitive skin. Using many skin products on my face isn't always the best option as it just clogs up my pores and can cause my skin to get worse. So this is what I use:

I use the body butters on my arms or legs in the summer. Usually my skin is a lot better during the summer as the sun is actually very good for your skin in terms of clearing up dry skin/blemishes.

The foaming face wash is so gentle and gets right into your pores. Unlike creamy or soapy face washes this one is so light and is great for spots as it has tea-tree in it. Aveeno is fantastic. It sinks into your skin straight away so it doesn't leave much of a greasy surface on your skin. I use this on my arms, face, anywhere that needs it!

I originally used the Aveeno eye cream but I ran out and it was on the rather expensive side for the amount you got, so I got this cheap one from boots instead. It seems to be doing the job. I have dark circles under my eyes so this is great for cooling any puffiness and reducing some of the dark circles. I use the tea-tree moisturiser around where my spots are to try and reduce  redness and stop them drying. 

what do you use for your daily routine? Anything here that you use/might use?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

I thought it's about time I did one of these. Seen as though this is a budget blog, it would make sense to show you what I use as a daily make-up routine which is for a very reasonable price and has fairly good quality.

It looks like rather a lot for just a basic make-up look, but I can assure you it's not as bad as it seems...

These are the face products I use:

- Superdrug Foundation brush, £3.99

- Natural Collection Shineaway Foundation, Medium, £2

- MUA Cover and Conceal Wand, Natural, £1.50

- Stay Matte Rimmel Pressed Powder, 005 Silky Beige, £3.99

- ASDA face brush (not sure about price, bought it ages ago)

These are all really great prices for these products! I have quite a lot of spots and blemishes because of eczema so these are all necessary. I also have dark circles under my eyes but the MUA concealer does the job fine! I am hoping to find a different foundation as i've been using this brand for quite a while, so if you have any cheep suggestions, let me know!

  

Eye products:

- Bourjois Volumizer mascara DUPE, £1.69

- Natural Collection Water guard Mascara, black, £1.99

I don't use these at the same time, I'm just showing you the two that I use. The top one is great at giving fanned out lashes and it has a great concept (see my post in it for more details). The natural collection one is actually great for the bottom lashes as it doesn't smudge. Both great products for a great price!

Lip Products:

- Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe Vera, £1.99

- MUA Power Pout, Rendezvous, £3.00

As you can see I use these quite a lot. Vaseline is always a school essential as an alternative to clear lip gloss which I find rather sticky. And it's great for healing your lips especially in the winter. At first I wasn't so sure about this MUA lip product, but I love it now! It's perfect for a neutral look but adds just enough colour to your lips to give your face a bit of oompf. 

Extras:

- 17 Blusher brush, £3.00 

- MUA 2013 Blusher, Bon Bon, £1.00

- Collection 2000 Eye definer, Black, £2.79

I don't always wear these so they're not in the main image. If I feel like it I will wear these, but they're not part of my general make-up routine. But they're good products never the less! Although I do prefer a khol pencil instead of this roll up liner.

Hope this has showed you how you can find a cheep and easy basic make-up routine can be acquired! What are your go-to products? Any all time favourites?

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

This isn't a beauty/fashion related blog post but seen as though this blog is about finding 'cheap' or free alternatives I thought I might as well share this little Gem with you!

I get a regular email from a website called Noisetrade:

This site is brilliant! It has loads of free EPs and Albums from under-the-radar musicians but also has some more popular stuff like Passenger and Matt Corby. The email newsletter is great because it gives you recommended artists and what kind of artist they're like so you have an idea of what kind of music they make. A lot of the music is indie/folk/acoustic/rock kind of style, so if you want to find some new, different music this is the site for you! Also artists can sign up and put their own music up onto the site!

Most of the music is free, but the site does give an option to 'tip' the artist for your purchase so you can give as little as a £1 for a whole album! But you don't have to if you don't want to.

I hope this is helpful to you! If you like these kind of posts let me know down in the comments! Also if you have any other websites or organisations you would like me to look at, leave a link in the comments.

What kind of music are you into? Have you ever used Noisetrade before?

Thanking you,

Naomi 

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Why, hello there...

I was in the shopping centre 'The Bullring' in Birmingham last week before I went to see a gig so I popped into the pound shop because we all wanted some sweets for the journey back. And I found this: 

Calvin Klein! In the pound shop! I was pretty happy to see this, I didn't even know what product it was and just picked it up straight away and paid.

So it turns out it's their 'Tempting Glimmer sheer crème eyeshadow' in the colour Vinyl Black. When I first opened it I hadn't read the label on the back and thought that it was a gel eyeliner because of the was it was packaged. Also it feels very peculiar for an eyeshadow as it is more of a gel consistency. But when applying the swatch above it comes out as a really nice smokey black so it's not too cakey. I personally hardly ever wear black eyeshadow as it makes my undereyes look even darker, but I might have to have a go with this!

Do you have any favourite liquid eyelshadow? Do you use liquid eyeshadow? Let me know in the comments!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

I really needed to tidy my room today because I'll be having a bunch of people over next weekend so I decided to get on with it. Also I felt creative, which doesn't usually happen. So I took full advantage of this.

I made these cute little holders for my brushes, pencils and nail files out of some tiny Jam jars that my mum collects. Usually you can get them in cafe's for marmalade and jam, but it just depends on how big you want them and what you want to store in them. To decorate these I used some metallic permanent markers and some Gold ribbon. Pretty simple really!

I had this Jewellery holder for a while now, I got it as a present from Christmas from a friend, but I've only just put it up! I love it. It's got a vintage/hand make look to it which is so cute. Also as you can see I love my long necklaces so this is perfect to display them with. This one is from Next but I've seen some cheap ones in Claires. 

 Have you got any DIY things you've made around your room? How do you store your jewellery? Let me know in the comments!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

So I love Quidco. 

I just wanted to let you know about a new venture that Quidco has launched. It's called 'Quido Opinions' where you can answer a bunch of surveys and get paid to do them. Yes. Paid to answer questions. The surveys don't always offer a lot of money. But the more you answer, and the more effort you put into the survey the more money you can get.

If you want to find out more about how to make money from Quidco (which includes making money from shopping online) I've done another post on it which you can see if you click here. 

Create an account by clicking on the logo below:

Why, hello there...

Again, I'm sorry I haven't been posting much recently. I've had a lot going on at school and it's been pretty stressful so I haven't had much time to plan posts and stuff, but I've made a bunch of draft posts so when I haven't got time to make one I have one that's pre-made and can post straight away. Anyway, on with the post!

So my last post showed you a nail varnish I bought from Body Care from a brand called 'technic' that was only £1 so I've decided to do a review on it!

The pictures make the polish look lighter than it actually is. On my nails I've put 2 coats as one coat came out quite pinky and a bit translucent, but 2 coats is perfect. The colour is so nice, especially now its autumn/winter time as it's such a warm colour. The name of this one is 'Magenta' but I think it's more red than pink with the 2 coats. 

Also applying it was great! some brushes I find really hard to use, such as Rimmel London as they have a particularly flat bottom to the brush, but this brush was just great for getting around the edges without going over the edge too much. 

I still have to see how long it lasts, but overall for only £1 it's fantastic! I would strongly recommend purchasing one! 

What's your favourite 'cheap' nail varnish/polish? Let me know in the comments so I can have a go with them, and hopefully use some of them in an up-coming 'top nail polishes under £2' post!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, hello there...

First of all I'm sorry I haven't been doing more regular posts. I've been very busy this last week so I haven't had much time to plan anything. Secondly, if you're reading this Joel, don't read any further because your present is on here!

I went in to town the other day to pick up a few bits and ended up buying a few extras. I haven't got much money at the moment so there isn't a great deal, but there's a few thinks I would like to show you.

What other posts would you like to see? Let me know in the comments.

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, Hello there...

Today I wanted to talk about my favourite Beauty magazines and help you decide which are the best ones for you!

These are definitely my go to magazines. I'm personally not a fan of gossip magazines like OK! and such, so these are perfect for me! Company is my all time favourite. They often have discounts on its price (normally £2.50) so I always get them when they're on offer, but I decided to buy this one anyway. Its got loads on fashion from the high-street and loads of make-up ideas, but it also has a few pages dedicated to columnists which are a great read as well. 

Company also includes an advertising space at the back of the magazine, where on-line boutiques and ASOS marketplace websites can advertise. Some of them also offer a % off code which is always good!

I don't buy Glamour as much but this one had a few free samples in it which I've now tested out. It's more for women aged 18-30ish so it has more articles and more stuff from the runway. 

This was 1 of 2 free samples that came in the Glamour magazine, Honey by Mark Jacobs. I was expecting big things from this as everyone seemed to rave about the previous one, Daisy, but to be honest I wasn't keen on this one. I'm not entirely sure how to describe the scent of it, but it kind of reminded me of old peoples perfume. If anyone else can give a half decent description of what they think it smells like, leave it in the comments below!

This was the 2nd of the free samples, Flower In the Air by Kenzo. I really like this one! It kind of reminded me of Elderflower which I love! Also you got a pretty substantial amount in the package, which is great! Literally can't stop smelling my wrists..

You can get both perfumes from fragrance direct here:

Honey - Mark Jacobs

Flowers In the Air - Kenzo

What are your favourite magazines? Do you prefer gossip or beauty magazines? leave your comments below!

Thanking you,

Naomi

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Why, Hello there...

If you don't know or don't have one of these advantage/loyalty cards I'll explain why they're so useful. In Boots for every £1 you spend, you get 4 points on your advantage card (Superdrug is only 1 point for every £1). Each point is equivalent to 1p, which isn't a lot but it soon builds up, especially if you're a beauty blogger or general heath/beauty junkie! You can then spend these points on anything in store (There is some Terms and conditions). For example if you had 500 points that equivalent to £5 so you could buy anything up to the value of £5 using your points. I think this is a great because then every so often you can treat yourself and not even have to pay for it!

Also in boots they have their monthly 'Health and Beauty' magazine which gives loads of seasonal ideas and other ways to spend your points in store, as well as other articles. The great thing is that if you have an advantage card, the magazine is free, which is always a good thing! Each issue comes with a page where you can get extra offers including money off or loads of extra points on certain purchases. I always try to take advantage of these to try and build up my points. 

I love to treat myself to a nail polish when I have enough points. If you have a card what do you buy with your points? 

Thanking you,

Naomi 

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