Thou Shalt Not Steal

... but will buy bargainous cosmetics and skincare for a metaphorical steal instead. 

Beauty Steals is a great new website offering high street cosmetics, skincare and fragrances at discounted prices. They stock well known brands like O.P.I, MAC, Benefit, Urban Decay, Revlon, Maxfactor, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Bourjois, NYC... and the list just goes on. I've never bought MAC, Urban Decay or Benefit simply because I've gotten so used to 'drug-store' brands and prices that paying anything over those is painful. With this website though, I know I'll be back and keeping tabs on the more expensive products. 

Not only can you treat yourself to something a little more expensive for less, but you can also find discontinued items at a great price too. It's inevitable that at some point we will have fallen in love with a particular product, only to be told it's been discontinued causing us to cry all the way home on the bus. Enter Beauty Steals! They are often getting new stock in so it's always worth having a peep at who they get in.

Want a final cherry on the cake? Their P&P is free! You read right, there's no minimum spend to ensure eligibility, meaning your bargains remain bargains. It's crazy how much a £3.95 postage fee can ruin a great find.

A few bits!

Revlon Colorstay Quad Shadow in 'Lavender Meadow' - £3.59*

When I initially saw this palette, I thought 'gosh, I'll never wear those colours'. I think I've gotten so used to neutrals that purples were a big shock. Truth be told, the more I looked at the palette, the more I liked the colours and I could see they would blend perfectly. When it got to the swatches I fell head over heels for the colours, they really come into their own out of the palette and onto the skin. The shades are supposed to look freshly applied for 12 hours but I'd be inclined to wear a primer anyway. These will be perfect for Springtime looks alongside florals and denim! 

Girls Aloud Party Lashes - £5.99*

I've not tried these yet because I have massively shaky hands and I didn't want to ruin them! The application of my Katy Perry Eyelure lashes didn't go well as they got contorted and twisted in ways I didn't know possible. I look forward to giving them a go when I have a reason to wear them, hopefully at a family wedding this summer. With a mixture of short and long lashes I hold hope that they will blend in well with my existing lashes and will look natural compared to the others in the range. These are my favourites of the Party Lashes by far, the rose gold studs are bang on trend.  

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry in Intense and Minx - £3.49* each

I love the brushes that these polishes come with, they lay flat against the nail and spread well. You need to apply a couple of coats to be sure of great coverage, particularly with 'Intense', but in the end they pay off with a super glossy finish. They dry insanely quick which is great for me as I'm always catching my nails after I've painted them. I love the glittery flecks both shades have, but particularly 'Intense', as the blue flecks amongst the dark lacquer really set it off - this is my new favourite dark shade. 

Laval Celebrity Lash Comb Mascara - £5.26*

I've never heard of the brand 'Laval' but kept an open mind. Unfortunately, it lives up to expectation of a cheap discount store brand which I was so gutted about. Taking the wand for the first time you could feel the product compacted inside the tube, in my clumsiness I actually caught the brush on the end of my nose but nothing transferred - there was nothing on the brush! After a few 'pumps' retrieving the product, the brush turned out to be useless at separating the lashes and the product went on practically dry meaning eyelashes clumped instantly. The product was so dry and hard to apply that it didn't reach the lash line and, when removing, it fell off in black flecks all over my face. It also smelt uncannily like PVA glue. The only thing it did well was lengthen my lashes slightly. I wouldn't pay £5.26 for this.

Olay Gentle Cleansers Conditioning Milk - £4.99*

As you may have seen from an earlier post, I'm a complete skincare novice and I'm slowly building up my knowledge. I couldn't place what a 'conditioning milk' was supposed to do, but I've treated it no different to any other cleanser, massaging into the skin and then rinsing. With cucumber and aloe extracts it smells great - but not too strong - and makes your skin feel super refreshed. I think this will be great for everyday use, conditioning your face and getting rid of muck, but I'm not sure how effective it will be removing heavy eye make up. I've not used it for a long amount of time so only time will tell if it breaks me out or if I have a reaction to it (which I might because my skin is SO awkward). It's designed for normal/dry/combination skin, so here's hoping.

Have you bought anything from Beauty Steals? Or are you heading over there now? I'd love to know your bargains!

Psst. They currently have Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eyeshadows for £4.20

Purely Natural '2 Dry Cleanser'

I am a self confessed skincare/cleansing novice. I have no 'routine' per se; I simply drink a lot of water and wash with nothing special. I've been influenced by plenty of beauty bloggers to expand on my skincare and maybe pick up a routine, and whilst I was on the hunt for something new, Purely Natural Skincare were on the hunt for bloggers to review some of their products - a match made in heaven. I'll introduce you quickly to Purely Natural Skincare. They're a company dedicated to creating 100% natural and handmade skincare products which are chemical free, cruelty free and vegan friendly, all of which are made in Great Britain. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience on their website giving out tips and tricks on how to cope with different types of skin and skin conditions, what you can try and do to improve your skin, plus a comprehensive list of natural ingredients and their benefits. What impresses me most is they don't just take into account sensitive, damaged, dry, 'normal' and oily skin with their grades (0 Tolerance, 1 for all, 2 dry, 4 Oily) but they also pay attention to skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema and even cellulite. 

I've not got 'bad' skin, however that may be defined,  but I can be prone to dry, sore and sensitive skin particularly at the edges of my nose and the top of my cheek bones, therefore I opted for the '2 Dry Cleanser' and gave it a whirl over the course of a week. I've always been wary about trying products littered with chemicals and harsh ingredients. I've not always been convinced that they actually do any good; I've had my fair share of bathroom dramas featuring stinging moisturisers, so I was really excited to try it. 

As you can see they send a little tip sheet along with your product specifically aimed at the type of skin you have, handy stuff! When I popped it open I was initially greeted by a lovely herby smell, a great plus as there's nothing worse than having skincare or makeup items having an unpleasant aroma about them when you put them on your face. The consistency, as noted by other bloggers, is definitely like cookie dough. I was initially surprised but of course had nothing to compare it against as I've never used a cleanser before. It's simple enough to use; you crumble off as much or as little of the 'dough' as you like, you don't need a huge amount, and add to a small amount of water before rubbing between your hands to create a paste. It breaks down incredibly easily. I think the last time I stood at the sink in awe was when I had one of those magic flannels that expanded in water. I'm unsure of what the consistency should be, but I found it to be more effective when it was thicker as a couple of times I accidentally added too much water and I didn't feel the same gratifying effects. 

You simply massage into the skin and problem areas in a circular motion, and despite the particles in it, it doesn't feel half as grainy as I thought it would. Rinsing off was one of the toughest parts, we've got quite a small sink and simply chucking water over your face is nowhere near as easy as you think it is - after I had finished the first time it looked like Shamu had fallen through the roof of the house and landed in the bath. I find I get the best, but messiest, results when rinsing with handfuls of water. I've been using large cotton wool pads the past few nights to save mess, but you must rinse it off thoroughly or you may find rogue drying particles which add to your already dry skin. Maybe using it in the shower would be a good idea? A couple of times whilst rinsing I've got bits in my eyes, but please bare in mind I am ridiculously clumsy so this could well just be me.

Now, onto the nitty gritty - the results! I've been using it every night and my skin feels amazingly refreshed after a long day, not only that but my skin looks incredibly smooth, and feels gloriously tight (something I never expected). I can imagine it would be a great wake up aid in the morning so would be tempted to use it twice a day rather than once as recommended. It's caused no redness or soreness which I'm prone to but I do appear to have developed a couple more dry patches over the last couple of uses (sad face). I'm unsure whether this is due to not having put on moisturiser with it ( I initially wanted to see what the cleanser was capable of by itself), not rinsing off properly, having more sensitive skin than I ever imagined or simply because my stress levels have shot through the roof the past two days. Needless to say I will still be using this regularly, it was doing a great job of ridding dry patches on it's own and the two small ones I have now aren't noticeable, it's only because I can feel them that I know they're there - I have hope! 

It retails for £6.95 which is great for an organic, vegan, all singing and all dancing cleanser. Due to natural ingredients it has a shelf life of approximately 4 months but that shouldn't be a problem if you are going to be using it every day. 

In the end, would I buy this in the future? Possibly, BUT I would be more inclined to buy the '0 tolerance cleanser' instead which is especially designed for sensitive skin and use alongside the '2 dry moisturiser' for a killer combo.

Take a look at their website here and have a look at their great range. There's a cheeky sale on at the moment too so you can get a gift pack featuring two products for cheaper than buying them both separately. 

Will you be trying them? Or have you already?