Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Cheap
Thrifty Finds No. 7: Charity Shops
0
8 years
by Naomi in Uncategorized
For most of this week I’ve had a well earned break from work, and on Wednesday afternoon my mum and I went thrift shopping for the first time in months. We decided to head to two local towns to browse the charity shops, and it was well worth the trip, as I managed to find some fantastic bargains!
Be Beau Studded Cardigan – £1.00
Jaeger Striped Shirt – £1.00
Omen Skeleton T Shirt – £1.00
Lipsy Lace Bolero – £3.00
Living Dead Souls Leopard Print Cardigan – £3.50
Zara Shirt – £3.75
Farhi Maxi Skirt – 99p
Books – 75p and 50p
Total Spend: £15.49
I’m really pleased with this haul as I managed to get pieces for work and leisure, from some great brands. My two favourites are the Zara shirt, which looks great with black skinnies and heels, and the Lipsy lace bolero. The bolero still had its tags attached so is brand new, and was actually £15.00 in the Lipsy sale, so at £3.00 was an absolute steal!
Naomi x
Summer Sandals from Shusole
1Though I have an ever-expanding collection of shoes, most of them are black, and most of them just don’t cut it for every day summer wear. As such, lately I’ve been on the look out for some lighter, and more sunny-weather-appropriate shoes, and the latest addition to my collection is this pair of Ciara Flatform shoes, from online women’s footwear specialists Shusole.
I’ve spotted two big trends on the highstreet this season – pastel brights and platforms – and these beauties tick both boxes. The sandals fasten at the side with a buckle, and have a strappy design reminiscent of ’90s-style jelly shoes, but with an open toe. The platform is around 4 inches high, but despite the height they’re incredibly comfortable as the sole is cushioned, and they’re flat so very easy to walk in.
I absolutely love the colour of these shoes. They’re a gorgeous bright pink that adds a perfect pop of colour to my (mostly) black wardrobe, but the pastel element gives them a dusky hue, rather than an overwhelming fluorescence, which I prefer. However, if pink isn’t your thing, they’re also available in black, white, green, orange, or yellow.
These sandals are so easy to style too. I’ve paired them with leggings and a long top for a casual day look, but they also look really cute with a strappy sun dress, a skater skirt, or even skinny jeans! I’m sure they’ll be featuring in some style posts in the coming months, so keep an eye out.
These Ciara Flatform Shoes cost just £13.49, which for a good quality pair of pretty, versatile sandals is an absolute steal. And even cheaper than Primark and suchlike too! Check them out here.
Naomi x
*These Ciara Flatform Shoes were sent to me by Shusole for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Primark PS Love Lip Gloss
1
9 years
by Naomi in Lips
Last weekend I bought this PS Love lip gloss from Primark, to replace the day-to-day gloss that I was using previously. At £1.50 I wasn’t expecting much, and was even slightly dubious about buying it as I thought it would be sticky like a lot of cheap glosses tend to be, but it’s actually a really lovely gloss.
The gloss comes in a squeezy tube, with a square applicator brush attached. To apply, you just squeeze the tube gently and a small amount of gloss oozes into the brush, which can then be applied to the lips. I actually prefer this method of application to the typical sponge wand, as the gloss seems to go on more evenly in a thinner layer.
The consistency of the gloss is also really nice. Rather than being sticky it’s light and moisturising, so doesn’t feel uncomfortable and drying on the lips. I’d even go as far to say I like it more than Illamasqua’s lip glosses in terms of consistency, as theirs tend to be quite gloopy! It also lasts a fair while compared to a lot of glosses I own, and stays put without fading for a good few hours before reapplication is needed.
There are a few different shades of this gloss available, including a red and a pale pink, but I settled for this purple toned fuchsia pink as I think it best suits my skin tone. I wasn’t expecting amazing pigmentation considering the price, but I was proven wrong. The colour is really pretty and perfect for spring, and it’s actually quite highly pigmented, so gives fairly bold coverage rather than sheer. It also tints the lips slightly, so even when it wears off, there is still a subtle hint of colour left behind.
Overall, the quality of this Primark lip gloss is impressively high, and at £1.50 it’s worth stocking up on.
Have you ever tried any Primark make up? What did you think of it?
Naomi x
Thrifty Finds No.4: Car Boot
3
9 years
On Sunday I decided to indulge, yet again, in one of my favourite hobbies – thrifting – and got up bright and early to go to two car boot sales in Leicestershire. In particular I was hoping to find some bargainous clothes to add to my spring/summer wardrobe, and though I came away from the first car boot with nothing (how disappointing!), the second was a veritable treasure trove of fashion! For the grand total of just £4.50 I managed to get a waterfall cardigan, a thin knit jumper, a t-shirt, and my absolute favourite find of the day, a pair of wedge shoes.
Z Black and grey striped waterfall cardigan £1.50
Next Thin knit black jumper 50p
River Island Skeleton heart t-shirt 50p
Truffle Black velvet wedge shoes £2.00
Total: £4.50
I’m really pleased with this little thrifty haul, and I’m looking forward to styling each item in outfit posts in the near future. Which is your favourite piece?
Naomi x
Thrifty Finds No.3: Topshop Leather Bag
3
9 years
Yesterday was a lovely sunny day in Leicester, and it saw the start of the car boot season! I’m a sucker for a good car boot, so I forewent my Sunday lie-in and headed to Measham car boot, with a purse full of change, to see what treasures I could find. As I expected, it was VERY busy, and though there were hundreds of stalls I only came away with a few bits and pieces. In fact, all I bought was some pins and a tape measure for my sewing projects, which I’m pleased about as I needed them and they were an absolute bargain, and the best bargain of all… a real leather Topshop bag, which cost the princely sum of just £1!
Admittedly, the bag is showing a few signs of use (a couple of studs are missing and the lining has been stitched in one place), but the leather is beautifully soft and in excellent condition, and it still has plenty of wear left in it. I love the slightly slouchy style too. I’d been looking for a generously sized plain black leather shoulder bag for months, and this is ideal. It’s really roomy, with a large main compartment and smaller side and internal pockets – perfect for work or a shopping trip.
Will you be going car booting this year? What do you hope to find?
Naomi x
2True 3 in 1 Concealer
0This review has been sitting in my drafts for ages now, so I thought it was about time I shared it with you all!
Whenever I’m tired (which is most of the time) I tend to get dark circles under my eyes. Not bags, just circles, and I’ve always had trouble finding an affordable concealer that will cover them. In the past I’ve mainly used concealer sticks, but they’re more suited to covering blemishes and they never do a very good job, so a few months ago I decided to pick up a liquid concealer to try. Whilst browsing Superdrug for the perfect shade I tried many concealers from different brands, most of which were too orange or too dark for my pale skin tone, but whilst checking the cheapest stand in the shop, 2True, I was surprised to find the ideal match – their 3 in 1 Concealer in Shade 1, for just £1.99.
The concealer comes packaged in a very basic looking tube, complete with a soft, angled wand for easy application. The packaging is nothing to shout about, and in all honesty it is fairly impractical as it gets very messy, very quickly (as you can see below), and it’s impossible to get the last dregs of product out of the tube. But for £1.99 I’m not complaining too much!
The concealer has a light, creamy consistency and can be blended easily with a fingertip into all nooks and crannies. It also dries fairly quickly so it’s perfect for the morning rush, and it doesn’t go powdery or tight on the skin. In fact, I actually find it quite moisturising, without being greasy, and it leaves your skin looking smooth with an even tone.
The concealer goes on very pale, but once blended it is a brilliant match for light skin tones, with its lightness giving the skin a little boost of radiance. For a bargain concealer the coverage is actually quite impressive, and it covers up my dark circles well, and stays put for a good while. By the evening the dark circles start to show through again however, so it does need touching up/reapplying if you’re heading out anywhere.
Unblended
Coverage (with foundation)
Other than the impractical packaging, this concealer is a little gem and at £1.99 you really can’t go wrong. I’m already onto my second tube and it makes a nice little addition to my make up bag, and I use it on a daily basis for work to hide the signs of tired eyes. It gets a big thumbs up from me!
Naomi x
Beauty Stocking Fillers for £5 and Under
4
10 years
This year seems to have gone incredibly fast, and Christmas is almost upon us. I’m sure by now we are all well into our Christmas shopping (I’ve been extremely organised this year and only have a couple of bits left to get!), but I thought I’d put together a few festive themed posts over the next week or two to help with that last-minute rush. I have spent a while lately trawling the shops and internet for stocking filler ideas, so today’s post features my pick of the best beauty stocking fillers for £5 and under.
Clockwise from Top Left:
Orly Nail Polish £3.99 from Fragrance Direct / Lacura Aqua Moisture Cream £1.99 from ALDI / SuperDrama Mascara £5.00 (was £10.00) from Avon / Halo Futuristic Nail Glitter £4.50 from ASOS / Denman Small Styling Brush £4.99 from Fragrance Direct / Ginger Sparkle Hand Cream £4.00 from The Body Shop / Momiji Mini Gift Set £5.00 from M&S / 3 in 1 Nail Art Pearl Gem Pen £4.50 from Claire’s / MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer £3.00 from MUA / MUA Luxe Glitter Palette £4.00 from MUA / Montagne Jeunesse Strawberry Souffle Face Mask £0.99 from New Look / Snow Fairy Shower Gel £3.50 for 100g from LUSH / Metal Eyelash Curler £3.25 from John Lewis
I hope you all find this edit helpful! If you have any £5 or under stocking filler ideas to add, please comment below as I’d love to see what you’ve come across.
Check back soon for my next Christmas post, featuring Spend and Save Christmas Gift ideas.
Happy Shopping!
Naomi x
Primark Autumn/Winter Coat
6
10 years
by Naomi in Fashion
If there’s one thing I absolutely hate shopping for, it’s coats. Every year I end up trailing around shops for hours, trying on coats that just don’t look or feel right, before eventually settling for something that I don’t particularly like. This year, however, was different. I walked into Primark, picked up the first coat that caught my eye, tried it on and, much to my surprise, I loved it! And, to make things even better, it only cost £25 – a third of what last year’s coat cost me.
Primark Coat / Primark Leggings / Deichmann Boots / Butler & Wilson Skull Necklace / Royal British Legion Poppy Pin
I’m usually really fussy about coats as I don’t like them too long or too short, and I don’t like them to be shapeless either, but I absolutely love the length and shape of this coat. It fits really nicely and the slightly puffy shoulders balance out the flared bottom. The coat fastens with an off centre zip and a faux leather tie belt, which is perfect for this season’s leather trend, and it also has a large lapel collar and good-sized angled pockets.
Though it’s not the warmest of coats, it’s been keeping me toasty on windy Autumn days, and its simplicity means it can be dressed up throughout Winter with cosy scarves, snoods, hats and gloves. For me, that’s a bonus, as bulky hoods tend to annoy me and I’d rather accessorize anyway. I also went up a size so I could wear jumpers and layers underneath, as going one size bigger with this coat doesn’t look bulky and wrong, due to its fitted shape.
What do you think of my Primark bargain?
Naomi x
Blog Sale: UPDATE!
0Hi everyone,
I hope you’re all enjoying the weekend.
This is just a quick update to let you know that I have just added some new items to my blog sale, mostly clothes, and reduced the prices of almost everything else! If you want to see what I have for sale, click here, or visit the ‘Blog Sale’ tab above. If anything takes your fancy you can either comment on the post or email .
Thanks!
Naomi x
Thrifty Finds No.2: ASOS Rabbit Across Body Bag
3
10 years
As my regular readers will know, I’m always on the hunt for a bargain, and last week something special caught my eye through the window of my local Oxfam charity shop – a gorgeous little bag with a rabbit motif on the front. Unfortunately the shop was closed, but I knew I needed that bag, so the next morning I whizzed on down to buy it, with my fingers firmly crossed in the hope that it hadn’t already been sold. Luckily it hadn’t, and I was surprised to find that a) it was an ASOS bag (I half expected it to be from Primark), and b) it looked brand new!
A quick Google search revealed that, though ASOS no longer stock this bag, it was quite a popular design last Autumn/Winter, and cost £20.00 on their website, and is regularly being sold on eBay second-hand for close to that. I paid the small sum of £4.99 for mine, which I’m very pleased with considering it looks new!
The bag itself is made of mink coloured faux leather and is also lined. It has a nice sturdy shape to it and is accented with gold corners and, of course, that beautiful little rabbit motif. The strap is long so it fits across the body, and adjusts with a buckle. I just love it, and though it’s not a colour I’d usually wear, it’s neutral enough to go with almost anything.
What do you think of this thrifty find?
Naomi x
