Collective Haul

 On Monday, after a lecture, I decided to pop into town to wait for the rain to ease off. I headed to Superdrug with the intention of getting a new foundation, something I've been putting off for ages (foundation in my opinion is boring and unpredictable!). As I was searching for a foundation it suddenly started hailing, so I decided I'd stay in Superdrug and make the most of it being quiet. This resulted in me picking up a few things; repurchases and new products to try! Following this, while I was nearby, I thought I'd also pop into Primark and have a mooch. I ended up getting a few little random things which I thought were worth showing too!

Stay Matte Pressed Power in "Transparent

Wake Me up Foundation

Colour Tattoo Leather Effect in "Creamy Beige"

Lasting Finish 25 hour Nude Foundation

Lasting Perfection Concealer

Lasting perfection, Wake me up foundation and the pressed powder were all repurchases. I've really missed my Rimmel pressed powder (after dropping it and smashing it to pieces a few weeks ago- oops!) so this was a no brainer. Also I've been meaning to repurchase the lasting perfection concealer for a while as its my go to concealer as it does such a good job. Finally, the Wake Me Up foundation is a lovely glowy foundation and I thought it would be a lovely foundation to transition into lighter makeup for spring/summer.

The other two purchases; Colour Tattoo eyeshadow and Lasting Finish foundation are products I've never tried before. I've tried the shimmery Colour Tattoos but never tried a leather effect one and this shade looks like it will make the perfect base colour! I've heard a few things about the (relatively new) Lasting Finish foundation and thought I'd give it a go. They do a similar one but a higher coverage but this one seems to provide a good medium coverage but I've only used it once so can't really say much more than that!

Disney Socks

Eye Lash Curlers

"Important Stuff" Box

The Little Mermaid Pajama Top

I've seen these adorable Bambi socks on quite a few blogs and could not resist getting some for myself, despite having way too many socks already! You can't deny they are seriously cute though! Also on the Disney theme I got a little mermaid pajama top (see the top of the post), which probably as a nearly 21 year old should really not got as excited about as I did but but but Disney! My boyfriend's face was not impressed when I showed him this but I think it will make the perfect lounge top!

I haven't had any eyelash curlers for a while now, mainly because I don't feel I've needed them in the past and because they are quite a scary looking contraption! However, for £1 I thought I'd give these a whirl and to use on days when I want to give my lash an extra bit of curl.

Lastly, the "Important Stuff" box was a bit of a random purchase but I'm soon moving and won't have as much space as I currently do so won't be able to have my jewellery tree etc. So I thought this would be nice to just put jewellery in or maybe use it for other little bits and pieces I haven't quite decided! 

I'm so happy with my little haul, however, I am now officially on a spending ban until further notice! Let me know what you think of my haul in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons 

Hayley x

January/Current Favourites

Blistex Lip care solutions/ Makeup Revolution eyeshadow// Baby Lips// Barry M- Ballerina// Lush fresh face masks// Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

Yes, I know, we are nearly half way through February now but I had this post all written up then got really ill and completely forgot to edit and post it. But here it is! Due to my attempt to save money and trying to use up existing products, I don't have many favourites. However the above have been essential and highly necessary for this time of year not just January!

Lips

This weather has really not agreed with my skin, lips, health etc and one thing I can't stand is chapped flakey lips! I love all of the Blistex products and usually apply these morning and evening as they're more of a deeper treatment. During in the day, I always make sure I have my trustee Baby Lips!

 

Makeup

Bizarrely I haven't had many make up favourites lately, I've been trying to give my skin a break and keeping it simple. However,  my Makeup Revolution eye-shadows had a lot of loving! I have a couple of their palettes and love the wide selection of colours. At such an affordable price they're great for someone like me who isn't very skilled at using eyeshadow. Plus I find they are really long lasting which is perfect for me as I never find the time in the day to touch up my makeup!

Nails
For nails, I'm over wearing all the dark reds and wintery colours but am not ready for the pastels for spring so my nail varnish of choice has been Barry M "Ballerina". It's the perfect subtle pink but not quite a nude shade, I've recently bought "Berry ice cream" which is similar toned but purple. Although I've not wanted to transition to pastels just yet I could resist but buy some of the new Barry M quick dry polishes (post coming soon)!

Skin

My favourite thing to do in the winter evenings in to whack on a mask. I've been using the Lush fresh face masks and they have not disappointed. They leave my skin feeling squeaky clean and super soft!
 Finally, my Liz Earle cleanse and polish. I purchased this near the beginning of the January. I'm not going to say much about it as I'm going to do a full review but I have been using this every day since I've got it!

What are yo current favourites?Let me know in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons

Hayley x

DGJ Organic Hair; Hangover Hair Range*

"We all know what a hangover feels like and our hair is no different. Pollution, diet and lifestyle can all take their toll. Our luxury shampoo contains wheat protein, coconut derived extracts, vitamins, honey and organic lavender to detoxify and revitalise all hair types." 

-DGJ Organic Hair

My hair hasn't been in the greatest condition for a while now, I wouldn't say I have got split ends or exactly damaged hair, I just feel its been looking a bit meh, know what I mean? It's been looking dull, lifeless and the cold weather and being ill has completely dried it out. So when I had the chance to try these I jumped at the chance and it seems that these products are just what my locks need! If your hair is in need of a detox and bringing back to life then I may have the products for you!

DGJ Organics 

If you're like me and never heard of the brand DGJ Organics you may be interested to know that it was developed 10 years ago by a celebrity hairdresser and colourist,  Daniel Galvin Junior. All the products are organically led which means they do not contain harsh chemicals and little or no foaming agents. They state on the packaging that this may effect how much the product foams- I didn't notice a difference at all!

 Shampoo and Conditioner

 I confess I was slightly concerned when I saw that these products were Lavender and did wonder whether I would be keen on using the scent on my hair. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how the aroma of the essential oil in these products makes the whole showering experience incredibly relaxing and soothing. I usually wash my hair in the evenings so this is perfect for unwinding after a long day, it really relaxes the mind and does wonders for your hair at the same time!  This combination of products has left my hair in a lot better condition it really has brought life back into my hair. It definitely gives a lovely glossy finish to the hair and makes it look incredibly healthy. I would confidently say the products do what they claim to do and make a noticeable difference!

 

Hair repair

I love the shampoo and conditioner, however, I'm not so sure about the hair repair. With the shampoo and conditioner being so good at their job I didn't feel I really needed to be using anything else. Plus, to me, this didn't seem any more intense than just the usual conditioner. I'm going to carry on using this and see if it does make a difference over time. However, my boyfriend has been using this and said that he's noticed a difference in his hair condition. So I think if you have a shampoo and conditioner you already like and are looking for a good conditioning treatment then this may be a good product to try to see if it suits your hair. Also if you get a lot of split ends I can see this product making a huge difference!

Verdict? 

Both shampoo and conditioner are priced at £5.99 each and the hair repair is priced at £5.49 which is more expensive than maybe what you would pay in a drugstore but for a salon tested luxury hair care I think it is well worth the pennies! I'd definitely buy the shampoo and conditioner again as I think they've a massive difference to my hair. As for the hair repair, I think it maybe just didn't suit my hair or that it doesn't give as immediate effects as the shampoo and conditioner. I'm really keen to try other products from DGJ organics, they have an Argan Oil range which if its anything as good as this range I recon is worth a try!

Have you tried any products from DGJ Organics? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons!

Hayley x 

First Impressions: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

For the last few days all that has been filling my Twitter feed is photos of the latest issue of ELLE and the sample of Benefit's latest mascara release; "Roller Lash"! While I'm not someone who often gives into the hype this time I could not resist. Many times I've been tempted to try the famous Benefit "They're Real" but have never given in so when I saw the little cute sample size of the new Roller Lash (who can resist a cute sample sized product?!) then I knew I had to give it a whirl!

First Impressions

I've never really experimented with Benefit products, as you'll probably see from my blog, I'm more of a drugstore kind of gal. Being a student, as much as I liked to, I can't go splashing my cash on something I might not even like or be wearing after a few weeks. Honestly, a part of me wanted to write this post and tell you how it is nothing compared to my favourite drugstore Maybelline mascaras. However, I can't deny it, this mascara did not fail to impress! When I first looked at the brush I had a very good feeling about it, it has everything I look for. Application of this product is lovely, it grips the lashes and leaves them looking incredible and really opens up my eyes. First impressions= Very Positive!

Buying the full size?!

I've got to confess, from my first impressions, I probably will splash the cash and buy this mascara in full size as I can possibly see this product becoming an every day staple! However, before its release in March there is some other new releases that I've got my eye on such as the new Maybelline Lash Sensational (which has a very similar brush- possible dupe?!).

If you haven't already, get your hands on the latest issue of ELLE and try it out for yourself! If you have tried it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Hayley x