Blogmas ¦ Day 3 - The beauty reward card roundup

 

I love a good beauty reward card so today I thought I'd show you ones I think are worth having.

 

The Body shop love your body club -

 

Up until very recently the body shop card was £5 a year and you received a free gift when you signed up or renewed. This way you received 10% off everything you bought. Recently they have swapped to a point system where you receive 10 points per pound and each point is worth a penny. They also do offers throughout the year that give members special perks. You can get these points in denominations of £5 and you can use then towards a product or just them. I think this is a really fab card to have especially if you do a lot of shopping in the body shop.

 

Superdrug Beauty card -

 

Out of these four cards I would say that this one is the one that I wouldn't tell you to rush out and get. You receive 1 point per pound which is worth a penny so they do build up really slowly. However they do have special points offers on certain products. The good thing about these is that you can use them in denominations of a £1 towards a shop unlike in boots when you have to pay completely in points or completely in money.

 

Space NK N.dulge card -

 

This one is one I don't use to often however it definitely is well worth it for each pound you spend you receive one point and each point is worth 5p. However if you aren't a regular spender at Space NK points do run out after 12 months if you don't use them. This is one of the cards that I would only suggest getting if you are a regular shopper. You can also be upgraded to a level two card where points are worth 10p however it requires you to spend £1000 over the course of the year and if during the year you have the level two card you don't spend £1000 pound again you go back to being a level one member.

 

Boots Advantage card -

 

Saving the best till last in my eyes this one is the bee's knee's of all the reward cards. For each £1 you spend you receive 4 points and each point is worth 1 penny. I think this one is so brilliant as it means that you can pick up all your toiletries and even your lunch whilst earning 4 points for every pound you spend. Boots also send out vouchers quarterly with things like double points and so many points if you spend a certain amount and they have an app which I'm pretty sure gets new E-vouchers monthly which you can upload straight onto your card. The one complaint I do have about this card is that your points must cover the full amount of your purchase so you can't pay half in points and half in cash or anything like that.

 

So that's my roundup I hope you enjoyed it and if their are any reward cards you feel I'm missing out on let me know in the comments.

 



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Beauty ¦ July favourites

So it's the end of July which means one thing! It's monthly favourites time. I'm not going to say how fast time is going but wow! I've got quite a mixed bag this month so I'm going to get on and talk you through each product.

 

Soap and glory heel genius -

 

This isn't one of those products which I would have gone out and picked up from boots however I found it at the bottom of my big box of beauty products after receiving it in the big Soap and glory set at Christmas. However since it's meant to be summer I decided I should probably take a bit more care of my feet. This has made them super soft and it smells like peppermint.

 

Yankee Orange splash -

 

This was a gift off my lovely friend after I did her prom makeup and I absolutely love it. It's not quite as intense as some of Yankee's other fruity scents which I like as I find sometimes when burning them in my bedroom with the door shut it can get a little intense. This is really citrus-y but still lovely and sweet. I urge you all to go and smell it!

 

Maybelline colour tattoo in Permanent taupe -

 

I've actually been using this in my brows this month. I've been finding that some of my brow products seem to be a little too warm for me at the moment. I'm not sure whether this is because my skin is a little more tanned than usual. This is a super cool toned medium brown so I decided to give it a go in my brows and I really like it. They are lighter than I'm used to but the shade matches my hair colour well.

 



 

Topshop lip velvet in Blood orange -

 

This was one of those random no research purchases to make my feel unique order over £10 so I could get free shipping. This is the most amazing orange toned red which dries matte on the lips. In terms of lasting power it's not quite as long lasting as the Bourjois rouge edition velvets however it does last well over the 6 hour mark. The only thing I find is that if you apply a layer that is too thick it can look really strange and it begins to fall into the lines of the lips.

 

Rimmel Rita Ora nail polish in Neon fest -

 

I think this may be one of the brightest nail polishes I own. It's a neon medium pink shade and I absolutely love it. The formula is lovely to paint with and it dries pretty quickly or a normal nail polish. I get around 3 days wear out of it before it starts to chip but for me that's no problem as I change my polish so often.

 

Superfacialists Vitamin C cleansing oil -

 

I am really loving cleansing oils at the moment and this one is no exception. Once again it smells like oranges (I sense a theme in this favourites) It removes makeup really well even stubborn mascara like They're real. It leaves the face feeling clean but not stripped.

 

 

Schwarzkopf got2b Beach matt sat spray -

 

In the past couple of months I've been really embracing my natural wavy mane and this I brilliant on the days when it needs a little help. I find a lot of salt sprays leave the hair sticky or crispy which I'm pretty sure is something no one wants. This bottle has a really fine spray meaning that it doesn't collect in patches in the hair and it dispenses the product really evenly. If you've got crazy wild hair like mine and you want to enhance the natural wave in it I'd highly recommend this.

 

 



Beauty ¦ May favourites

 

 So you know it's the end of may, (incoming blogger cliché) where has this year gone. I've actually got a mixed bunch of favourites this month. My favourites are usually pretty makeup heavy but I've got a bit of everything this month.

 

L'Oreal Ever Riche No sulphates shampoo and conditioner.

 

I'm not usually one to bother about hair care, as long as my hair feels clean and smells nice I'm not overly bothered. However lately I've had a very dry and sore scalp so I've been on the lookout for a shampoo and conditioner that are a little more gentle. These are perfect they are super gentle but they still smell nice and make my hair feel really clean. I've also found since using these there has been a lot less build up in my hair.

 

Quick fix facials Mega moisture mask.

 

I've only used this a couple of times but I am so in love with it. My skin has been so dry at the moment and nothing seems to be fixing it. However I've found this has pumped some serious moisture into my skin. After two uses my skin feels much more hydrated and plumped and for £4.99 there isn't anything bad about this product.

 

Dove Summer glow nourishing lotion.

 

This is something that I use every summer without fail. It gives the most natural looking and subtle tan but if I use it a couple of times a week you can build up a really lovely and intense tan which still looks natural. However I will mention it does smell like fake tan so you can end up smelling like a barrel of biscuits if you aren't careful.

 

Maybelline Super stay 7 days Nail polish - Hot salsa.

 

I have had this polish on my toes all month as it is the most amazing summery colour. I absolutely love the formula of these polishes and on the toes they last a good 1-2 weeks before they need re-doing. This shade is just the perfect shade for summer and I seriously suggest everyone gives it a go!

 

Maybelline Colour sensational lip gloss - Glorious grapefruit

 

I've been wearing my hair up a lot this month so I've been reaching for lip gloss quite a lot. I'm not usually a lip gloss person however I really like these. They are a little stickier than my beloved Clarins Instant light natural lip perfector these are still pretty amazing. They pack a nice punch of colour and they last a really nice amount of time for a gloss. I find I get about 4 hours wear out of them before they have completely gone from the lips.

 

 

L'Oreal Colour riche eyeshadow - Café saint german

 

This was a shadow that so many people talked about last year however I've only just got around to picking it up. It's a really lovely pinky rose gold shade and I've been wearing it alone with lots of mascara for a really lovely pop on the lids. The formula is so creamy and it blends beautifully with other shadows.

 

Bourjois Rouge edition - Pink pong

 

My final favourite is something I am definitely regretting not trying earlier. I had heard so many things about these and I thought that they would be a bit overhyped however now I've tried them I'm so impressed. They are super matte however they don't feel drying. There lasting power is insane and I find it difficult to get them off at the end of the night even with a oil based cleanser. I love this shade and I have a feeling I'm going to wear it a lot more over the summer.

Beauty ¦ Drugstore Haulin'

Note: I actually picked up this stuff about a month ago so these offers will have probably ended. 

A mission to buy Night cream, dry shampoo and concealer it was never going to end well. I actually went into boots to pick up the clarins instant concealer as I've heard nothing but good things. Unfortunately they didn't have my shade in stock so the woman sent me away with a little sample and said she'd ring me when it was back in stock. Because I couldn't get my concealer I decided to drown my sorrows in a whole host of makeup I really didn't need leaving with a full bag and an empty purse but it's ok it's for the blog. 

Garnier Moisture + Restore Night care £3.99

This actually smells really good and I like garnier as a brand so I thought I'd give it a go! My skin is really dry at the moment so hopefully this will add a little bit more moisture into my skin. 

Garnier Wake me up Moisture match £3.99

I've heard really great things about the moisture match range in general. I thought this one would be really nice for under my foundation in a morning. It's a really lovely gel texture so I feel like makeup is going to go on really nicely on top of it. 

Superdrug Killer volume dry shampoo 2 for £2.00 

I get through do much batiste so I wanted to give these a go and see if I get on with it as well as it's much more affordable. 

Maybelline Color tattoo leather effect - Creamy beige and Vintage plum £4.99 each 

If you are a reader that has been around for a while you will know I was obsessed with the colour tattoo's for a while and I was super excited to find out that there were some new shades. Creamy beige is a camel brown shade with the tiniest bit of shimmer which is pretty much undetectable when swatched. Vintage plum is a mauvey grey shade which from what I can tell is completely matte. I haven't yet tried these on the lids but I will definitely review them when I've given them a proper try. 

Collection Eyes uncovered - Nude and Nude bronze £3.99

I have heard so many good things about these since their release date I know that Lily pebbles loves them. I am so in love with the nude bronze palette it's beautiful and has the most amazing bronze shades. 

Rimmel Lasting finish nude foundation (On offer for £4.99)

I really enjoyed the match perfection foundation when I tried it so I'm very excited to give this one a go. I've heard good things about this and I love a good new release so I had to give it a go. 

Rimmel Kate Moss - Red nose red £5.49 (£1.67 goes to charity)

A lipstick for charity, how could I not pick it up. I think it's nice to see drugstore brands supporting charity's as a lot of the time it's the more high end brands. This is a really gorgeous red shade and I love the formula and the lasting power of the Rimmel Kate lipsticks.

Beauty ¦ November and December empties

With doing blogmas I never got chance to do my November empties so I thought I would just roll both November's empties and December's empties into one post. 

Batiste Dry shampoo's in Cherry and Blush - Repurchase - Definitely 

I love batiste dry shampoo and it's the only brand I will use, i've tried other brands and nothing cuts the mustard in comparison. My favourite scent is the tropical on but these are the other two I like. I am going to repurchase when I finish my current bottle but I think I may give the one for brunettes a go as since I dyed my hair dark I've been having trouble with it leaving white residue in my hair. 

Soap and Glory Sugar crush body scrub - Repurchase - I already have 

This is another holy grail item for me. I love this scrub as not only does it smell absolutely amazing but it's quite a harsh scrub which really feels like it's working. For someone with sensitive skin this may be a problem but for me it has the perfect amount of scrub to it. Did I also mention it smells amazing? 

The Body shop Peppermint smoothing pumice foot scrub -Repurchase - Possibly 

This was something I'd have never gone into the body shop and picked up myself but I received it free when I got my Love your body card. It has a really minty scent and is a very coarse scrub which feels amazing on tired and sore feet. It's something that I will probably repurchase closer to the summer when I have to start wearing sandals again! 

Superdrug Coconut and almond intensive conditioner - Repurchase - Maybe 

This stuff is so cheap and it works really nicely. It's very thick in consistency and I like to leave it on my hair wrapped under a towel as a mask. I find it leaves my hair really silky and smooth, it also really helps calm down my naturally knotty hair. I'm in no rush to repurchase this as I've got other hair masks that need finishing first but I may do in the future. 

Max Factor False lash effect - Repurchase - More than likely 

I think this is my favourite drugstore mascara, it's the only thing I've found that even comes close to Benefit they're real. The wand is plastic with very short bristles which is just how I like my mascara wand to be. I also found it's waterproofness (Surely that's not a real word) to be second to none and it kept my very long but very straight lashes nice and curled all day. 

The Body shop Strawberry Shower gel - Repurchase - Not this particular scent 

I got bought this for christmas last year and in all honesty the strawberry scent from the body shop isn't one of my favourites. I really like the shower gel but I won't be buying this scent. 

Tresemme Keratin smooth hair mask - Repurchase - No 

This was something that I really wasn't impressed with. I didn't find that it left my hair any silkier and any less frizzy and I also find it didn't help tame my tangly hair at all. 

Avene Cleanance K Cream gel - Repurchase - No 

I loved this at first and I found it really helped clear my skin but as I used it more I found my skin got used to it and it completely stopped working even after not using it for 2 weeks and going back to it. I want to try the la roche posay effaclar duo but this has made me a little bit cautious about it. 

September Empties.

I've come to the conclusion that empties posts are super satisfying to write as I never really realise how many products I actually finish a month! 

Makeup wise this month I have finished the Maybelline Fit me concealer which is one of my all time favourite drugstore concealers. It's incredibly light weight whilst offering plenty of coverage and lasting all day without any sign of caking. The other makeup product I finished this month was the Benefit They're real mascara this is one of my favourite mascara's and it's actually been sat empty in my stash for a good couple of months I just kept forgetting to throw it in my empties basket. 

For hair I finished the Garnier Ultimate blends sleek restorer conditioner which goes along with the shampoo I finished in my last post. I liked this it was nothing to shout from the roof tops about but I enjoyed using it. 

Finally I finished up a few bits of skin care this month. First off I finished the Skinetica anti blemish solution I've had a couple of bottles of this from various giveaway wins and blog event goodie bags and I just don't like it. I find it does absolutely nothing for my skin and just seems fairly pointless in all honesty. Another toner type product I finished this month was the Avene cleanance lotion - toner I quite liked this one, it made my skin feel really clean and completely clear of any left over dirt, makeup or cleanser. I wouldn't say it helped clear my spots but it didn't break me out either! Finally for this months empties is the No7 Beautiful skin hot cloth cleanser which I really love, it gets off all my makeup including waterproof mascara but doesn't leave the skin feeling dry and stripped. 

The empties #1

I never used to like empties posts but I've come to the conclusion I just don't like empties posts with 30 products in them. 

Garnier Ultimate Blends The sleek restorer shampoo. 

Repurchase - Yes

I really liked this, it didn't weigh my hair down and it makes it feel really clean. It smells really good to which is always a bonus! I found this really helped calm how frizzy my hair is and has just made it look smoother in general! 

The Body shop Vanilla bliss shower gel.

Repurchase - Maybe 

This is one of the body shop christmas scents. I really like it but I actually prefer the cranberry one. I love the body shop shower gels as they lather up really nicely and feel nice and moisturizing on the skin. 

Lush Sweetie pie shower jelly. 

Repurchase - When I next go anywhere with a lush store

I love this stuff it smells amazing and it's just so much fun! I also like the fact it's sparkly. Again like the body shop one it's nice and moisturizing on the skin. 

Seventeen Stay time concealer.

Repurchase - Yes Yes Yes! 

I love this stuff it's my current concealer it covers everything really nicely and looks flawless on the skin. I can use this both under my eyes and on blemishes! 

Extra gentle eye makeup remover. 

Repurchase - No 

I really wasn't a big fan of this I only tend to use a liquid remover like this if I'm wearing a heavy eye so I like to get rid of some of it before cleansing. I just found this didn't really do much it just wiped the makeup around my face. I ended up using it to take swatches of my hands and it wasn't even great at that! 

I'd love to know you opinions on empties posts. 

 Do you love them or do you hate them?

Argan Dew Hair mask and oil review.

A couple of moths ago I was sent a huge lot of samples from argan dew, I've only just got round to using them in the past month and I have to say I'm very impressed. 

Argan Dew Replenishing hair mask* $44.00 //Here//

I am so impressed with this it leaves my hair so soft without weighing it down. It is really nice for an overnight treatment but also works just as well when left on for 10 minutes in the shower. It smells really nice but not to overpowering. The consistency is very similar to a normal conditioner rather than a very thick hair mask. I've been using this about once a week and I've seen a huge improvement in the look and feel of my hair. I've found that it looks a lot healthier and smoother. 

Argan Dew Miraculous oil* $39.00 //Here//

I think this is my favourite product out of the two, I've never used an oil that's so light but does such a good job. I've been using this everytime I wash my hair and the amount it has reduced frizz is crazy. I've always had trouble as my hair is naturally very frizzy and this has really tamed it. Again it smells amazing. It also leaves my hair so shiny and glossy and in general makes it look so healthy. 

UK shipping is $8.00 so it's not cheap but I do really like these products and I highly recommend you give them a go if you have trouble with frizzy un-tameable hair. 

The pinky nude lip.

As much as I love my bright lips sometimes I do like to take a walk on the slightly nude-r side of pink. I am not in any way suggesting this is a nude as to some people would find this to bright. This combination came about when I was trying to find something to tone down Mac creme cup (£15.00) a little, as I find that it is sometimes a little to pale but bright. I received a parcel from Sarah G cosmetics and I knew that I could darken up the lipstick with the Rosewood pencil* (which doesn't seem to be on the website any more but any brown-y pink lip liner will do) and then make it a little more pink with the pink cream shine lipgloss* (£8.00) I have fallen in love with this combination of products and I've been wearing it a lot. 

You can buy Sarah G cosmetics //Here//

I was sent these products after winning a giveaway on the Sarah G cosmetics instagram. All opinions are my own and I am not being paid to talk about the products.