The Naughty Body Shop Haul!

I'm sure you've all heard about the Body Shop 40% discount code thats been floating around lately, simply enter EXTRATREAT online or mention the code 14668 instore for 40% everything-sale items included.
Of course I took full advantage and used this as a chance to stock up on all my favourites and the things I've been wanting to try. Needless to say, my basket ended up pretty full!
So what did I buy?

1. Rainforest Balance Shampoo- I've wanted to try this for a while because whilst I love Lush products I just haven't found the right shampoo for me so I thought I'd branch out and try a different range of cruelty free shampoos. This smells amazing and so far I really like it.
2. Cucumber Cleansing Milk- I grabbed this when I saw it reduced to £2 because the cucumber cleansers are known for being totally amazing. Really calming and soothing on the skin yet still effective. Well worth stocking up on.
3. Foundation Brush- If there was one thing I wish Lush sold its makeup brushes, I think they'd go down so well with customers who want something cruelty free and high quality but as we don't, Body Shop score top marks with me for theirs because they are cruelty free, super soft and very effective. One day I will own them all :p
4. Spiced Vanilla Hand Cream- I popped this Christmas range hand cream in my basket for £1 because I've previously tried the Candied Ginger one and got hooked on the smell and feel. I'm obsessed with hand cream so I've stashed it away for now whilst I finish off the L'occitane one I'm enjoying at the moment.
5. Ginger Shimmer Lip Balm- Another Christmas product found super cheap in the sale! Lip Balm is another addiction of mine and I always have at least 3 on the go. At the moment its Lush Honey Trap, Body Shop Chocomania and now this one too. The domed shape makes it really quick and easy to use and I really like how it looks too!
6. Facial Massager- Sorry Body Shop, but this is another product bought just because Lush don't make one. Facial massagers are great for stimulating blood flow around the face and really encouraging products to sink deeper into the skin maximising their effects. I use this in the evening wth my Lush Full of Grace serum bar and it feels totally amazing!
7. Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion- I received a couple of sample pots of this lotion earlier in the year and haven't looked back since. I might even go as far as saying it is my perfect moisturiser. Its light, smells lovely and sinks in fast leaving skin feeling plumped, hydrated and soft without looking oily or clogging pores.
8. Vanilla Eau De Toilette- Total impulse buy here! Vanilla is one of my favourite scents. Soft, sweet and very comforting. As soon as I sniffed this it fell into my basket ready to be kept in my handbag for mid-day top ups. The scent is actually incredibly similar to the scented candles I burn constantly so maybe thats why I find it so cosy.
9. Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz- Another product I've wanted for a while. I was shown this just before going to Tenerife in February and haven't been able to get it out of my head. A quick spray every morning feeds my face and wakes me up ready to get going. The smell is also unbelievably good; zesty and fresh.

Phew, word heavy post! Thats my guilty haul. I also picked up the Pomegranate Day Cream for my mum and a Love Your Body card so 11 items all together. And the over all cost? £47 unbelievable right? I was more than happy with that.

Did you take advantage of the 40% offer? What did you buy? If you wrote a haul post then I'd love to see :)

Annie xx

Payday Shopping Treats!

I got paid! Woo! Everyones favourite day of the month.
Most of the month I try to be good with money and limit shopping, especially recently when my hours haven't been as high as is ideal but this month I've treated myself to some bits and pieces since there seems to be sales on everywhere at the moment!

My first stop was Cath Kidston because I happened to be opposite the shop when I spotted the big sales signs and thought it would be rude not to! I picked up a few little bits here including one of the cute oil cloth makeup bags for £4 which went straight in my handbag and some shell buttons £1.50 and a pin tin £2.50 to go in my sewing box ready to create beautiful things.

I also picked up this beautiful glass vase for £6 to store all of my makeup brushes. Its a tiny bit taller than ideal but it looks beautiful on my dressing table :)

Next was a trip down to Boots because I've been needing a new foundation. No7 makeup is currently buy one get the second 1/2 price so I was able to pick up the Instant Radiance foundation I've been wanting to try for £12.50 and get a really pretty Stay Perfect cream eyeshadow for just £4 instead of the usual £8.

Finally I hit the Topshop sale. I love their jewellery and accessories and always look forward to picking them up reduced because I do find things a bit pricey for what they are otherwise. At the moment I'm loving metallic ankle socks so I picked up 3 pairs for £2 each, my favourite have to be the mint. Jewellery wise I was really restrained despite loving loads of bits and just came away with this fab green bracelet for £4.25 I just love how vibrant the colours are and that its something slightly different.

So thats my payday haul. For the amount I spent I think I did really well and the only thing I paid full price for was the foundation and even that was kind of discounted over all!
What have you been buying this payday? Have you been taking advantage of all the sales?
Annie xx

A Cheeky Shopping Trip ;)

Lately I've been staying fairly well behaved when it comes to spending, what with christmas, then not having a job for a few weeks but when I found out I'd got my new job I went out on a little trip to celebrate and buy myself a few treats. In my defense I also bought most of Daniels valentines gifts on the same trip so I didn't JUST spend money one me :)
Here's what I bought myself, by the way, I apologize for the terrible photos, they were taken on my phone as I was doing some late night tidying.

My first stop was Space NK where I picked up this pretty Rococo nail varnish. It's the first varnish of theirs that I've tried and I must say I am impressed. I have a review coming up for you when I'm back from Tenerife :)

Next up I popped in to The Body Shop to take a look at their mineral foundation £15 because I've heard that it is a good comparison to the Bare Minerals version. I picked one up in the shade Natural Vanilla (not the lightest for a change!) and so far so good, again, review to come next week! Whilst I was there I was drawn in by one of their fab offers; if you spend £18 on makeup and/or skin care at the moment you get a full sized body butter worth £13 free. Don't mind if I do! To round my spend up a bit I picked up a travel sized cleanser and toner to try out since my usual Lush goodies are pretty chunky and wouldn't really fit in my over full suitcase. The lovely sales lady recommended the aloe cleanser to cool me off after a day in the sun and the seaweed toner because it's packed full of vitamins and minerals. When I left she also popped a few face cream samples in to my bag from the aloe and seaweed ranges too for me to pack which I thought was quite sweet even if she just wanted me to come back and buy more!

Next stop was WHS because I like to have a good snoop around the books and they tend to have some good offers on, as you can see from the BIG RED STICKERS on my new Mary Berry cookery book. Such a sweet little old lady. I love baking, I don't write about it often on here, but we do quite a lot of baking in this house (Would you like me to share baking posts more often?) As you can see, I got this book as part of a 2 for £10 deal and since Daniel won't see this before valentines day it won't ruin any surprises for me to say that the other book I bought was a yummy looking mexican cookery book for him to enjoy :)

Finally, being totally hooked on chocolate, I stopped off at the Thorntons outlet that we're lucky enough to have in Bath (sandwiched between Whittard and Ann Summers down near Southgate if you happen to be local) and managed to pick up this huge minty box of fabbyness for £7 down from £20ish. Being a complete old lady, after taking this I popped the mint humbugs in a little bag to keep in my handbag...old before my time I know *face palm*

So thats my little celebration haul. I also spent lots in Lush and Molton Brown on Daniels treats as well as his book and a heart shaped chocolate lollie for him to look cute eating :)
Annie x
*ps, I'm away until 17th and this post is scheduled so if you comment and don't get a reply, I promise it's not that I'm ignoring you! <3*

My Latest MAC Haul

It was almost two weeks ago now that I visited the Cosmetics Company Outlet in Swindon and topped up my beloved MAC collection with some bargains. For those who don't know, Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO) is the outlet for all Estee Lauder owned brands, including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Origins, Smashbox and Bumble and Bumble. There are a fair few stores across America, however, in England I believe there are only three or four which makes the rare visits even more special.

For me, I was actually pretty restrained and only came away with two lipsticks, an eyeshadow pan for my palette and a kohl eyeliner. What made me most excited though was that the Venomous Villains lipstick, Violetta, and the Hey, Sailor! eyeliner, Blue Stripe were both limited edition products that I wanted but didn't manage to get hold of when they were in MAC stores.
So, what I got:
Pro Longwear lip creme in Love Forever- This lip creme is a pretty bright pink with a blue toned base. It is super long lasting but not at all drying like most long wear lip products. The composition is different to the average MAC lipstick which is why it is classed as a creme. I have a FOTD post lined up to review this already so that will probably be up in the next few days.

Venomous Villains Amplified lipstick in Violetta- Definitely my favourite buy of the haul. This lipstick is a gorgeous purple colour that is oh so bold against my pale skin. Once again it has a blue toned base but there is enough pink to it that it doesn't look too unusual on the skin. I haven't found this to dry out my lips at all, and it lasts around 4-5 hours before I need to touch up. Review to come early next week.

Ahoy, Sailor! Powerpoint eye pencil in Blue Stripe- I was drawn to this colour as the blue is so smokey and intense that it is almost black but with a sexy blue shimmer. Its hard to explain my love for it in a way that people will understand but it is an incredibly sexy colour. It is also a very long lasting, smudge proof liner which makes me so happy. Its actually what I'm wearing around my eyes in the Love Forever review so you'll see it soon!

Eyeshadow palette pan in Bright Sunshine- I've wanted a really pigmented yellow shadow for a long time and this one fits the bill perfectly. It is almost gold in some lights but it the perfect warm yellow shadow. I like to wear it either alone in a bright line along the top lash line, or blended in with a lime green for an uber summery look.

So theres my latest haul from MAC. What do you think? Have you got any of these products? Aren't they just so typically me?

Annie x