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| Retro and Made in England - only £4! |
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| Snazzy. |
Saturday, 30 April 2011
a very British body.
Anyone who knows me will know all too well that I am a charity shop addict, and most of my favourite pieces of clothing and jewellery cost me very little at all, and in the current spirit of all things British I thought I'd share this cute little swimming costume I bought in a charity shop the other day.
As this cotton-elastene costume is probably too old and delicate to brave sea water or chlorine, I'm planning on wearing it with either denim cut-offs and Vans or (should I be lucky enough to find one this Summer!) a big ole Carrie skirt. Happy charity shopping everyone!
Friday, 29 April 2011
hair dressing.
If you're like me, hair products build up (not only on your hair, but in your cupboards!). I know I've wasted a lot of money changing hair products and adding different products to my hair care regime because my hair seems lank and gets greasy quickly, but I never actually stopped to think that it might be the products themselves which were my problem! Too many products = overloaded hair and a sorry looking bank balance.
I've seen the words vinegar and hair rinse bandied about on the Internet and thought it sounded weird enough to try. A vinegar hair rinse is supposed to replace conditioning to strip excess product left over in the hair and leave it completely clean. Now I've tried it, and although it was very drying, and you are not recommended to do it more than twice a month especially if you already have dry hair, I have to say that for me it worked: it's Day Three after washing my hair and it's showing no signs of the dreaded grease as it usually does! Plus vinegar is cheap as chips (sorry sorry sorry) so it's completely affordable.
So here's how to get rid of product build-up in your hair with vinegar!
1. Get yourself a bottle of vinegar, I used Apple Cider Vinegar, DO NOT USE MALT VINEGAR OR WINE VINEGAR these will be too harsh for hair!
2. Wash your hair ONCE as normal with a light shampoo, I used Aussie Mega Shampoo, a daily shampoo which is nice and light (and smells lovely too!)
3. Grab the vinegar, tilt your head back and simply pour sparingly over your hair from your hairline. If you have longer hair, also rinse the vinegar lightly from the mid-section to the ends, but only with a little vinegar.
4. Rinse for a good 5 MINUTES whilst gently combing your hair through as well. If you rinse well there should be little to no smell of vinegar on your hair (you may still smell the vinegar in the shower but it won't last don't worry!).
5. Wash your hair a SECOND time with less shampoo than you used before, just to rinse out the last of the vinegar.
6. Gently towel dry hair, wrap hair up in a towel for 15 minutes, then finish off with a hair dryer on the coolest heat setting. If you normally have dry hair, you might want to run a little leave-in conditioner through the mid-section to the ends before you wrap hair up.
Et voila! Product build-up banished. Try it and let me know how it went if you like!
I've seen the words vinegar and hair rinse bandied about on the Internet and thought it sounded weird enough to try. A vinegar hair rinse is supposed to replace conditioning to strip excess product left over in the hair and leave it completely clean. Now I've tried it, and although it was very drying, and you are not recommended to do it more than twice a month especially if you already have dry hair, I have to say that for me it worked: it's Day Three after washing my hair and it's showing no signs of the dreaded grease as it usually does! Plus vinegar is cheap as chips (sorry sorry sorry) so it's completely affordable.
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| Apple Cider Vinegar - only 68p! |
So here's how to get rid of product build-up in your hair with vinegar!
1. Get yourself a bottle of vinegar, I used Apple Cider Vinegar, DO NOT USE MALT VINEGAR OR WINE VINEGAR these will be too harsh for hair!
2. Wash your hair ONCE as normal with a light shampoo, I used Aussie Mega Shampoo, a daily shampoo which is nice and light (and smells lovely too!)
3. Grab the vinegar, tilt your head back and simply pour sparingly over your hair from your hairline. If you have longer hair, also rinse the vinegar lightly from the mid-section to the ends, but only with a little vinegar.
4. Rinse for a good 5 MINUTES whilst gently combing your hair through as well. If you rinse well there should be little to no smell of vinegar on your hair (you may still smell the vinegar in the shower but it won't last don't worry!).
5. Wash your hair a SECOND time with less shampoo than you used before, just to rinse out the last of the vinegar.
6. Gently towel dry hair, wrap hair up in a towel for 15 minutes, then finish off with a hair dryer on the coolest heat setting. If you normally have dry hair, you might want to run a little leave-in conditioner through the mid-section to the ends before you wrap hair up.
Et voila! Product build-up banished. Try it and let me know how it went if you like!
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
nails inc. one day only deal! - 6 polishes for £15!
Aaaaaand we're back on the subject of nails again... of course!
I won't delay except to say that this is an AMAZING offer and anyone who has £15 spare and is a nail fiend should seriously consider this! On Thursday 21st April nails inc. are offering a lucky dip of 6 nail varnishes for just £15! nails inc. full size nail varnishes are usually £11 each, so this offer saves you £51!!!! it's while stocks last, grab it while you can from the link here!
The only two colours you are guaranteed to get are Queensgate Mews and Strawberry Hill (pictured above) the rest is purely luck of the draw, but i think you'll agree those are two very cute nail staples!
What are you waiting for!? Get it in your basket!!
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| £15 for 6! |
I won't delay except to say that this is an AMAZING offer and anyone who has £15 spare and is a nail fiend should seriously consider this! On Thursday 21st April nails inc. are offering a lucky dip of 6 nail varnishes for just £15! nails inc. full size nail varnishes are usually £11 each, so this offer saves you £51!!!! it's while stocks last, grab it while you can from the link here!
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| Queensgate Mews |
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| Strawberry Hill |
The only two colours you are guaranteed to get are Queensgate Mews and Strawberry Hill (pictured above) the rest is purely luck of the draw, but i think you'll agree those are two very cute nail staples!
What are you waiting for!? Get it in your basket!!
wonDUHbra!
We all know the name, and you may all know the price tags that go with them as well.... not the most student friendly brand to say the least. But i put it to you that a single Wonderbra purchase will be one of the best value-for-money spends you will ever make.
If you're like me, the search for the perfect strapless bra which combines good fit, comfort, shape, support, lift AND a killer cleavage can be a costly one... but i could have saved myself a good deal of money with this one. I'll go out on a limb and say you can keep your diamonds.... my WB is most certainly my best friend. If you get the size right (and i strongly recommend you try a few on to get it perfect) it will not only give you an injection of confidence, but those outfits which never quite looked how you wanted immediately come back into play.
The longline style and silicone strips mean that unusually for a strapless bra, if you wear it out on a night out, it will stay up with you all night long (if you know what I mean!) - no rearranging, no wriggling and squirming, just completely comfortable and the seamless design means you can wear it under even thin fabrics and it won't show.
N.B. With the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless, you are recommended to buy a back size bigger and a cup size smaller - swallow your pride, because in the end it gets you the best support and the best cleavage!
Where's best to buy? Debenhams
When's best to buy? during their Blue Cross Sale - I got mine for £27.20 with 20% off all Wonderbras
If you just want a standard strap push up bra, Debenhams do have up to 20% off selected Wonderbras at the moment - take a look here!
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| the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless a.k.a my hero! - £34 |
If you're like me, the search for the perfect strapless bra which combines good fit, comfort, shape, support, lift AND a killer cleavage can be a costly one... but i could have saved myself a good deal of money with this one. I'll go out on a limb and say you can keep your diamonds.... my WB is most certainly my best friend. If you get the size right (and i strongly recommend you try a few on to get it perfect) it will not only give you an injection of confidence, but those outfits which never quite looked how you wanted immediately come back into play.
The longline style and silicone strips mean that unusually for a strapless bra, if you wear it out on a night out, it will stay up with you all night long (if you know what I mean!) - no rearranging, no wriggling and squirming, just completely comfortable and the seamless design means you can wear it under even thin fabrics and it won't show.
N.B. With the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless, you are recommended to buy a back size bigger and a cup size smaller - swallow your pride, because in the end it gets you the best support and the best cleavage!
Where's best to buy? Debenhams
When's best to buy? during their Blue Cross Sale - I got mine for £27.20 with 20% off all Wonderbras
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| Full Effect Bra - was £29 now £24 |
If you just want a standard strap push up bra, Debenhams do have up to 20% off selected Wonderbras at the moment - take a look here!
FREE £16 Origins face wash or cleanser!!
Thank God for Martin Lewis!! Apart from just looking out for victims of PPI and giving us £1 dinners at ASK he has also given me a fantastic offer that I have to share with anyone who doesn't currently (hint!) get the Money Saving Expert emails.
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| Checks and Balances (£16) - completely FREE! |
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| A Perfect World (£16) - completely FREE! |
This Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd April, go to any Origins counter (can be found in Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis) with any skin care beauty product, new or old, full or empty (if you don't have an empty bottle lying about I suggest popping down to Lidl or Asda - anything under a £!) and you can trade it in for either A Perfect World cleanser or Checks and Balances face wash (above) worth £16 - no catches!
From the looks of the reviews, the Checks and Balances face wash is best for oily to combination skins (it contains Broadleaf Kelp - I'm going to assume that's like seaweed which is great for balancing and purifying the skin) and A Perfect World cleanser is best for combination to dry or older skins (containing white tea, said to have detoxifying properties).
So, happy freebies everyone!
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
nail varnish that won't make you O.P.Cry.
Okay, so I'll admit, when I'm feeling slightly more flush (especially after pay day) I have succumbed to those beautiful chalices of eternail life that are O.P.I. lacquers - they're celeb faves for a reason! But if it's the end of the month, your nails are looking sorry and your bank account even sorrier, paying out £10 for a nail varnish is the last thing on a girl's mind, but there are great nail varnishes, both for colour and longevity available on the high street.
Barry M
You can't talk about great budget nail colour without talking about Barry M - throughout my teen years it was always the go-to-brand for friends and I when buying nail colour, and they still seem to dominate that corner of the market.
They've got some amazing new colours out for the Summer, including some gorgeous new pastels: the new Peach Melba is a gorgeous nude orange (orange is my colour of choice right now!); plus they've released new colours in their Instant Nail Effects range meaning super colour clash nails aren't restricted to those with a steady hand and a nail art pen.
17
For so long it seemed like Boots own budget brand 17 was never going to take off legit, and while it might not be the first concession I reach for when replenishing my make-up bag, I always stop to check out their new shades of Lasting Finish nail colour - their new shades always seem right on the money (and they won't strip you of your own either!) and their staying power is pretty good for a budget brand! (although be prepared to put a few coats on) It's currently 3 for 2 on all 17 products so perfect time to snap them up!
Revlon
Without a doubt the longest lasting and I think best finish that I've found on the high street - you might not think of Revlon when looking for great value nail varnish, but it only really takes two coats for a great colour and it's got great staying power with a gloss finish. Though they don't have the same on-the-pulse range of colours as Barry M or 17, they are coming out with some new shades, and even a new scented collection?! (I have yet to try this, will investigate and report back) whilst slightly more expensive, they still provide great value for money for any belle on a budget.
Barry M
You can't talk about great budget nail colour without talking about Barry M - throughout my teen years it was always the go-to-brand for friends and I when buying nail colour, and they still seem to dominate that corner of the market.
They've got some amazing new colours out for the Summer, including some gorgeous new pastels: the new Peach Melba is a gorgeous nude orange (orange is my colour of choice right now!); plus they've released new colours in their Instant Nail Effects range meaning super colour clash nails aren't restricted to those with a steady hand and a nail art pen.
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| Instant Nail Effects - £3.99 each |
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| Peach Melba - £2.99 |
17
For so long it seemed like Boots own budget brand 17 was never going to take off legit, and while it might not be the first concession I reach for when replenishing my make-up bag, I always stop to check out their new shades of Lasting Finish nail colour - their new shades always seem right on the money (and they won't strip you of your own either!) and their staying power is pretty good for a budget brand! (although be prepared to put a few coats on) It's currently 3 for 2 on all 17 products so perfect time to snap them up!
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| Tropical Island - £2.99 (my picture doesn't do it justice, it's an intense tangerine orange with subtle gold sparkle!) |
Revlon
Without a doubt the longest lasting and I think best finish that I've found on the high street - you might not think of Revlon when looking for great value nail varnish, but it only really takes two coats for a great colour and it's got great staying power with a gloss finish. Though they don't have the same on-the-pulse range of colours as Barry M or 17, they are coming out with some new shades, and even a new scented collection?! (I have yet to try this, will investigate and report back) whilst slightly more expensive, they still provide great value for money for any belle on a budget.
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| Plum Seduction - £6.29 |
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