May Magazine Freebies

Hi all. This is gonna be a very quick post to let you all know what beauty freebies are available with various magazines this month. I'm going to try to remember to do this post on a monthly basis :)

Three magazines have beauty giveaways this month (so the June editions of the magazines). They are: 

Elle - They're Real! Mascara by Benefit (miniature) 

This is a really great mascara, I've been using the full sized one on special occasions and it's fab. The full sized version is around £20RRP so this miniature is probably worth about a tenner. The mag will set you back £4, but it's a good bargain overall.

InStyle - Nails inc. Nail Polish

This freebie comes in a few different colours, my favourite being 'You're a Peach!', a lovely summery yellowy peach shade. Nails inc. polishes usually cost around £11 each. InStyle is priced at £3.70

Marie Claire - various Avon products 

You can pick up a 'glimmerstick' gel eyeliner, brow definer pencil or lipstick with this month's Marie Claire. I use Avon products fairly often, and I can vouch for the face that the twist-up eyeliners are amazing. The mag costs £3.80.

Happy shopping! 

Meet the housemates ...and their favourite products!

I'm doing something a little different with this post, partly to spice things up a little but but mostly because I'm in the middle of my finals exams and thought it would be a convenient time-saver to effectively get somebody else to write for me! In order to get some fresh ideas, I've asked my uni housemates to talk about their favourite beauty products, one budget and one blowout. If you don't know me personally then you definitely won't know the nutters girls I live with, so here we are (I should point out that we are in fancy dress in several photos)....

 

If you're looking at the bottom right photo (90s night) then we are Prema, Nat, Anna, me, and Rachel. Here's what they have to say...

Anna

 

 

"My blowout is Mary Kay Timewise Matte Foundation (left) because its good for sensitive skin and oil free but still manages to give good coverage. My saver would be Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder (right, Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder, £6.99) because its really cheap for a good bronzer, has lasted me ages, isn't too shimmery and smells lush. Also I can't live without the Superdrug coconut oil. Literally addicted!"

 Nat

My splurge product is definitely Benefit's  Boi-ing concealer (left, £17.50)... I can't live without it as its the only concealer that actually works on my dark undereye circles! My make up necessity. My budget favourite is Max Factor's False Lash Effect Mascara (right, £11.99). It's still a over tenner bur for me, a mascara addict, it's the best value one I've used and worth it when compared to luxury brands!


Rachel

 My best budget product would be Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder (right, £3.99), because I've found a lot of foundations to be too heavy, but the powder is light and still gives a great even finish and saves my skin from looking greasy. Rarely need to touch up during the day, so great value for money. My splurge is Benefit's They're Real! Mascara (left, £19.50). I have quite short lashes but this mascara works wonders and makes them look full and long without looking clumpy and lumpy, and only needs a couple of coats tops.

Prema

"My favourite budget product is Fast Stroke Eyeliner by Collection (formerly Collection 2000, right, £2.99). It's easy to apply, lasts all day and night and is a brilliant bargain for under £3. My favourite splurge product is Garnier's Moisture Match moisturiser (left, £5.99). I consider it expensive since you don't get a lot of product for your money, but it's so luxurious and rich - I have very dry skin and this has completely sorted out patches of dry skin on my face."



So there you go! We are a pretty keen house of bloggers and three of my housemates also write blogs - if you would like to check them out then I've put the links below.

Have you tried/do you plan to try any of their reccommended products? Please feel free to leave a comment!

Anna: writes a foodie blog (she's a proper domestic goddess)
www.annalizaknowsgoodfood.blogspot.co.uk

Nat: blogs rants, raves and reviews on a whole host of different things.
www.natchat20.blogspot.co.uk

Rachel: has been writing a music blog for years, loads of reviews of singles, albums, gigs etc.
www.rachelannewriting.blogspot.com

Cosmo Careers Masterclass Goodie Bag Haul

I'd like to start this post by thanking everybody that has contacted me to tell me that they've purchased the Superdrug Coconut Oil from my last blog - I'm glad you all think it's as wonderful as I do!

This is just gonna be a quick post to show you all the uhhhhmazing goodie bag I received from the Cosmo Careers Masterclass that I attended in London this week. The Masterclass, which was hosted by Cosmopolitan magazine, was an opportunity to meet and hear speeches from some media experts and get tips on how to kickstart my own career (I'm hoping to go into public relations this summer). It was an insightful evening, made better still by this bag of joy that I received upon entering the Masterclass.

From left: Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Toothpaste - John Freida Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner - Umberto Giannini Day After Day After Day Frizz Taming Spray -DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - Kleenex Shine Absorbtion Sheets - DenTak Floss - Palmer's Cocoa Buter - Miners Dip & Define Eye Powder - Brush On False Lashes Lash Fibres - Benefit They're Real! Mascara - Tanning Mitt - Little White Lie Tanning Mousse - NYC Expert Last Lipstick

Not bad, eh? I was over the moon when I spotted Benefit's They're Real! Mascara, which I have wanted for absolutely ages but couldn't justify the £20 price tag. I'm also really excited to try out the Lash Fibres Brush on False Lashes, as I've been longing after a fibre-based mascara for a while but again, there were more urgent things to spend my non-existent money on.

The other products that I'm particularly excited to try are the Litte White Lie tanning mousse, which contains argan oil so should be lush (and for the £18 RRP so it should be), and the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, simply because I've never used an oil-based cleanser before.

In terms of potential beauty bargains, I'll be letting you know how I get on with the NYC lipstick, and the Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White toothpaste which promises to be a cheaper alternative to teeth whitening (we'll see). I've also heard good things about the Kleenex Shine Absorbing sheets, a much cheapter alternative to MAC's Blot Film. I'll also aim to post comparisons between some of the high-end products I received in the goodie bag and budget alternatives, so watch this space!

I'll leave you with one little gem of advice from Jazz Kaur, head of PR for Benefit (what a DREAM job that must be), who was one of the speakers at the Masterclass: If you love something, then you'll do it.