Ways That I Save Money, Part 2

I really enjoyed sharing with you the simple things that I do to ensure that I get the best value for my money when I’m making purchases – so much so that I’m going to continue sharing my tips until I’ve covered the lot!  Again, these are things that I actually do every month without fail, and it’s all things that I really enjoy doing too!

Vouchers and Store Magazines

A lot of the shops that I go to these days use vouchers as an incentive to get you to come back.  And If I’m being honest, this does the trick for me!  Like I shared in my last blogpost, Tesco and Boots often provide you with vouchers that you can use on your next visit, however they are not the only shops that do so!  Holland and Barrett often print a 10%/20% off voucher for your next shop with then, Morrisons like to print off point boosting vouchers or a money saving one on petrol at the till and Superdrug a good old triple points one.  Alongside these, a lot of them actually have their own promo magazines too, which nearly always contain pretty decent money off or point boosting vouchers that you can use throughout the month.  Tesco, Boots and Pets at Home always have a good variety of coupons that you can redeem in store, which is always great for helping you to save the cash!

Free Gifts

One of my favourite things about Christmas shopping at this time of year is looking out for all of the free gifts that you can pick up whilst you are making your regular purchases.  For example, I was needing to pick up a few make-up bits recently, but hadn’t gotten round to doing it yet.  Mum pointed out that Soap and Glory were offering a free gift worth £23 when you spent £15 on their cosmetics at Boots stores.  With that being said, I was sold on the spot.  I ordered a primer and a blusher online, and received for free a highlighter, mascara and lippy – not bad at all considering the total retail price would have been £38!  At the same time as picking up these goods, I was actually ordering a couple of stocking fillers for a couple of people too.  I added my desired product to my basket, and noticed that if I spent £12 on that brand (and my product was already £8) then I would receive another free gift, worth £8.  The free gift actually turned out to be the exact thing that I was looking for, and so I chucked in another lippy for me and we were sorted.  I like that on the Boots website you can actually search for the free gifts offers by using the offers link – it makes shopping that little bit easier, and often gets me to try out brands that I’ve never used before – as I’m intrigued by the free gift.  Earlier in November I picked up some concealer, colour corrector and mascara from Superdrug on a 3for2 offer – and received a pompom for my car keys – as well as getting the cheapest item free!  Looking out for offers like these ensure that you are getting the best value for your money with every spend – hence why I like to shop like this now. 

Coffee on the Go

One of the easiest ways that I can save money every month is bring a coffee with me wherever I go.  I like to treat myself to flavoured coffees for keeping at home, and so in the morning when I’m heading off out the door to uni or work, it’s a real treat to enjoy a vanilla or gingerbread cuppa on the go – without the crazy price tag.  I like to have a coffee on me when I’m sitting in lectures  to keep me going – and so If I didn’t bring one with me everyday, I’d probably be spending £3 on a Costa a day… £9 a week… £36 a month!  Easy saving tips right there, totally simple yet you’d be surprised by the amount of people who actually spend that kind of money on the stuff every month.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about those coffee dates – and if I want an extra coffee after I’ve finished my home brewed one, then I’ll get one.  I’m not about depriving myself, just being a little more conscious of my spending is all.  Right now I’m loving the LittlesCoffees – and I’m currently on a mission to find their Christmas flavoured one, which sadly is out of stock in all my local Holland and Barrett stores.  Here is hoping I get my hands on one before the festive period ends.

And there we have it, these are some of the best ways that I go about ensuring that I’ve being a little bit more conscious with my spending every month – and yes, I’m treating myself AND saving money too.

Do you guys follow any of these rules too?

Until the next one,

The Makeup Range You NEED To Try

Before I decided to make all of my cosmetics cruelty free, I was always against buying dirt heap brands.  You know, the ones that only ever cost a couple of quid – no matter where you pick them up from.   I feared that they would clog up my pores and generally just not work very well.  I’ve now been open to trying out a lot more brands as of late that normally I would have avoided – as I’ve found that a lot of cheap brands actually tend to be cruelty free and sometimes even vegan.  I’ve been trying out the Natural Collection range which is available from Boots.  It’s been around for as long as I can remember – I used pick up little bits and bobs from the range when I was about 13.  Having seen a couple of bloggers online as of late posting about the brand, and whether or not they enjoyed the products, I thought I would give it a go and make up my own mind!

First off, the whole entire range of Natural Collection is priced as £1.99 apiece.  That’s £1.99 for foundation, £1.99 for mascara, £1.99 for highlighter.  AMAZING! £1.99 is right up my price range – I like products that I know work wonderfully and do not break the bank – so a good price to start with makes me curious and want to know more.  Secondly, they have nearly every single product that a girl could want or need in their makeup bag.  Although the stock in store was very sparse when I was in Boots (which actually made me think it was because a lot of people are rating the brand right now) if you order online you can get everything from concealer, eyeliner, eyeshadow and even eyebrow products!  I don’t spend a lot of time on my make up in the morning – I’m not into this whole contouring thing, nor do I wear eye shadow or any eye makeup bar mascara.  I like it all to be quick and simple, so again this brand fits my criteria really quite well!

I purchased myself a tinted moisturiser and a highlighter on my visit, as I’ve finally ran out of my Barry M and B. products that I bought a few months back.  I have been using both products every day for the last week now, and have to say that I am super impressed with both!  The tinted moisturiser sits so well on my skin, it blends in really nicely and doesn’t feel sticky nor look cakey as the day goes on.  I really can’t even tell that I’m wearing it as the day goes on, which again is something that I really enjoy.  I think that it gives me a real good coverage, it covers a lot of the red patches of my skin and most blemishes that I have right now.  It also doesn’t irritate my skin either which is fab – it is just a really lush product that does my every day basic look justice!  The highlighter stick is also fab too – although I did pick up quite a dark/pink tone for my skin, it does look really nice and gives my skin a nice glow which lasts all day.  I also like to wear some under my blusher as it gives my cheeks a really nice colour!

I’m definitely going to be picking myself up a couple of other products from the Natural Collection range when I’m in need of a makeup re stock.  I’m curious to see how well the mascara works as I like to make my lashes look really long, and I would also like to try out the concealer and press powder too!

Have you tried out any of the Natural Collection range yet?  What’s your favourite product?

Until the next one,

Soap and Glory Fragrances

Last month I took my little sisters to see Five Seconds of Summer in Glasgow, and so a trip away from Aberdeen for me usually calls for some shopping!  Some Lush goodies, a few pieces of clothing, a jar of Littles coffee and a few bits from Boots later, I was ready to head home and try out all of my new purchases.  After spying that a number of the Soap and Glory fragrances were reduced to clear in Boots on the day, I took the opportunity to stock up on my faves, Orangasam and Sugar Crush.  These are my absolute favourite scents by Soap and Glory, they always seem to be able to make everything smell amazing.

What I love the most about Sugar Crush is that it is unlike any scent I have ever come across before – in the best possible way ever.  With hints of lime and vanilla, it creates a very musky kind of fragrance that smells good enough to eat - it reminds me very much of ice cream and meringue’s.  It’s the perfect scent for days when you need a little summer lovin’, and I actually like it so much that I often choose this one over my other perfumes!  I picked up a bottle of this gem in the body mist form, which only cost me £3.50 at the reduced price, which I was super pleased about as it normally costs £10.  I’ve had this for the best part of a month now, and although I do like to be generous with my spraying – I’ve not actually used that much of it. 

Orangasm is this one that I like to go for throughout the day to give me a little freshen up, as it is so citrusy that I cannot deal, it’s like waking up of a fresh spring morning!  As you can probably guess by its name, Orangasm smells like freshly cut oranges with a little hint of floral scents – which together create a beautiful burst of fragrance.  I spied these body mists at just 75p a bottle, so naturally I grabbed three of them (cheeky), so I’m not going to run out any time soon.  These bottles are so small and handy, which I really like because there is nothing more annoying than having to carry around a big bottle of perfume when you’re limited for space.   I usually chuck one in my handbag so that I’m never without, and it’s so small that they even fit inside my toiletry bag! 

Although I’m not crazy about all of the Soap and Glory fragrances, when they make a good one – it’s really good!  Another favourite of mine is Fruitigo.

Have you tried out any of the Soap and Glory fragrances?  What’s your favourite?

Until the next one,

Soap and Glory Endless Glove

After picking up a bottle of the Vitamin C 3 in 1 facial wash a free weeks back, I’ve been checking out the Soap and Glory section of the Boots stores more often now, to see if anything takes my fancy.  I’ve always been a sucker for their fragrances, so usually my mission is to pick them up when they’re on a three for two deal.  This time round, I wasn’t so lucky with the fragrances – I did however mange to pick myself up a bottle of the Endless Glove Moisture Mask and Hand Cream.  Even when my eczema isn’t bad, my hands can get really dry and gross looking – so I like to make sure that I have a good hand cream in my hand bag at all times.  I love the Sugar Crush body butter by Soap and Glory, so I imagined that this would be just as good.  That and the fact that it was only £1.15 for the 125ml bottle (me and my bargains right?!) – I was sold.

What I like about this product is that it looks more like a body lotion than a hand cream when you apply it.  Hand creams tend to be quite thick, meaning that they take a while to soak up as you’re rubbing it in.  As this mixture is really quite runny, you don’t need to use a lot and it rubs in incredibly well, really quickly.  It’s a huge bottle in comparison to the sizes I normally buy (50ml) so this one is going to last me a really long time! 

What strikes me the most about Endless Glove is the smell, it’s absolutely beautiful – like most Soap and Glory products are!  It’s extremely fruity, with a little touch of floral coming through,  It was only when I took it home and read the packaging properly did I notice that it’s the same scent as the Frutigo body mist.  It’s not too overpowering, and I really like that throughout the day, I catch whiffs of it every now and again.  It’s a really long lasting scent, which is exactly up my street.  I have a phobia of smelling bad, so I’ve always got lots of nice smellies kicking about in my handbag to ensure that it doesn’t happen.  This will make the perfect edition to my collection.

The moisture mask isn’t something that I will use in this particular product, as I like to have full function of my hands at night at all times.  I can picture myself applying the cream and the gloves, and then trying to use my phone or read a book at get frustrated because it’s taking me longer to do it.  It’s just not up my street at all – right now anyway.  Give me five or ten years, maybe I’ll be cursing myself then when my hands look like dried up prunes.  I can tell you though that when applied just throughout the day, my hands do feel instantly hydrated and really smooth, especially my palms and fingers.  It’s a great hand cream over all, and if possible I will be stocking up on some more while they are so cheap!

What’s your favourite Soap and Glory product right now?  Let me know below!

Until the next one,

Grounded Coffee Body Scrub

This week I received a lovely little packet of the new Grounded Coffee Body Scrub in the post after I signed up for a product tester sample a few weeks back.  I was delighted to find that they had sent me a sample of the Chocolate Orange scrub, as chocolate orange is my all-time favourite flavour/scent.  Chocolate orange chocolate, chocolate orange candles, chocolate orange Beanies, you name it, I’ve probably had it.  I have read a lot of good things about the Coconut Grounded Scrub, as that one was specifically designed to cater for eczema prone skin, however seeing as my flare up has calmed down after a trip to the docs and a nutritionist (more to follow later) – I was still keen to give myself a good scrubbing with this bad boy!

The Chocolate Orange Scrub smells absolutely delicious before you even open up the pack, surprisingly stronger notes of chocolate orange rather than coffee itself.  Upon opening, the scrub was extra fine coffee graduals, which I was absolutely delighted to find as I knew that it wouldn’t be too harsh on my skin. This scrub is packed with lots of anti-oxidants too which helps the skin to restore itself, which is perfect for my skin right now as it is recovering from a breakout. 

On reading the packet prior to use, I noticed that it was advised to use a generous amount, scrub in circular motions for several minutes and then leave on for approx. ten minutes for best results.  I’m not crazy about the whole jumping in the shower, applying a product and then jumping back out of the shower to chill thing.  It’s cold out there.  I dry up like a prune.  I don’t enjoy it.  I think I managed about five minutes before I gave up, long enough to take a semi decent photograph anyways.  The results were still great none the less.  I used around half of this sample pack on the first use, as I found that a little went a long way with the scrub.  Although very loose and messy, I didn’t think that there was a lot of wastage as I applied it, which of course is great news!  The scrub kind of sticks to your skin when it’s wet, making it easier to apply evenly too.  After rubbing in the scrub, I washed my hands of the excess coffee and jumped out the shower for the five minutes.  My hands felt amazingly smooth straight away, which I guess would make sense because scrubbing away at my hands isn’t something that I do very often, if ever really. 

Five minutes later, I got back in the shower and washed away the excess scrub from myself, which actually wasn’t as messy as I thought it was going to be.  It pretty much washed away with next to no effort, leaving behind fresh and super smooth buffed skin!  The scent of the chocolate orange didn’t stick around much longer after this point, but as the scent was so prominent at the time of use, I guess we can let them off!

Grounded Coffee Scrubs now retail in Boots stores for £15 a bag, which from what I’ve seen is definitely a bargain for your money!  The sample pack that I received was enough for two decent uses, and the standard bags contain a LOT more.  I think I’ll be treating myself to the Coconut scrub sometime in the near future!

Have you tried out any of the Grounded range yet? 

Until the next one,

Beauty store bargains

For those of you who know me personally, you will know that there is nothing that excites me as much as getting anything super cheap, or better yet, free!  I love sending away for loads of free samples online and getting them delivered to my house – tea bags, moisturizers, facial washes and biscuit spread – you name it, I’ve probably had a free sample of it.  I’m not even embarrassed by it either, I like to try before I buy it.  I think that’s okay.

Just a couple of the freebies I've received in the post! 

So a couple of weeks ago now, I was out shopping in Boots and Superdrug trying to hunt down a specific shampoo that I was after.  Whilst doing so, I was delighted when I came across several bargains that I just had to nab!

The first of my finds was a Herbal Essence hair mask designed to repair split ends and nourish all hair types.  My hair is constantly a curly, frizzy mess – and despite the fact that I have drastically made the effort to avoid styling my hair with heated products over the course of the last six months, I still end up with the dreaded split ends. (If anyone can recommend a fantastic product that will actually help control my frizzy hair – please do tell!)  This 300ml hair mask retails for about £3.89 depending on where you are picking it up from, so when I found it priced at just £0.40 – it was a must have!  The label recommends that you use it once a week to treat your hair, so I believe that my purchase of two tubs will last me a very long time, happy days!

I decided to chance my luck and venture further down the aisle to see if I could spot any other super bargains.  I didn’t have to travel far before I found two different types of dry hair shampoo at similar prices to the hair mask I had just found.  The Pantene and VO5 dry hair shampoos were marked down to £0.30 and £0.40, so naturally I picked up two of the VO5 products and one Pantene to try out.  Although I do tend to wash my hair on a daily basis – on the rare occasion that I do not, I like to make sure that I have the right products to make it look and feel clean.  I’m currently using Lush’s dry hair shampoo “No Drought” which I bought about 3 months ago now for £3.95.  A little goes a long way with this product, and seeing as I have at least ¾ of the bottle left, it will be a while before I actually get around to using these particular products.  The two usually retail for about £4.00 each, and so at less than fifty pence per can, I really couldn’t resist. 

After spending just £1.90 on the five different products I had just picked up (and an additional £5.00 on the shampoo I wanted), I headed straight towards Boots – eager to see if I could possibly get lucky twice and find myself something good in there too.  I checked out the hair care products first, but without much luck.  I did however then venture down the skin care section – which is where my luck appeared to continue.  Retailing for £9.99 on a usual basis, I spotted a Biotics BB Cream in my shade (light) for just £1.19!  So of course I picked it up without hesitation, regardless of the fact that I have half a tub of a BB cream and a whole tube of CC cream waiting to be used back home.  This is a product that will be used over time, and I can’t wait to try it out to see how it looks and feels on.

My shameless goodies

So after my little unexpected bargain haul, I headed home with the 6 products I had picked up, having only actually paid a total of £3.09.  None of these items were reduced due to damages -  the stock was well within its shelf and use by dates, and must have been reduced to clear for the sake of new stock or formulas coming into store. 

So my advice for you for the next time that you are shopping in your favourite beauty stores, would be to take a closer look at the products and prices surrounding your desired purchases.  You may just walk away with a whole lot more, for very little extra cash!

What’s the best beauty products you’ve managed to pick up dirt cheap?

Until the next one,

Lauren x