Fragrance Direct Haul

Just a quick post as in super tired from travelling about all day - Perth to Glasgow to Edinburgh! 

Basically go to fragrancedirect.com and revel in all the cheap products they have, I got all this for £25 including the delivery! 

Did you ear about Van Gogh, are we there yet?, I have a herring problem, I don't give a rotterdam. 

Mojito madness, cascade cool. 

Classy, hazy. 

Wet cement. 

Boots Haul #7

It's been a very long time since I've posted a Boots haul. And tbh I probably have bought other Boots/drugstore stuff before now but I've just outright forgotten to post about it, whoopsies! :o

Anyways, my recent haul is a bit of a mish mash of things so let's get onto it! 

Doing my nails often mean I obviously need to have hand cream nearby at all times, I did have the new garnier ones that claim 24 hour moisture but they felt far too silicone-y (which provides the 24 "moisture" I'm assuming) so I decided for something new/better. There wasn't much in offer in terms of what I knew for sure was actually moisturising and had a nice scent and was practical to carry about so I went for this good old Nivea one. I adore the scent and it sinks in fairly quickly, and I can also use it for other dry areas that I randomly notice if I'm out and about. I'm also going away on holiday soon to Chamonix, so the 75ml is great for carrying onto the plane. 

My boyfriend is currently in Perth, scotland, for a work placement so I've been travelling between Perth, edinburgh and glasgow, so a few travel sized bits were needed so I wouldn't break my back carrying even more stuff than usual. Batiste doesn't need any explanation, other than even though I chopped my hair to belter shoulder length I still can't be bothered washing and drying my hair lol! The halo eye wipes I'm sure I got in superdrug, but it's still drugstore so I'll leave it in ;) these are very good at taking off waterproof mascara (more on that in this post!) and are in a handy dinky little packet too. They're textured but not too chemical-y so it doesn't burn your eyes or anything. I'm very bad at using body lotion, but with the sun shining and more shaving of leg needed, I need to step up my lotioning! This is a very good lotion, it sinks in well and leaves my legs and arms soft. Might even get the normal size of this! 

I've been using the Good Things range quite a lot lately, so I've been keeping an eye out for any new offerings they have especially concerning spot control. This gel mask is VERY mentholated when you first put it on, it's practically like running airwaves chewing gum on to your face, but it gradually settles down and it feels like nothing at all. It dries to a slightly tacky/dry finish but you don't get that mask like "I can't move my face" feeling since it's a gel mask. It leaves your skin nice and soft and calms down any sore spots you might have. I haven't used it long enough to gauge long term benefits but I really like it so far! 

Any Asian girl (or guy!) will understand my predicament of finding a good mascara that  holds up my short stubborn lashes. I usually always have toget a waterproof formula but even then, not all waterproof formulas are good enough. However this is a god send, recommend by leighannsays on YouTube! It thickens my lashes, keeps my curl and even lengthens them a bit. It makes my eyelashes actually visible to the naked eye and I adore it! Highly recommend if you have trouble with mascaras like Ido! 

As much as I have mascara issues, I have lip balm issues. I'm allergic to some lip balms, which makes finding a good one difficult. I used to use Carmex but i broke out in a reaction after returning to it's use after using blistex for a while. I also have a reaction to Chapstick and eos balms! Anyways, I pretty much rely on the medicated blue blistex or the little metal tube one. Neither are hygienic though, so I was trying to find a stick balm that didn't cause my a reaction. I was a bit wary of using a flavoured balm in case that broke me out, but I had enough points toget this on my card so I figured I wouldn't lose out much if I did break out. And hurrah, I am reaction free after a week of using this! It's moisturises really well and it tastes amazing! 

I mentioned myself and my boyfriend are away to chamonix for a holiday with his parents and brothers and sisters and cousins etc etc. they're away a week before us so we had to pack a bag for them to take with them since they're driving down. Anyways long story short I only have one eyeliner/eyebrow brush so I had to get another one to use whilst my good one is travelling to france. There wasn't much to offer other than this ecotools flat eyeliner brush which seems too wide to use for my eyebrows. However, I've managed to figure out how to use this and it works really well for an eyebrow brush. 

Impromptu Superdrug Haul

Yes, I'm normally a Boots girl but given they're currently stocking the new confetti collection and the nail art pens, AND it's 3 for 2, I could not help myself. 

They're also carrying the sequin collection but I decided to slip it as the polish is actually the concrete texture polishes with sequins rather than a creme finish, which doesn't sound appealing to me tbh... 

Anyways I bought all but one of the confetti polishes (they didn't have any of the green or blue one, Sour Apple and bubblegum I believe?), the black and white nail pens and some of the newer Gelly polishes. 

Swatches soon hopefully! 

More Sinful Colours

Hey guys, really quick and sparse post today, Myself and Mr Lacquerised have some family problems going on at the moment and that coupled with 3rd year uni exams isn't the best feeling.

I'll be honest and say I'm not entirely sure when I'll get back to posting like normal, things feel a bit poopy right now in all honesty.

Anyways, here's some more Sinful Colours polishes that I picked up a while ago. I haven't got time to properly do swatch posts of each one so I did a quick patch test on some paper.

If you haven't bought these from Boot already then I suggest you do, cos for £2.00, they are really good and pretty much around the same volume as standard polishes!

Hope you guys are well too and stay safe! Hopefully see you's soon :)

Very Impromptu Nail Polish Haul!

Quickie post as I've procrastinated enough and I have lots of studying to do. Boo. Anyways, I went for a quick galavanting to Boots for some fresh air/sunshine and I noticed they've started stocking Sally Hanson polishes and Sinful Colours, and of course I had to grab some! The Hanson stand was quite glorious with nail wraps and cuticle care, but the Sinful Colours was a bit lonely and empty looking. Hopefully they get more stock in to attract more folk. They're only £2 a bottle for 15ml so even better for your money than the Collection Hot Look teeny polishes! To sum up, (as my iphone photos are pitiful, I do apologise!) I bought Sinful Colours in Be Happy, Unicorn and Soul Mate. Sally Hansen in Mermaid's Tale. models Own in Fuzzy Peach. And Collection Hot Looks in ELectric Dreams and Milkshake.

(Mini) Boots Haul #6

So, I'm actually technically on a spending ban as I'm going away on holiday with my boyfriend and the in-laws in July and me and my boyfriend are going to move in together for 4th year (woo!), however I'd ran out of dry shampoo, left my favourite Boots Botanics cleanser in Edinburgh an my lips looked super dry and cracked. So desperate times, called for desperate measures :p

Since the Boots Botanics balm cleanser is like £9 (it is worth it if you're NOT buying it as an emergency though!) I decided to look for something cheaper to tide me over for the week. I've hear a fair amount about the Good Things range, and he cleanser isb paraben etc free (since the botanics cleanser is organic and i think thats the main reason why its kept my spots at bay) and given its fairly decent price of £5, I thought I'd give it a whizz. It's a clear gel formula that you massage for around a minute on to a damp face. It doesn't lather up but you can see it get cloudy from the make up coming off and you can also see the mucky evidence when you wipe it off with a flannel! It left my skin comfortable yet cleansed and it smell so fruity and fantastic!

I'm a bit of a lil balm hoarder and try and have at least one within grabbing distance at all times. I usually use Blistex or other kinds of medicated balms, but though I'd give a one dedicated to moisturising your lips a shot. Everyone's heard of the Palmers Cocoa Butter, so I thought this light be a good shout! There is also a dark choc flavour but I'm more of a milk cho kinda gal ;)

I'll be honest and say I'm not too find of batiste as it sat very grey/white on my black hair, so I went for the tresemme dry shampoo as it was almost clear. However now I'm kind of sort of brown, I decided to give the batiste for dark/brown hair another go. I've tried it once so far and it seems okay, however I only sprayed a small amount on my hair.

Boots Haul #3

Hello folks, another Boots haul here for you, mainly consisting of the Boots Botanics skincare range after my surprise find of the Botanics Shine Away Gel Cream Moisturiser. I was considering plunging the depths of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish after it being raved about my my fave youtubers and my Simple Spotless/Witch Hazel & Tea Tree products running out, but as I'd only just bought the Botanics moisturiser, I figured I might as well get some Botanics stuff and wait till this batch of skincare runs out to get the Liz Earle products. I've included a (probably blurry) photo of the blurbs on each products in case you guys might want more info :) A lot of reviews I've read have said Botanic have changed their formulas for the facial skin care ranges, and have not been please with the changes, but overall I've used these products happily and I haven't had any major break outs from the formula, despite most of the products I'm using saying they're suitable for all skin types and not specifically for oily/combination/acne prone skin. My skin has been less red, and definitely more soft and nourished.

This is what seems to be Botanics' version of the Liz Earles Cleanse and Polish, only in balm form, whereas the Liz Earle is a creamy consistency from what I've seen in reviews and videos. I've tried this a couple of times now, and it's surprisingly nice for my oily/combination skin considering it's an oily type balm, and hasn't broken me out too much (I've had one or two teeny bumps but that may be due to me switching products). There's a pretty solid layer on the top, but once you break through that, the rest of the product is fairly soft and easy to scoop out of the tub. It's quite a grainy consistency, that melts to a light, oily balm when rubbed into your skin. Once rubbed in, and your make up has been melted away, you use hot tap water to wet the included muslin cloth and lay this on your face to open your pores, and rub the cloth on small circular motions to cleanse of the balm, gently exfoliate and get any extra make up off. You then rinse the cloth and use cold water to close your pores. This alm is actually pretty effective at cleansing off your make up, and it smells okay, in that fake herbally kind of way. I'm not too sure how it does with eye make up since I bought a separate eye make up remover, but i've rubbed it over my eyes and I've had no problem. It leaves an oily residue on your skin, which some people leave on as an overnight treatment kind of thing, but I' remove it with either the foaming wash or the cleansing milk, as I think my skin would not react well with a film of oil over it. I dont really mid having to do this though as I often double cleanse, since I always manage to miss bits of make up! This is the first balmy/muslin cloth type of cleanser I've tried so I can't really compare it to any other brands, but it's a nice cleanser that could be used as a treatment if you leave the residue on.

I must admit I'm sometimes really lazy in the morning and I sometimes use wipes, or someone else is in the bathroom and I can't get to the sink to use a proper facial wash. However, I do always double cleanse, no matter what, so I always follow wipes with a cleansing milk. I only ever use wipes in the morning though, as I like to scrub my make up off...it's quite satisfying lol. These are actually really moist for wipes, and they smell really nice too. I can't really comment on how they remove make up obviously, but they haven't broken me out and they're handy for cleaning any make up gunk off my glasses too.

This is what I like to use in the morning or if I don't feel like using the hot cloth cleansing balm. It's a really nice smelling cleanser, foams really easily and gets your make up off easily too. I like to use it with the botanics facial brush to really scrub my make up off! It doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry, and overall quite a pleasant product.

Having short, asian lashes means the only type of mascara I can wear is waterproof, as it's the only type that will hold up my curl. Despite that, I can only use the more drier formulas, as the wetter ones take too long to dry and my lashes just end up falling down anyways. So I need to use a separate eye  make up remover, rather than relying on my face cleanser or wipes ets. I decided to buy this one, as it's one of those half oily, half water shakey uppy (LOL great terminology) type cleanser, and they seems better at breaking down eye make up than standard removers. This has been pretty good at taking off my mascara and any surrounding foundation and easily comes off when I use a normal cleanser.

This is what I like to use for the latter half of when I double cleanse, to make sure I've gotten any extra bits of residue off. It's a wipe of creamy cleanser, and does indeed leave your skin soft, however it does feel a bit more slick compared to other wipe of cleansers that I've tried.

And what cleansing routine would not be complete without toner? I was considering getting the organic rose spritzer toner, but this one's a wee bit cheaper and I'd lost track of how much I'd already put in my basket (anyone else get the fear of getting carried away and not having enough cash on them?!). This is a lovely toner, that you can feel cleansing any extra residue of the cleanser and leaves your skin clean but not dry and tight.

I'm up at Mr Lacquerised's parent's for Christmas and  nail polish remover was one of those things that I didnt necessarily need to pack and could just buy when I got here. Cutex is a brand I usually go for, but I'm not actually sure why, maybe it's because they have varying types to suit your needs? Anyways, this one is a favourite of mine as it doesn't smell as chemical fueled as normal removers, but can't really put my finger on whatt scent it it...

I needed razors, but couldn't find where the girly ones were, so I settled on getting some cheap manly ones, and hoped my skin would come off in shards as I wasn't sure what to expect. But they're not that bad, sure, there's no pivotty bit for angular bits like your knees, so you need to readjust your position a wee bit, but they're not too bad, and at less than £2 for the packet, I'm pretty chuffed :)

Boots Haul #1

Boots it's one of my greatest problems in life. It just steals all my money. They have SO many that I rarely come out with nothing, especially since i have a lip balm and nail polish obsession :p So this is my latest haul :) Not sure if this will become a regular thing, but hopefully these posts fill in the gaps I tend to leave between nail posts :(

First off is one of the new Nivea lip butters, in Raspberry Rose. You HAVE to try this out, it smells of raspberry ripple, and feels so good on your lips. It lasts a long time on your lips considering butters tend to be more greasy?...feeling, and you can feel it nourishing your lips against the cold autumn days. Despite being a Body Shop hoarder, I don't get on well with the infamous Lip Butters. They just sit on my lips,not really moisturising or nourishing them. Does nourish and moisturise mean the same thing? :p

Despite it being a milky pink, the colour barely transfers to your lips. If you're an avid balm applier like me, it does make your lips eeeever so slightly pale pinkish but nothing too disgusting. From what I could see, the other flavours are original, vanilla & macademia and caramel cream, HOW amazing to the last 2 sound? They're around the £2.50 mark, so you can easily pick up one or two, with a spare fiver ;)

Boots currently have a buy one, get one half price on selected beauty products, so I obviously picked up some polishes (the nivea butters weren't in the deal unfortunately). I had a wee look in the maybelline stand as they have a few great colours in their selection. However, most of the colours I wanted weren't stocked yet, so I picked up Extreme Blackcurrant and a fast dry topcoat.

I recently tried the Extreme Blackcurrant, and it applies opaque in 2 coats, but I applied 3 as per usual. It's an almost black purple, with slight red tinges to it, definitely lives up to it's name! The top coat semi-sucks though. It streaks like hell, on designs AND plain colours, but it did dry in a pretty average time for a fast dry topcoat.


I've been wanting these pair of tights for ages, but I always forgot to pick them up. Theyre just standard grey wooly tights with white polka dots, but I thought they were pretty cute and would be nice for this cold weather.

I have ridiculously long hair (just to the bottom of my ribcage) so brushing my hair is a necessity, a necessity that I find long, boring and quite painful at times. I did invest in a tangle teezer but I left it in edinburgh when i went back to my Mr Lacquerised's home, so I picked up a  random cheapy brush. I didn't realise till now how good the tangle teezer was. This brush really drags through my hair, but I guess it gets the job done and it was cheap. And it's orange, one of my favourite colours :)

 

Nontheless this cheapy brush is quite decent on my thick and long hair, so chances are that it should be okay on standard hair. The bristles are cushioned and the ends are covered, so it's a comfortable experience for the scalp! :)

Being Chinese and having typical Asian hooded eyelids, eye make up doesn't really factor into my daily make up routine or make up stash, other than standard foundation/concealer/powder/mascara. But I use a Botanics facial brush/scrubber thingy to cleanse my face which I obviously don't want to use near my already damaged eyes (very strong glasses prescription!), so I bought some standard cheapy eye make up remover stuff to take off my base make up. I previously used the little pot of eye make up remover wipes, which were good as they're oil based (also good for removing some of Revlon Colourstay foundation before proper cleansing btw!), but they hadn't had any left in stock when i went :(

Given this is Boots basic brand, I expected it to be sucky, and it pretty much is for mascara, but that could be due to me using waterproof mascara. It's a clear, gel formula, with not much of a scent. It basically feels like water, and it does require a few swipes to get off the base make up around my eyes, but it does the job and not even that expensive, around the £1.50-ish mark.

I rarely tie my hair up in public - usually only at night when I braid it to prevent me or my boyfriend being strangled in our sleep, or if I don't want my hair in  my face when I'm studying at home. So I bought some of those elastic-y non-snag hair bands that come in a hand y box, since I am notorious for leaving my hair grips and bobbles to be sucked up by the hoover...

When I first started using these kinds of hair bands, they kept snapping on me as I used to tie my hair SO tightly as I was sure they'd just slip out of my hair, but I slowly realised that they don't need tied round that much to be secure, around 2 times to tie up a braid.

My boyfriend's slightly crazy, yet lovely aunt bought me a cheeky present the other week, and it was quite a good pick despite me not actually talking about polish brands with her (I've done her nails once or twice). I've been admiring the Hed Kandi range by Models Own for a long while (especially the orange!) but I still haven't gotten round to buying anything yet.

Disco Heaven is a gloriously glittery gold polish with random sparse flecks of blue glitter. LOVE.


Another hair thing again. I really should've bunched these together. Meh. Anyways, having long hair, I find washing and drying my hair a chore, and the ends of my hair weigh down my roots so my hair looks rather limp at the top, but overly thick at the bottom, which isn't the hottest look. So I use this voluminising Tresemme dry shampoo to help keep my hair on balance.

Despite most people being a Batiste fan, I find it too chalky and white against my black hair, whereas Tresemme isn't quite as chalky, and generally comes out transparent with a few random moments of white. not sure if this si something to do with shaking the can before spraying or whatnot though.

Out of all these products, the dry shampoo is the only repurchase, but I'm forseeing that I may try and grab all of the Nivea Lip Butters at some point :)

I hope you enjoyed my first Boots post :D