March favourites!

This is a bit of a 'basics' favourites post, as I found up the five things that make my life pretty easily :)

Remington S7902 Wet2Straight Hair Straighteners

I've had these since October, and they're generally fab, but it was at the debating conference I went to that they came into their own. You see, I was really stupid and forgot to take a hairbrush (d'oh) - but I found that once I had straightened my hair with these you couldn't tell at all. Plus, since my hair is so thick, it would be impossible to fully dry it before straightening - with these I don't have to! I use Schwarzkopf's got2b Guardian Angel Heat Defence spray with them, which seems pretty good.

These have an RRP of £84.99 but retail on Amazon for £42.99

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick - Belle

(image from the fab Catherine's Loves blog)

I have been keeping this lipstick in my pencilcase for most of the past month, it's perfect for a quick swipe. The colour is fairly sheer, with lots of shiiiine and it's really pretty. That the colour is sheer means that you can just swipe away even without a mirror, as if you miss a bit/go off your lips it's not at all noticeable. 

Plus, the packaging is pretty snazzy too - it's fairly difficult to lose this bright blue tube in your bag.

It sells for £4.59 from Boots.

Elf blusher - Shy
(image from the fab Sugar Coated Muffin blog)
This blusher is a really good every-day blusher in my opinion, as it produces a soft pink which goes with everything and is really difficult to overdo. Plus it lasts really well to. Does what it says on the tin, really.
It sells for £1.50, either for 2g in its own thingy as shown or for 1.5g to go in their Elements system, from elf.

17 Solo Eyeshadow - Walnut Pearl (top left in this picture)
I love this eyeshadow - it's a lovely everyday basic colour, and goes with everything - basically the eye makeup equivalent of the blusher above. It's really long-wearing, too.
It retails for £3.89 from Boots.

17 BB Cream
The main reason I like this is that it is low coverage - it's really just a me-but-better look. I have been using it in Light, but I think I need to move up to Medium as I've started to pick up a bit of a tan. It lasts all day (always a bonus!) and generally helps me feel like a more polished version of me.
It sells for £6.99 from Boots.

Review - Sainsbury's 2 in 1 strawberry shampoo

At first glance, this review shouldn't belong on a 'serious, grown up' (though let's not lie, when am I ever serious or grown up) beauty blog. It's a £1.10 kids' combined shampoo and conditioner.

But I'll let you into a secret here: It's fab!

I only use this for holidays/ after swimming when I don't want the fuss of separate shampoo and conditioner, as it's more expensive than my standard shampoo and conditioner (this is £1.10 for 250ml, I'm a cheapskate, I know), but it's really good.

I first picked it up a couple of years ago for a holiday for which I had to pack really light, but decided it was much better than I expected.

It conditions hair really well, and the scent is lovely.

Packaging

This shampoo comes in a squeezy-ish bottle, which is fairly standard, but it has enough swagger to its shape that it's easy to keep a grip on when wet, and it fits into the hand fairly well. A minor thing, I know, but an important one. The only downside is that as the bottle is completely opaque it's impossible to know how much you have left in the bottle.

Does it live up to its promises?

Sainsbury's Strawberry 2in1 conditioning shampoo has a mild and gentle formula specially developed for your little monsters! Avoid bath time traumas - cleans and de-tangles in one easy step! Leaves hair feeling soft, shiny and smelling Berry-licious! Suitable for all hair types

Right, ignoring the slightly patronising tone and overexcited use of superfluous exclamation marks (I'll put the grammar nerd back in her box now, don't worry), by and large this shampoo does live up to what it promises to do. I have yet to get it in my eyes, and much as I love you guys, I'm not going to do that on purpose just to see what happens... It does de-tangle quite well, though. While my hair is quite short at the moment, it still tangles really easily, and this shampoo copes quite well - I remember it working well when I had long hair too.

It does definitely leave hair soft - I keep stroking my hair after I use this shampoo, and there's also a little something of the scent left (which is a really nice, fruity scent) even nearly two days after the wash. It doesn't leave hair particularly shiny, though, or at least not by itself. If you then blow-dry and straighten the hair it looks really shiny and lovely, but if you just towel-dry it, it isn't particularly shiny.

Who would like this product?

Anyone in a rush, or going to the gym/swimming pool, or packing light for a holiday. Also anyone who has difficult tangly hair.

Would I repurchase it?

I already have! I'm halfway through my second bottle, with the next ready and waiting.

And in other news....

I'm doing a one mile swim for Sport Relief on April 27th, and it would be very much appreciated if you could sponsor me, even just fifty pence - every little helps! In Bangladesh, many children lose their lives every year when monsoon season comes around because they can't swim - so Sport Relief are trying to raise money to teach them, so that they can escape the monsoon rain. Sponsor me here :)

What's your best surprise buy?

And have you done any form of sport for charity?

March Empties: Well, this is a bit of a letdown.

With all good intentions I set aside a bag at the start of March to put all my empties in... and I ended up with just one. Oh well, on with the show.

Dove Silk Glow Nourishing Body Wash - Full size (250 ml)

This was part of one of those Christmas gift sets (in this case it came with another shower gel and a shower puff). It is available for £2.29. Personally, though, I wouldn't rebuy it. It did help moisturise, and so on, but I like scented shower gels. Though, of course, if it were on offer and, say, Original Source, wasn't, then I would buy it.

Does the job, just... no more.

Boots haul!

I decided to take advantage of the current three-for-two across all make-up, and this is what I bought:

Natural Collection LashBuild Mascara in Black - £1.99

As I mentioned in yesterday's round-up of what I took with me to Haileybury, my current black mascara is drying up. I decided to get one of their other formulas so I could compare them.

17 Blusher in Nude - £3.49

This is a really nice subtle shade for summer; I look forward to using it lots!

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Pencil in 071 - Pure White - £2.99

I have this pencil in many other colours, and decided to get white as I had read that it helps to open up the eyes

What I took with me: Haileybury MUN

Last weekend was my last ever high school Model United Nations conference (geek alert!)

This is what I took with me make-up wise, and a rundown on how useful each item was:

1. Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Rose Bud - I wore this and it worked well for me - fairly long-lasting and a nice neutral colour
2. Natural Collection Cream Blush in Rosy Pink - I didn't use this
3. 17 BB Cream in Light - I did use this, I think I might move up to Medium now I've started to pick up some colour in my face
4. Benefit Watt's Up highlighter - I used this for the party, when it was going to be dark
5. 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle - another good neutral lip shade
6. Marks & Spencer blusher in Ginger (now discontinued but I have found a dupe)
7. Natural Collection Cover-Up Stick - did use this as I have broken out a tiny bit
8. Miss Sporty nail polish - I had this in my pencilcase for touchups as and when
9. 17 Pencil Sharpener
10. Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lipstain and Balm in Carry on Cherry - I used this and it lasted really well, plus it came across really well in photos from the party
11. Natural Collection LashCurl Mascara in Black - I used this each day and it was good as usual, but it's starting to dry out, which is sad as I've had it less than three months - but then it was only £1.99
12. 17 Photo Flawless Eye Pencil in Copper/Black - I used this each day to line my lower lash line
13. 17 Metallic Eye Liner in Green - I didn't actually use this
14. Collection Extreme 24H Felt Tip Eye Liner in Black - my favourite eyeliner. Ever. Did thin discreet lines one day and nice chunky 'Cleopatra' lines the other.
15. Elf eyelid primer in 'Champagne'. Works as it should, no questions asked.
16. Revlon Blush Brush
17. elf Blush/Bronzer/Blending brush
18. Liberty/Hello Kitty eyeshadow palette - I used this, especially the pale pink and adjacent reddy shade
19. Collection Shimmer Shades in Way to Glow - I used this each day
20. 17 All About Nude palette - I used the eyeshadows from this
21. elf elements palette containing a) Sage eyeshadow, b) Wisteria eyeshadow, c) Driftwood eyeshadow and d) Shy blush. I mainly took it for the blush, which I used each day

There we go, a nice summary. I think overall the most useful thing I took was the Rimmel Lipstain - I'm in love with the colour.

Here are a couple of photos from the weekend:

Two Things Thursday: Juicy

Firstly, something that is really exciting: tomorrow I leave on a weekend debating conference. This is the third time I've been to this one and it'll be the last one I can go to, as I leave school this June. I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends there, it'll be great. When I get back I'll do a post about what I did and didn't use of what I took.

Secondly, I'm currently obsessed with this juice. It's really yummy :) It is sold in 1 litre cartons, but this is one of the 250ml ones which I use to take to school to have for lunch, and they're three for 75p.

What's your favourite fruit juice?