Get Thee To Lush... and other upcoming posts

Somehow my husband found himself unsupervised in Lush yesterday. As you probably know the Lush Christmas gift sets get reduced after the big day. This entire load cost £56. That’s 50% off everything apart from the face mask. Bargain! 

Some of the products are permanent so expect reviews on these soon. Also coming up in the near future will be;

·         Best of 2010 (probably a video)

·         Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle review/ swatches

·         Benefit Coralista review/ swatches

·         Some more nail polish round ups

·         Primer reviews including MAC and Benefit

I was thinking about doing more EOTD posts. I’m slowly getting the hang of taking non blurry photo’s of my own face. Now I’m about as talented at applying makeup as I am at art in general (I couldn’t draw a straight line with a ruler) however it is sometimes useful to see what colours actually look like on the eye rather than in a swatch. Any thoughts? What would like to see more of on this blog? I’d really appreciate any feed back xxx

Honey, I’m home!

Hello my lovelies! I’m back from my belated honeymoon! I think I’ve caught up with missed comments/ emails etc but if I’ve missed one then sorry! We had a fantastic time in Thailand and honestly I think the two weeks away did us both the world of good. I thought I’d do a quick video just on the makeup items I purchased whilst I was away. I noticed a funny thing whilst watching it back. It is so obvious when comparing this video with my last one how much I needed this holiday. I’m so much more relaxed here. The frazzled looking me in the last video gives me nightmares....

Clothing Haul

Well here’s a first. Scotland’s least stylish woman went shopping for clothes. The last time I bought clothes was a dress for my cousins wedding.... in May. But the weather is getting colder so I felt it was time to stock up on some more seasonal clothes.

First from Next I bought a dress for interviews/ work. It’s more green than it looks in this picture but the material is nice and heavy. It looks nice with thick tights and wooly cardigans. It cost £30 I think.

I bought a long black cardigan as my current two (I live in them) are getting a bit ragged. I think this was £25 from BHS but it feels like fantastic quality. 

Then I hit up Primarni. I don’t remember the exact prices of everything but I do remember that the two woollen dresses were on sale for £5 each. I don’t think I paid more than £12 for anything.

Wooly dresses. Mmmm toasty.

And yes I bought two of the same dress in different colours. I’m loving the whole 70’s vibe going on in the shops at the moment. The colours just suit me and I like the cut of these. I’m thinking these will be work appropriate too.

I always pick up black flats from Primark as it doesn’t matter how much I spend on them I seem to destroy them within a month. These have a sort of velvety feel so will be no good in the rain (which we have a lot of) but I tend to leave them at work and walk in in trainers. I did mention I had no style didn’t I?

‘Tis the season for tights. I had some 100 denier too but I’ve worn them already.

And finally I decided it was time for a new dressing gown. This is so soft and fluffy. Whenever I wear it my cat suddenly appears on me snuggling down into it.

So all I need now is a winter coat (All mine are woollen and smell like wet dog if they get wet. I need something water proof... shexshy) and some boots. Bring it on Winter! X

MAC Fabulous Felines Haul

I was a bit naughty... I popped into MAC for some brush cleaner and had a quick peek at the Fabulous Felines collection. I honestly wasn’t planning on buying anything as nothing I’d seen online had really grabbed my attention but once I was there I could help myself. I have here the Burmese Beauty Quad, Pet Me Please Lipstick and Spree Lipglass.

Swatches and reviews will follow soon! What do you think of the collection? X

Massive ELF Sale Haul

I’ve been very very naughty over at Cherry Culture...

I know. I only just spent somewhat more than perhaps I should be spending at MAC but I maintain I ordered this lot before I saw how gorgeous the In The Groove collection was so it doesn’t count. Plus I took advantage of the 20% off code that was available a couple of weeks ago and my haul came in just under the benchmark for import fees making this probably the best value for money haul I’ve ever done. And I really wanted to try NYX. And... and... enough justification, here is what I got!

Holy NYX fest! All that for $35 plus shipping? Yup! (Shipping to the UK was about $27 if anyone is interested). I can’t wait to play with this lot!

I got three jumbo eye pencils; 603 Pots and Pans (silver), 601 Black Bean (black) and the oh so famous 604 milk (white). I’ve only swatched these so I don’ know how they are going to work for me yet as eyeshadow bases but I can report that they are the creamiest eye pencils I have ever known.

The ever popular round lipsticks also needed trying (according to moi) so I picked up B52, Frosted Beige and Jupiter. Now online swatches are rarely accurate and the ones on Cherry Culture, at least for the lippies, are no different. I would seriously recommend searching for real swatches online before ordering. That said I do love the colours I ended up with even if they aren’t quite what I was expecting.

Three Ultra Pearl Mania loose shadows also ‘fell’ into my basket in the colours Penny, Rust and Nude. Highlight and Herb powder shadows also jumped in for the ride. All three look gorgeous! I also picked up a blush in Peach which is sooo silky smooth. Oh and two glosses in Real Nude and Mauve.

The only disappointment so far is the 10 colour eyeshadow palette in Catwalk. Observe;

Meh. Oh if only I’d picked something brighter! Maybe I was thinking wearable nudes? I’ll try it and get back to you.

Swatches from In The Groove with start going up tomorrow if you’re interested and these will follow shortly. Also upcoming is an explanation as to why there haven’t been any NOTD posts lately and my master plan to rectify the situation (read: grow actually nails). Enjoy! xx

MAC In The Groove Haul

I had the most fantastic time last night. I was lucky enough to have a ticket to a MAC Technique evening. Basically we turned up, got a foundation sample and a glass of bubbly (ta very much!) and watched an hour long demo by some wonderful makeup artists. After that we had an hour with a whole load of brushes, products and very helpful MUA’s to just sit and play. The ticket price went towards any purchases thankfully so I didn’t do too much damage to my bank account.

I didn’t think the new collection was out until today but the stand was up! Here is what I treated myself to from In The Groove:

Togetherness Mineralize Eyeshadow Trio


By Candle Light Mineralize Skin Finish



Comfort Mineralize Skin Finish



Petticoat Mineralize Skin Finish

Stereo Rose Mineralize Skin Finish


I may yet go back and get a couple more eyeshadows. I wasn’t blown away by the lip products and I was already planning on buying a lipglass from the permanent line so I abstained.

Whilst I was there I also picked up Viva Glam Cyndi as every other time I’ve been there it’s been out of stock. I was tempted to get Gaga too simply because it’s for charity but I know I’d never wear the colour. I’ll just buy another Viva Glam lippie another time (I have V which I love).


I also got a lustreglass in Love Nectar simply because I tried it on during the ‘play time’ and loved how it looked.



Finally I picked up a 239 brush as one of the MUA used hers to apply basically EVERYTHING with great results.

Swatches and reviews will follow. If there is anything you’d like to hear about first let me know! xx

MAC Haul

AKA why I shouldn’t be allowed to shop unsupervised. Shopping for wedding eyeshadow was hard. Not because I couldn’t find anything I liked but because I was overwhelmed by choice. Eventually I just gave up, walked into MAC and said please give me the makings of a fairly neutral, classic wedding eye. Voila!

Here we have Wedge, Wood Winked, Corduroy and Blanc Type. All rather lovely colours that many view as MAC staples.

I also picked up a Studio Fix powder foundation in NC20 as I’ve been looking for a compact foundation that I can throw in my travel bag when I’m away for work. Liquids are just too much like hard work when you’re in a cold lonely Travelodge at 6 in the morning. Unfortunately NC20 is a touch too dark, NC15 was ghostly pale. I figure give it a month or so of sunshine and NC20 will be spot on.

Finally I bought some things I really didn’t need but desperately wanted. Lazy Day lippie from the To the Beach collection. Not crazy about the orange packaging but I love the lipstick itself so into my bag it jumped. I had wanted to pick up the Marine Highlight Powder but as I’d predicted it was long sold out. Before I knew it I’d been given the Mineralize blush in Dainty as an alternative. I have no idea how close they actually are but given that I only wanted the To the Beach powder because of the seahorse (admit it, so did you) I’m very happy with the replacement!

I had a look at the rest of the new collections and honestly I wasn’t blown away. The only other thing I really wanted from the To the Beach collection was Humid which I can get anytime so I passed for now. The Pret-a-Papier collection disappointed me to be honest. I had seen swatches of the lipsticks online and thought they looked nice but in person they weren’t really what I wanted. I took one look at the Coral Crepe Paint Pot which I’d also been lusting after and realised I would never use it. All of which I suppose is good news for my bank balance! I will be saving my pennies for the upcoming Venomous Villains and Fabulous Felines collections. If the preview info on Temptalia is anything to go by it’s going to be an expensive Autumn!

Swatches and reviews of everything will be up when I've actually had a chance to try everything properly xxx

Boots Original Formula Haul

Whilst in Boots last week (as I usually am!) I noticed that the Original Formula range which I’ve been dying to try was half price! So I loaded up my basket. As you can see Taz greatly approved!

Since her op she’s been feeling much better. She used to be fairly disinterested in her surroundings, now everything and everyone needs to be investigated thoroughly. Anyhoo back to the haul.




How lovely is the packaging! Here we have the bath oil (£3.89 reduced from £7.79), hand cream (£1.94 reduced from £3.89), bath foam (£3.14 reduced from £6.29) and body wash (£1.94 reduced from £3.89). The bath foam and oils both come in beautiful glass bottles. When they are done I will definitely be using them to put other bubble baths in!


So far all I’ve tried is the hand cream. The packaging looks like a metal tube but it’s actually plastic and squeezy. The cream is fairly thick and a little goes a long way and it does a nice job of moisturising my hands without leaving a greasy residue. The most noticeable feature is its scent. It states lavender on the packaging but whilst there certainly is a noticeable lavender tone it isn’t overpowering. It smells, well, it smells like a National Trust house. And I mean this as a good thing (being a proud member of the National Trust! For non UK people they are an organisation that look after old stately homes, gardens, castles and the like). It smells of beautiful well manicured gardens and pot pourri. It’s a pleasant floral scent but it is quite strong so is strong scents aren’t your thing it won’t be for you. I’m very tempted to pop back and buy the whole shelf full whilst it’s on special offer!

Overall so far I’m impressed and I do hope that the low prices aren’t indicative that they are giving up on the line. If anyone has any suggestions for other things from the range I should be trying then please do let me know!

Boots 17 offer/ Haul

I do love a good bargain! At the moment at Boots when you spend £6 on their 17 brand products you get this adorable little nautical tin, eyeshadow in Viva Diva, mini eyeliner in azure and Fast Finish polish in Knockout Red.



Aren’t they sweet! The shadow is surprisingly good quality. It has a lovely metallic sheen that flashes gold. It is soft and not at all chalky. The pencil is a little hard but the deep blue is gorgeous so I will definitely use it. The polish is a true bright red that will be spending much of the summer on my toes methinks. I think my small collection of Dazzle Dusts might be going to live in the tin... The eyeshadow is on the bottom, pencil on the top.

I spent a little more than the obligatory £6. I honestly never ever look at the 17 stand. Even as a teen I was more drawn to the No.7 stuff... old before my time? But at the prices I decided it was definitely time to give it a go. I got Shine On lipstick in Bonbon for £3.99, a lip pencil in Rose Blush for £2.49 and the crowning glory (in my opinion) the Blush and Glow highlighter/blush duo in Peaches and Cream (£3.69).


Working from left to right here we have the lippie, a neutral pinkie toffee colour that I probably won’t wear till autumn. It’s a touch drying but lasts fine, nothing a bit of lip balm can’t sort. Then the pencil which again is a bit hard and does drag on my lips. It’s a good match for Bonbon and will go well with any slightly darker neutral lipstick. Then we have Peaches and Cream which looks just as yummy as it sounds. The highlighter side is a lovely shade of ivory with a gold sheen when it catches the light. The blush looks fairly dark in the pan but on it’s a warm reddish coral with the same gold sheen. It isn’t in any way glittery but it certainly isn’t matte. Both blend fairly well though they are just the teeniest bit chalky. Nonetheless it is a gorgeous, practical and handy little pot of loveliness. If you want to pick something up from 17 this would definitely be the thing I would recommend first.

Hope everyone is well! xx

End of no buy haulage!

Can't wait to try these goodies out!

Boots brings out the naughty girl in me...

You may recall that I am currently in the middle of a no buy. I was doing very well too! Until yesterday... I popped into Boots to pick up some deodorant and left having dropped £60+ on cosmetics. I maintain that I bought these things specifically for my wedding and therefore this falls within the no buy rules. The rules weren’t broken until later as you will see.


Mmmm loveliness. I would like to point out that I had no intention of buying from Lancôme. I actually headed to the Esteé Lauder counter were I was ignored for a full ten minutes. The girl at the Lancôme counter on the other hand was immediately helpful and chatty without being pushy so she got my money instead. Take note sales people – I frequently refuse to part with my cash because I didn’t like the service I received. Even if a product is more expensive elsewhere if the shopping experience is better I will pay the extra pennies. I bought lipstick and mascara and was gifted with a whole box of free goodies which I will be reviewing shortly. Well played Lancôme! The MUA even solved the mystery of my colouring! I’d always assumed I was warm toned but could never be totally sure. Turns out I’m slap bang in the middle neutral! Huzzah! I can, apparently, wear any colour I want.

I also picked up Benefits Browzings which I have been craving for ever. I’m not entirely sure how much use I’ll get out or the powder but I suspect the wax will be gone very quickly. This again is not breaking the rules. I have unruly brows that will need taming on my wedding day so *blows raspberry* there.


Here’s where it all starts to go wrong. Zoya Pia and Jade ‘accidentally’ got delivered this morning. I am so excited to try these! Pia (the orange) looks like a fun summer colour. Jade might not get worn too much until winter but it looks scrummy in the bottle. Swatches will be following shortly!

The final (at last!) shopping sin was actually a treat from the lovely hubby-to-be. I have been searching for China Glaze Fortune Teller for a very long time, mainly to mattify a la Scrangie (if you haven’t seen the swatches go find. It’s stunning). I’ve basically given up but I did see somewhere that a decent dupe for the mattified effect is Gosh Rainbow over a basic black then a matte top coat. Of course when I read this and ran out to buy Rainbow I couldn’t find it for love nor money ... until yesterday.

Please tell me I’m not the only one that uses makeup as a pick me up when I’m feeling down? This haul was my shopping equivalent of half a jar of happy pills.

Haul Video

I went shopping :-( Bad Claire...

TK Max & Asda Haul (I’ll go to my room now and think about what I’ve done)

In my defence the last time I ‘hauled’ was November. Apart from the MAC pencil from Cham Pale... Anyhoo nothing else will be bought this month honest! Firstly I stumbled across the cheap jewellery clearance section in Asda. I’m forever losing earrings so I like to stock up on super cheap ones that I won’t be upset about when they inevitably disappear. 

Then we went to TK Max. For those of you who aren’t in the UK TK Max is a discount shop which has all sorts of random (sometimes designer brands) on sale. It’s hit and miss but sometimes you find some absolute gems! Stila is very hard to come by these days in the UK and I’ve never seen the Balm anywhere in the UK. I picked up two Stila value packs.

The first contains and oil free tinted moisturiser in medium (this will be going to my mum who is much darker than me), a shine lip colour in Anna and an eye shadow pan in Sajama. According to the price tag it should have been £61 and I paid £7!! The second pack contains another shine lip colour in Sonia, a Kajal in Topaz and an eye shadow pan in Batura. This had an RRP of £42.50 and cost £8.99. Now do you see why I bought these? 

I spotted the Balm Hot Mama blush £5.99 instead of the RRP of £19.00 so this came home with me too. When I first opened it I immediately thought of NARS orgasm but I swatched the two and they are very different. 

For £4.99 instead of RRP £16.50 I got a H2O+ Sea Clear t-zone mattifier. It claims you can use it over makeup or alone to control shine. I’m very excited to try this! 

Finally my eyelash curler is on its last legs so when Ed spotted this MsMakeup one (I’m sure i’ve seen this brand in Boots?) for £2.99 instead of £6.99 into the basket it went. 

Ok ok... I’ve been bad and I know it but It’s been a while since I succumbed to my makeup addiction! I’d been doing so well and then all of a sudden became overwhelmed by the urge to by something new. I don’t think it’s too bad as I have never tried these brands before and goodness knows I’d be unlikely to find them this cheap again! Am I forgiven?

*All bought with my own pennies*

A little hair care haul/ offers at Boots

Having weaned myself off washing my hair every day (thank you dry shampoo!) I feel I can justify spending a little more on hair products as I don’t go through them as quickly. Before I was strictly a ‘whatever is cheapest and on offer’ kind of girl. I would like to actually grow my hair this year so I’ve made some hair related resolution. Firstly I got a fringe so I will be forced to go and get regular trims. I’ve been known to go over a year without getting it cut and that only ends in straggly split ends and hair that doesn’t get any longer than erm.. boob length. I’m going to have another crack at SLS free/ low shampoos. I don’t like the conditioners that come in the SLS free/ low ranges I’ve tried so far so I am treating myself to some nice conditioners. At the moment a lot of the slightly more expensive ranges at Boots are on offer for 2 for £6 which is a very good deal so here is what I picked up (not everything was on the offer so check in store). 

Naked SLS free shampoo, Aussie Take the Heat Conditioner, Aussie 3 minute miracle deep conditioner, Trevor Sorbie Protection Shampoo (I meant to pick up the conditioner, oops!), Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Brunette Conditioner, Tresemme dry shampoo and the new Tresemme Naturals low SLS shampoo.

I have officially stocked up on every beauty related item I could possibly need and now I’m not buying anything else until I start running out of stuff! Is anyone actually interested in reading any reviews on hair products? Or would you rather I stuck to makeup and skin care? Do let me know in the comments! And if you can suggest a decent heat defence spray (don’t mind what brand/ or price) that would be super because the one I’m using at the moment is awful! Xx

*As usual I bought everything here myself*