Mothers Day At Poundland - Stationery, Homeware, And High End Make Up Dupes

When I was younger, like so many of peers I wouldn't have been seen dead in a so called discount stores, whether it was down to naivety, delusions of grandeur, just trying to fit in or just plain stupidity, I look back on the Louise of the 1990's and I cringe, I was such an idiot, discount and bargain stores rock and they probably always did.

It's simple really, why pay more for something when you don't need to, I am a huge fan of the so called discounter supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl, I love a good market stall, and of course I love bargain retailers like B&M and Home Bargains. My real love though is Poundland, you do sometimes need to watch their prices, as you can occasionally get things cheaper elsewhere but it's one of the few shops that I can never leave empty handed.

What do I buy in Poundland? well anything and everything, you name it and I've probably bought it in Poundland, nail varnish - check, CD's - check, cleaning products - check, yeah, you get the idea. I'm lucky enough to live quite close to one of their larger stores so I can't resist popping in every week or so, to see their latest arrivals.

Like so many stores now, Poundland is a buy it when you see it shop, if you don't get it when you see it there is no guarantee that it will be there the next time, I think that fear of missing out is probably one of the reasons that I buy so much on every trip.

Now I don't post as many hauls on the blog as I used to instead I tend to upload pictures to Instagram,  and save them to highlights but I thought that today I'd share some of my most recent Poundland buys with you, and they all have a bit of a theme.

If you are still lucky enough to have either your own mum in your life or if you're a mum yourself then you'll already know that it's now less than two weeks till Mothers Day. I think I'm just about sorted now but if you aren't and you either want some little things to add to a main present or you just want some cheaper or token items, or even if you fancy treating yourself on a budget, than Poundland really should be your first port of call.

On my last couple of trips I've noticed more and more items appearing in the their Mothers Day collection. With 90% of the range priced at just £1, this years offerings are perfect if you're are a fan of pinks and marble prints. With items ranging from these fabulous tea light holders, to travel mugs, coupon books, coasters, and trinket boxes, there really is something for every type of mum

Now my mam, is a bit of a puzzle book fan so I've picked up a cute set of pens that are shaped like cooking utensils for her (not pictured), and you know how it goes, I couldn't resist picking up a few stationery bits for me. The pack of  marble print washi tape wasn't in the Mothers Day range but everything else in this picture was. I love anything in gold, pink and marble, and I do love a notebook, so for just a £1 this one was a must, and I love the quotes like "Write Your Own Future" on the pencils.

As well as stationery Poundland's Mothers Day range also contains quite a few beauty items, I'd already picked up one of the marble Blending Sponges when they first appeared with the Valentines / Galentines range, and after a few uses I decided to get a back up. It works just as well as my Beauty Blender and I love the grey and white marble print. As well as the blending sponges, there are perfume dupes, nail polish and nail files sets, bath bombs and some pretty decent make up products.

For Mothers Day 2019, Poundland have released 3 cheek different products inspired by Revolution / Make Up Revolution's, popular Blushing Hearts line which retail at around £4.99 and were themselves inspired by Too Faced's £24 Sweethearts. I don't own any of the Too Faced originals but I'm pretty happy with the Revolution dupes that I do own, and £4.99 is a lot easier to spend then £24. What about a pound though, can make up that cheap really be any good? well I decided to find out and I managed to get my hands on two of Poundland's "heart" make up items.

The first item I picked up was the Bronzing Powder Triple Baked Bronzer. Sticking with the the pink, Mother's Day theme, it comes packaged in pink and white cardboard box. The box itself comes wrapped in a plastic seal so you can't actually see what you're buying, slightly risky but it was only a pound and there is nothing worse than getting a product home and finding someone else's fingerprints in it, so at least you've escaped that!

Open the box and you're greeted with your product adhered to a plastic insert, and boy does it look the part. The domed, chunky, heart shaped bronzer contains 3 shades, a deep warm gold, a deep brown bronze, and a slightly lighter nude bronze.

With the baked texture that you we've come to expect from this type of product, the payoff and pigmentation is superb, all of the shades are strong, and smooth, and I didn't have to do any of that scraping that your sometimes have to do with baked products to get to the colour - just warmth and shimmer in just one light swipe.

Unfortunately I haven't managed to take any pictures of these actually on my face yet, but I have used this bronzer for an all over look, swirling the colours together to warm my cheeks up, and then individually as eye colours. The shades aren't quite as dark as they appear in the pan but I definitely think that this will be more of a summer palette for me, it definitely adds a real glow and a bit of shimmer, which I think will work better on me when I'm not quite as pasty.

Now the other item I got is something that I can definitely wear all year round, it's the Triple Baked Highlighter. Yes, yes I have a ridiculous amount of highlighters but they make me happy, I mean look at it, it's so pretty!

Obviously it comes in the same packaging as the bronzer, only this time you're getting an altogether lighter, cooler toned glow. Again you get three shades in your chunky, domed heart, a true champagne, a more golden champagne tone and a bronze nude. Again I can't fault the colour payoff, or the texture, the pigmentation is there and it's definitely a case of shimmer rather than glitter.

Whilst the bronzer palette worked best for me on the eyes, this is more of a put it everywhere type palette, you can use each shade individually or swirl them together and use them on your cheek bones, brow bones, and again you could even create a full eye look with just this one heart.

I wasn't expecting a lot from these two palettes but I'm so, so impressed for the price. They feel nice, the colour payoff is superb and they were really easy to apply and blend, oh and did I mention that they aren't tested on animals? Yes you get a little bit of fallout, and they create a bit of dust, and I can imagine that the packaging will get a bit grubby after a while but hey I can live with that, they are a £1 each what's not to love! I can't really justify buying any more cheek products at the moment but I'm so tempted to go on a hunt for the as yet elusive, Blushing Hearts Blusher to complete my trio, if that is even half as good as these then for just £1 it will still be well worth picking up. If you've tried it though let me know your thoughts As I say when you see things in Poundland you should buy them, everything that I've seen and read seems to suggest that there were made specifically for Mothers Day so if you fancy a real make up bargain or anything else that I've mentioned then I'd get yourself down to Poundland sooner rather than later x Are you like me and a fan of bargain and discount stores? Share you best finds with me in the comments x

A Huge Primark Haul - September 2017 Edition

Ahh Primark, nothing lifts my mood than a bit of budget indulgence. Like most stores Primark's prices have increased but it's still one of the cheapest places on the high street to buy clothes, accessories and home wear, and I never, need an excuse to fill my basket.

I've got quite a bit to show you so I'm going to quit the babble and get started, and the first item that I picked up was this sleep tee, which was just £4.50 from the Newcastle store.

When I bought it though, I committed the cardinal sin, and didn't check that the size on the nightshirt corresponded with the size on the hanger grrrr. Thankfully when I went back to exchange it in the Intu Metrocentre store and there was one left in my size! Call it fate or the luck of the Unicorn or the feline but I'm happy to have this in my life. It just a basic over sized t-shirt in a sort of navy blue marl type fabric. You can't see the writing too clearly in the photos but it says "When I Dream I'm A Caticorn" - cats and unicorns what could be better!

Next up something stripy, I've always loved stripes and this year especially, the stores, seem to have caught up with my obsession. A few hauls ago I picked up a basic, short sleeved, striped crew neck t-shirt, and it's something that I've washed, and worn, and washed and worn since I got it. The length is good, and it's super stretchy. I couldn't see any short sleeved ones on the this trip but I did find a long sleeved version in a few different colours, it was just £4 and I went for the pale blue and white stripe version.I've already worn this and for the price I think it's a pretty decent top, and I'm definitely going to pick up a few plain coloured ones for layering.

Sticking with the striped theme, I also picked up this jumper. I'm a big fan of knitwear and lightweight pieces like this one are perfect for pretty much any season in the UK.

It's officially described as a Step Hem Jumper, and it's does have a bit of curved, uneven hem thing going on. It's in a slightly off white with a thin black stripe. It also features a bit of ladder detailing, and rib detailing on the hem and sleeves Again it comes in a few different colours including different stripes and plain colours and it was just £8.

I know they can often be seen as a little bit, grannyish, but I do love a cardigan, no I'll admit it I'm slightly obsessed with cardigans, I probably have enough cardigans in my wardrobe to start my own little cardigan shop but come on! they are just so useful. I love layering, and I always want to cover bits of my body that I'm not feeling very confident about, and cardigans fit the bill perfectly, and when I saw this one, it was woolly love at first sight.

This is one of the pieces from Primark's collaboration with UK Glamour magazine. I don't know the extent of the collaboration but a lot of the new Autumn and Winter pieces are tagged with As Seen In Glamour, so I'm assuming it's just a promotional feature but they had some really nice bits including this officially red, but really more like a bright, orange red cardigan. It's long length, in a wide ribbed design, it has no buttons or fastenings and it has pockets.

It was £13 and although it's made of largely synthetic fibres, it definitely feels a lot more expensive than it is, if you like the idea of angora but you won't buy if for ethical and animal rights reasons this could be something to try. It's the perfect autumnal bright and I can't wait to wear over jeans, leggings, and I'm even planning on wearing it over a plain black dress to give it a pop of colour.

When you shop in Primark as regularly as I do you come to the realisation that there are products that you always buy, things that you always use or things that you'll repeat purchase. For me it has to be Primark's viscose leggings, I don't wear leggings outside of my front door that often, but when I'm spending the day at home, they really are my go to. They retail at around £2.80 a pair, and they're actually pretty decent for the price, they hold their shape, and they aren't completely see through - it's a win, win thing, and every now and then I'll buy a couple of pairs.

As well as leggings there are a couple of Primark's beauty products that are also on my repeat purchase list. First up the PS Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes With Tea Tree And Witch Hazel, I've lost count of how many packets of these wipes that I've bought over the years, I use them for all sorts of things and to be honest they are actually even better than the used to be. The last few packets that I've bought have been sightly thicker and textured but the price has remained the same, it's just a £1 for 2 packs of 25 so I never feel guilty stocking up when I'm in store.

One of my newest Primark must haves has to be the PS Cuticle Oil, which is just a £1 a bottle. When I first bought this I wasn't expecting a lot but I'm a convert, I love the Original OPI Avoplex but this stuff is nearly as good for a fraction of the price. If you have dry nails and cuticles this is well worth trying.

I know I've said it before but it's so true, Primark's beauty range just keeps getting better and better, yes they may be copying and duping high end brands but as someone who is attempting (haha) to stick to some sort of budget I'm not complaining. On my two September trips so far, I've picked up two of the newest make up items to try, the PS Setting Powder which was £3, and the really interesting looking PS Insta Girl Photo Flash Powder which was just £2.50 and claims to be an Instagram filter in a face powder. I'm going to review both of these items in a future post so you've just got a sneaky peek here x

The PS Insta Girl line seems to be a whole range of face, and make up perfecting, make up items, and beauty tools, that are designed especially for the selfie taking, Instagram obsessed generation. As well as innovative make up items it also contains a range of droolworthy make up brushes. The individual brushes are a little bit pricier than some of Primark's other brushes but they I loved the metallic ombre design so much that I couldn't resist trying the PS Insta Girl No Filter Foundation Brush which was £5.

Like all the other brushes that I've tried from Primark the hairs are super soft, and it's actually a pretty decent, and well made make up brush. Did I need it? did I hell! but I couldn't resist it!

Another Primark item that nearly falls into my must buy on every trip, is their spiral hair bobbles. I buy hair bobbles all the time, but when I need one I can never, ever find one - it's like hair grips, and socks - where do they go? These packs of 12 which are just £1 each, are a very similar to several higher price alternatives. They made of a rubbery plastic, so they don't snag the hair, and they don't lose their shape straight away. This time round I got a pack of navy blue bobbles and a pack which contains several different shades of brown bobbles.

As much as I love jewellery I'm starting to think that maybe I need to stop buying so much, as well as a cardigan shop, based on my own collection I could easily set up, and stock my own jewellery shop, I really do have that much! So I looked at the jewellery section, picked up one pieces and walked away! This is just a set of 3 Semi Precious Bracelets containing what looks like Rose Quartz. The set was £3 and it reminded me of Monica Vinader and some of the Z For Accessorize pieces which I love.

If you could sum this post up in one phrase it would probably be "I didn't really need it but..." and guess what it applies to these next two items as well! I don't need any more shoes, or at least I don't need any more less than sensible shoes but again I couldn't resist. I do love a bargain though and these fabulous slip on pumps were only £3 having been reduced from £8.

They are comfy but they certainly aren't for the faint hearted, they're made of a bright blue satin, and the feature an embroidered, almost oriental style floral design. I love a bit of colour and I think that these flats will be perfect for jazzing up a plain outfit, like for example a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

For as long as I can remember I've loved velvet, and in particular blue velvet, no I don't mean the film, even though I'm a big David Lynch fan, I mean the fabric, and in particular I have a bit of a thing for velvet footwear, so when I saw these boots, which were just £16 it was inevitable that the would end up in my basket.

Are they practical? not really, can I walk in them? if I concentrate I can I guess, why did I buy them then? Well just look at them they are so pretty,  even if I don't wear them I might find a way of putting them on display, I just don't want to destroy their velvet loveliness. Pointless purchase? NEVER!

If you've made it this far, well done, I know that this haul to put it politely was a long one, never mind I'm nearly done I just have 3 home related pieces to show you, including a band waggon jump.

Yes I managed to jump on the Primark, Beauty And The Beast band waggon, with a little Mrs Potts purchase.

Unfortunately it wasn't the actual teapot, does that even exist? but it was the next best thing, the Mrs Potts Money Box.

I have quite a few money boxes, and piggy banks in my collection, and think that this ceramic Mrs Potts will fit right in. It was only £8 and I think that it would make a great gift for either a Disney fan or a money box collector, no matter what their age.

So, so cute and something else that's pretty cute is this Reindeer Tealight Holder, which was just £1.50.

I know it's still a little bit early to start thinking about Christmas but there is nothing wrong with being prepared! Last time I went in Intu Metrocentre Primark, they were just starting to put their Christmas things out and I spotted this little guy. I already own him in white for a year or so ago, and since he was a bit lonely I had to pick up this bronze toned version as well. It was just £1.50 and it also contains an unscented tea light.

My final purchase was something else that was candle related, and like so many stores at the moment Primark have really upped their candle and home fragrancing game. With Jo Malone alikes, decent reed diffusers, and a Salted Caramel Brownie candle that everyone seems to have gone mad for, if you like a bit of home scent Primark is the place to go. Since I've recently purchased a few foodie scented candles I thought I'd try one of their fruitier options, and this one fit the bill perfectly.

At £5 this was a little pricey by Primark standards but I do think it was worth it. This Plum and Mulberry Scented Candle has the most amazing fruity fragrance, and it comes in a beautiful, swirled, almost tie dye effect, glass or ceramic (I can't tell, sorry!) holder, that I'm definitely planning on reusing x

So it was long, and drawn out and I didn't need most of it but hey, I probably spent a lot less in Primark than I would have done elsewhere for similar stuff. I've made a little (haha) You Tube video to accompany this haul that you can watch below or via this link.



Thanks for reading and hopefully watching, and if you have any questions on anything in this haul then leave me a comment below and don't forget to link me up to your latest Primark hauls as well x

A Budget Home, Lifestyle And Stationery Haul

I know that you guys all love a haul so as a special treat I'm sharing a bit of exclusive content with you. I don't know if you aware of it but I have a You Tube channel, where I mainly post unboxings, and haul videos. A lot of the time I make videos to accompany blog posts and vice versa, but every now and then I shoot a haul video exclusively for my You Tube followers. When I do that I sometimes feel a little bit guilty that some of my blog followers may be missing out so today I thought I'd one of my You Tube channel exclusive hauls with you.

Today it's a bargaintastic home, lifestyle and stationery haul from a variety of stores including Poundland, Tiger and Aldi, and the good news is that the most expensive item was just £5

If you're on a mobile device and you can't see this video please check it out via this link x If you have questions on any of the items that I bought then leave me a comment either below or on my You Tube channel and I'll get back to you x 

A Small Home And Home Fragrance Haul - B&M, Yankee Candles And More

After a lovely weekend, and a bright, and sunny Monday, it's safe to say that Spring has now officially arrived in my little corner of County Durham. Okay we might have some rainy days, and maybe even a little bit of frost and snow to come but the warmer and sunnier weather is definitely on it's way. Spring is often seen as a time of new beginnings, and fresh starts, and nowhere is that truer than within the home itself, it is called Spring cleaning after all. Even if you're not planning any major home renovations, or cleaning sprees this spring, it doesn't hurt to refresh your surroundings, and switch things up a bit, with a couple of purchases and new additions.

The first buy that I'm going to show you, is all about freshening up your home for Spring. This is the final instalment of my QVC UK, Yankee Candle Hamper Auto Delivery, and this is the Yankee Candle 39 Piece Spring Hamper.  Like the previous instalments, this one also comes in a sturdy canvas hamper, with an attached faux leather tassel bag charm.

The hamper contains a wide variety of fresh, and floral scented candles that are perfect for spring. It contains 12 of Yankee Candle's votive candles, in 6 fragrances, Aloe Water, Shea Butter, Cherry Blossom, Verbena, Wild Mint and Linden Tree.

It also contains 2 boxes of 12 tea lights, in both the Cherry Blossom, and Wild Mint fragrances, and two clear glass, Yankee Candle branded bucket holders.

As I say this is the perfect Spring selection, all of the fragrances are very clean, and fresh, you have a couple of zingy ones like the Verbena, and the Wild Mint, then you some softer and more powdery fragrances like the Shea Butter and fragrances like the Aloe Water, and the Cherry Blossom that are lot more floral and almost perfume like. I've really enjoyed receiving these sets over the last 12 months or so - they've given me the chance to try lots of new fragrances, some of which I would have never of thought of trying. Admittedly some of the fragrances just aren't me but I have found quite a few new favourites, including Aloe Water which has really surprised me. This kit is actually still available on the QVC UK website, all be it a higher price than what I paid, but at just £33.96 and £5.95 postage I think it's well worth it if you think that your home needs a Spring fragrance boost x

If like my mam you're not quite ready to embrace Spring just yet, then you can also still get the Winter / Christmas version on the QVC UK website. As ready as I am for the warmer weather, I'm still a big fan of spicy and foodie scents, and following on from a few reader and viewer recommendations I decided to pick up a more autumn and wintry themed candle from B&M.

I love my candles but one brand that I've never tried is Woodwick, I honestly don't know why I haven't tried them before, they are really pleasing on the eye, every one that I've sniffed smells amazing, and they crackle! I love the idea of them but they can be a little bit pricey, which is why I think I've never succumbed to the Woodwick love in. Thankfully though B&M have come up trumps with a cheaper, dupe Woodland Wick Crackling Natural Wooden Wick Candles. Instead of having a traditional style, cotton wick, these candles, have a slim sliver of wood, that supposedly crackles like a real log fire when you burn the candle.

I'm not sure whether it does what it claims to yet because I haven't lit it, but  so far this one was worth every penny of the £3.99 that I paid purely based on the scent. This one is in the Spiced Berry scent, and to me it smells exactly like mulled wine, you get a slight spiciness, and all the fruitiness that you'd expect from your Christmas tipple. If mulled wine isn't to your taste they also have several other fragrances to choose from, and they even have multi layered, multi fragranced candles as well. If you've tried any of the other scents, or if you've tried any Woodwick candles I'd love to hear your recommendations x

I love a good scrat around B&M, and I can always find something to buy, on a bad day it might just be some peanut butter cups, or some Butterfingers, buy on a good day, I could be something useful, or something nice for the home. On my last trip I couldn't resist picking up a couple of packs of these curtain tie backs. I have these really quirky, slightly trippy 1970's floral curtains, in shades of lilac, purple, and white, up in my bedroom, and I desperately needed some new tie backs. Note to self, rope tie backs and cats don't mix! These ones though are made of faceted smokey, lilac crystals, and to be honest they look a lot more expensive then the £4.99 that I paid for each one. I haven't managed to put them up yet but when I do I'll share some pictures on my Instagram account .

Like B&M, Poundland is another one of those shops that I've never seem to leave empty handed. On my most recent trip I managed to bag 3 Nails Inc, nail polishes, and this..

I am a huge fan of Poundland's faux regency, shabby chic, style frames, and this cute square one, was part of their selection of Mother's Day gifts. Personally I frame a lot of postcards and note cards so this isn't the most practical frame for that, but I'm sure I'll find something to put in it even if it's just an Instagram pic or a family photo.

I went through a bit of a phase of buying photo frames, without ever having a place in my bedroom to put them so I think I'm going to move a few into my office come craft room. It seems as though I've been sorting out that room since the beginning of time and I'm still no closer to getting it how I want it. I should really be working on improving my storage solutions but instead I still keep buying pretties i.e. photo frames, and letter and word art.

I'm really loving my letter L's at the moment, and I'm building up a nice collection, of both lights and plaques.This black letter L, was only £1.50 in the NEXT sale, it's has a really chunky feel. You can either hang it on the wall, or you can do what I'm going to do, and leave it freestanding.

Speaking of letters, it wouldn't be a home haul on LouLouLand, without a little bit of stationery, and I'm ending this haul with a couple of notebooks, that in all honesty I probably didn't need but hey pretty stationery is pretty stationery, first up this pretty piece from AVON.

Annoyingly I can't actually find this online anymore , but keep an eye on your brochures if you like the look of it. It's just a plain spiral bound, lined notebook, but what really makes this one for me is the beautiful lilac toned, marbleised floral patterns. I love the colour and the design and even though it's not that relevant and I can't think of anyone who matches their stationery with their bedroom, it matches the colours in my bedroom perfectly. It also features the words "Happy Thoughts" on the front in gold foil, so I'm going to try and use this one to record things that make me happy and positive thoughts.

From happy thoughts, to getting things done, and getting organised - the last thing that I picked up was a journal, from Paperchases fabulous No Probllama range.

Featuring a cute, and quirky Llama design, this is the No Probllama Ideas Journal. It's a hardback notebook, that contains a mixture of pages for notes, ideas, to do lists, pros and cons, and brainstorms, all teamed up with little llama illustrations. I'm so bad at planning and organising things, and I keep having ideas and brainwaves and then forgetting them. I hope that this will give me somewhere to write my ideas and thoughts down and I'm hoping that this will make me a bit more productive in the rest of 2017. This particular book was £8 and it's part of a wider range of Llama themed bits and pieces that you can find in Paperchase at the moment.



I hope you've found this small home, stationery and home fragrancing haul useful, don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know if you have any questions, and of course don't forget to watch the accompanying You Tube video which you can watch by clicking on the image above or by clicking on this link x