More Collective Haulage - Top Shop, Superdrug, BooHoo and More x

Another week and guess what some more haulage - this little lot is from shopping trips and parcels over the last fortnight :)

First up a few bits from a web store that I found purely by chance, I sometimes type random terms into google to try and find yet more online shops to browse, well this time I found a store Everything 5 Pounds , yes a lot of the stuff is a bit chavvy and the postage is pretty steep but they do have some fairly decent things in, including a lot of Cath Kidston inspired bags. I am a huge lover of Cath Kidston's Shabby Chic style but not her prices. No holding out much hope I ordered a few bags for pressies thoroughly expecting to send them back, but no I have to say wow, I am so impressed for the price

I have a turquoise and cream spotted Cath Kidston book bag which is nearly exactly the same construction wise as this baby, it has a Velcro fastening, and an internal zipped pocket - great for the price as are the other two that I bought in different styles. If you like this style of bag though you may want to keep checking back I may have one to giveaway in my Christmas Giveaway ;)
With my bag order I decided to try out a clothing item so I bought a pair of harem pants, described as Warm Ali Baba Pants, they are basically just a jersey harem, with an elasticated waist, and elasticated cuffs, I went for the coffee, a gorgeous very dark brown. These again are really good for the price, I bought some for £12 in New Look and these are actually better quality.

Talking of my Christmas giveaway, you can also expect to see one of these babies on the prize list

Yes, The MUA Professional Immaculate Collection Eyeshadow Palette, when I saw this on the Superdrug website I knew it had to be mine, and I picked one up for you guys too x

No swatches at the moment, but I will be doing a full review of this palette in a Budget Beauty Series special on the run up to Christmas x

Next up a little Top Shop order, the main purpose of the order was to get some new leggings, I love Top Shop leggings, but I'm sure you've all seen leggings before so I'm not showing you them here, instead I'll show you the other bits that happened to fall in my basket - first up a little bracelet

In the friendship bracelet style, this is a black cord, with copper tone sections and clear crystals, I love wearing a few of these type of bracelet all at once :)

Finally from Toppers, some make up or more precisely some lipsticks

On the left we have the much talked about Pillow Talk from the Smoke and Mirrors collection, and on the right Innocent from the core range

These two colours are actually a very similar pale, baby pink colour, Innocent is a little bit darker so I can justify purchasing both :) Oh and despite the size difference between the bullets they both contain 3.5g of product x

Next up a cardigan, I already have this bat wing cardigan in a navy blue, but I thought I'd get another one this time in a very pale almost nude pink, with gold sparkle - this came from Studio Cards and Gifts catalogue of all places, and it was less than tenner - result especially when Top Shop are selling something similar for almost triple that !

I don't know if you've ever heard of Buy A Powa I hadn't until recently, but I recently took advantage of one of their deals to pick up the OPI Muppets Minis. I managed to save a few pounds on retail price so I was pretty pleased - I think Buy A Powa are repeating this deal so it's well worth having a look if you want this kit x

I've also made a couple of ebay purchases over the last week or so as well as my dresses in the previous post I've also bought a few nail art things. including some snowflake and Hello Kitty nail stickers

and some striping tape - I can't wait to have a play with these, they are all in really pretty metallic shades x

I don't know about you but when I place an online order for Christmas pressies I can't resist getting something for me - Bad LouLou, I placed an order with Fragrance Direct for a few Christmas pressies and I couldn't resist adding a few things to my basket - first up more nail stickers, this time from Ciate - these features little flowers and butterflies (If you interested in nail stickers keep checking back I have a huge post planned on nail stickers which should go live in the next week or so)

Having suffered from the odd sniffle over the last few days I also bought a sachet of  Montagne Jeunesse Eucalyptus and Camphor Anti-Cold Bath, I nearly always get colds around Christmas so I'm keeping this on standby

I was also super excited to see this on the site

Similar to a MAC MSF, Revlon Colorstay Mineral Finishing Powder in 010 Brighten, is in a gorgeous shimmery pale pink shade

Finally from Fragrance Direct - I got a Colony Candles Reed Diffuser in Powder Fresh, which is a baby powder fragrance, my mum has reed diffusers everywhere, and there really great for constant fragrance, as much as I love my candles you can't burn them all the time so these are a good alternative.

Whilst on a visit to the opticians, earlier in the week I managed to have a little look into Factory Bargains, I love this shop and I've regularly sung it praises on this blog. You can always find something to buy and this visit was no exception. They had loads of Dorothy Perkins stock in, but I got this short sleeved cowl necked jumper from a brand called Mimosa

and as well as a few Christmas pressies I also got this pair of Paul Frank For Target Julius PJ Pants :) for only £7

I mentioned BooHoo in the title of the post and I did buy 1 ickle thing from BooHoo, I got another oriental pattern shrug - this one is pretty similar to the last one I got but it has more blues and turquoises in it. I'm a bit annoyed though I found two ebay sellers selling the same ones for quite a bit cheaper so I'm definitely going to get the mocha one with my paypal funds, don't forget to check out my ebay listings by the way - there are a lot of new additions this weekend including lots of new Top Shop, Next, Winter Clothes and more x

Finally River Island, as you know I love my panda hat, but I fancied a change, so I got this little guy :), and he was even in the sale :)

I also got this gorgeous daisy print scarf, very Mary Quant, my mum was originally going to get me this as part of my Christmas pressie, but when it came she didn't think it was worth the money, I have to say as much as I love the scarf I am inclined to agree with her, it was £15, and for that the fabric isn't that thick and I can't help thinking that it would only be a few pounds if it came from Primark, you win some and lose some I guess

So that was a rather large collective haul, I really am going to try and calm it down, I've spent so much money this month, and I have my annual festive shopping trip with my godmother to come next week eek. As per usual if you have any questions on anything I've bought or if you would like any reviews please leave me a comment x

A Review Of Some Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Hair Products

I was recently contacted by the lovely Lisa from Immediate PR offering me the chance to try out some Schwarzkopf products. As you know some of the range before but the products I was sent this time come for a brand new collection. Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Smooth Shine is a new line for people with coarse, unmanageable and dull hair, which is exactly my problem -I'm prone to annoying frizz and waves, and an annoying lack of shine due to constant heat treatments (yes straighteners I blame you), and an obsession with the bleach bottle. Using an innovative "Ionic Polymer Shield Complex and the Amino Cell Rebuild technology that features in the rest of the range" the smooth shine collection promises "24 hour smoothness, long-lasting frizz protection and a beautiful mirror like shine", by repairing the hair internal structure. OK that sounds pretty technical but the gist is this range promises me personally better hair - well we'll see

BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Shampoo

Step one in most haircare regimes usually involves the shampoo, and this was the first product I tried from the range. Like all the Bonacure shampoos.It comes in a sleek designed white bottle,this time with purple branding.

With a flip cap the product dispenses easily, it has a milky colour, and a slightly runny texture. It has the same fresh floral, "hairdresser" fragrance as the rest of the Bonacure range.


It foamed up easily, with a little agitation and a little bit of water, and it rinsed out easily, I tended to do two shampoos, just out of habit I suppose but my hair did feel pretty clean even after one. What surprised me most about this product was how good my hair felt. After rinsing my hair was left with virtually no tangles, and it felt super sleek and smooth even without a conditioner. There is a conditioner in the range but I didn't receive one so I didn't use any conditioner during the period of this review. To be honest though I really didn't feel I needed to use one, even when my hair was dry it still felt smooth and free from tangles. I have to say using the shampoo alone didn't eliminate the frizz from my hair but they do recommend that you use the shampoo alongside the Smooth Shine Smoothing Milk, which as you will see I did - more on that in a moment though ;) I have to say that this is the best Schwarzkopf shampoo I've tried to date, it left my hair very soft, and with no tangles, and I also felt that I didn't need to use a conditioner. My one complaint again is the use of Sodium Laureth Sulfate(SLS). This can be drying on the hair and although this product didn't feel drying in the slightest, I feel it's important to mention this as some people especially eczema sufferers can be allergic to SLS, and an increasing number of people are now choosing to avoid this ingredient in both hair and body products. Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Shampoo retails at around £8.85 for 250ml.

BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Smoothing Milk

OK I hinted at this a little earlier but I was also sent the BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Smoothing Milk. Designed to be used alongside the shampoo, Schwarzkopf claim that this product will "smooth hair, whilst providing protection against frizz and leaving it with lasting shine".

In a squeezy tube in the same white and purple colours as the shampoo, the product dispenses easily, and has cream/gel texture, and again a milky colour, and the same fresh/floral hairdresser type smell.

As per the instruction I applied this product to damp towel dried hair. I then either blow dried my hair or used my wet to straight hair straighteners. I have to say I am super impressed with this product, the frizz was nearly completely diminished, my hair looked straight and shiny, and felt soft and free from build up -the smoothness easily lasted till my next wash (normally 2-3 days later)- result :) I have to say though I also tried on my hair before leaving it to dry naturally and I have to say it didn't work nearly as well it obviously needs some sort of heat treatment to activate it?
After Pic :)

All in all a big thumbs up for me this is one of the best anti frizz treatments that I have used. Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Smoothing Milk retails at around £9.95 for 125ml

BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Leave In Treatment

The final product I was sent was the BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Leave In Treatment. Especially coarse, dry and unmanageable hair this product is not only a leave in conditioner treatment which can help to repair the hair, it also acts as a styling product to calm and smooth hair and too add shine.

It comes in a 200ml jar with the same salon type smell, and has a thick creamy texture, very similar to some of the BC Bonacure Hairs Masks I've used in the past

You apply a small amount of the cream to washed and towel dried hair, you then massage it in from root to tip, and combed through before drying. One of the hardest things with this product was judging how much to use, too little and nothing happens, and too much as you hair feels too full of product, and a little stiff. It took a few goes to get the amount right but as you can see for this picture the hair was left generally in a better condition than before and with a fair degree of smoothness, not perhaps as shiny and smooth as the smoothing milk but still not bad

It also mentioned on the packaging that you could use the smoothing milk alongside the leave in treatment so I gave that a go, I took a small amount of the leave in treatment and a small amount of the smoothing milk and applied it to my hair before heat styling - the result was a tiny bit better than with the smoothing milk on it's own initially but my hair was definitely left feeling softer and more conditioned. The Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Smooth Shine Leave In Treatment retails at around £11.20.

I have to say of all the Schwarzkopf products I have tried this range has to be the one that has suited my hair the best. All the products did pretty much what they promised my hair was left a lot smooth and lot less flyaway without feeling too overloaded with product. For more information on this and the other BC Bonacure ranges and stockist details you check out the Schwarzkopf website If your interested specifically in the Smooth Shine range I have found a few sites which sell the products often under RRP including Fragrance Direct ,and Cheap Smells. Any questions please ask.

(I was sent these products for review purposes - this hasn't altered my review in any way and I haven't been compensated for this review)

A Fragrance Direct Haul and A Review Of My Shopping Experience

I must admit I have fantasy shopped on Fragrance Direct like most shops many a time but I'd never placed an order before, well I broke my duck last week
IF you haven't already checked it out Fragrance Direct sells a lot of discount cosmetics, skin care, fragrance and of course some NYX
As you know I was recently sent the Mavala Nail Shield system, well my mum has recently started to use it too so we needed some more - I checked my prices and Fragrance Direct was the cheapest I could find. I placed my order last week and it came today which wasn't bad considering the bank holiday.I also bought a Nail Colour in Nicosia 34 - a gorgeous summery beige / shell shade

and this super Maybelline kit,

It's called the Maybelline Times Square Trendy Look kit. It comes in a super cute cosmetic bag with a Times Square and New York taxi cab design

It contains a Dream Mousse Eyecolor in 05 Angelic Pink, a gorgeous shimmery pink, which would also look good as a highlighter, a Define-A-Lash mascara in Black, a Shiny Licious Fruity Gloss in 850 Sugar Plum and 840 Chamallow Lolly Pink, and 2 Colorama nail colours in 16 Berry Sweet and 05 Cotton Candy

I'm really pleased with this kit and it was good value as was my whole order especially the postage which was just £1.95 for standard delivery. Any questions please let me know

Anatomicals No Old Bags Allowed Eye Gel*

I was lucky enough to recently to be sent a few Anatomicals products to try from the lovely people at  Fragrance Direct. and one of the products that I was sent was the No Old Bags Allowed Eye Gel

Anatomicals say

"if you've ever been standing by the luggage carousel when a charter flight's just come in, you 'll have seen plenty of unattractive bags. but none more unsightly than those caused by too many late nights spent partying. because there's only so long you can hide behind dark glasses for, we've introduced ' no old bags allowed'. this refreshing gel with arnica and orange flower water will soon help diminish those trunks under your eyes. once again leaving you with an appearance that belies the date on your birth certificate."

I love their whole philosophy and humour which is illustrated perfectly here in their description of this product and by the products name:)They claim that this product is perfect for puffy eyes, and for eye bags.

What I Think

This product comes is a 15ml squeezy tube. The product is easy to dispense and comes out as a lovely clear gel. It has a lovely slight fruity smell (down to the orange flower water?). I applied the product by gently patting it underneath my eyes. Whilst I don't really have a problem with dark circles or bags, I have been sleeping quite badly lately which has lead to a bit of puffiness under my eyes especially in the morning, whilst I didn't physically see any major difference (as I say my eyes aren't too bad) the product certainly improved the feeling of my eyes - it felt lovely and cooling, possibly down to the arnica and witch hazel both of which are well know for their cooling, soothing and refreshing properties. I found it absorbed easily and there was no problem applying make up over the top of it, and I even found you could apply it on top of make up for a boost during the day. I would definitely buy this product again -It costs as little as £4 which is really good as you need so little and it certainly made my eyes feel fresher and less tired without any irritation.

Where Can I Get It

This item can by bought direct from Anatomicals stockists including ASOS and of course Fragrance Direct

Any questions please let me know xxx

*Press Sample