Shopper Savings

Happy August! Everyone loves saving money or even better being given free products, so I've gathered together a few of my favourite loyalty rewards cards this month that help save money and reward shopping for products I love with even more of those same products!



1.   The Boots card is by far my favourite card of those I’ve included. It’s a free membership you sign up to online at http://www.boots.com/en/Advantage-Card/ when you receive your card through the post with your name on you can start collecting 4 points every £1 you spend online and in store. Eventually these points will start to add up and allow you to use them like money – when you have enough points to pay for an item you wish to buy you will get the option to use them – effectively getting the product free! You also receive vouchers through the post allowing you to earn double points or even hundreds more than usual with a certain amount spent. It is by far the easiest card to use and own, rewarding you regularly, all for absolutely no price.

2.   The Body Shop card is equally as rewarding giving you 10% off all purchases for a year, free products when you have collected a certain amount of stamps, a free birthday present every year, exclusive offers, event accessibility and discounts as well as being the first to see new products. However, this card is not simply a reward scheme but a membership meaning it is a cost of £5 for sign up. I don’t think this is a large price to pay for what you are given and the exclusives you have access to for this quality product range. Sign up here: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/loyalty/love-your-body/

3.   Debenhams rewards card is a card you can pick up in store and register over the counter or online here: http://www.debenhams.com/beauty/beauty-club/about-your-beauty-club-card . It works much like the Boots card as when you shop throughout the store on beauty products you collect points which amount to monetary rewards. The rewards include discounts, free samples, make over opportunities and even free online shopping delivery!



4.   The ‘Beautycard’ from Superdrug is offered over the counter with registration in store or online at: http://www.superdrug.com/beautycard?gclid=CPeDzOOFxcoCFWj3wgodJ8wBYg&gclsrc=aw.ds . The card gives you £1 to spend for every 100 points earnt; allowing you to be rewarded with discounts, exclusive offers and specialist pricing, free online delivery and even birthday gifts every year. There are also often online offers for card holders allowing triple points to be earnt with every purchase. This is one of the most popular cards on the market with the user friendly access and availability to start earning points straight away with no upfront costs or long winded sign ups.





5.   House of Fraser also offer a recognition rewards card that can be picked up in store and registered online here: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Recognition+Rewards+card/recognitionLoyalty,default,pg.html  . This is a free membership points card that can be used online or in store with card and cash transactions. You are given 1 point for every £1 spent and when you collect 500 points you are given a £5 reward to spend how you like. The card also allows access to exclusive offers and discounts, events and even bonus points throughout you birthday month. With easy online management and tracking of your card you will always know how many points you have and any upcoming events and offers.

I would recommend all 5 of these beauty rewards cards to anyone who shops regularly for new products, keeping up to date with the newest beauty trends. Before you know it you will have enough points to earn yourself something free and you will be receiving offers and discounts from nearly all the leading cosmetic shops on the high street. Having vouchers, free testers and exclusives sent to you through the post to try before you buy is always helpful for any cosmetic enthusiast.

Until next time, Toni. xo

New Tries and Buys.

Recently I found myself becoming bored with my everyday make up and wanted to try a few new things out - so after reading some reviews and speaking to some friends I thought I would buy and try some different products - leaving my everyday make up becoming slightly different to what I'm used to whilst still staying in my comfort zone.

 

A product I've mentioned in the past which is one of my favourites is the colour match foundation that No.7 do here in the UK in a shop called Boots. I have always opted for the 'stay perfect' range as when speaking to the specialist originally I was looking for a long lasting foundation that evened skin tone, however I now have begun wanting something slightly different in the form of a matte finish and strong coverage foundation.

 

 

Therefore, staying with No.7 in the colour 'cool ivory' I have ventured into the range 'beautifully matte' and I love it! The foundation applies easier onto my face, provides better coverage and the perfect matte finish I was after. I also prefer the bottle this foundation is in as the pump moves up the bottle throughout use meaning less goes to waste and the bottle itself is also plastic instead of glass making it lighter to carry and less of a risk for me to break!

 

Eyeliner also plays an important part of my daily routine so I want to make sure its long lasting and easy application. I have always used liquid eyeliner and pencil for my water line however I have read a lot of people commenting on gel eyeliner so thought I would give it a go. I stumbled across a brand I had never actually heard of before called 'SmashBox' when I saw some contour pencils used in a demo from the same company, after some research I ordered a gel eyeliner pen.

 

 

Upon opening the package I knew I already loved this product from the appearance of the pen itself. The sleek and clean design with a rubber tip allows for precise and easy use and application which is exactly what I was after. After using the liner I now understand why so many people recommend gel! Not only is the application thicker on the lid but also provides an instant dry and matte finish which usually comes from minutes with your eyes closed using liquid liner. The results provided a perfect finish that not only myself noticed, it lasted all day (over 10 hours) without flaking or cracking and I honestly would recommend using the product to anyone who uses eyeliner as a key feature with their makeup.  

 

Another product I picked up from 'SmashBox' was a photo finish primer. On a daily basis I'm not a big user of primer but I recently ran out of my old primer and thought it may be the time for a change and to explore away from Benefit's golden oldie 'porefessional. ' I was sceptical at first as the price of this new one was actually slightly more than the one from benefit, that I know works wonders on my skin, however I took the plunge and went for it. Honestly, I feel that although the primer does smoothen my skin ready for my foundation application, the finish isn't as thick or long lasting as what I'm used to and however much I try I don't think I can love this as much as I do with porefessional. So for me 'Smashbox' is the place to go for eyeliner however I think I will stick with what I know and love in future when it comes to primer.

 

 

Lastly, LIPS! I have never really been a huge fan of having stand out lips and just applied some lip balm or gloss to complete a makeup look, however recently I have been relying on lip colour to be a main feature of my face! After trying and falling in love with some bare minerals colours 'pink champagne' and 'berry glace' I felt that my 'go to' collection needed expansion in the form of a nude. Kate Moss' 'Lasting Finish' collection by Rimmel is my new best friend - the colours '03' and '38' are the ones I picked up and I can honestly say I've never had a better lipstick. They really do what it says on the packaging in the format of long lasting but also perfect colour coverage. They also provide a smooth finish that doesn't dry out your lips like most lipsticks. I now cannot wait to try more shades from this collection- well done Kate Moss!

 

   

 

 Until next time, Toni. xo

 

5 Things I Love About The iPhone 6.

I have been a huge fan of all apple products for around 4 years now and I have had the iPhone 3G, 4S and now the iPhone 6 and I am a bigger fan than ever!

 

 

The model I own now is the 64GB iPhone 6 in the regular size, in the colour space grey. Not only did I instantly fall in love with the colour and the overall appearance of the phone, I knew straight away I had to have the 64GB as all the phones I have owned in the past I have struggled for storage space and I've found myself having to delete my own media to allow for an iOS update.

 

Things I Love:

 

1. The screen size! In the past, the screen has not filled the surface of the phone it does now and I've always wondered why, this phone's surface area is mainly the touch screen meaning it displays things so much bigger and of better quality.

 

2. The camera quality. I know phones will never have the equivalent quality of a camera but I found with this model the quality from previous apple products has improved dramatically! Even the front camera automatically lightens the picture and focuses straight away without having to tap to find the face or zoom in and out several times to get it the way I want. I especially love the slow-motion and time lapse camera settings.

 

3. Light weight! I have never had a phone so big and so light all at the same time, everything is so packed into such a thin yet large phone it is surprising how little it weighs when resting in your hand. Comparing it to my old phones really emphasises the difference.

 

4. The curved edges and smooth back. It is such a lovely feeling phone when resting in your hand, although it was a huge size increase from my iPhone 4s, I have quickly adapted due to the smooth metal and rounded edges making it so easy to move around in your hands and use. Also, I found the back doesn't get as hot as the previous apple products I have owned when it is on charge at the same time I am using it. This is a big help as I used to have to stop using my old phone when it got too hot as it would start to burn my hand!

 

5. The overall design and look of the phone! I have had so many compliments about how lovely the phone looks, the way the home button blends into the front of the phone, the smaller buttons, thinner build, nicer colour, bigger camera, better speaker quality and clearer microphone.

 

 I honestly think that this is the best product apple have created yet and I am extremely happy to have invested in one.

I hope this has helped anyone wanting help and advice on whether to opt for the phone or not, I would highly recommend the phone to anyone who has or hasn't had an apple product in the past, the changes and improvements stand out dramatically and it is super user friendly!

 

 

Until next time, Toni. xo

 



My Everyday Eye Make-Up.

I get asked a lot how I do my eyeliner and eye make up in general and it is a bit of a strange thing to explain so I thought I would just show you exactly how I do it. I'm no expert and I'm not saying this is the right or best way to do your make-up, this is just the way I do an easy, everyday look.

 

First I always make sure I have no product on my eye lid when I begin because I find that the makeup lasts longer on my eye when it is applied straight to clean and clear skin.

 

This is the eye liner I will be using throughout this demonstration for my winged eyeliner. It is called 'Stay Precise' Liquid Liner in the colour 'Black' by No.7.

 

 I will then draw a thin outline of the wing I want. I usually start with the bottom line, drawing from the corner of my eye, very slowly outwards and gradually upwards. For the top line I start from the middle of my eye and slowly upwards to the point of the bottom line.

 

 

 Then, still using the Stay Precise Liquid Liner I simply fill in the wing with single strokes going from my eye outwards until I am happy with how it looks. Note: it doesn't have to be perfect! There is plenty of time for touch ups.

 

 To complete the flick, I draw from the inside corner of my eye to the edge of the wing, adjusting the thickness as I go to make sure the lines match up.

 

I then go to eye shadow, using W7 In The Buff Palette starting with the colour 'Buff'.

 

 Following along the flick and going right up to the brow brown, I cover my eye lid with this colour as a base.

 



Still using the W7 Palette this time with a brush and the colour 'Chocolate'.

 

 I lightly brush this colour though my crease and upwards towards the brow bone, again using the flick as a guide. It is important to always take darker eye shadows upwards to avoid your eye looking droopy and small.

 

 Going onto the colour 'Storm' now, using a brush again to apply.

 

With a darker colour I find it easiest to apply it very gradually, blending as you go to make sure you get the look you want. I apply this half way along the flick line and upwards, still following the wing.

 

For just under my brow and on the brow bone, I use The Body Shop's Radiant Highlighter. 

 

You only need a very small amount of this as it spreads very well and gives a beautiful, bright shimmer. 

 

Next, onto No.7's Extreme Length Mascara in the colour 'Black'.

 

Applying this only to my top lashes, on both sides to build up layers and keep it lasting longer and giving the perfect length and volume to my lashes.

 

For my bottom liner I use Avon's Kohl Liner in the colour 'Black' which provides a long lasting pencil liner and smudge tool.

 

I apply the liner along my water line from corner to corner, smudging outwards into the wing and onto my bottom lash line.

 

Using the No.7 Extreme Length Mascara again, I apply lightly to my bottom lashes.

 

After touch ups this is my final look, easy, quick and still very effective!

 

 

 

Products used:

• No.7's Stay Precise Liquid Liner in 'Black' [here]
• W7's In The Buff Eye Shadow Palette [here]
• The Body Shop's Radiant Highlighter [here]
• No.7's Extreme Length Mascara in 'Black' [here]
• Avon's Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in 'Black' [here]



 

Until next time, Toni. xo 

 

 



SEPTEMBER FAVOURITES

September was such a crazy month for me as I had so much going on and it was my birthday but I decided to do a September favourites post as without these products I wouldn't have survived! I only recently got a few of these products in September and I am already in love with them so wanted to share them straight away. So here they are, the products I have been absolutely loving! 

 

1. No7's 'Beautiful Skin Gel Cleanser' [here]

2. Batiste's 'Tropical Dry Shampoo' [here]

3. Ralph Lauren's 'No.2 Perfume' [here]

 4. Grace Cole's 'Wild Fig and Pink Cedar Bath & Shower Gel' [here]

5. No7's 'Stay Precise Black Liquid Eyeliner' [here]

6. John Frieda's 'Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Protecting Spray' [here]

 

I have linked all the products to sites where I got them and they are generally not badly priced, if you are working with a budget I know there are some fantastic alternatives that the sites can suggest which are just as good, if not better for a better price so if you find anything of great price and quality make sure to share!

 

 

My all time September favourite is definitely the No.7 Liquid Eyeliner! I used to have to struggle with liquid eyeliner smudging easily, chipping, drying out the skin around my eyes etc. but now I have found this I don't have any of those problems anymore! Since using this liner the quality of my flicks/cat eyes have been much better with it staying on my eyes all day no matter what I do, the skin around my eyes isn't dry, red or sore anymore and the liner itself isn't messy or lumpy! Although it is a small 4ml tube it lasts along time and the consistency is perfect for me! The brush is small but it is designed in a way it can move to mould to where to make it, it is honestly the best eyeliner I have ever used!

I would recommend this to anybody looking for an affordable, top quality liquid eyeliner as it is absolutely perfect, if you have any questions etc. just comment below and I will be happy to help :)

 

Enjoy!