Fragrance Direct Haul

Its not often that I do online shopping, prefering to go and see the products in real life. But when there are all the deals to be had, it would be rude not to pick up a few bits. Most of what I have in this haul is things by the Body Shop and I've a bone to chew on here, I am a massive fan of their things, buying lots for myself recently along with a lot of Christmas presents for others. But the main issue is that their Irish site and in store there are never any sales or offers on the way there is on UK sites. Its such a pity as the euro prices of their things make it more of a luxury once in a blue moon buy. Its disheartening to read UK bloggers talking about the amazing 40% off deals they got. Alright then, rant is now over! 

The first thing that I set my sights on were the body butters. If your looking for just one thing to try out from the Body Shop then it has to be one of these. They are so wonderfully thick but easy to apply and sink into your skin making it beautifully soft only after one or two uses. I got mine in shea butter as its one of my favourite scents, I was delighted they had it! One of these tubs cost me £2.99.

I also picked up the tea tree oil thats just perfect for all the face uglies that are forever popping up on my mug. This was I think £0.99 compared to the guts of €10 so I was delighted to be able to try it out. Since getting the haul in the post, I've been using this loads and I have to say it works really well, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Years ago the Body Shop had a shampoo and conditioner with the scent of nettles. It wasn't for everyone but I really loved it. When they discontinued it I searched high and low online but never again could get it. Since then I've not been too interested in trying out anything hair care, but when I saw these little bottles for £2.99 I decided to pick up 2 each and give them a go. A regular bottle is €9.95 for the biggest bottle. I've not tried them out yet, but if I like them I'd consider forking out for them. I just love my hair care products! 

I also got a little tea tree skin clearing toner for £1.99 as I'm all about that spot fighting stuff. I'm still trying to find the holy grail products to finally work for my skin. And I've gone though bag loads, so fingers crossed this one might work for me. 

Again, all about the hair care. I love a good hair mask and this pantene one is something I've not had in years! I used to love it, but theres so many out there I kind of forgot all about it. For £1.99 I couldn't pass it up and I've used it once now. Its just as lovely as I remember.

Lastly I nabbed an Aussie spray leave in conditioner for coloured hair. I have gone though about 7 bottles of this stuff since being introduced to it years ago by a friend. Its perfect to throw in before heading off for the day, before bed, or just a quick spray to make brushing your hair easier. I'm a massive fan, but it can be about €6, so seeing this for £2.99 was a bargain. 

You'll be able to find most of what I've talked about above over on Fragrance Direct. But because lots are really cheap, things can sell out fast. Keep an eye on the site, they are always adding loads of new bargains!

Crazy Bargains At The Cosmetic Outlet

I've been down this road before and I know all too well that you can't go into the Cosmetic Outlet on Meath St in Dublin for 'just one thing'. But thats what I told myself after seeing their new w7 palettes in stock. Honest to god, I only went in for a look... And then suddenly I came away with a light purse and several heavy bags. Thats just how it goes. If you fancy a look at my first major savings haul from this shop, you can have a read here. Be warned, not only is the shop coming down with bargains, but they have new stock in almost weekly, so you'll always find something new you want every time you go in!

I bought the first w7 palette in the Cosmetic Outlet and use it all the time. The range of shades, the pigmentation, the long lasting wear, the fact that its a dupe for the Naked 2 palette! Theres nothing I don't love about it. So naturally when they came out with a dupe for the Naked 3, I couldn't pass it by. You can get it for €10, which is a fraction of any of the Naked palettes. 

I also picked up w7 angel eyes in their dark natural palette. Its small, easy to pop in your bag and has a lot of colours to choose from. Its also got a really handy mirror and I can't wait to have a play around with everything. This was €5 so I thought it would be rude not to pick it up considering the history of amazing quality w7 shadows.

While I was at the w7 stand I couldn't help notice the Honey Queen blush that looked gorgeous and not unlike the Benefit blushes. Seeing as it might be a dupe I had to get it and it was only €5 too. Once I get stuck into all these and use them I'll do some reviews and tell everyone how I got on!

I also went a bit wild and picked up two Rimmel lipsticks and a Maybelline one. I've passed these by more times then I can count when I'm in Boots and always say I must pick some up, but they are near €8 so I always pass them by. Then the craving for a loads of them comes back when I'm reading about them on some of my favourite blogs. Its just not fair if you ask me! (someone play me the worlds smallest violin, thanks.) But these were only €5 each and I'm genuinely sad that there weren't more shades to choose from. There were lots of Kate Moss for Rimmel lip sticks, but I have a lot of those already. I will be scouting out the shop for more Maybelline ones especially as they are gorgeous. I've not even swatched any yet and I know I need more, the Maybelline ones smell sweet and I'm half tempted to have a taste. Its also not the normal colour I would go for but at 5 quid I decided to try it out. The Rimmel ones look really pigmented and I can't wait to start using them, I got a deep blue toned red and a lighter pink toned red. All of the lip stick noms. (I sound like I'm having them for dinner. Honestly I don't eat them!)  

I'm forever buying Impluse. One goes in my handbag, another in my room, the bathroom and then the ones that grow legs and wonder off. So I couldn't help get 3 for €5 while I saw them there. They will be used in no time and already my mother has her eye on them. (Actually when I showed her all these bits shes asked me to go back in and pick up some things for her. Mammy stamp of approval right there!) 

Brows are something I've stayed cleat of for years and am only beginning to start filling them in. Paul gave me this w7 Brow Bar to try out and I'll admit, I laughed when I saw that they come with stencils. I'm someone who has a dreadful habit of plucking my brows to nothing or having the odd alcoholic accident where I wake up with them shaved off (Its happened more then once) so they may come in seriously useful if (and when) something happens again. This is €5 too, do you see the trend here!

Lastly two of my most exciting things that I got in the shop. Paul very kindly gave me an orange skull detailed clutch bag and a statement flower chain necklace. I knew when I saw the bag I had to get it as it matches my orange pumps perfectly. You can see them here. It comes with a chain that you can clip of and off the bag which is a great extra. I love that theres a pocket inside to put your phone too. This is going to get really good use on nights out or even just if I'm popping to the shops and not brings loads with me. This is €10 and comes in loads of different colours. I'm keeping an eye out for a black one next!

Lastly is the statement flower necklace that I've not taken off since getting it (mainly because my mother has tried to rob it a few times!) Its sparkly, weighty and perfect for someone like me who wears basic darks and needs something to brighten up an outfit and give it that wow factor. This is €15 and there are so many more to choose from. I have gotten necklaces from the Cosmetic Outlet before for myself and as presents and they wear so well. I always get compliments when I have them on and theres far too many I'd love to get! They are all between €10 to €15.

If your not close to Dublin but plan on making a visit nearer to Christmas I'd really suggest you head over to the shop. Paul let me in on a few secrets and I'm really excited. I want to be first through the doors when the new stock hits the shelves and his new brushes(!) come out. Oh god, the excitement is nearly all too much.

And if you need one more push out the door to make the trek up Meath St, then I have just the thing. The shop right next to the Cosmetic Outlet is a lovely clothes and shoes shop. It stocks loads of gorgeous things that are for next to nothing. I got a really nice floral kimono in it for only €7 after paying €13 for a plain black one in Penneys. I'm such an enabler, I know! 

Ziaja Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

Its well known by my family and friends that if I really like something, I'll utter the words 'Ah no, I'll have it. You wouldn't like it' all of the time. And that was the first thing that came into my little pea brain when I opened this in the shower and tired it. Honestly, you really wouldn't like it. If you've bought some recently, then I'm sorry. You could send it to me and I'll dispose of it in the best possible way. By using it in the shower every single day. Muahahaha.

Ahem. Well, now that the moment of pure crazy is over, let me tell you about Ziaja. This brand is feckin hard to get your hands on if your like me and only pop into Boots the odd time to stock up. Since going on a mad hunt one day in town I did find a chemist on Talbot St that does a good lot of the range. I'm seriously impressed with the amount of products that Ziaja do, take a look yourself at the full range here. They cater for all skin types as well as for babies, a hair care line and lines for specific ingredients. And if you think thats a little bit great, then you'll be delighted to know that their products are all cheap and cheerful. Man I love it! I'm really surprised that I've only recently heard of the Polish brand, considering they are a family owned company that have been around since 1989.

I'm going to be banging on about this brand a lot in the next while, let me just tell you that now! But today its all about the cocoa butter body scrub that I was delighted to get in a goodie bag from a blogger meet up I attended recently. If you want to have a nosy at what went on then have a read of Robyn's blog post (from Robyn Rants And Raves) all about it over here! I was excited to try this body scrub out as its more then half the price of some of my most loved Soap&Glory scrubs and I wanted to see if I had found a new favourite. 

I have to admit, this scrub is really giving the Soap&Glory range a run for its money. It smells sweet and has a lovely thick texture to it. Once you wet it, it foams up slightly so its easy to rub across your skin and theres no clumps of it falling off like some scrubs I've used. There are tiny little bits in it that I can only describe as sand-like, with out it actually being sand just to say! It does a great job of exfoliating all the horrible bits of dead skin away without being too harsh either. Its perfect for using every day as it doesn't strip your skin at all. 

The packaging is plain, plastic and to be honest it just does the job. Theres nothing needlessly fancy or over the top and there doesn't need to be to draw people in. It works so well and the brand is fast becoming well known for their amazing products that don't cost the earth. I'm happy to stock up the entire bathroom with this brand over a high end one any day of the week. (and may be starting to do just that as I type!) You can get this body scrub for roughly €4.99 in a lot of chemists around the country. 

My Top 3 Sea Salt Sprays

Sea salts sprays were big last summer and this time round its no different. I'm relitivly new to the whole thing but over the past few months I've been using all sorts of texture sprays and sea salt sprays to get the desired 'just casually been to the beach, and I look feckin' great!' look. So from the high end to the dirt cheap, heres my top 3 for the summer. I mainly use all my sprays on slightly damp hair, but occasionally dry too. 

I'm going to start with the most pocket pinching thing, which I personally think is a crazy expensive brand. Bumble and Bumble has the most beautiful surf spray that comes in a 125ml bottle for only - only €27.50. Before you think I hit my little head off something very hard, I got it as a present. I'll admit, its the nicest one out of the lot as its so light, it has a pleasant smell and a few squirts of this gives my hair the perfect sea salty looking hair. It produces soft wavys without making my hair hard feeling like its full of product or gone mad out of control with frizzyness - thats a word now. Its easy to brush out and isn't sticky in the slightly. If you were big on the beautiful wavy hair then this little bottle isn't worth investing in as it is so expensive and would be used up in no time. However, if your like me and occasionally remember you have hair then it might be something to think about. Its love for me, but when did love become almost €30?!

Next is the middle of the range Schwarzkopf got2b beach matt mermaid look texturizing salt spray. That is a mouth full, but is a lot more friendly to the purse. I got this ages ago and it was about €5 for 200ml, but after a quick look on Boots.ie I spotted it on offer for €2.67, ohh bargain alert! This one is actually my least favourite out of the three here. Its not bad at all, but its a little heavy on the hair and one squirt releases a lot of product which doesn't evenly distribute over the hair. I think the nozzle should be a little bigger so the product isn't as concentrated on one piece of hair. Other then that, it smells nice and works ok. But a little and spraying far away from your hair works best, otherwise it will be sticky and really hard to work with.

Lastly my favourite of the dirt cheap sprays is SuperDrugs own brand Style expertise salt spray in  100ml. I couldn't get the price in euro so I actually called one of the very few shops here in Ireland to ask. The girl was so lovely and helpful, I'm well impressed! This is €3.85 but is on offer at the moment. A lot of things are on offer in SuperDrug - how I love it. This one reminds me the most of the Bumble and Bumble spray. Its got a really good nozzle and distributes the product well. Its light and holds the wavys all day, without looking like theres lots of goo sitting in your hair.