The Budget Beauty Brand You’ll Love

Cult Swedish clothing retailer & Other Stories also does a fantastic line in cosmetics and makeup and very purse-friendly prices. The range covers pretty much everything a girl needs to prettify herself including moisturisers, cleansers, makeup, tools, and nail polished in a rainbow of colours. They even do scented candles to light as you pamper yourself. The quality is unrivalled and the minimal Scandinavian packaging only adds to the appeal. Race you 

 THE MAKEUP

THE COSMETICS

THE NAIL POLISHES

The Selfridges 'Agender' Beauty Box

I'm not usually one for beauty boxes, more often than not they're filled with teeny samples of not-so-good brands but I am a huge Selfridges fan, so I just HAD to check out their new beauty box offering the 'Agender Beauty Box' to celebrate their Agender campaign. 

In true Selfridges style, this is a product with a twist, packaged in a sleek white box with bold yellow interior, the nine products are housed in a cotton branded bag - this gives it such a luxe feel, it would be an ideal gift.

Inside you'll find 9 products by cult brands and classic brands alike, plus a lot of them are full-sized so you don't have any tiny vials to contend with. 

The full products are as follows:

Dermologica conditioning body wash, Kiehl’s ultra-facial cleanser, NARS mini eye liner, Illamasqua black mascara, Verso mini face cream, Konjac sponge, OPI Tickle My Francy nail polish, OCC Lip Tar Hollywood and , Lancaster tan maximiser.

Exclusive to selfridges.com the box costs £30 - the products have a combined value of £108 - so it's a steal and a perfect little treat. Hurry though, this is a super limited edition product! BUY NOW

SHOP IT

March Beauty Favourites

Fountain, The Beauty Molecule
I use this liquid vitamin complex in my juices, full disclosure, it's tastes totally gross on it's own, so masking it in a juice is better. It definitely has made my skin and hair glow and my nails have been stronger too. A great alternative to vitamin tablets as it's packed full of water-soluble antioxidants that are absorbed instantly into your body, due to its liquid form, giving you healthy glowing skin.
£25 Urban Outfitters

Mac Clear Bow Set
My BAE, my brows are basically a myth and so are drawn on for the most part. Anyone who pencils in their tails will know that there's a high risk you may lose one or both eyebrows during the day. Therefore this is a miracle product. It's like Lipcote for your brows and I get through about five tubes a year.
£13.50 Mac 

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan Eau de Parfum 
This deep and heady scent is quite polarising, it's not a trend floral or a sweet vanilla scent of the kind that are popular on the mass market. It's most certainly a niche fragrance, but if you're brave enough it's beautiful. The main note is, as the name suggests, amber and it's so warm and exotic and lasts for hours and hours. It's a really special perfume, if you like unusual scents then try this or some other Serge Lutens perfumes.
£74 Space NK

28 Beauty Products to Try Now

Whatever your tastes or budget there are new beauty buys to try now. Shop the selection below, your makeup bag is calling...

LUXURY

COOL BRANDS

BARGAIN PRICES

March Beauty Favourites - The Sensitive Edition

LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR DUO FACE CREAM

I used to pick up this cream on the rare trips I made to Paris, French pharmacies rock, but now it's easily available in the UK so a trip across the channel isn't needed. This light cream sinks easily int skin and is intensely moisturising even though it's not heavy. I suffer from such sensitive skin, it's a joke, and I get allergic reaction from a whole host of ingredients but this moisturiser is definitely suitable for sensitive skin. The main claim is that it's anti-blemish which, to be honest, I'm not sure about because a dermatologist once told me spots are almost 100% genetic or hormonal and don't respond to topical treatments. Effaclar however does help to even out skin tone and feel. This is one of my favourite face products for sure.

DR. BRONNER'S LAVENDAR LIQUID SOAP

Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap is a staple in my beauty regime, not least because it's ethical, works amazingly well and is suitable for even the most sensitive of skins. The formulation is about 150 years old and Organic certified - there are no nasties in this. You can even wash your vegetables with it, which I've tried and I'm still here. The lavender version is great in a hot bedtime bath, if you have babies then this is a fab product that you can both use.

ARM & HAMMER ENAMEL CARE SENSITIVE TOOTHPASTE 

Arm & Hammer Enamel Care Sensitive Toothpaste is MY toothpaste. I've found my brand and I'm sticking with it. I tried another brand a few moths ago and had to throw it out because a/ my tooth sensitivity came back with a vengeance and b/ my moth just didn't feel clean. The baking soda taste in this takes some getting used to but does wonder for naturally whitening teeth and this enamel formulation can apparently even fill minor cavities. Definitely worth a try if you have sensitive teeth, after a day or so it disappears.

WHAT ELSE AM I LOVING...

Fountain The Beauty Molecule

I was pretty excited when I was sent some of Fountain’s Molecules, but I’ve started with the now cult Beauty Molecule (£24.99) taking a teaspoon a day. This red liquid contains a shed-load of Resveratrol which is a potent anti-oxidant, found in the skin of red grapes. There’s the equivalent of about a million grapes worth of Resveratrol in here though so eating it in its natural form wouldn’t make a difference.

Anti-oxidants are good for your skin because they protect skin by limiting the production of free radicals, which damage skin cells. This in turn slows aging and lessens inflammation that can make your face look at big, well, haggard.

The Beauty Molecule contains the first water soluble resveratrol on the market, making it super easy for our bodies to absorb it, and use more readily. As well as the power of grape skins there are also anti-oxidants, in the form of black carrot, and hyaluronic acid (the skin's best hydrating ingredient) to give your skin a beautifying glow from within.

Having used it for about two weeks I think I’ve noticed a difference. My skin feels less dry than it usually is at this time of year and does look generally good, not that I really had problem skin to begin with. I think that it’s worth taking just as a vitamin supplement but it’s a bit sweet to take neat so I add it to my green juice. I can’t wait to try the other molecules and give The Beauty Molecule a few more weeks to see if there is a difference in my skin.

SHOP FOUNTAIN MOLECULES

#bbloggers Thrifty Beauty

Insanely trampy or cleverly thrifty? You tell me. I happened upon this trick a few weeks back when my perfume bottles and bank balance ran dry at the exact same time. 

So, rather than go into debt replacing my Ange au Demon, I set to work snipping away at the huge pile of magazines I have- and look at the haul!

Not just perfume either- loads of beauty products.

So I've put them all in a little case I can dip-into whenever. These mini samples are also great for nights out or holidays!

I hope you like my thrifty tip- and first proper post! Let me know in the comments... or if you have any frugal tips of your own.

Sheree XX