Affordable Boots Beauty (drugstore) Haul

I thought I would do something a bit different today by doing a quick haul of some of the products that I have been using a lot lately on a day-to-day basis from Boots UK that are reasonably priced and worth the money! 

I'll try and cover a full make up look of affordable cosmetics that I have collected on a student budget recently from Boots (that's a drugstore) for any American friends reading this. Feel free to leave any comments as this is my first beauty blog and I would welcome any feedback or future requests.

1) Rimmel - Wake Me Up foundation - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

Starting with one of the favourites among beauty gurus and normal people alike this is a great foundation for everyday use and blends beautifully onto the skin. It includes Vitamin C and has an SPF of 15 which is great for protecting your skin on a daily basis. The new bottles also come with a pump which is very handy for application and if you want to take it with you or chuck it in your bag it doesn't get so messy. What I love about this foundation is that you can gradually build it up but it feels very light and doesn't look cakey on the skin. I use the shade Ivory 100 because I always have to go for the palest foundation I can get. This is a product that I repurchase all the the time and is well worth the money.

2. Rimmel - Stay Matte pressed powder - £.3.99

Another favourite that I use everyday on top of my foundation to set my make up and reduce the shine is Rimmel's Stay Matte pressed powder. I use the shade 003 Peach Glow which gives my make up a nice subtle finish although it doesn't really alter the shade of your foundation which is good. It helps hide the appearance of pores and you can barely feel it on the skin. Considering the quality of the product and its price it is a product that I always buy again and again.

Photo found on Google

3. Bourjois - Délíce de Poudre - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This Gold Bronzing powder from Bourjois is a product I found recently in Boots and thought I would take home to try. It's in the shade 54 and just gives a really nice coppery glowy effect on the skin which I think looks really nice this time of year. The packaging is handy as it comes in a little booklet type palette with  a magnetic lid so it's great for popping in your bag and taking with you. The product also smells really good not that that is a massive selling point but hey it's the little things in life! It's a little pricier than what I was looking for on a student budget but it caught my eye because of how pretty the colour was and it is still comparatively cheap in relation to some of the high-end bronzers. I probably would repurchase after i've finished this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

4. Soap & Glory - Love At First Blush - £11.00

Photo by A. Lewis

This multi-shade blushing powder by Soap & Glory was another new purchase for me recently. It is the most expensive item that will be featured in this haul, however, with this product you are definitely getting more for your money. This product features several different blush tones, some slightly bronzed shades and a highlight and together these look very pretty on the skin. Due to the variety of colours in this compact you could definitely use it without a bronzer if you wished to. The packaging is attractive and comes in a handy compact with a mirror so it is perfect for taking on the go and as you can see in the photo I've been using it so much lately that I've almost hit pan on this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

5. Seventeen - Brow's that! Brow Kit - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This product caught my eye when I was in Boots and I had never had it before because I have only started filling in my eyebrows recently but I can easily say that I have fallen in love with it over the past couple of months. It's a really handy compact containing a brown eyebrow pencil, a brown setting wax, a brown powder and a shimmery highlight. The compact also contains a reasonable sized mirror and a small brush to do your eyebrows with which has made filling in my eyebrows a lot easier because it is just about the right size. The product originally came in a stripy gold and black box but the packaging of the product itself comes in a black glossy box which clips together. Not only is this product perfect for travel but I love the way it makes my brows look and I just think out of all the products in this haul it is the one I have been most excited about and definitely worth the money. I will for sure repurchase this after I've run out.


6. Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

I have always been a big fan of the Volum Express Colossal mascaras by Maybelline and tended to just buy them all the time but when I was wandering around Boots I thought I would try something new. This Wonder'full mascara by Rimmel is in Black 001 and contains argan oil which is good for your lashes. What attracted me particularly was the thickness of the brush. After using it for some weeks now I would say it gives your eyelashes a very full look and if you give it several coats it can almost give a false effect. The only thing you have to bare in mind is that if you're not overly confident about doing make up then you have to be very careful when applying it because the brush is so big that it can get everywhere. Nevertheless the packaging is a lovely rose gold colour and the handle is designed as a twisted tube so that it fits into your hand to make application easier. Generally I would say this is a good mascara if you're looking for something to give you very big eyelashes but it is slightly pricier than the Colossal one.


7. Rimmel - Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick - £5.49

Photo found on Google.

Finally I have been loving the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel lately and from what I've seen and heard out and about I'm not the only one! It is this one particularly, however, that I am obsessed with at the moment. It is in the shade 020 which is a really lovely hot pink colour. Obviously I wouldn't wear this everyday as it is very bright but I love to put it on if I'm going out out or whenever I get an opportunity to really as it's a great colour for this time of year in the Spring and Summer months! It's easy to apply, feels great on the lips and does last for a surprisingly long amount of time. In my opinion these lipsticks are great value for the price and definitely nicer than some of the high end lipsticks.

                                                         Thanks for reading!

                                                               Ginger Pixie

                                                                     xx

An Evening with Dick Valentine (Electric Six)

I'm back this month with more Ginger Pixie Jams coming your way starting with Dick Valentine!

Last Bank Holiday Monday I headed to Global Cafe in Reading to see a gig promoted by a friend, Alec, that Dick Valentine of Electric Six was performing at and lets just say, I was impressed. 

After support acts from Sam Hazel and Massive Horse the Electric Six frontman from Detroit, Michigan performed an acoustic set of Electric Six hits and songs from his own solo albums. I'm going to hold my hands up and say going into the gig I didn't know what to expect having only ever heard some of E6's big hits such as Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage but the minute Dick Valentine started playing I knew that this was going to be something special.

First of all I think it's great that someone of his prestige and time spent within the music industry is still willing to come and play relatively small gigs such as this was but still give a performance with the same passion and to the same standard as bigger gigs. What also struck me is that Dick Valentine is a man of incredible charisma and his passion for performing definitely comes through in the way that he plays and sings. He's an awesome guitarist, far better than I could ever wish to be after 6 years of playing guitar myself and what I find most intriguing about him is his unique vocal ability that was obviously more pronounced and powerful in this acoustic gig. The way he delivers a song in his powerful, gravelly tone is something that I really enjoy and almost harks back to the Dylan era that you don't hear so often these days in the mainstream male artists of today. It also became evident in his performances of songs such as Destroy the Children and I Don't Speak French that lyrically he is a very educated man and can drive a particular message home but also be very witty at the same time. Dick Valentine also did a cover of Toto's Africa that I personally would stress was better than the original and had many of the audience singing along. All round the gig was faultless and I've come away with a new musician to love and albums to buy!

Finally I would just like to wrap up by saying what I think made the night so special was simply, the man himself. The fact that the gig was so intimate was great to take in the music but what made an impact on me most importantly was that Dick Valentine was just so humble and happy to be there. His interaction with the audience during the gig made it enjoyable but it's very rare with celebrity culture these days that a musician will take the time to speak to everyone personally before and after the gig, whilst drinking with the audience at the bar and thanking everyone for being there but he did that. As well as being talented he was just extremely down to earth and I think that resonated with everyone. Without a doubt I definitely hope that isn't the last time I see him.

Dick Valentine (Electric Six) playing at Global Cafe, Reading.

Ginger Pixie Jams

xx