Who doesn't love a good bargain? I'm always on the hunt to save money so I love a good dupe. But like most people, I like what I like. I find myself drawn to similar shades over and over again.

So it's not that surprising that I've found two very similar lipsticks within my collection. These two nudes are alike in every way except the price. One costs a massive £25 and the other costs £5.49. A difference of £19.51.

Spend: The NARS Audacious lipstick in Barbara is such an amazing lipstick. Everything about it feels premium. The packaging has the NARS logo all around the edge of the bullet and the lid snaps shut with a very satisfying magnetic click. The lipstick itself has the NARS logo embossed into the bullet. It's almost too pretty to use. NARS describe the colour as a 'tan rose' which is certainly true. It's definitely a  nude that would suit a lot of people as it's not too pink or too brown but somewhere in the middle. The velvet finish is neither a true matte nor a glossy texture and stays on all day with minimal need to touch up after eating and drinking. Overall I get a lot of wear out of this as it is ideal for work.

Top: Rimmel London Kate Lasting Finish 003. Bottom: NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara.

Save: The Rimmel London Kate Lasting Finish in shade 003 does pretty much all of the above but for a fraction of the price. The packaging is the classic black Rimmel bullet with Kate's name on the lid in red. While not as glamorous as the NARS one I really like the packaging for the price; it's nice to look at and keeps the lid on securely. The lipstick is also scented, but quickly fades after application. The colour is ever so slightly lighter than the NARS one as you can see from the swatch but when actually applied the colour difference is negligible. The finish is incredibly similar and while not quite as long lasting, it does stay put for several hours and is equally suitable for even the strictest of office environments. 

Overall Verdict: Save

I do love the NARS version and there is no denying that it feels premium enough to justify the price. However, if I had known how similar the Rimmel one I already had was, I wouldn't have bought it. The two lipsticks are so similar once applied, that for the sake of touching up my lipstick up occasionally, I think it's worth saving yourself nearly £20 and going for the Rimmel one. 

New Beauty Buys all under £10

So ok I might have gone a little mental in Boots and Superdrug last week. I only went in there to return a nail varnish I wasn't happy with and before I knew it the three for two offer had sucked me in...

Anyway I'm actually really pleased and impressed with all of these products so wanted to share them as I feel they are really good value for money. Just goes to show you need not spend a fortune to get good quality products providing you make an informed choice.

First off I got myself three new Rimmel lipsticks. I am a big fan of their lipsticks (and Maybellines but I've already got most of theirs) as they last a long time and give a great buildable colour. I got two from the Kate Moss range in shades 01 (far right) and 30 (far left) which are a bright red and a berry colour. My favourite though is from the standard line and is shade 016 called Heart Breaker (centre) and is a lovely rose pink.

I always end up with nail varnishes and I am really loving Barry M ones at the moment. I picked up two from their new Speedy Quick Dry range in Pole Position (far right) and In a Heart Beat (far left) as well as an iridescent shade called Pacific (centre). This looks amazing over my Gelly Hi Shine in Blueberry.

As an extra nail varnish I got an Essie one in Bikini So Teeny which I've been waiting all winter to get. Its such a lovely pastel blue and is perfect for Spring. I've had my eye on the Bourjois cream blushes for ages now so got one in Rose Tender and it comes in the cutest little pot! I'm currently wearing it at work and it just gives the most natural looking flush I've ever seen which is perfect for Spring. The second blush I got was the Max Factor Creme Powder blush in Seductive Pink. I am loving this so much and I've worn it to work twice this week.

In addition to make up I also got some more Nivea extra gentle eye make up remover as its such good value for money and a Boots essentials 3 minute clay mask. At only £1.50 this is a bargain for anyone with oily skin. I also decided it was time to lose my waxing virginity to got some wax strips (not pictured) and sweet jesus does it hurt! Won't be doing that again in a hurry.

Thank to a combination of Boots Points and the Three for Two offer I got the Essie Nail Varnish, 1 Barry M Nail Varnish, 1 Rimmel Lipstick, the Make up remover and the wax strips for free. Boots, you really are the best.

I also dropped into Superdrug to pick up some blackhead removing strips after trying one for the first time last week (soooooo satisfying!) and to grab the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer as they had ran out of my shade in Boots. Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any favorites?

A (virtually) free shopping spree!

Check out the awkward rhyming on the post title there. Ah well, really need to get better with them.
Yesterday I went shopping just because I was bored and although I got loads of stuff I only actually purchased one item. Although it was the most expensive, I am hoping I am going to get real value out of it.

So yeah I finished yesterday on a bit of a high. I also got some new things for my room but I will do a seperate post on them another day.

ALL THE PRETTY THINGS <3

1. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette 
So I did the most sterotypical blogger thing ever and jumped on the Naked Palette hype. But I'm a lifestyle blogger so its allowed. This is literally all over the internet and everyone is raving about them. As I spent most of my lecture yesterday watching YouTube tutorials that all involved this I decided to go see what its all about. My local Urban Decay counter is in Debenhams (who knew?!) and the girl gave me such a lovely make over as I couldn't decide which one to buy. I was so impressed with the Naked 3 palette I actually purchased it. Also seriously regretting not asking her what on earth she put on my lips because it was INCREDIBLE. I  am poor AF right now but I'm also a  bad girl and I don't care. Its so lovely and pretty and I cannot wait to wear it! It also came with a 1 week sample of each of their different eye primer potions which I have been desperate to try. So yeah, that was the only part of the spree that I actually spent real money on.

2. Soft ribbed T-Shirt
I found an unspent New Look Voucher left over from Christmas! The excitement! So I picked up this bad boy which I bought in a size too big because I want it to be slightly slouchy. I haven't tried it on yet and so it could go back. But its just so soft and I'm really into my neutral colours at the moment.

3. Went a little crazy in Boots
I love nothing better than an afternoon to wonder round Boots by myself and sniff out some great beauty buys. I'm pretty pleased with little haul and I think I might have got myself some real bargains. I grabbed myself a Soap and Glory Supercat eyeliner as I have heard all sorts of praise for this, my current eyeliner pen is running out and this seems like a good one to replace it with.
Next I chose a Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in pink bronze which seems like an excellent dupe for the Bobbi Brown ones but a fraction of the price. Finally I picked up two new nail varnishes, one from Natural Collection in Pink Manicure as it was so cheap and I've never tried any of their nail varnish. The other was  Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Sugar Apple as this seems identical to the Essie one in Candy Mint Apple but costs much less.
Best of all none of this cost me a penny thanks to my Boots points! And I've still got money left on it!

Barry M's Winter Nail Colours

I am literally in love with Barry M's A/W Nail Varnish collection this year and every time I go into town I seem to come back with yet another one. Whoops. Here are the four I've collected so far.

1. Berry Cosmo.

Love this bright, happy purple colour. I swear purple is literally the best colour for winter as its so deep and rich. Shown here with one coat and no top coat. Looks great with neutral colours and certainly brightens up any outfit. I've been wearing it all season and I have to keep stopping my sisters stealing it. Everyone else is obcessed with it and I even had a stranger in Boots ask me what colour I was wearing. If you only buy one of these, make it this one as its the most versatile.

2. Vintage Violet                                                I'm sure nobody will be surprised after my above statement to see yet another purple on this list. I just had to buy this as it is so different to any other colour I own and I think it will also work great in Spring. Its such a soft, dusky colour that it instantly makes me feel demure and classy. In fact its so soft, it looks almost neutral on and therefore goes with literally everything. As is it has such a neutral undertone it will look great with most skin tones too. Buy this one if you are looking for something a little different to add to your collection. Two coats, no top coat.

3. Raspberry                                                          I love berry shades of nail varnish and raspberry has to be my favorite. Its so bright, fresh and zingy. It just screams fun and happiness. Its still quite a strong, bold colour so is great for the colder months. I wore this with dark colours to liven up boring work outfits and it worked a treat. This is probably the most 'out there' of these colours and I've got a few friends who I'm fairly sure this is not their cup of tea. But I love it and its going to be making a few more appearances during this cold snap. Shown with one coat, no top coat.

 4. Nightshade
Now this is definitely a winter colour! Its actually a very deep purple and I think it looks great with a vampy lipstick. I can't wait to wear it out to parties when I get back to uni.
Its extremely bold and not a colour for the faint hearted but its really wearable and looks great with virtually every outfit. In particular with a crisp white shirt and its a great way of injecting some style into work wear. Shown with one coat, no top coat.