How you choose to spend your money is such a personal thing, some people love their designer clothes, others like to spend their money on exotic travel.

For me I have always liked spending my money on my make up and skin care. Fashions change but well looked after skin never goes out of style. 

I like my skincare expensive and high end but like most of us this isn't something I can afford all the time. Instead I compromise and mix in lower end products with my more expensive ones.

Whilst I 100% agree with Caroline Hirons that there is no such thing as a dupe in skincare (you often get what you pay for in terms of research and ingredients) that doesn't mean that there aren't great products to be found at the more affordable level. This is more true of some brands than others.

When we started saving to buy our house I had to cut all unnecessary spending and that my meant I couldn't afford to replace some of my high end favourites when they ran out.

I started trying more affordable alternatives and have found some excellent products that I had never tried before, including this wonderful Burt's Bees oil.

Starting off with the more expensive of the two though:

Tata Harpers Nourishing Oil Cleanser - £68.00

There's no getting away from the fact the price tag for this is eye watering. So much so I'm not sure I will ever be able to replace it when it runs out.

This cleansing oil though is beautiful and it smells divine and I like to imagine I am at an expensive spa. I feel so calm and relaxed when I use this (which admittedly is sparingly because it's so expensive). It leaves skin incredibly soft and clean.

I use this morning or evening but I have to admit I have only ever used this as a second cleanse. 

While I am sure this would effortlessly remove make up I do not want to waste it on that and prefer to use other (cheaper) products for that task. 

It is very gentle and I imagine it would work well for almost everyone. 

I save this oil for when I need a mood lift or my skin is in need of rescuing and luckily a little goes a long way!

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Oil - £16.99

The Burt's Bees cleaning oil is significantly more affordable than the Tata Harper version and as a result I use it far more often.

I have used this product to remove make up and it takes even waterproof eye make up off effortlessly. It's also wonderful in the morning or as a second cleanse.

Like the Tata Harper oil this leaves skin soft and is incredibly gentle. Because its an oil you do not get the uncomfortable 'tight' feeling that other cleansers can cause.  

You only need two to three pumps of this to remove a whole face of make up so it lasts a long time.

Despite it's cheaper price tag this still smells and feels lovely (although not quite as lovely as the Tata Harper one). 

The Burt's Bees oil is definitely more of the workhorse in my collection and I have recommended it to several people.

Although it isn't exactly cheap at £17 it is frequently on offer and is far easier to get hold of than the Tata Harper oil.

Overall verdict?

Although I adore the Tata Harper oil I'm not sure that it's cost can be justified when the Burt's Bees version performs as well and costs a fraction of the price. 

If you have the budget then definitely treat yourself to the Tata Harper oil as it is wonderful but for the rest of us the Burt's Bees one does the same job and is much kinder to your wallet. 

Have you ever tried either of these? Or do you have an even cheaper alternative than the Burt's Bees version? Let me know in the comments!

Spend vs Save: Nars Audacious Lipstick or Rimmel Dupe

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. 

Mini NYX Haul

Like most of the blogging world I got really excited when my local Boots recently opened up a HUGE NYX counter. Finally I could get my hands on all the goodies everyone is always raving about. 

But since it opened I've been on a strict saving plan and haven't really been able to splurge on a good Boots Haul. 

On top of that every time I go near that counter is surrounded by 14 year old girls in their Kylie Jenner crop tops and leggings grabbing everything all their favourite Youtubers recommend. Not gonna lie I feel a bit intimidated by the amount of choice there is as well as Nyx offers A LOT of products and it's in very plain packaging so it all looks similar and I can't get close enough because of all the people to have a good look at anything. 

I wanted to share with you the few things I have tried from there so far because I've been really impressed with all of them. 

1. NYX Retractable Lip Liner in Nude - £5.50

I love a lip liner to help get my lipstick applied really evenly and neatly. I cannot be bothered with lip liners that need sharpening and I really like Rimmel's version of these too. Considering the price this gives a really opaque finish that lasts really well. It's also a true nude for me which I haven't previously managed to find from other brands. I love using this on its own with a nude lip gloss on top or under any lipstick. Because its so close to my natural lip colour it works with every shade of lipstick including darker vampy colours. I also use it under lipgloss/lipstain hybrids like the YSL Glossystains and find that it helps create a more even colour throughout the whole lip as they tend to be a bit patchy. Overall I am really pleased with this and I haven't taken it out of my handbag since I bought it. 

2. NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Gleam - £7.00

I picked this up because it looked like it could be an excellent dupe for the NARS Illuminator in Orgasm which I've wanted to try but couldn't really justify spending the money on. Like the NARS one this is a versatile product that can be used as a liquid highlighter or mixed in with your foundation or moisturizer to give a subtle overall glow. This is a really lovely soft rose gold and I don't currently own anything else that is a similar colour. I've mostly been used it mixed in with my foundation for a daytime look that I can wear to work and it definitely adds a little extra to my normally tired looking face. Overall for £7 I'm glad I picked this up because its a fraction of the price of the higher end version.

3. NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown - £8.00

Another product that seems like an excellent dupe but this time for the ABH eyebrow pencils that are around twice the price. This has overtaken my previous favourite eyebrow pencil (the Soap & Glory Brow Archery one) as I think its a better colour for me. Unlike the S&G which only comes in two colours the NYX comes in 8 different shades ranging from pale to auburn to black so there should be something for most people. I have mouse brown hair that I colour to be darker but my eyebrows are naturally paler than my head hair so I need something brown, but not too dark or warm toned. Blonde pencils tend to be too light and not ashy enough so Ash Brown is literally the perfect colour for me. Like the lip liner this is a twist up pencil so you don't have to sharpen it (WIN) and it also has a really good spooley on the end. I have a couple of sparse patches right in the middle of the arch of my brow and I find that this easily masks them without looking too harsh. I like a natural brow and it seems you can be as bold or lighthanded as you like. It also stays put all day without any setting gel on top which is a definite  bonus for morning when I'm in a rush. This is the 3rd one I've purchased and they've lasted around 2 months each of daily use so they're definitely excellent value for money.

Top: NYX Born to Glow Illuminator in Gleam, Middle: NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown, Bottom: NYX retractable lip liner in Nude.

That's my small but well loved collection of NYX products. Let me know if there's something else I should try and elbow the teenage girls out the way to get my hands on!

Super Affordable Jo Malone Dupes from Waitrose Heritage Collection

Is there even a blogger in existence that isn't obsessed with Jo Malone?
Every time I walk past John Lewis I dive in there for a whiff and end up sampling absolutely everything. Every birthday and Christmas I debate over whether I should ask for anything from my (very long) wishlist.

But so far I never have because try as I might I *just* can't quite justify the price tag when I have loads of lovely perfumes and body products already. It just seems too extravagant. I mean I get that's the whole point of the brand but I need something a little more affordable.

And then low and behold I stumbled across some totally unexpected gems in the most unlikely of places. Waitrose.

Just to be clear, I don't normally shop in Waitrose (probably not a surprise as I can't afford anything from Jo Malone) but I do work opposite a very large branch and I tend to pop in there on my lunch break for random bits. Like emergency diet coke.

My absolute favorite Jo Malone Scent is English Freesia and Pear and the Waitrose Heritage Collection stocks a range of body products in this EXACT scent. It was not what I was expecting to find while I was looking for some Waitrose Essential shower gel. As soon as I opened the bottle and sniffed it I knew I had to buy it. I was even more excited when I realised there is a whole range of products in the same scent. There are also two other scents in the range which are White Jasmine & Peony and Orchid & Honeysuckle, which are lovely but cannot compete with my favorite fragrance of all time.

I snapped up the bubble bath, the body butter, the hand wash and hand cream. All for £12. Yes that's right. I worked out the purchases of the same products from Jo Malone would have cost around £150.

The packaging is actually really lovely and although its not as classy as the real thing from Jo Malone it is stunning in its own right with delicate floral patterns. To top it all the products are also superb and do exactly what they are meant to.

Overall I will continue to purchase this as a fantastic everyday alternative to the luxury brand. It might not have the indulgence and opulence of Jo Malone but it does mean that you can enjoy a little bit of that lifestyle every day. And without the hefty price tag.