Wednesday 31 October 2012

Rimmel in 'Sweetie' - Only £1.50 at Sainsbury's



Magazine Freebie!

Fancy a beauty treat that won't break the bank? Then head over to your local newsagents and grab a copy of this month's GLAMOUR magazine. You receive a FREE Nails Inc polish worth £12! (available in 4 colours) So for £2 you get a quality nail varnish and a magazine - perfect for a night in!

Monday 29 October 2012

FLASH SALE!

If you're looking for a beauty bargain, head over to The Body Shop website tonight, where they have a massive 50% off sale! Not only that, if you enter code EXTRA at the checkout, you'll also receive a huge 40% off all non-sale items!

How to keep platinum blonde hair looking it's best!

If you've ever had platinum blonde hair (or any dyed blonde hair colour for that matter) you will know how difficult it is to keep it looking great all the time. Here are a few tips that should help with the upkeep;


  • Keep it moisturised - This has to be one of the most important pieces of advice when it comes to looking after platinum hair. As it is regularly being bleached, it CRAVES moisture. I personally find I need to use a deep conditioner 2-3 times a week, such as Tresemme Keratin Smooth deep conditioner. This one is particularly good as it replaces the hair protein Keratin, that is lost through dyeing/heat damage.

  • Less is more! - Keeping hair moisturised doesn't just mean dowsing it in conditioner; your scalp already produces it's own oils to keep the hair in great condition. To make sure it is doing it's job, try to wash your hair as little as possible, 2 or 3 times a week if possible. Use dry shampoo/talcum powder in between washes to keep it fresh-looking.

  • Fix the Colour - Platinum blonde hair is notoriously difficult to keep looking bright, as the colour tends to fade quickly and yellow due to pollution etc. I find there are 2 ways to tackle this; purple shampoo and a monthly toner. Purple tones work so well on platinum hair because they are opposite to yellow on the colour wheel, hence neutralising the brassy tones. I like to use a purple shampoo (such as Touch of Silver) every other time I wash my hair, and a more potent toner (such as Colour Restore, right) once a month - the combination of these keeps your colour looking gorgeous!

  • Keep it tidy - Platinum blonde hair damages much quicker than hair that hasn't been bleached, so you must make sure you are regularly having it trimmed to keep it feeling smooth and looking neat and tidy. If you can afford it, I would recommend having it done every month or so.

  • Shine! - As dyed blonde hair is so porous, it is very hard to get it looking shiny, so what's the best way to do it? FAKE IT! A good serum will add shine and softness to your platinum hair and give it the 'WOW!' factor. At the moment i'm loving Loreal's Extraordinary Oil (RRP £9.99) - a bit pricey but it is a big bottle so will last for ages.

  • Hold the Heat - As I said before, bleached hair is already damaged, and you need to do everything to stop it damaging any further. Try to limit the use of heat appliances (hair dryer, straighteners etc.) to once or twice a week if you can, and MAKE SURE you use some form of heat protection. I find if you wash, dry and straighten your hair well, you shouldn't need to do it again for a few days.

So that's it! Try these tips and let me know how you get on - i'm sure your hair will thank you for it! Even if you don't have platinum hair, these tips are great for keeping any hair colour in good condition - just make sure you use a toner specifically for the colour you have. Have a happy hair day!

Sunday 28 October 2012

Glossybox October 2012 Review


This is actually my second Glossybox (I will review the September one shortly). For anyone who isn’t familiar with Glossybox, it’s a monthly beauty box that gets delivered to your door and contains 4-5 luxury samples – the products change every month and can include body scrubs, lipsticks, moisturisers etc. all from top brands. It costs £10 + £2.95 p+p, so £12.95 a month.




My October box contained the following;

* Anatomicals ‘Don’t just clean it woman, scrub it’ Body Scrub
* Skinetica Anti-blemish Lotion
* Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
* Yves Rocher Anti Wrinkle Moisturiser
* Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm
Well, I’m rather happy with this box I must say! It is really good value for money, as the moisturiser and the nail varnish are both full size, and worth £25 together! Glossybox have also done well in including a wide range of products (body, make up, skincare), though it would have been nice to see a haircare product in there! 
The body scrub is lovely – it has a refreshing grapefruit smell and small granules which exfoliate and smooth the skin. I’ve only used the Skinetica lotion once so far, it felt very gentle on my skin and does seem to have dried out the spots I’ve got, so hopefully it will clear them in a couple of days! The nail varnish again, is another winner for me. The colour is beautiful and the formula feels very luxurious and glides on the nails. I’m not a great fan of the beauty balm, as it does have a fairly thick texture, which is no good for people with oily skin like myself – it also doesn’t seem to offer any coverage. Last but not least, the Yves Rocher Anti-wrinkle moisturiser; this is the only product I haven’t properly tried yet, but from swatching it on my hand, it feels very light and sinks in quickly, so I’m looking forward to giving this a go. Whilst I don’t have any wrinkles yet, prevention is better than cure!
What do you think of this month’s Glossybox?

WARNING! YOU MAY BE TEMPTED TO BUY!


I must say, I’ve fallen in love with Rimmel nail varnishes over the last few weeks – Barry M used to be my go-to brand, but not any more! Nail varnishes on a whole have been getting very exciting this year, with magnetic, glitter and crackling polishes grabbing the spotlight. One of the newest are the metal-effect varnishes, such as the one below.
During a Boots haul I discovered this little beauty – Rimmel London Metal Rush. The colour instantly caught my eye and I had to have it! The only way I can really describe the shade would be the kind of colour you see when oil hits water on the road – two toned and shimmery. To get an opaque shade, I did find I needed about 4/5 coats – though this wasn’t a problem as Rimmel varnishes have thick brushes and the formula dries quickly. Personally, I LOVE this polish! It has a unique and gorgeous colour, which I think can be worn day or night – it also catches the light beautifully. At around £3, you can’t go wrong with this!





Friday 26 October 2012

'Tis the Season to be Sparkly!


Trawling through the aisles of Sainsburys, I came across this little beauty - Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish Nail Polish Disco Ball. It cost me about £3.69, though I’ve just seen they are selling it at Superdrug for £2.99! But even for what I paid this nail varnish is a bargain.

Whilst it does take a few coats for full coverage, that really is the only down point. As you can probably see from the bottle, the polish is made up of lilac, blue and silver specks of glitter, which can be used alone or on top of another colour. Also, the fairly neutral colour scheme goes with most colours, which is great. Just like all other Rimmel nail varnish, the brush is thick and perfectly-shaped to coat the nail evenly. Most surprisingly, the product doesn’t chip and stays on REALLY well – perhaps a little too well! If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful treat on payday, give this a try.

Welcome to Beauty on a Budget! I LOVE all things beauty; products, treatments, the lot. But, I don’t like paying the world for it, and why should I? I’m on a mission to find great buys that are affordable – and all my findings will end up here on my blog! Please enjoy viewing it, and if you have any suggestions for things for me to try, flash sale info or products you want reviewing, just let me know and i’ll try my best to get it done :)