L'amour est Rouge

I think red is the perfect Valentine's colour and with Valentine's day tomorrow, I thought it would be nice to do a seasonal post, however whether you have a Valentine or not (join the crew), this post will probably be useful to you anytime of the year.

I love red lips because they're timeless, make it look as though you've made a massive effort even if you haven't made any effort at all and can be used for loads of different looks. Over the past year or so I've acquired a nice collection of red lip products and got to know my favourites so I thought I'd share them with you.

Here are some swatches of all of the products so you can see the consistencies and finishes of them. Sorry they're on paper and not on my lips but the lighting was terrible!

First of all the actual lipsticks//

MUA Lipstick: Shade 13
£1
First up is the cheapest of the lot from MUA. Don't be fooled by the very much affordable price of just £1 because this lipstick is really worth giving a try. This one is in shade 13 and although it is definitely more of a pink toned red is very much a bright red and has a lovely rich consistency. It is pretty much odourless but I think it has a slight fruity hint. Either way the smell is really pleasant and the only thing I don't like about the lipstick is the fact it doesn't have a pretty name, which I think should be a law. If you're trying out red lipstick for the first time or are a regular wearer, I think that this lipstick is a makeup bag staple and I would definitely recommend it.



Matte Lipstick by H&M: Dita
£3.99
I got this lipstick for christmas from my sister and am in loooove. As much as I love glossy lips, I'm a sucker for anything matte and this is just an all round perfect lipstick. The texture is rich and creamy and generally just feels really nice on your lips. I sometimes find lipsticks quite messy and a bit of a faff which is why I usually prefer stains, however this seems to stay put really well. It smells sweet and fruity but not overpowering and this is probably my favourite red lipstick at the moment. In terms of both consistency and colour, it is also quite similar to MAC's famous Ruby Woo.


Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick: Mayfair Red Lady/510
£6.49
I wouldn't normally spend this much on a lipstick when there are other cheaper alternatives but I received this as one of my gifts from the magazine that I did work experience with last year and think that it is well worth the money if you're willing to spend this much. It feels very moisturising unlike a lot of lipsticks which I feel dry my lips out quite a lot. It is a lovely shade of red and smells like how you would imagine classic, grandma makeup to smell. Wow, I'm selling this well, ha! That may have made it sound bad but it really does smell like an old woman's makeup bag which personally I find a really nice smell for makeup! It stays put pretty well and feels really nice to apply.


Now onto some alternatives. These are definitely more high-end and aren't quite as affordable as the lipsticks, but I couldn't not include them as I use both of them on a very regular basis. //

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon: Red Island/05

£7.99
Although this isn't the cheapest of lip products, it's a lot cheaper than the Clinique version and I really do love it. This is perfect for daytime wear as it is a lot more sheer than lipstick and feels really moisturising. Although it can be built up really well to look like a lipstick, I also often put on just a tiny bit and blend it in which creates a really subtle colour that looks really natural. The crayon is so easy to apply and so wearable and I would definitely recommend it. I'm aware that there are now so many products with the same concept which may be cheaper and I would love to give them a try, but I think this one is brilliant despite the price.



No7 Stay Perfect Lip Lacquer
£10.75

This is potentially my favourite lip product that I've ever tried. Oh my lord, I just love it. I got this as a gift but when it eventually runs out I'll probably have to treat myself because I think it's the best thing ever. As I mentioned earlier, I often find lipsticks a bit high maintenance and so using a stain is a much better option as I don't have to keep topping up. Unlike a lot of cheaper lip stains, like Sleek's Pout Paint for example, this doesn't end up everywhere and stain your face and clothes as well as your lips, and so as long as you apply it properly, it'll stay that way. First of all you apply the colour and wait for it to completely dry, which doesn't take much time at all, and then use the clear end to make it look glossy and glamorous. On mine, the sticker says that the colour is 'Sweet Pink', but this is most definitely a bright, rich red and from looking at the colour swatches on the website it looks like 'Chilli', so I'm guessing it has the wrong sticker on it. I would highly, highly recommend this if you don't mind spending this much but otherwise I'm sure there will be some dupes somewhere that you can try.


Aaand that's my lot for today. I hope you find this useful and have a lovely Valentine's day/life.

Loads and loads of love from your fellow Penniless Princess xxxxxx

Pound Shop Lovin'

Happy New Year!
It's been a while. 3 Months and 2 days to be exact. I could bore you with a ton of excuses (which I do actually have, by the way) but I won't waste any more time. So without further ado, I present to you, a gift from me, blog post number threeee. (I have no idea how/why that just happened but it did and I apologise profusely.)

Today I'm going to tell you about some products that I have recently purchased from my favourite kind of shops, which as you can probably tell from the title, are pound shops. Yes I am that much of a cheapskate, but to be quite honest you should be too because they are just amazing really.
You are probably aware of pound shops' wide range of dupes and most likely their branded products too (if not then where have you been?!), but I'm going to share with you a few of my favourites/most recommended.

I'll start off with the dupes, which are both nail related products. I absolutely love nail varnish, to the point where my collection is preeetty excessive, and so naturally it excites me immensely when I see bargains in that field.


Twist and Out Instant Nail Polish Remover
I'm sure you know about the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover which became very popular early last year. Essentially it's just a nail varnish remover soaked sponge in a pot, hence the reason I refused to pay £4.99 for it despite everyone raving about it. When I discovered, however, that Poundland had their own replica of it, I couldn't not give it a try. This nifty little pot has been a massive time saver and takes minimum effort, which means it is perfect for someone as lazy and impatient as me. It only takes a couple of twists for your nail varnish to vanish and from watching youtube videos of the Bourjois version, it seems to work just as effectively as the more expensive version. I have repurchased this product multiple times now and have definitely got my money's worth, so I would most definitely recommend it.

They have also brought out a version for removing glitter nail varnish, however the smell is horrendous and I haven't managed to use that one successfully because of it. I would suggest you don't buy that one and just use this one with a bit more work instead!


Fur Effect Nail Decor
Another dupe that I found was Poundworld's version of Fur Effects nail decor. I put off buying MUA's version of this for a while despite wanting to try it, due to the fact that I wasn't up for buying a £3 product that I wasn't even sure I would like. Admittedly, after buying Poundworld's dupe, I'm not in love with the overall concept of the effect and it is definitely more of a novelty for me which I can't leave on for too long, however I'm glad I gave it a go and for only a pound I don't regret buying it at all. I purchased mine in the shade 'Pink Tease' because who doesn't want their nails looking like candyfloss, eh? Worth buying if you're into that kind of thing but I would definitely recommend checking pound shops first before buying a more expensive version. 

Now for the branded products. The number of branded products now being sold in pound stores makes me extremely happy, and it's not just the cheap brands they're selling either. Nuh uh. From Barry M to O.P.I, most stores have a pretty good range of branded beauty products now. This does mean that they are becoming a lot more well known for these sorts of things and in most places often run out, but if you check back every so often you'll probably hit lucky.



Chapstick
Okay so the first product I'm going to talk (or write) about is really boring so I'll keep it short, but they sell Chapsticks for a really decent price. I use Chapsticks religiously because they smell so good and are actually moisturising, as opposed to lip products like Vaseline which don't actually help long term. They're not expensive at all (usually around £1), but I got 3 for £2 in Poundworld. Every little helps right?! I of course bought my all time favourite flavour, strawberry, but also the apple and the cherry because I felt like living on the edge, clearly.




Barry M Lip Gloss Wand 
Staying on the topic of lips, I picked up a Barry M lipgloss too. I haven't seen this colour before on Barry M stalls and am pretty sure they don't sell it anymore but from the Barry M website looks quite similar to 'Coral' although I'm not 100% sure. Either way, their lip gloss wands are usually £4.49 and to get one for £1 is fab. Now I know to some of you this may look horrible as it is incredibly bright and garish and is more of a neon orange than the apricot tones that I normally go for, however I assure you that with a bit of soft blending after application, it is a lovely coral-y, peach-y colour and as well as being my favourite choice of lip colour throughout Autumn, I'm sure I'll be wearing it a lot in Spring/Summer too.



Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance
Last but not least is this beautiful cheek brightener by Rimmel. I lovelovelove this product and it is part of the Wake Me Up range, just like my favourite foundation. I probably wouldn't use it during the day, as like the foundation, it glistens quite a bit, but for nighttime, parties etc. it's perfect. It is a thinner consistency to the other Rimmel liquid blush which I mentioned in my last post, which means that it is so easy to blend and isn't too obvious when worn. It adds a subtle shimmer and glow along with a gentle rosy colour and is an absolute steal at just £1.


That's all the products I'll be reviewing for this post but there are loads of bargains to be had in the various pound shops so I strongly advise you give them a go if you haven't already. I'll link a few of the websites (yes they have websites) of my favourite stores at the bottom incase you want to have a little browse.

XOXO, Gossip Girl

Ha just kidding, love from your fellow Penniless Princess xxxx

http://www.poundland.co.uk/
http://www.99pstoresltd.com/
http://www.poundworld.net/

Everyday Makeup Products/An Ode To Rimmel

Okay, it has been a ridiculous amount of time since my introductory blog post due to the fact that I am crazy busy throughout my week on top of doing (or not doing) my homework BUT I am now on a 2 week half term holiday so have no excuse and promise to be a bit more bloggy from now on.

For my first proper post, I wanted to let you know a bit more about me, however I wanted to stay on topic and so I thought there was no better way than to tell you my staple products that I use for my everyday makeup look and what I think of them. All of my everyday makeup is from high street stores and the more expensive products were given to me as gifts, however I’ll let you know when  one of those pops up. Apologies that none of the photos I am using are my own, but the lighting is rubbish where I am and my versions of the products are, um, well loved. Also please be aware I'm in no way saying these are the cheapest types you can buy, they're just the ones I'm currently using!


Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

PRICE: £8.99, but it's usually on offer for much cheaper so keep an eye out!

I know I’m definitely not alone when I say that I absolutely love this foundation. I only started to wear foundation about a year or so ago and this was the first one I actually bought, so naturally I was slightly apprehensive about whether I’d wasted my money or not, however I have repurchased this two or three times now and think it’s fab. It really does live up to it’s promise of an “Anti-Fatigue Effect and Radiant Glow” and although I’m sure there are other great reasonably priced foundations about, I would definitely recommend this one.


L'oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Cream

PRICE: £9.99 but £6.99 at Boots at the moment

I got this BB cream at the beginning of summer as my skin wasn’t clear enough to go completely makeup free but I felt as though I was being suffocated by my foundation! Boasting a 5-in-1 formula providing ‘flawless coverage, perfectly even skin texture, fresh dewy glow, 24 hour hydration and SPF 12 protection’, I thought this seemed like a pretty good one to buy. I used this most days throughout the summer and I was so impressed with how light it felt on my skin, while still making it look nice. I use this whenever I can’t be bothered to make much of an effort but still want some sort of help in making myself look slightly less unappealing and it definitely does the job. I got this when BB creams were first emerging, but now I’m sure there will be even cheaper ones since there are so many available -
Poundland even sell pretty decent ones!

Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter

PRICE: £5.99

I’ve never really found an undereye concealer I’ve wanted to repurchase again and again, however the ones I have used I’ve found to be pretty decent. I bought this a couple of weeks ago as I was completely out of concealer and it wasn’t close enough to Halloween to pull off the dead look. Despite everyone seeming to love the Wake Me Up Concealer, I opted for this one, and to be honest I’m not that impressed. It does make me look less like a zombie, but I find the bottle quite inconvenient and therefore find a lot of the product gets wasted. I don’t know, maybe I’m just stupid, but I don’t think this concealer is anything special and I won’t be buying it again. I find that the Lacura concealer from Aldi (yes, Aldi) is far better and at £3.59 is a much better choice.



Rimmel (Ooh, what a surprise) Hide The Blemish Concealer

PRICE: £3.99

As much as I would love to be able to spend £10 on a Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer Kit (which is an actual miracle worker), I  can’t, so back to trusty Rimmel I go. This concealer is preeeetty good, and although it doesn’t make my spots etc. disappear entirely, it has a solid go at it. Make sure you get a colour quite a bit lighter than your skin tone though, as stupidly I bought mine when I had a significant tan and annoyingly now I have to blend it with an undereye concealer every time I use it.

Soap and Glory ‘One Heck of a Blot’ Mattifying Powder

PRICE: £12

I was given this pressed powder as a gift and, for a powder, the price makes me cry a little bit. As much as I love this product, there is no way I could justify spending £12 on it, however super-translucent or mattifying it is. I love this because at the moment my skin seems to always want to shine, and that is definitely not okay, but as powders go, I’m sure I could find a dupe for a lot cheaper when I’ve used this up (which hopefully won’t be for quite a while). Overall, the product is great, the price isn’t.




MUA Bronzer

PRICE: £1

I am a massive fan of MUA makeup because the products are so, so cheap. Seriously. Incase you don’t know (um, where have you been?), MUA (Make Up Academy) is a brand found in Superdrug and when it first came out, everything was £1, and most of it still is, including this bronzer. As far as I know, all of their products are under a tenner, and although obviously not top quality, they are definitely good enough. Because of my skin tone, it’s obvious if I’m wearing a coloured blusher which is why I tend to wear a bronzer instead for my natural makeup look (I have it in shade 3). This bronzer is spot on and I have repurchased it twice now. Highly, highly recommend.



Rimmel Stay Blushed Liquid Cheek Tint

PRICE: £4.49

I was really intrigued by this when I saw it the other week and because it came in a shade called 'Sunkissed Cherry', which is my favourite colour (apricot-y coral), I couldn’t really leave it behind. Unlike a lot of cheek tints, this blends in really well and I tend to also buff it in with a blusher brush when I’ve rubbed it in to make it look even more subtle. The consistency and effect on the skin of this is really lovely and I think the colour is perfect for autumn.
Although the tube looks small, you only need a tiny bit and so I definitely think it’s worth the money.

Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick

PRICE: £4.79

I bought this in the shade ‘Cheeky Secret’ which is a very sheer, glossy apricot (yum) colour as I wanted an unobvious lip colour that I could get away with at school but also wear for any time of day (this shade isn't very pigmented). I’m sure Seventeen (Boots own brand) used to be cheaper than this and quite frankly I think they’ve got a bit big for their boots (HA, that wasn’t even intentional), but I really like this lipstick, especially the nifty little mirror attached.

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil

PRICE: £2.99

I didn’t even consider using an eyebrow pencil until I got Trichotillomania (look it up) and kind of had no choice but to fill in my brows, but now, even though my eyebrows have completely grown back, I’ve got used to them being more defined and just generally think my face looks nicer when I do! This is just a standard eyebrow pencil but it does stay all day and is very reasonably priced, so yeah, if you’re looking for an eyebrow pencil, this one is good.


Rimmel (sorry!) Lash Accelerator Endless

PRICE: £7.99

I’m really not fussy when it comes to buying mascara and tend to just buy whatever I feel like buying at the time, but I repurchased this the other day as I really do love it. I’m a complete lover of natural makeup and this is a fairly natural looking mascara as it lengthens but doesn’t really thicken. All of Rimmel’s mascaras are great, especially the variations of Scandaleyes, but this is my current favourite.

So there you have it, a summary of my makeup bag.

Love from your fellow Penniless Princess xxx

HELLO, YOU

Hello!

My name is Leila (aka Princess Leila), I’m 15 years old and live in this little place called London. I am a total enthusiast when it comes to anything to do with beauty, fashion, design or music and can literally sit for hours lusting after make-up, clothes and pretty interior design. A small problem, however, is the fact that these particular loves of mine are generally far out of my price range, considering I am at the awkward age where I am old enough to want a part-time job but too young to be able to get one. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely not living in poverty, however, like many teenage girls, I am also not rich enough to feed my potentially very expensive taste.

It has come to my attention that there are so many people who are in the exact same position as I am and it is time we stopped having a communal rant about our financial situation and open our eyes to the many inexpensive products we could be purchasing/DIY projects that we could be getting involved with to save our pennies. 

So, gurl, I’m here to say I understand you and together we can get through this tough time.

Love from your fellow Penniless Princess xxxx

P.S. I have never been a blogger before and I am not a professional at anything so whether you trust me or not is completely up to you, however I’m sure you will probably benefit from some/if not all of the advice I’m going to be throwing at you, so please do stick around, you little cheapskate.