; une tasse: a beauty and casual fashion blog: Budget Beauty
Showing posts with label Budget Beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budget Beauty. Show all posts

NOTD: H&M Hello Kitty in Turquoise

The other day I went on a nail polish spree and came home with 5 new bottles. I only went in for one but I just couldn't help myself, which always seems to be the case. This what I am wearing on my nails today.


This bottle caught my eye whilst browsing H&M and I wasn't too sure if their Hello Kitty branded polishes were any good but I loved the bright colour.

It's definitely a two coater and really does need a top coat to make it glossy. The consistency of the polish isn't brilliant and I wasn't expecting much for £1.99, but the brush? Frigging awful! Worst brush ever - it's thin and the bristles are stuck together making the polish drag and the application VERY frustrating. Arghh!

Steer clear if you're ever tempted. The colour is lovely but turquoise polishes can be found in any brand.

ELF free shipping & free LE nail polish



Great promotion from ELF at the moment which finishes at midnight tomorrow. They actually have lots of different discounts or freebies with orders on different days over this festive period. Follow them on Twitter for the latest.

I'm going to use this opportunity to buy the new brushes from their studio line - the stippling and angled contour brush. I've also got my eye on this bamboo angled blush brush from the mineral range but I'm going to wait for reviews as I don't know if it would be fluffy enough for me.

I have been waiting for a free shipping code for ages and the nail polish is a bonus! Even though it will be selected at random, I'm looking forward to trying it as I've read nothing but positive reviews.

Will you be buying anything? I highly recommend the powder brush which is my favourite.

Beauty on a budget: The many uses of Almond oil


A few months ago I bought this bottle of sweet almond oil with the intention of creating my own makeup remover. Sadly this turned out to be a big fat fail as I couldn't get the correct quantities of water and oil. Instead of chucking it, I decided to use it as a hair conditioner.

It's much heavier than coconut oil so a little goes a long way. Mostly on my ends and a little massaged into my roots. I leave it in for at least an hour and wash out throroughly. It makes my hair look glossier than it's usual dull state.

There's many other uses but here are my preferred ways:

On my skin: Instead of using body lotion, I use almond oil after I shower. Almond oil is often one of the main ingredients in body butters because it's a rich source of Vitamin E and a good emollient. It's especially good on rough areas such as elbows, knees and feet. I don't slather myself in it, I rub a pea sized amount between my hands then apply - it isn't greasy at all. It doesn't have a strong scent and I can only smell it if I sniff from the bottle - a faint sweet nutty scent. Body oils are usually really expensive but this does the same job for a fraction of the price. My bottle was only £1.50 from Waitrose.

Conditioning my eyelashes: I wear waterproof mascara everyday which isn't too kind to my lashes. I rub almond oil into my lashes and along the lashline to condition them.

Conditioning my nails and cuticles: Similarly, constant nail polish wear makes my nails dry and brittle. I use almond oil to try and repair the damage. It's also great at softening up ragged cuticles.

All in all, a big thumbs up for almond oil. It's inexpensive, multifunctional and 100% natural.

Muji Hinoki face brush - The £3.95 skin marvel

I've read about how amazing face brushes are on many other blogs (most recently on Secret Beauty Blog and Desi Girl Does Makeup) so when I was in Muji the other day, I decided to see for myself and bought this dinky little face brush.


I was initially apprehensive about using an actual brush to clean my face but my skin's been looking a bit dull lately and my usual exfoliator just hasn't been cutting it. The problem I find with exfoliators is that I'm never sure if I'm reaching all the areas I need to, with the exfoliating beads/granules being so scattered. I then end up overdoing it and leave my skin (especially around my nose) feeling sore.

However, I've never been so impressed with a product and it's so simple to use. I use a squirt of normal face wash and brush my whole face avoiding the eye area. It's not harsh at all as the water softens the bristles (not 100% sure if they're natural) and the results are instantaneous. I couldn't believe how clean and soft my skin felt afterwards, something I have never experienced from washing my face normally.

Since I've been using this my skin has definitely improved in appearance and I don't know why I didn't buy this sooner!

Beauty on a budget: Coconut oil as a hair treatment

I have never liked using hair oils despite being aware of it's benefits. My mum actively encouraged the use of olive oil but I couldn't stand the smell nor the way it left me feeling like a huge greaseball. In my ignorance I assumed that all hair oils (well the limited few I knew) were the same so avoided them. It was only when I started reading blogs that I learned coconut oil could be used as a hair treatment.


This is what I currently use (99p from Asda). It comes in solid form and has to be warmed up (I usually use a hairdryer) before it turns into an oil. I apply this to my hair every Sunday as a deep conditioning treatment, leaving it in all day before washing it out. I love that it has no discernible smell nor is it as viscous as olive oil - in fact it's quite light. I straighten my hair a lot and I feel that using coconut oil has helped to repair and prevent any further damage. My ends are quite dry but the coconut oil leaves it moisturised and looking shinier/healthier. With regular use it has made a noticeable difference to the condition of my hair.

I was reading up on the scienfics and came across this study in The Journal of Cosmetic Science. A few excerpts:

"Coconut oil was found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product".

"Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft".

Interesting non?

Rhamnousia and Amina have both done posts on hair oils which are worth a read.

Further reads
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil for Hair
The Benefits of Coconut Oil in Black Hair Care