Shop until...your bank balance cries out for mercy

As I've had to put myself on a shopping ban, I thought I'd fill in this 'Shopaholics challenge' that I found on Hannah's Blog.

So, I'm just going to dive straight in and make a start!

1. When I first realised I was a shopaholic...

About 18. Before that, I used to be so good at saving my money. I got a job as soon as I turned 16 and saved all my wages so I could completely redecorate my bedroom. Oh how I've changed. 

I think working in clothing retail has a massive part to play in it, because you're surrounded by clothes all the time and you see how quickly 'trends' change. To add to that, there's the tricky little item of a store card (which you get when you're 18) so you can get discount in select stores (until they throw on the interest, then it gets messy!) so it opens up your price range and before you know, you've managed to get a new outfit from one store. 

Yep, I went downhill when I was 18. 

2. How I feel after shopping, and how I react...

Generally, as soon as I've paid I'm constantly thinking about how much I couldn't afford to buy whatever it is I've just bought. And that will carry on up until I've worn/used the item, then the initial guilt and financial stress conveniently disappears. 

As soon as I get over the guilt, I'm happy enough to start planning outfits and what items I can wear together. 

Shopping opens up a wide range of emotions for me... 

3. My top five places to shop and why...

This is hard for me because I shop all over the place, i'm not a very consistent shopper!

Ebay- is definitely my go to website, for everything. Sometimes I think it's stupid to pay the top price for an item that I know I'll dislike within a few months, so I head over to ebay to find a cheaper make! It's also where I go to for hair dye, jewellery, make up...pretty much everything! 

Amazon- Can you tell I'm an online shopper? As much as I love Waterstones, I resent paying £8 for a book I could get for £3, ditto with CDs and DVDs, hence my love of amazon! (I also love that my sister has created a wishlist on amazon, it makes buying her gifts so much easier!) 

Primark- If you hunt enough, you can find some really nice items at incredibly reasonable prices. It my go-to shop if I need tights or simple knitwear items, but I also love that you can look in other high street stores and find a similar item in Primark for 25% of the price!

River Island- I never really consider myself that much of a River Island fan, to be honest I think the prices are a bit ridiculous when you consider the relatively poor quality of the items. Having said that, I often find myself thinking about where various items of my outfit are from, and River Island seems to crop up a lot! I'm obviously just in denial. 

Lush- I haven't actually bought anything from here in ages, but I went through a stage not so long ago of spending ridiculous amounts of money here. It was very handy to have Lush kicking around when I was vegan, so I'm definitely a fan of their ethics!

4. The item I have most of in my wardrobe...

Dresses! I own way too many. I own many dresses, many t shirts, many cardigans and only one pair of jeans.
There is no logic to my shopping. 

Saying that, if I look outside of my wardrobe, shoes would easily win- hands down. 

5. The most I've ever spent during one shopping trip...

Probably about £300. I have a feeling it would have been around christmas time, although I may just be saying that to make myself feel better. I spent over £200 in the space of 3 days not so long ago...not quite one shopping trip, but I'm still feeling guilty about that!

6. Have I ever experienced shopper's guilt, and what do I most regret buying?

I always experience shoppers guilt...never enough to regret it though :) The closest to regret I get is "Well, I didn't really need this, but..."

7. My favourite things to buy...

Make up, shoes and dresses! 

8. Do I buy the same thing in different colours?

Not really no! The only things I can think of that I do own in more than one colour are the body con skirts and the skater dresses, both of which I own in burgundy and black. 

9. Do I use dressing rooms and why/why not?

Pretty much never! I always seem to get in a bad mood if I try things on in a dressing room, so I'd rather not spoil my day! I'm a pretty good judge of sizes so I can generally tell what size to go for. If I'm with a friend and want an opinion, I might be brave and try it on, but only for a really special item!

10. Do I prefer shopping alone or with company?

It completely depends on my mood. I'm more efficient when I'm on my own and I tend to shop very quickly...and a little more outrageously probably because I know I have no one judging me. But of course, it's a lot more fun with friends!

11. If I could go shopping with a celeb/blogger/YT guru I would shop with...

Oh man I really don't know! There's nobody in particular I really look up to style wise (or I do, but I dress very dissimilar so it'd be pointless) so my choices are purely based on who I'd like to hang out with! 

Amy Lee, Taylor Momsen, Hayley Williams, Tori Amos, Dallas Green and Johnny Depp. 

Sure, that'd be a fun day. If I managed to remain conscious for longer than 2 minutes. 

12. My favourite shopping snacks are...

I don't care if I'm female, I can't multi task.

As long as I have Pepsi Max or black coffee to keep my hydrated, I'm ready to go!

13. I've always wanted to buy but could never afford...
A Burberry Coat....mmm yes please. 

14. If I had £1000 to spend I would spend it on...

Paying off debts. Seriously. Oh to be free of debt stress...

Ignoring that, I'd probably spend it on days out for me and my friends! I'd go visit a few people and just generally make the most of things that I struggle to in day to day life without the spare money. 

15. Am I a proud shopaholic?
No :( I think I need to go to some Shopaholic Anonymous meetings.  

Leave me a link to your blog if you decide to do this yourself, it would be interesting to see what everybody else has to say as far as shopping is concerned! 

It's a miracle!

So, as you may have seen in a previous entry of mine; I am cursed with sensitive, acne prone skin.
There is every chance I may be getting over excited here, but I believe I have found something that not only doesn't leave me with a swollen red face (achievement!) but something that in fact...is helping.

I've only been using these products for about 3 days, but after the first use I could see a difference! My skin is already looking so much healthier, a lot less red, and a hell of a lot less dry (which is generally my main problem...it's silly how many people mistake red patches for acne and then attack it with acidic facial products.)

I present to you, my miracle products:


Cleanser:

'Ultraband' from Lush
This definitely calms down my skin. It's full of soothing products such a honey, rose water and almond oil.
I'm pretty sure you could use it to remove your make up, but I prefer to use baby wipes before hand, leaving the cleanser to focus on really getting into my pores and giving them a good ol' clean ;)

Toner

Again, this is from Lush.
I'm particularly loving this as I can spritz it on my face, which is pure heaven considering we've been having some kind of insane heatwave. It's ultra refreshing, and it smells of Lavender which is one of my favourite scents and has been since I was a kid (my great grandma had a lavender bush outside of bungalow, so it feels like I'm shoving my face in that...without the prickliness!)

"Dry, sensitive or mature skins will find the rose water is calming and reduces redness, whilst lavender water will soften the skin and balance sebum production. A gentle tonic for everyday use that will help hydrate the skin without causing it to overreact. "

That pretty much sums it up...don't be fooled by the 'mature' comment, I'm 19 and this is perfect for my skin.

Lastly,

Moisturiser 

Surprise, Lush
This is particularly good for use at night time, as it's quite a thick product so might take a while to sink in if you're planning on using it before applying make up.
This has a really lovely smell, and is definitely packed with moisture! At first I wasn't too sure about it, but you really do only need to use a little bit as it spreads well.

Once a week, I also use Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask. I've been using it for about 2 months now, and I've mentioned it in a previous entry, but this really is a nice treat for your face!!

I cleanse, tone and moisturise first thing in the morning and before I go to bed at night. 

I may cut down to once a day, but we'll see how it works! 

Before, I've always been a little wary about using so many products as usually one item is enough to send my skin crazy. I'm so glad I took a leap of faith to try these out, but I definitely think it's the fact that it works so well because of the natural ingredients. 

These are simply the products that I find are working well for me, I have incredibly awkward (pale, sensitive, acne prone, very dry) skin. It's been so hard to find something that actually works to moisturise and tackle acne whilst not giving me an allergic reaction.

I decided to give the above products a try because of the natural ingredients found within them. For example, for me I know I have to avoid Tea tree oil, but I saw no reason why Rose water and Honey would do any harm. 

If your skin isn't the same as mine, but you still want to try something with natural ingredients, just have a look around to see what natural ingredients would work well for you. Lush is particularly good for stating how the ingredients work, but it wouldn't hurt to double check that what they're saying is correct. 

I hope this has been of some use to you; let me know what products work for your skin. 

Share your skin routine just so the rest of us can get some tips :) 

-K 

Lush.

I've always tended to avoid Lush, despite my friends insisting that I turn into a fellow 'Lushie' and despite the huge temptation that is caused by the idea of 'almost every product is Vegan.'
But, I never have the time to pamper myself and I never have spare money.

However, since my friend bagged a job in Lush, I have fallen to peer pressure. Sad, but true.
I'm not a 'review'-ing type of person, but as I am someone who is always poor yet loves expensive, earth friendly products; I figured I'd make an exception for the few products I have tried!!

Before I start, I will state that this only the reaction on MY skin. That really is something to bare in mind, as I have very very pale and sensitive skin. And I am allergic to most products and have been known to hide for days after my face has swollen up and turned the colour of a lobster. (True story.)
I will also state, so far, NONE of the products I have tried have caused this. Instant win for me.

The Comforter

£3.99 

Described as a 'fruity bubbly bar.' 

Basically, you break a bit off and crumble it under hot water. It turns your bath into a lovely pink bubble bath! 

I LOVE this product, it is probably my favourite smell out of all of the bath products I've tested/used. I wouldn't say it was particularly fruity, I can't put my finger on the exact smell. But it definitely is comforting (hence the name?) and I love using this product in my bath. I end up feeling a lot more relaxed, and it's just fun to use!! It seems to make the water feel 'softer,' and therefore your skin feels soft too!!

It's a fair size too, so I tend to get about 10 uses out of it. Pretty good I think!! 

And, this product is Vegan friendly. 

Two thumbs up for 'The Comforter.' :D 

Herbalism

£5.95

"Purifying and exfoliating herbal cleansing roll wash. Best used on oily and problem skin."
This product is a facial toner. It comes in a small black tub as a solid product, and you mix it with water to make it into a sort of paste before slapping it onto your face. (Not literally, that would hurt.)
The smell leaves a lot to be desired, and I personally thing it smells a bit like Hemp. But you get used to it and begin to strangely like it. It's also quite fun to use, although a little time consuming!
The first time I used this, the first thing I thought was 'oooh my skin is soooft!'
However, as stated before I have very sensitive skin. Not helped by the fact that I tend to suffer with pretty bad acne. (apparently my skin is allergic to air.) I would have thought that considering all of the natural products, I would have been okay. Apparently not. It's too harsh for my skin :( After 3 weeks I've had to stop using it. I started off using it daily, before changing to every 2/3 days to see if 'overusing' was a problem!
So, I have just given the rest of this to my Mum so I can see if it's good on her skin or not. I'm a bit sad, because I really wanted to have found a product that worked well on me :(
Alas, no this does not.

I imagine it would be pretty good for someone with average skin, as it does leave your skin feeling fresh and clean- always a bonus!!
For me, however, it was a waste of money and has resulted in my skin being far worse than it was to begin with. Silly sensitive skin!

This is also suitable for Vegans :)

Rockstar
£3.25

Possibly the best bar of soap, ever.
I don't own this, but my friend always has it at her house and I get excited every time I use it.
It.smells.DELICIOUS. Honestly, I with I could eat it.
...I miss this soap.
It is THAT good.
Oh, and hey, SUITABLE FOR VEGANS.
Perfection.
<3

Catastrophe Cosmetic
£5.50

Facemask :) Keep refrigerated and take it out every time you fancy giving your face a treat. Simples. 

I only bought this a few days ago, so I've only used it twice.

My skin reacts terribly to pretty much every face mask I've ever tried (yes, a face mask was to blame for the lobster looking incident!)

This has a rather faint, yet simple smell to it and it looks like it should be healthy. Both good factors to possess. 

As soon as I put this on my face, I instantly felt...refreshed. My skin instantly felt smooth and as I was putting it on I couldn't help but feel weirded out at how lovely this face mask felt. 

You leave this on for 10 minutes, and it dries off a bit so you get the funny 'cant.move.mouth' experience. I, personally, think a face mask that dries is the best kind. 

After I washed this off, both times, my skin looked so much less red and inflamed. 

I had used another face mask in between (I shall write about that next!) which had left my face in a horribly painful state , so the effect of this face mask was incredible!!

I would recommend this to anyone, whether you suffer with bad skin or not, I used this product on my Mum too and she agreed on the refreshed feeling!! I've already had 3 uses out of the pot and I think I have at least another 4 left. 

Cosmetic Warrior 

£5.50 

Another face mask here! 

I wish I could say nice things about this face mask, I really do. But I struggle.

Trying to ignore the fact that it left my skin very red and inflamed, I just didn't like it. It didn't give me the same 'Oooh I love this' feeling that I had with the previous face mask. And all you can smell is Tea Tree.

Now, I am allergic to Tea Tree. Well, I've had a bad reaction to it once so I figured I could give this a go because the other time might have been 'just a one off thing.' Apparently not. Me and tea tree are just never meant to be, hence the red and inflamed skin I was left with afterwards.

This is supposed to be for problem skin, however I tend to find that most people with problem skin tend to also have sensitive skin...in which case, tea tree oil is not the product for you. I imagine it's pretty good for people who get a spot every now and again, but if you really suffer with it I'd recommend the previous face mask far more over this! Don't for a minute kid yourself into believing that the tea tree will burn the spots off your face yet leave the rest of it intact, I made that mistake and I was left in a fair bit of pain :( 

Volcano Foot Mask 

£5.50 

This weirdy, snazzy product is a foot mask and scrub. You cover your feet in it, and then shove them in a carrier bag for 10 minutes, during which your feet begin to feel as though they are being set on fire. After 10 minutes, you then rub the (now dried) product to rub the dry skin off before washing it off in a nice, much needed bowl of cold water. 

I was pretty disappointed in this product. The smell is pretty nasty, too. So there's no compensation there :( 

I've used it twice, and my Mum has also used it. She said it made her feet feel nice and soft, but I'm sure there has been next to no impact on my feet. 

I'd recommend you skip past this product, and look for a better way to pamper your feet. 

(Sorry Lush!!!) 

I hope this has been of some use and very slightly informative!! 

If not, sorry for wasting your life... ;)

-K