Hi guys, I’m Michaela. I recently started my own blog, Michaela-Leigh, a few months ago
and so I am quite new on the blogger scene. I am so happy that Becky picked me
to do a guest post on her brilliant blog, as I have been following her for a
while now. Today, I have decided to do a post about my top 5 beauty buys for
under a £5. I am a firm believer that some high-street brands are just as good
as some higher end products, and drug-stores offer such great value for money.
Furthermore, I thought that would share with you some of my favourite products
that I am currently loving.
Firstly, I have always been a hoarder when it comes to Barry
M nail varnishes – I have pretty much every colour under the sun! I was so
excited when the Hi-Shine polishes came on the market and since using Blogger,
I have read multiple rave reviews on this product. I recently bought the colour
‘Blackberry,’ which is a beautiful deep navy shade to go with a dress I
recently purchased. Upon my first use of the varnish, I was hooked immediately.
The formula is so thick, hence for a dark colour like this one, you only need
to apply one coat (which is great if you are in a rush or are impatient with
letting your nails dry properly.) The finish is ultra glossy and looks like you
have just had a professional manicure. The only downfall to this product is
that it tends to stain my nails a little, so I recommend that you always use a
top coat before application. I love this colour so much that I definitely want
to buy some brighter colours for summer, I have my eye on the shades ‘Guava’
and ‘Mango’ next.
I have always been somebody who likes to experiment with my
skin care. Consequently, I have tried pretty much every face wash and face
scrub on the market. However, since using this St Ives olive scrub, I never
want to go back to any other scrub ever again! The scrub claims to ‘re-energise
the skin without greasiness,’ which is perfect for combination skin which can
tend to get rather oily. In addition, the exfoliating beads are not too rough
or coarse, which means that the product can smooth my face without irritating
my skin in anyway. The thing I love most about this scrub is its brilliant moisturising
properties. Using this product alongside my Simple moisturiser every morning
leaves me with smooth, hydrated skin which provides an excellent base to apply
my make-up on to. I definitely recommend this scrub to those with combination
skin who love skincare products with a lovely, fresh scent.
I first bought this powder shortly after discovering Tanya
Burr’s YouTube videos a few months back. I was surprised that an established
make-up artist such as Tanya swears by such a low-end brand of powder rather
than an über expensive one, and as a lover of Rimmel anyway, I knew that I had
to have it! As mentioned above, I have combination skin and I can never apply
make-up without using a powder afterwards to set it in place. That being said,
for years I had been using 17’s Pressed Powder, which looking back on it now
was not a very good-quality powder at all. However, since switching over to the
Stay Matte powder, I am so impressed! This powder banished all of the shine on
my face, especially around my T-zone which tends to be my most troublesome
area. Also, a light dusting of this product on to my powder brush goes a long
way, so I know that I will not be hitting the pan of this product any time
soon. For £3.99, I believe that this powder should be a staple in every girl’s
make-up bag.
I recently purchased this product on a bit of a whim whilst
browsing through the Bourjois stand in my local Boots store. To my delight,
there was an offer where if I bought any two nail-related Bourjois products
that equalled to £8 or more, I would receive a free Bourjois nail art kit which
includes 150 stickers and stencils. Let’s just say, I couldn’t resist! As for
the polish remover itself, it’s brilliant. I often find taking my nail varnish
off such a chore and I always get through so many cotton wool pads, it feels so
wasteful. To use this product, you simply dip each finger into the sponge
inside the pot, wait a few seconds and twist your nail, then remove it. The
process is so instant and can even remove two or three layers of varnish in a
matter of seconds. Pretty impressive, right? The only downfall to this
particular product is the smell is quite over-powering, despite the fact the
product doesn’t even contain any acetone. On the bottle, it also claims to have
a red fruit and vanilla fragrance, which is not the case at all. However, the
simplicity of the product is definitely worth the slightly unpleasant smell in
my opinion.
Last but not least is this brilliant shimmer from Rimmel. I
find that after I apply my foundation, powder and blusher, my face is very
two-dimensional and matte. In turn, this can make my complexion look extremely
dull – especially during the summer months. So, when I saw this product and swatched it
whilst in Boots, I knew I had to have it! I chose the more bronzed coral colour
as opposed to the pink shade they also do, as we are into the summer months now
(despite the English rain) and I have a slight tan now. I apply the cream just
about where I apply my blusher, just like a highlighter, to make my cheekbones
have a nice glow to them. The product is a great consistency and a little goes
a long way, but its one negative point is that there are a few too many glitter
particles for my liking. Saying this, I do definitely recommend this shimmer
for anybody whose skin needs a bit of a pick-me-up.
I hope that you have all enjoyed reading about my top five
beauty products for five pounds or less. I would also like to thank Becky again
for giving me the opportunity to feature as one of her guest bloggers. I would
love to know which products under £5 you all recommend, so feel free to leave a
comment below. Also, if any of you have already used one of the products above,
I would love to hear you opinions of them too. In addition, if you liked my guest
post, I would appreciate it if you would check out my blog too. Thank you!
