Over the past few months I have made a real effort to shop my stash & use up products that are open before purchasing new ones & I’ve been doing so well. I haven’t bought much at all since the Summer & it feels great to rediscover some gems I have had in my collection all along. Although a beauty addict has to do a little shopping every now & then I’ve bought a few new products during October, I celebrated my Birthday at the beginning of the month & used a gift card to treat myself to a few things.

Essence Hello Autumn Eyeshadow Palette ‘Walk In The Park’ – This just had to come home with me, cute simple packaging & my perfect neutral shades. Its got it all. Autumn is my favourite season and this palette just called my name. I have used it a couple of times & the shadows are ok, a little crumbly but you can tidy up the fall out after you’ve finished. I would recommend a primer just so you get the best colour pay off. Its a nice slim palette & ideal for throwing in your makeup bag. I can’t wait to use it a little more.

Essence Studio Nails 24/7 Nail Base – I haven’t used this yet but I have an Essence topcoat that I love so I have high hopes for this & if there is one thing Essence do very very well its nail products.

Essence Nail Care Pen – I have been getting very dry nails & my cuticles are looking terrible so I’m hoping this helps hydrate & protect them. It’s enriched with Vitamin E and is meant to nourish nails & cuticle beds, so thats just what I need.

Seventeen Stay Time Concealer – This was a recommendation by HelenRamblesOn, I was after a concealer that covers blemishes without looking heavy and this has been working out great for me. It does have quite a strong sweet scent which is slightly odd but it doesn’t linger too long. The concealer is creamy and easy to blend, it gives good coverage & more importantly it stays in place, after a good few hours (not 18 as the name suggests) the areas I want to conceal are still covered & the product is still in place, so I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a budget friendly blemish concealer.

Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner –  I am a big fan of liquid liner and I really like using the felt pen style nibs. I haven’t used this yet but I have swatched it & it is very black and the nib is quite thick but seems easy to use. The swatch dried down quickly on my hand & didn’t rub off until I physically washed my hands. So it seems it has good staying power. For the price, if this wears as well on my eyes as it did on my hands we might have a winner on the eyeliner front. Watch this space.

Collection Big Fake Curves Mascara – I am a Mascara junkie and I love trying new ones. Over the past couple of months I have used up quite a few and so I’ve been on the look out for a new one & I liked the sound of this Collection offering. Who doesn’t want big lashes without the hassle of wearing false ones! The wand is MASSIVE but after using up my Yves Rocher & Origins Gin Zing Mascaras & really liking those (they both have big wands) I thought what the heck lets give that big wand a go. I will let you know how I get on, if you have tried this mascara let me know how you got on with it.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Translucent Powder – The beauty that is Essie Button swears by this powder & her skin looks FLAWLESS, so I had to give it a go. I love my S&G Solar Powder although the cardboard packaging sucks, I was pleased to see this powder was packaged in more robust plastic compact. I have used this a few times & it might be a little early to declare my love for it, but I like the way it sits & how little product you need to set your makeup. It makes my complexion look smooth but not unnatural. Its working out very very well so far & it is the only face powder I have packed for my 3 week stay in Scotland so that must say something.

Indeed Labs Fade To Bright – I’m always on the hunt for products that promise to brighten and keep my complexion looking radiant & this calls out the big guns in that department. It comes with lots of promises in terms of improving uneven skin tone, restore luminosity & maintaining moisture levels. During winter I feel like I have dull skin & this is going to be my skin saviour (fingers crossed). I have been using it for 1 week & I like the creamy consistency although it is a serum it feels hydrating and leaves my skin smooth. I will let you know how radiant my skin looks after a few more weeks of use.

Allure Magazine – I am so happy my local WH Smith now sells Allure. I love flicking through its glossy pages & lusting after all the make up & skincare. I have it with me in Scotland & I will be reading it cover to cover.

Let me know if you have tried & tested any of my new purchases or let me know what treats you have bought lately.