Beauty & Skincare Haul | Topshop, The Body Shop, Boots

This weekend, I went into Cardiff City Centre and picked up a few bits from Boots, H&M, Topshop and The Body Shop. It wasn't a huge haul, but I managed to pick a few products that have been on my wish list for quite a while, so I thought it'd be nice to share what I got.

I'll start with The Body Shop. The Body Shop always have some amazing offers, and this time I took advantage of a 3 for 2 on makeup and skincare. The Body Shop isn't usually the place I'd shop for makeup, as I find it a bit overpriced for what it is. However, the Instablur primer really caught my eye. It's a very silicone heavy primer, but it really created a smooth base when I tested it out. So far, I've used it a few times and really like it! It was priced at £14, which I think is a lot, but I got the 3 for 2 and then 10% discount with my Body Shop card, so it didn't work out too bad.

The next item I got was the Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet. This had been on my wishlist for a while as I completely fell for its individual texture. It's super cooling and the Vitamin E range is known to be really hydrating. I've been after something a little more moisturising for the coming cooler months, and I think this will be really soothing after a long day at work. I think this was around £12. 

I also got another moisturiser I'd seen recommended via the Blogosphere. It's the Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream (£12). It is targeted at oily/combination skin, and promises to moisturise dry areas whilst controlling excess sebum and shine. It has a really lovely scent (kinda like melons?) and feels a nice gel texture.

 The final item from The Body Shop was one of their mini eau de toilette sprays, in the scent White Musk Smoky Rose. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this scent yet, but it really intrigued me. I think it definitely has a wintery vibe and would work well for a night out. I'm hoping it will grow on me, but it was only £5, so all is not lost if it doesn't. 

My next few items were from Boots. The first was a repurchase of the Herbal Essences Bee Strong Shampoo (not pictured), as I really liked it first time around and it was only £1.99 for the massive sized bottle. I also picked up the Sanctuary Brightening Facial Radiance Exfoliator after a recommendation from one of my close friends. This smells really fruity and left my skin baby soft. At £2.99 for a mini, I couldn't complain! 

I also picked up the Superfacialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser as it was 1/3 off, at £5.66. If wanted this for ages, and thought I'd make the most of the offer. I own a few similar cleansers (REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser and the Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Cleanser), which I like to use after a cleansing oil. This one is by far my favourite, even after only 2 uses! It has the most divine rose scent, with real depth to it, and feels really creamy and soothing. It contains a whole host of amazing ingredients, such as shea butter, cocoa butter, pro vitamin B5 and marshmallow, so I'm really impressed by this (almost) drugstore range. I think this will become a firm favourite, and I am intrigued to try a few other products from this line.

I couldn't resist a nosey around the Topshop Beauty section while I was looking for jumpers. I was ecstatic after I swatched the Lip Liner in Ceramic, as it was exactly the shade I was after. I've used it in my Kylie Jenner Tutorial that'll be on the blog later on in the week. I really wanted MAC Whirl, but this is so much cheaper at £5, and is really pigmented and creamy. I wasn't going to get anything else, but I noticed the new Metallic Cream Blushes. I thought they looked beaut, so I picked up the shade Pulse. It's a really pretty deep rose shimmer, that cancels out the need for a highlight (hello makeup in a rush!!). I tried it out when I got home, and although pretty, I was slightly disappointed about the lack of pigmentation. I originally thought this would be too OTT for daytime, but I was surprised at how natural it looked, as it just gave a pretty, rosy flush. I also tried it as a cream eyeshadow, and I think it'd be a pretty good base for a peachy pink daytime eye. 

The final item is from H&M and is the Smoky Eye Brush. It has a slanted liner brush on one end, and a crease brush on the other. The latter reminds me of the shape of the Urban Decay 24/7 Blending Brush, but sadly lacks the density which really makes the UD one a game changer for me. I originally got this as a liner brush for my gel eyeliner, but again it wasn't quite dense enough. Never fear, I plan to use this for powder shadow to line the lashes, and the crease brush side as a brush for highlight shades. At £1.99 you can't expect top quality, but I don't think it's the worst eye brush out there. 

Do you own any of these items?