Puss in BOOTS (it's not what you think... or maybe it is.... I don't know!)

London called,  hence the uncharacteristic silence this week. There was a lot of shopping to be done and I had no time to update baby bloggie while I was away. Apologies my sweets, but in return for your patience I promise you some juicy reviews and lots of shopping gossip :)

Here in Belgium we don't have Boots or Superdrug, and how I've wept over this in the last few years. Who doesn't relish a wander around either stores in search of little treats to brighten your day, a sniff of a new perfume (always on special offer), a swatch of that new lipstick you've been eyeing up, and all this whilst picking up your boring everyday bits and pieces and pharmacy goods? And always, always there are offers available and points to pick up and then spend on more little treats! It's a never-ending circle of pure joy in my opinion, and how I miss it ...*sad face*
Here in Brussels we have Di, a mini-supermarket style chain of drugstores (without the pharmacy bit). Shopping there is not a treat, it's a necessity. It doesn't entice you, you just get what you went in for and leave, completely unsatisfied in your purchase because you wanted some sort of offer on it, or freebie thrown in, or points which you can then spend. Well, at least I do.
When a visit to London looms, I make a mental note of everything that I've been itching to get my hands on and then I go out and get it. Or I do a massive online order beforehand so that I won't have to trudge Oxford Street like a cosmetic junkie bag lady. Yes, I do bring back that much stuff. One suitcase and two rucksacks worth of double points, 3 for 2's and GWP's ( 'gifts with purchase' :))
Despite the online order, I still made 2 visits to Superdrug and 3 to Boots within the space of 4 days. I think on one day I was even in Boots twice... the same branch!
So, minus the more mundane purchases, here's what I picked up:

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in "Spotlight Beige". This was recommended by the lovely Tanya Burr in her youtube review video of nude lipsticks. It came out top and I can see why. It's just the perfect nude lip colour and goes with everything. Lovely and creamy too. Was really excited to find this in store as it's sold out online.

Maybelline Volum'Express Mascara, the One by One. Ok, I usually hate massive mascara wands. I didn't want to buy this but the guy (yes, guy!) at the till sold it to me. Since when do blokes at the till know ANYTHING about mascaras? He told me "it's got vitamin C in it and everything!" Well, I had to after that. You'll notice that the wand is separate from the tube.... that's because, ladies, it's washable! It's going to be interesting trying this out, so I told myself that I'm buying it for research purposes.... it's goooooood to have a blog!

Ecotools Make-Up Brushes. I have heard good things about this inexpensive, ecologically sound,  high performance range of brushes, available at Boots' larger stores. I'm a total brush hound, you can never have too many in my humble opinion, so I was jumping around with glee when I found this set which comes complete with a little pouch. They are so so soft, even Mr P likes them!

No7 Make-Up Brushes. I love love love this range of brushes from Boots. I picked up another eyeshadow blending brush (a great dupe for the famous, and also excellent, MAC 217 blending brush, at a fraction of the price), a foundation brush and an eyeliner brush. I adore the foundation brush which is so much better than my usual Body Shop one because it's thicker, softer and doesn't make foundation streak on application. The eyeliner brush I'm still making my mind up on. It looks like a tiny lip brush. I'm going to trial it over the next few days.

No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser (New). I needed one to replace my Laura Mercier which has but a drop left in it, but not wanting to fork out £32 again I saw this new launch from No7 and thought I'd give it a go. I've only used it twice so far, but from what I can tell I really like it. It has less coverage than the Laura Mercier one, but definitely gives more of a healthy glow. My skin was so soft when I put it on, I couldn't stop touching my cheeks! It's a good price too (£12.50) especially if you have one of those £5 vouchers to put against it.

No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner in "Sea" (Navy blue). I have been hankering after the limited edition gel eyeliner in navy, also by No7 but it's sold out everywhere. The assistant recommended this one instead and although the colour is gorgeous, a really deep midnight navy blue with a hint of shimmer, it's quite a hard product to work with. The liquid is quite gloopy and the applicator very thin. I think I'm going to have to spend an evening practicing (maybe on Mr P :))

Benefit Speed Brow. A re-purchase. This is my favourite brow tamer of them all. The wand is very small and firm, which is great for brushing my brows through, and the product itself has just the right consistency to hold the hairs in place. It's slightly tinted which adds a hint of definition but doesn't make me look like I've got two slugs sitting over my eyes.... I love this so much, but it's way overpriced for such a tiny tube.

Soap and Glory "Sit Tight". Maybe I should have posted this as an add-on to Project Slim. It's a "sit-activated special lower body firming formula"! I'm trialling this as pure research. With a blog comes great responsibility after all. It's a caffeine-loaded formula which claims to work best whilst you're sitting down as it's activated by the heat caused by the friction. I've made a diary with my thigh measurements starting from today and I'll note any changes/improvements. I'll report back in due course, but as I sit here writing this there is a faint drizzle of hope that my bum is getting smaller.

Speaking of Project Slim, I also picked up my Rodial Skinny Beach Sticks which I had had delivered to London. Here they are in all their glory, waiting to transform me into a waif.

Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File. Repeat after me: "My nails are NOT a tool". Yes, yours truly is indeed guilty of the aforementioned crime of trying to use her nails as a screwdriver and dish scrubber amongst other things. They've been crappy for the last few months, so I figured, hey, they're not getting any better, so lets kick' em while they're down. Not any more. This is the only nail file in the world (they claim) which doesn't cause your nails to split. All nail files are bad for me. I hate them with a passion. However, I really need to sort my nails out and I picked this up with my Boots points along with a bottle of Boots Expert Ridge Filler. It's probably the most expensive nail file in the world, but it's guaranteed for life. I used it last night and it is definitely much nicer to use than your bog standard sand paper on a stick. Still HATE that filing feeling though..... *shudder*

Umberto Giannini Flirty Curls Scrunching Jelly, Silky Curls Smoothing Balm & John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum. As you can probably guess from this I'm a curly mop head. The Umberto G products were on offer, so I thought I'd give them a go, although in my experience hair jellys, or gels, tend to make me look, in Mr P's words, like an Argentinian footballer circa 1975.

Now give me a reason NOT to practice eyeliner on him...