Fashion and Beauty Sale Haul

Hi guys,

I'm sorry that there wasn't a Sunday Favourites post from me yesterday. I had to go to the hospital for physio and acupuncture first thing Saturday morning- on two hours sleep- and it really took it out of me. I was in so much pain by the time I got home, and felt so exhausted that I just didn't have the strength to blog. Or the patience to deal with my Mum's laptop that kept freezing and crashing on me every ten seconds. I drifted in and out of naps on Saturday afternoon / evening, and then slept on and off on Sunday from 5am 'til 6pm, and only surfacing because I was awoken for tea. I ate a few bites and fell back asleep for another hour soon after! I still feel completely drained.

I was hoping to put this week's Sunday Faves post together yesterday, but obviously that went out of the window. I should be getting my laptop back from PC World today (fingers crossed), and providing everything goes to plan, I'll do my best to bring you a belated Sunday Faves post by tomorrow morning. In the mean time, I've got a shopping haul to share with you, full of lovely things I spent my Christmas money on. Who wants a peek?

The photo of everything grouped together makes it look like I splurged my arse off, but the haul isn't as excessive as it looks. I didn't even spend a fortune; I bought most of them in the sales and snapped up some really great bargains. 

So, first up is the milkshake clutch from New Look. Yep, the one that every fashion blogger and her pampered pooch has gone crazy for this Winter; myself included. I've been lusting after it for months, so when I saw it was on sale for just £4(!), I finally pounced. The delivery charge doubled the bill, but it was still a saving on the original RRP of £12.99, and I personally think it was worth it; it's going to go with so many of my clothes. Plus it's bloody amazing! Unfortunately, it's no longer available from New Look online, but it's still available via ASOS here for £6.

Accessorize is one of my favourite shops to visit at sale time; they always have generous discounts on their sale stock- often up to seventy-five percent off! A couple of weeks ago I was browsing their site online, and saw these Gypsy Rose fairisle lace up slippers on sale for just £5.70, down from £19.00! I also managed to find a 10% discount code (here) that took the price down even further! I'd been coveting these slippers all AW, so it was an offer I couldn't refuse. They have a fleece lining, so they're ridiculously comfortable, and there's even plenty of room to accommodate my chunky legs and wide feet.

I also bought myself a Soap and Glory gift set from Boots, which I think was my first post-Christmas purchase. The Think Pamper set is my very first taste of S&G toiletries; until recently I'd only tried their make up! I kid you not! Crazy, right? I've wanted to try some for years, so I took matters in to my own hands and bought some with my Christmas money. I got the Think Pamper set for just £9 (down from £18), which was a brilliant bargain considering it includes six lotions and potions, a big bath lily, and a huge vanity case. For some reason, I didn't realise it came with a case, so it was a pleasant surprise. It's really great quality, too, and will be perfect for storing my extra bath stuff in.

On Boxing Day, I braved the crowds of shoppers eagerly trying to shop the Lush sales online. The website was running ridiculously slow and kept crashing on me repeatedly for a couple of hours, but I was determined to snap up a few Christmas goodies. I eventually gave up on trying to add single products to my basket, and went for the Santa Claus is Coming to Town gift set, plus a Lush Pud bath bomb, and a Sparkle Fairly Shimmer Bar. Everything was half price! I think I spent about £22 in total. The gift set contained eight festive products, including bath bombs, bubble bars, soap, and shower gels and came in a lovely festive box tied with red and white string. It even had an envelope tied to it containing a letter from Santa, some stickers to decorate the box with, and naughty and nice badges, which I think is such a cute touch. I may be thirty by next Christmas (a terrifying thought!), but I'm sure I'll make good use of the badges when it comes around.

I treated myself to a couple of things that weren't on sale, too, including this amazing Skinny Dip ice cream cone bag from ASOS. I'd wanted it for months, and just couldn't resist those sugary sweet pastel colours any longer. It's one of the best novelty bag designs I've ever seen, and it's going to go perfectly with so many of my colourful Spring / Summer outfits. I can't wait for the seasons to change so I can start using it! It's currently still available from ASOS here for just £25.

In the new year, I bought myself to a new cross stitch kit to keep myself busy for the next couple of months. I always have to be doing something, even when I'm resting. I bought this Easter kit from Riverdrift House, which is a sampler style cross stitch kit with plenty of pretty pastel coloured threads to play with. I'm normally just a Christmas cross stitcher, but I thought I'd give something else a go for a change... and yep, I'm not enjoying this half as much as the Christmas themed pictures I've done. It's therapeutic and it's pretty, but I definitely get more enjoyment out of Christmas crafts. I'll be seeing this project through 'til the end, and I'm sure I'll like it better once it starts coming together.     

I also ordered this gorgeous navy polka dot Hepburn swing dress from Lady Vintage (the same style dress as the red version I recently reviewed), but sadly it was far too big and I had to send it back. It's a shame as it was less than half price, but you win some, you lose some. I only noticed after delivery that Lady V have recently changed their sizing, but at least I'll know for next time.

I used some of the money from the refund to buy Ciaté's Mini Mani Manor nail polish advent calendar instead. It was just £14.70 (down from £50.00) on sale, so I thought I'd snap it up for next Christmas. I can never afford to buy them full price at Christmas time, but I don't mind using last year's as I know from experience that the nail polishes keep really well. It's sold out now on Ciaté's website, but it's still on sale through ASOS for £27 here.

So, that's how I've spent my Christmas money this year. I personally think I spent it well; I got so much for my money!

Have you picked up any bargains lately?