Fragrance Direct Haul: some good some bad!

Having seen everyone I know get perfumes for Christmas, I decided I'd like a new one. I hate paying full price for anything, especially not perfumes, so Fragrance Direct was the first place I looked. Of course, I'm saying this like I don't already do 6-7 Fragrance Direct orders a year (and I've only ever bought a fragrance once)!

And since I hate paying delivery fees (though it's only £1.99 for spends under £40), I just kept adding things to my basket:

First off, the perfumes:

The Lady Gaga "Fame" scent was something that I'd tried before, about a year ago now in a beauty box. I'm a sucker for the fact that the liquid is originally black, and this plus the bottle itself means it's a perfume that I like the look of on my dressing table. The main thing, though, is that I really like the smell. It's really difficult to describe- to me it's very sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. I can definitely smell the jasmine, and apricot, and it really isn't what I'd guess Lady Gaga would choose. It's here for only £9.95, including a shower gel, if you want to take a peek. At that price I definitely recommend it, it's really different, and would make a great gift, or just a treat for yourself (am I the only one who thinks it's not "allowed" to buy expensive perfumes for myself?).

Because some of these celebrity perfumes are so cheap, I thought I'd buy another one too. I've bought Ted "Beckham: Intimately Beckham Sport" before, which I completely recommend for fussy boyfriends as it's ginger scented rather than the usual generic musk, it's really cheap, and sports stars are the only celebs most men won't scoff at. So when I saw "Intimately Beckham" the women's fragrance, I assumed I would be equally impressed. The plus side is that it's cheap, at £8.95. But, I find the bottle big and awkward to spray, and the actual perfume? I genuinely like a classic rose perfume; this is that, but something seems to have gone wrong. The only way I can describe it is as if someone is covering up poo with a floral perfume! 

 Now, I have a Fragrance Direct "favourite" product, and it's something that proper beauty bloggers might disapprove of. It's... a set of three face wipe packs for 99p! Haha. My skincare routine is still in the making, so face wipes is still the first (but I promise not the only!) step, and I can't see that changing anytime soon as I find them so convenient, and easy for those moments when my oily skin has got the better of me and I need to change my make-up when I'm out and about. Here they are-  I know at Poundland/ Wilkos you can get wipes for a similar price, but they feel cheap and nasty. These contain three types, deep cleansing, exfoliating, and 3 in 1. I can't say I notice the exfoliating wipes exfoliating, but they feel way more soapy and cleansing than other affordable wipes I've tried. I bought 7 packs of these, I like them so much! 

To bring my spend up to £40, I then had a browse through the make-up.

I bought four nail polishes: a Miss Sporty Khaki green for 50p, as it's a colour I don't own; a Revlon nail polish in "minted" (99p, latest versions are stocked at Boots etc for £6.49!) as I'm a bit obsessed with mint greens and; a Rimmel Salon Pro nail polish in "stormy skies", a gorgeous grey-blue that I can't wait to try (£1.50); and a Bourjois 10 day "anti choc no chips" polish in a classic raspberry shade, "17" (£1.99). I've worn all of them apart from stormy skies so far- I wasn't impressed with the Bourjois one as I was hoping it would live up to the no chipping claims but it didn't last very long. The two greens are good for the price but need three coats really.

 Last time I ordered from Fragrance Direct, I bought a lipstick from the Calvin Klein delicious cream luxury range, and I loved it. It was a typical "me" rose shade, but I can't remember the name of it! I bought two more lipsticks from this range this time- the deep pinky red is called "Mesmerize", and the peachy nude is called "First Kiss". I am saving these because I think I have way too many lipsticks "on the go" at the moment, but I can't wait to wear them!

The final three items were bought on a whim and I sort of wish I hadn't bothered. The Maybelline Volume Express Lift Up Mascara isn't bad for £2.99, but it's nothing special and I've found cheaper that I rate more. The L'oreal Bare Natural Gentle Mineral Powder was still £2.99, and I haven't tried it because it came broken and I can't stand loose powders! As for the Pretty Quik Instant Nail Polish Remover was 99p but just plain rubbish, like a thin sponge drowning in watered down remover- absolutely no resistance so it just didn't work as an instant remover.

So there we go- sorry for the long post! I love Fragrance Direct, but I get scared when I get attached to a product because they are usually discontinued products so they could stop selling them at any time!

Bought any beauty products recently?

Jess