July 13, 2019

Vacation or Staycation, The Original Factory Shop Has Got You Covered & For Up To 70% Less on Big Brands!

July 13, 2019/ Claire Spence

Hat £6 : Bag £6 : sunglasses £4 : inflaTable £4 : Towel £8

The World of Kitsch has been around for while now, but would you believe that my blog turns ten years old at the start of August this year? Someone else celebrating a big birthday is The Original Factory Shop, who are a splendid fifty years old this 2019, with their first store opening way back in the swinging sixties; they’ve been bringing the U.K. bargains ever since. So with our celebratory coincidence, it’s exciting that I’m partnering with them for the first time to share my favourite finds from their Bangor shop’s summer line.

The Original Factory Shop, if you’ve never visited a branch, has a simple premise, big brands in fashion, beauty and home, at up to 70% off. That means your local store will have a little bit of everything. From clothing for all the family, including brands like Rocket Dog, Wrangler, Nike & Adidas, to electric items for the whole home from well known brands, to make-up from brands like Barry M, Rimmel and Revlon. There’s soft furnishings, gardening bits and bobs, children’s toys, and even food and drink. The best part, it’s discounted and cheaper than you’ll find in most other supermarkets or bigger chain stores.

I popped in to The Original Factory Shop in Bangor this morning and took a voyage of discovery around their huge store to choose from the plentiful summer range and show you what you can save money on for your holiday checklist. Speaking of checklists, The Original Factory Shop even has you covered for that. So you won’t forget to pick up or pack the Factor 50, the sunglasses or the phone chargers, their current special offer leaflet very cleverly includes a holiday checklist. There’s also a printable version on their website.

As you can see, I spotted summer staples like sandals and swimsuits, sunscreen, and aftersun, but also lots of items if like me you’re spending your holidays at home this year- like the bright and breezy raincoats.

One of my favourite picks from my bargain haul has to be the huge, luxury towel, top photo, which was £8 but can be bought mix and match with other prints two for £14. There are flamingo print, rainbow prints, floral prints, but I chose the tongue in cheek ‘Reserved’ design, which will keep your pool-side sun lounger safe all day long. Sticking with the top photograph, I chose the gorgeous navy straw hat. It was only £6, but again it’s available in an offer of two for £10 and comes in a classic cream straw colour-way. I’ll be using mine for keeping shady when I’m gardening. Ditto the big brand purchase of my haul, the £4 Foster Grants’ sunglasses I scooped, RRP £10.

Still with that top picture, I couldn’t resist that stripy beach bag and it was only £6. For that price it also zips closed, which is so handy if you are taking it to the real life actual beach. It’s amazing how easily things can go missing in the sand. Lastly, I’m sure you spied that inflatable doughnut, it comes in pink or brown and is only £4. The Original Factory Shop has many more pool floats, plus paddling pools for your garden, and water pistols. It’s always worth checking their special buys to see what’s in store.

Thinking of poolside, the Bangor store had swimwear for everyone in the family, but I have to talk about this style of swimsuit I found, because it’s the cut I wear when I would swim regularly at Aurora two years ago and the number of times I would be asked by other women where could they find that sort of costume… I could have made a fortune on commission let’s put it that way! So hopefully anyone who has been looking for this style of swimsuit will stumble upon this post, because more modest, cover up swim wear is hard to come by, and sometimes it just feels more comfortable to be a little more covered. These swimsuits have a little skirt, which isn’t clingy and doesn’t weigh you down when you swim. There’s also tummy control and loose fabric around the stomach area. I was a size fourteen when I was swimming and wearing my one, and I’m a size ten now and would still wear these designs of suits, so it isn’t really about size, it’s about feeling comfortable. Anyway, The Original Factory Shop Bangor had a couple of different colours in the suits, as well as more traditional swimwear for ladies of course.

Going back to my picks, I chose a sunny, golden yellow top with contrasting navy detailing, which was RRP £20, but £10 here. I love the crochet effect, it’s very retro and yet on trend. I was saying to the manager as we were checking out that I will have to call back during the week and stock up from their fashion department, as they have such a great selection of jeggings. I spied a pair of jeggings in a bluebell baby-blue colour that I’ve never seen anywhere else, so I’m going to call back and buy those for sure. Also a much needed ‘staycation’ item, and something I’ve been looking for all over, so maybe you have too- a Magnetic Screen Door. I’m in and out non-stop watering my plants and gardening, so I’ve needed one of these since last year and not been able to find one. This one was only £5 and has a stylish Mediterranean tile design.

Back to those jetting off for their summer break, and if you are looking for luggage, The Original Factory Shop has plenty of options there too. There’s branded luggage, cabin baggage, great deals and even personalised cases in store.

You’ll also find your family’s sun care at a great price, with the big brands at a discounted amount for sunscreen, aftersun, and tanning lotions. I picked up a travel ready Malibu set for £5 with three different products inside, sun lotion, and aloe Vera gel, and a dry oil. I also got a handy battery powered hand fan for £2, with batteries included.

Lastly I chose some more staycation goodies, and The Original Factory Shop has a wealth of items for your summer BBQs and parties. There’s lots of paper partywear, and plastic plates and cups at great prices. I found this ‘Aloha!’ Water dispenser which will work great for making up my son’s Kool Aid he likes to buy, and it’s only £3. You could make some really nice summer mockfails in this and chill in the fridge with ice cubes.

Water DispeNser £3 : napkins £1 : straws £1

I also grabbed the matching napkins and straws because I love the tiki flair of the green monstera leaves. I’ll bring them along to the next family BBQ. You’ll also find garden games like croquet, badminton, and more in store to get prepped for a family afternoon in the back garden.

So now it’s time to explore your local The Original Factory Shop, check out where your nearest one is, and see what treasures you can find. Stock up for your summer holiday for up to 70% less, or get some bits and bobs for your staycation like me.

November 19, 2016

Free Nails Inc Polish With £2 Glamour Magazine- 2016 Shades

November 19, 2016/ Claire Spence

Every year Nails Inc pair up with Glamour Magazine to giveaway a free polish with purchase of the £2 magazine.

Nails Inc varnishes retail at around £12, so it's always a good bargain even if you don't read the magazine.

This year there are four shades to choose from, or to collect all four.

I chose the neutral nude Lexington Street.

The second shade is Midnight, a very deep navy. You can spy it in the photograph below. (Pic from BeautyMarkdown.co.uk)

There's also a classic cherry red called Tate.

And lastly a tribute to 90s' Posh Spice called Victoria. It's a dark plummy brown colour with a great shine.

I think I'll buy that last one too, but my local Spar didn't have a copy of Glamour with one of those. Which will you choose?

September 14, 2016

Unicorn Armour Purses, Fake Fur & a 3ft Flamingo- My Top 13 Picks from the New Ards' TK Maxx

September 14, 2016/ Claire Spence

TK Maxx open their first new NI store in 11 years tomorrow morning, 9am, bright and early, in Ards Shopping Centre.

The store is in the previous Tesco location, with a huge major refit having taken place in the past few months as part of a wave of new retailers arriving at the centre.

Smix & I went along for a nosy this evening, and here are my 13 top kitsch picks spotted in store, counted down.

13. The Entire Halloween Department.

Halloween only started to get big here about ten years ago. We always had parties, but now the UK is swaying towards the full on, decorate the whole house, celebrate all of October, type Halloween season. I remember 8 years ago when I was just married and had a house to decorate, travelling to the big Boucher Road TK Maxx to buy their imported Halloween Homeware. Candles, ornaments, prints, cushions- of course many of the pieces were used all year round as back then I was a little more rock and roll than I am now. So skull print everything wasn't just for Halloween!

Top choices from this year's selection of home wares? The light up signs and skulls for sure. Those Halloween print tea towels I wouldn't be afraid of using all year round either.

12. The Stationary.

Lots of notebooks, crafting items, and down in the second pic, very cute storage pouches.

11. Retro Bins.

We are living in a time where even a bin can be retro! I love the blue especially.

10. A Rainbow of Blankets.

You would have a hard time choosing. They have autumnal oranges & russet tones. Beautiful teal throws and peacock blue blankets.

9. Tiny Little Cat Shoesies.

These little felt slippers make me jealous I'm not a five year old girl. Cosy for winter or even as part of a show stopping Halloween outfit.

8. Macarons.

So many flavours. I think these were £2.49 because I remember thinking they were prices really reasonably when I picked them up. They even had my favourite- pistachio.

7. Kitschy Cute Bags.

I think the accessories have to be my favourite part of TK Maxx. It's where you'll most readily find something designer that you can buy without it being the same price as that month's mortgage payment.

I thought this was a school bag, but I imagine I might get a phone call from the office if I sent in a bag with 'nice junk' on it. Doesn't stop us big kids having it for the gym or university though.

6. Moroccan Tea Glasses.

I literally haven't seen these for sale anywhere else. They had several different designs too. I think I would feel like royalty having a cuppa in these, although I might ruin it with my tea preference for lots of sugar and milk. How uncouth!

5. Kooky Phone Cases.

They've a good selection of Skinny Dip London cases. I discovered Skinny Dip on our last trip wandering round Soho trying to find Yo Sushi. Everything is neon, glittery, furry, sparkly, in other words- every single darn thing I love.

4. Designer Scarves.

A designer scarf is a great accessory if, like me, you can't afford designer clothes. You could be wearing a Primark outfit but adding a fancy scarf can make you look a lil' bit more expensive.

The new TK Maxx has your full on designer name print scarves where there's no doubt about who made it, but also more subtle but well known lines like Love Moschino's Olive Oyl prints. Both these scarves were under £50.

3. Unicorn Armour Purses.

If unicorns needed armour I bet it would look like these purses. So shiny. I want.

2. Mega Kitsch Fake Fur Scarves.

These scarves would make any old coat look crazily cool, and they were only £9.99 each.

1. A Three Foot Flamingo.

My top pick from the new store. A lifesize flamingo. I think I know what to ask Santa for this year now.

But what did I buy? Well from the beauty department I picked up a Sanctuary Spa candle for £2.99

All TK Maxx store are having huge beauty events right now, so there are lots of bargains to be had.

I couldn't resist these socks either. £3.99 for three pairs. Cats and pugs and sailors.

My major purchase I was talked into by my little shopping buddy.

This Little Moose satchel style handbag. RRP £50 but I got it for £29.99

Look how cute!

So get yourselves down in the morning to be some of the first to grab the best bargains. If you find anything particularly cool- tweet me so I can see! My username is @rudedoodle

September 05, 2016

Boots SEVENTEEN Mega Matte Lipsticks. How Mega? How Matte? How Do They Compare to Liquid Lipstick Mattes? Let's Find Out.

September 05, 2016/ Claire Spence

Unless you live under a rock, or never wear makeup like I didn't until two years ago, you'll know matte lips are the big, huge, massive trend that brands are still scrambling to catch up with. Almost all the concessions now have a matte lip range, and Boots SEVENTEEN have joined the ranks this Autumn with 12 shades to try.

The SEVENTEEN 13 hour wear Mega Matte Lip caught me by surprised when the three shades I chose arrived for review. The trend has been for brands to make their matte lips in a liquid lipstick format, not a physical lip STICK. So usually your matte lip comes in a tube similar to a lip gloss. It goes on slightly shimmery and wet, but dries out to a completely matte colour on your lips.

But the SEVENTEEN Mega Matte Lip range comes in lipstick format, and not even a pointy one, a flat, screw up product. The PR kit also included a lip brush, so I assume this is how they think the matte lip goes on best. However I put my makeup on in the leisure centre every day after I swim, so I tested them as I would use them, just in their stick format.

A usual liquid lip (ColourPop Bumble) & a 17 Mega Matte Lipstick

Now I must say I really wasn't happy with this at first. I like to give beauty products a good two week trial before I write about them, otherwise I can't tell what I really thing about them. So at first I hated the stick format, and found it tricky to apply with the flat edge. However as time has gone on I've got the hang of it.

Here is how the SEVENTEEN nude 'Looking Buff' compares to ColourPop 'Bumble'. Liquid lip Bumble on left looking at the pic, 17 Looking Buff on the right.

ColourPop liquid lip Bumble : 17 Looking Buff

The liquid lip Bumble is more highly pigmented, but it bleeds out and can be messier to apply. 17 Matte Lip is more pinkish in base, less drying to the lip itself, and has a sweet taste. You can see it has a more natural look to it. I find it easier not to 'mess up', and can do without a lip liner to keep it in place. It's also £4.49, a good £15 cheaper than the genuine ColourPop liquid lip. Incidentally ColourPop's lab make the Kylie Jenner formula from the same recipe- so if you buy ColourPop you are getting the cheaper version of Kylie Kits.

So the other colours. I use a purple tone liquid lip often that I bought on AliExpress, just a generic Asian brand, it was 69p or something crazy. So I asked to try the 'I Lilac It A Lot' shade of the SEVENTEEN Mega Matte Lip to compare it.

I was really disappointed in this shade. You can see below that's two coats and it's more like a light tint. I expect matte lips to be pigmented, opaque and mean business, and this colour just didn't do that for me. If you like your lip subtle you might like it, coupled with the fact none of the shades feel heavy to wear on your lips, but not for me.

'Mega Matte Lip I Lilac It a Lot'- which I don't.

Finally, my favourite liquid lip is a Lime Crime dupe I bought on eBay, a fiery orange red called 'SuedeBerry'. So the corresponding SEVENTEEN shade is 'Lava You A Lot', again £4.49.

And this one I do Lava a Lot! Pigment is good, non-drying on the lip, fun colour, good staying power. It's gone into my after-pool makeup kit along with the nude colour.

So over all? I didn't like how they were applied at first, but they grew on me and now I love them. Some shades are better than others in quality it seems- maybe get your hands on the testers in store before picking a colour to buy.

They can be as good as liquid format lips, and the price is definitely a huge bonus.

One thing is for sure, the matte lip trend is going nowhere fast, so maybe this traditional lipstick format is the introduction to the trend you've been waiting for.

Keep up with my beauty buys and bargains on my Snapchat story, username Rudedoodle.

September 03, 2016

Animal Sheet Masks from The Creme Shop- Walk Around Your House in a Real Life Snapchat Filter! (& 15% Off Until Monday With This Code)

September 03, 2016/ Claire Spence

TK Maxx in Bangor, and I'm guessing everywhere else too, has just taken shipment of dozens of different sheet masks in their beauty department.

Sheet masks are face masks comprised of a cloth loaded with product that you can optionally chill in the fridge and apply directly to your face. You leave it on for the time directed, or if you wish until it dries out. Technically if you feel comfortable enough you can even sleep in sheet masks for a rejuvenating, moisturing overnight treatment.

I prefer them to face masks you need to wash off, because I hate rinsing my face and water going up my arms.

So TK Maxx is a great place to go to try your first sheet mask, there are dozens to choose from and they are packs of three or five for £4.99 which is a very decent price.

I bought a blueberry pack last week, but had to return to buy these animal face printed ones this week because LOOK AT THE FACES!

The brand is The Creme Shop and if you can't find them in your local TK Maxx, you can buy directly from their site. $4 for one mask, $10 for the pack of three like I bought.

The site has a hyaluronic acid penguin variety I really want to try. I'll maybe see if another nearby TK Maxx has them, if not I'll order online.

If you want to order from The Creme Shop Webstore you can get 15% off until Monday with the code 'LABORDAY'. They also sell brushes and eyelashes, if you want to stock up.

But do they work and what are they like? I tried the Tiger Collagen mask last night on clean skin with makeup removed.

Wonderfully the scent reminded me of Floral Gums. The sheet mask feels great on, and a little bonus is that the 'eyes' are on the mask, where usual white masks just have the eye holes. This extra bit of mask means you can push the fabric right up under your lashes so there isn't a circle around each eye missing out on the product.

Another benefit of the mask being printed with an animal face is that you know which side of the mask goes on the skin. Sometimes with a plain white mask you can't tell which side of the fabric has the most product on it, to place onto the skin.

I left the mask on 15 mnutes and afterward my skin felt soft and fresh. I was very happy with the result.

So until I can get plastic surgery to look like my favourite Snapchat filter, the deer, I guess The Creme Shop is the next best thing. Also great idea for little stocking filler presents for Christmas, or for teachers' gifts.

August 18, 2016

Boots SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Concealer- The Five Star Handbag Essential

August 18, 2016/ Claire Spence

It still tickles me that I now venture tentatively into makeup reviewing, when five years ago I didn't wear any.

In comparison I now daily use primer, foundation, an eyeshadow palette, eyeliner, mascara, brow pencil, concealer, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, finishing powder and makeup setting spray! I still don't have the skills of women my age who have been wearing makeup since their teenage years, but thanks to YouTube tutorials, I'm getting there.

My handbag touch-up kit is whatever lip colour I'm wearing that day & concealer. I find even if I wear eyeshadow primer, I still get a little dark smudge under my eye as the day goes on. So I carry a brightening concealer so I can 'paint over' those dark patches & freshen up my makeup.

I had been carrying & using the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer which Sera from The Style Guide Blog had sent me. It was the lightest shade, but still too dark for her, but it was great for my skin tone.

So when the Boots SEVENTEEN Skin Wow concealer arrived to review, it had to live up to my usual concealer product.

I previously tried out the highlighter & primer in one from the Skin Wow range and loved it, so I was keen to see how the concealer measured up.

The little gold pen operates by clicking the end to release a small amount of product. It took a good few clicks to start the flow, but I would say once you have it started you would need one click per under eye area.

I liked the little brush, it made application easy, but it wasn't suitable for blending as it just kept adding more product. Blending out with my fingers was fine.

The concealer currently comes in fair or medium on the Boots website. I'm not sure if there is a darker shade beyond medium in physical stores.

There are currently 51 reviews on the Boots site, and it has almost five out of five stars. That's a good indication of how versatile it is on many different skin tones.

Brightening up makeup that was on for 6+ hours

I'm a fan too. You can see below even with a quick application my under eye looks brighter and the crease less defined. It's not total coverage, but I reckon if you wanted that effect you could layer it on.

I would definitely recommend the SEVENTEEN Skin Wow concealer, especially to pale ladies like myself who need very fair tones for their base makeup.

Its also ideal for your contouring or strobing as you can paint it on with exact precision thanks to the snazzy little applicator brush.

The concealer is currently on offer for £3.99 rather than £4.99, and if you spend £6 on SEVENTEEN products online, you get a free gift.

Watch this space as I will be reviewing the new matte lips from the range very soon.

August 16, 2016

Menarys Mega Beauty Event- 20% off Benefit*, Free Clarins Gifts, 25% off Lancôme & 30% off YSL

August 16, 2016/ Claire Spence

20% off Benefit with a Bob & Berts' hot drink purchase

Menarys is a complete beauty lover's dream right now. We called down for some coffee & cake in Bob & Bert's & spied a fantastic offer for one of my favourite beauty brands, Benefit.

When you buy a medium hot drink, you will get a voucher for 20% off a Benefit purchase over £20. The voucher lasts until 31st August, and the girls at the counter told me there are new lip kits with lip liner & lipsticks in one hitting stores around the 25th.

What to buy: any of the new wave of Benefit expert brow products that launched last month. The girls will help you select the right colour & products for splendid brows every time. I have the Goof Proof pencil, and it's my new go-to brow product.

There are also a selection of Benefit gifts. I love these and have a couple. They have small versions of the post popular products & allow you to try them without having to buy full size, and double up as travel makeup kits. I bought the 'Do the Hoola' kit in Gatwick Airport & highly recommend it. Bangor have it in stock.

The next fab offer to share with you is the Menarys' Clarins' gift event. It begins this Thursday and lasts two weeks. When you buy two Clarins products, one being skincare, you will receive a gorgeous beauty bag (not the one shown, the one on the leaflet) and you can choose four free mini-products to take home.

Choose from One Step Cleansing Water, HydraQuench Cream, Extra-firming Night Cream, Gentle Refiner, Beauty Flash Balm (I love it), Eau Dynamisante, Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch and finally Wonder Perfect Mascara.

Plus, if you buy an extra skin care product on top of that, there's an extra gift for you worth £22.

What to buy: Clarins Double Serum. It's won a tonne of awards and even out sold Boots' very popular serum last year.

Now this is a biggy. The YSL concession in Menarys' beauty hall has 30% off. That's 30% off EVERYTHING. If you are a YSL beauty addict you'd be worth your while popping down and buying your whole year's worth of products and get a third off it all. Stick it on the credit card (just don't blame me later, I'm such an enabler!)

What to buy: If you are new to YSL & want to try something, why not go for their super product, Touche Eclat? Hailed as a wonder product when it launched, it's spawned a dozen copycats & an entire range of its own. But it's the original under-eye brightener that still wows, and with 30% off its a great time to try it.

Finally the Lancôme counter has a similar offer with 25% off EVERYTHING.

What to buy: the new Grandiose Liner. A clever, new product with a swivel tip for easy eye lining. I reckon even I could do a cat eye flick with this magic wand and at 25% off.

April 25, 2016

The Fake Eyelash Application Tool that Even I Can Use! Plus 8 Crazy Falsies For Fancy Ladies.

April 25, 2016/ Claire Spence

Three years ago I didn't even really wear makeup, and now I'm beauty product crazy. I've most of the basic makeup techniques down now, but the one that still challenged me was putting on false eyelashes.

I decided once and for all I would get the hang of it, and purchases loads for 13p each on AliExpress.

I tried and tried. I just couldn't put them on. I was always left with a gap between them and my actual lashes.

I asked my friends on Facebook for tips. They suggested using Duo glue rather than what comes with your lashes. I still have to buy that, but in the meantime someone came to my rescue.

My neighbour Deborah then arrived at my door with a magical gift, an eyelash application tool.

It's like a big pair of tweezers and you use it to push the lashes into place. It works really well. Instead of feelingly blindly with your fumbly fingers, you slide the lash into place then can hold it in place until it sets.

I got it right on my second attempt! I'm pretty excited!

Deborah is launching a specialised beauty store online very soon, with premium products such as HD finishing powders and beautiful, high quality, super pigmented glitters.

Until the Glitter Queens' Emporium launches, should you wish to buy the eyelash applicator tool, you can save 10% off her regular price listing and have the tool with free UK delivery for just £1.89. Simply email lush3dlashes@outlook.com with your name & address and offer code SAVE10. That's an absolute bargain.