[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I’m doing a quick round up of what, in my head, are ‘sensible’ beauty sale buys – things that you’ll use again and again rather than stare at wondering why you bought it in the first place! And, there’s no skin care because I feel up to here with creams!

Benefit Bad Gal Bang mini mascara is probably my most used mini of all time. It’s the thing that comes everywhere with me whether I’m doing a quick over-night somewhere or more of a lengthy stay. It’s a product that I pop in my handbag for evenings out and work-dos and it’s also the most pinched beauty item by my daughter. I’ve bought several more to replace the ‘missing’ mini Bad Gals that are no doubt lounging in the bottom of her make up bag. Benefit is currently running an offer for the full size with a free mini and I will put money down that the mini is the one that finds its way into your bag more than the full size. It’s just such an easy mascara with a skinny brush that coats each lash (good for shorter lashes, too, because it can cover every lash and give a longer, fuller looking lash fringe). It’s a decently deep black, has some hold to it and makes eyes look instantly wider. The mini version has the same size brush as the full size mascara so it doesn’t exactly the same precision coating at a third of size. Minis on their own are £13.50 so the set is a bargain at £24.50 HERE.

Here’s where disclaimers get complicated. I work quite often with the Liz Earle brand and I had sponsored content to talk about the Liz Earle sale on Instagram. I’m not contracted to talk about it here, so while it’s #ad and #prioradrelationship it’s a spontaneous inclusion in this instance and there isn’t a hashtag for that! Grr. So, this is a new find for me because while I do work with the brand regularly, I had never used the shampoo and conditioner before and oh my! It’s lovely. It’s just so perfectly scented – a blend of clean and fruity that I want to describe as a bit fizzy and it made me smile. It doesn’t linger hard in the hair – a little waft with a swish perhaps – but it’s just a very pleasant aroma to have around you. The shampoo and conditioner left my hair really soft and it’s colour safe – my hair is dyed at the moment and you can always tell by the rinse how ‘colour safe’ products really are. Anyway, no tears were shed at my colour draining down the plug hole this time around. There’s 30% off both the shampoo and conditioner HERE – the RRP was £13 and they’re both now £9.10 each. Postage is free. It’s such a popular product that they sell it in sets of 3 (although weirdly, it’s more expensive to buy the bundle!) and honestly, I see why now.

Obviously an old favourite, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue was a front runner in tinted moisturisers with SPF. I was a fan from day one and still use it regularly (the tubes above are straight from my make-up drawer). There are so many tinted moisturisers now (thankfully) but Complexion Rescue is still the one that I turn to if I can’t be bothered to think about what else to put on – it’s a foolproof failsafe even after all these years (2015). I’ve seen sale offers for this all over the place but they always seem to be the sliding scale where only the least popular colours have any discount. Skincity has a a good selection of shades (I’m Wheat 04 or sometimes Suede 4.5) at £24.40 instead of £30.50 HERE. Postage over £20 is free.