It's back, the fabulous Clinique mascara trade in is coming again. It's available exclusively at Debenhams (nationwide) from 14th until 20th May 2012 and all you need to do to take part in this offer, is take an old mascara in (any brand), and ask to swap it for a deluxe sample tube of either Clinique High Impact Mascara or High Lengths Mascara.
I love these 'try before you buy' offers, especially when you can get decent sample sizes, just for trading in an older and possibly mankier (?) product that you'd have otherwise thrown in the bin. It's a bit like a mascara amnesty, if you will, haha.
This is a great offer, especially if you've already been dying to try out any of these mascaras - but even if you haven't, it's a good way to try them and see if they work for you, without having to spend the full RRP on them.
I must admit, I've never been disappointed with a Clinique mascara, but products work differently from person to person, and I absolutely love that Clinique have the confidence in their products to do this - it's an offer not to be missed.
As to be expected, terms and conditions do apply:
1 per customer, subject to availability and no purchase is necessary!
If, like me you find it hard to resist buying the latest must have beauty products and just can't walk away from a bargain, then you may have also found yourself putting these purchases onto a credit card, with the good intentions of paying it off as soon as payday arrives.
However, when payday arrives, you end up buying those heels that you've been eyeing up instead, with those good intentions fading into the background and rolling into 'next month' and then the month after that - and suddenly that bargain lipstick that you bought may not end up quite the deal you thought when the dreaded interest rates get added on.
If this sounds all too familiar, then a 0% balance transfer may be the solution you've been looking for, since it allows you to shift your interest accruing debt to a card where you get a grace period with no interest, allowing you to decrease your debt and save some money in the process.
Barclays have 3 offers available throughout the month of May (2012) that caught my eye which allow you to transfer your current balance to their card for a small percentage fee and for durations from 15 to 22 months - and if you have a large balance to transfer, then it makes sense to go for the longest duration to get more paid off at 0%, but here's a bit more information about the deals and cards available to help you out:
Market leading 22 month 0% BT offer is now even stronger with the introduction of a brand new £30 discount on the transfer fee (for transfers over £2,500)
New 15 / 15 deal - 0% interest on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, an extra month improvement from the current 14 / 14 offer.
The low BT fee card (fee of 1.6%) is extended to 17 months duration, increased from 16 months
A completely new, 0% interest on all purchases for the first three months with Barclaycard Initial, a product designed for those customers who are new to credit
David Chan, chief executive of Barclaycard Consumer Europe said: “We’re very excited to be offering even better value and such a huge amount of choice to new customers; from those wanting to manage their money better, to those who are seeking to build a credit history.”
Options available include:
22 month balance transfer with £30 off the transfer fee
Those looking to manage their balances can now receive money off the transfer fee on the Barclaycard Platinum card, with which they can enjoy 22 months 0% interest on balance transfers. New customers moving over £2,500 will now receive £30 off the fee. The card comes with a variable APR of 17.9% and new cardholders will all benefit from 0% on the first three months of purchases.
15 months 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers
For new customers eager to save on summer spending and on existing balances, the Barclaycard Platinum Purchase card now comes with 0% interest on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. The card has a variable APR of 18.9% and balance transfers incur a fee of 2.9%.
Low fee balance transfer for 17 months
Looking to save money on your balance transfer fee? The Barclaycard Platinum Low Fee card has a market leading balance transfer fee of just 1.6% and now comes with an extended 17 months 0% interest on balance transfers, with also three months 0% interest on all purchases. The credit card has a variable APR of 18.9%.
These deals will close to applications at midnight on 31st May 2012.
I expect they're not available to people with adverse credit, so it may be worth either checking your credit file, or working out your financial history first if you think there may be something hiding away that could affect your decision, nobody likes nasty surprises! :-)
Also, whilst there is a fee involved in transferring your balance, these seem fairly low and also appear to be a one off, so I still think that these are a good option, for those that need it. I know I'd prefer to pay sub 3% once, and then enjoy 15+ months of no interest accruing to decrease my balance. Just think, the money saved in interest could go towards paying off your debt faster, or even treating yourself to an almost gult free lipstick purchase (with cash payment, hopefully)!
Obviously I'm not saying to go and get yourselves in debt, as debt is baaaad, but hopefully these card deals could help you to manage debt that you already have, and save you paying extortionate interest rates for a set period of time to allow yourself to get in a better financial position.
I've never been a smoker, I tried it once and absolutely hated it, but I was told by friends who already smoked that I just 'needed to get used to it' - I couldn't get my head around why I'd ever want to get used to something that had tasted so vile, so I never did it again! Looking back, I'm really lucky that I didn't start smoking, as I know a lot of people who do smoke now, that wish they hadn't started, and I know I'd be one of them, if I'd have allowed myself to just 'get used to it' back then.
As a non smoker, I also really dislike being around cigarette smoke, it irritates my eyes, nose, and chest... not to mention the smell of smoke getting into my hair and clothes that I can smell for hours after (yuck) and the added risk of getting cancer too! So, it's fair to say that I was pleased when the smoking ban started, although it did make the night less social and more broken up, with people I was with having to head outside to get their 'fix' - but you can't have everything, right?
Well apparently you can, because there's a new generation of electronic cigarettes that are 'as good as any cigarette' according to both my mum and my sister, who have been using them for well over a year. The electronic cigarettes vaporise fluid which gives the sensation, the hit of nicotine and the taste of smoking a cigarette, but without all the nasty stuff that usually comes with smoking.
When they're having their electronic cigarettes, there's no adverse effect on the air around them as all they're breathing out is a bit of water vapour that disappears very quickly, and has no smell etc to offend the people around them.
They have even used them in bars, without issue - although they always speak to staff first to make sure it's ok though (so they're not mistaken for actually smoking in there), and normally have people who smoke approaching them to ask where they get them from and if they're any good!
The vapestick electronic cigarette is a perfect example, where you buy the electronic cigarette model that you think you'd like (some look like cigarettes, but some you can buy in silver, black and white metal that don't look like cigarettes, and depending on how much you smoke - and therefore how much you'll potentially be 'vaping' as they call it, you may want to get one with a larger, or smaller battery and cartridge) and continue to use that, rather than throwing it away like you would a cigarette (although they do do disposable ones too) - so this could be even better for the environment too (less smoke, less cigarette ends filling up landfill).
If this is something you have been wanting to try then I recommend getting a starter kit for whichever you choose, since it comes with everything you need to get started, and then you can add to your kit as and when you need to (extra fluid, batteries or atomisers etc). If you think you will be using an electronic cigarette quite a lot, I do recommend getting an additional battery, so that you don't have to wait whilst your other one charges up - just make sure you get it to match the model of E-Cigarette that you buy, so that it works.
It seems like the perfect way to give up smoking, or at least cut down, which is especially good for health reasons (as we all know the dangers involved), but also for financial ones too - since this way of 'smoking' has been much cheaper for my both my sister, and my mum. My sister has stopped smoking normal cigarettes, and my mum has drastically cut down her normal cigarette intake due to these electronic cigarettes which I think is fantastic, since they were both smokers for many, many years.
This might seem like a bit of an odd post to have posted on a beauty blog, but it's something that is so close to my heart due to it affecting people I care about (my mum has emphysema, so it was really important to get her to cut down &n eventually quit smoking), and I really wanted to help get the word out about these things.
And, actually when you think about it, smoking does damage your looks, especially your skin, and so anything that helps people to quit, or at least cut down is also likely to be doing their skin the world of good too - bonus! :-)
Four fabulous new shades are included in the upcoming OPI Minnie Mouse collection for summer 2012. The shades are especially perfect if you love pink (which I do), what do you think?
Individual shades £11 each from www.lenawhite.co.uk and other OPI stockists, I'll find out the release date as soon as I can, and update accordingly!
