My Little Essential Travel Items.

If you're jetting off somewhere lovely, I am inherently jealous, because I'm not going anywhere, but that doesn't stop a girl from dreaming, right? I want to jet off to a city somewhere like Barcelona or Vienna... but sigh, I won't be, so let me give you a little travel essential post if I were to be jetting off somewhere. I had a good long think about this, because you don't necessarily need a great deal of items with you, but you've gotta have ones that do multiple things, so let's get chatting about these beauties.

                

Let's start off with an all rounder. Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse oil (£28, here), which I purchased from Paris, and it's awesome at everything. I use it on my hair, my dry elbows, my dry cuticles, dry patches on my skin... basically if I have a dry spot, this oil goes on it, and makes everything all glowy and lovely again. Because of its all natural goodness, I don't feel hesitant at all to put this on my skin, so it's basically the best multi-purpose oil for travelling, and a complete essential for me. Plus, I really like the packaging, and the way it looks in my hand when I hold it, is that weird?

Continuing on the skincare route, we have Una Brennan's Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream (On offer for £8.66, here) which is a gorgeous moisturising cream, and I love slathering it on before going to sleep. Whether it brightens or not is still to be seen, but it leaves my under eyes looking moisturised and feeling good. I have horrifically bad dark circles under my eyes (damn you hereditary genes! *shakes fist*) and this makes them look nice when combined with about three different concealers. Yes, I use three different ones, but if I'm having a good day, then it's just one (: I love days like that.

Last but not least for skincare, is Caudalie's Beauty Elixir (On offer for £30.40, here) which is pretty one of my favourite ever products, as it's just so glorious, you know? It's so refreshing and it makes me feel revived, whether after waking up, or after a long day. This stuff is the business, and I can't imagine my skincare routine without it. There was a sad few weeks between the end of my small bottle and the purchase of this large one, and they were very sad, and my skin suffered for it. I think my skin just looks brighter, and I love that: dull looking skin is always a bad thing in my book, so getting my glow on is why I covet this stuff. 

Makeup wise, there are two little products that have been setting my heart aflutter over the past few weeks, and you've probably read all about them in the blogging world, but they are the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Red Pepper(£8.99, here) and Clinique's Cheek Pop Blush in Peach Pop(£16.50, here). These are just two products that have been doing their job so well, I pretty much throw them in my travel makeup bag when I'm going out for the day, they don't let me down. Their staying power, as well as colour payoff is wonderful - I'm seriously considering another blush and I own four of the Bourjois Velvet Lipsticks, they're just so really wonderful, I can't help but sing their praises whenever I use them, or someone asks me about them. Except no one has to really ask me about them... I'll just say 'Have you seen those Bourjois lipsticks/Clinique blushes?'. Yeah, the girls in work know to ask me about makeup or skincare. They're fully aware of my addiction. 

Now, you can't forget the nails on a trip, so what better than two amazing products to guarantee the perfect manicure, or the easiest way ever to take it off when you're bored of it? Enter Seche Vite Fast Dry top coat (£9, here) and Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (£4.99, here) for doing the really essential tasks that we kinda take for granted. Want nail polish that won't chip for days on end? Look no further than Seche Vite. Want the quickest and cleanest way to remove nail polish? It's gotta be this Bourjois pot of wonder. They're both so very easy to use, which is exactly what you want for low maintenance nails when you're travelling. What are your travelling essentials?

My City Pharma, Paris Purchases

Ahhh Paris. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about, right? Just say it with me, ahhhh Paris. And if you haven't been there, believe me, you will at some point say, ahhh Paris. It's just a magical place full of magical things like Sephora and the humble Pharmacie, but what we're going to be talking about, it the mother of all Parisian Pharmacie's, and it's called City Pharma. 26 Rue de Four in Saint Germain, it is wall to wall full of wonderful products. Caudalie, Nuxe, Bioderma, Embryolisse, La Roche Posay, Eucerin and Vichy are all up for grabs in the almost claustrophobic aisles, and if you can get near the shelves, have a browse. That brings me to a very important point. It's busy there. Maddeningly busy. Get there early, keep your personal belongings close and use one of the bags they provide. Don't be afraid to say 'excuse me' a lot, and smile, it will diffuse a lot of overheated situations. At the tills, there is no orderly form of a queue, so jump right in, and wait in a straight line behind your chosen till. Your time will come. 

I hit the sections that I knew I wanted items from, because browsing was a bad idea, because I couldn't get near the shelves. From Nuxe it had to be their Huile Prodigieuse oil (£28, here), which is a multipurpose dry oil, that can be used on hair, skin and face alike. It immediately went into my basket as soon as I saw it, and moments later, all of the remaining ones were taken by a wonderfully stylish elderly French lady, who had an appropriate amount of Bioderma and Eucerin in her basket (yes, I looked. sorrynotsorry). This oil is something that is a definite travel companion, as dryness is something I suffer from, so why not just pop on a bit of this and carry on? Dry patches of skin can be more irritating that anything else, so this is a wonderful bottle of golden goodness. Another two products from the brand are their, ugh, amazing Reve de Miel lip balms, one in pot form (£9.50, here), the other in a stick (£5.50, here)- both of which are glorious and should be worn by everyone who has ever moaned about dry lips.

La Roche-Posay's Serozinc (£5.06, here) is something I'm sure you're familiar with on this blog, because I looooove it a ridiculous amount, because it soothes my reddened skin and helps to deal with the oiliness of it as well, total win-win. I actually bought four bottles of this stuff... and at €4 each,  they were worth lugging around Paris. I wrote about this last year and I'm still in love with is, so much so, I wouldn't double tone with anything else. It's so cooling and refreshing, so much so, I spritzed my dad's face with it when we were driving through France, and he did say that it was nice and light on the skin, non drying and 'good' (which means a lot coming from him).

Ah, Caudalie. Where would I be without you? My first bottle of this perfection, was small and used up within a month, but this, this is the big bottle and something I adore so much, it's almost painful. I don't even really know what it smells like, but it reminds me of fresh citrus and a crisp breeze on a warm day. I know that sounds a bit silly, but you have to try it to know what I mean. I use this after my oil/serum but before my moisturiser, to give a little boost before locking in all the goodness before I go to sleep. My bedtime routine suffers without it, so this is an absolute repurchase. The fact that it costs £30 for 100ml makes me wince, but some things are worth it, right?

Now, I was used to seeing Bioderma in those pretty pink tipped bottles, but the green tipped ones are for oily skin, and meant to not irritate the skin or upset its balance, thereby causing the production of more sebium. This 250ml bottle retails at £9.99 and the pack I purchased contained two, so if you're going to Paris, it's definitely worth purchasing the two pack, as not only does it save you money, but you get double the amount of product. This will be having its own little review up on the blog soon, so watch out for it.

Last, but not least, is Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, a favourite of Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo, and even though we have different skin types, I was determined to pick up a little tube of this to try, so I popped it into my bag as soon as I saw it. It's a thick, creamy moisturiser that sits well and sinks into the skin - I don't want to give too much away, as I'm still in the process of reviewing it, but I like it so far. It's a shame I don't know where it can be purchased in this country, so if anyone has any links, I'd love to include them in this post. I know French Skincare is quite dreamy and something not a lot of people, outside of blogger are familiar with, in this country, so I would definitely recommend Escentual for your perusal, as not only does it have reviews of each product, but numerous bloggers purchase products from there, including myself, so I trust it as a website. What French Pharmacy goodies are garnering your interest?

June Favourites 2014

June favourites, huh? Yes, it's July and... bloody pouring it down, but everyone likes a good favourites post, right? This is a little mixture of skincare and makeup, as well as a few jewellery pieces thrown in for a little bit of decoration. I do love a bit of decoration. But first, let's talk skincare.

Caudalie, Estee Lauder and Una Brennan. Three fabulous products that have been serving me well all month, especially with the changing weather. Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Serum and Una Brennan's Vitamin C Eye Cream were both packed away and taken to Paris with me, but this ugh, amazing bottle of Caudalie was purchase from City Pharma, which has to be the place of pilgrimage for Beauty bloggers and Beauty obsessives alike. I didn't know it existed until I read about it on a blog, and not only is it cheaper, but it has shelves stocked full of goodies. Getting near those shelves is the main issue, as well as paying. QUEUE? WHAT QUEUE? DO THE FRENCH KNOW HOW TO QUEUE? In essence, no they don't. I'm British, I will queue to get to a queue, but the French. No. That was the most stressful part of the shopping experience. But back to the goodies. 

Caudalie's Beauty Elixr is wonderful, and spritzed on after my serum and oil, but before my moisturiser - and it's refreshing, and lovely - basically, it's all the good words. Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Serum is something that most bloggers know of, but haven't necessarily tried, as it is quite expensive - however, it is lovely, calming, skin smoothing stuff, which my skin reacts to very well. Because my skin is quite oily, however, applying this every night is a bit much for me, so I stick to three times a week, or when my skin really needs it. If you have this, as well as dry skin, let me know what you think. It'd be fabulous to have another opinion on a different skin type. Una Brennan's Vitamin C Eye Cream is some seriously lovely stuff - moisturising but not too heavy or greasy, it sinks in and I don't know about brightening, because I have very bad dark circles anyway, but I really do like it, so I'd gladly recommend it to anyone. 

The makeup choices are very exciting, in my opinion, as not only can you create any eye look with Makeup Revolution's Redemption Palette Essential Mattes, I tend to go for something smoky and somewhat defined through the crease but the pigmentation allows you to build up intensity as well, so you can go subtle or all out glamorous. A brilliant product and an absolute steal at £4, which I picked up online from Superdrug (here). Seriously. £4 for all that amazingness! Ugh, go buy it. Buy all of it. I'm such an enabler, I know. 

Next up we have my go-to lipstick from Revlon, called Pink in the Afternoon (£7.49, here) and it's this delicate, soft pink that I would never usually go for, but it's so easy to wear. I just slick it on, and go. Simple as that. It doesn't require a great amount of effort, as a brighter colour would, so much so, I sometimes apply it without a mirror before doing a quick 'once over' with my fingertip. It's hassle free and the soft, almost rose pink would be complimentary to most skin tones, it something I would definitely recommend swatching. Maxfactor's Facefinity All day Primer (£10.99, here) has been my go to ever since I've bought it, and even though I do like to switch things up with my Revlon Photoready Primer, this has been a staple for me. It instantly smoothes as it goes on and provides a wonderful, matte base for my foundation, and as I have oily skin, it works wonders as giving my face products that extra staying power. 

Clinque Cheek Pop in Peach Pop is a gorgeous, gorgeous colour, and something I raved about in this review, and I just can't stop reaching for it every morning. I use it almost everyday, and the imprint of the lovely flower is still there, which appeases my aesthetic side who was very sad when I had to use it the first time. The colour is divine, and can be built up for a bigger 'pop' of colour, or worn as a sublet flush on the cheek. I think I run the risk of reviewing this all over again, so check out the link, and read my glowing review of it. You can purchase the blusher for £16.50 here and there are four wonderful colours to choose from, I think my next foray into Clinique will be the 'Ginger' or 'Berry' pop. 

Last, but not least, is Soap & Glory's 'Glow all Out' Luminizing Radiance face Powder (£11, here) and it's something I blogged about a while back, and I still love it, result? It just gives some much needed life and colour to my skin, which is always pale after my foundation and concealer. I think it just lifts my look, making me look alive and maybe even a bit flushed, based on how heavy handed I am when I apply it. It's a soft peachy, coral that looks gorgeous on the skin and it's another product I cannot help but recommend. What were your June favourites?

Clinique Cheek Pop in 'Peach Pop'

I'm a bit late to hop on the Clinque Cheek Pop (£16.50, here) train, but then again, I've been using this for a while now, and isn't it better to have a fully formed opinion on this little beauty product? Clinique say that this product is a 'Vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powerless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone. That just-pinches look, simply effortless'. They make it sound pretty wonderful, don't they? Well, here's the deal. It is, pretty wonderful. But more on that in a little bit.

This little Cheek Pop was a cheeky (see what I did there?) little giveaway win from the amazing Ellis who runs elrbx and is a total babe, you should totally follow her if you don't already. This was my first venture into Clinique makeup, and it totally didn't disappoint. So I was so incredibly chuffed with myself, that I'd won her giveaway, and to have a product that was being hailed as a very good one in the blogging world is a bit of a big win for me, so I hope I can do Ellis justice with my review (: So on with the show! (She even sent a little note with it! Isn't she lovely? <3)

I chose the colour Peach Pop mainly because, thanks to Bourjois and their cream blushes, coral and peaches have become a must have on my face. So this was a total 'I must have it' as soon as I saw the swatches, and a few days later it arrived - I immediately had to photograph it, before giving a good ol' test run. Let's talk about the packaging though. It's beautiful. Simple and elegant, clear, heavy plastic with Clinque printed on the front, showing off the gorgeous little flower printed into the cream blush. It's wonderful, isn't it? I couldn't stop looking at it, when I got it, and I will admit, I was a little sad to ruin the perfection that were those petals. But the colour payoff was totally worth it.

You don't need a lot of this product. I will repeat, you don't need a lot of it. It's very pigmented, and can look too harsh if applied with a heavy hand - via brush or fingers. I start off with a light sweep on the cheekbones before applying a little to the apples of my cheeks - remember, you can always add more, so light is the way to go with this. I totally agree with the 'just-pinched' look that they were talking about, as it just looks so sweet, like a little flush has risen on your cheeks and made you look fabulous. When swatched, it's bright and you think 'Ohmygod I can't put that on my face' which is what happened with me in the beginning, which is why I included a picture of me wearing it, so you can see, that even on my absurdly pale skin, it looks completely natural and effortless. Just-pinched, indeed.

It's a soft, creamy texture, light and wonderful to apply. It's really dreamy on the skin, and I think it's a colour that would suit just about any skin tone, as it can be built up for a more dramatic colour, or left as a subtle wash - like a watercolour paint. I think it's completely gorgeous, and I for one, am looking forward to getting another. Maybe Ginger Pop? I think a little swatch-fest is in definite order the next time I head to a Clinique counter. Is this something that strikes your fancy? Do you think the pinks would appeal to you more? Let me know (:

Revlon Lip Butters.

From top left to right, and then ending at bottom left; Strawberry Shortcake, Juicy Papaya, Macaroon, Wild Watermelon, Red Velvet, Peach Parfait and berry Smoothie. They're £7.99 or two for £10 here.

Let's talk about these little beauties. I remember when they were first released, and everyone went slightly mad over them. I say slightly, I mean they went full on crazy over these lipsticks, and it's not hard to see why. The amount of colours to choose from is wonderful and although I've photographed seven, I swear I have a few more that I cannot remember what I've done with... I'm going to blame my best friend, as she probably stole them from me the last time I went to see her (; or I'm sure they'll turn up eventually. Moving on, these lipsticks are full of moisture and can be slicked on for a sheer wash of colour, or can be built up for a more stunning show. Obviously the deeper colours show up more when applied, but the lighter colours are not ones to be overlooked, as they do pack some serious punch, just you know, slightly paler in tone. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Peach Parfait is a gorgeous coral with a shot of gold shimmer running through it, and although it may not be too clear in the picture (sorry about that) the shimmer adds a noticeable plumpness to the lips in real life, and I do like a good lipstick that makes my lips look even nicer. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet.

Red Velvet is ugh. It's gorgeous and definitely one of my favourites, a burgundy red that has this shine to it, it makes my day whenever I wear this. This can also be worn smudged onto the lips, and blended to give that 'I've just been kissed ridiculously well' redness to the lips, which I love. This was what I wore in the winter time, and I loved it so much - it's one of the reasons why I love colder weather so much. Pale skin and reddened lips are something I adore and wear as often as I can. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

This was actually the first colour I ever bought from this range, and it set me on the course of destruction, as I obviously love them, and couldn't do without adding several more to my collection. It's a soft berry, a more pastel raspberry with a small shot of shimmer, and I for one love a bit of shimmer, as you know, anything to draw more attention to the fabulous shade on my lips is okay by me. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Macaroon

One of my most recent additions to my collection is this gorgeous pinky coral red, with the most subtle shot of shimmer running through it - it's just glorious, and makes my skin look alive; I think that's the thing about a good lipstick, the colour has the ability to make you look less like a member of the undead, and more like a glamorous lady who can rock an amazing colour on her lips. Believe me, without concealer, my dark circles are something fearsome, so with no makeup on, I'm a pale, dark circled mess, but with a kick of colour on the lips, I suddenly look alive, and feel like I don't have to actually put makeup on. It's a total win. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake is the palest shade that I own, pink wise, and it is a lovely shade, but it's not really one that I wear. Don't mistake that as a bad thing though, even though the pink is totally not something I usually wear; stepping outside of my comfort zone is always a good thing, as It make me think of new eye makeup and new cheek products, as why not change up the entire look? Because it's so pale, it does go on quite sheer, but can be built up for a more powerful wash of pale pink, which I think is awesome, as the strength of colour can be changed based on your mood. Win, right?

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Much like the pale pink above, this pale peachy orange is gorgeous and totally not something i'd usually wear. It goes on like a dream, soft and moisturising, a gentle slick of colour that doesn't look too much or overdone, which is perfect for when you're feeling subtle is the way to go. I have days like that, where a smudge of eyeliner and a peachy lip is what you feel like wearing, and even though I feel as powerful as I usually do when wearing red lips and sharp black liner, I just want to wear something a bit cuter. And when I say I'm feeling powerful, I mean like I'm feeling awesome and nothing can bring me down. I love those days. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

Last but not least, is Wild Watermelon. This colour is gorgeous. Gorgeous. Bright almost coral pink, and it's so good. This is the shade for summer, in my opinion, as it just has that punch of colour, which I think would look gorgeous on any skin tone. Much like the rest of the lip butters, they're buildable, moisturising and ridiculously lovely. I would definitely recommend you checking them out if you haven't already. What colours are your favourites? 

Figs & Rouge Vanilla Pistachio Lip Butter.

A few weeks ago, I posted on twitter about my little pot of Figs & Rouge rose lip balm and how it had developed a little bit of skin on it, and wondering whether it'd happened to anyone else. Figs & Rouge actually got back to me and told me that I'd had the pot for two years and that because they were completely natural, they'd go off or expire. I was pretty flabbergasted. Two years?! Where did those two years go? I have no idea, but they offered to send me a little product to make me feel better about the lack of lip balm, and I was more than happy to accept one. This little tube, is a lip butter* (ugh, gotta love it) is something that I haven't seen in store anywhere, and after a bit of googling, you can purchase it on FeelUnique here (£4.95).

But let's talk about it. It smells amazing and feels really good on the lips, really moisturising and even slightly oily, but not in a bad way. It's so lovely on the lips, and this makes them feel so soft; i'm not a massive fan of my lips looking shiny, but after a while, this does kind of matte down with wear, but still retains it's moisturising values, which is what I really look for in a good lip product that doesn't offer any colour properties. I want my lips to feel good and plump for a good few hours after applying a product, and this really works for me. I am a bit of a subconscious lip licker, so I tend to get a lot of wear around the middle of my lips, but a quick move around the product still left on my lips ensures that not only do my lips look nourished for longer, but it means that you don't have to reapply the product; which is what we all want, yes? It's a way to save product, and therefore save money. I love the Figs & Rouge products that have, so this is a really welcomed addition to my stash.
And let's not forget about the smell and taste, as that can really make or break a product - as you know, it's right below your nose, so if it doesn't smell good, i'm a bit reluctant to use it. This product however, ticks all the boxes and i'm so pleased with the lip butter that I was sent; Vanilla Pistachio*. I may have developed a slight addiction to pistachio macaroons in Paris, so this really reminds me of those times.

Have you tried any of their new lip butters? Is it something that appeals to you? Let me know (:

The Sunglasses Edit.

Going on holiday is always a brilliant time of year, but you know what isn't fun? Packing and deciding what you're going to take... unless you're buying lots of new things, which is fun, but the bank account wouldn't agree with me, there. I don't like packing; it's a mass of folding, squishing and trying to fit everything you want to take, especially those fifth pair of shoes that you pack, just in case. This also applies to sunglasses. I have quite a few pairs, eight to be exact, and you can't take eight pairs when you're going on holiday for seven days, can you? Nope. So witting down this selection was a task and a half - so why not blog about my struggles then, yes?

Let's start with the top left. Converse shades from TKmaxx, setting my back nothing more than £15, and looking so fabulous on, I couldn't stop myself from buying them (it was a very sunny day and the lack of sunglasses were affecting my eyes, so it was a must have purchase, for ...health reasons?). They have that very rectangular, cool look about them, and the tortoise shell print is something that I adore so much - it's a classic design that goes with everything. These are a definite contender for being packed. Next up are my Fossil glasses, and yes, they're from TKmaxx (let's assume they're all from TKmaxx unless specified otherwise) and these were one of my first purchases when I came into some money (thank you student finance loan) and they served me very well during my University years, as living by the sea means you've gotta have some good shades... otherwise, you stand out like a sore thumb. That's not something I like to do, unless standing out like a sore thumb means fabulously dressed, in that case, I don't mind. 

Next we have the retro looking tortoise shell glasses, and those are old. They were my mum's when she was younger, and she gave them to me as she can only wear sunglasses with prescription lenses. These were originally from Boots, all those years ago and these are perhaps, some of my favourite sunglasses ever. They look wonderful perched on my nose, and resting on the top of my head; they're fabulous, and I always feel so retro whenever I wear them. The white and black rimmed ones next up are by Lacoste and from, you guessed it, TKmaxx, for less than £20. I can never remember the exact price, but when I wasn't in possession of a lot of money, I wouldn't pay more than £15/£20 for a pair of sunglasses. These are also some of my favourites, as come on, they're fabulous and look so good on. They're another definition of retro, and when teamed with red lips and waved hair, I feel so vintage and I do love a good vintage look.

As we go down, we've got a good selection from Boots and TKmaxx - wanna guess which ones are which? Another pair of tortoise shell glasses, are also another pair given to me by my mother, from her time in the 80's when she was a badass lady with fabulous taste (she did have a perm though, let's not talk about that). These ones are thinner and less 50's retro, they're more like something John Lennon would have worn in the 70's, and I love that. White and black are Playboy, Blue and dark, dark grey are Ben Sherman and yepp, they're all TKmaxx finds that I've picked up over the years. I think the main realisation of this post, is that Tkmaxx is a wonderful place for good quality glasses, at vastly reduced prices, and for those who can't really afford Raybans or anything like that, this is a great place to have a good nose. I suppose, even if you can afford Raybans, there's nothing more exciting than finding a bargain, is there? I love a good bargain, and consistent looking over the years has allowed me to build up quite a collection of wonderful pieces, that add a certain edge or glamour to any outfit. I think people sometimes tend to overlook the influence of sunglasses, but they can completely make an outfit or create a certain look that'll give you an extra bounce in your step. 

Have you found any wonderful sunglasses lately? Aren't they just an essential? Not only to protect your eyes, but to jazz up any outfit?