Holiday Hero's: Mexico Editon

So not to state the obvious but Mexico is HOT, like really hot and some days I was pretty sure I was melting but that’s ok because it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. I’m in the middle of going through all of my photos to put into posts but in the mean time I have put together a list of the products that saved me while I was out there.

Origins Drink Up Over Night Mask – God I love this product it’s the most amazing thing for keeping your skin hydrated and in the Mexico heat it was definitely needed, I used this every night before I went to sleep and my skin definitely thanked me for it.

Aussie is usually my go to hair brand for holidays and the fact that they make their 3 Minute Miracle conditioners in miniature is genius. You leave the conditioner on your hair for 3 minutes after washing and it leaves your hair feeling soft and healthy, which is just what you need after a day in the pool or the sea.

Aftersun is usually a tricky one for me as sometimes they break my skin out in rashes. I’m all for being protected but when it makes your skin horrible and blotchy it’s not really the sexy beach look I am for. I picked up the Soltan intensely moisturising after sun from Boots as it said it contained shea butter and almond oil and it works like body butter. This was an absolute life saver of a product it smells amazing and really soaked into the skin reducing the burn and leaving my skin super soft. I will definitely be grabbing a pot of this on all of my future holidays.

I know deodorant isn't the most glamorous of products but the fact is we all need it. I went for the Sure Maximum Protection which is quite expensive for a deodorant coming in at about £5 but it was honestly worth every penny as it lasted all day, I would have spread this all over my forehead if it was possible because it really did reduce the amount of sweat (nice) and kept me fresh.

I used the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel every morning to give my skin that little extra boost. As it’s a gel its not too heavy but still manages to get deep into my skin and prepare it for the day.

Last of all is the DrJart Waterfuse BB Cream. I try and wear as little make up on holiday as possible, 1 to let my skin breath and 2 because the majority of it just melts off. In the evenings however I do like to make an effort and this is the best thing that I have found which gives coverage, hiding all the burnt red bits but is still light and lets your skin breath.

What products are your saviours on holiday? Will you be taking any of these with you this year?

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And I've Given In To The Hype...Again

It always happens; you see so many rave reviews about a product that you have to have it in your life. My spending ban was going so well but this weekend just gone I felt like I needed a little pick me up so a trip to Boots happened.

I've been so busy at work recently that the whole Bourjois Happy Light hype had managed to get passed me it wasn't until I saw a picture of the new range on Instagram that it really grabbed my attention. I was so happy that in the little Boots where I live stocked the primers so I opted for the Luminous Serum Primer to give my skin a little pick me up and I have to say so far so good! It keeps my made up in place and gives my skin a nice glow and at the moment its only £6.99 so it would have just been rude not too.

The Maybelline Baby Lips hype really did not excite me. To me they just seemed like a lip balm with bright tacky packaging. However after seeing swatches over on Pearls and Poodles I was a bit more intrigued. So I finally caved and o my goodness I wish I had bought them earlier! The colours are gorgeous and it really does leave my lips super soft, it does need reapplying throughout the day but for £2.99 that’s to be expected and to be honest I enjoy reapplying it, they taste nice too!

The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is actually a repurchase, I can’t remember how long ago it was when I gave into this hype but I haven’t tried any other concealer since. It’s amazing at covering blemishes and lasts all day. I won’t harp on too much about this as I'm sure you have all seen countless reviews but seriously if you haven’t tried this…why not?!

What have you been buying lately? Do you give into blogger hype easily?

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Haul: The Beauty Bits

Real Techniques Blush Brush and Stippling Brush

I wanted the stippling brush to apply my cream blushes and it just so happened that the brushes were buy one get one half price in Superdrug so it would of been rude not to pick up the blush brush too right?

MUA Pistachio Ice Cream, Barry M Blue Grape and Mango

The Famous Essie dupe and these gorgeous Barry M colours are perfect for summer.

Natural Collection Waterproof  Mascara, DrJart BB Cream, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I'm so excited to try this DrJart BB Cream! The mascara was only a bargainous £1.99 and the concealer is a staple in my make up bag.

M&S Shower Gel, Nivea Face Wipes

I picked this shower gel up while I was in the queue at Marks and Spencers it smells delicious. I'm not usually one for face wipes but on holiday they are a must.

Mini Nspa Shower Gel, Aussie shampoo and Conditioner, Nivea Deodorant L'oreal Salt Spray

Asda have a great deal on miniatures at the moment, 4 for £3! The Salt spay was down too £2 and I want to stop using so much heat on my hair so I can't wait to create a textured Holiday look with this.

As promised here are my new beauty purchases for my holiday. What are your holiday essentials?

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Botanics BB Cream Radiant Youth

Botanics BB Cream Radiant Youth

The BB cream craze did not initially grab me, for me it’s just a tinted moisturiser with a higher SPF. However I recently won a completion on twitter for a bag of goodies from Boots (woop, woop!) and the product that caught my eye was the Botanics BB Cream Radiant Youth. Maybe it was the pretty packaging but I was excited to try.

So far my opinion with Botanics has been split. I LOVE the Botanics Rosewater Spritz but the Botanics Mattifying Cream really dried out my skin and broke me out so I was a little concerned that the BB cream may do the same.

The Botanics BB Cream Radiant Youth claims to give you instantly radiant skin, even out your skin tone, blur imperfections and keep your skin hydrated.

I am happy to report that I have been pleasantly surprised by this. It gives just the right amount of coverage yet it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything, its light and allows my skin to breathe.

I have shade medium, which when it came out of the tube looked scarily dark but blended into my skin looked light and natural.

The wear time was pretty good the only places I needed to reapply were my usual areas like my chin and around my nose which happened with nearly every foundation I use so this was not a problem.

Overall Botanics BB Cream Radiant Youth has a thumbs up from me and it has opened my eyes to the world of BB creams. Now the summer is approaching and I’m looking for less coverage I’m definitely looking to expand my BB cream Range, Dr Jart I’m looking at you!

Do you use a BB cream? What BB cream do you recommend?

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Nails: No7 Blackberry

Blackberry

Blackberry is another gorgeous shade by No7 which is absolutely perfect for this time of year, a deep plum colour with gold shimmer running through it. The polish has a lovely shine to it but gold shimmer is very subtle and doesn't show up as much as I would like on the nails.

I'm obsessed with burgundy colours at the moment, I posted about another a little while a go Damson Dream, which is very similar but you can never have too many nail polishes, right?

As with all No7 polishes its easy to apply and is pretty much opaque in one coat but I like to do 2 just to be on the safe side, it usually lasts for about 2 days until chipping starts.

No7 Nail polishes are available from Boots.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman are no stranger to the blogging world, I think the majority of beauty bloggers own at least one or have them on their wish lists. To be honest this time last year make up brushes had never bothered me, I would use the free ones if I got them with a product but never thought about actually purchasing good quality ones. Well thanks to blogs and You Tube that has all changed and I know see the importance of brushes.

I received the Core Collection for my birthday back in July. I didn't do a review on these just because there are so many amazing reviews out there I didn't really think mine was needed.

However, I thought I would bring your attention to the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I have been using this to apply my foundation every day since July, it comes everywhere with me and after I came back from holiday I stayed over at my boyfriends parents house as mine is 2 1/2 hours away from the airport. The following day when I arrived back at my house and went to apply my make up I couldn't find my beloved buffing brush anywhere! This then lead to my mad panic of  'How the hell do I apply my foundation without it!?' Do I use my fingers, do I use a cheap brush? I actually cannot believe how lost I was!

After a lot of faffing and panicking I finally found the brush after remembering I had already used it earlier that day. Idiot.

Anyway the point of this ramble is to say I actually don't know what I would do with out this brush, it applies my foundation effortlessly and give it a flawless finish. The brush is so soft yet dense it buffs the foundation in beautifully.

Real Techniques Brushes can be purchased from Boots here, the Core Collection is £21.99 for 4 brushes which is amazing value for money.

Do you own any Real Techniques brushes? How do you apply your foundation?

Nails: Razzle Dazzle Dream

Damson Dream and Razzle Dazzle

Ok it is now autumn, I have been trying to keep the summer dream alive but it is time I admit defeat. So here are my first autumn nails. I picked up Damson Dream by No7 after searching for a gorgeous deep red colour, it wasn’t until I got home that my house mate told me she thought I already had a very similar glittery colour. She was right! How could I forget ‘Razzle Dazzle’ by Deborah Lippman which I got in a Glossy Box. So instead of layering on coats on the glitter polish I used Damson dream as a base with Razzle dazzle on top, perfect. I do feel my nails look rather Christmassy now so this combo will definitely be making an appearance this Christmas.

What do you think?

Damson Dream is available at Boots for £7.

Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara for Brown Eyes

Without:

After One Coat:

This weekend I picked up a new mascara to add to my ever growing collection, the Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara for Brown Eyes.

‘Max Factor Eye Brightening Tonal Black Mascara, offers three individually designed mascaras for each eye colour. Each mascara makes their glamour statement by brightening your natural eye colour whether you have brown, blue or green eyes. At the same time the mascara gives your lashes up to 300% more volume making sure your eyes have beautiful stand out.’

Now I am a bit of a mascara addict but the main reason I picked this up is because it’s currently on offer in boots for £4.99 Instead of its usual recommended price of £7.99 (which still really isn’t bad).

I think the photos speak for themselves, after one coat I have to agree that my eyelashes are full of volume and length. Whether it brightens my natural eye colour I’m not so sure but I can forgive that as I don’t really think any make up product can brighten your eye.

The brush is quite thin but it applies the mascara with ease and doesn’t leave any clumps. For day time I only use 1 coat but this is easily buildable if you want a more dramatic look for a night out.

Overall I am impressed with this mascara, and I would definitely re purchase this. It’s currently available in Boots and Superdrug for £4.99 so what are you waiting for!?

Have you tried this mascara? Did it brighten your natural eye colour?

L'oreal Universal Lip Glow

L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Universal Lip Glow

'L'Oréal Paris' first lipstick that adapts uniquely to the moisture of your lips to form a bespoke, individual colour. The result: a tailor-made shade of pink with a subtle finish.'

I received this lipstick from one of my friends for my birthday and it got me really excited. First of all I love the packaging, the bright pink band around the middle makes it stand out but the best part had to be the product itself as it’s transparent! I think this is a great selling point which will grab a lot of attention as there aren’t many other products like this out the at the minute.

It’s marketed as a ‘Lip Glow’ and I think this is the best way to describe it. The formula is very hydrating almost like a lip balm but not as heavy as a lipstick. It applies sheer but the colour is buildable so if you want a brighter shade, just keep layering it on.

I use it quite lightly and it gives me a gorgeous subtle hint of colour which is perfect for the day time, I have been keeping mine on my desk at work and using it throughout the day to keep my lips moisturised without looking OTT. The colour however does not have the best staying power.

This retails for £8.49 in Boots and Superdrug. I don’t think it’s a bad price but if you’re just looking for something to keep your lips hydrated throughout the day I’d probably say you’re better off just buying a tin of Vaseline or Palmers Moisturizing Lip balm as it will do a better job and save you some money too.

Overall I do like this product but it’s not something I will be raving over and probably won’t be repurchasing when it runs out.

Have you tried the L’oreal Lip Glow? Are there any similar products you would recommend?

Nails: Pinky Brown

Models Own: Pinky Brown

I have been eyeing up the Models Own Beetle Juice Collection for a while now, so when I saw a set of 3 in the ASOS sale for £7 I had to snap them up! The colour I have chosen today is Pinky Brown, and it does exactly what it says on the tin, a gorgeous bright pink with a brown shimmer to it. I absolutely love the effect and I have had quite a few nice comments around the office this morning about them which is always a bonus. The polish applies easily and it only took two coats to get the desired effect, so that’s great for me as I usually get frustrated if they need more.

The Beetle Juice Collection retail at £5 each and are available from the Models Own Website. You can also find them on ASOS and larger Boots Stores. I can’t wait to get my hands on some more colours and would definitely recommend giving them a go if you like pretty nails without much hassle.

Have you tried any Models Own Polishes before?

Happy Friday Ladies! x