No7 Early Defence Range

Now you may or may not be aware that No7 recently launched a new collection into their already very popular current skincare range: Early Defence. This new range is aimed at younger women and is a preventative type of skincare, to keep skin looking younger for longer. The product claims to have Double Defence technology and a super light formulation - the latter I totally agree with, it's not heavy and is perfect before your foundation. The product is particularly aimed at 20-35 year olds with 'younger' complexions. Now, I know I'm only 20 (21 in a month!) so starting rather early with the anti aging-esque products but I guess you have to begin somewhere!

This product does feel heavy when you first apply, but as I mentioned earlier, once applied it absorbs into your skin and leaves a perfect base for your make up. It also doesn't affect the longevity of my makeup which is a great positive of the product - meaning I can have all the benefits from a moisturiser and know that my make up won't slide off my face mid-way through the day.

The ingredients include Lipopeptides and Vitamin A which are your anti aging properties, to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. It also claims to help against everyday environmental pollution and UV rays and as always with No7 Day Creams, it has SPF15, so you know even if your foundation doesn't have an SPF in, your skin will still be protected. It's also hyperallergenic, perfect for my sensitive skin!

I would 100% recommend this, and you have a selection of products to choose from as there's a Day, Night and Eye Cream available. Grab your own either in store or online.

Emma xx

Hauling #3

This post has been a long time coming, since I've been back in England (in other words duty free) I've had a thing for premium beauty, and when there's money off I can't find an excuse not to buy it! So the mixture of Boots discount and duty free both sides of the Atlantic have resulted in some serious harm to my bank account. Some of these items are relatively new, and some literally brought this week so a review may be coming your way soon!

This haul consists of twos... two mascaras, two foundations and two lip products... Lets start with the foundations. I love a good bargain and these two were picked up at the staff shop where I work. First up is the Lancome Photogenic Lumessence in the shade 01. I've been using this this week and I can already say I'm a fan. The shade, texture and durability are all great positives, though I wouldn't quite agree with 14 hour wear, however it does come close! It also has SPF 15 so means your skin is covered against the harmful rays from the sun. The next foundation is one from Dior, Dior Skin Forever Fluid Foundation in the shade 010. I haven't used this yet but I'm very excited to, it claims to last all day, have great blendability and creates a smoother, more even complexion day after day. I also loveeee the packaging on this - I know, not something which should determine whether I buy a product or not but don't worry it wasn't the only factor which persuaded me to buy!

Next up are the mascaras, I've been waiting agessss to buy Benefit's Rollerlash in full size ever since I got my free sample in Elle, so the wait is finally over! I love the formula of this mascara, its not too dry and the curl you get with this wand is probably one of the best I've seen. The other mascara in the pipeline is Lancome's Hypnose Mascara, again, I haven't tried this yet but very excited to test it out.

Finally the lip products, I've wanted both of these for ages and I was able to get them while on holiday. First, the Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Balm in the shade curvy candy. This is quite a sheer pink, perfect for day to day wear and the texture and wear is really good. Then there's the Dior Addict Lip Gloss in Rose Surprise, haven't had a chance to wear this yet but I love the corally-pink shade.

So that's my premium beauty haul! Are there any premium products you have your eyes on?

Emma xx

My Travel Toiletry Essentials

I'm currently in organisation overdrive - trying to plan for my holiday to Mexico in a weeks time! I'm at that stage where I'm trying to plan outfits for the week, without wearing anything I want to take on my travels. I want to make sure everything is planned before I leave, so packing next Friday should be (cross fingers) seamless and easy! I'll be doing a few posts about my upcoming holiday, so look out for them, especially if you like planning blog posts - I know I do... I'm such a snooper! So without further a do, here are my top picks for travel toiletries!

Hair:

For my hair I've decided to go for the Charles Worthington Shine Booster Shampoo and the Moisture Seal Conditioner. I find when I go on holiday my hair can become very dry due to the exposure to sun, so these two - although they aren't an original pair - are perfect, the Shine Booster should inject some gloss into my hair and the Moisture Seal should help revive it. I got these both in full size because I'm away for 11 days and I'll probably end up washing my hair most days so I'll need them to be larger than the mini travel sizes. I also picked up the Sunshine Protector Leave In Spray, also by Charles Worthington. It acts as a suncream but for your hair, to help prevent from damage, drying and fading. This is enriched with Moringa Seed Oil to help with moisture and shine, leaving hair protected, replenished and lightly scented. 

Body & Basics:

My body wash of choice is the Dove Go Fresh Body Wash in the scent Blue Fig and Orange Blossom. I love love love the smell of this, it's so fresh and exactly what I'm going to need to freshen up after being out all day in the sun. There's also a few basics like my deodorant, just a basic Soft and Gentle in Lavender and Patchouli, my razor, a Venus Spa Breeze disposable, my toothbrush, toothpaste etc!

Skincare:

I've tried to stick as close as possible to my normal skincare routine, so I've made sure I have my cleanser, eye cream, serum and moisturiser all the same as I have when I'm at home. I ordered the Bioderma Micellar Water as I really didn't want to take my 400ml Garnier version and this was the only one I knew which was small enough. I was also really intrigued to try the Bioderma version, so this small bottle is perfect. The cleanser of choice is of course my Liz Earle original cleanser, I was given this smaller size at an event at work, which is perfect for taking on holiday! The serum is my Body Shop Vitamin E Serum, it's a bit more gel-like than other serums so it's nice and cooling - perfect after a day sunning myself! Next up is my Una Brennan Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream and my Eucerin moisturiser. I'm also bringing along a small can of the Avene Thermal Spring Water, which I'll use as a toner but it'll also be handy to use in the day to cool off. Finally, I've got a small packet of the Yes to Cucumber Soothing Facial Wipes. These are more for on the plane but should be handy to have with me for whenever, they're also hypoallergenic which is good because I have very sensitive skin at times.

Sun Care:

I've switched up my sun care this year and gone for the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration in SPF 30. I'm also bringing along my trusty Piz Buin Ultra Dry Touch Fluid, again in SPF 30 -I don't know about you but I'm really not a fan of feeling sticky so hence the dry touch suncream! I've also opted for the Dry Touch Face Fluid, this time in SPF 15, but I also have a 30 just in case. For After-sun, I've gone for another Hawaiian Tropic line, one I've used before and absolutely love, the Silk Hydration After-sun Lotion. 

So thats it, an inside look at my holiday toiletry essentials! Is there anything you like to take with you when you go away?

Emma x

Hauling #2

So this week I headed to Boots for some cotton wool pads, toothpaste and shower gel, however somehow I left with a lot more than that! I picked up quite a few new purchases, and  of course  the essentials mentioned above! I've also realised there are loads of new products coming out at the moment... so I'm sure another trip will be happening very soon!

I think my favourite item out of this lot has to be the Maxfactor Creme Puff Blush. This is a new product launched by the company and is said to be a really good dupe of the Hourglass version at a fraction of the cost! There are six shades to choose from - which was a very tough decision (I was standing in the aisle for ages until I decided!!), however I chose to go with Lovely Pink. Now in general me and baked blushes get on like a house on fire, and from what I've seen so far, the Maxfactor version is no exception. It's lasting power is strong and the formula is beautiful - soft, buttery and goes on perfectly.

Next up is another recent addition to Boots and many other drugstores - the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude. This is another budget buy dupe - a water based foundation - not dissimilar to the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint or the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. The product is air whipped with the same velvety, feather-like texture of the Dream Matte Mousse and claims to be 12 times thinner than your average foundation. It's got great buildability and offers a flawless, natural looking finish and also has SPF20 in - which isn't a bad thing!

A few repurchases included my trusty Stay Matte Powder by Rimmel in Translucent, the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eraser and the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray from This Works. I only discovered the eye eraser this year but I absolutely love it! I'm already running low on my first tube so a repurchase was definitely necessary. As for the Deep Sleep Spray, this is another product I first purchased towards the back end of 2014 and again, fell in love and wanted to get the full size version as soon as I could. I know it's just a spray but it honestly helps me relax, so something I will be taking away with me next month, especially on the plane!

A new discovery for me -- yes, I've probably been hiding in a hole to have missed this -- is the Brow Drama from Maybelline. This 'sculpting brow mascara' has been the perfect addition to my make up bag. I have quite big eyebrows -- kind of Cara Delevingne/Tanya Burr-esque -- they're a statement piece and I use them to sculpt my face so this product is doing a good job so far for me, however I have heard negative reviews, especially over the round brush, which doesn't seem to a hit with those girls who have smaller eyebrows. So something to have in mind if you're thinking of purchasing!

Next I found Soap and Glory's Bright Here Bright Now Instant Energy Balm. I've heard mixed reviews on this so was a bit cautious to try it, but it's been a few days and I haven't seen any negative side effects! It's meant to give you a nice glow and works sort of as a moisturiser for when your skin needs that extra pick me up, like mine has this week while I've been suffering from a cold (boo!).

Finally, a little treat for my nails from Sally Hansen -- The Complete Care extra moisturising 4 in 1 nail treatment. You can use this as a ridge filling base, strengthener, growth treatment and glossy top coat. It's a little on the pricey side but for all of that I'm not going to complain!

There were of course a few other items including the bog standard cotton wool but also a few holiday products which I kind of hinted at a bit in the post... more details on that very soon!!

Emma xx