My new love: Bumble & bumble

I've kind of fallen in love with Bumble and bumble... I know, I know, have I been hiding under a rock?! I had a spur of the moment decision to just go all out and buy a few things I have been eyeing up for a while and just got over the price tag! Here are the select items I went for!

I've wanted a hair mask for a while and scoured the internet looking for all sorts... that's when I stumbled across this, the BB Creme de Coco Tropical Riche Masque. I've only used it once but my God, this stuff is amazing, it also smells incredible! It left my hair so shiny and soft and you only need to have it on for 7 minutes, which is a lot less than some other hair masks out there!

 I read about this shampoo on another blog - Nouvelle Daily - and thought, 'that is exactly what I need'. I make a thing of always washing my hair on a Sunday, making sure the end of the week leaves me feeling good about starting a new one! This ultra purifying shampoo is a cleansing concoction to leave hair super duper shiny and full of life, helping to remove all the crap build up from the week before. This shampoo manages to cleanse the hair, without stripping it, though it should really only be used once a week to avoid it making your hair dry and parched. I've only used this twice but so far so good! The most recent time I used the masque after, and that was when I think my hair has felt its best, ever.

This final product wasn't something I was planning on purchasing, but the sales woman at Boots did a good job and it somehow ended up in my basket, and thank God it did! This is the Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer, a pre-spritz  to ensure your hair is protected and stays soft and supple between washes. It also comes with a whole host of benefits, it detangles, softens, acts as a heat and UV protector and de-frizzes. A little also goes a long way, which is how I justified buying it as at £19 this is pretty pricey, but i figure it will last a long time!

Have you tried any Bumble & bumble? What's you're favourite range?

Emma xx

May Favourites

It's the end of another month and that can only mean one thing... time for another favourites post! I haven't done one of these since March but I think that's because I was just so busy in April. I feel like in the past few weeks I have found some real gems that will 100% hang around as permanent fixtures in my stash!

First up is a new perfume purchase, I've wanted this for ages, since it came out really, and when I found it on offer I couldn't resist! Dolce is a feminine, fresh fragrance and embodies the "delicate balance between timeless craftsmanship and innovation...". The heart notes feature White Amaryllis and Water Lily, and base notes include Cashmeran and Sandalwood. If you like fresh floral scents I would definitely recommend this one!

Next up is a foundation I mentioned in a previous post, the Dior Skin Forever Fluid Foundation. The more I use this the more I love it, the packaging, formulation, shade and wearability are all amazing. If you want to read more about it just click on the link above to hear about the product. I've also mentioned Roller Lash in the same post, and as per, this stuff is great, I always have fantastic things to say about this product, and nothings changed.

I know I'm a bit behind with this next product but.... Eight Hour Cream, where have you been all my life?! I have suffered from dry hands for a while, especially over winter. This stuff isn't just for hands though,  you can shape brows, revitalize shine, and smooth cuticles and nails. This award winning hand cream has also been praised by make-up artists and beauty editors for many years now and no self respecting model would be without this cult product in their make-up bag. 

Finally, a new nail colour from Mavala in Orchid Mauve. This is now my new perfect nude... I've been wearing it for weeks, back to back. It's long lasting, has a nice shine and works with any outfit. 

What are your favourite items this month?!

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 Long Haul Flight Essentials

I'm typing up this post just a few hours before I set off on the first leg of my journey to Mexico - the first part is just driving to Manchester as I fly tomorrow (boring!) - but I know I won't be taking my laptop so this will be the final post until I arrive home! I'm not going to lie, I'm not the biggest fan of flying, especially long haul, mainly because I hate being bored, and restricted, so I've tried to ensure my hand luggage has things to resolve these issues.

I'm going to cover the basic, non-beauty items first... So bag wise, I made sure I brought a reasonable size, within the airline restrictions size limit, but still pretty big. I've gone for a shopper from Topshop, there were a few colour available but I went for the light grey. I'll be throwing in sunglasses, my purse, kindle, phone, iPod, earphones, painkillers, tissues, sweets, John Green's Paper Towns, a sleeping mask (you never know when you'll need one of these!) and finally my passport, travel money and of course tickets! I've also been converted this year to bring along a neck/travel pillow, everyone seems to love these but I've never been too bothered, then one time Primark I found this one and I have to admit, I love it, I've even been wearing it around the house!

The standout product though has to be the This Works Deep Sleep Spray and Stress Less Rollerball. This should keep me calm and relaxed during the flight, even when I'm not! For toiletries I'm also bringing Yes To cucumber wipes, my Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist, Super Facialist Eye Cream, Estee Lauder Serum, Carex hand sanitiser, and a Tea Tree Spot Stick.

I haven't really brought a lot of make up with me, as I will have applied what I want on before the flight and when I land I really won't care what I look like, I'll just put my sunglasses on! So the very few pieces that are coming with me revolve around necessity, for instance Carmex lip balm, a tiny 5ml vile of Modern Muse and the YSL Touche Eclat just to touch up and keep me feeling at least a little presentable!

And that's it! Not too much, just the essentials plus a few extras - I told you this was the year I pack light!

Emma xx

My Holiday Make-Up Essentials

This is year is the year I pack 'light'. I've been trying for a while to whittle down my makeup choices and it's something I've been struggling with for this years sunny, tropical, bikini-clad holiday! Now the majority of the day I'll be mainly makeup free, in other words bare faced with a quick slick of mascara... waterproof of course... but in the evenings I'll ramp it up with a full face of makeup - nothing too extravagant, more like a day to day look I'd normally wear at home. When I first grabbed what I thought I wanted to take I had to seriously re-evaluate, would I really wear everything I was going to take... probably not! So this is my very basic, minimal make up collection that will be accompanying me on holiday!

I'm going to be taking a rather large selection of lip products (woops!), but in all fairness they're all different types of lip products. First up is the No7 BB Lips in the shade Blush Coral. Now I know a lot of people say not to wear paler colours on holiday... but that is because those people tan, a lot, I on the other hand don't tan a lot, therefore it's okay! The darkest shade I'm taking is another No7 product, their High Shine Lip Crayon in the shade Tropical Beach, which is a really nice pinky/coraly colour. I've also decided to bring along one of my favourite duos, MACs lipstick in Pure Zen, paired with Sexy Mother Pucker by Soap and Glory in the shade Pink Apricot... Can you see a theme here? I like nude shades! I'm also bringing along the Carmex lip balm in Jasmine and Green Tea as well as a Nivea Hydra Care Lip Balm with SPF 15.

For face I've *tried* to keep it simple; just two foundations, one with slightly more coverage - L'oreal's True Match in Rose Beige and then a much lighter alternative, Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua, both have SPF15 which is always a positive when going on holiday. For concealer I'm bringing along my trusty Maybelline's Eraser Eye Concealer. To take the shine away I've chosen MACs Mineralise Skin Finish Natural and to add definition to my cheek bones I'm bringing the Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in shade 2, and No7's Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush. I've also decided to bring a base, keeping it a light with Benefit's Porefessional, just because I want to make sure I have primed my skin before I put my makeup on, especially since I'll be covered in suncream all day.

Then for eyes, I'm trying out the No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define shadow sticks. There are so many of these kind of products available but these are a great dupe at half the price of other options such as the By Terry Ombre Blackstick which is £29, while the No7 version is only £8! The shades I have opted for are Glistening Ray - a beautiful golden shimmery shade, Coffee Bean - a rich brown shade, and Cool Mink - a soft bronze based brown.

 

I think I'll also bring along the Naked 2 Palette just so I have some powder based alternatives. As well as these bases I'll bring along my liquid eyeliner of choice, Rimmel's Glam Eye's Liner and then Benefit's Roller Lash which I am completely obsessed with! I've also got a waterproof mascara for the day time - No7's Intense Volume.

And that's it! I swear this is a basic version for me, it was extremely difficult to cut it down and it was a lot bigger before, I promise!! Do you have anything you love to take away with you?

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