What's in my holiday beauty bag?

Hello! Long time no see! What with university, work, illness and general busyness I haven't been able to post in ages but never mind I'm back and the next couple of posts will be holiday based as I am going away in August! 

I decided to write about what's in my holiday beauty bag and all the toiletries that I have chosen to take with me! This post will not include any make up or nail items but let me know if that's something you'd like to read :)

So I've been collecting these items pretty much since I booked my flights a couple of months ago, as a beauty addict this is one part of holiday prep that I really enjoy and I am taking a pretty extensive list of items however about 80% of the things are products I use on the daily anyway and I don't want to slack on skincare or hair care for two weeks just because I'm going away! Also being in the sun a lot is one time when you really should look after your skin and hair!

I've split the products into categories so I can more easily show you what I have bought :)

In Shower Products

So I'll just work my way around this photo, every time I go away I like to buy myself a new loofah and exfoliating gloves just because it's a nice treat to have when you're going somewhere exciting! I bought cheap razors because when wearing a bikini it is nice to have freshly shaven legs/skin every day and so I will go through them so quickly, I also bought a mini satin care shave gel which is what I use at home and I love it, this was part of the 4 for £3 at Asda which is a complete bargain for holiday mini's. 

Currently I am obsessed with everything Soap And Glory so I obviously went for the mini shower cream and scrub. Scrubbing is important when away, get rid of all the nasty skin to make way for beautiful new soft tanned skin! 

Clinique recently did a 'Bonus Time' which I am a sucker for and the products are the perfect size for holiday so I'm taking the scrub and cleanser with me, lets hope they last the two weeks! I never have to worry about using new clinique products on my skin because I know the quality of them is always so good and they're always so kind to the skin. 

And finally where would I be without my trusty in shower moisturiser? I will be using after-sun AND moisturiser too but in the event that I get a little burnt I want to go to lengthy extremes to ensure I DO NOT peel! I've been a little sun kissed this summer already in the UK and this stuff has been a god send, I've raved about it before so don't really need to do it again!

Hair Care

Now this may look a little ridiculous for just one persons hair for two weeks but I do not have normal hair, I have enough hair for two people so it takes a lot of product! I'm taking away my favourite and trusty Aussie shampoo and conditioner and I need the full size because I use so much product for each wash and tend to wash my hair daily or every other day when I'm away because of the chlorine/sea water etc. 

I've got a mini '3 minute miracle' conditioner because my hair gets very dry especially in the humidity so I'll probably use that twice over the two weeks. 

As for non-shampoo hair care I've repurchased the Aussie 'Miracle Recharge' leave in conditioner, I normally go for the luscious long which smells and works amazing but I recently ran out of heat protectant so I thought I'd go for the 'Take The Heat' one and combine the two! I've started using it already and am loving it so far. 

Every year that I've been away since about the age of 12 I've taken the Shockwaves curling mousse. I find that my natural waves really come out when the waters softer abroad and this mousse just enhances the waves and gives my hair a lovely naturally soft but 'under control' feel. I swear by this and will carry on using it for years to come, it's also really inexpensive so I can't complain.

The next two are just little minis that are daily needs, a mini Batiste dry shampoo in the tropical scent (of course) and a Silvrikin hairspray, I'm hoping this will be enough hairspray but if not oh well!

After Shower Products

So when I get out of the shower at home I normally moisturise, put on deoderant and perfume and am good to go... however when in another country, one that is particularly hot, this is not always doable! I have a huge hatred of being hot and sweaty, especially just out of the shower, so I like to take baby powder away with me so my skin loses the sticky hot feeling completely! I then usually potter about in my towel before doing everything else. I just got one of the mini Johnsons baby powders from Asda, I think it was £1!

As for moisturiser I recently bought the Nivea 'Good-Bye Cellulite Gel Cream' (what a name) as it was on offer in Sainsbury's and I had wanted to try it for a while. I have a lot of cellulite on my thighs and luckily it's in a place where I can easily hide it but when in a bikini on holiday it's very much out there for the world to see. While I've usually not been too bothered I thought I would give this a go and see how it works for me. I've been using it for two weeks now and can definitely see a difference, it says by 3 weeks it'll be noticeably different looking so I'm gonna stick with it and take it away with me to help it further. 

I also bought the Soap and Glory 'The Daily Smooth', I have been religiously using Soap and Glorys 'Butter Yourself' lotion for a few weeks now but finding that in a bottle smaller than 500ml was near impossible and who needs that much moisturiser for 2 weeks? So I went for this one instead which I found in a 250ml bottle and I actually really like it, I've only used it once just to see what it's like and it isn't too heavy and is quick drying which is exactly what I wanted for holiday, it also smells amazing!

The deoderant I use is the SURE crystal, I think it works really well and it's always on offer so I usually stock up.

As you can see in the picture I have two mini's from Clinique which I actually think I will keep in my hand luggage for travelling, theres a mini fragrance which smells lovely (I'm not sure of the name) and a travel sized body butter perfect for dry skin on the plane. 

Lastly in this section is my perfume, I'm not 100% sure whether I am going to take this yet as I may buy a cheeky new one in duty-free but we'll see! This is my favourite perfume and it's called 'Viva La Juicy' by Juicy Couture. 

Skin Care

I've tried to keep this minimal as I can easily get carried away with what products to take! On the left hand side I have two Clinique gel moisturisers, I got the mini free when I bought the full sized and I really don't know how I ever lived without it, my skin has honestly never felt so soft and hydrated. I'm going to carry the mini one with me in my hand luggage. We leave at 3am and our flights at 6 so it's going to be a nice pick me up throughout the morning. 

After not being able to get hold of any mini Biodermas I thought I would try a new facial make up remover, I've been loving this one by L'Oreal and honestly think it's a really good dupe for Bioderma. I'm going to take this with me and most likely transport it into a smaller travel size bottle.

I'm taking two of my old favourites with me, my No.7 eye cream for Youthful eyes and my Johnsons face wipes for sensitive skin. I haven't used wipes in a very long time but I thought I would get some anyway as I'm likely to need them when I'm hot or if it's late and I'm being lazy!

I found these Simple minis at Asda for £1 each so I bought an eye make up remover and a toner. I don't doubt these will do the job fine, I would rather take my No.7 eye make up remover and my Olay toner but annoyingly they're in big bottles, too big for my needs, so I thought I'd just get these handy travel sizes.

Obviously I won't be taking all of these cotton pads with me but I thought I would show you the ones I like to use, they're organic cotton and from Sainsburys and are really soft on the skin. They don't leave any of that horrible cotton behind on your eyelashes so I really rate these and will be taking them for my make up remover, toner and nail varnish remover.

Sun Care

Last but not least is sun cream and after sun. These aren't all mine they're actually for me and my boyfriend to share hence why there's so many and such a huge after sun! We both really love the consistency and smell of the Ambre Solaire so got these in a factor 15 and a factor 10 which is what we'll both use for the majority of time. Obviously for the first few days a higher factor is required so we bought a 30 from the Sainsbury's own range, I have these ones every year and really rate them and after reading that article about supermarket-own brand sun protection products being the better choice for protection over more popular named brands I have no reason not to buy them, they're also so much cheaper! These were on offer at the time I bought them so I got another factor 15 just incase we need it. 

Our after sun is the classic one from Ambre Solaire, it smells amazing and does the job perfectly, between us we've already used loads because of the lovely weather here in the UK!

I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know if you have any suggestions for future posts and I hope you're all having a great summer!

Bethan x

Review: The Naked 3 Palette!

I've been wanting to do a review of this palette for a while now, I got it just over 2 months ago for my birthday and have seriously been in love with it ever since. It was at the very top of my birthday list so I was so excited to receive it. I anticipated it was going to be good because I have the Naked 1 and Naked Basics and the quality of the shadows are amazing, plus I've heard good reviews about it. I didn't anticipate however just how much I'd fall in love with it. It's been my go-to palette for the past 2 months. There's not one colour in this palette which I haven't or won't wear  regularly they're all so beautiful.

 Ok, I will start off with the packaging, I think with each Naked Palette the packaging has got better both practically and aesthetically. I loved the faux suede and gold lettering of the Naked 1 palette however it hasn't stood the test of time very well, the gold has all rubbed away, the suede looks worn and the mirror inside broke when it was in a make up bag because the structure isn't very solid. The Naked 2 was better (I don't own this one unfortunately) and I loved the colour of the tin to match the taupe-y scheme inside.
This one is also in a tin so the insides are protected much better, it has a much bigger mirror than the first palette which is also so handy for travelling and I love the texture and lettering on the top, it's a perfect representation of what's inside.

The palette also comes with this double ended brush, one side is a flat shadow brush (right) and the other end is a tapered blending brush (left). The flat shader brush has tight bristles and I've found it's absolutely perfect for applying shadow as liner, the two darkest colours in this palette are also the best complimentary eye-liner colours for any of the shadows and I've found myself ditching eye liner all together most of the time. The tip of the brush is thicker than the typical eyeliner brush which gives a much smokier look that's not so precise, therefore harder to get wrong! The blending side of the brush is good for application into the crease however I do find because the shadows are so pigmented a fluffier brush is needed for extra blending to get rid of some of the harsh lines, this brush isn't soft enough to do that. But you can't complain with a free brush and super-pigmented shadows!

 If you have never tried the Urban Decay eye shadows then you are seriously missing out. UD was one of the first brands that really took my fancy when I first got into make up all those years ago and having the Naked 1 palette for my 17th birthday (3 whole years ago!) made me crave more. I've hit pan and completely used up several of the shadows in that palette. The quality of this palette is true to UD standards and they are the most beautifully pigmented eyeshadows. They rival, if not are better than, MAC eyeshadows and if you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know I'm a huge fan of MAC shadows. This is my favourite palette that I haven't created myself. I prefer it to the Naked 1 by far, the colours are right up my street!

 So the colours in this palette are all warm rosy tones with a few taupes at the end. As a young teen I loved wearing sparkly pink shadows and I never really grew out of it, I have at least 5 in my MAC palette so I knew right away I was going to love this. This palette has 3 matte shades, 4, what I'd call, 'Frost' shades and 5 shimmery ones. I wouldn't recommend this if you aren't big on shimmer/glitter shades. UD are also known for coming up with such good names for their shadows.

 From Left to right (same order as in the palette)

STRANGE - A matte highlight shade in a soft baby pink, compliments all of the colours in this palette. DUST - Looks like fairy dust, it's one of the hyper-pigmented frost shades with big flecks of glitter running right through it, so brightening and pretty! I always wear this one if I need a pick-me-up.

BURNOUT - A slightly more wearable 'Dust', less glitter and a warmer pink tone, this is my most used base colour I wear this ALL the time it's so beautiful and the sun catches the shimmer as you move, what's not to love?

LIMIT- A very versatile matte colour, perfect as a smoky crease for a subtle day time look or as a base paired with one of the darker shimmery colours. One of those colours that doesn't really stand out but the palette would be incomplete without it.

BUZZ - Basically a shimmery, frost version of 'Limit', it's one of the more purpley shades, this is a beautiful base for a more bolder look or perfect in the crease for a bright-eyed shimmery look. Looks lovely with Strange blended in to the brow bone.

TRICK - If there's one shadow out of place in the palette it's this one. It doesn't really fit, because it's a true rose-gold it doesn't really blend nicely with any of the rosy pinks or purply shades. Still a beautiful colour but to use this you have to have other shadows on hand, I usually wear this on the lid with a smoky brown crease. This is another really frosty shadow that really glistens. 

NOONER - The last matte shade in the palette, another of my most worn, I wear this in my crease on the daily. It's perfect for having a bit of shimmer on the lid but when you don't want to overload it in the crease too. I have a very similar colour to this in my MAC palette but I think this one is more pigmented. 

LIAR - I love this one, I don't think the picture below does it much justice, this in the crease gives so much depth and a beautiful shimmery smoky look. 

FACTORY - Factory is a darker version of Liar, very shimmery, perfect for a night out, not something I'd wear during the day, still so beautiful, usually one I reach for in an evening.

MUGSHOT - This is where the palette starts moving towards the taupe shades, at first glance this is a cooler shade, I feel you couldn't pair this with Dust or Burnout, but once on it's SO pretty, it's perfect paired with one of the matte shades, all attention needs to be on this, with another shimmery colour it would be too much.

DARKSIDE - One of my most used colours but in an unconventional way, this is the PERFECT eyeshadow colour, as I said earlier about the brush being perfect, this is the colour I use. It's just so handy going to stay at someones house and only having to take this instead of numerous eyeshadows and eyeliners. This shadow is only slightly shimmery and would look nice in the crease but only on a night out, it's a bit dark for my usual look.

BLACKHEART - the 4th shadow with huge flecks of glitter, it's a midnight purple with pink and silver glitter. I am NOT brave enough to wear this on my eyes but it's good for when I need a darker eyeshadow, it's so pigmented, I am in love with it but too scared to actually wear it!

So there we have it, a very long review of my absolute favourite eyeshadow palette, and it takes a lot for me to say that because we all know how much eyeshadow I own - too much!

If you like the sound of this palette then I highly recommend you just go grab one, it's perfect in so many ways and at £37 an absolute snippet of the price of say a MAC or Nars palette. 

Bethan :)

My Skincare Routine

A few months ago I decided it was time to start properly taking care of my skin as I had been majorly slacking up until then. I have been using these products for a few months now and thought it was time I finally did a skincare routine post. I love all of the products I'm about to list and would recommend them to anyone but only if you have the same skin type as me, just because I love them doesn't mean you will too! Also note that I don't use ALL of these products on my face every day some are pamper treatments and I switch between others :)

Make Up Removers

I use three different products to remove my make up:

1. I use the Bioderma make up remover on a daily basis to remove my base make up, I've reviewed this before on my blog so won't go into too much detail but I love this product, it's so worth the money and does an amazing job at removing make up without making the skin feel oily. It leaves the skin feeling really fresh, it's like you've washed it using only water.

2. I swear by the No.7 eye make up remover and I also use this every day, the tiniest bit removes even heavy night-out make up and I have noticed my eyelashes have become a lot longer and thicker since switching from face wipes to this. It doesn't leave an oily residue on your eyes which is one thing I really can't stand with eye make up removers, this is the perfect product and it's so cheap and lasts forever!

3. Johnsons face wipes used to always be a staple in my routine but I rarely use them anymore, I thought I would add them however because when I do use them they do do a really good job. it's usually after a night out when I'm being lazy before bed that I use them, they get make up off really well however like any wipes I wouldn't recommend using them every day because they really dry out the skin and tugging at your eyelashes will weaken them. Since I've stopped using these my skin hasn't been anywhere near as dry as it used to be. 

Face Scrubs

I use two different face scrubs because my skin rarely does the same thing and I think switching them up is good.

1. The first is the Olay radiance enhancing cream wash, it is really creamy and has tiny little beads in. I use this for when my skin isn't particularly oily but needs a good clean. On average I use a face scrub 2-3 times a week depending how dirty/oily my skin is, which is usually dependent on what make up I've been wearing and I use whichever scrub is suitable.

2. The No.7 Purifying Exfoliator is for when my skin needs a good scrub. After using this it feels really clean and fresh. This scrub has quite large beads in comparison to the Olay scrub but they're not so big that they're painful. I really like this product, it's quite cheap and a little goes a long way.

Cleansers

This is one step in particular that I really regret not starting earlier. I don't know how I lived without a cleanser in my life for so long. I have two, both are different but essentially do the same job.

1. I have the caudalie foaming cleanser which I really love, some people say foaming cleansers aren't actually good for your skin as they leave a residue but I haven't noticed this from this one and I really like it. One pump is enough to cover your whole face. It's such a luxury product, it makes my skin feel so refreshed and soft and it smells amazing which is a bonus! I love Caudalie as a brand and would love to try more of their products. 

2. I bought this cleanser to go with my cleansing brush. It's a melting cleanser and feels so amazing on the skin. It's a gel-like consistency and when you rub it into the skin it really feels like it's melting into the skin especially mixed with a dash of warm water. Although it feels nice on the skin it doesn't feel like it's very good at cleaning which is why I only use it with my cleansing brush. It smells really nice too. 

Toner

This Olay 'Refreshing Toner' is the only one I have ever used and I love it! It's so cheap and does such a good job. There are days where no matter what I do my skin just doesn't have that really fresh feeling and I cringe putting make up on without that feeling. If I use this it instantly goes away, especially if this is applied when it's cold. A small bit goes a long way with this product, it just makes the skin feel so clean and removes the last remnants of make up that the cleanser or make up remover may have missed. Highly recommend for all skin types!

Moisturisers

This is one product that I have difficulty finding one to suit my skin type. I have a few here that I have been using for a long time now and they seem to be ok with my skin luckily!

1. My most used and daily moisturiser is the Olay Instand Hydration Anti-Wrinkle moisturiser, I believe this is for people aged 20-30 but it's never too early to start using anti-wrinkle. This moisturiser is light on the skin but you can feel it's working and it really sinks into the skin it doesn't just sit on top! 

2. My eye mosturiser is this teeny one from No.7 I love applying this cold it feels so nice around the eyes. I am so happy I found a moisturiser that doesn't irritate my skin especially the sensitive area around the eyes. Despite this tube being so small it has actually lasted a long time and there's still loads left, you need the tiniest amount per eye which is great in a product especially one that only costs £15.

3. This moisturiser is labeled as a 'Day Fluid', I can imagine this will be my moisturiser of choice come summer beacause it has a really thin consistency that's not heavy on the skin at all but leaves it feeling quenched and soft. I use this one when my skin is being particularly oily but I do have the one for normal-dry skin because my skin is the definition of combination and I need that extra moisture boost around my cheek area.

4. The last one is my Night Moisturiser; I am awful at remembering to use this so it is quite full still, I only really use it if I've been outside during the day and my skin is feeling a bit weathered. It's for dry-very dry skin and so it's very thick and can make my skin feel a bit clogged up if it's not having a particularly dry day. I need to buy this product again but for normal skin and see if that works better. I love the smell of the No.7 moisturisers and products in general, you can tell they're not ridden with heavy perfume scents as they smell very clean and subtle. 

Treatments

These are just a few of the treatments that I use regularly and coincidentally they're all from No.7. I have face masks and things that I use as a one-off but these are in my regular collection.

1. My cleansing brush was sent from Heaven not Boots. I don't know how I ever lived without it! I use it twice a week and when I do my skin feels incredible, it really cleans every inch of my face and makes my skin feel so refreshed and awake afterwards. I wouldn't recommend using this more than 2-3 times a week especially for those with dry skin as it can irritate the skin. I managed to get this for £10 as it was £10 off and I had a £5 voucher but if I'd known how well it was going to work I probably would've paid full price a long time before. 

2. Another product sent from Heaven is this No.7 Rapid Spot Rescue gel. I sometimes get an oily T-zone which results in breakouts but a tiny bit of this gel clears it up in literally hours. It reduced the size of any spot in half easily and if used regularly the spot will be gone in around 2 days (depending on the size) and that's without prodding it and irritating it, that way the spot goes and there's no scar to show there ever was one. Brilliant product that I will repurchase.

3. Again another fantastic product, the No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is my favourite skin treatment by far. I love this product, the first time I used it I was so amazed just how soft it left my skin afterwards. It's a typical pamper product and is a great pick-me-up especially for bad days. For anyone who doesn't understand the concept basically you put the hot cloth cleanser all over your skin and lay a muslin cloth that has been soaked in hot water over your face for around 5 minutes, the steam from the cloth opens up your pores and the cleanser gets in them and gives them a good clean, removing any trapped dirt and/or oils. After you've relaxed for 5 minutes with the lovely soapy smell and warm cloth surrounding your face you use the cloth to rub in the cleanser then clean it off. When your face is clean but still wet run the muslin cloth under ice cool water and reapply to your face for a further few minutes. This quickly shuts your pores so that no dirt can get in them. Your face is left feeling SUPER soft and your face feels so clean and lovely. This product was £10 including one muslin cloth which I don't think is too bad for a product of this high quality!

4. Lastly is a face mask for when my skin is feeling very dry and dull. Depending on how dry it is I apply the product accordingly and let it sit. This product is half cream half gel so it feels really soft on the skin, I have suffered from eczema in the past on my face and this doesn't irritate it further but gently helps improve it. After a few minutes you wash the cream off with a warm cloth and pat dry with a towel and your face is left feeling so soft and refreshed.  

Let me know if you've tried any of these products and what you thought of them, I hope you enjoyed reading this! Despite my abundance of No.7 I don't actually work for them I just really LOVE their products. I think they're great starter products and they're kind on the skin especially sensitive skin like mine. I'd really encourage anyone trying to build up their skincare products to go and look at No.7 in boots as they have a wide range of products for all skin types at very reasonable prices :)

Bethan x