Holiday Beauty Buys

Even though I don't need any more opportunities to buy more beauty bits, I cannot go on holiday without getting something so when I was away for a couple of weeks recently in Canada and the US, there were a few things on my wishlist to get.

I had my eye on the MAC 286 brush for some time, it seemed like the perfect brush for blending undereye concealer and that's exactly what I've been using it for. It has a good firmness so it doesn't flop about but still is soft and workable. The duo fibres lend themselves well to getting diffused and naturally blended edges.

Walgreens was right across the street from the hotel we were staying at in Las Vegas so it turned into a midnight trip (as they are open 24hrs). Even though there is an incredible selection of drugstore lines, I only bought Maybelline's Color Tattoo Shimmering Seas (115) which is a limited edition shade in a beautiful golden beige with aqua shimmer to it. I already have a few of these eyeshadows and love the formula so I know this will get a lot of use. I now wish I'd picked up the other LE shade as well as this swatches much nicer than how it looks from outside.

Maybelline's Color Elixir gloss in Celestial Coral (010) is a beautiful medium coral pink semi-sheer gloss. As there are no testers I chose a 'safe' colour that I know I will use.

Even though Sephora now ship to the UK there is nothing like seeing the products in person and the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Honeymoon Honey has been on my list since testing it in Toronto on holiday last year. It is quite a unique formula that feels light, hydrating and cooling, with a natural flush of colour.

Another item I tested last year and have had on my mind since then is TokyoMilk's Tainted Love Shea Butter Handcreme. It's really the scent that took me in with his hand cream as it is fragranced with Dark Vanilla Bean, Orchid, White Tea and Sandalwood so it's a slightly more deeper and sensual scent that I love. The formula itself is quite light and silky and absorbs easily into the skin.

Makeup Forever Smoky Lash and Anastasia Brow Wiz are products I've wanted to try for ages and Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray is a product Liana Beauty mentioned on her blog that had me curious as it's meant to be completely invisible. I haven't yet found a dry shampoo I've been completely happy with so have high hopes for this.

I was holding out on buying the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes until my holiday as I had tested them previously and Diffused Heat was the one I was immediately drawn to as it's a lovely radiant brightening shade with good payoff.

I hadn't intended to get anything from Bath and Body Works but my sister was eager to get these Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels so naturally curiosity got the better of me and I also picked up several of these cute little bursts of scent for on the go use.

Some last minute duty-free buys were a cosmetic bag and and fragrance mist from Victoria's Secret. I really like the choice of toiletry bags they have and this one is such a lovely tropical print and has two handy clear zip compartments. Bombshells in Bloom Fragrance Mist is a nice, sweet floral fruity scent that's perfect for my bag.

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

L-R: Celestial Coral, Brow Wiz in Granite, Shimmering Seas, Honeymoon Honey, Diffused Heat

I'll leave you with one of my favourite things in Las Vegas. Day or night, these fountains are stunning.

Welcome Relief for Hands - La Roche Posay Cicaplast Mains

La Roche Posay is one of those no nonsense French pharmacy brands that seems to do exactly what they say on the pack. One of their newer product offerings, the Cicaplast Mains cream is no exception and my forever dry hands could not be more grateful! I've encountered some quite lovely, fragrant hand creams that are generally okay but many do not seem to hold up well and require frequent reapplication. LRP truly functions as a does-all saviour as it's light, non-greasy, and has no discernible fragrance.

As you can see it's a kind of clear-ish balmy cream texture that sinks in quickly without a trace.

The formula is hardworking as this has 30% concentration of glycerine to give a more lasting soothing effect. It also includes 4% Niacinamide which provides an antihistamine effect and helps to reduce inflammation and cracking.

Ingredients:
Aqua/Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Glycol, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol.

Overall super effective and a snip at £6.50 for 50ml as only a little is needed due to the concentrated formula.

I bought this from Escentual where they currently have up to a third off French pharmacy brands throughout March.

www.escentual.com

Shower Time Selection

When it comes to shower and bath products, I'm all about the scent and tend to go for products that are uplifting and refreshing for everyday use, with lovely textures so thought I'd share my current selection.

Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Body Wash

I love Intelligent Nutrients, ever since I first used their Harmonic shampoo I was completely taken by them, so when they recently brought out the matching body wash, I did not hesitate to give it a whirl.

This has the same light, creamy texture as the shampoo and also the same beautifully refreshing scent from the peppermint, spearmint, rosemary and menthol.

Cleans well without stripping the skin of moisture. Wonderful stuff!

Ingredients:

Madara Fresh Mint Soap

This is my first foray into Madara and so far I am liking this lovely and gentle soap. Madara is a Latvian natural skincare brand, that uses ingredients from the Baltic region in it's products and is free from synthetic ingredients, perfumes and preservatives.

This one has a slightly lighter texture, sort a gel like soap but again it doesn't strip the skin and effectively cleans with a fresh mint scent. I don't think its as complex or aromatic as the Intelligent Nutrients, but it's honest in it's simplicity and does a good job. I use this one as a hand soap as well.

Ingredients:

Nourish Uplifting Shower Gel

When I saw this on online, I was taken by the cheery yellow packaging and by the 'uplifting' in the name, and this certainly lives up to that. This contains high omega shea butter to nourish the skin yet it doesn't overwhelm and washes cleanly. A good consistent gel texture with a wonderful sweet citrus scent, this just makes me happy when I use it, what more could I ask for?

What I'm liking about the Nourish range is that the price points are rather reasonable for the quality of the products with many of the formulas containing over 90% organic ingredients. For body products I have mostly converted to natural brands, but I probably don't venture as high price-wise as I would with my skincare so it's nice to have a brand that is a bit more purse-friendly.

Ingredients

Life NK Jump Start Sugar Scrub

This was a bit of an impulse buy from Space NK as I was taken in by their bold typographic packaging and the zingy grapefruit scent.

A lovely simple scrub which a good gel-like consistency that feels refreshing and rinses away easily without any greasiness.

The only gripe I have is with the packaging - the texture of the scrub is quite thick and the hole in the tube small so you have to really squeeze it - I'm taking the scissors to this as I find it a bit annoying!

Ingredients

*All products purchased by me*

Elemis Skin Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion Review

With this changeable weather we are having at the moment - one minute it's freezing then suddenly it's milder, my skin doesn't know where it's at so it can get rather dry. My skin is on the drier side anyway (especially my hands!) so I am always on the look out for products that will keep it nourished so the Elemis Skin Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion seemed ideal to tackle these issues.

This body moisturiser is a lovely smooth lotion, it feels quite creamy for a lotion texture, but regardless of this, it is easily absorbed without being greasy, which is something I definitely prefer, especially with hand products.

It contains concentrated Milk Protein and Camellia, Macadamia and Jojoba oils to nourish the skin and this does a good job of alleviating dryness with the added base of Shea Butter and Sesame Seed oil, leaving my limbs feeling softer as well.  It has a soft floral, slightly nutty scent that I love which lingers a little after application.

I also like the fact that it comes in a pump bottle, it's much more convenient and I do end up using it more because of this.

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Butrospermu Parkii (Shea butter), Cetearyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Polyacrylate,  Benzoic Acid, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexane Carboxaldehyde, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

*PR sample*

Antipodes Deliverance Kowhai Flower Hand Cream

Antipodes is slowly becoming a favourite range of mine, I'm loving the textures and scents of the products, and the Deliverance Kowhai Flower Hand Cream is no exception.

A wonderfully nourishing yet light textured cream, this absorbs well into the hands without leaving any residue or greasy feel so I'm finding it perfect for my bag and desk-side at work. It leaves my hands soft, smooth and moisturised. My hands are naturally dry so I find with most hand creams I have to reapply through out the day but with this one I don't mind so much as it is lovely to use.

For me this has got to be the most beautifully scented hand cream I've tried as the fragrance is a mix of sweet orange, tonka bean and sandalwood that is light and gives me a subtle feeling of contentment, which might sound like a bit much but there is something about this that draws me in.

Ingredients:

I received this as a free gift with a purchase from LoveLula, but I'd happily buy this again.

Naturally Soft Hands: Lanolips Rose Balm Everyday

I've recently whittled down all my hand creams to just one, and it's a good'un.

Lanolips Rose Balm Everyday is a lovely light pink cream that really leaves the skin feeling very natural, kind of like if you haven't applied anything but your hands are more softer and nourished then before.

This is absorbed very quickly and goes invisible on the skin, with no residue or greasy feel at all. Sometimes with other hand creams if you apply too much and you rub your skin the cream kind of balls up/flakes off but this doesn't have any of that nonsense, it really is brilliant. There is an intense version which would be great for applying at night or if you need extra nourishment as the Everyday has a light consistency that gives enough hydration for regular day use.

Quite a generous 120ml size which is a little big for my handbag, but I can easily transfer some into a smaller tube for travel.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetearth-20, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Acetic Acid, Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto) Flower Oil, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellol, Hydroxymethylpentylcyclohexenecarboxaldehyde (out of curiosity I looked this up and it's a type of synthetic fragrance), Linalool, CI 16255.