Beauty - In my travel wash bag

With only two months until my summer holiday to Barcelona - can I get hell yeah? - I started thinking about what to pack in my holiday wash bag. A girl can never be too prepared. I love the sun but it can play havoc on your body. It leaves mine feeling dry and dehydrated which is never a good look. These are some products that should be in your arsenal when you jet of in search of some sun!


Aussie Miracle Recharge Moisture Lightweight Conditioning Spray
Thanks to my love of long locks, it means I have to deal with a hell of a lot of knots. I tend not to use conditioner too often after I shampoo because it makes my hair greasy. So this is the perfect de-tangle remedy. Your hair can get extremely dry after a day in the sun and needs to be kept in good condition.  This wonder product brings back the moisture it craves and helps to make it easier to handle. After a day spent in the sea or swimming pool, your hair will need a lot of TLC!

Delph Sun Lotion Factor 30 c/o
I never go lower than factor 30 on a sun cream. The older I'm getting, the more I'm becoming less of a sun worshipper. Not only is there the risk of skin cancer but also the risk of premature aging. Shudder! I like my sun cream to be non-greasy and thick so that I feel like it's doing it's job. This one fits the ticket perfectly. The great thing about the lotion is it's moisturising too - the sun can be a nightmare drying out your skin!

Delph After Sun Gel c/o
When I'm away I'm so conscious of my tan fading that I become a slave to after sun! I much prefer a gel based after sun as it feels much more cooler and refreshing on my skin - especially if I'm a little sunburnt. Ouch! The sun gel sinks into the skin immediately and leaves no greasy residue. You can almost get dressed straight away after application. There's nothing worse than slipping around in your dress and your skin feeling a bit sticky.


Soap and Glory Super Tonic Fragrance Orangeasm
When I'm on holiday I like a light and fruity scent - nothing too overpowering and heavy. I much prefer a body spray rather than an actual perfume. This zesty orange scented spray is perfect. It's not too long lasting but the bottles small enough to pop in your beach bag to keep topping up throughout the day.

V05 Give Me Texture Rough & Sexy Salt Spray c/o
I like to keep my hair as low-matienance as possible when I'm abroad in a hot country. I don't want to spend hours pimping and preening when there are cocktails to be drunk! This is why I love salt sprays. I simply rough dry my hair with a towel, liberally spray a salt spray all over and pop up in a topknot until it dries. Voila! I'm left with beachy waves.

Simple Kind To Skin+ Moisture Boost Hydro Mist c/o
In any extreme weather, my skin struggles to cope. This fine mist is great to help give dehydrated skin a much needed boost. It absorbs almost immediately and can also be worn over make up. It's great to keep in your beach bag for when your face needs a little helping hand throughout the day.


Nivea Firming Body Oil
This is my holy grail. I'm on around my 6/7th bottle since the beginning of the year. I use it religiously everyday in my legs and it helps to keep them in tip top shape. It's helped to severely reduce my blemishes and helps to keep shaving rashes and dryness at bay. There's no way I'm leaving it at home!

Yes To Coconut Dry Skin Ultra Light Body Lotion Spray c/o
For the rest of my body I need a lightweight body lotion that absorbs quickly yet keeps my body hydrated. I don't my tan to peel if I can help it! Coconut is my favourite scent and this smells gorgeous. The spray nozzles gives out just the right amount of product and is simple to use when you're in a rush to get down to that dinner buffet!


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Beauty: Winter Skincare Saviours




Winter can be harsh on your skin. The coldness offers no favours to anyone and dry, chapped skin is never attractive so it's important to give it a bit of a helping hand. Here are a few of my winter favourite that deserve round of applause.

Cath Kidston Wild Rose Hand Cream
I always face such a battle during the colder months to help keep my hands in check. They easily become dry and chapped - even cracked to the point the start to bleed. Horrible right? So as a result I'm always carrying a hand cream or two in my handbag. Most of the time they're rubbish but every now and then I come across a gem. This was a gem. I got this for Christmas and cracked it open a few weeks ago. I love the fresh rose smell and a little goes a long way. It feels non greasy and you can feel the effects almost straight away.

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter
Like I've mentioned many times before, I love a thick and luxurious body cream - none of this lotion for me please. This Soap and Glory beauty fits the bill. It doesn't irritate my skin after I've given my legs a quick shave and stops me from looking a little like a scaly reptile after a few hours post bath. My skin feels really supple and the cream sinks in within 30 seconds. There's nothing worse than you legs slipping all over the place when you pop your trousers on is there?

Soap and Glory Heels Genius
Despite it coming out the tube a radioactive blue colour, this stuff is pretty special. I pop it on before I go to bed and let it soak in overnight within a pair of old socks. Come the morning, my feet are looking a hell of a lot better than they did the night before. If you're on your feet all day or you wear silly shoes like me, this is needed on your bedside table.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask
This was a recommendation by Sarah and I'm now on my second bottle. It's such a wonder hydration product and is well worth the £23 price tag. I use it every single night and sometimes in the morning if I feel my skin needs even more TLC. It makes your skin feel so soft and just glides on effortlessly. It's the perfect pick me up for tired and worn out skin.

Simple Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub
Thanks to the horrible dark nights and short days, I have to admit I can sometimes neglect my face. I just take my make up off with a wipe before sinking down into the pillow to hibernate. As a result my skin starts to rebel and lots of gross blackheads pop up. This product helps to keep them under control and I notice a difference in just a few days. Amazing!

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm
This lip balm is far from being cheap but it's also one of the best I've used. It's great to pop on before you go to bed for smooth lips in the morning. It's really rich and you can almost feel it working while it's on your lips. It's great for prepping your lips ready for a swipe of lipstick. I'd definitely buy again once it's run out!


What are your winter skincare saviours?
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Budget beauty




As much as I love buying a lotion and potion, I love buying dresses and skirts more. So i'm all over finding amazing products that do what they say in the tin and don't cost a fortune. These following poducts are currently on rotation and have been for quite a while!

VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray £3.05 - I found out about this on the blogger grapevine last year and have never looked back, purchasing time after time again. The can is massive and lasts for ages  - I'm not tight with hairspray either. It doesn't leave a sticky, horrible residue behind and it keeps your hair in check for hours.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula £5.89 - Ah this baby has been one of my best friends since I had a growth spurt at the tender age of around 12. I've used others but always come back to my old faithful. You just can't beat it! I can't get enough of the gorgeous smell and it leaves my skin so soft to touch. It always feels so luxurious. I can't ever imagine not using it.

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub £3.99 - This is a new product i've been using for about a month. I picked it up on a whim in Boots as they had their 3 for 2 offer on. It promises to blast away dreaded blackheads and whilst it hasn't eliminated them completely, they're a lot better than they were. I use it around 4-5 days a week during my evening skincare routine. It doesn't leave my skin looking red and although it's not too scratchy on my face, it still feels like it's doing it's job.

Soap and Glory Hand Food £5.50 - Again this is a product that's been a staple for god knows how long. I suffer from extremely dry hands in the winter, so much so that if I don't keep an eye on them, they crack, bleed and become red raw. Very painful! But this gem helps to keep them in check. I love the smell and one bottle lasts for absolutely ages. I haven't found anything to beat this hand cream yet!

Batiste Dry Shampoo Brown Dark & Deep £3.99 - Ah the holy grail of dry shampoo. I was over the moon when they introduced products that matched hair colours - anyone else struggle to get rid of that pesky white patch? I don't really know what I can say that hasn't been said already. It's something every girl should have!

What are your favourite beauty buys?
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Beauty: Simple Skincare






Simple was one of the first brands I tried when I ventured into skincare many moons ago. Over the years I've tried and tested many different brands both budget and high end. When Simple offered to send me the new Kind To Skin selection to try I jumped at the chance and was transported back to my teenage years left wondering why I stopped buying the brand.

001: Kind to Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF 30
I fell completely in love with this product and will buy it myself when it runs out! It's one of the best budget moisturers I've tried and for a small bottle it lasts for a fairly long time. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and doesn't have an overpowering smell. Being the wrong side of 25 is not sitting well with me and when I look for a moisturer it ideally has to have SPF. This ticks all the boxes, the SPF 30 will help with any dreaded premature ageing. They do say the sun causes the most wrinkles!

002: Kind to Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm
Admittedly this is the first time I've ever used a BB cream so I don't have much to compare it with. However, this took to my skin like a duck to water and didn't feel too heavy on my skin. I don't wear foundation because it makes me feel claustrophobic. I wouldn't buy this again, not because it was an awful product but because I just don't think BB creams are for me. I prefer to be au natural before putting my daily face on!

003: Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Boost
I have a feeling this will be a god send in the warmer months! It will be great to keep in my bag so I can freshen up on the go. It dries almost instantly and makes your skin feel lovely and refreshed. Perfect for waking you up in the morning!

004: Kind to Skin Sunkissed Moisture Cream
It's getting to that time of year when the fake tan comes out of hiding and the pins need polishing up. I struggle with fan tanners on my face as it tends to make me look like a oompa-loompa.  It's not very dark and it doesn't make a different straight away. But by the time a week has passed it's reached a lovely natural colour. Just make sure you are continuous in your application as it will get patchy if you don't do it daily. Never a good look!

005: Kind to Skin Illumiating Radiance Cream
Again the SPF in this is a winner. I preferred wearing this at night as it had a shimmer in it and I thought it was a bit too much for the day. A little goes a long way and it was very easy to use too much and end up looking like a glitterball! Subtly is key when it comes to this product. It was a really nice cream to wear at night to help jazz up your make up.

006: Kind to Skin Brightening Eye Make Up Remover Pads
Sometimes I find eye pads a little bit too irritable thanks to being a contact lens wearer. But these glide on effortlessly and you don't have to rub hard to remove stubborn mascara leaving your eyes sore and red. It worked out one bad per eye. I do still perfect to use cleansing water to remove my make up but these are a great option if you're on a hurry!
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