Summer Must Haves/Essentials #6 - Bloggers' Summer Favourites Part 2

This is going to be my final post in my Summer series and the second installment of bloggers' favourites. I've really enjoyed reading through all the products people have mentioned in both parts. I find it really interesting to see what other bloggers are liking, it also makes me want to go shopping just a little. Another three fabulous bloggers have agreed to be featured in this post, I enjoy reading all their blogs and I love when they have new posts up. I think there are so many amazing blogs out there at the moment, I've found so many gems through the bbloggers chat on Twitter. Enough of my rambling, I won't delay you guys too long so I'll get started.

Lauren from LoveLaughLauren
For me, no matter what age you are, summer is about making the most of what you've got. I don't like wearing heavy makeup or layers of products, I just want to make sure I feel my most confident while I have fun. I regularly exfoliate my skin with Soap & Glory's Flake Away body scrub; it smells gorgeous and is a bit oily so it really leaves your skin smooth. I follow that by slathering on one of The Body Shop's famous body butters. This one is the shea butter one, but the raspberry one is also very yummy! Being extremely pale, a bit of fake tan is a must. I haven't tried much from expensive tanning brands (although there's a few products on my wishlist!) but the St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mist works excellently and is only a few pounds. Whatever makeup i'm wearing, I always spritz on a bit of Avene's Eau Thermale which really ensures my makeup blends in with my skin. It can also be used throughout the day to reawaken your face and your makeup. Finally, Korres Lip Butters continue to be my favourite lip balms. This one is in Jasmine; a pretty pinky nude, but for summer I really want to get my hands on Pomegranate and Mango.

Sophie from Candy Cane Heart
Urban Decay All Nighter- This is by far the best setting spray I have ever used and it seems to be lasting me ages. I got this 118ml (odd amount?!) bottle at christmas and would say I still have a 1/3rd left. I loved this during the, very little, hot weather we have had and it just makes my make up last. 

Avene Eau Thermale- This is basically an expensive water spray but oh my! it is so refreshing. Again in the hot weather I loved this for a little refresh and to help calm my skin down. This little bottle has lasted me ages so worth the £3 ish that I paid for it!
Chanel Chance- This has been my go-to fragrance of the summer. It is really light and fresh but still quite sophisticated. I'm not very good at picking out the different notes but all I can say is it smells Devine and it really is worth the price tag as this does not budge! 
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat- This is the day moisturiser I have been using over the summer and I have fallen in love. I tend to get quite oily during the day and have noticed a HUGE difference since using this. It is an anti shine and anti enlarger pores moisturiser and is actually a perfect base as well. I haven't had to use primers, which is a total bonus. Oily skinned girls really need to try this out!
Laura Mercier Loose Powder- My skin has been quite good recently so I have been using this as my foundation and it gives a coverage but it is so light you  can't feel it on your skin. It's not a mask, just helps even out your skin tone. 
Topshop Nail Varnish in Parma Violet- The shade I have been wearing all summer. Seriously i haven't taken this off and that is so unusual for me. Its a dream to work with and dries quickly AND it doesn't break the bank, what more could you ask for?!
Mac Blush in Pink Swoon- Another product I just haven't stopped wearing! I love the colour of this, it gives a rather natural flush to the cheeks and my god it does not budge! Seriously I did a 12 hour shift at work recently, The rest of my makeup had given up but this blush was still there!

Livi from Beaumaquillagex
Sleek Brow Kit, Maybelline Colour Tattoo in ‘Eternal Gold’ , MAC Rubinesque Paintpot, Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, MUA lipstick in ‘Nectar’ , Revlon Lip Butter in ‘Lollipop’, MAC Lipstick in ‘Lovelorn’, Natural Collection Loose Powder, Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer, Natural Collection Blusher in ‘Pink Cloud’, Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara, MAC prolongwear Concealer, Benefit High Beam & Collection 2000 Fix Me Up.

My favourite finds this summer have been the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua & Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, I have been loving these. The Chanel foundation gives such a flawless finish and looks like you aren't wearing any foundation, I like to apply this with my Real Techniques angled foundation brush. I love to apply the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel underneath my foundation, otherwise it looks to orangey on my pale skin, I find that this works really well to give me a natural bronzed look, and it means the finished look isn't too powdery I have been loving all these products to give me a natural, but flawless bronzed look this summer. I have loved every single one of these products and that is why they have made it into my summer favourites!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did putting it together. I may do another series during th Autumn/Winter months, I've had so much fun doing this one so I kind of want to. Thanks so much again to all the bloggers that featured in both parts of this post, I definitely have quite alot of products to add to my wishlist now. if you missed out on part one you can check it out here.

What series would you like to see next?

Laura<3

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #6 - Bloggers' Summer Favourites Part 1

I've really enjoyed writing this series and I'm sad that this is the last segment, I enjoyed sharing my favourites with you guys. Although the Summer has ended, I thought it would be a good idea to get some of my favourite bloggers together to show you guys what they've been reaching for the most over the past few months. I've read through and had a look at all the products mentioned and I already have a wish list the size of my arm. I chose these particular bloggers as I read their blogs on a regular basis and thought you'd also enjoy seeing what they have to say on their Summer Favourites. Like my previous posts in the series, I'm going to start off by showing you the picture of all the products chosen by the blogger followed by a paragraph saying why they liked them. I'm also going to put a link to each blog underneath the photo so if you haven't heard of them before you can go have a mooch. I have a few bloggers taking part so this post will come in two parts, with part 2 coming up really soon. It's been so much fun putting this post together so I hope you enjoy it.

Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady
I’ve been loving lots of products each month, but there are a few which are my absolute essentials and ones I reach for time and time again on a day to day basis. Revlon are out-doing themselves this summer, releasing both the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains and the Revlon Lip Butters. My favourite shades for these are Romantic and Cherry Tart! They are quick and easy to apply and great for on the go. Every girl needs a dry shampoo in her life and the Ojon Dry Cleanser is perfect. It fits in my handbag nicely and works to keep my hair fresh and give it a little boost, too! A lip shade is all well and good, but I like to make sure my lips are soft, smooth and nourished else no shade will suit! I love the EOS lip balms for that, especially Strawberry Sorbet. In the heat a makeup setting spray is a must and I love the E.l.f. Make Up Mist & Set! And lets not forget the most important of all; a moisturiser you can rely on! I love the Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser which keeps my oil at bay, but keeps my skin soft, smooth and supple at the same time! These have been my absolute summer essentials and ones which will probably carry through til Winter, too!

Sian from Forever Fabulous in Bows

1) Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish-No explanation needed. This Cult Cleanser really makes my skin feel and look amazing!
2)E45 cream, I've had really stubborn dry skin as of late. and this is the only moisturiser that helps it. It's such a bargain, and  will definitely remain a firm favourite of mine.
3)Soap and Glory, "The Righteous Butter". As my skin is normally quite dry, I need to moisturise a lot during the summer, and this has to be my favourite. It's thick and sinks into the skin really easily, making my body, literally as smooth as butter :)
4)Benefit's, Moon Beam. As I tend to tan in the summer, I find this is much more warmer on my skin, that the usual High beam, as it has golden tones and shimmers in it, which really compliments my tan.
5)MAC "Ambush" This was my favourite colour throughout the summer, it's not too red nor too pink and goes with everything.
6)Victoria Secret "Bombshell" This scent screams "Summer" to me! It's got a lovely fresh scent, perfect for a summer's day.
7)Wake Me up Concealer, my "Boing" concealer from Benefit has been gathering dust since I tried this baby last month. It gives me great coverage.
8)Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, I've repurchased this all throughout the summer. It gives me great coverage, doesn't clump to my dry patches of skin and lasts me the whole day. Best budget foundation I've ever used.

Catherine from Lux Life

This Summer I have fallen in love with the Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Fluid, it's amazing and is perfect for those hot summer days when you don't want to wear make-up. It gives your skin a healthy glow and smells lush, as well as covering you with SPF 15. Other products I've recently discovered and are now on my 'must have' Summer list, are the Covergirl Lashblast Fusion mascara - it's amazing and makes my lashes look big but natural at the same time without feeling heavy on my lashes, and the Ayuuri Coconut body wash, which leaves your skin feeling lovely and soft and smelling of coconut all day. I've also been loving my usual summer must-haves, which are the Body Shop body butters (my favourite ones are Mango, Passionfruit and Papaya), the Victoria's Secret Bombshell spray, and the Berber hair oil with Argan Oil, which prevents frizz and smooths the hair. After trying the Tangle Teezer last winter I then tried the Denman version, the 'Tangle Tamer' and have fallen in love - it gets all of my tangles out and is perfect for holidays when you've been swimming all day and your hair is all tangled and wet. Finally the last product that has been one of my summer essentials is the MUA Heaven and Earth palette, it's the perfect neutral palette and has been my go-to every day!

That's the end of Part 1, I already see so many products I want to get myself come payday. It can't come around quick enough as I'm so ridiculously broke at the moment. I just want to thank the three bloggers featured in this post for agreeing to take part, don't forget to go have a look at their blogs. I love them all alot and there definitely worth the read.

Would you like to see more posts like this in the future? Have any of the products featured above made it into your Summer Favourites?

Laura<3

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #5 - My Festival Beauty Musts

With Electric Picnic just around the corner I thought I'd do a quick post touching on my festival Must Haves. I'm not lucky enough to be going myself this weekend as I'm working unfortunately. Ed Sheeran is the act I wanted to see the most, jeez he's seriously taking over the world at the moment. His album is immense and I basically have it on repeat. I can't wait to hear his collaboration with Taylor Swift, another one of my favourite artists. I haven't been to a full weekend at a music festival, I've been to like the all day concerts (Oasis in Slane) that start midday and go on til late. I remember having such an amazing time when I went but the place did get a little messy so all I can say is thank god I was in the pit. Everyone always presumes that you get pushed around in there but I seriously believe it's the safest place to be. I think they only let under 100 people if I'm wrong correct me. We usually have two major festivals in Ireland each year, Electric Picnic and Oxygen. The latter was cancelled this year, I think they were upstaged by the acts that headlined Phoenix Park so I think they threw in the the towel until next Summer.

Even though I haven't gone to a full on festival I still thought I'd show you the products I think would be needed over the weekend. I going to start off with two haircare products if Electric Picnic is anything like Oxygen your more than likely not going to get around to having a shower. There either going to be busy or plain old disgusting, I know alot of my friends avoided them. Dry Shampoo is the first product I'd recommend bringing, I know the obvious option would be Batiste but if you in anyway have a senstive scalp like me I'd go for John Frieda's Luxurious Volume Anytime Volume Refresher. I know it's a bit more pricey than Batiste, but it's also a million times better. A few sprays of this will get rid of your greasy mop and leave your hair looking gorgeous and bouncy, what more could you need. If you tend to wear your hair straight, I find John Frieda's 3 day straight really good. I'd wash my hair on the morning of the the festival before you go down, a couple of sprays of this in your hair depending on how thick it is, dry and straighten. Viola you'll look like you just walked out of the hairdresser. With me personally my hair doesn't stay straight for the full three days, it gradually goes wavy but still beautiful. At the end of the day if worse comes to worse, pack a few hair bobbins and tie up your hair, that's always my last resort. If you do decide to have a shower at the festival I wouldn't lug around lots of shower products with you, definitely stick to the basics like mini shower gels, shampoos, wipes etc. If you end up binning these for any reason it will be alright, it won't seem as if you've wasted your money. Not forgetting the item I always carry in my bag, deodorant as you never know when you might need it. My favourite is Sure Women's Bright, it's perfect for the Summer and I just love the bottle. I've also thrown in a little body spray as opposed to dragging a perfume down, these are much lighter on the skin and they come in gorgeous scents. Not to expensive either which is a definite plus in my books. A product that my family has been harping on about for years is Sudocrem. I used to think it was only them until I met my boyfriend who is a big fan of the stuff too, even though he won't admit it himself. I can totally now see why, you can use this on just about anything cut, grazes you name it. They've recently brought it out in the squeezy tube which is so much handier as it easily fits into your bag unlike the tub. Another important item I forgot to include in the picture above is a hand sanistiser, for obvious reasons if you've been to festivals before you'll know how messy they can be!

Now on to the all important part, makeup and skincare. For skincare, without a shadow of a doubt bring a micellar solution, you don't need to add water and they take off your makeup like a dream. I included my Vichy Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution in the post but seriously anyone will do. Another big one is suncare, even though our weather hasn't been the nicest at the moment the sun is still beneath the clouds. I've been using Vichy's Mattifying Face Fluid SPF50 throughout the Summer and I think it's brilliant. It has such high protection and it dries matte (perfect for oily/combination skin) so my makeup glides on over it like a dream. For foundation I've chosen Vichy Dermablend, it's a good one for full coverage that doesn't look cakey in the slightest. If your someone who prefers the natural look I've also thrown in a BB cream, Garniers offering for oily/combination is fantastic and still has nice coverage. I also set my foundations/BB creams with powder, I've been loving Rimmel's Stay Matte in Translucent which is a big favourite among beauty bloggers. I actually smashed mine on a night out recently so I'll have to pick one up soon. I'd keep it pretty simple with blush at a festival and I in seriousness I don't think you'd need more than one, Revlon's Photo Ready Cream Blush in Pinched, a beautiful peach shade that would go with any look. Now for my favourite part the eyes, the MUA Undressed palette is such a good purchase for weekends away like Electric Picnic as it's not too pricey and it has such an amazing range of shades. I never forget my eyeshadow primer, I'm not too gone on Sin from Urban Decay which is pictured. I prefer the original primer as it drys clear, I ran out of mine so I need to get it tomorrow when I get paid. If you like big and bold lashes like me, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express has been my most reached for mascara in recent weeks. I have straight lashes that lack that bit of bounce but this has been perfect in giving them that extra boost. It also comes in a waterproof version which I think is essential for any music festival. I'm keeping it simple featuring only one lip product, Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 03 which is a gorgeous nude shade that would go really well with any makeup look. I got this little mini tube in a Christmas set last year, I'm surprised it's last so long to be honest, I will have to treat myself to the full sized tube when I run out.

Have you been to a music festival this Summer? Which products made it into your makeup bag?

Laura<3

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #4 - Fragrances

For me, Summer is the best time of the year to experiment with new fragrances. I've welcomed a couple of new ones into my collection this year. Along with one old favourite, I have four fragrances in all that I've been loving over the last few months. I'm big into my scents and love discovering new ones but downright useless at explaining what there like so bare with me on that.

I thought I'd start off with my old favourite, YSL Elle Summer Edition (2011), I've had this fragrance for a year now and I'm in love with it. The brand releases Summer Editions every year I'm pretty sure the scent stays the same, the packaging itself is the only thing that changes. I've tried YSL's original Elle fragrance before and to be quite honest I much prefer this. It has a lighter scent which can be worn anytime of year especially during the Summer months. At 90ml, the bottle is huge, no wonder it took me over a year to finish. I still have a decent amount left but I never tend to bring the bottle out in my bag, it would take up far too much space. For problems like this I use my handy Travalo, which has been a lifesaver when I'm going on holidays or when I don't want to be carting around enormous fragrances. Not that it's a bad thing when you get a 90ml fragrance for such a good price, I think this was around the €50 mark. One of my favourites from the bunch I have chosen is Roger & Gallet's Sublime Or Fresh Fragrant Water*. I've given this alot of love over the Summer, as you all know I adore citrus scents so this is certainly a winner there. Besides that it also have a lovely subtle gold shimmer which looks amazing over tan. The bottle design is beautiful which is another must for me, I'm like a magpie I'm attracted to pretty things. Unless they smell amazing then I don't really care all too much. This also comes in a body creme if that's more your thing, they both have the same gorgeous scent so you won't be missing out.

Having bought these two whilst on holiday, they are the latest additions to my fragrance collection. I'm in love with them both so they had to be included in this post. First up is Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck, I've wanted this ever since it was released in the States. I'm such a big fan of hers, I've seen her twice in concert already. Both times Paddy was dragged along with me but he enjoyed the concert, Taylor Swift puts on the most amazing stage productions that your left enchanted by. We are so far behind in Ireland, Wonderstruck was only released in stores in July which is a bit of a joke. I was lucky because the lovely Chie (MakeupLand2011) sent me the rollerball of this in one of our recent swaps. I fell in love with Wonderstruck instantly, it's such a nice sweet floral scent, how could anyone not like it. Another thing I adore is the pretty purple bottle, it's like nothing in my collection. I saw online recently that Taylor Swift is bringing out a new fragrance, Wonderstruck Enchanted. I know I will be waiting a while to get my hands on this, but it will definitely be worth it. My first ever Jo Malone fragrance was my biggest splurge back when I went to Manchester. I bought this fragrance before I even left Dublin, Jo Malone have a standalone store in Terminal 2. Taking a visit there was on my list of things to do in Terminal 2, their fragrances can be pretty expensive here, the 30ml handbag size can set you back €50. I've wanted one for a while so when I seen they were €37 in Dublin Airport, I couldn't say no. I chose their Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne which is also the scent I've been lusting after for ages. The lady was so nice at the counter, she knew it was for me and she still wrapped it up perfectly. A nice surprise for myself! The fragrance itself is a nice mix of sweet and fruity notes, everytime I use this I smell something different, now I get a peachy scent. That's probably why I was drawn to this in the first place, I love peaches. This fragrance does last pretty much all day long so I can't fault it at all. I would probably use this everyday if I could, but seeing as it's a bit on the pricier side of things, I'll be using this on special occasions. My Mom is going away in September and I already know what one I'd like her to pick up for me, English Pear & Freesia. It's my second choice out of their  vast range of scents. I need to stop this love affair with expensive fragrances or I will be broke much sooner than I think.

What has been your favourite fragrances this Summer?

Laura

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #3 - My Saviours for Dry Skin

The weather has been quite changeable in Ireland lately as a result my skin hasn't been the best. It's been horribly dry on my elbows, legs and arms. To try to combat this I've been switching between two body moisturisers. I've only got into using body creams as of late, don't get me wrong I've used them before but not as regularly as I do now.

One of the products that I'm going talk a bit more about was already featured in my July Favourites. I'm going to start off with the other body moisturiser I've been loving this month and that's Yes to Carrots Intense Softening Body Lotion for  extra-dry skin*. I wouldn't be familiar with many products from this brand as I've never tried them before. I've heard pretty good things about the range from my Nana, she's absolutely in love with their products. She a big fan of their cleanser and day/night moisturisers from the line. The Yes to.. brand have lots of different lines like Cucumber, Tomato and Blueberries which all target different skin types e.g. oily, dry etc. I really want to try the Tomato range but I haven't seen it anywhere in Dublin which is odd as they stock everything else. As my first product the Intense Softening Body Lotion has impressed me considerably. It comes in a 170g tube which is huge and as it's mainly for problem dry areas this is sure to last ages. The product itself is quite thick so I only take the tiniest bit, I've been using this mostly on my elbow. I had psoriasis a couple of years ago and that part of my body still tend to get dry from it and this has been helping it alot. Alot of people will be happy to hear that this product is 99% Natural and contains no SLS or Petroleum, nothing nasty at all insight. After using this on my skin, it was left feeling lovely and soft even though it is an intense lotion it does dry into your skin fairly quick which gets major brownie points with me. I always see the Yes to Carrot range on special so I'm pretty sure you can get this product for in and around the €7/€8 mark which for me is great value as it's such a big tube. My other skin saviour was featured in my July favourites post. At €53 for 340g, Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter is alot more on the expensive side of things. I'd been wanting to get this for a while before I caved in and finally bought it. The Kiehl's staff in my local store Dundrum really know there stuff so I was pleased when I was buying it in the end as it was definitely what I was looking for. There was a 20% off event on aswell when I bought this so the product was reduced for the day to €42.40 which certainly helped me make my decision. Being from the Creme De Corps line, I had high hopes for Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter. I'd tried the original cult body and fell in love with it right away so this product had to hit a high note with me. In the end I'm so happy I bought this as it's such a nice treat for my skin. It's a thick yellow cream that smells absolutely heavenly I adore the scent I could sit here and smell it as I write this post no problem. I've been using this alot since I bought it, with the body butter itself being so thick I only need a small amount as a little bit spreads over the skin alot. This means that  the tub (which is huge by the way) is still pretty much full, it seriously looks like I've used hardly any. When applying this whipped butter be warned it does take that little bit longer to seek in but once it does it leaves your skin smelling yummy and feeling hydrated. All in all I've enjoyed using both these products, if your looking for a bargain I'd definitely go for the Yes to Carrot offering and if you want to go that extra mile, treat yourself at payday to the luxurious Kiehl's Whipped Body Butter, you won't regret it. If you don't want to fork out on this giant tub there's also a smaller one to choose from, I'm not too sure of the price off the top of my head but from what I can remember it's not considerably cheaper.

Have you tried anything from either of these brands? What are your dry skin saviours?

Laura<3

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #2 - Makeup products

 Sadly I've been delayed doing follow up posts in this series, I've just been unbelieveably busy lately what with Manchester and everything. If my scheduled posts work you should be reading this while I'm enroute to the airport tomorrow. I'm going to try and pop up some posts while I'm there but I don't know if it will be possible yet. I may turn this series into products I've been loving during the Summer it would probably make more sense that way. Lately I've been reaching for alot of the same makeup products as some are old favourites and I know there reliable.

 For primer I've been using Too Faced's Primed & Poreless, I find this to be alot like Benefit's POREfessional maybe even better. I got it in a gift set a while ago and I loved it so much I bought the full sized tube. From what I can recall it wasn't as pricey as Benefit's offering so I'd recommend giving this a go. I ran out of my favourite foundation Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua which I need to repurchase possibly in the airport. In it's place I've been using two foundations, Vichy Dermablend Corrective foundation (Nude) and the Bourjois 123 Perfect  (Vanilla). Both wouldn't have the lightest coverage but I haven't had the best skin this Summer, for me their necessary. I've been using 123 Perfect all over my face, whilst sticking some Dermablend on problem areas, I find it does the trick without looking like I'm wearing too much makeup. For my undereye area I've been using  the Bobbi Brown Corrector which I love. I can't remember what I was using before this. I got it as a birthday gift from the some of the girls in work in February. I've only hit pan on it now but I'll be repurchasing it when I run out. I've been rotating between two powders during the Summer months, MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus and Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in Transparent. I've been using the latter the most as the price point is certainly more affordable. The Mineralize Skinfinish has been making appearance when I'm going somewhere fancy. When my skin has been looking somewhat decent, I've been using Garnier's BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination/Oily skin*. This has been nice when I want a minimal makeup look with no hassle. I've done a full review on it here. With this product I've been using the same powders that I use with my foundations. I've had a new found love of blush lately I've been using one in particular alot over the last few months. Smashbox's Blush Rush in Pose is a gorgeous matte rose pink shade, great for everyday. I bought this on sale ages ago and it's become a permanent product in my daily makeup routine.

For my eyes I've been going for a quite natural look, alot of brown eyeshadows have been using which is nothing new for me. One palette that I've been grabbing for alot over the Summer is my Too Faced Natural Eye palette. This was a gift from my Mom's trip to New York. I think I got sucked into the hype surrounding the Naked palette so I forgot about it for a while. It contains nine neutral eyeshadows which takes me from day to night so I really only need this in my bag to create a gorgeous eye look. I haven't been using any eyeliner at all lately since I ran out of Loreal's Carbon Gloss liquid liner. Someone has to remind me to pick that up when I'm in Mancheser. I miss it in my life. For mascara I've been using No7's Fanomenal Lashes which is the best mascara I've tried in along time. I know alot of products from this brand can be a bit hit and miss but this is definitely a product I'd recommend buying. It gives you the nicest fluttery lashes without clumping which is a major pet hate of mine. I know alot of people use waterproof mascara over the Summer but unfortunately they just don't seem to work for me.

Now on to my favourite part, LIPS. I've been surprised this Summer as I haven't experimented with as many lip products as I usually do. Five have stood out for me during the last few months so I guess I'll talk about them. I have a tonne of MAC lipsticks but I've only been reaching for one in particular. Syrup is a gorgeous everyday shade which I don't feel is talked about enough. It's a sheer but buildable dark pink shade, not usually what I'd go for but I like it. Next I have two Maybelline products, the Colorsensational Popsticks* and SuperStay Tint Gloss*. I've start off with the latter, if your looking for a lip colour that long wearing this is your man. Once you put this on it does not budge for a good few hours, I don't find it to drying either. If your like me and you don't pull off bold vibrant lips too well, I find applying a bit to the centre of my lips and dabbing it on helps. It gives you a much more wearable shade in my opinion. If a hint of colour is your idea of a perfect lip, I'd try the Colorsensational Popsticks. There's alot of shades to choose from, I've been loving Pink Lollipop in particular. I know these don't have the best colour payoff but I think there great for the Summer and they smell delicious. I've been loving the last two products I'm going to mention for an age now. I always make sure I have them tooked away in my bag. Nuxe's Reve de Miel lipbalm and Korres lip butters are equally moisturising and life savers when your having a dry lip moment which I tend to get alot over the Summer months. If I'm just having a lazing day I'll use Reve de Miel and if I'm going out Korres Jasmine lip butter which is my  favourite one at the minute. I've tried a couple of other shades which you can see a review on here. Without a doubt I'd call Jasmine my "my lips but better" shade.

What makeup products have you been using throughout the Summer? I'd love to hear your favourites?


Laura<3

Summer Must Haves/Essentials #1 - Travel Kits

As we're nearing the end of June I thought it was about time I started my Summer blog series, better late than never eh? Each post will feature products and bits that I think are a must for the months ahead. For this post I'm going to touch on travel kits/sets I use them alot and I think there a necessity during the Summer. When travelling or staying in a friends house I doubt anyone would want to lug all there full sized skincare products with them (I know I wouldn't) so they are perfect.

I find skincare sets come in handy on holidays with the liquid restrictions on planes it's impossible to go over a 100mls so it's definitely worth the money to invest in travel sets. Most of them will come with your everyday cleaner, toner and moisturiser and to the best of my knowledge the majority of brands do them. It's only a matter of checking their websites, they usually have them all there with stockists. If not, you can always make up your own with mini products from Boots or decant some of your favourite skincare products into travel pots.

I'm not going to lie I bought the Caudalie travel kit after hearing all the blogger hype surrounding their products. I opted to get this as I wanted to see what their products were like, not for travelling purposes. I could see this work for weekends away as it contains five products that fit very nicely into this gorgeous see through bag. My favourites out of the bunch are the cleansing water and the body lotion, I could certainly see myself buying the full sizes of both of these when I run out. I just hope there not too pricey like the beauty elixir. When your finished with all these products, you also have the lovely see through bag which would be perfect for holding makeup as you can everything.  This set is the cheapest of the bunch at €15 which is great for what you get in it don't you think? I got mine in Harvey Nichols but from what I can see it's the same price online too.

Next is two Liz Earle Travel Kits, the Overnight Travel Kit* (€33.75) and Sun Try Me Kit* (€19). I love this brand so I think it's great how they have such an amazing range of travel sets. I actually brought the Overnight Travel Kit with me on my trip to Barcelona last year and it was handy to have. All that was missing was my haircare products which were easily bought in Boots. The bag everything comes in is the perfect size for your hand luggage as it's so neat and tidy. Again it can be used again as a makeup bag or you can also buy product refills on Liz Earle's website. I did a full review on it which you can check out here. The Sun Try Me Kit isn't a travel set as such but contains some mini Liz Earle suncare products. I think this would be great to pop in your beach bag on holidays as it's an ideal size. I love their Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer so it's great to have one small enough for my handbag. Liz Earle's mineral sun protection has a different texture to any other suncreams I've used in the past. I wasn't too gone on it at first but I've grown to like it. It sinks into the skin super quick and didn't leave my skin feeling stick. After trying their sun protection and aftersun I may invest in full sized bottles.

The expensive option is the Elemis  Revitalising Skincare set (€63). My Mom actually got me this for my upcoming trip to Manchester (can't wait for it!). I wouldn't necessarily call this a travel set as it contains 3 full sized products and a miniature, like me if you haven't tried the brand yet this may be a good set to consider getting. I know €63 is expensive but the products individually would cost up to €120. Having never tried anything from Elemis before I'm really looking forward to trying these products. I've heard nothing but good things about them. The Apricot Toner included smells amazing, I'm looking forward to trying this the most. I'd recommend this if you were travelling over the Summer for a long period of time as it's easy to run out of travel sizes sometimes. The products come nicely wrapped in a gorgeous big bag which you can see above, all my makeup and brushes for Manchester will without a doubt fit in here. There you have it my first Summer Must Haves/ Essentials post, I hope you enjoyed it.


Do you bring travel kits on holidays?


Laura<3