What’s in my holiday make up bag? Summer 2015

Hi all,

I recently got back from a trip to Spain, where I went to visit my parents! It was insanely hot, and I managed to get myself a pretty impressive tan as per usual (seriously, my skin fascinates me). I don’t really wear much make up on holiday on a day to day basis, as I think it’s a great opportunity to let your skin refresh, but we do go to meals out, or to flamenco, or to see my parent’s friends and I like to look nice. The other thing is that I only ever take hand luggage, so I have to be pretty selective about what I take with me. I never bother taking a paler foundation with me as I change colour so quickly (I’m talking from a 000 Rimmel foundation to a 0040 in 48 hours), so this is all my ‘tanned’ make up.

Eyes- from Top to Bottom, Left to Right

17 Define and Conquer Contouring Kit- I am aware that this is a contouring kit but it makes for a really pretty, defined eye- just sweep the lighter colour all over the lid and the brown through the crease and the outer corner.

Estee Lauder Eye Pencil- Not being a huge fan of eyeliner, I tend just to carry this around if I need a bit of definition. It is waterproof and lasts really well, even in the heat.

Mac Eyeshadow in Knight Divine- This is a really dark grey- almost black- eyeshadow that makes a great eyeliner, and teamed with the contour kit is quite a beautiful but understated evening eye.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara Waterproof and Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara- This duo makes for the most unreal eyelashes, and that is saying something as my lashes are puny and pathetic. I will try and get a picture so you can see the difference.

Maybelline Brow Drama- I don’t LOVE this stuff, but it does its job and makes your brows look neat but without the faff of filling them in.

From top to bottom, left to right

Benefit Hoola Bronzer- I actually bought this on the flight out as it was almost £10 off the RRP and I have wanted a Benefit bronzer for ages, as they have the added advantage of containing an excellent contouring brush as well. It’s a great match for my skin both with and without tan.

Mac Mineralise Skinfinish Highlighter in Semi Precious Pearl- My friends bought me this last year and it is the one luxury product that I have never found a suitable drugstore dupe for. It gives the most beautiful, glowing finish, and the darker bronze in the middle is lovely with a tan.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (shade 0030 which was far too light!)- Again, a pretty, light product perfect for in the sun. As I tend not to get blemishes on holiday I mainly take this to brighten up my under eye bags, which sadly seem to be a permanent fixture.

Soap and Glory CC Cream in Nude Peach- This is the perfect middle ground between a moisturiser and a foundation, the coverage is pretty good and it has some serious staying power. However there aren’t enough colours to choose from so I can’t use it all year round!

Mini pot of Corn Silk Powder- I couldn’t very well go on holiday without this could I? It’s so mattifying and keeps absorbing the oil all night. I couldn’t fit the whole pot in my suitcase so I just popped some in a small travel pot from Primark.

From left to right

Rimmel Kate Moss in 38- When I left England, this was and ideal pinky nude, however after a few days it was too nude! Really good for yellow undertoned pale skin though.

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet- If we’re going to a Spanish event, I love nothing more than a white dress, serious eyelashes and a slash of rich red lippy, so I always take one with me. This is such a creamy formula, and I have often wondered whether it is too excessive to buy the whole collection…

L’Oreal Colour Crush in 301 Daring Coral- Corals always look cool with a tan and this one is no exception, although it is more on the orange than pink side, so isn’t particularly subtle.

Please excuse the scruffy plastic bag but I didn’t want my brushes on the ground!
From left to right.

Benefit Contour brush- So far I’m impressed, it actually gets into the hollows of my cheeks and is nice and soft.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush- As I have gone back to using the Miracle Complexion Sponge, I now use this for blending everything in, especially contour and highlight. If you like lighter foundations, this is also fantastic for blending them in. Also quite good for powder.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge- Now that I have learnt how to wash this (no, really), I have totally fallen back in love with this sponge, and I love that it is shaped to do your entire face. Perfect for people who love a really flawless finish.

Blending Brush and Angled Brush- Both of these were from either the pound store or the Asian Market in Spain, and I just use them for eyeshadow and for lining my eyes. They do the job but I was so pleased when someone bought me new ones for my birthday!

So there you have it! What are your guy’s travel essentials? Do you even take make up on holiday? Also I want to say thank you to my daddy for helping me take pictures- let’s hope this is the start of a new trend!

Until next time,

B xoxo

Tis the season…

Hi all,

If of course you do not celebrate Christmas, or any holiday at this time of year, please feel free to ignore this post, however I think you might enjoy its message all the same.

Christmas in my family has always been the time of year that, regardless of what has been going on, we have all gotten together as a family and had an amazing time. I’m not going to sit and preach about the ‘Perfect Christmas,’ because I honestly think that the lack of perfection is what makes all of those amazing Christmas memories that you will talk about for years to come. Whether that is the time the power went out everywhere except the kitchen, the time that you fell out over the use of proper nouns in Scrabble (you’re totally not allowed to do that are you?!) or the time that everyone thought someone else had bought the turkey (not my family but still funny). There is so much emphasis, probably due to the influx of Christmas movies depicting perfect days with enormous trees and an immaculate blanket of snow, on having this perfect day when everyone gets precisely what they want and no one forgot to buy batteries. Christmas mornings in my house always revolved around my poor siblings putting together whatever my parents had bought me for Christmas, or waiting for my sister to come home from work so that we could do presents. I think that we have all forgotten that Christmas is about being with your family and/or friends and having a lovely day, with far too much food (because if your mother is anything like mine, she will be determined not to shop until at least the 27th), and good company. Be grateful that you have a family to spend time with, a home to be in, and food to eat. Try not to throw things at Great Aunty M when she mishears every word you say, yet demonstrates a remarkable knowledge of rhyming words. Store them up for your Scrabble games later.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day with your family and friends tomorrow, and that you continue to enjoy the season beyond that, I know that families can’t all be together on the 25th and so often have second celebrations. Enjoy them all, and even if you don’t get butterflies in your tummy when you wake up and realise that it’s the 25th, rejoice in everything you have. Thank you all who are reading this, and for all those who regularly read my ramblings, and I hope to have many more coming your way very soon.

Happy holidays to all and don’t forget, if you forgot to buy something for someone, a ‘so sorry, I didn’t realise that we were exchanging gifts this year, let me take you out to the movies/dinner/for a spa day in the new year,’ goes a really long way!

Until next time,

B xoxo