Monday, May 5, 2014

Lust List: All About Eyes



My beauty lust list is ever-growing and the latest additions have been all about eyes. I've just come back from a short holiday in France but due to time constraints I didn't get to raid the duty free counters as much as I would have liked! So here are the eye products I have been eyeing up and am keen to add to my collection:


1) Chanel Les 4 Ombres Eyeshadow Quad in Tisse Vendome
I adore everything from Chanel and this is no exception. I swatched the shadows at the Covent Garden store and they are buttery soft, highly pigmented and contains 3 gorgeous neutral shades and 1 beautiful coral/pink shade (which doesn't translate in the image on the Chanel website) that is really unique and summery and is the main reason I am lasting after this, hard.


2) Marc Jacobs Style Eye-con Eyeshadow Palette - The Lolita
One can never have too many eyeshadow palettes, especially those of the neutral kind, and this has been on my radar for a long while, however Marc Jacobs beauty is difficult to get ahold of jn the UK. I will be heading to the states later this year so I might hold out until then!


3) Em Cosmetics Waterliner in Ro's Gold
Ever since I saw Michelle Phan's tutorial featuring this beautiful rose-gold waterliner I have been on the hunt for something similar, but to no avail! It really brightens the eye area and is much more flattering than white eyeliner, again I may have to wait until I'm Stateside for this purchase! Let me know in the comments if you've come across a dupe in the UK?


4) Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
I am a big believer that brows make or break the face and I am always on the lookout for the next best thing to give me  my best brows possible. Often my brows takes up the most makeup time when I'm getting ready so anything to make this ritual quick and easy, as this promises to do, is top of my wish list. 

Have you tried these products? What's on your beauty lust list?

Lisa x


Friday, May 2, 2014

Travel Beauty Essentials - The Non Makeup Edit

When it comes to travelling and beauty products I think that I am pretty low maintenance on the haircare/skincare side of things and tend to just bring what I can fit into those clear plastic ziplock bags they give you at the airport (I avoid checking in my luggage on short trips). I also want to save space in my bag for a bit of cheeky duty free shopping (see previous post)! So here are my non makeup essentials.



John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo & conditioner 50 (travel size) - this is my all time favourite shampoo and conditioner  as I have very fine hair but lots of it, and this fantastic range cleanses and conditions my hair without weighing it down, but it leaves my hair feeling nourished and healthy. And the scent is so fresh and clean-smelling which I love.

Simple Face wipes - I don't use these on an everyday basis but makeup wipes are a godsend when going on holidays when you want to remove your make up before your "proper" cleanse, and it's also great for a quick refresh and get rid of the sunscreen and sea salt after a day at the beach.

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed 20ml - this was a GWP sample I had "found"/stolen from my mother in law's bathroom cupboard, I'd never used it before but I love it! It's a creamy foaming cleanser that's great for normal/combination skin, and I find it is effective enough to cleanse the skin properly of all the makeup, sunscreen, dirt and oil that builds up during the day and leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean. Will have to grab a full sized one when I'm next in duty free!

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil 30ml - I have had this bottle for at least 2 years and use it every other day and it seems to be neverending! I use this in the evening and treat myself to a facial massage to really work this into the skin, and I am rewarded in the morning with really soft dewy skin! Oily skin gals, never fear, this oil is great for our skin and doesn't clog pores and just sit on top of the skin, even oily skin needs good hydration and I actually find using this helps to reduce the oiliness of my skin with regular use.

La Roche Posay Effaclar H Compensating Soothing moisturiser 40ml - on the nights I don't use the Clarins oil I have been using this lovely moisturiser from La Roche Posay. It's very hydrating and soothing after a day in the sun.

Soap & Glory Clean on Me Body Wash travel size - this is my all time favourite bodywash and I have the full sized version at home in my shower. The scent of this is so uplifting and not too fruity or overpowering, but what I love most is that it foams up and cleanses your skin but it never dries out your skin, it feels incredibly soft and nourished. Love this stuff!

Body Shop Mango Whip Body Lotion 60ml - this stuff is wonderfully moisturising and nourishing for the skin and smells delicious, like juicy mangoes, what's not to love? I love hitting up the Body Shop and buying the minis from the  "pick n mix" section.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or Body Oil 50ml - this is a recent purchase that I bought for my wedding day in Australia, thinking that on the big day we would be basking in glorious sunshine (but alas, it rained, but that's a story for another time). I did however get to use it subsequently and have brought it along for our little trip to France, which is rather apt as, to me, this lovely shimmery oil smells like what those glamorous sunbathing French women, it smells divine, a really warm almost spicy concoction that brings to mind balmy summer nights strolling on the beach. Heavenly stuff that makes your skin glow and feel like a beach goddess.

Tangle Teezer - once you've tried the Tangle Teezer you can never go back. I've had mine for years and it's great for detangling my long tangle-prone hair especially after a day at the beach!

Stay tuned for my make up travel essentials!

What are your holiday must haves?

Lisa x

PS I do use sunscreen at the beach, we are staying at my husband's family flat on holidays so I didn't need to bring any with me, just in case you were wondering!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet + Clinique City Block Sheer = Ultimate Summer Face Base combo?

Its a public holiday in the UK on Monday and the hubby and I have gone away for a long weekend to get some much-needed sun in the South of France. For me, one of the best things about going away on holidays has got to be duty-free shopping at the airport - it is a beauty junkie's heaven. To avoid being overwhelmed by the vast array of beauty things on offer, I have a rather long beauty lust-list that I keep on my phone which I constantly add to whenever I come across something that catches my eye. Unfortunately due to London's chaotic transport system, I arrived at Gatwick Airport with only a little bit of time for shopping so only managed to pick up a couple of things.

On top of my beauty lust list (see below) is the new Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation which I managed to pick up before racing for my gate. Last week I went down to the Chanel concept store in Covent Garden and picked up a sample of this foundation and was colour-matched to shade #30 (note: I am NC30 in MAC), and I have been trialling it all week and have absolutely fallen in love with it so I knew I had to treat myself to a full sized one. I still want to use it for another week or so before giving my full review but my first thoughts are:
  • Application: this foundation is so lightweight it feels like you have nothing on the skin and is a wonder to blend, this is best done with the fingertips.
  • Coverage: is light to medium, it does give decent coverage and evens out your skin tone and looks like your own skin, and it seems to be quite buildable, however it is not a full coverage foundation so if its absolutely flawless skin you are after, or you have quite dark blemishes to cover, this may not be right for you.
  • The Finish: the matte finish is wonderful without making your skin look flat or dead, and as an oily-skinned gal this managed to stay shine-free for most of the day, though I needed to blot once or twice later in the day, however there is no foundation I have ever tried that keeps me shine free all day.
  • Wear time: it lasts for a good few hours but I would say after about 6 hours its starts to show a bit of wear.
  • Packaging: true to Chanel style the bottle is very chic and perfect for taking on holidays as its in a plastic bottle rather than heavy glass.
Like I said I have only used this for about 4 days so it is still early days but right now I am loving this foundation and think it could be perfect as an everyday foundation for me, and it is especially great for the summertime and on holidays for that fresh, even-toned skin look!

The second item I picked up was skincare related rather than makeup. I have been looking for a lightweight, matte finish SPF for my face as a) it is coming into summertime and I am currently on holidays in the sun and b) I use a night cream with glycolic acid in it every other night so needed something to protect my skin from the sun's damaging rays. On a whim during my quick duty free dash, I asked the lady at the Clinique counter for their best face SPF for oily skin and she referred me to the Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25 Oil-Free Daily Face Protector. I tried it for the first time today and I must say I am impressed, it applied beautifully and sank into my skin immediately without any greasy residue, went on completely invisible and created a great matte base for my make up. After about 6 hours of wear there was still no sign of any grease on my face and using it with the Chanel foundation my skin is still shine free which is a miracle! I think I may I have found my perfect summer face base combo!



Do you change up your makeup routine in the summer? Let me know what goes on your face when the sun shines in the comments below, would love to read your recommendations for summer time beauty!

Lisa x