Bobbi Brown Surf and Sand Eyeliner | Bronze

As soon as I saw the Bobbi Brown Surf and Sand collection I just wanted it all, however funds are precious in the Bank of Olivia right now, so I had to just pick one thing (preferably one of the cheaper options too).

I knew the new Longwear Eyeliner shades would be just what I was looking for and although the chocolate brown shade was gorgeous, I couldn't resist that glittery, deep bronze; I know I made the right choice...

 I did mean to take some pictures when it was all shiny and new, but as soon as it came out of the box I wanted it on my face... Apologies!

It's not your typical orange-bronze, it's such a more wearable dark brown, that glints bronze when it catches the light just right. The formula is one tough cookie, it really doesn't budge for a good few hours! It looks so lovely lining the top of your eyes and even making a small cat-eye flick. But it also really shines as part of a smokey eye, as it smudges really prettily just before it sets. I can't get enough of it! I'm loathe to sharpen it though, since it doesn't sharpen all that easily, although that's probably down to my cack-handedness.

All I can say is that I might even buy another one of these before the collection ends; that's how much I love it!

Xxxx

Ode to Brogues

Ahh brogues, that weirdly masculine/feminine shoe, how I adore thee. Gives any outfit a bit of a classy edge, and they make that lovely "click-clack" sound on hard floors. I have to share this pair I found in Clarks last week; 50% off! They were supposed to be £65, so that's a huge saving!

Tan leather, cut out detail on the sides, oatmeal laces and golden lace eyelets... God they're so pretty!

Xxxx

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge | Hibiscus

I'm fairly sure this was a limited addition of the lovely Pot Rouge, but it's such a gorgeous colour I think I have to share it with you! It was from the Nectar and Nude collection from earlier this year, and is a beautiful coral shade!

On my lips this shade turns out far more pink looking, but on the cheeks is where it really shines. It brings a lovely coral flush with only the smallest amount of product. I find it tricky to blend sometimes as it's just so pigmented. The line between perfect and clown-cheeks can be very fine, but when you get it right it is so right. 

Xxxx

Hair Heroes

My hair is a bit flat. It's poker straight and totally oomph-less, not very sexy. Here are a couple of products that help kick some life into it!

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

I completely adore this. It's a kind-of dry shampoo, and I'm serious - it lasts for ever! I used to get through a can of dry shampoo every couple of weeks, but I've had this for at least 4 months and have barely used a third of it! It gives such great texture and makes the hair at the roots fluffy and bouncy, I use this even after just washing my hair!

Percy and Reed Wonder Balm

I love massaging a small amount of this into my roots and then down the length of my hair whilst it's still damp, and it makes your hair so much more manageable! It makes styling my hair so much easier and keeps it lasting. Plus it smells divine. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

You should be quite deft-handed when applying this, because if sprayed too liberally it can really weigh your hair down, and make it a bit crunchy too. But on freshly unplaited hair, it gives the most glorious "I woke up like this", easy-going texture.

Xxxx

La Roche Posay Pigment Control Serum | Review

My skin scars pretty badly after blemishes. I still have scars from two years ago; they're stubborn little bastards. I wanted them to fade on their own, but in January I decided they needed a little help out of the door.

I picked up this serum half-price at boots (£15.50 when it should have been £31) and I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. I had used the Vichy Idealia Dark Spot Corrector before but wasn't really impressed with it, this on the other hand...

This is my second bottle of this serum now, and I can honestly say that I won't be looking for anything else to take over. It's fairly powerful stuff! You should only apply it at night and the next day you have to make sure to apply a good SPF, as it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun after use. It comes with a little pipette applicator, which is handy for the runny consistency, as it helps you get it directly on your target areas.

I'll be honest, the smell - whilst not particularly strong - isn't very pleasant. It's got a chemical smell, not quite ammonia or alcohol, but not far off, and it can irritate your eyes so I make sure it goes nowhere near them. It leaves a bit of a sticky residue on the skin too, which isn't too much of a problem if you moisturise over the top. But I forget all my niggles with this product when I look at my skin in the morning; it looks so much brighter and clearer! I can really see the difference in how even my skin looks, like it's been whitewashed over night. I used to use this every night, but after about 3 months now my scars have faded to a point where I only use it a couple of times a week; more so if I have a new blemish. It even fades the freckles on my cheeks!

This is one of the few products where I have genuinely noticed a marked difference in how my skin looks. I don't think this is going to be knocked off its pedestal any time soon!

Xxxx

Airport-Friendly Beauty

When you're travelling light, the 100ml airport liquid limit is both a good and a bad thing. Good in that it challenges to you rethink what you really need and be creative about what you decide to take with you - Lord knows liquids are the heaviest thing you end up carrying. Bad, in that decanting is the bane of my f*cking life (pardon my French).

That being said, I love having smaller bottles of products to carry around with me. Why are small things always cuter?

Vichy SPF50 Capital Soleil Stick
You can't go wrong with a suncream stick. Great for the tops of your ears, face, all that jazz. No liquid in sight and really lightweight too!

Avene Eau Thermale - 50ml
Way handier than the larger version, and there is nothing better to really cool you down when you've been walking in the sun.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - 30ml
A gorgeous little bottle, and very soothing to use as aftersun, along with lashings of Sudacrem.

Nuxe Huile Prodigeuse OR - 50ml
Admittedly the bottle here is heavy, but it feels like such a treat to apply and makes your skin shimmer beautifully. It's not like horrible school disco glitter, it's so much more luxurious, and the smell is divine. When slumming it, this really makes me feel like a rich lady.

Fan
Everyone needs a fan, cheap as chips and adorable. I used to carry one of those little battery powered ones, but then one of them tore my hair out. Plus, they do make you look a bit of a loser, with their weedy little whining noise.

And there we go! I also have a really sweet 100ml bottle of Bioderma, and a travel sized version of my favourite perfume. I wish all brands made products in such convenient sizes!

Xxxx

Travelling Makeup!

In two weeks, I'll be living out of a backpack for a month. I've done this once before, and I had the absolute worst skin of my life. I took barely any makeup because I assumed I wouldn't need it, but we were in India, and I hadn't counted on all the sweat, dirt and baking heat. Spots everywhere. Massive juicers visible from space... Never again.

So now I'm a careful packer, and although I have to travel very light, I don't cut corners any more - it's just not worth it. So here is what I am taking makeup-wise:

 Now I'll admit; this isn't quite everything. I'm still umming and ahhing over what concealer to take with me. I think I'm probably just going to buy a new one in a darker shade (any excuse).

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream
Fairly standard. It doesn't give me all the coverage I need, but it's lovely and light with SPF - winner, winner.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Again, standard, but it's just the best bronzer I've used. I don't like to take shimmery face products as I feel they are for days when you're feeling particularly... 'Sparkly'. And that's definitely max once a week.

Topshop Lipstick in Infrared
It's orange, and honestly, I rarely leave the house without wearing it these days. It's my absolute favourite and I couldn't leave it behind - it makes me so sad to think of it alone in my drawer for so long.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Hibiscus

Such a lovely product, especially when you have a tan. I love it on my lips and cheeks, although it does need lip balm too since it can be quite drying.

 The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes
This is one of those lovely little eyeshadows from the shimmer cubes boxes. Its a golden/peach kind of colour and I use it all over the place; inner-corner highlight, eyeshadow wash, cheekbone highlight and sometimes on my cupid's bow too. Such a convenient little thing!

 Maybelline Expresson Kajal Eyeliner - Silver Grey
This is a slightly softer alternative to straight black. I feel like black takes effort, because if I don't get it right it makes my eyes look small and piggy. I was so satisfied with this, until I saw the new Bobbi Brown Surf and Sand bronze eyeliner... I want it so badly!

Maybelline Brow Drama - Medium Brown
Now, admittedly, this is nowhere near as good as Benefit's Gimme Brow, but it's £4.99, and so simple to use. I'd normally use pencil and then this over the top, but it does fine on it's own and pencil is such a faff when you only have a little compact mirror. Also, because it has a bigger, wider brush, it makes quite a good mascara!

So there we have it. Other than perhaps two new additions, this is what I'll be using! I hope I made good choices!

Xxxx