MORE: Holiday Essentials

Since my last holiday post I have picked up/gathered together a few more bits and pieces for my holiday and I thought I'd show you what they are. I haven't gone into too much detail about each product as some of them haven't been tried before or I've previously reviewed them (and provided a past link).

Batiste Dry Shampoo Fresh - £2.99

I've started washing my hair every 2 days to try and correct it and stop it from being greasy so recently, I've been relying on dry shampoo to revive my hair in between washes. I haven't tried this version before but hopefully it'll smell nice.

Boots Essential Toothpaste - £0.59

I didn't want an expensive toothpaste and ideally, I wanted a travel sized one but I couldn't find one anywhere. So I just went with this cheap Boots one that I can throw away if I don't want to bring it back with me.

Bic Soleil Lady Travel Shaving Gel - £1.89

Hopefully the weather will be nice and I'll be able to get my legs out so I definitely needed some shaving gel. I've not tried this one before but it smells absolutely gorgeous and the travel sized bottle is so cute!

Anti-Aging Hand Sanitizer* - £22.00

This is my favourite hand moisturiser so I had to take it away with me. It's the perfect size for travelling with aswell. You can read my full review of this product here.

Sanctuary Daily Spa Escape Body Moisture Spray - £2.50

Boots still have their 3 for 2 offer on and I was in need of a third item so I picked this body spray up. It smells beautiful and I need to find a full sized version. I'm trying very hard not to use it before my holiday but sometimes I can't resist. It smells very clean and fresh and it does add moisture to the skin.

Listerine Stay White Mouthwash - around £1.10

Listerine is my favourite mouthwash as they taste isn't very strong so when I saw the travel sized version I couldn't say no as the bottle is just so cute!

TRESemme Split Remedy Sealing Serum - £5.69

I had to bring this product with me and the fact that it's a small sized bottle made me want to take it even more. I won't go into too much detail about this as I've done a full review here.

Soap & Glory Travel Size Clean On Me Body Wash - £2.50

I decided that I needed another body wash in case the one that I had wasn't enough so I went into Boots and picked up a Clean On Me as it's my all time favourite body wash.

GLAMGLOW* - £49.99

This is the best face scrub/mask that I've ever tried and because I have a small sample size I decided to take it on holiday with me. You can read my full review here but I'll also just say that it completely transforms your skin in an instant, perfect.

Boots Extracts Bergamot Body Butter - From a Christmas gift set (a similar one can be found here.

This smells beautiful. When I first bought the gift set I stayed away from this body butter as I had no idea (and I still don't) what bergamot is. But whatever it is smells bloody lovely! It's a fresh scent that isn't overpowering and the body butter itself leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.

Boots Travel Toothbrush - around £0.50p

I managed to find a travel toothbrush! It was really cheap but I can't seem to find it online anywhere.

No7 Cleansing Sponges - £3.75

I've been using these so much lately and I have one unused one that I thought I'd take on holiday with me. They're pretty big so remove cleanser instantly and they also exfoliate your skin at the same time.

Dr Organic Aloe Vera Wet Wipes* - £2.75

I can be quite messy so I decided to take some wet wipes with me. These ones sooth and refresh the skin whilst cleansing them.

Are you going on holiday this summer? What essentials are you taking with you?

xxx

*PR Sample

How I... Look After My Nails

I've recently started looking after my nails quite a lot. Before this routine, I pretty much just used to apply nail polish and that's it. And that's probably why my nail polish always applied gloopy and not nice. 

I start off by cutting my nails if they need cutting. My nails don't really grow that long but if they ever do then I'll use the Dirty Works Finger Nail Clipper* - £2.49. I then go on to filing my nails down. I'll either use the Dirty Works Printed Emery Board & Case* - £2.99 or the Anatomicals Nail File - £2.00. Both are great nail files are get the job done quickly but without breaking the nails and damaging them. The Dirty Works one is also great for travelling as it comes in its own case. I then use my No7 Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Care - £7.00 to soften my cuticle before pushing them back using the Boots Essentials Manicure Sticks - £1.00. The No7 Cuticle Care is something that I recently bought using the No7 £5 vouchers and it's such a lovely product. It does a great job of softening them and looking after them. If I need to trim any cuticles on the side of my nails then I'll use the Dirty Works Cuticle Trimmer* - £6.99 as it's really gentle, quick and easy. I'll then use the Dirty Works 4 Sided Nail Buffer Block* - £2.99 to make my nails look smooth and get them ready for applying nail polish. And finally, I'll use the Natural Collection Nail Colour in Clear - £1.89 as a base coat and a top coat as well.

 These are my nails. They aren't the most beautiful looking and that's one of the main reasons that I always use nail polish - to cover up them up. They're prone to breaking and they're very brittle but this routine that I do is pretty gentle and I've noticed an improvement in my nails since doing it. I'm hoping to invest in a base coat that strengthens the nails but I just can't bring myself to do it in case they don't work - it's weird how I'll always invest in skin care but not in my nails. So if you have any recommendations, please let me know!

And finally, I store all of my nail accessories in the Dirty Works Cosmetic Bag* - £4.99. It's a very nice bag that's just the right size. It's also great as you can just wipe it clean if it gets dirty.
How do you look after your nails?
xxx
*PR Sample

My Lip Balm Collection

My lip balm obsession runs as deep as my foundation collection - if not deeper. I'm not too sure why as when it comes to my lips, there's nothing wrong with them. I don't get dry lips and I definitely don't get chapped lips. They're not perfect though and obviously lip balms help with lipstick application so I love using them.

I'm also ashamed to say that this is not my full lip balm collection; this is just my university one and at home, I have quite a few more. 

I absolutely love lip scrubs and I've incorporated them into my daily routine. For me, they're just like a moisturiser.

Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum - £4.95

This one tastes as Snow Fairy would taste if it was food. It's absolutely beautiful and it smells just like Snow Fairy too. It works really well at scrubbing away dead skin and as you can see from the pot, it's definitely well used.

Lush Lip Scrub in Pow Wow - Limited Edition

I'll never forget when I first bought this and opened it. I was disgusted at the colour and I almost didn't dare use it but it's so good. It's a lot more abrasive than the Bubblegum scrub and you have to be careful when using it as your lips will turn green. But it's fabulous! The taste is popping candy and as you lick the scrub away from your lips the popping candy pops in your mouth.

I really love Nivea lip balms. The packaging of them is great and they're wonderful for throwing into your handbag throughout the day. The Nivea Pure & Natural in Milk & Honey - £1.99 tastes lovely. It's really milky and very moisturising. The Nivea Essential Care - £1.65 is of the same moisture level of the Milk & Honey but I'd say it penetrates deeper and has a better lasting effect. And finally, the Nivea Hydro Care - £2.03 is the most hydrating of the 3 and it is less sticky.

I must admit that Blistex is my favourite lip balm brand. You also must check out their new website - I had too much fun playing with the new features haha. 
Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner* - £2.59
This is a great lip balm. It adds moisture and it tastes and smells nice - like mint. I don't think it deeply moisturises the lips though. It's more of a nice top up throughout the day.

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast* 
A great hydrating lip balm that tastes and smells incredible! This always reminds me of last years holiday as I took it away with me.

Blistex MedPlus Cherry Berry* - £2.34
This tastes incredible! It's not like the fake cherry berry scent/taste that is in most lip balms either. It's also very good for the lips and is exceptionally moisturising but not in a way that comes off too waxy on the lips or too thick. I love it!

Blistex Lip Massage* - £1.83
This is amazing. It has a special top that dispenses the lip product and it gently buffs away any dead skin and leaves you with beautiful, soft lips. This is great for in the morning.

Blistex Soothing Splash Liquid Lip Moisturiser* - £2.59
I have been loving this lip balm recently and it's the one that has been coming everywhere with me. It applies via a rollerball which is wonderful for soothing the lips. The balm is quite thin but it's pretty glossy and it's great for adding fullness to this lips. Like I said, it soothes the lips and surprisingly it's very moisturising as well. I love it! My new favourite.

Blistex Lip Brilliance* - £2.49
A really nice lip balm that is similar in consistency and hydration as the Nivea ones. It also adds a lovely hint of pink colour on the lips.

 I love SoftLips! The packaging is so cute and girly and I love how inexpensive they are. The SoftLips French Vanilla* - £1.49 tastes incredible. It sort of tingles on the lips which I love. The SoftLips Vitamin Enriched* - £1.49 is the exact same as the French Vanilla one but it doesn't have any flavour.

'I kissed a girl and I liked it..' Chapsticks were probably my first 'make up item' that I owned. But they're actually very good lip balms. My sister loves the original one but I prefer ones with flavours. They're not the most moisturising but they're a great base for lipstick.

Strawberry Chapstick - £1.05

Cherry Chapstick - £1.05

Boots Essentials Lipsalve in Spearmint - £1.01
My sister bought this at the airport as she had forgotten her lip balm but as soon as she found out the flavour she gave it to me (she doesn't like flavoured lip balms). I like this one. It's not that moisturising but it really smooths the lips and it tastes nice.

Vitamin Water Dragonfruit Flavoured - £9.49
I don't really like this. I can't remember why I had it. It's hydrating but I hate the flavour - dragonfruit, urgh.

Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm - £2.69
I don't like Carmex at all. I don't know why I still have this really. It just tastes disgusting.

Liz Earle Sheer Pink Lip Shimmer* - £5.00
This is really cute! It's great for adding on top of matte lipsticks to hydrate them throughout the day and add a nice sheen to the lips.

Vaseline Sun Protection SPF 15 - £2.25
I use this constantly in the summer. It's just like the original Vaseline but it has SPF 15 in it.

Vaseline Rose and Almond Oil - £2.25
I'd say this is the most hydrating out of all of the Vaseline's and I really love the colour pay off.

Rhodes to Heaven All in One Lip Plumper* - £13.95
This is perfect - the best primer for lips. It plumps the lips up whilst hydrating them and really caring for them. It's just incredible and it's definitely worth the big price tag.

I Love.. Strawberries & Milkshake Glossy Lip Balm - £0.99
This tastes and smells incredible. It's not very travel friendly but it sits lovely on my bed side table. It's also very hydrating.

The Body Shop Born Lippy in Watermelon - £2.00
Tastes lovely and is great for summer. Not the most hydrating of lip balms but does a great job at softening the lips.

I bought a giftset from Boots at Christmas for £10.00 and inside it was a lot of cute lip balms. My favourite are the Boots Bright as a Button Mint Lip Balm and the Boots Bright as a Button Cherry Lip Balm. These ones taste lovely and the mint one also adds a bit of shimmer to the lips.

If you do have very chapped lips then there's only one lip balm that I'd recommend and that's the Blistex Relief Cream. Unfortunately, it's not featured in this post as my sister has stolen it from me as it's her favourite and she does actually have chapped lips. She really loves it and it's improved the condition of her lips so much. I even recommended it to a customer at Boots once.

xxx

*PR Sample

SKINCARE ROUTINE: Extras

I must first of all apologise for the picture of the face mask. I've also wrote about face mask where there was a picture of a face scrub instead. I just got them mixed up!

Dirty Works Pore-Fect Face Scrub* - £3.32

This is the only face scrub that I use really. I have a lot that I'll sometimes use but this is the one that I always go back to. Mainly because it's very gentle but also has a nice cooling effect on the skin. I'll use this about 2-3 times a week before applying a face mask or face tanning and the best thing about it is that it's really great at making my pores appear smaller and reduced.

Boots Essentials Cleansing Wipes - £1.49

These are my go-to cleansing wipes as they're really soft and remove make up very well for make up wipes. They're very refreshing and don't strip the skin and pretty cheap too. I don't use make up wipes often; only when I'm removing heavy eye make up or when I've come in from a night out and the last thing I want to do is spend time cleansing my skin.

Pan Oxyl 10 Aquagel - £3.83

My saviour! I absolute love this and it's the only spot treatment I'll ever use. This one is more gentle than the acnegel and it's great way to reducing the size of spots. If I have a breakout I'll apply this and within 2 days it will be completely gone. I use this on a breakout just once a day as if you use it more than once your skin can become quite dry. If you'd like to find out more about this then you can read my full review here.

Renouve Anti-Aging Every Day Defense* - £22.00

This may seem like a strange product to include in a skincare routine as it's a hand cream/sanitiser but I will always use this before touching my face to make sure that my hands are clean and free of germs. It's very moisturising and sinks into the skin lovely and leaves them looking glowing, smooth and more healthier.

xxx

*PR Sample

SKINCARE ROUTINE: Eye Care

There's nothing really bad about my eyes as I'm only young but I do get bags under them sometimes if I haven't had enough sleep and of course, it's a good idea to start young as prevention is better than cure!

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion* - £10.50

This is truly a wonder product. It soothes the skin and refreshes tired and puffy eyes which is what sometimes I get. If my eyes are ever sensitive and itchy then I'll apply this to a cotton wool pad and hold it either over my eye or underneath my eye to soothe the redness and get rid of any eye bags that I may have. It's also really good at removing eye make up - not the heavy stuff but just if you have a little bit of eye shadow on or anything.

Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair* - £14.50

I use this every single day to moisturise my eyes and reduce the appearance of fine lines and bags underneath my eyes. It's really lovely to use and sinks into the skin very quickly. It also contains SPF10 which helps to protect the eyes from ageing which is a big thing for me - I'm not a fan of wrinkles! Whilst it seems quite expensive for the size you do only need a little tiny amount of it and this has actually lasted me over a year.

Boots Essentials Eye Make Up Remover Gel - £1.42

I don't really use this to remove my eye make up with as I'll normally use either my Cleanse & Polish or some make up wipes but I love using this as an alternative to my Eyebright. It's very cooling and refreshing and sometimes my eyes do get tired and red. This soothes the skin down and makes them look wide awake. It's a cheaper alternative to the Eyebright.

xxx

*PR Sample

What I Use On.. My Eyes

My eyes have been really red and irritated recently so I've started to take greater care in my eye routine. Plus, I'm 19 now and my eye bags are starting to get worse - not good!

Lancome Bi-Facial - this is pretty much the best eye make up remover that I've ever tried. It dissolves make up instead of moving it around on the skin and it does it quickly. It's gentle on the eyes aswell. The only problem is that it leaves a residue behind so it's recommended that you wash the eye area with water afterwards to ensure that the residue doesn't affect your eye make up.

Liz Earle Smoothing Line Serum - I really love this serum. I also use it underneath my moisturiser sometimes but it's lovely on the eyes too. Very soothing and acts as a great primer.

Boots Essentials Eye Make Up Remover Gel - I alternate between this and the Bi-Facial because this is a lot more affordable. In a perfect world, I'd use the Bi-Facial every time I remove my eye make up but this is a great alternative. I also reviewed this product here. 

Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Eye Roll On - This eye gel is very refreshing and great for in mornings as it brightens up the eye area and instantly makes my eye bags disappear. I also reviewed this product here.

Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair - A great all-rounder that I use every night before bed. You can see my full review of this product here.
What products do you use on your eyes?
xxx

Another Boots Haul!

I'm guessing every Sunday I'll be posting a haul from Boots. Working there and seeing the offers makes it almost irresistible to spend money in there but oh well, you make money to spend it! I didn't really buy a lot of interesting stuff, just a few essentials really.

Denman Shower Brush

I've been eyeing this up since the first day I worked at Boots and that was three months ago. Today, I finally decided to buy it because I'm fed up of my hair being a tangled mess whenever I get out of the shower - even after I've conditioned. It's really good for the hair and also gives your head a massage at the same time; a win, win situation.

Boots Tea Tree Peel Off Face Mask

I absolutely love face masks and will generally use them twice a week. I normally use clay masks but I've been craving for a peel off mask for a while now. I haven't used this one before but I have read some decent things about it and it was pretty cheap.

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel

After reading this review I've been lusting after this eye make up remover for a while. It sounds absolutely lovely and although I haven't used it yet, I know it's going to be amazing. I normally just use my cleanser on my eyes but when I read that this gel hydrates the eyes and leaves them feeling refreshed, I couldn't help but pick one up.

Nivea Double Effect Deodorant

I needed a deodorant and a lady came up to the counter with this one and it came through at half price so I just couldn't resist. It's 250ml and these ones generally tend to last me a long time.

What have you been buying recently? Have you tried any of these items?

xxx