You only get one face

So you need to take care of it (says she, who only got a skincare regime this year thanks to Caroline Hirons) 

I normally just put whatever suncream I use on my body, on my face.  So usually factor 6 piz buin.  So this year I figure it's a week before I turn 35 (shit, how did that happen please??) so I really should invest in a decent face spf for the beach.  Enter Clarins.

Now I'm not going to lie, I asked Caroline which I should buy, and she suggested shiseido or Clinique.  However, in Fenwicks Bond Street, Clarins had a GWP offer, and I have been desperate to buy one of their crystal balms, so figured I would try their sun cream for face too so I could get my freebies.  Plus, as much as I want to protect my skin, I still want to get a tan, I rarely burn, so wanted no more than factor 15.

So here is my haul.

 

 

I actually have loads more of the mini's but they are already packed.  I told the lovely lady on the counter that I was going on hols, so she literally poured samples into my bag, I couldn't have been more excited if she had been pouring giant Cadburys buttons into my mouth.  (actually, that's not true, I'd actually commit murder for someone to do that for me since being on the diet).

 

Can I just say Oh.My.God for the crystal balm.  If you look closely you can see the clear veil of sheen around the colour on my skin.  I love this, and REALLY struggled to choose out of 2 colours, but glad I picked this one, it is shade 01, Crystal Pink.

 

 

 

I picked the body lotion as one of my GWP's as I don't buy into this whole aftersun hype, I figure a moisturiser is a moisturiser, and if it's free, and it's clarins, then that works for me!  If i'm wrong, please tell me!

 

The Extra Firming Day cream I am really interested to try, so will do a review on it in the coming weeks.

 

Anything from the Clarins range i'm missing out on???

 

 

Travel Companions

I hate taking 250ml bottles of shampoo on holiday and I hate taking my bottles of foundation on holiday, as I invariably need to use a darker shade by the end of it, so it's wasted space for that 33rd top I HAVE to take with me plus it is usually marble flooring throughout and I will undoubtedly drop 65quids worth of make up all over the floor.

I quite enjoy buying the mini's, slightly galling when I know the cost to make these items having been in the miniature industry for 8 years in my first job, but still, they are giving me more weight to use for clothes, so I will stop moaning.

This holiday I have decided to choose the Charles Worthington minis. 

 

 

 

How good they are remains to be seen, but I like the idea of spritzing my hair throughout the day. 

 

I then bought this little stack of pots, which I will be decanting my wonderful Emma Hardie Moringa Face Balm into, plus my 2 different foundations and one application of my favourite body scrub ever from Neom Organics to keep my body in tip top tanning condition!

 

 

 

Last but not least, my hair is always up on holiday, it's quite ombre at the moment, so much lighter at the ends, so found these little pretties in Accessorize, the group of hairbands will all have been lost by the end of the week, I am the person that keeps hairband brands in business, as must buy 2 packs a month!  The little item on the right is really cute, a normal hairband, but with a hard gold coloured ring to hide the band.  The 2 bits cost me £6.

 

Anything I'm missing?

 



 



 

always the mothers job

As a kid I remember my mum getting a bit 'prickly' a few days before our family of 4 went on holiday.  I just thought she was a bit odd about it all, until I became a mum.

Difference is, my mum had a husband who was rarely home, 2 daughters, a dog and 2 cats.  So as well as packing for 4 people, she also had to sort out kennels, cattery, or taking the dog to our grandparents for them to have, as well as wash, iron, clean the house (which she literally did as we were leaving, she would hoover us out of the front door), sort the currency out and then some.

I just have James, Max and I.  I normally would pack for James and I before Max came along anyway, just because men are rubbish at packing, and I quite the jigsaw puzzle feel of doing it, and the satisfaction of when you are finished you can close the cases without needing John Goodman to sit on them to close them.

Then I went upstairs to start on it and was faced with this

This is our spare room.  Or should I say, the holiday crime scene.  Now I must point out, that Maxs stuff is in line with the trunki on the top of the pic.  James is one row at the bottom of the picture.  Mine is the massive collection in the middle, other than the swim nappies (don't do them in my size).

You might think, oh not bad for a 2 week holiday for 3 people.

It's a 1 week holiday.  6 nights where we will need clothes, as the first day we get there late.  This isn't everything.  Shoes aren't on there.  Toiletries aren't on there.  I have 2 wash loads drying on the airers, and of course there is no sun today to dry them, so I have jeans on the kitchen floor so that the underfloor heating dries them.

I had to walk away and close the door quietly.

Feel for me please.  I have to do this in between finishing work which has been a manic last day, picking Max up from Nursery as James doesn't finish work until 7pm tonight, going to Lighter Life for my weigh in, and doing dinner.

Mum, I bow to your greatness.

Gelish in Tiger Blossom

Not much to say here other than look at my pretty coloured nails!

Gelish in Tiger Blossom

If you live in London and haven't had Josie in your house to give you the best, neatest manicure or pedicure of your life, then shame on you. 

This is a gorgeous colour, it's more coral than it looks in the picture, she uses OPI Cajun Shrimp on my feet to match it, but i'm not going to give you nightmares by posting pictures of my feet.  Or as James calls them, plates of wood.

Seriously, book a date with Josie nailsmakeupme

Hats off to my dad!

My dad recently went on a ridiculous holiday, he is 65, newly single, not quite ready to mingle, but had a disastrous holiday last year on his first holiday alone, and so this year decided to have a bit of action.  (ahem, so to speak)

So he decided to sign up for a ridiculous bike riding holiday.  Not a nice gentle easy breezy downhill cycle in a lovely forest.  Not my dad.  South America.  So I'm talking Nicaragua, Panama and Brazil......rainforests, vertical climbs, underneath waterfalls, the lot.  Strange man loved it.  (I should add here that he runs 11 miles at least once a week, so it wasn't like me deciding I was going to do the mad holiday out of the blue, that would be hilarious).  I should also add this was about 2 weeks after a knee operation.

Every holiday I buy a cheap straw trilby/panama style hat, so when dad said he was going to Panama and would be stopping off to watch panama hats be made, I begged him (didn't take much begging, i'm his baby) to get me one.  Which he did.  It's the right size, it's light, and best of all it's AUTHENTIC.  Even better, the authentic ones roll up for easy packing!  I googled how to roll it best and found this site (how to roll a panama hat ) and it has worked brilliantly.  Looks a bit odd, as have put a sock over it now to keep it rolled, X-ray machines will be interesting tomorrow! 

restocking the wardrobe

The downside to having lost over a stone in the last couple of months is that it has equated to 2 dress sizes down and everything looks really scruffy!!

Finally, I can look at clothes that I previously hankered after, but knew I couldn't wear due to various lumps and bumps.....yes horizontal stripes, I'm talking about YOU!

So I started shopping around and fell in love with this dress from Baukjen (ahem, and bought it)

Drew Stripe Dress here

I then carried on browsing and the skirt that I really wanted last year, was at a ridiculously bargainous price of £26.70, (bought it) and I feel I can wear it with pride now that I have rediscovered my waist!

Print Drape skirt here

Annoyed that I couldn't stretch to the belt, but may use birthday money for that

Perfect items for my holiday coming up, but also love the skirt with that shirt or a white shirt for a summer day business meeting with a nice pair of shoes.

Still on my list (click on pics for links):

I would post pics of me in the outfits, but my legs are far too white at the moment, so will do after my hols!!

Avon Calling!

I know there are some haters of Avon out there, but I have to say, I am constantly surprised by their new products, and if Sam Chapman is featured in their catalogues, that is a good sign no?

I have seen various brands launching the matte lipsticks and haven't been too sure about them, but there was such a good deal in the latest Avon book that I got 2.

L - Pink Cuddle
R - Matte Crimson

They go on really smoothly and feel very moisturising.  The colour pay off is gorgeous, the crimson is a really naughty red, not pillar box, but a deeper, pinky, sexy colour.  Put it this way; I wouldn't wear it to go to a meeting (unless it was a meeting with my boyfriend) 

Pink Cuddle is a really cute pink that I will wear on holiday with just a bit of bronzer and a slick of eyeshadow for an early evening dinner.  It's a really great daytime/early evening colour

They stay matte, yet I can still massage my lips together (I thought it would feel like I had nothing on and would be unable to do that).

Will I give up my Clinique Chubby Sticks? No, but these are already in my handbag for when I fancy a change!


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