Travel Mini Me

   

As the weather heats up, we embrace the spring.

Throwing off the layers of winter, our wander lust kicks in. Long weekends, mini breaks, city breaks, girlie holidays, the travel chatter begins. With  many people (like myself) opting to travel light i.e no checked luggage. Finding suitably sized products to keep you looking, as fabulous as you  would at home can take the joy of of preparing for a holiday/vacation. 

 Here enters the travel mini. 

One unlikely source of travel minis is your local chemist. 

There are many items sold in our  everyday high street (Boots / Superdrug)  which do not require agonizing over which items are best suited for us to use our 3 for 2 offer. 

This Astral cream is lightweight and very suited for the super hot temperatures. It is also 100ml and falls within the airport liquid requirements for flights. Any 30ml fragrance (with a sensible cover) is suitable travel mini in my book. Avene thermal water 50ml perfect for a spritz, to refresh your makeup or a cool down. A bar of soap like this Dove bar is a great way to save liquid space (weight in your handbag), pop in your carry on, zip and go.

Spf, should have a top spot in all summer travel kits and so should an effective remover. Soap and Glory Ultimelt (recommended to me by the skincare goddess Caroline Hirons) and Botanics Hot cloth cleanser are two travel (sized)  products you can find in your nearest Boots. 

  which are always suitable for travel. 



Christmas gift sets are an overlooked  source of great travel  minis.
The Boots Extracts mini body butters set, (the Soap & Glory body butter wheel gift) and the Ren Mini Travel set are great Christmas buys which make great travel minis. 




If you follow my blog, dropped in here and there, said hello occasionally, you know that I am a lover of a magazine freebie. Now I love a magazine (3 cheers for the revamped Cosmopolitan UK, it was long over due, doing very well so far). However I like a magazine with free stuff especially if it  is a magazine that I read all the time. The photo below shows the travel minis, I have collected from magazines over the last 6 months.  

 The last source of unlikely travel minis are samples. Do not over look a sample. Those little tubes of toothpaste at the dentist, The 5ml of foundation sample. The free hair shine / moisturizer/ hair gel in the relaxer kits. Even the little sample sprays from the fragrance counter. Samples are a great addition to your travel mini beauty kits.

Safe travels my lovelies.
xx

The Current Skincare Edit

Makeup Remover - Bioderma Crealine Micellar Solution 

Eye Makeup Remover - Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

Cleanser morning - Neutrogena 2 in 1 Wash and Mask  

Cleanser evening - Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

Exfoliating toner - PIXI Glow Tonic 

Hydrating toner - Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz 

Serum - Avene Soothing Hydrating serum 

Day moisturiser - Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer

Sunscreen - Nivea Sun spf 30 pocket size for face and body

Night Moisturiser - Botanics Hydrating Night Cream All Bright

Ideally I wanted the Ren Clarifying Clay Cleanser to use as my morning cleanser. However  I got tired of waiting to purchase it after waiting so long for the Emma Hardie (took nearly a month to come back into stock) and the PIXI glow Tonic (this was another palarva) I just went with what was the closet thing which was readily available. So far the Neutrogena  2 in 1 Wash/Wask has been working fine. I use it as a morning cleanser to refresh my face + neck. If I did not wear makeup during the day I will use it as my night time cleanser as well. 

So far my little regimen has been going well, def since using the cleansing balm my skin has been a lot more plump and not as dry. I have been removing the cleansing balm in lines, "working with the grain of the skin in line with the facial muscles" similar to those of a facial for removing the cleansing balm from my skin in the evenings. In terms of draining the built up fluid I cannot see if that has worked to combat that or not. I can say that using the line method (opposed to rubbing circles) has def helped my chin area. There isn't as many  oily deposits around my chin area.  My skin likes the chemical exfoliation from the PIXI Glow Tonic, In terms of texture my skin is a lot smoother. In the future I would like to purchase the liquid gold and compare how the effects measure up. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0bNOeFKayk (Emma Hardie demonstration)

These are just some thoughts off the top of my head.

 I will do in depth reviews of the products soon,

 beginning with the Emma Hardie Cleansing balm, 

since I have been using that over a month . 

b- beautiful my lovelies.

Facial Sunscreen - Bioderma Photoderm Spot Cream SPF50+ 30ml

Sunscreen Cheat Sheet

1. If you are exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes a day, even if the weather is cloudy or over cast you need to apply sunscreen.

2. Always look for a suncare product that displays the UVA symbol in a circle or clearly states that it’s a Broad Spectrum formula. This will give your delicate skin protection from both UVA and UVB rays (ones that age and ones that burn) reducing your skin cancer risk and also preventing lasting, ageing sun damage.

3. No!!!!!! you cannot rely on the Spf in your foundation. Ideally for your entire face, neck and de-collate  you should be using a teaspoon amount every time you apply.

**if you are suffering with hyperpigmentation, you should be applying a higher factor spf every single day.**

Protect skin with localised hyperpigmentation and sun spots with the Bioderma Photoderm Spot SPF50+.

The formula is also suitable for skin that has been treated by laser, or scarred complexions. It offers maximum photoprotection with a wealth of specific active ingredients that minimise the risk of further pigmentation. The maximum anti-UVB protection and unrivalled, extreme anti-UVA performance protects the skin from sunburn, sun intolerance and premature ageing.

Created especially for facial skin, it guarantees optimum protection from the sun with its patented Cellular BIOprotection® complex. The melting texture of the cream leaves the skin feeling comforted and very soft.

Apply Photoderm Spot generously before sun exposure, and reapply frequently. Colourless when applied, the cream leaves no oily film or white marks. Non-comedogenic, water-resistant, photostable and fragrance-free, Photoderm Spot ensures excellent tolerance.

Available at Escentual.com RRP £15.50

YES!!!! you must wear suncreen every day my lovelies.

The Skincare Edit - The Budget Friendly Version

The idea for this post struck me today when I was at work. One of the ladies and I were speaking about the summer sales and items we could purchase now to use as gifts for birthdays/Christmas.

 It came to me that with all the hype about the Emma Hardie Cleansing balm, the P50 exfoliating toner and the PIXI glow tonic. Where are the options for those who want to try these products but just do not have the money to buy the cult products. 

I recently posted my Skincare edit (which is subject to change so there will be updates soon), so I am writing this the Budget friendly version of my skincare edit. This would have been my skincare edit a year ago when I was a student, strapped for pennies.

Makeup Remover - L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution 

Cleansing Oil  - L'oreal Cleansing oil (please remember this does have in mineral oil)

Cleanser morning - Neutrogena 2 in 1 cleanser & Mask 

Cleanser evening - Botanics 97% Organic Hot Cloth cleansing Balm 

Exfoliating toner - La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Lotion 

Hydrating toner - Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz 

Serum - Avene Soothing Hydrating serum 

Sunscreen - Bioderma Photoderm Spot Cream SPF50+ 30ml, 

or Avene very high protection mineral suncreen spf50+ for very intolerant skin 

My current skincare edit is £125 in total. The budget version above total costs equal £85, at the moment a lot of these products are on reduced price offers, so the total would be even less. I recommend when purchasing skincare you buy one item at a time. eg when your cleanser finishes, then purchase a new one,  not before. Do the same in turn with each skincare item. Unless your skin is in a bad way, I would never suggest purchasing an entirely new skincare regime at once.  I love a bargain and the frugal person in me would never let that happen. I will stick to purchasing one at a time as items finish.  I hope that you guys find this post useful. 


Comment below and let me know if you have used any of the products above in the past. 

Happy Wednesday,

my lovelies.

xx

The Current Skincare Edit

Internal Skincare: 2 x Flaxseed oil tablets (1000mg), 1.5l water daily

Makeup Removers: Boots Botanics Makeup Remover, Bioderma Micellare Solution

Cleanser: Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm

Exfoliating /Clarifying Toner: PIXI Glow Tonic

Moisturizing Toner: Clarins Enegizing Toner

Serum: Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum

Moisturizers: Botanics Hydrating Night Cream, Origins GinZing Moisturizer

SPF: Nivea spf30 

       In that order *Mama Dee voice*

Happy Saturday my lovelies .

xx

Review - Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution Micellaire

     This is to be without a doubt one of the most hyped products in the beauty community. A go to product of makeup artists (this along with the Embryolisse lait creme concentrate, have been used to revive the skin of many a hung over model). With makeup artists admitting to stocking up on this on trips to France one has to ask "is it really THAT good?" French skincare has def been on the map for a while, but now with the advent of mainstream vlogging/blogging it is really coming out on top. We love French food, French fashion, it was only a matter of time before we became enthralled with French skincare.  

     For as long as I have been interested in fashion/beauty/cosmetics, the saying "less is more" has always been associated with the french women and their view towards makeup. Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara and that is all you need. Now the secret is out makeup is not the secret weapon, great skin is the weapon. Surprisingly unlike women in other countries, French women do not flock tot counters in droves to purchase the latest lotions and potions., Why because some of the greatest skincare products in any French fashionistas arsenal can be found in the local pharmacy. 

     Bioderma is among the most frequently prescribed laboratories by French dermatologists. Bioderma laboratories offer a range of different products for all skin types. The Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution is one of their best selling products, a makeup remover, gentle enough for people with sensitive skin. 

Bioderma Crealine is a clear fluid which looks like water, however it contains many gentle and effective particles and even oil. these small particles of oil work to remove even waterproof makeup. The solution is perfume free (without perfume/fragrance) and hypoallergenic. It also contains cucumber extract which soothes irritated skin, cleans dirt and makes sensitive skin even more resilient. (Three cheers for my sister who spent a year in France translating the back of my Bioderma bottle) lol.

   I use this product in various ways, as a makeup remover (after removing my makeup with 2 cleansing wipes, I wipe my face with a cotton pad soaked with Bioderma solution), as a moisturizer  (to freshen up my skin before applying makeup), as a light cleanser for days when I am just wearing powder to keep the shine off my face. Sometimes I even use this as a single step cleanser in the morning. The Bioderma Crealine does not leave any residue on my skin after use and I am very pleased with this. 

This is available in 3 sizes, 100ml (the travel size), 250ml and 500ml.

Would I recommend - Yes

Would I purchase - Yes

Would I buy full priced? - Yes

xx

Review - Bioderma Solution Micellaire

 
     Anywhere you go the beauty community is a buzz with reviews of this product. Many bloggers name this as their go to makeup remover on a regular basis. Bioderma Laboratorie Dermatologique is a French skincare brand, yes the French are killin' it when it comes to skincare. 

     Bioderma Crealine is a clear fluid which looks like water, however it contains many gentle and effective particles and even oil. these small particles of oil work to remove even waterproof makeup. The solution is perfume free (sans parfum) and hypoallergenic. It also contains cucumber extract which soothes irritated skin, cleans dirt and makes sensitive skin even more resilient. (Three cheers for my sister who spent a year in France translating the back of my Bioderma bottle) lol.

     I must admit that this is an excellent makeup remover. I am particularly pleased that unlike the bio-phase formulas which do contain oil there is not greasy residue left on my skin after I use this. This formula is the one for sensitive skin, there is also a formula for oily skin but from most reviews there does not seem to be much difference between both formulas. It is so gentle yet effective, just using a cotton pad my skin is cleansed of all the makeup yet it is not stripped. After a double cleanse with my muslin cloth in the evening,  I must admit that I use this as a one step cleanser some mornings. 

     Now there is a downside to this product it is only sold in France, it is available through Ebay sellers to persons outside of France. However you will be paying a pretty penny compared to those who purchase it on the mainland. Bioderma Micellaire is available in 3 sizes (as far as I am aware of) 500ml, 250ml and 100ml aka the travel sized bottle.  

Would I recommend - Yes

Would I purchase - Yes

Would I buy full priced? - Yes, which is what I plan to do when I travel to gay Paree next year. 

xx