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

April Favourites

Hey lovelies, I am tucked up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate, it is raining cats and dogs outside. 

So I have decided to share with you what were my favorite products for the month of April. 

Some of these products you might have seen before, some of them are new. 

Everyday Favourites: 

Armani shades - between low glare in the mornings and the dazzling sunlight in the afternoons, having these bad boys in my hand bag have been a necessity. 

Jack Wills umbrella - did you know umbrellas are pricey? Like seriously this umbrella was "12 and it was half price!!!!. I came to the rude awakening, that I have never actually purchased  an umbrella, (when I bought this umbrella).  I mean for an every day product, they are pricey, especially if you want a sturdy one to hold up against these hurricane rains /tornado winds we seem to be getting these past few months. 

Body Favorites:

Garnier 7 day Intense moisturizing lotion - good moisturizer not to light and now to heavy  perfect for the fluctuating temperatures of Spring. 

 Dove Hibiscus and Almond shower cream - has been keeping my skin clean as well as soft. Sanctuary body spray - great for spritzing on the go, as well as topping up during the day, the scent is very light. I know you are wondering why I have two body scrubs/exfoliators as well as exfoliating gloves. Exfoliating gloves are the business, I use them every day, with my Dove Almond and Hibiscus shower cream.  

There is a method to the madness with the 2 body scrubs. Gigi No Bump Scrub - is for use in delicate areas such as the bikini line and decolletage.  The Body Shop Raspberry Body Scrub this is for use every where, but I moistly focus on the back of my thighs and arms with this. 

Face Favourites:

 Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer - medium coverage plus spf, this has been my regular base not that the morning have been lighter. 

 Garnier Micellar water -this has been a great makeup remover, plus at 400ml for £4.99, this has been great value for money. 

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural - great face powder on its own as well as topping up my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. 

 Murad perfecting day cream with spf 30 - it goes on and gives my skin a grey  tinge, which does not last. My skin totally absorbs it  and it leave no residue, plus it doesn't interfere with the application of my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer which contains spf 20.

 (I am all for the spf, I am going to be as well preserved as possible, no leather face here. Moisturizer, water and spf are my friends) 

Hair Favourites:

ORS Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion - I've been using this for years. It works great as a hair moisturizer I just continue using it. 

Almond Oil (decanted into the Tresemme liquid gold bottle) - this is what I use to seal in the moisture of the Olive oil hair lotion. 

There you have it my April favourites,

xxx

Wash day - July 13th 2013

This wash day was very very simple. the method as well as product usage. First I finger combed my hair to remove any loose hairs, next I detangled using my wide toothed comb. I applied some of my Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner to the length and ends of my hair for about 10 minutes. 

                                                                        

                                                          

I shampooed my hair using a a 50/50 mixture of the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and water. (the water & shampoo was mixed prior) I needed to shampoo my hair 3 times this wash day, to get it as clean as I liked. After rinsing out the shampoo after the third wash, I blotted my hair a bit to remove some of the excess water. 

                                                                    

For deep conditioning , I used  a mixture of the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Serum (basically Almond oil) and the Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner . Since the Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditoner is a bi -phase product, I only used a little bit at a time, mixed in my my palms to melt it all together. First I applied  Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner to my ends. Then I got a bit more product rubbed my palms, to mix it together and applied down the lengths of my hair. I also sectioned my hair into 4 parts and applied some of the Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner product and applied some of the product in areas around my crown. 

                                                         

After 20 minutes I rinsed out the deep conditioner combo, my hair felt really soft and nourished. This was my first time using the Ojon Rare Blend Conditioner. I would need to use it a few more times before I recommend purchasing. I blotted my hair with a towel and let my hair air dry for an hour. After the hour had passed I applied some ORS Incredibly Rich Deep Moisturizing Hair Lotion to my ends and full length of hair and then  with the heat setting on my blow dryer turned OFF I blow dried my hair out . As a heat protectant the ORS  Hair lotion was not bad, I would not use this all the time though. The day just called for simple efforts. As we all know less is more sometimes. 

Hair Stats
Current length: Line #2 on my length check t shirt**
Last Relaxer:  June 29th 2013
Next Relaxer: September 28th 2013
Short Term Goal: line #3 on my Length check T-shirt by June 2013
Long Term Goal: Bra Strap Length by December 2013
Wish List: Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer, Grapseed Oil
Recent buys: Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise, Organic Root Stimulator Incredibly Rich Moisturizing hair lotion, Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter

Relaxer Touch Up - June 2013

My stylist used Organic Root Stimulator lye relaxer in normal strength on my new growth. She applied the relaxer in 4 sections, starting with the back right section. For the two  sections at the  front she relaxed the left side first and then the right. Application of the relaxer took about 10 minutes overall. The smoothing process took another 10 -15 minutes. 

 After rinsing out the relaxer from my hair, she neutralised my hair using Organic Root Stimulator Neutralising Shampoo. Then she applied Sta fro hair dye in the colour dark brown. I went under the dryer for about 20 minutes to help the colour  set properly. Then my hair was rinsed, shampooed with Luster's Pink oil Moisturizing Shampoo and then the Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner was applied. I was then back under the dryer for another 20 minutes. Organic Root Stimulator Wrap/Set Mousse along with the Organic Root Stimulator Incredibly Rich Moisturizer Lotion was applied to my hair and then some medium sized rollers. (yes I love roller sets.)

Check the pics below for results of my relaxer day.

Check out my 2 bottles of ORS Incredibly rich hair lotion,
 upside down in the corner of the photo. lol 

Curls 

Curls 

Curls 

Curls and an ear

Curls

Getting ready for bed 

The morning after. 

Products Used:
Organic Root Stimulator Incredibly Rich Hair Moisturising Lotion 
Organic Root Stimulator lye relaxer in normal strength
Organic Root Stimulator Neutralising Shampoo
Luster's Pink oil Moisturizing Shampoo
Sta fro hair dye in the colour dark brown
Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner 
Organic Root Stimulator Wrap/Set Mousse

Hair Stats
Current length: Line #2 on my length check t shirt**
Last Relaxer:  June 29th 2013
Next Relaxer: August 31st 2013
Short Term Goal: line #3 on my Length check T-shirt by June 2013**
Long Term Goal: Bra Strap Length by December 2013
Wish List: Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer, Grapseed Oil
Recent buys: Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise,  Organic Root Stimulator Incredibly Rich Moisturizing hair lotion, Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter


to be amended

New stuff - Shop it, shop it up, look at all these bags

      A beauty blogger on a spending ban is not a good thing. As soon as I implemented my project 10 pan, (which turned into 20 lotions and potions pan) companies started dropping new releases left right hand centre. The one release which I was most in angst about was the arrival of the L'oreal Micellar water and cleanse off oil. I love a cleansing oil, I have reviewed the Origins Cleansing oil previously on this blog. I also love a Micellar water (which lead me to review my Bioderma Micellar water twice, can you say blogger faux pas). 

    However Project 10 pan is now over, like any good beauty blogger I have been shopping it up. There are some lusts, some necessities and the odd shower gel in this line up. What can I say I am a sucker for a good scent and some lather. 

Nivea Shower oils in Lemon, Water Lily and Melon

Nivea shower oil in Hawaiian bliss

River Island Nautical Earrings 

Zara Geometric Print Scarf

Laura Mercier Tinted moisturiser Oil Free sfp20

Sally Hansen No Chip Acrylic  top coat

Origins GinZing moisturizer

L'Oreal Skin Cleansing oil

L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifiying Micellar Water (someone thinks they are fancy huh)

PIXI Glow Tonic 

Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra

Dove Blue Fig and Orange Blossom Body wash

 

ORS Hair Mayonnaise 

There is is my  haul,

 not to worry I did it the Kanye way --> 

I did not spend what I did not have.

 xx