Monday 27 July 2015

What i take on a hand luggage only trip!

Hello my lovely readers,
Yes i have been away again. No it was not for fun this time (though i enjoyed it) but for work. I had to fly the third time this year and for me as an anxious flyer it was difficult. However, i noticed that i have gotten considerably better in packing.  One of the difficulties i usually face when travelling for work is that i have to travel with hand luggage only. This means, the liquid allowance is very very low and it also means just one bag next to the handbag. So while i like to throw all my favourite products into the cosmetic bag when i travel to London (by train), i had to severely limit myself on my airplane trips.
The next thing limiting me is that i usually travel alone when i travel for work. I never know what is expecting me at my destination. Lots of stairs? Long way on foot? For that reason i do not pack to heavy either.
So over the last few trips i noticed that i have gotten quite good in optimising my make up and skin care to fit my travel needs and since i am not the only one facing this issue i thought i share it with you.
So what did i take to Lisbon? Let me start with the liquids. Yes all of this fits into the allowed size zip lock bag. Yes all of these things are allowed on an airplane (i tested 3 different countries and 4 different airports, so i am confident :)).

Oh lovely travel sizes. I have to say i always have a box of travel sizes for just this occasion and while they look so tiny, you would wonder how long those last. So the first things i packed was a shampoo (Hip) and a Conditioner. I know that this is usually available at the hotel but since i have problematic hair and a conference is really not the place to look like you just escaped from the jungle, i always pack my own. I actually was not a huge fan of those two but i have been really loving the mini sized John Frieda Frizz ease shampoo and conditioner which i really have to repurchase in travel size. 
The next item important for the unruly hair was the beauty protector hair oil. This photo was taken after i returned and i used it every day. Yet the bottle looks nearly untouched. This goes such a long way. A hair oil is really perfect to hydrate your hair after to much sun or to much airco air in conference venues and airplanes.
The next thing i need for my hair is the L'oreal elnett hair spray. This is my absolute favourite and a classic. I purchased this travel size in kruidvat but i have seen it also in boots and in dm.
Obviously since i headed to Lisbon, a good SPF was absolutly necessary. This one by La Roche Posay Anthelios is oil free and goes perfect under make up. In this case i also used it for the rest of my body to save space.
For foundation i took the L'oreal infallible 24h-Matte foundation. On foundation i do not compromise and this full size package fit very well into the zip lock bag. This foundation lasts on me all day even with sweating. To be sure i packed a mini size benefit porefessional. I honestly got 5 of these tiny tubes and they are perfect for travel.
If you have limited space, you go for combination products and therefore i packed the Manhattan wake up concealer (comparable with the Rimmel wake me up concealer). Normally i use a different concealer for eyes and blemishes but i chose here to pack one which works good for both (fyi: a cream concealer you can take outside of the liquid allowance but i do not really have one i really like). This one really brightens up my eye area and covers my blemishes and lasted all day long.
For my eyes i packed the Soap and Glory Supercat eye liner. This liner is amazing. I do not understand why there is not more buzz around it. It applies very evenly and easily, is super black and lasts on me all day even when i was bathing in sweat (ye i know to graphic).
Obviously i had to take Mascara and here i also went for a full size. I own a few travel size mascara but this L'oreal million lashes mascara is the one i trust to stay put all day long and when i am traveling i do not like to take risks, so space issues out of the window, the full size had to come.
If i am travelling with hand luggage only i remove my make up with face wipes (yes shame on me) since they do not count as liquids, however, since i double cleanse, i took a cleansing oil. With sun an all, i try to avoid to drying products during the summer, so i filled a bit of my superfacialist cleansing oil into this tiny container. This cleansing oil is amazing and leaves my skin clean, non greasy but hydrated.
For day and night creme i took this wonderful little samples of clairins day and night creme. You would thing those would not even last a day, yet, even though i applied them morning and evening for 4 days, they were not empty yet. Miracle tubes? Those did a great job at keeping my skin hydrated and plump during the trip. I just wish i could refill those.
Left only is the little perfume. This tiny samples are perfect for travel. I opted for Chloe love story.
I always pack also a hand lotion since i have chronically dry hands, and i love love love the almond scented one by L'occitane. I have to say i find this smell so calming that i find myself applying it on the plane just to take a whiff at it.
I also took the mango body butter from the bodyshop to counteract all the sun exposure.

Obviously this post would not be complete without the non liquid items i packed. As i said, i tried to optimise. So i took the Maybelline master sculpt which i have been loving recently. It is really worth the hype and a great little space saver sine it contains bronzer and highlighter. 
For blush i packed my NARS amour. I purchased this in rome and have been in love since. This is the perfect in between pink and peach colour and perfect for the summer. 
For eyes i packed the Yves Rocher eye shadow palette. I did not expect to fall in love with this as much as i did. It is perfect to create an over day look but can also be vamped up for the night. This shades are very buttery and very bendable. Honestly i even can apply those with my finger only. I packed brushes for the trip though. 
I packed the Bourjois healthy balance powder to set my make up. To be honest i do not think this needs introduction. Its a wonderful powder which controls shine without making my face look cakey.
For brows i packed the bourjois Sourcil brow pencil. This matches my brow color perfectly and takes no space.
Finally, lips: Lip sticks do not count as liquids so i could pack it outside of the zip lock. I love this Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in "bitch perfect" since it is just awesome for an over day business look. I always feel a tad bit more sophisticated wearing this. 
Under it i wear the Rimmel lip liner in "Eastend Snob". I also own the charlotte tilbury one in pillow talk but funnily enough i find myself loving the dupe more then the original. This is seriously long lasting and the colour is just perfect.
So all of this together for me makes the perfect set of beauty products to last for a week away. What do you like to pack when you travel with hand luggage only?

Wednesday 8 July 2015

Little Rome Sephora Haul


Hello my lovely readers,
For our third wedding anniversary my hubby whisked me away for a little weekend away in Rome. We had the most romantic little hotel and had a wonderful time with good food, great weather and sightseeing. Now i would not be me if i would not have spotted the Sephora directly next to the Spanish steps. 
Now the Sephora in Italy does not carry as much as the american one but for a Belgian, there is still quite some goodies to look at we cannot get. And there is of cause the sephora house brand. We were there by airplane and mainly there for a romantic weekend but the hubby understood a tiny bit of sephora shopping had to be done. 
So i thought i quickly share with you a mini haul.


We cannot buy NARS in Belgium and i had been lusting for a NARS blush for the longest time. After swooning over the orgasm and the deep throat blushes i went in the end surprisingly for the "Amour" one. A beautiful middle between pinkish and peachy blush. I have been absolutly adoring this. I will for sure review this further.
The next item i wanted to give a whirl was the Sephora cream lip stain. I went for a matte pink called pink souffle. The internet did not promise too much. This stain is seriously long lasting while not being drying. I am sad i did not pick up more colours.
I really wanted to try a few more sephora house brand things since i heard great stuff about them. So i packed the micellar water which is a recommendation by Fleur de Force. I just used it a few times so far but it seems to be a really decent one.
Since summer hit i have been in love with the scent of mango. So i could not resist this cute little hand balm by Sephora in a mango scent and this mango shower gel and bubble bath also by sephora. I love the packaging on both products by the way. 
Then at the cash register i could not resist a good face mask. I have not tried this yet so i will keep you updated on this. 
I really love my little purchases.
My favourites have to be the Nars blush and the mango hand lotion. 
Have you done any holiday shopping?