As mentioned in my previous blog, I came across a couple of products on holiday that really improved my make up and skincare routine so that it was easier and time-efficient. Some of the products I’ll list below are obvious, but some are ones I packed thinking I might need them at some point and they turned out to be really useful. It’s safe to say that my make-up and skincare took up easily as much weight (if not more) than the rest of my luggage. I also, for some inexplicable reason, took 9 pairs of jeans with me, 3 of which haven’t fitted for a good couple of years. This is what happens when I pack 4 hours before I’m due to leave. Anyway! Here is my list of things I loved whilst I was away:
On my last holiday, I was relying on Dermalogica’s Mult-Active Toner to keep my skin moist and cool in the heat. This year, the Simple version of this (which is a moistursing spray that is fantastic as a base for make-up if you have oily skin and is also really useful to add moisture to the skin before applying a mask, oil or treatment, giving the product something to adhere to) did an amazing job at keeping my skin plump and avoiding the leathery look that I often get when being in the sun too long. I applied it regularly and it stopped the Rudolph effect (when my nose burns and goes bright red…and I swear it glows too) which was phenomenal. I highly recommend stocking up on this, as it’s cheap, cheery and multi-purpose.
2. Max Factor Xperience Sheer Gloss Balm
I’ve never really got on with Max Factor as a brand, so it’s quite surprising that not one, but two products will be featuring in this list. The sheer gloss balm in shade 02 Coral gives the most beautiful, natural/nude pink sheen to my lips and worked well during the day and night. I was obsessed with this balm throughout my week away and it’s sheer enough to apply without the need of a mirror. For me, it brought my look together beautifully and took me from barely-there made up, to ever so slightly polished. It also tastes really nice too and suited me when I was freakishly pale at the start of my holiday (my default colour, sadly) right through to the point where I was at my most tanned.
3. Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Waterproof
After the disastrous experience of the original Phenomen’Eyes (let’s call it GivenchyGate) where the payoff was beautiful, long, spidery lashes which an hour later had imprinted themselves on to my upper eye lid to the point where it looked like I had actually painted the lines on, I decided, all was forgiven and I wanted to give my relationship with Phenomen’Eyes one last shot. So we skipped off together into the Majorcan sun and I’m very pleased to report that the mascara didn’t smudge at all, even after a day of swimming (and consequently eye-rubbing), sunbathing and sweating like there’s no tomorrow, the mascara stayed firm and reliably attached to my lashes and didn’t wander at all. It was also easy to remove in the evenings (Neutrogena wipes) and still enhanced my lashes beautifully. The thing that I feel makes this mascara a holiday must-have is that the wand allows a lot of flexibility for application, so you can go very natural in the daytime by either applying it sparingly to the lashes that need enhancement or just to the tips to add a bit of length, and at night time you can really push it into the lashes and fill in all the gaps to give a really glamourous look. I will definitely be taking this with me next year.
4. Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint
I don’t work for Bobbi Brown. Just making that clear as I’m aware that her products feature rather regularly on my blog, but it’s just because I really do love them. Believe me, if (and inevitably, when) I find something to replace them I’ll be ranting about them instead. But for the time being, I love her cheek tints. They’re so easy to apply (as long as you have a rough idea of where the apples of your cheeks are then you’re good to go) and they produce a wonderfully sheer, dewy glow. I use Sheer Pink as it’s flattering when I’m tanned or pale and it lasts a long time; I’m just about finished with mine and I’ve had it well over a year. It can also be doubled-up as a lip colour too.
5. Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder
I still don’t work for Bobbi Brown…..If you’re like me, then you’ll inevitably forget that the sun can’t penetrate your sunglasses (mine were excessively oversized this year, which really didn’t help matters) and so you’ll be left with the oh-so-flattering white circles around your eyes and a stark-white line across the bridge of your nose. I need a natural bronzing powder to fill in these tan gaps, and this one is natural, buildable and most importantly doesn’t shimmer. As I tend to use bronzer all over my face, I don’t like my bronzer to contain shimmer as it looks so unnatural if your whole face is sparkling. I prefer to then add my shimmer afterwards, so this bronzer is perfect for me. I use the lightest shade, Light.
6. The Body Shop Vitamin E Tinted Moisturiser Lotion
I like this product as I feel like – in theory – I’m doing something good for my skin whilst wearing a sheer bit of cover. Whilst the fruits of this good deed remain to be seen, I do recommend this tinted moisturiser if you’re looking for something that’ll even out your skin tone without being too shiny. I used this during the day and Garnier’s BB Cream most nights (review of said cream to follow) as the BB Cream gave more of a glow. You can apply this as you would a moisturiser, or with a brush if you’re looking for a little more coverage. I also used it over my eyes just to even out the skintone there as well. It’s cheap and cheery and the shade blended well with both my pale skin and my tanned skin, without masking my tan.
7. Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow
This is a wonderful holiday product as it’s quick and easy to apply. It comes in quite a few shades but I used Bronze Haze on my holiday which proved incredibly handy as the two colours are extremely close to the colours I use daily as eyeshadows. There are various ways to use this, but I used it by applying the lightest colour all over my lid, then using the darker colour in the crease of my lid and to add definition to the outer upper lid. It took about 30 seconds which was fantastic for giving me a slightly more polished look for the nights.
