Mini break makeup essentials: 15 items (and all got worn more than once)

Knowing what clothes to pack for a mini break can be challenging enough (is three pairs of shoes too much?) but keeping your bath bag lighter than a bowling ball can equally be a challenge

Monday morning last week, whilst most people were on their way to work, my boyfriend and I found ourselves grinning shamelessly aboard the 8:04am Eurostar to Brussels. After a pretty hectic Christmas we'd both decided we quite deserved a mini break, plus friends of ours had been raving about a hotel in Bruges called The Pand. Let's just say they had us at 'Ralph Lauren sheets'.

I knew I wanted to take a compact bath bag, including some pampery skincare treats as well as some versatile and luxury eye makeup products that I don't often get to wear. I also knew I'd need makeup that would transition from day to night without too much hassle. 

Here's what I ended up taking...

Every product you see here got used more than once during my 3 night stay

1. Chantecaille eye shadows are a real investment piece and are well known for their luxurious texture and crease free wear. I first used their Le Chrome Luxe Duo in 'Tibet' at a Christmas law firm event back in November. Everyone who requested a makeover that evening opted for the eye shadow duo and walked away delighted. 

On our first night away I had about ten minutes to get ready so decided to wear a sheer veil of the silvery shade finished off with a quiOk flash of mascara. On our last night we treated ourselves to a meal at the Michelin starred restaurant The Golden Herring. As it was a glamorous outing I opted for a dramatic smokey eye, cat flick and lashings of mascara. One sultry, smokey eye later all I needed was a glossy nude lip to finish.

2. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love nothing more than to decant things. In fact, when these little 5ml cosmetic pots arrived in the post I genuinely remember squealing with delight (more on these beauties if and when you make it to No. 11!). 

I didn't want to take my full size perfume* with me (even the 30ml can be quite heavy) so I decanted a few millilitres into this handy and inexpensive Muji atomiser. It can carry almost 5ml of perfume which is way more than I needed for our three nights away. 

When I'm not on holiday the atomiser is light enough to keep in my makeup bag for refreshing evening spritzes. 

*Escentric Molecules 02 which you can read all about here :)

3. If you've never heard of Dermalogica Microfoliant, shame on you, where have you been?! A glorious, everyday cleansing product, it dispenses as a super fine powder which you then mix with a little water. Gentle enough for daily use and leaves your skin feeling lightly exfoliated. Love.

4. I knew about Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for years before I tried it, mistakenly thinking it was an old school primer and that 'things must have moved on'. But, boy is it amazing. I remember asking my housemate Sal one evening what foundation she was wearing (her skin looked incredible) and we worked out it wasn't the foundation at all but rather Clarins' BFB. 

Apply it liberally over cheekbones and the outside areas of the face to boost dewiness. It can also be applied all over but I like to keep my t-zone shine free. I also love the slightly old school smell and definitely feel pampered when I wear it.

5. I was skeptical about Chanel Healthy Les Beiges having tried it in store and feeling less than enthused when it first launched. Then, one long weekend away, a close girlfriend of mine was raving about it so I thought I'd give it another whirl. II've been hooked ever since. It's the one thing that makes me look like I've had ten hours sleep when I've had four (in fairness, any bronzer that's the right shade will do this but the Chanel feels particularly luxurious). I love the fact it's buildable for evening makeup, although having said that, if I were minted and could justify buying two, I'd quite happily use the '30' for day and the '40' in the evening (Oh, the decadence). The packaging is also unmistakably chic in a way only Chanel can pull off.

6. I think the marketing for Charlotte Tilbury's makeup line is simply extraordinary but I'm staunch about what I like and don't like. For example, I'm not a huge fan of the Wonderglow Primer (although I have been known to use it sparingly on cheekbones on myself sometimes and on clients but don't think it does much all over) however, Ms. Tilbury's lip pencils are something else. I loved the idea of a lip liner to boost one's own natural lip line - a lip 'cheat' in her words - and she seems to get natural tones bang on across several skin tones. After reading several reviews I bought 'Pillow Talk'* and have been using it pretty much every day ever since. It's great under lipstick or gloss and has a fantastic waxy texture that I've not seen in other brands. *I've linked to Net-a-porter here as Pillow Talk doesn't seem to be listed anymore on CT's official site. Hope it hasn't been discontinued?! :( 

7. As well as producing fantastic eye shadows Chantecaille also produce quite brilliant lip products. I love their Lip Chic range - a glossy textured lipstick in a compact gun-metal grey case - but equally as fabulous is their range of pigmented lip glosses called Luminous Gloss.  

I lusted after the 'Pink Melon' shade for a while before I invested. Worn as a sheer veil on its own or over my Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat is perfect for day. At night I use it as more of a lip lacquer, layering it up to give my lips a sultry pout. 

8. Australia's cult product, Lucas Papaw has been around for years and is great 'all rounder'. The red tube is easy to spot in your handbag or makeup bag and a little goes a long way. Dab onto lips and onto cheekbones. Since writing this post I've read Lucas Papaw has come under fire for containing as much as 96% petroleum. The company argues its pharmaceutical grade, but even still, might have to think about switching to Burt's Bees which (appears) far more natural. 

9. This is, by far, the best tinted brow mascara I've come across for blonde/light brown hair (it also comes in a darker brown shade for medium to dark brown hair). Annoyingly it's only available online in the UK and even though there are plenty of other brow mascaras to choose from (e.g. Benefit Gimme Brow or Maybelline's Brow Drama, I keep going back to the ModelCo one. I blogged about why it's so great here.

10. I was lucky enough to get sent Estée Lauder's Double Wear, Stay in Place Brow Lift Duo or Derek for short (only joking) which has become my 'go to' brow pencil. This dual toned / dual ended brow product has small nibs making it easy to gently shape my brows with one end and highlight with the other. 

11. I mentioned way back at No. 2 that I am happiest when decanting things (including wine!). Whenever I go away I always take a couple of little pots with me (like these), one containing my favourite tinted moisturiser and one containing my favourite liquid foundation (the latter for when I might want a bit of extra coverage). Even thought the pots hold 5ml it is actually a lot of product, definitely enough for between 5-10 applications, depending how much you like to apply. 

For my mini break I decided to take just one pot with me. I filled half with Estée Lauder's Sheer Tint Release - my go to summer base because of its incredible texture, SPF and dewy glow - and the other half with my favourite tinted moisturiser.  I didn't take a full coverage foundation with me because a) I wanted my skin to breathe a little and by) I knew I'd have this fantastic high street concealer to give me extra coverage where I needed it.

12. I'm a huge fan of these waterproof eye pencils from Chanel because they. Do. Not. Budge. The shade I wear, 'Grenat', a stunning warm, reddy purple, is sadly discontinued from what I can tell but there are lots of other shades suited to all skin tones. Tip: If you're pale like me and have green eyes, a purple eye pencil will really help to show them off. Just be careful there is no other visible redness in the skin (chin, around the nose, shadows around the eyes etc) as the purple shade will only make you look ill.

13. I've been using this eye pencil by Chantecaille for ooh, let's see now, three years?  It is the perfect shade of matte espresso and easy to smudge if I want to do a smokey eye. It's also one of the only eye pencils I can wear on my waterline without it coating my contact lenses! The only thing I would change about it would be to make it even more waterproof (it does wear off more quickly than other pencils but I'm too in love with the shade to change. For the time being anyway).

14. I decided to invest in this mascara on the basis the lovely Pixiwoo sisters mention it in nearly every video tutorial. MAC's Extended Play Lash is a tubing mascara which means it comes off (in little tubes!) with warm water (mixed with your regular cleanser or oil, of course).  Sam (one half of the Pixiwoos) likes to wear it on her lower lashes but I've been wearing it on my upper and lower lashes. It's not waterproof but doesn't smudge and the thin wand is great at getting right to the base of the lashes. If you're a fan of big fat mascara brushes this might frustrate you and I'd say you definitely need to be curling your lashes before you apply it, but otherwise it's dinky, relatively inexpensive (£15) and delivers long, black black, perfectly separated lashes.

15. Lastly but definitely not least(ly), it has been one of my holy grail of searches to find a decent liquid eyeliner, one that stays put, has the right size tip and is matte. It was actually a high street brand that finally came up trumps. Maybelline's Master Ink Matte liquid liner is a dream to put on and I can achieve a super fine or thick feline flick in mere minutes. My one tip: have a tissue to hand and dab the nib once before you apply to remove any excess liquid.

One of my most hard wearing and happy of bath bags, bought on holiday in Australia.
Reserved for holidays and weddings.

Other items I snuck away in my stripy bath bag included:

- Pretty Quik nail varnish remover pot (one of my best discoveries of 2014)

- Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java - an ever-so-slightly-sparkling finishing powder that has that old school cosmetics smell

- some Bioderma Sensibio H20 miscellar water, decanted (I did warn you) into a handy spray for speedy eye makeup removal

Did I mention the gin?! :)

What are your travel skin or makeup essentials? Any tips for transporting the goodies?

Until next time, happy Thursday xx

Makeup + depression: 5 products that never fail to give me a lift

It's rare we talk about makeup within the context of depression but here goes...

I've suffered from mood swings for a very long time and even though depression and other mental illnesses such as bi-polar have far less stigma these days, it doesn't make writing about them any less difficult *deep breath*.

I'm lucky enough to have the most unbelievable support around me but ultimately it's my battle. Anything - no matter how trivial - that can edge me even an inch out of a mood, is a massive bonus.

Now, I need to insert a massive caveat here because there will be people reading this who will balk at the idea of even being able to get out of bed during depressive episodes let alone put any slap on (and having personally come very close to this I can empathise). I'm talking more about the days when we're up and doing stuff but when life feels like a bit of an uphill struggle, like we're wading through mud. It's on these days that I really notice the effect makeup has on me.

Today I want to share five products with you that consistently boost my mood, even if it's just 10%. And the great news is you can wear them on their own.

Instant glow

I've blogged loads about Estée Lauder's Sheer Tint Release but I will bang on about it some more! Hurrah! I. Love. It. If you're reasonably pale and/or freckly like me, seriously, go try it. 

I've always believed wearing a foundation or tinted moisturiser that's slightly warmer than my natural skin tone is CATEGORICALLY WRONG and that the best way to 'warm up' the skin is to contour it, however, this is the one exception to the rule. When I apply this moisturising, SPF and tinted product in one it is warmer than my natural skin tone but because of its sheer texture, it never looks like a mask.

If I'm having a chilled day I'll wear a thin layer of it all over (blending a little down my neck), a sweep of mascara and a tinted balm. If I've got meetings I'll wear a thin layer but will overlay my medium coverage foundation on top, blending lightly down the t-zone and outwards. This provides a natural yet considered base for the rest of my makeup.

Get it here.

Feeling human again
Another one that never fails to lift my mood is the extraordinary Chanel Les Beiges.

I've hesitated buying Chanel products for years (I once heard the rumour they were made in the same factory as Bourjois and then suddenly found it harder to justify the expense!) but now that I've experienced Les Beiges I can tell you, it's on a whole other level.

It smells divine (softly feminine with a hint of, is that apricot?) and comes with a super luxe brush applicator that makes contouring a cinch. The shade range is such that one can opt for a 'my-skin-but-ever-so-slightly-warmer', a far cry from the numerous taupe-grey matte bronzers on the market.

Not to mention the fact that owning a piece of Chanel makeup is, in itself, simply a joy. The packaging, the logo...I love seeing it peek out of my makeup bag.

Get it here.

Bright eyes
There's something about curling my lashes that makes me feel instantly better, even if I can't face wearing mascara that day. It's the way they lift and open my eyes. I feel instantly more awake, I look healthier and the process takes just 10 seconds.

Eyelash Curlers by Shu Uemura are the best. Get them here.

Colour therapy
It's not just seeing colour on my nails that has the ability to lift my mood but invariably the very act of painting them.

Whether I'm doing my nails myself at home or treating myself to a manicure, it's taking time out to pamper myself (e.g. rubbing oil into the cuticles, the having to just sit and 'be') that can noticeably have a calming effect. Depending on the day I can actually find the process quite meditative too, sometimes enabling me to tap into the creative part of my brain (which can get foggy if my mood is low).

I'm not brand loyal when it comes to nail varnish, it's more about the shade (and if I'm honest the name) that inspires me to try something new, but when it comes to a salon-quality finish I can't fault OPI or Color Club (the latter is excellent quality for the price).

As always, if painting your nails at home don't even think about starting without this!

Light touch

When you're feeling low, wearing anything bright on your lips can feel like a real challenge. For example, I know that when I'm really down the thought of wearing a bright red lip can make me feel nauseous, I guess because I feel it draws attention to me, attention I'd rather not have when I'm feeling under par.

Chantecaille's clever range of hydrating lipsticks called 'Lip Chic' effortlessly strike the right balance between feeling as if we've added a hush of colour but not too much that we feel self conscious. They're described as a 'glossy lipstick' but the feel of them, for me, is much more akin to tinted balm.

One of my favourite shades to wear when I'm down is Zinnia, a pinky-peach that reminds me a little of the old Fruit Salad sweets :) I'll happily wear it on its own or with a little tinted moisturiser (if my skin's feeling a bit blotchy).

I'll leave you with some wise words from my dear friend Claire who I never fail to hear in my head whenever I'm having a bad day:

"Get in that shower, put some lippie on and get out there'.

Thanks for reading xx

NAILS!! (Part One)

If you have an Instagram or Twitter account and happen to follow me (sorry!) then you'll know I have a slight (ahem) obsession with nails.

In fact, my housemate Sally said just the other day "Have you painted your nails...again?". Oh yes.

I thought it high time I shared some of my top nail tips, including:
- how I store the 36 nail varnishes I own (how did that happen??)
- my favourite shades
- my secret weapon for salon-quality nails
- how I care for my nails
- my thoughts on gel / Shellac / Bio Sculpture
- my little black book of the best nail bars in London

(To avoid this post becoming the new War and Peace I've split it into 2 parts).


NAILS: PART ONE

Nail varnish storage

What I use:

• 1x shoe box
• 1x GlossyBox box (these make amazing storage boxes for makeup, photos, greetings cards. Love them!)
• Some tissue paper (optional. I used the paper that came in the shoe box)

My favourite shades

Below are some of the shades in my collection that I think are utterly amazing and that I return to time and time again.

1. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
2. Butter London in 'Kerfuffle'
3. Color Club in 'Jackie O' 
4. OPI in 'Big Apple Red'
5. Sinful in 'Adultress' 
6. Nails Inc 'Porchester Square'

1. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (from £7) - not really a 'shade' as it's a top coat but I'm gonna mention it anyway. I've already blogged about this award-winning nail product and never tire telling people about it. It is, quite simply, the fastest way to get salon-quality nails and takes mere minutes to dry.

Basically, I wish I had shares in the company.

2. Butter London in 'Kerfuffle' (£12) - a birthday present from my sis last year (thanks G-nôme!). Absolutely love the colour (a pale, creamy coral) and the name (great word, non?). It's also one of a handful of shades which I think works well on both long and short nails.

Do my nails look neon in this? Er, just a tad :)

3. Color Club in 'Jackie O' (only £2.50! Buy here) - #OMG. I discovered this spell-binding neon earlier this summer whilst treating myself to a mani-pedi at one of my top secret nail salons (see Part Two for My Little Black Book of London Nail Bars). People were literally stopping me in the street. After some hunting I found a UK company (tnbl.co.uk) who sell the Color Club range at utterly amazing prices. Color Club varnishes deliver a consistently creamy finish to rival that of OPI or Essie. (Tip: buy 2-3 shades so you make the most of the postage).

4. OPI in 'Big Apple Red' (currently just £7.17 on Amazon!) I paid £12 in Liberty :( - I have a real soft spot for this shade. I was out in Australia (Melbourne) in January visiting my family and trying to heal a broken heart. A local salon had a mani-pedi offer on so I decided some pampering was most definitely in order (nothing like a good mani-pedi to perk a girl up and make her feel just that little bit brighter). A very close second to this particular shade of red would be Nails Inc's 'Victoria & Albert' which I adore.

5. Sinful in 'Adultress' (£4.41 here) - I was given this nail varnish by a beauty therapist a couple of years ago who was doing manicures at a friend's hen. I think it's utterly amazing and used it very recently on a shoot for Rigby and Peller. Again, unbelievable value and feels luxe. It's my go-to shade in the Autumn/Winter and to wear it feels just like its namesake :)

Image credit: cilucia.blogspot.com

6. Nails Inc 'Porchester Square' (£11 approx) - 'Greige'. What a great word. There are countless copies of this shade but very few are capable of matching Nails Inc's unique lilac/beige/grey shade. (Btw, I wonder which came first... Chanel's 'Particulière' - a slightly darker/warmer greige - or 'Porchester Square'? Let me know if you know!).

According to Vivianadoesmakeup.com Barry M's 'Almond' is a fantastic dupe of 'Porchester Square' and only £3.99. Perfect excuse to try a 'greige' if you haven't already done so.

Seche Vite and Mini Me (5ml). The Mini Me comes away with me on holiday.

My (not so) secret weapon

My sister (not G-nôme, another one...Kels) introduced me to this two years ago and it has completely taken the hassle out of painting my nails. I. Love. It.

Having tried countless other top coats including OPI, Nails Inc, Sally Hansen and Essie, for me, Seche Vite's award-winning formula is unparalleled (let me know if you disagree!)

Simply place one coat over any nail vanish - even a cheapo brand - and it will give your nails a high-shine, gel effect that lasts for up to 7 days. It also 'does exactly what it says on the tin', drying nails in record time. (Click here to read my 'hand washing' anecdote).

Tip: Seche Vite can get quite gloopy/bubbly if you apply too thick a coat so try and paint it on thinly.

NAILS!! Part Two will be posted in a day or two...

xx