My Hand Luggage Holiday Essentials

I am exhausted and I have just got back from a four day holiday. How is this possible? I did nothing.....apart from lazing by the pool and slapping on the SPF, I spent the 4 days eating my weight in paella and drinking like a fish late into the night. My family have been holidaying in the same Spanish resort for nearly 25 years and not being one to break tradition I hopped on a flight and spent a long weekend in the sun. 

In preparation I tipped the entire contents of my beauty stash onto my bed and starfished in them for a while. My house mates think I am crazy to have so much! As any beauty addict will know it is often painful to decide what to take on holiday, you never know what may be thrown at you and the warm weather requires extra strength products to stop you face looking like you have slapped on a melting mask. 

So these are my top picks for hand luggage holiday essentials -

1. Goldwell DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum

I try really hard to look after my hair. Highlighting it every few months had left is really dry and damaged. The effects of chlorine and intense sunlight on holiday do nothing to help banish the candy floss fuzz. I discovered a new hair hero in the Goldwell DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum and I am obsessed. After washing my hair I rub a pea size amount in to the ends of my hair, where most of the breakage is. It seals the cuticles and nourishes the split ends to prevent breakage, leaving it silky smooth and soft. I can't live with out this product and it saves my holiday hair.

3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free - Shade: Blush

If there is one product that you need this summer it is this one! I have never been much of a fan of tinted moisturiser, having struggled with acne I find they do not give enough coverage. Having been on Roacutane for a couple of months now my skin has cleared up considerably and so I can now get away with slightly less coverage. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free gives the exact amount of coverage that you would want pool side. It blurs imperfections and evens out skin tone, but it gives a lovely natural dewiness to the skin that you don't get from thick foundations. It also has the added benefit of SPF and the tube lasts for ages. 

2. Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45 

My natural skin colour matches that of a cold chicken you find in a supermarket. Pale, slightly yellow and you can see every thread vein or skin follicle; so sexy. Because of this I need to protect the skin on my face with a relatively high SPF. The Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45  is so light it can be used under your moisturiser or foundation. It comes out slightly tinted but once it is rubbed onto the skin the colour disappears. I love this product because it doesn't leave the thick greasy feeling on your face that some other facial SPF's leave. I am pleased to say my face was the only part of me that did not burn, the rest of the supermarket chicken got cooked! Ouch!

4. Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara - Shade: Black Onyx

I am having a bit of a Clinique fan girl moment. When I first tried this mascara I really wasn't keen. It dries up very quickly and you do need to add a few layers to get the lashes looking nice. But after taking it on holiday with me I am now obsessed! It coats each lash making them appear longer and fuller. The best part is that with even an excessive amount of sweat and pool time there was not a panda eye in sight.

Goldwel DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum, RRP £9.60

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free, RRP £34.00

Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45, RRP £26.00
Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara, RRP £18.00

Do you have any holiday essentials?

Stay beautiful

xoxo

Pocket Lipcare

How blooming cute are these lip balms?! These little cubes are the brain child of lipcare brand Balmi, which I haven't heard of. They come in small plastic tubs, perfect for your handbag and have a unique conical balm. It contains a natural blend of shea butter and jojoba oil, leaving lips moisturised, soft and smooth with SPF 15, so great if you are off skiing.

Balmi Lip Balm in Strawberry (image: Diarydirectory.com)

 
Balmi is available in four flavours: strawberry, coconut, raspberry and mint, priced at £4.99 each. I don't think they are available yet, but stockists will include Boots, Boots.com, Tesco, Snow & Rock and Mountain Warehouse stores, or you can get them HERE.

Sun, Sea and Tinted Moisturiser: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free

When make up guru's used the term 'tinted moisturiser' I would instantly start back tracking, friend, foe or make up counter - I want no part in it.  Firstly, I have acne prone skin with red scar marks that are too difficult to hide without a heavy-duty foundation. Tinted moisturiser leaves my skin feeling oily, patchy and without any coverage. This is not to say I haven't dipped my toe into the tinted pool and tested the water. I have just never found one I got on with.

This Christmas I had a Barbie on the beach and wearing factor 50 in Australia, it was heavenly. But before I left I had the agonising task of what make up to take with me. Foundation is too heavy for hot countries and it has been known to slide down the face.  Someone at work suggested I have another go with a tinted moisturiser.

Tinted moisturisers seem to come in and out of fashion, usually around summer time when we all would love to go out make up free but feel naked if we do. There are so many different types out there and each brand has its own variety claiming to do different things. 

So I tried it. Warning: This post contains a very unattractive photo of me without makeup and without the use of filters. 

The tube that the product comes in is fairly large, which is good because you feel you are getting more for your money. There are also twelve shades to choose from and that makes it slightly easier to match it to the skin, especially if you have pale skin like mine. It also comes with added spf 20 and that is great for sensitive complexions. I didn’t use any added spf in Australia and I escaped any painful sun burn for the whole trip.

The best thing about Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturiser is that it has a relatively thick consistency. I could easily apply it with my fingers, but I like using brushes for even application and to buff the cream into the skin. Unlike a lot of tinted moisturisers it has a thick creamy texture meaning the coverage is great and it really hid my blemishes.

I love this product so much that this is a photo of my skin without anything on it and without any filters. As you can see it is blotchy and uneven. Apologies I look so awful and grumpy, it was very early!

The next photo is me with only one layer of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser and without any concealer.

You may wonder why I have exposed such an unattractive photo of myself to you all. The reason is that I LOVE this product and I want my readers to see just how good it is. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturise Oil Free is available from stores such as John Lewis and House of Fraser and is £33.

Stay beautiful,

XOXO