HOLIDAY BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

When you read this post, I'll be on holiday, hopefully basking in the sun and catching a nice tan to show off when I go back to sixth form, and of course that means it is warranted a dedicated post to the beauty products coming in my bag this year.

Of course, this is honestly in nearly all holiday posts I do, but it is the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF50, a facial SPF I have used for the past year and a half above any others. Although my family don't tend to be as bothered about the world of skincare, I much prefer to buy myself a bottle of this to prevent breakouts and get a much more facially targeted protective base. The Burts Bees Lip Balm might be coming with me if I don't get the chance to get an SPF lip balm before we go away, but this will do if not, because I genuinely cannot stand the feeling of burnt lips. I don't think I've ever been sunburnt apart from on my lips, and I plan to keep it that way whilst minimising the latter too.

I've also got the Bourjois Bronzing Primer because my face is always slightly paler than the rest of my body when tanned, so this'll help even everything out for that. The last base item is the Benefit High Beam mini - not only the best for travelling, but also a super glowy and natural looking highlighter that'll look so nice in the evenings with a light base and some mascara, and the Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Golden Bronze - something a little more gold than I would usually go for but with a tan (you see how I've actually factored in a tan to each item?!)

Of course, I thought it'd be nice to have the option of a bright lip, and I chose the Wet n Wild Lipstick in Purty Persimmon. I mainly chose this because it is seriously long wearing - we are talking 8 hours or so, and I'll probably be eating at an almost constant rate on holiday, and paired with the summery coral red shade, this is the perfect option to take with me. On the theme of colour, I've also got the Illamasqua Nail Lacquer in Lament, a nearing neon pink but not too stand out, and one that'll be coveted on the fingers and toes this holiday.

What are your holiday essentials?

HEATWAVE ESSENTIALS

I'm pretty sure all the British public have been talking about for the past week is the 'heatwave' that hit us - and it was some of the best weather we have had in years, so, I had to prepare myself pretty quickly and this checklist-esque post should spare you the panic when the sun next hits.

The most obvious would be SPF. I love the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL for my face as it is super lightweight, and has an SPF of 50 so makes sure you are fully protected, and works well under makeup (the most makeup I manged during the heat was brows and mascara, but for a daily basis). I also have the Ultrasun Ultralip balm, an SPF lipbalm because I had sunburnt lips once, and I will take all costs to ensure that happens never again. For my body, I'll tend to use whatever we have in the house but I quite like the Boots Soltan Dry Touch Lotion for reference. I picked up the Sephora Softening Face Mist last year in Madrid, and it is still very handy for when you need a quick refresh.

Another pretty clear essential is sunglasses - and I have quite the stash for when they are needed, but at the moment this lightly rounded giraffe/tortoise shell framed pair from Primark are my current favourites, and cost a mere £2. This bandeau bikini is also from Primark (£6 in a set with corresponding bottoms) and is pretty good at maximising the tan in the garden - and the slightly slimmer centre makes it really flattering.

The headphones are pretty self explanatory, but when in the garden I like to listen to music either on Spotify or some of the songs I have on iTunes (they have to be pretty special to be purchased and the majority of my playlist is Kanye West albums), but at the moment I'm quite enjoying the slightly older album from him - Graduation. Another pass time is painting my nails in a bright nail polosh, I've got Color Club Bright Night and Ciaté Play Date shown here; great sandal colours. I also have a hair oil there, because my thick hair tends to suffer a little when it gets hot (more so on holiday and near pools/beaches, but it's best for me to keep the moisture up anyway), and its the Got2B Oil-Licious one, and is super softening to the hair.

What have your beatuy/fashion essentials been recently during the heat surge?

BOTANICS ALL BRIGHT - NIGHT AND DAY

I can't argue with budget skincare, especially if it works well for me. I adore my stash of Origins, but sometimes you can become a little heartbroken when something runs out and you are too broke to repurchase. I have resorted to finding drugstore staples that allow me to try even more products out and minimise the heartache.

The Botanics All Bright range is something Megan got me interested in, and as my day and night creams were hitting the last few days worth of product, I scoured the shelves Boots to locate the Hydrating Day and Night Creams, and it was worth it. They have that slight idea of a very gentle chemical exfoliant too, with the brightening hibiscus added in.

The Hydrating Day Cream SPF15 not only hydrates, but also protects the skin with the SPF incorporated in there. It is quite a light texture but when you work it into the skin you feel the hydration coming through - I'd say it'd work for most skin types. They are both quite salmony in colour and have quite a nice scent to them which I can't put my finger on, but nevertheless it gets some brownie points from me.

The Hydrating Night Cream ditches the SPF, is thicker, and is slightly darker in colour. The consistency of this is quite luxurious yet not too heavy at all, and you can definitely tell the difference between the day and night offerings.

For a mere £4.99 each (but often on some kind of offer), I would recommend trying these out for a purse-friendly kick of hydration, especially as the weather turns a little cooler.

LA ROCHE POSAY ANTHELIOS XL SPF 50

During the summer and the mini heatwave we recently experienced in he UK, I like to make sure my skin is protected well by using a facial SPF under my makeup. It's often hard to find one in the drugstore for a somewhat affordable price but it seems I have found what I've been looking for with the ever-so-hyped La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF 50+. 

This has UVA and UVB protection, something I look for in most SPF's as well as a high factor proction of 50. It's described as an ultra light 'fluid' which I would stand by, as upon first application it feels a little tacky but once having a few seconds to work into the skin has passed, you can't feel a thing.

This works well under makeup too, and doesn't make anything greasy or move around on the skin, which is a massive plus. I haven't given flash photography a go with this one but as it stands with most SPF products flashback is generally expected anyway.

This avoided me getting burnt in Madrid and is often applied daily before running errands outside, it is a real winner from me and for just over the £15 mark (although cheaper on websites such as Escentual and Feelunique a times), I will be likely to repurchase.

PRE HOLIDAY HAULING

My trip to Madrid is getting crazy close, and Megan and I are beginning to get into the holiday spirit, and to do so I have been doing a spot of hauling, and of course a stop at the minis section...

Being in land, the temperatures are going to be pretty hot *touch wood* and my skin needs some serious protection. I ordered the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF50+ from Feel Unique and I gave it a trail run the other weekend, and I really like it so far. It's light, almost like moisturiser texture and isn't greasy on the skin at all. My only complaint is the small bottle, as this normally costs £16 for 50ml, but I got it for £11 on offer.

I also got some scrunchies from Primark for £1.50 in a pack of a plain pink and a floral. I thought these would spice up a simple wavy ponytail in summer. I also found the NSpa Jasmine and White Must Body Fragrance in ASDA and although it smells good, I often think its a touch too musky for the summer so perhaps I need something a little more fruity for my getaway.

As for minis, there was some kind of 3 for £4 offer I believe, so of course I had to get a Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo as when the heat gets to my hair, it's going to get greasy. I also got the Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner and these smell pretty good too. Last but not least, is the Original Source Lemon Shower Gel, as if I need waking up in the mornings this'll be sure to do so with the szesty scent.

What have you been hauling for summer?

NEW SKINCARE ADDITIONS

I think it's safe to say that I have an addiction to buying new skincare products. The amount of cleaners I have is unhealthy, and my eye cream collection is overflowing, but I always see myself buying more, and trialling more. Some have been good, some have made my skin go absolutely cray, but these are the products I have recently added to my stash. 

As the weather is warming up I decided it would be wise to incorporate a facial SPF into my routine. I have the Proactiv Daily Protection Plus Sunscreen SPF30* which I have only tried once but it isn't too bad. I feel like it could sink in a little better, but other than that it worked well under my makeup, so we'll see how it goes. 

A few days back I popped into Boots with my No7 voucher in hand, and I came out with the Melting Cleansing Gel. Don't be fooled by 'gel' - this is more like a balmy texture which once you massage it into the skin transforms into an oil, and rinses off as a milk. On first impressions, I really like this. 

As you know, I have troubled skin. I got the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ from Escentual in the hope that it would clear up some of the problems, as the original formula did good for me. After using this for a few days I have already noticed that my skin is looking clearer, so I am hoping it'll keep working further. 

If you are a regular reader, you will know that I got these two products in my 'Post-Spending Ban Buys' post. They belong to the Boots Botanics All Bright range, and they are the Night Cream and the Cleansing Toner. I think these work towards that whole 'chemical exfoliant' thang, and so I have been using these almost every night I think. 

What has your skincare routine included recently?

My Top Summer SPF Lip Products

Hi guys!

So I think here in the UK it is actually safe to call it summer, and with all this sunshine,  I need to whip out some SPF. I also have a lot of lip products and balms with SPF in them too, so I thought I would share my favourites with you. By the way, I am likely to be holding a Blog Sale (yay!) early next week so please let me know if this is something you are interested in. 

Lets get onto the products!

The first product I love is this lip balm with SPF 15. It is from the brand 'UltraSun' and the lipbalm itself is called UltraLip. The company specialise in sun protection, and so I always know that this is a reliable one to keep with me when it's hot. It doesn't have any colour, and it is extremely moisturising on the lips, especially if they have got a little sore from the sun, this will soothe that a bit too. 

Another lip balm with SPF that I love is the Strawberry ChapStick. This only has SPF10 but it still is better than none at all. It has a lovely scent, which bearing in mind I do not like artificial strawberry scents at all, this must be good in some way. It doesn't apply really much colour at all, but if you put a lot of this on you will get a slight tint to the lips. 

Although I really do not like the taste of the Sleek Pout Polishes, they give a nice pigmented colour to the lips and also provide you with sun protection, so sometimes the taste has to be forgotten. This one is in the shade Powder Pink and is the only one I own, and one day I hope they will change the formula so they taste better and then I can buy some more, as they are really good products!

Finally, one of my absolute favourites is the Malibu Lipcare mint flavoured lip balm. This is a lovely moisturising and thick lip balm with a long lasting softening effect on the lips - I do not have to apply this very often at all compared to some lipbalms. This one also has the highest SPF so whilst it has been really hot I have been slathering this on.

So, they were my favourite lip products with SPF in for summer, let me know yours in the comments, as I love to buy more! (I am a lipbalm addict haha!). 

Also, don't forget to let me know if you are interested in me having a blog sale, as I think it may be up at the weekend or Monday!

Thanks for reading! Lauren x

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