One Night Stand!

I travel with work a lot... and when I say a lot I mean a couple of days every week so compact packing is an essential skill in my life. Quite often I stay in hotels with very little (if any) entertainment surrounding so I have to make sure I have everything I need to keep my skin, hair and body feeling good. For this reason I have become a bit of a master at packing, especially my toiletries which is usually the most bulky item in my luggage.

Here are some pictures from a recent one night stay in Dublin. I flew (obviously) so my luggage was limited, therefore so were my beauty products. I will exhibit my very organised and limited make up at another time but this post is about travel toiletries only.

I hope this inspired more of you to gather those travel size samples the next time you are offered them. They really can prove handy!

2 plastic containers on left contain day and night moisturiser and Bioderma

In my Travalo I currently have Marc Jacobs 'Daisy'.

Morrocan oil decanted into a plastic container as I don't have the small version.

X

Skincare haul review - Dual liquid eye make-up remover

I thought I would choose to review the simplest product in my most recent skincare haul first just to ease us in before we get to the more 'sciency' products.  The first product review is an absolute staple in my skincare routine as well - literally, I panic when I run out and have repurchased more times than I can remember therefore I feel it my duty to spread the word...Garnier! Or more appropriately, words... Soothing 2 in 1 make-up remover.

 

The Garnier Soothing 2 in 1 make-up remover from the Simply Essentials range is by far the best eye make-up remover I have ever used (apart from Bioderma which arrived yesterday but that's for another day)! It is fragrance and alcohol free so very gentle and kind to your eyes while leaving your skin clean and fresh. Its oil/cleansing water formula removes heavy duty make-up like bobbi brown long wear gel eyeliner and waterproof mascara with little effort, and the best part - Its only £2.99 for a 200ml bottle!

Link



I use it by shaking the bottle vigorously which allows the make up removing oil and cleansing water to temporarily mix together. I then pour some onto cotton pads and hold on my eyes for 10-20 seconds. This allows enough time for even tough make up to dissolve and then I just sweep cotton pad and make-up remnants away leaving my skin clean and fresh looking - and more importantly feeling.

Unfortunately I ran out of my Garnier '2 in 1' a few weeks ago, stupidly caught away from home without any and was forced to visit a Boots in a train station in search of my hero product, of course to find that it wasn't stocked in that branch - criminal. This forced my hand into trying something new in the hope it would work just as well.... It didn't.

Link



The No7 Beautiful skin Cleanse and Clear Eye Make-Up Remover looks very similar in that it is a dual liquid product containing an oil type substance and a cleansing water. The problem isn't in the make-up removal itself it does this pretty well although not as well as the Garnier product, however this I could have dealt with. What I couldn't deal with was the horrible, greasy, oily feeling on your skin it leaves behind. My skin didn't feel fresh and clean at all, which surely defeats the purpose of make-up remover. This product is also £7.75 for 100ml so the value for money category can't even be beaten by the No 7 contender.

I have in the past tried the similarly formulated Lancome Bi-facial Eye Make-up remover and I remember being impressed although have not bought any recently or indeed since that first purchase and therefore feel it would be unfair to compare with Garnier and No7. At £20 for 125ml it is certainly for those feeling more flash with the cash and like the more luxury branded products. However I feel it unnecessary to spend that much on eye-make up remover, especially when I am going to clean my face afterwards and then apply several lotions and potions. I just want an eye make-up remover that does its job and doesn't cost a fortune.

There are lots of these oil/water duo eye make-up remover products on the market and I have only tried a small minority of them but am totally sold on the Garnier one and don't feel the need to look any further. If you do however, here are some others widely available.

Link

Link

Link

Link

Link

Have any of you tried any other dual liquid eye make up removers you can recommend?

Skin care junkie - Moi?

Finally its pay-day, and for me, with this comes a weekend of shopping! I am in the market for some new skin care at the moment. I have finished 3 different cleansers in the last 3 weeks and am almost out of moisturisers so am very much in the market for some new skin beauty's. I therefore hit the shops and here is what I bought - some would say I got a bit carried away...



Instead of reviewing all products in this blog post I will be going through each product individually in different future posts allowing all the information to be digested as well as giving me a chance to try them out.

Until then here is a list of all the products I purchased and rough pricing

• Garnier 'Essentials 2 in 1 Make-up remover' - Boots (£2.99)


• Garnier 'Caffine eye roll on' - Boots (£9.99)


• Avene 'Extremley gentle cleanser' - Boots (£8 in 3 for 2 deal)


• La Roche Posay  'Toleraine dermo-cleanser' - Boots (£11 in 3 for 2 deal)


• La Roche Posay 'Physiological Micellar solution' - Boots (£11.50 in 3 for 2 deal)


• Caudalie 'Vinoperfect radiance serum complexion correcting' - John lewis (£44)


• Rodial 'glamtox night' - Harvey Nicols (£90)


• Rodial ' Brazilian tan airbrush' - Harvey Nicols (£9.95)


• Rodial 'Crash diet' - Harvey Nicols (Free - usually £75)


• Liz Earl 'Cleanse & polish Hot cloth cleanser' - John Lewis (£23)


• Liz Earl 'Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer - John Lewis (12.50)


• Origins 'A Perfect World Moisturiser' - John Lewis (£32)


• Origins 'Starting Over Age-Erasing Eye Cream With Mimosa' - John Lewis (£26)


• Butter London 'Nail varnish' - Harvey Nicols (Free usually £12)


• Elemis 'Exotic Monoi Moisture melt body oil - Harvey Nichols (£30)

Easy Nails Rock!

Before I delve into the details of my latest beauty discovery I thought it was necessary to give an update on the performance of the Neom candles I wrote about in my last blog post.

Straight out of the box they look and smell divine. Lit for a few hours however, supposedly allowing the scent to permeate my house, or even my living room and they are not so great. I have almost finished one of the two candles I purchased and only once has my boyfriend come home from work exclaiming “oh it smells nice in here” to which I found myself responding “does it?” I have struggled to notice any scent at all from it which means either my sense of smell is extremely bad (which could be a possibility, in which case I need a stronger candle) or the smell is so subtle that you only notice it when you have been on a smelly train for a hour and then walked through a bustling city for 10 minutes subjected to car fumes, restaurant odours and cigarette smoke – and if that is the case...you can keep the subtlety and give me Yankee candles any day!

Now I know that the smaller candle pots are known for their lesser perfume content or in Neoms case less essential oils but for £13 per 75G I was expecting something a bit more obvious for my money.

If you have had success with the larger Neom candles please let me know, as until my confidence is restored in Neom candles or I have to start taking smelly public transport to work in order to notice the subtle hints of Ylang Ylang and Patchouli in my home I am sticking to what I know best and can afford, a big ole jar of Yankee for £16.



On to things more pretty and polished now – check out my latest beauty find, and I know I may be slightly behind the nail fashionistas around me on this one but better late than never! I have very difficult and troublesome nails. While they are soft and bendy and therefore rarely make it more than a few mm above the end of my finger tip before they break, they also split really easily and therefore nail varnish is extremely prone to chipping with a home manicure lasting about 2 days before the glossy coloured varnish looks dull, old and tacky looking.

The new instant manicure nail strips popularised by Nail Rocks heat activated transfers are the best thing I have ever tried on my nails. I used the brand nailease which is a no heat required sticker for your nails meaning gels and awkward doubly thick overlays can be a thing of the past leaving your nails looking AMAZING while feeling natural and you can still fasten your own shirt and jacket buttons – Hoorah!

I have a few nail rocks packets in my collection which I am yet to try as I fear the heat requirement may make them slightly trickier to apply. I have also recently purchased one from the Mylene Klass collection in Boots in the quirky love heart design meant for Valentine’s day but I just couldn’t bare to part with my gold black glitter zebra print design yet.



In each nailease packet you get 20 self adhesive nail strips which you simply stick to the nail and file down meaning no dry time unlike nail polish or a shellac/gel manicure. The 20 strip packet means you should also be able to get two uses out of each packet and at £5.99-£6.99 per packet a potential 3 week manicure saves you a fortune compared to the astronomical price for other professional manicures.

With over 45 patterns and colours including the French manicure option you are not restricted in choice and of course if you become proficient in application you may feel brave enough to venture into the world of heat activated strips which again increases your options.

Feel free to elongate their life span too by applying a topcoat. I didn’t with my fist application as I was at a friends house who unusually didn’t have a clear varnish for me to borrow but I did with my second and it has definitely lasted longer. My preferred choice is Sally Hansens Insti-dry and this is what my nails look like after 12 days, also bear in mind that I wash dishes every day and frequently spend my spare time lounging in the Jacuzzi at my local gym which should affect the life span of my beautiful nails, it certainly does with regular polish, but not with nailease.









So far 5 random people have commented on my nails saying how amazing they look and that’s not bad for 12 days of wear.

My next sought after patterns will be the French manicure , pink black polka dots and blue floral design although the limited edition Meadham Kirchoffs version for Nail Rock Topshop look absolutely adorable and I will certainly be purchasing while stocks last for my more braver days.

You can find nailease at:

http://www.nailease.co.uk/nail/gold-black-zebra-glitter

You can find Nail Rocks at:

www.topshop.com

www.nailrock.com

Neom Candles Haul

After using up all my Christmassy scented candles I felt it was time for some new scented candles in 2F3. My only dilemma was which scents and which brand on a limited budget, it is still January after all.

As I was buying my candles online (no time for shops at the moment) I was unable to choose based on smell - odd for this kind of purchase I know! So I decided to try a highly recommended brand taking a risk on the scents but not on the quality. I therefore opted for the popular and natural based Neom range in 75g pots costing £13 each. The smaller than my average purchase size of candle but also smaller price tag allowed me to rid myself of all gilt for guessing at which scents I would prefer. Neom candles are made natural vegetable waxes and pure essential oils rather than artificial fragrances and paraffin wax.

I eventually opted for 'Tranquillity' (English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine) and 'Sensuous' (Ylang Ylang, frankincense and Patchouli) and on first smell prefered the 'Tranquillity' scent being much fresher and zestier than the 'Sensuous' scent. However this may be different after being lit and allowing the aroma to perfume a room. I know generally the larger sized candles produce a stronger scent but I am hoping the smaller Neom candles will give me the confidence to splash out later in the year on one of their 3 wick candles priced at £37. I have not burnt either of the candles yet but will be tonight so I will post an update of my opinion after an evening of either pure tranquillity or sensuousness. However my first opinion is they both smell utterly gorgeous and I much prefer the idea of something more nautural ingrediant based. So far I love them.







I bought my candles from Beautybay.com along with some other products I will be reviewing soon.

These include:

Alpha H - Liquid Gold

Philip Kingsley - Pure silver shampoo

Ciate - Nail varnish in skinny jeans

X

New Me - update

So its been a few weeks since my first 2012 blog post and some of my resolutions are in full swing here at 2F3.

I have been hitting the gym hard, going running 4 days in the week. I have also been eating really healthy (apart from a few slip ups for birthdays, trip to Holland) and have begun to feel the benefits already. I have lost 4.5 lbs and am well on my way to achieving my target, which by the way I have changed. I have decided I want to reach 8 stone 7lbs and see how I feel at that weight.

Here is an examples of my food diary:

Breakfast: White coffee with sweetener, 1 large poached egg on toast

Lunch: Ham salad seeded roll

Snack: Fruit

Dinner: Quorn sausages and salad in a brown pita

Nothing exciting or ground breaking here but it works for me. I have to eat carbs or I get too hungry especially if I am exercising vigorously, which I have been.  I also cannot cut out my morning coffee at the moment as I have drank it every morning for years and is just too much for me to give up while I have cut out most other bad things.

I have found a nice little sweet treat if you fancy a sugar hit after your evening meal. They are called strawberry pencils or cables, consist of only 40 calories per sweet and just the one satisfies me. Whats more a packet of 6 only costs 45p from Sainsburys.



Regarding my hair... I had my appointment and have had a hair overhaul. Here are the before and after pictures.

Before (slightly damp but you get the idea)

After (blonder, bouncier and much prettier) 

On a side note, my boyfriend and I have recently started watching the TV series boxset Prison Break and we absolutely LOVE IT! For anyone bored of bad January TV check it out. It is action packed, gripping, not to mention full of eye candy. The main character, Michael Scofield, who commits a crime in order to be imprisoned where his brother is currently facing death row in order to break him out is played by Wentworth Miller and he is Gorgeous with a capital G!



So, if after the gym on a boring work night while eating your healthy salad you are looking for something good to watch pick up the boxset. It's not cheap at £50 for all 4 seasons but it is well worth it as it is over 56 hours of watching, That's less than a pound per episode. Or you could do as we did and borrow. The boxset is a few years old now so a lot of people have it.

New Year, New Me!

Okay so 2012 is here, the year the Olympics come to the UK and more importantly my last full year in my 20's which means plans are afoot in my head, and now on this blog, to make it a really great year and not to sound too clichéd but hopefully my best year yet.

Now, such an ambitious outlook is never fulfilled without some well thought out plans. So here they are both trivial and challenging.

• New hair cut - It has to be done. My hair is a mess both colour and cut so I think new year, new look, new me.  Appointment is booked for 19th Jan so until then hair research and idea gathering is a must. In the meantime I have bought this to see me through the remaining bad hair days. It gets great reviews and is on sales in Boots at the moment at only £15.49.

• Secondly and probably most commonly with new year resolutions, I want to lose weight. I did really well last year to lose about 10 pounds and I felt great too. I had loads of energy and my head was less stressed as when I 'm not keeping fit and eating well I really do worry a lot and I find I am a lot grumpier. Therefore hopefully if I reignite my enthusiasm for fitness and put more effort into my meals I will feel less stressed and happier too, not to mention get that bikini bod for Summer. I weighed myself this morning fully clothed and I weighed 9st 13lb! Ah when did this happen... anyway my aim is to reach 8 stone 13lb and maintain there or there abouts until the end of the year.  I have joined a gym and will blog about it at a later date but my stone in weightloss starts now.

• Hopefully in combination with my above goal I would like to run a 10K this year for charity. I have always wanted to run a race to raise money for a good cause and have been talking about it for years now. This is the year!

• I would like to do more travelling this year with my boyfriend.  We got off to a slow start travelling in our relationship as my boyfriend spent the first 2 years of our relationship trying to get over his fear of flying. We have now reached that stage and in fact have taken some great holidays together. However I feel we could both have utilised our holidays and money better last year so I am going to be the leader of all things sun, sea and surf orientated. I have holiday brochures gathered and have my Summer wardrobe at the ready.

• This doesn't really support the above goal but I really need to save money this year as I would like to buy a house before I am 30.  I have some money saved but not very much so this year is the year for some frugleness. This does not mean no spending, this just means some serious saving and less frivolous shopping on things I really don't need. I have set myself a monthly saving plan so hears hoping I stick to it.

• After this Christmas, and a somewhat long and tiresome game of 1983 trivial pursuit I realised my pathetic and embarrassing lack of general knowledge. Hence I aim to rectify this by reading more factual books as well as fiction, to spend more time trying to retain some facts and most of all whooping my younger brothers ass next Christmas. I have bought a book about the 100 most influential people in history as I figure that's a good place to start. Once I have finished that I will find a new factual book to study - God I am like a 28 year old student! Now that is depressing.

So those are my resolutions or ambitions for this year and I intend to fulfill them all. I will keep you updated on the progress of them all on a regular basis as another side aim is to blog more. But until next time life here at 2F3 just got a whole lot more focussed.

X