Most reached for on holiday

Last post about my holiday I promise (except for the hauls which are coming asap!).  Here's my 6 most reached for products whilst on holiday.  As I mentioned in my holiday make up post, I spent most of the time outdoors so I actually didn't wear a lot of make up, but here are the things I reached for daily.

Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay cologne is the perfect transitional fragrance into Autumn.  I'm not the type of person who can gush about a perfume the way people gush about the complexities of wine but it kind of reminds me of being a kid, staying at my nans and picking blackberries on the hedgerow by her house at sunset.  Just inviting and comforting but still fruity.

Hervana is THE easiest blush to wear-it gives a very subtle flush of colour that it is impossible to go wrong with-it can lean slightly plum due to the purple segments but its a really fresh and light and brightening.  No Aunt Sally cheeks here.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat is a great foundation offering light to medium coverage with a radiant finish.  It offers enough coverage to cover minor blemishes and is best, I have found, applied with your fingers.  Sadly, when I was unpacking once we got back to Dubai I dropped it on the floor and it smashed into smithereens (sad face).  I suspect I will end up repurchasing but I do have quite a few foundations in my stash at the moment.  I did really like this and they do a very wide range of shades.

The Make Up For Ever aqua shadow pencils really are brilliant.  They apply smoothly without tugging the lid, don't crease and stay put for hours.  I really love this bronzy brown which is shade 20E.  The easiest eye ever, apply straight from the pencil, smudge a little with your finger and you're done.

I really like the formula of Burts Bee's-I have gone through countless tubes.  The weather was quite changeable whilst we were there-one day I actually got burnt and then the next day I got soaked, so this balm was always in my handbag to keep my lips soft and nourished.

Lash Genius from Anastasia is a brilliant 'top coat' for lashes to waterproof them.  I find my current mascara which is Maybelline The Falsies can smudge half way through the day.  Not when I coat my lashes with this though after applying The Falsies.  I probably need to buy a new tube as this one is getting past it's hygienic use by date but it's been a staple in my make up routine the past few months.

That was my top 6 most reached for items and here's some pictures of Cornwall and our holiday.

newquay beach/ newquay beach/ kite flying over the beach

newquay, St Ives, sunset over porthmeor

sunsets from our cottage in St Ives

chips and gravy, Dani or chips, Dani or chips?, windswept on the beach

making a new friend, clotted cream and ice cream, cornish pasty

flying back to Dubai, my 'pod' for a few hours, the business class bar on the A380 flight home

The new additions-part 2!

I wrote my first New Additions post earlier this month and whilst I didn't expect to be writing one again so soon it seems to have been a month of finishing things up and a few new things have crept in again so here is my second 'the new additions post'

In my last new additions post I blogged about Mac Studio Sculpt but I just couldn't get on with the gel based formula.  I have had the Estee Lauder Double Wear in my stash for a while so decided to try this and I am loving it so far!  I prefer a heavier coverage and this sets to a powder finish and probably wouldn't be liked by those preferring a dewy finish.  Having said that it isn't totally matte and I find I only need to touch it up with my Mac Blot powder once in the day.  The colour is a great match for my pale skin (I am Bone) and I find that I get the best finish using a primer and then using my Real Techniques expert face brush to buff it into my skin.  I find that for some reason the bristles on the brush don't seem to soak up this foundation so you don't need to use tons to get an even and decently covered base.  I don't feel like it sits heavily on the skin either.  Definitely a winner!  I am not sure how it photographs as it does contain SPF but I'll let you know!  The only downside?  No pump on the glass bottle-although Vanessa from The Other VW did a great review of this very foundation the other day and I discovered that the Mac pumps will fit the bottle.

I am really enjoying using this Caudalie face mask once a week but it is not at all what I expected!  The texture is a smooth thick white cream-similar to a cold cream which you apply to your face for 10 minutes then rinse off.  It feels lovely and soothing on the skin but because of the 'peeling' aspect of the name I expected it to contain grains or to set on the skin or to be a gel formula-it doesn't and it isn't.

The mask contains AHA's like glycolic acid to give radiance and clarify and renew skin.  I have stopped using all manual exfoliators now and use AHA's instead as chemical exfoliants.  The mask also contains patented Viniferine, a natural compound from vine sap that brightens, lightens and evens. Viniferine is 62x more effective than Vitamin C I am reliably informed.

It's a nice soothing treat but I wish it came in a larger size than 50ml.  I've used it 3 times now and each time been left with baby soft and glowing skin.

I haven't been able to find one review of the Astalift Complete Make Up Remover Oil on any blog so here is my mini one!

This is the first thing I have tried from Japanese skincare brand Astalift and unfortunately I am a bit disappointed.  I have been using a cleansing balm for months but when I finished my Elemis Pro Collagen balm recently I decided to try using this in it's place as my first cleanse to remove my make up.

Given the name, you would think this would be perfect for that but it's actually quite ineffective.  It's nice to use and is a red/orange coloured oil that I apply to dry skin, massage and then remove with a flannel.  But it doesn't remove all your make up and a second cleanse is absolutely essential.  It seems to basically break down your make up but it isn't effective enough to remove it all-and by 8pm in the evening I am certainly not sporting the full face I was at 8am.  It's a new addition for now but I am not sure how long it will last as I fear it is breaking me out on my chin.

This was a recent discovery for me which I blogged about here.  Considering it was a purchase out of desperation I have actually fallen in love with it!  It looks as good when I remove it as it does when I apply it but it is a heavy duty waterproof mascara and does require a heavy duty eye make up remover-I use and adore the Garnier 2 in 1 soothing eye make up remover.  I think I love the brush most-it's just the perfect fit to my lashes.

I am loving the Double Wear foundation but it's a bit too heavy for chilling out at the weekend in so I have opened this lovely foundation from YSL which has been sitting in my stash for a couple of months.  YSL launched Le Teint Touche Eclat as the foundation version of their cult 'touche eclat' concealer.  It's a lightweight liquid foundation that can be used as a very sheer coverage or a heavier medium coverage.  It had a dewy finish and the formula claims to be illuminating and to add radiance which I agree with.  I need to powder it to set it but it's a really beautiful foundation-easy to blend and reasonably long lasting.  It comes in a super luxe glass and gold bottle (which I am dreading one of my cats will knock it onto our stone floor) with a pump which seems to dispense just the right amount of foundation.  It comes in 22 shades so there should be a colour for everyone.  I'm NC 15 in Mac and BD20 in this foundation.

Anything here you use and love?

I am also running a blogsale and there are still some really nice bits left-check it out here