DIY: Refreshing Face Mist

I'm sure we've all come across the highly raved about face mists, that not only freshen up your skin but help soothe any skin irritations during the day. I know I love a good face mist, and I always have one on my bedside table and another in my makeup bag. However, after a few trips to a variety of beauty halls, I found myself disheartened by the price tag that comes with these simplistic products. After inspecting a few ingredient lists, I found that this may be something I could create myself at home with only 2-3 items.
What I have discovered that works best for my skin is a combination of Rose water, Witch Hazel and well, water! And I'm sure there are many other combinations that would equally refresh your skin such as Aloe Vera, or Lavender.

How I make the Rose water & Witch Hazel Face Mist:

• Fill a spritz bottle with 1/4 of distilled water
• Add 2/4 of Rose water 
• Finally, add 1/4 of Witch Hazel

The best part of using these natural ingredients is that you can adjust the amounts depending on your personal preference. Sometimes I use 3/4 of Rose water and the rest water - anything that suits you! It also doesn't require much money or effort, I find that a trip to a health food store gave me all of the ingredients for under £5. I like to use these throughout the day if my makeup needs a little refreshing, a small spritz can liven up your skin again. I also find the rose scent to be extremely soothing, and applying the face mist can help calm and cool myself.

What are your thoughts on the DIY face mists?

Saina
xo

My Current Favourite Foundation

My skin is no stranger to trialing new foundations, however I have recently discovered a new favourite that instantly gives my skin that.. oomph? The L'oreal True Match foundation glides softly over my face creating that revitalized healthy glow without looking sweaty and feeling tacky to the touch. What makes this foundation for me, is how it reverts a bad, lifeless skin day to a beautifully blurred out, brightening finish. I have been testing this foundation out for a few months now, and I have had no problems with it in terms of break outs and reactivity (touches wood frantically). My desired way of applying this base is with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge . By gently dabbing the foundation into my skin with a damp sponge, I am able to apply a sheer but buildable coverage, without leaving my skin looking caked on. The use of this form of application with this product creates a semi-matte finish on the skin, leaving it feeling fresh and able to breathe!

And if that hasn't swayed you, here are further points that have helped this little bottle of goodness earn a well deserved holy grail title:

• This product comes in a glass bottle with a pump - no cheap plastic or neon colours here!
• Buildable coverage without looking heavy faced
• SPF 17 (great for those who are lazy with SPF - I'm pointing at myself here)
• Lightweight
• Lasting power on my combination oily skin - 7-8 hours 
• Over 20 shades across 3 helpful undertones - warm, cool and neutral 
• Retailed at £9.99 (Repeat this point until persuaded) 

Have you tried L'oreal's True Match foundation, what are your thoughts? Do you know of any similar offerings?

Saina
xo

Garnier vs Bioderma

We've heard the beauty experts rave about the Bioderma Crealine H20, and along with that we've been told that it's gentle on skin, removes every trace of makeup (including eye makeup) with minimal effort, leaving the face feeling fresh and clean. As part of this new makeup remover movement, Bioderma Crealine H20 is a micellar solution - a solution cosisting of oils that are retained in water molecules, making this feel as gentle and texture free as water.
After purchasing two full size bottles of this product, I can safely confirm that I have been converted to the Bioderma wave. This solution is extremely gentle on my problematic skin, it does not dry my face out and does an amazing job at removing every scrap of makeup - I've even used it for waterproof makeup too! I soak two cotton pads with this solution, and glide it across my face and neck to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. Now, I have to throw my hands up here and admit that nothing has come as close to the effectiveness of this product. So far so good right? Unfortunately not. This product is rather difficult to obtain, and can sometimes take a long while to receive from the like of eBay etc.

However, Garnier have noticed the hype and have fired back with their answer to Bioderma's micellar solution, offering a very similar alternative which is far easier to retrieve. Garnier’s Micellar Cleansing Water. I'm going to admit it didn't take much convincing for me to pick this product up, and I went ahead with the purchase before really reading up on it online. Firstly, let's point out the obvious - the packaging. The two look very similar in terms of the clear plastic bottle and pink caps, but it's what's inside that counts!
Unfortunately, I'm not in love with the Garnier Micellar solution. I feel that it doesn't work as well on eye makeup, and where I'd usually require two soaked cotton pads with the Bioderma, I require 3 using the Garnier solution. I also found the Garnier product to dry my skin around my nose.
I had a brief look at the ingredients, and it appears that Garnier have used less, perhaps this goes hand in hand with the ineffectiveness?

As much as I wanted to love this offering, which comes at 1/3 of the price and is readily available, it just did not amaze me. What are your thoughts? Have you tried any other micellar waters?

Saina
xo

My Experience: Bicester Village

Today, I thought I'd share with you my shopping experience at the fashion designer outlet - Bicester Village. I have visited this shopping outlet on 3/4 occassions, and my last visit was the most succesfful.
First of all, I should note that I don't live near and therefore only make 1 or 2 visits a year. Every other trip has resulted in one or two purchases from The Cosmetic Company, and a lunch before we leave! However, this time was quite different - I spent about 2 minutes in the Prada store (which might I add is a-mazing) and had my heart set on one particular handbag. Quite naturally, I clutched onto the handbag and produced quite the death stare at any one who gazed over at it. She was mine. I also popped into Michael Kors and purchased a wallet - at £75 I didn't really give it a second thought! A few Estee Lauder and Mac products were also bought at The Cosmetic Company (again) and that was about it.
Despite these successful purchases, I think it's worth mentioning, that Bicester Village is not the best high end outlet center that I've been to, and I must agree with most that the discounts are not worth the 2 hour drive for me. I would have liked to see a variety of designers, rather than the regular house names (Dior, Prada, YSL). I also felt that the high-street likes of French Connection and All Saints did not have much on offer - the in store discounts do not differ much from seasonal sale prices and offerings. As for The Cosmetic Company, the stock does not seem to change much at all! Each time I've payed the store a visit, I've seen the same discontinued Mac products, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess range etc. Perhaps I've just been unlucky on these occasions, but generally speaking, I agree with the majority of Trip Advisor's reviews - good, but not great.

I'll be sharing my purchases in a future post, this was more about my experience.

Saina
xo

How to: Beat the bloat

Ever find yourself sporting the bloated, impossible-to-suck-in stomach?
Abdominal bloating can occur as a result of many factors, such as the collection of gas in the digestive system, or the inability to easily digest particular food choices (mac & cheese, I'm looking at you)
I'm sure we can all agree that whilst feeling bloated, there is no magic dress, or extra firm body shapers that can zap the bloat away. We all know we should avoid that take out before attempting to squeeze into our LBDs, but what are Saturday's for if we cannot indulge in a greasy Chinese?However, I am going to share with you a few tips and tricks which I have found extra helpful to eliminate as much bloat as I can!

• Ideally, you should avoid carbs/dairy products, as they are contributing factors to the post meal puff. Grilled steak/chicken/fish on a light bed of salad will avoid that swollen stomach. 
• If possible, try to eat your meal at least 3 hours before getting ready. 
• Drink a considerable amount of water before and after your meal to avoid you from over eating, but also help digest/flush your food, and release excess water that your body may be retaining.
• Drink herbal teas that are likely to help digest your food - peppermint, dandelion, or green tea is what I find most useful!
• Infuse a tall glass of water with fresh mint and freshly squeezed lemon/lime. When drunk at appropriate times, this drink will jump start your metabolism, and have a detoxifying effect on your body.
• Lastly, take a cold shower! Trust me this will help that flustered feeling we all get whilst getting ready. 

Hope this helps beat the bloat!

Saina xo 

Review: Michael Kors Medium Jet Set Saffiano Tote in Black

In addition to a few kilograms of makeup, clothing and accessory bits and bobs, and a pair of Prada sunglasses, my main purchase of my NYC trip was this Michael Kors Tote bag. This purchase was not a planned buy, but after being responsible throughout the trip and making the most of the beautiful weather by walking to places, and using the subway, (which was often an eighth of the price of a cab) I found myself ‘sparing’ a few hundred dollars on the last day. Our last day consisted of a trip to Union Square to hit Zumiez, a flagship urban clothing store, and Nordstrom Rack, a big department style store with discounted, last season high-end brands. And after not finding much there, we headed back up to Times Square – first stop, Macy’s! Believe it or not, this was our first time actually going inside, despite it being 2 minutes away from us, and somewhere we passed by every day, a department store, much like the ones in London just did not tickle my fancy. 

Now, I must confess, Michael Kors has never been a brand I see myself wearing, neither have I ever lusted over any of their products. But somehow, in the moment, I decided I needed a bigger travel bag for my flight the next day. Considering the price, the Medium Jet Set Saffiano Tote seemed a justified choice, and within minutes I found myself waiting for the lady to check the stock. Obviously, they were out stock. However, having set the idea in my mind and having envisioned tomorrow’s flight with a bigger bag, I was determined to make this bag mine. We then walked onto Fifth Avenue and straight into Lord and Taylor and bought the bag straight away!

Thoughts on this bag: Spacious! If you’re anything like me and carry random things ‘just in case’ and are in love with the look of big bags, this is for you! The bag has 3 sections, with the middle section having a zip. There is also a small zipped pocket on one side of the bag, and a couple of open pockets on the other – ideal for your phone. This bag has gold hardware that isn’t too obnoxious - couple of dainty buckles on the straps, and of course the lettering and logo at the front. I’m going to be using this bag for more casual occasions such as Lunch or dinner dates. But because of it’s classic, structured shape, and colour, this bag can also be dressed up, perhaps with leather skinnies, ankle strap heels, and a sheer top.
If you like holding your bags onto your shoulders, you may struggle by doing so with this bag due its shape and size. As it’s quite big and square like, you are better off holding it on your arm.

New York Series: Where To Eat

I know the first time I head to the US I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t know where to start in terms of shopping, sightseeing, and dining. Thankfully, I spent over two months away that summer and overtime managed to accomplish quite a bit including a road trip around California and a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada. However, my visit to the US this time over was rather different, and I’d be lying if I said I did not panic over choice of places to visit due to the shorter duration of my stay.
Here, I have chosen a few of my favourite places to eat in New York City and hopefully this would be helpful for those looking to visit in the near future!

At first choice and a definite recommendation I would suggest a visit to Red Lobster – serving seafood with a variety of dishes including soups, salads, and pasta’s. If you choose to dine here, why not try one of their deliciously refreshing frozen margaritas? Also, skip the diet for the evening, the garlic and cheese buttermilk biscuits are possibly the tastiest food I ate whilst being away!

If you’re opting for something healthier and with a large variety of ingredient options, head over to Gigi’s Café. Here, you can build your own salads, pastas, and sandwiches with all fresh, crisp ingredients and the dish will be prepared there and then right in front of you. Chipotle, a Mexican grill located on almost every other block on the streets of New York is also a quick and healthy option for readily made salads, tacos and burritos.

When looking for cheap and cheerful food on-the-go, then I would suggest the mouth watering, fresh pizza slices from 2 Bro’s Pizza (also prepared in front of you after ordering). At 99cent a pizza slice (very large pizza slice!) you cannot really go wrong – apart from the desire for more slices.

Now, a trip to NYC would not be complete (or so I tell myself) without indulging into full fat burgers and deep fried food. For a sit down meal at a burger places as opposed to your typical fast food restaurant, head over to BRGR for pure beef and turkey burgers but do not forget the side order of onion hay. Being a lover of onions, these fried onions were insanely tasty and like nothing I had tried before.

Finally, Chinese! We’ve all seen the cute white take out boxes in the movies, and we’ve always wished we had them here. So on the last night, we ordered Chinese straight to our hotel, spent a tad too long taking snaps of the boxes but the food was worth the wait!

How To (try) Beat The Holiday Blues

One thing that’s for sure is the serious episode of post holiday blues that I am going through at the moment. However, along this bumpy ride I have discovered a few tips that may (or may not) get you through the period of depressing feelings and serious boredom that you tend to go through when returning back to the realities of life. 

1)    Unpack as soon as possible – seriously, there is nothing worse than climbing over suitcases and rummaging through bikini’s and short shorts than you wouldn’t dare to wear back home. As sad as it may seem to put all your favourite clothing pieces back in the closet of boring dullness, it will quickly normalize things at home.

2)    Avoid wallowing at all costs – Sitting at home, flicking through pictures may seem an easy option but it should be avoided. Instead, be happy that you had a wonderful time away, and share the positivity by telling your friends about the time you had.

3)    Keep yourself busy – Be productive, socialize and pick up new hobbies for the rest of your summer! Personally, I joined the gym again in hopes to fill up some empty time and work off the Dunkin’ Donut treats (woops).

4)    Pamper yourself – Unfortunately some of you may have to rush back to work after returning from a blissful break. Even so, find time to treat yourself. A bubble bath, a manicure, your favourite meal accompanied by an episode of New Girl could do the trick!

5)    Look forward to the future – Plan new trips! No one is asking you to get the credit card out just yet, but look into further holiday for the next break you have. Look forward to something new, this will keep you positive for what’s to come in the near future. (I may have already booked a holiday to Almeria with some friends for the coming weeks…)

Hope this helps xo

New York Beauty Haul

Now by no means is 15 lip products justifiable, but I’m going to try my hardest here! As most of you, I’m assuming will already know, most of the USA’s drugstore products are not available to us in different parts of the world. Or often, we have to wait for months until something as simple as a lip balm can be released to the UK’s beauty market. Therefore my mission for this trip was to hit the drugstore’s in full force and grab as many things that I’ve been lusting over.

Evidently, the incredibly cheap brand Wet & Wild won me over! With lipsticks and blushers priced around $3 I took no chances and grabbed almost every shade that suits my complexion and I can confirm they were my star purchases of the trip. The Wet & Wild matte lipsticks are products that I’ve not heard anything about, but the risk I made was totally worth it as these are now my favourite matte lips. The texture of these products are moisturizing when first applied and then dry to a semi matte, velvety finish with incredibly long staying power.

A US trip would not be successful without an EOS lipbalm, I picked up this one in ‘Strawberry Sorbet’ and it’s just your average lip balm with quirky packaging- not much to add to that. I also picked up a Maybeline Color Whisper in the shade ‘Lust for Blush’ a natural, pinkey nude with an added sheen – very moisturizing and due to the added buttery texture the lasting power is not great. Re-application is required after 15 minutes!

A product that has always gained my interest is the Ben Nye Banana Powder, so I picked up a bottle and I’ve loved using these over my t-zone and under eye area over concealer. It’s an extremely, finely milled powder with a non chalky finish allowing your own skin to shine through but keeps greasiness at bay.

Of course I had to hop on to the bandwagon and pick up a bottle of Makeup Forever HD Foundation – although due to the hot weather I’ve been sticking to Tinted Moisturizer and haven’t been able to test this product out yet. Another cult product is Sephora’s Mineral Powder brush, so I quickly picked it up and I’ve loved the finish this gives to my skin and it’s quickly replaced my Real Techniques Buffing Brush! From Sephora, I also picked a Color-Adapt Bronzer, Highlight in ‘Star Dust’, an eye crayon in ‘Matte Dark Brown’ and a waterproof eyeliner in  ‘Cocoa’ and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by these.

I discovered a New York based brand called Nikka K and picked up a couple of their eye crayons and lip products, the crayons have a living power of a few hours, so I’ll suggest an eye shadow primer before application.

A few NYX blushers and lip products were quickly placed into my shopping basket too as I’ve been wanting to test these out for months. Once again, the reviews and raves have not failed me and these products have earned a spot in my favourites.

Finally, I picked up a couple of mascara’s – Revlon’s Grow Luscious, and L’oreal’s Telecsopic Shocking Extensions. And a lipstick from Milani in the shade ‘Nude Crème’ which is basically a dupe for Mac’s Hue both in texture and colour. 

Let me know if you would like an in-depth review of any of the products! 

xo

Travel Post – Back from New York

So, the reason for my absence, I hope will be justified by the excuse that I was too busy soaking up American goodness in New York City! Having been back for almost a week, I’m still going through an intense holiday blues period whereby everything brings back memories of my amazing time away, and almost nothing has managed to brighten my mood – not even the sun! 

Needless to mention, New York was out-of-this-world. The City That Never Sleeps - a well fitted label with the bright lights and sky scrapers of Times Square always sparkling like diamonds, looking down at crowds upon crowds of people, shops open practically until midnight with some open even beyond that. Restaurants and bars filled with happy people, such welcoming smiles and conversations. The city is filled with fashion, media, art and entertainment, of which it oozes creativity from its every corner. A comforting feeling of never being alone accompanies you on the streets of New York. Car horns, the sounds of people talking, the smell of carbon monoxide mixed with smells of food being cooked on stalls, from every corner, bring life to your surroundings. I could literally go on and on. You can tell I’ve been mesmerized and fallen head over heels for the hustle and bustle that comes with the city of New York.

I have attached some images from my trip and will follow this post with some snaps and short details of what I bought on my one too many shopping trips out there!