Travel and Inflight Essentials

Hello, hello, beautiful readers,

How are you all on this (where I am) sunny Thursday? It's Caitlin writing to you all, today, and I must start by apologising for my absence from the blogging world. As Christie mentioned in her last post, 'Good Luck to my Best Friend' (the most lovely, lovely post; I am so flattered by her lovely words... I love you) I have had an emergency appendectomy and so have spent the past two and a half weeks in bed recovering. On top of that, I finally had my interview for the PGCE (teaching) course at the University of Sussex for which I had spent three months preparing! Thank you all for your lovely messages of good luck; you have no idea how much they meant to me. I'll keep you posted on my PGCE progress! But, now that both things are well and truly out of the way, I'm back on the radar and ready to blog! 

Today I thought I'd post about my travel and inflight essentials. This might seem somewhat random, but, I was actually planning for this post to be up in time for my arrival in South Africa; two and a half weeks ago! As Christie mentioned in her previous post, my mom and I travelled to South Africa for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary (amazing, isn't it?). We left on Saturday the 23rd of February and arrived in Johannesburg on the 24th, where we departed for Port Elizabeth the same day. The flight from London Heathrow to Johannesburg is a long-un at 11 and a bit hours, so I thought it appropriate to share with you my inflight essentials. Needless to say, by Monday (the 25th) I was in hospital in Port Elizabeth with acute appendicitis, so this post never made it to press (phew, take a breath!)

So, although I am not currently about to fly anywhere, I thought this post might be useful to a few of you (or, at the very least a little bit interesting!) Before my trip I thought long and hard about what I needed to take with me onboard. After watching Sammi's (AKA BeautyCrush) video on her inflight and travel essentials I decided I needed to be a bit more organised when I travelled! I have always noticed that my skin suffers tremendously after a long-haul flight and so thought I'd do my best to try and combat this... After all, there's nothing worse than travelling for a big event only to find that your skin looks like a collage of spots, dry skin and general yuckiness! I must say, although I felt like death (quite literally, due to my rotten appendix) upon arrival in South Africa, I noticed a HUGE difference in my skin because of the effort I made to care for it on the plane. 

The products I took onboard included: 

Johnson's Facecare Daily Essentials face cleansing wipes for dry skin

Bioderma Sensibio H20 (in the cutest travel-friendly size of 100ml!)

La Roche-Possay Effaclar Duo

La Roche-Possay Toleriane 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream

Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner

Soap and Glory 'Hand Maid' sanitizer gel

Dentyl Active Mouth Wash (alongside my toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste!)

Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup 

Benefit Speedbrow

As soon as I got on the plane (we were on an evening flight) I used my Johnson's face wipes to remove the majority of my makeup. I must admit, my skin does not generally like face wipes (I find they make my skin quite sensitive and even sore at times) but once in a while they really do the trick. I then used my Bioderma Sensibio H20 (if you haven't tried this product yet, DO!) to remove the last traces of makeup. Although I know Bioderma Sensibio H20 is specially formulated to remove the majority of makeup, I like to use it more as a toner; mainly because it is slightly pricier than face wipes. I find that Bioderma H20 makes my face feel really nourished and loved. I then applied my La Roche-Possay Effeclar Duo face cream on the majority of my face and a little bit of my La-Roche Possay Toleriane face cream on the drier areas of my face. I then used my Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner on my (seemingly always at the moment) chapped lips and my Elizabeth Aden Eight-Hour Hand Cream on my hands. My skin felt SO much better for having taken the time to care for it; something I usually shrug off because long-haul flights are usually once or twice a year events for me. Although I usually suffer breakouts on long-haul flights, this time my skin arrived in South Africa as it left the UK... A huge relief!

I arrived in South Africa barefaced and refreshed, but wanted some coverage for my skin and some taming for my brows. So, I used my Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup as a base for my face (I'm a poet and I didn't know it...) and Benefit Speed Brow to give my brows some much needed taming and definition. Although I never usually leave the house with so little makeup, one has to make exceptions when one travels and embrace the natural look! Estée Lauder's Invisible Fluid Makeup is a product that I highly, highly recommend for those days when you are in a rush but don't have time to apply a full-face of makeup. It's light-weight texture makes it comparable to a tinted moisturiser, but, in my experience, much less greasy feeling! 

     *Post-appendectomy me, and my beautiful cousin Pippa, on the night of our grandparents 60th wedding anniversary*

So, beautiful readers, that's about it from me for today... I hope you found this post somewhat interesting. I just wanted to check back in with you all, and let you know I am as committed to the blogging world as ever, despite my appendix-induced absence! 

Please feel free to comment and let us know what your travel and inflight essentials are. We love trying new products and hearing from you! 

Oh, and... Tonight's the night that the winner of our 6-month Blogaversay Giveaway will be announced, so WATCH THIS SPACE!

Lots and lots of love to you all, From the Heart,

Caitlin and Christie <3

Caitie's October Favourites!

Hello Beauties!

First off, let me apologise for my absence. I have had a tough few weeks, and have really struggled to find the time and energy to dedicate to a post. I know that sounds awful, and I truly don't mean it to. I have just always been the type of person who hates to do a job halfway... And, so, when it comes to blogging, I hate the idea of publishing a half-hearted post.

Secondly, let me ask you all how you are?! What have you been doing? Today is my first day off in six days (welcome to the working world, Caitlin) and I must admit, I have been EXHAUSTED! I have a post in the pipeline about what's been going on with me, and life in general, so, if you're interested, look out for that!

Today I thought I'd talk to you all about my October favourites. I haven't done a favourites post before, so I'm pretty excited about it!

*Skin Care

Soap & Glory 'The Righteous Butter'
My sister and I are both huge fans of the Soap & Glory products, and this gorgeous body butter is definitely an October (and general all-time) favourite! My sister has just instructed me to disclose that she in fact (apparently, although I find this questionable) introduced me to the ENTIRE Soap & Glory range (she's not one for boasting). Oh, Christie, I love your modesty. I love the way this product smells and feels when I apply it to my bodddyyy (saucy!) I hadn't used this butter for a while, but when I went into Boots and saw 3for2 offers on all skincare I decided to pick up three mini body butters. Each one was £2.50, so I spent £5.00 all together, and felt like I had gotten a bit of a bargain! I am definitely going to ask for the full-sized one for Christmas! (N.B. If you like your body cremes to match your perfumes, this is a good one to go for, because it's affordable and smells just like Miss Dior! So, really, if you like your body creme to match your perfume and happen to also have Miss Dior, this is definitely a good one to go for!)

Avene 'Skin Recovery Creme'
If you've followed us for a while, you will have probably seen that I have mentioned this BEAUTIFUL creme before (in a post about my daily skincare routine). I really can't rave about this creme enough and, to be MODEST, have converted both my sister (who is apparently the fountain of all-knowledge) and mother to be Avene fanatics as well. You can pick this bad boy up in Boots for £12.50. Although it seems quite pricy (okay, it doesn't just seem pricy, it is!) it does last well, and, to be honest, is just TOTALLY worth the money.

*Makeup

Laura Mercier 'Mineral Powder'
I've used Laura Mercier's Mineral Powder for around a year now, since I first saw Barbara (also known as thepersianbabe on Youtube) talk / rave about it. This product is rather pricy at the £32.00 marker, but, again, is definitely worth it. I don't tend to refer to everyday products as investments, because they do get used up quickly, so, although this is money you won't really see again, it is worth it for the way your skin looks and feels when you use it. I apply this powder everyday, over my liquid foundation. Although it can be used as a mineral foundation on its own, I prefer to use it as an add-on to my routine, as it gives me just the right amount of extra coverage and glowiness. I think that's what makes this product so special really; the 'glow factor'. It gives your skin a lovely dewy and satiny finish, whilst making it feel as soft as a babies bottom. In three words, I LOVE IT, and in four, can't recommend it enough!

Benefit 'Erase Paste'
I know, I know, I'm not the first person to rave about this product. I've read many a glowing review about this Benefit concealer. When I saw Zoe from Zoella review this product, I knew I had to have it! This bad boy set me back £18.50, which is rather pricy, but definitely, definitely worth all of the pennies! The sales associate in Benefit advised me that this concealer is primarily an under-eye concealer, but, I must admit, that I have used it on any and all of my dark spots and imperfections and am IN LOVE with it. Why is it so amazing you may ask?! I have one word for you: texture. This product is a thick yet creamy consistency, and blends right into your skin. It doesn't 'highlight' blemishes as I have found other concealers do, but simply gently masks them. I absolutely LOVE this product. It has pride of place on my dresser, and also comes out with me wherever I go.

Mac 'Stay Pretty' Pro Longwear Blush
I am a self-confessed Mac blush ADDICT. I love every part of the experience of going into Mac and choosing a blusher, knowing I don't really need it but want want want it. I picked this Pro Longwear blush up in House of Fraser as a treat for myself (yes, that was my justification!) and have reached for it almost everyday since. Stay Pretty is one of the blushes in Mac's Office Hours collection and costs £19.00. Although this is again rather pricy, Mac blushes last FOREVER (I have yet to hit pan on any of the ones I own) and so, in that respect are little investments for your makeup collection. I love this blush because it is simply the girliest pink in the world. It gives your cheeks a gentle flush, which I think is perfect for the wintery months that are now upon us. Since purchasing this little beauty I've seen a number of mixed reviews about the Office Hours collection. Most concerns about the blushes revolve around their longevity, but, I must say, I have not noticed any problem with this at all. I apply it in the morning and it lasts ALL DAY, literally.

*Miscellaneous

Yankee Candle in 'Fresh Cut Roses'
So, this was one of those treats I picked up for myself and have been in love with ever since. There is something so magical about coming home and putting on your fairy lights and lighting your favourite candle. I have wanted a Yankee candle for absolutely AGES, but have never picked one up because of the price marker (around £15-£19 yikesss!) But, October saw me finally bite the bullet and treat myself to this gorgeous girly candle. After burning it throughout October I can finally justify the price of the Yankee products. Unlike many alleged 'scented' candles which actually don't smell AT ALL when they burn, this candle fills whatever room it is in (whether burning or not) with it's gorgeous scent. Roses have always been my favourite flower (alongside peonies and giant daisies) and so I love that my room smells just like them! I'm definitely planning to pick up a more festive scent when I get paid!

So beauties, that's it for my October favourites. I hope my thoughts about these products have been of some use to at least some of you. What were your October favourites?

Lots and lots of love,

Caitie <3

Ps. I'm sorry if the picture is a little bit blurry! I really wanted to get this post up for you guys, so I took it quickly on my iPhone!

What I'm Wearing: Issue Nr. 1

Hello beauties!

It’s Caitie here! As always, I hope this finds you all well. What have you all been up to?

The weather was oh so miserable and grey today, but, because I had the day off work I wanted to post something for you all (I’ve misssssed you!)

I’ve never done a ‘face of the day’ post before, but I thought I’d try my hand at it and see how you all like it. I’ve had a bit of a make-up obsessed month and have bought far too many new products, so I’ve been shaking up my every day makeup routine and thought this might be a nice way to show you all ‘What I’m Wearing’! I always love reading these kinds of posts; mainly because it’s really nice to see what different products look like on different people. I also find them a huge source of inspiration for my own makeup routine. Let me know what you all think, and, if you'd like to see more posts like this, please do let me know. 

Face*

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation in Shade 01

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in 'Real Sand'

Mac Pro Longwear blusher in Stay Pretty (from the Office Hours collection)

Mac Matte Bronze Bronzing Powder

Benefit Erase Paste in No. 1 Fair

Eyes*

Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara

Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows

Lips*

Mac 'Lovelorn' (Lustre)

As always, please feel free to comment. Christie and I love reading your comments; each and every one of them mean so much to us. 

Lots and lots of love,

Caitieloo <3

Ps. TGIF (tomorrow)!