Holiday Beauty Hits

Seeing as I've just got back from 'Beefa, I thought it was pretty fitting that I did a holiday hits post - my most favourite things to use while I was away. I could make a list as long as my arm, but I've tried my best to cap it at a top 10!

one - Urban Decay Naked Palette (£32 from Beauty Bay)
This was fabulous - every colour I could have needed for my holiday. Creep was used for the nights I wanted to go totally smoky, but mostly Half Baked was given a good run for it's money. I tended to mix it with NARS Orgasm Illuminator to foil it and make it ultra metallic a la...

two - Dove Indulgent Nourishment Body Lotion (£5.10 from Boots but currently on offer at £3.40)
After hearing the Dove skin expert at The Only Way is Blogging saying that any moisturiser is good for post-sunned-skin, I decided to use this rather than a general after sun. It has 24 hour moisturisation technology and really left my skin feeling soft and gorgeous, even if I do say so myself! (please note, this was a press sample)

three - ES A155 Lashes (£8.25 for 10 pairs from KKcentreHk)
These were a Godsend - despite them being reusable, when we were getting in at ridiculous hours of the morning from a night out, more often than not I ripped the lashes off my face and left them in random places never to be found again, so having a big stash of inexpensive yet effective lashes on hand was ideal! Check out my review of these lashes here. (please note, this was a press sample)

four - EOS Summer Fruits Lip Balm (approx £5 from eBay or available widely in USA)
I loved the look of these ever since first seeing a picture - I just had to have one. I love the quirky shape of it and all my friends adored it too. Perfect for having on hand and giving a bit of moisture to your lips while sunbathing.

five - Sleek Paint Pot in Peach Perfection (£4.30 from Sleek)
This was perfect for adding a slight sheen of colour to your lips poolside - it just gave the impression you had gone to the effort of doing something, without doing anything too much! Check out my review of this here.

six - Compact Mirror (mine is Benefit, but not sure if they're still in production)
I'd say this is an absolute essential - for checking if any mascara has run, bits in your teeth, all your lotion is rubbed in etc etc

seven - Dove Intensive Repair Regenerating Mask (£3.99 from Superdrug)
This is a hair mask which is designed to be left in for 3-5 minutes then washed out, however this was my rescue hair product in a different way! My hair is very thick, and I have lots of it - so trying to do anything with it after washing it was a complete nightmare. The only way I managed to regain any control was by slathering my hair in this, so I could actually tie it up (normally on the top of my head) and leaving it in until the next time I washed my hair. When I came back to England and gave it it's first wash, it was in such good condition - something I certainly wasn't expecting after it being in the sun for so long.

eight - Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in Shade 08 (£25 from Illamasqua)
I really don't have good skin. Not the kind of skin I would want to go baring, with no make up on. I needed to find something that covered up the bad bits without me looking too cakey. I bought this, and Garnier's BB cream hoping one of them would be the solution to my problem. Unfortunately the Garnier was just too sheer for me, but the Skin Base Foundation was perfect. My friend commented on my make up one day asking how it stayed looking so perfect (score!) however I know it wasn't exactly perfect - it does get shiny after a while of wearing, particularly in the heat, and as expected, needs reapplying after getting wet. I am wearing it in all of the photos in this post and loving that because there's no SPF in it I don't look like a ghost in them! I think if I could find a way of making it last a little longer without getting shiny, it would definitely be my holy grail foundation.

nine - Exposed Skincare Acne Treatment Serum ($19.95 from Exposed Skincare)
I am currently following the Exposed Skincare plan - I have used it for over 30 days now, so expect a full review of that soon. Although I still got spots, the Acne Treatment Serum helped to dry them out a lot faster than usual, so they were there for a lot less time than they would normally be. The last thing anyone wants on holiday is for their skin to get worse, so this was handy when I had a breakout.

ten - L'Oreal Lash Architect Waterproof Mascara (£7.99 from Amazon or in store at Boots)
I'm not saying this is the best waterproof mascara I've ever used - but it did the job; the mascara stayed put all day without any smudges or panda eyes. It seperated my lashes nicely, made them look full but not too ott, and basically, just made it look like my eyelashes actually existed!

Although it's not really a beauty item the Liz Earle Tote Bag was kindly sent to me just in time for my holiday and is the perfect size for a towel, book (I kidded myself every day that I would get more than 2 pages read!) sun tan lotion, water and make up essentials. It has a magnetic fastening, a gorgeous nautical style, and is very robust. If you take advantage of the Liz Earle Suncare Offer before 31st August, you too can have one of these bags in a slightly smaller size. The set includes Mineral Suncream  SPF20 to help reflect UVA and UVB rays, their Sun Shade Botanical Aftersun Gel to cool and rehydrate and two shimmering treats - basically everything you need to keep your skin looking amazing while you're away!

So, that's my top 10 folks. What do you think of it? Would you add anything in?