Holiday Haulin'

So as said in my previous blog, this post will basically be a haul of everything I got from my trip to Chester last week (and a couple of naughty internet orders thrown in there too).

So the main purpose for all my purchases is for my holiday which is only mere days away. My boyfriend Charlie and I are heading to Florida for 3 weeks to soak up the sun, catch up with Mickey Mouse and probably develop all types of diabetes (Cap'n Crunch, peanut butter M&M's, Double Stuf Oreos - you name it, we'll be devouring it).

So whilst I already have the majority of my clothes, beauty items etc, there's always those last minute bits to snap up before you gotta go jetting off. So let's get to it.


First up, we made a stop at Boots. The Boots in Chester is fab, so big and such a great selection - I love it when you can get everything you need in one place! I picked up the Tresemme Instant Refresh Volumising Dry Shampoo, these are for the days when I want to give my hair that extra body and texture I will so desperately need after a late night watching a firework show. I've never used this product before but I saw it on essiebutton's youtube channel and so decided to give it a shot, I originally wanted to pick up the Oribe Texturizing Spray but at £18 a pop for only a travel size bottle, I figured I'd wait until I was a Rockerfella for that one.

 I then picked up a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I already have one of these but I use it to death and keep on getting stray hairs from the brush sticking to my face, sexy. So I treated myself to a new one, this is a must-have in your brush collection - it blends your foundation so well and leaves you with a nice flawless finish.

Since I'm one of the only people left in the world still yet to try the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer after it's rave reviews, I thought I'd pick one up - I'm such a sufferer for dark under-eye circles so concealers are sometimes some of my favourite purchases. Between this and Touch Eclat, I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping zombie eyes at bay for the holiday, take that 3am trip to Denny's that I'll definitely be doing.

Next up I picked up a new Maybelline The Falsies Mascara, I've been using this for about a year and it's such a great lengthening mascara, I got it in waterproof for extra staying power and to keep my eyelashes fluttering even after 3 rounds of Splash Mountain.

I think burnt lips is one of the most painful things ever, and you really don't want to suffer with on holiday which is why I picked up the Maybelline Baby Lips in SPF 20, I've heard great things and have been wanting to try it out so I'll be whacking this on every couple of hours to avoid a Jackie Stallone face. For extra caution I also picked up Blistex Intensive Moisturiser, this stuff is a GOD SEND, if you've ever suffered with chapped, sore or red lips in the past (I used to get a red line just about my top lip, so attractive) you should try this out. It's instantly cooling and gives the best pain relief so as soon as any inkling of blistering happens, I slather this bad boy on.

 The next product I got was Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub, whilst I already have my toners and cleansers for the trip, I really wanted to pick up a travel-sized exfoliator to use twice a week while I'm out there. It's going to be super hot there and I want to be giving my skin the best treatment to keep it in good condition, and since the heat could potentially make my skin more oily, I wanted an exfoliator which would control that and keep my skin from breaking out.

The baby shampoo may seem a little odd but this is to simply keep my brushes clean while I'm away and the last item I chucked into my basket was the Compeed Blister Plasters; now in my opinion there's very few things worse than a really painful blister when you're walking around a theme park all day - these things however are a gosh darn miracle! If you end up getting a dreaded blister, you simply put one of these clear pads over it just like a plaster, and the medicine in the plaster (that's right, it has medicine in the plaster) gets to work in healing and protecting the blister, all the while allowing you to walk without a slim shady limp! These things also stay on in the shower so until it's healed, you can walk like a free man...or woman.

Next place we went to was Zara, all I picked up was this white blanket scarf which is a complete necessity for me on a plane. I always forget, but planes get so damn cold when you're in the air and while you still want to look fairly glamorous in-flight, there's little you can do about warming up without bringing your onesie with you. This is where a scarf is the perfect mid-flight warmer, you can keep it in your carry-on or wear it round your neck while you board, then as soon as it gets chilly, rather than stealing your boyfriends hoodie and leaving him shivering (sorry Charles) open up your scarf and wrap yourself up in it, hell throw in some slipper socks and you'll be as toasty as a buttered crumpet (albeit, slightly less greasy.) 

The next two things I got I was SO pleased to find, I've been looking for rollerball perfumes for what feels like an age. I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday, particular overseas I really don't want to be packing an expensive perfume in my luggage, not just for the weight inconvenience but also if it was so crack, it would be such an annoying start to your holiday, although it would smell GREAT. But luckily I found these two rollerball perfumes from Zara, perfect size for fitting in your handbag, rucksack, whatever you'll be using on holiday and really great for a quick freshen up. I'm a fan of Zara perfume anyway, I think it's such an unsung hero, I ended up buying two (for £3.99 it was an absolutely bargain!) One with floral undertones, and the other a more fruity and fresh scent. 

The last of my Chester purchases were made from Primark. Now when it comes to holidays, I love me some Primark and it's a complete bargain when you're just looking for some key or basic pieces. I picked up these two silver necklaces - pretty tribal, little bit Aztec, I just thought they were cute and would be perfect for any day when I feel my outfit is a little plain. Next I got the essential million bobbles for £1 - I forget I only really own 1 hair bobble so if that breaks, I'm up bad hair creek without a paddle. Then last up I picked out this navy and white striped bikini, I'd been looking for something similar however a lot of places now, if you want any decent support, you have to pay what feels like a fortune for a bikini, but Primark actually have a really great and flattering range - this bad boy set me back £6 and I have to say makes me feel pretty fabulous.

So that's all for real-life shopping, now on to Internet buys; I'm actually pretty impressed 
with my restraint as I only purchased two online items (note: this was technically due to my credit limit - but hey, it still took strength not to up my limit). The first was this navy and white striped playsuit from Missguided (the floor really doesn't do it justice) - I love playsuits for holiday and who can say no to some cute little stripes? The material is super soft and light which will be great for keeping me cool while walking around the parks and with an elasto-waist for those all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets, everyone's a winner! I'll be wearing this little number with my white flatform sandals, some cat eye shades and my black studded bucket bag.

The last item I got was one I've had my eye on for a while, I love wearing something Disney-themed when we go to Magic Kingdom on the first day so had to snap up this little crop top. It's from an online shop called Minga London and they do so many awesome t-shirts and jumpers which are super comfy and just freaking cool. It's Mickey Mouse head has been filled with a leopard-look print which I just think looks adorable. Add some denim cut-off shorts and a pair of converse and I am ready to board the monorail to where dreams come true! (No honestly, they really do)

So that's about it for my recent haulin', this post got a little longer than I expected but hey! I'm a talker. Hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time - bye! x