The Holiday Prep Haul

Hi Guys,

On friday, I will be jetting off to Lanzarote. So of course I've used this as the perfect excuse to stock up on beauty bits and pieces I 'really' needed and new summer clothes too. All in anticipation for a much warmer climate than Scotland. 

I've taken full advantage of all the fantastic summer sales we've had these past few months. Just getting a little bit too carried away over a span of a few months. At least I like to think that to make myself feel a bit better about the spending ban I was suppose to of put myself on... 

I've become a tad obsessed with travel mini's and decanting everything into little pots. I've set myself a mission to get everything toiletry and makeup wise into one wash bag. So I picked up a little travel set of three bottles and three tubs from Tiger Copenhagen, to pop all the bits and pieces like BB Cream and my contact lens solution into handier containers. I also went over to The Cosmetic Company Store and managed to grab a teeny little mini of the Ojon Rare Blend Hair Oil to take with me, I've never tried anything from Ojon before. But after being recommended to it by Andrew from Beauty and the Boy, I'm looking forward to seeing how it copes with my hair. 

Also for my hair I grabbed a Seanik Shampoo Bar from Lush, I've always used Jason and the Argon Oil, so I hope I like it. But I thought Seanik would be better suited for swimming, as it contains sea salt to plump up the hair and my hair really struggles to hold any volume. 

Also another recommendation is the Pixi Nourishing Lip Polish. I saw it in a video from Jamie Genevieve and it sounded like a really good multi use product, a balm and almost scrub in one. Jamie hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I always trust that if she says something is good, then it's going to be good. 

Although I've stocked up on SPF, I've heard fantastic things about the Clarins Sunscreen range. Plus it's currently Gift with Purchase time at Clarins too, where you can pick from three different sets, all housed in a gorgeous canvas makeup bag. I went for the Skin Hydrator Set, which includes the Hydraquench Moisturiser, Lip Perfector Oil, One Step Gel Cleanser and the Extra Moisturising Body Lotion. There is also a step up gift available, of the Body Oil and Bath and Shower Wash with the purchase of a third skincare item too.

To get the gift I purchased the Sun Control Stick, to use to pin point certain areas of the face for protection. It smells amazing too, so I don't think I'll have any problem with wearing it on the face for more than five minutes. I also grabbed the Ombre Waterproof Shadow too, in Copper. These do not budge, I swatched them on the back of my hand and once set, they're not going anywhere. So I'm excited to see how it really withstands the heat. 

When it comes to swimwear and things, I tried to wait as long as possible to grab it. As I had heard that there was going to be a Kendall + Kylie collaboration with Topshop. Now I must admit, I haven't really ever watched the Kardashians, but after owning previous collections, it's fair to say I'm a fan of their collaborations with Topshop. Though once it launched quite a few bits were a bit too risky for me. But I did pick up the Mesh Insert Bikini Top and Bottom set, plus it's now gone into the Topshop sale too! I also tried H&M for swimwear this year, as they had some really gorgeous sets, which in fact made it quite difficult to choose as I just wanted them all! In the end I settled for the Pink Triangle Bikini Bottom and Top set, as It did kind of remind me of the Triangl range. 

I really don't like wearing sunglasses at all, so I usually pick up a pair from Topshop and be done with it. However although Topshop sunglasses are great, they're probably not the best for sun protection compared to a slightly more expensive brand. So I've snooped around TK Maxx and managed to grab the Marc Jacobs Cage Cat Eye Sunglasses, for a fifth of the price! So if you're looking for good sunglasses and a good deal, TK Maxx is sunglasses heaven. 

I also fell in love with the Copper Havaianas, which are priced for a pair of flip flops. But seeing as I'm going to get good use out of them and they are probably the comfiest flip flop I have ever worn. I thought I would give them a try. 

I really must apologise for how badly my attempts to display these holiday clothing items are. Unfortunately the Scottish weather doesn't agree with outdoor shoots, but I will try and get lots of snaps of them on while I'm there and pop them up in a blog post soon. The items themselves however are all in the sale, except from the Topshop Navy Stripe Shorts. Which I had to treat myself to after seeing Zoella completely rock them in one of her videos. They're so comfy to wear and quite a flattering length and style too, which is unusual for me to find unless it's from a Tall range. 

Also unusually bought is the Black Floral Playsuit from H&M. H&M and I don't have a good relationship, I find that nothing fits and the sizes are just really quite odd to be honest. So when I went in, I really never ever thought I would come out with anything other than a pair of socks and a bikini. However this play suit is actually a winner, so I might have to try H&M a little bit more often. 

Finally I grabbed the Zara Linen Tunic, as soon as I noticed it had gone down in the sale. I've had my eye on this for a while, but again as it wasn't a Tall item, I grudged paying full price for something that would probably fit weirdly and I would hardly wear. But I shouldn't of judged a book by its cover, another surprise that actually doesn't look too bad if I do say so myself haha. 

                                 

Eloise x