#mydubai | Day 1

possibly the least flattering photo of me I've seen!



Our first full day in Dubai began with us being collected from the airport by our hotels car service and whisked away armed with ice cold bottles of water and flannels. On arrival at the Royal Meridien hotel we were taken to their reception lounge and more cold flannels and fruit juice were offered whilst we begun the checking in process.

 

Ben and I were told our room wasn't ready so we took up residence in one of the others whilst people changed for the pool and then we headed down to sample the buffet breakfast. As part of our package we had booked into the Club Tower which meant we'd have breakfast, afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks and canapes available to us every evening.

 

Whilst sitting round the pool it became very evident that the Dubai sun is hot hot hot! Over our afternoon tea we decided not to stray too far from the hotel as we were all shattered from the travelling and booked a table at one of the hotels on site restaurants, Maya.

 

Pre-dinner Peach Bellini

Maya was the perfect start to our holiday and who doesn't love Mexican food. Sitting out in the open air, and well placed next to a very large air conditioning unit we dived into a feast of tortilla chips and guacamole.

 

I'll blame fatigue from travelling that I diverted my usual preference for fajitas and in the spirt of trying something new on the recommendation from the waiter I picked the Beef Short Ribs. Whilst it was delicious it was very heavy and not very mexican. We all agreed we should have just ordered fajitas for six and piled in around the table.

 

Maya also has a lounge playing music and serving drinks which we wanted to join friends in but unfortunately the boys were wearing shorts so not allowed. That said I was rather pleased as I was exhausted and ready to climb into bed and start afresh the next day.

 

Unfortunately photo were lacking from the evening due to being so tired and the resturant being so dark. I must confess that I actually didn't take my camera out after day 2 and relied on Ben to be photographer and provide photos for my posts so thanks to him for that.

 

Dress, Oasis (last year, similar online) / Sandals New Look / Pineapple Clutch, Topshop

 

I did manage to pose for a photo before snuggling down in bed for the night though!

 

Summer Nail Favourites

I decided against a Gelish or Biosculpture manicure for my trip to Dubai as I wasn’t prepared to commit to one colour during the course of my 10 day trip. This also provided me the perfect excuse to treat myself to a couple of new nail polishes. I can safely say these three could ver ywell be my Summer favourites.

Despite this being my first foray into Rimmel’s Salon Pro range I have borrowed my friends bottle of Hip Hop in the past and new it was a goodie. I absolutely love this formula and colour so it's surprising it's taken me so long to buy a bottle for myself. It’s so long lasting especially when paired with eyeCANDY top coat. My idea that I would have leisurely evenings on holiday to paint my nails didn’t quite come to fruition. I actually ended up painting my nails as my last step before walking out the room to join everyone for drinks so you could say speed was of the essence both painting and drying. The Rimmel Salon Pro brush is fantastic and whilst not quite the exact width of my nails it’s pretty close and good enough. Two coats and you have a non-streaky, opaque finish it really is quick to use. 

Another colour I was tempted with from the range was Green Dragon. I try to deviate from my reds and pinks and often can be found on the fence as to whether I’m ‘too old’ and/or like others colours on me but I loved Green Dragon and it complimented a tan perfectly. I will certainly be wearing again.

I'm such a fan of the Rimmel Salon Pro range that I could almost be tempted to throw out all other brands and just stick with them. For now though I'll just think about adding Bubblegum Pink and Happily Evie After to my collection.

Of course we all know how good the Barry M Gelly Range is and I have mentioned it numerous times on Florence and Mary. I had also been eyeing up Grapefruit as the perfect Summer pink and whilst I didn't get around to using on holiday it was the colour I painted my nails for the return to work when I was back in the UK. And if you want to get your hands on a free bottle of the Dragonfruit shade just spend £6 on Barry M Cosmetics and you'll get one free!

What Summer colours have you been enjoying recently?

#mydubai

Le Royal Meriden Hotel

After months of planning and excited chatter on our ‘Doobs Crew’ text group it's now a week since I returned from my amazing holiday in Dubai. I'm often pretty slack with updating you on my holidays, still having parts of last years trips to Hawaii and Vegas to share with you so I thought I'd best get on with it. I hope you'll enjoy my sharing details of my trip to Dubai over the pages of Florence and Mary in the coming weeks and today I'm starting with unofficial day one which was largely spent travelling. 

Often my flights abroad are at some ridiculous time in the morning but some clever planning meant that we would fly to Dubai overnight and arrive early Sunday morning ready to hit the pool. To ensure I would arrive at my destination looking semi-decent I booked in my hairdresser Angel to assist. No worrying about plane hair for me. 

On arriving at Heathrow Terminal 3 Ben and I headed straight for Duty Free and the booze. Our little faces lit up when we heard we could take 4 litres with us, which would hopefully help with the warnings we'd been given about the cost of alcohol in Dubai.

Comforted that we would not go thirsty during our trip is was on to sunglasses. As a leopard print lover I couldn’t resist these Dolce & Gabbana pair and I must give a special mention to the lady who served us and went to the extra trouble of finding me a matching leopard print case to keep them in. After all that shopping Ben and I decided it was time to find ourselves somewhere to sit and wait for the others to join us and promptly ordered a bottle of champagne to get the holiday started.

Once the full Doobs Crew were together we boarded our Premium Economy seats and settled down for the night. Thankfully all that champagne helped me sleep for a lot of the flight and I didn't even manage to watch one movie during the flight. 

So that was a slightly cheating first Dubai post as it doesn't really tell you much but stay tuned for Day 1 on Friday in which I'll share a lot more.

May 2015 Beauty Favourites

This months favourites are very much those I discovered, rediscovered or just enjoyed whilst on holiday in Dubai.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Fluid
Despite appearing in my 2014 Foundation Favourites post I haven't used Chanel Les Beiges for some time. Anticipating the Dubai heat I thought there would be evenings I'd prefer this than Make Up Forevers HD Foundation so took it away with me. As expected I ended up casting aside the heavier coverage and it was this I wore every evening. This was the perfect base for my lightly toasted skin which was in the best condition it has been for some time. As such I am forgoing all other base products and packing this for my next trip to Ibiza.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder
My holy grail product was bound to appear in a favourites post sooner or later and it really proved it's worth in the heat of Dubai. Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder is always in my handbag and will always accompany me on nights out but its more as a back up and lipstick touch ups. Despite everyone telling me that the air conditioning would protect from the heat that wasn't always the case. With a camera at every opportunity and Ben's love of the flash I need regular powder applications to try and battle the shine.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick, 01 Le Rouge*
It's well documented how much I love a red lipstick and I certainly have a new favourite from the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Range. Part of a World Duty Free Limited Edition set I couldn't be more impressed with the formula of these lipsticks. As I mentioned in my previous posts the formula is deliciously creamy and long lasting.

Benefit The POREfessional Primer
Once again I reference the excessive heat in Dubai as a reason that primer was a must have during my trip. The combination of Benefit's POREfessional and Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder ensured that at the end of the evening my make up wasn't sitting down my face. Whilst I know not everyone loves the silicone formula of this primer I have no issue with it and it feels like it's creating the base for my make up to be applied to. Once again this is a must have for me on my next trip and throughout Summer that I'll be picked up a replacement in Duty Free as my current tube is nearing the end of it's life.

Tom Ford Lipstick, Flamingo
I purchased the appropriately named Flamingo lipstick from Tom Ford when I was in LA and it's been a constant in my make up arsenal ever since. It's pretty much the closest I get to a nude lip. Of course it isn't a nude lip at all, it's very much pink but a soft enough pink that it goes with anything yet bright enough that I feel like I have something on my lips. Due to the clothing choices I made on my holidays I had to steer away from my regular reds more often than usual and as such it was Flamingo that came to my aid.

Caudalie Divine Legs
I have had Caudalie Divine Legs for years and it has remained untouched. Another of those 'the beauty blogger made me do it' purchases I was alway petrified of it. For some reason I decided to take it on holiday despite it's un-travel-friendly glass bottle thinking that with some colour on my usually pasty pins I would be a little braver. I'm not very good with tanning products or even this style of tint and always worry about streaks and then seem to rub the product to such a degree it disappears from sight. The first time I used it I panicked and was not a fan but as I'd deemed it worthy of space in my luggage and I persevered and found I rather enjoyed the additional sheen and colour it added to my legs (and arms). I applied with a mitt to avoid messing with my hands and do find this darker than I thought although I was very pale before so it's one to be cautious with. Once again I liked it so much that I will take it to Ibiza to ensure I get maximum usage.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
The First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads received a glowing review in my holiday skincare post and for that reason they of course could not be omitted from this months favourites. Back from my holidays I had decided to use other products and save these to take away with me again being so travel friendly and my skin has not thanked me for it. They are currently being pulled from my half packed suitcase to rectify the situation.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Fluid*
I intended to publish a blog post on La Roche-Posay's Anthelios range during my holiday but unfortunately too many cocktails and lazy days on the beach allowed my schedule to go awry. I still intend to publish that post but in advance I thought I'd share the love in particular for the Ultra-Light Fluid. I actually arrived in Dubai armed with all manner of La Roche-Posays Anthelios skincare range which we all shared between us. As I've said my skin was in great condition and that might not have been the case had I been doing what many women do and using the SPF's for the body on their face or even worse forgoing it at all. It speaks highly of the Anthelios range that I didn't suffer any break outs from this light weight formula.

So that's this months favourites, hopefully you will find some of these useful for any forthcoming holidays you may have coming up. Spot anything you think you need?

Products I Used Up on holiday

A bonus empties post for this month thanks to my recent trip to Dubai with plenty to talk about so let's dive straight in.

Radox Invigorate Shower Gel*
A bottle of Radox shower gel often accompanies me on holiday especially when I am travelling with friends or family as it's a great sharer. Ben and I happily worked our way through the lemon and rosemary scent particularly as we needed as much 'invigorating' as possible due to being in ultra relaxation mode whilst away. It wasn't quite full when we left the UK but there was plenty for over the ten day period in addition to another shower gel I was using (more on that coming up soon).

Bumble & Bumble Surf Shampoo & Conditioner
I threw this sachets of the Bumble & Bumble Surf Shampoo & Conditioner (along with my surf spray) on a whim thinking they'd be ideal for days I wanted to let hair dry naturally and add a bit of texture. I completely fell back in love with the Surf range which I hadn't used over Winter and will definitely be stocking up for my trip to Ibiza in 3 weeks.

The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Cream*
This was a great holiday moisturiser, light, hydrating and contained SPF. You can see the rest of my holiday skincare regime in last weeks post or follow the link for my review of The Body Shop Aloe Range.

Clayspray Aloeveratherapy - White Clay and Aloe Vera*
Just because I was on holiday I didn't want to abandon my weekly face masks so poor Ben had to endure my walking out the bathroom with various versions on my face. I threw a Clayspray sachet into my make up bag as it was the perfect travel companion. I'm going to publish a more formal review soon of the Clayspray range but I can say I enjoyed this mask, feeling cool on application and quickly tighten (so Ben had a few moments of silence from my jabbering). The White Clay and Aloe Vera mask was to comfort and soften reactive skin which was just what I needed.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray*
Battling the excessive heat of Dubai a make up setting spray was essential to ensure my make up didn't slip off my face throughout the evening. A great combo with Chanel Les Beiges and I will certainly be repurchasing.

Korres Milk Proteins 3 in 1 Cleanser, Toner & Eye Make Up Remover
I'd had little opportunity to use such a small sample of Korres 3 in 1 Cleanser but my outbound flight was the perfect opportunity. As I was flying overnight I arrived at the airport with a face full of make up that I wanted to remove when I settled down to try and get some sleep. The Korres all in once cleanser contains lactose and amino acids to nourish the skin and add a hydrating film which is a necessity in the recycled air of a planes cabin. It quickly removed make up to provide the base for all my facial spritz applied throughout the flight.

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Hand Cream*
It was a no brainer that the Fleur de Figuier hand cream would join me on holiday along with the Fleur de Figuier Perfume. I can't bear dry hands and never more so than flying and I spent much of the flight and week away reapplying this cream so much so that it made it's way to the empties pile. Will I repurchase - most certainly.

Clinque Bottom Lash Mascara
This was one of my first 'the beauty blogger made me do it' purchases and something I don't use often but essential for nights out. By day I tend to leave my bottom lashes au natural but at night it adds a little something extra I like. I fully intended to repurchase this at World Duty Free on my way home but completely forgot so it will be added to the Ibiza Duty Free wish list in a couple of weeks. Lastly - how have the drugstores not duped this yet?

Palmers Foot Magic Scrub*
Days spent in flip-flops and nights in heels I didn't want to abandon my Palmers Pedicures whilst on holiday so took along this gritty foot scrub to treat my feet. It was great to apply in the shower and keep my feet tip top whilst away and I will definitely repurchase as I liked the harsher scrub for my feet than the body versions have.

Bath & Body Works Island Margarita Santizing Hand Gel
Previously this hand gel was kept on my desk at work and I threw into my hand luggage for the flight. The scent of this is amazing and frequently on using at work someone would comment on 'you smell nice' - not bad for something to fight germs. Whilst I did visit a Bath & BodyWorks at Dubai Mall I was completely overwhelmed and decided to wait for a haul when I hopefully visit Rose at the end of the year.

Clarins Moisturiser with SPF
I forgot to note exactly what product this was but remember receiving as a sample during a Sephora visit last year and being told it was a great SPF. Such a small tube I thought it was perfect to use quickly during my trip. As an SPF it worked great and I can report that this in addition to all the other facial SPFs I used created a great tan on my face with no obvious damage. As for the formula of this cream it was thin and certainly of the 'watery' variety but none the less was absorbed into the skin effectively.

Superdrug Cotton Wool Oval Pads
I wouldn't usually throw my empty packs of Cotton Wool Pads into my empties post but as this are different from my usual Boots version I thought I'd offer comment. I picked these up during a Superdrug visit and I'm sure there was a usual 3 for 2 offer of similar so I had been using at home prior to my holiday also. On first use I wasn't too happy, they seemed to become wetter and soggier than their Boots counterparts but as I became used to them I was able to make things work - and avoid being  so heavy handed with my toners and the like. Their texture was also more wiry than I was used to which was also another plus against, that said they did perform their function adequately. Would I choose these over the Boots Cotton Pads? No but if I was in Superdrug and needed cotton wool pads I would happily pick these up.

Palmers Dark Chocolate & Cherry Tinted Lip Balm*
I picked the Palmers Tinted Lip Balm for my hand luggage as it's tint would add a little colour to my make up free face during the flight and likewise on the beach if I felt my lips getting a little dry. Unfortunately it was a casualty of the Dubai heat and managed to break, melt into the lid during my stay.

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Mosituring Boosting Masks*
I no longer fly without having one of the Hydraluron Sheet Masks in my case to apply at the other end to combat the cabin air. Whilst I don't find any benefits from using Hydraluron serum on a regular basis due to other products in my regime the masks are something I rely upon to give that extra boost the skin needs. If you have any long haul flights on the cards I'd highly recommend you pick some of these up.

So there you have a rather extensive holiday empties post. It's quite fun to have had a holiday three weeks prior to my next as I have a great idea for what I do and don't need to take along with me. Anything you spot that you always use up on holiday?

*PR Sample