Currently Loving | June 2016

There are a lot of products and 'things' I've enjoyed using this month that a monthly favourites post would be too long. Instead you'll have today's currently loving and I also have a holiday favourites post coming up as long as some more detailed reviews.

Days before I flew out to Menorca for a week with friends I had a handbag panic. My dad would have said are you kidding me but there wasn't a bag in my collection that would compliment all my outfits and with an Easyjet luggage allowance I need to be strict with my packing.

Luckily for me my friend and travel companion Lewis Yates owns a shop and after a quick look around his website I had this Michael Kors beauty in Grapefruit on hold for me.  This was my first Michael Kors handbag purchase as despite eyeing up their bags before and with a price point that is 'affordable' compared to other higher end brands it was only now I was tempted to part with my cash.

Pouch, clutch, wristlet call it what you will but aside from the gorgeous colour this was a fantastic purchase and one I loved using on my holiday. When I use a clutch bag I want it to hold money, keys, lipstick, my iPhone and a pack of cigarettes - aside from health reasons I need to give up the bad habit as it limits my clutch bag sizes! The Michael Kors wristlet was perfect. Flying out I was able to put my passport and other travel documents here and then pop that in my larger bag, pulling out when I needed and/or popping on my wrist when I literally needed it to hand. I didn't need a purse as there are card slots and a small pocket for any loose change and it's fair to say this bag was hanging off my wrist morning and night. I could pop it in my beach bag and when we'd head out for lunch I'd just grab this rather than needing to take the larger bag filled with suncreams and books. We also travelled with two small children so having this bag on the wrist made having hands free for carrying duties. The only problem now is I want to buy them in every different colour and pick up the matching sandals.

Since dyeing my hair I've been able to enjoy the luxury of second day hair, something that was unheard of before (unless I wanted to look a greasy mess). Bastiste Dry Shampoo in Marrakech* and Palmers Manuka Flower Honey Leave-In Conditioner* have been the duo that have helped me achieve this. Firstly I'll spray some Batiste dry shampoo in my roots and brush my hair out and then I reach for the Palmers Conditioner and spray over my hair which is often a little wild from being tied up. Once my hair has been dampened I'm able to pick up the hairdryer, brush and style the unruly waves so that I am presentable. I've used a slightly different duo whilst on holiday which I'll be telling you about in another post but back home this was what I was using on a regular basis.

As a flamingo lover I happily jumped on the inflatable bandwagon and treated myself to the Flamingo Drinks Holder for my recent trip. I really wanted the larger inflatable but luggage allowance woes stopped me. Now I'm home and two months away from my next trip I'm thinking about picking up the Pineapple Inflatable as I'll be spending the week around my friends villa and as we'll in Italy I'm going to treat them to the Pizza one. Whilst I loved Florence the Flamingo (of course we named her) I was always a little too nervous about putting a drink in there although it was pretty sturdy.

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

Breakfast with JimJams

At the weekend I love nothing more than treating myself to a breakfast treat. My general rule is something quick that I can pop on a plate and carry back to bed with my morning cuppa with minimal effort. Sometimes I like to put in a little extra effort, especially if I have friends visiting.

I would imagine on Pinterest this is what they'd call a 'hack' as it's such a simple pairing that makes you appear as if you've been slaving in the kitchen all morning and should be entering the Great British Bake Off.

First reach for some pastry or dough of your choosing. Usually I'd use the Jus-Rol Croissant Dough but on this occasion there was only Pain Au Chocolat available and in fact it was a nicer, flakier pastry so I'll definitely get this again. I discarded the chocolate bars and instead reached for my jar of JimJams Hazelnut Chocolate Spread*.

I must confess I'm not one of those people that spoons chocolate spread from jar or had a childhood growing up on Nutella as I wasn't a fan of chocolate (I didn't even like Easter Eggs!) so I'd say I'm less biased and more open to other brands of chocolate spread, especially when JimJams contains 83% less sugar than other brands - justification if any to eat more surely?

JimJams is a family brand, devised to provide their children with healthier alternatives to those on the high street. Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly, the list goes on as to why you would want to pick JimJams.

Returning to my breakfast, simply prepare your dough / pastry and then spread as much chocolate spread as your sweet tooth desires. Pop in the oven and voila, after a matter of minutes you have your very own chocolate-y breakfast. Perfect.

This breakfast might not win any awards for skill but it's a crowd pleaser.

*this post contains press samples

BOOK REVIEW | The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

Tasmina Perry is one of my favourite authors and I always add her new releases to my wishlist the minute I hear one is due. I didn't love The Last Kiss Goodbye as I started to read as much as I feel I have others which is a little disappointing. It took me far longer to read than any of her other books, or those I have enjoyed recently

Everyone remembers their first kiss. But what about the last?

1961. Journalist Rosamund Bailey is ready to change the world. When she meets explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched away.

2014. Deep in the vaults of a museum, archivist Abby Gordon stumbles upon a breathtaking find. A faded photograph of a man saying goodbye to the woman he loves. Looking for a way to escape her own heartache, Abby becomes obsessed with the story, little realising that behind the image frozen in time lies a secret altogether more extraordinary. 

I didn't particularly to warm to the story or the characters and felt it was a very drawn out story that ran through the past and modern threads. Chapters would go in from one or other viewpoint although it just felt like it was changed to add something different to the story, and whilst necessary and the plot when you returned to the other you'd almost forgot about them. Nothing felt fully explored, more snippets here and there.

Despite the promise of Russian spies and forgotten love it didn't spark any joy with me which was very disappointing. Might you enjoy it, is it an easy read? Yes it is but not one I'd recommend you'd rush to add to your reading list.

*this post contains affiliate links

High End Beauty Expectations

One of the reasons I changed the direction of my blog and started blogging about beauty was because I wanted to know what products were worth purchasing. Back in the day I didn't wear make up daily, I worshiped at the ground of Mac eyeshadows, lived for YSL mascaras and the only base product I wore was the now discontinued Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisturiser.

Often I'd find myself in the local supermarket and think to myself I'd like to treat myself to something, just a 'cheap' lipstick or similar and would become blinded by choice and walk out empty handed and then there was the shopping trips with mum where we'd swoon at high end beauty counters and treat ourselves to whatever caught our eye. My obsession with Chanel Nail Polishes has already been well documented.

Nostalgic ramblings aside bring me to the point of today's post. High End expectations. I've certainly discovered a love for drugstore products in recent years and whatever your preferences it's safe to say there are some great products available for 'affordable' prices but that has led to my expectations of those more expensive luxe products being much higher.

Whilst I'm not against picking up a drugstore product or two when I treat myself to a new make up product it's often from a higher end brand, particularly when their limited edition collections can be so hard to come by.

Therein is the first problem. Chanel's Rouge Noir Collection for example, we're subjected to various images and reviews in advance of launch dates and being lusting over the the collection, mentally listing what pieces we want to purchase. Then launch date arrives and if you don't hit the store on opening there is a distinct possibility you will miss out. How often have you missed a Mac collection despite being online line at 10.01 and adding things into the basket.

After all that effort if you are lucky enough to nab the item you wanted there's a hit of euphoria. You post on instagram with a little smugness as others share their tale of woe that they missed out and if you're a blogger it'll remain untouched, stared at and stroked until you take the necessary photos and write a blog post.

Next you are finally about to add to your make up routine and after all that build up, effort you, or certainly I have some pretty high expectations. If you're anything like me you'll often have designed in your mind the perfect justification for why you 'needed' such a product. Take the NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette. When this was covered by bloggers I decided this palette would change my life despite not being that familiar with the Nars brand. A large selection of eyeshadows in neutral shades this would be my go to eyeshadow palette. All I would need. One step away from bringing peace to the world. It wasn't cheap but it was worth it, I just knew it. Unfortunately I dithered and missed out on it's first run which as is often the case when you can't have something, you want it more so when it's next release occurred I was ready.

I phoned Selfridges, had one put aside and dragged myself from bed and into London to purchase. I was happy. Euphoric. Life was good. But some time later would I purchase it again? I don't think so. Are the eyeshadows good, yes there are? But is the palette more loved than my Bourjois Smokey Eye Quad? Probably not.

It was a similar story with the Chanel Entrelacs Eyeshadow Palette, again it was going to change my life, all I would need but unfortunately the pigmentation was just a little off and it's paled in comparison to other products in my collection.

It's not all bad and you could argue I should research more, investigate the product at counters but as I've already mentioned sometimes you don't have the luxury of time. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette is a favourite amongst bloggers and I remember the high when I managed to purchase in the US, despite it not being on the counter at Sephora one of the assistants checked out back and they'd been released and then it fell to the back of my collection. Recently I've been using this product and starting to love it but it's definitely been a slow burn.

In contrast if I buy a lipstick from Collection or Rimmel and it doesn't favour well I'll happily cast aside without another thought but it's the high end items I have the higher expectations of. Do you think that's fair? What are your thoughts?

Superdrug Simply Pure Skincare Range

Having recently tried the Natural Collection Make Up range where every product is priced at £1.99 I thought it was time to see what affordable skincare options they are. Superdrug heard my plea and sent three products from the Superdrug Simply Pure Skincare Range where everything is £2.69 - and currently on offer for buy one get one half price.

First up to try is Superdrug Simply Pure Micellar Water* a mild, gentle and fragrance free product - as are all the Simply Pure products. Nothing fancy about the packaging but it's clear which always gets the thumbs up from me. Is it the best micellar water I've tried? I'm afraid not but as a first step for removing make up before going in with a cleanser I'm able to make use of it. Despite that it does remove make up well, I often remove eye make up with a micellar water first and then go in with a cleanser and I don't find any remaining product on the flannel so it's doing it's job.

Next is a product made famous by Sali Hughes causing it to sell out and Superdrug struggling to keep up with demand. That product is Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum*. I find that serums are where I like to spend my money and at 37 years old I like to invest in a little more higher end purchases but who knows when my purse could feel the pinch and I might to rethinking my spending. The packaging is once again pretty simple although comes with a pump which I like. It's a typical serum texture somewhere between and a gel and applies nicely to the skin. I have been using this as a morning step in my routine and find that it sinks in and make up sits well on top. It's not so much bells and whistles but does the job if you're looking for something simple and basic.  It's not the best serum I own but for the price and perhaps if you're just looking for a hydration boost occasionally this is worth having to hand.

Finally is Superdrug Simply Pure Light Moisturiser* which is surprisingly good although my least favourite from the range of products I tried. This is a ridiculous thing to say but there's something about the tube I don't like and I'm sure if it was in a nice pot I'd take to the product much better. Packaging issues aside it's a pretty good moisturiser and I've found make up sitting on top nicely and it absorbs into the skin although I do find I'm a little tighter by the end of the day than I might be with other more expensive offerings. It has a slight tackiness which is perhaps why my make up applies on top nicely and I find that if I'm continually using this my skin errs more on the side of being dryer but if you have oily skin this could well be handy to use.

Has this budget brand convinced me to stop spending on luxury skincare, the honest answer is no. That said if I was looking to pick up some skincare items in a hurry, on the go then I would definitely reach for these. If you're a student looking to save some money or perhaps a little younger than I am then this is worth trying out.

What budget skincare items would you recommend?

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links