Istanbul Holiday Haul

16:50 2015, art, beauty, blusher, face mask, handmade, haul, holiday, NARS, perfume, Sephora, soap, Turkey 1 comment

No holiday is complete without a little shopping. Of course I did a little bit of duty free shopping as well as buying some bits and bobs while in Istanbul. We also found Sephora at one of the malls, so I restocked on face masks and got a few goodies for friends. Here's what I picked up for myself =)

Duty Free: My first Nars blusher (Outlaw) and my favourite fragrance, Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire EDT.

Carrefour and Local shops: Colouring book full of pretty patterns, Smiley stickers, Little bowl for my desk (most likely for rings), blue woven purse and mini keychain purse.

Sephora and Sightseeing: Fibre mask discovery set, Pore clarifying mask and three bookmarks.

Handmade Turkish soaps from a local shop. (L-R Argan Oil, Tumeric and Himalyan Salt).

On the whole, I think I did pretty well and didn't overspend. The Turkish soaps are suitable for use on the face and body, so I'll be using them to cleanse my face in the mornings. Unfortunately, the summer holidays are coming to an end and now it's time to start getting prepared for work.

Istanbul, Turkey 2015

11:21 2015, holiday, travel, Turkey Leave a Comment

Two weeks ago, I was in Istanbul. The city is amazing, with so many beautiful buildings and a rich history, there's plenty to see and do. During the 4 days that we spent there, we managed to visit the Topkapi Palace Museum, Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. We also walked along the Galata Bridge (where there are many restaurants overlooking the river), and took a fairly long tram ride to the mall. It's a lot easier to get around Istanbul by taking the tram or metro and then walking, rather than taxi's which get stuck in a lot of traffic and as we found, also have difficulty getting to some of the smaller streets. There is no shortage of places to eat in Istanbul, and we definitely enjoyed the Turkish Cuisine (one of my favourites!). Anyway, here are some of the pictures that I took while I was away. Enjoy =)

Have you ever visited Turkey before?

Review: Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar

18:05 2015, beauty, Lush, serum, skincare 1 comment

Since purchasing the Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar way back in June, I've been trying to use it every evening before applying moisturiser. As I'm so used to applying moisturiser straight after cleansing, it took a while to get used to adding the extra step into my routine especially as the serum comes in a solid bar, rather than a liquid. It doesn't take long for the serum to soften at body temperature, so I prefer to rub the bar over my hands, and then apply the serum to my face. I use it at night, simply because it does leave my skin a little tacky, and this wouldn't make a great base for any makeup to be worn over the top.

So has it made a difference?
I'd say yes -in combination with a new skincare routine- it has. My skin is definitely a lot more softer and I have noticed that I don't have any dry patches of skin on my cheeks. Full of Grace is made from all natural ingredients (vegan friendly) and is suitable for sensitive skin. It hasn't made me break out or affected my eczema. As it is only wrapped in the paper, I would recommend storing it in a container (I use a Lush oval tin) and in a cool place, as mine did soften when the weather got very hot in the middle of July. So far, I've been using the Full of Grace serum bar for two months and still have about half a bar left. While it may seem slightly pricey at £8.25 for the size, a little goes a long way and I know that I'll be repurchasing again in two months time.

Do you include a serum in your routine? Any recommendations?

Summer Holidays!

18:46 2015, family, holiday, shopping, summer 2 comments

Finally, the Summer holidays have arrived and after attending a wedding in Manchester over the weekend, I will be flying off to Istanbul tomorrow morning! I've been to Turkey before, but visited Bodrum which is on the South coast. There's a lot to see and do in Istanbul, which I am looking forward to. And I'm especially looking forward to doing some shopping (especially at the Grand Bazaar) and eating Turkish food (which I love!).