What's in my Travel Bag? [Flight Essentials]

As you probably know by now, inshaAllah I'll be going on holiday to Dubai in a few days. I'm one of those people that tends to pack well in advance so that everything is ready to go on the day (none of this last minute packing the day before!). I also love making lists and tick things off as I've packed/done them. Anyway, here's what I've put in my hand luggage ready to be used during the flight or once I've landed. My carry on bag isn't very big, so I needed to be extra picky about what to put into it. Also, thanks to the restriction on liquid products, all the items that I've packed are 100ml or less =)

1) La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water (50ml) - I know it's just a water spray, but I know that this spray will help keep me awake during the flight as well as make the heat in Dubai a little more bearable. It definitely will be staying in my bag throughout my holiday.

2) Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing Cream - This little 8ml tube is from the rather large set of Bioderma Samples from Escentual. It'll be mostly used for making sure my eczema doesn't flare up during the flight.

3) Impulse True Love Body Fragrance - This was a last minute (well, a week in advance) addition to my travel bag. The smaller 35ml size means that it'll take up less space in my bag (originally I had a Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist which was bigger).

4) Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour SPF 15 (Rose) -  As my usual EOS lip balm is a little bulky, this tube of Lanolips will definitely keep my lips moisturised during the flight and throughout my holiday. The added SPF is a bonus and will protect my lips from any sun damage while I'm out and about. It's the only lip balm I'm packing in my luggage for my holiday.

5) L'Occitane Shea Butter Honey Hand Cream - Another one of my handbag essentials going into my travel bag. L'Occitane hand creams are 20% Shea Butter and keep the skin moisturised without leaving any residue. I also love using this for a mini hand massage, which is something I can do whilst on the flight =)

6) Wet Ones Sensitive Wet Wipes - In case of any emergencies, I do like to keep a packet of wet wipes in my bag.

7) Bioderma Photoderm Max SPF 50+ cream - Another little Bioderma miniature for my hand luggage. I know that once we land it'll be around 10am but it'll be pretty warm and bright outside, so I'll definitely need to apply sun protection before heading out of the airport.

8) Optrex Eye Drops (for dry eyes) - Pretty self explanatory this one. I usually get dry eyes during the flight, and because I'll be wearing my contact lenses when I'm actually in Dubai, these eye drops will be my saviour in all the air conditioning!

9) MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Pressed Powder (not pictured)- The only makeup that I'll be carrying in my hand luggage will be pressed powder (and a powder brush to go with it). I'll only need to apply this after my sun protection just before leaving the airport. Big sunglasses will hide everything else =)

I think that's all my flight essentials. Obviously I'll have my non-beauty items as well, including my iPod, phone, camera, travel documents, sunglasses etc.

Do you have any particular products that you pack when travelling?



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Eid Mubarak! and an Escentual Haul =)

A belated Eid Mubarak to all my readers! It's been a busy few days with lots of henna, baking, food and visiting relatives! Anyway, here's what I treated myself to from Escentual.com (a sort of Eid present to myself) =)


What was originally meant to be a repurchase of my Bare Minerals foundation, turned into a miniature haul from Escentual (oops!). Alongside my foundation, I also ordered the Bioderma Skincare Sample Set, which consisted of 27 sample sizes of Bioderma products. Luckily, it was on offer at £16, and I got a voucher emailed to me with a value of £20 after I had ordered. Win!

And here's what arrived in the Bioderma Sample Set. I know that I'll be taking quite a few of these miniatures on holiday with me, especially the Micelle Solution's and the Atoderm range of products.

A full list of the samples included in the set:

Sébium

• H2O Micelle Solution 10ml
• Global - Intensive Purifying Care 5ml
• Hydra - Moisturising Replenishing Care 5ml
• AKN Fluiid - Purifying Corrective Care 5ml
• Pore Refiner - Corrective Care 5ml
• Purifying and Foaming Cleansing Gel 10ml

Sensibio

• AR Anti Redness Cream 5ml
• AR BB Cream - Anti-Redness Skin-Perfecting Care 5ml
• Rich - Soothing Cream 5ml
• Light - Soothing Cream 2ml
• Forte Cream - Reddened Sensitive Cream 5ml
• H2O - Micelle Solution 10ml
• Eye Contour Gel 2ml
• DS+ Soothing Purifiying Cream 5ml

Atoderm

• PO Zinc Crème - Ultra-Soothing Cream 8ml
• Creme Lavante - Nutri-protective Cleansing Cream 10ml
• PP Baume - Ultra Nourishing Emollient Balm 8ml
• Nourishing Cream 8ml
• Atoderm PP Ultra Rich Foaming Gel 10ml

Photoderm

• AKN Mat - Mattifying Fluid SPF30 5ml
• Spot Cream SPF50+ 5ml
• AR Tinted Cream SPF50+ 5ml
• MAX Cream SPF50+ 5ml

Hydrabio

• Light - Moisturising Cream 2ml
• Rich - Moisturising Cream 5ml 
• Serum - Moisturising Concentrate 5ml

Cicabio

• Smoothing Repairing Cream 5ml

With the £20 voucher, I then placed another Escentual order for my saviour from eczema (Bioderma PO Zinc Crème) and thought I'd try out the Bioderma Sensibio DS + Soothing Purifying Cream for my eczema as it has a lightweight texture which will be much appreciated for the rest of the summer. With my purchase of the Sensibio Purifying Cream, I also got a Sensibio Micelle Solution (100ml) for free. Another win! All in all, I think my haul from Escentual will last me a good few months and I'm looking forward to trying the different Bioderma products over the holidays =)



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April Empties

I haven't done an empties post in a while, but I have accumulated a number of empty containers/tubes/tubs etc. over the past few weeks. And here is my (belated) April emptied post =)

Products that I have/will repurchase:

EOS Lip Sphere-This lip balm is the ultimate lip balm. Yes, the packaging is big (although it is cute), this product stays on my desk at home and I always reach for it when my lips need a little moisture.

Bioderma Ultra-Soothing cream-This seems to be the only product that works on my eczema. I'll be repurchasing this soon as my eczema has calmed down, so I don't need to apply the cream as often. (I've decanted what I could get out from the tube into a little pot, which is why I've cut the top off).

Guerlien La Petite Robe Noire EDT-I love this scent, and I'm so glad that I got two of them in the Boots Christmas Sales. I'm not really a perfume wearer (more body sprays and mists) but this fragrance is definitely one that will repurchase.

&OtherStories Rose Revival body scrub-These body scrubs aren't very expensive (£7) but they smell amazing and have enough texture to actually exfoliate and be called a scrub. I've already got another scent waiting to be opened. If you ever get the chance, pop down to an &OtherStories store to test out the body scrubs (and their other bath and body products).

 

Products that I won't miss:

L'oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution-I bought this when it was on offer, so it somehow worked out better value for money than the other micellar waters available. It's a pretty good cleanser (I use it with the Kleenex cotton face cloths-a bargain find in 99p stores!) but the design of the bottle and the way it pours out means that a lot of product is being wasted. I'll be taking a look at the Garnier micellar water instead.

CND Solar Oil-I got this in the first BBB beauty edit box, and unfortunately it hasn't wowed me in any way. I like the packaging as the brush makes it easy to apply the oil to the nails and cuticles, and it smells nice, but it just didn't do anything for me. I'm sticking to my L'Occitane shea butter hand creams!

 

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Autumn/Winter Skincare

Clearly Summer has left the UK before it even began to settle in. Already I'm digging out my boots and chunky knits, ready for the cold wind and rain that is slowly arriving. Alongside changing up my wardrobe, I also adjust my skincare routine. I find that during the Winter, I get a lot of patches of dry skin on my cheeks and my eczema flares up really badly. And don't forget the chapped, cracked lips and dry hands! I've put together a little list of products that I will be using throughout the next few months to keep the Winter skin at bay!

 

L'occitane Honey Shea Butter - A handy little tub that I keep on my desk. I massage this into my nails and cuticles to keep them hydrated.

& Other Stories Punk Bouquet Body Scrub - A new body scrub that I picked up a few weeks ago on a trip to Oxford Street. This scrub smells lovely and sweet (as you'd probably have guessed by the name) and it's not too harsh on the skin (but it is exfoliating enough) =)

EOS Lipbalm - My Holy Grail lip balm. Seriously, this is better than Carmex!

Lanolips Lip Ointment - My other HG lip balm. Just as good as the EOS and it's a lot easier to carry around in my bag.

Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing Cream - This Bioderma cream is helping keep my eczema and dry skin at bay. Ever since I've come back from holiday, the eczema around my eyes has disappeared (I think it's something to do with the warmer climate), and I'm just using this around my ears and my arms and legs, as I seem to always be getting told that I have very dry skin.

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - I have back-ups of this hand cream. This is another HG product and I use it all the time. The Shea Butter in the hand cream helps keep my hands moisturised and nourished so I'm not constantly applying hand cream.

Do you change up your skincare for Autumn and Winter?




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July Empties

Please excuse the fact that I didn't do empties posts for May and June! Unfortunately I had a bit of a clear out and threw away all the empty products before I got round to taking pictures and blogging. There are quite a few empties this month, as I'm determined to use up a lot of my stash before buying any more products.

 

Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask - I love Lush's Fresh Face Masks! I finished this a few weeks ago, but it has lasted an absolute age! And because it's kept in the fridge, the mask was nice and cold to apply (especially as the UK seemed to have a mini heat wave!) You can see my review for Catastrophe Cosmetic here.

Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub - A very grainy body scrub which I used mostly on my legs to try and get rid of ingrown hairs. The grains were large enough for the scrub to be abrasive, but not too big! I did like the smell (it was quite refreshing) but I definitely needed to apply moisturiser afterwards. At least I know that next time, I'll be looking to get an oil based scrub.

 

Philosophy Snow Angel shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath - I bought this nearly two years ago at the Christmas sales and only took it out at the beginning of the month. I used it as a shower gel (not keen on using it as shampoo). I don't think I'll be purchasing any Philosophy products any time soon, although I do have the Purity cleanser, which came in the BBB Edit box, to try out.

Avene Thermal Spring Water spray - Thanks to the very hot weather, I've been using this spray daily to set my (minimal) makeup in the mornings and then freshen my face throughout the day. I've already repurchased this in the 150ml size, and will be picking up the smaller sprays for my holiday. You can see my full review here.

Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc Creme - I've been using this cream for my eczema since I first got it. As you can see, I went to extreme measures to get every little bit of product out! I have already repurchased this as well as another Bioderma Atoderm product. You can read my review here. 

La Sultane de Saba body lotion with Argan Oil - This came in my first (and only) Birchbox back in March. I actually quite like this moisturiser as it's very light and the absorbs into the skin quite easily. The scent sort of reminds me of baby products (Johnsons baby lotion maybe?) which I didn't mind but some people might not like it. I won't be purchasing (not yet anyway) because I have plenty of body lotions and butters to use up!

 

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Review: Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc Creme

Bioderma's Atoderm range of products were designed for very dry skin types, which also includes eczema and atopic dermatitis. Following on from the Bioderma UK launch event (blog post), I was given the opportunity to test out the Atoderm PO Zinc Crème for myself. After testing it out for over 3 months, here's what I think of the product.

 

The Atoderm PO Zinc Crème is an ultra-soothing cream specifically for irritated, very dry, sensitive skin. This pretty much describes my skin, especially when the eczema flares up. The cream itself is not too thick (which is what's usually the case with products designed for very dry skin) and absorbs into the skin quickly (great for mornings when I need to rush to get ready). I apply the cream at least twice a day on the patches of eczema near my eyes and around my ears, usually in the morning and then once again before bed. As my eczema does flare up more during colder weather (I'm not exactly sure why), I was applying more cream onto the affected areas to both soothe the eczema and stop me from itching it.

 

Since I've started using it, the patches of eczema have definitely reduced and they are not as dry and as irritated as before. This is not the product to use if you want instant results, but with consistent use over time, the eczema will lessen. I've already picked up a second one as a backup for when this one finishes!

 

 

Do you have eczema? What products do you use to keep it at bay?

 





 

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*This product was sent for review purposes. The review is based on my own thoughts and experience of using the product.

 

 

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Bioderma launches in the UK

The well known French skincare brand Bioderma, has launched in the UK! An interesting fact is that their most popular product, the Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution (also known as Crealine H20), is sold every six seconds across the world. Alongside the well known Sensibio range (for sensitive skin), Bioderma is launching 4 other ranges, which include: Atoderm (dry/atopic skin), Sebium (oily/acne prone skin), Photoderm (advanced sun protection) and Hydrabio (dehydrated skin). Each of the ranges are specifically designed for particular skin concerns.

A small selection of the products that will be available

Some products from the Atoderm and Hydrabio ranges

The range that most interests me is the Atoderm range, which was specifically developed for those with eczema, atopic dermatitis and also very dry skin. This is because I have eczema around my ears and under my eyes, so finding skincare products that actually work for me are a real challenge. I've used a number of products before that work for a few months, but then my skin stops benefiting from them and sometimes this makes the eczema flare up more. The great thing about Bioderma, is that all the products have been developed by pharmacists and dermatologists, so you know that the products will work, as they have been designed for different skin types (not only the usual three: dry, combination and oily). The products are paraben and phthalate free, and have a biological basis, which allows them to mimic the natural skin response and restore its natural balance.

I tried the Atoderm Crème (Nourishing Cream) on the eczema under my eye at the lauch event (as it was quite dry and starting to flake). The eczema calmed down once I had applied it and it stayed moisturised for the rest of the night. I think with long term use of the Atoderm range, the eczema might actually clear up!


Bioderma products are available to purchase at Escentual and John Bell and Croydon Pharmacy at the present time. They will be working with leading independent pharmacies and dermatologists, in order to provide tailored information and advise customers on which products are best suited for their skin concerns.





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