Duty Free Pick Ups

One of the best things about going on holiday (obviously discounting the holiday itself) is the possibility of picking up a few treats in duty free. Terminal 5 at London Heathrow does not disappoint and has one of the best beauty halls ever!

First stop was my beloved Bobbi Brown to pick up a couple of staples...and one extra treat.

I have written about the pressed powder before so it's no surprise that I was keen to pick this up minus VAT.

My favourite foundation of all time is the Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturising Foundation. This was originally purchased as part of my 'wedding face'. I don't use it every day because it is expensive but it has been in my foundation collection ever since. It smells of lavender and as a result feels quite calming and the skin matching is always great. My colour varies between 3 (Beige) and 3.25 (Cool Beige) and this gives great dewy coverage particularly when applied using the Real Techniques buffing brush. 

The only negative about this foundation is that it doesn't have a pump, however a quick check on the website shows that the revamped packaging now includes one - so it is practically perfect in every way!

The treat I picked up was the Shimmer Nail Polish in Pink Pearl which I had seen on a counter as part of the 'Summer Beach' collection. It has a real rose gold tint and provides a more elegant nude nail than your traditional french. Bobbi really does do natural with a twist so well.

  
The other luxurious staples that I managed to sneak into my basket were some wonderful creams from Clinque. These were fully appreciated after a long 8 hour dehydrating flight. 

These work wonders for my sensitive dry skin. I have been thoroughly enjoying using the deep comfort body butter and my skin has been thanking me for it. I've noticed the most difference around my eye area after using the all about eyes cream in rich. It certainly is that, a very thick pale cream that I use morning and night to stave off the appearance of those pesky fine lines.

A few more treats were in store and I sighed lustfully at the Jo Malone counter but couldn't make any decisions under the time pressure. 

A blogger favourite and an item long added to my wish list was the Rouge Volupte Shine in Number 8 'Pink In Confidence'. The packaging of this is enough to illicit a large sigh from me but the formula is just divine;  mositurising and long lasting glossy colour in the perfect nude pink.

The picture above shows the colour after 1 slick on the top and 2 slicks on the bottom - buildable and without shimmer just the perfect gloss, that once gone leaves a muted elegant pink.

The last thing I managed to sneak in my basket before making my way to our flight was the MAC Lipglass Dazzleglass in 'Date Night'. This is a little out of my comfort zone as it looks a bright purple in the tube.

A quick swatch reveals a pale purple with blue shimmer which once thinly layered over the lips provides a striking depth of shimmer and colour that I think really flatters. It is a little deeper than your usual nude or pink gloss so I do tend to save this for nights out as the name suggests.

I'm afraid there is one negative to this product and that is the quite sickly vanilla flavouring of the gloss that reminds me of the clear natural collection lip gloss I used to rock in my teens.

 

Is there anything here that will be making it onto your wish lists?

Instagram Memories #6

Jaimes 5 minute meals /// Much needed Friday night glass of Fizz  

 My new stippling brush from Real Techniques /// Gym Time

Such a lovely lunch at Cherry Duck in Bristol /// Beers at Brew Dog...

 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Unless you've been hiding in a brown paper bag, you will have failed to notice the 'Real Technique' brushes all over blogs. Now I have quite a well established collection of brushes from Bobbi, Front Cover and Benefit, and I'm not too keen on having lots of repeats. However, I have always struggled with  foundation brushes. I have a traditional flat brush from Body Shop but wouldn't say it was going to set the world alight, and so tended to use my fingers for putting on my foundation. 

I saw a lot of reviews about the stippling brush, and I have to say it was not something I had heard of or would have even paid attention to before starting to read blogs, and I was keen to give it a try, as it seemed that the 'airbrushed' look I so crave is almost achievable with this brush.

I like the look of this brush. The brushed aluminum pink casing, with rubberised tip. The soft bristles that are 'bleached' at the end to provide a flecked appearance. It certainly brightens up the dressing table.

The effect this brush creates with some foundations does not disappoint. I really am very impressed. It does not give the same effect with every foundation in my limited collection, which shows that each product has it's own likes and dislikes when being applied.

It has most definitely made a difference with my everyday foundation (Rimmel Wake Me Up), and after an application with this it makes my skin look almost flawless. 

This has been a most welcome addition to my make up bag and I'm so glad that my arm didn't have to be twisted too much to make this purchase! I may even be tempted to add a couple more brushes to the collection.