SPF50

KIKO Purchases from Amsterdam

- Vicki 8 Comments

I have wanted to try some products from KIKO for so long, if you didn’t already know, KIKO is an Italian makeup brand & although there are a a few KIKO shops in the UK they’re quite hard for me to get to. So I was very excited to stumble across a small (but cute) KIKO shop in Amsterdam Centraal Train Station and even more exciting was the 50% sale. I didn’t buy much because many of the shades I wanted had sold out & If I’m honest with myself I really don’t need any more makeup, that being said I couldn’t leave empty handed.

Kiko Makeup Haul

They had so many cute Summer releases but I didn’t need any more bronzers or bright eyeliners so I opted for a Facial SPF50 Solid Sunscreen Stick, this KIKO one I thought was not only cute being in pink packaging but it is a solid stick so easy for travel and carrying with you on the go so you can reapply it throughout the day. I’ve only used it twice but its easy to apply, and it feels OK on the skin. Not greasy or slippy, it doesn’t leave a white cast and makeup sits well on top. I swipe it on my face straight from the stick and then I blend it out with my fingers to make sure I get good coverage all over my face. It is SPF50  UVA & UVB Protection so my skin is in good hands. This was half price at 4 Euro. Bargain!

Kiko Summer Haul

I bought 2 of their Long Lasting Wet & Dry Use Eyeshadows, I wanted a few more but they had a limited shade selection by the time I got there. These look very much like the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows but a fraction of the price. I bought the shades 207 – which looks more green in the pan but once swatched it looks more brown with a grey undertone. 205 is my favourite of the two and in the pan it looks like a plum but swatched it looks like a deep brown with a slight rusty copper finish. I love these and the colours are so pigmented both wet & dry. The colour lasts so much longer if you apply it wet and its so intense. I wish they had more shades left but sadly they seemed to be popular & I found these by chance amongst the face wipes. Score!

The packaging of these is also very NARS. They are in robust sleek black packaging and do come with a mirror which is cute and handy. Its sturdy and feels quite luxurious too.

KIKO Eyeshadow SwatchesKIKO Longlasting Eyeshadows

They also had a great selection of makeup wipes but I saw these KIKO Summer Wipes and thought they looked and sounded unusual. They are for cleansing and refreshing your skin after you have been in the sea, they have salt water dissolving ingredients. I have never seen anything like them before & I now need to swim in the sea so I can test them out. You get 20 wipes in a pack and they are come in a foil pack with a really great plastic seal so your wipes won’t dry out. These were half price at 5 Euro.

KIKO Summer Wipes

So thats my modest KIKO haul, let me know if you have tried any of my purchases or better still if you have any KIKO product recomendations for me. Its a really affordable brand but they don’t seem to compromise on quality which I really like. I’m excited to use my purchases a little more and also try some of your recomendations.

If you’d like to know where your nearest KIKO store is in the UK just click through to the – KIKO Store Locator

My Holiday Skincare – Amsterdam Edit

- Vicki 8 Comments

At the end of August I spent a week in Amsterdam, its a city I have visited a couple of times before & I just love it there. Its such a beautiful and vibrant city. I thought I would share with you my travel skincare. I must say I was very pleased with myself as I normally over pack & this time I was determined to pack light & take samples and sachets which I had been hoarding for a while now.

First up is my blue and white polka dot Dirty Works wash bag, this was so handy as I was able to hang it up in my hotel bathroom & have easy access to all of my toiletries. It has two small compartments & a much larger one at the bottom with a zip.
Travel Skincare

Skincare for Amsterdam

My Amsterdam Skincare

Travel Skincare

In the top compartment I had:-

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitiser in Vanilla Berry Sorbet. I never leave home without one of these bottles & once in Amsterdam I transferred it to my handbag.

Essence Makeup Wipes* – I used these as hand wipes & found them very useful. I used all 15 wipes throughout the week

Razor / Tweezers / Hair Bobble & Earbuds – All necessities.

Amsterdam Skincare sample s

In the middle compartment are my sachets & I had been hoarding so many. They’re perfect for holiday.

I took 7 Kleenex Face Cloths instead of my normal muslin cloths as they took up less space and I didn’t have to bring them back in my suitcase. These Kleenex Face Cloths have been discontinued

Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Mask – I love using eye masks & these ones are so hydrating and calming. I also took a set of the DHC Revitalising Moisture Strips Eyes – Another pack of eye masks. I like to sleep in these ones, so when I wake up my under eyes look fresh and my concealer doesn’t sink into my fine lines.

Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Sheet Mask – These are so nice after a long day sight seeing and just keep your skin looking plump and hydrated. It’s cooling on the skin and once you take the mask off you can pat in the remaining Hydraluron (don’t want to waste that).

Bio Beaute NUXE – I didn’t need to use this Moisturiser so I have it saved for my next trip

Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Lightweight Cream – This was a very lightweight moisturiser and it had a velvet finish. It wore very well under my foundation. I’m tempted to purchase the full size of this.

Garnier Ultra Lift Moisturiser – I like how smoothing and hydrating this Garnier cream is. It always makes my skin feel instantly soft.

Amsterdam Skincare Essentials

Garnier Mineral Invisible Deodorant – I normally use a natural deodorant which is in a glass bottle & didn’t want to take that away so bought this Garnier one. It was good but I do prefer to use a natural one & didn’t bring this back home with me.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanner – LOVE the sun kissed glow this gives. It looks so even and natural. Its one of my favourite discoveries of 2014. I couldn’t go away without it. It helps my legs look 100% better than they usually do.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion – This smells lovely & grown up. It was the perfect size for 7 days & I used it all up in that time.

Skincare Samples

Batiste Dry Shampoo – No one wants greasy hair! I always have a mini can for when I travel. It’s not my favourite dry shampoo but it does a good job.

Tresemme Heat Defence – Just a good lightweight heat protector. Since having my haircut short I do use heat a more often than I used to so I had to bring this with me to stop my hair drying out & I will purchase the full size.

Elemis Revitalise Me Shampoo & Conditioner – These were really nice and hydrating and left my hair feeling nourished and glossy.

Moroccanoil Treatment Oil – This is very nourishing and helps keep frizz at bay. I like how smooth and silky my hair feels after using this.

Travel Skincare

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth  Face Balm – This is a lovely gentle balm cleanser with tiny granules in so it exfoliates away all the dead skin and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. It also removes every last scrap of makeup so you’re skin feels very clean and fresh. I loved using this each night and will purchase the full size.

Radical Peptide Infused Antioxidant Serum* – I love this serum & it keeps my skin looking glowing and healthy. I save it for special occasions & holiday.

Bioderma – Can we just have a moment for how cute this mini bottle is. I like using this to remove my eye makeup as its gentle and you don’t have to rub at your eye.

Merumaya Treatment Toner* – After a long day sight seeing and being in the elements this helped to keep my skin hydrated, bright and feeling soft. It feels very fresh on the skin and has that recognisable Merumaya scent (which I love).

ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Serum – The only product I used on my face over night & I LOVE this serum so much. If you need to wake up with skin that looks well rested and very healthy then this is the serum for that job. It is like great skin in a bottle. I don’t think I have used a serum / oil that is this nourishing. I only have good things to say about it & could go on all day. I have spoke about it many times on my blog.

Murad Essential C Eye Cream – This wasn’t very gentle & stung my eyes. I have used a couple of other products from this range & really liked them but this eye cream wasn’t a hit for me & after 2 days I stopped using it.

Apivita Face Cream SPF50 – This didn’t break me out & wasn’t too greasy. It was quite thick when I first applied it but after It was massaged in it felt nice on my skin & I like to wear SPF50 on my face. Even though we had mostly rain you can never be too careful.

Let me know if you think I managed to pack light for a weeks holiday. Also let me know what you take away with you.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Facial SPF 50+

- Vicki 11 Comments

la roche posay anthelios spf 50

After being treated to a wonderful Spring Facial in Birmingham my facialist told me they’d noticed some discolouration/sun damage just around my eye area and it freaked me out. I have always thought I was quite good at applying a facial SPF but after hearing this I knew I had to step it up as I didn’t want it to get any worse.

La Roche Posay Facial SPF50

I’ve been using the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Dry Touch Gel-Cream* SPF 50+ for 6 weeks now and it has changed the way I feel about facial SPF. If like me you hate greasy SPF’s and that slippy feeling on your skin then this offering will be heaven for you. I have oily skin and so this Dry Touch Gel-Cream is my ideal match.

Let me tell you a little about the Anthelios XL Range, LPS have developed 3 targeted facial SPF’s, these are tailored textures for specific skin types, as you can see in the photo above. They’re developed to provide your skin with highly effective protection against UVA & UVB rays all year round.

  • Blue = Comfort, for normal to dry Skin
  • Green = Anti Shine, for oily or acne prone skin
  • Yellow = Ultra Light, for combination skin.

I was keen to find an SPF that provided maximum protection against UVA Rays. These rays are not filtered by clouds or windows and are present all year round. UVA rays penetrate the skin deeply and cause greying of the skin, wrinkles/sagging and cause skin cancer, It is these UVA rays that cause the premature ageing of our skin. So I was so pleased to read that the La Roche-Posay Anthelios range is specifically designed to give the best possible UVA & UVB protection. It offers up to 2X more protection than the European recommendations for skincare products. So you are in safe hands.

La Roche Posay SPF50   La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF50

This Anti-Shine formula feels quite thick when you first apply it to the skin and it’s very white, but once on the skin it absorbs immediately and it feels like velvet, not at all greasy to the touch or slippy. It’s absorbed leaving no white marks or white cast. It gives your skin a matte finish and stays ultra dry all day long. I have been wearing this on top of my regular skincare (toner, serum, moisturiser) and under my makeup and it is amazing. It creates a nice smooth base for my makeup and it doesn’t make my foundation separate in fact I would say it works like a primer to keep my makeup in place & shine free all day long. I just don’t feel like I have an SPF on at all. Big thumbs up.

It is also,

  • Fragrance-Free, No Parabens and Hypoallergenic – Ingredients limited to a strict minimum.
  • Ultra Water Resistant – For up to 4 swims
  • Contains La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water – Offering natural soothing and anti-oxidant properties
  • Tested Under Dermatological Control & it won’t block pores so no nasty breakouts here!

This is now a step in my skincare regime that I won’t skip. I’m committed to using this every day as the effects of sun damage are irreversible. I have fair skin and a lot of freckles so this SPF50+ is now the minimum I will wear on my face.

SPF50 Facial Skincare

SPF50

I feel relieved that I have found a facial SPF that really works for me & that I can wear under my makeup without looking like an oily mess. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this La Roche-Posay Facial SPF & urge you all to try the one best suited for your skin type & let me know how you get on with it. I only wish I’d found this sooner & as I said it is a step I won’t be skipping, rain or shine!

Let me know if you have tried anything from this Anthelios range or if you have any recommendations from La Roche-Posay in general.

Products that are marked with a * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However, if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

April 2014 Favourites

- Vicki 13 Comments
Muji Storage Drawers

Acrylic MUJI Drawers Storage

My first favourite has to be my MUJI Storage. Yes, I know its overdone & everyone has it but I love it & I’m happy with the two pieces I bought. I went to the MUJI concession in Selfridges at The Trafford Centre & it took me ages to decide what to get, I still haven’t organised my makeup in them yet but I am working up to it. I have the 2 Drawer Narrow & Wide 5 Drawer 

My favourite makeup and skincare from April 2014

Garnier Micellar Solution – I have been using this for a couple of months now & I’ve not even used half the bottle which is great. You get a whopping 400ml and it seems like it will last a really long time. I managed to buy mine from a shop called Savers for £2.99 so stock up if you have one where you live. I like to use this to take off my eye makeup & then I sweep the cotton pad all over my face to remove a little more of my base before cleansing with my DHC Oil Cleanser or my Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm and that seems to keep my skin really clean and blemish free. I bought a bottle for my mum too and she called me to let me know how much she has been enjoying using it so we both give it the thumbs up.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Anti Shine SPF50* – I’m in love with this facial SPF, I don’t want to say too much because I have a full review coming up on the blog this week. So all I will say is this is the only facial SPF I will be using from this day forward.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara – This mascara is very black and coats each individual lash to make them look so thick & intense. Its a really long wearing mascara with no fall down throughout the day. So no Panda eyes here. I have repurchased this a couple of times now & that is unusual for me as I hardly ever repurchase makeup. Its a seriously great mascara if you have short, sparse lashes.

L’Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade Vanilla – I only bought this at the beginning of March and it is the first ever L’Oreal Foundation I’ve tried, I think I have a shade slightly too dark but I am hoping that will suit me a little better as we get into the warmer months. This is a light to medium coverage, you can still see all my (hundreds) of freckles which I like. It looks natural and wears really well, it doesn’t oxidise on me and my oily skin seems to only start looking shiny after about 6 hours wear & then I lightly dust some powder on. 21

Soap & Glory Solar Powder – This is a purchase totally influenced by the gorgeous Amy from SRSLYLOU. I have been wearing this religiously for a couple of months & all of my other bronzers are crying neglected in the drawer. This is a two-toned bronzer, I like to swirl my brush around both shades, sweep it across my forehead & down on to my cheeks that adds a little colour & glow to my very pale skin. The lighter shade has a little sheen to it & the slightly darker brown is matte. So that’s handy having 2 shades. I think this bronzer gives me a sun-kissed glow & a touch of natural colour.

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask* sample size – What a mask this is, I won this in the lovely CatherineLoves giveaway & have been savouring each use. It is quite a sticky formula & it smells so good, I apply a small amount to my face and smooth it over my skin & try to relax (generally watching YouTube videos in the bath) for about 20 minutes before taking it off with a warm flannel to reveal soft, smooth refreshed looking skin. This is a gentle but effective exfoliator which has been working wonders. Now I need to purchase the full size of this mask. Hello smooth, bright skin!

Let me know what products you have been loving or if you have tried anything from my lineup.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.