My Holiday Beauty Essentials and Favourites

Of course I took all my make up and lots of toiletries on holiday but I have skipped the boring stuff and wrote a list of my favourite beauty products and must haves!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder in Medium Plus - I bought this just before I went to Ayia Napa because powder is a must have on holiday, I regularly topped up with this on my nights out as my skin became very oily as it is so hot. I always go back to MAC powders, they are my favourite because they are so light weight and long lasting. 

MAC 'Tan' Pigment - This was the first MAC pigment I bought and I have used it frequently, MAC pigments may seem very pricey but they last forever. When working with clients or creating makeup looks on friends I have used this many times as it is so versatile and can be used with a neutral or vibrant look. I found myself using this a lot on holiday with MAC 'Soft brown' in the crease and using various darker colours in the outer corners. For someone looking to try a MAC pigment I would certainly recommend this. 

MAC 'Candy Yum-Yum' Lipstick - I mentioned this in my recent MAC haul but only used it for the first time and holiday, I had wanted this lipstick for ages but was a little anxious to wear it as it is so bold but I was so pleased with the outcome and found it looked beautiful with so many makeup looks. I love the colour it is a fluorescent pink with purple tones. This colour is definitely in my top 5 MAC lipsticks, it is a must have pink but like all MAC satin finish lipsticks it can be a little drying on the lips. 

Victorias Secret 'VS Fantasies' fragrance mist in 'Coconut Passion' - This is my favourite body spray ever, I can't get enough of it. I love the smell of coconut it just reminds me of summer but I could cry a little every time I spray it now as it reminds me of Ayia Napa.

Victorias Secret 'VS Fantasies' hydrating body lotion in 'Love Spell' - Unfortunately before I went on holiday I could not get my hands on the 'Coconut Passion' body lotion so I bought this instead which is another of my favourite VS scents. This is the second bottle of VS body lotion I have and I have now decided I'm not a fan, as lovely as they smell I don't think these lotions are 'hydrating' I like a moisturiser to leave my skin feeling nourished and glowing but this product just seemed to disappear, next time I will try a body butter. 

Estee Lauder 'Bronze Goddess' Fragrance - I mentioned this in a recent post you can find here. Every girl needs a holiday perfume! I love this because it is so summery, now that I'm familiar with this perfume I would add to my previous description that is a very dusky and muted scent, the bottle is the perfect size and a little goes a long way! Grab it while you can as it limited edition for spring/summer.

Dove 'Summer Glow' in Medium/Dark - My face takes much longer to tan than the rest of my body so I applied this to my face daily to achieve a healthy glow which made me feel more comfortable when not wearing make up on a day time. I have used this a lot this summer, it is great because the colour is natural and it doesn't go streaky when used correctly however the smell is a big let down. 

Real Techniques 'Stippling Brush' - I often get bored of using the same products and tools so I began using this brush to apply my foundation instead of the Real Techniques 'Expert Face Brush'. I enjoy using this brush because I believe I am using less product than before which leaves my foundation feeling super light weight. 

Gelish in 'Make You Blink Pink' - This was one of the first Gelish colours I bought and it has always been my favourite colour in my collection but for some reason I never wore it myself till I went on holiday. I always have my nails painted pink on holiday but this is my favourite shade of pink, it is so bright and fluorescent which is perfect for holiday. 

Recent Beauty Buys

Palmers Natural Bronze Body Lotion - I bought this product because I am looking for something that will not only moisturise my skin but will also give me a natural looking tan in preparation for my holiday. There is no way I am going on holiday looking pale - I don't go anywhere looking pale! Originally I planned to go on sun beds before my holiday but I have now decided I am totally against sun beds for obvious reasons and of course sunny days in England aren't very reliable so I am going to have to fake it. I haven't used any self tanning products for a while because I usually have a weekly spray tan but I won't be getting a sprayed for holiday because a spray tan would fade quicker than usual from the chlorine and I would then have to have a deep exfoliating session at some point in the holiday and it is just too hot to be doing that in Cyprus, also I am going on holiday with 3 other girls so I don't want to be hogging the bathroom for any longer than I will be already. With this product I can reapply through out my holiday and be looking sun kissed all week, no one has to know my tan is from a bottle. In the past I have used Dove Summer Glow as a tinted body moisturiser but I opted for Palmers this time because I love their original body lotion, it smells gorgeous. Yesterday I used it for the first time and I will be applying a second coat tonight, so far I am impressed, I have a really light tan at the minute but I will be building it up. I find some moisturisers are too thick but I like the consistency of this product, it is really easy to apply and leaves my skin looking and feeling great!

Argan Oil Hydrating Hair Mask - My hair has been feeling dry lately which I think is due to frequently washing and using heat on it - which I have not cut down on. I feel like my hair needs a boost so I have been buying some new products because as I said in a previous post I really want to get my hair in good condition for my holiday. Argan oil is highly recommended for hair and when I seen this product in savers for only £1.00 I had to try it. I used this product this morning and as I am writing this I am waiting for my hair to dry (I prefer to let my hair dry naturally) I washed my hair as normal with shampoo and conditioner and then applied the hair mask, it says to leave the mask for 7-10 minutes but I left it in for around half an hour for a deep treatment as I exfoliated my skin. I am hoping this product will work on my hair but for £1.00 it is at least worth a try. I will let you know my thoughts after a few applications. 

Pantene Dry Oil with Argan Oil - Pantene is an established hair care brand so when I found this product in savers for around £4.00 which I thought was pretty cheap, I thought it was worth a try. I have been using this product for a week now after every wash, although I can't say the results are amazing I definitely think my hair is feeling less dry and I think it has also made my hair look shinier and healthier. The directions say to use a small amount on damp hair but I have also used a little on the ends of my hair when it is dry too. So far I am pleased with this product and hope it will help to revive my hair in the long run. 

NARS Lipgloss 'Turkish Delight' - This was featured in my 'May Makeup Wish List' post and I finally got my hands on in last month when I came across a NARS counter. The main reason I wanted to buy this is because it is product Kim Kardashian has been known for using and I wanted to try my first NARS product. Unfortunately I have not been so impressed; firstly the lipgloss is so over priced, along with the rest of the NARS product line (some of which may be worth the price but I am yet to try). Another thing I don't like about this lip gloss is that it leaves my lips feeling dry which I have never found with a lip product I have used before. However the colour is different to any other lip gloss in my collection so I have been trying it out with some makeup looks and I found the colour of the lip gloss complimented my eye makeup. My over all opinion is that it is not worth £18.50 and I prefer a more vibrant colour on my lips because I think this colour can I be a little draining and if I was going to splurge on an expensive lip gloss I would prefer to save a few pounds and head to the MAC counter, although the Chanel lip glosses look gorgeous but I will have to read a few more reviews before I invest!