Merry Christmas!!

Just thought I'd leave a quick post just to say a massive Merry Christmas to everyone!

Hope you all have an amazing time spent with loved ones, having a grand old merry time! Eat loads, laugh lots, smile all the time and cherish every moment.

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Eau Thermale Avene Micellar Lotion

Moving to Australia meant having a wee change of some of my skin care products. I knew that Australia wouldn't have all the same products which I normally use at home however, I was very gutted when I found it impossible to find my L'oreal 3-in-1 Micellar Sollition. I thought it would be a good opportunity to branch out and try a different one in it's place and so went on the search for Bioderma. After weeks of looking I soon realised that it wasn't available either and so decided to give this a shot!

Eau Thermale Avene is a company which specialises in looking after sensitive skin. It has a very wide range of products which has lead it to being the number 1 brand in French pharmacies and number 2 across Europe. Personally, the only item which I had heard much about is the Thermal Spring Water which has so many benefits for the skin and is one which I'm really looking forward to trying out too. 

But more about the micellar lotion! This is a beautiful cleanser which helps remove every trace of make-up. I was really surprised how much was left on the cotton pad even after I've used make-up wipes AND face wash. It leaves the face feeling extremely fresh and clean. The solution is oil-free, alcohol free and soap free so is perfect for sensitive skin/those who suffer from breakouts. 

I really enjoy using this product and it has become a must in my bedtime routine. My skin condition has really improved since using it, however, when I return home I may be forced to go back to the L'oreal one due to the price difference.

The most annoying thing about getting the Eau Thermale Avene Micellar Lotion is that a week after I bought it I found Bioderma on the shelf of a local drug store. So annoying when that happens!!! But I'm still happy with the back-up choice I made!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Dove Hair Therapy Leave-In Conditioner

Dove hair therapy leave-in conditioning & care spray claims that "the dual formula spray works on two levels- one layer contains Fibre Actives, proven to penetrate into each hair fibre; which the other layer has UV filter that helps to prevent colour fade, maintaining glossy shine and vibrant colour all day long."

Due to the sunshine and high heats that my hair has been experiencing recently (which it definitely isn't use to) my hair has become extremely dry and brittle. So, when I read this on the bottle I was very excited to try it out. 

I cant honestly say that after one use my hair felt instantly softer and is starting to get back into a much healthier condition.

I absolutely love this spray and it's fast becoming my favourite hair product- dare I say it's more of a staple than Batiste dry shampoo!!? Maybe not quite yet but it's very close!

I don't often use Dove hair products so wasn't sure what to expect but what I recieved was an amazing smelling item which did exactly what it says on the bottle and was a very decent price. 

Shake before using to combine the two layers

This claims it can be used on wet or dry hair and I think it's rare to find a product which says this and then doesn't leave you hair looking like straw or feeling extremely sticky when used on dry hair. However, Dove definately delivers on that front. After applying onto dry hair it doesn't weigh it down at all and leaves no trace, other than beautiful smelling hair which is softer that it was five minutes previous to application. 

I cannot get enough of this spray and can't wait to try Doves new items in this range including a dry shampoo and a serum.

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Flight Outfit

So as mentioned in many a previous post I recently endure a few long haul flights. So, as well as making sure I had all my flight essentials I also had to make sure I was dressed appropriately. Often on flights you will see woman who look amazing and glamorous and better than I would on a night out but I do not understand how they can be comfortable on the flight!?

I am the complete opposite of this. I will usually go bare faced and in the comfiest/baggiest clothes I own- especially on such a long flight!

This was the outfit I went for- baggy sweater, leggings, vest top and trainers (I actually wore my running shoes as they were too big to pack!)

As well as having no make-up on I had all my hair up in a bun and out of the way. For me this is comfy and although it's not the most flattering I was too busy trying to sleep and not freak out over flying to try impress anyone.

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Flight Essentials

As mentioned in previous posts I have recently relocated to Australia!! Although this was extremely exciting and there's so much I was looking forward to there was one thing which I was dreading...the flights!

My friend and I were spending a few days in Dubai so that split the flights up but we still ended up doing a 6 hour, 7 hour and a 9 hour flight. With so long spent in the air there was definitely some essentials which were required!

Facewipes- as I left at the end of the day I already had the day's make-up still on. Although I wasn't wearing as much make-up as I may usually do, as I knew I would be flying, I was still eager to quickly get it off on the flight so facewipes are a must! Even on other flights where I wasn't wearing any make-up they were good just to freshen my face up.

Lipbalm- due to the altitude and all the air conditioning that's going on my lips were extremely dry and constantly needing attention so lipbalm is a must!! I'd forgotten one on the first flight and I definately suffered thanks to it later. My lips were so sore and cracked!

Bottle of water- although most flights do offer regular drinks and you can always ask for one we found it helpful to have our own supply as we can take as much as we want when we want without having to bother anyone.

Concealer- to touch up the face and make it look more alive coming off the flight. I didn't use this as when we arrived it was very early in the morning and I couldn't care less what I looked like (out of 41.5 hours we'd only slept for 2.5hours) but if I was on a flight and meeting someone at the other end then it'd be a must for me!

Moisturiser- your skin will be screaming for this. Like the lips the skin will dry out at a faster rate due to the air circulating in the plane and the altitude so moisturise regularly to keep it in good condition.

Mascara- helps to make the face look more alive. Similar with the concealer- not something which I used but had I been meeting someone when coming off my flight I wouldv'e made a bit of an effort

Headphones- most flights supply these but I found them quite uncomfortable and prefer the in ear ones so used my own when I could.

Deoderant- self explanitery really. A MUST!

Toothbrush and toothpaste- if it's an over night flight then don't forget basic hygeine and keep your teeth happy with a wee clean. It may also help your body reconise it's time for sleep if you're someone who struggles to sleep on planes (like me!)

Hope that was in some way useful! If I've missed something then as always let me know either in the comments or on twitter!

That's me now a bit more settled in Australia so be prepared for more posts soon! If there's any requests then let me know.

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Apologies!!

Hello there everyone!! Remember me?! Probably not and that is for sure my fault as I have not blogged in quite a while.

However, before you all start looking for the unsubscribe button please let me explain!

Recently my life had been a little bit crazy as I have been preparing for quite a journey- both a physical one and mental one. Myself and two of my friends have decided to move to Australia for a year!! Something which is extremely exciting/nerve wrecking for us so a lot of time has been spent working to have enough money for such a trip and also on planning! 

I am currently lying on a bed, in a hotel in Dubai with my very good friend Kirsty next to me. We'll be here for another 2 nights and then start the journey to Australia. I do plan to keep up with my blogs which I'm there but naturally may take some time to settle down before any new posts pop up.

Please stick with me and I'll try upload soon!!!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Leaving Ceilidh Outfit

As some of you may know I am off on a big adventure at the end of this month. Myself and two friends have decided to move to Australia for a year!! We're all extremely excited about it but we're also very aware of how much we are going to miss our friends and families. So, as a nice way to say goodbye, and in a truely Scottish fashion, we are going to be hosting a ceilidh as a way to say goodbye to those who we'll miss.

While I was recently helping my mother with the food shop in ASDA we were having a wee gander in the clothing section (as per usual). We came across this dress and thought it would be perfect for the ceilidh. We also thought it would be great to take to Australia with me to show how us Scots like to do it. 

My size wasn't in stock so I had to get a size up which means it does require a belt round the waist but other than that it fits fine and since it was only £16 I really don't mind. For make-up I think I will try go for a purple smokey look with a hint of pink at the inner corners. I quickly tried it out (shown below) to see how it looks with the dress and I really enjoyed it so for the actual night I think I will stick with this make-up but add some false lashes. I also think I'll go for a lighter lip colour so my eyes are the main focus point. Less is sometimes more after all!

I also can't decide whether to wear my hair down (shown in photo's at the top) or in a side fish-tail plait!? Please help!!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Favourite Moisturising Lip Products

 

 As you can see I am not one who is short of lip products, and yet I keep finding myself buying more and searching for a new favourite. I tend not to wear strong lip colours at work so have discovered a few favourite lip products which have kept my lips moisturised and some giving a hint of colour to give my face some life.

I don't know why but I always find myself spending ages looking at all the lip balms when I'm in a Boots/Superdrug so have gained quite a collection. Here's a quick run down of my favourites;

• Lip Scrub "Bubblegum"- (from Lush) this is a sugar scrub which is brilliant for getting rid of dry lips
• Maybelline BabyLips "Pink punch"- new release in the UK and is my ultimate favourite lip product! Moisturises the lips so well while giving  such a cute pink colour
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss "180 Pink Pop"- one of the best lipgloss formulations which sits on the lips so smoothly without any of the sticky feeling
• The Beauty Palour Mentha Lip Balm- admittedly I bought this lip balm because of the cute packaging but discovered I loved the menthal element to it and even went and got my sister one too as it impressed me that much. It also tastes nicely of mint and gives your lips that tingly feeling
• Rimmel Apocalips "101 Celestial"- very long lasting without being too drying. Also brilliant pigmentation
• Revlon Lip Butter "080 Strawberry Shortcake"- I LOVE this product for two reasons. 1. Cutest colour of pink ever (brilliant for blondes for a slight Barbie look) and 2. Great pigmentation as well as being a balm for your lips so moisturises while giving a great colour. I have three of these and still feel I need more
• Korres Lip Butter "Jasmine"- a beautiful lip butter which smells delicious. Click here for a blog dedicated just to this little beauty
• Burts Bee's Lip Balm- a classic which should feature in every handbag. One of the most long-lasting moisturising  balms I've ever used!

 

 I'm tempted to do a post on my favourite lipsticks/lipglosses but fear I wouldn't be able to choose few enough products for a post that isn't the length of a full on novel! Hope you enjoyed this one for now though,

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Benefit Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer

 

Recently I had a look at how many points I had on my Boots card and I was very pleasantly surprised! I have had my eye on this primer since it came out a couple of months ago but I've never been able to bring myself to spend £25 on a primer. However, as soon as I saw how many points I had this was the first treat that came to my mind.

 

 When it arrived I couldn't believe how blooming cute the packaging is! No photo has done it justice. After getting over how cute it was I couldn't wait to try it out the next day. I was intrigued to find out if it really would help make-up last 15 hours so the next day it was put through the test with an 8 hour shift, overtime, a run and getting caught in the rain. As soon as I got home all I wanted was my to get my make-up off after such a long day and could not believe my eyes! 

My make-up wipe was covered in make-up and looked as if I had just applied it. Afraid it was just a once off the next day I also wore it through a whole shift and kept my make-up on in the evening and found the same result- brilliant!! This primer is amazing and definitely worth the £25.

It feels smooth going on to the skin and you can feel immediately it refusing to budge once it's there. I also really like the fact it's in a stick as there's no way of putting too much on.

I've been ranting and raving about this so much since I've had it that already a girl I work with is off to get one herself. It really is the best primer I have ever ever used!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Travel Make-Up Bag Essentials

Recently I have been working a lot and often not finishing on time. This means that I'm usually going straight from work to meet up with friends/go out so I've had to have a wee travel make-up bag update to help take me from sweaty cafe worker to normal Iona.

It took me a while to work out everything I needed to update my look after work so thought I'd make a quick list of what I call the 'essentials'.

 

Obviously the first and main thing which is needed is a make-up bag. Mine was a birthday present from a friend and is from Ted Baker- I LOVE it! Here's a list of what I like to keep in it;

• Dry shampoo- a MUST after working in a bakery all day
• Mascara- I've chosen one which doesn't clump when added on top of the mascara which I've been wearing all day
• Concealer- this one works a treat both under eyes and on any blemishes
• Eyeliner- I don't wear any during a work day so like to put this on afte
• Highlighter- a mini from Benefit which I love for giving a golden glow
• Foundation- yet another mini from Benefit which is brilliant for a little bit of extra coverage while not being too heavy
• Powder- to get rid of a rather shiny forehead which always appears by the end of the shift
• Blusher- to bring some life back into my face
• Lipgloss/Lipstick/Lip Crayon- not in the photo as I always have a lip product in my bag which changes every day
• Brush- changeable heads so it can be used for the powder and blusher for a better application

Hope this list was useful! Did I miss anything?!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Revlon Lash Potion Mascara

 

I think we all just need to take a moment to appreciate the packaging of the new Revlon Lash Potion Mascara- it's SO pretty!!

I had heard about this mascara from a few American YouTubers which I watch and could not wait until it was released in the UK.  

When I was recently in SuperDrug I glanced at the Revlon stand as I walked past and quickly did a double take as I spotted this on the top shelf. I was literally so excited that I grabbed the first one and headed straight to the tills.

Not only is this the prettiest mascara to look at ever, it's always a really good mascara and has turned into my daily go-to mascara. It coats the lashes beautifully and doesn't clump at all. It's very buildable and stays put all day (I have heard the waterproof one is even better at not budging at all throughout the day).

The brush is a plastic one and on the larger side but not too large that you can't use it on the bottom lashes. The brush is made up of 3 sections making a triangle shape when you look down at it from a bird's eye view which helps to reduce clumping and give a really even finish on the lashes.

In my excitment of finding this mascara I didn't even look at what colour I was getting and ended up with '003 Blackened Brown' which worried me as I usually like a really dark mascara however, I would say that this was more black than brown and still looks dark on the lashes.

I will definately be buying this again but will contain my excitment next time and go for a blacker colour.

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Lip Crayons Review

So, it's been a while since I've had time to blog about anything and I've been so super busy that I've also had no time to do any shopping! A nightmare for me but dream for my bank balance. 

Anyway, I'd recently heard about a new product from Bourjois Paris which is their take on a lip crayon, so I decided to treat myself and try it out. The plan was to review this lip crayon but as I went to take some snaps of it I thought I might as well include the others too.

Lip crayons are one of my favourite lip products to use as they are so quick and easy to use on the go. You don't need to use a lip brush and I even managed to apply it half decently on a moving bus without a mirror.

 

The two above were the first lip crayons I ever tried and instantly fell in love with them. They are both the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. As the extremely long name suggest it is a balm which means that it is very moisturising so I especially enjoyed this during summer as it provided the moisture hand in hand with a hint of colour. These two colours are '001 Honey Douce' (the top one) and '010 Darling Cherie' (the bottom one).

These two crayons are more glossy ones. The top one is Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick by Soap & Glory and is in the colour Fuchsia-Ristic. This is such a lovely coral colour but is very sheer so perfect for the slight hint of colour and gloss during the day. The bottom one is the inspiration for this blog and is Bourjois Paris Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick in the colour '01 Red Sunrise'. This has great pigmentation and definitely lasts the longest out of all the crayons. It's also extremely glossy and leaves a great finish- I love it!!

The two Revlon ones I would say are more appropriate for a subtle look and give a nice "your lips but better" finish while the Bourjois one is definitely for a bolder look.

 

 Although I only have 4 of these types of products I feel I have a nice range of colours and textures. However, that really doesn't stop me wishing for some more and I fear for how wild I might go the next time I brave a Boots/Superdrug visit.

Anyone else tried any other brand of lip crayons?

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Maxi Skirts Outfit Idea's

   

                                   

      

Summer is here but in Scotland we know that that doesn't always mean hot sunny days with just a gentle breeze. Our summer consists of a lot of guess-work. Whether it'll get sunny later on, if the rain will stay off, whether the wind is strong enough to blow up a skirt...the list goes on.

So, a perfect solution to those days where there's just no knowing how the weather's going to go is a maxi skirt. I've always worried that because I'm short and round that a maxi skirt with emphasize this but I have to say I've become quite fond of them and even decided to brave a midi-skirt.

These outfits are ideal for days where you may not want the flash the flesh but still want to look summery and feel cool and comfortable.

Maxi Skirts- Boohoo

Mint Vest Top- Boohoo

Striped Midi-Skirt- Primark

Denim Shirt- (too old to remember- sorry!)

Leopard Print T-shirt- H&M

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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No7 Stay Perfect Mascara Review

No7 have really up'd their game recently on their new make-up products so when I heard about their new mascara I was very eager to try it out. Although I had gone into the store looking for their 'Curl' mascara (which may have been discontinued?! Can't find it anywhere!) when I saw they didn't have it I wasn't too heartbroken to then have the chance to try out their new one.

This mascara, much like most No7 mascara's, cost £12.95 but of course I used a voucher so got £3 off. This pleased me at the time, however, if I knew how much I wouldn't like this mascara I really wouldn't have bothered. 

Although I really enjoy the packaging (it's so shiny, what's not to love!) it's still very plain and safe. However, it does stand out from the other mascara's on the No7 stand.

The wand is also pretty plain and safe. It's a rubber wand with small spikes going all the way around. Even though the wand is nothing special I don't think it is the problem.

 

 

As the photo below shows the mascara just causes the lashes to stick together. I've never experienced such clumping mascara. The solution dries very quickly and forms some kind of rubbery texture. This then results in it being very difficult to separate and you end up with major spider legs.

 Another major thing I dislike about it is how hard it is to get off, even with a eye make-up remover! It comes off in small clumps but not without a fight so I feel I have to really scrub at my eyes to get fully clean of them. 

One good thing is that it's a really dark black, much like the L'Oreal Telescopic (blogged about here) which is a much loved mascara all over the beauty blogging world! All in all, a mascara with only one good point being the colour, which is something which many other mascara's all feature, is really just not worth it.

I'm very disappointed with No7 as I use a lot of their products and love many of them! I'm secretly hoping that I got a bad one and that the others ones are all amazing.

Anyone else tried it?

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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