'What's In My Bag' Tag

I think this is my first ever 'Tag' blog and it's one which I've been extremely excited to write ever since I got my new Zara handbag. I've got a feeling this may be a fairly long one today so grab a cup of tea and get ready for delve into my portable world. 

So without further a-do here's a list of what I carry around each and every day and which I can't leave the house without.

• Purse- obviously essential
• Camera- never missing a kodak moment
• Portable phone charger- tiny blue tube which allows my to charge my iphone which we all know it needs it
• Tissues- sometimes I believe I'm allergic to the outdoors as my nose is forever running when I'm out!
• Kleenex blotting paper- for all my oily moments
• Chewing gum- always comes in handy
• Tartan and koala purse- to keep little bits and bobs from getting lost
• Sunglasses- always a must when in Australia
• Hand sanitizer- keeping all the bad bacteria at bay
• Lipgloss- mini benefit number for touch ups
• Lipbalm- Babylips one to stop the dry lips coming out to play

I got this koala purse for my birthday this year from my sister and I think it's the cutest thing ever! It's from New Look and is perfect for my time in Australia. Inside it I keep Rennies, paracetamol, kirby grips (bobby pins), spare hair bobbles (always seem to lose them) and an iphone cable for the portable charger.

I also got this tartan purse sent over from home but at Christmas time and love the Scottish feel of it to remind me of home. I use this as a mini make-up bag as it's big enough to carry a powder, concealer, eye liner and a little foundation.

My mint green purse is from Kmart (Australia) and I absolutely love it. It's big enough to easily fit in all my cards and cash but also big enough to squeeze in a couple of extras. Again I have another hair bobble, a slim notebook, a tiny pen, a re-useable to-do list and a mini pack of sticky notes. As you can tell I like to be prepared.

The bag itself is from Zara and is the Mini Office City Handbag and was £29. I fell so in love with it that I bought it, got it sent to my sister then gave her the money to send it over to me. I clearly just had to have it. It's bigger sister (the City Tote) was on my want list as it's basically a bigger version which is equally as beautiful but it sold out before I managed to make it to the shops so I snapped this one up as soon as I saw it. It's a beautiful deep navy colour and has 3 sections. The section in the middle is padded so perfect for ipads/kindles/any electronic or with a screen. Another one of the sections contains a pouch for your phone and card slots which are useful to pop in train tickets so you don't lose them and can easy find them.

As you can tell I like to be prepared for any situation and only get worse when I use a bigger bag.

What can't you leave the house without in your bag? 

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Cleaning Make-up Brushes on a Budget

I love using brushes while applying my make-up as I think it gives a great effect, however, using brushes means there's going to be cleaning brushes. I can never be bothered with this but know it has many hygiene benefits as well as allowing the brushes to work at their optimum.

I aim to clean my brushes once a week but obviously this doesn't always happen so sometimes it's more 2 or 3 times a month. Still ok I think but not perfect. Back home I would use the MAC make-up brush cleanser as I found it was easy to use either for a full wash or just a quick one using a paper towel. It left the brushes soft and returned them back to white. But now that I am travelling around I don't have such a disposable income which means that MAC has gone out the window. So I researched a bit into what would be a good alternative and found that many people have said Johnsons Baby Shampoo.

This may sound a little crazy but when you think about it, the shampoo has been made for the most delicate of skin/hair so it'll be the most gentle there is out there. I love using this Shampoo for my brushes as it does leave them really soft and looking like brand new. They lather up nicely (just like when you wash your hair) which I think gives a slight deeper clean than the MAC cleanser. I also love the smell of it...is that weird?!

Tips for washing make-up brushes:

1. Using warm water- not hot as this will damage the brush
2. Place a small amount of the shampoo into the palm of your hand
3. After dampening the brush swirl it in the shampoo- use the ridges your fingers make to get right in between all the bristles
4. ALWAYS make sure the brush is facing down the way (bristles at the bottom) as this will prevent water going into the brush which will damage it and cause the bristles to fall out
5. Rinse the brush well to ensure all the shampoo has been washed off
6. Make sure to dry the brushes upside down for the same reason in number 4

Hope you found this useful- clean brushes are happy brushes after all!

Anyone got any other tips for cleaning brushes?

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Brighter Eyes- Brightened Face

 I don't know about anyone else but I often have those nights where I don't get as much sleep as I should and then have to spend the next day looking like death warmed up. However, there is one simple way I've discovered to make my face look much more awake and alive- the eyes! Brighter eyes = brightened face!

The first step to brighten up the eye area is to conceal any dark circles under the eyes. When concealing under the eyes I always think it helps to use a lighter concealer colour than normal as this helps to brighten the whole area as well as highlight the cheekbone that little bit more. My favourite brightening concealer is the much loved Touch Eclat by YSL. Sadly though this isn't the most purse friendly item so I have found a brilliant dupe in the Illuminating Touch by Collection. 

Another brightening concealer which I enjoy is the Garnier Roll on. The metal ball helps to reduce and puffiness within the area as it distributes a brightening formula at the same time. Although this isn't the heaviest coverage and may need some added concealer it's still worth it for the cooling and wakening affect it brings. 

My second trick to brighter eyes is to use either a highlighter powder or a light eyeshadow in the inner of the eye, where the tear duct is. I've been using No7 Eyeshadow in Innocence.This is just a white shadow with a slight shimmer which I also use to highlight my brow bone. This helps to open the eyes up making them look much more awake.

We all have times in our loves where we are either so busy/stressed that it can show on our faces but with two simple steps we can fool the world into thinking we're taking it all in our stride!

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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Benefit 'They're Real Mascara'- Love At First Sight?!

This may just be one of the most talked about mascaras I've ever heard of. Everyone who is anyone in the beauty world has tried it and most of them have a positive thing or two to say about it...so forgive me for what is about to follow! 

Don't get me wrong, I do indeed love this mascara. It separates the lashes beautifully leaving them with a fluttery appearance and also thickens them in a deep black colour. However, the first time I ever used it I didn't like it...*waits for gasps*. 

On my first usage I found the mascara stuck my lashes together and gave a slight spidery affect- not what I usually go for. I was put off and gave up on it after a couple more goes. A few weeks later though I decided I might've rushed my decision and thought I'd give it another go...surely I wasn't the only one who wouldn't love this mascara!? And after it had dried up ever so slightly I fell so in love with it. This is when I got the beautiful lashes which everyone goes on about after using this mascara. The mascara wand is possibly my favourite one I've ever used with a little ball of spikes at the end which are so useful for separating and getting the lashes at the edges.

 And yes, I have been asked on a few occasions if my lashes were real! Mission accomplished!! 

Thanks for reading

Iona x

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