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Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts




Recently I was on holiday in the beautiful Island of Fire - also known as Lanzarote. Lanzarote has fast become one of my favourite holiday destinations - not only because of the breathtaking landscape and friendly locals - but now the shopping too. I never thought much of the shops there as they always seemed to be kinda tacky, cheap shops. Turns out I wasn't looking properly. I've known about Playa Blanca having a Mango for some time now - and I've been on several occasions each time I've been there this past year. Last time I was in Lanzarote (back in October) I discovered the Biosfera Plaza Shopping Centre in Puerto del Carmen which houses one of my favourite shops of all time - Zara! I sadly didn't have a chance to go either time, but it's not too bad seen as there are Zaras near where I live at home. One shop that I adore but can't get at home is Springfield. I discovered it a few years back when I was on holiday in Portugal and I've been in love ever since. I've passed loads of Springfields over the years but for whatever reason I never had the chance to return, including this time. Sad face. Oh well, I'm sure I'll drag my parents to one when I return this October.. But for now, here you have it - my Lanzarote Holiday Haul!






Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau My Gold! Eau de Toilette 50ml - £46.50

You know how you're sat on the plane, flicking through the magazine that shows all the things you can buy on board? Yeah well I caved and bought something. Like usual. This time, I bagged the Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau My Gold (great name) as my favourite Lady Million was beginning to run out and I thought I'd give this one a try. Turns out it's amazing, but nothing like the original LM. That means I'll just have to get the original too...







Mango Printed Cotton-Blend T-Shirt in White - £9.99
Mango Printed Sweater in Black - £9.99
Mango Skinny Olivia Jeans in Open Grey - £39.99
Mango Skinny Belle Jeans in Open Grey - £34.99

And here we have Mango. I always get excited in Mango as the stuff actually fits me for once! I guess that's why I love brands like Mango, Zara and Springfield so much because unlike the hefty majority of British and American brands - they actually cater for very slim girls like me. And trust me when I say that is very rare. Many people have complained that said brands don't cater for those that don't have tiny frames when they can get their clothes from anywhere. Don't be greedy, guys!! Anyways, back to Mango... I bagged two pairs of skinny jeans, two jumpers (of course) and an adorable Mickey Mouse t-shirt!



Have you been on holiday recently?

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi
♥


A mere 34 hours prior to writing this post, I landed at Leeds Bradford International Airport following my fabulous two-week holiday in the ever-so stunning Mediterranean island of Cyprus. I absolutely adooooore Cyprus, I've been three times now to the cute beach town of Coral Bay in Paphos, and every time I fall in love with the place all over again. I managed to see Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite's Birthplace, above) this time which I was super happy about as I'm really interested in Greek Mythology. Anyways, you guys don't wanna hear about what I did on my holiday, but I do know you'll wanna hear about what I bought, so here goes...




First off I started in LBIA's Duty-Free. Obviously. I needed to get some make-up remover wipes as I had none left at home, and I knew there was a Superdrug in the Airport so I just popped in there. As well as the face wipes I got some nail polish remover pads and a lip balm. Like I need more. As well as going to Superdrug, I also went to WHSmith to get a couple magazines that came with some fab freebies!



Superdrug Cleansing Facial Wipes (for combination skin) - £0.99
Like I said before, I needed some face wipes as I had none for my holiday. There wasn't much selection but I know that Superdrug is cruelty-free so I went straight for theirs. They had different ones but I thought best to just go for the cheap ones. Sadly they had none for oily skin so I just opted for the combination ones and so far there haven't been any issues. I can see myself buying these again to be honest, they remove make-up really easily and aren't irritating or harsh on my eyes, and they're dirt cheap!



Superdrug 20 Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Pads - £1.39
I've had the regualar pads before and to be honest they're not that great. They take forever to remove the polish, but I guess you have to expect that when they're super cheap. Instead of opting for the regular ones like last time, I went for these ones as they're acetone free and the same price as the others.



Barry M Cor Balmy! Lip Balm in Rosie Lea - £3.49
I'd realised when I was in Superdrug that I forgot my usual holiday lip balm (balmi lip balm in coconut, check out my review here) so that instantly gave me permission to by a new one. I always get excited to go the the Barry M stand in the airport as I adore their polishes. Mum stopped me from getting the new Summer Gelly collection though. Sad face. So instead of buying a bunch of new polishes, I went for one of their brand new lip balms - Cor Balmy! I didn't have high hopes of this to be honest, but I actually really like it. I got it in the shade Rosie Lea which is a bright rose pink with a hint of mauve. It's pretty nourishing and a beautiful colour. I think Mum is going to have to stop me from buying all these too...



Glamour magazine (with free Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in either Navy or Black) -
I love Glamour, so when I saw that they were giving away a free Eyeko liner with their magazine I just had to get it. You had a choice of navy or black but I didn't realise this until later, and ended up getting the navy one. At first I was annoyed at myself but then became excited to try navy as I (suprisingly) don't have one at home. I've used it a couple times so far and at the moment I love it.



Cosmopolitan magazine (with free pair of sunglasses) -
Cosmopolitan is probably my favourite magazine out of them all. I've got a pair of their sunglasses from a previous issue and they're not amazing, which isn't exactly surprising, but they're not too shabby either. There were three different shades to choose from and I opted for these black ones.




Despite being super close to the gorgeous Kings Avenue Mall, I didn't do any shopping in Cyprus itself apart from getting a cute bracelet in one of the little shops, and a nightingale jug whistle from the market which I sadly broke. Although, I did have a look around at Paphos International Airport's Duty-Free, and was excited to find a Body Shop stand.


The Body Shop Lip Butter Lollipop - €20.70 (£15 but on sale for £10)
After almost an hour of sulking because my Mum guilt-tripped me into not getting this lip butter set, I went against her wishes and got it anyway. Sorry Mum. I've been wanting one of these lollipops for aaaages, so to see one in an airport in Paphos of all places when I thought they'd stopped selling them was practically the Universe telling me I needed it. I definitely needed it.


On the flight back home to Leeds I had a little flick through Jet2's JetAway magazine, checking out all the products they had on offer. I always look through on both flights there and back, but usually get the stuff I've been eyeing up on the way back, unless it's something I reeeally want. This time their selection wasn't that good for me as there were very few cruelty-free products, which I was disappointed about, but I still managed to get something after telling myself I didn't need a new bottle of Paco Rabanne's Lady Million.



Eylure Eye & Lash Kit in Warm Smokey - £12
I was umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to get this. After around three hours of contemplating and blasting out Iggy Azalea and Foxes' new albums to help me, I decided to get it. After all, it's not like I don't have enough eyeshadows or falsies or mascara or eyeliner now is it? Noooooo of course not... The set includes three eyeshadows in gold, plum and charcoal as well as a liquid liner and mascara, both black and a pair of naturalites 107 lashes and lashfix.


Have you been on holiday recently?
♥
Last Monday I went to White Rose with my Mum as it was a Bank Holiday and I needed some stuff for my holiday. I always find White Rose to be fairly calm ever since the Trinity Centre was built. I like it when it's calmer though as I'm not a fan of crowds, plus you get more of a chance to look around when you're not being pushed and shoved all the time.


Zara
please ignore the fake tan mishap on my hands, it won't happen again
Zara Trafaluc High-Waisted Shorts in Yellow - £9.99 (on sale & can't find link)
Zara Trafaluc Crochet Crop Top in Mid-Ecru - £25.99
Zara Trafaluc Crochet Shorts in Light Salmon-Pink - £25.99
First up, we went into Zara. By far one of my favourite shops as I can actually fit into a lot of their pieces, something that is a rarity for me. Ah the perks of being a pear (don't know your body shape? find out here)! I managed to snag quite a few items, all of which are perfect for my upcoming Cypriot holiday. I adore this white crochet crop top, it makes a nice change from all my vests! I feel like it could be easily dressed up or down, simply depending on what kind of bottoms and shoes I opt for.
The last time I went to WR I saw these yellow shorts and tried them on in green, but just wasn't happy with the colour. Sadly they didn't have any of the other colours in my size. So, when I went back and found the yellow ones, I just had to get them!
The last piece I got from Zara were these peach crochet shorts. They're fairly loose, so perfect for the heat, and they have pockets! This sounds weird but if I ever find 'hidden' pockets on bottoms, it makes me really happy. I often can't wear bottoms with pockets on as they make my hips look wider, but if they're 'hidden' like these, they give me all the satisfaction for lipgloss and BlackBerry space, without making me look like I've put on a stone round my hips. Brilliant!


Miss Selfridge
This is what starts to happen when all the photos are going wrong...

Miss Selfridge Petites Lime Crop Vest - £12
Next, we popped into Miss Selfridge. Now, I don't normally go in here as I find it can be kinda pricey but the window display featured some fabulous outfits. Despite not getting the outfits I (and my mum - yes my mum) loved as, like I said, they were fairly pricey, I got a beautiful, vibrant lime-coloured and white-speckled loose vest top.


H&M

H&M Skater Skirt - £14.99 (can't find the link)
We then went into H&M where I was finally able to get a co-ord. Well, I already had the jacket from a previous trip but after spotting this skater skirt in the exact same print I just couldn't help myself! Sadly, when I got home, the skirt and jacket didn't work together in the way I'd hoped. Seperately, they were beautiful, but together they made me look bulky. I kinda guessed that would happen but I'd hoped for the best anyway. Plus, I thought the jacket was shorter. Sigh. Still, it's a beautiful skirt, it just looks like I'm still on the hunt for my ideal co-ord.


Superdrug

I popped into Superdrug and got two more of their Micellar Waters from their B. Pure range. I got my first one in my last haul and although I'm not obsessed with it, it's pretty good for the price. Plus, it was still on offer so I thought I might as well stock up as I've gone through the first one fairly quickly so far.


What have you purchased recently?
♥
I've spent the last fortnight basking in a sun-filled paradise that is the beautiful island of Lanzarote (that's why there's been a lack of posts, I didn't die or anything like some of you thought. So over dramatic. *rolls eyes and clicks fingers in a z formation*). We stayed in the most stunning private villa - complete with our own pool and hot tub! Despite having a luxurious villa, we got stuck with the most unhygienic of cars. I'm 99% sure that the stain I was forced to sit on on the way to our villa was in fact where someone had wet themselves. I later went on to put my hand on the door handle to find chewed-up chewing gum behind it. Not only that but there was mysterious white crusty stains EVERYWHERE. I really don't wanna guess what it was, but I just had to grin (grimace) and bear it - germs and all.



On the plane to Arrecife from Leeds Bradford, I decided to take advantage of Jet2's forever fabulous range of goodies on offer (that included a 20% discount might I add!!) and managed to bag a bareMinerals Starter Kit (£31.60 - without discount £39.50 - it's £49 RRP) and a Models Own set (£16 - without discount £20 - unavailable on the high street). I was so excited to try bareMinerals as I actually don't have any of their products, I know so many people have raved about their powders but I was unsure. As a sufferer of terrible skin, I didn't believe that just a powder could cover my acne scarring. Because of the amazing price, I decided to give it a try! As for the Models Own set, I bought a similar one on a Jet2 flight a couple years back and adored the polishes, especially the glitter ones. I know many of you will be sighing at me, because if you're a regular reader you'll know that I have well over 100 polishes...Oopsies?! Oh well, I've been wanting one of their Beetlejuice polishes for aaaages as (now this may come as a shock) I don't own any. The set also includes two scented polishes (new to my collection too) and two firework polishes. I'm chuffed I had the chance to expand my Models Own collection 'cause I've always been put off the regular price. I mean, it's not overly expensive (£5), but when I compare it to the fact that I could either buy one Models Own polish or (almost) two Barry M paints, I'm gonna go for the paints, yano?






How cute is the packaging?!


I'm super-excited to try my new purchases, although I am a little apprehensive about the bareMinerals powders, as they claim to do a lot. I may even do a review on them sometime in the near future...

What are your top duty-free holiday picks?
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These past couple weeks I've been on holiday, so I decided to go for two of my favourite shades - Passion Fruit (on my fingers) and Guava (on my toes) from the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint range (that I've written a review for here and here). I love the dark coral and deep ocean green shades, perfect holiday colours! Now that I'm home, just looking at the bottles makes me wanna go back to the sunny weather that I was experiencing just a mere 48 hours ago. Sigh.

Passion Fruit (left) & Guava (right)
Sadly the picture doesn't do the shades justice - the lighting was not on my side today!

What's your nail colour this week?
♥
I am currently typing this whilst laying out on a rattan chair, on the balcony of the Majorcan villa that I'm calling home for twelve days. It's just after 6 in the afternoon, day 2 so the sun is still in the sky but there's this gentle cool breeze floating in the air. I decided to sit up here so I could look out at the breathtaking view in front of the villa, talk about panoramic sea views! Just wish the villa opposite didn't get in the way :( you truly can never have your cake and eat it too... Anyway, I thought I'd just inform you of my location, to explain why there hasn't been a blog post in a while (damn you villa with no wi-fi!!) and fulfill the request of a holiday fashion blogpost.



What I flew in


During a plane journey you gotta stay comfy, and because of this I travelled in a black H&M vest top, maroon Jack Wills skinny joggers, black Vans and then brought my M&S Indigo jumper in case it got cold (which it did not). And then when I got there (well, two hours after I got there, stupid rent a car company) I switched my joggers for my orange Springfield shorts cause it was like 32'C and needless to say, I was dying. Almost.


Bikinis



I got two brand new bikinis for my Majorcan getaway, one from Boux Avenue and one from Jack Wills. I am so in love with my orange number from Boux Avenue, I feel so chic and fabulous in it ;) it's something about the tropical colour and the frilliness of it, a truly girly piece but the not-so-girly-that-you-want-to-vom kind, if you know what I mean? I really loved this bikini, and also my beaut Jack Wills red patterned one that I managed to get on sale (cue jealous grumbles). The bikini top is a push up, cause ya know, everyone needs a lift! It's super flattering and both the top and bottoms both include the classic JW pheasant logo that has become all-too familiar in my wardrobe (I will come to this in another blog post).








Dresses & Playsuits

I brought two playsuits and a dress with me. A gorgeous black and white playsuit from M&S, a cute navy and white polka dot playsuit embellished with gold buttons from New Look and one of the most stunning dresses I have ever seen - a bright blue backless number from, can you guess? Jack Wills! And I got it in the sale too! MUHUHAHAHA!!




Tops

I have these vests that I'm obsessed with, they're from H&M, they're stretchy and I have them in black and white. And about 6 of both colours. They go with everything okay! I wear them with jeans, under see-through shirts, and for this holiday with shorts and skirts. Did I mention they're ridiculously cheap?! Aside from the vest obsession I also brought a H&M t-shirt that's white and then has flecks of loooads of different colours. I also brought a bandeau top from New Look, it's got an Aztec-y print and is perfect for sunbathing as there are no strap marks!





Shorts & Skirts

How can you go on holiday without a pair of shorts and a skirt?! I'd been wanting a skater skirt for aaaages, especially one from H&M 'cause they're super cheap, and whenever I've looked they've always been too big, but luckily just before we went on holiday I managed to bag a a gorgeous maroon one that fits perfectly! I also brought the mint Zara shorts that I mentioned in my last blog post, mint is by far my favourite colour for clothes at the moment, it's so summery and fresh. I took these acid-wash shorts with me that I got from H&M, but regretted the purchase as soon as I got home as I realised that they ride up so far they're practically hot pants, not a good look. But they're okay for when I'm lazing round the pool, it's private so no-one has to see my arse hanging out of a tiny piece of denim, ew. Another addition to my suitcase was a burnt orange, black and green skirt from an amazing shop called Springfields, I discovered it when I was in Portugal a couple years ago but sadly they don't have a store in the UK, but there are loads dotted about in the rest of Europe. Speaking of Sprimgfields, that's where I got the best fitting shorts ever from, they were a deep burnt orange but because of my almost constant, wear of them, they've reduced to a washed-out orange :( I still love them though, don't worry.


Flip-Flops & Sandals

I only brought two pairs of flip-flops on holiday with me, a pair of purple Jack Wills (there he is again) ones and a pair of pink and purple Havianas, everyone needs a pair. Apart from the flip-flops I brought my trusty gladiator sandals which I've had for years and have come with me on almost every holiday since my purchase. I brought my black Vans too, but they were just for the plane. I'm quite pathetic with shoes really (sorry girl world).

What are your holiday must-haves?
♥