BEACH BAG BEAUTY

I know, I know. Who does a post on the beach the second Autumn begins? Me for two reasons. First is I live in Dubai and Autumn doesn't exist here. It's beach weather until December, so pretty much all year round. Second, I'm going to the Seychelles for 5 days so this is as much as a reminder to myself as ya'll reading this. So here are a few of my beauty related essentials I like to take with me.

Hair & Face

I do laser hair removal treatments on my face, so It's important to protect the area as much as humanly possible, hence the SPF 100. Sunblock is an essential for me on a day to day basis, and I've found that this one from Bioderma is great as it's waterproof and doesn't break me out. I'll use this all over my face and neck before heading out, and pop it in my beach bag for reapplication. I also like to take a hat and pair of sunglasses with me because I'm the squintiest person alive and can't handle having sun in my eyes, and shade is sometimes hard to find. Another item that I think could be useful is the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (£26.00) because as well as a lip balm, it can be used to soothe any pesky sunburns that you might get. The last item in this bunch is hair-related, and although this is more of a precautionary item, I think a good leave in conditioner in spray form can be very useful if sea water dries out your hair a lot. I'm going to be using this It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product ($18.00) after showers, but i'll also take it to the beach with me incase I feel like my hair needs a refresh. I'm not exactly sure if it's going to work that way, but we shall see.

Body

For body protection, I have two kinds of products depending on what I am doing. If I'm going to be doing water sports or something quite active, I'll probably use the Nivea Sun Protect & Refresh SPF 30 (£8.50) all over my body. I love that it's in spray form as I HATE applying cream sunblock, and it also makes it easier to reapply. I also have the Bioderma Photoderm Bronz SPF 50 (£21.90) for more of a lazy beach day, as it claims to protect yet still enhance a tan.

For post-beach care, I'm taking this Nivea Sun Moisturizing After Sun Lotion (£5.00) to soothe and Rehydrate, and my Pink Wild and Breezy Body Spray (£8.00) so I can smell a bit nicer and less lotion-y.

Other

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. This is probably the most important thing to remember when going to the beach so you don't pass out of dehydration. Believe me, your body and even your skin will thank you for it. I usually like to pop a few bottles in the freezer the night before, and only take them out the second before heading out. That way they won't be boiling hot a few hours after you are at the beach. The worst feeling is being hot, sweaty and thirsty and only finding a bottle of hot water. I also do this for juice or any other kinds of drinks, it makes the perfect treat. 

The final thing I have is not an essential, but it's definitely a lot of fun. I'm a huge accessory gal, and I love wearing rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets all the time. Of course, this can't really happen at the beach, so I though Flash Tattoos ($22.00) would make a great alternative as they give the same sort of effect. I'm basically planning on covering myself with as many of them as possible.

I hope you liked reading about some of my beach essentials, and I'd love to hear what yours are in the comments below. I'm sorry to those who already have cold weather and hate me, except not really because I'm jealous and Autumn is my favorite season.

SHORT CURLY HAIR STORY + ROUTINE

Ever since I cut my hair into a bob/lob, I've had to change up the way I style my hair quite a lot. I'm going to take you through the last 7ish months of my hair, and what I finally found to work for me now.

When I first got my hair cut back in early March, I LOVED it, but quickly found that the cut was NOT for curly hair. I tried going about styling it the way I usually did when it was longer, but it stuck up in weird places and just did not work. So, for a few months I stuck to heat styling it with a curler or straightener. This was actually a nice change, but after a while I got bored of having to do that every time I washed it, and I missed having my curly hair. I looked for specialized curly hair salons in Dubai, but did not find any (if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!), so I waited for the Summer when I knew I was going to be in London and could get it fixed there.

After a bit of research, I decided to try out Unruly Curls in West London, as it was not too far from where I was staying. The place wasn't the easiest to find, but it was definitely worth it. I got my hair cut by Emma, who was lovely and understood exactly what I wanted to change, and what needed fixing in my hair. After she fixed the cut and talked me through styling it, off I went with my new curly bob. Now, I'm not going to lie, at first I was shocked/scared at how CURLY it was. That may seem silly, but it sprang up so much more than I was used to, and although I didn't exactly hate it, I didn't love it either and felt uneasy on the way home. As Emma had reassured me though, it calmed down within an hour or so, and the more I got used to it, the more I loved it.

After that very long and rambley intro, here is my current washing, styling and drying routine for short and curly hair:

1. Shampoo + Conditioner

Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Smoothing Shampoo (£18.50), Curl Conscious Smoothing Conditioner (£20.50) 

Honestly, I am not too picky about this step. I like to use products that are specifically formulated for curly hair, but other than that I'm fine so I change up the brand quite a lot. I don't find that sulphate free ones particularly effect anything, so I usually peruse Boots and see what new things I can find. I'm currently trying out the Bumble and Bumble duo above, and I really love them. They smell fantastic, leave my hair soft, and don't cause any additional frizz. I apply the shampoo focusing on my scalp, rinse it off, then apply the conditioner all over my hair. I used to only apply conditioner mid to ends, but since it's quite short I found that quite useless, and this conditioner isn't heavy at all so it doesn't weigh down my fine hair.

2. Curl Defining Cream

Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme (£23.50), TIGI Curls Rock Amplifier (£16.00)

This is the step that I find can make or break my curls. I find the best time to apply this product is in the shower the second you are done. I will usually comb out my hair, give it one more rinse, then flip my head over and run the product through all of my hair. I used to get out of the shower, wrap my hair in a towel until it's damp, then apply the product - but I find that way leaves me hair a lot more frizzy and not as nicely curled. Applying it when the hair is dripping wet is definitely the way to go.

Since I picked up the B&B shampoo and conditioner, I thought it right to get the curl defining cream in one go and see how they all work together. After a few weeks of usage I can say that I like it and will use it all up, however it's nothing special. It gives me pretty good definition and tames the frizz, however after a day or so the curls start to flatten or frizz up. I also picked up the TIGI Curls Rock Amplifier (Currently on sale for £11.55 on Feelunique) as that's what was used on my in the salon, and I absolutely love it. It smells amazing, and defines my curls perfectly without making them crispy at all. It also leaves my hair nice and curly for a good 2-3 days before it needs a wash again. This has definitely become one of my favorite curly hair styling products, easy. I apply both of these in the way mentioned above.

3. Diffuse

Remington D8700 PROtect Hair Dryer (£29.99)

Before getting my hair cut, I barely ever diffused. Holding a blow dryer up to my head until the dripping wet curls dried seemed like it took WAY too long and I had no patience for it. However, since I got it cut I found that it looks best when I do it this way. I let it air dry sometimes too, but when I do I don't get as much volume. I usually set it to high heat and medium strength, flip my head over and do it in three sections, then flip it back and do half/half. This takes about 7-10 minutes if I want my hair to be completely dry, so I do it while watching a video of some sort on youtube. I picked up this hairdryer from boots because it was a great price, included a diffuser, and had three heat and two strength settings.

So there you go, that is my very long hair story and styling routine. Let me know if you have any recommendations, and I hope that this was somewhat helpful for those struggling with their curly hair.

LOVING LATELY #1

So I realize I haven't done any favorites on my blog so far, but given that I'm only posting once a week at the moment I don't think monthly favorites will be a thing. That being said, I do want to share some of the things i've been loving over the past few months.

BEAUTY

I have been obsessed with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99). I have the shade 54 Beige and I think it's a good match for me, but maybe a teeny bit too dark. I  wanted to pick up 53 Light Beige, but they didn't have it in stock, so next time I'll see if I can get that and hopefully it'll be a better match. I've also been liking the Kiko foundation I mentioned in my last post. I do get a bit shiny when I wear it, but I think it's because I've been using a very hydrating moisturizer in the mornings, so I'm going to switch to a less intense one and see how it goes.

Ever since I started really using my Lorac Pro ($42.00) palette 3 weeks ago, I haven't picked up any other eyeshadow since. The colors are neutral, but still so beautiful and diverse that you can create many different looks with it. They blend like a dream and I just can't get enough. Some of my favorite combos are Pewter all over the lid with Mauve in the crease, or Lt. Bornze all over with Taupe in the crease - both with Nude as an inner corner highlight - beautiful! I definitely understand the hype around this palette.

Next we have brows. I'm never exclusively a powder/pencil/pomade kind of gal as I rotate between them frequently, and will switch it up depending on the kind of look I'm going for. Over the past few weeks I have definitely been reaching for my Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown (£17.00) over the others as it's so quick and easy to use, especially when you're overdue for an eyebrow threading.

The final makeup product I've been reaching for a lot is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry ($22.50). It's very nourishing and comfortable to wear, and gives enough color to make it look like you have something on. It's definitely going to be a handbag staple for a while.
The last two beauty related items I've been obsessed with are the Kiko Nail Lacquer in 511 Metallic Mercury Purple (£3.90) which lasts a good week with minimal chipping (score!) and the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product ($18.00) which tames frizz and keeps my curly hair super soft.

NON BEAUTY

This may seem very random, but my two non beauty items that I've been obsessed with lately are a pair of sport leggings, and some Quay sunglasses. I got these leggings from adidas a couple of months ago (can't find a link to them online) but I love the bright colors and they're super comfortable. Also, the print doesn't stretch out when you wear them which is a big plus in my book. They also came in a blue/green color which I want to keep an eye out for because the fit is just so nice.

Finally, my last favorite are these White Quay Invador Cat-Eye Sunglasses (£27.00). They're so cute and funky without being over the top, and I get compliments whenever I wear them. They're also quite inexpensive for relatively good quality, and in general I think Quay make awesome sunglasses.

Let me know some of the things you've been loving lately in the comments below, I'd love to hear. x

LUSH EMPTIES

I am a big Lush fan. From their bath bombs to their skincare to their haircare, i like it all. I've recently gotten through a few of their products, so here are some of my thoughts.

Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water, £7.95 for 250g

I liked this product but didn't absolutely love it. Great value for money as you only need a few spritz and the bottle will last you a good couple of months. I used it as my second toner morning and night, after my Pixi Glow Tonic to add extra hydration. It worked pretty well but didn't do any wonders for my skin. I have the Tea Tree toner lined up next to try as i know everybody loves it to combat spots, so i'll let you know what i think of it once i get through the bottle.

Happy Hippy Body Wash, £3.75 for 100g

I wasn't the biggest fan of this body wash. I found the grapefruit smell to be a bit too strong, but it did the job and didn't irritate my skin. You also don't need a lot to build up a lather which is good. However, i don't think i'll be repurchasing it given that i don't love the scent.

Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly, £3.50 for 100g

I really did not like this. It was super slippery and awkward to use, and the scent wasn't my favorite either. I tried to break it into smaller pieces to make it easier to use, but that just made matters worse. Safe to say, i definitely won't be repurchasing any kind of shower jelly.

Curly Wurly Coconut Shampoo, £10.25 for 250g

I absolutely loved this product. Even though it was a bit hard to use since you have to scoop it out, it worked GREAT for my curly hair. The texture is really interesting since it has actual coconut bits in it, but i think that helped with the curls. It also smelt amazing. I'll definitely be picking this up again, i just wish it had a matching conditioner!

Retread Conditioner, £10.75 for 245g

I also loved this product. It smells like soya, which was odd at first but i grew to love. The texture is so light and smooth, but it does a great job at moisturizing my ends. The only downfall is i feel like i had to use quite a lot to get the moisture i wanted, and i don't have thick hair at all. Other than that though it was great, and i'll probably be repurchasing it sometime in the future.

Let me know what some of your favorite Lush products are, and what i should try next :)

ARGAN OIL HYPE

We've all seen the Argan Oil trend come in to light over the past few years, with tons of brands including it in their hair, face, and body care products. This is both a good and bad thing. Mainly good, because people can now enjoy the benefits of Aragan Oil without having to search far and wide for it. However, it's also not so great as some brands include a minuscule amount and use it for advertising, when just 1% of the oil among a sea of other ingredient won't really allow you to receive any of the benefits.

Moroccanoil Treatment, £31.85 for 100ml

Personally, i love using it for my hair, especially the Moroccanoil brand. I have pretty soft hair in general, but since it's curly, the top layer and ends can frizz out quite a bit. For this reason, i love using a pump or two straight onto damp hair before applying any other products. I find that it allows the ends of my hair to hold the curl more, add moisture and shine, and helps lessen the appearance of frizz. And even thought i said i have pretty soft hair, this just makes my hair SO MUCH softer. It also smells amazing which is always a plus.I also found that it can also be used on dry hair to tame those fly aways, but be careful not to apply too much as it can look greasy.

So if you haven't given it ago, i'd highly recommend incorporating it into your routine for some extra nourishment. And if you have tried Argan Oil, let me know what's your favorite way to use it in the comments below.