What's In My Bag: Summer Edition

I decided to do a post on what I carry with me around in my bag during the Summer. Truth be told, it's almost the same as what I cart around during the winter. The main differences are the bag itself and the addition of a sunscreen.

My favourite accessory is the handbag. I go weak at the knees for them, and am more excited shopping for them than I am for shoes. That said, I don't own that many handbags, but I do love all the ones in my little collection. Perhaps, I'll do a post on my handbag collection in the future if anyone is interested.

My most used handbag this season is this foldover Dusty Rose bag from Warehouse. A pic of me with the bag when I took it on my recent trip to Prague.

I bought it for £36 which is relatively reasonable compared to how expensive handbags can be. The quality is great, and in my opinion this bag is worth every penny.

For versatility, the bag can be folded over and transformed into a shoulder bag.

I can fit quite a lot in this bag, but I've got to be careful not to let it get too heavy!

The Essentials:

Mobile, Wallet and Car/House Keys

I've had the wallet for years. I love the little pink bow on it. I attached a Gelaskins protector on the back of the phone as I quite like this cute artwork.

I sometimes carry with me:

a compact mirror, my favourite lipgloss, an SPF50+ cream

I've recently bought the Hourglass Lip Stain in Petal and I'm really loving it. Petal is a really pretty pinky coral shade. I've recently ordered a few Hourglass products (which I really love!) and am in the process of writing up a haul post about them.

Now, onto looking like a hypochondriac:

I occasionally suffer from migraines, IBS and am allergic to certain foods. So to be fully prepared I take with me ibuprofen tablets, anti-histamine and anti-spasmodics (all procured by my Doctor husband). I hardly ever use them, but it's good to know I have them just in case.

I got the little blue purse free from Estee Lauder. It's so handy for carrying my little arsenal of tablets. I also pop in a sample tube of my favourite lip balm (Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lip balm), a tiny hand cream, and a tube of Becca's Beach Tint.

I've fainted quite a few times in the past from low blood sugar, so I always take with me a couple of little chocolates. I got these cute little Ritter Sports from Aldi. I don't take the whole lot with me, just a couple. my favourite is the Butter Biscuit flavour.

On rainy days I carry this umbrella that my husband bought me from Japan.

I love reading and go through so many books a year. I like to carry around some light reading with me. In this case, it's Gilding Lily by Tatiana Boncompagni. An easy to read fiction about New York's high society.

Japanese Makeup Haul From apopofkawaii

I love Japanese cosmetics and have recently placed an order on the beautiful Nicola's online store apopofkawaii. It's a terrific shop filled with lots of little gems only available in Asia. My order arrived really quickly - within a week if i'm not mistaken, which is amazing seeing as it's sourced in and shipped from Japan.

Here's my order all neatly packaged together:

I bought 4 products:

Visee Mineral Cheeks Baby Finish RD-2

Shiseido Integrate Blush PK210
Lavshuca Melting Eyes BE-1
Integrate Eyebrow Pencil GY941

I first set eyes on the Visee Mineral Cheeks Baby Finish at Worship at the House of Blues, a beautifully written blog with the most gorgeous pictures. The blush looked so gorgeous, and after some deliberating, I decided to make a purchase.

The blush is so pretty, I spent many lost moments admiring it.

More pictures of the lovely blush:

Swatches of each of the 4 shades, and a swatch of the 4 shades blended together (on the extreme right). Blended together, this blush is a bright peachy-pink shimmery shade.

The blush on my cheeks, all 4 shades blended:

The blush on my cheeks came across quite shimmery, which I'm not used to. I think the next time I use it, I'll avoid the shimmery white shade.

My favourite makeup item is blush, and I couldn't resist trying the Shiseido Integrate Blush in PK210.

This blush is a cool toned baby pink.

The blush on my cheek:

It gives a soft, baby pink cheek. I can imagine this blush to be very popular in creating either cute 'Ulzzang' makeup or a sweet 'doll' look.

I also bought the Lavshuca Melting Eyes in BE-1. It has a funny name, but the I think the shades of in this eyeshadow palette are gorgeous.

The shades are fairly shimmery. I find Japanese brands to have really beautiful shades of makeup, but some of their formulas tend to be a bit on the shimmery side.

Swatches of the 4 shades:

As I'm growing my fringe out, I need to start grooming my unruly brows. I bought Integrate's Eyebrow Pencil GY941. I've read great things about how easy to use and natural looking this eyebrow pencil is. GY941 is a dark grey with a hint of brown.

The shade is a perfect match for my eyebrows.

Nicola also added a packet Hello Kitty facial blotters. So cute!

Before I forget, thanks to all of you who wished me good luck in my Citizenship test. Lucky for me, it was very straightforward and I passed!

I Won Aintthatpretty's Gorgeous Giveaway!

I was so excited to have won Aintthatpretty's 200 Follower Giveaway! Natasha of Aintthatpretty is extremely creative and has her own online boutique. She's also gorgeous with beautiful features and porcelain skin reminiscent of the 1950s.

My Prize:

The prize included 3 items of jewellery from her online shop.

These crystal drop earrings are so beautiful! My pictures do not do justice to how intricate these earrings are.

I can't stop marveling at how extremely well made they are.

I also really love the bracelet and brooch!

I've wanted to buy this Jazz and Petunias Tote from her Femme Fatal Collection ever since I first browsed her shop, so was really happy when I won it. As the winner of the Giveaway, I was able to choose which design I wanted. I loved all of her designs, but this was my favourite.

Natasha even added extra goodies in the prize. These included Beauty Friends Potato and Cucumber Sheet Masks, Collagen Eye Mask, DHC Coenzyme Q10 Facial Film Soap and Nivea Soft Cream. I've not tried any of these brands before (apart from the Nivea) and am really excited to try them.

And lastly a pic of the cute flyer and card of http://www.aintthatpretty.co.uk/

Thanks Natasha for these amazing prizes, I really love them all.

My Beauty Inspirations

Hi everyone, sorry for another short post. I've been super busy this past week, especially with my UK Citizenship exam tomorrow. I haven't been keeping up-to-date with the reading of my favourite beauty blogs, but hopefully I'll manage to find time soon.

For today's short post, I'd like to share with you my list of women who I find incredibly beautiful. Those who inspire me to take better care of my skin, and sometimes inspire my makeup application.

I'd first like to start with two celebrities whom I think have the most gorgeous skin. Scarlet Johansson and Jessica Alba.

Their peachy, flawless complexions have inspired me not only to be serious about my skincare, but to make more effort as to what I put into my body. Just looking at their skin makes me want to drink lots of water and to eat plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables.

Olivia Palermo is more famous for her amazing dress sense, but I can't help but admire her delicate features and superb makeup application. With her huge eyes, long lashes and pink cheeks, she always looks as pretty as a doll.

Next up, this young model from Hungary has the most exquisite features - especially her wolf-like blue eyes.

Barbara Palvin

I admire the next three women for their extraordinary exotic beauty, as well as their timeless elegance and poise.

Gong Li:

Not only is she such a beautiful woman, but I really admire her acting skills and am a big fan of her films.

Queen Rania Of Jordan:

Not only is she beautiful and a Queen, but she's intelligent and speaks out for what she believes in.

Aishwarya Rai:

I think the picture speaks for itself.

Who are your beauty inspirations?

Chanel Tweed Corail

Hi everyone, just a quick post on my latest blush acquisition: Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Corail 20.

I've read lovely things about Chanel's tweed effect blushes, and after much deliberating (and researching through various beauty blogs) I chose Tweed Corail (french for Coral) for its gorgeous peachy coral shade.

This blush has a stunning embossed tweed look which unfortunately (but not surprisingly) gets more and more blended with each application.

A close up of the tweed effect:

The colour is a beautiful peachy-pink coral shade with gold flecks. Just perfect for brightening up my cheeks for Summer, giving me a pop of colour and a sun-kissed glow.

The powder feels soft and blends easily onto the cheeks. This blush is buildable; you can apply the blush sparingly for a natural look, or you can apply more layers for stronger colour. Here is a medium application of the blush on my left cheek (your right).

The sales assistant at Chanel was lovely and gave me this cute little Chanel charm with my purchase.

Anyway, sorry for the short post, hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead!