A Little Pandora Haul

I'm pretty sure this is the first time that I am mentioning jewellery on ADB. My 'finer' jewellery obsession started four years ago with a piece from Tiffany and since then there has been a continuous love affair. Pandora is one of my favourite places to shop, not only for their infamous bracelet and bead selection but also for all other jewellery wants needs. It didn't take me long to locate a Pandora whilst on holiday and I couldn't resist picking a few bits up...

Since seeing the Princess Tiara Ring a few months back I knew I had to have it. Despite it being a little more fun and girly than my usual taste, I couldn't get it out of my mind. This was the last one in the store, so being my size it was obviously meant to be. I think this a really cute bit of jewellery and I have had so many compliments on it. I also picked up these Daisy Flower Stud Earrings. I find these to be the perfect size for an understated look as there are not over-sized nor are they too small so that you cannot see the design. I can see these being my every day pair over the summer months. 

My charm bracelet is one of my favourite things. It was a present for my seventeenth birthday and I have been adding to it ever since. I chose to get the Princess Tiara Charm to match the ring as I thought it was really sweet and would look perfect among my other charms. I love how dainty and sweet this pendant looks. I also ended up getting the Sparkling Openwork Heart Charm as a gift from my very lovely boyfriend. He picked this out himself and I absolutely love this charm, which fits in nicely with the pink theme of my bracelet. 

What is your favourite piece of jewellery?

Holiday Beauty Heroes

You may have noticed my absence over the past few weeks. My holiday came around sooner than I expected and I hadn't planned any posts in advance (bad blogger, I know), so you can consider this my 'Weekly Loves' #21 through to #25. Now it is fair to say that my beauty stash which traveled with me was a little extensive, the handful of products shown above were the ones that I reached for most days and couldn't have been with out.

As for skin care, I really took it down to the bare minimum. It may have included two cleansers, but it was still the minimum. The Liz Earle C&P is no stranger to A Day in Beauty and it is the longest remaining staple product to my skincare line up. I used this as my AM and PM cleanser as it is a great all rounder. I could have easily used this to remove my barely-there makeup as well, but I did have my beloved Clinique balm for that. I also narrowed down my moisturizers and brought Origins GinZing along for the ride. Usually just for the mornings, I found this hydrating and light enough to use for the evenings as well, plus the citrus scent just screams summer holiday. Also, the fact that it comes in a plastic tub makes it weight-allowance friendly. 

I mentioned my makeup was barely-there. I meant this literally. I wore makeup three times throughout the whole of the two weeks and even then it was only for a few hours in the evening - that is what holidays are for... right?  The Bourjois CC Cream was the perfect match for the hot weather. Light and dewy but still with a good amount of build-able coverage. This applies and blends easily for a natrual looking base. My love for the Dior Creme De Rose Balm has been well documented over the months and it was at the top of my list of products to bring. Where ever I went, this went - hand luggage, pool, beach, day trips, shopping, water park... every where. My lips stayed perfectly hydrated and plump, with a beautiful soft pink tint that this gives.

My hair was my main area of concern. Having spent the past three years growing it and getting to a healthy state, I didn't want it to get damaged by the heat or chlorine. I purchased the Redken After-Sun Mask specifically for this purpose. I used this whenever I washed my hair in place of a normal conditioner. I definitely think that this made a huge difference as my hair was, for the most part, in good condition. I can't really say that this worked differently to any other mask but it conditioned my hair, stopping it from becoming too dry and unmanageable so it is a winner in my eyes. I also brought along a sample of the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - the product that wowed me the most. After a couple of days in and out of the pool, tied up on the top of my head with out being brushed, my hair was in a bit of a mess (yep, that's an understatement). I slathered this on, tied my hair up and slept it in over night and some sort of miracle happened. I washed my hair the next day to find there wasn't any knots or tangles and my hair felt nicer than it ever had before. This is a product I now, never want to be with out and I plan on buying a huge tub of it when payday rolls around. 

As for the most important staples for a holiday - perfume and nail polish... One is an old favourite and one is a new favourite. Essie Fiji adorned my nails on both my fingers and toes and made for the perfect holiday shade. A milky-pink nude that looks fabulous with a tan. This is a universally flattering shade that every one will love, as I have done for years. I wanted a new fragrance for my holiday, something fitting that would always remind of mine and my boyfriends first holiday together. With my ever growing Jo Malone obsession, I opted for their Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne. A very fruity scent, with sweet yet almost warm notes running through. This is the perfect summer perfume, weather you're going abroad or staying at home. 

What are your holiday beauty heroes? 

Jo Malone Silk Blossom Charity Candle

I spoke last week about my love for the limited edition Silk Blossom fragrance from Jo Malone. A gorgeous, floral scent with a hint of musk that just screams femininity. While I was doing my usual round of the Jo Malone boutique and trying all of their fragrances my boyfriend wondered off to buy me this beautifully packaged candle.

Being a lover of anything pink, the ombre design of this jar is right up my street. It makes for a girly, yet luxurious addition to my candle obsession. The scent itself is exactly the same as the cologne - a powdery floral, full of notes of jasmine, roses and apricot whilst muted down with an earthy tone of moss. To quote my dad 'it smells really perfumery'. Personally, floral scents are my favourite and the ones that I find to be most calming and relaxing. This fits the bill perfectly and I adore how peaceful this scent is. My favourite thing about Jo Malone candles is how strong the fragrance comes across. This instantly filled my room with the scent of Silk Blossom, even with the lid still on. 

For every Limited Edition Silk Blossom Candle that Jo Malone sell, they will donate the full amount of the candle (£42) to a variety of garden charities all over the UK. 

Have tried this scent yet?

Weekly Loves #20

The excitement for my up coming holiday combined with the hot weather have got everything looking very summery on the beauty front. I find myself opting for brighter colours, lighter bases and a lot more radiance. This weeks favourites are combination of new discoveries and old re-discoveries but either way, they have been getting a lot of love lately...

After years of constantly having polish on my nails, my nails are looking a little damaged. Peeling and flaking are my main woes, so I decided it was time to give them a little TLC and purchased the OPI Sensitive and Peeling Nail Envy. I have been using this for a couple of weeks and already my nails are looking much healthier. A simple, clear nail strengthener that you apply every other night for a week, remove and then start again - this can also be used as a base coat.

With out realising, I started applying my makeup with my once much loved Sigma F80 Brush. I continued and finished my makeup to find that I was absolutely in love with the finish it gave. Since then, I have been using this everyday for my foundation. Easily, the most base-perfecting brush that instantly makes your complexion look airbrushed. 

I picked up the OGX Keratin Oil on a whim to complete a three for two offer. My hair loves keratin and now my hair loves this product. I use this dry oil by applying it to my damp hair as my last step before blow-drying. Fizz is reduced, my hair is left soft and my ends become shiny. I am undecided on whether I prefer that it sprays out rather than pumps, but either way I love the product inside.

After a month or two, I have finally been reunited with Origins Ginzing Moisturizer. My all time favourite for the AM. Lightweight, yet moisturizing with a refreshing citrus scent. If you haven't tried this, you need to. Plus, it cannot be beaten on price. 

What has been top of your love list this week?