Summer Saviours

Now that the warmer months are coming to a close in New Zealand (wahh) I thought I'd do a round-up of my favourite products that have really saved my skin and hair this summer. You can buy just about all of these worldwide/online so if anything really catches your eye you'll be able to get your hands on it no matter where you are.

Hello Hair; Island Escape Edition. This mask is gorgeous - I've tried quite a wide variety and I think this is my favourite. It's quite heavy but very nourishing. I find one treatment makes my hair look outstanding for quite a while, even with more frequent washing in summer heat and exposure to sun and water. I like to pack it on, leave it for a few hours then wash it out with a toning purple shampoo (more info on my full hair-care can be found here). This means my hair is hydrated, bright and brassy-tone free.

Mecca Cosmetica SPF 30 Moisturiser. I've been looking for a good SPF for years - one that's more than 15 (New Zealand sun is pretty brutal) and still feels light on the skin. Mecca is one of my favourite places to shop and it's yet to fail me - this one is light, smoothing and is a great base for makeup.

Ray Bans Aviators. 100% UV protective (can you tell I'm all about the sun protection this summer...) and green being my favourite colour I adore these. They're a bit hefty on the wallet but well worth the investment.

Frank Body Balm. The body scrub is a part of my every day skincare routine anyway but over summer when I was getting eczema from the heat this little tube saved me a lot of scratching. It's a very thick and oily cream but works a dream for dry and sensitive skin. Aside from that of course it smells heavenly too. Only warning is it will stick to your sheets a bit if you apply it before bed like I did...!

After several months of shorts and t-shirt weather I think I'm finally ready for cooler nights and jeans (and autumnal makeup hooray!)

Claire x

Weekend Post: Read, Eat, Listen, Do #4

READ. #GIRLBOSS. I'd has this book in my mind for a while and finally picked it up when I had a week off work - it's a very comfortable book to read in the sense it takes no time at all to get into it, I take it to work and read a chapter a lunch-break. #GIRLBOSS is actually a very empowering read and is incredibly relateable particularly if you're of the generation Y and are trying to stumble your way through your twenties (which I am heading into rather rapidly...23 in two months eeek). Sophia is the founder of Nasty Gal - an online clothing store that's grown to crazy proportions in just a few weeks and she challenges a lot of ideas that feel pretty set in stone and expected of our generation. It's a very inspiring read all round and makes me really want to get my ass into gear.

EAT. I haven't been eating any one thing in particular a hell of a lot but I have been going out a lot more frequently - this weekend I went to Tyler Street Garage for dinner on Valentines day. It turns into a club later at night and is situated right on the waterfront - if you're in Auckland it's a very popular destination for twenty-somethings. The food was really good and the atmosphere is great too (then again might just have been all the happy couples that seemed to fill the city that night...)

LISTEN. Muse has recently made a re-appearance on my "Recently Played" playlist - I forgot how much I loved them until recently and have been playing a lot of their songs on repeat. In particular I love Plug in Baby, Starlight, Neutron Star Collision, Hoodoo, Nights of Cydonia and Time is Running Out.

DO. My nails - oh god my nails. They haven't looked so bird-of-prey in a long time (since I got shellac months ago). I bought them online when they were on sale to try them out - I've been dubious of acrylic nails as I've heard horror stories of what they can do to your nails. However - these ones from NailHur claimed to be OK to re-use and weren't damaging to your nails. Suffice to say I am in love - I've already ordered three more sets. They come in different shapes and sizes and designs. I'll definitely be doing a full review of these at some stage in the near future.

Claire x

Monthly Favourites: January

Well, January whizzed past faster than I thought possible. 2015 has been a wonderfully busy year so far - despite challenges at work that have been wearing me out a bit (eek). I have a few new favourites this month - some were instant loves and only purchased recently while the hair care I've been using a while now. Anyway

Right lets start with the makeup bits I think, first off I have two new NARS additions to my makeup family. I bought the Nars Persia eyeshadow - it looks terrifying in the pan but compliments blue eyes amazingly and can be applied quite subtly or be built up for quite a striking and intense look. It's very blendable and highly pigmented - again, I've yet to be let down by anything from Nars.

The next stunner was the Nars Longwear Eyeliner in Via Appia. A gorgeous bronzey brown I used the old "this will look great on blue eyes" excuse and it works beautifully with the eyeshadow. The colour payoff is great and as the name suggests, it really does last a long time. As a chronic eye-rubber (is that a thing?) I love products that don't budge. I know I can safely put this one on in the morning and it'll still be there come 5 o'clock at the end of the working day.

The last makeup piece was another eyeshadow - I'd actually intended on getting All That Glitters but sadly it was sold out - instead I got Naked Lunch (by MAC) which is very similar. It's a beautiful pearly/slightly glittery finish with a champagne colour. I think this one will be lovely for the cooler months paired with a berry lip (come on Autumn I'm ready for you now).

It wouldn't be a monthly favourites post of mine if I didn't have a Lush product in there - I mentioned D'Fluff in a Dream Team post here. It's a new release from Lush, I never thought I'd be one to buy shaving soap but here I am smelling of strawberries with the smoothest legs. It's very gentle and mild on the skin, smells positively edible (as I've come to expect from Lush) and I never have any issues with razor rash when I use it. Next time I'll be getting the large tub...

Finally I have a couple of hair products - I'm not usually so big into hair seeing as mine is so stubbornly straight and un-styleable however these two are a dream for my new short hair. The first of which is Jungle Solid Conditioner - also by Lush. It's a lighter conditioner than the super intensive one I was using before and of course is also cruelty free. The smell is heavenly - living in the country I love earthy kind of smells and this one is gorgeous. It smells like the tropical rainforest of your dreams, it's too hard to describe so just have a whiff next time you're in Lush yourself. As my hair is shorter I try not to weigh it down - although this one is largely cocoa butter it's not heavy and gives shorter/healthier hair just the right amount of moisture and shine.

Given the recent months of sitting outside and abusing my hair with more frequent washing I've felt more of a need to get back into hydrating masks. I recently bought the Hello Hair Hydrating Mask and being the coconut fan I am I bought the Island Escape edition. It smells like orange and coconut and is quite a thick oil - it's totally natural which is great for sensitive scalps and really does give a lot of shine to your hair. I found I was less prone to tangles after using this too. It is pretty tough to wash out completely so I use my purple shampoo and leave it on my hair for a minute or two. This gets rid of all the oil, tones my hair and leaves it shiny but also squeaky clean. For the price it is I'll definitely be re-purchasing - of all the masks I've tried this is my top favourite.

Last one of this month is my new Vans - I've wanted to get the burgundy ones for ages and have been wearing them non-stop. They're the sort of shoes I can get away with wearing pretty much everywhere (so I do...).

Phew, feel like this was a bit late this month but I got there in the end!

Claire x