London - The What
Hey guys!
Yes, I know, it's been a long time since I had started my little London series thing that I'm doing, and I kinda lost track with finishing, BUT finally, here it is: the third and final part in which I want to show you some of the bits and bobs that I purchased when I was in the UK.
Now, don't expect a whole lot of clothing items and things, because I actually did not buy one of that (I don't know how this happened but I managed to get my suitcase ending up 1 kg overweight nontheless! I'm probably an overpacker and took too much with me in the first place haha).
Instead I got some beauty and skincare items, a couple of books and some other bits which I will tell you about now. Follow along if you are interested and I hope you enjoy!
Starting with the makeup things:
As soon as I set a foot into Superdrug, I had to look for the makeup brush department to check, if they had Real Techniques brushed by my makeup idols, the makeup artists, entrepreneurs, YouTubers, and generelly gorgeous ladies Sam & Nic from Pixiwoo and they did so I couldn't not pick up at least one of them, right? I also have not regretted my decision and probably never will. It is sooo soft and I use it everyday. It's called the Blush Brush but I use it for setting powder (because you can use any item of makeup or tool the way you want to) Every Single Day - if I wear makeup of course. It's amazing. That's all I can say. I'll go on now.
The next thing makeup-wise I knew I wanted to look for was TanyaBurrBeauty because I watch her on YouTube and I knew of her line for a while but living in Germany, I had never had the opportunity to check them out in person before then. In the end I decided to buy a lipgloss from her range called afternoon tea which is a very nice peachy pink colour, not overly pigmented but also not too shear with teeny-tiny glitter particles in it. It's not sticky at all, very creamy to apply, and the sheen stays for a long time given you don't eat or drink, obviously. In addition, I really like the doe-foot applicator on the gloss which makes application very smooth and easy and it doesn't pick up too much product. A total winner basically.
Continuing with beauty bits recommended by my beloved YouTubers, I picked up the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer which apparently is the best drugstore concealer out there and it's so true! I also purchased the BerryM Flawless Light Reflection concealer but that one really is only suited for highlighting and does not provide medium or high coverage for spots or hyperpigmentation. It's a good one though if you are looking for a light coverage highlighting one.
Another lip product which I bought is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in number 107 which is one of Zoella's go-to dark red lip choices and definite recommendations so I had to have it. Unfortunately, it's near to impossible to find any Rimmel counter anywhere near I live. I don't know if there actually are any places left in Germany where you can still get Rimmel products which is such a shame! I totally agree with her opinion on the lipstick, by the way. It's a nice creamy consistency and applies non-patchy, not even speaking of the nice colour payoff. It's among my favourite red lip options, in case you couldn't tell by now ;)
Speaking of favourites, the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder (I have the shade 53 Light Beige) is used every day since I got it to set my foundation, as I have oily skin and no foundation would stay on for longer than a few minutes before creasing into my forehead and smile lines when having moved my face just the tiniest bit. I think I first heard of it when Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup mentioned it on her channel and I totally get her raving about it. It doesn't feel like or seem like you had put any powder on (it's that finely milled!!) but it does it's job properly!
The last makeup item I bought is the Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette called Redemtion Palette Iconic 3 because I was so stunned at the rosy-brown colour selection (as I imagine the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette to be similar to it but with a drugstore price tag). Having used the 12 shades (some are glittery, some with a satin finish, some matte) I have to say, they do have fall out and they some are not that highly pigmented but I still love the colours and use them a lot when I decide to put eyeshadow on my lids.
Continuing with skincare/hair care:
As I had seen quite a lot of face masks in tubes, which you generally don't find in German drugstores (they mostly sell sachées of one-time-use masks here) so I decided to pick up one of them, I went for the Hydrating Face Mask with Vitamin E by Superdrugs own brand. I like it a lot, as it really helps dehydrated skin to recover as it says on the tube. I tried it a few times after exfoliating and before makeup which made the foundation sit very nicely. I also like that the tube form is a very hygienic way to apply the mask and you can vary in how thick you want to layer it on your face depending on its need.
I also purchased the Superdrug's own brand's Hand Rescue Balm which absolutely saved my heavily mistreated by dish soap chemicals hands. It has a very pleasant consistency which instantly soothes and nourished the hands (exactly like it says it would) but it's doesn't leave any kind of oily residue on the hands which make you not want to touch anything for ages. I would definitely repurchase if I could!
In Boots I picked up the Boots' own branded Curly Hair Mousse which promises long lasting hold, non-stickyness and the ability to smooth frizz. A lot of promises, but they are kept. When I ran out of my own hair mousse I looked around for a replacement and I think I did good on deciding for this one. It did not stick the strands together after blow-drying them with a diffuser, the hair did not look wet anymore and was not crispy as some mousses leave them. Also, it created nice volume and defined curls. The application into the wet hair was not problematic either, given that I had tried others before that created quite stiff mousse in the hand which was not that easy to distribute into the hair evenly.
An item I purchased to replace the micellar water that I had brought with me is the Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water which I heard so much good things about that I had to pick that one. It's a really nice cleansing water which removes any face makeup and general 'dirt' on your face easily (I would still recommend removing makeup with a proper cleanser before and using the micellar water as a toner afterwards to really cleanse the skin properly!). I would repurchase it if I could get my hands on it here.
Because I heard that good reviews on the Micellar water I decided to replace my eye makeup remover with the Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Makeup Remover. It says, it removes waterproof mascara and having said that you probably know what's coming: It does not. I always go for waterproof mascara and I soaked my cotton pad in the remover and placed it on my eye for a couple of minutes and nothing came off. Literally nothing. So this is the only product I would not recommend for that kind of usage. I now use it for any face makeup removal to not waste it but I had to get another one to get rid of the mascara on my lashes.
So I bought the Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-Up Remover which has two phases so you have to give it a good shake before using it but it definitely works. It's not my favourite one that I have ever tried but it's an okay product in my opinion.
The Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser is the last product from the range that I picked up and I'm so displeased that I cannot get it here because I think it's probably (I should really stop saying this word! And really as well! Sorry..) the best moisturiser that I have ever used! I can only recommend this to anyone! It's a very nice base underneath foundation, too.
When I spotted the Boots Tea Tree Witch Hazel Night Treatment Gel, and it said it would prevent and fight spots during my sleep I was sold. And it's another one of the products which I would LOVE to be able to get over here but unfortuately I am not :( A little pea-sized drop is enough for a whole face application at a time. It smells very skincare-y and feels very hydrating on the skin. I also found it made my skin feel very soft in the morning. It was not expensive at all. Loved it!
The last drugstore product which does not really suit into the beauty nor skincare category is the Zoella Blissful Mistful Solid Fragrance which is from the original range of ZoellaBeauty I think. It smells very fresh, is nice and compact, practically handbag-sized and has a cute heart-shaped packaging. Because it is solid, you don't have to worry about any leaking accidents in your bag and it's easy to reapply whenever desired. The scent is fresh, as I said, and not overwhelming. I don't find it too long-wearing but because you can take it along, I don't think, that is too bad.
Drugstore purchases done! Phew.. that was actually more than I thought haha..
Other random purchases:
Going on with books, I picked up Zoe Sugg aka Zoella's first novel called Girl Online at Waterstones. It's has a nice and a little bit unexpected storyline and touches on the topic of mental illnesses in the form of anxiety and panic attacks which is are not the most common topics dicussed in teen-prose (in my eyes anyway) but still important and awareness-raising. I think, it's an easy read and maybe more directed on teens having a teenage girl as the leading character but I still enjoyed it. There is also a subsequent book out by now (for quite a while now actually) in case you decide to read it too and might be interested in further following Penny's life.
The other book, I bought which I also heard of before via YouTube (of course!) is Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland aka SprinkleofGlitter on YouTube. This one is more of a lifestyle guide for girls and women touching on various topics from self-confidence, boys/dating, beauty, shopping, DIYs and everything in between. Basically, you get real life tipps and tricks
from a real woman with a bit of a fun but honest twist. Because it is divided into categories and sub-chapters, you don't have to read it from beginning to end, or read a lot in one go to not forget where you were at which is quite handy.
One accessory item I found in Forever 21 is a duo-coloured necklace with a silver main chain, a gold smaller chain which gives it a kind of layered look and a gold spike-like pendant. I wore it loads in London and now writing about it I realize that I should wear it again soon because it gives some detailing onto plain tops or on days where you don't want to wear a scarf because it would get lost under it. It's quite delicate and because of its duo-colouring it suits silver as well as gold detailing in your outfit. It's a nice piece overall, I would say. (In case you want to check out their current selection, look here.)
The last piece I want to feature in this post is a little flat rectangular magnet with a drawn illustration of London's famous streets and sights on in a city map style which I got in the airport from Glorious Britain (I know, the site is currently offline, but maybe at the time you check, it's online again, so here is the link for you). It was not expensive, is a cute sentimental decor piece and gave a purpose to some left-over change before I left the country. A win at all levels!
Now, don't expect a whole lot of clothing items and things, because I actually did not buy one of that (I don't know how this happened but I managed to get my suitcase ending up 1 kg overweight nontheless! I'm probably an overpacker and took too much with me in the first place haha).
Instead I got some beauty and skincare items, a couple of books and some other bits which I will tell you about now. Follow along if you are interested and I hope you enjoy!
Starting with the makeup things:
As soon as I set a foot into Superdrug, I had to look for the makeup brush department to check, if they had Real Techniques brushed by my makeup idols, the makeup artists, entrepreneurs, YouTubers, and generelly gorgeous ladies Sam & Nic from Pixiwoo and they did so I couldn't not pick up at least one of them, right? I also have not regretted my decision and probably never will. It is sooo soft and I use it everyday. It's called the Blush Brush but I use it for setting powder (because you can use any item of makeup or tool the way you want to) Every Single Day - if I wear makeup of course. It's amazing. That's all I can say. I'll go on now.
The next thing makeup-wise I knew I wanted to look for was TanyaBurrBeauty because I watch her on YouTube and I knew of her line for a while but living in Germany, I had never had the opportunity to check them out in person before then. In the end I decided to buy a lipgloss from her range called afternoon tea which is a very nice peachy pink colour, not overly pigmented but also not too shear with teeny-tiny glitter particles in it. It's not sticky at all, very creamy to apply, and the sheen stays for a long time given you don't eat or drink, obviously. In addition, I really like the doe-foot applicator on the gloss which makes application very smooth and easy and it doesn't pick up too much product. A total winner basically.
Continuing with beauty bits recommended by my beloved YouTubers, I picked up the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer which apparently is the best drugstore concealer out there and it's so true! I also purchased the BerryM Flawless Light Reflection concealer but that one really is only suited for highlighting and does not provide medium or high coverage for spots or hyperpigmentation. It's a good one though if you are looking for a light coverage highlighting one.
Another lip product which I bought is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in number 107 which is one of Zoella's go-to dark red lip choices and definite recommendations so I had to have it. Unfortunately, it's near to impossible to find any Rimmel counter anywhere near I live. I don't know if there actually are any places left in Germany where you can still get Rimmel products which is such a shame! I totally agree with her opinion on the lipstick, by the way. It's a nice creamy consistency and applies non-patchy, not even speaking of the nice colour payoff. It's among my favourite red lip options, in case you couldn't tell by now ;)
Speaking of favourites, the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder (I have the shade 53 Light Beige) is used every day since I got it to set my foundation, as I have oily skin and no foundation would stay on for longer than a few minutes before creasing into my forehead and smile lines when having moved my face just the tiniest bit. I think I first heard of it when Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup mentioned it on her channel and I totally get her raving about it. It doesn't feel like or seem like you had put any powder on (it's that finely milled!!) but it does it's job properly!
The last makeup item I bought is the Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette called Redemtion Palette Iconic 3 because I was so stunned at the rosy-brown colour selection (as I imagine the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette to be similar to it but with a drugstore price tag). Having used the 12 shades (some are glittery, some with a satin finish, some matte) I have to say, they do have fall out and they some are not that highly pigmented but I still love the colours and use them a lot when I decide to put eyeshadow on my lids.
Continuing with skincare/hair care:
As I had seen quite a lot of face masks in tubes, which you generally don't find in German drugstores (they mostly sell sachées of one-time-use masks here) so I decided to pick up one of them, I went for the Hydrating Face Mask with Vitamin E by Superdrugs own brand. I like it a lot, as it really helps dehydrated skin to recover as it says on the tube. I tried it a few times after exfoliating and before makeup which made the foundation sit very nicely. I also like that the tube form is a very hygienic way to apply the mask and you can vary in how thick you want to layer it on your face depending on its need.
I also purchased the Superdrug's own brand's Hand Rescue Balm which absolutely saved my heavily mistreated by dish soap chemicals hands. It has a very pleasant consistency which instantly soothes and nourished the hands (exactly like it says it would) but it's doesn't leave any kind of oily residue on the hands which make you not want to touch anything for ages. I would definitely repurchase if I could!
In Boots I picked up the Boots' own branded Curly Hair Mousse which promises long lasting hold, non-stickyness and the ability to smooth frizz. A lot of promises, but they are kept. When I ran out of my own hair mousse I looked around for a replacement and I think I did good on deciding for this one. It did not stick the strands together after blow-drying them with a diffuser, the hair did not look wet anymore and was not crispy as some mousses leave them. Also, it created nice volume and defined curls. The application into the wet hair was not problematic either, given that I had tried others before that created quite stiff mousse in the hand which was not that easy to distribute into the hair evenly.
An item I purchased to replace the micellar water that I had brought with me is the Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water which I heard so much good things about that I had to pick that one. It's a really nice cleansing water which removes any face makeup and general 'dirt' on your face easily (I would still recommend removing makeup with a proper cleanser before and using the micellar water as a toner afterwards to really cleanse the skin properly!). I would repurchase it if I could get my hands on it here.
Because I heard that good reviews on the Micellar water I decided to replace my eye makeup remover with the Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Makeup Remover. It says, it removes waterproof mascara and having said that you probably know what's coming: It does not. I always go for waterproof mascara and I soaked my cotton pad in the remover and placed it on my eye for a couple of minutes and nothing came off. Literally nothing. So this is the only product I would not recommend for that kind of usage. I now use it for any face makeup removal to not waste it but I had to get another one to get rid of the mascara on my lashes.
So I bought the Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-Up Remover which has two phases so you have to give it a good shake before using it but it definitely works. It's not my favourite one that I have ever tried but it's an okay product in my opinion.
The Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser is the last product from the range that I picked up and I'm so displeased that I cannot get it here because I think it's probably (I should really stop saying this word! And really as well! Sorry..) the best moisturiser that I have ever used! I can only recommend this to anyone! It's a very nice base underneath foundation, too.
When I spotted the Boots Tea Tree Witch Hazel Night Treatment Gel, and it said it would prevent and fight spots during my sleep I was sold. And it's another one of the products which I would LOVE to be able to get over here but unfortuately I am not :( A little pea-sized drop is enough for a whole face application at a time. It smells very skincare-y and feels very hydrating on the skin. I also found it made my skin feel very soft in the morning. It was not expensive at all. Loved it!
The last drugstore product which does not really suit into the beauty nor skincare category is the Zoella Blissful Mistful Solid Fragrance which is from the original range of ZoellaBeauty I think. It smells very fresh, is nice and compact, practically handbag-sized and has a cute heart-shaped packaging. Because it is solid, you don't have to worry about any leaking accidents in your bag and it's easy to reapply whenever desired. The scent is fresh, as I said, and not overwhelming. I don't find it too long-wearing but because you can take it along, I don't think, that is too bad.
Drugstore purchases done! Phew.. that was actually more than I thought haha..
Other random purchases:
Going on with books, I picked up Zoe Sugg aka Zoella's first novel called Girl Online at Waterstones. It's has a nice and a little bit unexpected storyline and touches on the topic of mental illnesses in the form of anxiety and panic attacks which is are not the most common topics dicussed in teen-prose (in my eyes anyway) but still important and awareness-raising. I think, it's an easy read and maybe more directed on teens having a teenage girl as the leading character but I still enjoyed it. There is also a subsequent book out by now (for quite a while now actually) in case you decide to read it too and might be interested in further following Penny's life.
The other book, I bought which I also heard of before via YouTube (of course!) is Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland aka SprinkleofGlitter on YouTube. This one is more of a lifestyle guide for girls and women touching on various topics from self-confidence, boys/dating, beauty, shopping, DIYs and everything in between. Basically, you get real life tipps and tricks
from a real woman with a bit of a fun but honest twist. Because it is divided into categories and sub-chapters, you don't have to read it from beginning to end, or read a lot in one go to not forget where you were at which is quite handy.
One accessory item I found in Forever 21 is a duo-coloured necklace with a silver main chain, a gold smaller chain which gives it a kind of layered look and a gold spike-like pendant. I wore it loads in London and now writing about it I realize that I should wear it again soon because it gives some detailing onto plain tops or on days where you don't want to wear a scarf because it would get lost under it. It's quite delicate and because of its duo-colouring it suits silver as well as gold detailing in your outfit. It's a nice piece overall, I would say. (In case you want to check out their current selection, look here.)
The last piece I want to feature in this post is a little flat rectangular magnet with a drawn illustration of London's famous streets and sights on in a city map style which I got in the airport from Glorious Britain (I know, the site is currently offline, but maybe at the time you check, it's online again, so here is the link for you). It was not expensive, is a cute sentimental decor piece and gave a purpose to some left-over change before I left the country. A win at all levels!
Still here? You deserve an award! ;)
Have you tried any of the products? What are your opinions and recent or all time favourites from the drugstore?
Have you tried any of the products? What are your opinions and recent or all time favourites from the drugstore?
♥
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