What to buy in Kiko

If you ever happen to find yourself in a Kiko store and you're not sure what to buy, then this is the post for you.

I recently found myself staying right next to a Kiko store in Rome and hadn't a clue what were the best products to get.  I knew they have a cult following and can be hard to get hold of, or expensive in the UK, so I had a good old trawl around the beauty blogs and found the products with the most mentions.  I then went in armed with my uber-list and bought it all!  It was only £30 for all 9 products  (it would be more like £50 in the UK)

Ultra Tech Curve Mascara - £7.90

This was a steal. It really does curl the lashes and gives some decent length and volume too.  The wand is a small plastic curved affair and works perfectly.  You need a few strokes of the wand to get the kind of coverage I like.  It was on offer when bought it, and was only 3.90 euros, which is less that £3 so I bought 4!



Double Glam Eyeliner £6.90

This was recommend as a dupe for the Urban Decay 24/7 liners that are reknowned for their stay-put-ability.  I swatched this shade on my hand and the blue glittery end is just beautiful, it is such a deep blue and has a jewel tone to it.  Both ends are equally smooth and glide without any drag.  I do find the black end to be a little soft and so is better for a full on smoky eye rather than a daytime look.  Both ends have some serious staying power, I just swatched them in the shop end then had a shower and washed my hands twice, it still didn't budge.  I ended up having to use eye makeup remover to get it off my hand.

Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow - £6.90

I bought these in 2 shades as I couldn't make up my mind.  The first one is a bronze golden shadow (06 Golden Brown) and the second a shimmery navy (17 Midnight Blue.)  Both are a stick format and are super pigmented.  I apply them to the lid and then blend them out with a brush as they are too dark for my eyes on their own.  I would use them a s a thick eyeliner without smudging.  These again have great staying power.  The bronze is definitely my favourite.  It gives a nice sheen and some depth.  I like the navy, but it is a shade too dark and so looks more grey on application.


From Top - blue eyeliner, navy eyeshadow stick, golden eyeshadow stick and purple super colour liner

Mixing Solution

I have been trying to get one of these for a years, but I refuse to spend £15+ for the privilege of MAC's offering.  When I saw this for £3ish, I jumped at the chance.   It is designed to be used with a loose eyeshadow like MAC Paint Pots or Barry M Dazzle Dust as it gives the powder something to adhere too and makes the colours more vibrant.  The main reason I bought it was for intensifying eyeshadows to use as smudgy lines.  I have been using saline drops so far, which works well, but I wanted to know what the proper version would be like. I must say, so far so good.  I don't think it is necessarily much different than using saline, but it does add a little more staying power and the dropper is handy.

Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush £7.90

I have always wanted a NARS multiple but the price has put me off.  What happens if I spend £30 and the shade isn't quite right!  I decided to try one of these as they are often touted as a good dupe.  I really like the blend ability of these, You just dot the colour on and you can either rub it in with your finger or a buff in with a blending brush.  I went for the shade 06 Geranium as it has a more dusky colour to it.  It is a dark, peachy rose, if that makes sense, and is super natural on my skin.  It has no shimmer at all, which is exactly as I wanted it.  There is however other shades with a sheen if that is what you are looking for.  I have enough highlighting products at the moment so stared away from the glitter, and they can be a bit tough to get right on older skin.

Super Colour Eyeliner in 110 Pearly Regal Purple - £6.90

Love, Love, Love this.  It has the nicest wand and the colour is just sublime, it a vibrant deep purple and is shot through with fine glitter. It is great to add some shine to your eyes and looks perfect with hazel eyes.  I would just as happily use this on the school run as for a Christmas Party.  The applicator is excellent as it has just the right amount of give and so is a doddle to get a nice tight line along the lashes.



Nail Varnishes

I bought 2 of these as they were about £1.40 each!   These are just their standard formula. Both are great neutral rose colours that you could wear all week and they would go with whatever you choose to wear.  I got 486 Tea Rose and 375 Bois de Rose.  They have good coverage, a decent high shine finish and last as long as any other nail varnish does on me.  I found the brush wide enough to coat the nail in one go, which is my standard test for ease of application.  They don't necessarily need 2 coats either. Result!


If you fancy trying any of the above, Kiko now offer free delivery in the UK.  It can take about 7 days to arrive, as it comes from Italy.  But for those of you not lucky enough to live near Westfield or Oxford Street, it 's ideal.  The prices in the UK are identical to Italy's Euro price which means that you pay a slight premium as the fx rate is around 1.4 euros to our pound at present.  It is still great value for money though and easily on parr with brands such as Bourgeois and Revlon.

Packing Beauty Products for Travel

I am an obsessive organiser, there is nothing I like better than a good re-organise, which is lucky as I have a whole load of c*** that usually needs it.

Last weekend I set about sorting out my ever-expanding travel wash bag.  It started quite small but as always has grown out of all recognition.  I needed something that would work when I staying away from home and had versions of all my favourites products that are easily accessible.  The problem with my old set-up was that I would have to take the whole wash bag into the bathroom to have a shower and then dig around in it just to find the showering essentials, I would then have to bring it back out again to start on my skincare and makeup.  Hardly the end of the world, I know, but still less than ideal.

I re-purposed this vanity case which is sadly no longer available, it has a carry handle and a strap if I want to go hands-free (more likely hold a child's hand).  Inside I have 5 separate pouches that hold each main subgroup of my beauty products (how sad that I have sub-grouped my beauty paraphernalia)

1. Shower/Bath - this is the home of all the "wet products" so shampoo, conditioner, face wash, body wash, toothbrush etc..
2. Skincare - contains miniatures of all my AM & PM beauty routine essentials.
3. Hair care - This is post-wash, so volumiser, hair oil, hairspray etc...
4. Emergency - needle and thread, ear plugs, ibuprofen and lady products
5. Nail Care - obvious really, polish, files, remover

Bath/Shower - the B-Refined face wash is dire by the way.

Skincare - travel size-tastic!

Haircare - The polish tin actually has bobbles and clips in it.

Emergency!

Nailcare - I always leave nails to the last minute!

I have another gold makeup pouch that I take too, but the contents of this are in constant flux and so I opted against taking a photo of it.  It doesn't always reside in my travel case anyway as I often keep it in my handbag so technically it would have been classified incorrectly!

There are also a couple of bits that don't fit well in the pods and live in the bottom of the bag, they are; deodorant, perfume, a paddle brush and a fold up mirror.

I like this system because I can see at a glance what I ned to stock up on, I can put different "pods" in different places around where I am staying, and it keeps neatly together for travelling and storing.  The pouches are from Asda and the slim ones are just clear pencil cases.

Anyone else out there with such an OTT travel bag for the loves of their life?

1 Month to Holiday Countdown - Preparation

In 1 month I get to spend 17 days in Spain!!! eeeeeeee. Let the countdown begin.

This time of year every year I always aim to loose half a stone, and up my beauty routine ready for a few weeks in the Sun.  I aim to loose 8 lbs or 4kg in 4 weeks, which I reckon should be manageable as I have lost 1.5kg already. 

Food and Exercise

I have read two really inspirational health books lately.

Cameron Diaz's Body - I got this as the reviews were so good, and I am really glad I did.  Cameron really knows her stuff and doesn't go in for any of the pseudo-science bull, that you get in so many health books.  She speaks in her book, the way you would imagine she would chat to you in real life and the book is so positive.  I completely recommend this.

Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath 

I bought this after reading about the authors struggle to avoid cancer.  Tom has spent most of his adult life trying to avoid getting tumours due to a genetic disorder the makes him more prone to them than you or I.  He has spent an enormous amount of time studying everything he could find to discover how best to preserve his health.  I loved reading this book and zipped through it, as it is so easily digestible and gives you lots of easy-to-implement ideas to improve your health.

My Main Changes 

Apart from weekends and nights out (of which there are many to navigate my way through) I will be trying to stick with veg/fruit, dairy and meat most of the week.  

• Breakfast - Yoghurt with Granola (still obsessed with this.)
• Lunch - Beetroot Rainbow salad with egg
• Dinners -Courgette pasta with creamy tomato sauce and lime basil chicken or Cauliflower Paella/ Kedgeree

Beauty 

I have the worlds worst feet so most of my efforts will be spent trying to improve them. I have knobbly toes and dry skin on my heels from wearing flip-flops and open shoes nearly constantly. 

• Foot Sanding - Twice weekly sessions with the Scholl pedicure spinny thing - just checked it is actually called the Scholl Express Pedi.  I got this for free as a sample and I love it, so easy and satisfying to see all the horrid dead skin come away.  It goes through batteries like no bodies business though, so you may want to invest in some rechargeables if you fancy one of these.
• LOTS of foot cream,  I use Sanctuary Foot balm as it is relatively cheap and smells nice and fresh.  It is usually £5ish but is often on 3 for 2.
• Deep Conditioning Hair - twice weekly - My usual favourite of Aussie 3 minute miracle, I will also be taking a full bottle of this to use everyday after going in the pool.

To Buy

Suncream - I am so sick of the ramped up prices everywhere for suncream, Boots are advertising products that usually cost £6 as 1/2 price but still costing £6!

I have found my newest favourite Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration (LOVE the smell) for £5.25 a bottle at Asda usually around £7.50 a bottle, and Boots claims it costs £15 before their half price deal, really!  This stuff looks so nice on your skin it really sinks in whilst leaving a lovely flattering sheen.  I would use this as a moisturiser just for the smell and finish regardless of it's SPF protection.

We have a collection of my husband and my favourite Malibu SPF 15 dry oil spray, that we get in Home Bargains Up North for £3 a time, but it is not any good for the kids. Smells divine though and so easy to apply as you can spray from any angle.  I have just realised that they stock this at Asda too for £3 and it comes in an SPF 30.

Organisation

As I have mentioned before, I love a good list, nothing makes me happier than writing things down and checking them off.  I designed these sheets a couple of years ago, and I use them every time I go away to ensure that I have everything covered before I go.  I have now printed off the ones for this holiday and am busy checking everything is ready.

I will try write a post each week about all the bits I am doing to get ready and leave me all set to enjoy my holiday without worrying about details.