Duty Free Makeup Addiction

I have an addiction to duty free shops in airports. I find it next to impossible to walk by without a quick look, even if it means dragging an unwilling 5 year old in with me. The thrill of all those travel sized , multi-buy and travel exclusive packs are what gets me. Purchases made at this time are usually done so in a rush. I totally blank out and suddenly can't remember what I already have and what I need, which is in fact nothing. If I try to be systematic and go in armed with a list, inevitably what I want is not there and once again I drift aimlessly, yet in total time restricted panic ... and I usually come away with lipsticks. Lots of lipsticks.

Behold Guerlain's Rouge Automatique lipsticks which are cap free meaning you can apply with one hand! Genius.

My trip home from Dubrovnik last weekend included a typical stint of duty free shopping before my flight. Stalking the aisles in confused panic lead me to come away with a box of 3 Guerlain lipsticks, none of which were actually needed, and a 'Clinique to go' pack which includes a powder compact and lipstick which is a duty free exclusive!

Superpowder Double Face Powder in 02 matte beige

Long last lipstick in 12 'Blushing Nude' 

Clinique do such a good job of multi-packing products and making it seem totally reasonable to buy 3 mascaras at the one time. The other brand who wins packaging awards is YSL. Have you seen their travel eyeshadow sets which come in a reusable hot pink wallet? Gorgeous!

Armed with my goodies I sauntered back to the lounge feeling satisfied and completely able to shrug off the raised eyebrows directed at me by my husband. Job done. May she who has the most lipsticks win!

Can we just take a moment to admire Guerlain's Coque D'or lipstick? Sparkly perfection in a tube.

Paris - Le Haul part one

I spent a lovely few days in Paris last week with my friend Kelly and we had a ball. Lots of eating and walking the streets ... and lots of shopping too of course! I didn't go crazy but I did pick up a good few bits and pieces in Sephora and Parashop, my French pharmacy of choice. Here is what I got.

Guerlain Météorites - described as 'Light Revealing Pearls of Powder' they are light diffusing powder balls which are shaped by hand and used to minimise flaws and add brightness. I have been intrigued by these for a long time and when I came across them in Sephora I thought 'when in Paris ....'. I went for colour number 2, Light. It comes with a puff but is much better applied with a fluffy powder brush. And they smell absolutely divine. You can buy these on Sephora with UK shipping available here. 

YSL Rebel Nudes in colour Fuchsia Tomboy - ever since Sephora sent me that lovely sample these have been on my list (see post here). It was so hard to choose a colour but I had bought a fuchsia top in Galleries Lafayette earlier that day so I decided to get something to match. The texture of these is strange - cool on the lips at first. The staying power is amazing and that is something that is hard to find in a gloss format. 

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 869 Vie D'Enfer - these were everywhere in Paris. Dior have obviously spent big on advertising for this campaign and it worked on me! I bought this to compare to the YSL I bought above. I went for a classic red. It is part gloss, part lipstick. I can't decide which I prefer but I may just have to give it to YSL on the angled brush applicator. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Ro(cocoa) - is it possible for an eyeliner to be too soft? This may be the case with this one. At times the soft texture is a dream as it glides on with absolutely no tugging, however when you try to tight-line with it on the upper lash line it is a little too soft. Evidence of this can be seen in the picture below where the point of the pencil has worn down. It is supposed to have a built-in sharpener which I can't seem to locate. Any ideas? I love the colour though and as with all Marc Jacobs Beauty products, the packaging is luxe.

I picked up a few little handy Sephora brand things that I thought you might be interested in seeing. The first are these cool eye-remover swabs that look like a simple cotton bud but have eye makeup remover in the middle which runs into the bud as you snap the top. So handy for traveling! The second handy this is this reusable wipe for removing makeup. No more cursing when your hotel does not provide flannels to wash your face, just whip this out and you are covered. It dries hard like a chamois but becomes soft when wet. I take my makeup off with Bioderma first, then used this cloth with a cleansing balm to get everything else off. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this product online to link it in this post. I also got another small bottle of their makeup brush cleaner because it is easy to transport and works a treat.

In my next post, Le Haul part two I will show you what I bought at Parashop. And don't worry, it is not the usual Bioderma and Nuxe lip balm that you have read about a thousand times before. I'm not that predictable!