SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Top Tips - Exercising whilst on Holiday

For a lot of people, exercising on holiday will not be their idea of fun and relaxation. But for someone like me, who exercises 3 or 4 times a week, and really notices difference in my body from exercising, I do miss having the odd bit of exercise within an easy going holiday. In a week, I'd be pleased if I manage to exercise twice whilst being on holiday, as I don't want to push myself, but I try to take advantage of my new surroundings that might offer a form of exercise. For example, we went exploring round a coastal walk the other day whilst in Santorini, and because we had dressed in our gym gear and only brought a bottle of water with us, we were able to jog whenever we could, to make it more of a work out rather than a slow walk. 

I also follow Joe Wickes 'Lean in 15' on Instagram, and he regularly posts videos of how to do HIIt training without using any equipment and requiring very little space. He normally combines 5 easy-ish exercises that you repeat in 30 second burst over a 15 minute period. You get really out of breath and sweaty, and because it's only 15 minutes it's easy to fit in before your morning shower. 

From having a shoulder injury, I have bought some Exercise Resistance Bands, and these are very light and travel friendly. Because I've got one of the higher resistances, I fine it still can really give my upper body a decent workout.

I always like to pack my trainers, as a comfortable form of footwear more than anything. But then I know I can always exercise if I want to!

When you're on holiday it's quite likely that you'll have easy access to hiring bikes, sea kayaks, and playing tennis, so these are great ways of exercising whilst also the having fun. And rather than just using your hotel swimming pool to quickly cool off, why don't you do a few laps if you can?

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Top Tips - Items you might forget to pack

For a lot of trips abroad it's quite easy to keep a little soap bag together filled with toiletry essentials so that you should hopefully never forget anything. But when the time comes to go on that big summer holiday, there seems to be a multitude of things you might need whilst you are away. And if, like me, it's been a while since you had to pack for such an occasion, I thought I'd compile a list of what I am so glad I remembered to pack!

Antihistamine - you might not get hayfever at home, but you might abroad, and also handy for bringing down a heat rash or bug bites.

Bug spray - definitely recommended to apply in the evening if you are by open still waters, such as a pond or a lake

Bug bite pen - if you missed a spot with the spray, or just didn't apply, this pen will hopefully take the angry itch out of a bite.

Ear plugs - you don't know who your neighbours are going to be and whiter hit you'll be sleeping next to noisy traffic.

Eye mask - your room might have useless curtains, so helps your get a few hours extra sleep. This 'Holistic Silk' eye mask is lavender scented, and is velvet lined so that its soft against your face, and really does block out all light.

Hand sanitizer - you'll probably be eating on the go at some point, so it will always come in handy. 

Mini razor - don't waste space bringing your normal full size razor, splash out on the Snap razor, which is a mini travel sized version from Venus, it comes in a little travel case so it's protected and can be stored easily with your other wash bag essentials.

Travel Hand wash - if you're dipping in and out of a pool, it's great to rinse your bikini with this hand wash gel, to reduce a build up of chlorine. Just squeeze a blob into a sink full of warm water and should help prolong the life of your bikini. Also great for washing that last pair of socks you should have packed!

Sudocrem - not that it comes in a handy travel sized sleepy tube, I always use bring this away with me, as it works wonders for calming down a random rash or annoying spot.

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Review - Sun Creams‏

Sun creams are very personal to each individual, and vary depending on what kind of sun protection you need (sun vs ski) to what your skin type and colour is. For on I can only talk from a personal point of view, so these sun creams are great for people with sensitive and fair skin. I've become increasingly aware of how damaging and aging sun can be for you skin, but also has great benefits, so I have found these products to allow that healthy balance between protecting me but also allowing my skin to tan, a tiny bit!

For on the go city sun:
Ambre Solaire Dry Mist - Light and ultra-non greasy, I wouldn't rely on this for pool/beach sun bathing, but great to spritz. On your shoulders, chest and legs when you're out and about in a hot country, as it doesn't make you clammy and stick to you clothing.

For full in sunbathing (but still in shade between 11-4 ):
Piz Buin Allergy Sun Sensitive spray - This has a really high UVA/UVB protection, and the spray formula gives it a lighter consistency than regular creaming sun creams. The SPF 50 is a lot thicker and whiter than the SPF 30, high even feels a bit watery, which is great for not feeling caked up with sun cream, but I probably apply more due to its lighter texture. The spray doesn't consistently work when you spray upside down, which does get a bit annoying but it's easily fixed.

For face:
I always use factor 50 on my face to hopefully reduce the amount of lines when I'm older, and my scalp burns quite easily so with wearing a hat my face doesn't see much of the sun and I mostly just end up with more freckles. I have two sun creams I like for my face, Piz Buin Allergy Sun Sensitive for face, which is a thick creamy consistency, so great for plastering on when you want to feel like you've got ALOT of coverage on. Then for when I'm in the UK, or sunny city trips, I use La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light Fluid SPF 50+, it's such an ultra light formula, it almost feels like a gel, so it's non-greasy and sits well underneath makeup.

For lips:
I use either Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream spf 15 lipstick, or for intense sun days, La Roche Posay spy 50 lip balm. I don't think either of these are easy to come by now, but I think the most important thing to remember is you might as well get the highest factor you can for your lips (you don't need tanned lips, right?), and as soon as you no longer feel the lip balm on your lips, you need to reapply. So you will need reapply no quite regularly throughout the day!

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Tried and Tested - Beauty Treatments on Holiday

Although holidays are often meant for rest and relaxation, it may give you the chance to give yourself some beauty treatments that you wouldn't normally find the time for back home. Below are some products that I like to take with me, not only to care for my sun-parched skin, but also make the most of a relaxing time whilst away from your hectic schedule.

Fake tan:
In June and July its a great time to keep an eye out for freebies in magazines, as they really up their game ready for people stocking up on beach/poolside reading. It's during these months over the past couple of years that I've managed to get some really decent travel sized items. I've now got three different mini fake tans (Xen Tan, St Tropez Tinted gradual tan, St Tropez In-shower tan), and I rotate these depending on what I might be wearing that night (e.g avoiding white when wearing Xen Tan), and how my natural tan is coming on. It takes me a while to tan, so for me it's worth while bringing three with me, especially when they are so small they're not taking up much space, and I'm likely to finish them before the holiday is over too... But for those you tan easily, you can save space in your luggage for other more necessary items!

Hair Mask (Pre-Shampoo):
I try to use Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer once a week, but when you're on holiday, your hair can take a bit of a battering with sea water, sun and sweat so it's good to keep up the hair care routine. This product is good to decant into a small tub as you might only need one dose to take with you, or I've got a small 30ml version, which I think will do my hair twice. I really like using this hair mask, as you put it on before shampooing and conditioning where it really soaks into your hair cuticle, and leaves your hair feeling thicker and healthier, but without that slippery silicone feeling.

Hair Protection (Post-Shampoo):
Again as hair care is important on holiday, if you can remember to put some Philip Kingsley Swimcap Cream on or Kerastase's CC Cream, your hair will have a UV filter and protection from chlorine, which is a must for people with dyed hair. I quite like how it slicks your hair back in a non-greasy way so that it is manageable but looks neat.

After Sun Moisture:
I'd always recommend slathering on some after sun once you've come out of the shower (my favourite by Ambre Solaire - great for sensitive skin as it can even be applied to the face). But I then move on to applying some body oil, to get some deep moisture into the skin. I really love Nuxe's 'Huile Prodigieuse OR' Face, Body and Hair shimmering oil. It catches the light nicely, and doesn't leave you feeling greasy. The best places to apply it is along your shins, on your shoulders, arms and chest. I also really like it on my face, it's a great prep before applying a bit of tinted moisturiser and really gives a glow from within.

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Tried and Tested - DIY Pre-Holiday Beauty Treatments

Over the years I have become very used to prepping myself to be 'beach-ready', rather than paying someone else to do the job. I'd rather save the money and I can fit it into my own schedule easily rather than having to keep to an appointment.

LVL Lash Lift 
This is only thing I've recently paid to have done. I'm now a week into getting them done, and I'm really pleased. I naturally have straight, long, fair lashes, so this has given them a great boost. This procedure is becoming very popular now, and I found my salon through Treatwell, which is great to find treatments with trusted reviews. The process takes an hour and requires you to keep your eyes closed for the whole time. I actually didn't feel the urge to open my eyes until the very end, and the hour goes very fast. Your lashes get pushed back over a shield to create a lift and then some heavy duty 'Blue/Black' dye gets applied. When I go on holiday I'm going to try and wear minimal eye makeup to keep as many of my lashes intact for as long as possible. The lift should last 6 weeks, and my beauty therapist told me not to use oily eye makeup removers, as I think the oil will break down the lift prematurely. It also looks great when I wear mascara, as they really fan out. Its less of a curl and more of a 'lift' (exactly what the procedure is called!)

The 'after' - blacker lifted fluttery lashes.

Fake Tan
For about 10 years now, my go-to fake tan is the standard St Tropez Bronzing Lotion. I make sure do a full body tan a couple of nights before I go away, then I take with me the St Tropez mini in-shower tan and gradual tan that I've picked up from magazines (more on that in a future post). Although the St Tropez tan is pretty heavy duty, it gives me a solid but natural looking tan that lasts about a week.

Wax
I have quite fair fine hair, so this helps when I wax my legs, as there's not that much to rip out. And over the years hair has grown back less and less. I buy Veet's pot of wax, and stock up on it when its buy one get one free (2 for £10! Bargain!). This is great to use all year round, and one tub probably lasts me a year, so its great value for money. As long as you are firm and quick with the removal its fine to do yourself, and something you definitely get used to doing.

Mani / Pedi
As mentioned in this post, I always paint my fingers and toes rather than paying someone to do it (as I think I can do just as good of a job and would rather spend the money on a new nail varnish!). I like to put time aside in the evenings before I go away, to paint my nails. I normally do this whilst something good is on TV, so I make sure I sit down and not knock anything for the next hour!

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Hand Luggage Beauty Essentials

I always struggle rationing what I can fit into the tiny allowance for liquids in hand luggage. Its a real pain when you only have hand luggage. but when I'm checking in luggage, I breath a sigh of relief that I can pick exactly what I want to accompany me on the plane.

Here are my top products to keep my skin fresh and hydrated, with some other beauty essentials thrown in there too.

1) Mini Bioderma - along with some cotton pads, to give your skin a freshen up mid-flight.
2) Caudalie 'Beauty Elixir' - a couple of spritz's of this leaves your skin feeling great. More on this here.
3) Mini Clinique 'Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion' - a standard mini moisturiser to quench your skin on a dehydrating flight.
4) Burt's Bees 'Beeswax Lip Balm' - a strong lip balm is always handy to have with you.
5) Tisserand 'Sweet Dreams' Aromatherapy Roller Ball - great to put on your pressure points just before you try and get 40 winks on the plane.
6) Hand sanitiser - I always have this in my hand bag, especially when travelling.
7) Hair bobble - tie you hair up to stop it getting extra greasy on the flight.
8) Mitchum deoderant - I also pack some wipes, so if I get a bit hot I can have a quick freshen up before I land.
9) Clinique mini 'Even Better' - I put a small amount of this on just before I land to give my skin a boost and get a bit of 15SPF too.
10) Clinique 'Line Smoothing Concealer' - I dab a bit of this under my eyes and on any spots to even my complexion out, and make me look less tired.
11) Clarins 'Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector' in shade 05 - this is a pretty and natural shade, which again gives your overall look that little boost it might need at the end of a long day travelling.

My bag is from Primark, it came with 2 other bigger sized bags. I prefer using this as its more durable than the thin plastic bags that they give you at the airport, but I make sure I never over pack it incase security ask me to transfer my products into one of their plastic bags.

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Product Review - Bose® SoundLink® Mini II Bluetooth Portable Speaker

For a few years now, I have wanted to get some portable speakers for when I go on holiday, but had just never got round to researching which one would be the best one on the market for our budget. Thankfully I have been a little more prepared for this holiday, and have managed to get a Bose 'SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth Portable Speaker' - after having a good Google and look on Which, we thought this one would suit us best. And so far we're very impressed. It was incredibly easy to set up and the sound quality is excellent. Its got a good battery life, and when it does need a charge it slots into a simple charging dock. Its a good size and weight - not too big that its hard to carry about (you would hope not if its meant to be portable), but then its not too small that compromises on sound quality. As we are yet to go on holiday, I will report back here if it doesn't live up to my expectations, but so far so good.

E x

SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Top Summer Nail Varnish Colours

I always paint my own finger and toenails (I never get mani's/pedi's!), so I like to plan out what colours I'd like to wear on holiday, and even if I need to bring any colours with me for a quick change.

Here are my top colours to reach for when I go abroad and to compliment a summer glow.

1) Chanel 'Holiday' - I first new about this shade from Lisa Eldridge mentioning it in one of her blog posts, I've always loved orange based nail varnishes, so the fact that this was her favourite holiday shade I had to give it a go! Chanel is known for their not-so-good staying power, but I find this last really well on my toes with a good base and top coat. Unfortunately I don't think Chanel make this shade any more, but I think their new shade 'Espradilles' is a good option.

Please excuse my feet, but I wanted to show Chanel 'Holiday' in action...

2) Jessica 'Confident Coral' - a perfect coral, very bright but not neon - not too pink and not too orange. Its a really happy colour! Looks great on both fingers and toes.

3) Essie 'Fiji' - looks great with a tan, a very pale pink, a nice option when you want to wear something fresh and feminine. I prefer this on my fingers.

4) Collistar 'Azzurro Amaleonte' - this is an Italian brand, and the shade name translates to Blue Chameleon, which I think is perfect because of the rainbow effects within the shade makes it look slightly different in different lights. I picked this up in Florence a couple of years ago, after being immediately drawn to this shade in a department store. I automatically think of the sea and mermaids when I wear this colour, its so pretty. So if you're ever in Italy, I'd recommend it!

5) Chanel 'Beige Pur' - this is a perfect pinky nude the compliments my skin tone. I like wearing it when I've got a bright colour on my toes, its very understated and chic, and a good option when you're going to be wearing alot of bright summery clothes that you don't want your nails to clash with.

E x

Tried and Tested: Health Kick #3 - Healthy Snacking

Its all very well trying to plan ahead for your lunch and evening meals, but sometimes during the day you need a quick (but healthy) snack to keep you going until meal time. Here are a few things that I've been eating recently, to help curb the hunger and give me a healthy boost.

Protein Balls
There are many recipes for these on the internet, but I found that this recipe, from the The Healthy Maven, works for me, and you can easily modify it based on what you have in the cupboard. Great for when you've got a bit of a sweet tooth, so probably shouldn't to eat too regularly, but its nice knowing what every single ingredient you've put into the mix is.

Nuts and Raisin Pot
I've got a little plastic Tupperware pot, that I keep in my hand bag - its got a mix of raisins, pecans, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts and walnuts. The ingredients don't really 'go off' or need to be kept in a fridge, so its fine if you don't manage to eat it for a couple of weeks!

Boiled Eggs
At the start of the week, I boil a few eggs to take with me to work, I keep them in the fridge, and at about 11am when I'm starting to get hungry, having a hard boiled egg really satisfies hunger pangs, and its great to have protein early in the morning too, as its when your body needs it most.

Dried Fruit and Yoghurt
Its great for a snack but will also be a tasty breakfast. Add a handful of dried apricots, dates, prunes and figs into a pan, cover it with cold water and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for half an hour. Then leave the pan over night for the water to carry on absorbing into the fruit. It also creates a syrup that is great when you add a couple of spoonfuls of the fruit mix to some natural yoghurt.

Peanut Butter
This isn't the best snack, but when I'm very hungry and just can't wait half an hour until my dinner is ready, I eat a tea spoonful of 'healthy' good quality peanut butter. It gives me enough of a boost, but hopefully isn't too loaded up with sugar.

E x