Wishlist - Skincare, Body & Make Up - Irish Edition

So anyone who has flown Ryanair will know how hard it is to squeeze all your stuff into a suitcase.. Especially when you can't bring too much in your hand luggage either. Therefore, being very clever, I decided I'd just replace most of my beauty products over here. BIG MISTAKE. I underestimated the cost of moving & currently cannot justify loads of money on cleanser, or a hair mask. (Give me another 2 weeks!) I also underestimated the availability of certain things. No joke, every exfoliator I have picked up seems way too gentle. Plus.. I have to admit, I don't even know what half this stuff is. There is a chance that the make up remover I've been using is actually mouthwash. (That's a joke. Mouthwash has a picture of teeth on it.)

So, I decided to put together some of the products I REALLY miss & will hopefully order online, or buy over here when money comes through! Because my skin is in bits. I've had a massive chin/ jaw break out, which goes from big spots to flakiness. Even my body is covered in hives & a rash!

Clinique Moisture Surge Relief, €44 on Debenhams.ie

For something that I got as a sample, I really started to love this moisturiser. Even though my skin is combination, it is mostly dry & quite dehydrated, but I don't recall any flakiness or tightness when using this!

Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff, £4.50 for two, Feelunique

I still have not found a proper exfoliator here, and a good scrub with gloves or a shower puff just does not give the same result as this pink wonder. Also missing Cocoa Brown Tan like crazy, but Marissa Carter just announced it will soon be available in Germany!

Loreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, €10.79, Boots

I really like oily cleansers. I've been using a cleansing water here & I feel like my face is stripped (though pores look smaller.) I can't say I feel any particular affiliation with this cleansing oil but I was using it at home & I like wiping it off with a hot facecloth! Any cleanser recommendations welcome though.

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque, €16

As I said, my skin feels stripped & dehydrated. While I'm horsing water into me, sometimes you just need a quick fix which will plump up your face stat.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light, €26.50.

Long story short, I bought this powder, loved it, lost it, thought it HAD to turn up so just bought a replacement cheaper one. It has not turned up & I feel cakey with the replacement. While I have been going powder-less quite a bit, I miss it.

REN Gkycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, €35, Cloud10 Beauty

I really, really need masks right now, okay? I had a sample of this & loved how it brightened my face & helped get rid of old acne spots & marks - My face could do with a bright of radiance & replenishing!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation, €17.80, Boots

This is my go-to foundation in winter. I haven't used it in months because it is so heavy coverage & also very pale, but my current foundation don't seem to last as long as I need (As in, college til 8PM. Longlasting is my aim.) I haven't seen Revlon here so will need to get some, soon!

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub, €5.69, Boots

While I love chemical exfoliants, I also like giving my face a nice scrub once a week to make me feel like I'm getting rid of the dirt & dead skin. I haven't found a better exfoliator than this - It is quite gritty, but I like that!

So there we have it. basically, the products I took for granted til I couldn't get them. However if anyone has any alternative suggestions - Feel free to leave a comment!

Chloe x

Life on Erasmus #1

Catchy title, eh? But hey, it is what it says on the tin! It doesn't feel like I've only been here just over two weeks (Not sure if that's a good or bad thing!) But, from the start.

Arriving in my new town after a flight & train journey

Strangely, I had no problem leaving home. After my crying the night before, I was okay. It felt weird to be the one comforting my parents, but I took it well. Til I got on the plane, & a few tears escaped. Since then, yep, I have cried a little. The first time I Skyped my little sisters, I sobbed afterwards! But it's all good now.

View from the train station

I really like the city. It's small enough to feel comfortable here & know the place, but big enough to be interesting & there are lots of places nearby to travel to. Some of the buildings are beautiful & the scenery pretty much is breath taking. The view out my window is lovely! (Which is good, because I have no curtains.) But my room is massive, so I can deal with it.

The River Saale in the local park

Yeah, it's not all sunshine & lollipops. When we arrived, I couldn't move into my apartment for another week, so I spent a week sleeping uncomfortably. We had no internet, & wifi just doesn't seem to be a thing here. I was waiting for my phone to be unlocked to use a German sim card, & when it was unlocked, I had to wait to get internet to actually complete the process, so I was spending massive amounts of credit! We were supposed to do a language course, which was cancelled. So basically.. We probably arrived a week too early.

View from the tower

But Monday, we start college, which I'm looking forward to. We have (finally) met other students, who seem really nice so hopefully I do actually make friends! And I think this year might really change me as a person. I'll have to wait & see :)

Me & my new home!

Chloe x

Essence Longlasting Lipstick in 03 Dare To Wear

Hey!

So out of all the lovely new make up brands over here... I chose to go with something I recognised. I've never tried an Essence lipstick before, but after swatching it, I liked the colour & it was only €2.49 - Where could I go wrong?

The packaging looks better than Essence's usual offerings, a matte black plastic tube with a stripe across the middle to show the colour. The lid clicks on well, so it feels pretty sturdy! I also like the 'e' embossed on the bullet.

When swatched, I thought this was a deep pinky red (similar to a Rimmel lipstick I left at home!) and because I love any pink lipstick, I threw it in my bag. Or basket. Because I did actually pay for it. Either way, after applying it, I realised it's not really pinky toned. There is a hint there, but it's predominantly  a mid-deep red.

Pigmentation is good, & it applies well. I suppose it's a satin finish - Not quite matte, but not glossy either. I had lipbalm underneath, hence the shine! But above all - Essence say it's long lasting. Which it is. If you're sitting at home twiddling your thumbs. Yes, it lasts if you're just running around, & it fades evenly. But kissing & eating mean it'll pretty much smudge around your mouth - Could be solved by lipliner, but I don't have one with me!

That said, I probably will wear it during the day, just not on a date night or anything like that. And it hasn't stopped me from wanting to try some of the pink shades!

Have you tried Essence lipsticks? Does it annoy you when swatches are different to the actual colour?

Chloe x