Christian Louboutin Lipstick Collection

Following the success of Christian Louboutin's nail polish last year, the shoe designer's next foray into the beauty world comes in the shape of a lipstick collection. And this being Louboutin, these aren't any old lipsticks, they come with some seriously elaborate packaging and a £60 price tag to match. The majority of shades are contained in gold packaging with the signature colours in black.

The collection is inspired by the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti and the Art Deco movement and comprises 38 beautiful shades in three different finishes: Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Velvet Matte. The range of colours looks pretty impressive and I have no doubt the quality will be equally impressive. In fact the only thing I am unsure of is the little loop on the cap. While I understand that they are intended to be objects of desire as much as lipsticks, I have seen promotional images where they have ribbon looped through and can be worn as jewellery... Now I might be alone on this one, but I think that's a very quick way to cheapen a high end product!

Regardless, I am excited for these to hit the shops next month and find if they are as impressive as they look.

Hand Luggage Essentials

Hand luggage tends to be the last thing that I pack but having the stuff that makes travelling a more relaxing experience, is worthwhile thinking about. So here a few tips to get you organised.

Select the right bag:
My criteria tends to be: big, comfortable to hold, have at least one compartment and a summery colour. It is usually something that I will want to use on holiday, either as day bag or beach bag.

Anti Viral/Anti Bacterial:
Boots do a really good one and you can buy this in the terminal. I do not want to catch a horrible cold or worse, vomming on holiday, so this is a must for me.

Lip Balm:
Carmex is my go to.

Skincare:
I buy travel bottles, label them up and make sure that I have all my favourites with me on the plane. Giving yourself a little spritz of toner on the plane is refreshing and good for the skin. However, on occasion, I have accidentally sprayed the nice passenger next me! Ooops, sorry... however really they should be thanking me as their skin will look great! If you want more tips on keeping skin looking it's best while travelling you can read Jen's long-haul flight skincare routine here.

Face wipes:
I typically hate make up wipes but long flights are the exception to the rule. If you really must use them Ole Henriksen is your go to brand. They aren't harsh or filled with grotty, drying properties.

Hand cream:
Decant some before you leave or buy in the airport, especially if you a bit OCD with the anti viral.

Water:
Buy two big bottles and ensure that you hydrate throughout the flight (the champagne doesn't count!)

Magazines/New Book
Pick carefully. Do some research so that you are looking forward to reading that new release that book bloggers have been recommending. It will make the flight go a little quicker. When it comes to magazines, I'm a little odd about which one I pick. I find that the ones that plaster their pages with 'Being single after the age of 35' or how everyone should have a 'Bikini Ready Body' make me roll my eyes!

Eye mask/pillow/favourite fluffy to help you to snooze:
I bring my stuffed monkey....why would I not?

Valuables:
Take them with you in your hand luggage, don't pack anything into your suitcase that could cause serious problems if your luggage goes missing. 

Snacks:
My boyfriend will tell me that he wont be hungry on the plane. Oh how funny he is! He will be and will try to eat my dinner as well as his own. I go to W.H Smiths and stock up on healthy snacks that wont cause a huge sugar crash. Things like dark chocolate covered corn cakes, dried fruit (although sugary, it's better than a box of Dairy Milk!) and Naked Bars will keep people going in between plane food.

What are your hand-luggage essentials? We would love to know!

Summer Suitcase Must Haves

Following on from my last post – What's in my Suitcase & Packing Tips – I thought I would share a few of the must-have holiday products that I purchase before I travel. From skin care and hair care to bikinis and the comfiest sandals, these are the essentials that always make it into my suitcase!

Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil 100ml £21.50
This protects your hair and hair colour from UVA/UVB damage and can be used as heat protector when styling. Vitamin E and sunflower seed oil protect against free radicals and the shea butter helps to detangle. It also smells like summer!

Moroccanoil Frizz Control 100ml for 19.45
Nobody wants to look like Monica from Friends when she goes on holiday. (Remember The One in Barbados?!) This eliminates the frizz caused by humidity and controls static. It also has weather resistant properties and will keep hair manageable as you move from humid heat to equally damaging air con.

Swimwear that makes you feel confident
You can read more about why Victoria's Secret swimwear is top of my list here.

Comfortable Sandals
UGG/ Sketchers are ideal, basically anything with padding if you are going to be doing a lot of walking.

Travel size samples
Save up the mini-versions of your favourite skincare over the year and off you go!

Suncream
Organic Green People's Scent Free Sun Lotion is suitable for all skin types, has UVA and UVB protection, is water repellent, really moisturising and rich in natural antioxidants, such as avocado, chamomile and green tea, which protects the skin whilst in the sun. It doesn't contain any parabens, alcohol, lanolin – all the ingredients we like to avoid where possible, an as added Bonus, Green People will donate 30p from your purchase to the Marine Conservation Society.
200ml, £18.95 from www.greenpeople.co.uk

If you're like me and want to get holiday bits sorted ASAP, www.feelunique.com has a range of beauty and skincare products, including those mentioned above. UGG has a sale on at the moment, so if you are in the market for a new pair of sandals, that's worth a look too. www.ugg.co.uk