Space NK Apothecary

Having said in a previous post that I wanted a Sephora near to my front door, I realised how lucky us Brits are to have Space NK. Even if we are nowhere near a store, their website is thoroughly stocked and even though there are many expensive products listed, there are some great deals and products. Brands such as Emma Hardie – that you assume would cost the earth – are actually pretty reasonably priced.

Now, in times of tightening our financial belts, I love the fact that I can pop to Boots and buy a makeup remover for £2.99 but it is nice to have a fancier option, without the feeling that you are being pressurised to buy the whole shop.

The employees are very knowledgeable about the products and seem to have a genuine interest in skincare and beauty. I don't know how, but I almost feel like it's a calming experience! Maybe it's the decor and the presentation of the products, and, as I tend to go in at non peak times, the lack of people helps too.

My favourite store is the Covent Garden one, which is located in Shelton Street. The lady that tends to help me never pushes any of the products but instead, really listens to the type of product that I am after. She also gives out really good samples, which I nearly always return to buy. Smart move Space NK! 

My favourite Space NK products/brands include: 

1. Colbert MD Ilłumino Facial Oil (I reviewed this last week and having recommended it to friends and family, they have echoed my praise for this product)

2. Kevyn Aucoin makeup range/ Nars range

3. Ren 

4. Eve Lom/Emma Hardie (see review) 

5. By Terry 

6. Caudalie 

7. Glam Glow (see review) 

8. Beauty Blender

9. Diptyque candles (to me, they are just the kings of candles)
10. Algenist

I could go on but the point is, when you are in the mood to buy something that is a bit more than the basic product, you get lovely service whilst being given specific information about the product, that up until now has never been wrong. I have never regretted purchase from here and, shamefully, I shop here more than I go food shopping! Cooking just isn't my forte.... Luckily, for Space NK, skincare and beauty are!

uk.spacenk.com 

Long-haul Flight Skincare Routine

As you may have noticed, I have been a little quiet on the blog front lately, having taken a much needed getaway to Florida for some fun and sunshine. A big thank you to Kay for holding down the fort and reviewing some great products in my absence. I definitely want to get my hands on that Benefit Majorette blush!

Now normally I don’t give my skin too much thought on aeroplanes and then I wonder why I land looking red-eyed, dehydrated and generally in need of some TLC. So this time I did my research and put together a selection of products to protect my skin from the nasty re-circulated air.

The result? For the first time ever, I got off the plane with skin that looked considerably better than when I boarded! My husband was giving me some strange looks as I made him touch my face, saying “seriously, I’m not being funny but look how great my skin is!” He might have thought I was crazy but ladies, I know you'll understand my excitement, so here is my new routine:

OLE HENRIKSON 'THE TRUTH TO GO' WIPES

I don’t wear makeup to get on a flight (well maybe I whack on a bit of concealer and fill in my brows but that doesn’t count right?!) but I still start by giving my face a quick cleanse. I know face wipes are generally a massive no-no but these ones are great. They are gentle on your skin and infused with brightening Vitamin C and firming micro algae. They have a delicious vanilla-orangey smell too! 
Currently £25 for 100 on lookfantastic.com, (half price) 
Note: I believe they have now been re-branded as The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths.

CLINIQUE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT MOISTURISER

I then give my skin a quick moisturise using my old faithful Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, which you can read a bit more about in my July Skincare Routine here.

£17 for 50ml, www.clinique.co.uk

CAUDALIE BEAUTY ELIXIR

Next up is a spray of Beauty Elixir. This product is a bit of a cult classic with an impressive following but one that I hadn’t tried before. It was inspired by the centuries old ‘elixir of youth’ used by Queen Isabelle of Hungry and a quick spritz adds an instant burst of radiance to your complexion. I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype, but the 30ml was perfect size for a flight so I thought I’d give it a go. My verdict? I love it! The scent doesn’t really do it for me but it is refreshing and it certainly perks up my complexion. Very happy with this one! I also used it regularly after a tiring day on holiday before putting on makeup for the evening and it definitely rejuvenated the ol' face.
Currently £9.50 for 30ml from www.feelunique.com 
Note: Usual RRP approx. £11.50

ESTEE LAUDER RESILIENCE LIFT FIRMING/SCULPTING EYE CREAM

This is a long name for a little product! It’s a nice, hydrating, quickly absorbed eye cream, but as always I haven’t seen any spectacular differences. I have only been using it for a couple of weeks though, and while I was on holiday I was sporadic in my application of eye cream to say the least, so the jury is out until I’ve given it a fair trial. It did the trick nicely on the plane however and kept the skin around my eyes well moisturised.

£46 for 15ml, www.esteelauder.co.uk

ORIGINS DRINK UP INTENSIVE OVERNIGHT MASK

Next I slap on a layer of this mask. When I purchased it in Selfridges, I asked if they had any samples and they gave me a small travel size to take on the plane. (Always ask for samples when you're making a purchase ladies, they'll happily hand them over and the small sizes are perfect for travel.) It’s a clear mask which is exactly why it’s ideal for a flight (you’re going to get some funny looks if you slather on something white or green). It’s pretty thick but exactly how quickly it absorbs depends how much you put on. Don’t be afraid to apply a generous amount on a flight though, it really does prevent your skin from drying out! A little goes a long way and you would normally only use this a couple of times a week, so the full size tube will last a long time.

£23 for 100ml at www.selfridges.com

COCOA BUTTER VASELINE

It might be an idea to use something a bit more hydrating on a plane, but as I was just trying to protect from dehydration I felt Vaseline was enough, so I packed my favourite cocoa butter. As we all know, Vaseline's useful for everything from moisturising cuticles and removing makeup smudges, to taming brows and highlighting cheek bones, so it's a useful multi-tasker to have in your hand luggage.

£2.18 for 20g, www.boots.com

EOS HAND LOTION

This came in a bargain of a Selfridges Beauty Box I purchased a while back (£120 worth of products for £30? Yes please!) and was a nice size to pop in my hand luggage. It absorbs quickly, has a 96% natural formula and is hypoallergenic and paraben-free. The packaging isn’t very glamorous but it has a nice scent and it does the job so no complaints here. It's now on my desk and I enjoy slapping it on throughout the day.
£8 from www.topshop.com, although I’m pretty sure you can get it for as little as $1.99 in the US!

And that's about it! I topped up the Beauty Elixir, Eye Cream, Mask and Lip Balm mid-flight, used another face wipe before landing, moisturised and put on a bit of concealer and I was good to go. Like I said, my skin was better when I arrived in Orlando than when I left England! It might seem like a long list of products but it really isn’t, they only take a matter of minutes to apply and the results were really worth it. The Origins mask and Caudalie Beauty Eixir kept my skin looking good all holiday and are now firm favourites.

There is one other secret to looking good when you get off the plane. Don’t touch the plane food! I took all my own healthy snacks and it was the best long haul flight decision I’ve ever made, I can't tell you how much better I felt for avoiding all the nasty pre-packaged processed food. Lastly, remember to hydrate your skin from within and drink plenty of water. If you end up being that annoying person that has to go to the bathroom 10 times then so be it... And on that delightful note I'll wrap things up! But if you have any of your own recommendations for in-flight skincare then please do let us know, we'd love to hear them.