WELCOME TO ROMA

No guesses regarding the content of this post, we've been sunning it up in Rome for the past few days! Trying to fit in a long weekend in Rome in one blog post seems somewhat impossible, so I think the best approach is to maybe spread it out over a few. It's no secret that I love travelling. I am obsessed with discovering new places, but unfortunately we don't often get a chance due to work commitments and conflicting shift work. We've been trying to fit in a few more city breaks in an effort to see as much as possible; so clearly Rome was our travel conquest of choice. 

In an attempt not to make this post incredibly long I'm quickly going to summarise the main attractions that we want to see and then break it down from there.

Piazza Venezia: This is where we started our journey just about every day. The square is the central hub of the city and a great starting point to walk to any of the attractions, most of which are only a 15 - 20 minuet walk from here. Right in the square is Altare della patria which is a beautiful monument which has some incredible views over the city picture below. 

The forum: Just a short walk from Altare della patria, the forum is like walking into a movie scene. The sheer vast landscape filled with ruins is just hard to take in. This was very much at the centre of roman lives, they held public speeches, criminal trials and even gladiatorial matches here. It's incredible to walk through such a bustling and modern city that also is just dripping in history and character. It shouldn't work but it just does.  

Trevi Fountain: Firstly apologies for the poor quality I couldn't even get my camera out of my bag this place was so busy. It's clear to see that the Trevi fountain is a beauty, unfortunately its beauty is undermined by the sheer amount of people that gather too see it. I would love to go there out of season when everyone is not pushing for a spot at the front.  Despite that you can not deny the craftsmanship of this beautiful fountain and even though you may struggle to get a nice holiday selfie with it, without other peoples heads or selfie sticks its very much worth seeing. 

The Spanish Steps: This attraction was probably the most disappointing for me, as you can see another very popular destination which means a LOT of people.  I visited it because I suppose you have to, however although I can appreciate its uniqueness and beauty, in comparison to all the other beautiful architecture it was somewhat underwhelming. The Spanish steps is however in a beautiful area of Rome. Especially if you love a bit of shopping, this area is drenched in beautiful restaurants and designer shops. 

We visited Villa Borghese which is my absolute favourite place in Rome but I'm keeping this under wraps until my next post because it's just too beautiful to gloss over in a sentence or so. Lastly I just want to share some street shots I took whilst I was wandering around because too me thats the best part about travel just getting lost in pretty streets. Im sure you will agree that no matter where you are in Rome, its all beautiful. 

SOLEIL TAN DE CHANEL

This is sort of a case of YouTube made me buy it. For years this has been floating around the beauty community and I've always wondered whether this was worth the hype so to speak. Temptation finally got the best of me and I bit the bullet and purchased this little beauty. Can we just admire how perfect the packaging is. Classic black and gold screams sophistication, it is the perfect vanity piece. A lovely little item to glam up your dresser without a very hefty price tag. That being said I would never tell you to purchase an item solely based upon the pretty packaging so lets get into the good stuff.

SO, Chanel describe the product as a cream gel bronzer that glides on to the skin to leave a velvety finish, leaving you with a sun kissed matte but natural look. The product can be worn under foundation or over the top. I have not used this under my foundation as I think that's a bit heavy for my personal taste but I have been using it as a bronzer over the top of my foundation. Pictured below the product looks very warm, which it is but not near as orange as the photo is making it out to be. If you are very fair I don't think that the colouring would be great on your skin tone. I have a medium neutral skin tone and even then its potentially on the dark/warm side. It's supposed to be a universal shade but I think that's bollocks to be honest.  No way is this catering for very light or very dark girls.

As you can see from the photo above I have tried and tested the product a food few times, its not looking that hot now.  I've tried applying this in different ways and I've found that the best technique is to dab the product on and then lightly buff. When I first tried this product I applied far too much product to my brush and tried to buff it in and my goodness it was a hot mess. Only a little bit of product is needed on a tapered buffing brush, it is so pigmented that the smallest amount goes a long way. I'm not going to lie this is not a fool proof product to work with, but then again I find cream   face product always are. I often find it can be more difficult to deposit the product in the right place with a cream product and this is no exception. There are times when I have applied this and it has been patchy as hell and other times it has been a seamless glow. Mastering the application is key, once you have that down you're life of sun kissed skin awaits you. With this knowledge in hand if you are prepared to put in the extra time then you'll will learn to love this product, because the finished result is great. If you're a slap it on the face and go kinda girl, this really isn't for you.

I find that upon application the product is tacky but it does eventually dry down. I wouldn't say its a light product I could feel it on my face, which although I don't mind I know its not for everyone. I purchased this at Boots, at the price point of £36.00. Value wise for the amount of product that you will use I think its very reasonably priced, its not a product that you will get through very easy.  Other stockist include: John Lewis House of Fraser Debenhams.

For me this product is worth the hype, because I am willing to put the effort in. However I can see how it won't be for everyone, it can be a pain to apply, its pricey and the colour is not favourable for everyone. I will be continuing to use this for the foreseeable as I love the glowy natural finish it gives my skin. All I can say is take away any points that apply to you in this review and weigh up if this is the right product for you and hopefully you'll like it as much as I do too.

IS THERE A FEMALE VERSION OF THE WORD MANCHILD?

I learnt a few things about myself today. I am not nearly as grown up as I believe myself to be and that I would certainly die in a zombie Apocalypse. The fact that my mind would even link those two totally unrelated events together, is a testament to how un-grown-up I am. (fairly confident that's not a word) I had a pretty crappy morning, which started with me falling back to sleep after I had switched off my alarm, waking frantically to the realisation that I had fifteen minuets to get ready. Disaster number two took place whilst doing my makeup, when I squirted foundation down my work skirt. It wasn't the lack organisation that left me feeling like a less than adequate adult but more the fact that I had no idea what to remove a foundation stain with. I feel like rescuing clothes from life long stains is the true mark of adulthood. Clearly something I have not accomplished as I went to work with not only a foundation smear on the bottom of my skirt, but also an oily residue around the stain because I tried to get rid of it with makeup remover... Amateur.

Work is usually a constant reminder that I look twelve years old, as people scan my face and my work badge trying to work out whether I'm qualified to advise them, or if someone just let the work experience girl loose in the pharmacy. There is no bigger sign that you are defiantly not an adult than being referred to as 'sweetheart' or 'darling' 100x a day. Today was no different. I had a frantic forty minuets at the end of the day filled with confusing prescription issues that resulted in me leaving around fifteen minuets late. The cherry on top of the shitty little cupcake that was my day, was returning to my car to find a very flat tyre. The terrible thing is that it was not even a surprise event. I knew I had a slow puncture and I just ignored it. I'm not quite sure whether this makes me a child or just a fucking idiot. So now I could no longer ignore the tyre problem. I had to fix it and it was at this point I realised I have absolutely no idea how to do that, that I'm a hopeless adult and if there was a zombie invasion right now I'd be on the menu. I always thought I was quite a pragmatic and sensible person, ideal for a zombie attack. That brains over brawn would be my weapon of choice. Until I realised that I clearly panic in situations that I am not comfortable with and well I'm not actually that useful. To put a long story short I need to learn how to change a fucking tyre. I managed to call pretty much everyone in my contact list who had reasonable knowledge of cars and ask for advice. This lead me to purchase an air machine thingy... and blow the tyre up enough till I could get it home and someone else with more experience could change the tyre for me. This took me roughly about two hours. How I'm not sure, but it did.

 Over the last year there have been multiple occasions where I have just been way in over my head in adult situations, but non as much as this one. In the two hours it took me to blow up a tyre I verged on tears about six times. When I finally got home I felt a little bit deflated and a whole lot of useless so I dealt with the emotions the only adult way I knew how. I fought back the tears, ran myself a bath and poured a big glass of rose´.  It's easy to get hung up on the crappy things, the fact I'm clearly not qualified to set my own bedtime, that I leave my laundry to do last minuet and that I know nothing about cars. But I also have learnt so much, how to cook home cooked meals, holding down a steady job, budgeting my money, saving a percentage of my wage and just navigating a world outside of university. The truth is I'm an adult in progress, and I think that's okay.

TOO FACED BORN THIS WAY REVIEW

I'm going to start by saying that this isn't really a foundation suitable for my skin type and I knew this prior to purchase, that being said I'm super impressed how things turned out. So just a heads up I'm an oily girl and foundation is a real struggle for us greasy folk. If you also have oily skin, this review may come in handy. If you have dry skin I'm afraid it probably won't be much use, my skin has never had a dry patch and therefore I have no experience on the plight of dry skin. What I do know however is how much it sucks to have oily skin and how hard it is to make your makeup last. If your curious how this foundation works on a greasy gal like me, keep on reading.

First I'm gonna talk about the packaging, because honestly first impressions count. I really like the frosted glass bottle, it has a nice weight to it and I love the gold writing on the glass. I'm not a complete fan of the lid, I think the plastic looks and feels pretty cheap, but I'm not mad at it over a lid.  Hallelujah it comes with a pump attached, I think this should be a basic right when it comes to foundation (little dig at mac there). I purchased this in Debenhams for £29.00. Price range is pretty average for a popular 'high end' makeup brand, it's pretty consistent price wise with other brands across the board. Links to UK retailers here: Debenhams Selfridges

On to the actual product, I picked up the shade light beige. So I have a neutral completion its not yellow toned and its not pink, I'm a mixture. This means that I can choose which undertone I want, but it also means that I never truly get a good foundation match. I really toyed on what shade to pick but I eventually settled on this one that is a bit dark for my face but has a lovely mixed undertone. It looks very yellow swatched but it is definitely more warm when blended into the face. I would say the consistency of the product is average not watery but not thick either, it blends out pretty easy and you don't need a lot of product. I'd say that the foundation is a semi matte finish. It is matte but it's almost luminous at the same time. The coverage is medium to full, I actually think this foundation has great coverage without looking cakey.

Too Faced claim that this foundation masterfully diffuses the line between makeup and skin leaving you with natural radiant skin. And in many ways I agree, it's reasonably lightweight considering the coverage you get and it really does leave your skin radiant. But I do feel like you can tell I'm wearing foundation, so I wouldn't go as far as to say it blurs the lines between makeup and skin. You will see from the before and after photo below that it clearly covers my very minor break out and midgie bites and hides a lot of discolouration under my eyes. It seems to cover everything that needs coverage but also lets your skin come through. I am also in love with the undertone of this foundation, although the colour is a little dark it's something I can work with.

Now I'm gonna chat about longevity and I'd like you to bare in mind that his foundation is not tailor made for oily skin, its in fact for combination dry skin. Since it was an oil free foundation I thought I'd take a punt on it. It has a lot of hydrating properties which can also benefit oily skin as dehydration causes the over production of oil. Plus I love the finish, just because I'm oily it doesn't mean I want to be matte, flat and lifeless. I want shine just not an oil slick. I'd say this foundation lasted around 5 hours without horrendous production of oil on the t-zone. For a foundation not created for oil control I consider that pretty good. I tested this without a primer or setting powder, so with the right combination I really think it could last 8hours plus. I just need to find the right combination! Blotting is worth while when your skin looks this healthy and glowy. It isn't the best for oily skin I'm not gonna lie, and if you can't stand touch ups and blotting your going to hate this. For me however I am prepared to put in the hard work to look like I have good skin!

It's not a perfect foundation and this isn't a glowing review but I know that I have problem skin and considering all the factors I do like the foundation. In fact I love it at first application I just wish it looked like that all day. The quest to find a glowy foundation that controls oil is still on but this is a good substitute for the time being.

DIOR FOREVER

I think it clear I'm a fan of Dior foundation, given by previous glowing review of the Nude Air foundation. Well that product inspired to take a look at a product that I raved about when I was younger. The Dior Forever foundation was my holygrail at about 16, expensive taste I know. I have a neutral skin tone which can be frustrating as many foundations can be either very pink or very yellow. Well my skin has both, which essentially means I can choose which way to go but it would be easier if they just made a flipping neutral tone foundation. Around this time of year, I would be around a shade 20 in this foundation, I am a shade 11 in the winter months and a shade 25 upwards if I have had sun exposure. Instead of purchasing three shades I just buy the two from either end of the spectrum and mix them to make a medium shade. Which not only saves me money but also creates a nice undertone as the 25 is very warm and the 11 is very cool.

Enough about my complex shade requirements and down to the nitty gritty: finish, longevity, price and packaging. Dior claims that this is a luminous matte finish and I have to agree. This is why I loved and still love this product because whilst I have oily skin and need a matte product I don't want my face to look flat and loose luminosity. Its a great semi-matte finish that doesn't succumb to oil. As I've sorta said in a roundabout way, it's great for combination skin, airing on the side of oily. I can't really say how it would act with dry skin as at the moment I don't have any patches, but if I do I will update.

Moving onto longevity, with a good primer I've seen this foundation still look nice after an 8 hour shift at work. On my worst no primer, super oily days I would say it lasts about 4-5 hours; that is worst case scenario though. Judging on how this preforms against other foundations, it probably doesn't last as long as my Mac studio fix but I would choose this finish over studio fix every time.

Dior is not a cheap brand, I mean its not up there with Tom Ford prices but its still more expensive than Mac but on par with the likes of Bobbi Brown and Nars. Its £35.00 for a 30ml bottle, they do have a £32 version with lower SPF but it only comes in 3 shades... I have no idea why. £35 can seem like a fair bit to pay considering how long 30mls last but in my opinion I think foundation is something you shouldn't cheap on. When you find the one you like, you better stick with it. In relation to the quality I think the price is justified, I haven't found a cheaper alternative that I like as much as this and therefore I'll shell out the dollar.

The packaging of Dior is always very luxurious with their glass bottles, which make any vanity table look smart as a dart. That being said the bottles really gripe me, mainly because you just can't get the last dregs of your foundation out, the pump does not detach and obviously you can't squeeze it out the glass. That's my only negative, for a high end price I would like to make use of every last drop.

Available at Boots: http://www.boots.com/beauty/makeup/face/foundation/dior-diorskin-forever-fluid-foundation-spf35-30ml

Debenhams: http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123172088699_-1

Feel Unique: http://www.feelunique.com/p/DIORSKIN-Forever-Foundation-30ml

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SUMMERTIME VIBES

Summer is officially here, not that we would know with all the rain at the moment.  Nevertheless, I've been keeping positive and focusing on my summer holiday. There's nothing like a change of season to make you reevaluate your wardrobe; I'm going to Rome in July and I currently only have knitwear in my closet. This calls for an excuse to shop, which would be so exciting if I wasn't so poor. So I'm picking up bits and bobs as I go and spreading out the costs, so chances are there will be a few of these clothing posts. 

My vision for clothes for Rome are flowy, white, cute and simple. Which isn't drastically different from my regular clothes. I like minimalistic fashion, I would call it chic but that word kind of conjures up a glamorous image and that's not a very accurate description of myself. I just like to look smart without look overstated and a neutral wardrobe with tiny touches of colour never fails. This is pretty much why I love Zara, they have some lovely pieces that are simple but still striking and they don't cost an arm and a leg (most of the time). I picked up this lovely embroidered top, the comes in at the waist with tassells either side and then flows back out almost peplum like without the structure. I think I'll pair this top with some baby pink shorts with darts and some wedges. For £25.00 I think this item is a great holiday staple, something that could be casual during the day or dressed up more worn with jeans and heels for a semi casual lunch. It fits my ethereal, wanderlust vibe that I want for my Rome trip, so I'm a happy girl. Link provided below! 

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/embroidered-top-c401028p4482509.html

As you can see my pop of colour usually comes in shoe form. I like a statement shoe, it usually where I have my most fun. Therefore I just could not pass up on these bright orange sliders from Zara. Paired with a minimal outfit these will really stand out and just give your look that extra something. They could be casual or more dressy. I wore these with some mom jeans, rounded glasses and a bardot cut top for serious retro vibes, but these also look really modern and classy pair with a simple white dress during the day. Best thing is that they are only £19.99. Downsides however, are my feelings towards sliders, I'm not convinced in practicality. Like it or not summer means sweaty feet, and sliders are hard to keep on at the best of times. My feet were flying out of these until I got used to them; and let me tell you standing on the back of that shoe with the fleshy sole of your foot hurts like a bitch! I will still wear them because pain and beauty and all, but if your not as willing to injure yourself for pretty shoes maybe reconsider these babies. 

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/shoes/view-all/split-suede-slides-with-bow-c719531p4894630.html

My shopping trip was a little bit of a flop, I love the two items from Zara that I purchased but shopping is sometimes just a reminder that your skint and have gained a few pounds. Is there anything more depressing than going in a fitting room with those mirrors from every angle? Fabulous, now I can see the cellulite on areas of my body that I have never seen before... all at once. So shopping not only provided me with some new shoes and a top it also reminded me to stop eating crap and to bloody exercise.  47 days to go..

BOOTS BODYCARE BINGE

Yesterday I had a body care clear out and sold off all my old toiletries at the car boot sale. The main objective to make space and make a bit of dollar. However like the true beauty junkie that I am, no sooner had I got rid of some, I had bought some replacements. And so the cycle continues...

I am a sucker for new products and cute packaging. If that wasn't enough already for me to smuggle these into my basket, the smell well and truly sealed the deal. I have to admit that I am that annoying customer that likes to smell everything before they buy it. It's a very important factor for me, I love strong, long lasting scented products. I'd like to mention that I am struggling heavily with hay fever at the moment, rendering my nose just about useless, BUT I could still smell these very well which is a brilliant sign. 

Enough waffling Kelsey, tell them what you bought! 

 Sanctuary has just released a new line called Being, to me its the trendy younger sister of Sanctuary. I feel the packaging and diverse scent range is aimed at more my age range (20's). I love that sanctuary have been playful with the packaging and yet at the same time retained its luxurious spa like reputation.  I picked up two body washes in the scents Chili Mango & Tonka Bean and Salted Caramel & Macadamia. Frankly I'm terrible at describing scents so what I will say is they smell really good, good enough to be experienced in person. So go sniff a bottle in your local boots. But just remember that I warned you, if you return home with the whole range it's not my fault. I chose these two body washes in particular because they looked very creamy and thick, whereas other scents  in the collection looked like they had a thinner gel like consistency. I used the Mango & Tonka body wash tonight, and I was very impressed. It has a lovely lasting smell, a creamy and thick consistency and most importantly left me feeling very clean and also moisturised. 

The range also included's Bath Bombs, Body Lotion, Body Mist, Body scrub, Body Butter, Bubble Bath, Hand Cream and canvas bag. Scents include, Cloudberry & Lychee, Hibiscus & Coconut,  Chilli Mango & Tonka bean, Salted Caramel & Macadamia Nut, Water Lotus & Pomelo. 

The second brand which is new to Boots is Miss Patisserie, who I have followed on Instagram for a while now. I was really stoked for her to see her range in Boots, it's always nice to see people doing well. Despite following for months I hadn't purchased anything from her site, mainly because I like to smell my products and therefore avoid buying them on line. Now I've finally wiffed them, I am truly gutted I waited this long to give them ago. I picked up two sugar scrubs, because I am obsessed with exfoliating. I love fruity smells and the water melon and mango scrubs smell good enough to eat. The watermelon one even looks like watermelon, but I honestly don't eat it. I tried the mango scrub in the shower tonight and my skin smells amazing and feels really nourished, and so they should these scrubs are packed with oils to replenish the skin. So please bare in mind if these are left to sit the oils will come to the top, so shaking the tub and stirring is a must. I really love these so far and am intrigued to try more scents out and different products.

Sugar Scrubs available in: Watermelon, Mango, Vanilla, Coconut, Lotus Flower, Peony & Pear.

Other products include, Bath Bombs, Bath Crumble, Coffee scrubs, Bath melt, Body Souffles.

A very successful haul, I can't wait to delve into the ranges further. PS both collections are on Buy one get one half price at the moment! What are you waiting for?