Holiday Haul & Ramblings

I'm back! For those of you who don't know, I jetted off to the sunny island of Crete in Greece last Tuesday for a big fat dose of relaxation and a bit of an unwind.  It was very much needed to say the least and I could have done with an extra week in the sunshine - although saying that, stepping off the plane in the UK was a bit of a surprise. I'm usually greeted by drizzle and a dash across the runway in the rain, but this time the plane doors opened and I found that the weather has most certainly followed me here! I have spent today blogging in the back garden in my bikini, ice cold coke in hand and topping up my tan.  If that doesn't kick my holiday blues in the face, I don't know what will (although I'm sure a little nosey through the late deals section for August won't go amiss either...) 

Anyway, before I ramble on, I thought I'd show you what I picked up when on holiday.  I don't tend to buy much when abroad - the craziest I ever went was when I found myself in Sephora (i need to make the point of going abroad to a 'Sephora-blessed' country again!) and the time when I bought a tonne of Mickey Mouse merchandise from Disneyland Florida (it's got to be done though?...) but aside from this, I don't really go bonkers in duty-free or with the souvenir shopping. I tend to treat myself to a perfume or a lipstick in the airport before I jet off, but I don't go mad once I'm out there... That over sized sombrero might seem like a hilarious idea at the time, but the reality hits you when you're home that it's going to have to be squished under your bed along with that plastic donkey figurine and Cypriot ceramic camel to gather dust for all eternity (this a true story by the way, I genuinely have a giant sombrero under my bed that I bought on a bit of a holiday-high...along with the donkey and the camel...I've since learnt from my impulse holiday purchasing!)

When I got to the airport in Crete, I wasn't expecting much more than a selection of knock-yer-socks-off Ouzo and a few 'Memories from Greece' chocolates - but to my surprise, they had a large shop with an array of brands including Chanel, Estee Lauder and countless perfumes - then I spied the Victoria's Secret stand! There was a large selection of bath and body products, along with a small section full of their beauty products.  Sadly, I didn't have much time to fully immerse myself in the goodies on offer, but I did manage to pick out a body spritz and a lip butter.  I spent a good while spraying all the different scents (there was so many I ran out of room on the majority of my limbs so took to spraying them in the air - it's safe to say you could smell me walking over the runway once I'd finished...) I picked out 'Sensual Blush' which smells really fresh and light - hints of floral but not too overpowering. I also picked up one of their lip butters - I'm a big fan of sheer lipsticks and buttery lip products so of course, I had to have one! I picked out the shade 'Dare to Bare', which is a lovely light warm pink shade with hints of coral.  I really wanted to pick up one of their mascara sets they had, but I didn't have time to fully choose one as my flight was called pretty sharpishly. Never mind!

When we were in Crete, we took a trip to one of the nearby towns.  There wasn't much there aside from a few bars and tavernas and typical shopping bazaars and little market stalls, but this floral phone case caught my eye.  Of course, I know the chances of it being the real deal are very slim (I might be a bit daft but I'm not stupid when it comes to these things!), but anyone who knows me knows that I'm partial to a bit of Cath Kidston now and again - I love her phone cases because I often do my nails in her 'signature' patterns and I like being all matchy-matchy (you can have a gander at my designs here if you fancy a nail art post!). For a market-stall find its pretty good quality and fits my phone like a glove - cannot grumble for under 10 euros!

Before I flew out I also picked up a massive bottle of Lancaster aftersun.  It's become a bit of a ritual now that I treat myself to a bottle every time I go away as I swear by it!  It's expensive (this bottle cost me £21.50!) but if you're a fan of having a tan then Lancaster's after sun will be right up your street. It contains no self-tan but contains ingredients that help stimulate melanin production and darken and deepen your colour, at the same time as helping it last even longer.  It smells amazing and sinks in so quickly - if you fancy a bit of luxury in your tanning regime I really recommend you try it - you can also use it on your face and as it's so light it doesn't feel greasy. I love it! (you can read an ancient review of it here..)  And of course, a holiday haul isn't complete without a sweetie or two! I slung a pack of Jelly Belly's Ice Cream Parlour mix into my basket on the way home along with the Cocktail Mix (not pictured) I love their ice cream mix and I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to flavoured beans... Such a big kid at heart!

So there we have it - a little holiday haul to welcome myself back to the world of blogging after a week away.  I had a good ole think whilst lazing around on my sunbed and I have so much planned for my blog - I've jotted down ideas for a new layout which is very much overdue.  I've also got a long list of blog posts I want to type up. I was overjoyed to realise I'd been selected for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards Shortlist the day before I went away, so it's given me a bit of a kick up the bum! Not that I was letting my blogging slip or anything, but I want it to change slightly over the summer and I want to experiment with a bit of a new look and a spruce up when it comes to my blog navigation.  Watch this space..   If you still haven't voted and enjoy my blog - you can vote for me in the 'Established Beauty Blog' category here.

Have any of you been airport shopping recently?