OK. Let’s start by saying I would hate this to seem braggy and in a show-off manner, and I have no doubt there are people who would say/think that, but a lot of this stuff I buy in my bi-annual big beauty & makeup shops are for my professional makeup kit and not for myself! I probably shouldn’t have to justify myself but I just feel I should as this isn’t a normal beauty haul by any means. I save up and do a big re-stock and re-fills of my kit and then obviously I get a few things for myself so let’s just look @ this haul like ‘WORK’ ; that’s how I justify it to myself….and my husband. LOLs.
I’m one of those shoppers who likes to hit the shops hard & I’m just not someone who spends hours wandering in and out and browsing, I will usually know exactly what I want (through having it already or a rec /online perusing) and I cannot bear to be on London’s Oxford street for more than around 2 hours in a sitting. I’m like a slightly crazed and semi-possessed beauty shopper, always solo to avoid distraction and I like to strike on a non-weekend and usually in the AM. Ok, I am now making myself out to be a predatory animal/shoplifter so I will move on swiftly. I went to some of my favourites ; Liberty’s, Selfridges, Space NK & Benefit. I would usually prefer to just get everything in one place, but there are some items that you can’t get @ other places blah de blah. Plus Space NK don’t have the Pierre Herme macaroons that Selfridges have.
Space NK.
Space NK is the ultimate beauty & makeup & beauty boutique here in the UK. The nearest thing we have to Sephora but doesn’t have the Lauders/Cliniques and more common brands. I love the niche brands, the great hand-picked selection and there are some great exclusive brands that can be found in Space NK shops, and speaking of which that rolls into my first purchase ; the Becca Luminous Foundation. This is a new-ish foundation from Becca, and I never got on with their old formula foundation that well so was intrigued by this one. I am trying it out for a potential replacement to my Chanel Vitalumiere‘s in my pro kit, not because I am fed up of them, but I have used these for so many years (nearly 10!!) and it may be nice to mix it up a bit for when I want a really fresh-looking and dewy foundation. If it is comparable then I will go ahead and buy maybe 4-5 shades for my kit, but it’s not cheap so I wanted to try one out first on myself and clients to see how it finishes and sits. Review soon!
Sunday Riley Good Genes. A replacement product. Just love this serum. I have recently been using it like a treatment, and to eek out the bottle a little longer…..maybe every other day. My skin loves this so much and It dramatically improves, appears brighter and more smooth with this product.
For my bleach-ravaged hair, I picked up the Bumble & Bumble Repair Blow Dry Balm. I had borrowed this once from a friend who had it and after I properly dried my hair (which happens once every couple of weeks), it made my hair really soft and sleek, plus my efforts for the blow dry lasted a little longer. Not only does this act as a heat protector but it also a treatment for damaged hair (me) and split ends (me). Another replacement product was the amazing Glamglow Youthmud face mask.. I have used this for years now and really rate it as a pre-party/red carpet type mask. Fortunately I don’t go to many of either lately so I don’t have to replace it that often but this small tub, will last me maybe 6 months.
Selfridges.
I think this is my favourite department store in London and possibly the world. I know it inside/out. I know what floor is what and I can buy my favourite beauty, stop off for a cocktail in one of the bars, have my lunch and buy clothes….all under one roof. The main beauty haul hosts the big boys ; Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Bobbi, Lauder, Dior, Chanel etc….but my favourite part is the adjoining room, The Beauty Workshop which has the smaller/niche brands such as Shiffa, Aesop, Philip B, NYX, Zoeva, Stila etc. A perfect balance for any discerning makeup and beauty lover. It’s also great as in between the two you pass the chocolatiers and Pierre Herme macaroons so you can scoff on your way through and no one has to know.
I stocked up on the Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme shampoo & mask. I have used the mask from this and it’s outrageously good (erm and rose gold packging but that’s not important but it is k bye) and I finished it last week. I wanted to re-purchase it to try and keep my over-processed hair in check, and as I rated it so much, I wanted to try the matching shampoo alongside it. More haircare comes in the form of Kerastase Resistance range. Ok so yes, I just bought the Phyto but like my skincare, I also rotate up my haircare and this was reccommended to me by a good friend who really knows her sh*t when it comes to hair treatments and she said this is the frickin’ bomb for fine, damaged, bleached and horrific hair. Get in my face immediately you Kerastase goods. I will be reporting back.
I went into Selfridges a few weeks ago and it was the first time I had seen that NYX Cosmetics was sold in Selfridges, so I picked up a few bits to start my collection which you can read about here. I had a bit more time this time so I spent a bit more time playing and swatching the products and got a few pieces for my kit mainly, i am loving the look of these bright lippies! The MAC lipliner ‘Stone’ is something I have wanted/needed for my kit for some time ; a very greige brown tone that is super 90’s and murky. I haven’t got anything like this in my arsenal and I LOVE a Mac lipliner. Another kit thang is the Suqqu brow liner. I have heard so much about this brand from & I remember Lisa Eldridge used to rave about this product so much. I’m really looking forward to trying it out on my clients who want a lovely soft and natural brow. I got the 01 shade which is actually a really unusual brown/green tone as I heard this was the most versatile. We shall see.
Benefit.
I used to work for Benefit many moons ago and it still holds a place in my heart, and makeup kit. They are having a huge Hoola launch at the moment with additions to the range and I keep reading about it on ALL the blogs so I picked up the gorgeous-looking Hoola Bronzer Brush. Let’s be real, I just got this because it’s really pretty. The ONLY cheek box/blusher-type things that I don’t have from Benefit is the Rockateur , and I’m not sure why as this is absolutely gorgeous. It’s exactly the type of blusher that I like ; blue-ish pink and with a bit of glow. This will probably end up in my kit but I’m obviously going to try it out first.
Gimme Brow is just a product I’ve been meaning to try for SO long. I know I am late to the game but I have always been so happy with my Eyeko Brow Gel that I felt I didn’t need one, but that is now coming to an end (like my 4th tube) so I thought I would dabble with another one. I think because I purchased 3 products or spent over a certain amount I got a free makeup bag which I absolutely love!!! I still have all the old school makeup bags from like 10 years ago (pink Lana/blue Gabbi etc etc for those who remember) and it really reminds me of these. I also got a free deluxe sample of the new Dew The Hoola to try.
Liberty’s.
If you are ever visiting London, Liberty’s is a must-see. A really old, beautiful and tradional department store that holds some of the best high end beauty brands and a few exclusive ones too. I love their fragrance room and the small diptyque shop they have inside too. I have fond & distant memories of me and my mum shopping here when I was tiny so it also holds huge nostalgia for me.
First up let’s get this over with : Aesop Post-Poo drops. Yes. Yes you heard. This infamous product is basically a posh (or in my case, pretending to be) person’s Glade for the…..crapper lavatory. I am quite house-proud now and Liberty’s were having a 10% off day so a good time to get something like this which isn’t TOTALLY necessary but it’ll look so good on my loo and give my guest’s a chuckle at the same time. No more hidden loo sprays round the back of the toilet for me!
Onto a slightly more wearable & sophisticated kind of fragrance ; Molecule 01. This is my fragrance and I absolutely love it. It’s not too expensive plus I wanted to take advantage of the 10% off @ Liberty’s so I got a weeny one which I constanty have in my handbag. It is only sold in Harvey Nichols (which I don’t like shopping in for some reason) and Liberty’s from the stores I know so I always get mine form Liberty’s. You can’t go to Liberty’s without A) Visiting their beautiful fragrance section and B) walking through the mini diptyque store. These candles are such a treat and I am a longterm and avid fan. I really love the musky, dusky, leathery, manly-type scents and the OUD one I hadn’t seen before and it smells gorgeous.
Where are your favourite beauty & makeup shopping destinations? I am going to do a blogger’s guide to shopping in London as there are so many wonderful places to get your fix. Have you tried any of the above?
