Staying Cool and Refreshed In The Heat

Living in London in the Summer can be both amazing and an absolute nightmare. We all relish seeing that yellow ball of fire in the sky, spending lazy days in the park eating ice cream and watching life pass by - absolute bliss. Then comes the fact that London is a bit of a sun trap and the heat can be absolutely stifling, whether you are at work, at home or on public transport.

Given the temperatures in London now and for the last couple of days, the heat is manageable but there are always some items I have to hand to help cope - Mists!  Be they facial mists or mists in general, they are an absolute god send and are just amazing when you need a cooldown.

These are the ones I have around the house, carry in my handbag or use at work currently:

Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water Spray has a unique formula soothes hypersensitive, allergic and irritated skin by leaving a barrier on the skin to deliver long-lasting comfort and reduce itching. The versatile spray can be used by the whole family and is ideal for cooling sunburn, nappy rash and razor burns caused by shaving.  This mist costs £7 for 150ml

Caudalie Grape Water* is made from 100% organic grapes. Extracted from grapes during the harvest, this mist soothes, refreshes and moisturises the skin at any time of the day. Preservative-free. Fragrance-free. No need to blot after spraying.  The mist is so light, it doesn't leave your skin drenched, but instead it instantly cools and refreshes on contact.  This mist costs £6 for 75ml.

Benefit ultra radiance facial re-hydrating mist* not only looks stunning in the bottle, but it instantly refreshes, revives, soothes and moisurises. Using the exclusive tri-radiance complex to deliver immediate & long-term hydration. Contains magnesium PCA and white & blue lotus extracts, known for their relaxing properties and to help skin combat stress. This mist costs £20.50 for 133.1ml.

Vichy Mineral-Rich Thermal Spa Water* is a unique water well-known for its fortifying and soothing properties. Filtered through volcanic layers, Vichy Thermal Spa Water is naturally enriched with 15 minerals and 13 trace elements. Vichy Thermal Spa Water is recognised by the French Academy of Medicine and has been shown to hydrate and soothe the feel of the skin in order to fortify the skin's natural protective function. This mist costs £7 for 150ml.

Evian Brumisateur Facial Spray, a lightweight mist enriched with essential mineral salts. The spray contains pure Evian mineral water from the Alps, which is free from chemical treatments, has a neutral pH, and is hypoallergenic. Each spray releases several million micro-droplets for hydrated and instantly refreshed skin, and can be used at any time of day by the entire family.  This mist costs £2.99 for 50ml.

I never go anywhere without having a mist spray with me, whether it is at home, in my handbag or on my desk at work, they are invaluable to have and incredibly hydrating, soothing, cooling and refreshing.  A tip - keep the mist in the fridge so it is extra cooling.

Do you use a facial mist? 

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Benefit ASOS Exclusive Contouring Kit

ASOS is possibly not the first place you think of when it comes to Beauty, but it should definitely be somewhere you consider. If like me you love Benefit Cosmetics, then this Contouring Kit which is exclusive to ASOS is a fantastic deal.

The contouring Kit by Benefit features a five piece kit which, as you can see, contains:

• 2 x boi-ing Concealer: I have shades 1 and 2 within this kit with 1 being light and 2 being light/medium. What I love about Boi-ing is its ability to conceal and camouflage dark circles without creasing under the eye. It can also be used to conceal minor imperfections and discoloration again without creasing. These are two full sized 1.3g pots.

• Dandelion Shy Beam Highlighter: This is a liquid highlighter and again, I adore it having had a few sample sizes.  It is a soft-matte, nude pink highlighter which is said to put the most natural-looking spotlight and is perfect for strobing. This is a full sized 10ml bottle.

• Hoola Bronzer: I have used Hoola for absolute years and it is one of the first products (along with You Rebel) that I bought. Hoola is a matte warm tan bronzing powder which you can double up as an eyeshadow and it comes with its own little brush! This is full sized.

• the POREfessional PRO Balm: - Quickly minimize the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin!  You can apply the balm which is really lightweight alone, under or over makeup. It is a translucent formula which contains a vitamin E derivative known to protect skin from free radicals.  Within the kit, you get a 7.5ml luxury sample tube.

All of these bought separately would cost in the region of £85 and with ASOS they cost just £43 which is a massive saving and goes back to my first point of why you should not only shop around when purchasing your beauty items, but do look to ASOS for some absolute bargains!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

T3 PINK COMPACT TRAVEL HAIRDRYER

Whenever I travel anywhere - overnight, long weekend, week away or go away for even longer, there are two items I always have with me - Hair Straighteners and Hairdryer and until now I only had a full sized hairdryer which weighs a tonne and takes up far too much room, but lets face it, those offered in hotel rooms are A) awful, B) crap and C) I could blow my own hair dry much quicker and travel hairdryers are just as useless, until now!

I went to the launch party for the new T3 Featherweight Pink Compact Hairdryer, Now first of all it is not only pink, it is baby pink and oh gosh it is so super light to handle that it is much easier for travelling or chucking in your gym bag! As you can see in my photos above, there's a hinge at the top of the handle that allows it to fold in on itself, it makes it so much easier to pack away and is perfect for folding up into my little suitcase.

So why is it so amazing? Well, apart from being pink and travel friendly, it actually dries my hair in half the time my current Babyliss hairdryer takes. Using what is called T3 Tourmaline® SoftAire™ it uses a specially engineered fan which generates a high volume of ion-enriched air. That air exits the dryer in a wide cone shape at a soft, gentle speed that allows you to dry large sections of hair - fast. Negative ions in the airflow cancel static and quickly seal the cuticle, which helps hair retain natural moisture, reduces frizz and enhances shine.  So instead of my hair taking 20-25 minutes to dry, using this it takes between 12-17 minutes, which is insanely impressive.  

The T3 Featherweight dryer features 2 Speeds/Heat Settings which are designed to work perfectly with all hair types and textures and there is also what is called a 'Cool Shot' which helps lock in any style for a smooth, sleek finish.  Whenever I dry my hair, I start off on the highest setting and then move to the cool shot once I am happy my hair is dry.  Admittedly, I don't dry my hair everytime I wash it, I do like to leave it to dry as often as I can. Once my hair is dry, there is a notable difference in the lack of static within my hair and whilst I have naturally wavy hair, my hair is much sleeker to the touch, so using my hair straighteners is an absolute breeze and the style holds for much longer, seemingly because I am using less products to reduce frizz and static.

It naturally comes with a 2 year warranty and has switchable Dual Voltage so it is even easier for travelling internationally (though you will still need the adapter), a 2.7 metre cord.  As someone who spends a lot of money on haircare, I think it is only right to also have the right tools to keep it in the best condition possible and for £125, I think this hairdryer is a worthy investment.