Recent Favourites

Urban Decay 'Shattered' Face Case - Debenhams

Santa's Lip Scrub - Lush (no longer available)

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - Boots

Viva La Juicy, La Fleur EDT -  Boots 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, 8.0 - Amazon

As much as I enjoy reading monthly favourites posts, personally I don't change what I'm using enough to have different favourites every month.  So I thought doing a 'recent favourites' posts is the best way to show what I've been loving, just not on such a regular basis. First up is the Urban Decay 'Shattered' Face Case.  I picked this up a few months ago and it's pretty much all I've been using since.  With five eyeshadows, two blushers, a highlighter, lipgloss and brushes.  Speaking of brushes,  I bought the Real Techniques expert face brush as a back up for my buffing brush. as I couldn't justify buying another Core Collection set.  It's just as good, if not better, at applying liquid foundation, and I'm planning on doing a comparison post soon.  I've been quite restrained with Lush recently, however I did pick up the Santa's lip scrub in the run up to Christmas.  The cold, windy weather has taken it's toll on my lips, but this little pot has really helped them stay soft and flake-free.  I love the smell too, it reminds me of fizzy cola bottles!I managed to get a sample of this Viva la Juicy, La Fleur perfume on a shopping trip back in November; they were giving them out in Dorothy Perkins.  I'd actually forgotten about it, til a weekend away when I hastily put it in my bag as my trusty Travalo had temporarily gone AWOL.  I was actually really pleasantly surprised by it, it smells gorgeous! So much so, that I bought myself a full size bottle for Christmas. Sneaky, I know! Last up is my Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, which was a bit of a post-Christmas treat, using my Christmas money.  I'd resisted gettng a tablet for so long, but now I wonder why! This one is the perfect size for curling up and reading; whether it be a book or a blog post, not to mention browsing Twitter and Facebook, and another set of lives for my Candy Crush addiction. If you're debating on whether to get a tablet, I definitely recommend you do!

Travalo

 

If, like me, you like to top up your fragrance throughout the day, you'll know how doing so isn't always practical.  As beautiful as many perfume bottles are they're not the safest things to carry around. Even the smallest and most compact bottles could still easily smash, ruining your handbag,  your perfume, and risk cutting yourself. Not good! 

This is where the Travalo comes in. It's basically a miniature, refillable spray bottle (or perfume atomiser if you want to get technical!) that makes taking your favourite scent with you so much easier, wherever you go. Originally designed with air-travel in mind, the Travalo is made from aeroplane grade aluminium, and contains no glass parts. However  whether you're a frequent flier or not, the Travalo is SO handy. Its tiny, less than 9cm, size means it can fit into pretty handbag. It's super sturdy too and has withstood many a night out, train journey and shopping trip with barely even a scratch.

There are a few different variations of the Travalo,  but I think mine is the excel model. I paid around £10 in House of Fraser for mine, but you can find them cheaper online.  Regardless of which one you have, they all fill up in the same way.  Simply take your perfume of choice and remove the little metal spray cap; it goes back on, don't worry! Then place your Travalo onto the little spout where the cap was.  All you need to do then is pump it up an down and your Travalo will fill up. You can keep an eye on how full it's getting through the little 'window'. It's important not to fill it more than 3/4 full as this can stop it from working properly.   That's all there is to it! This particular model contains around 65 sprays which would easily last you a trip away. 

Travalo is available in a variety of colours, and as I've said, a variety of styles. I definitely want to pick up a few more in different colours. If you like your perfume, then this is something I can't recommend enough.