The French haul

I made sure before I went on holiday that I did my research and decided what products I wanted to buy whilst I was there. We stopped almost every day at a French town along the canal and whilst my sisters spent their time weighing up the Wifi potential getting excited about that all I was looking out for was the welcoming word 'pharmacie'. 

The first thing I got from Boots in the airport was the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray which was a freebie with the September issue of Elle. I've got a long list of Bumble and Bumble products that I want to try so I've got high hopes for this spray. In Boots I also picked up Soap & Glory Hand Food. Hand cream is a handbag essential and since mine ran out that day I couldn't get on a flight without a new one.

Our next stop was duty free. I hovered around the MAC counter for ten minutes before deciding to try one of their eyeshadows, I picked up Mythology which is a gorgeous shimmery brown shade. I also picked up the Instant Smooth primer duo pack. I couldn't decide whether I actually wanted it or not but at £36 for 2 I couldn't say no. I guess even if I don't like it I can always give the other away on here. 

As I said I'd done my research about what I wanted to buy, but I didn't look into where to buy it from. I didn't know if there was some French equivalent to Boots or not. I played it by ear and just looked in every pharmacy I came across. My Mum had already picked up Bioderma for me and it wasn't until the last pharmacy I visited on my last day that I found the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm and the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo. I will do full reviews of all these products after I've had time to give them a good trial.

Week #35 - the holiday edit [mostly]

Airport arrivals | Elle's irresistable freebie | Inflight | Our boat Calypso | Good French pizza | Beautiful avenues of trees | Soppy photo | One of the many locks we faced | Sun deck tanning | Cola Calippo | A quick stop in La Redorte | The town of Trebes | Exotic | Sun down | Trebes by night | Camera and tassles | Dressed up with no place to go | Smooching my love in Capestang | Watermelon ice lollies | Missing the white one | The seven locks in a row | French pharmacy heaven | Homeward bound | Cabbage flowers | Puss cats home

Wow, this has taken me so long to compile, mostly because Boulle's home and his obsession with the keyboard continues. I've missed him though, the house seems somewhat empty when I don't have a little white fur ball whipping round my ankles all day. 

Looking back at these photos I'm so glad me and Dan decided to go with the family on this trip. Originally we were going to go to Amsterdam this summer but Dad roped us in incase Mum couldn't go. Alas she was there, as wild as ever. The views were just beautiful and the little towns we stopped at where just as picturesque. The avenues of trees along the canal won't be there much longer since a lot of them have Dutch Elm disease, which is kind of like tree cancer and they will be cut down before it spreads which is sad, but I'm so grateful I got to see it before they were gone.

Honey, I'm home!

I'm back from my little French trip down the canal and I can safely say this week has been heaven. The perfect end to the summer with the most beautiful people. I've seen more places and little towns in the last week than I have in the past who knows how long. It's been so refreshing to have a week away from the internet and real life in general. Dad put it into perspective on Wednesday; someone could have dropped a nuclear bomb and started a world war and we would have been completely oblivious to it. We just spent our days cruising down the canal shouting 'Bonjour!' and waving at every bugger that came past, French or no French!

Week #34

Smoothie making (on reflection I didn't like it | ASOS orders on a Tuesday morning | Barry M Shocking Pink lips | Magic moments - make a wish! | Lists galore | The monochrome selection

Just a quick one this Sunday. I'm saving all my Insta holiday snaps for a separate post next Sunday just to make me feel a little better when I'm home. I've even created my own hashtag ( #chaosinfrance ) for all our french fun which I'm trying to rope everyone else into hashtagging too. Have a lovely week guys!

What I bought: August

H&M striped dress

H&M spotted skater skirt

H&M shirt dress

Asos pink cardigan

H&M chain necklace

River Island pointed shoes (sale)

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush body scrub

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction body scrub

Soap & Glory Breakfast scrub

I've been sat in a little cafe in France by the canal for the last two hours with my two sisters and Dan whilst we wait for our boat to be prepared. I thought I'd spent loads of money on clothes this month but I guess looking at it I haven't got as much as I thought. My excuse has been 'well I'm going on holiday' and have pretty much spent the whole of August in holiday mode. I have put links down below, or I guess just above this rambling, but for some reason my links don't seem to work. I'll have that sorted when I'm home though, as I'm looking at buying a nice simple blog layout which will hopefully sort everything out.

I finally repurchased my striped dress from ebay, I know it would have been cheaper in store but hey I was desperate. I've also bought the little spotted skirt that screams Minnie Mouse and the checked shirt dress from H&M. The necklace I bought specifically to wear with the dress but I've worn it so much with everything. The Asos cardigan has been my best friend on the 14 hour journey here but the pointed River Island shoes got left behind - we can't bring everything on holiday now can we! Excuse the major stash of Soap & Glory scrubs, I went in Boots just looking for the Breakfast Scrub but they were on 3 for 2. How is a girl supposed to resist that kind of offer?!

Stay tuned for my arrival home for a Holiday haul. I may have got slightly overexcited in duty free, and I'd already made a French pharmacy purchase before I'd even arrived via Mum.

Barry M lip paint in 52 Shocking pink

Barry M Lip Paint in shade 52, Shocking Pink: £4.49

This colour is definitely not for the faint hearted. It's the first lip paint from Barry M that I've tried and it's a little drying, which is apparently quite common for the Barry M lip paints. I do find that matte lipsticks have more staying power and ended up just topping this up with a clear gloss later on in the day (that snap can be seen on my instagram: elegantcha0s). It's a bright blue toned neon pink that would definitely not suit all skin tones, but if your daring enough the colour is spot on for summer and the price is perfect too. 

Week #33

Baby in a bowler | Tartan and gold | Clock obsessed | Croissants for breakfast | Sunday afternoon cocktails

What a quiet week on Instagram it's been. It's not even like I've been super busy at work this week, I guess I've just been a bit MIA on the whole social networking front. I'm trying to sort out a proper schedule for posts when I get back from my holiday so posts aren't quite so sporadic. I've got a few posts planned for this week, my monthly haul, a beauty post and maybe a few outfit posts thrown in for good measures. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!