What's in my beach bag

This year has been a special year for me and as a result, I got to travel abroad twice. Back in April, I went to Tenerife with my friends for my hen do and more recently, I travelled to Mexico with my husband for our honeymoon.

I love spending days by the beach or pool so a beach bag to pack all my essentials is…essential! I know it's now September but lots of people love the winter sun plus it's cheaper to travel now the kids are back at school. I don't have that option as I work in a school so I always have to travel during peak season.

First up is my trusty Cath Kidston bag. This is the perfect weekend bag and has served me well over the years. It's also well travelled – it's been to Majorca, Ibiza, Tenerife and Mexico! As the bag is coated with PVC, it makes it the perfect beach bag as it is easy to keep clean and it's fairly waterproof.

Obviously, I need a swimsuit for the beach and this beautiful bikini* is from George at Asda. It's actually Rory's favourite from my collection and I have about 10! It's great value and the quality is great – it still looks brand new after being in the Caribbean Sea, the swimming pool and the washing machine! I definitely recommend swimwear from George at Asda. You can check out the full collection here.

We didn't actually need to take beach towels to Mexico as our resorts provided them but I did for Tenerife. How awesome is this one from South Beach**?! Plus it's named Veronica which is my mother-in-law's name! (Fun fact for you!)

These are actually prescription sunglasses as I wear glasses or contacts everyday. Without them I suffer from serious headaches. I love these ones and for prescription sunglasses there pretty fashionable! I'm part of Boots' loyalty scheme therefore I get glasses and sunglasses for half price. These were still expensive at £75 but they are a necessity for me.

A cover up is a must for travelling to and from the beach and also for those days when the sun is extremely hot. This was my favourite during the summer as it was easier to put on and take off without rubbing off my suncream. Plus it got lots of compliments! It's only from H&M but I bought it a couple of years ago.

Flip flops – I'm not sure these need an explanation! These beautiful sandals are from Primark and they're actually really comfortable.

Suncream is an essential especially in the Mexican sun. I wore at least factor 30 and avoided the midday sun every day as it was just unbearable. It was also extremely humid so that made it feel worse. I'm getting very sensible in my old age and married life!

My hair is extremely dry and damaged already so a UV hair protector is a must. I usually buy one prior to my holiday but I noticed my heat protector includes a UV filter. I love 2 in 1 products as they free up more room in my suitcase!

Lots of people forget their lips but protecting your lips from UV rays is so important. I have never burnt my lips but I never want to. This lip balm is only about £1 from boots but it provides SPF 15.

This was amazing in Mexico and may have actually saved our lives! One day we went to see some Mayan ruins but we were out in the sun at 11am with very little seabreeze to cool us down. Needless to say we were HOT! It did an excellent job at cooling us down and making us feel refreshed.

I couldn't spend the day at the beach or by the pool without my book and music to entertain me. You can see this and two other books which I read Mexico here. I love nothing more than relaxing on the beach, getting lost in a book and listening to music and pretending I'm the only one there. (I can't be the only one!)

What are your beach essentials? 

Rachel x

*PR sample

**Goodie bag

What I Bought in the Christmas Sales

I was lucky enough to receive some money for Christmas so I decided to treat myself and buy some things which I would have loved to receive at Christmas. At midnight on Christmas Day, I was on Space NK waiting for the half price sale. I think I managed to pick up two really good deals and I cannot wait for them to arrive and start using them (after I've photographed them of course!) As well as purchasing a newbie which wasn't in the sale but I needed a new cleanser. 

Firstly, I bought my very first Diptyque perfume which I am extremely excited about and I managed to get it for £34 instead of £68! I actually chose it without smelling it which I think is very brave of me but the description sounded beautiful and I couldn't resist. Do you own L'ombre Dans L'Eau? What do you think of it? My second Space NK purchase was my very first Laura Mercier product(s). I managed to grab the Creme Brulee Bath & Body set for £15 instead of £30. Bargain! I cannot wait to have a luxurious bath when it arrives. Lastly, I needed a new cleanser so I decided to have a look at what Space NK had to offer in terms of skincare. REN is a brand I haven't tried before but I've only heard good things. I decided to pick up the Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser. It wasn't in the sale but I decided to give it a try anyway. 

Next up, on Friday, I braved the crowds and headed to The Trafford Centre. I obviously headed to Boots for the infamous half price sale. I have to say, I was fairly well behaved as I had spent £62 on Space NK. Here's what I managed to pick up from Boots, Lush and Cath Kidston. 

From Boots, I picked up this delicious smelling candle and diffuser set in the scent mulled wine and cinnamon. I was going to save it for next year but I have already displayed them in my living room, I couldn't resist. I haven't lit the candle yet but if I want to, I won't stop myself. It was only £7.50 in the sale for both. I also picked up a real bargain from Origins! I'm actually so excited about this find! It was the last one in Boots and I'm not surprised. It's the Merry Moisturisers set, which contains Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Moisturiser which is £34 alone, Make A Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion, Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I'm so excited to try everything in this set and I got a real bargain at £19 instead of £29! Finally, I picked up a 2014 diary in the form of this adorable Winnie The Pooh design. I am going to use it to plan blog posts and I have already made a start! 

My next stop was Cath Kidston where I picked up a large zip wallet to store make up products in my handbag and a glasses case as I recently got some new glasses and the case that Boots gave me is uninspiring. My final destination was Lush where I managed to pick up a Magic Wand Bubble Bar for £2.47. I haven't used this before but it smells amazing and is making my whole house smell incredible. 

I enjoyed the sales this year but I do wish I had the patience to raid rails as I could have done with some new clothes. Oh well, maybe next year! 

What did you pick up in the sales? Did you get any serious bargains?

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick

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May Empties

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - This will come as no surprise. I have been using Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish for a year and a half now. Besides my hormonal acne, my skin is lovely. The texture and appearance of my skin is clear and smooth. I just have the odd areas of acne, which is really getting to me but that's another story. 

Cath Kidston Wild Rose Hand Cream - I got this in a gift set, either for my birthday or Christmas, I can't remember which. I love most of the Cath Kidston prints so someone decided the gift set would make a good present. They were right. It included this hand cream, a cuticle cream and a nail file. I absolutely loved using the hand cream. It smells delicious - wild roses - and absorbs quickly without being sticky or wet. I would definitely repurchase again, I know they do bigger tubes in store. 

Charlie Pink Body Fragrance Spray - I usually just stick with my Impulse body spray but I think this was only 99p so I picked it up. It has been in my handbag for a few months just in case I ever needed a quick fragrance boost! I like the scent but when I think of Charlie purfume, I think if teenagers. To be honest, it's the same with Impulse but I love Tease to much to stop buying it! 

Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo - No I don't have a baby and no I don't wash my hair with baby shampoo. I use it to deep clean my make up brushes. A lot of people recommend baby shampoo to clean make up brushes as it's gentle and it conditions at the same time. I don't get any bristles falling out (I use Real Technique brushes) and my brushes feel like new again. I try to deep clean my brushes once and week, if I remember I do! I don't spot clean though so I feel like maybe I should deep clean them twice a week! How often do you clean your brushes? 

Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara - I have been using this mascara for years and years but I haven't bought another since this one. I have been using the Liz Earle one ever since I got it and it is definitely my new favourite mascara. However before I buy a new mascara, I have quite a few that I need to use first. It shouldn't take me too long as mascaras don't last very long. I haven't been able to wear mascara for the last two days because of stupid hayfever! My eyes have just been too sore to even go there! I love Summer but hayfever is one thing that really gets on my nerves! 

Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer - I've lost count of how many of these I have gone through. It's been a fair few though! I use it as an under eye concealer (and I use Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on my spots and blemishes). It's not too thick for the eye area and blends in nicely using a brush or my fingers. I either buy shade 1 or 2. While my face is quite pale, shade 1 is definitely better. Whilst shade 2 is best for when I have a tan, natural or not!

Origins Out Of Trouble Mask (sample) - I asked for this sample whilst in the Origins store in Boots, Manchester. I managed  to get 2 or 3 uses from this pot, which is a pretty generous sample. I really liked the face mask and I enjoyed using it. I am thinking about purchasing it but I am hoping to book in for a complimentary facial, if they still do them, and I will make sure that it is the right mask for my skin type before actually repurchasing it.

Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair - I purchased this eye cream quite a few months ago and this tiny little tube has lasted a long time. I have already repurchased it as I love using it so much. It is so moisturising on the eye area and refreshing in the morning. I apply it after moisturising and I don't have to wait long before it has sunk in and I'm ready to apply my make up. It's perfect for me as I haven't got time to sit around and wait in the morning. (I already waste enough time catching up on Bloglovin' and YouTube!)

Which products have you used up this month? Have you been loving any of these products?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick