Keeping Memories | Souvenirs and Photographs

When it comes to how people track their holidays, everyone is different, some don't bother with souvenirs at all other - myself included - enjoy bringing back things for myself and others. 

Every time I've been abroad I've bought myself a snow globe, that's definitely the thing that I'm looking to collect each time I go and I'll be definitely be adding to the collection whilst in Paris! I think my favourite one so far is the one I got from Nessebar in Bulgaria - the one in Rome wasn't of the best quality but I definitely don't think I've spent anymore than £10 on one so its not a huge loss and is a cute and cool way to show places I've been. 

Whilst in Bulgaria I also got a cool little photo set, I saw something similar in Rome but it was a little pricey so I avoided getting them. But I think some kind of photograph bought from the place of interest is a cool souvenir to get. 

I always get my mum some things as well, for her I seem to have decided on cool little ornaments, pot styled ones seem to be the ones I go for most. When I went to Rome I got this St Peters one for my mum, a Colosseum for my gran and my brother challenged me to get a leaning tower of Pisa for him - which I was surprised to actually manage. 

I also get my mum, gran and auntie magnets - they're small cute and cheap, easy to collect and don't brake the bank. 

I don't have a picture of the things I give my gran, but I always bring her back little decorative plates. They are really lovely and shes always so chuffed with the ones I manage to find her - I always hold off as long as possible to get her one so I know I'm buying the nicest one I can find, I'd be gutted if I couldn't find really pretty ones but so far that's not happened. 

I think an absolute must have way of keeping memories alive is to print pictures - either for framing, displaying or putting in an album. I've been printing photos and adding them to my scrapbook for almost a year now, a couple more holidays and a birthday and I'll definitely be needing a new one! For pretty albums I love looking on Paperchase, thats where my current album is from, unfortunately I don't think they sell the one I have but I'd love to get another travel inspired album for future pictures. 

Do you buy anything whilst on holidays or do you like to keep memories alive any other way? 

Latest In Beauty | Origins Mix & Mask Box

I've not bought a beauty box for a fair while but when I saw that Latest In Beauty had a Origins box going I knew I had to buy it. The Mix & Mask with Origins box is very good value for money at £20 with free postage - the value of the box seems to be well over £60 to!! 

The box contains two full sized products along with 7 sample sized products. One of the full sized products is the Maskimizer Skin Optimizing Mask Primer, theres 95ml of product here - worth £18.50 - and I was fairly excited to try it. It basically just a product you spray on your face pre mask. The spray has marine algae complex which is meant to help hydrate, soften and optimise the condition of the skin making the skin prepared for the face mask, helping it work to the best it can. 
Along with their new mask primer there was a sample size of the new By All Greens Foaming Deep Cleansing Mask, its a 25ml sample worth £11.42 and it seems like a fairly decent sized sample. I've got a foaming mask from Sephora - and I'm fairly excited to try this out. The mask contains Green Tea, Spirulina and Spinach which are meant to help gently and deeply clean the skin and unclog pores without stripping the skin.

The only other full sized product in the box is the VitaZing Spf 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturiser. This is a 50ml tube of product that's worth £29. I'm hoping that to some extent this works in a similar way to the GinZing moisturiser as I absolutely adore that. Its described as being and energy boosting, multi-tasking moisturizer that improves the vitality and vibrancy of skin. Its oil free so should work well with my skin, and obviously since its got SPF in it, then it will help against the damage of UV rays. 

There's also a sample size of the Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, 30ml. The blend of avocado and apricot kernel oils make your skin feel really smooth, the Japanese seaweed helps to hydrate the skin. Although it is an overnight mask that instantly hydrates, your skin will feel even softer the next morning. Oily skin types can get on with this, my skins seriously oily but its also crazy dehydrated so this has helped to balance that out a little. 
There's also a 30ml sample of the Original Skin Retexturizing mask. The mask has Mediterranean Rose Clay, Canadian Willowherb and exfoliating Jojoba beads which help too gently deep clean whilst also refining the skins texture, helping to restore radiance. I think I've tried this in the past and liked it a fair bit, if this is what I think it is then its aimed more at those with dry skin, I was recommended it awhile ago as my skin got really dry and flaky for awhile but its now back to its old oily ways. 
Final sample tube is a 15ml sample of the GinZing Peel Off Mask. Its packed with Coffee Beans, Fruit Acids and Panax Ginseng to rid you of old dead skin cells. Any skin types can use this, but will best benefit those with Dull skin and those who live in the city where your skin will be around pollutants a lot more. 

This box keeps on giving because we're not finished talking about whats in here yet! There's three Mask Pods included: there's the Drink Up 10 Minute Mask, to hydrate skin; Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask, to clear pores; and finally the Out Of Trouble 10 Minute Mask, to rescue problem skin.
Unfortunately this box is all sold out - but keep your eyes peeled for the next brilliant Beauty Blogger Box as they are always amazing! 

Summer Reading List

I tend to read most while on holiday - more so while on the plane. I used to be such a huge reader but over the past few years university and working has taken up all my free time, s I've not read nearly as much as I'd have liked to. Before I go back to university I'd like to finish a few books - but with working for six out of seven days it could be a bit tricky. None the less I've got until the end of September to read the technically 5 books - 2 are comics but let us count them as books. 
The Jodi Picoult book Leaving Time was one of the ones that I took on holiday with me. I've read about half of it so far and so far so good. 
I also recently picked up Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I saw it in Waterstones and thought it seemed quite good. 
The book that I think everyone and their dog was reading in Turkey is Jo Jo Moyes Me Before You. This book is very obviously very popular as its just come out in movie form - hopefully it lives up to the hype. 
Last two are comics. Harley Quinn comics. I actually finished reading Volume 1 - Hot In The City today. Its actually really good and I want to read the second volume - and the third and the fourth - if only I had the money to buy the rest - sad face. 
Whats on your summer reading list? Have you read any of these before? 

Carry On Must Haves

I've been travelling a lot more recently, and because of this I've managed to make the most out of my carry on baggage. 

If your flight involves a stop, I'd recommend being a little extra cautious as theres a chance the airline might not transfer your bags to the next plane - been there done that and being without a bag for two days was a nightmare! No change of clothes nothing - so I'd therefore recommend you take a change of underwear at the very least and your toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. If you do then at least if you're waiting on your bags finding their way back to you, at least you wont feel gross or have to go searching for the essentials while your there. With that out the way, now onto the things I'd recommend taking with you no matter where your going.  

I tend to take my backpack with me when I go abroad - its easy to carry and it holds a lot in it. Books are a must to take - when I went to Rome I just took the one, but when I went to Turkey I took three with me as I knew one book just wouldn't be enough! I always read more on holiday and what better place to read than on a plane where you cant do anything for hours on end. My longest flight was 4.5 hours, so its by no means the longest flight thats ever been taken. Along with something to read - I like to have something to listen to, so thats where my phone and a good pair of headphones come in handy. The headphones I have are just the LG ones that came with my phone - they're surprisingly good! I made an offline playlist for spotify before going away, having to purchase spotify premium was a bit of a pain but if I'd have downloaded music in advance then I wouldn't have had that problem. 

If I had a tablet or a small laptop (eg a 2 in 1 laptop or a macbook) then I'd probably take that with me too - Connor took a tablet with him to Turkey and he plans on buying an Ipad for our future holidays. I always carry my camera in my hand luggage too - I like to know its safe with me and not being thrown around in my hold luggage. 

In the way of skin care and beauty products I really don't take much - and what I do take I house in a little clear pouch that I got from M&S last year. I always take a lip balm, hand cream and a mini hand sanitiser with me - along side these I keep my portable charger, hair grips and a bobble just in case I want to throw my hair up out of my face. 
Obviously I take my passport, boarding passes ect in my hand luggage - my passport is housed in this little case from Paperchase, and while in Turkey I kept all our travel documents in poly pockets, but I think a much nicer way of housing them is needed. 
My next trip away is to Paris just after my birthday - I'm super psyched to go, so many things to see and places to eat! 

What are your carry on must haves?