BERLIN | TRAVEL SIZED BEAUTY THAT MADE IT

If you follow me on social media you will know I have just gotten back from 10 days in Berlin, (you can watch the vlog here). It was wonderful, Berlin is wonderful. It is the coolest, most hip city I have ever visited, (if you squint past the tourists in their walking boots and clutching their maps). I am thinking of writing a separate post focusing on Berlin as a place to visit, but in this one I want to talk about beauty. I packed for Berlin last minute and kind of just through everything in when it came to clothes. I tend to take a bit longer over my makeup and skincare and the following are what made it into my suitcase.

CLARINS WATER COMFORT ONE STEP CLEANSER
I love this cleanser. It removes makeup as you would expect it to, smells lovely and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. If you haven’t tried it already and are in the market for something a tad more luxury than a drugstore micellar water, give this a go.

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH
This cleanser is the first hot cloth cleanser I had ever used and it is unbelievably comforting. I would repurchase again and again so loved having the travel size with me. It was a little chilly in Berlin and using this in the evenings before bed was lovely. 

PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING EXFOLIANT
This little gem is new to me and was kindly sent as a PR sample. I have never before tried anything from the brand but so far I am SO impressed! I used the exfoliant as my toning step after cleansing. It contains Salicylic Acid which is meant to dig deep into the skin and prevent blackheads as well as minimising pores. It is a product you both feel and see working, which I love!

CLARINS HYDRAQUENCH CREAM
I used the Hydraquench moisturiser from Clarins every morning whilst in Berlin. It gives my skin a good dose of hydration but doesn’t linger. It sinks into the skin quickly and beautifully, making it the perfect base for makeup.

BAREMINERALS SKINLONGEVITY SERUM
I recently got this serum in the QVC Tili Beauty Box, (you can read the post here) and it is the first product from BareMinerals I have owned. I haven’t used it long enough to truly review it but I can say you don’t need a lot of it and it doesn’t sit on the skin. I bloody love finding a product to use at night which WON’T mean my face sticks to my pillow!

ELEMIS HYDRA-NOURISH NIGHT CREAM
Weirdly, this night cream is almost a mixture of the above two products. It gives enough moisture without sticking to the pillow. Hurrah!

SMASHBOX PHOTO FINISH PRIMER
I have left my two least favourite products until last. I’ve used the Smashbox primer a few times before taking it to Berlin but I can’t get along with it. It is a bit gloopy and I really believe it actually makes my makeup look and last worse than it would without it. It is definitely the most disappointing primer I have tried to date.

THE HEALTHY DEODORANT
I bought the travel size of The Healthy Deodorant when we were last in NYC. I am so glad I didn’t pay $14 for the full size! It is SO hyped on YouTube and I don’t have a clue why. It’s main marketing point is that it doesn’t include any nasty chemicals like other deodorants do. Honestly, if it is those chemicals which stop me from stinkin’, I will take them over this any day! I don’t mean to sound naive, but even on days where we hardly did anything, this deodorant did not work. Tommy bought a cheap mens one whilst we were out there and his worked better than this one! A bit of a let down, but hey ho, it is only deodorant.

P.s. I left the hair care out that was included in the main photo. The shampoo was crap, the leave in conditioner was also crap and you all know I love the COLAB Dry Shampoo already.

Let me know if you want to see a post on Berlin as a place to visit and have a wonderful week!