THE DALMATIAN COAST - CROATIA

The more observant of you might have noticed I've been a bit absent on the blog recently, and that has been because I've been away in Croatia for a week.  I went with my family for the second time and still love it there!  We spent all of our time on the Dalmatian Coast which has lots of little islands on to explore.
Split is the main city on the Dalmatian Coast and although we didn't spend any time there, we spent a couple of days in Trogir, a nearby island accessible by car.  This tiny island has some beautiful views of the Dalmatian Coast and tiny, winding streets through the centre with cobbled streets and beautiful hidden churches around every corner.  However the area was very busy with tourists, most shops were very overpriced and it was rather loud in the evenings.  It's also worth adding that you have to pay to get into any attractions such as the bell tower and the fort and the small island limits how much you can do here.  I would recommend it but for a short stay only as there isn't much to do and no beach.

We then got a taxi from Trogir to Murter (more photos later) where we got our boat for the next week.  For those interested we had a Bavaria 46 yacht for 8 of us which was the perfect size for a week.

 One day we took a trip up to Krka National Park which is a huge waterfall with a swimming area. From Skradin, a nearby town, you can catch a ferry which takes about 20 minutes to travel up the river to the National Park. After a few days of swimming in the sea it was amazing to swim in fresh water, I want to find more fresh water places to swim!  Make sure you wear beach shoes if you plan to go in the water though because it's very easy to stub a toe on the rocks!  After swimming, we walked around the waterfall, although the walk doesn't take long there are plenty of steps but you get some amazing views and it's worth the climb!

These photos of the dragonflies were taken using a Tamron 70-300mm tele-macro lens which takes amazingly sharp close up photos, it's great if you like photographing wildlife.

One of the islands we stopped at was Zlarin, a very small island with only a handful of restaurants and no roads so there's not any cars.  It's beautifully unspoilt with pretty winding streets and flowers, pomegranates, dates, figs and apricots growing everywhere!  It was by far my favourite island which is why I photographed it so much!

And finally, I had to picture the beautiful Croatian sunset.  These photos were taken in Murter which is another pretty area with some great views and Hramina Marina, the nicest marina I've ever been to (if you sail you will really appreciate a really nice marina with great showers).

So there you go, a few photos from my time in Croatia.  I fully recommend sailing around the Dalmatian Coast if you're into that as it's the best way to explore islands and find beautiful little coves for lunch spots, go swimming and get a great tan!

I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post!

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THE PERFECT FACE SPF?

Previously when I've looked into buying a facial sun cream any decent ones seem to be way out my budget and the cheaper alternatives still come with that greasy look which makeup just doesn't stick to.  But finally I've managed to find the middle ground, and it's fab!

The Eucerin Mattifying Sun Fluid for Face doesn't come with the greasy sheen associated with most sun creams but you can also pick it up in Boots for only £12!  I was a bit sceptical about this at first because I hadn't heard of it before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Eucerin is known for being good to skin, catering for allergies and sensitive skin.  Not only does it have SPF 50+ and UVA and UVB protection due to it's UV filter system but it also helps with biological cell protection to help protect against sun-induced damage and contains licorice which is a well known anti-oxidant and protects cells in the deeper epidermal skin layers.  I like knowing that my skin is well protected, especially from the sun!

But possibly even better than that, the sun fluid has a very runny texture that melts into your skin easily and disappears!  There's no residue left, no weird white cast, and it doesn't look greasy!  It just looks and feels like skin, but with all that protection!  Because it looks and feels just like skin it goes well underneath makeup.  That brings me onto it's mattifying properties, I'm happy to report they got the balance just right here, no it's not shiny like a sun cream but it also doesn't take all the glow out of my skin either.
And just to top it all off, it comes in this handy little bottle which is perfect for travelling because, let's be honest, no one needs SPF 50+ in the UK. 

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5 PRODUCTS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

As a beauty blogger, I feel like we are often asked about our holy grail, favourite products.  So I thought I would share my very favourite products with you, most of which have never featured on my blog before but are well worth a mention!
Benefit's Hoola Bronzer has been a staple in my makeup collection since I got it as a present a few years ago.  I genuinely don't think it has left my makeup bag since then!  No other bronzer I've tried has the same natural bronze colour which also works amazingly well as a contour shade as it doesn't have a warm undertone and it's matte too.  I've even used this as an eyeshadow!  Yep, I don't think I could live without this bronzer!

The NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is a more recent addition to my collection having only started using this at the start of the year.  I wont babble on about this for too long because you've probably already heard it all but basically; it's dewy, but not shiny - medium coverage but buildable - I love it - packaging could definitely be improved.

L'Oreal's Superliner Perfect Slim was one of my firm favourites last year and I wore it almost everyday!  Since then I've gone off eyeliner, but if I ever fancy a winged liner look this is what I will use!  It's very user friendly as it has a sharp felt tip aswell as being very black and longlasting!

A slightly strange one here but the Nivea Hydrocare Lip Balm is amazing! I've tried my fair share of lip balms over the years and this one is the best!  It has a lovely subtle scent, SPF 15, and is very hydrating but what wins me over is the perfect balmy texture - it's not matte but not glossy either, meaning it applies smoothly to the lips and sits perfectly under lipsticks!  And the best bit?  It's only £1.55.

And finally, if you haven't tried the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer you've probably heard loads about it!  So I will keep this one short and sweet; it packs amazing high coverage with easy application, long lasting superpowers and all for a mere £4.19!  This concealer can do no wrong and I couldn't be without it!

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NOTD: PEACHELLA

Since I'm a bit obsessed with nail varnishes, I'm keen to upload more NOTD (Nails of the day) posts.
Peachella is a recent addition to my collection and I'm loving it!  Its part of the Rita Ora collection for Rimmel which launched earlier this Spring.  The collection features other bright and summer inspired shades but 'Peachella' caught my eye as a shade that would go perfectly with a tan.  As you can probably tell, I'm currently lacking in the tan department but once I've been on holiday and look a bit more bronzed I think this shade will be gorgeous!  However at the moment I think this shade looks a little bit odd on paler skin.  As usual, the Rimmel polishes are amazing quality for the bargain price!  I find this shade doesn't really chip for a good 3-4 days and it has a lovely glossy finish but does still require a top coat in my opinion.
Overall, I'm impressed with the quality of this polish and love the collection but I think this colour will be much better post holiday.  I will report back when I'm a bit more bronzed!

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YSL ROUGE VOLUPTE SHINE

Let me introduce you to my favourite summer lipstick; YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - Shade 15, Coral Intuitive.

I was gifted this gorgeous lipstick at Christmas and was so thrilled with it, but now its summer and this lipstick has really come into its own.  Firstly, how beautiful is this packaging?  This is my first and only YSL product and lets just say I love carrying this around in my bag (as you can see from all the scratches) and staring at it because its just that gorgeous!  But anyway, aside from the shiny luxurious packaging, the product inside is just as stunning.  The range of Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks are the sheerer of YSL's lipsticks, they are designed to give a dazzling colour whilst also offering a luminous shine and comfort, and they don't disappoint.  This lipstick applies so smoothly and easily straight from the bullet and gives a wash of peachy pink/coral colour to the lips.  I'm obsessed with these sorts of colours, they look so natural but add a pop of pretty colour.  I'm also aware that these could be seen as just a glorified tinted lip balm, but what really separates them is the more pigmented formula and silky smooth texture as well as being very moisterising and comfortable.  However, you can expect with such a sheer, glossy formula that the lasting power of these isn't all that great and it has no chance of looking perfect after a burger!  But the amazing quality and sheerer finish means that this is no trouble to apply on the go and even without a mirror.
Yep, its fair to say I'm well and truly obsessed.  And rightly so!  If you've tried this or want to try it, feel free to leave me a comment, it would be nice to know I'm not the only one falling in love with a lipstick!

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BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX

My makeup collection has always lacked a good, lightweight foundation or tinted moisteriser.  I fell head over heels in love with the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation back in December but since then my skin has cleared up and the weather has warmed up meaning my skin has been craving a lighter base but with the same dewy finish.

So, after hearing lots of hype about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation I went into Superdrug and picked it up in the shade N52 - Vanilla along with the matching Healthy Balance Powder.

The foundation aims to give a flawless complexion whilst leaving the skin luminous and hydrated. It contains apricot to give radiance, melon for hydration and apple to protect youthful skin, giving it a fruity fragrance which I actually quite like. The foundation is enriched with crystalline pigments which evens out the complexion whilst also giving a natural glow.  I've heard from other bloggers that this foundation has low coverage which was just what I was after.  As promised the finish is luminous and healthy looking which I love!  As expected the coverage is low, therefore if you have blemished skin this product won't give you a flawless finish.  However, on good skin days this stuff is amazing! It looks just like healthy glowing skin!  This is going to be a summer staple for me.

The matchingpowder is very finely milled and aims to give a matte finish to the skin but with a natural and healthy glow.  I really love the packaging of this because the compact is well made and feels durable (unlike my great, but flimsy Rimmel Stay Matte Powder).  It also has a large mirror which will be great on a night out or in my handbag.  It also contains fruit extracts such as Yuzu fruit which helps to prevent shine and Sharon fruit to hydrate the skin.  As this powder is so finely milled it blends into the skin seamlessly and doesn't look cakey or heavy at all.  However, this powder is quite a bit more expensive than most drugstore powders, is it worth the money? I'm not sure, it's nice but I would rather invest my money in a lipstick or mascara.

P.S. There is currently 3 for 2 on Bourjois products at both Superdrug and Boots, thank me later!

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ZOEVA EYE BRUSHES

I've never quite got the hang of eye makeup, although I love a good mascara, eyeshadow has never been my thing.  I think it can go wrong so easily and I've been happy enough without it.
But recently, with a few events coming up I'm feeling the need to wear a bit of something on my eyes so I decided to encourage me (just as gym-goers buy new gym gear) I would update my (very) old eye brush collection.

Not wanting to spend a lot of money as I'm not sure how much use these brushes will get, I had a look through the Zoeva brushes on Beauty Bay (very quick delivery I might add!).  After eyeing up their classic eye collection I decided to just buy a few I wanted.

If I'm going for a full eye-makeup look I will use all of these brushes, and here's how:
The 232 / luxe classic shader is super soft and perfect for applying colour all over the lid for a great base.  I then use the 221 / luxe soft crease brush to blend colours together.  This brush has been likened to the famous MAC 217 as its so soft and fluffy!
The 226 / smudger is then ideal for applying shadow along the lower lashline due to the short bristles and thin shape which give lots of control.  Its also great for, as the name suggests, smudging pencil liner for a smoky look.
And finally, if I want to add some gel liner, I will use the 317 / wing liner to create the perfect feline flick!  I've needed a new liner brush for such a long time so this is a great upgrade from my grotty old one which I've used for years.

I wouldn't say I'm converted to an everyday eyeshadow/liner wearer just yet but that time might be coming!

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