Beauty | Kiko Cosmetics - Florence

Whilst wandering the streets of Florence I came across a Kiko Cosmetics Store which i was very excited about with all the recent buzz about this brand in the UK.

The store wasn't huge, but the vast choice in colours and various products really was. I went a little mad and bought plenty!

I will be writing separate reviews for each of these products as soon as I can get round it but for now here is a sneak peek at the little (read massive) haul I splurged on....

Luxe Beauty | Eyeko - Liquid Metal Eyeliner Rose Gold Review

Eyeko seems to be everywhere at the moment and since Alexa Chung put her face to the brand it has really gained some momentum. I received the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in my February Birchbox and I absolutely loved it, applying along the top lash line has never been so easy! I am also having a bit of a rose gold phase at the moment, so when I came across the Eyeko Liquid Metal Eyeliner in Rose Gold whilst browsing online I just had to have it. What a purchase this has been. Metallics are super sexy right now and this eyeliner is right on the money. It is waterproof so it doesn't budge all day, in fact, it is so waterproof it doesn't budge when you are trying o clean it off at night without a good eye makeup remover. It is very easy to apply and, once you have turned the bottom to release the liquid, a little goes a long way as it has great colour density. Unfortunately the pictures I took don't do it justice but if you spy this I would say grab one as this is going to be beautiful for summer nights.

I have been pairing it up with Bobbi Brown Cream Eye Shadow in Copper to really go to town on the metallic trend. How would you wear it?

Luxe Beauty Life | Travelling Light

So, lucky old me is off to Florence tomorrow! I absolutely can't wait, but despite all this excitement, I have the feeling of dread when I hear those painful words 'luggage allowance'. I am only off for 4 days, but what always gets me in a spin is trying to skinny down the cosmetics, so I thought it would be useful to let you know how I attempt to be a bit frugal on how much I bring with me - means I can buy more at duty free then, right?

I took a deep breath and decided to bring together the majority of the products I would usually use over a 4 day period, there were a couple of bits that I missed, but I would say I got all the big hitters in there. This massive haul of products looked like this....

"This does not look shared-small-suitcase-for-a-long-weekend compatible" was the polite response from my husband when he walked in the room...and promptly walked back out! So I have managed to get my weekend cosmetics to a slightly more manageable amount which now looks like this...

I managed this miracle using the following tricks:

1) Samples. This is when sample size products come in to their own, if you happen to get a sample of a product that you quite like, but not enough to veer away from your usual favourite, save it. When you are going away, using sample sizes is so much easier, and you don't mind that it isn't your favourite product...your on holiday, who cares?

2) Containers. For the when your favourite products are essential, (mine is flash beauty balm) then buy some empty containers from a supermarket or pharmacy and squeeze a bit from the full size product to save on room/weight.

3) Multi tasking products. Products that can do more than one thing are your friend when it comes to travelling light, so get packing those lip and cheek tints, multi use oils and anything else that can work its magic more than once.

4) Eye shadow palettes. In my first pic I only showed a tiny proportion of the various eye shadows and creams that I own, and I never know what look or eye colour I will want to try from one day to the next. So I find eye shadow palettes are a good use of space as packing all the different eye shadow pots is a little infeasible, but with a palettes you still get plenty of choice and it slips right in between your knock out dress and skinny jeans without barely making a difference space wise. The one I have shown is a palette I picked up from Sephora last year, and I have heard on the blogvine that they are now shipping to the UK! Woohoo!

Now I am all packed, and ready to go without sacrificing my beauty regime. It is worth noting that the second pic doesn't show a bottle of perfume because obviously I will be making use of duty free ;-) 

Have a great Sunday and I will be blogging all about Florence, home of the oldest beauty shop I. The world, when I get back!