September Favourites | Beckindaxo

It's favourites time again! September is always a strange month for me, with the weather turning from summer to autumn, I always feel like I'm in limbo.

So this month I've loved this the Real Techniques take on the beauty blender. I've probably owned this Miracle complexion sponge for over 2 years, but never taken it out of the packaging before. Beauty blenders always seemed like a good idea, but I just never thought to really try it. I really like it for a natural everyday look as it just seems to help make my skin look natural, however I prefer a brush for a evening/full coverage look.

The L'oreal volume millions so couture mascara is up their with my all time fav mascara, the Clinique high impact mascara. It gives me really full and fluttery lashes, to the point that someone asked me if I was wearing false lashes! A real compliment! They're also on 2 for £12 at the minute, and at £9.99 anyway it's a great buy!

The Urban Decay All nighter setting spray is an old one but a good one. I can work a 12 hour day and my makeup is still in place, how I used to survive with this I have no idea, thanks Urban Decay!

This Bottle of Soap & Glory's foam call body wash has lasted me ages. It is one of those products where a little goes a long way, especially is you put it on a body puff first. £6.50 may seem more than normal for a shower gel but it's definitely worth it. Plus it also smells amazing and leaves me silky smooth.

The Body Shop's peppermint cooling foot lotion is a great little treat for my feet. I'm really not a foot person, so to me feet need to be in great condition, especially after working all day on my feet. This keeps my feet smooth and hydrated without being all tacky and slippy when compared to using other products.

I'd love to hear your September beauty favourites below!

Beautiful Budapest - Tips for taking a trip!

Views of the Castle

Budapest is beautiful! I feel like it isn't somewhere people would necessarily pick for a European city break but they really should. I wasn't really sure what Hungary's capital city would have in store, but I'm so glad it lived up to my high expectations.

I went with a friend last week for a long weekend and we loved it. It's filled with lots of things to do and see, both historic and picturesque. The city has enough things to do, so that if you want to you can probably see and do everything in 3 full days which was perfect for us.

Budapest seems to have influences from many different periods of its History, with both its Soviet and Roman History leaving an influence on the city to date, creating a curious mix of beautiful, shabby and yet still under construction.

At the top of Gellert Hill

If you're planning a trip make sure you take a walk up Gellert Hill for some of the best panoramic views across both sides of the city. It a little bit of a challenging walk, but definitely worth it! You can also visit Buda Castle whilst on that side of the river too before crossing Chain bridge.

St Stephens Basilica is the largest church in Hungary, and is a magnificent build. As too is the Hungarian Parliament building on the river bank, those Hungarian know how to create a stunning building! Outside Parliament is the poignant memorial of the Shoes on the Danube, a honour the Jews who were ordered to take off their shoes and were shot at the edge of the water during WW2. A memorial that really makes you think how lucky you are.

Heroes Square, the spas and walking along the river bank are also all things you must see in Budapest.

There's also lots of lovely restaurant, cafes and bars throughout the city to enjoy something to eat and drink within a lovely situ.Kiosk Budapest being one of our favourites for a Sauvignon Spritz!

Tips for travelling to Budapest:

- When chosing where to stay the Buda side of the river is quieter, with less transport facilities and restaurants to dine at, but does mean you are near many historic sites such as Castle Hill and Gellert Hill. The Pest side is a lot busier, with more shops, restaurants and more of a night-life if that is what you are looking for.

- Hungary's currency is the Forint. Although they do accept Euros in larger restaurants; small shops, restaurants and taxis will not accept it, so be prepared!

- If you are fit and healthy, everything is within walking distance, so you do not necessarily need to use any public transport.

- Most hotels will provide you with a map with tourist destinations already highlighted. Make the most of it and you'll get to see all of the key sights!

Have a fabulous time if you decide to take a trip!

Benefit Frisky Six

I think I've got a duty-free problem, I can't help but buy something when passing duty-free, especially if it's in miniature form!

I recently picked up the Benefit Frisky Six set on a recent trip. As much as I have a slight make-up addiction, Benefit isn't necessarily a brand I tend to lean towards and I'm really not sure why not. 

The set includes: They're Real! Mascara, Sugarbomb blush, Ooh La Lift under eye highlighter, Sun Beam highlight, Lollitint liquid blush and the Lollibalm lip tint, all of which I've never tried before.

I think I'm the only person on Earth who hasn't seemed to try the They're Real! mascara, so this seemed like a good opportunity to seem if it is up to the hype. I really hope it does lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates!

When I was younger, I was obsessed with my Coralista blush, partly because it was my most expensive make-up item and partly because of the hype around it with my school friends, so maybe this will bring back some high school memories!  From what I've swatched the shade of the blush seems really pretty and looks like it will give a really healthy blush.

I did get to use the Sunbeam highlighter across the top of my cheekbones whilst I was away and it gave me a really healthy holiday glow, a define winner from me!

I think that it's a great way to get to try and experiment with new products without having to buy the full size and be disappointed by anything. I really hope the rest of the set lives up to my expectations, I'll let you know!

Products I've used up - Summer Edition

I love looking at other people's products they've used up as you get to see what they love, what was okay, and what they probably would't buy again, which is often really useful. So I thought it was about time I gave it a try, and it's actually given my the chance to evaluate what I thought about each product and if I thought it was worth it, or could I find something better. It has also been a good guide to see what I've loved through the summer months, as a quick round up. Hopefully I can give you a little bit of guidance to something you fancied trying!

Haircare

Aussie miracle moist shampoo - For hair that is dry, dull and damaged as the packaging says this is great. It leaves my hair feeling clean and soft after I have used this product, and I don't seem to complain afterwards. 

VO5 high volume hairspray - My favourite affordable hair spray. It has an excellent hold but at the same time doesn't feel like my hair is full of product and most importantly doesn't look solid in my hair. It says that it is weather resistant too which is a bonus!

Batiste dry shampoo in tropical - my go to dry shampoo. I like the fragrance and if you properly shake the can up first you get minimal white residue in your hair.

Charles Worthington volume & bounce body boost mousse - This isn't my favourite hair mousse as it leave my hair feeling full of product and almost unclean straight after I have washed it. It was okay, but not my favourite.

Argan Oil of Morocco conditioner - a lovely conditioner. My hair felt soft and nourished afterwards. 

Skincare (The biggest chunk!!)

L'oreal absolute eye and lip make-up remover - my favourite eye makeup remover. I always have to have a biphase oil based remover, as basic removers don't seem to get my eye makeup off properly, even with non waterproof mascaras. This pretty much gets everything off, and is reasonably priced.

Origins clean energy gentle cleasing oil - second bottle but I haven't been as religious as I was with my first bottle. It is a lovely product but I just don't seem to have a place for it in my skincare routine as I am using micellar water to remover my makeup currently.

Origins night-a-mins night cream - A lovely night cream. Rich, smells amazing as do all Origins prosucts. Really sinks into my skin, already repurchased.

Pixi glow tonic - This was a product that I completely gave into the hype with. It is an exfoliating tonic, you apply with a cotton pad, to chemically exfoliate your skin. It isn't as harsh as it sounds, but it does replace a physical exfoliate in your skincare routine. I like the product, you could almost feel it work as it tingled on my skin, but I never noticed a dramatic difference in my skins appearance. I'm going to try the first aid beauty ones and compare. I also love that you can now buy it on ASOS (currently sold out)!

Hydraluron moisture jelly - this is my second pot of this cream, I love it. I was really sceptical at first as it is a gel, but it really works. If I have visable dry or dehydrated patches on my face, a couple of uses later it has dissappeared, an excellent product.

Garnier micellar cleansing water - an excellent product to remove make-up with. It gets everything off before I cleanse my skin without being too fussy. I'm probably on my 5th bottle!

Origins Drink up intensive overnight mask - I love the smell of this product, to me this is gorgeous. I don't know how to describe it but just smells tropical and summery, which probably helps me love it even more. It is a great skin pick me up for when your skin just looks a little bit sorry for itself or you need a good nights sleep. Stick this on, go to sleep, enjoy the smell and wake up with brighter and plumper looking skin.

The Body shop vitamin C microdermabrasion - a nice exfoliator, it can be a little harsh on my skin sometimes as the formula is almost like sand. But it definitely leaves my skin feeling a lot smoother. so it definitely does the job.

Body & Nails

Elegant touch rapid dry for nails - spray over the top of your wet nail varnish and sets them touch dry in a few seconds. Great for when you are in a hurry

Botanics conditioning body lotion - quick absorbing formula, good for putting skinny jeans on after moisturising!

Vaseline spray and go body moisturiser in cocoa - non greasy formula, again great for when you need to put skinny jeans on straight after! Not necessarily sure how hydrating it is!

Soap & Glory the righteous butter - smells amazing and feels really nourishing. Definitely once of my favourite body butters

OPI Passport to Color

On my return journey from Prague I treat myself to a little something from the in-flight duty free. The OPI Passport to Color gift set caught my attention, six miniatures of some of there most popular colours. As a Brit OPI can be a little hard to find and also very expensive as compared to buying OPI in America.

The set includes 6 of the brands best selling shades, ideal for someone like me to try something from the brand. The colours range from nude to midnight purple, and the colour selection also means that there is a colour suitable for any season, its not limited to summer, which is a bonus! I've always wanted to try the Lincoln park after dark too, as it is such a cult classic so bring on the autumn!

From left to right: Tickle my France-y: A grey-pink nude shade, Passion: A pale pink, Cajun Shrimp: A coral shade, Charged up Cherry: Hot red-pink, Malaga Wine: A rich wine red and Lincoln Park After Dark: A midnight purple. 

I've definitely loved the summery colours for the time of year, and the colour pay-off is great. The little brush can make it a little streaky so you definitely need two coats for it to look perfect, but it's a great way to try out new colours without having to purchase the full sized bottles.

For £16 for the set, I think it's a great price and I'm definitely glad I bought it!

Holiday Skincare Saviours

Holiday skin care can sometimes be an absolute nightmare, especially when having to battle a hot, humid country, possible sun damage, chlorine and salt water and the blocking of pores from high factor face SPF's. What a great combination!

This year I really wanted to make sure I took something really hydrating but also lightweight, that wouldn't start to slip off my face and let my make-up glide over on an evening. I didn't want to take anything brand new in case I had a reaction, as my skin can sometimes react to certain foods I eat and occasionally products I apply, just as a precaution.

The Garnier Miscellar cleansing water is already my current go to make-up remover, so the little travel size is perfect. It takes my make-up off with minimum effort, and leaves no greasy film on my skin. I also took my current cleanser, Origins Checks and balances frothy face wash that I received as a free sample as a gift with purchase. It leaves my skin feeling content, not tight or greasy as it is designed to balance out any problems I may have got, which worked great on holiday after having a heavy SPF on the skin at the same time being dry from the sun.

In the past I've used the Indeed labs Hydraluron range on my skin and had great results from in the past. It was a combination of the lightweight gel like products combined with the high levels of hydration it can give the skin that just screamed holiday skincare products to me. The combination of the serum and the moisturiser gave my skin all the hydration it needed after spending a lot of time in the sun and sea throughout the day. Honestly both products are amazing for holiday skincare. 

I also took the Clinique all about eyes rich, as it was in handy sample size to take away. Its not something I had really tried before but it seemed to do a great job, so I think I'll keep on giving it a go!

Overall, I was extremely pleased with my skincare routine and loved not having to deal with problematic skin on my return, absolute bonus! Honestly, if your skin is problematic to begin with and you want it to try and maintain your 'good' skin on holiday then these products are totally worth a try.

Holiday Hair Heroes

In a massive panic that my suitcase was over the 15kg luggage allowance on my recent holiday, I pulled out all of my larger toiletry items, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, you get the gist. I my mad panic I left myself no other choice than to buy everything in Boots at the airport, What an absolute life saver!

I always try and look for 'moisturising' or 'nourishing' hair products, especially due to all the damage it would get from the sun, sea water and chlorine, as I'm a total water baby on holiday.

I picked up amongst other things, the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary oil nourishing shampoo and conditioner and I'm so glad I did. I really didn't have any high expectations of either product, especially due to the salt and chlorine damage that would get my hair everyday but I don't know if I've ever had my hair feel softer or sleeker, never mind on holiday!

With the formula aimed at dry to very dry hair, it left both mine and my sisters waist length hair feeling very nourished, soft, shiny and almost effortless, which is exactly what I want on my holidays. There's nothing worse than having to battle on for a long time in the heat with hairdryers and straighteners, for it to be stuck to your face, frizzy and an utter mess, which I completely know from past experiences.

The John Freida frizz ease perfect finishing polish is already one of my hair essentials for leaving my hair frizz free and smooth, so combining these products made for an absolute holiday hair dream. On my next holiday I don't think I'll even consider anything else!