An American beauty haul

One of my favourite things when visiting the the States is raiding Sephora and the endless pharmacies. I'm a sucker for Boots over here so when I'm surrounded by brands I've never heard of, I tend to go a bit crazy. I was pretty restrained when I went to NYC but I still came back with a few goodies to tide me over. Here is what I bought back in my suitcase...

Bioré 14 Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
I had never noticed this brand before then I came home and spotted it in Boots. Typical! But I picked these up as I've been reading a lot about pore strips and thought they were worth trying out. Blackheads can be my nemesis so I'm hoping these live up to what I'm expecting them to do. Fingers crossed!

CVS 100 factor sun cream
Part of my bought this for my pasty boyfriend as a joke because he is notorious for burning to a crisp - even under an umbrella and in the shade. But I'm also keen to try it out as the older I'm getting, the more obsessed I am with sun cream. I really try to stay away from the sun now and can't remember the last time I sunbathed. It's never about getting premature winkles! I have a wedding in Mallorca and the last thing I want is sunburnt shoulders so I'll be making sure I'm vigilant with the cream.

Glossier Balm Dotcom
Even since Glossier came over to British shores I've been dying to try it out. But being frivolous with skincare purchases isn't really on the cards when you're suppose to be saving for a boiler. We stumbled across the Glossier showroom in Chinatown during a wander and I couldn't help myself. The exchange rate means it was cheaper than at home and that was the push I needed. I'd heard great things about the balm and so far I'm impressed! Definitely going to be a repeat purchase.

Glossier Priming Moisturiser 
I bought the cleanser, balm and this moisturiser in a set. To be honest I wasn't really on the look out for a new moisturiser as I swear by my No 7 one that I've now been using for about a decade. Say what?! But it only worked out about £5 more if I bought the set rather than just the two products I really wanted. So for a fiver I thought I would give it a whirl.

Covergirl Last Blast Volume mascara
Lily suggested I picked up this one during my trip and I'm never one to turn down a recommendation. Covergirl is a brand that's unavailable over here and I usually always stock up. But this time I only picked up the mascara because it's the one make up product that I constantly use up without fail. An every day staple that I'm always wearing - even if I haven't got any other make up on.  I'm yet to use but have always been impressed by their mascaras so am sure this won't be any different.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser
Once again a product I have seen the blogging world go crazy over. I'm always one to jump on a bandwagon. I haven't used it yet as am currently using my other cleanser but I can't wait. I'm hoping it works it's magic on me like it has done for everyone else!

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner
This is my all-time favourite make up product. It glides on so effortlessly and really doesn't budge until it's time to remove it. I love the size of the pen and it's perfect to attempting to do a cat-eye flick. They sell it in Debenhams now but it's a few quid cheaper overseas so I stocked up.

Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal deep cleansing scrub
The different Yes To.. ranges are great. I really do love them and try to bring home a couple of products every time to go to America. I'm obsessed with charcoal masks and try to use one at least twice a week. I find they really help to unclog my pores and deal with the daily pollution I face commuting into the capital. I was drawn to the fact this had a brush attached which.

Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick
If I only had to have one red lipstick for the rest of my life this is what I would buy. I can't put into words just how much I love the shade and formula. I adore lipstick and have far too many than I would like to admit. But one thing that really gets on my goat about lipstick is the constant need to reapply it after eating and drinking. This seems to last forever and hardly ever needs to be topped up during the day. Just keep in mind it can be a bit stubborn to get off.

Yes to Cotton Micellar Cleansing Water
I left my usual cleansing water at home so had to panic buy this when I arrived. It been especially made for sensitive and allergy prone skin which means it's very gentle on your skin. I love the pump top and it seems to remove all types of make up - even stubborn lipsticks. It's not enough to tempt me away from my Garnier Micellar water but it makes a good runner up.

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Exploring the United States: 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City, U.S.A

I remember the day of 9/11 so clearly and vividly. I was at school and my form tutor called us in for registration, she put the telly on and we all watched transfixed as the first plane flew into the World Trade Centre. There was murmurs around that it was a freak accident and then the second plane flew into the second tower. The whole room went so silent you could hear a pin drop at the sudden realisation that this wasn't an accident. It was deliberate attack. I remember staring at the scenes on the telly feeling so confused and bewildered, unsure at what was happening but knowing deep down that things were about to change.

I was in two minds about visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Musuem* in New York. Unlike many museums and memorials I've visited, the events of 9/11 were ones I've lived through. I saw the images on television of the towers coming down and experienced the aftermath of the effect it had on the world. I selfishly didn't know if I was able to see that. But friends had mentioned that it was one of the most moving things they saw during their trip and it was a must-see. So I decided take the plunge and see it for myself.

Similar to my Auschwitz visit, it was draining. I felt myself on the verge of tears the entire time in the museum. You aren't allowed to take photos in certain parts of the museum, such as the Memorial Exhibition and Historical Exhibition, and rightly so. I saw people taking smiling selfies outside with the memorial and it didn't sit right with me. Reading eyewitness accounts of watching people jumping to their deaths, listening to the answering phone messages people had left on the phones of firefighters they knew were attending the scene, seeing the missing posters loved ones had frantically put up and seeing the destroyed fire engine that arrived first on the scene was so tough. But it was also in a way nice to remember how people came together on that fateful day. It was a day for both the worse and the best of humanity. 

If you're debating about if you should visit the 9/11 Musuem and Memorial, then add it to your list. Yes it's hard to witness but it's such an important part of history and triggered so many things. It triggered events we're still dealing to today. It's absolutely wonderfully curated and is a really heart-wrenching experience that shouldn't be missed.

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Has Spring finally arrived?

Outfit:
Yellow animal print shirt: ASOS
Distressed skinny jeans: George at ASDA (similar)
Red Gazelles: Adidas (similar)
Red leather backpack: Michael Kors (similar)
Khaki military style coat: Primark (similar)
Gold hoop earrings: Sacet*

Despite the ever constant rain, it does seem like Spring might finally be trying to appear. The days are finally getting longer thanks to the clocks and the skies are looking distinctly less gloomy and dark. This Winter has felt longer than usual so am over the moon for the change in the season. I felt like I wore the same clothes every single day in an attempt to try and keep warm so am really enjoying wearing some new in pieces that have found themselves in my wardrobe.

My uniform seems to be a shirt and skinny jeans so I was keen to add some colourful shirts to my endless collection. Yellow is my favourite colour and this animal print shirt felt like it had my name written all over it. The length is perfect and it doesn't need ironing which is my idea of heaven! I'd been after a smart backpack for a while as I've given up with handbags for every day. I carry just too much too and from work and need to have comfort as my back was really struggling with all the weight on one side. I spotted this bag in Macy's whilst I was in NYC and it was reduced from nearly £300 to £105! Whilst it was still pretty pricey, it was a complete bargain that I felt I couldn't leave behind. The size is perfect and I adore the vibrant red. Special thanks to my dad who gave my mum and I some money to treat ourselves with!

After falling out of love with earrings for a while, I'm well and truly back on wagon. You only have to read my statement earrings post to see that I can't stop treating myself. Sacet got in touch to see if I would like to have a pair from their range and I fell head over heels for these simple 18K gold hoop earrings. I'm absolutely loving hoops at the minute and these are big enough to make a statement yet small enough to still be subtle. Ethically and consciously crafted, the website lists the makers who create your jewellery. It's really nice to see the story behind each piece. They come in gorgeous packaging and would make a lovely gift for someone.

Finally I was treated to a new haircut from Rush* in the St Paul's Cheapside branch. I didn't have too much cut off it as I'm growing it to eventually donate it to charity. But I'd been pretty slack at getting my hair cut so it actually had a lot of spilt ends. So I had to have more than I wanted cut off but it feels so much nicer with a fresh cut. As always my experience in Rush was so relaxing and I came out feeling so refreshed. There's actually an offer on at the salon which gives 50% off for first time customers if you fancy sprucing up your look for Spring!

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