What I loved about England? There is a blooming 'Boots' EVERYWHERE. Like, everywhere. That means there was always a temptation to quickly nip in and see what its got to offer.

The UK has brands that we don't get here in Australia - like the full range of Soap & Glory products, Collection, Makeup Academy etc. As I follow many UK bloggers (HEY GUYS) it results in lusting over various products that I can't get here. So when I hit up the UK I wanted to take full advantage and finally purchase things I can't get here. So yeah, this is my lil haul. :)

Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer in 01 Fair & 02 Cool Medium
This is my holy grail concealer so whenever I hit up the UK I BUY UP. I bought about 5 in total. #noregrets

Soap & Glory 'Supercat Eyeliner Pen' and 'Brow Archery Sculpting Crayon and Gel'
Supercat eyeliner is another holy grail so I had to buy another one. Surprisingly the one I bought in January last year is still working perfectly so i'm very impressed with how long it has lasted for.
Also got this brow product and I think I really like it, will have to see how it goes.

Soap & Glory 'Wonderbronze' shimmer brick
Isn't it pretty?! I think this would look lovely on the cheeks in summer for a really glowy bronze look.

Maybelline Colour Tattoos in 'Pink Gold', 'Creamy Beige' and 'One and on Bronze'

This is my favourite eyeshadow ever so I was delighted to see that the UK has a larger colour range. I got these three pretties to add to ze collection. I already own "On and on bronze' but it's my ultimate staple so I had to get a back up.

Collection Eyeshadow Pencil in 'Vanilla Sky'
When I swatched this in the shop I was delighted to see that it barely budged when I was trying to wipe it off. The main reason I got this because I think it would be a great highlight under the brows and in the inner corner of the eyes. It was only like three pounds so would totally recommend picking this up, i'm really liking it.

If you don't know I just got back from three weeks of traveling Europe. It was splendid, honestly, Europe gets me. It was the third place we visited and was one of the standouts. As mentioned in the title ~ Stockholm really is a cosy dream. Not only is it beautiful but it has this unique feel to it. Most days mum and I would wander the streets for a few hours, pop into a cute looking cafe for a big ole mug of hot chocolate, and then head out again for more exploring.

I think the cosy feel of it comes down to the fact that it was winter so we could wander the cobble stoned streets in our copious layers of clothes and find sanctity in the various coffee shops. Stockholm is a very clean city and the people appear to be quite friendly. It is a Scandinavian country so it isn't exactly cheap but it's the type of place where you would rather wander the streets over shopping. If you do have the money it does have a gorgeous homeware selection so that would be worth checking out (I do love my homewares).

 I'd recommend going for just two to three days as it's more than enough time to check out the main attractions but also get a feel of the city by wandering through it's main streets and backstreets. Make sure to take a good amount of money so you're able to take solace in coffee shops when the cold gets a little too much. Overall it is a beautiful city which is worth the visit as it has a lot to offer.

I have this terrible habit of treating foreign money like it's monopoly money. I mean..if it's not in Australian dollars it doesn't count right...right?! *cough* Ahem..anyway majority of these products are the result of duty free shopping which I took full advantage of.

Mac Lipsticks in Viva Glam 2, Creme Cup, and Girl About Town.
These ended up being super cheap, like, suuper cheap. The two regular lipsticks were 13 pounds which worked out to be $26. That's a whole $10 cheaper than back home!! I won't go into these too much as i'm making another more in depth blog post on them.

Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer in Carrie & Big
As Sex & the City is one of my favourite series I was practically obligated to buy this because of it's name. But,  it was only 10 pounds ($20 aud) at TKMaxx. Am yet to try it but fingers crossed it's a winner.

Urban Decay 'All Nighter' Makeup Setting Spray
Also picked up this bad boy at duty free for only $40 *fist pump*. I've used this a couple of times and I think it works? The ultimate test will be wearing it back home seeing as it's so hot and humid. May also do a review on this to see how battles against the wretched sweat-inducing Australian weather.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
This was only $60 duty free *fist pumps again* so I had to buy it cause when else would I get it this cheap. Am yet to give this a serious try but I can't wait.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
This is a holy grail of many so I thought it was about time to give it a try. I got this travel sized one from Sephora. Haven't used it yet but I hope it lives up to the hype!

For years I had put off "getting into" primers because I had the view: if a foundation was actually decent - it would last. So, I may have been a little misguided on that. I now see their appeal cause who wouldn't their foundation to go on smoother and last longer? I decided to purchase one in hopes of my make-up becoming sweat-proof during 35+ degree weather over the week I camped at a music festival (side note: camping is most definitely not my thing).

Primer: L'Oreal BaseMagique
Price: $29.95 (I got it half price while it was on sale - woo!)
Claims: To not only hydrate skin but work as a primer to mask winkles and uneven textures before applying foundation. Formula diminishes the appearance of pores and contains soft powders which mattify the skin and enable longer-lasting make-up.
How it lasts on a normal day: I started stealing my friends supply of this primer on a week long retreat and I was pretty impressed with how smoothly my foundation glided on and the overall staying power. Now after buying one of my own I pretty much wear this on an everyday basis. I don't think it gives astounding longevity but I do notice it slightly pro-longs my foundation life. I would also say that it does minimize the appearance of pores which is ace.
How it lasted on a 35 degree day: Well, it didn't. It did not last AT ALL. Honestly I was disappointed with how terrible the staying power was. This primer is not sweatproof and my foundation glided off far too easily. Eh, I was not happy. By the end of the week I basically gave up on make-up cause I knew it wasn't going to last anyway.

 If I had to pick a favourite skincare product it would easily be Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate, which says a lot. In fact i'm quite surprised as to why I have never mentioned it on here before. Essentially this is an oil applied at bedtime which works overnight to replenish and restore the appearance of your skin. In contains lavender oil (which helps soothe inflamed or irritated skin), primrose oil (which is effective in skin-barrier repair) and squalane (an oil derived from olives and is highly moisturizing).

My favourite thing about this oil is that it smells incredible. And I mean incredible. It smells of freshly picked lavender. Mmm. After a stressful day I love applying this right before bedtime as it not only makes me feel relaxed (lavender is scientifically proven to have a calming effect) but it feels so lovely on the skin.

I would say that since using this product I have noticed a positive difference in my skin. I wake up and my skin looks so much healthier and glowier. I woke up the other morning and the first thing my mum said to me was "your skin looks nice and healthy". Cha-ching! That's what I like to hear!

This is a product I recommend all my friends so I feel it's appropriate to recommend it to all of you! It's on the steeper side at $64 but I would say it's a worthwhile investment if your skin is needing a bit more lovin.