Travel Essentials | Beauty, Fashion and More!

I haven't been abroad in years, the last time I went I was around 6 or 7 so that's over 10 years ago which makes me a little sad. Unfortunately i'm not going abroad this year as much as I would've hoped, I'm hoping to go next year with my friends. However, on Friday i'm lucky enough to be travelling down to South West England and in particular South Devon for the week- which is just a tad exciting as it's always nice to get out of your hometown and explore somewhere else.

As i'm not going abroad this isn't going to be an 'in-flight travel essentials' which seem to be pretty popular, but I just thought i'd share my essentials as a whole for a short break within the UK. Also, just a side note, i'm not going to mention the obvious like a toothbrush so just so you know, I will be packing that but the more obvious ones won't be mentioned.

The Basics

Money- Of course you're going to need money when you get there but you could also on route. There always seems to be somebody who cannot wait to go to the toilet and insists you stop at the services, so that of course means getting out and popping to the shop to pick up a snack for your journey! There is also a possibility of a toll bridge, I know you have to pay to get into Wales so perhaps keep that in mind also!

Tissues- These are always handy, I always carry tissue around whether that's in my bag or jacket pocket. You've spilt something? Here's a tissue. Hayfever? Here's a tissue. And of course, public toilets- better to be safe than sorry!

Painkillers- We all hope not to get sick when travelling, or at anytime for that matter. So again, better to be safe than sorry always carry some form of medicine with you- painkillers are compact and are a huge relief when you've got a headache that wont shift or worse, period pains.

Beauty

SPF- Yes, even in the UK. You should wear some form of SPF all year round whether that's in your makeup or apply it separately. As it's going to be warmer during the summer months, it's likely you'll have your arms or even your legs out and when the sun decides to make an appearance you don't want to be caught short, burn and cause damage your skin.

Mini Deodorant-  I always carry some form of deodorant/body spray/perfume around with me as you never know when you're going to break a sweat and I can't think of anything worse than smelling of B.O. (there probably are worse things but still).

Minis- I love the aisle of Boots where all the dinky sized products are, they're so cute but obviously are designed for travelling. I usually go and buy the basic essentials in mini sizes such as shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant and toothpaste but to save money I also like to decant products into the small travel size refillable bottles/pots, especially my skincare and some makeup bits.

Clothing

T-Shirt Dress- I love T-Shirt dresses as they're super comfortable and casual worn with leggings and Converse or skater shoes but they can also be dressed up a little with tights and flats or if you fancy, heels.

Sunglasses- Again, yes even in the UK. Not only do they protect your eyes from the rays but are also great for putting on when you've got little or no makeup on and look half asleep, woo!

Scarf- Perfect for the evenings when it gets a little chilly, there's nothing worse than being cold and having to suffer while shivering. They also make a good blanket too, which could be ideal on a plane or just to get comfy in the car while travelling. I love a good blanket scarf!

Rain Jacket- You'll probably need this in the UK when the weather is having mood swings, raining one minute, sunny the next. This can be kept in your bag as they're so light but I know you can also get macs in a bag which are super compact so there's no excuse to moan when it rains and you don't have a jacket.

Entertainment

Tablet- I tend to download games on to here for when I don't have WiFi but when I do, I shall be catching up on my bloglovin feed and Instagram. This can also be used like a Kindle, though I don't read a lot but if you do this could be your best friend while travelling.

Chargers- There's nothing worse than forgetting the chargers for your devices. I forgot my phone charger once but thankfully I could use my brothers as it was the same as mine. Pop your wires in a little pouch so they don't get too tangled in your bag and hopefully having a cute pouch while help you not to forget them!

Earphones- Definitely need these to listen to your own music rather than music your Dad has chosen. My family have completely different music tastes so it'd be a little painful to forget them while travelling!

A magazine- Or multiple! I rarely read magazines unless it's the Boots one. FYI they're free with your advantage card or £1, if you didn't know! Long journeys in the car are a perfect excuse for me to pick up a few magazines, these can also be reading material when you're just hanging out at your accommodation or better still, at the poolside! 

And that's a run through of my travel essentials! As I said i'm going away on Friday but I've scheduled posts for next week so I shall update you on Instagram when they're live, so make sure you're following me: @xtracesofmythoughts to keep up to date.

You can also follow me on bloglovin to be notified when I post, you can click the button to the right of my blog which will take you straight to it!

What are your travel essentials?

♥   ♥   ♥

What's In My Bag | Summer 2015

What's In My Bag posts and videos seem to be very popular, I guess it's because we're super nosey? I know I am! I've never done one of these posts before so I thought today i'd rummage around my bag and show you what I carry on a day-to-day basis- lets get started!

The lighting is a bit odd here, apologies for that!

My current bag is pretty basic, it's this white almost grey, double pouch with a strap that can be worn across the body or on one shoulder. When I say double pouch, it's simply like two clutch bags stuck together, therefore giving you more room but also looking pretty cool if I do say so myself. This was from Primark around this time last year costing around the £6-£8 mark. I'm sure if you pop in you'll find something similar though!

1. Purse

This again is from Primark, I've probably had this nearly two years now though- it was only £5 and it's lasted me well though I could probably do with a new one now, I've got my eye on you Ted Baker.
My purse contains various store cards including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco, my ID and Organ Donor card and very little money. Usually there is just loose change and receipts lying at the bottom of my bag- but i'm definitely not the only one right?

2. Sunglasses

Despite the British summer, we still sunglasses to protect our eyes. These again are from Primark last year but had a sticker on stating they have 100% UV protection- amazing for a pair that only cost me about £3!

Apologies for the quality of this picture, this was taken on my tablet so that I could include my phone in the picture as I take my pictures on my iPhone.

3. Phone

To be quite honest, this is rarely in my bag and almost always in my hand- lets be real? I have an iPhone 4, though i'd love the latest iPhone, i'm not too bothered as I've had no problems with this(touch wood) so i'm sure it'll last me until I finally cave and buy a new one. The case I currently have on is very Autumnal but I like it, I found this on Etsy.

4. Keys

Of course, I have too many key rings for one key but i'm hoping to have a car key soon(wishful thinking Aim, wishful thinking). The two blue camper vans are from gift shops in Dawlish and Cornwall- I've never been to Cornwall myself but my sister picked this up for me to go along with my other. I can't remember where I got the big silver heart but the silver spade was in my stocking(from Santa aka my parents) and the purple stone was another gift from when my sister went to Tenerife, apparently it has healing properties!

5. A snack

This is just in case I get super hungry and don't have time to stop and get food. I've had these Party Rings in my bag for a good while and I noticed they were nearly a month out of date when taking this photo- they're no longer in my bag and are in the bin, sad times. I also usually carry chewing gum around, gotta keep fresh.

6. Makeup Bag

My makeup bag is from Avon, I love the print and it's faux leather so can be wiped down if it gets a little dirty. I actually have little makeup in here, but this makeup bag is like Mary Poppins bag as in there I have:

-Powder and a brush to keep the shine at bay

-Maybelline Baby Lips and a Natural Collection lipstick in Rosebud
-Mirror, this one is from Sighh Designs

-The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower mini perfume, this smells amazing!

- A comb

- Hand sanitizer, hand cream and a nail file

-Tampons

And finally 

-Tablets, usually paracetamol and Kalms.

7. Tote Bag

In Wales and I think England may do too, but we charge 5p for a carrier bag in shops so to avoid the 5p charge for a bag that dissolves in the rain, i'm looking at you Primark- I take this just in case, though being canvas it doesn't keep the things dry but they're handy nonetheless. 

And that's what I carry in this bag, admittedly there would be a lot more junk if I featured my large Zara tote but another time maybe! 

What are your handbag essentials?

Let me know!

♥   ♥   ♥

Protecting myself from the sun!

Hello!
So here in the UK we do not have the greatest of weather in the Summer, but throughout June there have been more than a few days where its actually been really warm and bright, I was aware that I had to protect myself from the sun but not as aware as I now am after seeing velvetgh0st's skin scan here. I was so shocked at what I saw and couldn't help me think about how bad my skin would look. I'm not one to go out and grill in the sun, I tend to pot about without sun cream as I didn't think I'd need it and usually end up with a burnt nose, not a good look.

Primark sunglasses and Garnier Moisture Match.

I knew I needed to do something about it, even if the damage done wasn't visible. So I did a little research into what I would need to keep protected even if I was just going to be staying in the UK all Summer as the sun can get pretty strong, especially between 11am and 3pm.

Garnier Moisture Match in Protect and Glow- here.

I decided what I needed to protect my face, a moisturiser with SPF in it. I think this is the place that tends to get left when protecting the rest of your body with sun cream, as you don't want that heavy layer of sun cream under your make up and most likely do not want to go out with out makeup to keep topping up your sun cream. I was unsure which moisturiser to purchase as I was really enjoying the one I was using that unfortunately didn't contain SPF, but I do know now a lot of moisturisers and even foundations contain SPF, so that's a good start!

The moisturiser I was using was the Garnier Moisture Match in Shine Be Gone, I noticed that the range had one to protect containing SPF 15 so I was sold as I loved the one I already had.
By being able to apply a moisturiser as part of my usual daily routine that had protection in it was great, as it meant I won't forget to apply sun protection and it isn't too far from what I am already doing.

Primark Sunglasses- £2

I knew I also needed to get a decent pair of sunglasses in my life, I had a pair that were a few years old that were scratched even though I didn't wear them as they were too far out of my comfort zone and they were probably not UV protecting. I heard that Primark were doing 100% UV protecting sunglasses with different grades of protection, this is perfect for me as it means they are affordable so I can try out a few pairs to see which style I like best. Here are the pair I picked pictured below, I actually really like them and have been wearing them quite often since and best of all they were only priced at £2- bargain! I'm definitely going to go back and try a few more pairs.

As I mentioned previously, I learnt the sun is at it's strongest between 11am-3pm so it's best to try and stay out of it and in the shade at this time. As I said i'm not one for grilling in the sun as I really don't enjoy it as I get bored and have experienced a little bit of sun stroke before and it made me feel so rubbish, which is not what I want during the summer. This has made me realise that if I do actually want to go out between those times I need to wear sun cream and cover up to protect my skin, also that I should opt towards sitting in the shade more often. I will definitely keep this in mind and stay true to my word when the warmer days arise again this summer!

Now i'm obviously not an expert, this is just what I have learnt myself and I thought i'd share it with you guys. I'm not telling you what you should and shouldn't do but I'm just hoping it will make others more aware and have a think, until next time..

Amy X