What's in my hand luggage? ♡

It's probably the part about travelling that stresses me out the most; packing. What outfits should I take? Do I really need four different pairs of shoes? Or all three of those bikinis? If I pack that will it come out of my suitcase looking like a dishrag so I can't wear it without an iron? All very serious questions. When it comes to my hand luggage I try to keep it simple - partly because I don't want to pack a load of unnecessary stuff, but also because it's the only place to which I can distribute all the crap I buy whilst on holiday when my suitcase goes over the weight limit (as it inevitably will). And when going on holiday next week I have 5kg of hand luggage and 15kg of checked baggage. So I need to be space efficient! Here's the run down of what I usually include in my hand luggage.

Passport & Travel Documents

Obvs... I always keep my travel documents, tickets, boarding passes etc in this handy little wallet that I picked up in Home Bargains for £2.99! It fits your passport, EHIC card/bank card/whatever other card you may need inside one cover whilst also having plenty of room for the 16253920 pieces of paper you end up printing off and taking with you... you know, just in case.

Purse with ££ and €€

Kinda self explanatory. I usually take enough pound sterling to get me through the airport and then some more, just in case you need some emergency money (or have to buy emergency makeup in Duty Free).

Phone and Headphones

Of course my phone is a must, and I honestly don't think I could get through a plane journey without headphones. Whether it's to drown out the screaming children three rows behind you, or to listen to a chilled playlist when your nerves are in overdrive during turbulence, they always help.

A good book!

Getting lost in a book is such a great way to help the plane journey pass by quickly. I usually take a good few books on holiday and pick one of them to pop in my rucksack; this time I've chosen Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard - something I've had on my book case for a long time and haven't read yet.

A good film.

[Obviously I don't take the DVD with me] but having a few films available to watch on my laptop through iTunes is one of my favourite ways to keep myself entertained on the plane. The flight for our holiday next week is only two and a half hours so I might not even watch anything, but just in case I've prepared one of my all time favourites 'The Breakfast Club'.

Portable Phone Charger

An absolute must-have item for me wherever I go!

My Camera

Not pictured, as I was using it to take the photos, but my camera is probably the most important thing in my rucksack - although having your great big DSLR camera bag makes it mega awkward to fit everything back into your bag in some sort of logical order after security. I am that person who's rapidly shoving everything back into my bag as more and more people come through the security gates.

Tangle Teezer and Hair Bobbles

Because sometimes I just need to brush my hair and shove it in a quick messy bun!

Powder and Powder Brush

For a quick freshen up when we get off the plane at the other side - I never wear makeup to fly in but travelling always makes my skin really oily so I like to have a little bit of something to hand to rectify the situation!

Lip Balm

Because I always have to have some on me! One of my favourites is the classic cherry Carmex.

Compact Mirror

Kind of an obvious one, but it's something I always need to have to hand! This vintage Hello Kitty one is my favourite, it's so cute, and so 'me'.

What 'must haves' do you always include in your hand luggage?

Maddie x

Nivea vs No7 Eye Makeup Remover ♡

I am never not on the look out for great eye makeup removers - it seems that I always decide to love and cherish the eye makeup with ridiculous staying power, which is great during the day when you actually want your makeup to stay on your face, but when it comes to taking it off it becomes a bit of a problem. My holy grail Garnier Micellar Water seemingly found it's weakness in getting rid of my mascara, specifically Benefit's They're Real so I have been searching for the best removers on a drugstore budget. I have found that the best bet is usually oil-based removers - something I despise using on my face as a whole but that is so useful for getting rid of stubborn eye makeup. The top two that I have purchased so far are the Nivea 'Double Effect' and the No7 'Beautiful Skin'.

Both are advertised as catering for sensitive skin, with Nivea's product suggesting that it is able to remove "even waterproof mascara  & eye makeup without irritating the sensitive eye area". Let's assess this claim. The easy removal of waterproof makeup is definitely true, although having watched the television advert I can tell you that, surprise surprise, the 'one swipe' they promise is a complete lie. Moreover, the product most certainly does irritate the eyes, that much in fact that upon first use my eyes stung like crazy and I ended up a red, bloodshot, watering mess - although this has only happened once out of the twice I've used it now.

The No7 product is much kinder on the eyes, and seems to be the 'hypo-allergenic' that the bottle promises. It requires a similar amount of product with a similar amount of wipes to remove every trace, but does leave your skin feeling a little more oily than the Nivea product - this of course is not an issue upon the removal of the rest of your makeup.

The price is where the products are really divided. Nivea's product is a perfectly budget friendly £3.89, whereas the No7 product is a more pricey £8.50. If I was judging the products solely on this factor, of course Nivea's Double Effect would win every time. But for quality and the likeness to the product description, I have to choose the No7 product as my overall favourite; it does exactly what it says on the tin, doesn't irritate the eyes and, despite the price, is definitely the better investment.

Have you tried either of these products? Do you have any more eye makeup remover suggestions?

Maddie x

The bargain jeans that rival Topshop! ♡

I've lived in Topshop jeans from about the age of fourteen. Jamie, Joni, Baxter, Leigh - you name it I've had a pair. My most favourite style though, have to be their Joni jeans. I own five pairs in numerous colours that I find myself continuously replacing due to their inability to last more than six months. And the black are the worst. They fade quicker than the speed of light, they wear through at the knees and in the back and at £38 a pair I'd started to think they were becoming a bit of a one way investment.

A month or two ago we were discussing said jeans at school when one of my friends told me to try the Matalan 'Jessie' Jeans. "They'll change your life and save your bank account" was her proposition.  So I went and ordered a pair. And she was so right. Firstly, they're £16 - which is less than half the price of Topshop's Joni. They're also made of much better quality material, so you don't get that thing where they go baggy at the knees after wearing them once, and apparently Matalan use way better dye, as I've had these a good month now and despite being washed loads they haven't faded a bit. Yeah, you don't get a choice of leg length and they are a little long when I don't roll them up but hey, I'm saving £12 and a heck of a lot of shopping trips. In my opinion it's worth it. If you're on the lookout for Topshop Joni dupes, I'd really suggest giving these a go.

Have you tried any other replacements for Topshop's well loved product? Let me know, I'd love to try more!

Maddie x