Interrailing 2014: What I'm Packing

Hi guys,

Well, it's the 25th of May, which can only mean one thing...

No, it's not just National Tap Dance Day in the US (yeah, I did actually take time to research that.) It's one day before I leave the UK for my grand European tour!

I'm not sure if I made you aware of this but I am going interrailing around Europe with my cousin for three and a half weeks. As you can imagine, I'm super-duper excited and can't wait to be blogging about my adventures when I get back from the trip! I'm not sure that I'll be able to update laviederhi.blogspot.co.uk while I'm away so stay tuned for a bunch of pictures and exuberant rambles!

I thought I would share with you guys the stuff that I'm taking with me on my journey...

^ My backpack, which is a Berghaus 'Torridon' 65L backpack. I can't remember how much it was off the top of my head but it was under £80 so quite decent, in my opinion. The little pouch next to it is something you hang around your neck and keep your valuables in, which I thought might be a better alternative to a bum bag. 

As we are going for 25 days (approximately) I decided to pack a week's worth of clothes. As you can see, I have five t-shirts, three vest tops, three pairs of shorts, one pair of dungarees, a dress and three layers, so to speak. I also decided to pack three pairs of shoes; sandals for sightseeing, trainers for travelling and plimsolls as well. In the second picture, the cap is placed on top of my outfit for tomorrow, which is jeans and a comfy hoodie. 

These are some other things I packed that I didn't include in the photos:

- Plastic bag for dirty clothes

- Mini hairspray

- iPod and charger

- Turkish eVisa (for Istanbul)

- Tweezers

- Some other cards

I will use this post to bid you guys farewell although hopefully you will hear from me soon enough!

Rhi x

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Review

Hi guys,

Let me start by talking a little bit about my skin. I think everybody has a combination of both oiliness and dryness when it comes to le visage; for me, this is thanks to puberty, genetics and also the fact that I often work in a cold environment (I do a lot of figure skating.) My pores are pretty refined but I do have quite a lot of uneven redness and as of late, rather a lot of blemishes on my chin, nose and forehead. Hence why I wanted to find a product that could magically solve this problem...

As we know, skincare products do not work 'magic', so to speak.

I opted for the Effaclar Duo by La Roche-Posay, a gel-like product that claims to help unclog pores, get rid of blemishes and reduce the effects of acne. I remember reading a magazine and seeing a top dermatologist talking very fondly about this product, so I decided that it was worth a shot. It retails for about £15.

^ I have to say, I did like the packaging. It seemed professional and very dermatological-like .. if that makes sense.

I used the gel every night before I went to sleep. I applied it across the whole of my face; the smell was quite chemically and my face felt a little bit dry afterwards. Apparently you can use moisturiser afterwards but I didn't really know that so I just went to sleep straight after using it.

After the first week, I didn't really see much of a difference, but I suppose that's understandable as it does take quite a few weeks to notice the change, apparently.

After the second week:

I really did have high hopes for this product and kept going with it for about 6 weeks or so but I have to say that I didn't see significant improvements. Blemishes were slightly reduced in redness but were not erased completely, which is what I expected / hoped. I found it quite difficult to keep track because I would often get a couple of spots pop up here and there, but - as we should all remember - sometimes it's not about keeping our face clean on the outside, but what our hormones actually get up to on the inside! Also, I'm a girl, so there are more than enough hormonal changes going on in my body *sighs*

Despite being disappointed, this product did give me the motivation to take a step back and review my skincare routine. What can I change myself or do differently without necessarily using a fancy product? I know that eating a lot of sugary foods doesn't help skin, neither does using brushes that haven't been cleaned for 3 months, or touching my face whenever I feel like it! I fall victim to all of these. It's very true that what you put on the inside shows up on the outside!

Anyway, I've been rambling a little too much!

Rhi x

OOTD: Afternoon Tea

Dress: New Look

Cardigan: Forever 21

Tights: Marks & Spencers

Shoes: eBay

Hat: H&M

Bag: Peacocks

Earrings: H&M

Lipstick: 'Cherry Picking' by Wet 'N Wild

Hi all,

Yesterday I went for afternoon tea with my Mum at a lovely hotel in Warwick Avenue. Didn't realise it might not be the best idea wearing this figure-hugging dress before indulging on various cakes and pastries! Even so, it was well worth it.

As I've said before, I don't normally wear a lot of floral prints, but I made an exception for this lovely grey and white dress from New Look, which is great because you can dress it up or dress it down depending on the occasion. I was having a bad hair day so naturally I had to add my hat from H&M, which sort of made me look like an extra from Made in Chelsea, in my opinion. I'm not sure if I've talked about this lipstick before but it's another favourite of mine - perfect for spring / summer.

Laters,

Rhi x