On my recent trip to Vienna I flew from Heathrow airport, and as I usually fly from Gatwick I knew straight away that I wanted to have a good look at their duty free section and see what they had to offer. Unfortunately my experience wasn’t great as I got to the airport at 4.15am only to be told no shops opened until 6.30am! The only shop that was open was World Duty Free yet they had no one to serve me and told me they couldn’t help me with getting any products out as it wasn’t their section! After having got up at 2.45am you can imagine this didn’t go down very well… So all these products were purchased in a rush when the shops opened later on. Despite my poor experience I did like the range of shops at T3, but must say I think T5 still beats it. Here’s what I purchased…..
Tom Ford Lipstick in ‘Austin’
This is my first ever Tom Ford purchase and it certainly won’t be my last…. I haven’t seen a Tom Ford beauty counter before so I was drawn like bee to honey with the beautiful set up and shiny cases – god I’m a sucker for anything that looks pretty! I immediately spied the lipsticks and was straight away fell in love with ‘Austin’. I don’t think I have made a purchase so quickly as I am usually so indecisive. The texture is creamy and highly pigmented, although if I’m honest it’s staying power isn’t as good as MAC’s. Tom Ford have a beautiful range of lipsticks with some stunning shades but its the price that puts me off. This lipstick was £24 at the duty free price, which is more than MAC lipsticks which I think are the best quality out there. Plus I have since found out that what I purchased was their small handbag version of the lipstick, and that the full size version would have been £38! Wow!
Heathrow duty free price: £24.00 (small size)
Bare Minerals True Gold Shimmer Eye Shadow
Like any good magpie my beady eye hunted out this gorgeous pot of gold. The Bare Minerals True Gold Eye Shadow is a loose powder which has the wow factor. The image of it on the Bare Minerals website really doesn’t do it any justice. I originally wanted the Queen Tiffany shade but as my luck had it on that day they had run out so I opted for this gold shade as I thought it would be perfect for Christmas. Its highly pigmented but I do find that it doesn’t have much staying power and blends in a bit too easily to other shades so it doesn’t hold its colour as much as I would have liked. I haven’t tried it wet yet as I’m sure that will help it stay put. Still very impressed especially at the price, and am keen to try some more of their shades.
Heathrow duty free price: £12.00
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne
This scent has become one of my staples and some how I’ve spritzed my way through 3 bottles of the stuff since May – Yes I know its obscene bearing in mind how much it costs! Lets hope my Mum doesn’t read this (apparently Jo Malone isn’t a necessity according to her). Wood Sage & Sea Salt – Going by the name of this perfume I doubt you would ever pick up a bottle and try it, it really doesn’t sound at all appealing. But forget the name, it smells divine and I find its a great day and evening scent. Next time you’re near a Jo Malone be sure to pop in and give it a sniff.
Heathrow duty free price: £67.00
Michael Kors Sunglasses
As I usually opt for designer eye wear (which has a bit if a hefty price tag) I always try to make sure that each pair is very different so I can justify the cost. I don’t have a pair of reflective sunglasses so these Michael Kors sunglasses immediately stood out to me. They are a highly reflective bright blue shade – you won’t miss me by the poolside and are perfect when you don’t want anyone to see your eyes (#hungover).
I’m not really a fan of Michael Kors as it’s trying to be high end but actually you see every other girl down the high street with a MK handbag. Saying that I never buy items just for the brand so I had to forget that it was Michael Kors and remember I was buying them for the design and look. The benefit of them being Michael Kors meant they were only £109 – bargain!
Heathrow duty free price: £109.00
I hope you liked my purchases! I’m off to Heathrow again at the end of January as I’m flying to Miami so if there is anything else you think I should pick up then let me know!
#HappyShopping
