Are Scott Barnes brushes worth the money/hype?

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

I love that so many brands that used to only be available in the U.S. are now easily accessible to those of us on this side of the Atlantic now. One that I was really happy to see reach our shores, was Scott Barnes as I've lusted after his brushes for quite a while now. In case you weren't aware, his products are now available from Look Fantastic and Feel Unique. The palettes are expensive and I really don't need any new palettes so I stuck to just buying some brushes but are they worth the hype/price?

Giveaway & Review: Ecooking Spring Releases Review - vegan and sustainable beauty

All of these products were kindly gifted to me.

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

Regular readers will know that over the last 18 months or so, I've grown to love Danish brand, Ecooking (review here). I was kindly gifted some of their new Spring releases and a top up of two of my favourite products from the brand. The timing couldn't have been better because the parcel arrived at the start of my isolation period, when I was feeling rotten and I don't know about you, but a good pamper always makes me feel better! If you don't know much about the brand, it started in the kitchen of the owner and the products are sustainable, vegan and organic. Keep reading to the end to find out how to win a bundle of these products for yourself! To save 20% of any Ecooking products on their site, use the code beautylymin. This code is not affiliated. 

Tati Blendiful - worth the hype?

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

At the time of writing this post, the Blendiful from Tati Beauty is marked as being sold out on the website but it's actually just due to the Coronavirus situation and the safety of her staff in the warehouse and it will be back in stock as soon as things get back to normal (the sooner, the better!). At least with my review going live now, it might help you decide whether you want to buy before it comes back into stock.

10 tips on staying sane while on lockdown from someone who was housebound for years!

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

If you read any of my Lyme Disease posts (here), you will know that lockdown is pretty much nothing new to me! I had spells of being bedridden over the almost 20 years that I've been ill and months and months of being housebound. I'm still sane, still happy and still positive so I am hoping that I can give you some tips that will see you through the next few weeks/months (we just don't know yet how long this will go on for!).

Jo Malone Lavender & Musk Pillow Mist - is it really that special?

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

As regular readers will know, I am a massive Jo Malone fan and I am also a big lavender fan as it brings so many happy memories of my Granda's garden as a child. He used to give me some sprigs to put under my pillow to help me sleep or to put into my handbag to make it smell nice. I then planted a lavender bush on his grave so our connection with the plant has continued. That's why this Jo Malone Lavender collection instantly appealed to me. There are three fragrance combinations in the collection, a diffuser and a lavender & musk pillow mist, which I could't resist buying as I'm a sucker for a pillow mist.

Review & Swatches: Clarins Lip Comfort Oil Intense

These lip oils were kindly sent to me.

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

In 2015, Clarins launched their Lip Comfort Oils and since then have added seasonal shades but their latest release of Lip Comfort Oil Intense* has really excited me because while I love the original version due to how nourishing they are, they only add a hint of colour. These new lip oils are pigmented as well as having the nourishing properties of the original oils.

A word about blogging and Covid19....

I just wanted to write a quick post about blogging about beauty while the Coronavirus is affecting the health of so many people around the world. I would hate for any of you to think that I am not taking the virus seriously as the reality couldn't be more different. If any of you read my recent series of posts on Lyme Disease, you will know that I am immunocompromised and in the at risk group. I have also been particularly ill for the last month, so believe me when I tell you that this virus is at the forefront of my mind but I cannot let it consume me and I urge you not to let it take over your life either.

Alpha-H Micro Cleanse Super Scrub Review

This was kindly gifted to me.

Have you entered my beauty bundle giveaway here?

The more I use from Alpha-H, the more I love the brand. It started with Liquid Gold and continued from there. Whilst Liquid Gold is a liquid exfoliant, they also have a physical/chemical exfoliating product -   Micro Cleanse Super Scrub*, which is described as being similar to microdermabrasion, something I've always wanted to try. 

Beauty Bundle Giveaway!

If you're a regular blog reader, you will know that I like to host giveaways to say thank you for your support and today I'm back with another. Those who follow and promptly unfollow after a giveaway ends are now being blocked because I have no time for that nonsense. If you don't read my blog then, quite frankly, you don't deserve to win the prize!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

If anything was gifted to me, it will be marked with a *

Mother's Day in the UK & Ireland is on the 22nd so there isn't a lot of time left to choose a gift for your mother/step mother/mother in law or maybe somebody who has been like a mother to you. Of course, if you are lucky enough to be a mother yourself, you might be hoping for a treat from your children or your other half so if you spot something in this gift guide, leave the laptop open to drop a hint! Of course, it isn't always about material things and it shouldn't just happen on just one day of the year but I personally love to spoil my mother on Mother's Day! When we were kids, the night before Mother's Day, my Dad would take my four siblings & I into a room with a card each to write for our Mam and a gift. Then the following morning, we would pick some flowers from the garden and make breakfast in bed and rush to my parents' room to give my mother her cards, flowers, gifts and breakfast. She still says that it meant the world to her and she misses those days. We might not do breakfast in bed these days but the day is always still special. I have plenty of gift ideas to share with you today and there should be something to suit all budgets so I hope I can provide some inspiration for you. I was kindly sent some of these products, all of which are marked with a * This post is not sponsored.

Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer - worth the hype?

I bought this myself - only in my dreams would I receive PR from the Queen of makeup!

I am a massive fan of the Pat McGrath foundation (review here) and her makeup in general (reviews here), so it was only natural that I would want to try her new concealer.  It's a concealer system, comprised of a liquid concealer, setting powder and a brush. I didn't feel the need to buy the whole system as I rarely set my under eye concealer and I have a few brushes that I like to use so the whole system would be wasted on me (plus it's expensive!). I bought this in the pre-sale so I was able to avail of a 10% discount - this is why it's worth signing up to newsletters! So is it worth the price and hype?

Mad Hippie skincare review

These products were kindly gifted to me.

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

Before Christmas, I was kindly gifted some products from natural skincare brand, Mad Hippie, which is stocked by Vitame.ie. (Use code NEWBIE10 to get 10% off your first order - non affiliated code). This is a company that is both passionate about its ingredients but also about the planet, which is something I think we are all more drawn to and aware of these days. I've been giving the products a good trial and am ready to share my thoughts with you today.

Dr Jart overview & giveaway

This is an unpaid ad as these products were kindly gifted to me.

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

Dr Jart is a brand that was on my radar for a few years but, for some reason, hadn't tried until early this year after being kindly gifted some products before Christmas by both Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic. I was sent two of some of the products so I decided to do a giveaway of a set of minis - keep reading until the end on details of how to enter!

Crown Brushes - quality at affordable prices

This brushes were kindly sent to me without any obligation to post.

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

Crown recently got in touch with me to see if Id like to try some of their products. I must admit that it's a brand that I have seen over the years on blogs and on Instagram but one that I had never tried for some reason. They have been in business for 35 years so this is not just an Insta-famous brand. I associated the brand with brushes but wasn't aware that they sold makeup, lashes and professional cases/chairs etc. If you are an aspiring makeup artist, I'd recommend checking out their site as the prices are very reasonable. I'm no MUA but I was delighted to be sent a dozen brushes to try and I'm ready to share my thoughts with you.

Brand Focus: L'Occitane

This is not a sponsored post, however these products were kindly sent to me. I have repurchased several of them myself, many times.

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

I used to do Brand Focus posts monthly and they were some of my most popular posts so I've decided to bring them back! When I was thinking about which brand to start with, the one that immediately jumped into my mind was L'Occitane, which I rave about regularly and was first introduced to by my mother around 15/16 years ago, if not more. L'Occitane is one of my favourite brands, not just because of the quality of the products but also because of their commitment to the future of the planet (they recently announced their creation of a fund that will support the eco systems that were severely affected by the natural disasters in the Amazon and Australia) and the fact that they support charities yearly. I think that most people associate the brand with their bath and body products, but there is so much more to it than that and I want to share some of my favourite products with you today and shine a light on the many fabulous products they have.

Five products that I'm currently loving....

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

I go through phases of using the same products on repeat and then switching it up regularly. Today I'm sharing five products that I am reaching for pretty much every time I do my makeup! Spot any faves?

My ultimate pamper evening routine...

If anything was gifted to me, it will be marked with a * and there is no obligation for me to post.

Have you entered my Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona palettes giveaway here?

There is nothing I love more than a good pamper - it's good for the soul! It's also a form of therapy for me - if you read any of my recent posts on my health (here), you will know that I suffer in a lot of ways and I find that taking some time to focus on myself helps me in lots of ways. Obviously, physically I feel better after a pamper but it's good for my spirit too as when I look better, I feel better! I obviously don't do my 'ultimate' pamper every week but when I have the time opportunity and energy, here's what I do.....