10 things I won't miss about lockdown....

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

A fortnight ago, I wrote about how I felt about coming out of lockdown as someone who is still really ill and suffering the after effects of it (post here). I explained how anxious and unsafe I feel about coming out of lockdown but there are a few things I won't miss. This is quite tongue in cheek so don't take it personally if you enjoyed some of these things! Also, for the sake of balance, I've already written a post on 10 ways to enjoy (kinda) lockdown here.

Weekly DIY Facial #5

Anything that has been gifted to me is marked with a *

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

You'll notice from the photo above that this week's facial is mainly Omorovicza products and that's purely because it's my favourite brand and it would be a dream to have an Omorovicza facial - until that's possible, I decided to try to do it myself! This week (as with most weeks), I focused on trying to achieve bright and hydrated skin.

Has lockdown made you reassess how much you spend on professional beauty treatments?

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

I must admit that the first person I'd like to see after lockdown is completely lifted (and when safe to do so), is my hairdresser! I don't think that I'm too high maintenance in the beauty treatment stakes - I have only ever had my nails done twice in my life - just after we got engaged and for our wedding, and even then it was just a french manicure - no gels, acrylics, powders or whatever other form they come in! I can't remember the last time I went for a facial or a spray tan, but I do get waxed - purely because I don't think I could do that to my delicate parts myself! I also used to get my brows done, but this will now change......

My favourite discoveries from the first six months of 2020

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

What a six months it's been, eh? Never in our wildest dreams/nightmares would we have believed 2020 would be the way it has been. As always, I try to keep things positive and am sharing all of the great beauty products that I have discovered so far this year! Get comfy, because there are quite a few! I'll link to reviews if there are any and if anything was kindly gifted to me, it will be marked with a *. I narrowed it down to my top five in each category (yes, there were more!). Remember, these are all products that are new to me in 2020.

3 treats for 3 budgets

All of these products were kindly sent to me.

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

I put myself on a spending ban (apart from essentials) this month because I just felt like Ii needed to focus on using products up, which I am pretty good at (as you'll know if you watch my stories), but I felt I could do better. I have been VERY tempted on some days and I can't promise that I won't be buying Charlotte Tilbury's new bronzer before the end of the month (although I really am sick of how the brand keeps churning out products - I know that most bloggers wouldn't say that out loud because they don't want to dumped off her PR list but even the most die-hard fans must be sick of the constant 'magic' products at the stage!) Don't get me wrong, she has some products that no others can compare to but I just think that with any brand, when they constantly release products, they don't feel special - what do you think? That said, it's still the one product really testing my willpower this month as I adore her other powder products! I like to buy something beauty-wise each month and, like I always say, you really don't need to spend an awful lot to find a treat that will make you feel better and maybe boost your mood - we all need a treat sometimes!

My top picks from Look Fantastic with 20% off!

Have you entered my NAYA skincare bundle here?

As you may or may not know (although I do mention it in every relevant post!), I have a discount code with Look Fantastic, which is valid until the end of this month (although I am hoping that they might kindly extend it further - fingers crossed). The code is LYMIN and it works on a vast range of products but today I wanted to share my top ten brands that I think it is worth using it on as 20% is a big saving (it was supposed to be reduced to 15% a few months ago but that didn't happen so who are we to complain?).  If anything catches your eye, act fast as there's only just over a week left with this code being valid for certain!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: NAYA Antioxidant Defence Booster

One of my favourite brand discoveries last year was Naya* (blog post here) and they released a new product at the end of April, which I have been testing for around 8 weeks now. It's called Antioxidant Defence Booster* and it's quite a unique product as it's in powder form, designed to fit it with your current routine. *Spoiler alert* I have loved the results and Naya have kindly offered to give the Antioxidant Defence Booster* and their Everyday Glow Serum* as a prize to one of my readers so keep reading until the end to find out how to win!

How it feels to still be suffering the after effects of Covid when life is returning to normal for others

I first wrote about Coronavirus back in March (here) when we were in the early stages of lockdown and it was declared a pandemic. I then wrote about it a week later (here), giving tips on how to cope with lockdown, speaking as someone who has a long-term chronic illness, which has caused me to live the last almost 20 years of my life, under circumstances similar to lockdown. What I didn't realise at the time of writing those is that all these weeks later, I would still be feeling incredibly ill and suffering the after-effects of Covid (actually I'm still in the thick of it), while the world is starting to get back to normal. It's not a nice feeling, in fact, it's quite scary because I thought that by the time the world was opening up again, I would feel, not just better health-wise, but also safe.

Five current non-beauty favourites

It's not very often that I talk about non-beauty topics here on the blog but it's something I'd like to introduce more because there's obviously more to my life (and yours) than just beauty. I thought I'd start with sharing my current five favourite non-beauty products. In truth, my favourite non-beauty products right now are my painkillers because I am in obscene pain from morning until night! I often think about stopping blogging but it's my main distraction at the moment that helps me to focus on anything other than how unwell I am, so for now, I'll keep going but we'll see how I feel as the months progress as my GP has told me that my recovery will take a long time (anybody who has read my Lyme posts will know how difficult living with that it but to get Covid, flu and more in addition to that has been a real setback but I'm still as determined as ever to get back to full health). That being said, if I didn't blog, I'd probably just shop online so for the sake of my bank account, I'd be better off blogging! 

Huda Beauty new skincare brand Wishful - worth the hype?

I know that Huda can be quite a controversial character at times and I have to be honest, most blogger drama just goes right over my head so I couldn't really tell you what dramas she has been involved in. That said, I really like her makeup line so when she released some skincare products, I was quite surprised but also intrigued. I received a few samples of the Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub with some Cult Beauty orders and was very pleasantly surprised by it because it reminded me of an enzyme peel by Radical that I used to use. I was so impressed by the results of the few samples that I went on to purchase the full size - well actually the 40ml as I really like that she sells two sizes.I then purchased the Chin Lift Sculpting Mask and Thirst Trap Mask. Some I will be repurchasing and others, I won't, so let's get on with the review.

Weekly DIY Facial #4

If a product was kindly sent to me, it will be marked with a *

I mentioned in my first DIY Facial post that I'm really enjoying taking care of my skin, dedicating more time to my skin as I rarely go out for facials and that a Hydrafacial or Omorovica facial would be my dream treatments, so I bought a voucher for a 6 step Hydrafacial as something to look forward to when it's safe to leave the house again and I'm feeling a lot better. It had a 33% saving and there is no expiry on it so I took it as a sign as it's something that I have wanted to get done for a few years and I need a treat to look forward to as it's been 14 weeks since I have had a relapse due to contracting Covid and some days, it takes its toll as there is no improvement at all in my health. It's also one of the things that is on my '101 things to do in 1001 days', which I started last year on my birthday. That was a bit of a tangent for the start to this post! Anyway, I wanted to share the products that I used in my most recent facial. My skin wasn't haven't any particular issues apart from the usual - dull and dry! I wasn't in the mood to multi-mask but did want to ensure that my skin would be plump and radiant afterwards. Regular readers will see some usual favourites here!

Five Liquid Liners for watery eyes and oily lids

The Beauty Bakerie Eye liner was kindly sent to me.

I've mentioned before that I have the delightful combination of dry skin, oily lids and watery eyes, which means that my eye makeup products need to work extra hard and I'm extremely fussy abut what I use. I've tried so many liners on the market - some start out well but within a few hours have either disappeared, smudged or flaked off and it always tends to be on one eye more than the other, for some strange reason. Part of the reason that I love lash extensions so much is that I don't bother using liquid liner when I have them as the lashes give my eyes enough definition, but without the lashes (as I have been since lockdown started), I feel naked without some liner. I always wear mascara that gives dramatic, voluminous lashes and I use lash serum, which has made a huge difference to them, but I've worn liquid liner since I was around 16/17 so it's jut part of me now. Given that I've had to go back to wearing liners, I thought I'd buy some new ones as the two I had were almost finished anyway and with having such sensitive eyes, I have to bin my liners every few months. I thought I'd share my top five with you today, one of which will come as no surprise as it has featured on the blog many times!

The brand I can't get enough of at the moment: Neom

For me, a real treat is a nice bath product, a candle, hand cream body lotion etc. People tell me that I am difficult to buy for but it's honestly simple things like these that I love the most! I spend a lot of time at home, due to illness, which is why lockdown hasn't been too difficult for me, but even if you are a person who leads a very busy life, there's something so nice about coming home to a beautifully scented home or even just applying a nice hand cream. One brand that I have tried a few products from before, is Neom and in recent weeks, I have bought quite a few products because my LYMIN code works for 20% off on Look Fantastic. It's valid until the end of June so I'm taking advantage of the code before it expires (although I am going to ask for it to be extended!). I want to talk you through some of the products today and why I'm so obsessed with them!

Let's talk....... racism

Obviously, at this stage, we are all aware of the horrific, brutal murder of George Floyd by a police officer and because my posts are pre-scheduled, I didn't want you to think that I was glazing over the issue and not addressing it. I did post on my stories about it just after it happened, but this deserves a post of its own, because conversations need to be had. As we have all learned, it is not enough to not be racist, we have to be actively non-racist and fight for equality. We need to educate ourselves in order to try to comprehend what life is like for people of colour. As I said on my Instagram post, I had the privilege of growing up in a small Irish village, raised in a house that didn't recognise ourselves as being better than anybody, regardless of creed, colour, education, profession etc. I feel that this upbringing has stood me in good stead for life. I'm sure that a lot of you reading this were raised this way too but what we may not have understood prior to recent weeks is that this is a privilege that we may have taken for granted (possibly without even knowing or being aware of it). 

Fenty Beauty cream cheek products - worth the hype?

When Fenty Beauty launched on to the market, they changed the game and so many other brands have been playing catch up ever since. The brand is inclusive but also pretty budget-friendly, given the quality. Usually brands that are owned by a celebrity aren't the best quality but it's the name that sells them, not so in this case. Rihanna has done a fantastic job with her beauty brand, which was initially exclusive to Harvey Nicholls but is now (thankfully) available in Boots in the UK and Ireland and also in Sephora. When I heard that the latest release was going to be cream cheek products, I didn't even think twice about ordering or even waiting until the stores were open gain to swatch because I'm in lockdown until August 10th, due to my health condition. So I took my chances and ordered a bronzer and blush, which I have been testing to share my thoughts with you!

My Weekly At Home Facial #3 The hormonal edit!

If anything was gifted to me, I will mark it with a * but I buy a LOT of skincare.

This week's facial was based around the fact that my skin was suffering a little due to being hormonal  (I didn't actually have any spots but you know when your skin is threatening to break out) and I had no patience to use gentle products because I feel so crap (flu, Covid, flu again, then tonsillitis and now a full Lyme relapse - not looking for pity, just explaining why I feel so rubbish!), that I just wanted my skin to at least look a little better than I feel! So I WENT IN! Nothing gentle here, but my skin can handle it as it's well used to acids - this is not something I would do every night, but when needs must, I don't mind putting my skin through its paces and using hardcore products that will help to reduce hormonal breakouts and generally improve the dullness of my skin and it worked!! Honestly, I think a good pamper is good for the soul! 

Hourglass Veil Eye Primer VS Nars Pro Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base

I know! Another new Hourglass purchase but, in my defence, my Nars Pro Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base is almost finished so I decided to try the Hourglass Veil Eye Primer out of curiosity. I've been using the Nars one since it was released and it is, without doubt, the best eye primer I've used. I have the delightful combination of oily lids and watery eyes so I need my eye products to be hard working and I never, ever apply shadow without primer because if I don't, within a few hours, my shadow will have either creased or disappeared! There are other big name primers out there that other people swear by but they just don't work for me. So I wanted to put the new kid on the block to the test and compare it to my usual favourite.

Taking care of your scalp

We take care of the skin on our face and body so it makes sense that we should do the same with our scalps, right? But when you think about it, most of use neglect this area, just taking care of our hair with shampoo, conditioner and hair masks/treatments (if we're lucky!), but not really our scalps. The weather, central heating, illness, products and stress can all have adverse reactions on our scalps to today I want to share three products with you that I think work brilliantly. You don't need all three but they all work in different ways.

Nars Afterglow Palette review & Swatches

It's quite a while since I bought a Nars eyeshadow palette - not for any particular reason as they release beautiful ranges every year but I just own so many palettes and last year, put myself on a 'palette ban' of sorts (I did ok - bought three in total over the 12 months, I think). Earlier this year, I did a massive cull and gave friends and teenage girls I know, a pile of makeup. This wasn't with the intention of replacing them at all but when I first saw the Nars Afterglow Palette, it really caught my eye and then when I saw Laura's post on the palette, that was it, I had to order it! Serendipitously, Space NK sent an email offering £10 off my next order so I took that as a sign and went ahead and ordered the palette! It's limited edition and sold out in a lot of places so if you want to get your hands on it, don't delay!

3 treats for 3 budgets

I know that some people are not shopping at all since lockdown and others have been shopping non-stop. I'm somewhere in between. We have to remember that there are still reasons to celebrate - birthdays, graduations, recovering from illness, finishing medical treatment, retirements and more! To be honest, I don't need much encouragement to find a reason to celebrate - take it from someone who, over the years, has spent a lot of time bedridden and, even longer, housebound - any day that you can get out of bed is a good day! As I always say in these posts, you really don't need to spend a lot to treat yourself (unless you want to, of course!).

Budget VS Bougie - which is best?

Anything gifted to me is marked with a *

Does expensive always mean more effective? Not necessarily, in my opinion. One example that immediately springs to mind is Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ( I love her makeup, in general,  but I could easily give her skincare, apart from her Clay Goddess, a miss, and can think of numerous, more effective moisturisers for half the price. Today, I thought I'd do a post on this exact subject - Budget VS Bougie - which is best? We all know I'm a fan of luxury beauty products but there also quite a few budget gems in my collection so I thought I'd do a showdown today! At the end of the day, buy within your budget, this is just for fun!

My Weekly At Home Facial #2

I might be behind in posting my weekly facials, but they are happening! I highly recommend to all of you to just take some time for yourself and gather up your favourite products and take the time to give yourself a facial. It doesn't have to be fancy products, in fact, taking the time to really massage products into your face is probably just as, if not more, important than the products you use. Here's what I used this week. My skin was looking dull but also thirsty so I wanted to banish all signs of that! As always, if any product was gifted to me, it will be marked with a *

Versed Look Alive Hydrating Plumping Mask and Photos, Please Brightening, Tightening Mask reviews

Versed is one of the relatively newer brands on Cult Beauty and I showed you in my lockdown purchases post here that I bought two masks from the brand. Because everything is so affordable, a few of the other products that I wanted to try were actually sold out but I was happy enough to settle on the two masks. Prices start at £7.50 and go up to £18 in the brand so it's definitely in the budget category but I don't believe in wasting money so even if a £7.50 product doesn't work for me, I'd prefer to wait a little longer until I had some more money to buy something more effective. Both of these masks are priced at £9.50. I've been putting them to the test and want to share my thoughts with you today. I'll preface this with the fact that I have dry and sometimes, sensitive skin but I'm also on a LOT of medication, which really means my skin needs all of the help that it can get at the moment!

What are you most looking forward to after the lockdown and what will you miss the most?

I know it might seem strange to think that we might actually miss some things when we return to normal life, but I bet if you really think about it, there will be a few things as well as a massive list of things we look forward to. I'm in the vulnerable group so I will be in lockdown until August, as far as I am aware. Therefore I still have plenty of time to think about what I'm missing and what I'll look forward to. I'd love if you tell me your thoughts in the comments below. These aren't in any particular order....

Too Faced The Natural Nudes Skin-Centric Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

This was kindly gifted to me.

I know, I know - I really am an eyeshadow palette addict but I make no apologies for it because if something makes you happy (and doesn't hurt anyone else), then that can only be a good thing! Having so much time to think over the past 11/12 weeks has given me a lot of time to reflect and one thing that I will be changing is apologising for things that I don't need to apologise for. I think so many of us do it, without even realising. Something else I will be doing is saying yes more, so today, I am saying a big fat yes to this beautiful palette: Too Faced The Natural Nudes Skin-Centric Eyeshadow Palette. If you like the look of it, if budget allows, then why not treat yourself because I promise you that you won't regret it! This palette was kindly gifted to me by Cult Beauty but I know that I would have spent my own money on it if they hadn't because I adore the formula of Too Faced shadows and the colour story of this one speaks to me - I know it might look quite basic, but wait until you see the swatches and think about the huge range of looks you could create for both day and night with it, on all skin tones!

Bali Body Self Tan Remover & Exfoliating Mitt Review

I usually tan once weekly and a key part of having an even, streak-free and lasting tan, is exfoliation beforehand. That being said, I am now washing my hands so many more times per day than I usually do (due to Covid) and therefore, I am exfoliating and tanning my hands and lower arms more frequently than I used to. This was very annoying as my hands were patchy....... until I received the new Bali Body Self Tan Remover* & Exfoliating Mitt*. Obviously, these products are not just for using on your hands, but on any stubborn areas where tan clings to dry patches of skin. I've been really putting them to the test! These products were kindly sent to me a few weeks ago.

The Spring beauty edit - the lockdown edition!

If a product was sent to me, it will be marked with a *

Ordinarily if I were posting a seasonal edit, it would be full of palettes, blushes, lipsticks etc but given that we're in lockdown (and I will be cocooning until August due to my pre-existing illness), this edit will look a little different! I will still wear makeup occasionally but it certainly won't be an everyday occurrence! That said, I will keep up with my weekly tanning ritual, simply because it makes me feel good. That's actually the whole focus of this edit - products that make me feel good because it's so important when in lockdown to take care of yourself both physically and mentally and I believe they are intertwined.

My weekly at home facial #1

Any gifted products are marked with a *

I say weekly facial as though I use the same products on a weekly basis but I definitely don't - I use products based on what my skin needs that week (actually, it's probably more twice weekly at the moment) but I just thought I'd show you what I used in my most recent DIY effort. I actually rarely go out for facials (I did regularly before our wedding) but that is something I'd like to get more into and I especially want to try a Hydrafacial or (the dream) an Omorovicza facial! Anyway, back to what I used this week... (Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me).

My three favourites from the By Terry Summer Collection 2020....

I bought these products myself.

By Terry is an unapologetically luxurious brand with both skincare and makeup products (some of the latter are infused with the former, hence the higher price tags associated with this brand). It's not a brand that I buy products from on a whim, instead I do some research as I want to be pretty sure I'm going to love whatever I splash the cash on and so far, so good. I chose my top five products from the brand in a post here but it could easily have been my top ten and still have been a struggle! I love that the skincare products are rose based as I personally love anything rose-scented and find that the ingredient suits my skin really well. When I started to see the new summer collection pop up on blogs, I knew that I would have to buy at least one product and ended up with three! In my defence, my LYMIN code works on By Terry on Look Fantastic for a 20% discount (at the moment), at some point, it will be dropping to 15%. Plus, I saw a 20% discount code on the By Terry site, which I also took advantage of and the great thing about ordering directly from the site is that you get two free samples and free shipping within the EU.

Products I wish hadn't been discontinued

Don't just you just hate when you find your perfect product and keep repurchasing it only to find that the brand has decided to discontinue it and you never quite find another product that lives up to it? Yes? Well, That's what today's post is all about - products I'm still not over being discontinued up to 10/12 years later and I really want to hear what products are on your list?

A week in my skincare routine

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

As regular readers will know, I post about skincare very often and I sometimes get DMs asking how often I use the products or what a week in my routine looks like. To be honest, it varies, depending on how much energy I have, how inflamed my skin is, the time of the month, if I've used anything new that has irritated my skin, if I'm experiencing texture - you get the gist! It changes depending on so many factors so I just took one random week to show you what I've been using and I'll do it again occasionally in the future. I definitely am not one to show my skincare daily on Instagram, at least not at the moment when my energy levels are so low but I do enjoy seeing other people's routines so if you let me know if this is something that you do! The lighting varies in some of these photos are they were taken at different times of the day and night. I also want to say that I have an unnatural amount of skincare products and assume that non-bloggers have a regular routine with a few extras thrown in so please don't think that I'm recommending having this huge number of products! Also, I always wear SPF but I let my moisturiser absorb fully first, which is why it isn't in any of these posts. I also wanted to mention that I apply Eyelash serum, neck serum and lip balm daily as part of my routine but didn't always remember to photograph them! For reference, I have dry skin that has some texture and is also quite sensitive but is very used to acids at this stage. I am on a lot of medication at the moment and am very ill so some nights, it's as basic as you can get! At the end of the post, I have some discount codes that will help you to save some money if you are interested in buying any of the products.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter VS Nars Tinted Glow Booster

I bought both of these products.

I have declared my love for Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter several times on the blog - it's one of my very favourite products ever because it takes me from zero to pretty healthy looking in a few swipes! Many people thought that it was a foundation when it was first released but it isn't - it can be used as a primer or a highlighter and I use it in both ways. When Nars recently released a Tinted Glow Booster, I wondered if it would be a competitor or dupe for Flawless Filter so I couldn't resist buying it and comparing. I have been wearing half on each side of my face to compare and want to share my thoughts with you today.

A dry shampoo alternative? Omorovicxa Scalp Reviver

This was kindly sent to me.

I'm a very regular user of dry shampoo - I just don't have the energy to wash my hair more than once weekly but it took years for me to actually find a dry shampoo that works - most just make the hair feel full of product and leave a white cast. It also takes a while to 'train' your hair to cope with only being washed once weekly - as in, for it to look remotely ok when you're leaving the house. Given that dry shampoo is a weekly essential for me, I was excited to try the latest product from my favourite skincare brand - Omorovicza Scalp Reviver. Could it possibly compete with my favourite dry shampoo? Also, if you have been trying to extend the time between washes, lockdown is the perfect time to train it and a product like this will really help.

Ark skincare review

These products were kindly sent to me.

Ark skincare is a brand that has been on my radar for a few years, thanks to Susie Amy talking so passionately about the brand but they weren't always easy to access. Thankfully, they are now sold on Look Fantastic and Feel Unique. What makes this brand so unique from others is that rather than have products to deal with different skin types/issues, the products are based around age and the issues that occur at each stage, right from the teenage years to 50 and beyond. If you are someone who still gets spots in their 30s or 40s. don't worry, you can still buy targeted products but if you want to simplify your regime or are quite new to skincare and don't know where to start then the three ranges make life much easier. The ranges are Age Protect, Age Defend and Age Defy and all are vegan and cruelty free. I was kindly sent four products to try back in February and am ready to share my thoughts with you today.

3 treats for 3 budgets

This is not an ad, however Cult Beauty kindly sent these products to me.

It's a few months since I shared a 3 treats for 3 budgets post - for a number of reasons - firstly, I've been really ill and, as a result, have changed my posting schedule as I can't keep up in the way I used to. Secondly, I wasn't sure if people were still going to be buying beauty products during lockdown - there seems to be some disagreement among bloggers about whether or not we should be talking about beauty during the pandemic but my views have gone up so I think that people are glad of the distraction. That being said, there are still birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and many reasons to celebrate during the lockdown - the world is still turning and if we can afford a little treat to cheer ourselves up or just for making it through another stressful week, then why not? Like I always say, you really don't need to spend a lot of money or break the bank, to get something nice or something effective and my first product costs less than £10!

Lockdown purchases....

I bought these products myself.

I've left the house once since February 22nd and that was for medical reasons so doing a bit of online shopping has kept me both happy and sane! I know that there are differing opinions on whether we should still be shopping and each to their own. If sites are still open and shipping, then I am happy to support them as it's keeping people in their jobs and it's up to the employer/courier company to ensure the safety of their staff. There have been some amazing sales and discounts available so that combined with the fact that I've been very ill for the past two months made me feel that treating myself was justified - not that I need to justify myself to anyone! If you are interested in seeing what I bought, read on and if you think people shouldn't be shopping in the middle of a pandemic, then come back another day. If you think that I'm not taking the virus seriously, you couldn't be more wrong and I'd urge you to read posts here and here.

Makeup products that work well on textured skin

None of these products were gifted.

When you have textured or porous skin, as much as you might want to use them, dewy or highlighting products are not really your friend and there are times that we all suffer from some texture issues, whether due to blemishes, reactions to products or just age! I have a post here, which details the skincare products that are excellent in helping to deal with textured skin but today's post is all about the best makeup products to use on days when you want to hide or, at least blur, areas of texture.

Want firmer skin? Try one of these serums......

Ageing is a privilege, so please don't think that I think that I am actually 'anti-ageing' but that doesn't mean that I'm happy at the idea of sagging skin or jowls. That being said, I personally don't want to go down the road of fillers or botox (never say never and each to their own) so I just do what I can to keep my skin looking firm and youthful for as long as possible. As I have said previously, I personally think that if you are going to invest in any product in your skincare routine, it should be your serum as that will penetrate the skin more deeply than moisturiser, which in turn means that the active ingredients can actually get to work, which is especially important in firming serums. As you can tell from the photo above, I take skincare that promises to firm the skin seriously and I want to share some of my favourites with you! As always, any marked with a * were kindly gifted to me but without any obligation to post. This is not an ad. If I have previously reviewed any product, I will link to it.

Review: Bioderma skincare

Some of these products were kindly gifted to me and I also won some in a giveaway late last year.

Bioderma* is one of those brands that was elusive years back when Pixiwoo used to talk about it (well unless you lived in France, that is!) and we all wanted it! I even paid extortionate shipping just to get my hands on the original micellar water back in the day! I was kindly gifted some products and I also won some on Irish Beauty Fairy's page late last year so I thought I'd put them all together and share my thoughts with you.

Bali Body Extra Dark Tan Review

This was kindly sent to me without obligation to post and as such, is an unpaid ad.

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

Last year, I reviewed Bali Body Mousse Tan here, which I enjoyed however when I go to the effort of tanning, I love to use an extra dark shade, if possible - not to look like an oompa loompa but to look like I've just stepped off the plane from a sun holiday. Given that our holiday plans are at the very least disrupted, if not cancelled, for this year, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to try the new Extra Dark shade available from Bali Body*.

Mrs Glam Showstopper Palette Review

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

I have been a huge fan of Michelle Regazzoli-Stone (a.k.a. MRS Makeup) for a good number of years. I first heard of her when she did Rosanna Davison's wedding makeup (former Miss World) in 2014, which was when she first came to prominence. I remember contacting her and I can't remember if it was on facebook/instagram or an email to ask about a lip combo that she was wearing in a photo and was shocked when she replied because many people don't. What I love about Michelle and what I think made so many other people love her and want to follow her (apart from her obvious talent), is that she has always remained grounded and hardworking. She loves what she does and that comes across in her instastories and videos. She's very talented yet very relatable, talking about the ups and downs of life. Ok, enough gushing but I guess I just love very 'real' people! For years, I've wondered why she hadn't released any makeup products but she was just waiting for the perfect time and opportunity and I knew that she wouldn't just churn out a product - like Tati's palette, (which I reviewed here), she wouldn't release something until it was perfect. What is so disappointing is that the launch coincided with Covid 19, which means that her launch party and all of her in store promotions had to be cancelled. Unfortunately, these things happen in life and instead of moping, Michelle got all glammed up and celebrated the launch in her house with her family. Now on to the palette itself - does it live up to the Showstopper name?

Pixi Hydrating Milky Range Review

This set of products was very kindly sent to me,

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

My first experience with the Pixi Hydrating Milky Range was the Hydrating Milky Mist, which I repurchased several times after it was first released around 4 years ago. I loved how it hydrated my skin and left it feeling very comfortable and plump, so when I received this extremely cute PR set, which includes six products, I was so excited to try the rest of the range! Now that I've had the products for six weeks, I'm ready to share my thoughts. By the way, this range is vegan.

Tati Beauty Textured Neutrals Volume 1 Palette - worth the hype?

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I have been a massive fan of Tati for years! From her early Glam Life Guru days when she only had around 100k followers to now when she has almost 10 million followers! I love her honesty in her reviews, her generosity, her talent and how she mixes both budget and high end brands. When she first released her Textured Neutrals Vol 1 palette, I didn't order immediately, for a few reasons - mainly because I had promised myself I wouldn't go palette crazy in 2019 and had recently just bought Natasha Denona Metropolis Palette (review here), which was a major splurge, plus I thought that I had pretty much every shadow I could want covered. But it haunted me! I read only very positive reviews and my friend, Dagmara, actually hit pan on one of her shadows as she basically used the palette daily since buying it. I knew then that it was only a matter of time before I'd buy it and I eventually did in February and I'm ready to share my thoughts with you today.

Why self care is so important during the lockdown/self isolation and the products I'm using to pamper myself!

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

Life is quite hard at the moment for so many people. Lives have definitely changed, even if only temporarily and I personally always find that when things seem out of your control (apart from staying home - do it!), it's important to do things that make you feel happy, make you feel like you have some control and also that taking a little bit of time for yourself is so important. For me, self care is taking care of my skin, some days it's applying makeup and my favourite clothes, even if I'm not leaving the house - who cares as long as I feel better. Makeup will be for another day's post but today I'm focusing on skin and body care. I have a mixture of luxury and budget brands that I use - to be honest, the price of a product doesn't matter, as long as it makes you feel happy and better. If a product has been gifted to me, it will be marked with a * but this post is not sponsored! I think it's important to do something every day to make you happy, (where possible of course) - even if it's just reading a few pages of a book, a spritz of perfume, a glass of wine - you get the drill. I'm going to start sharing my daily 'happy things' on my Instastories and would love if you would too and tag me (@beautylymin) and use the hashtag #BLhappytime. I'd love to see what's making you happy - no matter what it is!

Omorovicza The Cure - new skin in 9 days?

This is an unpaid ad. The product was kindly gifted to me without any obligation to post.

Have you entered my Ecooking beauty bundle here?

Regular readers will know that if I had to choose just one skincare brand to be my ultimate favourite, it would be Omorovicza. I have written so many posts on the brand (here) because it just suits my skin perfectly and long before I ever received PR from them, I was purchasing their products and continue to do so. What I always say about the products is that they are very gentle, yet very effective so even those with sensitive skin (like me), can enjoy using active products. What I also love about the brand is that they don't just keep churning out products - I find that a lot of brands do that and as a result, nothing feels special anymore and I get brand fatigue. Because of this, when Omorovicza have a new release, I am genuinely excited and I have to say that when I started to read about The Cure, I was instantly intrigued. Could I really transform my skin in 9 days? Well there was no better time to try it than when in isolation, feeling really ill and on heavy meds - those circumstances would certainly put it to the test! It claims to restore luminosity and vitality to tired, stressed and dull skin....

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?

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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!).