It's a little while since I bought new makeup but a few things caught my eye recently so I placed a few orders - nothing like my 'hauls' back in the day because I did eventually figure out that I only have one face (plus pretty much ran out of storage space!). I tend not to jump on hyped up products these days and want all of the latest releases, but I'm happy with the products that I bought and thought I'd share them with you today....
It felt like Autumn began in July, where it rained so hard most days that the leaves began to fall off the tress, then came a mixed August and a mini heatwave at the beginning of September, but I think it's time to accept that Autumn is finally here. I'm not one of those people who loves Autumn - don't get me wrong, I count each day as a blessing but I'm more of a Spring person (I would say Summer but we rarely get more than a few warm days in Ireland and it drives me mad when people moan about it being too hot when we do get those few warm days!), however despite the dark mornings and evenings, I do appreciate the beautiful colours that nature provides and I love apple crumble - two things that I definitely associate with Autumn. In terms of beauty, there are a few items that I can't be without and I want to share them with you today.
Sorry (again!) that I've been MIA! I've had Covid again and was pretty much wiped out and the recovery is slow because whilst I'm testing negative, the symptoms are hanging around. Moving on, I've switched up my wardrobe for Autumn (although the weather hasn't fully caught up yet!) and began rotating some makeup and whilst I will introduce a berry lip, my go-to is always a nude lip. I have more lipsticks from Charlotte Tilbury than any other brand, so I thought that before sharing my Autumn beauty essentials, I'd share with you my top ten nude lipsticks from the brand. I know that some people will think it's excessive but I actually have more nudes from other brands too! I just find it so easy to wear and it will go with every look. So, on to my addiction collection.
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
This review has been a looooong time coming! This range was actually released in April and I was kindly gifted the four products, which comprise the entire line, but at the time I had a rash and could only use a cream that was specially made for me by my GP/local pharmacy. I also had some other skincare products to review before I could get stuck into these and my posting schedule has been a bit all over the place due to illness, but now that they are almost empty, I am finally ready to share my thoughts on one of the most hyped skincare releases of the year: the No7 Future Renew range.
August is usually my favourite month of the year because it's my birthday on the 8th (no coincidence that 8 is my favourite number!), my niece's birthday and yesterday was our wedding anniversary! As you read this, we'll be in Prague celebrating. It's been a city I've wanted to visit for a long time and my husband surprised me by booking it! That being said, August this year has been a sad month for me as my cat, and constant companion, died. I'm still getting used to him not being by my side constantly and miss him terribly. People who don't have pets don't understand their importance - they aren't just animals but a constant source of unlimited love and companionship. I know that he'd hate for me to be sad so I've been trying to keep busy, to watch shows that make me laugh and to wear beautiful fragrances and use gorgeous products daily. So, what have I loved this month?
If you'e read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I love Olaplex products. I'm pretty sure that I have tried every product they've released, so naturally I wanted to try the two latest. The lash serum was released first and I used that for around 10-12 weeks and I've been using the Volumising Mist every time I've washed my hair since it arrived! Now on to my thoughts....
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I always look forward to the Limited Edition Verbena releases from L'Occitane and thought that I had missed them this year, but it seems that the release date was a bit later than usual.... just like our summer! I was kindly gifted a number of products from the range and I had to take them on holiday a few weeks ago because they just scream summer and are so invigorating and uplifting. I've thoroughly tested these products and am ready to share my thoughts today.
I really hope that you're experiencing sunny weather wherever you are (if you like it, that is!) - since the beginning of July, we seems to have had rain pretty much every day, however it's still quite muggy so my makeup picks are ones that are quite lightweight, easy to touch up and let my skin be seen. I'm sharing my most reached for products today, which also made packing my makeup bag for my holiday this weekend very quick & easy!
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| These products were kindly sent to me, without obligation. |
This post was supposed to be live more than a month ago, so please forgive my tardiness! Olivanna skincare is a brand that I hadn't actually heard of until they approached me (one of my favourite things about blogging is discovering new brands) and I loved the sound of the products, so I was delighted to be kindly sent four to try and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts today (fortunately, I write notes during the testing process because like I said, this post should have been live quite a while ago!).
Don't forget to enter my Natasha Denona palette giveaway here!
Hello, hello! I took an unplanned break due to a number of reasons - the death of a family friend, trying to listen to my body more (which I promised both my GP & myself this year) and rest when needed, plus life was kind of busy in ways that wouldn't mean much to those who are well but when you're living with a chronic illness and supposed to be pacing yourself, it's difficult to adjust when life changes a little. It's not a moan, just an explanation. I always miss blogging when life gets in the way so I'm happy to be back, and today I'm talking about my favourite discoveries of the first half of 2023, so let's get into it!
I didn't actually plan on shopping the sales but there are really great bargains out there (and some sales have yet to even start!), and I basically have no willpower and couldn't resist. That said, anything I bought I know that I'll use and the prices were so good that it made sense to stock up. I'm going to share my purchases with you today and I really would love to hear if you managed to grab any bargains?
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| This products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
It's a while since I tried anything new from Urban Decay but it's rare that I'm disappointed by them. The original Naked palette (now discontinued) really did change the game when it came to neutral palettes and I hit pan on so many shades in it that I eventually had to bin it! Since then, there have been many additions to the Naked range and today I'm going to share my thoughts on the latest one, as well as their new multi-use concealer: Quickie.
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| I am part of the Skinluencer programme and am sent some products from the brand, however I buy a lot of products myself too. |
Dermalogica is a brand that I have been using for 20 years (maybe a little more!). Before blogs, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, magazines were our go-to for beauty advice and I remember that Daily Microfoliant popped up in almost every issue. I was influenced and then hooked (and my husband is now hooked too!). Ever since then I have always had some Dermalogica products in my routine and exclusively used them and had their facials for 6 months before our wedding. I could easily pick my top 20 products from the brand, but decided to be really strict and narrow it down to my top five to share with you today. If you haven't tried the brand, I really urge you to and it would be a great idea to start with a face-mapping facial.
It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I love cleansing balms. I adore the texture but also the motion of massaging into my skin and breaking down my makeup/spf, or just to treat my skin to a massage and deep cleanse. The ritual is relaxing and a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. The first balm that probably springs to most minds is Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, which I like to call an experience rather than a cleanser but I wanted to share five other balm cleansers that I highly rate with you today. I'd also love to hear your suggestions and favourites too!
Maybe I'm just getting lazy or maybe it's because it's summer and I don't want to spend very long doing my makeup, but I really like to use products that are quick and convenient. It seems that a lot of other people feel the same way because brands are releasing shadow sticks and I couldn't resist buying some!
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted, without obligation. |
I know that I focus a lot on expensive products on the blog but I do also use budget products (if they're good, obviously), and given that we are all feeling the pinch with the cost of living crisis, I thought I'd share some of my budget favourites with you today. I would also love to hear what your favourites are in the comments because I'm sure that I'm missing out!
I couldn't resist placing a Charlotte Tilbury order recently - it was some much needed retail therapy when I was feeling rotten, prompted by a discount code and some new releases! Here's what I got and my thoughts so far!
I'm sorry for the break in posting again - what can I say except that I've been having (and continue to have) a really hard time with my health at the moment, which prevents me from doing things that I want to do and that will distract me, like blogging! I also went on holiday for a week, hoping to get some heat into my bones, but instead we had thunderstorms, lightning, rain and cloudy days for all but two afternoons! Fortunately, we came home to some beautiful summer weather...... at last! Anyway, on with today's post....
I test a lot of skincare products but have recently been keeping it pretty simple because my skin is extra sensitive/reactive at the moment. I developed a rash, which had both my GP & I baffled. I actually only got rid of it by using a special cream that he had made in a chemist especially for me! Here are five current loves that agree with my skin at the moment and that I would recommend to anyone going through a tough time with their skin.
Since discovering Olaplex No. 3, I have tried every product that they have ever released so it goes without saying that I bought their recently released No. 4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo. I wash my hair once weekly so dry shampoo is an essential part of my hair product collection. This one offers a lot in the name but it's also pretty pricey and I have two that I adore so it really did have stiff competition, but I just couldn't not try it!
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I'm sorry for the radio silence here on the blog over the past month! I'm really making an effort to listen to my body more this year after having infection after infection for years, so when I need a rest/break I'm just going to take it, which my GP has been warning me to do for a long time! I've been very ill again and am still waiting for some results, but the break did me good. I hope you all had a nice Easter break and are enjoying the May Bank Holiday Weekend, and that the weather is actually starting to feel Spring-like wherever you are! Let's get into what I've been enjoying over the past month (it's just film and TV because beauty loves will be in an upcoming post), and I'd love to hear in the comments what you've loved! We're going on a sun holiday at the end of the month and I am so excited to feel some heat in my bones!
March is a month that I generally love because of St Patrick's Day, the start of the longer evenings and seeing the Spring flowers appear. However, this March has been cold and wet (despite a few sunny days!), which shouldn't determine whether or not I've enjoyed a month, but the bad weather coupled with being ill and one of my cats being attacked meant it hasn't been my favourite month. That being said, Spring is all about hope and there is no month that has no good in it (or even a day if you think really hard about it!), so here are my March favourites in terms of beauty, TV & film. I'd love to hear what yours were in the comments below!
Before I first tried the IT Cosmetics CC Cream, I really wondered what the hype was about because any BB or CC products that I had tried previously had only disappointed me, whether due to lack of coverage, oxidising, being too shiny and unnatural looking - basically, I didn't get the hype! This was when we couldn't get this brand on this side of the Atlantic so I wasn't going to spend a fortune in shipping to try a product that I didn't think I'd like. Then I was in New York in 2018 and I saw it in Sephora, tested a little on my hand and realised that it offered a lot more coverage than I thought and I liked the finish so I bought my first tube..... the first of many!
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| None of these products were gifted to me. |
There are so many celebrity skincare and makeup brands on the market and most of them don't interest me, however when I received some samples from Rare Beauty with a Sephora order last year, I knew that I wanted to try more. Once the brand launched on this side of the Atlantic, it sold out so quickly that it was virtually impossible to get your hands on any products, so I just put it out of my mind........ until a few weeks ago when I had a little splurge and I want to share my thoughts with you today!
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| Any product marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I'm very fortunate that I get some products sent to me (without obligation) to use and share my thoughts with my lovely readers. It's not something that I take for granted and I very much appreciate it. I also like to buy products myself as I personally find blogs/Instagram/TikTok boring if the person only uses products that were gifted to them (even worse when they don't declare them!). Today, I'm sharing a mix of both products I've purchased and others that have been sent to me (marked with a *).
I'm a bit of a haircare junkie because when I first became ill with Lyme, I lost around 50% of my hair (fortunately I had been blessed with A LOT of hair so although I was conscious of it, others wouldn't have known), but having Covid numerous times has really taken its toll on my hair. I have regrowth of a few inches, but then lost some density each time I've had Covid so my constant aim and mission is to strengthen the hair that I have to preserve it and also try to prevent losing any more through supplements and nutrients in my diet. I have three that I want to share with you today, one of which is a budget option.
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| This product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
It's rare that I receive a product and wait until I've completely finished it to review it but that's what has happened in the case of IT Cosmetics Confidence In A Cleanser*. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this brand is known for its makeup but its skincare is right up there with some of the very best that I have used. The products are all very effective and reasonably priced for the results they give.
It started with the new Hypnotising Pop Shots Pillow Talk Ultra Violet eyeshadow and then kinda snowballed into a little haul! I just love a purple eyeshadow on my green eyes but it's a colour that is very difficult to get right, so I had to buy it and then the Magic Body Cream intrigued me and I had early access, which lured me in...
If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that's where I share my empties these days. I used to share them on the blog but stopped a few years ago and I find it quick and easy to do on Instagram stories, where I also save to highlights. I'm always completely honest, whether the product was gifted to me or not and will tell you why I love a product, or didn't get on with it. I was looking through some of these posts recently and was reminded of some products that I loved. I don't always repurchase them immediately if I have a similar product to use first, but there were five that stood out to me that I repurchased and have been using and loving.
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| This product was kindly sent to me, without obligation. |
It's a while since I last did a 'The hype is real' post but when I started to use Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream*, I knew that this would be the first product in the comeback of this series! This has been around since 2006 however it was recently revamped and I really believe that this cult product will be around forever. It's the ultimate in hydrating creams, yet it's surprisingly lightweight so I think that this will suit a lot of skin types and conditions.
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| The Omorovicza lip balm was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I don't know what the weather is like where you are but here in Ireland, it's been bitterly cold for weeks. My skin isn't suffering so much (I've been adjusting my routine), however my lips are so dry. The weather coupled with being so unwell has meant that I've been flying through lip balms. I've used ones from all budgets and wanted to share my three favourites for each budget with you today as I'm sure that there are some of you out there who have chapped lips too!
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| All of these products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
The Clarins Hydra-Essentiel range has had a revamp and there are now seven options to choose from; - six for the day time, depending on your skin type and a new night cream. This range is made from almost 90% ingredients of natural origin. The glass jars are made from 40% recycled glass and 90% of the packaging is fully recyclable. Clarins is a brand that is almost 70 years old, but it is constantly working towards biodiversity as well as using the latest science and technology to produce more and more effective products. Late last year, I reviewed the newly reformulated Beauty Flash Balm and it certainly did not disappoint (post here). I was very kindly sent five of the new products to try and want to share my thoughts with you today.
I honestly don't know where this month has gone! I know that February is the shortest month of the year but it seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye - probably because I was on bed rest and then in isolation for more than half of it! It wasn't all bad though - my husband & I celebrated 23 years together early in the month and had a nice date. It's so hard to believe that it's been that long because. it feels so fresh in some ways and also like we've always known each other at the same time! Anyway, on to what I've loved this month....
Despite decluttering regularly, I still have a pretty vast makeup collection. However, I find myself reaching for the same foundations on repeat in the past few months. Maybe I need to a mega declutter again, but the thing is I love the makeup that I have, especially eyeshadows, but I know that if I got rid of all of my other foundations, I would be happy with the five in this post (and yes, I know that's excessive). For reference, I have dry skin so if you do too, you may find this post helpful.
When Victoria Beckham Beauty first launched, I was a little overwhelmed and didn't know what to buy. the products are expensive, so I didn't want to make a (pricey) mistake! I now know that the quality explains the price tag and it's a brand that I gradually want to add more products from to my collection. If, like me, you often toy with the idea of buying something but are overwhelmed, I would suggest starting with the Lid Lustres!
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| These products were kindly sent to me, without obligation. |
Nourish skincare is a brand that I have often seen reviewed on blogs over the years and I've often added products to my never-ending wishlist, however the brand wasn't easily accessible to those of us in Ireland. That's no longer a problem thanks to Brilliance.ie which is a new site that sells hair and beauty brands, Nourish London being one of them. This is a certified organic and vegan skincare range, which includes facial skincare, SPF, hand cream and a pillow mist. I was kindly sent some products to try and want to share my thoughts on them with you today!
Since Olaplex first burst onto the scene, there have been a number of haircare ranges released, all with the aim of strengthening and repairing the hair, rather than just making it look good temporarily. When the hair is strong and elasticized, it looks good in terms of colour and bounce. My hairdresser used the new Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate products on my hair last year and I immediately purchased. I loved how soft and lightweight my hair felt, but it also looked as though my hair had been cut because it was so bouncy. I bought the 4 step bundle, which includes a pre-wash treatment, shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in treatment, all of which are full size. They are currently reduced on Look Fantastic and using my code BEAUTYLYMIN will save you some more money.
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without any obligation. |
You all know how much I love L'Occitane products - for bath/body/face/hair etc, so when their latest range of Lavender & CBD range was released, I knew that I would be ordering some products. Fortunately for me, I was kindly sent some products from the range and they really couldn't have come at a better time for me because I had Covid, was feeling rotten and my sleep was very disturbed. I mentioned in this post how well the massage oil has been working for me (my sleep was so deep that I thought I'd woken the next day, rather than a few hours after falling asleep during the day!), so I want to share my thoughts on their other products and new releases today.
I've raved about Drunk Elephant skincare on the blog previously, but I've never done a dedicated post to their body care range. To be honest, I don't always spend a lot on body products, however I noticed in recent times, after having the flu and then Covid again, that my skin was looking lacklustre and was dry and just showed signs of how run down I was, so I decided to invest in my body care, instead of just spending on my facial skincare products. I guess I just wanted a treat, and to use some products that I had previously (the glycolic body lotion and almond milk scrub), but also some other products that were new to me. If you want to try any of the products mentioned, it's worth keeping an eye on Look Fantastic, as they sometimes have 3 for 2 on this brand (not sponsored, I bought everything myself!).
January actually feels like it's flown by this year! I didn't do one of these posts in December, so this might combine both months but before I get into any favourites, I'll tell you what I didn't love - getting Covid again! Hopefully that will be the last time!
I personally think that planning to start New Year Resolutions or goals on January 1st is a little pointless! It is in my family anyway! Let me explain.... we have another Christmas dinner on New Year's Day, as we don't all get to celebrate together on the day itself, due to extended families etc. Therefore, there are desserts, drinks, chocolates etc etc. I rarely drink, but if you do, chances are New Year's Eve will be a big night out and waking up worse for wear will mean that a green smoothie or porridge might not fulfil your cravings. Also, my husband is generally off work until the second Monday in January, and we spend a lot of the first week with family/friends etc, so the second week is when we do what we want, therefore we tend to kickstart the healthy (or healthier!) eating at that point (well actually, my Dad's birthday in mid-Jan, which we always say is the last hurrah of the season!). There is so much pressure to make changes on January 1st that it almost feels like you're doomed to fail (by society) if you don't start that day....... nonsense! You don't have to make any changes at all, in fact I like to take the time to think about my goals, so it's usually a few weeks into the month before they're made because December is such a busy month. That said, I am usually sick of chocolate and all of the treats at this stage (or my body and skin are), so I like to do a gentle reset.....
Wow - I did NOT expect to have taken such a long break from the blog! I got that awful flu that was going around in December, which lasted around 3 weeks and left me pretty weak afterwards, then I got Impetigo, needed a hospital visit for a scan and now I have Covid again.... so how was your Christmas?! It's not a pity party post, but I just wanted to explain my absence because I rarely take breaks that are this long! I think maybe once or twice before, and again, they were through illness. So, Happy New Year! I hope 2023 has gotten of to a good start for you and that you enjoyed the holidays that now seem like a distant memory? At the end of every year, I always post my favourite products from that year and I feel that I still have to do that, despite the first month of the new year being almost over! I have condensed them down to the products that have really stood out, as this post would be too long otherwise! Let's get started... (As always, anything gifted will be marked with a *)
