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Hi everyone. It’s been a few months since I have collated a favourites post so here it is. Things I’ve been loving lately ; Beauty, lifestyle, home, fashion and everything else in between.
Let’sssssss go.
SKINCARE + BODY
One of the stand-out new skincare products for me is the Hada Labo Lotion. I’ve had my beady eyes on this ever since Lisa Potter-Dixon started talking about it and one of my friend’s surprised me with a bottle in the post just a few weeks ago. I’ve been using it every…single…day since and I’ll 100% be investing again. It’s a tonic/water type splash on hyaluronic/ collagen treatment that I put on every AM under my serum/treatment ; mostly, it has been the Alpha H Vitamin B serum* in the day and I’ve nearly finished my first bottle of this blue nectar! This is a concentrate that can be mixed into your serum/ face cream to boost it and it has a beautiful texture and it really makes my skin feel nourished and plump. I can’t wait to try the other Alpha H vitamin serums and I have a full post coming up the range next week!
A great summer multi-balm treatment has been the Christophe Robin Multi Purpose Balm Hair + Body*. This is a pot of goodness made from prickly pear seed oil, almond and cocoa oils and 99% natural butters . I’ve been taking it everywhere with me and it’s great on the lips, cuticles, hands and I also use it for taming flyaways and frizz. It’s fantastic and smells like summer beach holidays in a pot!
My hands and cuticles have been so very sore and dry at the moment, so much so that they bleed and I have to often put plasters on! As a night time intensive treatment I’ve been slathering on the Lanolips Rose Intense Hand Cream and it’s absolutely wonderful. I had forgotten how good this is ; it’s thick, it’s rich but leaves NO RESIDUE and really helps with my dry hand problems. PS I have the old packaging as I bulk bought a few years ago!
I’ve been switching up my haircare quite a bit at the moment as need to really focus on nourishing and protecting after my at-home-bleach job! I’ll be sharing more on my repairing treatment soon but something I have been using for a few months is the Umberto Gianni Pick Me Up moisturising nutrient spray*. This is a great leave-in and protecting treatment and I really notice the difference when I use it : smells great, doesn’t weigh my hair down and de-tangles in a flash! A great budget haircare find!
FRAGRANCE
I was given my first ever Roja Dove Perfume* last month and I’m absolutely made up. If you are into your scents then you will know this decadent brand and I’m feeling so lucky to have one of his fragrances in my stash.
They are the most luxurious and sought-after scents and they are just so very special. I have the A Midsummer Dream and it is an absolute show-stopper of a fragrance. I haven’t had *much* of a opportunity to wear it out and about but I’ve been spritzing it on when the mood takes me and it’s actually quite intoxicating.
I’m in love, it’s incredible and I’ll be doing a full in-depth review very soon of this…..it deserves it!
READING + LISTENING
Caroline Hirons’ SKINCARE book. WALLOP! Where have you been if you haven’t caught site of this bright yellow and khaki book. It’s been EVERYWHERE!
It’s truly such a great book for anyone and everyone. I have worked in the beauty and skincare industry for around 15 years and I was learning great info and tips on every page! It’s a no-nonsense guide that should be on any beauty lover’s bookshelf. It’s easy to read, lots of imagery and one I will keep referring to for many years to come. I’ve known Caroline since pre-blog days and I’m so VERY thrilled for her and how well it’s done!
Podcast-wise I’ve been dipping in and out of my usual crime faves : UK True Crime is quick listen (eps are 30 mins max) and not as intense/gruesome as a lot of them can be. I love the host, Adam and their Facebook group has gone from 4/5k to over 30k over lockdown ; one to join if you like discussing UK True Crime. what’s on TV, other good places to read up or listen to true crime and join in with the chats.
Matalan Shopping + Heart Sunglasses.
I went on my first shopping trip since lockdown a couple of weeks ago, mainly to gain a bit of sanity back and I needed a lot of new clothes for Margot as she seems to grow out of clothes and shoes by the week atm. Matalan was an easy option as the one nearest to me is in a pretty-much-deserted retail park, with lots of parking and minimal people.
It’s also a HUGE store where they have kids clothing, me clothing and great homeware. Is it me or has Matalan become SO much better in the last year or so? I’m loving what they are doing with their home style in particular and it’s always handy where you can drop in to a kind of one-stop-shop!
I picked up some great bits for Margot and I swiped these super cute heart sunglasses for me. They just make me a bit happy.
MAKEUP
I’ve been using the Vita Liberata Beauty Blur as a primer under makeup to give a bit of a glowy tan boost or just alone for a really natural finish. It is such a great product and I was after something just like this for a while after Urban Decay discontinued the old one I used to use. It’s a glowy-base product that imparts a really gentle soft tan shade and also reduced redness and makes you just look a little healthy.
Another new makeup base product I’ve been LIVING for these last few months is the PIXI on-the-glow blush in shade ‘Fleur’. This was introduced to me by Caroline Hirons and I knew I needed it in my stash : I do love a cream blush and this pretty pink tone is just perfect for an instant flush and glow. No brushes or faffing!
I’m using the PIXI Glow-y powder* in shade ‘Wednesdays’ pretty much on the daily too at the mo and you’ve probably seen this featured on here or in my IGTV’s over the last few months. It’s a perfect cool pink highlighter which also looks beaut washed across the eyelids. It’s one of the only highlighters I’ve been using for the past few months and people always ask what I’m wearing!
I only tried the Bareminerals Lashtopia mascara* when i was doing an IGTV full face of Bareminerals last week (yet to be edited!) and it was an instant hit! I realllllly like it. I think possibly the best mascara I’ve tried in the last couple of years. I love the wand and the finish it gives on my lashes – will do a full review very soon. I think maybe Bareminerals could be an underated mascara brand as I remember the last one I tried, Lash Domination, was actually really incredible too!
Last up in my makeup favourites is the KVD Vegan Beauty Tattoo Liner in ‘mad max brown’*. I’ve used this for maybe 6 years now and the first time I purchased it was when I was on Honeymoon in America and got it in Sephora. I think this is now my 6th tube of the stuff and I absolutely love it, rate it, swear by it. I use it both as an eyeliner and more-so a brow ink. I never found her brow inks as good and this colour is a perfect really deep brown and just matches perfectly. It doesn’t budge and I find it easy to get tiny brow hair flicks with it. Also, great as a natural tight line eyeliner look for no makeup-makeup days.
Eating Better. Moving more.
I have started a healthy living regime. Not strictly the D-word (diet, not dick) as I am the most unfit and unhealthy I have ever been in my life. I want to drop a few pounds and just get back into healthy habits and lifestyle and I’m really happy with how it’s going. I will speak more on this and possibly show results etc when it’s over as it’s only early days but I’m feeling SO much better within myself and it’s only week one.
Flowers, Blooms + Plants
If you follow my insta you know I’ve been going a litttttttle O.T.T for my flowers over lockdown. I have been ordering A LOT of flowers, plants and all the rest and they have been such a treat to receive and to brighten up my home.
I’ve gotten into gardening, the garden centre is my new favourite hang-out and I’m living for it! Have you joined the green-finger-flower-loving-gang yet?
Can you spot any bits here that you like the look/sound of? Let me know what beauty (& more) that you have been loving lately…I wanna know!
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