What I loved in April.....

When it came to thinking about what I loved in April, it was events, more than things, that sprang to mind. In Ireland, we're still in lockdown, but on April 12th, we were allowed to travel further than 5km from our house for the first time this year, so we waited for a sunny day and went to a quiet beach to get some sea air into our lungs. It was heavenly! I honestly don't care about shops or restaurants opening (although I really am looking forward to getting my hair done  - hopefully next month!), going to the beach was the one thing that I was most looking forward to doing, as soon as were allowed to do so. It also made me think about what's to come and I hope that if we don't come out of this lockdown too early, we will hopefully be able to avoid another one (although who knows what will happen when winter rolls around). So what else did I enjoy in April?

Charlotte Tilbury Super Radiance Resurfacing Facial & Magic Serum Crystal Elixir Review

 

I know that I'm quite late to the party on these products and you will probably have read a lot of reviews when they were first released, but quite often, they are more a case of first impressions, rather than actual reviews. I was lucky enough to be sent these products around 5/6 weeks ago and want to share my thoughts on them with you today.

3 treats for 3 budgets

 

The Foreo was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I feel like this past month has flown by, even though we are still in lockdown in Ireland. The restrictions were lifted from only being able to travel 5km from your house, to 20km, or anywhere within your own county, and it has made a big difference because since Christmas, I have only left my house for medical appointments. Non-essential retail is still closed, as are hair salons, restaurants etc, but we've been able to go to the beach (still too cold not to wear jeans though!), but I think that is what has helped this month fly by. So now it's pay day again and if you fancy treating yourself, I have three gorgeous products for three budgets!

Garnier Cruelty Free Haircare Review

 

These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I'm aware that I post a lot of luxury brands and products on here, but I'm not averse to using budget brands when they perform well - who doesn't want to save some money where they can? I first used the Garnier 3 in 1 Hair Mask two years ago, when they were first released (review here) and I was recently given the opportunity to try another mask from the range and one of their new shampoo bars. I think that it's fantastic that these are now available in supermarkets and on the high street. My mother actually asked me a few months back where she would find a shampoo bar, as she is becoming more and more aware of sustainability as the years go on - it's almost like that old show The Good Life, because she grows her own fruit and veg and uses peelings, egg shells etc for her composters. I was delighted to be able to tell her that she can now get a shampoo bar with her weekly shop. All Garnier products are now officially cruelty free and they have been given the stamp of approval from the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny Programme, which is a huge achievement for any brand, but particularly for a budget-friendly brand. 

Omorovicza Midnight Renewal Review

 

This product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

It will come as no surprise to my regular readers that I get very excited when Omorovicza release a new product, because the brand is basically made for my skin! I just adore everything they produce and everything suits my sensitive skin so well. Although the products all contain their patented Healing Concentrate™ and are suited to sensitive skin, they work for all skin types, because they are effective and really deliver results. Today I want to talk to you about their latest release - Midnight Renewal*, which was kindly gifted to me.

Rosacea month - the best products to use from IT Cosmetics to treat and hide it

 

All of these products, apart from the CC cream, were kindly gifted to me. I have repeatedly repurchased the CC cream for five years, since I first bought it on a trip to the U.S.

In case you weren't aware, April is Rosacea month, and I was kindly invited to a presentation on the best products to treat and cover the areas of redness, by IT Cosmetics, which really does appear to be the best brand to use if this is an issue for you, as they have thought of everything! 1 in 10 people have rosacea, which means that they suffer from redness of the skin, flushing, skin that is hot to touch, and also texture that looks like spots, but they aren't actually spots. Because IT Cosmetics was created with sensitive skin in mind, it aims to troubleshoot any skincare concern, not just through makeup, but also skincare, and was developed in conjunction with plastic surgeons in the U.S. It tries not to use any fragrance in its products, as this can be a trigger for reactive skin. Whilst I don't have rosacea, I do have reactive skin, which can become inflamed and red. I actually asked my doctor once if he thought I might have Lupus, because the redness mainly occurs across my cheeks (and a butterfly shape of redness is sometimes indicative of Lupus), so I think I'm in a good position to test these products.

L'Oreal Paris Dream Lengths Wonder Water - how does it compare to Kérastase K-Water?

 

Sorry for my unexpected break from the blog. I'll be honest, I just didn't feel like posting and I never want anything to be forced, so I just took the week off! But I'm back now, with the rest of the month's posts planned and I'm excited to be blogging again. 

I first mentioned Kérastase K-Water on the blog last summer (post here), and, although expensive, I was happy to pay the price for the mirror-like finish that it gave my hair, plus a little goes a long way.  My only criticism was the dispenser - I felt that there was a lot of wastage and that a spray bottle would be more effective and easier to use. Earlier his year, people started to rave about L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Hair Treatment, and mentioned that it was similar to K-Water, but a hell of a lot cheaper, so of course I had to try it and compare.

By Terry Brightening CC Palette - Beach Bomb. Review & Swatches

 

Last year when By Terry released their Spring collection, the Brightening CC Palette was the star of the show (review and swatches here) - it sold out so quickly, re-stocked and sold out in an instant again and then I think it was re-stocked just before Christmas. It was one of my favourite makeup purchases from last year, so when I saw that a new one was being released this year - Beach Bomb, I wanted t immediately. My sensible head told me that I didn't need it as I'm nowhere even near hitting pan on last year's, but the shades are just so pretty, so I caved! Plus I used a discount code on it. My LYMIN code will save you 20% if you buy it on Look Fantastic.

Five fab Spring fragrances

 

Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I absolutely love Spring (even though we've has both sun and snow in the past week!) and I love fragrance, so I thought I'd combine the two and tell you which fragrances I am really enjoying wearing at the moment. I wear perfume every day, even if it's a duvet day and I even wear it to bed! It makes me happy & lifts my spirits. I have quite a large collection, which I'm trying to curate to just my favourites, but it's tricky because I love so many. Sometimes I wish I had a signature scent that I never strayed from, but that's just never going to happen!  Here are the ones that are currently on rotation most frequently.

My night-time post-skincare routine....

 

Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I've shown you my night-time skincare routine on here many times and it changes regularly too, but today I thought I'd share what I routinely do, once I've done my skincare, to ensure that I wind down and get a good night's sleep. Sleep is so important to help us to repair, heal and renew - even more so when we're ill.