What I loved in May....

I'm a cliché, I know, but I can't believe that it's the end of May - this year really is flying by! Here in Ireland, some restrictions lifted  and we've been able to travel inter-county, shops have re-opened (on a phased basis), and next month, there will be more easing of restrictions. It's all happening quite slowly, but that's a good thing, as last year, it happened too quickly and we ended back at square one. I am personally still acutely aware of how debilitating and scary is Covid is, as the mother of one of my friends died this month, after contracting it for a second time, 15 people in my husband's office caught it over a 2 week period (and some of their families) and I'm personally still ill - I just can't seem to shake the after-effects, all this time later, but I am hoping that when I get the vaccine, things will improve.

As always, there are positives every month, and I'm going to talk you through what I've loved in May. Again, it's not really focused on products, which is why I don't call these posts favourites - it's been experiences, rather than 'things', and some great TV thrown in for some good measure, because the weather really hasn't been great here, so we've had plenty of time to watch TV!

Want a new face palette? Here are the 2021 top three releases....

Every Spring/Summer, face palettes are one of the most popular beauty releases, which makes sense because having a bronzer, blush and highlighter in one palette is very convenient, particularly if you are travelling. Whenever I go on holiday, or for a weekend away, I always take a palette like this, for convenience. Today, I'm sharing my top three of the new releases. You obviously don't need three...... I just have a bit of a problem!

Taking care of my balayaged hair....

 

As soon as the hair salons opened, I was booked in for a cut and balayage - my hair hadn't been cut since last July, so it was badly needed. The photo above doesn't really do justice to  the blend and how many tones are in my hair. I'm in love with it. This time last year, it was very dark brown, bordering on black, so it's a huge change and suits my complexion so much better. I had my first session of balayage done last summer, but it needed redoing, so the lift in colour wasn't done in one go, as that would probably be too damaging to my hair. In order to keep it in good condition and to prevent it from going brassy or too warm, I have a good selection of products. It's probably not necessary to have all of these, but I'm happy to invest in my hair - the way I look at it is that I wear it every day, plus I spend a lot getting it done, so I think it makes sense to use good products to maintain it.

3 treats for 3 budgets...

 

The IT Cosmetics product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

If ever there was a month to treat yourself, it's this one (in Ireland anyway), as the shops have re-opened and we're gradually crawling our way back to normal life! As always, I have three fab products for three budgets, showing that you don't need to spend a fortune if you feel like treating yourself!

My Sunday Riley Top Picks - Cult Beauty Brand Of The Month

 

May's Brand Of The Month on Cult Beauty is Sunday Riley - one of my favourite skincare brands, so I thought that I would share my top three products from them with you and also remind you that if you spend £150 on the brand, you will receive a free full size Pink Drink Essence (worth £45). I love that they sell products in two sizes, so you don't have to spend too much if you are unsure if you will love a product.

Prepping my body for summer...

 

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

Because Spring has been pretty cold (and rainy/snowy), I'm really hoping that we get a good summer, so I'm prepping my limbs for being exposed, instead of panicking at the last minute! I'm not a person who thinks you need to be a size zero to have the perfect body, I'm more of the opinion that we should love and appreciate our bodies - especially due to being so ill, but also I believe that a person't beauty shines through when they're happy and that's more important than the "perfect body" - what even is that anyway?So today, I'm sharing with you products that I'm using to get my skin as soft and smooth as possible, for when I can eventually wear sleeveless tops and show my legs! If this is not your thing, you do you!

Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Dark Spots & Anti Pollution Super UV 50+ Sunscreen Review

 

This product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I remember my mother slathering Garnier Ambre Solaire sunscreen all over us as kids, so I've always had a soft spot for the brand. Recently, they have added some new additions to their sunscreen range, and I was kindly sent the Anti-Dark Spots & Anti Pollution Super UV 50+ Facial Sunscreen* to try. I actually chose this from their selection, because I really want to use products that target dark spots, as I have one stubborn patch on my face, and as I age, it's inevitable that more will appear and I want to try to prevent that from happening as much as I can!

Dior Forever Natural Nude Foundation review

 

Dior is a brand that I don't buy a lot of beauty products from, but they do foundation so well that I couldn't resist their new offering - Natural Nude Foundation. There are six foundations in the Dior Forever range and I have only tried one other - the Forever Skin Glow, which I reviewed here. I loved that foundation, but like the sound of this nude version, as I like the look of a natural complexion these days, particularly when we're approaching the summer months. I've been using it for around a month now and am ready to share my thoughts with you.

Seasonal switch up: moisturisers for dry skin

 

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

As the seasons change, some components of my skincare routine also change - moisturisers being the main one. I know that I have quite a few moisturisers in this post, but you really only need one! Being a beauty blogger, I'm lucky enough to be sent products, but even before blogging, I switched my moisturiser seasonally (and sometimes serums too).  Because my skin is dry, I generally use quite rich moisturisers in Autumn and Winter and switch to something a little lighter in Spring and I have some great options to share with you today, for both day and night.

PIXI Remedy Masks Review

 

The Vitamin C Mask was kindly gifted to me, but I bought the other two.

Pixi is one of my favourite mid-budget brands when it comes to skincare, so when I saw that they were releasing a new line of masks, I was very excited! I was lucky enough to be sent the Vitamin C one as part of a pamper parcel from Cult Beauty, but I love the Milky and Rose ranges too, so I. had to buy the other two. I've been using them for around two months now and I'm ready to share my thoughts with you.

Where is my place in the blogging world?

Photo source: Pinterest.

 

This post is inspired by Jasmine's recent post, and it really got me thinking. I started to blog because it was a distraction from my illness, I have always been hugely interested in beauty (my thesis even included it and the lack of racial diversity in the community), and also because being ill can be isolating, so it was nice to be part of a community. I genuinely wanted conversations with other people who had similar interests. I had no desire to be the next Zoella - I just wanted to have something else to focus on, other than my illness. I have made some great friends/connections with like-minded people and also seen others who started around the same time as me, just drop off the radar, as well as others sky-rocket, whether through buying followers on Instagram, or changing direction, which is only natural, as interests change as we get older (but please, enough of the gardening!!). I'm still blogging about beauty (although I do want to incorporate more of my other loves - handbags/shoes!) - both skincare and makeup, although more of the former. I've never actually shown my face on my blog or Instagram, which I feel has definitely affected my growth, but when I look in the mirror, I see the ill version of me. When I am better, you'll see me (if I'm still blogging!). Others may not even be able to tell that I'm ill - it's invisible after all, but I can, and that's what matters to me. So where does that leave me......

Brand Focus: Olaplex

 

I bought all of these products.

Before I first tried Olaplex, around two and a half years ago, I really did wonder if it could possibly live up to the hype. At that stage, it was mainly a salon treatment (numbers 1 and 2), but then No. 3 was released, which is a pre-wash treatment. I was skeptical, but so many people were praising it, so I decided to give it a go, because my hair is naturally dry and prone to frizz, is coloured, I use heat on it and I have a long-term illness, which affects my hair (as does the medication I take) - so I thought I was pretty much the best guinea pig you could get for it! Obviously, I loved what it did for my hair or we wouldn't have a post dedicated to the entire brand! If you want to buy any of the products, my LYMIN code works on some of them to save you 20% on Look Fantastic. I'll indicate which ones in the post.

Dermalogica Melting Moisture Masque - my favourite skincare discovery of 2021 so far!

 

This product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation, as part of Dermalogica's Skinfluencer campaign.

It takes a lot for me to say that a product that I have only been using for 3/4 weeks, is my favourite skincare discovery of the year so far, but this mask has blown me away! For reference, I have dry skin, which is also dehydrated at times, I'm also ill and I'm on a lot of medication, so I need to be very consistent in taking care of my skin. That said, there are still times when my skin goes through bad periods of dullness and  dry patches, regardless of how diligent I am. If you have skin like mine, you are going to LOVE Dermalogica Melting Moisture Masque*!

Spring Lips and Tips...

Anything gifted to me, without obligation, will be marked with a *

I know that for a lot of people, when the easing of restrictions was announced, a nail appointment was the first thing they booked, but I've never had gel/acrylic/whatever other type there is, nails - I've always just painted them myself (apart from our wedding and just after we got engaged - but even then, it was just ordinary nail polish), so whilst I am reeeeeeally looking forward to getting my hair done, I'm happy with my home mani/pedis and today, I'm sharing my favourite polishes for Spring/Summer. I'm also sharing my go-to ip products, which are mainly balmy, as mask-wearing will be a thing (for me) for years to come, as I am extremely nervous when out in public. Those of you who are in countries that have opened up - were you anxious initially and do you still feel that way, or has the anxiety eased?