My most decadent at home facial featuring Omorovicza's new Queen Cleanser and Cream

 

Some of these products were gifted to me, without obligation.

At the risk of boring you all, you'll know that I have been very, very ill recently. I'm still nowhere near recovered - that will take a long time, but as soon as I had the strength to do a DIY facial, I was on it! I have two vouchers for facials, but I don't know when I'll get into the city centre to have them, so I decided to bring the spa to me! I used all products from my favourite brand, Omorovicza, including the two new releases: Queen Cleanser* and Queen Cream*. Regular readers will know how much I adore this brand, so it was a no-brainer that if I wanted to make myself look and feel better, that I'd use this brand exclusively. One day, I'll go for an actual Omorovicza facial, but in the meantime, my DIY job worked wonders! To save 15% on all Omorovicza products, enter the code SIOBHAN at checkout (not affiliated).

Shopping in Arnotts Beauty Hall and Brown Thomas, with free shipping on orders over €50/£50

 

This post is aimed at my readers is Ireland and Northern Ireland, as currently Arnotts and Brown Thomas only deliver within the 32 counties. Usually delivery costs €5/£5 upwards, but I have a special code for you that lasts for 1 week from today, which gives free delivery on all orders over €50/£50. I like to make savings wherever I can, and I also like to share them with you1  Both stores have a vast range of brands, so I want to share some of my favourites today, and with the Christmas gift sets arriving, now could be a good time to get started. I don't know about you, but I hate paying for delivery, so I'll be making the most of this offer! For Arnotts, it's ARNLYMIN21 and for Brown Thomas, it's BTLYMIN21. You just enter these at the checkout, to get free delivery.

Why everyone needs some MOR in their lives.....

 

These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

Mor is a brand that I discovered a few years ago and I have yet to encounter a product that I don't like, but what I can't understand is why the brand doesn't receive more hype! It's an Australian brand, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year. They really know how to blend notes to produce the most beautiful scents, giving the likes of Jo Malone a run for its money. The products are all reasonably priced, available from Feel Unique, or you can even pick them up while doing your grocery shopping in Waitrose, in the UK, yet they add some luxury to your daily life. Today, I want to tell you about the new Correspondence Range....

New Urban Decay lip product releases and their incredible charity collaboration

                 

All of these lip products were kindly sent to me, without obligation.

Urban Decay have given their Vice lipsticks a makeover, not just in terms of look, but in terms of formula too. They are now vegan, there are 35 shades available in a variety of finishes: matte, cream and shine, all of which are hydrating and comfortable to wear, as they are infused with aloe vera and avocado oil. As you'll see from the swatches, all are very pigmented too, so one swipe and you're good to go. I was kindly sent four lipsticks and one Plumping Lip Shine Balm (I love this type of lip product), which I want to share my thoughts on today, but I also want to tell you about the fantastic charity partnership between Urban Decay and Cybersmile, which is a global Anti-Bullying Campaign, and how you can get involved (it's so easy to show your support).

My candle collection...... something that brings me true joy!

 

I'm a self-confessed fragrance addict, in all its forms! Even on duvet/pj days, I will wear perfume, I always have diffusers around the house and I use my Neom Wellbeing Diffuser Pod daily, but I also love candles... not just for cosy Autumn/Winter nights, I use them all year round! I do it because having a nice scent in a room brings me joy and I'm all about anything that brings me joy - sometimes, it's the smallest of things that can brighten your day, and in my case, it's a nice candle. They're one of my favourite gifts to receive (apart from anything clove, pumpkin or cinnamon scented - I just don't like that aroma). Today, I'm sharing some of my favourite brands with you. I like a candle that will give off a good scent when lit, rather than just in the box, and I also like it to smell authentic, rather than synthetic. The aesthetics obviously play their part, but they wouldn't be the deciding factor in whether or not I buy a candle. So, on to my favourites (in no particular order)....

Swatches of all Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise

 

I own  A LOT of eyeshadow palettes, but I have fallen for cream shadows for a quick and easy look over the past few years, and it's hard to find any to beat Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise. In fact, I love them so much that I have every shade (except some limited editions that I was gutted to miss out on!). The reason I love these particular ones so much,  is that despite the fact that I have oily lids, they don't crease on me and are pretty much budge-proof for the day. That, and the fact that they are ridiculously quick and easy to use and look put together, even when you don't have the time/energy/enthusiasm to make an effort! They also seem to make lids look smoother than they actually are - ideal if your lids aren't line-free, and they even feel cooling when applied. They're all round winners to me, so if you have yet to try them, I really urge you to and maybe these swatches will help you to find your perfect shade.

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Infusion Collection - holding on to the scent of summer a little longer....

 

All of these products were kindly sent to me, without obligation.

I really did mean to post about this beautiful range of products much sooner, but being so ill delayed it - better late than never and all of that though, as they are still available, despite being limited edition! As you know, I'm an absolutely massive fan of L'Occitane as a brand, for so many reasons - it's environmental commitment, dedication to helping communities in a sustainable way, plus the products always smell and feel divine! This new twist on the Cherry Blossom Collection is delectable - light, feminine and airy, with notes of lemon, mandarin and bitter orange. There are four products in the range, all. of which I was very kindly sent.

NEW SKINCARE BRAND! At1 skincare review

 

All of these products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

One of the things that I love most about blogging, is discovering new brands and I was thrilled when I was asked if I would like to test a brand new skincare brand. It is called At1, is exclusive to All Beauty and currently has a streamlined seven products in the line up; all of which I was kindly sent to try. I have been using them for probably around 8 weeks, if not a little longer, now, but am only getting around to telling you about them now, due to my delay in posting because I was so ill. When I started to test them, my skin was its usual self - dry and dull (if not using regular exfoliation/masks), but as time went on, my skin began to burn - nothing to do with the products, but everything to do with the illness and medication I was put on. So really, it was the perfect time to test the products as the difference in my skin was extreme! Let me tell you how I got on......

Where have I been? A catch up!

 

Just some of the medication from one of the weeks I was off. We had to try several types to eventually get me on an even keel.

Well, hello! Long time, no blog! I have never taken so long away from posting before, but despite having lots of draft posts, I was far too ill to finish and publish any (some I have scrapped!). August was one hell of a month for me - at one point, I thought I might actually have to say my goodbyes. My health was horrendously bad - I have never experienced anything like it, and if you've been around here for a while, you'll know that I've been ill for over 20 years and have been through a lot, but the past month was the worst ever. I am double vaccinated, before anybody might think that I'm not, and that's what saved my life. If you are on the fence about getting vaccinated still, I would urge you to reconsider, as it protects those around you, who are medically vulnerable, as well as yourself (please read this article if you are in two minds as it may help you to understand the importance of being vaccinated, if you can do so: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-08-17/vaccinated-covid-doctor-shot). I'm not going to go into all of the detail of what happened to me or what happens next, but felt I should explain my absence, as I've never gone this long without posting since I started my blog around 7 years ago. I'm nowhere near fully recovered, but blogging gives me something else to think about and I need that right now, plus I feel like I have so much to chat to you about!

That said, there were also some positives in August. It was my birthday, my niece's birthday and we celebrated our wedding anniversary, so I will always love the eighth month! This year is whizzing by and I'm already thinking about whether or not to do Christmas Gift Guides.......? Would love to hear your thoughts on that! I'm going to catch you up on some lifestyle favourites (I say lifestyle - I was in bed for weeks!) - tv, food, accessories etc. Also, I  would love to hear how life is with you? I've chatted to some of you in DMs, but I've missed this little community.