What I loved in February

 

The end of another month, and the season of hope is upon us! My January was a bit of a washout - I wasn't ready for it, and was still in Christmas mode until half way through, so I decided to press re-set on the year on February 1st, only to be greeted by Covid...... again! It meant plenty of rest and meds, watching feel good films and shows, plus a few great beauty products thrown in for good measure, which I'm going to share with you today. It would be very remiss of me to continue posting about beauty/tv/life in general, without mentioning what is happening in Ukraine. My husband and I talk about it daily, saying how blessed we are that we live a life where we have freedom to choose so much - we feel guilty that we even discuss what we might eat for dinner, when there are people losing their lives on a daily basis, for no valid reason. We've seen the Russian Ambassador to Ireland on tv trying to justify the actions of his country, but there is no justification and he just tells lie after lie, so much so, the news anchor just cut him off when he'd heard enough and realised that interviewing him served no purpose. What the people in Ukraine are going through barely leaves my mind for a moment, and I hope that the response is very strong and united, despite Putin's threats. I hope that Europe will take Ukranian refugees, yet they should not have to leave their homes. I cannot imagine the distress of those waiting for their loved ones to arrive back, for those who have used somebody in the country to have their surrogate baby, and of those living there every day. My heart is with each and every one of them, and I wish there was a way to help (apart from donating to charities, which I have done). I also want to add that I admire the protestors on the streets of Russia, who are taking huge risks to show their disgust and abhorrence for what their leader is doing. I hope that people will separate the actions of Putin from Russian people, in general - we don't need any further hate in this world. 

L'Occitane Herbae Clary Sage and new additions to the Shea range for Spring!

These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

You all know what a huge fan of L'Occitane I am, so I get excited whenever they release a new product - seriously, it could be an anti-fungal cream and I'd be excited! Don't worry, I'm not about to talk about any products like that, instead, it's all about the latest additions to their beloved shea range, and their latest fragrance release - Herbae Clary Sage. Any of these products would make fabulous Mother's Day gifts (it will creep up on us next month!)

Latest additions to the Pixi Rose Range....

These products were kindly sent to me, without obligation.

Out of all of the Pixi skincare ranges, I think that the rose infused one is my favourite (review here), so I was absolutely delighted to receive a package with some new products a few weeks ago! There are four products; some skincare, some makeup, but they could be a hybrid of both. I want to talk you through them today and explain why some are hits and some are misses for me.

FOREO UFO 2 - a game changer?

 

I've been intrigued by the FOREO UFO since I first saw it, and then began to read reviews on it, which made me want to try it even more. I was very fortunate to be offered the latest one (UFO 2) in recent months, and after describing my skin, I was also kindly sent some masks (and have since bought a different box too). Calling it a game changer may sound dramatic, but if you read on, you'll see why I believe that there are several reasons why it is.

Brand Focus: The Inkey List

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

This post has been a long time in the making, as I received the products last November, and as with all skincare (although there are some haircare products too), I like to thoroughly test everything before sharing my opinion. For reference, I have dry skin and a chronic illness, which makes it tricky to achieve everyday fresh-looking skin. I need my products to work hard, and I also work on my skin from within. My hair is also very dry, it's fine too, but I have a lot of it. 

Sickbed essentials

 

At this stage, I think it's easier to name those who haven't had Covid, than those who have! That said, I'm the only one in my family to have caught it ( a number of times!). This post isn't about supplements (I'm not a doctor, although I do recommend taking probiotics daily), or medication of any kind. Today, I'm talking you through the products that I find help me to feel a little better and relax more, so that I have the best chance of recuperation. You don't need to spend a fortune on products, just use what you have, and when energy is low (as it inevitably is when fighting a virus or any type of infection or illness), just some basic things can lift your spirits.

Barely there base products....

 

The Urban Decay product was kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't want to go completely bare faced, but I also don't want to do a full face of makeup. I basically just want to look like a healthier version of myself! These are the days when I will reach for a barely there base product, concealer, a lip balm, and a cream blush. Brows and lashes depend on if they're tinted & with extensions, but if not, quick and minimal products will also be used. For reference, I have dry skin.

First Aid Beauty Face & Body skincare review

 

These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation.

Late last summer, I was kindly sent some First Aid Beauty products to try, and I'm only getting around to sharing my thoughts now, as I wanted to give everything a thorough test first, plus I had a lot of skincare products to try at the time. First Aid Beauty is a solution-based brand - each product has a purpose. They need to work hard, produce results, without irritation - hence the name First Aid! There are a vast range of products to try, but after filling out a form, my 'prescription' for my skin, was kindly sent to me.