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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
As with my other 2023 favourites posts, I've decided to narrow my discoveries down to my top ten but there are easily twenty or more! Given that it's New Year's Eve, I'm assuming you'll want to do something other than read a LOOOONG blog post at midnight so brevity will prevail! I have a mixture of fragrance, hair care, skincare and body care products.....
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
Every year I like to do a roundup of my favourite products from the year - I generally only use products that I truly love, so we're talking top ten here because otherwise this would be a book rather than a blog post! Today, I'm focusing on skincare....
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
Let's be honest, irregular sleeping patterns, indulging in more food than normal - probably more sugar, possibly more alcohol and less water, all wreaks havoc with the skin! I'm here with some recommendations to try to keep your skin looking as good as possible, without having to sacrifice the treats!
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| Anything marked with a & was kindly gifted to me. |
I think that most of us take it up a notch when it comes to our makeup at Christmas, whether we're going out partying or just visiting friends and family (or even just staying at home - why not add some sparkle?!). I don't party much these days but still like to go a bit more glam than my everyday makeup for at least some of the days over the festive period. Here are my top picks (I'd love to hear yours!).....
I have dry skin so I have to moisturise my body daily but I really have to up the ante in Winter because my skin feels tight and sometimes itchy if I don't use an adequate body cream or lotion. I use oils too, but not when I have initially tanned as they will just break the tan down and make it disappear quickly, so I tend to keep those for the few days before I know I will be applying a fresh layer. I like to use moisturisers that will absorb quickly, nourish my skin and leave it feeling moisturised (but not greasy) for hours after application. Here are some of my top picks...
Last month I posted about 10 very hyped beauty products and whether I thought they were worthy of that hype. See the post here. There are so many more that I can think of so I decided to make this into a series, with part two happening today.
There is no doubting that Pat McGrath makeup is expensive but there is also no doubt that it is one of the highest quality brands that I have used and delivers every time, which is probably why I couldn't resist buying her two latest palettes (in my slight defence, I don't think I've bought (m)any palettes all year, plus I had a 20% discount code! Defending over, let's get into a review and swatches!
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| Both of these products were kindly gifted to me. |
Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of Dermalogica and have used the brand for 20 years at this stage. I'm also lucky enough to be part of their #skinfluencer progranne, which means I am sometimes sent some of their new releases. A few months ago I received the two products in the Phyto Nature Firming range - a serum and a moisturiser. The serum has been around for a few years but the moisturiser is new. I was delighted to receive the products because I loved the serum when I used it first time around. Recently, my skin was feeling very dry, which I put down to the change in weather and the central heating being on and I knew that I needed to bring out the big guns to get my skin back on track. Read on for my thoughts...
I usually do a week of gift guides with a variety of budgets and categories but this year, I decided that I was going to do it differently and just do one post with something for all budgets and hopefully you'll find something you love (either for yourself or a loved one!). Everything is beauty related and I know that I normally include some non-beauty products but I had to narrow it down to just 10 products. Some of these are included in the Black Friday sales so if you like the look/sound of anything, act fast!
I'll be honest, I've had festive fragrances going in the house for a few weeks at this stage and even burnt a Christmas candle back in July (to be fair, the weather was like December anyway!), but I know that most people will wait until December to start with the festive scents. I wanted to share my favourite candles and diffusers with you today because they make perfect gifts, but also really set the mood for the coming weeks. I will say in advance that I don't like the usual clove/cinnamon/nutmeg festive scents. I like that smell coming from the oven when I'm baking or when I make mulled wine (I don't eat or drink any of those), however I find they catch in my throat when they're in candle form, so all of these are based around other festive scents.
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| For complete transparency, both of these products were kindly gifted to me without obligation. |
I don't know about you but I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Black Friday emails that are in my inbox! Most are of no interest to me as they're similar to what is offered throughout the year but I had to share the codes in today's post with you because they are actually an increase on the usual discounts and both products are splurges but worth the money. CurrentBody have been kind enough to increase my discount from 15% to 20% on their CurrentBody Skin products (the LED mask worked absolute wonders on my hyperpigmentation, as you'll see below) and 20% discount on ZIIP products. These codes are valid until November 30th, at which point they will return to 15% and 10% respectively. The codes you need at checkout are LYMINCB for the CurrentBody Skin products and LYMINZIIP for the ZIIP products. Read on for why I think they are worth the investment...
I actually feel that over the past year or two (maybe longer), I've developed beauty fatigue and by that I mean that I'm a bit over new release upon new release, day after day. It takes a lot to pique my interest these days because a lot of brands seem to just churn out products. Some go viral and then disappear, others retain their hype - but are they worth the hype? Today, I'm choosing 10 very hyped beauty products and telling you whether I think they deserve that status. This may become a series! I would really love to hear your thoughts on the products too...
Did I need them? No! Did I feel like a bit of splurge while I was in bed ill recently? Yes! And a few lip products are a hell of a lot cheaper than the handbag that I was eyeing up - that's my justification anyway! I also thought that adding some colour to my Autumn/Winter lip collection was a good idea - not full on colour but something more than my usual nude lip. So, what did I get? (I was also kindly gifted two lip products, marked with a * below)
It's been a hot minute since I did a Brand Focus post but looking at my stats, they were always very well received so I decided to bring the series back, starting with Shani Darden. I first used this brand around 4 years ago when she had a capsule collection - it has since expanded but isn't a huge range at the moment. I actually like this because it means that she is taking a lot of time developing each product. I like the chic, minimalist packaging, which is also functional. Shani is known for being a facialist to some big names, with Jennifer Aniston being among her fans. For reference, my skin is dry and dehydrated.
I think that we can tend to overlook the products that we use daily as they're just taken for granted and not seen as exciting or new enough to blog about, but it's the consistent use of these products that keeps things from getting out of control. I'm not going to include any facial skincare products because you know the building blocks of my routine and the products vary, depending on what I'm currently testing/wanting to use up etc. However, there are other products that I use daily without even thinking about it, but if I didn't, I would see a huge difference and not in a good way! SPF and deodorants are a given so I haven't mentioned those, but take a look at what are non-negotiable for me...
I can't believe that we're a month into the final quarter of the year! I swear the years are going by faster than ever since the pandemic hit! What a glorious start to September we had weather-wise and then a mini heatwave in October! Kinda makes up for a rainy July....kinda! It really made a huge difference after what has to have been the most miserable summer for many years! It really lifts the spirits to wake to a sunny day, or at least not a rainy one! I hope you all had a wonderful month? I didn't do a September loves post so I'm combining both months' loves in this post. Here's what I've been loving...
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| I was kindly gifted all of these products, without obligation. |
Urban Decay is a brand that I feel can often be overlooked for base products and best known for their eyeshadow palettes after all, they did start the neutral palette trend with their original Naked palette back in the day! Their latest face and cheek releases are right up my street because I really love liquid and cream base products in winter to help me fake that glow! They've also released a new palette called Metal Mania, which has some neutrals but also some shadows that will see us well prepped fr the festive season!
It's no secret that I love Estêe Lauder Advanced Night Repair - I've been using it for around 15 years and it's a constant repurchase (I love the festive gift sets as they're usually great value!). I like trying other products in the line - some have been hits, the eye cream is one, but also a miss - the night oil. However, I always get excited for a new launch so I had to buy the new Cleansing Gelée. Is it a hit or a miss?
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation, however I buy as much, if not more than, I receive. |
It's no secret here on the blog that I'm a HUGE fan of L'Occitane - bodycare, fragrance, skincare and more! I've been using the brand since 2006, where the love affair started with the Verbena range. If you are new to the brand, I would highly recommend buying one of their Advent Calendars because you get such a variety of products in there and the sizes are generous enough for you to figure out what really works for you. I have gone on to recommend the brand to so many people (who are also now massive fans), and love not just the products, but their ethos. They are committed to fair trade and sustainability. All of the fragranced products instantly transport me to another time because they smell so authentic and I spent so much time with my Granda in his garden when I was growing up. He was a landscape gardener by trade and his garden encompassed between 3 and 4 acres, and he really did have the gift of green fingers and because scent is the sense that is strongest for me, I can relive my childhood and early adult years through the brand. I've posted previously about the Immortelle range, which is harvested in Corsica and the products are then distilled in Provence. It's through this distillation process that the unique super extract is extracted, which is used in the products. The Immortelle Divine moisturiser has been recently updated to be even more effective in terms of brightening the skin, collagen production and anti-oxidant protection. New products have also been added to the line. I want to share my thoughts with you today...
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| This was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
This post has been a long time coming, purely because my pigmentation gets worse in summer so I wanted to take a photo of my worst patch in Spring and another when Autumn was kicking in to give a full picture of the changes. I have seen a lot of people use the CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Face Mask on Instastories and what always appealed to me was the shape. Some LED masks are very structured whereas this fits around your face and accommodates all face shapes and sizes, so when I was given the opportunity to try it, I jumped at the chance! This was very kindly gifted to me, but as with all of my reviews, my opinion is entirely honest and you will see the results in the photos. If you want to buy this or any of the CurrentBody products, I have a 15% discount code for you - enter LYMINCB at the checkout to avail of this (I have my eye on a few other products for the eyes, hands and neck and with expensive products, it's always great to have a discount!).
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. I am part of the Dermalogica #skinfluencer programme and receive products as part of that. |
I change my skincare seasonally to adjust to whatever my skin needs. I don't necessarily change everything at once but I do find myself gradually introducing new items as the weather gets cooler and the heating is turned on. As I write this, the weather is unseasonably warm but I have made some changes over the past 5/6 weeks and will continue to do so as I'm also testing other products. So, let's get into it...
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
You probably already know that I am a fragrance addict, and I tend to rotate them with the seasons, but narrowing it down to my top five favourites wasn't easy! In Autumn I tend to gravitate towards warmer, musky scents to give the feeling of cosiness on a cold day (although we haven't had any truly cold days yet!). I do sometimes wish that I had a signature scent but I don't think that I could commit to just one fragrance for life!
It's a little while since I bought new makeup but a few things caught my eye recently so I placed a few orders - nothing like my 'hauls' back in the day because I did eventually figure out that I only have one face (plus pretty much ran out of storage space!). I tend not to jump on hyped up products these days and want all of the latest releases, but I'm happy with the products that I bought and thought I'd share them with you today....
It felt like Autumn began in July, where it rained so hard most days that the leaves began to fall off the tress, then came a mixed August and a mini heatwave at the beginning of September, but I think it's time to accept that Autumn is finally here. I'm not one of those people who loves Autumn - don't get me wrong, I count each day as a blessing but I'm more of a Spring person (I would say Summer but we rarely get more than a few warm days in Ireland and it drives me mad when people moan about it being too hot when we do get those few warm days!), however despite the dark mornings and evenings, I do appreciate the beautiful colours that nature provides and I love apple crumble - two things that I definitely associate with Autumn. In terms of beauty, there are a few items that I can't be without and I want to share them with you today.
Sorry (again!) that I've been MIA! I've had Covid again and was pretty much wiped out and the recovery is slow because whilst I'm testing negative, the symptoms are hanging around. Moving on, I've switched up my wardrobe for Autumn (although the weather hasn't fully caught up yet!) and began rotating some makeup and whilst I will introduce a berry lip, my go-to is always a nude lip. I have more lipsticks from Charlotte Tilbury than any other brand, so I thought that before sharing my Autumn beauty essentials, I'd share with you my top ten nude lipsticks from the brand. I know that some people will think it's excessive but I actually have more nudes from other brands too! I just find it so easy to wear and it will go with every look. So, on to my addiction collection.
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
This review has been a looooong time coming! This range was actually released in April and I was kindly gifted the four products, which comprise the entire line, but at the time I had a rash and could only use a cream that was specially made for me by my GP/local pharmacy. I also had some other skincare products to review before I could get stuck into these and my posting schedule has been a bit all over the place due to illness, but now that they are almost empty, I am finally ready to share my thoughts on one of the most hyped skincare releases of the year: the No7 Future Renew range.
August is usually my favourite month of the year because it's my birthday on the 8th (no coincidence that 8 is my favourite number!), my niece's birthday and yesterday was our wedding anniversary! As you read this, we'll be in Prague celebrating. It's been a city I've wanted to visit for a long time and my husband surprised me by booking it! That being said, August this year has been a sad month for me as my cat, and constant companion, died. I'm still getting used to him not being by my side constantly and miss him terribly. People who don't have pets don't understand their importance - they aren't just animals but a constant source of unlimited love and companionship. I know that he'd hate for me to be sad so I've been trying to keep busy, to watch shows that make me laugh and to wear beautiful fragrances and use gorgeous products daily. So, what have I loved this month?
If you'e read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I love Olaplex products. I'm pretty sure that I have tried every product they've released, so naturally I wanted to try the two latest. The lash serum was released first and I used that for around 10-12 weeks and I've been using the Volumising Mist every time I've washed my hair since it arrived! Now on to my thoughts....
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| These products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I always look forward to the Limited Edition Verbena releases from L'Occitane and thought that I had missed them this year, but it seems that the release date was a bit later than usual.... just like our summer! I was kindly gifted a number of products from the range and I had to take them on holiday a few weeks ago because they just scream summer and are so invigorating and uplifting. I've thoroughly tested these products and am ready to share my thoughts today.
I really hope that you're experiencing sunny weather wherever you are (if you like it, that is!) - since the beginning of July, we seems to have had rain pretty much every day, however it's still quite muggy so my makeup picks are ones that are quite lightweight, easy to touch up and let my skin be seen. I'm sharing my most reached for products today, which also made packing my makeup bag for my holiday this weekend very quick & easy!
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| These products were kindly sent to me, without obligation. |
This post was supposed to be live more than a month ago, so please forgive my tardiness! Olivanna skincare is a brand that I hadn't actually heard of until they approached me (one of my favourite things about blogging is discovering new brands) and I loved the sound of the products, so I was delighted to be kindly sent four to try and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts today (fortunately, I write notes during the testing process because like I said, this post should have been live quite a while ago!).
Don't forget to enter my Natasha Denona palette giveaway here!
Hello, hello! I took an unplanned break due to a number of reasons - the death of a family friend, trying to listen to my body more (which I promised both my GP & myself this year) and rest when needed, plus life was kind of busy in ways that wouldn't mean much to those who are well but when you're living with a chronic illness and supposed to be pacing yourself, it's difficult to adjust when life changes a little. It's not a moan, just an explanation. I always miss blogging when life gets in the way so I'm happy to be back, and today I'm talking about my favourite discoveries of the first half of 2023, so let's get into it!
I didn't actually plan on shopping the sales but there are really great bargains out there (and some sales have yet to even start!), and I basically have no willpower and couldn't resist. That said, anything I bought I know that I'll use and the prices were so good that it made sense to stock up. I'm going to share my purchases with you today and I really would love to hear if you managed to grab any bargains?
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| This products were kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
It's a while since I tried anything new from Urban Decay but it's rare that I'm disappointed by them. The original Naked palette (now discontinued) really did change the game when it came to neutral palettes and I hit pan on so many shades in it that I eventually had to bin it! Since then, there have been many additions to the Naked range and today I'm going to share my thoughts on the latest one, as well as their new multi-use concealer: Quickie.
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| I am part of the Skinluencer programme and am sent some products from the brand, however I buy a lot of products myself too. |
Dermalogica is a brand that I have been using for 20 years (maybe a little more!). Before blogs, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, magazines were our go-to for beauty advice and I remember that Daily Microfoliant popped up in almost every issue. I was influenced and then hooked (and my husband is now hooked too!). Ever since then I have always had some Dermalogica products in my routine and exclusively used them and had their facials for 6 months before our wedding. I could easily pick my top 20 products from the brand, but decided to be really strict and narrow it down to my top five to share with you today. If you haven't tried the brand, I really urge you to and it would be a great idea to start with a face-mapping facial.
It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I love cleansing balms. I adore the texture but also the motion of massaging into my skin and breaking down my makeup/spf, or just to treat my skin to a massage and deep cleanse. The ritual is relaxing and a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. The first balm that probably springs to most minds is Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, which I like to call an experience rather than a cleanser but I wanted to share five other balm cleansers that I highly rate with you today. I'd also love to hear your suggestions and favourites too!
Maybe I'm just getting lazy or maybe it's because it's summer and I don't want to spend very long doing my makeup, but I really like to use products that are quick and convenient. It seems that a lot of other people feel the same way because brands are releasing shadow sticks and I couldn't resist buying some!
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted, without obligation. |
I know that I focus a lot on expensive products on the blog but I do also use budget products (if they're good, obviously), and given that we are all feeling the pinch with the cost of living crisis, I thought I'd share some of my budget favourites with you today. I would also love to hear what your favourites are in the comments because I'm sure that I'm missing out!
I couldn't resist placing a Charlotte Tilbury order recently - it was some much needed retail therapy when I was feeling rotten, prompted by a discount code and some new releases! Here's what I got and my thoughts so far!
I'm sorry for the break in posting again - what can I say except that I've been having (and continue to have) a really hard time with my health at the moment, which prevents me from doing things that I want to do and that will distract me, like blogging! I also went on holiday for a week, hoping to get some heat into my bones, but instead we had thunderstorms, lightning, rain and cloudy days for all but two afternoons! Fortunately, we came home to some beautiful summer weather...... at last! Anyway, on with today's post....
I test a lot of skincare products but have recently been keeping it pretty simple because my skin is extra sensitive/reactive at the moment. I developed a rash, which had both my GP & I baffled. I actually only got rid of it by using a special cream that he had made in a chemist especially for me! Here are five current loves that agree with my skin at the moment and that I would recommend to anyone going through a tough time with their skin.
Since discovering Olaplex No. 3, I have tried every product that they have ever released so it goes without saying that I bought their recently released No. 4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo. I wash my hair once weekly so dry shampoo is an essential part of my hair product collection. This one offers a lot in the name but it's also pretty pricey and I have two that I adore so it really did have stiff competition, but I just couldn't not try it!
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| Anything marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I'm sorry for the radio silence here on the blog over the past month! I'm really making an effort to listen to my body more this year after having infection after infection for years, so when I need a rest/break I'm just going to take it, which my GP has been warning me to do for a long time! I've been very ill again and am still waiting for some results, but the break did me good. I hope you all had a nice Easter break and are enjoying the May Bank Holiday Weekend, and that the weather is actually starting to feel Spring-like wherever you are! Let's get into what I've been enjoying over the past month (it's just film and TV because beauty loves will be in an upcoming post), and I'd love to hear in the comments what you've loved! We're going on a sun holiday at the end of the month and I am so excited to feel some heat in my bones!
March is a month that I generally love because of St Patrick's Day, the start of the longer evenings and seeing the Spring flowers appear. However, this March has been cold and wet (despite a few sunny days!), which shouldn't determine whether or not I've enjoyed a month, but the bad weather coupled with being ill and one of my cats being attacked meant it hasn't been my favourite month. That being said, Spring is all about hope and there is no month that has no good in it (or even a day if you think really hard about it!), so here are my March favourites in terms of beauty, TV & film. I'd love to hear what yours were in the comments below!
Before I first tried the IT Cosmetics CC Cream, I really wondered what the hype was about because any BB or CC products that I had tried previously had only disappointed me, whether due to lack of coverage, oxidising, being too shiny and unnatural looking - basically, I didn't get the hype! This was when we couldn't get this brand on this side of the Atlantic so I wasn't going to spend a fortune in shipping to try a product that I didn't think I'd like. Then I was in New York in 2018 and I saw it in Sephora, tested a little on my hand and realised that it offered a lot more coverage than I thought and I liked the finish so I bought my first tube..... the first of many!
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| None of these products were gifted to me. |
There are so many celebrity skincare and makeup brands on the market and most of them don't interest me, however when I received some samples from Rare Beauty with a Sephora order last year, I knew that I wanted to try more. Once the brand launched on this side of the Atlantic, it sold out so quickly that it was virtually impossible to get your hands on any products, so I just put it out of my mind........ until a few weeks ago when I had a little splurge and I want to share my thoughts with you today!
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| Any product marked with a * was kindly gifted to me, without obligation. |
I'm very fortunate that I get some products sent to me (without obligation) to use and share my thoughts with my lovely readers. It's not something that I take for granted and I very much appreciate it. I also like to buy products myself as I personally find blogs/Instagram/TikTok boring if the person only uses products that were gifted to them (even worse when they don't declare them!). Today, I'm sharing a mix of both products I've purchased and others that have been sent to me (marked with a *).
