Even though this has been one of the weirdest years I’ve had, being in ‘lockdown’ isn’t that different from having chronic fatigue anyway really. Lots of telly watching, reading, putting outfits together for no particular reason, eating copious amounts of takeaway and going out to have a quick drink, when I’m able.
Leave your questions or comments below and I will consult my foggy (but sometimes, strangely encyclopaedic) brain to reply to them lol
These are the products I’ve been using and purchasing repeatedly over the past year. They have been perfect for balancing my combination-type skin and hair.
I hope you’ve found this helpful and, as always lovely people, leave any questions or comments.
Extra…
Over the next couple of months I’ll be reviewing more skincare and beauty (including tinted lip balms and super moisturising lipsticks), as well as self-care and pampering products. Keep an eye on my Insta for a heads up!
This year I’m going to be doing a series of posts focussing on independent business, starting off the year with skincare.
Love Absolute was created by Holistic Therapist Sarah Bisset and specialises in botanically derived skincare. The brand is 100% cruelty free, vegan, organic and uses locally sourced ingredients, to support farmers, biodiversity and to cut down on carbon emissions.
I love their minimalist and recyclable packaging and it’s also good to know that their products are natural, fresh and free from unnecessary chemicals.
If you are someone who gets ‘Christmas money’ or likes to buy their self a prezzie, then Eden Perfumes (non animal tested, vegan) tester sets are a great way to help you find cruelty free replacements for your fave scents.
You search for the name or the type of scent (woody, fruity, citrus, oriental) you want to replace and choose three that you think are close matches (or just sound really lovely), then you receive those three (generous) handbag sized perfumes.
I’ve bought two sets and have found replacements for Beyoncé Heat, YSL Opium and Paco Reban 1 Million and I also chose two of Edens totally original scents which are gorgeous!
Christmas fleece – Cotton Traders
Joggers – Hunkermoller
Ugg/Emu style boots – Dorothy Perkins
Making the most of the dark afternoons by making the living room feel all cozy.
Lots of natural skincare and lifestyle goodies in this Freedm Street advent calendar (items available to buy individually from heir online shop).
Making ‘special coffees’ by adding Baileys or Sailor Jerries Spiced Rum and throwing in pieces of salted caramel or hazelnut caramel choccy.
Jumper – Shein
Joggers – Cotton Traders
Bizarrely, for someone who has disabling arachnophobia when I see one, this was one of my favourite books as a child. It’s magical and a little creepy!
Little reindeer I found at the back of a cupboard!
Sparkly chocolate vegan brownie from Zad’s takeaway.
Dad decorated the whole downstairs in under 15 minutes. Secret festive ninja!
I’ve been watching His Dark Materials on BBC iPlayer and I am so impressed with this adaptation. Especially my favourite bad-ass actress, Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter.
I’ve developed quite a obsession with cute cartoon penguins so I was really happy to get this card from my Dad ^_^
Tee – Next
Christmas fleece – Cotton Traders
Joggers – Cotton Traders
At the Blokes flat we have our 22inch Christmas tree. I swear, after Christmas this is being packed away exactly as it is now – it was so fiddly to decorate!
Like most people in he UK we don’t have candy canes but we do have gelatine-free sweets!
This wonderful wreath gives me serious Narnia vibes. Unfortunately where we live, neither of us can put wreathes on our front door as they would get nicked and given to someone’s Mam or Missus.
MOOEY CHRISTMAS YOU LOVELY LOT
Biona Fruit Bears – Full of natural fruit flavour, these are even liked by my friends and family who don’t usually like sweets. Organic. Gluten free.
Tribe Nature Bombs Chocolate, Caramel and Almond Butter – Caramel and Almond Butter mixed together and covered in chocolate. These are so more-ish, the two pack isn’t enough so treat yourself and get a bag.
Love Raw Peanut Butter Cups – These lasted all of two minutes nom! Vegan.
Candy Kittens Eton Mess – These creamy, chewy sweets taste exactly like the dessert. Quick, take them away from me, before I go through the whole bag. Palm oil free.
Bouja-Bouja Truffle Selection No1 – I actually prefer the purple selection as these chocolates were almost too rich in flavour for me, especially the champagne and espresso but I loved the rum and cherry cognac flavours. Best to keep these cool or they become sickly, quickly. Organic. Vegan.
Rhythm 108 Hazelnut and Praline – This small Swedish brand makes bars that are the most like traditional chocolate bars – delicious. Gluten free. Organic. Vegan.
Pulsing High Fibre Brownie – Although it’s called a brownie, it isn’t squishy in the middle. It does have nice big chunks of choccy and it is very substantial. It did give me a good start to the day, energy-wise.
So lovely people, do you want me to review more choccy, sweets or both?
As you probably know by now, I’m Dyspraxic so faffing about with eyelash glue and false lashes has extremely messy, if rather amusing consequences. Not a realistic option!
This is why I jumped at the chance of reviewing Lola’s magnetic lash kit £35. The lashes ‘stick’ to the metallic eyeliner which comes with the kit. Afterward the just gently peel off (they are reusable) and liner removed with oil (which also comes in the kit).
I’ve been given two styles of lashes (there are six in total, with different options for kits, colours of eyeliner and bundles): The thick, fluttery Diamond style which look fabulous (above) and the more subtle Sapphire style which pass for my real lashes but prettier. I prefer the latter because I can wear these quickly and easily, every time I go out, with hardly any other makeup.
I struggle with the Diamond lashes but the Sapphire one’s are perfect as they don’t crowd my mono-lid or drag down the look of my hooded eyes.
Quite a difference between my normal lashes (left eye) and the falsies (right eye)!
The eyeliner brush is incredibly easy to use and I draw the best flick I’ve ever done but I still manage to get eyeliner all over (and even inside) the inner corner of my eye. After I’ve spread that everywhere by trying to clean it up with the oil on a cotton pad, I let it dry. The lashes themselves are fairly easy to apply. I think they actually lift my hooded eyelids too!
Rating 4/5
What do you think? I would love to hear your comments as always.
The Zadam’s Family Pumpkin Spice Pizza from Zad’s is THE best vegan pizza I have ever eaten!
Not too sweet (like a lot of vegan pizzas tend to be), but savoury, with just a little sweet spice. Perfect balance!
‘Pumpkin, squash and sweet potato puree base, with garlic drizzle, sage, thyme, crispy kale, cheese, red onion, roasted chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, apple chunks and diced walnut coated with cinnamon and dash of chilli flakes to warm your soul’.
The most Autumnal thing I’ve eaten this year!
This Balm.com by Glossier is one of the best lipbalms I’ve ever used. It leaves lips hydrated and moisturised, non sticky and with a sheer tint of colour. The mango flavour is delicious!
I just wish the tube were bigger and that it wasn’t so hard to squeeze out, maybe a tin would be better and still easily recycled.
Note: Balm.com isn’t tested on animals (otherwise it wouldn’t be on this blog obviously) but it isn’t vegan as it contains Lanolin, which is basically sheep grease (from their wool). Gross but highly effective!
Futuredew Hybrid Oil/Serum (sample) is so similar to the balm at first but then melts into skin making it look naturally radiant and healthy. My dehydrated skin loved it!
Less is more with this as it can feel thick and sticky if you over-do it. I only needed half the sample for both cheeks and my nose.
Note: Both products create a subtle sheen (rather than a gloss or a metallic/pearlised looking finish) and even-out pores and dry patches, rather than accentuating them.
Now the weather has cooled my chronic fatigue and brain- fog has calmed a bit. Unfortunately this makes my ADHD (self diagnosed as a teen but wildly obvious) a lot worse. It’s like I’ve drunk three espressos all of the time. Nice to have some energy and my quirky personality back though! 😄 It took me five six attempts to be able to write this properly. 😆
My ‘sensible dress’ which I hardly ever wear. However, I got so many compliments on it (over on my Instagram) that I’m going to wear it a lot more.
We went to Allotment Vegan Eatery in town, which had beautiful food and cozy decor but would have been too dear if we hadn’t taken advantage of the government ‘eat out to help out’ scheme.
Had a lovely meal at Sai Spice in Chorlton. Here are leftovers of Mutter Panner (peas and cheese which tastes nicer than it sounds), Young coconut and green beans and vegetable Kolpahuri which was really piquant!
Vegan and gluten free cheese-on-toast using Genius bread and Follow Your Heart, Pepper Jack flavour. Wow!
After three months of loosely following The Curly Girl Method (but with other products) my hair is shiny and soft, with less frizz AND holding it’s curl shape.
The most geeky and awesome book I have ever read! This is like the crazy dreams I’d have regularly as a kid in the 80’s.
Still writing down happy things that have happened, as and when they occur, so I can read them back when I’ve been having a succession of shitty mental/physical health days, to give me some perspective.
Dark – Complex, family oriented sci-fi
Boardwalk Empire – Sprawling 1920’s Gangsta series set in Atlantic City
Hero’s – Series featuring time travel and a big cast of characters discovering they have unique powers.
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Really looking forward to a chilly but beautiful Autumn and Halloween of course. 🦇
