April 2020

Affiliate links are marked with [*] and gifted items marked with [gifted].

The first full month in lockdown. It's all very surreal when put like that. I've had my ups and downs, as the majority of us have had I'm sure, but today I'm looking back on the month that has passed in a more positive light. I'm incredibly pessimistic and really struggle to be positive in times of turmoil but whilst times are tough and unlike anything we have ever experienced before, it's good to take some time to reflect on what has brought you joy over the past few weeks.

A Wave of Productivity

I transformed a small space at home using only a pair of voile curtains, a vase with some artificial roses, a basket and some photo frames so now I have a mini shoot area!

I live with my parents and honestly, I'm quite limited in terms of what I can create from home. I found it really difficult to shoot new imagery and when my job relies so heavily on photos, it was having quite a negative impact on me mentally as I just felt like I couldn't do anything. So after convincing my parents to let me move a few pieces of furniture around, I now have a little corner set up for photos. Luckily, we've had amazing sunshine for a few weeks which has brought on a wave of positive energy and productivity. In true British fashion, it's now back to rain again though. 

Beauty Products I've Loved This Month

*links below are affiliate links

*Glimmering Metallic Gel, Nudestix (99% Angel) [gifted] : I've been using this as a highlighter over the past couple of weeks as I find it gives the most beautiful subtle glow. I mostly use this on my cheek bones as I would a normal highlighter but I have also been applying this onto my nose, the inner corner of my eyes and also using this to accentuate my cupids bow. More recently I layered this over eyeshadow for a glimmering finish. It's a very versatile product, super easy to use and looks gorgeous!

*Beauty Sleep Cream, IT Cosmetics [gifted] : On first impression, I thought this was a really weird product. Not only is it purple in colour (thanks to the lavender component) it's also the most unusual jelly-like texture, I've never seen or tried anything like it in skincare! However, with IT Cosmetics being such a well loved and trusted brand, I gave it a go and honestly love it. Despite the unusual texture, it glides on easily and is instantly absorbed by the skin and as its lavender scented, it helps lull to sleep too.

*Expressionist Artistry Palette, Illamasqua [gifted] : After seeing so many bold eye looks recently, I brought out the brightest eyeshadow palette I own and experimented with colourful eyeshadow. What can I say, I was pleasantly surprised! This isn't a palette I'm reaching for on a daily basis but it's fantastic for creating more bold and bright looks. I'm currently working on a blog post featuring this eyeshadow palette for next week so definitely come back to see the makeup looks I created using this palette. In the meantime, I've popped in a picture of my blue eyeshadow look which was one of my favourites.

Fashion Favourites

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*Black bodysuit [gifted] / *Midi skirt [gifted] / *White loafers [gifted] / *Slippers / *Fluffy cardigan / *Chunky hoops [gifted]

What I've Watched

Schitt's Creek : When I first started watching this I wasn't too sure about it but quickly grew to love it.  Episodes are roughly 30 minutes long as you follow a family of four whose lives have been turned upside down but despite this, you watch them grow as individuals and learn lessons of love. I believe the final season has recently aired in the US but it only goes up to the penultimate one on Netflix in the UK currently. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends for the Rose family.

Atypical : Another series with short episodes that I loved. I watched this as I was getting ready in the mornings or whilst winding down in the evenings. Somehow this series manages to encapsulate so many different topical issues without being too overwhelming to watch. I watched 3 seasons in under a week, just so good!

Quiz : A highly anticipated 3-part drama by ITV. Following the story of Charles Ingram, who won one million pounds on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in 2001 but was accused of cheating and found guilty in court. Admittedly, I didn't know much about this incident but enjoyed watching the mini series and would recommend it.

Books I've Read

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      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️     ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️          ⭐️⭐️⭐️                 ⭐️⭐️               

More Good Things This Month

Not only have I felt newly inspired to produce fashion content, I've also been organising so much! I've scheduled days for big tasks and a few hours for smaller tasks and have managed to tackle quite a lot of spring cleaning. I've done the fun things like organising my jewellery collection (here) and decluttering my makeup collection (here) and also the more mundane tasks like clearing out the kitchen cupboards. Tidy house = Tidy mind.

I've reignited my love for *Rummikub which is a great game you can play with the whole family. It's also available as an app so you can play with your friends online. See the other games I love in in my blog post: Top 5's: Books, Films, Series, Games and Podcasts.

I switched my phone contract recently to a great new deal with o2. They're currently offering 6 months free membership for Disney+ with so many of their sim only deals. I switched my contract to a £15 one with unlimited calls and texts and 20GB of data monthly. They're also currently offering a £20 deal with 100GB of monthly data!

Also, if you're an H&M member (which basically means that you have an H&M account) have a look through the rewards for members. I signed up to Readly and got 3 free months thanks to my membership so I'll be catching up on some of my favourite magazines including Cosmopolitan, Red and Grazia.