Is There Anybody There? - Life Lately And Moving Forward

I've tried several times over the last few months to take some time out for myself, to sit down somewhere quiet and write this post but something has always stopped me, so much so that I actually felt like hitting the delete button and bringing this little chapter of my life to an end but something stopped me from doing that as well.

So where have I been? Well if you follow me elsewhere on the old socials then you'll know that yet again life kicked me right where it hurts, and over the last few months life in LouLouLand has been to put it mildly poop!

After losing my Godmother in September I really thought that 2025 couldn't get any worse, but then it did - my mam was taken into hospital in late November with yet another infection, cue lots of confusion, and delirium, a fall from her bed that left her very bruised and battered, and a 2 and half week stay in hospital. Thankfully the infection was treated, the confusion passed, the bruises started to fade, and two weeks before Christmas she was thankfully allowed home.

With her instructing my every move I decorated, cooked and cleaned, and although it was always going to be strange without my Godmother we had a nice but quiet Christmas and New Year. The gifts were meaningful, the food was plentiful, and sharing it with my mam was the only gift that I ever needed or wanted.

Unlike her previous hospital stays though, this time she didn't bounce back to normal, she's really struggling with her mobility, using frames around the house, and she's been unable to get out and about or get back in the car. It's been frustrating and a learning curve for both of us, and at times there's almost being a role reversal with me taking on the parental role doing the adult things that she hasn't been able to do, which has taken a bit of adjustment on both sides.

Thankfully as time has progressed she's been able to do more around the house (she's currently tidying her room!), and more physically and last week after a conversation with her GP she eventually had a therapist come out to the house to assess her, see what she can do, what they can help her with and what they provide for her. It may be 4 months too late but we're both feeling a bit more positive now, they are sending a physio out to work with her to improve her mobility and they may be able to provide her with some walking aids or maybe a chair so she can get out safely again especially with the weather hopefully improving.

It's been a lot to deal with, the stress of her being admitted, visiting her and not quite knowing at times what I was going to find, dealing with everything once she came home and all that entailed, all whilst trying to navigate grief, and chronic illness. I'm not ashamed to say that my mental health really took a nosedive,  I've cried myself into a panic attack on more than one occasion, I've had more sleepless nights than you can imagine and I've completely neglected myself and my surroundings. You know those depression room Tik Tok's, yeah I get that, I've been so concerned about keeping the rest of the house tidy, my room looks like a messy storage unit. I've worn make up twice in 5 months, and I haven't had my hair cut since September / October time. I've probably only left the house 5 or 6 times since my mam was released from hospital, and we've probably met every Tesco delivery driver in the North East.

I've had the odd day where I've craved normality, I went to the Metro Centre for a couple of hours last month to buy Mothers Day goodies, and I had a lovely coffee date, and Home Bargains, and Farm Foods trip with one of my besties, which did me the world of good but other than that I've been trying to dig my way out of a large dark hole, some days are good, I'm productive, I can cross things off my to do list, and other days, I just want to pull a blanket over my head and shut everything else out just to try and protect myself.

I know it's been hard for her too and I know she feels some guilt, but my mam really has been my biggest supporter and reason for being - she keeps telling me I'm stronger than what I think, and whilst at times I still struggle to believe that, I know she's right - you learn from every knock and it really does make you stronger but having even a small support system is everything and I'm forever grateful for the people I have in my life that are there when I need to vent.

I know it will pass and eventually I'll start to have more good days, I just don't deal with change very well anymore, and over the last few months I've had to deal with a lot of it. There are some positive things on the horizon but again they are going to involve periods of change, acceptance and lots of adulting so I'm trying to put on my big girl shoes and make the best of it. 

I guess that's really why I'm sitting in my cluttered, hoarder esq bedroom typing words onto a screen. As I say I wasn't sure how or even whether to come back here, times have moved on short form media is king, and any place I had in this world now seems long gone (especially when I look at all the spam comments!), but with the rise of substack and some people I know returning to the blogging sphere maybe there is hope for us who like to use our words. Blogging always used to be an outlet for me and whilst it used to be about numbers, blog awards and PR, maybe now I can go back to what it always was my place, my place to talk about things I love, things that troubled me, good things in my life and the bad, and maybe that's something that I need in my life again, a focus, an outlet.

So where do I go from here? Well I open up my Macbook and I tap those keys and see what comes out at the other end - Obviously I have to get up to date on those empties posts, I have some nail posts in draft, and some half edited ones that I will post in due course, I've also got a few Tik Tok bits to share but other than that I have no real plans on what to post. I'm not the same person I was when I started this blog and whilst I still love fashion, beauty, nails, and food, maybe my content needs to grow with me - in what direction? who knows but I hope beyond hope, that there are a least some of you out there who will stick with me, and whilst I'm no longer about stats and follower counts, I'm eternally grateful for any of you that are still out there, so Happy New Year, Happy Christmas, Happy Easter, and every other holiday that I've missed, thanks for being here and I'll see you soon with another post x 

Operation Get Back On Track - A Very Late Trimming My Stash - April To December 2023 - Monthly Empties, And A 2023 Summary

Hey everyone I'm back, and before we go any further I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that commented or sent me a message anywhere on social media after my last post x To say that I'm still numb is an understatement I really don't think it's sunk in yet - life has been pretty full on since and to be honest I think I'm just in protection mode, where I'm just numb to anything good and bad - it's a strange feeling and I don't think things are going to get better anytime soon so I'm just trying to make the best of it and just get on with things, and find a few distractions here and there.

It goes without saying that the blog has been on the back burner for most of 2025 but in the last couple of months of the year I'm going to try and get back on track, starting with what will be the first of the three Trimming My Stash catch up posts

I last posted a proper Trimming My Stash post was back in 2024, and even that was a catch up covering the first 3 months of 2023, and whilst I haven't been publishing posts, I have been diligently updating my empties lists and collecting all of my empty packets, tubes, and bottles but enough is enough - I have two cardboard boxes and a bag or two that are full of empties that are now just taking up space.

I've thought and thought about what I can do, and the simplest way would be to just fill up my recycling bin, and call it quits on the whole empties thing but since I've been adding every finished product to my sidebar and saving them for over two years now I've came to the conclusion that would be a bit of a waste. So instead I'm going to share all of those empties, and monthly totals with you, all be it in most cases without individual pictures, and in all cases without any reviews. I'm angry at myself for not doing proper posts but I really need to put this to bed so to speak x 

So lets take a trip back to 2023 - my last empties post covered January, February and March, so we're starting from April and taking a little trip, right through to the 31st December x 

 

Sooo Cocoa! Cocoa Butter Salt Scrub - 270g
AVON Nutra Effects Matte Micellar Water - 400ml
Bean Body Coffee Scrub - Manuka Honey - 220g
Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry Shower Gel - 295ml

Total - 4 Items

1. Sooo Cocoa! Cocoa Butter Salt Scrub - 270g

2. AVON Nutra Effects Matte Micellar Water - 400ml

3. Bean Body Coffee Scrub - Manuka Honey - 220g

4. Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry Shower Gel - 295ml

O'Keeffes For Healthy Feet Foot Cream - 91g
Beauty Formulas Vitamin E Wax Strips - Legs & Body - 40 Strips
Nair Wax Strips Face - 12 Wax Strips
L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
Boozi Cheeky Woo Woo Body Wash - 50ml
Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry 24 Hr Moisture Ultra Rich Shea Body Cream - 226g

Total - 6 Items

1. O'Keeffes For Healthy Feet Foot Cream - 91g

2. Beauty Formulas Vitamin E Wax Strips - Legs & Body - 40 Strips

3. Nair Wax Strips Face - 12 Wax Strips

4. L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

5. Boozi Cheeky Woo Woo Body Wash - 50ml

6. Bath & Body Works Snowy Peach Berry 24 Hr Moisture Ultra Rich Shea Body Cream - 226g

That's it for the pictures, now just words and numbers and a couple of pretty indents that I hope you'll appreciate ;)

June 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Friends X Revolution Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub - 260g
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Shampoo - 250ml
Sensationail Gel Cleanser 14.6ml
Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

July 2023

Nivea Q10 Multi Power 5 In 1 Firming + Cellulite Gel - 200ml
Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray - 300ml
Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalizing Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

August 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Revolution Pro Hygiene Sanitising Solid Brush Cleaner - 100ml
Stericlens Sterile Saline Spray - 240ml
Vita Coco Coconut Shampoo Scalp Coconut & Guava - 400ml

September 2023

Moksha Advanced Salicylic Avid & Sulphur Scrub Soap Bar - 100g
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Aloe + Vitamin E Shower Gel - 295ml
Dead Sea Collection Himalayan Salt Scrub With Natural Dead Sea Minerals - 660g
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
111 Skin Harley Street London Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask - 1 x 30ml Sheet Mask

October 2023

PIXI Glow Tonic Glow Tonic 5% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner - 100ml
Derma V10 Deep Moisturising Hand Pack Argan Oil - 1 x Treatment
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Beauty Pie Renewed Density Anti Hair-Loss Ampules - 14 x 8ml
Bath & Body Works White Barn Cranberry Peach Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
Vitamasques VO Charcoal Gommage Peeling Gel - 20ml
Garnier Ultimate Blends Glowing Lengths Pineapple Hair Drink - 200ml

November 2023 

Veet Easy Gel Wax Strips - Sensitive Skin Bikini & Underarm - 30 x Wax Strips And 3 Perfect Finish Wipes
Sauvasine Tumeric Scrub For Face & Body - 150g
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Victoria's Secret PINK Mango Scrub Nourishing Body Scrub - 283g
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Eau De Toilette - 50ml

December 2023

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Sence Pre Treated Facial Sheet Mask - Moisturise And Refresh - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask
Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
T.J. Morris Ltd. Sleigh Bells Santa Printed Sheet Mask - Hydrating & Cooling - 1 x Sheet Mask
Skin Techniques Penguin Moisturising Foot Mask - Honey & Almond - 1 x 28ml Pair Of Booties

January - 5 Items
February - 4 Items
March - 5 Items
April - 4 Items
May - 6 Items
June - 6 Items
July - 3 Items
August - 4 Items
September - 5 Items
October - 7 Items
November - 5 Items
December - 5 Items

Total - 59 Items 

After all of that wait and hype 2023 turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. I managed to finish just 59 items, which made this my worst year since I started this whole thing way back when, in fact I was managed to finish 8 less products than I did in 2022 which was my joint previous worse year. Never mind my recycling bin is a bit fuller and I probably created a few little spaces in the cupboards and drawers of my beauty stash, which to be honest I've probably filled back up again lol. I am definitely buying less than I used to but I seem to be using things up at a much slower pace, and my make up use at the moment is pretty much non existent - in fact I wore a full face of make up at my Godmothers funeral for the first time in ages, and the foundation that I used to be honest was probably off - not great, but I didn't finish it so I can't class it as an empty ho hum.

Anyways it goes without saying that I continued to trim my stash in 2024 and of course well into 2025, and in the next week or so I'll be sharing my 2024 totals in this same format and then at the beginning of January I'll be sharing my 2025 totals ahead of a new start in 2026 - Don't forget you can keep up to date with all my empties updates by checking out the lists in the sidebar x 

If empties catch up's aren't your thing don't worry I've got some more varied beauty content coming soon including some budget friendly nail posts, all shot and ready to go, and a little Primark beauty haul that you won't want to miss x 

Thanks again for sticking with me and if you haven't already, I'd love it if you'd subscribe or follow my blog, and my other social media channels all of which you can find in the sidebar, including my new Tik Tok page, and don't forget if you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment, send me an email or just say hey on social media x 

Heartbroken 💔

 
Exactly one week ago, my heart literally broke in two, when my beautiful Godmother passed peacefully away at home.

For some people Godparents are a title only, but mine really were a part of my family. Families are complicated but my Auntie Gladys was in its simplest terms my dads cousin. Although 14 years older than my dad they were brought up together, and she became my aunt and other than my mam the person that I was closest to.

How can I describe her to a stranger? She was a small woman, but she was probably one of the strongest people that I've ever met. She survived several bouts of cancer, undergoing numerous surgeries, as well as several broken bones, and other health issues over that last few years, as well as coping with the loss of her husband for over 60 years, 9 years ago.

She loved teddy bears, baking in her kitchen (her cheese scones, and Welsh cakes, or griddle scones as we call them up north, were chefs kiss!), knitting, crocheting, and embroidering tapestries, holidays (she went to Disney Florida for the first time in her 70's), and shopping!

My Godmother was the stereotypical shopaholic nothing made her happy then going round a shop - be it a shopping centre, a garden centre or a gift shop she was never happier than when she was in a shop. She loved her Boundary Mills visits, and our trips there together with her friend, will now be some of my most cherished memories.

She was a very feminine woman who very, very rarely wore trousers, I think she would have preferred it if I was more of a frilly dress fan, but she was always excited to see what I'd been buying, even if she wasn't a fan of all my ear piercings.

She would have been 95 next month and whilst her passing came as no great surprise, it doesn't make it any easier. Her biggest wish was to die at home and thankfully the NHS, along with Marie Curie, and some amazing family member allowed that happen.

Due to circumstances beyond out control we were unable to see her straight away when she came out of hospital but we managed to see her last Tuesday. There was no recognition or communication from her, she was sleeping and peaceful but I really do hope that she could hear us or at least feel our presence. There were other people there so I didn't get to spend anytime alone with her but I kissed my fingers and placed them gently on her cheek and whispered sweet dreams to her, and then we left.

A few hours later we got the call to say she'd gone, peacefully at home exactly as she'd wanted. I think we were the last of the northern based family members to see her, so I really think she'd waited for us to say goodbye.

I'll miss her more than I think even she'd realise, she had such a warm, giving generous personality, someone that I knew I could rely on for anything, she might not have always understood me but she was always there no matter what.

She's now reunited with her beloved husband, as well as my dad and my grandmas, and I hope wherever she is they have a few clothes shops for her to enjoy x 

Losing 3 family members, and 2 much loved pets in 3 years has been so tough on my mental and physical  health, my mam has also been unwell so everything really has been a bit of a struggle bus. Thank you to everyone who has commented on.my update on any of my other social media posts, I really do appreciate every single one of them - it's friends and family that have really kept me sane lately.

I have stuff to do and obviously stuff going on, but I really need a distraction so I'm hopefully going to be posting a few bits here and then mainly catch up's and updates but if you can be patient with me I would really appreciate it at the moment. I know 2025 has been rubbish blogging wise but I'm not giving up just yet xx Thanks again for your support x 

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Easy Ways To Reduce Stress And Improve Both Your Body And Your Mind *

I don't think that there is a person out there that hasn't experienced at least some level of stress or anxiety, and with the world the way it is, it's no wonder that mental health issues are the rise. Take little old me - I had it all planned out, on Sunday afternoon, I was going to open up my laptop, and get my blog on, as I always say though the plans of mice and men, and my Macbook had other ideas, it restarted itself a couple of times, and when I eventually got it going, it was only going at a snails pace - argh!. So new Macbook ordered we then realised that the heating wasn't working, yes we've had the heating on July, please don't judge lol - a new wireless thermostat is now on its way to us and that should hopefully fix the problem and even though it's only Wednesday, it's already been a pretty stressful and expensive week!

It doesn't need to be anything major or tragic, just living and dealing with the day to day can cause us no end of stress and anxiety and too much of it as I've recently discovered can be pretty detrimental to not only our mental health, but also our physical health. 

Whilst it pretty hard to stop stressful things happening to us, there are things that you can do, and small lifestyle changes that you can make, to help you alleviate and deal better with some of the symptoms of stress and anxiety, and to improve your over all wellbeing - nothing hard I promise, just little things that you can easily integrate into your everyday routine.

Unplug & Spend Time in Nature

Like most people of a certain age (Ahem;) one of the best memories of my childhood is the amount of times I spent playing outside, I rode my bike, went to the park, played games with my friends, I made rose petal perfume in the garden and went for walks with my parents. There are plenty of children where I live but they just don't seem to play outside as much as I did. I know times have changed and there is the whole safety issue, but tv, social media and gaming really has changed not only childhood but also society in general.

I know I'm guilty of this I spend way too much time on my iPad, my phone is always close by, and the TV is always on. There is no denying that technology is vital, brilliant and helpful, but for a lot of people it's also a bit of an addiction. If you're trying to cut down on stress, and anxiety then try and keep an eye on just how long your spending on social media, or on your phone, and even watching tv - even spending a few minutes on social media or watching the news lately seems to send my blood pressure soaring, so know when to switch off, and if something makes you anxious then don't do it - I very rarely watch the news now, and whilst I still keep track of what's going on in the world I feel better for avoiding those few minutes of doom and gloom.

If you're finding it hard to avoid the lure of 24 hour tv channels, or the latest drama on Tik Tok, then unplug yourself and go for a walk - Walking along a beach is my ultimate switch off but it doesn't even have to be far, just round the block if that's all you can manage, if you can't leave your phone behind listen to some music, or even a guided meditation, and instead of smoking a cigarette which so many people still do when they're stressed, take a tip from your favourite professional footballer and try nic pouches uk. If you need that slight ahhh moment that you get from smoking then these may do the trick without a lot of the chemicals. Whether it's bright and sunny, or more likely in the UK pouring with rain, a bit of fresh air wakes you up a bit and makes you feel a little bit more alive.

Exercise & Move More

I think it goes without saying that a lot of us now lead quite sedentary lifestyles, whether that's because of health or personal circumstance, or maybe because you're stuck behind a desk all day, the plain and simple fact is that as a society we just don't move enough anymore, and that ultimately plays a part in both our mental and physical health.

One effective way to reduce and manage your stress to improve wellness is to exercise and move more. Now I know that there are people out there that love the gym, and yes I did used to be one of those people, working out to some of my favourite tunes, was at one point, a part of my life, and if you can do that great, good for you, but if the idea of leggings, and sports bras fills you full of horror then that's fine too. Do something you enjoy, if that's riding a bike with the kids, doing yoga to a You Tube video, swimming lengths at the local pool, walking the dog in the park, or blasting out your favourite tunes, and counting your steps, and the calories your burning whilst pushing a vacuum around the house, and whatever you do you'll feel a huge sense of achievement, even if that's just ticking something off your to do list.

Keep A Gratitude Journal

For someone that loves stationary and buying stickers and notebooks as much as I do I'm pretty embarrassed to say that I've never ever tried journaling, scrapbooking yet but proper journalling? no!

One good way of dealing with life stresses and strains is to put something down on paper, in the olden days it would be just a diary or maybe if you're creatively inclined a poem but nowadays it's more likely to be a journal, filled with thoughts, dreams, colour and stickers. Journals can be a great way to maintain a positive mindset, and deal with stress. One idea is a gratitude journal , where you can keep your mind focused on everything that's good in your life, and everything that's going well for you - keeping on theme will give you less room to concentrate on the negative, and what's missing or going wrong in your life. Making a point at the end of every day to write a list of good things that have happened that day and things that your thankful for will end the day on a positive and happy note, and put you in good stead for the next day.

Get Enough Sleep & Rest

I've talked so many times on this blog about the importance of a good nights sleep and it really can't be overstated just how important it really is for both our physical and mental health. If you're well rested and you've had a good nights sleep, you feel so much brighter and ready to take on whatever the world throws at you. I know it can be a double edged sword and stress and anxiety can really affect your sleep but if you try and develop a good sleep routine, it really can make all of the difference. Investing in a good mattress and comfortable pillow can make all the difference, remember you spend or you should spend more time in bed than anywhere else so don't scrimp on comfort . Try and cut down on electronic use before you go to bed, try to avoid arguments and confrontation, and then either have a bath or shower, and then have a warm drink whilst you read or listen to something calming, or fill in your journal.

Different things work for different people, so it might take you a while to find that off switch, but whether it going to a fitness class, stroking a pet, having a long soak in the bath, building a lego set, or having a jog round the block, it's so important to switch off, and try and destress and if you can't then don't be frightened or embarrassed to get professional or medical help, life doesn't have to be that hard x 

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

Collaborative / Partnered Post - How To Feel More Beautiful And Improve Your Self Confidence In 2024*

Hey Guys, Welcome to my first post of 2024, so I guess I should start off by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. I really hope that it's a good one for all of us, and that this is the year when all of our dreams start to come true.

Whilst I'm not a huge believer in new years resolutions and putting unnecessary pressure on myself to achieve the impossible, I do always try to set myself a few achievable goals, and tasks that I would like to achieve not just over the next 12 months, but over the course of my life in general, and some of the biggies for this year, are to try and love myself a bit more, to care for myself a bit more, and to get a bit of self confidence and self belief back.

For as long as I can remember I've suffered from low levels of confidence. You name it I've felt it, from shyness, and anxiety to extreme self loathing - self confidence has always been an issue for me. The sad thing is that I'm not alone in that a lot of people struggle with low levels of confidence, but whilst I don't think the feeling ever completely goes away, there are a few things that you can try to boost your self esteem and feel better about yourself in 2024.

Dress Well

This sounds like such a simple one but it really can make all the difference. When your feeling rubbish about yourself it's all too tempting just to just dress down and to not really try, but the way you dress can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself and how others feel about you as well. I know it can be hard when your lacking confidence in your appearance to wear even your 'safest' outfit, but as I've said before spending time working out your own personal style, and finding clothes that fit you, and flatter you, can really make a difference, so grab the bull by the horns, own your look, and if you really want to give yourself a little self confidence boost take a little peek into your underwear drawer.

Whilst people generally won't see your underwear ;) it doesn't mean that you shouldn't use it  as a tool, to make yourself more confident, more put together and even a little bit bit sexier. Try out different types of womens briefs to see which ones you would feel confident and comfortable wearing, and get a properly fitted bra, buy yourself some cute matching sets, for that put together feel, and buy yourself fun pieces, that make you smile - even if no one ever sees it, and your just wearing something cute or matching under a comfy t-shirt and some leggings around the house, as long as you feel comfortable, and cute that's all that matters.

Therapy 

Okay, from something effective but frivolous, to something a bit more serious, therapy or counselling. It might not be the first thing you would consider when you're looking at issues with self confidence but issues with self esteem and self belief can often have quite deep rooted causes. In my case it's probably down to childhood bullying, and insecurities about my facial paralysis, but for you it could be down to past relationships, or different issues from childhood, What ever the reason talking to somebody can really help you deal with an issues that you may have, and help you move forward. A lot of people feel uncomfortable and ashamed for reaching out to a professional but this shouldn't be the case, and we really need to start breaking down that stigma, and getting the help that we need.

Posture 

This next one sounds a little strange, but it's something that I definitely need to work and that is posture.

To be honest this could be a goal in itself, but when you think about it your posture has a huge impact on your self confidence and on how you appear to others around you. If you have poor posture, and you're hunched over, trying to make yourself look small, then you’re going to look unsure of yourself and uneasy, and you're going to disappear into the crowd. People around you, especially those in the workplace or in a professional setting, will immediately assume that you don’t have confidence in what you are saying or what you are doing. This could not only have a negative impact on your professional life, but also in personal relationships. Posture is actually one of the easiest things to improve, there are loads of videos, exercises, and instructions online for you to try. Just throw in a few yoga or pilates sessions for the new year, and you could see some results in a couple of weeks.

Skin Treatment 

One of the key reasons people lack self confidence (holds my hands up!), is that they don't like what they see in the mirror, and to be honest that's a difficult one to remedy but even if you're not a fan of what you see, there are things that you can do and that you can control to help give your self confidence a boost. A big part of enhancing your natural beauty is looking after your skin. If your skin doesn’t look great and looks rough, or dull, or shiny, then it’s always going to impact how you feel about yourself. Fortunately in this day and age, a good skincare routine can make all the difference. For example, like so many of us if your skin in a bit drier at this time of year, then you might want to switch up your moisturising routine. As we get older, our skin finds it harder to retain moisture so our collagen depletes leaving our skin drier and slacker, adding in a serum or two, a facial oil or even a slightly heavier moisturiser could make all the difference, improving your skin tone and texture, and your self esteem at the same time.

So if you look in the mirror and your skin doesn't quite look how you want it too, visit a salon or a beauty counter, have a read of some blogs, or a look on social media, or in extreme cases see a dermatologist, and either switch up your current routine, or create a new skincare routine from scratch. I can't guarantee that you'll love your reflection but even as a worst case scenario, it will give you one less thing to dislike.

Improving your self confidence and self esteem won't happen overnight, but making the best of yourself, and tackling some of those underlying issues, can definitely play a part. I know it's hard but please remember you are a fabulous person, and you are as good as anyone else out there, you have as much right as anyone else to do what you like, wear what you, and to be heard and don't let anyone ever tell otherwise x Do you have any hints and tips for improving self confidence? If you do please let me know in the comments x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

When Life Gets In The Way - Family Illness, Covid, Mould, Guttering And A Poorly Cat*

I once made a pledge on this blog to stop apologising for disappearing, repetition and lack of posting, and whilst i guess this is a bit of an apology (what can I say I'm one of those people who always says sorry even when it's not my fault!), it's more of an update and explanation as to what's been going on in my life over the last month or so and why I've been neglecting the blog.

With several bereavements and my own health struggles, it's safe to say that I'd already ranked 2023 pretty highly on the shitty year index, but throw in what's been going on over the last couple of month and it's probably at the top of the pile!

If you follow me elsewhere on social media (updated links in the sidebar if you don't), then you'll know that my mam has been pretty poorly. She was admitted into hospital towards the end of July with the same old, same old, some sort of infection, that course through her body leaving her with a raging fever and unable to walk. They did the usual, blasted her with antibiotics only this time she suffered a reaction to one of them so they had to switch it and start again, after a couple of days she was heading in the right direction, and I was preparing to go in and see her and then everything went wrong.

As is common with especially elderly people she suffered a spell of infection related delirium and confusion. To say I wouldn't wish that 24 hours or so on anyone would be an understatement. She called me and various family members multiple times alternating between crying and ranting, from seeing things that weren't there, to having no idea of where she was, to refusing treatment and not letting the hospital staff touch her - it was horrible and utterly heartbreaking  I really can't thank the staff and University Hospital Of North Durham, and my family and friends enough, and of course everyone who replied to my Instagram stories on the day. I spoke to several nurses and one doctor over the course of the day and they assured me that once they got a handle on the infection she would improve, and thankfully that's what happened. I didn't speak to her again until the next lunch time and whilst she was still confused she had much more of a grip on reality, and was cooperating with staff again, and by the time I spoke to her again that night she was nearly back to normal, although completely mortified with how she'd behaved. 

Thankfully she continued to get better, well at least until she caught covid! They weren't 100% sure if that was the cause of the original infection or whether she caught it whilst she was in hospital but thankfully bar a hacking cough, distorted taste and smell, her oxygen levels remained good, and after 11 days in hospital she was allowed home. It took her another week to test negative, and about another 3 to get back up to speed but she's doing well, she's been given some more medication for bone strength, and the hospital have been in touch with social services to get some hand rails put up outside to help with her mobility and access to the drive, and the car.

Obviously this was a major mental screw up for me, it's bad enough having one relative in hospital at once but at my godmother was also admitted in the same week, and whilst she was released after a few days it was really tough for me. On that Sunday I really felt as though I'd lost my mum, to be scared to speak to her because at that moment in time she was as far away from her normal self as it was possible to be was terrifying - thankfully as I stay I had some support at the time but dealing with it afterwards in my own head has been tough and I'm not going to lie I've struggled - but as my mam says I'm a lot stronger than I think I am, and at last I think I'm beginning to realise that.

With my mum being poorly and getting some much needed rest, I've obviously had to step it up and take on all of the tasks that need to be done on a daily basis in order to keep a house running smoothly, so given that my physical and mental health sap so much of my energy as it is, I've pretty much been running on empty, but you know why not kick someone when there down!

For a little while I'm been smelling a sort of musty smell in my bedroom, sort of like damp, so eventually admitted defeat and investigated only to find a patch of mould on the wall - arghhhhhh! so everything to be moved to I could treat it and if you have any mould in your house be it on the walls, or bathroom tiles then you need to get this stuff from Amazon, it makes your house smell like a swimming pool but it was gone without any scrubbing or effort in less than an hour, and my shower tiles are now gleaming as well! We knew we had an issue with the guttering so we got someone out to have a look at it and it's much worse than we anticipated - it's leaked under the fascia and into the cavity wall, and the roof joists hence the patches of mould in various other rooms in the house - it never rains but it pours literally! Bye bye several grand grrrr!

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the title of this post also mentioned a poorly cat, well if all of that wasn't enough, Charlie developed some sort of infection in his gums, so after a few days of hiding, hissing, and not eating, a antibiotic jab, and a course of oral anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, and some special dental food, and a pretty little vet bill, he's thankfully eating and back to his fluffy self - phew!

So hopefully that explains my absence, I've been so mentally and physically drained that I just wasn't up to blogging, or doing pretty much anything else come to think about it, but (touches every bit of wood in the house and crosses my fingers very tightly!) hopefully the stars are realigning and things are returning to normal or whatever normal is, so I should be able to start getting a few more posts up, starting with an empties catch up later this week x 

Again a huge thank you to all of you who've contacted me on social media over the last month or so and thanks again for sticking with me x 

*This Post Contains An Affiliate And A Non Affiliate Link

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - May 2021 - Let The Sun Shine Edition And An Update*

Hi, and hello from illness city! Thankfully neither of us have had the old 'rona' again, but me and the mothership have had a 'fun' couple of weeks! Mummy Lou had to go on an unexpected trip to urgent care, and I'm now on antibiotics and a steroid nasal spray thank to the chest infection from hell! Thankfully we're both feeling a bit better (touch wood!), the antibiotics have a couple of nasty side effects so I'm currently having the odd spell of wondering if the cure is worse than the disease! but hopefully I'm getting there!

Whilst I've been coughing and spluttering, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the blog, and after a lot of thought Ive came to a few conclusions. Last year was a bit of a fail when it came to posting on the blog, they were sporadic at best, and despite honestly doing my best to keep on top of it, and to keep things up to date, when 2021 ended I was nowhere near where I wanted to be and to be honest it really stressed me out.

Up until that point despite my grumbles, I'd always found blogging to be a pretty positive thing for me, but in late 2021 all of that changed and I got to the point where it was affecting my mental health in a negative way. I felt like I was a failure and everything was just getting too much, so I had to take a step back and reassess. 

So what have I decided to do? Well after this post in some senses I'm going to start from scratch. This post is going to be the last Glossybox unboxing of 2021. I'm so far behind on them now that I think it's better to just to write it off and start afresh with my 2022 unboxings. I will of course try to show you as many of the products as I can in some future reviews and empties posts, but I really need to take a bit of pressure off myself at this moment in time, so I really hope you understand x 

So before we start afresh let's take one last look at Glossybox in 2021, with an unboxing and review of all of the products in the May 2021 edition.

May! My birthday month and I guess the official start of summer, and that was reflected in the bright, sunshine, holiday design of May's special edition box.

With a pale lemon base and a pale sea blue / turquoise and light yellow ombre lid with a gold foil embossed sun burst and the words "Let The Sun Shine" printed on it, the lining of the box used the same colour palette, with a yellow base and turquoise Glossybox logos, and a smattering of gold foil embossed sun bursts.

The bright sky blue and yellow colour palette also features inside the box with pale turquoise / blue tissue and paper shred, and a gorgeous pale yellow ribbon.

In case you haven't already realised the theme of May's box was of course "Let The Sun Shine" and according to the information leaflet the box contained make up products "as shimmery as the sun", and summer scented products to help "transport you to tropical lands".So did the box make me feel all summery and shimmery? well let's see...

MineTan Body. Skin Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel - 50ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £13.35

Now nothing screams summer like getting your tan on, and the first product in May's box was something from fake tanning specialists, MineTan, but it wasn't actually a fake tanning product! After trying their Exfoliating Coffee Scrub way back in 2020, May's box contained another one of their skin and body care type products, and this time it was an after sun.

This vegan friendly, paraben, palm oil, mineral oil and sulfate free after sun gel contains sustainably sourced aloe vera, a known anti inflammatory and skin soother, as well as niacinamide to reduce sun damage and the appearance of fine lines.

Packaged in a squeezy tube, this product is a translucent green gel with a runny, almost liquid texture. The scent isn't over powering and is quite fresh and green based, it might just be my nose but the smell reminded me a bit of washing up liquid!

I didn't get a lot of sun exposure last year but I did try this on my shoulder after a bit of mainly conservatory sun exposure, and I actually also used a little bit after a hair removal session! It was really easy to massage into the skin, and it absorbed pretty quickly, leaving my skin feeling cooler, refreshed, and calmer without any stinging. Compared to other aloe vera based after suns that I've used I also found it to be a lot less sticky, it did leave the skin a tiny bit tacky but that quickly subsided.

I don't think I managed to give this product a truly thorough test but it was pretty decent and I'll happily stick it in the fridge for some extra benefit and use it up this summer, providing that is that we get some sunshine x 

Glossybox placed a value of £13.35 on this 50ml deluxe mini size. I can't find this particular size online and I can only find the full 177ml / 6fl oz size online direct from MineTan where it rather surprising retails at £13.99

Ciate London Definer Liner Gel Eyeliner With Sharpener - Starburst - 1.10g - Full Size - RRP £18

Next, up the first of two make up items in this box and it's the first of the "shimmery as the sun" products, and unsurprisingly for Glossybox, it's another eyeliner!

In the twist up, gel liner style with a sharpener on the end, this eyeliner in the shade Starburst is quite correctly described as a metallic champagne gold. It quite firm but the liner has a smooth consistency despite the fact that there are a few quite evident tiny glitter particles present.

The eyeliner itself has quite a thin"lead' and a thin point so it's not too difficult, even for an eyeliner phobe like me to achieve a fairly precise line. Alas it didn't show up as much as much as I expected it to on my skin tone. I had to reapply it a few time to really get it to show up. The finish on me was a lot more subtle than what I'd hoped for but I can imagine that if you have a darker skin tone it might look a little bit more dramatic.

There was a tiny bit of glittery fallout and transfer but the wear time even my oily lids was excellent and it lasted most of the day without budging!

Although this finish of this liner wasn't as dramatic as I'd hoped, I actually really liked this liner. I generally prefer pencil, or gel pencil liners and this one was pretty forgiving and easy to apply, and I was really impressed with the wear time. It was definitely more subtle than I'd expected but it was still very pretty x 

The only place that I can find this eyeliner is direct from Ciate where it retails at £18.

Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks - 1 x Pair - 5g - RRP £6

Sticking with the eyes, from innovative skincare and now make brand Rodial, comes an eye mask from their popular Dragons Blood range.

Containing Dragon's Blood extract ( no Dragon's were harmed ;) it's from a tree ;), arnica extract and hyaluronic acid, these patches are specially designed to hydrate the eye area and to reduce puffiness. I normally love masks like this but alas these ones didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The sachet contained two thin under eye shaped gel like patches that were, at least as some point sandwiched between 2 fibre sheets. They were absolutely sopping wet and one of the patches had freed itself and was crumpled up at the bottom of the sachet. It was also really hard to get the remaining one off the backing and to straighten them out because they kept folding up and sticking to themselves.

Before 

Considering that they felt so sticky and tacky they didn't actually stay put on my under eye area that well, I actually ended up having to put my glasses on top to keep them in position.

They initially felt quite cooling on the eyes but unlike some of the previous gel like under eye patches I've tried, the coolness disappeared within a few minutes of wearing them. 

On Application

The instructions advised to leave them on for between 20 to 30 minutes but I just about made it to 20 before they came loose and gave up hope! Despite the amount of liquid in the sachet, there was nothing left on my eyes to massage in when I removed the masks.

My eye area did feel a little bit fresher and awake and maybe did look a little less puffy and more hydrated, but on the whole I didn't really notice that much of a difference.

After

I keep looking back and trying to see if I did anything wrong with these masks, but other than maybe putting them in the fridge to firm up a bit, I can't really see what I could have done wrong. I just found them really awkward to use, and texture wise they were just too thin and flimsy to justify a repurchase.

Now the funny thing is that these masks now seem to be really hard to fine, so whether or not they've been discontinued, or reformulated and replaced by the Rodial Dragon's Blood Jelly Eye Patches that have slightly different ingredients, I really don't know, but for the price I'd try something else. The only place that I can now find these particular ones is Look Fantastic, when a single pair sachet retails at £6.

Kueshi Lemon Shower Gel - 200ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £5.70

As well as shimmer the information leaflet talked about the scents of summer, and whilst this shower gel doesn't really make you think of truly tropical beaches, it certainly makes you think of sipping a cool glass of limoncello in the sunshine.

From Spanish vegan and natural beauty brand Kueshi, this revitalising shower gel contains lemon extract, chamomile, and aloe vera. Designed to clean and protect the skin, this shower gel is a slightly cloudy, pale yellow in appearance and it has quite a runny texture.

Initially you get quite a subtle, sweet citrus, lemon hit, but when you add water you get much more of a generic fruit scent. I would definitely describe it as a sweet lemon smell rather than some of the more  in your face citrus burst scents that you often get with lemon based shower products.

Performance wise a little went a long way, and it produced a nice creamy lather that left the skin feeling clean with leaving it feeling dry or tight.

Again another nice product from Kueshi but again the same problem - it's nigh on impossible to find this brand in the UK. Glossybox place a value of £5.70 on this particular product, but if you fancy trying it for yourself the secondary market such as eBay might be your best bet.

Lottie London Power Foil - Golden Hour - 2g - Full Size - RRP £6.95

Finally we make a welcome return to shimmer and boy do I mean shimmer, this product has some serious sparkle and shine to it From cruelty free and vegan British based brand Lottie London comes one of the most impressive individual eyeshadow or pigments that I've used in a very long time, but here's a warning - it's going to get messy!

If you love the look of a real metallic, foil effect eye, then the Lottie London Power Foils should be right at the top of your shopping list.

These shadows come in a glass pot, carefully unscrew the lid, and inside the pot there is a small plastic lid, slightly smaller than the inside of the pot, which I assume is designed to keep the product in place, it doesn't 100% but I think it would be a lot messier without it.

Lift it up, and you're greeted with a soft textured, slightly clumpy pigment powder. I don't know if it's my imagination but it almost feels damp to the touch, and almost creamy. The shade that I received was Golden Hour - officially described as gold in real life it's probably more of an old gold, or a golden bronze.

As you can see from just this swatch the pigmentation and the metallic foil finish is unbelievable. You can apply it with a brush for a bit more of a subtle look but for me this product isn't really for that - it's for making a real impression, so use your fingers and get messy!

I found that the best way to use this product in order to achieve that full on foiled finish was to pat it on to my eyelids with my fingertips. No you can't be precise and be prepared for fall out and clean up city, but the finish is just so worth it, and my quick application and photos will never ever do it justice.

You only need a teeny tiny amount for a full coverage finish that lasted me nearly all day with just a little of fading and creasing. Obviously as time progressed I did experience a bit more fallout but if you're going to go all out then who cares about a bit of excess shimmer and sparkle on the rest of your face!

As I say if you didn't want to go all out then you could apply it with a small brush, or if you wanted to be even more precise then you could even mix the pigment with water, mixing medium or even setting spray and paint it on for a less messy wash of colour.

Is this product messy? Yes it is but the finish is so worth it, I don't care about the fallout and cleaning a bit of excess off the bathroom cabinets and mirrors, I love the metallic finish and I'm only sad the Lottie London don't do a silver or gunmetal shade.

This full size 2g pot has a recommended retail price of around £6.95 and is available in 3 shades direct from Lottie London as well as from Look Fantastic, ASOS, Feel Unique and HQ Hair.

So that was my very long awaited review of the products inside the May 2021 edition of Glossybox. I loved the sunshine box design and bar the Rodial mask, I was really pleased with the products in side of it. A special shout out obviously goes to the Lottie London foil, but I was also really impressed believe it or not with an eyeliner, well done Ciate! All in all not a bad box and I discovered a couple of gems. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this box so please leave me a comment below x 

As I say this will be the last 2021 Glossybox post that you're going to see from me but I will be starting afresh in a couple of weeks with my thoughts on the January 2022 edition (It didn't arrive till the middle of the month so I'm still trying things out x). In the meantime if you'd like to try Glossybox for yourself then please use my link to sign up, I'd really appreciate it x 

Thanks again for your patience, and for reading and I'll see you soon with an empties post and a couple of lifestyle and beauty reviews xx

*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links.