Seasonal Organising Tips + Ideas

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Organising my personal space and possessions is one of the most anxiety reducing tasks I can do so naturally during the past few months, I've been sorting through older blog posts, re-organising my books, wading through my plethora of half-used products to try and finish them and sorting through my beauty collection, wardrobe and accessories. I personally find that having a tidy and organised home, especially as I work from home, is essential for me to have a clearer, organised and more productive mind. Today's post features some of my tips and ideas for organising your home!

Organise Seasonal Items

St the start of every season I like to go through my beauty, skincare, clothing, desk drawers and bathroom cabinets to not only bring out my more seasonal items to use but also to cull the items I'm not enjoying (I either find another use for them, pass them on or throw them away - recycling when I can) and to better organise for the new season ahead. For example, winter clothing is packed away in boxes above my wardrobe, winter appropriate skincare and cosmetic shades are added to another drawer rather than my daily rotation and seasonal items I want to use again are brought out. I think having a seasonal cull and organising your home (or just that one perpetually messy room everyone seems to have) is a great way of keeping account of the items you own and to re-organise your storage more efficiently. 

Space Saving Storage Ideas

If you have a small apartment or a limited amount of storage, you need to make the most of the space you have! For example, storage under the bed, stacked storage boxes, wall hanging organisation, fitted wardrobes, wall shelves, mirrored cabinets and trolleys are just a few options to consider. Utilise spaces that are usually forgotten (such as under desks or above cabinets) and search online for stackable storage boxes to better use the current space you have. I highly recommend the stackable drawers from Muji which I've used for years. I've also found invisible wall shelves a handy storage idea for my excess books and storage boxes within larger drawers is an easy way to organise the drawer more efficiently for the space you have. 

Self Storage Solutions 

Another option to choose if you have a number of larger items or more than your home can comfortably contain are self storage solutions near you. Now Storage Swindon is an option to consider, along with their other self storage solution facilities throughout the country. Head over to their website to get an instant quote online and to find out more about their storage options, all of which are secure with 24/7 CCTV and offer flexible access to your storage. I think self storage options would be a great option not only for those in the process of moving house or for small business needs but also if you don't have the storage in your own home for excess items or larger objects. We currently have an attic absolutely full of items to sell and donate so a self storage unit would be great for us!

Have you tried any of these ideas or have you tried self storage near you? Do you have any organising or de-cluttering tips? 

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Talking Tropics: Bringing Holiday Inspired Interiors into Your Home

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2020 has almost certainly taken a strange turn, with many of us confounded to our homes more than ever before. With the majority of holidays to far flung destinations cancelled or rescheduled, it’s looking like this year’s summer holidays will have to be spent in sunny old England, which I have to be honest, isn’t quite the destination I had in mind. 

Despite the somewhat questionable weather, looking to our home interiors to inspire that all-important holiday feel is a great way to bring the tropics to us. And whilst sitting in your living room isn’t quite the same as sipping a rum cocktail in Cuba, injecting some sunshine into the space in the form of tropical-themed interiors is a great way to bring our holidays home to us!

A new, modern take on tropical interiors is having a real moment in the world of interior design right now, with trendy styles popping up in many a home renovation Insta-post. If you’ve browsed the likes of Pinterest and Instagram for some serious home-inspo over the past few months, you’ll have no doubt seen an abundance of beautiful nature-themed room sets, with everything from muted nude and green colour palettes to macramé and rattan all proving particularly popular. I recently wrote about how ironmongery can really change the overall aesthetic of a room, and the tropics trend is no different.

I for one absolutely love this new take on the trend, it adds a sense of relaxation to a space without being overtly “themed” and is super easy to achieve in your own home with just a few simple steps.

Image from Pinterest

Palm Print 

Prints are always a big trend, but palm print is particularly hot right now. With celeb fans such as the likes of Stacey Solomon, it’s no surprise that so many home furnishings retailers are jumping on the palm wagon. The ultimate in tropical-style, the addition of a palm print roman blind in this simple bathroom takes the entire space from drab to fab in a matter of moments. Add a potted plant or two and you’re good to go!

Natural Fibres 

The likes of rattan, bamboo and wicker furniture and accessories are also huge, you only need to step into Primark home to find that out! Natural fibres are a huge trend, not only because going back to nature is more supportive of the environment, but because fibres that have not been dyed go seriously well with a muted colour palette. If you’re not wanting to invest in a whole new set of furniture, the addition of natural storage baskets or planters is a great way to bring that tropical vibe home.

Cacti and Palms 

Adding greenery to your home has long been a great way to bring life, and literal oxygen, into your space. Most holidays are synonymous with the great outdoors, tropical plants and palms galore so it makes sense that by incorporating such things into your own home will help create those all-important destination vibes. There’s a particularly beautiful hotel in Mexico, the Copal Tulum Hotel, which nails this trend in each of their uber modern yet tropical guest rooms. Take inspo from the muted colour palettes and greenery for a cool take in your own home.

Macramé 

Though it reached peak popularity way back in the 70s, macramé is making a huge comeback and is one trend that literally screams tropical holiday. The new macramé trend has a modern and rejuvenated feel, with wall hangings and hanging planters proving particularly popular.

Pampas Grass 

A huge trend that’s popped up this year, the rise in pampas grass as a home interiors decoration is hard to miss. Pampas grass has become particularly popular thanks to its neutral colour palette and long shelf-life, most pampas is dried so will stand the test of time (and doesn’t require watering – a bonus in my book!). Originating in South America, the plant screams boho chic, simply pop some pampas grass into a wicker vase and you’re transported to a far flung destination in a matter of moments.

Do you have any tips to bring holiday inspired trends and vibes into your home? 

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New In: Vegan Haircare from Shrub

Throughout lockdown I've been trying to not only use up as many products as I can (I have far too many samples and half-used products) but I've also been trying a few new items. The new haircare brand I've tried is Shrub which is a more ethical and vegan brand that doesn't contain liquid plastics and the ingredients are all sourced from local British farms. One of my goals for 2020 was to make more ethical and environmentally friendly choices so I think this brand is perfect to help tick off that goal for me, in terms of haircare. 

*Shrub Prepare & Protect Hair Primer (£9.99, 200ml)

I'll start with the hair primer which is a product I haven't ever tried before! It contains lots of plant based ingredients such as nettle, elderflower and willow extracts; all of the products I've tried have a lovely subtle 'green' scent. The primer can be used on wet or dry hair to smooth the hair, make it shine and help with manageability. 

I don't tend to use too many products on my hair, apart from hair masks and treatments but the look of all the Shrub products has made me want to use more haircare - I love the packaging design! I like this hair primer, on wet hair or dry hair, although it seems to work best on wet hair. It leaves my hair smoother, softer and a little more manageable, in terms of tangles and frizz. 

*Shrub Detangling Spray (£9.99)

My favourite product from the three I've tried is a tie between The Wonder Oil and the Detangling Spray. My hair is naturally wavy, dry at the ends with occasionally greasy roots and more often than not, frizz and tangles. Therefore I'm always looking for items to help not only with oily roots but frizz and awful tangles so I was excited to try these last two products. 

The detangling spray has a pleasant scent, it doesn't weight my hair down or make it greasy, it is very easy to use and it does help to detangle my hair, particularly when combined with The Wet Brush - no more painful hair brushing! If you also have dry and tangled hair then I'd definitely recommend trying out this detangling spray. 

*Shrub The Wonder Oil (£14.99)

Last but not least is the hair oil from the range which is the item I've been using the most, closely followed by the detangling spray. One of the suggested uses of the oil, on the box, was to apply it to the scalp to help soothe a dry, flakey scalp which is a hair issue I struggle with. I have been applying a few drops of the hail oil onto my palms then distributing it onto my scalp on the morning before I wash my hair so the product has a few hours to moisturise the skin. I'm happy with the oil, both when used on the scalp to reduce dryness and on the ends to tame frizz. If you're looking for a vegan, cruelty free hair oil, I'd recommend this lovely option from Shrub. 

Have you tried anything from Shrub? 

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FFS Rebranding + Review

Back in April I created a post all about the subscription boxes I recommend to help you get through lockdown and within it, I included my Friction Free Shaving kit that I was very kindly sent but now they've rebranded and I love the new designs! I was sent a kit including their natural deodorant, all of which came in their new rebranded packaging. 

*FFS Kit (from £9)

The basic kit you can buy starts from £9 which includes the rose gold handle as well as a set of four blades. The blade heads feature a diamond coating and a soothing vitamin E strip to reduce irritation and time spent shaving. The rose gold handle can be re-used which is much better for the environment and saves plastic waste being added to landfill - yes to making more environmentally friendly choices! 

I've been using my razor along with the accompanying blades on and off since April and I love this razor. Since my teens I've been using plastic disposable razors which always left me with razor burn and cuts; however I did start using a single bladed razor at the end of 2019 which is far better than the disposable plastic options, in terms of the environmental impact and performance. As much as I love the single bladed razor, I do have to use a shave gel with it, it's a little more time consuming and I think it can be a little nerve wracking to use, if you aren't used to it. 

So the FFS razor with it's very effective, super sharp blades and moisturising strips is a fantastic balance between the two as it has the speed and efficiency of the single bladed razor (or safety razor) but it also has the familiarly, ease of use and convenience of a plastic razor. I find that I do still get razor burn and ingrown hairs with this razor but definitely not as much compared to other razors I've tried in the over ten years I've been using razors. 

*FFS Natural Deodorant (£5)

In addition to the basic kit, you can choose optional extras to add your your kit such as wax strips (£3), shave cream (£6), shave scrub (£6), post-shave balm (£6), an additional rose gold handle (£6) or one of their three natural deodorants. I have been using the rosemary and bergamot scented deodorant for a few months now and I love it! I was kindly sent the tea tree and orange scent this time around and while I do love the scent, I think I refer the rosemary and bergamot option more. 

Overall, I think that the FFS shaving kit is a fantastic opinion not just in terms of how effective, convenient and easy it is to use but it is cruelty free, the blades are recyclable and the handle can be re-used so it's far better for the environment. While I loved the original packaging, I also love the new rebrand and I cannot recommend FFS products enough!

Have you tried anything from FFS? Are you trying to make more environmentally friendly choices in 2020?

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Lockdown Empties

Lockdown has been difficult in many ways but for me, there have been a couple of positives including having more time for relaxing, reading and pampering which has been necessary for stopping my anxiety from taking over! So during lockdown I decided to try and read as much as I can and use up some of the plethora of face masks, hair masks, bath bombs, samples and the many half-used products I have. 

Thankfully I was able to use up a lot of products that I'd half finished as well as samples; some of the products were surprising favourites and others were more than a little disappointing unfortunately. When I first started my blog, I used to write regular empties posts as I think they're much more valuable and thorough compared to mini reviews or initial impressions. I will be posting a summer empties post at the end of September and I might make it a seasonal series! 

Skincare 

I'll begin with the category I have the most empties from and that's skincare! I didn't realise how many skincare products I'd used up until I started gathering them together to photograph all of my empties. From May to April I used up five face masks, one face mist, one moisturiser and two serums, although I think I did throw away a few products before I started collecting my empties at the end of May. 

I won't go through all of my skincare empties individually but my favourite products have include: the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (a gorgeous gentle moisturiser), First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads (instantly smooth and exfoliated skin in a tub) and the Shangpree Aroma Blend Calming Mask (a heavenly Korean sheet mask). I will be buying all of three items in the future as my skin adored them all! 

I also used up a few sample sizes from Glamglow and Kiehls which were part of a limited edition box from Latest In Beauty: the Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask (which my currently blemish prone and congested skin loved) and the Glamglow BerryGlow Mask (which was ideal for helping my skin look a little less...awful due to the stress of lockdown). If you're looking for a great value for money beauty box then I cannot recommend the Latest In Beauty boxes enough. 

Last but not least I wanted to mention the Beauty Laundrette Sheet Mask which was a great post-sun skincare treat to add hydration and soothe the skin. During lockdown I've been using up not only my half-finished products but the mountain of sheet masks I have too and this mask was one of my favourites. I've finally jumped onto the sheet mask bandwagon and I'm not getting off. 

Bath & Body 

I was surprised by how few body products I'd used up in during lockdown as I only have two! First up, the gorgeous Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Scrub which has to be one of the most effective and heavenly scented body scrubs I've ever used. I'm a huge fan of Molton Brown products and I've loved every single one but this body scrub is at the top of the list so far. The second and final body product was the FFS Post-Shave Balm which I loved to soothe and hydrate my skin after shaving. 

Lush Empties

Within April I started to have pampering Sundays as I've been feeling quite anxious and it was also an opportunity to use the Lush bath bombs I needed to use up before they were too old. The first bath bomb I finished was one of my favourites, Twilight, as it smells absolutely heavenly! I also used up Intergalactic which I used to love but now I can't stand bath bombs that contains tonnes of glitter as it just means more cleaning up afterwards. 

My final bath bomb is by far the worst Lush bath bomb I've ever used and others might agree with me as it doesn't seem to be on the website anymore. What is this bath bomb I hear you frustratingly ask? It was the Lush Dark Arts Jelly Bomb. It was my first jelly bomb and I think it's safe to say that the concept of jelly bombs kind of...bombed as there's only one on the website. I do still have the Snow Fairy Jelly Bomb to use but sadly I don't have high hopes for it now. 

As well as bath bombs I also used up my Lush Olive Branch Naked Shower Gel which has quickly become one of my favourite products from Lush as it not only smells lovely but it lathers well, leaves my skin feeling moisturised and it doubles up as a shaving cream too. I will definitely be buying another naked shower gel from Lush as soon as I can. 

Haircare 

The next category is haircare and I'm not surprised that I only have three items as I tend to be quite fickle with my haircare products and it usually takes me a while to finish products, especially full sized items. My favourite haircare product from lockdown was the Schwarzkopf Color Expert Dye in Dark Brown which is another item I received as part of a Latest In Beauty box - I told you they were fantastic boxes! The dye was one of the easiest, quickest and fuss-free dyes I've ever used and the grey coverage was great. 

I also used up two mini hair masks recently and my favourite of the two was the Living Proof Restore Mask which was a fantastic, effective and deeply nourishing hair mask that my tangle-prone and dry hair seemed to love. Sadly I didn't quite love the Wella Nutri-Enrich Mask as it was just quite average, in my opinion. 

Home Fragrance

Home fragrance, whether in the form of candles and wax melts or room sprays, are some of my favourite items to buy and use as I love a clean and fresh smelling home. I used up the lovely Feather and Down Candle during lockdown and while I loved the scent, it wasn't as strong as I would have liked it to be unfortunately. 

Thankfully I have more than a few room sprays that were very strong including the: Puressential Rest & Relax Spray (one of the strongest room spray I've used), the wonderful Feather and Down Pillow Mist (which I spray at every opportunity) and the Mio Liquid Yoga Spray (a relaxing room spray). I would highly recommend both the Feather and Down as well as the Puressential sprays!

Makeup 

Lastly, the makeup items and I have not one, not two but three brow pencils within my lockdown empties stash! I didn't know that I used up brow pencils so frequently but I do fill in my brows almost everyday so I think I'm quite the brow pencil expert by now! I think all three brow pencils are fantastic and I've bought them multiple times over the past year or so and I'd recommend them all. 

The Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Pencil is ideal for those just starting out using brow pencils or those who want a subtle, natural effect. The Barry M Brow Wand is pretty much the opposite as it's fantastic for very bold, thick and unruly brows. Lastly the Maybelline Brow Precise is a great balance between the previous two as it can be built up for dark, bold brows but it can also be brushed out for more natural but precise brows too. 

The final makeup item I finished during lockdown is the Kat Von D Go Big Or Go Home Mascara which is a mascara I've raved about on my blog previously (it was yet again an item I've loved from a Latest In Beauty box). I have started to get into the habit of throwing away makeup when it is quite old which I think is a good habit to get into and something I should have been doing years ago...oops. 

Have you tried any of these products? What have you used up during lockdown? 

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June Beauty Favourites 2020

I've starting loving writing my monthly or bi-monthly favourites posts as well as a lockdown empties post (that's coming soon) so today's post is a short and sweet review of some of my favourite products from the month of June. I could have included many more products but you'll hear about some of them in my lockdown empties posts and my very long overdue winter and spring favourites post. I hope you all like reading about favourite products, empties and mini reviews as there are quite a few coming soon on my blog. You can always get a sneak peek of what I'm using, loving and receiving on my Instagram stories (@ofbeautyand). 

*Bubble T Cosmetics Hand Cleansing Gels (£2.50 each, 50ml)

I am very lucky to receive lots of lovely products from the amazing people over at Bubble T Cosmetics and I recently received their new hand sanitisers in the post. I have four of the six that are available including: gin and tonic, lemon, pina colada and mango, all of which have the cutest packaging design. The Bubble T Cosmetics hand sanitisers contain 70% alcohol with a fruity scent. As with their other products, the sanitisers are cruelty free which is fantastic!

I've been using the gin and tonic option the most as they are perfect sizes to keep in my handbag or the car and they have a pleasant scent unlike some of the other hand sanitisers we've been using during lockdown. Over the past couple of weeks I have developed little eczema again on my fingers (maybe due to stress) but thankfully it isn't too bad and if I avoid using the sanitiser on those tiny areas then I have no irritation. I think they're fantastic little hand sanitisers that I definitely prefer them over all of the others I've used since lockdown began. 

*COSRX Clear Fit Master Patch (£4.80)

As well as a little eczema on my fingers, I've also been having trouble with my skin as I've now developed a few areas of many spots and redness on my cheeks which have annoyingly been a constant on my face for the past couple of months. I've never really experienced spots or blemishes before (probably because I had eczema over half of my face for more than ten years until January 2019) so I haven't known what to use. Thankfully I was very kindly sent a couple of spot and acne patches from the Korean brand COSRX which as far as I know is cruelty free and vegan friendly!

The Clear Fit Master Patch set comes with 18 small patches that are a great size for smaller or individual spots. They are 'invisible' and absorb impurities as well as oil throughout the day. The patches also provide a barrier against external irritants as well as makeup. I find that they are relatively 'invisible' and not very noticeable from a distance but they become apparent if you look closer or from a certain angle. I've been loving using these little patches and after keeping a couple of patches on my spots overnight, I do notice that they are flatter in the morning. 

*COSRX AC Collection Acne Patch (£7) 

As much as I love using the previous patches from COSRX, my favourite set of the two has to be the acne patches. I don't think that the collection of persistent spots I have is acne but these patches have been the most effective out of the two sets for my skin. The patches act as a protective barrier, they absorb oil and impurities and they are formulated with Centella Asiatica extract which is a well known medicinal plant that is used to treat small wounds, burns and psoriasis. 

The set comes with 26 patches in small, medium and large sizes and they are much more noticeable compared to the others so I've only been wearing them overnight or in the evening. I've been using the largest patches to cover a larger area of spots and my skin is significantly better the next day although I find that I have to use them consistently to get the benefits. If you're looking for effective spot patches from a cruelty free and vegan friendly brand then I cannot recommend these from COSRX enough. 

*Estrid Starter Kit (£7.95)

Last but not least is my current razor and holder from Estrid that I've previously reviewed on my blog so check out that post for more in-depth information about the kit. The razor and wall mounted holder from Estrid is just so convenient, from the super handy holder to the comfortable handle and the lovely moisturising strips, it's one of the most convenient, easy and fuss free razors I've ever used. I get a very clean and close shave each time without having to use shave gels. What could make the razor even better? It is vegan friendly, what more could you ask for! 

Have you tried any of these products? What items have you been loving throughout the month of June? 

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