In Retrospect | May 2017

It's been a funny old month, hasn't it, May? The last couple of weeks have been very quiet here and even over on social media - there's just been so much going on, and I haven't had the time, energy or inclination to sit down to blog, schedule tweets or even open my laptop at all some days. I've also been struggling with a major lack of inspiration for this little space, with no idea what to write even when I have felt motivated to sit down and write something... I'm sure we all know the frustration! I'm hoping that getting my monthly review post written and posted will help?! Any tips to overcome writer's block gratefully accepted...

May Empties.

I didn't think I'd done very well with the empties this month until I came to take these photos and actually there were loads more than I thought there was going to be - I think I finished a few early on in the month that I'd forgotten about!

Will Repurchase: Swimovate PoolMate Swimmers' Shampoo | This smells lovely and coconutty, and works well to stop the chlorine in the pool damaging my hair now I'm swimming twice a week again. Winner. // Ojon Damage Reversing Thickening Spray | This smells gorgeous (you know those foamy banana sweets? Like those) and leaves my hair feeling soft, and with a bit more volume. Love it! // Kind Natured Coconut & Monoi Foaming Sugar Scrub | I cannot overstate how much I love this stuff! It smells incredible and works so well to exfoliate my arms and legs. I already have a couple more tubes... // Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant | I don't think we need to talk about how this is my favourite deodorant, I say it every time I finish one! I don't buy anything else now. // Super Facialist by Una Brennan Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Purifying Cleansing Wash | Longest product name ever but also my favourite face wash ever, it works so well to balance my oily skin and keep blemishes at bay. I adore it.

Might Repurchase: Green People Scent-Free Shampoo* | This is a bit more than I would usually spend on shampoo, but I might buy it again if my eczema was having a particularly bad flare-up. // Garnier Matcha & Kaolin Purifying Face Mask | I'm not sure whether this did much for my skin but it was nice to use and, at £1 a sachet, there's a good chance I'll give it another go at some point! It was also a pleasing shade of bright green which is always a winner for me. // T-Zone Charcoal Nose Pore Strips* | I've not used any nose pore strips in ages but I was sent these recently and have been reminded how satisfying they are!

Won't Repurchase: Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Brush Gel | I wanted to like this but I just felt it was over-priced and not that effective. I'll be sticking to my antibacterial handwash from now on, I think! // Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion | I didn't dislike this but I didn't feel like it was anything special, and for upwards of £20 I'm definitely wanting special. It was nice to try it but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again. // Natural World Argan Oil Hair Mask | Again, I didn't dislike this per se, but having used their Macadamia mask as well, I much prefer that one and, given the choice, would choose it over the Argan Oil one. // The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream | Another one - it's nice but not nice enough for me to justify the price tag.

May Samples.

I feel like it was a bit of a poor effort on my part this month, but two samples is better than no samples, right? Right?! In my defence, I've been working through the samples pretty solidly, so my options are dwindling... 

Manuka Doctor ApiRefine Targeted Wrinkle Filler with Purified Bee Venom | I didn't really feel like this did much, although maybe I'd need to use it for more than a week or so to notice the effects? It's good in theory but seems quite expensive for a product I'm not even sure I like... | £14.99/15ml here // Origins Out Of Trouble 10 Minute Mask | I finished a full tube of this a while back and actually really missed having it in my stash; this sample reminded me how fab it is, and I've since repurhcased a full-size tube. It works so well to calm down my skin, reducing redness and the size of any active blemishes. | £25/100ml here.

May Goals.

• Finish reading two books. Proud to say I smashed this one and am actually halfway through my third book of the month, which means I'm actually ahead of target for my goal of twelve books this year - whoop! I think this has largely been a side-effect of not blogging as much - I've found myself reaching for my book in the evenings rather than turning on my laptop, which has been nice.
• See friends at least twice. Well, two of my friends had a little housewarming do in Sheffield, which was lovely, and I met a friend from Uni for a cheeky Nando's a classy and sophisticated lunch whilst I was there. I also squeezed in a fire on the beach one evening after work with a couple of friends, and a celebratory night at the pub.
• Get sweet treats back to "treats" rather than daily snacks". I've not done very well here... Whoops! I just have a major sweet tooth and I'm not very good at limiting myself... I'm going to give this another go in June and hopefully do a bit better.
• Get out on my bike at least once a week. May has been a beautiful month for the most part, which has made it pretty easy to get out on my bike for an hour or so in the evenings after work. I've started using Strava recently and I have to say, it's pretty addictive tracking my rides and seeing my times improve!
• Get a place on the Clinical Psychology doctorate programme. I didn't think my interview had gone very well but obviously it wasn't as bad as I thought as, amazingly enough, I've been offered a place to start in September! I'm honestly thrilled and can't wait to get started; my contract at my current job runs until the end of July so it's looking like I'm going to have August off before starting in September on the course. I'm so excited!!!
So that leaves me on four out of five in May - I'll take that! Considering how much has been going on, I think I did pretty well.

May Loves.

I haven't been reading a lot of blogs, either, through May, but I did love Roxie's post on Tarte's gorgeous Maneater collection; the leopard-print packaging basically makes it my ideal collection and I love the look of the palette. Dorota's post on skincare for glowing skin was an interesting read and certainly gave me a few ideas for products to try when I get chance! First on my list will be The Ordinary's AHA/BHA Peeling Solution which sounds pretty incredible.
Here on The Indigo Hours, I shared my picks in building my own custom eyeshadow palette with Essence Cosmetics, and some thoughts on the eczema-friendly Scent-Free range of beauty products by Green People, so do check those out if you missed them!

May In Summary.

I feel like I can't finish this post without mentioning the horrendous events in Manchester towards the end of this month; as a North-West girl through and through, it's been heartbreaking seeing events unfold and hearing about the beautiful people we've lost because of one person's incomprehensible actions. Manchester has done us proud in its response, though, and I think it's safe to say it'll take a lot more than that to keep the Mancs down. My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones and I hope they are able to find some solace in the love and support that have been so forthcoming in the days since the attack.

xo
[*Product provided for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.]
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