SKINCARE Favorites 2020 - What to do when our skin is stressed out?

This year had been a heck of a ride - from getting my PayPal hacked to receiving spoof/phishing emails, getting impersonated online, dealing with Instagram/social media scammers and finally an enforcement notice from Adsense! I guess I have seen all kinds of stress that a blogger can imagine! Oh yes and the pandemic we are all living in, is an all encompassing stressor which has exposed how misinformation, fear and panic affects our society and changes consumer behaviour across the globe. Until last year, I was keen on recycling and questioned every bit of plastic or non-paper packaging for my beauty products but this year disposables were on my mind. Using alcohol sanitizers, when I always use non alcoholic ones (yes that is a thing, in case you are wondering :D) and what the heck is the difference between the microorganisms they can kill?! 

In all this uncertainty and anxiety my skin suffered the most. I would workout on most days, go for a run, talk to my friends and family and above all, sanitize everything with wipes and disinfectant sprays often exposing my hands and face to irritants and abrasive chemicals. I also washed myself everyday - because COVID misinformation was/is real! After returning home from groceries, dental appointment, workout routine or even after just a walk around the neighbourhood, I felt the need to shower with an aim for removing any germs that might have been caught in my pores, my hair or anywhere on my body!!! 

My skin suffered this abuse and it did not like it - it reacted! This post is about all the skincare products, I used throughout 2020 and how my skin went through phases of healing, irritation, pores to being poreless and finally at a happy place. 

Burt's Bees Hand Salve Review #WinterCare

I suffer from eczema on my hands and nape which gets worse in winter time. Though I try my best to manage it appropriately, like drinking lots of water, staying stress-free (hahaha) and keeping my hands covered in gloves with petroleum jelly on, but the truth is I hardly excel at achieving any of that on a regular basis. Firstly, I hate petroleum jelly and gloves. I would do anything to avoid wearing gloves. I despise it; maybe because it makes me feel unable to feel and touch.. 

Anyways, since last year I discovered the Burt's Bees Hand Salve and it changed my life. I no longer suffer from red blisters, or cuts on my knuckles and my hands feel so moisturized even in this extremely dry weather.

More on this in today's blog

THE BODY SHOP 25 Days of the Enchanted Deluxe Advent Calendar Review - What's inside and Photos

The Body Shop has released the ultimate advent calendar any beauty lover would love to receive! And the best part is that each item in this advent calendar is individually packaged in a beautiful box with a message to help us reconnect with nature. It's like opening a new present each day, which is what the holidays are all about - presents and sparkles!

I love gifts that I can actually use and enjoy and this advent calendar is full with deliciously fragrant beauty products, ranging from makeup to skincare to bodycare; there is something for everyone. 

Full details on what's inside and more in today's blog!

L'OCCITANE Lavender Foaming Bath Review

L'occitane's body care products are my all time favorite and they are in a constant rotation all year round. My favorite is their Shea Butter products because they work beautifully for my dry skin. I love baths and you might have already seen this Lavender Foaming Bath a million times on my Instagram and that's purely because I love it so much. 

Every time I soak in with the L'occitane Lavender Foaming Bath I feel so relaxed - its creamy bubbles not just cleanse but also hydrate my skin which feels very soft after a bath. Love the heavenly lavender scent which is actually a lot better than my garden lavender or any of the essential oils I own. I always keep dried lavender flowers in my bath because of its calming effects on me and also a lavender essential oil roll-on that I rub on my wrist before bed. This is the perfect bath before bed, or just about anytime of the day when I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Working from home really does take its toll on me and its the little things like this that makes it a bit more bearable. 

L'OCCITANE MELTING BUTTER in Shea Butter and Wonderful Jasmine Review

These melting butters are sent from heavens!!

They nourish my winter skin like nothing I have ever used before. I love the L'occitane Intensive Hand Balm which contains 25% shea butter and I still use that everyday but the new Melting Butters are much more nourishing and they work wonderfully on hands, knees, heels and anywhere else, I want to protect and soften skin. I have seen a noticeable improvement on my cuticles and heels, which otherwise were cracked no matter what I applied or how much I exfoliated! 

I love the scent in L'occitane's Shea Butter and absolutely enjoy the new Jasmine scent. These body butters look like a whipped cream in the jar that literally melts on skin and when massaged for a little while, it absorbs completely!! 

More on this very important winter beauty essential in today's blog...

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Body Butter Review

The Bee Lovely Body Butter from Neal's Yard Remedies is not only an essential for nourishing dry skin, it also instills a feeling of hyyge. The coziness from the scent of honey and orange and the warmth of massaging it all over is so relaxing and an experience I truly enjoy. Its the little pleasures of life that satiate us, makes us happier and that feeling amplifies when this product helps in saving the bees.
I love that I need just a small amount of body butter to cover my arms or legs after a bath. And that soothing warm scent of honey and oranges is just what I seek on these cold autumn days.
Bee Lovely Body Butter is made with organic honey and orange oil and is free from mineral oils, synthetic fragrances or colors.
More on this in today's review...

Smoother heels for Dad! Flexitol Heel Balm Review

Honestly, men deserve smoother heels a lot more than women, like seriously! I wonder why they ignore calluses and cracked heels?! Anyways, whether its dads or moms, Flexitol is a fantastic way to quickly heal dry and rough feet. I regularly scrub my feet, and started applying this instead of my foot cream and the results were smoother, softer foot in just a matter of days. So I tried this on my husband, who has a couple of small calluses on one foot. Wanna know the results? Keep reading...

I Love... Cosmetics and X3 Hand Sanitizer by FarleyCo Beauty

Hey everyone,

What are your plans for the long weekend? I am thinking about dipping in for a bubble bath with my new favorite I Love...Raspberry & Blackberry bubble bath and shower cream. How delicious does that sound? :D

Today's post features FarleyCo Beauty's Fall and Back to School Beauty Box featuring a large cosmetic bag, I Love... Cosmetics and X3 Hand Sanitizer. 

Montagne Juenesse Tired Leg Gel Review

Just in case, you went shopping today and had to stand in long waiting queues, I have got a little something to ease you. Its a Tired Leg Gel from Montagne Juenesse.
For the rest of the world, today was Black Friday in the US and Canada and a lot of stores had unbeatable deals. So, if you are home searching for sometime to soothe those tired legs, this review might help you.