The Big Beauty Bonanza

 

Dear friends. It's been a while since we had a look at my latest beauty buys and what I'm currently trying from brands who have gifted me. So here's my big beauty special. There'll be an update on my eyelash growing experiment; a brilliant new mascara; a new serum, and some body "bio hackers" to reverse cell damage. 

The clocks went forward this weekend, and we're now on "British Summertime."  From a beauty point of view, a more demanding time.  The opaque tights are relegated to the attic, the sandals come out, and the legs need to be polished and faux tanned, with a pretty pedicure for the toes. Fortunately this won't be needed for a month or so, unless we get one of those unseasonal heat waves.

I'm looking a bit haggard in the photos and the reason, dear readers, is that I've had Covid for the last few days.  After two years of dodging the blighter, I finally succumbed.

The timing was terrible because it meant I couldn't go down to Devon to see my mum and take her out on Mother's Day. After two years where lock downs ruined Mother's Day, we had been looking forward to this.

I've had three jabs so I was expecting it to be fairly mild.  The symptoms - a cough, what appeared to be a cold, and a temperature, weren't too bad, but the exhaustion is surprising. Yesterday and today the second line was very faint on the test (but not negative yet). I did my usual walk yesterday and felt pretty good. Today I was pole axed. 

Update on Eyelashes

Eight months ago I started using the eyelash growing serum Revitalash (non-gifted). I have to say I wouldn't be without it. My eyelashes originally were short and gappy. Now they're long and there are no gaps. 

Using an eyelash curler and a good mascara really shows them off to their advantage. I was sent a new mascara to try, its creation described as "a long labour of love" by the new UK brand Violet Jordan.  The Volumizer Mascara, £18, is aimed squarely at mid life women. They also use older women in their social media ads (including me!).  

This is a quite exceptional mascara, and many of you will recall how fussy I am with mascaras. I have tried so many, some top dollar, which transfer onto the lower lashes within hours.  Not to mention those which don't seem to improve your lashes at all.

This mascara definitely does that, and there's no transfer.  

A New Serum with Edelweiss

I love supporting UK businesses and trying new skincare ranges. Rhodes Skincare kindly gifted me with their lovely The Edelweiss Face Rescue.  Costing £69.85, this luxurious serum hydrates, repairs and defends against free radical damage and toxins. 

It includes active plant cell extracts from the rare and protected Himalayan Edelweiss, known as the “Queen of the Mountain”. This boosts the skin’s antioxidant defence systems to protect against air and climate pollution and UV radiation. The brand says it re-creates and restores skin’s tension to tighten  sagging neck skin, lift the cheeks and smooth out laughter lines and wrinkles.

Rhodes Skincare was created by sisters Annabel and Penny Rhodes.  Annabel worked with Neal’s Yard in the 80s and helped launch Eileen Malone’s Euphoria range in 1998/99. Meanwhile the husband of her sister Penny was having skin problems while being treated with chemotherapy. The sisters worked with Eileen Malone to create their own range of plant based natural products, using the knowledge that a small repertoire of products containing exquisite ingredients is all you need to help restore your skin and to keep it healthy.

I'm enjoying using the serum but it takes several months to see an appreciable difference with any new skin products. I'll report back later. 

NAD+ Boosters

Now, have you heard of NAD+? I hadn't until I heard Liz Earle, the health and fitness expert, discuss it on her podcast. NAD+ is found in every cell of our body. As we get older, levels drop by as much as as 50% at 50, and by 60 they have fallen off a cliff. 

The deficit makes it harder for our bodies to produce the energy we need to maintain great health. NAD+ enables our mitochondria – “the power stations” of the cell -  to convert the food we eat, into the energy our body needs to sustain all its functions.

An easy way to boost the NAD+ in your body is to take a supplement called NMN (β-Nicotinamide Mononucleotide). Youth and Earth, whose products are based on the most cutting edge research, sent me their NMN Sublingual Powder to try. The 10g size is currently on offer at £27.99, this is enough for 20-40 servings. You take it on an empty stomach, so it's the first thing I do when I wake up. A handy measuring spoon is used to drop the powder below your tongue where it quickly dissolves.  Slow release tablets are also available.

I haven't yet noticed the boost in energy which others have described, but I'm a great believer in products like this and Youth & Earth have lab tests on their website. They are also recommended by Liz Earle. I've now ordered more NMN, at my own expense. If you want to try it, there's a 20% discount if you use my code ISTHISMUTTON. 

I also take Youth and Earth's Liposomal Glutathione (non-gifted) which acts as a master antioxidant and detoxifier for the brain and body, and is described as an anti-ageing powerhouse. I don't mind "anti ageing" as a term when applied to internal cell renewal because this is an exciting area of science, and, over time, could lead to a big reduction in age-related health problems. 

That's all for my beauty bonanza. Love to know if you've tried any of these, or if you have your own recommendations to share. 

I've included links in this post to some of the products I like, but none of them are affiliate links. 

Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness  and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile  at Stylesplash, TFF at Doused in Pink, Lizzie in Lace, Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire, Rena at Fine Whatever, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style,  Weekday Wear Link-Up at Away from the Blue Sunday Showcase with Chez Mireille and Elegance and Mommyhood  (first Sunday of the month), Stylish Monday (first Monday of the month) with Ask Suzanne Bell, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Link Up Pot Pourri and Traffic Jam Weekend at My Bijou Life

Now it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up. Bloggers/Instagrammers can find new readers, plus readers can find new blogs to read. I promote my favorite five posts on Facebook and Twitter every week, and feature the most clicked posts in Instagram Stories. 

Last Week's Three Favourites (Most Clicked)

How Influencers Inspire Me by Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. Nancy explains where the inspiration for this outfit came from, and reminds us it's important to stay true to our own style at the same time. 

The next favourite is a returner. Mary from The Pouting Pensioner has resumed her popular blog, and her post Classic Dressing- Outerwear had a fun trip down Memory Lane. Here she is in 1966 in an op art PVC coat. It was intriguing to see how well Mary's retro outerwear has stood the test of time. 

Non-Fashion Favourite 

Band of Sisters by Pam Ecrement of A New Lens. Pam is a welcome new addition to #WowOnWednesday and this book review proved popular. 

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