Life Lately: April {2024}

 And #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends.  Hope you all enjoyed Easter and Eid, if you celebrate either of those. In today's post I'm sharing an outfit I wore recently and giving a beauty update on a few skincare products I've been trying. Plus a couple of other buys. I've indicated with an * anything that was gifted. 

We went to a pop concert, 10CC, last week, and this is the outfit I wore. The purple coat was a pre-loved gift from Penny at Frugal Fashion Shopper;  the purple wool trousers were bought from Vinted and the 1980s bow blouse was bought pre-loved from Etsy. 

To liven up the purple I added my new kelly green bag from Pom Pom London.  My sparkly dance shoes from Supadance always get a few compliments, this time from a gentleman on the platform at Walthamstow station!  I'm also wearing a fresh green short tie wrap from Kettlewell, seen in the photo towards the end of the post. 

The pictures were taken in and around the Royal Albert Hall in London.  We had dinner first in one of their restaurants, Coda by Eric Chavot.  I've written a 10cc review. 

On my recent visit to Devon I bought a pair of new trainers.  I was looking, ever impractical, for cream and gold.  I found these at Schuh. They're Schuh's own brand, Victoria.  There is some suede going on, so I dread washing them. However I get great results when I machine wash my leather Stan Smith's. 

I have quite a few Austrian crystal necklaces in lovely colours, and now I've started on bracelets! These two beauties came from my regular port of call, Lynn's Gem Creations on Etsy. They are not as pricey as the necklaces so a good place to start. 

BEAUTY UPDATE: WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING LATELY

A few weeks ago in January I wrote about how I'd bought some products from renowned skin doctor Dr Sister, and said I'd give a longer review after using them for 90 days.

90 days is the minimum time to see results (or not) from new skincare. 

You may recall, it was a chance encounter with Dr Sister's long video that got me interested.  I've been taking the Inner Beauty tablets, one before bedtime, and using the Lash Saviour eyelash revitaliser, Younger You face cream (the name. I know!) and Crepe Rewind cream. 

I was hoping that this arsenal of goodness would destroy the large brown spots I have on my cheeks. To be fair, the more recent pigmentation patches are a lot less noticeable now.  But the largest, which I've had for several years now, is unchanged.  I'd also been using Clinique's Even Better dark spot corrector.

I find my skin is genuinely a bit brighter and more even toned since I started the skin regime. But there isn't enough slip, for me, in the day cream. I've been using it only at night. 

As for the Lash Saviour, I've been using it for about 6 weeks and haven't seen a difference yet, but that was the same for Revitalash and then it kicked in and my lashes became quite long. 

FOR CREPEY SKIN THIS IS THE BOMB!

The stand out product from Dr Sister, and it is ABSOLUTELY GENIUS, is the Crepe Rewind cream. If you have crepey puckered skin on your arms, it totally banishes it, although you need to keep using it. I will definitely stay faithful to it.  I find it's good for tightening the neck too. Normal body lotions or creams have no impact on crepey skin, and I've tried dozens.  So thank you Dr Sister.

Find Dr Sister here.  None of these products were gifted.  

ADDENDUM: Since I wrote this a few of you have told me that Crepe Rewind is no longer on the site. I've been told it is currently out of stock. Stay tooned. 

RoC RETINOL CORREXION

Meanwhile I've been using an old favourite, RoC, for a few weeks as my day cream. I was gifted with the Retinol Correxion serum and Line Smoothing Max Hydration cream.  I didn't like the smell of the serum - a medical sort of smell - so I didn't use it for long. But I love the cream, which has, I read,  Jennifer Aniston as an admirer.  

Retinol is the gold standard for mature skin but you have find the right formulation. There are different kinds of retinol too.  The RoC cream has the desired slip, which means it goes on smoothly and generously, giving a noticeable burst of emollience. It sits nicely under make-up with no pilling.  

 A LIGHT TINT THAT REALLY DOES CONCEAL

Above:  I was first in the queue to buy the new Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint. This is a very light but somehow still gives good coverage of imperfections, and doesn't settle in wrinkles like many foundations and tints are wont to do. 

I already have her foundation so I knew my shade was 7.  It's quite a small bottle but I'm pleased about that because I can take it on my 3 week cycling holiday where we have to keep packing to a minimum.  I'm also wearing a Lisa Eldridge lipstick in shade Dancecard, a lovely neutral toned nude pink. 

You can buy Lisa Eldridge at her website or in the UK from Selfridges and Space NK. She has some very good videos on YouTube where she occasionally features older models and the odd celebrity.

That's it for today's update.  I'm back on Friday with a book spotlight. 

Do you look for skincare with retinol? Do you prefer a lighter bronzer or fake tan in the summer, rather than foundation? Do let us know in the comments.  Scroll down past the link-up for the comments box. 

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WOW ON WEDNESDAY

WowOnWednesday is one of the bigger link-ups. Readers can find new blogs to enjoy and bloggers can find new readers. It's a win-win all round, provided you visit posts that appeal to you,  and share the love by leaving a comment or two. 

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

The fashion favourite was Suzy Turner with her outfit inspired by Girl on Fire by Alicia Keyes. 

The lifestyle favourite was Chez Mireille with her post How to Pack for a 3 Day Trip in a Back Pack

Food Favourite:  Chocolate Easter bunny Espresso Martini from Nicolle at Our Tiny Nest

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