Five things I’m loving this week: Late August 2019

Here are five fabulous new things that have been brightening up my week. Let’s have a look!

Yass! A5 ruled notebook by HEMA | £3. Buy here.

Who doesn’t love a notebook for getting all inspired and creative, and yet well organised at the same time? This particular one has a funny cover to bring a smile to your face, plus plenty of ruled pages for your jottings and a pink tassel bookmark.

It’s a handy way of keeping your ideas together. I also like how it’s attractive enough to get out of your bag in a meeting, but not so precious that you actually won’t worry about ‘spoiling’ it by writing inside it (an issue I seem to have with certain notebooks that somehow makes them rather redundant).

Sunshiney Day deluxe eyeshadow palette by Beauty Pie | Edited to add: I am no longer willing to recommend this company or its products.

Garden of Wisdom GOW Vitamin C Serum 23% + Ferulic Acid 30ml | £10.00. Buy here.

If you haven’t heard of them before, the GOW sub-brand is exclusive to Victoria Health, created in collaboration with US skincare brand Garden of Wisdom. This Vitamin C serum knocks most expensive brands into a cocked hat and it’s a tiny fraction of the price. There’s a powerful dose of Vitamin C in its most potent form, plus a sensibly formulated base with hydrating hyaluronic acid, skin conditioning B5 (aka panthenol), ferulic acid for extra antioxidant capacity, plus a lack of potentially irritating ‘extras’ such as perfume or pore-clogging ingredients.

Even better, it’s in an opaque pump-action tube to keep light and air out and reduce degradation and oxidation, so the serum stays effective for longer. I keep mine in the fridge for even better longevity and let it sink in while I’m drinking my morning coffee, then apply sunscreen over the top. It hasn’t irritated my sensitive skin either, so I reckon it’d a cost-effective addition to most skincare routines for brightening and general anti-ageing. There’s plenty of slip in it so a little goes a long way, a couple of small pumps will be more than enough for the whole face.

As there are no colourants added to this product, it’s theoretically easier to spot when it eventually expires (there’s a reason why so many other serums are tinted yellow or orange – it’s the colour Vit C turns when it goes off). Having said that, I’ve had this for two and a half months now and there’s no sign of any of that happening yet, so I’ll almost certainly finish the whole lot without losing any of it to oxidation. All in all, a bit of a bargain.

Holland & Barrett reusable thick cotton pads | £8.00.

These are such a useful way to prevent waste and protect the environment while also saving you money on cotton wool pads, wipes and so on. You get six of these double sided pads in a neat little cotton bag, and I’ve found them especially useful for removing long lasting foundation and sunscreen after a long day.

They’re slightly textured, for when you need that extra bit of cleansing, and would also work as a very mild and gentle exfoliator, which is just what I was looking for. I use them with a gel cleanser as part of a second cleanse, after first using and rinsing off a makeup remover balm. However, I haven’t been using them around my sensitive eye area as I think they’re not quite soft enough for that.

I think they are Fairtrade cotton, plastic free and eco friendly, and they’re so easy to use one a day and then throw in with your laundry. I’ve been washing mine in a small delicates laundry bag to keep them together in the machine, and have found they clean up easily, keep their shape and dry quickly. They’re effective and functional, and worth a look.

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come, by Jessica Tan | £8.99 paperback. Buy here.

This book has been out for a few months, but it was suggested to me at a book group recently. It’s a first person account of what it’s like to try to change lifelong behavioural habits in a short space of time – spoiler alert, rather difficult and oftentimes comical – as narrated by someone who is a natural introvert but who’s also very shy and uncomfortable with it. There’s a big difference between being an introvert (a very common and natural way of being) and being extremely shy and withdrawn (a source of distress), and Tan takes it upon herself to get out of her current comfort zone to become more at ease with herself in the longer term.

The story unfolds over the course of a year as she sets herself multiple challenges and calls upon a great many experts for their advice and support. Some of it goes well, some of it’s a bit of a disaster, but eventually through trial and error she finds several unexpected things that work well for her. It’s all told in a witty and lighthearted way, and it’s full of interesting small details, suggestions and useful resources. If you’re in a bit of a general rut, or a similar situation to Jessica, then this book has some fun and inspiring ideas in it.