My April/Lockdown Favourites

It's crazy to think that we've spent the whole of April in a national lockdown. I hope it hasn't been too hard for you and you were able to see something positive in this experience (it is history in the making!). I also hope, like me, you've had time to find joy in ordinary things in your life, or found some new things or hobbies that bring you happiness!

Being stuck at home has lead me to appreciate the things I already own, and I have a few items that I have absolutely fell in love with that I'd like to share with you! When I first started reading blogs and watching YouTube videos, monthly favourites were something I was obsessed with. Still now, I love to know what other people use and love! So, I made a list of what I've been using a lot and loving during the lockdown!

On the body and skincare side, I've been using The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Sleeping Mask and I absolutely love it! Last year I realised that I have dry skin, not normal as I thought, and ever since I've been choosing products that are super hydrating. This mask is easy because you can leave it on overnight, and it smells like a facial product at a spa (weirdly specific smell I know)! It looks like a cream mask, but feels more like a gel mask on your skin. I really do believe that it leaves my skin extra soft and moisturised. Another product I've been using a lot during lockdown is the Freeman Exfoliating Pomegranate Body Sugar Scrub. I've been consistently using a body scrub for some years now and this is the best one I've tried by far! I use it a few times a week and it leaves my skin the softest and smoothest it's ever been! I got mine from Dis-Chem. Another item I've been using for a year now and love is the Essence Ultra Strong Nail Hardener (which I also bought from Dis-Chem). I got this last year while I was studying to just put over my nails weekly to keep them looking shiny. An added plus to this: they actually really helped with the strength of my nails and prevented them from breaking.

Because we're probably all spending more time on our phone now, I've fallen in love with two apps. An oldie but a goodie, my activity on Pinterest has been revived during this time! I started many new boards of inspiration for fashion, decor and recipes. I've always wanted to find my own style, in decor and fashion, and Pinterest is such a lovely space to find ideas and aesthetics that you love. FitOn is the other app that I have found and loved. I'm not much of a gym person, so I often seek workouts that I can do at home that are free (I'm not committed to have to pay for it!). On FitOn, you can enter in your goals, weight, what exercises you like and how many you want to do per week and they give you a workout plan for up to 12 weeks. Each workout video is actually really fun, but also challenging, and varied; it's way more interesting than just doing squats and crunches in your room!

Pieces of clothing that has appropriately become a favourite of mine during April are my sweats from Factorie. I bought these before the lockdown from Cotton On online. I got the Classic Trackpant and the Oversized Crew Neck Sweater in black (which both seems to be sold out on the website) and I have lived in them during the lockdown! I've been wearing the pair together at home on the colder days and the pants with a nice top when I go out (for grocery shopping, obviously). I've also paired the sweater with black bike shorts, which I think looks super cute!

And lastly, a random thing that I've been obsessed with recently is DSTV Now. Since the lockdown has began, DSTV has a new channel, MNET Binge, which is playing quality HBO series. So on DSTV Now, and obviously live on the channel, they are showing whole seasons of some really good shows. I've been watching The Leftovers, which is about the dynamics of a small community three years after 2% of the human population completely disappeared, Girls, which is about a group of girls in their 20s living in New York (this is super funny and interesting to see the life of girls in their second decade), and Six Feet Under, which is centred around a family that runs a funeral home after the father, and owner of the business, dies. Watching series has probably been my biggest pastime during the lockdown.

I hope the rest of your time in the lockdown-type world will bring you some joy - maybe you'll find some in one of my favourites!

Thanks for reading. Love always.