There’s simply no denying that I’m a lash addict.
From the moment I first graduated from mascara to strip lashes, it was a game changer. Now, no matter what I’m doing and how much or how little make-up I’m wearing, I really do feel naked without some kind of lash enhancement.
Over the years, I have literally tried it all - from LVL lifts, to cluster lashes, individual extensions, doing my own lash enhancements and every type of strip lash going.
Nothing lifts my mood or my look more than that Disney princess flutter.
With the spate of national lockdowns over 2020 and into this year, getting salon extensions done has been hard to impossible.
And even without a killer virus on the loose, it's a time-consuming and expensive process. It looks amazing, but you WILL be spending hours of your life and hundreds of pounds on maintaining them.
Plus, if you have them continuously, they can make your natural lash growth sparse and patchy. But it turns out there is another way. And the latest lockdown gave me the push I needed to try it.
So, 2020 was the plot twist no-one expected - and so far, 2021 isn’t shaping up to be all that much better.
It’s been a long time since life was ‘normal’. Simple things like seeing friends, going out for meals and pleasures like holidays and nights out just haven’t been an option for ages. In the UK, it felt like people were holding out for Christmas, which was a very quiet one for us. But here we are in a new year and things haven’t changed.
That makes it a harder task to stay focused on the positives, even though a vaccination programme is slowly rolling out now. It feels like the goalposts keep moving and there’s no clear end in sight yet. This is real life at the moment - so what else has been happening?
Whichever way you paint it, January can be pretty grim. It’s dark in the mornings and evenings, and everything is cold.
The joy of Christmas is over, and everyone is repenting for their excesses by going on restrictive diets and giving up drink. We’re all trying to save money and force ourselves out running. Summer holidays are just too far away to look forward to.
And to add to all the joy this year, we are also in a third National Lockdown as Covid-19 cases soar.
Let’s keep it real, January sucks.
The only thing I’ve found to combat the blues is taking pleasure in little luxuries that are good for mind, body and soul.
It started with a Christmas jumper. A funny item to trigger such a realisation.
Immediately, I found another stockist and placed a duplicate order, chucking a handful of other items into my basket while I was at it. The next day, predictably, the first one turned up.
Why was I so desperate to get my hands on a novelty jumper that I would order two, plus a load of other stuff I didn't want or need?
I looked around me - a wardrobe overflowing with items I've never worn, many still with the labels on. A dressing table stuffed with untouched 'must have' cosmetics. A bathroom packed with spare toiletries.
What on earth was I thinking?
Suddenly I began feel suffocated, oppressed by the sheer weight of my belongings. It was madness.
