The month of April was all about self-care and finding small ways to treat myself while wrapping up nearly two months of quarantine and social distancing. Whether it was sorting out my hair or my skin since I haven’t been able to see my stylist and esthetician in quite a while, seeking out new makeup to play with and experiment with new looks- or revisiting favorite shows/movies to find some comfort while lounging at home- my favorites for April 2020 were all about little things to make getting through this pandemic a bit easier.
I’ll share the things I was able to photograph before I launch into the random binge-watches, games, etc. as is the tradition with these posts!
Let’s get started, shall we?
I haven’t been able to get my hair touched up since mid-February, and it has been ROUGH. Not only are my grays growing in with a vengeance- but my highlights have become dull and lifeless. I miss my usual salon. I miss getting my scalp massaged and my curls blown out with a fresh coat of chocolate brown- and I was worried I’d have to spend the remainder of quarantine hiding under a hat.
Then I discovered oVertone, and my hair (and life) changed forever. These deeply nourishing, color-depositing conditioners- which come in a variety of shades- cover up even the most stubborn of grays and keep them covered for a few days and through a handful of washes.
I’ve been using the espresso brown conditioner as a mask once a week, leaving my hair- root to tip- coated in it for about 30 minutes before I rinse it off in the shower. The result is softer, healthier looking/feeling hair that has a rich, vibrant color and a beautiful shine.
And depending on how much longer quarantine goes- I may start experimenting with the blues, greens and pinks they have available.
Of course, my hair isn’t the only thing in need of an occasional refresh. Twice a week I also treat my skin to this soothing and detoxifying blue matcha face mask from Whish. This lightweight mask applies as a pretty pastel blue color- and then fades to white as it dries and draws out impurities from the skin.
Once I rinse it off with warm water- my face is left feeling soft, hydrated and squeaky clean. It’s like a nice little at-home spa treatment to keep my complexion even and radiant- even though no one else is seeing it right now.
When I was feeling a little stir-crazy earlier this month, I thought I’d splurge a little on some new makeup to make me feel a little less “hibernating for an indefinite amount of time,” and a little more “It’s Springtime!”- including some brighter hues of eyeshadow and eyeliner to get me into a more positive frame of mind.
I started with this lovely mint eyeshadow palette from HUDA Beauty, as part of their PASTEL Obsessions collection. With pigmented greens and golds in shimmer, matte and metallic finishes- I have been having so much fun playing around with this palette before I have to jump onto a video conference call for work (or ones where I’m just catching up with friends!)
And when I’m just looking for a simple sweep of color on my lids, I grab my Urban Decay WIRED 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Shocked” for a quick stroke of neon purple over my eyelids. I love how soft this pencil is, and how long it lasts. Urban Decay are one of my favorite brands for liners- and I am obsessed with this neon collection they have going on right now.
And finally, I’m keeping it simple and natural with my lips this season. I had mentioned in my Spring 2020 Makeup Post that I have been wearing nothing but this oatmeal cream pie-flavored balm from Treat Beauty– which is just one of many incredible flavors they have available. It leaves my lips buttery smooth and soft- which is all I need right now in times of lounging at home and occasionally going grocery shopping.
I’ve been trying to wear a little more jewelry- especially since it’s warmer out and I don’t have to limit myself to just rings and earrings since everything else would just get covered up by my long-sleeved sweaters, turtlenecks or coats during the colder months. I’ve been loving this double gold coin necklace from Amber Sceats– so much in fact that I’ve forgotten to take it off on more than one occasion.
It’s so light and lovely- and it looks beautiful with even the most casual of ensembles.
I think that does it for the products/items I could snap photos of. But, of course- a few other things made the list this month, too.
– Movies/Music/Television –
“Angel” – Although my friends adored the show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” when we were younger, I was much more into it’s spin-off series, Angel- which followed the far more interesting and developed characters (like Wesley and Cordelia!) as they made new friends and enemies while operating a supernatural detective agency.
The full series is presently on Hulu- and I’ve been binge-watching it during launch breaks and after workdays- up until I reach season four, anyway. That’s about the time Joss Whedon lost his mind and the show got really, really bad. Charisma Carpenter deserved better.
“What We Do in the Shadows” – My favorite mock-umentary series is back for a second season- and it’s just as funny as ever! If you haven’t seen the original movie the show is based on, or need some time to catch up on the hilarious first season from last year- Hulu has you covered.
It’s one of my favorite current comedies, and I cannot get enough of Matt Berry. He’s brilliant.
– Tech/Apps/Games –
“Resident Evil 3” –Ā Inject all the “Resident Evil” remakes and reboots directly into my bloodstream. This was such an awesome remastering of the classic version of the game- with incredible graphics and plenty of unexpected scares!
I’m going to be giving this another replay a little later on this week and see if I can find any of the other Easter eggs and trophies during my next play-through.
And I think that’s it for the month of April. I know most of these products are going to carry me into the Summer and through however long things last until quarantines are lifted- but I have a feeling May is going to be a bit more wardrobe-oriented. It’s about that time of year where I start putting away my Fall/Winter clothes and start unpacking the Spring/Summer sets.
And buying new things, of course!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 