little white truths

I'm currently denting this product via Project Dent so I thought I'd jump online today and review it now while it's front of mind.

Do note that while these Champagne Splits products were limited edition and you can no longer buy them, you can buy Prosecco Pop individually and I've also seen Amaretto show up in later palettes, so this review isn't redundant and I do have other Becca blushes and highlighters to compare these to (see below) - meaning the comparison swatches in particular may be helpful to someone.

Note however that because you can't buy this particular compact anymore, I won't be going into detail about product claims etc as I normally would. Instead let's just focus on the colours and formulas, and how they compare to the other Becca products I own.

Note also that I love the packaging of this particular Becca product, and I would absolutely love to see the brand continuing on this trend of keeping the original 'form' of the packaging but changing up the colours and materials it's made from.

Look how pretty it is:

Four of these duos were available for purchase when I bought mine, and I was always going to go for this one for two reasons.

First, the other blushes were too bright for me: I wanted something more neutral.

Second, I already own Champagne Pop so I wanted one of the two duos that contained the Prosecco Pop highlighter.

  

And below we have Prosecco Pop (left), Champagne Pop (middle) and Opal (right), indirect sunlight:

   

  

Below I've swatched Amaretto alongside three other Becca blushes: 

 * L-R: Amaretto, Wild Honey, Sweet Pea, Bolero

Verdict

I think this is a nice product and it's generally in line with Becca's formula, although I have noted a few differences.

First, Prosecco Pop feels a tiny bit drier, harder and grittier than my Champagne Pop and Opal (Opal especially is softer). Yes I would still call it a creamy formula, but it doesn't feel quite the same and I also think it looks significantly more glittery in the pan and also on the face than Champagne Pop and Opal (which would explain why it feels more gritty to the touch).

Second, Amaretto feels drier and harder than the four other Becca blushes I own (I haven't pictured Songbird above because it's not as nude as the others). Yes I would still call it a soft, smooth formula - but the others feel like velvet to the touch. This one doesn't.

Note however that Amaretto performs the same as my other Becca blushes. It blends, applies and diffuses beautifully, and it has an ethereal look on the skin. It's more of a satin than a matte, but not so satin that you would definitely call it so. 

I also really love the shade of Amaretto: yes it's a nude, but it has this gorgeous apricot/terracotta undertone that I think is really flattering. I'll certainly be reaching for this particular shade more often in future. 

As for Prosecco Pop, I'm a big sucker for these antique gold colours that are more yellow in tone (they remind me of pirate's treasure) - but unfortunately I don't love how it looks on the face because I'm really aware of the glitter it contains. 

Yes Prosecco Pop applies the same as my other Becca highlighters but it also emphasises texture in the same way they do (indeed, that's my biggest gripe with Becca's formula). However unfortunately the glitter is really noticeable in this shade and I can't see the glitter as much with either Champagne Pop or Opal. In future I may stick to using Prosecco Pop on the eyes.

Overall I wouldn't say that I regret this purchase, but it's not one of my better choices. I think the product is decent, but the formulas of both the blush and the highlighter aren't completely the same as my other Becca products so that's something to keep in mind.

That's all from me. Hopefully the comparison swatches have been helpful!

Speak soon x

I bought all three shades of this Natio Tinted Moisturiser last year in one of Priceline's big sales, and I bought them because I wanted to use them as mixers for my foundations.

Reason being, I've tried using concealer for this in the past but have struggled to find shades that are yellow enough to do what I need them to do for my yellow-based skintone (this is also why I struggle with whitening drops), and I also thought that if I bought all three shades, I would be able to mix a couple of them together and use them as my tinted moisturiser.

Unfortunately I can't use the product as my tinted moisturiser because it doesn't have enough coverage (it 'dyes' the skin like a tint does, rather than evening it out), and I've also found that Neutral is too pink for my skintone to use as a foundation-lightener so I'm currently mixing it with my sunscreen in order to finish it.

Natio claims/product details:

• Inspired 3-in-1 formula creates the ultimate in barely there makeup perfection
• Combines the benefits of a moisturiser and a sunscreen, with a hint of colour for a fresh, natural satin finish
• Provides light to medium coverage
• Lightweight and hydrating formula leaves a healthy-looking, natural, glowing complexion
• RRP $18.95 AUD for 50ml, but do shop around (I bought mine at half-price)

Below are light and heavy swatches of Neutral, indirect sunlight:

Direct sunlight:

Natural light:

And below I've swatched Neutral alongside the other two shades so you can see the differences between them.

Direct sunlight: 

Indirect sunlight: 

* L-R: Neutral, Beige, Honey

Verdict

This isn't a good product and while I don't regret buying it because I paid very little for mine and I have found some use for it, I wouldn't recommend it and I certainly wouldn't buy it again.

Also, please note that while I'd initially planned to review the three shades together, I've decided not to because I haven't used the other two much yet and I'm about to finish Neutral (meaning it will be gone before I can use the other two enough to review them), and I've also detected slight differences between the consistency of Honey and the other two - so I want to check whether they in fact do perform the same because they mightn't. Hence we're doing separate reviews for all three.

It's a standard tinted moisturiser that comes in a tube and smells a little like sunscreen. It spreads and applies well, and it has a shiny finish so do be aware of that: I personally prefer to powder it.

What surprised me about this product when I first used it was just how little coverage it has. Indeed, I just went to apply it again this morning and it does absolutely nothing for me - aside from turning my face a slightly pale, pinkish colour that doesn't look good. So I'm annoyed that this claims to have 'light to medium coverage'. No it does not. I'm not sure I would even call it sheer.

The other thing to note is that the shade Neutral oxidises and also dries down a little bit darker (I understand that 'oxidising' and 'drying down' like paint are slightly different things). You'll notice that the swatches of the three shades above show the product looking significantly darker around the edges, but you should also be able to tell that Neutral looks palest in the centre of the swatch, then it gets a little darker towards the rim, and then darker again once we hit the edge of the swatch where it's starting to dry.

Indeed, I have noticed this getting darker on my face a few minutes after I've applied it, but it doesn't look any better on me once it's done that because it still looks too pink.

Overall I don't think this is a good product and I can't recommend it. It doesn't cover anything and the formula also darkens on application. Thankfully I've been able to use mine by mixing it in with my facial sunscreen to make that last longer, but that's all I can do with it.

Blurgh.

Hello and welcome to another Project Pan mini update for the year.

I'm pleased to report that I've finished this Marc Jacobs gloss within a week of July's full update, and while I wasn't expecting to get through it that quickly, I did know that it would be gone soon enough.

There it is again:

You can see from the marker above that there wasn't much left when I started panning this, and I did focus on it exclusively over the past week so that's why I was able to kick it out quickly.

As for the formula, I don't understand why people love these glosses so much because I've had serious issues with them - they travel outside my lips and also sit in lip lines, for starters - and I'm glad that I've knocked this one out. I plan to work on my second one in the near future.

As for my replacement:

It's my Revlon HD Gel Lipcolour in 760 Vineyard. I own three of these and I love the formula but I haven't used them enough because I've been too busy panning other products.

Since I've now knocked out all my lipsticks except for these three and one from Hourglass, it's time to turn my attentions to whatever's remaining. This one is my least-favourite of the three Revlon colours I own, so I've decided to start with it first.

There it is again:

As you can see, I've barely used this so I've really got my work cut out for me. Still, there's only 1.7g of product in these so I'm not expecting it to last too long and I should get through it within a couple of months.

During this time I'll review the formula so stay tuned for that if you're interested, and expect to see another one of these replacing this one down the track.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

Well, I promised myself that I would try to do three empties posts this month and I've managed to get there so I'm back today with the third one. Huzzah!

While I had hoped to get three done in August too, I think that's probably unlikely because I've gotten through most of the things that were on their last legs during July - although I'll still keep at it because I've managed to get my stores down significantly now and I want to keep that going.

In no particular order...

Full review here. This product was fine but I tried the original Bondi Sands tanning oil first and liked that a hell of a lot better than I liked this, so I wouldn't buy it again.

It's a dry oil that smells like coconut and while it applies well, the tan it creates takes a lot of building so you need to use the product for a good few days before you'll get any colour, plus it doesn't last as long as the other one so you'll need to apply it more often in order to maintain it.

While I think the product was fine, I would much prefer something that I can apply once or twice a week and forget about. I couldn't do that with this so it's a pass for me. Repurchase? No.

Nivea Protect & Moisture Moisturising Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+

Every time I look at the title of this product ('Protect & Moisture'), I want to punch the container - you can't bang a noun and a verb together like that and expect it to sound good. Blurgh. As a writer and editor, it's really more than I can stand! Ha.

As for the product itself (full review here), I do like it and I think it moisturises my dry skin well so it's been a good sunscreen for winter because it adds an extra layer of hydration to my face. Yes it leaves a greasy residue, but it adds a nourishing one too so I can forgive it. I can't forgive the product's name, though. Might be time for me to try something else. Repurchase? Maybe.

Alpha-H Liquid Laser Super Anti-Ageing Balm

Full review here. I wanted to love this product because it's from Alpha-H (my favourite skincare brand of all time) and it was also expensive so I expected it to perform. Unfortunately it didn't do much for me though, so I wouldn't recommend it and I wouldn't repurchase it.

It's a balm that's quite rich so it likely won't suit those with oily skin, and I felt that it had more of a protective element than a nourishing one. Yes it hydrated a little, but it also left a film on the skin that was better for sealing in my other products than it was for anything else. It should have targeted signs of ageing (eg age spots and firmness) but it didn't do that for me so I was glad to finish it. Repurchase? No.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

Full review here. This is a great hand cream if you have dry skin because it's so moisturising. Indeed, it's so heavy that I only wear it overnight because it does hang around on the hands, but ever since having kids I've needed a heavy-duty hand treatment and this has fit the bill. 

The tub lasted me for ages, and towards the end I started using it on my dry tootsies as well because I was keen to get some use from one of my other hand creams (I have so many at the moment). But I do love it and it's one I recommend if your hands are really parched. Repurchase? Yes.

Full review here. I normally love NYX products but this one didn't grab me because it didn't perform well, and it was also a very bright colour - and the brighter the colour, the less forgiving it is and the more performance matters.

It was nicely hydrating and lightweight, but it sat in lip lines and also travelled outside my lips, plus it emphasised texture. On top of that it didn't fade evenly so it was patchy very soon after application because it also transferred easily. Purchase? No.

NYX Butter Gloss in Raspberry Tart

I love these glosses and they remain my HG formula. Whether budget or high-end, these are the glosses I keep going back to and also the ones I recommend the most. I've reviewed this one here.

The formula is beautifully hydrating and it also plumps up the lips and smooths them out. Plus it wears well and doesn't move outside lip lines, and you can pick these up for a song if you shop around. This particular shade was a little bright for me so I was pleased to finish it, but I still enjoyed it while I had it. Repurchase? Yes, but in another colour.

Urban Decay Brow Beater Microfine Brow Pencil in Neutral Brown

Full review here. While this product was ok, I personally don't think it was worth the price-tag and do note that you only get 0.028g of product in here so it may just be the smallest brow pencil on the market.

It's a standard twist-up arrangement and the pencil itself is very thin, which I appreciate. You will need to build this product because it's rather dry but I'm ok with that because I prefer more natural brows. The spoolie on the end is good quality so that's a plus, but the pencil didn't last well throughout the day and I really think you can do better. Repurchase? No.

Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub for Smooth Skin

This product came in a gift pack that my mum bought me for Christmas, and while I enjoyed it, I wouldn't recommend buying it because the full-size costs $55 AUD (yikes) and I don't think you need to spend that much on a body scrub. I've reviewed it here.

I liked that it contained gentle scrubby matter that offered the body a nice polish without being irritating, although if you prefer harsher scrubs then this mightn't be for you. It was also enjoyable to use because it felt nice and my skin felt smoother afterwards, but I've used budget body scrubs that do the same thing so I wouldn't rush out and buy this. Purchase? No.

Perricone MD Pre:Empt Series, Brightening Eye Cream

Full review here. This eye cream was ok but it didn't suit my personal needs so it's not one I would buy. It didn't sink in properly and hydrate my skin. Indeed, my eyes always felt dry underneath the product so it wasn't a good eye cream for me.

Also, while I do think it was a little brightening and also had a slight firming effect, considering that they've put light-reflecting pearls and glycerin in the formula to achieve those things, I wouldn't get too excited about what it's doing for you long-term. You could find a budget eye cream that contains those ingredients and save your hard-earned money. Repurchase? No.

Nip+Fab Kale Fix Dry Skin Moisturiser

I didn't review this because the sample wasn't large enough, although I did include it in one of my recent samples posts.

It was a nice moisturiser. It was rich, hydrating and nourishing, and my dry skin really liked it. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for oily skin because I think it'd be a little too much and it does leave a greasy residue behind, for my skin it worked well (especially now that it's cold). I wouldn't buy it because it wasn't a stand-out, but I liked it while I had it. Purchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me. I'm pleased that I've managed to reach my goal of writing three empties posts during July (which means I've knocked out thirty products this month) and I'll certainly be aiming to have another good month in August.

The best items in this lot were the NYX gloss and the Burt's Bees hand cream. Everything else I can take or leave.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

I bought two of these a while ago and you may remember that I reviewed my coral shade in Rah Rah! recently (see here).

I'm back today to review this one in Want Me?, and while my reviews for each will be rather similar, this one sits in lip lines even worse than the other one does - which may have something to do with the differences between the colours - but I can definitely say that this one's more noticeable for whatever reason.

Let me state again from the outset that I don't understand why people love these so much.

I bought two of them when Sephora had a 20% off sale because I felt sure I would love them (indeed, I haven't seen anyone else complain about them), but sadly I just don't see the hype.

I'll go into that more below, but suffice to say that having two shades should give me a relatively good idea of how the formula performs as a whole. Yes it's true that sometimes certain shades in an otherwise good line are duds, but it's a lot less likely that I've managed to pick two duds out of two - so I think we can say that the formula just doesn't work for me personally.

Marc Jacobs claims/product details:

• A high-shine lip gloss in covetable shades with lasting brilliance
• Delivers maximum colour and brilliance with its unique Triple Shine Complex, a blend of high-performance ingredients that provide unstoppable wear and shine like '30 coats of lacquer'
• The brilliant shine contributes to an optical plumping look
• Feels cushion-y on the lips but never sticky
• Mint-scented 
• Gives lips a lush look with lasting colour and unbelievable shine
• RRP $42 AUD for 5ml, but do shop around

Above you can see that the product comes with an applicator that's a little wider on one side and rather thin (so it's more like a paddle). I quite like it although I wouldn't say that I prefer it over a standard doe-foot applicator.

Now for swatches.

Light and heavy swatches, direct sunlight:

Natural light:

My bare lips for reference:

Verdict

I'm really surprised that these products are so well-loved in the beauty community: the two I own aren't that great and I've been left scratching my head a bit because I can't work out what people see in them. Mind you, I haven't heard anyone else complain about them so it could just be me.

They're standard glosses that come in a tube with an applicator. The packaging is lovely and it feels high-end, which is always nice because I feel a bit special when I whip one out of my handbag.

They smell and taste like mint, and I was a little worried about that to start with because I have an intolerance to peppermint, but thankfully I can tolerate these so they mustn't contain too much of that ingredient.

I agree that the formula is very shiny without being sticky, and that they also give the lips a slightly fuller appearance. Having said this, both shades I own settle into lip lines immediately (you can see that on my upper lip especially in the photos above) and neither of them gives me a very even coating so I'm constantly smoothing them out to avoid having lines or smudge marks on my lips.

Also, both the shades I own have a tendency to travel outside my lip lines very easily, so they look messy and need a lot of babysitting throughout the day. Not what I want in a lip gloss, and certainly not what I want in a high-end lip gloss.

The other thing to note is that the formula isn't hydrating at all so I always need to wear a balm underneath, which I don't want to do with my glosses. Again, I expected more from these, given the price-tag. Plus with frequent use my lips have started flaking, which only confirms that these aren't nourishing my lips as I'd hoped.

Want Me? is a lovely, cool-toned lavender pink - and I do like the colour, but be aware that it's not opaque so it doesn't add as much colour as I would like. This may partly be because my lips are quite pigmented so my natural colour shows through, but it's something to keep in mind. It's also one of the most flattering cool-toned lavender shades that I've come across, so you may wish to test this if you want something in this shade range but don't want something that makes you look dead.

Overall I don't recommend this formula and I don't know whether I managed to pick two bad shades (unlikely) or whether they just don't gel with my lips. But if they're both sitting in lines, travelling outside my lips and also causing my lips to flake, that's not a good sign.

Not for me.

I bought this powder and also one of the Coty powder foundations from eBay a while ago because I'd heard so much about the formula.

I haven't used the foundation much yet so I can't comment on that, but I have to say that the reviews of this translucent powder are spot-on. It's amazing. Yes it stinks unbelievably, but gosh it does incredible things to the skin. More on that below.

Do note that while you can buy this in the US for around six dollars at full-price, in Australia the lowest price I've seen so far is $20 AUD - and the highest is closer to $30 AUD.

I mean, that's not good enough. We're talking over three times the cost here (at best) and five times the price at worst.

I don't know why the mark-up is so huge for this powder but it's something to be aware of. At least you're getting a whopping 65g of product so it's good value in that sense and it should last you ages.

• Featuring an exclusive microspun formula where loose powder particles are spun and swirled until they reach a cloud-like softness
• This ultra smooth powder hides tiny lines, wrinkles and blemishes, and gives a new softness to your skin
• Gives your skin a smoother look
• Offers lightweight and lasting coverage
• Helps correct uneven skintone
• Use to set makeup or as a foundation
• Dermatologically tested
• Original formula
• RRP $20 AUD for 65g, but do shop around

The product comes with a cheap powder puff, which I immediately gave to my daughter to use in artwork (the quality is awful).

Note also that my powder arrived with the plastic seal slightly loose so I had powder everywhere (see below). I didn't bother to complain about that or ask for a replacement because mine was sent from overseas (too much hassle) and I was also able to use the product that had spilled into the lid so it wasn't a huge loss.

Verdict

This is an amazing product and I'm so glad I found it. It's just as good as Laura Mercier's offering (if not better) and it's also significantly cheaper, so I really don't think you can beat it.

It's a flesh-toned loose powder with a very strong, perfume-like scent. The smell is bloody awful (I can hardly bear it), and even though I'd heard that it smelled strongly before I bought it, I was still surprised when I first opened it. Man it's pungent.

Indeed, the scent is so bad that I reckon it's the only reason not to buy it. I can smell it on my face after I've used it and my brushes smell of it. Do note, though, that you can buy a fragrance-free version so all is not lost. I also think that the smell of mine has faded slightly over time. Thank golly.

The reason why I've been able to cope with using something that smells this much is, very simply, that it performs so unbelievably well. It smooths out my face so that my fine lines and pores seem to vanish into thin air. It's quite incredible. Even if you didn't want to wear makeup, I can see that you might want to throw a dusting of this over your face because it has such a huge impact.

I also agree that it adds a tiny bit of coverage. Yes it's translucent so it's undetectable on the skin in terms of colour, but I think the airbrushing effect does boost the coverage of whatever you have on underneath it so you look more perfected. For this reason I've been applying less of my base, because I don't want to look too flawless (I prefer to look more natural), so it's making my foundations and tinted moisturisers last longer because I'm using less of them.

Overall I think this is a remarkable product and I recommend it. It's not too expensive (even by extortionate Australian standards), it all but eradicates the look of pores, it gives a perfected but not 'makeup-y' look to the skin, and it lasts well throughout the day.

Love. I've given it an HG tag.

Laura Mercier claims/product details:

• A perfectly pigmented lip gloss with rich, long-lasting colour
• Brilliant shine that creates the appearance of fuller lips
• Any skintone is virtually enhanced by creating a subtle contrast in texture
• With the unique blend of moisturising, anti-ageing, antioxidant and plumping ingredients provided by the Laura Mercier Lip Complex, the non-sticky gloss formula applies smoothly without feathering or bleeding
• RRP $26 USD for 4.5g

Wearing the gloss, indirect sunlight:

And in natural light: 

Verdict

This is a lovely product and I'm really enjoying it.

It's a standard gloss that comes in a tube with a doe-foot applicator. It has a delicious sweet vanilla scent and it may well be the nicest scent I've come across in a gloss formula. Indeed, I would almost buy one of these for that reason alone.

I love that it's hydrating enough so I can rely on it for moisture, and I also love that it plumps up my lips nicely and also reduces the appearance of lines. You'll see how it's doing that in the above photos.

Do note that while it mostly doesn't sit in lip lines, occasionally it does across my upper lip but not my lower one (again, you can see that in the above photos). I'm not sure why this happens with one of my lips and not the other, but it's worth mentioning all the same.

I also love that the formula isn't sticky (it has more of a 'glassy' feel) and that it wears reasonably well for a gloss, plus it doesn't travel outside my lip lines.

'Bare Naked' is a nice pinky nude colour, and while it's a little too pale for me to wear alone because it doesn't add life to my face (instead it gives me that concealer lips look), I'm sure it would look a lot better on those with paler skintones.

Overall I think this is a lovely gloss that generally meets its claims and I think the formula is great. I would certainly consider buying more if they were still readily available in Australia.

Love.

I didn't feel like writing a review post this morning so instead I've decided to let you know what I've been watching on YouTube lately - and note that this isn't a beauty-driven list. Quite the reverse.

Indeed, this year I've found myself falling into various YouTube holes that are wholly unrelated to beauty, and it's a trend that will likely continue. I think it's got a lot to do with the fact that the kids are a little older now so they're sleeping better at night, meaning I have the head to watch more than just makeup reviews. Let's call that progress ; )

Jordan Peterson

Peterson is a Canadian professor of psychology and he's been putting his lectures on YouTube for years now, but he became more visible to the general public when he spoke out about some Canadian legislation that sought to compel speech (it required the use of specific pronouns for transgender people and introduced fines and/or punitive action for those who didn't abide by it).

While the free speech issue is an important one that warrants discussion, I've been more interested in his lectures about human nature and also about encouraging people whose lives aren't going well to find their way out of too much suffering. He's also a huge proponent of telling the truth - something I'm really big on - and I like the importance he places on honesty because I believe that more people need to be more honest, more often.

He's worth watching. He has this way of telling you everything that you already know to be true, just more elegantly than you might have done.

Douglas Murray

Murray has had a lot to say about mass immigration and what it's doing to Europe, and he's also had a lot to say about Islam and its darker elements. He's sick of politicians lying to us or refusing to consider important questions regarding both issues, and he makes many valid points.

Whether you agree with him or not, he's asking the kinds of questions that many people are thinking about but are too afraid to mention. He's also trying to push for more honesty in the conversation, and even if you don't agree with what he has to say, I hope we can all agree that more honesty and openness on these issues has to be a good thing.

I like listening to him because he's very well-educated, well-researched and well-spoken, so there's a lot of learning involved when I watch him. He's also a brave man - many of his views aren't popular and he's received a lot of flack for them - and I think this should be celebrated. He's a very respectful, considerate and human person too.

Christopher Hitchens

Hitchens sadly passed away a few years ago but his voice is still very much a presence on YouTube. He's a well-known atheist and he's had plenty to say about religion and what it's done to people over the years. What it's still doing.

As with Murray, whether or not you agree with him isn't quite the point (or at least, I don't think it is). The point is that both sides of the argument need to be heard - and his is a strong, witty, respectful, considerate and educated voice. It's a voice that deserves to be heard.

Worth noting is that he was a huge advocate for women's rights because he believed that the man-made religious texts favour men (true), and he wanted society to shake those old norms. In his words, the only cure for poverty is the empowerment of women. Geez, he might be right.

Gray Area

You may remember that I fell into a YouTube hole at the beginning of the year and started to watch countless Game of Thrones theory videos. While I've now fallen out of that hole, there are still two YouTuber's GOT videos that I always watch as soon as I see them in my feed. Gray Area is one of them.

She has one of the coolest voices on the internet - and if you're going to watch a lot of content from someone, if they have a voice you love then that's a huge plus - and she's also intelligent and well-read. You can see how much time and thought she puts into her content, and I really respect people who make that amount of effort.

So if you're a GOT watcher and you're hanging out for the final season, I recommend looking at Gray Area. You'll find a lot of fun discussions and ideas in her playlist, and if you don't mind the thought of someone getting the GOT finale right (so it may be less surprising to you), then binge away.

In Deep Geek

You've gotta love someone who calls themselves 'In Deep Geek'. Nerds of the universe unite, I say. Wear that geek badge with pride.

Robert does a lot of GOT videos too (as well as eg Westworld) and he has to have one of the most soothing voices on the internet. I repeat my comments for Gray Area: if you find someone with a voice you love listening to, that's a huge plus.

He's the only other GOT YouTuber that I've continued to watch now that I've deviated from my GOT hole, and he has so much great content that you could get lost in it for weeks.

In Deep Geek is a thoughtful and considered channel, and if you like watching someone dissect the shows you love in an intelligent and easy-to-understand way, then I don't think you can go past this one. He's a pleasure to listen to.

In sum

That's all from me. As you can see, I've completely ditched the beauty videos for the time being - and while I may yet go back to watching at least some of my favourite channels in future, for now I'm happy to spread my wings a bit.

When you have young kids it's very easy to ignore what's happening in the world and instead focus on what's happening under your own roof, but I'm glad to say that I'm at a place now where I can open my eyes and ears a bit because I have the energy for it.

Do let me know in the comments who you've been watching on YouTube lately: I'd love to hear.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

* All images courtesy of unsplash.com