Hi, I’m Sarah, I aim to bring you, honest, unbiased reviews of skincare products, subscription boxes*, makeup and other beauty-related products. Plus some health and lifestyle-related topics and items. *All boxes I review are paid for by myself unless otherwise stated by an asterisk (*).
For me, beauty should start from the base, skin deep and therefore skincare is a big priority for me. Why buy expensive cosmetic products to cover up minor flaws & blemishes etc. If you have a good skincare routine, you will have beautiful skin, to begin with, and won’t need to cover it up.
Skincare
In 2015 I adopted the Korean skincare routine, so I will also aim to bring reviews on a lot of Korean beauty & skincare products. I also love to use natural products as my skin really loves them. I will review products suited to my skin type, which is normal to dry.
Me and My Health
I am just your average fifty-something woman with a love for skincare, makeup and beauty products. Mother of 5 children, the youngest being 18, the eldest being 28. I am also a Spoonie, ( Fibro, osteoarthritis & Degenerative Disc Disease) and I have Type 2 Diabetes, PCOS and Pressure Urticaria, along with severe clinical depression and anxiety. That means I take an awful lot of medication on a daily basis. Nearly 30 tablets a day to be more precise.
In April 2017 I was also diagnosed with Horton’s Disease aka Giant Cell Arteritis. This was after being in the hospital for a week.
Due to the steroids, I take for Horton’s Disease, I lost my hair and it also affects my blood sugars. A year on in 2018, they are still not under control and I have just switched to two new insulin, which they hope will get them more under control. I’m still suffering severe head pain most days & am often exhausted on a regular basis. I’m currently waiting to see a neurologist to see if they will be able to shed any more light on it, as my new doctor wants to make sure it isn’t Trigeminal Neuralgia. He’s put me on a new medication which is supposed to be effective after a couple of days or so against Trigeminal Neuralgia, however, I haven’t noticed any difference, other than feeling more drowsy.
Due to my illnesses, mainly my DDD, I have been housebound for the last 10 years and I am bedridden too. I spend 24/7 in my bedroom. Living with chronic pain and being confined to a bed takes a toll on your mental health. I started blogging: giving me something to focus on other than my chronic illnesses & other health issues. Now, I feel like I have some purpose again, and I hope to make new friends. I get to talk about things I love with like-minded people. It’s kind of perfect.
UPDATE 2019
Unfortunately, I am still experiencing severe head pain and am now under a Neurologist who has been sending me for various MRIs, CAT scans and to see other consultants. One of which has referred me for a PET scan, IF the hospital will allow it due to the expense. The good news, is I don’t have Trigeminal Neuralgia. So I stopped the medication for that. Although now I have additional meds and also an increase in the different types of insulin I take & have also recently started Trulicty injection once a week. My blood sugars are still high and just don’t seem to want to come down. I now have Chronic Microcytic Anaemia and have recently had two iron infusions in the hopes they will help but they don’t know the actual cause of it. So everything is still ongoing and I am still waiting on answers.
Update 2020
To be honest not much has changed since last year. I had some changes to my insulin but still take Apidra and now Tujeo, along with Trulicity which I take once a week and the oral medication Metformin twice daily at maximum dosage. My blood glucose readings have come down considerably since switching to the Tujeo though, so that is one good thing.
Due to COVID-19 not much has been done regarding the issues with my head. My other conditions are a little bit worse but then I have been told to expect that, especially with my degenerative disc disease. I have definitely experienced more frequent and longer flare-ups of Fibro. June, July and August have been a struggle due to my mental health taking a beating and depression rearing its ugly head for most of it. I’m battling on as best I can though.
Now into November, I have just had some blood tests done and my HbA1c test had come down drastically. Of course, this is great news, I am now back to square one with my Chronic Microcytic Anaemia. To see if they can narrow down the cause, I have to have more blood tests. My doctor thinks it either has to be a slow bleed internally somewhere. Or that my bone marrow isn’t producing enough red blood cells. Apparently, there are too few of them and they are too small…so yay…NOT.
Update 2022
Other than my blood sugars being 99% under control, there was nothing major that happened in 2021. So, yay for my health, I guess! To help with the Chronic Microcytic Anaemia my doctor prescribed some Ferrous Fumarate 305mg tablets x 2 daily. As far as I know, they are helping. He still doesn’t know what caused it in the first place though. I’ve not spoken to my doctor since March 2021. I am due to have blood tests soon as I am supposed to have them at regular intervals. But things are still not back to normal at my doctor’s practice.
At the moment it feels very much like I have just been left to deal with everything on my own. I know it’s due to COVID but it’s still frustrating. Nearly 5 years after my initial diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis, I am no further forward. It was also due to a change in doctors because my previous doctor left the surgery, So the doctor I have now wanted to start fresh. Just in case anything was missed, but then COVID happened, and well, yeah, here I am…
I do try to smile through it all, despite my health issues and stay positive. However, I won’t deny, sometimes it’s very hard keeping my depression from spiralling. Here’s hoping 2022 will be a better year for me.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoy your stay here and will drop by again real soon. Don’t forget to follow me on Bloglovin and my other social media to be kept updated! I tweet regularly, post on my Facebook page and Instagram most days.