BEEN TRILL? NAH, JUST ILL

Five days into the new year and I've already been MIA. I wish that I could pretend it was because I got caught up with the merriment of the occasion and the 'newness', but sadly that's not the case. I've been down, out, and back to momma bears for a little TLC to help battle the horrid flu I had caught. Thankfully with a bit of motherly love, a lot of liquids and an absurdly long Keeping Up With The Kardashians marathon I've made it out alive. But there are a few beauty products that were absolute life-savers when it came to coping with this virus, and they definitely deserve an honorable mention – I mean we've basically been bff's the past week. 

The flu has this nasty habit of draining every last ounce of moisture from your body. I've been combating this issue two ways: drinking lots of water/tea/anything fluid, and restoring my skin with moisture-packed products. For tea I've been turning to cold 911, one of the loose leaf tea's found in my David's Tea David's Top 12 gift set – it's caffeine free and packed with peppermint, juniper, and citrus to soothe. I'm not going to pretend that it was the cure, but it certainly made my throat feel more comfortable and was delicious to sip on while watching those Kardashian girls – plus the lack of caffeine meant I could sip at all hours. I was also, at all hours (and on repeat), applying cream to my poor red nose, layering lip balm on my chapped lips, and replenishing my hands from over-washing. For my nose I turned to the Aveeno Fresh Essentials Hydrating Night Cream, being the thickest cream in my vanity I knew it would work wonders – when applied it stung slightly, but also instantly rid my nose of flakes. My lips were healed with my favourite lip balm, the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, which also provided an intense minty scent that worked nearly as well as Vicks VapoRub at clearing my sinuses. And the Royal Apothic Hand Cream in Holland Park remained my go-to after washing my hands, which I did incessantly. There is absolutely nothing worse than feeling dry and chapped, so it has been essential to have these 'flu-saviors' within arms length all week.

I also found myself bored, which lead to frequent showers. But who can blame me? Nothing feels better than lingering in the shower, letting the hot steam open your airways. Which also gave me ample time to treat my hair with my Bumble and Bumble Créme de Coco Masque – a hair mask I can't seem to shut up about. I may have looked worse for wear but my hair was soft and full of shine. I also cured my boredom with a stellar hour of removing my shellac manicure (note the sarcasm), followed by a full at-home manicure featuring Shine For Me, a new shade released by OPI for their 50 Shades Of Grey Collection. This polish is so unexpectedly beautiful – a shimmering silver base with small blue and purple hex glitter. I may not have read the novel, however I'm sure if I had I'd be telling you that this polish makes me wet... Too far?

I wouldn't wish this illness on anyone, not even an enemy, but it seems to be spreading quickly so be prepared! 

What helps you get past the flu?

AM¥     XO