Hi Housemates,

Hope you’re well and have all had a good week?

Today marks eight weeks of the blog – can you believe it?!

I’ve dabbled in and out of blogging for years, but never really found my “thing” – instead, just sporadically putting out content whenever something inspired me to write.

However, with SSS, it’s been so rewarding to be able to shine a light on some of the businesses I love the most, and the feedback from you guys has just been the cherry on the cake – so thank you!

Now, without further ado, here’s this week’s “Save, Spend, Splurge”.

SAVE

Clinisept + Aftercare spray

Price: £15.00

Where to buy: Mortar & Milk

Despite my best efforts, I just cannot get on top of these mask-related breakouts. Every time one spot starts to calm down, another one appears and it’s really getting me down.

Last week, I sat in on an Instagram live with skin guru Pam Marshall, of Fulham-based clinic Mortar & Milk, who mentioned that she recommends Clinisept+ to clients with problem skin.

Clinisept+ is a medical disinfectant, used in hospitals and similar sterile settings, that contains antibacterial properties.

She explained that the warm, moist environment created by wearing a mask encourages all kinds of bacteria to permeate the skin and subsequently cause a spot, so this little miracle product – which comes in a handy, easy-to-use, spray bottle meaning you can spritz on the go – tackles that head on and she’s had some truly amazing results with some of the worst affected skin.

You can buy Clinsept+ directly through the Mortar & Milk website, and while it’s a little over the £10 “Save” cap, at this point I’m willing to try anything!

SPEND

Jodie Fern Jewellery 18K gold-plated hammered ring

Price: £45

Where to buy: Jodie Fern Jewellery

Buy less, choose well, make it last.

A famous quote from Vivienne Westwood that Warwickshire-jeweller, Jodie Fern Blackwell, posted recently and it’s really stuck with me.

Rightly or wrongly we live in a fast-fashion world, but I think the majority of us probably know and feel we need to do more to implement some kind of sustainability into our spending habits.

While I’m still working on it on the fashion/clothing front, jewellery is one area that I’ve found it really easy to make a conscious effort to shop more sustainably.

As I’ve said on this blog before, when it comes to jewellery, I’m a huge fan of anything vintage/bespoke/recycled, and that’s exactly Jodie’s niche.

All of her jewellery is made from recycled silver or plated in 18K recycled gold, making it the ultimate sustainable purchase.

I’ve been looking to invest in a few everyday gold rings for a while now, and so asked Jodie to make this gorgeous piece for me, which I also had plated in gold.

Everything is handcrafted and the detail that goes into her jewellery literally blows my mind!

This is my second piece from Jodie (and I may have another few on the way, oops) and the quality really is second to none, so if you’re looking for simple, beautiful, sustainable jewellery, she’s your girl!

SPLURGE

LOOKFANTASTIC x ESPA Limited Edition Beauty Box

Price: £60

Where to buy: Lookfantastic

While technically this purchase falls into the “Splurge” category, I can’t explain just how much of a bargain this LOOKFANTASTIC x ESPA beauty box is.

As a rule, I tend to stay away from beauty boxes/beauty subscriptions etc as I never think they offer much bang for your buck, so to speak. In the past I’ve actually found it ends up costing you more as they, more often than not, contain travel/smaller sizes of the products.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll already know how much I love ESPA products, so when this limited edition Lookfantastic x ESPA collab box popped up I wanted to know more – and was quite surprised to read that the box contained either full sized or deluxe sized products.

With six full sized products promised, and an RRP of £125, I was expecting to see a pretty hefty price tag, however, it came in at just £60 – a huge £65 saving.

The box arrived beautifully packaged, as always with anything ESPA, and the contents are a carefully curated collection of the most gorgeous, scrummy hair, skin and body treatments.

What you get:

–          Optimal Skin Pro-Cleanser (100ml) – worth £32.00. If you’re an OG reader, you’ll know that this is my absolute desert island product!

–          Pink Hair & Scalp Mud (55ml) – worth £9.35

–          Overnight Hydration Therapy (55ml) – worth £37.00

–          24-hour Replenishing Moisturiser (30ml) – worth £24.54

–          Optimal Skin Pro-Serum (100ml) – worth £17.00

–          Positivity Bath & Body Oil (15ml) – worth £5.10

Having tried every product myself, I can confirm they are all absolutely divine. In particular, the Overnight Hydration Therapy and the Optimal Skin Pro-Serum are going to be a regular part of my skincare routine as we start moving into the cold season which always brings dry skin for me!

At £60, this is a really good way to treat yourself, try some of the ESPA range for the first time, or even split the box into several little gifts for loved ones if you’re starting to think ahead to Christmas…

(Yes, I just dropped the C-word in August, sorry!)

If you want to see more of my top products and purchases, follow me on Instagram: @charlotteinsquares