5 Hobbies to Take Up During the Pandemic

We've all experienced what a lockdown feels like- endless days of doing nothing. Initially, it was pretty fun and relaxing; being able to do nothing without the guilt usually accompanied by it is another kind of bliss. But, after a while, and after you've binged The Office three times from beginning to end and you start to see life passing you by, it may begin to feel like the walls are closing in on you. A lot of people also started working from home, which means that, along with basically anything being able to be delivered to your doorstep, you literally have no reason to step out of your home, which in many ways isn't healthy. Recent studies have shown a significant rise in the depression under people since the start of the pandemic, partially due to financial issues and also because of a lack of interaction with the outside world. Now might be a good time to try something new while you have all the time in the world - that said, here are five hobbies you can give a go while stuck at home.

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Photography

If you have a camera, this may be something that will tickle your interest and give you something to work towards. Granted, you're at home with nowhere to go, but there is plenty of beauty around you to capture if you just stopped for a second and looked closely. Photography is a fantastic way to freeze a moment in time and show the world your perspective on life. Whether you're taking pictures of the mini-ecosystem in your garden outside, other family members living with you, or even a bowl of fruit on the table, you can express yourself perfectly through a lens. There are plenty of online photography courses you can take to sharpen your knowledge and skills if you want to take it more seriously or even just excel at your hobby while you have the chance - the point is to pick your camera up and unlock a whole new world you never knew existed. Who knows, you might just start to see beauty in things you never even thought to look twice at.

Cooking

This is something that can make a lockdown feel like a holiday every day. Never fancied yourself a cook? How about making a change and discovering a whole new side to yourself you never knew? Cooking is relatively easy; the key is to know which flavor combinations work well with each other. Start by picking your favorite meals to eat and perfecting them one by one. Afterward, you may want to start experimenting with ingredients you've never tried before. Buy a cookbook online, or follow a cooking page on social media and see where it leads you; maybe you have a hidden chef tucked away inside you! If cooking's not your thing, try baking - how great wouldn't it be to always have a freshly baked batch of cookies in the house? Knowing how to cook is a skill that will never be anything but advantageous to you, and you'll always feel prepared when having guests over for dinner.

Music

Are you one of the people who grew up with an instrument in the house but never got around to learning how to play it? Or maybe there's an instrument you've always wanted to be able to play, but you just never had the time to learn it? Now's your chance! Whether you're considering piano, the guitar, or the flute, there are tons of tutorials online that can turn you into a modern-day Mozart in no time. Just think how fast the time will pass if you're able to chill on the couch and jam away on your guitar while learning your favorite songs. Also, if you want to go the extra mile, consider fine-tuning those vocal cords and learning to sing - you'll be a killer combination with your instrument and angelic voice and be able to entertain yourself for hours. If this is something you're keen on attempting, try some singing lessons to learn the basics and wow everyone with your musical abilities. 

Writing

It may sound like effort at first, but jotting down your innermost thoughts and feeling may not only be therapeutic in a way but also fun, seeing as you'll be able to look back on what you wrote years from now and remember the crazy time you lived through a pandemic. Putting Covid-19 aside, try writing about anything that comes to mind; poems, short stories, what you did throughout the day, and how you felt when past things happened in your life. You would be amazed at what it does to your mind's way of processing when putting everything down on paper, and the best part about it is that it might even be good writing! By attempting this new hobby, you might notice a nack you never knew you had. You may even consider remotely writing for an online magazine or blog, which can open a whole host of doors for you professionally.

Art

Almost everyone doodles something on a piece of paper when lost in thought or while on the phone, so why not take it to the next level and actually put some effort into it? You can try drawing, sketching, painting, whatever your heart desires - the best thing about it is the second you've finished, it's already art, and there's never been anything like it before. If you feel like you need some guidelines at first, try researching some handy beginner's tricks to get the ball rolling and see where it leads; before you know it, your entire house will be hanging full of beautiful, one-of-a-kind art.

All of the above are hobbies you can start with immediately and are sure-fire time-passers at the least. The best thing about a hobby is that it is personal and can be the one thing you resort to when needing some alone time even long after the pandemic has passed. So start somewhere, try them all if you want to; you might just discover a hidden passion you never knew you had.

*this post contains PR samples and/or a paid for link, Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Evolve Organic Beauty Bio-Retinol + C Booster

If your skin is looking and feeling full and tired, Evolve has just the product you need. I am a huge fan of Evolve as a brand and have featured them a lot on this blog, one of my particular favourites is the the Facial in a Box gift set which gives you a real insight into what the brand can and does have to offer. The product I am sharing today is the Evolve Organic Beauty Bio-Retinol + C Booster.

This oil brings together Vitamin C and Bio-Retinol into what is described as being an innovative cocktail of vitamins and their job is to improve the appearance of dull and tired skin, and provide the nourishment your skin needs to look radiant.

The booster comes packaged inside a dark brown glass bottle and with it is a pipette dropper. The dropper is designed to help you make the application really easily. 

The golden liquid inside, which has very little scent to it, isn’t greasy nor is it tacky, but it is definitely hydrating. Packed with an amazing list of ingredients you will find the following:

• Bakuchiol provides retinol-like behaviours by significantly decreasing wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation whilst improving firmness and elasticity with no irritation. 
• Organic rosehip oil helps to fight signs of ageing and keeps skin nourished and hydrated. 
• Oil-based Vitamin C improves skin radiance without irritation. 
• Sea Buckthorn oil improves skin elasticity and hydration and reduces skin roughness and it is rich in Omega 7, 3 and beta carotene.

This oil is an absolute delight to use and even if you have used a Vitamin C product before and had a slight or even any reaction, with this you should be absolutely fine.

To use this oil, the instructions ask that you apply 1 to 2 drops of the Evolve Beauty Bio Retinol + C Booster onto cleansed skin, or you can mix directly with your moisturiser or serum if it makes life easier with your skincare routine. I have nothing but praise for this bottle of absolute joy and if there was a version for my body, then I would be practically bathing in it. 

What this Booster has done for my skin has improved that dull tired look, the one which leaves you with hydrated and brighter looking skin, all without irritation. 

You can find this Evolve Organic Beauty Bio-Retinol + C Booster for £28 via the Evolve website* or sites such as Feelunique* who happen to have some amazing offers right now!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Kohl Kreatives Mi-Fan Brush - made from rice!

If I told you that a makeup brush brand had created a fan brush made entirely out of rice, as in Rice, would you believe me? Admittedly I thought it was a bit of a leg-pull, but it isn't and it is absolutely true.  Meet Kohl Kreatives Mi-Fan Brush.

Kohl Kreatives is a brand I have featured twice. First with their Flex Collection brushes here and more recently with their Feast Your Eyes collection of brushes here. For me, they are a brand which thinks outside the box and does things that no other brand that I have used, own products from or have seen on my social media do.

Mi-Fan which is said to mean Cooked Rice in Chinese if you are wondering, is a brush like no other I have come across in the way that it is made. This brush is made entirely of processed rice husk, which makes it sustainable and conscious production, something Kohl Kreatives holds dear to their heart. Brand founder Trishna Daswaney states:

"We only use old and disposed of waste to produce out brushes. The Upcycling process is really key in our production process as well as looking after the people who help us to create them"

The Mi Fan brush eliminates plastic altogether, which I have to say impresses me a lot. When rice is produced, the husk is removed, this husk would usually go to waste. It is at this stage that the husk if collected and combined with plant starch to produce a new compound made up of 80% husk and 20% plant starch. This further creates an almost clay like material which can then be moulded and shaped, giving you the Mi Fan brush.

As with the Feast Your Eyes collection, this brush also has a cubed handle, you could say it represents a chopstick, once again this shape ensures the brush doesn't roll when you set it down, it is easy to grip and in keeping with the brands ethos, not only is it easy to use for those with motor disabilities, it has a raised QR code which leads to the brands audio guide, so if you have a sight impairment, you can hear just how to use this brush.

The fan brush, which is perfect for that subtle dust of highlighter, for using to apply your face mask or even for baking your makeup, is incredibly easy to use.  

Priced at just £8.99 it won't break the bank and all the proceeds from all sales go towards our charity Kohl Kares providing free workshops for a variety communities ranging from transgender and, cancer care support, as well as those with motor and visual disabilities. Find out more from Kohl Kreatives right here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum Collection

Alpha-H are celebrating 16 years at QVC this April, a partnership which has given us all the chance see this family brand evolve, change and become what it is today. It is rare that I come across someone who has not heard of Liquid Gold in relation to Alpha-H which I think is quite remarkable.

Alpha-H is a brand I feature on my blog a lot, I adore everything about it from its humble beginnings in the garage of Michelle Doherty 26 years ago, to the story behind Liquid Gold, the newer product launches I have been lucky enough to test and try, essentially, you could say I am an Alpha-Holic, an affectionate term describing fans of the brand. 

To celebrate the 16th Anniversary, QVC will be offering a limited edition Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum collection.  This collection is made up of three products.  The first product is an industry first and one I shared right here on my blog.  The formula of the Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum combines two of skincare's most efficacious ingredients with 14% Glycolic Acid and 1% Granactive Retinoid (Vitamin A) and they are quite the combination because these two ingredients shouldn't be friends, but they absolutely are in this serum. Together, alongside the likes of Australian Tazman Pepper which helps to reduce the overall appearance of redness and Ferulic Acid with its potent antioxidant properties acting as a safeguard against free-radical damage, work to target pigmentation, dullness, uneven texture, congestion, diminished elasticity and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles – all without irritating the skin!

Then we have the absolute classic that is Liquid Gold, a product which needs little introduction. which is described as being a powerful night-time resurfacing treatment, works to tighten and revitalise tired, ageing skin as well as helping to radically improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, open pores and acne-prone skin conditions. It is packed full of amazing ingredients such as Liquorice which helps combat acne and hyperpigmentation and Glycolic Acid (derived from sugar cane) to jump-start the skin's metabolism - refining its texture by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, so they're sloughed away.

The third and final product is a 15ml tube of the Liquid Gold Ultimate Perfecting Mask. Marketed as being an advanced home peel, it uses Combination Hydroxy Acids with a nourishing base of Squalane, Shea Butter and Fision Hydrate (a moisturiser containing wheat acids and Hyaluronic Acid), together these ingredients work to create deliver immediate and intense long-term hydration to repair the skin's barrier function.  This mask contains 20% Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's) and is the highest percentage home peel that Alpha-H has ever developed. There is also the inclusion of Tazman Pepper which is extracted from the Tazmanian pepper berry and it helps reduce inflammation, tingling and redness in the skin. Designed to be used as a once a week, it is perfect for a treat once a week because essentially it is an at-home peel which doesn't have any downtime so after using, my skin doesn't look or feel sore, it isn't peeling and nor does it look flaky and in worse condition than when I started.

This trio of Liquid Gold products is launching today on QVC (Item number 244434) and it is available until midnight on April 25th as part of an exclusive offer, which as always will be too good to miss.

If you are yet to become a member of the Alpha-holic fan club, then this collection is showing off the best the brand has to offer from its humble beginnings right through to the brand new Midnight Reboot Serum.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.