Check out the video I linked (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSbIegi0f38) for the full story, but I'm including mini-reviews here for people who can't! You may still want to check out the video for Part 2 because it covers the international giveaway of the winning sunscreen!
I've been testing sunscreens for the better part of three years, trying to find that elusive combo of next-gen organic ("chemical") filters and elegant texture. I try to avoid drying alcohol and fragrance whenever possible, and I have extremely sensitive eyes, so that colors a lot of my reviews. I have combination skin (oily t-zone, especially in the summer, but my cheeks and chin are dry as hell) and I live in a very cold, dry climate (Northern Alberta)
THE WORST
42) TONYMOLY BCDation Multi-Use Sun Oil SPF 50+/PA++++
Filters: Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate, Uvinul A-PlusThis utterly fails as a sunscreen- it's an oil that advertises needing "just one magic drop" to provide sunscreen coverage, which is a dangerous lie. You'd need at least one milliliter to get the coverage advertised, and when I tried to put a full milliliter of oil on my face, the results were... not pretty. Also has rose essential oil in it, and I hate rose perfume.
41) LaRoche-Posay Anthelios XL Dry-Touch Gel Cream SPF 60/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Mexoryl XL (0.5% Boooo!)This was absolutely disgusting. Stank like poisonous robot farts, stung my eyes unmercifully, pills everywhere so it's useless under makeup, and worst of all it has a whitecast! There's so much silica in it (the "dry-touch") that an all-chemical sunscreen actually has a whitecast. Hilariously, Allure magazine voted it "Best Chemical Sunscreen," proving once and for all that those fuckers don't actually test the products they hype. This belongs in hell, whence it came.
40) Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Suncream SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-PlusThis was nicely moisturizing, no whitecast, didn't sting my eyes, but it did BURN ALL OF MY FACE. I'm pretty sure it's the pine essential oil in it, which is on me for not catching it on the ingredients list. It also behaved really oddly with a makeup primer (the Milk makeup Hydrogrip), which caused the sunscreen to peel off my face in a filmy, mebranous layer. So weird.NOTE: I'm not worried about this sunscreen and the rest of the 2020 releases from Korea only having two filters, because one of them is Tinosorb S, which works really well at low concentrations.
39) Canmake Mermaid Skin UV Gel SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Octinoxate, TiO2, Uvinul A-PlusGoes on really nice, feels lightly moisturizing, plus makes for a great makeup primer. Slight white cast. Then, midway through the day, it causes a sweeping wave of dehydration that sucks every last drop of moisture out of my face. I've scoured Reddit for reviews to find that I'm not the only person who has this problem with it. As my skin is naturally dry, this is intolerable. I actually bought a second bottle of the stuff just to see if I'd gotten a bad batch the first time. Alas, no.
38) Altruist Sunscreen SPF 30/UVA-PF 39Filters: Avobenzone, Octisalate, Ensulizole, Octocrylene, Tinosorb S, Tinosorb A2B, Uvinul T-150This may be a controversial opinion amongst sunscreen nerds, but FUCK THIS SHIT. First impressions: slight whitecast, pills horribly, but at least it doesn't sting my eyes, right? NO. 15-30 mins after applying it (if you apply it anywhere higher on your face than your *chin*) it burrows into your eyes and lays eggs. Then the eggs hatch. The eggs are made of PAIN. I had to literally claw this off my face to get it to stop burning my eyes. The only virtue of this sunscreen is that it's cheap.
37) Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50+/UVA-PF 54Filters: Avobenzone, Octisalate, Ensulizole, Octocrylene, Tinosorb S, Tinosorb A2B, Uvinul T-150See #38 for details. This is the same, but worse. I ranked it slightly higher because it has higher protection and is also cheap. I had a hard time using this up on my body because it pills there too. Blech.
36) Garnier Ombrelle Complete Lightweight Lotion SPF 60/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Mexoryl XL, Mexoryl SXIt stinks, it pills, it stings my eyes. Total chore to use it up, even on my body. Ranked at the top of the Worst because it makes use of two next-gen chemical filters, and it's cheap.
THE BAD
35) Country&Stream Honey UV Water Gel SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: ZnO, TiO2, Octinoxate, Uvinul A-Plus, Tinosorb SSticky, and expensive for not very much (45 ml) and it's hard to get ahold of, apparently even in Japan. The worst part, though, is the fragrance. I assume it would smell like honey. I WAS WRONG. It reeks of lemon pledge, and the smell does NOT go away. I don't want to smell like I'm cleaning my floors.
34) Avene Very High Protection Cream (Fragrance-Free)Filters: Tinosorb M, Tinosorb S, Uvasorb HEB, AvobenzoneDecent texture, moisturizing, sinks into the skin easily. Stings my eyes (avobenzone! Aughhh!) but the real issue is the whitecast. This has so much Tinosorb M in it that the whitecast rivals that of an all-mineral sunscreen. Gives me total undead vibes.
33) Vichy Ideal Soleil Dry-Touch Lotion SPF 60/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Mexoryl XL (0.5% Boooo!)Vichy is owned by L'Oreal Brands, (as are LaRoche-Posay and Garnier) and this has the exact same formula as #41. However, there are some serious differences between all three products in this review that have the same formula. This version is better than the LRP because it's less stinky and doesn't pill. It does, however, have an even stronger whitecast (how??) and still stings my eyes. I'm grumpy with L'Oreal because they hold the patents to the Mexoryl sunscreen filters, which are really good- and yet they don't ever seem to use them, especially not at higher concentrations. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
32) Innisfree Aqua Water Drop Sunscreen. SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150I initially purchased a version of this that was discontinued, so I got the updated version, which is what I'm reviewing here. The OG version of this sunscreen didn't have Octinoxate, which was rare for an asian sunscreen. It also had some citrus extract, probably for fragrance purposes, but it didn't irritate my skin, so whatever. This version put Octinoxate in! They took out the Avobenzone, but then added a bunch of stuff that stings my eyes. Plus there's a new fragrance that's really strong. The texture of this sunscreen is nothing like what I'm used to with Korean sunscreens- before it was greasy and sticky, now it's just extra greasy. Reformulations are supposed to be an improvement, Innisfree!
31) Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence SPF(?)/PA(?)Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150This sunscreen probably has lower levels of effectiveness than what is advertised because it is made in the same factory (NOWCOS) as the Purito and Banobagi sunscreens (which come later in the rankings). However, I would've given it a low rating anyway because of the fact that some brain donor at Klairs decided the best thing to put into a sunscreen would be a citrus essential oil. This is one of the stupidest things ever. Why? Because citrus essential oils contain chemicals called psoralens (or furanocoumarins) which absorb the suns UVA rays, go into the cells of your skin, irreversibly bind to their DNA and KILL THEM, leading to all manner of nasty complications including phytophotodermatitis (google with a strong stomach) and melanoma. MELANOMA. Sweet orange oil has *fewer* psoralens than bergamot oil, the worst offender, but it still has them. Someone started a rumor that it doesn't and I'd like to slap them silly. I can link sources if anyone needs them. Anyway, just on the principle of "don't put PHOTOTOXIC CHEMICALS into something that is supposed to be sun-protective" this is a complete fail. It does have a nice texture, though, so maybe they'll reformulate with no fragrance and more filters? We can but hope.
30) Bioderma Photoderm MAX Milk SPF 50+/UVA-PF 42Filters: Avobenzone, Octocrylene, Tinosorb S, Tinosorb MAnother potentially controversial opinion, but this stuff sucks. It's got great protection, but so what? It burns my eyes like hellfire and it has a whitecast, probably from the Tinosorb M.
THE MEH
29) Garnier Ombrelle Face Anti-Shine Cream SPF 60/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Mexoryl XL (0.5% Boooo!)This is the third of the L'Oreal brand sunscreens with the exact same formula, and definitely the best. Unlike #41 and #33, it actually does what it advertises: mattifies. This sunscreen is amaaaaaazing for mattifying and pore-blurring. It's better than most silicone primers I've tried. The issues are, of course, the eye-stinging, the whitecast, and the stink (this is the second stinkiest of the three). However, it lies beautifully under makeup and doesn't pill at all. I wouldn't ever recommend this as an everyday sunscreen, but if you wear makeup and need to mattify certain areas like the T-zone, this would be perfect for that. I found it to not be dehydrating, but it will accentuate any dry or flaky patches of skin.
28) Derma Sun Lotion SPF 50/UVA-PF 16+Filters: Tinosorb S Lite Aqua, Uvasorb HEB, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150This is a product of Denmark, and I thought because it had only 2nd gen chemical filters it would be perfect. LOL NO. It still managed to sting my eyes, though less so than other sunscreens. (Maybe the different version of Tinosorb S? I know it irritates some peoples' skin...) The main problem is that it is so shiny IT CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE. Not greasy, just shiny. Insanely so.
27) Ultrasun Face Anti-Aging Gel SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Octisalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, TiO2Feels nice when applied, but it has a whitecast, and while it's advertised as water and sweat-resistant, it sweat right the hell off my face during a very slow-moving nature walk. What the hell? It never dries down completely. Also pretty expensive for just 50 mL.
26) Isehan Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Octocrylene, Octinoxate, Uvinul A-PlusNo whitecast, water-resistant, but really stung my eyes. I found the texture to be very moisturizing and pleasant. Took a little long to dry down. It is fragranced, but the scent is barely noticeable. My main issue with this is that you only get 30 mL. If this were advertised as a sunscreen specifically to travel with, okay, but that doesn't seem to be the case. WHAT IS THIS, A SUNSCREEN FOR ANTS???
25) Bioderma Photoderm MAX Family Milk SPF 50+/UVA-PF 42Filters: Homosalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Tinosorb S, OctisalateA much-improved version of the regular Photoderm MAX. This has no whitecast at all! It does however, burn my eyes like crazy (Homosalate, grr!), is ridiculously shiny, and it devours any makeup, so it's useless on the face for me. What I actually recommend this for is use outdoors on the body. It doesn't sweat off easily, and the excessive shine looks great on my collarbones and on top of my boobs, on my legs, etc. Also it comes in a gigantic 250 mL tube, so the price works out to be pretty good. Great body sunscreen *especially* for people with dark skin.
24) Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Homosalate, Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Octisalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Polysilicone-15I had such high hopes for this! No whitecast, and it's very moisturizing, what with the EIGHT molecular weights of HA. Unfortunately, the inclusion of Homosalate guaranteed that it would burn my eyes, which it did. Le sigh. Also, while my skin can handle low-molecular-weight HA, I know a lot of people have trouble with it clogging their pores and causing skin irritation, so be wary of that.
23) Anglamark Sun Face SPF 50/UVA-PF 16+Filters: Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150Looks great on paper, what with the all-next-gen filters. It didn't burn my eyes and it doesn't have a whitecast! Yayyy! Then what's the problem? The texture. It's not the worst in the world, but I just didn't like it. It never really dried down and I could feel it sitting on my skin.
22) SVR Cicavit+ Creme SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Tinosorb S Lite Aqua, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, Uvasorb HEB.Another European sunscreen with all next-gen chemical filters that I thought would be perfect. No whitecast or eye stinging. I didn't like the texture, though- it just wasn't right. Plus there's a weird smell to this. Some people have compared it to almonds, but to me it smells like "generic cleaning product sweetness," which I definitely do not want to be smelling all day. Plus you only get 40 mL and it's not the cheapest.
21) Isehan Kiss Me Mommy! UV Aqua Milk SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Octinoxate, Uvinul A-PlusIt's waterproof, doesn't have a white cast, and didn't sting my eyes despite the octinoxate (This only seems to be a thing with Japanese sunscreens). However, the texture was kind of unpleasant, much heavier and greasier than the Japanese sunscreens I'm used to.
20) Aderma Protect Cream Very High Protection (Fragrance-Free) SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Avobenzone, Uvinul A-PlusYET ANOTHER Euro sunscreen with pretty good filters that didn't quite hit the mark. There's a very, very faint whitecast that goes away quickly, plus minimal eye stinging that also faded away. It leaves a nice, dewy sheen on the skin rather than sitting there heavily. But at 40 mL, it's another sunscreen for ants, and at 65 cents (USD) per milliliter, it's the most expensive sunscreen on this list! Aderma makes value-sized sunscreens, but not for this one. Weird.
19) Verdio UV Moisture Gel SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Octinoxate, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, TiO2Decent, but kind of greasy/heavy in terms of texture. It's water and sweat-resistant, not -proof. Very faint whitecast. Didn't sting eyes. Just wish I liked the finish of it better.
18) New Layer High Performance Sunscreen SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Tinosorb S, Uvasorb HEB, Ensulizole, Octisalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150I pretty much loved this sunscreen with one reservation: the fragrance. It has a very strong "refreshing sea-breeze" scent that I find overpowering and it doesn't go away, either. Aside from that, it's got great filters, no whitecast, is waterproof, doesn't sting my eyes, and has a very light, pleasant texture. Seems expensive at first glance, but since you get 200 mL, it works out to a pretty low price. I BEG OF YOU, NEW LAYER, MAKE A FRAGRANCE-FREE VERSION AND I WILL PUT IT IN THE TOP 5 OF MY NEXT LIST.THE GOOD
17) Biore UV Kids' Milk (old version) SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Octinoxate, Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150It's got pretty much everything: no whitecast, no eye stinging (again despite the Octinoxate), a beautiful texture, waterproof, and you get a ton of product (90 mL). Why is it ranked so low? BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DISCONTINUED. SOB. Biore has replaced this with an all-mineral version. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The old version (just discontinued this year) is still available around the internet, so that's why it's on the list at all. Old bottles will be good for at least another year, so get your hands on it before it disappears forever.
16) Purito Green Level Centella Unscented Sun SPF 16-19(?)/PA+++(?)Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150Everyone in this subreddit has probably heard the story: sunscreen with no whitecast, no eye-stingery, no silicones, great texture, high protection from only next-gen chemical filters turns out to be too good to be true, internet erupts. The original ranking for this sunscreen was at #6, in the "Great" tier of products for all of the reasons stated above. Controversy time: I STILL THINK THIS PRODUCT HAS VALUE. Yes, it sucks that the SPF is much lower than originally rated (great filters, but the concentration is too low), but that doesn't mean people should throw out any remaining tubes. This sunscreen was never advertised to be waterproof or sweatproof, or for use in outdoor sports. I always used it for when I'm mostly indoors and go out for just a few minutes at a time. It still works for that. SPF 16 isn't nothing. It's 93% UV coverage. The texture was the reason for the high rating and it's why this sunscreen is still good enough to be in the Good tier. Dermatologists have a saying that "the best sunscreen is the one you'll actually wear," and this one is one of the most wearable. So my recommendation is use it as a light-coverage, indoor sunscreen (perfect for winter time!) and use something stronger if you'll be out in the sun at peak times doing strenuous physical activity. Or, if you have a powerful face sunscreen that stings your eyes, this would be perfect for around the eye area. I'll be curious to see what Purito does going forward!
15) Banobagi Milk Thistle Repair Sunscreen SPF(?)/PA(?)Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150Same as #16 (made in the same factory as the Purito and the Klairs) except that I find the texture to be even better. It's wonderfully light, moisturizing, and soothing on the skin. I wore this on my (indoor!) wedding day and it sits beautifully under makeup. Don't throw it out if you've got it- just be wary of using it outdoors!
14) Omuchi's Nothing to Hide Sunscreen SPF 50/UVA-PF 16Filters: Tinosorb S, Neo Heliopan APA product of Finland, this would be great for anyone who lives in the EU and wants something as cheap and abundant (100 mL tubes) as that Altrusist garbage. The filters here are first-class, both broad-spectrum, and this has no whitecast and doesn't sting my eyes. The ingredients list is heavy on the emollients: shea butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil. Surprisingly, this was not greasy, and had more of a satin finish. It's a bit heavy, but not too bad. Not the easiest to get ahold of outside the EU.
13) Garnier Ombrelle Face Ultra-Light Cream SPF 60/UVA 20+Filters: TiO2, Avobenzone, Octocrylene, Mexoryl XL, Mexoryl SXA western (Canadian) sunscreen that doesn't suck! Hallelujah! Despite the Avobenzone, it was only minimally stinging to my eyes, and despite the TiO2, the whitecast was minimal. What amazed me was 1) how moisturizing it is. This sunscreen is packed with glycerin, which is amazing for the wintertime, but can make your nose and forehead shiny by the end of the day unless you mattify, and 2) it's the only sunscreen I've ever seen where L'Oreal uses both Mexoryl filters at decent concentrations, meaning the UVA protection is stellar. Check this out if you want good protection that comes with a hefty dose of healing, protective moisture.
12) Hyggee Relief Sun Moisturizer SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-PlusAs stated previously, I'm not unnerved by this latest crop of Korean sunscreens with only two filters, because one of them, Tinosorb S, works really well at very low concentrations. This is a pretty good sunscreen: no whitecast, no eyestinging, moisturizing. The only downsides are that it's pricey and a bit hard to find, and it sits more heavily on the skin that I would usually like. Turns out it's very nice for the winter, though.
11) EVY Sunscreen Mousse SPF 50/UVA-PF 16+Filters: Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150This is an aerosolized mousse from Sweden, with a very light texture and no whitecast. Also highly water-resistant. The problems are two-fold: the vast quantities of Avobenzone sting my eyes like nobody's business and it's ludicrously hard to purchase outside the EU. I found two websites that ship outside the EU and one of them mandates that you purchase SIX TUBES at a time. No thank you, as this stuff isn't cheap.
10) Frezyderm Second Skin Sunscreen SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20+Filters: Octocrylene, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Uvinul A-PlusThis sunscreen does sting my eyes, though not too badly. It's texture, though, is nothing short of amazing. It's like a gorgeous silicone primer that gives a velvety feel to the skin. Did I mention that it goes on TRANSLUCENT??? Because it does. Comes out of the pump with a very faint yellow tint that blends away. If you have dark skin and want a sunscreen that absolutely won't look ashy on you, this is the one! It's also water-resistant. Made for a day on the beach in Greece. The packaging isn't the most environmentally-friendly and it's a bit pricey, but worth it for the texture and lack of whitecast.
9) Uriage Bariesun Fragrance-Free SPF 50+/UVA-PA 20+Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, Tinosorb S, Octinoxate, OctisalateI really wanted to love this- it has a texture closer to a Japanese or Korean sunscreen than a French one. No whitecast, goes on light and airy, pleasantly moisturizing. Unfortunately it has Octinoxate in concentration high enough to give me the eye-stabs, so it's a no-go. Freaking tragic.
8) Evermere Cosmetics Moist-Tec UV Gel SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, OctinoxateI'll say it right away: this sunscreen has the best texture I've ever encountered. Truly beautiful, it manages to be light but also deeply moisturizing. The best analogy I have is that this is like little kawaii raindrops bursting all over your face while they sing happy little songs of moisturization. Unfortunately, the relationship had to end in tears, literally, because it's got a lot of Octinoxate in it, which makes me cry. I almost don't care. Maybe I should use this plus the Purito for my eyes? Anyway, amazing texture aside, it has no whitecast, but it's also very difficult to purchase outside Japan. Totally worth it, though.
7) Keep Cool and Soothe Bamboo Sun Essence SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Uvinul A-Plus, Tinosorb SAnother really good sunscreen from the class of 2020, this sunscreen has a lovely, if slightly heavy texture. The birch juice and other botanicals do contribute to a soothing sensation on the skin. Only real downsides are the price and the packaging. Because of the way the tube is structured, it can't stand up without falling over every 5 minutes, which I found extremely annoying. Otherwise, it's a solid choice- as long as you don't try to use it for strenuous outdoor activities.
6) Anessa Perfect UV Mild Milk (2020 version) SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: ZnO, TiO2, Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150Now here's a sunscreen that absolutely *is* rated for outdoor sports! This does not budge throughout the day and it definitely requires a 2-step cleanse at night to take it off. It has a gorgeous finish, with a satin-matte texture and a noticeable pore-blurring effect on the skin. Doesn't dry out my skin any further, but will accentuate any dry or flaky patches. It does have a whitecast that *almost* entirely disappears, but not completely. I love it under makeup because it mattifies my shiny t-zone and blurs the look of my pores. It is really freakin expensive, though, and that plus the whitecast made me like it, but not love it.
THE GREAT
5) Ultrasun Extreme Sensitive Skin SPF 50+/UVA-PF 20/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Octisalate, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, TiO2Apparently this sunscreen is made for use on the body rather than the face, but I didn't notice. It has a similar texture (light with a hint of greasiness that dries down) to the other Ultrasun product I reviewed, but unlike that one, this doesn't sweat off! It's great for outdoor activities! Works well under makeup, too. The only downside is a light whitecast from the Tinosorb M and TiO2, but it dies down almost completely after a few minutes. Plus, you get 100 mL for less than half the price of the Ultrasun Face Anti-Aging Gel, which is 50 mL. TWICE THE PRODUCT FOR HALF THE PRICE.
4) Verdio UV Moisture Milk SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: ZnO, TiO2, Uvinul A-Plus, OctinoxateYes yes, this is another sunscreen for ants (36 mL) but hear me out! It's rated for outdoor sports, and unless you're an athlete, you won't need to use this as often as you would a regular sunscreen. I like this one for traveling as well, because it's so small and the tube is squared off at both ends so it fits into a bag really easily. It doesn't sting my eyes, despite the Octinoxate, and has a whitecast that disappears so quickly I always think I hallucinated it. It's lightly moisturizing and gives the skin a pleasant glow. It's true strength, though is in how water- and sweat-proof this is. I used it to spend two days working outdoors in 43 C weather with like, 8 million percent humidity and it did not budge *at all.* It helped keep my makeup on all day, and I'm pretty sure that the combination of soothing botanicals calmed down some acne that I had. Also, this is like, 10 *Canadian* dollars right now on dokodemo, so it's something that could be purchased in bulk. I'm on my second bottle of the stuff because I like traveling with it so much.
3) Rohto Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Milk SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: ZnO, Uvinul A-Plus, OctinoxateIt's a classic for a reason! I love this sunscreen so very much that I've followed it across multiple repackagings. It's moisturizing, but not greasy, has no whitecast, despite its zinc-based formula, and no eye-stinging despite the Octinoxate. I find it to be pretty water and sweat-resistant, too (it's rated for outdoor sports). It's only 40 mL, but because it's so ubiquitous and cheap (even in the benighted west) that I don't really care. Some people have expressed concern about the UVA protection because of the way this sunscreen photographs with one of those UV cameras. HOWEVER, the primary filter here (highest concentration) is zinc oxide, which in addition to covering the entire UV spectrum DOES NOT PHOTOGRAPH WELL UNDER SUNSCREEN CAMERAS. No mineral filters do. According to Lab Muffin Beauty Science, the only thing those cameras can reliably show is where on your face the sunscreen is. So use this without fear! Or at least, without excessive fear.
2) P20 Suncare for Kids SPF 50+/UVA-PF 50+Filters: Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Tinosorb A2B, Uvinul A-Plus, Uvinul T-150, OctisalateWow, what a combination of filters. This is the only truly high-protection sunscreen on the list that doesn't suck. Not sure what dark wizard skills the formulators used to make something so stuffed with filters that its UVA score jumps the 50 hurdle, that *also* has a nice texture, but they did. It has a faint whitecast that disappears almost immediately, and doesn't sting my eyes. Plus it's designed to be worn for 10 hours at a stretch, or 3 hours in the water. It goes on a little greasy and heavy, but that dies down too and leaves a beautiful, dewy sheen on the skin. It's kind of hard to get outside the EU; I used Amazon UK. I'm definitely going to repurchase this for days when I'm recovering from a chemical peel.And now we come to...
THE BEST
1) B-LAB i am sorry just suncream SPF 50+/PA++++Filters: Tinosorb S, Uvinul A-PlusA dark horse contender, I just spotted this on Jolse.com and thought it looked really nice. Boy was I right. This has a texture that comes pretty close to the Evermere sunscreen, but it doesn't sting my eyes! No whitecast, either. It's very light and elegant, but also moisturizing and glowy, WHILE ALSO MATTIFYING OILY AREAS. Yes, that's right, this sunscreen is a genuine C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER, perfectly evening out combination skin. I love it under makeup, I love it by itself. It sparks joy. Would I use this for outdoor sports? No. But I don't do outdoor sports every day, or even most days. Plus, it's almost always on sale on Jolse. I paid $7 for it. My recommendation is to try it once, and if you like it (and I suspect you will) to wait for a sale and buy it in bulk. This is the *perfect* everyday sunscreen, and thus, it gets the crown.
I'm giving away a tube of this wonderful stuff, and if you're interested, just go to Part 2 (linked in the description bar of this video) the instructions are there. This is an international giveaway, so no matter where you live, I'll find a way to get it to you! Thanks for reading/watching!

On mobile, sorry in advance for format issues. I’ll try to fix when I have access. Also, thank you guys so much for the awards! I feel Reddit-validated 🥰
Hello, fellow smellows! I made my first post in this sub a little over a year ago after a friend introduced me to indies. Since then, trying and investing in perfume has become a full-fledged hobby of mine, and I’m still enjoying trying out new scents/combinations each month. I started my scent journey by delving into the Hexennacht collection, and DANG was I impressed. The thing about me is that when I find something I like, I commit to it. Hard. That, friends of every and no gender, is the background of the story of how AllTheCake tried the vast majority of the scents in the Hexennacht collection. And now, I’m passing my savings down to YOU. (Don’t get me wrong, though - I’m still definitely a newbie nose and I have no idea what I’m doing.
After taking extensive notes over the span of a year+, I’ve finally decided to be brave and post my thoughts regarding these scents, and I think I’m going to start with the scents I’ve tried falling between the letters A and C because HOLY shit, there’s like 30+ smells in those alone. I’ve never done reviews of...anything before, really, so I’ll be doing my best to condense and simplify my convoluted rating structure in noting how I feel about them because...god I wrote so much. Quick warning: I ramble and cuss. A lot. If either of those is a review dealbreaker, you may want to skip this series. ALSO, keep in mind that these reviews are based on my skin chemistry - shit’s fickle. Finally, I’m not being sponsored to write these. I’m just a crazy person who committed way too hard.
Last minute: I’m all over gourmands, spices, ambers, and cream/milk while being completely not into grape, super clean smells, heavy citrus, and niche atmospherics like motor oil, weed, etc. Fruit/berries and musks tend to be in, heavy florals tend to be out, greens and aquatics are touch and go, but everything has their exceptions. LET’S GO.

• Alexandrite (Incense, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, plum, strawberry, dark patchouli, oudh): What better way to see what berry notes work on you than to try ALL OF THEM AT ONCE. The incense is immediate with a twinge of white smoke, but the berries are of course more prominent. Thankfully, it never got strong enough to hit what I call The Headache Threshold, which is what happens when some fruit notes are WAY too much for me. I appreciate the incense sticking around to negate some of the big sweetness (the title of my next album). The blackberry and strawberry showed up first. The raspberry kicked in a bit later and mixed nicely, but when the blueberry started to strengthen halfway through my work day, I was SUPER excited because apparently I really like blueberry. I think the plum may have played a more subtle role, and I only briefly smelled a smidge of patchouli near the end of the scent’s lifecycle, which was a pleasant undertone. Make no mistake, this is absolutely more fruit-forward than anything, and it is a heady sweet at the beginning, but this is summery as fuck, and I really like it. Verdict: Full sized, fruitilicious
  
• All Soul’s Night: Short and sweet review here. Roasting marshmallows over a campfire from wet to dry and everything between! The strength of the smoke element of this takes it to another level...you can really smell the embers and burn from the wood. At the same time, the marshmallow never shies away from the foreground, so it’s a great mix. Like Marshmallow Fireside from B&BW except more realistic and way better, in my opinion. This is a forever favorite. Verdict: Full sized, full size forever.
  
• Amityville (Pumpkin pecan waffles, pumpkin brûlée, marshmallow, sugar cookie, vanilla bean noel, salted caramel popcorn balls) : So sweet Ready-to-eat-my-wrists sweet. The waffles and the popcorn balls lead the way right off the bat with this...smells very much like I’ve gone to the state fair and am indulging in everything fried and bad for me, which is very much a me move. (I tried deep fried Oreos for the first time recently and now nobody can stop me.) I could absolutely see others describing this as cloying because it really doesn’t mess around with the sugar, but I think it’s great. My sweet tooth is massive, so...take that with a grain of salt. The caramel strengthens on the dry down, but the waffle scent sticks around as the strongest note for sure. It’s nice because the popcorn helps it keep the smell buttery but not enough to overwhelm. After several hours, I get nice warm sugar cookies fresh from the oven. I can’t say I ever really got the pumpkin brûlée...there may have been a bit of a bite in the background? Still, fantastic gourmand, but be careful because this will make you want to eat through your pantry. I want sugar cookies now, but I’m dieting. Life is unfair. Verdict: Full sized, threatening to my stomach
  
• Amortentia (white chocolate, raspberry cordial, rose petals): I’m getting the oddest combination of vague rose and sweet peanut butter when I put this on, which is the most confusing thing, considering there’s 0 peanut butter here. Maybe it’s the white chocolate? Is my nose broken? After a couple hours, the white chocolate formerly known as Peanut Butter forcibly drags the raspberry cordial behind it, which it then shoves into the forefront to take center stage whether it likes it or not. It went from something very strange to raspberries dipped in weird white chocolate with someone kind of lightly trickling down rose petals in the background, which isn’t that bad of a mix! The result is mild and sweet, and it strikes me as a spring gourmand...that said, after two tries, I think this is fine but wouldn’t be something I’d actively grab for. Verdict: Sample, very much like the Jif Berry Blend PB from the late 90s
  
• Apparition (Spectral amber, alabaster vanilla, bone-white woods): The internet really lives for this one, huh? Getting big Loup-Garou vibes from this when applied...I’m guessing it uses the same white amber note, which isn’t a bad thing. The amber and woods are really the stars of the show here, and they are bright! I feel so much fancier than I really am in this as I sit around in a tee shirt and capris. The vanilla makes its appearance about 15 minutes in, and the just-there sweetness that it brings is really pleasant! This one sat for a while to get this effect, but I’m a much bigger fan than I though I’d be. Verdict: Full size, chilli vanilli
  
• Arsenic (Chai, pumpkin puree, buttercream, vanilla cookies, powdered sugar): Pumpkin purée and chai come out first which is a lovely sweet and spicy combo! It has the same sort of air as Chai-mallow at the first go-round, which I like a lot. As it starts to dry down, the buttercream pops out more and mellows the chai a bit, which adjusts the scent profile to a more normal gourmand-y smell. The pumpkin and buttercream stick around the most on dry down...it’s interesting because to my nose, this seems to transform from a pumpkin chai cookie to a nice pumpkin roll cake sprinkled in powdered sugar...subtle transition, but pleasant. It’s familiar but new, and I really like it. Verdict: Full size, ready to bake
  
• Aziraphale (Marshmallow-topped hot cocoa, rice, wool, crepes, leather-bound antique books, and old, wooden bookshelves): Skin chemistry is a really bonkers thing. I don’t know if it was the leather or the wooden shelves or what, but whatever I smelled in that sample bottle was so pungent and unappealing that I trashed this. I could smell it on my hands even after washing them, and my hands only smelled like that note too, which is a real shame because I was particularly excited for the crepe note. It was just...burnt and harsh. Sorry but no. Verdict: BIG nope, mourning crepes
  
• Babooshka (Slow-baked sweet gourds, Russian tea cookies, pipe tobacco, Autumnal spice accord, caramel, nutmeg, honey, coumarin, beeswax absolute, cardamom sugar, crushed apples, black pepper, liatrix absolute): Autumn autumn AUTUMN. I’m already getting a good throw from this, a good start! Spices and tea cookies as the wet notes...thinking the cardamom sugar and pepper are the spices I’m getting the most. The gourds and apples showing up the more it dries give this a more earthy scent and pushes the spice into the background, which is good because a lot of spice scents go cinnamon-forward and that’s that. It’s not the sweetest scent I’ve tried in this collection which sort of surprises me given the note content, but I really enjoy it because of that! I actually think it being a little more subdued is working in its favor. This smell screams fall from the get-go, but not in a scented-candle-headache way. Also, my wife loves this one which is a bonus. Verdict: Full sized, aw yiss wife hugs
  
• Baltic Amber (Golden amber, pinus succinifera, cedarwood, jammy fir absolute, oakmoss absolute, tree moss, verdant musk, cardamom, balsam, lightning-scorched ancient boughs): Ohhhh, wow! This takes Hex’s lovely amber note and blasts it into overdrive with the help of the succinfera making it smell cold and woodsy. It’s a bright and resinous amber that sticks out really nicely. The hint of cedarwood at the start enhances the brightness and even gives it hints of the white amber note used at times. I get little bits of the balsam bursting in and out through the day which pushes it in a wintery direction, but it’s woodsy resin all the way down. It does fade quickly though...want to say it’s been about an hour 45 and it isn’t extremely strong, but I wonder if resting will give it more oomph? Or maybe just an extrait would be needed? Regardless, mmph. This is my favorite amber of the Hex collection so far. Verdict: Full sized, smooth criminal
  
• Banana Milk (Sweet milk, melted ice cream, vanilla pudding mix, banana): The bottle really amps up the pudding note more than I expected. It doesn’t show much banana to start, only a hint at the very end that smelled almost a little tart to my nose. As soon as I put this on, though, WHAM BAM THANK YOU BANAN. This is screaming banana pudding at my face which, as a southerner, I can definitely get behind. This is what I wanted to get more of in Bellypopper. It’s not an overpowering banana scent by any means, and it actually comes across as more realistic to my nose than the banana in Bananas Foster...maybe because the intensity of the sweetness isn’t as in-your-face? Even my wife, who has some touch and go issues with ID’ing what some perfumes should smell like, knew instantly it was banana. The pudding smell mixed with the sweet milk note quickly as well. I want to say it’s the same as the condensed milk note in Moloko Plus, one of my favorites, and I couldn’t be happier. About an hour or so in I start to get that ice cream note that goes plastic-y on me, but thanks to the miracle that is this banana, it’s not having that effect!!! What!? Maybe it’s because it’s warmer weather right now or a mix of the ingredients, but whatever is happening, it’s creamy and smooth...there’s a hint of that plastic there, though in this context, it doesn’t come across the same way. Hard to explain. I’ve been seeing reviews saying it’s a powdery smell on them, but this couldn’t be further from the case. On me, this is a smooth and milky banana pudding, and while something light like this isn’t what I would normally call luscious, to me it very much is. I’m in love. Verdict: Full sized, bathe me in this forever
  
• Bananas Foster (Caramelized bananas, buttery rum sauce, vanilla ice cream): This starts off a strong banana runts kind of smell, though as a fan of banana runts, I’m fine with this. Apparently this is actually what banana smelled/tasted like in the past which is a fun fact I knew offhand as a smart person and DEFINITELY didn’t learn from a YouTube video about hard candy. The rum sauce comes through pretty quickly to booze the banana up...it’s a little sharp, but it mixes well with the sweet banana. The ice cream note is kind of artificial (think this is the same note I mention in Butterbeer below), and it unfortunately sticks around WAY too long. The silage to me is weak, but other people I saw that day said it smelled nice, so I guess my nose just got used to it. I think this is nice, but Banana Milk is my new Banana Bae. Verdict: Occasional sample, but not unpleasant
  
• Bay Harbor Butcher (Red strawberries and fresh, salty ocean air): This definitely gives you what it says it will! The strawberry note is sweet and fresh, and it’s not for the faint of heart. I’m not sure how realistic it is off the top of my head, but it’s pretty intense...in a good way! It’s more realistic than your candy store strawberry because it has just a smidge of tartness behind the sweet. As it mellows out, you can get a touch more of the salt in there to give this a bit of oomph. And no headaches! I’ve gotta go back and edit my Alexandrite review, I think it was the blackberry scaring me about headaches after all. If you really want a treat, layer some Spectre on this one for a strawberry milkshake experience. Verdict: Either repeat sample or full size, haven’t decided
  
• The Bell Witch (Blood musk, ebon musk, feral musk, nag champa, sandalwood, incense, guaiacwood, vanilla, bergamot, aged dark patchouli, woodsmoke, amber): This was applied very conservatively because I thought it’d be intense when too much is worn. I smelled one or two of the musks (not sure which), the nag champa, and just a hint of the woodsmoke when I put this on. It’s very much a resinous scent, and it relies on the blend of scents rather than starring one note as the main focus and branching off from it. I got a smidge of the bergamot when it started drying down, and then the scent was just....gone. I’m not sure if it was a speedy nose blindness or it just faded fast because I didn’t put on enough, but by 1 1/2 hours in I could barely smell it. A whiff of musk here, a smaller whiff of amber there...but nothing for the rest of the day. Frankly, I don’t think I can give it a full, fair assessment. Going to put this one back in the cabinet for a few months and try it again later to see how it matures. Verdict: ??? Where did she go?
  
• Bellypopper (Chocolate and banana puddings, whipped cream and white chocolate shavings): This is 100% like I’ve opened up a pudding snack pack back in middle school. I immediately get the chocolate and banana from this - the banana note is actually really nice and balanced the chocolate well so it wasn’t overpowering like some chocolate notes tend to be, at least on me. (Looking at you, Tokyomilk.) The white chocolate comes in a bit later, but unfortunately, that’s about as much as I got. The smell just kind of disappeared after maybe 3 hours - it was there, but just barely. My wife couldn’t even tell I had anything on. I guess it’s fine? I don’t think it left enough of an impression to hold on to. Verdict: Not a repeat, lunchroom favorite
  
• Big Toddy Goth GF (Spiced buttered rum, bourbon, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove cigarettes): The buttered rum and bourbon come at you straight from the get-go, though they relax quickly, leading into the nutmeg a bit. Smells like a holiday drink (which I guess it is because toddy...). The buttered rum is a smidge cloying and sticks around on the dry down, but I don’t dislike it...I have a lot of fond memories eating those old fashioned candy sticks in Butter Rum flavor specifically at the beach as a kid, so I’m okay with it. The clove makes its way in a few hours in, and it sadly doesn’t have the stronger clove cig notes I was looking for...I’ve never been able to find a clove cigarette scent emulated properly to bring back those sweet “summer of 2010” memories, so the hunt continues. Still, it’s sassy, boozy, sugary, and the spices mix really pleasantly with the overall scent, so it still fits...no harm in smelling like classy Buttershots. Verdict: Full sized, full-tittied
  
• Bisou (Smeared lipstick and warm, flushed skin: vanilla, orris root, violet, sugar, cetalox, skin musk, and safraleine): I asked Caroline to send me her current favorite scent as a sample with my second full-size order, and this was the result. Honestly, I wrote Bisou off when I saw the description because 1) it has violet in it, which on me usually smells like baby powder, and 2) I’m a scent note babby and have NO idea what half of the ingredients in this were supposed to smell like. It‘a a sweet floral in the bottle (thinking it’s the orris root...I LOVE irises so that’s nice!), but on my skin, it changed almost immediately! It starts off with an inoffensive but artificial note that I think is the lipstick note with a violet edge to it. The orris root seems to be balancing that violet undertone out, which I couldn’t be more thankful for because this violet is miraculously not as powdery and feels more like a light dusting because of it. A lot of people I’ve seen that tried this call Bisou a sexy smell, but that’s not my interpretation. Smelling this, my brain immediately brought me to an incredibly specific memory from when I was some single-digit age in the early 90s waiting for my mom to finish shopping at Talbots. A Sting song was playing over the speakers, and I was watching a video they had on a small TV of a fashion show where models were showing off looks made with the clothes in stock. This was a really weird tangent, but I guess the point I’m trying to make is that this smell is really evocative, and I actually...like it a lot? To me it reads as extremely confident, like a businesswoman in the 80s with big shoulder pads and bigger dreams. (And I guess she shops at Talbots.) I feel like I’m not enjoying it for the reasons I expected to, but the end result is good! My only sadness with this is that it didn’t last super long on my skin the first time I wore it, but I wore this again to my wife’s family Christmas party and I’m still smelling it now (and I got several compliments!), so maybe it just needed more rest time. This came in a generous 5mL sample, so I’m still working through it, but I’m going to keep this around. Verdict: Full size, this review brought to you by Talbots apparently
  
• Blackberry Lavender Lemonade: This is pleasant! Very summery, it reads like it’d be nice during warm weather. Every note is present and bright in this order, not one thing overshadowing the rest...lavender really likes to star in scents, so this is good news. I’ve found that most lemon scents get a little cleaner-y on me, but the lemonade note doesn’t ever take on that feeling with the blackberry background. I don’t think I want this in a full-size, but I’ll revisit samples now and again. Verdict: Repeated sample, summer lovin’
  
• Black Mass (Smoked vanilla, frankincense, Peru balsam, labdanum, amber, vetiver, Atlas cedarwood, patchouli, night musk, and scorched marshmallows): This is one of a few reviews that I’ve doubled back on and am re-reviewing after my first time wearing it to see if it resting changes my mind. My first try saw it as a little sweet, then a strong plastic note that was too much to get over, leading to dislike. This time around, I think I’m getting mostly frankincense, amber, and balsam on application, as it vaguely reminds me of the forest-y note in Thanatos but much more resinous...the frankincense is definitely the plastic note I smelled before, and thankfully it chilled out more the second time around. It picks up on just a smidge of woodiness, and by the end of the day, it becomes much more like marshmallow with some green resin undertones...not much shifting here. That said, I’m really glad I gave it a second chance. It’s a very warm forest-y smell with just that bit of gourmand sweetness helping it out, which is a weird description, I know. I still think the frankincense can be a bit too much like plastic, but it toned down massively since the first time I tried this to a point where it doesn’t last long enough for me to count it out. I can’t even put my finger on what kind of scent this is, but it’s worth trying. Verdict: Probable full-size, fantastic plastic
  
• Black Phillip (Black amber, dragon’s blood, black musk, tonka, black oak, firewood embers, black currant, soft woods, black pepper): The black amber and black currant are the first two things I personally smelled here, spicy with a hint of fruitiness. I got more dragon’s blood out of the bottle initially than I did on my skin, but that quickly changed within maybe 10 minutes. Eventually, the whole smell mellowed out and I got more of the musk and the tonka with just a hint of that currant and woods keeping it from getting too dark. I haven’t seen much of the pepper or embers which is disappointing because I sort of like that slight burn to those notes. It’s a nice smell, but it wasn’t spectacular to me in any regard. Verdict: Discontinued. That’s it, no funny follow-up
  
• Black Vanilla (Golden amber, three different vanillas, marshmallow fluff, musk) Goes on dark, Amber and musk are the two head notes on this and it’s just what I was hoping for. It’s dark and very much wants to be noticed...BV’s the girl with smokey eyes and black lipstick checking you out from across the room, and you want to approach her but also you have anxiety. The vanillas slowly poke out to make themselves known after this little onslaught which helps to mellow the smell out a bit. I can’t honestly pick out which vanilla is which in the collection, but they blend together really nicely. Then the marshmallow pops out. Everything makes an appearance little-by-little, with each note being careful not to step on its predecessor’s toes. This is definitely a “feel sexy” scent. My only concern is that the silage/throw is a bit weak. May last better in spray form. I’ve been looking for a smell like this...definite full purchase. Verdict: Full sized, forgot to get it as an EDP. Whoops
  
• Blood Moon (Dragons blood, smoked vanilla, pipe tobacco, beeswax, sanguine musk): If you’re looking for something strong/with a good throw, consider Blood Moon. The dragon’s blood is no joke! It and the pipe tobacco are heavy and present from the start - my wife could smell me from several feet away when I put this on. With a stuffy nose. It doesn’t have a Smaug-like aggressiveness to it because the red musk note isn’t as intense, but it’s still there, still looming, and has still respawned all the enemies you’ve killed thus far to keep your game balanced. Weirdly enough, the tobacco became the strongest element in this after a bit of time...DB usually doesn’t step back as much on my skin, so I appreciated this. The smoked vanilla made an appearance about an hour and a half in, and it’s the first time I’ve actually been able to pick it out - this is a neat note! It’s fiery without being a heavier smoke like the note in ASN or Fumer...it adds some sweetness without being too “yo here’s vanilla what up”. I’d say it’s almost reminiscent of C’eci Ne Pas Une Pipe. The beeswax and musk is what it generally ends on, but it’s a nice journey. I thought I wasn’t going to like this as much as I did based on how Smaug worked out comparatively (spoilers), but that vanilla changed my mind. The blood moon will rise again, I think! Verdict: Full size, LIIIINK
  
• Boo-berry (Blueberry cordial, blueberry cobbler, vanilla bean): This is a treat! The cobbler smell comes in pretty quickly on this, giving a hint of baked good to turn this into a fruity gourmand very early. The cordial lightens the scent back up, though, so it isn’t buttery or pastry-reminiscent for more than a moment. The vanilla pops through more later in the day with the cordial backing it up, but it feels like a more authentic vanilla, which is nice. I really enjoy this smell, but its biggest drawback is that I think it has the weakest silage of all the Hex scents I’ve tried so far. Started getting weak around the 2-3 hour mark,which was disappointing. Still, the smell is fruity, fun, and doesn’t make my head hurt - wins all around! May have more luck with this as an extrait, which I’ll be buying in this scent when I grab a full. Verdict: Full size, da ba dee da buh di
  
• Bourbon Street (Coffee, beignets, mahogany, pipe tobacco, cocoa, cardamom): This is so different! I feel like I very specifically smell like a coffee shop in a classy way. The coffee is the most prominent note, but I get this masculine undertone of what I think is the pipe tobacco...or maybe a mix of that and the mahogany? It’s this odd balance that makes me think of an aged wooden coffee house table that has been stained with the subtle smell of cigarette smoke over the years. The coffee fades a touch after a few hours, and I finally start to get that sweet beignet note...reminds me of Sucre due to the powdered sugar. (Would a touch of that be good here?) I also appreciate that the cocoa note in this is more of a support role to deepen the tobacco and coffee...I’ve realized that too much can be overwhelming for my skin, but this is just enough to give the smell that oomph. This is REALLY good, probably my favorite coffee scent by Hex thus far. I’m impressed. Verdict: Full size, I miss going places
  
• Butterbeer (Sweet, golden, drippy butterscotch, rich vanilla ice cream, hot buttered rum): Sugary butterscotch immediately, a smell where you know for sure what you’re eating is terrible for you. It may be tempting to lick your wrists. Do not do this. I love the immediate sweet notes of it, but unfortunately, the dry down leaves a lot to be desired. The ice cream note was artificial on my skin, and the butterscotch all but disappeared. The buttered rum does make an appearance at the very end as well which helps, but the ice cream is the main note for me and makes it hard to look past. I probably would’ve liked this back in high school, but I’m 30 now and can’t get away with this. If you like sticky-sweet-tastebuds-on-fire-oh-god-my-teeth-where-am-I gourmand, then this is for you. I had high hopes for it, but on my skin, it’s a no-go. (Slightly related, if anyone finds a Butterbeer recipe with no carbonation/cream soda involved, let a girl know.) Verdict: Destash, dear god the sugar
  
• Cake (White/yellow frosted cake accord): So full disclosure: when my bottle of this from Ajevie came in, I was scared. In the bottle, this was frosting. Only frosting. Like grocery store, crunches-when-you-bite-it, way-too-sweet frosting. Even I have my sugar limits. I only used a little in the crook of my elbow because I was already wearing a scent, but...y’all. I‘m ready to slather myself in this. I should have had more faith in Caroline. The frosting note isn’t nearly as strong when applied, but within 30 minutes, it had nearly completely transformed into a BEAUTIFUL cake smell. I’m talking the most realistic warm, baked cake scent I’ve ever smelled. I hadn’t seen the full description when wearing it and couldn’t decide if it was more like white or yellow cake...from me to me, surprise, dumbass, it’s both. I never thought I’d find a cake smell that wasn’t overly generic or cloying, but my search is finally over. Verdict: Glad this blind buy was a full size, I match my username
  
• Calm The Fuck Down (lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot, vanilla, and patchouli): When wet, the lavender and what I think is the ylang ylang make their move first. It’s a light floral that almost takes on a minty tone even though there’s no mint involved. Perfume is crazy! It’s a very simple scent at first, but these notes stick around for a while thankfully, to help the calm induce in. On dry down, the patchouli only made a brief appearance. I wish it’d stuck around because it really added some depth to the scent. The vanilla arrives near the end to make it a sweet floral, but then it switches back to the ylang ylang as the big note, which I didn’t expect, as vanilla usually shows up the most on me out of all of these. It’s a nice soft floral that isn’t necessarily a favorite, but considering floral isn’t my immediate personal style, I like it enough to try again, just not sure if I like it enough. Verdict: Probably repeat sample, you can’t tell me what to do you bottle of smell
  
• Camp Crystal Lake (Lake water, fishing dock, seaweed, forest): Once again, Caroline knocked it out of the park with this...I’m not usually a fan of atmospherics, but this one is great. I feel like I’m getting almost everything promised from this on application: the blue aquatic notes from the water, the slightly salty tinge of seaweed, the green notes from the forest...just missing the old fishing dock. This is a weirdly refreshing smell and really makes me long for the summer. Not like mid-summer where it’s 100 degrees out and everything is melting...I want that 85 degree summer where jumping in the water feels the best. The wood dock smell eventually comes through, and it’s awesome. It’s a sweeter wood, but it has just a hint of tang to it that makes it feel just aged enough. This makes me hate that we’re in the middle of winter because I think I want to wear this at the beach. Off topic! This is super refreshing, and while atmospherics haven’t been great for me so far, this is a change that I’ve really enjoyed. Also? It lasted all dang day. I’m on hour 9 now and I can still smell it. Sticking with it!. Verdict: Likely full size, “damp” used as a positive
  
• Ceci N'est Pas Une Pipe (Aged Madura cigars, spiced vanilla, beeswax votives, golden honeycomb): I hope I like this, my dumb ass bought two samples by mistake. This is a heavy scent, I can already tell. Strangely enough, I’m first getting both the cigars and the honeycomb on application, which I didn’t expect since it was listed as a lesser note. I was pretty scared about the cigar note because actual cigar smoke is way too thick and noxious to me, but this is more subdued than I was expecting...I guess what I’m getting is the oil that would be in the maduro wrapping itself, not the smoke. It’s warmer and deeper to the point of...comforting? It’s deep. I like it! The only slight bummer is that I don’t get a lot of vanilla in this, weirdly...vanilla usually pushes its way through on my skin, but the honey is actually putting out more sweetness than anything. It’s subtle, though, and it’s muted by the beeswax, so it isn’t giving me a honey headache. This scent is dark and more unisex, though it reads feminine and just a tad floral on my skin. I’ve really grown to love the warmth it has through the day...this is a rebuy for sure. Guess it’s good I got two after all. Verdict: Full size, about to invite you into my parlor to chat about the man I know you killed
  
• Cereal Killer (Fruit Loops, Cap’n Crunch berries, Trix cereal): Deadass, in the bottle, this smells like Trix or Fruity Pebbles. I’m baffled. What mix of notes created this? After putting it on, this amps up the fruit to the nth degree...I do get background notes of cereal, but some fruity note in particular is trying its damndest to make itself known. What IS that? Orange and lemon mixed? It really pushes its way up front first, but everything else eventually catches up. This is a nice and very accurate take on these beloved cereal scents...but why I’d ever want to smell like this is beyond me 😆 Still, I think this would be a fun smell to wear around children. Verdict; Occasional sample, follow your nose
  
• Cereal Marshmallows (Is what it is!): Another quickie review. Artificial and muted-fruity, just like the shmallows themselves! It really doesn’t change past this and is very one-note, but for what it is, it’s nice. If you like cutesy and sugary smells, you’ll be a fan, but I think I’m okay with just having a sample. Wonder how this would mix with Cereal Killer...? Verdict: Discontinued, you can buy a whole bag of cereal marshmallows on Amazon for real
  
• Chai-Mallow (Marshmallow, buttercream, black tea, chai spices): You know it’s going to be good when you put it on and immediately think “yeeees.” The buttercream and the black tea acted as the opening notes on this, which I really love. It’s an immediate sweet-bitter balance that almost reminds me of a mild coffee with sweet cream and sugar. It sweetens back up again as the tea fades a touch, though. The dry down is a nice warm, sweet spice that isn’t too overpowering and really gives you that “I’m drinking chai-shmallow tea in a Barnes and Noble” feel. At the end of the day, it’s exactly what it says it is: a spicy marshmallow. I LOVE this. Verdict: Full size, the spiciest marshmallow
  
• Chakra Khan (Amber, sandalwood, vanilla, orange blossom, tonka, patchouli): I’ve been convinced there was nag champa in this for like a month, but apparently not! This reads very bright. The amber and slightly sweet sandalwood play together nicely here, taking on a slight floral quality with the orange blossom peeking through the background. The vanilla becomes a bit more apparent several minutes after application too, and it’s a nice vanilla. Not gourmand-y, just light sweetness. It does have head shop vibes to some degree, but I’m appreciating this because it’s light and not so “head shop” as to overwhelm my sense of smell like some nag champa or incense-forward smells can. It’s odd too because for an amber perfume, it reads very “spring” to me. Any patchouli in this is masked by the amber in my case, but it evens out to a nice mellow sweetness. If you’re an amber fan, I’d say it’s worth giving a shot! Verdict: On the fence about full or repeat sample, not on the fence about this being nice
  
• Champanilla (Nag champa, vanilla liqueur, vanilla bean, musk): Spirit Temple’s loud big sister! The nag champa is powerful in this on application and is definitely the main note of the scent by a landslide...my wife woke up with a stuffy nose and could still smell this right after I put it on. It’s almost a smidge bitter after letting it sit for a while, I’d say. The weird thing is that this doesn’t give me as much of a head shop vibe as Spirit Temple did...I think the fact that Spirit Temple’s version was NC incense instead of straight up NC makes a difference. That said, once it dries, it’s still very much the nag champa and not vanilla. The vanilla bean is back there trying to poke through and sweeten the smell a bit, but the champa has Diva Syndrome and won’t let it come out of the background. When the musk shows up, it gives it some depth, but I really wish I got more vanilla out of this. It’s not bad by any means, but I find it a smidge intense. Will probably let this one sit and give it another shot later. Verdict: Meh, Spirit Temple coming at a later date
  
• Children Of the Corn (Candy corn, caramel corn, kettle corn): No mincing words on this: it smells almost exactly like caramel corn on application. This has buttery popcorn notes to it, but there’s a hint of the candy corn’s starchy sweetness in there too. This is super gourmand and definitely invokes the caramel corn imagery, but I think its overall sweetness makes it more palatable for me. I can dig it! Verdict: Repeat sample, I do love me some corn
  
• Cloven (Spun sugar with a dash of clove): Oh Cloven. Dear, dear Cloven. I’m so saddened by you. The spun sugar is VERY strong on application to the point of sickening. This smells more like jelly beans than spun sugar to my nose...maybe the cotton candy jelly bean that Jelly Belly makes. On dry down, the clove does help to comfort it a bit, but at the same time, it still feels like a cycle between smelling like spicy jellybeans and anise for some reason, neither of which I like smelling like as a singular note. By the end of the day, it just smells like a light dusting of sugar versus the jellybean, but it isn’t enough to redeem the rest of what’s happened. I respect the clove for trying to make this right, and I still love it as a note...but the two of them desperately need to see other people. Verdict: Ugh, fatal attraction much?
  
• Corpse Bride (Black roses, white amber, damp earth, vanilla, tonka, musk): Phew, this is potent from the start...you want floral? You’ve got floral. The earthy note is there and gone to make way for the strong rose note (maybe a tinge of it is left, but I can barely smell it), then the bright amber pops in too and fights the rose for the status of main note. It’s got a pretty heavy start, not gonna lie...feels as though the throw on this is really strong even though I put on LESS than usual. When it settles, I pretty much only get rose with a bit of musk at the tail end...not smelling any vanilla at all in this! I’m just glad the rose calms down because...phwoof. It’s a bit too intense for me. It’s a nice scent, but honestly, I don’t think it’s the kind of scent that fits me. This kind of floral isn’t quite my thing. Verdict: Nah, I’ve got a gnome and I’m not afraid to use it
  
• Crowley (Black tea, bergamot, tobacco, vanilla, amber): Starts off more dry and earthy than other Hex scents I’ve tried so far. It looks like the black tea doesn’t contain cream in this mix because that tea note is bold! It’s pleasant and almost slightly floral. The brightness of the bergamot seems to enhance this and gives it more of a woodsy tone while it develops. The tobacco was really subtle when it came through, and I wasn’t able to smell it until I caught a whiff of it and the amber an hour and a half later...it likes to sneak up on you to give you a pleasant surprise. Even with the light sweetness of the vanilla, this never gets to be “too much” of any one note, which I always love in developing scents because it keeps them balanced. This smell is really not like me at all, to be frank, but I’m thoroughly enjoying what it’s turning into. I can see what all the hype was about! Verdict: Full size, the genderfluid demon of our dreams
  

So there we go! I’ve got a lot more to come, so this won’t be the last you see of me...also won’t be the last after I’m done with all my Hex reviews. I will take any advice on how to make the next one of these more manageable. Shit’s going to be stressful for the next week, everyone keep safe ❤️

Introduction: I’m Asian-American, first generation, grew up low-income. My career has been focused on financial wellness and wealth building for low-income communities. I’ve learned alot about finances, but not sure I would’ve sought out the same info at such depth if work wasn't the catalyst.
SECTION ONE: ASSETS AND DEBT
Net Worth: -$2,100
Retirement: $39,000. Before my Master’s, balance was ~$50k, accumulated in 3 years post college. Maxed out Roth IRA and 401k for 2 of those years.
Equity: None. My partner K bought a house for us recently, still under his name only.
Savings Accounts: $650
Checking Accounts: $250
Credit Card Debt: $0
Student Loan Debt: $42,000. $22k federal, $20k owed to siblings.
College: No debt, thanks to a full-ride scholarship I won. I had part-time jobs and spent most of my money on clothes. My brother sent me $1000 every year, and other siblings gifted me money during holidays.
Grad school: All my current debt. I dumped savings and some retirement funds into tuition. Even with a scholarship of $20k/year, I had to borrow 40k. Professional school is expensive, y’all. I had part-time jobs, and all earnings went to living expenses.
Other Debt: $0
Inheritance: Me - none.
Partner – The house down payment was a gift from his parents. He’ll also get a significant inheritance from eventually. His parents grew up poor but aren't anymore, and have always been frugal. The life his parents gave him is what I’d like to give my kids if I have them: set them up well without spoiling.
My parents worked so hard to support my family. When I tried to give them my paychecks in high school, they told me to keep them for myself. When I bought gifts for them during holidays, they told me I should spend for myself. My siblings (including me) who spent the most time in the US, and thus could benefit the most long-term, are all financially stable. My older siblings still struggle and won’t accept help. I remember all the time how lucky I am to have a supportive family.
Other Related:
Before March, I lived in a 2 bed apartment in a big city with a roommate. I planned to visit K for Spring Break but moved in with him instead due to quarantine. We intended for this to happen after my graduation, but the timeline was sped up. We never shared finances before but now he was taking care of all our living expenses. K didn’t mind and was happy to. I wouldn’t have cared if our situations were flipped. But I felt guilty having someone else pay so much for me. And for so long I was a strong, independent woman and it felt like I was giving up some of that.
But I realized that we are partners in many ways, including this. We try to make life easier for each other, and K was doing that for me just as I do for him. Besides, my independence was enabled by the safety net of my family. I aim to provide the same for K, for my nephews/nieces, and for my kids if I have them – and I certainly won’t consider them “less independent” for taking those opportunities. Seriously, this has been a main point of my whole career! Gotta apply it to myself.
Partner’s Net Worth: $200,000+
SECTION TWO: INCOME
Income Progression: I was an English and Classics major who had tried some teaching and considered law school. I really blossomed skills-wise at my first post-college job, and learned so much from many wonderful people. Also, the nonprofit field allows me to be a jack of all trades due to their funding constraints. Turns out I’m a master of none, and that's okay (;
2015 - $15,000 for 10-month term
2016 - $48,000 annual, promotion
2017 - $52,000 annual, promotion
Start grad school
2018 - $40/hour, consultant
2019 - picked up $20/hr for university
End grad school
2020 - $65,000 annual, strategy-related role
After graduation this year I was unemployed for 3 months. In August my current employer offered me a short-term, full-time position and hope to keep me long-term. Crossing my fingers, as I’m very inspired by their mission and impact. Regarding salary, if I stayed in/gone back to expensive cities, I would’ve sought a higher range. I’m now in a low COL town so adjusted accordingly.
Monthly Take Home: $4,481. Taxes taken out, no benefits.
Partner’s Monthly Take Home: ~$7,000. Deductions for health insurance (for both of us), 401k, HSA, all that jazz. This has been his salary for 2 years. Before this, a grad school stipend (~$35k) for many years.
SECTION THREE: MONTHLY EXPENSES
Our finances are joint now and we consult each other on buys at $100+.
Mortgage: $700
Property Taxes: $800
Home & Car Insurance: $45
Savings & Investment: Whatever’s left after expenses.
Debt Payments: $0. I'll funnel all my earnings into this (after Roth IRA). But it won’t be enough before the grace period expires and interest is capitalized on my federal loans. Anything left owed to the feds will be covered by K’s savings and paid off before 2021. Then I’ll focus on paying my siblings back.
Donations: $625
Gas/Electric/Heat: Unknown, these bills are lying around somewhere.
Trash: $15
Wifi: $50
Phone: $0. K is on a family plan, and I’m on one with my siblings.
Groceries: $600 average
Subscriptions: Amazon Prime $10. Netflix and Hulu 0, using family plans. Google Play Music Family $15.
Gym Membership: $60 for K's membership. Will get mine once we’re comfortable going again.
Pet: Unknown, haven't summed up all the cat things.
Miscellaneous (eating out, hobbies, gifts, random purchases, etc.): $200 average
SECTION FOUR: THE DIARY
Day 1, Sunday
8:45 am After waking up and going back to sleep a few times, I finally just get up. I do my morning routine: wash face, brush teeth, take pill, contacts, ring, brush hair, moisturizer.
My partner K is playing with the kitty, and I join. We adopted her not long ago, so she’s still acclimating. K calls her a scaredy cat because she’s skittish about everything. She's now in her carrier, in catloaf position (paws tucked and hidden, so she looks like a bread loaf) and not budging.
9:20 I check on my plants and do some planty things. I decide I want crepes for breakfast, and defrost 2 leftovers in the oven. As I wait, I scan through old starred emails. One is from Chase, offering a complimentary Shoprunner one year membership. Why not? The website tells me I already have an account, of course. But I don’t know my password and have to reset. I’m hungry and will get back to this.
I eat the first crepe like normal but everything falls out, so the 2nd gets the pancake treatment. With apples and maple syrup, they’re delicious.
Shoprunner finally works. I haven’t been spending much online, but if I do I’ll get free shipping (I never buy online without it).
12:00 pm We eat defrosted pizza for lunch. We’ve been watching Brooklyn 99 during meals, but today we watch Adventure Time. I give him my crusts as usual, since I don’t like them. Afterwards, K asks me to crack his back by standing on it. I manage to do so without totally breaking his back. Then I putz around while he packs for a work trip. I make him coffee and give him his daily portion of cookies (he asked me to hide and portion them). K leaves to finish up work at his office. I play Tetris on the Switch.
4:15 I take a shower. Fall weather hit one day last week with zero transition, and it’s been much cooler since, and the toasty water is so nice. K gets home and finishes packing. We drive out to his company lot so he can get the rental car. We hug goodbye. It feels like our long distance days again ); I've gotten very used to seeing him all day every day thanks to quarantine. He calls me before I get home - his car wasn’t delivered due to some miscommunication, so I have to drop him off at the rental center.
7:40 I feed the kitty and finally start cooking. I make pork chops seared in a cast iron pan, finished in the oven. I flavor it with salt, pepper, thyme, coriander, dill, and sage. I love cooking and being able to experiment so much. Sometimes it turn out a bit funny but hey, that's how I learn. I eat a pork chop with leftover jasmine rice.
My favorite Youtube channel has a new video. I don’t follow many but enjoy Safiya Nygaard’s content so much. The new one is about acrylic pour art. I think I'd feel bad about all the paint, but the finished pieces look so cool! I actually like her “bad attempts” more. I should try acrylics; I've mostly used watercolors but might be missing out on a medium I'll like.
9:30 K texts that he’s reached the hotel. It’s not that long a road trip and unlikely anything bad will happen, but I still worry. I’m glad he arrived okay.
9:45 I cut my fingernails. They grow like weeds, so I snip them every week otherwise they poke my eyeballs when removing contacts. I play Hearthstone on my phone during this. Then bedtime. My nightly routine: brush teeth, mouthwash, rotate fittonia plant, ring off, contacts out, lip balm, lotion.
11:30 Okay, I’m still awake, browsing online. I set my alarm for 7:30 am and sleep.
Total $0
Day 2, Monday
7:30 am Alarm wakes me. Snooze. Alarm again. I get up and feed the cat.
7:55 I put on a work outfit: green pleated maxi skirt and a mint green top with an orange, pink, and green floral pattern. Pink cardigan too since the office is cool.
My style is the most "feminine" and "loud" at this office - lots of colors and patterns, and silhouettes that are stereotypically feminine. Sometimes I wonder if I should tone myself down. Whether people might take me more seriously professionally if I wore more pants, muted colors and patterns. But this is what I enjoy, and if people underestimate me based on how I dress, that's on them, not me. I'm fortunate that previous coworkers have shown confidence in my abilities (even when I had little confidence) that I never had to "tone down” myself to get more respect.
8:00 Pack for work using a swag bag they gave me, which I know is cheesy but fits all my things well. Grab Greek yogurt and spoon for breakfast. I need to attach a voided check to my direct deposit form, so I add that. Got badge and mask. Mist my maranta. Shoes on – I pick Sketchers since my maxi will hide them mostly. But no one will notice my shoes, per the wise words of Gustav in Ever After!
8:10 While backing out, I spot trash bags on my neighbors' curbs - it's trash day. Usually my partner takes out the trash, so I debate waiting until next week. Then I tell myself the trash will get gross and stinky, even if in plastic bags, and also to be an adult. I roll the can to the curb. Upon arrival at work, I find a parking spot where I don't have to back up to get out. I'm always paranoid about hitting things/people, even with plenty of lot space. I haven't actually hit anything/one (that I know of) but still.
8:40 My coworker responds about the office book club. They've been reading White Fragility. I stop by her office and get the book, yay! The group is meeting again next week so I need to catch up. I then eat my yogurt. As my boss walks by me, she compliments my skirt (:
10:00 Meeting with boss and person she's been waiting to chat with for awhile, via phone. Person is shocked and unhappy at our update, and ends the call fast. Me and boss chat about a realization I had this morning, that will likely change one of the main things we want to do for my project. Whether this is a good thing or not is TBD. I go refill my tea at the hot water dispenser, so far away at the other end of the office. Note to self: bring own mug and stop hogging this office one. Then I find a thing that could be a big breakthough, maybe. If other things go a certain way, perhaps.
11:45 I head out. I'm doing half days remote because I don't feel like prepping lunches to bring. Also I feel bad about leaving kitty alone all day (dunno if she cares). It's sunny but chilly outside. I'll definitely want all remote when it gets colder.
12:00 pm Wegman’s pit stop. They stock new plants every week or so. I debate a cute succulent for $5, but as I put it down, accidentally brush against a leaf and break it. Now I have to get it! I also buy a huge cat grass for $4, to distract kitty from eating my ponytail palm.
12:20 I drop into a local flower shop for the first plant I’ve ever ordered, a rattlesnake calathea. So pretty (: There are more leaves than expected for this size pot and price. This florist sells small plants for only $5 and take orders. (Very dangerous, but I limited myself to one plant...for now.)
Going home, I have to do a loop because the main road has one-way sections, arg. I think I have a lot of driving anxiety, probably because I spent 8 years using mostly public transportation and walking.
12:35 Instant ramen and diet grapefruit soda for lunch, classic adult meal. I think that the best standard brand is Mama ramen, and my favorite flavor is the creamy shrimp tom yum. The best spicy ramen are the Samyang spicy chicken ones. I usually add dried seaweed, but not feeling it today.
I later set up work in our office room. It’s so nice to have my own desk. I was using K’s since he no longer works from home, but prefer mine with my own pictures and knick-knacks, like my squishy stress bunny. I try to access files through remote desktop but can’t. IT puts me on hold. Is it worth driving back into work? Now the line tells me to leave a voicemail; I do, but I’d rather just keep holding.
2:55 An IT person calls me back. As I’m telling him what’s wrong, I realize I never logged into remote VPN, so of course I had no access. I apologize to him, feeling bad I wasted his time. This must be like the jokes about people not plugging things in yet expecting them to work. IT sends an email saying the ticket was resolved. My silliness is documented for eternity.
Meat stick (prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella) for consolation. Back to work, more munchies so I eat an apple too.
5:40 K and I chat and agree to play Don’t Starve Together later, which we started a few days ago. Dinner is pork chop, rice, defrosted mixed veggies. My friend and I talk over the phone as I eat. We grew up in the same hometown, and she's been my bestie for a long time. I can’t recall a time when we weren’t friends! (She does - when we were very young. I just have bad memory.) She’s recently had very exciting things happen, and I love hearing her life updates. She's one of few friends I'm close enough with that we speak very candidly about everything.
7:30 Kitty joins me on the living room couch. Her sudden epiphany: she can knead my blanket, and does for a long time. I pet her while she kneads. Then dinner for the cat. I also check on my new plants and water them.
As I go outside to repot a plant, I see a small package on the porch. Addressed from a friend and labeled "fragile". It’s a ring dish! So lovely and thoughtful, and I was just thinking about getting one. I text my friend many thanks and place it in the bathroom.
8:40 K and I play Don’t Starve Together on our computers. About 5 minutes in, we’re suddenly attacked by scary dogs and I die ): I’m a ghostie for awhile as he attempts to revive me, but it’s a struggle. We decide to play Stardew Valley next time, since this game more difficult than we thought it’d be. I play Animal Crossing afterwards. A new neighbor moved in, a cute koala named Alice!
11:30 Okay, time for bed. Ugh, I keep browsing instead of sleeping.
Total $15.10
Day 3, Tuesday
8:00 am Alarm goes off. I push snooze. Then I remember kitty is waiting for food, so instead get up and feed her. I eat yogurt and get work started.
9:50 Break time! I drive to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore nearby. I haven’t gone in the past two weeks, but we got some amazing furniture deals here. Like our beautiful 10x13 living room rug for only $50. The thrift stores around here have actual thrift store prices. Our friends recently got a coffee table from here that was exactly what we're looking for. I’m happy they got it but also kind of jealous.
I find a pretty glazed square saucer ($0.50, plus another 25% off), an adorable panda mug ($1.00), and a mug painted with a lovely floral pattern ($0.50) but a chip on the lip. Doesn’t matter since these mugs will be pots.
10:40: Home and work, more research on how to do all the things. I get a meat stick and prep ramen. I am so cold‼ I wrap our living room blanket around me like a shawl. This was an Amazon gift last year from K. He searched “softest blanket” and said everyone recommended this one. It is indeed incredibly soft, and I love it so much. I’m shall walk around and sit like this. Thermostat says it’s 64 degrees. Hmm, maybe my body is just rebelling against adapting to lower temps.
12:40 I finally eat lunch. I got distracted by work. The ramen warms me up some, but my fingers and feet are still cold. It’s far too early for me to break out mittens, right? My new succulent’s plastic pot fits perfectly into the flower mug. Panda mug is less of a home run; it’s a large sphere but the opening is just a bit too small. I’ll just repot another plant directly into it. I replace the dining plate under the grass with the square saucer. I check my money tree. I tend to ignore it, as it does pretty well left alone. Its new leaves got so big!
1:30 I use Teams chat for the first time. A colleague tells me some people who received my earlier mass email were confused about a certain line and emailed her assuming a more positive future outcome. I send out a clarifying email that the news is indeed as bad as it sounds...and people are not happy about that now. I just feel guilty I can’t make things better.
4:00 The itchy bumps on my finger are multiplying. I have some isolated eczema. Years ago, it was all over my hand and severe, but with medication slowly receded and now pops up in small spots. A similar bump on my leg that keeps coming back (only when I scratch it…I know, I know). I put on medicated ointment.
4:20 Someone replied all to my clarification email, pointedly questioning our decisions. Yikes! I ponder how to respond, then decide to do that tomorrow instead, when I can fully refrain from being snarky.
I go repot my haworthia into the panda mug, which should be the last time I repot her. I’m doing this out on the porch, squatting over pots with a spoon and bag of dirt, and wonder if people are judging me. Another package out here, from my hometown friend. It says Edible Arrangements, ooh. K calls me as I start opening it, so I narrate the process for him. It’s strawberries dipped in chocolate! I eat one right away, so yummy. I text my friend thanks and eat more. Must save some, reluctantly, for K.
6:00 I do some clean up. I’ve been leaving dishes, wrappers, and such strewn about. Without K here, I’m less prompt because no one can see my shame. Mini brush to sweep crumbs and such off counters, then regular broom for the kitchen floor because I made it messy in just 2 days.
The cat is eating the grass!
6:30 I consider exercising. We made sandbags with contractor bags and lawn pebbles, but I'm not workouts. Before quarantine, I went to the gym 3x a week (starting last Sept) even in bitter winter. I really enjoyed feeling myself get stronger. Now I’m not nearly as disciplined. My partner is much better about it, even doing cardio in between lifting days. Maybe I’ll work out tomorrow.
Instead, I wash rice and Instant Pot it for dinner, then take a shower. I feel so warm afterwards! I’m determined to keep myself that way.
7:00 The cat joins me on the couch for some blanket kneading. She does her bass purr, which disturbed me when I first heard it because it was so strange and so deep that I thought it might be a distress sound. I hear it during pets, and sometimes she’ll sit far away from us and just rumble like that. Eventually dinner time for kitty, then for me. I eat a pork chop with rice and leftover mixed veggies. I put the rice in the fridge! I forgot several times and had to throw it away the next day. I know rice is cheap, but I hate wasting food like that. Some Animal Crossing after. One of my neighbors is moving out tomorrow :(
11:35 It’s so late. I do my nightly routine and go to bed.
Total $2.02
Day 3, Wednesday
8:15 am I finally get up and go through my morning routine. Putting on my ring is easier to remember when it’s out on a dish instead of hidden in a crowded basket. I feed kitty and start work. My boss responded to the reply all email yesterday evening. Whew! I do think that was better coming from her instead of me the newbie.
9:00 I look up how to access someone else’s calendar on Outlook, because I need to see my bosses’ schedule. Microsoft’s directions seem to apply to the online version, and other search results match it. I click around Outlook instead, and figure it out that way. I mist my prayer plant and eat a yogurt.
9:50 To the ReStore. I go in and out of the house 3 times because I forgot my keys, donation box, and phone. Rihanna's Skin comes on from my playlist as I drive. Yeees, I haven't heard this in a while and sing along enthusiastically.
I find 4 ramekins for $2.00. This will complete the set I picked up here before. K wants them for baking but doesn’t think he’d use them enough to justify a new set. I also nab a ceramic thing made for an unknown purpose ($0.50), to be a nice small pot.
10:35 Home, shrouded in the blanket as I type up research. Ramen again for lunch. I could bring it into work, but then my coworkers might judge and/or pity me for eating like a college student.
12:40 pm I get dressed for the office. Weather app says it's 70s outside, so I put on a light pink maxi skirt with a geometric pattern, a light orange/coral top with a floral print, and teal cardigan. I end up walking instead of driving since it's nice out. I immediately feel happier and refreshed! I think I’ve been grumpy from feeling so cold in the house. Like hangry, except…crumpy.
1:00 A sign outside a bakery says today’s special is carrot cake cupcake. Nooooo, I love carrot cake but I’m trying not to buy treats. But this bakery has such good cupcakes…I go in and buy one for $3.00. It’s difficult to resist these when they’re so cheap compared to prices in larger cities. I eat the cupcake at work and it is the perfect dessert.
1:50 The internet stops functioning as I'm writing up a form online to submit ): Instead, I call someone to break the bad news to since there's no email listed for them. I really dislike calling people I’ve never met, since I rely so much on expressions and body language. Several tea treks this afternoon.
4:00 I text a friend about helping me lift a dresser out of the garage later. I bought a lovely wood dresser for $150 from FB last month to replace our current dinky one, but it needs TLC. I’ve been procrastinating hard but am afraid this is the last week of nice weather, so want to fix it up now. Plus it can be a nice surprise for K.
4:30 As I’m leaving, some coworkers chat to me! I’m so happy – I’m a shy person at work, mostly because I feel like I have to absorb all the info possible and then I can start to say things, otherwise I’ll make a fool of myself. This shouldn't apply to general chatter, but somehow does for me. It’s really nice talking to them.
5:00 At home, NY driver’s license came in the mail. I feel so official now! Except, this isn’t a REAL ID and I thought I was getting one. The NY webpage says to bring more documents to the DMV for one one. I guess since I won’t be flying soon, not a big deal. And I can always use a passport, though I dislike carrying that unless really needed.
5:35 My friend comes over and we carry the dresser from the garage to the driveway. He points out that some of the backing is reinforced with staples (???) instead of nails. Ah well, this was cheap. I start off by sanding edges where the veneer is scratched or started to peel; harder to do precisely than videos show. Then a long, long time putting wood filler in those spots. It’s hard getting it to stick without bits falling off. Okay, not so sure how well this will turn out :/ I leave it to dry overnight, so tomorrow I can stain
7:00 After a hot shower, I put on my workout leggings that have a fleece lining. Not to workout, just for the warmth. Desperate times! I know that after winter, these temps will feel like beach weather. But right now I’m cold. I go feed the kitty. Then I remember I was supposed to send a form for work and do so, so very late :(
8:00 Dinner. Pork chop, leftover rice, defrosted corn. K and I chat as I eat. We call it a night early though. I finally get the dishwasher going; I left so many dirty dishes sitting around this week. I play Animal Crossing. I search for a new neighbor and pick the first one on a mystery island, a horse named Papi. He really likes nature, so I feel we’ll jive there.
9:00 A couple of friends text yes for a group video call next week. We know each other from grad school but are all in different states now. Many things have been happening for everyone, so I’m excited to toast to them!
10:00 I actually want to go up to bed this time, but the kitty is snuggled next to me. I’ve been petting her for at least 30 mins. But finally we go upstairs for the night. I scroll through subreddits before sleeping.
Total $5.94
Day 4, Thursday
7:45 I get up and do morning stuff, then feed the cat. I try to turn on my work computer but it does nothing until I charge it. Yogurt for breakfast, then burrito myself in the blanket for work.
9:50 ReStore break. I accidentally walk out in flip flops instead of sneakers but am too lazy to switch. Oh well, I’ll be that person in socks and sandals.
At the store, I immediately grab these beautiful blue glazed pots, labeled $4 for the set. There’s also a soft, pinkish white pillow. But it doesn’t fit colors I want for any room; nah, I’d regret it later. I find a pretty set of Japanese-style art, depicting varied pots and flowers. The frames are beat up though. I take a picture to send to K later to see if he likes them. But on my last circle about, the paintings have disappeared. That’s okay, someone else will enjoy them.
K might declare a pot moratorium when he gets home, as he’s threatened before. Hah, he’ll be using the car anyways so I can’t even go thrifting then.
10:55 Home and back to work. I get an email from Accounting that there’s a check for me. First one, woo! They told me it would be Thursdays, but I’m so used to Fridays that this was a surprise.
11:40 Hot ramen, mmm. While waiting for them to poof, I check my plants. I browse FB and subreddits while eating. Then upstairs to dress. Today, a navy and white triangle print blouse to pair with my black and white feather print pants. I also break out a nice pair of sneaker-like shoes, in grey suede.
1:45 Back in the office, many rounds of hot leaf juice. I pick up my paycheck, and Accounting confirms my next will be deposited. I also stop by HR to ask how I can set up Zoom meetings.
4:00 I drive to the credit union to deposit checks. They close too early, in my opinion. How do people who don’t have flexible workplaces find time to use them?
K recently added me to his account. My bank has no branch here, though I got them years ago specifically because they were national and I wanted access wherever I went in the US :/ I don’t like paying ATM fees, so K has been withdrawing cash if needed. I’m also not comfortable using a bank app out of paranoia that someone might steal my phone and siphon my account. I think my bank accounts and Social Security number are the only things the tech giants don’t have, so I guard them as my precious.
4:30 Home for more work in my blanket.
5:30 K and I chat. We decide to see if our friends are available for board games this weekend, and if not, watch a movie. I suddenly realize I didn’t defrost a protein for dinner, and even putting it out now won’t be enough time to unfreeze it. Nooo. I end our call to work on the dresser (but lie to him about why).
I put stain on a few samples of filler. I got it matched at a local hardware store, but not sure if the stain will look like its label image. Wait, the label says to leave the stain for 4-6 hours before using a 2nd coat…well, I can keep sanding. Except there's definitely too much wood filler on these spots, because I’m doing one corner for so long.
6:23 I go inside and eat leftover corn and a meat stick for dinner. I’m crumpy again. And sad this won't be done by the time K gets back. I decide to make a latte, likely a bad idea so late. But I want something cozy. I mix in cocoa powder and honey with it. We have a grinder, aeropress, and French press (for guests) but use Wegman’s beans and a cheap milk frother. Occasionally we get nicer beans at a local shop, and my partner eventually wants to upgrade to a real fancy grinder. The coffee set up captures well our spending habits.
7:00 The cat stole my half-eaten meat stick‼ She flees, but stops to eat her prize, so I snatch it from her clutches. K had asked me if she’d be unrecognizable when he gets back, and I think so. Very bold now. After I feed her, she goes downstairs and meows a lot. I will not be summoned, cat! XD I stay here until she’s back in the room, quiet, and then I go downstairs. I eat chocolate strawberries and browse FB and subreddits about plants, finances, and furnishing homes. I should read for the book club. Eh.
9:15 I find out online there’s Fall Festival on the main street on Saturday! I’m excited; I was visiting last year when it happened. There were hay bales and scarecrows and tractors and kids getting faces painted. I wasn’t sure they'd have it this year, but glad that local businesses will get a huge boost in sales.
I also remember we got a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers from there, now still our living room and only shed a bit during the year. Since they last for so long, I want a set for the guest bedroom.
9:30 I play Tetris. A couple of bad rounds, but I get 6th once! Pretty good. I cross some animals, and say hello to Papi. Then I go empty the rest of the dishwasher and load it again, and sweep up ramen bits. I don’t want all this to linger longer if I feel lazy tomorrow. K sometimes says, “Good job, past self!” out loud to acknowledge what he did in the past that make the present less stressful. I really like that, so now I try to approach things more that way.
11:25 I go to bed. But I have a throbbing caffeine headache, and my stomach feels hollow. Why did I do this to myself? I read some “messy” Money Diaries from the Drama Watch Roundup to tire out my brain. It takes a long time for me to fall asleep.
Total $4.32
Day 6, Friday
7:00 am I wake up needing to pee. Can't go back to sleep due to residual headache. I do my morning routine and feed the kitty. I have to boot up my work laptop. Its battery runs out so quickly; it’s a bit annoying that I won’t be able to go anywhere without the charger. Oh well. I start filling in a spreadsheet to organize what I’ve been researching.
I am blanket. Blanket is me. (Or is it I?)
I email my Boss about setting up a Zoom call for us and another person. Then tea time. I use a loose chai from Wegman’s. It’s really good; I’m glad their generic stuff tends to be decent quality.
9:50 To the ReStore. I almost forget my mask but luckily don’t. They’re strict about them, thankfully. I saw them kick out a man who tried to go in without one. He kept arguing that he had the right not to. Of course, and there are consequences to that. This is also a charity shop and volunteer run, so they probably care less about pissing off a few people. I feel bad for the businesses and employees who end up with potential losses from booting noncompliant customers. It’s not a dilemma I’d want to face.
Today I find a large peachy pillow, $3. Glad I didn’t get the other, since this fits better and is so soft. I also get two glass vases of similar height and shape but one has a vertical pattern ($1.00, with additional 50% off) while the other has a wavy pattern ($1.00, with additional 25% off). Close enough, for the guest bedroom flowers. And I finally drop off the box.
10:45 I reach Wegman’s to grab a few things. Two 10-pack meat sticks (12.29 each) and two 2-liter bottles of diet grapefruit soda ($0.75 each). I also look at the fish, since they stock fresh ones on Fridays and are usually sold out by evening. I love whole fish and would eat it every day if I could. I pick 2 porgies ($6.99/lb) and ask them to descale and trim the fish but keep the heads. I’ll get both fish heads tonight since K never eats them. I’m so excited for dinner!
More work at home. My boss CCs me on an email about me sent privately to her and few others. Her response is amazing and is a virtual mike drop. I appreciate her so much. I do a speedy lunch, ramen and soda. And speedy dressing: same pants as yesterday, sheer burgundy top, teal cardigan, the suede shoes. I finally bring my mug! It’s bigger so less tea trips.
2:00 Meeting with boss and another person our org works closely with. The prep I did is not useful, because the conversation turns in a different direction than expected.
4:15 I get home early and do last minute cleaning. K texted earlier that he should arrive by 6:00.
5:00 I haven’t heard kitty in a while, and get worried. I walk around calling her, and she meows in response, from our master bed. She rushes out once I open the door.
5:45 Finish work and take a shower. Kitty gets many pets in apology for accidenally imprisoning her. I manage to snip two of her nails, but she escapes before I can do the rest. Then the house alarm goes off. K is back! He says the house is chilly – okay I’m not going crazy XD He is skeptical that it’s truly 65 degrees in here and turns on the heat. The cat hides, shy again with K here. I tell him it’s probably his haircut. We unload the rental car and return it.
7:00 Dinner prep. I season the fish and wrap them in aluminum foil for the oven. This time I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and coriander. I chop up mushrooms to roast too.
The fish and veggies end up delicious! I do warn K about the little stomach bones. If we’re sharing one big fish, I split it into fillets and pick out all the bones myself, but we each have our own and I don’t feel like doing it twice. I get all the fish eyes, yum.
9:30 K tells me the news about Ruth Bader Ginsburg passing. A friend also texts me about it a couple of minutes later. I am so sad. She was such an amazing person and inspiring woman. I read an article detailing parts of her life I hadn’t known about before. This makes me even sadder, though.
10:00 We finish the strawberries together. K nods off during Adventure Time. I’m hit with a sense of déjà vu: this happened exactly, early on in our relationship. Sometimes history repeats itself in a cute way. We eventually go up to sleep. My mouth stings as I brush my teeth - the sore on the inside, near my lip, is getting worse. I've been trying not to irritate it too much since it's in an awkward spot, but that's clearly not working.
11:30 I’m still awake reading random things on my phone. So bad. I go to sleep.
Total $42.29
Day 7, Saturday
9:15 am Phone buzzes me awake. Friends confirm the Fall Festival plan.
10:15 I’m still in bed because warm. K offers to turn the heat up, but I’ll be fine. After I wash my face, I can’t find my towel so drip awkwardly over the sink until I remember one on a nearby shelf. K must have grabbed our dirty towels for laundry.
10:30 I put crepes in the oven to defrost. I wish I'd put parchment paper between layers when stacking, because it’s been annoying separating them.
K and I talk about the new health insurance cards, and what appointments I'll make. First will be Planned Parenthood, because I’m on my last pack of pills! The only time I wasn’t covered was the months after college graduation and before my job started. I worried so much that I’d have an accident and be buried in debt. Luckily didn’t happen. I also really appreciate when work pays into insurance, after having to pay the entire premium myself during grad school.
K browses the Nintendo shop and pulls up the Ori sequel. I do want it but think we should wait; $40 seems pricey and we have so many other games we haven’t started or finished. He tells me he did buy Hades on sale since we tend to play these types of games more. I really liked the trailer so glad he did.
11:30 I scroll online while I eat the crepes, watch K play Hades. I love the art, but not sure I’d be good. You battle many enemies, and you have to react fast. We switch and I play! It's challenging but not too much that I feel like I can’t figure it out. At some point, K finds socks on the ground and puts them on me since I’m too busy playing but still complaining about cold feet. Thanks K!
1:45 He reminds me we’re supposed to meet friends at 2:00. Today's outfit: green pleated maxi, a mustard top, and a magenta suede vest with long fringe on the shoulders and edges that reach my calves. One of my favorite statement pieces.
2:15 We find our friends and chat, waiting for the other ones. Apparently the festival was canceled, and instead there’s a small farmers’ market. Now I feel bad having asked them out for this – the cancellation wasn’t mentioned on the official webpage!
Our other friends get here and we check out the market. It smells delicious; there’s one stall with donuts, one with pretzels. K and a couple friends go for donuts. I find the dried bouquets vendor and request two with orange, pink, and purple-blue flowers. They cost $9 each, but K pays since I don’t have cash. We all decide to walk down the main street for fun.
4:00 I stop for $5 bubble tea. I get lavender with traditional bubbles (there are popping ones, but I think those are weird). It's yummy, enough flavor but not so much that I’m eating a candle. K and friends get ice cream, trying the fall flavors. Then we all part ways and go home. Another package at the door, with K’s name on it, but he’s not expecting anything. They’re cool wooden coasters with a laser cut outline of the city we met in! Turns out a friend sent it as a gift.
6:30 Dinner time. K baked chicken with cumin and other seasonings, plus rice and defrosted peas. We watch Adventure Time. It’s interesting to me how adult kids shows can be. There are incredibly sad/disturbing moments that would be completely missed by kids. During episodes I get text alerts from in my siblings' group chat. Adorable pictures of my cute niece, finally smiling instead of looking angry. For the rest of the night, K and I take turns playing Hades. He keeps getting further than me, but I’m not too behind!
9:30 Bed time. We’ll see if I can sleep early tonight.
Total $5.67
Weekly Total $69.97
Food + Drink = $46.89
Home + Health = $23.09
REFLECTION
I think I tend to buy little things during the week. In contrast, K tends to make bigger purchases of many items once or twice a month. It’s nice to see my spending be “normal” again, since for a few months I was spending a lot on furnishings and such. I do want to be better about buying less treats, and resist buying plants (though now that space near the windows is running out, less a problem). The resale market is good for calming my inner shopper. I don't feel like I’m missing out too much, because there’s so much out there that even if I don’t nab this thing, a similar thing will pop up later. So I'm okay being pickier about those purchases.

I am 35 years old make £50,000 live in NW UK and work as an accountant. This week i’m on holiday with just my dog, driving round the North Coast 500, Scotland’s answer to Route 66.
Day 1 - Saturday
6.30am -Eeek it’s here... I wake up and bring coffee upstairs to bed with the dog M for a last cuddle. I’m going to really miss my husband D but I do understand him not wanting to close his business again so soon after being closed for 3 months due to Covid. It might seem odd me holidaying on my own but we are very happily married - honest.
8am - I start getting my stuff together. I’m not a big fan of breakfast early on after waking up, but I have a long way to go today so I grab a muffin.I get myself ready, then get D to walk with me to the park, so that M can be thoroughly emptied and he gets a good run around. He’s not over pleased with his new car harness (he usually travels in D’s car with a dog guard) but I strap him in and off we set. 334 miles to go...
9am - I blast some tunes and M goes straight to sleep, and I push through until Gretna Green which takes just under 2 hours. I’ve often driven past here, but never stopped, but I need a wee and think it’s time to let M out too. We have a quick walk through around the visitor centre complex.
11.30am - I then hop back in the car, and my next stop is the Starbucks at the services. I had made myself a packed lunch but I annoyingly left it in the fridge and so I pick up a tuna melt and an iced coffee from some credit on my app. I’m breezing along at this point, the scenery looks stunning and I can’t understand why the sat nav is saying it’s going to take so long to arrive. I make a quick stop at a lay-by just to see if M wants a wee or a drink. Then I hit the outskirts of Perth... What should be the last hour takes 2, in fact it takes 30 minutes to drive a mile. I’m absolutely exhausted by this point and M is telling me he’s understandably fed up. We start moving again and I’m so tired it’s getting dangerous, and I notice that some of the lay-bys have access to a lovely riverside path, so I stop. I put M on his lead and we just do a 10 minute walk, which makes both of us feel better. Then the last 30 minutes through the most stunning scenery, and we’re here. Kingussie in the Cairngorms. I check in, this was one of the cheapest hotels and it’s great, they upgraded me to en-suite which was super kind, and the room is great albeit very hot.
4.30pm - I dump my bags and head straight out with M. I find a couple of places to let him off, then a lovely river for him to cool off as he’s super warm. Then to the hotel bar for a well deserved cold pint £4. The staff and (fairly well lubricated for 5pm) locals are so unbelievably friendly, couldn’t have picked a better place to stay. I shower as I’m dripping, get changed into something cooler, which I sweat in immediately as the room is boiling, then we walk out to where I have booked for dinner - the tipsy laird. The staff again are super friendly, and I order a cider, and the Tipsy burger with cheese. Everyone loved M and he was brought water straight away, but the only problem was that the table I was given was on the through flow to the toilets/kitchen so he was up and down like a yo yo saying hi to everyone, and I didn’t get the most relaxed meal. The burger comes though and it’s massive! Big feed for £12. I decide to leave after this, we’re parked in the middle of the through flow really, and it’s not super restful for either of us, so I pay the bill £15.65 and walk back the same way as earlier Max can have a run around and I phone D for a quick chat.
8.00pm - I head back to my hotel and buy a bottle of wine. £15.50 that I drink a glass of in the bar, a glass in bed, and pack the rest for another night. I watch a bit of tv on my iPad, and have an early night as we have an adventure tomorrow...
Miles travelled - 334 Hotel - £55 Amount spent - £55.64 including a half tank of petrol the night before
Day 2 - Sunday
7.00am- I had set an alarm this morning, as I have a bit to do, and I want to pre-empt any wee needs as we are 2 floors up in the hotel. He’s also had loads of water as it’s boiling. I didn’t get the best night sleep unfortunately which is a shame as the bed is amazingly comfortable. The room was unfortunately just super hot, nothing they could do as it’s been a heat wave. I’ve also never stayed away with M before except with family and he was hot and unsettled. So I had the window open, but all the young lads from Kingussie unfortunately decided to congregate under our window, playing their music from the car speakers making him quite understandably stressed. So I throw on last nights clothes and we go for a quick walk, then I come back up and shower, make coffee and pack the million things I seem to have brought up to the room. Not easy to travel light with a dog. I would have liked to have had breakfast here, but the hotel and both coffee shops in the village don’t open until 9, and I need to be on the road. So I just eat a muesli bar from the car and we head off towards Aviemore. Unfortunately my car sat nav gets me hugely lost, and keeps trying to send me down down gravel tracks to get on the A9 which surprise surprise don’t lead me onto a massive dual carriageway... I end up back tracking all the way I came as I had no phone signal to double check. Turns out I should have just carried on a few more miles. Puts me a bit behind schedule.
9.30am - I park the car at the air bnb that I booked, quickly pack a day rucksack and we frog-march down to the train station, as today, we’re going on a steam train. M’s first time on a train. I collect the tickets (£16.25 + £1 for M) and find our table. They have sold only half of the tables for social distancing and it’s really well organised. We choo choo off. It’s very picturesque, but mostly fields etc but still a worthwhile little outing. M isn’t quite as interested and goes to sleep. We get out at the first stop as I want to split my ticket, so I get a reservation for the later train back. They sort this for me (again everyone is super friendly) so I jump back on again. At the terminus I get out again for some photos and a leg stretch.
12.00pm - Back at the Boat Of Garten stop we gather our things and get off, as we have a reservation at the Boat inn for lunch. I order a pint of cider, and a sandwich and chips. We just hang out here for a while, well ages really as our train back isn’t until 3.30pm, unfortunately the middle train of the day got cancelled with Covid. About half way through I get a bit peckish again and order a sticky toffee pud and a glass of rose. I pay the bill which comes to £36.25. It’s coming up for our return train time so we wander back to the station, and not long after the train arrives.
3.30pm - We board and chug our noisy way back to Aviemore station, where I have a quick wee and then we walk the 30 mins back up to our air bnb to check in. I booked a tiny house just outside of Aviemore, and it’s ideal.. The lady who owns and runs it (it’s in her garden) has broken her elbow, but her Mum is there looking after her and they both show me around and make a fuss of M. I have a quick shower, and we both just chill out for a bit as we are exhausted. I decide not to go out tonight. It’s been a long couple of days, so I think fish and chips, a glass of wine and Netflix is on the cards. As I’m just about to head out the owner lets her dog in the garden and they have a fab 20 min play whilst I chat to Karen who is truly lovely.
7pm - I nip to the Co-op where I pick up a bottle of wine, and a pack of hot cross buns and some utterly butterly for the next 2 mornings breakfasts which costs £9.30, and then I order Haddock and chips for me, and a sausage for Max, £11.05. I head back to the cabin, get in my PJ’s, and just have a lovely chill. The cabin is amazing as night time wee’s can be achieved by just opening the door into the garden, shame I’m only here 2 nights. Write my trippie, and sleep like the dead.
Miles travelled in a car - should have been 15 but was actually more like 30 Miles travelled on a train - 20 Accommodation - £75 Amount spent - £73.95
Day 3 - Monday
6.00am - I wake up early so I nip to the toilet and then am just able to open the cabin door to the garden, and M can sort himself out which is just so easy. I take my medication then we both get back into (our separate) beds for a bit and fall back asleep. I wake up at about 8.30am to a snoring dog. I pop the kettle on, make myself a coffee then toast 2 hot cross buns for breakfast, setting off the smoke alarm in the process. Both fully breakfasted I pack a bag, load the car and we’re off to Loch Morlich.
10am - I find the right car park after a couple of bodged attempts, and scrape together the £1.50 car parking charge. I get a leaflet with a map (just worth pointing out I’m fair terrible with maps) and set off towards the beach. Well Mr water baby practically drags me in when he sees the loch. After a couple of false starts, me going the wrong way, then me following the wrong colour signs, and a brief occasion where M may have decided to join some kayakers, we get on the right trail, we are going to walk all the way round the Loch, about 6km. It’s quite warm, and very midgey but stunningly beautiful and we don’t see anyone for the first half until we start to come across people who are doing shorter walks from the other way. Towards the end we cross a bridge and I lose my path altogether, I know I’m not right but I am right next to the loch and can see where I need to go, so I just clip him on the lead and we follow the road. Later on I see where I need to be; the path is elevated on the other side of the road, but I decide scrambling up verges next to busy roads isn’t overly sensible. We make it back to the beach, let the boy have one last swim, then head back to the car where much towelling is done, as well as a bit of pre lunch damage control with wet wipes and a clean t-shirt for me.
12.30pm -Our lunch stop is the Old Bridge Inn, and so I park up and we wander in. It’s a beautiful old pub, and it’s Monday today and the UK govt eat out to help out scheme and so it’s 50% off. I order a cheese board which comes and is absolutely fab (but why do they never give you enough crackers) and a pint of cider. I have a little nose popping up to see if there is any cheese going spare. I eventually catch someone’s eye and ordered a piece of cheesecake. This comes with sorbet which makes me really happy as I love sorbet (and can’t eat ice cream). I get the bill which comes to a mere £11.90. This Eat out to help out is really going to help me stay within budget.
2.00pm - Back in the car, we drive back up the road to the home of the Cairngorm reindeer herd. The hill walk is one of the things I would have loved to do (I did it in 2008 though) but obviously no dogs are allowed, and due to Covid the little paddocks with a few to pat and snap are closed. I drive up regardless though just to see if I can spot one from a distance. Unfortunately no luck, so I head all the way back through Aviemore where I stop at the Cairngorm Brewery to choose some beers for DH as a gift. I debate dropping the car and going out for a drink, but M can barely keep his eyes open, and so I nip to the Co-op for a cold bottle of Prosecco. I still do have a couple of half bottles of wine, but neither are cold, so I’ll drink them later in the trip when I get a fridge or a bar with ice I can pinch.
4.00pm I just have a shower, get in bed for a bit, have a glass of Prosecco, message D and write my notes.
6.00pm - After a bit of a chill out, I get dressed, sort a few bits out then we wander out and into the village. On the way past we stop at a stone circle I spotted on google maps, pretty funky and right in the middle of a residential area. We get to our dinner reservation half an hour early, but they kindly seat me anyway, but just say I can’t order food until my reservation time which is no problem. It is super busy and it takes a while to get a drink, but I just read my book. I decide on a smokey chilli chicken pizza and skin on fries, and it comes and it’s massive! Also very spicy but really tasty, can’t complain at all. Total including 2 glasses of wine was £20.75, an absolute bargain. I love this eat out to help out business!
8.00pm - We wander back to our little cabin. Pj’s and a chill out in bed, we’re moving on tomorrow and it’s an early start so to sleep for both of us.. a lovely day and I’m so glad to have seen Aviemore again, but I’m excited to move on and see some more new places.
Miles travelled in a car - 15 Accommodation - £75 Amount spent - £51.35
Day 4 - Tuesday
7.00am - When the alarm goes off I snooze a couple of times, then start the process of showering and getting dressed whilst trying to make coffee and breakfast, pack and sort Mout all at once. I wash the dishes, then load the car, and off we go. Our first stop today is Dochgarroch lock, as we are going on a Loch Ness cruise.
9.00am - We make cracking time which is good as it did take me a little longer than expected to get everything in the car. We pass road signs highlighting a yellow weather warning for heavy rain (hello Britain) so I pack both our rain coats just in case. The boat is ready for us, so we wander on and sit outside at the back so I don’t have to wear a mask for 2 hours.
9.30am - We set off, chugging slowly down the canal, past the smallest lighthouse in Britain, and then when we enter Loch Ness we really pick up speed, charging right down the centre. No rain yet, in actual fact it’s very sunny so I keep swapping seats to try and get shade for us both, as stupid Mummy remembered his water bottle, but not his bowl to drink from. Yesterday when I went to the brewery, I completely forgot to pick up a beer or two for my best friends birthday, so when I see the Loch Ness lagers on the bar onboard, I buy 2. £9.20 which serves me right for not being smarter yesterday as they are double the cost. We pootle past Urquhart castle which I have visited myself back in the day, and I get some photos as they turn the boat round for us all to see. A lady is on board who is a single Mum with 2 kids (at least one special needs) and 3 chocolate Labradors. She managed to remember a water bowl though (what a human being) and she sends her little girl over to offer M water. I feel like my dog is quite rightly judging my parenting skills at this point as he pointedly drinks up like he’s not been offered water in days. We start to head back up the canal, and I must say I’ve really enjoyed it. Well worth it.
11.00am - Get back to the car and the first stop is filling the car up with Diesel. This comes to £45.47 but I buy a meal deal for £4.95 too as I’m getting hungry. Quick wee stop then I’m on the road,this is my first actual section of the NC500. First stop is Dornoch Beach. I park up for free and give M a real treat, a swim in the sea. I’m a bit nervous as it’s busier than expected but he’s completely excellent and charges around like a loon, but comes back to me with no issue at all. Much towelling and cold drinks for both of us, then back in the car. I’m looking for the stone remembering the last witch execution in 1727, it’s now in someone’s garden, but I find it.
1pm - On the road again we go, this time just to the outside of Dunrobin castle. I would definitely have paid to enter here and see the falconry display, but it’s not dog friendly. So I just take a photo and have a nosy, then it’s north again. This time it’s a quick stop at Cairn Liath, an old stone Broch. This is fabulous, we have to cross the A9 on foot which is a little hairy, but so worth it. I can let M off and we both have a good nosy around.
3.00pm - My last stop is a museum called the Timespan museum which I have read you can take dogs into. Unfortunately it’s closed though, so we decide just to push onto Wick where we are staying tonight. The roads get incredibly hilly, and I see my first Highland coo... you just wouldn’t imagine here you are anywhere near a big town, but then all of a sudden, a lidl, a retail park, and a town, with a wetherspoons
4.30pm -Find the hotel and check in, super friendly again. And I have a massive room on the ground floor near an exit to the car park, so incredibly thoughtful. The bed is huge too. I decide to go for a walk through town, I snap a photo of the world’s shortest street. And then I hunt down the Wetherspoons. I sit outside with M and order a pint of strongbow on the app. Absolutely ideal because I don’t even need to go inside to order and therefore leave him. I then realise I can order bar snacks from the app too, I even get 50% off my peanuts. If I’m honest, if i had known i could eat outside, and that it would be dry I would have eaten here tonight, but it is undoubtedly better to give the money to the independents after all. I stay here rather longer than expected, mostly because I realise my watch has not quite stopped but gone very slow. I spend under a tenner here including buying a bag of crisps for the car tomorrow. 7pm - Back to the room and I shower and get changed, feed M then wander to the hotel dining room. I’m eating in the residents lounge so I can keep M with me. To be honest with you, I think he’d prefer to be in the room in bed, but the hotel is packed with people coming past, and I’m worried he’ll bark if he gets startled so I keep him with me and he goes to sleep on the carpet. Then starts flirting with the Scottish ladies visiting. I order a wine, mozzarella sticks and chicken jalfrezi which are quite nice. This costs £20.50. I ring D, write my notes, then head to bed. It’s been a busy day, but a really good one..
Mikes travelled in a car - 149 Accommodation - £86.95 Amount spent -£91.48 but I have plenty of budget left from prior days to chip into the petrol
Day 5 - Wednesday
8am- Waking up I take the boss out for a quick wee, then head back to the room. Breakfast for him and shower for me. This hotel has been absolutely ideal, the only negative for me is that the walls and ceilings were paper thin, and I think the other guests of the hotel found the Wetherspoons too. This made M a bit unsettled as it was pitch black by this time and quite noisy, so I had to sleep the first part of the night with my foot in his bed to keep him calm. But then all went quiet and we had a lovely night sleep. The bed was amazing. We have breakfast in the residents lounge, which was great, and they even bring M a sausage.
9.30am - Then it’s time to check out, we’ve been very leisurely this morning because a couple of the first suggested stops are here in Wick, but don’t open until 10. I first head in the car to the Old Pulteney whisky distillery to look at souvenirs for D. The weather this morning is overcast to say the least, and I drive through some very industrial type areas. The town has a very different look and feel to it than yesterday strangely. I arrive and the smell of the whisky greets me, but unfortunately also does a sign saying they were closed. I snap a photo then off we go. Next is the Wick Heritage museum. I arrive at 10.04am to a big closed sign on the door. I decide to sit it out for a minute, and a lady does arrive and go through the door about 10.10am, but despite sitting it out for a while, the door remains shut with the big closed sign on the door. I know these places are small, but I wish they had updated their website/social media as I had got the impression they would be open. I won’t be deterred at my next stop though, Tesco petrol station, I only need just over a tenner, but it’s really cheap so decide to top the tank up and it’s on to John O’Groats. I’m glad we didn’t stay here the night, but it was a great little stop. Thankfully most things are open, so I head into the little Brewery and get D 3 local beers from the brewery in the village £10.50, then grab myself a coffee for the car, £2.90.
11.30am - It’s then onto Duncansby head lighthouse. And a bit of a walk over the field to the sea stacks. I really enjoyed it here too. The Castle of Mey is my next stop, this once used to be owned by the Queen mother and apparently has lovely gardens. I was hoping to be able to nip in like Dunrobin yesterday for a quick mooch and a photo, but they are only letting people in with pre-booked gardens tickets. They are super friendly though and point out where on the road I can get a quick photo. Then it’s onwards and upwards again. I follow the signs then for Dunnet Head. This is the most furtherly north place in the UK (not actually John O’Groats). This was a longish single track road to get there, and again there is a lighthouse, and viewpoints over to the Orkney islands. Again very worth the trip up and Max enjoys the walk around. Good practice for the single track roads too.
1.30pm -Back down the long winding track and it’s the Dunnet Bay gin distillery next. I don’t drink gin either, but my husband and best friend do, so I nip in and buy them some souvenirs £19.50. I’m desperate for a wee at this point, and the lady from the gin shop points me next door to hotel where they have outdoor toilets they don’t mind people using. I notice a really busy eating area, and a quick google later and they are doing eat out to help out. It’s nearly 2pm by this point, and I’m hungry, so I grab Max and sit outside. I order a lime and soda and some mac and cheese. This turns out to be a great idea, as I don’t really see anywhere else to stop on the way, it’s also delicious and costs me a whole £6.48. I spy a sign for a beach, and the boy has been so good, we go for a walk on Dunnet Bay Beach. This is absolutely stunning, and we both absolutely love it. Well I do until he brings me a present of half a dead fish.
3.30pm - Onto our destination for the evening, the village of Tongue. It doesn’t look that far, but the roads quickly become single track, very hilly and winding, and this time there are HGV’s rumbling past. I have to be honest I find it fairly traumatic, and don’t really get to take in the very stunning scenery for trying to avoid sheep who are napping in the passing places! I really wish I had stopped to photograph the roads. Truly beautiful but I didn’t half wish D was here. But I make it in one piece, with a rather big sigh of relief. I unclench my hands, and check into my room, it’s a single which is no problem, in fact the bathroom is bigger than the bedroom strangely. They have left me a complementary bottle of wine though which is a nice touch (I pack this for another night) I have a cool shower and just chill out for an hour or so with my book. It’s very warm, and incredibly midgey, I must have about 50 bites on me, but the bed is comfy. We go down and I order dinner, onion bhaji’s followed by lamb shank. The food is a little expensive, but absolutely lovely. I’m quite tired, so I take M out for a very quick walk round the village, then we head back upstairs. I think I have a lot of single track driving to do in the morning, so I have an early night watching MAFS Australia in bed. I think the older I get the earlier my bedtimes do 😂 It’s been a really good day despite a couple of closure early on.
Miles travelled in a car - 95 Accommodation - £60 Amount spent £79.50
Day 6 - Thursday
7.30am - I wake up to my alarm. Both of us slept really well. Think M is getting used to hotels now. It’s fairly wet, wild and windy this morning, but my weather app tells me it should be fairly short lived. For today anyway. Usual dog wee, shower, and packing up of our worldly possessions.
8.30am - I go down for breakfast, having packed the dog bed in the car, to find that I can’t have him with me for breakfast. I decide as it’s cool the car is the safer option, but I rush through breakfast as quickly as I can. I sneak a couple of bits out in a napkin to the car for him, then I pack up and check out.
9am - We drive for the first hour on single track roads, stunningly beautiful again but thankfully quieter so I build confidence a bit. I soon figure out the best way for me to slot in behind someone at a safe distance and almost take a tow. That way they make the call to go or stop, and I just follow. It takes me an hour to do 28 miles, but I’m happy enough pootling along. In fact my first tow is a campervan doing 30, but then I progress later to a VW Sirvocco doing 40, go me...
10am - Our first stop today was Smoo Cave, well what a fab stop, and I’m even able to let the little monster have a swim. It’s stunningly beautiful, and well worth the 10 minute walk back up and down. It has got very very warm, completely different to how it looked this morning when I got up.
11am - Only a few miles away was the Balnakeil craft village. I make a pit stop first at the famous Cocoa Mountain, where I get a coffee which comes with 4 chocolates for £5.95. I was going to buy D some chocolates to take home from here, but they are £1 a chocolate, and I’m worried they’ll end up in a soggy mess by the time I get home as it’s warmer than expected. So I just sit in the sun with my coffee for a bit have a quick nosy in one of the shops, but I’m no good in a mask, so I head back to the car and get on my way.
12pm- I snap some photos of the famous Kylesku bridge, then carry on, I miss the sign for the Rock shop which is recommended, this is possibly because it may be closed, and decide to do the optional detour to Lochinver. This wasn’t the best call. It’s 11 miles which does take about 20 minutes each way, and I head to the pottery shop. Well it’s all stunning, but at over £35 for a mug, it isn’t the souvenir shop for me. I haven’t had any lunch, so I stop at the Lochinver larder, a famous pie shop. Well all I want to do is buy a takeaway pie for lunch, but after 10 minutes in the queue which is just to pay, and seeing that no one who has ordered since I’ve arrived has got their lunch, I give up, I don’t want to leave M in the car for any longer. Luckily I have a spare pack of crisps and some haribo in the car.
2pm - Continuing on towards Ullapool which is my stop for the night, I spy the sign for the ruins of Ardvreck castle. Well this is a great stop and cheers us both up. He gets to swim, and I walk and clear my head. It is so beautiful, and we both really enjoy it. Not long after another sign for the Knockan Crag geological reserve. We enjoyed this too and walk the loop above the car park reading the signs and looking at the exhibits.
4pm - Not far from here to Ullapool, so we bundle back in the car and check in. It’s motel style, and can park straight outside the door, much easier for lugging our stuff in and out. Accommodation options in Ullapool weren’t cheap, this cost £95 for the room, and is 20 mins walk from the village, but it serves food and they are very nice, if a little Covid stressed.
4.30pm - We decide to follow their route to the village to give M a good walk. Ullapool is smaller than expected, but it’s very rugged and picturesque. We have a quick drink in the Seaforth inn £7, but then the bad weather is clearly coming in, and it starts raining, I’ve come out in flip flops, and a t-shirt, so not the most sensible, but it was sunny when I left half an hour ago. We nip into the Ferry Boat inn who kindly offer us a 30 min rain respite before their table bookings, and that’s all it takes. It’s sunny again. £5.50 for a glass of wine.
7pm - We wander back up the hill and order some food, goats cheese to start which is really tasty, and pepperoni pizza which is lovely but could do with 5 more mins in the oven. The owners are lovely, and we have a good chat; then it’s time for bed. Chat to D, tv, book and bed.
Miles travelled in a car - 104 Accommodation - £95 Amount spent - £61
Day 7 - Friday
7.30am - I wake up just before my alarm. Didn’t hear a peep out of the hound last night. He’s definitely now a hotel kinda dog. Pack everything up which is so much easier with the car parked right outside. Then I drive round for breakfast. I’m not really hungry but I do my best.
9.00am - I nip to Tesco to get some car snacks and a birthday card for my niece, £8.80, then join the queue for the petrol station on the way out of the village. I decide to fill up just in case which comes to £21.23. We set off, and our first stop is the Corrieshalloch gorge which has an incredible suspension bridge. We have a wander about and snap some photos, then back to the car for us.
11am - It’s then a detour to Mellon Udringle beach, this is up a single track road, I start to wonder if I have gone wrong, but I get there and it’s beautiful. M charges around and swims for ages. I had noticed a field of sheep when we arrived, but what I stupidly hadn’t noticed was the field had no fences. I turned round and M was nose to nose with a rather large ram with horns bigger than me. They were just looking at each other. I screeched and grabbed him quick and we toddle back off to the car and back on the road. There are some famous gardens at Inverewe which sound fab, but we can’t take dogs in so we didn’t stop.
1pm - About a mile or two before the village of Gairloch I hear some funny noises (followed by a funny smell) from the back seat. I quickly turn round and see a sea of vomit. Now anyone who knows me knows that I can deal with all the poo in the world, but I’m terrible with vomit. I think it’s a belly full of sea water as normally he has a gut of iron. I quickly find a petrol station and pull in, finding somewhere to tie poor M up I try to deal with the back seat. I throw the towel straight in the bin which caught most of it, but it’s everywhere and he clearly is feeling really poorly and I can’t set off yet. Leaving him tied up in the shade with some water I take the opportunity to jet wash the car as it’s covered in bird poo and he eats his body weight in grass, then throws it all back up again. Feeling safe enough to set off, we literally make it to the next parking stop, and we limp on like this for some time. We get to the Victoria falls car park, and a short walk seems to do him a bit of good. The falls are lovely, but it’s very very midgey.
3pm - A little further on we reach the shores of Loch Maree. It’s a lot less midgey here, so I sit on a rock next to the car, and he just potters about eating grass and paddling his feet in the water, and he seems to be a bit better. So we set off properly again. We reach Torridon and decide not to stop for a drink, but plod on. The roads get very narrow but it’s incredibly beautiful.
4.30pm -Arriving at our destination for the night, Lochcarron, I have a drive through the village, then head off to a tartan shop called Lochcarron weavers. I was looking for cushions or maybe a rug, but I end up buying DH a lovely woollen jumper that’s on sale at £40, guessed the sizes so fingers crossed. I decide to leave the ruins of Strome castle for the morning, so we drive back to the Loch, and I spot a fish and chip van. I’ve had no lunch with vomit gate, so I just get a portion of chips, and I eat them on a bench looking out over the Loch, but then the rain starts so we go check in. Now I must say the reviews of this place were terrible. But it was cheap, dog friendly and right where we needed to be, so I decided to take it with a pinch of salt. I’m glad I did, the room does look a little dated, but it’s clean, very friendly and I’m on the ground floor. My room in Ullapool last night was dated too but cost £95, today was £55. I give him some water and a nap (but no tea as yet which causes some consternation) then we wander next door to the barestaurant when he has had a good rest.
6pm - The food looks fab. An older lady with her son orders the special of ribs, and I’m sold. I order a leek and goats cheese tart followed by the ribs, the food is a little dear, the starter alone is £9, but we are very remote and it is very tasty. I would normally have had a helper with the ribs, but I didn’t dare, so I got a lot of incredulous puppy stares. Instead a tiny portion of dry dog biscuits for him, and a glass of wine for me from the car, and an early night again.
Miles travelled in a car - 130 Accommodation - £55 Amount spent - £73.93
Day 8 - Saturday
5am - I wake up in the pitch black to the unmistakeable sound of retching. Jump up, put the lights on and there are 3 piles to deal with.. thankfully just undigested grass really, and I have my handy wet wipes so we have it cleaned up in no time, and I decide to take him out to see if he needs a wee or anything whilst I’m awake. We just have a quick walk along the water front, being careful not to get locked out of the hotel, then back in and it’s back to bed for both of us.
8am - Getting up again and the monster seems to be feeling much better. We go next door for breakfast, but I just have a yoghurt and a croissant. It was lovely though. I really enjoyed this hotel, it was friendly, laid back and right on the route. I pack up the room, and give M a third of his normal breakfast (which he wolfs down) and we get in the car.
9.30am - We head just up the road for now to the ruins of Strome castle. I can’t let him off the lead here because there are lots of sheep, but it’s a great little stop for a walk around. It starts to rain but only quite lightly at this stage.
10am - He seems ok so we get on the road towards Inverness and eventually home (tomorrow). I must admit I had very serious thoughts of trying to just head home, both yesterday and at 5am, but I’m very far from home, nearly a 9 hour drive, and as such I think it would be better to stop regularly to offer him water and fresh air, rather than trying to push through. I have a quick call with D who reminds me that dogs eat things they shouldn’t all the time and to stop worrying, he’s eating, drinking and toileting normally and so to carry on but just not over feed him and offer him regular breaks. So our next stop is the Glen Dougherty look out, which is apparently stunning on a clear day but it wasn’t a clear day. So just a quick look about and off we go again. Nice for a photo and a leg stretch though.
11am - Last stop for us on the NC500 route is Rogie Falls. This is a great stop and walk down to the waterfalls. Apparently at the right time of year you can see salmon jumping up the falls, but it wasn’t to be today, this stop was incredibly busy, the car park was completely full and I had to wait a while to get parked, but it was a lovely walk and we both really enjoyed it.
12pm -Not long after this we reach Inverness and leave the NC500 route, we’re a little early to head to Pitlochry which is our stop for the night, so I do a couple of things, firstly grab a quick drive through McDonald’s for lunch £8.80, then fill up the car at the Tesco petrol station which comes to £19.87.
1.30pm - It’s only 90 mins to Pitlochry from here. And so I think I’ll be a little early really, so I head to Culloden battlefield for a walk around. Well unfortunately the heavens just open, and we are both completely drowned. Rather rudely I felt M wasn’t over interested in the Jacobites. But we have a very quick walk round, and then a towel off and on the road. I tell him I’ll put Outlander on for him when we get home. I’m actually very interested in history but I have been to the visitor centre before (and read and the watched the Outlander series which I’m sure is super accurate ).
4pm - We hit Pitlochry. I can’t get into the hotel car park, but I find street parking and check in nearby. This place is quite fancy, it’s in the same chain as the lunch I had on the steam train right at the beginning. Here it’s sort of a fancy gastro pub with rooms upstairs. This was the costliest of my accommodation at £99 but also the nicest. My heart does sink a bit though when I see where my room is. Sort of up two flights of stairs and round a lot of corridors and through several fire doors. I really hope we don’t need 5am dashes tonight. It’s nice to have a bit of luxury though too, most of my accommodation has been fairly basic, not even offering toiletries or tea/coffee in all cases. So this room with it’s very fancy toiletries and biscuits is very welcome.
5pm - We chill out for a bit, and I even nod off for 15 mins which is incredibly unlike me. Then we have a quick walk through the town, which looks lovely, and then head into our hotel/pub for dinner. I order the spaghetti carbonara with garlic bread. It’s lovely but very big, and I only manage half, but I did have lunch today.
8pm -We go for a last walk through the town, I contemplate an outdoor drink at a different pub, but I can’t find a table, so I have a glass of car wine, call DH, and watch Indian Matchmaking on Netflix.
Miles travelled in a car - 147 Accommodation - £99 Amount spent - £78
Day 9 - Sunday
8am - I wake up, and the boy has slept like a log. It really was a lovely room. I get up and he seems in no rush to leave his bed, so I quickly shower and pack and we head down the maze together. I take him for a wee and load the car. And then we pop in through the front door for breakfast. They kindly serve me brekkie in the bar so I can keep M with me. I order a couple of hot items, and they bring Lorne sausage which I’m not sure about so I risk sneaking a bit to M who thankfully seems back to normal.
9am - We jump in the car, and get on the road. We are going home today, but stopping at Glasgow to see my little brother. I stop at a Starbucks just outside Perth for a coffee (£10 loaded on my app), then arrive just before 11 to Pollok country park. Unfortunately it’s really very rainy, but I find my brother (A) who is 21 and just finishing up his time at uni, loan him my brolly, and put rain coats on both M and myself. We walk for over 2 hours, just chatting and getting lost. Most of the walk is spent trying to find the Highland Cows I drove past on the way in, and we do finally succeed. M absolutely loves it, and doesn’t stop running around and sniffing everything in sight. Eventually we decide to call it a day as I’m a way away from home. I drop A off at the Asda, pick up a quick Maccy’s for the car £8.40 and we head home. We end up doing it in one go (about 3.5 hours) as M was completely zonked out on the back seat. DH phones and we chat for ages, then with about 45 mins to go, we hang up and he says he’ll see me at home. I get in, to no DH. I unpack his gifts and finally give him a ring. Turns out there has been a terrible shock as his Dad had a heart attack whilst out shopping. Thankfully all is ok, but DH gets home a bit ashen, and we go round to his Mum’s to await seeing how his surgery goes, which thankfully is all fine. D picks up an Indian takeaway on the way back from his Mum’s, he opens a beer from his gift pile, and we breathe a big sigh of relief. It’s super lovely to see him.
Miles driven - 300 Amount spent - £18.40