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The Archive Check: A Look Back at March 2020
Looking back through my blog archives, this specific post stands out as such a distinct time capsule. It was written during the very first week of the UK lockdown when the outside world felt incredibly overwhelming and uncertain. Reading through it now reminds me that when life gets chaotic, turning inward to focus on simple cosy pleasures is the ultimate way to find a sense of calm and comfort.
When I originally pulled this list together, I was just trying to find a helpful distraction from the news. Looking back at it today, I realise it wasn’t just a random list of products, t was a collection of tools that helped me build a peaceful, slow-paced sanctuary at home.
From an affordable eyeshadow palette to a nostalgic video game, these were the simple cosy pleasures that kept me grounded during a historic month, and the lessons they still teach me about mindful living.
Beauty Bay | Nude 42 Eyeshadow Palette
It is absolutely no secret that I love neutral makeup, and this mega-palette is a neutral lover’s absolute dream. While I must admit that I rarely touched the bright blues at the bottom, I fell completely in love with the warm, earthy tones.
The mattes are beautifully pigmented and blend out with zero effort, though I found that the shimmers worked best when applied with a damp brush. It’s an incredibly forgiving palette because you can slowly build up the intensity without accidentally going overboard.
Maybelline | Lash Sensational Mascara
This has been a holy grail staple in my makeup drawer for years. I love how much length it adds to my lashes without ever looking clumpy or heavy. I often pair it with a second volumising mascara to get the perfect balance of length and fullness.
The Body Shop | Hand Cream
With everything going on that month, I was washing my hands every five minutes, and my skin was seriously struggling with dryness. Turning to these hand creams became a daily comfort ritual.
The formula absorbs almost instantly without leaving a greasy residue. While I originally used up my festive winter scents, I always highly recommend their Coconut or Almond Milk tubes for a little touch of everyday luxury.
HomemadeBanana Pancakes
I put off making these for the longest time because I always assumed pancakes were tricky to perfect from scratch, or that the banana texture wouldn’t taste great. I was completely wrong.
Taking the time to slow down on a quiet morning and whip these up became a lovely routine that went down beautifully with the whole household. It reminded me that romanticising our breakfasts is one of the easiest ways to bring joy to a regular morning.
Animal Crossing New Horizons
It is safe to say that this game was released at the absolute perfect moment in time. Having played every single version of Animal Crossing since the Wild World days on the Nintendo DS, logging into this game felt incredibly nostalgic and comforting.
In New Horizons, you are given the task of building up a deserted island from scratch, and just about everything can be customised to your own aesthetic. Choosing to take the game slowly and simply enjoy the relaxing, peaceful atmosphere was the ultimate escape from reality.
The 2026 Reflection
Revisiting this post is a gentle reminder that creating a cosy lifestyle isn’t about spending massive amounts of money or keeping up with fast-moving trends. The things that brought me the most peace during a stressful season were simple recipes, a nostalgic game, and a reliable hand cream.
Whenever life feels a little too fast or overwhelming today, I still look back at these simple cozy pleasures to remind myself how to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the quiet moments right in front of me.
Let’s chat in the comments!
What were the little comforts or hobbies that kept you grounded back in the spring of 2020? Are you still playing Animal Crossing, or have you moved on to other cozy games?
Thank you for reading!
For me I can only blog coz of that Virus. I have more tome to do so , other wise you won’t be seeing many posts LOL. I love that mascara and I need to try Banana Pancakes! Yum
It has definitely freed up a lot of time hasn’t it haha. It’s such a good one! They’re so tasty xx
It’s so satisfying when you hit pan on a product! That’s a gorgeous palette but I probably wouldn’t use those blues at the bottom ether! x
It really is! Yeah, the blues are kind of weird, but the other shades are great xx
I love the body shop hand creams and the Pear range smells amazing! Love the look of those pancakes too! xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
They’re great aren’t they?! I hope they bring it back! They’re so good xx
those banana pancakes look so lovely! and I’m so jealous of everyone playing animal crossing now, I hope to get a switch soon! I just uploaded a march favourites too so it’s very nice to read other people’s. have a good month ahead!
They’re so good! I hope you’re able to get one soon too, it’s such a great game. I’ll have to check it out! Thank you, and you too xx
That BeautyBay palette looks amazing! I love matte neutrals and this looks like its got that covered! Loving the pan too!
Danielle’s Beauty Blog
It’s definitely got everything covered! Thank you, it’s so satisfying to finally hit pan xx
Animal Crossing has definitely helped me get through this rocky period. I love it, I’ve played all of the games growing us as a kid and NH’s has beaten my expectations and blown them out of the park!
Me too, it’s such a relaxing game. It’s gone above and beyond xx
Everyone seems to be playing Animal Crossing and I am so jealous of it!! I used to love playing it on the DS. It would definitely be nostalgic for me too. Stay safe lovely xx
Amber | http://www.amberatlanta.blogspot.co.uk
It’s such a great game, it’s been perfect for this time, as it’s so relaxing. Thank you and you too xx
Bet those hand creams smell lush!! Oooo I cannot wait for the recipe!!
I love the Maybelline mascara and the body shop hand creams! I’m so jealous of everyone playing Animal Crossing! It sounds like such a lovely way to unwind xx
My two favourite scents from The Body Shop are the ones you mentioned! I haven’t got Animal Crossing and I never used to play it either, I’ve seen so many people rave about it though!
Hand cream is very much a go to right now! Also glad i’m not the only one obsessed with Animal Crossing!
Ah you really can’t beat the body shop’s hand creams! They are all so lovely, and they smell amazing too! xo
Makeup Muddle
I need to revisit Maybelline Lash Sensational! I remember loving it years ago!
I’m already looking forward to your recipe for the banana pancakes, they look so good!!
I love the Body Shop hand creams, especially the vanilla type scents that release every year in the winter. Too bad they are always limited edition, I need to stock up next year if they release a vanilla one again…
Love, Charline | Charline Has a Blog