Well THAT was the longest January known to humankind?! Why was it longer than ever? Why was it 456 days? Why are we all still broke (it’s now Feb) and how does Christmas feel like such a distant, yet fond, memory?!
Rather than just a standard beauty/makeup favourites I’m gonna be talking about what I’ve been liking and loving in general…..life, purchases, Margot, TV, home beauty and more!
As you may know, we’ve recently moved into our first home and have been decorating and furnishing for a good few months now. I always wanted a really rustic, wooden bookshelf with all of my favourite things on…kind of a happy place and a pretty place to make me smile….and it’s pretty much finished! I have a collection of different things, trinkets, memories and odds n’ sods on there and it’s looking really good.
I also have been really enjoying thrift and second-hand shopping this last month (and more to come!) totally inspired by my friend Kirsty from Fashion For Lunch and have found some really good pieces, including this bright yellow retro lamp which just fits perfectly on the bottom bookshelf. The area in this corner seems a little dark so I have been on the hunt for a small lamp to give it some light and this I spotted in one of my local charity shops just a few days ago and a steal for just £3! I also got the dark green vase for £2 in another charity shop which I absolutely love and goes so perfectly with my living room colour scheme.
I feel like you have to go back and keep checking in second hand shops, more often than not they don’t have anything that catches my eye, but on that odd day they have some amazing bargains and finds.
Oliver Bonas is somewhere I have never really shopped much but I started looking at their homewares which are SO good and I never knew! I picked up a few pieces for the house including these Metallic Gold Angel Wing bookends which I think are quirky, fun and functional as they have some decent weight to them and look pricier than what they are I think (£30).
Margot’s NEXT rainbow trainers! How cute are they?! I purchased them just a few weeks ago so they are definitely current and come in lots of sizes. Margot is now wearing a size 5 and they cost us £15.
Skincare wise I’ver had a re-focus. I’ve been filming some You Tube videos lately (are you subscribed? Please subscribe!) and I’ve noticed that my skin is looking super textured and not that great under the camera. I’ve dusted off a slightly new regime and have noticed just in a couple of weeks a vast improvement to the look and in particular the FEEL of my skin.
The Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser is a super light exfoliating cleanser that is gentle but effective and is perfect for a quick shower in the AM rinse and wash. Once to twice a week I’ve been using the Upcircle Coffee Face Scrub* which is a really nice ‘scrubby’ face scrub but also not one that is harsh or feels like you are stripping your skin (or removing too much). Alongside the gentle coffee grounds, this also contains oils so it leaves your skin feeling soft and nourished too.
I have been trying a few bits out from Ark Skincare (a focus post to come soon!) and the Hydrating Beauty Mist* is a perfect pre-serum treat to calm, soothe and add that little extra burst of hydration pre-skincare regime. It contains a wealth of skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, brightening lactic acid and soothing aloe vera and it’s super quick and fuss-free to use. After a spritz or two of the beauty mist I have been slathering on the Malin & Goetz Replenishing Serum which is SUCH a great hydrating and soothing serum. I have actually used this for quite some years now, on and off and it’s a go-to for me when my skin just needs a deep drink of hydration. It’s gel-like and clear and sinks in so quick and you can feel the treatment working from application one. It’s just a simple, fuss-free and ‘does the job’ serum. Also contains botanical extracts of lavender, chamomile and geranium to calm redness AND it’s oil-free.
I had a little sample of the Sunday Riley Auto Correct eye cream from a while ago and just started to use it last month. I’m nearly out and it’s one of the first eye cream samples I have used where I’ve really wanted to purchase the full-size after. It has made my eyes feel and look brighter in just a few weeks and I’m struggling to justify it to myself but i’m so tempted!
I’ve had a few struggles and later nights / non-nights when Margot has not been playing ball with sleep time and I’ve ended up not even having time to cleanse / wash my face properly before bed. It’s only happened maybe 4-5 times this month but I have been using the Collosol Eau de Lait* cleansing water which has been SO effective at removing makeup ; literally everything – mascara, waterproof…the lot with no problems. One of the best micellars I have used and one of the most unusual with it’s milky appearance!
I’ve also been using the PIXI Retinol tonic* to try and help with my skin texture and you know what, I think this may have made a REAL difference. My skin is feeling a lot softer and the pores aren’t so visible and it’s just been a couple of weeks. I’m using it just once a day at the moment and before my skincare regime / after cleansing. So good!
Makeup has been kinda simple this last month, I haven’t been heavily into anything new and I have been having a LOT of no makeup days and allowing my skin to get a little better.
I have a lot of love for the new Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused lip glosses* and am wearing shade ‘ New romantic’ every time I step out of the door and I think these will be super popular. The formula is ACTUALLY and GENUINELY not-sticky and they are that perfect hybrid mix of treatment and makeup. Full swatches can be seen on my last post here! I’ve also dug up the PIXI Glow-y Powder* in ‘Fetch’ which I’ve had for many months but only just got around to trying properly recently. I love a multi-use makeup product and this is such a great colour both as a highlighter on the cheeks and on the eyes.
Last up and possibly the ‘thing’ that I have been using, ingesting and making the most : Ginger, Lemon, Honey & Cayenne. Wow so who HASN’T had that January lurgy. I have literally been buying lemons and ginger on repeat through the month of January and i’m pretty much making this nectar instead of my usual AM latte. I squeeze about half a lemon in each cup, 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of runny honey (manuka is you can splash), lots of sliced ginger and a pinch of cayenne to give it a bit of a kick. Works wonders and is better than a Lemsip IMO.
So that’s my January round up of what I’ve been loving, using and buying the most! I hope you enjoyed the new mix of both beauty and lifestyle. I wanted to add some TV into this post too, but honestly Love Island is a little crap and there’s nothing much that has garnered my attention much after the overkill of Christmas TV.
Can you spot any of your favourites here? Have you been suffering from the dreaded lurgy too? Would love to know your thoughts or just have a chat!
*Press Samples
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