This month has been a hella stressful one for me; I've had three uni deadlines, including the first draft of my dissertation which required a lot of reading and writing, and now I'm so happy that this first month of 2019 is over. I've made a few January sale purchases but I've mostly been trying to clear space for all the bits I got for Christmas, but I still just can't stop buying things for myself. I've made some lovely discoveries this month, so keep on reading to find out everything I've loved throughout this long and cold month.
Beauty & Fashion
The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream - Trying out a new moisturiser isn't something I enjoy as I know what works best for my skin and I don;t like wasting money on a new product that I end up not liking, but this Aloe Vera moisturiser from The Body Shop is definitely a moisturiser I like. It's light, hydrating and soothing, it absorbs quickly and is perfect for sensitive skin, no to mention it's 100% vegan and isn't tested on animals so that's a bonus.
Black Crushed Velvet Jacket - I was having a look through the sale item at H&M, nothing much was really catching my eyes, it was just the usual kind of items. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but I found a long black crushed velvet jacket that was on sale at £15 and I thought it was cute and comfortable so I decided to purchase it, not really sure what I'd end up wearing it with. However, I've been wearing it a lot this month as it unsurprisingly went with most of my other black clothes. It's super soft and comfortable, it could work as both a daytime item to throw on over your clothes and an evening item if you want something that's glam but still able to keep you warm.
Maybelline Liner Express Black Eyeliner - This is the first liquid eyeliner that isn't a felt liner than I've bought in probably 3 years and I am really loving using it. Unlike a felt liner, this product makes my eyeliner appear sharper and more pigmented and it definitely stays put longer than some felt liners I've tried. One thing I hate about felt liner is how quickly they dry up and then they're unusable, but this doesn't happen as quickly with liquid liners so I'm happy to have found one that's reasonably priced and effortlessly does that job.
Cicapair Tiger Grass Colour Correcting Treatment - I got this little pot of treatment in the ASOS beauty advent calendar and I wasn't really sure what it was at first. Upon seeing that it said colour correcting on the side and googling the products, I started trying it out to see if it did much to my skin. As a colour correcting treatment, it has seemed to neutralise some of the dry and red patches that I have going on on my face at the moment. I was pleasantly surprised to see it actually worked, and since it has SPF 30 it also protects your face from any sun damage.
I Heart Revolution Metallic Mermaid Lipstick in Shell Phone - I went in search for a metallic copper liquid lipstick this month because that is one shade I am lacking from my lippy collection, and with a few different ones to pick from, some more expensive than I wanted to spend, I went for a product I've used before which was the I Heart Revolution Metallic Mermaid liquid lipstick. I got the shade Shell Phone, which is a metallic pinky coppery shade which is just what I wanted. The formula is smooth and easy to apply with a deliciously sweet caramel scent and it was only £1.50 when I bought it so it was a total steal.
'A Tim Burton Film' Crop Top - While I was shopping in Brighton this month, I was wanting to buy a new purse from a shop called Tuff Tarts, and although I was shopping for a new purse this month, I ended up leaving the shop with an amazing crop top instead. I've worn it a lot this month even though it's been freezing cold and totally the wrong weather to wear a tiny crop top, but I haven't cared at all because I love it so much. I can easily pair it with loads of my clothes (because most of my clothes are black anyway) and I cannot wait until the weather is warmer so I can wear it with even more outfits and not be freezing cold.
Entertainment
Simple Creatures - Two of my favourite musicians ever, Alex Gaskarth from my favourite band ever All Time Low, and Mark Hoppus from Blink 182, have come together to create a new band called Simple Creatures, and honestly I am so excited about this. They have already released a super catchy single called 'Drug' from their EP coming out tin March, and honestly the track is better than I could have imagined, With two incredible pop punk musicians writing music together, it is bond to be absolutely brilliant and I just cannot wait to hear the rest of their EP.
Sex Education - So I started and finished Sex Education on Netflix this month and I really enjoyed it. Starring Asa Butterfield, it talks about a whole range of different sex and relationship difficulties with some actually helpful advice, but besides the educational side, the show was actually very funny, shocking, gripping and realistic. I was definitely on the edge of my seat throughout some scenes of the show and I am so dissented that there were only 8 episodes because I was just getting really devoted to the characters, now I cannot wait for another seasons of this which I hope won;t be too long a wait.
In The Moment Magazine - This month, instead of buying my usual issue of Cosmopolitan, I wanted to check out a new magazine so I had something different to read through, I just wasn't feeling that great about myself so I wanted something tat wasn't focusing on looks and fashion. I very nearly purchased an issue of a young girls magazine because it had a poster of Shawn Mendes and a free gift, but instead I chose a magazine called 'In The Moment, which is a magazine about mindful ways of living your life. It contains helpful advice and tips on getting better sleep, how to be happier and decluttering your life, which is what I really needed at the time and I'm so happy I bought it; it was definitely such good help and a great mood booster for the January blues.
Food & Drink
Nakd Blueberry Muffin Bars - The beginning of a new year means I usually try to start eating healthier, consuming more fruits and vegetables and drinking more water, but sometimes I struggle with getting all the healthy foods I need. I tried the Nakd blueberry muffin bars because I do like a good healthy fruit bar to take with me to uni for lunch, and they are so tasty; although the advert I watched claims they taste just like a blueberry muffin, it didn't really but they do taste very yummy. I know I'm eating healthy when it comes to these bars because they only contain raw fruit and nuts that have been packed together, I highly recommend if you're tying to get more fruit and fibre in your diet.
Other
1 Second Everyday App - You've probably all heard of or used the 1 Second Everyday app before, but I had never used it before and really wanted to have a go at capturing a second of my life everyday for a whole year, so I downloaded the app and started on the 1st of January. So far I have filmed something everyday, but most days so far have been pretty boring since I've just been at home working on my uni work, so I am now trying to make an effort to try and do something interesting each day so I have something new to film for my 1 second. I'm excited to see how the whole video looks at the end of this year (if I can manage it).
KonMari - If you don;t already know, KonMari is a decluttering technique created by Marie Kondo, whose Netflix show all about decluttering your house was released this month. Her tip on folding clothes and getting rid of ones that don't spark joy anymore really got me inspired to go through all of my clothes and makeup and throw away anything old and make room for new things. I managed to clear a lot of space in my clothes drawer using her special folding technique. I posted a blog post about decluttering some of my beauty products a few weeks ago, click here if you're interested in giving that a read.
What things have you guys been into throughout January? Leave me a comment below so I can check them out myself. Is there anything on this list that interests you too? Come back next month to see my February favourites blog post.
India X