Monthly Favourites: January

Oh thank god that January has come to an end. It felt like this last month was never going to end. Today I'm back with my first monthly favourites of 2020 which I nearly didn't post as for half the month I only one favourite to share with you. Yet things have picked up since then and whilst I have more non beauty favourites to share than anything, there's a good selection here.

My first favourite of January is one that I'm pretty sure my neighbours are sick of hearing. Halsey released her new song You Should Be Sad sometime during the middle of January and I was obsessesed before I'd even finished listening to it the first time. I'm not usually a fan of Halsey, I'll hum along if one of her songs plays at work but she's not an artist I actively listen to.Yet You Should Be Sad is all I've wanted to listen to this month. Girl was spilling some tea and it makes for some very catchy listening. I knew I was going to like it when I heard the slight country tone to it but I didn't realise just how much I was going to love it. Plus the music video is amazing and pays homage to some of the most amazing female artists in the industry including my idol Carrie Underwood.

The second series of Sex Education finally dropped this month and I binged it in two sittings (would have been one but needed sleep). I didn't know how they were going to top the first series but they really did and I loved every single episode. Episode 7 actually made cry and whilst I'd love to blame it on hormones, it was truly because the storyline following the girls in detention made me pay attention to the kind of horrid shit that we women have to put up with. It was beautifully played by all the actresses and really spread a sense of unity to anyone who's ever been made to feel uncomfortable or sexually harrassed by anyone. Fingers crossed they renew it for a third season as I've watched a series so quickly as I've watched this one.

And with it being January, it can only mean one thing. It's Silent Witness season. I adore Silent Witness, it's well written, tackles true and deep hitting subjects and has one of the most amazing casts on TV. The series hasn't ended yet but I've adored every episode so far. Liz Carr and Emilia Fox are my biggest stand outs so far this season with their ability to be witty and humorous yet still being able to give me all the feels with the emotional moments and storylines. Yet a little spoiler makes me believe that David Caves is going to steal the season finale with his performance. I'm sad that we're already over halfway done with the season but I also have them all on DVD so I can just binge watch them when I get withdrawal symptoms.

Back last August I finally bit the bullet and got my first tattoo and this weekend just gone I managed to stay upright long enough to get my second. And I say stay upright because I was suffering from the worst migraine I've had in a long time. Now before any of you say why didn't you reschedule, I couldn't because I was in fact getting a matching tattoo with my mum. Which sure a lot of people don't think is cool but is something that she's wanted for the longest time and made sense since we're so close, me being an only child and all that. We got matching lavender sprig tattoos except hers is on her right middle finger and mine is on my left middle fingers. Considering the amount of pain I was in already that day I was surprised that this didn't actually hurt. Sure it was uncomfortable around the knuckle area but it was nothing compared to the pounding in my head. It's healing nicely and I'm trying my hardest not to bash it but it's only now I'm realising just how much I use my middle finger for. And I'm not just on about flipping people the bird.

Now shall we talk about my beauty favourites for the month. I only two, the first being a cleanser I've been using since before Christmas but never got round to talking about. The Sanctuary AHA Cleansing Mousse doesn't sound like it's going to be good for your skin but it's amazing. It's a mix between a chemical exfoliant and a physical exfoliant in cleanser form. This is best used on bare skin, it's gritty mousse texture breaking down quickly to retexturise and deeply cleanse skin. I always find my skin feels it's best after I've used it, even compared to the Estee Lauder Micro Cleansing Foam which I've also been trying this month.

And my last favourite both for this post and for beauty is one that shouldn't really be in here as I've only had it for a week at most but I just adore it. The Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturiser has completely changed my morning skincare routine. I brought it to replace my Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser and I'm so glad I did. It's a lightweight gel formula that helps to ease redness, moisturise and even tone whilst giving skin a semi matte finish that creates the perfect base under make up. I was up until now tempted to also try the IT Cosmetics moisturiser that everyone raves about but Origins have really knocked it out the park and saved me some dollar at the same time. 

Monthly Favourites: January

Oh hi there, anyone remember me? I need to start this post by apologising for my absence. I had a insane week last week where I completely lost track of the days and then spent the end of the week and the weekend suffering from some sort of stomach bug. All is well now though and today I'm back (a bit later than planned) with my Monthly Favourites. I was going to try and change the format of these posts this year and only share five favourites each month but this month I have an absolute ton I want to talk about and I couldn't bring myself to cutting it down to just five.

I haven't been wearing a lot of make up this month and have been more focused on adapting and curating my skincare routine. Some things I've stopped using completely whilst others I've replaced with other products and some like my first favourite have been a welcome addition. The REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic has become my new daily AM toner and has compeletely changed how my skin looks and feels. With a AHA based formula consisting highly of Lactic Acid, this works to resurface, retexturise and brighten skin. Ever since I started using this my skin has felt softer, looked smoother and looked a lot brighter and more revitalised as ever. I don't understand why it's taken me so long to try this but I know for a fact that this is going to be a highly repurchased product in the future.

I am so fussy when it comes to eye creams and I'm always on the look out for one that'll work better than the last. I'd like to say that I've found 'the one' but I'm also trying another eye serum at the moment. However for the majority of the month I've been using and loving the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. Usually a product calling itself 'Wonder' makes me wary as they usually turn out to be disastarous but this eye cream happily lives up to it's name. My under eye area has never looked as good before and I believe it's all to do with this cream. It's lightweight, hydrating and helps to reduce the appearence of my dark circles. Again this is another product that's been added to my repurchases list.

The last beauty favourite I've got this month is something I was extremely wary of using but now can't get enough of. The Revolution 30% AHA-BHA Peeling Solution is a high AHA based mask. It looks and is advertised exactly the same as The Ordinary's 30% AHA-BHA Mask but I haven't tried that so I can't compare. What I can say is that this may seem hella intimidating but in fact is what my skin has been crying out for. Not for those with extremely sensitive/reactive skin, this intense exfoliator works to resurface, retexturise and brighten the complexion. And oh boy does it do that. After I use this my face feels as soft as a baby's butt. Like I can't stop stroking my face after I use this and it's effectiveness really shows when I apply make up afterwards. My foundation/concealer doesn't stick to any rough or dry patches. It just glides on and blends nicely into my skin. I highly recommend trying it out, I even managed to persuade Jasmin to buy a bottle.

January has been a month full of sleeping issues. There has been many a night where I've found it hard to drift off, to shut my brain off whilst other nights I wake a good two or three times and find it hard to get back to sleep. Which is where my next favourite comes in. The This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray has been a godsend to me. Lavender based, this gentle mist works to help relax and soothe senses, lulling you easily into the land of nod. I've used this so many times when I've found it hard to sleep or hard to get back to sleep that I've actually had to purchase a full size bottle so I don't run out.

And to go alongside the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is the This Works Stress Check Breathe In. I need to buy a full size one of these I've used it so much. A lot of my trouble sleeping is because I have a tendency to overthink everything which leads to me getting worked up and anxious about something that hasn't happened or won't even happen at all. A little bit of this on my pulse points or anywhere on my skin that'll get warm and I'm instantly at ease. Sure the things I've been overthinking still niggle at the back of my head but they pushed far back enough that I can relax and eventually drift off to sleep.

Paperchase this month released singlehandly the best mug I'll ever own. Yes those are boobs of all shapes and sizes adorning my morning tea cup. I absolutely adore this mug and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it. I've not stopped drinking from it and it's even managed to raise a few eyebrows in the family. It's cheeky yet unoffensive and possibly the best nine quid I've ever spent.

Back in December I brought what has become my all time favourite sweatshirt of all time. This Nightmare Before Christmas sweatshirt cost me a bit more than I admittedly like to spend on sweatshirts but has been worth every penny. I brought this in a 2XL so I it's extremely oversized and cosy and I can't stop wearing it. No matter where I go, I have to wear this. It even manged to get me a compliment off a cute guy from HMV.

Another sweatshirt/jumper I've lived in this month is this super soft, super cosy pj sweatshirt from Primark. It's extremely hard to put into words just how soft this is. It's perfect for cosying up when it's cold with a cuppa in my boob mug and watching a film or reading a book (another obsession of mine). I again got this in a 2XL as I wanted it to be super oversized and it doesn't disappoint. I've even gone and brought it in blue I love it that much.

January was a good TV month for me. I started the month watching the amazing series called Killing Eve. I'd seen it advertised when it first aired but didn't really care for watching it. However I got a clip of it online and just had to watch it. I marathoned all eight episodes in three days and am eager for the next season to be released. Sandra Oh was amazing as Eve but it was Jodie Comer as Villanelle that really blew me away. The multiple layers she had as a character partnered with the physcotic manner in which she worked made me love her more than a villian should. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. All eight episodes are currently available on iPlayer, trust me you won't be disappointed.

If you live in the UK and are an avid watcher of the BBC, you'll know that every January is Silent Witness month. It's singlehandly one of my favourite crime shows on TV and this series has to have some of it's best episodes to date. With a star packed cast, present and realistic storylines and a good deal of humour to lighten the tone, this show is a firm favourite in my house and anyone who watches it will understand why. Some of the stand out moments this year for me has been seeing Clarissa out in the field more, Nikki and Matt's relationship and just Jack in general. He's a total babe and these last two episodes that have aired have been very Jack heavy and I can't complain about that.

And my last favourite is one whose return I've been waiting for, for what seems like forever. STRIKE BACK IS BACK! Can you tell I'm happy about that. Only the season opener has aired so far but I'm already hooked again and dying for the next nine episodes. Alin Sumarwata, Dan Macpherson and Warren Brown are all back in their much loved roles but this time they are joined by newcomers Jamie Bamber, Yasemin Kay Allen and Varada Sethu. I can't wait to see how they interact with the three musketeers and where this season takes them. Only one episode in and we're seeing a darker, grittier side to the team that could lead to some interesting sub plots later in the season.

Mid Year Non Beauty Favourites

                           

It's that time of the year where I round up my five favourite beauty and non beauty favourites of the year so far. Today I'm starting with my non beauty favourites, including movie, music and tv show.

My favourite movie of the year so far has to be Avengers Infinity War. I've seen quite a few good films this year but Infinity War beats them all. I don't know where to start or what to say that I didn't say in my May Favourites. Packed full of characters Marvel has spent ten years developing and introducing, this movie rips the hearts out of every Marvel fan, especially in the first five minutes. There were parts I laughed, held my best friends hand in suspense, nearly cried, covered my face when I couldn't laugh and slapped my poor best friends leg in shock when something badass or very shocking happen. Trust me that last one happened a lot. Avengers 4 is over a year away and if the reports are anything to go by then it's going to be even worse for Marvel fans that Infinity War was.

There's been a few albums I've adored so far this year but the one I've constantly had on repeat comes from the ridiculously talented Camila Cabello. Her self titled debut album caught my attention just after it was released and ever since I've not been able to stop listening to it. Havana of course is a firm favourite but Consequences, Something's Gotta Give and Into It are my all time favourites that get cranked up whenever they come on. I love every song on this album and that's a rarity for me. Only two other albums have managed to do that for me, Carrie Underwood's Storyteller album and Kelly Clarkson's Meaning Of Life album.

For TV so far this year it's been a toss up between the Strike Back reboot and Silent Witness but I think Silent Witness just pips Strike Back to the post. Series 21 carried on several storylines from the previous series and made for an emotion packed series with plenty of twists and turns as well as plot lines that got people talking and tackled very relevant issues in everyday life. I absolutely adore Silent Witness, it's my go to when I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps as it takes my mind off of everything and makes me focus on working out who the killer is. However Strike Back does get a honourable mention as the end of the series was astounding and I can't wait to see where they take the new series which they're currently filming.

When I'm not writing for here, at work, out with friends or in the kitchen baking, I like to watch YouTube. A lot of YouTube. I have a ton of favourites but someone who I absolutely love watching is Kalyn Nicholson. She's such an upbeat lifestyle/fashion/beauty YouTuber who inspires, relaxes and empowers in every single one of her videos. I always feel more zen and relaxed after watching on of her videos. Her outlook on life is just so positive and even though she acknowledges the bad, she always manages to maintain a positive outlook on life. If you haven't watched her videos before I recommend you do. Not only will you find your inner peace watching her but afterwards your inner girl boss will appear and shit will get done.

And my last favourite so far this year is again something I mentioned in last months favourites but I'm totally addicted so it had to be mentioned here. Around April time I started to try dairy free alternatives with my milk and coffee. A lot of it came from coffees made with normal milk giving me headaches and occasionally when I'd treat myself to a milkshake, the formula would leave me feeling sick and would lay quite heavily in my stomach. I tried Soya and Oat milk products but they didn't seem to agree with me. That is until I tried this. The Califia XX Espresso Cold Brew With Almond Milk is the answer to all my prayers. It's dairy free so it doesn't sit heavily in my stomach, the coffee doesn't give me a headache and compared to other non dairy options doesn't make me ill a few hours after drinking it. Sure it costs a bit more but it's worth it if I can indulge in my caffeine fix without having to worry about getting a crippling headache a few hours later.

Monthly Favourites: January

Welcome to my first monthly favourites of 2018. January has been a bit of a month. There has been some ups and some downs but that's all behind me now and I'm looking back on the month with fond memories as I've both discovered a host of new products and fallen in love with some old almost forgotten products.

My first favourite of the month is one I had a good feeling about since I saw it promoted on Instagram. Maybelline's latest mascara release Total Temptation has blown me away. I never thought that Maybelline could beat the success of their Lash Sensational mascara but they have. The Total Temptation Mascara is amazing. It's soft bristle brush coats every lash and pushes them up to create a volumised, defined look that stays in place all day and doesn't droop or clump as the day goes on. I've literally worn this mascara everyday since I brought it and I can't see myself reaching for another mascara anytime soon. And the amount of compliments I've recieved since I started wearing this mascara has been amazing. My lashes have never looked this good and it's all down to this mascara. If you haven't tried it, I highly suggest you do.

My next favourite is another new release from Maybelline.Well in fact it's part of the shade extention Maybelline did on their SuperStay Matte Inks. This month they have released a dozen new neutral/nude shades of their SuperStay Matte Inks. And the shade Ruler has ruled my world. It's a stunning deep pink that isn't too raspberry toned or bubblgum pink either. It's perfect for my fair skintone and I think it'll look stunning on a host of skintones. What I've enjoyed the most about this product is that it lasts for hours on the lips and doesn't budge even if you eat or drink but it doesn't become uncomfortable. Whilst it dries down to a matte finish like the name suggess, there is still a slight tackiness to it that makes wearing for long hours bearable. And out of my entire lip collection, this has been the only shade I've wanted to/have been wearing this month. The only downside is that it's a bugger to remove at the end of the day.

And to coincide with my love of the Matte Ink, I've been loving the Kiko Intensly Lavish Lip Liner in 01. Sadly this shade is no longer available but it's the perfect pink to match Ruler. It's creamy, highly pigmented and just glides along the lip liner, something that is surprising considering it's a wooden pencil. I'm not going to talk about this a lot as you won't be able to get your hands on it but it's been the perfect companion to the Matte Ink. Now though, I'm going to have to find a similar shade to replace this when it's gone.

Onto skincare and I have a couple of new releases that I've been thoroughly enjoying this month. The first comes from Nip and Fab. Their Glycolic Extreme 6% Fix has been my go to toner this month. It's the highest % of Glycolic Acid I've ever applied to my skin and I was worried that it would irritate and strip my skin but it actually has worked wonders on my skin. It's done a wonderful job of retexturising and revitalising my skin without being too harsh. It leaves a tingle behind after every use and leaves my skin feeling soft, supple and smooth to the touch. It's also allowed my skincare and make up to apply evenly and easily over the top. It's pricier than other tones I've used but it's well worth every penny.

The next new release I've been loving this month comes in the form of the Loreal Smooth Sugars Scrubs. They are three new face scrubs packed with brown and white sugar granules as well as key ingredients such as Cocoa Butter, Grapeseed Oil and Kiwi Seeds. Each one is designed to target a particular skin issue and they work wonders. My favourite of the three is the Clear Scrub, infused with Kiwi Seeds to clear out impurities and purify skin. I've used it the most out of the three and I've loved how it leaves my skin feeling clear and smooth to the touch.

A product that's been sat in my collection for a while but I've never thoroughly enjoyed until recently is the Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Night Serum. I loved the original Hydrating Serum and didn't think that the Night Serum would be much different or provide different results but it really does. It's thicker in formula which is expected from a Night Serum/Night and whilst you think it's going to just sit on the skin and leave you looking a greasy mess, it actually sinks into skin quite quickly but the results last longer on the skin than expected. Most creams that sink in quickly make skin feel dry and papery after a short while but this leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft all the way up to applying my Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream right before I get into bed.

It's January and TV wise that only means one thing to me. It's time for Silent Witness to make it's return. Silent Witness is one of my all time favourite shows and it saddens me that it's only on for a small period of time every year. This year the episodes have been amazing, carrying on a storyline that started at the end of Series 20. There have been some moments that have really had me rooting for my favourite characters and I can't wait for the final two story arcs that are coming up. I'd like to say I've watched more TV this month but between this and Criminal Minds, I've not watched much else.

This month has been surprisingly good for music. The first album I've fallen in love with this month was an unexpected favourite. Camila the self titled debut album by Camila Cabello wasn't something that initally caught my eye when it was released. Sure her loved her singles Crying In The Club and Havana but I wasn't sure I'd love her entire album. Oh how wrong I was. There has been very few times this month that I've listened to something that isn't her album. It's something I really didn't expect and I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. Real Friends, All These Years, Never Be The Same and Consequences are some of my favourites. The whole album has a vibe that'll get you pumped up and certain songs dancing but it's also got that vibe that makes it easy listening, something that could accompany even the most mudane of tasks and make them bearable. I can't get enough of this album and can see myself listening to this a ton in February as well.

And my last favourite of the month is something I've been waiting the best part of a year for. Johnny Strong is one of my all time favourite musicians. He has an amazing talent and creates some of the best music I've ever heard. He announced last year that he would be releasing a new album called Whitelight but kept fans waiting and waiting until last Wednesday when he finally released it. And I know this may be a bit of a cheat favourite but it's amazing. Eleven well crafted songs with amazing lyrics and beats, Whitelight is even better than his previous album War Horse, and trust me that's saying a lot. Tightrope, Time To Roll and Whitelight are my three favourites of the moment but I'm sure that's going to change as I listen to it more. My favourite thing about this album though is that it's slightly different to the others he's released and it's a nice change but there is still that brand of Johnny Strong running through it that makes it uniquely him.