January favourites and life update

January is finally over, and good riddance! It really is(/was) a dismal month, am I right? I kicked off January feeling really rubbish about everything. I had a massive mental health dip and it was making me a little concerned about what my 2017 was going to be like. But, I overcame it, and I'm super proud. This month last year was the month when everything got on top of me; I quit my job and stayed out of work for six months. I just couldn't handle going back into work again. So to be able to defeat my negative thoughts and go to all of my shifts felt wonderful. 
I also had my first session of emotional counselling, which you can read about here. I had my second one today, and both have been genuinely helpful in tackling some of the issues I have. They've really helped me to be more proactive, meaning that today I managed to sort out both my travel insurance and pet boarding for the bunny for when I go to America in April (eeeek).

I have so many favourites for this month, so grab a cuppa and prepare for a slightly longer-than-normal round-up. 

First up, I'm chatting beauty. Rimmel's lipsticks have been a favourite of mine for a good year or two now. They're just so affordable and easy to apply. I've spoken in detail about their new number one matte lip range before, but the shade 'High Flyer' has really taken my fancy this month. It's the perfect shade of not quite nude, but not quite bold either, and has been my go to for work makeup. In case you're wondering what it looks like on, it's the lipstick I'm wearing in the last photo of this post.

Next up is a fragrance. Again, this has been a work staple for me this month. It's The Body Shop's frosted berries shimmer mist from their festive collection. It's sweet, the packaging is gorgeous, and it makes me feel a little less dreary on a dull Winter morning. 

And finally we have a new face wash. My Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser ran out over the festive period and I was devastated because it just made my skin feel incredible. So, as you can probably guess I was a little skeptical about whether my skin would be able to handle moving on. But, this sensitive rose facial wash from Neal's Yard has really hit the spot. It smells absolutely divine and it's kept me mostly spot free throughout January. This is something I'm really considering purchasing in a bigger bottle when I run out.

I know it's kind of creeping in the background here but this stripy turtleneck top has been stuck to my back for the past month, Seriously, I've worn it an obscene number of times. I got it in the January sales in New Look for £3, which just makes it even better. I've been pairing this with a red lip & high bun to feel a little chic and Parisian.

Now onto stationary. The two pads I have in this month's favourites probably seem like the most boring things in the world, but they've totally revolutionised my organisation. 

First, we have a shopping list planner from Paperchase. It's separated into several different sections, e.g. meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy & chilled, pasta and grains, and has prompts within the sections to remind you to buy staples. I've been ticking off everything as and when we run out of it, and there's a space at the end of each page to write things down that they haven't included. Food shopping is something where my forgetfulness has a field day, so I've found these prompts beyond helpful to look back over.

I mentioned earlier in this post that I'm heading to America in April. But that's pretty hard to do on a part time waitress' income. The weekly budgeting planner from That Lame Company has been amazing at helping me to structure my saving. It shows exactly where my paycheck is going each week. I can set saving/spending goals for the week and calculate how much I'm saving. It's really shown me what I'm wasting money on, and I've definitely been a lot more careful with money in the past month.

This is a bit of a strange one, granted, but I just love board games. For real. We have a collection in our house that goes well into the double figures, and it's just the two of us. I was lucky enough to be given this Big Bang Cluedo for Christmas and it is just too good. I love the show, and Cluedo makes me feel nostalgic about playing games as a child. Instead of the traditional version, where you're looking for a killer, this time you're looking to see who has betrayed Sheldon. The rooms are all places featured in the show, and the betrayals include dismantling Shelly's Shelbot, sitting in his spot and defiling his toothbrush. 

I have saved the best couple till last, for all of you who have persevered with this mammoth favourites. In case you haven't guessed it, this is an adult Wuthering Heights colouring book. Wuthering Heights + colouring book = my favourite thing ever. WH is my favourite book of all time, and this colouring pad includes quotes from the book to go with each double page picture spread. I think I'm in love. 

MORE lifestyle bits?! I know right, what a hectic favourites post! But this is the last piece, I promise. The Tanya Burr bakes book is something I felt a bit iffy about buying. I love watching some of her vlogs, but I just wasn't 100% sure that I'd enjoy a book of her bakes. I was wrong. So wrong. Usually a recipe book offers a mere scattering of things I can actually make. They always seem to involve fancy equipment, weird ingredients that I'd have to pay a bomb for, or nuts. Which we can't have in the house because my partner has a severe allergy to them. Brill. I flicked through this and found a whole wealth of things I would and could make and so far I've made five. And all of them have been tasty AF.

What were some of your favourites this month?
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