January favourites and life update

January really was a bit of a shitshow wasn't it? I think I've mentioned how hard I found last month about twenty times on this blog now but oh my god it was awful. I *think* I've finally realised why I found it so hard (and I'll be writing a post on it in the future), but things have eased up a lot this week, and I'm so glad they have. 
Anyhow, January was mostly filled with being poor AF. I broke my laptop on the last day of December (Happy New Year me) and had to get a new one. But, once I got paid towards the end of the month I bought train tickets and went to visit my sister for five days. It was absolute bliss. We baked and did some puzzles, I worked my butt off on my blog whilst she did uni work and mostly we just laughed and spent time catching up. I would like to do this every month pls. Best of all (okay not quite) was learning what it's like to use a Himalayan salt lamp. I really need to get one of those. 

Beauty
January is my fave month for beauty bits each year because it's just been Christmas and I end up with some absolutely incredible pieces. 
My must-have this month is LUSH's Grease Lightning. I'd never heard of this until I actually bought it but oh my god it's a lifesaver. It's almost like a gel that you put on your finger and rub on to your spots. I'm probably going to write a full on separate post on this, but basically it contains a whole bunch of incredible natural ingredients (aloe vera, tea tree, witch hazel etc) and makes my spots less red, less sore and helps them go down much quicker. I use it everyday now and my skin is so much clearer than it was.
Umberto Giannini's Blow Dry in a Bottle is another thing I've absolutely adored. I picked this up in the post-Christmas Boots sale (a thing sent from the heavens for sure). It's a spray that contains oils to keep your hair smooth, heat protection and it smells SO GOOD. Whenever I actually bother to dry my hair I'm always battling with frizzy baby hairs, but this manages to keep them at bay. I've never tried anything from this brand before, but now I want to own everything. 
My last beauty favourite is something that I never ever thought I'd own: Urban Decay's Afterglow highlight palette. I've got a whole post on it here, but basically it's the stuff of legends and dreams. The four colours all suit my skin tone, they're shimmery and subtle and I feel ten times more confident as soon as I brush them on my skin. 

Lifestyle
January has been pretty darn cold, and basically any extra layer right now is a good one. My mum bought me the thumper hooded throw (which is in the very first picture) for Christmas and it's the cosiest thing I've ever owned. It's like a fluffy blunket and a dressing gown all rolled into one and I am HERE for it.

The other lifestyle bits I've been loving are two books. The first is a mental health book called Remember This When You're Sad, which I've got a whole post on here. It really helped me to think about things I can do when life gets tough. The second is Cook Now, Eat Later by my Queen aka Mary Berry. I've used so many recipes from here now, and I'm about to make those baked sausages with double onion marmalade for dinner *drools*. I've been in dire need of a good new recipe book for a while and that totally hit the spot. 

What were your favourites in January?
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