January Favourites 2016

2016! I cannot believe I just typed 2016. Hello my lovelies and welcome to the first monthly favourites post for 2016. There have been quite a few products that I have loved using this month so it was quite hard to narrow down my favourites to just five. I have been lucky enough to try lot's of new products this month after Christmas so just watch this space as I'm sure you will see them again in future monthly favourites posts.

Snowcake Soap By Lush 
If you have been following my blog for a while now then you will know that I have my own personal yearly tradition where I pretty much buy the entire Lush Christmas range. You can see my latest Lush haul blog post by clicking here from last Christmas. I go way OTT on the bath bombs, bubble bars, bath melts and shower gels and creams. It may seem extravagant but this batch will last me over a year and so if you space it out it really isn't that much. It also means that the bathroom always smells incredible and has a slight glitter tinge towards it.

Lush also produce really good soaps. They are fun, colourful and creative yet they are also really nice and creamy for your hands and they smell amazing. I wanted to add soaps to my Christmas purchase but whilst browsing through the shops and catalogues I realised that it would be a 'slippery soap' and I think there was all but one I wanted to try so I thought it would be best to save my money whilst I still had some left.

As one of my Christmas presents, Mum brought me the Snowcake soap which I was over the moon by. Snowcake shares the same luxurious marzipan and almond scent as the Snow Angel bath melt which is one of my favourite Lush Christmas products. It was the one soap that I was dying to try the most, she knows me so well. I would have included a picture of it but it is looking a little sorry for itself as I have used it so much and let's be honest we all know what a half used bar of soap looks like. What I will say is that it is the creamiest and most moisturising soap I have ever used. My hands always feel really soft and nourished after using it. As I mentioned it has a gorgeous scent which you can still smell on your hands a long time after using it; sweet almond marzipan is my all time favourite Lush scent ever created, thank you Lush. The soap is a beautiful white and creamy colour with specks of glitter yet your hands aren't left covered in glitter. The top of the soap was also dusted in beautiful gold glitter. It definitely feels like a luxurious product to me. Unfortunately for my bank account now I have been introduced to the world of Lush soaps I may have to add these to my Lush Christmas spend.

Fix It Shampoo and Conditioner By Lee Stafford
I'm a sucker for trying new products. Trying new hair care products can usually be a bit hit and miss. Usually I find that they are just okay or the formula doesn't suit my hair. I find it quite rare to find a really good one. Last year I discovered the Garnier Ultimate Blends collection which I have been obsessed with. In particular I would say my favourites were the Sleek and Strength repairers. Whilst shopping at the start of January I saw the Lee Stafford brand of hair products that I was drawn to. Maybe it was the pink bottles who knows. I hadn't seen his own collection of products before and seeing as he is a London stylist I thought they should be pretty good. Feeling spontaneous I had a cheeky splurge and mixed up my hair routine. Crazy I know.

I have been using these throughout January and I absolutely love them. I opted for the Fix It range which aims to fix, build and repair damaged, over-processed and breaking hair. Hair care is very important to me and seeing as I straighten my hair I want to look after my hair as best I can. Whether any long term improvements will occur I don't know yet but my hair is a lot shinier and it feels full bodied with greater volume and a lot softer. I think it just looks healthier after using these products. It certainly feels healthier that's for sure. The shampoo and conditioners are packed full of vitamins A and E which can  only be doing goodness to your hair. I love the quote on the back that says "have fun, look wicked and smell beautiful". I don't know how to describe the scent of these but they do smell really good I want to say slightly floral with a hint of caramel which let's be honest just sounds weird. I've also noticed the scent lasts in my hair which I find doesn't usually happen with other shampoos. I'm so glad I discovered the brand. I definitely want to go back and admire the full collection to see what other goodies I can discover.

MUA Eyeshadow Palette 
I received this palette in my last Glossybox and I have been obsessed ever since. Eyeshadow palettes are my current weakness and I sure was treated to some beauties over Christmas which I am obsessed with and enjoying using. I love combining different combinations for different looks. If you are new to make-up then the MUA eyeshadows are perfect. You could get one palette and be good to go with 12 gorgeous shades. They are really pigmented, creamy and blend-able yet they are also really cheap and affordable. The palette that I own is called Undressed and I find that I turn to it most week days especially if I'm rushing for work as I know I can rely on it. It is a gorgeous neutral palette and perfect for everyday use. The shades that I have recently been enjoying the most are: Puff (warm toned highlighter), Rose Ash (pale and shimmery rose gold pink shade that brightens your eyes) and Hazel (matte rich chocolate brown that is perfect for contouring in the outer corner of your eye). I have also loved using the golds and browns yet I have just found myself using the above three as a regular combination. This palette would also be perfect for travelling as it is nice and compact with endless possibilities.

Grandest Grape Chubby Stick By Clinique 
Now tell me this, who can say they don't love a lip crayon. I was absolutely obsessed with lip crayons back in 2014. I brought loads from different brands of similar colours yet I have and still do use all of them. This Christmas I was lucky enough to receive the Clinique chubby stick gift set. If you are interested you can read a full blog post on the gift set by clicking here. I can now proudly say that I am the owner of not one but four Clinique Chubby Sticks which are the Queen Bee's of all lip crayons and where all the hype began. My current favourite and the one that I have loved using over January is Grandest Grape. This appears to be a purple lipstick however it appears as a gorgeous dark berry shade on the lips that I adore. Berry lip colours are perfect for Autumn/Winter. Seeing as I naturally have red lips I always tend to wear berry shades all year round as nudes and pale pinks and peaches don't suit me, they make me look ill. The chubby sticks are really pigmented and moisturising and they last a long time on the lips. They also look really glossy; they are the perfect handbag essential.

Watermelon Nail Polish By Barry M 
You all know how much I love Barry M nail polishes and in particular the Gelly range. To sum it up for you all yet again they are shinny, thick, glossy and they last a long time without chipping. There is a huge range of colours and shades available to choose from, perfect for every season and every occasion. The best thing about Barry M is that it is also so cheap and affordable so you can definitely justify a multi purchase spending spree. Last November and December I mainly stuck to red nail polish. In particular Blood Orange from the Gelly range. I think it's because I think of red nail polish as a festive colour and essential for the Christmas period. It is so versatile it goes with everything.

However, over January I branched out and mixed up my colours a bit. I brought back some old nail polishes that I have had for a few years that are classics and still firm favourites of mine. Watermelon being one of them of course. It has been freezing throughout January which has seen me whack out the warm, wooly cosy knitted jumpers - heaven! In particular I have been wearing a dark green one from H&M that just so happens to match Watermelon perfectly. I really like dark nail polishes for winter and this dark green shade is rich and luxurious. The thought of dark green nail polish wouldn't normally appeal to me but this one just works. I can't stop smiling when I look at my nails. This was from the original Gelly collection and one of the first that I ever brought, tried and tested. It is therefore very special to me.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post my lovelies. I don't know about you but I love a favourites post. It's nice to look back and reflect over the past month; what you did, loved and enjoyed. I would love to know in the comments what your favourite products have been over January. I hope your Mondays are all bearable and if in doubt, just think coffee.

XXX