January 2019 Lifestyle Favorites

We’re one month into 2019, and I’m not sure how you guys feel, but it seemed like January went by so slowly! It’s always a difficult month for a number of reasons – the freezing temps, the post-holiday blues, the extra early sunsets, and of course all of the new year hype that slowly begins to fade as we settle back into our normal routines.

It’s not so bad though, many of us are used to the seasonal cycle by now. I’ve been keeping myself occupied by exploring some new professional opportunities and working on a few posts/videos that have re-ignited my joy for this space (make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel – I’m planning to make that more of a priority this year)!

While evaluating my 2018 content, I realized that I didn’t share many favorites posts. I enjoy putting them together and actually refer back to them often. So another 2019 goal is to get 12 of them up this year…even if I feel like I don’t have a ton of items/products to share.

With that said, this month is a bit of a hodge podge. There aren’t many fashion or beauty related items, more so a mix of things that have just made January easier & more enjoyable! Take a peek…

1.Game of Thrones. I am still completely SHOOK that I am watching this show. I mentioned in a recent video that my boyfriend suggested we watch the entire series before the new season premieres in April …and I’ve been hooked! We’ve been binging at any opportunity and are almost through season 4 (this just reiterates my point that January dragged. How does one get through nearly 4 seasons of a television show in a month)?! But tuning into an episode or two has made the chilly nights, weekends, and snow days much more enjoyable. Does anyone else watch?!

2. Dip Powder Nails. Are you surprised? I blogged about my first dip experience last week and recently tested my first at home kit (that video will be up soon). I’m still learning some tricks for perfecting them, but if I can get it down, I see myself saying buh-bye to gel! If you do your own dip nails at home what kid do you use & love? I’ll add it to my list of kits to try. 🙂

3. Aquaphor Healing Ointment. This was an unexpected favorite, but it has come in handy so many times this month! What started out as a small IG story campaign turned into my latest must-have product. It’s essentially a jumbo tub of vaseline, but I’ve been using it on my hands/nails (awesome for cuticles), heels/feet, around my nose when I got sick earlier this month (so helpful when you’ve been blowing your nose 24/7), and my recently micro-bladed eyebrows – it has made the healing process so much easier. If you have dry skin of any kind, grab yourself a tub, it’s been great to have on hand.

4. Lash Lift. Speaking of micro-blading (an entire post about that is coming very soon), while I was getting them done, I also got a eyelash lift and tint! It’s basically a perm for your lashes and it’s incredible. It lasts 6-8 weeks, your lashes look taller, fuller, and wear mascara so beautifully. I love the idea of eyelash extensions, but don’t love the idea of their tedious care & maintenance, so this was a really intriguing alternative. I had them done by Desiree – check her out here!

5. Old Navy Puffer Coat. This coat was exactly what I had been in the market for. I have a long & heavy black puffer, a couple of pea coats, and some other misc. jackets, but needed a simple day-to-day coat. I wanted something lightweight, warm, and pretty universal. This was such a great purchase! It comes in 3 or 4 colors and keeps going on/off sale (I was able to snag it for $16). It looks like there are a few still available online, but pop into your local Old Navy, I know mine is stocked with a ton of them! 🙂

6. Wunderlist. Are you a habitual list maker? Do you make a to-do list only to forget it at home, so you make another one, and then lose that one so you make another, and then forget that one on your desk, so you make another? And then before you know it you find yourself with 40 sheets of paper filled with redundant tasks shoved into your purse, desk drawers, and every pocket on your person? Well, that’s usually me.

I enjoy making & working off of lists, but it was becoming very unorganized and a bit out of control. So I searched for an app to help, and I dowloaded Wunderlist. It quickly became a lifesaver! I found that the things I was listing usually broke down into things I had to do, things I had to buy, and blog/video ideas that would randomly come to mind. So I have 3 running lists in the app that I can continuously add to, check off from, and keep track of in one place! You can make sub lists if you want to be more specific, you can see the history of your completed tasks, and you can share the lists with anyone. I never thought I’d give up my pen & paper, but this has made my day-to-day so much easier, organized, and productive. Do you use any helpful apps? Let me know below!

7. Pixi Glow Tonic Toner. I’m not sure what to say about this other than it’s great! After sharing it on IG stories and hearing how many of you love it & swore it changed your skin, I decided to incorporate it into my daily routine. It claims to gently exfoliate & brighten to reveal a healthy glowing complexion. My skin is overall pretty decent, and I can’t say that I’ve noticed any significant changes, but I don’t have anything to complain about! I enjoy using it, I like how it smells, it’s incredibly gentle and after about 4 weeks it has continued to be a pleasant AM/PM addition. 🙂

8. Indian Healing Clay Mask. While we’re on the subject of skin, this mask is INSANE. It’s a best selling product on Amazon & I’m tempted to dedicate an entire blog to it. It rivals my favorite GLAM GLOW YouthMud and will give you almost immediate results. While wearing it, your skin will become incredibly tight, it will burn/tingle as it dries, and it will leave your face very, very red (for a few minutes) after you remove it, but it’s worth it. It reveals the softest, smoothest complexion in minutes. 19,000+ Amazon reviews definitely mean something! PS: I wouldn’t use it immediately before a big event or anything important – use it as a pre-bedtime treatment.

9. Bridesmaid mug! One of my best girlfriends is getting married in August & at her beautiful engagement party last weekend, she gave all of her bridesmaids one of these! I’m a sucker for a cute coffee cup to begin with, but I loved everything about this one so I had to include it in this post. 🙂 She was able to customize the hair color to match each maid which was a really fun touch. She found them on Etsy… FYI for any brides-to-be!

10. Gelish “I’m Snow Angel”. I love ending these posts with my favorite manicure from the month & I have to say this polish may be TOP 5 of all time! It’s the most beautiful deep red/burgundy with a hint of shimmer to it. I’m sure I’ve featured it on here before, but it’s just that good! I actually filmed the making of this mani and it’s easy removal! If you do your own nails at home, be sure to check those videos out. 🙂

And that’s about it! I told you it was a bit random. 😉 Let me know what you loved in January – especially anything skincare related!

Have a great weekend babes!

XOXO