I always forget how short February is until 1st March comes along and I stare at my calendar, wondering how two months have already passed since the new year... Just think, that's basically 1/6th of 2016 - GONE. What have I been doing?!
Anyway, whilst I have my existential crisis, here are some of the things that have brought me joy in February :)
Hair:
Bulldog hair clips (similar) - I've been getting a bit frustrated with my hair recently whenever I have it down, it's always flapping in my face and flicking in all directions. So I decided to try these out, and they've been a lifesaver. I love pulling back the front sections of my hair and clipping them behind, using a subtle plain black clip with colourful outfits, or a patterned one as an accent.
Body/skincare:
Bio-Oil - I never thought I'd say this, but I've been using oil on my already oily, acne-prone skin, and I'm liking it. Which is terrifying. There's been talk all over the internet about how essential oils can prevent acne, and though I haven't tried that out yet, I'm definitely starting to see the benefits of oil on my skin. It's very hydrating, balancing out the other products I use on my spots which dry me out, and it's clearing up my scars and hyperpigmentation fabulously.
Makeup:
Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Red Island - It's a very bold and bright colour which I'm usually too terrified to wear, but I used it during the dance show and it was great! It's more moisturising than a lipstick and I love the smooth non-sticky formula which makes it just melt onto the lips. I have to say though, it's a bit lacking in staying power, and does tend to bleed without lip liner.
French Connection eyeshadow palette - A few years ago I bought the 'Eye Perfection Collection' (it's discontinued now), which contained various eye makeup items, including a nude eyeshadow palette with eight gorgeous colours. They're mostly shimmery colours, something I've been loving nowadays, though I use a matte dark brown for filling in my eyebrows too. Lazy old me loves the fact that there's a shade for my eyebrows, a shade for highlighting, and pretty shades for eyeshadow - I only need to bring this small, great-for-travelling palette and I'm good to go.
TV/film:
Miraculous Ladybug - I should be ashamed to say this, but I'm not... This kids TV show is SIMPLY THE BEST! It's the strangest, most wonderful thing, filled with transformations into superheroes and cat puns for days. It follows the story of two teenagers in Paris (let the shipping begin!), who turn into superheroes to save everyone from the evil akuma. Honestly, and don't kill me, I'd say this was better than adult TV...
Music:
Hamilton soundtrack - I've already mentioned this before, but it's too good not to mention again. Also, it keeps getting better and better the more you listen to it, so right now I'm completely obsessed ;)
Dessert, Dawin - A song I first heard when I was taught some choreography to it last week, and since then I've been playing it on repeat for most of that time. It's so catchy! The lyrics are a bit crude, and this isn't actually the sort of song I would normally listen to, but it grows on you, and then won't leave your head.
Pinball Wizard, Glee - This song is originally by The Who, but (and I may be the only one, I know many people don't like Glee) I prefer the Glee cover of it. It's a bit faster, and this version was the one I heard first so it stuck with me. It's not so surprising that I came to know this song through dance, and I guess I like it for that reason - it's fun to dance to!
Book:
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes - I'm currently reading this, more than halfway through now, and I haven't been able to put it down. It's awesome - a mentally disabled man, Charlie, has a brain operation to raise his IQ, the first human to have this operation after the success of Algernon, a mouse. The book's in the form of Charlie's diary, and you can see how his writing improves over time, which I think is amazing.
Food:
Hazelnuts - I have no idea why, but I've had a really big craving for nuts (don't you dare...) this past month. I had a huge jar of hazelnuts at home, which I've already demolished, and yet I'm still craving more. What is this crisis I'm having?!
Apps:
Calm - If you ever want calm background music, this is the app you need. I like playing it at low volume whenever I work, though it also has a meditation feature. I tried a 2-minute meditation with my friend and almost fell asleep...so I guess it works!
Twilight - This is a new thing I discovered, it's an app which filters out blue light for Android devices. Blue light distorts your natural sleep pattern making it harder to sleep if you've been staring at a screen at night, and so Twilight adds a red filter to prevent this. I like how there's a setting so that the filter automatically adjusts depending on sunrise and sunset times, and it makes the display softer so when I'm tired my screen doesn't burn my eyes to cinders!
Game:
Brain Dots - This is a physics-based game where you have to draw lines to get two dots to meet. It's pretty cool, I've had it for a while but hadn't played it in a long time, then recently my friends rediscovered it and have been stealing my phone off me to play it. So...I'm back at it. It's very rewarding once you finish a level, and addictive too.
Person:
Congrats to Leo DiCaprio for finally winning his well-deserved Oscar!
♥
That's all for this month's favourites - check some of them out, you never know, something could become your new favourite!
I love you
xxx
