January “Must Haves”

Hello friends!

I’ve been so encouraged by 2018 thus far and all that God has been doing in my life lately! Sometimes it can be a challenge starting a new year and all of the responsibilities and changes that come with it. However, I think for the first time in my life, I haven’t been in school. So all of the packing and registering for classes and buying textbooks and driving back to college hasn’t been a factor. It’s so hard to adjust to the fact that my year doesn’t operate in “semesters” anymore haha! Even though sometimes I miss college life and the late nights, the study parties and all of my friends, I’ve really appreciated the transition to adult life as well. It really is SUCH a sweet and refreshing time to really find out who I am outside of the structure of a home or college environment and explore all of the opportunities that God is providing.

SO, all that being said…

I KNOW that 2018 has just started, but I already have so many favorites from this year already. I have been so encouraging and refreshing and I have felt more motivated and happy than I have in a long time (and by long time, I mean YEARS). Maybe a blog post on this soon?

I have a lot of little things that I can’t wait to show you/tell you about. These don’t just include beauty products, but also a mixture of all the things that have really brought me joy lately! So without further ado…

1. One Question A Day Five Year Journal

I have been wanting one of these for forever and finally got one for Christmas this year. Basically, each day you are given a short prompt or fun question that you get to answer and then you go back around and answer the same set of questions on the same day for the next five years. Okay, so I know you’re thinking “FIVE YEARS?!” But before you freak out, let me just remind you that it’s only ONE little question a day…it really only gives you like three lines to write your answer, so it takes all of 20 seconds. Imagine how cool it will be to go back and see the progression on each day over the course of time. I’m in LOVE with this thing and I look forward to writing in it every day (confession, I may or may not be a few days ahead in it because I just couldn’t wait for the next day). If you’re like me and tend to be forgetful, just bring it with you and keep it in your drawer at work and write in it at your lunch break!

2. Blueberry Vanilla Kind Bars

I’ve always been a big fan of Kind bars, but I recently discovered the blueberry vanilla flavor and I don’t think I will ever try any of the others. These things are bomb! I love having them as a little afternoon snack and the nuts keep me full ’til dinnertime!

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush

I wrote about this in my beauty subscription box post, but I’m still obsessed with it so I’m going to write about it again. I have never experienced a blush that I love as much as this one. Some blushes are an unnatural color, wear off after a few hours or have all this sparkly crap in them. This blush is none of the above and basically perfection. 10/10 definitely recommend.

4. Origins Retexturizing Face Mask with Rose Clay

I’m a big face mask fan and this rose face mask from Origins has been my favorite. It has really gentle exfoliating beads in it that wipe away all the dead skin when you wash it off and it just leaves my skin so refreshed and VISIBLY glowy. I’ve tried quite a few face masks in my day and I think this is my absolute favorite to date. If you didn’t think it could get any better, trust me, it does. It’s also made without parabens, sulfates or phthalates!

5. DW Home Tangerine Candle

I’ve not a huge fan of oranges or anything orange scented, but for some reason I LOVE this candle. It just has such a fresh, clean bright scent to it without smelling at all like bathroom cleaner or dish detergent. I’ve been craving summer weather lately, so this bright, zingy scent just transports me to a Florida orange grove somewhere….Since they sold out of the orange one this month, I’m linking a peach one that is JUST as amazing. So fresh and bright smelling!

6. OPI Aurora Berry-alis Nail Polish

I used to always buy the cheapest nail polishes, but I bought my first OPI polish this month and I am never going back. The color goes on so nicely (no clumps or streaks) and it lasts for twice as long as my cheapo ones ever did. Also I love this color – it feels like a nice transition between winter and spring.

7. Instamax Mini Polaroid

Definitely the best and cutest polaroid out there. I can’t tell you HOW much fun this is to take on little adventures out in the city on the weekends, or when I’m hanging out with friends. So many great memories all captured in an instant way! Not to mention, the photos are ADORABLE for displaying on your fridge, in your room, or stringing up with lights to fill up an empty wall. Definitely a “must have!”

8. The Greatest Showman

Okay, I know this is not a product, but OH. MY. GOSH. Best movie I have seen in a long time. I would say this movie easily ranks up in my top five of all time…maybe even my top three of all time. It was just that good. Plus it has Hugh Jackman, Zack Efron (I love you), and Zendaya in it, so I don’t see how you could possibly say no. Not only is visual storytelling and cinematography absolutely whimsical, but the soundtrack is incredible. I have been listening to them on REPEAT on my commutes to and from work, during my lunch break, before I go to bed…you get the idea. I think this is one of the first movies that I can truly say there is not a SINGLE song I didn’t like. Currently I’m in love with “A Million Dreams,” “The Other Side” and “Rewrite the Stars,” but they are all incredible.

9. This Is Us

Probably one of my all-time favorite TV series. It is so heartwarming, genuine and just connects and pulls at your heartstrings in a way that few things do these days. I feel like I personally know and resonate with the characters and you feel like you’re a part of the family. I’ve laughed in this show, I’ve cried in this show…the way that the creators weave together a storyline that twists and turns is truly remarkable. I also love how unpredictable it is, which keeps me engaged and intrigued. It follows the story of the Pearson family throughout their moments of love, joy, success and heartbreak as the story flashes back from the past to the character’s present lives. If you’re looking to get in your feels, this show is for you.

10. Zenda Naturals Beauty Sponge

For YEARS I have been buying Beauty Blender sponges for $20 a pop (so expensive for one little sponge). However, I swear by those things and although I have tried many a knock-off brand, I haven’t found one that even comes close. So back I go to Sephora again, buying another $20 makeup sponge. However, I was doing some digging last month and found this Zenda Naturals brand on Amazon. It got thousands of reviews and is 1/3 the price of the Beauty Blender, so I thought I would give it a shot. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I think I might actually like this one even better than the Beauty Blender! Do yourself a favor and try this one out, you’ll save yourself some money and get an even more flawless foundation application! 🙂

So that’s it for my January FAVS. None of these are sponsored – just things I’ve been loving and couldn’t help but share. What were some of your favorite things in the month of January? Share them below! I always love hearing about new things!