The January (I’m so broke!) wish list

Thanks to the festive season, January is a pretty thin month when it comes to shopping. I did make a splurge this month – I got the MAC x Ellie Goulding Halcyon Nights palette – but I had been putting money aside for that. Wondering if it’s any good? Well, let’s just say it’s all I’ve had on my eyes since it arrived in the post. Seriously loving it.

There’s still a bunch of things from last year that are still on my list – the GlamPalm Standard hair straightener (the one I’ve been using for the last 5+ years has started overheating and burning the crap out of me, so I think maybe this should happen sooner rather than later) and the Fossil Preston Small Flap bag in black, for example. Both are R2500-ish, so…all big investments for me. We’ll see – both of those WILL happen one day, just not now.

Onto the more obtainable things… Sort of…

• Dior Diorskin Nude Air Illuminating Powder 001 (glowing pink) from the Dior Spring 2016 collection. Hopefully this will hit stores sometime soon! This will probably be way too much money for what it’s worth. R850-ish? FINALLY! This happened at the end of February 🙂 It’s beautiful! But it was so expensive…
• Polar A360 fitness tracker – R3200. Okay…I do really want this but again… something this expensive is just not happening now. Maybe for my birthday. Maybe not. I thought I’d just list it here anyway.
• Zana x Superbalist Cat Nap Duvet Cover Queen – R999. Alright, I give up. None of these things will happen.
• TheBalm Balm Desert Bronzer – R320. I’m waiting for this to come back in stock on Retailbox. I think this could make a good blush/bronzer hybrid.
• Skoon Cleanser + Make-up remover – R460. Oh my, this sounds interesting. This locally made cleanser is a gel to milk formula and claims to remove makeup. I’d love to give this a go. Also, their exfoliating mask looks absolutely amazing too!
• Eyeliner brush – I asked around on Twitter and I’m going to go check out the Inglot offering. Looks like it’s exactly what I want from a brush. Bought the Inglot 30T eyeliner brush. The girl kept telling me it was the 31T. Sigh. Anyway, got the right one in the end! Busy putting it to the test/getting used to the bent/angled brush, etc.
• BeautyBlender – R350? I want to know what the hype is all about!

Realistically… none of this is happening! See you in February for another of these lists!

The last – November and December

Wow, the end of last year was completely manic. I was busier than I’d been all year, work took over my life and brain and bed seemed like my only reprieve, sometimes. Thankfully, I had some time to shake that off!

Despite me not posting my empties online – still such a weird concept – I did keep track of (mostly) what I finished/liked/disliked/whatevs, so here we go… A little late, but oh well:

Creighton’s Coconut and Honey Indulge Bath and Shower
This was alright. I liked that it was a huge bottle and lasted a pretty decent amount of time, considering I’m not super shy when it comes to the amount of product I use. The smell got a little boring every now and then, so I did switch it up with Creighton’s Lime and Grapefruit Energise Bath and Shower. Probably won’t repurchase – not because it wasn’t nice or hydrating, just that there’s a billion other things out there which could be more exciting than this.

Tony Moly Changing Magic Mask Sheet Mask (Tea Tree)
Loved this! Looked like a serial killer, but it’s all good. Thanks to AwkwardPurse (hi!) I now have allll the masks. I can’t wait.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil
Another product I love-love-loved was this stuff. Now, I have oily/combo skin and initially thought that maybe this wouldn’t work so well for me. Lies. All lies. I used this in evenings, like 5 out of 7 days a week and every morning, my skin felt amazing. It has a bit of a dry oil consistency (it’s not a wet oil, if that makes sense), absorbs very quickly and gives me a glow! I haven’t repurchased this because I cracked open the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate that I got from a blog sale – which is working amazingly as well. I will get this again, though, cos Kiehl’s is a bit more of a splurge.

Creighton’s Lime and Grapefruit Energise Bath and Shower
Into December, I finished this 500ml bottle. I must admit, I loved the zingy fragrance of this shower gel over the coconut one especially in the hot weather. Again, would I repurchase? Maybe, but probably not.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover
I got this as a gift in May, I think. So it took me forever to finish it up. To be fair, it was a decent size tube… This is a weird one for me. I liked it but it wasn’t immediately effective. What I mean by this is that with an oil cleanser, you don’t have to work for it. You slap it on, rub and your makeup is off. This required some time, especially when it came to removing mascara. Due to that, this makeup remover was relegated to the makeup shelf where I used it to clean up mistakes or if I was desperate, to take an entire face of makeup off. I won’t get this again. I’ve replaced it with my first micellar water ever (woot! Garnier, btw)

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser
Ugh, this is another weird one for me. When I first started using it, I loved it. It worked so well for me. And then it just stopped. I felt greasy and gross and it made my face feel dirty. I stopped using it and moved onto something else. Then, when I had run out of everything, I went back to this. It worked again! And then didn’t again. So frustrating. I managed to finish the tube (I loved that it was in the tube. I don’t like tubs for my face cream) but it was a struggle. Didn’t go out and buy this again. I’m using Sampar Pure Perfection Barely There Moisture Fluid – really liking it…again, thanks for the heads up, AwkwardPurse!

Dermalogica Multi-active toner (50ml/travel size)
This. This stuff is lovely. I’ve never been a toner person. I’ve never felt like I’ve needed a toner. Early last year I was at my wit’s end with my skin. It wasn’t spotty, just really oily and after tweeting for some suggestions, One Stiletto at a Time told me I should give this a go. Now, Dermalogica is a scary place. They have all this amazing skincare but the price (especially earlier last year) gives me heart palpitations, so I settled on giving the travel size a go. Oh yes. It’s love. I haven’t repurchased this year, but I will soon.

Essie Ridge Filling Base and Mavala Super Base Coat
Both good products. Both went rock solid before I’d even finished the bottle. Oh, and with the Mavala, I encountered endless nightmares despite it being a really good product. If there’s even a tiny bit of product on the lip of the bottle or on the screwy bit, it is like super glue. Every time I wanted to use this stuff, my dad had to get the wrench out. I’m not joking. Pity. As a base coat, I’m using Sorbet’s basic base coat.

Here’s to spending less and using more. Or something like that.

Balance

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I believe that if you want to make a change, don’t wait for the clocking over of a new year. Over the last two weeks, I’ve read innumerable posts about the goals people want to achieve this year. Some have summed it up in one word, others have used lists.

I like the idea of setting a “theme” for the year ahead. It’s not quite a resolution, it’s more of an outlook. This idea has stuck with me and I’ve realised that mine, for 2016, is balance.

Reflection and retrospect is a weird thing. Sometimes it’s not a very nice thing. I’m guilty of letting people, things, emotions consume me for periods of time, and I want to work towards undoing this.

I am lucky in that I have some really amazing and special people in my life. I have my health (though I will be working on that more), a job, a home… In other words, I have a lot of things I often take for granted. I forget to say “thank you”, “I love you” and “sorry” as often as I should; I just assume all these things will always be there when I want them, despite my occasional neglect.

To everyone who has stuck with me – thank you. I love you. Sorry. I’m working on becoming a better person. Here’s to a richer, lovelier year than the last and I hope you’ll all see me trying and growing.

Happy New Year!