January Saviours

In comparison to the hopes and resolutions that come along with January 1st, it's only a matter of time before those post-Christmas blues start to kick in. Gone are the pretty lights, the excuse to eat your own weight in cheese and quality time with family. In their place are the dark grey mornings, the baggage of those few extra pounds (darn you, cheese) and a whole new set of commitments. However, to remind myself of the potential that a new year brings, I have compiled a list of the things that are making me feel a little more human this January!

The main area that needs the most attention for me in January is my sleeping pattern. After the late nights celebrating (eating) over the holidays, it can be hard to re-adjust when you're suddenly hit with those demon 6am alarms. Before going to bed, I've been using the This Works Dream Team which consists of a pillow spray and a rollerball to be used on pulse points. I've relied on this handy little duo ever since receiving them as a free gift when staying at a hotel years ago. The lavender scent of the pillow spray mixed with the calming and cooling effect of the rollerball really help to promote relaxation and clear a racing mind after a long day. The addition of a hot chocolate in the colder evenings also makes the perfect treat to finish the day. I'm slowly making my way through the variety of Options flavours (mint chocolate is my personal favourite) and at 40 calories each they don't threaten to ruin any new year diets! For those nights when there is simply no solution and you find yourself staring at the ceiling at 2am, I find the Origins 'No Puffery' Cooling Eye Mask to be the most effective way of disguising those panda eyes in the morning!

One of my favourite things about the winter months is the opportunity to wear the slightly darker shades of makeup that may be deemed slightly too much when it starts to get warmer. For this, I always turn to my MAC lipstick collection (definitely deserves its own blog post) and I've recently been drawn to the shade 'Plumful'. It's the perfect berry shade that makes a subtle impact, yet still looks natural enough to wear everyday. However, the downside of those cold winds means the need for some pretty high duty lip balm to pull it off. I've recently been using Nuxe Reve de Miel which has a matte texture that manages to keep lips moisturised without too much sheen. Despite going darker with the makeup, I've brightened up my wardrobe by adding this Urban Outfitters scarf (shown above) which I've found to be a refreshing take on the tartan trend by adding a pop of colour to those monochrome mornings.

I think a new year is the perfect time to treat yourself to some new listening and reading material. Having something else to keep your mind occupied during those bleary-eyed commutes can bring about a much more positive start to the day. For maximum motivation potential, I've recently been reading 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne after hearing so much about it. The teachings in this book are based on the law of attraction and how our own thinking impacts the way in which we live. As a former Psychology student, I have found it a fascinating read so far and would definitely recommend it to anyone stuck in a January rut. Every commute needs a soundtrack, and my album of choice at the moment has been 'If You Wait' by London Grammar. Now this album is certainly not the cheeriest by any means, but there is something about the captivating melodies that adds a definite hint of calm to my day.

So there we have it, my January saviours. In fact, after writing this post I'm almost looking forward to my alarm going off in six and a half hours! If I keep telling myself this (putting 'The Secret' into practice) then it's true right? Who am I kidding.. bring on Feb!