As it's the last day of November, I thought it'd be a good idea to create a little collection of items which I've particularly enjoyed using/ having this month. I've spent half of the weekend in Sheffield visiting Cesca and Ben. I did a bit of Christmas shopping there and it dawned on me how much easier it is to buy presents for people when you're at Uni. At home, my house is very rural, I say that meaning that there are no bus services, no mobile reception and the nearest shop is a 20 minute drive away. Country bumpkin and proud. Whereas in Nottingham, the shops are literally on my doorstep.
I admit that I've always loved buying presents for other people, and not to blow my own trumpet but I'd like to think I'm pretty darn good at it. I love seeing someones eyes light up when they open your gift. These products are little things which I've treated myself to in the past month.
(Starting from top left and going round in a clockwise circle)
1. The Body Shop : Mango body mist.
My favourite smell has to have fruity edge to it. This is probably one of the nicest smelling perfumes I've ever had the honour to grace my nostrils with. It's light, fruity, sweet but not too overpowering. Plus there's loads of it, which is always a bonus.
2. Happy Holidays greeting cards
One of my favourite parts of the festive season is buying Christmas cards and sending them to my nearest and dearest. I found these really pretty ones in Tkmaxx for £4.99, which isn't awful for 20 cards and envelopes. They have a really handmade feel to them and are the some of the funkiest ones I've seen. I couldn't find the link on the TKmaxx website but if you wanted them, you could probably find them in store. They re designed by Mara-mi, so f you like the designs, you could check her website out for more.
3. Barry M: Dazzle Dust
Aaah glitter is my weakness. This little pot is a small dose of heaven. I have quite a few of the colours now but this one is my absolute favourite. It is a dark rose colour and is probably the glitter-iest (that's not a word i know)thing I have ever seen. It stays on for ages, looks amazing and can pretty much go anywhere on your face. I brought it with my to secret garden party festival and basically swam in the stuff everyday. Perfect little gift for Christmas for you or a friend.
4. Bohemian Tibetan necklace
This is definitely my favourite purchase this month. It's a Tibetan necklace and I absolutely love it. It has a round silver edge which makes it look really structured then the pendant dangles down by a few hoops on either side. It's quite funny when i wear it and walk around as it has little bells on (very festive I know) so I'm jangling everywhere. I got it from a funky little shop in Nottingham and I'm not sure if it was a one off or not. However you can probably find similar necklaces on sites like Etsy.
5. Accessorize Rings
I have a deep infatuation with rings from Accessorize. Every time I go into the shop i always end up seeing something that catches my eyes. Unlike many other high street jewellery, they have such a range of styles across each season. I got a really nice set of about 15 rings which i bought for about £17 a while ago and I wear most of them every day. If you're searching for a present for a friend or family member, definitely have a look on the Accessorize website.
6. Metallic Paint Markers
These.pens.are. AMAZING! There's a little art shop in one of the University buildings and it is heaven on earth. I found these little gems and had to treat myself to them. I'm a sucker for metallic pens. They have a really nice, smooth consistency and will write on anything, which is always useful. We have to do quite a lot of hands on projects on my course and I'm constantly using these to illustrate, comment and doodle to my hearts content. They're also really handy for DIY crafts as they will stick to any material.
7. Clipper Tea: Apple & elderflower organic infusion bags.
I'm a whole hearted lover of herbal teas. Whilst being at university I've had about 80 cups of peppermint tea, 30 cups on green tea and now my new obsession is apple & elderflower tea. I find herbal tea so much more comforting to drink that normal tea or coffee, plus it's good for you which is always a plus. You can pick this up from your nearest organic store or pretty much any supermarket. The bedtime sleepy tea is also a god sent, my parents absolutely love this and at home we all drink it before bedtime.
8. PolaBora Prints
So when you first move away from home to University, it's quite daunting in itself. One of the things which took a lot of getting used to was living and sleeping in a different bed for so long. My bedroom back home has a collection of 16 years of memories so moving into a completely empty room is quite a lonely experience. I'm now a week away from the end of my first term and my room is now so much more homely. That's all thanks to posters, disposable camera photos and prints ordered from company's such as PolaBora. I'm upload a lot of pictures to instagram (@alexayo) so a lot of my memories are held not the app. PolaBora allows you to connect to Instagram, choose your favourite prints and get them printed and sent to you in a Polaroid style. This is also a really cool Christmas gift to get for someone as it's very personal and pretty unique.
9. The Body Shop: Blue Corn 3-in-1 deep cleansing mask
In an effort to make my skin the best it can be, I invested into a really highly rated exfoliating cream. I use this twice a week, once on a Wednesday and again on a Sunday. I was never good at exfoliating before as I never had a routine but now i made a conscious effort to take 10 minutes to put on this face mask, do a bit of meditation and just chill. Its the best exfoliating cream I've used as it doesn't dry out my skin, effectively clears away dead cells and makes my skin feel amazing afterwards. The tub is also pretty big so It's lasted me for absolutely ages. All in all, a pretty dandy investment.
10. Benefit Liquid & Powder BB cream.
On a day to day basis, I usually wear BB cream or no foundation at all. It's nice to let your skin breathe so it doesn't get clogged with makeup and the likes. This has a really soft, light consistency, it balances moisture and controls and oils. It also self adjusts to your exact skin shade so no awkward foundation lines for me. It stays on for most of the day and makes my face look like I have no foundation on at all, always a winner. My skin gets quite dry in winter so this is my go to product as it's not heavy and won't dry it out, it also has an SPF 35 which is seriously good for a foundation.
11. Surf Girl magazine
I love sitting down after a day of lectures, having a mug of tea and reading a magazine. Surf Girl magazine has been one of my favourite reads for quite a while now. Reading their publications make you feel so refreshed, inspired and lucky to be alive in such a gorgeous world. I got this months issue on the newsstand app just to be a bit more environmentally friendly and save paper and it's an absolute winner. If you fancy a chilled out, surf and lifestyle focused read then definitely check it out.
Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what some of your favourite products are or if you've tried any of the above and what you think about them
Peace & Love
Alexa
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