JANUARY FAVORITES
B E A U T Y
My skin tone doesn’t work well with nude-pink tones, so I tend to stick with rose hues on my lips. I want to so badly rock a neutral pink!  I tried out this pink slip from Sara Happ and have been wearing it daily ever since. It has just enough pink in it to pop against my fair skin tone, but I think it will look great universally. I also want to pick up the Ballet Slip for more of a mauve neutral option.
Colleen Rothchild Radiant Cleansing Balm
I’ve seen the Colleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm everywhere and I finally tried it out during a holiday sale, they’re always running great sales! I actually didn’t think I would love it because it’s a little more high maintenance than using a regular cleanser. However, the results after I use it is well worth the little extra time. My skin is glowing and buttery smooth after using it and it removes every drop of makeup! The muslin cloth that comes with it does a great job gently exfoliating and picking up your makeup. My skin never feels tight or stripped after using it and I think this is a must-have during the winter months no matter your skin type.
This face oil quickly became a favorite because the bottle doesn’t leak, a huge pet peeve of mine with face oils! You only need a pump to saturate your face and the bottle will definitely last you a few months. I think the pump is also great to regulate how much you apply to your face. With the typical dropper bottle packaging, I never know how many drops to apply and it usually feels a lot thicker on my skin. If you’re scared of using a face oil, there is absolutely no reason to be! The key to anti-aging is sunscreen and moisture. If you’re interested in trying out Colleen Rothschild, use code STRAWBERRY20 for 20% off your order. If you can’t decide where to start, I recommend trying out this discovery kit. It will be $76 with my code and you get to try a bit of everything!
Of course the pink and rose gold packaging initially sold me, but the product is what’s keeping me using it morning and night. If I have any dried areas on my lips, this covers it up somehow and makes my lips look healthy. There is a subtle sparkle in the product, so if you hate that then you may want to pass on it.
I found this $14 makeup bag and made up 100 excuses why I needed it. It was too cute to pass up! I love the size of the bag because it fits all of my eyeshadow pallets inside without a problem. I also think there’s enough room to rest my makeup brushes inside instead of packing them separately.
I recently shared my new journey to find less toxic beauty products and I thought one of the hardest things to replace would be self-tanner, but I was wrong! The first one I tried seems is a winner. Initially, I was not happy to open this in the mail after I saw how small the bottle was for the price tag. But I was also under the impression it would be a self-tanning lotion so I thought I would blow right through the bottle like I have with similar products. However, this is definitely a concentrated, almost gel based self-tanner and a bit will go a long way. I’ve used hospital gloves to apply it (meaning I just took some from work) instead of my normal mitt. The medium shade is perfect for this season because it makes my skin tone look normal and not excessively tan.
F A S H I O N
I’ve worn this top non-stop because it’s so comfy and perfect to layer with vests or jackets and to wear on its own. For $20, I think it’s a no-brainer to add to your wardrobe. It runs true to size.
 I finally splurged on these during the Black Friday sale and I’m so happy I did. They’re so worth it if you need new work flats. I can wear these all day long without any start of redness anywhere on my feet. I think they’re more comfortable than my Tieks. I haven’t tried to fold them up like Tieks, but I reach for these more than my Tieks because there isn’t a leather bottom to stain. I’d be happy to share a full comparison between the two if you’re interested.
Ugg slippers (similar linked)
I finally invested in Ugg slippers after finding a bow pair I adored at the Dawsonville outlets. Earlier this Winter, I bought a cheap look-a-like pair of Uggs at Target and I’m not kidding… it only took a week or two for them to start stinkin’.. ew! I realized then why Uggs are worth the investment because I have two pairs of Uggs over eight years old that have never started to stink. lol.
L I F E S T Y L E
I splurged on the robe last year and have slowly been increasing my collection because I’m #obsessed. Tim gifted me a Nordstrom gift card and I took full advantage during their after Christmas sale to snag up this blanket on my wish list. I actually never thought I would pull the trigger on it because of the price tag, but in my head, it only cost $35 (the remaining after the gift card ;). I love how thick, stretchy, and large this blanket is and I use it every single night, so it was totally worth it!
 I’ve always used this plastic Kate Spade cup but started to get weirded out by the potential things I was drinking along with my water and wanted to switch to something stainless. I was originally going to get a pink Yeti cup, but I didn’t want to wait to order one and I ran into this one from Corkcicle at a local boutique. I will say getting used to a stainless straw took a week or two, but I like the idea because now there aren’t any plastics!
I decided to finally try out The Simplified Planner after two years of admiring their cute prints each year! I’ve really been loving just how clean and simple the layout is. In the past, I used a weekly layout and I found that I was way less productive and motivated to plan out each day with purpose. Now that I’m using a daily planner, I’m tackling my to-do list and actually checking them off. The paper is great stock quality and I never have an issue with bleeding through with the various pens I have used. Speaking of pens, I just started using flairs and I love all the fun colors.
I’ve used this since the beginning of December and it’s so easy to add to your meals for an extra protein boost. I always add it to my morning oatmeal and I promise you won’t even notice! If there was any sort of taste to it, I wouldn’t be able to eat it because I’m so picky. I have definitely noticed longer and stronger nails since using it. It’s hard to say if my hair has grown because its way overdue for a haircut, but I’m hoping it’s working its magic on my hair. I will be keeping you updated!
January Fails
iRobot
You may have been introduced to Taylor Swifter (our iRobots name) on Instagram stories, but it only took us two cleanings to decide the iRobot wasn’t worth our money. Granted, I did get the cheapest model, but for nearly $300 on sale it wasn’t worth it to me. I came home with a messier house than I left it. I think our low profile rug shed while it was gliding across it and there were fuzz balls all throughout the main level. I waited to give it another try, but I found I would just reach for our mini handheld vacuum for quick vacuums verses putting up all of our chairs for the iRobot to easily get through the main floor. I can see the value of this being a little more if you have a pet hair situation, but I don’t see how it would completely replace a standard vacuum in your home. Let me know your thoughts on it since I feel like I’m alone with this opinion!
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xo Amanda John
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