May Favourites | First Half Of The Year Review

As if it's June already? It feels like this year is flying by and soon I'll be doing an end of year review again, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here are my favourite things from the first half of 2016 so far.

Burt's Bees Hand Salve - £10.99

If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know that I get dry hands often so I'm always searching for good quality hand treatments and Burt's Bees did not disappoint. I've only been applying it at night time (mostly because it's a bit pricey and I don't want to use it up really quickly) but within 3 days my very flaky hands became smooth and hydrated. 

Since, my hands have gone through phases of getting a bit drier but they have never once been as bad as they have been.

Nivea Lip Fruity Shine Watermelon - £1.99

I had been searching for a lip balm that didn't have too much colour in it and I came across this one and it's perfect! I like to wear it on top of a lip tint during the day to add a bit more colour to it. This is the second one in the Nivea Fruity Shine range I have bought so go and have a look at the other colours they have to offer too.

Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper - £5.49

For a few months, my skin started to break out in small white head spots and I tried a few spot treatments that did absolutely nothing so when I used this and it worked I was super happy. It initially reduces the inflammation of your spot and within a day it's dramatically reduced. I am usually left with a small mark where the spot was for a few days but that's fine with me. And since my breakouts keep happening, I'm very glad I have this.

Soap and Glory The Fab Pore 2-In-1 Mask and Peel - £10

I have done a review on this which you can read here. Though I found it isn't actually a peeling mask, it is a refreshing mask that truly makes your pores feel like they are breathing! I love using it once a week to help keep my face as clear as I can. 

Great Modern Artists by Andy Tuohy

I bought this from my trip to Liverpool where I visited Tate Modern. I love the design on it and I've been using it for all the pens and pencils I had laying around my bedroom. I would love to take this to college to show it off but everything I take there looses it's quality somehow, but I'm happy enough with it fitting in with the aesthetics in my bedroom.

Singing in the Rain

My grandparents lent me this DVD and it is such a good feel good and entertaining film. It's great to watch on a rainy afternoon when you're bored. The talent the actors have is on a completely different level to how it is nowadays and I was shocked at how actual humans could do some of the dances that they did. Because it's quite an old film, it's not very expensive so I would recommend going to buy it.

BABOSARANG Katcha and Chandy in Wonderland Diary

Unfortunately, this diary is no longer available but BABOSARANG (you can look at their range on YesStyle.com) have loads of great stationary items so have a look at their other diaries. I have loved the art and cuteness that the diary has and I would seriously be lost without it because I am using it daily.

Posh Pocket Left Brain/Right Brain : 50 Puzzles to Change the Way You Think - £5.99

My college course means that I'm not doing a lot of brain work and, for some odd reason, I missed my high school days where I was challenged in a range of subjects. I'm sure I can't be the only one who has thought this... Nonetheless, I bought this pocket puzzle book which has really challenged me and helped me to think in ways that I haven't done for a while.

Akdong Musician - Spring Vol.1

One of my favourite South Korean artists, Akdong Musician, have finally come back with a new album and it certainly has not disappointed me. As usual, they have brought a range of different styles and moods making it perfect to listen to at this time of year. I love listening to music that matches the weather. "Haughty Girl" is good for listening to in the rain whilst "How People Move" is a really upbeat song that I like dancing to alone in my room. Seriously, have a listen to their album.

What have your favourites been for the first six months of 2016? Let me know.

January 2015 Favourites

For the first post of the year I am doing a favourites post!

1. Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Scrub

I find it really handy to have a facial scrub to use every so often just to help keep your face clean and to treat it every so often. I had originally been looking for another brand's charcoal scrub but I had used Boot's tea tree and witch hazel products in the past and decided to get this one instead. Immediately after I used it my face felt clean and soft.

Quick Tip: Scrubs tend to have bits in them (e.g charcoal) and they can damage your skin, this is why you should only use them every now and then and when you do, don't use force because they can catch on your skin and break it.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm - Oh Orange

I love the Baby Lips range because I love to have lip balm on but I also like a bit of colour. This orange is a really nice colour as well because it isn't as 'electro' and bright as I thought it would be and it's almost like an orange and red colour. Some people have said that this colour suits paler skin better but I think that anyone could suit this so don't think it is limited!

3. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated Hand Cream Unscented 

I have put a Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream in a favourites post before, however this one is different! This one is concentrated and it practically healed my really dry and sore hands instantly. Other Neutrogena hand creams have healed my hands quickly too but after the first use of this they were completely different but it did take another few days until my whole hand was completely back to normal again.

4. Bohemian Soap - Lush

Just to clarify, they no longer stock the Baked Alaska soap unfortunately but the Bohemian is still available. Every product from Lush has the most amazing smell so, of course, these are no exception. The Bohemian has a lovely lemon and citrus scent whilst the Baked Alaska is quite fruity.

5. Topshop Copenhagen Lace-up Trainers

I really love these and, to me, they make a lazy, casual outfit look like it's had a bit more effort put into it. I personally like to team them with some black skinny jeans and a white top for a chic but still casual outfit.

6.  Z for Accessorize Jewellery

Firstly, I just want to say that pretty much everything in this line is perfect and I love all of it. I got both of these for Christmas the left is a necklace and the right is a bracelet. The deigns are really delicate and are perfect if you want to add a small touch to a plain outfit I think. I can't wait for summer when I won't be wearing long sleeves and hoodies so I can show the bracelet off.

7. BABOSARANG "Don't Worry About a Thing" Diary

This is the cutest diary I think I will ever own. It is a 2014-2015 diary but it doesn't have any specific dates on the days so you could use it whenever you want. It has cute messages to make you smile on almost every page and is a good way to get organised. Some phrases are in Korean but the majority is in English and I did start to wonder if the litle girl character was based of Choo Sarang because of the hair style?

8. The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly - Sun Mi Hwang

I was given this book for Christmas and it is quite a small book but unfortunately I'm only on the 3rd chapter. It is a very uplifting book that is quite inspirational and, because it is small, it would be perfect for a weekend away book to read or if you travel to school or work.

I hope you enjoyed!
- Zin x
P.S I know I said on my last post that I will update more in the new year but I don't think that it will happen, I'm coming up to my AS Level exams in the summer so there won't be many posts. I will introduce a semi-hiatus notice in a few months and then a hiatus around my exams but when the summer comes I will be updating more often again.