I've never done a proper monthly favourites post because I don't feel like I try enough new things every month to warrant a whole post for them. However, this month I've been trying quite a few new things that I got for Christmas or in the sales so I thought I would give it a try. I am going to aim to do one every month of 2017, even if there are only 2 things in it sometimes, but we'll see how that goes! So without further ado, here are my January favourites:

I asked my parents to get me a Happiness Planner for Christmas and I'm so glad I did! Not only is it great for planning out my day and writing a quick to do list, it really makes you focus on the good things in your life. I think I'm going to write a whole post about it so I won't go into too much detail, but it has definitely helped me be a more positive person. Mine is in the colour 'rose quartz and serenity' and I think it's absolutely beautiful!

Recently I've been completely obsessed with Makeup Revolution. I had a couple of their products before but I got their Redemption palette in the shade 'Iconic 2' in the January sales and I instantly fell in love! Not only are the colours absolutely gorgeous, with both matte and shimmery shades, it is incredibly pigmented and lasts all day. This is an amazing dupe for the Naked 2 palette and to top it all off, it was only £4!!

This month I've been loving Apple Music. I actually got it last month but I started using it so much more after coming back to uni. I don't have Spotify so I often used to listen to music on YouTube which would drain my phone battery so much so I love having so much music at my fingertips without having to keep my phone unlocked. At the moment i'm loving the Moana soundtrack (yes i'm still obsessed) and Ed Sheeran's new singles. A subscription is £10 a month but if you're a student you can get 50% off with a Unidays account.

One of the other things I bought in the January sales was a Johanna Basford 'Enchanted Forest' colouring calendar. I had one of these last year, and am a big lover of adult colouring books (check out my post about them here) so I knew I would love it. But I can never decide which picture I want to colour next, so I love having a specific picture that I know I need to do that month. Johanna Basford colouring books are my absolute favourite, I love her designs and I like that some of the pictures in the calendar are the same as the Enchanted Forest book, meaning I can colour it in in a completely different way to last time.

Over the last year adult colouring books have become the latest trend and if you haven't heard of them there's a good chance you've been living under a rock somewhere for the past 12 months. Since getting the Johanna Basford Secret Garden colouring book last summer it's safe to say I've become completely obsessed with them (I now own 5) and have managed to get some of my friends and family hooked on the craze as well. If you're on the fence about this whole thing, here are my top reasons why you should invest in a colouring book or two of your own:

1. Relaxation

I bought my first colouring book last year during study leave for my A level exams and found it was such a great way of relaxing in my revision breaks. I wanted something entertaining and relaxing to do that still required me to concentrate on what I was doing and colouring was so much more stimulating than just watching daytime TV. It also meant that I felt like I had more control over my revision breaks, instead of being drawn in by the next episode of Homes Under the Hammer!

2. Stress relief

Colouring is such a great way of getting rid of stress after a long day of work or revision. I often do it whilst watching TV in the evening or if I'm really stressed I'll just put on some music and focus just on what I'm colouring. I find it allows me to completely switch off and forget about any stress that's happened during the day (although if you're a perfectionist like me deciding which shade of green to colour a specific leaf may end up adding to your stress!)

3. Creative output

I would consider myself a very creative person and loved drawing and painting as a child, however my artistic abilities pretty much stop at stick-men. Colouring is such an easy way to show your creativity without needing to be the next Picasso and you always end up with an amazing piece of work at the end of it. 

4. It's fun!

To be honest, the main reason I love colouring books so much is simply because I find them so much fun. I love seeing the black and white outlines become my own individual work of art and would happily spend all day working on them if I could!

My favourite colouring books

Secret Garden - Johanna Basford

Enchanted Forest - Johanna Basford

Animal Kingdom - Millie Marotta


Amy xxx