January Favourites.

For a while last year I dabbled in filming monthly favourites videos over on Youtube, however after trying to develop a habit of making videos by doing Vlogmas in December, I decided that (for the time being) Youtube still wasn't quite for me. Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate it as a platform. I always have Youtube videos on in the background whilst I'm getting ready in the morning/evening, however I'm undecided on how I feel about making content myself. Youtube is a big old scary world compared to the cosy corner that is my blog, and although I enjoy the process of filming/editing videos, sharing them still feels very different to sharing blog posts. Maybe one day it'll click for me!
However, for the time being I've decided to start doing monthly favourites blog posts instead! At the end of each month I always find there are so many bits and pieces I've collated that I haven't been able to worm into blog posts one way or another, so a favourites post seemed like the perfect excuse. They'll include a little bit of everything; fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Some of it has appeared in other blog/Instagram posts, however I still thought it would be nice to share it all in one place for anyone who might have missed it...

Beauty -

I will forever maintain that I am a rubbish beauty blogger, however that's not to say it doesn't interest me. Ever since Christmas I've been all about Lush makeup. I wanted to find a more ethical alternative to my favourite red lip, and I found a veritable spectrum of options at Lush! My favourite shade is 'Believe' (pictured middle), a lovely raspberry pink/red that I haven't been able to get enough of. The colour is beautiful, and it feels so moisturising and comfortable on my lips. The second colour I bought was 'Passionate' (pictured left), a rich magenta that I use when I'm cosplaying Elsa. Finally, I picked up 'Power' (pictured right) half price in the January sales, a striking, metallic orange-red. I've also been loving Lush's 'Emotional Brilliance' face powder for setting my makeup.
Other beauty favourites include a matching pink glittery makeup bag and wash bag I picked up from Primark. My current bags are huge, so it's nice having more compact versions for light traveling. In early January my skin was feeling a bit sad and dull, so I picked up a bottle of St Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin. I've used it in the past and it always does the trick! My favourite perfume of 2015 so far has been Dolce. It's a little less heavy and sickly than the perfumes I usually wear, making it the perfect refreshing scent for counteracting the January blues!

TEA ROOM BOX BAG C/O VENDULA

Bags -

I think we were all in awe of those novelty bags that New Look released last year, so I was delighted to snap two up in the sales at £5 a pop! I'd been eying up the milkshake one for months, so I was over the moon to nab it for so little, and for an impulse buy I've got more use out of the chocolate bar one than I was expecting. In a slightly different vein, I was delighted to receive this charming 'tea room' box bag from Vendula. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for girlie chintz, however it was the punchy, candy striped 'roof' that won this design for me.

Accessories -

One of my favourite sales purchases was this beautiful pair of T-bar silver heels that I picked up in the New Look sale for £10. I love how quirky and retro they look with white tights! They're also super comfortable, and the heel is the perfect height. Other favourites include some new Crown and Glory products from January's Glitterati box. The fluffy marabou feather headband is a fantastic homage to Cher from Clueless, and I can't wait to get my hands on some pastel shades for spring! The glitter scallop crown is wonderfully girlie alternative to one of my C&G favourites, the Elbie crown, and will look brilliant perched in front of beehives and messy buns. The 'Not A Lotta Rosie' bobby pins are a fantastic spring staple - check out how I styled them in this post.

Disney -

I'm a big old Disney dork - there's no denying it! I blooming love the Animator Dolls, and since receiving Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose for Christmas I've decided I want to build up a collection of each of the princesses I cosplay. The Elsa doll spent most of last year sold out (big shocker), so I decided to treat myself when I checked the site a few weeks ago and finally found her available. She has the prettiest little face and outfit, and she looks darling stood next to Aurora above my desk! Ariel is next on the list...

HAND DYES C/O DYLON | EXTENSIONS C/O ANNABELLE'S WIGS

Cosplay -

Now for the truly dorkiest section of this post - cosplay! I've made no secret of what a cosplay aficionado I've become over the past year or so, and I love sharing my progress and photos with all of you. Whenever I have to dye anything for my costumes I look to Dylon Hand Dyes, so I was delighted when they offered me a selection of colours to play with. My experience with them so far has been nothing but positive, so I can't wait to have a play with these sachets. I'll be sure to share my experiments with you over the coming weeks!
It's also been a month of wig development. I love my Elsa wig, but I felt my braid was a little lackluster, so the wonderful folks over at Annabelle's Wigs sorted me out with some fantastic extensions which have really thickened it up and given it that Disney volume. They were so helpful; I simply sent them a photo of my wig, and they suggested the style and shade. It now looks perfect! I also bought myself the first part of my Rapunzel wig on eBay for £20, as I really want to make her this year. As you can probably tell, it's not quite thick enough at the moment in comparison to Elsa's braid, so my plan is to buy another of the same wig and merge them together for realistic bulk and volume. The braid comes down to my hips, so once it's thick enough I'll add some matching extensions at the bottom to give the illusion of extra length, then positively drown the whole thing in fake flowers!