2021 Monthly Favourites: January

Hey Friends!

January usually feels like a long month, but this one wasn’t mashing any brakes! Do you agree? Anyway, I decided to start something NEW and share with you guys a “few” of my favourite things from the previous month. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s January where everything is oh so “new” why this list is so long, buttttt we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts! As you know, I’m a lifestyle blogger so my favourite items will be listed under different categories – Apps/Tech, Beauty/Skin, Clothing/Accessories and Other (because I wanted to lump the extras). P.S these categories may change as the months go by and I discover new things, such as music, podcasts, bloggers etc.

APPS:

Reminders

Hi, my name is Aaliyah and I’m addicted to my phone (group replies in unison “Hi Aaliyah”). Given it’s the one thing always on me and my fading memory, the Reminders App has been essential in my daily life. To be honest I wasn’t using this app until Apple upgraded their operating system where we could customise our home screens. I currently use the list feature to list affirmations as well as my top 3-5 tasks for the week. Nothing says accomplished like checking a task off your list!

Trello

I was first introduced to this last year, but never kept up with it. However, this year in the spirit of giving everything a fresh start and being consistent I logged back into this platform and created a new board. I’m currently only using Trello on the web even though they have a mobile application. My main use for this is planning content where I currently have different lists for quarter 1 IG posts, blog posts, youtube and other platforms I use. I like the way it allows me to arrange content ideas and add different information to each card. I’m not going to say much about it right now because I want to do a review post dedicated to this platform.

BEAUTY/SKIN

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

I hardly wear makeup especially now that we’re not going anywhere 🙃 but I still use it every now and again to film videos or TikToks. Lip gloss has never been a staple in my makeup bag but I decided to give it a try. I purchased the standard size in Fenty Glow – shimmering rose nude from Sephora during Black Friday and fell in love with it. Every time I use it I fall in love with again from the scent; it also leaves my lips feeling and looking luscious.

Belif – True Cream Moisturizing Bomb

Another Black Friday purchase (don’t judge me). It was mostly for my sister but I tried it once and well it’s ours now. Just like makeup I was never a huge skincare fanatic, to be honest I didn’t pay attention to it AT ALL. That’s about to change though, so stay tuned for my beginner skincare routine. Back to the moisturizer, a little really goes a long way to leave your skin feeling smooth and nourished. It also has a mild earthy/herb scent which was refreshing to me.

CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES

Chattabox Chain

Fun fact: I love accessories. Chattabox has a variety of island themed gold chains, ranging from your local area code, country flag and outline. I opted for the country outline design of Antigua which is the right size and very lightweight. It’s perfect for layering chains and also shows a sense of country pride.

DM them on Instagram if interested in purchasing.

Paperbag Shorts

Once upon a time I was “obsessed” with fitted clothes, at least it was preferred to looser options due to my body type. However, I’ve since grown out of that phase and realised not everything has/needs to be tight. One of those things I’ve come to dislike are jeans and more so shorts, for other reasons as well. I first came across paper bag pants a year or so ago and was throughly impressed with how well they fit. Fast forward to last month, while Christmas shopping there were some cute shorts on sale at a local store with a similar style so I decided to purchase them. They’ve been my go-to shorts ever since. The colour, style, length and fit are just right.

OTHER ITEMS

Island Gyal Tumbler

This is my first step into designing brand merchandise. I made the logo in Canva and got it printed on a tumbler also provided by Accents by Shush. The process was fairly simple and I liked the end result, especially the addition of glitter. I also printed an additional tumbler which was placed in the Mystery Box Giveaway held last month. I’m going to play around with the design a bit more, but if you’re interested in this let me know!

Think Like A Monk – Jay Shetty

If you watched my 2020 Year in Review youtube video, you’d know that I had the goal of reading 20 books in 2020. Well, that didn’t go as planned so therefore we’re aiming for 12 books this year. My first choice I came across on a friend’s Instagram and decided to give it a try. I particularly like this book for its activity prompts; they actually guide you into reflecting on various times in your life and your responses to particular situations. I’m now xx% and using Goodreads to track my challenge.

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A post shared by Aaliyah • Content Creator 🇦🇬 (@astoldbyali)

Merry Cookie Candle

I’ve been stuck on the Champagne Toast scent for quite sometime, but I finally decided to try something new when Bath & Body Works had a 2-4-1 sale on three-wick candles. I spent some time scrolling through the options and found quite a bit of selections, however given it was the Christmas season and how much I loved sweet treats I decided on the Merry Cookie candle. It smells AH-MA-ZING!!! Almost like I’m baking something each time I light it, which is somewhat disappointing when I actually feel for cookies and there aren’t any. I reach for this candle more than I do the other which I bought for “stress relief“. The candle has the fragrance notes of fresh baked cookies, sparkling sugar crystals, and rich vanilla with essential oils.

Focus Music

Randomly discovered this while searching on Youtube one day and it’s actually working out pretty well while I’m trying to focus on my work tasks. I’d usually listen to random mixes but I found I got distracted easily by singing along or trying to find a particular song within that mix. Outside of mixes, I’ve tried classical music but that doesn’t work. This is actually brainwave background music which is said to “help your mind get to the state of focus, maintains alertness and concentration for tasks.”