It’s an annual cliché, you’re broke, your clothes are tighter and you want to crawl back under the duvet at any opportunity, yep it’s our old reliable friend January.

As we approach Blue Monday (18^th January) it is so important to not get sucked into the misery and depression that it can bring, especially when the weather is so bad and payday seems so far away. January is the Monday of months and if it had a face it would be downright ugly but we need to smack it in its horrible face and beat those start-of-year blues!

Here are some top things to do that I find helps to beat the January blues:

1.  Eat well and exercise:

All the over-indulgence during the festive period can leave us feeling bloated and lethargic. By making small changes to your diet and exercising more frequently, not only does your body look and feel better, but it also does wonders for your mind. 

           

      2. Go Dry for January:

It is a well-known fact that alcohol is a depressant, and it can sometimes be the main contributor to our mood in January. There is so much drink consumed throughout December that it can be no harm in giving your body a break in January and you might actually start to feel like a normal human being again!

3. Take advantage of the January Sales:

Buy yourself something nice, even if it’s only small, there is nothing like a good online bargain or a little trip to Penneys to lift the mood.

My €25 January Penneys Haul 

4.  Set realistic goals:

Be patient and know that you are moving towards where you want to be. Write down all your achievements from last year and make a plan of small goals you want to achieve this year. By setting small, realistic goals throughout the year, it keeps us more motivated as we have more chance of achieving them.

5. Always have something to look forward to:

Plan a sun holiday or weekend break with your partner or friends, as nothing quite lifts the mood more than having a trip away to look forward to.  Even if you can’t afford to pay for it all now, just by putting the plans together and setting aside money each month it will keep you positive on days when you’re feeling down.

6. Spend some quality time with friends:

Sometimes the greatest therapy any girl can have comes from spending time with her friends. There is nothing more uplifting when you are in a bad mood than a belly-aching giggle with the girls. Whether you go to the cinema, for a walk or just call over for a cuppa, make sure to spend quality time with your friends this month and it won’t seem quite so blue.

      7. De-clutter:

There is actually no better feeling than decluttering in January. Last year I completely emptied my wardrobes - washed everything I wanted to keep and bagged everything I was throwing out or giving to charity. This can take some time but the satisfaction you get from it is amazing! If you haven’t worn it in 12 months or if it no longer fits, get rid! I find that I forget half the things I own when my wardrobe is messy so by clearing out you might piece some fabulous new outfits together.

8. Create a positivity jar:

I read about doing something like this in December and I just love the idea. This January, buy an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen, it can be once a week or once a day. Then on New Year’s Eve 2016 open the jar and read all the amazing things that happened during the year.

9. Take a break from Social Media:

I think that Social Media should come with an anxiety warning. If anything can get you down it’s seeing how amazing everyone else’s lives seem, I lost count the amount of people I saw on Snapchat and Facebook in Thailand this January. But just remember, Social Media has a rose tinted glass, nobody posts selfies on Instagram of them looking horrible. If this does make you feel bad about yourself, take a break for a few weeks, you can survive this long without seeing what your friend’s cousin ate for brunch.

                                                                          

10.   Pamper yourself:

Book a spa day for you and your friends for the end of the month and you can celebrate being finished with January for another year with a massage and end the dry spell with a glass of Prosecco!

It's January, we're all feeling a little tired and like we're carrying some extra holiday weight. So what better to cheer us up than some wonderful beauty products!

Below I have reviewed three of my January beauty must-haves...

1.       Blank Canvas Cosmetics Master Series Palette One

So it is safe to say that I am slightly obsessed with the Blank Canvas Master palette and like I am with my hair, I am also very fussy when it comes to eyeshadow. Having worked for MAC for a number of years I was totally loyal and never found a brand whose eyeshadow could quite meet the same standard in my (masterfully over-blended) eyes!

Then I became a massive fan of Inglot shadows (I skipped the Urban Decay trend, not convinced) as I found they blend in a similar way to MAC. That was until I got my hands on this clever little number.

With a total of 12 shadows (11 x matte and 1 x shimmer) a mirror and an amazing blending brush, this is literally the only item you need to create the perfect smoky eye. What I love about it is the colours bring you from day to night, and not only are they easy to blend but the colour payoff is amazing.

I like to use Brazen and Strut in the crease with Core on the lid for a natural daytime look. Then to smoke it up at night I bring in Downtown and Cocoa deeper into the crease and around the edge of the eyes. Goddess (the shimmer shadow) is perfect on the lid, inner corner of the eyes and under the brow bone.

I finished the below look off with some Double Trouble Lashes from Penneys!

For €35 on www.blankcosmetics.ie this palette is every girl’s makeup case must-have item.

Face: MAC Prolongwear Foundation NC37, Inglot HD Powder, MAC Harmony to contour and
MAC Blush
Eyes: Blank Canvas Master Palette, Inglot Gel Liner, Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
and Penneys Double Trouble lashes

2.        Viviscal Gorgeous Growth – Densifying Shampoo and Conditioner

I am quite fussy when it comes to my hair, which you have to be when you have a mop of curls like I do. I have tried and tested nearly every haircare brand on the market over the years and many shampoos and conditioners either leave my hair dry, frizzy or just limp.

Having curly hair is a full time job! But Viviscal 
leaves it feeling amazing. This was after 
my first time using it with a small amount of Bedhead styling 
creme

Because of this, I was very excited to try Viviscal’s new densifying range, not just because it has such a good reputation when it comes to haircare, but also because the packaging just looks so beautiful!

Blended with biotin, keratin and zinc to promote healthy looking hair growth (probably the reason I need to get my roots done again so soon!) this range promises to give you naturally thicker, fuller and gorgeous hair.

The shampoo lathers really well so you only need a tiny amount and the conditioner leaves your hair incredibly soft and shiny. Because it is ‘densifying’, it really thickens the hair after one use and as an added bonus the botanical infused fragrance makes it smell amazing.

At a €11.95 it is really affordable so this will most definitely be a repeat purchase from me, especially as you only need a small amount for it to work.

        3.         Oil of Olay Anti-Ageing Day Cream + Serum

This is definitely a firm favourite in my daily beauty regime and I usually apply it in the morning before my makeup. I find this 2 in 1 cream + serum not only instantly hydrates the skin, but leaves it looking and feeling smoother after one use.

The 2-in-1 formula combines an anti-wrinkle cream with a firming serum, meaning it plumps skin with intense moisture and targets the appearance of wrinkles.

It spreads so well that you only need a pea sized amount and it smells amazing! I am a big fan of Oil of Olay as not only is it affordable, but along with Ponds, it was probably the only cream that our mothers and grandmothers used for years and it seemed to work for them!

There also seems to be really good offers on this cream in most of the Supermarkets, Tesco are currently offering buy one get one free and Dunnes usually have them on a half price offer. 

A New Me... Or Maybe Not

'A New Year... A New Me...' Sound familiar? Every year we do the same thing, over indulge at Christmas in food, alcohol and general merry-ness. By December 27th, the merry feeling is replaced with something a little darker, a feeling of guilt and regret. We ate too much food, we didn't achieve half of our New Year Resolutions that we set last January 1st, and the feeling that we are still not quite the person we had hoped to be by December 31st.

I know this feeling so well, because it is something I experience every year, and it never gets easier. I am the queen of procrastination, 'I will start it again tomorrow, I will give that up on Monday. I will start that task after I make a cup of coffee, ah sure no point starting now I only have an hour left of work..' The list goes on. I am so aware of my faults and I try every day to improve on these in the hope to make myself a better person. I absolutely love Christmas, nothing makes me happier than celebrating with my closest friends and family, I love giving presents and decorations get me so excited that my house looks like Santa's Grotto. But for some reason, by Stephen's Day every bad thing I have said and done during the year comes crashing on top of me, a night I drank too much, a time I could have been nicer to someone, or something I still haven't achieved... all of a sudden I feel like I am the worst person in the world. It is horrific how hard you can be on yourself sometimes, in fact I don't think that anyone can be harder on you than you are on yourself. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not all doom and gloom, by the 28th December I have picked myself up and am back to being my normal happy person again. But it doesn't mean that I have forgotten what I have thought about. I try to turn those negative thoughts into a positive and create small resolutions in my head that I feel will help me to be a better person day by day. It's all about the small steps. I think most of the time it is just the fear, too much drinking in December that by the end of Christmas Day you are so consumed it seems this is what it's going to be  like for the rest of your life!

fear

fɪə/

noun

1. 1.

   an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

   "I cowered in fear as bullets whizzed past"

   synonyms:

   terror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation,dread, consternation, dismay, distress

Fear: When you find your false lashes in
your hair the morning after the
night before 

I used to have no problem going
for a run after a night out when I was 21

Set Realistic Goals:

What I do believe to be a more successful way of entering the New Year is to set yourself small goals. Don't create unrealistic expectations for yourself, because if you don't achieve them you will feel like you failed. At the start of 2015 I set myself small milestones in my diary - one being I wanted a new job, by the end of April, I had achieved this. I also set myself fitness and financial goals, and although there were some setbacks, by taking small steps I think you create a more sustainable future.

My Fitness Goals: 

I have always exercised, it has just been part of my routine. I grew up dancing and always enjoyed the feeling I get from working out, ok well not always! I have gone through phases of being really dedicated and then falling off the bandwagon. But since the summer, I really feel like I have found something I love so much and I haven't felt this comfortable in my own skin for a long time. It's not that I have lost loads of weight, because I haven't and that's not why I do it. I love the way it makes me feel and although like most women I would still love to be a bit skinnier or a bit more toned, I am nowhere near as strict on my diet as I have been in the past. But more than that, there is a lot to be said for not wanting to make excuses, because I used to be the queen of them!

I have never had a trainer so encouraging before that I actually hate to miss class because like a parent, I feel he will be disappointed in me! But also, I set myself some fitness goals to achieve before the end of the year - one was to hit 100kg in my deadlifts and the other was to do free handstands and handstand pressups. I didn't quite hit the 100kg but I did get 90kg  and I was chuffed with this, for me this was an achievement. My second goal I hit with weeks to go and now I just want to be upside down all the time!

For some people this might not be a big deal but for me it most certainly is, because in September I could barely kick into one and now I am not only doing pressups in a handstand against the wall but I can actually kick into one in the middle of the room and hold it!

This is the first time I have ever gone in to train between Christmas and New Year, because I actually wanted to! For me it is all about moderation, train hard, play hard because life is too short to miss out on pizza and chocolate!

The moral of the story? Anything is possible with a bit of dedication and stubbornness. Set your mind to something and you will achieve.  

Goals to be a better person:

One of my main goals for next year is to quit the procrastination and make it happen today. I stopped writing for a while but when someone asks me what makes me happy in a professional sense, I will always say it is fashion and writing. When I am writing I get a feeling I cant describe and I am so blessed to have found it. I know it is so easy to make excuses, 'I don't have time, I have to much on at the moment.' But I am the first person to say you will always make the time for people and things you care about. So in the words of Nike, Just Do It.

But most of all what I have realised over Christmas is how important it is and how much I love just spending quality time with my family. There is actually no better feeling than curling on the couch or just hanging out with the people you really love, that is what happiness is to me. So I have decided a personal goal for me to learn to say NO. I am too much of a yes person sometimes which means that my time is never my own and not only do I suffer but so does my family as you feel like you nearly have to set aside a date for 'quality time' Yes I think I might have a few hours free Saturday week for that! I think we get to spend so much time with our families over Christmas that we realise it really is the little things in life which are important. I always advise other people that they need to be more selfish, well I think that it's about time I take my own advice! Don't let people mistake your kindness for weakness, they will only respect you more if you learn to say no.

I spend my professional career talking to people about how to be 'more strategic' yet when I look at my personal life I realise I don't quite have my own strategy figured out yet. I know what I want but sometimes the journey is the toughest part. Like standing in a London underground station looking at the lines on a map and not having a clue how the hell you are going to actually reach your required tube station, except the end destination is actually your own success or happiness. 

              

I realised more than ever what is most important this Christmas

I have learned a lot about myself this year and I know that I still have a lot of learning to do. I have made the mistakes but I take something from each one everytime. 

When the clock strikes 12 tonight just remember, that New Year's Eve is about hope, forgiveness, fresh starts, and also it's one hell of a party! Thanks for all your support this year and let's make 2016 the best yet!

In 2016 - Eat the food, drink the drink and take all the selfies you want!!!!

 It’s nearly everybody’s favourite time of year, and if it isn’t then WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! I absolutely love everything about Christmas! It is the season known for sparkling Christmas trees and decorations, groups of people in ridiculous jumpers trying to make it to 12 pubs, Santa Claus, tins of Roses and…. very expanding waistlines.

Obsessed with H&M fitnesswear

There’s nothing better than pigging out in front of the fire with your family and friends indulging in every delicious treat you can get your hands on. But, unfortunately come January, all you are left with is an empty bank account and a belly full of turkey and chocolate. Last January I couldn’t believe how much weight I had put on around my stomach over the festive season. But then again, for a full month I ate my bodyweight in Celebrations and barely exercised so what did I expect?

This year I have told myself it’s going to be different, but already I can feel myself slipping. There is chocolate everywhere I look and slowly my training evenings are being replaced with various social dinners and nights out. 

I go to Unlimited Fitness www.facebook.com/unlimitedfitnessireland where Adam is not only my trainer, but my psychiatrist and priest by the way I feel like I have to confess every cheat meal I’ve had since our last session. I have really noticed my progression since I started training with Adam in June, my strength has increased dramatically and I have really noticed a change in my shape. Also, cheat foods like pizza and chocolate aren’t treated like the devil so I find I’m not gorging as much at weekends.  

                                    .  

I was delighted to find out that my classes will be on between Christmas and New Year and have every intention of trying to keep up a bit of training over Christmas. But there is this little voice in the back of my mind saying ‘Will you hell get up on the 28^th December to work out!’ I really want to prove that voice wrong as it is so hard in January to start from scratch again. But I know come the time it’s going to take iron willpower to take off the fluffy pjs and tear myself away from watching Elf for the thirtieth time for burpees and deadlifts.

I suppose that’s why gyms make most of their money in January, so basically I have to face it, I am just another ‘Get fat in December and skinny in January’ cliché. I know that we work hard all year and December is a time to relax and let yourself go but by rewarding your December-self you’re ultimately making life for your January-self next to impossible.

You know what though, we can get so hung up on stuff like this instead of just going with the flow and enjoying what we have. At the end of the day, life is short so I think let's Drink and Be Merry… Except in January, aint nobody got money to drink in January, and if you do WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

         

My top 5 essentials to get you through the party season...

1. Over the knee Boots - They are a December wardrobe staple and go with everything. Whether you are dressed casual in skinny jeans and a knitted jumper, or going for cocktails in a dress. I nabbed mine from www.getthattrend.com for a cool €62.

2. Christmas Jumper - Need I say more? Work, 12 pubs and Party Nights, these festive fancies work with everything. I love Penneys selection of Christmas jumpers...and of course fluffy socks, pj's, and pretty much everything else
3. Faux Fur - Hats, bags and gilets.. keep warm and look fabulous in fur this winter. I am a big fan of fur bags and got mine in River Island

4. Pom Pom Hats - I am loving the giant pom pom hats this winter, get yours from Custom Vintage Dublin, I want one in every colour! 

5. LBD - Let's face it an LBD is not just for Christmas, it's for life! But a trusty little black dress or two can see you through the silly season, without you ever looking silly! Missguided have an amazing selection of dresses right now!

Happy shopping... Santa hat optional! heart emoticon