What I've been Reading Through January

Even if it does feel like the longest month on earth, we are finally at the end of January which means I can share my January reads post with you. I've done quite a lot of these over the years and they've always proven popular because there is always someone, somewhere looking for book recommendations. 

I'm on book seven at the moment so I have six titles to share with you in this post. There's a real variety so I'm sure you'll find something to pick up and read.

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Five Skincare Favourites from Beauty Pie

I first wrote about Beauty Pie way back in 2017, it had come to revolutionise the beauty game and I wasn't sold on it. The product range wasn't massive at the time and I didn't really like what I did try so I kinda forgot about it until last year when I fell hook, line and sinker and haven't looked back.

Beauty Pie is a team of beauty obsessives who have worked in the industry for years. Their everyday mission is to go out and find the best beauty buys from a global base of suppliers and bring them to each of the Beauty Pie members. They don't change their favourite formulas to fit price points or remove ingredients to meet budget which means members get luxury cosmetics and skincare at knock-down prices. It's a membership lead website with a great referral scheme so as more of you are turning towards Beauty Pie for your latest beauty fix, I thought I'd give you a rundown of my five favourite skincare products you need to pick up. 

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Lush Cosmetics Valentine's Day Collection

Tis the season for suggestive bath bombs and Prince Charming so with Lush Cosmetics launching their Valentine's Day collection it was time to dive headfirst into all things pink and full of love. 

I'm a sucker for a Lush product and have been for many years, you only need to head to that little search bar on the side and type Lush to see just how much so I'm gonna show you what I'm going to be using from this years Valentine's range and what I think you'll love too! 

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P&O Cruises Announces Gary Barlow as their NEW Brand Ambassador

It's all very exciting for P&O Cruises at the moment and with their new ship, Iona launching the announcements are just going to keep coming. The new LNG-powered ship with 5,200-guest capacity will be the largest ship built to serve the UK market. 

Iona will feature enhancements to their already successful brand signature venues from the existing fleet, as well as features newly developed for Iona. These include a breathtaking three-deck atrium in the heart of the ship as well as SkyDome – an exclusively designed glass dome by award-winning British engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan. This will be a world-first at sea and offer a unique space for both relaxing in all weathers and providing entertainment, featuring aerial performers and a wealth of live acts.

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Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Mayflower Theatre

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert opened in cinemas twenty-five years ago, following the story of Tick, Adam and Bernadette in their haphazard tour bus Priscilla. It's renowned as being at the centre of Drag's golden age and has only grown with notoriety as it burst on to stage across the UK. 

The show stands for love, friendship and acceptance just as it did all those years ago and having the chance to watch it on stage while touring in Southampton was a feast for our eyes. Priscilla Queen of the Desert opened at Mayflower Theatre this week with Joe McFadden, Miles Western and Nick Hayes at the helm of Mark Goucher's new production. 

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My Latest Buys from Waterstones

With Christmas came book vouchers so this happy little bookworm skipped off to Waterstones to pick out even more new reads to add to the reading pile that is gradually stacking up in our bedroom. I had some great books given to me for Christmas so I decided to pick up a bit of everything with my vouchers including one I've wanted to read for so long... Daisy and The Six. 

I'm gonna give you a little rundown of what I chose so you can see if anything takes your fancy.

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New on my Beauty Shelf

It feels like the new beauty launches just keep coming at the moment so, with that in mind, I've whittled down five that I've really loved trying out over the last month including one I've been using quite a bit longer and might make your switch to menstrual cups even easier. 

The first one is John Frieda's newest launch and the one that's been saving my hair in recent weeks. Since having Joshua and suffering from post-partum hair loss, my hair has become more fine and flyaway and I just hadn't quite found something to work for me until the Frizz Ease Weightless Wonder Creme (£6.99). The creme works by transforming dry, frizzy hair into something so beautifully smooth that I wonder if it's even my hair sometimes. I now use this after every hair wash, it works so much better than more expensive brands I've tried and it doesn't leave hair feeling full of product.  

It's just really brilliant and such a bargain.

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Introducing The All-Natural Skincare Brand Upcircle

When it comes to skincare, the more natural the better and that is where Upcircle comes in. Upcircle is an all-natural skincare brand that uses leftover ingredients, bringing them back to life as beauty products. 

Think used coffee grounds and fruit stones - ideal for skin.

The packaging is 100% recyclable, it's handmade in the UK, natural, vegan, cruelty-free and palm oil-free, it's just really bloody lovely skincare that helps the planet while helping your skin look fabulous. 

I'm a HUGE fan.

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My Favourite Books of 2019

Reading has always been one of my favourite hobbies for as long as I can remember. My mum always used to take my sister and I to the library to pick out new books and that love grew over the years. There have been occasions where I've lost my love of it and haven't read for years and then I'll find my passion again, tearing through page upon page. 

It's also the one thing that really keeps my mental health in check and I love nothing more than curling up into a corner and reading something new. At the beginning of 2019 after a pretty horrendous 2018, I downloaded Goodreads and set myself a challenge to read 25 books which I upped to 30 in the February. I ended 2019 having read 75 books so I wanted to share some stand-outs from the year, books I devoured and really loved. 

If you do want to see what else I've been reading then head to my Book Category for some more reading inspiration.

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30 Things I've Learnt in 30 Years

It happened, I turned thirty and it wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. I probably would've said something a little different a few years ago but I felt rather content and ready for my next decade and I think finding myself again in 2019 helped that so I've compiled thirty things I've learnt in my thirty years so that if I do have a little panic, I've basically got future Alice's back.

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Printing at home made easy with Cartridge Save

This is a paid partnership with Cartridge Save

When it comes to printing at home, we need cartridges that are cost-effective but still do the job of well-known brands. I'd say we print more than most at home and we've recently switched over to the HP Laserjet Pro M254nw Colour Laser Printer which is making running a business from home even easier. 

With printing comes the cost of cartridges and that's where things can get a little pricier but having recently discovered Cartridge Save those costly cartridge worries are a distant memory!

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