In Retrospect | October 2016

Happy Hallowe'en! At risk of sounding like the biggest cliché going, October has absolutely flown by, and I can't believe that tomorrow will be November (and my Mum's birthday)! There's been so much going on that I haven't known whether I was coming or going for a majority of the month...

Empties.

It's not been a bad month for empties; I'm on a bit of a mission at the moment, trying to use up as many of my products as I can, as my parents are having the bathroom replaced imminently... So I've been trying to use up anything that's half-finished, and haven't been stocking up quite so much.

Will Repurchase: L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Clay-To-Spray Dry Shampoo | I mentioned this in my Three Dry Shampoos That Are Better Than Batiste post; it works really well for me to absorb excess oils in my roots, and has a lovely fresh scent.
Might Repurchase: Soft & Gentle Wild Rose & Vanilla Anti-Perspirant | This didn't smell as nice as I'd hoped (I couldn't detect the vanilla at all!) but was pleasant nonetheless. It's not one I'd depend on, but I like to have a spray deodorant to just freshen up. // Crazy Rumors Lemonade Lip Balm | This smells so good and worked really nicely to keep my lips smooth and hydrated. I have a ridiculous stash of lipbalms, though... // Supergoop! CC Cream | I did quite like this; it gave a good coverage and a nice finish, although the shade was a little too dark for my skin. I do think it's quite pricey for what it is, though. // Boots Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish | I really like the super-fine texture of this; it's perfect to use just a couple of times a week to keep my skin soft and smooth. I couldn't find this last time I looked in Boots so I fear it may have been discontinued, but if I can get my hands on it I'll probably buy a new tube. // Shaveworks The Cool Fix Targeted Gel Lotion | I was so bad at remembering to use this after shaving so I'm not 100% sure whether it made much difference, but I think it helped to reduce itchiness and ingrowers. I'll certainly think about repurchasing!
Won't Repurchase: Amie Morning Clear Purifying Face Wash | I've really liked the Amie products I've tried in the past, but I was pretty underwhelmed by this - it was alright, but not the sort of product I'd be in a hurry to use again. // Dove Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant | I didn't mean to buy this, I accidentally picked it up instead of the Sure version which looks very similar, and didn't find it nearly as effective. // Naked Shine Hydrating Conditioner | I did like this conditioner, it worked really well to keep the ends of my hair smooth and hydrated, but unfortunately Naked are no longer and this was my last tube.

Samples Sachets.

Again, I've only managed two sample sachets this month, although two is better than none!

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo | This is far too rich for my oily hair, and the SLS in it is no good for my eczema, so I won't be buying this. It does smell lovely though! (£2/400ml here) // Cattier Paris Masque Argile Rose | This actually reminded me of Origins Original Skin Mask, although I don't like this as much - the effects just weren't as noticeable for me, so I don't think I'd buy the full-size. (£15.25/100ml here)

October Goals.
• Apply for clinical training. Erm. This is still in progress..! I've filled in the easy bits of the form like my name and my qualifications, but I'm struggling with the slightly more involved questions... I'll be carrying this one over for November, as the deadline is at the end of the month.
• See friends at least twice. A Hallowe'en night out, a walk in the woods with my best friend, a spin class with the same friend (don't ask...) and a night at Pizza Express with two of my new colleagues... October has felt very busy! I'd have liked to have done more but just haven't had time.
• Join the gym. I left this til kind of last-minute, but I had my induction at the weekend (with a rather attractive personal trainer...!) and am now all signed up to my new gym which is exciting! I went yesterday and really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to getting back into working out regularly.
• Get my hair cut shorter. Check out my New Hair post to see how this ended up! I had about 7 or 8 inches cut off in all, so I'd say I've achieved this one. I'm really pleased I didn't bottle it, my hair looks so much nicer now!
• Look into savings accounts. I did this! I've set up a second savings account with a better interest rate - it's a fixed term account which means I can't withdraw any money for a year, so I don't want to put everything in there, but it makes sense to put a little bit in there each month and earn a little bit more in interest where I can. How adult of me!
• Finish the month no more than £750 into my overdraft. I actually managed the whole month without going back into my overdraft all which I'm super happy about! This is mainly because my old job have cocked up my wages and are still paying me, so I'll have to give it back at some point, but y'know... It's currently saving me my overdraft fees, so I don't mind too much that apparently no-one is capable of sorting that out for me.
So five out of six goals achieved this month - I'm pretty happy with that!

October Loves.

How incredible does Beth's Chocolate Honeycomb Salted Caramel Cheesecake look?! Cheesecake is one of my favourite things in the world and I'm pretty sure salted caramel cheesecake is the sort of divine foodstuff that would be accompanied by angel-song and harps. Or something.
Here on The Indigo Hours, I've posted about why I'm not a fan of Autumn, and a gorgeous budget dupe for Benefit's High Beam highlighter, so do check those out if you missed them!

October In Summary.
There's been a whole lot going on in October and I've generally found it all pretty exhausting; my boyfriend met my brother and his girlfriend for the first time a couple of weeks ago, we went for a walk up Catbells and then out for lunch in Keswick, which was lovely.

I've finally started seeing patients at work (although not on my own just yet - I've done a few assessments with my supervisor so far!) which I'm loving, a cat has moved in with us - we've named her Matilda - and I've spent the last couple of weeks with a real shortage of energy and motivation. I'm struggling with the dark days and the rain and cold - Spring can't come quick enough for me!
What have you been up to in October? Did you set yourself any goals this month? Are you celebrating Hallowe'en?

xo
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