In Retrospect | November 2016

As if tomorrow is December!? This is a little bit beyond my comprehension capabilities... I honestly don't know where this year has gone, and I know I'm not the only one! November has been a busy one for me, with a whole load of new stuff starting up at work, application forms, trying to keep up with my blog (which has been a whole lot more successful this month, yay!), going to the gym, having a life... Oh, and the fact we have no bathroom at the moment as my parents have ripped the old suite out to have a whole new bathroom fitted. Literally our bathroom has no floor, ceiling or walls at the moment... I'm showering at the gym and our neighbour is kindly loaning her bathroom for my parents to shower!

Empties.

I've made a fair old dent in my toiletries stash this month, and even managed to finish off a make-up product! I'm trying to slim my stash down a little because of the aforementioned bathroom situation, so it's great to be clearing out so many products - I'm on a real mission to finish off all the half-used products I seem to have acquired...

Will Repurchase: Super Facialist by Una Brennan Salicylic Acid Anti-Blemish Purifying Face Wash | My favourite face wash ever! I already have a new tube of this, I love it. // The Body Shop Early Harvest Raspberry Body Butter | This stuff smells incredible and is perfect for keeping my limbs hydrated. I think it was a Limited Edition scent but I'll certainly be buying more TBS Body Butters - they're brilliant. // The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector | I'm pretty sure this is the best hand cream in the world, I love it! It works so well to soothe the awful patches of eczema I've been getting. // Merumaya Concentrated Spot Treatment | I already have a new tube of this, it's perfect for dabbing onto any blemishes at bedtime - it never fails to bring them down overnight.
Might Repurchase: Natural Collection Pressed Powder | I really like this, especially for the bargain price tag! It doesn't look chalky or cakey and works as well as any other drugstore powder I've tried. // Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash | This isn't up there with the Super Facialist face wash for me, but it is quite nice and it's a right bargain! // Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream | Not the best eye cream I've ever used, but it's alright. // Dr Organic Manuka Honey Body Wash | This has a very strong, almost sickly honey scent which was a bit too much for me on some days, but I do like the Dr Organic range in general, and it's SLS-free which is a bonus for my eczema! // Forever Living Relaxation Shower Gel | I'm not the world's biggest lover of lavender scents but I did really enjoy this one, it wasn't too overwhelming and made for quite a nice showering experience! It's just a little bit pricey for me, really.
Won't Repurchase: Nivea Sensitive Cleansing Wipes | Sensitive my arse! These didn't half make my face sting, I only really use facewipes for removing my make-up at the gym and I'd always rinse my face afterwards so I used them up, but there's not a chance I'd repurchase. // Percy & Reed Wonder Overnight Recovery | I have to admit that this did leave my hair feeling super silky-soft, which I loved, but I can't get past the smell of it, which really catches my throat somehow. I found the scent lingered in my hair even after I'd washed the product out the next morning, which was a real shame.

Sample Sachets.
I managed to finish a measly one sample sachet this month - poor effort Jess! Still, one is better than none, right!?

Mor Candied Vanilla Hand Cream | This was  FeelUnique Pick 'N' Mix sample sachet which I eked out for about six or seven uses; it has a nice, light, non-sticky texture and does smell lovely but I don't think I'll be forking out the full price! (£15/100ml here)

November Goals.
• Apply for clinical training. Yay! I finally got the form finished and submitted at the weekend, so now it's time to wait... Hopefully I should hear mid-March whether I'm being invited for any interviews, which is a long time to wait, and a long time to cross my fingers. We'll see. Either way, the form is done now, so that's one less thing to worry about!
• Start Christmas shopping. Well I've bought one gift so it counts, right!? It's a small start but it's still a start... I'm still really struggling for what to get people, and I have the added fun of a couple of Secret Santas to shop for - one which I organised with a few blogging friends, which is fine, and one with our pub quiz team, which is also fine, but the work one... I'm really stuck on what to get!
• See friends at least twice. An early morning walk and breakfast date with my best friend, a couple of late-night walks/drives with another friend, and a pub quiz with a whole group of friends - bonus point: we came third! That's the best I've ever done in a pub quiz, ha!
• Go to the gym regularly. Yep! I've managed to get to the gym either before or after work most days this month (I think I've only missed one workday), as well as a couple of weekend sessions. I'm making the most of my membership! If you're wondering how the heck I get to the gym before work, check out my top tips for early-morning workouts.
Four out of four on my goals, woohoo!
November Loves.
Catherine wrote about her tips for becoming a morning person, which is definitely something I'd like to achieve at some point in my life!

Caitlin reviewed a W7 foundation which is, apparently, a dupe for NARS Luminous Weightless Foundation - I'm feeling a strong need to try it out! Can we also take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous Caitlin's photos are, like, always!?

Hannah shared twelve things to remember when you're on your period - a brilliant and relatable read, reminding us all about the virtues of hot water bottles, cuddly toys and chocolate to help us through that time of the month.

The fabulous Jasmine wrote about her top tips for staying motivated during Autumn & Winter - something I know I struggle with, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Check out her post for some ways to make the most of the dark days!
Here on The Indigo Hours, my favourite posts included my favourite nail polishes for Autumn, and seven things that happen when you start to practice self-care, so do pop over and give those a read if you missed them!

November In Summary.
A busy month but I feel like I've achieved a fair bit - mostly because of finally submitting my application for clinical training, but also including a few fun things too, such as a meal out with my family and seeing Russell Kane for my Mum's birthday at the beginning of the month - which was a fab evening, he was hilarious!
What have you been up to in November? What have you been loving this month?

xo
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