January Faves
Alison Pegg
Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo in Encounter. image via
Encounter
I’ve been binging Korean dramas on and off for years, thanks to Netflix and Hulu there never seems to be a shortage of them to try these days. As binging goes, you start to recognize some of the same actors and actresses over and over again, for me that actress has been Song Hye Kyo.
To describe her new drama, Encounter (Boyfriend), in one word, it would be beautiful. The story was great in that it didn’t take the normal tropes that other k-dramas do, it was so refreshing to see a strong woman as the centre of the plot and her young boyfriend the steadfast support. Speaking of young boyfriend, Park Bo Gum just oozes charisma all over the screen and has lots of help with a cast of charming supporting characters. You can’t talk about this drama without talking about the locations, from the vibrancy of Cuba, to the calm of seaside Sokcho, it’s gorgeous from start to finish. Honestly, you could watch this drama on mute that’s how beautiful the cinematography is.
Google Home Hub
I’ll admit, this purchase was a total design before function splurge – essentially my Google Home Hub was going to be the world’s most expensive alarm clock. I happened upon the Google home by chance when upgrading my cell phone last November, waiting for my icloud to sync to my new phone. And when a Target Black Friday deal came about that priced the hub below $100, I was sold.
The usefulness of my Google Home Hub has far succeeded its aesthetic beginnings, starting with the speaker attached to it. The sounds is actually GOOD and perfect for streaming your favourite Spotify playlist. Even though I’m firmly Team Apple, the Google plug-ins are great, maps, news, youtube, etc. And you can’t beat the touch screen when voice commands aren’t possible.
Oh, and it's a pretty great alarm clock too
Saje Mountain High essential oil
By the time mid-January rolls around, I’m pretty over the pine and firewood scents that filled my home during the holidays. A new year means starting fresh and nothing for me is as fresh as filling my home with Saje’s Mountain High blend of essential oils.
Mountain High keeps the freshness of balsam that I love, but the addition of spearmint changes the notes of this smell from holiday to spa. Saje calls it “invigorating” and I couldn’t agree more.
Diff Sunglasses
Sunny winter weather with a blanket of snow is my absolute favourite. Call me crazy, but I love the crisp air coupled with a shot of sunshine – it’s an instant wakeup and mood booster. Turns out this weather also happens to be the worst for your eyes – but that just means its time to splurge on a new set of sunnies.
During the winter I pretty much exclusively wear wire-framed specs, I need the nose pad to keep my frames from sliding down my face when I wear my winter beanies. And I love this pair because the tint isn’t too dark, it’s perfect for super sunny days, and those days in between when the glare from the snow is just too much to bear.
Carmex
I can’t go anywhere without this $2 steal. Forget all my fancy lip balms (like this one, this one, and this one), Carmex is the only one I reach for during this polar-vortex/dry indoor winter season.
Guilty Pleasures Playlist
I mean, the title alone here explains it all, right? This Spotify playlist is perfect to get through winter, combining boy bands, early T Swift and some pretty awesome older songs too. It’s a nostalgic joy-ride perfect for gloomy cold-weather days.
The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Body Butter
If there’s one thing I can’t resist in the coldest parts of winter, it’s a semi-hot shower. Too hot to be defined as warm, this temp is perfect to get the chill off your bones in order to start your day. Unfortunately, this temp wreaks havoc on my skin, leaving it drier than a desert for the rest of the day.
The Body’s Shop Almond Milk & Honey body butter is the perfect cure to winter dry skin. It’s more whipped than The Body Shop’s other body butters, and this lighter texture melts into the skin super fast, so you can avoid that weird “clothes sticking to my body lotion” feeling in the am. The smell is as light as it’s texture with just the faintest hint of honey.