September Favourites | 2019

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I have this love/hate relationship with the month of September. While I hate bidding farewell to the summer, I welcome September as a second fresh start in the year - similar to New Year on 1st January. This probably stems back to my school years when September would mark the start of a new academic year. I was quite the bookworm who revelled in the idea of new stationary and the fresh pages of a brand new notebook! I'm just the same all these years on, only instead of starting a new school year, I use this season to see my personal and business life with fresh eyes. Life always looks a little different by this of time of year, which is why my lists of monthly favourites always tend to surface around about now. So without further ado, here are some of my favourite items from September 2019.

What I've Been Reading

Lately, I've not had much time to read as much as I usually would. What I have been reading however, is a variety of biographical, psychological and comedy titles. The last three books I read were:

• Girl, Interrupted (psychological biography)
• Psycho (psychological thriller)
• About a Boy (comedy)

About a Boy made me laugh. Psycho is a classic! And Girl, Interrupted was a biography I wanted to read after watching the film recently. All of the titles above are highly recommended! With the colder months coming, I will of course be spending more time reading - so watch this space for future recommendations!

September Stationary Refresh

Just like when a child starts a new school year, equipped with brand new pens and pencils, I start September off with new stationary. This is for two reasons actually. The first being that I usually have to refresh my stationary supplies by this time of year because as a full-time blogger who usually writes her blog posts in longhand first, you can imagine how I use them up! The second, is that I like to remind myself that the end of the year is approaching and September is an acute wake up call after a more chilled out summer by comparison.

Bullet Journalling

Bullet Journalling has long been a favourite planning method of fine. I've been using a Bullet Journal for fashion blogging for the last 3 years and it helps me to stay organised and feel in control of my time. Understandably, if you were to search the term "Bullet Journal" you might feel overwhelmed by all the artistic charts and doodles that you'll find in the search results. The Bullet Journal Method is an ideal opportunity for you to stretch your creative skills and turn your ideas into practical charts, tables and lists. However, you don't have to fill your Bullet Journal with fancy drawings, you can make your journal as simple as you like.
I, like many Bullet Journal users I know, filled my first journal with doodles and art. But as time goes on, I find that my Bullet Journal becomes simpler and more functional with every passing year.  The fantastic thing about this method of planning is that you don't have to work with the charts and tables already printed in your diary - you add what and however many you need. If you want to read more about the concept of Bullet Journalling, the Bullet Journal Method is a great book written by Ryder Carroll - the creator of the Bullet Journal Method.

Blonde Ambition

At the end of July I decided to lighten my dyed-dark-locks to something of an ombré golden blonde - with the intention of going gradually blonder. So quite rightly, this September favourites list should include my current blonde obsession. I pin shades I like to Pinterest boards. I enjoy seeing how my gradually lightening hair looks in different styles. And I’ve got on the purple shampoo bandwagon and been thoroughly impressed this time around. I’ve tried purple shampoo in the past but I never noticed much of a difference. What I’ve came to learn is that you need a highly pigmented shampoo for it to work to full effect. For those who don’t know, purple shampoo is used to tone down brassy shades in your hair. Usually it’s used by blondes or on highlighted hair, whereas others leave purple shampoo on for long periods when washing their hair, in order to achieve the on-trend grey hair look.
*The Lee Stafford and Fudge purple shampoos are both cruelty-free*
 
So that's a brief look at some of my favourite things from September 2019. For daily updates and behind the scenes insight, don't forget to follow me on Instagram.