Month in Reflection: Five Lessons Learned in January 2026

January is over and we're on to a new month of beauty subscriptions, but I thought it was a good idea to go back and look at the discoveries and standouts of last month. After all, learning how to be the architect of my own beauty is my goal for the year. It's worth assessing what I actually learned in the last 31 days and what aspects of the boxes helped me.

LESSON ONE: YOU HAVE TO LET SCENTS SETTLE
When I smelled Mitchell & Peach English Leaf Body Soufflé Cream, I was not a fan. I thought it was too pungent, specifically basil. I did not like it at all and thought about giving it away to someone. But after a bit of having it on my skin, I found that I really loved it. I enjoyed the clean, natural notes of it and how they worked with my chemistry. Now it is a go-to product that I use as often as I can get away with it. Conclusion? Let scents sit on you for a while before you pass judgment.

LESSON TWO: OH WOW. MY LASHES CAN LOOK LONG!

When it comes to my eyelashes, I've always felt pretty hopeless. They're short, fine, and sparse. Whenever I would apply mascara, it would always smudge, run, and make my eyes watery. That was before I received my Kulfi Beauty Badi LashSmudge Proof Volumizing Tubing Mascara in Black. Tubing mascara coats your lashes and stays put until you're ready to remove it. It also forms, well, little tubes around the lashes and helps to make them look thicker and longer. For once, for once, this actually worked for me. I usually have to apply at least three coats, but once I have, my lashes look amazing. Conclusion? I actually have hope about finding other products/techniques to deal with my various issues.

LESSON THREE: HAIR MIST IS A MUST-HAVE FOR ME
Scent can do so many things for us. It can summon memories, it can boost our confidence, and it can also instantly improve our mood. This last one is what EVEREDEN'S Hair and Body Fragrance Mist in Darling does for me on a daily basis. Whenever I'm stressed or sad, spraying just a little bit on my hair actually helps to ground and center me. It gives me a bit of joy that is needed and well-deserved. Will I go through this bottle quickly? Probably so, but after it's finished, I'm going to buy another hair mist. Conclusion? Little moments of joy can make all the difference.

LESSON FOUR: LIFE IS BETTER WHEN YOUR SKIN FEELS AMAZING

Last month, I put some amazing things on my skin, though nothing quite as wonderful as the ELEMIS Peptide4Plumping PillowFacial. I know I've blogged about this before, but wow, this was good. The thing I've figured out is that my skin can affect so much about what's going on with my day. If it's irritated, I'm irritated. If it feels rough, I'm not happy. If it's being sensitive, I'm not able to focus as well as I should. Listening to my skin and giving it what it needs has really helped improve things for me. Conclusion? Sometimes the issue is that you need to be moisturized.

LESSON FIVE: SERUMS ARE A VITAL PART OF A SKINCARE ROUTINE

Serum. It doesn't sound appealing. It sounds like something unpleasant on your skin. Oh how wrong I was about that. This probably started with my exploration of body and hair oil, but it's certainly moved on to the wonders of what face oils and face serums can do. I think 8 Faces Brilliance Serum was able to disarm my
apprehension with its beautiful packaging. When I saw that bottle, I WANTED to try it. I needed to try it. Once I did, I realized what an important step this was in taking care of my skin. I've discovered how skincare can be a luxurious process full of beautiful sensory moments. A good serum can really add to that.

As I transition into my elderly years, I want things to be as good for me as possible. I want my days to have intention. I want my time to be used in ways that truly improve my life. This year-long journey of discovery is supposed to help me with that. I think, overall, January was successful in that regard.